Chapter 214: Choosing for Oneself & The Words Unspoken
Kushina gasped, her voice trembling. "Mikoto?! Minato?!"
The newcomers were indeed two Konoha shinobi: Mikoto Uchiha and Minato Namikaze.
Seeing that these were people Kushina knew, Nagato held his tongue for the moment.
Mikoto and Minato looked at Kushina with complex expressions.
Kushina's face darkened when she noticed the kunai in their hands.
"Are you here to capture me?"
Mikoto didn't answer the question directly. Instead, she asked softly, "Kushina... are you okay?"
Kushina sniffled, choking on her words. "I... I..."
Where could she even begin?
Should she say she was locked underground for a year? Should she describe the daily torture of being a test subject? Or should she mention that her eyes were gouged out and replaced with the Sharingan?
While the girls spoke, Minato stood to the side, eyeing Nagato warily.
This guy with the red hair... is he from the Uzumaki clan too?
But even if he is an Uzumaki, that doesn't mean he doesn't have malicious intent.
"Kushina," Mikoto pleaded, "Come back with us. The village has mobilized so many people to find you. Even the Hokage-sama is... As long as you explain everything to the village properly..."
Kushina interrupted Mikoto. Slowly, she reached up and took off her sunglasses.
"Mikoto, I don't need to explain anything to the village... After seeing these eyes, do you still think I should go back?"
Mikoto stared at the spinning Sharingan revealed beneath the sunglasses, stumbling back two steps in shock.
"How... how is this possible..."
Minato, who knew part of the truth, gritted his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. His grip on the kunai tightened until his knuckles cracked.
"I don't know where these eyes came from," Kushina said, her crimson pupils staring back at them. "But Konoha is not as... simple as you think."
Minato gently pulled Mikoto back slightly and stepped forward. "Kushina, maybe some people in the village did terrible things, but defecting isn't the only solution. After this incident, everyone in the village will pay attention to your situation. Those people operating in the shadows won't be able to do whatever they want anymore. Hokage-sama will definitely ensure justice is served."
Kushina opened her mouth to speak but stopped.
Seeing that he might be getting through to her, Minato pressed on. "And regarding Root... I have been investigating them. We can piece together the evidence and hand it to the Hokage. That way..."
"Hey, you two?"
Nagato suddenly cut in, his voice laced with irritation.
"Aren't you being a little too self-righteous?"
Mikoto and Minato turned to look at him.
"You ninja from the Great Villages... do you honestly think people can't survive without your precious village? Your village did something disgusting, yet you demand Kushina go back and explain herself? You want her to help you collect evidence? Do you think everyone exists just to slave away for a ninja village?"
Minato's gaze turned cold. "And who are you?"
"None of your damn business!" Nagato shot back.
Having wandered the ninja world for years, surviving in places where dragons and snakes mixed, Nagato revealed a rougher, street-smart side of himself.
"Given what Kushina went through, isn't choosing to leave the most logical reaction? You don't seriously think Konoha is some holy land, do you? That even if someone is bullied, hurt, and betrayed by their comrades, they should just be broad-minded and forgive the village? There is a limit to naivety. Or are you Great Village ninja just brainwashed idiots?"
Nagato sneered. "Normally speaking, taking revenge wouldn't even be crossing the line. Honestly, if you just tried to snatch her back by force, I'd actually respect Konoha a little more."
Minato took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.
He looked at Kushina with intense sincerity. "Kushina, I know the village owes you a lot. But not everyone in the village is like Root. If you are willing to come back with us, I swear on my life that I will protect you. We can face this together. No matter how much effort it takes, there is always a way."
Mikoto quickly added, "Me too, Kushina! We'll face it together!"
Nagato didn't interrupt again. He simply waited for Kushina's answer.
He had spoken up earlier out of anger, but if Kushina was truly swayed by them, he wouldn't stop her. He would just be... very disappointed.
Looking at the determined eyes of Mikoto and Minato, Kushina's eyes welled up with tears. She remembered their time at the Academy—how Minato had steadfastly helped her even when she was isolated, and the memories of shopping and laughing with Mikoto.
Kushina wiped her tears. Under Minato's hopeful gaze, she spoke.
"I'm sorry! Mikoto, Minato... I can't go back."
"I didn't choose Konoha myself... Since I was little, I never had a choice. The destruction of Uzushiogakure, the death of my parents... I was brought to a place I didn't like, to become a Jinchuriki I didn't want to be."
"Minato, Mikoto... this time, I want to choose for myself. I don't want to live like that anymore."
As Kushina's words fell, the light in Minato's eyes slowly dimmed.
Nagato grinned, throwing off his cloak to reveal his muscular frame.
"Alright then, this is the part where we fight."
Nagato knew the stubborn nature of Great Village ninja. He was ready for battle.
But unexpectedly, after a moment of silence, Minato lowered his head.
"Kushina... I'm sorry. I failed to protect you."
Every word seemed to drain him of his strength.
Nagato was surprised. He fully expected the Konoha ninja to attack.
Kushina smiled through her tears. "Minato-kun, you really are gentle. actually, you've already helped me a lot. What happened to me has nothing to do with you. It isn't your fault."
"No, it is my fault," Minato insisted. "If I had been stronger that day and brought you back to the village... If my investigation had been faster and I got you out of Root sooner... none of this would have happened. Kushina, I actually always..."
Minato paused. A long silence stretched between them.
But in the end, he still couldn't bring himself to say the words, I love you.
"The village has deployed a large number of ninja to search for you," Minato said quietly. "Even Hokage-sama is among them. The main force is to the south. Mikoto and I are just one of the squads."
"You guys... leave quickly. I won't report encountering you to the village."
Kushina was touched. She smiled and nodded.
Seeing that a fight wasn't happening, Nagato shrugged and started packing their gear.
Kushina shouldered her pack, sharing a wordless look with Mikoto and Minato.
Nagato had already turned around. "Time to go."
Kushina nodded. She bowed deeply to Mikoto and Minato, then turned and walked away.
"Kushina!" Mikoto called out, tears in her eyes. "Take care of yourself! We will meet again! We definitely will!"
Minato clenched his jaw tight, but finally, he forced a warm, gentle smile onto his face.
"Kushina! Take care... safe travels..."
Kushina nodded heavily, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes, and followed Nagato into the darkness.
The next morning, a dejected Minato and Mikoto regrouped with the main force.
This was the search team Konoha had assembled specifically to retrieve the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. It was a gathering of elites: seal masters, sensors, Genjutsu specialists, and ninja skilled in large-scale destruction. They were fully prepared to subdue the Nine-Tails by force if necessary.
Although no one in this generation of Konoha had fought the Nine-Tails, judging by the experience of other villages, subduing a Tailed Beast in the wild was feasible. Kiri, Suna, and Kumo all had records of doing so.
Ideally, the Nine-Tails shouldn't be much different. It was called the strongest Tailed Beast, but how much stronger could it really be?
Leading the team was the Fourth Hokage, Sakumo Hatake.
Seeing Minato return, Sakumo asked, "Did you find any tracks?"
Minato shook his head. "No."
Sakumo patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay. I understand. Let's wait for the others."
Sakumo had sent out numerous squads to conduct a dragnet search in all directions, but so far, no one had been found.
If they continued forward, they would soon approach the Land of Hot Water. That was Kumogakure's sphere of influence. There would undoubtedly be Cloud ninja on the border watching for Konoha movements.
If they reached that point, things would get complicated.