"Huh? Huh, huh, huh?!"
Hearing Seiryū's words, Naruto looked completely confused.
"I... know you?"
"We've met once before."
Seiryū smiled.
"You once reached my timeline through the power of the Dragon Vein."
"Come to think of it, the reason I was able to fuse Chakra natures into the Rasengan was because of you."
"The Dragon Vein?!"
Naruto did remember carrying out that mission.
In fact, it had not happened all that long ago.
At the time, Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki, had not yet invaded Konoha.
Naruto scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh.
"But I don't remember you at all!"
He genuinely had no memory of the person standing in front of him.
"Your memories were sealed."
Seiryū smiled and looked toward Minato.
"Senpai, you should be able to undo the memory seal, right?"
"Senpai?"
Minato froze for a moment.
Then he immediately understood and smiled helplessly.
"So that's how it is. In your timeline, you're also one of Jiraiya-sensei's disciples?"
His mind worked quickly.
From a single form of address, he had already inferred quite a bit.
The identity of "Sage Seiryū" had most likely been something Seiryū fabricated.
"As expected of you, Senpai. Even in another timeline, you're just as sharp."
Seiryū gave Minato a thumbs-up.
"Back then, I needed some information from Naruto, so I made up that identity."
"I see."
Minato nodded.
That was perfectly reasonable behavior for a shinobi.
Then he formed a seal and placed his right hand against Naruto's forehead.
The memory seal was released.
Minato naturally knew how to use Fūinjutsu capable of sealing memories.
Perhaps he had even used such a technique on himself before.
He retained vague memories connected to the incident in ancient Rōran, but many details remained unclear.
It was possible he had encountered Naruto from another timeline as well.
"Huh? Huh, huh, huh! I remember now!"
As the seal was undone, Naruto suddenly remembered everything that had happened during the Rōran mission.
He stared at Seiryū in astonishment.
"You really are Sage Seiryū!"
"I didn't expect you to actually be this strong!"
Naruto's perception had improved tremendously by now.
From Seiryū's brief exchange with Isshiki earlier, he could already tell that Seiryū's strength was terrifying.
So the man really had been a Sage.
"But why did you come here, Sage Seiryū?"
Naruto looked toward Isshiki.
"And who is that other guy?"
Remembering that alternate timeline still left Naruto amazed.
He had never expected that mission to involve something so bizarre.
Now he was even more curious.
How had Seiryū come here?
And who exactly was Isshiki?
Minato also looked toward Seiryū.
He was equally curious.
From what he remembered, Seiryū was a Konoha shinobi from another timeline and should not be an enemy.
Still, someone appearing from another space-time could not simply be ignored.
"Coming here was an accident."
Seiryū briefly explained.
"I was pursuing that guy."
"His name is Isshiki. He's a member of the Ōtsutsuki Clan and possesses a Ninja Tool capable of reaching another timeline."
"He came here to harvest the Chakra of this world. That's why he attacked Obito after he became the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki."
Even while speaking, Seiryū's perception remained locked onto Isshiki.
Seeing that he had not made another move yet, Seiryū continued talking.
Isshiki indeed had no intention of attacking immediately.
With Seiryū present, any attempt to seize the Ten-Tails would inevitably be stopped.
Instead, Isshiki seemed to be investigating something.
This was another timeline.
Then did another version of himself exist here?
Sasuke stood nearby without speaking.
His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan remained fixed on Seiryū.
He still did not fully understand what was happening.
More than anything, he was suspicious of Seiryū's identity.
'Swish! Swish!'
Two figures appeared nearby.
Hashirama and Tobirama.
"Who are you?"
Tobirama was extremely wary of Seiryū.
The reason was simple.
He was far too powerful.
"Where did you come from?"
Tobirama questioned him directly.
"And what is your purpose here?"
Seiryū looked toward the two brothers and greeted them casually.
"Yo, Great-Grandfather. Second Great-Grandfather. You're here too?"
"???"
Both Hashirama and Tobirama froze.
Great-Grandfather?
Second Great-Grandfather?
This terrifyingly powerful young man was actually from their descendants' generation?
Neither of them had any memory of him.
"Red hair."
Although Hashirama could be unreliable at times, he was far from stupid.
Looking at Seiryū's hair, he quickly asked, "Are you from the Uzumaki Clan?"
"Partly."
Seiryū nodded.
"I carry Uzumaki blood."
"My name is Seiryū, and I'm a Konoha shinobi from another timeline."
"In that timeline, I'm your granddaughter's husband."
"The partner of that troublesome woman, Tsunade."
"What?!"
Both reincarnated Hokage were stunned.
Tsunade's husband from another timeline?
Their grandson-in-law?
This.
This was certainly unexpected.
"Shodai-sama, Nidaime-sama, he really is a shinobi from another timeline."
Minato was also surprised by Seiryū's relationship with Tsunade.
He had only just learned about it himself.
Still, he explained the situation.
"The Dragon Vein beneath ancient Rōran possesses space-time power capable of transporting people into another timeline."
"Alternate timelines truly exist."
Naruto nodded vigorously.
"I've been to one myself."
"In that timeline, I met Grandma Tsunade, my dad, and Sage Seiryū."
"They also helped us complete the mission."
It sounded unbelievable.
But Naruto had experienced it personally.
Everything he said was true.
"Something like that actually exists?"
"Another timeline."
Seeing Minato and Naruto speak so seriously, Hashirama and Tobirama already believed most of it.
So this young man really was their grandson-in-law?
And Tsunade had actually chosen someone this young as her partner?
Even if it had happened in another timeline.
That was still rather bold.
"That's basically the situation."
Seiryū grinned.
"Anyway, I'm not your enemy, so there's no need to be so wary of me."
Then his expression became more serious.
"The person I'm hunting is Isshiki."
"He's an Ōtsutsuki and has already reached the Kekkei Mōra level."
"His strength is extremely dangerous."
"Kekkei Mōra?"
Several people immediately looked confused.
None of them had heard the term before.
Seiryū explained.
"Someone who becomes the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki and can independently form Truth-Seeking Balls has reached the Six Paths level."
"That can be considered possessing most of the Sage of Six Paths' power."
"And above the Six Paths level is Kekkei Mōra."
"The Sage of Six Paths at his peak was also at the Kekkei Mōra level."
"But even at his strongest, he was still far weaker than Isshiki."
Everyone fell silent.
Then several of them drew in sharp breaths.
The Ten-Tails Jinchūriki represented most of the Sage of Six Paths' power.
That was the Six Paths level.
And above even that was Kekkei Mōra?
The Sage of Six Paths himself had once reached that realm.
Yet Isshiki was an even stronger Kekkei Mōra-level existence?
More importantly.
Isshiki was clearly extremely wary of Seiryū.
Then just how terrifying was Seiryū's strength?
(To be continued.)