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Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up and casually said, "Danzo, you didn't knock."
Danzo Shimura snorted, not taking the bait, and spoke on his own, "Hiruzen, Kushina has gone to the Uchiha compound again."
"Is it really okay to let the Uchiha clan members interact with the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki like this?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke, clasped his hands under his chin, and said indifferently, "Kushina doesn't have the Nine-Tails inside her right now, it's fine."
"It's not a bad thing to make more friends in the village."
Upon hearing this, Danzo Shimura loudly declared, "The Uchiha are inherently evil, and we have no way to monitor the situation inside the Uchiha compound. If something happens to the Jinchuriki, you will be held responsible!"
"I have to be responsible again..." Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a headache coming on. "So what do you want to do?"
"Hand Kushina over to me," Danzo Shimura immediately said. "My Root will keep her firmly under control."
If he could control the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, his hope of becoming Hokage would increase by a few more points.
After hearing Danzo Shimura's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a light snort. "Your methods of controlling subordinates are not suitable for Kushina, and Mito-sama would not agree."
Mentioning Mito Uzumaki, Danzo Shimura shrank his neck, but then immediately spoke again, "Mito-sama is already old. When the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, we stood by and did nothing. Mito-sama didn't even..."
"Enough! I said, don't bring that up again!"
Danzo Shimura hadn't finished speaking when Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his hand on the desk.
Although Mito Uzumaki was old, she still had the Nine-Tails sealed inside her.
Coupled with her identity as the First Hokage's widow.
If she caused a fuss because of Kushina, what would the villagers think of him as Hokage?
Did he still want to save face?
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi said coldly, "Danzo, I have my own arrangements for Kushina's matter. You don't need to interfere."
Seeing that his goal was not achieved, Danzo Shimura gritted his teeth and said, "Hiruzen, you will regret this!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Danzo Shimura and said word for word, "Danzo, remember, I am the Hokage."
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze gradually become sharp, Danzo Shimura snorted coldly.
Bang!
With a loud bang, the office door was slammed shut by Danzo Shimura.
However, immediately after, a masked Anbu walked in.
"Hokage-sama, Kushina asked me to deliver this letter to you."
"A letter from Kushina?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi mumbled, taking the letter from the Anbu's hand.
After just one glance, his eyes immediately narrowed.
"Want to no longer be monitored, want to go out on missions like a normal ninja?"
"Freedom?"
Looking at the contents of the letter, Hiruzen Sarutobi put the pipe in his mouth, and soon the entire Hokage's office became filled with smoke.
After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi lit the letter in his hand.
"It seems it's time to arrange the next step of the plan."
Under the firelight, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was resolute: "Kushina, don't blame me, everything is for the village."
"Besides, for you, Minato is indeed a good choice, isn't he?"
Humans are social creatures, rich in emotion.
The best way to control a person is through emotion.
Family, friendship, love... The deeper the bonds, the more willing one is to sacrifice oneself for the village.
This was his specialty.
----
Konoha Village.
Three-Color Dango Shop.
The shop was bustling with people, and the noise was a bit loud.
But a red-haired girl was mechanically eating the dango in her hand, seemingly oblivious to everything around her.
Sitting opposite the girl was a boy with golden-yellow hair.
Seeing the girl lost in thought, the boy's face broke into a sunny smile, and he asked with a laugh, "Kushina, what are you thinking about?"
Hearing the boy's voice, Kushina Uzumaki snapped out of her daze, shook off the image in her mind, and then asked, "Minato, you should know my situation, right? Living under constant surveillance every day is really hard."
Upon hearing this, Minato Namikaze smiled and said, "It is indeed difficult to endure, but a ninja is someone who can endure everything, isn't that right?"
Hearing such words, Kushina Uzumaki felt inexplicably annoyed, and she couldn't help but ask, "Who told you that?"
"It was Jiraiya-sensei." Seeing Kushina Uzumaki's spirits drop a little, Minato Namikaze gently said, "Kushina, isn't your dream to become Hokage? Gaining everyone's approval is not an easy task."
Kushina Uzumaki nodded and asked again, "Minato, if approval is gained through compromise, will it have any meaning?"
"For example, if you force yourself to do things you don't like in order to become Hokage, is the approval you get truly approval?"
Although Minato Namikaze was intelligent, he was still young and inexperienced. The only education he had received was the Will of Fire from the Ninja Academy, and he clearly didn't know how to answer Kushina Uzumaki's philosophical question.
After thinking for a long time, he slowly said, "Becoming Hokage is my most desired goal. I am willing to do anything for this goal; there is no such thing as liking or disliking."
Looking at the resolute Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "Minato, I mean I don't want to be a Jinchuriki. I just want to live a free and unrestrained life."
This question is simple.
Minato Namikaze immediately said, "Then I'll go with you to see the Hokage-sama and ask them to choose another Jinchuriki."
"No, you can't." Kushina Uzumaki shook her head. "Only I can suppress the Nine-Tails in the entire village."
"Uh, I see..." Minato Namikaze scratched his head, unsure how to respond, and could only smile without speaking.
Seeing him like this, Kushina Uzumaki waved her hand. "Never mind. Let me ask you, if you became Hokage, would you also force someone else to become a Jinchuriki in this situation?"
"Kushina, I think you're overthinking it. There must be other ways. Becoming a Jinchuriki doesn't necessarily mean losing your freedom." Minato Namikaze's eyes became resolute again. "And the Will of Fire tells us that sometimes, for the sake of the village, personal sacrifice is inevitable."
"Got it. I have something else to do, so I'll be leaving first."
Understanding Minato Namikaze's personality, Kushina Uzumaki didn't ask any more questions but got up and left.
Ketsuyuki and Minato were her two best friends besides Mikoto, but now facing the same question, they gave her two completely different answers.
How should she choose?
Suddenly, Kushina Uzumaki became even more confused.
Perhaps Ketsuyuki was right; she wouldn't find the answer to this kind of question from others. She had to figure it out herself.