Discussion among Konoha's High-level Officials
Hiruzen Sarutobi was troubled.
Miyuki Uzumaki had defected, and one of the shinobi aiding her had demonstrated Water Release techniques belonging to the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama—techniques thought to be lost to anyone outside Konoha.
The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe in rapid succession, his mind weighed down.
For Miyuki to escape so suddenly, she must have been in contact with outside shinobi for some time, preparing in secret. She had left Konoha under cover of night, slipping away with the aid of the Uzumaki Clan's Mind's Eye of Kagura, a sensory technique long believed extinct.
The only explanation Hiruzen could imagine was the rumors circulating in the village. He had dismissed them as baseless, believing they would fade so long as they weren't shouted in public squares.
But if Miyuki truly defected because of them… then he had gravely underestimated their impact.
Now, there was no undoing it. What mattered was containing the damage.
"Send word," Hiruzen ordered sternly. "Anbu are to escort Naruto Uzumaki to headquarters. He is to be placed under strict surveillance. And this matter—Miyuki Uzumaki's defection—must not leave this room."
For a moment, he considered assembling another pursuit squad. But the earlier team had been decimated: ten sent, only three returned. Their report confirmed the enemy was formidable. And with foreign shinobi already monitoring Konoha's borders, any sign of pursuit risked exposing the truth.
If rival villages learned the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki had defected, they would descend on Miyuki, seeking to claim her power. That could not be allowed.
So, secrecy was paramount.
Hiruzen gave another order: "Summon Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura."
---
Unbeknownst to him, a pair of serpent's eyes glinted from the shadows outside the window. Through that serpent, Qian Yu observed the meeting.
A smirk curved his lips. As expected, Hiruzen dared not reveal the truth.
The village had already suffered the Nine-Tails' attack and the death of the Fourth Hokage. If news spread that Minato's wife and a Jinchūriki had abandoned Konoha, the village would be thrown into turmoil. Hiruzen himself would face outrage and doubt from the villagers and shinobi alike.
For Konoha's sake—and his own—Hiruzen had no choice but conceal the defection.
But what of Naruto? His father, Minato Namikaze, lay in a coma. His mother had abandoned the village.
Qian Yu knew Danzō would not waste such an opportunity. Control of a Jinchūriki was power, and Danzō never let power slip by.
It all came down to Hiruzen's choice. If he still valued Minato's legacy, he would never hand Naruto to Danzō. But if his priority was containment, to prevent another potential flight, then he might entrust the boy to Root's "protection."
And if that happened, Qian Yu would be forced to intervene.
---
Moments later, Danzō, Koharu, and Homura entered the Hokage's office.
"Hiruzen," Koharu asked, "why summon us at this hour?"
Hiruzen's expression hardened. "Miyuki Uzumaki has defected."
The three elders froze mid-step, eyes widening in shock.
"The Jinchūriki—defected?!" Koharu exclaimed.
"What happened?" Homura demanded.
Hiruzen answered gravely. "The Anbu on watch were incapacitated. Miyuki vanished. I immediately dispatched a pursuit squad. They confronted her beyond the village walls.
"But she was not alone. Three powerful shinobi aided her. Among them: the rogue swordsman of Kirigakure, Raiga Kurosuki; and likely the Scorch Release user of Sunagakure, Pakura, thought dead. The third remains unidentified… but he wielded Tobirama-sensei's Water Release techniques."
At this, the elders' expressions turned grim.
Danzō scoffed, "Impossible. Tobirama-sama's Water Style was never meant to be passed on. Unless… could one of the scrolls have been stolen?"
Hiruzen shook his head. "I checked before summoning you. All of Tobirama's Water Release scrolls remain sealed and secure. Which makes this all the more troubling."
He exhaled smoke, eyes narrowing. "Regardless, it is too late for another pursuit. We cannot risk exposing this to enemy villages. Foreign operatives are already watching Konoha's movements. That is why I've ordered absolute silence from those aware of the situation."
Homura asked sharply, "And Naruto Uzumaki?"
"Safe," Hiruzen answered. "Miyuki did not take him. He is now under Anbu guard."
Both Homura and Koharu released a breath of relief. One Jinchūriki remained. If both were lost, the village might never recover.
"But why would she defect?" Koharu pressed. "She is the Fourth Hokage's wife!"
Hiruzen sighed. "It may be connected to the rumors festering among the villagers. Some now whisper of 'the child of disaster.' That child is Naruto. Perhaps Miyuki left because of this."
Homura frowned. "If that were true, why abandon Naruto here?"
"I cannot say," Hiruzen admitted. "Perhaps because of Minato. He loved Konoha deeply. Were both Jinchūriki to vanish, it could plunge the village into war once more. Perhaps she believed leaving Naruto behind would spare Konoha from destruction."
He straightened. "Which brings us to the present. Before Miyuki is found, we must decide what is to be done."
At his words, a glint of calculation lit Danzō's single eye.
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