Chi Yu stood before the Hokage Building, invitation in hand. Today, he had come to invite Minato Namikaze—the Fourth Hokage—to his wedding with Uzumaki Kushina.
Kushina had initially offered to deliver the invitation herself, knowing well that he and Minato did not get along. But in the end, Chi Yu had insisted on doing it. The truth was, Kushina was never particularly close to Minato, and her dislike for him had only deepened under Chi Yu's influence.
However, times had changed. Minato was now romantically involved with Miyuki Uzumaki—a relative of Kushina—and the two women were quite close. Inviting Miyuki while excluding Minato would have placed her in an uncomfortable position.
If it weren't for Kushina's insistence on having Miyuki attend, Chi Yu would never have considered extending the invitation to Minato.
Even though Minato was the Hokage, this was a private affair. Everyone in Konoha knew about the bad blood between them, so Chi Yu didn't feel obligated to invite him. But for appearance's sake, and to avoid rumors about the Hokage being snubbed at a wedding where his partner was a guest, he had to play it smart.
This invitation wasn't just an act of civility—it was also a strategic move. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the village elders had been focusing on internal affairs now that the war was over. Any signal of reconciliation from Chi Yu might mislead them into thinking he was softening, giving him political advantage. The more uncertainty he could sow, the better.
Chi Yu knocked on the door of the Hokage's office.
"Come in," came Minato's voice from inside.
Chi Yu entered. As expected, Minato was surprised.
He rarely saw Chi Yu unless it was for a mission. Seeing him now, unannounced, left Minato momentarily speechless.
"Chi Yu? What brings you here?"
Chi Yu stepped forward and handed him the envelope. "Fourth Hokage. Seven days from now, Kushina and I will be getting married. We hope you'll attend."
Minato blinked. "You're... inviting me?"
Chi Yu nodded without emotion. "Yes. The invitation has been delivered. If you're unable to attend, that's understandable."
He placed the envelope on the desk.
Minato stared at it for a moment, then smiled slightly. "No—I'll be there. You have my word."
To say Minato was shocked would be an understatement. He'd half expected this to be a genjutsu. Chi Yu, who had always openly opposed him, had just invited him to his wedding.
But a part of him felt... relieved. Maybe this was the first step toward improving their strained relationship. Chi Yu was undoubtedly one of Konoha's strongest shinobi; winning his support—or at least easing tensions—would be invaluable to Minato's tenure as Hokage.
Chi Yu gave a polite nod. "Then I'll look forward to seeing you there. I won't take up more of your time."
He turned and exited the office.
Minato watched him go, fingers lightly tracing the envelope. "So... it's finally my turn," he murmured to himself.
---
Outside the Hokage Building, Chi Yu spotted Kakashi Hatake sitting on a bench, staring blankly into the distance.
He walked over and sat beside him. "What are you thinking about?"
Startled, Kakashi blinked and turned. "Oh, Chi Yu-sensei. I wasn't thinking about anything."
Chi Yu leaned back and let out a quiet sigh. "Still thinking about Obito and Rin, aren't you?"
Kakashi said nothing.
"I can't say I understand," Chi Yu continued. "I wasn't there. I didn't feel it like you did. But grief like yours... it doesn't just vanish. I won't insult your loss by telling you 'they wouldn't want you to be sad.' Of course you're sad. That's human. But you can't let that sadness rot you from the inside."
He glanced at Kakashi. "You have to let it drive you forward. If you don't want to feel powerless again, then keep getting stronger—so next time, you can protect those you care about."
Kakashi nodded slowly. "I understand, Sensei."
Chi Yu pulled a final envelope from his sleeve and handed it to him. "This is the last invitation I need to deliver. It's yours. You'll be busy that day."
Kakashi blinked, then smiled behind his mask. "Leave it to me."
Chi Yu gave a rare smirk. "How's the Sharingan?"
Kakashi pushed up his forehead protector, revealing the crimson eye. "It's strange. After I fainted during that last mission, my Sharingan evolved. It's no longer Two-Tomoe—it became Three-Tomoe on its own. The chakra cost is higher, but the clarity... it's incredible. I can see through Genjutsu instantly, and I've been able to copy Taijutsu and Ninjutsu more easily than before."
Chi Yu nodded thoughtfully. Kakashi's rapid evolution was both a blessing and a burden. He had been considering solutions to help him manage the chakra strain.
He had three in mind.
---
First: the Yin Seal.
Not to be confused with Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Seal, the original Yin Seal was an Uzumaki sealing technique used purely for chakra storage. Tsunade had later adapted it into a regenerative combat technique by integrating medical ninjutsu, but at its core, the Yin Seal was a reservoir.
If Kakashi could master it, he could store chakra and release it when needed, greatly extending his ability to use the Sharingan in battle.
---
Second: the Cursed Seal.
Orochimaru would eventually develop it using the DNA of Jugo, who had a natural affinity for absorbing and utilizing senjutsu chakra. However, the Cursed Seal was volatile and dangerous. Its users risked losing control of themselves, and the transformation often warped their bodies into grotesque forms. Activation required the Mind Awakening Pill, which forcibly induced the Stage Two transformation at the cost of immense physical strain—sometimes to the brink of death.
Chi Yu found its side effects unacceptable for someone like Kakashi.
---
Third: transplantation of Hashirama cells.
While unethical and risky, these cells could grant immense vitality and chakra recovery, as they had done for Danzo and Madara. But that option would require a level of moral compromise that neither Chi Yu nor Kakashi would easily accept.
For now, the Yin Seal seemed the most viable.
---
Chi Yu turned to Kakashi. "Focus on refining your chakra control. If I'm right, I may be able to teach you something soon that will solve your Sharingan burden without compromising who you are."
Kakashi gave a silent nod, but the gleam in his eye showed anticipation.
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters