Half an hour later, the Fourth Hokage left Uchiha Fugaku's house under the cover of night, the weight of a firm political alliance settled quietly behind his eyes.
He reappeared in a flash of golden light in the living room of his home, chakra swirling faintly at his feet.
Kushina rushed to meet him.
"Well? Did it go okay?"
Her voice was breathless, hopeful, but anxious. She'd supported his decision from the start, but now that things were actually in motion, even her strong will wavered.
Minato pulled back his hood and exhaled.
"I think it worked. I can't be sure… but Danzo and the others didn't suspect anything. In fact—" he paused, lips twitching in mild disbelief, "—they looked thrilled."
"Hah! Of course they did," Kushina huffed, folding her arms. "That old relic's probably been dreaming of usurping the Hokage's seat since the day Hiruzen retired."
Minato gave a tired nod. "The council chamber was loud. They argued the entire time. Mostly over who would take over my duties."
Kushina's brows furrowed. "And who will?"
"Likely the Third. Or Danzo. Homura and Koharu have influence too, but not enough support."
She looked toward the porch, jaw tense. "Does it matter?"
Minato shook his head.
"No. Whoever it is, they'll all trip over the same obstacles."
From the far side of the room, Kai, seated with arms crossed near the window, spoke for the first time since Minato's return.
"It doesn't matter who holds your seat, Hokage-sama," he said evenly. "What matters is that, for the next few months, you must be absent from public view and you'll be out of fire."
Kushina sat beside Minato now, eyes still fixed on Kai. "And when things go wrong…?"
"They will," Kai replied. "The moment Konoha stumbles, the people will remember exactly who they miss."
Minato leaned back, fingers steepled. "And I'll reappear — just in time to save them from the consequences of their own greed."
"Exactly," Kai said. "That's the knife."
"The borrowed one?"
Kai nodded.
"Yugakure. And more specifically — Kumogakure."
Minato's eyes narrowed. "The Hidden Cloud."
"Let Danzo and his old allies hold the reins," Kai continued. "Let them fumble foreign policy, mismanage war preparation, and watch the Cloud send its shinobi to your gates."
Kushina leaned forward, intrigued. "Then the people will beg for Minato's return."
"Because only he," Kai said simply, "has ever stopped a war before it began."
Minato's expression was unreadable.
"Borrowing the enemy's blade to carve out your political rivals," he murmured. "It's… the only way."
"It's for survival," Kai corrects him.
There was a silence that followed — not uncomfortable, but heavy with consequence.
Then Kushina spoke up, suddenly sharp.
"Wait… do you think the Hidden Cloud will really attack?"
"They will," Kai said without hesitation. "With just a little push."
Minato frowned. "Even though I'm alive? In the original timeline, they attacked because they thought I was dead."
"And they still might," Kai said. "The longer you stay out of sight, the more vulnerable Konoha looks. A few rumors planted in the right places — whispers about a broken seal, an injured Hokage — and the vultures will circle immediately."
He glanced out the window, where the night pressed against the trees.
"Especially Kumogakure."
Minato exhaled, slow and quiet. "They always did look down on us."
"In the original timeline," Kai reminded them, "when they heard you'd died stopping the Nine-Tails, they launched an invasion in less than a month. That led to a three-year border conflict."
Kushina grimaced. "And we had to beg for peace."
Minato nodded reluctantly. "I remember. It ended with a treaty — but only on paper. Not long after, they tried to kidnap the hyuga princess."
"Which led to the Hyūga Affair," Kai added. "Konoha was forced to hand over Hizashi's corpse as penance to avoid reigniting a war."
"They didn't care about diplomacy," Minato muttered. "They just wanted our Byakugan."
"And they knew Konoha was too weak to stop them."
Kushina sat back, fists clenched in her lap. "So this time… we let them attack again?"
"No," Kai said. "This time, you let them think they've won."
Kushina blinked.
Minato stayed quiet.
Kai continued, his tone shifting from sharp to strategic.
"Let them break the illusion. Let the village realize what happens without you. When Kumogakure makes its move, Danzo and his advisor will step forward — proud, confident. They'll rally forces, bluff strength, issue threats."
"And then?" Minato asked.
"They'll fail."
The word dropped with finality.
Kushina looked up. "And you're sure of that?"
"They're relics. Half-broken. Politically vicious, but tactically obsolete."
Kai turned toward Minato. "The moment they show weakness — even once — you come back. The Yellow Flash returns. And with one clean, public win, you erase all doubts."
Minato was silent, absorbing every word.
"You'll come back stronger," Kai said. "Not just as Hokage. But as the only one Konoha truly trusts."
Kushina grinned. "It's almost poetic."
Minato's voice was quiet. "It's war. It's never poetic."
Kai stared at them silently.
But Kushina wasn't done.
"Still… isn't it risky? What if they actually win?"
Minato frowned at that, too. "Konoha may be stubborn, but we've survived worse."
Kai's expression darkened.
"No," he said. "Not against Kumogakure."
There was a pause.
And then he asked:
"Do you remember who killed the Second Hokage?"
Minato stiffened.
Kushina's breath caught.
"…The Hidden Cloud," she whispered.
"Tobirama's death broke something in Konoha's leadership," Kai said quietly. "The old guard have feared the Cloud's strength ever since. Sarutobi, Danzo — none of them have the will to stand toe-to-toe with the Raikage."
"They'll fold," Minato said, the truth sinking in. "Just like they did with the Hyūga. Just like they always have."
"Exactly."
Kai stood and stepped onto the porch, looking out over the moonlit rooftops of the village.
"Let them take the fall," he said. "And when the people are desperate — when the elders are discredited — you take back what's yours."
Kushina followed him with her eyes.
"Still," she said, more cautiously now, "if Kumogakure doesn't strike first, what if… someone else does?"
"They will," Kai replied. "If not the Cloud, then someone worse."
Minato turned toward him, dread slipping into his voice.
"Obito?"
Kai didn't answer right away.
Then he said, "Minato, Kushina — why do you think Obito attacked now?"
Minato blinked. "To take the Nine-Tails?"
"But why now?" Kai asked. "Why this exact moment?"
Kushina furrowed her brow. "Because… he was angry? Over what happened to Rin?"
"Madara's influence?" Minato added quietly. "He twisted Obito — filled him with hatred after Rin died. Maybe that pain pushed him to act."
Kai gave a small nod.
"Madara started the change, yes. But the Nine-Tails attack… wasn't his idea."
Minato looked up sharply. "It wasn't an order?"
"No," Kai said. "Madara had already died by then. Obito chose this target, this moment, on his own."
Kushina's voice dropped. "Then it wasn't revenge."
"It was a signal," Kai said. "A warning. Obito knew the Tailed Beasts weren't ready. The Demonic Statue wasn't prepared. This wasn't about collecting the Nine-Tails."
Minato clenched his fists. "Then what was it?"
Kai answered with a single word.
"Chaos."