While drinking with Jiraiya, Minato didn't forget to send a Shadow Clone to inform Kakashi, telling him to prepare for a mission together tomorrow.
"Kakashi is... oh, Sakumo's son, right?"
Jiraiya clapped his palm, sighing, "That guy's really lucky, his son is so promising—hmm? What's with that expression?"
His expression changed, and he dropped his carefree, playful demeanor.
"What happened?"
"Teacher, it's a long story..."
So much time had passed that Minato could now calmly recall and mention that much-debated summer night to his teacher, who had been away for a long time.
..."The situation is roughly like this. In short, Kakashi does have some abnormalities, but Kushina's examination showed no signs of Ninjutsu, so we can't rule out that he was just feeling down."
After speaking about his recent discoveries in one breath, Minato picked up his teacup and took a couple sips of tea.
Jiraiya sighed, "Where's Sakumo's Hospital room? I'll go see him later."
"The southernmost one on the third floor, at the very end."
"Hmph, I really don't know what the old man has been doing these past few years. Now even Sakumo... sigh, he's like this and they still won't let him go. What's the point?"
After complaining about Hiruzen Sarutobi for a few sentences, Jiraiya gulped down a mouthful of sake, toying with his empty cup.
"So Tsunade stayed in Konoha for so long before because of this."
"Yes, Jiraiya-sensei, Naraku is a very kind child. You'll like him after you meet him."
"Doesn't sound much like an Uchiha, hahahahaha."
"Teacher, if you keep talking like that, don't blame me if The Police Force takes you away."
Minato replied with a wry smile, helping to ease the slightly heavy atmosphere.
He knew that Jiraiya never held prejudices against any Ninja Clans. This was just a joke between master and disciple in private, used to poke fun at such stereotypes.
Anyone who had dealt with the Uchiha for years knew that even if pride was their synonym, each Uchiha's personality was still different.
After eating and drinking his fill, Minato said goodbye and went home to rest. Jiraiya watched him leave, then, carrying a small packed bottle of sake, slowly walked to the Hospital.
It was already late, and he needed to turn on the light in the Hospital room to see people and things clearly.
His old friend lay quietly on the bed, looking a bit thin, but his complexion was good, which meant someone had been meticulously caring for him all this time.
A nurse couldn't be so thorough, which indicated that even if the two children had their disagreements, they still took very good care of their father together.
Jiraiya pulled the table to the bedside, set out two wine glasses, and filled them.
The aroma of sake wafted gently through the room, chasing away the smell of disinfectant in the air, dispelling the cold, and bringing a trace of human warmth.
He raised one of the wine glasses, took a deep breath, and when he looked up again, his face bore the hearty smile befitting a hero.
"Come, let's have a couple of drinks?"
...In the early morning, Kakashi arrived at the meeting point on time.
Besides the team leader Minato Namikaze, Akimichi Choza and Shibi Aburame were also accompanying them.
Their destination for this mission was Roran.
A country filled with beautiful tall buildings and lush greenery in the desert.
When the four arrived in Roran after a long journey, even though they were mentally prepared, they were momentarily awestruck by this city of towering spires in the vast desert.
What kind of immense power could construct such a utopia in such a desolate place?
"That is Roran."
Kakashi asked the question that had puzzled him throughout the journey, "Minato-senpai, what is my mission?"
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Chapter 137 Minato's friendly and serious expression was very convincing
Logically, three Jonin would have been enough for this mission. Bringing him, a Chunin, seemed a bit superfluous no matter how you looked at it.
"There's an important task I need to entrust to you. You can complete it, right, Kakashi?"
Minato's friendly and serious expression was very convincing, and Kakashi immediately nodded in response.
"Yes, I will do my best."
...After the team delved deeper into Roran, Kakashi left alone with his mission orders. Minato and the other two, after initial investigation, verified the accuracy of the existing intelligence.
