Rōran

Year 50 of Konoha, early in the year. Rōran

"An A-rank rogue ninja, Yue Uchiha! Everyone, stay alert!"

Minato Namikaze, with blond hair and a Konoha Forehead Protector, gripped the special Three-Pronged Kunai in his hand. His gaze was intensely wary as he quickly warned the two companions beside him—Shibi Aburame and Choza Akimichi.

However, Yue Uchiha, standing at the edge of the Tower, paid no heed to their battle-ready stance. He simply faced the dry, hot night wind blowing through the desert and gazed calmly at the astonishingly prosperous city below.

Rōran.

In the world he had come from, before crossing over, that name had been no more than a place mentioned in an anime movie and a setting guide.

A historical island, prosperous thanks to the "Dragon Vein," and ultimately doomed to destruction by that same "Dragon Vein."

And now, he was standing on that island for real.

Towering purple-black spires stood like a forest deep in the desert, while a maze of thick metal pipes crisscrossed between the buildings, resembling the veins of the earth.

Purple chakra flowed through the pipes, illuminating the entire night sky and making the city look like a futuristic metropolis from a dream.

Yue Uchiha had been in this cruel ninja world for more than twenty years.

He had been born into the Uchiha Clan, the most proud—and most tragic—noble clan in the Ninja World.

Relying on the soul and foreknowledge of a transmigrator, he hadn't revealed his talents too early like those so-called geniuses. Instead, he had trained steadily and cautiously.

Then, as the clouds of the Third Shinobi World War gathered, he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan during a brutal battle, naturally rising to Kage Level.

But he hadn't chosen to become a hero of Konoha.

He knew all too well that beneath Konoha's seemingly bright "Will of Fire" lurked the bottomless darkness of Root, led by Danzo, as well as the inevitable tragedy of the Uchiha Clan Massacre.

Why was he so certain that the Uchiha Clan would be wiped out?

The answer lay in a concept that filled him with despair: "World Correction Force."

It was a cruel law he had personally verified through bitter experience.

When he had first crossed over, he'd once been so arrogant as to believe he could change everything with his knowledge of the story.

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

To that end, he had done everything he could to interfere with the battle at Kannabi Bridge.

And what had happened? The boulder at Kannabi Bridge had indeed failed to crush Obito, but on another battlefield that became a meat grinder, Obito had still been mercilessly crushed beneath fate's boulder. He had fallen into the same abyss and left the same Sharingan to Kakashi.

Likewise, a few years earlier, he had tried to help the "White Fang of the Leaf," the half-master who had once given him a few pointers.

He had secretly swayed public opinion, trying to shield White Fang from the deadly rumors.

But fate's mockery had cut even deeper. The story's momentum had provoked an even more violent backlash, and White Fang had taken his own life in despair even earlier than Yue had expected!

There had been far too many such bloody examples. Every attempt had brought an even crueler correction to the course of the world.

Those experiences had struck Yue's heart like one heavy blow after another, finally bringing him to his senses.

Until he had enough power to overturn the entire board, any small move to reverse a pivotal moment in history would be crushed even more mercilessly by this world.

As things stood, he was nowhere near strong enough to resist the "World Correction Force."

If he stayed in Konoha, he would only end up as cannon fodder of the era, along with the Uchiha Clan.

So a month ago, on a dark and stormy night, he had packed his things without alerting anyone and, without killing a single comrade, quietly severed his ties with Konoha.

No one knew why he had defected.

But in the eyes of Konoha 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 ready to explode at any moment.

Thus, a wanted notice had quickly gone out. Despite having no actual record of crimes, he had been branded an extremely dangerous "A-rank rogue ninja."

"Yue Uchiha..." Minato Namikaze stared fixedly at the young man before him, dressed in a black, high-collared robe and carrying a Short Blade on his back. "I didn't expect to run into you here. What are you doing in the Land of Wind? Are you after the 'power' of this city too?"

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

"Minato Namikaze... and elite shinobi from the Aburame and Akimichi Clans."

Yue's voice was calm, without the slightest sign of panic in the face of powerful enemies. "Why aren't you back in Konoha? What brings you to Rōran, deep in the desert of the Land of Wind? Let me guess... the Third Hokage sensed a disturbance in space-time and sent you to investigate the 'Dragon Vein' here, while also dealing with someone named Mukade?"

At his words, Minato and the other two were shaken.

This mission had been classified as an absolute secret by the Third Hokage!

How could their opponent know the mission's objective and the enemy's identity so well?!

"He knows too much. We absolutely can't let him interfere with the mission!" Shibi Aburame said gravely, his high collar raised and dark glasses covering his eyes.

As his words fell, a skin-crawling buzzing came from beneath his wide cloak.

Countless black Kikaichū surged out like a black sandstorm, instantly sweeping toward Yue Uchiha from all sides.

"Don't look into his eyes! Watch out for genjutsu!" Minato shouted. He lowered his center of gravity slightly and focused intently on finding an opening for a killing blow.

The battle erupted in an instant.

"Bugs? Fire is what they fear most."

Facing the swarm, which could devour an elephant down to its bones in an instant, Yue Uchiha chuckled. His hands blurred as he formed seals so quickly that even Minato's pupils contracted.

Snake–Ram–Monkey–Boar–Horse–Tiger!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A huge torrent of flames burst from Yue's mouth.

"Boom—!"

The raging flames collided violently with the black swarm.

The air instantly filled with the pungent smell of burning protein.

Great numbers of Kikaichū turned to ash in the scorching heat and fluttered down.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"

Just as Yue exhaled the flames, a huge shadow fell over him.

Choza Akimichi had somehow leaped into the air. His right arm suddenly swelled dozens of times over, becoming a massive hand like a small mountain, and crashed down toward the Tower rooftop where Yue stood with the force of a mountain collapsing.

"Rumble!"

The stone slabs on the rooftop shattered instantly, and dust billowed everywhere.

But Choza frowned. The impact hadn't felt right. He had struck only a piece of wood.

"He's above us!" Shibi Aburame warned.

Yue Uchiha was in midair, as light as a falling leaf. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, taking in the chakra flow and every subtle movement of the three men below.

Just as he prepared to form seals in midair and counterattack, a golden flash suddenly streaked across the night sky.

Minato Namikaze had made his move!