Kitazawa glanced at Hyuga Neji.
He more or less guessed what Neji was thinking.
That really was his oversight.
He'd thought about Naruto and Kakashi's regrets, but hadn't considered Hyuga Neji's.
Or rather, it wasn't that he never thought of it—deep down, Kitazawa had never seriously planned on going back to Konoha at all.
There were too many people and too many eyes in Konoha. One trip could easily cause unforeseeable changes to the future.
But since he'd already brought Neji here, pretending he couldn't help him now would just be unreasonable.
Kitazawa fell into thought.
He could have Namikaze Minato take Neji back to Konoha once.
After all, Minato had the Flying Thunder God.
"Kakashi, go tell the Rōran citizens who saved you that we'll be going to see the Queen of Rōran soon," Kitazawa said after a moment. "When the time comes, their captured family members will all be brought back."
Kakashi snapped out of it. He didn't say anything more—he just stood up and left the room.
"Neji."
Kitazawa looked over at him. "Do you want to go back to Konoha?"
"I… can go back?"
Neji froze.
Just earlier, Kitazawa had clearly told them not to leave Rōran, to avoid causing unnecessary consequences.
They were, after all, people from the future.
"You can go," Kitazawa explained, "but whoever you talk to—once you're done, we'll have to seal their memories."
"You know why. They're people of the past. They can't be allowed to keep memories of the future."
Neji subconsciously nodded.
His personality was quiet and mature; he didn't need Kitazawa to spell out how dangerous time-paradoxes could be.
"…I want to see my father once," Neji finally said, hesitating for a long time before making up his mind.
Kitazawa nodded.
"Just see him. You don't need to disturb his life," Neji added.
That Hizashi might be his father, but from Hizashi's point of view, they were complete strangers.
And if they were just going to erase his memories afterward, then it was better not to say anything at all.
Kitazawa couldn't help sighing inwardly.
What a rational, sensible kid.
He'd realized his students were all like this— even the usually loud and goofy Naruto could be surprisingly reliable when it really counted.
Not long after, Kakashi came back.
"Let's go," Kitazawa said, standing up.
Kakashi's body stiffened a bit; he was suddenly nervous.
They started heading back.
Thinking of Aburame Shibi, Kitazawa split off a shadow clone to go tell him the plan.
They quickly returned to the building where Minato and the others were staying.
"M-Minato-sensei…"
Kakashi recognized Namikaze Minato at a glance.
He looked a little younger than the Minato in his memory, but his face was basically the same.
Minato also recognized Kakashi immediately.
Kakashi might have grown up, but his style hadn't changed at all—white hair and a mask.
The only thing that stood out was that eye.
When Kakashi was a teenager, even though he wore a mask, both his eyes were visible.
Minato thought of one possibility and quietly sighed.
But being alive at all was already a blessing.
"Kakashi."
Minato smiled. "Didn't expect to run into you here."
Looking at that familiar, sun-bright smile, Kakashi felt his vision blur.
After his father's suicide, he'd fallen into a long, dark slump.
It was that warm smile of Minato's, plus his two teammates, that finally pulled him back out.
Unfortunately, it hadn't lasted very long.
Seeing this, Kitazawa didn't interrupt. He took Sasuke and the others inside.
Naruto and the others had already gone to rest, so he sent Sasuke's group to sleep as well.
Rooms were limited, so the three of them had to squeeze in together.
Fortunately, they were used to it.
And this was way more spacious than the tents they slept in while on missions.
Kitazawa himself didn't sleep. He still needed to talk to Minato about Neji.
While he waited, he started practicing Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness.
In a room, there was no way to swing Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia or Wood Release: Cutting Technique.
He didn't bother hiding his Ice Release.
The reason was simple.
He could easily claim he'd created his Ice Release by combining elemental chakra.
If he could synthesize Wood Release, then Ice Release was hardly unbelievable.
Sadly, he couldn't use that excuse for the Byakugan or Shikotsumyaku.
Those were special kekkei genkai. In theory, they couldn't be "synthesized"—only inherited by blood.
But Kitazawa had left himself a loophole.
There was still one other possibility: atavism.
Most shinobi in the world traced back to a single ancestor—the Sage of Six Paths, or rather Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Once Kitazawa became overwhelmingly powerful, he could declare he'd "reverted to his ancestors" and then openly use the Byakugan, Sharingan, Shikotsumyaku, and other bloodline limits.
