Naruto : 3 years old
Waking up clumsily with heavy limbs and a floundering mind, Minato knew the day was going to be tiring the moment his face met cold smooth surface. He suppressed a winch at the biting cold sinking into his skin.
Groggily, he pulled himself off the floor and looked up at the person who had woken him. As expected, the person in question had a look of horror on his face, eyes wide and mouth hanging. The boy beside him sporting a similar expression of shock.
When their eyes met, the teen snapped out of his horrified state and quickly ease Minato back onto the sofa. Not that he needed the help but it seems like the teen needed the assurance more then him.
"Are you okay, Yondaime-sama?!" The teen's hands were hovering uncertainly over his seated self, voice low and filled with guilt.
Minato plastered on a smile as he greeted the boys. "Good morning, Shisui-kun, Itachi-kun. I'm sorry you had to see me so unsightly-"
Itachi shook his head as he quickly spoke up. "No, Yondaime-sama. It is our fault for waking you in such an abrupt way. Please accept our apologies." Much to Minato's exasperation, the boy bowed.
Not a second to lose, Shisui followed his younger friend's lead. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you!"
Minato's lips thinned as he observed the two boys. He conjured up possible scenarios that would occur if he were to reassure them. Unfortunately, considering their personalities, it would end in an endless cycle of apologies that would surely make the beast within him snap in irritation.
Not wanting to experience the beast's ire so early in the morning, Minato chose to change the subject.
"I hadn't realized the time. Is everyone ready for departure?" He stood and squeezed the boys' shoulder reassuringly before making his way to the slumbering Naruto. He smiled at the sight of peace on his son's face.
"Yes. Raido-san, Iwashi-san and Genma-san are waiting for you outside. Kakashi-san and Yamato-san are bringing the prisoners to the gate, Hizashi-san will meet us all there." Shisui answered.
Minato hummed to show that he heard. It seems like he was the only one left slightly unprepared. But considering that Kakashi had allowed him to sleep in a little longer, that must mean his student had prepared everything for him.
With that reassuring thought, he leaned down and kissed Naruto on the forehead. "I'll leave him to you, Itachi-kun." He turned to the teen.
Itachi nodded, face as blank as white paper but eyes burn in flame. "Understood, Yondaime-sama."
Minato splashed his face with water as he let the coldness slowly nudged his mind awake. He stared at his reflection in thought. The bags under his eyes had become a little more prominent. Add that to the paleness of his skin, it was no wonder people kept on asking whether he was alright.
He straightened his back, tied his headband around his forehead and tapped his face twice. A puff of smoke and the bags under his eyes disappear along with the paleness of his skin. Satisfied with his presentable self, he pinpoint Kakashi's kunai and teleported towards it.
In a blink of an eye, the scenery changed and his feet touched the ground. He twitched in alarm when his arrival was greeted by a scream. He turned to the source and found Ryota staring at him with sparkling eyes and Keiko clutching the fabric above her heart.
"Is everyone ready?" Minato asked the assembly casually.
He turned away from the duo quickly and seek Kakashi for an answer.
His right hand man gave a brief glance at their prisoners, gaze shining with understanding when their eyes met. "Everyone is accounted for and ready. We can move at anytime."
"Alright. Raido-kun, Iwashi-kun and Genma-kun, please teleport Ryota-kun and Keiko-san to the designated area. Everyone else, come closer. Can't have you floating around the dimensional space by mistake." Minato had said the last line as a light joke to relieve the tension but it seems like the people around him take it very seriously.
Although the people joining him on this negotiation are those with bright personalities, the threat of war dangling above their heads dampened their cheerfulness. He couldn't blame them. Even his heart had grown a little heavier as days goes by.
After a decent amount of rest he was forced to partake the previous night, Minato felt like he was at least 90% prepared for the journey to the Land of Hot Water. However, the numbers plummet to 50% when he stood infront of his subordinates.
The reason behind such feeling was not because he was unsure of his ability to come out of the negotiation war free. The uneasiness in his heart was caused by the two lives he would return to the hands of the unknown.
He knew this guilt should not have a place in his heart. But the thought of two young people -- not enemy ninjas -- dying before they could reach their full potential weight down on his heart. They're good kids. This knowledge made it worse.
