28

Chapter 28: look at who ends up bigger this timeNotes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Kakashi glares at Obito's dumb smiling face and mentally repeats Minato's lecture on how stabbing one's friends is typically frowned upon by society, shinobi or otherwise.

"This is a hostage situation," he states, frowning harder.

Obito's smile widens, his eye curving like he didn't just threaten to set fire to the entirety of Kakashi's mask collection. "This is marriage, Bakashi."

"You've literally tied me to a chair," Kakashi points out blandly. He could free himself, of course—Obito didn't bother with removing any of the many blades Kakashi keeps hidden on himself—but that's beside the point. Fundamentally, Kakashi is being held hostage. He has no doubt that Rin is running interference right now to make sure he won't escape from his apartment and that's assuming he can get past Obito who is pretty much on par with Kakashi these days.

Obito waves his hand as though this information is inconsequential. Kakashi feels a vein in his head pulse.

"It's marriage," he insists. Lips pushing into a pout that makes Kakashi feel suddenly very violent, Obito adds, "Or it would be if you actually agreed to register it."

Rolling his eye, Kakashi looks towards the ceiling. Maybe he'll find the answers he's looking for hidden in the weird water stain. "Literally, what even is the point?"

From the way Obito gasps, you'd think Kakashi suggested he let lose a bijuu on the village for fun. "The point?!" Obito shrieks. "The point, Kakashi-kun, is that people are going to make fun of me behind my back for getting myself tied to a man who won't even recognise me as his legitimate spouse. They're going to think I'm the sort of guy who lets just any man take advantage of him."

Kakashi stares. He hopes Obito can feel the judgement he's trying to convey because no words could possibly ever be enough. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"No it's not! People totally judge for stuff like that."

"Why do you even care?"

Obito huffs. "Why do you not want to get married to me?"

Briefly, Kakashi considers flinging himself through his window, chair and all. Instead, he answers, "I'm twelve-years-old. I didn't want to get married at all. Ever."

Tilting his head, Obito asks, "Why not?"

Kakashi shrugs. He doesn't quite feel like getting into how he's pretty convinced he won't ever be able to emotionally connect with anyone enough to marry them without his fear of losing yet another person he cares for getting in the way. Obito would make it weird and try to hug him or something. "Why do you want to get married?" he asks instead.

"Tax benefits," Obito replies immediately.

Which…is such an in-character response, Kakashi doesn't even have it in himself to be surprised.

Taking his resigned silence as encouragement, Obito continues, "See, we're technically married under clan law anyway, yeah? But for official things like taxes and medical guardianship stuff, the village law requires official certification, which we won't get until we register our marriage in the civilian court. Like, if we're already hitched, we may as well get something out of it."

There's a strange ringing in Kakashi's ear like he just bashed his head into a wall really hard. Horrified, he realises, "You've researched this."

Obito beams, puffing up like a preening bird. "Rin-chan helped me."

"I want a divorce."

"Denied."

Kakashi narrows his eye. Obito narrows his right back.

Finally, the older boy huffs and crosses his arms. "Look, it'd be good for us to pay joint tribute to the clan and have them pay taxes for us instead. You're the one who's going to save more money that way! I don't get why you're being a bonehead about this."

"You're obviously just after my inheritance; don't act like you care." Kakashi rolls his eye while Obito splutters. He finally gets why Obito has been so insistent on them legitimising the entire circus with the sharingan transplant. "The Uchiha can't even actually pay taxes for me, you know."

That puts a stop to the fountain of incoherence Obito had been spouting while flustered at getting caught out. The elder boy frowns. "What? They totally could. I brought you into the clan when I gave you my eye."

Kakashi shakes his head. "That would've been the case for anyone else, but technically, I'm a clan head."

Obito's face goes blank. "What? So?"

Eyeing him, Kakashi slowly explains, "The Hatake were dissolved as a clan because you need at least two members to be considered one, and I was the only one. So, if we're going by clan law, in the case of any marriage between us, you'd be marrying up into my family since I have the higher status. Unless I explicitly said I was marrying down into the Uchiha clan, they couldn't pay taxes for me because I'd already be the head of a clan of two now."

Realisation visibly dawns upon Obito. "But sharing a sharingan works as a sort of adoption almost."