Roran was located deep in the desert, yet its buildings showed no obvious signs of aging, indicating they had indeed been built only in recent years.
Furthermore, the city was filled with highly mobile combat puppets that would employ extremely drastic measures to eliminate any intruders they discovered.
As a small country with a sparse population and scarce resources, Roran should not have been able to construct high-rise buildings and powerful puppets.
The only possibility was that the minister "Anrokuzan" had, as the intelligence stated, developed and utilized the Dragon Veins, and the technology was already very mature.
If he wished, he could initiate foreign wars at any time, sparking the Third Great Ninja War.
If those endless combat puppets were to launch an invasion, with the almost inexhaustible energy from the Dragon Veins as a supply, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's mission for Minato and his team was to thwart Anrokuzan's ambition and seal the Dragon Veins.
It was midday, and the Queen of Roran—Sara—appeared on the tallest tower in the center of the city, waving to the people of Roran.
But the strange thing was that among the "people" gathered below the tower, there were no living beings; they were all ordinary puppets dressed in civilian clothes.
The so-called greeting was merely a play orchestrated by Minister Anrokuzan himself, to make Sara believe that all was well in Roran.
However, Anrokuzan's arrangement of this play also indicated that, given Sara's temperament, if she knew the truth, she would certainly not agree to wage war and would strip Anrokuzan of his administrative power.
At that point, their intervention would be logical and reasonable.
With a general plan in mind, Minato and the other two waited for the right moment, intending to find an opportunity to speak with the Queen during her next appearance... Meanwhile, on the other side.
After a night passed, the sky was bright.
Kakashi emerged from his hiding spot, skillfully evading the patrols of the puppets, and continued to set up exploding tags in concealed locations.
Nearing noon, he happened to pass near the main gate of Roran and keenly spotted a Ninja-dressed man lying outside the gate. Approaching closer, he also saw the Konoha symbol on the man.
Could it be that others were also on a mission in Roran?
If this continued, he would eventually be discovered by the puppets. Looking at the man's condition, he didn't seem capable of continuing to fight.
Kakashi considered it briefly, then cautiously carried the man away, finding a safe place to put him, and leaving a Shadow Clone to guard him.
This way, if the man woke up or something else happened, he would always be aware of the situation.
Busy until the afternoon, Kakashi received the memories transmitted by his Shadow Clone's release.
The Ninja had woken up. After verifying the secret codes and various ciphers, it was confirmed that he was indeed a Konoha Ninja.
But strangely, when he first saw the Shadow Clone, he stared for a long time, then blurted out, "Kakashi-senpai," and then anxiously asked how old he was now.
If it weren't for all the ciphers and secret codes matching up, Kakashi would have tied up this eccentric guy's hands and feet, stuffed a rag in his mouth, and left him to dry.
Upon learning that Kakashi was now ten years old, the Ninja finally breathed a sigh of relief and said he had something important to discuss with him, urging his original body to return quickly.
--Perhaps the Village had new instructions for this mission?
To be safe, Kakashi once again performed a Shadow Clone. He sent the Shadow Clone to temporarily handle the tasks at hand, while he himself returned to the location where the Konoha Ninja was placed to meet him.
The man looked rather dull. He said his name was "Yamato," and despite being much older than Kakashi, he called him "senpai," explaining that he had already gotten used to it.
Kakashi leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, interrupting Yamato's endless rambling.
"So, what exactly do you want to tell me? I'm busy."
"Actually, I don't know how to describe it... But this is very important to you! Extremely important!"
Seeing that Kakashi was not satisfied with the answer and was about to leave, Yamato quickly grabbed his arm, his expression more serious than ever before.
"I'm not very clear about the specific cause and effect; no one told me much."
"But I remember you once said, 'I wish I had made up with him sooner.'"
"Kakashi, if you have regrets, you must make amends early!"
That last sentence pierced Kakashi's heart. His pupils suddenly constricted, and he instinctively pulled away from the other person's hand, stepping back two paces.