He flicked a strand of blond hair away from his face to rid himself of such thoughts. He would not make any progress contemplating what has been decided.
With a sigh, he made sure everyone was within range before allowing the familiar tug in his stomach to teleport them away.
A blink later, they arrived at the edge of the Land of Fire border closest to the land of Hot Water. He made sure everyone was accounted for before signalling them to follow his lead.
Although the feeling festered within his heart, throughout the journey he had managed to conceal it expertly. Even from the ever observant Kakashi. He prayed that the fate of these two children would not end in demise.
He hated the fact that he had to place his faith in the hands of an enemy Kage, but there was nothing more he could do. This is another village's problem. After he hand those two over, their lives will no longer be his responsibility.
Why are children always the ones who had to pay for the terrible sin caused by adults?
They managed to arrive before sundown. Exhaustion held the group down, but Minato was able to smoothly greet the village leader. Such a young leader as well. He seemed very nervous to be within Minato's presence, so he tried to look as harmless as possible.
Although that was his intention, the young leader still managed to see their exhaustion through his politeness and quickly escorted them to their villa.
Fortunately, their stay was not shared with the other village party.
It was both a safe and smart idea to separate the two opposing villages. Tension would be high and none of them would be able to sleep peacefully if that were the case.
It didn't take long for him to find the hot spring. Considering they were staying the night, he might as well take advantage of it.
Minato released a sigh of relief once he got into the nice warm water. He felt his tensed body began to relax and the aches he had gotten lessened significantly. He pushed back his blond locks and heavily leaned on the warm stone. He closed his eyes as he allows his mind to stop working overtime for a moment.
A splash from his right side told him that Kakashi had also got into the spring without a moment to lose.
"Hah~ This feels so nice." The teen muttered contently.
Minato hummed as he opened one eye to glance at the teen beside him. He was not surprised by the towel warped around the teen's lower face. Although he was a little disappointed by it. It's been so long since the last time he saw Kakashi's face.
How long has it been? 2 years? Or was it 3? His memory has gotten a bit hazy after the Kyuubi attack.
A tingling feeling in his chest stopped his musing as Minato covered his mouth and lightly coughed into it. He blinked his eyes opened when he felt something touched his head.
He glanced at Kakashi and found him holding out a bottle of clear water.
"Here, they said it's good for the body."
Minato stared at the bottle for a few moments before slowly taking it from his student.
"It's clear, pun intended," Kakashi smirk at the slight eye roll he got. "I've tested it."
"Alright. Thank you." He tilted the bottle to his mouth and cold refreshing liquid flowed down his parched throat. He blinked his eyes in astonishment. He had never drank such quality water before. It almost tasted like the end of a rainy season in a dense forest.
…It reminded him of his old home.
"Are you feeling better now, Minato-sensei?" Kakashi asked, one eye closed but the other shone in concern.
Minato smiled. He placed the bottle down on a stone and reached over to ruffled the teen's silver hair.
"I'm fine. I was just a little exhausted from the stressful situations these past few weeks, but it's almost over."
Kakashi swatted the annoying hand away from his head. "Well, hopefully after today, life will go back to normal."
Minato chuckled. "Normal."
Kakashi stood up as he began to get out of the spring to dry himself with another towel. "As normal as it can be, of course." He added.
"Yes, yes."
The teen stared up at the open night sky and note the time. "We still have some time before our debriefing. Do you want to stay or should I ask the staff to prepare some food?"
Minato hummed as he thought over his options. His stomach rumbled, answering Kakashi's question for him. "Food please. Oh, and sent some food for Keiko and Ryota as well. He must be complaining to the point of annoyance to Keiko by now."
Kakashi nodded. "Poor girl."
Minato chuckled, but his smile soon turned sad. "Hm. Poor children…"
Minato suppressed a yawn as he made his way towards his designated room but paused when he found Hizashi on the balcony alone. The conversation he had with Neji a few days ago resurfaced. Concerned for his friend, he turned away from his room and made his ways towards his friend.
Ninjas of his caliber usually left not a hint of presence or sound in their wake unless they wanted to be seen or heard. Even among them, Minato was eerily silent in his approach to almost everything. With that knowledge, it shows how long they had known each other to not cause Hizashi to even flinch at his sudden arrival.
