Chapter 383: The True and False Fourth Hokage
After sensing something was wrong, Obito suddenly remembered what Naruto had blurted out earlier. Naruto had called Mugetsu the Fourth Hokage, and Yamato had said their mission came from the Fifth Hokage.
"So what happened to the Fourth Hokage in your time?" Obito asked Yamato and Naruto, clinging to a last sliver of hope.
Up until now, a new Hokage only seemed to appear after the previous one died. But that did not mean every Hokage wanted to cling to the seat until their final breath. It was just that accidents happened. The First Hokage died young. The Second Hokage died during a Cloud incident.
A successor appearing did not automatically mean the previous Hokage had fallen.
Obito desperately wanted to believe that maybe Mugetsu had simply stepped down and passed the position to a junior. Maybe that was why a Fifth Hokage existed so soon.
Kakashi looked at Obito. His mouth opened, then closed again.
How could he not have noticed the same detail? He had noticed. He just could not bring himself to ask it. The shock was too heavy, and the answer would only crush them further.
Kakashi truly wished this was a dream. A ridiculous nightmare that would vanish the moment he woke up.
How could Mugetsu, whose strength felt bottomless, die before him?
Mugetsu had mastered multiple breathing styles and chakra modes. He had Armament Haki that served as both blade and armor. He could use seven chakra natures with frightening control. He had even developed his own bloodline limit, Ice Release.
The advanced ninjutsu and taijutsu he carried were countless.
How could someone like that be killed?
And yet Kakashi knew the ugly truth.
As long as someone was human, they could die.
Even Senju Tobirama, a figure who shook the entire shinobi world and created countless forbidden techniques, still died in the end.
Naruto scratched his head and glanced at Yamato. Even he understood that talking about someone dying in the future, right in front of them, was not something you did casually.
Yamato's chest felt tight.
If he spoke, he might change history. That could lead to unknown consequences.
If his words saved the Fourth Hokage and made Konoha stronger, that would be good.
But what if his words twisted the timeline into something worse?
What if he returned to his own era and found Konoha already destroyed?
The thought alone was enough to make him feel sick.
But in a moment like this, silence was also an answer.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Obito asked again, fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned pale. His voice trembled. "Do Konoha ninja not know anything about the Hokage's affairs?"
A wave of dark emotion surged through him.
Without him realizing it, his Sharingan activated.
His eyes turned blood red. Two tomoe spun, sharpened, and quickly became three.
The three tomoe continued to rotate violently, as if something deeper was about to form, but right before they could merge, the pattern scattered weakly and fell back into a normal three tomoe state.
"Obito, don't ask anymore." Mugetsu stepped in and placed a hand on Obito's shoulder. His smile remained gentle as he shook his head.
"Shinobi from the future have their own burdens. Their future is theirs."
"Our future still has to be created by our own hands."
Based on Yamato and Naruto's behavior, and the fragments they had revealed, Mugetsu suspected they were not from his world's future at all.
They felt like they came from the original story world's future.
Mugetsu was no longer an unknown in Konoha. Even if he lost and died, even if his disciples died or fell into darkness, Yamato as someone from Root should have reacted to the name Hayate Mugetsu.
Hiruzen and Danzo had both acknowledged his training results in ANBU and Root. If the war had not caused a shortage of manpower, the second phase of training would have been planned long ago.
And with Mugetsu's current strength, his death would never be ordinary.
Give him three more years, and he might have the power to challenge a major village alone and walk away without injury.
Unless his opponent was an alive Uchiha Madara at his absolute peak with the Rinnegan, Mugetsu could not imagine how he would lose so completely.
But if Madara could return to his peak while alive, then Madara would not need such a complicated resurrection plan, and he would not need to lead Obito into darkness either.
So that did not add up.
Still, Mugetsu did not rashly conclude that Yamato and Naruto were one hundred percent from the original timeline.
The shinobi world was deep.
The leaders of the Three Great Sage Lands were old monsters whose true depth no one could measure.
And even though the Sage of Six Paths was long dead, his chakra existed eternally.
If Mugetsu failed one day, his enemies might not only be Madara and Black Zetsu.
The warmth of Mugetsu's hand eased Obito's emotions a little, but Obito's face was still twisted with pain and confusion.
"But… but…" Obito stammered.
