Chapter 112: Kushina's Progress

Something is definitely wrong here!

Kushina looked down at Kahn, who was resting his head on her lap. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as her hands continued to massage his temples. It seemed that less than five minutes had passed from the moment she entered the shop and greeted him to finding herself in this current position.

Reflecting on it, Kushina felt as though she had followed his instructions step by step ever since he complained of a headache. Before she knew it, she had let him lie down on her lap, clad in thigh-high stockings. She could clearly feel the friction of his hair against her skin, a sensation that sent a slight, itchy tingle through her.

"Boss, I came to buy desserts... like that moving chocolate from last time," Kushina muttered stubbornly. She didn't want to admit she had come for a massage. She was supposed to be a customer; the massage was just an act of kindness for a... friend. She didn't want to see him in pain, so she had agreed to it.

"Buying desserts? Did you bring money, Kushina?"

"Of course! I've completed quite a few high-level missions recently. I repaired the entire barrier network of Konoha..."

Kushina spoke with excitement. The ninjas in the Barrier and Sealing squads had started calling her "Lady Kushina" because her sealing techniques surpassed even those of their squad leader. In the ninja world, strength dictated status. Even though she was young, ninjas in their twenties who held lower positions were now obliged to address her with respect.

Kushina pulled her plump orange coin purse from her ninja pouch and showed it off to Kahn. Suddenly, the purse flew from her hand and landed in his.

"My purse..."

"It’s *my* purse, Kushina. You still have debts to pay off. Let’s see... Oh, you’ve saved up quite a bit this time. After paying the interest, you might actually clear a bit of the principal. Keep it up, Kushina."

Kahn emptied the contents of the orange purse. Thinking he might have been a bit too harsh, he stuffed five thousand ryo back inside before tossing it back to her.

"Consider this a loan; it’s already been added to your principal."

Seeing her orange purse shrunken significantly, Kushina puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. She began to knead his head roughly, abandoning the gentle massage techniques she had secretly learned. Kahn, however, didn't mind her strength; in fact, he found a bit of pressure quite comfortable. As she pressed down, his head swayed back and forth. Before long, Kushina’s face grew red, as her stockings didn't fully cover her thighs, leaving patches of porcelain-white skin exposed.

Once the room grew quiet, Kushina looked at Kahn, who had closed his eyes to rest, and began to ponder.

What kind of villain would lie on her lap so defenselessly? If she wanted to, she could channel her Tailed Beast chakra and snap his neck right now. If he were truly a villain, would he ever expose his weakness so openly before her eyes?

Kushina felt that Minato Namikaze was just trying to sow discord between her and the boss. He was no different from those who used to bully her.

With that thought resolved, Kushina stopped dwelling on things that bothered her and shifted to happier topics. "Boss, I've been able to use the Tailed Beast's chakra recently. My strength increases quite a bit after using it, though my temper gets affected, and I become very irritable."

"Tailed Beast chakra?"

"It’s a very powerful force. If I’m allowed to leave the village in the future, I’ll protect you!"

"That would be wonderful. Here, take this—it's a Draught of Peace. It should help soothe your emotions after you use that power."

By evening, Kushina left the dessert shop with a flushed face, carrying a box of magical treats and a few vials of the potion. Her legs were a bit numb again; perhaps next time she shouldn't kneel while acting as a pillow. Maybe she should find a sofa?

"But is this potion really useful? The boss wouldn't just be trying to comfort me, would he..."

Kushina decided to take leave from the Sealing Squad tomorrow to try practicing her Tailed Beast chakra mode. Although the village was filled with the atmosphere of war, the Sealing Squad remained largely unaffected.

If she could master more power, surely the village wouldn't restrict her from leaving. She had followed the boss's advice and tried to treat the Nine-Tails as a sentient being capable of communication rather than a symbol of disaster, but the beast had simply told her to get lost.

Although she had eventually left the sealing space, Kushina had managed to seize a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra using the Adamantine Sealing Chains—enough for a three-tailed cloak. That level already had a significant impact on her; any more might threaten her sanity.

...

"Kushina, it hasn't been long since your last attempt to control the Nine-Tails' chakra. Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Tsunade stood before her, clad in ninja armor that highlighted her formidable presence. Behind her stood two members of the Sealing Squad; if Kushina lost control due to the Tailed Beast chakra, Tsunade would hold her down just long enough for the team to reinforce the seals.

"I want to try, because I have this." Kushina held up a vial of the Draught of Peace.

"What is that?" Tsunade frowned slightly. Relying on a vial of green liquid to attempt controlling the Tailed Beast's chakra again seemed reckless. Kushina hadn't told anyone what it was, fearing the potion would be confiscated for testing, but she trusted Kahn.

