I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 343 As long as the goal can be achieved, throwing a tantrum might not be a bad idea.

Sage Mode is renowned in Konoha's history, as it was one of the hallmarks of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Its power was naturally understood by Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was born in the Warring States period and grew up in the early days of the village's founding.

He sized up Tatsuma, then glared at Jiraiya with a look of disappointment and frustration. Jiraiya, caught off guard by the sudden glare, looked somewhat innocent and aggrieved.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was unaware that Tatsuma had trained in Sage Mode, but he knew perfectly well that Jiraiya had trained in Sage Mode, a fact that could be traced back to before the Second Shinobi World War.

Back then, Jiraiya was young and arrogant, full of vigor and ambition. He patted his chest and said that he would master Sage Mode and surpass his teacher. But several years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Jiraiya is now a man in his thirties. He has not yet shown him any results.

Look at Sakamoto Tatsuma, he kept a low profile and mastered Sage Mode without saying a word, and it only took him two years!

Jiraiya understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze and said with a pitiful expression, "Actually, I can also use Sage Mode, but not as perfectly as Tatsuma."

The Sage Mode posture that Tatsuma just displayed was exactly what the two toad sages had told him about—the symbol of the Perfect Sage Mode. Moreover, Jiraiya knew that Tatsuma hadn't just learned it recently.

This kid was already in perfect Sage Mode two years ago. Although he revealed Sage Mode now, Tatsuma didn't reveal any of his Sage Technique training in the past two years, not to mention his Wood Release.

In short, this kid is dishonest and not a good person!

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the urge to lecture Jiraiya. Firstly, he didn't want to embarrass Jiraiya in front of his junior, and secondly, he had more important things to do at the moment.

He calmed himself down, a look of curiosity on his face, and said, "Is Sage Mode really that effective at subduing the Nine-Tails? I've never heard of that before."

Tatsuma's eyelids twitched. As expected, Hiruzen Sarutobi was not someone who could be easily fooled. Usually, he didn't pursue or care about many things because he felt it was unnecessary, but when it came to the Nine-Tails, Hiruzen Sarutobi was frighteningly perceptive.

What seemed like a question born of curiosity was actually an attempt to elicit more specific details from Tatsuma, or rather, an attempt to uncover more information about Tatsuma that even he himself did not know.

Tatsuma gave a shy smile, and as he was about to answer, his eyes naturally shifted and met Minato's gaze for a moment. Minato instantly understood and took a step closer to Kushina, as if to go and keep him company.

Seeing that Minato understood his meaning, Tatsuma said, "Actually, in Sage Mode, I can use a very special technique, which everyone, including Kushina, knows."

Kushina almost blurted out "Wood Release," but Minato's hand moved faster, gently stroking her slightly round face. Kushina's face immediately turned red, and the words she wanted to say were forgotten.

Tatsuma didn't dare to pause any longer and continued, "That is the Vajra Sealing Technique."

The seamless cooperation between the two did not alert the veteran ninja Hiruzen Sarutobi to anything amiss, because not only did Kushina not utter "Wood Release," but the others also nodded in agreement with Tatsuma's words.

After all, everyone present was someone Hiruzen Sarutobi could trust. Even Kato Dan, whom he wasn't very familiar with, had been regarded as a member of Hiruzen Sarutobi's faction after spending the last few years with Tsunade.

With his three disciples and one faction supporter all agreeing with Tatsuma's statement, Hiruzen Sarutobi found it difficult to doubt. Moreover, his eyes grew increasingly shocked as he said:

"The Adamantine Sealing Chains? Isn't that a skill only possessed by the Uzumaki clan?"

"That's right. Even Lady Mito, in the last few years of her life, couldn't completely decipher the Kongo Seal, leaving me with an unfinished technique. My teacher and Nawaki also know this."

Over the past two years, I have been constantly researching and trying to perfect the technique left behind by Lady Mito. With the help of the slugs in Shikkotsu Forest, I combined it with Sage Chakra and managed to create this technique.

Tatsuma did not address Mito Uzumaki as "Grandma Mito." He called her "Master" to intimidate others. Although Mito Uzumaki was dead, her lingering influence could still deter those who had witnessed her prowess, such as Hiruzen Sarutobi.

As expected, upon hearing that it was a method left behind by Mito Uzumaki, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded subconsciously. In his opinion, it was perfectly normal for Mito-sama, who loved the village so much, to leave behind such a method.

After all, Mito Uzumaki had left more than just this one contingency plan. There's another one right here on the ground. If it weren't for Mito Uzumaki's insistence, the barrier would have been activated long ago.

The thought of the barrier darkened Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. Today's unexpected event proved one thing: the seal on Kushina's body was not strong.

If such an accident happens again

Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes had become strange, Jiraiya instantly straightened up. On the surface, his master-disciple relationship with Hiruzen Sarutobi was not as good as the other two, after all, he was the most disobedient one.

But in fact, Jiraiya was the one who understood Hiruzen Sarutobi the most. He instantly understood Hiruzen's thoughts, glanced at his disciple, and quickly said:

"Teacher, regarding the culprit who attacked Kushina, you've lived a long and experienced life. Do you have any suspects?"

Jiraiya's words interrupted Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts, diverting his attention. Indeed, the seal on Kushina's body was not strong, but the culprit who attacked Kushina's mind was Konoha's most dangerous enemy.

