Ryoma had originally planned to take advantage of the chaos following the loss of leadership in the Four Great Ninja Villages. His goal was simple—strike swiftly, subjugate them all, and finally unify the shinobi world under one banner.
But just as he returned to Konoha and began preparing for the grand campaign, an unexpected presence made itself known.
A black vortex rippled open above the Hokage Rock.
From within, two women stepped out. Both were dressed in form-fitting, jet-black shinobi attire, cloaked and hooded, their faces hidden behind smooth, white masks.
"Teacher, is this… the Konoha Village of the past?"
A crisp, youthful voice broke the silence—its tone bright and curious, belonging to the shorter of the two. She sounded around fifteen or sixteen.
The woman beside her—clearly the one addressed as teacher—nodded lightly.
"Yes. We should have arrived a little earlier than Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki."
"I see. Then I'll stay put," the girl said obediently.
Her teacher's eyes narrowed slightly. "Good. I'll scout the area first."
The elder woman vanished in an instant.
Left alone, the girl hesitated. A faint glimmer crossed her eyes as she murmured,
"By the way… he should still be here, right?"
The next moment, she was gone—her figure vanishing into the night with a soft whoosh.
Down on Konoha's quiet streets, a man dressed in black exited Ichiraku Ramen.
His dark hair swayed slightly in the wind, his expression calm yet sharp. As he turned into a dim alley, Ryoma could feel the stillness of the village around him.
High above, the girl in black crouched on a branch, watching silently.
"…Still looks the same," she muttered softly.
"Pretty much something," a voice replied beside her.
Her eyes widened in shock. When she turned, the man she had been tailing was standing right there—beside her—leaning casually against the tree trunk.
"Spy? Or assassin?" Ryoma asked, amusement lacing his tone.
"Your tracking skills aren't bad. Your chakra suppression is refined—better than most of the Anbu I've seen."
The girl said nothing. Instead, she flickered out of sight with a Body Flicker Technique.
"Oh? You think you can just run away?" Ryoma smirked. "Let's see you try."
He followed immediately.
Two shadows darted through the Konoha night sky, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
Ryoma could have easily caught her—his speed far surpassed hers—but a playful glint in his eyes showed he was enjoying the chase.
He had sensed her the moment she entered Konoha, after all.
Finally, they stopped atop the Hokage Rock, the moon casting their shadows long against the stone faces.
"You're the Fourth Hokage, Ryoma, aren't you?"
The girl tried to sound composed, but her tone carried more curiosity than threat.
Ryoma sighed.
"If you already knew who I was, why follow me? Don't pretend otherwise—it doesn't suit you."
The girl's only answer was another flash of lightning—her body turning into a streak of thunder.
In the blink of an eye, they clashed dozens of times—sparks bursting through the air, each exchange testing the other's reflexes and resolve. The girl's movements flowed like lightning, but Ryoma matched her pace effortlessly, toying with her every step.
"Kid," he said quietly, appearing behind her in an instant. "Game over."
He reached out, his hand closing around her—only for her body to crumble into stone.
"…A substitution?" Ryoma's eyes narrowed. He turned sharply to the left.
From the shadows, a pair of crimson Sharingan glowed beneath the mask.
"Sharingan? You're from the Uchiha clan?" he murmured.
The substitution she'd just used wasn't ordinary—it was a spatial displacement jutsu requiring considerable ocular power.
But the Uchiha clan had already been wiped out by his own hand. The few survivors—Obito and the others—were still children.
So who was this girl?
Her chakra was controlled, her movements skilled, her combat instincts razor-sharp… far too experienced for someone her age.
An Uchiha outside the flow of history—Ryoma's curiosity deepened.
Just who was this girl?
He straightened, his expression growing serious. The girl tensed instinctively, sensing the shift in his aura. Before she could react, the air around them grew heavy—Ryoma's chakra flaring like a storm.
"It seems I'll need to stop holding back."
He clapped his hands together in a seal.
"Wood Release: Three-Headed Wood Dragon Technique!"
With a rumble, three massive wooden dragons erupted from the ground, coiling through the air toward her from all directions.
The space around the girl seemed to freeze—her body immobilized by the sheer pressure.
