Swish!
A faint sound made Kakashi leap to his feet. A kunai was already drawn, crossing his chest in defense.
When he saw who it was, his eye widened in surprise.
"L–Lord… Sensei? What brings you here so late?"
The man before him was clad in a white cloak and Hokage's hat, his attire so formal that Kakashi immediately shifted into full alertness.
"Has something happened, Hokage-sama?"
Namikaze Minato gave a small nod.
"I've just received intelligence. Tomorrow, an enemy plans to unleash the Nine-Tails. One of his abilities…" Minato paused, his tone tightening, "…is the Mangekyō Sharingan."
Kakashi froze. His hand instinctively rose to the forehead protector covering his left eye—the eye Obito had entrusted to him.
Seeing his student's reaction, Minato exhaled heavily.
"There's no time. We need to go to the Uchiha compound. On the way, I'll tell you everything about the enemy… and what I'll need from you."
[Simulating changes to Namikaze Minato's fate…][Predetermined death altered][Naruto Uzumaki's destiny altered][Sasuke Uchiha's destiny altered][Nested destiny alteration: Obito Uchiha]…[Minato Namikaze fate alteration: 100%][Drawing Secret Scroll (note: resets every midnight, rules-based evolution)]
Secret Scroll: Clone (tangible, allows perfect resurrection within clone after death, only one may exist at a time)
Wind-natured chakra (compatible with kekkei genkai fusion)
Time-space ninjutsu affinity
S-rank neural reflexes
Uzumaki sealing arts
Flying Thunder God Technique (Minato Namikaze)
Rasengan series (including Minato's later concepts)
Shunshin Technique (Minato Namikaze)
A Secret Scroll?
The flood of information made Uchiha Shion pause. Was this what people meant by a "plug-in" cheat ability? It didn't even come with a manual?
It seemed the extra reward came because Minato's fate-alteration had reached 100%. And this reward wasn't tied to Minato's own chips—it was truly an external boon.
Perfect resurrection within a clone. Another life.
He would have to sacrifice one of his original planned selections.
Tch. I should've squeezed the "Little Sun" for more while I had the chance. Maybe even something tied to Kushina a few years down the line.
Shion shook his head, dragging his mind away from useless speculation, and focused on the eight glowing chips before him.
For Minato Namikaze, only seven of these were formally recognized by the Exchange. The Wind affinity made the cut only because of its fusion potential with bloodline limits.
Now it was eight options, choose four. One would have to go.
The first—and most vital—chip: Neural Reflex Speed.
Shion had realized one harsh truth in his six years since arriving in this world: the gulf in reaction speed. Even the clumsy, pre-Academy Naruto could dash across a balance beam without trouble.
His own body, strengthened by soul-transmigration, had caught up with training. But his reflexes—those remained his weakest point.
And in this world, no one embodied reflexes more than Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash.
Instant Flying Thunder God teleportation, immediately followed by a Rasengan, and in the same heartbeat placing a Hiraishin formula on Obito. The jutsu was invented by the Second Hokage, but its true pinnacle was reached only in Minato's hands.
Without those godlike reflexes, Hiraishin was suicide.
The second choice: Time-Space Ninjutsu Affinity.The third: Flying Thunder God Technique.The fourth: Secret Scroll – Clone.
That meant dropping the sealing arts.
Four Symbols Seal, Eight Trigrams Seal, Contract Seal, Tail Locking Formula… there were countless options. But the strongest, Adamantine Sealing Chains, required Uzumaki blood.
So, sealing was cut.
Time-space affinity and Hiraishin were a set. While other bodyguards of the Hokage also likely carried it, Shion dared not gamble.
If tonight's first transaction had gone poorly, he had planned to weather the Nine-Tails' attack alongside Teuchi, hiding behind a side-character's fate.
But with the deal going smoothly, he could no longer leave things to chance.
Outside the Uchiha compound, Minato and Kakashi stopped.
"Kakashi," Minato said lightly, "do you think we should bring a fruit basket or something?"
Kakashi blinked. He was still overwhelmed by the torrent of information Minato had given him along the way.
His left eye—Obito's eye—was a Mangekyō? The same legendary eye Uchiha Madara once used to control the Nine-Tails? Could the strange sensations he'd felt back then… have been tied to this power?
Smack.
Kakashi jolted as Minato clapped his shoulder.
"Teacher…" Kakashi's lone visible eye narrowed. "Where are we supposed to buy a fruit basket at this hour? And didn't you just say time is critical?"
Minato scratched his head sheepishly.
"Well, Fugaku's youngest son was just born—the one who shares the same name as the Third's father. I thought maybe we should bring something."
Kakashi rubbed his mask.
"…Do you really think a baby who isn't even one year old is awake at this hour?"
Swish!
A figure in a jōnin vest appeared, bowing.
"Hokage-sama. To what do we owe this late-night visit?"
"Forgive the intrusion at this hour," Minato replied politely, "but there's an urgent matter I hope Captain Fugaku can assist with. Is he resting?"
The Uchiha jōnin shook his head.
"Captain is still with the Police Force. Things have been… tense lately. Come, I'll take you to him, before…"
He trailed off. Minato caught every unspoken word.
And if an Uchiha jōnin hesitated to speak even before the Hokage himself, then the tension ran deeper than he'd thought.
"Captain, the Hokage has come."
The door slid open. Uchiha Fugaku looked up in mild surprise before bowing.
"Hokage-sama."
Minato smiled gently.
"Forgive the late visit, but I've come to ask for your help, Fugaku-dono. Specifically… could you summon Uchiha Shisui here as well?"
Fugaku froze, glancing at the departing jōnin.
The Hokage was asking for Shisui by name—but hadn't ever met him directly. Shisui's title, Shisui of the Body Flicker, had risen during the Third Great War, but by the time Minato became Hokage, Shisui had already returned to the Police Force.
So what exactly required both Fugaku and Shisui?