Although Yamato's words were vague, Kakashi had a gut feeling that the statement referred to... Naraku.
--Who exactly is this guy called Yamato?
--Why does he act as if... he knows I will regret it in the future?
Kakashi lowered his gaze to hide his trembling eyes, and a bold conjecture surfaced in his mind.
Yamato, however, mistook Kakashi's reaction for impatience, as he didn't understand what the other person's temper was like in his youth.
Recalling the Kakashi he had once seen, Yamato looked at him with both urgency and sadness, not even bothering to consider the proper address.
"I once saw you like that, Senpai. To be honest, you looked very calm, but in reality—"
An unfamiliar Chakra abruptly appeared beside the two of them, and Yamato closed his mouth.Chapter 138 - 140
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Köpt
Chapter 138 From the Future
"Kakashi."
Shibi Aburame found him by relying on the insects left on Kakashi. He was calm and relaxed, showing no surprise at Yamato's sudden appearance beside Kakashi.
Of course, it's also possible that because the Aburame Clan is accustomed to not showing their faces, no one knew what expression he had at the moment.
Shibi Aburame merely mentioned in passing, "Is this also a Konoha Ninja?"
Kakashi replied, "Yes, I've confirmed it."
"That's good."
Shibi Aburame nodded slightly, not asking further. Since Kakashi said there was no problem, he naturally chose to trust his comrade's judgment.
Immediately after, he conveyed the latest orders to Kakashi.
"The situation has changed. We've spoken with the Queen, and Anrokuzan will be treated as a rebel. You must complete your preparations before sunset. Can you do it?"
Before sunset... Kakashi looked up at the sun, quickly estimated his progress mentally, and promised, "No problem."
"Alright, I'll signal you with my insects then."
With the orders delivered, Shibi Aburame turned his head to look at Yamato, his tone seemingly carrying a hint of warning: "Don't reveal too much information. We will send you back as soon as possible."
"But..." Yamato was about to explain when he noticed the 'you all' in the other person's words, and eagerly wanted to confirm: "Who else? Is it a blond-haired..."
"Don't ask too many questions either."
Before he finished speaking, Shibi Aburame vanished, leaving only the dust stirred up at his feet, drifting in the air.
Yamato was choked, stunned in his spot.
"As you can see, I still have a mission to complete. If you can't help, then hide well."
As Kakashi was about to leave, Yamato quickly followed, determined to act with him.
"I can help you. Two people can do it much faster than one."
Kakashi deliberated, and the trust in his fellow Konoha Ninja prevailed. He instructed, "Follow me, don't stray too far."
...Even in poor condition, Yamato was still a Jonin after all, deftly completing all the requirements, placing each exploding tag at the most suitable point.
After they finished, there was still a short time before sunset.
The sunlight generously bathed the city of Roran, outlining the final glory of its architecture.
Kakashi stood at the top of a tall tower, silently gazing at this city destined for destruction.
Yamato stood to his left and slightly behind him, two body-lengths away, his eyes wandering, sometimes confused, sometimes anxious, as if a long and intense debate was taking place deep within him.
In fact, ever since they started acting together, he had been repeatedly agonizing over whether to confess to Kakashi that he had traveled back from the future.
But each time the words reached his lips, remembering Shibi Aburame's warning, he swallowed them back down.
Even though he wasn't deeply involved in Space-Time Ninjutsu, after being reminded, he could realize that changing history would lead to catastrophic consequences.
Actually, what he had just said to Kakashi already had a high chance of creating a different future.
His gradually calming mind told him not to reveal too much.
Yet, this Kakashi, whose appearance almost perfectly matched his future self, made him feel like he had to do something.
Time didn't give him much chance to hesitate. The sky quickly darkened, and under Anrokuzan's control, countless puppets surged out of the entire city, searching everywhere for intruders.
