The Whisper || FullbusterFic » vonlane

Chapter 17: Goodbye

Minato was ecstatic, the reins of his horse in his hands. That man, Madara, hadn't even wanted to get off his horse; he had marched off without looking back and it was at that moment that Minato knew everything had ended. 

He tried looking for his people with his gaze, but the only familiar face he found amongst the crowd was Kushina's as she tried making way towards him. He breathed deeply and swallowed as he began walking towards his future wife. He was ready to forget Madara though deep down he knew he could never forget him. He pushed a couple of people aside, trying to get to her, but the feudal lord caught him before he could continue.

"Great timing," The feudal lord said. "Accompany me, we have much to talk about."

"I... to be honest, I only have one sole request," Minato said, but the feudal lord, despite having heard him, continued on his way, forcing him to follow if he wanted to be heard.

Kushina observed amongst the crowd how her future husband followed that man, although she was calm to see that Minato had seen her and gave her a sign to wait for his return. Even so, she couldn't avoid seeing the other competitor's faces as they arrived only to learn that a Namikaze had managed to defeat them. Nobody there would be happy with this.

For Minato, those gazes on him didn't go by unnoticed. Nobody understood how he could've won, but there he was, following the lord within the grand palace until arriving at a grand salon with the council already reunited. 

They all looked at him in surprise, but Minato waited until the feudal lord took a seat. His eyes were fixed on his two sons. He knew them well, especially Hashirama who continued looking at him with those lustful eyes full of desire. He would never give up his eagerness to have him and Minato knew this too well.

"Alright, we're listening, Namikaze," The feudal lord spoke. "You've won the right to be here under the protection of my lands."

"I... greatly appreciate your gesture, but I didn't enter this competition to be your armed wing. My clan only wants a small position in your personal council."

"All this for a slot in the council? Come now, you've earned it! You're here, you can be a great soldier, you and your clan."

"I appreciate your kindness, but... we just want to be part of the council. I believe the runner-up would be a much better warrior than us Namikaze."

The council fell silent for a second before murmuring amongst each other. The whispers were audible although Minato wasn't able to make out the words. It was all about debating about what to do with this strange idea. Everyone had competed to become the feudal lord's warriors but this boy... had broken the norms and only wanted a spot in the council.

"Alright," The feudal lord began. "Give us time to think about it and we'll send our decision. You can return to your people. I'll have someone call your future wife so you can reunite with her."

"Thank you, my lord." Minato bowed before walking out of the grand salon.

He marched away from the salon, then observing Hashirama's gaze. Once walking out the door, he found himself in front of Madara, but despite the instant blush that was placed on Minato's face, the other didn't seem to even notice.

They both noticed, however, when their shoulders bumped into each other as they crossed paths and even still, Minato could only lower his head upon seeing him pass by without saying a single word. It was noticeable that he was annoyed at the fact that he came in second place. He realized that he could never have everything... helping his clan would always be something counterproductive to the Uchiha clan. Those Uchiha only ever had one reason for their existence; they were stuck-up and it was possible that they were, in fact, the best at everything, but [Minato] had humiliated him and relegated him to second place. He'd lost him. With this competition, he'd lost absolutely everything.