As Fugaku Uchiha caught Minato Namikaze in his arms, following that incredibly loud, impassioned confession…
the entire courtyard fell into a dead silence.
The only sound was a series of muffled, poorly contained snickers coming from thin air.
Minato’s mind had gone completely blank.
He had lost all ability to form a coherent thought.
The normally bright and cheerful teenager was currently experiencing social death on an unprecedented scale.
Fugaku was in a similar state.
His brain had been completely shattered by the sheer absurdity of the situation.
In his shock, he hadn’t even let go of Minato yet.
“Are you two…”
A voice finally shattered the silence.
It came from one of the young Uchiha clansmen, whose eyes were bulging so far out of his skull they were practically rolling on the ground.
“Holy crap!
Fugaku, let go of me!” Minato finally snapped out of his stupor, frantically scrambling out of Fugaku’s embrace.
Fugaku, still completely blue-screened, barely registered that his arms were suddenly empty.
“Did Minato Namikaze just…
confess to Big Bro Fugaku?” “This is…”
The rest of the Uchiha youths finally processed what they had just witnessed.
They stared at Minato and Fugaku with deeply complicated expressions.
One was the village’s golden boy; the other was the Uchiha clan’s top prodigy.
How did these two end up together?
Wait, no—how could they end up together?!
Realizing the massive misunderstanding, Minato desperately waved his hands and took a step toward Fugaku.
“No, wait, Fugaku!
Listen to me, I can explain!”
Fugaku finally snapped back to reality.
Seeing Minato stepping toward him with waving hands, a violent chill ran down his spine.
He instinctively recoiled.
“No.
Don’t come any closer.”
“Minato, it’s impossible between us.
I like women.
I don’t like men.”
Fugaku’s heart was filled with genuine terror.
Right now, that bright blonde hair looked like the Grim Reaper’s scythe, and those waving hands looked like tentacles dragging him to hell.
It was absolutely terrifying.
“Uh, Fugaku, I’m not…
I didn’t…
just listen to me!” “I…”
The words died in Minato’s throat.
How was he supposed to explain this?
It was just too embarrassing!
“Minato, I never imagined you harbored these kinds of feelings for me,” Fugaku said gravely, his face pale.
“These thoughts are incredibly dangerous, do you understand?
And moreover…
The name ‘Kushina’ detonated in Minato’s brain like a nuclear bomb.
He had been so focused on honoring the bet that he hadn’t even considered the consequences.
If Kushina found out about this…
he would be skinned alive.
He instantly recalled the horrific beating he took when she found out about the bathhouse incident.
Oh god.
“Fugaku, please, just listen to me—” “No, I will not listen.
Minato, I never thought you were this kind of person.” “I lost a bet to Gekko Senzan!
I don’t actually like you!” Minato finally blurted out in sheer desperation.
Fugaku jolted again.
A bet?
They used him as the penalty for a bet?!
That damn Minato Namikaze!
What did they take him for?!
He tricked him out of his first embrace, screamed a confession in front of his clansmen, and it was all because of a stupid bet?!
In an instant, the flames of absolute fury ignited within Fugaku’s chest.
“Hehehe…
I considered you a friend, and you used me as a joke for a bet?” Fugaku’s voice dropped to a freezing, lethal register.
“Minato, don’t say another word.
Draw your blade.”
“Today, I’m going to teach you exactly what happens when you make a mockery of an Uchiha.
And don’t worry—after I beat you half to death, I’m going to hunt down that bastard Senzan, so you won’t be in the hospital alone.”
Swish!
The crimson red of the three-tomoe Sharingan flared to life in Fugaku’s eyes.
His normally calm demeanor shattered, replaced by an intense, razor-sharp killing intent locked squarely onto Minato.
“Wait, Fugaku, I really didn’t mean to!” Minato panicked, backing up rapidly.
“Hey, hey, hey!
Don’t do it for real!”
Fugaku had already drawn the long ninjato from his back and was charging at Minato with lethal intent.
“Die, Minato!
I’ll make you pay for humiliating the Uchiha!” “Fire Style: Jutsu That Never Kills Anyone!
(Great Fireball Jutsu!)”
A massive sphere of scorching flames erupted from Fugaku’s mouth, blasting straight toward Minato.
“I’ll dodge!
Fugaku, I swear it was an accident!” “Ahhhh!”
Minato frantically triggered the Body Flicker Jutsu to evade the inferno, still desperately trying to smooth things over.
But consumed by pure rage, Fugaku didn’t care what he had to say.
If the fireball couldn’t kill him, he’d just hack him to pieces with his sword!
Under the stunned gazes of the entire courtyard, Minato bolted, and Fugaku chased after him, blade raised.
The two of them tore out of the compound, playing a high-speed game of cat-and-mouse through the streets of the Hidden Leaf.
Meanwhile, Senzan was laughing so hard he was practically rolling on the ground, and Chomei was cackling right along with him in the mindscape.
[Ding!
Detected Host triggering ‘Minato Namikaze Confesses to Fugaku Uchiha’ event.
Reward: Ninjutsu +5.] [Ding!
Detected Host triggering ‘Fugaku Chases Minato with Intent to Kill’ event.
Reward: Genjutsu +5.]
Hahaha!
Senzan couldn’t stop grinning.
“Oh, right.
There’s one last thing I need to take care of.”
Watching their retreating figures, Senzan suddenly remembered a crucial loose end he needed to tie up.
In the next second, he triggered the Flying Thunder God, teleporting straight to the center of the village.
Since his Transparency Jutsu was still active, no one even noticed his arrival.
He quickly navigated the bustling streets, hunting for a specific target.
Soon enough, near the Mission Assignment Desk, he found her.
That vibrant red hair was impossible to miss.
It was the future Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, Minato’s future wife, the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero of the Leaf—Kushina Uzumaki.
Senzan dropped his invisibility.
“Yo!
Big Sis Kushina!”
“Hmm?
Oh, Senzan!
Hey there,” Kushina greeted brightly.
“What’s up?
Are you here to pick up a mission too?”
Because of Minato, Kushina was actually quite friendly toward Senzan.
“No, I’m not here for a mission.
I actually came looking for you.”
Hearing that he had specifically sought her out, Kushina blinked in surprise.
“Oh?
Looking for me?
What’s going on?”
Senzan’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
His entire posture slumped in utter devastation as he cried out, “Big Sis Kushina!
I swear I didn’t do it on purpose!”
“I just made a little bet with Minato!
If I managed to find a master, he promised he’d do one thing for me!
So I jokingly told him to go confess to Fugaku Uchiha…
but he actually took it seriously!
It was clearly just a joke, but he literally ran up and threw himself into Fugaku’s arms!”
At that exact moment, Senzan astutely noticed a drastic shift in Kushina’s aura.
It rapidly morphed from perfectly calm to absolutely, terrifyingly berserk.
Her vibrant red hair began to slowly levitate around her head in nine distinct sections.
“I know I messed up, so I came straight here to apologize to you!” Senzan continued to wail, pouring gasoline on the roaring fire.
“Minato and Big Sis Kushina are clearly meant for each other!
But because of my stupid joke, Minato and Fugaku are currently playing a passionate game of tag all over the village!
“I’m so sorry, Big Sis!
It’s all my fault!
I honestly had no idea Minato and Fugaku actually harbored those kinds of feelings for each other!”
Senzan executed a perfect ninety-degree bow, his posture radiating pure, unadulterated remorse.
Honestly, his performance would have been incredibly convincing…
if it weren’t for the fact that his head was down to hide the massive, wicked grin stretching across his face.