"It's actually quite simple. It's just about seeing things from another person's perspective," Minato said with a smile.
Nawaki Sempai nodded and said, "Now I finally understand. But the world really is strange. Even when neither side is wrong, there are still no good outcomes..."
As for this question, even Minato couldn't explain.
And not only him—even Hashirama Senju, the Hokage who ended the warring era, or even the legendary ninja progenitor, the Sage of Six Paths, had no answer to this.
Jiraiya-sensei had also asked Minato this exact question before, and this was an answer they were both still searching for.
"I can't offer an answer right now either, but I promised my teacher that one day, I will find the truth," Minato said lightly, smiling.
"Right!" Nawaki Sempai nodded firmly. "Then let's go find it together."
"Thank you for trusting me so much and sharing all this with me," Minato said.
Nawaki Sempai stood up from the broken rubble pile, stretched his arms, and smiled. "Of course. Because I know you and I are the same—we'd both give everything for the village."
He gave Minato a sidelong look, and after a brief pause, Minato returned the smile.
Minato had once risked his life for the village, and this time, he would remain unchanged.
"How about another round?" Minato rose as well, smiling.
At these words, Nawaki Sempai winced slightly and replied, "No thanks. Our current skill levels are too far apart—you could practically be my teacher now."
Minato chuckled awkwardly.
Seeing his reaction, Nawaki Sempai felt more cheerful and continued, "Besides, I don't feel like training anymore. Why don't you come with me and meet someone?"
"You mean Sarutobi Ao Sempai, right?"
That was what Minato guessed. After saving Nawaki Sempai previously, the latter had told him everything that happened after the Chakra Aptitude Test.
Sarutobi Ao had been protecting Nawaki during that incident and had one of his legs crippled by a Jonin from Sunagakure. He had lost the ability to be a ninja forever.
Since then, he could only help out at the Sarutobi Clan's family store.
That was how Minato judged it at the time.
"Yeah. To be honest, I've never had the courage to face him until now," Nawaki Sempai said bitterly. "But some things I must confront because...I owe him."
"Hearing you say that shows that you've grown. However, I believe Ao Sempai wouldn't see it that way. You owe him nothing."
"Because if it had been you caught in danger, I'm sure you'd have done exactly the same for Ao Sempai," Minato added.
Without hesitation, Nawaki Sempai instantly replied, "Of course!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he suddenly froze, staring at Minato with a shocked expression. Then he said, "I get it now!"
"Good," Minato smiled. "Then let's go."
"Mm," Nawaki Sempai acknowledged. Moments later, the two swiftly leapt from Training Ground Seven and sped away.
...
Later on, Nawaki Sempai and Minato met up with Sarutobi Ao, and the inner conflicts each held within their hearts were finally resolved between them.
Sarutobi Ao had also come to terms with his inability to become a ninja. After all, compared to those who had died in the wars, simply being alive was more important than anything else.
The three spent a little time together, then Nawaki got back to his training. Minato said his goodbyes.
He returned home...
Minato's expression remained heavy ever since parting ways with Nawaki.
Back inside his room, he murmured to himself, "This matter is far more complicated than we imagined."
In his mind echoed Senior Minato's voice: "Indeed… Lady Tsunade specifically fabricated this explanation just to reassure Nawaki—or perhaps even she herself has been deceived."
"Perhaps once that was true, but now she likely knows the truth."
Minato spoke like someone well aware of Lady Tsunade's political skills—after all, she had served as Konoha's commander-in-chief during their war with the Land of Wind.
What Nawaki had said earlier—that the Senju clan sought accountability from Kumogakure due to The Second Hokage's death—seemed reasonable on the surface. But only those truly exposed to politics understood how utterly impossible that was.
The Senju were once known as the greatest clan in the Ninja World—not just because both the First and Second Hokage hailed from their ranks. Much like the Uchiha Clan, whose fame peaked under Madara Uchiha yet still endured long after his passing, the Senju's prestige stemmed from the deep strength within their lineage itself.
Therefore, while some within the Senju might have suggested accountability at the time, such an idea could never have represented the majority.
The Senju had survived through the Warring States era for a reason—all of them were clearly cut from a different cloth.
So, who exactly created this lie—and what were they trying to conceal?
Moreover, where had all the members of the Senju clan gone?
Neither the records in Konoha nor Minato's knowledge of the past decades of Ninja World history contained any mention of ninja bearing the Senju name.
Even after the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools and the Uzumaki clan, Konoha had managed to locate Kushina—one of the last surviving Uzumakis.
Compared to the Uzumaki, the Senju were undoubtedly far more numerous. Such a massive clan couldn't just disappear into thin air.
But Minato's concerns extended beyond just the mysterious disappearance of the Senju.
After today's conversation, even the circumstances of The Second Hokage's death now seemed suspicious to him.
During the final stages of the First Great Ninja War, Konoha and Kumogakure formed an alliance. Yet during that very alliance ceremony, Kinkaku and Ginkaku's squad—a group of traitors from Kumogakure—launched a surprise attack.
The Second Raikage died instantly, while The Second Hokage appeared to perish alongside Kinkaku, Ginkaku, and their elite forces.
Minato hadn't previously dwelled upon these historical events, but now it suddenly seemed odd—his death bore signs of something suspicious.
According to what he knew, Kinkaku and Ginkaku's unit were quite large. If The Second had truly fought them to mutual annihilation, then the battle must have lasted for quite some time.
Even if The Second was trying to provide cover for The Third and others at that time, maintaining such a prolonged defense should have given everyone else ample time to escape.
Moreover, using The Second's Space-Time Ninjutsu, escaping from the harassment of the Gold and Silver Horns squad should have been extremely easy.
Minato himself was the greatest practitioner of [Flying Thunder God Technique]. Frankly speaking, even if the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha were still alive, Minato might not stand a chance in battle—but escaping with Space-Time Ninjutsu wouldn't have been hard.
After all, the Gold and Silver Horns squad were no match for the First and Madara.
More and more doubts surfaced in Minato's mind, and even after discussing it between the two of them, they couldn't make any progress.
The only thing certain was that something was clearly off about the disappearance of the Senju clan and the death of The Second Hokage...
...
...
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