Originally, he had only intended to seek out Kaguyazuki Ishi to give him a warning not to interfere in Konoha's internal affairs. He hadn't expected the man to be foolish enough to threaten him. Since he had, killing him was no big deal.
After Makiya left, news of the attack on the Ishi noble estate spread rapidly among the aristocracy, eventually reaching the ears of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
In the capital of the Land of Fire, inside the Daimyo's mansion, the ruler—his face caked in white powder—held a fan over his mouth. He sat stiffly, maintaining a facade of dignity while whispering to another man holding a folding fan.
Suddenly, a lower-ranking noble knocked on the door. Though annoyed at the interruption, the Daimyo allowed him to enter.
The lower noble crawled forward on his knees and whispered the report regarding the Ishi family. The Daimyo's pupils constricted, his body trembled, and his face flushed a deep red.
It was pure, unadulterated rage.
For a ninja to dare strike a noble—especially entering their estate and killing them on a whim without orders—was simply intolerable!
Meanwhile, the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning received the news as well, wearing a look of pure schadenfreude. "Oh dear," he mocked. "It seems you haven't trained your dog well. It's started biting its master. Kumogakure would never allow such a thing."
"Heh, merely a vulgar ninja. He will soon realize the gravity of his crime." The Fire Daimyo offered a polite smile to his counterpart, but his expression turned ghoulishly twisted the moment he looked away. "Notify the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Tell him to get here immediately. He must stand before me within three hours. Understood?"
"Yes, Sire!" the lower noble replied, backing out of the room on all fours.
The Land of Fire's government maintained an emergency liaison office in Konoha. The message was delivered instantly via a summoned beast, reaching the Hokage's ears ten minutes later.
Minato was stunned when he received the news. He never imagined Makiya would commit such a grave offense. Even as he rushed toward the capital via Flying Raijin, his mind raced to find excuses for Makiya.
Half an hour later, Minato arrived at the capital. Guided by an official, he entered the Daimyo's estate.
The Fire Daimyo did not grant him an audience immediately. Instead, he forced Minato to wait for three days, only summoning him on the fourth morning. It was a clear display of the Daimyo's fury; this matter would not be easily settled.
The Questioning Chamber of the Daimyo's Estate.
This was an interrogation room built with immense resources. The walls were made of metal completely insulated against chakra, dark with a purplish tint, looking as though black ink were constantly flowing down them.
The room was a regular pentagon, ten meters high, with a three-meter pillar in the center. The accused was required to stand atop this pillar to receive their interrogation.
Minato was the one being questioned. Guided by the officials, he stood upon the pillar. As the only door slammed shut, the entire room was plunged into absolute darkness.
Before Minato's eyes could adjust, a blinding light shot down from above. Five large lamps on the ceiling illuminated his head, casting a harsh glare over his upper body.
This interrogation lighting, set against a backdrop of darkness, was designed to exert immense psychological pressure on the subject, creating an inescapable sense of oppression.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Five heavy sounds rang out. Minato looked up and saw five large windows opening in the upper walls. Within each sat a silhouette.
Because of the lighting, Minato couldn't see their faces, but he knew exactly who they were. Sitting there were the Daimyos of the Five Great Nations!
The Fire Daimyo sat directly opposite Minato. As usual, he used his fan to cover his mouth, his eyes glaring down with unabated hatred.
'It's all the damn Hidden Leaf's fault. They made me lose face in front of the other Daimyos. Damn them!'
Beside the Fire Daimyo, an attendant unrolled a scroll and began to read in a high-pitched, dragging voice that echoed through the chamber.
"The Five Great Nations that rule this continent each possess their own ninja village to defend against foreign aggression. We, the Land of Fire, take pride in having the greatest strength and the most fertile soil. For a long time, we have provided protection to the village of Konoha..."
The attendant's words rang in Minato's ears, leaving him speechless.
If Makiya had been there, he probably would have slapped the man right then. Did the Daimyo have any self-awareness regarding why the Land of Fire held such vast land and resources? To shamelessly claim they 'protected' the Hidden Leaf... just how many Hashiramas did they think they were worth to dare say such a thing?