"It's time for this to end," Ryoma said flatly.
But just as the wooden dragons lunged, the girl threw up her hands and screamed—
"Wait, Dad! Stop! I'm not fighting!"
"…What?"
Ryoma blinked. "Who did you just call… Dad?"
The girl hesitated, then reached up, pulling off her hood and mask.
Long black hair spilled down her shoulders. Beneath it, a youthful face—strikingly beautiful, yet eerily familiar.
For a moment, Ryoma could only stare.
She looked… exactly like Uchiha Mikoto.
His mind blanked.
She called me Dad… and she looks like Mikoto?
That's impossible. Even if something ever happened between Mikoto and me—which it didn't—how could I possibly have a daughter this old?
Later, seated on the edge of the Hokage Rock, Ryoma rubbed his temples wearily.
"So… you're telling me you're the daughter born to me and Mikoto in the future?"
The girl nodded shyly. "Mm-hmm."
"…Sako, huh." Ryoma muttered. "Sasuke… Sako… great, looks like I've officially broken the Hokage timeline myself."
He sighed, half in disbelief, half in amusement.
"If Kushina ever finds out about this, she's going to lose her mind."
Despite his words, he found himself studying her more closely.
Her face was nearly identical to Mikoto's, but her eyes—those eyes had faint traces of his own. Chakra recognition confirmed it. Bloodline resonance didn't lie.
She really was his daughter.
"…Alright," Ryoma said finally.
"Let's put that aside for now. According to what you said, you and your teacher traveled back in time to stop Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki from stealing the Nine-Tails' chakra from Uzumaki Mito."
He narrowed his eyes. "So where's your teacher?"
Sako blinked, then suddenly pointed over his shoulder.
"My teacher? Ah—she's right here!"
Sako suddenly pointed across the street.
"There! My teacher's here."
A woman dressed in a similar black outfit and mask was walking toward them, her steps calm and deliberate.
"When I left earlier," she said, her tone soft but mildly exasperated, "I had a feeling this girl of mine would do something impulsive."
Her gaze shifted toward Ryoma, who was standing with an almost amused expression beneath the Hokage Rock.
"Teacher," Sako said respectfully.
The woman removed her mask, revealing a mature, beautiful face. Though her demeanor had become more composed with age, Ryoma could still recognize the features of her youth.
"Rin?" he asked quietly.
Nohara Rin smiled warmly. "You still recognize me, sensei."
Ryoma sighed, rubbing his temple. "This day just keeps getting more and more surprising."
Before he could ask further, he stopped himself. He knew better than to probe too deeply into matters of the future.
The more one knew, the greater the risk of disrupting the timeline.
Sako and the older Rin understood this as well. Both refrained from sharing unnecessary details, and the three quickly turned their focus toward their true concern — Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki.
"The goal of Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki," Rin began, "is to gather all the tailed beasts' chakra. But because the Nine-Tails' chakra is the rarest and most potent, he's come to this era to extract what remains from Lady Mito Uzumaki."
Sako nodded firmly.
"We must ensure Mito-sama's safety. If possible, we should reinforce her seal. That way, even if Momoshiki manages to confront her, he won't be able to steal the chakra."
Rin's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"However, Mito-sama is the First Hokage's widow — a person of great importance to Konoha. It would be suspicious for two unfamiliar kunoichi to approach her. But now that you're with us, sensei, it'll be much easier."
Ryoma smirked. "So, I'm your pass into the Hokage compound, am I?"
"Pretty much," Rin replied, half-smiling.
After that, Rin began teaching Ryoma a sealing technique from the future — one designed to reinforce the jinchūriki's spiritual connection to their tailed beast and prevent forced chakra extraction.
With his natural aptitude and the immense experience gained from merging countless powers, Ryoma mastered it within minutes.
"Learning a sealing technique from my own disciple," he mused wryly. "Feels… oddly humbling."
Twenty minutes later, Ryoma led Sako and Rin to the Hokage Building, where he gathered Hatake Sakumo, Minato Namikaze, and several members of the Anbu.
He explained the situation concisely — though he deliberately omitted details about time travel and their true identities.
