Starting Over As Minato

Naruto stood his ground, panting as he glared at Orochimaru. His body was covered in dirt, scratches, and sweat, but his fighting spirit hadn't wavered. Orochimaru, watching him with amusement, let out a soft chuckle.

"You really are Minato's child," he mused, tilting his head. "Such an enormous chakra reserve at such a young age… Fascinating."

Naruto, still catching his breath, didn't appreciate the compliment. His eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists.

"What the hell do you want?" he demanded.

Orochimaru smirked. "Oh, nothing much. I simply wish to take in a disciple."

Naruto frowned, his mind racing. There was no way someone like Orochimaru would want a disciple for a good reason.

Just then, a familiar, gentle voice echoed in his mind.

*"Naruto, don't believe him. Orochimaru is lying to you."*

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. *Mom!*

It was Kushina's voice, speaking to him from within.

*"He's got his own motives. Be careful."*

Naruto sighed internally. *Man, it's really great having more people inside my head…*

Another voice cut in—rough and deep.

*"Hmph. Kid, I'll lend you my power,"* the Nine-Tails rumbled.

Naruto nodded in acknowledgment.

*"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Kurama."*

Kushina chuckled softly. *Stay safe, Naruto.* Then her presence faded away.

Kurama's voice remained. *Your mother needs chakra to appear, so she left for now.*

Naruto exhaled sharply. His mind refocused, and his chakra surged outward in a sudden explosion.

A powerful gust of wind blasted through the area, rustling the trees and sending dust into the air. A golden chakra cloak flickered to life around Naruto's body, radiating intense energy.

Orochimaru's expression shifted, his pale features twisting into something between curiosity and wariness.

"…Unbelievable," Orochimaru muttered, his snake-like eyes gleaming. "The so-called 'demon fox brat' has already gained control over the Nine-Tails' power."

His smirk widened, and without hesitation, he launched his attack.

"Ninjutsu—**Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!**"

A swarm of serpents burst forth from Orochimaru's sleeves, lunging toward Naruto with fangs bared.

Naruto leaped to the side, dodging just in time. But he had no advanced techniques—he hadn't even trained under Jiraiya yet. Right now, his strongest move was…

**"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

A massive cloud of smoke exploded across the battlefield. When it cleared, hundreds of identical Narutos stood ready, their eyes locked onto Orochimaru.

"Oh?" Orochimaru's smirk deepened. "Let's see how you handle this, then."

His hands blurred into seals.

**"Summoning Jutsu—Ten Thousand Snakes!"**

The ground cracked and trembled as a tide of slithering, venomous snakes erupted toward Naruto and his clones.

Naruto's eyes widened. *Crap!* He leapt backward, barely evading the onslaught.

Then—

**"Orochimaru, running away already? That's a little rude, don't you think?"**

A calm, confident voice rang out.

Naruto turned, eyes lighting up. "Dad!"

A golden streak flashed onto the battlefield, and Minato Namikaze appeared beside him, his trademark warm smile in place.

Orochimaru stiffened. Sweat dripped down his pale face. His mind raced. *Damn it… He's even stronger than last time.*

Minato grinned. "Long time no see, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru scoffed but forced a polite nod. "Indeed. It has been some time, hasn't it?"

Internally, however, he was screaming. *Damn it, damn it, damn it!* If he could actually win, he'd have already attacked. But against Minato? No chance.

He was about to make his escape when something unexpected happened.

A system notification echoed in Minato's mind.

**[New Sign-in Location Detected: Orochimaru]**

**[Sign-in Reward: Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode]**

Minato's eyes lit up. *Oh?*

"Sign in," he said internally without hesitation.

**[Ding! Sign-in successful. Reward acquired: Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode.]**

Minato barely had time to process what happened before an immense surge of power coursed through his body. He felt an ancient, serpentine energy intertwining with his own chakra.

*Wait a second…* Minato frowned. *Orochimaru doesn't even have Sage Mode yet. How did I—*

Then he shrugged. *Whatever. System logic is beyond me.*

As the new energy settled within him, his appearance began to change. Light green chakra enveloped his form, radiating a strange, eerie power. Two sharp, white horns protruded from his forehead, and faint, scale-like markings appeared on his cheeks. His normally sky-blue eyes transformed into golden slitted pupils, exuding a distinctly reptilian aura.

The chakra around him shimmered, shifting like writhing serpents, coiling and uncoiling in the air.

Naruto stared. "Whoa."

Orochimaru's breath hitched. His face twisted with undisguised shock. "Impossible…! You—you've attained the power of Ryūchi Cave?"

Minato flexed his fingers, feeling the raw vitality of his new Sage Mode. His body pulsed with regenerative energy, unlike the sensory-focused Myōboku Sage Mode.

He smiled.

"It's quite the power boost, I must say."

Rukia, standing nearby, observed him with interest. Her bright purple eyes studied his transformation curiously.

Orochimaru, meanwhile, was already weighing his options.

Fight? No way.

Run? Most definitely.

A sudden explosion echoed from the forest, drawing everyone's attention.

Orochimaru seized the opportunity, giving Minato a smirk. "Well, it seems I'm needed elsewhere."

Minato glanced toward the explosion and smirked back. "Oh? Asking permission to leave?"

Orochimaru didn't answer. His body melted into the ground like a snake shedding its skin.

Minato watched him disappear, shaking his head in amusement. "Typical Orochimaru."

Naruto exhaled sharply, his golden chakra flickering as he relaxed. "That guy's a real pain in the ass…"

Minato turned to his son and ruffled his hair. "You did well, Naruto."

Naruto grinned, but his gaze shifted toward Minato's new form. "So… what's with the whole snake thing, Dad?"

Minato chuckled. "Let's just say I got a little upgrade."

Rukia's voice chimed in. "Minato, that power… it's different from your usual energy. What exactly is it?"

Minato's smile widened as he looked at his hands, still glowing with sage energy.

"I'll explain on the way," he said. "For now, let's see what that explosion was about."

With that, he vanished in a golden flash, with Naruto and Rukia following close behind.