Chapter 17 — The Commoner Prodigy
"What—you're saying the Cloud shinobi casualties, one dead and one wounded, were both caused by Namikaze Minato?"
Even the seasoned staff in the Mission Assignment Hall couldn't help but ask for confirmation—more than once.
Setting aside the fact that the two Konoha youths were completely unharmed while the Cloud shinobi squad was practically wiped out, the so-called contribution of Namikaze Yami was… difficult to describe.
No one would believe that he had, after all, ambushed and knocked out Konoha's own ANBU.
And when they looked again at his mission record—especially that glaring, singular S-rank mission—the staff's headache only worsened.
"Are you absolutely certain?" one of them asked carefully.
"Once this report is submitted, it cannot be altered without the Hokage's personal approval."
"We're certain."
Before Minato could react, Yami stepped forward and completed the handover himself—once again cleanly outmaneuvering the future 'Fastest Man in the Shinobi World.'
He had no desire whatsoever to stand out. If he could lie low for now, then he would. Ideally, he'd only step into the spotlight after he was strong enough to beat the Ōtsutsuki senseless.
This highly controversial mission report was soon delivered to the Hokage's Office.
---
Hokage's Office
Having gone an entire night without sleep, Sarutobi Hiruzen was currently dictating a stern diplomatic warning to Kirigakure, penned by one of the advisors.
Though the assassin had not been captured on the spot, the bone fragments left behind were irrefutable evidence. The bloodline of the Kaguya clan could not be faked.
In the letter, Hiruzen not only demanded an explanation from the Mizukage, but also firmly insisted that the culprit be handed over for severe punishment—otherwise, Konoha would not rule out resolving the matter by force.
Once the letter was finished, he handed it to an ANBU courier to be rushed to the Land of Water, then finally rubbed his aching eyes, exhaustion evident.
The two advisors were little better off. Even in their prime, an entire night of analysis and deliberation had taken its toll.
But duty waited for no one. It was time to approve mission reports.
Hiruzen straightened himself, reached into the mountain of scrolls on his desk, and pulled one out to review.
"Members of the Uchiha Police Force… dissatisfied with assisting the Senju clan in the search for the assassin?"
"…And a considerable number of clan members are in agreement?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his forehead helplessly. Dealing with these extreme, radical Uchiha was always a headache. In the end, he could only approve tighter supervision and move on.
"Danzo and Orochimaru's sector currently holds an overwhelming advantage?"
Seeing his most prized student working in tandem with his old friend so reliably lifted his mood somewhat. He didn't spare the ink in offering praise—if only to steady his own spirits.
"…Namikaze Minato?"
Hiruzen rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't mistaken. It really was that student who hadn't even graduated from the Academy yet.
In last night's pursuit to recover Uzumaki Kushina, Minato had shone brilliantly. His excellent tactical instincts, coupled with careful, methodical thinking, earned him a rare annotation in his ninja file: "Outstanding." Hiruzen even described him as a "civilian-born genius."
By comparison, Minato's clan brother, Namikaze Yami, had also performed impressively. Combined with his S-rank record of surviving the Uzushio mission, Hiruzen judged him to be unusually lucky. Still, when placed beside Minato, he seemed just a step behind—barely qualifying for the title of genius.
Both missions were ultimately rated "Outstanding," but the comments written for Minato were far more extensive. The difference in evaluation was obvious at a glance.
---
As soon as the mission handover was complete, model student Namikaze Minato hurried back to the Academy to make his afternoon classes. One could easily imagine the stir it would cause when his classmates learned he had taken part in an A-rank mission.
Yami, on the other hand, suddenly found himself with nothing to do. Unused to such leisure, he decided to spend the rare free afternoon paying a visit to the Senju compound—to check on Nawaki.
After all, there was an old saying: the culprit always likes to revisit the scene of the crime.
The moment he stepped into the Senju grounds, he felt the oppressive tension of heightened security. Numerous gazes fell upon him, making the air feel distinctly uncomfortable.
Most shinobi, however, relaxed when they recognized him as Namikaze Yami and quickly looked away. Only a handful continued to observe him in silence.
"Yo! Nawaki—what's with all the excitement?"
Seeing Nawaki sitting listlessly at the gate with a look of utter despair, Yami took the initiative to greet him.
At the sound of his friend's voice, Nawaki seemed to snap back to reality. His eyes lit up as though he'd spotted a savior, and he rushed over.
"Save me—I'm under house arrest!"
That opening line left Yami momentarily stunned.
"Someone actually grounded you?"
He asked in disbelief. In Yami's impression, Nawaki might act like a fool from a rich family, but his status was very real.
"My sister sent word back," Nawaki groaned. "And she said she's probably coming back from the front soon."
"…Oh. Good luck."
Yami knew Tsunade's temperament all too well. Back in the Academy days, Nawaki had taken more than his fair share of beatings from her.
Later, when the Second Shinobi World War broke out, Tsunade's squad confronted the so-called Demigod of the Shinobi World. Though defeated, they were granted the title of the Three Legendary Sannin. From then on, her name echoed throughout the ninja world, and constant battles forged her into someone who could stand alone—leaving her little time to return to Konoha.
It seemed this incident had truly shaken her. Not only had she ordered Nawaki confined, she was even coming back personally to deal with it.
Although Yami had orchestrated everything, even he hadn't expected such a massive chain reaction. He had underestimated just how important Nawaki was.
"So… what exactly happened? Care to tell me?"
Even though he already knew the answer, Yami still put on a show of concern.
"Well… it was last night," Nawaki began. "Some foreign ninja tried to assassinate me, and then—"
Perhaps trying to save face in front of his friend, Nawaki launched into an exaggerated, colorful retelling.
"I spotted him long ago! I only pretended to close the door so I wouldn't damage the house before counterattacking."
"We fought for three hundred rounds! I even disarmed him barehanded—forced him to use his bloodline and expose his identity!"
"…."
Yami listened in silence. If he hadn't been one of the people involved, he might actually have believed this performance.
"Don't believe me? Look!" Nawaki pointed enthusiastically. "The evidence is still here!"
He gestured at the scorched clothes rack and the pile of unrecognizable ash where his clothes had once been.
Yami didn't expose the lie. Instead, he offered a few words of comfort, reminded Nawaki to stay safe, and excused himself with a line about not wanting to "interfere with his house arrest," before leaving the Senju compound.
As evening fell, Yami didn't linger outside. He went straight home.
The moment he entered, he instinctively activated Kagura's Mind's Eye, carefully confirming that no one was watching or lurking nearby.
Only then did he pick up a kunai.
Following the memory etched into his mind, he channeled chakra into it. In an instant, a dense, intricate marking—like writhing tadpole script—was imprinted onto the blade.
Holding the kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God seal, Yami closed his eyes and focused.
A mysterious connection spread through space itself. Even blindfolded, he could precisely sense the kunai's location.
More wondrous still, it felt as though with just the slightest reach, he could cross space and grasp it directly.
As Yami subconsciously activated the technique—
"Whoosh!"