The reminder of their close friendship caused the worry to grow a little larger.
"Something on your mind?"
"Minato-sama."
"Please, we're the only ones here."
"…You should rest, Minato." Hizashi responded with a sigh because he knows a losing battle when he's faced with one.
Minato chuckled lightly, turning to stare up at the beautiful moon. "You know I can't do that knowing you are troubled."
"You have always been a busybody."
The smile morphed into a smirk as he glanced at his friend. "Considering how well most things have come to pass with my meddling, I'll take that as a compliment."
Another sigh accompanied by a defeated slump of shoulders told Minato that he had succeeded in breaking his friend's wall.
"I...Neji told me what you thought about this...curse."
"Yes. And?"
Eyes shone with desperation for answers, salvation and many more turned towards Minato. He had to suppressed the urge to look away at such a look directed towards him. If he had been in his teens, he would've teleported away in a heartbeat. But after becoming a mentor and hokage, he had learned to accept the weight of others' hope placed upon him.
"Do you truly believe that? Could this curse have such a pure purpose other than slavery?"
"Yes. From our combined research, we've discovered that the seal was meant to protect only. The absolute obedience command was something implanted a few decades ago after a certain accident occurred regarding betrayals." He did not hesitate to answer. They've gone through the clan's archive whether the elders allowed it or not. It was the truth and it told them how much war can cause such paranoia that could easily lead to betrayals.
A series of expression flashed through Hizashi's face before it flattened out into a blank slate. "I see..." He bowed. "Thank you for honestly answering my question, Minato. However, I have one more if that is alright with you," Minato nodded and he continued. "I ask who is your partner in this research?"
Minato paused on his attempt to stop Hizashi from bowing. He blinked in puzzlement as he stared at his friend. "You don't know?"
Hizashi shook his head.
Minato inwardly berate Hiashi for keeping it a secret from his brother. No wonder they haven't been talking to each other lately. There was no communication between them at all! Minato could already guess what's in the twins mind. Considering the sudden distance, Hizashi must've thought it was a good idea to distance himself from his brother and his family to avoid Hiashi from choosing a side between the clan's wellbeing (elders side really) or his twin if anything were to happen. He is known as the second body afterall. On the other hand, Hiashi thought it was a good idea to keep his research a secret to avoid giving his little brother false hope.
The fools. Both of them, he can't help but thought in fondness. He understood their stances though. Sometimes when it comes to family, they can't help but to act like brainless fools. Him included.
Inhaling the night air softly, he began to explain as much as possible to his friend. Although he left out the more personal touches of the explanation. He would leave that part of the discussion to Hiashi.
Hopefully, one other good thing would come out of this exhausting situation. The reconciliation of both twin brothers.
The sun was setting by the time they had finally finished their business. It took them almost a full day before it was truly over. The exchange and agreement only happened in the last hour while the formal procedures took up most of their time trying to get through it without a single murder.
He couldn't complain much though. Normally, signed agreement such as this would take up a couple of days before it was finalized. There would be more debate, discussion, persuasion and argument from the other party before all conditions were accepted by both villages.
The Kumogakure made an almost convincing show of displaying their anger, disbelief and hatred. But their quick acceptance of Minato's explanation showed that they had expected the outcome. Infact, it seems like this was the best result they had wanted to achieve. Minato loathe the fact that he could do nothing but to go along with their scheme.
(His hands might be tied at the moment, but he will never forget this slight. He will not allow his Village to be used in someone else's schemes without consequences.)
It left Minato feeling a little more exhausted than when he had started. The energy he had gotten back from his short period of relaxation the previous day sapped away like the setting sun.
But he can't allow himself to show such weakness. Although their business had come to an agreeable conclusion, he was still in the presence of his enemies. More so after said enemy did not pursue their initial intention for a peace treaty. It irked Minato to leave the elephant in the room unintended, but imagining the consequences that would bring in future discussion and debate left his head throbbing in pain.
"Nice to know that we're on similar ground regarding this incident, Hokage."
Minato chance a glance at the hand offered to him. He stared at it for a few moments before accepting the handshake. He tilted his head back slightly to look at the man straight in the eye.
"I concur, Raikage." He replied, tone dry.
