You Think You're the Only One Who Can Grow Bigger?

But no sooner had he said that than Uchiha Yi's expression froze. A golden flash streaked past, and Sara vanished from his grasp. She was gone-just like that!

Uchiha Yi's face darkened, not out of anger, but because things had just gotten complicated. Standing before him was a masked Anbu with hair exactly the same color as Naruto's. His mouth twitched. Damn, isn't that the Fourth Hokage? No, he hasn't become the Fourth Hokage yet. He's just a young Minato Namikaze.

"Queen Sara, are you all right? I'm a Konoha ninja, sent here to protect you."

Minato Namikaze had rescued Sara with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

"A ninja from Konoha?"

Sara's eyes lit up. She pointed at Uchiha Yi and shouted, "Hurry up and arrest him!"

Great, now I'm being called a bastard. Uchiha Yi rubbed his chin. How can anyone call someone as handsome as me a bastard?

Minato Namikaze didn't attack. He sensed an indescribable danger from this boy, and when his gaze swept over the forehead protector on Uchiha Yi's right arm, surprise flickered in his eyes.

"You're... from Konoha?"

"What? He's from Konoha too? Didn't you say Konoha was here to protect me? Why is this guy fighting me?"

Sara glared at Uchiha Yi, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Hey, Your Majesty, you were the one who attacked first. I was acting in self-defense!"

Sara never got to say anything else, because Minato Namikaze knocked her unconscious. Just then, Choza Akimichi and Shibi Aburame arrived.

He handed Sara to them and gave a retreat signal. They nodded and left with her, while Minato Namikaze turned back to Uchiha Yi and repeated his question.

"You still haven't answered me. Are you from Konoha?"

Uchiha Yi remained silent, busy thinking. Minato Namikaze and his team were here to protect Sara. Did that mean Mukade had already arrived?

Then Uchiha Yi suddenly remembered something. After traveling back in time, the Sunagakure missing-nin Mukade had apparently changed his name to Anrokuzan in Rōran!

"Did you come here because of Anrokuzan?"

He only had to ask to find out.

"You even know our mission. Then you must know my name too, right? Who exactly are you?"

"Who am I?"

Am I supposed to tell you I'm Uchiha Yi, from Konoha more than ten years in the future? Uchiha Yi was stumped.

But Minato Namikaze took his reaction as a refusal to talk.

"Won't answer? Then I'll have to capture you and interrogate you!"

The moment he finished speaking, Minato Namikaze threw several kunai, giving Uchiha Yi no chance to reply.

Tch, you really think I'm afraid of you? Uchiha Yi's gaze turned cold, his temper flaring too. He easily dodged the kunai and struck back.

The future Fourth Hokage? No, the past Fourth Hokage? That's not right either... Damn, this timeline is a complete mess! Forget it. Let's see just how good you are at this age!

"Lightning Release: Lightning Bird!"

A lightning bird burst forth and lunged at Minato Namikaze. This Lightning Release packed a punch!

Minato Namikaze's heart tightened. He didn't dare take it lightly. "Rasengan!"

He curled his hand, forming a large Rasengan, and thrust it toward the lightning bird. But a moment later, his expression changed, and he vanished.

Boom!

The lightning bird shattered the Rasengan and slammed into the ground, blasting out an enormous crater. The Flying Thunder God Technique?

Uchiha Yi's eyes shifted toward Minato Namikaze, who had reappeared a short distance away. But a moment later, Minato Namikaze vanished again.

Flying Thunder God! A golden flash erupted, and Minato Namikaze appeared right in front of him.

"Rasengan!"

Minato Namikaze shouted as he formed the spinning sphere. Uchiha Yi curled his lip at the sight. So even the future Fourth Hokage does this? Fine, I'll join in.

He raised his palm and curled his fingers. A Rasengan instantly formed in his right hand, and he drove it straight into Minato Namikaze's.

Bang!

Minato Namikaze was forced two steps back by the impact. "How do you know the Rasengan too?" he exclaimed.

Uchiha Yi raised his eyebrows and smiled. "The Rasengan isn't all I know. I can do this too."

"Flying Thunder God!"

As his words fell, Uchiha Yi vanished. A moment later, he appeared behind Minato Namikaze.

Minato Namikaze jolted. "Flying Thunder God? Impossible!"

He immediately flashed away with Flying Thunder God, but Uchiha Yi followed, appearing in the same position behind him.

Minato Namikaze repeatedly used Flying Thunder God to change locations, but no matter where he went, Uchiha Yi stayed precisely at his back. After all that jumping around, Minato Namikaze was beginning to question everything. Was this boy better at Flying Thunder God than he was?

He stopped and turned, staring at Uchiha Yi. "Who exactly are you? I'm certain you're from Konoha, aren't you?"

Uchiha Yi scratched his head. "I'm a Konoha ninja, but I'm not from your era. I came from several years in the future."

Understanding dawned on Minato Namikaze. "I knew it! It seems you traveled through time using the dragon vein's power, just like that Anrokuzan."

Uchiha Yi paused, then asked, "Minato, sir, when did Anrokuzan-I mean Mukade-arrive in Rōran?"

Minato Namikaze thought for a moment. "He suddenly appeared six years ago. After Rōran's previous queen died, he became the regent. Konoha investigated him. He traveled here using the dragon vein's power, and he's planning to use it to stir up trouble."

