A sharp alarm suddenly rang throughout the village, shattering the peaceful night.
In an instant, countless ninja figures raced across the rooftops, and pedestrians in the streets hurriedly returned to their homes in panic.
Minato and Shikaku came out of Hiruzen's residence, and they couldn't help but feel uneasy as they watched the chaotic scene.
"Level One Alert... What happened?" Shikaku muttered.
He leapt onto a rooftop and intercepted a member of the Anbu.
"What's going on?"
"The prison suddenly had a riot. A large number of prisoners have escaped."
Shikaku was shocked upon hearing the Anbu's response.
At that moment, Hiruzen also arrived outside, his gaze serious as he watched the ninjas dashing across the buildings.
The sound of the level one alert generally only rang when the village was facing extreme danger, signaling an invasion.
During this time, the ninja forces would guide the villagers to safe shelters, as the entire village could become a battlefield at any moment.
Shikaku returned to the side of the two men, and Minato asked, "What happened?"
"A large number of prisoners escaped from the prison."
Many dangerous individuals were held in Konoha's prison.
Allowing them to escape could potentially threaten the safety of the villagers.
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen seemed deep in thought. "Prison riot, level one alert..."
He thought it might be an overreaction; just a few escaped prisoners wouldn't necessarily cause such a response...
At this moment, Shikaku looked at Minato, his eyes flickering with unease.
"Have you forgotten? Who's in the prison now?"
Minato was suddenly startled. "Impossible. I personally sealed him. He wouldn't be able to break free on his own!"
Though he said that, Minato felt a strong sense of unease rising in his heart.
The person in question was the Raikage, and now he was in Konoha.
What could happen if they let him roam freely...
Without another word, Minato began to leave, but Shikaku suddenly grabbed his arm.
Shikaku's grip was firm, causing Minato some pain.
"Shikaku?"
The alarm continued to blare through the sky, and the entire village was filled with a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
"Minato." Shikaku's expression was calm.
"Kushina!"
"…"
Shikaku understood in his heart that this prison riot was not something the prisoners had started on their own.
They didn't have the capability for such a thing, and the timing was too suspicious.
Someone was helping them!
Shikaku said, "If the Raikage really has escaped, the Hokage will definitely step in to stop him."
Minato didn't respond, as he was struggling internally.
The village was in chaos, and the prisoners who had escaped from the prison could harm the villagers at any moment.
But Kushina was still waiting for him to save her!
How could he choose again?!
This situation gave Minato a sense of suffocation, as though Shikaku wasn't gripping his arm, but his throat.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind suddenly swept through, brushing against the three of them.
Shikaku, however, had a look of enjoyment on his face.
He turned to Hiruzen and asked, "Third Hokage, what do you intend to do?"
Hiruzen looked deeply at the two of them, his gaze slightly heavy.
He said with implied meaning, "Shikaku, no matter what, the village is the most important!"
Shikaku sneered. "Then why don't you hurry up and protect the village, stop the enemy?"
There was no trace of respect in his tone.
Hiruzen fell silent and took two steps to the side.
Shikaku, you've fallen... In the end, even unparalleled wisdom couldn't save you.
He felt a deep sense of regret and sorrow in his heart.
But he knew that the one who had fallen the furthest was himself.
At this point, he had no intention of stopping Shikaku, no intention of stopping any of this...
Because Shikaku's actions allowed him to avoid facing those things.
Suddenly, Hiruzen vanished in a burst of speed, heading to protect the village.
Now, only Minato and Shikaku remained in the area.
The night was cold and desolate, with a lone crescent moon hanging in the sky.
Minato's gaze looked into the distance, where under the streetlights in the darkness, chaotic figures were desperately fleeing.
He heard the sounds of screams and ninja combat.
"Shikaku... what are you thinking?"
Shikaku's eyes remained fixed on Minato.
He said, "Now is the time for the wind to rise!"
The wind rises...
Minato calmly responded with a question, "Who do you think is helping us?"
"The sparrow? The fisherman? Or is this actually a large trap, a big net, waiting for us to walk straight into it?"
"Shikaku, when did your vision become so shallow?"
Shikaku, however, replied sharply, "What if Orochimaru dies at the hands of the Raikage?!"
Minato continued to question, "You think Orochimaru isn't a match for the Raikage?"
Shikaku didn't answer, only continuing to stare at Minato without a word.
The implication was clear.
A criminal who had been trapped in a dark and hopeless dungeon for so long could never be a match for a Hokage at the peak of his power.
But what if that criminal had an ally?
The Third Hokage was no longer reliable, and Jiraiya would never do such a thing.
Only he, Namikaze Minato!
Minato suddenly clenched his fists, his head lowered so that his expression couldn't be seen, and after a long while, he weakly released his grip.
Desire for power...
How ugly.
When he finally sat in that position, would he end up like this?
The Hokage he once admired, the village he loved so deeply.
"Shikaku... when did you become like this?"
"Minato, what kind of person do you think you are?" Shikaku responded, his expression slowly becoming calm.
"Everyone has two sides."
"When one side fails, the other side must step in to turn the tide."
Minato couldn't help but ask, "Why do you think the old you failed?"
Shikaku's gaze darkened slightly as he replied, "Minato, the reason I became like this is because of you."
"What... what did you say?"
Shikaku spoke calmly: "Your noble righteousness, your selflessness, you're a perfect person."
"I always believed that assisting someone like you would bring unprecedented prosperity and strength to Konoha, and you would become a Hokage unlike any before."
"But we lost, because our enemies are a bunch of filthy, conniving rats!"
"They gnaw at our flesh in the dark, and will never stop until they've completely consumed us. How could we ever defeat such an enemy with the old versions of you and me?"
"…"
Shikaku continued slowly: "Minato, if you don't let your other side come out, then let me be the one."
"You resist me so much because you know deep down that you too have had such vile thoughts, even if only for a moment. That was your other side."
"You're not resisting me; you're resisting yourself!"
"But you need to understand, our opponents are exactly that kind of person. The only way we can defeat them is by using methods like these!"
"Minato, this time, I have to win. For you, for Inoichi, for Choza, and for the families behind us."
Silence.
Minato didn't speak or act.
He was a man deeply respected by the villagers, a man adorned with countless recognition...
He didn't have another side, and he couldn't have another side.
He was used to being the hero.
"Shikaku."
"…"
"The village is in the hands of the Third Hokage, I'll go rescue Kushina... It should be fine, right?"
"Don't worry, I'll do my best to evacuate and protect the villagers."
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