Yuuki walked over to stand beside Minato, unable to hide his admiration.
As expected of the future Fourth Hokage, the golden boy of the original story. At just nine years old, Minato already showed such sharp observational skills.
It was easy for someone like Yuuki, who knew how the future would unfold, to guess at these things. But for someone living in this world, it took a keen mind and constant vigilance to notice the clues.
"You're incredible."
Yuuki couldn't help but voice his thoughts as he looked down at Minato, lying on the grass.
"What?"
Minato hadn't quite heard him and blinked in confusion.
Yuuki raised a brow, thought for a moment, and decided to be direct.
"You're afraid the ninja world is headed for war, aren't you?"
Minato froze, as if Yuuki had just voiced what was weighing on his heart. After a pause, he turned to look at Yuuki.
"You think so too?"
Yuuki lay down beside him, gazing at the fiery clouds overhead.
"Have you thought about this?
The clash in the Land of Rain was a conflict between missions. We were on an assassination mission. The Sand were on a protection mission."
"Normally, the details of such missions are kept strictly confidential. So how did this one become the talk of the entire village?"
Minato's eyes widened as the realization hit him.
"You're saying... someone inside Konoha is deliberately spreading the details of that mission?"
Yuuki stared at the sky, silently counting the time left before the Second Great Ninja War.
"Of course.
If someone weren't fanning the flames, how could a single mission stir up the entire village?"
Minato sat up, his brows knit tight. He hesitated before asking,
"Do you mean... the Hokage?"
"Not necessarily.
Any high-ranking official in Konoha could pull that off."
As he spoke, Yuuki thought of a certain man who lurked in Konoha's shadows.
The tactic of spreading rumors to fuel warmongering felt all too familiar.
It seemed exactly like something that massive root beneath Konoha's great tree would do.
Given that man's usual aggressive style, it wasn't hard to believe he might have set this in motion.
Minato let out a breath of relief.
"So... not the Hokage himself?"
"You seem really afraid of the Third Hokage starting a war."
Yuuki was curious, watching how Minato's tension eased.
"Yeah... I guess I am.
Since I was little, I've always dreamed of becoming Hokage. Naturally, Lord Hokage has been my role model."
Minato grinned a little as he said it, half-joking, and looked over at Yuuki.
Then he took a deep breath, got to his feet, and went back to training.
Yuuki stayed where he was, watching Minato toy with the small wind vortex in his palm.
In the end, he chose not to speak the full truth.
Of course the Hokage wouldn't personally spread rumors.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi had to know what was being said in the village and how the mood was shifting toward war.
If he had wanted to, he could have stopped it easily.
That he hadn't meant he was allowing it to happen.
Which meant, deep down, the Third Hokage had already leaned toward choosing war.
Yuuki sighed, watching Minato practice his Wind Release.
The future Fourth Hokage was still so young. His keen instincts let him sense something was wrong, but he couldn't yet see the darkness lurking beneath the surface.
"Better that he doesn't."
Yuuki got to his feet and went back to his own training.
The next morning at the Ninja Academy, after his usual early drills, Yuuki arrived at class.
The chatter hit him as soon as he opened the door.
"Did you hear? Things in the Land of Rain are getting messier by the day."
"Really? What's going on?"
"Hot off the press! Iwagakure sent a hundred ninja into the Land of Rain!"
Yuuki rolled his eyes at how the rumors had grown wilder overnight and walked to his seat.
As he sat down, Kushina, who had been chatting with Mikoto and Shiina Kō, spotted him.
After saying goodbye to her friends, she flopped into her own seat and gave Yuuki a cheeky grin.
"Hey, Yuuki, take a look at Shiina Kō today. Notice anything different?"
Yuuki gave her a puzzled look, then glanced at Shiina.
At that exact moment, Shiina turned to sneak a glance at him too, and their eyes met.
Yuuki stayed calm, but Shiina's face went beet red. She quickly whipped around to face forward again.
Yuuki gave her a quick once-over.
She had swapped out her usual plain tracksuit for a snug ninja outfit that showed off her waist, paired with black mesh stockings like a real kunoichi.
Her normally loose black hair was tied up in a high ponytail that swung behind her as she moved.
"I told her yesterday that this was your type. So she dressed up like this just for you.
Mikoto and I helped her pick it out. Looks good, right?"
Kushina wiggled her eyebrows at Yuuki, looking far too pleased with herself.
"Good my foot!
Tell her to change back tomorrow."
Yuuki shot her a glare.
"Aww, what's the matter? Feeling protective already?"
Kushina lit up even more at his reaction, like she'd found new ammo.
"It's fine. She can wear it just for you.
Before you know it, you two will be..."
Yuuki quickly cut her off as she started down that dangerous path.
"Quit it! There's nothing like that.
I'm serious. She's nine. Does she really need to dress like that?"
Kushina blinked, realizing Yuuki actually meant it.
She sighed, leaning back in her chair.
"You really do talk like some old man at the village gate."
Yuuki laughed and pulled out his textbooks.
"Hey, you're not wrong. I might not be old enough to be your grandpa, but I can pull off the uncle role just fine."
Kushina rolled her eyes, done with the conversation.
Then she seemed to remember something and rummaged through her bag.
She tossed a few scrolls onto Yuuki's desk.
"Here. The lightning jutsu scrolls you wanted.
Next time, say something nice if you're going to ask for a favor. Or don't bother asking at all."
Yuuki picked up a scroll and unrolled it.
"Lightning Release scrolls?"
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