[Mother Mikoto, please take good care of yourself and live safely.]
The camera shifted to Minato's side. He was having dinner with two companions at a barbecue restaurant, celebrating their promotions to elite Jonin.
Their table was in a secluded corner of the main hall, so no one else could overhear their conversation.
Shibi Aburame was a man of few words, mostly eating in silence and listening to the other two chat.
Akimichi Choza, on the other hand, was outgoing and talkative. As the Young Clan Head of the Akimichi Clan, he had always heard many secret messages from his father, which he would then share with friends at the dinner table.
Especially with the Uchiha causing such a stir recently, he couldn't help but be aware of it.
Akimichi Choza wasn't stupid; how could he not understand the underlying meaning of his father's words?
The Uchiha matter was real.
One of the highest-ranking individuals had killed the most talented child of their clan.
After all, he was still young, his blood not yet cooled. Akimichi Choza gritted his teeth, seemingly having made a decision.
"Minato, I remember you and Uchiha Fugaku have a good relationship?"
"Yes," Minato admitted frankly, nodding, "We worked together for a while and became friends. But Fugaku got too busy after becoming clan head and couldn't go on missions, so we see each other less now."
"You might not be aware yet, Minato, but recently—"
"Choza." Shibi Aburame interjected.
"I know what I'm doing, Shibi."
Akimichi Choza gave him a calm and resolute look, then turned to Minato, his expression unusually serious.
"Things aren't right lately. If you get a chance, warn Uchiha Fugaku to be careful and stay vigilant."
Minato realized something he didn't know was happening: "What's wrong with the Uchiha?"
All surrounding noise was erased, including the words Akimichi Choza spoke next. The audience could only see his mouth moving, and a steadily growing heartbeat sound gradually filled their ears.
[The information gap between civilian Ninja and Ninja Clan members cannot be bridged, even at the elite Jonin level.]
[Akimichi Choza is a true man.]
[The Uchiha aren't completely unpopular either.]
[It has nothing to do with whether they are Uchiha; anyone with a conscience would find Danzo's dirty deeds intolerable.]
[Minato, hurry up and grow stronger! Unite with others and kick Hiruzen Sarutobi out!]
Listening to Akimichi Choza recount the intelligence, Minato listened with a pounding heart and growing anger.
Amidst his shock and fury, he recalled the genjutsu Kakashi had mentioned that afternoon, and a sense of anxiety and unease resurfaced.
Sakumo-senpai has been unconscious and hasn't woken up, Kakashi was put under genjutsu by an unknown enemy, Naraku was killed by a Ninja from the same village, the Uchiha are in precarious straits... It seems there's an invisible hand stirring up trouble in Konoha, causing widespread panic, but he has no clues at all.
And if this continues, it's hard to guarantee that Kakashi won't be in danger.
Whether he found out something he shouldn't know, or learned the truth from somewhere and thus resented Konoha...—he couldn't let Kakashi fall too deep.
Minato made up his mind.
[That big hand... could it be Jin?]
[It seems Minato finally has a formidable rival? Jin's age is also similar to Minato's.]
[Woohoo! The Hokage is about to enter intellectual battle mode!]
[Good heavens, if Jin did all these things, wouldn't the fans of these families eat him alive?]
[Jin's fans are already trembling with fear.]
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