Naruto: The Chosen Undead

[Nicohals J Westerberg]

Maybe some sort of longer range jutsu from dango? Something simple for him to learn, like wind blade or something

 

[Speedshot]

Now that's a twist. Whole chapter of ino feels and then u bank into that? Bravo

 

[Wardemer]

Good chapter, but one thing i really want to see, if it is not against your plans, is an interlude from the Nine tails perspective.

Also, Naruto you've found a damn S-ranked quest!!! find the truth about his death!

 

[Peanuckle]

an interlude from the Nine tails perspective

Click to shrink...

Second this. There's so many choices for what's going on in Naruto's soul. Anything from Kyuubi being stuck in a dark pit, to being drained away by the Dark Sign, to being corrupted by Humanity/Abyss into an even worse monster, lots of options.

I wonder what he could transpose the Kyuubi into, if he ate its soul.

 

[TheSwashBuckler]

Thought the fic would be a bit..darker. maybe Dark Naruto. Especially with the way the village treat him in the past. But I feel like this is turning into one of those fics where the author would write the Character as Dark or Villain then suddenly change it into "Goody two shoes/Power of friendship".
Yes. Him making friends isn't manipulation, yet he IS being manipulated to being in the situation to make friends. Kinda forced.
Like hating coconuts but being forced onto an Island where the only food source are coconuts.
Sorry, not really good of an example but hope ya'll understand.
Fic is still good though author. Not saying it's "I can't wait for the next chapter" good.. but good nonetheless.

 

[Adamos_Amet]

Chapter no.25 Buried Truths, Unearthed Lies

---

The Uchiha Coup d'État was a secret Hiruzen Sarutobi had vowed to carry with him to his grave. But secrets, no matter how deeply buried, have a way of clawing their way back into the light. And even when buried, their shadows linger. Long after the massacre, its weight never truly lifted from Konoha—or from Hiruzen. It was a constant reminder of the choices he could not undo, a legacy of what diplomacy, leadership, and even hope had failed to resolve.

The seeds of suspicion against the Uchiha were planted the night the Nine-Tails attacked. In the chaos and carnage, frightened witnesses had sworn they saw the telltale glow of the Sharingan controlling the beast. There was no evidence, only fear and desperation. But in a village reeling from destruction, fear didn't need evidence—it simply needed a target. And the Uchiha, with all their power, became that target.

Hiruzen remembered standing in the ruins of Konoha, the weight of Minato and Kushina's deaths pressing down on him like an iron vice. The cries of the injured, the smell of ash—those memories still haunted him. He knew the village would spiral if he allowed that fear to fester. The Uchiha needed to feel included, protected, trusted. The Police Force was meant to be a symbol of that trust. He had told himself it was a bridge to unity. But it wasn't. It was a cage.

Instead of bridging the divide, it deepened it. Civilians feared them, shinobi resented their authority, and minor disputes became battlegrounds of mistrust. Slowly, the Uchiha were pushed to the outskirts of the village, their clan compound becoming a symbol of exile rather than inclusion. Hiruzen had tried to repair the damage—attending festivals, speaking directly with Fugaku, showing gestures of goodwill—but goodwill meant little when wounds were allowed to fester. To them, he was a man offering bandages to hide a gaping wound that needed stitches. His efforts were seen for what they were: insufficient.

The warning came at night. Two loyal Uchiha, their faces pale with fear, had told him of secret meetings and dangerous rhetoric. He had listened as they described a plan to assassinate him and install Fugaku Uchiha as the next Hokage. His blood had run cold. A coup wasn't just treason—it was a death sentence for Konoha. He pictured streets painted in blood, neighbor against neighbor, clans tearing themselves apart, and the village falling prey to opportunistic nations.

He had tried subtlety first. Investigations, quiet discussions, small compromises. But the anger had sunk its roots too deep, and for many, a coup wasn't rebellion—it was justice. He was running out of options.

Then, Shisui had come to him. Loyal, brilliant Shisui. His Mangekyō Sharingan could do what Hiruzen could not: prevent the coup without violence. Kotoamatsukami could alter Fugaku's will, turn him toward Konoha's cause without him ever knowing he had been manipulated. It was a dangerous plan, but in that danger, Hiruzen had seen hope.

He placed his trust in Shisui. It had been his last chance to save Konoha without spilling blood.

And then everything unraveled.

Itachi had come to him, his face cold and his voice hollow. Shisui had betrayed them, he said. His loyalty to the Uchiha outweighed his loyalty to the village. Rather than using Kotoamatsukami to stop the coup, Shisui intended to use it to protect the uprising. Itachi had been forced to kill him, his closest friend. Hiruzen didn't want to believe it, but Itachi—ever loyal, ever willing to sacrifice himself for the village—had brought him Shisui's eye as proof.

With Shisui gone, all hope of a peaceful resolution had vanished. The massacre became inevitable. Hiruzen made the decision knowing it would save the village, but it did so at the cost of something greater: his soul. The scars left behind were not just on Konoha—they were on him. And he had accepted that they would remain with him until death.

Or so he thought.

"Asuma, what did you say?" His voice came out harsher than he intended, but he could feel the blood rushing to his head, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Genin Uzumaki Naruto has found the corpse of Shisui Uchiha at the bottom of a waterfall."

Hiruzen stared at him, his breath caught halfway between disbelief and dread. Asuma placed the scroll on the desk. His hand hesitated before reaching for it, as if touching it would shatter what fragile peace he had built around this memory.

"Inside this scroll," Asuma continued, "is the preserved body of Shisui Uchiha."

Preserved. Perfectly preserved. That was when it hit him—how the waterfall's cold, oxygen-deprived environment could act like nature's embalmer, slowing decay, keeping the body intact for years. The thought turned his stomach. If Shisui's body was indeed whole, then he could no longer hide behind assumptions. There would be evidence. Real evidence.

Hiruzen's fingers trembled as they hovered over the scroll. Memories of that night, of Itachi's cold, factual recounting, slammed into him like a storm. Did Itachi lie to me? He wanted to dismiss the thought as absurd, but the doubt had already sunk its teeth in. If Shisui's body could speak, what truths would it tell?

For years, he had believed Itachi's version of events. Itachi had never given him reason to doubt him, and yet—why now? Why did fate insist on unearthing this ghost at a time when he could least afford to confront it?

He exhaled slowly, forcing his shaking hand to still. No matter what truth lay within the scroll, he could not afford hesitation. He had lived too long in the shadows of the past, making decisions for the sake of the village while burying the toll it took on him. But perhaps this time, he owed it to the dead to listen. To uncover what he had spent years avoiding.

Because if Itachi lied to him—if Shisui's death was more than what he had been told—then the massacre had been built on a lie.

And that would be a weight Hiruzen Sarutobi may not be able to bear.

"This is... quite some news," Hiruzen Sarutobi managed to say, though his mind was already spinning, riddled with questions.

"Well, you should thank Naruto," Asuma replied. "He did most of the work. Found and retrieved the corpse. That boy even split the damn waterfall to get to it." He chuckled softly, like a proud uncle who couldn't believe what the kid had pulled off.

Hiruzen allowed himself a small breath of relief, one of the few he'd taken today. Naruto was growing stronger. But more importantly, he was gaining people who cared about him, people like Asuma. It was something Hiruzen had failed to give him for years. Perhaps not entirely, but enough to know he carried that guilt like a stone in his chest.

"Did Naruto ask you to bring the scroll to me?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Yeah. He's actually still sitting by Shisui's corpse. Waiting for me to get back to him. Guess he doesn't want to meet with you."

Hiruzen closed his eyes briefly. That was fair. After everything he had done—or rather, failed to do—Naruto was justified in keeping his distance. "I understand," he said softly, the words carrying more weight than Asuma realized.

Still, Naruto deserved a reward for this. Whether or not he fully understood what he had done, the fact remained: he had uncovered something that could change everything. Hiruzen's hands itched with the enormity of the task ahead, but before that—yes, he needed to give Naruto something worthy of what he had accomplished.

Walking over to his portrait on the wall, Hiruzen slid it aside, revealing the sealing pattern hidden behind it. He bit his thumb, smearing a small drop of blood across the seal. It glowed faintly before unlocking with a satisfying click, opening the latch to reveal the Hokage's personal safe. Each Hokage had one—a place where they stored the things too valuable, or too dangerous, to be left anywhere else.

Scrolls filled the small chamber. S-rank forbidden techniques, confidential documents. His eyes lingered on the shelves for a moment before they lowered to the small stack of silvery ingots nestled at the bottom.

He pulled one free and shut the safe, its weight cold in his hands as he placed it on the desk.

"Father, that's a—"

"Chakra metal ingot," Hiruzen finished for him, as if he weren't casually handing over an item worth millions to a genin. "Give this to Naruto. It's his reward."

Asuma blinked, still processing it. "I'm sure Naruto will appreciate it," he said, and then, after a pause, he added softly, "But you know what he'd appreciate more?"

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.

"If you treated him as Naruto first, instead of as the mystery you're always trying to solve."

The comment hit harder than Hiruzen wanted to admit. "I am doing this for Naruto," he said, though his voice lacked conviction.

Asuma sighed. "Are you? Or are you doing this for Konoha?" He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp, cutting through the shields Hiruzen had spent decades perfecting. "Let's say you figure out Naruto's mysteries. What then? Are you expecting Konoha to benefit from them, from him? Because if that's the case, you've forgotten something important, Father."

Asuma straightened, as if deciding how much of his next words Hiruzen could handle. "It's our job to protect the king. And the king of Konoha isn't the Hokage or its leaders. It's the children. The people. Kids like Naruto. You always knew that, but somewhere along the way..." He trailed off, but Hiruzen knew exactly where he was going. He had forgotten. Forgotten that the weight of a village wasn't carried by its leaders, but by the futures they nurtured.

Before Hiruzen could respond, Asuma gave a respectful nod and turned toward the door. "Think about it," he said as he left, leaving the office in silence.

I should've died in the Kyūbi attack.

Minato was supposed to be here. He would've handled this better. The thought had haunted Hiruzen for years, but it felt especially cruel now.

He reached for the scroll, gripping it firmly as he forced himself to stand. The past wouldn't let him rest, and he had no intention of running from it this time. He snapped his fingers as an ANBU operative appeared.

"Your command, Hokage-sama?"

"Send Shisui Uchiha's corpse to the forensic labs. I want a full autopsy report—cause of death, any traces of remaining chakra residue, everything. And..." He hesitated, the weight of the next decision nearly suffocating him. "Summon Elder Homura and Elder Koharu. We need to discuss this immediately."

The ANBU nodded and vanished in a blur of movement, leaving Hiruzen alone once again. The office, always a familiar sanctuary, suddenly felt stifling. Heavy. As if the ghosts of every decision he had made were pressing down on his shoulders. He tried to shake off the feeling, but it clung to him like a second skin.

There would be no easy answers here. There never had been. Every decision Hiruzen had ever made as Hokage had been a balancing act between protecting the village and sacrificing parts of himself. He had made peace with that—or at least, he thought he had.

But if Shisui's body held a truth he wasn't ready for? If Itachi had lied?

He wasn't sure even the title of Hokage could shield him from the consequences of that revelation.

Still, there was no turning back now. That was what it meant to wear this hat—to make decisions knowing they would haunt him long after his term ended.

And right now, his past was knocking on the door.

---

The soft scrape of a brush against stone echoed through the cemetery, muffled by the rustling leaves overhead. Homura Mitokado knelt on the damp ground, methodically sweeping away moss and dirt from a gravestone. His old hands, weathered and stiff from decades of writing battle strategies and making countless decisions, still moved with practiced precision. The name carved into the stone became clearer with each stroke, and he paused to read it, adjusting his glasses to see properly.

The cemetery stretched out endlessly before him, rows of stone markers etched with names that spoke of Konoha's history. Heroes, nameless soldiers, and shinobi who had given everything for a dream. Homura let out a slow breath, his lips pressing into a familiar frown.

Tobirama-sensei... He gazed down at the grave he had just cleaned. You believed in something better. A village where all clans could unite, where we could rise above the chaos of the Warring States era. But what did we really build?

His jaw tightened. He had spent his life serving Konoha—first as a shinobi, then as head of the Jōnin Council, and finally as an elder. He had been there when the foundations of the village were laid, and he had helped shape it into what it was now. But it was hard to ignore the cracks.

Memories surfaced unbidden: council meetings where they had bartered ideals for survival, decisions that had made the village strong but left its soul fractured. The Uchiha massacre. The Chūnin Exams' deadly spectacle. The manipulation of alliances with feudal lords.

Konoha survived, he reminded himself. We did what was necessary. But the thought rang hollow, even now.

Homura's gaze shifted to a newer grave, its edges still sharp and clean. He had attended the funerals of too many of Konoha's shinobi, many of whom were far younger than him. Men and women who had bled for a village he had never fought for directly.

I've lived too long, he thought bitterly, the words unspoken. Long enough to see every flaw we've built into this place. Long enough to wonder if I'll ever earn the honor of dying for it.

"Mitokado-sama," a voice interrupted his thoughts.

Homura looked up sharply to see an ANBU operative standing a respectful distance away. The porcelain mask, painted with the faint outline of a dog, gleamed in the sunlight.

"The Hokage requests your presence," the ANBU said, bowing slightly.

Homura exhaled through his nose, rising slowly to his feet. His knees creaked in protest, but he ignored them, brushing dirt from his robes. "Hiruzen rarely calls for me these days," he muttered, though his mind was already turning. Hiruzen's summons were never trivial.

The ANBU disappeared with a blur of motion, leaving Homura standing alone in the quiet cemetery. He glanced back at the rows of gravestones, his gaze lingering for a moment.

Tobirama-sensei, I wonder what you'd think of this village now. I wonder if we've done enough—or if we've only managed to keep it standing on borrowed time.

With a sigh, he picked up his satchel and began the slow walk back to the village, his thoughts heavy.

---

The library was steeped in silence, the kind that came with age and purpose. Shelves loomed tall, stacked with scrolls, books, and documents that chronicled Konoha's long and messy history. Koharu Utatane sat at a low desk in the center of the room, her back straight despite her years. Her squinted eyes, sharp as ever, scanned the letter in her hands.

