Naruto: Flash Reborn — Minato’s Second Life

"Why?"

The sudden command from Sakumo Hatake left everyone astonished.

"No questions asked."

That was how Sakumo Hatake put it. Whether it was genin like Nawaki and Sarutobi Ao, or Ninja Academy students like Minato and Kushina, they all had to obey the command unconditionally.

Secrecy was one of the ninja's core principles. Even Kushina—who had a reputation for being slow on the uptake—understood that perfectly.

Hearing those words, Minato frowned deeply. He couldn't understand the reason behind either the village's design of the Chakra Aptitude Trial or Sakumo's orders.

Besides, for him personally, passing the Chakra Aptitude Trial wasn't that important. What mattered more was whether the Third acknowledged him as someone qualified to be Kushina's protector.

But in any case, he had given it his best effort. Even if he failed this time, he wouldn't give up.

Minato would never step back—this was for the sake of granting Kushina as much freedom as possible.

"Alright, let's go."

Ignoring everyone's confusion, Sakumo Hatake led them away from the tower located at the heart of the Forest of Death.

Shshsh!

Within the Forest of Death, twenty figures dashed through the trees. At the forefront, Sakumo Hatake guided their straight path through the dense forest.

They had spent three days here, and everyone knew well how many fierce beasts lurked within the Forest of Death—some that even real ninjas would find troublesome.

Nawaki, Minato, and others had encountered these creatures before, so they moved with extreme caution, taking every precaution to avoid conflict.

Along the way, they did run into some seemingly ferocious beasts, but unlike previous encounters, these creatures immediately fled as though running for their lives.

Most people assumed this was because of their large group size, yet only a dozen or so elites—including Minato, Yan Uchiha, and Nawaki—understood the true reason: it was entirely due to Sakumo Hatake leading at the front.

There was an indescribable aura radiating from Sakumo's presence. Many creatures in nature have instincts far superior to humans; sensing this overwhelming pressure, they naturally retreated.

This was true strength—unmatched in Konoha except by the Third Hokage himself. Even the legendary Three Elders felt dwarfed in his presence!

As Minato gazed at Sakumo's back, his expression flickered with determination. One day, he too would become a figure like Sakumo—or perhaps, even surpass him.

He would become Hokage—to protect Konoha, Kushina, his loved ones, and everything he held dear!

This time, he absolutely would not fail again!

"Hmm? Why am I having these thoughts all of a sudden?" At this moment, Minato softly murmured to himself.

Didn't he say something similar to Kushina last time—that no one would ever take her away from him again?

It felt strangely misplaced—almost ridiculous.

"What's wrong, Minato?" Kushina noticed his distraction and quickly approached to ask.

Shaking his head slightly, Minato chuckled and said, "Nothing at all."

His vague response raised Kushina's suspicions. Even though she usually didn't catch on easily, when it came to matters involving Minato, she always seemed unusually sharp.

Mikoto smiled too, just like Minato and Kushina—who always seemed able to sense each other's unusual states in an instant.

Such a feeling truly was quite strange and wonderful...

...

When everyone finally emerged from the Forest of Death, which had been unbearably suffocating, the sun was just setting. Gentle light bathed the earth, as if it could wash away all darkness and ill omens.

At that moment, another group approached.

It was also a team of about a dozen people, including several Genin and even students from the Ninja Academy.

A female Genin separated from her group and walked toward them.

"Hey, Shurou, you guys got eliminated too? That doesn't make sense!" The kunoichi said directly upon seeing them.

Her eyes were filled with deep surprise because she saw Nawaki and Sarutobi Ao among their group.

These two were supposed to be the strongest in their entire graduating class.

"Eh..."

Shurou blinked, unsure how to respond, then turned back to look at Sakumo Hatake.

"The test has ended. Hurry back and rest," Sakumo stepped forward and told the Genin.

Then, the girl could only leave disappointed.

Sakumo led them out of this area before leaving himself, and soon everyone gradually dispersed.

"Minato, even though you're already really strong now, I still don't want you surpassing me. Next time we get the chance, we have to spar!" Nawaki said with a smile.

"Me too," Sarutobi Ao quickly chimed in.

Hearing this, Minato managed a wry smile. He glanced sideways—Yan Uchiha's expression remained dark and gloomy; he absolutely couldn't tell whether this guy might suddenly lose control and start a fight here.

However, Yan said nothing and simply turned around and walked off without a word.

Minato felt a bit relieved—he suspected it was probably because many Anbu (Konoha's elite intelligence force) were hiding nearby again.

From the moment Kushina exited the Forest of Death, those people had already been hidden in the shadows.

Minato sighed. Earlier on the way back, Sakumo Hatake had mentioned that notification regarding qualification rewards would come later.

He now wanted to meet the Third Hokage right away and see how he'd react.

Nawaki, Ao, and others gradually went their separate ways, while Kushina was once again taken away by the woman who always picked her up at the academy gates.

Unlike Yan Uchiha, Mikoto did not immediately return to her clan compound, instead following Minato for a brief detour first.

As for Yan Uchiha, Mikoto truly felt some genuine dislike toward him...

...

After separating from Minato and the others, Kushina did not head back to the remote corner of Konoha where she lived.

Instead, she was led to the front of a grand estate located in the central district of Konoha—an estate so impressive that there were likely only a few others like it in the entire village.

"Where are we?"

Kushina asked the woman beside her, who gave no answer but continued leading her into the mansion.

Inside the entrance stretched a rather large courtyard, though the entire estate featured only one passage path—the rest being thickly overgrown with dense trees.

"That's weird."

Kushina noticed with a murmur, this estate owner is extremely strange. No household would plant so many trees within their estate.

Whether it was the corridors, the entranceway, or even inside the rooms, countless small trees and potted plants had been placed everywhere.

It seemed the estate's owner truly loved trees...

In the end, Kushina was led into one of the rooms, and the person who had guided her there left immediately. At this moment, only two servant girls were inside, along with a large bed upon which someone appeared to be lying.

One of the servants stepped forward, taking Kushina's hand and leading her directly toward the big bed...

...

...

I'm really sorry, everyone. It's been taking me longer than usual to finish these chapters lately—I tend to hit a wall every few chapters while working on this book. Today was no different; I struggled for a long time, but when inspiration flows smoothly, I can definitely update more.

Back when I wrote Xuanhuan novels, it was different—I could keep up a faster pace. But I'm still getting used to writing Naruto-style stories now. However, this book will eventually go exclusive, and once that happens, I won't be able to keep up this current pace anymore. I'm trying my best to adjust accordingly.

I still owe you one additional chapter—and I haven't forgotten that.

Lastly, allow me to recommend a wildly imaginative novel—the author's creativity truly blew my mind. Titled [Global Fantasy Overload], this novel might include characters from just about any anime, movie, or TV show you can think of. Warning: Spoilers incoming—and they're *huge*. Consider yourself warned!

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