[there's a pause]

[and then a small pressure on Minato's back, around his shoulders, as Akira slides his hand across them. there, there. . .]

. . . thanks.

[the flippancy is gone, and the smile is obvious in his voice, even if Minato can't see it]

It's. . . complicated. But I needed to be arrested, and I needed to fake my death in order to smoke out a traitor in our group. The-- ah. . .

[exhales deeply]

The interrogation going the way that it did was an unforeseen hitch in our plan.