Chapter 27: Chapter 26 – A Sad Victory

Hiashi caught the unconscious Mikoto before her head hit the ground. He activated his Byakugan.

"She exhausted her chakra… What happened, Minato?"

“I…”

But Minato was suddenly interrupted by a loud noise. Everyone felt a strong repulsive force for a brief moment. It was as if the ground had just tilted, and they were going to fall. Jiraiya's body rolled on the ground. Minato circulated chakra in his feet to maintain his balance. The others did the same. They were far enough not to be affected too much by the peculiar force.

In the distance, toward the cause of such a phenomenon, the effect was much more devastating. Trees were uprooted, and bodies flew in all directions. But this apparent disorder, in the air, quickly changed into perfect coordination. As in slow motion, each grabbed the hand of his nearest neighbor, using the support of the other to find a balance, and landed safely.

Minato stood up and looked in the direction of the noise. The Hyuga clan imitated him. They then saw Shisui perform a few somersaults in the air to land, with confidence. He then propelled himself towards the origin of the strange force.

Pain, seeing him rushing towards him, threw his hands up. Zetsu disappeared to the ground...

"Too late..."

Minato turned to Hiashi.

“Take care of Mikoto. I will help Shisui.”

In the next moment, Minato arrived at Shisui’s side.

“Yondaime Hokage, Shisui said calmly. “You're too late, again…”

Minato frowned. Shisui then turned to him, a smile on his face.

“The work is done.”

Killed by a kunai blow on his neck, a man's body with red hair rested on the ground, his eyes closed.

“His name was Pain. He was quite dangerous, as you could feel in the distance. I, therefore, allowed myself to deal with him without any other form of trial, and without consulting the Hokage. Please excuse me.”

Minato lowered himself to the body and put two fingers on the man’s neck to check his pulse before placing the same fingers on the ground.

“Stay on your guard, Shisui... This body isn't breathing anymore, but I still feel movement from the earth. He's not alone…”

“Well observed…”

It wasn't Shisui's voice. A gigantic chameleon had just appeared. Its tail, in the shape of a snake, rushed straight at Shisui.

“Rasengan!”

The attack was barely deflected by Minato's swirling orb, who felt a powerful burning breath brush past him. Minato patted the end of his cloak, which had scorched slightly.

“Forgive me, Yondaime Hokage. But with your arm in front of me, it was difficult for me to aim properly…”

The chameleon, which had aimed its tail at Shisui, had tried to catch Minato with its tongue. While Minato’s Rasengan stopped the tail, the tongue had been stopped by a powerful Katon of the Uchiha.

"A little Will of Fire never hurts," Shisui said with a wink.

“Your sense of humor needs some work, Shisui…”

“That hurts, Yondaime.”

An individual appeared from the mouth of the chameleon.

"And as I told you before, you remind me a lot of a friend... Your fighting style is quite similar to his, although your strengths differ…” Shisui added.

“Your friend must be quite impressive,” Minato replied as he threw kunais in the animal’s eyes.

“That attack for example... I'm sure he would have had the same idea if he had been in your place…”

“Instead of chatting, why not fight seriously?” Minato asked.

The individual, who had just emerged from the chameleon, descended to face them. The suffering chameleon disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

“The Yellow Flash and the Mirage... It's an honor for me to…”

“Why fight seriously?” Shisui cut off, completely ignoring the individual before them.

“Surely, you’ve noticed his eyes…”

“So what? I'm still not going to bother activating my Mangekyo just for that…”

“Shisui, you're in a happy mood today... You seem too confident.”

“I’m fighting alongside you, Yondaime. I can afford to be confident.”

“You cannot defeat me. I am Pain. All your attempts are doomed to fail.”

In a quick step, Shisui placed himself between Minato and Pain.

“Yondaime, I saw that you had arrived too late to save your sensei. Can I assume you were unaware of what was happening here?” Shisui asked.

“That is correct.”

"So you were somehow called to the battlefield?"

“That's right... I have…”

But Pain raised his hand, ready to perform a summoning.

“Kunai!” Shisui yelled at Minato while performing hand seals at high speed.

Minato didn't hesitate. He sent a marked kunai at full speed towards Shisui, behind whom was Pain.

Minato's throwing speed was exceptional. However, if Orochimaru could only narrowly dodge a single throw from Minato, Pain was at a greater distance and would have time to dodge, even at that speed.

“It’s useless,” Pain said, preparing to dodge the weapon. But it was too late.

The kunai noticeably accelerated and was able to hit Pain’s left shoulder. Minato appeared behind Pain, another kunai on his neck.

“These eyes,” Shisui whispered, pointing to his own face. “They are the only ones who can clearly follow such rapid movements. So, it was easy for me to increase the momentum of the kunai.”
But Pain had also prepared himself. The moment Minato appeared, his hand touched his bloody shoulder. He was ready for his summoning.

In a quick move, Minato dropped his kunai and stood at a safe distance.
Shisui, meanwhile, approached the Hokage.

“Have you already understood, Yondaime?”

“Definitely! You are good at coded messages, Shisui.”

"Let's just say I like riddles and illusions..."

Pain tapped his shoulder again. But nothing happened.

“All your attempts are doomed to fail,” Shisui then said, sending Pain’s previous words back to him.

Pain's gaze clearly expressed incomprehension.

“Your summoning technique isn’t going to work. Your blood, the very one used to make a contract with a creature, is now different. Whatever you’re trying to summon won’t answer your call.”

The other Uchihas joined Shisui.

“Blood is, among other things, made up of water. However, this water has evaporated, changing your blood. Besides, your entire body is also made up of water. That's why I'm not surprised to see you visibly turning into a dry corpse. Farewell, Pain.

Pain's eyes widened. His skin twitched. His fluid seemed to evaporate from within, and his body was drying up by the second.

"Your punishment...will be...terrible..." Pain said with his last breath.

The other Uchihas, surprised, looked at Shisui and Minato in amazement.

"That opponent was mediocre," Shisui muttered. “I didn't even have to use my Mangekyo Sharingan. Come on, let's go. And recover the body, or what's left of it, for an autopsy... Be careful not to burn yourself!”

Minato watched them go without saying a word.

Shisui Uchiha... the only Shakuton user in all of Konoha… and a master of the Chakra Blade technique… Minato thought as he returned to the Hyugas.

He pulled off a masterstroke... He somehow discovered the characteristic of my marked kunais, which absorb Yin and Yang to make the use of seals more efficient… Minato continued as he found Mikoto still unconscious in Hiashi’s arms.

Then he understood that he could use it as a Chakra Blade because the metal of my special kunais is the same as those famous blades that he and Asuma learned to use together…

Minato knelt beside Jiraiya's body.

He even managed the feat of adding the Shakuton, a combination of Fire and Wind, while propelling the kunai to make it accelerate in course…

He delicately took Jiraiya’s body on his shoulders and stood up.

“What are you thinking about?” Hiashi asked, seeing his comrade deep in his thoughts.

“Shisui Uchiha… he is outstanding. He managed to perfectly match his abilities with mine," Minato replied.

In a tree made of paper, not far from where the battle took place, Zetsu appeared.

"Those Konoha bastards..." Nagato muttered.

“What will you do?” Konan asked.

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“Nothing,” Black Zetsu interjected. “You didn't plan on having so much trouble... And you only brought two bodies with you, right, Nagato?”

The masked man also made his appearance. His hair had grown much longer since Naruto was born.

"Madara..." Nagato said.

“What happened?” Tobi asked.

It was White Zetsu who broke the silence that had just settled.

“Jiraiya is dead. Orochimaru was defeated by Minato Namikaze but was able to flee with the Hyuga kid. Pain Tendo was defeated by Shisui Uchiha, but his body was recovered by a summoning. Pain Chikushodo was also killed, and the body was recovered by the Uchihas.

“The Uchihas?” Tobi wondered. “I told you, Nagato. Don't underestimate the Uchihas... Your role was limited to ensuring Orochimaru's survival in case of trouble. You should have retreated immediately.”

“This Orochimaru... He better have a good reason for doing all this…”

“He promises us good surprises…”

“He better deliver…”

“And I will…”

The leaves opened, and the sun lit up the dark entrance. Two silhouettes stood out in the intense light. Orochimaru and Neji stepped forward. Papers immediately closed the tree behind them.

“Orochimaru ,” Tobi said. “It's been a while.”

Nagato remained silent, merely staring at Orochimaru with a look that didn't bode well.
Orochimaru, unimpressed by this welcome, could not suppress a satisfied smile.

“Why are you smiling?” Nagato asked coldly. “You failed…”

“Me, failing? Orochimaru sneered. “Don’t project your own failure on others.”

Nagato, furious, seemed ready to kill Orochimaru on the spot for his insolence.
Neji took a step forward, ready to defend his master. Tobi stood in front of him.

“That's enough. Orochimaru, you're implying that the mission wasn’t a failure. Why?”

“You will know more about it later. Even though some... unforeseen obstacles... got in my way, my mission ended in success.”

“I sacrificed two bodies to enable you to flee,” Nagato said. “You have no room for error.”

“Two bodies, already? Orochimaru launched in a provocative tone. “That was quick; I just came back, and you've already lost two bodies…”

“Konoha has formidable forces,” Tobi acknowledged as if to defend Nagato. “You know it, Orochimaru. I learned that you had been defeated by the Yondaime Hokage…”

“And in less than a second,” White Zetsu added.

