Namikaze Minato, Aburame Shibi, Akimichi Choza, and Hatake Kakashi had been assigned a mission by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. '
Their task: travel to Rōran and protect its queen. With their orders in place, the team set off on their journey.
As they neared their destination, Minato pulled Kakashi aside. "I have a special task for you," he said. Kakashi nodded, awaiting instructions.
Meanwhile, inside the palace, Minato, Aburame Shibi, and Akimichi Choza were already sensing that something was off about Rōran. The city felt strange, and more importantly, Minister An Lushan's behavior was suspicious.
The three huddled together, keeping their voices low as they discussed their next move. To avoid drawing attention, they concealed their chakra signatures, speaking in whispers.
Unexpectedly, they crossed paths with two other figures moving just as stealthily—Mufasa and Kurotsuchi.
Seeing the unfamiliar figures clad in Rōran robes and masks, Aburame Shibi and Akimichi Choza instinctively assumed they were An Lushan's subordinates. They tensed, ready for combat.
Kurotsuchi, ever the loyal subordinate, reacted instantly.
Seeing the two men shift into battle stances, she leaped forward, prepared to strike.
"Wait."
"Hold it."
Mufasa and Minato spoke at the same time, stopping their subordinates mid-action.
In the blink of an eye, the two leaders positioned themselves between their respective teams.
Minato and Mufasa locked eyes through their masks, each silently sizing up the other.
Mufasa couldn't help but admire Minato.
There's a reason he's called the Yellow Flash.
Even without the Flying Thunder God Technique, his speed was incredible.
Minato, for his part, was equally surprised by Mufasa's reaction time.
He's fast. Maybe even faster than me.
Minato quickly ran through the mental list of powerful shinobi from each village, trying to place him. But no name came to mind.
After a brief pause, Minato spoke. "You're not from Rōran."
Though he couldn't see their faces, he could tell from their posture and presence alone that they weren't ordinary Rōran citizens.
"Who are you?"
Mufasa's mind raced. He obviously couldn't say, 'Oh, I'm from twenty years in the future, just here for some tech.'
He needed a cover story—fast.
Minato's hand hovered over his weapon pouch, ready to react.
Behind him, Aburame Shibi and Akimichi Choza mirrored his stance. If these strangers didn't give an answer soon, they were prepared to strike first.
Mufasa threw out the first thing that came to mind. "We're investigators from Faust." [T/N: Insert Kamen RIder.]
Minato narrowed his eyes. "Faust?"
He had never heard of such an organization.
Mufasa kept his tone smooth and casual. "Faust is a scientific research organization. Our mission is to study, collect, and preserve ninja technology for the betterment of the shinobi world."
He continued, "We remain neutral in all conflicts. Technology is neither good nor evil—it all depends on how it's used. That's why we don't align ourselves with any village or nation."
Minato silently processed this information. Could such a group really exist? He'd never encountered them before, but he also knew that the world was full of secrets.
"Then why are you here?" Minato finally asked.
Mufasa had already prepared his answer. "We've been monitoring Rōran for some time. Our intelligence suggests that the city has been mass-producing puppet armies. We suspect this could lead to war—or at the very least, a civil uprising."
He folded his arms. "We're here to ensure that Rōran's technological advancements aren't lost in the chaos. Thousands of years of research could be wiped out if things spiral out of control. Our job is to secure and preserve that knowledge."
It was the perfect excuse. He made stealing sound like an act of preservation.
Minato, however, wasn't focused on the elaborate speech. One thing stood out to him.
"So you've noticed something is wrong with Rōran too."
Mufasa nodded. "More than that—we already know who's behind it."
Minato's mind raced. He and his team were still piecing things together. If these two already had answers, it would save them valuable time.
He made a decision. "Then, can you share what you know?"
Mufasa put on a conflicted expression. "Faust is neutral. We don't take sides."
Minato stepped closer. "This is about the people of Rōran. If you know something that could help them, please… I ask you as a fellow shinobi."
Mufasa pretended to hesitate, rubbing his chin. "Hmm. You're putting me in a tough spot here. Our organization has strict rules."
Minato bowed his head slightly. "Please."
Mufasa sighed dramatically. "Fine. I might have a way around it."
Minato lifted his head. "What way?"
"Let's exchange information. That way, we stay neutral. A trade—nothing more."
Minato nodded. "What do you want to know?"
"Where does Rōran store its most important technical documents?"
Minato knew the answer immediately. "The palace library."
Mufasa smiled behind his mask. "Then it's a deal."
Mufasa told Namikaze Minato about the boss behind the scenes.
"The man behind everything is Rōran's Minister, Mukade."
"He's been tapping into the power of the Dragon Veins to build a massive puppet army, preparing the nation for war."
"And worse—he's not just using materials. He's turning Rōran's own people into puppets."
Minato's breath hitched. He hadn't expected things to be this horrifying.
Mufasa continued, "Please, protect Queen Sara. She's Rōran's last hope."
Minato now fully trusted Mufasa's identity. This was clearly an organization with a noble cause.
"Thank you for telling me this. I never asked—what should I call you?"
Mufasa chuckled. "Namikaze Minato, you ask too many questions. In Faust, we don't have names. We have titles. Call me 'Knight.'"
Minato's eyes widened slightly. "You knew my name?"
Mufasa casually pointed at his head. "Blonde hair. Unmistakable hairstyle. Pretty obvious, don't you think?"