Chapter 299: Furious Mother
"I said it! Everyone get out of my way! The only one I'm looking for is that old man!"
Inside the Hokage Building, complete chaos reigned. ANBU and Konoha ninja all looked with terror at this aggressive red-haired woman. On the surface she appeared to have ill intentions toward the Hokage, and in reality, she truly did plan ill intentions toward the Hokage.
A young ANBU ninja reached toward his ninja pouch, preparing to subdue this madwoman who dared openly cause trouble in the Hokage Building. However, the ANBU captain beside him suddenly moved, firmly pressing down on his action.
"Stop! Don't take action!" The captain barked in a low voice. "Until the Hokage arrives! We only need to block her—absolutely cannot harm her!"
"Eh? Captain? Why?" The young ANBU asked in confusion. During their conversation, two muffled sounds came from ahead. Two Konoha ninja who'd tried stepping forward to obstruct Kushina were directly sent flying by her two punches, falling to the ground and gaining baby-like sleep.
"That person... you may not have seen her before... but! She is...?!" The ANBU captain's voice carried undisguisable shock. He was seeing a ghost in broad daylight.
As someone who'd served in ANBU since the Fourth Hokage's era, he clearly remembered this face—that red-haired woman who used to frequently barge into the Hokage's office with bright smiles or irritability to find the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze... She was the Fourth Hokage's wife, Kushina Uzumaki!
But... on that catastrophic night over ten years ago, hadn't she already sacrificed herself together with the Fourth Hokage?! Someone already confirmed dead—how could she...
"Enough! Everyone stop! No one take action! This person is not an enemy!"
Finally, the Third Hokage's steady voice came from the corridor's end. Hiruzen Sarutobi walked rapidly forward, Jiraiya with a complex expression following closely behind. The Third looked at the furiously blazing Kushina before him, her vivid red hair floating in the air, moving despite no wind due to her angry emotions.
This scene really has been a while... The Third couldn't help feeling emotional inwardly. Behind him, Jiraiya's gaze flickered, not daring to look directly into Kushina's eyes.
"Old man, you've finally come out..." Kushina's voice carried a storm. "Don't you have something you want to say to me?"
The Third understood Kushina's temperament all too well. He'd witnessed this "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero's" angry appearance plenty. But like today, fury mixed with sorrow—this was truly rare.
"Kushina... you... how did you get out? Did an intruder help you..."
"That doesn't concern you." Kushina rudely interrupted him. "I broke free myself. As for what method I used, I don't think I need to explain sealing technique principles to you, do I?"
The Third fell silent for a moment, aged gaze meeting Kushina's. "...Is it because of Naruto's matter?"
Kushina nodded. At this moment, no matter how the Third explained next, no matter how he tried to placate her, she'd already firmly decided in her heart—today, she absolutely couldn't let him walk out of this Hokage Building unscathed!
"I understand." The Third took a deep breath, saying in a low voice: "Let's chat in my office."
Then he turned around, facing all the Konoha ninja and ANBU members at full alert yet full of confusion, issuing orders with undeniable Hokage authority.
"Listen clearly! She's not an intruder, nor an enemy! Next, the Hokage's office will conduct a private discussion! No matter what sounds you hear, what situation occurs, without my direct command, no one is permitted to enter! This is an order!"
---
BOOM—!
After the Third Hokage finished explaining all the reasons—using the same words he'd told Naruto, just additionally supplementing that the "demon fox" rumor's source came from Danzo's instigation...
When Kushina learned that culprit Danzo who'd spread rumors had already been executed, the accumulated fury could no longer be suppressed. She suddenly punched, instantly smashing that desk before the Third Hokage that had accompanied him over ten years into fragments!
Wood chips flew everywhere. The Third didn't have the Raikage's enthusiasm for destroying desks—this old desk was thus completely scrapped, but he currently had no time to feel heartache over it.
