"Trying to pull that on me...?" Minato scratched his blond hair, then turned to Nagato and said sharply, "Are you saying that those corpses with the Rinnegan—the Pains—weren't under your control? And that you weren't the one who injured Master Jiraiya?"
Nagato turned and met his gaze, saying calmly, "Lord Hokage, before questioning others, could you first figure out your own position?"
"To be honest, I find it terrifying that someone like you can stand before me and casually question me as though nothing happened."
"Shouldn't I be the one raising questions right now? I was enjoying the rain in a fine mood on my own land when two Hokage-level figures from Konoha came one after another to greet me."
"Who am I supposed to reason with about that? Is showing up unannounced, even barging in and picking a fight, Konoha's tradition as a great nation? Is that how you conduct yourself as Hokage?"
Minato sighed inwardly.
Master, it seemed my junior brother was an expert at diplomatic rhetoric. With just a few words, he had turned me into the invader!
We knew he was the one who attacked Konoha, but we had no conclusive evidence.
At a time like this, forcing him to comply through force was the best solution, but his strength was no less than mine, the Hokage's...
Well, in the end, we were simply inferior. There was nothing more to say.
The aggressive expression on Minato's face vanished, replaced by his usual gentle demeanor.
"Please forgive me for arriving uninvited. Everything happened so suddenly, and honestly, I had no idea Master Jiraiya would suddenly summon me to Amegakure."
"But I believe Master's purpose in coming to Amegakure was not to invade or harbor any other ill intent. He came... to confirm whether his former disciples were