Revised Chapter:
The ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village didn't notice the changes happening to Tyrouge.
They simply saw him as a joke.
"Kushina, I suggest you stop dreaming," the Cloud ninja sneered. "No one is coming to save you."
Kushina gritted her teeth. "Aren't you afraid this will cause a war? Kidnapping me is no small thing."
The leading Cloud Jonin laughed. "War? Your Hidden Leaf is more afraid of war than we are!"
He crossed his arms confidently. "Once we bring you to the Hidden Cloud, your village won't dare to retaliate. You'll become the Jinchuriki for one of the tailed beasts, and that's that."
Kushina's eyes widened. "A Jinchuriki? You…!"
The Cloud ninja smirked. "Oh, don't worry, Kushina. You'll be treated like royalty in the Hidden Cloud. You might even become the wife of the next Raikage! How does 'First Lady' sound to you?"
Kushina's face went pale. The thought of being forced into this made her heart race with panic.
"You already have a Jinchuriki for the Eight-Tails," she snapped.
The ninja shrugged. "There's always room for more."
He clapped his hands. "Enough talk. You can resist all you want, but it won't change anything. We're almost at the border, and our reinforcements are waiting."
Kushina's heart sank. Her mind raced with memories of her friends in the Hidden Leaf.
"Stop being so violent! No one will marry you if you act like this!" Tyrouge's teasing voice echoed in her mind.
"You've got fiery red hair. It's kind of nice," Minato had said once, flashing his gentle smile.
"Kushina, help me with the dishes! A proper woman should know how to cook!" Mikoto had teased while wearing her apron.
Even Uzumaki Mito's wise voice surfaced. "We were brought here to be Jinchuriki, but before that, we need love to fill our hearts. Only then can we truly find happiness, no matter what fate throws at us."
Her chest tightened. She thought of Tyrouge, Minato, Mikoto, and all the people she cared about.
I can't just give up…
Suddenly, the ground shook. Tiny saplings burst from the soil, growing rapidly into towering trees that split the group apart.
"What the—?!" one Cloud ninja shouted. "Wood Style?! Who's there?!"
Kushina's eyes darted around, hopeful. Someone came to save me!
"Get her!" the Cloud ninja yelled.
Before they could grab her, five figures appeared out of nowhere and engaged the enemy.
Kushina blinked in disbelief. "Tyrouge?!"
Her heart skipped a beat. All five figures were Tyrouge!
The real Tyrouge stepped out from the shadows, surrounded by thick branches that swept her off her feet.
"Ah!" Kushina yelped as she was gently lifted in the air and brought to him. Her knees felt weak, and she almost collapsed.
"Hey! Pepperhead, are you okay?" Tyrouge asked, steadying her with a smirk.
Kushina looked up, her face red. Tyrouge's confident grin and sharp black eyes made her heart calm down.
"Tyrouge…? Is that really you?" she whispered.
"Surprised?" Tyrouge chuckled. "Didn't think I'd be the one to save you, huh?"
Kushina looked at the shadow clones fighting in the distance. "This… this is the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
"What else would it be?" Tyrouge smirked. He glanced at the defeated Cloud ninjas. "They're nothing compared to me."
Kushina couldn't believe her eyes. When had Tyrouge learned such techniques? And… Wood Style?
One Cloud Jonin tried to run. Tyrouge's hands formed a quick seal, and roots erupted from the ground, wrapping around the ninja like a snake.
"Where do you think you're going?" Tyrouge said coldly. The roots tightened, pinning the Jonin down.
Kushina stared in awe. "Tyrouge… did you really defeat them all?"
"They're just tied up. Reinforcements will deal with them," Tyrouge replied, brushing dust off his hands.
Kushina's cheeks turned pink. "Can you… untie my hands now?"
[System Prompt]
[Option 1: Wait for Minato to arrive and stick to the original storyline. Reward: C-Rank Summoning Jutsu - Little Toad.]
[Option 2: Deliver Kushina to the Hidden Cloud Village, becoming a villain. Reward: A-Rank Jutsu - Hell Assault Technique.]
[Option 3: Untie Kushina's hands and comfort her. Reward: +10 Kushina Favorability Points and a Supreme Pack.]
Tyrouge frowned. 'Respect the original story? Hah, the original never respected me!'
