Naruto: Fate System

When Ame's new leader greeted Minato warmly, the accompanying Konoha ninjas were stunned.

Minato didn't bring his three disciples this time, so he was the only one present who recognized Shin.

This was because Kakashi was now preparing for his promotion to jonin, focusing on completing high-level missions to enhance his resume. Obito and Rin decided to support him during this time.

Of course, Rin, as a medical ninja, was the primary source of support, while Obito… was more like her shadow.

Thus, the team accompanying Minato on this trip consisted of his two former teammates and three newcomers.

The former teammates were Shibi and Chōza, while the newcomers were Genma, Iwashi, and Raidō.

These three newcomers would later become part of Minato's personal guard after he became Hokage in the original storyline. They were even trained in the Flying Thunder God Technique, although they could only activate it collaboratively, unlike Minato's solo mastery.

Seeing the rumored Akatsuki leader who defeated the Salamander and gravely injured Root's leader turn out to be a boy not much older than them, Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi couldn't hide their astonishment.

Their pride as shinobi from a great village was thoroughly crushed.

After recovering from his initial surprise, Minato quickly regained his composure and responded calmly. "So, you're the new leader of Akatsuki. It's been a long time."

The name Shin had appeared in the intel before, but Minato had never connected the name to the person in front of him.

"What brings you here this time?" Shin asked with calm politeness.

No matter when they met, it seemed Minato was always on the back foot against this boy. Last time, he had been constrained by Rin's hostage situation. This time, he was limited by Konoha's dire circumstances.

"I'm here to clear up some misunderstandings. I recall that during our meeting last year, you claimed Ame was committed to a neutral stance. If that's the case, why escalate matters to the point of war?"

Shin simply looked at Minato, his gaze reflecting the hardships he had endured. Over the past months, he had transformed from a youth who relied on bluffs and schemes to hold his ground, to someone who could now stand confidently, forcing Minato to initiate dialogue.

His journey had been perilous, as though treading on thin ice. But this time, there was no need for him to tread lightly before Minato. His growing strength and the presence of allies like Kakuzu, Konan, Nagato, and Sanda gave him confidence.

"But didn't you promise that Konoha shinobi wouldn't intrude on Ame uninvited? You broke that promise. This time, the fault lies not with us."

Shin's firm retort left Minato momentarily speechless. After a pause, he finally said, "I can apologize for Danzō's actions."

"If apologies were enough, ninjas wouldn't need kunai," Shin replied, cutting off Minato's gesture to bow.

He had no interest in such gestures of humility.

Minato sighed, still unwilling to give up. "Isn't there room for negotiation? War benefits neither side."

But Shin merely shook his head. A peaceful resolution would derail everything I've planned.

Minato's perspective didn't resonate with him. While Konoha might be struggling under the weight of multiple conflicts, Ame wasn't. Moreover, Shin had a hidden agenda.

What he planned to do in Ame would alienate him from the entire shinobi world. If the feudal lords of neighboring nations caught wind of his ambitions, their reaction could be catastrophic.

He didn't want to stand against the entire ninja world—at least, not yet. Thus, he needed to maintain a facade of normalcy, blending in with the existing order.

Declaring war on Konoha served a dual purpose: to make Danzō answer for his actions and to maintain appearances

By joining the ninja wars, they would seem like just another ninja organization bound by conventional rules and struggles, ensuring the feudal lords wouldn't see them as a threat.

While Shin didn't expect this act to deceive the lords forever, it would buy Ame valuable time to grow stronger. Therefore, there was no way he could agree to Minato's request for peace.

Their objectives were fundamentally misaligned.

After several rounds of verbal sparring, Minato realized they couldn't come to an agreement and changed his tactics.

"By the way, where is Yahiko? I don't see him today. Jiraiya-sensei has been asking about him recently. How is he doing?"

Minato tried to leverage their shared connection with Jiraiya to build rapport. Unfortunately, the attempt backfired.

"Yahiko is gravely injured and hasn't regained consciousness yet. Oh, and it was your Danzō who did it."

"…"

Minato was immediately at a loss for words. The conversation had reached a dead end.

Unable to make any progress, he had no choice but to retreat, concluding the meeting and returning to Konoha to report.

On the way back, the three newcomers were visibly upset.

"He was so arrogant!" Genma fumed, spitting his senbon into a nearby tree. "Does he really think Konoha is easy to bully just because we're under pressure?"

The senbon sank deep into the wood with a sharp thunk. Raidō nodded vigorously, turning to Minato. "Why didn't you put him in his place, Minato-senpai? Let him see Konoha's strength!"

To their surprise, Minato merely sighed. "It's not that simple."

"How so?" Iwashi asked.

Minato's steps slowed as he considered how to explain. "I've known that boy longer than any of you. If I could stop him, I'd want to more than anyone. But it's not that easy."

"If we fought today, all of you would have died."

The three young men didn't believe him. They exchanged skeptical glances.

Yet even the usually reserved Shibi spoke up. "Minato is right. You have no idea how dangerous that person truly is."

"What do you mean?" Genma asked somewhat defiantly, his senbon needle twitching with irritation between his lips.

Shibi didn't answer directly but instead countered with a question, his high collar hiding any expression: "During the negotiations earlier, your attention was entirely on the Akatsuki leader in front of that blue-haired girl, wasn't it?"

Genma didn't quite understand, so he asked in confusion, "What's the problem with that?" We were all watching him. Where else should we have been looking?

