The dust hung thick in the air, obscuring everyone's vision and leaving the Anbu unable to see what had transpired inside.
Although they trusted Aoshi completely, the opponent was the Nine-Tails—the strongest of all Tailed Beasts. No matter how confident they were in him, they could not help but feel anxious.
"How is it?" An anxious voice broke the silence. The Anbu captain's expression was solemn.
Fortunately, the dust soon settled, revealing the figures inside.
Aoshi stood unharmed. Kushina had already returned to normal.
"Great! Lord Aoshi has suppressed the Nine-Tails!"
"As expected of Lord Aoshi—to subdue the Nine-Tails all by himself!"
"Thank goodness Lord Aoshi was here, or not only us—even Konoha would've suffered!"
A collective sigh of relief swept through the Anbu. At the same time, shock stirred quietly in their hearts.
That had been the rampaging Nine-Tails—an existence their entire Anbu unit had been powerless against.
Yet Lord Aoshi had suppressed it alone. Truly worthy of the title Hero of Konoha.
A name that fully lived up to its reputation.
It was easy to imagine that once news of this spread, Aoshi's fame within Konoha would rise yet another level—still slightly below the legendary status of the White Fang of Konoha and the Three Legendary Sannin.
After all, those reputations had been forged atop mountains of enemy corpses during the Second Great Ninja War.
Such prestige was not easily surpassed.
Carrying the injured and weakened Kushina, Aoshi entered a nearby house that had miraculously escaped destruction.
After laying her down, he immediately began treating her.
Throughout the process, Kushina continued apologizing, blaming herself for her recklessness.
While healing her, Aoshi scolded her with a stern expression.
"So you know you were wrong?"
"You dared to come into contact with the Nine-Tails' chakra on your own—do you think you're Lady Mito?"
Earlier, Kushina had already explained the reason she lost control.
"Do you have any idea how heartbroken we'd be if something happened to you?"
He wasn't angry because a rampaging Kushina might devastate Konoha. He was angry because he was afraid of losing her.
Of course, with Anbu nearby, Aoshi didn't voice that part aloud.
"I'm sorry… I was wrong!" Seeing that Aoshi was genuinely angry, Kushina didn't dare talk back and apologized again and again.
Looking at her like that, Aoshi could only sigh. He understood how she felt.
After a moment, he spoke again. "From now on, you are only allowed to attempt controlling the Nine-Tails' power when I'm present."
With him there—someone who also mastered sealing techniques—the risk of the Nine-Tails running wild could be minimized.
And even if something went wrong, Aoshi's strength would allow him to suppress it immediately, preventing greater destruction.
This time, it was fortunate that he had arrived in time.
Only half of the Senju Clan Compound had been destroyed, with minimal impact on Konoha itself.
Otherwise, Kushina might have suffered the same fate as Uzumaki Naruto in the original timeline—branded as the "Demon Fox" and subjected to the villagers' cold hostility.
For now, she was confined to the Senju Clan Compound. But once things stabilized, she would be able to go out and interact with others normally.
Besides, the ninja were under military management anyway. Without assigned missions, no one was allowed to leave Konoha freely.
In truth, everyone's movements were restricted—it was just that Kushina's situation was more sensitive.
Moreover, Sarutobi Hiruzen had not forbidden her from taking missions. She merely needed to follow stricter protective protocols.
At the same time, the four shadow clones maintaining the Four Violet Flames Formation were dispelled.
The massive purple barrier vanished. Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally let out a breath he had been holding.
Thank goodness Aoshi was here. Otherwise, Konoha would have paid an unimaginable price.
With that thought, he led the remaining Anbu into the Senju Clan Compound.
The former compound had become a vast field of ruins. The ground was riddled with enormous craters.
These were the marks left by Aoshi's battle with the Nine-Tails, shocking the Anbu behind Hiruzen.
What kind of terrifying battle had taken place to cause such devastation? If it had been them, they would have been crushed instantly.
And these weren't ordinary ninja. They were Anbu—elite forces directly under the Hokage.
Admission alone required Chunin-level strength. That fact only deepened their awe.
"Hokage-sama!"
After acknowledging the Anbu injured in the initial clash, Hiruzen turned toward Aoshi and Kushina, his expression heavy.
