Namikaze Minato took a deep breath. He was ready to say what he needed to before leaving. "Lord Mito, about Lord Tobirama..."
Uzumaki Mito simply replied, "You can go back now."
Namikaze Minato was stunned. "..."
Her cold response surprised him.
Maybe, he thought, Kushina is too upset, and that's why Lord Mito is displeased.
Or maybe... Lord Mito tried to help me get released?
Namikaze Minato couldn't be sure.
His mind was spinning, so he just left quietly.
Some things will only make sense later...
Once Namikaze Minato was gone, silence returned.
The windmill creaked, and the stream flowed gently under the bridge.
Uzumaki Mito stared into the distance.
Finally, after a long time, she looked at her adopted granddaughter.
"Kushina..."
Kushina flinched slightly at Uzumaki Mito's words.
"Last night... where did you go?"
"..."
Silence stretched out.
Then, Kushina started to cry.
Her once pure heart now held a shadow of darkness.
Uzumaki Mito noticed it right away.
Kushina had changed so much in just one night.
What could have happened?
Looking at Kushina, the last member of the Uzumaki Clan, trying to hold back her tears, Uzumaki Mito clenched her fingers.
Her adopted granddaughter was also the future of the Uzumaki Clan... the hope she had for her...
Uzumaki Mito had always wanted Kushina to take over everything.
But now...
Because of the way things were in the village, everything was changing.
If Sarutobi Ryo keeps going like this, he'll control everything in Konoha.
And with the Tobirama incident, Minato probably wouldn't have a chance to become the Fifth Hokage.
At least Kushina will marry Minato...
But, if she didn't understand the darkness in Kushina's heart, the Nine Tails seal would be in danger. It could break at any time.
A Jinchuriki's weakness was the emptiness in their heart.
If that emptiness grew, even the Uzumaki Clan might lose control.
"Lord Mito..."
Before Uzumaki Mito could ask her anything else, Kushina spoke through her tears. What she said was shocking.
"Young Master Ryo... he said... he told you to get yourself clean and wait... he will... he will come for you soon..."
Uzumaki Mito was stunned. "!"
----
Meanwhile, in the Hokage Building...
Sarutobi Ryo was talking with Hatake Sakumo, his Old Father Sarutobi Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and other important people.
Jiraiya was relieved to hear that his student Namikaze Minato was no longer suspected.
He smiled and said, "So, Minato was tricked by Danzo and the others. He was blinded for a while and used the Impure World Reincarnation..."
"Yes, that's basically it..."
Sarutobi Ryo nodded, agreeing with Jiraiya.
It was all Danzo's fault.
Danzo was dead anyway, and Mitokado Homura was also gone.
The old guys made the mistakes.
Namikaze Minato was also at fault, but he had a good reason.
So, after thinking about it, he let him go.
"Heh heh... Young Master Ryo is wise."
Orochimaru complimented him, but maybe he was being sarcastic.
Either way, it ended well.
Jiraiya was happy, Namikaze Minato was free...
And all the blame was put on Senju Tobirama.
What could be better?
"So, should we ask Minato to use the technique to undo the Impure World Reincarnation?" Jiraiya asked.
Now that his student's problem was solved, they needed to return the Second Hokage to where he belonged.
Jiraiya thought the Revival Technique must have flaws.
There's no perfect, unbeatable technique in the world.
Maybe the technique will go out of control, and that's why the Second Hokage attacked Young Master Ryo.
"No, I don't think it's that simple..." Hatake Sakumo said seriously.
The night before, he and the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had looked at the Book of Sealing together.
They carefully studied the Impure World Reincarnation.
They found out it wasn't easy to undo.
Even if Namikaze Minato used the technique to undo it, Senju Tobirama, as the creator of the technique, could use a secret backdoor... to cast the technique in reverse.
That would let him gain his freedom.
And then it would be even harder to fix the mess.
"?"
Orochimaru was curious about the technique, of course.
But things were different than in the original story.
In the original story, Orochimaru learned about the technique from Danzo.
Just like the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual was changed, the technique Orochimaru had was also intercepted by Danzo.
Orochimaru didn't even know about the backdoor in the Impure World Reincarnation.
And what was in the Book of Sealing was the same as what Danzo had.
So...
Hatake Sakumo and Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly learned about the backdoor problem of the technique.
For now, they should try to find Senju Tobirama through Namikaze Minato.
As the one who cast the technique, sensing him shouldn't be a problem.
So...
The next step was for everyone to go and capture the Second Hokage.
But...
Could they really do that?
They had never heard of arresting a Hokage before.
It seemed unfair.
"This matter, let This Old Man handle it..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been thinking all night, took a puff from his pipe and decided to take responsibility himself.
It was his fault for not taking good care of Koharu and the others... and that's how this situation started.
"Old Man..." Jiraiya looked at his benefactor and teacher with mixed feelings.
"Why don't we all go together?" Sarutobi Ryo suggested.
Let's all go.
Let's gang up on him.
No... the Will of Fire...
Senju Tobirama's doomsday... has arrived.
Sarutobi Ryo was very confident.
After following Namikaze Minato's clues to find Senju Tobirama...
The rest is to conquer Uzumaki Mito.
And then interrogate her directly.
Then... everything will be perfect.
Heh.
Sarutobi Ryo couldn't wait.
Especially... after tasting Kushina last night.
Then, there's only one step left: Naruto's birth.
But considering the timing, Sarutobi Ryo agreed to Kushina's plea and didn't take the final step.
He would save that step for Kushina and Namikaze Minato's wedding. That would be the best...
*
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T/N:
Latest Chapter translated on Patreon - Chapter 306 (Vol 2 Ch 248) (+78 Chapters Ahead!)
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