Konoha Village.
Namikaze Minato walked toward the Hokage Building—an inverted red bucket of a structure, utterly devoid of architectural elegance. Along the way, villagers and shinobi alike greeted him warmly, and he responded to each with that same radiant smile, bright and gentle as the morning sun, leaving everyone who saw it feeling as if they had been touched by a refreshing spring breeze.
"What a pity—the flower's already been picked!"
"Yeah, what a shame. My foolish daughter still can't get him out of her head even now… Sigh, such a headache!"
"Good thing I've got a dumb son instead…"
In the corridors, the chatter was lighthearted, carefree.
The Suna shinobi had been defeated. The Kumo forces had withdrawn. The Iwa had been pushed back into their own Land of Earth. One by one, the burdens that had long weighed down Konoha, suffocating the smiles from its shinobi, were now gone. Though the eastern front remained embroiled in the ongoing clash with the Kiri, compared to the nightmare of fighting on all four fronts, the current situation was almost blissful.
What's more—
Just yesterday fresh intelligence had arrived. The frontlines had once again achieved progress: the Kiri shinobi were being forced onto the back foot. At this rate, the war might soon end in Konoha's victory. Perhaps… Minato being summoned by the Hokage today was to hasten the end of the conflict with the Kiri.
Without obstruction, Minato reached the Hokage's office door.
He lifted his hand, knocked lightly, and called, "Hokage-sama?"
"It's you, Minato. Come in, the door's not locked."
A low, heavy voice drifted from inside.
Pushing the door open, Minato stepped in to find the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing by the wide-open window, pipe between his teeth, smoke curling around him.
Minato approached, halted in front of the desk, and asked respectfully:
"Hokage-sama, what is it you needed me for?"
He had only returned from a mission yesterday. Originally, he had been scheduled for a few days' rest in the village. But upon receiving the urgent summons, he had dropped everything and hurried here, pondering along the way what might have prompted this sudden call. His best guess had been some unexpected turn in the eastern campaign against the Mist.
Though weary, he had quietly steeled himself, ready to depart for the eastern front at a moment's notice.
However—
"Hanzō of the Salamander is dead."
The Third's words made Minato freeze in shock.
"…Hanzō of the Salamander… dead?"
He blinked, momentarily unable to believe it.
"When I first received the report, I too was astonished. Hanzō of the Salamander… I never imagined that man would fall at such a time." Hiruzen sighed, smoke trailing from his lips. Hanzō had been of his generation, a rival he had crossed blades with for many years without ever truly defeating.
To suddenly hear of his death stirred a swirl of emotions.
He couldn't help recalling the Third Kazekage, who had vanished before the outbreak of war, and the Third Raikage, who perished encircled by Iwa forces… One by one, the rivals of his era were fading away. And with each passing, he was reminded of his own growing age and decline.
"…Hanzō of the Salamander is dead. Hokage-sama, then why have you summoned me?"
Minato quickly regained his composure.
So young, he lacked the tangled emotions the Third carried. For him, the unexpected news only sparked confusion. If not to send him to the eastern front… was this about the Land of Rain?
"The intelligence I received says that Hanzō was killed by a defected shinobi of Iwagakure—the Koeda clansman, Kyoichi."
The Third spoke gravely.
"…Koeda Kyoichi?"
Minato's brow lifted. But soon, he composed himself again, and said in admiration:
"To have slain Hanzō of the Salamander… that's truly incredible."
He immediately understood why he had been called.
The events of the Kannabi Bridge operation had been compiled in detail within his report, which the Hokage had read—and even praised, particularly Minato's maneuver of using the Koeda Clan to stall the Iwa. In truth, there was no one in the village who knew more about that Koeda youth than he did.
Now, with Kyoichi's slaying of Hanzō making waves across the shinobi world, it was only natural for him to be summoned for counsel.
"Minato, if I recall correctly, in your report on the Kannabi Bridge mission, you mentioned this Koeda Kyoichi. Could you elaborate on this Iwa defector?"
"That's no problem. However, what I know of Koeda Kyoichi is already written in that report—nothing was concealed…"
"I don't mean you hid anything." The Third waved his pipe. "What I want is your personal assessment of him. You've dealt with Kyoichi and the Koeda Clan firsthand. Where do you think they intend to go? Do you think they plan to side with Sunagakure?"
"…Hokage-sama, are you considering recruiting the Koeda Clan?"
Minato asked, startled.
"Of course not."
Hiruzen shook his head firmly, smiling faintly. "To accept such an unstable element would only plant danger in our midst. Konoha has no need for such uncertainty."
Minato wasn't the least bit surprised. This was exactly in line with the Third's steady, conservative character. At least, the Sarutobi Hiruzen he knew would never accept the Koeda into Konoha. That was why, when Kyoichi had jokingly asked back then if Konoha would take them in, he had answered with a firm no.
As long as Hiruzen remained Hokage, such a thing was absolutely impossible.
"Then… what is it you intend?"
Minato stared at the Third, puzzlement clear in his eyes.
"This Koeda Kyoichi is dangerous. To kill Hanzō of the Salamander—no matter what method he used—proves he is formidable. If the Koeda were to join Sunagakure, they might well become a grave threat to Konoha in the future."
"That possibility does exist," Minato agreed first, not dismissing the concern. Then, more gently, he added: "But I think Iwagakure must view the Koeda Clan as an even greater threat than we do. Speaking of which… did the intelligence mention the Iwa? Weren't they supposed to be hunting the Koeda? So why was Hanzō the one who ended up dead?"
By the end, he voiced the very doubt gnawing at him.
"The same questions are on my mind," Hiruzen admitted. "But the intelligence so far contains no details. It will take time to investigate further. Tell me, Minato—are you suggesting Konoha should continue to wait and watch?"
"That is indeed my opinion," Minato answered plainly.
"After all, Iwagakure will certainly be more desperate than us. There's no need for Konoha to pull chestnuts from the fire on their behalf. At the very least, we must first learn how Koeda Kyoichi managed to slay Hanzō. Only by knowing the enemy and ourselves can we make the right decision."
"…That much is true."
The Third nodded slowly.