Chapter 213: Father and Son Meet — The Formation of the Dragon Veins
"Konoha, Year 64?"
Minato Namikaze struggled upright from the ground, frowning at the group of... teenagers before him.
It was hard to fathom — these people had actually traveled through time via the Dragon Veins to reach this era.
But even so, Minato adapted to this absurd reality with remarkable speed.
His gaze settled on the pink-haired girl sitting across from him.
She was a genuine Konoha shinobi. And if Konoha of the future possessed a combatant at this level, there was no way the village would hide such an asset and leave it unused.
The moment Pinky appeared on any battlefield, no matter how dire the situation, the tide would turn instantly.
If she'd existed now, he wouldn't have needed to use Flying Thunder God to race between theaters putting out fires.
And given the personality she'd displayed — there was absolutely no way she could be hidden.
"Yeah, yeah — we were just chasing a Sand Village rogue ninja and somehow ended up twenty years in the past."
"Pretty wild, right?"
Naruto grinned cheerfully at Minato.
"But you know, mister — you look kinda familiar?"
Minato blinked at Naruto.
He... doesn't recognize me?
Minato was only twenty. Even in Konoha Year 64, he'd only be forty.
He wasn't bragging, but with the reputation of the Yellow Flash, every Konoha shinobi should know his face.
Yet this blond kid and the Uzumaki girl... didn't recognize him.
Which meant he was already...
Dead?
Something unnameable flickered in Minato's eyes. His feelings were complicated.
Sakura glanced between Minato and the blissfully oblivious Naruto.
She was torn.
Should she tell Naruto that Minato Namikaze was his father?
Kushina, meanwhile, studied Minato intently, brow slightly furrowed.
It wasn't just Naruto — she felt like she'd seen Minato somewhere before too.
Where had it been?
It was...
It was...
The photographs hanging on the wall of the Hokage's office!
He was displayed right alongside the First, Second, and Third!
He was the Fourth Hokage!
The Hokage who'd died sixteen years ago on the night of the Nine-Tails!
Which meant the Nine-Tails inside Naruto was his...
Kushina was about to blurt it out — but caught sight of Sakura's calm expression and swallowed the words.
If she could recognize Minato, then Sakura had obviously known from the start.
And since Sakura, as the Fifth Hokage, hadn't revealed Minato's identity, Kushina wouldn't either.
"Probably just a common face. I've got one of those."
Minato felt his chakra had recovered to about seventy or eighty percent thanks to Sakura's help. He stood, preparing to resume his mission.
The future could be left to his future self.
And he trusted himself — trusted the future — not to disappoint.
Right now, he just needed to do what he could.
"The Mukade you're after is probably the man who arrived here six years ago and changed his name to An Lushan."
"He's my target too."
"I've been delayed long enough. My teammates are probably looking for me."
"So..."
"Sorry — I should get going."
Minato looked back at Naruto, a flicker of regret in his eyes.
Just as he was about to leave, Sakura spoke.
"Hey."
"You're not going to talk to Naruto for a bit?"
Meeting his father for the first time, only to let him walk away as a stranger because they'd never met — that was too cruel for Naruto.
"Huh?"
Naruto looked at Sakura with confusion. He didn't understand why she'd said that.
Minato stopped. Back turned to Naruto, he spoke calmly:
"Your name is... Naruto?"
"That's a really great name."
Minato was about to walk away, but Sakura didn't give him the chance. She said it directly:
"Naruto — he's your father."
???
Time seemed to freeze.
Naruto stared at Sakura in disbelief, then at Minato's back.
What did Sakura just say?
He's...
My father?
"D-don't joke around..."
"Sakura, that's not a funny joke... my, my, my father or whatever..."
Naruto stammered, the usually silver-tongued mouth-runner reduced to gibberish.
Those blue eyes looked at Minato's back with an expression Sakura had never seen before — tentative, fragile, desperately wanting.
Even Kushina stayed silent.
"I... I thought..."
"I was always the kid nobody wanted..."
"Since I was little, since forever, it was always just me alone..."
Naruto's voice trembled, catching on something in his throat.
"...Naruto."
Minato turned to face the boy.
He opened his mouth to speak — but—
A heavy fist slammed directly into his stomach!
Minato didn't dodge. He just wore a pained, rueful smile.
He was twenty years old, and his sixteen-year-old son had traveled through time to punch him in the gut.
What was he supposed to say to that?
Right now, he was only four years older than Naruto.
