Naruto - Minato Namikaze SI - Chapter 199 - Arrival in Konoha!

[Chapter Size: 1800 Words.]
Third Person POV
Konoha, Year 41.
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Konoha was finally in sight as they approached.

Along the way, many ninjas from different teams joined Minato's group, forming a steady stream of others from various camps also heading toward the village.

As they advanced, Minato could see the stone faces of the Hokage, the highest point of the village, while they approached the main gate. The walls also began to appear between the trees, and with them, as they got even closer, the buzz of voices grew louder from within the gates.

“We’re finally arriving,” one of the ninjas in the group commented, relieved and excited like the others as they observed the village gates drawing nearer.

Minato nodded but remained silent, allowing only a small smile to show his own excitement at returning home.

Konoha’s gates were crowded, though not with civilians. Groups of ninjas returning from various other camps landed in the area, joining those already gathered and watching each new group arrive from the end of the war.

The sound of thousands of civilians celebrating could still be heard from inside the gates as they anxiously awaited the return of the warriors who had fought in the war. The cheers were louder than ever.

“Looks like they’ve been celebrating for days,” Hanabi observed, watching the crowd gathered inside the village gates.

“That’s to be expected,” Minato replied. “Many of those here had family and friends away at war for years. Seeing so many return home is cause for joy, though many are grieving companions they will never see again. Even so, the end of the war is a great reason to celebrate.”

As the group approached the gates, Minato noticed several people pointing in his direction and whispering among themselves.

“Let’s wait our turn to enter,” Minato told his companions and the entire squad from his camp, stopping to observe the situation around them.

While they waited, he noticed more ninjas arriving from other directions, and Minato quickly recognized a familiar presence among them.

“Look, it’s Sakumo,” one of the ninjas said, pointing to the famous ninja known as Konoha’s White Fang, who was approaching from the west after leaving the southern border camp.

“We’ve finally arrived,” Sakumo said to his team, his expression calm as he took in the sight of home.

The crowd reacted at the sight of him. Sakumo was already a recognized hero before the war, and his presence caused quite a stir among those present. After briefly greeting those around him, he headed straight toward Minato.

“I see you’re here too—and in good shape,” Sakumo said, shaking Minato’s hand. “I’ve heard you did a great job at the northern camp. Your reports were impressive—the best results in the war this past year...”

Minato, who would have once felt a bit shy at receiving praise in front of so many people, simply nodded, now more accustomed to handling others and having gained a certain level of maturity as a commander.

“I must say I learned a lot during that time, Sir Sakumo,” he replied. “Being a camp commander for a while was a challenging and very welcome experience.”

“Welcome back,” Sakumo said with a smile.

Minato nodded. He had heard some rumors and read reports from other war camps. Sakumo’s name had become even more feared after he led the attack against Suna, which resulted in the death of Deidara’s parents. That event had greatly influenced the peace negotiations with the Village Hidden in the Sand.

Chiyo would certainly not be happy about her son’s death and would clearly try to seek revenge. Minato wouldn’t be surprised if, during the upcoming meetings between the Kage and the feudal lords, Suna demanded Sakumo’s head as part of the peace deal.

It wasn’t just Sakumo they might demand. Iwa could also request Minato’s head. Minato didn’t think Konoha would act like Suna, who handed over Pakura to the Mist Village after the Third Shinobi World War, under Rasa’s command. Still, Minato had to remember that Hiruzen himself, along with the elders, had handed over Hizashi Hyuuga, Neji’s father, when Hizashi volunteered to take his brother’s place after the Hyuuga clan leader killed the Cloud ninjas who had kidnapped Hinata Hyuuga.

‘I need to stay alert to Konoha’s next moves,’ Minato murmured, knowing he wouldn’t be surprised if Konoha’s elders considered doing something similar to him or others.

He knew that politics between villages was ruthless, and that the pursuit of peace often required cruel sacrifices. And they could use that as an excuse to eliminate risks to the political power of those already in charge.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” Minato decided. “But we’d better be prepared for anything.”

He had his own plans for the village, but he couldn’t just arrive and eliminate all the elders right away. First, he needed to earn the people’s trust. If he simply killed them, he might have enough control to rule, but everyone would see him as a dictator.

That’s why Minato never acted directly against the elders. He needed to build his reputation, gain respect, and make the people of Konoha trust him. And that’s exactly what he had done during this war.

Maybe Minato wasn’t very popular when he first returned from the war, but now, with his achievements being recognized by the jounin and other ninjas spreading through the village, his popularity would soon explode.

And so, they made their way into the village. As the ninjas entered and approached the gate, a group of registrars was organizing the entry.

“State your name and which camp you’re coming from,” said one of the men still registering everyone entering Konoha.

