Chapter 49

What was this person's objective, then?

Were they after Kushina?

Or Uchiha Yan?

And what role had Minato Namikaze been made to play in all this?

Besides, the Third Hokage's timing just now had been far too convenient.

He had arrived practically right on Minato's heels.

And the Third Hokage had clearly interrupted him on purpose when he tried to ask about the hair.

So... was that hair planted by the Third Hokage? A thought suddenly surfaced in Minato's mind. Was he setting me up?

And Kushina too?

What does he want?

In that instant, Minato thought of many things.

The flawless image of the Hokage he held in his heart had begun to crack.

A seed of suspicion had been planted just like that.

With Minato's mind, once the rose-tinted filter shattered, that seed would sooner or later grow into a towering tree, until he saw through every last secret the Third Hokage had.

The Third Hokage had no idea Minato had already imagined so much.

He turned to look at "Uchiha Senichi" beside him and spoke with curiosity written all over his face. "I didn't expect you to make it here too, Senichi. You were quite fast."

"This time, it was fortunate to have you. Otherwise, the consequences for Kushina and young Yan would have been unimaginable."

Yet a storm raged in the Third Hokage's heart. Judging by Senichi's moves just now, has he actually reached Kage Level? Could he have awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?

But that makes no sense...

He had not heard of Uchiha Senichi losing anyone important in recent years.

"Uchiha Senichi" shook his head, his tone calm. "It was mainly thanks to Yan. Besides, given Yan's relationship with this young lady, this was my duty to begin with."

"Oh? Yan?" Upon hearing that, the Third Hokage could not help taking another look at Uchiha Yan.

What he was actually more curious about was how Uchiha Senichi had gotten to the scene so quickly.

Shouldn't this man have been on duty with the Konoha Military Police Force?

The Third Hokage scanned the battlefield several times, then suddenly recognized several unusually shaped kunai.

"Those are... Flying Raijin Kunai? Yan, have you learned the Flying Raijin Technique?"

There was no way he could be mistaken. Though the markings on them were somewhat different, he remembered that trident-like shape perfectly. Flying Raijin coordinates had to be inscribed on specially made kunai like these to work.

Minato Namikaze froze when he heard that.

"What? Uchiha Yan knows the Flying Raijin too? And he's already using it in actual combat?"

He abruptly recalled what had happened. He had been too far away to see clearly before, but now that he thought it over carefully—hadn't Uchiha Yan used the Flying Raijin to take down those two Hidden Cloud ninja?

That's incredible. He can actually use it directly in battle.

Minato could not help admiring him.

He was learning the Flying Raijin Technique too and had already found the threshold. But when it came to actual combat, he was still far from ready. He needed much more practice.

The problem was, he had possessed this technique for a full two years. How long had Uchiha Yan had it?

Even counting generously, it could not have been more than a year. Possibly much less.

But this gap...

I lost. Now I understand why Kushina chose you. You really are worthy of her.

Minato conceded in his heart.

Uchiha Yan was a monster. Minato could not compare to him right now.

But he would not simply admit defeat.

From now on, I'll have to work even harder to catch up to you. Not for Kushina—I just want to have a proper match with you someday.

Minato silently made up his mind.

As for Kushina, he knew he no longer had any chance at all. He was not the kind of person who could not accept defeat and kept pestering someone. From now on, he would not harbor any hopes toward Kushina unless Uchiha Yan wronged her.

These thoughts flashed through Minato's mind in no more than an instant.

Hearing the Third Hokage's question, Uchiha Yan grinned and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, I only got the hang of it a few days ago. I'm still not very good with it."

"Earlier, when I received Kushina's emergency signal, I followed the trail she left and came after her."

The enemy outnumbered us, and I figured I couldn't handle them alone, so I took a gamble and used the Flying Raijin Technique to drag my old man over as backup.

Honestly, I wasn't sure it would work either. I didn't expect it to actually succeed.

This time, I just got lucky. I'll need to practice a lot more in the future. What I can do now is nowhere near enough.

The Third Hokage's eyelid twitched at Uchiha Yan's words, and he grumbled inwardly, Who are you trying to fool? It hasn't even been a month, and you're already using the Flying Raijin so skillfully. Yet you dare say you're no good at it?

Isn't that just showing off?

If you count as no good, then there probably isn't a single capable person in the entire Ninja World.

Besides, he always felt that Uchiha Yan was still hiding something.

Unfortunately, he had no proof, and it was not the right time to ask further.

He turned to Uchiha Yan and Uchiha Senichi. "Since the enemies have all been dealt with, let the Anbu handle the battlefield. They can investigate what exactly is behind this incident."

"Hidden Cloud ninja dared to enter the village and kidnap someone. They're completely lawless. I need to get to the bottom of this and root out the vermin in the village."

"Otherwise, the village's children will suffer again in the future."

Those words sounded righteous enough.

But in truth, he wanted even more to see exactly how Uchiha Senichi and Uchiha Yan had taken these people down.

There was always something useful to be uncovered from the bodies.

"Alright, then sorry for the trouble, Lord Hokage. We'll be leaving first."

Uchiha Senichi nodded, called over Uchiha Yan and Kushina, then asked Minato, "Kid, do you want to come with us?"

"You may have arrived a step too late this time, but just for the way you risked your life for your companion, you deserve praise."

"You're a good kid!"

As he spoke, Uchiha Senichi gave Minato a thumbs-up.

Taking the opportunity, Uchiha Yan ran over and retrieved the Flying Raijin Kunai he had thrown out.

The Third Hokage and the others did not stop him.

Minato felt a little embarrassed by the praise and nodded shyly. "I didn't really help with anything."

"Besides, as a Konoha ninja, this is what I should do. It's nothing."

At that moment, the Third Hokage hurriedly cut in. "Minato, I have something to discuss with you. Senichi, you go on ahead."

He could not let Minato return with Kushina and the others.

Otherwise, the Third Hokage feared all his arrangements would be exposed.

Keeping Minato behind would let him patch up the gaps and seal everything tight.

"Alright, we'll head out first."

Uchiha Senichi answered, then left with Yan and Kushina.

Uchiha Yan reached out and pinched Kushina's cheek, his tone reproachful. "Don't ever do something like this again, understand? You should have told me beforehand. Then wouldn't I have been able to flush out whoever was pulling strings behind the scenes?"

Kushina stuck out her tongue and smiled sheepishly, wrapping her arms around his arm as she acted cute. "Alright, alright, I know I was wrong! I promise there won't be a next time!"

She turned toward the "Uchiha Senichi" beside them. Her face flushed, and her voice softened as well. "Uncle, thank you for coming all this way to save me. Sorry for putting you through so much trouble."

"Pfft—"

Uchiha Yan and "Uchiha Senichi" both failed to hold back their laughter.

Kushina froze and blinked at them, utterly confused. What had she said that was so funny?

Uchiha Yan leaned close to her ear and muttered a few words in a low voice.

"Ah?!"

Kushina's eyes flew wide as she stared at "Uchiha Senichi," her face turning bright red in an instant.

What... had she just been doing?

Once she realized, she glared at Uchiha Yan in embarrassment and anger.

He quickly covered her mouth and warned in a low voice, "Don't shout. I don't want anyone to know my real trump card yet, so don't blurt it all out."

"Alright..." Kushina pried his hand away and answered helplessly.

But inwardly, she was mortified—she had acted like a silly newlywed daughter-in-law meeting her in-laws. It was utterly humiliating.

After returning to the village, Uchiha Yan's real body accompanied Kushina back to her home.