"I'm starting now, Lady Tsunade."

Kushina didn't answer. Her consciousness entered the sealing space, where she confronted the Nine-Tails. Beyond the Four-Symbols Seal, she had the Adamantine Sealing Chains, which allowed her to draw out the beast's chakra. However, drawing too much left her susceptible to the creature's violent, negative emotions.

"Nine-Tails, I'm going to try to harness your chakra again!"

"You wretched little brat!" The Nine-Tails roared, sending a shockwave through the sealing space. Despite its anger, the seals held firm. However, upon hearing her intent, the Nine-Tails voluntarily pushed out a portion of its chakra—specifically the kind saturated with the most violent, negative emotions.

Last time, Kushina had barely held on at four tails; this time, it felt like nearly six.

As she pulled the chakra in, she instantly reached the three-tailed state. She felt a surge of negative emotions, several times more intense than before. She quickly downed the Draught of Peace. As the cool liquid slid down her throat, the potion took effect. Most of the irritability vanished, and though some negative emotions remained, they were no longer overwhelming.

Boom!

A powerful shockwave of chakra blasted the surrounding trees away. Even with chakra focused on their feet, Tsunade and the Sealing Squad were blown back twenty or thirty meters.

Suddenly, two teams of Anbu and a barrier squad appeared—a contingency plan set by Hiruzen Sarutobi. While he wanted Kushina to succeed, he had prepared a second line of defense just in case Tsunade and the Sealing Squad weren't enough.

"Wait, observe first," Tsunade commanded loudly, ordering the Anbu and the barrier squad to hold their positions. Despite the five tails manifesting, Kushina hadn't lost control.

The teams hesitated but obeyed. After a tense period of vigilance, seeing no signs of Kushina losing herself, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems she's succeeded..."

As Tsunade finished, Kushina opened her eyes. Her pupils were now vertical slits like those of the Nine-Tails. Though she had no whiskers, her chakra cloak was incredibly dense.

She flashed to Tsunade’s side in a blink. "Lady Tsunade, I did it! Aside from the standard chakra cloak, I can achieve a second state."

As she spoke, her crimson chakra became even more concentrated, taking on a feral, fox-like appearance that completely obscured her form.

"This chakra..." Tsunade’s eyes widened. The chakra was so dense it felt almost physical; she doubted her own super-strength could easily penetrate it. And that speed...

Kushina retracted the chakra and panted slightly. "I still need more practice. Once I adapt, I should be able to control the power of six or seven tails."

"You've done very well, Kushina!" Tsunade used medical ninjutsu to treat the skin burns caused by the high-density chakra. "What was that you drank earlier?"

"It's a Draught of Peace. The boss gave it to me. He... heard I wasn't feeling well and gave it to me."

Kushina was clever; she didn't reveal the details of the Nine-Tails to anyone else, as it would only cause trouble for Kahn. This excuse was enough.

Tsunade nodded, thoughtful. "Is that so? A truly miraculous item. Kushina, do you have any more? May I study it?"

"I only have one left..." Kushina decided she would ask Kahn about it.

Nearby, an Anbu operative who had overheard the conversation signaled to his partner and vanished using a Body Flicker technique.

...

Inside the Hokage's office.

"I understand. Go back and continue to protect Kushina," Hiruzen Sarutobi told the Anbu report. He had witnessed the event through his Telescope Technique, but he lacked Kahn's specific chakra, and once Kushina entered Kahn's shop, she always used barriers to block sound and surveillance. This was the first time he had heard of the Draught of Peace.

"Troublesome..." Hiruzen took a slow puff of his pipe. The recent events in Konoha had caught him off guard.

A newspaper had been established in the capital with a permit signed by the Daimyo himself, allowing them to report on non-sensitive intelligence. Konoha ninjas were required to cooperate when necessary. The owner of this agency was none other than Kahn, who had also been appointed as an official propagandist for the Land of Fire.

With that status, Hiruzen could no longer treat him as a foreigner, and any sanctions were off the table—if he interfered with the Daimyo's appointee, the Daimyo might cut off the village's funding in retaliation.

Furthermore, the mission involving the White Fang of Konoha had gone awry. The Stone and Sand ninjas seemed to know his plans. Hiruzen had a suspicion, but he didn't want the Anbu digging too deep. He had to settle the situation and attempt a diplomatic resolution to protect the White Fang's reputation; otherwise, the Daimyo would demand answers, as three nations were already involved.

And then there was the matter of the overly intimate relationship between Kahn and Kushina. He had to find a way to put a stop to it.