The results of the vote dealt a heavy blow to Danzō, yet it also opened his eyes to many things.
"Then it's settled..."
"Sigh…"
Though the situation had unfolded exactly as he had predicted, Hiruzen Sarutobi wore a troubled expression.
And yet, that was Sarutobi Hiruzen's brilliance—no matter how unfavorable a matter might seem, he always handled it with flawless precision.
"If that's all, I have other matters to attend to. I'll take my leave."
With that, Danzō turned and walked out of the conference room under the watchful eyes of the others.
Once Danzō had left, Hiruzen addressed the gathered jōnin.
"Everyone, now that the matter is settled, this meeting is adjourned."
No sooner had he finished speaking than he lit his kiseru pipe, the smoke blending with the sorrow etched across his aged face—a performance of heartbreak so convincing, one couldn't help but feel sympathy.
Outside the Hokage Residence, Danzō's expression quickly returned to stoic calm. Deep in thought, he mused:
"Hiruzen... you've truly grown old."
"Your ambition hasn't died, but it no longer burns as it once did."
"Hmph. If you no longer have the strength to lead, then step aside and let me take the reins…"
As Hiruzen's long-time comrade, Danzō recognized something in Hiruzen's approach that troubled him—a softness, a hesitance that once had no place in the Hokage's heart.
In the past, when challenged, the once-mighty "Ninja Hero" would never have relinquished the decision-making to a council of jōnin.
To Danzō, that wasn't the behavior befitting the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, the one who bears the name of Hokage.
Even if Hiruzen's political maneuvering remained sharp and polished, it still reeked of weakness in Danzō's eyes.
Standing just outside the Hokage Residence, Danzō paused and cast a glance back at the prominent Konoha insignia above the building.
"The Leaf... will only flourish once it's in my hands…"
Back in the meeting room, the other jōnin were slowly dispersing—Minato Namikaze being the only one who remained. He had one more matter to confirm with Hiruzen.
Only after the room had emptied did Minato finally speak.
"Lord Third, there's something I'd like to ask you."
Hiruzen looked at the bright, spirited young man before him—the sunshine in Minato's expression becoming all the more pleasing in contrast to the day's weight. Having already guessed the topic, he answered calmly:
"It's about Root, isn't it?"
Minato nodded.
"Yes. I wanted to know—were those three Root operatives targeting Veigar?"
The worry on Hiruzen's face deepened. A heavy silence lingered for several seconds before he finally responded:
"I'll take care of it. Don't worry."
The jōnin meeting had concluded, and elsewhere, back at Minato's home, Veigar Koshima and Kushina Uzumaki had already finished breakfast and were enjoying a peaceful moment.
"Ahhh, I'm so full! Veigar, that breakfast was incredible!"
Kushina, clearly satisfied, lavished Veigar with praise.
Veigar gave a small nod.
"Please, have a seat. I'll take care of the cleanup."
As he turned to start clearing the table, Kushina—now relaxing—called out from behind him:
"Veigar, did Minato say when he'd be back?"
Still washing dishes with his back turned, Veigar replied:
"Nope. But I imagine he won't be long."
"Hmm, I guess I'll wait a little longer then."
Even though a hint of impatience stirred within her, Kushina decided to wait.
And wait she did—for over half an hour.
Time slipped by unnoticed as the two chatted idly, until the sound of the front door opening abruptly broke their rhythm. Both Veigar and Kushina turned their heads at once.
Seeing Minato step inside, Veigar immediately stood, moving ahead of Kushina to greet him.
"Sensei! You're back!"
"Oku-sama's been waiting here for you for quite a while now."
Just one glance at Minato's weary face told Veigar everything—his teacher hadn't rested at all the previous night.
As Minato processed Veigar's words, a jolt of guilt hit him square in the chest. He suddenly remembered—
Today... I promised Kushina we'd go shopping together…
"Crap. She's definitely going to be mad…"
Before Minato could spiral any further, Veigar gave him a mischievous wink and added with a sly grin:
"Sensei, Oku-sama and I already had breakfast. You'll have to fend for yourself now."
The rapport between master and apprentice showed itself clearly—Minato instantly picked up on Veigar's unspoken message:
Kushina's calm. Her mood's good. I've got a window to make this right.
And just then, he saw her. Behind Veigar stood Kushina, smiling gently.
Snapping himself to full alert, Minato quickly composed himself.
"Kushina, I'm so sorry."
"I was meeting with Lord Third and didn't expect you to arrive so early."
Veigar turned toward Kushina, returning her smile.
"Oku-sama, since Sensei's back, I'll leave you two to chat. I'm heading upstairs."
Without looking back at Minato, he walked toward the staircase and vanished from sight.
Once Veigar was gone, Kushina looked at Minato with a strange smile.
"Minato... you didn't forget about our plans today, did you?"
"Forget? Of course not! I've been looking forward to it."
Minato answered with absolute confidence, as though the very idea was laughable.
In truth, not even under threat of death would he dare admit the truth right now.
The reason? Well... anyone who knows Kushina already knows…
"Is that so…"
The doubt on Kushina's face was obvious, and she glanced meaningfully at Minato's clothes.
She didn't call him out directly—but the implication was clear.
Despite her usual carefree nature, Kushina was no fool. Seeing that he still wore the same clothes from the day before, combined with the dark circles under his eyes and the clear signs of fatigue…
She figured it out instantly.
Minato had been up all night, and he'd completely forgotten their date.
And as the one who understood Kushina better than anyone, Minato knew precisely what that look meant.
Smartly, he shifted gears.
"Kushina, wait just a moment."
"Give me five minutes, and we'll go shopping."
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