Starting Over As Minato

As Minato and Rukia arrived at the Hokage's office, the cheers of Konoha's civilians faded behind them. Rukia's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she took in her surroundings, her gaze sweeping across the spacious room filled with scrolls, documents, and the Hokage's emblem on the wall.

She turned to Minato, tilting her head slightly. "Brother Minato, is this where you work?"

Minato smiled and nodded, watching her take in everything with fascination. Then, a thought struck him. He glanced at Rukia and asked, "By the way, do you still have your powers?"

Rukia blinked her bright violet eyes. "Powers?" She paused, as if assessing herself. "Yes, I do. But something strange has been happening… Ever since I arrived in this world, I've felt an unfamiliar force restoring my lost Reiryoku."

As she spoke, a slender katana appeared in her hand, snowflake patterns shimmering along the blade. Minato immediately recognized it—Sode no Shirayuki. His suspicions were confirmed. This had to be the system's doing. After all, Rukia was a reward from the system elf—naturally, the system had to ensure she remained strong.

Then, Rukia continued, her voice thoughtful. "I think my spiritual pressure has reached captain-level… I can even use Bankai now."

Minato's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, you can use Bankai?"

Rukia nodded, seemingly unfazed. "Yes. Ever since I got here, I somehow understand how to use it."

Minato exhaled, shaking his head with a small smile. Of course, the system had granted her Bankai proficiency. That thing was ridiculously efficient. If Rukia could fully unleash her Bankai, her strength would easily rival—or even surpass—the top-tier Kage-level shinobi.

With that realization, Minato's gaze softened. *Not only is she my personal maid, but she's also an absolute powerhouse. Talk about a perfect bodyguard.*

Just as he was contemplating what tasks he could entrust Rukia with in the future, a knock sounded at the door.

Minato adjusted his posture and sat upright in the Hokage's chair. "Come in."

The door creaked open, revealing an Anbu kunoichi wearing a rabbit mask. Her long purple hair flowed over her shoulders, and her slim yet athletic figure was unmistakable.

Minato immediately recognized her. *Uzuki Yugao…*

He remembered her from his past life's memories of *Naruto*. She was the Anbu swordswoman who had once been deeply in love with Moonlight Hayate. A brief pang of nostalgia hit him, but he quickly refocused as Yugao knelt on one knee before him.

"Hokage-sama," she reported calmly. "Kakashi's team encountered an attack from Orochimaru in the Forest of Death."

Minato's expression darkened. *Orochimaru?*

His mind quickly raced through the possibilities. *Why is Orochimaru here? Is this because of my resurrection? Did my return cause a butterfly effect on the timeline?*

But then another thought crossed his mind. Even if the story had changed, so what? He wasn't worried. In this world—where even Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were considered legendary—he was already an existence that could stand toe-to-toe with them.

And if things really got troublesome, well… he had Rukia's Bankai as backup now.

Turning his gaze back to Yugao, he nodded. "Understood. You're dismissed."

Yugao bowed. "Yes, Hokage-sama." Then, with a flicker, she vanished.

As soon as she left, Minato turned to Rukia, a small smirk on his lips. "Want to come with me?"

Rukia's eyes lit up with excitement. "Of course!"

She had only been in this world for a few hours, and other than walking around Konoha, she hadn't seen much of it yet. More importantly, she was eager to see what ninja combat was really like. How did these shinobi compare to Soul Reapers?

Before Minato could say anything else, she had already vanished in a flash of movement.

Minato chuckled. "Eager, huh?" Then, in a blur of golden light, he disappeared as well.

—

The Forest of Death loomed before them, dense and ominous.

Just as Minato arrived, the crisp voice of the system elf rang in his mind:

**Ding! Sign-in location detected. Would you like to sign in?**

Minato mentally responded, **Sign in.**

**Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained: Curse Seal Technique.**

Minato raised an eyebrow as the knowledge of the technique flowed into his mind. The Curse Seal was Orochimaru's creation, capable of forcibly enhancing a shinobi's power. However, it wasn't particularly useful to him. *Maybe I'll pass it on to my subordinates later.*

Shaking his head, he refocused on the battlefield.

A figure in a long, flowing robe with snake-like eyes stood in the distance—Orochimaru. Around him, injured genin littered the ground, including Sasuke, Sakura, and a battle-worn Kakashi.

Minato's lips curled into a smirk. *Well, well… looks like it's time for round two.*

Beside him, Rukia's violet eyes gleamed with interest. The battle was just about to begin.

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