How could he possibly rescue the clansmen left behind in Iwagakure?
This question had been weighing on Kyoichi's mind for days. He had racked his brain, but still couldn't think of a way to safely extract the two hundred-plus elderly, women, and children of his clan from the village.
Admittedly,
after awakening the Eye of God, his strength had increased in leaps and bounds.
But challenging an entire shinobi village alone?
That was still a pipe dream—completely out of reach.
However...
Just moments ago, upon seeing the group led by the Yellow Flash, a bold and unprecedented idea sparked in his mind. If it were the legendary Yellow Flash—
With his peerless Flying Thunder God Technique, perhaps he truly could evacuate his clan from Iwagakure safely and swiftly.
Such a thought
would seem utterly delusional to outsiders.
Truthfully,
even Kyoichi himself knew how absurd the idea was.
But then again—
The world was full of outrageous, unbelievable things.
If he didn't try, how would he ever know it wouldn't work?
And who knows... maybe it would work?
And if it didn't… well, it's not like he had anything to lose.
"Pleased to meet you, shinobi of Konoha!"
Kyoichi stopped about twenty meters away from Minato's group, Magari's corpse still slung over his shoulder.
Then, with the utmost confidence, he launched into a grand self-introduction:
"I'm Koeda Kyoichi, fifteen years old, unmarried, jōnin of Iwagakure—though that title won't apply for much longer. My entire clan is preparing to migrate out of the village. And since I happened to run into the famous Yellow Flash today... I thought I'd try my luck and see if we might strike a deal. That's the gist of it."
His declaration
left the four Konoha shinobi completely stunned.
Migrate the whole clan out of Iwagakure?
Was that even allowed?
And—
Strike a deal with him? With their sensei?
What the hell was going on here?
It was all so ridiculous that none of them knew how to respond. Their thoughts were tangled like a mess of threads, and they couldn't quite make sense of anything.
"…Koeda?"
Eventually,
it was Minato who recovered first. His sharp mind kicked into gear, and he locked eyes with Kyoichi as he asked,
"If I'm not mistaken, that's the clan known as the 'Magic Flute'?"
"We've been called that, yes,"
Kyoichi nodded.
The nickname "Magic Flute" referred to the Koeda clan's auditory genjutsu—a tradition passed down through generations. Members of the clan learned to play the flute from a young age, using the sound to cast illusion techniques. It had earned them a modest reputation within the shinobi world, though in truth, the technique barely qualified as a proper secret art.
The only reason it had remained exclusive to the clan was the high entry barrier—
mastery of the flute.
But unfortunately,
a bit of fame wasn't enough to undo the political mistakes the clan had made. Nor was it enough to earn the Third Tsuchikage's forgiveness.
In the end,
they had no choice but to gamble everything—seeking life amid certain death.
"This plan to migrate your entire clan out of Iwagakure... what exactly happened? And this deal you're proposing... did your clan commit some kind of offense? You can't stay in the village any longer?" Minato pressed him.
"As expected of the Yellow Flash—sharp mind to match your speed,"
Kyoichi offered an empty, emotionless compliment.
Then, dropping all pretense, he continued,
"Our clan recently took part in a coup to overthrow the Third Tsuchikage. It failed, and now we're facing severe retribution. If we don't flee soon, the 'Magic Flute' clan will be wiped off the map."
Minato was momentarily stunned.
Well then—
A failed coup…
No wonder they were trying to evacuate the entire clan. Staying wasn't an option anymore.
Not just Minato—
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin all had sudden looks of realization.
So that's why the Iwa-nin had started fighting among themselves. They'd almost mistaken Kyoichi for a spy sent by Konoha to infiltrate Iwagakure—
otherwise, it made no sense for them to turn on each other so violently.
Now that the situation had been clarified,
they all felt more at ease.
"As for the deal—
many members of our clan are still stuck in Iwagakure. On our own, it would be nearly impossible to rescue them. But with help from the legendary Yellow Flash, their chances of escape would rise dramatically."
Kyoichi continued,
then casually tossed the corpse on his shoulder to the ground.
"No need to doubt my sincerity. I've already killed a fellow Iwa-nin with my own hands. There's no going back for me. Of course... one body probably isn't enough to earn your help."
He paused—
"Then how about this: I'll help you destroy Kanabi Bridge and cut off Iwa's supply lines for good. How's that for a deal?"
Kyoichi fixed his gaze on Minato, waiting for the Yellow Flash's response.
"…I'm sorry."
Minato slowly shook his head. "I can't help you."
Beside him,
Obito and Rin looked up in surprise. They didn't understand why Minato would refuse. In their eyes, this deal was excellent. After all, their entire mission in the Land of Grass was to destroy Kanabi Bridge. If an insider from Iwagakure was offering to help, wouldn't that make the job significantly easier?
Kakashi frowned slightly, but said nothing—
He simply waited, watching silently.
"Why refuse?"
Kyoichi's brow furrowed.
"Was my offer not good enough? Or is it..."
"The offer is fine. The problem is…"
Minato's tone turned cold.
"I don't trust you. A man who can stab his own comrade in the back—
the risk of dealing with you is simply too great.
If you've nothing else to say, then out of respect for your effort, I won't kill you.
But leave now—or I won't be so kind next time."
Minato's stance was unwavering.
Yes—
this was a tempting opportunity.
If handled well, it could severely cripple Iwagakure's supply line.
But the problem was—
Why should he trust someone he'd just met?
Just because this person claimed to have killed a comrade?
Who's to say the dead one wasn't actually the real Koeda shinobi, and the living one just another Iwa-nin? What if this whole "deal" was just a trap meant to lure him in?
Besides,
he was already juggling multiple high-priority missions.
He didn't have the time or freedom for reckless risks.
The only reason he didn't kill the Iwa-nin on the spot…
was because this was likely just a Shadow Clone.
The real body could be among the other clones in the back—or hiding underground.
Minato could sense identical chakra signals beneath the earth.
In short—
this guy would be really hard to kill.
Even with the Flying Thunder God, Minato couldn't exactly teleport underground to strike.
So for now,
he tried to drive him off with words.
"...So it's no good after all."
Kyoichi didn't seem all that disappointed.
He had, in truth, already anticipated that the negotiation might fail.
If he were in Minato's shoes, he wouldn't believe a stranger's story either.
Still, as the saying goes—start with diplomacy before resorting to force.
No harm in trying, after all.
That said...
There was no way he was just going to walk away now.
If words won't work...
then it's time for fists.