C 95(2)

After the team disbanded for the day, however, Namikaze Minato found himself at a loss for what to do next.

'Should I work on my ninjutsu?' he thought. But with missions starting tomorrow, he didn't have the time—or the focus—to dive into serious training.

The words of the Third Hokage lingered heavily in his mind. In addition to developing a new jutsu, he wanted to improve the Flying Thunder God Technique, particularly its limitations against space-isolation barriers. 

Meeting Lord Hokage's expectations weighed on him.

He then recalled something else the Hokage had mentioned: 'Kushina doesn't know the truth about that guy yet. And I was told not to reveal it to her—or to anyone else. Even Jiraiya-sensei won't share this with Tsunade-sama or Orochimaru-sama. I definitely can't tell Kushina.'

The thought made Namikaze Minato uneasy. After some reflection, he decided to visit Kushina anyway. 

Though he couldn't tell her the confidential details, he could at least persuade her to stay away from the dangerous individual in question.

Kushina had worked with a mission team for a while after graduating from the academy, as her exceptional talent and skill in sealing techniques had led Sarutobi Hiruzen to transfer her to the sealing team. 

This decision not only ensured her safety but also allowed her to fully utilize her abilities.

In addition to her work with the sealing team, Kushina often assisted with the barrier team.

Although staying in these two departments allowed Kushina to rapidly improve her sealing techniques, the downside was the lack of opportunities to take on missions, which left her with very little income. 

Furthermore, whenever she visited Kain, her small orange purse would inevitably be confiscated. This left Kushina with such limited savings that she resorted to making sealing scrolls in her free time to sell for extra money.

"Kushina!"

As Kushina finished her day's work and was heading home, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her once again.

"Namikaze Chūnin, what do you want? I don't have time to eat with you," Kushina said, her expression blank. 

Recently, while reading a novel, she realized that Namikaze Minato had been following a clichéd courtship strategy from romance stories. She thought it was utterly foolish.

"It's not about eating. I have something important to tell you," Namikaze Minato replied, his tone serious.

"If that's the case, speak."

"If possible, please stay away from the owner of the Kain dessert shop," he said, his expression becoming even more earnest.

"Why?!"

Before he could elaborate, Kushina furiously interrupted him. 'Who does this guy think he is, telling me who I can or can't be friends with?' she thought indignantly. Even Lady Tsunade wouldn't interfere like that!

"Because he's dangerous," Minato explained. "Accidents seem to happen around him often, and he's not from Konoha. If you keep spending time with him—" Minato hesitated, unsure how much he should say about the deaths of ANBU and Root operatives. 

Instead, he tried to phrase his warning carefully.

"Shut up!"

Before Minato could finish, Kushina snapped, her eyes shifting into slitted pupils. His words reminded her of her early days in Konoha, when she had been ostracized in the Academy for being an outsider.

"My business is none of your concern. Don't bother me again!"

"Wait a minute, Kushina—"

Clang!

Six golden chains suddenly emerged from Kushina's back. Before Minato could react, the chains wrapped around him, binding him tightly in layers of adamantine links.

'Flying Thunder God... suppressed?!'

Minato was shocked. He tried to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape, but the chains had completely suppressed his chakra, rendering him powerless.

"Hmph!"

Though Kushina was furious at Minato's interference, she had no intention of harming him. He was, after all, a fellow Konoha ninja. With a flick of her adamantine chains, she hurled Minato off the road and into a safe spot.

Minato hit the ground hard, rolling twice before regaining his balance to avoid crashing into a nearby wall.

The adamantine chains were a power Kushina had awakened long ago, though she rarely used them within the village.

"Hey! What are you doing? Ninja fights are forbidden in the village!"

A group of Uchiha security officers had witnessed the incident. One of them approached quickly, preparing to detain both Kushina and Minato for violating the law.

Before the Uchiha could get any closer, two ANBU operatives appeared in a flash, intercepting the situation.

"This matter falls under ANBU jurisdiction," one of them stated, addressing the security team. "We'll handle it from here."

Although the Uchiha ninjas didn't fully understand the situation, they knew that ANBU operates directly under the Hokage and holds authority over the village, including the security team. 

Once the ANBU agents indicated they were taking over, the Uchiha ninjas left to continue their patrols elsewhere.

The explosion from the previous incident had caused many villagers to lose trust in the security team. To address this, the team had extended their patrol hours to restore public confidence.

"Never mind," one of the ANBU ninjas said curtly.

The two ANBU operatives addressed Kushina and Namikaze Minato separately, motioning for them to leave the scene. 

Once both complied, one ANBU agent followed Kushina at a distance, while the other temporarily left to report the incident to Lord Hokage.

These ANBU had been assigned by Sarutobi Hiruzen to protect the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. However, their duties went beyond mere protection—they were also tasked with monitoring Kushina's daily activities. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen had grown increasingly cautious due to her strengthening relationship with Kain, a development that demanded his attention.

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt conflicted about this arrangement. He had intentionally kept Kushina out of Danzo's Root program, unwilling to subject her to the harsh and dehumanizing ninja training that Danzo employed. 

Instead, he wanted Kushina to form strong bonds with the inheritors of Konoha's Will of Fire, believing such connections would aid in maintaining control over the Nine-Tails.

But things didn't go as planned. A single mistake had created a cascade of misunderstandings, leading to an increasingly complicated situation.

….

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