Chapter 382: Something Bad About the Future
"Naruto, what happened?" Yamato asked as he watched Naruto walk over after the flames were put out.
He was just as confused as anyone. One moment he had been fighting an enemy in the ruins, and the next, he was standing in a lively town.
Naruto grinned, then pointed at Kakashi. "Captain Yamato, look who I ran into. Kakashi sensei actually has a kid, and he's almost as old as Konohamaru."
"How is that possible? Kakashi senpai, how could…" Yamato instinctively tried to deny it.
He had known Kakashi for years. Kakashi had always been single. There was no way.
But when Yamato finally got a clear look at the boy Naruto was pointing at, he froze.
There were too many shadow clones around, plus the flames and the sudden water wave earlier had ruined his view. Only now did Yamato realize the truth of what he was seeing.
Silver hair.
A black mask covering half his face.
The overall build and posture.
If not for the lack of the scar over the eye, and if not for the eyes themselves being far too lively instead of that signature dead fish look, this kid was basically a younger Kakashi.
"And his last name is Hatake too," Naruto added, sounding pleased with himself.
To Naruto, there was nothing to debate. Same face, same surname. If he was not Kakashi's son, then what was he supposed to be, Kakashi's mirror reflection?
Yamato went silent for a full beat.
Hatake was not some common surname like Watanabe or Tanaka. If the kid's surname was Hatake, then the conclusion felt unavoidable.
Kakashi's fist clenched.
No, not clenched.
It hardened.
Kakashi glared at Naruto and Yamato. For the first time in his life, the urge to punch someone was so strong it made his knuckles itch. If he did not believe he would lose, he would have already charged in and thrown hands.
Naruto's strength was beyond question. Kakashi had already experienced it.
Bottomless chakra.
A tough body.
And a powerful technique that needed no hand seals.
As for Yamato, he had just used a wave like Water Release with no hand seals at all. That was not the kind of shinobi you casually bullied.
While Kakashi was boiling, Obito was doing the exact opposite.
He wanted to laugh so badly his ribs hurt.
First Kakashi's so called disciple showed up, and now Kakashi's junior too. The world had turned into a joke shop that only sold Kakashi themed products.
Still, because they were technically in combat, Obito fought with every ounce of willpower to keep it in. He only let out a small chuckle when it slipped.
"Since he's Kakashi senpai's son, why were you fighting?" Yamato asked Naruto, genuinely puzzled.
"It's not like I wanted to bully him," Naruto protested. "He was the one who wanted to fight."
"I even gave him my ninja registration, but he kept saying I wasn't from Konoha. Then we started throwing hands."
Even if Kakashi found out later, Naruto felt he was completely justified.
Yamato's expression twisted into deeper confusion.
He was certain Naruto had skipped something important. How could a fight start over that, unless Naruto's definition of normal conversation was unusual.
As for Kakashi not recognizing Naruto, Yamato did not think that was strange. Naruto had a decent reputation, sure, but not everyone knew everyone.
After all, Yamato had known Kakashi for over a decade and did not know Kakashi had a kid.
"Naruto might not be great at explaining things," Yamato said, turning to Kakashi with a calm tone. "So let me introduce myself properly. I'm Yamato, a jonin of Konoha. Here is my ninja registration."
He pulled an ID from his pouch and held it out.
"What do you mean I'm not great at explaining things?" Naruto complained immediately.
Yamato ignored him for the moment. He kept his eyes on Obito and Rin, watching their reactions closely.
Kakashi's gaze sharpened as he took in the ID.
The first thing he checked was the registration number.
As he expected, it was still absurd.
10992.
If that number belonged to a Konoha jonin, then that meant Yamato would have graduated in the same era as Obito.
Graduating less than a year ago and jumping straight from genin to jonin?
Even brainless ninja novels would hesitate before writing that kind of nonsense.
If Kakashi were not stalling for time because he could not win and needed Mugetsu to arrive, he would already be mocking them out loud.
Obito stepped closer and lowered his voice. "What do we do now?"
He was not completely stupid. If the other side still had not attacked, it was because they were choosing not to, not because they could not.
Rin also moved in, looking to Kakashi.
There was no official captain among the three, but in situations like this, Kakashi's judgment usually decided everything.
"Say as little as possible," Kakashi said quietly. "Follow my lead."
Fighting was no longer an option. What Kakashi needed now was time.
He took a breath, then relaxed his posture slightly and tossed Naruto's ninja registration back to him.
"Hello, Jonin Yamato," Kakashi said, voice even. "What happened earlier was a misunderstanding."
