When Fox was in the village, he spent almost every day with his assistant, Purple Cat.
When Fox was outside the village on missions, Purple Cat would discuss and assign tasks with the squad leaders on his behalf, and collect and organize mission reports.
Purple Cat thought she knew Fox well enough.
Who would have thought that Fox would have a new assistant by his side, Snow Rabbit.
Not only did Snow Rabbit appear suddenly, but she was also in charge of the Anbu's most critical spy network.
Despite being an assistant for so long, Purple Cat had never been involved with the spy network; at most, she organized the intelligence that spies sent back to Fox.
Without Purple Cat even knowing, Snow Rabbit had been handling intelligence for Fox all along.
Perhaps when Fox goes on dangerous missions outside the village, he needs stronger intelligence support. The intelligence the village provides isn't enough for him.
Thinking of it that way, it made some sense.
What particularly chafed at Purple Cat was that while she now had the appearance of a young married woman, compared to Snow Rabbit, she was somewhat less curvaceous.
The two nodded at each other, a form of greeting, and went their separate ways.
After Yakushi Nonō had walked some distance, she glanced in the direction of the Yamanaka clan compound.
Yamanaka Ruri is so fortunate... she has a child with Fox...
At the end of the corridor, White Crane, Yamanaka Ryuu, slowly stepped back from the crack in the door.
She was too curious about Snow Rabbit. She had a vague feeling that Snow Rabbit would be her sister's biggest rival.
White Crane secretly followed her.
Leaving the Forest of Death, following the Konoha wall, she tracked her for several blocks.
By a small lake, White Crane saw Snow Rabbit disappear on the opposite shore.
Just as she was about to jump across the lake, a hand suddenly landed on her shoulder from behind.
Turning her head in fright, White Crane saw Snow Rabbit's mask!
When? When did Snow Rabbit use a clone technique to deceive her?
Yakushi Nonō said, "White Crane, although you haven't been in the Anbu for a short time, you and your sister have been protected too well by Lord Fox. You know nothing of true malice. Secretly investigating another Anbu member, how is that any different from the actions of a spy? If I intended to set you up, in three days you would be a rogue ninja, executed personally by Lord Fox."
"No! Impossible! Me and Fox—" White Crane immediately shut her mouth.
Yakushi Nonō thought, Just as I suspected... sisters... A pair of sisters, truly flowers... I just wonder if Purple Cat knows that White Crane has also... intimately communicated with Fox.
Yakushi Nonō let out a cold laugh and vanished with a Body Flicker.
Only then did White Crane realize cold sweat was soaking her back.
Snow Rabbit was a ninja who had truly walked the line between life and death. Even though White Crane had carried out many Anbu missions, the gap between her and Snow Rabbit was vast.
Dejected, she returned to the Anbu headquarters, unsure whether to tell her sister about Snow Rabbit's strength.
After hesitating, she decided to let it go.
Snow Rabbit enjoyed Fox's trust and controlled the spy network.
Without knowing Fox's preference, they could only cooperate with Snow Rabbit, not oppose her.
In the small office of the orphanage, the noon break was intimate and sensual.
At the final moment, Yakushi Nonō suddenly said, "Are the sisters fun?"
Yōkō was taken aback, then quickly adjusted his emotions, his 'assault' became even more fierce.
"It's a good thing it's me. Anyone else would probably be scared into dysfunction. I never thought the Wandering Miko would get jealous too, haha."
Finally, as he was putting his mask back on, Yōkō said to Yakushi Nonō, "Look for some children with taijutsu talent. I have a great use for them. Don't worry, it won't be like Root, treating children as less than human. Children who follow me... find it very hard to die. I will take responsibility for them."
"Alright, I understand."
Yōkō returned from the orphanage to the Anbu headquarters and saw Purple Cat entering the office.
He tightened his abdomen. Forget it, can't have too many 'noon breaks'.
"Lord Fox, the Hokage-sama requests your presence at the Hokage Building."
Yōkō left the Anbu and headed for the Hokage Building.
Entering the Hokage's Office, Yōkō saw Tsunade first.
Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "Fox, Tsunade has submitted a request. She believes your mastery of Wood Release is sufficient to handle the Nine-Tails. She is requesting that you help Kushina control the Nine-Tails. If Kushina can become a perfect Jinchūriki, it would be a great boon for Konoha."
Yōkō nodded. "I understand. Princess Tsunade can provide me with a training plan. I am ready to cooperate at any time."
He wouldn't be leaving the village for a while, so he had plenty of time to train Uzumaki Kushina.
"No need for a plan. Let's go now!" Tsunade stood up directly, ready to take Fox with her in her characteristically decisive manner.
"Wait!" Hiruzen also stood up. "The Jinchūriki is of utmost importance. Kumogakure, having lost the Two-Tails, no longer dares to be so aggressive. I will also go to observe the Jinchūriki's special training and assess your training plan."
Soon, Konoha was in motion.
Yamanaka Inson's Barrier Corps dismantled the Nine-Tails Barrier.
The Sealing Unit stood ready.
Leadership, assistants, Anbu, Root—a large number of Konoha ninja did not use the main gate but left the village secretly from a section of the wall.
If any spy saw the composition of this group, they would be shocked.
The Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, Nara Rokaku, Tsunade, Head of Anbu Fox—all the top leadership were present.
Each leader brought their own assistants, plus the Sealing Unit and the Barrier Corps, making the group particularly large.
