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The Nine-Tails attack night, family members perished, and then, it reached the recent scene where Hiruzen Sarutobi entrusted Naruto to her care. However, the resentment in her heart grew larger and larger with Naruto's presence. But sometimes these images flickered, seeming somewhat unclear.
"What's going on? Why is there stuttering?" Hiruzen Sarutobi keenly noticed this point and frowned.
"Her memory points are somewhat missing," Sato Yamashiro grit his teeth. This projection-style ninjutsu consumed a lot of chakra.
"Continue." As the film continued, some ninjas would appear from time to time, but would quickly be blurred out by another scene. Watching these scenes, Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows furrowed deeply. This situation was obvious; someone had modified or hidden her memories!
"Is it possible to restore all her memories?"
"This is very difficult because the person is already dead. If it were a living person, it would be much more convenient for us," Sato Yamashiro explained directly. Being able to extract memories from the dead was already an incredible feat. Therefore, each time it was performed, the Yamashiro clan members would suffer some backlash. Meaning, people from the Yamashiro clan didn't live long. By later generations, only Aoba Yamashiro remained. One person in a clan, similar to the Uchiha clan...
The film continued to play. Finally reaching today's images, the woman's memory suddenly flickered. Then she picked up the sleeping Naruto, without the slightest hesitation, and directly left the nursery. Not even a single person came to question her. Something was wrong, there was definitely something wrong here. Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and thought. This was too strange. Until... holding Naruto, she arrived by the small river.
"Why!? Why are you still alive!?"
"You killed my child! Why are you still kept alive!?"
"I can't accept it! I can't accept it!"
"Finally! Finally, I encountered such an opportunity!"
"Since Lord Hokage won't kill you, then... let me kill you!"
"You damned demon fox!!! Give me back my son's life!!!" In the memory, the woman raised the small knife high and stabbed fiercely towards Naruto. Then, the knife was repelled. In the final memory point. A blurry face reflected in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes!
At this point, the image completely disappeared, leaving only a blank white wall. And the Yamashiro clan members who finished performing the Mind Reading Technique stumbled. Several Genin with lower cultivation even half-knelt on the ground. Only Sato Yamashiro could still maintain a standing posture without stumbling.
"Can this be imaged clearly?" Hiruzen Sarutobi pointed at the final scene and asked Sato Yamashiro.
"This is the last image. We'll try our best," Sato Yamashiro let the other few clansmen rest for a moment, then exerted all their strength to perform the Mind Reading Technique. Sato Yamashiro then integrated the image at the last moment, finally forming a relatively clear picture.
Looking at this picture, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed. This person... This attire... And this indifferent expression, wasn't it the owner of the All-Purpose Shop - Shinji?
"Him? How could it be him?" Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head and began to ponder. Shinji's matter had already been pushed to the back of Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind. But unexpectedly, the last memory point before this woman's death was actually Shinji. This was very thought-provoking. An ordinary person opening a shop in Konoha, why would he suddenly appear in this memory? Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't see Shinji when he arrived just now.
"Sato, check his memory," Hiruzen Sarutobi placed Naruto, whom he held, onto the table, without any trace of warmth. Instead, it was more like looking at a useless experimental subject.
"Lord Hokage, he's just a child!" Sato Yamashiro was shocked upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words. His Mind Reading Technique not only caused some backlash to himself. The person subjected to this ninjutsu would also suffer some damage, severe cases could even lead to irreversible harm. Although he knew Hiruzen Sarutobi brought the Nine-Tails Demon Fox, but... he was just a child after all!
"Do as I say!" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Sato Yamashiro's somewhat hesitant expression and spoke bluntly. What Naruto? What child? Now in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, this was just a weapon that could enhance his status. Otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't have arranged such poor living conditions for Naruto.
"I... I understand, Lord Hokage," Only then did Sato Yamashiro react. This was Hiruzen Sarutobi. He actually questioned his decision just now. Overstepped, overstepped. Shaking his head, Sato Yamashiro shook out the other thoughts in his mind, then began preparing to perform the Mind Reading Technique on Naruto.
Fortunately, this was a child. Sato Yamashiro handled it himself. Extracting memories from a living person was many times easier than from a dead person. Soon, following Sato Yamashiro's actions, a stream of blue chakra began to flow towards the top of Naruto's head.
