"Hah... as expected from the Land of Hot Water's famous springs!"
Steam curled thickly through the air, reducing visibility to barely arm's length. But sound carried just fine.
Propping himself up with pale, smooth arms, Uchiha Kaien let out a relaxed sigh, enjoying the rare luxury of a proper hot spring soak.
Opportunities like this didn't come often. This time, they just happened to be passing through the Land of Hot Water—plus, there was the matter of tracking down Uchiha Kagami to deal with a local threat.
The Land of Hot Water bordered the Land of Fire, and the disturbance had appeared in Yugakure. Since it posed a potential risk to Konoha, they had every reason to intervene in the village's affairs.
Smaller shinobi villages didn't have the power to refuse anyway. Konoha was the top hidden village in the ninja world now—no minor village would dare provoke them unless they had a death wish.
Those who challenged the authority of the Five Great Nations were bound to learn that lesson the hard way.
...
"Is your life in Konoha as colorful as you hoped, Minato?"
Kaien was a little curious. Half a year ago, he'd gone undercover in Kumogakure. Before he left, he'd told Namikaze Minato not to worry about him—and not long after that, Minato had saved Uzumaki Kushina.
Those two were probably quite close by now.
After all, Minato had learned the Flying Thunder God Technique around the same time as Kaien had.
Kaien had the advantage of Madara's guidance in fuinjutsu, plus [Summoning: Phantom Beast] and the help of White Zetsu. With that kind of support, it was only natural he could move freely without exposing any weaknesses.
So if Minato had kept pace, Kaien didn't believe for a second that Kushina's family fortune hadn't helped him along.
...
"Hmm... I guess it's been pretty fulfilling?"
Minato thought back on his daily life in Konoha. It was basically just training and more training, with occasional moments to relax.
But that was it.
He dreamed of becoming Hokage, so he lived every day with strict self-discipline—and hoped that once he mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, he'd be able to drag Kaien back to the village.
...
"That's good. Once you become the Fifth Hokage, remember to save me a spot as your Hokage advisor."
Kaien grinned, still sticking to his original plan. From the start, his goal in supporting Minato had been to secure a cushy position where he could slack off in peace.
High pay, little work, close to home—that's what a Hokage advisor meant to him.
Even during wartime, with the Nara clan's brains handling strategy, all the advisor really had to do was stamp a few documents.
A Hokage advisor with no ambition or hunger for power? That was practically early retirement.
...
"The Fifth Hokage...? I'll do my best!"
Minato perked up, clearly encouraged. There was something deeply reassuring about having someone he trusted believe in his dream—it warmed him inside in a way that was hard to describe.
Kaien hadn't changed at all. He still gave his unwavering support, just like always.
Minato's thoughts drifted back to the times he freeloaded off Kaien. He still hadn't paid him back. Missions barely covered his training expenses, and he often had to borrow money from Kushina.
Life had been a lot easier when Kaien was around.
Kaien even handled buying all the medicinal herbs—Minato just had to show up and mooch.
And during their long missions together, he'd come to understand just how wealthy Kaien really was.
His chakra kunai was worth a full million ryo. No wonder it felt so balanced in hand—the Flying Thunder God marks carved into it were flawless and durable.
Normal kunai usually broke after a single Flying Thunder God seal was inscribed on them. That's what gave Minato the idea to commission custom-made weapons.
But when he recently tried to get a batch of special kunai made and asked the shop owner for advice, he finally realized how valuable Kaien's "gift" had been.
Sure, he could keep asking Kaien for help, but Minato felt a little awkward about it now—it'd be like leeching off a friend's generosity forever.
...
The emotion welling up in Minato's chest quietly translated into rising affection, which Kaien was all too happy to harvest.
'Looks like Minato's trying to make up for lost time all at once,' Kaien mused as he watched the [affection] stat tick upward on the panel. 'Still the highest quality sheep I've ever raised.'
Their bond, nurtured since childhood, was clearly not to be underestimated.
...
"Fifth Hokage, huh?"
Orochimaru sounded intrigued. Was Kaien implying someone else would take the seat of Fourth?
"Of course. The Fourth Hokage will be you, Orochimaru-sensei."
Kaien's tone was brimming with confidence. Even through the thick steam, which kept Orochimaru and Minato from seeing his face, they could tell from his voice just how much Kaien respected the man.
...
"Oh? And why's that?"
Orochimaru wasn't convinced he would be the next Hokage. There were too many excellent candidates in his generation—Hatake Sakumo, Tsunade, Jiraiya... even Uchiha Kagami had a shot.
Despite his deepening research into Tobirama's notes, Orochimaru remained wary of the Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan. Without an anchor, any Uchiha who awakened it posed a serious risk.
That was why he'd reminded Minato earlier to never stop getting stronger.
The Mangekyō Sharingan was just too unpredictable.
...
Uchiha Kagami, though—he did have the age advantage in the race to become the Fourth Hokage.
Compared to Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kagami was at least ten years younger. Though both had been part of Tobirama's elite guard unit, Kagami hadn't been chosen from the start.
Tobirama's first picks had been Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu. Akimichi Torifu and Uchiha Kagami had been recruited later. They were much younger.
It made sense. How could Tobirama have chosen an Uchiha student so early, especially when Madara hadn't yet defected from the village?
That would've looked like a direct provocation.
Taking on an Uchiha disciple while Madara was still allied with the village? That would've raised all kinds of questions.
Besides, the Uchiha were far prouder back then, emboldened by Madara's presence. They never would've tolerated Tobirama taking in one of their own—not when Hashirama was still alive and Tobirama was just his assistant.
He wasn't even Hokage yet. What gave him the right to mentor an Uchiha prodigy?
That had been the Uchiha clan's mindset during the early days of the village. Plenty of the older generation had witnessed the power of a complete Susanoo. They weren't about to accept Tobirama's authority.
...
Orochimaru's analysis of Kagami's chances was as rational as ever. Given his age and experience, Kagami really did have a shot.
...
"Because once you become Hokage, Orochimaru-sensei, I'll be your student—heh, and I love bullying people from a position of power!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (156 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)