Time ticked by.
The broth had finally matured. Vegetables, chicken, and seafood now shelved on the Stasis Cabinet, preventing it from losing its taste even more. The clatter from the kitchen faded as preparations wrapped up.
In the hall, the chatter had dwindled into a stretching silence.
However, it's not because the tension had subsided nor because Kushina ran out of things to say. On the contrary, she seemed to still have so many things to say.
Kushina sat at the bar like a tight spring. One leg bounced. Her fingers drummed. Then she stopped. Tried to hide her nerves by sipping tea. Then forgot she was holding the cup and simply stared at the door again.
It was obvious who she wanted to see walk through that door. A certain Ninja with blonde hair. But maybe, he was not really what she was looking forward to. It was the news that he might bring to them.
Cless had quieted down, glancing between her and Claire. The little girl seemed afraid that any sound might break something.
Claire leaned against the counter, arms crossed, expression unreadable. But Ludwig knew her well. She was watching Kushina. Like a wolf watching an injured pup, ready to intervene if needed.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
The restaurant finally whispered against Ludwig's senses. No voice nor words, but the same subtle tug he always felt when someone approached a door.
But when the identity of the person standing in front of the door entered his senses, he couldn't help but sigh. Not for him, nor Claire or Cless. But only for Kushina.
After all…
"Good morning you, who was chosen to become Tempest's first visitor from the Other World!" A man with a blue kimono and matching hair entered through the door with his usual bouncy personality.
Not a single step later, his feet came to a halt. His brows were furrowing, neck angling into the side.
"Why are you guys so tense? Haven't I told you before? Nothing will harm you in Tempest!"
The tension finally broke at that moment. Claire sighed as if someone just ruined her well-woven scheme, Cless finally giggled, as if the thing she was afraid of seemed to be nothing but an illusion. The kitchen also finally became kitchen again, no tiptoing, just pure controlled chaos.
"Answer my question! Why are you all just sighing and laughing?" Rimuru protested as he walked closer and closer towards the crowd.
Ludwig kept his mouth shut. But his hands moved, a glass of tea landed in front of the slime before he even sat.
After he offered a nod of appreciation to Ludwig, Claire opened her mouth. "We are waiting for Minato."
Her even voice slithered through the bar. On his part, Rimuru's mouth stretched upwards. Probably happy because he had found something he could tease Kushina with.
But proving that Ludwig's assessment about Claire was right, the woman opened her mouth again. "He wanted to come to Tempest. I said, we need a fair trade. Letting him come to a city so different from his without letting us see his world means he had the upper hand on whatever negotiations would take place in the future."
Claire stopped, inhaling a breath after spewing so many words in one breath. She then continued, still as poised as before.
"We are waiting for him now. Or to be exact, the Hokage's decision about our demand."
Rimuru's smirk vanished, replaced by a frown. His eyes lingered on Claire. One heartbeat, two, and three. On the fourth, he turned his head towards Ludwig.
One didn't have to be an expert in micro-expression to know what question Rimuru had behind his gaze. So Ludwig just shrugged his shoulders before pointing at Claire with his eyes.
He really had no qualms about throwing Rimuru under the bus when it came to Claire. Between the two, Ludwig would surely choose Rimuru when it came to war of words. The best thing he could say was 'You poop!' when Claire would pricked at him with facts after facts after facts, leaving him hollow and deflated by the end of the argument
"Then, we wait until he comes before going to Tempest?" Rimuru sighed before turning toward Claire.
Claire shook her head ever so slightly. Then, her sight landed right in the middle of Rimuru and Kushina. "15 minutes. Our original plan is to leave at 10, isn't it? If by that time he still hasn't come, we'll leave."
Kushina stiffened once again. Her fingers curling around the tea cup, eyes once again drifting to the door.
Then as if convincing herself he would come, Kushina opened her mouth. "He will come. He had said he would discuss it with the Hokage. So I'm sure he's going to come."
Ludwig didn't say anything to that. He didn't need to.
The clock on the far wall ticked softly, too softly, like it was trying not to draw attention to itself. But in the silent bar, each click landed like a pebble thrown into still water.