Under normal circumstances, one person having all those bloodlines was impossible.
So aside from "atavism," there was no other explanation.
And with his strength on full display, even if people had doubts, they wouldn't dare voice them.
In the end, strength decided everything.
Time passed slowly.
A knock sounded at the door.
Kitazawa stopped his training, walked over, and opened it.
Minato was standing outside.
"Minato-senpai," Kitazawa raised a hand slightly. "Please, come in."
"I've already talked with Kakashi," Minato said with a sigh. "I never imagined he'd been through so much."
"War is always cruel," Kitazawa replied after a pause. "But at least this war ended in Konoha's favor. That's all thanks to you and the others, Minato-senpai."
"As long as things turned out that way, our efforts weren't wasted." Minato suddenly smiled. "Let's not talk too much about that though. Strictly speaking, what you described hasn't even happened for us yet."
Kitazawa nodded.
At this point in the timeline, the Third Great Ninja War hadn't fully broken out.
The young Kakashi hadn't even teamed up with Rin and Obito yet.
The only reason he could join this Rōran mission was because he'd personally requested to go with Minato.
"But just knowing that Konoha ultimately wins the war… I feel a lot more at ease," Minato said as he poured two cups of tea. "Here, have some."
"Thank you."
Kitazawa took a sip. "Minato-senpai, there's something I'd like to ask your help with."
"Go ahead."
Minato held his teacup but didn't drink.
"It's like this—"
Kitazawa told him about Neji and Hyuga Hizashi.
"There was something like that…?"
Minato frowned.
In his eyes, that entire incident was something Konoha clearly had the moral high ground on, yet somehow it ended with Hizashi dying in his brother's place. That really shouldn't have happened.
Minato suddenly went quiet.
Had that happened after he was gone?
Because if he were still Hokage then, he would never have allowed it.
"I understand. I'll take Neji back to Konoha tomorrow," Minato said, nodding.
Hizashi dying in his brother's stead—Konoha owed Neji for that.
In a sense, it was related to him as well.
He was the future Fourth Hokage, after all.
"Should we postpone the audience with the Queen of Rōran to the day after tomorrow then?" Kitazawa asked after thinking about it.
"Yeah." Minato added a reminder, "But keep an eye on Anrokuzan at all times. If he makes a move, don't wait for me."
"Got it."
Kitazawa nodded, then remembered something. "You should take Naruto with you too."
"Naruto?"
Minato blinked. "I've already talked with him a fair bit."
"It's not just you," Kitazawa said, his meaning obvious.
Minato's body stiffened.
Flustered, he picked up his tea and drained the cup in one go.
Kitazawa hadn't spelled it out, but Minato already understood.
He meant Uzumaki Kushina.
"I understand. Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow," Minato said, standing.
The door closed.
The night passed without incident, and a new day came.
After breakfast, Minato left with Naruto and Neji.
"Kakashi," Aburame Shibi asked, retracting his gaze, "are you going to the Rōran palace? I can take you."
"No."
Kakashi shook his head.
"Why not?" Shibi asked, surprised.
"There's nothing we need to talk about," Kakashi replied. "If he knows too much, it'll just cause him needless pain. And he's someone from the past—his memories will be sealed anyway."
"True enough."
Shibi glanced at the eye Kakashi kept hidden and suddenly understood.
Kakashi didn't want old wounds torn open.
Some things were painful enough just to remember. Saying them out loud was torture.
"Shibi-senpai," Kitazawa cut in, smoothly changing the subject. "Since we've got some time, how about you teach Shino a bit?"
"That I can do." Shibi smiled. "Teaching my son clan secret techniques ahead of schedule sounds like a pretty interesting experience."
With that, he went off to find Shino.
"I'll go train Sasuke," Kakashi said after steadying his emotions.
He had to keep himself busy, or his mind would spiral.
"Alright."
Kitazawa nodded.
He didn't stay idle either—he instructed Hinata and Kimimaro while continuing his own training.
…
Konoha.
"Flying Thunder God really is amazing!" Naruto said in awe.
"When you're older, you can try learning it too," Minato said with a smile.
"Then I'll get Kitazawa-sensei to teach me!" Naruto said without thinking.
In his mind, Kitazawa could do anything—including the Flying Thunder God.
