"Where does this lead?"
"I don't know. I've got a fair amount of experience breaking into underground passages, that's all."
It seemed beginners weren't always unlucky. Despite lacking proper tools, expertise, or special abilities, Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze found a secret underground passage within just a few hours of searching the area marked by Sannai.
Opening a hidden door and heading underground was second nature to Kushina, so she had little trouble getting it open. She could also ensure they wouldn't be noticed—unless, of course, someone was already inside.
"My gut tells me something's really off down there—we might've hit the jackpot," Kushina said, staring into the dark depths of the square hatch-like opening.
Inside was pitch black.
Of course, they might've simply stumbled into an ordinary sewer and mistaken it for some grand hidden passage—feeling rather pleased with themselves in the process.
"Yeah, I'm not feeling great about this either," Minato nodded.
"Well then… let's get started." With that, Kushina prepared to dive straight into this "sewer."
She sure had become a classic 'act first, think later' type—no doubt about it.
But before she could jump in headfirst, Minato grabbed her arm from behind, stopping her impulsive move.
"What's wrong, Minato? We've come this far—we can't turn back now empty-handed. At the very least, we should scout around to gather intel for our next move," Kushina reasoned naturally.
But that wasn't exactly what she'd said earlier. Before arriving here, she'd insisted on pulling back immediately after finding any clues. Now, though, she seemed to have completely forgotten their original plan.
All one could say was that Kushina Uzumaki truly lived up to being Konoha's chosen successor, trained under Haseo.
"Going in alone isn't just risky—it could also tip off our enemies… Kushina, your mission is to locate someone specific, right? Once potential enemies realize we're active, those precious clues might vanish fast—that's what we should absolutely avoid," Minato explained.
His words left Kushina silent for a moment… because what he said made total sense.
Seeing that she was actually listening, Minato continued, "Okay then, you stay outside and keep watch. I'll go down briefly to check things out and come right back—ten minutes max. If I haven't returned in ten minutes, that means I'm in danger—you must leave immediately and seek help."
Kushina instinctively nodded. Then she watched as Minato slipped through the entrance and disappeared inside. It was only afterward that she realized something felt slightly off.
He described the situation as extremely dangerous, yet he charged ahead alone—taking all the risk while leaving her behind like a spectator. Truly, such selflessness was pure Konoha spirit.
However, Kushina felt deceived, as if her mission had been stolen from her... So everything Minato just said was just talk—purely to stop Kushina from going in.
Regarding Minato's actions, Kushina felt a bit resentful.
But that didn't stop her from finding these ten minutes of waiting extremely long.
As the time approached, Kushina grew more and more nervous. She mentally prepared herself for battle; if whoever came out of this entrance wasn't Minato, she'd kick them back inside without hesitation.
And if nobody showed up at all… Kushina gritted her teeth; she would have no choice but to go find Lord Haseo.
Luckily, right before the deadline, a tuft of yellow hair peeked out from the hole… Minato had returned on schedule.
The two exchanged no words. After quickly climbing up, Minato signaled with coded gestures for Kushina to help seal off the entrance back to its original state, then motioned for her to temporarily move away.
There were no signs of combat on Minato, yet clearly, he had become much more cautious than before.
Once they had put some safe distance between themselves, Minato began explaining the interior situation to Kushina:
"This area seems connected to the underground drainage system of Kagenami—or rather, it's disguised as one. The passageways are crisscrossed and winding, making it nearly impossible to navigate. An average person would easily get lost.
All of this is clearly intentional, meant to hide something important.
After I slightly probed deeper inside, I discovered a Defensive Barrier… This means whatever's hidden here is definitely worth attention.
So I came back immediately to avoid alerting anyone inside.
Kushina, this isn't something we can handle alone—we must report everything to Lord Haseo right away."
In no time at all, this guy barged right up to someone else's Barrier like it wasn't even there—Minato definitely did more than just "slightly" explore inside, contrary to his claim.
Regardless of whether or not he truly possesses great skills, Minato surely has a rare combination of bravery and meticulousness for his age; his qualities as a ninja are undeniably top-tier.
After hearing Minato's explanation, Kushina quieted down too, realizing how complicated the situation really was. Naturally, she wouldn't act impulsively anymore… Otherwise, all those lessons from Uzumaki Mito and Lord Haseo would've gone straight down the drain.
Thus, the pair made their way over to the secret underground base of Kagenami, where Kushina brought Minato into this covert organization for the very first time… Together, they reported directly to Lord Haseo.
"Shikou, assemble our people. Ka-jin and Sannai must be involved..."
After listening to the reports from these two young ones, Lord Haseo instantly decided to take action.
Kagenami had deployed many operatives, conducting extensive searches without success, yet these two twelve-year-olds fresh out of the Academy went out once and returned with the most critical intel—had they secretly joined a 'Junior Detective Team'?
Or perhaps Minato Namikaze was truly destined by heaven... Well, that description isn't quite accurate. A more precise and fitting term would be "Child of the Prophecy."
"Yes, Lord Haseo, Hatake..." Uzumaki Shikou hesitated slightly.
"Don't bring Sakumo Hatake," Haseo said firmly.
In situations like this, Sakumo Hatake wouldn't just fail to help—he'd likely only become a liability.
"I understand."
Uzumaki Shikou immediately went out to relay the orders.
"You two did well. You both know where the entrance is?" Lord Haseo asked with a smile.
"Yes, Lord Haseo," Kushina and Minato answered simultaneously.
Haseo nodded. "Good. Saves us time... Kushina, you can go serve your detention now. Find a spot yourself and have one of the outside ninja lock you up. That's the fate of any ninja who disobeys orders."
There was no need for both of them to lead the way.
"I..."
Kushina was startled. This wasn't fair. I've bled for Kagenami! I've been wounded for Uzumaki... She wanted to say it, but she never got the chance.
"Don't try arguing with adults at times like this. Smart kids just obediently serve their punishment."
Kids who tried reasoning with parents usually ended up with one outcome—learning firsthand what "double trouble" really meant.
The way Lord Haseo said it gave everyone the shivers, so Kushina decided to be a smart kid.
Shortly afterward, the group assembled. The two specifically named by Haseo were naturally among them.
(End of Chapter)
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