Thinking himself humorous, he added, "I wasn't looking at the girl, though she's kinda cute." He twirled his senbon, trying to lighten the mood.

"But what if I told you his real body was actually behind those people the entire time?"

Genma's eyes widened in shock, "How is that possible?" The senbon nearly fell from his slack mouth. The whole time... I was looking at nothing?

But Minato's statement crushed any hope. "It's true. The one standing before us and talking was just a clone. You didn't notice because you were affected by a genjutsu."

Shibi nodded in agreement. "That's correct. I only realized something was off midway through."

"His genjutsu is incredibly sophisticated. Though it doesn't have lethal effects, it makes people subconsciously overlook his real presence, achieving near invisibility in plain sight."

"I only discovered the truth thanks to the insects' warnings." He adjusted his sunglasses, remembering how even his insects had initially missed the deception.

Only then did the three younger members break into a cold sweat in hindsight. Throughout the negotiation, they had been so close, yet they hadn't sensed anything unusual. They didn't even know where the enemy truly was.

No wonder Minato said they wouldn't have survived in a real fight.

"He's really that powerful? It's a good thing you saw through his tricks—" As Izumo began to speak, Chōza interrupted with a sheepish laugh, scratching his head.

"Actually, I didn't see through it either. Like you, I focused on the clone the entire time." He patted his stomach absently, a habit when he was uncomfortable.

Shibi gave him a cold sidelong glance. "I specifically used my insects to warn you."

But Chōza replied confidently, his face brightening as he remembered, "I got distracted thinking about what to eat for dinner and didn't notice your insects biting me. The new barbecue place just opened, you see..."

"..."

Shibi was speechless. Minato could only sigh helplessly.

This was why he hadn't acted earlier—the three new members were utterly defenseless against the opponent, and his teammate wasn't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed.

Moreover, he had broken free of the genjutsu earlier and noticed even more details than Shibi.

Shin hadn't merely hidden his real body. Using genjutsu, he created a psychological invisibility effect while also leaving a small pool of water under his real body. 

Minato sensed an ample amount of chakra in that water.

It was likely prepared for Water Release techniques to ensure survival or counterattack—perhaps a water clone, a Water Body Flicker technique, or some other means of avoiding instant defeat.

For a moment, he couldn't decide whether to admire Shin's thorough preparation or feel frustrated by the youth's meticulous caution.

Since his debut, Shin was undoubtedly the best at defending against Minato's Flying Thunder God. His preparations were nearly flawless.

Both times they had met, Minato hadn't even considered making a move. Last year's encounter could be chalked up to his own unwillingness to kill.

But this time, for the sake of Konoha's peace, he had genuinely contemplated whether to take Shin down right there and then.

Unfortunately, he was ultimately deterred by the opponent's arrangements. The water, the clone, the genjutsu—layers upon layers of defense.

If he acted, he wasn't confident in securing the boy immediately.

Moreover, the individuals standing beside Shin—each of them gave Minato an equally dangerous impression.

While he knew about Konan and Nagato from Jiraiya, who was the masked figure?

And the other Ame ninjas gathered around Shin—they all exuded a threatening presence. 

This left Minato deeply puzzled.

"Once we return, let's mobilize the intelligence operatives we've absorbed from Root. Danzō's meddling might have caused more trouble than we anticipated." Too many unknowns...

"At the very least, I need to know who those people around him are and where they came from."

This was the first time Shibi and Chōza had heard Minato issue an order with such an authoritative tone befitting a leader. Even his footsteps seemed heavier, more purposeful.

This demonstrated just how much the failed negotiations had shaken him.

Shibi cautiously asked, "But wouldn't this mean we'd have to retain these operatives long-term instead of temporarily deploying them as we do now?"

"Won't that create issues? After all, Root is directly under the elder's command..."

He trailed off, trusting Minato to understand.

"Let's proceed as planned. If I truly become Hokage in the future, perhaps Konoha's Council system will need some reform."

For a moment, even Chōza, who always squinted his eyes, widened them in astonishment. His hand froze halfway to his snack pouch.

No one expected such an unremarkable, inconclusive negotiation to cause such significant ripples.

In the original timeline, Minato's life was smooth sailing.

Undefeated on the battlefield and ascending to the top ranks within the village, he rose effortlessly, which contributed to his warm and optimistic personality—a self-confidence radiating from within.

The Yellow Flash who could solve any problem with a smile and a flash of his legendary technique.

He genuinely believed there was nothing he couldn't accomplish, allowing him to remain composed and amiable in any situation, avoiding conflicts with others.

He wasn't too timid to challenge the elders but rather too confident—confident that he alone could handle everything, even tolerating a few ineffectual advisors. Such a mindset was natural for someone who had never faced setbacks.

But in this timeline, repeated deviations from fate had begun to chip away at Minato's once-perfect confidence.

From Kakashi's uncontrollable changes last year to Iwa's sudden intervention, and this time the uncontrollable situation in the Land of Rain—each event chipped away at his once-unshakable assurance.

The others could sense the change in him, like watching a sunny day slowly give way to storm clouds.

A small seed of doubt had sprouted within him. 

Who could say whether future events wouldn't water and nurture this seed? After all, the Third Great Ninja War was only in its second year.

Many twists and turns still lay ahead, and the little butterfly that had fluttered in from another world was still tirelessly beating its wings. With each beat, the winds of change grew stronger.

And at this very moment, that butterfly had finally earned recognition from its system.

For the first time in a long while, Shin saw that his system had updated to a brand-new version.

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