"Whoever refuses to accept it, let him come and talk to me in person!"
Uzumaki Raiden spoke loudly, his voice carrying through the corridor. As his words fell, the Hokage's office fell into silence. After a long pause, Nara Shikaku, seated behind the desk across from Minato, suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha!"
"Minato, didn't I say it? If it were Raiden, he would never agree to such conditions."
"No, it's just as I expected."
"I told you, there was no need to wait for Uzumaki Raiden to return to discuss it—just refuse outright!"
Nara Shikaku restrained his laughter and looked at Minato with amusement. Minato, shaking his head with a smile, replied, "I couldn't make a decision without confirming Raiden's opinion myself!"
Seeing Minato and Shikaku talking, Uzumaki Raiden raised an eyebrow and interjected, "You guys..."
"Actually, I never intended to agree to any conditions from Iwagakure, Kumogakure, or Takigakure."
"It's not because Naruto is my son, but because I know how important a Jinchūriki is to Konoha."
"I only gave that response to temporarily appease the messengers."
"Of course, the most important thing is that I still wanted to hear your opinions. If you don't support me, then I will decide to send the Jinchūriki away."
"On my own, I may not be able to lead Konoha to victory. Even if I can suppress Iwagakure and Kumogakure, Konoha would have to pay an unbearable price."
"That's something I don't want to see. But if you support me, then everything will be different."
Minato smiled, his tone calm and reassuring.
"Sounds good. You want me to take the blame?"
"If anyone in the village objects, they can use my name to suppress it."
"If you personally step forward, some people afraid of war might claim you're acting selfishly to protect your son."
"But if it's my decision, I doubt anyone would dare to object openly!"
Uzumaki Raiden snorted, pursed his lips, and spoke with disdain. Although he yelled, Minato didn't deny it. Instead, he scratched his head and replied, slightly embarrassed, "Hehe, isn't it because your reputation is stronger than mine?"
"Everyone in the village knows that once 'Konoha's Thunder' makes a decision, it cannot be changed."
Minato flattered him with a smile.
"There's no point in talking about this anymore. Since the decision is made, let's go meet the messengers."
Uzumaki Raiden shot Minato an annoyed look and sat down on the sofa. Though Minato intended to use him as a shield, Raiden didn't mind. They were both Hokage, and everything they did was for the village's protection.
There was also another advantage to Raiden taking the lead—he was a retired Hokage. If the higher-ups made a poor decision, the blame would fall on him. As a hero of the war, any accountability would be superficial.
But Minato was different. As the sitting Hokage, a major mistake in decision-making could force him to abdicate, plunging the village into the instability of a new election—something detrimental to Konoha's development.
It was precisely because Minato and Raiden both understood this that they reached an unspoken agreement almost instantly.
"Sensei, I heard you're planning to hand over Rin!"
"No! That absolutely cannot happen!"
Just as Nara Shikaku was about to send someone to summon the envoys, the door to the Hokage's office was suddenly thrown open. Two guards in Chūnin uniforms stumbled into the room.
As the guards tumbled forward, Uchiha Obito rushed inside, shouting loudly.
"Sorry, Hokage-sama, we couldn't stop him."
The guards apologized awkwardly. They had known that Uzumaki Raiden was meeting Minato, so when Obito requested an audience, they had led him to a lounge to wait. However, when Minato didn't summon him after a long time, Obito forced his way in. The two guards were no match for him, and he broke through easily.
"Who told you I was planning to hand over Rin?"
Minato waved a hand at the guards, signaling them to leave. After they exited, he frowned slightly and stared at Obito.
"Uh... I just heard about it," Obito said hesitantly. He caught sight of Uzumaki Raiden sitting on the sofa and restrained his urgency.
"You heard? Was it Kakashi?" Minato tapped the desk lightly and asked seriously.
Obito lowered his head, remaining silent. Though he had grown more experienced over the years, lying to Minato was still difficult for him. After a moment, his face turned red, and he stammered, "No."
Seeing Obito's reaction, Minato already knew who had told him. Just as he was about to reprimand him, Raiden, who had been sitting on the sofa, spoke up:
"Since you're here, come with us."
"We're heading to meet the envoys from Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Takigakure—you can be a guard."
Raiden glanced at Obito. Hearing this, Obito was momentarily stunned before his expression brightened. "Really? Then—"
"Don't overthink it. You're just a guard. You're not allowed to speak during the meeting."
"Minato, I'll wait for them in the meeting room. Obito, follow me."
Uzumaki Raiden stood up and left the office, while Obito bowed deeply toward Minato and Nara Shikaku before happily following Raiden. Although Raiden had forbidden him from speaking, Obito had already made up his mind—no matter what, he would not allow Konoha to send Rin away.
If things really reached that point, even if it cost him his life, he would definitely protect Rin.
"Obito… He's still too inexperienced," Shikaku muttered, staring blankly at the door as the figures of Uzumaki Raiden and Uchiha Obito disappeared from sight.
Meanwhile, in Konoha's embassy, Ōnoki was sipping tea in his room. Aside from himself, his entourage for this visit to Konoha included his disciple Kitsuchi, Kitsuchi's daughter Kurotsuchi, and the simple-minded Akatsuchi.
Although Ōnoki had only three personal guards, their strength was more than enough to ensure his safety. Moreover, Ōnoki himself was a legendary ninja with a long-standing reputation—few would dare attack the Tsuchikage.
"Old man, Konoha has sent word. They're ready to discuss the matter of the Jinchūriki."