Suppressing the Nine-Tails did not mean the matter was resolved. What troubled him more was why the Nine-Tails had gone berserk in the first place.
Just then, Aoshi finished treating Kushina.
[Treatment of Kushina complete. Reward: one Golden orb.]
[Congratulations: you have acquired Adamantine Sealing Chains.]
This was a unique technique of the Uzumaki Clan, combining sealing, barrier, and offensive properties.
Because only Uzumaki clan members could use it, many mistakenly believed it to be a Bloodline Limit.
In truth, Adamantine Sealing Chains was a secret technique.
Its principle lay in condensing chakra into chains and releasing them—likely involving Yin-nature chakra transformation.
In the original timeline, both Kushina and Karin possessed Yin-nature chakra.
Karin, incidentally, also had a Yang-nature chakra, granting her exceptional healing abilities that Kushina lacked.
Thus, in theory, even non-Uzumaki could learn the technique. But no matter how much effort they put in, they would never draw out its true power.
The strength of Adamantine Sealing Chains depended on chakra reserves. Only the Uzumaki—born with monstrous chakra—could wield it to its fullest.
In anyone else's hands, it would be little more than flashy chakra chains, weaker than a kunai.
But Aoshi was different. His current chakra reserves were already immense.
So this technique suited him. Of course, it still wouldn't match the power when wielded by an Uzumaki—yet.
Once his chakra reached A-rank, or even S-rank in the future, he would fully unleash its true might.
Perhaps even surpass the Uzumaki themselves.
"Sorry to trouble you, Aoshi." Stepping forward, Sarutobi Hiruzen thanked him, then turned toward Kushina to inquire about the cause.
Taking this opportunity, Aoshi moved to treat the injured Anbu.
"Sorry to trouble you, Lord Aoshi." The Anbu captain spoke respectfully, having personally witnessed Aoshi fight the Nine-Tails.
Aoshi smiled gently. "We're comrades. There's no need for that."
His words only deepened everyone's respect. Who wouldn't admire someone so powerful, yet so humble?
Soon, Aoshi finished treating them.
[Treatment of Sarutobi Shōtarō completed. Reward: one gold orb.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.]
Aoshi glanced at the Anbu captain, surprised to realize he was a Sarutobi. But on second thought, it made sense.
This mission involved protecting the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki—Hiruzen would naturally entrust it to his own clan.
Come to think of it, the captain's eldest son and daughter-in-law were the Anbu commander and deputy commander.
As for Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, it was an A-rank technique created by Sarutobi Hiruzen, inspired by the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
It allowed a single shuriken to split into countless solid duplicates, forming a deadly rain of blades.
Each clone carried the same physical force as the original. A highly practical crowd-clearing technique.
Aoshi then treated the remaining Anbu.
They were only Chunin or Special Jonin level, so no new jutsu appeared—only a further increase in his chakra.
Afterward, he returned to Kushina's side.
By now, Sarutobi Hiruzen had learned the full story and looked at Kushina with a complicated expression.
He wanted her to master the Nine-Tails' power as soon as possible.
No matter how gently it was phrased, she was still the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki—Konoha's deterrent against the other great nations.
But the thought of another rampage filled him with unease.
Aoshi couldn't arrive on time every single time. One lapse could mean catastrophe. That was unacceptable.
Aoshi noticed Hiruzen's concern immediately.
Looking at Kushina, he spoke. "Lord Hokage, I've already warned her. From now on, she will only attempt to control the Nine-Tails' power when I'm present."
Hearing this, Hiruzen's expression eased slightly. "With your assurance, Aoshi, I can finally feel at ease."
He trusted Aoshi's strength implicitly. As long as Aoshi was there, unless the Nine-Tails broke free entirely, it posed no real threat.
"Still, the Nine-Tails' power is formidable. We must not act recklessly."
At his words, Kushina pouted. "I don't want to be stuck in the Senju Clan Compound forever! Everyone else has things to do—I'm bored all alone!"
Faced with her complaint, Sarutobi Hiruzen could only remain silent.
He could not gamble with Konoha's safety for one person. He was the Hokage.
And Kushina had only just gone berserk.
"It's all right. Tsunade and I will make more time to keep you company," Aoshi said gently.
"And I actually have an idea about controlling the Nine-Tails' power."
"If it works, you'll be able to go out normally from now on."