Naruto : Minato back to the past

For two consecutive days, the Konoha team searched nearly every corner of the Sand Village for locations suitable for the growth of Desert Sorrow but found nothing.

The few remaining possible locations were near the Sand Ninja Kazekage Building. The Kazekage Building was heavily guarded, and the main road leading to it was the restricted area the Sand Ninja had mentioned earlier.

Anyone who set foot on it without permission, even civilians, would be killed without mercy.

However, they couldn't afford any more delays. They had at most one day left before they had to leave the Sand Village, or their prolonged stay would arouse suspicion.

Even with Sakumo's abilities, approaching the area during the day would be impossible. Therefore, tonight was their last chance.

As the sun slowly dipped below the horizon and the world returned to night, with the bright moon hanging high, the Konoha group gathered in their residence. Sakumo, Minato, Hyuga Kyusugi, and Suzuka removed their disguises.

The four exchanged glances before Minato formed hand seals. When the seals were complete, he pressed his palm against his abdomen. His hands didn't stop there—they became a blur of afterimages as he pressed his hands on Suzuka's abdomen next.

The chakra hidden in Suzuka's body suddenly surged through her meridians like a spring.

However, due to Hyuga Kyusugi's Gentle Fist acupuncture, the chakra flow was currently blocked. Yet, this level of acupuncture couldn't trap Suzuka.

With her chakra seal released, she concentrated and forced the blocked acupuncture points open. At the same time, she made hand seals, causing visible sealing patterns to fill the room, creating a barrier.

"Alright, let's begin," Suzuka said after setting up the barrier. At this point, she no longer feared being overheard by outsiders. The barrier not only concealed their presence but also blocked sound, just as Suzuka had intended.

She was the first to remove her seal because she knew how to set up a chakra-sensor-blocking barrier.

Minato, having regained his chakra, silently praised Suzuka's technique. Apart from the Uzumaki clan's methods, Suzuka's barrier was considered a high-level one in fuinjutsu.

Sand Village, as the weakest of the five great ninja villages, lacked not only economic strength and military power but also a variety of ninjutsu and secret techniques compared to Konoha. After all, Konoha was founded by the two most powerful clans in the ninja world, the Uchiha and Senju.

 Additionally, the village housed strong clans like the Hyuga, Sarutobi, Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi, which cemented Konoha's position as the top ninja village—one that no other could easily rival.

After Suzuka finished erecting the barrier, Minato used his chakra to open the blocked acupuncture points in his own body. Suppressing his chakra for the past few days had been uncomfortable. He then unsealed Sakumo, Hyuga Kyusugi, Mikoto, and Yamanaka Kanha.

While Mikoto needed Hyuga Kyusugi to release her acupuncture points, the others managed to break through on their own. They were now prepared to act.

"Mikoto, Kanha, you two will stay here while we go search for Desert Sorrow," Minato said. Over the past few days, they not only explored almost every part of the Sand Village but also observed the timing of the Sand Ninja's shift changes.

The four of them would take this opportunity to sneak onto the main road and search for Desert Sorrow. Among the six, Mikoto's mobility was the weakest, making her more likely to be discovered. Yamanaka Kanha had the ability to kill invisibly, so if Mikoto encountered danger, Kanha could protect them without exposing their presence.

Both Mikoto and Kanha nodded in agreement.

Of the four, Sakumo was the strongest, Suzuka had sensory abilities, and Minato was fast enough to assist Hyuga Kyusugi in instantly disabling any enemies.

With this combination, except for the Kazekage, no other ninja in the Sand Village could stop them. Now, they just had to wait for the right moment.

As the night deepened, the Konoha group continued chatting as usual to lull any potential observers. Then, at a certain moment, all four noticed subtle movements from the surrounding houses—movements that would have gone unnoticed by ordinary people but were obvious to Jonin-level ninjas.

"Move!" Sakumo ordered as he suddenly opened his eyes.

Swish! The figures of Minato and the others vanished from the room instantly. Suzuka placed her index and middle fingers together, forming a cross in front of her face.

This wasn't a hand seal, but a method of focusing her mind. She was sensing the positions of nearby Sand Ninjas, leading the Konoha group as they dodged them continuously. At the same time, she had to stay alert for Sand Ninja sensory units, which required her full concentration.

Although Minato's sensor abilities had recovered during their training, he refrained from using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu unless absolutely necessary to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

Thanks to their combined skills and Suzuka's guidance, their progress was smooth. However, as they neared the main road, their pace slowed considerably. They knew that if Desert Sorrow grew anywhere, it would be well-guarded, especially near the Kazekage Building.

Swish! Under the cover of darkness, the four reached a house on the side of the Sand Ninja's main road and concealed themselves beneath the eaves.

This was one of the few places in the Sand Village still illuminated late at night. The Kazekage Building, the office of the Third Kazekage, was nearby.

Once there, Suzuka narrowed her sensory range to just a few meters to avoid detection by the guards and the Kazekage himself. After all, he was not only the leader of the village but one of the strongest ninjas in the world.

As they gradually approached the Kazekage Building, the group grew more alert, making it increasingly difficult to proceed. At this critical moment, an unexpected voice echoed in Minato's mind—his adult self speaking from within.

"Open your senses and feel the natural energy."

Minato was taken aback and responded inwardly, "But I haven't mastered Sage Mode yet."

In the past, Minato had learned Sage Mode, but since his chakra reserves weren't particularly large, and due to his preferred fighting style, he rarely used it. The voice from deep within his soul spoke again.

"The Nine-Tails' chakra naturally senses the flow of natural energy!"

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