Minato was now fifteen. Eleven years had passed since he first awoke in this world, since the clash between All Might and All For One. In that time, his life had taken on a dual existence. By day, he was Minato Namikaze, whose inspirational music continued to top charts and spread hope. By night, under various guises, he was a silent guardian, a vigilante patrolling the shadows.
He'd learned from his previous intervention. The blow he landed on All For One had been effective only because of the element of surprise. In a direct, one-on-one confrontation against a villain of that caliber, he knew he'd still struggle. His reliance on surprise attacks during his vigilante work was a testament to that understanding.
He glanced at the transparent blue screen hovering before him:
Namikaze Minato - 80%.
The progress was staggering. He was now operating at a level akin to a Kage from his previous life. This 80% sync rate brought with it immense power: he could now seamlessly enter Sage Mode, his mastery of nature chakra almost complete, and the devastating Rasenshuriken was at his command. Crucially, he possessed all of Minato Namikaze's Fuinjutsu knowledge, a power that he was only beginning to fully explore. The gravity seals he'd designed years ago had been instrumental in his rapid physical development, allowing him to train far beyond normal human limits without drawing suspicion.
Tonight, he was patrolling in his Madara Uchiha Transformation, the imposing silhouette of the legendary shinobi blending perfectly with the night sky from his vantage point atop a distant building. His eyes now scanned the urban landscape.
Suddenly, a distant explosion ripped through the quiet night. Minato's senses, amplified by his training, instantly pinpointed the location. He moved, a blur of motion, leaping across rooftops, driven by the urgency in the blast.
When he arrived, what he saw made his blood run cold. It was the hero couple, Water Hose, engaged in a brutal struggle. And their opponent was none other than Muscular, the terrifying villain with monstrous Quirk-amplifying muscle fibers. The fight had clearly just begun, and Muscular was, as expected, toying with them, enjoying their struggle. The sheer brutality of the villain, coupled with the vulnerable position of the heroes, sent a jolt of determination through Minato.
He couldn't use his more flamboyant jutsu. As a hero in the future, if he revealed powers like the Flying Thunder God or Rasengan, it would be impossible to explain without revealing his identity as a vigilante. He had to be strategic. He needed to defeat Muscular using pure strength, augmented by a technique that could be concealed or attributed to a powerful, singular Quirk.
He took a deep breath, focusing his mind. Yellow markings began to appear around his eyes, his skin tone shifting subtly as he channeled nature chakra. He was entering Sage Mode. The surge of power was immense, yet controlled, contained within his transformed body.
The fight below raged on for another fifteen minutes, a brutal display of Muscular's overwhelming might against Water Hose's desperate resilience. Minato watched, patiently gathering more nature chakra, assessing the villain's movements, waiting for the perfect window. Muscular, finished with his sadistic fun, finally wound up for the kill, his monstrous fist aimed squarely at the female hero, Mandalay.
Just as the villain was about to land the fatal blow, Minato moved. Using Body Flicker Jutsu, a technique so fast it appeared as a blur, he bypassed Muscular's vision and appeared directly behind him. Without a moment's hesitation, Minato delivered a devastating kick to Muscular's head, channeling the immense power of his Sage Mode into the strike. The force was incredible. Muscular, caught completely off guard, roared in shock and pain as his massive form was lifted off the ground and sent hurtling backward, crashing through several trees in the nearby park with a thunderous impact.
Minato landed silently, his Sage Mode aura faintly visible, his eyes fixed on the devastation. He had dealt with Muscular. Now, he needed to make sure he stayed down.
Muscular roared, not just in pain, but in furious disbelief. He hauled his massive body out of the shattered trees, his Quirk flaring, adding layers of muscle over his already formidable frame. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" he bellowed, his eyes wide with unhinged rage. "You ruined my fun, you bastard!"
Minato, still in his imposing Madara Uchiha form, stood silently. His Sage Mode aura hummed, the Yellow markings around his eyes glowing faintly. He didn't dignify the villain with a verbal response, preferring to let his actions speak. Water Hose, battered and bruised, could only stare in shock from their crumpled positions, utterly bewildered by the sudden appearance of this powerful, mysterious figure.
Muscular lunged, a blur of raw, unbridled power. His fist, encased in layers of super-dense muscle fibers, was a wrecking ball aimed straight at Minato's head. It was a simple, brutal attack, designed to obliterate.
But Minato was faster.
He didn't dodge conventionally. Instead, with a barely perceptible flicker, he slipped past Muscular's fist, his body appearing to melt around the edges of the blow. The sheer force of Muscular's missed punch created a wind vacuum that ruffled Minato's cloak, but the hit landed on empty air.
Before Muscular could even register the miss, Minato's Sage Mode-enhanced fist, imbued with immense strength, connected with a sharp, precise uppercut to Muscular's jaw. The villain's head snapped back, a guttural grunt escaping him, though his enhanced body absorbed most of the impact.
"You're fast, I'll give you that!" Muscular growled, shaking his head. "But speed ain't gonna save you from this!" He unleashed a flurry of punches, a terrifying barrage of powerful swings.
Minato flowed like water, each punch a narrowly missed catastrophe. He wasn't just dodging; he was slipping through the gaps, moving within Muscular's attack radius, constantly staying within striking distance. A right hook aimed at his torso barely grazed his side as Minato rotated, then a left uppercut sailed harmlessly over his shoulder as he leaned back.
As Muscular overextended on a wild swing, Minato seized the opening. He ducked under the arm, then drove a powerful knee into Muscular's abdomen, forcing a grunt of pain from the villain. Immediately following, Minato's hand blurred, striking Muscular's neck with a precise chop to the carotid artery, aiming for a momentary stun.
