Orochimaru
Once Minato finished his report, Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe and sighed.
"Hokage-sama, is there something wrong with the mission?" Minato asked, sensing the tension in the air.
"No, Minato, you've done an admirable job," Hiruzen replied, waving his hand. "However."
He took another puff before continuing, "Yesterday, we received an urgent message from our intelligence station at the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. I need you and Aizen to review the situation as well."
With that, Hiruzen handed a document from his desk to Minato.
As Minato skimmed the report, his expression immediately shifted to shock. "Lord Hokage, Rōran was destroyed by an unknown force, and the energy of the Dragon Vein was stolen. Who could be responsible for this?"
He passed the document to Aizen, who maintained a calm exterior but feigned surprise as he read it.
"Furthermore," Hiruzen continued, "the seal of the Flying Thunder God technique that Minato placed was completely intact. The method used to drain the Dragon Vein's energy is unlike anything we've seen before. There are very few individuals in the ninja world with such capabilities."
Minato nodded, his face filled with concern. "Only one of the great nations would have the resources and knowledge to pull something like this off."
"Indeed," Hiruzen agreed. "The Land of Water is too isolated overseas to have played a role, which leaves us with the Land of Wind as the most likely suspect. After all, Rōran is located on the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire. But we can't discount the Land of Earth or the Land of Lightning either—their ambitions are well-known, and either could be involved."
Hiruzen tapped his pipe thoughtfully, considering the possibilities. He couldn't help but feel frustrated. His decision to send Minato's team to Rōran had been motivated by more than just reconnaissance. He had hoped to secure the power of the Dragon Veins for Konoha, to secretly harness its energy and potentially use it to craft new chakra-based weapons.
But now that opportunity had been snatched away by some unknown force.
'Whoever took the Dragon Vein's energy has disrupted my plans.' Hiruzen thought to himself, feeling a pang of disappointment. However, he quickly dismissed the thought.
Though valuable, the energy of the Dragon Vein was not critical. In most villages, its primary use would likely be for crafting chakra weapons—something powerful, but not world-changing.
Even Mukade, the tyrant who once sought to harness its power, had transformed himself into a puppet to do so. The Dragon Vein's energy, while potent, was essentially just another tool for creating chakra weapons.
The reason Aizen could absorb the Dragon Vein's energy was entirely due to the power of Hōgyoku.
Don't be fooled by how quickly Aizen created Hōgyoku—it took him only a year—but that orb is the final product of the combined biotechnology from the three worlds. Its capabilities far surpass anything else in existence.
At that moment, Minato was the only one truly concerned about the destruction of Rōran.
"I hope that girl, Sarah, managed to escape this disaster." Minato thought to himself. However, his worry and sadness were tempered by the maturity he had developed during his time in the Anbu.
In addition to his talent, Minato had grown more level-headed. The future Yellow Flash of Konoha was already beginning to take shape. Still, part of his concern stemmed from Sarah's relationship with his future son, Naruto. But she wasn't his "daughter-in-law" in reality, and Minato had done what he could to warn her. That was enough for him.
After dwelling on it briefly, Minato decided to move on from the matter.
"Alright," Hiruzen said, nodding. "We'll continue to monitor this situation. For now, you've both done a commendable job. Go and get some rest."
Acknowledging Hiruzen's praise, Minato and Aizen bowed and left the Hokage building.
As they stepped outside, Minato turned to Aizen. "Aizen, are you free tonight? How about we grab some food together?"
Aizen paused for a moment, slightly surprised by the offer, before giving a subtle nod.
Minato smiled. Soon, the two found themselves at a familiar spot: Ichiraku Ramen.
"Master Teuchi! Two deluxe bowls of tonkotsu ramen, please!" Minato called out with a smile.
"Coming right up!" Teuchi replied, his voice warm and friendly.
As they sat down, Aizen glanced around at the bustling atmosphere of the ramen shop before turning to Minato with a smile. "It's been a while. I can't remember the last time you invited me for a meal. Not since our academy days, anyway."
Hearing this, a flicker of sadness crossed Minato's face, but he quickly masked it with a smile. "Well, it's hard to find time for this kind of thing. Whenever I do, it brings back memories of old friends."
Aizen raised an eyebrow, sensing the deeper meaning behind Minato's words. "Ah, the sudden loss of Rōran has you feeling nostalgic?"
Minato nodded slightly. "It's hard to believe it's all gone now. It was so sudden."
His eyes met Aizen's, a hint of doubt creeping in. "But there's something that's been bothering me, Aizen. You've changed. You're not the same as before."
Aizen tilted his head, feigning innocence. "Oh? How have I changed?"
Minato studied him carefully before replying, "I'm not sure exactly. You seem, different. There's something off, but I can't put my finger on it. That's why I invited you out, to take a closer look."
Aizen chuckled softly. "You're overthinking it, Minato."
"Maybe," Minato admitted, "but my intuition is usually right."
Just as Minato was about to press the matter further, Teuchi arrived with two steaming bowls of ramen. "Here you go! Enjoy!"
Minato sighed inwardly, setting aside his suspicions as Aizen began eating. He picked up his chopsticks and muttered to himself, "Maybe I'm just imagining things."
After they finished their meal and returned home for the night, a new day began.
Aizen, having just completed the mission in Rōran, had no immediate tasks. While he was away, the Medical Corps had been left in the capable hands of Hiruko, and Aizen wasn't particularly concerned about its management.
"Today's a good day," Aizen thought, gazing at the village of Konoha bathed in sunlight. He could feel the immense power of Hōgyoku coursing through him, a force that made him feel like he could dominate the world.
At that moment, a thought crossed his mind.
"I wonder what Orochimaru is up to these days."