Chapter 1 I Died.
Konoha Year 49.
Kiyohara's face was grim.
He was likely going to die.
He repeatedly looked at the mission request in his hand. No matter how he looked at it, the content was to reinforce Minato's team, and the location was Kannabi Bridge!
He was actually a transmigrator. Since awakening his innate wisdom after transmigrating, Kiyohara had been cautiously hiding, wanting to live longer.
He never expected to receive this "certain death" mission again.
How was he supposed to complete the mission on this battlefield where everything was thriving and full of life?
The Battle of Kannabi Bridge was a certain death sentence for him.
This mission was strange from beginning to end.
The opposing team consisted of three elite Jonin who had fought countless battles, one of whom, Hikari, a Jonin from Iwagakure, was considered one of the strongest.
The Konoha team consisted of a newly promoted Jonin, Kakashi, and Chunin Nohara Rin and Obito.
During this process, Minato Namikaze needed to go to the front line to support, which meant that it would be one Jonin leading two Chunin against three elite Jonin.
This... was it reasonable?
Kiyohara would have just been another cannon fodder in the past. Even Kakashi, who developed an S-rank Lightning Release ninjutsu at the age of 12, couldn't grasp the depths of this place.
And now, he's merely a genin.
It's common knowledge that the difference between people can sometimes be greater than that between dogs.
Some genin fights can shatter the Valley of the End with their aftershocks.
Others, like him, are just cannon fodder filling in the gaps on the battlefield.
"What's wrong, Kiyohara?"
Nohara Rin asked, looking puzzled.
A few strands of her short black hair brushed against the purple paint on her face as she spoke.
Why did Kiyohara's expression turn so sour after receiving the mission to reinforce them?
This mission was led by Minato, the fastest ninja in the world; it should have been a sure thing.
"No, it's nothing."
Kiyohara shook his head.
He looked up at the pretty girl, who wore a light pink skirt tied around her waist, a black top, and tight over-the-knee socks.
"Don't worry, I'll protect everyone on this mission."
A blond youth approached with a gentle smile.
"I believe in Lord Minato."
Kiyohara nodded.
Could he not believe him?
Minato Namikaze was currently at the height of his power; even ninjas from other villages would choose to abandon their missions without any punishment upon seeing him.
Yet, even Minato, known as the fastest ninja in the world, never caught up with anything in his entire life, always one step behind disaster.
"That's right, with Minato-sensei here, this mission will definitely be alright."
Obito walked over, resting his head on his hand, and stood next to Rin Nohara, grinning foolishly.
Behind them, a white-haired boy wearing a black mask stood, his indifferent eyes seemingly uninterested in anything.
Kiyohara quietly watched this scene of teacher-student harmony.
After this battle, Nohara Rin will be captured by the Hidden Mist ninja, and Obito will eventually turn to the dark side, going to Konoha to stage a grand display of filial piety, personally giving Naruto a gift of explosive tags.
So, how is he supposed to live now?
People's joys and sorrows are not shared; Kiyohara only found their noise bothersome.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the others, Kiyohara left.
But just as he was pondering whether to write a will in advance and plan his estate, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Willbook activated.]
[Willbook: With you as the anchor, countless possibilities will extend from the future.]
[Please check your will and urn, and properly bury your belongings.]
A synthesized female voice reverberated in Kiyohara's mind.
"Wait, I'm going to die in the future?"
Kiyohara couldn't hold back any longer.
He knew he couldn't go to Kannabi Bridge; they'd even sent him his urn!
"An urn?"
Just as Kiyohara was about to ask where the urn was, a phantom image of an urn suddenly appeared in his mind.
It bore the Konoha symbol, crossed with a horizontal line.
Kiyohara sensed something was wrong.
Wait… why does this look like a rogue ninja?
"When you hear these words, I will already be dead. What follows should be my last words…"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
Kiyohara was startled, realizing that a phantom spirit had floated out of the urn in his mind.
The spirit looked seven or eight parts like him, resembling a middle-aged version of himself.
His face was weathered, and he wore a ninja headband with a horizontal line drawn on his forehead.
A rogue ninja!
"You are… the dead me? And you defected?"
Kiyohara thought of the description in the will.
Using him as a time anchor, countless possibilities extended into the future.
A rogue ninja, was that also a possibility for his future?
"More or less. As you can see, I am currently just a rogue ninja."
The rogue ninja Kiyohara pointed to his ninja headband.
"When… no, when did you defect?"
Kiyohara asked.
This was just one of his infinite future possibilities, not necessarily meaning he would definitely defect.
"A few years after this war ends."
The rogue ninja Kiyohara's words were tinged with melancholy.
"Why?"
Kiyohara inquired.
"Naturally, it's to advance further. In the ninja world, ninja clans rely on bloodlines, while commoners rely on mutations. I can only become stronger by joining Orochimaru," said the rogue ninja Kiyohara.
Kiyohara fell silent in response.
This was typical of the ninja world.
In the ninja world, gold shines, but unfortunately, as a commoner ninja, he was just a nobody.
It was common knowledge that in the ninja world, powerful strength was only passed down through mother-to-child transmission, mentorship, and blood.
If you had none of those, you could only pray for good fortune and burn incense for the Sage of Six Paths.
"So how did you die?"
Kiyohara asked, concerned.
"I was blown up by an explosive tag."
"..."
A rather abrupt death.
Kiyohara guessed that many people died this way.
"At least it proves I survived the Kannabi Bridge mission. Can you tell me the details?"
Kiyohara asked.
Although he had a premonition of the plot, any butterfly effect could lead to different developments.
"No, I didn't receive that mission," said the rogue ninja Kiyohara.
"I spent most of my time doing logistics."
"?"
Kiyohara's eyes widened.
Doesn't that mean his future is like the people in the "Limited Tsukuyomi"—not only will he change, but other people and events will also change?
Could there be a "Kiyohara of the Anbu" or a "Kiyohara of the Hokage" in the future?
"What are your belongings?"
Kiyohara remembered that there would be belongings in the urn, and he was curious what else was inside.
Was there only a spirit?
"As for belongings… maybe it's me. I can still exist for a while, and I can teach you some ninjutsu," the rogue ninja Kiyohara said.
"However, I probably won't last too long. I also have a 'Book of Last Words,' but I awakened it too late. After I died, it was packaged up and sent to other versions of myself," the rogue ninja Kiyohara said.
He explained his understanding of the "Book of Last Words" to Kiyohara, seemingly suggesting that fulfilling the deceased's last wishes would grant a certain boost to the deceased's power.
(End of Chapter)