Minato's POV
It's been a week since my team and I were separated. I had been assigned a solo mission, one that took me deep into the Land of Lightning to gather intelligence. Fortunately, I completed it on time, but the journey was anything but simple.
During the mission, I came across several critical developments. I learned of the death of the Third Raikage, the signing of a peace treaty between Iwagakure and Jiraiya-sensei, and the ascension of the Third Tsuchikage. But the most shocking piece of news was about the Third Raikage himself, about how much vigor and will that man carried.
He stood alone… facing 10,000 Iwa shinobi, to buy time for his people to retreat. He knew he was at a complete disadvantage, yet he chose to fight, knowing full well what awaited him. For three days and three nights, he fought relentlessly. Not because he was poisoned. Not because he was injured. No... he died purely from chakra exhaustion.
Even though he was an enemy to my village, that act of selflessness, of sacrifice for his people, is something I deeply admire. He has my respect.
While I was making my way back toward the Konoha camp stationed near the Land of Lightning border, I received a message via messenger bird from Shikaku.
I opened the scroll and quickly scanned its contents. The situation had shifted again. After the death of the Third Raikage, his son Ay had been named the new Raikage of Kumogakure. With their forces in a vulnerable state, Konoha proposed a peace treaty. I didn't know the full details of the treaty, but I could only hope Lord Third was firm with the terms. This war has already taken too much from us, our people, our strength, our homes.
According to the message, Shikaku, Akimichi Torifu, and I were ordered to proceed to the signing. The inclusion of Shikaku made perfect sense, his strategic mind was invaluable. But why Akimichi Torifu? Why not Lord Orochimaru, who was stationed as the commander of the camp? I tried to think through it, but none of the reasons I came up with seemed valid.
Without wasting time, I headed back to the camp. I'd been stationed far to the east, and it took me nearly half a day to reach. I could've used Flying Raijin, but I deliberately avoided using any major chakra techniques in enemy territory. If I had run into an elite enemy squad with depleted chakra, that could've spelled disaster. So I made the long trek on foot, as quickly and cautiously as I could.
Eventually, I reached the camp. It was well-positioned, nestled between two rivers, surrounded by small valleys and forest canopies. A high vantage point, both defensible and strategic.
I headed straight for the commander's tent. Inside, I saw Orochimaru, Hiashi, Shikaku, and Akimichi Torifu seated around the table, deep in conversation.
"Hello, everyone," I greeted them, stepping in. "I received a message from Shikaku and made my way here as quickly as possible."
Shikaku looked up and nodded. "Don't worry. The treaty is set to be signed the day after tomorrow. Sit down, we need to discuss some things."
I noticed his serious expression and complied, pulling up a chair.
Orochimaru began speaking. "The signing of the peace treaty is crucial, it must be carried out without any losses or interference. But… it seems Kumo is planning to stir trouble."
I frowned at the statement. Orochimaru continued, "They've inserted a clause, the treaty will only be enforced one hour after it's signed."
I nodded slowly. "That gives them exactly one hour to create chaos and cause damage. They'll try something, I'm sure of it."
Shikaku agreed. "Yes. And that's why Lord Third sent you. With the new Raikage's speed, it's hard to counter him. You're the only one capable of holding him at bay."
"I understand," I replied. "Do we know who will be present at the signing?"
Hiashi spoke up, "From what we've gathered, the Fourth Raikage will be there, along with Darui and C, his trusted subordinates. Beyond that, we're not sure."
Orochimaru added, "I suspect Killer Bee, the Jinchūriki and right-hand man, will accompany them."
I clenched my jaw. "Deploying a Jinchūriki during a peace treaty signing? Are they mad?"
Shikaku sighed. "Absurd, I know. But given their temperament, it's highly likely. As for their second Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, we have no information."
Then came another surprise.
"Orochimaru-sama and Hiashi will return to Konoha," Shikaku informed me.
I was stunned. "What? If we know they're planning something, shouldn't we increase our strength here, not reduce it? Especially not Lord Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru calmly responded, "I understand your concerns. But Sensei said not to alarm the enemy. Too large a force might make them back out or grow hostile. He's ordered me and Hiashi to withdraw."
