Chapter 2 — The Beginning of Spoilers
On the rooftop platform of a building, Kakashi leaned against the railing, looking at the members of Team Seven before him. He was already starting to regret agreeing to the Third Hokage's request.
"First, introduce yourselves. Things you like, things you dislike, your dreams for the future, hobbies… that sort of thing."
At this point, there was no backing out. Kakashi sighed inwardly and spread his hands as he spoke.
Although he already knew the files of the three students in front of him by heart, hearing them say it themselves might yield something unexpected.
"Um, I think the teacher should introduce himself first."
Uzumaki Naruto sized up Kakashi, whose face was mostly covered, maintaining a healthy level of suspicion toward the ninja who couldn't even dodge a chalkboard eraser trap.
"My name is Hatake Kakashi. The things I like and dislike… I don't feel like telling you…"
Just as Kakashi was about to muddle through lazily, his half-lidded eyes suddenly sharpened. He turned his head toward the side.
A tall figure wearing a strange clown mask stood atop a treetop more than ten meters away, looking down at Team Seven from above.
Who was it?
To appear out of thin air without a sound?
Kakashi's heart tightened. The aura and killing intent of a jōnin-level shinobi spread instinctively toward the mysterious figure—only to pass straight through it. The figure felt hollow, like a phantom, and there was not the slightest fluctuation of chakra within it.
"Ah—!"
Before Kakashi could take further action, a startled cry pulled his attention back to Team Seven.
Under the crushing weight of a jōnin's chakra pressure and killing intent, freshly graduated genin had no chance of enduring it. Sakura was the first to collapse, letting out a cry before falling backward and fainting. Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto stared blankly, bodies rigid and trembling violently, sweat pouring out and soaking through their clothes in an instant.
As the famed "Copy Ninja" of Konoha who had also served years in the ANBU, Kakashi had killed countless enemies. The terrifying killing intent condensed around him was not something academy-trained genin could withstand.
"So this is a jōnin…"
Though Sasuke said nothing aloud, graduating first in his class had made him believe he had already closed the gap somewhat between himself and that man. Now, under Kakashi's pressure, fear gripped his heart. Faint red veins began surfacing at the edges of his straining eyes.
So this… was the true ninja world?
The academy's top student—so proud of his achievement—couldn't even lift a finger in front of a real ninja?
"As expected. No wonder fate guided me here."
Tetsuya lightly snapped his fingers. His figure vanished abruptly and reappeared less than three meters from Team Seven, as though he had teleported.
"Stop!"
Kakashi's pupils contracted sharply. Instantly, he was reminded of the yellow flash who struck terror into enemies during the Third Great Ninja War.
Most critically of all—from beginning to end, he had not sensed the slightest trace of chakra.
Even the Flying Thunder God Technique produced chakra fluctuations. As Namikaze Minato's student, Kakashi knew that better than anyone.
Was this person targeting the last Uchiha survivor? Or the Nine-Tails?
Feeling immense pressure, Kakashi had already produced a kunai in one hand, while the other lifted his forehead protector, revealing the crimson three-tomoe Sharingan beneath.
"The Sharingan? Useless against me."
Tetsuya snapped his fingers again. A withered leaf lying on the ground ignited without wind, becoming a flickering point of flame.
Seeing the mysterious figure vanish once more, Kakashi's three tomoe spun rapidly. His own form blurred and faded as he executed the Body Flicker Technique—something only jōnin could master.
"Behind you!"
Seeing a tall shadow suddenly overlap Naruto's on the ground, Sasuke's pupils shrank. One hand reached into his ninja pouch for a shuriken as he shouted a warning.
Tetsuya appeared soundlessly behind Naruto, fingers curving as they reached for the future Seventh Hokage's shoulder.
"Don't move!"
Just as Tetsuya's fingertips were about to touch the orange jacket, Kakashi's cold voice sounded at his side. A gleaming kunai pressed against Tetsuya's ribs.
No wonder Kakashi could always fight anyone to a standstill—from Zabuza to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. Even without any information about Tetsuya's abilities, he had reacted instantly.
But—
Too late.
Seeing that the mysterious man continued reaching for Naruto despite having a lethal point pressed against him, Kakashi didn't hesitate. He thrust the kunai forward.
Not good!
There was no sensation of piercing flesh. Kakashi's heart sank. His Sharingan trembled slightly, and as expected, the mysterious figure before him was nothing but an afterimage left behind.
Sasuke, about to throw his shuriken, suddenly felt his shoulder grow heavy. A hand had settled there at some unknown moment. His fingers trembled, and the shuriken clattered to the ground.
It works!
The instant he touched Uchiha Sasuke, countless images of Sasuke from different periods surfaced in Tetsuya's eyes—
A genin in a black one-piece outfit, limbs wrapped in bandages.
A rogue ninja under Orochimaru, dressed in white robes, a purple rope belt tied at his waist, the Kusanagi sword at his side.
A member of the Akatsuki, clad in black with red clouds, Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō.
A wanderer in a gray headscarf and black cloak, his Rinnegan hidden beneath dark bangs, revealing only a single crimson Sharingan…
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Even with the enemy appearing inexplicably behind him and grabbing his shoulder, there was no panic in Sasuke's eyes. His body twisted and rolled free from Tetsuya's grasp. As he raised his head again, his cheeks puffed, and a massive fireball blasted toward the enemy, heat distorting the air instantly.
Yet, under Sasuke's expectant gaze—certain the enemy would be reduced to ashes—Tetsuya merely waved a hand lightly. The enormous fireball, nearly half his body in size, vanished into thin air. Only the lingering heat scattering and fluttering clothing proved that it had not been a genjutsu.
"Who exactly are you?"
Seeing Sasuke freeze in place, Kakashi flickered forward and stood in front of him, staring at Tetsuya as he spoke.
"Planning to stall me with words while your shadow clone raises the alarm and gathers reinforcements? As expected of the future Sixth Hokage."
Tetsuya's gaze casually swept toward the shadow where Kakashi's clone had just disappeared, and he shrugged.
Sixth Hokage?
Kakashi frowned, bewildered.
Konoha didn't even have a confirmed Fifth Hokage yet—let alone a Sixth.
And someone as ill-fated as him becoming Hokage? Impossible.
"I can see every future of this world with perfect clarity."
Konoha's response was swift. No sooner had Kakashi's shadow clone sent the alert than figures were already leaping across rooftops in the distance. Yet Tetsuya remained where he stood, showing no trace of urgency.
"In the future… do I kill that man?"
Held back by Kakashi's outstretched arm, Sasuke suddenly spoke.
"Why not let your future self answer that question?"
Tetsuya raised his arm and grasped at the air ahead. With a swift pull, he dragged out a figure clad in a black cloak.
Uchiha Sasuke—
As he appeared in Konoha during the incident when Ōtsutsuki Toneri tried to abduct Hyūga Hinata.