While Iwagakure was shrouded in gloom and Sunagakure was falling into total chaos, the rest of the world watched with bated breath. In the Hidden Rain Village, Hanzou of the Salamander stared at the intelligence report in his hand. His eyes were wide with genuine shock as he processed the words on the parchment. He could hardly believe the contents describing the carnage at the border.
"A single person annihilated hundreds of Iwagakure Ninja? Are you telling me the Tsuchikage and Kazekage are either dead or severely wounded? Are you absolutely certain there is no mistake with this intelligence?" Hanzou asked, his voice gravelly and tense.
His subordinate nodded quickly to confirm the report. "Yes, Lord Hanzou, I saw the aftermath with my own eyes. Before long, the news should spread to every corner of the continent."
Hanzou looked down at the intelligence report again. He then looked at the declaration of war against Konoha, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure that he had just finished drafting. He fell into a deep, silent thought. After a long while, he suddenly picked up his pen and crossed out the impassioned words on the declaration. He tore the document into small shreds and tossed it into the trash can next to his desk.
After completing this sequence of actions, he finally let out a long sigh of relief. He felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. What kind of joke was this? If Konoha possessed such terrifying combat power, wouldn't it have been much better to show it earlier? He felt a flash of irritation. Are you playing me like a dog?
Recalling the time Konoha applied for an alliance, Hanzou's face turned dark with a mix of anger and lingering fear. Fortunately, he had restrained himself out of pride back then. If he had acted aggressively, the one who died wouldn't have been the Third Kazekage. It would have been him. Thinking back now, Hanzou suddenly realized he had been acting quite pretentious.
As the invaded party, Konoha simply wanted to keep the flames of war outside their own borders. If he had just agreed to the alliance back then, Konoha had enough strength to push the front lines deep into the Land of Wind. Why did they have to ruin everyone's reputation just for a bit of face? It wasn't that Hanzou was cowardly, but Minato's abilities were truly incomprehensible to him.
According to the intelligence, this kid had defeated the Tsuchikage and Kazekage in an instant. He used a speed they couldn't even react to. This reminded Hanzou of the Flying Thunder God Technique used by the Second Hokage. But the Hiraishin requires relying on specific markers to activate. Even Hanzou could think of at least three ways to counter that technique. There was no way the Tsuchikage and Kazekage hadn't thought of countermeasures for space-time ninjutsu.
Yet they still lost in an inexplicable way. This also proved that Minato wasn't using the Hiraishin. He was using some unique Body Flicker ability that was not inferior to the Flying Thunder God Technique. It was a speed born of pure power and light.
"Konoha always manages to produce such outstanding talents..." Hanzou sighed softly, feeling the weight of his age.
A trusted aide standing nearby looked worried about the shift in policy. "Lord Hanzou, what should we do next?"
"What's the rush?" Hanzou snorted coldly. "We don't have any substantial conflict with Konoha. It is just some friction at most. Besides, they were the ones who entered my Land of Rain first. Doesn't Konoha always advocate for peace? Send out the word. In the shortest time possible, let the entire Ninja World know about the Konoha Ninja's acts of burning, killing, and looting within our borders!"
If I can't beat you in battle, can't I at least disgust you to death with words? For a Ninja Village, reputation is very important for attracting clients. It is an indisputable fact that Konoha engaged in battle with Sunagakure within the Land of Rain. Therefore, the losses of the Land of Rain should naturally be counted on Konoha's head. Defend yourself all you want, but how many people will actually believe the word of a conqueror? By a strange twist of fate, Hanzou had actually started playing the game of public opinion warfare ahead of his time.
Minato was completely unaware of these political maneuvers. Because the news of heavily damaging the Iwagakure vanguard and killing the Third Kazekage had reached the village, everything changed. He soon received orders from the Third Hokage. The message informed their team that they could return to the village to recuperate and receive their rewards.
"We are returning to the village?" Upon hearing the news, Nawaki was full of indignation. "We're going back already? Can't we stay a few more days? I hasn't even participated in a proper battle yet."
"Iwagakure just sent an envoy for peace talks, and Sunagakure is in a complete mess. There's no fighting on the front lines for now. If we don't go back, are we going to stay here and grow mold in the rain?" Minato said with an amused smile. Inside, however, he was already calculating how to use his newfound fame to secure more resources from the village elders. "Besides, didn't Teacher also not participate in battle?"
