In front of that monster, everything he had done seemed utterly meaningless. In the end, he too had become nothing more than an executioner, his hands drenched in blood.
Yuki Yoru had massacred the entire Konoha frontline…
But had he not done the same to Kirigakure's forces?
The so-called "Child of Prophecy"—the one destined to bring peace to the world...
What right did he have to bear that title?
Namikaze Minato stood in silence, plagued by self-doubt. His sky-blue eyes were clouded with confusion.
Instinctively, he looked toward his fallen master—Jiraiya—who lay on the ground as lifelike as ever, as if he were only sleeping.
"...What should I do, Jiraiya-sensei?"
"Ah, Minato."
Fukasaku, the toad sage, pulled out a small book from inside his robe and handed it to Minato.
"This is a novel Jiraiya never got the chance to publish. You know how he always dreamed of becoming a famous author."
Minato accepted the book. Its cover was boldly inscribed with the calligraphic title:
"The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi."
"...Jiraiya-sensei's novel…"
As Minato flipped through the pages, Fukasaku didn't disturb him. Quietly, the old toad turned and left the cave.
"Come on, old man," he said to Shima, "Let's prepare a proper meal. It's not every day Little Minato pays us a visit."
"Alright, I'll head to the river. The bugs there are extra plump this time of year. I'm sure he'll love them."
The two elder toads began prepping ingredients. But before Shima could finish her special dish, a summoning cloud poofed into the room—an emergency message toad had arrived.
"Is Minato available? The Third Hokage has a critical mission for him."
Fukasaku picked up a bowl of freshly cooked earthworm noodles. "A mission, huh? I'll go see if Minato's up to—"
"No need, Master Fukasaku. I'm ready."
Minato stood at the entrance of the cave. His golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and the sorrow and confusion once clouding his blue eyes had cleared—replaced by calm, steady resolve.
Clutched tightly in his hand was The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.
"Looks like Jiraiya's novel gave you some much-needed clarity," Fukasaku said, noting the change. He held out the bowl. "Want to grab a bite before you go?"
"Uh…"
Minato glanced into the bowl at the 'meal' within. His bright smile faltered slightly, and he instinctively turned to the message toad.
"This is the mission scroll from Lord Third," the toad croaked, pulling a damp scroll from its mouth and handing it to Minato.
He didn't seem to mind the slimy residue. He opened the scroll and began reading. As his eyes moved across the page, his smile slowly faded, replaced by a stern, focused expression.
"Looks serious," Shima commented, handing a smaller bowl of food to the messenger toad.
"It's not the difficulty," Minato replied, folding the scroll. "It's the timing. If we had done this earlier… maybe things wouldn't have escalated between Konoha and Kirigakure. Maybe Yuki Yoru wouldn't have become what he is now."
"Thank you both for everything," he said with a bow.
"No need to thank us," Fukasaku waved him off. "You came because I summoned you. Still sure you don't want a taste of her cooking?"
"The mission's urgent. Next time, I promise I'll try it!"
"Alright, alright…"
Fukasaku formed a hand seal and released the reverse summoning technique.
Poof!
Minato vanished in a burst of smoke.
In the next instant, he reappeared inside his home.
He quickly checked his equipment pouch, took a deep breath, and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The world blurred—and the next thing he knew, he was standing in the Hokage's office.
Beside him stood a Konoha jōnin clad in a flak vest, his right eye covered in bandages.
"You're back, Minato," Sarutobi Hiruzen greeted him, exhaling a breath of smoke from a new pipe as he handed over a mission scroll.
"The situation is urgent. I had no choice but to call on you both."
"Orochimaru intercepted intel from Iwagakure. Ōnoki is trying to negotiate with Kirigakure—he wants Yuki Yoru deployed to the Iwa front. Frankly, we were already preparing to initiate peace talks with Kirigakure. We cannot allow Iwagakure to reach them first."
"Minato, I know you've just returned from the Kirigakure front. Shisui, I know Kōfu funeral just ended. You're both mentally and physically exhausted. But right now, you two are the fastest ninja Konoha has. This mission falls to you."
"I need you to deliver this ceasefire proposal to Kirigakure immediately—and intercept the Iwa envoy before they make contact. Do whatever it takes."
"We cannot let Yuki Yoru return to the battlefield."
Minato and Uchiha Shisui exchanged a glance and gave a firm nod.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
"Leave it to us."
The two took the scroll. Minato exhaled deeply and placed a hand on Shisui's shoulder.
"I've still got a Flying Thunder God seal set near the Kirigakure front, but without Kushina's support… teleporting this far might burn through my chakra entirely."
"Don't worry, Lord Minato. I'll handle the rest," Shisui replied with resolve.
"Alright then—let's move!"
Flash.
Their bodies vanished in a flicker of space-time. The moment they reappeared, a biting cold struck them like a wall, making them both shiver.
"This is… Jinnan Town?"
Shisui's eyes widened at the familiar surroundings. "So this is the Flying Thunder God Technique… Truly incredible, Lord Minato."
He caught Minato as the man nearly collapsed to one knee.
"I really did push it to the limit…" Minato said with a tired smile. He reached into his pouch, pulled out a military rations pill, and popped it into his mouth.
Without Kushina's chakra to anchor him, that jump had taken everything he had. Just one long-range teleportation, and he was already at his limit.
He couldn't help but miss her.
But this was a mission that couldn't involve a Jinchūriki—not a deep infiltration "The rest of the way's up to you, Shisui."
"Understood, Lord Minato. Leave it to me!"
With unwavering eyes, Shisui hoisted Minato onto his back, and in the next instant, his body blurred into a streak of motion—gone in the blink of an eye.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin