With a mind full of worries, Minato Namikaze walked out of the Hokage Tower. After hesitating for a moment, he vanished from the spot using the Body Flicker Technique (Shunshin no Jutsu).
Not long after, Minato appeared beside a vast river, standing quietly as he waited.
The river was called the Naka River, located just south of Konohagakure. During the Warring States Period, it had been the territory and ancestral homeland of the Uchiha Clan.
"Caw, caw, caw…"
A moment later, a crow fluttered down onto a large tree more than ten meters away.
Minato looked toward the sound.
The crow's eye rotated slightly—
And quietly transformed into a three-tomoe Sharingan.
Minato's vision blurred for a moment, yet he made no attempt to resist, allowing the crow to pull him into a genjutsu.
Inside the Genjutsu
Within a crimson-colored space, Uchiha Ren appeared opposite Minato.
"Minato, didn't we agree that you would reduce contact after returning to the village? Why are you looking for me in such a hurry?"
Minato smiled bitterly.
"I didn't want to either. But the Third Hokage told me some things that left me uncertain. I thought I should inform you."
Ren nodded, but instead of immediately asking what Hiruzen had said, he stared at Minato with a strange expression.
"You didn't come straight to me the moment you left the Hokage Tower… did you?"
Minato froze for a moment.
Then he nodded blankly.
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
Ren sighed.
First, he silently observed three seconds of sympathy for Minato in his heart.
Then he looked at him with pity.
"The moment you entered the village, Kushina probably already knew you had returned."
"If you went to the Hokage Tower first to report your mission, she could accept that."
"But if you left the Hokage Tower and still didn't go to see her immediately…"
Ren didn't finish the sentence.
Instead, he simply gave Minato a good luck surviving this look.
Minato finally realized the problem.
His body trembled slightly, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Kushina Uzumaki.
The mother of the future Child of Prophecy, the second Nine-Tails jinchuriki of Konoha, and Minato's current fiancée.
But none of those titles were the real issue.
The real problem was—
Kushina was famously hot-tempered, earning the nickname "Red-Hot Habanero."
When she wasn't angry, everything was fine.
But when she did get angry—
She didn't care who you were.
Even Minato Namikaze wouldn't receive any special treatment.
Originally, this reunion should have been a warm and affectionate scene after a long separation.
But thanks to his single oversight…
It might very well turn into a personal hell of punishment.
Minato was genuinely panicking now.
He even forgot about the serious matter and blurted out:
"Ren —save me!"
Only when facing Kushina would Minato lose his composure like this.
Ren thought for a moment before replying:
"I'll have Yakushi Nono prepare a bouquet and a cake for you. When you head back later, pick them up from the orphanage."
"The rest will depend on you."
Ren himself was also rather… wary of Kushina.
So he had no intention of getting too deeply involved.
"That's a huge help!"
Minato's eyes lit up with relief.
If he could say he had gone to prepare a gift, that would at least be a legitimate excuse.
Ren shook his head.
"Alright, don't waste time. Tell me what happened."
Minato's expression became serious again.
He immediately recounted everything Hiruzen Sarutobi had said in the Hokage's Office.
After finishing, he frowned.
"I don't know why, but I feel the Third Hokage is rushing things too much."
"Like you once said—when something unusual happens, there's usually something suspicious behind it. I have a bad feeling."
Ren pondered briefly before letting out a cold laugh.
"Heh. Minato, you're overthinking it."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't want to step down—"
"He's simply forced to."
"Forced?" Minato frowned. "What do you mean?"
Ren explained calmly.
"Rumors always leave traces. Even if the rumors targeting Hiruzen are suppressed, they won't truly disappear."
"They'll simply lie buried beneath the soil… waiting for the day they sprout again."
"The current situation in the village is turbulent. Too many people are targeting him."
"If he continues sitting in that position, those rumors might explode again at any moment and completely destroy his reputation."
"So if he wants to land safely, the only option is to take a step back now, avoid the center of the storm, and protect himself."