"It would normally, I guess, but I'm a bit of a special case. Clan heads and heirs are usually exceptions to that sort of thing to preserve bloodlines." Frowning, Kakashi admits, "I didn't realise it at first, but I'm pretty sure that's why your clan elders were so pissed with you giving me your eye. They know it's enough ground for me to claim you as a Hatake, which would bring the sharingan into my family officially."

Distantly, Obito adds, "And mokuton."

Kakashi winces. "And mokuton."

"Holy shit," Obito breathes, eye wide, "I'm a Hatake."

"Not officially," Kakashi protests weakly, viciously trying to tamp down on the more instinctive part of him that perks up at the thought of potentially having a pack again.

Obito ignores him with practiced ease, a crazed gleam of delight in his eye. "I'm a shinobi clan head's husband," he whispers to himself.

It's not the first time Kakashi realises that Obito is mildly power hungry. 

"The political ramifications would be huge, Obito," Kakashi reminds impatiently. "Reviving my clan would mean reclaiming my seat on the council. The Uchiha are going to throw a whole new fit about me stealing the sharingan and, this time, the other clans might get involved too."

"Let them." The gleam in Obito's eye gets more unhinged. "We're solidly protected by clan and civilian law. If they try to force us to divorce, we can file a lawsuit and turn it into an issue about the village trying to butt in on clan business. Maybe we can threaten to leave the village too; I bet they'll bend over backwards trying to keep both the sharingan and mokuton in the village."

He's right, Kakashi realises with a growing sense of trepidation. With their cocktail of unique bloodline limits, they have a certain amount of influence they have just been electing to ignore for convenience, but that can always change whenever they want.

Against his better judgement, he says, "We could help Minato-sensei if we became a part of the council too."

Obito brightens, looking pleasantly surprised. Great, now he knows that Kakashi has actually given their sham of a marriage more thought than it has ever warranted.

Grinning, Obito places his hands on the arms of the chair Kakashi is still poorly tied to and leans forward. "We're going to be awesome," he says slowly. "Marry me, Bakashi."

And Kakashi, knowing that he's fighting a losing battle at this point, sighs and resigns himself to his fate at last.

"Fine. Let's get married."

Kakashi and Obito decide to officially marry each other.

They don't tell anyone except for Rin who goes as their witness when they go to the marriage registrar office to get a certificate. There's no ceremony, but Kakashi does insist on some obscure Hatake custom that involves the newlyweds engaging in a spar to prove that they're capable of taking care of each other.

Minato is pretty sure his youngest student just wanted an excuse to beat Obito up but that's neither here nor there.

Immediately after said spar, the boys burst into his office to slam their shiny new marriage certificate onto his desk and demand that he recognise the Hatake reclaiming status as an official shinobi clan of Konoha since, apparently, Obito has married into Kakashi's family. They're both sweaty and tracking mud on the floor, uniforms covered in grass stains, and sporting matching manic gleams in their wide eyes.

The paperwork is all legal and processed by the end of the day. Minato stamps it, head spinning and feeling suddenly unsure if he isn't just stuck in some sort of bizarre dream.

Kushina actually cries tears of laughter when he tells her. She immediately starts contemplating on what to get the newlyweds as a wedding present and cackles unashamedly at Minato's fruitless attempts to escape the conversation.

When Raijin is informed, he gets a strange look on his face. "My life is so fucking weird," he whispers to himself before promptly dragging Minato to a training field so they can attempt to process the news in true shinobi fashion—with judicious applications of violence.

It helps, in that strange way spending time with his brother always does.

By the end of the taijutsu spar, Minato feels blissfully empty-headed. "I'm happy for them," he decides, laying on his back and staring up at the night sky.

"I'm going to laugh at them if they ever actually fall in love," Raijin announces.

Minato frowns. "What? Why?"

"Because they're going to be stupid about it," the younger blond snorts. "Oh, I love him, Raijin-san, but what if he thinks we're just married like bros and not married like husbands? What if he doesn't like like me and just wants to spend the rest of his life with me like buddies?"

Minato chokes, immediately springing up to pat his chest while his body tries to eject his lung out at the speed of light. Raijin's laughter rings in his ears as he tries to blink the tears out of his eyes.

"I'm going to have you arrested for treason for trying to kill me," he tries to grumble, but his voice is shaking from his own laughter, and it just ends up sending Raijin off into a renewed fit of giggles.

Grinning wide enough for his whisker marks to scrunch up, Raijin hums happily. "Bet the advisors are going to love you having another clan at your back."

