You've Got Me There, Fourth Hokage.

"Naruto...?"

Minato's voice was so soft it sounded like he was talking to himself. His azure eyes shone brilliantly in the dim light.

Lin Zi didn't answer right away.

He slowly straightened up and walked over to Minato, stopping so close that they could hear each other breathe.

He stared at Minato, his golden, slit-pupil eyes unblinking, as if he meant to see straight through to the deepest part of his heart.

"I'm not sure."

Lin Zi finally spoke, his voice low and slow, each word sounding as though he had to force it out of his throat.

"Or even if I did know, I shouldn't tell you, because it's... his wish."

He kept staring at Minato, the other man's face—written all over with shock and longing—reflected in his serpentine eyes, as if he meant to see straight through to his thoughts.

"I see..."

Minato fell silent for a moment, unconsciously tapping his fingers against the edge of the desk.

Then he lifted his head and looked straight at Lin Zi, his gaze seeming to pierce through that pale face.

"So I wasn't wrong, then. You... really did come from another world?"

Lin Zi tilted his head. A flicker of amusement flashed in his golden, slit-pupil eyes, and he suddenly grinned.

"Wow, Fourth Hokage, you got me there."

He spread his hands, shrugging dramatically.

"That's right. I'm not the Orochimaru from your world at all, though I've said that plenty of times already."

He smiled as if it were no big deal, as though he'd been caught out over what he'd had for breakfast rather than some earth-shattering secret.

"No wonder..."

Minato leaned back, bracing his back against the edge of the desk as his gaze drifted toward the heavy curtains over the window.

He pondered for two seconds, then abruptly sat up and leaned forward like a fox that had caught the scent of blood.

"So things could play out completely differently in another world? Then why did you accept the mission...?"

His gaze burned with intensity, and his fingers tightened around the edge of the desk. It was as if he'd finally found a thread leading to the truth and was determined not to let go.

"I want to know what your real purpose is."

"Purpose..."

Lin Zi folded his arms. His serpentine eyes narrowed to two thin slits in the dim light as he tilted his head to think, his tone breezy.

"It's actually very simple, Fourth Hokage."

He paused, then held up two fingers and lightly tapped his temple.

"I—or we—just don't want things to end this way."

"That's all. You can think of it as... goodwill, or simply something we decided to do of our own accord. Nothing more."

"Nothing more?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been standing silently to the side and smoking, suddenly spoke. He knocked his pipe against the desk, scattering a few red sparks.

His eyes widened at Lin Zi, his voice tinged with shrewd suspicion.

"Orochimaru, that's not the kind of thing you'd say."

"Old man."

Lin Zi rolled his eyes, irritation filling his golden, slit-pupil eyes.

"How many times do I have to say it? I'm not the Orochimaru from your world. I didn't defect, I never experimented on people, and I never killed any of your people. The one who defected in our world... you've probably already guessed who, haven't you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe stopped in midair.

He narrowed his eyes and slowly uttered a name.

"Jiraiya...?"

"Yeah, more or less."

Lin Zi snorted.

"In my world, he and I went down paths completely opposite to the ones you did in yours. He became the sinister scientist, while I... ended up like this."

"I see."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at him for several seconds, then slowly put his pipe back in his mouth and took a couple of long drags. Smoke curled from his nostrils and lingered beneath the ghastly pale light.

"Then I have nothing more to say."

Lin Zi brushed the dust from his shoulder, his tone casual.

"Is the house next to Minato's ready? I'm planning to move in."

Minato was jolted from his thoughts by Lin Zi's voice. He froze for half a second, then forced a smile.

"Yeah, yeah... The house next to ours is already ready. You can move right in. Do you know where it is?"

"How could I not know where my disciple lives?"

Lin Zi walked to the door and placed a hand on the handle. He looked back, his golden, slit-pupil eyes reflecting Minato's astonished expression.

His lips curled into a faint, almost gentle smile.

"Kid, you underestimate me."

Click.

The door swung open, and he turned and walked out. His black ponytail flashed through the doorway and vanished into the corridor.

The office fell deathly silent.

Minato was still frozen in place. His lips moved, and only after a long moment did he manage to speak.

"...Disciple?"

"Fourth Hokage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke suddenly.

"It seems you were completely right. He really isn't that Orochimaru, and the way he just addressed you..."

"Yeah."

Minato lowered his head, unconsciously rubbing his fingers along the edge of the desk. His voice was so soft it sounded like he was talking to himself.

"I understand now. In his world, Jiraiya-sensei and Orochimaru went down completely opposite paths. So... that's why he turned out like this."

"I see."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked as though he'd finally put down a heavy burden. His shoulders visibly relaxed, and even his snug combat uniform seemed to loosen.

"He seems all right."

He suddenly chuckled, his laughter tinged with emotion.

"No wonder that fool Jiraiya made him a promise. Turns out they're two of a kind after all."

Minato awkwardly scratched the back of his head, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Yeah, Third. To be honest, I didn't expect it at first either..."

"What happened today,"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's laughter cut off abruptly. His voice struck the floor like a block of ice.

"Must not be told to anyone. Only you, me, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kushina Uzumaki may know."

Minato nodded.

"Understood."

The instant he finished speaking, before he could even react—

Crack.

A faint snap, like a bone slipping out of place.

Minato whipped around.

The ordinary Anbu who had been standing in the corner from the very beginning was now crumpling to the floor.

At some point, Hiruzen Sarutobi had moved behind him. His calloused hand remained in the position of having snapped the man's neck. His face was expressionless, as if he'd just taken care of a piece of trash.

The Anbu's mask slipped to the floor, revealing a young, horrified face. His pupils had already gone unfocused.

"Pretend to send him on an outside mission."

Hiruzen Sarutobi withdrew his hand and wiped it on his hem.

"After some time has passed, have his family come collect the condolence money."

He raised his eyes to Minato, not a trace of feeling in his gaze. The ruthlessness of the Shinobi Hero was plain to see.

"The fewer people who know about this, the better."

Minato stared at the body on the floor, his throat bobbing.

He took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure. Turning, he pulled a blank outside-mission form from the drawer, swiftly filled in the Anbu's number and name, and handed it to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"...I'll leave it to you, Third."

"Mm."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took the form and tucked it into his sleeve. He walked toward the door, then stopped when he reached it and spoke without turning around.

"I'd really like to see that world..."

The door closed softly.

Only Minato remained in the office, along with the corpse on the floor, slowly growing cold.

"Another world, huh..."

Minato picked up his pen, then set it down again. In the end, he let out a soft sigh and tapped the desk twice with his fingers.

"I'm curious, too."

He shook his head, forced his thoughts back to the present, and lowered his gaze to the mountain of paperwork, continuing to work through it.