Master, Please Become a Hokage

“Kushina, it's so late... what brings you here?”

Sarutobi Ryo set down his teacup.

In the spacious living room, only he and Kushina were present.

Kushina, who had come, pursed her lips, her face displaying a complex expression.

She carried her usual assertiveness, but the look in her eyes suggested... she seemed somewhat lacking in confidence.

After all.

With the higher-ups falling from grace and Minato Namikaze captured,

the entire Konoha was on the verge of collapse.

The momentum had shifted, and this village was about to become the possession of Sarutobi Ryo's faction.

“Sarutobi Ryo, release Minato immediately~!”

Kushina took a deep breath and spoke at once.

She stood in the center of the hall, looking down at Sarutobi Ryo sitting in the chair, and said loudly.

Her tone was full of pride and past contempt.

Clearly, she was still maintaining their past way of interacting.

Believing she could get what she wanted with this condescending attitude.

“……”

Sarutobi Ryo's eyebrows twitched slightly, and silence spread.

The unbearable atmosphere quickly permeated the entire hall.

Just as Kushina began to feel uneasy, Sarutobi Ryo finally spoke slowly.

“Who do you think... you're talking to?!”

The icy scolding tone, like a shockwave, swept over Kushina's entire body, causing her to tremble violently.

His cold face and eyes carried undisguised killing intent.

“!”

Kushina didn't expect Sarutobi Ryo's counterattack to come so quickly.

Since childhood, in her perception, the other party had been like wood.

Either responding coldly or silently enduring.

Now, however, he had changed his past attitude and expressed his opinion so clearly.

This made Kushina's confidence drop even further.

“Y-you're just the Third Hokage's son, aren't you, you idiot~!”

Because of her nervousness, Kushina even spoke with her characteristic verbal tic.

Sarutobi Ryo had already begun to show his fangs, releasing the true darkness in his heart...

“Heh heh......”

Sarutobi Ryo chuckled softly, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Then, he picked up his teacup and slowly drank his tea.

Leaving Kushina standing there, ignoring her.

With Kushina's personality, how could she bear this confrontation?

She hurriedly said: “Release Minato~!”

The raised tone contained a commanding meaning.

Her clenched fists showed her restraint.

Sarutobi Ryo continued to drink tea, his eyes lowered, still ignoring her.

I just won't let him go, what can you do?

Treating Kushina's clamor like that of a child.

Sarutobi Ryo, who had taken the initiative, was slowly chipping away at her... to achieve his own goals.

After a while, seeing that Sarutobi Ryo still didn't react, Kushina began to feel uneasy.

Her stern scolding had no effect at all.

Sarutobi Ryo still sat calmly in his original position, without regard for her feelings.

In fact, Kushina understood very well that doing this... was completely useless.

She was just taking a chance, wanting to give it a try.

A fierce exterior could not scare the other party.

After completely realizing that her side's momentum was gone, Kushina couldn't help but begin to change her attitude.

“Sarutobi Ryo... what do you want to release Minato for...”

When she said this, Kushina finally lowered her posture, her tone much lower.

Her attitude had also improved.

Although she was an orphan of the Uzumaki clan and the adopted granddaughter of Mito Uzumaki.

However, it could not change anything.

Because Sarutobi Ryo held great power and was the true leader of Konoha.

The Third Hokage had retired and could not manage affairs. Strictly speaking, his power was often even greater than that of his eldest son, Sarutobi Ryo.

The Fourth Hokage... was a good old man, a hands-off shopkeeper, who trusted his disciples and companions... so...

In addition, the higher-ups had all been sanctioned, and Orochimaru had been supported to the top, standing on Sarutobi Ryo's side...

So, as long as one's eyes were not blind, one could see that the power of Konoha had fallen into the hands of this Sarutobi Ryo guy!

To save Minato, the only way was to find a breakthrough from him...

This was the reason why Kushina had thought it over and run over here herself.

“Release Minato Namikaze?”

Sarutobi Ryo put down his teacup and finally deigned to look at Kushina.

The other party's beautiful face, because of anxiety, had become somewhat distressed at this moment, making people... feel pity.

This aroused a deeper darkness in Sarutobi Ryo's heart.

“Do you know that Minato Namikaze has committed a serious crime?”

Sarutobi Ryo's tone turned cold, and he began to enumerate Minato Namikaze's crimes.

Reviving the dead was already a great taboo.

Instructing Tobirama Senju to murder the Konoha higher-ups was an even greater crime. This... was even more excessive than Danzo.

Danzo had already committed suicide in fear of punishment.

So...

“What kind of ending do you think Minato Namikaze should have?”

Danzo was killed for murdering a Uchiha scrub.

Sarutobi Ryo was the one Minato murdered, and yet...

Kushina widened her eyes in disbelief. Hearing the truth from Sarutobi Ryo's mouth, she finally understood why Sarutobi Ryo's attitude was so cold.

So it turned out that.

The Second Hokage destroying Princess Tsunade's residence was just a cover for the outside world.

The real reason was that he planned to kill Sarutobi Ryo directly!

No one could let go of the resentment in their heart!

This...

Knowing that things were serious, Kushina's body trembled slightly, and she immediately pleaded: “T-there must be some misunderstanding~, Sarutobi Ryo... Minato couldn't have the idea of killing you...”

Kushina believed that no matter what Minato did, he could not possibly murder a comrade in the village.

So...

“Oh, of course I believe Minato Namikaze wouldn't want to kill me with his own hands...”

Sarutobi Ryo nodded slightly, very agreeing with Kushina's statement.

But this sentence also had a deeper meaning.

Minato Namikaze didn't want to dirty his own hands, so he let Tobirama Senju come forward... that's what it meant.

Anyway, Tobirama Senju would take the blame.

Just like Danzo taking the blame, this was a traditional art of Konoha.

Wasn't it?

“No, that's not how it is~!”

Kushina's tone was mournful, and she immediately shook her head, her face full of suffering.

Chapter 168. Kushina's Dedication

“Things aren't how you say they are.”

Sarutobi Ryo glared at her, and Kushina immediately closed her mouth.

“Everything speaks of evidence. I gave Minato Namikaze time to reflect... and then say it himself...”

This was Sarutobi Ryo's greatest benevolence.

“Of course, if he doesn't say it... then...”

Sarutobi Ryo narrowed his eyes.

The implication was obvious.

Afterward, ninjutsu would be used to probe Minato Namikaze's brain.

By that time... things would not necessarily be the same.

Perhaps Minato Namikaze, interrogated by Sharingan + Yamanaka clan secret techniques, would become an idiot, or... die directly.

In short, factual evidence would soon be found.

“Why is it like this...”

Kushina widened her eyes.

Knowing that Minato was about to follow in Danzo's footsteps, she immediately became flustered.

As Minato Namikaze's lover.

Growing up with Minato Namikaze since childhood.

From looking down on Minato Namikaze, thinking he was a sissy... to being saved under the moon, and thus falling in love.

This made Kushina believe that Minato Namikaze was her destined child.

However, Sarutobi Ryo ruthlessly indicated that Minato would suffer disaster, even death.

This kind of ending was not what Kushina wanted at all.