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"In other words, your husband forcibly sealed you and sent you away. Is that what you are saying?"
"Indeed! Blast him! How dare he do this to me? I will never forgive him!"
At this time, Kushina, who was nestled in her mother's lap, looked at her mother's sudden fiery demeanor.
She tugged on her mother's trousers, tilted her small face upwards, and gazed at her with undisguised admiration.
'So, this is where Blood Red Habanero inherited her personality from.'
Perhaps a thought struck her. After her initial burst of anger, Kushina's mother suddenly calmed down, looked up at Yuta, and said, "Yuta-kun, I know this request is presumptuous, but please, I beg you, save Tenzen (Kushina's father)!" Tears began to stream down her face as she spoke.
Kushina had initially been overjoyed to see her mother, but hearing her mother's plea, she thought of her father and began to cry as well.
Observing the two weeping women, one adult and one child, Yuta felt helpless in the face of their request and could only sigh.
"I am truly sorry." He then quietly withdrew, leaving Kushina and her mother to their reunion.
Standing at the bow of the warship, Yuta gazed at the endless expanse of the sea, a multitude of emotions swirling within him. 'In this ninja world where human life holds so little value, only overwhelming strength can guarantee the safety and survival of oneself and one's loved ones. Without power, one becomes like the now-destroyed Land of Whirlpools, regarded as easy prey by others, exploited and ravaged at will, utterly powerless to resist.'
After dealing with several minor ambushes along their route, Yuta and his group successfully entered the territory of the Land of Fire.
…
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, a heated debate was raging among a large gathering of ninja.
"We must not release Hanzō this time! Otherwise, he will pose a significant threat to Konohagakure!"
"Yes! It is because of him that a small nation like the Land of Rain dares to challenge our Konohagakure. We cannot, under any circumstances, let him go!"
"…"
"Bang, bang, bang!"
"Silence!"
The Sandaime Hokage slammed his desk forcefully, his voice booming through the office, instantly silencing the contentious arguments.
In truth, the Sandaime was currently facing a difficult dilemma regarding Hanzō's fate. Releasing him, as these individuals argued, would indeed leave the Land of Rain, under Hanzō's leadership, as a persistent threat to Konohagakure.
However, refusing to release him would leave the current Land of Rain defenseless against the ongoing onslaught from Sunagakure and Iwagakure.
Already, more than half of the Land of Rain's territory had been conquered by the Sand Village and the Rock Village. If Hanzō did not return, the Land of Rain would likely be annihilated within a month.
Konohagakure would then be forced to confront the combined might of Sunagakure and Iwagakure simultaneously.
Therefore, despite his reluctance, the Sandaime Hokage, after carefully considering the potential consequences, intended to demand a substantial ransom from the Land of Rain and then forge an alliance with them, leading to Hanzō's release.
While such alliances were often as fragile as paper, easily disregarded when conflict arose, it would at least provide a semblance of justification for their actions.
Thus, even before Hanzō arrived in Konohagakure, his fate was essentially decided. He would be returned to his homeland to continue serving as Konohagakure's buffer, hindering the advances of the Sand and Rock Ninja and preventing Konohagakure from facing multiple major enemies at once.
After entering the Land of Fire, their journey became considerably more peaceful.
"Look! There are so many people there! The Land of Fire is truly the largest nation; its population dwarfs that of the Land of Whirlpools."
"Indeed! The environment in the Land of Fire is also remarkably pleasant. Look over there, aren't those enormous trees incredibly tall!"
...
Without the enemy's attacks, the members of the Uzumaki clan became much more cheerful and pointed out the surrounding scenery along the way.
"Why? We're almost to Konohagakure; what are your plans?"
Kushina's mother held her daughter tightly in her arms and stared ahead expressionlessly.
"What other plans can I have? As long as I can raise Kushina, that is enough."
Observing the woman's cold demeanor, Yuta could only touch his nose awkwardly, offer a wry smile, and walk away.
"Troublesome kid." A mass of black substance slowly emerged from a tree on the roadside after Yuta and his group had passed, its gaze fixed on their retreating figures.
Yuta turned around suddenly but found nothing. "What was that feeling of being watched from behind just now?" he muttered to himself.
Yuta's sensory perception was highly refined, and the feeling he had just experienced was undoubtedly real. Someone was secretly observing them, yet ordinary individuals could not evade Yuta's senses.
Thinking about this, the image of Zetsu appeared in his mind – no, specifically, Black Zetsu.
However, Yuta displayed no outward signs of his suspicion. At this point in time, Black Zetsu should have already gained Uchiha Madara's trust. He must have come seeking a new vessel for Madara's Rinnegan.
It was best to avoid any interaction with him now; Madara was an opponent Yuta was not yet equipped to handle.
"Was Nagato's mother also among them?" Logically, shouldn't Black Zetsu be searching for a partner for Nagato's mother, who had fled to Amegakure? Why was he spying on them?
In reality, Yuta was overthinking the situation. Black Zetsu had already located an Uzumaki clan woman who had fled to Amegakure; she would become Nagato's mother.
However, upon learning that Hanzō had been captured alive, Black Zetsu had become immediately anxious. Without Hanzō, Amegakure would certainly be divided amongst the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth.
But Madara was currently concealed within Amegakure. Amegakure under Hanzō's rule was manageable; it lacked powerful sensory ninja or intricate sealing barriers.
If Amegakure were to be partitioned by these major powers, it would become significantly more challenging for him and Madara to remain hidden. Therefore, he had come to ascertain if Hanzō was deceased and, if not, to explore any possibility of rescuing him.
Unexpectedly, his presence had almost been detected by Yuta as soon as he manifested, prompting him to abandon his rescue plan.
He resolved to return and warn Madara to exercise caution around this particular child, as he sensed that Yuta was concealing the majority of his true power.
"Mother, please wait a little longer, just a little longer..." Black Zetsu's form sank back into the earth, stealthily moving towards Uchiha Madara's hidden location.
When Yuta and his companions arrived at the gates of Konohagakure, they saw a group of people welcoming them at the village entrance from afar.
These individuals were not primarily there to greet Yuta and the Konoha ninja, but rather the rescued members of the Uzumaki clan, and, of course, Hanzō.
"Thank you for your hard work, Yuta!" The Sandaime Hokage, still puffing on his pipe, addressed Yuta first.
"Haha, I am relieved that Sandaime-sama does not hold me accountable." Yuta had grown weary of the Sandaime Hokage's political maneuvering.
Rather than wasting time on such matters, he would much prefer to return home and spend time with his wife and children.
However, the Third Hokage clearly intended to delay his departure, as the handover of Hanzō had yet to occur.
Yuta understood the Sandaime Hokage's unspoken request and, not wanting to embarrass him publicly, directly instructed several Anbu members who had participated in the mission to bring Hanzō forward.
As for the Uzumaki clan members, the Third Hokage would likely defer to Mito's wishes regarding their resettlement. After all, she was still alive.
As soon as the Third Hokage saw Hanzō being presented, he enthusiastically extended his hand.
"Welcome, Hanzō-dono, to Konohagakure to discuss a potential alliance."
Hanzō: "???"
Others involved in the mission: "???"
The Uzumaki clan: "!!!!"
Only Yuta held a cynical view of the Sandaime Hokage's actions: 'What in the world are you talking about an alliance? He was captured by me! If you want to see shamelessness, you only need to look at the Sandaime.'
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