Minato groans at the reminder and flops back down into the grass. "I was already planning on expanding the advisory panel to put their power in check," he admits.

There's a gasp, the telltale sound of mild choking, and then Raijin's big blue eyes and untameable blond hair are crowding Minato's vision as the younger man leans over to peer down at his big brother in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" he asks urgently.

Minato pushes his face away and rolls his eyes. "Yes," he confirms, huffing when Raijin shakes off his hand and bullies his way back into Minato's personal space again. "They were the Sandaime's trusted teammates. Not mine."

The grin on Raijin's face directly contradicts his words when he points out, "People aren't going to be too happy about that."

"That's why I'm not removing them from their position entirely," Minato says smoothly. "They're still well respected as honourable elders of the village. I'm just going to…lighten their load in their old age a little bit by introducing new people to the council. It's not my fault if that indirectly dilutes their influence."

"Oh, nii-chan, you're evil." The way Raijin cackles immediately has Minato thinking that his brother has been spending too much time with Kushina—the resemblance is uncanny and does not bode well for him at all. "I knew I loved you for a reason."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Raijin," Minato drawls even as his mouth twitches up into a smile. He's glad to see his brother joking around again after his brief slump over the past couple of weeks. "You really know how to make your brother feel cherished."

Raijin drops himself like deadweight against Minato and handily knocks all the wind out of the older man in one go. "I cherish you," he insists sweetly like he didn't just attempt to permanently bruise Minato's kidney with a deadly headbutt.

They should brand Raijin's thick skull a village sanctioned weapon, fuck.

Minato wheezes. "I'm going to disown you."

"Go ahead," Raijin says cheerfully. "Maybe then I'll become a Hatake too. Bet Kakashi and Obito would adopt me."

"You'll make a beautiful family."

"I'm sure we will."

Minato brings his hands to his face to hide his smile but it's pointless since Raijin can definitely feel him shake with repressed laughter. "I can't believe they went and got married before me."

"You really have to step up your game, man," Raijin chimes in agreement, absently patting Minato's chest with the back of his hand. "You lost to a bunch of tween goblins."

"I know," Minato sighs, clasping his hands behind his head.

There's a brief pause. Then, Raijin says, "Have you thought about what you're going to give them as a present? I was thinking about going classic and getting them a nice set of matching chopsticks."

Groaning, Minato rolls over. Raijin's head slips off and smacks against the ground, quickly followed by his brother's pained groan and outraged cursing.

Minato hides his smile behind his hands and definitely doesn't laugh when he's accosted by an offended little brother.

Shikaku walks into the first council meeting of the Yondaime Hokage's tenure, spots a grumpy looking Hatake Kakashi already seated at the table, and immediately has to smother a snort.

From the way Chouza elbows him as he walks past and Minato shoots him a knowing look of disapproval, he is less subtle than he ought to be, but Shikaku thinks he deserves some credit. It's not his fault he finds it amusing that Danzou looks so spectacularly pissed to be sharing the table of Konoha's most influential individuals with a twelve-year-old.

At least Namikaze Raijin is failing just as blatantly to hide the trembling of his shoulders and the way his whiskers keep twitching up into a smile. Shikaku knew he liked that kid.

It's interesting to watch how the members of the council all fall into camps that will ultimately determine which alliances the newly reinstated Hatake clan will make first. The Namikaze are a given, naturally. Sarutobi as well, Shikaku expects. Chouza's fondness for kids will make him soft for the Hatake boy, no doubt. The Nara and Yamanaka will end up on cordial terms with him by extension, though as far as personal alliances go, Shikaku has yet to decide. Inoichi is a toss up as well.

The Hyuuga are out of question if the pinched look on Hiashi's face is any indication. Conversely, Tsume looks delighted by Hiashi's displeasure and will probably ally the Inuzuka with the boy on principle, just to stick it to her former teammate. Shibi is difficult to predict; he's a smart man with his own ideals and agendas, and Shikaku has trouble figuring out what the man is thinking at the best of times.

Everyone had heard of the colossal fit the Uchiha apparently threw when they found out they lost Uchiha Obito to the Hatake clan's clutches, so there's no likely alliance there, though Fugaku is particularly difficult to read in the way he regards Kakashi now.

And then there is Shimura Danzo who looks like his puppy was skinned before his very eyes. Shikaku scoffs and studiously looks away. Nothing to question there.

