When Minato heard those words, "For the Greater Good," something stirred deep inside him.
For a brief moment, he didn't just see Fugaku standing in front of him. Instead, he saw the shadow of a man who once shook an entire world, a leader who believed he was right even when everything around him began to fall apart.
Dumbledore. Grindelwald. They had started the same way.
With ideals. With conviction. With the belief that they were doing what was necessary.
They wanted to guide the world. To protect it. To reshape it into something better.
And yet… somewhere along the way, things changed. Minato's thoughts lingered there for a moment.
What separated them in the end?
Loss of loved ones. Pain. The moment where ideals collided with reality.
He exhaled slowly.
'This time… it might be different.'
Both of them had something to protect. Something real. and not just ideals.
And unlike that world, this one didn't just risk falling into chaos.
It could end completely. That thought alone was enough to harden his resolve.
Minato lifted his head, his expression no longer uncertain.
"Fine," he said quietly at first, but there was weight behind his words. "If that's what it takes, then we'll do it."
His voice steadied.
"We'll cross whatever boundaries we need to. We'll push ourselves as far as possible, even if it means going beyond what humans are supposed to reach."
A faint, almost dangerous look appeared in his eyes.
"If there's a threshold that leads to something close to divine… then we'll reach it."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"And if that's not enough, then we'll break past it."
Fugaku watched him carefully. Then he nodded.
"Then we don't hold back," he replied. "Magic, chakra, everything we have. We push both to their limits, understand them properly, and then… we find a way to merge them."
There was no hesitation left in his voice. No doubt was left; just direction remained.
After a short pause, Fugaku shifted the conversation to something more practical.
"Minato, before anything else, you need to catch up on the shinobi side," he said. "If possible, get under Jiraiya early. That will make things much easier for you."
Minato nodded without arguing.
"That makes sense."
Fugaku continued.
"We keep refining both paths. You focus on shinobi fundamentals along with magic. I'll continue improving both as well. And in the meantime ..."
A small pause.
"I'll look for targets."
Minato smirked slightly.
"Targets for gold, right?"
Fugaku gave a small nod.
Minato leaned back, thinking.
"Yeah, that works. And we should keep doing those duels as well. Honestly, that fight earlier helped more than anything else we've done so far."
He glanced at Fugaku.
"We need more of that. Real combat. Not just theory."
"Agreed," Fugaku replied. "And we also need to start integrating magic into shinobi combat properly. Right now, we're still using them separately."
Minato let out a small breath.
"That's going to take time."
"It will," Fugaku admitted.
There was a brief silence before Fugaku spoke again.
"And one more thing. Right now, this is probably the only time we can meet like this without drawing attention."
Minato frowned slightly.
"Yeah…"
"If you start interacting with me openly," Fugaku continued, "people will notice. A civilian kid getting close to the Uchiha heir without any reason… that won't go unnoticed."
Minato clicked his tongue.
"Yeah, and then suddenly everyone starts paying attention for no reason."
Fugaku gave a dry look.
"For them, there's always a reason."
Minato's expression darkened slightly.
"These people… they'll use every trick in the book when it comes to dealing with their own shinobi, but when outsiders are involved, suddenly they act like everything is fine."
He shook his head.
"Disgusting."
Fugaku didn't argue.
"That's just how it is," he said calmly. "Even from inside the Uchiha compound, I've noticed surveillance. ANBU… maybe Root."
Minato narrowed his eyes.
"So they're already watching."
"Most likely."
The conversation paused again.
Then, Minato suddenly spoke up.
"What about shadow clones?"
Fugaku looked at him.
"I can use them," he replied. "But you can't. Even if I teach you, how are you going to explain it if someone finds out?"
Minato thought for a moment.
"…Yeah, that's a problem."
He sighed.
"Then I'll have to get it the normal way. Jiraiya."
Fugaku raised an eyebrow.
"And how exactly are you planning to find him?"
Minato shrugged.
"I'll just keep going around bathhouses. He's bound to show up eventually."
Fugaku stared at him for a second.
"…You actually sound serious."
"I am serious."
There was a brief pause before Fugaku nodded.
"Fine. However you do it, get that technique. Once you have shadow clones, our training speed increases massively."
Minato grinned.
"Yeah, that's the plan."
Then, as if remembering something, he leaned forward slightly.
"Also… if we still don't find a way to get gold, we can do something bigger."
Fugaku looked at him.
Minato's grin widened.
"We capture Rasa."
There was a pause.
Fugaku blinked.
"…What?"
Minato continued as if he had just said something completely normal.
"Edo Tensei him. He can mine gold without rest. Large gold supply. Problem solved."
For a second, Fugaku just stared at him.
Then slowly…
"…That actually makes sense."
His eyes lit up slightly.
"And once you become Hokage, accessing forbidden jutsu won't be difficult."
Minato nodded.
"Exactly."
Then he added casually,
"Or maybe even before that. As Jiraya's disciple, you might see the scroll even before and with your Occlumnecy, you can remember all the Justsus in that scroll. "
Fugaku let out a small breath.
"…You're really something else."
Minato shrugged.
"Just thinking ahead."
After a moment, Fugaku stood up.
"We should head back. It's already time."
Minato nodded.
"Yeah. Let's continue tomorrow."
Both of them disappeared.
They returned to the academy, blending back into the crowd like nothing had happened.
............
Six months later.
Time passed faster than expected.
In those six months, Minato and Fugaku continued meeting whenever possible.
They sparred. They argued. They planned. They improved.
Minato had already made a name for himself in the academy as a civilian genius. His performance stood out clearly, even among clan children.
Their duelling skills had also improved significantly. More importantly, their control had improved. Their Magic amount has also increased.
Magic felt more stable. More precise. They were well above any auror level, but reaching the true level of legends would take time.
Still incomplete, but better than before. Minato had also been running near the bathhouses regularly.
Officially, it was part of his physical training.
Unofficially, he was trying to find Jiraiya. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side.
Not even once did he run into him.
Fugaku, on the other hand, had already learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
He barely attended academy classes anymore.
Most of his time went into training.
Either in the shelter or in isolated areas.
Both shinobi techniques and magic.
But one problem remained.
Gold.
But today Something was different.
When Minato entered the Uchiha shelter, Fugaku was already waiting.
And this time, there was a slight smile on his face.
"I have good news."
Minato raised an eyebrow.
"…Don't tell me you actually found a way to get gold."
Fugaku nodded.
"I did."
Minato's expression sharpened.
"Explain."
Fugaku leaned back slightly.
"Yesterday, I overheard something from my father. The Daimyo's retainer is coming to a nearby town."
Minato listened carefully.
"For a festival?" he asked.
"That's the cover," Fugaku replied. "But the real reason is something else."
Minato didn't interrupt.
"A gold mine was discovered near the border," Fugaku continued. "That retainer is responsible for overseeing it. And from what I understand… he might be transporting gold back to the capital."
Minato's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What about the escort?"
Fugaku said. "Samurai, plus a ninja squad from Konoha."
Minato thought for a moment.
"…So it's not just a festival trip. It's a transport mission disguised as one."
Fugaku nodded.
Minato leaned forward.
"We've already confirmed that shinobi can't detect Disillusionment unless we actively engage."
"Right."
"So infiltration is possible."
Fugaku agreed.
"We still don't fully understand how to hide intent, but if we move carefully, it should be enough."
Minato's expression shifted slightly.
"…Then this is it."
Their first real move.
Not training. Not theory. Actual action.
And neither of them said it out loud, but both understood one thing.
Once they crossed this line, there was no going back.