"Yue, I'm going out for a bit. Stay home and don't run off."
It was another rainy day. Minato had left early for the Hokage's office, and after cleaning up the breakfast dishes, Kushina called out to Yue before heading out as well.
Yue figured she was going grocery shopping.
...
Walking under her umbrella down the main street, Kushina noticed the villagers whispering about something, the atmosphere feeling different from usual.
When she arrived at the jade store she had visited two days ago, she put away her umbrella and stepped inside. The shopkeeper's eyes lit up as he came forward to greet her.
"Good morning, Lady Hokage! You're here to pick up the pendant, right? Please wait just a moment. The master is currently threading the red string through it—it'll be ready soon."
"No problem. I'll just sit and wait then. By the way, on my way here, I noticed people talking about something—did something happen?"
"Huh? You don't know? Well, since last night, a rumor has been going around—apparently, one of the Legendary Sannin, Lord Orochimaru, has defected from the village and become a rogue ninja. I can hardly believe it! But I think we should wait for the Hokage's official announcement. If it turns out to be false, it would be terribly damaging to Lord Orochimaru's reputation. My cousin was saved by him once, you know."
"What? Something like that happened...?"
Kushina had a feeling this wasn't baseless gossip. She knew Orochimaru—she had met him when she was young. Back then, she had been somewhat afraid of his eerie, androgynous demeanor.
Over the years, as she grew up, she noticed that Orochimaru's presence had shifted from eerie to outright chilling, and more and more people grew afraid of him.
Still, he was one of the renowned Sannin, had contributed greatly to the village, and commanded a significant number of subordinates. This shopkeeper, for instance, seemed to be one of those indebted to him.
On the other hand, Kushina had occasionally heard Minato mention that Orochimaru and his mentor, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had been growing distant. Sarutobi had reportedly believed that Orochimaru had strayed from the Will of Fire, his ideology becoming dangerous.
Even Kushina was aware of the tension between Orochimaru and the village's leadership—she could only imagine how intense the conflict must have been for those directly involved.
"I agree. It's best to wait for Minato's announcement rather than speculate."
"Yes, Lady Hokage. Please wait here a moment while I check on the pendant."
"Alright, thank you."
Kushina felt a bit worried for Minato. The village had just emerged from war and was in the process of rebuilding, and now this incident had erupted. She feared that some people might see this as a consequence of Minato "stealing" the Hokage position from Orochimaru, which could harm his reputation.
Moreover, the village's strength had already been significantly weakened. With Orochimaru gone, Konoha had lost another top-tier ninja. Jiraiya was frequently away traveling, meaning the once-unbreakable trio of the Sannin had truly dissolved.
"But worrying about it won't help. Minato must be even more troubled… Being Hokage isn't as easy as it seems…"
Kushina thought about what she could do. The best thing she could offer was to raise Yue well—to nurture him into a pillar of the village's future.
The pendant she had commissioned for Yue wasn't just for protection.
In Konoha, jade carried a deeper meaning—it symbolized the village's next generation, the ones who needed to be safeguarded.
That was her belief. She was willing to give everything to protect Yue, as long as he could grow up safely, happily, and healthily.
Perhaps it was because she was thinking of Yue, but the worry on Kushina's face from earlier had softened into a gentle smile.
"Lady Hokage, the pendant is ready. You were thinking about Young Master Yue, weren't you?"
"Huh? How did you know?"
"Because my wife looks the same way when she thinks about our child."
"Is that so? I suppose that's what it means to be a mother. Here, this is the remaining balance. Please check it, and if everything's in order, I'll take my leave."
"No problem at all! Have a great day, and we look forward to your next visit!"
Kushina took the box from the shopkeeper, checked its contents, paid the balance, and then headed home.
...
"Yue, I'm back! Come here for a moment."
Hearing Kushina call, Yue stopped what he was doing and stepped out of his room.
"Come here, come here! And close your eyes."
Yue was a little confused—this seemed like a surprise. But he obediently closed his eyes.
He felt Kushina's hands wrap around his neck, something cool pressing lightly against his chest through his thin shirt. When she finally told him to open his eyes—
"It looks great! It really suits you! What do you think, Yue? Do you like it?"
Kushina never got tired of looking at Yue's small figure. The more she looked, the more pleased she felt—she was certain that when he grew up, he would charm plenty of girls.
Yue opened his eyes and glanced down at his chest. It was a pendant in the shape of a Kannon (Bodhisattva), smooth and cool to the touch. He turned it over in his hand and saw that the back was engraved with the character "月" (Yue).
"Thank you, Mom. I really like it."
He let the jade pendant fall against his chest and tucked it under his shirt. The coolness of the jade touched his skin, but the warmth it brought to his heart was undeniable.
Yue had always liked jade. It symbolized nobility, resilience, purity, and beauty. Though he didn't think those qualities necessarily described him, that didn't stop him from appreciating it.
He also understood what jade represented in Konoha—it was the deepest form of protection from the older generation.
"Well then, I'm going to start cooking. Minato probably won't be home for dinner again today."
Thinking back to what she had heard earlier, Kushina felt another wave of concern for Minato.
"Did something happen?"
Noticing her expression and recalling the Third Hokage's actions the night before, Yue grew curious.
"I heard the villagers saying that Orochimaru-senpai defected from the village. We're still waiting for confirmation, but personally, I think it's true."
"The Third Hokage didn't stop him?"
"I don't know… We'll have to wait for Minato to return and ask him. But really, this isn't something you should worry about, Yue. I'm off to cook."
Realizing she had said too much, Kushina casually brushed it off and headed for the kitchen. Meanwhile, Yue found the situation more and more intriguing.
The night before, the Third Hokage had led two full squads of Anbu—he had definitely gone to capture Orochimaru. Yue also now understood why Minato hadn't been informed. If Minato had been there, he wouldn't have been able to "go easy" on Orochimaru...
Based on his sensory abilities with Kagura's Mind Eye, Yue had a rough idea of the Third Hokage's strength. Despite his age, the old man still possessed an immense amount of chakra. He shouldn't have been significantly weaker than Minato.
As for the idea that Orochimaru had simply overpowered him? Yue found that unlikely. After all, Orochimaru was Sarutobi's disciple, personally trained by him, and there had been two entire squads of Anbu present—this wasn't an easy force to escape from.
If Orochimaru had been truly that strong, he wouldn't have been defeated so utterly in the selection for the Fourth Hokage.
Yue's guess was almost entirely correct—Hiruzen had indeed let Orochimaru escape. Decades of being master and student had left him unable to land the fatal blow.
However, Yue had been wrong about one thing—Orochimaru hadn't caused much of a stir in the Hokage selection because he had never truly wanted the position. Even if he had, the village elders wouldn't have let him have it…
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