"Old man..." Kushina's voice trembled from extreme fury, eyes fixed on the Third. "What about our agreement?! You clearly promised me personally... that you'd take good care of Naruto for me!"
She naturally knew that children becoming jinchuriki were destined to bear unusual gazes and ostracism. But the difficulties she'd anticipated and the bloody reality she'd heard from Satsuki's mouth were completely different things! She finally asked that heart-wrenching question.
"Why did my child... Minato's child... the Fourth Hokage's child... become the 'demon fox' that everyone wanted to strike down?! He's clearly a hero's child! The heroic son who saved the village!!"
Her voice grew louder. "You as Hokage—couldn't you even stop a malicious rumor?! Did that child need to risk his life saving Konoha to exchange for a bit of belated kindness?!"
Had the Third Hokage done anything? He indeed had. He'd issued orders forbidding public discussion of the "demon fox" matter, not allowing blatant discrimination against Naruto, even forcibly requiring shops to sell things to that child...
But he'd underestimated deeply rooted prejudice and coldness in human nature. Those measures were like scratching an itch through a boot. Even imprisoning a few loose-mouthed villagers only made the cold violence inflicted on Naruto more concealed, more hurtful.
"Yes, everything you said is correct." The Third Hokage didn't try defending his helplessness and indecisiveness even slightly. "This is indeed all my fault, my dereliction of duty, my responsibility. If I could have resolved earlier to restrain Danzo, if my methods had been more decisive and firm... Naruto perhaps... wouldn't have been so lonely."
"I'm sorry..." He slowly stood, deeply bowing his head toward this furious mother. "This is a mistake and regret I can never make up for in this lifetime. I've wronged you, even more wronged Minato, and failed the trust you placed in me."
The Third so readily admitting all faults and solemnly apologizing instead left Kushina, who'd prepared a bellyful of fierce words, momentarily speechless. Her full fury seemed to strike cotton, anger only transforming into even more suppressed breathing sounds.
"Then..." Kushina's gaze turned toward Jiraiya, who'd been trying to reduce his presence. "...What about Jiraiya-sensei?"
"Eh? Well, I..." The topic suddenly turning to himself, Jiraiya immediately became incoherent, stammering, his face full of embarrassment and guilt.
"After Jiraiya returned to the village to attend your couple's funeral, he immediately left the village," the Third Hokage spoke the cruel truth his disciple found difficult to voice. "Until a month ago, he didn't return to Konoha."
Hearing this extremely disappointing answer, Jiraiya seemed to have all strength extracted, completely deflating as he lowered his head, not daring to meet Kushina's eyes.
"I see..." Kushina said in a low voice, tone terrifyingly low.
The next second!
BANG—!
A heavy muffled sound! Jiraiya didn't even see the movement clearly before his entire body shot upward, the back of his head slamming hard into the ceiling. Even the hard stone was struck with spiderweb-like cracks!
He then heavily fell to the ground, a massive bump swelling at visible speed atop his head, eyes rolling back as he fainted... Fortunately, his chest still showed faint rising and falling.
However, after this intense physical pain, that crushing sense of guilt in Jiraiya's heart mysteriously dissipated slightly.
"Old man..." Kushina slowly turned her head, cracking her knuckles with "crack" sounds, gaze locking onto the Third Hokage again. "You know what I'm going to do next..."
The Third Hokage silently glanced at the unconscious Jiraiya on the ground... Compared to Jiraiya, what he needed to bear was far beyond what one punch could offset.
He took a deep breath, then responded in a heavy voice. "...I understand."
---
"What's happening?! An earthquake?!"
"No! The tremors are coming from upstairs! From the Hokage's office direction!"
"The Hokage... Captain! Should we really not go check?!" A young ANBU listened to the tremendous sounds and tremors coming from above, anxiously looking toward his captain.
The ANBU captain clenched his fists tightly, but he still resolutely growled: "Follow orders! Without the Hokage's direct instructions, no one approaches! This is a death order!"
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