He presented it as an urgent threat:
An unknown enemy, identifying himself as Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki, planned to attack Konoha and target Uzumaki Mito's Nine-Tails chakra.
Sako and Rin, he claimed, were informants and skilled allies here to assist in the defense.
Given Ryoma's long-standing reputation and authority, no one doubted his words. Orders were issued swiftly. The village went on high alert.
Once the preparations were in place, Ryoma excused himself — heading straight to find Kushina Uzumaki.
"Is Mito-sama really in danger?" Kushina asked anxiously when she heard the news.
Though she often called the elder woman "Granny Mito," her tone carried genuine affection.
"Yes," Ryoma said gravely.
"That's why I need your help. We're going to reinforce her seal. The jutsu can be done alone, but with two Uzumaki working together, it'll be far stronger — and safer."
Kushina nodded determinedly. "Then let's go."
Though she wasn't yet Kage-level, Kushina's chakra reserves and sealing skill as an Uzumaki were already formidable. As both guardian and reinforcement, she was the perfect choice to protect Mito.
Meanwhile, above Konoha, space twisted open once again.
A black vortex expanded with a deep hum, and a pale figure stepped out, landing heavily atop a nearby building.
"Tch. This filthy place reeks of mortals," he muttered disdainfully.
The man was clad in white, with long blue-white hair tied high in a ponytail. His pale skin shimmered faintly under the moonlight. He had no eyebrows — only two small dots upon his forehead, and two curved horns that framed his head like a crown.
On his back hung a strange gourd-like vessel, and in his hand was a glowing red fishing rod.
He was Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki — a celestial being of the Ōtsutsuki clan, bearing both the Byakugan and the Rinnegan.
He had descended through time itself using the sacred tool Plow, intent on harvesting the chakra of the Nine-Tails.
The moment his presence flared across the village, Sako and Rin — waiting near the Hokage Rock — sensed it instantly.
"Teacher!" Sako shouted. "Momoshiki's here!"
Rin's eyes hardened. "We can't let him run wild."
They immediately led Hatake Sakumo and the assembled Konoha forces toward the source of the overwhelming chakra.
When they arrived, Momoshiki stood amidst the ruins of a half-collapsed building, one hand gripping a fallen jōnin as he absorbed the man's chakra through the glowing line of his rod.
"You again," he sneered, glancing at Sako and Rin. "Two pesky flies that refuse to die."
He grinned cruelly. "Fine. If fate insists on mocking me, I'll crush you both here and now!"
"Attack!" Sako commanded sharply.
She charged first, her body flashing with thunder. Behind her, Hatake Sakumo and the Konoha shinobi unleashed a coordinated barrage of ninjutsu — wind, fire, water, and earth techniques converging upon Momoshiki in a wave of destruction.
For an instant, the battlefield froze — a deadly stillness before the explosion.
But then, a sinister ripple distorted the air.
Momoshiki's smirk deepened. "You bring me a feast so soon after I've arrived? How thoughtful."
He raised the red rod. "Chakra Absorption!"
The glowing line of energy lashed out, piercing through the converging ninjutsu. One by one, the brilliant attacks dimmed and vanished — their chakra siphoned into his body.
Rin's expression turned grim. "He's absorbing chakra! Everyone, stay back!"
Sako's lightning-infused blade cut forward in a flash of blue light.
But when it struck Momoshiki's chest, the weapon shuddered — its metal humming violently before snapping with a sharp crack.
"Damn it—!"
Momoshiki caught the broken edge with one hand, his pale lips curling into a cruel smile.
"Such weak resistance," he said coldly. "I expected more from descendants of this pitiful world."
The fishing rod in Urashiki Ōtsutsuki's hand collided violently with his opponent's weapon, releasing a booming shockwave that rippled through the air.
On the other side of the battlefield, a large red-haired man appeared — Konoha's famed gourmet, Akimichi Chōza.
"Multi-Size Technique!"
Chōza's hands flew into a seal, and in the blink of an eye, his body swelled to colossal proportions — a towering giant tens of meters tall.
Seeing this, Urashiki abruptly flung away his current opponent and turned, palm glowing with purple light as he aimed at Chōza.
