Thank you to all who have faved/alerted or reviewed this story. It was a fun piece to write and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thanks for all of your support in my first foray into Naruto Fanfiction.-Mystic 777

Omake/Epilogue:

A little less than thirteen years ago...

Chiba Daichi shuddered in the darkening twilight as he scampered past the remains of the battlefield. As a low-level genin of Iwa, he knew he amounted to mere canon fodder. Especially with the monstrous Yellow Flash on Konoha's side. The only reason he didn't die with his platoon was he lost his way after answering the call of nature.

Something skittered away from his foot. A three-pronged kunai gleamed red in the sun's dying light. His heart leaped into his throat. Whispers passed through the camps that such weapons summoned the Yellow demon. The seal masters of Iwa were desperate to get their hands on the secret of the Hiraishin, and here was one left behind.

He lifted the kunai with shaking hands, and peered at the paper wrapped around the handle. He bit his lip, fingers itching to unwrap the unassuming slip. He knew a little about seals, and figuring out the Hiraishin was a greater accomplishment than just bringing the kunai back. He slid his thumb under the paper's edge and then stopped, sweat trickling down his neck.

Some seal masters left traps in the event an enemy tried to learn their secrets. Could this be booby-trapped as well? An explosion rang out not too far away, and he flinched pulling the paper free. Unfortunately, he shot a burst of chakra through it as well.

Elsewhere...

Minato paused in the act of passing a scroll of sealed kunai to a jounin commander. "Duty calls," he sighed with a weary grin and followed the tug.

The screams of horror that followed his arrival didn't match the norm. Instead of fear and defeat, it sounded like pain and... disgust? He whirled around in a half crouch only to slip out of position and gape at the scene before him.

An Iwa genin rolled on the ground, covered in flaming vomit. Was that ramen? He couldn't help but wonder as he flicked his eyes around the battlefield. Not sensing any of the boy's allies around, he grimaced and held his nose. Sharp blue eyes assessed the scene and quickly landed on the tag at the boy's feet.

'Huh, I wondered what would happen if someone took those off. I certainly wasn't expecting that though...' He thought, pinching a clean corner of the singed paper and retrieving his kunai.

Finally extinguished, the sobbing and gagging boy lay on the ground, unaware of Minato's presence.

"Oi," He called and the kid, who didn't seem much older than Kakashi, rolled onto his back to lock his horrified green eyes on every Iwa-nin's nightmare.

Minato wagged the sodden seal at the boy. "You should know better to try and take things that don't belong to you. Have you learned your lesson?"

It looked like the kid's head would fall off with how hard he nodded. "I don't want to die." He choked, scrubbing at the tears that wouldn't stop.

"I do believe you have." Minato nodded. "Go home and become a chicken farmer or something." Minato tossed the kid a wave and vanished in a flash of golden light.

Daichi would forever be grateful for two things that night. That the yellow flash deigned to spare a miserable genin, and that he had just relieved himself. Thus, he entered the ranks of those who survived an encounter with the elemental countries' most feared soldier without soiling their pants.

Before handing in his forehead protector and looking into following Namikaze's advice, the boy reported the disastrous results of attempting to tamper with the Hiraishin seals. Though the specifics were soon lost to rumor, one thing remained: removing the slip was a bad idea.