Chapter 117

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**In Konoha Village**

"Boss, today's pork looks great. Please cut me a few pounds. And this celery looks good too. I'll take some."

In a food store, Kushina was selecting ingredients. She picked out fresh items she valued and handed them to the boss for weighing.

"Kushina, today's tomatoes are very fresh. Look at them—bright red and translucent, really appetizing. They're great for salads, stir-fries, or soups. And these chilies are a specialty of the Land of Spices…"

The store owner, weighing and pricing the selected items, enthusiastically recommended fresh vegetables to Kushina.

In his enthusiasm, the boss didn't notice the increasingly displeased expressions on Kushina's face as he mentioned tomatoes, bright reds, and peppers.

If the boss wasn't genuinely without malice, he might have had a beating of his life on the spot, and lived in deep-seated fear of tomatoes, peppers, and similar ingredients.

"No need, these will be enough!"

After paying, Kushina took her purchases and left, giving the enthusiastic boss a cold look. The boss was left puzzled, doubting if he had said something wrong or inappropriate.

"I heard that the village hero, 'Yellow Flash,' encountered serious trouble this time. He was trapped on a desolate island by the Kiri Ninjas of the Land of Water, and he's in critical condition."

Just as Kushina was about to leave, she overheard a hushed conversation.

Her left foot, poised to step out, stopped in mid-air.

She dismissed the rumor. How could Minato be trapped by the Kiri Ninjas? It was a big joke.

Hearing the speculative news, Kushina didn't believe it at all. She knew her boyfriend's Flying Thunder God jutsu was so powerful that the Kiri Ninjas couldn't possibly trap him.

"Yes, I heard about it too. My nephew is on the communications team. He said the Kiri Ninjas ambushed him on a small, isolated island in the Land of Water. There's a vast expanse of ocean with no connecting islands for hundreds of miles."

Hearing this, Kushina retracted her left foot and stayed inside the store. She picked up a bright red tomato, examining it closely as if contemplating whether to buy it.

The store owner was puzzled.

The two women continued chatting, oblivious to Kushina eavesdropping on their conversation.

"I heard the Hokage issued a special order to block this news, fearing some villagers might lose control and cause unnecessary trouble."

"I also heard he was ambushed by the Mist Ninja while trying to save his comrades."

"That makes sense. Otherwise, how could the village hero get trapped so easily?"

Listening to their argument, Kushina grew increasingly uneasy. When she finally left the store, she was visibly distraught.

"Kushina-nee, what happened?"

Back home, as she set down the ingredients, the perceptive Rin noticed something was wrong and asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just some gossip. It's nothing to be taken seriously."

Smiling at Rin, Kushina still didn't believe her boyfriend could fall into the hands of the Kiri Ninjas so easily.

"Something must have happened. Did something happen to sensei?"

The only person who could make Kushina uneasy was her sensei. The clever Rin began to worry about him, her expression becoming uneasy.

Infected by Rin's emotions, Kushina's inner anxiety turned into worry.

"I'll go to the Hokage's office. Rin, stay at home. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

Kushina hurried out, even forgetting to close the door.

Worried that the rumors might be true, Kushina felt compelled to go to the Hokage Building to find out.

People are like this. If you tell them something seriously, they might not believe it. Conversely, they take overheard news seriously.

Kushina was no exception.

As she approached the Hokage Building and saw the ninjas rushing around, she felt something was wrong. It seemed like something bad had happened.

"Kushina, there's nothing wrong with Minato. He's just negotiating with the Kiri Ninjas. With his strength, there won't be any trouble," the Hiruzen explained patiently to the confused Kushina.

"Are you sure you're not hiding anything from me?" Kushina asked, still suspicious but sensing no ill intentions from the Sandaime or the two women she had overheard earlier.

"What's going on with the rumors outside? It seems like something bad is happening."

"It's nothing serious. The ANBU reported that the AB combination of Kumo is still lingering at the border. Without Minato, they're acting a bit more brazenly."

"Is that so?" Kushina replied, somewhat relieved but still wary.

"But you, where did you hear about Minato being in trouble?" The Sandaime, ever sensitive to the nuances of his position, quickly picked up on the oddity of Kushina's visit and inquired further.

