Naruto…
That name came from the only serious novel Jiraiya-sensei ever wrote. It was the protagonist's name—and also the name of the child still unborn in Kushina's belly.
And tomorrow…
Tomorrow was the expected day her pregnancy would end.
He couldn't gamble.
He couldn't afford to gamble.
In an instant, Namikaze Minato's gaze sharpened as he stared straight at Yun's shadowy figure.
"I want to know everything about Kushina's death."
Uchiha Yun—still nothing more than a black silhouette—let out a quiet chuckle and lifted a hand in a simple gesture.
"Contract."
The contract appeared.
Minato picked it up, scanned it, then shook his head slightly. "Why is there a time limitation? And why are there five bargaining chips?"
Yun wagged one finger. "Because 'everything' is too vague. The Exchange's rules judge the price of knowing everything as too high."
"In other words: even if you offered every ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu you possess—every talent, every bloodline you have—it still wouldn't be enough to pay for that kind of information."
"So the space narrows it down: 'everything within one day.' And the price becomes five chips."
Everything… was too broad.
Who killed Kushina? The Nine-Tails.
Who released the Nine-Tails? Obito.
How did Obito survive? Was he saved by Madara?
How did Madara live that long? A delayed Izanagi? Hashirama's flesh, the power of yin-yang, awakening the Rinnegan…
Where was Madara now? Dead.
How did he die…?
One vague word—everything—could drag out every secret in the shinobi world.
Minato's chips clearly weren't enough.
Minato fell silent.
Right now, the most urgent problem wasn't fighting.
It was how to ask the right question.
Who killed Kushina?
No—extracting a tailed beast kills a jinchūriki. That question would only circle back to the Nine-Tails.
Why would Kushina die?
Still no—the answer could be reduced to "tailed beast extracted."
Who caused Kushina's death?
Not enough. The name mattered less than the process—the enemy's intel.
So Minato changed the angle.
"What abilities does the enemy who causes Kushina's death possess?"
The moment he finished, the contract re-formed.
This time, it demanded only two chips.
Across the table, Yun exhaled—slow, steady—then looked at Minato in silence.
So this is why he became Hokage.
Minato didn't even ask for a name. He asked for ability details—enough to reverse-engineer the entire incident and build a counter-plan.
"Abilities" was still a broad word… but it belonged to one person.
So the Exchange judged the price as two replications.
And once Minato had the abilities, the identity would eventually reveal itself anyway—without needing to pay for it.
Minato's voice was sharp and decisive.
"I accept the contract."
The contract dissolved into streaks of light and vanished into the space.
Yun paused for a moment, organizing his words—then began.
"The one who causes Kushina's death possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan. Only one eye… but because he has Hashirama's cells in his body, he can use his dōjutsu far more frequently than normal."
"His Mangekyō genjutsu is extremely strong—how strong is a separate question. And because of Hashirama's cells, he can also use some Wood Release, but it's nowhere near Hashirama Senju's level."
"Because of a summoning contract, his Mangekyō Sharingan can control the Nine-Tails."
"Second: he has a phasing dōjutsu—he can send any part of his body, or his entire body, into an alternate dimension. During that interval, attacks in the real world can't touch him."
"However, genjutsu that targets the mind can still work. That said… using genjutsu against an Uchiha who has awakened the Mangekyō and carries Hashirama's cells is not a good idea."
"One more crucial detail: the maximum continuous duration of his 'intangibility' is five minutes. And whenever he attacks, he must become solid."
Yun's electronic voice lowered, almost casual.
"With your reaction speed, Fourth Hokage… you can seize that opening."
"…Izanagi… Izanami…"
…
When Yun finished, Minato's mind refused to settle.
Mangekyō. Wood Release. Controlling the Nine-Tails.
Each one of those sounded like a myth.
Together, they were horrifying.
After a long moment, Minato's eyes narrowed.
"Control of the Nine-Tails. Mangekyō Sharingan. Hashirama's power…"
"This information… it's almost pointing to an identity. But… how is that possible?"
Yun shook his head. "You're missing one detail. Konoha's records of Uchiha Madara never said he only had one Sharingan left."
"And the Mangekyō isn't the final evolution of the Sharingan."
Minato swept his gaze across the tabletop's patterns, then looked up.
"So it isn't Madara? You can't lie—but you also haven't given a direct answer. Instead, you've given conditions I deliberately avoided asking for."
Yun almost sighed.
Figures. Anyone who becomes Hokage—except the Seventh-generation idiot—doesn't get there by being dumb.
Even Minato, born a nobody with a sunshine smile, had been tempered by the shinobi wars.
Yun leaned back.
"I'll give you another free piece of information."
"Your death is also scheduled for today."
"Now—do you want to know the enemy's identity? One chip is enough. I can tell you."
Minato didn't take the bait.
He shook his head. "The ability intel is already sufficient. The name doesn't matter. Even if he truly were Madara, the response would be the same."
"As for my 'death'… this space marks your words as true, yes—but it should be 'true' only under the premise that I never came here and never received this information."
Yun scratched the side of his head.
Two chips is still too little…
As the Fourth Hokage, Minato had too many things Yun wanted.
Aptitude for space-time ninjutsu.
That terrifying reaction speed.
Sealing techniques—through Kushina, and through Kushina from Mito Uzumaki.
And finally… the Flying Thunder God itself, including the second step.
After thinking for a moment, Yun continued.
"I don't believe Konoha has the ability to permanently keep this person."
"And Kushina—as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—because of that summoning contract… even with full intel, the chance that Konoha can guarantee her survival still isn't one hundred percent."
"And Fourth Hokage, I can also tell you this: if Kushina dies, you will follow her. That will be your decision."
"And your death will trigger a chain reaction that causes Konoha to decline for more than ten years."
"You've lived through the shinobi wars. You know what happens when one of the Five Great Villages—especially a rich village like Konoha that's always been surrounded—shows weakness."
"The wolves around it have been starving for a long time."
"Third…"
Yun's voice turned cold.
"…is like an ancient tree that's already rotting from the inside. He cannot hold up Konoha's wealth."
That last line made Minato's chest tighten.
Ever since he became Fourth Hokage, Konoha had already slipped into the unprecedented situation of "two Hokage existing at the same time."
Add in the two elders, plus Danzō of Root, and Minato's youth…
It was a balancing act.
Minato stared at Yun.
"You can protect Kushina?"
Yun shook his head. "This is an Information Exchange. I won't intervene personally."
"But there is power inside Konoha that you don't know about—power that can stop that person."
"And if you ask that power for help… it will also have a positive impact on Konoha's future."
"This information involves what you care about—and a hidden force within Konoha."
"So the price is…"
Yun lifted two fingers.
"Two chips."