'I don't know if what I did was right...but I hope their future turns out better,' Haruki thought as he watched Jiraiya and the other three waving goodbye in the distance.
A butterfly flapping its wings might not have directly caused a tsunami, but it could have set off a chain reaction of small changes leading to major consequences.
What he did that day was just a small change, but over time, the ripple effects could have reshaped the future in unpredictable ways. Whether those changes worked in his favor remained to be seen.
The thought made him smile.
If he was just going to let things play out the same way as the original storyline, then what was the point of having memories of it and the system in the first place?
"Let's go, Minato." Haruki patted his head before walking ahead.
Minato slowly lowered his hand, a hint of reluctance on his face. Even though they had only met that day, he had unexpectedly bonded with the trio.
"Sensei, when do you think I'll see them again?" Minato asked, following behind Haruki with an eager expression.
Although he was only ten, he understood the situation of the three all too well. The Hidden Rain Village was always caught in war, and once Jiraiya left, there was no telling if they'd even survive.
"We will meet again, for sure," Haruki replied with a smile.
If everything went according to the original storyline, there would be no possibility for him to meet the trio again as Minato and Kushina both died in the Nine-Tails Rebellion.
"Minato, you're getting quite the deal by becoming my student," Haruki sighed, smiling as he spoke.
"Huh? Sensei, what do you mean by that?" Minato asked, confused. He wondered if Haruki was referring to his reputation as a genius medical ninja, someone par with Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin.
But something told him that wasn't what Haruki meant.
Haruki simply smiled and didn't explain. Instead, he shifted the conversation to their B-rank mission.
"The bandits are hiding in Stormcrest Mountain in the Land of Fire. The terrain is narrow, making it easy to defend but hard to attack. Your task is to come up with a relatively safe route."
"Wait....me?" Minato pointed at himself, surprised.
"Of course, you," Haruki said with a grin. "If you want that 50,000 ryo, you gotta earn it. Now, get to it. You have one day."
Minato nodded and pulled out a map and pen from his pouch, quickly finding Stormcrest Mountain and sketching a route.
Haruki raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. 'He actually brought a map?'
He had only been messing with Minato to see how he'd react. After all, the kid was just tagging along.
After a while, Minato set down his pen and handed the map to Haruki.
"Not bad." Haruki glanced over it, noting how clear and detailed the route was.
"So, your plan is to scale the steep cliffs of Stormcrest Mountain?"
"Yes, Haruki-sensei." Minato nodded and began explaining. "Their leader is only a Chunin, so under normal circumstances, they wouldn't expect to face a Jonin. That means their main defenses will be concentrated on the northern mountain road."
"The southern cliff is too steep and exposed, making it unsuitable for a large force, so their defenses there will be much weaker."
Minato paused for a moment before flashing a smile. "Of course, you're a Jonin, so sneaking in without them noticing would be easy. This route is actually meant for me."
Hearing this, Haruki shook his head with a smile. Returning the map to him, He rubbed with his hair.
"Ah, Sensi, you are messing my hair" Minato said, trying to get out of his grasp.
"Hahaha, What's there to mess up? They were already messed up" Haruki let go of him, chuckled looking at Minato who looked at him resentfully.
________
An hour later, the towering mountain peaks came into view. The slopes were barren, with no signs of vegetation. Only the peak had a touch of green.
"Sensei, how should we proceed?" Minato asked, pulling out a kunai and scanning the surroundings cautiously.
When he didn't get a response, he turned to the side. "Sensei....huh?"
Haruki was gone.
Minato blinked in confusion before dismissing the idea that Haruki had been taken. Dealing a Jonin without a sound was nearly impossible.
Then, realization dawned on him, and his shoulders slumped. 'Wasn't I just tagging along? Now he's making me complete the mission on my own....'
Haruki landed softly on a tree at the mountain's peak, as light as a bird.
From his vantage point, he spotted eight bandits patrolling the area. Turning his head, he saw Minato moving swiftly between the mountain walls.
A thin layer of chakra coated Minato's body, allowing him to blend seamlessly with the rocky surface, like a chameleon. If someone wasn't paying close attention, they'd barely notice him.
A few minutes later, Minato reached the top of the mountain. He crouched behind a protruding rock, staying still as he carefully observed the guards' positions.
