Qianyu went to the Hokage Building. He intended to invite Minato Namikaze to his and Kushina's wedding.
Kushina knew he and Minato didn't get along. She'd originally planned to handle the invitation herself.
But after thinking it over, Qianyu decided it was better for him to go.
Kushina wasn't close to Minato to begin with. And because of Qianyu, she wasn't exactly fond of the guy either.
The issue was, Minato and Miyuki Uzumaki were dating. And Kushina and Miyuki were good friends. Only inviting Miyuki would put her in an awkward position.
If it weren't for Kushina definitely wanting Miyuki there, Qianyu wouldn't have bothered with Minato at all.
Sure, Minato was the Fourth Hokage. But this was private. Their feud was practically common knowledge in the village.
But inviting Miyuki meant inviting Minato.
Doing otherwise—inviting the Hokage's girlfriend but not the Hokage himself—would spawn rumors. Ugly ones.
Plus, extending the invitation would send a false signal. To Minato. To Hiruzen. Make them think he was seeking reconciliation.
The war was over. Hiruzen, Danzō, the other elders—they had all the time in the world now to deal with 'internal issues'.
The more misleading signals he sent, the better for him.
Qianyu knocked on the Hokage's office door.
"Come in," Minato's voice came from inside.
Qianyu entered.
Minato stared, baffled. If there wasn't a mission involved, Qianyu would never come to him.
For a second, Minato thought he was seeing things.
"Qianyu?" Minato asked. "What brings you here?"
Qianyu held out an invitation. "Lord Fourth. My wedding with Kushina is in seven days. We would like to extend an invitation."
Minato blinked, as if he'd heard wrong. "Your wedding. You're… inviting me?"
Qianyu nodded. "The invitation is delivered. Attend if it's convenient. Or don't."
Minato, now certain he hadn't misheard, spoke quickly. "I'll be there. Absolutely."
His mind was spinning. Had the sun risen in the west today? Qianyu, who visibly despised him, was inviting him to his wedding?
A spark of hope flickered in Minato's chest. Did this mean… a chance to mend things?
Qianyu's strength was undisputed, top-tier in Konoha. Improving relations with him would be a significant political advantage.
"Then I'll look forward to your presence, Lord Fourth," Qianyu said flatly. "I won't disturb your work further."
He left.
Minato stared at the invitation in his hand. "…I suppose it's about time for me, too," he murmured to the empty room.
Leaving the Hokage Building, Qianyu found Kakashi sitting on a bench, staring into space.
He sat down beside him. "What's on your mind?"
Kakashi jolted, then glanced away. "Qianyu-sensei. It's nothing."
Qianyu leaned back against the bench with a sigh. "It's Obito and Rin, isn't it? I haven't been through what you have. I can't pretend to understand. But some things… you can't control them. You can't change them. All you can change is what comes after."
He looked at his student. "I push you to get stronger for a reason. So you can seize your own fate later. So you're never powerless again."
"I won't feed you empty platitudes. 'They wouldn't want to see you sad.' Of course you're sad. Your friends are gone. But don't let that grief cripple you. Use it. Let it fuel you. Make you stronger."
Kakashi's voice was quiet. "I know, sensei."
Qianyu handed him the last invitation. "My wedding with Kushina is next. As my student, you'll have your work cut out for you that day."
A faint smile touched Kakashi's visible eye. "Yeah. Leave it to me, sensei."
"How's the Sharingan treating you?" Qianyu asked.
Kakashi lifted his headband. "After that incident… the pain, the blackout… it evolved. Two tomoe to three. The chakra drain is heavier."
He paused. "But… I can see through genjutsu easily now. Copy taijutsu and ninjutsu on sight."
Qianyu nodded. He'd been thinking about Kakashi's problem. Three possible solutions came to mind.
First: the Yin Seal.
The Yin Seal wasn't the same as the Strength of a Hundred Technique.
The Yin Seal was a unique fuinjutsu from Uzushiogakure.
The Strength of a Hundred was a derivative medical-ninjutsu Tsunade created based on the Yin Seal. It wasn't pure fuinjutsu. It allowed for instant regeneration, enhanced attacks, and increased speed. A master like Tsunade could use the minute chakra control it granted to maintain her youth and peak physical condition indefinitely.
The Yin Seal, in contrast, was simpler. A tool. A battery for storing chakra, pure and simple.
If Kakashi learned it, he could stockpile chakra. Master it, and he could tap that reserve for prolonged combat.
The second method… was the Cursed Seal.
Based on Orochimaru's future research on Jūgo, a natural Sage Mode conduit. But the survival rate for implantation was abysmal. It was a crude, forced form of Senjutsu. The user couldn't consciously absorb natural energy or control it.
The process was a nightmare. Required a drug called Heart Awakening Pills to forcibly trigger the transformation to Curse Mark Stage Two.
Stage Two accelerated the erosion. Users entered a state akin to death. Their bodies bloated, features warped, growing grotesque, non-human organs.
Qianyu found the aesthetics… lacking. And the downsides were numerous.
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