Chapter 259 : What? Who Went Missing?
Namikaze Minato's expression was heavy. He looked at the Konoha ninjas in front of him, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke.
"Follow me."
After saying this, he turned around and walked back the way he came.
Seeing this, Sarutobi Asuma and the others exchanged glances. They looked at Namikaze Minato's back, then at each other, their expressions complex.
There was shock, confusion, unease, and an indescribable sense of relief.
Hatake Kakashi was the first to lower his guard. He looked at Namikaze Minato's back, took a deep breath, and followed without a word.
He moved quickly, catching up to Namikaze Minato in just a few steps.
"Sensei."
Namikaze Minato turned his head slightly and gave him a faint smile before returning to his previous expression, his brows slightly furrowed.
Hatake Kakashi instinctively understood Namikaze Minato's thoughts. He didn't say anything more, simply walking beside him. Just like in the past, he felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
Sarutobi Asuma looked at Kakashi's back and called out.
"Kakashi!"
His voice was tight, carrying obvious hesitation.
Hatake Kakashi didn't look back; his voice drifted over from ahead.
"Let's go. At this point, there's no need to stay on guard."
He paused.
"If Sensei wanted to, none of us here would survive."
His voice was calm, so calm it sounded like he was stating a simple fact.
Sarutobi Asuma's face twitched. The words were harsh and unpleasant to hear.
But thinking of the Fourth Hokage's abilities and his heroic figure slaughtering enemies on the battlefield, Sarutobi Asuma couldn't help but shudder.
Well, he wasn't wrong.
He simply put away his trench knives and, without further ado, stepped forward to follow.
Yuhi Kurenai and Might Guy exchanged a glance, dropped their defensive stances, and followed behind Asuma.
There was no need for Sarutobi Asuma to give an order; seeing his actions, the others naturally knew what to do next.
The rookies looked at each other and followed suit.
The group began moving again, following the path they came from toward Amegakure.
No one spoke, and no one made any unnecessary noise.
Sarutobi Asuma walked in the middle of the group. Might Guy leaned in close and spoke in a hushed voice.
"Kurenai, is that really Lord Fourth?"
His voice was so low that only those right next to him could hear.
Yuhi Kurenai took a deep breath and shook her head.
"I can't tell."
Her voice was equally quiet.
Might Guy nodded, still wearing a dazed expression.
"I thought I was the only one who couldn't tell."
His voice carried a sense of relief.
Yuhi Kurenai's mouth twitched, but she didn't say anything.
Might Guy and Yuhi Kurenai weren't the only ones discussing it; the rookies were doing the same.
Walking at the back of the group, they all had different expressions as they whispered among themselves.
Inuzuka Kiba walked in the middle of his team with Akamaru resting on his head. The little dog's dark eyes darted around, occasionally looking back.
Inuzuka Kiba leaned close to Nara Shikamaru and lowered his voice, "Say, isn't the Fourth Hokage supposed to be dead?"
His voice was quiet, but his tone carried an irrepressible curiosity.
Nara Shikamaru's eye twitched. Without a word, he reached out and clamped a hand over Inuzuka Kiba's mouth.
"Don't say things like that at a time like this, idiot!"
His voice was also low, but his tone was heavy.
With his mouth covered, Inuzuka Kiba let out muffled noises, his eyes wide.
Akamaru barked once from atop his head before shutting his mouth as well.
The other rookies in the group all wore varying expressions.
Akimichi Choji was still holding a bag of potato chips, but he wasn't eating. He just held it, staring at Namikaze Minato's back with his mouth slightly agape.
Yamanaka Ino's eyes were wide. She looked at Namikaze Minato's back, then at Haruno Sakura. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.
Tenten was still gripping a kunai, having forgotten to put it away. She just stared at Namikaze Minato's back with a complicated expression.
Rock Lee clenched his fists, his eyes shining as if he had just seen something incredible.
Hyuga Hinata walked at the very back of the group, her expression the most curious of all.
She frequently glanced at Namikaze Minato's back, her Byakugan reflecting the figure of the blond man.
She wanted to know if this person was truly the Fourth Hokage. Moreover, he gave her an inexplicably familiar feeling, seemingly very similar to Naruto.
But she didn't ask; she just watched.
Although the rookies' discussion was quiet, to the Jonin present, it was no different from speaking right next to their ears.
