"e, try my ea!"

  In the office, Minato was cheerfully fiddling with a full set of tea equipment oable.

  The two Uchiha sat on the sofa and watched the current Hokage's skilled as.

  The Hokage's office life was being increasingly colorful. They also noticed camping gear, such as a sleeping bag.

  He really has turhis into his sed home, Masashi thought, watg the Hokage's movements. He hesitated as if he wao say something but didn't.

  Fugaku, however, seemed used to it.

  "Hokage-sama, this set of equipment looks new." Masashi looked at the pile of items oea table.

  Before, the table was for paperwork. Now, it urely for tea.

  He curiously picked up a small ister and ope. He was shocked.

  "Hokage-sama?"

  "Masashi, don't panic. I've just started learning the tea ceremony. You o have patience."

  "No, wait... Why are there goji berries in here?"

  "Oh, I heard it's good for the body and eyesight. It's very nice, Masashi. I'll put some extra for you ter."

  "No need, Hokage-sama. I like my tea pure."

  "Huh? You don't like it?" Minato's hands didn't stop as he looked at Masashi. "This ecially prepared by Kushina. She's worried I'll get too tired w overtime."

  As he spoke, a look of happiness appeared on his face. The man face S-rank threats without fling, but mention his wife and he melts, Masashi observed.

  He thought that Kushina's intended message robably not what Minato interpreted.

  "Masashi," Fugaku suddenly said, "it's good for you to drink a little. You often stay up te, too."

  "No need, Fugaku-sama... Wait, fuck?"

  Masashi was shocked to see him grabbing a rge handful of goji berries and throwing them into his cup.

  "You're already a jonin. Don't swear so casually." Fugaku criticized him while shaking the ister. "You're still young now, but you'll appreciate this iure. This is a special supply from the daimyō's reside's not something ordinary people buy."

  "Oh? A gift from the daimyō?"

  The daimyō's warm care seemed rather extensive—even ed about the Hokage's quality of overtime work.

  "How could it be? Mikoto sourced it through special els. Our two families split the supply."

  "I see. That's just like her…"

  "Hokage-sama, Fugaku-sama, aren't we supposed to be having a meeting?" Masashi tried to steer the versation back to business.

  "Why the rush? You're now an important figure in Konoha. You o stay calm."

  Yetting cocky, Fugaku! Do you think I won't spot the hidden words just because you ge locations?

  "Yes, Masashi. There's o hurry. Everything's already happened... Oh, it's ready!" Minato happily lifted the kettle and poured water.

  The gurgling sound of water echoed as a yer ht red goji berries floated in Minato and Fugaku's teacups.

  Masashi felt as if he could see a darkened nd soaked in blood. Not just the nd—even the grass had turned bck.

  Minato and Fugaku wore satisfied expressions that Masashi couldn't bear to look at directly.

  Averting his gaze, he picked up his cup silently, blowing on his pin tea and embrag the principle that "what the eyes don't see won't bother the heart."

  The room was filled with the harmonious sound of tea being slurped.

  The three cups were pced ba the table.

  "Let's discuss the situation with Kiri this time," Minato started.

  "Alright, let me expin. This happened very suddenly." Fugaku pulled out a stack of dots. "After Masashi retur time, following the Third Hokage and the elders' orders, the vilge sent emissaries to rehe treaty, using Fuguki's death as the reason. They also tried to make tact with the Kiri s, but it was iive."

  "I know about this." Minato nodded. "The emissaries didn't have much success. While the Mizukage's office was quick to agree to rehe treaty, there was nress in tag the s."

  "Kiri's s only respect the strong. An emissary's personal strength determihe oute of the discussions." Fugaku's tone was steady. "But the emissaries we sent before did not have enough strength."

  "The vilge sent a jonin, though." Minato sighed. "We still don't uand Kiri well enough."

  "To put it bluntly," Fugaku held up two fingers. "There are only two people in Konoha currently capable of handling this task and leaving the vilge: Masashi and Shisui."

  "The situation is also plicated because this year's treaty renewal hasn't been ducted, and there's been an assassination attempt on the Mizukage. While Obito's identity hasn't been exposed, tensioween the Mizukage's offid the s are being public. Simply renewing the treaty with the Mizukage's office won't guarantee border peace."

  "Fugaku, what's your proposed solution?"

  "We should a both fronts. Shisui and Masashi will go together. Shisui will officially act as the envoy to tact the Mizukage's offid try to meet the Mizukage in person. Masashi will act as the assistant envoy to tact the s."

  Fugaku then looked at Masashi. "This mission only be carried out by you. Shisui's genjutsu and your Flying Thunder God are critical to success."

