Ten days had passed. Tatsuya was still following his daily routine. Emerging from a day's worth of training, his body had traces of dust and sweat. He was walking down a forest path, dragging a wild boar behind him.
"Uncle!"
Abruptly, a little figure possessing the same shade of white hair as Tatsuya's called out.
"Yes?"
Tatsuya turned to face the source of the voice.
In the ensuing scene, Minato emerged from the woods, accompanied by Kakshi and Obito. An air of worry and embarrassment enveloped them.
"Where is your third member?" Tatsuya queried.
"Asuma had an unfortunate run-in," Namikaze Minato admitted with a tinge of guilt.
"You lost to Orochimaru?" Tatsuya found it somewhat incredulous.
Minato was leading his team on an S-level mission. In an official capacity, he had inked an alliance treaty with Sunagakure. Although classified as an S-level task, it essentially entailed delivering the treaty document to Sunagakure, securing their signature, and retrieving it—a glorified errand.
The rank of a ninja mission was contingent not just on its difficulty but also on the significance it held. A mission of this type, involving a treaty between nations warranted its S-level classification.
Of course, Hiruzen was driven by personal motivations—to bestow a shining mission in his son's and Minato's record. "Behold! My son embarked on an S-level mission at the tender age of 10 while he was just a genin!"
As Tatsuya mentioned the name Orochimaru, a shadow of dread flashed across the faces of Minato, Kakashi, and Obito.
Indeed, they had been ambushed by Orochimaru upon their return from the Suna. Yet, how did Tatsuya come to know of this?
"No need for such a surprise. He knew about this mission before his departure. He predicted you would be the one handling it," Tatsuya explained matter-of-factly.
Minato regarded this explanation with scepticism. On the surface, it seemed possible. However, on closer examination, certain loopholes emerged.
"And then? How did he defeat you?" Tatsuya was genuinely intrigued.
The precision with which Orochimaru had executed the ambush was partly attributed to Tatsuya's briefing. Yet, Tatsuya hadn't anticipated that Orochimaru would kidnap Asuma. Minato offered a wry smile as he replied, "Orochimaru-sama knew about all my moves and Orochimaru's experience far exceeds mine."
He gave a brief account, attributing the defeat to a disparity in combat experience. Orochimaru initially targeted Asuma, though he feigned a focus on Minato. Consequently, Minato instructed his three disciples to proceed ahead.
Unbeknownst to him, Orochimaru had already stationed his subordinates along their escape route, effortlessly abducting Asuma. Once the deed was done, Orochimaru retreated, leaving Minato behind.
Regarding the art of escape, Orochimaru believed he was unmatched within the world of ninjas—a sentiment not entirely unfounded.
"Kakashi, Obito, return and rest. I'll inform Master Hokage of the situation," Namikaze Minato declared.
Given the loss of the Hokage's son, Minato bore a deep sense of responsibility, one he wasn't entirely confident in handling.
"Don't worry, you'll manage," Tatsuya offered a reassuring pat on Minato's shoulder.
Minato's smile outnumbered his tears, mostly when he sought solace in Tatsuya's comforting words. However, his next statement sent shivers down his spine:
"The Third Ninja World War is on the horizon. Lord Hokage, who does not want to venture onto the battlefield will have to rely on you."
In an instant, the trio of Minato and his apprentices were stunned yet again. How did he know of the impending Third Ninja War?
"Is Akasano no Sasori prepared as well?" Tatsuya wondered.
With the formal alliance between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind in place, the shinobi of Konoha and Suna wouldn't be engaging in combat in the immediate future. Under these circumstances, Chiyo's vengeance for White Fang would likely be impossible. Consequently, the ire might shift to the Third Kazekage, a supporter of the Konoha alliance.
...
...
The forging of an alliance between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind was undoubtedly a boon for Konoha. Yet, promptly followed another piece of news:
Lord Hokage's second son, Asuma, had been kidnapped by Orochimaru.
Having lost his eldest son in the previous war and now facing the abduction of his second son by his student. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the over-50-year-old Hokage, garnered increasing sympathy.
Whether Hiruzen held Minato responsible remained unknown to Tatsuya. However, it could be surmised that, unlike White Fang's fate in the original timeline, he dared not take the same disciplinary measures against Minato. Minato was his last bargaining chip at present.
"Say, can old man Sarutobi and Biwako have another child?" Tatsuya asked mischievously to Tsunade beside him. Then both of them were overwhelmed by an inexplicable nighttime restlessness.
...
...
"Kazekage-sama has vanished."
"Is there an urgent mission, causing his temporary absence? Given Kazekage-sama's prowess, it's unlikely that he'd encounter any threats."
The Land of Wind.
Sunagakure, having just inked an alliance pact with Konoha, was thrown into turmoil. Even Chiyo, who had gone for retirement was compelled to resurface.
Harbouring resentment toward the Third Kazekage's allegiance with Konoha, she was unable to exact vengeance for her son and daughter-in-law. However, the current Sunagakure demanded the leadership of the mightiest Kazekage to oversee matters.
"The Third Kazekage is the most formidable in history; an unexpected accident won't topple him so easily," Ebizo, a seasoned figure, consoled, striving to placate everyone. "Nevertheless, we mustn't let this news leak, especially to other villages and to our shinobi cause unnecessary panic. Understand?"
The absence of the Third Kazekage signified that the official outbreak of the Third Ninja World War was imminent.
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