Minato hesitated for a moment.
He wanted to say that Kitazawa actually didn't know Flying Thunder God, but in the end, he held back.
He could see how much Naruto respected Kitazawa.
Minato reached out and ruffled his hair.
If he were still alive, that kind of respect should have belonged to him.
But he didn't feel jealous. On the contrary, he was grateful to Kitazawa.
Without Kitazawa, Naruto's childhood would've been far lonelier.
"Neji," Minato said after thinking a moment, "I'll have my shadow clone take you to the Hyuga clan."
"…Okay."
Neji answered absent-mindedly.
Seeing this, Minato wasn't sure what to say.
He formed a hand seal and split off a shadow clone.
"Naruto, come with me," Minato said, grabbing Naruto's shoulder and activating the Flying Thunder God.
Naruto felt his body sway, and when he opened his eyes again, he was already standing in a strange living room.
"Minato? How are you back so soon… and who's this?"
A young woman with long red hair walked out at that moment.
She stopped mid-sentence.
Because she saw Naruto.
A strange, indescribable sense of familiarity surged through her chest.
Naruto froze on the spot as well.
He immediately guessed who this red-haired young woman was, and his emotions surged. His eyes went wet.
"Kushina."
Minato stepped forward and briefly explained who Naruto was.
"You're not joking?" Kushina stared at him in disbelief.
"Didn't you feel it?" Minato reminded her. "The chakra in his body should feel familiar."
Kushina immediately expanded her sensory field—and felt like she'd been struck by lightning.
The Nine-Tails.
There was no way two Nine-Tails could exist in the world at the same time.
The only explanation was that Naruto came from the future—and that the Nine-Tails inside him was that same one.
Kushina turned her head and saw that Naruto was already crying.
Her heart twisted. She walked up and pulled him into a hug.
Unlike Minato, she accepted Naruto almost instantly.
"I'll go cook," Minato said, seeing the scene.
"I'll cook this meal," Kushina shook her head, stopping him.
Minato froze for a second, then understood.
"Naruto, what do you want to eat?" Kushina asked confidently. "Your mom can make anything!"
"I… I can eat anything," Naruto said, wiping his tears.
"Alright then," Kushina said with a big smile. "I'll just make all my best dishes today!"
"Thank you… Mom."
Naruto finally said the word he'd never been able to say before.
"You've had it hard. Sit down and rest for a bit. Food will be ready soon," Kushina said, patting his head.
"Mm!"
Naruto let go of her and sat on the couch, looking curiously around the room.
"Minato," Kushina gave him a look.
The two of them headed into the kitchen.
"Naruto… why does he seem so…" she trailed off.
What she wanted to say was: Naruto acted like he was meeting them for the first time.
For parents and child to have never met—there was only one explanation.
"We're people of the past. We're not supposed to know about the future," Minato said quietly. He already knew what she was thinking, but he had to be ruthless. "When Naruto leaves, I'll seal your memories."
"I see…"
Kushina turned her head, a sour pain rising in her chest.
She didn't dare imagine what Naruto must have gone through.
"Kushina…" Minato started.
"When are you leaving?" she asked, forcing herself to stay calm.
"Tomor— tomorrow," Minato said. He'd originally wanted to say "this afternoon," but seeing Kushina's expression, he changed it to tomorrow instead.
"I'll cook for him first," she said softly.
"I'll help," Minato said, immediately opening the fridge.
Time passed.
"So much food?" Naruto stared wide-eyed at the table piled with dishes.
Normally, three people would be fine with just two dishes. Now there were nine in total.
"Well?" Kushina put her hands on her hips, very pleased with herself. "How is it?"
"You're amazing, Mom!" Naruto gave her a big thumbs-up.
"The taste is even more amazing!" Kushina replied with a beaming smile.
"Try some," Minato said, handing Naruto a pair of chopsticks.
Naruto scanned the dishes, then, after some internal struggle, picked up a piece of chicken and popped it into his mouth.
Kushina watched him nervously, waiting for his verdict.
"It's really good!" Naruto said immediately.
"Good." Kushina let out a breath of relief. "If it's good, try to eat as much as you can."
"Uh… I don't have as big an appetite as Hinata and Choji," Naruto said, scratching his head.
"Those are your teammates?" Kushina asked curiously.
"I haven't graduated yet. They're my classmates," Naruto explained.
