Minato Namikaze did not hesitate.
Earlier, with Rin present, there had been too much he couldn't say.
Now—
Finally, with peace and quiet, on a matter this serious, there was no way he would keep anything from Kushina.
For half an hour, he spoke.
He told her the reason Kai had personally come, the plan Kai had devised, how Kakashi and Obito had failed him, and how, in the end, Kai had been forced to step in himself…
The entire sequence of cause and effect, in full detail.
To Kushina, Minato trusted everything. Nothing was withheld.
Kushina: "…"
She was stunned.
So the truth of it all… was actually this?
Uchiha Kai's behavior earlier—was simply to save Rin?
But—
Thinking back, how Kai had kept trying to push Obito to speak up earlier…
She had assumed Kai was embarrassed to say it himself, so he had been nudging Obito to do it.
Now she finally understood completely.
So that's how it was!
She thought carefully, then couldn't help speaking:
"You were right!"
"When Mikoto and I were shopping earlier, Rin insisted on buying groceries herself. She was gone for maybe ten minutes."
"I thought, it's just shopping, a few minutes. And with your Flying Thunder God kunai placed, even if something happened, you'd be there instantly."
"So I didn't worry."
"But who would have thought…"
"It was right after she came back that Rin suddenly became quiet and withdrawn."
"The village elders are utterly shameless—they make me furious!"
Kushina's rage boiled over.
Yes.
They had been prepared for the village's dirty tricks—like Danzō moving in secret.
Or for them to invoke "the greater good" as a weapon…
But damn it!
Who could have expected such brazen shamelessness? Skipping them entirely, and instead targeting Rin directly.
Bastards!
"Exactly," Minato said grimly. "I was furious too. The village council's behavior this time is beyond despicable—it's an open scheme we cannot avoid."
"Protecting Rin is simple enough. But if Rin herself chooses death, I truly cannot stop her."
"If not for Kai's ingenuity—coming up with such a scheme—the result is unthinkable."
"Honestly, his plan clashes with my own values. It leaves me deeply uneasy."
"But what choice do I have?"
"His methods work. And only someone with Kai's cunning can counter Hiruzen and his lot."
"A rigid fool like me only paints a target on his back."
Yes.
As he spoke, bitterness weighed down Minato's face.
He had no choice.
Perhaps before, he hadn't cared. Perhaps he had even thought his way was the right way.
But facing the harsh blows of reality, he was forced to admit it.
His stubborn ideals—how laughable were they?
Just like today.
Nearly driven to despair by their schemes, he had felt so powerless.
If not for Kai's methods—the very ones he had disdained—Rin might already be dead.
"Minato, you are right," Kushina said solemnly. "It's exactly your persistence, your light—that's what I love."
"If you ever became like Kai, I might never have had the courage to marry you."
"Do what you believe is right!"
"The village may be dark now, but once you rise to power, I believe you will change it all."
"Isn't that true?"
Minato blinked, slightly dazed.
But then—
He nodded firmly.
Yes.
His persistence was not wrong.
The village's pathetic darkness—one day, he would shatter it completely!
"Don't worry. I'll keep to my path," Minato declared.
Kushina nodded, then added with concern:
"But since Kai's confession was fake, have you thought about how to handle what comes after?"
"Before, Rin would never have considered Kai. Their worlds were far apart."
"But now, things are different."
"After Kai's 'confession,' the two of them will be in close contact for some time."
"Though I don't admire his methods, I can't deny Kai's ability."
"Handsome, strong, sharp-minded…"
"A simple girl like Rin—I believe if they keep spending time together, she'll easily fall for him."
"But what then?"
"Once this crisis passes, once she learns the truth—can Rin really endure it?"
Yes.
This was Kushina's greatest worry.
And on the other side—
Minato fell silent.
For a long time, he could only sigh helplessly, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry."
"This happened too suddenly—we had no time to think that far ahead."
"For us, the priority was simply to keep Rin alive."
"Honestly, at first, the confession task was supposed to fall to Obito or Kakashi."
"But—you saw them at dinner. Even with Kai reminding them repeatedly, neither dared step forward."
"So, sigh!"
"In the end, I had no choice but to signal Kai."
"Only then did he step up—and this is where we are now."
"To tell the truth, I'm troubled too."
"I'll find a chance to speak with Kai, to hear what he's really thinking."
"But no matter what—"
"Keeping Rin alive today was already a victory."
Yes.
It hadn't been perfect.
But for Minato, that was enough.
At the very least—her life was preserved.
The rest could be worked out slowly.
Kushina sighed softly.
She felt guilty toward Rin, but she couldn't deny Minato was right.
Keeping her alive was already more than enough.
After a long silence, she finally said:
"Minato, listen to me."
"From now on, if you see Kai—try to bring the two of them together."
Minato's face twisted in helplessness.
Thinking of that Hyuga girl in Shisui's squad, the one close to Kai, he shrugged. "The chances are slim. Kai already has a Hyuga girl in his team—their relationship seems… not simple."
"This is a headache…" Kushina muttered.
But after hesitating, she added: "Well, Uchiha is a great clan. Isn't it normal for them to marry more than one?"
"Why not let Kai marry them both?"
Minato's mouth twitched.
Honestly—
He hated men who took multiple wives.
But considering Kai's special case, and Rin's plight—
At any other time, he would never allow his student to share her husband with another woman.
But now?
Ahh…
With a heavy sigh, he could only nod.
"Fine, I understand."
"I'll talk to Kai about it."
"You should speak with Rin too—at least prepare her heart a little."
"What a tragedy this is."
"All the fault of those damn elders in the village!"
"It's late. Let's get some rest."
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