However, no matter how much Hiruzen Sarutobi dug into his memories, he couldn't find an "enemy" that perfectly matched the description Tatsuma had just given him during his nearly fifty years of life.

If it's a mental dialogue, then the secret techniques of the Yamanaka clan can achieve that, but it requires mastery of sealing techniques that shield others from perception and disrupt the seal personally set up by Mito Uzumaki.

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "I will have someone investigate this matter to see if anyone else has any relevant information, and at the same time, inquire about the secret techniques of the Yamanaka clan to see if there is any possibility of them being leaked."

As for Kushina, you...

Kushina tensed up, and Minato, who was holding her hand, instantly felt his palm turn icy cold. What had just happened was merely a reenactment and review; now, it was time to pronounce judgment on Kushina.

Minato also tensed up, but he gripped Kushina's hand slightly tighter to draw her attention, and then gave her a determined look, which brought a glimmer of color back to Kushina's face.

Seeing Kushina's appearance, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a pang of pity. After all, Kushina had drifted across the sea to Konoha and been entrusted with such an important task, which was something the village owed her. Moreover, before Mito Uzumaki died, he had repeatedly instructed him to be more lenient with Kushina.

However, Kushina and the Nine-Tails within her possessed truly astonishing destructive power. After thinking for a while, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally said, "Kushina, you should not leave here for the time being."

If you are worried, I can agree to let Minato and Tsunade stay, and I will have someone send them enough supplies. As for the rest, I need to discuss it with the others.

Although reluctant, out of consideration for the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to temporarily restrict Kushina's movements, albeit in a more conciliatory way.

As for discussion, that's definitely necessary. If he makes the decisions alone, then he'll be the one to take the blame for anything that goes wrong. It's not that one person's ideas are insufficient; more people need to participate in order to come up with a better solution.

After all, the Nine-Tails concerns an entire village and even a nation. Konoha isn't a place where Hiruzen Sarutobi can make his own decisions. It's better to be more democratic and have everyone make decisions together.

Kushina's face turned ashen when she heard that she would still face house arrest, but she wasn't in despair yet, after all, there was still a chance for things to turn around, and Minato could still stay by her side.

Jiraiya glanced at Tatsuma, scratched his head as if he didn't understand, and said, "Not even letting them out the door is a bit harsh, isn't it? Besides, can Tsunade cook? Can she take care of two children?"

Ignoring Tsunade's raised fist, Jiraiya still smiled and said, "I think your arrangements will only make the other villagers suspicious. Let's just live our normal lives."

With Minato there, even if the enemy attacks Kushina again, he can lead her away from the crowd and even lure the enemy out of their hole.

Also, Tatsuma and Kushina have already agreed on a lease, which is related to Tatsuma's growth. Teacher, you don't really want to restrict Tatsuma's development, do you?

Although I only got back yesterday, I heard that you've been keeping Tatsuma in the position of squad leader in the Anbu for several years. He's long been qualified."

"You bastard! Shut up!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi could accept what happened before, but he couldn't stand it when his disciple slandered him for restricting the growth of young people. Was he preventing Tatsuma from growing and advancing in rank?

How many times did he hint at it to Tatsuma last year? Yet Tatsuma still refused the squad leader selection, didn't he? Was that his problem?!

Also, he clearly only restricted Kushina from going out, so how come Jiraiya said he restricted others from getting close to Kushina? Are they the same thing? Did he ever say that Tatsuma wasn't allowed to come?!

You worthless disciple!

Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly glanced at Tatsuma's face, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was alright. He composed himself, looked at Kushina, and said:

"Kushina, that's not what I meant. I let you stay here temporarily because I'm afraid the enemy might blend in with the crowd and attack you again."

"Alright then, until we reach a conclusion, try to avoid crowded places as much as possible. Even if you need to shop or eat, choose places you trust or know well. Do you understand what I mean?"

Kushina quickly nodded, then glanced at Jiraiya with a complicated expression. The two people she disliked the most today had actually helped her.

Perhaps Tatsuma isn't as awful as she imagines? As for Jiraiya, well, Minato shouldn't get too close to him. It wouldn't be good if he were to be tainted by Jiraiya's disgusting and lewd nature, from his soul to his body.

Seeing Kushina's gaze shift from complex to grateful, and then back to her usual disdain in a single second, Jiraiya's lips twitched slightly.

In the end, he bore it all alone; perhaps this is the destiny of men.

Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored his disciple's sentimentality and looked at Tatsuma, saying, "Tatsuma, as for you... it's not that I'm preventing you from coming here, but you'll be involved in discussions with the village. You understand, right?"

"Of course, besides, cultivation is something that cannot be rushed. As long as that tall building remains and does not change, I believe I can gain something from it again."

Tatsuma wore an infectious smile, but after hearing what he said, Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile became somewhat stiff. Others might not know, but he knew perfectly well what was inside that tall building.

Tatsuma's demand that nothing change inside meant that the sealing barrier could not be activated. Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't know whether Tatsuma's demand was unintentional or whether he had actually already figured out the seal there.

After all, given Tatsuma's mastery of sealing techniques inherited from Mito Uzumaki, he might not be unable to detect it.

However, he couldn't reveal the truth at this moment. Firstly, it might further upset Kushina, and secondly, it would discourage Tatsuma. Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked away and concluded, "Then let's arrange it this way for now. You have no other objections, right?"

"I object!!!"

(End of this chapter)