Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 75: The Hokage's Plan

"Kushina is missing?!"

Tonari felt a sense of unease. It was as though he had forgotten something crucial. Now, it dawned on him—Kushina's abduction!

It had to be the work of the Cloud Village!

But wait… wasn't it the Mist Village who orchestrated this in the original events? Could his memory be wrong?

"Could it be that when Kushina leaked the Nine-Tails' chakra during her fight against Dekai, it caught the Cloud's attention?" Tonari speculated, furrowing his brow.

Initially, when the Cloud delegation visited Konoha, Tonari had considered the possibility of this event. But he dismissed it.

The Cloud, operating under such a conspicuous guise, would be risking their lives by abducting Kushina. While success was possible, the cost would be immense, likely leading to the death of most of their delegation.

The odds didn't justify the risk, especially since they couldn't be certain Kushina was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

But now, with Kushina's disappearance confirmed, Tonari's mind raced.

Without hesitation, he took action. From his pouch, he retrieved a scroll and a brush, swiftly writing a message.

"Kushina is missing. Likely the work of Cloud ninjas."

Biting his finger, Tonari performed a series of hand seals.

"Summoning Technique!"

With a poof, a brown viper about the width of three fingers appeared. Handing it the scroll, he watched as the snake swallowed the message before vanishing with another puff of smoke.

"I've notified Lord Orochimaru," Tonari told Minato. "The Hokage will know about Kushina's situation soon, and they'll dispatch search parties."

Minato nodded, his face grim. "We should also search for her. If we split up, we might have a better chance of finding something."

Tonari agreed. Splitting up made sense. Although he knew Minato would eventually locate Kushina using her hair, he couldn't be sure the original events would play out unchanged.

"All right, here's the plan." Tonari formed the hand seal again.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Two clones appeared.

"One clone will accompany you, Minato. If you find any clues, it can relay them to me. The second will report directly to the Hokage. Meanwhile, we'll each search separately. Hopefully, we'll find something."

Minato hesitated, worried Tonari might run into trouble searching alone. But recognizing his own limitations—he didn't have Tonari's chakra reserves or access to shadow clones—he agreed.

As they sped off in separate directions, Tonari couldn't help but notice something odd.

"Why is the perimeter guard so thin? Even as a freshly graduated genin, I can leave the village this easily?"

A creeping suspicion settled in his chest.

There was no way the Cloud delegation could smuggle Kushina out of Konoha without detection, not unless someone inside was aiding them.

"Could it be… Danzo?"

The first name that popped into his mind was Shimura Danzo.

But Danzo would never risk Konoha's military strength by handing over the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. As manipulative as he was, he wouldn't jeopardize the village's deterrent power, especially with the Nine-Tails being the strongest of the Tailed Beasts.

Unless…

A chilling thought crossed Tonari's mind as he leapt from branch to branch.

The presence of a second Tailed Beast in Konoha—the Two-Tails—might have changed the equation.

In the eyes of ordinary shinobi, all Tailed Beasts represented the same level of threat. Whether it was the One-Tail or the Nine-Tails, their destructive power was universally feared.

With the Two-Tails already in Konoha, perhaps the loss of the Nine-Tails wasn't seen as catastrophic.

"Maybe Danzo sees this as an opportunity to undermine Sarutobi Hiruzen's leadership."

Tonari's mind raced as the pieces clicked into place.

If Kushina, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, went missing under Sarutobi's watch, the Hokage's authority would undoubtedly be questioned.

Even if Sarutobi managed to maintain his position, Danzo could exploit the situation to present himself as the solution—especially if he revealed the Two-Tails under his control.

A masterstroke of manipulation.

Tonari's face darkened.

"Danzo's plan isn't just to betray Cloud. It's to use their actions to elevate himself while dismantling Sarutobi's power base."

Tonari's mind reeled at the implications.

If Danzo succeeded in using the Two-Tails as leverage, he could justify his claim to the Hokage seat, especially in a time of political turmoil.

And the timing couldn't be more convenient. Sarutobi's strongest supporter, Orochimaru, was currently vulnerable.

Danzo's scheme likely involved framing Orochimaru, forcing him to either defect or be discredited. Either outcome would weaken Sarutobi's position.

"Layer upon layer of schemes… And I walked right into it."

Tonari clenched his fists, halting on a tree branch.

Danzo wasn't just playing chess with Sarutobi. He was using Tonari as a pawn. By securing the Two-Tails, Tonari had inadvertently set the stage for Danzo's rise.

"Danzo, you crafty snake."

Tonari exhaled deeply, shaking his head.

The web of plots was almost too much to untangle.

"I need to be more cautious. If I'm not careful, I'll be caught in their crossfire again."

Gritting his teeth, Tonari continued his search.

But he couldn't shake the nagging thought that Danzo wasn't the only one playing a dangerous game.

Cloud Village was undoubtedly using this opportunity to further their own agenda.

And now, everything was converging on Kushina.

---