CHAPTER 82 - Returning to the Village and Change 

After leaving behind the Hyuga Mirai and the other Kikyō Castle ninjas, Minato Namikaze's three companions had been in a gloomy state. Even though Naruto's impulsive behavior earlier had caused Minato some trouble, Sakura and Yamato did not blame him. Instead, they became just as downcast as Naruto, and the lively energy they had earlier vanished entirely.

Minato noticed the change in the three of them and, after reaching a secluded spot, he suddenly stopped walking. He found a place to sit down and patted the spot beside him, smiling as he said to Naruto, "Let's rest for a bit before we continue." 

Once everyone had settled down, Minato spoke up, "Though I don't agree with people from the past learning about the future in advance, seeing how you three are acting, I can't help but wonder if you'd mind telling me why you hold such animosity towards Mirai?"

Minato had a hunch that Naruto didn't know Hyuga Mirai at all. Based on the title and the obvious Byakugan traits, he guessed that Mirai was part of the Hyuga clan. But even so, for Naruto to act so recklessly, disregarding his hidden identity, Minato couldn't help but think that the two must have had a serious grudge. 

And since Naruto was his future son, Minato couldn't help but feel curious about what had happened to make his companions so downcast after meeting Mirai.

"I'm not exactly sure about the details, but Granny Tsunade's mood has been getting worse by the day, Jiraiya-sensei is dead, Hinata can't be a ninja anymore because of that guy, and even the death of the Third Hokage has something to do with him," Naruto explained. Despite being the host of the Nine-Tails and being taken in as Jiraiya's student, Naruto's main focus had been on improving his strength and controlling the Nine-Tails. He was kept in the dark about the village's situation and could only learn about it through his own inquiries or from his friends at the ninja academy. 

"Fourth Hokage-sama, that person, Hyuga Mirai, in our time, was ranked as the number one S-rank rogue ninja in Konoha," Yamato added. Having served in the ANBU, Yamato had access to more detailed information than either Naruto or Sakura. His explanation was clearer than Naruto's account. 

Yamato continued to explain everything from the time of the Hyuga clan's internal strife, the ongoing battles, and the recent pressure from the Fire Daimyo for the Fifth Hokage to hand over the jinchuriki. Minato listened intently, his heart sinking as he realized just how dire the situation in the future was. Even if he hadn't died at the hands of the Nine-Tails, the village would likely have been in shambles by then. 

"The future is like this, huh? Naruto, I'm sorry you had to go through so much," Minato said, his voice filled with concern as he reached out to gently pat Naruto's blonde hair, much like his own. 

"If the Fourth Hokage was still around…" Yamato began, but hesitated. He wanted to say that Minato could have changed things, but the situation seemed so far beyond saving that even with Minato alive, it might have been too late to make any difference.

The future of Konoha was grim—both externally and internally. The Fire Daimyo had lost faith in the Hokage, and Konoha had almost fallen apart. Most of the ninja clans had become disillusioned, with only a handful remaining loyal to the Hokage. Even Naruto, despite his responsibility to control the Nine-Tails, had to participate in missions just to earn a living.

"Even though we don't know why Mirai and Orochimaru turned out like you say, right now, you should try to avoid showing hostility toward them," Minato advised, trying to steady the emotions of his companions. "I'm not sure how to handle things if this tension continues." 

Naruto, still unsure of how to address Minato, asked, "Could you tell us more about that person?" He hesitated, almost calling Minato 'father,' but refrained, instead inquiring about Hyuga Mirai. 

Minato nodded and said, "Sure. If you ask the older generation when we return, you can learn more, but let me give you some insight."

Minato paused briefly before continuing. "You're aware that Konoha has just been in a war with Sunagakure, right? The puppet masters of Sunagakure have been a huge problem for us, and what makes them even more dangerous is the poison they use in their puppets. During the Second Great Ninja War, it was Tsunade's constant efforts to counteract the poison that saved so many of our shinobi."

Yamato was familiar with this, as Tsunade's achievements were often taught in the academy. In Naruto's generation, they learned about the Third Hokage, but after his death, the academy focused on the Fifth Hokage's accomplishments. 

Minato continued, "When the fighting with Sunagakure began, Konoha's ninjas suffered significant losses due to the poison, especially since Tsunade wasn't around. But Mirai, with his expertise in medical ninjutsu, stepped in and quickly started neutralizing the poison. He even developed antidotes for multiple kinds of toxins used by Sunagakure. Without him, we would have suffered even more casualties, with at least two hundred more ninja lost. In fact, nearly half of the ninja from the team you just met were saved by him."

"That's incredible," Sakura remarked, her eyes wide with awe. Mirai was just a child, barely eleven or twelve, and yet he had already achieved so much. When they were that age, they were still just academy students and hadn't even become Genin yet.

Minato stood up and smiled. "Alright, let's leave it at that for now. Stay close to me, and when I have the chance, I'll help you return to your original time."

The group began heading toward the Land of Rivers, where they would meet up with Sasaki and Mirai's team, who had just reunited with Orochimaru's forces.

Meanwhile, Mirai, instead of training privately as usual, approached Orochimaru directly. This surprised Orochimaru, who was accustomed to Mirai's more secretive nature. The boy had always preferred to practice without drawing attention, but today he had deliberately approached him in full view of others.

"Orochimaru-sama, there's something I'd like to discuss," Mirai said, his voice barely above a whisper, ensuring no one else could overhear.

"Well, well, it's rare for you to seek me out, Mirai-kun," Orochimaru chuckled, his voice raspy as usual. "If it's not urgent, let's talk back at the lab." 

(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).