Chapter Ninety-Five: Clear in One’s Own Mind

Listening to Minato’s words, Uchiha Li felt an increasing sense of strangeness in his heart. According to Minato, the mission he had received was to seal the Ryumyaku in Roran. In the original storyline, Minato should have sealed away his memories of this journey at the end. Because it involved time travel, Minato didn’t want Naruto to be affected by it. Yet now, something had changed in the Ryumyaku mission; Minato had even recorded information about Terra at that time.

“Could it be that because the outcome of the Nine-Tails incident changed, Naruto’s Ryumyaku journey was altered as well?” Uchiha Li speculated inwardly, though he kept these thoughts to himself. These guesses might not be reliable, and sometimes only concrete evidence could confirm them.

Meanwhile, Minato continued explaining in detail: “If it weren’t for the recent instability in the Ryumyaku seal, I wouldn’t have gone back to look over my old mission report to check if there had been any issues during the sealing. And if I hadn’t looked for that report, I wouldn’t have realized I had already come into contact with Terra back then. Since my past self deliberately tried to forget these events but still left a record, something significant must have happened.”

After pausing for a moment, Minato said, “As Hokage, it’s difficult for me to leave and handle the Ryumyaku myself, so this mission will have to fall to you.”

Uchiha Li nodded. “Understood.”

He found himself rather curious about this mission, not just because of the mention of Terra in the Ryumyaku. There was another point: the revival of Terra was nearing a bottleneck. As mentioned before, Terra’s revival required the absorption of a vast amount of energy. However, due to ‘digestion’ issues, he needed to find a source of energy that could be absorbed steadily and over a long period, which was why he eventually chose the Grail Stone.

At first, Uchiha Li had considered the Ryumyaku. But because the Ryumyaku could become unstable, and its chakra functioned as a whole, he had given up on that idea. Now, however, he had successfully transplanted the cells of the First Hokage. While he couldn’t wield infinite power like the Eternal Mangekyo, he wasn’t far off. As long as he handled it carefully, he was confident he could transfer the Ryumyaku into Terra.

With the revival of Terra approaching a new bottleneck, Uchiha Li knew he had to make preparations. Once that point was reached, he would need a massive amount of chakra to break through. Although the remaining Grail Stone within Terra should suffice, he understood the value of being prepared. Even if he didn’t need it this time, it could be useful for future breakthroughs.

“Then I’ll have you lead the team this time,” Minato said after a moment’s thought. “You’ll carry out this mission together with Kakashi.”

With the rediscovery of the old notes, Minato had learned a few things from them. During his Ryumyaku mission years ago, he had apparently brought Kakashi along, but in the end, everyone’s memories had been sealed, leaving only that mission report. The reasons were still unclear, so to be safe, Minato decided Kakashi should accompany Uchiha Li. With the two of them together, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Uchiha Li had no objection to Minato’s arrangement. He exchanged a word with Kakashi, and the two of them left the Hokage’s office together.

…

Land of Wind, endless desert.

Uchiha Li and Kakashi, both draped in cloaks to shield themselves from the sandstorm, pressed forward against the biting wind. Three days had passed since Minato had given them the mission. In those three days, they had hurried relentlessly, finally arriving at the desert ruins where Roran once stood.

At first, Uchiha Li had assumed Roran had not yet been destroyed at this point in time, since only a few years had passed since Minato sealed the Ryumyaku. Unexpectedly, after inquiring along the way, they learned that Roran had been wiped out by a mysterious force three years ago and no longer existed.

Braving the scorching desert, they suddenly came upon a cluster of ruined buildings. Most of the structures were already buried by sand, with only the highest points still faintly visible.

Kakashi suddenly tugged Uchiha Li’s sleeve and pointed ahead. “Is that the place we’re looking for?”

Uchiha Li focused his gaze, then nodded. “It should be.”

Once confirmed, the two quickened their pace, finally reaching the outskirts of the ruins. Before they could take in their surroundings, a girl about their age suddenly appeared, running straight toward them.

“Is she looking for us?” Uchiha Li wondered. The red-haired girl was exquisitely pretty, but he was certain he didn’t know her. He exchanged a glance with Kakashi, and the two became alert. Since they didn’t recognize her, she could be an enemy. Even though there was no chakra fluctuation from her, they couldn’t let their guard down.

The girl drew closer and closer. Just as Uchiha Li and Kakashi were about to issue a warning, the girl spoke first: “Guide of Terra, I have been waiting for you for a long time.”

By some strange coincidence, her words were directed firmly at Uchiha Li, without the slightest hesitation.

Uchiha Li froze where he stood, momentarily unable to react. Those words should not, could not, have been spoken in this place. Yet from her expression and tone, she seemed to have foreseen this moment and had been waiting here. Her aim was obvious—she must have known his identity beforehand. But why?

No matter how he puzzled, Uchiha Li could not fathom it, and there was another pressing concern—Kakashi.

At that moment, Kakashi was staring at him, disbelief writ large across his face. Clearly, Kakashi had deduced something, since the situation was so blatant and direct.

Pressing his lips together, Uchiha Li said to Kakashi, “If I say this is all a misunderstanding, will you believe me?”

“What do you think? I’m not an idiot,” Kakashi replied, his eyes narrowing, his expression complicated.

Never would he have imagined that Terra, so notorious in the past two years, was right beside him all along.

Uchiha Li hadn’t anticipated such an unexpected situation and could only sigh. “All right, I’ll explain everything to you later.”

Kakashi nodded, not pursuing the matter further. He didn’t understand why Uchiha Li was the so-called Guide of Terra, but based on Uchiha Li’s previous conduct, he was willing to listen to his explanation.

For now, Uchiha Li set aside the issue with Kakashi and turned to the girl, asking in a serious tone, “Who are you, and why are you here? How do you know my identity?”

The red-haired girl smiled, stepped lightly to stand before Uchiha Li, and answered earnestly, “My name is Sara. I am here because I must wait for you.”

She paused, a sly look appearing on her face. “As for how I know your identity, Li, I think you should be more aware of it than I am.”

“I should know myself…” Hearing this, Uchiha Li began to form a few guesses. If he remembered correctly, Sara was the name of Roran’s queen. In that case, could it be that…