Konoha's Mission Master

On the charcoal fire, several pieces of roasted meat dripped oil onto the embers, sparking as they fell, until only a wisp of white smoke rose.

Yakumo straightened the hem of his clothes and sat down on a round rock next to the campfire, quietly waiting for the feast to begin.

Kushina Uzumaki's cooking is truly irresistible!

Not far from him was Rina Uzumaki, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. She looked very much like Karin Uzumaki in Yakumo's memory, except that she wasn't wearing glasses.

When she looked at Yakumo, her eyes were still full of love.

Yakumo could only stare at the fire, watching the beef being roasted over charcoal.

"It's been a long time. I haven't seen you since, Yakumo-kun."

Rina Uzumaki spoke first, her face as warm as spring and her smile as beautiful as a flower.

"Rina, it's been a long time."

After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, Yakumo closed his eyes as if lost in thought, until the beef on the charcoal grill emitted an enticing aroma.

"Can we eat now, Kushina?"

Jiraiya asked impatiently, holding a jug of sake in his left hand, his face slightly flushed, indicating he was in a slightly tipsy state.

"Okay."

Brush brush.

The group started eating.

The competition for the beef on the bonfire was fierce, with chopsticks clashing in the air—a silent battle.

Yakumo single-handedly suppressed the crowd.

Ultimately… they became the sole winner of this competition!

Not long after,

Kushina then began grilling the second batch of beef.

Three hours later, Rina Uzumaki got up and went back to the second floor.

Although she was also a registered ninja of Konoha, she was not as high-ranking as Jiraiya and Minato. However, she was able to guess the reason why everyone had gathered together by mastering the sealing technique.

When Kushina Uzumaki gives birth, Kurama (the Nine-Tails) may take the opportunity to cause a rampage.

The group needs to discuss a solution.

"Let's talk about serious matters."

Seeing that Rina Uzumaki had disappeared, Yakumo asked her a question.

"Ahem, the Nine-Tails might go berserk when Kushina gives birth."

The main purpose of today's gathering is to finalize the protection plan.

As ordered by the Fourth Hokage, Lord Yakumo will be responsible for his protection.

Minato Namikaze stood up and wiped away the oil stains with a damp towel.

"no problem."

Yakumo nodded. He was quite close to Jiraiya and had eaten dozens of meals at Minato's house as a friend of both Minato and Kushina.

Even if Sakumo Hatake hadn't asked, he would have taken the initiative to protect Kushina Uzumaki on the day she gave birth.

“Mount Myōboku… refused the request,” Jiraiya said.

"Was the originally planned birthing location...Mount Myoboku?"

Yakumo asked, somewhat surprised.

"That's right, but Mount Myōboku declined, citing its tranquility."

Jiraiya picked up the conversation... and said calmly.

"I suppose they were worried that the Nine-Tails would break free and destroy Mount Myōboku."

Mount Myoboku is rich in natural energy.

Ultimately, it's just a few dozen kilometers of interlayer space, which is extremely fragile... A high-intensity energy impact could very well break the fragile balance within the space.

"The current plan is to give birth at Konoha Hospital."

"Not...concealing?" Jiraiya asked.

“If Yakumo is in charge of guarding, there is no point in hiding for those who can break through his defenses. However, I will stay by Kushina’s side and be ready to use Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to the second backup position at any time to continue delivering babies.”

"This plan is good, at least... I haven't found any loopholes."

Jiraiya nodded in deep agreement.

"Then I'll take charge of the second backup point... how about that?"

Minato Namikaze replied with a smile.

"Then the master will be in charge of the second backup point."

Yakumo, however, had some objections to this.

If the attacker was Orochimaru, given his familiarity with Jiraiya, the so-called second backup point would be as obvious as a lighthouse in the dark.

However, he did not tell the two of them this.

At this time, there were still nine months until Kushina Uzumaki gave birth, which was enough time for Yakumo to kill Orochimaru completely.

"What's the child's name?" Yakumo asked.

"I haven't decided yet, but I'd like to call him... Naruto Uzumaki."

Minato Namikaze continued.

