Minato's smile faltered—just for a moment. He'd always believed his grin was charming enough to defuse tension, especially when dealing with an angry redhead. But now, faced with this stranger's blank expression, his confidence wavered.
Seiran tilted his head, studying the blond jonin. "So you're Kakashi's instructor? First I'm hearing of you."
"Minato Namikaze," he said, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you. Though I wish it were under better circumstances."
They shook hands briefly before Minato's demeanor shifted, becoming all business.
"The war's begun," he said, his tone hardening. "The Third Hokage is concerned about your safety in the Land of Grass. He sent me to bring you back. There's a strategy meeting happening now—your firsthand intel from the front could make a real difference if we hurry."
Seiran nodded, absorbing this.
"One more thing," Minato added, already moving toward the grassland's edge. "I use a forbidden technique called the Flying Thunder God Technique. It lets me teleport instantly, but I need a marked location. Since I haven't set one here, I'll have to use an alternative method."
He grabbed Seiran's forearm. "Take a breath and don't panic."
A yellow flash consumed them both.
The world twisted. Seiran's stomach lurched violently as space warped around him, and he crashed onto solid ground with enough force to send him stumbling. The sensation faded as quickly as it came—vertigo, pressure, then nothing.
He straightened, testing his balance. His insides felt scrambled, but intact.
Not pleasant, but survivable.
"You alright?" Minato asked, looking surprised at Seiran's quick recovery.
"Fine."
The blonde's expression shifted to genuine astonishment. Most people needed several minutes to adjust to spatial displacement. Minato remembered vomiting for hours the first time he'd traveled this way.
Then his face went red.
He'd instinctively returned to his bedroom—which was not presentation-ready. Scattered across the unmade bed were photographs of a red-haired woman in various poses, some suggestive, others intimate. Seiran was staring directly at them.
"I—I can explain!" Minato yelped, rushing over to yank the quilt up and bury the evidence.
Seiran's lips twitched with barely suppressed amusement.
"We should get to the Hokage's office," Seiran said evenly. "The war takes priority."
Minato's face remained crimson as they hurried toward the building.
---
Hokage Building – Conference Room
The long oak table was ringed with Konoha's military leadership, every face etched with tension. The Third Hokage sat at the head, fingers steepled beneath his chin.
"Intelligence confirms a massive Iwagakure force has mobilized in the Land of Grass," Hiruzen announced gravely. "War is no longer theoretical. It's imminent."
A bandaged figure leaned forward, his single visible eye glinting with predatory amusement. Danzo Shimura, Konoha's darkest asset.
"Iwagakure has grown arrogant," he sneered. "Have they forgotten what we did to them in the Second War?"
"If it were only Iwagakure, we could manage," Hiruzen continued, drawing a slow breath. "But our scouts report the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure has vanished. The new Kazekage, Rasa, has already declared war on us."
The room fell silent. Two major villages. Simultaneously.
The weight of it pressed down like a physical thing.
The door slid open. Minato entered, Seiran behind him, both moving quickly to the empty seats at the back.
"My apologies for the delay," Minato said.
Hiruzen nodded approvingly. "Good. Now we can begin."
Seiran's gaze swept across the assembled faces—the elder advisors Koharu and Homura, Jiraiya lounging with practiced casualness, Tsunade sitting stiffly, and Orochimaru watching everything with cold calculation. The Sannin. Living legends.
Then Orochimaru's lips curved into a smile that never reached his eyes.
A chill traced Seiran's spine.
He turned his head and found Danzo staring at him with the intensity of a hawk studying prey. The old man's single eye burned with interrogation, dissecting, judging. Seiran held the gaze steady, refusing to look away.
Let him look. Seiran's electromagnetic manipulation had reached level four. If Danzo wanted to test him, Seiran would show him exactly why that was a mistake.
Minato shifted uncomfortably, sensing the tension.
Hiruzen continued outlining the situation. Minato had fought the A and B brothers of Kumogakure repeatedly before being recalled due to Iwagakure's overwhelming numbers. That meant only Kirigakure remained neutral for now.
Four shinobi villages moving. A coordinated offensive against the Leaf Village.
"Here are the deployments," Hiruzen said, his voice steady and absolute. "Danzo and Jiraiya, you'll lead four thousand shinobi against Iwagakure. Orochimaru, you'll command the Sand Village front with three thousand. Tsunade, coordinate medical support."
His gaze shifted to Minato and Seiran.
"Minato, you and Seiran will reinforce the Sand Village battlefield temporarily. Once we assess the situation with Kumogakure, I'll reassign resources."
"Understood," Minato replied.
Seiran's pulse quickened. The Third Hokage was pairing him with Minato intentionally. The Flying Thunder God Technique combined with his electromagnetic manipulation would create devastating synergy.
An opening to study his jutsu. Finally.
Seiran's lips curved in the faintest smile, barely perceptible to anyone watching.
The meeting continued, logistics and supply lines discussed in methodical detail, but his mind was already ahead—calculating angles, possibilities, the perfect moment to turn the Yellow Flash's most legendary technique into his own.