Minato's Choice

Crash!!

Boom!!!!

The raging thunder shot straight into the sky, exploding into countless sparks.

Ōnoki, who had barely dodged it, clutched his lower back as several drops of cold sweat slid down his face.

As luck would have it, his back pain had flared up right now.

But...

A technique capable of contending with Dust Release... What was that?!

Ōnoki had repeatedly used Dust Release to destroy Tailed Beast Balls. This was absolutely not something Tailed Beast Chakra could accomplish...

To confront Dust Release head-on, aside from Dust Release... perhaps only Space-Time Ninjutsu could do it.

Ōnoki had indeed sensed space distort.

"Brat... if you keep this up..."

"You'll only make me want to kill you here and now, no matter the cost!"

Ōnoki condensed another Dust Release barrier.

Suppressing the violent effects brought on by the Tailed Beast Chakra, Kagami Uchiha spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Ōnoki, four tails is the limit of what I can control."

"If you want to fight again, I can always release the Nine-Tails."

"We're fairly close to the Land of Earth, aren't we?"

"Before I lose consciousness, I can still make the Nine-Tails head toward the Land of Earth."

"Do you want to try the Nine-Tails' power..."

Beneath the Crimson Chakra Cloak, Kagami Uchiha's right hand was already a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

The only two people present who knew the truth were the unconscious Roshi and Namikaze Minato.

Since you think I'm the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, all the better.

Ōnoki fell silent.

His thoughts spun rapidly as he weighed the gains and losses.

"You've been thinking for too long!"

Kagami Uchiha roared. More Tailed Beast Chakra spilled out, as if it were about to form a fifth tail.

"Wait!!"

Ōnoki dispersed the Dust Release barrier and shouted urgently:

"By the name of Tsuchikage, I promise that Iwagakure will not invade the Land of Fire for half a year! As long as you return Roshi to me!"

The raging Chakra slowly subsided, remaining in its four-tailed state.

"A week from now, I'll have someone return Roshi."

"No! What if you extract the Four-Tails? Don't play tricks with me!"

"Now... leave."

Ōnoki ground his teeth. "I may be Tsuchikage, but do you think I can go back on a promise made in front of the Stone Hidden Ninja?"

A Chakra tail coiled around Roshi and lifted him.

"We'll retreat to the border, then have someone send him over. I guarantee he'll be alive."

"This is my bottom line. If you refuse, then let's fight."

As he spoke, the vicious Tailed Beast Chakra spilled out once again.

"Fine."

Ōnoki drew a long breath and stared deeply at Kagami Uchiha.

"Brat, tell me your name."

"Kagami Uchiha."

"I see..."

"Kagami Uchiha, I hope we can meet again. You won this battle."

Ōnoki slowly descended into the Iwagakure formation. After giving the people from Konohagakure one last meaningful glance, he ordered everyone to withdraw.

After they had traveled some distance, a young man with the same large nose as Ōnoki approached him.

"Father, even if that was the Nine-Tails, you could have dealt with it, right?"

The people of the Ninja World had no direct understanding of the Nine-Tails. They knew it was powerful, but surely handling two opponents at once was the limit, right?

Ōnoki had a record of defeating the Four-Tails and Five-Tails in tandem!

Hovering in midair, Ōnoki glanced sideways at Kitsuchi and said coldly, "Do you want to become Tsuchikage? Are you tired of me living too long?"

"No, no, no!" Kitsuchi hurriedly waved his hands.

After a moment of silence, Ōnoki said in a low voice:

"I'm not certain I could deal with the Nine-Tails, and there was no need to try."

"Once you return, loudly spread Kagami Uchiha's name. Spread the news that Roshi was defeated, too."

"Huh? But..."

Ōnoki narrowed his eyes slightly, a strange curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Do you know whom I thought of when I saw him?"

Kitsuchi hesitated. Of course he knew the most painful memory in his father's heart.

"Uchiha Madara?"

"Correct."

"Although he's still far behind the Uchiha Madara I saw, he's still young..."

"A fellow like that..."

"The person most afraid of another Uchiha Madara appearing among the Uchiha isn't me..."

"It's Konohagakure!"

If Konohagakure united, with the Uchiha and the village's Higher-ups on close terms, Ōnoki would have fought to the death to keep these people there.

However, the reason he had appeared here in the first place was because of intelligence from that person in Konohagakure...

A Tsuchikage needed more than strength. More importantly, he needed eyes that could see through the essence of matters.

