Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 455 An Unknown Dialogue

Minato stretched out his hand and pointed his fingertip at the location of Amegakure on the map.

"His alliance with Iwagakure and Sunagakure is nothing but a gamble, a chance to find a foothold in the new order. But he will soon discover that his allies are unreliable; they only see him as cannon fodder and a stepping stone. And the power and ideology displayed by Konoha's peacekeeping forces are something entirely new to him, something he has never seen before, with unknown opportunities to be found..."

The tent was completely silent; everyone was captivated by Minato's analysis.

For the first time, through the young commander's description, they glimpsed the complex inner world of the legendary demigod.

"What would a paranoid ruler who treats the village as his private property do when he discovers that his property is about to be destroyed by an uncontrollable force?"

Without waiting for anyone's reply, Minato gave the answer himself.

"He will stop at nothing to find a new way out, even if it means testing the waters against former enemies."

"Therefore, I believe this is not a trap. It's Hanzo the Salamander, extending a finger from the edge of the cliff. He wants to see if we, Konoha, will lend him a hand."

His words were logically clear and progressively detailed, thoroughly dissecting what seemed like an impulsive decision.

Nara Shikaku's languid expression faded somewhat. He looked at Namikaze Minato and, for the first time, genuinely felt that this man, who always wore a gentle smile, might truly become someone like the Third Hokage.

"Then, why Yahiko?"

Shikaku asked one last question.

Minato's gaze finally fell on the orange-haired boy who had been clenching his fists the whole time.

"Because only he can do it."

The sound of the water gate softened a bit.

"Hanzo is inherently suspicious; he won't trust any of Konoha's high-ranking officials. The stronger and higher-ranking the ninjas we send, the more wary he becomes."

"But Yahiko is different."

"You, like him, hail from Amegakure. You understand better than any of us what that land, where it rains all year round, means. More importantly..."

Minato looked into Yahiko's eyes and said, word by word, "You possess something he had long lost—that pure idealism that believed peace could be achieved through dialogue and understanding, regardless of the cost."

"He will see a reflection of his younger self in you. He will laugh at you, test you, but he will also be curious. He will want to know how you, with such naive ideals, have survived to this day and are still able to stand before him."

"Your very existence is the biggest shock to his worldview. So only you can knock on the door of his long-closed heart, even if it's just a tiny crack."

These words struck Yahiko's heart like a resounding bell.

He stared blankly at Minato Namikaze, at this genius ninja of Konoha, who was now analyzing his own heart with such solemnity and giving himself such profound meaning.

So... my ideals, my naivety... were actually enough to shake a demigod in Minato's eyes?

An unprecedented burning sensation rose from his chest and instantly swept over his entire body.

Minato Namikaze said no more. He took out a kunai with a unique shape from his ninja tool bag.

It was a trident-shaped kunai, with intricate magical runes wrapped around its handle, gleaming with a mysterious and dangerous light in the firelight.

"Take it."

Minato handed the specially made Flying Thunder God kunai to Yahiko.

Yahiko instinctively reached out his hand, and the cold metallic touch sent a shiver down his spine.

This coin was far heavier than he had imagined; its weight came not only from the metal itself, but also from the trust and entrustment it represented.

"remember,"

Minato stared at him. "This isn't for you to use in battle. This is a coordinate I left on you. No matter where you are, no matter what dire situation you face..."

"Your lives are more important than the mission itself."

boom!

Yahiko's mind went blank.

He stared blankly at the kunai in his hand, then looked up at Minato Namikaze's gentle yet resolute blue eyes.

This……

He remembered Jiraiya's teachings, which, though unconventional, were always full of care, and the Third Hokage's reliable figure, as solid as a mountain.

An indescribable sense of belonging and a tremendous sense of responsibility intertwined and collided in his heart.

Yahiko glanced at Konan beside him, then looked at Nagato. A resolute look appeared on the boy's silent face.

They are family.

Konoha was the home that gave them a new life.

Yahiko took a deep breath and gripped the heavy kunai tightly in his palm.

He raised his head to meet Minato Namikaze's gaze, his youthful naiveté gone, replaced by a resolute determination befitting a leader.

"I see."

His voice no longer trembled; it became steady and powerful.

"I accept this S-rank mission!"

……

Half an hour later.

The continuous rain showed no signs of stopping, washing the whole world into a hazy gray.

Three slender figures, like ghosts blending into the night, silently left the brightly lit Konoha camp and plunged into the dark forest.

There was no grand farewell, nor many words of advice.

Minato Namikaze simply stood at the edge of the camp, watching them leave.

Yahiko walked at the front, his steps firm and steady. Konan and Nagato followed closely behind, the three forming a solid triangular formation, vigilantly observing their surroundings.

Their destination was a stone tower where Rain Ninjas were stationed, near the border between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Rain.

That was the command post where Hanzo often worked.

The road leading there is guarded by numerous patrols and sentries from Sunagakure and Iwagakure.

The road ahead is an unknown abyss.

Rainwater soaked Yahiko's orange hair, and water droplets slid down his cheeks, indistinguishable between rainwater and sweat.

He tightened his backpack on his back and touched the cold, hard Flying Thunder God kunai in his arms.

An unprecedented surge of courage rose from the bottom of my heart.

Turning his head to the side, he flashed a bright and confident smile at his two companions behind him in the dim rain.

"Let's go! Let's let that demigod hear the voice of Xiao!"

The three exchanged a glance, then quickened their pace, their figures disappearing swiftly into the vast, rainy night.