Willing Sacrifices

Part One: Days of Youth VI

The shinobi world was filled with incredible legends and stories about the shinobi of the past. Of heroic deeds and incredible feats, of things that seemed impossible, and yet they were known to be real and true. Minato knew full well that a shinobi should never disregard something just because it didn't sound like it was real. There were people throughout the world who performed impossible acts every day. Konohagakure was built on an alliance between enemy clans, something everyone considered insane, and yet the way the village had prospered was proof that impossibilities existed.

He had never heard of a shinobi traveling through time, only in stories spun for children, and yet when he considered the possibility of it happening, Minato found he couldn't dismiss it. After all, wasn't the Thunder God technique he used  a manipulation of the time-space dimension, and he had heard tell of shinobi who used chakra in such a manner that it affected other time-space dimensions. So if it were possible to travel through time itself, instead of just through space, it would be reasonable to assume that the Sage of Six Paths, and his supposed sons could do so, as the father of shinobi was apparently the most powerful shinobi that ever existed.

As he pondered this, Minato closed the book he was holding in his hands, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Minato prided himself on being a man who looked past the surface, who didn't jump to conclusions, and saw the big picture. He was calm, thoughtful and rational, and that was the only reason he hadn't thrown the book at Jiraiya and left immediately. Part of his mind scoffed at the idea that Sakura Uchiha was from the future, returned to the past. And yet, a larger part of him was inclined to believe it. He had a lot of questions regarding the passage she had written for him, as there were so many vague details included in it. But before he even considered opening his mouth to voice his concerns, his mind went back to the lines that affected him the most deeply.

That Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were also from the future that Sakura was from. That Kakashi had been Sakura's sensei. His students.... his team... Minato forced himself to stay upright, but his legs felt weak and his hands were shaking. He opened his eyes and looked down at the book, opening the page back up and staring at the paragraph again. Scenes from the last two months came into his mind.

Surely you've noticed the changes.

Kakashi's personality was the complete opposite of what everyone said he was like. Obito had a sudden, unreported or unnoticed increase in skill, chakra, and ability, not to mention his matured Sharingan. Rin's secret smiles and constant watching out for her teammates. The way they seemed to understand each other immediately and work together flawlessly. The atmosphere around the three of them, and the look in their eyes that Minato caught occasionally, that was more like a seasoned shinobi than a fresh genin. More recently, the way that Shikaku had looked at Kakashi and commented on 'a whole lifetime' and Kakashi's flinch at the words. Kakashi cryptically commenting that whatever he wanted to talk about was 'unbelievable' and that Minato would think he was crazy.

Minato swallowed thickly. When he considered everything he'd seen of the three of them, there was nothing else that explained it all so well. Minato looked up startled. That paper he'd found in Kakashi's room. It wasn't just some random scribbles, it was a reminder, he realised. All of their names were on it. His, Rin's, Obito's, Kushina's... Minato found the paragraph Sakura had written.

All his loved ones...

Minato stared at the words. Was it possible that in this future Kakashi was the only one still alive? Minato frowned. According to Sakura's words, Obito had turned to the side with the enemy, and somehow Minato had met her. He ground his teeth in frustration. He needed answers, and he needed them now. Minato put the journal in his jacket pocket and walked to find Jiraiya. He made a conscious effort to walk normally, but his frustration seeped out of him, and he clenched his fist.