Mugetsu's words sounded cool, but Obito did not want a future like the one Yamato and Naruto hinted at.
A future without Mugetsu sensei was something he could not even imagine.
Kakashi's eyes lowered. He could no longer keep his calm mask in place.
He was a sensible person. If someone in the past learned the future, history would almost certainly change. For people from the future, that change was unknown and uncontrollable.
So the best choice was not to ask.
But this time, Kakashi could not control himself.
Tonight, he would find Yamato and Naruto in secret. He would ask about Mugetsu clearly.
He would do everything he could to change a history where Mugetsu died.
Kakashi did not know what kind of future that would create.
But he knew that if he was given a chance and refused to act, he would live with regret for the rest of his life.
Not just Mugetsu.
He had to ask about Obito and Rin too.
If only he survived from their team, then it would be better for them all to die together in battle.
At least then, it would be honest.
"Just like Mugetsu sensei said," Rin said softly, smiling as she tried to steady them. "Our future can be decided by us."
Her own emotions were complicated.
From Yamato and Naruto's reactions, she would probably die someday soon.
To say she felt no fear would be a lie. Sometimes, Rin thought about what it meant for her thoughts to vanish, for her to never think again.
That was frightening.
But she was alive right now.
If she let fear swallow her just because she might die, then everyone should have been terrified from the moment they were born, because death awaited them all.
So the Rin who was still breathing chose to comfort her friends first.
"As expected of Minato sama," Yamato said, looking at Mugetsu with respect.
If Yamato put himself in Mugetsu's position, hearing shinobi from the future dodge and hide answers about his own fate would make anyone uneasy.
But Mugetsu did not look unsettled at all.
He was not only calm about his own life and death, he was comforting his students and saying things like our future still has to be created by our own hands.
This young Fourth Hokage in front of Yamato matched every fantasy Yamato had ever held about Minato.
"Minato sama?" Obito, Kakashi, and Rin all stared at Yamato in confusion.
Kakashi frowned. He had introduced Mugetsu earlier, even if he had lied about some details.
"Did I say something wrong?" Yamato asked, bewildered.
He replayed his words in his mind and found nothing odd.
Even if he was older, the other party was the future Hokage, and his current strength was far above Yamato's. Showing respect felt normal.
"Big brother idiot," Obito snapped, his voice sharper than usual, as if the earlier emotions still had not drained away. "Are your eyes broken or your ears broken? Why are you calling our Mugetsu sensei by Minato sensei's name?"
Obito's big brother idiot hit Yamato like a kunai to the ribs.
After being called dull earlier by Kakashi, and now this, Yamato actually started doubting his own face.
He looked at Naruto helplessly. "Do I really look that idiotic?"
Naruto blinked. "Captain Yamato, you never noticed?"
Naruto's honesty stabbed Yamato straight through whatever pride he had left.
Kakashi's voice turned serious. "You're missing the point. Why are you calling Mugetsu sensei Minato sama?"
Yamato's confusion deepened. Was the name Hayate Mugetsu not just a lie they used earlier because they thought he was an enemy?
"Because… isn't he Minato sama?" Yamato said, unable to process everything at once.
"Minato sensei and Mugetsu sensei look similar," Obito muttered, still irritated, "but you can't treat them like they're the same person."
Kakashi's mind raced.
He realized they might have misunderstood something.
Mugetsu might not be the future Fourth Hokage at all.
It was Yamato and Naruto who had mistaken him for Minato Namikaze because Minato resembled Mugetsu.
"So the Fourth Hokage's full name is Minato Namikaze?" Kakashi asked quietly, eyes flickering.
Yamato nodded without thinking.
Kakashi's expression froze.
Good news: Mugetsu sensei might not be dead.
Bad news: Minato sensei might be the one who dies.
"Huh?" Obito blurted, flustered. "The Fourth Hokage is Minato sensei?"
His chest tightened.
He did not know what emotion he was supposed to feel anymore. If Minato died, he would be devastated too.
Yamato, an ANBU captain, immediately realized he might have mistaken the person, seeing Kakashi and Obito's reactions.
But he was still confused.
The blond man in front of him looked like the Hokage monument, was terrifyingly strong, and could use Flying Thunder God with frightening skill.
He matched every characteristic of the Fourth Hokage.
If this was not the Fourth Hokage, then who was he supposed to be?
