The council chamber emptied slowly, the participants filing out one by one, their footsteps echoing on the polished wooden floor.
The doors closed behind them, and silence settled over the room. The afternoon light filtered through the windows, casting long, golden rectangles across the polished floor, and the portraits of past Hokage looked down on the two remaining figures with painted eyes that had seen centuries of politics.
Renjiro remained seated, his expression neutral, his hands resting on the table before him. He had expected to be dismissed along with the others, had anticipated a quiet walk back to his office, a few hours of paperwork, a return to the routine that had been disrupted by the investigation. Instead, Minato had called him back, and now he was waiting, wondering what the Hokage wanted after such a politically exhausting meeting.
What now? He thought, his internal voice weary. After everything we've just dealt with, what could possibly be left to discuss?
Minato rose from his seat and walked to a cabinet near the wall, his movements slow, deliberate. He opened the doors, revealing shelves of scrolls and documents, and retrieved a beautifully decorated object—a scroll in a lacquered case, its surface wrapped in silk, its edges embossed with the Fire Daimyo's crest.
He carried it back to the table and placed it before Renjiro, his expression unreadable.
"We've been invited to a wedding," he said.
Renjiro blinked. The words were so unexpected, so mundane, that they took a moment to register. A wedding? After everything they had just dealt with—the cemetery thefts, the political manoeuvring, the confrontation with Danzo—a wedding seemed almost absurd.
Ceremonial attendance, he thought, his internal voice flat. Endless speeches. Aristocrats pretending to enjoy each other's company. And I'm being kept behind to discuss this?
He stared at the scroll, his expression carefully neutral.
"A wedding," he repeated, his voice flat.
"Yes."
"Why exactly am I being told about this?"
Minato's lips curved into a slight smile.
"Because I want you to accompany me."
Renjiro's internal reaction was immediate. Please send literally anyone else. I'm drowning in work. Reconstruction. Jonin assignments. Border logistics. ANBU restructuring. Danzo monitoring. Flying Raijin research. I don't have time for a wedding.
He forced himself to remain calm, to keep his expression neutral.
"Minato," he said, his voice carefully measured, "I appreciate the invitation. But I'm already buried in work. The reconstruction efforts alone—"
"The bride is the Fire Daimyo's eldest daughter," Minato interrupted, his voice calm, almost casual. "The groom is the Lightning Daimyo's eldest son."
Renjiro froze.
The words hit him like a physical blow, rearranging everything he had just assumed about the wedding. This was not a ceremony. This was not a celebration. This was something else entirely.
…That's not a marriage, he realised, his internal voice sharp with sudden clarity. That's a treaty.
He sat back, his expression shifting from neutrality to something more focused.
"Explain," he said.
Minato leaned back in his chair, his blue eyes fixed on Renjiro, his expression thoughtful.
"The relationship between the Daimyo and the Hidden Villages is complex," he said. "The Daimyo rule the countries. The Hidden Villages are military institutions. The Hokage answer politically to the Fire Daimyo."
He paused, letting the words settle.
"The villages possess military autonomy. The Daimyo possess economic authority. Taxation. Military budgets. Infrastructure. Shinobi funding. Appointment confirmation. Without Daimyo support, villages lose funding, missions decrease, political legitimacy weakens."
He gestured toward the ornate scroll.
"Historically, Fire Country and Lightning Country compete economically, politically, diplomatically. Their villages inherited that rivalry. Konoha distrusts Kumo. Kumo distrusts Konoha. Not necessarily because of hatred, but because their nations compete."
He paused again.
"When ruling families intermarry, they create obligations. Trade agreements. Reduced border tensions. Economic cooperation. Intelligence sharing. Diplomatic visits. Military cooperation. Eventually, the Daimyo may ask: if our families can cooperate, why can't our villages?"
Renjiro absorbed the information, his mind already racing through the implications. If Fire and Lightning become closer, the Hokage and Raikage will be expected to behave accordingly. Neither village has much choice. Politics starts at the top. Military follows.
He considered the situation with growing unease.
"So this is less a wedding," he said slowly, "and more a diplomatic hostage situation."
Minato laughed—a genuine, surprised sound that seemed to break the tension of the moment.
"I suppose that's one way to look at it," he said. "Everyone attending will be forced to smile while secretly evaluating one another."
He shook his head, still smiling.
"You're not wrong."
Minato became serious again, his expression shifting from amusement to focus.
"I want you to accompany me," he said. "Not merely attend. I need you to serve as senior escort, military adviser, and closest bodyguard."
Renjiro's internal objection was immediate, instinctive. I'm drowning in work. I can't just leave. There's too much to do here.
"Minato," he said, his voice carefully measured, "I understand the importance of this. But I'm already buried in work. Reconstruction, Jonin assignments, border logistics, ANBU restructuring, Danzo monitoring, Flying Raijin research. I can't just—"
"You're the obvious choice," Minato interrupted, his voice firm. "Strongest available commander. Political judgment. Sealing expertise. Flying Raijin. Someone I completely trust."
He paused, his blue eyes fixed on Renjiro.
"This isn't about combat. It's about representing Konoha."
Renjiro opened his mouth to object again, but Minato raised a hand, cutting him off.
"I know you're worried about village emergencies," he said. "So I propose a compromise. Prepare specialised trigger seals. If there's an invasion, emergency, assassination, catastrophe, the seals activate. I can instantly teleport both of us back using Flying Raijin."
Renjiro was silent for a long moment, weighing the offer, considering the implications. The seals would work—he knew that. His sealing expertise was more than sufficient for the task. But the thought of leaving Konoha, even temporarily, filled him with unease.
There goes my schedule, he thought, his internal voice resigned. I'm going to have to reorganise everything.
He sighed, the sound carrying the weight of reluctant acceptance.
"Fine," he said. "I'll go."
Minato nodded, satisfaction flickering across his features.
"Good," he said. "I knew I could count on you."
Renjiro was quiet for a moment, his thoughts already turning to the practical concerns of the journey.
"Is it really wise for both of us to leave the village?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral. "Danzo. The recent political instability. The Sharingan incident. Root."
He did not accuse anyone. He simply stated the facts, letting the implications speak for themselves.
Minato rose from his seat and walked toward the window, his blue eyes fixed on the village below. The afternoon light caught his face, illuminating the lines of exhaustion that had become more pronounced in recent months.
"We don't really have a choice," he said quietly. "The Fire Daimyo has requested the Hokage's presence. Refusing would create a diplomatic incident."
He paused, his voice carrying the weight of political reality.
"The Hokage is powerful. But not politically independent of the Fire Daimyo."
Minato turned back to Renjiro, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"What could possibly go wrong?"
Renjiro froze.
The words hit him like a physical blow, sending a chill down his spine. Never say that. Those words have doomed more missions than enemy intelligence ever has.
He forced himself to remain calm, to keep his expression neutral. But his mind was already racing through everything that could go wrong. Assassination attempts. Diplomatic sabotage. Kumo provocations. Danzo acting while they were gone. Enemy spies. Political conspiracies.
That raised far too many flags, he thought, his internal voice sharp with unease. Far too many.
He met Minato's gaze, his expression carefully neutral.
"I'll start preparing the trigger seals," he said. "And I'll make sure everything is in order before we leave."
Minato nodded, his smile widening slightly.
"I knew I could count on you."
=====
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