Minato watched in silence until it was his turn, listening as others ahead of him answered the questions.

He stepped up to the registrar, who looked at him in surprise. “Minato Namikaze,” he said.

“Is it him?” someone murmured as Minato nodded.

“Minato Namikaze, commander of Camp 12, on the western border,” Minato confirmed.

“You’re the fifteen-year-old who defeated a Kage?” the registrar asked with a surprised smile.

“Found a gap in the Raikage’s defense,” Minato replied simply, not bothered by the commotion.

Right behind him, Hanabi, Mikoto, and Tsuna also stepped forward and answered the questions before proceeding into the village.

Before fully crossing the gates, Minato turned to his squad and said, “Well, now we’re back home. Just report when the Hokage orders it. For now, you’re free to return to your families.”

The ninjas nodded silently, grateful for the instructions. They were relieved to finally be back.

“Let’s go,” Minato said.

With that, they passed through the gates, where a crowd of people cheered and clapped, celebrating the return of the ninjas who had fought for Konoha’s peace.

The people weren’t expecting anyone specific. They were simply celebrating the warriors’ return, but they always shouted the names of those they recognized when they saw them.

“Look! It’s Commander Sakumo, Konoha’s White Fang!” someone exclaimed, pointing at Sakumo, who was following behind Minato and his squad.

Another person in the crowd began pointing too. “Look! That’s Minato Namikaze! The war hero!”

“Who?” a curious villager asked. “Who’s Minato?”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” another responded in shock. “He turned the tide against the Village of Suna by infiltrating their village to retrieve an antidote and also defeated the Third Raikage! He’s the boy who can fight Kages on equal ground. He might be the strongest ninja in the village!”

“That’s impossible,” someone scoffed. “He’s just a kid! How could he be that strong?”

Minato heard the comments but shrugged them off, unfazed. He kept moving forward, his eyes focused on the path ahead.

Then his gaze shifted toward one of the rooftops. There stood a boy with white hair and a mask — Kakashi.

The young boy from Konoha was looking directly at his father as Sakumo walked right behind Minato. However, his gaze also fell on the blond-haired man, his expression neutral.

But Minato didn’t pay much attention to Kakashi. After all, he felt the presence of someone far more important to him.

Someone, standing on one of the more distant buildings, was watching the ninjas walking down the main street among the crowd. When they finally recognized Minato, their eyes lit up with excitement.

“Minato!” Kushina began leaping across the rooftops toward him. Her red hair waved behind her as she quickly approached.

“Minato! You’re back, dattebane! Tsuna, Mikoto, and Hanabi too!” she shouted, waving at them. She had been waiting for Minato’s return for days.

Hanabi, Mikoto, and Tsuna also noticed her arrival.

“Kushina,” Minato called out, returning her wave with a smile on his face.

“Hello!” the girls beside him waved to her as well. Kushina, in turn, laughed happily. She was relieved to see him back in the village. Now that the war was over, Minato wouldn’t have to be away anymore.

They continued walking toward the village center. The main street was packed with people eager to see the returning ninjas. Minato’s name was heard multiple times as people recognized him. Some already knew of his accomplishments in the war. Others were still wondering who he was, first remembering him as the top rookie from Konoha’s elite program.

Finally, they reached the Hokage, who stood atop his building, observing everything. This was the final stop for returning war soldiers.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, watched the returning ninjas calmly. He smoked his pipe, analyzing each one of them carefully.

As Minato and his group approached, they stopped and bowed in a sign of respect. The Hokage nodded in response, his gaze lingering on Minato for a few seconds before he spoke.

“Welcome back,” the Hokage said in a serene tone before dismissing them.

It was tradition. Every ninja returning from a campaign made a salute to the Hokage, marking the end of their mission as war soldiers.

After greeting the Hokage, Minato stepped aside with his companions. When they reached the street, Minato glanced to the side and saw Kushina waiting for him alone.

“Minato!” She didn’t waste any time. She ran toward her fiancé, throwing herself into his arms.

“You’re finally back! The war is over! I knew we’d see each other again soon, dattebane!” she exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

Kushina, smiling, gave Minato a kiss on the cheek, and he smiled back, feeling her relief.

“Yes,” he replied. “We’re back in the village now. Everything will be fine.” He spoke as he gently let her go, watching her walk over to embrace the other girls.

“You’ve finally arrived.” A voice came from the side, and Minato saw Madame Gorete, standing with a few children, smiling. Beside her was Duy, who seemed to have arrived in the village before them, along with his son and wife, as they approached.

It seemed everyone was there to welcome Minato, and he didn’t mind one bit as he stepped forward, hearing the entire village cheering as more and more ninjas returned from the war.