Chapter 13: Namikaze Minato

At this moment, Danzo's real body was concealed atop a towering tree, watching an unfolding scene of heroism.

This was the very moment from the original story—when Uzumaki Kushina was abducted.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

(T/N: Oriole is a small icterid blackbird)

Just as they were about to leave Konoha's territory, the three Kumogakure shinobi relaxed their vigilance. That was the moment Namikaze Minato, who had been silently tailing them, decisively made his move.

Watching the swift and clean assassination below, Danzo, hidden in the shadows, couldn't help but praise him internally.

Not bad… The future Yellow Flash indeed.

Two of the Kumogakure shinobi collapsed instantly, their necks pierced. Minato, having achieved his objective, immediately vanished into the darkness once more.

'This guy really does have a talent for assassination. Even though he's only a Chunin, his timing is impeccable... But this scene could use another protagonist.'

The quiet forest was filled only with the sound of movement among the trees—an unseen enemy is always the most terrifying.

The remaining Kumogakure shinobi was visibly tense, his face filled with anxiety and a hint of fear. Holding a kunai, he warily scanned the dark forest while inching toward the unconscious Kushina.

From Danzo's perspective, the shinobi had already lost his composure—fatal for a ninja.

And sure enough, the moment he hurried to seize Kushina, he completely dropped his guard. Minato wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by.

"Whoosh!"

Under the moonlight, Minato's figure flickered—he was ready to deliver the final blow.

"..."

But someone was faster than him.

A streak of blue light flashed in the darkness.

The Kumogakure shinobi froze in place, eyes dulling before he collapsed lifelessly.

The sudden turn of events forced Minato to retreat swiftly, adjusting his stance.

Ensuring the area was secure, he warily turned toward the new arrival—Danzo—standing beside the fallen enemy.

His mind was filled with shock.

Too fast… That Body Flicker Technique… And what was that blue sphere?

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the corpse. Replaying the scene in his head—

The attacker had appeared behind the target in an instant. The blue sphere struck his back, causing his chest to burst open.

The internal organs had been obliterated in a single strike.

'Damn it… There was another shinobi lurking in the shadows? If that attack had been aimed at me… I might not have been able to dodge.'

Aside from vigilance and shock, Minato felt something else—

An overwhelming sense of powerlessness.

The only other person who had ever made him feel this way was his teacher, Jiraiya.

"Alright, kid… Put away your kunai." Danzo said casually.

Ignoring Minato's wary stance, he turned toward Kushina and untied the ropes and seals binding her.

"Mmm…"

Kushina slowly regained consciousness, her dazed eyes adjusting to the moonlit figure before her.

"Tch… You again, you shady old man…"

She recognized him. Back then, this old man had tried to take her away. Even Tsunade had warned her to stay far away from him.

Hearing her remark, Danzo couldn't help but sigh.

Saving the damsel in distress… Clearly, that's not my role in this story.

"Kid, take her with you and follow me back to Konoha."

Seeing the familiarity between them, Minato hesitated before lowering his kunai, though he remained on guard.

At that moment, Kushina finally noticed Minato.

"Ah… It's you! Why are you here? Are you with him?"

Danzo, feeling a headache coming on, ignored their exchange and started walking toward Konoha.

"I followed you… using this."

Minato raised a strand of vibrant red hair.

Bathed in the moonlight, his warm smile and the fluttering strand of crimson made Kushina's face flush.

"This place isn't safe. Let's head back to Konoha first."

Seeing Kushina's weak but shy expression, Minato didn't hesitate—he scooped her up and followed behind Danzo.

Taking advantage of the moment, he subtly probed Kushina about Danzo's identity.

Learning that Danzo had always been close to the Hokage, Minato quickly pieced things together.

As he carried Kushina, he unconsciously closed the distance between himself and Danzo.

Listening to the hushed conversation behind him, Danzo couldn't help but smirk.

These two… Their bond is forming at an alarming rate.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Shadows flickered ahead—

"Danzo-sama!"

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio appeared in front of him.

"You're just in time… I have other matters to attend to. Take these two brats back to Konoha."

With that, Danzo disappeared into the night using the Body Flicker Technique.

I'm done here. I refuse to be force-fed any more of this romance.

As he swiftly moved through the forest, Danzo recalled the system's notification from earlier.

Namikaze Minato, at just fifteen, had already developed a mature mindset—recognized as a key figure by the system.

However, Kushina was not, which meant she wasn't classified as a significant plot character.

Danzo had a rough idea of how the system made these judgments now.

He had also discovered something interesting—

A subtle but distinct mental marker had been placed on Kushina, likely by a member of the Yamanaka Clan.

If she left Konoha's borders, it was likely the Third Hokage would be alerted even before Danzo himself.

That makes Minato's pursuit rather intriguing.

One was Jiraiya's student.

The other was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.

And unlike in the original timeline, where the Ino-Shika-Cho clan heads never personally intervened—this time, they had.

The only explanation?

The script had changed.

Because a new character—himself—had entered the scene.

Hiruzen… You truly are a skilled politician.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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