A man with spiky yellow hair wove effortlessly through the thick underbrush of the forest, his movements precise, his breath steady despite the relentless pace.
Woosh. Woosh. Woosh.
The whisper of wind through the leaves harmonized with his swift movements, but Minato Namikaze had eyes and ears only for something else—the faint, almost intangible chakra just ahead of him.
'Such a weird signature...'
Minato narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze flickering across the dense greenery, tracking the elusive presence.
The chakra signature was unlike anything he had ever encountered—faint, nearly dissolving into the very essence of the forest, much like the rustling of leaves or the ebb and flow of the wind itself. Yet, when he really focused on it, the sheer volume of chakra was overwhelming.
It wasn't that it was hidden, at least not in the way shinobi typically masked their presence. It was blended, seamlessly merging with the environment. Any less-experienced shinobi would have dismissed it entirely, assuming it was nothing more than an odd quirk of nature.
But Minato was not just any shinobi.
He pressed forward, each step calculated as his mind worked to decipher the enigma before him. If the signature was this elusive, it meant one of two things: Either its owner was a master at suppressing their presence… or something far stranger was at play.
Then, movement. A flicker at the edge of his vision. Minato's sharp eyes snapped to the source.
A wolf
A large, powerful-looking beast padded silently through the forest. Its thick fur was an unassuming blend of earthen hues, perfectly suited for camouflage. But Minato knew better. The moment their eyes met—a fraction of a second, no more—the wolf froze. Its emerald gaze locked onto Minato's piercing blue, and in that brief moment, the blond shinobi knew.
It wasn't just a wolf.
And it knew it had been found out.
Then, as quickly as it had hesitated, the creature bolted.
Minato smirked. 'So, you're a wolf with a human chakra signature… A transformation technique, maybe? Some kind of advanced suppression method?'
Without a second thought, he gave chase.
With a flicker, he surged forward, easily matching the wolf's rapid pace. The forest blurred past as the chase twisted through towering trees, the wolf zigzagging in an attempt to shake him. But Minato wasn't an ordinary pursuer. Every time the beast veered off course, he was already there, closing the gap with ease.
Then something odd caught his attention.
Dandelions.
White, delicate seeds drifted through the air, scattering along the ground. At first glance, nothing seemed unusual about them until realization struck.
'They're not in season.'
Dandelions didn't bloom until late summer. Yet here they were, floating aimlessly through the forest in spring and thickening with every step. The air felt… different. Thicker, heavier, like a fog creeping at the edges of his mind. A subtle weight settled into his thoughts, his body slowing, eyelids growing heavy.
He was being put under a genjutsu.
It was so soft, so natural that most shinobi wouldn't have noticed. It wasn't an abrupt attack or an overwhelming force—it was gentle, seeping into the mind like a lullaby. Before they realized it, they'd be asleep.
But Minato wasn't most shinobi.
'Nice try.'
With a swift pulse of chakra, he shattered the illusion instantly. The world snapped back into focus, clarity returning to his senses. His eyes darted ahead, catching the briefest glimpse of the wolf glancing over its shoulder. It had expected him to be caught off guard, maybe even to have collapsed entirely. Instead, it found the bright-haired ninja still very much on its tail.
And then… something changed.
The wolf's emerald eyes flickered, studying Minato in that brief, telling second. A decision was made. Minato knew that look all too well, it was the look of someone who had stopped running.
Someone who had chosen to confront their chaser.
The wolf's lips curled slightly, and to Minato, it almost looked like a grin.
Then, in a powerful leap, the creature sprang into the air—high. Higher than any normal wolf should have been capable of.
Minato skidded to a halt, muscles coiled, ready for whatever came next. His sharp gaze followed the wolf's ascent, every nerve in his body screaming for him to be on guard.
The moment it left the ground, the air shifted.
This wasn't an ordinary transformation. There was no telltale flicker of chakra dispersing, no sign of a genjutsu or a trick being undone. This was something different.
This was all natural.
When the figure landed, the wolf was gone.
In its place stood a young man.
Tall and lean, his clothes were loose and lightweight, clearly designed for ease of movement. But none of that was what caught Minato's attention.
It was the hair.
Bright red.
Not just any red, either, Kushina's red.
A vivid, unmistakable shade, wild and untamed. It was pulled back into a ponytail, though two loose strands framed his face. He didn't look exactly like her, but there was something there—something familiar, something that struck a chord deep in Minato's gut.
The young man stretched lazily, rolling his shoulders as if he had just woken up from a nap. His movements were unbothered, unhurried. Then, with an easy, almost mischievous smirk, he whistled in appreciation.
"Man, you're fast." His voice was light, amused. "I was kinda hoping that illusion would trip you up for at least a second, if not knock you out completely. Guess I was outta luck, huh?"
Minato didn't respond immediately. His fingers hovered near his kunai pouch, body loose but primed for action.
"What? No 'hey, how are ya' no 'what are you doing out here alone' nothing? I thought we could at least have a conversation if you were so determined to follow me." The young man spoke out, seemingly trying to provoke a response.
Minato's lips curved downwards a little as the question he wanted to know the most came out first. "…Who are you?"
The red-haired young man grinned wider, tilting his head. "Hmm… good question. Good question indeed."
His gaze flicked to the floating dandelions, still drifting lazily around them. The ghost of a smile played on his lips as he turned his eyes back to Minato, their emerald depths alight with something knowing.
"But I think a better question might be…"
He held Minato's gaze, his smirk widening ever so slightly.
"What do you think I am?"