"Thank you, Kushina."
After watching the traveling party of five disappear into the distance, Minato turned to his wife with a gentle expression.
Kushina looked slightly startled by his sudden gratitude. Her brow relaxed as she asked softly, "What are you thanking me for?"
"I know that you requested Tsunade-sama's assistance not only to look after Naruto and Chiharu," Minato replied with knowing warmth in his eyes.
Minato had long been aware of Jiraiya-sensei's feelings for Tsunade. Though his teacher had never explicitly confirmed these feelings, certain things didn't need to be spoken aloud between men who knew each other as well as they did.
However, Tsunade's thoughts on the matter remained a mystery. Both she and Jiraiya were no longer young—they had grown up together, fought together, suffered losses together, and somehow always found their paths intersecting throughout the decades.
Minato didn't like seeing his beloved teacher wandering the world alone. Though Jiraiya had always insisted that the nomadic lifestyle suited him perfectly, Minato suspected there was more to it than that.
In their hearts, Minato and Jiraiya had long since transcended the traditional teacher-student relationship. They were family in all but blood. Naruto, Chiharu, Kushina, Minato—they were all Jiraiya's family too, and he theirs.
But if an opportunity arose to nurture something between his teacher and Tsunade, Minato wouldn't hesitate to help create that chance. This journey could provide exactly such an opportunity.
Kushina's lips curved into a knowing smile before shifting into a slight pout. "I'm not entirely sure what Tsunade-sama is thinking these days, but if Jiraiya-sensei continues with his... habits... no woman will ever seriously consider him."
Her respect for Jiraiya equaled Minato's own. As a shinobi, Jiraiya's abilities and dedication were beyond reproach. But as a man? Some of his tendencies were simply intolerable to women—something Kushina had made explicitly clear on multiple occasions.
Minato responded with a slightly awkward smile. There was only so much they could do for their teacher in matters of the heart.
Kushina's expression shifted to one of concern as she turned the conversation to more serious matters. "But is it truly wise to allow both Jiraiya-sensei and Tsunade-sama to leave the village simultaneously?"
"Don't worry," Minato reassured her with quiet confidence.
"I should go," he added, bidding Kushina farewell before vanishing from her sight in a flash of yellow.
In the Hokage's office, Minato materialized to find Uchiha Yoruki standing by the window, gazing out over the village with a pensive expression.
"This is unexpected. Is something wrong?" Minato inquired, genuinely surprised by the Uchiha's unannounced presence.
"Have Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama already departed with the children?" Uchiha Yoruki asked without turning, his voice carefully measured.
"Yes, they left just now," Minato replied, studying Yoruki's reflection in the window glass. "Why do you ask?"
Minato recognized immediately that Yoruki's concern extended beyond a simple question about the children's vacation. The Uchiha's unusually solemn demeanor suggested deeper concerns.
"Is it prudent to allow both of them to leave Konoha at the same time?" Yoruki finally asked, echoing Kushina's earlier worry with uncanny precision.
As Minato had suspected, Yoruki's concerns mirrored those of his wife. Everyone in Konoha's upper echelons understood that the village's greatest threats weren't necessarily the other major shinobi nations but rather the masked man and his associates.
Six years ago, when those four mysterious figures had attacked Konoha, the outcome might have been catastrophically different had Minato not arranged for Jiraiya to remain behind. Whether they considered Sasori of the Red Sand, the masked man who could phase through solid matter, or the enigmatic black-robed figure, all represented formidable enemies with extraordinary capabilities.
Now, with two of the Legendary Sannin simultaneously absent from the village, an opening existed—one that their enemies might exploit. It wasn't that Uchiha Yoruki lacked confidence in his own abilities; having reached the pinnacle of shinobi prowess himself, he simply understood the stark reality of power differentials at the highest levels.
Years had passed since that fateful night, yet Yoruki was acutely aware that his own strength had plateaued. This was the notorious bottleneck that even the most talented shinobi eventually encountered. Despite possessing the Uchiha bloodline and having awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—which granted him tremendous power through his enhanced visual prowess—even these legendary eyes had their limitations.
Yoruki had reached those limits, finding himself unable to progress further despite rigorous training. He was certain that Minato must have considered these factors carefully before permitting two of Konoha's strongest defenders to leave. This suggested the Hokage had other resources or contingencies in place—ones that Yoruki wasn't privy to.
"Don't concern yourself," Minato replied with a serene smile. "I understand the situation completely."
"This man..." Yoruki thought to himself as he studied Minato's composed features.
He had known for years that the man standing before him possessed greater strength than himself. Each time Uchiha Yoruki believed he had made significant progress in his abilities, Minato somehow managed to advance even further.
During the war several years prior, Minato's prowess had earned him recognition throughout the shinobi world as perhaps its strongest fighter. After all, even the legendary Hanzo of the Salamander had fallen before him.
Nevertheless, at that time, enemy forces had still managed to challenge Minato through coordinated efforts and overwhelming numbers. Even the Yellow Flash had found himself tested during some of those confrontations.
Since then, Minato had ascended to the position of Fourth Hokage, consumed by the endless administrative responsibilities of leadership. Though considerable time had passed, the general assumption among those outside Konoha was that Minato's combat abilities had remained relatively static compared to his wartime peak.
After all, even for a prodigy like Minato Namikaze, there should exist a ceiling—a threshold beyond which further growth became impossible.
Yet observing the man before him now, Uchiha Yoruki felt a ripple of surprise. Beneath Minato's calm exterior lurked something inscrutable—a depth that even his Sharingan couldn't penetrate.
Could it be possible that in the years following the war, Minato had somehow transcended his previous limitations? The notion seemed almost unbelievable, yet Yoruki found himself accepting it instinctively.
Because when it came to Minato Namikaze, the impossible had a curious way of becoming reality.
"By the way," Minato inquired, shifting topics, "how are your eyes faring?"
The Fourth Hokage explained that he had learned from the Third about the progressive deterioration of vision that accompanied prolonged use of the Mangekyō Sharingan. He had been conducting specialized research into the condition but had yet to discover any effective countermeasures.
"They're manageable for now," Yoruki responded. Although he had awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan quite some time ago, he had relied heavily on its powers only during the Third Shinobi World War and the confrontation with the masked attackers. As a result, his vision hadn't yet deteriorated to a point where it compromised his operational capabilities.
"That's reassuring to hear," Minato nodded approvingly.
"Thank you for your dedicated service over the years," the Hokage added, placing a hand on Yoruki's shoulder. "Overseeing the Anbu is an exceptionally demanding responsibility."
"Rather than discussing that," Uchiha Yoruki replied, his expression hardening, "I'd prefer to address the contact you've asked me to establish. Is this person truly reliable?"
"Perhaps," Minato answered with a thoughtful sigh.
"Perhaps?" Yoruki repeated incredulously. "From what I understand, she's among Kirigakure's elite Anbu operatives and serves as the current Mizukage's right hand."
"You're staking the success of your plan on her cooperation," Yoruki continued, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Isn't that unusually presumptuous? Such optimism seems uncharacteristic of you."
Minato paused before responding. "In truth, I cannot guarantee the plan's success," he admitted candidly.
"But I believe she will make the correct assessment," he continued with quiet conviction. "This isn't about assisting Konoha specifically—it's about protecting all of Kirigakure and the Land of Water. Their future depends on it."
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