Aftermath

Minato teleported through the forest, speeding towards the place where he had heard that reverberating clap. Fearing that it might be an unprecedented enemy attack, Minato increased his momentum even further. Eventually, the smell of blood entered his nostrils and he frowned.

Appearing on another tree branch, a horrifying scene opened up to him. Three dead bodies lay on the ground, blood spreading throughout the perimeter like a river. And in the middle of this stood one single figure. It was a kid, whose hair had turned completely red from the blood. Frowning, Minato appeared right behind the kid, pressing a kunai onto his neck. "Who are you?"

Zeus got startled for a moment, but he recognized the voice. Slowly turning around, Zeus waved with his uninjured hand. "It's me, Uncle Minato."

"Zeus?" Minato furrowed his brows, blinked a few times, and then looked around once again. "What the hell has happened here? Did...you do this?"

However, instead of an answer, Minato saw Zeus falling forward, unable to keep consciousness anymore. Minato caught the little body, his hokage outfit getting painted in red. Once again looking around the scene, Minato disappeared from the spot.

-

Zeus's eyelids slowly slid away and he was greeted by the unfamiliar ceiling of the hospital. Rising from the comfortable bed, Zeus saw three figures standing before him. They were Hiruzen, Asuma and Bikawo. All of them rushed to Zeus once they understood that he had woken up.

"Zeus, are you alright?" Bikawo asked, her voice carrying a hint of worry.

Upon hearing her question, Zeus actually checked his body condition. Surprisingly, his right hand had recovered almost entirely, and only a bit of pain remained. His overall body condition was also great, and only a few places were sore from the previous battle.

'It seems that I have overestimated my body and chakra reserves.' Zeus thought to himself, going back through the battle. The outcome could have been a lot different had he met those three men while being exhausted, but this kind of playing with life and death was what made living thrilling, no?

Understanding that he had completely ignored Bikawo's questions, Zeus raised a thumb. "Everything is good. No pain. Perfect condition."

It didn't seem like Bikawo believed him at all, as she grabbed him by the neck, stretching it to the left and right, searching for any injuries. The pain caused by her unnecessary actions was even more extensive than the wounds from the battle, but Zeus just let her be.

"Are you sure everything is alright, Zeus?" Hiruzen asked from the side, standing with his hands put one against another. Asuma was by his side, towering over his father, some worry hidden in his uncaring eyes. Over these few years, Asuma had grown a lot and even grew a funny-looking beard.

"Well, I have had better days, but it is whatever." Zeus shrugged it off.

"Minato has filled me up as to what happened." Hiruzen's face turned into a scowl. "What were you doing away from the village at night? I have told you multiple times that it is dangerous, even if the war had ended."

Zeus controlled the urge to roll his eyes. Even though he was technically six years old, being scowled at by this old man just never felt right. Asuma glanced at Zeus with pity in his eyes, and they made eye contact. With a sigh, Asuma put a hand on Hiruzen's shoulder.

"Listen, pops. Zeus has just woken up. Maybe we should talk about this at home." Asuma said, easing the built-up tension in the room. Zeus looked at Asuma thankfully.

"You are right, Asuma." Hiruzen calmed down, but still looked back up at Zeus. "However, what happened there is a serious matter, and we need information as to what occurred."

Zeus nodded, rising from the bed. Everyone looked at him with strange eyes while Zeus simply shrugged. "Uncle Minato is probably also waiting for my side of the story, and I am not planning on telling it more than once."

-

The Hokage office looked much more mundane than Zeus had expected. Of course, Zeus also didn't expect that his first time visiting this place would be to talk about how he murdered three invaders. Despite the cause of his appearance here, Minato smiled and greeted Zeus like seeing a long-lost friend.

Together with Zeus, there was also Hiruzen and Danzo, someone whose name he had heard a few times from stories. This dark-haired gentleman gave off a shady aura, and Zeus really didn't like the man's rough gaze. His face was just so punchable.

"So, Zeus, we already know that those three were from the village of Iwakagure. However, it is unknown what were their objective and motives." Minato talked with a smile, his hands on the table. "Perhaps hearing what happened from you will give us some helpful information."

"Well, there's really not a lot to say." Zeus scratched his temple with his index finger. "I was training in the forest when I was suddenly attacked with a genjutsu attack. I managed to get out and battled against the three unknown men. I predict that they were just investigating the state of the village, and accidentally stumbled upon me. They probably thought that they could easily kill me and harm the village a bit by doing so, but the outcome was...different."

"It was indeed very different," Minato added from the side, keeping his smile throughout the talk. "After our investigation, we have come to a similar conclusion. However, Zeus, I must ask you...did you know that these men were all Jonin level?"

At such proclamation, both Hiruzen and Danzo opened their mouths momentarily, clearly surprised. "Are you sure, Minato?" Hiruzen asked, his voice slightly shaken.

"Yes, I have checked their attires and it has been confirmed," Minato answered.

"Impossible," Danzo mumbled to himself, looking at Zeus with a mix of emotions. "How could a kid like this defeat three jonin level shinobi?"

"I guess...I was just lucky?" Zeus answered.

"No, Zeus. This is not a matter of luck. Honestly, I had never heard of a six-year-old being that strong." Minato made an especially clear emphasis on the last word. "Besides, they have been killed by lightning techniques I had never seen before. Did you perhaps create your own jutsu?"

Zeus grew silent, not knowing whether to lie or not. However, it seemed like he didn't even have any time to ponder.

"I will take your silence as a yes, Zeus." Minato interrupted his train of thought. "Honestly, seeing as how strong you are, I don't see the point of you attending the academy at all. So, I have a proposition for you. In two weeks, a chunin exam is going to be conducted. I want you to participate there and, based on your result, we will see what we are going to do with you afterward."

Zeus swallowed his saliva.

Why did it seem like Minato was making choices for him?

However, Zeus honestly didn't see anything wrong with his offer. He had been trying to find ways to exempt himself from the mandatory academy anyway, so he didn't see any reasons to disagree.

Zeus nodded slowly.

***

Insert Gif: Yellow Flash

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