I couldn't understand Lord Third's reasoning, why now, of all times? But I pushed those doubts aside and focused.
"So, how many will remain here?" I asked.
Shikaku's face darkened. "Only 30 percent of our current force. Among them, only one squad of medical ninja will be left behind."
I nodded grimly. "Alright. When will Orochimaru and Hiashi depart?"
"Tonight, under the cover of darkness, to avoid alerting the enemy."
I leaned forward. "Then let's plan our defense. I believe it's best if I go alone near the forest entrance to sign the treaty. If anything feels off, I'll retreat immediately. We'll have the high ground, we can use it to defend and counter.
"But… if Killer Bee comes along, I'll need you all to keep them occupied using long-range jutsu, kunai, and shuriken. If both Killer Bee and Yugito Nii appear, our top priority becomes retreat. We won't be able to hold them with such a small force.
"In that case, Torifu and I will buy time while the rest retreat. Once the treaty kicks in, we'll regroup and retake the camp if possible. If not, then the decision rests with Lord Third. But I refuse to risk our comrades' lives over this game of politics. Follow my commands to the letter."
I said those words firmly. Everyone nodded in agreement, understanding the gravity of what lay ahead.
That night, Orochimaru, Hiashi, and 70% of our forces departed quietly for Konoha. After reviewing the plan once more, I returned to my tent and, for the first time in days, allowed myself to rest.
The next day would decide the fate of many.
As I was sleeping, I suddenly felt a sharp disturbance within my special sensory field. My eyes snapped open. I calmed my breathing and focused all my senses toward the direction of the anomaly. That pull… it was coming from the direction of the Land of Water.
My body instantly tensed."That must be a signal… from Kakashi and Rin. But why now?"A deep sense of unease hit me. Something was wrong. They were in danger, I could feel it.
Without wasting another second, I jumped up and changed into my ninja attire in one swift motion. I grabbed a good number of my special kunai and pocketed extra soldier pills. I popped one right away. Teleportation at this scale would burn through a massive amount of chakra.
As I activated my mark, my surroundings blurred, and in an instant, I reappeared in the dense, mist-covered forests near the battlefield.
The moment I arrived, my senses locked onto the situation.
Kakashi was surrounded, nearly twenty Mist shinobi, closing in on him. Rin lay on the ground, either unconscious or trapped in a genjutsu. My heart tightened, but there was no time for hesitation.
I threw three kunai directly at the shinobi around Rin and another one toward Kakashi. One of the Mist shinobi sneered, watching the kunai sail over his head.
"Which bastard has such a shitty aim—"
He never finished the sentence.
I flashed above them, mid-air, and slammed a Rasengan down into his skull. The violent spiral of chakra caved in his head and the ground beneath him, sending shockwaves through the mist.
The others turned in horror, but by then I was already behind Rin, my kunai carving through two of the shinobi as they tried to react. Their bodies dropped before their blades even left their sheaths.
Kakashi's eyes widened."Minato-sensei!"
"Stay near Rin and protect her," I said firmly, not taking my eyes off the enemies. "I'll handle them."
He didn't argue. He grabbed Rin and retreated, shielding her.
I now stood in the middle of a clearing, with seven Mist shinobi and six masked ANBU closing in. Their bloodlust filled the air like fog. I tried sensing for more, underground, within the forest. But… nothing.
"Good, I can finish the job early."
I flicked a kunai behind me, near Rin, just in case. Then I dashed forward.
I weaved hand signs and exhaled, "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"A massive wave of wind tore forward, snapping trees and launching dust into the air. The Mist ANBU quickly flickered away, vanishing in blurs.
But I was already prepared. I slammed my palms onto the ground.
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The earth beneath the Mist shinobi liquefied and churned, dragging half of them waist-deep into the muddy abyss. Some screamed, struggling to move. Perfect.
I flickered to the nearest enemy, slashing with my kunai. He barely dodged, retreating fast, but his leg was trapped in the swamp. Bad move.
I threw another kunai past his shoulder, toward the enemy behind me, then sliced the throat of the one in front of me. His head rolled, blood splattering the swamp.
Flash.
