Main Gate, Konoha Ninja Village:
Minato arrived at the village gate, dusty from his journey. Mikoto stood waiting, as if she'd known he'd arrive.
Minato had sensed her familiar chakra long before reaching her, but when he finally saw her face, he could see deep worry etched across it.
Shuu!
He used the Shifting Body Technique, appearing right in front of Mikoto in a flash.
"Minato, you're finally back!" Mikoto said anxiously, speaking fast.
Seeing her like this sent a slight pang through Minato's heart, but he still asked calmly, "What happened?"
"It's Kushina... Something's happened to her..." Mikoto immediately replied.
Though Minato had a bad feeling already, Mikoto's expression told him it was worse than he'd imagined.
"Where is she now?" His usual calm blue eyes widened with panic.
"Training Ground Seven." Mikoto answered.
After hearing that, Minato turned sharply toward the three men behind him. "Senior colleagues, please head back first. Later I'll personally report the mission status to Hokage-sama."
"Let's go!"
With that, Minato grabbed Mikoto's hand, activating the body flicker technique. They vanished in a gust of wind, leaving only swirling air where they'd stood.
"Minato… what exactly happened?"
A ninja named Senkawa looked puzzled. In their eyes, Minato was always calm and mature beyond his age — despite being so young.
This mission even earned Takumi Fujihara's praise.
It was the first time they'd seen Minato so shaken...
...
Minato didn't even wait for details as he rushed Mikoto forward. Within less than two minutes, the pair reached the edge of Training Ground Seven.
By then, Minato had already sensed Kushina's chaotic chakra — her emotions were clearly unstable.
Shuu! Shuu!
In an instant, they landed within the training ground.
Beside Kushina stood Nawaki and Shurou, while she kept punching a massive tree trunk with relentless force.
Boom!
The tree shook violently, sending fresh new leaves flying in all directions.
As Kushina threw another punch, someone caught her wrist mid-swing.
It was Minato.
Glancing around, Minato spotted over a dozen Anbu hiding throughout the field.
But he paid them no mind — what truly caught his attention were Kushina's hands, wrapped in bandages soaked red with blood.
"Please, stop hurting yourself," Minato said, his voice trembling slightly. He couldn't remain calm.
Kushina looked up at him, locking eyes briefly before burying her face in his chest, softly sobbing into his shoulder.
Her quiet sobs made Minato's heart tighten.
"You're finally back," Nawaki and Shurou said at the same time.
"Thank you for looking after Kushina," Minato said gratefully. He knew Nawaki, Shurou, and Mikoto had been watching over Kushina for a long while now.
"What are you saying? Kushina is our friend too. But none of us could talk her out of it..." Nawaki sighed, then his expression shifted again. "This time, the Third Hokage went way too far. I'll go talk to him again!"
"Nawaki Sempai, let me handle this matter," Minato immediately interjected. Even without knowing all the details, he could guess the whole story.
"You've all worked hard these days. Let me spend some time alone with her," Minato glanced at the three with a hint of apology.
"Okay." Understanding his intention, they didn't say anything else and left Training Ground Seven directly.
...
Kushina was still crying into his chest when Minato's gaze hardened slightly. At a certain moment, he finally spoke.
"Kushina, I know everything about your situation."
The moment he spoke, Kushina stopped crying instantly. She lifted her head from Minato's chest, her eyes widening.
"What do you know?" Kushina quickly denied, because she didn't know exactly what he meant.
She herself understood that being the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was a secret. So even if it was Minato, she had to act this way.
Seeing that Kushina was still hiding things from him, Minato didn't feel hurt; instead, he smiled slightly.
He never once doubted Kushina's feelings for him. But the way she acted showed just how much she'd grown up.
Then Minato leaned close to her ear and whispered softly, "The Nine-Tails. The Third Hokage told me."
Kushina's body trembled abruptly. Then she faced Minato and stared at him, asking, "He actually told you? Why?"
"Just consider it a reward for my battle achievements," Minato chuckled lightly, yet he noticed the flicker of unease in Kushina's eyes.
So he pulled Kushina into his arms and smiled, saying, "You silly goose, what are you thinking about? No matter what identity you have, I will always be by your side."
His words echoed in her ears, completely dispelling her slight anxiety.
She felt much calmer.
She'd really been overthinking it. After all, she'd known from the start that Minato would always stay true to himself—unwavering.
After embracing for a while, they separated. Looking at Kushina, Minato asked, "Are you so upset because you failed the Chunin Exams?"
"Did Mikoto tell you everything?" Kushina's tone darkened slightly.
Minato explained, "No, actually, I already knew the result before I went on that mission."
"Because you thought I wasn't strong enough?" Hearing this, Kushina's expression became gloomy.
"Your strength is absolutely not in question... The reason I know the outcome in advance is because I understand exactly what the Third Hokage was thinking. He should have already explained it to you, right?"
Minato said. Guessing the Third Hokage's thoughts wasn't hard for him at all. Furthermore, he also knew that behind Kushina's failure in this exam, there had to be others besides the Third who made that decision.
Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and especially Danzo Shimura, who would absolutely oppose such a matter—
But these kinds of secrets hidden behind the scenes, the Third definitely wouldn't tell Kushina.
"He did explain, but no matter how I think about it, I just can't understand. If it's according to what the Third Hokage said, then I'll never become a ninja for my entire life!"
Kushina said, her voice tinged with hurt, her big eyes gradually reddening.
"Don't worry, leave this matter to me. I'll go talk to the Third Hokage!" As Kushina's spirits sank even lower, Minato suddenly spoke up.
Saying so, he reached out and gently wiped away the tears forming on Kushina's cheeks.
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