Namikaze Minato was stunned.
Yes. He was utterly dumbfounded.
He had never imagined that a seemingly ordinary Genin like Might Duy could possess such terrifying strength.
It was almost laughable.
But at the same time, Minato knew Uchiha Kai had no reason to lie to him.
His mouth twitched.
Good heavens…
A powerhouse on par with the Kage level, handed to the Uchiha clan on a silver platter.
But whose fault was that?
If the Hokage faction had been more competent, such strength wouldn't have been wasted.
"…Fine."
"I promise I won't speak of this. But Duy is innately kindhearted. I hope you'll treat him well."
"Ninja as pure as him are far too rare."
Minato sighed, his face filled with emotion.
There was no helping it.
Before, he thought highly of Konoha's leaders. But after Kai's words had peeled away the façade, he suddenly realized—they were nothing but parasites.
The fact he hadn't raged outright was already restraint enough.
So now, when he saw a pure ninja like Duy, his heart softened.
Had Kai not found him first, Minato would surely have tried to bring him into his own circle.
After a bit more quiet discussion, they gathered everyone together.
Kai spoke first.
"Everyone… My real mission starts now. I won't be able to stay with you."
"When Minato isn't around, I want Shisui to take command, with Kakashi assisting him."
"Kakashi, don't take offense. Your mind has been shaken too deeply—on the battlefield, you won't be able to keep calm."
"And one more thing."
"Kazama, Obito—you must protect Rin and Aya at all costs."
"Minato, farewell."
With a few brief words, Kai turned to leave.
The others' expressions changed.
They all understood.
From the conversation two nights ago, they already knew—Kai was walking straight into the deathtrap set by Konoha itself.
Their hearts filled with both sympathy and contempt.
To scheme against their own comrades in wartime—what trash.
But they were powerless to change anything.
Before, they thought Kai was being paranoid. Now that it was truly happening, their hearts grew cold.
"Kai-kun, take care!"
"Make sure you come back safe. If the mission is impossible, abandon it."
"You said it yourself—people matter more than anything."
"Kai-kun…"
Voices rose one after another.
Even Minato's squad spoke up. Kakashi even gave Kai's shoulder a firm pat.
Kai smiled, nodding to them all, just as he was about to leave—when Minato stopped him.
He pulled out a special kunai and pressed it into Kai's hand.
"Kai, take this."
"If you ever face mortal danger, don't hesitate. Activate it—I'll come to you."
Minato's eyes flashed cold light.
Yes.
Even as one of the Hokage faction's core members, and the disciple of Jiraiya, who was himself the student of Sarutobi Hiruzen…
He couldn't stomach this.
After much thought, he still gave Kai one of his Flying Thunder God kunai.
And these were rare.
Each one required chakra-conductive metal to inscribe the teleportation formula. That metal was exorbitantly expensive.
Though Minato had earned plenty through missions and had the luck of becoming a direct subordinate of the Hokage, he was still born a civilian. He couldn't afford to squander them.
In truth, he only had seventeen of these kunai in total.
Many were already placed at home, in the village, or on the battlefield—key coordinates that made the "Yellow Flash" name possible.
What he held now was perhaps one of just two or three spares.
That he was willing to give one to Kai was proof of his resolve.
For most, he would never part with such a treasure.
Kai was momentarily stunned.
He gave Minato a long, serious look before accepting the kunai.
Carved into the blade were four characters: Sword of Loving Sacrifice.
Kai chuckled softly.
He never thought he would one day receive a gift from Minato himself.
"…Alright then. Everyone, farewell."
With that, he vanished in a few quick leaps.
Watching him go, Minato narrowed his eyes, thoughts unreadable.
"Sensei!" Rin asked anxiously. "Will Kai-kun really be alright?"
Kakashi stayed silent, but his gaze turned toward Minato.
The truth was, Kai's harsh words had unraveled many knots in his heart, doubts he'd carried for years.
His feelings toward Kai were complicated.
But of one thing he was certain—he didn't want Kai to die.
Shisui and the others remained solemnly quiet. They were more mature, knowing that worry alone changed nothing.
Better to finish their own mission swiftly—perhaps then they could help Kai.
With that in mind, Shisui spoke:
"Minato-sensei, when do we move?"
"Sooner is better," said Kazama. "I've got a bad feeling—Kai's in for real trouble."
"Yes!" Aya added urgently. "Let's complete the mission quickly. I want to go save Kai-kun!"
At first, Kakashi and his teammates were puzzled—weren't they worried at all?
But hearing Aya's words, they understood.
Minato drew a deep breath.
"Don't worry. Kai has one of my Flying Thunder God kunai. If the danger is too great, I'll get him out."
"And as for us—we move tonight!"
"One more thing…"
"I have three more kunai. Shisui, take one. Obito, one. Kakashi, one."
"In case you get separated, I'll be able to reach you."
"Listen carefully!"
"If something unexpected happens, don't hesitate. Activate the kunai immediately!"
"Especially you, Obito."
"I don't expect you to attack—just keep Rin safe."
Minato's tone was grave.
As for destroying the Kannabi Bridge tonight, he wasn't worried. The odds of success were high.
But Obito… he was the one Minato feared for the most.
After all—Uchiha Madara, the strongest of his clan, once fought the First Hokage himself…
"..."
Obito was dumbstruck.
He could understand Minato giving the kunai to Kakashi and Shisui—they were both team leaders.
But why him?
Why entrust him with one too?
And then Minato's words—protect Rin.
Combined with his Sharingan…
In that moment, Obito felt as though he had grasped something unseen, some hidden fate.
"…Alright!" Obito said firmly. "I'll protect Rin with my life!"
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