"Exactly!" Tsunade raised her hand and smacked the back of Nawaki's head with a dull thud. "Is war a good thing?" To be honest, if he weren't the grandchild of the First Hokage and didn't have Minato's protection, she wouldn't have let Nawaki come to such a dangerous place at all.
"I know that, of course, but I also want to prove myself—" Nawaki looked dejected as he kicked a loose stone. "Minato could slay a Kazekage at eight years old. I'm three years older than him, yet I haven't even had a chance to step onto the battlefield."
"Who says? Haven't you gained a lot of people's recognition by helping out in the Medical Department these past few days?" Minato comforted him with a practiced, warm smile. "And at our age, being able to appear on the front lines of the battlefield is already very impressive."
"Yeah, if you really want to put it that way, I'm the one who hasn't done anything," Mikoto added in agreement.
"Ugh—fine, I guess what you guys are saying makes sense." Nawaki pursed his lips, feeling that their words were reasonable. He couldn't compare to a monster like Minato, but couldn't he compare to other peers? One must know that Konoha was currently far from the dire situation of the original timeline where even small children had to be sent to die. At this time, those who could stay on the front lines were the mainstays of the village. As a little kid who just graduated, being able to help out here was already something that gave him a lot of face when mentioned to others.
"Are we the only ones returning to the village this time?" Minato looked at Tsunade. He had also just learned the news from her a moment ago.
Tsunade shook her head. "I'm going back too, along with some wounded Ninja. The fighting on the front lines has come to a temporary halt. Everyone needs to recuperate for a while. As for the front lines here, with the Advisor and Orochimaru remaining, there's no need to worry."
"Mhm." Minato nodded. He was specifically asking about Tsunade's safety. If Tsunade wasn't returning to the village, he wouldn't feel at ease going back either. He needed her influence to shield him from Danzo. Tsunade clearly noticed Minato's thoughts, and a wave of warmth couldn't help but rise in her heart.
Inside the small wooden hut, the hearth fire crackled and popped. Everyone packed their few belongings. They sealed them into scrolls using the Object Sealing Formula. Soon, they set off on the road back to the village with the main group. Because there were many wounded, the group moved very slowly. Tsunade was responsible for leading the group and providing medical aid. Ninja with combat capabilities like Minato were assigned to the perimeter of the main group to handle guard duty.
Minato walked at the end of the line with Mikoto. As they walked side by side through the damp forest, Mikoto's mood seemed faintly low.
"Minato—" Mikoto suddenly spoke up, her voice barely a whisper. "What do you plan to do about Kushina's side?"
"I'll tell the truth." Hearing this, Minato gently took Mikoto's hand. His calm tone carried a hint of determination that masked his internal pragmatism. "I'll be honest with Kushina about what's between us. I don't plan to hide it, because hiding and avoiding will only make things worse in the long run."
"Aren't you... afraid she'll be angry?" Feeling the warmth of Minato's palm, Mikoto's voice was a bit tight with anxiety.
"I'm not." Minato shook his head, looking as though he were thinking seriously. "If she's angry, I can coax her. I'm only afraid she won't agree to the arrangement."
"What? That's your strategy?" Hearing this, Mikoto burst into a small laugh. "Then what if Kushina doesn't agree?"
"Um—" Minato's brow furrowed, his face full of simulated conflict. "Do you think if I kneel down and beg her, she'll agree?"
"Looking at how confident you were earlier, I thought you had some great idea." Mikoto was speechless for a moment, then let out a helpless sigh. Glancing at their joined hands, she pursed her lips. A complex mix of emotions welled up in her heart. There was sweetness, trepidation, and a faint hint of anticipation.
"Then I— I'll talk to her properly too. After all, I was the one who 'stole away' first..."
Minato remained silent. He thought to himself that with her identity as an Uchiha, saying something like that would definitely be taken as a provocation. However, as long as they were both under his control, the drama served his purposes. The system interface flickered briefly in his vision, showing his current stats. His synchronization with the Pika Pika no Mi was at $42\%$. He needed more conflict to grow stronger.
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