His legs gave out, he hadn't even seen what killed him. He simply dropped to his knees, staring at the two ninjas inside the cell, their expressions calm, as if they had expected this.
"I thought you were professionals." The voice in the shadows said. Even though it revealed no emotion, the two ninjas inside, just by looking into the eyes of the ninja in the shadows, knew there was no satisfaction with their performance.
It wasn't as if they had expected the Fourth Hokage to arrive so quickly. They had thought the distraction they had set up would serve some purpose, but Minato had appeared far too fast.
The part of the mission they had been assigned didn't even have time to be carried out before they were captured. They felt relieved for not having been killed by Minato; it wasn't as if they could have avoided it if Minato had wanted to.
"It's not lost yet, my team is still out there, and now I'm going to be freed. The plan will be carried out as usual. It would be good if you helped, right?"
One of the ninjas complained after those words were spoken. A strange atmosphere crackled inside the cell. The ninja in the shadows said nothing, but his killing intent alone was enough. The two ninjas became alert. It was quite outrageous to talk back to the ninja, even while being paid, still demanding help that wasn't coming from him.
The silence lasted only a few seconds before the ninja's voice sounded again as he opened the cell.
"Do not fail again!"
The two ninjas in the prison vanished quickly.
---
"Are you going to tell me?"
Mikoto said as she closed the door of her house. She was more relaxed now, since she had seen that the Uchiha clan had already begun to move; there shouldn't be any danger.
"It's nothing," Kushina said, giving a smile that came out a bit crooked. As she cast a grateful look at her friend—if it hadn't been for her, she would have been overwhelmed.
She lifted her shirt and took a brief look at her seal, seeing that there was nothing wrong with it. What had almost made her lose control had been her mental state.
Mikoto went to the kitchen. Seeing that her friend wouldn't reveal anything—whether because she didn't want to worry her or because it was personal—Mikoto decided to make the food Kushina liked, having noticed how tense she was.
In the kitchen, Mikoto asked calmly:
"What do you want to eat, Kushina? I can make something simple… how about ramen?"
Kushina, who until then had been lost in her own thoughts, reacted as soon as she heard the word. She blinked a few times, as if returning to reality, and then opened an excited smile.
"Ramen!" she answered immediately. "I want ramen!"
The sudden change in mood made Mikoto stop what she was doing for a moment. She brought a hand to her mouth and let out a low laugh.
"That's what I like," she commented. "I prefer it when you respond with all that enthusiasm."
Only then did Mikoto resume moving around the kitchen, starting to prepare the ramen.
In Kushina's arms, little Naruto began to cry, complaining with weak and insistent sounds. Kushina sighed softly and adjusted her son against her chest.
"Calm down, Naruto… mommy understands," she murmured affectionately.
She exposed her breast and began to breastfeed him, gently rocking her body until the baby's crying subsided.
Outside the Uchiha residence, Minato was sitting with a serene expression. However, little by little, that tranquility faded, giving way to a serious look filled with frustration.
"So that's how it is…," he murmured to himself.
It hadn't been long since he had sent a clone to the prison where the two ninjas were being held. From the memories that returned, he already knew that the ninja from the Yamanaka clan was dead.
Minato quickly formed hand seals. An explosion of white smoke filled the area, and several Minatos appeared around him.
"Spread out," he ordered.
In the next instant, all of them disappeared in a yellow flash. Soon after, Minato formed another seal, and the dispersed chakra returned to his body with force, filling him completely.
A few seconds later, several ninjas from the Uchiha clan appeared around the residence. At the front of them was Fugaku, his expression closed off. Some seemed restless, ready to say something, but Fugaku raised his hand and said only:
"You may go."
The other Uchiha exchanged glances, clearly displeased, but a single look from Fugaku was enough to silence them. In silence, they all withdrew.
Minato remained silent, watching the residence's gate for a few moments, until he felt a firm presence beside him.
Fugaku crossed his arms and sighed softly.
"You know…" he said, in a more relaxed tone than usual. "The last time I saw you with such a serious expression was at your wedding."
Minato blinked a few times, surprised. Fugaku leaned slightly to the side and gave a light nudge with his elbow against Minato's arm, as if trying to break the tension.
"That day, you looked like you were heading into a suicide mission, not to the altar."
For a second, Minato was at a loss for words. Then he let out a short, awkward laugh, averting his gaze.
"Yeah… I guess that makes sense," he replied, scratching the back of his neck. The smile was there, but it wasn't as natural as it usually was.
Fugaku noticed. He didn't comment, only continued looking ahead.
"Being a leader isn't simple," he said after a few seconds. "People think it's just about giving orders and solving problems, but the hardest part is deciding quickly when you don't have all the answers." He paused. "And living with the consequences afterward."
Minato nodded slightly.
"Managing problems never ends," Fugaku continued. "One conflict leads to another, small decisions turn into big crises… and before you realize it, you're already involved in things you never wanted to face." He turned his face slightly toward Minato. "You must be feeling that now."
Minato took a deep breath.
"Right," he said simply.
There was a brief silence.
"And it really is difficult."
Fugaku let out a discreet half-smile.
"You've always been quick to learn," he commented. "Even when you pretend you're not carrying all the weight by yourself."
Minato didn't answer this time. He simply kept his gaze forward, letting the gentle night wind pass between them. There was no need to say anything else. Between old friends—of course, Minato original, but there was no way the current one could say he wasn't—some things simply didn't need to be explained.