"Quite pitiful if you ask me..." Black Zetsu muttered.

Orochimaru ignored their taunts.

"That Yondaime Hokage..." Tobi muttered. “He's been messing up our plans for far too long…”

"We have to eliminate him," Black Zetsu agreed. “He must become our priority.”

“I know. I'll take care of it,” Nagato mumbled.

“No,” Tobi replied. “You lost two bodies, including Tendo. Your strength is diminished.”

"What about his wife and kid?" Konan asked. “We could use them to get to him…”

"Impossible," Tobi said again. “Orochimaru has already tried, without success.”

"Besides, Kushina is Kyubi's jinchuriki. If she loses it, things could get complicated." Black Zetsu whispered.

“Kushina... Uzumaki…” Nagato then said, lost in his thoughts.

Everyone in the room turned to him, including Konan. But Nagato didn't add anything.

“Anyway… Attacking his family would be a big mistake. They are too well protected.”

"We should wait for an opening..." Black Zetsu muttered.

“We could,” Tobi agreed. “But we have no idea how long it would take. We cannot afford to act blindly. We have goals... I have a goal... And to achieve it, we must move forward.”

Everyone was silent. But a cold sneer filled the room.

"What is it, Orochimaru?"

The Sannin licked his lips.

“It's quite amusing to see you debating on problems that have already been settled…”

“What do you mean?” Tobi asked, silencing the seemingly furious Nagato with a wave of his hand.

“I have a plan…”

When Minato returned to the village, Jiraiya's body on his shoulders, the welcome he received sadly reminded him that once the fight was over, the pain of the loss of a loved one would resurface again. People gathered around him. He thought back to the moment when Jiraiya carried him, when he was weakened, on his shoulders. The scene was identical, almost identical.

“Look, it's the Yondaime Hokage…”

“He is carrying Jiraiya? He’s not moving. Could he be…”

Minato sadly closed his eyes, but his ears heard the end.

“dead?”

He felt so helpless. He was nicknamed the Yellow Flash of Konoha… He had shown his superiority a few moments earlier over Orochimaru. And yet, he was totally powerless before death. And this suffering… He looked desperately for Kushina with his eyes. He needed her.

“Look, dad, there is even the Hyuga clan behind him!”

Minato felt his heart jump in his chest. Children...children were watching. How could parents allow that? No... It wasn't the parent’s fault. It was his fault.

Doctors came running. With a barely perceptible gesture, Minato motioned for them to go take care of Mikoto. In the crowd, everyone understood. There was nothing more to do. Jiraiya was dead.

Minato blamed himself terribly. Where was Kushina?

Minato saw some Uchihas in the crowd. What effect could it have on them to see Mikoto being carried by Hiashi, a Hyuga? Three individuals came running, making their way through the crowd to stand in front of Minato and the Hyūga clan. The two advisers with, in their center, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The old man's face expressed intense sadness. It was the same face that Minato had seen when The Sandaime’s wife died...

Minato didn't know what to say. Losing a student was tragic. It was, in a way, like losing your own son. He had experienced that, too. He thought back to Rin and Obito… He hadn't been able to protect them. Each time, he had arrived too late...

The medic-ninjas, visibly worried about Mikoto's condition, carried her away to the hospital.

Minato felt a hand land on his back. Was it Kushina? No, it wasn’t his wife’s hand. The feeling was different.

“Minato, go ahead. One of us has to go. You are the best person to do it given the... current circumstances... You need to let her sons know.” Hiashi said.

Minato didn't have the strength to argue. He left Jiraiya's body to Hiashi. He trusted him. And without warning, Minato disappeared. He arrived at the hospital.

A woman at the reception noticed him immediately.

“Yondaime Hokage…”

He stared at her, unable to say a word. He had a lump in his throat. She seemed to understand.

“She's in her room…”

“Yondaime Hokage!” A familiar voice called.

It was the doctor he was talking to when Shisui and his comrades were questioning Sasuke.

“Yondaime Hokage... I'll be direct and honest with you…”

Minato understood that things were serious.

"She’s in critical condition…”

Minato lowered his head. He knew Mikoto had exhausted her chakra.

"Take me to her," he said.

“Of course, follow me.”

They walked like this through the hospital, arriving in front of a door.

“It's here, take your time.” The doctor added.

While the doctor was about to leave, He leaned against a wall to let a group of people pass. They were carrying a body on a stretcher. A woman's body. A woman Minato knew too well… Mikoto.

Minato, surprised, looked at the doctor. If Mikoto had just arrived, who was in this room? Who was the doctor talking about? The doctor quickly left. Minato frowned and opened the door. His heart sank. A woman was lying on a bed, in a deep coma.
Spread out on her pillow, her red hair left no room for doubt… It was his wife.

“Kushina!” Minato called as he rushed to her side.

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