Is there really such a thing as a savior in this world?
Maybe, Takuya thought, like Naruto. But if Naruto hadn't been influenced by Asura's chakra, would he have become a savior? Takuya doubted it. Without that influence, Naruto might've turned dark the moment he was pushed too far, and instead of Pain attacking Konoha, Naruto might have blown it up himself.
"You're not going home?" Takuya asked, as they reached his place. He had assumed that Minato would head back on his own.
But instead, the "Little Sun" followed him inside without a word, flopping right down on the couch as if it were his own.
Jiraiya had just been kicked out not too long ago, and now Minato was lying there! Thankfully, he didn't leave any stains on the couch like his teacher had.
"Takuya, do you think things will ever change in the village?" Minato asked suddenly, his face serious.
Change? How? Takuya thought to himself. By getting rid of the old geezers? If he said that out loud, Minato might jump three feet in the air.
"Sure," Takuya replied as he tossed the soiled couch cover into the washing machine. "If it's caused by people, then it can be changed by people. Maybe a new Hokage could bring that change."
Without the Third Hokage, Danzo, and their cronies messing things up, a lot of these problems would vanish. The only real solution was to replace the leadership with someone who had both power and the will to act.
If Minato became Hokage... nah, let's not even go there. This kid would just end up being a puppet, a Hokage without any real power, while the old guard pulled the strings behind the scenes.
Suddenly, Minato sat up, clenching his fists as if he'd made some important decision. "Takuya, what if I..."
Before he could finish, Takuya cut him off: "You've got no chance. Better get some sleep."
"..."
Come on, I didn't even finish my thought, Minato fumed silently. Just when his determination had flared up, Takuya doused it with cold water.
You're dreaming again, aren't you? Takuya thought with a smile. Even if Orochimaru didn't go off the deep end, and even if Tsunade didn't leave the village in despair, Minato still wouldn't stand a chance.
As long as Tsunade stayed in Konoha, the Fourth Hokage title would be hers, without question. And even if Orochimaru did end up turning dark, Tsunade would still take the position.
That's why Takuya told Minato to give up and go to bed. There's a difference between having a dream and just daydreaming. Whether Danzo would stir up more trouble was the real question.
The war was going smoothly, with the Sand Village barely holding on. Even though they continued to resist, the battles were slowly shifting deeper into the Wind Country. It was clear that the Sand Village couldn't last much longer.
Takuya figured the war would be over by the next year. Tsunade had gained a lot of respect, not just for her skills, but for her title as the Princess of Konoha. If she wanted to compete for the position of Fourth Hokage, the others wouldn't stand much of a chance.
Minato? No way. Even Orochimaru would have to step aside, and Jiraiya—well, he was too busy looking for his "savior of the world" to even care about the position.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, was already starting to show signs of his dark turn. Takuya couldn't imagine a scenario where the Third Hokage stepped down, and Orochimaru hadn't already crossed a line by then.
The next morning, just as Takuya woke up, Kushina and Mikoto arrived at his place, carrying a bunch of shopping bags.
"Takuya, you were too much yesterday! How could you eat hot pot in the hospital and make Nawaki crave it so badly? He's been whining about it ever since," Kushina scolded the moment she saw him.
"What do you mean I made him crave it? He ate some too!" Takuya shot back.
There was no way he was taking the blame for this. Sure, they had joked around a bit, but he wasn't that heartless. He only ordered the hot pot after Nawaki gave him the okay. It wasn't like he was deliberately rubbing it in his friend's face.
But Nawaki, still upset that he hadn't gotten to eat his favorite spicy broth, had ratted him out to Kushina, exaggerating the whole thing. Now Takuya was the bad guy.
"Kushina, Mikoto-nee, good morning!" Minato, looking half-asleep, wandered out of the guest room with his hair a mess.
"What are you doing here?" Kushina asked, eyeing Minato suspiciously. After checking that he wasn't wearing Takuya's pajamas, she seemed to relax.
She and Mikoto had specially picked out those pajamas for Takuya, and they weren't for anyone else to wear.
"Uh... well..." Minato scratched his head sheepishly, flashing his usual sunny smile. "My place hasn't been cleaned in a while, so I stayed over here for the night. I'll head back and clean it up later."
"Really?" Kushina wasn't buying it. "Doesn't Takuya hire someone to clean your place regularly? He even had all the damages fixed. You didn't go home at all, did you?"
"Uh..."
Minato froze and looked back at Takuya, who was lounging on the couch with his head resting comfortably on Mikoto's lap.
Wait, didn't you tell me yesterday that my place hadn't been cleaned in months? Were you messing with me? And what's with you just lying there on Mikoto-nee's lap?
Kushina and Mikoto clearly liked Takuya, and he seemed to return the feeling. But their relationship had never been clearly defined. Minato didn't know the details, and it wasn't his place to ask.
But seriously, to casually rest his head on Mikoto's lap right in front of Kushina? That's bold. He couldn't believe Kushina wasn't angry about it.
Minato felt like a massive third wheel. A very, very obvious one.
"Stop messing around," Mikoto blushed as Takuya's breath tickled her stomach. She gently pushed him off, her face red, and handed him a bottle of juice.
The cold juice jolted Takuya awake. After downing half of it in one go, he blinked himself back to alertness.
"Why'd you buy so much stuff? Did you hit the jackpot or something?" he asked, pointing at the bags.
"It's all for Nawaki. We got him a bunch of nutritious food," Kushina said, a bit defensive.
Who gave her that idea? Takuya thought, exchanging a glance with Mikoto, who looked equally innocent. Apparently, it was all Kushina's doing, and Mikoto had just gotten roped into buying some things too.
"Let me see what you bought," Takuya said, opening one of the bags. The smell of raw meat hit him immediately.
"Is this pigeon?" he asked, looking puzzled.
"Yeah! The butcher said pigeon meat is great for restoring energy and blood, so I bought a bunch," Kushina said proudly.
"And what's this for? What kind of 'restoration' does this provide?" Takuya raised an eyebrow as he found something else in the bag. This... was definitely a unique item. Sure, it was nutritious—just in a very specific way.
Minato leaned in to look and nearly choked. "Kushina, are you sure Nawaki needs this?"
Who in their right mind buys kidneys as a recovery food for someone injured?
Mikoto, meanwhile, couldn't stop laughing and collapsed onto the couch.
"Ahem, I think he might not be ready for that kind of 'recovery,'" Takuya coughed, setting the bag aside. "We'll take it to the hospital later. Nawaki can... enjoy it."
After trying to hold it together for a few seconds, Takuya and Mikoto both burst out laughing.
Minato, shaking his head with a half-smile, turned to Kushina. "Kushina, who told you this was a good idea?"
"There was this guy at the butcher shop asking for the best stuff for energy, and the butcher recommended it! So, I bought some too!" Kushina replied, still clueless.
"And you guys are laughing at what, exactly?"
"Oh, nothing," Takuya wheezed, struggling to stop laughing. "You just bought some really top-notch stuff, that's all."
Barely keeping a straight face, Takuya tossed the bag to Minato. "Go clean this up. We're cooking it for lunch."