I teleported instantly to the second target and stabbed through his heart with my kunai. The ANBU turned too late, their chakra flaring as they began to settle into a formation.
I threw a kunai in the center of their formation, then quickly weaved hand signs again.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears!"
Spikes of hardened earth rose around them in a ring, encircling, caging them toward my marked point. As they prepared to break out, I teleported into their midst and again unleashed:
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The sudden gust knocked them off balance, scattering them momentarily. That was all I needed.
One Rasengan slammed into the back of an ANBU, shattering his mask and spine. I weaved between the spears and blades, dodging their swings, dancing through their panic. My kunai flashed, carving arcs of red in the mist.
I dropped one. Then another.
And another.
Blood splashed across my jacket. The last two Mist ANBU tried to escape, flickering into the trees, but I had already marked them. I disappeared in a flash of yellow and thrust my kunai through his chest.
The other I let run, only for him to step on one of my earlier kunai.
"Too slow."
I teleported behind him and ended it.
Silence fell.
The battlefield was littered with bodies and cracked earth. Mist hung low, painted red under the moonlight.
I turned and rushed toward Kakashi and Rin. They were safe.
As soon as I reached them, I saw Rin lying still, her body trembling faintly, her eyes vacant. She was trapped inside a genjutsu, but what truly shocked me was that her chakra points were sealed, yet I sensed an external chakra slowly breaking through those seals.
I crouched beside her, heart heavy, and asked, "Kakashi, what happened?"
Kakashi's face was pale, his usual composure shattered. His voice came out low and strained as he recounted how Rin was kidnapped during their mission and how he discovered her in the cave, surrounded by 50 Mist Nin. They escaped from them, only to be discovered again in this open field, where Rin was caught in a genjutsu and jumped between him and the enemy at the last second as he twisted and ended the life of the enemy.
My heart twisted. Kiri had deployed an entire platoon just to capture Rin? Why? Why go to this length?
I turned back to Rin. She looked like a lifeless doll. No expression. Still trapped in the illusion.
"Release," I whispered, placing my hand gently on her forehead.
The genjutsu shattered.
And as if her soul came flooding back into her body, Rin's expression slowly changed, blankness gave way to trembling lips, quivering lashes, and then
Then… tears.
"Kakashi… I didn't mean to— I don't know how—" she cried, her voice trembling. "I could do nothing but watch you fight them all… I'm a burden. I can't protect you... I'm always a burden…."
Kakashi dropped to his knees beside her, his voice cracking, this time filled with relief and raw honesty.
"Rin, no. Don't say that. I know how much you care. And I care about you, too."His voice cracked.
"Even if I had to die, I would've died to save you." He looked away, ashamed of his late realization. "I always thought emotions were unnecessary… distractions on missions. But when you were gone, I couldn't think. I couldn't fight. I felt anxious. Empty. Like something precious had been ripped from me."
His hand slowly reached for hers.
"When you weren't beside me… that's when I realized it. You're the reason I stay calm. The reason I feel… alive. You're not a burden. You're my light. And Rin… I love you. I love you so, so much."
Rin's eyes widened, her lips trembled in disbelief, then joy. She sobbed, but this time it was from something deeper, happiness mixed with pain.
"Kakashi… I als—"
Suddenly, a massive surge of chakra erupted from Rin's body. It was monstrous, untamed, and savage.
Kakashi's face went pale.
"RIN?! What's happening— RIN!!"He turned to me, panic overtaking him."Sensei! Please! Do something!"
I focused immediately, closing my eyes, sensing her chakra network. That surge… it wasn't hers. No, something was buried deep within her, rising violently.
My gut twisted.
"No…" I whispered.
I searched her body and found it.A seal. Hidden at the back of her neck. Intricate. Foul. Kiri-made.It wasn't just a sealing mark.
It was a Jinchūriki seal.
Kiri had sealed a tailed beast inside her, and the seal… was unstable, leaking corrupted chakra into her.
I gently laid her on her stomach, placed my hand over the seal, and analyzed the intricate lines pulsing with red-hot chakra. The structure was crude and dangerous. It wasn't meant to last long.
Her fate… had already been tampered with.
