Minato's enemy lay motionless in the distance.
Whether Kakashi had defeated his opponent alone or received help afterward was unclear.
Neither of them had interfered in Ken's fight.
…So this had been another test.
In hindsight, he should have realized it sooner.
After all, how long would it take Minato to defeat a jōnin?
They stopped in front of him.
Minato studied Ken's battered condition, then scratched his cheek with a sheepish smile.
"Sorry for not stepping in," he said. "Fights like this are the fastest way to improve. You can't depend on others forever."
He continued calmly
"If you had truly been in danger, I would have intervened. Like I did with Kakashi."
Then he smiled.
"But you performed better than I expected."
The approval in his voice was unmistakable.
Kakashi stood beside him, his expression unreadable, something complex flickering behind his eyes.
Ken nodded.
"I understand."
He didn't mind.
As long as the enemy was strong, it was fine. He enjoyed fighting powerful opponents, but within limit he wasn't reckless enough to gamble his life unnecessarily.
He liked combat.
He wasn't addicted to it.
As for Minato stepping in to help Kakashi—he would be lying if he said he didn't feel a trace of satisfaction.
But it was also true that Kakashi's opponent had been a direct counter to him.
So, need to get overconfident.
Minato, seeing that Ken showed no dissatisfaction, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
He was highly satisfied with him and had no desire for misunderstandings to damage the team's unity.
"So," Kakashi said suddenly, breaking the silence. He pointed toward the unconscious rogue shinobi nearby. "Should we interrogate him?"
The other two enemies were already dead.
He was the only survivor.
Ken remained silent.
He had doubts, but he waited for Minato's decision.
"Kill him," Minato said without hesitation.
Kakashi without any question, he carried out the order.
Ken's eyes narrowed slightly.
Knew it.
If Minato had intended to interrogate them, he wouldn't have killed the other two so cleanly.
With that small episode behind them, the mission was completed.
Due to the enemy's strength and confirmed jōnin involvement, it was upgraded to A-rank.
On the way back to Konoha, Minato spoke again.
"Why do you think I ordered him to be killed?"
Kakashi remained silent.
Though brilliant, he was still young. At this stage, obedience mattered more to him than interpretation.
Ken understood this was an opportunity.
"Because the client didn't request it," he said. "And if we uncovered sensitive information, it would exceed the scope of the mission."
Minato nodded.
"Correct."
He continued calmly.
"The client asked only for protection and escort. He never requested intelligence gathering."
"If we acted beyond our authorization," Minato said, "it wouldn't just anger the client. Konoha itself could bear responsibility."
He looked at both of them.
"Always remember this."
"Never do more than what a mission requires."
"Yes," Kakashi replied immediately.
Even his voice grew colder.
Ken glanced at him and shook his head slightly.
…That probably resonated far too well with Kakashi's beliefs.