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"Yuzuru!"
Uzumaki Kushina walked up to Uchiha Yuzuru and called out softly.
Uchiha Yuzuru looked at Kushina with some surprise and couldn't help but say, "Why are you speaking so softly? Did you leave your vocal cords at home?"
"You're the one who left your vocal cords at home!" Uzumaki Kushina was furious. She plopped down opposite Uchiha Yuzuru, crossed her arms, and looked out the window.
This guy had no taste; couldn't he tell she had gone to great lengths to get dressed up?
Uchiha Yuzuru touch ed his head, somewhat puzzled by Uzumaki Kushina's reaction, then pushed the small cake on the table towards her.
"I ordered it for you."
Seeing this, Uzumaki Kushina's lips curved into a beautiful smile. She asked, "Why isn't there a small spoon?"
Uchiha Yuzuru looked up, bewildered, and said, "Kushina, what's gotten into you today? You used to just pick it up and bite into it, didn't you?"
"You!!!" Uzumaki Kushina's hair moved without wind, and her eyes seemed to spit fire.
Finally, she just gave up. They were so familiar with each other anyway, there was no need for her to pretend anymore.
"Yuzuru, what did you mean by what you said last night?"
Uchiha Yuzuru glanced around and said faintly, "Let's talk at my place. We can also check on the vegetables you planted."
Upon hearing this, Uzumaki Kushina became even more curious.
She quickly ate the small cake in a few bites, then stood up: "Then let's go quickly."
Seeing Uzumaki Kushina's hurried manner, Uchiha Yuzuru helplessly took a tissue and wiped her mouth.
Uzumaki Kushina's face immediately flushed visibly.
"Yuzuru, us like this... isn't, isn't it appropriate?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing. It's getting late, let's go quickly."
——
They arrived at the Uchiha Clan Estate, and Uchiha Yuzuru and Uzumaki Kushina entered the room together.
Watching Uchiha Yuzuru busy setting up a barrier, Uzumaki Kushina asked, puzzled, "Yuzuru, why all the secrecy? What exactly do you want to say?"
Uchiha Yuzuru didn't answer, simply focusing on the task at hand.
Only after the barrier was set up did he sit down opposite Uzumaki Kushina.
Although at this time, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura's reach could not yet extend into the Uchiha Clan, it was still better to be careful.
"Kushina, regarding your kidnapping yesterday, what are your thoughts?"
Hearing Uchiha Yuzuru's question, Uzumaki Kushina thought for a moment, then said, "I heard those three Kumogakure Ninja say that my Chakra is special and of great value to their Village, which is why they kidnapped me."
After Uzumaki Kushina finished speaking, she saw Uchiha Yuzuru shake his head. She couldn't help but ask, "Yuzuru, is there a problem?"
Uchiha Yuzuru's expression became serious. He stared at Uzumaki Kushina and said in a low voice, "Kushina, I will tell you my analysis, but you need to be mentally prepared beforehand."
Seeing Uchiha Yuzuru's serious demeanor, Uzumaki Kushina also became nervous.
Uchiha Yuzuru was a squad leader in the Military Police Force and was particularly skilled at analyzing various intelligence.
What exactly had he discovered?
Thinking of this, Uzumaki Kushina sat up straight and nodded, saying, "Yuzuru, tell me."
Seeing this, Uchiha Yuzuru no longer beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "I suspect that your kidnapping last night is inextricably linked to the Village's high-ranking officials."
Although she had mentally prepared herself beforehand, Uzumaki Kushina was still shocked and wide-mouthed when she heard Uchiha Yuzuru's words.
"Yuzuru, I don't understand, what do you mean by this?"
She was the future Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki. The Konoha high-ranking officials were busy protecting her; how could they possibly allow the Hidden Cloud Village to abduct her?
"Kushina, can you think about it? Normally, isn't there an Anbu squad responsible for monitoring and protecting you twenty-four hours a day?"
Kushina nodded: "Yes."
"Then last night, you were abducted for such a long time, so why did the Anbu not make any moves?"
Uzumaki Kushina was stunned.
She had never thought about such a thing.
"Perhaps the Kumogakure Ninja took advantage of the Anbu's shift change..."
Before she could finish speaking, Uzumaki Kushina herself realized something was wrong.
