---
Megumi stood where Minato had left him, unable to remember why he'd been left there.
Was this a test? The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly brushed it off he wasn't going to put effort into it either way.
Suddenly, Minato appeared out of nowhere, standing before Megumi with that bright smile still plastered on his face.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting," he said.
Minato proceeded to open the front door and stepped inside, then turned to face Megumi, who still stood outside like a statue.
"Come in."
Megumi walked in and looked around at the house's interior a perfect, understated design that suited a cool-headed Hokage like Minato.
As he followed Minato to the kitchen, he spotted a beautiful woman with blood-red hair eating an array of different foods at her table. What drew Megumi's attention wasn't just her hair, but her swollen belly she was pregnant.
The woman stopped eating when she noticed the boy who had been causing havoc in the village.
"Can you greet me, young man?" she said, pulling him from his thoughts.
Megumi snapped back to attention. "Sorry. Good evening, sister."
"What's your name?" she asked while continuing to devour her meal.
"You can call me Megumi, or in full, Nara Megumi," he replied.
"You're Shikaku's mischievous cousin, right? Kenji's son?" she asked again.
Megumi wasn't bothered by being called mischievous after all, every legend earned a title.
"Yes, that's right, Sister Kushina," he replied.
"..."
Megumi realized he'd just slipped up and revealed information he shouldn't have. He prayed this woman wouldn't press him for more details.
Kushina was shocked she hadn't introduced herself to the boy, yet he already knew her name. She wanted to know more about this Megumi, so much so that she abandoned her food.
She shot Minato a side glance that clearly meant: get out of here.
Receiving the signal, Minato was also surprised that Megumi knew her name despite meeting her for the first time. But since Kushina wasn't reacting violently, he believed the boy was harmless.
"I'll go freshen up," Minato said, disappearing with his jutsu again.
"This fool uses his jutsu even in his own house," Megumi muttered, his shoulders slumping as he realized Minato couldn't survive without it.
"How did you know my name, Megumi?" Kushina asked, releasing a powerful aura. Her red hair rose in nine different directions. Megumi was overwhelmed by the kind of power he'd never encountered before and didn't want to encounter, at least not while his power was still sealed.
"It's an ability that allows me to see glimpses of the future!" he cried out, dropping to one knee with blood trickling from his lips.
*Just wait until I get my Mahoraga you'll be the first victim,* he thought inwardly.
"I thought that was the only summon you had," she said.
"Tell me everything about you," she demanded.
Megumi looked at her and chuckled. "Why should I tell you my secrets? You should know that even if you're the Hokage's wife, if I die, my mother will come for you."
Kushina was shocked. Even after using a fraction of the Nine-Tails' power, this boy wasn't completely subdued. What she found even more interesting was that she couldn't sense any negative emotion from him.
The moment she withdrew her aura, Megumi passed out immediately not because he was weak, but because he hadn't eaten anything since morning. To escape this red-haired terror, he needed to follow the script: sleep.
Just then, Minato arrived, having sensed the Nine-Tails' power. He came to check on Kushina, knowing she was at her weakest point and the Nine-Tails might try to take advantage.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine."
Minato saw Megumi lying on the floor. Kushina's face showed signs of losing control as red energy began to swirl around her. He immediately rushed to her side to help suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra. Together, they successfully suppressed it.
"What happened?" he asked.
This time he wasn't smiling he knew that if he hadn't arrived in time, the Nine-Tails would have broken the seal.
---
**Elsewhere, in the Nara clan compound:**
A room full of young men sat facing four elders. Among them were the ringleader, Elder Tsunayoshi, and Elder Tomonori, who looked like he'd been forced to attend the night meeting.
"I've called you here to inform you that Nara Shikaku is willing to betray his own clan for an outcast who is a shame to this family," Tsunayoshi said.
Murmurs filled the room the people couldn't believe their clan head would do such a thing, as he was the smartest in the clan.
"That's enough. I'm not here to tell you to rebel against him, but be careful. Our clan is allied with the Hokage, and it's our responsibility to follow the clan's traditions and rules."
"You all remember that boy called Megumi. He rejected his father's clan name and even insulted the Fourth Hokage."
"Now Shikaku is planning to bring that same boy back to this clan. You know that will make us enemies of the Hokage, and he'll become a bad influence on the upcoming generation."
"So if he tries to plead for him, you should refuse," he said.
"Yes, that boy is trouble!"
"We won't allow him back into this clan!"
"He even assaulted a police officer he's dangerous to my son!"
The people started talking, and they all agreed on one point: Megumi was no longer a member of the Nara clan.
Tsunayoshi's lips curled into a smile his plan had worked. Now he needed to give Lord Danzo the report.
"You may leave," he said.
The room grew noisy as people continued talking about it. Soon the crowded room was empty except for a few men who remained standing.
"I guess we're done for today, so I'll take my leave," Tomonori said, standing up and walking toward where the men were.
"Tomonori, Lord Danzo wants to know where your loyalty lies with the village or with that boy?" Tsunayoshi said.
Tomonori stopped without turning back. "I will always give my loyalty to the village because I serve the village. But Tsunayoshi, you should know I don't like becoming someone else's puppet, so the matter ends here."
He walked out of the room. The man standing beside him spoke first.
"Elder Tomonori, why didn't you tell them about the information we learned?"
Tomonori looked at the young man, but he wasn't upset about his question.
"Would a bird tell his fellow bird one he just fought with for territory that he saw a hunter coming their way? Or would the bird plan his own escape?" he asked.
"The bird should look after himself before worrying about others he just met," the young man replied.
"That's right. Tsunayoshi is just a tool. Let that boy do whatever he wants with him. When he finally realizes he wasn't serving the village but a greedy master, it will be too late."
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