"Tell me about them then." Kushina smiled, her expression soft and attentive.
Even if those memories were going to be sealed, at least this moment would be worth it.
"Okay!"
Naruto started talking about life in the Advanced Class while he ate.
"Your Kitazawa-sensei really is amazing," Kushina said after listening for a while. She looked at Minato. "How come I don't remember anyone like that?"
"He was Asuma's classmate," Minato replied.
"No wonder," Kushina said, suddenly enlightened.
Kitazawa was still young right now, so it made sense she hadn't noticed him yet.
But just like Minato, she was grateful to him.
She knew perfectly well what kind of life a Nine-Tails jinchuriki usually had.
Without Kitazawa, Naruto's life wouldn't have been nearly as happy.
The second day came.
Minato, Naruto, and Neji returned to Rōran.
Even though the timing had deviated from the original plan, Kitazawa and Shibi could fully understand.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Minato said after a pause. "Let's go see the Queen of Rōran now."
"No rush," Kitazawa shook his head. "Anrokuzan hasn't made any moves yet. You all rest first—we'll get ready on our side too."
"Thank you."
Minato's tone was sincere.
The fact that he and Kushina had been able to see Naruto at all was almost entirely thanks to Kitazawa.
And more importantly, Kitazawa took good care of Naruto.
"It's nothing," Kitazawa said with a small smile, not pressing further.
He sat down on the couch and opened his hand. Ice quickly formed in his palm.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Hinata had sat next to him as soon as he sat down.
Kitazawa focused, and the lump of ice reshaped itself into an ice pop.
He casually handed it to Hinata.
"It doesn't have much taste," Hinata said after a lick.
"That's because it's just pure ice," Kitazawa chuckled. "If you want flavor, I can add some."
He had all kinds of seasonings stored in his summoning scroll.
"It's fine," Hinata shook her head, then asked curiously, "Is this the same Ice Release as Haku's?"
"Yeah," Kitazawa said offhandedly. "I synthesized it from Wind and Water Release."
"Kitazawa-sensei really can do anything," Hinata said, her eyes shining with admiration.
"You'll be amazing when you grow up too," Kitazawa said, ruffling her hair.
"Mm!" Hinata answered very seriously. "I'll work hard!"
An hour later, their break ended.
Kitazawa, Minato, and the others set out for the Rōran palace.
Calling Rōran a "country" was a bit much—in reality, it was just a single city.
The palace wasn't far, and they reached it quickly.
"We're surrounded. There are lots of puppets nearby," Aburame Shibi said, eyes narrowing.
"Anrokuzan isn't stupid. He must have noticed us a long time ago," Minato said with a small laugh, not surprised. "Looks like he plans to wipe us out in one go."
With the Flying Thunder God, there was no chance of a worst-case scenario.
Even if Rōran was destroyed, he could still get Naruto and the others out.
Besides, he didn't believe Anrokuzan could actually defeat them.
They had five jōnin here, plus six genius students and a teenage Kakashi.
At that moment, Akimichi Chōza walked out.
"How's the Queen of Rōran?" Minato asked.
"She's safe," Chōza replied after a pause. "Anrokuzan tried to see her yesterday, but we blocked him."
"Good work," Minato nodded. "Let's go in."
Led by Chōza, they headed into the main hall of the palace.
The Queen of Rōran, Sara, and the younger Kakashi were already there.
The younger Kakashi subconsciously glanced at the older Kakashi.
Who was that guy? Why did he look exactly like him?
The older Kakashi looked at him once, then turned away.
Seeing his past self only reminded him of Minato, Obito, and Rin—who were all dead.
For him, it was better not to meet at all.
"Your Majesty," Minato took out a scroll. "This is the result of our investigation into Anrokuzan over the last two days."
"Thank you."
The Queen took the scroll. She didn't ask who Kitazawa's group were.
For her, the most important thing was understanding what Anrokuzan was up to.
Anrokuzan had appeared six years ago. At first, he'd been diligent and capable, managing Rōran in an orderly way.
It wasn't until he proposed using the Dragon Vein to develop Rōran that she began to suspect him.
But by then, he was already a high minister with enormous prestige.
Working with other officials, he'd basically forced her hand.
That was why Rōran was now full of puppets.
The Queen had naively thought he'd stop at some point, but she hadn't expected his ambition to go far beyond Rōran—to the entire shinobi world.
