"Sensei! Kushina-nesan!"
Kenji and the others had barely stepped onto the main street when a clear shout from a distance. Two boys came running toward them, followed by a girl with light purple facial markings. They were Minato's three students.
"Kakashi, Obito, and Rin!" Kushina's face lit up immediately. She waved them over enthusiastically. "Perfect timing! Come eat ramen with us! My treat!"
"Really? Thank you so much!" Rin's eyes went wide with delight. She clasped her hands together gratefully.
Obito nodded eagerly, clearly excited at the prospect of free food.
Only Kakashi remained expressionless, trailing a few steps behind the other two with his hands in his pockets.
"Kakashi," Kenji said, stepping forward. "It's been a while. How have you been?"
The boy radiated a "stay away from me" aura that was almost tangible. Ever since Sakumo's suicide, the once cheerful Kakashi had transformed into this cold, distant version of himself. No amount of talking seemed to help.
"Hello, Kenji-senpai. I'm fine, thank you for asking." Kakashi's voice was flat. The standard polite response delivered with zero warmth.
Kenji was long used to it by now. He didn't push. Some wounds needed time, and Kakashi clearly wasn't ready to heal yet.
Minato stepped forward and pulled his three students closer, introducing them properly.
"This is Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, and Hatake Kakashi. My genin team."
He pointed to each one in turn. Obito wore standard Uchiha clan clothing, his orange goggles immediately eye-catching. Rin was the only girl, her expression gentle and friendly. Kakashi had his mask pulled up over the lower half of his face.
"Hello! I'm Honoka. I'm a friend of Kushina's and your sensei's." Honoka waved with a warm smile, instantly putting the kids at ease with her gentle demeanor.
Kenji's gaze swept across the three students, and his thoughts turned complex.
Obito, the kid who would one day trigger the Fourth Great Ninja War, orchestrate his teacher's death, and massacre his own clan. Right now he was just an impulsive boy with dreams of becoming Hokage.
Rin, the girl who'd die as a pawn in Madara's scheme, used to break Obito and set the entire tragedy in motion. She was smiling so happily now, completely unaware of the fate waiting for her.
And Kakashi. His cold exterior was just armor built from the pain of losing his father to the village's cruelty and gossip. Underneath it all, he was still just a traumatized kid.
The future could be changed, though. That's what he kept telling himself. Knowledge of what was coming meant he could prevent some of the tragedies. Maybe.
"I'm Yamanaka Kenji," he said, pushing aside the dark thoughts. "Also a friend of your sensei's. Nice to meet you all."
Aside from Kakashi, who already knew him, Obito and Rin looked curious but uncertain about this new person.
"Nice to meet you, Kenji-san! Nice to meet you, Honoka-san! Please take care of us!" Obito and Rin bowed respectfully in unison.
Kakashi gave a slight nod, which counted as his greeting.
"Alright, enough standing around!" Kushina could barely contain herself anymore. After burning through massive amounts of chakra fighting the Nine-Tails in her seal space, she was starving. "Let's go eat ramen already!"
The group arrived at Ramen Ichiraku in a noisy cluster. Kushina pushed through the entrance curtain first and immediately called out, "Teuchi! One salt ramen, biggest bowl you've got!"
Everyone else found seats at the counter. The small shop felt crowded with seven people, but the atmosphere was warm and comfortable.
Teuchi was already working the dough, but he paused to look at Kushina with surprise.
"I wasn't expecting you today. Don't you usually only come out on specific days?"
Because of the Nine-Tails seal and the restrictions placed on her, Kushina's movements around the village were heavily monitored. She could only leave her residence on scheduled days with ANBU escort. And almost every time she did, she visited Ramen Ichiraku. Seeing her here again so soon was unusual.
"I got special permission from the Hokage," Kushina said proudly, grinning from ear to ear. "So coming out today wasn't a problem at all."
Once Minato explained the situation to Hiruzen and got official approval for the perfect jinchūriki training, she'd be able to move around much more freely. The thought made her almost giddy.
