"I knew you'd say that." Minato Namikaze breathed a sigh of relief and patted his shoulder. "I'll handle the personnel arrangements. You can freely form a Stay-behind squad with yourself as the leader. Remember, within that week, you have the authority to deal with anyone who breaks into the fortress and refuses to follow Konoha's orders."
"Anyone?" Aokawa caught the keyword.
"Anyone," Minato Namikaze repeated.
Aokawa's lips twitched as he turned and walked toward the Barracks.
Hyuga Ryosuke was waiting for him in front of the Barracks. When he saw Aokawa walking over in a green flak jacket, he jumped up.
"Aokawa! Holy crap, this vest is so cool! Quick, let me touch that Jonin insignia!"
Hyuga Ryosuke's stubby fingers were slapped away by Aokawa before they could even touch the fabric.
"I don't have time for your nonsense. Pack your things; we're going somewhere good."
"Back to the Village for a feast?" Ryosuke drooled.
"No, to guard a place." Aokawa looked back, his white pupils appearing somewhat cold in the sunlight. "And while we're at it, I'll help you train with that 'Ugly Bow' of yours."
...Seven days later.
Konoha Village, Main Gate.
The early morning mist was dispersed by the clamor of the villagers. The massive green gates were wide open today. The morning sun shone on Konoha's main road, which was already crowded with people on both sides.
Colorful flags fluttered, and flowers were piled high.
As early as half an hour ago, news of the great victory on the Front Lines and the triumphal return of the main force had spread like wildfire through every household in Konoha. Whether it was vendors with work still in hand, elderly people doing their morning exercises, or Ninja Academy students skipping class, everyone was gathered here.
The heat of victory was almost boiling in the air.
"They're here! They're here!"
Someone shouted, and the crowd instantly boiled over, like a drop of water splashing into a pot of scalding oil.
At the end of the horizon, black dots gradually became clear.
The man at the front had blond hair that seemed to be burning in the sunlight.
Minato Namikaze.
Behind him were countless Konoha Ninjas who had crawled out of Hell. Some had their arms in slings, some had thick bandages wrapped around their heads, and some were even being carried on stretchers.
But every one of them stood tall and straight, their eyes showing a resilience born from facing life and death.
"Hooray—!!!"
The cheers were like a tsunami, making the leaves by the roadside tremble.
"Lord Minato! Lord Minato!"
"Look! That's Kakashi! The Genius Kakashi is back!"
"Is that the idiot from the Might family? He made it back alive too, thank goodness..."
Flowers and streamers fell like rain.
But amidst this clamor of victory, there was a corner that seemed a bit out of place.
A silver-haired old woman, hunched over, gripped the arm of the middle-aged man beside her tightly.
She stood on her tiptoes with feet that were no longer agile, her cloudy eyes anxiously scanning the returning young faces, searching them one by one.
"Feng-er..."
The old woman's voice trembled with an irrepressible panic. "Feng-er... You're tall, help Mom look. Where is Aokawa? Why... why haven't I been able to find that boy after looking for so long?"
Hyuga Fū was also in plain clothes, craning his neck to look into the procession.
As a father, his anxiety was no less than his mother's.
Although the battle reports from the Front Lines said it was a great victory, the specific casualty list hadn't been posted yet.
In a Ninja war, how could there be no deaths? Especially since his son had always been headstrong, and this time it was such a large-scale chaotic battle.
"Mom, don't worry, there are too many people."
Hyuga Fū patted his old mother's withered hand and forced a smile. "Aokawa is a clever kid; he must be in the back. Maybe he's with the wounded, or chatting with his teammates."
"Wounded?!"
When the Old Lady heard "wounded," her body trembled violently, and she thumped her cane on the ground. "I told him not to go! I told him not to go! He's just a child. Does he have to risk his life for some mission pay? It's not like our family is starving!"
As she spoke, the Old Lady's eyes reddened, and tears welled up.
"If anything happens to Aokawa, I won't want to live either. How will I face his late mother when I go down there..."
"Mom! What are you saying? That's called contributing to the Village."
"What contribution? That's just for tricking children."
"Mom, don't talk nonsense. Aokawa will be fine."
Although Hyuga Fū said this, fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.
More than half of the procession had already passed.
That familiar figure still hadn't appeared.
He saw the Hyuga Clan's unit. Hyuga Iroha was holding his head high, accepting the cheers, and even Hyuga Kamon, who usually didn't get along with Aokawa, was in the ranks waving to the crowd.
Aokawa was the only one missing.
Hyuga Fū's heart sank bit by bit.
Until the tail end of the procession entered the gates and the cheers gradually died down, the Old Lady finally couldn't hold on any longer.
Her legs gave way, and she almost collapsed to the ground, but luckily Hyuga Fū was quick and caught her.
"Feng-er, tell Mom the truth..."
The Old Lady grabbed her son's collar, her knuckles turning white, her voice so raspy it was heartbreaking. "Is Aokawa... did he not come back?"
Some villagers who hadn't dispersed yet looked over sympathetically.
Under the grand narrative of war victory, someone always has to bear the shattered grief. This is the fate of a Ninja.
Just as Hyuga Fū opened his mouth, not knowing how to comfort his despairing mother.
A gentle and magnetic voice pierced through the noisy crowd and sounded in their ears.
"Excuse me... are you Aokawa's family?"
Hyuga Fū looked up sharply.
He saw the blond youth who had been walking at the front of the procession, enjoying the spotlight, had stopped at some point and was standing a few steps away from them.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly.
The nearby villagers and Ninjas were stunned.
The "Yellow Flash," Minato Namikaze, the most dazzling hero of Konoha at this moment, had actually stopped specifically to talk to this ordinary pair of Hyuga family members? This was some serious prestige!
"L-Lord Minato?"
Hyuga Fū was a bit flustered and instinctively wanted to bow.
Minato Namikaze stepped forward and gave him a slight support, not letting Hyuga Fū bow.
His gaze fell on the Old Lady, who was covered in tears, and his expression became exceptionally soft.
"Elder, you're waiting for Aokawa, aren't you?" Minato asked softly.
At this moment, the Old Lady didn't care about Hokage or lords. She grabbed the hand of the Yellow Flash, which struck fear into the hearts of the Ninja World, as if it were her last lifeline.
"Lord! I just want to ask one thing... is my Aokawa still breathing?"
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