Let us turn the clock back five days.
Minato had just finished his breakfast and was preparing to head to the training grounds, as part of his daily routine. Just as he opened the door, an Anbu appeared before him in a flicker of movement.
"Minato-sama, the Hokage has summoned you for an urgent mission," the masked Anbu reported respectfully.
As someone from the Hokage's direct forces, the Anbu were aware of one crucial fact: although Minato was still young, his military merits were extraordinary. The Third Hokage had placed immense trust in him. In terms of future potential, he stood just beneath the Council of Elders in status.
"Thank you for informing me. I'll go immediately," Minato replied calmly with a gentle smile. The very next second, he vanished without a trace.
The Anbu ninja, stunned by the sheer speed, was left standing alone, the wind ruffling his robes.
Inside the Hokage Office...
"Hokage-sama, you summoned me urgently. What happened?" Minato asked as he appeared almost instantly beside the Hokage's desk—having used the Flying Thunder God seal embedded near the Hokage building's entrance.
The Third Hokage, puffing on his pipe, looked up and nodded at Minato's timely arrival.
"Last night, our intelligence division stationed in Sunagakure sent us a classified report," the Hokage said gravely, handing over a scroll resting on his desk.
Minato accepted the scroll and read it with focus. Following the alliance formed between Konoha and Sunagakure, Konoha had set up an embassy in the village to facilitate ongoing cooperation and intelligence sharing.
The information revealed in the scroll described an ancient, independent kingdom near the Wind Country—hidden deep within the desert. The place was called Loulan, renowned for its underground dragon veins.
"According to the intel, the Queen of Loulan suddenly passed away a few months ago," the Hokage explained in a deep voice. "Since then, all communication with Loulan has been severed. They've completely isolated themselves."
Minato furrowed his brow, instantly grasping the gravity of the situation. He had heard of Loulan before—an ancient kingdom separate from the Five Great Nations. They had never involved themselves in the wars of the ninja world and had always maintained a peaceful, almost mythical existence.
The queen's death, by itself, wouldn't normally have warranted Konoha's intervention. But when the dragon veins were involved, the situation became vastly more delicate.
According to existing knowledge, the so-called dragon vein was a massive and ceaseless flow of energy beneath Loulan. Legends said that the power to control this formidable energy had been passed down through generations of Loulan's royal family, primarily to protect their people.
It was precisely because of the dragon vein's existence that Loulan had prospered and maintained its peaceful independence for so long in a chaotic world.
However, such overwhelming energy, if manipulated by those with malicious intent, could bring disaster to the entire shinobi world.
"Who is this An Lushan mentioned in the report?" Minato asked, curious.
The intelligence noted a mysterious man named An Lushan who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere six years ago. The Queen of Loulan had taken a great interest in him. Within half a year, An Lushan had risen to a position of enormous power, second only to the Queen herself.
The Third Hokage frowned.
"We don't know much. Loulan's complete isolation has made intelligence gathering nearly impossible," he admitted. "But my instincts tell me that the Queen's death is closely tied to An Lushan."
As a seasoned veteran of politics and warfare, the Hokage had learned to trust his intuition. There was something ominous about this development.
"That's why I want you, along with Akimichi Choza and Aburame Shibi, to investigate Loulan immediately," the Hokage said solemnly.
Minato nodded. "Understood, Hokage-sama. However, I'd like to request one additional member to join the mission."
"Oh?" The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Who do you have in mind?"
"My student—Hatake Kakashi."
After a moment of thought, the Third Hokage nodded in agreement. "Very well."
He understood Minato's reasoning. Kakashi had already proven himself a capable shinobi—having once blocked the Raikage's attack and turned the tide of battle. He deserved further opportunities to grow.
"In addition," the Hokage continued, "if you discover that anyone is using the dragon veins for destructive purposes, eliminate them on the spot."
"Yes, sir!" Minato replied with resolve.
---
Meanwhile, at the Konoha Training Grounds...
Hatake Kakashi stood silently, deep in thought.
It had been three months since he first conceived the idea of fusing Rasengan with Chidori, creating a hybrid technique. However, since Minato was often out on missions, Kakashi had very few chances to seek his guidance.
Developing a new jutsu—especially one of this complexity—was inherently dangerous. Minato had asked Kakashi to avoid performing actual trials until they could work together, which slowed down the progress considerably.
But even with help, it wouldn't be easy.
In the original records, Naruto had only managed to integrate Wind Release into Rasengan after considerable sacrifice—his hand had nearly been destroyed. That was despite wind being the most compatible chakra nature with the Rasengan, given wind's inherent rotation properties.
Thunder, on the other hand, was a different beast. Trying to force Lightning Release into the spiral structure of the Rasengan multiplied the difficulty severalfold.
Theoretically, if Kakashi could solve the problem of stabilizing "thunder" within the "spiral," he might be able to achieve something unprecedented. He even recalled copying two Magnet Release bloodlines—one from Rasa and another from a mysterious Cloud shinobi. If he could incorporate those elements, perhaps he could create something akin to an Electromagnetic Cannon.
Still, the process remained agonizingly slow.
Kakashi sighed. If only I could copy Naruto's Wind Style: Rasenshuriken, he thought. Even though Lightning was harder to integrate, the underlying principles of Wind Release Rasenshuriken would be highly instructive.
Just then, Minato appeared in a flash before him.
"Good morning, Minato-sensei," Kakashi greeted.
After their encounter with the Raikage, Minato had entrusted Kakashi with a special Flying Thunder God kunai. With that, they could locate each other quickly when needed.
"Morning, Kakashi," Minato replied. "I've received an order from the Hokage. We're going on an S-rank mission—destination, Loulan. We leave immediately."
There was no need to let Kakashi return home. As a seasoned shinobi and an adept of sealing arts, Kakashi was already used to carrying essential supplies in storage scrolls—ready for emergencies like this.
"Understood!"
Although surprised, Kakashi's eyes lit up with excitement. He remembered the mysterious country of Loulan from old records. A place with strange dragon veins and even rumors of time-space manipulation.
If he could harness the power of the dragon veins, maybe he could solve his lifelong problem—chakra limitations.
Yes, despite being free of the Sharingan's drain and having unlocked the Strength of a Hundred Seal, Kakashi still found himself short on chakra.
He was a genius of ninjutsu, proficient in hundreds of techniques, including several Forbidden Arts. But what was the point of having access to powerful techniques if he couldn't sustain them?
In the world of ninjas, chakra was everything.
Look at Uchiha Madara—he used a B-rank Fireball Technique with such overwhelming force that it felt like an ultimate jutsu.
Look at the Third Raikage—he took the B-rank Hell Stab and used it to sever one of the Eight-Tails' limbs.
And Kakashi?
Despite all his training and talent, he could only manage four Chidori attacks per day under normal conditions.
This glaring limitation had always been a source of frustration.
The idea of tapping into Loulan's dragon vein—an infinite energy source—made his heart race.
Maybe, just maybe, this mission was the key to breaking past his limits and stepping into a higher realm of power.
---
To Be Continued...