"You're saying… you ran into that black-threaded weirdo again?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned as he read through the mission report, an odd expression on his face.
Why does Kagami keep bumping into these high-level threats? It's almost like he's being targeted…
"That's right," Uchiha Kagami replied calmly. "But this time, no hidden forces made a move against me. The first thing that black-threaded guy said was something about the noble Yuten—the one with the five-million-ryō bounty."
"Seems like it was just a coincidence."
A coincidence, huh? That just makes your luck even worse. You're not even being targeted and still ran into him again.
"This time, the client voluntarily upgraded the mission to S-rank. The reward was bumped up to one million ryō," Hiruzen added, still sounding a little surprised. That noble really values his life.
Assassination missions on important targets are usually the only ones that get classified as S-rank. Escort missions, at most, tend to be A-rank. Sure, the difference in pay isn't drastic, but an S-rank mission adds serious weight to a ninja's record.
Yuten probably just inflated his worth to do Konoha a favor—making sure the next time he hires guards, he'll still get elite shinobi. That kind of move isn't uncommon among the nobility.
And so, Uchiha Kaien and Namikaze Minato found themselves riding the coattails of their very first S-rank mission.
"You two did very well this time," Hiruzen said, beaming at the pair. "You're truly the future of Konoha. With saplings like you, this village will only continue to grow stronger."
He'd already heard how Kaien had awakened his Sharingan further while trying to protect Minato, and how Minato had suddenly unleashed a burst of powerful chakra at a critical moment.
That bond between them was undeniably strong. These two were the very embodiment of the Will of Fire.
Hiruzen felt a deep satisfaction as he looked at his two students.
But still, two isn't enough. They need more bonds—stronger ones.
Lady Mito had recently suggested making Uzumaki Kushina the next jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, and truth be told, the Uzumaki were the best candidates for it.
Back when he brought Kushina to the village, he'd already considered her a form of insurance. With Mito growing older and weaker, there wasn't much time left. Once she passed, they'd need a suitable vessel immediately. Waiting until then would be too late.
Since his and Mito's ideas aligned, there was no reason not to go along with the plan.
Fortunately, these two boys had already built a good relationship with Kushina. If that bond continued to deepen, Kushina would fully integrate into Konoha in no time.
After a moment of contemplation, Hiruzen finally spoke again:
"You've both grown a lot from this battle. So, I've decided to give you two a couple of days off."
"Even as shinobi, don't neglect the people around you..."
"And Kagami—getting attacked over and over again isn't exactly ideal. I'm assigning you to investigate this black-threaded man. Any threat inside the Land of Fire needs to be eliminated quickly."
"I was thinking the same thing. I'll get to the bottom of it," Kagami replied.
Being constantly on the defensive wasn't a good feeling. While the two kids took time to digest their growth, he'd dig up every last bit of information about that black-threaded freak.
In the end, the million-ryō reward was split between Kaien and Minato—each getting 150,000 ryō. That's the kind of payout usually seen on high-end B-rank missions. Compared to what they would've normally earned, this was a windfall.
...
"It's lunchtime already, huh?"
Stepping out of the Hokage building, Minato squinted at the bright midday sun. His stomach rumbled. He felt hungrier than usual—even though he'd had a solid breakfast.
After safely escorting the client to his destination, Yuten had gone out of his way to treat Kagami and his team to a proper meal. Kagami only returned to Konoha this morning with his two subordinates.
"Wanna come eat at my place?" Kaien offered. "I'll cook."
He was hungry too—and kind of craving some proper stir-fried food.
Minato's eyes lit up, nodding quickly. He was a big fan of Kaien's cooking, and chances like this didn't come often. The only time he got to taste it was when Kaien was in an unusually good mood.
After all, you couldn't get stir-fry from the food stalls around the village—just curry, noodles, sweets, and barbecue.
So Kaien decided to satisfy his cravings and cook for both of them. Whether it was for one or two, he'd still have to cook anyway.
Once they finished eating, he planned to send Minato off to find Kushina. He'd tag along too—might as well be bold and take action. And maybe even squeeze some favors out of Nawaki while he was at it.
Three birds, one stone. Kaien was getting excited just thinking about it.
...
After shopping for ingredients, Kaien and Minato made their way to Kaien's house. Kaien's steps were light and impatient.
He pushed the door open and slipped into the hallway like he'd done it a thousand times. Making his way through the courtyard toward the kitchen—
He suddenly noticed Minato had stopped.
A faint breeze stirred their hair.
Kaien turned to look—
And his smile froze on his face.
Minato was staring at a clothesline in Kaien's yard, his expression unreadable, but definitely odd.
Then Minato seemed to realize Kaien had noticed and coughed awkwardly, as if trying to stop him from looking up.
Too late.
Kaien's eyes followed Minato's gaze—
And saw something that made him want to personally hunt down White Zetsu and stab him repeatedly.
Hanging from the clothesline—where there'd been nothing before he left on the mission—was a freshly washed pale-blue kimono.
Not just any kimono. A woman's kimono.
And not just any woman's kimono—it was the one Madara had forced him to wear when they tricked Nagato. Tailored to fit Kaien's exact measurements.
Minato, being a shinobi, had probably already deduced the owner of the garment by analyzing its size and proportions.
If it were a man's kimono, no big deal. But that kimono?
"Minato," Kaien said slowly, his eyes gleaming with his fully-activated three-tomoe Sharingan. "You'll keep this quiet, right?"
"Kaien…"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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