"That's wonderful!" Teuchi said warmly. He'd always liked Kushina. She was one of his most enthusiastic customers. "Then I'll make sure your bowl is extra big today!"
Orders were placed around the counter. Obito got miso ramen, Rin chose tonkotsu, and Kakashi requested something simple. Kenji and Honoka made their selections as well. Minato just smiled and ordered his usual.
While they waited for the food, Obito couldn't contain his curiosity.
"Sensei, are you working on that new jutsu you told us about?" he asked eagerly. "The really powerful one?"
"I'm making progress," Minato said with a slight smile. "Though the name still needs work, apparently."
"The name is terrible," Kushina interjected immediately. "We're changing it."
"What's it called?" Rin asked innocently.
"Don't ask," Kushina and Honoka said simultaneously, then looked at each other and laughed.
Minato looked wounded but didn't argue.
When the ramen arrived, conversation died down as everyone focused on eating. The hot broth and perfectly cooked noodles hit the spot after a long day. Kushina devoured her enormous bowl at impressive speed, finishing before anyone else.
After the meal, the group prepared to split up. Minato and Kenji needed to visit the Hokage's office. Honoka would escort Kushina back to the barrier.
"I need to go home first," Kenji said suddenly.
He pulled out a kunai engraved with the Flying Thunder God seal and tossed it on the ground.
"Flying Thunder God Technique."
After two second, space twisted, and he vanished.
One minute later, he reappeared in the same spot. He picked up the kunai and pocketed it.
"Alright, let's go."
"That... that's Sensei's...!" Obito pointed at Kenji, his mouth hanging open. "You just used the same jutsu! The teleportation thing!"
Kenji just smiled at Obito's reaction.
He and Minato turned and started walking toward the Hokage building, leaving Team Minato standing there.
"That was so cool!" Obito finally managed, still staring after them.
"I didn't know other people could learn Sensei's technique," Rin said quietly.
Kakashi said nothing.
---
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen sat behind his desk reviewing border reports. When Kenji and Minato entered, he set down the scroll he'd been reading.
"Hokage-sama." Kenji walked to the corner and carefully set down the bandaged sword. "This is Samehada, confiscated from a Kiri ninja."
"Shikaku already briefed me about the situation," Hiruzen said, nodding. His eyes lingered on the weapon for a moment. "I'll have ANBU secure it in the vault. Good work."
Kenji stepped back to stand beside Minato.
Minato stepped forward. "Hokage-sama, you've been informed about Kushina leaving the barrier today, correct?"
"Yes. The ANBU assigned to monitor her reported the situation." Hiruzen's gaze sharpened slightly. "I saw she was with you and chose not to have her forcibly returned. Was there a specific incident?"
"We conducted a test today," Minato said. "We had Kushina engage with the Nine-Tails inside the seal space. The goal is to help her become a perfect jinchūriki."
Hiruzen's hand froze mid-motion as he was reaching for his pipe. He started coughing, his eyes going wide.
"Cough... cough... cough... You did what?" Once he recovered, shock was written plainly across his face. "You had Kushina make contact with the Nine-Tails? That's dangerous! If the seal had failed and the beast broke free, the consequences would have been catastrophic!"
"Hokage-sama," Kenji interjected. "Given our current situation, we don't have many alternatives."
He stepped forward slightly, meeting Hiruzen's eyes directly.
"The Third Great Ninja War is escalating rapidly. Every major village is deploying their jinchūriki to the frontlines now. Kumo's Eight-Tails jinchūriki is a perfect jinchūriki who can fully control and utilize the beast's power in combat. I've also received intelligence that their Two-Tails jinchūriki has achieved significant mastery over tailed beast chakra. If Kushina can become a perfect jinchūriki, it provides two major benefits. First, it dramatically increases Konoha's combat strength. A perfect jinchūriki is equivalent to having a tailed beast fighting on our side with human intelligence directing it. Second, it frees Kushina from the barrier restrictions. She can move freely, train properly, and participate in village defense if needed. For us, this is a win-win scenario."
Hiruzen was silent. His fingers drummed lightly on the desk. He looked at both young men standing before him, then his gaze drifted toward the window.