The paper bore the official seal of the Wind Daimyō, its contents written in formal, flowery language. Koharu read it carefully, her fingers tracing the edge of the parchment as she deciphered the subtext behind the words.

The Daimyō wanted to increase the number of missions delegated to Konoha, citing recent dissatisfaction with Sunagakure's performance. She tilted her head slightly, the pearls in her hairpin catching the light.

More missions mean more influence, she thought. But the Daimyō's favor never comes without strings. He's testing us.

She set the letter down, her hand resting lightly on its surface. The smell of ink and parchment surrounded her, a familiar scent that grounded her. The library was her sanctuary, a place where history and knowledge were preserved. It was also a reminder of just how much of that history she had lived through.

Her mind drifted briefly, back to the days of the Warring States era. She had been just a teenager when Hashirama and Tobirama forged the alliances that created Konoha. She remembered the endless bloodshed, the fragile alliances that could break with a single misstep, and the tentative hope that came with the promise of a village. Koharu's role in the village had always been one of diplomacy and practicality. As one of Konoha's primary liaisons with the Daimyō and the feudal lords, she had spent her life navigating the shifting tides of politics. It was delicate work, far less glamorous than the battlefield, but no less important.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps. She looked up to see an ANBU operative standing at the edge of the room, their mask shadowed in the dim light.

"Utatane-sama," the ANBU said, bowing deeply. "The Hokage has requested your presence."

Koharu's lips pressed into a thin line. "Very well," she said, her voice calm but tinged with curiosity. She adjusted the folds of her kimono with practiced care, rising from her seat with slow, deliberate movements.

The ANBU bowed again before disappearing in a blur.

Koharu lingered for a moment, her gaze drifting back to the letter on the desk. The words seemed less important now, dwarfed by the gravity of Hiruzen's summons. He rarely called her and Homura together unless the matter was serious.

What now, Saru? she wondered, her mind already turning over possibilities. What piece of history has come back to haunt us this time?

---

The elder council rarely convened unless there was something that demanded the weight of their experience—a moment where the Hokage, no matter how seasoned, needed advice from those who had survived as long as he had. Today was one of those moments.

"Saru, nice to see you still think these old bones have some value," Koharu muttered with a smirk.

"Let's just hope you didn't call us here to give us some bad news."

Hiruzen offered them a small, tired smile, but his mind wasn't on pleasantries. He reminded himself why he had summoned them, why he still needed their wisdom despite how many times they had clashed. Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young.

Old warriors didn't live long by accident. They survived through wisdom, toughness, and an instinct sharpened by years of battle and politics. Hiruzen had seen it firsthand under Tobirama's leadership, watched them make decisions others couldn't stomach, and he knew the weight of that experience was exactly what he needed right now.

As the barrier surrounding his office flickered into place, sealing them in, he slid the autopsy report across the table without ceremony

"In front of you is the autopsy report on Shisui Uchiha."

Their eyes sharpened, the playful remarks fading instantly. Koharu and Homura might have been many things—stubborn, politically calculating—but they were never ones to flinch when it came to business. Hiruzen watched as their gazes lowered to the report, the weight of his own unease hanging between them like smoke.

And then, there it was. The words he had dreaded seeing confirmed.

Salamander's Milk.

Koharu's normally squinted eyes opened slightly—just a flicker, but in all the years Hiruzen had known her, that flicker meant something. He could feel it too, like the floor had shifted under them. The name echoed in his mind, dragging him back to memories of the Third Shinobi War. Hanzo of Amegakure. Tsunade's exhausted face as she worked through night after night, desperate to develop an antidote before the poison claimed more lives.

Slow-acting. Nearly undetectable. By the time you knew you'd been poisoned, you were already dying.

"It was found in his liver," Hiruzen said softly, breaking the silence.

Homura's frown deepened as he flipped through the report. His fingers tapped the page rhythmically—a sign he was processing. "If it's in the liver, he ingested it. Food or drink, most likely. Someone he trusted enough to eat or drink with must have given it to him."

"Not just someone he trusted," Koharu added. "Someone close. Close enough to know his movements and plans. Shisui wasn't just any shinobi. No one would've gotten near him casually."

Hiruzen's grip on his pipe tightened, though he didn't light it. There was no comfort to be found in the ritual today. "Shisui was planning to use Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku Uchiha," he said, mostly to himself. "The timing isn't a coincidence. The poison must have been meant to incapacitate him before he could cast it."

Homura skimmed further down the report, then paused. "One of Shisui's eyes was removed violently. The socket was damaged—whoever took it didn't care about finesse. But the other eye… it was removed with precision."

"Shisui removed one of those himself," Koharu said.

The thought sat like a stone in Hiruzen's stomach. He pictured Shisui, barely holding on, the poison coursing through his veins, realizing that his enemy wasn't just after his life but after the power of his eyes. He must have known what would happen if both fell into the wrong hands. Desperation. Determination. Hiruzen could see it all so clearly—the way Shisui must have torn out his own eye to keep it safe.

"Then he threw himself into the waterfall," Homura said, finishing the thought. "To hide his body. To ensure his secrets died with him."

The room seemed colder, the implications wrapping around Hiruzen's chest like a vice. He stared at the report, but his mind was already spinning elsewhere.

"He knew," Hiruzen muttered. "Shisui must have known someone was after him, but he trusted Itachi. Trusted him enough to make him the keeper of one of his eyes."

"But if that's true," Homura said, "why did Itachi lie to you about Shisui's death?"

Koharu leaned forward slightly, her gaze narrowing. "Itachi had to know something we didn't. Either he was protecting someone or manipulating the truth to protect the village."

Hiruzen hated how easily her suggestion made sense. He had seen Itachi's devotion to Konoha, the sacrifices he was willing to make, and he knew how far that devotion could stretch. Had he lied to save the village from something larger? Or was there a more personal reason buried beneath that cold exterior?

Homura broke the silence, his tone low but sharp. "Danzo."

The name struck everyone like the toll of a distant bell.

Koharu's gaze flicked toward Hiruzen. "I don't know how, but if anyone could access or recreate Salamander's Milk, it's Danzo. As head of the ANBU, he had access to everything—classified resources, black-market connections. And he would have known about Kotoamatsukami and the threat it posed to his… vision of the village." She leaned forward slightly. "Shisui would've trusted him, at least enough to let his guard down. And Danzo is one of the few people who could've forced Itachi into silence."

Homura shook his head. "Danzo's methods have always been extreme, but this wasn't just extreme. This was deliberate. He didn't just kill Shisui—he sabotaged the last chance we had for a peaceful solution."

Their words scraped against the walls of Hiruzen's mind, relentless, like stones grinding together under pressure. He sat there, listening, but each sentence felt like another blow—another crack forming deep within him, threatening to split open everything he had buried for so long. His heart pounded in his chest, hard and fast, anger surging through him in sharp waves. He tried to suppress it, but it clawed its way through, tearing apart years of carefully built restraint.

His hand trembled as he gripped the edge of the desk, the polished wood creaking under the pressure. The fire in his chest—one he had ignored for too long—raged now, fueled by their deductions, by his own failures, by the truth he had known but never dared confront.

You demand fairness, you demand justice, you demand control—but you don't give any of it. You talk about family, about protecting the village, but where was all of that when I needed it?

Naruto's words echoed in his mind, reverberating like a hammer striking iron, each syllable burning with the sting of truth.

Then Asuma's voice followed, the blow that shattered the last of his composure.

It's our job to protect the king. And the king of Konoha isn't the Hokage or its leaders. It's the children. The people. Kids like Naruto.

His breath hitched, the shame cutting deep, but alongside it, something else began to bloom—a deeper, fiercer anger. Not at Naruto, not even entirely at Danzo, but at himself. He had allowed this. He had let the village rot under the guise of maintaining order. He had let people like Danzo take advantage of his leniency, his hesitation.

With a sharp crack, the desk gave way under his grip, a large chunk splintering off and crashing to the floor.

The room fell completely silent. Homura and Koharu froze mid-sentence, their eyes snapping to Hiruzen, wide with surprise. The Third Hokage, the "Professor," had lost his composure.

Hiruzen rose to his feet slowly, shoulders straightening as though a great weight had finally been lifted—or perhaps, as though he had finally chosen to carry it properly. His presence filled the room, no longer the tired shadow of a leader who had spent too long in regret, but the man who had once led Konoha through war and peace with unwavering resolve.

He extended his hand, deactivating the barrier seals with a simple gesture.

When he spoke, his voice was low and measured, but there was no mistaking the finality behind it—a tone that demanded no discussion. "Danzo's usefulness has long been outweighed by the chaos he leaves in his wake," he said. "The village can no longer bear the burden of his 'necessary evils.'"

For years, Hiruzen had convinced himself that Danzo was a necessary shadow, a counterbalance to his idealism. He had allowed him to move unchecked because he thought he needed him. But now, as he stood there, that belief seemed almost laughable. He had always known what Danzo was capable of. He had just chosen to turn a blind eye.

No more.

His gaze hardened, and he could see in Koharu and Homura's eyes that they understood. This was not a conversation. This was a decision.

He turned toward the ANBU operative lingering silently in the shadows of the room.

"Send a team to Fire Zen Temple," Hiruzen ordered. "Shimura Danzo is to be brought back to the village—not as a trusted advisor, but as a traitor. He will face judgment before the Council. Before me."

The ANBU bowed deeply, vanishing in a flicker of chakra. The room fell back into silence, but this time it wasn't the oppressive kind Hiruzen had endured for years. No, this silence carried something different—like the stillness before the first crack of thunder in a storm.

Koharu and Homura exchanged glances, but neither of them spoke. There was nothing left to say.

Hiruzen turned his gaze to the broken desk, the splinters scattered across the floor. He had failed before—failed Naruto, failed Shisui, failed the Uchiha, and failed the very ideals he had once stood for. But now he felt something he hadn't allowed himself to feel: clarity.

This time, he wouldn't falter. This time, he wouldn't bury his failures under more excuses.

It would start with Danzo.

Shimura Danzo, the traitor who had thrived in the shadows for far too long, would finally face the light of justice. His days of manipulating the village from behind the scenes were over.

Hiruzen had made his choice. He would give justice to Shisui, to the Uchiha, and to Naruto.

There would be no going back.

---

The evening sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the village as the day gave way to twilight. The cemetery, bathed in the warm hues of dusk, seemed almost peaceful—if not for the weight of the occasion. Kakashi stood by the unadorned casket, his face unreadable, the setting sun painting the silver strands of his hair with a faint orange glow.

Shisui Uchiha's mummified remains lay within, surrounded by ritualistic precision. Kakashi's single visible eye lingered on the casket, his mind uncharacteristically reflective. It wasn't like him to dwell—he preferred to keep moving, to keep himself occupied. But tonight, standing here, the past seemed inescapable.

Kakashi adjusted the hitai-ate over his Sharingan as if shielding himself from the weight of what lay before him. Shisui. They had never been close, but Kakashi had known him well enough to recognize his brilliance. As comrades in ANBU, they'd shared missions, fleeting conversations, and a mutual understanding of the burdens they carried.

Shisui had been… different. Talented, yes, but unassuming—a man whose ideals shone even in the bleakest corners of their world. Kakashi's mind flitted back to one of those rare moments of quiet after a mission, the two of them sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the dark.

"Peace is fleeting," Shisui had said then, his voice soft but unwavering. "But isn't it worth chasing anyway?"

That memory lingered, even now. Kakashi had never replied, unsure at the time if he agreed. And now, the man who had once dared to chase that peace lay lifeless in a casket, reduced to a secret Konoha couldn't afford to leave intact.

He took a slow step forward, pausing when he noticed the faint, almost imperceptible movement within the casket. His eye narrowed, honing in on the tiny specks shifting under Shisui's skin. Ereshkigal beetles.

These beetles were bred for decay, laying eggs that would hatch within hours and rapidly decompose the body. Flesh, bone, chakra residue—everything would be consumed, leaving nothing behind. Kakashi's gaze lingered on the faint twitches of the eggs nestled within the corpse. The ritual was ancient and brutal, meant to keep a body from falling into enemy hands. Even now, it carried an eerie, almost grotesque efficiency.

A crunch of gravel behind him drew Kakashi's attention. He turned slightly, watching as Sasuke approached. The boy's expression was unreadable, but his fists were clenched at his sides, his entire frame taut with barely restrained tension. Without a word, Kakashi stepped aside, giving Sasuke space to stand before the casket.

Naruto and Sakura hung back, their faces somber as they watched their teammate. The usual liveliness in Naruto's eyes was muted, and Sakura's hands fidgeted nervously at her sides. Kakashi moved to stand beside them, his gaze shifting to the treeline.

There, in the fading light, he could just make out faint flickers of movement—the ANBU operatives hidden in the shadows. Of course, they were here. ANBU were always there, hovering at the edges of sight like ghosts. But Kakashi knew their presence wasn't merely ceremonial. Hiruzen Sarutobi had ordered this. The Hokage didn't take risks when it came to the Uchiha, even now.

The thought unsettled Kakashi. If this was a trap for grave robbers—or worse—what secrets did Hiruzen fear might come to light? His gaze shifted to Sasuke, standing stiff and silent near the casket.

The boy stared at the mummified remains of Shisui Uchiha, the name carving itself into his mind like a jagged knife. Kakashi said nothing as he let Sasuke have the space he needed.

---

Shisui Uchiha.

The name washed over Sasuke like a cold wave, bringing with it memories he wished he could forget. But some things carve themselves so deeply into the mind that you can't erase them—no matter how hard you try.

Shisui wasn't just another Uchiha. To Sasuke, to his family, and especially to Itachi, Shisui was everything. He was Itachi's best friend and sparring partner, the only person who could push his brother to his limits and walk away smiling. Sasuke remembered watching them from a distance as a child, how they moved like they shared the same heartbeat, like their bond was something sacred.

He was always on the outside of that. Always.

When he was younger, he used to hover around them during their sparring sessions, his feet shuffling in the dirt as he waited for an invitation that never came. Shisui would ruffle his hair or throw him a quick tip about his stance when Itachi would brush him off. But no matter how kind Shisui was, it felt wrong—like he was being treated as the little kid tagging along rather than someone worthy of standing beside them.

He didn't want kindness. He wanted to be included.

And it stung. It stung more than he ever let on.

Sasuke clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. His father had spoken of Shisui with admiration, the kind of admiration Sasuke had once craved for himself. "There are only two in our clan whose talents stand above the rest: Itachi and Shisui. If the Uchiha ever rise to their rightful place in this village, it will be because of them."

Those words had felt like a dagger back then, the blade twisting between pride and envy. Even his father—stoic, distant Fugaku—acknowledged Shisui before he ever acknowledged Sasuke.

But all of that changed five years ago.

His breathing hitched as his thoughts spiraled toward the memories he had buried beneath layers of training and revenge. He could still hear the whispers, the rumors he wasn't supposed to hear, circling through the clan compound. Itachi killed him. Itachi betrayed Shisui. He had laughed at the absurdity of it back then. Itachi and Shisui were inseparable. The idea of Itachi killing Shisui had seemed impossible.

Until it wasn't.

Shisui disappeared. Then Itachi became the Butcher of the Uchiha Clan.

He felt the nausea twist in his stomach like it always did when he thought about that night. The night of screams. Of blood. Of betrayal. But in the aftermath, his thoughts always drifted back to Shisui.

If Shisui had been alive, would any of it have happened?

Sasuke let out a sharp breath, grounding himself in the present. His hands were shaking slightly, but he didn't try to stop them. The graveyard was quiet, and for a moment, he felt like the only living person in it, surrounded by ghosts of people he couldn't save.

He broke the silence, his voice steady but heavy. "Shisui Uchiha." The name left his lips like a stone being dropped into deep water.

He paused, the weight of it threatening to suffocate him.

"Mikoto Uchiha." His mother. The woman who had made him breakfast every morning, who had combed her fingers through his hair when he was scared.

"Fugaku Uchiha." His father. The man who had always seemed so untouchable, so distant, but who had carried the burden of their clan on his shoulders until the end.

Sasuke let the names hang there, like tolling bells marking the end of something sacred. His throat tightened, but he forced the words to keep coming.

"These are just three of the hundreds of names of my clan," he whispered, his voice cracking. "The names of the Uchiha who were massacred five years ago."

He expected the same silence to follow, the suffocating stillness he had grown used to. The kind of silence that pressed down on him after he had cried himself to sleep and woken up to find the world hadn't changed.

But this time, the silence broke.

Sakura gasped softly behind him, and when he turned, he saw them standing there—Team 7. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura. He wasn't alone. Not this time.

They looked at him not with pity, but with something that hit him harder: sympathy. Understanding. Empathy.

You're not alone, Sasuke. You don't have to be. Kakashi's words echoed in his head, the words he had told Sasuke before but that he had never let sink in. The people you've lost wouldn't want this for you. They wouldn't want you to destroy yourself trying to live up to something they never asked for.

For the first time in years, something cracked inside him—not from pain, but from the possibility of healing. He felt it, faint but present, the idea that maybe he didn't have to carry this burden alone.

Sasuke swallowed hard, his throat dry and aching, but he needed to say this.

"The Uchiha Massacre," he said, his voice faltering as his throat tightened. He forced the words out anyway, the weight of them clawing at him like they always did. "It was carried out by a man named Itachi Uchiha."

He clenched his fists, closing his eyes against the tears threatening to spill. "He is… no, he was my older brother. My aniki. Someone I trusted. Someone I admired. Someone who meant everything to me."

The words felt like shards of glass tearing through his throat, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. They needed to be said.

A heavy silence followed Sasuke's confession, settling like a shroud over the graveyard. He had expected that. He had expected them to back off, to leave him to this burden that was his alone. But Naruto just stepped forward, his footsteps slow and deliberate, and stood beside him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"The feeling of vengeance…" Naruto said, his voice softer than Sasuke had ever heard it. "I know you'll achieve it one day."

It wasn't much. Just a few words. But for some reason, they were enough. Enough to make something in Sasuke stir—a flicker of belief, not in himself, but in how Naruto believed in him. Like even if Sasuke didn't know if he could win against Itachi, Naruto had already made up his mind that he would.

Sasuke exhaled sharply, masking the tightness in his throat. "What would you know about that?"

Naruto reached for the broken hilt of the sword strapped to his belt and held it up. His fingers curled around it like it was a memory. A promise.

"I broke this sword when I killed the monster that took my master away," Naruto said, his eyes meeting Sasuke's.

The words hit Sasuke like a punch to the gut. He stared at Naruto, not because of the sword, but because of the meaning behind it. Naruto wasn't just a loudmouth fool. He knew loss. He knew what it meant to fight for someone who could never come back.

"Get ready," Naruto said, his voice steady, but there was something dangerous in his smile, something that made Sasuke think maybe Naruto wasn't so naïve after all. "Because the euphoria you'll feel when you win—it'll be unlike anything."

A snort escaped Sasuke before he could stop it, but it wasn't bitter. For once, it wasn't bitter.

Beside him, Sakura stepped closer, her hand brushing against his. He looked down, expecting to see the shy, blushing girl who had once stumbled over her words whenever she spoke to him. But she wasn't that girl anymore. There was no awkward hesitation, no childish infatuation. When she wrapped her fingers around his, her grip was steady, firm. Confident.

"You'll win, Sasuke," she said, and there was no doubt in her voice. Only certainty.

Sasuke blinked, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. The weight he had carried for so long—the weight of his clan's massacre, the suffocating ache of vengeance—didn't feel as heavy. It was still there, but it was lighter. He wasn't sure if it was because of Sakura's hand, or Naruto's words, or just the fact that they were here, standing with him, refusing to leave him behind.

For years, Sasuke had convinced himself that this weight was his to bear and his alone. His vengeance was personal. His pain was personal. But now, standing here with them, he realized something he hadn't let himself acknowledge before: he didn't have to carry this burden alone.

His mind drifted back to their first day as Team 7. He remembered the words he had spoken during their introductions—how carefully he had crafted them to keep everyone at a distance. Don't get close. Don't get attached. It had been his shield, his armor. At the time, he thought it made him strong, independent. But looking back now, he could see the truth.

It wasn't strength. It was loneliness.

Attachments slowed you down. Attachments made you vulnerable. That was what he had believed. And yet, as he watched Naruto and Sakura grow stronger over time, a part of him had felt relieved. Relieved because their strength meant Itachi couldn't hurt them. He couldn't take them away from Sasuke.

He shook his head, grounding himself in the present. He wasn't thinking about how far ahead he needed to be. He wasn't chasing some finish line today. Today, he was looking around—at Naruto, at Sakura, at Kakashi—and realizing, Maybe it's okay not to do this alone.

He took a deep breath, steadying the storm inside him. This time, Sasuke wanted to introduce himself properly. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Because for the first time, he wanted them to see him.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke," he said, his voice softer than usual, but steady. "There are many things I hate—loud noises, bright colors, and anything sweet. There's not much I like, except for onigiri and tomatoes."

He paused, feeling the breeze against his skin, cool and refreshing like a long-forgotten memory of peace.

"But as for dreams…" he continued, and this time, his voice was firm, sharpened by a truth he could finally accept. "My dream is to live a life my parents would be proud of. And my goal…"

He felt the familiar ache in his chest, but instead of letting it drown him, he let it ground him. Remind him.

"My goal is to restore my clan and bring justice to the Uchiha name. And to do that, I will kill Itachi Uchiha."

The words hung in the air, heavy but not suffocating. For so long, they had been his only purpose, his only guide. But as he spoke them aloud now, they didn't feel like a curse. They felt like a commitment. A promise he no longer had to carry alone.

Naruto's hand landed on Sasuke's shoulder, his grip firm. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. The weight of his hand was enough—a silent promise that he wasn't going anywhere.

Sakura's hand remained in his, steady and warm. There was something in her touch that he hadn't noticed before—stability. Something he didn't know he needed until now.

Then Sasuke met Kakashi's gaze. He stood a few steps back, his posture relaxed, but his eyes were locked on Sasuke's. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't need to. His presence was enough.

For the first time in years, Sasuke felt calm. Not numb. Not detached. Just calm. Like the storm that had raged inside him had finally settled into something manageable.

This is my team, he thought. People who will walk beside me. People I won't lose. People that Itachi can never take away from me.

And for once, he believed it.

---

The morning sun bled across the training ground, casting long amber streaks across the grass. The warmth barely touched Sasuke. All he could feel was the sharp pulse of adrenaline coursing through his veins, as if his body knew exactly what today meant.

Kakashi stood in front of him, arms folded, watching with that lazy gaze of his that never gave away much but always knew more than it let on.

"You look eager," Kakashi said, eyeing Sasuke's stance.

"I've had a lot of time to think about this."

"Did you decide on a path, then?"

"I don't need to decide. With the Sharingan, I can take multiple paths at once," Sasuke said confidently.

"Of course you can. So, what's first?"

"Ninjutsu."

"Reasons?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I just rested my body. Jumping straight back into anything else would be reckless."

A pause. Kakashi studied him, and for once, Sasuke didn't mind the scrutiny.

"Smart choice," the white-haired man finally said. "But even prodigies don't get shortcuts."

He pulled out a small, thin sheet of paper from his pouch. "You know what this is."

Sasuke didn't hesitate as he took the chakra paper from him. He focused, letting his chakra flow through it. The result was immediate: the center crumpled tightly, while the edges flickered and burned briefly before curling in on themselves. He watched as the ash fell to the ground, scattering in the wind.

"Dual natures," Kakashi said, his voice holding a note of approval. "Rare."

"The Uchiha specialize in fire jutsu," Sasuke said automatically, his mind already turning over the possibilities.

"That's true," Kakashi replied, "but your primary affinity is lightning."

"How can you tell?"

"The crumpling came first, and it was stronger than the burn," Kakashi explained, pointing to the remnants. "Lightning is dominant. Fire is your secondary nature."

"So I should focus on lightning chakra first?"

"Exactly," the older man said. "It'll come naturally to you, and once you've mastered it, you can refine your control over fire."

"If it gets me closer to mastering the Eye of Insight... Copy Ninja."

Kakashi gave a soft laugh. "Always aiming high, huh?"

There was no need for Sasuke to answer that.

"Funny thing is, my natural affinity is lightning too. I developed a jutsu once that let me cut through a lightning bolt."

"You're serious?!"

"Very." Kakashi took out a pair of kunai and twirled one between his fingers. "I might even teach you someday."

Sasuke didn't rise to the bait. "I'm not interested in promises. Just tell me what I need to do."

Kakashi's eye curved slightly. "Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. So, here's your first exercise." He handed Sasuke the kunai.

"What's the plan?"

"Think of how electricity flows. It needs a positive and negative charge to move, right?" Kakashi explained.

"A circuit."

"Exactly. Imagine one kunai as the positive charge and the other as the negative. Your goal is to channel your chakra through both and create a steady current between them."

"Steady how?"

"Hold the kunai about the width of my thumb apart. If you can keep the current steady at that distance, you'll gradually increase the gap over time. The further apart the kunai, the stronger your control will need to be."

"So this is a control exercise," Sasuke said, piecing it together.

"Control and precision," Kakashi confirmed. "If the current wavers, you will get shocked, and the exercise will fail."

Sasuke turned the kunai over in his hands, feeling their weight. "What happens once I master this?"

Kakashi stood and crossed his arms. "Once you've mastered it, we can move on to a jutsu. But don't rush it. Even the brightest sparks need time to ignite."

Sasuke smirked faintly. "I'll master it faster than you think."

Kakashi chuckled again, clearly amused. "I look forward to seeing it. Now, focus. Visualize the flow of chakra, steady and unbroken. One current. One circuit."

---

An hour later, Naruto arrived at the training ground with Sakura following closely behind. They came to an abrupt stop, their eyes widening at the unexpected sight before them.

"No way," Naruto muttered under his breath, blinking rapidly.

"This has to be a genjutsu," Sakura murmured, forming a hand seal. "Kai!" She waited for the illusion to break—but nothing changed.

"That's mean," Kakashi drawled from behind his book, not even glancing up. "What's with the shock?"

"You're early," Naruto pointed at him, still wide-eyed. "That's enough of a miracle to make history, dattebayo!"

"Well," Kakashi replied lazily, "Sasuke's been working on refining his lightning chakra nature. Figured I'd supervise."

Naruto and Sakura turned their attention to Sasuke, who was crouched a few feet away. His brows were furrowed in intense concentration, his expression locked somewhere between focus and frustration. Sparks of lightning flickered around a kunai in his hand, crackling inconsistently before fizzling out.

"Wait," Naruto said. "So Sasuke's lightning, and I'm wind… What about you, Sakura?"

"No clue."

Kakashi reached into his pouch and handed her a strip of chakra paper. "Here. Channel your chakra and see."

The paper immediately darkened and grew damp before crumbling into pieces.

"Sensei, what does that mean?"

Kakashi studied the paper, a flicker of surprise crossing his normally calm features. "It means you have dual affinities: Earth and Water."

"Sakura! You're awesome! You've got two affinities!"

Sasuke smirked. "Guess that makes you the odd one out, Naruto."

"What's that supposed to mean, teme?"

"It's simple," Sasuke said smugly, puffing out his chest. "Sakura and I have dual natures. You only have one."

Naruto stared, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Beside him, Sakura giggled behind her hand.

"Quite the debate," Kakashi cut in, smoothly redirecting their attention. He closed his book and stood, his tone shifting into that of a teacher. "But let's take a step back and look at the bigger picture."

Kakashi glanced between them. "Do you three know how the elements interact with each other? It's called the Elemental Circle. Each element has strengths and weaknesses. Fire beats Wind, Wind beats Lightning, Lightning beats Earth, Earth beats Water, and Water beats Fire."

"So it's like rock-paper-scissors?"

"In layman's terms, yes," Kakashi said with a shrug.

Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement. "Wait, wait—so Team 7 has all five elements! Doesn't that mean we'll always have an advantage against any enemy's nature?"

Kakashi chuckled. "It's not quite that simple, but you're on the right track. This brings us to something called Elemental Supremacy. If two techniques of the same level clash, the superior nature will always win. For example, a fire jutsu of equal strength will lose to a water jutsu every time."

"But," Kakashi continued, "there's a catch. A weaker-nature technique can still overpower a stronger nature if it's of a higher level. For instance, a powerful fire jutsu can overpower a weaker water jutsu if the fire is amplified by wind chakra."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura listened intently, their enthusiasm palpable.

Naruto's mind wandered briefly as he considered combining his wind chakra with the Pyromancy Flame. But he quickly pushed the thought aside. I'm not ready to mess with something that might just turn into a living demonic fire. Maybe when he found someone who could actually teach him more about Pyromancy.

But, of course, that didn't stop him from taking a jab at Sasuke. "Teme should probably focus on figuring out how to turn his chakra into actual lightning first."

"You act like you've already mastered wind chakra."

Naruto grinned smugly. "Oh, I have." He strode toward a nearby tree, placing his hand on the bark. With a surge of chakra, a jagged gash split the tree's surface, cutting deep into the wood.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "Looks like Asuma's been helping you with wind manipulation exercises."

"Yup," Naruto said. "If I want to master the Vacuum Blade, I need to get this down first."

He turned to Sasuke, the grin still plastered across his face. "Don't sweat it, teme. This is advanced stuff—only for powerful shinobi like me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. His attention shifted back to the kunai in his hands as faint crackles of lightning began to dance between them, forming a weak but steady current that flickered like static electricity.

He smirked, casting a smug glance toward Naruto.

The blonde scowled, already opening his mouth for a comeback, but before he could get a word in, Sakura stepped forward with a confident grin, holding up two kunai.

"What are you doing now?"

"Aren't we showing off what we've learned?" Sakura said, raising her kunai proudly. The handles were intricately etched with tiny seals that shimmered faintly under the sunlight.

"What's that?"

Sasuke activated his Sharingan, studying the seals. "Fūinjutsu. They store chakra."

"Exactly!" Sakura beamed. "I've been working on these to create barriers during battle. All I have to do is fill them with chakra, and they can power field barriers or traps."

Sasuke inspected the kunai more closely. "They're still half-empty."

Sakura's smile dimmed slightly, a hint of embarrassment creeping in. "I know. It's just… hard, okay? I don't have as much chakra as you two."

Naruto tilted his head thoughtfully. "Wait. Do you have to fill them with your chakra? Or can someone else do it?"

"I—I don't know."

"Yes, someone else can," Kakashi cut in. "In the war, barrier specialists often relied on their teammates to donate chakra to the seals. It's a team-based system."

Naruto's face lit up with an idea. "Oh! Let me try!"

Without waiting for permission, he snatched the kunai from Sakura's hand and pressed his palm against the seal. He pushed his chakra into it, and the kunai immediately flared with brilliant white energy, the glow pulsing like a heartbeat.

Sakura's jaw dropped. "You… you filled it that quickly?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, that didn't even take much. I waste more chakra than that just keeping my Shadow Clones up. If you ever need me to fill something up, just say the word."

Sakura's surprise quickly turned into a mischievous smirk as she reached into a pouch tied to her hip. Without saying anything, she dumped at least a dozen kunai onto the ground at Naruto's feet, the seals on each of them faintly glowing.

"Well," she teased, "let's see just how generous you are."

"Why do I always open my big mouth?"

"Because you're an idiot," Sasuke quipped, earning a sharp glare from Naruto.

"Oh yeah? Well, you're helping fill them too, teme." Naruto punctuated his statement by punching a nearby tree, creating a clean hole through the trunk.

Sasuke and Sakura sweatdropped.

Kakashi chuckled behind his book. "Teamwork, huh? Looks like I won't have to teach that lesson today."

Naruto turned back toward the tree and tried to pull his hand free.

"Uh… guys?" He tugged harder, gritting his teeth. "A little help here?"

"Didn't you just say you were a powerful ninja, dobe?"

Sakura giggled.

"Don't blast wind chakra to get yourself out," Kakashi advised casually. "You'll just make it worse."

"Help me!" Naruto groaned, struggling to free himself as his teammates doubled over in laughter.

---

A-rank jutsu, Wind Style: Vacuum Blade, was infamous among wind-users for its complexity. The technique worked on the principle of coating a weapon with a sheath of wind chakra, extending the weapon's range and drastically enhancing its cutting power due to the nature of wind itself. The problem, though, was the very same reason it was so powerful—wind's ability to cut indiscriminately.

Wind chakra didn't harmonize well with standard weapons. Unlike lightning chakra, which could be absorbed and evenly conducted through a blade, wind chakra clung stubbornly to the surface of the metal. This external sheath amplified the weapon's ability to pierce and slice, but it also created uneven vibrations across the surface, causing microscopic fractures. Without precise control, the weapon would eventually crack, splinter, or, worse, explode under the pressure.

Maintaining the technique required creating a stable vacuum layer between the weapon and the wind sheath, an almost impossible task for most shinobi. Even slight miscalculations could destabilize the flow, leading to catastrophic failure. For many, it took years of practice to master.

But Naruto Uzumaki wasn't exactly the patient type.

In fact, his training method could only be described as chaotic insanity.

Asuma stood with his arms crossed, watching the hundreds of Naruto shadow clones spread across the training ground, each clutching a Zweihander. They channeled wind chakra into their lungs, breathing it out across the length of the massive blades, attempting to form the vacuum sheath.

Poof! One clone exploded into smoke as its blade fractured and the wind chakra tore through it.

Then another. Poof. Poof. Poof. Clone after clone failed, the Zweihanders cracking or outright shattering before they could stabilize the technique.

Naruto didn't miss a beat. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Another wave of clones appeared, immediately picking up where the others had left off.

Asuma opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, shaking his head in disbelief. "You know, I never thought I'd see someone try to master Vacuum Blade by brute force."

Naruto grinned, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he glanced at Asuma. "Well, having the fox helps with the chakra. Shadow clones make it way easier to test stuff without wasting time."

Nearby, resting on a cloth, was a shimmering Chakra Metal Ingot.

[ Item: Chakra Metal Ingot ]
[ Description: Chakra metal for weapon creation, said to come from the bowels of the Iron Sandworms. These ingots are smithing materials of the highest degree, and weapons forged from them symbolize the wielder's ability to thrive in a world where shinobi rarely grow old. ]

Naruto crouched beside it, tracing its surface thoughtfully. "Still can't believe the Old Man gave this to me."

Asuma adjusted the cigarette between his lips. "You did Konoha a pretty big service, Naruto. Shisui Uchiha's body was important. If someone like Orochimaru had gotten their hands on it, they could've learned all sorts of Uchiha and village secrets. You did us a favor by ensuring it stayed protected."

Naruto hummed. "So, what should I do with this thing?"

Asuma shrugged. "Make a weapon."

Naruto pointed to the massive Zweihander resting nearby. "Think I can add it to this?"

"Nope," Asuma said immediately. "You can't mix chakra metal with regular metal. They don't bond properly. If you try, you'll just end up with a weak weapon."

Naruto sighed. "Guess I'm not making a chakra metal Zweihander anytime soon."

"What, giving up on Vacuum Blade already?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Hell no." He formed another batch of clones, their Zweihanders already sparking with unstable wind chakra. "It's just this stupid vacuum that won't form."

Asuma chuckled. "You're thinking about it too rigidly. It's not about holding the wind in place—it's about flow." He tapped one of his trench knives against his palm. "You need to create swirls in the wind chakra. Those swirls will naturally pull away the surrounding air and form the vacuum."

"Swirls?"

"Watch carefully."

Asuma used the Vacuum Blade technique on his trench knife. The edge shimmered faintly, but as he shifted the angle, Naruto could see it—the swirling motion of the wind chakra flowing like a spiral around the blade. The air around it seemed to bend, creating a faint distortion in the light.

Asuma took a step forward, slashing cleanly through a nearby boulder. The cut was so precise that the top half slid off silently before crashing to the ground.

"Whoa."

Naruto grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, swirls it is! Let's get this down!" He turned to his clones, throwing his arms up like a conductor before an orchestra. "You heard the bearded chain-smoker! We're swirling this chakra until we can cut through anything!"

"Were those adjectives necessary?"

Naruto smirked. "Well, they are true."

"Brat."

Naruto just chuckled before hesitating.

Noticing the shift in mood, Asuma frowned. "Something wrong?"

Naruto kicked at the dirt. "Well… now that I've pretty much figured out Vacuum Blade, I guess I won't need to bug you for training anymore…"

"Not necessarily. You can still swing by. Ask for training tips, hang out, maybe annoy Shikamaru a bit. Team 10 and I wouldn't mind your company."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, kid," Asuma said with a chuckle. "You're alright."

Naruto's grin nearly split his face as he lunged forward, hugging Asuma with way too much enthusiasm.

"Alright, alright, ease up," Asuma wheezed, patting the boy's back. "You're stronger than you think."

Naruto pulled back, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. Then, his eyes lit up with a new idea. "Hey, can I make a request?"

"Depends. What is it?"

"Can I smoke a cigarette?"

There was a beat of silence.

"Why?"

"I dunno. The Old Man never let me anywhere near his smoking pipe, so now I'm kinda curious. What's the big deal? What's so great about it?"

"...Maybe because you're a child?"

Naruto squinted. "What? That doesn't sound right."

Asuma pinched the bridge of his nose. He really shouldn't. He really shouldn't.

"…As long as you don't tell anyone," he muttered.

Naruto's face lit up. "You are the coolest, Asuma!"

With a smirk, Asuma reached into his pouch, pulled out a cigarette, and handed it to Naruto along with his lighter. "Alright, kid, here's how—"

Before he could finish, Naruto flicked the lighter on, lit the cigarette, and took the biggest inhale possible.

…Then immediately regretted every decision that led him to this moment.

His entire throat felt like it was on fire. His lungs rejected the smoke like an allergic reaction, and he hacked, bent over, coughing so violently that his clones flinched in secondhand suffering before disappearing in puffs of smoke.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Naruto wheezed, dropping the cigarette like it was a cursed object. "HOW DO YOU ENJOY THAT SHIT?! IT TASTES LIKE BURNING TRASH!"

Asuma, completely unfazed, took a long, slow drag from his own cigarette before exhaling the smoke lazily. "You get used to it."

"WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GET USED TO IT?!" Naruto's voice cracked as he continued to cough, hands on his knees.

Asuma just laughed, clapping Naruto on the back. "Guess smoking isn't for you, huh?"

Naruto glared at him, eyes watering from the lingering burn. "You think?"

Wheezing, Naruto straightened up, still glaring as Asuma took another slow, relaxed puff.

The man smirked. "Still think I'm the coolest?"

Naruto scowled, pointing at him. "No, you're the dumbass for actually liking that crap."

Asuma just chuckled, shaking his head. "Brat."

---

Naruto sat cross-legged in the middle of his cluttered living room, the scroll spread out carefully in front of him on the worn wooden floor. The faint smell of instant ramen lingered in the air, and a pile of dirty laundry loomed like a mountain in one corner. Perched atop it like a king surveying his domain was the crystal lizard. The creature basked in a stray beam of sunlight, completely oblivious to the excitement radiating from Naruto.

"I still can't believe it," Naruto muttered, staring at the glowing text hovering over the scroll in his inventory. He tapped the description again for good measure, rereading it for the twentieth time.

[ Item: Fist of the Flickering Peregrine ]
[ Type: Scroll ]
[ Description: A taijutsu style scroll created by Shisui Uchiha. Rooted in the principles of the Shunshin no Jutsu, this technique draws inspiration from the swift dive of the Peregrine Falcon and the legacy of the Fourth Hokage. Shisui's ambition to merge raw speed with precise combat gave birth to this style, a reflection of his dream to become a warrior as fleeting as the wind. ]

Naruto's grin stretched wide across his face, excitement bubbling over. "This is insane! Shisui's taijutsu style! And now it's mine. Heh." He rubbed the back of his head, a familiar cocky glint in his eyes.

"I'm gonna master this for sure! And when I do, that oversized, flea-ridden, cow-headed Taurus Demon is toast! Dattebayo!"

Carefully, almost reverently, Naruto reached out and unraveled the scroll on the floor. The inked words within weren't just instructions—they were personal notes, written with the precision of someone who had poured their heart and soul into this technique. As Naruto read, his grin faltered slightly, replaced with wide-eyed awe.

[Excerpt from Shisui Uchiha's Notes]

The common misconception with the Shunshin no Jutsu is that its speed can be directly applied to combat. This is wrong. At high speeds, the body succumbs to tunnel vision, rendering precision impossible. While you could theoretically use Shunshin to become a spear and ram into your enemy, no one does this. Why? Air resistance. Without protection, the human body tears itself apart at such speeds. At best, you'll ruin your clothes. At worst, you'll burn yourself alive.

This problem led me to study the Raikage's Lightning Cloak. The Lightning Cloak is both a shield and a spear, enabling the Raikage to move at incredible speeds by eliminating drag. It functions like an arrow piercing the air rather than fighting against it. But I lack lightning chakra. My answer came from nature: the peregrine falcon.

The peregrine falcon is the fastest creature alive, diving at over 200 miles per hour. Its secret lies in its streamlined body and how it manipulates airflow. By folding its wings and tilting its feathers, it minimizes drag and glides effortlessly through the air.

Inspired by the Raikage and the falcon, I developed this taijutsu style. Using wind chakra, I create a cloak around my body that eliminates air resistance entirely. The chakra flows like air over feathers, creating a perfect aerodynamic form. This technique isn't just about speed—it's about control.

Speed is the blade, but control is the hilt. Without it, you'll cut yourself before you ever reach your target.

Naruto let out a low whistle as he sat back, the words sinking in.

"So it's not just taijutsu," he murmured to himself, staring at the intricate diagrams etched into the scroll. "It's ninjutsu and taijutsu. A wind chakra cloak…" His grin returned, even wider than before. "That's perfect for me!"

He turned toward the mountain of dirty clothes in the corner.

"Did you hear that, Mr. Lizard?!" Naruto shouted. "Your boss is about to become a legend!"

The lizard blinked once, startled, before quickly burrowing deeper into the laundry pile.

Naruto sighed dramatically, throwing his hands in the air. "I'll get you to love me one day. You'll see!"

[Excerpt from Shisui Uchiha's Notes]

The Raikage's Lightning Cloak—an extraordinary technique, both in concept and execution. The principle behind it is deceptively simple: by infusing his body with Lightning Chakra, the Raikage enhances his nervous system, drastically increasing reaction speed and muscle response. The natural conductivity of lightning allows the chakra to spread evenly, reinforcing his body without tearing it apart.

Wind, however, does not work that way. Wind is wild, volatile, an element that does not embrace—it cuts. It does not conduct through the body; it rages against it. A Wind Cloak, if applied like the Lightning Cloak, would result in catastrophic self-inflicted wounds. The body, caught within its own storm, would be shredded from within.

I have concluded that a stabilizing medium is required. A framework to direct and contain the chakra without allowing it to erode the user.

An interesting workaround, however, would be to weave chakra metal into a mesh—a flexible reinforcement that could serve as an exoskeleton, containing and stabilizing the Wind Cloak's effect.

Theoretically sound. Practically? Uncertain. I will require extensive testing and an exceptional blacksmith to bring this concept to life. The challenge now is not in the technique itself, but in whether or not I will find the time to see it through.

If only there was another of my element who could carry this burden forward…

Naruto frowned as he reread the passage for the fourth time, rubbing his head in confusion.

"Wait a second… does this mean I can wear Wind Chakra like a coat?"

He looked down at himself, then at the chakra metal ingot he had obtained. His brain started working overtime.

"So I just need to get this stuff woven into my armor, and boom, the next Shunshin no Naruto is here!"

The realization hit him like a thrown brick.

"Oh, duh."

With a flicker, he vanished from his spot—reappearing inside Higurashi's Weapon Shop.

Naruto landed right in the middle of a transaction, startling a couple of chunin as they completed their purchase. Mr. Higurashi, ever unfazed, merely raised an eyebrow.

"If you're not buying, get out," the blacksmith said dryly. "Or I'll start charging you for standing on my beautifully waxed floors."

The chunin blinked, then looked down, hesitating. The floor was, in fact, not waxed. It was covered in faint boot prints, a little dusty from the day's work. But Mr. Higurashi's deadpan expression must have been enough because they quickly muttered a goodbye and made their exit.

Naruto exhaled. "Thanks, old man."

"For what?"

Naruto hesitated. "…They were staring at me like I was the fox."

A beat of silence. Then, Mr. Higurashi scoffed. "Nope. Just admiring my fine floor."

Naruto glanced down at the mess beneath his feet. Then back up at the smirking blacksmith.

"Or," Higurashi continued with a teasing glint, "maybe they were just jealous of how ridiculously handsome you are. Girls love a little whisker action, don't they? I bet Tenten agrees."

Naruto blinked, caught off guard. "Sure?"

"Tenten is currently out on a mission."

"Yeah, I know."

Naruto placed the scroll and ingot on the counter. "I need this made."

Higurashi's eyes flickered over the designs, whistling lowly. "Fancy stuff." He picked up the ingot, turning it over in his hands. "You sure you wanna waste perfectly good chakra metal on this?"

Naruto frowned. "Waste? What do you mean?"

The blacksmith gave him a pointed look. "What do you think your armor is made of?"

"…Metal?"

"Some new kind of chakra metal," Higurashi said flatly. "I don't know what kind of ore this is, but your armor's already built to channel chakra without breaking apart under Wind Release. You don't need to mess around with wire mesh or reinforcement—just use what you've already got."

Naruto stared at his gauntlet, then experimentally pulsed Wind Chakra into it.

The result was immediate—smooth, controlled, seamless. His chakra flowed through the Elite Knight armor like it belonged there.

"Wow, Oscar really left me with something else, huh."

Naruto glanced at the Zweihander, still buzzing from his training. At least the big hunk of metal couldn't channel Wind Chakra, meaning his new jutsu wasn't totally useless. But hey, if his armor could get him to Shisui's level, that was a win.

"Thanks for everything, Mr. Higurashi," Naruto said, grabbing his stuff and heading for the door.

The old blacksmith clicked his tongue, watching him go.

"Didn't even get to tell him how conveniently wife-material Tenten's gotten with her cooking skills. Kid's hopeless."

---

Back at his apartment, Naruto—fueled by both inspiration and an excessive amount of ramen—decided it was the perfect time to start training the Fist of the Flickering Peregrine.

Slurping up the last of his noodles, he set the scroll aside and clapped his hands together. Alright, let's do this.

With a quick hand sign, he summoned two shadow clones. "You two, clear some space. We're about to make some questionable training decisions."

"On it, boss!" one clone chirped, shoving the coffee table to the side.

"Try not to break anything this time."

Naruto ignored the comment as he focused on the scroll. The first step seemed simple enough: Create a cloak of chakra around your body. Then manipulate the wind chakra to flow around your form, reducing resistance like an aerodynamic bird.

"I can totally do this," Naruto said. "No problem."

He closed his eyes, gathering chakra and letting it spread across his entire body. A shimmering layer of energy coated him, pulsing faintly. So far, so good. Then, with a deep breath, he began converting it to wind chakra.

BOOM!

The wind chakra detonated outward like an uncontrolled storm, shaking the walls and sending Naruto sprawling onto his back. The pile of laundry in the corner exploded into the air, socks and shirts flinging themselves across the room like they had something to prove.

Naruto sat up, coughing as a cloud of dust settled around him. "Ugh! What the—"

He froze at the sound of wheezing laughter. Turning, he spotted his two shadow clones rolling on the floor, clutching their sides as they laughed like maniacs.

"What are you two laughing at?!"

"Look at Mr. Lizard!"

Naruto turned to where the laundry heap had been, now scattered across the room. Right in the middle of it all, perched atop a sock, was the crystal lizard. Except it wasn't perched—it was flailing. The little creature had landed upside down, its tiny legs kicking in frantic circles like a wind-up toy gone wrong.

Naruto blinked.

The clones howled even louder, one of them slapping the floor as tears streamed down his face. "He looks like he's doing aerobics! Someone get him a little sweatband!"

Naruto ignored the two idiots—technically his clones—who were laughing in the corner, their amusement only fueling his focus. His attention was fixed on the crystal lizard lying on its back, its tiny legs flailing helplessly. The little creature's beady eyes locked onto him, a mix of fear and desperation, with a pathetic attempt at intimidation as it hissed softly.

"Scary," Naruto muttered sarcastically, crouching down and motioning for the lizard to calm down. Instead, the creature hissed louder, baring its tiny teeth, but Naruto didn't care. Carefully, he nudged it back onto its feet with two fingers, letting it stabilize itself.

The lizard, clearly on edge, was about to scurry back toward the safety of the laundry pile when Naruto quickly grabbed its tail, lifting it off the ground. The tiny reptile immediately started thrashing wildly, wiggling like crazy, its movements frantic. Naruto held it steady with one hand as he poked a scale near its side, noticing a small wound beneath the scaly exterior. The creature cried out softly in pain.

"Hey, relax. I'm trying to help you, idiot," Naruto muttered, frowning. "Oi! You two morons!" he barked at his clones. "Bring me some water and that weird healing ointment Iruka-sensei gave us!"

The clones snapped to attention, their earlier laughter fading as they jumped into action.

Moments later, they held the lizard down on the table while Naruto got to work. He cleaned the wound first, gently wiping away the dirt and grime that had gathered on the rough edges of the scales. The lizard hissed and squirmed but didn't fight as much as before. Naruto then took the small tin of ointment, scooping some onto his fingers and applying it carefully.

The healing ointment fizzled as it reacted with the wound, releasing a faint, minty aroma and creating a gentle foam that quickly dissolved into the injured area. The scales around the wound seemed to knit together, the jagged edges smoothing out as the injury began to close. The lizard gradually stopped thrashing, its body relaxing under Naruto's careful hands.

"There," Naruto said, setting the creature back down on the floor.

The lizard hesitated for a moment before bolting toward the laundry pile, only to stop abruptly. Its safe haven was gone.

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Oh yeah, forgot about that. My bad." He grabbed a handful of clothes and began tossing them back into a makeshift pile. "Alright, alright. There you go. Back to your little kingdom."

But the lizard didn't move. It just sat there, staring at him.

"What? You want to thank me? Or… are you hungry?" Naruto asked, scratching his head. He rummaged through his kitchen for a moment before returning with a small piece of raw meat, placing it down near the lizard.

The crystal lizard eyed the meat cautiously before scurrying over to bite into it. Naruto watched as the creature gnawed at the morsel, its little jaws working furiously. Then, to his surprise, the lizard stopped halfway through and slowly approached him, dropping the half-eaten meat near his hand as if offering to share it.

Naruto blinked in surprise. "Uh… thanks?" he said, a grin spreading across his face as he reached out to pet the lizard, but it immediately darted back a few feet, staring at him from a safe distance.

Naruto laughed softly, picking up the leftover meat. "Progress. I'll take it," he said, shaking his head.

The lizard watched him closely as he pretended to eat the meat, sliding it out of view with a sleight-of-hand trick. Naruto raised it to his mouth and then slipped it into his sleeve, making it look like he took a big bite. "Mmm, so good," he said, loudly smacking his lips. There was no way he was actually going to eat that.

The lizard tilted its head, its beady eyes narrowing in suspicion, but it didn't seem to protest.

Naruto stood and turned to his clones. "Alright, you two. Keep an eye on the little guy. Kakashi-sensei should be showing up any minute now."

One of the clones crossed his arms, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hey, we should name it."

"Ramen?" the other clone suggested immediately.

"No," Naruto shot back.

"Noodle?"

"No."

"Well, I'll think of something," Naruto said, waving them off as he grabbed his jacket. He gave the crystal lizard one last glance before heading toward the door. "Be nice to it. I'm the boss here, not you idiots."

As Naruto left, the lizard watched him go, its small head tilted slightly, before scurrying back to its newly rebuilt laundry pile.

---

Naruto flickered into the training ground, skidding to a halt just in time to hear Sakura's annoyed yell.

"You're late… both of you!" she shouted, glaring at both Kakashi and Naruto.

The two rubbed the backs of their heads sheepishly, clearly caught off guard.

"I was late because I was trying to save a woman from a giant talking bear," Kakashi said nonchalantly, his usual deadpan delivery making the absurd claim sound oddly plausible. "The bear demanded I defeat him in poetry before he'd let her go."

"Did you win?" Naruto asked earnestly, his eyes wide with curiosity. Considering the bizarre things he'd seen in Lordran, this story didn't sound far-fetched to him.

"He's lying!" Sakura said, her disbelief palpable.

"Shame on you, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto scolded, though he leaned closer and whispered, "So… did you win?"

"Of course I did."

Sakura groaned in exasperation before turning her glare toward Naruto. "And what's your excuse?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to mention the crystal lizard—not yet. Maybe when the little guy was friendlier, he'd show it off, proving that only he was worthy of its trust. For now, he needed a distraction.

"I was training to use Shisui-san's taijutsu," he said proudly, puffing out his chest. "You know, the one that got him the name Shunshin no Shisui."

That caught everyone off guard, but they immediately translated his words to mean that he was trying to recreate Shisui's taijutsu style.

"How do you know about this?" Kakashi asked, narrowing his visible eye slightly.

"Oh, Iruka-sensei told me," Naruto said smoothly, his grin widening. "Imagine this—Shunshin no Naruto!" He practically shook with excitement at the thought.

Kakashi paused, his mind racing.

Sakura turned her gaze toward Sasuke, her curiosity shifting. Shisui's funeral had been just yesterday. What did Sasuke think about all of this?

Sasuke gave a small nod. "I hope you're able to recreate it."

The unexpected encouragement surprised everyone.

"Thanks for the support, teme," Naruto said, grinning wide.

"If you need help, just ask," Sasuke replied evenly.

"Actually, I've taken a major step toward it!"

Seeing the way everyone was staring at him, he lifted his gauntlet and pulsed Wind Chakra through it.

"Shisui-san used a Wind Cloak to reduce air resistance—something about bird aerodynamics. I'm gonna do that and combine it with Shunshin!"

Sakura and Sasuke just stared, trying to process the sudden info dump.

Kakashi, for his part, somehow found his voice. "My, Naruto," he said, almost choking on his own words, "it seems like you're serious about becoming the next Shunshin no Shisui."

Even as he spoke, Kakashi's mind was spinning.

Because one simple, terrifying realization had just hit him like a runaway bull when he tapped a finger against the boy's armor, sending a trace of chakra into it—only to watch in stunned silence as it flowed through the metal effortlessly, without a hint of resistance.

Naruto's armor—his ridiculously heavy armor—was made of chakra metal.

Not just a little bit.

Not just some reinforcement.

No.

The entire thing was chakra metal.

Kakashi suddenly felt like he needed to sit down.

Because that meant someone had thrown an ungodly amount of money at this kid. Who in their right mind had that kind of wealth?! Who could just casually afford to coat an entire suit of armor in one of the rarest materials in the world?!

And more importantly—

WHO THE HELL WAS OSCAR?!

Kakashi squeezed his temples. First, he finds out Oscar is dead. Then, Naruto casually drops that he's already avenged him. When did that even happen?! How did that even happen?! Was Konoha asleep when all of this went down? Did everyone blink and miss an entire arc of Naruto's life?!

His brain was starting to overheat.

He needed a nap. Or maybe an extended leave of absence. Preferably somewhere far, far away—where Naruto wasn't casually dropping life-altering revelations that made zero damn sense and gave him an existential crisis every single time he spoke.

Oblivious to Kakashi's slow descent into madness, Naruto just grinned.

"Shunshin no Naruto," he corrected proudly. "Don't forget it!"

"Fair enough. Good luck, then," Kakashi said, feeling the sudden urge to just knock himself out.

"Thanks! I'm off to see Team 10—gonna ask Asuma-sensei if he can help me with Shisui's taijutsu!" Naruto said, already preparing to leave.

"Ino's going to be there," Sakura teased, a sly grin spreading across her face.

"Yeah, I know, Sakura."

Sakura wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, clearly trying to get a rise out of him.

"Weirdo," Naruto muttered before body flickering out of sight.

"What was that about?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow as he observed Sakura's flushed face.

Sakura squealed, her voice high-pitched with excitement. "I think Ino has a crush on Naruto!"

"Oh?" Kakashi said, leaning closer like a gossiping auntie. "Do tell."

Sakura eagerly launched into her theories while Kakashi nodded along with faux interest. Meanwhile, Sasuke ignored them both, picking up a few leaves from the ground. He focused on his own training, already channeling chakra into the leaves to generate a small current.

"Sasuke-kun," Kakashi called, glancing over, "what do you think about this?"

"Hn," was Sasuke's only response, his focus unbroken.

Sakura paused, watching him closely. Sasuke's indifferent response struck a chord. How could he remain so detached when one of his biggest fans was now gone?

Ino's words echoed in Sakura's mind: Do you like Sasuke, or do you like the idea of him?

She thought she had an answer now. At first, she had liked the idea of Sasuke—the mysterious prodigy, the perfect hero. But over time, she had come to see the real him. His burdens, his pain, his dreams. She no longer saw him as someone to protect her or save her.

Now, she wanted to stand beside him, shoulder to shoulder.

That was what her love had grown into—a quiet strength to match his.

Her resolve hardened as she watched him continue his training, his focus unwavering.

She would stand by his side, no matter what.

That was her promise to herself.

---

Naruto jolted awake to the faint sound of scratching. Blinking blearily, he sat up, his senses sharpening in the quiet of the night. A quick glance at the clock told him it was two in the morning.

With a furrowed brow, he turned his head toward the source of the noise. His tired eyes landed on the small figure at the balcony window, its little claws tapping lightly against the glass.

A familiar, shimmering blue form.

The crystal lizard.

Naruto groggily rubbed his face before whispering, "Dude… what are you even doing?"

The tiny creature froze at his voice, its bright eyes flickering toward him, caught in the act. Naruto noticed how the moonlight outside seemed to bend toward the large, gleaming crystal on its back, absorbing into it like a gentle tide pulling away from shore.

He paused, watching the way the little thing shifted restlessly, glancing between him and the outside.

"…You wanna go out?"

The words were barely out of his mouth before he was already moving. He slipped out of bed, careful not to startle the lizard, and padded over to the window. At his approach, the creature flinched, its tiny body tensing as if ready to scurry away.

But instead of grabbing it, Naruto simply unlocked the window and pushed it open, letting the cool night air spill into the room.

"Go on, then." He gestured toward the open space.

For a moment, the crystal lizard hesitated. Then, with quick, skittering movements, it scrambled onto the balcony, its tiny form bathed in moonlight.

Naruto leaned against the doorframe, watching. The lizard tilted its head up, its crystal glowing faintly as it drank in the silvery light. It stood perfectly still, as if caught in some quiet, reverent moment, the wind ruffling its scales.

There was something… serene about it.

Naruto smiled, but as he stepped out, the cold air immediately bit into his skin. A glance down told him that the crystal lizard wasn't handling it much better—its small body trembled slightly under the night's chill.

Naruto didn't think twice.

He lifted his hand and let a small, controlled pulse of warmth bloom from his palm—the faint glow of a Pyromancy Flame flickering to life.

Almost instantly, the air around them softened, the bite of the cold easing into something gentler. The crystal lizard turned back toward him, its bright eyes reflecting the fire's glow.

Naruto chuckled. "Better?"

The lizard didn't answer, obviously, but it didn't run either. Instead, it just stared at him, then at the flame, then back at him again.

Naruto yawned, grabbing his blanket from inside and wrapping it around himself, sinking into its warmth. His eyelids grew heavy, sleep trying to drag him back under.

But then—

A small nudge against his side.

Naruto cracked an eye open and found the crystal lizard had shuffled closer, staring up at him expectantly.

"…You wanna enjoy the heat too?" Naruto asked, raising his arm slightly.

The little creature wasted no time. It carefully scurried under the blanket, nestling against the warmth of the Pyromancy Flame.

Naruto grinned at the sight. Feeling a little bold, he reached out and lightly scratched under the lizard's chin.

It chirped. A tiny, high-pitched sound—somewhere between a squeak and a trill, like a little bell ringing through the night.

Naruto chuckled. "You like that, huh?"

The lizard responded by pressing into his hand, clearly enjoying the attention.

A name. He should name it.

Naruto paused, thinking. Something ramen-related? …Nah. Something in the back of his mind told him no—that wasn't right.

And then, in the quiet, he finally had an epiphany.

"…You know," he murmured, his voice soft, "there was a dream I had once."

The crystal lizard stilled, listening.

"To travel through Lordran with my master," Naruto continued. "He was supposed to teach me things. We were supposed to explore together. I wanted to take him to Ichiraku, let him try ramen—bet he'd have liked miso. We'd sit together, talk about anything and everything, and…"

His voice wavered.

But he swallowed it down, blinking hard before rubbing his sleeve across his eyes.

When he lowered it, the crystal lizard was still staring at him.

Naruto took a breath.

"…Would you do me the honor of taking his name?" he asked, stretching his hand out. "Of traveling through Lordran with me?"

For a long moment, the lizard didn't move.

Then, slowly, it stepped forward—pausing just long enough to press its nose lightly against his outstretched hand.

Naruto felt something tighten in his chest.

He grinned—wide and a little wobbly—but real.

"Alright, Oscar," he whispered.

The crystal lizard chirped again, curling closer to his warmth.

Naruto wrapped the blanket a little tighter around them, leaning back against the balcony door, the exhaustion finally pulling him down.

And as his eyes slipped shut, he had no idea that this moment—the quiet beginning of a boy and his lizard—would someday become legend.

That one day, the gods themselves would tremble at the sight of the two dragons of Lordran.

But for now, they were just a boy and his tiny companion, resting under the moonlight.

---

As always, thank you for your support, feedback, and amazing ideas. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter's developments!

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me. Let me know what you thought of the chapter—I'd love to hear your feedback!

And if you can't wait for the next update, the next chapter drops on Feb 20th! You can read ahead to Chapter 69 on Patreon.

Thank you all for your support—you make writing this story such an incredible journey!

Until next time,
Adamo Amet

 

[Dydluch]

love the sentiment with naming the lizard Oscar, hope how the thing about dragons might be foreshadowing the lizards growth into a full grown crystal lizard. having played DS3 the shinobi world isn't ready for one of those

 

[Morkail]

Still say that little lizard will grow in to some kind of monster.

 

[Adamos_Amet]

Chapter no.26 Solaire of Astora

---

The Hokage's Office was quiet, save for the faint rustling of paper as Hiruzen Sarutobi read through Kakashi's report.

The old man's brow furrowed as his eyes drifted over the latest findings.

"Scorch Release?"

Hiruzen muttered the words under his breath, the concept alone making him feel a familiar sense of unease.

Kakashi, standing at attention before the desk, gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Just a theory—courtesy of Sasuke Uchiha."

It was a flimsy idea at best. Naruto's chakra nature had already been confirmed, but Kakashi had long since learned to account for the impossible, especially when something like the Kyūbi could be involved.

Hiruzen hummed, continuing through the rest of the report.

And then, he paused.

Naruto's armor… made entirely of chakra metal.

Hiruzen's fingers tightened slightly on the parchment, his chest growing inexplicably tight.

The entire armor?

His first thought was sheer disbelief, but the implications settled in quickly. The amount of chakra metal required…

Even the Daimyō himself would wince at its worth.

Where? Hiruzen's mind raced. Where in the world did Naruto acquire enough chakra metal to forge an entire suit of armor?

A part of him—the leader of Konoha, the protector of its future—felt the whisper of an opportunity.

If only Konoha knew how to replicate it…

The thought came unbidden, and with it, an old memory—Asuma's voice, blunt and laced with quiet disappointment.

Are you? Or are you doing this for Konoha?

Hiruzen's lips thinned.

Let's say you figure out Naruto's mysteries. What then? Are you expecting Konoha to benefit from them? From him? Because if that's the case, then you've forgotten something important, Father.

And yet—here it was. A legitimate way for Konoha to benefit from Naruto's strange evolution.

"Kakashi, what are we doing?"

Kakashi blinked. "Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen set the paper down, exhaling. "These investigations… these mysteries. What is the end goal?"

Kakashi frowned slightly, his visible eye sharpening. "Sir?"

The Hokage's gaze didn't lift from the parchment.

"What do we hope to gain from this?"

A beat of silence.

Then, Kakashi replied, "At the very least, we can ensure Naruto is safe from whatever caused this."

Hiruzen huffed, the sound dry and tired.

"Safe." He shook his head. "Yes, of course. Because keeping him ignorant and alone for the last decade was for his safety."

The bitterness in his voice surprised even himself.

Kakashi's stance remained steady, but his eye flickered with something unreadable.

"Hokage-sama, if I may."

Hiruzen motioned for him to continue.

"It's clear that you've been thinking a lot about Naruto, and perhaps you're feeling like you've failed him."

Hiruzen let out a slow breath. "Didn't I?"

Kakashi was quiet for a moment, then shook his head.

"Hokage-sama, no one understands better than you how much weight rested on your shoulders after the Kyūbi attack. You lost your wife that night. You had to oversee the reconstruction of Konoha, handle the growing number of war orphans, and manage rising political tensions with the threat of another Shinobi War looming overhead.

"Then there was the Uchiha Clan's unrest, the fractured alliances with other nations, the Council's interference, Danzo's schemes, the ANBU's internal conflicts…"

He sighed.

"Sir, I know you didn't do what was best for Naruto, but you tried—while the world felt like it was crumbling under your feet."

The words hung between them, settling into the office like an unspoken truth.

Hiruzen's fingers drifted over his desk, brushing against the edges of the report.

"Wise words, Kakashi." His voice was quiet. "But I gave everything I had to Konoha, and yet… it feels as though I failed the people who truly mattered."

Kakashi's gaze softened, his eye distant.

"Can I join you in that sentiment?"

The way he said it spoke of understanding.

They were both too late to realize who truly mattered.

A beat of silence passed between them.

"Lord Third," Kakashi said. "Teaching Team 7 has taught me something valuable."

"Oh? And what lesson is that?"

Kakashi's eye curved slightly, though it wasn't quite a smile. "That people can change, despite their past."

Hiruzen hummed, waiting for him to elaborate.

Kakashi continued, "I've watched Sakura go from a kunoichi who would have been a casualty in her first real battle to someone who works tirelessly to stand beside her teammates. I've seen Sasuke—despite everything—open up to Team 7, trusting them in ways I never thought he would."

His tone softened.

"And I've watched Naruto's grief of Oscar… heal."

"Guess being a teacher has been good for you."

"It's all thanks to your guidance, Lord Third."

The old Hokage let out a quiet chuckle before his expression turned solemn. He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over the desk.

"Kakashi, I've come to a realization." His voice was softer now, but steady. "I want to make things right for Naruto. A second chance."

"Second chances come after proof of change, not before."

Hiruzen nodded, his grip on his pipe tightening. "Which is why I'm going to tell him about Minato and Kushina."

The words hung heavy in the air.

Kakashi's breath hitched just slightly, his fingers twitching at his side.

"You mean to tell him everything?"

"Yes." Hiruzen exhaled. "But not until I've dealt with Danzo first."

The mere mention of that name sent a chill through the air.

Kakashi frowned. "You're taking direct action?"

Hiruzen's eyes sharpened. "I am."

He gave Kakashi a brief but thorough summary of his plan.

When he finished, Kakashi was already calculating the risks. "Do you want me to join the squad? If Danzo has a plan in place, you can assume he'll use it."

"I know the dangers, which is why I handpicked the team myself. Shibi Aburame will lead the team of ANBU captains—he's already tagged every member with his kikaichū. If Danzo tries to use Kotoamatsukami, their chakra will disrupt the genjutsu immediately."

"A failsafe. Smart."

Hiruzen nodded. "Tsume Inuzuka will also be on the team—her heightened senses will detect any Root operatives, in case Danzo has continued his activities despite his so-called exile."

Kakashi folded his arms. "It's a good start. But if Danzo's backed into a corner, he'll retaliate. That team has countermeasures, but they still need more muscle. What about Gai?"

"He's away on a mission."

Kakashi's lips thinned slightly. "Jiraiya-sama, then?"

Hiruzen shook his head again. "No. Jiraiya is too far away to accompany the team. Instead, I'll be sending Enma to accompany them. Even Danzo isn't foolish enough to make a move against the Monkey King."

Kakashi let out a low whistle. "Pulling out all the stops, huh?"

Hiruzen's expression darkened. "I refuse to let Danzo be a loose end."

Kakashi nodded.

There was nothing else to say. At least, not about that.

"Do you want me to keep an eye on Naruto? Just in case Danzo tries something while we're handling this?"

Hiruzen's gaze flickered, studying Kakashi carefully.

Smart. The man had already figured it out.

"If you must."

Kakashi nodded. "Good. I've been thinking of taking Team 7 through more teamwork drills. Maybe throw in a few D-rank missions."

"That's a good idea. They've developed their individual skills—now they need to learn how to use them together."

A brief silence settled again.

Then, Kakashi asked the inevitable question.

"And the mysteries?"

Hiruzen's fingers tapped idly against his desk.

"We are shinobi, Kakashi. It would be foolish to dismiss mysteries just because they involve Naruto." He looked up. "But from now on, we separate the two. Naruto and his mysteries are not the same. Treat them as such."

Kakashi held his gaze for a moment.

Then, slowly—he bowed.

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

---

[ One Week Later ]

It was a clear day in the forests of Konoha, where the birds chirped and the leaves rustled with the gentle breeze. Team 7, however, was not enjoying the idyllic scenery. Instead, they were crouched in the dirt, stalking a small brown cat with a red ribbon on its right ear—the infamous Tora, beloved pet of Madam Shijimi, one of the wives of the Fire Daimyō.

"Alright, Team 7," Kakashi said, his voice grave as he crouched behind a tree, his book conspicuously in hand. "This is a high-priority mission. Tora is known for her evasive maneuvers, her cunning, and her unrelenting will to escape. We can't afford any mistakes."

Naruto groaned, his head dropping to his hands. "It's a cat, sensei. I bet I could catch it solo, dattebayo."

"This mission comes directly from Madam Shijimi. And remember, she's not just any client—she's a diplomat for the Fire Daimyō. How we handle this reflects on Konoha."

"And on you," Sakura added dryly, shooting Kakashi a sideways glance.

"Exactly," Kakashi replied, unfazed. "So, no pressure. But if we fail, we risk jeopardizing diplomatic relations with the entire Fire Nation." He turned a page in his book. "No big deal."

The team collectively stared at him.

"Are we seriously pretending this isn't a waste of time?" Sasuke asked flatly.

"I mean," Sakura chimed in, "shouldn't someone talk to Madam Shijimi about how she's treating this cat? It keeps running away for a reason."

"It's not our job to question the client," Kakashi said. "Our job is to retrieve Tora."

"Poor cat," Sakura muttered under her breath as they moved into position.

---

The team scattered, each taking a planned route. Sasuke was the first to act, hurling kunai with ninja wires imbued with lightning chakra. They struck the trees around the fleeing Tora, cutting off her escape routes with precision.

The cat hissed, its amber eyes darting wildly for an exit. It turned left—Naruto was there, standing with his arms crossed, a smug grin on his face. It turned right, and there Naruto was again, the same smirk on his face.

No matter where Tora turned, Naruto was there.

"Afterimages?" Sasuke muttered. Naruto was fast enough now to make it seem like he was everywhere at once. "You're seriously using Shisui's technique on a cat?"

"I'm refining my skills, teme," Naruto said, his grin widening as he flickered into another position. "Besides, this cat is way tougher than it looks!"

Tora hissed and arched her back, trying to look intimidating, but Naruto wasn't fazed.

"Ninja Art: Pyramidal Barrier!" Sakura shouted, slamming her hands together.

The kunai Naruto had placed around the area suddenly glowed, creating a shimmering pyramidal barrier around the panicked cat. Tora scratched at the chakra barrier wall of her new prison, but it was no use.

"Target confirmed," Naruto said dramatically. "It's Tora. Mission complete."

Kakashi finally emerged from the trees, clapping slowly. "Excellent work, Team 7. Tora has been successfully apprehended."

"You could've helped, you know."

"Why? You were doing so well."

"Yeah, well, next time you can chase after a demon cat!" Naruto grumbled.

"Stop complaining, Naruto. We finished the mission," Sakura said, shaking her head as she carefully deactivated the barrier.

---

Team 7 stood blankly as Madam Shijimi scooped Tora into her arms.

Madam Shijimi was a corpulent woman with dark brown hair styled into three enormous poofs. Her face was coated in purple eyeshadow, pink lipstick, and a thick layer of powder. Her nails were painted to match her gaudy rings, which jingled as she petted Tora with excessive force. The poor cat looked utterly defeated, its amber eyes half-lidded as it resigned itself to its fate.

"Is this… animal abuse?" Sasuke muttered under his breath, glancing at the limp Tora.

"I think so," Sakura whispered back, frowning. "No wonder the cat keeps running away."

Naruto's thoughts drifted to his pet crystal lizard, now named Crystal Oscar. He suddenly felt a deep sense of pride knowing that he treated his little companion with respect and care. Glad I don't treat Oscar like that, he muttered to himself.

As Madam Shijimi hugged Tora tighter, the cat let out a small, pitiful noise.

"Well done, Team 7!" Madam Shijimi gushed, her rings glittering as she clasped her hands together. "You've brought my precious Tora back to me. She's such a naughty little thing, always trying to run away. But now she's back where she belongs!"

Naruto winced as Tora's amber eyes locked onto his. For a moment, it was like the cat was begging for help.

"...We're done here, right?"

"Yes, Naruto, you're done for now," Hiruzen said with a faint smile, watching as an ANBU quietly escorted Madam Shijimi out of the office.

"I must congratulate Team 7," Hiruzen continued. "You've successfully completed twelve D-rank missions. With this, you are now qualified for higher-ranked missions."

Naruto's face lit up like a firework. "Finally! No more chasing cats, dattebayo!" he exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air. Sakura smiled, and even Sasuke's usual aloofness seemed to soften with mild interest.

Hiruzen smiled at their enthusiasm and picked up a scroll from the pile on his desk. "Your next mission will be a C-rank escort. It's a step up from what you've been doing but well within your capabilities. Bring in the client."

At the Hokage's signal, an ANBU stepped out of the room. Moments later, the door creaked open, and in walked an older man with a hunched posture, carrying a faint air of irritation.

Team 7 took in the sight of their client—a gray-haired, bespectacled man with a large beard and dark eyes. He wore a sleeveless V-neck shirt tied with an obi, plain pants, and sandals. A towel hung loosely around his neck, and a pointed hat sat atop his head. Most strikingly, he was holding a beer bottle, which he sipped from like it was water.

The man glanced at Team 7 and grimaced. "Hokage-sama," he said, his voice gruff, "while I appreciate the quick turnaround on my mission… are these wet-behind-the-ears brats really going to protect me?"

"Hey! Who are you calling a brat, old man?"

Before Tazuna could retort, Hiruzen raised a hand.

"Tazuna-san, I assure you, these genin are more than capable of handling your simple escort mission."

The word simple hung in the air like a knife.

Tazuna froze mid-sip of his beer, his hand tightening slightly around the bottle. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as his gaze flickered to the Hokage, then to the trio of genin standing before him.

"S-Simple, huh?" Tazuna muttered, his voice strained. He let out an awkward chuckle, wiping his forehead with the towel draped around his neck as he quickly tried to change the subject.

"What kind of ninja wears armor like that? And why's a shorty like you lugging around a sword twice your size? Are you compensating for something?"

Naruto's grin stretched wide as he stepped forward, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Want me to show you what it can do?"

Tazuna took a nervous step back, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. "No, no! That's fine, kid. I was just kidding!" he said with a nervous chuckle, lifting his beer bottle as if to toast.

"Tazuna-san, you'll find Naruto's capable of much more than jokes."

"Yeah, right…" Tazuna muttered. "Guess I'll just have to trust you all."

"Good choice, old man."

Tazuna scowled, trying to regain his composure. "I'll have you know I'm a man of great renown!" he declared loudly, puffing out his chest. "I'm Tazuna, the best bridge builder in the Land of Waves! And until I'm safely back in my country to finish my masterpiece, it's your job to protect me—even if it costs you your lives!"

Team 7 stared blankly at him, unmoved by his theatrics.

The silence stretched awkwardly until Tazuna deflated slightly. "...Uh, I mean… thanks for your hard work in advance."

Hiruzen clapped his hands once, bringing the room back to order. "Team 7, your mission begins in two hours. Use the time to prepare."

Tazuna, who looked like he was ready to bolt, muttered, "I'll, uh… go check out the village or something."

"There's a bar down the street that serves Earth Nation beer," Hiruzen added casually.

Tazuna's eyes lit up despite himself. "Is that right?" he asked, feigning disinterest as he sipped his beer.

As Tazuna adjusted his grip on the bottle, the top suddenly slid off with an unnervingly clean cut, the jagged edge catching the light. The severed piece fell to the ground with a soft clink, and a stream of beer immediately spilled out, splashing onto his hand and dripping onto the floor.

The room went silent, all eyes snapping to Naruto, who stood smirking, his hand casually resting on his sword hilt.

Tazuna gulped. "Geez, kid. You're fast. Really fast."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Tazuna's nervousness was palpable now as he shuffled toward the door. "...Uh… anyone want some booze?"

Sasuke and Sakura shook their heads immediately, while Kakashi smiled under his mask. "I don't drink."

"Bring me one. I want to see what it tastes like."

Tazuna nodded at Naruto with newfound respect. "You've got guts, kid," he muttered before disappearing out the door.

"That guy is definitely a sad drunk old man."

"Absolutely," Sakura said with a sigh, while Sasuke grunted in agreement.

Kakashi straightened, his lazy demeanor returning. "Alright, Team 7, you're dismissed for now. Meet up at the northern gate in two hours, ready to go."

Naruto perked up immediately. "Ichiraku Ramen?"

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged a glance before shrugging.

He had trained relentlessly for over a week, honing his skills and pushing himself to his limits. Now, Naruto felt ready—ready to return to Lordran and face the Taurus Demon. This battle would be his measure, his proof that he could take on the dangers lurking not just in the unforgiving world of Lordran, but also in the shadows beyond Konoha.

But before all that… Ramen!

---

The smell of steaming ramen filled the air as Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke sat at the counter of Ichiraku Ramen, bowls in front of them. Naruto was already halfway through his third bowl, his slurping sounds making Sakura twitch. Sasuke, meanwhile, sipped his tomato soup quietly, seemingly unfazed by the chaos around him.

"Okay," Sakura said, placing her chopsticks down and looking at the two boys seriously. "We need to figure out what to bring on the mission. Sasuke, you got anything in mind?"

Sasuke shrugged, taking another sip of his soup. "Kunai, shuriken. The basics."

"I'm bringing ramen cups."

"Ramen cups aren't survival gear, Naruto!" Sakura snapped, glaring at him. "Do you ever take this seriously?"

"Hey, it's better than starving!" Naruto shot back. "And besides, you can't exactly rely on Sasuke's brooding to feed us."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Ayame stepped out from the back, drying her hands on a clean towel. "What's all the commotion about?"

"We're trying to figure out what to pack for a mission to the Wave," Sakura said with an exasperated tone, side-eyeing Naruto. "Although some of us…" she trailed off pointedly, "…are less helpful than others."

"Hey! Ramen cups are totally practical! What if we run out of food, huh?"

Sasuke sighed. "If we're relying on ramen cups to survive, we're already doomed."

Ayame chuckled, the banter clearly entertaining her. "Sounds about right for you, Naruto. But since you're heading to the Wave Country, could you do me a little favor?"

"What kind of favor, Nee-chan?"

Ayame tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Trade from the Wave has been ridiculously expensive lately. If you could bring me back some shellfish—shrimp, crab, maybe some clams—fresh, of course, I'd owe you one."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Why's trade so expensive from the Wave? It's not that far from here."

Ayame's cheerful expression dimmed slightly. "It's because of the Gato Trading Company. They have a stranglehold on the economy there. No goods leave the Wave without passing through Gato's hands first, and he charges a fortune in tariffs. Even essentials like food and medicine are marked up ridiculously. A lot of people there are struggling."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You seem to know a lot about the Wave."

Ayame shrugged. "Well, we get a lot of travelers here, and some of them are merchants. They talk. From what I've heard, the Gato Company isn't just a trading operation. They're basically running a mafia. Anyone who crosses them disappears."

"That explains something," Sasuke muttered, glancing at Sakura and Naruto. "You remember how suspicious Tazuna was when he hired us? He wanted us to protect him," Sasuke continued, his tone sharp, "even if it cost us our lives. That's not something a regular client says unless they're desperate or hiding something."

"Desperate," Sakura echoed. "If Gato's as bad as Ayame says, maybe Tazuna has a reason to be paranoid. But what's he trying to do that would make Gato target him?"

Naruto frowned. "Does the Wave Country have a bridge?"

Teuchi stepped forward, wiping his hands on his apron. "No, it doesn't. The Wave Country is separated from the mainland by a large body of water. All trade and travel are done by boat."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait, you don't think…"

"If Tazuna is building a bridge between the Wave and the Fire Nation," Sasuke interjected, "he'd be cutting into Gato's profits. A bridge would let goods flow freely without needing Gato's ships. He'd lose control over trade—and his monopoly."

"And if that happens," Sakura added, her voice growing more certain, "Gato would do everything he could to stop it. That includes taking Tazuna out."

A heavy silence settled over the group as the implications sank in.

"Do we tell Kakashi about this?"

"No," Naruto and Sasuke said in unison, sharing a rare, mischievous smirk.

Ayame raised a brow. "Why not?"

"It's because these two want a challenge," Sakura muttered.

"Precept the First: A knight's purpose is to serve… to protect those who cannot protect themselves," Naruto declared, his voice solemn, one hand raised as though he were making an oath.

Sakura and Sasuke just stared at him, their expressions blank.

"And also…" Naruto grinned, breaking his "wise" demeanor with a sheepish laugh. "…I need my shellfish ramen!"

Sasuke gave his signature "Hn," which was the most agreement anyone was going to get from him.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. "Right. Heroes. We'll need to be smart about this. Pack supplies that'll last, weapons, and medical gear. No ramen cups, Naruto."

"But ramen cups—"

"No."

Naruto slumped, muttering something about blasphemy against the ramen gods, but Ayame interjected with a gentle smile. "Naruto, just promise me you'll be careful out there, okay?" Her voice was soft, but there was a flicker of genuine concern in her eyes. "Shellfish isn't worth risking your life over."

"Hey, this is me we're talking about! I can't be killed!"

"Sure, Naruto," Ayame said, rolling her eyes with a smirk as she motioned him closer. "But while we're on the topic, what about you-know-who?"

Naruto froze. "I—I don't know. I thought you would take care of him!" he whispered, glancing over at his teammates to make sure they weren't paying attention.

They were absolutely paying attention.

"Naruto," Ayame hissed, grabbing his hands. "He's your responsibility."

"But this might be a dangerous mission!" Naruto whined, throwing a nervous look over his shoulder.

Ayame tightened her grip on his hands. "You can handle this, okay? Plus, maybe it's time you finally tell your team about the little guy."

Naruto bit his lip. "You're right," he said, straightening up. "I can handle this."

"That's my Naruto," Ayame said with a grin, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss on the forehead.

Naruto froze, his face going bright red. Slowly, he turned to look at his teammates. Sasuke was staring at him blankly, but with a look that somehow felt like judgment. Sakura, however, looked like she was about two seconds away from going full-on feral.