He smirked as he studied the scrolls spread out before him. Every jutsu recorded by Hashirama Senju himself, including the A-rank summoning jutsu—*Demonic Gate: Rashomon*.
Compared to that, summoning a small toad with a C-rank jutsu felt like an insult.
And the thought of escorting Kushina Uzumaki to the Hidden Cloud Village? What a joke. A cute red-haired girl like her—why send her away when he could keep her close?
Option three, however, made Tyrouge grin. A *Supreme Gift Package*. Forget increasing Kushina's favorability—what mattered was the reward. Last time, it gave him an SSS-ranked character card. This time, the possibilities were endless.
Tyrouge reached down to untie Kushina's ropes, but before he could finish, a golden blur streaked toward him.
"Kushina!"
The voice was sharp and filled with panic. Tyrouge turned his head just in time to see Minato Namikaze, his golden hair glowing in the moonlight, charging straight at him.
*So, the Yellow Flash finally shows up.*
Minato's kunai was already aimed at Tyrouge's neck. "Body Flicker Technique!" His form vanished in an instant.
Tyrouge's smirk deepened. *Fast. But not faster than me.*
With a simple duck, Tyrouge dodged the kunai aimed at his neck.
"Minato! Stop!" Kushina screamed.
Ignoring her plea, Minato reappeared in front of Tyrouge, kunai ready to strike again.
But then he froze. His sharp eyes locked onto Tyrouge, and recognition struck him like a thunderclap.
"Tyrouge?!"
The realization hit too late. His reflexes betrayed him as the kunai in his hand drove forward, slicing toward Tyrouge's chest.
"This... I didn't mean to—" Minato stammered, guilt flashing across his face.
But the Tyrouge in front of him shattered into wooden splinters.
*Substitution Jutsu.*
Ten meters away, Tyrouge stood with an unbound Kushina beside him. She blinked, confused. "When did we switch?"
Minato's face flushed with embarrassment. He waved his hands apologetically. "Tyrouge, I'm sorry! I thought you were a Hidden Cloud ninja. I acted without thinking—"
But Tyrouge didn't bother listening. His grin was gone, replaced by a cold, sharp look.
"You attacked first," Tyrouge said flatly. "Now, you'll pay for it."
Before Minato could react, Tyrouge slammed his foot into the ground, cracking it. With a burst of chakra, he appeared in front of Minato in the blink of an eye.
"Too slow!"
Minato barely had time to raise his arms in defense before Tyrouge's foot slammed into him.
"Don't attack without thinking!"
Punch.
"Don't judge people too quickly!"
Kick.
Minato flew through the air like a rag doll, his body crashing through tree after tree.
"And next time, I'll break your head!" Tyrouge shouted.
Minato finally landed, his body slamming into the ground. His clothes were in tatters, and bruises covered his face. He groaned, struggling to move.
Kushina stared, wide-eyed and speechless. She had never seen anyone overwhelm Minato like this.
Meanwhile, a small, pitch-black crow circled above. Its reflective eyes observed the scene below.
Back in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched through the crow's eyes, his pipe forgotten as his brows furrowed.
"That wasn't just a simple Substitution Jutsu," Hiruzen murmured. "The timing... the precision... it's too advanced for a genin. And those punches—each one perfectly calculated. He fought like a seasoned warrior, not a child."
The crow's vision shifted to reveal Tyrouge standing over a defeated Minato, his expression calm but commanding. Hiruzen leaned forward, concern etched on his face.
"There's more to this boy than we thought," the Hokage muttered. "Where is Sakumo Hatake? He should've arrived by now."
---
Moments later, the White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, landed gracefully at the scene. His sharp eyes scanned the area. He saw Minato slumped against a tree and turned to Tyrouge, standing tall with Kushina in his arms.
"What happened here?" Sakumo asked, his voice calm but firm.
Tyrouge ignored him.
Instead, he turned to Kushina, gently lifting her into his arms in a princess carry.
"Wha—! Tyrouge! What are you doing?!" Kushina's face turned crimson as she squirmed in his grip.
"Relax," Tyrouge said casually. "You're safe now."
Under the soft moonlight, Tyrouge's black hair shimmered with a silvery hue. Kushina peeked at him through her fingers, her heart racing.
[Ding! Option three completed! Reward: +10 Kushina Favorability. Supreme Gift Package obtained.]
Tyrouge smirked, carrying the blushing girl away without sparing Sakumo or Minato another glance.
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