Even if the Kumogakure Ninja had kidnapped her during the Anbu's shift change, the incoming Anbu, upon discovering her absence, would surely notify the Hokage immediately.
The speed at which those Kumogakure Ninja traveled with her was not fast. Normally, it would be absolutely impossible for them to take her away for so long without anyone noticing.
"Yuzuru, were the Anbu killed by those three Kumogakure Ninja after their shift change?"
Uchiha Yuzuru shook his head: "You saw the skills of those three Kumogakure Ninja yesterday; they weren't actually very strong. Even if the Anbu were not their match, could a three-person squad not even find an opportunity to send a distress signal?"
"Even if we concede, even if those three Kumogakure Ninja were all Jonin, and they cleanly killed the Anbu protecting you, could they really abduct you, the future Jinchuriki, from Konoha without a sound?"
"With so many Anbu, Jonin, and barrier squads in Konoha, did no one notice anything?"
Uzumaki Kushina fell silent again.
Before, she had never considered these aspects, so she didn't think much of it.
Now, after hearing Uchiha Yuzuru's analysis, she realized the unusual nature of this incident.
Konoha Village was recognized as the strongest Ninja Village in the Ninja World.
Konoha, whether in Ninja strength or in aspects like barrier perception, was among the top in the Ninja World.
To abduct a highly valued future Jinchuriki from Konoha silently, the difficulty involved was absolutely unimaginable.
Moreover, Jonin were a scarce resource in any Village. Taking the risk of potentially losing three top-tier combatants to kidnap her within Konoha Village... the risk and reward were simply not proportionate.
But even if the probability is small, it's still possible, isn't it?
Perhaps those guys from Hidden Cloud Village are just that crazy?
Perhaps those Kumogakure Ninja were skilled in assassination and escape methods?
Perhaps those Kumogakure Ninja possessed secret techniques that could pass through barriers undetected?
That's right, it's too early to draw conclusions now; more evidence is needed.
For a moment, Uzumaki Kushina, finding it difficult to accept reality, kept making excuses in her mind.
After a long while, she finally spoke in a somewhat hoarse voice: "Yuzuru, continue."
Uchiha Yuzuru nodded and continued: "After those Kumogakure Ninja kidnapped you, they didn't split up to confuse pursuers, nor did they carefully check the path they took to eliminate traces. Later, they even chose to travel with you on foot... All these signs indicate that they had no intention of hiding their tracks."
"Unless they were rookies! But if they were rookies, then it would be impossible for them to kidnap you from Konoha without a sound."
Seeing Uzumaki Kushina's face turn pale, Uchiha Yuzuru didn't stop but continued his analysis: "Furthermore... from the perspective of Hidden Cloud Village, since they dispatched three Jonin to kidnap you, it shows they took this matter seriously. So why, after the deed was done, was there no one to meet them?"
"Even if they were completely brainless, they wouldn't joke with the lives of three Jonin, would they?"
"I've thought long and hard, and to have a reasonable explanation for everything, there's only one possibility—"
"The so-called Kumogakure Ninja kidnapping was actually a play orchestrated by Konoha's high-ranking officials themselves!"
Uzumaki Kushina bit her lip, trying hard to control her emotions, and asked, "If things are really as you say... then what is their goal?"
"Kushina, do you still remember?"
"Minato also arrived that night."
Uchiha Yuzuru didn't directly answer Kushina's question but instead asked, "I don't understand, how could Minato have noticed you were kidnapped?"
"I only happened to discover the Kumogakure Ninja kidnapping you because I was on night duty. Why was Minato running around the Village late at night instead of sleeping?"
Uzumaki Kushina said, "Minato said the Third Hokage sent him to deliver a letter to me..."
After speaking, Uzumaki Kushina's mind became even more chaotic.
She had written her letter days ago, yet the Third Hokage chose to reply to her precisely on the night she was kidnapped. The person responsible for delivering the letter wasn't Anbu, but coincidentally her good friend Minato Namikaze... Originally, Uzumaki Kushina hadn't felt anything, but after hearing Uchiha Yuzuru's recent analysis, she became a little scared.
Are there really so many coincidences in the world?
After giving Uzumaki Kushina some time to think, Uchiha Yuzuru said in a deep voice, "Whether you believe it or not, I have absolute confidence in my conjecture."
"Kushina, they are toying with your life!"