"Eh?"
In short, Kushina's question was so pinpoint-accurate that Hagoromo was actually left speechless.
The truth was, even before embarking on this little project, Hagoromo never had any delusions about getting away with it. The nature of this incident was incredibly severe. It was equivalent to stealing state secrets—and the most classified ones at that.
Hypothetically speaking—just hypothetically—even if they had used the Transformation Jutsu to sneak in without alerting a single soul, stolen a few jutsus from the scroll, and left safely... even then, the Hokage would eventually trace it back to them.
Rather than trying to pull off the impossible, it was better to be completely open and brazen about it. This was, in essence, an advanced application of the "confess for leniency" strategy.
Besides, a stealthy infiltration was statistically impossible anyway.
That was why Hagoromo had joined this "extracurricular activity" with the fearless spirit of a man fully prepared to sit in a high-security prison cell until the floorboards rotted.
"...Forget it. We've already reached this point; there's no turning back now." Without needing Hagoromo to explain the logic, Kushina reached the exact same conclusion herself.
"This scroll has a seal on it. A normal person can't just casually open it, or they'd trigger a trap... No, wait, this isn't a seal. What is this? A curse?"
Kushina didn't rush to rip open the Scroll of Seals. Instead, she began analyzing the outer protective layer like a scientist dissecting a new specimen.
"Whatever. It can't stop me anyway."
"Release!"
The concept of "One is All, All is One"—a legendary state of universal comprehension. It was extremely difficult to stump a Sealing Grandmaster of Kushina's caliber. It represented a qualitative leap built upon a massive quantitative foundation, a realm most people could never hope to reach. Even someone like Hagoromo, who had learned a vast number of sealing jutsus from her, was still just "collecting data." Reaching her level of dynamic application was still a long way off.
The moment the seal dissolved, Kushina unfurled the massive scroll across the floor and snapped, "Quick, read! Memorize as much as you can."
Hagoromo didn't need the reminder. His eyes were already glowing as they locked onto the forbidden parchment.
If you asked which jutsu in this vault interested him the most, the number one answer was obviously the pinnacle Space-Time Ninjutsu: the Flying Raijin.
...So, naturally, he skipped it entirely.
That's right. For a ridiculously powerful, mechanically complex, and notoriously difficult S-rank jutsu like the Flying Raijin, Hagoromo had zero delusions about recording it all in one glance.
No one knew when the Hokage would detect the anomaly in the office. Hagoromo couldn't afford to waste all his limited "download time" on a single, massive file.
He had to burn this data directly into his brain; leaving behind a paper trail of notes was out of the question.
As it turned out, his tactical assessment was 100% correct.
The exact millisecond Kushina dismantled the scroll's outer seal, miles away in the Sarutobi estate, the sleeping Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, bolted upright in bed.
"Hiruzen? What happened?" His wife was jolted awake by his sudden movement.
"Someone just broke the seal on the Scroll of Seals!"
Hiruzen didn't waste a second. He threw on his robes and marched out of the bedroom with urgent strides.
"Hokage-sama!" The moment the Third stepped out of his house, an ANBU operative materialized before him.
"Mobilize all available personnel immediately. Surround the Hokage Office Building."
"Yes, sir! ...Third-sama, has something happened?"
"Do not ask questions! Just do it!"
Orders issued, the Hokage sprinted toward the office building like a house on fire.
At this exact moment, the Hokage acutely realized a flaw in his ninjutsu arsenal. If only he had a real-time surveillance jutsu, he would know exactly what was happening in his office right now, instead of flying in completely blind, knowing only that the scroll had been opened. Now, all he could do was pray that the scroll hadn't already been stolen.
Thanks to this incident, the Hokage decided he needed to invent a monitoring jutsu using a crystal ball, like some kind of old witch. Hmm, maybe call it the "Telescope Jutsu"?
Such a jutsu could play a critical role in crucial moments. Like right now, for example. And on regular days, it could be used for peeping... Ahem, no, monitoring. Monitoring the safety of Konoha, naturally.
Clad in his battle gear, the Third Hokage blurred through the streets of Konoha. Behind him and along the adjacent rooftops, his personal ANBU detachment followed like a swarm of shadows.
In less than ten minutes, the entire Hokage Building was completely locked down.
Meanwhile, back in the Hokage's office, Kushina suddenly spoke up. "Hagoromo, we're surrounded."
"I know, Kushina-sensei," Hagoromo replied.
He had already sensed it. His sensory range wasn't as vast as Kushina's, but with that many high-energy signatures suddenly popping up, you didn't need to be a genius to know the Hokage had arrived with an army. Still, throughout this exchange, his eyes never left the scroll. In these final one or two minutes, he might just be able to download a few more utility jutsus.
The commotion outside naturally caught the attention of the building's regular perimeter guards. One ninja quickly stepped out to investigate, relaxing only when he saw the Third Hokage leading the pack.
"Hokage-sama! Is there a problem?"
Hiruzen looked at him silently. I should be the one asking you that.
"Has anyone entered my office recently?"
Seeing that the external guard force was still intact gave the Hokage a sliver of comfort. It meant there was a very high probability the scroll hadn't left the building yet.
"Well... Kushina-sama arrived not long ago." Though the guard didn't understand what could have triggered such a massive response, he quickly reported what he knew.
"Kushina?!" Hearing that name, the Hokage's reaction was a mix of total surprise and absolute inevitability. If it was Kushina, she was absolutely crazy enough to pull a stunt like peeking at the Scroll of Seals.
Honestly, if you had to describe the Hokage's feelings in that moment, he was significantly more relieved than before. After all, the scroll being "borrowed" by Kushina was infinitely better than it being stolen by some unknown enemy spy.
But relief aside, the stunt Kushina pulled this time was still a massive breach of protocol.
"Has she left?" the Hokage asked.
"No. Kushina-sama has been here for less than twenty minutes. She hasn't come out yet."
Hearing this, the Hokage didn't reply. He marched straight into the building. However, knowing the "culprit" was just Kushina, he didn't bring the entire battalion inside with him.
With the Third Hokage taking the lead and two ANBU operatives following closely behind, they reached the third floor. Without a shred of hesitation, he pushed open the office door.
The first thing the Hokage saw were his four elite ANBU guards slumped unconscious on the floor. Next, he spotted Hagoromo, sprawled over the Scroll of Seals like a student cramming for finals.
Finally, his gaze shifted to Kushina's face.
"Um, Third-sama..." Kushina offered an incredibly awkward smile, before blurting out, "It's pretty late... have you eaten yet?"
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Next Bonus chapter at 20 power stones, We are already at 15!