"It's simple—give me one of your kunai, the kind marked with the formula for the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Kyoichi replied, the smile he had earlier concealed now curling back onto his lips.
Minato didn't question what Kyoichi intended to do with his kunai. Instead, he simply reached into his tool pouch, pulled out a three-pronged kunai, and with a flick of his wrist sent it spinning to embed itself in a tree trunk—just a little short of where Kyoichi stood.
That gesture alone was a show of goodwill, proof that he had no intention of suddenly striking Kyoichi down.
Of course—
The reason negotiations were even happening at all was because of Kyoichi's own strength.
If Minato had been confident he could rescue Rin safely from Kyoichi's grasp, there would have been no discussion, no bargaining. More likely, Kyoichi wouldn't even have had a chance to open his mouth before being subdued. But Kyoichi's skill was formidable, enough to rob Minato of that certainty. Which meant… persuasion was the only path left.
Casting a glance at the three-pronged kunai lodged in the tree,
Kyoichi quickly formed hand seals, creating a shadow clone.
The clone walked over, pulled the kunai free, tucked it away, then wove seals once more. With the Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique, it slipped beneath the ground, tunneling toward the Iwa-nin army's base camp six or seven kilometers away.
"Yellow Flash-sama," Kyoichi explained calmly, "my shadow clone will carry your kunai into the Iwa base here in the Land of Grass. Once it signals back, you can use your Flying Thunder God Technique to help me bring out the members of my clan who are trapped there."
It was a simple plan,
with nothing complicated about it.
And as for traps—Minato had no fear. If anything, he spoke with straightforward conviction:
"As long as the distance isn't too great, no matter how many people there are, I'll bring them all. And—just call me Minato. No need for the stiff honorifics."
At those words, Kyoichi arched an eyebrow.
"And if the distance is far?"
"Far… well, it depends how far." Minato answered slowly.
"From Iwagakure to here."
Kyoichi's eyes bored into him.
"That distance—can you manage it?"
"...If it's only a few trips, then yes." Minato silently ran the numbers in his head before answering honestly. He met Kyoichi's gaze squarely.
"I won't hide it from you—the greater the distance, and the heavier the mass being transported, the more chakra Flying Thunder God consumes. From the Land of Grass all the way to Iwagakure… that's truly far. My chakra might not hold up."
Indeed, while the Land of Grass bordered the Land of Earth, Iwagakure sat deep in the heart of that vast country. The distance was no small matter. That was exactly why the Iwa-nin stationed at the Land of Grass frontline treated their supply lines so seriously—without steady provisions from the rear, the front would collapse.
"I see…"
Kyoichi's brow furrowed slightly.
The Koeda Clan still had some two hundred elderly, women, and children within Iwagakure itself. From what Minato said, bringing them all out at once seemed difficult. Unless… the chakra issue could somehow be solved.
"Yel—… Minato-senpai."
Kyoichi quickly corrected his form of address.
"If my intel is correct, that technique you used earlier—wasn't that Sage Mode?"
"Hm?" Minato's eyes narrowed in mild surprise.
——
Meanwhile, while Kyoichi's true body parleyed with Minato outside, his shadow clone had already slipped unseen into the Iwa base.
Not a single sentry noticed him along the way. It was only natural—those watch posts could block intruders, but how could they possibly guard against their own?
It was the same in the future: renegade Konoha shinobi sneaking back into the village would stroll around as if they were visiting home, coming and going as they pleased. Defenses meant little against those who wore the face of a comrade.
So it was that Kyoichi's clone wove through the camp, avoiding all patrols, until it emerged quietly beneath a house at the corner of the settlement—the residence occupied by the Koeda Clan. Like a mole, it cautiously poked its head up from the yard.
"Who's there!?"
A sharp shout rang out from inside.
Koeda Dazen, still racking his brain over the clan's escape plans, stiffened instantly. His right hand flew instinctively to the ninja pouch at his waist.
"Clan leader, it's me—Kyoichi!"
He spoke up just in time, before Dazen unleashed an attack that would draw unwanted attention. The shuriken pinched between the man's fingers did not fly, but neither did he relax. Shuriken still clenched, Dazen strode out onto the veranda, staring hard at the figure climbing leisurely from the ground.
"Kyoichi? It's really you?"
"Who else would it be?"
Kyoichi dusted himself off in the courtyard. "But let's be clear—I'm only a shadow clone. My true body is still about seven kilometers outside the encampment. I came to deliver a message: Clan leader, gather everyone quickly. We're leaving this place."
"...What are you talking about?"
Dazen looked bewildered.
"...Ah, figures. I'll have to explain from the top, won't I? Then—clan leader, are Seinosuke and Yūsuke here? If so, summon them too. That way I won't have to repeat myself twice. Too much of a waste of time."
Speak of the devil—
Just then—
"Clan leader, what's going on?"
Yūsuke vaulted over the wall, landing in the yard. His eyes widened at the sight of Kyoichi standing there. "Huh? Kyoichi, you're back? Did you finish the mission?"
"Finished?"
Kyoichi grinned crookedly. "More like ruined!"
"Eh?"
Yūsuke blinked, confused.
"Enough, Yūsuke. Stop chattering. Go fetch Seinosuke. And don't tell anyone that Kyoichi's returned." Though Dazen was still foggy on the details, he acted decisively. Best to gather the clan's last remaining jōnin first, just as Kyoichi had advised.
"On it."
Yūsuke gave a nod, shooting Kyoichi a look that said we'll talk later, before vaulting back over the wall.
"Kyoichi, come inside."
Dazen turned and beckoned. Kyoichi followed him in, and soon enough they were seated in silence, waiting. Before long, Yūsuke returned with Seinosuke in tow.
"Seinosuke, set up the barrier."
At Dazen's command, Seinosuke wasted no time—his hands flew through seals, erecting a sensory barrier that would block sound from escaping and immediately alert them to any intruder.
Once it was in place, Dazen's eyes fixed firmly on Kyoichi.
"Kyoichi. Now—explain everything, from the beginning."