Since Namikaze Kirito possessed the Rinnegan, he had no need to rely on his legs for travel at all.
With Yomotsu Hirasaka, as long as he knew the destination well enough, he could cross space in an instant with hardly any effort. It was even capable of transporting other people along with him, making it far more convenient than the Flying Thunder God Technique in some situations.
That was also why he could leave the Akatsuki to move about as they pleased without much concern. The moment their trail was discovered, Namikaze Kirito could appear right in front of them himself.
There was no need to worry about them launching sudden attacks on the hidden villages, either.
Every village already had Flying Thunder God formula marks left behind. Even if Kirito was not there in person, his father, Namikaze Minato, could still bring reinforcements at once and support them quickly.
Because of that, Namikaze Kirito was able to come to the ancient land of Rōran without worry.
Amid the ruins, darkness slowly began to rise.
Namikaze Kirito had arrived with Orochimaru.
Several shinobi were already there, kneeling on one knee as they waited respectfully for his appearance.
"My lord!"
"…"
Kirito gave a faint response to his subordinates' greeting.
The shinobi wasted no time and immediately reported everything that had happened.
Mukade, the missing-nin, had come here, but before he could do anything, he had been discovered by the people of Gensokyo and killed on the spot.
The seal on the Ryūmyaku had also been located, and the shinobi from Gensokyo quickly led Namikaze Kirito to the place where the Ryūmyaku lay dormant.
Looking at the immense energy before him, Namikaze Kirito recognized it at a glance.
So this was the Ryūmyaku.
"Hehe… so this is Minato's sealing technique?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes with interest as he observed the Ryūmyaku, which had been suppressed under a powerful seal. He was thoroughly familiar with Namikaze Minato's chakra, and with one glance, he could tell that the seal here had definitely been left behind by Minato.
At that moment, Namikaze Kirito stepped to the edge of the Ryūmyaku. Darkness spilled from his hand and directly sank into the seal itself.
"Sealing Technique: Release."
The instant the sealing formula was undone, an enormous surge of energy exploded outward.
Faced with that violent power, Namikaze Kirito had no intention of retreating.
Orochimaru also remained where he was without moving.
He knew very well that as long as his leader stood here, there was nothing to fear.
That was no longer just his own belief, either. At this point, nearly everyone in Gensokyo thought the same way. Namikaze Kirito had already displayed power capable of changing the world itself.
How could that not make people feel at ease?
…
The strange energy swallowed both of them in an instant. After calmly telling the Gensokyo shinobi not to panic, the figures of Namikaze Kirito and Orochimaru vanished within the light.
The shinobi standing nearby did not show the slightest change in expression and simply remained there, waiting for his leader to return.
A blinding flash passed before their eyes.
When Namikaze Kirito and Orochimaru opened them again, they found themselves staring at a familiar gate.
This was… Konoha?
Seeing the gate ahead of him, Namikaze Kirito's eyes showed the faintest trace of surprise.
Had the transfer gone wrong?
In the original story, Uzumaki Naruto had been sent directly to Rōran. But what stood before him now was clearly Konoha's entrance. How had they ended up here?
"Chief, what now?"
Orochimaru stared at the brightly lit village with an unreadable gleam in his eyes.
Time travel?
After all, the Konoha of their world had long since changed beyond recognition. It was no longer Konoha as it once was, but the capital of the Gensokyo Kingdom.
Yet this Konoha was still exactly as it had been many years ago. Even the Hokage Rock only bore three faces.
Which meant Namikaze Minato had not yet become the Fourth Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was still the one in power.
"Hide your identity. Let's go inside and take a look."
"Yes."
As he spoke, Orochimaru used the Transformation Technique and turned himself into an ordinary middle-aged man with short hair and unremarkable features.
Namikaze Kirito, however, kept his original appearance.
There was no point in changing it. No one here would recognize him anyway.
The two of them walked straight toward Konoha.
When the shinobi guarding the gate asked who they were, they simply claimed to be travelers passing through.
At this time, the era of all-out war had not yet reached its peak, so Konoha's shinobi did not grow overly suspicious. They allowed the two to enter, though they still assigned someone to keep watch from the shadows.
Namikaze Kirito paid that hidden shinobi no mind.
If he wanted to, he could deal with the man at any moment.
There was no reason to let something so trivial bother him.
As they looked at the familiar streets around them, both of them fell silent for a moment.
This was Konoha as it used to be.
Even Orochimaru felt a trace of nostalgia.
He did not know exactly what point in time they had arrived in, nor did he know what version of himself might currently be somewhere in this village.
After walking for quite some time, the two eventually reached the area near Ichiraku Ramen.
At that hour, the place was crowded, with a long line outside. It was obvious that the ramen stand was already quite popular.
And among the people in line, they spotted several familiar faces.
That blond young man with the gentle smile on his face…
Wasn't that his father?
At that moment, Namikaze Minato was being pulled aside by Jiraiya, who seemed to be animatedly saying something to him. Nearby stood younger versions of Kakashi, Shizune, Kurenai Yūhi, and Asuma. The group of teenagers appeared to be in the middle of some small disagreement, talking back and forth about something.
Before long, Jiraiya left, and Kakashi stepped forward to speak with Minato.
Namikaze Kirito then walked straight toward the ramen stand.
Almost everyone around turned to look at him.
It was only natural.
With his striking appearance and that vivid red hair, there was no way he would not attract attention.
The moment Namikaze Minato noticed him taking a place nearby, his eyes lit up slightly.
"An Uzumaki…? Kushina would probably be thrilled. But why do I feel like I've seen him somewhere before…?"
Noticing Minato's gaze on him, Namikaze Kirito said nothing and simply stepped a little closer.
"Hello," Minato said warmly. "Do we know each other?"
"No," Kirito replied, his voice calm. "But we will."
As he looked at his father, Namikaze Kirito's eyes softened with unmistakable warmth.
He did not care whether meeting Minato here would alter history or not.
That was part of the reason he had come.
If he did nothing, then he would never know whether this was merely another parallel timeline… or truly the past.
"He really is a strange person…"
Minato could clearly sense that the man before him meant no harm. In fact, there was a strange kind of closeness about him, as though the two of them were connected by something deeper.
So, as naturally as ever, Minato extended a hand.
"Hi. I'm Namikaze Minato. What's your name?"
"…"
At those words, a deep smile touched the corner of Namikaze Kirito's mouth.
"My name is Uzumaki Kirito."
"Uzumaki Kirito? So you really are from the Uzumaki clan?"
Hearing the surname, Minato immediately became even more certain of his guess. That red hair, that presence, and now the name as well—there was no mistaking it.
He would definitely have to tell Kushina later.
"What?" Kirito asked, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Is there something strange about my surname?"
"No, not at all," Minato replied with a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his head. "It's just… my girlfriend is an Uzumaki too. So I figured the two of you might belong to the same clan."
Kirito looked at him quietly for a moment.
Then, with the faintest curve of his lips, he said, "I see."
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