If these two wanted to pretend to be Konoha ninja, Kakashi would pretend with them. He would play along and guide them straight to Mugetsu.
Kakashi did not believe these two could be worse than Kumogakure's A and B combination.
"What the heck? Captain Yamato's looks fine," Naruto muttered, comparing the two cards. "I don't see what's different."
Yamato smiled and put his ID away.
"You said you're chasing a ninja called Mukade, right?" Kakashi continued with a sincere expression, then pulled his own Konoha headband back out and put it on. "Coincidentally, I heard our captain mention that name before. How about I take you to meet him? Consider it compensation for the misunderstanding."
"Mugetsu sensei, when…" Obito began, then immediately shut his mouth when he caught Kakashi's gaze.
Obito had to admit it. Kakashi lied without blinking, and it sounded convincing enough to sell sand in a desert.
"That would be great," Yamato agreed, nodding with relief.
He had been considering checking Obito and Rin's IDs too, but the silver haired boy looked and dressed like Kakashi, even wearing a Konoha headband. Obito's Fire Release was also a famous Konoha technique.
Besides, it was not the Shinobi World War anymore. Villages did not send elaborate infiltrators for no reason.
"By the way," Yamato asked, unable to hold back his curiosity, "what's your name?"
If it did not feel rude, he would have asked who Kakashi's partner was. His mind was practically screaming questions.
"Obito Hatake," Kakashi replied without changing expression.
If they wanted to tease him with his own name, fine. He would lean into it.
Obito's face went blank.
He stared at Kakashi as if Kakashi had just confessed to being an alien.
If Kakashi was Obito, then what was Obito supposed to be, Uchiha Kakashi?
It was so outrageous it almost worked.
"So your name is Obito…" Yamato murmured, eyes shining with strange admiration. "Kakashi senpai really kept it hidden."
Kakashi's mouth twitched. His fist clenched again.
Obito was no less unhappy.
This made it sound like Obito was Kakashi's son, which was an insult to the proud Uchiha bloodline, even if he could not deny the comedy value.
"Damn you, Kakashi," Obito cursed silently. "Was this also part of your plan?"
Yamato's gaze toward Kakashi grew even friendlier.
"And who is your captain?" Yamato asked casually.
"Hayate Mugetsu," Kakashi answered smoothly. "But unlike Jonin Yamato, Captain Mugetsu is only a special jonin."
Mugetsu was not like Minato. If it had been Minato, Kakashi would have used a fake name, because Minato had earned real fame during the war.
But Mugetsu was not widely known. Still, to reduce the chance of alerting them, Kakashi intentionally lowered Mugetsu's rank and also avoided calling Mugetsu their sensei. He only called him their captain.
Yamato smiled politely, but there was a clear hint of unfamiliarity.
He did not recognize the name.
Because of his time in Root and later ANBU, Yamato's social circle was small. There were plenty of shinobi he did not know.
At that moment, the shadow clone watching from the sidelines sent a message to the main body.
If Mugetsu did not arrive now, it would be too late.
Whoosh.
The instant the message reached him, Mugetsu used Flying Thunder God and appeared beside Kakashi and the others.
A man suddenly popping into existence made Yamato instinctively step back twice. He only stopped when he noticed the Konoha uniform and the calm posture.
"Mugetsu sensei, these two are unknown individuals disguised as Konoha ninja," Kakashi reported immediately, moving the situation straight to the point.
"Our ID anti counterfeiting might have been leaked. Their IDs have obvious errors in the information, but everything else matches our real identification."
Obito and Rin moved to stand near Mugetsu, wary now that things were finally turning serious.
"What is this?" Naruto scratched his head, completely lost.
"Obito, what is this about?" Yamato asked, confusion returning as he looked at Kakashi.
His own ninja registration was not fake. So how had he become some unknown infiltrator?
Yamato felt like this kid who looked like Kakashi was just as unpredictable as Kakashi himself.
"I understand," Mugetsu said with a calm nod. "Step back. I'll handle them."
Even though Mugetsu already understood what was happening, from his disciples' perspective, he had just arrived. He had to act as if he was taking control.
"Are you still going to pretend now?" Kakashi said coldly, anger finally leaking through. "I am Kakashi Hatake."
The teasing along the way had filled him with fire. He was truly furious now.
But Kakashi's calm declaration hit Yamato and Naruto like a shockwave.
It felt like a friend's kid solemnly claiming to be that friend, and it was so bizarre it wrapped back around into a strange sense of familiarity.
"If you're Kakashi sensei," Naruto shot back, "then I'm the Sixth Hokage."
