Angry Kushina
When Uchiha Fugaku heard the clan report that the next village meeting concerned the position of Hokage, his face turned pale.
The news was too sudden. Fugaku's heart skipped a beat—he was completely unprepared.
Among the candidates, Chi Yu stood out as the most qualified. If Chi Yu were chosen as the Fifth Hokage, the Uchiha would be finished. They would need to prepare for a desperate, all-or-nothing struggle.
Fugaku's voice trembled despite himself.
"So… the next Hokage… has already been decided?"
"It has been confirmed," the Uchiha messenger replied. "The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, will return to office."
Fugaku exhaled heavily, relief washing over him.
Hiruzen might not trust the Uchiha, but even that was preferable to Chi Yu—whose hatred of the clan was notorious—rising to Hokage.
Fugaku touched his forehead, finding it slick with cold sweat. The thought alone had terrified him.
---
Three days later, at the Konoha Hospital.
Miyuki Uzumaki gently rocked Naruto in her arms. The baby had just finished nursing and was fast asleep.
A faint smile appeared on her face as she looked at her son's peaceful expression. But when her eyes fell on his small stomach, her expression darkened.
Her mind replayed the image of Minato taking Naruto from her arms and performing the Eight Trigrams Seal—forcing the Nine-Tails into their newborn child.
She stroked Naruto's cheek tenderly.
"I'm sorry, Naruto… Mommy couldn't protect you. I'm so sorry…"
Pressing her face against his, her tears fell silently.
A knock at the door startled her. Hastily wiping her cheeks, she called, "Please, come in."
The door opened. Chi Yu entered, supporting a heavily pregnant Kushina Uzumaki.
"Kushina!" Miyuki forced a smile. "Welcome."
With Chi Yu's help, Kushina settled beside the bed. Her eyes softened as she saw the baby. She reached forward and poked Naruto's cheek.
"Little Naruto is so cute," she said with a laugh.
"Thank you," Miyuki murmured, her voice subdued. "Kushina… your due date must be close, isn't it?"
Kushina nodded cheerfully. "Yes, about twenty days left. When little Cangna is born, he and Naruto will be great friends!"
Miyuki pursed her lips and remained quiet.
Kushina glanced around. "By the way, where's Minato? Why isn't he—"
"Kushina!" Chi Yu cut in quickly, his tone firm.
She blinked in confusion, but seeing Chi Yu's expression, she swallowed her words.
The three chatted for a while longer, but Kushina could sense Miyuki's gloom. Finally, she rose with Chi Yu's support.
"Miyuki, we won't disturb your rest. I'll come see you again."
"Alright… see you next time," Miyuki replied softly.
As Chi Yu carefully guided Kushina out, Miyuki whispered to herself, "I really envy you, Kushina…" She looked down at Naruto, determination hardening in her eyes.
---
Later, back at home.
Kushina turned to Chi Yu, her expression serious.
"Chi Yu, something happened to Minato, didn't it?"
Chi Yu sighed and nodded.
"Yes. During the Nine-Tails' attack, he was gravely injured. He's still unconscious… and since no one knows when—or if—he'll wake up, Lord Hiruzen has resumed the position of Hokage."
Kushina's brow furrowed deeply.
"That can't be all. If it were that simple, you wouldn't have stopped me from asking. And Miyuki… she seemed so strange. The way she looked at Naruto… almost guilty."
Chi Yu hesitated. "I didn't want to upset you while you're pregnant. I planned to tell you after the birth. But since you insist, promise me—stay calm. Think of the baby."
Kushina inhaled deeply, steadying herself.
"I'm ready. Tell me."
Chi Yu's expression darkened.
"Minato used the Eight Trigrams Seal to split the Nine-Tails. Half of its chakra is sealed inside Miyuki… and the other half inside Naruto."
"What?!"
Kushina shot up in shock, but Chi Yu immediately pressed her back down, sweating nervously.
"Please—calm down! Think of Cangna!"
Her chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, fury making her whole body tremble. Chi Yu gently rubbed her back, trying to steady her.
"Why would he do something so insane?!" she demanded.
"Partly… because he was Hokage," Chi Yu said carefully.
"Hokage?" Kushina spat. "Since when does being Hokage mean sacrificing your own newborn as a jinchūriki?! If he was Hokage, why didn't he seal the Nine-Tails inside himself?! …You said 'partly.' What else?"
Seeing she had calmed enough to listen, Chi Yu continued.
"Because of Jiraiya. You know he studied under him. On Mount Myōboku lives a Great Toad Sage who can foresee the future. He once gave Jiraiya a prophecy: that among his students would be a 'Child of Prophecy'—a savior who could bring peace to the world, or plunge it into ruin.
"Jiraiya believed that Minato's son might be that child. And Minato… believed it too. That's why he sealed half the Nine-Tails into Naruto, to give him the power to one day fulfill that destiny."
Kushina stared at him in disbelief.
"Prophecies? Saving the world? So Minato sacrificed our son because of some vague words from Jiraiya's summons? This… this is absurd!"
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