"Is that truly a reason for war?" Hiruzen pressed, his frustration mounting. "Surely they would not escalate over the son of a simple rogue?"
"Here is the issue, Lord Third," Fugaku said, his gaze intensifying. "She was no simple rogue."
"Who?" Hiruzen demanded, his patience finally snapping.
"The leader of the infamous 'Guren no Uzumaki,'" Fugaku revealed.
Hiruzen slammed a fist onto the table, a rare display of pure exasperation. "Of course. Just… of course. I should have known. How could the grandson of Uchiha Madara ever settle for an ordinary girl?"
A dry, humorless chuckle escaped Fugaku.
Without a word, Minato stood and went to his bookshelf. His fingers found a weathered Bingo Book from over a decade ago. Returning to his seat, he opened it to a specific, well-remembered page and laid it bare on the table for all to see.
The entry depicted a masked young woman in her late teens with a cascade of long red hair tied into a large, distinctive knot.
Official Name: [Uzumaki] Takane
Alias: Shinku no Dai Saiyaku(Crimson Catastrophe)
Citizenship: Refugee in Sunagakure.
Last Known Rank: Special Jōnin. Specialist in Earth and Wind Style Ninjutsu.
Engagement Protocol: Only Special and Elite Jōnin are to engage. All others are ordered to flee on sight.
Bingo Ranking: S-Rank.
Affiliated Illegal Organizations: Leader of the "Guren no Uzumaki" (Crimson Uzumaki). The organization claims to be fighting for justice and is responsible for high-profile assassinations and thefts from the national treasuries of Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure.
Collective Bounty: 571,428,000 Ryo. (Five hundred seventy-one million, four hundred twenty-eight thousand Ryo)
The open book lay between them, a silent testament to the storm that had just descended upon Konoha.
"He actually pulled the leader of a terrorist organization?" Minato laughed, the sound brimming with disbelief as he stared at the damning Bingo Book entry.
"The 'how' is beyond my comprehension," Fugaku added, his own analytical mind struggling with the paradox. "The Guren held a specific hatred for the Uchiha clan. For the grandson of Madara himself—the ultimate Uchiha offense—to have enough charisma to not only meet but impress their leader... it's theoretically unbelievable."
Hiruzen sat with his elbow on the table, pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes shut tight in a silent battle against the sheer absurdity of the situation.
Then, Minato started laughing again, a different, more nostalgic chuckle. "Fugaku-san... do you remember the day after your engagement? How Homura-senpai was teasing Enji-senpai about being the last true bachelor left?"
Fugaku's stern expression melted as the memory surfaced. This time, he didn't hold back, joining Minato in a genuine, hearty laugh as Enji's boastful voice echoed from the past:
Stop laughing, you two! Just you wait... I'll marry a girl more beautiful than Mikoto-san and far more fiery than Hitomi-san!
From the kitchen, Kushina glanced over with a curious smile, about to ask what was so funny.
Suddenly—
"STOP YOU TWO"
Hiruzen's roar cut through the room like a thunderclap.
The two elite shinobi straightened up instantly, like academy students caught goofing off.
In the kitchen, Kushina snapped her gaze back to the stove, the cheerful mood evaporating into a tense, heavy silence.
"Fugaku," Hiruzen began, his voice heavy with exhaustion, "I assume you did not come here merely to drop this mountain of problems at my feet. Do you have a solution?"
"Yes, Lord Third. But for that, I need to know if Takane-san is alive." Fugaku's tone shifted into that of a shinobi lawyer, precise and analytical.
"If she is, we can invoke Clause 56 of the International Law. We can declare her a Konoha national through her marriage to Enji. This would prevent Suna from demanding her extradition, allowing us to try her under our own laws, thereby nullifying her bounty. Or... that is how Shikaku of the Nara explained it to me."
A slight, weary sigh of relief escaped Hiruzen.
Minato broke into an enthusiastic smile. "As expected from Shikaku. That's my guy."
"What are the reports on her whereabouts?" Hiruzen asked.
"She was last seen in the Land of Frost, reportedly holding a child—most likely Kaen, as they were fleeing," Fugaku reported.
Minato nodded, his expression turning grim as he processed the geography. "I found Kaen just half a day from Konoha. It's likely she intended to leave him at his paternal home. I don't want it to be true, but my analysis suggests she is dead, most likely killed on the journey."
"Fugaku," Hiruzen pressed, "what if she is truly dead?"
"Then, according to Sunagakure's legal morality, Kaen is held accountable for his mother's crimes," Fugaku stated flatly.
"Can't we try Kaen in Konoha's courtroom?" Minato ventured, thinking aloud.
Fugaku gestured with his hands as if presenting an empty space. "Try him for what?"
"Good question," Minato conceded, retreating back into his thoughts.
Just then, Kushina arrived, deftly placing plates, a pot of rice, a large bowl of soup, and a platter of chicken teriyaki on the table. She sat opposite Minato.
"Oh, and by the way, Lord Third," Fugaku added, as if an afterthought, "the intelligence I gathered also confirms the discovery of rare earth minerals beneath the town where Enji was living."
Hiruzen clenched his eyes shut, as if Fugaku had just hammered the final nail into his political coffin.
Unfazed, Minato began serving, scooping rice into a bowl, modestly adding soup, and placing three pieces of teriyaki in front of the Hokage. "Don't worry, Lord Third," he said, his voice steady and reassuring. "We'll figure out a way."