Uchiha Yi scratched his head as he listened. Why is technology in the Naruto World so bizarre? Never mind the lack of televisions and rice cookers-the Land of Snow actually has trains? He couldn't be bothered to think about it anymore and asked, "Then did you come to Rōran to capture Mukade?"

Just then, a dense swarm of puppets surged out around them, all created by Anrokuzan. It made sense. The clashes between the Rasengan and the lightning bird had caused such a commotion that it would have been strange if Mukade hadn't noticed.

Uchiha Yi grinned. "Looks like someone doesn't want us to have a nice chat."

There wasn't the slightest hint of panic on his face.

Minato Namikaze said, "Let's retreat and meet up with Sara and the others first."

Uchiha Yi waved a hand. "No need. Go protect Sara. Leave this to me."

Minato Namikaze paused, then remembered the abilities he had just displayed. He didn't try to persuade him further and nodded. "All right. Sorry for the trouble."

With that, Minato Namikaze vanished using Flying Thunder God.

Uchiha Yi stared at the swarm of puppets and grinned. "This is a good chance to see how well Mukade can use the dragon vein. Let's clear out this trash first!"

He swept his hand upward. Several streaks of lightning flashed across the sky, shattering every puppet before him.

Uchiha Yi looked toward the raised platform and said coldly, "Done hiding? Come out, Mukade!"

As soon as he spoke, a figure appeared on the platform. It was Anrokuzan, also known as Mukade. He stared at Uchiha Yi in astonishment.

"Impossible!" Mukade exclaimed. "You weren't among the four Konoha ninja chasing me! Who are you?"

Uchiha Yi shrugged. "A time traveler, just like you."

Mukade froze. "...After I went back and absorbed the dragon vein, you traveled here two or three years later?"

Uchiha Yi turned that over in his head, then decided not to bother untangling it. Once he subdued Mukade, he could ask whatever he wanted.

He lifted his chin, his tone casual. "Who I am doesn't matter. You do. I'll give you two choices: surrender and let me capture you, or let me beat you half to death and then capture you. Take your pick."

Mukade instantly flew into a rage. "You're asking to die! You think smashing a few lousy puppets gives you the right to challenge me? Keep dreaming!"

He gritted his teeth. "Taste the power the dragon vein gave me! Puppet Technique: Dragon Vein Terracotta Doll!"

As soon as he spoke, a mass of puppets infused with the dragon vein's power appeared out of thin air.

"Again?" Uchiha Yi frowned and raised his hands to form hand seals. "Lightning Release: Ten Thousand Thunderbolts!"

Several bolts of lightning struck down, instantly pulverizing the newly summoned puppets. This time, however, their shattered remains assembled themselves into new puppets.

"You're really showing off that little trick? How embarrassing." Uchiha Yi sneered and formed a Black Flame seal. "Black Flame!"

Black flames instantly engulfed every puppet, burning them away completely within seconds.

Seeing the black flames consume all his puppets, Mukade's eyes flashed with fear. Without another word, he turned and fled.

"Damn, running already? How boring!" Uchiha Yi clicked his tongue, flung out a Flying Thunder God Mark, and instantly appeared in front of Mukade, cutting him off.

Knowing he couldn't escape, Mukade threw caution to the wind. He stopped running, clenched his fists, and roared, "Bastard! Since you're determined to die, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

As his words fell, Mukade's body suddenly swelled, transforming into a gigantic puppet spider.

Looking at the enormous spider before him, Uchiha Yi felt a flicker of curiosity, but mostly revulsion. This guy must have a screw loose, turning himself into something like that.

Several cold glints shot toward him-the spikes on Mukade's spider legs. With a series of metallic clangs, Susanoo's right arm appeared out of thin air and firmly blocked the attack.

This was a genuine Susanoo, so... Boom! Susanoo's hand slapped Mukade and sent him flying backward.

Uchiha Yi glanced at him and realized Mukade had already been assimilated by the dragon vein's natural energy. No, he had fused with it. The dragon vein was natural energy, not chakra, yet instead of using its advantages, Mukade insisted on converting its power into chakra. Wasn't that throwing away the essentials for the superficial? He was actually downgrading it. Idiot!

Mukade quickly climbed back up and laughed wildly. "It's useless! As long as I have the dragon vein, I'm immortal!"

"Immortal?" Uchiha Yi raised an eyebrow. Susanoo's right arm suddenly extended and seized Mukade in an unbreakable grip.

"Bastard, let me go!" Mukade struggled, only to discover that he couldn't break free of that strange, enormous hand.

He gritted his teeth and unleashed his technique. "Puppet Technique: Dragon Vein Great Fireball!"

The enormous fireball blasted toward Susanoo's hand. Despite the dragon vein's enhancement, it was still just the Great Fireball Technique. How could it possibly shatter Susanoo?

Uchiha Yi sneered. "You think you're the only one who can grow bigger?"

Mukade tried to summon more puppet components to transform again, but Uchiha Yi gave him no chance. He wasn't afraid of the hassle; he simply saw no reason to waste time on this guy. Raising his hand, he unleashed Snow Release: Ten Thousand Snow Strikes, blasting all the surrounding puppet components to bits.

Uchiha Yi turned toward Mukade and softly uttered a few words. "Tsukuyomi: Illusion Realm!"

But something unexpected happened. Uchiha Yi had intended to drag Mukade's soul into the illusion space, yet Mukade's soul merely trembled and wasn't pulled in at all.