Minato looked at Sara—her face full of doubt and self-denial—as he tried to help her understand the truth.
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry that you were deceived by that man."
Sara cut him off before he could finish, clenching her fists in frustration and growing fury.
Right now, she believed the Konoha ninja standing before her had ulterior motives and was trying to drive a wedge between her and Minister Mukade.
"Your words mean nothing to me!"
"Compared to Minister Mukade, you Konoha ninjas—who suddenly appeared out of nowhere—are far more suspicious!"
She pointed at Naruto, Minato, Shikaku, and Chōza, then turned her gaze to Uchiha Hikaru, who was leaning casually against the wall. Her words were full of confidence and pride.
"Minister Mukade told me this morning."
"Lord Hikaru has just accepted a mission from the Konoha shinobi!"
Minato turned toward Uchiha Hikaru, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
That didn't make sense. Wasn't Lord Hikaru also someone who had traveled back from the future?
Just then, Uchiha Hikaru raised a finger to his lips and winked.
Minato understood immediately. Hikaru must have his own reasons for staying quiet. For now, it was best not to reveal anything.
But Naruto, standing nearby, wasn't thinking that far ahead. He stared at Hikaru, completely stunned.
"Eh!?"
"Brother Hikaru, you're just like me…"
"You're also from—"
Before he could finish, Minato quickly wrapped one hand around Naruto's neck and clamped the other tightly over his mouth. With a sheepish expression, he looked at Hikaru apologetically.
"Haha… Yes, we're all Konoha shinobi."
"Her Majesty is right. Lord Hikaru did accept a commission from the minister."
"But that's only because Konoha discovered something strange about all this. That's why we were sent—"
"Enough!"
"Lord Hikaru, let's go. Don't waste your time on them."
Sara turned angrily and stormed off down the corridor.
Hikaru turned to look back at Minato, Naruto, and the others. He gave them a wave and walked after the princess.
"See you later. I'll go protect Her Majesty for now."
With that, he casually followed after Sara.
At the same time, Chōza and Shikaku looked at Minato with confusion.
"Minato… isn't Hikaru—"
Minato raised a hand to signal them to stop, then released Naruto, who had been struggling beneath his grip.
"Let Lord Hikaru handle Her Majesty's protection."
As he spoke, he pulled a special kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God seal from his waist pouch and handed it to Naruto.
Naruto took a deep breath, looking down at the kunai. In an instant, the memory of what he'd seen at the Dragon Vein seal resurfaced.
This kunai… it was identical to the one stuck in the seal. Exactly the same.
Before, Naruto had only thought the man in front of him looked familiar—somewhat like the Fourth Hokage. But now, seeing this kunai, he was sure.
He was the Fourth Hokage.
Naruto's throat tightened as overwhelming emotion surged up inside him. He should have hated the man before him. All the pain he'd endured in childhood—loneliness, rejection, being shunned—it had all started with this very man.
No matter what sacrifices he had made for the village, to Naruto, he was still the one responsible for all of it.
Minato, meanwhile, stared at his son—the future child he had never met. The pain in Naruto's eyes cut deeper than any blade.
How much suffering had he endured alone?
How could Minato ever begin to face him?
"This is my special kunai."
"As long as you carry it, I can reach you instantly, no matter where you are."
"I'd like you to follow Lord Hikaru and protect Her Majesty. If anything happens, I'll come immediately."
With that, Minato slipped on his mask again, turned, and walked away without another word.
Chōza and Shikaku nodded at Naruto.
"Protect Her Majesty for us, Naruto. We're counting on you."
Then they turned and followed after Minato.
Naruto stood alone in the hallway, clutching the kunai in his hand. His right fist trembled, then suddenly smashed into the nearby wall.
"Damn it… Why couldn't I say it…"
"That feeling… of anger and happiness at the same time… What the hell is it supposed to mean…"
"Why did you seal the Nine-Tails inside me!?"
He tilted his head back and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, his eyes welling with tears.
For some reason, he felt like crying—but also like he shouldn't.
Maybe it was stubbornness.
Maybe, deep down, it wasn't even sadness at all…
What Naruto didn't know was that before Minato left, after putting on his mask, silent tears had already begun slipping down his cheeks.
He didn't know what mistakes his future self had made to bring such agony to his son.
But he knew one thing clearly: he had failed as a father.
His own weakness had forced Naruto to suffer alone.
Behind the mask, his eyes were bloodshot, tears falling freely.
The looming threat of Kushina's fate…
The pain of the son he never had the chance to raise…
All of it was tearing him apart.
At that moment, the warmth of Konoha's "Yellow Flash" faded.
What remained was a searing storm on the verge of erupting.
Obito… you'd better be ready…
…
Meanwhile, as Naruto and Minato wrestled with their pain, Uchiha Hikaru was walking calmly beside Sara, listening to her grumbling.
"Hikaru, how come all those other Konoha shinobi are so different from you?"
"They actually had the nerve to question the person who hired them! They're ridiculous!"
"I don't care what they think. I will clear Minister Mukade's name!"
"I'll prove he's innocent!"
Hikaru quietly endured the princess's chatter.
(Ah~ why is this girl so noisy… Sayaka was so much better. Gentle, thoughtful, quiet... these young girls, honestly…)
He glanced at Sara and sighed internally.
(Too small. Not enough to satisfy me… definitely would starve to death.)
The two continued walking toward the palace corridor.
But just then, a door beside them creaked open—and a black-gloved hand suddenly reached out, grabbing Sara by the arm and yanking her inside.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow and feigned surprise, shouting aloud:
"Your Highness! Watch out!"
(≧◡≦) ♡
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