Namikaze Minato let out a quiet sigh.
Looking at his wife before him, he hesitated.
Should he tell her about this… or not?
The reason was simple—
He knew Kushina's temper all too well.
Especially now—
though he still didn't want to admit it, Uchiha Kai's speculations might not be baseless.
And Minato wasn't stupid.
Somewhere deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that Kai might've hit on the truth.
If Kushina learned of this, with her fiery temper…
Patience? Endurance? Hiding in the shadows?
Not a chance.
She'd probably storm straight to the Hokage building and demand answers from Sarutobi Hiruzen himself.
That couldn't happen.
Not yet—not before he confirmed the truth.
Because if Kai's speculations were right—if the Hokage's inner circle really was that ruthless—
then the moment they decided Kushina was beyond their control, they'd act against her.
And what would he do then?
He loved the village.
But he loved his wife just as much.
"Oh? So it's that serious, huh?" Kushina narrowed her eyes, seeing his silence. Her tone grew sharper.
"Usually when I ask something, you never refuse me, Minato.
The fact you're hesitating only makes me want to know more.
Is this about me?
Tell me the truth!
We're husband and wife—we face things together.
Trust me. I promise I won't lose my temper."
Yes—Kushina wasn't stupid either.
Seeing Minato act like this, there could only be one explanation: it was connected to her.
So she had to know.
Minato saw the beginnings of her anger. Despite his misgivings, after a moment of silence, he sighed again.
Then he repeated everything Uchiha Kai had told him earlier, without leaving out a single detail.
When he finished, he added quickly:
"Kushina! Please don't get angry. After all, a lot of this is just Kai's speculation.
He has no proof.
So I need you to stay calm. Whatever happens, we'll investigate first.
And now that you know—you're a Uzumaki yourself—help me analyze this.
Does what Kai said make sense to you?"
Yes.
This was proof of just how deeply Kai's scheme had succeeded.
If he had shown personal ambition from the start, Minato would never have listened.
But instead, Kai had been selfless—never asking for anything, acting as though he was only worried for Minato's sake.
That hesitation had planted seeds.
And now, with Kushina involved, Minato was actively seeking to compare her knowledge with Kai's claims.
Kushina fell silent.
Fury flickered in her eyes, but after a long pause, she sighed.
"I don't know.
When Land of Whirlpools fell, I was just a child. I wasn't told much.
But… I've wondered about this for years.
The Land of Whirlpools was right next to the Land of Fire. We were Konoha's closest allies.
So why didn't Konoha come to our aid?
If it had been a matter of strength, that'd be one thing.
But from what I've seen since coming here, Konoha absolutely had the ability.
Look at it now!
Even without the Sannin, even with White Fang dead, Konoha still dares to stand against the four great villages.
So why couldn't they back then?
I can tell you this much though—back when I was in Uzushio, I once secretly saw my grandfather sending some clansmen away.
And before they left, he told them very clearly: they must never go to the Land of Fire.
Also…
When I first arrived in Konoha, I lived in Lady Mito's household.
Back then, I often saw her sighing late at night.
Especially after Nawaki died on the battlefield. Tsunade drowned herself in drink.
At first, Lady Mito kept urging her—hoping Tsunade would shoulder the burden of the Senju clan.
That shows the Senju hadn't intended to dissolve yet.
But later—
When Tsunade only drank and gambled, ignoring Mito's pleas…
A few months later, Lady Mito suddenly announced the Senju clan would disband, claiming it was Tobirama-sama's will.
I never thought much of it before.
But hearing this now… it feels off. Very off."
The more she spoke, the darker Kushina's face became.
Minato's expression also turned grim.
He might've dismissed Kai's words alone.
But now—even his wife was connecting pieces that fit the picture.
And he himself began recalling odd things he'd seen over the years.
Incidents that had seemed nothing at the time.
But now, with a different perspective, they felt… wrong.
He wavered.
Could Kai really be right?
Then all his years of effort, his dream of becoming Hokage—what were they worth?
A hollow goal?
Thinking that made his heart heavy.
Even the dream of Hokage began to feel meaningless.
Because, as Kai had said—he didn't need to work for it.
He was destined to be Hokage anyway.
But as soon as he tried to act as Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen would be the first to crush him.
If that was true—
What was the point of being Hokage at all?
Why not give up, let it all rot?
Kushina frowned, exasperated.
"Minato, what's with you? I'm the one whose clan was wiped out, yet you look more defeated than me."
Minato gave a bitter smile.
Without hesitation, he told her about Kai's prediction—that he'd become Hokage, but only as a puppet.
"You know my dream has always been Hokage.
But if it's true that I don't even need to try, that I'll just be Hokage by default—
And at the same time, I'll be nothing but a puppet, never free to act…
Then what's the point?
Why bother at all?"
Another sigh escaped him.
Yes—he was starting to feel powerless.
Like none of it mattered.
In fact, in this moment—
He finally understood a little why the Nara clan and Uchiha Kai always looked so lazy and indifferent.
When you know too much, yet can change nothing—
Why struggle?
Why not just… let it rot?
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