At that thought, Senju Chen set down his chopsticks, lifted his little face with its most deceptive look of innocent purity, and asked in a tone filled with a child's curiosity:
"Big Brother Minato, someone at school asked the teacher a question today, but even the teacher couldn't answer it."
"Oh? What question could stump one of our Konoha teachers?" Kushina immediately grew interested.
Senju Chen, however, looked straight at Minato Namikaze.
"Someone asked the teacher: as a ninja, which matters more-the mission or your comrades?"
The moment those words fell, the lively atmosphere at the dinner table abruptly stalled.
The smile faded from Kushina's face too. She glanced at Senju Chen, then at Minato, without saying anything. Of course she knew about Hatake Sakumo.
The gentle smile on Minato Namikaze's face also faded somewhat. He looked into Senju Chen's clear eyes, which seemed capable of reflecting a person's heart, and fell silent for a moment.
He did not evade the question as that Chunin teacher had. Instead, he thought about it seriously for a long time before slowly speaking. His voice remained gentle, but carried an unquestionable resolve.
"That's a very difficult question, Chen."
"The rules tell us that the mission comes before everything. An important mission could affect the village's safety and the lives of even more comrades." He first affirmed that the rules were right. "From that perspective, sacrifices for the sake of a mission are inevitable."
"But..." His tone shifted, an idealistic light shining in his blue eyes.
"Rules were created to better protect the people we want to protect. If we stand by and watch our comrades die just to follow the rules, wouldn't the rules themselves lose their meaning?"
He looked at Senju Chen as though, through him, he was subjecting his own soul to scrutiny.
"So I can't give you an absolute answer. All I can say is that, as a ninja, I'll do everything I can to complete my mission. But as Minato Namikaze, I... will never abandon my comrades."
"I'll work hard to become stronger, strong enough that I can... complete my missions and protect everyone around me. If it really comes down to choosing one or the other..."
He paused, a gentle but resolute smile appearing on his face.
"That would only mean I'm still not strong enough."
Senju Chen listened quietly.
What a... perfectly textbook answer.
An idealist's answer, filled with the radiance of the will of fire.
Minato Namikaze, you can say that because you're a genius. You possess the unique Space-Time Ninjutsu, the Flying Thunder God Technique. It gives you the confidence and the means to say, "I want it all."
But in this world, the vast majority of ninja are only ordinary people forced to make cruel, single-choice decisions between life and death, missions and comrades.
Hatake Sakumo's tragedy is the best proof.
To them, your answer isn't hope, but the most unattainable of wishes.
Still, this is fine too.
The corners of Senju Chen's mouth curved into a faint, inscrutable smile that no one noticed.
A Hokage who firmly believes in "love and peace," in "comrades and protection," is the kind of Hokage people will most readily acknowledge.
That's also why so many people in my previous life liked you...
Minato Namikaze's words swept away the stagnant air at the table like a warm breeze.
Yet the idealistic radiance within them made Senju Chen chuckle inwardly.
What a... flawless, correct answer, filled with the "will of fire."
"Well said, Minato!"
Kushina Uzumaki slapped the table, making the bowls and plates rattle. Her dazzling red hair almost seemed to burn, and her blue eyes brimmed with approval and admiration.
"Who cares about missions? Who cares about rules? What's the point of being a ninja if you can't even protect the people around you! Those old men who make the rules only talk so casually because they're hiding somewhere safe!"
She waved her little fists, filled with righteous indignation. The fiery emotion pouring from her heart was immensely infectious. Senju Chen noticed that, as she spoke, Minato's gaze toward her was filled with boundless tenderness and indulgence.
Senju Chen's gaze swept over Kushina's chest as it rose and fell slightly with excitement. Those curves, brimming with vitality, made the adult soul deep inside him whistle involuntarily.
As expected of the future crown princess. That fiery streak really has its own charm.
"Exactly!" He immediately put on the expression of someone who had found a kindred spirit, nodding his little head vigorously as he agreed with Kushina. "I think comrades matter most too! Abandoning comrades for a mission is something I could never do!"
"Haha! That's my student! You've got backbone!" His manner made Kushina burst out laughing. She reached over and mercilessly kneaded his face again. "Don't worry, Little Chen. If anyone dares bully you, tell your big sister. I'll help you teach him a lesson!"
"Ahem..." Minato Namikaze gave a couple of dry coughs beside them and smiled helplessly. "Kushina, don't say such violent things in front of a child."
As he spoke, he considerately wiped a little sauce from the corner of Kushina's mouth with a napkin, his movements smooth and natural.
The meal ended in that warm, lively atmosphere.
Humming an out-of-tune little song, Kushina gathered the dishes and headed into the kitchen, not forgetting to turn back and make a face at Minato before she left.
Only Minato Namikaze and Senju Chen remained in the living room.
The earlier liveliness faded, leaving only a faint fragrance of tea in the air. Senju Chen cradled the hot tea Minato had poured him and took little sips, while his black eyes kept secretly observing the blond young man across from him.
Minato Namikaze really is just as he seems-as warm and gentle as the sun, without a single dark corner. His strength exists purely to protect.
When someone like him faces that ultimate dilemma, can he really find a way to have both, just as he said?
Senju Chen set down his teacup and leaned forward slightly. In a whisper only the two of them could hear, with a hint of childish slyness, he asked, "Big Brother Minato, let me ask you one more question. You can't tell Big Sister Kushina."
"Hm? What question is so secret?" Amused by his deliberately mysterious manner, Minato Namikaze lowered his voice too, playing along.
Senju Chen's expression became utterly serious. His clear eyes seemed capable of reflecting the deepest recesses of a person's heart.
"If... I mean, if a mission ever conflicted with Big Sister Kushina's safety, what... would you choose?"
The smile on Minato Namikaze's face slowly froze.
He looked at Senju Chen. For the first time, his blue eyes, which always held a smile, revealed an intensely serious and profound emotion.
This question was sharper and more personal than the last.
It stripped away grand concepts such as "the village" and "more comrades," pointing straight at his true heart.
After a long while, Minato Namikaze finally sighed softly. He neither brushed it off nor evaded it, instead reaching out to gently ruffle Senju Chen's hair.
"I..." His voice was very soft, but carried an unshakable resolve. "I will absolutely, absolutely never let Kushina end up in a situation where she has to be chosen."
He looked toward the kitchen, his gaze gentler than ever before.
"I'll tell you a secret too. Don't tell your Big Sister Kushina just yet." He winked at Senju Chen as though sharing a secret. "I've been researching a new Ninjutsu lately. A technique... that doesn't require hand seals and can take Chakra shape transformation and nature transformation to their limits. It's so that... I can better protect her, and everyone I cherish."