Outside, Konoha's streets were visible, civilians and ninjas going about their daily business. The village he'd sworn to protect, no matter the cost.
His mind turned to Kushina, confined behind that barrier for years. Isolated, lonely, denied a normal life despite having done nothing wrong. All because they feared what might happen if the Nine-Tails broke free.
But the logic was sound. The risk existed whether they pursued this or not. And the potential benefits were massive.
Kenji looked at Hiruzen, who was still clearly hesitant, and pressed his point.
"In the Land of Earth, both Rōshi and Han can freely utilize their tailed beasts' power in combat. Meanwhile, our Nine-Tails jinchūriki, despite having the most advanced sealing techniques available, still has to be confined behind barriers even inside the village. What led to this situation?"
It was a question that bothered him. The First Hokage had distributed the tailed beasts to the major villages as a gesture of goodwill and balance of power. Yet somehow, all the other villages had managed to weaponize their jinchūriki effectively. Only Konoha's leadership, paralyzed by fear of the Nine-Tails' power, had chosen to imprison their jinchūriki rather than train her to control it.
Hiruzen had no immediate answer. He simply drew on his pipe in silence, smoke curling upward and obscuring his expression. But Kenji wasn't finished.
"We can't let fear prevent us from moving forward. Some people in Konoha are afraid of the tailed beasts' power, so they keep Kushina locked behind barriers. But on the battlefield, our ninjas still have to face other villages' jinchūriki anyway. Are we really going to send ordinary ninjas to fight tailed beasts? How many lives will that cost?"
The bluntness of the statement made Hiruzen's expression shift. His eyes sharpened, and for a moment Kenji thought he'd pushed too far. But he held his ground.
He'd spent years being cautious, keeping his head down because he lacked the strength to challenge the status quo. But things were different now. He had skills that made him valuable. And most importantly, he had knowledge of what was coming.
This wasn't about arrogance or showing off. It was about Kushina's future, Konoha's survival, and stopping the cascade of disasters he knew was coming.
Besides, once the Third Great Ninja War ended, Minato would become Hokage. As long as that happened, Hiruzen's influence would diminish naturally. The old guard would give way to the new generation. It was inevitable.
"The Wood Release puppets are valuable assets. But they're not the First Hokage. On the battlefield, they can barely hold a tailed beast at bay, much less defeat one. To truly counter a tailed beast, you need tailed beast power. Unless we can somehow produce another ninja with the First Hokage's level of strength, which clearly isn't realistic."
The office fell into silence. The only sound was the faint crackle of tobacco burning in Hiruzen's pipe. Minato stood off to the side, staying quiet throughout the entire exchange. He hadn't expected Kenji to speak so boldly to the Third Hokage.
The silence stretched on. Hiruzen stared at the surface of his desk. Smoke continued to rise from his pipe in spirals.
Finally, after what felt like several minutes, he set the pipe down.
"I understand," he said quietly. "I've been too cautious, and focused on the risks without properly weighing them against the alternatives."
He looked up at both young men.
"I'll have ANBU establish a secure perimeter around Training Ground Three. No unauthorized personnel will be allowed near it during Kushina's training sessions. That location will serve as her dedicated practice space for learning to control the Nine-Tails' power. Minato, Kenji. I'm counting on both of you to help her master this as quickly and safely as possible."
Minato responded immediately. "I'll do everything I can, Hokage-sama!"
"We'll make sure she succeeds," Kenji added. His tone had shifted back to respectful now that the argument was over. There was no point rubbing the victory in. "Thank you for trusting us with this."
The two of them left the Hokage's office and headed side by side toward Kushina's residence. For a while, they walked in silence.
Then Minato spoke up. "Kenji, thank you. If you hadn't pushed like that, I don't think the Third Hokage would have agreed so quickly to let Kushina train with the Nine-Tails."
"He would have come around eventually," Kenji said with a slight smile. "After all, you're the Yellow Flash. Your opinion carries weight. He couldn't ignore your recommendations forever."
"Maybe," Minato conceded. "But still. That took courage, speaking to him that way. I appreciate it."
