Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 36: Danzo!

Kakashi remained silent for a moment, reluctantly accepting Rin's presence. Then, his gaze shifted to Kushina.

"Why is Kushina-sensei here?"

"Do I need your permission to go wherever I want?"

Kushina playfully knocked on Kakashi's head before turning to Fuji and Uchiha Yakumaru, her face lighting up with a big smile.

"From now on, I'll be the captain of your team, so you'd better listen to my commands!"

"???"

Yakumaru's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned toward Minato for confirmation.

Minato gave a helpless smile and explained, "The frontline has two tailed beasts. Kushina is an insurance policy. Without her, dealing with large-scale attacks like Tailed Beast Bombs could lead to massive casualties among our forces. As for her being the captain, both Kakashi and Kushina are currently temporary members of the Hokage Guard Platoon…"

And why was Kushina chosen as captain?

Minato's wry smile said it all.

Kushina flashed a victory sign, her expression gleaming with excitement.

Leaving the village to fight, and alongside Minato no less—it was evident how much she'd been looking forward to this.

"Has the frontline turned into a main-force confrontation?" Fuji furrowed his brows, thinking more deeply.

Ninjas were at their best in small-unit operations. Large-scale battles didn't suit their skillsets, as many ninja techniques were restricted during such engagements.

If Minato was talking about tailed beast attacks, it implied that significant numbers of shinobi were concentrated on both sides. This wasn't normal.

"The Hidden Mist has gathered a thousand shinobi around their two jinchuriki, advancing steadily," Minato confirmed, his tone heavy. "Meanwhile, other elite Mist ninja are leading squads in guerrilla raids. Orochimaru and Jiraiya have had no choice but to pull back their defenses to minimize losses. This is the latest intelligence from yesterday."

Yakumaru frowned, puzzled. "Doesn't the Mist lack perfect jinchuriki? How can they dare station so many ninja near the jinchuriki?"

Gathering forces around jinchuriki was only safe if they could fully control their tailed beasts. Otherwise, a rampaging tailed beast could turn on its own forces, especially given the often tragic lives of jinchuriki, whose resentment might make them more likely to lash out.

If the jinchuriki weren't perfect, this was beyond reckless.

Minato nodded. "We don't know the answer yet. But both Mist jinchuriki show no signs of losing control. That's another mystery we need to solve."

If the Mist had indeed discovered a method to create perfect jinchuriki, it would greatly elevate their status as a threat.

"I understand." Yakumaru shot a glance at Kushina and reluctantly nodded.

"Kushina-sensei, are you sure about leading us?"

Kushina beamed. "When I was younger, my dream was to become the first female Hokage of the Leaf. I worked really hard toward that goal, you know! Leading a team as a jonin is a piece of cake for me."

Though in truth, her "leading experience" was mostly limited to her short time under ANBU surveillance.

"First female Hokage, huh?" Yakumaru selectively latched onto just those words. He, Fuji, and Kakashi all glanced at Minato in unison, their expressions saying:

Hasn't she already accomplished that goal?

Minato's cheeks flushed red, his eyes darting awkwardly. He glanced at Kushina, who was also blushing faintly, her face tinged like blooming cherry blossoms.

Realizing Minato's gaze, Kushina shot Yakumaru a fierce glare before storming off ahead of the group.

"Kushina, wait."

Minato grabbed her wrist, his warm smile disarming her frustration. Turning to Fuji, he explained, "The frontline has already prepared our teleportation markers. We can use Flying Thunder God to head there directly."

With that, Minato moved behind Kushina and Rin, placing his hands on their backs.

Following suit, Fuji grasped the shoulders of Kakashi and Yakumaru.

In an instant, all six of them vanished.

Thanks to the Flying Thunder God, they wouldn't need to travel with the main forces, allowing them to reach the battlefield ahead of schedule.

Back in the village, fully equipped in combat gear, Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to an ANBU report with a heavy heart.

He sighed and joined the support troops heading toward the frontlines.

Tsunade, I'm sorry. I sincerely hope you can overcome this.

...

In a wrecked living room, Tsunade restrained her fury. Her iron grip clenched tightly around a ninja's collar, while her other hand was balled into a fist, ready to strike.

"Tell me—where is Shizune?"

Behind her, a middle-aged couple stood nervously, exchanging uneasy glances.

They were Shizune's relatives. Due to the secrecy surrounding Tsunade's research, Shizune, a mere chunin, couldn't stay by her side and had instead been living with them.

But today, when Tsunade came to visit, she found a ninja using a Transformation Jutsu to impersonate Shizune. The real Shizune had been swapped out without anyone noticing.

"Tsunade-sama, Lord Danzo… invites you to Root."

The ninja, still reeling from the monstrous punch to his gut, spoke with cold detachment despite his labored breaths.

"If you don't come, her body will be delivered to you tomorrow."

For a brief moment, his eyes flickered with a strange, intricate pattern. But Tsunade, blinded by rage, failed to notice as her clenched fist swung down again with full force.

Boom!

The ninja was sent hurtling into the wall like a cannonball, embedding deeply into the cold stone. The impact sent tremors through the entire building.

Without sparing him another glance, Tsunade stormed out of the house, her fury radiating off her like a physical force.

The couple exchanged a horrified look before bolting out of the house to find the Konoha Police Force.

Scary as the Uchiha clan could be, they seemed like the safer option compared to this.

...

Deep underground, a vast, sprawling chamber was filled with countless staircases and pathways crisscrossing in midair.

Descending along one of the many stairways led to the heart of Konoha's darkness.

"Danzo! Get out here!"

Tsunade's voice echoed through the cavernous Root base, her tone heavy with anger and urgency.

As her words reverberated, countless shadows materialized along the pathways and staircases, silently observing her.

Twenty chunin. Six jonin. And likely more lurking in the shadows.

Tsunade cast a cold glance at the surrounding Root operatives before focusing her gaze on the dark depths ahead.

From the shadows emerged a lone figure, leaning on a cane.

Flanked by two Root jonin, Danzo Shimura stepped forward at an unhurried pace, his expression unreadable.

Fixing her glare on his lone eye, Tsunade let out a cold laugh.

"You summon me, a medic-nin, because you want me to give you another eye? Too late for that now. You missed the window for proper treatment long ago. Guess you'll stay a one-eyed creep for the rest of your life. Fitting for a place this gloomy."

Danzo remained unfazed by her taunts, merely raising his hand slightly.

In response, one of his subordinates dragged out an unconscious Shizune.

Tsunade's pupils constricted as she noticed the mark on Shizune's forehead. Fury boiled within her, and her aura grew increasingly oppressive.

"Danzo!"

(End of Chapter)