No matter how blurry his eyesight got, he was not going to confuse a white haired kid with his thirty year old teacher.
Naruto's eyes flicked toward Mugetsu and suddenly narrowed.
Mugetsu looked familiar too.
"The goofy guy in the orange outfit has a ridiculous amount of chakra and can make hundreds of shadow clones," Kakashi said quickly, shifting into battle briefing mode. "The other one specializes in Water Release and his strength is far above an average jonin."
He trusted Mugetsu, but information was information.
Helping Mugetsu win faster was still doing his part.
"Goofy?" Naruto's face twisted in outrage. "You bastard. Even if you're Kakashi sensei's son, I'll make you cry!"
"And I look dull?" Yamato felt a quiet wound open in his soul.
Kakashi remained expressionless.
He was definitely not taking revenge for earlier. He was simply stating facts.
"Is there a misunderstanding?" Yamato asked, grabbing Naruto's arm to stop him.
He was not afraid of fighting. He just did not want to fight fellow Konoha ninja over something this stupid. Whoever got hurt, Konoha lost.
"If you don't believe us," Yamato added, voice steady, "we can contact Lady Fifth Hokage. This mission came directly from Lady Fifth Hokage."
Rin's expression cracked.
Fifth Hokage?
Konoha's Hokage succession was still at the Third.
Kakashi, however, did not laugh. His eyes turned sharp and thoughtful.
If the earlier words were teasing, then what was this?
A curse that Konoha's Hokage would keep dying young?
Mugetsu spoke tactfully, keeping his tone polite while still dismissing the claim. "Sorry, but Konoha's Hokage succession has only reached the Third."
Both Naruto and Yamato froze as if someone had used a paralysis jutsu.
"The old man Hokage wasn't at the Chunin Exams…" Naruto muttered, staring at Mugetsu in disbelief.
Yamato's mind snapped a line together.
Kakashi's words.
Mugetsu's words.
The sudden change from ruins to a bustling town.
An idea rose, cold and terrifying.
Time travel.
The reason the white haired boy looked like Kakashi was not because he was Kakashi's son.
It was because he was Kakashi.
A younger Kakashi.
And the reason Kakashi thought their IDs were fake was because of the registration numbers. Fifteen years ago, the village likely had not reached those numbers yet.
Yamato finally understood why Kakashi had been furious earlier.
If someone told him he was his own son, Yamato would be unhappy too.
Yamato's eyes flicked to Mugetsu.
For a split second, he nearly mistook Mugetsu for the Fourth Hokage carved into the monument.
But then he remembered the Fourth's name was Minato Namikaze, and the monument figure did not wear glasses.
Maybe it was just resemblance.
Yamato wanted to explain, but Mugetsu moved toward him, forcing Yamato to abandon words.
This was too unbelievable to fix with a sentence.
"Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!"
Chakra surged from Yamato's body, and thick wooden branches shot out from his arm like snapping whips, rushing straight for Mugetsu.
"Wood Release?" Kakashi's eyes widened.
There had not been a Wood Release ninja in Konoha since the First Hokage's death, but nobody in Konoha was ignorant of Wood Release.
The First Hokage might have died, but he lived in textbooks, in stories, in the mouths of the elders who still remembered.
In Konoha's heart, Wood Release was the strongest bloodline limit. Sharingan, Byakugan, Ice Release, Magnet Release, none of them compared.
Wood Release was invincible.
"Is that Wood Release?" Obito muttered, rubbing his chin. "It doesn't look that strong."
In Obito's imagination, Wood Release meant raising a forest with one jutsu.
He even thought it would be convenient if someone had it. They would not need to keep switching training grounds. They could just grow new trees when they broke the old ones.
Rin's gaze flickered with uncertainty. "Could they really be Konoha ninja?"
With Wood Release, fake certificates stopped being the main problem.
Mugetsu did not retreat.
He gathered strength into his right palm, chakra surging with it, and chopped forward.
Bang.
The four branches shattered at once and fell to the ground.
Yamato's eyes sharpened with surprise.
The wood produced by Wood Release was not ordinary. It was harder, and it carried the special trait of absorbing chakra.
Breaking it so casually meant Mugetsu's power was no joke.
"Captain Yamato, let me handle this," Naruto said, chakra flaring as his hands moved.
Bang, bang, bang.
Dozens more shadow clones appeared in an instant.
Before they could even swarm, Mugetsu stepped in and unleashed Leaf Dragon God.
He deliberately controlled its size to avoid drawing too much attention.
