Koharu stared at Kazuki in absolute terror.
Like she was looking at a ghost.
She kept crawling backward.
"Don't come any closer!"
"Help!"
"Where's the Anbu?!"
As she screamed, masked figures began appearing one after another beside Sakumo Hatake and Minato Namikaze.
"Captain, what's happening?"
Both Sakumo and Minato held high-ranking Anbu authority.
With the Hokage absent, the Anbu naturally deferred to them.
But when they saw Koharu's miserable state—
They froze.
Wasn't that Koharu Utatane?
One of the senior elders?
And the young man standing there—
Kazuki?
The scene was so surreal that even the Anbu hesitated to move.
Minato stepped forward cautiously.
"Kazuki… listen to me. Don't do anything rash."
"Shut up."
Kazuki's voice was ice-cold.
He grabbed Koharu by the collar.
She frantically tried to form hand seals—
But roots burst from the ground and bound her arms.
Sakumo stepped forward.
"Kazuki. Whatever this is, wait for Lord Hiruzen to return."
"Don't act on emotion."
"Emotion?"
Kazuki laughed softly.
"White Fang… what would you do if someone kidnapped Kakashi and tried to turn him into the Two-Tails' jinchūriki?"
Sakumo went silent.
"…Even so, you can't take justice into your own hands."
"Justice?" Kazuki smiled faintly. "Do they deserve that word?"
He lifted Koharu—
And threw her directly in front of Matatabi.
Koharu looked up—
And met the massive, glowing eyes of the Two-Tails.
Her face went completely white.
She didn't dare breathe.
On the other side—
Matatabi also looked nervously at Kazuki.
And didn't dare breathe either.
Meanwhile—
Danzo and Homura, who had been trying to quietly slip away—
Were stopped by a Wood Clone.
"Danzo, what do you think you're doing?" Kazuki asked calmly.
Danzo straightened himself.
"Don't misunderstand. We opened the Four Purple Flame Formation only to protect Konoha. It was with Uzumaki Mito-sama's consent."
Homura quickly added,
"Yes, Kazuki. You've gone too far. Elder Koharu may have been mistaken, but this is excessive…"
Kazuki raised his hand.
Homura instantly flinched and stumbled back.
The administrative ninjas behind them—all from the Mitokado and Utatane clans—tightened up nervously.
Kazuki simply scratched his head.
"No need to panic."
He smiled faintly.
"I just want to know something."
"The Two-Tails… you brought it here, didn't you?"
Danzo's eyes sharpened.
Kazuki is dangerous, he thought.
Kazuki's voice turned cold.
"Come over here. Or I'll drag you."
"Watch your tone!" one of the administrative ninjas shouted.
"Shut up."
Roots erupted again—
Wrapping the man like a cocoon.
Only his terrified eyes were visible.
He struggled uselessly.
On Kushina's side—
Matatabi noticed Kazuki's attention had shifted.
It immediately tried to run.
But before it could take two steps—
Roots snapped around its limbs.
"You've got to be kidding me," the Two-Tails muttered.
Even from that far away?!
Kushina reinforced the binding with Adamantine Sealing Chains.
"Lord Sakumo… what should we do?" an Anbu asked quietly.
Minato glanced at Sakumo.
"Senpai…"
Sakumo exhaled slowly.
"Wait."
"Kazuki still has control. He hasn't crossed the line."
Danzo and Homura finally stepped forward under pressure.
Uzumaki Mito looked at them coldly.
"Well done. Truly impressive."
Danzo bowed slightly.
"Uzumaki-sama, everything was done with your approval."
"You're lying!" Kushina snapped.
Danzo glanced at her calmly.
"Am I?"
Kazuki suddenly smiled.
"You summoned Mito-sama. That part's true."
"I subdued the Two-Tails."
"And earlier… weren't you suggesting Kushina would make a suitable jinchūriki?"
Danzo shook his head immediately.
"I know nothing about that."
"Yes, Kazuki, you're twisting things."
"Whatever Uzumaki-sama chooses is her decision."
Homura and Koharu desperately distanced themselves.
Mito watched them in disgust.
Kushina trembled with anger.
"You're unbelievable!"
Kazuki gently stopped her.
Then looked at the three elders.
"You know… I think you'd make excellent jinchūriki."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Sakumo and Minato's eyes widened.
Even Kushina and Mito were stunned.
Danzo, Homura, and Koharu instinctively stepped back.
Their faces drained of color.
Jinchūriki?
Them?
Power came at a cost.
A jinchūriki was never fully human again.
Feared.
Watched.
Isolated.
A weapon.
A ticking bomb.
One day, the tailed beast would break free—
And devour them from the inside.
No freedom.
No political career.
No control.
Just a living war tool.
Kazuki wasn't planning to kill them.
That would be too easy.
Planting the Two-Tails inside one of them—
That would be a bomb.
A bomb that wouldn't hurt him—
But would haunt them every second of their lives.
And make them regret ever standing against him.