Chapter 31 – A Development Outside the Original Plot
It was obvious.
This must have been Minato's decision.
A battle between ninjas…
Even the slightest mistake could drag innocent civilians into the crossfire—with fatal consequences. Sora's stance made it clear: to her, the importance of the Kingdom of Roran outweighed everything else. Even if Konoha truly had no designs on the kingdom, they couldn't just stand by and watch Sunagakure attempt to seize it.
Over a month ago,
Minato had accepted this mission from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
And he knew his responsibility all too well.
They had to protect Her Majesty, the Queen of Roran.
Negotiations with Sunagakure could come later—
But right now,
Only strength would speak.
"Is the Queen their target!?"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed sharply as he noticed a Kirigakure ninja moving swiftly and purposefully. He glanced back toward the top of the tower—where Pakura and Minato were locked in battle.
Then, with a flash, Kakashi vanished as well—
Heading straight toward Her Majesty.
The power of the Dragon Vein...
Could only be activated or sealed by the royal bloodline of the queens.
Whoosh—!
No longer hiding—or perhaps unable to—
The Mist ninja charged forward, bold and blatant.
He clearly intended to kidnap Queen Sara while Minato and Pakura were preoccupied in combat.
If they could control the Queen…
They would have the perfect pretext for Kirigakure's forces to move in.
Whether others believed it or not didn't matter.
What mattered was: it would appear procedurally legitimate.
This Chūnin had received his orders before coming here.
In mere moments—
He closed the distance.
"Come with me!"
A cruel grin stretched across his face as he reached out with his right hand.
"!?"
Queen Sara's eyes widened.
Her expression changed in an instant.
It all happened too fast for her to react.
She could only watch helplessly as the Mist ninja's hand reached toward her—
"Buzz!"
Just then—
From behind and slightly to the side—
A sharp glint of cold light arrived first,
Followed by a wave of chilling killing intent.
"Damn it—!"
The danger was unmistakable.
The Mist ninja's expression twisted as he instinctively twisted his body to retreat backward.
Clang!
Boom!
A chakra-infused short blade, crackling faintly with lightning, struck the spot where the Mist ninja had just stood.
Their gazes met—staring each other down.
"Another Konoha ANBU!?"
The Mist ninja's eyes narrowed upon seeing Kakashi's mask and uniform.
Meanwhile—
Up above, Minato and Pakura immediately noticed Kakashi's appearance and the Mist ninja's actions.
No—
More accurately,
Even without being sensory-type shinobi,
They had felt the shift in chakra and the presence of new threats when the two approached.
Forget Pakura—
Even Minato was surprised to see another ANBU from his own village appear.
But what shocked them even more—
Was the Mist ninja.
This was the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire.
How on earth did a Mist ninja end up here?
Such a subtle, complex situation…
Even someone like Pakura—
Who wasn't a fool understood.
In the original timeline, she died a tragic and unjust death not because she was stupid,
But because she trusted the Fourth Kazekage too much and underestimated the darkness of human nature.
If she had been truly foolish,
She might not have died at all.
And so—
The moment she laid eyes on that Mist ninja,
A dangerous thought emerged in all of their minds—
One they couldn't ignore.
The moment Kakashi appeared, he immediately formed a distinctive hand seal—
A coded signal that only high-ranking Jōnin or ANBU would recognize.
Naturally, Minato was one of them.
First, he moved at high speed, deftly dodging the relentless onslaught of scorching fireballs.
Then, using Earth Release, he created a defensive barrier to momentarily block Pakura's overwhelming pressure.
Only then did Minato flash-step to Kakashi's side.
"A large number of Mist shinobi have already arrived outside Roran. Based on their movement, their target seems to be the Kingdom of Roran and the surrounding region."
Kakashi spoke in a deliberately low tone as he looked at the young man who, in the original timeline, would one day become his direct superior—the one he'd eventually call "Sensei."
"A major Mist force, huh? I've already relayed this intel back to the village. Reinforcements could arrive at any moment. I'll hold the line here. You take Her Majesty and evacuate eastward.
"Your Majesty," Minato turned toward the queen, "I'm afraid I must ask you to endure a temporary retreat. I give you my word—you will return to Roran City before long."
At Minato's words, her expression changed briefly—
But in the next moment, she had already regained her calm and made a clear judgment.
"Very well. Then I'll leave it to you, Lord Minato."
Queen Sara had weathered her share of storms.
She understood clearly that staying here with her daughter would only bring greater trouble.
It was better to withdraw for now.
This choice—
Though painful—
Was wiser for herself, her kingdom, and her people.
Even now, she could hear the sounds of her loyal subjects arriving in support from nearby.
She would not allow them to die in vain.
"This is a royal token. With this, you can contact my ministers."
Sara acted decisively.
She quickly pulled a milky-white jade pendant from her sleeve and handed it to Minato.
"Understood!"
Kakashi responded with a sharp nod, saying no more.
And no, there was no need to worry about whether Minato had the authority to command the ANBU.
In wartime, urgency overrides protocol.
Besides, Kakashi had his own hidden motivations.
That was what really mattered.
Looking at Kakashi's gleaming silver hair, his short stature,
and some faint, lingering memories from the past—
Even with the mask obscuring his face,
Minato's pupils briefly flickered with a hint of recognition.
But he said nothing.
Just gave a quiet nod.
"Go."
With that, Minato turned and flashed back into the fray—
A golden streak of light slicing across the battlefield.
"Shk!"
A flick of a kunai—
A Mist Chūnin was instantly struck down,
dead before he could even react.
And Minato was already heading back to confront the Scorch Release user from Sunagakure—Pakura.
Meanwhile, Kakashi immediately began evacuating Queen Sara and her daughter, swiftly retreating toward the northeast.
"You think you can leave so easily!?"
Pakura, who had just approached, shouted in fury.
She had no intention of letting them escape.
"Scorch Release!"
Clapping her hands together,
a wave of searing heat erupted from all directions—
rapidly expanding outward in a blistering tide.