Rōran

Early 50th Year of the Leaf, Rōran.

"It's the A-rank missing-nin Yue Uchiha! Everyone, be careful!"

Minato Namikaze, with his golden hair and the Leaf forehead protector, gripped his specialized three-pronged kunai tightly. His eyes were filled with extreme vigilance as he quickly warned his two companions—Shibi Aburame and Choza Akimichi.

However, Yue Uchiha, standing on the edge of the high tower, ignored their battle-ready stance. He simply faced the hot, dry night wind blowing across the desert and looked calmly at the impossibly prosperous city beneath his feet.

Rōran.

In the world he had transmigrated from, this name was merely a term that existed in anime movies and setting guidebooks.

An isolated island of history that had flourished because of the "Dragon Vein" and ultimately met its total destruction because of it.

And now, he was standing truly and physically upon this very island.

Towering purple-black spires stood like a forest deep in the desert, with intricate, thick metal pipes interwoven between the buildings like the veins of the earth.

Purple chakra light flowed along these pipes, illuminating the entire night sky and adorning the city like a futuristic metropolis from a dream.

As a transmigrator, Yue Uchiha had been in this cruel ninja world for over twenty years.

He was born into the Uchiha Clan, the proudest and yet most sorrowful noble house in the ninja world.

Relying on the soul of a transmigrator and the advantage of foresight, he did not expose his edge prematurely like those so-called geniuses, but instead cultivated steadily.

It wasn't until the dark clouds of the Third Shinobi World War gathered that he naturally awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan during a brutal slaughter, stepping into the Kage-level.

But he did not choose to become a hero of the Leaf.

Because he knew very clearly that beneath the seemingly bright "Will of Fire" of the Leaf lay the bottomless darkness of the Root led by Danzo, and the tragic Uchiha massacre destined to occur in the future.

As for why he was so certain that the Uchiha would inevitably be wiped out?

The answer stemmed from a concept that filled him with despair—the "World Correction Force."

This was a cruel law he had personally verified with lessons written in blood.

When he first transmigrated, he had arrogantly thought he could change everything with his knowledge of the plot.

He had tried to save Obito Uchiha, that boy who wore goggles and was always talking about his comrades.

To this end, he had tried every possible way to interfere with the battle at Kannabi Bridge.

The result? The giant boulder at Kannabi Bridge indeed did not crush Obito, but on another battlefield that functioned like a meat grinder shortly after, Obito was still ruthlessly crushed by the boulder of fate, heading toward the same abyss and leaving that Sharingan for Kakashi just the same.

Similarly, a few years ago, he had tried to give a helping hand to the "White Fang of the Leaf," a mentor who had offered him a few pointers.

He had secretly guided public opinion, attempting to shield the White Fang from those lethal, bloodless rumors.

Yet the mockery of fate was even more biting; the inertia of the plot triggered an even more violent backlash, and the time of the White Fang's suicide in despair was even earlier than he had anticipated!

There were far too many such bloody examples; every attempt was met with an even more ruthless correction from the world line.

These experiences struck Yue's heart like heavy hammers, forcing him to wake up completely.

Without accumulating absolute power sufficient to overturn the entire chessboard, any small move attempting to reverse key historical nodes would be met with even more ruthless suppression by this world.

As of now, his strength was still far from enough to resist this "World Correction Force."

Remaining in the Leaf meant waiting to become cannon fodder for the era alongside the Uchiha Clan.

Thus, a month ago, on a dark and windy night, he packed his bags. Without alerting anyone and without killing a single comrade, he severed his ties with the Leaf in silence.

No one knew why he had defected.

But in the eyes of the Leaf's high command, the sudden disappearance of a Jonin who had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and knew many secrets was no less dangerous than a bomb waiting to detonate at any moment.

Therefore, a wanted order was issued immediately, and having no actual criminal record, he was directly classified as an extremely dangerous "A-rank missing-nin."

"Yue Uchiha..." Minato Namikaze's deep blue eyes stared fixedly at the young man in the black high-collared robe with a short blade strapped to his back. "I didn't expect to meet you here. What is your purpose in infiltrating the Land of Wind? Could it be that you are also after the 'power' of this city?"

Minato's voice pulled Yue's thoughts back from the heavy weight of the past.

"Minato Namikaze... and the elites of the Aburame and Akimichi clans."

Yue's voice was calm, without the slightest panic in the face of strong enemies. "Why aren't you staying in the Leaf, running all the way to Rōran in the depths of the Land of Wind's desert? Oh, let me guess... did the Third Hokage detect the fluctuations in space-time and send you here to investigate the 'Dragon Vein,' and incidentally take care of that guy named 'Mukade'?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the hearts of the three men were shaken to their core.

This mission was top secret, issued directly by the Third Hokage!

How could the opponent know their mission objectives and the enemy's background so clearly?!

"He knows too much; we absolutely cannot let him interfere with the mission!" Shibi Aburame, wearing dark glasses and a high collar, said in a low voice.

As his voice fell, a hair-raising "buzzing" sound emerged from beneath his wide robes.

Countless swarms of Kikaichū surged out like a black sandstorm, sweeping toward Yue Uchiha in an overwhelming tide.

"Everyone, don't look into his eyes! Watch out for genjutsu!" Minato shouted, his body sinking slightly as he focused all his attention on finding an opening for a one-hit kill.

The battle erupted instantly.

"Bugs, huh? The thing I fear least is fire."

Facing the swarm capable of stripping an elephant to bone in an instant, Yue Uchiha chuckled softly. His hands moved in a blur, and his speed in forming hand seals was so fast that even Minato's pupils couldn't help but constrict.

Snake-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive torrent of flames erupted from the mouth of Yue Uchiha.

"BOOM!"

The violent flames collided fiercely with the black swarm of insects.

The air was instantly filled with the pungent, acrid stench of burning protein.

Large swathes of Kikaichū were reduced to ash in the high heat, raining down in a steady patter.

"Partial Multi-Size Technique!"

The very moment Yue exhaled the flames, a massive shadow loomed over his head.

Choza Akimichi had leaped into the air at some point, his right arm swelling dozens of times in size to become a fist like a small mountain, descending with the crushing force of a falling peak toward the tower roof where Yue Uchiha stood.

"Rumble!"

The stone tiles of the tower roof shattered instantly, sending dust and debris billowing into the air.

Yet Choza frowned; the sensation was wrong, for he had struck nothing but a replacement log.

"He's above!" Shibi Aburame warned.

Yue Uchiha drifted in mid-air like a light, falling leaf, his three-tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly to take in the chakra flow and subtle movements of the three men below.

Just as he prepared to weave hand seals in the air to counterattack, a golden flash abruptly tore through the night sky.

Minato Namikaze had made his move!