Unfortunately... Kitsuchi was too dull-witted. He was not a suitable candidate.

Ōnoki truly envied Konohagakure for producing so many talented people.

Konoha's White Fang, the Sannin, and now Namikaze Minato, Kagami Uchiha, and the others—every few years, a group of geniuses emerged.

Everything had its advantages and disadvantages.

At least Iwagakure had no Higher-ups who would voluntarily sell out their comrades' intelligence.

Konoha's White Fang had been driven away. The Uchiha would not have such a good ending either...

Ōnoki was very patient. He wanted to see whether the conflict between the two sides would erupt during this period.

"Then... Father, should we recall the people near the Land of Fire's border?"

Smack!

Kitsuchi received a violent knuckle to the head. Ōnoki shouted in exasperation:

"Are you an idiot? Do you really think I'll honor some verbal agreement?"

Even alliance treaties were nothing more than wastepaper when necessary, let alone a casual promise made with the mouth.

"As soon as Roshi returns, station troops in the Land of Grass and prepare to join the battle at any time!"

Suddenly, a Black Eagle appeared in their field of vision and flew toward Ōnoki and the others.

A messenger hawk?

This was the highest-grade messenger hawk. Had something happened in Iwagakure?

After opening the message, Ōnoki's face flushed red.

"Bastard! Idiot!"

"That black-skinned monkey A! How dare he?!"

"Third Raikage has led an invasion into the Land of Earth. The vanguard has already drawn near Iwagakure. Return immediately!"

How was this possible?!

I'd only been out for two days. How had A managed to seize this window of opportunity?

Danzo!

That bastard must have given the intelligence to Kumogakure!

"Kitsuchi! You stay behind to receive Roshi. Everyone else, follow me back to the village at full speed!"

Damn it, I'd gone out hunting, and someone was about to steal the house!

--

Land of Fire border.

A female Medical Ninja pressed her glowing green palm against Kagami Uchiha's back.

There was not a single patch of uninjured flesh on his body. His outer skin had been corroded by the Tailed Beast Chakra, making him look horrifying.

The surface wounds were manageable, but even the bones in his right hand had been injured. They would need time to heal.

"Be careful not to get water on the wounds. Injuries this severe... it was Fire Release, wasn't it? Thank you for your hard work."

After bandaging him and explaining the dosage of his medicine, the Medical Ninja left the tent.

"Kagami, how are you feeling?"

Minato lifted the tent flap and entered, his eyes filled with concern.

Wrapped up like a mummy, Kagami Uchiha's voice sounded somewhat distorted.

"I'm all right. What about Roshi?"

"We handed him over to the Stone Ninja." Minato sighed. "If not for the situation with Sunagakure, we could have taken the chance to kill the Four-Tails."

"That way, Iwagakure would have needed at least ten years to cultivate a new Jinchuriki."

Whether it was Sunagakure or Iwagakure, Konohagakure could handle either one easily. Even fighting both at once would not be troublesome.

But...

Once the other ninja villages saw this situation, they would definitely swarm in, forming a four-on-one battle.

"An order came from the village. It said the battle in the Land of Wind has reached a stalemate and hopes that I'll go provide support..."

"Whose order?" Kagami Uchiha asked calmly.

"Third Hokage's order."

After a moment of silence, Minato's gaze turned cold.

"Kagami, you noticed it too, didn't you?"

Kagami Uchiha let out a soft laugh. "He's targeting me. After transferring you away, he may well make a move against me."

"Third Tsuchikage appearing this time was probably his doing as well."

Kagami Uchiha looked calmly at Minato. "Jiraiya-sensei often tells me that I should integrate into the village and truly become a part of Konohagakure."

"But, Minato Senior Brother... there are people in Konohagakure who don't want the Uchiha to exist."

"Waiting passively for death isn't my style."

"If I get the chance, I will definitely kill Shimura Danzō."

"...But he's... Third Hokage's close friend..."

Namikaze Minato did not care about Shimura Danzō's status as one of the Higher-ups.

What troubled him was the complicated relationship involved.

Strictly speaking, they even had to call Danzo their Grand Uncle Master.

Kagami Uchiha said nothing more, waiting for Minato to make his own decision.

If Minato chose Third Hokage's side, Kagami would not show mercy to him in the future either.

The lamplight in the tent swayed silently.

After a long while, Minato exhaled and revealed a warm smile.

"I'm not going anywhere until you recover."

"I'll protect you, Kagami!"