Minato clears his throat, straightening his spine and effectively drawing everyone's attention without uttering a word. His eyes are like flint in the shadow cast over his face by the hat.

Shikaku is mildly impressed, though he'd always known Minato would do well as their commander. Fresh blood is exactly what they need to shake things up in the village.

"Now that everyone is here, we will commence with the meeting as per schedule," he begins, his gaze passing over each face gathered at the table. "We'll start off with a review of progress reports first. The floor will then be opened for you to raise your concerns, and then we will address any leftover agendas after that. Now—"

"If I may, Hokage-sama," Danzou interrupts, "I do believe—"

Minato holds up a hand, effectively cutting the man off. His face is blank. "I don't recall giving you permission to disrupt the meeting, Shimura-san," he states plainly. The air in the room is frigid. "You will wait until the floor is open to you."

Danzou's mouth clicks shut. He bows his head in acquiesce and sits back. Shikaku has to bite his tongue lest he start laughing inappropriately. Inoichi himself seems like he's seconds away from applauding.

Coolly looking away as though that blatant display of power never happened, Minato turns the meeting back towards the progress reports they're supposed to review. It's run-of-the-mill finance and military stuff that they discuss every three months. With the recent policy changes in trade, the ordeal is more important than usual. It's the typical order of things to go through them first.

Shikaku can take a stab at guessing what Danzou had been trying to achieve by attempting to undermine Minato first thing, but he still finds himself in disbelief of the audacity. Sure, doing it once would likely establish a precedent, but did the man not consider getting snubbed so thoroughly?

It really goes to show just how comfortable the Sandaime allowed the elders to get with their power over him. He wonders how Hiruzen reacted to Minato sticking it to Danzou. He'll have to ask Chouza if he saw later.

"Now that that is done," Minato says smoothly, linking his fingers together and turning to his audience, the picture of pleasantry, "are there any concerns you would like me to address?"

It's a purposeful way of saying things that firmly keeps Minato at the head of the discussion. Shikaku can appreciate that. Minato never does anything by halves, after all. He's a cunning bastard with serious skill.

Danzou clears his throat. Minato turns to him with an expectant smile, almost like he's rewarding Danzou's patience with his indulgence. Next to Shikaku, Inoichi dissolves into a sudden coughing fit.

"If I may, Hokage-sama," Danzo grits out, "I have to wonder if it is wise to have a child be present for these meetings."

Hiashi's eyebrows rise so high, they almost fly right off his massive forehead.

Minato blinks slowly, completely serene. "What child might you be referring to, Shimura-san?"

This time, Shikaku looks just in time to see Hiruzen's gaze shift in discomfort. 'Good,' he thinks viciously. The man ought to be confronted with just what kind of bullshit he allowed that the rest of them have had to put up with for years.

Koharu cuts in, her eyebrows furrowed to convey her disapproval. "Hatake-kun is clearly too young to be participating in the making of decisions that affect the entire village."

Kakashi's eye narrowing is the only warning anyone gets before the boy bluntly drawls, "So, you want to deny the Hatake clan the right to represent their interests as a clan of Konoha?"

Tsume chokes on an unfortunately timed sip of water. Shikaku can practically sense the exact second Inoichi decides he's going to offer personal alliance to the boy if only for putting that look of sheer outrage on Utatane Koharu's face.

"Of course not, Hatake-kun," Homura rushes to do damage control. "We are merely concerned that you lack enough…experience in life for meetings of such magnitude."

The look Kakashi fixes the man with probably makes innocent children cry on a regular basis. "I have a husband and eight dogs."

Shibi ducks his entire face behind his collar but it isn't fast enough to hide the smile of sheer amusement. Fugaku casts a quick look toward the ceiling at the reminder of just who Kakashi's husband is.

Raijin's chakra spikes with such potent delight that there is no mistaking how much entertainment he's finding in the meeting currently even though he hurries to tamp down on his massive chakra output. The little shit doesn't even have the good grace to look ashamed. He just grins back leisurely when Koharu fixes him with a glare that could curdle milk.

Minato taps a finger against the table idly and inclines his head. "Kakashi-kun has also served in the frontlines of a war and has been a shinobi of Konoha for seven years now," he states. "He may not boast the same experience as everyone else in this room, but he is an equal in status as representative of a founding clan. Moreover, he is also a part of the next generation—the generation whose best interests we are aiming to keep in mind with every decision we make here." He levels the elders with an unblinking stare. "He deserves to be here just as much as anyone else at this table."