Muscular staggered, disoriented for a fraction of a second. "What... what was that?!" he snarled, rubbing his neck. "You're not using some weak-ass Quirk, are you?! Is this just... strength?!"
"Strength that will put you down," Minato's voice, still deep and resonant from the transformation, finally broke his silence. His tone was cold, unwavering.
Enraged, Muscular roared, veins bulging. "YOU THINK SO, HUH?! I'M GOING TO CRUSH YOU! CRUSH YOU INTO PIECES!" He charged again, a monstrous, muscle-bound freight train.
This time, Minato met the charge head-on, but not with a direct block. As Muscular closed the distance, Minato blurred. He appeared momentarily behind Muscular's charging form, planting his foot firmly on the villain's lower back. With a surge of Sage Mode power, he shoved Muscular forward with immense force, causing the villain to trip over his own momentum and stumble violently.
Before Muscular could regain his balance, Minato was already in front of him, having used the momentum of his push to slingshot around. As Muscular fell, Minato delivered a devastating axe kick directly to the back of the villain's neck. The crack echoed through the night. Muscular hit the ground with a sickening thud, a tremor running through the park.
He lay there, twitching, his muscle fibers slowly receding. Minato didn't wait. He moved to Muscular's side, placing a hand on his chest. A faint seal began to glow under his palm, subtly disrupting Muscular's Quirk factors and ensuring he remained incapacitated for some time.
Water Hose, slowly picking themselves up, watched in stunned silence. The fight had been brutal, but incredibly one-sided, executed with a precision and power they couldn't comprehend.
Minato stood, gazing down at the defeated villain. He had proven his point. Pure, enhanced strength, combined with swift, unpredictable movements, could be just as effective as any flashy Quirk. And it kept his true abilities a secret.
Muscular lay unconscious, the faint glow of Minato's sealing jutsu fading on his chest, ensuring he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Minato turned, his transformed Madara form still imposing, and faced the Water Hose heroes. Who are bruised and battered but alive, slowly pushed themselves up from the ground, their eyes wide with a mixture of shock, awe, and confusion.
Minato's voice, deep and resonant, cut through the stunned silence. "Are you alright?"
Water House couple managed to nod, their movements were stiff. "Yes... yes, we're okay. Thanks to you."
As they both took a step forward, their faces contorting with a myriad of unspoken questions – Who are you? What is your Quirk? How did you do that? – Minato knew his time was up. He couldn't risk revealing anything more.
With a final, almost imperceptible nod, and then with a body flicker jutsu Minato vanished. He was gone before they could utter another word, leaving the hero couple alone with the unconscious Muscular and the lingering mystery of their powerful, silent savior.
Water Hose heroes stood in the shattered park, the lingering scent of smoke and freshly broken wood filling the air. Muscular, still, and unconscious, it was a stark testament to the impossible power they had just witnessed. They stared at the empty space where their mysterious rescuer had been, a profound silence hanging between them.
"He... he just disappeared," Female Water Hose finally whispered, her voice laced with disbelief. Her usual bubbly demeanor was replaced by wide-eyed astonishment.
Male Water hose, though equally stunned, quickly regained his composure. His hero instincts kicked in. "We need to secure Muscular. And then, we report this."
With the arrival of official police and paramedics, the scene became a hive of activity. Muscular was quickly contained, his massive body requiring specialized restraints. Mandalay and Pixie-Bob, after receiving initial medical attention, were taken to the police station for their official statements.
The debriefing was long and complicated. The police, and later the Hero Public Safety Commission, were baffled.
"So, you're saying a new individual, with no known Quirk registry, just appeared, took down Muscular in a few seconds, and then vanished?" Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, known for his "Lie Detector" Quirk, asked, his expression unreadable as he reviewed Water Hose statement.
They recounted the events meticulously. "Yes. He was... incredibly fast. Strong. He used a powerful kick, then some kind of rapid, precise movements. And then he appeared behind Muscular and delivered a powerful punch. And then, he just... disappeared. Vanished unlike anything we've ever seen."
Pixie-Bob, still shaken, chimed in. "He didn't speak much. Just asked if we were okay, then poof! Gone!"
Tsukauchi rubbed his chin. "And how would you describe his features?"
The couple described the imposing figure – the spiky, dark hair, the distinctive armor, the red eyes that seemed to glow. "He was average height, athletic body, even before using any power."
"And the kick to Muscular's head... You said it sent him flying through multiple trees?" a HPSC agent inquired, reviewing photos of the damage.
"Yes. It was raw power. And the way he slipped past Muscular's attacks... it wasn't just dodging, it was like he wasn't even there until he chose to be," they explained.
Tsukauchi activated his Quirk. "Did he do anything else? Any visible Quirks?"
"Not that I could see," couple confirmed. "It was just... immense speed and strength. And the way he disappeared and reappeared. There was no visible Quirk factor flaring, no obvious emissions."
Tsukauchi's Quirk indicated her statements were true. This was perplexing. A new player on the field, incredibly powerful, seemingly with no known Quirk type, and a flair for the dramatic exit.
The report concluded with a new entry in the Hero Public Safety Commission's confidential files: "Unidentified Vigilante - Codename: 'Red Warrior' - Potential Quirk: High-Speed and Enhanced Strength - Threat Level: High."
The incident was downplayed to the public, simply stating that Muscular was apprehended by the swift intervention of heroes. The official report wouldn't mention the "Red Warrior," adding another layer to the growing enigma Minato was becoming in the shadows of hero society.