"But until the Fourth Hokage officially takes office…"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi is still the most powerful person in the village."
"I have to admit—it's a clever move."
"With the mere title of 'former Hokage,' he avoids many risks."
Minato nodded in realization.
Then he gave a helpless smile.
"It seems my thinking still hasn't fully adapted. I'm a bit slow when it comes to these political matters."
Ever since he began learning about political maneuvering, Minato sometimes felt his mind struggling to keep up.
He even wondered whether he was truly suited to become Hokage.
In many areas he was a once-in-a-generation genius.
But in matters like these—
He was somewhat like the First Hokage, a bit straightforward and naïve.
Seeing this, Ren spoke reassuringly.
"Minato, you shouldn't underestimate yourself."
"Hiruzen relies on such schemes only because his strength and prestige are insufficient. He needs political tricks to maintain control."
"But you're different."
"You have talent comparable to the First Hokage."
"As long as your strength continues to grow, there will be nothing to fear."
"In the face of absolute power, all conspiracies and schemes are nothing but paper tigers."
This world, after all, was a high-power shinobi world, very different from ordinary ones.
In a normal world, personal strength was merely supplementary—character and strategy mattered more.
But in a world like this—
If an individual's power surpassed a certain threshold, they could dominate everything.
Just like Orochimaru in Otogakure or Pain in Amegakure.
Because their strength exceeded the limits of their villages, they were treated like gods.
Whatever they said became absolute.
The same applied to Konoha.
If Minato—or Ren —surpassed the limits of the village in strength, then people like Hiruzen Sarutobi would be nothing more than clowns jumping on a stage.
Minato nodded firmly.
"Don't worry. I won't slack off in my training."
"Good."
Ren smiled.
"But Hiruzen confirming his retirement is still good news."
"I've already prepared a surprise for you."
"I'm just waiting for the day you become the Fourth Hokage."
"A surprise?"
Minato looked puzzled.
Ren gave a meaningful smile.
"I guarantee it."
"This surprise will definitely make you feel very… surprised."
With a mind full of worries, Minato Namikaze walked out of the Hokage Tower. After hesitating for a moment, he vanished from the spot using the Body Flicker Technique (Shunshin no Jutsu).
Not long after, Minato appeared beside a vast river, standing quietly as he waited.
The river was called the Naka River, located just south of Konohagakure. During the Warring States Period, it had been the territory and ancestral homeland of the Uchiha Clan.
"Caw, caw, caw…"
A moment later, a crow fluttered down onto a large tree more than ten meters away.
Minato looked toward the sound.
The crow's eye rotated slightly—
And quietly transformed into a three-tomoe Sharingan.
Minato's vision blurred for a moment, yet he made no attempt to resist, allowing the crow to pull him into a genjutsu.
Inside the Genjutsu
Within a crimson-colored space, Uchiha Ren appeared opposite Minato.
"Minato, didn't we agree that you would reduce contact after returning to the village? Why are you looking for me in such a hurry?"
Minato smiled bitterly.
"I didn't want to either. But the Third Hokage told me some things that left me uncertain. I thought I should inform you."
Ren nodded, but instead of immediately asking what Hiruzen had said, he stared at Minato with a strange expression.
"You didn't come straight to me the moment you left the Hokage Tower… did you?"
Minato froze for a moment.
Then he nodded blankly.
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
Ren sighed.
First, he silently observed three seconds of sympathy for Minato in his heart.
Then he looked at him with pity.
"The moment you entered the village, Kushina probably already knew you had returned."
"If you went to the Hokage Tower first to report your mission, she could accept that."
"But if you left the Hokage Tower and still didn't go to see her immediately…"
Ren didn't finish the sentence.
Instead, he simply gave Minato a good luck surviving this look.
Minato finally realized the problem.
His body trembled slightly, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Kushina Uzumaki.
The mother of the future Child of Prophecy, the second Nine-Tails jinchuriki of Konoha, and Minato's current fiancée.
But none of those titles were the real issue.