At the center of the group were Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato.
Both were somewhat nervous.
Sister Tsunade said she had found someone to give Kushina special training, but she didn't say it would be so many people.
Far from Konoha, they arrived at a hidden valley.
Everyone else went to the ridge, leaving only Uzumaki Kushina and Yōkō in the valley.
Yōkō looked at the nervous Uzumaki Kushina, then glanced at Namikaze Minato.
I wonder when these two will produce Naruto.
Will the Naruto of this life be the reincarnation of Ashura?
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya must be sealed by the reincarnations of Ashura and Indra.
If Kushina doesn't die, Naruto won't have the Nine-Tails. Would he still be Ashura's reincarnation? Naruto can't just pull half the Nine-Tails out of his mother's womb, can he...
Wait!
Yōkō's pupils constricted sharply.
Why can Ōtsutsuki Kaguya only be sealed, not killed?
Yōkō suddenly realized he had been misled by the intelligence!
The idea that Ōtsutsuki Kaguya is immortal, that she can only be sealed and not killed, was passed down by the Sage of the Six Paths.
Is it possible this information is wrong, deliberately spread by the Sage of the Six Paths?
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya is the Sage of the Six Paths' mother. Of course, the Sage couldn't kill his own mother; that would be matricide. Even if he disagreed With Kaguya's methods, he could only oppose her, not kill her.
Because the Sage of the Six Paths couldn't commit matricide, he had to leave a contingency plan, a seal for the day when Ōtsutsuki Kaguya would inevitably revive.
The souls of Ashura and Indra were the Sage's contingency plan.
The reincarnations of Ashura and Indra, fighting for a thousand years, have ignited countless wars and killings.
These two must be strong enough to ensure that when Ōtsutsuki Kaguya revives, they have the power to seal her.
In other words, the millennia of continuous war and death in the ninja world might be because the Sage of the Six Paths couldn't kill his mother!
But Kaguya is the Sage's mother. What does that have to do with everyone else?
The deaths over millennia in the ninja world have all served one purpose: to temper the reincarnations of Ashura and Indra.
In the original story, when Naruto and Sasuke sealed Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, they were also following the principle of not committing matricide.
Ashura and Indra are essentially Kaguya's grandsons. How could grandsons kill their grandmother?
So, relying on the reincarnations of Ashura and Indra still means you can only seal, not kill.
All jutsu have weaknesses. Everyone can be killed.
The physical body can be destroyed, and the soul can also be destroyed.
The formidable aspect of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya is nothing more than her soul being at the Six Paths level.
If the strength of Yōkō's soul surpasses the Six Paths level, then Kaguya's soul holds no fear for him.
The same goes for subsequent threats like Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, Urashiki, etc. They can all be killed.
Yōkō now had two methods to enhance his soul.
First was the Three Worlds Vidyārāja Form, continuously using the cycles of past, present, and future lives to enhance the form and thereby strengthen the soul.
Second was using the Evil God.
Properly flog Hidan, make him offer more sacrifices to me.
The efficiency of one person is still a bit low. It would be best to develop the Jashin religion, have many believers make sacrifices to me to enhance my soul.
Other methods in the ninja world to increase soul energy should also be tried.
You damn Sage of the Six Paths!
To use a lie to make the entire ninja world play along with your family's drama of 'motherly kindness and filial piety' for over a thousand years!
The Great Toad Sage, the Slug Sage, and others qualified to participate in this matter were probably all deceived.
A cold glint appeared in Yōkō's eyes.
On the ridge, the Konoha leadership grew tense.
Fox is emitting killing intent!
Surely not? It's just training Uzumaki Kushina. Is there a need for killing intent?
Yōkō adjusted his emotions, his tone becoming calm. "I am the person Advisor Tsunade found to provide you with special training. Princess Kushina, use your full strength, utilize all the Nine-Tails' chakra you can control. Let me first assess your current level, see your strength."
Kushina was excited. This opportunity was too rare.
Before, every time she practiced with the Nine-Tails Chakra Cloak, she had to be extremely careful.
She couldn't leave the village, afraid of causing destruction within it.
Especially since her training ground was near the Senju clan grounds; if she lost control once, the Senju grounds could be completely destroyed.
She didn't dare leak too much of the Nine-Tails' chakra, afraid she wouldn't be able to contain it.
Hearing that Kumogakure had a perfect Jinchūriki made Kushina anxious.
Then hearing that Kumogakure's perfect Jinchūriki had been killed by Konoha made her feel even more urgent.
When Minato attended the Jōnin Commander meeting, he came back and told Kushina that the Anbu's Lord Fox—the same Lord Fox who trusted them and assigned them their battlefield during the Susano'o Catastrophe—was the one who killed the Two-Tails.
Hearing Lord Fox tell her to freely use the Nine-Tails' chakra, she thought to herself that she finally had a chance to know her true strength.
Kushina's entire body surged with chakra. The grass blades around her pressed flat against the ground, ripping outwards in waves.
A red, translucent chakra appeared on Kushina's skin.
Soon, the Nine-Tails' chakra formed a semi-transparent chakra cloak.
One tail appeared behind Kushina.
Yōkō said, "Not bad. It seems you can easily control the one-tailed state. Continue. With this amount of chakra, you're only a bit stronger than a Chūnin in a war."
Hearing this, Kushina continued to gather the Nine-Tails' chakra. More and more dark, sinister chakra filled the valley.
***
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(End of Chapter)