"Eh? You know me? Am I that famous?"
Raizen couldn't help feeling a spark of pride when Namikaze Minato addressed him respectfully as -sama. That was the Namikaze Minato — future Fourth Hokage, the Yellow Flash of Konoha. And here he was, treating Raizen like an elder.
Honestly? Felt damn good.
"Of course you're famous, Raizen-sama. Your name's a legend in our era."
Minato smiled faintly. He already knew the boy in front of him hadn't reached that point yet — not the man history would remember.
"Legend?" Raizen tilted his head, feigning thought. "What, did I blow up a mountain or start a religion or something?"
His tone was casual, but there was a flicker of genuine curiosity underneath. What the hell did I do that made me 'legendary'?
Then his eyes narrowed slyly. "By the way, this 'Konoha Shinobi Village' you mentioned… mind filling me in?"
Minato hesitated, trying to keep his expression neutral. He couldn't just tell someone from the past about the future — not even this guy. Still, a vague explanation wouldn't hurt.
"Konoha," he said at last, "is a place where all shinobi can live together — under the leadership of a Hokage. It's the strongest village in the world."
Raizen's lips parted slightly. "A place where all shinobi live together… Hokage, huh?"
He let out a dry laugh. "So the old dream wasn't just talk after all."
For a second, his sarcasm faded, replaced by something almost wistful.
"When I met Madara and Hashirama… we talked about that very thing. A village that would belong to everyone, not just a clan. I never thought they'd actually pull it off."
Minato's eyes widened slightly. So he really knew them… Hashirama-sama and Madara Uchiha.
That confirmed it — this boy wasn't from their time. He was the Amamiya Raizen, the one Konoha's history books called "The Hidden Sage."
While the two spoke, Yamato's memory finally clicked into place. Amamiya Raizen… He'd read that name before — etched into old Konoha archives, listed beside the founders themselves.
The man who helped end the Warring States chaos… a name that blazed across that era like lightning.
And here he was. Just a sharp-eyed boy, standing a few feet away.
Meanwhile, Naruto — who'd been unconscious until now — groaned and sat up. His head throbbed like a tailed beast had been using it as a drum.
He blinked, spotted Raizen… and immediately pointed.
"You bastard!"
Before he could charge forward, Yamato's fist came down on his skull like divine judgment.
THUD.
"OW! What was that for, Captain?!" Naruto howled, clutching his head.
"You idiot! You picked a fight with Raizen-sama — a legendary figure! What the hell were you thinking?!"
"L-Legendary figure?" Naruto stammered, rubbing the sore spot.
As memories came rushing back, his cheeks went pink. "Ah… maybe I, uh… kinda attacked first?"
Yamato sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "You think?"
"Captain Yamato's scary…" Naruto mumbled, shrinking away.
Once the air cleared, both sides finally settled down. Raizen and Minato spoke quietly apart from the group, while Naruto sat sulking near Yamato.
"So… you're telling me we actually traveled through time?" Naruto asked, jaw slack.
Yamato nodded grimly. "If our readings are right, we've gone back roughly twenty years."
Naruto's eyes darted toward Minato — his father — and the boy standing beside him.
"Then those two…?"
"The younger one," Yamato explained, "is Raizen-sama. Be respectful, Naruto. He's one of Konoha's great ancestors. The other, well…" He gave a faint, knowing smile. "…you'll figure that out."
"Tch." Naruto crossed his arms, still sulking. "Doesn't look that amazing to me."
Yamato's glare could've melted steel. "Watch your mouth. We're standing in front of history itself."
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto muttered. "I know…"
Just then, a white-haired boy wearing a fox mask appeared out of the smoke. His eyes were sharp, his posture strict.
"Oi. Minato-sensei wants you guys to come over," he said flatly.
Naruto blinked. "Huh? This kid looks… kinda familiar…" He leaned closer, squinting.
The boy scowled and turned away with a huff. "Don't get so close, idiot."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Who the hell is this brat?!"
Yamato chuckled faintly beside him. "That, Naruto… is Kakashi."
"EH?! That Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto's voice cracked as he stared at the miniature version of his mentor.
"Stop shouting. You're giving me a headache," young Kakashi snapped, turning to walk off. "Just hurry up. Minato-sensei's waiting."
Naruto stood frozen, jaw slack. "He even talks the same way!"
Yamato laughed quietly and patted him on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's not keep them waiting."
And so, the strange party — past and future — walked together under the same war-torn sky.