As Inoichi approached to examine Kakuzu more closely, Kenji held up a hand to stop him.
"Careful. His abilities are unusual. Those black tentacles can rip hearts right out of people's chests. And he's got Kage-level strength. You need to be extremely cautious during imprisonment and interrogation."
Inoichi, who had been reaching toward Kakuzu's remains, immediately pulled back and stepped away. He was proficient in the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques. But in terms of raw combat ability, he wasn't particularly strong. Facing someone with Kage-level power, even in this sealed state, warranted caution.
"Don't worry," Kenji said with a slight smile, seeing Inoichi's reaction. "I sealed him with a technique before bringing him in. He shouldn't be able to do anything in his current state."
He pulled out a scroll from his pouch and handed it over to Inoichi.
"Here, this is for you. I compiled some intelligence about him on the way back to the village."
Inoichi accepted the scroll and unrolled it partway, scanning the contents. The document was surprisingly detailed, organized into clear sections with annotations.
"Let's see..." He read aloud as he skimmed. "Psychological assessment: extremely pragmatic, motivated primarily by money and survival. Shows no loyalty to Akatsuki beyond professional obligation. Suggested interrogation approach: appeal to self-preservation instinct rather than ideology..." He looked up. "You documented his personality?"
"I fought him long enough to get a read on how he thinks," Kenji said. "The guy's a mercenary at heart. He doesn't believe in causes or organizations. He's survived for nearly a century by being practical and prioritizing his own life above everything else. That's an angle you can exploit."
Inoichi continued reading, flipping through the scroll.
"Combat observations... 'Prefers to end fights quickly with overwhelming force. Uses multiple elemental techniques simultaneously to prevent opponents from adapting. Will retreat if odds become too unfavorable...'" He nodded slowly. "This psychological angle is useful. If he thinks cooperation will keep him alive longer than resistance, he might give up information more readily."
"That's what I was thinking," Kenji said. "He's not the type to protect his comrades out of loyalty. If he thinks Akatsuki will kill him for talking, remind him that staying in Konoha custody is safer than being hunted by his former organization."
"We can use that," Ibiki spoke up. "Fear of external threats often loosens tongues faster than direct torture."
"Oh, and one more thing," Kenji said. "If you manage to obtain the details of his Earth Grudge Fear during interrogation, I'd like a copy. I'm curious about how it works."
Inoichi glanced down at the scroll again, finding a note about it. "Sure, if we extract the technique's structure, I'll pass along a copy."
"How long will the interrogation take?" Minato asked.
Inoichi considered the question.
"Hard to say. The Psycho Mind Transmission works best on living subjects, which he technically is. But with his body in this state and your sealing disrupting his chakra network, I'll need to be careful. Forcing the technique too aggressively could damage his brain and destroy the memories we're trying to extract."
He rolled up the scroll Kenji had given him.
"I'd estimate at least several days for basic intelligence. Maybe a week or more for complete extraction. Someone who has lived this long and participated in that many battles will have accumulated an enormous amount of information. Sorting through decades of memories to find what we need about Akatsuki will be the challenge."
"Take whatever time you need," Minato said. "Accuracy is more important than speed."
Inoichi stepped forward again, confirming that the sealing technique was indeed active and stable. The seal's design was layered with multiple failsafes. The technique itself was a Yamanaka secret art, one he recognized immediately from clan archives. Only then did he crouch down and lift Kakuzu's head by the hair.
The tentacles writhed slightly as he moved the head, responding to the motion with residual muscular contractions.
"Before you go," Minato said. "Keep this under the strictest security we have. Use the special holding cells in the ANBU headquarters, not the standard prison. If Akatsuki learns we've captured one of their core members, they might try to infiltrate Konoha to either rescue him or kill him to prevent intelligence leaks."
"I'll assign rotating ANBU guards," Ibiki added. "No one except you and me will know the full schedule."
"Good," Minato said with a nod.
They left the office, Inoichi carrying Kakuzu's grotesque remains while Ibiki walked slightly ahead.
The door closed behind them.
The office felt quieter somehow. Kushina had moved to the window, looking out at the village below. The administrative puppet in the corner resumed its work. Minato sat at his desk, staring at the spot where Kakuzu's remains had been moments before.
Kenji walked over to join Kushina at the window.
Down in the streets, kids played tag between market stalls. Merchants hawked their goods with enthusiastic voices. A group of Academy students walked by in formation, probably heading to afternoon training.
"Do you really think they'll come for the Nine-Tails?" Kushina asked quietly after a moment.
"If their goal is collecting tailed beasts, then yeah, eventually." Kenji didn't see any point in sugarcoating it. "He's the strongest of the nine. They won't ignore that."
Kushina's hand unconsciously moved to rest over her stomach where the seal was located.
"I've gotten used to Kurama, you know. When I was younger, he was just this angry, violent presence inside me. But after Naruto was born and we split him between us, he's been quieter."
"Does he talk to you?" Kenji asked.
"Sometimes. Usually just to complain." A small smile touched her lips. "He hates being sealed. But I think, in his own way, he's accepted the situation. We have an understanding now."
"That's more than most jinchuriki ever achieve."
Kushina nodded, then turned away from the window to look at both Kenji and Minato.
"So what's your plan? Just wait for Jiraiya to send more intelligence and then charge in?"
"Not quite," Kenji said. He stepped away from the window and leaned gainst the wall. "Minato, are you planning to hold the Chunin Exams soon?"
"Yes. Three months from now. Konoha will host them this time." Minato leaned back in his chair. "We've invited ninja from several smaller neighboring nations to participate. Suna also requested permission to send teams, and I approved it. It will be good for the village. The visitors will bring a welcome economic boost as well."
Kenji nodded slowly. Then he glanced at Minato.
"Will Naruto be participating?"
"Of course he will!" Kushina said immediately. "He's incredibly strong for his age. He will definitely take part!"
Minato smiled at his wife's enthusiasm.
"I'm planning to consult with the jonin instructors for this year's graduates. If they think their students are ready, I'll allow them to enter. That includes Naruto's team. Kakashi will make the final call, of course."
Neither parent showed any concern about the inherent dangers of the Chunin Exams. They understood that powerful ninjas couldn't be raised in a greenhouse.
"After the exams are over," Kenji said, his tone becoming more serious, "I want you to arrange for someone to bring Tsunade back to Konoha."
Minato sat up straighter.
"Tsunade?" He thought for a moment. "Alright. She's been away for years now. It's past time she returned. But why specifically after the exams? Are you planning something?"
Kenji crossed his arms.
"Jiraiya's been traveling for months, gathering intelligence on Akatsuki. Combined with whatever we extract from Kakuzu, we should have a decent understanding of the organization's structure and capabilities. Rather than wait for them to make the first move, I think we should strike first."
Minato's expression grew serious.
"You want to take direct action against Akatsuki. And you want Tsunade back to ensure the village has enough strength to handle retaliation if things go wrong."
"Yes. As Hokage, you can't just leave the village to hunt down threats. Konoha needs you here. But I can go. Once we have solid intelligence and a confirmed target, I plan to team up with Jiraiya. With Tsunade here, the village will still have another Kage-level fighter to defend it while we're gone."
Minato fell silent for a long moment. Then he spoke, "When the time comes, I'm going too."
"Wait, what?" Kenji hadn't expected that. "You're the Hokage. You can't—"
"Akatsuki's target is the tailed beasts," Minato interrupted. "Right now the Nine-Tails is sealed inside Kushina and Naruto. That means if Akatsuki makes a move, their targets will be Kushina and Naruto. How could I stay in Konoha and do nothing? I'm their husband and father before I'm Hokage."
Kenji opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. He couldn't fault that reasoning. If someone threatened his own family, duty and politics wouldn't stop him either.
"Minato!" Kushina moved closer, taking his hand in both of hers. "If you're going, then I'm coming too. I've mastered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. I can fight alongside you!"
"No." Minato squeezed her hands. "You can't come, Kushina. If you go and they somehow extract the Nine-Tails from you, everything falls apart. All our preparations become meaningless."
He looked into her eyes.
"And if I fail... if something goes wrong and I don't make it back... Naruto will need you. You're his last line of defense."
Kushina wanted to argue. But she wasn't the impulsive girl she had been in her youth. Motherhood had changed her.
"...Alright," she said finally. "But you'd better come back alive."
"I will," Minato promised.
He turned back to Kenji.
"As for the position of Hokage, once Tsunade returns to the village, I'll begin the process of passing the title to her. She's the granddaughter of the First Hokage and one of the Sannin. She has both the ability and the lineage to serve as the Fifth Hokage."
Kenji studied Minato's face for a moment, then nodded.
Minato smiled when he saw that. "Then it's settled. We'll use the next few months to prepare. Once Tsunade arrives and the transition is complete, we move."
"Agreed."
Kenji couldn't help but smile wryly. In the original timeline, Tsunade had become the Fifth Hokage under very different circumstances. Yet somehow, despite all the changes, she still ended up in that position.
Maybe some things were just meant to happen.