Kurama left a single word behind before heading into the forest.
It was only then that Yuki Seisui turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen and said, "It's really not that big of a blow."
"It's just that Shukaku couldn't accept the sudden drop in status for a moment."
"Huh?"
Now it wasn't just Hiruzen who was curious—Minato also looked at him with interest.
When Yuki Seisui explained to Shukaku about the Sage of Six Paths splitting the tailed beasts, Minato hadn't been present. Like Hiruzen, he was completely in the dark.
Seeing their expressions, Yuki Seisui didn't bother teasing them and repeated the same words he had said to Shukaku a few days ago.
After hearing the explanation, Hiruzen and Minato were left speechless for a moment.
While the two remained silent, Kurama, who had walked only a short distance into the forest, suddenly turned around.
Although it had been heading deeper into the forest, it had been listening attentively to Yuki Seisui all along.
After hearing the explanation, Kurama couldn't help but shout loudly.
"Well said!"
"That's exactly how the old man divided them!"
"I'll tell the others about it too!"
With that, Kurama scampered further into the forest on all fours.
These two tailed beasts have been with Yuki Seisui for a while… surely they haven't gone completely crazy, right?
Hiruzen couldn't help but worry.
No matter how he looked at them, Shukaku and Kurama seemed like the overactive, mischievous dogs he would find at home.
Seeing Yuki Seisui's expression remain completely calm, Hiruzen sighed.
At this point, there was nothing more to do but let things be.
And if they were a little foolish, so be it—their power was still intact.
Hiruzen let out another long sigh, then turned to Yuki Seisui.
"Take some time to rest in the village for now."
"You two…" Hiruzen paused, then continued, "Minato, your speed is needed on the battlefield."
"As for Uchiha Haru, just like Seisui, stay in the village."
"Seisui's Mangekyo Sharingan can't be used yet, but Shukaku is in Konoha—take responsibility for it."
"Just make sure it doesn't destroy the village."
Uchiha Haru glanced at Yuki Seisui. Seeing him nod slightly, she nodded in agreement along with Minato.
Once the arrangements were made, Hiruzen left immediately.
Konoha was surrounded by threats on all sides, and he had much more to handle.
He had only managed to find time to greet them by stealing a moment from his duties.
=======
When Yuki Seisui and the others reentered Konoha through the village gates, news of the Sand Battlefield had somehow already spread.
The events of the battlefield were impossible to keep secret.
And Hiruzen seemed to have no intention of hiding anything, likely hoping that the victory would boost the confidence of Konoha's civilians and shinobi alike.
The three of them immediately used transformation techniques to change their appearances.
Looking at the streets filled with joyous faces, Minato exhaled, "This is nice…"
"If only there were no wars," he added softly.
"These smiles… they're exactly what we're supposed to protect."
"Wars will never disappear, don't be naive," Yuki Seisui said from a step ahead, not looking back.
"Even if the world I mentioned exists, wars will still happen."
"Impossible!" Minato's eyes widened. He couldn't understand how war could still exist in the world Yuki Seisui described.
"Currently, wars are between nations, between villages."
"But in my world, war becomes human-to-human."
"War still exists… but on a much smaller scale."
"I call this kind of war… street brawls."
Yuki Seisui shook his head. "Enough of this. These things are still far in the future."
"Today, you're going alone to the battlefield, so be careful."
At Yuki Seisui's words, Minato smiled confidently.
"I want to go—no one can stop me."
His voice was quiet, but it carried an unmistakable sense of assurance.
Several passing lower-ranking ninjas overheard him and looked at him in surprise.
"Little brother, that's some serious bravado."
Minato, feeling their eyes on him, walked forward awkwardly.
"Hah."
"All bark, no bite!"
"Big talkers are everywhere. Let's go."
The group whispered among themselves and walked off, leaving Minato feeling embarrassed.
If he were in his real form, he would have spoken more boldly.
But they were still disguised by transformation techniques.
Seeing Minato like this, Yuki Seisui couldn't help but snicker quietly, though he said nothing.
Minato was an orphan.
Returning to Konoha meant going home, but he still followed Yuki Seisui's lead.
He could always return home, after all—there was no one waiting for him.
Now, finding Kushina Uzumaki was the priority.
Uchiha Haru, on the other hand, soon separated from the two of them.
Her home had an elderly relative; she couldn't return with Yuki Seisui.
When Yuki Seisui reached his own home and prepared to open the door, he instinctively glanced at Minato—and froze.
"That's…"
Yuki Seisui's eyes stayed fixed in the direction Minato had walked past, not on Minato himself, but on a small ice pavilion.
If memory served, he had created that ice pavilion with a prior ice-style technique before going to the battlefield.
Could it have lasted this long? Yuki Seisui murmured to himself.
If the ice had remained intact for this long, he had an idea.
He started walking toward the pavilion to check if the ice had melted.
"Hmm?" Minato had walked a short distance and then sensed someone behind him. He turned around.
"Seisui?"
"What are you doing here?"
Minato immediately grew cautious. "Are you… after Kushina?"
Yuki Seisui ignored his thoughts, pushing up his glasses.
"Minato, don't think of me like Jiraiya's student."
"I just came to check on this pavilion."
"Although… last time you went with his student to sneak a look at the hot springs, right?"
…..
Completed version available on Available on [P]atreon.[c]om/Veltoria [remove brackets]