Konoha was fairly quiet at night. The Third Shinobi World War had only ended recently, and even the mighty Konoha hadn't regained its former prosperity.
As a result, Ensei Uchiha's Shadow Clone hadn't attracted anyone's attention.
This place was worth the months he'd spent searching for it. There were few people around, which minimized the risk of exposing himself.
Walking along the somewhat deserted streets, Ensei felt a little reassured.
In truth, he'd already prepared himself for the possibility of being exposed. Better to take a chance than die namelessly in the clan's destruction a few years from now.
But, somewhat unexpectedly, no one came to confront him, even after he reached Minato Namikaze's doorstep.
Had the Anbu been watching him the whole time? Or had none of them noticed him?
Several possibilities crossed his mind, but Ensei knocked on the door without hesitation.
In Konoha, it was easy enough to find the Hokage's residence. At least to the villagers who lived there, it was no great secret.
The door opened as soon as he knocked.
Minato Namikaze watched the visitor without expression. He had clearly prepared for a situation like this.
"As expected, it's easy to track my movements."
"I'm just not sure whether you've figured out who I really am."
"Here's a piece of advice: even if you have, it's best to act as though you haven't."
Ensei's voice was hoarse. Changing his voice to this extent wasn't easy for him.
"A Shadow Clone? And a very skillful one, at that!"
Minato spoke calmly, as if he already knew everything.
In truth, he'd only just learned that a mysterious person had come to his doorstep. He didn't even know whether the visitor was a Shadow Clone. It was only a guess.
As Hokage, Minato had a fair number of Anbu guarding the area around him. There were also plenty of Anbu patrolling the village and keeping an eye out for spies.
But Konoha was large. No matter how many Anbu there were, they couldn't watch every corner at all times.
So when Ensei's Shadow Clone was spotted, it had seemed to the patrolling Anbu as though he'd appeared out of thin air.
"I see. Looks like I'm in luck. You haven't figured out who I am yet."
"Yes. Right now, I really am just a Shadow Clone."
"Let's get straight to the point."
"First, I can foresee the future... And I want to change some of the things I've seen."
Without further explanation, Ensei pulled an envelope from inside his clothes and handed it to Minato.
Hearing those words, Minato couldn't help thinking of his own teacher, the man who had spent his entire life searching for the Child of Prophecy.
He analyzed what he could about the stranger, but kept his expression calm as he replied:
"I see. You're talking about the future?"
"If you don't mind, why don't you come in so we can discuss it in more detail?"
What had happened today was beyond Minato's expectations. But as Hokage, it was his duty—and his responsibility—to gather more information.
As for his safety...
He had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique and feared no one. Even if this was a trap, he was willing to walk into it.
"Sure. I really hope I can change your future."
"After all, if your future turns out badly, it'll cause me some trouble too."
Minato gave a discreet signal toward the doorway, telling the nearby Anbu to withdraw.
The stranger should have noticed. But the masked man in front of him showed no reaction at all.
Had he not noticed? Or did he know what was happening and simply not care?
A shinobi's instincts drove Minato to analyze the information he had.
Once inside, Ensei didn't see Kushina Uzumaki. It was as if Minato lived in the house all by himself.
"Read the letter first. Once you've finished, you'll probably have a lot of questions for me."
That night, alone at home, Ensei couldn't sleep.
The appointed time had arrived, but the feedback from his Shadow Clone still hadn't come.
Ensei grew worried. Even the familiar door now seemed strange, as if a large group of Anbu might burst in at any moment and arrest him.
If he was exposed, would the value of his ability to see the future be enough to give him a chance?
There were ninjutsu in the Hokage's arsenal that could probe someone's memories. What if...
Shadow Clones weren't invincible. They could very well be controlled by Sealing Jutsu.
Given Konoha's resources, it wouldn't be difficult to restrain a Shadow Clone's Chakra or even erase it completely.
Right, that was it. If the Shadow Clone's Chakra was completely depleted, no information would be sent back.
Only after the Shadow Clone was dispelled, when its remaining Chakra returned to the original, would its memories be received.
And with certain methods, it might even be possible to affect the original through the Shadow Clone.
After all, if Shadow Clones were truly perfect, Konoha's shinobi would have long since tried using them to gather unlimited intelligence inside other villages.
Just imagine: they couldn't die, couldn't be destroyed, and could start over every so often...
Wouldn't that make them the ultimate disaster?
So Shadow Clones actually had quite a few weaknesses.
Under normal circumstances, no one used Shadow Clones the way Ensei did. He was practically challenging the resources of an entire village.
Having placed all his hopes in his Shadow Clone, Ensei naturally couldn't sleep. He kept considering how he would face Konoha's interrogation if his identity was exposed.
A few hours later, the sky began to lighten. As a surge of Chakra returned, Ensei felt a sharp pain in his head.
Amid the pain, his Shadow Clone's memories finally returned to him.
Ensei hadn't even had a chance to sort through those memories before the strain of dispelling the Shadow Clone made him pass out.
Of course, from the outside, it looked as if he'd simply had a nightmare. Nothing unusual.
The next morning, Ensei gradually came to beneath a familiar, insistent voice.
In an instant, everything that had happened before he passed out came rushing back. A fervent gleam flashed in Ensei's normally calm eyes.
He'd succeeded!
At any rate, as long as Minato Namikaze didn't die, it would be very difficult for the Uchiha Clan to be destroyed.
"Ensei, stop dreaming and come eat. I happen to have some free time today, so I can train you this morning."
Hearing Uchiha Inabi urge him on, Ensei came back to his senses. He sprang out of bed and went straight to the dining table.
Uchiha Inabi had brought the food.
The two were cousins and quite close within the Uchiha Clan.
Of course, being close wasn't enough.
Although the Uchiha Clan treated orphans fairly well, they couldn't devote themselves entirely to their care. The real reason Ensei received such attention was his talent.
You had to be exceptional to earn more privileges.
Before you continue