Civilian Genius

"Are you saying the Cloud Ninjas who were killed and wounded were both taken down by Namikaze Minato?"

Even the staff at the Mission Assignment Hall, who had seen plenty, couldn't help asking for confirmation several times.

The outcome was astonishing enough: the two of them were unharmed, while the Cloud Ninja squad was nearly wiped out. But Namikaze Yoru's "contribution" could hardly even be called a contribution. He had knocked out an Anbu from their own village with a sneak attack.

Looking at the record of the only S-rank Mission in the boy's career—a glaring entry that stood out from the rest—the staff member felt a headache coming on.

"Are you sure? Once the mission report is submitted, it can't be changed unless Lord Hokage approves it personally."

"Positive."

Before Namikaze Minato could react, Namikaze Yoru had already finished the handover, stealing the credit from the future Fastest Ninja, famed for his speed.

He would much rather avoid drawing attention. The longer he could keep his head down, the better. Ideally, he'd wait until he could trounce the Ōtsutsuki before stepping out into the spotlight.

The controversial mission report was soon delivered to the Hokage's Office.

Inside the Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been up all night. At that moment, one of the Hokage Advisors was drafting a stern warning to the Mist Village on his behalf.

They hadn't caught the culprit at the scene, but the Bone Spikes left behind were hard evidence. The Kaguya Clan's bloodline couldn't be mistaken.

In his letter, Hiruzen demanded an explanation from the Mizukage and insisted that the culprit be handed over for punishment. Otherwise, Konoha would not rule out resolving the matter by force.

After handing the freshly written letter to an Anbu subordinate to rush it to the Land of Water, Hiruzen rubbed his eyes, looking exhausted.

The two advisors were also feeling drained. Though they were in the prime of their lives, a night of analysis and discussion had taken its toll.

But official business had piled up, and it was time to approve the missions.

Hiruzen forced himself to perk up, reached into the mountain of scrolls, pulled one out, and began reviewing it.

"Members of the Uchiha Clan's Police Force are unhappy about helping the Senju Clan search for the assassin, and quite a few of their clansmen agree with them?"

Hiruzen rubbed his forehead helplessly. These extremist, evil-minded Uchiha were giving him a headache, so he could only order stricter oversight.

"The battlefront where Shimura Danzō and Orochimaru are stationed currently holds an overwhelming advantage?"

Seeing that the combination of his prized student and close friend was so dependable eased his mood. He wrote them a generous commendation, which helped lift his spirits as well.

"Namikaze Minato?"

Hiruzen rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't mistaken. It really was that student who hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy.

He had distinguished himself in last night's pursuit of Uzumaki Kushina. His excellent tactical sense and careful, meticulous thinking had led Hiruzen to rate him "Excellent" in his ninja file and call him a "Civilian Genius."

By comparison, his clan brother Namikaze Yoru had also performed impressively, and his S-rank record of surviving the Land of Whirlpools was remarkable. Hiruzen thought the boy was lucky, though. Beside Namikaze Minato, he seemed a little less impressive, but still barely deserved to be called a genius.

He rated both of their missions "Excellent," but gave Namikaze Minato far more praise. It was clear who he thought was better.

As soon as the mission handover was complete, Namikaze Minato, a model student at the Ninja Academy, hurried back to make it in time for his afternoon classes. One could imagine the commotion among his classmates when they heard he'd completed an A-rank mission.

Namikaze Yoru, meanwhile, suddenly found himself with free time and didn't know what to do with it. On this rare, leisurely afternoon, he decided to visit the Senju Clan Compound and see Nawaki.

After all, as the saying went, criminals loved returning to the scene of their crime to admire their handiwork.

The moment he entered the Senju Clan Compound, he felt the tense atmosphere of heightened security. Many eyes fell on him, making him feel a little uncomfortable.

But most of the ninja lowered their gazes once they saw it was Namikaze Yoru. Only a handful continued watching him from the shadows.

"Hey, Nawaki. What's with all the excitement?"

Nawaki sat by the gate, staring blankly into space with a look of utter despair. Namikaze Yoru greeted him first.

It was only when he heard his friend's voice that Nawaki seemed to snap out of it. As though he'd seen his savior, he hurried over to meet him.

"Save me. I'm under house arrest!"

That opening line left Namikaze Yoru stunned.

"Someone can actually put you under house arrest?"

He replied with a hint of confusion. In Namikaze Yoru's mind, Nawaki might have seemed like a fool of a rich kid, but his status was the real deal.

"My sister sent word. She also said she'd probably be coming back from the front soon."

"Oh... good luck."

Namikaze Yoru knew what Tsunade was like. As Nawaki's classmate, he'd seen her beat him up plenty of times at the Ninja Academy.

It was only after the Second Shinobi World War began that Tsunade's team had faced the Demi-God of the Shinobi World. Though they'd lost, they were given the title of the Legendary Sannin.

From then on, their names spread throughout the Shinobi World. Through battle after battle, Tsunade gradually grew into a powerful ninja who could stand on her own. She rarely had time to show her face in Konoha anymore.

This incident had clearly shaken her. She'd not only ordered Nawaki to stay under house arrest but was also coming back in person to deal with things.

Though Namikaze Yoru had planned all of this, he hadn't expected it to set off such a chain reaction. He'd underestimated just how important Nawaki was to those around him.

"So... what happened? Can you tell me?"

Though he knew perfectly well, Namikaze Yoru still had to put on a show of concern.

"Well... it was last night. A ninja from another village tried to assassinate me, and then..."

Perhaps hoping to save face in front of his friend, Nawaki launched into a long, embellished account.

Among other things, he claimed, "I spotted him ages ago. I only pretended to close the door so I wouldn't damage the house, then I counterattacked during the brief opening."

"We fought for three hundred rounds. I even disarmed him with my bare hands, and that's what forced him to use his Bloodline Limit and reveal his identity."

"..."

Namikaze Yoru was speechless. If he hadn't been one of the people involved, he might really have been taken in by the vivid tale.

"Don't believe me? Look! The traces of our fight are still here!" Nawaki pointed to a clothes rack scorched by Fire Style and the ashes of clothes burned beyond recognition.

Namikaze Yoru didn't call him out. Instead, he offered a few words of comfort and reminded him to be careful. Then he made the excuse that he "wouldn't want to disturb him while he was under house arrest" and left the Senju Clan Compound.

As evening fell, Namikaze Yoru didn't linger outside. He went straight home.

As soon as he arrived, he warily activated the Mind's Eye of the Kagura and confirmed that nobody was watching or lurking nearby.

Only then did he pick up a Kunai. Following the memory in his mind, he channeled chakra into it. In an instant, a dense, tadpole-like pattern of complex symbols was imprinted on the Kunai.

He picked up the Kunai bearing the Flying Thunder God Mark and examined it closely. A strange connection spread through space. Even with his eyes covered, he could pinpoint the Kunai's location.

More mysteriously, it felt as though he could reach out just a little and grasp it across space.

As Namikaze Yoru activated it instinctively...

Whoosh!