Just when everyone thought things were about to proceed smoothly, something completely unexpected appeared.
Vwoom!!! Streaks of orange chakra pushed out the blue chakra Sato Yamashiro had just infused. The next second, Sato Yamashiro was directly overturned by the Nine-Tails' chakra, falling aside and losing consciousness. Just one blow overturned Sato Yamashiro, a Jōnin-level ninja.
"Nine-Tails!" Hiruzen Sarutobi grit his teeth, looking at Naruto's location. At this moment, the Nine-Tails' chakra cloak once again enveloped Naruto, an ominous aura filling the entire room. But this time, the Nine-Tails controlled its aura, not spreading its presence outwards.
"Old geezer! I warn you, don't disturb us," the Nine-Tails controlled Naruto's body, its words already carrying a hint of bloodlust.
"You and Naruto now?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the Nine-Tails somewhat surprised. Could it be?
"I'm fine here now. But if you disturb us again, I don't mind... giving you a Tailed Beast Bomb!" The Nine-Tails grinned cruelly. It had now initially acknowledged Naruto's existence, but many things still required the next step of the plan. So. It wouldn't let people like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō contact him again.
"Nine-Tails! What is your relationship with Shinji?" Suddenly, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke up.
"What?"
"Shinji!"
"What Shunji?"
"Shinji!"
"Oh, Shinki."
"Shinji!!!"
"Sorry, never heard of this name," the Nine-Tails said, seemingly toying with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Hmph! In that case, you can go back!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said coldly. Then, he turned and left the Yamashiro clan's residence.
After Hiruzen Sarutobi left, the Nine-Tails' chakra also returned to Naruto's body. Then Naruto closed his eyes again and fell asleep. Soon, an ANBU member carried Naruto back to the place he originally lived.
"Lord Hokage?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was walking on the street when suddenly a ninja appeared beside him.
"Naruto sent back?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage. The Nine-Tails Demon Fox has been sent back to the nursery," the ANBU ninja said respectfully.
"Any incidents on the way?"
"None. The Nine-Tails Demon Fox was very quiet and was still sleeping upon arrival. However, since the previous perpetrator was the nanny, we have re-screened and selected a new one this time."
"Alright, that's fine then," Hiruzen Sarutobi walked down the street. Occasionally, some villagers would bow to him, and Hiruzen Sarutobi also maintained the Hokage's affability, smiling back one by one. This further solidified his image.
"But Lord Hokage..." The ANBU ninja suddenly paused, speaking with some uncertainty.
"If you have something to say, just say it."
"Just now, news came from the ANBU Risk Control Department. Regarding the incident today where the Nine-Tails lost control and killed a nanny, and also your failure in guarding the Nine-Tails Demon Fox, rumors have started spreading in Konoha. Should we?"
Crack! Hiruzen Sarutobi was holding his pipe, but now visible cracks appeared on it.
"Issue the order immediately to control these rumors! Go!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said fiercely.
"Yes! Lord Hokage!" The ANBU ninja nodded, then vanished from Hiruzen Sarutobi's sight.
"Danzō... Do you want my position so badly?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the Hokage Rock. His face was still in the third position. He understood in his heart that this matter must have been orchestrated by Danzō. Besides him, no one else could push this matter to this extent in such a short time. Moreover, he knew exactly what Danzō was thinking. Nothing more than wanting his Hokage position.
"Hmph! Daydreaming!" Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand forcefully, then walked off in another direction.
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...
Inside the All-Purpose Shop, Shinji leisurely sipped his tea. Next door, Karin looked at the Uzumaki clan secret techniques Shinji obtained from Kushina. Shinji had given these things to Karin as soon as he returned.
This made Deidara's lips almost pout enough to hang an oil pot. Again Karin got good stuff, and he once again failed to gain any benefits. Even giving empty promises requires some appropriate sweeteners!
Ring ring ring. The doorbell of the All-Purpose Shop suddenly sounded.
"Boss Shinji, long time no see."
"Lord Hokage, what brings you here today?"
"Hehe, Boss Shinji, I haven't come for a while, just came over to see you. These must be Karin and Deidara, right? And you are... Itachi Uchiha?"
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