So, Minato is leaving the Village again?
Kushina puffed out her cheeks, her face a picture of unhappiness. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, leaning back against the wall of the Hokage's office. The sunlight caught the fiery red of her hair, highlighting the genuine pout on her lips.
Minato gently patted Kushina's head. He wore a soft, reassuring smile, the perfect mask of a caring teammate. Don't worry. If I've guessed correctly, within a month at most, the other Villages will be begging me to come back. Internally, he felt a cold spark of amusement. He wasn't just leaving; he was unchaining himself.
It's a good idea—
Hiruzen Sarutobi hummed in agreement, clenching his pipe as his brow furrowed. It's just that, doing this, you'll inevitably be branded with the stain of being a Rogue Ninja. The old man looked at Minato with a mixture of pride and concern. He saw the strategic brilliance, but the traditionalist in him recoiled at the optics.
He wasn't worried about anyone criticizing Minato for it. The villagers loved him, and the Ninja world understood the game being played.
Minato's behavior, if explained, would at most be seen as a child being reckless. A young hero lashing out against the unfairness of international politics was a narrative the public would swallow easily.
However, in his eyes, Minato was the perfect successor; the title of Rogue Ninja would ultimately be a blemish. Hiruzen wanted a pristine Fourth Hokage, a man whose record was as white as the cloak he would one day wear.
Minato, on the other hand, was quite interested. What kind of stain is that? I've never been a Rogue Ninja before; it'll be a novel experience. He spoke with a light, airy tone, as if discussing a new hobby rather than a life-altering criminal designation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi:...
If anyone else had said this, he would have sent them straight to the Torture and Interrogation Force to properly realign their ideological awareness. Such blatant disregard for the sanctity of the Village's laws was usually a one-way ticket to Ibiki's care.
But Minato—
Just as he said, if he wanted to be a Rogue Ninja, no one could stop him, could they? The boy was faster than the eye could follow and possessed power that defied conventional logic. You didn't arrest a force of nature; you simply tried to stay out of its path.
Although it was a bit unconventional, it was indeed a good solution. It bypassed the diplomatic gridlock by removing the piece from the board entirely.
If Minato Namikaze has defected from the Village and you still target the Land of Fire, it proves you are intentionally provoking us. It turned the tables on the other nations, making their "humanitarian" concerns look like a hollow excuse for aggression.
At that time, Konoha would naturally "regret its past actions," bring Minato back, and then fight you all fairly! They could play the victim, claiming they tried to control their "unruly" genius and failed.
No one would be able to find fault with that! It was a masterpiece of political theater.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi steeled his resolve. Then let's do it! According to intelligence, this matter was initiated by the Hidden Mist, with the Third Mizukage as the mastermind. He pointed to a map on the desk, his finger landing on the islands of the Land of Water.
Minato nodded in understanding. So it's the Hidden Mist— He filed the information away. The Mist was a place of blood and fog, a fitting stage for the demonstration he intended to give.
Hmph, those bastards. They don't dare to fight head-on, so they resort to these petty tricks behind our backs!
Nawaki snorted coldly. We encountered them while on a mission in the Land of Whirlpools, but those guys fled in panic without even saying hello. His youthful bravado was tempered by a genuine disgust for the Mist's cowardly tactics.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head with a chuckle; if Minato hadn't been there, it wouldn't have been a matter of whether they said hello or not. Nawaki's survival was a testament to Minato's presence, not the Mist's lack of lethality.
When do you plan to set out? Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.
Right now. It's better to resolve it early. Once the matter is settled, I'll just be the 'prodigal son' returning to the Village to turn myself in. Minato's voice was casual, yet there was an underlying sharpness to his words.
As Minato spoke, he looked at Kushina and Mikoto. You two stay in the Village and wait for me to come back.
...
Fine~
Kushina pouted, clearly reluctant. She hated being left behind, especially when Minato was heading into the thick of it.
Mikoto gently squeezed Minato's hand, her tone tender. Remember to come home early. Her eyes were soft, conveying a quiet confidence in his ability to handle whatever came his way.
Mhm—
Minato nodded. He appreciated their concern, even if he found it unnecessary. In his mind, the outcome was already determined.
Feeling the ambiguous atmosphere between the three, Nawaki looked on with a face full of disdain. He felt like a third—or rather, fourth—wheel in the room.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched. He didn't envy Minato's strength, but he truly envied this skill with girls! Even at eight years old, the boy had a harem in the making.
Leaving a small bag of Wood clone seeds for both Kushina and Mikoto, Minato used the Flying Thunder God to leave the Village. In a flash of yellow light, he vanished, leaving only the faint scent of ozone behind.
Immediately after, a piece of news that shocked all of Konoha spread from the Hokage Building—Konoha's yellow flash, the hero of the war, had publicly defected from the Village due to dissatisfaction with international pressure and high-level decisions, and even threatened to retaliate against the Villages that pressured Konoha!
Simultaneously, Hiruzen Sarutobi issued an official announcement to the various Villages of the Ninja World, the core content of which could be summarized as:
Minato Namikaze possesses the Flying Thunder God Technique, Wood Release, Light Release, and other abilities. Konoha can no longer effectively restrain his actions. Please strengthen your own defenses and respond appropriately. It was less of an apology and more of a threat wrapped in a warning.
