Naruto: I become Jinchūriki and Ophis is sealed on me!

Although Minato felt a bit down about his team being disbanded, it didn't take long for him to snap out of it.

Why am I even upset? He thought. If Jiraiya-sensei had left him to fend for himself, why not join up with Xin and the others?

Without wasting any time, Minato invited Xin, Mikoto Uchiha, and Kushina out for some barbecue. As soon as the topic came up, he didn't hesitate to make his position clear.

"This could actually work out pretty well," He said, a little too eagerly.

Kushina hadn't expected Minato to jump at the opportunity so quickly. Xin hadn't even said whether he was extending the invite, and yet Minato was already on board.

'Is he that desperate?' Kushina shook her head in disbelief.

But when she saw the way Minato's expression shifted from a forced smile to one of pure satisfaction, she froze.

Did I just imagine that? Or was Minato playing us this whole time?

"You sly fox, Minato!"

Xin teased, giving Minato a playful punch. "Using a get-together as an excuse to recruit, huh?"

Minato laughed as he dodged TXin's playful jab. "Where else am I supposed to go? Jiraiya- sensei's off to the battlefield, and our team's dissolved. I'm not about to join just any team. I've always wanted to team up with you guys anyway."

If Xin hadn't kept his plans under wraps, if Jiraiya hadn't already approached Minato, he probably would have defied the village's orders to join up with Xin.

Spending so much time around Xin had changed Minato, he was no longer the naive, always-thinking-of-the-village type from the original story.

He was developing his own thoughts, his own way of doing things, no longer entirely influenced by the Will of Fire.

Mikoto simply smiled, having anticipated Minato's plan all along. It was no secret that Minato enjoyed being around Xin. The only surprise would have been if he didn't want to join their team.

Of the four, Kushina was the only one who had genuinely believed Minato was still upset about his team's disbandment.

She couldn't help but feel a little bad for him. Guess I got that wrong...

"Minato!" Kushina's fiery temper flared up, her red hair lifting as if caught in an invisible breeze. Minato nearly dove under the table in sheer terror.

In the end, he couldn't avoid a good-natured smack from Kushina. Luckily, it didn't land on his eye, or he'd have been sporting a black eye for days.

The more time she spent around Tsunade, the more Kushina seemed to take after her, especially in the way she let loose when someone pushed her buttons.

With Minato's team no longer in the picture, and Jiraiya off to the front lines, he was eager to join up with Xin's group-something Xin certainly didn't object to.

"Kushina, how about we go for a walk?" Xin suggested after they finished their barbecue. He motioned for Mikoto and Minato to head out, indicating that he wanted to walk Kushina home and talk to her alone.

"See you tomorrow," Mikoto said with a smile, waving as she left first.

Minato hesitated, but eventually left without saying anything else.

As Xin watched Minato's retreating figure, he noticed how Minato's feelings for Kushina seemed to be deepening.

When he glanced back at Kushina, who was now fully focused on him, Xin couldn't help but wonder if the future of Naruto might be at risk...

"Xin, let's sit over there in the park," Kushina suggested excitedly, already making her way toward a nearby bench.

Due to the looming threat of war, many outsiders, worried about being caught in the crossfire and deterred by Konoha's strict security, had left the village.

Konoha had grown quieter as a result.

Even during the day, the park was nearly empty.

....

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