They continued walking. Then Kenji asked a question that had been on his mind.
"Aren't you worried? Once Kushina masters the Nine-Tails' power, she'll definitely be deployed to the battlefield. Probably against other jinchūriki. That's dangerous."
Minato's smile faded. He was quiet for a moment before responding.
"Of course I'm worried. But I'm more worried about her being forced onto the battlefield completely unprepared. At least if she can control the Nine-Tails, she'll have power to defend herself with. She won't be helpless."
"Fair point," Kenji said. Then, because he couldn't resist, he added with a grin, "You know, the Nine-Tails' power is way stronger than you probably realize. Once Kushina gets the hang of it, she might even be able to beat you in a fight. Better watch out after you two get married. She might start winning all your arguments the hard way."
He looked forward to seeing Kushina achieve Kurama Mode. That kind of power would make her nearly untouchable on any battlefield.
"That won't happen," Minato said seriously, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. "She's very gentle."
Kenji had to suppress a snort. Kushina was indeed beautiful and could be sweet when she wanted to be. But "gentle" was not the first word anyone would use to describe the woman known as the "Red-Hot Habanero." Once she got fired up, probably only Flying Thunder God could save Minato from her wrath.
But he kept that thought to himself.
They arrived at Kushina's residence soon after. The two ANBU who'd been trapped by her Adamantine Sealing Chains earlier were back on duty, standing guard at the entrance. When they saw Minato and Kenji approach, both nodded respectfully in greeting.
Minato knocked on the door.
"Minato? Is that you?" Kushina's voice came from inside immediately.
Before Minato could even respond, the door flew open. Kushina stood there.
"Minato! Kenji! How did it go? Did the the Hokage agree?!"
She practically dragged both of them inside before they could answer.
"Let Minato tell you," Kenji said with a smile. He walked over to the couch where Honoka was already sitting. His friend looked up at him questioningly. When he gave her a subtle nod, her face broke into a smile. She was clearly happy for Kushina.
Minato pulled Kushina over to sit with him and explained everything that had happened in the Hokage's office. He made sure to emphasize the parts where Kenji had argued passionately on Kushina's behalf, giving extra detail to those moments.
When he finished, Kushina turned to look at Kenji. Her eyes were shining with gratitude.
"Kenji, thank you so much." She stood and gave him a proper formal bow. "I won't forget this."
"We're friends," Kenji said, waving off the formality. "Besides, you and Honoka are close. Helping you is the natural thing to do." He paused, then added, "Plus, Minato's a candidate for Fourth Hokage. It wouldn't be appropriate for him to clash directly with the Third Hokage. It made more sense for me to be the one pushing the issue."
"Still," Kushina said firmly. "I owe you one. And I'm going to pay you back properly! Tomorrow! Tomorrow I'm treating everyone to Yakiniku Q! Actually, not just tomorrow. Every day you guys help me train, I'm buying dinner. And don't even think about holding back, I want you to order everything you want!"
This wasn't an empty boast. As Mito's heir, she had inherited substantial wealth. She owned multiple properties throughout Konoha alone. Calling her one of the village's wealthy elite wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"Well, if you insist," Kenji said with a grin. "I won't hold back then. Prepare your wallet."
"Bring it on! I can afford it!" Kushina declared proudly.
They spent the next hour discussing the details from today's attempt to contact the Nine-Tails and planning out the training schedule moving forward. Kenji shared some insights about tailed beast chakra he'd observed from his encounters with Shukaku. Minato contributed ideas about how to safely monitor Kushina's progress. Honoka offered her perspective as a sealing technique specialist.
By the time they'd hammered out a solid training plan, it was getting late. Kenji stood and stretched.
"Alright, we should probably get going. Let you two have some time together."
Honoka stood as well, gathering her things.
"Tomorrow morning at Training Ground Three!" Kushina called out as they headed for the door. "Don't be late!"
"We wouldn't miss it," Kenji assured her.
"See you tomorrow!" Minato added with a warm smile.
Kenji and Honoka stepped out into the night.