"Hello, everyone. I am Namikaze Minato, Hatani's older brother. Thank you for looking after him during this time."
Ever the "Little Sunshine," Minato immediately gave a polite bow to the trio after Hatani introduced the "Red-Yellow-Blue" orphans.
"Oh, it was nothing!" Yahiko, who loved making friends, felt an instant connection to this newcomer. Minato's hair and smile were strikingly similar to his own.
"Hatani is very thoughtful and has a wealth of knowledge. We've actually learned a lot from him during his stay."
As Yahiko exchanged pleasantries with Minato, Nagato and Konan stood behind him, their gazes fixed on the Konoha forehead protectors worn by the trio. An instinctive surge of revulsion and wariness rose in their chests.
Hatani and Nawaki had discarded their headbands long ago. Tsunade and Dan Kato had lost theirs to mislead Suna pursuers during their flight. As for Jiraiya, he had swapped his for one bearing the character for "Oil." This was the first time the orphans had seen the Konoha symbol in a while.
For them, that swirl pattern held no happy memories. For Nagato, it was the symbol of his parents' killers; for Konan, it represented the destruction of her home—the place where she and Yahiko had once lived.
Though they were young, Minato's team were all veteran Chunin. They immediately sensed the faint killing intent and disgust thick in the air. While Minato was busy being polite to Yahiko and couldn't easily react, Choza and Inoichi stiffened, their eyes locking onto Nagato and Konan with alert suspicion.
"Relax, we aren't enemies."
Thanks to his Windranger traits, Hatani was hyper-sensitive to the atmosphere. He stepped forward, breaking the line of sight between the two groups.
Nawaki, who had been blissfully immersed in the joy of going home, was a bit slow to catch on. It wasn't until Hatani spoke that he realized something was wrong. He looked between his old friends and his new arrivals with a bewildered expression, unable to understand why people he considered "good" were suddenly at each other's throats.
"Not yet, at least," Nagato said, his voice low and heavy. He seemed lost in the memory of his parents' death, a chilling aura leaking from his frame.
"At least for now," Hatani replied. He paused, looking at Nagato with a sideways glance. He thought briefly about the "urban renewal" Nagato would eventually bring to Konoha in the future, then lowered his voice. "Just for now."
"Nagato."
Yahiko, realizing his friend was slipping back into the past, cut his conversation with Minato short. He placed a steadying hand on Nagato's shoulder and whispered a soft reprimand. "They aren't bad people."
"I hate that symbol," Nagato said, not bothering to hide his feelings. "And I don't want to see it here."
"The sun is already down, Nagato," Yahiko said, feeling a headache coming on. His friend was perfect in every other way, but he could become incredibly stubborn when his trauma was triggered. "And don't forget, Lord Jiraiya is—"
"Just for tonight. They leave tomorrow." Hearing Jiraiya's name, Nagato stiffened. His face went flat and rigid as he turned and walked away.
"Phew." Yahiko let out a breath he'd been holding. He turned back to Minato with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Nagato just..."
He wanted to explain, but the words died in his throat.
"Red hair," Minato murmured. He didn't seem bothered by Nagato's hostility. Instead, his focus was entirely on Nagato's vibrant red locks. He turned to his brother, his eyes wide with a question.
Hatani, knowing exactly what Minato was thinking, gave a subtle nod. He walked over and whispered in Minato's ear. "His parents might have died at the hands of Konoha ninja. Forget whatever plan you're making—he's never going to the Leaf."
Minato's face instantly slumped into a look of profound regret and disappointment.
While Kushina wasn't exactly ashamed of her red hair, she hated being the only one. To her, it was a constant reminder that she was the last survivor of the once-great Uzumaki clan. If he could have brought a fellow Uzumaki back for her, she would have been ecstatic.
Now, everyone—not just Nawaki—was looking at the two brothers with confusion. They didn't know what was being whispered, and they certainly didn't understand why the usually cheerful Minato looked like he'd just lost his best friend.
Jiraiya, who had used the excuse of notifying Dan Kato about the departure to stay away, had seen the tension from the start. He'd chosen to stay back with Dan and play the role of an interested spectator.
"Jiraiya, are you sure you won't consider taking that Minato boy as a student?" Dan Kato asked, watching Minato with a smile once Nagato had left. "Based on what I just saw, he seems to be the leader of this escort team. It's no small feat for a civilian ninja to win the respect and loyalty of the future heads of the Akimichi and Yamanaka clans."
Jiraiya remained silent, his jaw tightening. He was currently feeling a metaphorical toothache. He was thinking about the "famous last words" he'd uttered to Hatani just a short while ago.
"But I suppose it makes sense," Dan continued, nudging him. "You already have a student as exceptional as Hatani. It would be greedy to ask for more."
Jiraiya continued to stroke his chin, still refusing to speak. Dan Kato decided to push one step further, his tone turning half-serious.
"In that case, let me be his mentor. Once we get back, I should have plenty of time on my hands to guide him."
Seeing that Dan looked like he was actually going to go through with it, Jiraiya finally couldn't hold his silence any longer.
"Hmph! You should keep your Spirit Transformation Jutsu for the kids of your own Kato clan." He shot Dan a glare. "This student... Hatani 'found' him for me."
"Haha!" Seeing the "Toad Sage" finally cave, Dan Kato pointed at him and burst into laughter.
"Why did Lord Jiraiya take three orphans from the Land of Rain as students anyway?"
In the room shared by Hatani and Nawaki, Yamanaka Inoichi asked with a frown. He was still annoyed by Nagato's attitude.
Even after just a short meeting, Inoichi could see the team dynamic clearly. Even though Nawaki's status was technically much higher than Hatani's, Hatani was the one calling the shots—much like Minato was for their own team.
"Sensei has his own reasons. Who are we to guess?" Hatani replied, knowing the answer but too lazy to explain the "Child of Prophecy" lore. "More importantly, did the Lord Hokage only send the three of you?"
"What? Who else did you want? Lord Sakumo?" Inoichi snapped back, still feeling a bit prickly after being shut down.
"Actually, yeah. If Lord Sakumo were here, I'd actually feel safe," Hatani replied.
His answer made Choza and Minato burst into laughter.
"You brat!" Choza laughed, shaking his head. They didn't take it to heart, assuming Hatani was just being his usual cheeky self.
Only Hatani knew the truth. Without a top-tier powerhouse guarding them, the journey back to Konoha was going to be anything but smooth.
Because at noon today, when he'd gone to tell Dan Kato it was time for lunch, he had seen the man staring at something with an obsessed, almost glazed expression.
It was an object Hatani vividly remembered throwing away a long time ago.
_______
+75 chapters on: patreon.com/Shinobi_Scrolls