The room is silent enough that when Tsume sniffles from her passing choking fit, it sounds more like a clap of thunder. The woman looks vaguely betrayed by all of them.

"If that is all," Minato continues smoothly, "then I have a few agenda of my own to bring up." He places his palms flat on the table. "First, I am planning on bringing Senju Tsunade back to the village. I'd like her to restart her programme focused on mental health. It'd be a good way to put Konoha back on the map for medical tourism and provide much needed support to our veterans and, later, the public at large. Transitioning out of wartime isn't easy on anyone and I'd like to see how we could help."

Chouza nods slowly. "That sounds like a good idea."

Minato smiles at him. "I'm glad. I'd also like to explore the potential in a new avenue of prosthetics and rehabilitation by trying to artificially recreate healing properties similar to those of the Shodaime Hokage's cells. We might not succeed but I think it's worth looking into. If we do succeed, we'd revolutionise an entire branch of medicine. It'd be good for us economically."

"You've given this a lot of thought," Hiashi observes.

"I have," Minato confirms easily. "We can't afford to be shy about telling the world that our borders are open again. A long-term investment like this would go a long way in doing that for us."

Shikaku considers this. "The research might just be a drain on our funds instead," he points out.

Minato nods. "It's just a proposal. I'll have a budget and timeline drawn up soon and we can revisit the idea to decide if it will be worth the risk." He turns to Hiruzen. "If it does work out, I was hoping I could entrust supervision of the project to Sarutobi-dono?"

Hiruzen looks surprised but nods slowly. "I would be honoured, Hokage-sama."

Linking his fingers together, Minato turns back to them and inclines his head. "My second agenda: I would like to expand the Hokage's advisory panel."

Shikaku's eyes widen. Homura inhales sharply and exchanges a look with Koharu before both of them turn as one to look to Danzou. To his credit, Danzo doesn't look fazed in the slightest as he stares right back at Minato.

Hesitant, Hiashi shifts in his seat minutely. "The elders have served this village for decades," he points out. As if that isn't the whole problem. "Their experience and insight are invaluable."

"And I agree with that," Minato nods, "but I also believe that there is always room for improvement in any system."

Danzou turns a sharp look to the Hokage. "You find our performance unsatisfactory."

Minato smiles like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. "Not at all, Shimura-san," he assures sweetly. "I am deeply grateful for your years of dedicated service to the village. You are an inspiration to us all, truly. However, the panel exists to help inform the Hokage's decisions." It isn't a reprimand at all but, somehow, it still sounds like one. "As the Hokage now, I'd prefer to have my decisions vetted even more thoroughly. I respect the experience of our honourable elders, but a village takes a lot more than that to run."

Inoichi leans forward slightly. "Who would you add to the advisory panel?"

Blue eyes fix themselves on Shikaku and he stills under the attention, feeling very suddenly like prey.

"The jounin commander for one," Minato says, gaze sliding away. "The ANBU commander. The head of the Police Force."

Fugaku's head snaps up, surprise leaking through his notorious mask of calm. Judging by Raijin's wide eyes, not even he was aware of his brother's plans.

Shikaku wonders just what Minato is playing at.

The Hokage folds his hands together. "And, because I so value the experience of my seniors, I have one last suggestion for an addition to the panel." No one dares to even breathe too loudly. Minato looks back at all of them, their imperious overlord in every way that matters. "I'd like to add Orochimaru-san to my advisory panel."

Raijin's mouth falls open. Shikaku is pretty sure he's the same. Minato may as well have whacked them all over the head with a battering ram.

Fresh blood to shake things up indeed.

Danzou waits in his office for his shinobi to return with their report, contemplating over all that unfolded during the council meeting earlier that day.

He had known that Minato would be difficult to work with and around, but he hadn't anticipated this degree of…hostility. Danzou had expected that Hiruzen would educate his successor on the importance of leaving the things he is incapable of doing for the sake of village to those who are better equipped for it, but perhaps, he should have known better. Youth makes even the best of them foolhardy; Minato is no exception.

The Yondaime is too sure of himself. Arrogant. He has no respect for those who do know better than him, believing himself to be infallible. Konoha has no need for a leader who cannot look past his own pride to the village's true needs.