Not long after the news was released, the Hokage Building was surrounded by a sea of villagers.
How is this possible? Lord Minato is a war hero, why would he defect?
Yeah, I really can't figure it out. I heard he was a Hokage candidate, why would he be so short-sighted?
It's all the fault of those countries. If they hadn't joined forces to pressure the Daimyos Mansion, Minato wouldn't have defected!
The crowd was in an uproar, but the various families only laughed it off when they heard the news, not taking it seriously at all. The Uchiha, Hyuga, and Nara heads knew exactly what was happening.
Sacrificing one person to ensure the continuation of a Family was something almost every Family had experienced, let alone Minato just cutting ties in name only. For Family Ninjas, this kind of thing was long since commonplace. It was a standard maneuver to protect the collective.
The other Villages could naturally think of this as well, but what could they do even if they did? They couldn't prove the defection was fake without capturing Minato—and catching him was impossible.
Defection happened in every Village. Anyone who wanted to condemn should first go catch their own Rogue Ninjas. It was a classic "glass house" scenario.
On the other side, Minato wasn't in a hurry to settle scores with the Hidden Mist. He moved with a leisurely pace, enjoying the freedom of the open road.
Instead, he first went to a nearby town to have a custom set of clothes made for himself. He needed a wardrobe that reflected his new status.
Once he put on the black coat with red clouds, the aura of a Rogue Ninja immediately intensified! The dark fabric contrasted sharply with his blonde hair, making him look like a phantom of the night.
Looking at the Minato Namikaze in the mirror—Akatsuki Organization Special Edition—Minato nodded in satisfaction. He liked the aesthetic; it felt more honest than the bright colors of a Konoha flak jacket.
Since he was defecting, he had to act the part. Minato took out a Kunai and carved a slash across his forehead protector. The sound of metal on metal was sharp and final.
You—you—
The clothing store owner almost wet his pants when he saw Minato's action. He stood trembling behind the counter, his eyes wide with terror.
This place wasn't far from Konoha, and he wasn't someone who hadn't seen a Ninja before; he naturally understood what Minato's action represented. A rogue was a dangerous, unpredictable thing.
Minato didn't explain. After paying the bill, he left. He didn't care about the man's fear; in fact, it was a useful tool to spread the legend of his fall.
He then spent two days wandering around the Land of Fire with his rogue forehead protector. He made sure to be seen, letting the rumors solidify into fact.
Estimating that the announcement of his defection had reached all the Villages, he finally went to the pier and took a merchant ship to the Land of Water. The sea air was cold and salty, a precursor to the environment of the Mist.
While Minato was calculating how to settle scores with the Third Mizukage, inside the Hidden Mist Village, the Third Mizukage looked at the announcement from Konoha. His eyes, which were usually squinted, were wide open, and his brain felt like it was buzzing.
Defected?
To be honest, he hadn't wanted to have a direct conflict with Minato at all. He just wanted to neutralize him as a strategic threat.
But as said before, if Minato wasn't restricted, then no one else could expand. The power balance was too skewed in Konoha's favor.
Furthermore, if the Land of Water and the Land of Wind went to war, and the Land of Wind paid a fortune to hire Minato, then what would be the point of playing? It would be a slaughter, not a battle.
Although it was somewhat inexplicable, from a procedural standpoint, there was nothing irregular about it. Konoha had followed the protocols for reporting a defection.
How could he defect?!
The Third Mizukage's voice was dry; this was definitely not the outcome he wanted. He had intended to cage the beast, not set it loose upon the world.
He had originally intended to unite the countries to apply pressure and bind this troublesome monster within Konoha's rules and responsibilities. A Genius constrained by a Village, no matter how strong, would still have room for negotiation and checks and balances. There were levers to pull, people to threaten.
According to his predictions, the probability of success was very high. After all, Minato was only eight years old, an age full of emotion. He should have been desperate for the approval of his peers and elders.
But he never expected that this kid wouldn't play by the rules and would defect on the spot! Minato had chosen the path of most resistance, the path of the outlaw.
While any discerning person could see that this so-called defection was just a show for outsiders, it effectively removed the Land of Fire and Konoha from the situation, leaving the countries that had applied pressure high and dry. They had no one left to complain to.
Minato Namikaze—
The Third Mizukage closed his eyes. This name made him feel more oppressed than the thick mist of the Hidden Mist Village. It felt like a weight pressing down on his chest, a premonition of disaster.
Flying Thunder God, Wood Release, Light Release, and an extreme speed that even the Third Kazekage couldn't resist—all possessed by a boy who now answered to no one.
The Village's barrier was practically non-existent to the opponent; it was impossible to predict when he would come or in what manner he would appear. He could be in the office right now, hidden in a shadow or a beam of light.
Perhaps in the next second, his Mizukage office building would be blown apart by Wood Release! The thought made his blood run cold.
BOOM!!!
Just as he was thinking, a violent explosion sounded from the Village gate—the sound of masonry shattering and steel buckling echoed through the mist-filled streets.
The Third Mizukage stood up abruptly, his expression grim. He gripped the edge of his desk, his knuckles turning white.
He's really here!
And so fast! The realization hit him like a physical blow. The game had truly begun, and the Mist was the first target.
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