Tick.
Kushina's knee bounced again.
Tock.
Cless stole another glance at her, nervous fingers rubbing the hem of her dress.
Tick.
Rimuru pretended to sip his tea, though his eyes kept drifting to the door, then to Kushina, then to Claire. Like he was checking who he should be worried about more.
Tock.
Claire didn't move. Not even her breath seemed to shift. A statue beside the bar, arms still crossed, gaze sharp enough to cut stone. Only Ludwig and maybe Rimuru who had known her long enough, caught the tiny tilt of her head. She was listening. Measuring. Counting.
Ludwig decided to busy himself at that moment, one last check before he went off to another world. His real vacation after a few months running the restaurant without a break.
Five minutes passed.
Kushina's leg bounced faster.
Six minutes.
She pressed her lips tight, hiding the wobble.
Seven.
Her tea sat untouched now.
Eight.
Rimuru tapped a rhythm on his cup, soft and aimless.
Nine.
Cless leaned her cheek against Kushina's arm, offering silent support.
Ten.
Claire's eyes flicked to the clock. Then to Kushina. Then back to the door.
Eleven.
The bell above the door stayed silent.
Twelve.
Kushina exhaled shakily. "He said he'd come…"
Thirteen.
Ludwig placed another glass of tea on the counter. A silent offering, comfort without words.
But Kushina didn't touch it.
Fourteen.
The air thickened. Almost heavy enough to taste.
Fifteen.
Claire straightened. Her eyes dropped to Kushina, not unkind, not even cold. Just… steady. Firm.
"It's time." She said.
A breath left Kushina in a shudder. Small. Hurt. Breaking in a place no ninjutsu could heal.
"…He must be on the way," she whispered. Once again, probably more of convincing herself than the other. "…He should be."
But the door stayed still.
Ludwig chose to make his voice known at that moment. Hoping it would ease Kushina's pain even a little.
"Come on." He said gently. "Let's not keep Tempest waiting."
Kushina stared at the doorway one last time.
No chakra.
No warmth.
No flicker of yellow.
Her shoulders finally sagged.
"…Okay."
As she stood quietly, far too quietly for a girl who usually lit the whole restaurant with her presence, the door behind remained unmoved.
On Ludwig's part, he gathered his employees' attention with a clap.
Their eyes snapped at him, unspoken determination burning brightly. "I'm sure you know what to do right?"
"Yes, Chef." All of them spoke in unison.
Ludwig nodded, a smile appeared on his face. "Good. I'll leave the restaurant with you guys. If anything urgent comes up, just tell any patron from Tempest to open the door for you."
He crossed through the kitchen, leaving it entirely a few seconds later. Now in front of the door, the member of the expedition stood beside him. One crestfallen, two overly excited, while the other one masked her excitement.
Claire nodded once.
Cless bounced on her toes.
Kushina swallowed. Hard.
And Ludwig just nodded.
"Alright then," Rimuru grinned, taking the lead. "Let's go to Tempest."
Rimuru exhaled once before putting his hands on the handle. With a twist, the doorknob clicked. The bell chimed and the door groaned.
And then,
The door swung open.
Light flooded in like a wave. Warm wind rushed past them, carrying the scent of wildflowers, clean morning air, and mana so thick it felt like static brushing across their skin.
Kushina froze.
Claire's eyes widened, faint awe slipping through her carefully crafted calm.
Cless gasped.
Even Rimuru, for all his bounciness, stepped aside with something like pride lifting his voice. "Welcome to Tempest. The capital of Jura Tempest Federation."
Beyond the threshold lay a world utterly different from Konoha or Ravenhall.
A building of polished stone stood across the door. The street that separated them from it was filled with Goblins, Hobgoblins, Orcs, Dragonewts. Above, the sky was blue without a speck of cloud, as if welcoming them.
Kushina's lips parted.
Her eyes glistened.
"This is…" She whispered, breath trembling.
Rimuru grinned wider. "Just the entrance."
But Ludwig?
His heart thudded once. He had seen it so many times through the windows of his restaurant until now. But that's it. Like watching a traveling vlog on the internet, the true majesty of the place was far out of his reach.
