In the dim seal space.
Shisui, whom Hiruzen was concerned about, was currently kneeling on the ground in an orz position, clutching his empty eye sockets.
Not far from him stood Nono, her golden wavy hair and glasses framing a face filled with disbelief.
Just moments ago, when Shisui was sealed into this seal space, the sudden change in scenery had instinctively put him on guard. However, his exhausted body, depleted Chakra, and nearly drained Ocular Power couldn't keep up with his alert mind. In a blur, a golden flash appeared before him, and then his remaining eye was gone.
And then he collapsed into the orz position.
'Is this all right?'
Minato looked at the bloodied, still-warm eye in his hand with a bitter expression.
He was no saint, and his title 'Yellow Flash' was earned on the battlefield, where he struck fear into the hearts of enemies from the other four great Ninja Villages. They had even issued orders to retreat upon encountering him, a testament to his decisiveness in combat.
Just like when he took Shisui's eye, he did so without hesitation, even more swiftly than Danzo.
However, this act of taking a fellow Ninja's Kekkei Genkai weighed heavily on his sunny disposition, filling him with a sense of guilt.
Just as Minato was lost in thought, a Chakra fluctuation caught his attention. To his surprise, another Ninja in Anbu attire appeared.
'This wasn't part of the plan.'
"Yo… Yondaime Hokage?"
Just when Namikaze was hesitating whether to dig out the other's eyes, a trembling female voice suddenly sounded.
Minato turned to the newcomer, noting that the mask wasn't one he recognized, likely a new recruit.
"Who are you?"
Although he didn't know how Naruto would handle this, out of courtesy, Minato decided to ask for the newcomer's identity.
Nono hesitated for a moment before removing her mask. She felt there was no point in hiding her identity from the Fourth Hokage.
"It's been a long time, Yondaime-sama. I am Yakushi Nono."
Nono couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia, "I never expected to see you alive, Yondaime-sama."
"It's you."
Minato recognized the director of the orphanage who often visited the Hokage Tower to request supplies. He hadn't realized she was also a Root's member.
"It has been a long time, Director Nono. But I'm not truly alive, and this is just a remnant of my Chakra."
Minato's answer surprised Nono. She hadn't expected him to remember her, but what truly shocked her was something else.
"Chakra? Can someone exist like this after death?"
"This requires some special means, but Director Nono, how did you end up in Root?" Minato smiled. Since Naruto had no objection, he was still willing to chat with Nono. After all, there was only one big fox in this place, and Naruto only came in to train. He was still quite bored, so having the opportunity to learn more about the outside world made him somewhat happy.
"This..." Nono began to explain, but her words were cut off.
"Yondaime... why? Even you covet the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
At this time, Shisui, who still clutching his empty eye sockets and kneeling in pain, cried out. Though he didn't understand how the Fourth Hokage was still alive, the brief glimpse of the Yellow Flash confirmed it was indeed him.
But this confirmation only deepened his anguish. After all, compared to Hiruzen, Minato had always been closer to the Uchiha Clan. His wife, Kushina, was even close friends with the wife of the current Uchiha Clan's leader.
'But now, even someone like Yondaime Hokage wants to take my eyes away.'
Hearing Shisui's words, Nono also snapped out of her thoughts. She noticed the bloodied eye in Minato's hand and wore an expression of disbelief.
'Yondaime-sama was known for his kindness, warmth, and compassion toward the villagers, while being ruthless toward enemies. To think he would do something only Danzo would do…'
"Sorry Shisui... I have my reasons for doing this."
Minato's voice was filled with regret. Looking at Shisui, he was reminded of Obito. Shisui was, in a way, Obito's junior.
"Director Nono, could you tend to Shisui's wounds?"
Minato turned to Nono, requesting her assistance.
"Ah... yes..."
Although she also wanted to know the reason behind Minato's actions, now wasn't the time to ask. She had already observed their surroundings.
Although the space was dimly lit and filled with what appeared to be water, she noticed that the water didn't feel wet when touched.
Behind Minato stood a massive iron gate, though she couldn't see what was inside, she was certain it held something significant.
Strangely, there also seems to be the sound of pages turning.
Nono approached Shisui and placed her hand near his eye sockets, enveloping it in green Chakra. This was the Mystical Palm Technique, an A-Rank Medical Ninjutsu that accelerated healing by channeling Chakra into the wound.
"Yondaime-sama, can you tell me your reason?"
Feeling the soothing warmth of the Chakra around his eyes, Shisui asked. His emotions had somewhat stabilized, and he wanted to know why the Fourth Hokage had taken his eyes.
Minato remained silent for a moment before shaking his head and said, "I'm sorry, I can't say. But someone will explain it to you soon."
This answer didn't satisfy Shisui, but in his current state, there was little he could do. Even with his eyes, he might not have been a match for Minato. Now, without them, he had no choice but to remain silent.
For a while, the sealed space fell into a strange silence.
At this time, the sound of pages turning seemed to grow louder.
Minato, sensing the awkward atmosphere, decided to break the silence. He wasn't sure when Naruto would arrive, so he chose to start a conversation.
"Director Nono, I still don't know why you joined Root. From what I know, it's not a pleasant place. "
Nono, who was treating Uchiha Shisui, also smiled bitterly.
"I was always a Root member."
"..."