The words hung in the quiet room like ice.
"...THAT BLONDE BOY... HE WIELDS THE KYUUBI!" For a second, nobody could breathe. Lady Biwako's jaw dropped. The green healing light on her hands completely went out. Even though she was an old woman who had seen many wars, she could not understand this at all.
The Kyuubi. Not a fake version. The real monster.
"Is this information true?!" Biwako suddenly shouted. She stepped toward the masked Anbu. "Two Kyuubis? That makes no sense! The monster is only one single beast—it cannot be in two places at the same time!"
The ANBU opened his mouth to reply. "Biwako-sama, the message from Inoichi-sama was very clear..."
"It's true...!" Kushina interrupted. Her voice was a shaking, frightened whisper against Minato's shoulder. Her whole body was trembling hard. Her violet eyes were wide, staring blankly at the wall.
"I felt it, Biwako-sama... I felt the exact same monster...the Kyuubi pulling me in the park. It's real..."
Biwako started walking back and forth, her hands shaking. "But how? Tetsu no Kuni is a land of samurai! They do not use ninjutsu. They do not know how to seal tail beasts! How can they have it?!"
"Forget about that for a second—" Minato said. His voice was suddenly very low and serious. His forehead was wrinkled in a deep frown as his smart brain tried to solve the riddle.
"It is completely impossible for two Kyuubis to exist at the same time. It goes against everything we know. The Sage of Six Paths split the Juubi into nine separate souls. There is only one Kyuubi."
Kushina looked up at him, her long red hair messy around her pale face. Tears were running down her cheeks. "Minato... what if... what if there is an exception? What if something happened that we don't know about?"
Biwako stopped walking. She looked at Minato with a very worried face. "Minato... are you absolutely sure that Kushina still has the full Kyuubi inside her right now? Could someone have stolen a piece of it without us knowing?"
"Yes, I am sure!" Minato said firmly.
To prove it, he moved closer on the bed. He gently placed his left hand right over Kushina's stomach, right over her seal. The moment his fingers touched her, the black ink lines of the seal showed through her dress.
But the lines were not still. They were violently twisting and turning, moving like angry black snakes across her skin.
"Ah...! Ngh..." Kushina suddenly groaned. A sharp sound of pure pain came from her throat. Her eyes closed tight and her back arched off the pillows. Her fingers dug deep into Minato's sleeve.
The seal felt white-hot and burning. The Kyuubi inside her was scratching at its iron cage, roaring in pain because it wanted to reach the other one outside.
Minato clenched his jaw. He hated seeing her in pain, but he checked her energy carefully. "The seal is locked, but it is under a lot of pressure. The kyuubi inside her is completely whole. I can feel all of it."
He turned his sharp blue eyes back to the kneeling ninja. "Did Inoichi-san got to know how this boy has the Kyuubi?"
"No, Hokage-sama!" the ANBU answered quickly, keeping his head down on the floor. "The girl's memories only show that she was with him. But... there is no sign that the boy is under the control of the Kyuubi. He is not acting like a weapon for Tetsu no Kuni. There hasn't been a single moment in her memories back in Tetsu no Kuni that the boy has gone on a rampage."
Minato stood up straight. He was done thinking; it was time to act. "I need the exact location of where this boy is hiding. Tell Inoichi-san to track his chakra."
"Roger that, Hokage-sama! I will report the exact location immediately!"
With a soft sound, the ANBU disappeared into smoke, leaving the room quiet again.
Minato immediately reached into his weapon pouch. He felt the weight of his special three-pronged kunai. His blue eyes were cold, looking out the sunny window which was shut with the deal tags.
"Minato... where are you going?" Kushina called out from the bed. She sounded very panicked as she watched him turn his back.
"I'm going to eliminate him—" Minato said flatly. The words were cold. To him, a strange second Kyuubi inside his village was a giant danger to everyone.
"Minato, no!" Kushina shouted back. She forced herself up on her elbows, crying loudly. "He's just a kid! You know what happens if you try to take a seal out of someone by force! Taking the seal out of him means killing an innocent child!"
Biwako rushed to Kushina's side, holding her shoulders down gently. "Kushina, calm down! It is bad for you and the baby to scream like this! Let the Hokage handle the safety of the village!"
Minato paused near the door. He looked back over his shoulder. His blue eyes softened just a little bit so Kushina could see the loving husband inside the serious Hokage. He took a long, deep breath.
"I promise you, Kushina... I won't hurt him. And I won't kill him..." Minato said softly. It was a serious promise. "I am just going to find answers. I need to know what is going on."
Turning away, a dangerous feeling ran through Minato's body. 'Finally... I've got my hands on you—' he thought, his heart beating fast with the thrill of the hunt. 'Let's see who you really are, mysterious boy...'
