Guilt and Taking the Blame

With one Flying Thunder God, Minato returned to the living room of his home.

"Sir! You're here!"

Minato brightened, clearly delighted to see Natsu Yuu.

"Hey, Fourth Hokage."

"Are you here alone, sir? Where are the First Hokage and Second Hokage-sama?"

"They didn't come."

"Oh, I see. Kushina, are you all right? How are you feeling?" Minato hurried over to Kushina, his face full of concern.

"I'm fine. Come eat something. You were up all night, too."

"Okay, thank you!"

They gazed into each other's eyes, and a cloying sweetness filled the air. Fortunately, it wasn't strong enough to overpower the aroma of the bone broth.

Natsu Yuu ignored them completely.

He had no interest in some damn love story right now.

He just wanted to eat! And finish his main quest as soon as possible!

Kushina was a pretty good cook.

The ramen was nothing special, but the bone broth was rich and fragrant, with plenty of flavor.

Natsu Yuu ate two servings. His stomach felt warm, and he was very satisfied.

Kushina only ate one serving. She still seemed a little weak.

Minato Namikaze, meanwhile, polished off three servings. He had quite an appetite.

For one thing, after fighting battle after battle last night and then working through the night, he was genuinely hungry.

For another, he was truly happy. He was finally a father, and both his wife and child were safe and sound. Of course he had a hearty appetite.

Minato drained the last of his soup and set down his bowl, thoroughly satisfied.

Then he glanced at Natsu Yuu and rubbed the back of his head with a smile.

"Sorry you had to see that, sir."

"No worries. Your wife is a wonderful cook! Thank you for the meal."

"Haha, I love everything Kushina makes."

Once they had finished eating, they turned to business.

"Did you come here for something, sir?"

"To mooch a meal and have a chat."

"Of course. I have plenty of questions I'd like to ask you, too."

Minato was delighted. He still had plenty of village affairs to deal with, but none of that mattered as much as this.

If what the First and Second Hokage had said was true, and this man was an existence on par with the legendary Sage of Six Paths, then even a little information from him would be immensely valuable to Konoha.

Just look at Jiraiya. He'd been running around outside for more than ten years because of one vague prophecy from the Great Toad Sage.

If they could get an accurate prophecy, there'd be no need to work so hard.

Of course, most importantly, Minato was grateful. Natsu Yuu had saved his and Kushina's lives.

Out of gratitude, Minato was willing to do everything he could to repay Natsu Yuu, as long as it didn't harm his family or the village.

And this was just sharing a meal and having a chat.

He could do that every day!

"Fourth Hokage, from the look of you, the village's High Council has already started giving you trouble, hasn't it?"

Minato stiffened, then accepted it with a rueful smile.

"Sir, you really have seen right through it, haven't you?"

The sharpest knives often came not from enemies, but from allies.

After all, your own people knew where you were vulnerable and how deep they could cut to make you feel it without forcing you to break ties.

"What!"

"Those old men and women are giving you a hard time again?"

Kushina's temper flared in an instant.

Ever since Minato had taken office, she'd known all too well how much he'd been sidelined and constrained. It had been so hard on him.

And now, right after the Tailed Beast Rampage, they were already targeting Minato?

How shameless could they be?

Minato replied helplessly, "The village suffered enormous losses this time. Someone will inevitably have to take responsibility."

"Why should you!"

"I was sealing the Nine-Tails for the village. They failed to protect it, and that's why it was attacked."

"In the end, it was you and the previous Hokage who saved the village and sealed the Nine-Tails again."

"What right do they have to blame you!"

Kushina shouted angrily, growing more furious by the moment. If not for Naruto, she'd have stormed into the Hokage Building to give them a piece of her mind long ago.

"Kushina, don't get upset. You're still recovering!"

"Minato, what exactly are they planning? They aren't trying to force you out of the Hokage Position, are they?"

"The chances of that are very low. And I won't resign or step down, either."

"But Danzo and the two advisers will probably use this as an excuse to pin the blame on me and seize some of the Hokage's authority."

Minato wasn't politically naive. He'd easily seen through Danzo and the others' real intentions.

They couldn't realistically use a single Tailed Beast Rampage to topple Minato, who had taken the Hokage Position on the strength of his overwhelming service to the village.

But they could tarnish his reputation and take more power from him—and they were bold enough to try.

Kushina continued to rage, her hair practically standing on end.

"What? How can they be so shameless? They did absolutely nothing during last night's rampage."

"And now they're the first to come after you! They're despicable! Absolutely despicable!"

Minato looked troubled.

"It's certainly not ideal, but that's just how those men are. I can't exactly turn against them outright, can I?"

Danzo and the others were all veterans who had served under three Hokage, and they had also been disciples of the Second Hokage.

Given Minato's seniority, it would be difficult for him to defy the natural order and challenge his elders.

If he really did, it wouldn't just be hard to justify to Hiruzen and the others.

The Land of the Daimyo might even cut off its financial aid and use that to punish Minato.

"Minato, you can't give in! You can't admit defeat!"

"Do you understand? Do you understand?"

Kushina grabbed Minato by the collar and shook him repeatedly as she insisted.

If she were Hokage, she'd go straight to war with those old men. Even saying another word to them would be a loss!

No matter what, she didn't want Minato to become Konoha's criminal, condemned by the villagers.

Just then,

Natsu Yuu spoke up.

"He could refuse to give in. But for you and your child, he'd choose to compromise."

Kushina immediately turned to him and asked, "Sir, what do you mean?"

"A devastating Tailed Beast Rampage brings casualties and losses. That inevitably gives rise to hatred."

"If there's a clear enemy, people can unite and direct that hatred outward."

"Unfortunately, this time the enemy was too mysterious. Almost no one even saw him."

"So after losing their beloved villagers last night, it'll be difficult for them to direct their hatred at a vague enemy. They'll focus it on the more tangible targets: the Nine-Tails and its jinchuriki!"

"If Minato doesn't take responsibility and draw that hatred toward himself,"

"then the villagers of Konoha will direct their hatred at you, Kushina. And the Uchiha Clan, suspected of controlling the Nine-Tails, will also face indirect hostility."

"That means that for the next few years—or even the next decade or more—you and Naruto will live in an environment full of hostility and malice."

"That's what Minato doesn't want to see. It's the real reason he wants to take the blame."

"Am I right, Minato?"

Minato was taken aback again, then smiled wryly.

"Your insight is truly remarkable, sir. I really can't hide anything from you!"

Kushina froze where she stood. Then her eyes quickly reddened, and tears spilled out.

She'd still been fuming over the village unfairly dumping the blame on Minato and targeting him.

But Minato had already been thinking about the future. He was even willing to bear all the blame and condemnation for her and Naruto.

He was still the same old Minato!

Beneath that gentleness and kindness was nothing but love and a sense of responsibility.

"Minato, you can't..."

"Kushina, for you and Naruto, I have to..."

They gazed at each other, and the air turned cloyingly sweet once more.