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Chapter 28: Konoha Is Too Dangerous—Stay With Me Instead!
After a long, silent contemplation, Kushina swallowed hard.
Then she lifted her eyes to look at Oborotsuki once more.
"You mentioned earlier that Konoha is engulfed in massive internal conflict. What exactly is going on…?"
She still refused to fully accept the reality of Minato Namikaze's death.
But for now, in order to protect Oborotsuki's privacy and prevent exposing his secluded life here, she couldn't return to Konoha immediately.
She could only learn more about the situation first and plan carefully later.
"I don't know the specifics."
"But when a village's Kage dies, someone has to take his place, right?"
"And whenever that happens, isn't it always the time when the various factions in the village fight the most fiercely?"
"The situation in Kirigakure was like that. Konoha is hardly an exception."
Oborotsuki stared seriously at Kushina as he asked in return.
She fell silent again.
Having lived in Konoha her whole life, Kushina might not know much about other villages, but she had heard of the power struggles within her own.
Broadly speaking, Konoha had two major internal contradictions.
One was between the village as a whole and individual clans.
The most typical example was the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha clan.
This issue had existed for a long time—any shinobi with some experience in the village knew about it.
The second potential conflict within the village was far more deeply hidden than the Uchiha issue.
For example—the recent Fourth Hokage election.
Her husband, Minato Namikaze, had not been a guaranteed winner from the start.
Besides Minato, one of the Legendary Sannin—Orochimaru—had also been a candidate.
Additionally, the Uchiha clan head, Fugaku Uchiha, had participated.
These were only the visible contenders.
Behind the scenes, whether other high-ranking figures were involved, Kushina didn't know for sure—but she could guess.
Thinking of all this, Kushina's mind grew even more chaotic.
"But… what does any of that have to do with me and my son?"
After a moment's hesitation, she voiced her question.
"It is common knowledge that a jinchūriki will die if a tailed beast is forcibly extracted."
"You returning to Konoha now would immediately face countless questions."
"Furthermore—have you considered why the enemy who attacked you knew the exact location of your delivery?"
"That man went in alone, yet he killed the heavily guarded ANBU protectors."
"He even knew precisely how to undo the seal on your body…"
"If it were me, I wouldn't believe any of this was a coincidence."
Oborotsuki finished speaking and let his gaze fall on little Naruto in Kushina's arms.
Then, with a meaningful tone, he continued:
"This child really is adorable. He does resemble Minato Namikaze quite a bit…"
"You wouldn't want him to face that terrifying enemy again, would you?"
"What… are you trying to say?"
Kushina froze again, staring at Oborotsuki in disbelief.
"What I mean is—the enemy behind this incident likely has a very special identity. The complexity may be beyond your imagination."
"Or to put it bluntly—he is very possibly someone from inside Konoha."
These words not only changed Kushina's expression drastically—Mayumi and Red, who had been listening silently nearby, also showed stunned looks.
Clearly, the idea was unbelievable to them.
"Also—the man who released the Nine-Tails from your body is not dead."
"He escaped."
"What did you say? Escaped…?"
Compared to the unproven speculation, this news hit Kushina far harder. She felt as though she had been struck by lightning, her mind buzzing.
The man who killed so many ANBU, murdered Biwako, released the Nine-Tails from her body, and indirectly caused her husband's death—
Had committed all those crimes and was still at large?
He had escaped!?
This cruel fact was nearly impossible for Kushina to accept.
At this moment, she felt like crying but had no tears—her chest heaved violently, and she couldn't speak a single word.
"That guy's target was very clear."
"I don't think he was only after Konoha. This child… if I hadn't intervened that night, he probably…"
Oborotsuki folded his arms slowly.
"Enough."
"Please… don't say any more…"
Tears finally spilled from Kushina's eyes.
She was in immense pain, immense sorrow, and immense rage.
She had no heart left to listen to any more of Oborotsuki's analysis.
"I can take you back to see Minato one last time. After all, he was a powerhouse I've always admired."
"Never having the chance to fight him is one of my greatest regrets."
"But you must promise me—restrain yourself."
"If you expose yourself, you'll drag me into danger as well."
Oborotsuki stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Kushina's shoulder to comfort her.
Hearing this, Kushina's tear-filled eyes lifted to look at him. A trace of gratitude flickered in those glistening eyes, and she slowly nodded.
Oborotsuki patted her back lightly, then turned to Red and Mayumi.
"Wait for me here."
With that, he activated Flying Thunder God and took Kushina with him back to Konoha.
…
Konoha Rear Mountains.
From a distance, Kushina—holding little Naruto—watched as the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, led the funeral ceremony for Minato Namikaze at the highest level in front of the Memorial Stone in Konoha's cemetery.
At this moment, she finally accepted the reality that Minato was gone.
At the same time, the seed of hatred was planted deep in her heart. Her fists clenched tightly.
"You know who the culprit is, don't you, Oborotsuki…?"
Kushina asked through gritted teeth, forcing back her tears.
"To be honest—you can't beat him."
Oborotsuki spoke the plain truth calmly.
Kushina's body trembled slightly. She lowered her head without responding.
"Is there someone in the village colluding with outside enemies to cause this tragedy? Do you have evidence…?"
After a while, Kushina asked in a low voice.
"None."
Oborotsuki answered directly.
This time, Kushina fell completely silent.
The three of them—two adults and one infant—remained until Minato's funeral ended.
"Let's go back."
"That man is my enemy too."
"I'll kill him and bring justice for you and your son."
"As for whether there's a traitor inside Konoha colluding with outsiders to frame Minato—I'll find a way to investigate it."
Oborotsuki placed a hand on Kushina's shoulder and patted her gently to comfort her.
Hearing this, Kushina's heart stirred—but she showed nothing outwardly.
She silently nodded and chose to follow Oborotsuki away.
Right now, she had only two goals.
First—raise the child in her arms.
Second—revenge!
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