Minato glanced at Kushina and firmly said, "Lady Tsunade, don't worry. I am willing to give my life for Kushina. I will never let her die before me!"
At this, Kushina panicked instead.
Sweet words were fine to hear, but they shouldn't be taken seriously.
Because of past experiences, she would never allow such a thing to happen.
She punched Minato hard and said, "No dying for love, no dying for love, no dying for love! If anything happens to me, you must live well, understand?"
Minato, feeling wronged, nodded pitifully, "Understood, my dear wife."
Seeing this, Tsunade felt a bit envious of their relationship. For some reason, she secretly glanced at Jiraiya, her face slightly red.
She raised her voice and declared, "Alright, enough with the formalities. I hereby announce that from today, Kushina Uzumaki is the wife of Minato Namikaze, and Minato Namikaze is the husband of Kushina Uzumaki. May the two of you be united forever!"
Then, she looked at the crowd below the stage and said, "Everyone, eat well and have fun. The wedding ceremony is over!"
Immediately after, many delicious dishes were served, prepared by specially invited chefs. Even Teuchi was among them.
The guests began feasting and drinking merrily.
Obito and Rin returned to their seats. Anko had already started devouring grilled meat like crazy, while Kurenai curiously looked at the newly arrived Shizune and asked,
"How is it, Shizune? Traveling with Lady Tsunade must be amazing, right?"
However, Shizune's face immediately showed a bitter smile. Others didn't know, but she was well aware that half of this so-called training involved gambling and running from debt collectors. The other half was spent taking care of Tsunade's daily life. She was practically turning into a housekeeper.
Of course, she couldn't say this out loud. Instead, she forced a smile and said, "Yes… it's really great."
For a while, the wedding banquet was lively, with every table filled with laughter and joy.
However, at that moment, an Anbu suddenly rushed in, appearing in front of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, in an instant, "Lord Third, I have an urgent report."
The Third Hokage was enjoying his drink, his face slightly flushed from alcohol, but the Anbu's serious demeanor startled him, quickly sobering him up, "What is it?"
Many guests noticed this scene and turned to look at the Anbu.
The Anbu solemnly reported, "We just received word that the forces of Kumogakure and Sunagakure have clashed at the border."
"The war… has begun!"
"WHAT?", The Third Hokage slammed the table and stood up.
With a serious expression, he said, "To the Hokage's office!"
With that, he hurriedly left with the Anbu.
Many people heard this shocking news, causing an uproar among the guests.
"The war has started?"
"Yes, right at this moment."
"I wonder when Konoha will be dragged into it."
Minato frowned and tightly held Kushina's hand.
Kushina, however, glanced at Obito's direction and smiled, "Don't worry. That kid promised me that if Konoha gets attacked by the four great villages, he will go and have a talk with their Kage."
Minato nodded. Though that was said, it was obvious that he would be busy soon.
Nearby, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, who had sat down at a table, also heard the news.
The atmosphere turned silent.
Jiraiya was the first to speak, "Tsunade, are you leaving this time?"
Tsunade thought for a moment before smiling bitterly, "You know my situation. Even if I stay, I can't go to the battlefield."
But in the end, she added, "Since I'm already back and it's wartime, I'll stay for now. I should properly train my two disciples. During this period, I've troubled Shizune a lot."
Jiraiya, however, said seriously, "I might have to leave. I've been back for quite some time now."
Tsunade rolled her eyes at him, "Off to look for your so-called Child of Prophecy again? But Minato is already outstanding enough."
Jiraiya sighed, "Yes, compared to Minato, no ninja is as exceptional. But…"
Jiraiya looked up at the sky, his gaze deep, "For some reason, I have a feeling that the Child of Prophecy isn't Minato, nor is it Nagato."
Unconsciously, an image surfaced in his mind. A blond boy with whisker marks on his face.
It was just one brief encounter, sitting together and sharing a simple bowl of ramen, yet it left such a deep impression.
Orochimaru chuckled, "Instead of chasing after an elusive Child of Prophecy, why not focus on something more practical?"
Jiraiya frowned and looked at Orochimaru, "By practical, do you mean your experiments with Danzo? Don't think I don't know. Orochimaru, don't do anything you'll regret."
Orochimaru shook his head and gazed at Jiraiya, "You wouldn't understand, but Tsunade might. I am simply pursuing the truth."
Tsunade fell silent. She did understand. As a medical ninja, she, too, needed human experimentation to study the body's structure and advance medical ninjutsu.
However, after thinking about it, she still warned, "Orochimaru, you should set some boundaries. Sometimes, your methods are too extreme and dangerous."
Orochimaru looked at his two old friends with a calm heart.
At this moment, he clearly realized that the three of them were chasing entirely different goals.
Unlike them, he no longer thought from the village's perspective.
However… some emotions were still hard to let go of.
In the end, he said, "Your discussion is pointless now because the war has begun. Given Lord Hiruzen's personality, I will soon receive my orders to leave Konoha and lead the battle at the Sunagakure frontlines."
Jiraiya and Tsunade suddenly felt awkward.
Among the three of them, one was leaving, and one couldn't fight on the battlefield. The only one truly fighting for Konoha at the frontlines… was Orochimaru.
In that case, what right did they have to criticize their friend?
———
The wedding ended hastily due to the news of the war. The clans lost their appetite for celebration and bid farewell.
Even Uchiha Fugaku left, with only Mikoto staying behind to pull Kushina into a room, whispering about private topics, marriage tips and child-rearing knowledge.
Naturally, no one else was allowed to hear such conversations.
Rin was also taken away by Tsunade, seemingly to test her potential and provide tailored training.
Meanwhile, Kakashi was intercepted by Might Guy, dragged off for another sparring session.
For a moment, the wedding venue emptied, leaving only Obito and Minato staring at each other.
Minato thought for a moment, then pulled Obito into a secluded room and asked, "Obito, while we have this chance, tell me about the Akatsuki organization."
"According to Naruto… this organization seems to have become extremely dangerous, responsible for many deaths, including Jiraiya-sensei."
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