Kakashi stood silently at the edge of the forest, his keen eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of the eerie stillness. The air was thick with an unsettling quiet—a silence so unnatural it felt like the calm before a storm. His instincts screamed that something was terribly wrong, but before he could act, a sudden burst of sinister energy tore through the atmosphere like a dark crack in the sky.
The burst was sharp, piercing—brief as a lightning strike—but it sent a ripple through the world that made Kakashi's heart skip. He tensed, ready to respond, but then... nothing. The energy vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only a hollow silence that pressed against his skin like cold stone.
Seconds passed.
Time stretched in agonizing suspense.
Then, without warning, a far greater eruption of chakra exploded from the same direction. The force was raw and overwhelming, so powerful it slammed into Kakashi like a physical blow. His body was hurled backward with brutal force, crashing through branches and underbrush, the impact stealing the breath from his lungs. Pain flared across his side where a stray branch scraped him, but he refused to stay down.
With fierce determination, Kakashi forced himself to his feet, brushing dirt and leaves from his clothes and silver hair. His sharp eyes pierced the haze as he steadied himself, focusing on the source of the overwhelming chakra.
And then he saw them.
From the dissipating golden light emerged Rin and Radahn. They stepped out from the glowing realm behind them, calm and composed despite the violent surge that had just shattered the air. Kakashi's gaze lingered on Rin, noting the delicate softness of her features, and on Radahn, whose presence was like a pillar of unshakable strength.
Kakashi was disoriented—leaves still clung to his hair, and dirt smeared across his back and arms. In a moment of sheer awkwardness, he bent over awkwardly with his hands planted firmly on the ground, his backside raised like a startled animal.
"K-Kakashi! What are you doing?!"
Rin's voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a lifeline, mixed with concern and disbelief.
In less than a heartbeat, Kakashi's body snapped upright, his ninja reflexes kicking in. He brushed the leaves from his hair with a lazy, half-amused smile, a glint of mischief in his eye.
"Nothing-" he said, his tone casual but laced with unspoken readiness.
Rin giggled softly, shaking her head at his quirky behaviour.
"You're impossible."
Radahn's gaze shifted immediately to the surrounding forest. His sharp, golden eyes caught a flicker of movement—something subtle but unmistakable.
Without warning, a kunai flew through the air, embedding itself into a nearby tree with a sharp thunk.
The weapon's blade was etched with strange, glowing patterns that pulsed faintly, as if alive with energy.
Radahn's expression darkened. "Someone is coming."
The atmosphere thickened instantly. The forest seemed to hold its breath, leaves barely rustling in the sudden stillness. Shadows twisted and flickered between the trees, hinting at a presence just beyond sight.
The world held its breath.
Radahn stood unmoving. The kunai lodged in the tree pulsed with faint energy—clearly foreign-
And then—
A golden shimmer ignited across the edge of the forest, distant but impossible to miss. Like a sunburst cracking the gloom of war, it flared once and then vanished.
They turned.
A fraction of a second later, a shockwave of wind swept through the trees—and then he was there. No flash this time. Just presence, sudden and real.
Golden hair tousled by battle and speed. A flak jacket draped over a slim, powerful frame. Sky-blue eyes immediately surveying the scene with calculated precision.
Minato Namikaze had arrived.
Rin gasped audibly. "S-Sensei?!"
Kakashi blinked, stunned. "Minato-sensei... "
Minato didn't speak right away. He took a few steps forward, scanning the air, his fingers still resting near his kunai pouch. His eyes locked on Radahn.
"I saw a pillar of golden light from nearly six kilometres out," he said evenly.
"Didn't recognize the chakra, but... it looked like a signal. I took a chance."
His gaze drifted between them. "What happened here?"
"We're fine-" Rin said quickly, still wide-eyed. "There was a reaction from Mist Anbu... but we were able to contain it. No injuries."
Minato's expression didn't ease.
"That light—it wasn't just chakra. It warped space. I felt it like pressure in the air. What was it?"
Kakashi scratched his head, still slightly disoriented.
"That was him."
Minato turned again to face the warrior—his presence still pulsing gently with that lingering celestial glow.
"And you are?"
Radahn's reply was simple.
"A General."
"From where?" Minato asked, voice cautious but not hostile.
"Not this land-" Radahn said. "But for now, I walk with her."
Minato studied him—his words, his stillness, the way the very forest seemed reluctant to disturb his aura. This was no summoning. No jutsu. Something else entirely.
Rin smiled gently.
"He helped me, Sensei. Saved me, actually.... I trust him."
Minato let out a slow breath, nodding once.
"We can talk more later. I only came because I thought I'd lost you."
A few minutes earlier...
The mist hung thick over the battlefield, blood still fresh on the forest floor. Broken weapons, scorched trees, and scattered bodies littered the ground—remnants of a short but brutal engagement.
Minato Namikaze stood amidst the aftermath, breath calm despite the chaos. A squad of enemy shinobi lay defeated behind him, taken down with precision and overwhelming speed.
But he didn't linger.
His eyes were already scanning the treetops, his senses sharp. Something in the air had shifted—tense, foreign, unfamiliar chakra humming faintly in the distance.
And then it happened.