He raised his hand, ready to use his Hirashin to go straight to the Intelligence Division.
FWOOSH!!!
The air in the bedroom violently ripped open for the second time.
Before Minato could even step forward, a massive, sudden storm of wind exploded right in the middle of the room.
The curtains violently flew away from the windows, loose papers from the floor flew up into the air like a big white cloud, and the afternoon sunlight was blocked by a sudden shadow.
Minato's internal sensors screamed in danger. His hand instantly gripped his kunai tight, and his body dropped into a perfect, deadly fighting stance as the howling wind tore through the room.
Someone—or something—had just smashed right through the strongest barrier of the Hokage's house again!
The dust from the sudden wind slowly settled. Standing right in the middle of the room was a different kind of ninja.
Unlike the standard ANBU from before, this warrior wore a distinct, gleaming silver metal vest over black clothes. He carried a short sword on his back, and his mask was painted with eerie, dark lines.
It was a member of the Root—the secret, shadowy faction that answered only to Shimura Danzo.
The Root ninja immediately bent down on one knee, his posture stiff and completely devoid of emotion.
Biwako slammed her hand on the medical tray again, her face twisting in pure frustration. "AGAIN?! HAVE YOU PEOPLE COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MINDS TODAY?!"
The masked ninja completely ignored her. He kept his eyes locked on the floor. "Hokage-sama!" his voice came out flat.
Minato did not lower his three-pronged kunai. His blue eyes grew incredibly cold, and a wave of pure irritation rolled off his shoulders. "On whose orders are you here?" Minato asked, his voice cutting through the room like a razor blade.
"On the order of the Konoha Council of Ministers—" the Root operative replied smoothly. "I have been commanded to accompany you to the Hokage office immediately for an urgent crisis!"
Biwako crossed her arms, letting out a harsh, angry laugh. "Now what crisis, huh?! Go back and tell the Council to delay it! The Hokage is busy. He has his own urgent matters to deal with right here!"
Minato didn't look at the ninja. He turned his back, stepping away from the couch. "Tell them that I have other matters to deal with regarding the commercial district..." he said flatly.
While he spoke, Minato walked over to a large wooden cupboard against the wall. He pulled the doors open with a smooth motion. Inside hung his official mantle—the pristine white haori coat with bright red flames licking the bottom hem, and the kanji characters for YONDAIME HOKAGE written boldly down the back.
With a sharp, graceful movement, Minato threw the coat over his shoulders. As the white fabric settled over his blue shirt, his whole mood changed. He wasn't just a worried husband anymore.
He was the leader of Konohagakure!
The Root ninja did not move an inch, but his voice took on a deeper, more dangerous tone. "My deepest apologies to you for defying your orders, Hokage-sama... But I have been explicitly ordered by my master, Shimura Danzo. He states that if you do not come willingly... you have to be taken by force."
TAP. TAP. TAP.
Suddenly, shadows blocked the bright afternoon light coming through the bedroom windows.
Kushina gasped, clutching the blankets tight to her chest as she looked up. Crouched on the house roof outside the window, shadow against the sun, were four more Root ANBU.
Their silver metal vests caught the daylight, and their hands were already resting flat on the hilts of their swords. They were surrounding the room.
They were actually threatening the Hokage in his own home!
A dangerous, icy irritation flared in Minato's chest. He stared at the empty hangers hanging inside his closet for one long, silent second.
"I see..." Minato whispered, his voice dangerously calm. "So it has come to this!"
BANG!!!
With a sudden explosion of movement, Minato slammed the heavy wooden doors of the cupboard shut, the loud noise echoing like a thunderclap through the tense room.
Minato turned slowly from the cupboard, his white Hokage haori swirling around his boots. He did not look at the ninjas outside the window. Instead, his freezing blue eyes locked onto the Root operative standing in the center of the room.
"I demand you to tell me what the information is right now!" Minato commanded, his voice ringing with pure authority.
The Root ninja did not move. "I apologize, Hokage-sama, but I cannot speak in front of the other two..." he replied coldly, referring to Kushina and Lady Biwako. "This intelligence carries urgent importance. It is for your ears only."
Biwako said, "Why you... " but she stopped.
Minato let out a low, cold breath. He walked past the operative and sat back down on the sofa near Kushina's bed. He crossed his legs, leaning back with complete, quiet confidence.
"Then fine. I won't go—" Minato said flatly, his face completely expressionless. "As the Hokage, I have the absolute right to judge whether the information your master Danzo has sent is more important than my own matters. And right now, my matters take priority."
Before the Root ninja could answer, the air rippled near the door.
SHIK
The loyal ANBU from before—the one with the porcelain dog mask—suddenly returned. He was breathing heavily, completely focused on his mission.