The real problem was—
Kushina was famously hot-tempered, earning the nickname "Red-Hot Habanero."
When she wasn't angry, everything was fine.
But when she did get angry—
She didn't care who you were.
Even Minato Namikaze wouldn't receive any special treatment.
Originally, this reunion should have been a warm and affectionate scene after a long separation.
But thanks to his single oversight…
It might very well turn into a personal hell of punishment.
Minato was genuinely panicking now.
He even forgot about the serious matter and blurted out:
"Ren —save me!"
Only when facing Kushina would Minato lose his composure like this.
Ren thought for a moment before replying:
"I'll have Yakushi Nono prepare a bouquet and a cake for you. When you head back later, pick them up from the orphanage."
"The rest will depend on you."
Ren himself was also rather… wary of Kushina.
So he had no intention of getting too deeply involved.
"That's a huge help!"
Minato's eyes lit up with relief.
If he could say he had gone to prepare a gift, that would at least be a legitimate excuse.
Ren shook his head.
"Alright, don't waste time. Tell me what happened."
Minato's expression became serious again.
He immediately recounted everything Hiruzen Sarutobi had said in the Hokage's Office.
After finishing, he frowned.
"I don't know why, but I feel the Third Hokage is rushing things too much."
"Like you once said—when something unusual happens, there's usually something suspicious behind it. I have a bad feeling."
Ren pondered briefly before letting out a cold laugh.
"Heh. Minato, you're overthinking it."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't want to step down—"
"He's simply forced to."
"Forced?" Minato frowned. "What do you mean?"
Ren explained calmly.
"Rumors always leave traces. Even if the rumors targeting Hiruzen are suppressed, they won't truly disappear."
"They'll simply lie buried beneath the soil… waiting for the day they sprout again."
"The current situation in the village is turbulent. Too many people are targeting him."
"If he continues sitting in that position, those rumors might explode again at any moment and completely destroy his reputation."
"So if he wants to land safely, the only option is to take a step back now, avoid the center of the storm, and protect himself."
"But until the Fourth Hokage officially takes office…"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi is still the most powerful person in the village."
"I have to admit—it's a clever move."
"With the mere title of 'former Hokage,' he avoids many risks."
Minato nodded in realization.
Then he gave a helpless smile.
"It seems my thinking still hasn't fully adapted. I'm a bit slow when it comes to these political matters."
Ever since he began learning about political maneuvering, Minato sometimes felt his mind struggling to keep up.
He even wondered whether he was truly suited to become Hokage.
In many areas he was a once-in-a-generation genius.
But in matters like these—
He was somewhat like the First Hokage, a bit straightforward and naïve.
Seeing this, Ren spoke reassuringly.
"Minato, you shouldn't underestimate yourself."
"Hiruzen relies on such schemes only because his strength and prestige are insufficient. He needs political tricks to maintain control."
"But you're different."
"You have talent comparable to the First Hokage."
"As long as your strength continues to grow, there will be nothing to fear."
"In the face of absolute power, all conspiracies and schemes are nothing but paper tigers."
This world, after all, was a high-power shinobi world, very different from ordinary ones.
In a normal world, personal strength was merely supplementary—character and strategy mattered more.
But in a world like this—
If an individual's power surpassed a certain threshold, they could dominate everything.
Just like Orochimaru in Otogakure or Pain in Amegakure.
Because their strength exceeded the limits of their villages, they were treated like gods.
Whatever they said became absolute.
The same applied to Konoha.
If Minato—or Ren —surpassed the limits of the village in strength, then people like Hiruzen Sarutobi would be nothing more than clowns jumping on a stage.
Minato nodded firmly.
"Don't worry. I won't slack off in my training."
"Good."
Ren smiled.
"But Hiruzen confirming his retirement is still good news."
"I've already prepared a surprise for you."
"I'm just waiting for the day you become the Fourth Hokage."
"A surprise?"
Minato looked puzzled.
Ren gave a meaningful smile.
"I guarantee it."
"This surprise will definitely make you feel very… surprised."
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