Chapter 171: Minato's Dilemma and Secret Meeting

The shockwave from the explosion turned into a fierce wind, hitting the unconscious Kenichiro in the face.

He suddenly awoke and saw the back of a young man dressed in the attire of the ANBU.

"Captain!" Kenichiro tried to sit up and salute, but his entire body was sore, and even the slightest movement caused him intense pain.

"Relax, just lie down; the injured have privileges, after all." Yuto smiled gently, maintaining his composed image—strong yet kind, a perfect blend of the Hyuga clan and his sensei's teachings.

Kenichiro's eyes were filled with admiration. For the first time, this young Chūnin, who came from a civilian background, saw a "great shinobi" in Yuto.

Hayata and Shiina appeared shortly after. They knew that Yuto possessed the terrifyingly destructive ninjutsu, Mutual Multiplying Explosive Tags, and had stayed far away in advance.

Before long, several masked ANBU members also arrived at the scene. This location, about fifteen kilometers from the village, was within Konoha's controlled range, equipped with many detection devices. As soon as the massive chakra burst was detected, patrol and on-duty personnel moved closer.

With Hiruzen absent, Yuto was the de facto leader of the ANBU. None of the other squad leaders would go against this future "ANBU Commender" for no reason, so the shinobi who came to assist silently stood behind the branch family member, awaiting his orders.

Activating his Byakugan, Yuto stared at the red stains on the rocks in the forest, silent for a long time.

There were no corpses of the three Kirigakure shinobi. Were they blown to pieces? Unlikely, given the strength of their bodies with the Shikotsumyaku, there should be at least some bones left. It seems they escaped...

The forest was ablaze, and thick smoke surged into the sky, forming black clouds several kilometers thick.

Yuto regretted using the Mutual Multiplying Explosive Tags. His usual tactic of "Lion's Fang Bite combined with Explosive Tags" had been used many times and was extremely effective, a well-practiced combo.

But now it seemed that using Mutual Multiplying Explosive Tags in a forest wasn't a good idea. If the fire got out of control, it would actually hinder the chance to expand their victory.

"Have the village send some Water Release and Earth Release shinobi to put out the fire," Yuto shook his head and softly instructed. "Once the fire subsides, search the area and see if you can find those three Kirigakure shinobi."

---

"Mangetsu, hold on, hold on..."

Mei Terumi anxiously stared at the young man who was barely recognizable.

Takashi Kaguya was carrying a large water tank on his back. Inside the tank was Mangetsu, a genius of the Hozuki clan, now reduced to just a head, with the rest of his body turned into water.

Even though the Hozuki clan had the secret technique Hydrification Technique, this kind of liquid transformation, especially when unconscious, was extremely dangerous. For a shinobi, chakra disruption was often a sign of impending death.

"Damn it, those Konoha shinobi and Yuto Hyuga," Mei Terumi clenched her lips, her green eyes filled with hatred.

"Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment," Takashi suddenly spoke, still carrying the tank. "Mangetsu is a resilient man. Since he wasn't killed by the Mutual Multiplying Explosive Tags on the spot, there's a good chance he'll survive... Besides, we've completed our mission."

"A shinobi suitable as a Jinchuriki Bomb..." Mei Terumi exhaled deeply. "What's their name?"

"Rin Nohara."

---

After arranging for his subordinates to be quickly hospitalized, reporting to Hiruzen, and participating in the ANBU's routine meetings, Yuto had no free time upon returning to the village. He was so busy that it felt like those early days on the battlefield in the Land of Rain all over again.

Late at night, he had the ANBU logistics prepare some tea and simple meals, planning to head to the office alone to review more dossiers and mission files.

However, Yuto didn't expect to find Minato already waiting at the office door.

"Yuto-kun, long time no see." Minato's handsome face broke into a smile. "I haven't had dinner yet."

The two went inside, closed the door behind them, and sat at the desk to eat.

"Minato-senpai, if there's something on your mind, just say it." Yuto curiously asked, swallowing a rice ball. "Don't tell me it's because Kushina-senpai won't let you go home at night."

"How could that be, hahaha..." Minato laughed. He and Kushina were already preparing for their wedding, practically newlyweds, so he wasn't as shy about these jokes anymore.

"But what about you, Yuto-kun? All these years, I haven't heard of you being close to any girl. With your looks, that shouldn't be the case."

"I'm still young; I don't really understand these things. I usually just read The Way of the Ninja."

"Next time you see Jiraiya-sensei, learn a few things from him. You'll be sixteen next year—how can you always be so alone? What kind of girl do you like? Maybe Kushina can find someone for you?"

"Kushina-senpai as a matchmaker?"

"Haha, she's got quite the network..." Minato's face suddenly darkened as he added, "She used to have a great network."

"Don't worry, Minato-senpai, I've already had the ANBU stop the spread of those rumors," Yuto reassured him. "It's completely baseless. The trouble caused by the Nine-Tails' chakra has nothing to do with Kushina-senpai."

Minato downed his cup of tea in one gulp and sighed. "They have their reasons. In many people's minds, tailed beasts are just chakra monsters that wreak havoc. If they're sealed within a Jinchuriki, they become a part of that person. They don't realize that tailed beasts have their own will, they are... Strange creatures."

"Minato-senpai, if the Nine-Tails heard you say that, it might actually be happy."

"Haha... No way. The last time Kushina's seal weakened and I reinforced it, the Nine-Tails looked at me like it wanted to tear me apart."

Minato, once he started talking, couldn't stop. He rambled on about many things.

After returning to the village, Kushina was noticeably isolated, with many of her old friends avoiding her under various excuses. Only a few, like Mikoto Uchiha, remained unchanged in their attitude.

Hiruzen had officially initiated the succession ceremony, relinquishing many of his powers. The Hokage building began recruiting craftsmen, and the carving of the Hokage Rock had already been tentatively scheduled.

The mysterious person who had joined Jiraiya in storming Amegakure that night had vanished. Besides the Moon God, it seemed another enigmatic figure with unclear intentions had emerged in the shinobi world. Today, Danzo directly suggested using the power of the tailed beasts in a meeting, nearly prompting Minato to pull out a kunai and stab him.

—"For the village's safety, shouldn't the Jinchuriki make some sacrifices?"

This was Danzo's exact words today, standing on the high ground of moral superiority. Yuto could only imagine how frustrated Minato must have been at that moment.

Actually, Danzo's words did have some merit, at least on the surface. The Jinchuriki were originally meant to be weapons. Now, with threats looming over the shinobi world, and Konoha having lost Orochimaru and Jiraiya, it was indeed lacking in strength.

Yuto patted Minato on the shoulder. "Minato-senpai, Danzo is just trying to undermine you. Hmph... An old relic who can't keep up with the times, reeking of decay."

"Yuto-kun, come up with a plan. It's hard for me to leave the village now, and you're the only one who can share some of the burden."

Yuto grinned, raising an eyebrow. "How about we capture a tailed beast?"

(End of Chapter)