Yet, Minato actually believed it. He didn't have a single thought of rebuttal. In fact, many ninjas in Konoha felt the same way; this was the reality they had been raised with.
In the film 'Inheritors of the Will of Fire', the Fire Daimyo used the same rhetoric to interrogate Tsunade. As the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade had accepted the questioning as silently as Minato did now.
Ultimately, the rule of the nobility was deeply ingrained in the Ninja World. Even with their immense power, ninjas still submitted to the rule of nobles, viewing them as the representatives of the gods who were meant to rule the world.
The attendant's tone grew harsh. "However... Konoha's recent actions suggest a coup. You seek to overturn the fundamental rules of the world and the rule of the nobility, destroying our hard-won peace. This is a capital offense!"
"The other nations are ready. To protect the dignity of the nobility and world peace, their ninja villages have completed mobilization. Reports say they are already at the borders, ready to invade Konoha at any moment! If the Hokage takes no action, it will severely damage the relationship of trust between our nation and the village..."
Minato bit his lip, trying to explain. "Please, wait. This was an accident. That noble lord..."
"No excuses!" the attendant barked, his eyes fierce.
Seeing Minato silenced, the attendant's tone softened slightly. "Investigate the culprit immediately and resolve this incident. If you cannot, the Hidden Leaf Village will cease to exist. Prove your innocence now. As long as the culprit is executed, there is still room for recovery. You must understand, this is the only way for Konoha to survive!"
Minato's face was grim. He was at a loss for words. The five Daimyos sat high above him, looking down like high and mighty gods, casting their indifferent judgments.
The Fire Daimyo hadn't brought Minato here to discuss a solution; he had brought him here to issue an ultimatum. Once the last word was read from the scroll, the lights went out, and the five Daimyos retreated, leaving Minato standing alone.
After a long silence, Minato was led out of the chamber. He hurried back to Konoha, his heart heavy with worry.
Upon arriving, he didn't seek Makiya out immediately. Instead, he went to the Hokage Rock, which was currently being rebuilt. He stood watching the busy construction site, seeing the smiles on the people's faces, and clenched his fists.
Peace was hard-won. Konoha had finally earned a chance to recover; he could not allow conflict to break out again.
Minato wandered through the village. He ate a bowl of deluxe miso pork ramen at Ichiraku and then visited Kushina at the hospital.
Looking at his wife holding Naruto, Minato finally made his decision. He donned his Hokage robes and headed for the Uchiha clan compound.
After searching, he found Makiya at a training ground. The latter was focused on developing his Sage Mode, his body steaming with blue aura.
As soon as Minato approached, Makiya sensed his unique chakra. He immediately suppressed his Sage Mode, the markings on his forehead vanishing beneath his skin.
"Minato? Why did you come all the way to this remote training ground? You look miserable. Are you looking for me? More trouble?" Makiya asked casually, taking a large gulp of water.
Minato's expression was grave. After a long silence, he spoke. "Makiya, you need to run. I'll pretend I didn't see you."
Makiya: "Huh?"
He pointed at himself in confusion. "Why on earth would I run? Better yet, who could even make me run? Did the Sage of the Six Paths come back to life to kill me?"
Minato gritted his teeth. "It's the Five-Nation Coalition!"
He grabbed Makiya's shoulders and shook him. "I told you not to act impulsively! Now look what's happened. You killed a noble, and now the whole world has no place for you. The Fire Daimyo has ordered me to hand over the killer within three days, or Konoha will be leveled!"
Makiya frowned. "Minato... are you sleepwalking?"
"What sleepwalking? I'm perfectly awake!"
"Then why are you talking nonsense? The Fire Daimyo said he'd level Konoha? Does he want to die?" Makiya blinked, wondering which of them was actually dreaming.
One noble died, and the guy wanted to scrap his own Ministry of Defense? What kind of genius was he? Setting aside the motive, did he even have the power?
But Minato seemed to take the Daimyo's threat very seriously. "I'm serious, Makiya. You have to leave. Go quietly, don't tell anyone. Hide in a small country for a few years. Once things settle down, you can return to Konoha with a new identity. I can help you pull the strings from the shadows."