Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 118: Kazuma - "The Hokage Departs, the Advisor Reigns... I've Seen This Before."

"Be careful, Minato."

"Don't worry, Jiraiya-sensei and Yakumaru will be with me."

At the doorway of their home, Kushina leaned against the doorframe, bidding Minato farewell.

In three days, the Five Kage Summit would commence, and Minato was departing for the Land of Rain today.

As Minato smiled to reassure her, Kushina suddenly clutched her stomach, startling him.

"Kushina, what's wrong?"

"It's just the Nine-Tails again, but don't worry. It's only feeling a bit agitated," Kushina replied with a strained smile, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

Minato's expression softened with concern as he gently hugged her. "When it's time for the baby to arrive, you'll need to be extra cautious. The Nine-Tails won't miss the opportunity to try and break the seal."

"Uh… I don't think it's trying to break the seal. I think it's just angry," Kushina said awkwardly.

Recently, the Nine-Tails seemed to be in a perpetually irritable mood. Who had provoked it? Kushina hadn't been bullying it...

Meanwhile, in the sealed space, the Nine-Tails was glaring through Kushina's vision at a tiny beetle darting past and a slug perched on a nearby tree. Its teeth bared in frustration.

Are you two showing off?

Chōmei, Saiken—you traitorous fools! If you want to mock me, just say it outright!

But unlike you two, I, Kurama, would never submit to humans and create ridiculous clones to enjoy "freedom."

---

"What's Kurama doing?"

Chōmei's and Saiken's clones were perched together, watching Minato and Kushina interact. As they noticed a flash of the Nine-Tails' chakra, Chōmei tilted its head in curiosity.

"No idea. Probably trying to break the seal while the jinchūriki is pregnant?"

"That's impossible," Saiken replied lazily. "She's a member of the Uzumaki clan, descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. Her sealing techniques are the best in the ninja world. Kurama couldn't break the seal even with the last jinchūriki."

"Well… the last jinchūriki wasn't pregnant, was she?"

"That's true. Speaking of which, I've noticed some of Kurama's chakra seems to be flowing into the baby."

Chōmei's eyes lit up. "Does that mean the child is Kurama's?"

"Kurama's child?" Saiken murmured, also intrigued. "It could be."

After all, tailed beasts were entities of chakra. If the baby inherited some of the Nine-Tails' chakra before birth, wouldn't that make it Kurama's child?

Chōmei cackled. "What do you think Kurama's kid will look like?"

"Probably with whisker marks, but still human," Saiken mused.

The two tailed beasts casually gossiped about Kurama's "child" right in front of it.

Though Kurama couldn't hear them, it could sense their mocking presence and grew even more irritable.

In response, Kushina reinforced the seal and gave it a stern reprimand.

Satisfied that Kushina was fine, Minato finally set off.

---

"Has Minato left the village? Looks like this breeze has finally come to an end."

At the Root headquarters, Orochimaru licked his lips as he learned of Minato's departure with Jiraiya and Yakumaru for the Land of Rain. Turning to the ninjas around him, he issued an order:

"Prepare to leave."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"

The Root ninjas bowed and quickly exited the room.

Once they were gone, a shadowy figure stepped out from the corner, catching Orochimaru's attention.

"Well, well. What a rare guest. I haven't sought you out, yet you've delivered yourself to me."

The figure's voice was low. "Orochimaru, I have a request for you."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"It concerns the Fourth Hokage…"

---

After seeing Minato off, Hyuga Fuji returned to the Hokage's office. Taking the Hokage's seat, he glanced at the numerous files before him, then turned his gaze to his side. Yashamaru had silently appeared there.

"You're the third person to come here," Fuji remarked.

Yashamaru blinked, then lowered his head slightly. "I assumed you might have tasks for me, my lord."

"Do as you wish."

"Yes, my lord."

A faint smile appeared on Yashamaru's face as he bowed and left.

Shortly after Yashamaru departed, a tall, lean figure quietly approached Fuji.

"Lord Fuji, the daimyo requests your presence at the daimyo's estate in three days," Kazuma announced, handing Fuji an official letter. His expression was somewhat peculiar.

Kazuma still remembered his last visit to Konoha vividly.

Back then, the Hokage had left the village, and he had handed over the daimyo's commission to the Hokage's advisor, Danzo, granting him supreme authority in Konoha.

Now, once again, the Hokage was absent, and he found himself delivering the daimyo's orders to Fuji, whose influence rivaled, if not surpassed, Danzo's.

This feels... strangely familiar.

But something about this situation was different.

Kazuma recalled how Fuji had worked with Fugaku Uchiha to corner him before. Fuji was clearly aligned with the Hokage, so why would the daimyo now involve him directly?

No… wait.

A realization struck Kazuma.

Who was currently Konoha's liaison with the Fire Daimyo?

It was Hyuga Fuji!

That commission he'd once handed to Danzo had transferred the authority to oversee Konoha's funds to Fuji. It made perfect sense for Fuji to have a connection with the daimyo.

And yet…

Recently, the daimyo had been acting unusually shrewd. As Kazuma watched Fuji read the letter, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He remembered something peculiar.

The day news reached the daimyo about Fuji's destruction of the island base, the daimyo had been elated, praising Fuji's actions.

The excitement made sense—after all, the event had placed the Hokage and Konoha in a precarious position.

But why praise Fuji?

The Fire Daimyo wasn't known for complimenting adversaries.

As Kazuma's thoughts spiraled, Fuji finished reading the letter and chuckled softly.

"I've received the message. I'll depart in three days."

"Yes, my lord. I shall take my leave."

Kazuma caught a glimpse of the letter as Fuji set it on the desk, and his heart sank as cold sweat dripped from his brow. He quickly bowed and left.

---

The pieces suddenly connected.

In recent times, calls within Konoha to elevate Minato to a daimyo-like role had reached the Fire Daimyo, who had simply laughed them off.

When the Wind Daimyo approached the Fire Daimyo to conspire against Konoha, the latter had given him a knowing look instead.

The recent cunning displayed by the daimyo, especially regarding the island operation…

Too much had lined up.

All these events, in some way, benefited the Fire Daimyo. Yet the daimyo himself had done almost nothing, merely reaping the rewards. Why hadn't anyone noticed until now?

These were all part of Hyuga Fuji's dealings with the daimyo!

But what had Fuji gained in return?

Kazuma couldn't figure it out.

(Chapter End)

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