The Hokage's office was oppressively silent.
Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed at his pipe nonstop.
Smoke swirled thick in the air, his brows furrowed, eyes shifting uncertainly.
Across from him, Minato Namikaze knew full well—the Hokage was displeased.
But even so, there was no way he would hand over Nohara Rin, only to let her have the tailed beast torn out and die a meaningless death.
Absolutely not!
So he met Hiruzen's gaze, expression firm.
Even if the Hokage was angry, Minato showed not the slightest sign of retreat.
Time ticked by.
Ten minutes later, Hiruzen finally sighed and coughed lightly.
"Alright, I understand.
Hidden Blood Mist Village hasn't pressed us yet. We still have time to deliberate on how to handle this.
You've worked hard on this mission, Minato. Go back and rest."
Yes—
Since the matter couldn't be settled for now, he had no desire to continue talking.
He waved Minato off.
Minato bowed and took his leave without further words.
He had already made up his mind—he would protect Rin no matter what.
No one could change that!
If it came to it, he'd simply call his teacher Jiraiya back.
Surely he wouldn't be powerless to protect his own student!
And yet, perhaps even Minato himself didn't realize it—
This very issue marked the beginning of his complete estrangement from Hiruzen.
Which was precisely why Uchiha Kai had chosen to intervene and save Rin.
A mere Nohara Rin—her life or death mattered little in itself.
But symbolically, she mattered a great deal.
She didn't need to do anything; her very existence was the key.
Obito and Minato were both bound to her fate.
And in the future—Jiraiya himself might well be dragged into the quagmire too!
Leave Konoha to escape trouble? What a joke!
Just Rin alone was enough to entangle them all.
A teacher. A student.
Whom would you choose?
This was why Kai hadn't laid everything bare from the start.
He had simply nudged Minato, then waited quietly for Rin to become a vessel for the Nine-Tails.
On one hand, it would push Obito into awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan.
But more importantly—
It would ignite open conflict between Minato and Hiruzen, setting master and disciple firmly against each other.
He didn't even need control of Rin.
Her mere existence was a bomb hidden within the Hokage faction.
As for whether this might affect Minato's ascension as the Fourth Hokage?
Hardly.
Because Hiruzen had no other choice!
This war had humiliated Konoha.
Too many had died—even most of the fifth-year students from the Academy had perished on the battlefield.
Before the war, they had forced Sakumo Hatake to his death.
Then came the chaos stirred up by Uchiha Kai.
Add it all together—
If Hiruzen refused to retire, his reputation would be utterly ruined.
So he had to step down.
But even if he controlled the succession, there were only two real options:
Minato Namikaze, or Orochimaru.
Orochimaru hardly needed introduction. A veteran from the Second Great Ninja War, already deeply entrenched in the village with numerous supporters and subordinates.
If he became Hokage, what power would an old retiree, a Root commander, and a couple of half-baked elders have to restrain him?
It would be a farce.
Once Hokage, Orochimaru could do whatever he pleased, and Hiruzen could do nothing.
So even if Minato was a bit headstrong, he was still the more manageable choice.
Hiruzen had no alternative.
Back in the Hokage's office—
After Minato left, Hiruzen sank into thought.
He didn't return to paperwork. Instead, pipe in hand, he stared blankly out the tall windows at the village streets below.
His head ached.
He never imagined such a trivial matter could spark friction between him and Minato.
This wasn't part of his calculations.
He had intended to push Minato to the forefront, to mold him into a puppet under his control.
If they quarreled now, how could they cooperate in the future?
But damn it—
If it were a minor issue, he could have yielded to Minato to save face.
Even a puppet deserved some concessions.
But Nohara Rin? Absolutely not!
The tailed beasts were ultimate weapons.
In Kai's previous life, they were the equivalent of nuclear bombs.
If Konoha refused to return her, Hidden Blood Mist Village would certainly turn hostile.
And with Hiruzen's approval rating already low, his reputation worsening by the day, the only hope of salvaging it before retirement lay in swiftly ending the war and restoring peace.
But Minato—what a headache to deal with!
"Damn that Rin!"
"That wretched girl—why couldn't she have just died in battle?"
"She's driving me mad!"
Hiruzen cursed inwardly.
Yes.
If she had died on the frontlines, none of this would be a problem.
Everything would have resolved itself.
But she lived—and because she lived, everything had changed.
She was giving him a migraine.
Never had Hiruzen imagined a mere civilian kunoichi could disrupt his plans to the point of sleepless nights.
Damn it all!
The thought even crossed his mind to have Anbu quietly assassinate her.
But no—
Minato might be kindhearted and self-righteous, but he wasn't stupid.
If Rin died, he would immediately suspect Hiruzen's hand.
Helpless, Hiruzen rubbed his brow and muttered:
"Shikaku… I miss you."
"If you were here, you'd surely think of a solution."
"Yes, I should call him back.
Hidden Stone Village is already preparing to sign a peace treaty. The front there likely won't see major fighting again.
Better to recall Nara Shikaku. A mere elite Jounin can manage the Hidden Stone frontlines."
"Yes… that's the right move. I should've thought of it sooner."
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