What is the Future Like?

A moment later, Sarutobi Ryo arrived at the place where they would seal the Dragon Vein, with Kakashi at his side.

Namikaze Minato was already there, standing near the Dragon Vein's center, ready to perform the sealing jutsu.

The Dragon Vein was bubbling fiercely, its usual purple color now a furious scarlet red. The ground shook and trembled, showing that Mukade had disturbed the Dragon Vein, making it unstable. If they didn't stop it, it could explode, destroying everything around them.

"Minato, are you ready?" Sarutobi Ryo asked, his voice serious.

"Yeah."

Namikaze Minato's face looked troubled. He nodded, quickly hiding the strange look in his eyes. The memories he'd gotten from his future self had been a shock.

Mukade hadn't just traveled to the past on his own using the Dragon Vein. Instead, his future self had sent him back. Mukade was like a container, carrying memories from someone in the future. Or maybe, Namikaze Minato thought, my future self isn 't very good at sending memories through time, so the memories that came back are incomplete. It's also possible that the power of space-time jumbled up the memories.

But no matter what, his future self had given him useful things, including powerful S-Rank jutsu... even forbidden techniques!

Namikaze Minato didn't know what his future self had gone through to make him send Mukade to the past. Maybe Mukade is just an experiment of his future self, he mused.

However, Namikaze Minato realized his future self had been careful about what information he sent. He hadn't sent back all his memories.

Unlike the "original future" that the Great Toad Sage had seen, his future self came from a "changed future," a path that his own world had moved away from.

Many thoughts filled his mind.

But still, Namikaze Minato thought, with the training memories and techniques my future self gave me... I can become stronger than any version of myself in any time or place...

Namikaze Minato calmed himself and began to seal the Dragon Vein.

"Young Master Ryo, sealing the Dragon Vein's power could cause unexpected changes. It might mess with our memories, so be ready for that..." Namikaze Minato warned.

It wasn't the sealing that caused memory loss, but the fact that Mukade had already twisted space-time. This would take away memories that shouldn't exist.

"Yeah, no problem." Sarutobi Ryo knew a little about space-time ninjutsu. He knew that Namikaze Minato's sealing would only fix part of the problem, so he let him do it.

"Seal!"

Namikaze Minato pushed the Flying Thunder God Kunai into the center point. A flash of white light burst out, and everything... was set right...

----

It was almost dawn.

Queen Sara was getting ready to lead her people, helping them find a way to survive in a tough world. The Dragon Vein incident would force them to leave their home and search for a new place to live. The Dragon Vein's power was too unpredictable. It was a natural disaster, and they couldn't fight it.

The Konoha ninja had helped the people of Roran seal the Dragon Vein, stopping the power from going out of control.

...This was the memory that everyone had after things were fixed.

Namikaze Minato stood with his team, watching Sara wave goodbye to them and the people of Roran. A strange look crossed his face.

The battle's cause was blamed on Roran's power going out of control.

By using the sealing jutsu, the power of time had corrected this space-time.

Mukade's words still echoed in his head.

Namikaze Minato thought about everything as he started the journey home.

Just as Sarutobi Ryo turned to leave, he suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong? Young Master Ryo?" Kakashi asked, noticing his hesitation.

In his memory, during this mission, Young Master Ryo had been very skilled at stopping the wild puppets. There was no Mukade, no person from the future, and no plot to hurt the country.

"It's nothing, I just forgot something..." Sarutobi Ryo said, shaking his head.

Then, new words appeared on his vision:

[Will of Fire System!]

[Memory Module Activated!]

[Play Deleted Memories?]

"Yes."

Sarutobi Ryo confirmed. Soon, scenes flashed before his eyes, like a replay in his mind.

After watching the scenes the system had recorded, Sarutobi Ryo suddenly understood.

"I see..."

The conversation and fight with Mukade... he remembered everything he had experienced.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Sarutobi Ryo made the hand signs and created shadow clones.

A dozen shadow clones quickly disappeared, heading back to Roran.

Then, Sarutobi Ryo and Namikaze Minato began their trip home.

A few days later, the team returned to Konoha.

Sarutobi Ryo had also gotten some useful things from Roran...

----

Hokage Building.

The team reported on their mission. Because of the sealing jutsu, what had been an S-Rank mission was now A-Rank, giving Kakashi another A-Rank mission on his record.

Before everyone left, Sarutobi Hiruzen stopped Sarutobi Ryo and Namikaze Minato separately.

"Aburame Shiku was sent to Kirigakure gather information some time ago, but he hasn't sent back any news in a while..." Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly brought up Kirigakure.

Kirigakure was the shinobi village that had been quietest during the Third Shinobi World War. The Konoha leaders knew that something was brewing. Kirigakure must be planning something, so they had sent Aburame Shiku to investigate.

"Understood." Sarutobi Ryo and Namikaze Minato nodded and left the Hokage's office.

They walked out of the building in different directions, as if parting ways.

Namikaze Minato thought about the memories, knowledge, and information his future self had given him. These valuable experiences would help him become even stronger. Namikaze Minato was even thinking about starting to practice the S-Rank jutsu and forbidden techniques after he got back.

Sarutobi Ryo planned to go back and study Mukade's secrets.

The two of them, having gained something from the mission, had made the same choice without saying it...

To improve their strength, become stronger, and then compete for Hokage.

However, in the end, a question popped into both of their minds at the same time.

What is the Future really like?

*

**

***

[T/N:

Final Total Power Stone Collection : 128 PS

Goal : Reach +50 Total PS = +2 Bonus Chapters next day! 🚀

Want to support my work and get early access to chapters? Check out my Patreon! 👇

➡️ patreon.com/Boundless_Beacon

]