Another contract appeared. Two bargaining chips.
Namikaze Minato pondered Shion's words. One piece of intelligence, and one hidden power within Konoha.
The hints were already too clear. If this power was something he could draw upon, then obviously it belonged to someone familiar—someone close to him, or at least someone who still carried goodwill toward the village.
And that other piece of intelligence…
Controlling the Nine-Tails, yet not Uchiha Madara? Then who…?
He could guess part of it, but not enough.
Minato's eyes locked on the composed shadow across the table. Shion's intent was plain, yet Minato still couldn't bring himself to gamble.
This wasn't a battlefield, where one could probe for truth by exchanging blows. This was about Konoha's future. Kushina's life. And… Naruto.
"I accept… the contract!"
His voice was heavy with helplessness, but also with steel. The contract sealed itself.
Uchiha Shion smiled faintly, raising a finger.
"The first person you can ask for help is… Hatake Kakashi."
"???"
Minato froze for the first time. Even when faced with shocking revelations, his focus had never wavered from Shion. But now, the name stunned him.
Hatake Kakashi.
From the Hatake clan's Kenjutsu, to the famed technique Raikiri, capable of cutting through lightning itself—Minato knew Kakashi's skills inside and out. Compared to the intel he'd just received about the enemy, he could not fathom how Kakashi could possibly help.
Across from him, Shion waved lightly.
"Surprising, isn't it? The truth is, even Kakashi himself doesn't yet know the true power he holds—the power of that Mangekyō Sharingan eye."
Mangekyō Sharingan?
Countless thoughts rushed through Minato's mind, and for the first time, his composure cracked.
Another Mangekyō?
And from Shion's earlier words, it was already almost certain the intruder was not Uchiha Madara.
But controlling the Nine-Tails required a summoning contract…
An Uchiha. A one-eyed Uchiha. A missing-nin. Or one who had disappeared without a trace.
No—one whose name was absent from the memorial stone.
Obito!
Shion continued:
"Kakashi's Sharingan actually evolved into the Mangekyō long ago. But because he isn't an Uchiha, he hasn't realized it yet."
"And now I can tell you—its ability is especially effective against that man."
"Oh, and with your intellect, Fourth Hokage, you must already have guessed who he is."
"As for the second person representing that hidden power within Konoha… it could be Uchiha Fugaku, or perhaps Uchiha Shisui."
Seeing Minato's shock, Shion added:
"Kakashi's Mangekyō will need guidance from another Uchiha to truly awaken. But you—Fourth Hokage—you have forged goodwill with the Uchiha. If you hold onto that bond, perhaps in the future, loyal Mangekyō within Konoha could number not just one, but three and a half pairs."
"And that," Shion said softly, "is what I meant when I spoke of the future."
Before Minato could fully absorb this, Shion pressed on.
"The man once praised as the 'God of Shinobi,' the Third Hokage—he has grown old. Watching children play happily in the village, in truth, his heart rejects anything that could disturb that peace."
"But in this era, concession means weakness. Concession to his old comrades. Concession to his former students. Concession to rival nations."
Shion's gaze bored into Minato's.
"You are the Fourth Hokage—the Golden Flash. Only you can break this cycle. As long as you live, so many tragedies will never come to pass."
"Every step you take from here on will shape the world itself. There is a very real chance that peace can endure again—because of you."
When Shion's words faded, Minato finally exhaled. He looked at the shadow across from him and smiled wryly.
"I don't know who you are. But to speak of me as someone who could extend peace… it's embarrassing."
"From your words, though, I can tell. You must also be someone who longs for peace. That's why I accepted the contract for four chips—because of that hope."
"Now then… do you have any more bait for me? It's been rather enticing."
Shion shook his head with a smile.
"I've told you enough. And besides—you don't have the chips left to pay for more."
Minato chuckled, nodding.
"I've gained much today. Thank you."
And with that, he rose—and vanished.
The Uchiha Compound
Inside his room, Uchiha Shion lifted his head and glanced at the clock.
Click.
As expected. No matter how long he spent in the Exchange, only an instant passed in the outside world.
Still, the negotiation chamber felt too stifling. Next time, perhaps the Hokage Monument would be a better setting—it might unsettle clients psychologically, and the effects in the air would lend credibility.
The Fourth Hokage's Home
Minato stood at the bedside, deep in thought over the intelligence he had just acquired.
On the bed, Kushina stared at him. Pregnancy hormones were surging. So was her temper.
"Minato!!"
BOOM!
One punch. The Fourth Hokage of Konoha—KO'd.
Who am I? Where am I? What was I just about to do?
From the wreckage of broken furniture, Minato slowly pulled himself upright, scratching his head in confusion.
Kushina's eyes brimmed with tears.
"Tomorrow's the due date. I asked you to bring me a glass of water, and you just stood in the living room before coming back empty-handed. Could you… could you really be that half-hearted?"
Minato blinked, then remembered—right before being dragged into the Exchange, he had indeed been about to fetch her water.
"Uh… I'm sorry!"
Kushina inhaled deeply, then sighed.
"…Fine. I forgive you."
This time Minato actually fetched the water. But in his heart, the thoughts wouldn't stop.
Only one day left.
The Nine-Tails' summoning contract…
If he wanted everything to go perfectly…
He had to act now.
"I need to go out for a while."
Kushina had just taken a sip of water. She froze, then asked:
"So late? Is it an emergency?"
With her due date tomorrow, the thought of her Hokage husband rushing out at this hour made her nervous.
But Minato only smiled and held her hand.
"Trust me. Everything is already prepared. Rest easy—I'll explain when I get back."
Kushina nodded obediently. When it came to serious matters, she never got in the way. In truth, Minato's success—whether as the "Yellow Flash" or in becoming Hokage—owed much to Kushina's sealing jutsu.
Pulling on his Hokage cloak and setting his hat, Minato disappeared in a flash of gold—reappearing instantly at Kakashi's house.
He had marked it years ago, when he gifted Kakashi a Flying Thunder God kunai engraved with his unique formula, to celebrate his promotion to jōnin.