With no other options, she'd sent people to request help from Konoha.
After reading the scroll, the Queen's face went dark.
She hadn't imagined that all of Rōran's recent disappearances were Anrokuzan's doing.
Abusing the Dragon Vein, kidnapping citizens—by Rōran law, that was treason punishable by death.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed.
A group of puppets marched in.
Compared to the puppets Kitazawa's group had seen before, these ones were much bigger.
"Anrokuzan!"
The Queen glared at the man standing at the head of the puppets. "What are you doing?"
"Your Majesty, I heard that Konoha shinobi are plotting against you, so I came to rescue you," Anrokuzan said, giving Minato and the others a cold look. "Seize them!"
The puppets behind him moved forward as one.
"Stop! I invited them here!" the Queen shouted.
She flung the scroll in her hand.
"Anrokuzan, I want an explanation!" she said in a low voice.
"There's nothing to explain," Anrokuzan glanced at the scroll and tore it apart. "Anyone who stands in the way of Rōran's development must die!"
"I'd say you're the one hindering Rōran's future!" the Queen shot back. "As of now, you are no longer a minister of Rōran!"
"I hear shinobi are good at illusions," Anrokuzan said, shaking his head. "Your Majesty, you're already bewitched by genjutsu. I'll save you right now."
"Such shamelessness," Minato said clearly.
"Enough talking," Anrokuzan waved his hand. "Kill them!"
Before, he'd wanted them captured alive. Now that things had completely fallen apart with the Queen, he couldn't be bothered to keep up the act.
"Chōza, you and Kakashi escort Her Majesty out," Minato ordered immediately.
"Yes," Kakashi and young Kakashi answered in unison.
"Ahem." Minato looked at the older Kakashi. "You stay and help."
Kakashi realized he'd misunderstood.
The younger Kakashi wanted to ask questions, but there was no time. He hurried after Chōza.
"Move!" Minato shouted, hurling a Flying Thunder God kunai.
He vanished from where he stood and reappeared in front of Anrokuzan, following the kunai's mark.
Chakra surged into his hand—he slammed a Rasengan down.
Anrokuzan couldn't react in time. The Rasengan hit him squarely.
His clothes tore, revealing a body that was half puppet-like.
Purple chakra flared across his skin where the Rasengan connected.
Boom!
Anrokuzan was forced several steps back by the blast.
But the Rasengan hadn't done any real damage—he was completely unscathed.
"Hahaha!" Anrokuzan laughed wildly. "I stopped being human a long time ago. With the Dragon Vein, I'm an immortal puppet—I can't be killed!"
Hinata felt a twinge of déjà vu.
Mui from the Box of Ultimate Bliss, Moryo in Land of Demon—those enemies had all claimed immortality too.
Now they were just the spirit guardians of her and Neji's weapons.
"Watch out!" Naruto shouted.
Anrokuzan spat out a massive purple fireball straight at Minato.
"I'm fine."
Minato flickered and reappeared where he'd been standing.
This was the elusive Flying Thunder God.
The only way to deal with it was to destroy all the markers.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto yelled and split into over a hundred shadow clones.
But instead of charging in recklessly, the clones lined up in front of Minato and the others.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Shuriken!"
Naruto infused wind chakra into his shuriken and threw them.
His clones did the same.
In an instant, a storm of shuriken rained down over Anrokuzan and his puppets.
The clatter of impacts sounded in rapid succession.
Many puppets were shredded by the Wind Style: Shuriken barrage.
"What terrifying chakra," Shibi said in genuine surprise.
It was his first time seeing Naruto fight.
Most jōnin couldn't split into a hundred shadow clones at once.
Minato had already seen it once, so he wasn't as shocked—he felt more proud than anything.
After all, this was his future son.
And this enormous chakra pool clearly came from Kushina's bloodline.
Brilliant lightning erupted.
Sasuke, his three-tomoe Sharingan spinning, charged in.
He swung the Sword of the Thunder God in a wide arc, the lightning sweeping across the nearest puppets and blasting them apart.
After circling once, he looked back at Naruto.
"As expected of my lifelong rival!" Naruto gave him a thumbs-up. "I can feel my youth burning!!"
Follow-up arrows shot out.
Hinata and Neji aimed at the puppets stunned by lightning and finished them off.
Shibi's mouth twitched.