"Hokage-sama! I have found—"
He stopped mid-sentence. He hadn't noticed the silver-vested Root members standing by the windows and in the room.
Instantly, Minato raised a sharp hand, waving it in the air to cut him off. Minato's tactical mind was too fast; he knew exactly what would happen if his loyal ANBU spilled the secret location of the Kyuubi boy in front of Root members who directly served Danzo.
That information had to stay hidden from Danzo at all costs.
The loyal ANBU blinked behind his mask, quickly realizing the danger. He turned his head sharply toward the intruder in the middle of the room.
"You... Root! What are you doing here?!" he demanded, his hand dropping to his weapon pouch.
The Root ninja didn't even turn his head. "We are not answerable to you!!" he said in a flat voice.
Instead, the Root operative kept his attention fixed entirely on the Fourth Hokage.
"Hokage-sama... the entire Council of Ministers has summoned you, not only my master, Shimura Danzo-sama. You cannot ignore the collective will of Konoha's leadership."
Minato's eyes narrowed into dangerously . He looked past the standing root ANBU and locked his gaze onto one of the silver-vested fellows standing outside the open window.
Minato's sharp eyes noticed that the ninja's fingers were secretly removing defensive sealing tags from the window frame, trying to weaken the room's security.
"You!" Minato called out sharply to the ninja outside.
The Root member froze, his hand stopping instantly under the Hokage's intense glare.
Minato stood up slowly, the white fabric of his haori casting a grand shadow in the afternoon light.
"Give your master, along with the entire Council, a clear message..." Minato said, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying chillness that shook the very air in the room.
"If they want to talk to me, it will only be done under one of two conditions. Either this Root operative standing right in front of me tells me the full details right here, in front of my wife and Biwako-sama... or the Council can personally walk over here to my house themselves."
FUMA CLAN COMPOUND
The afternoon sun was very hot outside, but the light inside the private tea room of the Fuma clan compound was dim. Thick bamboo blinds hung over the windows, casting straight lines of shadow across the floor.
On the low, dark wooden table between the two men, three teacups were kept in a row. The first cup was filled to the brim, but it did not leave any heat at all, appearing cold as if it had been kept there for a very long time.
The second cup was completely empty. The third cup was filled with fresh tea, and it appeared to be warm as the heat was visibly leaving it in thin, lazy lines of steam.
The two men sat across from each other in the heavy silence. Fuma Arata kept his back perfectly straight on his straw mat, his knuckles turning white from a deep stress that his traveling robes tried to hide.
He kept his eyes locked onto Uchiha Hikaru, who sat completely relaxed on the other side. Hikaru wore a plain black cloak that was badly torn and burned at the bottom.
'Damn it!' Arata thought to himself, his mind racing with intense panic.
'I know this man is an Uchiha. He clearly knows exactly who I am. But why the hell do I not know his name so that I can report it to the Hokage directly?'
Very calmly, Hikaru reached out his pale hand. He picked up the fresh, warm cup of tea and took a slow, smooth sip.
Arata's internal thoughts continued to torment him. 'Damn it! even after I asked his name earlier, he did not tell me. He is keeping me completely in the dark.'
Hikaru set the cup down softly, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "You seem really tensed today, Fuma Clan Head...?" he said, his voice terrifyingly smooth.
He gave a deliberate pause, letting the silence stretch before he continued, looking directly into Arata's eyes.
"Is it because of the morning clan meeting at the Hokage building which was difficult... or..."
".....because you are not able to get any information out of me while I am?"
Arata's heart stopped for a second. He instantly looked up, his face tightening. "No! It's nothing like that!" he said quickly, trying to wave his hand.
"I don't intended to take any information out of you... It's just that... yeah, you are right. The clan meeting was surely terrible. Just remembering its details made my head ache."
On the other side of the table, Hikaru's eyes gleamed in the dim light.
'It's just as I expected.' Hikaru calculated silently, highly amused. 'A clan meeting really was going on this morning'
He had completely guessed it, and the old man had walked straight into the trap. Very casually, Hikaru picked up his teacup once again.
Arata let out a forced, nervous laugh, trying desperately to cover his slip-up. "Haha, it's really nothing like that, please don't misunderstand me..."
But inside his head, Arata was screaming.
'This bastard Uchiha! He already knows a clan meeting happened! Shit! Maybe he disguised himself as one of the clan heads and was actually attending it in secret! He knows the details... the village is fucked up. It is seriously gone if a rogue can infiltrate the Hokage's inner circle so easily!
Hikaru took another slow sip of his tea, completely unaware of the wild theories Arata was inventing. He put the cup down on the dark wood.
Then, leaning forward, he put his right elbow on the table, resting his palm under his chin with his fingers folded lazily. He stared straight through the Fuma leader.
