Naruto : Minato back to the past

The Flying Thunder God Jutsu, by itself, does not possess any offensive capabilities. It is the ultimate auxiliary ninjutsu, usable by anyone who masters it. Minato became famous in the ninja world for his use of it, but the Flying Thunder God has an obvious flaw: it requires a marked location for space-time travel. To address this, Minato imprinted the mark on special kunai, which became essential in battle.

This doesn't mean that without the kunai, Minato's Flying Thunder God Jutsu cannot be performed, but it would undoubtedly limit his mobility, and when facing opponents with similar abilities, his advantage would be significantly reduced.

For instance, in his battle against A, the son of the Third Raikage of the Cloud Village, and Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, both of whom excelled in speed, Minato had only a slight edge. It was by no means an easy victory. This was because, during the second round of their fight, they had seen through the flaws of the Flying Thunder God.

Then there was the masked man who controlled the Nine-Tails to attack the village. The space-time technique he used didn't seem to require any spatial coordinates, making it even superior to the Flying Thunder God. Although Minato used the second stage of the Flying Thunder God and his speed to defeat him, it was still challenging to finish him off.

Moreover, such a tactic could only work once. If they fought again, the opponent would certainly not fall for the same trick.

The masked man's ability to become intangible puzzled Minato, but he suspected it might be related to the space-time ninjutsu he used. The man had the Sharingan, and Minato speculated that this space-time technique could be a type of dojutsu inherent to the Sharingan.

Minato had once guessed that this man might be Uchiha Madara, but he had dismissed the idea himself. The reason was simple: even if Uchiha Madara hadn't died at the hands of the First Hokage, given the timeline, he would now be over 80 years old. A ninja of that age, even someone as formidable as Uchiha Madara, couldn't possibly fight on equal footing with him while also controlling the Nine-Tails.

Moreover, if that man were indeed Uchiha Madara, it wouldn't be surprising for him to know about the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. After all, the Uchiha and Senju clans had a long history of conflict before the founding of Konoha.

However, if that were the case, how could Uchiha Madara have fallen into his trap so easily?

This was Uchiha Madara, after all. Although he had been suppressed by the First Hokage in his time, he was undoubtedly one of the most powerful figures in the ninja world. The First Hokage had pacified the chaotic times with Madara's help.

Minato certainly wasn't arrogant enough to think he was superior to Uchiha Madara, whether in strength, combat experience, or life experience.

So the masked man couldn't be Uchiha Madara, but it was also true that he could subdue the Nine-Tails with his ocular power. Such ocular power could only be possessed by the Mangekyō Sharingan, which is stronger than the regular Sharingan.

Moreover, Minato didn't believe that even an ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan could extract the Nine-Tails while it was still sealed within Kushina.

To deal with this mysterious figure, Minato sealed the Nine-Tails within Naruto. He believed that the child, named by Jiraiya, might be the savior foretold by the Great Toad Sage.

But now, Minato had returned to the past, retaining all the memories of his previous life and the chakra of the Nine-Tails. Thus, he was determined to restore his former level of power and continue developing the Rasengan.

The Great Toad Sage had once said that Minato might be able to avert the coming disaster ahead of time. This was the most significant change for Minato since his return, and he still believed that the masked man would bring calamity to the ninja world.

In other words, Minato knew he might have to face the masked man again in this life. In this battle, he would not only need to defeat him but also ensure his complete destruction.

Although Minato didn't know when he would face the masked man again, he had no intention of waiting idly. He already had some ideas and would begin investigating them after the Ninja War was over.

Therefore, before facing the masked man again, he needed not only to regain his former strength but also to surpass it. Improving both the Rasengan and the Flying Thunder God Jutsu was imperative.

The two Minatos smiled at each other.

"Since we're both thinking along the same lines, doesn't that mean the two of us can work together to develop and improve our ninjutsu?" the younger Minato asked with a smile.

The older Minato smiled faintly and replied, "Yes."

These two could be considered one person, yet they were also two independent individuals. Although the older Minato's soul was extremely weak, it still had its own essence.

Minato's talent alone had been praised by Jiraiya and others as being nearly unparalleled—a genius of almost impossible potential. If these two joined forces, what heights could Minato's achievements reach in the future?

"When can I get out of this state?" the younger Minato asked. He was now in his own soul space and couldn't exit on his own.

The older Minato replied, "You've overused your chakra, and many of your muscles have ruptured. The tissues throughout your body are also damaged. But with the power of the Nine-Tails, you should fully recover in a few hours, and then you can leave."

The younger Minato nodded, and with time to spare, he discussed with his older self the further development of the Rasengan and Flying Thunder God Jutsu. There was no need for lengthy explanations between them—they shared the same experiences, knowledge, and the same drive to develop ninjutsu. What had once been a solitary effort now became far more effective with two minds working together.

After several hours, Minato's "body" began to fade gradually.

"It seems your body's repair is complete," the older Minato said with a smile.

The younger Minato nodded and said, "I look forward to our next meeting."

"I don't really hope you'll need to see me again soon," the older Minato replied.

The younger Minato understood. He was only able to come here because he had overused his chakra, leaving his body weak and damaged. No one would want to face such a dangerous situation, but sometimes, it was unavoidable.

As Minato withdrew from his consciousness space, everything went dark. However, the darkness didn't last long, and he soon felt a weight on his body.

Slowly, he opened his heavy eyelids. The dim, yellow light wasn't as blinding as before, allowing him to adjust.

"You're awake," came Mikoto's familiar voice, tinged with relief.

In Minato's vision, he saw not only Mikoto but also Nawaki, Suzuka, and even Uchiha Yoruki surrounding him.

In a slightly hoarse voice, he asked, "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Twelve hours," Mikoto answered immediately, but then she added in a mutter, "Lady Tsunade clearly said that with your condition, you should have been unconscious for at least three days."

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