Starting Over As Minato

The system store displayed a variety of options, but Minato couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment.

Two-tomoe Sharingan for five points. Mangekyō Sharingan for thirty. Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan for just ten more.

"That's an obvious choice," Minato muttered. "Why waste points on Mangekyō when Eternal Mangekyō is right there?"

Using a regular Mangekyō too much led to blindness. If he were to exchange for a new power, it had to be worth it. Then again, the system store upgraded from time to time—who knew what better abilities might appear in the future? Considering the overpowered rewards he'd already received from sign-ins, he decided to wait.

Just as he was deep in thought, a voice snapped him back to reality.

"Sensei," Kakashi's voice held a rare note of concern. "Killing Root ninjas like that… is it really okay?"

Minato turned to his former student with a smirk. "They were just tools, Kakashi." His voice carried undisguised disdain.

Kakashi studied him for a long moment before speaking again. "I… I don't know what I can do for you now, Sensei."

Minato's expression softened. He reached out, patting Kakashi on the shoulder. "If you want to help me, then train harder. Get stronger. I believe in you, Kakashi. You're my proudest student."

With those words, he disappeared.

---

Meanwhile, deep underground in a dimly lit base, an elderly man sat stiffly on a throne-like chair. His entire upper body was wrapped in bandages, leaving only one eye exposed, gleaming with cold calculation.

Shimura Danzo, the leader of Root.

A masked ninja kneeled before him, head bowed.

"Lord Danzo," the ninja reported. "The squad you sent to retrieve Namikaze Minato… was completely wiped out."

Danzo's one visible eye widened in fury as he shot up from his seat. "You're telling me that seven or eight elite Root members were all killed by Namikaze Minato? How *dare* he?"

"Please calm yourself, Danzo-sama," Yamanaka Fu interjected. "Let's hear the full report first."

Danzo took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "Speak."

The Root ninja continued. "When we approached, we requested Minato Namikaze to follow us back to Root. His response was… immediate violence. The moment we attacked, he—he was too fast. We didn't even see him move before everyone was down."

Danzo clenched his fists. "Idiots! How could you provoke him so carelessly?!"

This was not the outcome he had planned. He had wanted to *recruit* Minato, not make an enemy of him. Even *Orochimaru* had been forced to flee from him—what chance did mere Root operatives have?

For the first time in a long while, Danzo hesitated. He *hated* Minato, but engaging him directly now would be a mistake.

---

At the same time, Minato arrived at an old, abandoned house—his and Kushina's former home. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, dust thick in the air.

With a sigh, he formed a hand seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Dozens of clones appeared, immediately setting to work. Some cleared the weeds, others dusted the furniture. Minato walked into the living room, looking around at the familiar yet distant surroundings.

"Time really does change everything…" he murmured.

Then, something occurred to him. He had no money.

"Shit," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. "I'm broke."

After a moment of hesitation, he shrugged. "Guess I'll have to hunt for food."

He returned a short while later, carrying three fish and three hares. After setting up a fire, he skewered them and began roasting.

Just as the scent of grilled meat filled the air, the system chimed in.

**Ding! New sign-in location detected. Would you like to sign in?**

Minato's eyes lit up. "Of course! Sign in!"

**Ding! Sign-in successful! Critical reward triggered. You have received… a mysterious gift! Would you like to use it?**

Minato blinked. "Mysterious gift? What the hell is that?"

Before he could decline, a blinding light erupted in front of him. As it faded, Minato's jaw dropped.

A girl now stood before him—short black hair, delicate features, wearing a white prison uniform. Her violet eyes were filled with confusion as she whispered, "Where… am I? Am I… about to die?"

The fish in Minato's hand fell into the fire.

"What the hell?!"

His mind raced. This girl… she wasn't from this world. Her aura, her presence—it was completely foreign.

"System, what did you just *do*?" Minato demanded.

The system's voice responded casually, **"This was part of your special reward. I had no idea what was inside the package either. Surprise!"**

Minato clenched his teeth. "That's not funny!"

Before he could question further, the girl suddenly turned to him.

Her violet eyes widened. Then—

"Brother Minato?!"

She rushed forward, throwing herself into his arms.

Minato froze. "Wait, wait, wait! What's going on?!"

The system answered smugly. **"Oh, I tweaked her memory a bit. In her mind, you two were close friends in her previous world."**

Minato's eye twitched. "You *modified* her memories?!"

**"Yep! She trusts you completely now. You're basically her most important person."**

Minato was at a loss. He gently pulled the girl away, staring at her closely.

She was… familiar. Very familiar.

"*Wait a second…*" His eyes widened in realization. "*This is—*"

"Kuchiki Rukia," the system confirmed. **"From the Bleach universe. Enjoy your new companion!"**

Minato groaned. "You're seriously messing with me here…!"