And from what Naruto was saying... it sounded like even Kushina was...
"But even without me... without... Kushina..."
"You still grew up, didn't you? And you found incredible companions."
Minato could only try to soothe Naruto's emotions. He and Kushina weren't even married yet — suddenly becoming a "father" had caught him completely off guard.
"It was... Sakura..."
"If it weren't for Sakura..."
Naruto's head was down, his voice thick with tears.
"Naruto — I don't know what happened in the future."
"But..."
Minato gently drew the quietly weeping boy into an embrace, his eyes warming with tenderness.
"The future me is probably dead."
"But I believe in the future. I believe in the future version of me. And I believe in you."
"Whatever decision the future me makes — it will be the right one."
"Naruto — please bear with things just a little longer."
Minato spoke softly. He'd already noticed — the Nine-Tails inside Naruto.
And... his own chakra.
And Kushina's chakra.
So that's how it is.
Both Kushina and I are already dead...
But dying alongside Kushina — that's actually not so bad.
A vivid flash of red surfaced in Minato's heart.
Looking at Naruto's features — so strikingly similar to Kushina's — he almost seemed to see his beloved through his son's face.
"Why... why did you put the Nine-Tails inside me..."
"Do you know — do you know how much I've suffered because of that?!"
"Do you know that because of YOUR choice, I've lived under everyone's contempt my entire life?!"
"Do you know ANY of that?!"
Naruto's choked words kept coming, and Minato felt a rising panic.
He didn't know.
"If it were the future me, he'd probably say: Because you're my son."
"Naruto."
Minato looked at the boy with gentle eyes.
"But that's the future me. Right now — Naruto..."
"I'm sorry."
Naruto looked up in bewilderment at this "father" who was barely older than him.
"None of this is what I would have wanted. If I could choose, I'd want Naruto to grow up healthy, safe, and happy. But something must have happened in the future."
"Something that left the me of that time with no other choice."
"So — I'm sorry, Naruto."
Minato stroked Naruto's hair gently, his gaze warm.
"..."
Feeling the hand on his head, Naruto fell silent.
"Whatever happened — Naruto, you've grown up. And you have amazing friends."
"It looks like even without me, you've done just fine."
The moment Minato finished speaking, Naruto shoved him back a step. He retreated two paces, his expression twisted and conflicted as he stared at the man before him.
He wasn't his father.
At least... not yet.
"Sakura is ten thousand times better than you."
Sakura: ...
Suddenly having some regrets about all this.
"Heh."
Minato's gaze drifted to the expressionless pink-haired girl standing nearby.
It was clear Naruto was deeply attached to this girl. But...
This girl called Sakura didn't seem to feel the same way about Naruto.
"Naruto — I need to go."
He'd lingered far too long. Minato had to leave.
Watching Minato depart, Naruto's eyes were tinged with melancholy.
Kushina watched the boy staring after Minato, then sidled up to Sakura and whispered:
"What do we do now?"
Sakura stood, her gaze fixing on a particular spot.
"You've been watching long enough. Come out."
Two figures emerged from a nearby corner.
One was Sasuke. The other—
A girl in ornate clothing with long red hair.
Who is...
"This is Sara, princess of Rōran."
"She fell from a building during a street parade, and I caught her."
Sasuke gestured at the girl beside him, his expression slightly strained.
If Naruto got to meet the father of this era... could he see his own parents too?
And by the timeline, Uchiha Itachi would have just been born...
If he went over there right now and killed him...
This could work!
Sakura glanced at Sasuke and immediately knew what the boy was thinking.
"Do not interfere with the past. Even the smallest deviation could cascade into changes that affect the future."
"We grab Mukade and leave."
Sasuke was both puzzled and resentful.
Why did Naruto get to reunite with his father, but HE couldn't visit his parents and take out Itachi while he was at it?
"Because Minato Namikaze is different from everyone else."
"He'll become the Fourth Hokage. His sense of the bigger picture is... very strong."
Second only to his tendency to be ruled by his heart.
"I'm confident that even after all of this, even knowing he'll die in the future — when that day comes, he'll choose death without hesitation, to protect Naruto and everyone else."
Sakura looked at Sasuke and sighed inwardly.
Compared to Minato, Uchiha Fugaku was someone she genuinely didn't understand well.
On one hand, he'd been passive about the Uchiha coup. On the other, he'd made Itachi serve as a double agent. And somehow he was still considered the Uchiha's dove faction.