A pillar of golden light erupted skyward from the eastern ridge. Brilliant, blinding, and unnatural. It pierced the sky like a divine lance, illuminating the clouds and setting the treetops ablaze in amber hues.
Minato's eyes widened.
"That chakra... What in the world was that?"
He leapt into the nearest tree, heart now pounding—not with fear, but urgency.
Kakashi. Rin.
He couldn't feel them clearly. But something inside him stirred, a gnawing sense that they were tied to this anomaly.
Without hesitation, he reached into his pouch and pulled a marked kunai.
Flick. Throw. Flash.
He disappeared in a shimmer of golden light—reappearing hundreds of meters ahead.
Another kunai thrown, another flash—Minato raced through the trees like lightning itself, leaping, teleporting, scanning the shifting terrain.
His thoughts buzzed.
"If that light harmed them—if they were caught in it—"
He threw another kunai, landing high atop an ancient cedar. The light was clearer now—still fading, but brilliant even as it dissolved into the air.
And then he saw it.
A clearing, bathed in the golden afterglow. Three figures at the heart of it.
Rin. Kakashi. And...
Someone else.
Minato didn't think twice.
He pulled a final kunai, eyes sharpening, and hurled it toward the clearing—
FLASH.
In a heartbeat, the Yellow Flash stood at the edge of the space, wind rippling through his cloak, his gaze locking instantly onto his students.
They were safe.
For now.
--------Present---------
The forest air was damp with the scent of scorched earth and blood—the war hadn't completely quieted, but the worst of it had passed. The birds had begun to return, chirping as if to reclaim the silence stolen by a thousand jutsu clashes.
Minato Namikaze walked at the front of the group, the flaps of his flak vest fluttering as a gentle breeze passed through the woods. Beside him strode Kakashi, hands in his pockets, Sharingan eye hidden beneath his hitai-ate. Rin walked slightly behind them, her footsteps light, while the enormous golden warrior, Radahn, trailed at the rear—his size casting long shadows across the path.
They were heading toward the forward Konoha safe zone, where the med tents and remaining allied shinobi had regrouped. The closer they got, the more the atmosphere lightened. The tension of survival gave way to something gentler—relief.
The mood was surprisingly light.
"Once we're back, I'm making you all eat something proper-" Minato said, hands resting behind his head.
"Kakashi, you're not dodging another team meal, understood?"
"I don't dodge them," Kakashi muttered flatly,
"I just happen to not show up."
Minato sighed.
Rin, giggling, kicked a pebble on the path.
"Well, when we do eat… I'll need double portions, you know."
Minato raised a brow. "Oh? Feeling hungry, huh?"
"Nope-" Rin said, turning to grin at him. "
Just that I'm a Jinchūriki now. Gotta feed the turtle too."
For a second, Minato kept walking—nodding casually.
"Makes sense—wait, feed the wha—"He skidded to a halt.
"…YOU'RE A WHAT NOW?!"
Kakashi winced, already bracing himself.
Rin just giggled again. "That's right. The Three-Tails. We had a bit of a... bonding moment."
Minato turned slowly to Kakashi, who gave a tired sigh and nodded.
"…Yeah. It's true. She was taken by Mist operatives and forcefully turned into a vessel. They ambushed us during the split mission. I—I couldn't stop them in time."
Minato's expression darkened.
"Why didn't I sense that—?"
"We were surrounded," Kakashi said.
"Masked Mist ANBU. There were too many. But… before things got worse—"
Rin chimed in, eyes softening with reverence. "We were saved. He appeared -"
Her gaze turned toward the golden warrior walking silently beside them.
Radahn.
"He tore through them like they were paper-" she whispered.
"Then healed us. He entered inside my-"'
"-In my mind and Freed me from Three Tails's rage. I think… I think he saved me from becoming a weapon."
Minato blinked, stunned silent. His eyes drifted toward the man towering beside them—taller than the Raikage, broader than most shinobi he'd ever seen.
Radahn's very presence seemed to command the wind.
Kakashi added,
"My chakra capacity increased by almost a tenfold- The strain from the Sharingan's overuse—gone. I haven't felt this clear."
Even Minato's normally calm face betrayed disbelief. "That level of medical chakra manipulation… Even Tsunade-sama can't do this without days of preparation and massive chakra reserves."
His eyes narrowed slightly, brain now spinning behind his bright eyes.
'This man… Just who is he? That armor isn't like anything from the Five Nations. That height, those muscles—he makes the Raikage look like a genin. I've never seen his crest, he doesn't emit any chakra. Maybe… maybe the Konoha archives might have something on him. If not….'
He scratched the back of his head, eyes still trailing Radahn warily.
'I'll have to report this to the Hokage… though how exactly do I explain that a godlike warrior fell from the sky and casually destroyed the Mist Anbu and made a tailed beast docile? Yeah… that's going to sound completely sane.'
Minato let out a long breath. "Ugh… I just want to go home."
Radahn looked down at him slowly.
"You will-"
Somehow, that one phrase carried weight enough to pierce through all remaining tension.
Minato blinked, then forced a chuckle.
"Well... glad to know you're on our side."
They kept walking. The sun finally dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows behind them—but this time, those shadows no longer felt like omens.
They felt like protection.