The autumn wind had begun to blow, and the weather grew chillier by the day, but Namikaze Minato's heart was burning with heat. After several days of living in a state of constant anxiety, he had finally received the Hokage's orders: he was going to see his brother.
"Minato..."
What made his heart burn even hotter was that Kushina had come to see him off. He knew she had always been one to do as she pleased, rarely caring about the opinions of others, but seeing her standing there—braving the watchful eyes of so many Jonin and the Hokage himself just to say goodbye—left him both moved and exhilarated.
"Be careful out there."
Feeling the scorching gazes of the crowd and the teasing, smiling looks from Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other elders in the distance, Kushina uncharacteristically reined in her "Red-Hot Habanero" temperament. Her face was flushed as she whispered the reminder, looking uncommonly shy.
"Don't worry, Kushina. Amegakure has sued for peace, and the Suna have been driven out of the Land of Rain. There won't be any danger this time."
Distracted by his racing heart, Minato opened his mouth and promptly planted a massive death flag.
"That's right, Kushina, rest easy," Akimichi Choza, standing beside Minato, chimed in. He looked like he'd already had his fill of the couple's "sickly-sweet" display and couldn't help but tease, "Even if some small fry tries to cause trouble, we're here. We'll protect Minato and make sure he gets back early for your date."
Kushina's shyness was only skin-deep. Her brows instantly knitted together as she shot him a glare, snapping back, "Hmph! If you actually ran into enemies, it's more likely Minato would be the one protecting you lot."
Still, the slight heat in her ears betrayed her true feelings. She was clearly quite flustered—and perhaps a little excited—by Choza's mention of a "date."
In the distance, Danzo Shimura—who had arrived despite not being invited, simply to assert his status and presence—watched Kushina and Minato. Even from afar, he felt he could smell the "reputation-stinking" scent of young romance wafting off them.
It made him scowl, his heart filling with a fresh wave of dissatisfaction toward his old friend, Hiruzen.
In Danzo's view, a Jinchuriki—the village's ultimate weapon—should be an emotionless killing machine that only followed orders. The rest of the village needed to feel only one thing toward a Jinchuriki: fear.
Yet here was the ultimate weapon, acting shy and falling in love with a civilian ninja.
"Hmph! Weakness!" Danzo spat under his breath, unable to stand the sight any longer.
It was unclear if his remark was directed at Kushina for her display of emotion, or at Hiruzen Sarutobi for allowing things to reach this point.
"Lord Danzo?" Aburame Shikuro, standing behind him, didn't understand why his master had suddenly flared up. He asked in a small, confused, and slightly fearful voice.
"Remember your mission."
Danzo didn't bother explaining. He offered one last low-voiced warning before turning and walking away. The village was growing softer by the day; his Root base was a much more comfortable sight.
Not far away, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a chill and turned his head. He watched Danzo's slow departure and noted Shikuro bowing respectfully to see him off. A shadow of unease flickered in the Hokage's eyes.
He hadn't been entirely on board with Danzo shoving Shikuro into the diplomatic mission. However, Danzo's reasoning—"Shikuro can make contact with Root spies embedded in Ame, gather intelligence on their movements, and give us the upper hand in negotiations"—had ultimately forced Hiruzen to compromise.
He might have misgivings and suspicions about his old friend, but Hiruzen still believed that Danzo wouldn't act against the village's best interests. Yet, seeing this exchange, his conviction wavered.
"Shikashin."
Feeling increasingly unsettled, Hiruzen thought for a moment before deciding to caution the head of the mission, Nara Shikashin. "Keep a close eye on that Aburame boy during the trip."
"Rest assured, Lord Hokage. I understand," Shikashin replied. As the current head of the Nara clan, he was quick on the uptake; a hint was as good as a full explanation.
Knowing there was no need to say more to a man as sharp as Shikashin, Hiruzen nodded. He turned his gaze back to Minato, who was still chatting with Kushina. His expression was hesitant, but ultimately, he chose to remain silent.
Perhaps, in his mind, whether Minato could safely navigate this hidden crisis was a final test of the boy's true potential.
Konoha Main Camp.
Upon returning to the base, Tsunade had immediately thrown herself into the medical and rehabilitation work for the wounded. She was particularly focused on those who had lost limbs.
Dan Kato had survived, but only just. The massive overextension of his chakra had ravaged his body. By the time Tsunade had left him, he was barely able to stand. A full recovery would require at least six months of absolute bed rest.
That was one reason she hadn't brought him back to the main camp immediately, choosing instead to leave him under Jiraiya's care.
However, while his internal injuries were severe, they could be nursed back to health. The real problem was the loss of Dan's left forearm.
Every time she thought of that missing limb, Tsunade felt a crushing wave of guilt. That was the second reason she had returned to the camp alone. Until she could find a viable solution to the problem, she felt she didn't have the heart to look Dan in the eye.
But in an era before Orochimaru truly "set himself free," there was no one in the shinobi world—save perhaps for a certain mastermind hiding underground waiting to get the whole world hooked on a "dream internet"—who could solve the problem of missing limbs. Otherwise, the five great villages wouldn't be full of veterans forced into early retirement by such injuries.
Stymied by the lack of a solution for Dan, Tsunade grew increasingly irritable and despondent. The only thing that offered her any solace was Akiren, who had finally started opening up after their return to camp.
"Hahaha! I never would have thought Nawaki—that little clean freak—could have a day like that!"
Whenever she heard Akiren describe the "adventures" Hatani and Nawaki had shared on the road, she couldn't help but laugh out loud, the frustration in her heart momentarily easing.
In her spare time, she began teaching Akiren the basics of chakra refinement and ninjutsu.
"Lady Tsunade, does everyone have to use hand signs for ninjutsu?"
When they reached the stage of learning seals, a question from Akiren caught her off guard.
"Because... when I watched Big Brother Wind use his jutsu, he never used hand signs."
"Are you sure?"
Initially, Tsunade thought Akiren had simply misseen or was confused by his lack of experience. But as Akiren continued his description, her expression grew deadly serious.
According to Akiren, whether it was the initial display meant to intimidate him or the later ambush of the Rain Chunin, Asayu, he had seen it clearly. Hatani hadn't woven a single seal. With just a flick of his wrist, wind blades had severed branches and slit Asayu's throat.
"Have you told anyone else about this?"
Thinking back to that original Wind Style jutsu Hatani had created, Tsunade's eyes sharpened. Akiren, who had learned to read people's moods through years of wandering, immediately shook his head vigorously.
"Good boy."
Tsunade let out a sigh of relief. She patted his head and whispered with absolute gravity, "Remember this: you must forget that secret entirely. Never mention it again."