Even so, the impact was brutal.
Naruto's clones exploded into smoke all at once, and even Naruto's main body was blasted backward.
Mugetsu dispersed the technique immediately afterward.
Leaf Dragon God was perfect for clearing clutter, but if he used it at full power, the noise would be enormous.
Yamato rubbed his forehead, then his expression hardened.
He had held back earlier because he did not want to injure Mugetsu.
Given what he just saw, holding back was no longer an option.
"Wood Release: Thorn Kill Technique!"
Vines and thick wooden tendrils erupted from the ground, twisting up toward Mugetsu to bind him.
Mugetsu did not dodge.
Instead, he threw three Flying Thunder God kunai toward Yamato and Naruto.
There was no trick in the throw. No added jutsu. Just a normal toss.
Naruto and Yamato sidestepped easily.
At the same time, the wooden tendrils wrapped around Mugetsu's body, tightening.
"I won," Yamato thought, certain it was over.
Whoosh.
Mugetsu vanished.
Yamato's eyes widened.
A violent force struck from behind.
"Captain Yamato, behind you!" Naruto shouted.
Too late.
Bang.
Yamato's body met the ground.
For a brief moment, frustration filled his mind.
Had Kakashi tricked him again?
Was even the name Kakashi gave him fake?
Anyone who knew anything about the Fourth Hokage knew that the Fourth's signature was Flying Thunder God.
Mugetsu looked like the monument figure, and his Flying Thunder God was terrifying.
If he was not the Fourth, then who was he supposed to be?
That thought calmed Yamato instantly.
Losing to the future Hokage was nothing.
That was just history doing history things.
"Damn it!" Naruto spat dirt, eyes blazing.
His blood surged. His chakra erupted.
A Rasengan formed in his hand as he charged straight at Mugetsu.
Mugetsu's response was simple.
He pulled out a kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God seal.
The instant Naruto reached him, Mugetsu threw the kunai and teleported.
Whoosh.
Naruto saw a blur.
Then there was nothing in front of him.
His Rasengan slammed into empty air.
"How?" Naruto's eyes widened. "How is he that fast?"
It was not even a matter of tracking.
He simply did not see movement.
Bang.
A terrifying hit landed, and Naruto collapsed beside Yamato.
Kakashi stared at Mugetsu, shocked.
He was not shocked that Mugetsu could defeat them. That part was expected.
He was shocked by the Flying Thunder God itself.
Mugetsu had said he only learned it from Minato recently, but the way Mugetsu used it was not the way a beginner used it.
It felt almost on the same level as Minato.
Kakashi's understanding of Mugetsu's talent deepened again.
In Kakashi's heart, Mugetsu was already the most gifted shinobi he had ever seen, someone who could create terrifying secret techniques like the breathing methods and Armament Haki before the age of twenty.
And the breathing technique itself felt too complete to be a rushed invention.
Kakashi had good reason to believe Mugetsu developed it before he even turned sixteen.
If Mugetsu kept walking forward like this, Kakashi felt his ninjutsu achievements would one day surpass even the Second Hokage.
"As expected of Teacher Mugetsu," Obito said, eyes shining with excitement. "That Flying Thunder God is amazing!"
Obito was already imagining himself doing the same kind of terrifying, cool movements.
After all, Mugetsu had promised to teach him later.
"Ptooey, ptooey." Naruto spit out dirt again and immediately pushed himself up, stubborn as ever, ready to continue.
"Naruto, stop," Yamato said, sitting up quickly and grabbing Naruto's arm.
"We travelled through time to the past," Yamato whispered. "The other side is very likely the Fourth Hokage. There's no need to keep fighting over this misunderstanding."
Continuing the fight was pointless. If anyone got hurt, Konoha would be the one bleeding.
Naruto's eyes widened. "I knew he looked familiar. So he's the Fourth Hokage on the monument!"
Then Naruto completely forgot the tension.
"Big brother, can you take off your glasses?" he asked, far too casually for someone who had just been beaten into the dirt.
Mugetsu had not activated his Byakugan, so he granted the request. He removed his glasses and put them away.
Naruto's eyes lit up. He slapped his palm. "Now you look exactly the same. Big brother, you're the Fourth Hokage!"
Yamato covered his face.
He had whispered precisely to avoid spilling future information, and Naruto had shouted it loud enough for the desert to hear.
And saying something like that when the Hokage succession was still at the Third sounded like pure provocation.
"Are they… patients who escaped from a hospital?" Obito muttered.
Naruto's words were making Obito wonder if he was dealing with mental illness, not ninjutsu.
Obito had no doubt Mugetsu could become Hokage. Mugetsu was Mugetsu.
But there was no Fourth Hokage yet.
"Are you time travellers from the future?" Kakashi asked, connecting every strange detail at once.
He had thought they were teasing him at first.
But thinking back, Naruto and Yamato had never shown killing intent. Even during the fight, they held back, always looking reluctant, nothing like true enemies.
If they were from the future, then everything made sense.
The registration numbers.
The way they spoke.
The way they reacted to him.
The Fifth Hokage statement.
As bizarre as it was, there were only two options.
Either they were insane.
Or they truly came from the future.
Since Yamato could use Wood Release, Kakashi leaned toward the second option.
"As expected of Kakashi sensei," Yamato said, unable to hide his respect.
Even if Kakashi loved to tease people, Yamato had to admit Kakashi's instincts were sharp.
Kakashi's expression turned strange.
A shinobi in his twenties calling a child "sensei" felt ridiculous, like sarcasm given human form.
"Kakashi," Obito said cautiously, "you haven't gone crazy too, have you?"
Time travel was a common story plot, sure.
But reality was not supposed to work like that.
If time travel was real, the world would have collapsed into chaos long ago.
Kakashi ignored Obito and quickly explained his conclusion to Mugetsu.
Mugetsu listened, then smiled gently at Naruto and Yamato.
"Would you mind letting me see your IDs?"
Naruto and Yamato handed them over without hesitation.
Mugetsu checked them carefully.
"Indeed. No issues, except for the information inside," Mugetsu said with a nod.
"I used to be an ANBU captain," Yamato added. "If you're still not reassured, we can cross check Konoha's classified information."
Kakashi's brow rose slightly.
ANBU captain was a high position. Only three people outranked them in the chain of command: the commander, the deputy, and the Hokage.
Mugetsu did not refuse. He stepped aside with Yamato for a brief conversation, then returned and spoke clearly.
"They are Konoha ninja. But they are Konoha ninja from the future."
Then Mugetsu apologized for what happened earlier, his tone sincere.
"It's fine," Yamato said quickly. "From your perspective, we were suspicious."
Obito's eyes lit up like he had found treasure. He leaned toward Naruto with excitement.
"Naruto, have you ever heard of a powerful ninja named Obito?"
An ANBU captain had to call Kakashi "sensei." That meant Kakashi's future was terrifying.
So what about him? Was he not supposed to be famous too?
Naruto blinked, then scratched his head. "Obito? No. Doesn't ring a bell."
Obito froze.
"How could you not know me?" Obito demanded, panic rising. "Think harder. My full name is Uchiha Obito. I have the Sharingan. My Fire Release is strong. I might even learn Flying Thunder God!"
Naruto went quiet.
In Naruto's time, the Uchiha clan had been wiped out. Only Itachi and Sasuke remained.
Obito felt that silence and misunderstood it completely.
"Then what about Might Guy?" Obito asked quickly, refusing to accept defeat.
Naruto's face brightened. "Super bushy brows sensei. His taijutsu is amazing."
Obito's shoulders slumped. "That nickname fits Guy, but why don't you know me?"
Yamato glanced at Obito, hesitating.
He did not know whether he should say the truth, and whether saying it now would change something.
Kakashi, who had been watching, suddenly spoke.
"What about Rin?"
He had never wanted to ask about the future. In Kakashi's view, knowing the future robbed life of its weight.
But the way Yamato hesitated, and the way Naruto answered, pushed Kakashi toward a terrible guess.
Naruto shook his head. "No."
Kakashi's heart sank.
Naruto knew him and Guy, but not Obito and Rin.
Even if you assumed falling outs and distance, Obito and Rin were talented enough that they should have become notable jonin in the future.
If their names did not exist there, then there was only one answer left.
Kakashi did not dare finish that thought.
Rin forced a small smile. "Maybe I became a hospital doctor in the future. It's normal not to be famous."
But her smile was not as natural as it usually was.
She did not have Kakashi's mind, but she was not blind either. Naruto's answers carried too much meaning.
Obito still refused to stop.
"What about Asuma?" he asked, reaching for the next name, like he could outrun the feeling in his chest.
The moment Asuma's name left Obito's mouth, both Naruto and Yamato darkened.
For them, Asuma's funeral had not been long ago.
For Naruto, Asuma was the teacher who taught him Wind nature transformation.
For Yamato, Asuma was a senior he could drink with, someone he could talk to without a mask.
Seeing their expressions, even Obito finally realized something was deeply wrong.
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