Chapter 174: Reject Predetermination
"Time to head back, white-hairs."
On a circular platform hovering midair stood Kagami and a few others.
He glanced at the two "white-hairs" down in the crater – Kakashi, and also Sakumo, who, though lacking significant accomplishments, had at least put in plenty of hard work. They couldn't just leave him behind.
Kakashi relaxed completely. They weren't too far; having recovered a bit of chakra, he warped himself and Sakumo onto the platform in an instant.
Standing there was Jiraiya too, marked by Kakashi's Flying Thunder God seal.
Casting a look of mild disgust at Kakashi, Kagami scoffed, "Even trash like you managed to survive? You really lowered the overall level of this tournament."
After all these years, if Kakashi still hadn't grown used to Kagami's attitude, he'd have died of anger long ago.
With a chuckle, Kakashi answered indifferently, "Being your junior, Kagami, I'm of course bound to live on."
Your thick skin knows no shame…
Heh. Just wait 'til you find out what Obito's been up to. Let's see if you'll still be smiling then.
Although Kagami was currently on the moon, he'd left behind a backup plan within the Uchiha district.
If Obito's bunch were foolish enough to act up, they'd be wiped out in no time.
It seemed they'd remained sensible, not trying to capture the One-Tail.
In Kagami's view, the idea was to gather all possible enemies in the ninja world at once, so he could wipe them out together.
Kagami had no interest in a cat-and-mouse game.
He preferred feeding them all into a "gu pot" – letting them clash and merge, amassing strength.
Then…
He would sweep in with an unstoppable force and grind them to dust!
With a final glance at the moon, Kagami applied a fresh seal with his newly evolved eyes, ensuring there was no oversight.
He lifted a fingertip, drawing through the air.
Zzt—
With a strange tearing sound, space was sliced open into a dark fissure.
All present were top-level ninja, quite familiar with space-time jutsu. From their vantage, Kagami's action wasn't any known technique but instead forcibly ripping space apart with unbelievably pure chakra!
"Come on."
Kagami stepped first into that dark aperture, and the rest followed.
---
The Ninja World.
Land of Fire, Konohagakure.
This tournament had begun with the spectacle of the Nine-Tails vs. Magu Rō.
The closing ceremony Kagami left to Minato to handle.
In matters of a nation, the highest priority is ritual and war.
"War" stands for military might, regarded since ancient times as paramount.
In older days, ritual and worship gradually transformed over time into ceremonial displays – also a chance to flaunt national power.
Though the strongest in the ninja world recognized Konoha's unparalleled military lead, most ordinary civilians and lower-rank ninja were ignorant of the real gap.
Every year or two, some local official would get cocky and start defying Konoha's orders.
Never underestimate humanity's folly.
Hence it was important from time to time to show off their might and keep people in line.
All the great lords who attended the tournament had been casually eliminated by Kagami.
During this interval, wars had already erupted among commoners in the ninja world as they fought for power.
Minato had captured the major military chieftains from all corners, bringing them to Konoha.
He judged the timing ripe to consolidate the entire ninja world's order. Kakashi's generation had grown, enough to deploy them and stabilize every region.
At last, the prospects of fulfilling his wish had come into focus!
…
Minato took the closing ceremony extremely seriously – using Kagami's formidable reputation to finalize the ninja world's new framework.
---
Minato's Residence.
"You weren't even this nervous at our wedding," teased Kushina, who was helping Minato tidy his formal attire while sporting a slight bulge in her belly.
Minato gazed tenderly at her. One hand rested gently on her abdomen.
"Of course I'm nervous…"
"Our child won't have to endure a brutal war like we did. Isn't that a wonderful future?"
"And now that future's within reach. How could I not be anxious…?"
After moving the Nine-Tails last time, Kushina's recovery had been slightly slower than expected. Minato asked for an examination and discovered she was pregnant.
Kushina, rather careless about such things, already had one child yet failed to notice the second pregnancy, attributing it to mere weight gain.
She offered a soft smile and leaned against Minato's chest.
"Have you picked out a name?"
Minato thought briefly. "No idea for a boy yet. If it's a girl, though, I was thinking 'Ryokufu' (Green-Fold)."
"Namely… Namikaze Ryokufu?"
As long as it wasn't some random weird name, Kushina was fine with anything.
Ryokufu was the name of Kagami's grandmother.
Their first child's name had honored Minato's teacher. Now, for the second, he wanted to pay tribute to Kagami's grandmother, who had bestowed upon Kagami such profound bonds.
"Drop it. Although I also borrowed an ancestor's name, I'm not too fond of the custom," Kagami remarked from the doorway, his tone flat.
!!
"Ah! You brat – when did you get here!?" Even though they were longtime spouses, Kushina's cheeks reddened slightly, and she quickly withdrew from Minato's embrace.
"I knocked, but you two were lost in lowly desires and didn't notice."
"Agh–what do you mean, 'lowly'!"
Kushina stormed up to Kagami, intending to grab him by the collar like she used to when they were kids. But now he was too tall, so it felt awkward raising her arm that high.
Thud!
A rather gentler punch landed on Kagami's chest.
…
"Oww!! Dammit, brat – wearing armor or something?"
Ignoring Kushina's antics, Kagami casually sank into the sofa.
"Are things about ready?"
He wasn't asking about the ceremony's preparations – he meant…
Minato's readiness to rule the ninja world.
Kagami didn't care about ruling. His aspirations far surpassed this world.
Following the final battles, whether victory or defeat, he would leave.
Before going, he'd eliminate any threats Minato and the next generation couldn't handle. Just as a favor.
After that, if more problems arose, they'd handle them on their own—he wouldn't slow his steps for anyone.
Minato took a seat across from him, speaking gravely: "I've dispatched ninja forces throughout every region. If any uncontrollable situation arises, they have license to act at their own discretion."
"There's no better opportunity than now."
"We'll completely establish a ninja world with the Land of Fire at its core."
"According to my plan, it'll take five to ten years to integrate everything, ensuring full stability. After that…"
"What do you think of Shisui as the next Hokage?"
Minato believed that before he grew old, he could ensure he wouldn't be corrupted by power. But he couldn't be certain he wouldn't change with age – even Hiruzen had shown hints in his later years.
If the future framework was fixed and the Hokage's power became too great—barring Kagami, the "shogun above all," that position could decide anything.
So that role needed to remain youthful. Minato wanted to retire by age forty and preserve the tradition: absolute power with no checks was the biggest threat to peace.
With that in mind, Minato was grateful Kagami was still there to keep him grounded.
But upon hearing him mention Shisui, Kagami shook his head.
"Don't fixate on any single choice."
"How is that any different from the old traditions?"
"If your goal is to unify the ninja world, then all people under your dominion should be eligible to vie for that seat."
"You fancy Shisui, so you can train him, support him. Just don't be the one to decide it outright."
"To be frank, compared to Shisui, I've higher hopes for Sasuke."
Kagami's lips quirked in a faint smile. "We can at least give them the chance, right?"
…
Minato let out a relieved smile.
"Yes… I almost forced my own will on everyone. Thank you for the reminder."
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