Fortunately, it was him

After some discussion, the trio decided to establish a "Special Breeding Class," drawing personnel from the Inuzuka Clan and the Medical Department to jointly research the hatching of Pokemon.

Regarding Kushina, she would not return to active combat duty for the time being.

The village would neither actively publicize nor conceal the news of her return; if asked, they would say she was saved by a special ninjutsu developed by Tsunade, and after the Medical Department's tireless efforts, she had finally recovered.

However, having lost the Nine-Tails, even with her recovery, she would be unable to continue serving as a ninja.

Minato's status would remain a secret for now. If anyone attempted to probe the truth about Kushina, Minato would serve as the hidden trump card.

Especially regarding the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident—if they dared to show their face, Minato guaranteed they would never leave.

While this might feel like using Kushina as bait, she was no weakling.

Even without the Nine-Tails, she was a Tier 3 beginner-level powerhouse, meaning she had just stepped into the Kage level.

Moreover, they couldn't keep her hidden away forever, nor could they force her to change her identity and stay away from Naruto.

Therefore, it was better to simply lay their cards on the table; the effect might be even better.

After Minato and his wife left, the Third Hokage and Shikaku Nara continued their conversation.

"Tell me your thoughts, Shikaku."

The Third Hokage asked, resting his chin on his hands.

"Combining what you said with the fact that the Fourth Hokage once admitted to joining a certain faction, I believe he was forced into it, and it is a power the Fourth Hokage currently cannot contend with, no matter what.

After all, the ability to resurrect the dead at will and provide countless miraculous items from other worlds is no different from that of a god.

Furthermore, that faction must have restrictions on its members, such as prohibiting the disclosure of organizational information and requiring the completion of regular missions. These miraculous items might be the rewards for those tasks.

It is precisely because of these restrictions that the Fourth Hokage has always stated he cannot reveal any information, nor can he serve as Hokage."

Shikaku Nara had deduced the existence of the Main God Space based on the scant information Minato provided to the Third Hokage. His intellect made even Zhu Shen cast a sidelong glance in admiration.

Hmm, good. Mark him down; I'll throw him into the Main God Space later.

"So, Minato and the village are still on the same side," the Third Hokage said calmly.

"You have always firmly believed this, haven't you? Otherwise, you would have summoned me first instead of declaring your support for the Fourth Hokage."

The Third Hokage let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair, relaxing.

"I watched Minato grow up; of course I trust him. It's just that, whether he is still the same person after returning from the dead—emotionally and cognitively, I am certain he is.

But as the leader of a village, sometimes one must do some seemingly useless work and consider all possibilities."

"You've worked hard, Third Hokage," Shikaku said with a slight bow, then continued.

"Actually, you should be grateful that it was the Fourth Hokage who joined that secret faction first. Given the capabilities of that faction, creating a large number of powerhouses would be effortless.

Even if that faction places restrictions on its members, it cannot stop them, or perhaps it has no stance on protecting the Ninja World.

The current rule prohibiting the disclosure of information to others, in my view, is not just about maintaining secrecy and hoping to develop in the shadows; it may also be a way to protect weaklings like us who are outside the organization!"

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Based on the Fourth Hokage's hints, it can be understood that many people in the Ninja World have already become members of this organization, and perhaps there will be more in the future. But compared to the total population of the Ninja World, they are insignificant.

However, if this organization did not restrict its members, then without a doubt, the entire world would be dominated by them.

They would establish nations centered around organization members, and the weak would merely be tools used to select future candidates. Only by becoming one of them can one gain recognition.

Ordinary people would be reduced to breeding machines, with the only goal for advancement being to join the organization; otherwise, they would be forever exploited.

Because this is a truth everyone understands: if you don't join, you are weak!"

Shikaku Nara sighed deeply as he finished.

"That is why I say, fortunately, it was the Fourth Hokage, and fortunately, this organization has these various restrictions.

If it were someone else, some ambitious person who suddenly gained such power, I fear they would only think of controlling everything, not protecting it."

Analyzing this, Shikaku Nara couldn't help but remark:

"And everything I have said, with the Fourth Hokage's wisdom, he surely has thought of as well. This is the painstaking effort behind the strategy he proposed!"

Although Minato was unaware of this follow-up conversation in the Hokage's office, he could roughly guess it and naturally didn't mind.

As the village where he grew up, even with its many flaws, he was willing to build it up bit by bit and protect it, rather than ignore it to satisfy his own desires.

It was precisely because he came from the bottom of the village that he wanted to improve the plight of those at the bottom and make the village better and better.

And he would be like a flame, illuminating the new sprouts of the village.

Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire shall burn on...

Back home, Minato prepared to redeem a powerful physical enhancement for Kushina, but she opposed it as soon as he brought it up.

"Minato, I am not a Reincarnator; I am a mother to a child now. What danger could I possibly be in? It is you who must face all kinds of battles.

I am truly worried about you. You are the backbone of our family; only when you are safe and sound can we, mother and child, be at ease. Besides, I am not weak, you know~"

Despite her words, Minato still spent one B-rank side quest and 20,000 points to redeem an enhancement for the Flying Thunder God technique, allowing him to use it directly after the upgrade.

The reason so few people know the Flying Thunder God is, firstly, that it is a secret forbidden technique exclusive to Konoha; secondly, its learning curve is incredibly steep, requiring both an innate talent for space-time ninjutsu and exceptional skill to master.

Although Kushina possesses great talent for ninjutsu, it is a pity that her spatial aptitude is virtually zero, as her gifts are entirely focused on sealing techniques.

However, the Main God Space can bypass these talent requirements, directly instilling the knowledge and reinforcing it to an introductory level of mastery.

It is equivalent to skipping the entire process of learning and comprehension, providing the answer directly.

Of course, her inherent spatial talent remains unchanged; she can only manage to use the Flying Thunder God, which is still a far cry from Minato, who can employ it under any circumstances and integrate it perfectly into combat.

After all, someone copying the answer is not on the same level as someone who worked it out themselves, even if they receive the same score.

"Alright, now I can rest easy."

Minato said with a smile.

Even though Kushina had sincerely told him not to waste points on her enhancements, she felt incredibly sweet inside after Minato "forcefully" went ahead and upgraded her anyway.

After settling matters in Konoha, Minato returned to the Main God Space, preparing for a round of enhancements.

While it is possible to exchange for enhancements in the main world, most people are accustomed to doing so within the Main God Space.

One reason is the high level of confidentiality, and the other is the ability to test skills in the Training Ground, where automatic recovery ensures there is no need for concern. If one finds their personal space too small, the Main God also provides customized combat arenas; whether it be oceans, forests, cities, or snowy plains, any scene can be simulated. Naturally, this service comes with a fee.

In his bedroom, while in a non-combat state, Minato immersed his mind into the Assistant System.

"System, teleport to the Main God Space."