Yamanaka Shinno was completely unaware of the chaos within Root or Danzo Shimura's furious outburst.
After spending the entire day organizing the information in his mind, he noticed the sun was beginning to set. Kurenai Yuhi, Might Guy, and Genma Shiranui had finally reached the point where they could barely maintain their footing on water while under the sealing restriction.
Satisfied with their progress, he called out to them and led the exhausted trio back to Konoha.
Once again, he covered their dinner, then reminded them to bring bento lunches for tomorrow before officially dismissing them for the day.
Watching the three drag their exhausted bodies home, Shinno formed a single-handed seal and discreetly connected to the sensory barrier that enveloped all of Konoha—one of the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques.
He silently praised the foresight of his clan's ancestors for leaving them a backdoor into the barrier when they first established it.
By identifying chakra signatures, he quickly located Uzumaki Kushina.
Then, without a sound, he severed his connection to the barrier.
On his way, he stopped by a snack shop on Konoha's Street, picking up a bag of Sunagakure's specialty—sand dumplings.
After that, he leisurely made his way to the former Jonin standby station.
Yesterday, it had been nothing but rubble. However, after salvaging all usable items and classified documents, the area had already been leveled and reinforced using Earth Release techniques.
Over twenty workers and a few Genin were busily hauling construction materials under the supervision of several craftsmen.
Standing at the edge of the site, Kushina wore a plain white safety helmet, holding a set of architectural blueprints. She was putting on a serious expression, as if she were some kind of site supervisor.
When she spotted Shinno approaching with snacks in hand, she immediately ran over.
Holding up her dirt-streaked hands, she grinned like a mischievous fox and opened her mouth wide, waiting to be fed.
"Ahhh~"
Shinno chuckled and picked up a sand dumpling, popping it into her mouth.
Kushina's eyes practically turned into crescents as she chewed the soft, salty-sweet treat. Beaming with pride, she unfolded the blueprints in her hands.
"Take a look! I designed this! What do you think?"
"You designed it? Who did the drawing?"
"I described it, and someone else drew it for me~"
"The Hokage approved this?"
"I paid for it myself. Why wouldn't he approve?"
"...Fair enough."
Shinno studied the blueprint. The building had a sharply pointed structure, composed of nine spiraling walls that merged at a central peak.
He tried to wrap his head around what must have been going through Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind when he approved this design.
Its bold red coloring matched the Hokage building, and aside from its unconventional exterior, there weren't any major issues at first glance.
But...
If the color faded even a little, wouldn't this thing look like a giant pile of—
Wait.
Could it be that the Third Hokage—maybe, possibly—thought it resembled a blazing fire? Something symbolic of the Will of Fire?
Uh... The Will of Fire is a... pile of...?
Now that he thought about it... Yeah. Yeah, it kinda was.
"Well? What do you think?"
Kushina's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Faced with that expression, Shinno naturally wouldn't say anything to kill the mood.
"Hmm... The symbolism is strong. From a bird's-eye view, it probably resembles the Uzumaki clan emblem, right? Nine spirals—representing your name and also subtly hinting at your identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? It's a clever concept. Though... I'm guessing the Nine-Tails is cursing you out in its seal right now."
After analyzing her design, Shinno pointed out some key details while slipping in a lighthearted joke.
It was all about maximizing emotional value.
"Hehehe~ I knew you'd get it, Shinno!"
Kushina nodded enthusiastically. Against the backdrop of the setting sun, she spread the blueprints out as wide as they could go.
She wanted to leave her mark on Konoha.
Whether people saw it as good or bad—whether they admired it or feared it—
She was who she was.
Uzumaki Kushina.
The second Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, following Uzumaki Mito.
Shinno looked at her, glowing in the golden light of dusk, her eyes bright as the stars, her smile shining against the evening sky.
He made a mental note to have a little chat with the logistics department later.
They needed to increase the maintenance budget for the Jonin standby station.
No matter what, they couldn't let the paint fade.
Otherwise, he wasn't sure Kushina could handle the emotional devastation.
Shff—
The sound of the Body Flicker technique cutting through the air reached his ears.
A masked ANBU shinobi in standard combat gear appeared barely two meters from Shinno's side—a distance that, for a ninja, was undeniably threatening.
Shinno's brow furrowed slightly.
ANBU were directly under the Hokage's command, personally selected through rigorous screening. Their loyalty to the village and the Hokage was unquestionable.
Because of that, the way they conducted missions often reflected the Hokage's attitude.
Until now, no ANBU had ever acted toward him with such an air of intimidation.
"Yamanaka Shinno. The Hokage has summoned you immediately for an important mission."
"Understood."
Shinno nodded and handed the bag of snacks to Kushina.
"I'll be heading to the Hokage's office, then."
"Mm. Be careful on the way."
Kushina took the bag stiffly, her expression darkening.
She had been waiting for so long—her feelings had finally started to gain some traction.
She had just been planning to ask Mikoto for some dating advice...
And now, that old geezer had to interfere again?!
Was the Third Hokage seriously just incapable of letting a Jinchuriki have a sweet, normal romance?!
Damn it!
She was gonna go tell Tsunade!
She was gonna make Tsunade smash that old bastard's office into pieces!
"Don't worry. Oh, right—about my new students, I'll be leaving them in your hands."
Noticing Kushina's mood souring, Shinno swiftly decided to push his three young disciples onto her as a distraction.
On one side, a powerful Konoha Jonin who could relieve stress by beating—er, training others.
On the other, three eager young Genin, hungry for growth and unafraid of hardship.
Perfect match.
"No problem, dattebane!"
Kushina nodded firmly, quite pleased with the trust Shinno placed in her.
Shinno waved with a grin and took off toward the Hokage building.
Only when he finally moved did the ANBU agent follow, almost as if he had been waiting for confirmation.
The sheer scrutiny of this act all but confirmed Shinno's suspicions.
Was it paranoia? Or...
Was the old man just getting more sensitive with age?
That didn't seem right.
So what if Kushina had stayed at his place for the night?
They had slept separately!
Nothing even happened!
Wait...
Come to think of it, to prevent his clan from eavesdropping with sensory techniques, he had kept an anti-detection barrier up the entire night...
Shit.
Did the Third Hokage think he and Kushina had already—
Shinno paused for half a second, his expression blank.
Now that he understood what was going on, he wasn't sure whether to blame himself for being careless...
Or just start cursing the Third Hokage for completely overreacting.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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