"Minato, save Naruto!"
Kushina cried anxiously.
"Heh."
The mysterious man gave a cold chuckle, then suddenly threw Naruto Uzumaki off to one side.
In the next instant, Minato vanished in a flash and snatched the baby out of the air. At the same time, however, he spotted the explosive tags on his son, and his expression changed drastically.
Boom!
An explosion rang out, and flames engulfed the surroundings.
Minato held his son tightly and turned to look into the house, his face full of worry.
"We'll meet again soon!"
But only that faint voice remained in the air. The mysterious masked man's figure twisted, and he vanished with Kushina in the blink of an eye.
Minato's expression shifted slightly as he turned toward the courtyard.
River and the old man who had appeared were already gone as well.
He looked down at Naruto in his arms. The child, who had been crying nonstop earlier, was now very quiet, as though he understood the danger they were in.
"Naruto!"
Murmuring his name, Minato vanished in a flash, arrived in another house, and settled him there.
Then he raised his head, his expression turning serious and grave.
The mysterious man who had suddenly appeared, along with the old man who made even him sense danger-there was undoubtedly an unknown group planning to strike at Konoha.
Or rather, at Kushina, the current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
I shouldn't need to worry about Sui!
Kushina!
Taking a deep breath, Minato's gaze sharpened.
Meanwhile, in the forest outside Konoha, two figures stood facing each other.
One had short blond hair and wore a green vest over a tight blue outfit-the standard attire of a Konoha jōnin. A forehead protector bearing the spiral symbol hung at his waist as he stood there quietly.
"For commoners, you brothers have