If he had squeezed the larger man's hand a little too tight, the Raikage showed no outward reaction that he had noticed.
They released their handshake and turned their backs on each other to look at their respective people.
Minato watched as Kakashi guided Ryota and Keiko back to their village's custody. Both held not a hint of fear in their eyes as they bowed slightly towards their leader when they passed by them. "You may lose two amazing people today, Raikage." Minato added quietly. He walked away before he could hear a response.
Once he had created a safe distance between the other group, he turned back to watch Kakashi making his way back to them.
His eyes shifted towards the two 'traitors' and felt his heart squeezed lightly at the sight of their forgiving smiles.
They mouthed a few words but Minato didn't believe them.
If only he had more time to figure out the best plan of action without any sacrifices. Maybe then he could save these youths that clearly held immense potential in their future.
But no...he knew he couldn't save everyone. He couldn't risk the lives of his people for two foreign ninjas. It's his responsibility as leader to make the right choices.
Even if it would sometime make his heart squeeze so tight to the point he had a hard time breathing.
That didn't stop him from signing a few words towards Raikage when their eyes met. Everyone saw it but no one raised their voice to questioned it. He turned and left, a spark of burning anger shimmering under his skin.
The Kumogakure owes them now.
Report 1 : Kumogakure infiltration
Aburame's insects detected that Kumogakure's ninjas infiltrated the west side of Konoha's forest. Some of the guards surrounding the perimeter were found dead while others were found to have left their post. Their reason being that they were helping a robbed merchant.
- Inoichi Yamanaka
Hokage note : The merchant in question is suspected to be an insider.
Side note : Provide compensation for the deceased families.
Report 2 : The insider's identity
Kyuuchiro Higen, age 34, is a travelling merchant. He has confessed to working with Kumogakure to save his family who had been held hostage. He has given information regarding Konoha's guarding schedule for the past month to Kumogakure in secret. In regards to the hostages, they were found by the Inuzuka clan in an abandoned hut north of Kumogakure infiltration operation.
- Inoichi Yamanaka
Hokage note: The merchant is banned from doing business in Konoha for an unforeseeable amount of time.
Report 3: Motive
Investigation has found evidence that there was an internal struggle within Kumogakure. The conflict arise when the former Head Ninja of Kumogakure got the position via the connection of their council.This causes a divide in opinion between the council faction and the Raikage faction.
- Inoichi Yamanaka
Hokage note : The Raikage does not support the council's decision. Not wanting a puppet of the council within his inner circle, the Raikage sabotage the mission.
Final report : Conclusion
Admission from the captured ninjas, Ryota and Keiko, revealed that they were picked by the Head Ninja to scout ahead. However, before they departed, Raikage ensured that their orphanage would be taken care of if anything were to happen.From further investigation, it can be said that the role these two held by both parties were as a scapegoat. The Head Ninja wanted a scapegoat to ensure that if he failed his theft, he could blame the two for going rogue. On the other hand, Raikage poisoned all the ninjas on the mission (which consist mostly of the people working under the Head Ninja) and left the two alive so they could be blamed for the attempted theft, preventing a war.In the end, the Raikage's motive from the very beginning was not the byakugan but the death of the Head Ninja. Konoha was targeted because there is still the possibility of the theft for the Byakugan succeeding.
Note : This case has been solved by obtaining the cooperation from both Ryota and Keiko of Kumogakure as they both agreed to take the blame for the theft to prevent war.
- Minato Namikaze, Yondaime.
Dear old friend,I would like to thank you for opening our eyes. There are still some distance between us but we have begun to reconcile. I have confronted Hiashi regarding their research and have offered to help. It took a lot of convincing and a little guilt tripping but we are now working together to solve this problem. Again, thank you for being a good friend.I would also like to mention that you have gained another admirer. Neji says hello.
- Sincerely, Hizashi Hyuuga.
TL: Finally... FINALLY! THIS ARC IS DONE! I totally regretted the decision to make this arc without thinking it through. I hope you guys are doing okay and enjoyed the read.Note to self, never make a full multi chapter arc without having a plan.This is quite an underwhelming chapter. But I ought to skip the politics or it'll be a chicken poop festSorry for the long wait but thank you for reading!Please leave a comment, favorite or follow on your way out.Ciao!