"Uzumaki? Naruto?"

Jiraiya sounded quite surprised, noting that in the ninja world, the vast majority of children are named after their fathers.

Originally, Minato Namikaze's children should have taken Namikaze as their surname.

Kushina's grandfather was the head of the Uzumaki clan.

After the Uzumaki clan was wiped out, she naturally succeeded as clan leader. As clan leader, Kushina naturally had the responsibility to continue the bloodline, which is why I proposed that the child take the Uzumaki surname.

Minato Namikaze offered an explanation, and Kushina, who was drinking tea nearby, immediately smiled charmingly upon hearing this, her eyes fixed solely on Minato.

Although the two had discussed this matter privately, they had not actually made a decision. Today, Minato Namikaze took the initiative to confess in front of several people, and the matter has now become a fact.

Mutual support and growth are perhaps the most beautiful aspects of love.

"The name Naruto is taken from the protagonist of the author's novel."

Minato Namikaze continued explaining, a sunny smile on his face.

He named his son after two of the most important people in his life.

Beside him, Jiraiya's smile was radiant, almost as if it were filled with tears.

Jiraiya had no children.

Minato Namikaze was also the disciple who had stayed by his side the longest, and was more like his son. This action at this moment moved Jiraiya even more.

“Master… I plan to hold a wedding ceremony with Kushina in a while, and I hope you can attend as my father.”

Minato Namikaze bowed to Jiraiya, his words quite sincere.

At this moment, Jiraiya could no longer suppress the joy in his heart. A clear tear slid down his cheek, and he raised his head and shouted loudly.

"Okay, okay, okay!!"

Kushina Uzumaki has been living with Minato Namikaze since she was a teenager, and the two have been in an unlicensed relationship for a long time, but they are finally about to get married.

Yakumo stood up and bid farewell to everyone.

Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and Jiraiya left behind the specific steps for planning their wedding.

The usually lazy Jiraiya even volunteered to be the wedding emcee and to oversee the entire wedding process.

Time... quietly arrived, the twenty-seventh year of Konoha.

January 12th, sunny.

Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki's wedding took place as scheduled.

The wedding was held at the training grounds of Konoha.

After removing the props used for daily martial arts practice, a two-meter-wide red carpet was laid out.

Round wooden tables filled with fruit and wine were placed on either side of the carpet.

Ninety-nine percent of Konoha's high-ranking officials attended the wedding, including Hiruzen Sarutobi, Fugaku Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga, Shikaku Nara, and many others.

Even the Fourth Hokage, Sakumo Hatake, participated.

Yakumo stood at the edge, with no one within two meters of him, as if there were an invisible boundary. The only person beside him was Masako Mori, who was wearing a kimono.

To show his respect for the newlyweds, Yakumo had no choice but to put on an ill-fitting kimono and stand at the entrance like a wooden sculpture to greet the guests.

Although they were supposed to be greeting guests, they seemed more like security guards.

Yakumo needs to prevent dangerous individuals from infiltrating the wedding and causing damage... He especially needs to be wary of Orochimaru and Madara Uchiha.

Not far away, Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga were having a lively conversation, looking like long-lost brothers, but anyone with eyes could see the rivalry between them.

During Hiruzen Sarutobi's tenure as Hokage, the Hyuga clan was highly valued.

The personnel were even spread throughout the Anbu. Of course, behind this high regard was the use of the Hyuga clan to restrain the Uchiha clan.

Only through the conflict between the two races can the Third Hokage benefit.

This is a rather simple plan to drive one wolf into another, but it is worthwhile for the sake of the two clans' thousand-year glory and the internal interests of Konoha.

Even if they become pawns, they are destined not to back down.

This situation was alleviated after Sakumo Hatake took over, granting the Uchiha clan the authority to join the Anbu, thus completely breaking the Hyuga clan's checks and balances.

Sakumo Hatake took the lead in quelling the conflict between the two clans. Although the situation has improved somewhat in the past two years, the two clans are still secretly competing with each other.

This also led to a conflict between the two clan chiefs.

The discord between Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga.