Minato Namikaze, a man who did not come from any prestigious clan like the Hyūga Clan, Uzukami, Uchiha, Senju, or even any other lesser-known clan, rose quickly through the ranks of his village since the beginning of his shinobi career to the point of being considered a threat to the village of Iwagakure no Sato. He was on par with what were considered the fastest shinobi of Kumogakure no Sato, none other than the sons of the Third Raikage, each of whom was a powerhouse in their youth, just like Minato himself, who was a genius that only appeared once every decade, according to the legendary Sannin Jiraiya.
It was not surprising to those who knew him that the boy had a potential yet to be unleashed, high enough that at the young age of 21, he was considered for the position of Fourth Hokage alongside two other renowned shinobi: Orochimaru, the Sannin of the Snakes, and Fugaku Uchiha, someone who was said to have the strength to face Minato himself. Despite being academy classmates, each specialized in different areas, and it was clear that in a real battle to the death, Minato would win due to his extreme speed combined with his sealing knowledge, enabling him to devise something in battle to neutralize the Sharingan.
However, despite being considered a dangerous person for the villages, he was sincere, friendly, and pleasant, always prioritizing his village and its people. He managed to be very loved and respected by the villagers, which he genuinely appreciated for what he considered his precious people. However, only a select few were truly his top priority, his family, which he formed after being named Yoidaime Hokage after his apprentices demolished the Kannabi Bridge and defended against a wave of Iwa shinobi, earning him the nickname "Konoha's Yellow Flash."
Although his own family seemed well at present with his wife Kushina and their son and daughter, it was clear to those who knew the Uzumaki-Namikaze family that it was incomplete due to the absence of the Hokage's deserter son. For the people of Konoha, the news that two of their greatest prodigies, seen since Kakashi Hatake, had deserted, was a blow they never saw coming. It was well known to the entire village that Uchiha Itachi and Uzumaki Naruto were completely loyal to their homeland, especially Naruto himself, who was known for his strong loyalty to the Leaf and the peace he hoped to bring after participating in the last two years of the Third Shinobi War.
So, without them in their desertion, they had not left without causing havoc in their escapes on the same day. Uchiha Itachi was marked as a traitor after nearly killing everyone, leaving only his younger brother with severe trauma that haunted him to this day. As for Naruto, the details of his escape remained mostly secret, with the majority only knowing that he killed several shinobi who tried to stop them or left others on the brink of death, fatally injuring them without the possibility of recovering to be active shinobi again, brutal enough that most of the injured had wounds that still hadn't fully healed to this day, leaving a pain that few could bear, preferring to commit suicide rather than endure such suffering.
Many at the time wondered what could have led such a promising young man like Naruto to desert his village, one that treated him as the next Hokage simply because it was public knowledge that he trained under Jiraiya himself and Minato before being appointed as Hokage. Several theories were made at the time, but one that resonated strongly among the shinobi was that because he was not named as the Hokage's successor due to the intervention of the retired Sandaime, he decided to desert when he saw that his strength was being disregarded by an old man with one foot already in the grave.
Something that was only seen with the Sanin of the Snakes when he chose Minato over him for the position of Yondaime Hokage, something that was whispered to be happening again, a prodigious shinobi deserting for being denied a well-deserved position for his efforts. But far from reality, only two people knew the truth behind Naruto's desertion and Itachi's own, something that would remain silent, only known to the higher-ups of Konoha.
Location: Demon Country -
The fallen place was known by the villages for being a neutral and mysterious country, staying away from all the disputes of the shinobi since the Third Shinobi War when a new ruler took power and closed off all access for those curious to know what was happening in the country. Many ninjas tried to infiltrate to gather information about the place, but none of them had succeeded due to the strict surveillance on the coasts, preventing their entry into the country, even if they were sent by a village to form an alliance. It would be rejected by its mysterious ruler for not providing any benefit to them.
Money was not something they lacked as in recent years, the Demon Country had positioned itself as one of the richest countries on the continent, competing with some of the wealthiest Daimyos, with the Daimyo of the Lightning Country being an example. With such a large amount of money, it had become a self-sustaining country, not needing the help of any external nation, something that some saw as a potential threat because a self-sustaining country that did not require help from anyone is a danger to be reckoned with, especially with how mysterious it was being; many believed they were planning something.
The most paranoid suggested forcibly entering to find out what they were planning, but the idea was quickly discarded for not knowing what kind of force they had and not being willing to pressure the leader of the country because, so far, their ninjas had only been let go with a warning to return; if they returned, they would be in separate boxes as part of a punishment, as they would not tolerate more than one offense to their country. Like every leader of a nation or village, they had a limit that should not be touched, so many decided not to press further on that nation of which they knew too little.
But now, in the center of the country, where the capital of such a country was located, was the central palace being guarded by guards wearing armor from head to toe, covering much of their bodies, not reducing mobility at all, although more than one would think those armors were cumbersome. Walking through the main door, the guards saw a very familiar figure in the country, especially for the guards, as he was the heir prince of the current ruler, as said in his own words the first time his figure was seen in that country seven years ago.
Entering the spacious room, there was a group of four people who were talking before falling silent upon his arrival, being seen by them, but especially by the one sitting on the throne, a tall, curvaceous woman, dressed in blue and silver armor, along with a cloak and a helmet carved to resemble a lion with emerald eyes.
Artoria: I'm glad you've arrived, Mordred.
Naruto: Thanks... how many times do I have to tell you I'm not Mordred, woman? I'm Naruto, not Mordred...
And the end of the chapter.