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"Was this caused by the White Fang's jutsu?"
The speaker's astonishment was impossible to hide. This scale of destruction didn't seem like something a ninjutsu could achieve.
After the Nine-Tails incident, two Konoha ANBU ninjas began to investigate the battlefield where Haori and Pain had fought… It wasn't difficult to find this place. After all, it wasn't far from Konoha in a straight line. Besides, the traces of the battle extended all the way to Konoha.
The Roshomon launched by the super-large electromagnetic railgun first destroyed Pain's barrier, then pierced through the space between Konoha and the battlefield, then the outer barrier of Konoha. After that, it caused large-scale destruction to Konoha, greater than the Nine-Tails incident. Finally, it shattered two Shadow Rocks, jamming them between the First and Second Hokage's Rock Faces in a very twisted way.
Under the Shadow Rocks was Konoha's final shelter. The final defensive barrier of Konoha blocked the Roshomon.
During the Nine-Tails incident, most of the Konoha people who lacked combat strength were gathered here. It was unfortunate, because they almost suffered this attack. But it was ultimately fortunate because they didn't suffer this attack.
After all, the Roshomon didn't have its original power at this distance.
Otherwise, the consequences of Haori's reckless, desperate attack would be unimaginable.
......
It had been three days since the incident. Konoha Hokage's Office.
Haori only regained consciousness today… Or rather, it was already an incredible thing that he could wake up again after three days.
But because of these three blank days, Haori had a lot of trouble.
Minato and Kushina's twins were taken away from him.
At this moment, the Third Hokage, Shimura Danzō, the two Konoha advisors, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Haori were gathered together.
Jiraiya returned from the front line immediately after the incident. Although the front line was also urgent, Konoha's matters were more important.
Haori's right arm was hanging from his chest, and almost his entire body was wrapped in bandages. Only his right eye and part of his face were exposed.
First, Pain, then a sea of detonating tags. It was only natural that he was in this state.
If no one had told them beforehand, no one would know that it was him.
"The enemy I fought had a pair of eyes with strange rings… According to the other side, it's called the Rinnegan."
Haori only had this explanation for what happened to him that night. He might give a detailed explanation later, but not now.
He had something more important to do now.
But this intel alone was enough to make certain people think about who was involved… Some people know whose eye sockets the Six Paths Eyes are in.
This intel made the Konoha high command speechless.
What was the Rinnegan? They were in a position to obtain this kind of information. So, they would have some understanding. But… was the Rinnegan that Haori mentioned that Rinnegan?
"I've said what I needed to say. You should do what you need to do." Haori said.
"What?"
"All of Uzumaki Kushina's inheritance, according to her last wishes, should be mine. Third Hokage, you should return everything you took while I was unconscious."
Kushina's "inheritance," was it better in Konoha's hands or in Haori's hands? This wasn't something Haori even considered.
But it wasn't that simple.
"The orphan of the Fourth Hokage, one is the current Jinchūriki, so he will be entrusted to the Hokage's care. As for the other, he has obvious characteristics of the Uzumaki clan. So, he will be a key backup if the Jinchūriki has problems. A young Jinchūriki, no one can guarantee that they can truly withstand the power of the tailed beast…" Shimura Danzō rejected Haori's request in a tone devoid of emotion.
From his standpoint, saying this was reasonable. But it was only from his standpoint… or maybe their standpoint. This was something that the high command considered to be natural.
After Haori lost consciousness, the Jinchūriki was personally "kept" by the Third Hokage. And the other one ended up in Root's hands.
Eye to eye, a dangerous impulse flashed in Haori's eyes. Electric arcs even reappeared on his body… The aftereffects of the berserk state were continuing. His ability would lose control with his emotional outburst.
"Haori, don't be impulsive…" Jiraiya tried to calm Haori down.
But this was unnecessary. Haori was very calm now.
"Maybe I'll have times when I need to calm down, but not now. I'm calmer now than I've ever been in my life…"
"For me, it's not impossible to take back what's mine in a more direct way… But that's not what Kushina wants."
For Haori, it wasn't impossible to take back the Fourth Hokage and Kushina's orphans with direct confrontation. Especially for him now, Konoha was no longer his home.
However, he couldn't do that.
Because that wasn't what Minato and Kushina expected. The things Haori had promised Kushina absolutely didn't include taking her orphans away from Konoha. Once Haori came into conflict with Konoha, it would mean going against Kushina's wishes.
The tricky part was that Kushina wanted Haori to take care of the children, but she also didn't want Haori to leave the framework of Konoha. The contradiction was that if Haori was in Konoha, he couldn't get close to Minato and Kushina's orphans. In this contradictory situation, it was difficult for Haori to make a choice that satisfied both sides.
Doing whatever he wanted was something Haori wanted to do, and could do. Subjectively speaking, no one could stop him now… except for the restraint that Kushina had placed on him.
Minato and Kushina wanted their children to live in Konoha as the children of heroes. It was difficult for Haori to go against Kushina's final wishes.
