Raizen followed Kakashi and Naruto through the halls of Loulan, the air humming with tension. When the trio stopped before Minato, Raizen's gaze landed on the silver-haired boy beside him — young, sharp-eyed, and far too serious for his age.
He smirked. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"
The boy straightened his back. "Hatake Kakashi."
Raizen raised a brow. "Hatake, huh? I once knew a man named Hatake Gintama. You related to him?"
Kakashi blinked, caught off guard. "Gintama…? That was my great-grandfather."
Raizen let out a low whistle. "No kidding. Small world. Guess fate likes to recycle the same bloodlines."
Minato tilted his head, curious, as Raizen stepped forward and cracked his knuckles. "Since you're his descendant, I'll show you something special. Watch carefully."
He pressed his palms together, chakra sparking violently around his arm. Lightning crackled and twisted, the air filling with the piercing sound of chirping birds.
"Chidori," Raizen said evenly. "A fusion of lightning's nature and form — controlled chaos in motion."
The glow died down, but his grin didn't fade. Chakra surged again, this time flowing across his entire body in veins of blinding blue.
Kakashi's eyes widened. "That's—!"
Raizen smirked. "Thunder Armor. Same principle, different scale. I'll explain the concept, but understanding it… that's on you."
"Yes, sir!" Kakashi answered, excitement shining through his composure.
"Hey, hey, what about me!?" Naruto suddenly barged in, all energy and no shame. "Teach me something too!"
Raizen sighed, rubbing his temples. "You're the Nine Tails' Jinchūriki, right? Then forget lightning. You should be learning Sage Mode."
"Sage… Mode?" Naruto tilted his head.
Raizen nodded. "Natural energy. The power of the land itself. It can suppress the Nine Tails' chakra — give you control instead of chaos."
Naruto's eyes lit up instantly. "Then that's what I'll learn! Sage Mode it is!"
Minato, watching from the side, smiled faintly at his son's enthusiasm but quickly turned back to his duties, organizing reports from returning scouts.
As Raizen leaned against the wall, Naruto shuffled closer again, hesitant this time.
"Uh… Raizen-san," he said, glancing up. "You weren't lying about Sage Mode suppressing the Nine Tails, right?"
Raizen gave him a level look. "It's true. Nature's energy restrains the beasts because it's the world's purest chakra. But tell me, kid—why stop at suppression?"
"Huh?"
"You've spent your whole life trying to cage the Nine Tails. Ever thought about using his power instead?"
Naruto blinked, caught between fear and curiosity. Raizen's voice softened, almost nostalgic.
"That fox has been with you since the day you were born. He's seen everything — your pain, your growth, your idiocy. In a way, he's closer to you than anyone else."
Naruto froze. He'd never thought of it that way.
"So instead of fighting him," Raizen continued, "learn his name. When a being tells you its name, it means trust. And when the Nine Tails tells you his… you'll have truly mastered him."
"The Nine Tails… has a name?"
Raizen nodded. "Everything alive does."
Naruto frowned, thinking hard. "Then how do I get him to tell me?"
"When your hearts recognize each other," Raizen said quietly, "when you stop seeing him as a curse and start seeing him as someone who shares your existence — that's when he'll speak it himself."
Naruto's fists tightened. Then, slowly, he smiled — that same reckless, bright grin Raizen hadn't seen since Hashirama's youth.
"I'll do it. I'll make him acknowledge me!"
Raizen chuckled softly. That smile again… Hashirama, Naruto, every fool who tries to change the world — they all carry that same damn light.
But deep down, he knew: once he returned to his own time, Naruto would forget everything. That was the curse of crossing eras.
Still, it was enough.
Minato approached, scrolls in hand. "Raizen-san, we've confirmed the enemy's location. Hundred Foot's forces are moving to seize Loulan's core. Our next step is to find Queen Sara before they do."
Raizen straightened. "Then let's move. The sooner we end this, the sooner I can get back to my own battlefield."
He adjusted his cloak, lightning briefly flickering across his fingertips — a habit more than a show of power.
"Time to see how much history I can rewrite before it forgets me."
...
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