"I overheard two civilians talking while I was buying groceries this morning. They didn't seem to have any ill intentions or seem to be lying to me," Kushina said, her eyes shifting suspiciously back to the Sandaime. Despite his reassuring demeanor, she still felt the strangers' accidental gossip was more trustworthy.

"Kushina, don't worry! I assure you, I care as much about Minato's safety as you do," the Sandaime said, feeling a bit helpless under her scrutinizing gaze.

Just as the Sandaime was trying to comfort Kushina, there was a sudden knock on Namikaze Minato's door.

"Who is it?" Rin's cautious voice called from inside.

With Kushina out, Rin was wary. She didn't open the door immediately but observed carefully from behind it.

"Nohara Rin, the Sandaime Hokage, has ordered us to bring you to him. Please come with us," a masked figure said.

Peering through the peephole, Rin saw they were dressed like ANBU, but she still didn't let down her guard.

"What's the matter?"

Minato-sensei and Kushina had repeatedly warned her to avoid unknown people due to her special circumstances. With Kushina not home, she wondered how long she could delay.

Seeing Rin's hesitation, the ANBU with an eagle mask signaled to his companions. A shadow, black as ink, twisted and deformed, slipped into the house through the door crack and connected to Rin's shadow.

The process was careful, aiming to avoid triggering any unknown traps. While they didn't dare break into a seal master's home, they could attempt to control the situation by infiltrating through the shadows.

Click!

The door was unlocked and opened, revealing Nohara Rin. She realized something was wrong but couldn't control herself enough to call for help. Like a puppet on strings, she followed the three figures towards an unknown fate.

"Let's go. Take the target to the barrier we prepared in advance. Time is limited, and the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki's sensing ability is too good." Aburame Ryoma instructed his subordinates, leading them swiftly to their prearranged location.

They had spread rumors about Minato's accident and used their long-prepared pawns, the two women who had been gossiping earlier. These women were carefully selected based on Kushina's usual activities. The information they shared was fed to them through their family members and reinforced with subtle genjutsu. The women did an excellent job of passing on the preplanned news to Kushina, who couldn't detect anything amiss due to the naturalness of the gossip.

...

After Kushina left, the Sandaime Hokage's expression darkened, despite his earlier efforts to reassure her. He glanced at a shadow in the room, and an ANBU operative appeared, kneeling before him.

"Bring Danzo to me," the Sandaime ordered, sensing a conspiracy. He knew this situation reeked of his old partner's involvement. As his subordinate melded into the shadows to carry out the task, Sandaime's mood grew grim. His childhood friend, Danzo, was becoming increasingly difficult to control, now even daring to oppose his decisions. Despite the headache this caused, Hiruzen knew he needed Danzo. The man was useful for handling matters that Hokage himself couldn't touch.

Meanwhile, in an old Japanese-style house in the Uchiha district, Obito lay on his bed, gazing at a photo of Rin with a silly smile. He had survived a recent catastrophe but lost an eye, and the right side of his face was disfigured. He worried if Rin would still accept him.

"Obito! Obito! Something happened to Rin!" White Zetsu's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"What? What happened? Isn't Rin protected by our Sensei and Kushina?"

White Zetsu, cautious after almost being discovered by Kushina, had been staying out of sight, keeping an eye on Konoha's higher-ups. He reported it to Obito as soon as he noticed something was wrong.

"It seems Namikaze Minato went to negotiate with the Kirigakure about Rin. Kushina is too powerful for me to get close, but she isn't with Rin right now."

Despite the protection of Minato and Kushina, Obito sensed something was amiss. Now, hearing about the potential danger to Rin, he couldn't hesitate. He dashed out of his courtyard.

"Obito, what are you doing? It's almost time to eat," his grandmother called after him.

"Grandma, I have an urgent mission. I'm going out!" Obito shouted back, ignoring the surprised looks from his clansmen. He turned to White Zetsu, who was still with him.

"What happened to Rin? Haven't you figured it out yet?"

When Minato and Kushina started 'protecting' Rin, Obito had asked white Zetsu to investigate. Despite the days that had passed, White Zetsu still didn't have clear answers.

"Rin's situation is dire. It seems to involve the balance between the Three-Tails, the village, and the impending war. The matter is very confidential," White Zetsu explained, now more forthcoming as events progressed.

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