Naruto : Minato back to the past

A strange feeling gnawed at him as he stood alone, taking in his surroundings. The blond boy, whose blue eyes sparkled with hints of wisdom and determination, couldn't shake the building near him. The environment around him was unlike anything he'd seen before, yet it triggered an unsettling familiarity.

"Why am I here all of a sudden?!" he murmured, bewildered. In his last memory, he was fighting fiercely, only to be swept up by a massive beam of energy that surged through his body, whisking him away. Frustration flickered across his face as he clenched his fist. "Damn it, it's all because of that guy!"

Moving slightly, he winced at a sharp pain spreading from his neck to his lower back, likely an injury sustained just before he lost consciousness. Despite the discomfort, his training as a ninja kept him steady. His mind was already analyzing his surroundings, cautious and alert.

"Could it be... could this be Rōran?" he whispered, barely audible. His tone was laced with a mixture of disbelief and wonder. The architecture surrounding him, though not entirely familiar, echoed the patterns he had seen etched on the walls of old ruins, remnants of a once-thriving Rōran.

The boy's young blue eyes reflected a puzzling mix of doubt and curiosity. The city before him didn't match the ruinous state he remembered. No, this Rōran seemed whole, untouched by the scars of time or war. The buildings, adorned with hexagonal structures that reached toward the heavens, seemed like remnants of an ancient power frozen in time.

He furrowed his brow, struggling to grasp the implications. Rōran had long since fallen, reduced to fragments of memories and whispers of history. Yet here he stood, in a place that seemed to defy that truth.

"Alright," he muttered to himself after a moment of contemplation. "Let's take a look around." His eyes sharpened as he spotted an open passageway a few meters ahead. Staying here, pondering the impossible, would yield him no answers.

With a swift motion, he took off toward the passageway, moving with the quiet grace of a shadow. Each step was measured, his instincts finely tuned to his surroundings. He darted forward, the silent padding of his feet barely disturbing the stillness.

Just minutes later, the sight that awaited him nearly stopped him in his tracks. Before him, the hexagonal towers loomed high, each one reflecting a hint of the sky, bathing in sunlight that seemed almost surreal. The craftsmanship, the scale—everything screamed of the ancient kingdom he'd only ever seen in fragments.

"How is this even possible...?" he whispered, awe coloring his words. His heart pounded with the thrill of discovery, mingled with unease. Was this really Rōran? If so, why was it intact? Rōran should have been nothing more than a broken relic.

Caught up in his thoughts, he almost missed the slight movement nearby. His senses flared as he ducked behind the nearest wall, concealing himself from view. From his vantage point, he spotted several armored guards patrolling the area. Their armor was different from anything he had seen before—polished, menacing, and foreign.

Just as he thought he'd gone undetected, one of the guards halted and turned, eyes scanning the area with hawk-like precision.

"Who's there?!" The shout pierced the silence, and the other guards snapped to attention, forming a cautious perimeter around his hiding spot.

In seconds, the guards' formation tightened, cutting off any obvious escape routes. He felt a surge of frustration—an itch that begged for action.

No choice then, he thought, focusing his chakra. In an instant, dozens of identical figures emerged from behind the building, each one a perfect mirror of the original.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he shouted, his voice confident. Each clone lunged forward, fists meeting armor with force. His first clone connected with a satisfying thud, but his brow furrowed as the guard barely staggered, his armor absorbing the impact.

"What kind of armor is this? It's like punching a boulder!" He clenched his teeth as one by one, his clones dispersed under the pressure of the guards' retaliatory attacks. Shurikens shot out from hidden mechanisms in the guards' armor, tearing through the shadow clones with a deadly precision.

As the last of the clones vanished in wisps of smoke, he saw his opening. Gathering chakra into his palm, he charged forward.

"Rasengan!" he called out, releasing the spinning sphere of chakra toward the nearest guard. The Rasengan drilled into the guard's chest plate, shattering the armor with a satisfying crack. Yet even with their armor broken, the guards barely staggered, recovering quickly as if unharmed.

"Tch, what a solid turtle shell," he muttered, irritation flashing across his face. These guards weren't exactly skilled fighters, but their resilience was enough to slow him down.

Just as he prepared to strategize, a sudden flash of dark purple light struck down from above, illuminating the area. The light streaked toward the guards, surrounding them in a pulsating glow. In a matter of seconds, the damaged armor on each guard began to repair itself, seamlessly restoring its former strength.

"What... what is this?" he stammered, momentarily awestruck. The dark purple energy radiated around the guards like a shield, powerful and unwavering. Before he could make sense of the phenomenon, more guards poured in from all directions, moving in flawless unison.

The boy's heart raced. Even if the guards themselves weren't strong, he was alone. No matter how skilled he was, the sheer number of enemies pressing down on him would eventually overwhelm him.

Acting fast, he formed a cross seal with his fingers, channeling chakra. "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A billowing cloud of smoke erupted around him as hundreds of shadow clones appeared, filling the narrow street.

"Go!" he commanded, sending his clones scattering in every direction. The guards faltered, momentarily thrown off by the sudden surge of targets. In the ensuing chaos, his real body slipped through the gaps in their formation, blending seamlessly into the shadows behind a nearby building.

Once safely concealed, he allowed himself a brief sigh of relief. But a lingering question gnawed at him. "How did they find me so easily?"

Taking a moment to collect himself, he closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, focusing his senses on the energy around him. After a few seconds, he could feel it—an almost invisible current flowing through the air, connecting everything in the city.

It was then that he sensed it—a powerful energy source pulsing beneath his feet, spreading like veins through the city. The energy was vast, covering every inch of Rōran.

"This... this must be the power of the dragon vein!" he muttered, eyes widening with recognition. The energy pulsing beneath him was identical to the one that had transported him here. Someone was channeling this ancient power, bending it to their will. With this energy everywhere, hiding would be nearly impossible.

But he wasn't one to give up so easily. Dropping to the ground, he crossed his legs and closed his eyes once more, allowing natural energy to merge with his chakra. Slowly, he let his presence fade, his chakra becoming one with the world around him. In a matter of moments, he had masked himself from detection, the unique flow of his energy concealed.

When he opened his eyes, his gaze was filled with a rare moment of doubt. This situation was beyond anything he had trained for. The ancient city of Rōran, restored and alive before him, someone manipulating the dragon vein's energy to pursue him—it was a nightmare come to life.

"I'm in over my head," he admitted quietly. But his resolve quickly returned as he thought of the people waiting for him back home. A nervous chuckle escaped him as he imagined his mother's reaction.

"If I make it back, Mom's definitely going to scold me again…" A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead at the thought, mingling with his lingering fear.

But despite the dread that twisted his stomach, he straightened his posture and clenched his fists. With a deep breath, he made a silent promise.

"Don't worry, Dad. I'll complete this mission and make everyone in the village recognize me."

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