  Masashi nodded but added, "This time, just Shisui and I will go. No one else should be sent."

  "Just the two of you?" Minato sipped his tea. "Won't that make things inve?"

  "It's easier with fewer people in Kiri. Too many would attract trouble. The civilian ninjas in Kiri have a radical mi. A rge envoy would be seen as a provocation a with hostility. The Mizukage's office 't fully trol these people."

  "That makes sense." Minato realized, his expression showing he was already thinking several steps ahead.

  During Konoha's first treaty renewal, their envoy had cshed with the Kiri ninjas at their hotel. At first, they thought it was orchestrated by the Mizukage or some s, but ter, they found that wasn't the case.

  "One more question—what if you and Shisui still enter flicts with Kiri ninjas?"

  "Then we kill them. It soureme, but the truth is, killing is the only way to resolve it." Masashi replied with characteristic direess. "Those who act that way are a minority among civilian ninjas, and even their own will reject them. As long as we are strohey will back down. In Kiri, strength isn't just respected —it's the only nguage they truly uand."

  "I uand, Masashi." Minato refilled his tea. "But what if the situatioes iionally?"

  "That's where we'll need your permission," Masashi looked at Minato expetly. "Allow us to judge for ourselves whether to demand answers directly from the Mizukage's office. If the Mizukage's trol is exposed, the Kiri s will have no choice but to take a. Regardless of the oute, Kiri will definitely align with Konoha."

  "Alright, agreed. Let's do as you say." Minato spped his thigh.

  pared to the elders' previous suggestions, Masashi's pn was more to his liking.

  "Hokage-sama, aren't you fetting something?" Masashi reminded him.

  "Huh? What did I fet? Am I this careless now? Tell me."

  "Zabuza—the person Kiri wants to capture."

  "Oh, Zabuza, right." Minato recalled and then frowned. "Why does that Konoha? Let them catch him themselves."

  "So we're not allowing Kiri to cross through the Land of Fire?"

  "Of course not." Minato shook his head firmly. "Kiri ninjas 't just waltz into the Land of Fire. If they want to catch Zabuza, they wait until he leaves."

  "Got it. I have no further questions." Masashi nodded, giving him a silent thumbs-up in his heart.

  Minato roving to be a true Hokage.

  ---

  Early the m after returning to the vilge, Masashi had just stepped out of his house when he saw an ANBU ninja crouched at his doorstep.

  "Masashi." The ANBU ninja handed over a sealed roof dot bag. "The vilge has officially submitted a visit request to Kiri. This is a personal letter from the Hokage to the Mizukage. Please take care of it."

  "Got it." Masashi accepted the bag. "Did the Fourth Hokage give any further instrus?"

  "The Hokage said that you and Shisui decide the departure time yourselves. The visit request only specifies it will be this month."

  "Alright, uood." Masashi waved him off and decided to find Shisui immediately.

  Suddenly, he remembered something.

  "Kakashi, wait a moment."

  Kakashi, who was just about to use the Body Flicker, nearly stumbled.

  He turned around, and although his expression was hidden behind the dog mask, it felt like a wave of grievance was rising.

  "Masashi, I'm still on duty. You shouldn't call me by my name."

  "Don't bme me. Everyone reize you." Masashi poio Kakashi's overly eye-catg white hair. "You even put gel in it? You think people are blind?"

  "Would you nnize me if I dyed my hair?"

  "Now you're just making it difficult for me. You're the only one in the vilge wearing a dog mask. you ge your chakra signature?"

  Kakashi stopped talking, his shoulders slumping slightly.

  "Look at you, still mad. But this is a good thing. Wait here a moment." Masashi ran bato the house, grabbed something he'd received after work yesterday, and hurried back to the door.

  Kakashi, being the obedient child he was, hadn't left.

  "Here, I got this for you." Masashi handed him Icha Icha Volume 2.

  Even through the mask, Masashi could see Kakashi's stunned expression. The young ANBU's hands trembled slightly as he reached for the book.

  "Masashi-sama! Where did this e from?"

  "Jiraiya promised me he'd send me a set before publication. I thought you'd like it, so take it." Better thaing him dwell on darker thoughts.

  "Masashi-sama!"

  "Yes?"

  "Please be careful in Kiri. It's chaotic there right now."

  "Got it. You take care on your missions, too."

  After this brief exge, Kakashi left clutg the book like it was treasure.

  Watg him hold it so tenderly, Masashi couldn't help but feel emotional.

  Jiraiya really was the ultimate Legendary Super Pervert—he had quered Kakashi so quickly.