"Her fate is sealed…" I muttered under my breath. "They made her a Jinchūriki."
I turned to them, my face grim, my voice low."Rin, listen carefully. What I'm about to say will change your life."
She turned her head slightly, her breathing labored, her eyes filled with fear.
"Kiri… they sealed a tailed beast inside you."
Kakashi looked like his world had just collapsed.
Rin's face slowly turned pale. And then came the horror, the realization of what that meant.
Tears welled up in Rin's eyes again, this time not from pain, but from despair. She knew. She understood. She had seen how even Kushina, despite being an Uzumaki, was still feared and whispered about in the streets. And Rin… she was not an Uzumaki. She didn't have their life force, their strength. She was just… her.
Rin was just Rin.A bright kunoichi. A medic. A friend. A girl who had just started to feel what love felt like.
Her future… now shattered.
I spoke, steady but heavy, "I can stabilize the seal. Keep the beast contained. But… Rin, you won't survive for long. Without a powerful life force like the Uzumaki or Senju, your body won't last more than five or six years."
She froze. Her lips parted, but no words came, just grief.
Just when she had finally found peace with her heart, just when Kakashi had told her he loved her, fate turned cruel.
Tears spilled again.
"But—" I continued. "There's… one hope. One chance."
I pulled out the scroll, laying it open beside her. My hand hovered over the markings, deep, intricate, still untested. But I knew the theory. I studied it during our mission in the Land of Lightning.
"Rin," I said quietly, "This seal is Akira's seal, a prototype to be exact, the Cloud Domain Seal, it may suppress the tailed beast without harming your body. If it works, you'll live… a full life. But…"
I hesitated.
"It's never been tested. And if I fail… the beast may break free. And… you'll lose your consciousness forever."
She closed her eyes. Her breaths were shaky. Her fingers gripped the earth beneath her.Then…
She opened them, her eyes filled with pain, but also determination.
She glanced at Kakashi, then back at me.Her voice cracked, but it was strong.
"Sensei… I want to live. I want to live my life with Kakashi. I can't leave him alone… not now. Not ever. Please… use Akira's seal."
Kakashi gripped her hand tightly. His eyes shone with both fear and love.
I nodded.
I positioned her, opened the scroll fully, and began tracing the pattern with my chakra. I pressed my hand over her seal and whispered, "Brace yourself, Rin… this will hurt."
I began removing the seal.
Her body convulsed.She screamed, a raw, guttural cry, as if the beast was tearing its claws through her chakra system. Her back arched. Her fingers clawed the ground.
"RIN!!" Kakashi yelled, trying to hold her. But I stopped him.
"Don't touch her. She's fighting. Let her fight."
The moment the Kiri seal broke, I slammed my palm down.
"Now!" I roared, slamming my palm onto her neck. "Cloud Domain Seal: Activate!"
The moment my chakra surged through her, the scroll beside her glowed violently.
Intricate patterns bloomed across her back and neck, luminous, divine. They moved like living flame, encircling the unstable beast chakra inside her, suppressing it, guiding it, calming it.
She trembled. Sweat poured. Her mouth opened in another scream, but then, silence.
The patterns glowed once more and faded gently, leaving behind the final seal — a cloud-shaped mark, serene and pulsing softly.
Her breathing steadied.
The tailed beast's chakra… was sealed.
Rin lay there, breathing. Alive. Her chakra is calm, contained. The tailed beast, suppressed.
I exhaled deeply and slumped back. Kakashi was already beside her, brushing her hair out of her face, eyes filled with tears.
Rin opened her eyes slowly, looked up at him, and smiled weakly.
Kakashi whispered, "You're safe now…"
And as I watched them, two people who started as comrades, became teammates, and finally found the truth in their love, I realized this was just the beginning of a different kind of fight.
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Chapter Length-3100 words
Hello everyone, and I apologize for the delay in this chapter. I needed some time to think it through as this chapter is very important and can alter the entire plot of the story. I wanted to ensure everything is just right. I believe it turned out well, but I still feel I did not express the emotions effectively; at times, it feels somewhat empty. However, I will try to improve it. Please continue to support me and guide me.
"""