Seeing it in person, he realized Shino had actually understated how scary the Advanced Class really was.
"You're not bad," Anrokuzan said evenly.
Despite losing over half his puppets, he still seemed calm.
He waved his hand, and the entire palace shook.
"What's happening?" Naruto yelled. "Is it collapsing?"
Boom!
All four walls of the hall were smashed open.
An uncountable number of puppets surrounded them outside.
"This is my puppet army!" Anrokuzan spread his arms and crowed. "You're the first shinobi to die at their hands. You should feel honored!"
Rasengan!
Minato flashed in front of him again, smashing another Rasengan into him.
Puppet Conversion: Rotation Strike!
Anrokuzan had been ready this time.
He'd already seen Minato's Flying Thunder God + Rasengan combo.
A grinding, gear-like sound rang out.
Blades sprouted from his entire body, spinning wildly.
They ripped into the Rasengan and then thrust toward Minato.
Minato vanished instantly and reappeared at his original position, frowning.
His Flying Thunder God + Rasengan combo had made him infamous, but there was one awkward weakness:
His offense was lacking. Rasengan was his strongest technique.
If Rasengan didn't work, he had no real way to finish the enemy—just like now.
Anrokuzan had turned his body into a puppet and linked it to the Dragon Vein, gaining immense defense and regeneration.
Rasengan barely did anything.
It wasn't just Rasengan.
In the original timeline, even Naruto's Wind Style: Rasenshuriken couldn't finish him.
In the end, it took both father and son combining their power into a Twin Rasengan to defeat him.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto created another hundred clones.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Shuriken!"
All the clones flung wind-charged shuriken again.
Burst Arrow!
Hinata drew and loosed an arrow.
Her explosive arrow reached Anrokuzan first.
He caught it one-handed.
Boom!
The arrow detonated, but it didn't harm him at all.
He was a puppet now, not a human.
Right then, the curtain of shuriken descended.
Anrokuzan waved his arm, and purple chakra formed a solid wall in front of him.
Every last shuriken clanged off the barrier.
The puppets around him weren't so lucky—they were shredded under the assault.
But compared to his practically endless puppet army, that loss was negligible.
"Use Multiple Arrow," Neji reminded her.
"Okay." Hinata immediately shifted her aim back to the puppets.
Aburame father and son did the same—they raised their hands in unison.
Swarms of kikaichū flew toward the surrounding puppets.
They might be inanimate objects, but they still had joints and weak points.
As the kikaichū gnawed those apart, many puppets lost mobility and collapsed.
A shrill birdsong rang out.
Kakashi and Sasuke charged Anrokuzan from left and right.
They'd quickly realized Minato was stuck.
Their Lightning Blade and Chidori might not have Rasengan's raw power, but their piercing strength far surpassed it.
Ryūmyaku: Great Dragon Fire Technique!
Anrokuzan naturally wasn't going to stand still.
He tilted his head back and spat two massive purple fireballs at them.
Three-Tomoe Sharingan!
With their Sharingan active, Kakashi and Sasuke slipped past the fireballs with ease.
They jumped, and the lightning in their hands cut into Anrokuzan's body like blades.
"Get lost!" Anrokuzan roared.
Blades burst from his arms and hacked toward them.
Kakashi and Sasuke retreated instantly, putting distance between them.
Seeing the huge perforating wounds left by Lightning Blade on Anrokuzan's body, Minato let out a breath.
Ultra-Fast Regeneration Technique!
Purple chakra poured out from Anrokuzan's body.
The massive wounds disappeared almost instantly.
Minato, Kakashi, and the others' faces darkened.
"If we don't sever his link to the Dragon Vein, we can't beat him," Kitazawa said slowly.
Minato blinked.
He suddenly realized something—Kitazawa had been standing there this whole time and hadn't used a single jutsu.
It wasn't that he couldn't. From Naruto's stories, Kitazawa was definitely at elite jōnin level.
"We split into two teams," Kitazawa continued. "One team stays to contain Anrokuzan. The other goes with the Queen to shut down the Dragon Vein."
"I'll stay," Minato said without hesitation.
Anrokuzan was the most dangerous one here.
But with Flying Thunder God, Minato could keep him occupied.
"I'll stay too!" Shibi added quickly.
"All of you go," Kitazawa shook his head. "I'll stay with Minato-senpai."
