"Cloud ninja envoys, huh…"
As Rin left the Hokage's office, Kaede rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If he remembered correctly, this group was going to stir up some trouble.
Thinking back, the timeline lined up. In a couple of days, it would be Hinata's third birthday. According to Hyuga clan tradition, when a main family heir turned three, all branch family children were branded with the Caged Bird Seal. Outsiders were never invited to witness it.
Kaede chuckled and shook his head.
It was an interesting situation.
In the original plot, the Cloud Village had insisted on "reparations" from the Hyuga clan and threatened to restart the war if they didn't comply. But in truth, their actions were clearly aimed at the Hyuga themselves.
After the Third Great Ninja War, the Senju clan had declined, and the Hyuga rose to take their place as one of Konoha's two great clans alongside the Uchiha.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the previous Hokage, had always sought to suppress the major clans. During the war, he'd been forced to let the Hyuga grow stronger, but once peace returned, he clearly intended to put them back in their place. The Cloud ninja seized on that political opening, essentially acting in coordination with Sarutobi to put pressure on the Hyuga.
It was a message: even if you rise during wartime, you still need to know your place afterward.
The idea that a foreign envoy dies at the hands of the Hyuga and then demands the clan head's life in return, or else there'll be war? That was clearly just an excuse.
Even someone like Sarutobi, who thrived on political maneuvering, could see through it. And for someone like Kaede, who had little patience for such games, the Cloud's motives were even more transparent.
The final outcome said it all.
Hiruzen forced Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, to commit suicide as a scapegoat. Yet the Cloud Village still resumed hostilities afterward. The only result of the entire incident was that the Hyuga got put in their place.
"…Should I step in and say something?"
"…Nah."
Kaede considered it for a moment, then pushed the thought aside.
It didn't really matter.
Even though the Nine Tails had become lazy lately, nothing would escape its malicious perception. If the Cloud tried anything, the Nine Tails would know immediately. There was no need to warn anyone and risk creating tension where there might not be any.
If they did try something, he'd deal with it then.
With that, he left a shadow clone in the office and walked out.
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Uchiha Clan Compound
In a side room, two women sat opposite each other on soft mats, sipping tea and chatting casually.
One of them had striking red hair, Uzumaki Kushina, now known as Namikaze Kushina.
The other was Uchiha Mikoto, mother of Itachi and Sasuke.
"In the blink of an eye, Naruto's gotten so big," Mikoto said, pouring another cup of tea with a warm smile.
Kushina chuckled. "So has your Sasuke. I remember holding him at his one-month celebration. He's already looking like he'll grow into a real heartbreaker."
"Oh, stop it." Mikoto laughed modestly, glancing around the room. "Hmm… where'd those two run off to?"
"Sneaked off to the backyard, I bet." Kushina sipped her tea. "Naruto's such a handful, he wears me out every day."
Mikoto smiled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Sasuke's not too bad. It helps that Itachi looks after him. Otherwise, I'd probably be in the same boat as you… Why don't you get a tutor for Naruto?"
"I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving that to someone else," Kushina said with a light laugh. "And I've got plenty of free time anyway."
As the two women chatted, the soft clack of wooden sandals echoed down the corridor. A figure passed by, heading toward the rear garden.
They both paused when they saw him, then stood up together and bowed.
"Hokage-sama."
"Don't mind me," Kaede said with a small smile. "I'm just here to check on Itachi's training."
Mikoto gave another bow, sincerely grateful. "Thank you for taking such an interest in Itachi's growth, Hokage-sama. It means a great deal to us."
"It's no trouble. I just happened to be free."
Kaede waved it off, then turned to Kushina. "How have things been for you? Minato asked me to look after you and Naruto, but I haven't had the chance to visit these past two years."
Kushina smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Fifth Hokage. Everything's been fine, any problems we've had have been taken care of quickly. The village is busy enough as it is. Back when Minato was Hokage, he hardly had time to come home either."
Since Kakashi visited her regularly, Kaede didn't need to go personally. But he had arranged for Kushina to receive monthly compensation and had assigned the Sixth Division of the Hokage Guard to look after her daily needs.
"Good to hear. If anything comes up, just talk to Kakashi."
Kaede gave a small nod and continued down the corridor toward the backyard, his footsteps fading into the distance.
Kushina and Mikoto remained bowed until he disappeared, then straightened.
Mikoto looked over and sighed as she caught the expression in Kushina's eyes. "Thinking about the Fourth Hokage again? If the Nine Tails incident hadn't happened back then…"
"No."
Kushina shook her head and offered a soft, wistful smile. Her gaze was complex.
"If Minato were Hokage, I doubt he could've accomplished what the Fifth has. And I certainly wouldn't have been able to tame the Nine Tails."
She was deeply grateful to Kaede. Without him, it wasn't just Konoha's rapid recovery and growth that would've been impossible, Konoha might not have survived the Nine Tails attack at all.
Minato's decision, in her eyes, had been the right one.
Whether it was the village's development, or the fact that even many Konoha ninja now respectfully referred to Kurama as "Lord Nine Tails," the results spoke for themselves. Not to mention, Kaede had saved her life and given her the chance to raise Naruto.
Honestly, she sometimes felt a little guilty, living off monthly compensation and staying at home while doing nothing. But Naruto was still only three.
Once he turned five and started at the Academy, she planned to find Kaede and request to return to active duty.
Minato may have died in service to Konoha, but that didn't mean she couldn't continue contributing.
"The Fifth Hokage really is a legendary figure," Mikoto said softly, following Kushina's gaze toward where Kaede had vanished. "Even the First Hokage couldn't tame the Nine Tails."
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria