Minato Namikaze solemnly invited Uchiha Hikari to join Konoha.
Hearing Minato Namikaze say that she should have already confirmed, Uchiha Hikari pursed her lips.
Confirmed? She had almost forgotten about it.
After coming to Konoha, she would follow Kamiyo around like a street bum every day. According to Kamiyo, if it could be reimbursed, only a fool wouldn't eat good food outside.
Later, after Kamiyo opened the shop, she went to look after it. How could she have time to confirm anything?
The only Uchiha she knew now was Obito.
Uchiha Hikari glanced at Kamiyo; in fact, she had already made her decision.
Uchiha Hikari agreed, "I am willing to join Konoha."
Minato Namikaze smiled, "Then, welcome to Konoha, Ashita Natsu. However, I'd like to ask, for your identity document, which name would you like to use?"
"Ash..." Uchiha Hikari was about to answer when Kamiyo interrupted, "It's definitely Uchiha Hikari!"
Uchiha Hikari looked at Kamiyo in confusion.
Kamiyo explained, "This is the name your beloved parents gave you. This name is a relic from your parents, a wish for your happiness. Now it can be said that this wish has been fulfilled; you are now in the light. So you should continue to use your own name."
Uchiha Hikari stared blankly at Kamiyo, then her eyes suddenly welled up, but she smiled brightly, "Okay, then, please call me Hikari from now on."
Minato Namikaze smiled as he looked at Kamiyo. Indeed, it had to be Kamiyo.
But, unable to be serious for more than three seconds, Kamiyo rubbed his hands and asked greedily, "Lord Minato, I worked so hard this time, is there any reward? Like a bonus or something."
Minato Namikaze almost threw out his back and said helplessly, "During this Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Incident, as the Hokage, I am very grateful for the contributions of you, Kamiyo, Hikari, and Pakura. And I, personally, as Kushina's husband and Naruto's father, am also very grateful to you all. This time, it was truly thanks to you; otherwise, Kushina and I would have truly been in danger.
But... there's no bonus, because Konoha was severely damaged, and money is needed everywhere. All funds need to be used to rebuild Konoha."
Kamiyo grumbled, "What? Just a verbal commendation?"
Pakura lightly patted Kamiyo's head, "Isn't your Puppet Shop quite profitable now?"
Kamiyo complained, "Making money is one thing, but who would ever say no to more money? Don't think I make a lot of money; my research burns through a lot too. Forget it, if there's none, there's none. Lord Minato, how is Sister Kushina?"
Minato Namikaze's face showed a happy smile, "Her condition is quite good. She can probably be discharged after one more day of observation at the hospital."
After Minato Namikaze and Kamiyo chatted for a while, he said, "Then I'll be leaving first. I'm being discharged today, and there's a huge pile of things waiting for me to handle in Konoha. Hikari, I'll process your identity document for you and give it to you tomorrow."
After speaking, Minato Namikaze left the hospital room.
Kamiyo continued to stay in the hospital room, enjoying the full-scale care from Pakura and Uchiha Hikari.
"Tsk, why are Obito and the others so slow? It takes this long to buy a bowl of ramen. Which of you will peel an apple for me to munch on? Just to tide me over."
"I'm thirsty again; I want water! I want warm boiled water!"
"My face is so oily; I haven't washed it in two days. Wipe my face for me."
Pakura and Uchiha Hikari each grabbed one of Kamiyo's ears, angrily exclaiming, "Say everything you need to say in one breath! And stop being dramatic! Otherwise, you'll suffer the consequences!"
Kamiyo's eyes turned into dead fish eyes.
Why? He was a patient, weren't patients supposed to receive special treatment?
...After Minato Namikaze visited Uzumaki Kushina in her room, he went to the Hokage Building.
Inside the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado were handling affairs.
"Minato, you're here. You could have rested for two more days. You can rest assured with us here."
"I just overused my Chakra; nothing else is wrong. I've rested enough."
After Minato Namikaze sat down, he said with a serious expression, "Sandaime, two Advisors, you must have investigated who those four people were, right? Are there any clues?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi handed a scroll to Minato Namikaze, "We only found out the identity of one of them: Sasori of the Red Sand, Chiyo's grandson from the Hidden Sand Village."
Minato Namikaze opened the scroll and began to read, "So it was him, the Sasori Kamiyo mentioned, who turned the Third Kazekage into a Human Puppet... Kamiyo was really right back then; it really was Sasori who did it."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, "That's right. The other three people didn't have any items like headbands that could prove their identity, so we have no way of knowing who they are. Only this Sasori of the Red Sand had a headband on his forehead with a slash through the middle, so it seems he became a rogue ninja."
Minato Namikaze placed the scroll back on the table and said, "Regarding Sasori of the Red Sand, we will inform the Hidden Sand Village about this matter. Then there's the masked man. He possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan and was able to directly pass through the barrier to enter Konoha, summoning the Nine-Tailed to Konoha.
At the time, my judgment of his identity was that only Uchiha Madara fit all the conditions, but Uchiha Madara should have died long ago. When I questioned him, he didn't deny it and even said he was an immortal existence, which was tantamount to admitting his identity as Uchiha Madara.
But this identity is questionable. I don't quite believe the other party is Uchiha Madara. I am more inclined to believe that a certain Uchiha was impersonating Uchiha Madara to retaliate against Konoha in Uchiha Madara's name."
Utatane Koharu frowned, "Then do we need to interrogate the Uchiha Clan?"
Minato Namikaze rejected Utatane Koharu's suggestion, "The Uchiha Clan made indelible contributions during this chaos. Clan Head Fugaku, Obito, Shisui, and many Uchiha fought selflessly for Konoha. I can be certain that this mysterious Uchiha has absolutely no relation to our Konoha's Uchiha Clan.
Interrogation is a method for questioning criminals. We should not treat the heroes who defended Konoha this way. We cannot suspect our comrades because of one enemy. However, we can ask Clan Head Fugaku about it later; that mysterious Uchiha's left arm has a problem, it doesn't seem to be his own arm. The other party should be missing an arm."
Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed, "Minato is right. Thanks to Fugaku and the others, Konoha's losses were not further expanded this time. What I am more concerned about now is how Kushina's childbirth, which was supposed to be top secret and known to very few people, was leaked."
Minato Namikaze's expression was grim, "What I am most concerned about right now is also this matter. There might be a traitor in our Konoha who leaked this information."
Minato Namikaze's heart was also filled with uncontrollable anger. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Incident caused such great losses to Konoha, and what should have been a happy and joyful day almost became the day he and Uzumaki Kushina parted ways.
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