Namikaze Minato asked him what he wanted.
Truth be told, Shiba Kiyokawa wanted a lot.
The Land of Rain was plagued by war and poverty—everything was in short supply.
He couldn't even find a proper way to learn a single B-rank or higher jutsu.
But reason kept whispering to him: don't push too hard.
If he overplayed his hand and negotiations broke down, the situation might spiral into a "Wait, what?! He fought Minato?!" kind of disaster.
If he could act without restraint, he would've killed Obito the moment they clashed.
But unfortunately… he couldn't.
Navigating that fine line—securing the most benefit without tearing things apart—was itself a daunting challenge.
His mind quickly filtered through countless scenarios before he finally opened his mouth.
"Lord Namikaze Minato, since you've come to clarify the Land of Rain's stance, I need a commitment from you in return. I want a formal written statement—acknowledging the Land of Rain's neutral status in this Shinobi World War and guaranteeing that Konoha will notify the Amegakure in advance of any cross-border operations.
As long as your side honors this agreement, we will not become Konoha's enemy.
But if your side breaks this promise and sends shinobi into our territory without warning, we reserve the right to eliminate any intruding Konoha personnel.
And any casualties arising from such violations will be Konoha's responsibility, not ours."
After careful thought, Kiyokawa suppressed his greed and gave up on demanding high-risk techniques like the Flying Thunder God.
Instead, he chose to ask Minato for a statement.
Because he understood—Konoha was in a tight spot and had no interest in starting a full-scale war with the Land of Rain. Minato, in particular, was the perfect person to leverage.
Kiyokawa hadn't forgotten—according to fate, the downfall of both himself and the Akatsuki would come at the hands of two people: Hanzo the Salamander, current leader of the Land of Rain… and Shimura Danzo, the shadowy puppet master of Konoha.
The system's future death logs had shown that many of his fatal outcomes were tied to Konoha—and this was why!
What he was doing now was laying a trap for Danzo.
He didn't expect the statement to stop ROOT's schemes entirely. But with this document in hand, if ROOT shinobi ever trespassed into the Land of Rain again, he could strike first—eliminate them outright.
And he wouldn't have to worry about drawing Konoha's full wrath.
If Konoha tried to deny the legitimacy of the statement?
That's where Minato's identity came in—
Minato was the unanimous favorite among Konoha's leadership to become the next Hokage, second only to Danzo in political weight—and Sarutobi Hiruzen's personal favorite.
Once the statement spread, Kiyokawa would make sure everyone knew who signed it.
With luck, he could even use it to drive a wedge between Danzo and the other village elders.
A two-birds-with-one-stone strategy.
This— was the true key to breaking the shackles of fate.
For this, Kiyokawa was willing to forgo a chance at blackmailing for jutsu.
Even more importantly, this condition wouldn't offend Minato. It would protect both himself and Konan to the greatest extent.
Minato, without any foresight into the future, couldn't possibly anticipate the consequences of this document. In fact, he even felt somewhat relieved.
Konoha was under siege on all sides and had no plans to provoke the Land of Rain. Officially recognizing their neutrality didn't harm Konoha's interests—in Minato's view, at least.
He had no way of knowing that back in his own village, a certain elder who delighted in chaos would one day cough blood over this very agreement.
Right now, Minato even thought the other party seemed "reasonable."
He offered a slightly apologetic explanation, "My personal promise may not represent the village's final decision. Are you sure it's alright for me to issue this in my own name?"
Kiyokawa replied confidently, "I have high hopes for your future. I believe you will become the next Hokage. A statement in your name will suffice—let this be my bet on you."
When you're away from home, sometimes your identity is what you make of it.
If I say you're the next Hokage when I publicize the statement, what's Sarutobi going to do—pop out of nowhere and shut me up?
And knowing Sarutobi Hiruzen's temperament, once this snowballed, he'd likely let it slide.
After all, that Hokage had once endured even when Kumogakure kidnapped the Hyuga clan's heiress inside Konoha—he'd definitely swallow his pride over something like this.
Minato, of course, couldn't imagine Kiyokawa's scheming.
At the moment, he even felt that Kiyokawa was surprisingly... agreeable.
"Do you have paper? If not, I can have my companion fetch you a blank sheet."
Kiyokawa turned to Konan.
Without a word, Konan silently removed a piece of white paper and handed it to him.
Minato shook his head politely. "No need, I have a blank scroll with me."
Now that he was sure Kiyokawa didn't intend to extort them for jutsu, his demeanor relaxed significantly.
Still, Kiyokawa didn't lower his guard. Seeing Minato pull out a scroll, he discreetly passed the paper back to Konan.
But the moment she took it, her fingers paused briefly.
She had handed him a blank sheet.
But now, a line of small characters had appeared:
"Use a paper butterfly to summon Nagato to the border forest—immediately!"
Of course Kiyokawa knew Minato was a good man.
But he would never wager his life and everything he had on someone's kindness.
Things were peaceful now only because Konan still had Rin under her control.
But once they released the hostage, they'd be at Minato's mercy—and neither he nor Konan could possibly win in a direct fight against the adult Minato.
So… backup was essential.
Once Minato finished writing the agreement, he tossed the scroll over.
Kiyokawa caught it and gave it a quick look before saying, "Next, we ask you to retreat with us to the border. Once it's confirmed that you've left the Land of Rain, we'll immediately release your comrade."
Of course, this was just a stalling tactic—to buy time until Nagato arrived.
Would fourteen-year-old Nagato be able to stop Minato? Who knew?
But at the very least, the Rinnegan should allow for mutual deterrence.
"Hey! My teacher already wrote what you asked for—why haven't you released Rin yet?!"
That could only be Obito yelling.
Kiyokawa didn't even bother responding. He shot him a look that said I don't argue with idiots, which made Obito grind his teeth in frustration—powerless to do anything.
Minato glanced subtly at Konan. His face remained calm, but it was clear he was beginning to put the pieces together.
"It seems you have your own concerns. Alright. Let's return to the border together as agreed."
Just then, someone who had been silent all this time suddenly spoke—Kakashi.
And what he said nearly sparked an internal war, forcing Obito to leap to his feet in rage.
"Sensei," Kakashi asked, "if we go back like this… what happens to our mission?"
"Are you out of your damn mind, Kakashi?! At a time like this, you're still thinking about the mission?! Rin is still in that paper woman's hands—you cold-blooded bastard!"
Seeing Kakashi's cold, detached expression, Obito exploded.
And Kiyokawa couldn't help but chuckle.
Now this was entertaining.
At this point, he wasn't worried about Kakashi's obsessions.
Because he knew—Minato was the one calling the shots, and Minato had already agreed.
Still, watching Kakashi's twisted, stubborn, and incomprehensible behavior, Kiyokawa couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile reminiscent of Kirei Kotomine.
This was... way too amusing.