Tsunade's brows furrowed even deeper when she saw the seriousness in Orochimaru's eyes. She stared him down and asked,
"Orochimaru, are you really planning to go through with this?"
Tsunade knew Orochimaru wasn't one to joke. If these words came from him, then he meant every bit of it.
Orochimaru gave a slight nod and replied,
"Mm."
"If that idiot Jiraiya has the Hyūga, Hiashi and the others, supporting him, the pressure on his side should be greatly reduced."
"You know as well as I do, Iwagakure's strength isn't something Sunagakure can compare with. Ōnoki, that old man, wouldn't wage a war he wasn't confident of winning."
"Also, relax."
"As long as I'm here, Sunagakure can forget about invading the Land of Fire with a full force."
"Don't forget, my summons can handle reconnaissance too."
Even as he spoke, Orochimaru's mind was already running through the logistics of his upcoming human experimentation.
Even without Hiruzen's directive, he'd have found a way to pull the Hyūga, particularly Hyūga Hiashi, away from the front lines.
What was he, stupid?
If one of his experiments got caught by a Byakugan… then what?
Even if the chances were slim, it was better safe than sorry.
Among those present, Veigar was the only one who faintly guessed Orochimaru's true intentions.
He knew about Orochimaru's notorious human experimentation, after all, even in the original timeline, Orochimaru had abducted civilians and shinobi alike from the battlefield for his twisted research.
"Then I'll make the trip myself, I'm worried about Jiraiya too."
Tsunade's hesitation began to melt away under Orochimaru's reasoning.
Indeed, the old saying wasn't wrong: Women are as fickle as eels.
With Tsunade handled, Orochimaru turned his gaze to Shikaku Nara.
"Shikaku, I know what you're worried about."
"But those concerns are unnecessary."
"In fact, I'd like you to reinforce the front lines against Iwagakure."
Shikaku paused, caught off guard.
"I…"
Before he could fully speak, Orochimaru cut in.
"Compared to what's here, Jiraiya's side needs you more."
"Sunagakure's threat is minimal at this point. If not for the old man's sudden deployment order, Sunagakure would've surrendered once we finished our original plan."
"As it stands, they're just buying themselves a little breathing room."
"But mark my words, they'll surrender soon enough."
Shikaku pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Understood."
Orochimaru offered a sly smile.
"Then I'm counting on you."
"As for the remaining list, I want it finalized by tomorrow morning."
"After that, you'll depart with Tsunade."
Shikaku gave a firm nod.
"Got it."
With Tsunade and Shikaku taken care of, Orochimaru turned to Minato Namikaze and Veigar Koshima.
"Minato, you'll be returning to the village this time. Escort the wounded back with you."
"As for Veigar, there's nothing more to add."
Both replied in unison,
"Yes."
That very afternoon, Minato appeared atop Kikyō Pass, accompanied by Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. Veigar, meanwhile, remained hidden in the shadows, his presence completely concealed.
Despite it being a homecoming, vigilance remained essential.
After all, this wasn't just a routine return, they were escorting over 200 wounded shinobi.
Among them were those who could no longer serve as ninja, and others who needed long-term recuperation back in the village.
"Move out."
At Minato's signal, the convoy of over two hundred departed Kikyō Pass, heading toward Konohagakure.
In addition to Minato's squad of four, the convoy's visible escort included three chūnin and nine genin.
But in the shadows, there was only Veigar.
This put a considerable burden on him.
His duties included reconnaissance, enemy detection, and rapid response, all while staying completely unseen.
If any enemy ninja struck, the situation would instantly become critical.
Why stay hidden?
Simple. Veigar's bounty had reached 130 million ryō.
That kind of money could drive every rat in the shadows into a frenzy.
If Veigar traveled openly, enemies might risk an ambush. He could handle himself, but what about the wounded?
If even one of them died, the blame would fall squarely on him.
Thus, secrecy was the best option.
Seven days later, the gates of Konoha appeared on the horizon.
The journey had gone smoothly, nothing unexpected had occurred.
As Minato and the escort led the wounded to the village gates, Veigar finally revealed himself from the shadows.
Now that they had returned, there was no longer any need for concealment.
Veigar wasn't about to sneak back like a fugitive, he was returning as a hero. Hiding was neither his style nor befitting his role.
As he stepped beside Minato, his sudden appearance triggered an immediate reaction.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin all fell into fighting stances.
"Who goes there?!"
Kakashi was the first to react, his voice sharp as steel, he hadn't even gotten a clear look at Veigar before raising the alarm.
"Kakashi, it's me," Veigar said calmly.
Veigar noticed Minato's composed demeanor, the only one who'd known he was shadowing the convoy all along.
"Veigar? What are you doing—" Obito started, surprised.
Before he could finish, Minato stepped in.
"Obito, Veigar was part of the escort too, just… traveling in the shadows."
"Now that we're at the village, he no longer needs to stay hidden."
Veigar nodded in agreement.
"Well then," Minato said with a grin, "get ready for a hero's welcome."
The reason he'd interrupted Obito's question?
Hiruzen was already standing atop the village gates, and a massive crowd of villagers had gathered behind him, eager to welcome the returning warriors.
As the group arrived at the gate, they dropped to one knee in respect.
From above, Hiruzen's voice rang out:
"Welcome home, heroes of Konoha."
In these times of war, shinobi left their homes to fight for their village.
Now, the return of Minato and his team gave the people something to cheer for, something to believe in.
For once, the villagers could exhale, momentarily released from the tension of war.
"Look, it's Minato-sama, the legendary Yellow Flash! He's so young… and looks so kind."
"Is that Veigar-sama next to him? I heard he's only ten years old, he really is that young!"
As the village came into view, Veigar's lips curled into a faint smile.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]