"Yo~ This bowl of ramen is really flavorful! The thick broth is super powerful! The garlic chili oil is refreshing to the end, Yeah~"
Killer Bee ate the tonkotsu ramen with great appetite. This kind of ramen was heavy on garlic, oil, and spice, making it perfect for the heavy-tasting Kumogakure Shinobi.
With one bite, his mouth was filled with the aroma of bone broth and garlic.
Yugito was full after one bowl. She watched speechlessly as Killer Bee rapped while eating ramen like a starved ghost.
He was really losing face for the Hidden Cloud Village.
Yugito ignored Killer Bee and thanked Kushina: "Kushina, thank you for your hospitality."
Kushina smiled and waved her hand: "No need, it's not a big deal. Can we be friends from now on?"
Kushina looked at Yugito and Killer Bee with great hope.
Yugito nodded: "Of course, we are of the same kind after all!"
Killer Bee also nodded while rapping: "Kushina, you are our friend now, oh yeah~"
"Friend, oh yeah~"
Kushina happily mimicked Killer Bee's "oh yeah."
Kushina had always been lonely.
She had been brought to Konoha as a candidate for the Jinchuriki at a young age, and because she was an outsider, she was taken advantage of by the people at the Shinobi Academy at that time.
Fortunately, Kushina was accepted by members of the Senju Clan, such as Grandma Mito, Tsunade, and Nawaki.
Later, she met her soulmate, Minato, but Kushina's loneliness did not lessen; instead, it grew.
Because she was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she had to rely on sealing barriers to suppress the Nine-Tails, so Kushina's range of activity was very limited.
At that time, Minato was a Jonin at the peak of his fame, and many 'little vixens' around him were eyeing him.
Kushina dearly hoped to step out of the barrier, drive away the vixens around Minato, and become a normal couple with him.
It wasn't until her relationship with Minato was confirmed that Kushina's worries were finally alleviated.
But in the end, she was still an anomaly who sealed the Nine-Tails.
She had always been afraid that her identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would be exposed, and that she would be met with hostility from those around her.
After her Jinchuriki identity was made public, although no one showed open hostility toward Kushina, she could vaguely sense gazes that didn't dare to look her in the eye.
For example, when buying vegetables, the aunties selling them used to haggle with her.
Now, the aunties didn't even dare to ask for her money, fearing that Kushina would turn into the Nine-Tails to bargain.
When passing by the Village entrance, as soon as Kushina stood there, the 'intelligence agency' formed by the Village aunties would immediately go paralyzed.
It was a kind of resistance—a silent resistance, a mysterious resistance.
In everyone's subconscious, a Jinchuriki was the incarnation of a Tailed Beast and would one day transform into an evil beast.
Kushina's neighbors had all moved away secretly.
Everyone was afraid that Kushina would transform into the Nine-Tails and go on a killing spree.
Kushina spoke out about some of her troubles.
Killer Bee and Yugito could only tell her to endure it, that one day everyone would understand her.
"When is 'one day'?"
Kushina rubbed her head in distress.
Yugito said understandingly: "That depends on your own efforts. I was also ostracized by the companions around me at first."
"Later, I gained Matatabi's understanding and slowly became stronger. I went to the battlefield, protected my comrades, and earned everyone's recognition."
Kushina realized: "So it's about proving one's worth!"
Killer Bee nodded: "To get recognition, you need to give others aid; this requires utilizing the Jinchuriki's strength~"
Kushina was puzzled again: "Then how should I utilize the Jinchuriki's power? Your Kumogakure's research on Tailed Beasts is at the forefront of the Shinobi World, but we in Konoha don't dare to control the Nine-Tails' power."
"The Nine-Tails' power is too strong!"
Yugito and Killer Bee glanced at each other. Kumogakure already had a set process for controlling Tailed Beasts.
It involved going to Kumogakure's Turtle Island, entering the Waterfall of Truth to defeat the darkness in one's heart, then undoing part of the seal to enter the mental space to confront the Tailed Beast and seek reconciliation...
But this was experience Kumogakure had gained over many years at a huge cost.
Could they tell Kushina?
Kushina seemed to feel she had misspoken: "Sorry, you two, I was being presumptuous."
Kumogakure's method of controlling Tailed Beasts was definitely a top secret among secrets. Kushina asking about it was like touching their sore spot.
Yugito also said somewhat apologetically: "I'm sorry, Kushina. This is a Village secret. We have to ask Lord Raikage for permission before we can tell you."
Killer Bee rapped: "Don't worry, Kushina. The Five Great Nations must unite to defeat Uchiha Madara. We will help you get stronger~"
Kushina immediately refused: "No, I don't want to obtain your method of controlling Tailed Beasts. Right now, I can't go out to fight anyway."
"Because... I'm already pregnant!"
"What?!"
Killer Bee and Yugito were both greatly shocked.
Kakashi was bored outside and unconsciously pulled out the little yellow book from his Shinobi tool pouch.
Rin and Obito saw this and walked over to criticize him.
Obito scolded Kakashi: "Kakashi, big sis Kushina is right inside, and you dare to read an adult book so blatantly?"
Since everyone already knew about Kakashi reading adult books, he simply stopped pretending.
"I'm not young anymore. In the Warring States Period, I could have been a father. What's wrong with reading some adult literature?"
Rin tried to grab Kakashi's book, but Kakashi dodged nimbly.
Kakashi said to Rin: "Rin, if you want to read it, go buy one yourself!"
"Kakashi, you—!"
Rin was angry. She stomped her foot hard and then ran off in a huff.
"Rin, Rin—!"
Obito chased after Rin, and Kakashi suddenly felt much more at peace.
He knew Rin liked him, but he didn't like Rin, and Obito liked Rin.
So he could only defile his own reputation to create opportunities for Obito.
In the end, he was the one bearing it all alone!
The more Kakashi read, the more he blushed. He really did like the spicy stuff!
...
How should they reward Shisui?
Koharu and Homura were having a bit of a headache. If it were an ordinary Konoha Shinobi, a few 'Will of Fire' slogans would have made them not dare to mention any rewards at all.
How could one mention personal interest when sacrificing for the Village? How could personal feelings be mixed in when contributing for the country and for the greater good?
Did they have no sense of the big picture? No awareness of contributing to the collective?
But the Uchiha Clan seemed to have become clever. They heard that after the price of gold went up, the clan members just took two rolls of toilet paper from under their beds and left.
They stopped talking about the Will of Fire and started talking about personal interests and gains. How was this any different from hired mercenaries from the outside?
Shisui walked to the door of the hospital room and looked at his clansmen with hollow eyes: "Everyone, I am a member of the Uchiha Clan, and more importantly, an outstanding Shinobi of the Anbu."
"Now that the Village is concentrating all its strength to deal with Uchiha Madara, how can I blackmail the Village for personal gain?"
"Besides, this achievement isn't mine alone. Lord Jiraiya and Lord Minato were both involved."
"Without their assistance, it would have been impossible for me to find that information."
"Shisui?!"
The Uchiha Clan members looked at Shisui's hollow eyes in shock.
In their view, Shisui's eyes were the three tomoe Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan. With those Sharingan, he possessed Genjutsu that could control everything.
He was the number one Genjutsu master of the Uchiha Clan.
But now, his eye sockets were hollow; Shisui could no longer see anything.
Jiraiya and his disciple Minato walked to Shisui's side, looking at the sensible Shisui with great relief.
Since Shisui was being so reasonable, Jiraiya couldn't be completely without consideration either.
"Everyone, I've decided. I'm taking Shisui as my disciple."
"What?!"
This time, everyone was shocked, including Shisui.