Walking at the very front, Namikaze Minato naturally heard it as well.
He shook his head and let out an inexplicable sigh.
"Well, I did indeed die back then. Although you are all curious, I can't explain too much about this matter."
His tone carried a sense of helplessness.
Walking beside Namikaze Minato, Hatake Kakashi looked thoughtful upon hearing this.
His brows furrowed slightly, an indescribable emotion in his eyes.
Sarutobi Asuma's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly spoke up, "Understood, Lord Fourth."
His voice was highly respectful.
"We didn't mean anything by it, we were just a bit curious."
His tone was sincere.
Namikaze Minato nodded.
"I know. Well then, everyone, please pick up the pace."
After saying this, his body suddenly dashed forward.
He was incredibly fast, so fast that only a white blur could be seen cutting through the air.
His figure darted through the woods, disappearing ahead in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, the others exchanged glances and quickly picked up their pace to follow.
Their speed was also fast, weaving through the woods as their footsteps echoed together.
At this point, Sarutobi Asuma had only one thought in his mind.
The fact that a fight hadn't broken out was already a blessing in disguise.
Now, he only prayed that no other problems would arise.
The group moved swiftly. In less than five minutes, they crossed the mountainous area and entered Amegakure.
As soon as they entered Amegakure, everyone immediately experienced a completely different scenery from Konoha.
Wide streets, orderly houses, clean roads, streetlamps lining the sides, manhole covers on the ground, and pipes running along the walls.
There were also people riding bicycles, children running around the streets, and pedestrians with smiles on their faces.
Everything appeared so orderly and thriving.
With just a slight comparison, they arrived at a hard-to-accept conclusion.
This place was clearly more prosperous than Konoha, and the ordinary citizens seemed much wealthier.
Seeing all this, Sarutobi Asuma and the others felt a heavy weight in their hearts.
They exchanged glances, all feeling somewhat bewildered.
Hatake Kakashi's eyes were also observing—looking at the streets, the houses, and the pedestrians.
His brows were furrowed and his lips pursed, but he remained silent.
Yuhi Kurenai's expression was equally complex, surprise evident in her eyes.
Might Guy's mouth hung open, his eyes wide, his jaw practically hitting the floor.
The rookies were even more affected; every single one of them was dumbfounded.
Having grown up in Konoha, they had always believed it to be the most prosperous village in the ninja world.
But upon arriving here, they realized there was a place even more prosperous than Konoha.
Hyuga Hinata unconsciously activated her Byakugan, looking at the buildings, the streets, and the pedestrians, her eyes full of curiosity.
Inuzuka Kiba's nose twitched as he sniffed the air, his brows furrowed.
Aburame Shino's insects crawled over his body, emitting a faint buzzing sound.
Nara Shikamaru looked at everything with furrowed brows, saying nothing.
His mind was racing, pondering what all of this truly meant.
Led by Namikaze Minato, the group passed through several streets and arrived by a small river on the west side of the village.
The river water was clear and shallow, revealing the stones at the bottom.
The current was gentle, making a soft, babbling sound.
A person was sitting on the riverbank.
He sat on a small stool, holding a long fishing rod with its tip hovering over the water.
Beside him was a bucket. It was empty; there were no fish inside.
He wore simple clothes—dark trousers and a light-colored shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
His black hair was tied up on top of his head, secured with a twig. His back looked very relaxed, as if he were enjoying the afternoon sun.
Namikaze Minato walked up behind the person and stopped.
"Taiga-kun, I have a troublesome matter to bring to you. Naruto has gone missing."
The person turned his head.
It was a young face with delicate features and distinct contours. There was an androgynous beauty to his features.
His skin was very pale, as white as jade or porcelain.
He looked at Namikaze Minato, his expression somewhat bewildered.
"What? Who went missing?"
Namikaze Minato looked at him, took a deep breath, and briefly explained the situation.
Naruto had run away from Konoha. The village thought he had come looking for Sasuke, but after tracking him all the way here, they discovered Naruto hadn't come to the Land of Rain.
After finishing his explanation, Namikaze Minato stood there, looking at Uchiha Taiga.
Uchiha Taiga's brows furrowed.
He looked at Namikaze Minato and remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, he set down his fishing rod and stood up from the stool.
"Interesting."
His voice was very soft.
"Where could that kid have gone?"