But now…
Now, all of his senses could finally feel it.
"Alright" Ludwig murmured, voice low. "Don't keep us waiting, Rimuru."
But he didn't step through.
None of them did.
They simply stood there.
* * *
The walk to the Hokage's office felt longer than any battlefield march Minato had ever taken.
Konoha at night was unusually quiet. Lanterns flickered. The faint scent of smoke from distant training grounds drifted on the wind. Minato should've felt at ease, he always did on this rooftop path. But now?
Now, every step felt like he was drowning.
A few jumps later, he finally reached the Hokage building. The guards straightened, sensing the urgency in his chakra. One word from him and they let him through without question.
The door to Hiruzen's office slid open.
The Sandaime sat before stacks of mission reports and sealed documents. His pipe smoldered faintly on the tray beside him. His eyes lifted, landing on Minato with that calm, grandfatherly gaze that fooled so many.
"Minato." Hiruzen greeted, voice soft. "You returned sooner than expected. Is Kushina safe?"
Minato bowed. "She is. But… Hokage-sama, we need to speak. Urgently."
Hiruzen gestured for him to rise. "Go on."
Minato inhaled. Then he told him everything.
The restaurant, the inter-world travel, about Tempest, Claire's demand, and finally, the deadline.
Silence so thick it could as well as be tangible pressed against the two.
Hiruzen didn't blink. Didn't lean back. Didn't even shift a finger. His eyes simply changed. A subtle, tiny thing, but Minato felt it like a draft of cold air through armor.
"…I see," the Hokage finally murmured. "So they want the instigator."
"Yes." Minato said, steady but tense. "She said Konoha must show good faith if we want to maintain any form of equal, mutual trade with them."
Hiruzen's eyes lowered.
To any outsider, he looked contemplative.
But Minato knew better.
This was a calculation.
"How much do they know?" Hiruzen asked quietly.
Minato hesitated, just for a heartbeat, then answered honestly. "Enough. Ludwig mentioned the fox and suppressed it. Claire recognized it. Rimuru likely knows more. They aren't ordinary outsiders."
A faint exhale left the Hokage's nose.
"Danzo."" Hiruzen said at last.
Minato's throat tightened. "…Is it true, then?"
Hiruzen didn't answer the question.
He didn't need to.
Instead, he closed his eyes and spoke with careful, deliberate weight.
"Even if it was Root." He began, "And even if an… overzealous decision was made, Minato, you must understand. Konoha cannot hand over one of its elders to an unknown force. Not now. Not when tensions in the borders rise and ambush reports increase."
Minato's fists tightened at his sides. "But Hokage-sama. Ludwig was attacked. A foreigner. Someone who has shown no hostility to us."
"And yet." Hiruzen said softly, "We do not know the full extent of his abilities. Or Claire's. Or this Rimuru's. What we do know is that making a concession so large will destabilize the village's internal power structure."
"Kushina is the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails." Hiruzen continued, voice lowering. "And she is… attached to these people."
Minato straightened. "Hokage-sama…"
"Emotional attachment clouds judgment." Hiruzen said gently. "Even yours."
Minato flinched at the accuracy.
The Hokage sighed and reached for his pipe but didn't light it. His voice dropped, no longer grandfatherly, no longer soft.
"I cannot give them Danzo. I cannot make this an official incident. And I cannot let you handle this anymore. Return to your house until your next notice."
Minato froze.
"You will stay in Konoha until I finish investigating Root's involvement. I will question Danzo myself."
"And the request?" Minato whispered.
"Declined. Consider your previous mission regarding Ludwig void too."
It was final. Coldly final.
"A Hokage does not bow to foreign demands. Especially not from a world we do not understand." Hiruzen fixed him with a steady gaze. "You did well bringing this to me. But that will be all. You are dismissed, Minato."
Minato stood there, unmoving. His breath felt like it was stuck in his chest.
Then he bowed.
Deep.
Low.
Formal.
But it's not out of respect.
It was out of duty.
And he walked out of the office with the taste of iron in his mouth.
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