Well, in the end, it just means that Danzou will have to increase his own vigilance and rise to intercept Minato's shortcomings. The younger man will need to be controlled since he has proven that he will not be reasoned with so easily.

Adding the Hatake whelp to the council had been one thing. It is admittedly a tricky situation—they cannot truly contest the boy's inclusion without directly undermining the status they award shinobi clans, and that will bring problems of its own to the surface. Danzou is sure Kakashi would have listened had his sensei advised he wait to claim his seat, but that is neither here nor there.

Proposing that they expand the advisory panel on the other hand—

Danzou sneers. It had been a petty powerplay disguised behind pretty words about 'informed decisions' and 'easing the burden of our honourable elders'. Namikaze had wanted to cripple Koharu and Homura's influence; nothing more and nothing less. And he has done it well, too.

The ANBU commander is sworn to be loyal to the Hokage until death. Nara Shikaku is a shrewd man, and he won't do anything to undermine his own clan's standing with the Hokage. He will not blindly agree with Minato, but he is unlikely to contest him as the advisory panel ought to in order to assure that the village's supreme commander remains accountable. Then there is the head of the Police Force. Uchiha Fugaku. Danzou closes his eyes and inhales deeply. The man's heir is firmly in the hands of Namikaze Raijin who, in turn, is well within his brother's pocket. There is no question of where Fugaku's loyalties will lie.

And, finally, the addition that had so thoroughly blindsided Danzou—Orochimaru.

He hates to admit that not even he can hazard a guess as to what Minato is thinking by adding his biggest contestant for the Hokage seat to his advisory panel. He thinks Minato's subsequent decision to have Orochimaru discharged from ROOT to free up time for the advisory panel might have something to do with it, but there is no real guarantee.

So far, Minato has proven himself to be cut from an entirely different cloth than Hiruzen. He does not seem quite as soft-hearted. A man like that probably won't deny the need for something like ROOT. But Minato is also difficult to predict and foolhardy. Perhaps in time he would wise up and become the leader Konoha needs, but as things stand, he is still vulnerable to the prideful traps of his age.

"Danzou-sama."

Danzou opens his eye and regards the masked kunoichi. "What have you learnt?"

"Namikaze Raijin opposes the Hokage's decision to add Orochimaru to the panel," she informs monotonously. "He was rather incensed."

He blinks. That is…an unexpected but not unwelcome development.

"The Hokage claims he could use Orochimaru's unique viewpoint and sizeable time of service to his advantage for the sake of the village," she continues. "His true motive, however, is apparently to provide incentive for Orochimaru to allow himself to be tied down to the village."

Danzou frowns. "He believes the snake to be disloyal?"

"The term used was 'flight risk'. Both Namikaze seem rather convinced that Orochimaru will take being rejected for the Hokage appointment as a final straw and personal slight."

He hums. "The boy—Raijin. Elaborate on his reaction."

"Explosive," comes the immediate response. "He was blatantly upset. Yelling. He seemed frustrated with the Hokage, claiming that they could not afford to ignore the risks posed by allowing Orochimaru such a position of influence. The conflict was not resolved. Namikaze Raijin left the office enraged. The Hokage appeared worried."

Danzou crosses his arms and considers this. The boy had seemed hesitant when he had turned down Danzou's offer to join ROOT, claiming that he was happy to be serving the village as he had been and that his brother seems pleased enough with him. Danzou had written him off as a lost cause and resolved to keep his eye on the boy instead, perhaps slowly pressure him into becoming one of Danzou's shinobi in due time.

But this—this could be an opportunity. If Minato manages to drive his brother away enough, Danzou imagines it wouldn't be too difficult to make himself appear as the better option of the two.

It worked with Orochimaru who had been abandoned by his own team. It could work with Namikaze Raijin who has no one but his brother anyways.

Being the Hokage is not conducive to maintaining good relations with one's family. Duty comes before all when one is in such a position of responsibility, and most cannot handle that. Cracks always start to appear no matter how strong the foundation is.

It seems the time to strike while the iron is hot will arrive soon.

Danzou intends to be prepared when it does.

Notes:

I've said this before as well but I'm just a big fan of scary politician Minato. I think he's neat.

The boys are finally married. They don't have any romantic feelings for each other at this point which is why I haven't tagged KakaObi. How their relationship ends up, whether that is future romance or a platonic marriage, is up for interpretation as far as I'm concerned. I enjoy how chaotic their dynamic is either way.