After leaving the Hokage Building, Minato didn't immediately search for Nawaki and the others. Instead, he first found Tsunade at the hospital.
Learning that Minato was about to embark on a mission, Tsunade felt a pang of reluctance.
"You're stationed at the outpost? It seems you won't be back for a while."
"Yes. How's Teacher's antidote research coming along?"
"No progress."
Tsunade sighed, her voice tinged with frustration. "The Salamander's poison is a neurotoxin. There's no suitable antidote. We can only create short-acting antitoxins that target the toxin's properties, but these antitoxins are difficult to mass-produce for the front lines."
"It's not just Hanzō. The Puppet Masters of Sunagakure are also masters of poison, especially that old woman Chiyo. If you encounter any of them, don't get entangled with them."
"Understood. I'll be careful."
Minato nodded and handed Tsunade a bag of Clone Seeds.
"Have you given any of these to the Third Hokage?"
Recalling the purpose of the Clone Seed, Tsunade's eyes lit up.
Minato shook his head. "No, this was created by a mutation in my cells. I don't trust giving it to anyone else."
Wood Release was one thing, but the key was that he also possessed the Uchiha bloodline.
Moreover, Devil Fruits alter a person's Bloodline Factors. Based on descriptions in the Pirate world, these factors were likely genes.
Although the Shinobi World's technology hadn't yet confirmed the existence of genes, cloning wasn't particularly difficult. If anything were to slip out, it could cause trouble.
Important people...
Tsunade froze slightly, noticing Minato's direct gaze and a blush rising on her cheeks.
Minato watched her with amusement, his tone carrying an inexplicable weight. "Teacher, don't you have anything you want to say to me?"
"W-what do you mean?" Tsunade's eyes darted away, unable to meet his gaze.
"This is my first mission, and I'm going to the battlefield. Don't you have any words of encouragement?"
"Well... do your best!"
Seeing Tsunade's flustered expression, Minato found it amusing.
A smile curved his lips as he gently tugged at the corner of Tsunade's robe, his expression innocent. "I'll miss you, Teacher!"
"Mm-hmm!"
At his words, Tsunade turned away, her gaze fixed on the window. Her heart pounded wildly, and a blush spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.
"Then... will you miss me, Teacher?"
Minato suddenly asked, shifting his weight and leaning in closer.
"...Yes!"
Tsunade shot him a glare, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance flashing in her eyes. "Are you leaving or not?"
Minato's smile deepened. Instead of releasing her, he gently clasped the corner of her robe in his palm.
"Teacher," he said, his voice even softer, "your ears are red."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
The blush on Tsunade's face deepened. She raised her fist as if to punch Minato's shoulder, but ultimately only lightly rested her hand there, using the opportunity to adjust his collar.
"Go on now."
"Okay."
Minato nodded, his figure vanishing in an instant.
Only then did Tsunade let out a long sigh, slumping back into her chair. She stared at the ceiling, her eyes shimmering as if with unshed tears.
That brat... he's getting more aggressive by the day...
If he's this troublesome now, what will he be like when he grows up?
She'll be barely thirty then—how will she handle being... bullied by him?
Thinking this, Tsunade snorted softly, cursing Minato under her breath for making her so uneasy.
Meanwhile, the very Minato who was the star of her inner drama had already used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the valley entrance.
Gathering the three of them, Minato cut to the chase: "We have a mission. Depart immediately for the border outpost."
"Are we going to the battlefield?" Nawaki's eyes lit up, his eagerness perfectly embodying the saying: A young ninja's desire for glory.
"Yes, but let's get one thing straight..." Minato fixed him with a stern gaze. "In the upcoming mission, without my direct order, no one—absolutely no one—is allowed to act independently!"
Nawaki nodded vigorously. "I promise!"
"You didn't hesitate at all..." Minato chuckled softly. "What would you do if, during our covert operation, innocent people were about to be killed by the enemy, but I forbade you from interfering?"
"I—" Nawaki opened his mouth, his smile freezing on his face. After a moment of struggle, he said, his expression conflicted, "We can't just stand by and watch innocent people die, can we?"
Minato didn't indulge him. "But acting rashly could endanger me and Mikoto-nee."
"..."
Nawaki looked displeased. "Then what am I supposed to do?"
"I don't oppose helping the weak, but not at the cost of your own safety. Acting without orders is irresponsible towards your teammates' lives. I want you to understand this principle," Minato said earnestly.
He had to emphasize this. Nawaki, like Naruto, was a hot-headed fool.
In the original story, Naruto's reckless actions repeatedly put his teammates in danger.
Without his protagonist's plot armor, he would have died countless times.
"Of course, I'll do my best not to make you compromise your beliefs. You just need to trust me," Minato said seriously.
"...I understand!" Nawaki nodded firmly.
He had absolute faith in Minato's strength. If Minato couldn't resolve something, he certainly wouldn't be able to either.
Because he recognized the gap in their abilities, Nawaki wasn't as reckless as Naruto in this regard.
Minato turned to Mikoto. "Mikoto-nee, I'll be leading this mission. Is that alright?"
"No problem," Mikoto replied, shaking her head. Though she was the nominal team leader as a Chūnin, she knew perfectly well who the real powerhouse was.
"As for Kushina..."
Minato turned to Kushina, who was biting her lip, a hint of worry on her face.
She no longer cared about whether she could join the mission; she just wanted Minato and the others to return safely.
Seeing the concern in her eyes, Minato's voice was both gentle and firm.
"I'll be back."
"Okay!"
As if injected with a shot of courage, Kushina nodded vigorously.
"Then, meet at the village gate in an hour!"
An hour later, Kushina stood at the village gate, watching the three figures depart with a wistful expression in her eyes.
Minato, Mikoto, and Nawaki moved in a staggered formation, heading swiftly toward the border. Minato led the way, Mikoto in the center, and Nawaki at the rear.
After about twenty minutes of travel, as they passed through a desolate mountain valley, Minato suddenly raised his hand, signaling them to stop.
"What is it? Enemies?" Nawaki asked in a low voice from behind.
"No," Minato replied, shaking his head. He closed his eyes and focused for a moment before clapping his hands together, summoning a massive tree several meters in circumference.
He pressed his hand against the trunk, and a split appeared. After retrieving a kunai, he inserted it into the crack and sealed the tree back up.
A Flying Thunder God Technique teleportation beacon was complete!
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