"Mind Body Confusion Technique!"
Not far away, Yamanaka Hiashi finished forming a seal, and beside him, Nara Shikaku clasped his hands together.
"Shadow Sewing Technique — Black Shore Bloom!"
In an instant, Urashiki's movements froze. His body stiffened unnaturally as countless black tendrils shot up from the ground, binding him tightly.
"Well done, Hiashi! Shikaku!"
Chōza roared, rolling his massive body into a ball.
"Human Bullet Tank!"
The ground trembled as his immense frame spun toward Urashiki.
"Get out of my way!" Urashiki snarled.
The black shadows binding him were suddenly absorbed into his body, and as they vanished, Shikaku's chakra was completely drained.
"Hiashi! Release your control—now!" Shikaku called out weakly, already feeling his strength fading.
But it was too late. Yamanaka Hiashi was already pale and half-kneeling — his chakra consumed in the same instant.
In barely a second, Urashiki had absorbed the chakra of two elite Jōnin.
Then, turning toward the charging Chōza, he smirked — a greedy hunger flashing in his eyes.
He raised his right hand and caught the incoming Human Bullet Tank with one arm.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground beneath him split and crumbled, but Urashiki didn't move an inch.
"Another meal," he muttered.
The red chakra fishing rod in his hand whipped forward, wrapping around Chōza's gigantic body. Within seconds, Chōza's chakra was being drained at a terrifying speed — like a flood bursting through a broken dam.
Urashiki exhaled contentedly. "Eat and drink your fill… now it's time to deal with the rest of you insects."
His Byakugan morphed — pale pupils turning into shimmering blue rings.
"It appeared… the Blue Rinnegan," Sako murmured, her expression grim.
Beside her, Nohara Rin's face hardened. They had fought Urashiki before — they knew exactly how dangerous his ocular powers were.
"Everyone, be careful! He's serious now!" Sako warned.
Hearing her tone, White Fang and the other Konoha shinobi tensed immediately.
Even if they didn't know who Sako truly was, her strength far surpassed theirs — and if someone like her sounded that cautious, they knew their lives were at stake.
White Fang's chakra blade flared with killing intent as he charged straight at Urashiki.
"Earth and Fire Style: Molten Earth Dragon Flow!"
The other Konoha shinobi unleashed their jutsu in coordination, attacking alongside White Fang.
But as their combined strikes closed in, Urashiki's body shimmered — transforming into a flock of crimson paper cranes that scattered into the air.
"What—!?"
Their attacks struck empty air. Only Rin and Sako grasped what had happened.
Sako reacted instantly, spinning around and thrusting her sword behind her. At the same time, Rin ducked low and threw a punch behind her.
"The reflexes are good," Urashiki's voice sneered from behind them, "but I haven't had to use this trick since our last fight."
Blue light flared from his Rinnegan.
Time froze.
The world turned silent and colorless — then the scene rewound.
An instant later, Urashiki stood unscathed in his previous spot. Sako and the others were back in their original stances, moving to attack again.
He had rewound time.
That was one of Urashiki's Rinnegan abilities — the power to return himself to a previous point in time by several seconds.
Watching Sako and the others repeat the same sequence of movements, Urashiki couldn't help but laugh mockingly.
"Heh."
This time, he didn't bother dodging. He had already fought them dozens of times using this ability — studying every move, every technique, every possible reaction.
He had analyzed the perfect counter to all of it.
"Tensō: Wave Meteor Life!"
With a sweeping motion, Urashiki unleashed a storm of red light. The fishing rod split into countless energy hooks that shot out in all directions — 360 degrees of pure destruction.
Each hook struck with terrifying accuracy, piercing through White Fang, Rin, and the others, sending them crashing through nearby buildings. Dust and debris filled the air.
Sako, reacting at the last instant, used Amenotejikara to swap her position with a piece of rubble — narrowly evading a fatal strike.
But before she could reposition, a massive shadow loomed above her.
"Tensō: Wave Meteor Life — Jade Box!"
Urashiki had already appeared in the sky, a glowing purple energy sphere forming in his hand.
As he hurled it down, the faces of Sako, White Fang, and the others all changed in horror.
...
TN:
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