Kakashi remembered that Obito had once said that because Minato-sensei sealed half of the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, Naruto's face had gained some fox-like features, three whisker marks on each cheek.
The more Kakashi thought about it, the more he felt that this was a possibility. Otherwise, wasn't this too much of a coincidence?
Obito let out a bitter smile. The moment he saw that blond-haired ninja, he immediately recognized him, it was unmistakably Naruto himself.
Unexpectedly, the future had already changed, yet Naruto still accepted this mission and even returned to the past.
He nodded and said seriously, "Kakashi, Minato-sensei, there's no mistake, he is indeed Naruto. The power of nature is truly mysterious."
Minato looked at Naruto in the distance, his gaze full of concern, "So… this is what Naruto looks like."
"The moment I saw him just now, I had a vague premonition. Haha, in the future, Naruto has already become capable of standing on his own."
Kakashi couldn't help but sigh, "Who would've thought that Minato-sensei's son has already grown older than us? To be able to evade so many puppets enhanced by the power of the Dragon Vein… His strength is truly impressive."
"It's just that, although these puppets are troublesome, their weakness is also quite obvious. As long as the chakra threads controlling them are severed, they won't be able to move anymore. Naruto clearly has a chakra blade on him, so why isn't he using it?"
This question made everyone momentarily awkward.
Among them, Obito understood Naruto the best. He laughed, "Haha, it's possible that Naruto simply forgot about it."
Rin also chuckled, "That really sounds like something Naruto would do. I remember you once said, Obito, that Naruto is very similar to how you were as a child."
Obito's face turned red, and he mumbled in protest, "Rin, I wasn't that dumb!"
Rin smiled sweetly, "Yes, yes, Obito, you were the smartest when you were a kid."
Then she turned to Minato, "Sensei, should we rescue Naruto immediately?"
Minato nodded, his eyes showing eagerness but also a hint of reluctance, "Unfortunately, to avoid interfering with Naruto's future, I can't acknowledge him."
At that moment, in the distance, Naruto had already been forced against a wall by a group of puppets. In this moment of danger, he seemed to finally realize the weakness of these puppets. He drew the chakra blade from his lower back, leaped forward, and severed the threads connecting several of the puppets at the front.
Instantly, those puppets lost their combat ability.
Kakashi nodded, "That's more like it. Once you find the weak point, dealing with these puppets is actually quite simple."
However, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
Because there were so many puppets, even though Naruto had taken out some of them, he exposed an opening in the process. He was struck by one of the puppets and fell onto a bridge.
Before he could get up, the puppets above had already gathered energy and launched an attack similar to a small Tailed Beast Bomb.
BOOM!
A massive explosion shattered the entire bridge and even blasted a hole into the ground, sending Naruto plunging into the pit…
"Rescue him!", Minato didn't hesitate any longer.
If he delayed any further, his son was going to die. Immediately, he erupted with unbelievable speed and performed several Body Flickers in succession, closing in on the hole.
Meanwhile, Obito placed his hands on Rin and Kakashi's shoulders, directly using the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport beside Minato. He and Minato-sensei had left Flying Thunder God marks on each other, allowing them to move to each other's locations.
The group jumped into the hole. After landing, they discovered that it was a vast and empty underground chamber.
Not far away, Naruto had an injured leg and remained in place, watching as several puppets shot out numerous purple chakra threads from their bodies, attempting to strangle him.
At the critical moment, Minato appeared in front of Naruto in a flash. Just as the puppets were about to strike, he teleported Naruto away using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The puppets struck nothing but air. Just as they were about to adjust their stance for another attack, Kakashi had already drawn the sword from his back.
His movements became a dance as he swiftly approached the puppets, each slash precisely targeting the chakra threads connecting them.
In just a few breaths, all the chakra threads were severed, and the puppets lost their energy, collapsing to the ground.
Obito couldn't help but show a hint of admiration, "Kakashi has gotten even stronger, able to swiftly and precisely target the weaknesses of these puppets."
Rin nodded, clenching her small fists, "Yeah, Kakashi's progress is really fast. I have to work hard too!"
Obito laughed, "Rin, don't put so much pressure on yourself. Come on, let's go meet up with Minato-sensei."
Rin nodded, and together with Obito, she rejoined Minato.
After regrouping, the team moved to a secluded corner within the city.
.
.
.
Minato set Naruto down and personally bandaged his wounds.
Naruto gave a bright and cheerful smile, "Thanks, big bro. If it weren't for you guys, I'd have died for no reason."
Minato's hand trembled slightly as he bandaged, but he quickly recovered and continued.
Rin initially wanted to step forward to heal Naruto, but upon seeing this scene, she tactfully remained where she was.
Obito, seeing this, felt like laughing, 'With Naruto's nearly abnormal healing ability, his wound will probably be fully healed the moment the bandage is applied…'
At this moment, the one most confused was Naruto himself. Once his wound was bandaged, he couldn't wait to ask this group of masked people.
"Who are you guys? And where exactly is this place?", Minato slightly loosened his mask, revealing his Konoha headband, then quickly put the mask back on.
"We are also Konoha ninja, currently on a classified mission. Do you… still feel pain?"
Naruto suddenly felt an indescribable emotion. This unknown big brother, with a magnetic voice, gave him a sense of familiarity.
He shook his head resolutely, "No… it doesn't hurt. It's just a small injury, don't worry."
Minato patted Naruto's head, "You—don't be so reckless. Take care of yourself and stay safe."
For some reason, Naruto suddenly felt like crying. Even though this big brother hadn't even shown his true face, Naruto found himself instinctively wanting to listen to him.
"Don't worry, I will," Then, Naruto turned his head and looked at Obito, Rin, and Kakashi with surprise, "Big bro, did these guys just graduate from the ninja academy? They're so short, yet they're already doing such a classified mission. Are you sure that's okay?"
Kakashi let out a dissatisfied snort, expressing his strong discontent.
Naruto suddenly remembered that this silver-haired boy had been the one who effortlessly took down those puppets earlier, and he immediately felt a little embarrassed.
He scratched his head, "Haha, white-haired guy, I forgot you're really strong. Are you in the same class as Konohamaru? You're way stronger than him. Oh, right, your hair color is the same as Kakashi-sensei's. Are you related to him?"
Faced with Naruto's endless stream of questions, Kakashi simply turned away, refusing to engage with this idiot.
Naruto muttered under his breath, "Such a cold personality… just like Sasuke when he was a kid."
Minato shook his head helplessly at this scene and gently said, "Sorry, we can't reveal our identities to you right now. Just find a safe place in the city and wait. Once we finish our mission, we'll explain everything to you."
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