The insects on Kakashi crawled into his palm, and a small swarm of insects flew from a distance, forming several characters on his hand.
"Plan begin, attract attention."
"Yamato, I'll start the demolition from the west. You go to the east. Try to engage and eliminate some of the puppets as much as possible. Once that's handled, we'll rendezvous in the center of Roran."
"Alright."
Seeing the battle intensify, Yamato no longer bothered with these trivial worries and immediately flashed into action.
Explosions erupted one after another, and Roran's proud skyscrapers collapsed one after another, crushing countless puppets along with them.
The once magnificent and prosperous desert oasis had now become a ruin.
When Kakashi arrived at the basement of the central high tower, Anrokuzan was controlling a giant fortress puppet, fighting with Minato and two others.
There was also a blond Ninja he had never seen before, wearing a Konoha headband, shielding what appeared to be Queen Sara behind him, with nearly a hundred civilians standing nearby.
After the blond Ninja took the Queen and the civilians to escape to the surface, Minato came to Kakashi's side, instructing him to destroy the Ryumyaku's transmission device at all costs.
Kakashi promptly followed orders and dealt with the energy-transmitting pipes. Not long after, Yamato also completed his mission and arrived.
The two descended together to the deepest part, just in time to see Anrokuzan's dying struggle, choosing to self-destruct, causing the blond Ninja and Queen Sara to fall off the bridge, and Minato was about to fall as well while trying to save them.
Yamato was terrified, completely disregarding everything else, and immediately used Wood Release to save the three. Taking advantage of Wood Release, he brought Kakashi with him to the Ryumyaku's core.
"Captain Yamato!" the blond Ninja shouted excitedly.
Yamato wiped the cold sweat that had just broken out from fear: "Luckily, we made it."
If he hadn't mistaken him, that was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. If, if he hadn't saved him, who knew what the future world would turn into.
After completely sealing the Ryumyaku, Yamato and the blond Ninja's bodies began to glow. Minato explained that this was because the Jutsu had failed, and they were supposed to return to their original time.
--So, they really are Ninjas from the future?
Kakashi recalled the words he would say in the future, and his head began to throb again, his entire body stiffening and breaking out in a cold sweat.
But he hid it well; others only took his furrowed brows as confusion.
--So did my future self really regret it? Regret protecting Naraku in that way... "No, no!"
Yamato's voice of protest interrupted his thoughts. Kakashi subtly shifted his gaze and saw the former with an anxious expression, speaking rapidly to Minato.
Minato looked at Kakashi with a pained expression, then finally closed his eyes and shook his head.
Yamato was speechless, his head lowered in unwillingness. Suddenly, as if realizing something, he quickly drew a Kunai, grabbed Kakashi's hand, and drew a cut on it.
Kakashi seemed to feel no pain, letting him cut his hand until it was covered in blood.
The moment the end of the Kunai's trace connected with its starting point, forming a teardrop-shaped wound, a dazzling white light filled the entire underground space.
When the light disappeared, Yamato and his companion were also gone.
From that moment on, Kakashi noticed that his impression of Yamato was blurring, and the help and reminders slowly became faint.
The feeling of confusion continued until a certain moment on the way back to the village, when Kakashi suddenly looked up, as if waking from a dream, feeling a sense of loss.
--Did I forget something?
He tapped his head, thinking for a long time, but those memories were like strange dreams at night; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall a single detail after waking.
Just as he was about to give up, a sharp pain shot through his mind, accompanied by words that had left an impression at some unknown time and place, echoing faintly yet clearly in his ears.
"If only I could have reconciled with him earlier."
"Kakashi, if there's anything you regret..."
"You must make amends early!"
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Chapter 139 No Longer Used
When Kakashi and the others returned to Konoha, it was just the early morning of a rest day. White steam rose from the windows of every household, and villagers could be seen yawning and greeting each other as they went out to shop.