After a brief pause, he sprang into action.
Leaping into the air, he stretched out his hands and sent eight kunai flying. A second later, muffled groans echoed as the bandits collapsed one by one, all killed by precise strikes to the throat. Minato landed smoothly and let out a breath of relief. But there was no time to stop.
Without hesitation, he sprinted forward, and soon, four white, two-story buildings came into view.
Minato quickly estimated the number of people inside, then paused for a moment before moving toward a tree near the wooden house. His gaze locked onto the largest building in the center.
Closing his eyes, he focused, sensing faint traces of chakra within.
Keeping his breathing steady and his movements minimal, he cautiously made his way toward the wooden house in the middle.
Maybe it was because this was their base camp, or maybe the bandits were just overconfident—either way, there were no patrols moving back and forth.
Using the blind spots in the guards' vision, Minato quickly set up a simple trap by intertwining iron wire with kunai. Then, reaching into his bag, he pulled out three black pellets and swiftly tossed them into the sky.
A moment later, three sharp pops echoed through the air, followed by a blinding flash that lit up the mountaintop.
Without wasting a second, he formed hand seals.
"Who's there?!" A ninja in a black robe was the first to rush out. He had sensed the chakra fluctuations from the flash bomb, but the sudden burst of intense light forced his eyes shut instinctively.
Minato stopped forming seals and took a deep breath. A moment later, a blazing red dragon surged from his mouth, roaring through the air.
But instead of targeting the ninja directly, the flames swept toward the nearby wooden buildings. Within moments, the entire base camp was consumed by fire.
Screams and frantic shouts filled the air and then, with a flash, Minato was gone.
At the same moment, Minato flicked his right hand, and the buried kunai shot out from the ground, spinning wildly as they formed a deadly arc toward the middle-aged ninja.
Hearing the sharp whistle of the wind, the ninja reacted instantly, dodging the kunais. The kunais embedded themselves exactly where he had been standing.
"Where are you hiding, you damn rat?!" he roared, his face twisted with rage.
The sudden assault had completely caught him off guard. He had barely blinked, yet everything had already spiraled into chaos.
His eyes darted around, searching for Minato, but the scene was a mess. Panicked bandits ran in all directions, making it nearly impossible to pick out his attacker.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to think clearly. 'Whoever did this doesn't want to fight me head-on. That means they are weaker than me.'
With that thought, he immediately began forming hand seals. His priority was to put out the fire before things got worse.
But just as he was about to release his jutsu, an odd sound caught his attention. He quickly turned his head and saw one of the fallen kunai burning silently with a detonating tag.
"Fuck!"
For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze.
Then, in an instant, the flames collapsed inward before erupting in a violent explosion. Waves of heat rippled across the mountaintop, merging with the inferno created by the Dragon Fire Technique. Within seconds, the entire area was engulfed in a sea of flames.
Minato wasted no time, swiftly eliminating the remaining bandits. By the time he was done, not a single one was left alive. The entire group had been wiped out.
After reading the mission details and learning about their crimes, he felt no hesitation in carrying out the execution.
Just then, Haruki appeared with a satisfied smile on his face.
"Sensei," Minato greeted, walking up to him slightly out of breath as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Not bad," Haruki nodded with a satisfied smile.
Hearing the praise, a tired but genuine smile appeared on Minato's face.
He scratched the back of his head and said humbly, "They were just a bunch of bandits, Sensei."
Haruki raised an eyebrow at Minato's reaction.
Then, with a mischievous grin, he turned to face the thick smoke and pointed toward a group of Sand Ninjas approaching them.
"The bandits were weaklings, sure. But what about the Sand Village ninjas?"
His gaze swept over the shinobi gradually surrounding the mountain. Resting a hand on Minato's shoulder, he smirked. "So, what do you think?"
"..." Minato's face went blank as he took in the approaching enemy force.
Not only were they numerous, but they also looked highly skilled.
"Sensei, let's get out of here," he said immediately, choosing the most logical course of action.
But Haruki did not move. Instead, his grin widened.
"Now, it is my turn to put on a show. Watch closely. This will not take long."
________________________
Soldiers, keep the story moving forward with your [Power Stones]
Support me at patreon.com/SparkyXD and read upto 10 Advanced Chapters