Civilian Genius

"You're saying that one Cloud Ninja dead and one wounded—both were the work of Namikaze Minato?"

Even the Mission Assignment Hall staff, seasoned as they were, couldn't help but double-check.

Leaving aside how astonishing it was that the two of them emerged unscathed while the Cloud Ninja squad was nearly wiped out, that Namikaze Yoru's "contribution"... couldn't even be called a contribution—it was knocking out a fellow Anbu ninja from their own village.

Staring at the sole, glaring S-rank mission record in his career, the staff member felt a headache coming on.

"Are you absolutely certain? Once a mission report is submitted, it can't be modified unless Lord Hokage personally approves it."

"Confirmed."

Before Namikaze Minato could react, Namikaze Yoru had already completed the handover, successfully turning the tables on this future "Fastest Ninja," famed for his speed.

He couldn't be happier to avoid the spotlight, lie low as long as possible, and ideally only reveal himself when he could thrash the Ōtsutsuki.

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

Inside the Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who hadn't slept all night, was now having a Hokage Advisor draft a stern warning to the Mist Village.

Though they hadn't captured the culprit on the spot, the bone spikes left at the scene were ironclad evidence—the Kaguya Clan's bloodline couldn't be faked.

In the letter, Hiruzen Sarutobi not only demanded an explanation from the Mizukage but also insisted on the culprit being handed over for severe punishment, or Konoha would not rule out using force to resolve the matter.

Handing the freshly written letter to a subordinate Anbu for swift delivery to the Land of Water, Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his eyes, weary.

The two advisors were also drained; though still in their prime, a full night of analysis and discussion had sapped considerable energy.

Yet the mountain of official duties remained—it was time to review missions.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had to rally his spirits, reaching for a scroll from the pile like a small mountain, and began to read.

"Members of the Uchiha Clan's police force are dissatisfied with assisting the Senju Clan in searching for the assassin, and quite a few clan members agree?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi pressed his forehead in frustration, exasperated by these extremist, wicked Uchiha, and could only annotate to tighten oversight.

"Shimura Danzō and Orochimaru's war zone currently holds an overwhelming advantage?"

Seeing his most prized student and trusted friend proving so reliable, his mood lightened slightly, and he spared no praise in his comments, easing his spirits.

"Namikaze Minato?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his eyes, confirming he wasn't mistaken—it was indeed that student who hadn't even graduated from the ninja academy.

In last night's pursuit of Uzumaki Kushina, he had shone brilliantly, with excellent tactical acumen and meticulous thinking, leading Hiruzen Sarutobi to note "Outstanding" in his ninja file and dub him a "Civilian Genius."

In comparison, his clan elder Namikaze Yoru had also shown some bright spots, along with an S-rank record of surviving the Land of Whirlpools, but Hiruzen Sarutobi felt the kid was more lucky than skilled—still somewhat lacking next to Namikaze Minato, barely worthy of the title "genius."

He rated both their missions as "Outstanding," but devoted more commentary to Namikaze Minato—the difference in quality was clear.

Just after finishing the mission handover, Namikaze Minato, ever the model student at the academy, hurried back to campus for the afternoon's classes. It was easy to imagine the stir when his peers heard he'd completed an A-rank mission.

Namikaze Yoru, however, found himself at loose ends with sudden free time. On this rare, leisurely afternoon, he decided to visit Nawaki at the Senju Clan Compound.

After all, as the old saying goes: perpetrators love to return to the scene of the crime and admire their handiwork.

The moment he stepped into the Senju Clan Compound, he felt the tense, vigilant atmosphere. Many eyes landed on him, making him uncomfortable.

But most ninjas, seeing it was Namikaze Yoru, looked away, leaving only a few still watching from the shadows.

"Yo! Nawaki, what's with all the commotion?"

Seeing Nawaki's utterly defeated expression as he sat by the main gate staring into space, Namikaze Yoru took the initiative to greet him.

As if snapping back to reality at the sound of his friend's voice, Nawaki spotted a lifeline and rushed over.

"Save me—I'm under house arrest!"

The opening line left Namikaze Yoru stunned.

"Who could put you under house arrest?"

He replied with slight confusion. In his memory, Nawaki always acted like a rich kid playing the fool, but his status was the real deal.

"My sister sent word back. She also said she should be returning from the front lines soon."

"Oh... good luck."

Namikaze Yoru knew Tsunade's temperament well. As Nawaki's peer during the academy days, he'd seen him get beaten up plenty.

It was only since the Second Shinobi World War erupted, when Tsunade's squad faced the Demi-God of the Shinobi World and lost but earned the title "Legendary Sannin," that her fame spread across the ninja world. Through constant battle, she grew into a powerhouse capable of standing alone, leaving her little time to appear in Konoha.

This incident must have shaken her badly—not only ordering Nawaki grounded but also coming back personally to handle it.

Though Namikaze Yoru had orchestrated it all, he hadn't expected such a chain reaction; he'd underestimated Nawaki's importance to her.

"So... what happened? Can you talk about it?"

Even knowing full well, Namikaze Yoru had to feign concern.

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

Perhaps to save face in front of his friend, Nawaki launched into an embellished, rambling account.

Including but not limited to gems such as: "I spotted him long ago, but to avoid wrecking the house, I pretended to close the door and launched my counterattack."

"The two of us fought three hundred rounds, and I even snatched a blade barehanded, forcing him to use his bloodline limit and expose his identity."

"And so on..."

Namikaze Yoru listened, utterly speechless. If he hadn't been one of the parties involved, he might have actually been fooled by such vivid, dramatic descriptions.

"Don't believe me? Look! The marks from our fight are still here!" The speaker pointed at the clothes rack scorched by Fire Style and the pile of ash where the clothes had been burned beyond recognition.

Namikaze Yoru didn't call him out. Instead, he offered a few words of reassurance, told him to stay safe, and then excused himself with "I won't disturb your house arrest," leaving the Senju Clan Compound.

As dusk fell, Namikaze Yoru didn't linger outside and went straight home.

The moment he arrived, he immediately activated his Mind's Eye of the Kagura with caution, confirming no one was watching or lurking nearby.

Only then did he pick up a kunai. Drawing on his memory, he channeled his Chakra, and in an instant, a dense, complex mark resembling tadpole script was imprinted onto the kunai.

Holding the kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God seal, he focused on it. A strange connection spread through the space—even if he closed his eyes, he could precisely sense the kunai's location.

Even more wondrous, it felt as if with a slight reach of his hand, he could tear through space and grasp it.

Under Namikaze Yoru's instinctive activation...

"Whoosh!"