  At this point, Minato hadn't told Kakashi about Obito's situation. This was something that had been discussed with the others who were in the know.

  It was uandable—this news would be far too shog for Kakashi right now.

  The current Kakashi was still a young man proo overthinking and reading Jiraiya's novels. The "overthinking" part was evident from his reputation in the ANBU, which wasn't great.

  His bad reputation came mainly from his disregard for his rades.

  Kakashi's reclusive period hadn't ended yet.

  Telling him about Obito at this point could easily break him pletely.

  Masashi's gaze returo the dot bag in his hand.

  Minato was a Hokage who worked at a fast pace, just like in battle.

  Not even a day had passed since he'd left the Hokage's office, and the procedures were already done, with the letter to the Mizukage prepared.

  He servatively guessed that the letter had been tampered with.

  Ba the Third Hokage's time, this kind of task, outside of wartime, would take several days.

  But now, the Konoha administration's motto was, "Everyoay te with the Hokage today and finish up the work."

  With Minat so effitly, Masashi wasn't going to dey.

  Before leaving, though, he still had two things to take care of.

  He knocked on the door of the house across the street, the m sun now fully warming his back.

  After a moment, the door opened, and Pakura stood there in her casual clothes.

  "Why are you up so te today?" Pakura asked curiously, leaning against the doorframe. "Did you go out for tea again? What kind of tea keeps you guys out so te? Take me aloime to try it."

  "Ah, it's a man thing. Why would I take you?" Masashi waved it off. "Men are like this—after a battle, we have ehings to talk about. Tetsuka throws up every time we're done fighting, and you wouldn't believe how miserably he pukes."

  "Oh?" Pakura looked at him doubtfully, sensing there was more to his words.

  Masashi immediately decided that she hadn't uood.

  Good. If she didn't get it, she wouldn't know where he'd been drinking tea.

  "How strange..." Pakura mumbled, stepping aside. "You're just in time—I'm cooking."

  "What about the kids?"

  "In the living room."

  Masashi followed her inside and immediately saw the three kids in the living room.

  Deidara was barefoot, standing on a chair, wiping the dining table with a towel.

  "I told him to just sit still, but he insisted on helping." Pakura said, then shouted to Deidara, "Just wipe it casually! Call Kurotsuchi to e eat."

  "Okay." Deidara looked up, spotted Masashi, froze for a moment, then hopped off the chair, wiped it with the towel, and dashed into the living room.

  "He's quite mature." Pakura g Masashi. "No wonder he's the Tsuchikage's disciple. But is it really okay to leave him here with me?"

  "This was also the Hokage's iion. He hopes Deidara will have a positive impression of Konoha." Masashi expined. "You know how the Fourth is—so long as it's not wartime, he's very approachable."

  "Mm-hmm." Pakura nodded. "Fine. I'll look after the two Iwa kids. You take the girl with you. She's not as lively as Kurotsuchi."

  "Of course she isn't." Masashi sighed.

  In the living room, on the sofa, Kurotsuchi held Deidara's hand with one hand and the hand of the girl Masashi had brought back from Kusa with the other.

  The girl was about the same age as Sasuke and Naruto.

  Holy, Masashi wasn't sure if this was the same Karin, but he was certain the girl was of Uzumaki blood.

  When he found her mother in the hospital, she was already near death. Before passing, she entrusted her three-year-old daughter to him, telling him her name was Karin.

  "Deidara-nii, why isn't Kariing with us?"

  "Because someone's ing to pick her up." Deidara pouted, trying to sound mature. "Stop causing trouble, okay? We're not at home."

  At that, Kurotsuchi quickly let go and hid behind Deidara upon spotting Masashi, her small hands clutg his shirt.

  Perhaps she felt guilty for hiding alone, so she dragged Karin with her behind Deidara, using him as their shield. Deidara stood awkwardly as the two girls peeked out from behind him.

  Karin curiously grabbed Deidara's arm alongside Kurotsuchi.

  Masashi looked at Deidara.

  The "mature" kid didn't look mature at all now, his face saying, "What did I even d?"

  "Karin." Masashi beed to the girl, keeping his voice gentle. "e here."

  The girl named Karin looked bnkly at Masashi.

  She still remembered him.

  As a desdant of the Uzumaki with ninja talent, she already remembered many things, including her mother.

  She had no memory of her father.

  But she knew Masashi in front of her was a good person. So, she let go of their hands and walked over to him, reag out her small hand.

  Masashi took her hand, patted her head, and said, "Good girl."

  Then he used the Flying Thunder God.