Chapter 144: Thank You and the Second Round Begins
Konoha
Sakumo Hatake nodded after listening to his subordinate's report.
"So that's what happened," he said. "Minato and the others have had a hard time."
The results of the first round of the exams had been relayed back to the village via ninja hawks and summoning jutsu. He had been paying close attention. The Joint Chunin Exams were an opportunity for Konoha to show its strength, and for the various villages to probe and gather intelligence on each other. The elite of the younger generation were all gathered in one place. He was sure that a lot of their information was already on the desks of the other villages.
From what he had seen, besides the ridiculously overpowered Yotsuki Dana and the already known Uzumaki Hiroto, the other villages had also produced a number of talented individuals. The Mist's Shikotsumyaku, Tsuki Kaguya; the Sand's Scorch Release user, Pakura, and the genius young puppet master; the Cloud's Red Eye and Crystal Release.
He had faith in Minato's abilities. With his training, he was confident that Minato could hold his own even against the Cloud's Uzumaki Hiroto.
He picked up the Hokage hat from his desk. "Well then," he said, "let's go and see the Military Police Force."
He had been pushing for a reform to reintegrate some of the Uchiha into the regular mission system, but there was a lot of resistance. Many of the clans were not happy about it. He had to take it slow.
In a deep, underground space, in the deepest part of Konoha.
This was a special room, a hundred meters below the surface, created with Earth Release. It was also the most secret part of the Foundation. No one could enter without Danzo's permission. Its security level was the same as his own office.
The room was large but empty, with only a bed, a table, and a wooden bucket. The walls and floor were covered in a dense network of sealing formulas, as if to ward off some terrifying presence.
The door opened, and the gloomy figure of Danzo appeared. "Kushina," he said, "come with me."
Kushina, in her cell, looked up, her expression numb. A pair of crimson, three-tomoe Sharingan appeared in her eyes.
He led her to a massive chamber, a special training ground of the Foundation. The center of the ground was also covered in curse marks, leaving only a small, blank space.
He had someone remove her shackles. She did not react.
"What?" he sneered, seeing how docile she was. "Not going to try and attack me this time?"
She just looked down, silent.
"Go to the center."
She obediently walked to the center of the training ground.
"Release the Nine-Tails' chakra," he said, his voice grim. "Form the tailed beast cloak."
She seemed to resist, but a large number of curse marks appeared on her face and body. They seemed to come alive, trying to burrow into her head. It was the punishment for hesitating. The pain was excruciating, and she was forced to obey.
In an instant, the air in the training ground grew hot. An ominous red light appeared on her body, enveloping her.
She let out a pained gasp, as if she were being burned alive.
"Control the power within you!" Danzo roared. "Suppress it! With the power of the Sharingan!"
Even in this chaotic state, the curse marks did not fail. She was not allowed to hesitate.
Slowly, one... two... three... red tails appeared behind her, swaying in the air, exuding an ominous aura. Her face was now completely covered in the ominous chakra, and she looked like a wild beast, with only two crimson eyes showing.
Finally, after the fourth tail appeared, as the fifth was about to form, she seemed to have crossed some kind of threshold. The Nine-Tails' chakra surged, and then shattered. She lost consciousness.
"Lord Danzo," a Root researcher reported, holding a data log, "she did better this time, but her progress has slowed recently. She's been stuck at four tails for a long time. It may be that because she is so young, she has reached her limit."
"Has the drug not been developed yet?" Danzo asked.
"There are very few drugs that can affect both the tailed beast and the Jinchuriki at the same time," the researcher said, shaking his head. "To borrow the tailed beast's power, the Jinchuriki's own will is very important. If we use drugs to control her mind, the result may be even worse."
Danzo was not pleased. In his view, a qualified, stable Jinchuriki was one who could, like the Cloud's Blue Bee, fully release all eight tails without losing their mind. After the Sharingan transplant, Kushina could now use the Nine-Tails' power to a certain extent, but it was far from what he had envisioned. At present, she could fight under his command with four tails, but she could not maintain it for long. After ten minutes, she would pass out, just as she had now.
Perhaps it was because she was too young. But he, Danzo, was not a patient man.
"My lord," the researcher added, "there is some good news. From the current data, the Nine-Tails' chakra is significantly stronger than the Eight-Tails' at the same stage. This means that the Nine-Tails is likely much stronger than the Eight-Tails. When she can fully control its power, she will likely be able to wield a power even greater than the Eight-Tails. And with the special constitution of the Uzumaki clan, she may very well become the strongest Jinchuriki. The Uzumaki are distant relatives of the Senju."
That was some small comfort.
He then had his men carry the unconscious Kushina back to her special cell.
In her inner world, Kushina opened her eyes, a sense of relief washing over her.
This place, which she had once dreaded, was now the only place she felt safe.
The exhaustion and pain had not yet completely faded from her face. "Nine-Tails," she said to the dark figure behind the massive bars, "thank you."
"Hmph," the Nine-Tails sneered. "I was just doing it for myself. My senses are connected to yours. At least before, I could feel the sun. Now I'm stuck underground all day. I'm not in a good mood."
She just nodded, dejected.
"You have too many seals on you," he said after a while. "I can only erode them with my chakra, bit by bit. I hope you're not a coward who's afraid of a little pain."
"Thank you, Nine-Tails," she said again, shaking her head.
But no one knew that in the real world, in the eyes of the unconscious Kushina, the three tomoe of the Sharingan had begun to slowly spin. It was as if they were being met with great resistance, but they were determined.
At the same time, in the Land of Rain, in another massive underground space.
The participants who had passed the first round were gathered, waiting for the announcement of the second.
On the stage were the high-ranking officials of the various villages. Compared to the first round, there were a few new faces: the Daimyo of the lands of Rain, Birds, and Rivers. After hearing that the Thunder Daimyo had come for the first round, they had changed their plans and had come early. For these small countries, the Thunder Daimyo was someone they needed to curry favor with.
Hanzo of the Salamander stepped forward.
"Congratulations to all of you for making it to the second round," he announced. "Now, I will announce the content of the second round of the exam."
A Rain ninja appeared at his side and, after bowing to him and the other high-ranking officials, said, "This round of the exam is: a hostage rescue."