"So, what happened in the meeting?" Hikaru asked casually.
Arata blinked, his voice catching in his throat. "Pardon?"
"You said it yourself—" Hikaru murmured, his sharp eyes narrowing with dangerous amusement. "The clan meeting happened. So, what happened in it? Tell me what happened in the clan meeting."
Arata felt a cold sweat break out across his neck. 'Shit! This bastard!' he thought frantically, his mind spinning into complete overload.
'Oh no, what do I do? If I refuse to answer him, he carries the power to annihilate the entire Fuma clan right here. But if I agree and tell him, he will take my name as the informant. And if words ever reach the Hokage that I leaked this, the whole Fuma clan will be completely done for anyway!'
The silence in the room stretched so tight it felt ready to snap. Hikaru kept his chin resting on his knuckles, his dark eyes never leaving Arata's pale face.
"You must have been in the clan meeting?" Arata murmured, his voice shaking slightly as he tried to catch the rogue in a lie.
'If he disguised himself as one of the clan heads to get inside....' Arata calculated frantically. 'Then he must know what happened.'
Hikaru blinked, a small, genuinely amused look crossing his face. "No way... why would I be there?" he replied smoothly, his tone excited and casual.
A long, heavy moment of silence followed. Hikaru slowly pulled his hand away from his chin. He did not look angry; he looked bored, which was infinitely more terrifying to the older man.
"What's the matter? Not going to tell me?"
Hikaru asked softly. He paused, leaning forward until his face was just inches from Arata's, his dark presence completely overwhelming the small space between them.
"But you should know, right? Your woman must have told you that a massacre happened in the commercial district today."
Hikaru paused, letting the heavy words hang in the air before whispering,
"I Was The One Who Did It."
The sheer confession struck Arata like a physical blow. The rogue was sitting right here, calmly admitting to a bloody slaughter in broad daylight. Panic took over completely.
Arata threw his hands up slightly, shifting backward on his mat.
"Hey, wait! Don't think about my clan!" Arata gasped out, his voice cracking. He could see his entire family being wiped out in a single afternoon if he angered this monster.
"I'll... I'll tell you everything! But swear to me right now that you will not involve my name! Not even my clan name!"
Hikaru leaned back just a fraction, the sharp, satisfied smile returning to his face. "Of course. Speak."
Arata swallowed hard, his heart hammering against his ribs as he forced himself to speak. "This morning... the Hokage completely lost his temper. The entire leadership is a total mess. It all started because of the attack on the Hyuga clan today in the dawn. The Branch Family sector perimeters was infiltrated, and three guards were completely knocked out."
Hikaru paused, his eyes widening slightly.
"Wait, really? An attack on the Hyuga?"
Arata stopped speaking, completely shocked by the reaction. He watched Hikaru closely, noticing with a sudden dread just how genuinely happy the rogue looked upon hearing that the proud Hyuga clan had been struck. There was a sickening, twisted joy in the man's eyes.
'This monster!' Arata thought, his stomach turning. 'He finds the suffering of the noble clans amusing. He wants to watch the entire structure of this village burn down.'
Hikaru tapped his fingers on the dark wood of the table, his smile growing. "So, any good luck? Who is the culprit?"
Arata let out a harsh, frustrated breath. He felt like he was being mocked to his face. "Don't fool me, Uchiha. I know it's you."
Hikaru's cheerful expression vanished into genuine confusion.
"What?"
"Even though no other clan head knows, I know you are the one behind it!" Arata insisted, gaining a small burst of desperate confidence.
"You are the cause of all this chaos, and you just put a fake name on a child to throw everyone off your scent. You don't have to play dumb with me."
Hikaru stared at him, his brow furrowing deeply. "Wait... not me. Of course it wasn't me. Just tell me... how did the child look?"
Arata shook his head, thinking the rogue was simply playing a tedious mind game to protect his secrets. "It's ok, you don't need to lie to me. Everyone in the clan meeting knows that a mere kid could never be able to knock three guards of the Hyuga."
"I don't know what kind of madness possessed that fool Kozuki to stand up and claim it was a child named Rock Lee, but nobody truly believes a mere genin aged big infiltrated the Hyuga main house."
As Arata kept talking, Hikaru's mind completely drifted away from the conversation. The amusement vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, calculating stillness.
'A child? Rock Lee?' Hikaru thought, his inner gears turning rapidly in total bewilderment.
'How is that possible? It is weird... neither I nor Mikoto did anything to the Hyuga clan last night. We were entirely focused on our own coordinates.....'
His thoughts darkened as he realized someone else entirely was moving in the shadows of Konoha—and the village leadership was running around in circles accusing a completely random kid.
'Who on earth is Rock Lee —?!'
---