"Do you think I don't exist?" Anrokuzan bellowed. "None of you are leaving!"
The surrounding puppets immediately pressed their attack.
"I'll get you there!" Minato said quickly.
Given the situation, only Flying Thunder God could get them out of the encirclement in one piece.
"No need to bother," Kitazawa said.
He activated his Yang Release Chakra Mode, then clapped his hands together.
The only reason he hadn't acted yet was because he wanted his students to get some real combat experience.
Once he stepped in, the fight would effectively be over.
At this stage, Wood Release was the ultimate finisher.
Wood Style: Nativity of a World of Trees!
The ground trembled around him. Countless vines erupted upward and soared toward the sky, becoming towering trees in moments.
In less than a second, the entire ruined palace had turned into a primeval forest.
"Wood Release…?"
Minato and Shibi's eyes went wide, their faces full of disbelief.
Naruto and Shino had mentioned Kitazawa before, but they'd only talked about how good he was at teaching.
They hadn't brought up Wood Release even once.
"You're Kitazawa?" Anrokuzan blurted out.
He was from Sunagakure. Of course he'd heard of the Wood Release shinobi named Kitazawa.
He'd just never imagined that man would show up in Rōran as his enemy.
"So what if you use Wood Release?"
"I have endless power from the Dragon Vein! You can't do anything to me!" Anrokuzan shouted.
"Is that so?"
Kitazawa waved his hand.
The giant trees around them came alive.
Vines and branches wrapped around the nearby puppets, binding them so tightly they couldn't move.
Anrokuzan's pupils shrank, and he hurriedly ordered the remaining puppets to open fire.
Rumble!
Purple chakra blasts slammed into the trees.
In the violent explosions that followed, trees and puppets were shattered alike.
But before Anrokuzan could feel relieved, the trees regenerated again.
His heart skipped a beat, but he didn't give up hope.
The Dragon Vein's power was infinite—but Kitazawa's chakra would run out eventually.
"Kakashi, Shibi, go find the Queen!" Minato shouted. "We have to shut down the Dragon Vein to beat Anrokuzan!"
"Let's move!" Shibi yelled.
Kakashi nodded and leapt away.
Seeing this, Anrokuzan immediately sent puppets in pursuit.
As soon as he moved, Minato flickered in front of him again.
Forced to choose, Anrokuzan sent all his puppets after them instead.
The giant trees blocked a lot of them, but plenty still slipped through and gave chase.
Even so, those puppets weren't too threatening for jōnin.
With Naruto and the others helping out, they fought while retreating and made good time.
"Damn it!"
Anrokuzan panicked and stopped holding back.
Ryūmyaku: Great Dragon Fire Technique!
A purple fireball several times bigger than the last ones formed in front of him.
The nearby trees caught fire instantly.
Minato didn't dare try to block it. He disappeared again.
The gigantic purple fireball crashed down toward Kitazawa like a miniature sun.
"Move!" Minato reappeared in front of him and reached for his shoulder.
Kitazawa shook his head and formed hand seals.
Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique!
A seed dropped to the ground and in an instant became a massive, spiked dragon.
It hurled itself straight into the purple fireball.
Boom!
The huge fireball shattered into smaller ones that scattered everywhere.
When those fragments landed, vines and branches coiled around them and absorbed the flames.
"What?" Anrokuzan's face changed.
The Wood Dragon rushed at him, its pressure like a physical weight.
He roared, purple light exploding around him as vast Dragon Vein chakra surged forth.
Ryūmyaku: Super Great Dragon Fire Technique!
This time it wasn't a fireball, but an entire sea of flames.
Purple fire rose and crashed like waves from all around him.
The Wood Dragon's surface caught fire—but only that.
It lashed its tail around Anrokuzan and squeezed.
The monstrous strength froze his body in place.
He roared again, purple light flaring—but it was snuffed out almost instantly.
In theory, the Dragon Vein was limitless.
But against the chakra-devouring Wood Dragon, the two forces locked into a stalemate.
"…?"
Minato stared blankly at Anrokuzan, blinking at the way the purple light flickered on and off like a sound-activated lamp.
Was it really that simple?
So this was the legendary Wood Release—terrifying beyond belief.
Of course, what puzzled him even more was Kitazawa.
If Kitazawa was this strong, how had his name never once appeared in Konoha's history up to now?
~~~
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