All while possessing a Mangekyō Sharingan that could supposedly glimpse the future.
The man was mediocre and impossibly complex at the same time. Sakura chose to minimize contact with him.
What if his judgment was poor and he went straight to Hiruzen with everything?
A Mangekyō-wielding Uchiha was too much of a wild card.
Sasuke pressed his lips together and stood off to the side without another word. Sakura's mouth twitched slightly.
Oh? Throwing a little tantrum, are we?
"Um... hello, everyone..."
Sara looked at the group nervously and offered a cautious greeting.
"I'm the leader of this operation."
"According to intelligence our colleague provided, the Rōran minister An Lushan is actually our target Mukade — a rogue ninja from the Hidden Sand."
"We'd appreciate your cooperation."
The "colleague" Sakura referenced was Minato, who'd just departed.
"That can't be right. Ever since An Lushan came to Rōran, he's devoted himself entirely to developing the city. In just six years, Rōran went from an ordinary desert town to what you see now."
Without a second's hesitation, Sara shook her head and rejected Sakura's claim.
"Our intelligence doesn't make mistakes. Just take me to An Lushan — that's all I need."
Sara's trust in An Lushan wasn't surprising. If a complete stranger walked up and told you your devoted butler — who'd transformed your household — was actually a fugitive, no reasonable person would believe it.
Sara looked uncertainly at Sakura, then back at Sasuke.
"How can I trust that you won't harm An Lushan?"
She was willing to arrange a meeting, but she needed guarantees of An Lushan's safety.
Sakura glanced at the quietly sulking Sasuke.
Being handsome did have its uses. Perfect for winning over young girls.
At least Sasuke, having rescued Sara, hadn't gotten slapped twice the way Naruto had in the original movie.
"How about we send just Sasuke to meet An Lushan on our behalf?"
Sakura looked at Sara with a trace of amusement.
"Fine."
Without a moment's hesitation, Sara agreed.
Off to the side, Sasuke's mouth twitched.
Excuse me—
I'm still angry here!
Does anyone care about MY opinion?!
"And Sasuke has no objections either, right?"
Sakura turned to Sasuke, and in her eyes there was a hint of something... expectant?
Facing this unprecedented look from Pinky — something he'd never seen directed at him before — Sasuke found he couldn't refuse.
The fire in his chest was snuffed out clean.
"...Fine."
Left with no choice, Sasuke agreed.
Success!
Nice try, kid — but you're a hundred years too early to challenge ME!
No teenage rebellions allowed on MY watch!
Now get out there and WORK!
Sakura turned and flashed Kushina a victory sign behind her back.
Truthfully, Sakura could have forced Sasuke to go with Sara. But that would have left a splinter in his heart.
To keep subordinates working willingly, a mix of firmness and flexibility was essential.
The firmness had been refusing his request to visit his parents. The flexibility was happening right now.
"Well then — the three of us will await Sasuke's good news."
"Go get 'em!"
With that, Sakura grabbed Kushina and Naruto and vanished, leaving Sasuke and Sara alone together.
A boy and a girl. Alone. In private. Romantic tension...
Wait — no. There was no romantic tension from his side. Only from hers.
"Sh-shall we go, then..."
Sara looked at Sasuke, her cheeks coloring.
"Mm."
Sasuke's expression was stiff.
He had the distinct feeling he'd just walked into one of Sakura's traps.
Wasn't he just angry a minute ago?
Where did his anger go?
Having dispatched Sasuke with Sara to find An Lushan, the remaining three climbed to the top of a tower overlooking the exotic, technology-laden cityscape.
"Can you sense where the Dragon Veins are?"
Sakura looked at Kushina.
Naruto was still thinking about Minato. Despite what he'd said to the man's face, what he actually felt inside... even Naruto himself probably didn't know.
"Yes — roughly three kilometers west."
"Not far from us."
Kushina adjusted her red-framed glasses, then glanced at the quiet Naruto.
This guy being silent is genuinely unsettling.
"Hey, Naruto."
Kushina spoke up.
"Hm?"
Naruto raised his head.
"When we get back to the village — want me to treat you to Ichiraku ramen?"
"Two bowls."
Kushina held up two fingers.
Naruto looked at her blankly, not understanding why she'd suddenly said this.
"You're always saying there's nothing a bowl of Ichiraku ramen can't fix, and if one bowl isn't enough, then two will do."
"So I'll buy you two bowls."
Kushina continued, and Sakura turned to look at her with quiet attention.
