Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

If anyone felt the most satisfied with their current life, it had to be Kushina Uzumaki.

Even though she was a little upset when Minato lost to Orochimaru in the Hokage selection, her opinion of Orochimaru completely changed after he actually became Hokage.

The cold, gloomy man with dark, chilling chakra—someone she once thought wasn't a good person—had now become someone insightful, someone who understood people, and someone who knew how to win them over.

At least her current situation and feelings were proof of that.

The Third Hokage had always seemed kind and gentle, but in private, his constant supervision and control over her left Kushina feeling annoyed and stifled.

If Minato hadn't been around, she might've barged into the Hokage's office to slam the desk and vent her frustration at the old man more than once.

But now?

Things were so much better.

While she was still being monitored by the Anbu, it was far less strict than before. Wherever Minato showed up, the Anbu would usually back off and keep their distance.

She was able to move around the village much more freely and live like a normal ninja.

She even told Orochimaru that she wanted to take on a few students just for fun—and to her surprise, he didn't refuse. He actually allowed her to choose her own students.

She used to envy Minato for having three cute disciples, but now she could finally look forward to having her own team.

Of course, there would still be some limits on the students she could train and the kind of team she could lead, but Kushina was already more than happy with what she had.

The invisible restrictions and pressure that once weighed her down had slowly loosened during this time.

She had pushed against them little by little, testing the boundaries—and no one from above had shown any strong objection.

Now, she could finally let more of her bold and spirited self out, no longer needing to hold it all in.

With permission from both Orochimaru and Kagetsu, she also took on the position of Deputy Head of the Technology Development Department, even though it didn't come with much real power.

Teaching students, going to work, and having her own freedom.

Restrictions like being confined to a certain area, needing approval to go out, being monitored, and avoiding crowded places—those rules all quietly disappeared.

It was said that the two old advisors even went to the Hokage's office to express their concerns, but right after that, she received official notice of her appointment to the Technology Development Department.

Of course, due to her physical condition, she had the freedom to choose her workplace.

Kagetsu didn't expect the current Kushina to have much talent in research, but her knowledge of sealing techniques was exactly what he and the department needed.

In Kagetsu's view, letting a sealing master like Kushina waste her life doing nothing would be a shame.

It was better to let her take on more talented disciples—like how Tsunade trained medical ninjas—and cultivate sealing specialists.

"So all I need to do is share my knowledge about sealing and guide people in that area, right?"

Kushina finally understood the reason behind Kagetsu's visit as she personally cooked a large, delicious meal to welcome him.

"Yes. You can take your time getting familiar with the department's work. I heard you once wanted to become the first female Hokage of Konoha, didn't you?"

"Before that happens, why not do a great job as Deputy Head of the Tech Department first?" Kagetsu said with a smile.

"I'll do my best!" Kushina said with renewed determination.

"No need to go that far. I don't want Lady Tsunade barging into my office one day, slamming the table, and yelling at me for overworking a pregnant woman.

I'm sure Minato-san wouldn't want that either. So for now, just focus on sealing-related matters."

Kagetsu quickly waved his hands and glanced at Minato, who was calmly seated beside Kushina with a gentle smile on his face.

"I'm not that fragile! The Uzumaki clan has strong bodies!" Kushina gave her husband a look.

Though her words were full of pride, some of that fiery spirit and eagerness had clearly cooled down a little.

Childhood dreams are just that—childhood dreams. Now, she had new goals to pursue.

That's why the task Kagetsu assigned to her made her feel satisfied. She could sense his thoughtfulness in it.

As expected from a child she and Minato once taught sealing techniques to, hand-in-hand, for a time! Aside from a few traits that reminded her of Orochimaru, he didn't leave a bad impression at all.

"What kind of sealing technique do you need?" Kushina thought for a moment. She had no intention of keeping the knowledge to herself.

The Uzumaki clan had already been destroyed. Though their sealing jutsu had been scattered, she and Konoha still possessed a large portion of that heritage.

Especially when it came to sealing techniques—most of them, even forbidden ones, could still be found in Konoha's archives.

And the one who knew them best was her, the Uzumaki descendant personally trained by Granny Mito.

Unfortunately, she still hadn't mastered Granny Mito's Yin Seal.

That technique required an absurdly high level of chakra control. Until she could suppress the Nine-Tails in her body as completely as Granny Mito once did, that technique would always remain out of reach.

Fortunately, her body was strong enough and she had plenty of chakra, so she didn't have to worry about running out.

Ironically, it was Tsunade, the medical ninja, who had a natural talent for mastering the Yin Seal.

"Sealing jutsu for sealing and releasing ninjutsu," Kagetsu clarified. "Like Explosive Tags or Healing Tags."

"You mean sealing ninjutsu onto special paper tags, and releasing it when needed?" Kushina immediately understood what Kagetsu wanted.

After asking and answering several rounds of detailed questions, even Minato—who had only been sitting nearby watching them talk—joined the discussion.

"Portable, energy storage, compatible with different chakra natures, and it has to be instantly activated..." Kushina rubbed her head.

"There are sealing techniques that relate to this, but they're still far from what you're asking for. To reach that level, we'd need to specifically research and improve certain sealing techniques.

If it's just me working on it, the workload is huge—it might take a long time."

"Sensei will assign you your own sealing team. Also, didn't you want to take on disciples? You can train some sealing-specialized ninja yourself. Just like how Lady Tsunade trained medical ninja," Shikane replied casually.

Before coming here, he had already spoken with Orochimaru, who didn't oppose his request.

The sealing team is a crucial division in any village, in charge of barriers, traps, and interrogations. They're usually part of the Hokage's direct elite Anbu unit.

Without the Hokage's permission, no one can easily command them.

"Also, you'll only be responsible for the most important part of this project. Later on, more people will join you to discuss other aspects of it."

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