The Disappearance of Namikaze Minato
"There's not much chakra left…"
Naruto froze for a moment, then looked at Namikaze Minato, his mind deep in thought.
The Minato standing before him was merely a chakra imprint—a lingering fragment of the Fourth Hokage's will. The fact that it had persisted for so long was nothing short of miraculous. Now, it was only natural for it to fade due to depleted chakra reserves.
Theoretically, both Naruto and Kurama could restore Minato's chakra and prolong his existence.
As if reading Naruto's mind, Minato shook his head lightly. "Relying on a chakra imprint to remain in this world is already a stretch. Now that I see both you and the village growing stronger, I don't want to linger any longer."
Before embarking on his journey to Kusagakure, Minato had still harbored concerns about Konoha's future.
However, after listening to the conversation between Naruto, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, all his lingering worries faded. The village—and his son—no longer needed him. He was merely a remnant of the past, a ghost clinging to a world that had already moved on.
After pondering for a moment, Naruto spoke solemnly. "I respect your decision, but we may meet again one day. Don't forget—there's still the Impure World Reincarnation technique."
Minato's expression grew serious at those words.
The Reanimation Jutsu was troublesome. Even in an undead state, a revived shinobi could wield immense power—half of what they had in life. Such an existence could pose a great threat to the world. Fortunately, his soul was sealed within the Shinigami's mask, preventing his forced resurrection.
Wait… Minato's eyes widened slightly. Inside the Death God's stomach, another half of Kurama still remained.
After a brief sigh, Minato said, "That version of me is different. If you ever retrieve the other half of the Nine-Tails, be wary of the Flying Thunder God technique."
With that, Minato shared some final insights into his signature jutsu and battle strategies. Naruto bowed slightly. "Thank you."
Minato was momentarily stunned, then smiled and shook his head. "There's no need to thank me. Kurama's power belongs to you. Maybe… Maybe splitting the Nine-Tails back then was a mistake. But seeing you forge your own path—I couldn't be prouder."
The two had little else to say. After exchanging a few final words, Minato silently retreated into the darkness of the mindscape.
Kurama approached with an amused glint in his eyes. "So? What did Minato say? Did he secretly leave you instructions for a custom deck? Hokage always have a few tricks up their sleeve."
"No," Naruto replied flatly. "He's leaving. Before he left, he spoke about the other half of the Nine-Tails."
"Leaving?" Kurama's ears twitched. A long pause followed before his voice lowered. "Ah… His chakra is fading." The fox exhaled through his nose, a deep rumble vibrating in his throat. "Humans are so fragile. Whether it's a Jinchūriki or a chakra construct—it's all the same. Flickering like a candle in the wind."
"You're not going to restore his chakra? Multiple card players are always useful…"
Naruto's expression darkened. "He refused. The Fourth Hokage is still so selfless. Why can't he be more selfish—think about himself, his family? Why must a hero always be 'great'?"
He clenched his fists.
"Is being Hokage truly about earning recognition? Is that validation really so important?"
A shadow crossed his face. "I won't be Hokage. I won't be a hero. I'll be a dictator—one whose word is law. A tyrant who considers no one but himself."
The sealed space trembled slightly.
Sensing the shift in Naruto's emotions, Kurama slowly retreated into his cage. After centuries of imprisonment, the beast knew—sometimes, silence was the best response.
Naruto, too, realized something was off about his own state of mind. Was it Minato's departure that unsettled him? He didn't know.
After steadying himself, he exited the mindscape. His gaze fell upon the vast ocean outside the window, his thoughts adrift.
From across the room, Karin observed his expression. She hesitated, tempted to ask what was wrong. In the end, she chose to remain silent—yet curiosity gnawed at her.
Could it be?
Mr. Mianma was supposed to be older, wasn't he?
Why, then, did his expression seem so familiar?
She dismissed the thought as an illusion.
---
A few days later, Naruto and Karin arrived in the Land of Whirlpools.
Though the Land of Fire was beautiful, it was not his domain. Here, within the borders of the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Waves, he held absolute military and political authority.
By chance, he encountered a wandering shinobi from Uzushio Village. The moment the ninja recognized him, they hurried forward to pay their respects.
Naruto offered only a brief nod before continuing toward the island's interior, Karin following closely behind.
Watching their retreating figures, the Uzushio ninja murmured among themselves. Some cast curious glances at Karin, but upon noticing her vibrant red hair, understanding dawned.
So that was it.
Lord Mianma had spent these past few days searching for the remaining Uzumaki scattered throughout the ninja world.
After a few minutes of walking, Karin finally spoke up. "Lord Mianma… So you really are the leader of Uzushio Village? I thought you were lying before. Also… How old are you?"
Naruto sighed internally. You're actually older than me…
He said nothing, merely leading her into Uzushio Village.
Their first stop was the Uzumaki administrative hall, where Naruto introduced Karin to Homura and Shisui, officially registering her within the village records. From there, they proceeded toward the Uzumaki Temple.
Minato's departure had left an emptiness in Naruto's heart. But life had to go on.
Hundreds of thousands of people depended on him now. He had no time to be sentimental. Whether it was advancing technology or infrastructure, he needed to ensure everything was progressing according to plan. His shadow clones would have to oversee the finer details.
For now, his priority was bringing Karin before Uzumaki Ashina.
Shisui and the other reckless Uchiha could serve as Ninjutsu instructors, but they lacked expertise in medical ninjutsu and sealing techniques. Those fields required either trading knowledge with Orochimaru or exchanging resources with Konoha.
But for sealing arts?
That legacy could only be entrusted to the old patriarch, Uzumaki Ashina.
Minato's fate had been a harsh lesson—no shinobi, no matter how great, could escape mortality. Ashina, too, would one day pass on. The Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques had to be preserved. Karin was the perfect candidate to inherit them.
Based on her abilities in the original timeline, Karin had an exceptional healing factor and sensory prowess, making her well-suited for battle. However, her actual combat skills were underwhelming.
Instead of being thrown onto the battlefield, she would be far more valuable as a researcher and a teacher.
Upon entering the temple, Naruto nudged Karin forward. "This is Uzumaki Ashina, the patriarch of our clan—and your future teacher. You'll continue your studies at the Ninja Academy, but sealing techniques will be your primary focus."
The old man studied Karin's red hair, then smiled. "Don't worry, Naruto. I'll make sure she receives a proper education. I didn't expect your journey into Senjutsu would also bring a new Uzumaki home. Finally, I don't have to worry about our clan's legacy fading away."
Naruto folded his arms. "Nagato and I are still here. The Uzumaki clan won't just vanish."
Ashina scoffed. "You and Nagato? You two are anything but traditional Uzumaki. You're reckless troublemakers—like Hashirama and Madara."
Naruto sighed. "Fine. But don't go easy on her. She has to go through everything I endured."
Seeing the once-fearsome patriarch turn into a doting grandfather made Naruto roll his eyes. But at least, with Ashina's guidance, Karin's future was secured.
Leaving behind a few Senjutsu training manuals and a strategic outline for the village, Naruto departed from the Uzumaki Temple.
There was still much work to be done.
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