"Are there any other ninjas in Rōran?"
Minato frowned at Hyuga Hizashi's report.
If another shinobi was present, it could mean that a neighboring country had intervened in Rōran's affairs.
But,
"No, he's the only one around," Hyuga Hizashi replied, still puzzled. This was what made the situation so strange.
Ninjas typically operate in small teams. It's unusual for someone to be on a mission alone.
"I see... But we can't rule out the possibility that there are accomplices lurking in the shadows."
Minato considered the situation carefully. "Stick to the original plan. Continue with your covert investigation of Rōran. As for that lone ninja, Aizen and I will handle him personally."
No one raised any objections.
Soon, the Hyuga brothers, Akamichi Chōza, and the others departed, leaving only Aizen and Minato.
"Shall we go?" Minato chuckled, looking at Aizen.
Aizen gave a slight nod.
Then, in a flash, both vanished from their spot, swiftly moving toward their target.
It didn't take long before they came upon a group of mechanical puppets surrounding a young boy.
The boy appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, with a surprisingly handsome face. He was clad in simple, orange-yellow clothing, but the undisguised look of naivety on his face somewhat diminished his overall presence.
"Uzumaki Naruto?"
Even though it was their first meeting, Aizen recognized the boy immediately from his iconic outfit and demeanor.
At this moment, Uzumaki Naruto was struggling against the puppets, clearly on the verge of being overwhelmed.
Seeing this, Minato decided to intervene!
In an instant, Minato performed the Body Flicker Technique, appearing among the puppets with lightning speed.
He then drew his signature trident-shaped kunai, channeling Wind Release chakra into it to create a Wind Release: Chakra Blade!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With just a few swift movements, Minato dismantled the powerful puppets and stood before a stunned Uzumaki Naruto.
"You're a Konoha shinobi as well?" Minato asked in a calm, deep voice as he noticed the Konoha forehead protector on Naruto's head. "It seems this mission only involves our team. Did you stumble into Rōran by accident while on another mission?"
"I... I don't even know where I am... Wait, what is this place?" Naruto, still disoriented from his sudden arrival, had no idea he was in the ancient city of Rōran.
"This is Rōran. It's dangerous here. If you don't have a specific reason to stay, you should leave immediately."
Minato's suspicion grew as he observed Naruto's confusion. After leaving this warning, he swiftly departed.
"Rōran?!"
But as Minato vanished, Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He screamed in disbelief as if he had just seen a ghost.
The Rōran he knew had been reduced to ruins long ago, destroyed many years before.
But now, the Anbu shinobi had just told him that this place was Rōran!
Naruto stared at the towering structures around him, his mind spiraling into confusion.
Watching the events unfold, Aizen felt a sense of relief.
Despite the changes in the timeline, the core events were still aligned with the original story.
"Aizen, that boy likely stumbled into Rōran by mistake while on a mission. We should leave him be and focus on our task." Minato returned to Aizen, explaining their next steps. "Now, we need to regroup with others and the others and proceed to our primary objective—protecting Queen Sāra of Rōran!"
"Understood." Aizen agreed without hesitation.
According to the plot, Naruto would eventually cross paths with Minato.
Aizen saw no need to rush.
After all, what he planned to do next required careful, secretive execution.
When Aizen and Minato finally regrouped with Akamichi Chōza and Aburame Shibi, they followed the sounds of a grand celebration in the center of Rōran and quickly located Queen Sāra.
Along with her was Naruto, who, after heroically saving Sāra, now found himself inexplicably slapped several times.
The sight of Naruto's bewildered and comical expression was too much for Aizen to resist, and even he had to stifle a laugh.
Minato, on the other hand, could only sigh as he observed the boy standing alongside the very person they were meant to protect.
Realizing the need for a proper discussion, Minato led Naruto and Sāra to a nearby building's corridor, intending to have a serious conversation.
But before Minato could even begin, Naruto blurted out in frustration:
"I said, where exactly is this? Don't tell me it's Rōran again! When Granny Tsunade sent us on the Rōran mission, the place was already in ruins!"
Naruto's questions hung in the air, causing Minato and the others to exchange wary glances. They began to piece together some guesses about Naruto's origin.
However, Naruto's remarks only served to infuriate Sāra.
"Nonsense! How could Rōran be extinct?"
The red-haired queen angrily pinched Naruto in protest.
From there, the situation unfolded much like the original storyline.
Minato explained to Naruto that, much like Mukade, who mysteriously appeared in Rōran three years ago, Naruto, too, had traveled through time.
Minato further elaborated that, based on his observations, Mukade had absorbed a time-space ninjutsu seal, causing an energy surge from the dragon vein, which led to both Naruto and Mukade being transported across time.
Minato assured Naruto that if Mukade were defeated, Naruto would be able to return to his own time.
However, during their conversation, Sāra—still under the influence of Mukade's manipulations—refused to believe Minato's words. She had always seen Mukade as a kind and trustworthy individual.
Blinded by her grief and her desire to protect the one she believed to be her mother's killer, Sāra tried to defend him.
Aizen couldn't help but sigh to himself.
"In a world filled with schemers and power-hungry individuals, there are always those who remain hopelessly naive."
Watching Sāra flee in distress, Minato felt a twinge of frustration. But Sāra was their mission's primary protection target, and Minato couldn't just leave her unguarded.
"Naruto, we have to deal with some matters first. Please protect Sāra in the meantime," Minato instructed Naruto with a serious tone.
"Remember, you can only return home if you defeat Mukade. And to defeat him—now that he's harnessed the power of the dragon vein—Sāra is the key!"
Sensing the gravity in Minato's voice, Naruto nodded solemnly. "Understood. I'll protect her."
With that, Naruto turned and hurried off to find Sāra...
As they watched Naruto leave, Minato addressed Aizen and the others:
"According to our preliminary investigation, Mukade has used the dragon vein to create a vast array of puppet weapons. We need to conduct a thorough investigation of all of Rōran, gather all necessary information, and then launch an assault on Mukade!"
"Understood!" Akamichi Chōza and Aburame Shibi responded, ready to carry out the plan.
But just as they were about to proceed, Aizen hesitated, a different thought forming in his mind