Letter

---

Minato looked into Kushina's eyes and realized that if he didn't provide a reasonable explanation, he might not get away easily today.

"It's just some books," Minato said, trying to play it off.

"This book contains the ninjutsu of a powerful shinobi, but the techniques inside are too advanced. If you try to learn them at your current age, it could harm your body."

Minato, as quick-witted as ever, immediately took control of the conversation. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, he nudged Kakashi, signaling for him to follow his lead.

"Yeah, that's right! This shinobi was a great ninja who traveled the world! His life story is recorded in it."

Minato would never admit that the book was written by Jiraiya. As Konoha's most infamous author, Jiraiya's reputation was already questionable. Even though he was one of the Sannin, Minato knew better than to mention him in this context.

"Really?"

Kushina looked at the two of them with suspicion. From their strange behavior and tone, she could tell that something was off.

She pulled Muzan aside, wanting him to explain.

Meanwhile, Minato and Kakashi exchanged nervous glances. Whether or not their lie would hold depended on Muzan's next words.

Muzan, not wanting to let the two of them down, decided to continue their story.

"They're right. This book is about a very powerful shinobi, even more skilled than Tsunade-sama!"

Compared to Minato and Kakashi's explanation, Kushina trusted Muzan more, so she reluctantly forgave them.

"Hmph! I'll forgive you two this time, but don't let it happen again!"

What puzzled Kushina was how Minato knew she was at the Hatake residence. Could it be that… he sent someone to follow me? Was it for my safety, or something more...?

"Muzan, here's a letter from Lord Hokage," Minato said, snapping Kushina out of her thoughts. She shot him a slightly resentful look, realizing she had overthought the situation.

But the envelope from the Hokage must have been something important, so she didn't bother Muzan any further.

After opening the letter, Muzan's expression changed slightly.

The letter instructed him to head to the border of the Land of Wind, with Minato accompanying him as an escort.

"This is really troublesome," Muzan muttered to himself.

Namikaze Minato was just beginning to step into the upper echelons of the village, and even he wasn't privy to certain information. This must be a critical factor affecting the battlefield.

The letter revealed that Konoha had recently discovered that Sunagakure had sent a powerful shinobi to Kirigakure. Muzan's mission was to thwart Sunagakure's plans before they could forge an alliance with Kirigakure.

"Why me?" Muzan thought aloud. With Minato's strength, handling this matter wouldn't be difficult.

Muzan pondered for a moment and realized the key issue.

Because the war had reached a stalemate, Sunagakure was still an official ally of Konoha. No large-scale conflicts had erupted, even though everyone knew they had aligned with Kumogakure. But without concrete evidence, Konoha couldn't deploy its top shinobi. After all, Konoha's elite were well-known figures. Any mishap could be exploited by the enemy, giving Sunagakure a reason to send troops.

As for Muzan, he was strong enough to take on Jōnin-level opponents, but the key was that the enemy had never seen his face. Even many in Konoha didn't know what Muzan looked like under his black robe. This made him the perfect candidate for this mission. He would be accompanied by Anbu to ensure the mission's success.

"As expected of the Third Hokage, always so meticulous," Muzan thought.

According to the original timeline of Naruto's story, Konoha had not discovered Sunagakure's movements at this point. However, due to the stability of the front lines with the Land of Lightning, Konoha could now divert more resources to investigations, leading to this mission.

After thinking it over, Muzan turned to Minato. "Minato-senpai, we're heading to the Land of Wind. According to the Hokage's orders, you'll be escorting me to ensure my safety along the way."

The first part of the mission required them to travel together, but the latter part would be Muzan's responsibility, along with the Anbu team.

"Understood," Minato replied.

But One person, however, wasn't so thrilled. Kakashi shot Muzan a resentful glare. Ever since they had started spending more time apart, Muzan had been tough on him—especially about Icha Icha Paradise.

"Damn you, Muzan! You better not ditch us on the road!" Kakashi grumbled.

Muzan chuckled and gave Kakashi a solid pat on the back. "If you manage to leave me behind, I'll be proud. That means you've reached the level of skill I expect from you."

"But you're still just my naïve little brother," Muzan added teasingly, grabbing Kakashi by the neck and pulling him outside.

"I'm not an idiot, Muzan," Kakashi muttered under his breath.

Muzan found the whole situation amusing. Minato and Kushina were trying to have a moment, while Kakashi, as dense as ever, was third-wheeling without even realizing it. No wonder Kakashi ended up single for so long. Muzan, as an older brother figure, felt it was his duty to offer some guidance.

The future of the Hatake clan depended on Kakashi, after all.

"Why are you dragging me out of my own house?" Kakashi protested, clearly flustered.

"Kakashi, you need to spend less time with Icha Icha and more time with real people," Muzan said, smacking him lightly on the head. "You'll never find a girlfriend if you keep reading Jiraiya's books. You want to end up like him?"

Kakashi sputtered in protest, but there was little he could do. Muzan was stronger, and their sparring matches always ended with Kakashi on the floor.

After roughing him up a bit, Muzan straightened Kakashi's clothes. "Now, enough fooling around. We've got a mission. This isn't just another patrol—things could escalate into open conflict."

"Don't take unnecessary risks," Muzan warned. "We're heading into dangerous territory. And remember, the alliance between Suna and Kumo isn't public knowledge, but it's an open secret. They'd love nothing more than to eliminate us."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Don't worry. I've handled missions like this before."

Muzan nodded, but his concerns remained. Kakashi was strong, but the enemy was relentless. He had to be prepared.