Assassination

At the same time, in Hot Spring Village, twenty kilometers from Konoha.

Inside a hot spring inn, Tsunade leaned her head back against the edge of the pool, one arm resting across her forehead. She looked somewhat dispirited.

Minato Namikaze...

The image of a certain blond boy kept flashing through her mind, and Tsunade let out a wistful sigh.

How had things turned out this way?

When had it all started?

Without her noticing, Minato had quietly taken up every corner of her life, all while seeming completely harmless.

He went grocery shopping and cooked with her, patiently helped her pick out clothes, cheered her up when she was angry, played dice and cards with her, and sometimes watched the sunset with her in the yard.

Though he was even younger than Nawaki, he looked after him like an older brother.

And even she had been gently cared for by him...

Truthfully, she had regretted leaving the village from the moment she walked away.

Especially when she thought of how that girl Kushina had already been scheming to get close to Minato. By leaving, she had given the other girl an opening, and a sour feeling rose in her heart.

But remembering how hurriedly and decisively she had left, she was too embarrassed to simply go back.

At the very least... she should develop that jutsu before returning.

Otherwise, she'd lose too much face!

But once she went back, what could she even do?

The customs of the Shinobi World were actually fairly open.

A fourteen-year age gap wasn't a problem.

Their teacher-student relationship wasn't much of an obstacle, either.

What Tsunade truly couldn't accept was Minato's current age!

She was actually having feelings for... Forget it. Better not to say it!

Perhaps it was because Minato was only five that she'd ignored the "threat" he posed.

And his precocious mind had made her unconsciously overlook his age, which was what had caused her feelings to change.

But the most troublesome thing about feelings was that even if you could sort them out, you still might not make a rational choice...

That was what troubled Tsunade most right now.

Should she let things take their course, or cut through the knot with a single stroke?

Leaning against the edge of the hot spring, she sank deep into thought.

How did Minato see me...?

Would he think I'm a pervert?

He's so clever. He must have noticed something, right?

How am I supposed to face him?

Suddenly, a puff of smoke burst into existence. Tsunade felt her body sink, the hot spring water turning into warm, viscous fluid as the world around her went pitch-black.

"Reverse Summoning?"

Tsunade realized what had happened at once.

Since Shikkotsu Forest, where Katsuyu's main body lived, wasn't suited for humans, whenever Tsunade was reverse-summoned, she was wrapped inside Katsuyu's body.

"Little Tsunade, someone's broken into your home. Minato asked me to notify you immediately. Nawaki and Kushina are inside one of my clones, so you don't need to worry."

Katsuyu's voice came from the darkness, and then she quickly released the reverse summoning.

Splash—

Tsunade dropped back into the hot spring. After a brief moment of stunned silence, a fierce, murderous glint appeared in her eyes.

Minato was in danger!

Damn it, who had done this?!

She'd only just left Konoha, and someone was already targeting Minato?

Without even drying herself, she quickly got dressed, vaulted over the wooden partition of the women's bath, and rushed toward Konoha as fast as she could.

Meanwhile, at Tsunade's house.

Minato and his two Wood Clones ate their meal, while he considered the intruders' intentions.

There were four of them: one stationed outside Kushina's window, another between his room and hers, and the remaining two inside his room.

Judging by their positions, they were deliberately preventing him from helping Kushina.

If that was true, then the two in his room might not be there to kill him, but to keep him occupied. Otherwise, given Nawaki's status as the First's grandson, he should have been one of the targets.

That made them likely to be from the village, with Danzo being the most probable culprit.

He'd have to make contact before he could know for sure.

If it really was Danzo...

Hah!

Having worked out his plan, Minato gave a signal.

"I'm full!"

Kushina put down her chopsticks. "I'm going to take a bath in a bit, so you guys wait a little~"

She said this as she headed toward her room with a light step.

"I'm full too. Wait, Kushina."

Minato followed after her. "Did you finish reading the manga Nawaki lent you?"

"I did. I'll get it for you when I go back to my room."

"Okay, thanks."

Minato called toward the living room, "Whoever finishes last has to do the dishes, Nawaki!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

Nawaki sounded resigned.

Minato smiled and turned to enter his bedroom.

The moment the door closed, a towel reeking of anesthetic was clamped over his mouth!

Bang!

Minato's figure vanished, leaving a wooden stump in his place.

"Substitution Technique?"

Two figures wearing Cloud Village uniforms and masks appeared in the room.

"People from the Cloud Village?"

Minato stood with his back to the wall, watching them warily.

"The plan failed. We'll have to use force."

The two exchanged a glance and quickly attacked Minato.

Clang—

The sound of metal striking metal rang through the bedroom.

After a brief exchange, Minato deliberately showed them two openings and confirmed that the two men in front of him had no killing intent.

"Damn it, Kushina!"

Minato feigned panic, turned, smashed through the window, and rushed into the courtyard. The two men in the room followed right behind him.

Just then, the glass in Kushina's room shattered as well. The intruder stationed outside her window and the one in the hallway converged on her.

Pfft—

In an instant, a long blade pierced Kushina through the chest in her bedroom.

"Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs!"

Pfft!

With a muffled thud, a sharp branch stabbed into the assassin, who stared in bewilderment.

"It's a Wood Clone! Our operation's been exposed!"

The branch inside him suddenly burst open, sprouting countless offshoots within his body. He fell to the ground like a hedgehog, while the other man rushed to shout toward the courtyard.

Minato's expression turned cold. "So Kushina really was their target..."

"The target isn't here. What do we do?"

"Mission failed. Withdraw!"

Shangui didn't hesitate. They were disguised as Cloud Village shinobi, and things hadn't reached the point where they had to die for the mission.

Although they were completely loyal to Danzo, they were still living creatures with survival instincts.

As soon as he spoke, the three had no desire to continue fighting. They used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the courtyard and scattered in different directions.

"Heh..."

Minato didn't hurry after them. Just as he was about to check the bodies, a violent explosion suddenly erupted in Kushina's room.

Destroying the evidence, huh...

Minato sensed the direction the three had fled, his smile edged with coldness.

He'd always felt that Wood Release's greatest strength had never been its raw power, but its versatility.

Growing, building, scouting, endurance, and... parasitism!

The idea had come to him from the seeds used for his clones. The seeds were still a little too large, but spores were much more discreet...

If this really was Danzo, even the Third Hokage wouldn't be able to protect him, because Minato had never intended to give him that chance.

He had no desire to reason with the man...