At Minato's house,
"No way. Don't even think about it. Don't think we can't see through your schemes. You're clearly trying to use Minato as your spearhead. If it succeeds, then it's your brilliant plan. If it fails, then it becomes Minato's responsibility. The Fourth Hokage—the only Hokage to ever actively start a ninja war. Are you trying to nail him permanently to the pillar of shame?"
Kushina exploded in fury.
She had never been able to stand seeing these people constantly push Minato around.
Before, she just didn't have the right excuse to step in.
But now, as Minato's wife, there was no way she would allow anyone to bully him ever again.
Only she was allowed to bully Minato.
Namikaze Minato hurriedly stepped in to ease the tension.
On one side was his longtime friend.
On the other was the love of his life.
Damn it, why do I always end up stuck in situations like this?
"Kushina, actually, Shiken isn't—"
"Shut up."
Minato instantly covered his mouth.
Behind his sunglasses, Aburame Shiken silently rolled his eyes.
This was exactly why he refused to get married.
Was this supposed to be finding the love of your life?
No, this was basically putting another supreme ruler over your head.
"I'll pay. A lot."
Shiken directly brought out his ultimate move.
"Hmph. Money's useless. We already have more than enough."
Kushina said proudly.
Hmph, who do you think I am? The wife of the Fourth Hokage. Resisting money is a mandatory skill.
For once, Shiken's expression turned serious.
Anyone who could resist money definitely wanted something bigger.
Fame?
Being the Hokage's wife was already prestigious enough.
Power?
As long as Minato stayed alive, Kushina would never have a chance to seize real authority.
If someone desired neither power, fame, nor wealth...
Then could it be...
"You'll be the main attacker in this battle."
"Deal."
Shiken immediately understood.
So that's what you wanted.
Life is precious.
Love is even more precious.
But for freedom, both can be cast aside.
The ancestors truly never lied.
Meanwhile, Minato's eyes widened in disbelief.
Wife, what's wrong with you?
So your earlier objections weren't because of me at all—you were just upset that you weren't being included?
As for what the two men were thinking, that hardly mattered.
Kushina was thrilled anyway.
Amazing. After all these years, I finally get to go out and have some fun.
This is great.
If I don't show you all what I can really do, you'll actually think I'm some gentle, kind, sexy housewife.
Inside the sealing space, the Nine-Tails nodded repeatedly.
That's right. That's right.
It's about time this ninja world once again returned beneath the terrifying rule of the strongest Tailed Beast.
Back in the Hidden Leaf Village,
Aburame Shiken had finally managed to settle everyone.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Everyone?"
...
At the border of the Land of Fire,
"Eight Trigrams Air Palm!"
A white figure was frantically chasing after a short, fat figure.
"Akatsuki's Sasori, stop running already! Damn it, you actually hid inside the Land of Fire? You're a rogue ninja from the Hidden Sand Village, so what the hell are you doing here?"
Hyūga Hiyasu complained nonstop while chasing him.
Do you know how much time I wasted searching for you? How many favors I burned through?
If I'd known, I could've just wandered around the Land of Fire and found you. Why the hell did I even run all the way to the Land of Wind?
I ate sand for days for nothing.
"Tail Blade."
Sasori manipulated the puppet shell around him—Hiruko.
A long tail blade shot out and whipped toward Hiyasu.
"Cheap trick—holy shit!"
Hiyasu had been relaxed at first, but his Byakugan suddenly saw countless mechanisms activating inside the tail blade.
He instantly used Rotation.
A storm of senbon needles and kunai crashed against the spinning chakra barrier.
"You little bastard, you're seriously dirty. Sneak attacks and poison too?"
Hiyasu stared at the senbon he had knocked away, venom dripping from their tips.
No wonder they sent me specifically. If anyone else came, they'd probably get screwed to death by this guy.
Senju Hideki: "Sorry, can't penetrate my defense."
Uchiha Kamito: "Who said going blind means you can't pilot a giant mech? Everyone knows Susanoo doesn't actually need the Sharingan."
Inuzuka Ryoha: "Try poisoning me if you've got the balls."
Aburame Shiken: "I just wanted to give you something to do. Stop adding so much drama yourself."
"Who are you? Why are you chasing me?"
Sasori felt completely wronged.
He'd come to the Land of Fire because of Hatake Sakumo, yet somehow he ran into this Byakugan lunatic today.
The guy didn't even say a word before starting to beat the hell out of him.
"Why are you talking so much? If you want a reason, I'll give you one. Someone wants you dead."
"Who?"
"I have professional ethics, you know. Did you really think mere money could buy me?"
"This is ten million. Tell me who wants me dead."
Sasori tossed a large suitcase full of cash in front of Hiyasu.
Even Hiyasu's attack rhythm paused for a moment.
From the perspective of his Byakugan, it really was ten million.
What the hell do rogue ninja do for a living? Why are all of you so rich? Are you guys still recruiting? I kinda want in too.
That's what he thought.
But his hands didn't slow down in the slightest.
He immediately pulled out a sealing scroll and stored away the entire ten million.
"The one who wants you dead is Konoha's Aburame Shiken."
"Aburame Shiken? Who's that? I don't even know him. Why does he want me dead? Though whatever. Looks like my kill list just got another name added to it."
With that thought, Sasori turned to leave.
A massive blue lion head suddenly smashed apart Sasori's outer puppet shell, Hiruko.
The red-haired puppet body of Sasori emerged from within.
"You bastard, what are you doing?! Didn't you take the money?"
"Yeah. Didn't I already tell you who wanted you dead? The transaction's finished. Now I still have to do my actual job—killing you. What's wrong with that process?"
Logically speaking, it actually made perfect sense.
But how the hell could your conscience accept something like that?
Hyūga Hiyasu: As long as I don't have a conscience, there's nothing to accept.
"Hmph. I just didn't want unnecessary trouble. Did you really think I was afraid of you?"
Sasori decisively summoned the Third Kazekage puppet.
"Iron Sand Limit."
Huge amounts of iron sand gathered inside its mouth,
forming spikes and pillars that shot toward Hiyasu.
"So it really was you who killed the Third Kazekage."
Hiyasu swiftly dodged through the iron sand barrage.
"Hey, let me ask you something. How exactly did you kill the Third Kazekage? Help me satisfy his curiosity."
Sasori's face darkened while controlling the Kazekage puppet.
Was using every possible method, exploiting the Third Kazekage's carelessness, and assassinating him really something worth bragging about?
I'm not like you.
Even if I can barely count as human anymore, I'm still a puppet with dignity.
Unlike certain people.