Tap. Tap. Tap.
Clear footsteps echoed through a dim cavern as a bare-chested figure slowly walked toward the exit.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, his pale skin stretched over lean, perfectly proportioned muscle. There wasn't an ounce of excess fat on his body. As the light from outside spilled into the cave, half of his figure was swallowed by shadow. With each step forward, his full appearance gradually came into view.
Slightly long red hair was casually tied back, a few loose strands falling across his forehead—messy, yet somehow enhancing his distinct presence. Sharp brows, clear eyes, well-defined features, and an upright, powerful build. The faint curve at the corner of his lips made it hard to tell whether he was smiling or merely amused. His gray-brown eyes gave off an indescribable air—calm, confident, and dangerous in a quiet way.
"Brother Kyusei!"
A small figure suddenly popped out from who-knows-where, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Dad says it's time to come back for dinner!"
"Got it, Kakashi!"
Kyusei called back loudly.
Four years had passed.
Kyusei was seventeen now.
In those four years, he had grown in every sense of the word—especially physically. Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's unapologetic money-burning approach, following Sakumo Hatake's carefully refined formulas, Kyusei had been subjected to endless medicinal baths and medicinal meals. As a result, at seventeen, he had already reached a height of one-eighty.
The ninja world, on the surface, had enjoyed four years of relative peace.
But beneath that calm lay violent undercurrents.
Every major village was preparing for war.
Iwagakure and Kumogakure in particular.
In the previous war, Iwa's ten-thousand-strong army had been held back—single-handedly—by the Third Raikage for three days and three nights, causing them to miss their decisive window. That failure still burned in their memory.
Kumo, meanwhile, harbored deep hatred toward Iwa over the Third Raikage's death—and relations with Konoha were hardly better, especially after Kumo's failed attempt to abduct the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
As for Sunagakure, trapped in the desert and starved of resources, it had never stopped eyeing the fertile lands of the Land of Fire.
The world looked peaceful.
In truth, it was anything but.
And Madara Uchiha…
Kyusei had accepted several missions in the Land of Grass over the years, deliberately dragging Sakumo and Kaoru along. Each time they passed near Kannabi Bridge, he searched carefully—but sensed nothing.
No Madara.
No Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
The massive cavern there stood empty, as if silently mocking his expectations.
By all logic, Madara should have been barely able to move by now.
So why was there nothing?
Frowning, Kyusei casually threw on his shirt and, in a few light leaps, arrived in front of six-year-old Kakashi.
Before the child could even react, Kyusei hoisted him onto his shoulder.
"W–wait! Brother Kyusei, I can walk by myself…"
Kakashi protested, deadpan eyes already forming despite his age.
Unmoved, Kyusei grinned.
"Kakashi, want to experience what it feels like to fly?"
Something in that tone set off alarm bells.
"I—wait, what are you—"
Too late.
"Takeoff!"
With a single motion, Kyusei hurled him like a cannonball.
"AAAAAH—!"
"Uzumaki Kyusei! You bastard!"
"You bastard—!"
"—bastaaard—!"
The echoes lingered in the air, scattering birds from the surrounding forest.
"…Oops. Might've gone a bit too far."
Ever since Kakashi had started growing up—and Kaoru had left Konoha to train in Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku—Kyusei's daily joy had become simple:
Tease Kakashi.
Tease Kakashi.
Tease Kakashi.
—
Night fell like a curtain.
Kyusei sat by a campfire with Sakumo and Kakashi, roasting fish.
"Come on, Kakashi, don't be mad. I'll apologize, okay?"
Kyusei pleaded with exaggerated sincerity.
Kakashi, arms crossed and face scrunched into a sulk, turned his back on him.
"Go away!"
Sakumo smiled quietly as he tended the fire, watching the two bicker.
He liked scenes like this.
Kakashi was far too mature for his age—always serious, always composed. Sakumo rarely got to feel like a father.
But whenever Kyusei was around, Kakashi turned into a bristling kitten, showing the child he was supposed to be.
…Even if Kakashi himself didn't appreciate it.
"Kyusei,"
Sakumo said casually.
"Yeah, Sensei?"
Kyusei replied, one hand ruffling Kakashi's white hair until the boy escaped and ducked behind his father, glaring.
"Something's come up in Rōran," Sakumo said calmly.
"A new minister appeared. Name's Anrokuzan."
Kyusei froze for just a fraction of a second.
Firelight flickered across his face, obscuring his expression.
"…And that has something to do with me?" he asked innocently.
"Our investigation shows he appeared suddenly near the Dragon Vein," Sakumo continued.
"No background. No past. Nothing at all."
After two separate incidents involving people from other times, Hiruzen hadn't been idle. Shinobi had been dispatched to Rōran long ago—but only recently had this man drawn attention.
Digging deeper revealed something disturbing.
Anrokuzan had seemingly appeared out of thin air.
"Sensei… are you saying—"
Sakumo smiled.
"That's right. He's another time traveler—through the Dragon Vein."
"But unlike Uzumaki Kushina or Namikaze Minato, he doesn't seem to be from another world."
"Interested in meeting him?"
Kyusei's eyes widened.
Sakumo chuckled at his reaction.
"You're thinking what I think you are."
"He's already in Konoha."
"Or rather…"
Sakumo's gaze sharpened slightly.
"We should call him by his real name."
"Mukade."
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