"This is... the Rōran mission from the movie. But isn't it too early?"
Aizen was taken aback upon hearing about the mission.
In the original timeline, Kakashi participated in this mission. But at this moment, Kakashi was only five years old! He hadn't even become Minato's student yet—how could he possibly take part in this mission?
This means the timeline has shifted!
Sure enough, Hiruzen's next words confirmed Aizen's suspicions.
"Three years ago, a shinobi named Mukade became the minister of Rōran. We have substantial evidence suggesting that this shinobi likely traveled from the future and is targeting Rōran's dragon vein. Even the former Queen of Rōran was most likely killed by him."
Hiruzen took a puff from his cigarette, the smoke curling around him as he spoke slowly.
In the original story, the Sand Shinobi Mukade, who now operates under the alias An Lushan, was discovered by Konoha after six years of covert activities. Now, the timeline has accelerated by three years!
"So, our mission isn't just to protect Queen Sāra, but also to thwart An Lushan's conspiracy," Minato said solemnly as he reviewed the information on Sāra and An Lushan.
"Precisely. The First Hokage once forged a peace agreement with Rōran. We, as Konoha shinobi, have the responsibility and obligation to protect Rōran's safety and ensure that the dragon vein doesn't fall into the hands of those with nefarious ambitions!" Hiruzen declared with a righteous air.
Aizen, however, couldn't help but smirk inwardly.
Hiruzen's concern was less about Rōran's safety and more about preventing the power of the dragon vein from falling into the hands of rival factions.
Given the importance of this mission, Aizen had taken the time to familiarize himself with Rōran's history.
Rōran was an ancient kingdom with a long and storied past. During the Warring states period, when warfare was dominated by clans, the scattered and balanced power of the shinobi kept them from attacking Rōran due to mutual fear.
When the era of the Hidden Villages began, Rōran was spared thanks to Senju Hashirama's pacifist influence.
After Hashirama's death, however, war erupted across the ninja world. The major Hidden Villages suffered heavy losses, which temporarily shifted their focus away from Rōran.
When Konoha emerged victorious from the First Great Ninja War, Senju Tobirama journeyed to Cloud Shinobi Village to negotiate a peace treaty, only to be ambushed by the Gold and Silver Brothers. This plunged Konoha into chaos, leaving them unable to address Rōran's situation.
Shortly thereafter, Sand Village, in alliance with Rain Village, ignited the Second Great Ninja War. Neither the Land of Fire nor the Land of Wind had the resources to concern themselves with Rōran.
Thus, Rōran—a small nation harboring immense treasures—miraculously continued to survive.
But as the dust settled after the Second Great Ninja War, Rōran's fate was finally sealed.
This explains why, in the original story, Rōran's ultimate fate was annihilation.
Of course, for Aizen, the fate of Rōran wasn't of particular concern.
Now, with the timeline unfolding years ahead of schedule, he couldn't help but wonder, would the child of prophecy, Minato's son, Uzumaki Naruto, still appear as foretold?
The reincarnation of Ashura.
Aizen placed significant importance on this, far more than Rōran's dragon vein.
"This mission is both highly sensitive and dangerous. According to the intel, An Lushan has used the dragon vein to create a multitude of puppet weapons. Due to the delicate nature of Rōran's situation, we can't afford to send too many people.
Therefore, for this mission, you and Minato will lead your respective squads to carry out the operation," Hiruzen commanded.
"Yes!" Aizen and the others responded in unison, accepting the task.
After returning home briefly to pack their belongings, they set off for Rōran.
Situated on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, Rōran's geographical location was far from ideal—it lay deep within the desert.
However, the harsh environment did provide one advantage: it kept many would-be invaders at bay.
After more than half a month of enduring the harsh desert winds, Aizen, Minato, and the others finally arrived on the outskirts of Rōran.
Even Aizen was awed by the sight of the tall structures rising out of the desert sands.
Rōran wasn't some opulent kingdom ruled by oil-rich elites.
Yet somehow, the immense wealth they must have possessed allowed them to build such an extraordinary city in the heart of the desert.
"Hiashi, Hizashi, use your Byakugan to scout Rōran's situation," Aizen ordered, quickly refocusing on the mission.
"Yes, Captain!" the Hyuga brothers responded, their veins bulging as they activated their Byakugan.
As they scanned the area, Aizen couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.
While Hiashi and Hizashi were strong, they were still only at the level of Special Jōnin—a level they would likely never surpass.
Their potential was limited; at best, they might reach the level of quasi-Kage someday.
Still, they were competent.
They had nearly accumulated enough chakra to reach true Jōnin rank, likely within the next year.
On the other hand, Aburame Shibi and Akimichi Chōza seemed destined to linger in the Special Jōnin realm for quite some time.
Aizen felt a deep satisfaction with his decision to mentor Hyuga Gin.
Although Hyuga Gin was only at the level of an Elite Chūnin, his chakra reserves were already impressive!
Aizen estimated that within a year, Hyuga Gin would reach Special Jōnin rank.
Gin's potential, though not on par with Aizen or Namikaze Minato, far exceeded that of the Hyuga brothers and even held the promise of reaching Kage level one day.
"Captain, there's a network of chakra pipelines running above the city, filled with large amounts of purple chakra, and many mechanical puppets are connected to it," Hiashi reported after a thorough investigation.
"Hmm. That so-called purple chakra is likely the energy of the dragon vein, and those mechanical puppets are An Lushan's creations, powered by that energy," Minato mused after hearing the report.
Turning to Aizen, Minato suggested, "Aizen, let's split into two teams. Hiashi and Hizashi can use their Byakugan to locate the central control station for these dragon vein-powered puppets. They can then set up explosive tags to disable them...
Meanwhile, we'll protect Queen Sāra, the primary target of this mission."
In the original timeline, Minato had assigned this task to Kakashi, but now it was the Hyuga brothers' responsibility.
"No objections here," Aizen replied.
"Wait, Captain, I've just discovered something new!" Hizashi suddenly interjected, still deep in reconnaissance.
"What is it?" Minato asked with curiosity.
"In the heart of Rōran, there's a ninja with an immense chakra reserve being pursued by Rōran's puppet weapons!" Hizashi reported, his expression turning serious.