But the more he was in this state, even the Third Hokage wouldn't entrust the Jinchūriki to him. Although Haori was a suitable candidate in terms of closeness and relationship, his mental state was too dangerous.
No one would entrust nuclear weapons to a crazy person. Let alone someone who was both rational and crazy.
And Haori now, he was almost crazy with obsession, yet he could rationally control his emotions… To be honest, this kind of person was more dangerous than a purely crazy person. Because he could go berserk at any time. And once he lost control, his rational side would instantly turn into immense destructive power.
Unimaginable destructive power.
Haori's mental state was too dangerous. He had the intention to directly conflict with Konoha. This didn't need Haori to admit it. Everyone present could see it.
So, even Jiraiya, who was the most inclined towards Haori emotionally, didn't think that he should be entrusted with the care of the young Jinchūriki.
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Direct conflict was Haori's last resort. Before that, he had another way to solve the problem.
"I will turn the tide of the battlefield for Konoha now. But the condition is that you return Kushina and Minato's orphans to me."
The Fourth Hokage's death and the damage caused to Konoha by the Nine-Tails' rampage were not only a blow to Konoha's combat power, but also to its morale.
The Yellow Flash, who had intimidated the ninja world and made enemies tremble, was dead! For Kumogakure, could there be better news?
There was no better news. So, the full-scale counterattack began.
"Haori, no matter what, with your current state…"
With Haori's current state, if he appeared on the battlefield, he would just be cannon fodder. Don't even talk about turning the tide. He wouldn't even be able to fight.
"How I do it is my business. Whether you accept it or not is your business. If you accept, I will do what we agreed. This is the biggest concession I can make as a Konoha ninja…"
Haori's words were final. At this moment, someone knocked on the door.
Let these people discuss the Rinnegan and the war… He tried twice, stood up again, then pushed the door open and walked out.
Outside the door was Kurenai Yūhi.
"Haori, the Fourth Hokage and his wife's remains have been prepared…"
This was something Haori had asked her to do.
"Thank you. Come with me… I'm not very mobile right now. I need your help with something else."
Haori and Kurenai went to the room where the Fourth Hokage and his wife's remains were placed. Although there were numerous ANBU guarding the place, they didn't stop Haori from moving.
From now on, Haori was Konoha's top sealing jutsu master. The high command had forbidden him from contacting the Jinchūriki, but they didn't interfere with the handling of the Fourth Hokage and his wife's remains.
To prevent anyone from taking advantage of Kushina's remains, Haori was going to personally place a seal on her.
"Kurenai, I need to borrow your hand."
Haori borrowed Kurenai's right hand to make hand seals. He used the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
All the work that followed would be handled by Haori and his clone. Kurenai just had to watch from the side.
I said before that Haori had his own concept of life and death. No matter how regrettable, no matter how heartbreaking, the dead are the dead. Any attempt to revive them would be a desecration of Kushina and Minato.
What kind of awareness does a ninja need to make a decision to die calmly? Haori didn't know, but it must be a considerable amount… So, resurrection is indeed beautiful. But Haori would only let it happen in his imagination.
Haori himself was this kind of "heretic." So, he wouldn't let Kushina endure this. He made his choice. Maybe it was right. Maybe it was wrong.
For him, the thing he regretted the most had already happened. So, he wouldn't regret anything anymore.
As Haori himself said, he was very rational. Even though he now had strong negative emotions about some things in Konoha, he would suppress them for now.
He wouldn't make any major moves for now.
Everyone has their own life. No matter what, revenge wouldn't be Haori's everything. It would only be a very important part.
As for what he would do in the future, he already had his own ideas.
Life or death would only take one battle. But revenge, it's not that simple.
Since the Wildlife Protection Association likes to go to great lengths to get their hands on nationally protected animals, Haori would kill those rare monsters one by one, right in front of them.
One by one.
That was the meaning of his eyes.
Then, he would have other plans.
But right now, Kushina's will was the most important thing.
His new eyes had awakened, but it wasn't enough. Haori still needed to find a way to use this power immediately.
......
Konoha finally agreed to some of Haori's demands, in exchange for something.
The Fourth Hokage's orphans were temporarily entrusted to Jiraiya. This was a relatively neutral way. If they were in Root's hands… Shimura Danzō wouldn't be trusted by anyone.
Kushina and Minato's orphans, the boy's name came from the protagonist of Jiraiya's novel that Minato chose. It was Naruto.
The girl's name came from Kushina's final naming. It was Mirai… These two children were Kushina's future.
As for their surname, Haori would give it to them later. It was Uzumaki.
The seventh day after the Nine-Tails incident was Minato and Kushina's funeral. Haori, as their disciple, wouldn't attend.
On the morning of this day, he slung a giant scroll over his shoulder and left Konoha alone. As he said, he was going to reclaim what was his.
How to turn the tide of the battlefield for Konoha? It's a simple question. Just make Kumogakure experience the same thing as Konoha…
Maybe it was crazy. Maybe it was suicide. But next, the White Fang was going to invade Kumogakure.
With his current state, it was unlikely that he could kill the new generation of Raikage. But releasing the tailed beast was something he had to do.
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