The team disbanded, and Minato went to the Hokage Building alone to report on the mission. After coming out of the building, he went straight to Sister Kushina's house.
He wanted to give Kushina a surprise and be the first person to say good morning to her today.
But when he knocked on Kushina's door, he saw that her eyes were red and swollen, as if she hadn't slept all night. When she looked at him, there was a glint of tears in her eyes.
Minato's heart tightened, and he quickly entered the house, locked the door, grabbed Kushina's arm to comfort her slightly, and asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"
"Minato..."
Kushina's lips trembled a few times. Even if her reason had long been able to calmly accept the death of those around her, her emotions would still be saddened by it for a long time.
What's more, that was a child that she and her sister Kana had cared about for so long.
"Naraku... is dead..."
Minato's eyes widened slightly, his breathing faltered for a moment, and he paused for several seconds before asking, "...Is this news confirmed?"
"Senior Dai went on a mission with Naraku, and he reported it personally."
Another red-haired figure walked out of the room, a little thinner than Kushina, holding a damaged forehead protector in her hands in front of her chest.
Kana's voice was hoarse from crying, her tone soft but stiff.
"Senior Minato, Kakashi, he's back, right?"
"Kana, why don't we wait until tomorrow to talk about it?"
Sister Kushina forced a smile, trying to stop her seemingly uneasy sister.
"Don't worry, Sister Kushina, I won't quarrel with Kakashi."
Kana shook her head, lowered her head to look at the Konoha symbol on the forehead protector, and her long hair fell down, obscuring her expression.
This was Naraku's relic that she had retrieved from the Hokage Building.
Might Duy searched near that cliff for two days and only recovered this forehead protector, which was hanging on the edge of the rubble, and almost burst into tears when he handed it to her.
"Naraku definitely doesn't want me to blame Kakashi."
"If that child sees it in heaven, he Might blame himself for it."
"He's just such a silly boy..."
As she spoke, Kana choked up again, and the nearly exhausted tears welled up in her eyes once more, falling down her cheeks.
She could no longer suppress her sobs, and poured out her regret and self-blame as she teetered on the verge of collapse.
"I just especially regret... I regret that I saw something was wrong at the time, but I didn't dare to ask anything."
"If I had been more direct, like Sister Kushina said, would they have been able to reconcile sooner?"
"That way, Naraku wouldn't... have felt like he was all alone when he died..."
...After leaving the team, Kakashi went straight to the Hospital.
He was always a little uneasy when talking to his father, and the uneasy and irritable emotions made it impossible for him to concentrate, so he could only end the visit in a hurry.
Originally, he thought about resting at home today, but when he walked out of the Hospital, he saw a familiar person standing by the roadside, holding something in her hand, just quietly watching him.
"Kana?"
He strode over, and the more he saw the tired and sad look on her face, the more he felt a few ominous premonitions in his heart, wrapped around his internal organs and deeply embedded in his flesh and blood.
He vaguely realized something, but forcibly pulled his thoughts away from this aspect, forcing himself not to think too much.
"What... what's wrong?"
He didn't even realize that his voice trembled and paused when he spoke.
"Kakashi," Kana said in a hoarse voice, with traces of redness from crying still on the corners of her eyes and face, "Naraku is dead."
Kakashi seemed to hear a thunderclap splitting the sky, and his face suddenly turned pale.
A strong wave of dizziness struck, separating him from the world. He could only hear the gurgling flow of blood in his ears and his own rapid and heavy breathing.
"What... what?"
He took a step forward, his legs so weak that he almost couldn't stand still. The hands on Kana's shoulders couldn't exert any strength, and the trembling became more and more intense.
"You said... what happened to Naraku...?"
Kakashi held on to the last glimmer of hope, suspecting that he had misheard some part of it.
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Chapter 140 But Kana shattered this illusion, repeating it once more in an unmistakable tone.
But Kana shattered this illusion, repeating it once more in an unmistakable tone.
"Naraku is dead. He's dead."