If even Yamato was lost, then Naruto was hopelessly adrift.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto asked, head spinning. "Isn't this big brother the Fourth Hokage?"
"We don't have a Fourth Hokage right now," Obito explained. "And if your Fourth Hokage is Minato sensei, then you've got the wrong person."
"The man in front of you is Mugetsu sensei."
Naruto looked at Yamato for help, but Yamato could not help him, because Yamato was still trying to sort out reality.
"You two really did mistake me for someone else," Mugetsu said, calm and polite. "My full name is Hayate Mugetsu. Minato is a very good friend of mine."
"Ah…" Yamato went blank.
He did not understand how this could be true.
Mugetsu looked exactly like the Fourth Hokage, and his Flying Thunder God was just as terrifying.
If he was not the Fourth Hokage, then why had Yamato never heard of him?
In his world, anyone who resembled Minato this much and carried that level of strength should have been famous.
Yet Yamato had no memory of Hayate Mugetsu at all.
Mugetsu suddenly asked, "In your world, how is Hiten Shinshi's Darkness Breathing cultivation going?"
"Senior Hiten?" Yamato thought for a moment. "I'm not sure."
Hiten's code name in ANBU was Hitt. He was a capable senior. Yamato knew he was skilled in Lightning Release sealing techniques, but Darkness Breathing was not something Yamato had heard about.
At that point, Mugetsu was basically certain.
Yamato and Naruto were from the original Naruto world.
Even if Mugetsu failed and died, even if the world returned to the original track, it would be impossible to erase every trace of his existence.
That would take absurd effort, and it would serve no purpose.
"Then, big brother Mugetsu," Naruto said, suddenly remembering his mission, "do you know where Mukade is?"
"I don't know the ninja you're talking about," Mugetsu replied, shaking his head.
Right now, reality differed too much from the anime plot. If he acted recklessly, he could make things worse. So he did not reveal anything directly.
Yamato covered his forehead.
He realized Kakashi had lied about almost everything except Mugetsu's name.
"Little Kakashi sensei didn't say…" Naruto started, but Kakashi cut him off.
"I said that to buy time," Kakashi explained. "We came to Roranfor the Queen's investigation mission. Of course we don't know the ninja you mentioned."
"Captain Yamato," Naruto asked anxiously, "what do we do now? We need to find that guy before we can go back."
Naruto did not understand how they travelled through time, but he understood one thing.
The one who tied the bell had to be the one to untie it.
If they found Mukade, the cause of all this, then they would have hope.
"We search Roran first," Yamato decided after a moment. "We travelled through time here. He should be here too."
It was the best answer he had, because time travel was beyond common sense.
"If you don't mind," Mugetsu said with a gentle smile, "our squad can help search, as long as it doesn't interfere with our mission."
Mugetsu, having read the script, already knew the truth.
Their missions were essentially the same.
The Mukade that Yamato and Naruto were hunting was Anrokuzan, the current minister of Roran.
If Anrokuzan's ambition and crimes were exposed, the Queen would definitely ask them to eliminate him.
The difference was that Mugetsu's mission required investigation first. It was like a prerequisite.
"That would be a huge help," Yamato said, nodding. "Thank you."
Looking at Mugetsu's calm kindness, Yamato felt a bitter pity rise in his chest.
He had no memory of a ninja like Mugetsu.
That could only mean one thing.
Mugetsu died early.
Most likely in the Third Shinobi World War, before Minato Namikaze became the Fourth Hokage.
"If I make it back," Yamato thought, "I'll ask Kakashi senpai."
Since Mugetsu was Kakashi's sensei, Kakashi should know more about him than anyone.
"Thank you so much, big brother Mugetsu," Naruto said brightly.
Even if Mugetsu was not the Fourth Hokage, Naruto still liked him. He seemed kind.
Mugetsu told Yamato and Naruto the inn where his squad was staying.
Then the two teams separated.
Mugetsu's team went to continue investigating Anrokuzan.
Naruto and Yamato searched Roran for Roran.
In truth, Kakashi and the others still carried countless questions.
Mugetsu and Minato looked alike, and with Flying Thunder God involved, misunderstanding was natural.
But there were too many gaps.
Why did Yamato and Naruto know nothing of Hayate Mugetsu?
What happened to Minato Namikaze?
And what about Obito, Rin, and Asuma?
