Chapter 7: The Future Fourth Hokage
The morning mist clung to the training grounds like a shroud, thick enough to taste the metallic tang of approaching rain. Rei wiped the sweat from his brow, his muscles screaming from another sleepless night of practice. The mission briefing lay crumpled in his pocket—another C-rank that could easily spiral into something deadlier. In this world, weakness was a luxury he couldn't afford.
His teammates had caught his desperate intensity like a fever. For three days straight, they'd pushed themselves beyond exhaustion, each knowing without speaking that the next mission might be their last.
"Water Release: Water Turbulence!"
Hanazuki's voice cut through the humid air as a column of water, thick as a man's torso, erupted from her position thirty meters away. The technique was sloppy—her chakra control still rough around the edges—but deadly enough to crush bone if it connected.
Rei threw himself sideways, feeling the displaced air whistle past his ear. His landing was graceless, a stumbling roll that left dirt grinding between his teeth. Before he could steady himself, the earth beneath his feet began to shift.
"Earth Release: Decapitation Technique!"
The ground swallowed him whole, leaving only his head exposed like some grotesque decoration. Wada Yu emerged from the soil, dirt cascading from his shoulders, wearing a grin that didn't quite hide the exhaustion in his eyes.
"Finally got you, bastard," Wada Yu panted, but his victory was short-lived.
The Rei trapped in the earth smiled—a cold, knowing expression that made Wada Yu's stomach drop. Smoke billowed, and the clone dissolved into nothing.
"Damn it," Wada Yu spat, his earlier confidence crumbling. "When did you—"
"While you were still forming hand seals," the real Rei said, stepping out from behind a training post. His voice carried a weight that seemed too heavy for someone so young. "You telegraph every move. In a real fight, you'd already be dead."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence. None of them were ready—not really. The village's appetite for fresh meat in hell seemed endless, and they were just the latest offerings.
Hanazuki's cursing filled the silence as she slumped against a tree, her chakra reserves completely depleted. They'd been at this for over an hour, and the gap between Rei and his teammates had only grown wider. His hands moved through seals with startling accuracy, muscle memory carved through countless repetitions until his fingers bled.
The soul that had somehow found its way into this body brought advantages the others couldn't match—chakra that burned brighter, a mind that understood the value of proper nutrition when survival rations were all most shinobi knew. While others slept, he studied. While others celebrated small victories, he prepared for larger defeats.
Wada Yu pulled himself from the earth, dirt still clinging to his uniform. "What's your dream, anyway?" The question came out rougher than intended. "I want to be Hokage. Hanazuki wants to be the first female Hokage. But you... you never talk about the future."
Rei's laugh was bitter. "Dream?" The word tasted like ash. "Right now? I dream of being strong enough that no one can decide whether I live or die."
"And later?"
The boy's expression grew distant, almost predatory. "Later, I'll stand so high that everyone else looks like ants. The moon itself won't be beyond my reach."
The grandiose statement would have sounded like childish boasting from anyone else. From Rei, it carried the weight of prophecy.
"That's... ambitious," came a voice from behind them.
Rei's blood turned to ice. He knew that voice before he turned, knew the golden hair and blue eyes that belonged to someone who should have been nothing more than legend. Namikaze Minato stood at the edge of the training ground, a bag clutched in one hand, wearing a smile that seemed genuine despite the calculating look in his eyes.
The future Fourth Hokage. The man who would die protecting a village that had never truly accepted him.
"Have we met?" Minato asked, noting Rei's obvious recognition.
Rei forced his expression into something resembling composure. "I thought I was the most impressive person my age," he said carefully. "Clearly, I was wrong. I'm Uchiha Rei."
"Namikaze Minato." The introduction came with that same disarming smile. "Sorry for eavesdropping. I used to train here, didn't realize it was occupied."
The apology was unnecessary—they all knew spying on other shinobi was grounds for suspicion at best, violence at worst. But something in Minato's manner suggested genuine regret rather than calculated manipulation.
"Our fault for taking over your spot," Rei replied, recognizing opportunity when it presented itself. In a world where strength determined survival, allies like this were worth more than all the jutsu scrolls in Konoha.
Minato seemed surprised by the courtesy. Most Uchiha he'd encountered wore their pride like armor, looking down on anyone without their bloodline. This one was different—willing to train with clearly weaker teammates, polite to strangers. Either he was remarkably mature for his age, or remarkably good at hiding his true nature.
"You're a jonin," Rei observed. It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
Wada Yu's eyes widened. "So young! Are you stronger than Inoichi-sensei?"
"We're classmates, actually," Minato said with a laugh. "Where has he been, anyway? Haven't seen him around."
"Missing for days," Rei said, not bothering to hide his frustration. "I wanted to ask him about chakra nature transformation."
Something flickered across Minato's expression—surprise, perhaps calculation. "I have time today, if you want to discuss it."
The offer was almost too generous. Rei found himself wondering what the future Hokage might want in return, but pushed the paranoid thought aside. Not everyone in this world operated purely on self-interest. Some people, impossibly, were actually decent.
"You'd do that?"
"Of course. What specifically did you want to know?"
What followed was a conversation that stretched for hours, covering everything from basic chakra theory to advanced combat applications. Rei found himself genuinely impressed by Minato's knowledge and teaching ability, while the older shinobi seemed equally intrigued by Rei's unconventional approach to jutsu development.
Their teammates eventually gave up trying to follow the technical discussion, returning to their own training while the two continued their exchange. When the conversation inevitably turned to the state of the ninja world, the mood darkened considerably.
"War's coming," Rei said quietly. It wasn't a question.
Minato's smile finally faded completely. "You can see it too."
"Anyone with eyes can see it. The only question is when, and how many of us will survive it."
The casual acceptance of mass death from someone so young made Minato's chest tighten. This was what their world did to children—turned them into soldiers before they'd even learned to be human.
"Well," Minato said, standing to leave. "It was good talking with you, Rei."
"Come by for dinner sometime," Rei offered, meaning it. "I'd like to continue this conversation."
"I might take you up on that." Minato's smile returned, though it seemed more fragile now. "See you around."
He vanished in a flicker of movement that was almost too fast to follow.
Rei remained where he was, staring at the spot where the future Fourth Hokage had disappeared. In a world where power was everything and loyalty could be bought with blood, he'd just made contact with someone who might actually be worth trusting.
The smile that spread across his face was sharp enough to cut glass. Let the war come. He'd be ready.
And if his new connection proved as valuable as he hoped, he might just survive long enough to see his impossible dreams become reality.
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