Just as Ōnoki poured his tea, the door suddenly swung open, startling him. His hands trembled, spilling the hot tea onto his lap. He jumped up immediately, pulling at his pant leg and shouting in frustration:
"Dammit! Haven't you ever heard of knocking before entering?!"
"Where are your manners?!"
Ōnoki glared at Kurotsuchi, who had barged in unceremoniously. However, instead of apologizing, she raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"You're just old, Grandpa. Your hands are shaky—what does that have to do with me?"
"You should probably get checked for dementia!"
Kurotsuchi showed no respect for Ōnoki, having been spoiled since childhood. Ironically, the one who had spoiled her the most was none other than the Tsuchikage himself, making her reckless attitude largely his fault.
"Nani?!"
"You brat! How dare you say that to me!"
Ōnoki rolled up his sleeves, ready to grapple with Kurotsuchi. Kitsuchi, watching his daughter and the Tsuchikage bicker yet again, sighed and rubbed his temples. He had seen this scene far too often to be surprised anymore.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's go."
"Konoha responded pretty quickly. It looks like they realize how serious this is and are ready to give in."
Kitsuchi stood up, stepping between the two and breaking up their scuffle.
Ōnoki scoffed, floating up into the air before landing on Akatsuchi's back. Akatsuchi, accustomed to carrying him, hoisted him up effortlessly.
"Kitsuchi, you still have a lot to learn."
"This won't be as simple as you think."
"If Konoha truly intended to yield, they would have negotiated with us privately."
"But they've gathered everyone together like this… That means trouble."
Ōnoki lightly patted Akatsuchi's shoulder as he spoke. The massive ninja carried him out of the room, while Kitsuchi nodded slightly and followed in his footsteps.
"Tch. Acting all mysterious."
"Konoha has no choice but to submit in the face of our three villages' demands."
Kurotsuchi muttered, trailing behind the others. As Iwagakure's delegation left the embassy, the envoys from Kumogakure and Takigakure also made their way toward the Hokage Building.
The Kumogakure delegation consisted of four people, including the Fourth Raikage, Ay, who had personally come to Konoha. Accompanying him were the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, and the Raikage's chief strategist, Samui.
As for Takigakure, their envoys were a handful of middle-aged shinobi with little renown.
The three groups coincidentally met at the entrance of the Hokage Building. Ay and Ōnoki exchanged small smirks before stepping inside. Their subordinates followed closely, exchanging wary glances.
Takigakure's delegation, however, was completely ignored.
Under the guidance of Konoha's shinobi, the envoys from all three villages were led to the Hokage Building's meeting room. As soon as the Raikage and Tsuchikage entered, their eyes immediately locked onto the red-haired young man seated at the head of the table.
The young man had his arms crossed over his chest, his head slightly bowed in thought. Standing behind him was a black-haired man holding a sword, looking every bit the part of a bodyguard.
Aside from these two, the meeting room was completely empty.
Ōnoki scanned the room, then floated off Akatsuchi's back, his expression growing serious as he fixed his gaze on Uzumaki Raiden.
The Raikage, Killer Bee, and the others also paused in surprise upon seeing Raiden seated at the head of the table. In unison, their expressions turned vigilant. Samui and Yugito exchanged glances, sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the Takigakure envoys, who had entered last, trembled at the sight of the red-haired man. One of them nearly collapsed, his legs giving out as he stared at Raiden in shock.
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Oh? You're all here. Heh, take your seats."
A calm voice came from the doorway as Namikaze Minato and Nara Shikaku entered. Minato gently caught the Takigakure envoy before he could fall, guiding him to a seat.
Then, Minato walked over to Raiden and introduced him.
"Some of you may not know this man. He is the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure, Uzumaki Raiden."
"He will be leading these negotiations."
"The decisions of Uzumaki Raiden are the decisions of Konoha. In this matter, we stand by his judgment."
"You will talk to him."
After speaking, Minato did not take a seat. Instead, he and Shikaku stood behind Raiden, calm smiles on their faces.
Despite Minato's relaxed demeanor, the envoys from the other villages could not bring themselves to smile.
"So… After all this time, you were waiting for his return?" Ōnoki shot Minato a glance before settling into a seat. His attention quickly returned to Raiden.
Behind him, Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi eyed Raiden curiously. Minato's introduction had revealed Raiden's identity, but they wanted to see for themselves what kind of man he was.
"So this is Konoha's legendary Fourth Hokage…?"
While the younger shinobi like Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi were simply curious, Kumogakure's Yugito and Samui regarded Raiden with much more wariness. Unlike the others, they knew exactly who he was.
This was a man who had once fought the Third Raikage head-on.
And the Third Raikage was a monster who could battle the Eight-Tails alone.
Combat power was the ultimate measure of strength. And Raiden's power was undeniable.
"Heh. Since everyone is here, let's get started."
"The Fourth Hokage has only recently returned, so he may not be fully up to date on all the details."
Minato chuckled, casting a glance at the gathered envoys.
"We—" The Takigakure representative barely opened his mouth before he was interrupted.
"Ten years ago, Takigakure released a Tailed Beast to attack Konoha."
"In order to protect our village, I personally sealed the Seven-Tails."
"To this day, Konoha has not asked for any compensation from Takigakure."
"And yet, now you dare to demand a Jinchūriki from us?"
"If you cannot even guard a Tailed Beast properly, then you have no right to possess one."
"Takigakure's claim to the Seven-Tails has been revoked."
Raiden's voice was calm, yet the weight of his words pressed down on the entire room. The Takigakure representative trembled, his lips quivering as he struggled to respond.
The meeting room grew even more oppressive.
(End of Chapter)