The Third Hokage's Decision, Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Kushina!

"Hiashi, should we tell Orochimaru about the Saiyan Ato?"

Inside the Hokage's Office.

Not long after Danzo left, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had already formulated a plan for dealing with the Saiyan Ato.

Conciliation would be the priority.

Before they could determine Ato's true intentions, they absolutely could not provoke him, much less come into conflict with him.

They needed to show Konoha's goodwill as much as possible.

Ideally, they could use the Will of Fire to reform Ato.

During the process of conciliation, they would gather intelligence on Ato and determine where he had come from and how he had obtained such terrifying power.

Well, it would be even better if they could find Ato's weakness.

With the plan established, the Third Hokage and the Hokage advisors were now discussing whom to send to make contact with Ato.

Mitokado Homura was the first to think of Orochimaru.

After all, he was the Third Hokage's most prized disciple and one of the current candidates for Fourth Hokage.

But as soon as Mitokado Homura finished speaking, he saw the Third Hokage shake his head in refusal. "Orochimaru is not suited for this mission."

Utatane Koharu was not surprised and immediately named the person she considered most suitable.

"How about sending Hyuga Hiashi to contact the Saiyan Ato?"

The Hyuga Clan was one of Konoha's great clans.

Moreover, they were firm supporters of the Hokage faction.

That would also demonstrate Konoha's sincerity.

"Hyuga Hiashi, as the head of the Hyuga Main Family, is too rigid and does not know how to adapt." The Third Hokage still shook his head in refusal.

"What about Nara Shikaku of the Nara Clan? With the Nara Clan's intelligence, he should be suitable for this mission." Mitokado Homura spoke next.

"Although the Nara Clan is intelligent, because they are too clever, they sometimes overcomplicate simple matters." The Third Hokage refused again.

The two Hokage advisors subsequently suggested several clan heads from ninja clans aligned with the Hokage, but the Third Hokage rejected every one of them.

As for the Uchiha Clan, another of Konoha's great clans—

From beginning to end, they had never appeared among the choices considered by the two Hokage advisors and the Third Hokage.

"Hiashi, you are being overly cautious."

Unable to select a suitable candidate, Mitokado Homura was growing anxious.

He felt that the Third Hokage was being overly cautious.

Even if that Saiyan possessed terrifying power, he was still only a four-year-old child.

Could mighty Konoha truly not deal with a four-year-old child?

"This concerns Konoha's survival. No amount of caution is excessive." The Third Hokage frowned deeply as he spoke seriously.

In truth, he had an ideal candidate in mind.

That was his disciple, Jiraiya.

However, Jiraiya was currently confronting the Cloud Shinobi Forces on the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water and could not be summoned back for the time being.

As for his other disciple, Tsunade, one of the Three Ninja, she had left Konoha because of her hemophobia.

The Third Hokage sighed, then rose to his feet and said solemnly, "This time, I will personally carry out this mission."

The Third Hokage made the final decision.

However, although the Third Hokage had decided to personally undertake the task of contacting Ato—

He did not immediately go looking for Ato.

Instead, he went to Konoha Hospital.

Inside a hospital room at Konoha Hospital, Minato Namikaze, wrapped up like a dumpling, looked apologetically at the beautiful red-haired female ninja standing by his bedside. "Sorry, Kushina. I made you worry."

The red-haired female ninja was none other than his wife, Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina Uzumaki.

Kushina first looked at Minato Namikaze with concern, then her red hair rose in fury. "That damned Saiyan brat actually beat Minato into this state!!!"

Seeing that his wife was about to lose control and go straight to Ato to make trouble, Minato Namikaze immediately stopped her.

"Kushina, don't be impulsive. You are no match for that Saiyan brat."

"Damn it, that Nine-Tails! It secretly sent Chakra into me again."

As soon as Minato finished speaking, Kushina recovered from her rage.

Minato's injuries had agitated her emotions, loosening the seal within her somewhat. She had absorbed some of the Nine-Tails Chakra, causing her to enter a berserk state.

After calming down, Kushina looked at Minato on the hospital bed, then suddenly pressed her palms together. "Hey, Nine-Tails, lend me some Chakra."

Boom!

A fiery red Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak suddenly covered Kushina's body.

Yin Healing Wound Destruction.

Kushina formed hand seals, then aimed both hands at Minato Namikaze.

The fiery red Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak on her body instantly began peeling away from her and covering Minato Namikaze.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.

As the Nine-Tails Chakra surged into his body, Minato Namikaze's injuries rapidly healed at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Yin Healing Wound Destruction required an immense amount of Chakra to stimulate the cells into rapid division, thereby quickly healing injuries.

Because this ninjutsu required an enormous amount of Chakra to perform, only Tsunade had ever successfully used it in all of Konoha.

But as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Chakra was the one thing Kushina did not lack.

"Kushina, thank you."

With Kushina disregarding the expenditure of Chakra, Minato Namikaze recovered from all his injuries in only a minute.

Even after his injuries had been healed, a large amount of Nine-Tails Chakra remained stored within his body.

Minato Namikaze removed the bandages around his body and put on the white Hokage Haori Kushina had brought.

His face once again wore a warm smile like the sun.

At that moment, Minato Namikaze practically had the words "sunny and handsome" written all over his face.

"Minato, that outfit looks very handsome on you."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, pushed open the door and entered. Seeing that Minato Namikaze had fully recovered, a kindly smile appeared on his face.

"Third Hokage-sama!"

Minato Namikaze greeted the Third Hokage with great politeness.

"Old man Third Hokage, what are you doing here?" Compared to Minato Namikaze, Kushina was far less courteous.

"Kushina, do not be rude to the Third Hokage-sama." Minato Namikaze smiled as he reminded Kushina, then gave the Third Hokage an apologetic smile.

"It is nothing. Kushina's temperament is much gentler than before." The Third Hokage waved it off without concern.

Then his expression turned serious.

"Minato, tell me about the Saiyan Ato. Is he really that strong?"

Faced with the Third Hokage's question, Minato Namikaze also became serious. "Strong. Terrifyingly strong. The power between us is simply not on the same level."

The Third Hokage's brows furrowed deeply.

Minato Namikaze was Konoha's Yellow Flash.

His Flying Thunder God Technique had forced the Stone Shinobi to issue an order that encountering Minato Namikaze allowed them to abandon their mission without it counting as failure.

Yet when facing Ato, Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Technique had been nearly useless.

"Let's go, Minato. As the future Fourth Hokage, come with me and speak with that mysterious Saiyan brat."

The Third Hokage patted Minato Namikaze on the shoulder and spoke solemnly.

"Yes, Third Hokage-sama!"

Minato Namikaze was not surprised that the Third Hokage had called him the future Fourth Hokage.

This was not the first time the Third Hokage had sent such a signal.

Especially in front of Kushina.

As the husband of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, a master of a space-time ninjutsu like the Flying Thunder God Technique, and the disciple of Jiraiya, one of the Three Ninja—

Minato Namikaze had long possessed the qualifications to become the Fourth Hokage.

"By the way, Minato, do you know where the Saiyan Ato went?" Only after leaving Konoha Hospital did the Third Hokage slap his forehead and ask.

"Barbecue Q!"

Minato Namikaze's answer made the Third Hokage pause.

"Barbecue Q? The Akimichi Clan's Barbecue Q?"

Minato Namikaze nodded. "Yes, Third Hokage-sama."

The Third Hokage's eyes were full of confusion. "What is he doing there?"

Minato Namikaze gave a concise answer to the Third Hokage's confusion. "He probably went there to eat."

"Oh, I see." The Third Hokage did not know what to say.