Gen Takuya continued praising him.
No one disliked hearing good words.
Even Minato's smile seemed to deepen slightly.
"Enough, you two," Kushina cut in, unable to watch any longer. "That old man's already old. It's obviously time for him to retire."
Minato and Gen Takuya both laughed.
Only Kushina would dare speak of the Third Hokage like that.
Gen Takuya glanced at Minato.
Even if Minato didn't mind being called by name, Gen Takuya would keep it to private settings.
In public, he'd still use "Hokage-sama."
In work, you addressed the position.
As for the Third Hokage, Gen Takuya didn't care much either way. Conspiracies were endless; truth didn't matter to him as long as they didn't interfere.
So far, the Third had treated him well—missions paid quickly, rewards were clean.
Who wouldn't like a leader who paid on time and even offered comfort afterward?
Minato took a sip, eyes brightening.
"Mm. Good tea."
"If you like it, you can take some when you leave," Gen Takuya said casually. "I brought back quite a bit."
Kushina waved it off. "Enough small talk. I brought a bunch of sealing formulas I haven't finished researching yet!"
She pulled out a stack of scrolls and set them down on the table.
In an instant, both Minato and Kushina had the strange illusion that Gen Takuya's eyes lit up.
They exchanged an amused look.
As expected—he had no resistance to this kind of thing.
Gen Takuya coughed twice, then pulled the scrolls over and began reading.
Only after a long while did he force himself to look up.
Minato and Kushina were waiting.
Leaving them idle for too long felt rude.
So Gen Takuya finally took out several scrolls of his own—his research—and placed them in front of them.
"These are…" Minato and Kushina looked down, both surprised.
"Some sealing techniques I derived from the Evil Sealing Method," Gen Takuya explained. "They still lack Earth and Water. Most Earth and Water attacks are physical in nature, so sealing them cleanly is… troublesome."
Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance.
They'd given him incomplete research.
But he was giving them finished techniques.
They weren't the type to take advantage.
Their eyes made the decision for them.
Then they picked up the scrolls and began reading—dense text, careful annotations, step-by-step reasoning.
Their admiration only deepened.
This man's obsession with fūinjutsu was beyond them.
These weren't just finished formulas.
They contained the entire research process—
Not only how to use the seals, but why they worked.
With knowledge like that, future adaptations and improvements would be possible.
And so the three of them sank into their scrolls.
When they finally looked up, their eyes met—
And they all saw the same thing.
Curiosity.
Hunger.
Kushina finally understood why Minato had stayed out so late last time and left her alone at home.
This kind of discussion…
Was addictive.
They talked about Kushina's unfinished formulas.
They explored possibilities—many of which collapsed into dead ends, becoming discarded designs.
Which was normal.
Then the discussion shifted to Gen Takuya's newly developed seals.
Minato and Kushina offered ideas for sealing Earth and Water attacks, building on the logic of physical contact and chakra containment.
Gen Takuya listened, mind racing, recording and simulating every thought.
The exchange sparked too many new insights.
He genuinely wanted to shut his door and enter seclusion just to research.
Time slipped past.
When they realized where they were—
It was already deep night.
"If you don't mind," Gen Takuya said, "we can make do with instant noodles?"
"Expired?" Kushina teased. After hours of discussion, the distance between them had closed noticeably.
"No," Gen Takuya yawned. "Bought them last month."
"Then we'll gratefully accept," Minato said. At this hour, going home to cook sounded miserable anyway—and they were hungry.
"Senior, how's your cooking?" Kushina grinned. "If it's bad, let Minato do it. He's good."
Minato smiled wryly. It was true—when he was home, he did most of it.
"Relax," Gen Takuya said, brows lifting seriously. "I can't promise anything else… but if it's instant noodles, I'm confident."
Minato and Kushina exchanged a look, then laughed as Gen Takuya walked into the kitchen.
"He probably eats instant noodles a lot," Minato said thoughtfully.
Kushina nodded in full agreement.
Soon, the three of them ate together, full and satisfied.
Gen Takuya sighed internally.
No matter what world you lived in, instant noodles weren't great if you ate them often—
But once in a while?
They were irresistible.
"Thanks for the meal," Minato said sincerely. "Senior's instant noodles are really something."
"Of course," Gen Takuya replied. "It's my specialty across two lifetimes."
Minato and Kushina both paused—
Then all three laughed.
Minato felt a quiet regret.
This atmosphere—this kind of exchange—was rare.
And once he became Fourth Hokage, he'd be buried under work.
There would be no time for nights like this.
That was why he'd come today—together with Kushina.
"It's late. We should head back," Minato said, then handed Gen Takuya several scrolls. "These are gifts to thank you for the hospitality."
"Oh, I really shouldn't~" Gen Takuya's eyes brightened as he spoke—while shamelessly taking them anyway.
Minato and Kushina laughed again, then left.
When the door closed, Gen Takuya's smile faded.
He opened the scrolls.
As expected—complete sealing techniques and study notes, mostly barrier-type fūinjutsu.
A profitable trade.
His own research derived from the Evil Sealing Method was meant to justify his public progress.
After all—
If he "researched" for years and produced nothing, it would raise eyebrows.
And those seals weren't useless.
He simply hadn't finished the final steps yet.
Gen Takuya tapped the table thoughtfully.
As expected…
There was no Four Symbols Seal among them.
That kind of seal wouldn't be handed over so easily.
But if he saved them…
And then "accidentally" revealed Adamantine Sealing Chains…
Not only could he obtain Nine-Tails chakra—
He might even be able to acquire the Four Symbols Seal.
And with their trust, things would become far easier.
Gen Takuya drummed his fingers on the table, weighing the gains and losses in silence.
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