The instant the answering round began, both the living world and Jōdo erupted into action.
[Minato Namikaze: D!]
[Fourth Raikage: C!]
[Tobirama Senju: F!]
[Itachi Uchiha: D!]
[…]
[Answering Period Over]
[Correct Answer: D]
[Correct Respondents: Minato Namikaze, Itachi Uchiha]
[Ability Analysis: The Red Eyes are an ocular kekkei genkai capable of seeing through objects, sensing chakra and life force, and creating chakra-based images that can interfere with and deceive the Byakugan.]
Once the answer was revealed, no one had much reason to complain about losing.
When it came to reaction speed, Minato Namikaze stood at the absolute pinnacle of the current contestants.
The Fourth Raikage had even activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, stimulating his body to its limits in hopes of securing one of the first answer slots.
But when he saw that Minato had still beaten him, he accepted the result.
He and Minato had clashed many times in the past.
No matter how much the Raikage pushed his own speed, he had never managed to gain a decisive advantage over the Yellow Flash.
There had even been a time when he wondered whether anyone in the shinobi world could truly defeat Minato.
And yet—
Minato had still died during the Nine-Tails attack.
If nothing else, that had taught the Raikage one thing.
No matter how powerful a shinobi became, no one was beyond death.
The third person to secure an answer slot was Tobirama Senju.
That surprised no one either.
The Second Hokage was the creator of the Flying Thunder God Technique, and his combat reactions were legendary.
What truly surprised everyone was the final name.
Itachi Uchiha.
Since when were his reactions that fast?
Unlike the Raikage, Itachi wasn’t even known for relying on Lightning Release to enhance his speed.
Perhaps all those years of shuriken training had paid off more than anyone realized.
[Sasuke Uchiha: Damn it!
That bastard Itachi got there first—and he even chose the right answer!]
[Kankuro: So close!
I picked D too, but I was just a little too slow.]
[Kurotsuchi: Can the next quiz please not depend entirely on reaction speed?
How are ordinary shinobi supposed to compete with monsters like these?]
[Darui: Don’t blame the rules because you’re slow.
You could always use Lightning Release to sharpen your reactions.]
Ao’s attention, however, had already shifted elsewhere.
[Ao: So those Red Eyes naturally counter the Byakugan…]
[Ao: Then Kirigakure really should bring Kurosuki Raiga back.
That child he carries around could become extremely useful someday.]
A new message immediately appeared.
[Kurosuki Raiga: In your dreams!
No one is taking Ranmaru away from me!]
[Kurosuki Raiga: Anyone who comes after him can expect a funeral of their own!]
[Ranmaru: I only want to stay with Raiga-sama.
I have no intention of targeting the Hyuga Clan, so I hope no one comes looking for trouble either.]
[…]
…
In Konoha.
Hiruzen’s expression grew increasingly tense when he saw that Minato had earned the right to ask the screen a question.
What would Minato ask?
Would the answer involve him?
The more Hiruzen thought about it, the more uneasy he became.
After all—
Naruto’s life in Konoha had hardly been a happy one.
Hopefully Minato still puts the village first…
And doesn’t use this opportunity solely for personal matters.
…
Elsewhere, among the Akatsuki.
Pain, Konan, Kakuzu, Sasori, and the others were mildly surprised.
Itachi had actually won a question of his own.
More importantly—
how had he known that Red Eyes were the correct answer?
Kakuzu looked toward him.
“Itachi.
What are you planning to ask?”
Sasori spoke next.
“Maybe he’ll ask whether the Uchiha he killed are cursing him from Jōdo.”
Kisame glanced at Itachi with open curiosity.
“Itachi-san, rushing into a quiz like this doesn’t really seem like you.”
He grinned slightly.
“Is there something you desperately want to know?”
Itachi didn’t answer.
He simply waited for the screen’s next instruction.
Then it appeared.
[Minato Namikaze, choose whether your question and its answer will be public.]
[Minato Namikaze: Public.]
[State your question within three minutes.
If the time expires, the reward will be forfeited.]
…
In Jōdo.
Minato looked toward Kushina.
The hope in her eyes was obvious.
He knew exactly what she wanted to know.
Was Naruto happy?
Was he healthy?
Was he being treated well?
Minato wanted those answers too.
Even if Naruto still had no idea that Minato was his father, he desperately wanted to know how his son had been living.
But there was something else that had troubled him ever since the night he died.
The masked man.
The man who had attacked Kushina during childbirth.
The man who had taken control of the Nine-Tails and unleashed it upon Konoha.
And before disappearing, that man had made his intentions clear.
He would eventually bring the shinobi world under his control.
And he had more than enough methods to keep trying.
For Naruto.
For Konoha.
For the entire shinobi world—
Minato needed to learn who that man truly was.
If the masked man’s identity became public, Jiraiya, Hiruzen, and the others could prepare for him.
They would no longer be facing an enemy they knew absolutely nothing about.
There was another reason Minato had become even more suspicious.
From what deceased members of the Uchiha Military Police Force had revealed in Jōdo, a masked man had also taken part in the night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
That meant the same mysterious figure might have been operating from the shadows for years.
Minato turned toward Kushina.
“Kushina…
I’m sorry.”
“I have to use this question to uncover the masked man’s identity.”
“If we don’t expose him now, Konoha will remain vulnerable to whatever he tries next.”
Kushina smiled.
“I know.”
“And you’re doing it for Naruto too, aren’t you?”
Minato looked at her quietly.
Once again, he felt incredibly fortunate to have her beside him.
She understood him without needing anything more.
Minato reached out and held her hand tightly.
“I promise you.”
“If another opportunity comes…”
“I’ll do everything I can to give you a chance to speak with Naruto.”
“I promise.”
Kushina squeezed his hand.
“Okay.”
“I believe you.”
At that moment—
the three-minute limit ended.
[State Your Question]
[The Screen Will Answer Truthfully]
Minato’s expression became completely serious.
Then his message appeared.
[Minato Namikaze: I want to know the true identity of the masked man who attacked Kushina, controlled the Nine-Tails, and attacked Konoha in Konoha Year 48!]