When Hiashi finally returned to the clan compound with his men, the two elders had already left.
Seeing Hyūga Sōgen calmly sitting on the porch, admiring the flowers and plants in his small courtyard, Hiashi knew he had come one step too late.
"Hiashi, as clan head, why are you in such a rush? It's unbecoming of your station."
Sōgen glanced at him with a blank expression, reaching for the watering can nearby to tend to his beloved flowers.
"It's nothing. I just heard the Advisors had paid a visit, so I came to see if there was anything our Hyūga clan could do to help."
Hiashi subtly emphasized the fact that the main family no longer held any power—that within the Hyūga clan, only he, Hiashi, had the final say now.
"Is that so? The two Advisors merely came out of concern, just to check on some of the older shinobi who once contributed to the village."
Sōgen's words drew silent curses from Hiashi and his guards.
Contributed to the village? You main branch parasites have never done a thing besides ordering the branch family around all day. A bunch of freeloaders living off others' sweat and effort!
If not for their self-control, the two branch family guards would have already slapped him across the face.
Having hit a wall with Sōgen, Hiashi didn't get angry.
He simply gave a deep look to the elder who had once lorded over him, then silently turned and led his men out of the courtyard.
Not long after Hiashi's departure, the second elder, Hyūga Shōta—who had remained inside the house—slid open the door.
"Has Kenmei left?"
Sōgen didn't even turn his head, as if he had already anticipated the fourth elder's departure.
"Yes. He refuses to stand on the same side as the Advisors, even though they promised to persuade the daimyō to improve the main family's situation."
Hyūga Kenmei was the most pragmatic among the four elders.
"A wise choice. The Advisors are nothing but relics of the old era. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen—these days he's just an old man past his prime."
Tilting the watering can, Sōgen watched the stream flow down onto the flowers, his voice clear and cold.
"And yet, you still agreed..."
Shōta stopped mid-sentence, realizing he'd just asked a foolish question.
"Hmph. You understand now?"
A bird's cry came from above. Sōgen lifted his gaze toward the blue sky.
"Caged birds... Hmph. In a sense, aren't we—the main family—just the same?"
...
As the two Advisors made their rounds, they reassembled a number of old Anbu and subordinates who had once benefited from the Third Hokage's era.
After giving orders to two veteran Anbu—Senju Yoshika and Sarutobi Mitsume—the Advisors went to visit the current Anbu Commander of Konoha, Namikaze Minato.
However, Minato was busy coordinating with his teacher to retrieve Obito. The ones who received the Advisors at home were Kushina alone, preparing dinner.
She was puzzled by their sudden arrival but, out of courtesy, still welcomed them in.
"Kushina, you know the village's situation. Though the Fifth hasn't said it outright, the Seven-Tails must remain in Konoha."
Taking the tea Kushina handed her, Koharu Utatane didn't drink it. Instead, she glanced at the Anbu guard behind her and spoke directly.
The moment she mentioned the Seven-Tails, Kushina's heart tightened.
She instantly guessed their purpose.
"Keeping such a massive Tailed Beast sealed in the mountains isn't a long-term solution. The priority is to find a suitable Jinchūriki for it."
Finding a host for the Seven-Tails—this was the Advisors' first move since returning to action.
They wanted to use this matter to prove to everyone that they still held influence in Konoha.
"Uzumaki Karin was brought back from Kusagakure by the Fifth. Konoha has given her safety and peace—in return, she should contribute to Konoha as well."
Their choice didn't surprise Kushina.
From what she could tell, Karin's Uzumaki bloodline was even purer than Naruto's. That brilliant red hair alone said it all.
Clenching her fists tightly, Kushina forced down her anger and forced a smile.
"I understand. I'll talk to Karin. But if she doesn't want to—"
"Don't misunderstand, Kushina. We're not here to discuss this with you. We're here to inform you."
Mitokado Homura cut her off coldly, leaning back slightly so the Anbu behind him could move closer.
"We've already assigned Anbu to protect Karin. Until she becomes a Jinchūriki, she'll remain under our protection."
They knew Kushina's temperament—she wasn't someone easy to deal with.
But they hadn't expected her to attack them under the watch of their Anbu guards.
Golden chains burst from her body, binding the elite Anbu in an instant. In the next moment, Kushina seized both Advisors by their collars and lifted them off the ground.
"Kushina! What do you think you're doing?!"
One of the Anbu shouted sharply, only for the chains to constrict tighter in response.
"You two old fossils—what are you planning to do?!"
Kushina had fully transformed into the "Crimson Hot-Blooded Habanero." Her fiery red hair whipped through the air like a storm.
Even the Advisors felt genuine fear for their lives.
"Y-You… Are you trying to rebel?!"
Homura could barely breathe, yet still tried to bark orders. But Kushina didn't care. With a single motion, she hurled the so-called powerhouse—second only to the Third Hokage—straight into the wall.
"If Mito-sama could see what you've become, she'd be ashamed of you!"
The impact sent a wave of pain up Homura's spine, but what hurt more was being chastised in Mito's name—by Kushina, of all people.
"Lady Mito, she—"
Homura tried to argue, but how could he win against Kushina, who had actually lived with Mito once?
"You have no right to even speak of Mito-sama!"
The golden chains snaked around him too, binding him tightly.
@!￥!￥!#%￥
Muffled grunts escaped as Homura struggled for breath, unable to utter a single word.
Talk about qualifications—can you at least let me breathe?!
The chains tightened further, cutting off even his air.
Koharu saw everything clearly but said nothing.
The Anbu had already been dispatched. No matter how furious Kushina was, she couldn't change the outcome now.
So compared to Homura, Koharu's situation was slightly better.
Though being held up by her collar wasn't exactly pleasant either.
"Dammit!"
When Kushina finally calmed down, she realized the futility of her outburst.
She sealed everyone in place with her fūinjutsu, then dashed out the door, rushing to find Karin's whereabouts.
...
The two Anbu operated quickly. It didn't take long for them to locate Karin.
By the small river that ran through Konoha, a common hangout spot for kids on their day off, Naruto, Karin, and their friends were playing together.
Having found their target, the two Anbu didn't act immediately.
The reason was simple—among the children stood an old man who clearly didn't belong.
And that old man was none other than the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He was smiling, accepting a grilled fish from Naruto, happily savoring the taste.
Taking Karin away right in front of the Third Hokage? Impossible.
As the two Anbu hesitated, a hand suddenly patted one of their shoulders. They froze instantly.
"Yoshika, Mitsume—are you two here to play with the children as well?"
The two turned stiffly, only to see another Sarutobi Hiruzen standing behind them, his face stern.
A shadow clone? Since when—?!