Chapter 40: A Whirlwind in the Whirlpool... (Part One)
Mid-November, Konoha Year 46. The weather had turned cold.
With Stone's jinchuriki strength now confirmed, Konoha's higher-ups fell back into disagreement over how to develop and deploy their own jinchuriki.
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to refine the sealing techniques, using advanced seal work to ease the pressure on the jinchuriki and gradually unlock more of the tailed beast's power.
Danzo held to his own position, pushing for Root to take over the development and management of the jinchuriki entirely in the name of the village's security.
The two advisors, unaware that Root was cultivating Wood Release ninja of its own, spent the week trying to balance both sides as usual. The discussions ended with nothing more than tightened monitoring of Uzumaki Kushina.
"Aah!"
Kushina jolted awake drenched in sweat. The Nine-Tails' influence had been seeping into her constantly, and nightmares had become a normal part of her nights.
She sat up in bed pressing a hand to her forehead, straightened her pajamas, and turned to look at the photo of Uzumaki Mito on her bedside table. Thinking about the monitoring that kept getting stricter, her feelings were hard to sort out.
As the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, Kushina lived in the central core of the village's innermost ring. The whole apartment building was hers alone. From the rooftop terrace she could see the great Hokage Rock.
After breakfast, jacket on, hair carefully done, Kushina smiled at her own reflection. Two months since she'd last seen him. Today was their date.
She leaned out over the hallway railing and watched the street below for a moment. The view looked the same as always. Then her eyes landed on two figures, and the smile came back.
"Kids go on dates this early these days?"
"..."
Outside the pointed-roofed apartment building, Furukawa Osamu, in his dark blue long-sleeved jacket, caught the trace of a sealing technique on the ground and glanced around without making it obvious.
The Soul Embodiment Technique was a remarkable thing. He hadn't mastered the forbidden jutsu yet, but his perception had grown noticeably sharper since he began working through it.
With his current position as the center point, a vast barrier stretched outward in every direction around him. Cross-referencing what he'd read in the home library, Furukawa Osamu understood clearly. This was where the village kept watch over the Nine-Tails.
"We should buy some extra flowers at the mountain flower shop. The hospital has had a lot of wounded patients lately, and Tsunade-sensei has been in a terrible mood."
"She's been napping and slacking off every single day, so I really can't figure out what's bothering her."
Shizune, in a matching blue jacket, tilted her head as she complained. Furukawa Osamu knew exactly what was bothering Tsunade, and smoothly changed the subject.
"Probably just the anxiety that comes with age. Even someone like Tsunade-sensei cares about how she looks."
"Just don't say that in front of her, or we'll be replacing the office desk again."
"Sensei actually worries about things like that?"
Shizune's eyes went wide. She couldn't picture it at all. In her view, Tsunade-sensei was simply perfect, young and beautiful, with a figure that made everyone envious.
"Not everyone takes getting older in stride. Living forever, it's the deepest wish human beings have."
Furukawa Osamu said it with a smile and left it there. Shizune clasped her hands behind her back and kept the conversation going as they walked.
"Does Osamu wish for immortality too? Living forever sounds like it might not actually be a happy thing. I think I'd rather have people around me."
"Take Katsuyu's perspective with a grain of salt. That one is a thousand-year-old sage, and her soft little voice is very misleading."
The thought of Katsuyu and her so-called curse of immortality left Furukawa Osamu at something of a loss. The more he summoned her, the more that way of thinking seemed to be spreading among the people around him.
The two of them were still chatting as they walked along the commercial street when they noticed a cluster of girls ahead.
"Is that Minato-kun?"
"He's so good-looking!"
"..."
The girls were buzzing among themselves, working up the nerve to approach, when Kushina got there first. She came jogging up to Namikaze Minato at a half-run.
"I'm going to be very strict with you today too!"
"There are so many Uzumaki clan techniques left to go through, and next we need to..."
"...I came to tell you, I was thinking of going somewhere else today to work on a different jutsu..."
Minato struggled to turn her down with that look of pure excitement on her face. Kushina went cold the moment she heard it, and stepped right up to him, tilting her head back to ask at full volume.
"What jutsu?!"
"Where are you going? Am I not allowed to know?"
Her voice kept climbing. She'd gotten up and spent the morning getting ready, and the hurt of it overtook everything he was saying. She shouted.
"If you don't want to spend time with me, just say so!"
"I've never thought that for a second..."
Cold sweat broke out on Minato's forehead. He stood there looking at a thoroughly ruffled Kushina and had absolutely no idea what to say.
"Minato, don't keep Squad Six waiting too long. We need to get to the Hokage's office and report the mission!"
The heavyset White haired teammate called out from ahead of them. His long-haired composed teammate put both hands over his face. Anyone watching could see the relationship crisis unfolding.
"Right, I just remembered. See you later, Kushina..."
Minato answered, turned, and hurried away. Time was short. He needed to finish developing the new technique and build his strength, so he could protect the person he loved more effectively.
"Ah..."
Kushina hadn't expected him to just leave like that. She started after him when the ANBU following her suddenly pressed a hand to her shoulder and spoke quietly.
"One more step and you're outside the barrier."
Kushina stood rooted in place and watched Minato reunite with his teammates. Then a group of girls drifted over, laughing and making their invitations, and the whole stretch of street got lively in an instant.
"Isn't that the 'tomato'?"
"And she has an ANBU escort? That's something!"
Not far away, Uchiha Obito ran into Kakashi and immediately started making noise. Behind them, Might Guy waved at Furukawa Osamu and Shizune after his greeting.
"Osamu, what should we bring as a gift? Genma and the others being hospitalized again, sorry for the trouble..."
The two loud voices drew Kushina's attention. She twitched at the word tomato, and immediately went straight for Obito.
"You again, you awful little brat! Last time it was you who ruined my date with Minato too!"
"S-so scary! Her red hair actually just floated!"
Obito took one look at the atmosphere radiating off her and scrambled behind Kakashi.
"Apologize, Obito. You were the rude one first."
Kakashi shoved him back out front with his usual flat look. Obito's stumbling attempt at words softened Kushina somewhat, and in the end she just rapped him lightly on the head.
"Fine, I'm not going to argue with a child."
"That cute girl called Rin is a much better match for Kakashi anyway. You've got no shot, dummy."
"What! Don't think I'm scared of you..."
Obito's face went red and he was immediately in a full argument with Kushina.
When Furukawa Osamu caught sight of all this he looked a little strange for a moment, then stepped over and spoke quietly.
"Minato-kun's new technique involves chakra form transformation. It's probably something he's developing specifically for you."
"We talked through some things after the last mission."
Kushina stopped arguing the moment she heard that. Something warm settled in her chest, and her face went a little pink. She looked at Furukawa Osamu and said softly.
"Osamu, thank you for telling me."
The two ANBU gave Furukawa Osamu a nod of acknowledgment, then fell back in alongside Kushina for the return. With monitoring tightened, the jinchuriki had to stay within the barrier's center.
Obito watched Kushina's retreating figure and scratched his head, then turned to the group around him with a curious look.
"What new technique? Form transformation? Is it as powerful as the Chidori?"
Kakashi had shown it off during a regular training session once, and Obito had apparently never forgotten it.
"The Uchiha dead-last doesn't have that kind of talent."
"Give it up, Obito. Advanced jutsu isn't for you."
"Say that again! I'll flatten you right now!"
Obito started shouting and went straight back into it with Kakashi. From a distance, Yuhi Kurenai watched the scene with something wistful in her expression. Beside her, Sarutobi Asuma murmured quietly.
"That's what the world of genuinely talented people looks like. There's no catching up to them."