Chapter 43 (Patreon)

Konoha Administration Building, Hokage’s office.

Minato held a document in his hand, his brows drawn tight.

It was an emergency report from the border.

A secret message from the Hyūga clan.

Kumogakure and Kirigakure had suddenly launched a joint assault on the border.

The shinobi stationed there had suffered heavy casualties.

They needed reinforcements immediately.

The border of the Land of Fire was in danger.

At that moment, the door opened.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped inside.

He had also received the same report.

“Sandaime.”

Minato immediately stood up.

“We need to send reinforcements to the border.”

“No.”

Hiruzen frowned.

“Konoha doesn’t have enough shinobi to spare right now.”

“How do we know this isn’t a trap set by Kumogakure and Kirigakure?”

“What if they attack while Konoha’s defenses are weakened?”

Minato took a deep breath.

“We can deploy the ANBU.”

At a time like this, the Sandaime was still hesitating.

Was he afraid Konoha would be attacked?

Or was he afraid of losing the authority he still held?

For a moment, Minato found it almost absurd.

The Sandaime had changed.

“No. The ANBU have their own assignments,” Hiruzen said immediately.

Minato slowly raised his head.

His clear blue eyes looked straight at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

“Sandaime.”

“You told me before that I am the Hokage of Konoha.”

His voice was calm.

But there was no room for refusal in it.

For a brief moment, Hiruzen felt as though the Minato standing before him had become unfamiliar.

After a long silence, he let out a quiet sigh.

“…Yes.”

“You are Konoha’s Hokage now.”

“As for the ANBU… make the decision yourself.”

The ANBU were originally the Hokage’s direct forces.

They were not supposed to be controlled by anyone else.

But Hiruzen had enjoyed that authority for too long, and had never truly let go.

Now that Minato’s attitude had become this firm, he had no choice but to step back.

Sarutobi Hiruzen left the office in silence.

Only then did Minato exhale softly.

“ANBU.”

A shadow appeared.

“Take twenty elite ANBU squads and head to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.”

“Join Hyūga Hizashi there and reinforce the defense line.”

“Yes.”

The ANBU vanished.

…

That afternoon, Minato summoned Kakashi, Yujiro, and Itachi to the Hokage’s office.

“There’s fighting at the Land of Fire’s border.”

“I’ve already sent most of Konoha’s ANBU out as reinforcements.”

“So, this escort mission will be left to the three of you.”

Minato took out a scroll, his expression serious.

“This is an A-rank escort mission.”

“The mission details are inside.”

Yujiro accepted the scroll and opened it.

It was a classified escort mission involving Konoha and the Land of Hot Water.

Their objective was to safely deliver another scroll to the Land of Hot Water.

However, many wandering shinobi around the Land of Hot Water were already eyeing the document.

There were even Jōnin-level enemies among them.

Rogue ninja and missing-nin from various lands could also appear.

Because of that, the mission had been classified as A-rank.

“Kakashi has more mission experience than either of you,” Minato said.

“So this time, Kakashi will lead the squad.”

“Understood,” Yujiro and Itachi replied at the same time.

Yujiro had never left the village before.

Letting Kakashi take command was the safest choice.

“The mission begins immediately.”

Minato stood up, his gaze serious.

“Come back alive.”

…

…

Deep underground, within Root.

The air was damp and cold.

A man wearing a tiger-patterned mask stood silently before Shimura Danzō.

“Oh?”

“You want a living Uchiha test subject?”

Beneath the mask, a scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan slowly turned.

Danzō lowered his gaze slightly.

“I don’t know who you are.”

“But I know you’ve been moving around Konoha recently.”

“You’ve also been visiting the Uchiha compound rather often.”

“I’m not wrong, am I?”

Danzō had noticed this man while monitoring the Uchiha over the past few days.

He possessed an unusual space-time ninjutsu.

Danzō could not capture him.

Nor could he see through him.

Obito’s eye carried a trace of mockery.

“Do you even know what I want?”

“I don’t,” Danzō answered coldly.

“But if you can fulfill my request, I can naturally fulfill yours.”

“Shimura Danzō…”

Obito laughed softly.

“You’re the first person brave enough to try making a deal with me.”

These past few days, Obito had returned to Konoha and infiltrated the Uchiha clan for one reason.

To use his Mangekyō Sharingan to decipher the Uchiha Stone Tablet.

He wanted to confirm whether what Uchiha Madara had told him was true.

And now, Root had dragged him here.

Which led to this meeting.

“We each take what we need,” Danzō said quietly.

Obito looked at him for a moment.

Then his voice turned cold.

“The next time I come here…”

“I want the exact date of Uzumaki Kushina’s childbirth.”

A spiral of space slowly formed around him.

Obito’s figure began to disappear into the distortion.

Danzō’s eyes narrowed.

“May I ask your name?”

A cold voice echoed from within the vortex.

“Uchiha…”

“Madara.”

The next instant, Obito vanished completely.

Danzō’s expression changed.

Uchiha Madara?

Impossible.

That man was dead.

He had been dead for decades.

Then who was this?

That strange space-time ninjutsu…

That Sharingan…

Could it be…

Was Uchiha Madara truly still alive?

After a long moment of thought, Danzō suddenly let out a cold smile.

“So what if you really are Uchiha Madara?”

“You want to know when Uzumaki Kushina gives birth…”

“You intend to destroy Konoha, don’t you?”

“How fitting of you, Uchiha Madara.”

His expression grew darker.

“Unfortunately for you…”

“Once I merge Hashirama’s cells with the Sharingan, even you may not be beyond my reach.”

“And with that power…”

“I can become the new Hokage in one stroke.”

A crazed light appeared in Shimura Danzō’s eye.

You want to use me?

Fine.

Then I’ll use you as well.