The trio of Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Yamato, who had come from the future, certainly had bad luck. This was Naruto and Yamato's second time traveling through time, and in less than ten minutes, they found themselves two years after their previous trip, when they had come to deal with the centipede. This time, Sakura had been dragged into the situation as well. Their luck was definitely not on their side.
"Captain Yamato, where should we go next?" Sakura Haruno asked, her voice tinged with a hint of urgency. They didn't have much in the way of supplies, and they were in the Land of Wind. Based on the Sand Ninjas they had just encountered, it was clear that the relationship between the Sand Village and Konoha was far from good. When the two sides met, the Sand Ninjas didn't even try to talk; they just charged straight into combat.
The most critical issue, however, was that they weren't from this time period. Even if they wanted to go to Konoha, there was no way most people would believe them. Unless they found someone familiar, they would have to rely on their respective jutsu or abilities to prove their identities.
"Anyway, let's leave the Land of Wind first," Yamato said with a sense of helplessness. Although he had some experience with suddenly entering different timelines, he couldn't use his previous experience as a guide. The only thing he knew about this place came from what the Queen of Roran had told him. After completing their mission, they were sent back to their original time by the young Fourth Hokage and lost their memories. However, none of them had expected that Naruto would send them back, and now, they had arrived two years after their last visit.
"If we want to go back, we probably need the power of the Dragon Vein. Fortunately, the Dragon Vein still exists, though it's sealed by the Fourth Hokage. I saw the sealing technique earlier, and it's a high-level seal. Only by finding the Fourth Hokage himself can we hope to return."
The seal on the Dragon Vein had left behind a special kunai used by the Fourth Hokage, and Yamato, who had served in the ANBU, immediately recognized the unique kunai from the seal. That was why he believed the high-level sealing technique was something the Fourth Hokage had left behind.
"The Fourth Hokage!?" Upon hearing the name of the Fourth Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki became visibly excited. The Fourth Hokage was the person he admired the most, and now he would finally get to meet him in person.
Seeing Naruto's carefree attitude, Yamato couldn't help but warn him, "Naruto, we're in an unfamiliar time period, so we need to be extremely cautious. From now on, you will only act on my orders. Do you understand?"
Even though Yamato had learned some information from Queen Sara, he had no memory of ever being here, so he couldn't make the best judgments. The unfamiliarity with this era made him feel a strange sense of anxiety. Furthermore, the Sand Ninjas' behavior had proven that Konoha and the Sand Village were at war. The trio had to be careful and avoid the Sand Ninjas as they made their way toward Konoha to find the younger Fourth Hokage.
They had to find a way to return. Although traveling through the Land of Wind was dangerous, Yamato and the others had no choice but to proceed.
As for the war, strictly speaking, none of them—Yamato, Naruto, or Sakura—had participated in large-scale battles. When the Sand Ninjas, allied with Orochimaru, invaded Konoha, it was a one-sided slaughter. Against such a powerful enemy, Yamato could do little more than try to repel the Sand Ninjas; there was nothing more they could do.
They walked carefully for a long time, avoiding several Sand Ninja squads. Whenever they couldn't avoid them, they fought to clear the way. Eventually, they reached the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers.
"Phew, we finally made it out of the Land of Wind. Captain Yamato, we don't have to be so cautious now. Let's head toward our destination and travel at full speed!" Naruto clenched his fists. His excitement about meeting the Fourth Hokage and having a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen was nearly overwhelming.
Bang! Naruto once again received a bump on his head from Sakura's iron fist. His thick-headedness really needed some constant corrections, or he would cause a lot of trouble along the way.
"The Land of Rivers is still not very safe. Let's head back to the Land of Fire as soon as possible," Yamato said, looking at the map. From the situation so far, it was clear that Konoha and the Sand Village were in the midst of intense conflict. The Land of Rivers, located between the two warring countries, would undoubtedly become a battleground. Their identities as time-travelers from Konoha meant that they were in great danger.
Although they had traveled back in time by about twenty years, the roads leading to the Land of Fire hadn't changed much. Yamato chose a direction and immediately set off, intending to reach Konoha as quickly as possible to find the younger Fourth Hokage.
"Honestly, these Sand Ninjas are such a pain. I hope this war ends soon. It's been so long since I've had red bean dumplings," Kurenai Yuhi complained after finishing a round of patrol. Her partner, Kiyo Hyuga, was from the Hyuga Clan and had the Byakugan, so they had been assigned to seven reconnaissance missions within a month.
Fortunately, Kiyo Hyuga was a member of the main branch of the Hyuga Clan, so they had only been tasked with rearward surveillance, ensuring that no Sand Ninjas would infiltrate and attack the supply teams.
"We need to stay alert," Kiyo Hyuga cautioned, noticing that Kurenai had relaxed.
"Yes, yes, I know, Kiyo-chan. But we just finished our patrol, so I thought I could take a small break," Kurenai Yuhi smiled as she sat on a tree, speaking to Kiyo. "You're starting to sound more and more like the captain Mirai. The way you speak..."
"I could never be like him! That guy—wait, someone's coming!" Kiyo Hyuga interrupted, her face immediately turning serious. Her Byakugan was still activated, and she could clearly see three figures about three kilometers away.
"Three people, chakra levels on par with Jonin, but one of them has an immense chakra amount. It's the largest chakra I've ever sensed," Kiyo Hyuga noted.
"Should we send a signal to the others?" Kurenai asked.
"Not yet. Let's confirm their identity first," Kiyo Hyuga decided. The area they were patrolling was close to the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Fire. Any messenger ninjas or logistics teams would never travel down this route, so these three individuals were suspicious.
Upon hearing this, Kurenai immediately went on alert and leapt to a nearby tree, setting up traps. She could activate her genjutsu in the shadows, which would help Kiyo if the newcomers turned out to be enemies. Kiyo, having Byakugan, didn't need to reveal herself to keep an eye on them. As long as they were within 500 meters, she could clearly see their faces.
A minute later, when the trio was within 500 meters, Kiyo Hyuga was able to see their faces clearly, as well as their clothes.
"Headbands, Konoha Ninjas? But they definitely aren't from the frontlines. Are they Sand Ninjas in disguise?" Kiyo Hyuga frowned as she thought. Then, she signaled to Kurenai and threw a few shuriken to stop Naruto, Sakura, and Yamato's group, forcing them into a trap. She called out to them, "Who are you? Report your ninja ID numbers and mission status immediately!"
(End of Chapter)
=========================================================
DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE
SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS
PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).