In truth, the person carrying the heaviest burden right now wasn't Naruto or Sasuke — it was Kushina.
Because her mother was still alive in the Hidden Grass...
But to preserve the future, Kushina could only endure in silence.
If she rescued her mother now, whether Sakura would even meet Kushina during the Chūnin Exams became uncertain.
If Sakura didn't meet Kushina, whether she could unlock the Yin Seal and Strength of a Hundred before facing Orochimaru became uncertain.
Sakura's battle against Orochimaru had required every trick she had. Without the Hundred Seal, how she'd handle Orochimaru — and afterward, the combined Rasa-Orochimaru assault during the Konoha Destruction arc — even whether she'd survive the Fourth Great Ninja War at all — all became unknowns.
After all, Sakura's very first battle had been against the perfect jinchūriki Yugito, followed immediately by the Fourth Raikage.
Without the Hundred Seal, Sakura would have...
So, swallowing her anguish, Kushina chose silence.
"..."
Naruto was quiet for a moment, then broke into that signature grin.
"That's a promise, Kushina!"
"No take-backs!"
Seeing Naruto perk up, Kushina allowed herself a wry smile.
"Idiot."
Naruto was long accustomed to Kushina's insults. He turned to Sakura instead.
"You coming too, Sakura?"
Pinky scratched her head with a troubled expression.
"I'll pass. Once we're back, I've got a mountain of work waiting."
"I've been playing hooky this long — Elder Homura is going to have my head."
She hadn't even told anyone she was leaving, except Tobirama.
And after this long, even Tobirama probably couldn't keep the secret.
"Aw, okay then."
Naruto drooped slightly.
Sakura promptly flicked him on the forehead, then said with mock irritation:
"What do you mean, 'okay then'?"
"When a girl invites you to something, you should graciously accept — then return the favor next time."
"Oh, and for reference — Kushina likes pork cutlets."
Naruto rubbed his forehead, belatedly caught on, and hastily apologized to Kushina.
"Oh, it's perfectly fine~ After all, I'm just a weak, helpless, easily-pushed-around little girl~~~"
"It's only natural that a certain someone wouldn't take me seriously~~~"
Facing Kushina's passive-aggressive assault, Naruto's scalp tingled.
Sakura was one thing — but Kushina? She genuinely terrified him.
Especially that red hair. Something about it triggered a deep, instinctive fear.
He had no idea why.
After a round of bickering, Naruto temporarily shelved the matter of Minato and followed Sakura and Kushina toward the Dragon Veins' source.
Along the way, Rōran's architecture dazzled Sakura's eyes.
Even in her previous life, an engineering project on Rōran's scale would have been extraordinarily challenging.
And this was in a desert. In just six years.
It only strengthened Sakura's resolve to abduct Mukade.
With the Land of Fire's resources, replicating something like Rōran wasn't impossible.
But right now, the Dragon Veins took priority.
The Dragon Veins were, to Sakura's knowledge, the only location in the natural world — aside from the Three Great Sage Regions — where chakra existed independently. How they'd formed fascinated her enormously.
The moment she'd entered the Dragon Veins, she'd confirmed it.
Natural energy.
It was all chakra formed from natural energy.
Note: chakra formed from natural energy.
This was absurd. Even the Three Sage Regions had required the Great Toad Sage, the Slug Sage, and the White Snake Sage to spend millennia cultivating their environments.
So why had the Dragon Veins spontaneously generated Sage chakra from natural energy?
If she could unravel the Dragon Veins' secret — even if she couldn't replicate their full scale — could she create something similar beneath Konoha?
That would make the entire Barrier Team — those clock-punching slackers — completely redundant!
A twenty-four-hour, zero-blind-spot, impenetrable super-barrier?
Pain himself would have to come through the front gate!
And at that point, facing Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki — the two legendary gatekeepers of Konoha — what would Pain do then?
The thought made Sakura chuckle with dark amusement.
Kushina caught the smile on Sakura's face and felt a cold sweat trickle down.
She knew Sakura far too well. That particular smile meant someone, somewhere, was about to have a very bad day.
"We're here."
"Just ahead."
The three soon arrived before an ornate palace.
The entrance appeared deserted, but an entire squad of puppets stood guard in concealment.
"Every conduit transmitting Dragon Vein chakra radiates outward from this building."
Kushina maintained her Blood Haze Mind's Eye. The chakra transmission lines were as obvious to her as spotlights in the dark.
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you