Chapter Ninety-Seven: Paradox and Change

“If the Dragon Vein can truly grant the power to travel through time and space, then if I went back…”

Kakashi’s eyes lit up, and his expression instantly grew excited.

Back to a few years ago, when the Third Great Ninja War had not yet ended. In other words, Obito and Rin would still be alive.

If he rushed back to the Hidden Leaf then, might he be able to prevent the tragedy that had happened?

And if he could go back even earlier, perhaps he could even stop his father’s suicide.

Seeing Kakashi’s reaction, Uchiha Li said calmly, “Calm down, Kakashi. That’s impossible.”

Kakashi could not believe it and asked in doubt, “Why is it impossible? Didn’t we already return to the past?”

“Unfortunately, that is merely wishful thinking on your part.”

Looking at Kakashi seriously, Uchiha Li said, “You need to understand that many things happen for reasons hidden behind them. They are not something you can change just by opening your mouth.”

“Also, try sensing your body carefully. Do you feel that strong sense of rejection?”

“It is because the power of the Dragon Vein has only temporarily brought us back to the Loulan of the past. But once that power fades, or if we leave Loulan’s range, we will immediately return to our original world...”

At his words, Kakashi tried to sense the strange feeling within his body, and the hopeful light in his eyes instantly dimmed.

“How can this be!”

That inexplicable sense of rejection was indeed lurking deep inside him, exactly as Uchiha Li had said.

Right now, he was like a traveler, not belonging to this world at all, merely a fleeting passerby.

After a while, Kakashi came back to himself and asked stubbornly, “What did you mean just now, when you said that what happened has reasons behind it? It seems like you know something.”

“That’s right. There are some things I think you’ve wondered about yourself, especially your father’s suicide.”

From Kakashi’s expression, Uchiha Li could tell that he had already taken the bait.

As he had said, whether it was the death of Hatake Sakumo or the matters involving Obito and Rin, there were in fact reasons behind them.

Kakashi might not yet have realized the latter, but the former was something he might very well uncover.

After all, as a father, for him to choose suicide simply because of rumors, even though he had a child...

It was not that such a thing was impossible, but the odds were extremely low.

Unless Hatake Sakumo did not love Kakashi at all, or he never considered how Kakashi would live after his death.

A trace of panic appeared on Kakashi’s face, and he forced himself to remain calm as he asked, “Just what do you know?!”

Uchiha Li patted Kakashi’s shoulder and said, “Unfortunately, you are not a member of Terra. Some information I cannot reveal to you.”

At this, Kakashi fell silent at once, his expression shifting again and again.

Uchiha Li was not in a hurry. He said slowly, “Come on. We should be going to carry out our mission.”

Kakashi nodded in silence and said nothing.

The two of them had spoken for so long that Sara, who had been singing earlier, had long since noticed them.

At this moment, she had already hurriedly shut the gate to the tower and fled the scene.

Looking toward the sunlight above the tower, the two of them ignored the gate and leaped upward again and again. In the end, they lifted the vent cover and emerged outside.

Instantly, towering structures came into view.

All kinds of floating bridges had been built high in the air, and a sense of science fiction utterly unlike the ninja world appeared before their eyes.

Yet although the city should have been magnificent and vast, it lacked life.

The entire place gave off an empty feeling, with not a single person in sight.

Standing at the edge of a floating bridge, Kakashi looked around and frowned slightly. “According to the teacher, I should have been here before, but I have no memory of it at all.”

Uchiha Li thought for a moment, then took out a sealing scroll from his chest and retrieved two cloaks and masks.

He put one set on himself, then handed the other to Kakashi and said, “Put them on. For now, it’s best that we do not meet Lord Minato or your former self.”

Kakashi hesitated, looking at Uchiha Li after he had already dressed himself.

After weighing his choice several times, he finally accepted the cloak and mask.

The matters involving space-time were far too complicated. He really was not suited to walking out so openly right now.

And just after Kakashi had finished dressing, Uchiha Li looked into the distance and said coldly, “Enemies are coming. Prepare for battle.”

In the distance, large numbers of humanoid armored puppets were pouring toward the two of them from several towers.

They lined up neatly together, like an aerial army, their formation perfectly ordered.

Without even bothering with any warnings, the armored puppets all raised their right hands in unison. The armor on their arms split apart rapidly, and then purple lasers carrying the power of the Dragon Vein shot toward them in a continuous barrage.

“Earth Style: Earth Wall!”

Kakashi formed seals first and created his signature earth wall to block the laser attack.

A rain of lasers swept across the wall, making the earth barrier tremble as if it might collapse at any moment.

Seeing this, Uchiha Li also formed seals and aimed at the neatly formed puppets.

“Fire Style: Dragon Flame Song Technique!”

Several dragon-headed flames appeared and then charged toward the puppets.

The puppets tried to use their lasers to intercept the flames, but the beams were swallowed by the fire almost instantly.

Rumble...

Several puppets were too slow to evade and were directly melted by the intense heat, turning into ash on the spot.

Seeing that it was effective, Uchiha Li continued unleashing Fire Style, using overwhelming offensive power to destroy the puppets.

Kakashi was not about to be outdone. After finishing his defense, he immediately launched a charge with Chidori.

As wave after wave of puppets were swiftly dealt with by the two of them, the puppets, as if ordered, all retreated at once.

“Someone is controlling these puppets from the shadows.”

Kakashi did not choose to pursue them, but instead quickly analyzed the situation.

Uchiha Li nodded, then focused his gaze on a building below. “Someone is waiting for us.”

Hearing this, Kakashi looked down as well and spotted figures below.

The two jumped down and entered the building.

Three masked figures suddenly emerged from the darkness.

The leader was a blond ninja, with a fat man on the left and an unremarkable-looking fellow on the right.

Although all three wore masks, their distinctive features were simply too easy to recognize.

On their side, Minato Namikaze and the other two watched Uchiha Li and Kakashi warily.

In their minds they kept comparing the two men’s clothing, but found nothing at all.

He had never heard of such strange attire before.

The problem was that the way the two of them had fought just now was very much like the Hidden Leaf.

What puzzled him most, however, was the silver-haired youth among them, the one wearing a mask. He gave Minato an oddly familiar feeling.

Thinking of this, Minato also found it hard to believe.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he stepped forward on his own and said, “Who are you two, and why are you here?”

Kakashi looked at Minato but did not answer, suppressing the complicated emotions in his heart.

Uchiha Li, meanwhile, tilted his head and said indifferently, “Leaf shinobi, this is the Land of Wind. What we do here doesn’t seem to be your concern, does it?”