Obito wanted answers so badly his chest felt tight, but Naruto's situation was urgent. If they could not return, the consequences would be enormous.
So Obito swallowed his questions and decided he would talk to Naruto and Yamato tonight at the inn.
After watching their panels again, Mugetsu sighed inwardly.
Sure enough, worthy of being the protagonist.
[Name: Uzumaki Naruto]
[Chakra: 220000 (???)]
[Potential: SS+ (Six Paths bloodline + Nine Tails + basic talent)]
[Skills: Wind Release chakra nature transformation (Mastery), Rasengan, Rasenshuriken…]
Naruto's chakra did not look higher than Nagato's at first glance, even though Nagato was a bit younger than this Naruto.
But what Mugetsu detected was only the surface.
Once Naruto truly erupted, the chakra he could draw out was far greater than what appraisal showed.
And Nagato was not an ordinary Uzumaki either.
Madara had personally chosen him for the Rinnegan transplant. That alone proved Nagato was special.
[Name: Yamato]
[Chakra: 110000]
[Potential: S (Hashirama cells + basic talent)]
[Skills: Wood Release (Mastery Level 30/15000), Earth Release chakra nature transformation (Mastery Level 800/15000), Water Release chakra nature transformation (Mastery), Wood Release: Four Pillar House…]
Seeing Yamato's panel, Mugetsu could only think one thing.
Senju Hashirama was absurd.
Even his cells could boost someone's potential.
Based on Yamato's performance in the original story, he clearly could not compare to Minato or Hiruzen.
So Mugetsu believed Yamato's S rank potential was heavily inflated by Hashirama cells.
Perhaps because of those cells, Yamato's chakra reserves were outstanding, but everything else felt relatively ordinary.
His Water Release, Earth Release, and Wood Release were all at Mastery level, but the proficiency was not high. He was essentially a Mastery level gatekeeper.
After seeing Naruto's panel, Mugetsu felt that maybe only someone like the Sage of Six Paths, born with the Rinnegan, could reach a triple S potential.
Naruto already had countless buffs.
Asura's reincarnation.
Uzumaki blood.
Nine Tails jinchuriki.
Even with all that, he was still only SS+.
That showed how hard triple S truly was.
Still, Mugetsu did not need perfection.
As long as the potential reached S rank, he would gladly use the fifth disciple slot.
If it was double S, even better.
Mugetsu was also willing to teach people with lower potential.
But the environment he lived in did not allow him to spend disciple slots on low potential students.
After separating from his disciples, Mugetsu returned to studying the Dragon Vein beneath Rora.
With his Byakugan, he could see through the earth and observe the massive chakra buried below.
That chakra felt strange.
It was clearly different from the chakra refined by ordinary shinobi.
But Mugetsu could not control it at all.
So he found an abandoned underground base, got as close as possible, and then entered Transparent World to perceive it more clearly.
"Later I can interrogate Anrokuzan, or ask the Queen of Roranfor help," Mugetsu thought as evening approached.
Anrokuzan had a secret method to absorb the Dragon Vein's power.
Even if it turned him into a half human, half ghost state, it still had research value.
And the Queen of Roran had the power to control the Dragon Vein.
That would be a huge help to Mugetsu's research.
When Mugetsu returned to the inn, Kakashi and the others had just finished their day of investigation.
"Could it be the Queen is overthinking it?" Obito scratched his head. "Why does everyone like him so much?"
They had investigated all day and found nothing useful.
Because everywhere they went, they only heard praise.
Anrokuzan was popular. The people talked about him like he was wise and devoted.
"And he even gives things to the people," Obito added. "He really doesn't look like a bad guy."
This was completely different from the Land of Snow mission.
Even before Doto's betrayal, Obito had never liked him. He always looked stern and arrogant.
Anrokuzan felt different.
He presented himself as someone dedicating his life to Roran, and the people loved him.
"Our investigation is too shallow," Kakashi said quietly, shaking his head. "Everything we saw is still just an appearance."
If Kakashi had to, he could pretend too.
He could play the role of a loyal minister serving the people.
But unless he could keep that mask for a lifetime, it would always be a lie.
At that moment, Obito spotted Mugetsu walking in. Mugetsu nodded with a faint smile and approached them.
Obito was about to speak, but then he saw Naruto and Yamato enter the inn as well.
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