A few minutes later, the simple delight of Kushina's cooking began to work its magic, the flavors soothing Hiruzen's frayed nerves. A sense of calm settled over him.
"Hakaikaen and Shinku no Dai Saiyaku... what a couple," he mused, a genuine chuckle escaping between bites.
Minato and Fugaku exchanged a swift, uncertain glance, a silent debate on whether it was safe to react or better to remain silent. Seizing the opening, Kushina leaned in. "Umm... Lord Third? May I ask what you're talking about? I know 'Hakaikaen' is Minato's old senpai, Enji... but who is the 'Crimson Catastrophe'?"
Minato nearly choked on his food. He frantically grabbed his water glass, signaling a desperate 'zip your lips' gesture to Kushina before chugging the water down.
Hiruzen, however, merely smiled. "It turns out Enji got married after he went rogue."
"Oh," Kushina replied, wisely deciding to say nothing further.
"It's alright, you don't need to stay silent. It seems Enji's wife was also an Uzumaki. She was one of your people," Hiruzen revealed.
"Really?" Kushina gasped, her surprise overriding her caution.
"I have a few questions for you as well, Kushina-chan," Fugaku interjected, his tone shifting back to business. "But let's finish the meal first."
"Lord help us," Hiruzen muttered, shaking his head as he returned to his food, the brief respite clearly over.
After dinner, Minato and Kushina quickly cleared the table while Hiruzen and Fugaku moved to the sofas. The Hokage sat with his palms pressed together in a prayer-like gesture, muttering under his breath while casting the occasional sidelong glance at the Uchiha clan head.
Once Minato and Kushina joined them, settling on the sofa opposite Fugaku, Kushina straightened her posture. "I'm ready, Fugaku-san."
He took a steadying breath. "So, Kushina-chan... first, I need to know if you are... expecting."
A blush instantly colored Kushina's cheeks as she shook her head.
"Expecting wh—
... OHHH," Minato said, his famous speed failing him as the implication landed a moment late.
"Very well," Fugaku continued. "Kushina-chan, did you have a sister back in Uzushiogakure, before you came to Konoha?"
"Yeah, I did... but why are you asking about this now?" she replied, her smile tinged with confusion.
Fugaku sighed, the sound heavy with the exhaustion of the evening. "Was her name... Uzumaki Takane?"
Kushina nodded, her bewilderment only growing. "Yeah... have I mentioned her before?", she raised a brow.
"Wow"
Minato breathed out, the pieces clicking into place with staggering force. Hiruzen could only chuckle, a low sound of pure disbelief.
Fugaku leaned back into the sofa, his gaze drifting to the wall as if seeking answers there. "What are the chances..." he murmured to himself.
"Wait," Minato interjected, his analytical mind kicking in.
"But Fugaku-san, how can you be certain this isn't just a case of two different people sharing the same name?"
"Because Enju-san told me that Kaen mentioned his mother had a relative here in Konoha. The only Uzumaki in the entire village is you, Kushina. And now, I suppose, we must add Kaen to that list, as his parents named him 'Uzumaki Kaen.'"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Kushina raised both hands, her head spinning.
"Please, you two, don't talk around me like this. Don't leave me out of something I'm clearly at the center of!"
Minato picked up from here, he got up and knelt in front of Kushina. "Kushu... your sister... I remember you once told me about her without naming her... you always thought that she died on THAT NIGHT. But it was not the case... she was alive".
Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth in disbelief. She slowly shook her head. "No way..."
she sobbed. "If she was alive she would've come for me... she would've... and why do you said she WAS alive", she looked at Minato in desperation. But his silence was louder than any words he can offer right now.
Kushina cried out and hugged Minato as a safe space.
She raised her head, her tear-filled gaze locking onto Fugaku. "Where is her body?" she asked, the words trembling as she fought to hold back a fresh wave of tears.
Fugaku shook his head slowly. "That, we do not know. Only Kaen holds that answer."
"Kaen?" she whispered, confusion mingling with her grief.
"Her son," he replied.
Minato looked at his wife, his voice gentle. "Kushu, remember the boy I told you about? The one I found outside Konoha two months ago? Enji-senpai's child?"
She nodded slowly, tears tracing fresh paths down her cheeks as the connection solidified in her mind.
"It turns out," Fugaku added softly, "Enji was married to none other than your sister."
It took a moment for the weight of it all to settle.
Kushina drew a shaky breath, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Where is Kaen?" she asked, her voice firming with a newfound resolve. "Where is my nephew?"
"He is safe, do not worry," Fugaku assured her. "I will bring him to you tomorrow. Rest well for tonight."
"I want to see him now," Kushina insisted, her voice cracking with raw emotion.
Minato gently pulled her back into his embrace, whispering words of comfort and reason only she could hear, calming her frantic energy.
Hiruzen stood with a soft groan. "It's getting late, and with each passing minute, the danger of Biwoko beheading me for missing my curfew increases. I will take my leave. Goodnight."
He gave Minato's shoulder a reassuring tap and placed a grandfatherly hand on Kushina's head before moving toward the door.
Pausing, he looked back at Fugaku. "No goodbyes for you, though, young man," he said, his tone carrying the mock sternness of a grandfather playfully holding a grudge.
Fugaku responded with a quiet chuckle and stood. "Minato," he said, his tone shifting to one of familial duty, "I am leaving as well. Take good care of my sister."