Outside the gates of Kirigakure.
As a violent explosion shook the ground, the golden light on Minato's fingertips slowly receded.
"Enemy attack!"
Amidst the furious roars of the defending ninjas, figures surged from all directions of the village.
When they saw Minato's appearance, the crowd fell silent.
"This kid... is the Yellow Flash?"
Noticing the scratch marks on Minato's forehead protector, someone asked in confusion, "How did this guy betray the village?"
"Who cares? This arrogant brat dares to challenge Kirigakure all by himself."
A man in white with Kaguya-style dot-like eyebrows sneered and charged at Minato.
"Wait!"
A Kirigakure Jonin instinctively tried to stop him, but the man had already reached Minato. The Jonin cursed inwardly.
This Kaguya Clan... they're just brainless brutes!
"Die, kid!"
With a wave of his hand, the dot-browed man unleashed a bone spike from his palm, aiming straight for Minato's forehead.
In the next instant, a golden light flashed from Minato's fingertips, and a laser beam pierced the opponent's forehead, sending the body crashing to the ground at his feet.
"I knew it—" the Kirigakure Jonin gritted his teeth.
The Yellow Flash... it truly lives up to its name.
An attack of that power... was it instant?
With the Mizukage still on his way, he could only try to stall for time. "Kirigakure has no quarrel with you, Lord Minato. Why are you attacking our village?"
"No quarrel? Your Mizukage colluded with other nations to pressure the Land of Fire, hoping Konoha would restrict my movements. How can you call that 'no quarrel'?" Minato chuckled softly. "I have no great ambitions. I only desire peace and freedom. You disrupted my peace and threatened my freedom. Is it unreasonable for me to come to your doorstep and demand an explanation?"
"But this was a decision made by the higher-ups. It has nothing to do with the people of Kirigakure—"
"Precisely why I stand here openly, rather than dropping a little surprise on you while you sleep."
Minato tilted his head slightly, his azure eyes holding a hint of indifference.
His feet slowly lifted off the ground, and he floated into the air as if weightless, the hem of his black cloak billowing gently as he gazed down at the assembled Kirigakure ninja.
"Now—bring out the Third Mizukage to face me!"
A rogue ninja should have the swagger of a rogue ninja!
Minato quickly slipped into character. This was one man against an entire village, and not putting on a show would be an insult to his battle-worn uniform!
"Damn him! How dare he insult Lord Mizukage!"
As Minato's words fell, a young ninja's face flushed with rage, but he was quickly restrained by his elders.
"Don't be rash. This enemy is beyond our capabilities."
"Everyone, stand down!"
With a soft swish, a handsome black-haired man appeared at the front of the crowd, his voice ringing out in command.
It was the Third Mizukage himself.
Minato sized up the character who had played such a minor role in the original story. As a supporting character, the Third Mizukage's appearance was quite decent.
And his intellect... not bad either.
At the very least, he could think of using economic warfare to apply pressure. Compared to other ninjas whose minds were solely focused on slaughter, this was already a mindset far beyond the current era.
If not for the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Glint-Glint Fruit, he might have truly been at their mercy.
"Lord Mizukage."
Seeing the Third Mizukage appear, the Kirigakure ninjas collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Namikaze Minato."
The Third Mizukage slowly walked to the front of the crowd, gazing up at Minato floating in mid-air. "As I said earlier, regardless of the circumstances, this matter has nothing to do with the people of Kirigakure—"
"Now that you mention it, Lord Mizukage," Minato interrupted with a light laugh, "when you pressured the Land of Fire, did you ever consider the innocent people there?"
"Now that the consequences have come back to haunt you, isn't it a bit laughable to talk about innocence?"
"The joint pressure was a necessary evil," the Third Mizukage said after a moment of silence. "Your strength has shattered the balance the Shinobi World has maintained for years. As the Kage of our respective villages, we must consider the future of our people."
"Have you even considered the consequences if Kirigakure were destroyed?" Minato asked calmly. "And if, as you say, strength should be restricted, why has no one ever tried to restrict the First Hokage or Uchiha Madara?"
He paused, as if struck by a sudden realization, and feigned enlightenment. "Ah, I suppose because they knew it would get them killed?"
"My deepest apologies," the Third Mizukage said, letting out an almost imperceptible sigh. "I offer you my personal apology and guarantee that such actions will never be taken again."
The crowd erupted in murmurs. The leader of one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, forced to apologize to a mere youth who had stormed their gates?
"Lord Mizukage, how could you—" an elder Mist Ninja interjected.
"Silence. This matter arose from my own misjudgment, and I alone must bear responsibility," the Mizukage replied calmly. "If you wish to take my life, Lord Minato, feel free to do so. But this conflict has nothing to do with the others. I implore you not to implicate the innocent."
Before Minato could respond, he continued, "I've heard you showed the Third Kazekage a dignified end. With your strength, you surely wouldn't stoop to striking down the weak."
Minato fell silent.
Why are they all rushing to die?
Truth be told, he hadn't come here to kill anyone. Unlike the Kazekage and Tsuchikage, the Third Mizukage had only wanted to ban him.
His purpose in coming was merely to pressure these nations and extract some benefits. After all, he wasn't a bloodthirsty maniac; there was no need to create a bloody spectacle.
But this guy was practically throwing himself into death!
The Third Mizukage watched Minato, his heart filled with anxiety.
He wasn't lacking in courage. Quite the opposite—it was precisely because of his courage that he had chosen this path.
Minato's threat wasn't about how many people he could kill, but about his unparalleled mobility and destructive power.
Today he could blow up the village gate; tomorrow he could appear in the Mizukage's office; the day after, perhaps in a hospital or school...
You could be a thief for a thousand days, but you could never be a guard for a thousand days.
Kirigakure couldn't afford to play this game.
"You can't do this, Lord Mizukage!"
A Mist Ninja's face twisted in sorrow. Regardless of the outcome, the Third Mizukage was acting with the village's best interests at heart.
Moreover, if Minato were to kill the Mizukage in full view of everyone, how would Kirigakure ever regain its dignity?
"Lord Mizukage, fight him! No matter what, Kirigakure will never endure such humiliation!"
"That's right! He's just one man, after all—"
The Mist Ninja spoke out in unison to stop him, some instinctively shielding the Third Mizukage, their faces set in a united front against the enemy.
"What a nuisance..."
Minato chuckled, amused by their antics. "You'd think I was the villain here."
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