Starting Over As Minato

As Minato and Rukia arrived at the scene, Rukia's sharp gaze scanned the surroundings before her expression suddenly turned serious.

"There's someone injured over there," she said, her voice carrying an icy edge.

Minato followed her outstretched finger and spotted a boy slumped against a tree, barely holding himself up. His dark hair, pale complexion, and familiar features made it easy to recognize him—**Uchiha Sasuke**.

Beside him stood a red-haired girl, her kunai clenched tightly, warily scanning their surroundings.

Minato wasted no time, flickering forward in an instant. His tall frame materialized before the red-haired girl—**Haruno Sakura**—who gasped in relief.

"Hokage-sama! You're finally here!" she exclaimed, visibly shaken.

Rukia, still in her traditional black **Shinigami** robes, approached calmly, her **Zanpakutō** resting lightly at her side.

Sakura hurriedly continued, her voice filled with urgency. "Hokage-sama, please check on Sasuke! We were taking the Chunin Exam in the Forest of Death when Orochimaru attacked us. He… he bit Sasuke on the neck!"

Minato's eyes narrowed. *So it's already happening...*

He turned to her. "Where's Naruto?"

"He—he's fighting Orochimaru right now!" Sakura stammered, clearly worried.

Minato remained unfazed. Orochimaru was dangerous, but he wouldn't dare kill Naruto—not with the Nine-Tails inside him. Besides, if things got truly out of hand, Minato himself was more than capable of dealing with the rogue Sannin.

His attention returned to Sasuke. The boy was unconscious, his breathing uneven. Minato's gaze landed on the fresh **Curse Mark** burned into the side of Sasuke's neck.

A mark of Orochimaru's design.

Minato exhaled, then quickly formed a hand seal. His fingers pressed against Sasuke's skin as he whispered:

**"Four Symbols Seal."**

A black pattern spread outward, replacing the curse mark with a containment seal. Sasuke's tense body relaxed slightly, his breathing stabilizing.

Minato's expression, however, remained neutral. In truth, he wasn't overly concerned about Sasuke. If not for the fact that the boy was the **reincarnation of Indra**, he wouldn't have even intervened.

*Sasuke and Naruto are bound by destiny,* he thought. *But does it even matter? I don't need the Six Paths' power. The system has already given me access to abilities far beyond that.*

Indeed, Minato wasn't particularly interested in the **Rinnegan** or the Six Paths. **Saiyan power,** on the other hand… that was something truly beyond this world's comprehension. Not to mention the vast potential of **Shinigami abilities, Hollow transformations, and Quincy techniques.**

His thoughts were interrupted by Sakura's anxious voice.

"Hokage-sama… is Sasuke going to be okay?"

Minato glanced at her, resisting the urge to sigh. *She's already this worried about him?*

"There will be some side effects," he admitted. "Orochimaru designed the Curse Mark to bind its host to him. My seal should suppress it, but completely removing it would require either Orochimaru himself or…" He paused. "Other methods."

Sakura bit her lip but nodded.

Just then, Rukia stepped forward, studying Sasuke's condition.

"Brother Minato, this boy is still injured," she noted. "Should I use **Kaidō** on him?"

Minato blinked in surprise. "You know **Kaidō**?"

Rukia nodded. "Yes. Since I was often injured during training, I learned it from **Captain Unohana**."

Hearing this, Minato stepped aside. "Go ahead."

Sakura, noticing Rukia for the first time, studied her curiously. The black robes, the katana, the way she addressed Minato so familiarly—it was all unusual.

Rukia, sensing the scrutiny, simply smiled. Then, with a quiet chant, a **soft green glow** formed around her hand.

As she placed it over Sasuke's wounds, the light seeped into his skin, **rapidly closing his injuries.** His breathing steadied, and his eyelids fluttered open.

Sasuke's blurred vision cleared, and the first thing he saw was—

The Fourth Hokage.

"…Hokage-sama," Sasuke rasped, forcing himself upright. "Naruto… you have to help him! Orochimaru is still—"

Minato raised a hand to silence him. "I know. I'll handle it."

Then, without another word, he turned to Rukia.

"Let's go."

Rukia nodded, her grip tightening on **Sode no Shirayuki**.

In the next instant, they both **vanished**—two streaks of light and shadow racing towards the battlefield.

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