The red-haired girl had already run out of tears. She stared at Kakashi's absent-minded face for a long time, then looked at the withered tree not far behind him.
On top of it, two sparrows were huddled together, preening each other's feathers.
Her voice was hollow and erratic.
"Kakashi, do you know?"
"On the way Naraku saved me, when we were both about to give up, he told me how good Konoha was, how prosperous, and how kind the people of Konoha were."
"At that time, I thought, what? How could there be such a good place?"
"Later, after hearing it more, I realized that he was talking about Konoha, but all he said was Kakashi, Kakashi... He didn't mention anyone else at all."
"Actually, Naraku doesn't care about anything. He only cares about you."
"Why, Kakashi?"
Tears slid down Kana's chapped eyes, mixed with a little red.
"Why... why did Naraku have to die?"
Why did he fall into that abyss alone, with so many regrets...?
Every word of the cuckoo's blood-like cry turned into a cold blade, carving Kakashi's heart piece by piece, until it was riddled with holes and bleeding profusely without stopping.
The world seemed to stand still at this moment, leaving only boundless darkness and cold enveloping him, gnawing at his soul.
Kakashi felt an unprecedented emptiness, as if a part of himself had also shattered and disappeared, turning into dust in the wind.
He didn't know how he got back home. When he came back to his senses, he was already standing in the living room.
His right hand was tightly holding a scarred forehead protector, and the broken edge cut through his palm, and blood was dripping onto the ground, forming a small pool of blood.
--Naraku is dead?
He vaguely recalled the news he had just heard, and looked around blankly. A ray of sunlight sneaked in through the crack in the window and hit the pure white long sword on the sword rack.
That was the chakra blade that his father had forged for Naraku.
Will it never be used again?
Kakashi suddenly ran there, without thinking, and carried both his and Naraku's swords on his back.
--I'm going to save him! I have to save him!
...Why?
--No why! Naraku is more important than the mission!
...Then why did you force him to choose the mission like others, instead of you?
Kakashi stopped.
The memory of that night reappeared, and he looked at the words and deeds of "himself" and whispered: "Yeah, why?"
--Clearly, I myself am also choosing the wrong path... Why use this method to force Naraku to choose the "correct" one...?--Why didn't I ever consider his feelings?
Ka--
An extremely subtle sound came from the depths of his mind, and then Kakashi heard the call with incomparable clarity.
[Kakashi!]
Turning his head to look in the direction of the sound, he saw a thin figure emitting a faint warm glow running from far to near, holding up a wet towel.
It was six-year-old Naraku.
[I think that one looks better.]
The figure sitting on the outer corridor looked a little older, pointing to the empty sky and smiling sideways at the empty spot beside him.
It was seven-year-old Naraku.
[Why is it always my turn?]
Another shadow with a forehead protector on his head poked his head out of the kitchen, holding a handful of fresh vegetables, looking at him with a puffed-up face, but the action of picking vegetables did not stop at all.
It was eight-year-old Naraku.
[Look, it will protect me.]
A young shadow about the same height as him came over, raising his right hand high to show him the amulet hanging on his hand, signaling him to take out the other one as well.
It was nine-year-old Naraku.
"I..."
Kakashi subconsciously touched his chest.
Then he remembered that the amulet had already been thrown away by himself.
The several shadows surrounding him gradually disappeared, leaving only the last one, wet all over, standing alone and helpless in the courtyard, with only endless confusion and emptiness in his eyes.
[Kakashi... I'm sorry... It's all my fault...]
"Naraku..."
Kakashi murmured softly, his head hurting more and more, but he still subconsciously retorted.
"No..."
Ka--
Another cracking sound.
The true self, who had been struggling in pain all along, finally broke through the shackles at this moment and shattered the technique that had sealed his heart.
Endless light burst out from the cracks in the Barrier, liberating his soul.
Kakashi shed tears.
"...It's not your fault."