Why was Yamato working part-time?
When he first arrived in Loulan, he had collapsed from exhaustion. A restaurant owner found him lying on the street, dragged him inside, and force-fed him water until he finally woke up.
After learning how drastically Loulan had changed, Yamato decided to lie low. Before understanding the situation—or finding his comrades—acting rashly would only get him arrested again.
So he stayed.
During business hours, he helped out at the restaurant to repay the owner's kindness.
During his free time, he quietly searched for information about his teammates.
In the end, the first person he found was Haruno Sakura.
At the time, Sakura was wearing a No.17 sanitation worker uniform. Yamato also noticed several guards nearby—and sensed a powerful female ninja overseeing the area.
At first, Yamato didn't dare approach. He pretended to be a passerby.
Later, he changed tactics, acting like someone asking for directions and casually chatting with Sakura. He discovered that Garura and the guards merely watched him—they didn't interfere.
Through repeated brief exchanges and coded phrases, Yamato finally pieced things together:
Sakura had been arrested in the inner city after using ninjutsu—and that was why she ended up like this.
And today was the day they had agreed to meet properly.
Inside a beverage shop, Yamato used the Loulan currency he earned from part-time work to buy two drinks.
Sakura's eyes lit up the moment she saw them.
"For you, Sakura. You've worked hard."
"Waaah—!" Sakura hugged the drink and took a huge gulp.
"Ahhh! I'm alive again!"
"Captain Yamato," she wailed,
"You have no idea how much I suffered this month! Loulan isn't human! Waaaah!"
Yamato leaned against the shaded alley beside the shop, sipping his icy soda.
"So… you've been doing construction work for Loulan all month?"
"After we lost contact, I kept seeing you running around every day…"
"Ugh." Sakura chewed on the ice cubes in the empty cup, savoring the cool relief.
"Of course! They treat ninja like machines here. Endless work, no pay. Every meal was bean sprouts with minced meat, radish with minced meat, or greens with minced meat. I'm sick of it!"
Just as Yamato was about to bring up Naruto—
He sensed someone approaching.
Looking up, he saw a blond youth standing atop a nearby building.
"Found you."
"You're Captain Yamato and Sakura, right?"
"I'm Namikaze Minato—a Konoha ninja."
"Fourth—" Yamato froze.
Sakura blinked, then suddenly imagined the Fourth Hokage's stone face on the Hokage Monument.
"…The Fourth Hokage?!"
Elsewhere — Orochimaru's Laboratory
"Sage techniques…"
"So the All-Knowing Minister of Loulan has already mastered both Wood Release and senjutsu?"
"And even so, Nawaki only ranks fifth?"
In his underground laboratory, Orochimaru flipped through the latest intelligence, deep in thought.
If that was the case, then the Wood Release project was meaningless.
Even if countless comrades were sacrificed to produce a successful subject, Orochimaru doubted they could ever reach Hashirama's level.
At best, they would reach Nawaki's level—or fall short of it.
Meaning Konoha would still be inferior to Loulan.
"So… are you giving up already, Orochimaru?"
A cane tapped against the floor.
Orochimaru instantly knew who it was.
"Lord Danzo."
Danzo spoke calmly.
"You may not know this, but Root still has two bloodline holders."
"With the right experiments, they might produce a Wood Release ninja."
Orochimaru sneered. Countless Senju had already died in earlier experiments—what did a few bloodline holders matter?
"Bring them."
Danzo continued,
"And I also have a theory about Nawaki. It may help your research."
"…Oh?"
"Nawaki was at most jōnin-level before."
"After being taken by the surgeon, he suddenly gained senjutsu and Wood Release."
"And more importantly—without Sage Mode, he wasn't a match for Kaito."
Orochimaru chuckled. "That disciple of mine is indeed interesting."
Danzo's eyes narrowed.
"What if Wood Release and Sage Mode… are actually the same system?"
Orochimaru froze.
The Second Hokage had been monstrously strong—but he never mastered senjutsu.
Danzo nodded.
"That's my conclusion as well. As for how to develop Sage Mode… perhaps Ryūchi Cave holds answers."
Orochimaru's excitement dimmed instantly.
"My relationship with Ryūchi Cave isn't exactly friendly."
"Then use some of their… expendable assets as test subjects," Danzo said coldly.
"…That could work."
Soon after, with Danzo's new round of "funding," Orochimaru acquired two adolescent test subjects—Utsu and Kayoko, one male, one female.
To counter Loulan, Konoha spared no cost.
Konoha — Too Late
By the time Jiraiya's group returned to stop the experiments—
More than twenty people were already dead.
Some subjects were still collapsing.
Bang!
"Old man! Stop the Wood Release experiments—now!"
Jiraiya stormed into the Hokage's office.
Behind him were Minato, Naruto, Yamato, and the others.
"Third Hokage!" Yamato bowed.
"Third Hokage!" Minato, Kakashi, Chōza, and Shibi followed.
"Grandpa Third!" Naruto shouted.
"Please stop sending our comrades to their deaths!"
The next instant—
Three ANBU appeared.
Two restrained Naruto.
A white-haired man tapped Naruto's forehead.
Naruto felt death brush past him.
"Enough."
Hiruzen finally waved his hand.
After hearing Yamato's testimony—
"Sixty dead," Yamato said quietly.
"All orphans."
Silence fell.
Hiruzen closed his eyes.
"…Have I truly been wrong?"
Then—
Bang!
He slammed the desk.
"Hatake Sakumo."
"Yes."
"Order Orochimaru and Danzo to immediately halt all Wood Release experiments.
All human experimentation is forbidden."
"Yes!"
When Sakumo vanished, Hiruzen looked at Naruto—then Minato.
"Too alike…"
History had changed.
And then—
Jiraiya spoke the final truth.
"In their future," he said quietly,
"Kaito doesn't exist."
Hiruzen stood up in shock.
"…So history truly diverged."
"And it all began," Jiraiya said,
"with Kaito—or rather, with the surgeon."
Later, when Danzo stormed in—
Hiruzen met him with cold eyes.
"I am the Hokage, Danzo."
"And from today onward—this ends."
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