The shuriken competition between Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke began once again under the watchful eyes of many friends.
The results surprised everyone—Sasuke Uchiha, a member of the esteemed Uchiha clan, lost to Naruto in the shuriken competition!
"How can that be?!"
In the park, Sasuke stared blankly at the large target tree in the distance, whispering in disbelief. Five shurikens were embedded in the tree—one nailed precisely in the center of the trunk, while the other four were arranged around it, forming a perfect pattern above the bullseye.
Seeing Naruto happily celebrating with Choji, Shikamaru, and the others, Sasuke clenched his fists. The joy he had felt from defeating Naruto in their taijutsu duel earlier had completely dissipated, leaving behind a deep sense of loss.
He had lost, and in the very shuriken technique that the Uchiha clan prided itself on. His loss was undeniable—of the five shurikens he threw, two missed entirely, while the remaining three barely hit the target.
The outcome of the duel was so clear that it didn't even require a referee.
Unable to communicate his emotions, the dejected Sasuke silently left the park. His personality differed from Naruto's—while Naruto expressed his feelings openly, Sasuke was more reserved. Though his disappointment was evident on his face, he would not voice it.
Not far away, Ino and the others watched Sasuke leave. They exchanged glances but quickly lowered their heads.
The competition between children was nothing more than a trivial event in Konoha.
Right now, Minato, as Hokage, had far more important matters to handle.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire had sent a representative to deliver a letter of credentials to the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning. The letter stated that Konoha had detained the envoy from Cloud Village who had come for peace talks. It strongly condemned Konoha for detaining the Cloud ninja messenger and protested against Konoha's accusations that the envoy had attacked and attempted to kidnap a member of the Hyuga clan.
The situation had escalated beyond a mere conflict between Konoha and Cloud Village—it had become a diplomatic dispute between nations. And this time, it was not the Raikage leading the charge, but the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning himself.
Inside the Hokage's office, Minato carefully read the letter sent by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire on behalf of the Land of Lightning. The wording carried veiled threats—essentially stating that if Konoha did not provide a satisfactory explanation, the Land of Lightning would go to war against the Land of Fire.
By handing this letter over to Minato, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had made his stance clear—he did not wish for a war to erupt between the two nations over such a matter.
"Minato, I've already met with the envoy sent by the Daimyo. His message is clear—downplay the issue and resolve it peacefully."
"A few Cloud ninja envoys—just let them go."
As Minato was carefully reviewing the documents, the door suddenly opened, and three elders entered—Shikaku Nara, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Koharu Utatane. The moment Hiruzen stepped in, he addressed Minato without hesitation.
"Hiruzen? Why are you here?"
"There was no need for everyone to trouble themselves over such a minor issue."
Minato looked up, surprised to see Hiruzen and the others. He quickly stood up and led them in. However, before he could say more, Koharu Utatane snorted and spoke in a sharp tone.
"A minor issue? Is this still a minor issue? The Land of Lightning is on the verge of declaring war against the Land of Fire! And you call this a minor issue?"
"How did you even become Hokage? You can't even handle such a simple matter?!"
"Release the Cloud ninja envoys immediately!"
Koharu, already somewhat aware of the situation, frowned as she spoke.
"The Cloud ninja envoy… was taken away by Hiashi Hyuga."
"He should still be alive, but returning him may not be possible." Minato scratched his head, responding calmly despite Koharu's aggressive tone.
"What?! You—" Koharu was about to explode, but Mitokadu Homura raised his hand, stopping her. He turned to Minato and asked in a measured tone:
"Then, Fifth Hokage, in the face of such a threat from the Land of Lightning, what is your plan?"
Unlike Koharu, Homura wanted to hear Minato's approach before jumping to conclusions.
"Hiruzen, Advisor Homura, Advisor Koharu."
"This incident began when the envoy from Cloud Village secretly infiltrated the Hyuga clan's estate, intending to kidnap Hinata Hyuga, the daughter of Hiashi Hyuga. However, his actions were discovered, and Hiashi eliminated him on the spot."
"The remaining envoys were suspected of being accomplices and were detained for interrogation."
"In fact, long before the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning issued this letter, the Raikage had already sent a message. He accused Konoha of unjustly killing their envoy and demanded that we hand over the 'murderer' for execution."
"But I sent the messenger back."
"We are Konoha! We will not be coerced by anyone!"
Minato firmly explained the situation, and Koharu, who had been furious moments ago, gradually calmed down. She had not expected the incident to have unfolded this way.
After Minato finished speaking, silence filled the room. After a long pause, Hiruzen finally spoke.
"Given your character, I don't believe you would have made the decision to detain the Cloud ninja envoy so aggressively."
"There must have been another influence behind this. A better approach would have been negotiation rather than taking such a hard stance. This doesn't seem like your usual way of handling things, Minato."
"Who was it?"
Hiruzen looked at Minato, already forming suspicions in his mind.
"Raiden had just returned to the village when this happened."
"He advised me."
"We, Konoha, do not need to bow to anyone!"
Minato knew what Hiruzen was asking and answered directly without pretense. After hearing Minato's reply, Hiruzen, Homura, and the others exchanged glances before letting out a deep sigh.
"Your decision will bring great consequences to Konoha!"
"We are not in a position to wage war against Cloud Village right now!"
Hiruzen suspected that Uzumaki Raiden had played a role in influencing such an aggressive response. Upon confirming his suspicion, he could only sigh in resignation. The situation had already escalated, making it nearly impossible to calm the Land of Lightning's anger through diplomatic means alone. The cost of resolving this matter would now be significantly higher than before.
Moreover, Hiashi Hyuga was a key figure in this conflict. With Raiden's return, the Hawk faction within Konoha had regained a leader, and Hiashi had always been loyal to him. Asking the Hyuga clan to make sacrifices to placate the Land of Lightning was now out of the question.
"Hiruzen, you are mistaken."
"Konoha today is not afraid of any opponent!"
Before Minato could respond to Hiruzen's concerns, Shikaku Nara spoke up, his words carrying a deeper meaning. Hiruzen immediately understood what he was implying.
At that moment, Minato turned to the guards at the door and issued an order.
"Go outside the village and invite Fourth Hokage Uzumaki Raiden—we have important matters to discuss!"
(End of Chapter)