"Uh… bye!" Naruto squeaked before body-flickering out of the ramen shop so fast that the air practically whooshed around him.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Teuchi, who had been wiping down the counter, coughed awkwardly. "Anything else, sonny?" he asked Sasuke, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Can you make tomato ramen?"

Teuchi chuckled. "I'll see what I can do."

Meanwhile, Ayame was shifting nervously under the intense glare of Sakura, who looked ready to flip the entire counter over.

"My best friend, Ino, likes Naruto," Sakura began, her voice low and dangerous. "Even if both of them are goddamn idiots who don't know it."

Sasuke quietly slid his chair a little farther away.

"So how dare you—homewrecker—get in between them?!"

Ayame blinked, caught entirely off guard. And then she started laughing—loud, genuine laughter that made Sakura's glare falter for a second.

"Homewrecker?" Ayame wheezed, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "You think I'm trying to steal Naruto?"

"Yes!" Sakura snapped. "I saw that forehead kiss! Don't deny it!"

"Oh no, oh no, Sakura," Ayame said, holding up her hands in surrender, still grinning. "Naruto's like a little brother to me. That forehead kiss? That's just me messing with him."

Sakura blinked. "Wait, so you're not—?"

"Nope," Ayame said, shaking her head firmly, trying to stifle a laugh. "I mean, he's sweet, but absolutely not. Besides…" She leaned casually on the counter, smirking. "Ino and Naruto have been coming here almost every day for the past week."

Sakura's jaw dropped so hard it was a miracle it didn't hit the floor.

"What?!"

---

Naruto woke up in front of the bonfire, a grin spreading across his face like he'd just found the answer to life itself.

"I'm back," he muttered, the words barely audible over the crackling firelight.

A second later, he bolted out of the room like a shot.

"I'm back!" he announced loudly to the endless gray skies of Lordran.

Lordran, of course, responded in its usual fashion: trying to kill him.

A hollow perched on a ruined ledge above him lobbed a firebomb with deadly intent, while another hollow with a crossbow fired an arrow directly at his head. But Naruto didn't flinch. Instead, he smiled, and the faint shimmer of his wind cloak came to life around him.

The cloak wasn't a jutsu, not really. It was the product of pure wind manipulation—a constant, invisible current of air swirling around him. The breeze subtly adjusted itself to every movement, optimizing the aerodynamics of his body. It was like wearing the wind itself—light, invisible, and utterly lethal in how it amplified his speed.

The arrow whistled through the air toward him, but before it could reach, Naruto vanished with a flicker of motion—a blur carried by Shunshin no Jutsu.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in front of the hollow with the crossbow, his blade raised high. The momentum of his movement carried into a devastating downward slash, cleaving the hollow clean in two.

The force of Naruto's strike didn't stop there—the sheer power behind it cleaved through the hollow and continued into the stone battlement beneath. The solid stone cracked and splintered under his blade, leaving a jagged fissure in its wake as dust and rubble scattered into the air.

Naruto didn't even bother to admire the destruction. Instead, he casually leaned back, his feet sliding into a smooth moonwalk across the uneven stone, his movements effortlessly fluid despite the carnage around him.

As the sound of hollow footsteps echoed from the stairwell, and without turning, Naruto whipped his leg backward in a powerful donkey kick that connected squarely with the hollow's chest. The hollow didn't stand a chance—it flew off the stairwell with a gurgled scream, limbs flailing, before disappearing into the void below.

"And they say I'm not graceful."

Naruto stood at the edge of the stone bridge, pausing for a moment as his eyes swept over the scene ahead. The axe-wielding hollows loitered inside the room, their glowing eyes fixed on him, waiting.

"Same old routine," he muttered, cracking his neck.

The entire runback to the tower had barely taken a minute, his body moving as if on autopilot. Every hollow in his path had been dispatched with ruthless efficiency.

By the time Naruto reached the top floor of the tower, he stopped in front of the doorframe.

"This is going to be epic," Naruto said, his voice brimming with anticipation as he stepped onto the wall walk.

He stopped in his tracks.

Nothing.

Naruto's gaze swept across the battlements, his confident grin faltering. The far tower, where the Taurus Demon had once made its grand entrance, stood silent and empty. No massive beast crashing down. No thunderous roar. Just… nothing.

"Is it running late or something?"

He waited, his eyes fixed on the opposite tower, but all he got was the sound of the wind and the faint creak of the wooden beams beneath his feet. A minute passed, then two. Still nothing.

Naruto unequipped his helmet and dragged a hand down his face.

"Seriously? I've been training all week for this rematch, and you're just not gonna show? How unprofessional."

Naruto turned back toward his clones, who were busy finishing off the last of the crossbow-wielding hollows. One of them shrugged, dispersing into a puff of smoke with a resigned look.

He walked to the edge of the wall and pulled out his binoculars, peering toward the opposite tower.

Still nothing.

With a deep sigh, he turned and muttered, "Fine. I'll just… kill that dragon, I guess." He headed toward the far tower, his steps heavy with frustration.

Reaching the opposite tower, Naruto entered the small room at its base. Old barrels and crates filled the space, their decayed wood stained and splintered. With a growl, Naruto began smashing everything in sight.

Crates shattered under his strikes, and barrels splintered into pieces. It wasn't much, but it felt good to vent his frustration. The room quickly turned into a mess of broken wood and dust.

Finally, only one crate remained. Naruto smashed it with a final swing—and froze.

Amid the shattered remains of the crate was a corpse. Its shriveled, naked form was eerily still, its hollowed eyes staring upward. It wasn't fear that stopped Naruto, but curiosity. He crouched down, noticing the faint glow of a soul orb hovering above the body.

"Huh." He plucked the orb from the corpse, letting it absorb into him with a familiar warmth. "Guess someone didn't make it out alive. Probably those weird undead hunts of the Way of White. Jerks."

He shook his head and turned toward the hall connected to the tower, finding yet another set of barrels and crates to destroy. As he smashed his way through, he emerged onto a set of stairs that spiraled downward.

At the base of the stairs, he found himself staring at a moss-covered archway. Beyond it was a heavy wooden door. Naruto tried the handle, but it didn't budge.

[ Door is Locked ]

He pulled out the residence key he'd bought from the merchant and tried again.

[ Door is Locked ]

Naruto stood at the edge of the stone bridge, his gaze locked on the five hollows shuffling on the other side. Their grotesque forms hovered over glowing corpses, their movements slow and deliberate. A bitter laugh escaped him as he brought out his binoculars for a closer look.

"Wow," Naruto muttered, lowering the binoculars. "Guess hollows can set up traps now. Next thing you know, they'll start charging tolls."

He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted across the bridge.

"Oi, idiots! You're supposed to hide to make the trap work!"

The hollows turned toward him at his outburst, two of them immediately breaking into awkward, shambling movements that could only loosely be described as walking.

Naruto smirked, forming a single hand seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A clone materialized beside him, giving him a quick nod before sprinting down the bridge toward the hollows. It moved with purpose, weaving slightly to avoid the glowing corpses. For a moment, the bridge was silent except for the slap of sandals against weathered stone.

Then, hell itself rained down.

From above, the sky ignited in a cascade of searing flames. A torrent of fire engulfed the entire bridge, the intense heat warping the air and licking at the stone with ferocious hunger. The flames consumed everything in their path, including Naruto's clone, whose memories slammed into the original like a freight train.

For a split second, Naruto felt it all—the agony of being burned alive, the suffocating heat, the searing pain. His breath hitched, and he instinctively grabbed his chest as the phantom pain subsided.

When the flames finally receded, the bridge was unrecognizable. The hollows were nothing more than charred remains, the glowing corpses now blackened husks. Naruto's smirk vanished as he saw it.

The dragon.

It perched atop the tower on the far side of the bridge, its massive, red-scaled body radiating power. Its wings spread wide for balance, leathery membranes shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Sharp claws gripped the edge of the tower, and its long tail coiled and swayed with a dangerous rhythm. Its head was tilted downward, fixed on the bridge as if daring Naruto to cross.

Naruto swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. Nope, he muttered, raising a hand in a half-hearted salute. You win this one, buddy.

Turning on his heel, Naruto walked the other way. How do I approach this thing without getting burned to death?

Turning around he started descending the staircase on the side of the bridge, Naruto found himself on a lower platform. It jutted out over the cliff, giving him a breathtaking view of the mist-covered expanse below. The world stretched endlessly, blanketed in a pale white that blurred the line between land and sky.

His awe was short-lived, however, as his attention snapped to the figure standing on the platform.

The man stood tall, clad head to toe in weathered metal armor. A white tunic draped over his chest, adorned with a striking image of a sun—a face surrounded by yellow and red rays. His shoulders bore green cloth that hung like makeshift capes, tattered and frayed from countless battles. He exuded a sense of purpose, his posture noble yet relaxed, as though he belonged to the very mist itself.

Naruto stared, blinking. What the…

The man turned his head, the metal of his helmet glinting in the light. Despite the lack of visible eyes, Naruto felt as though the man were smiling at him.

"Ah, hello! You don't look Hollow—not in the slightest! Far from it!" The man's voice was calm, almost hypnotic. His tone was upbeat, almost too cheery for a place like this. "I am Solaire of Astora, an adherent of the Lord of Sunlight."

"Wait, you're from Astora?!"

The knight chuckled, a deep, hearty laugh. "Why yes, indeed! That great, noble land. But, ah, forgive my curiosity—how do you know of Astora?"

Naruto straightened up, suddenly feeling a need to look presentable. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm the Squire of Sir Oscar, an Elite knight of Astora." His voice carried a pride he hadn't felt in a while.

"A Squire, you say? Ah, the honor of it! How splendid to meet another soul from my homeland!" Solaire exclaimed, clapping his gauntleted hands together. His tone turned softer, though still warm. "Tell me, does your master still walk these lands?"

Naruto's shoulders sagged slightly. "He… he died. He saved me from the Asylum Demon. Gave me everything so I could escape." His voice dropped, the memory still fresh.

Solaire tilted his head slightly, as if offering an invisible smile beneath his helm. "A pilgrimage, then. Like so many of our order, he must have sought the truths hidden within Lordran." He paused, letting the words settle. "And he gave his life for yours? Truly, he was a knight of great conviction. Be proud of that bond, young squire."

Naruto nodded, though his throat felt tight. "Thanks. I… try to honor him."

Solaire's voice brightened. "And so you should! From what I see, you have already come far—close to the bell, even!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Bell?"

"Ah, yes," Solaire replied, gesturing beyond the bridge. "The first Bell of Awakening lies within the Undead Church, just past that formidable structure. Quite the destination, wouldn't you agree?"

Naruto grinned. "First bell, huh? Sounds like I've got my next target. Thanks, Solaire."

"Think nothing of it, dear squire." Solaire's tone turned whimsical again as he looked toward the pale mist in the distance. "I myself have come to this land for a purpose—to seek my very own sun."

Naruto furrowed his brows. "Your own sun? Uh, you know the sun's right there, right?" He pointed to the sky, his expression deadpan.

Solaire chuckled again, the sound rich and full of amusement. "Ah, yes! Quite the literal interpretation. But tell me, what do you think the sun is?"

Naruto shrugged. "A burning ball of gas that gives us daylight?"

"Hah hah hah!" Solaire's laugh echoed across the platform, rich and warm like sunlight breaking through clouds. "I see! A fair answer, indeed. But to me, the sun is far more than that. It is not just a burning ball of gas; it is the beacon of hope, a symbol of life's brilliance. Did you know, young squire, that the sun itself was once said to be a creation of Lord Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight?"

"Wait, Lord Gwyn made the sun?"

Solaire nodded, his voice softening. "So the legends say. But Lord Gwyn… he sacrificed himself to sustain the First Flame, the source of light and life in this world. By offering his very soul to the fire, he prolonged the Age of Fire, holding back the encroaching dark. But in doing so, he abandoned his sun."

Naruto frowned. "So, what, the sun's fading?"

"The light of his sun has waned," Solaire replied. "Though it still hangs in the heavens, it is but a shadow of its former glory. The warmth it once radiated grows colder, dimmer with each passing age. And so, I find myself here, in Lordran, seeking my own sun. A sun unbound by the fading flame, a light that will never dim."

Naruto blinked, unsure how to respond. "That's… a lot."

Solaire chuckled, the sound tinged with melancholy. "Yes, perhaps it is. To seek one's own sun may seem a strange and impossible quest, but it is one I cannot abandon. For what is life without purpose, my young friend? Without something brilliant to strive for?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "You're weird, you know that?"

"I've been told as much," Solaire replied. "But I find your honesty refreshing. You, young one, seem to shine with a light of your own."

"Thanks… uh, Sunbro."

"Sunbro?"

"Yeah, I like giving nicknames to people I like. And I like you. So, Sunbro it is."

Solaire let out a soft laugh. "Well, I must admit, I rather like the sound of that. Sunbro it is, then."

Naruto glanced back toward the bridge, the hulking form of the red-scaled wyvern perched atop the tower at its far end. "Anyway, I think I'm gonna go take that thing down. The bell's on the other side, right?"

"A bold claim, young squire. Do you even know what you're up against?"

"Yeah, a dragon," Naruto replied casually.

"Not quite," Solaire said with a faint air of correction. "That, my friend, is no dragon—it's a Hellkite Wyvern."

Naruto frowned. "What's the difference?"

Solaire raised a finger as if giving a lecture.

"A dragon," Solaire began, "is a creature of ancient power—true dragons have four legs, four wings, and two jaws capable of rending the heavens. They are beings of unparalleled strength, resilience, and majesty. But there is a difference, young squire, between the Everlasting Dragons and those born of lesser bloodlines. The Everlasting Dragons are eternal; their scales, formed of stone, render them impervious to harm. They are not just creatures—they are embodiments of the world's primal order, existing beyond time and death. They do not fear, nor do they hunger. They simply are."

Naruto nodded slowly, though his eyes betrayed a mix of fascination and bewilderment.

"A wyvern, however," Solaire continued, "is something altogether different. It has but two legs and two wings, and it lacks the eternal grace of its draconic ancestors. The wyvern is a cunning predator, born to hunt, strike swiftly, and dominate its domain. Its fiery breath can incinerate even the hardiest foes, and it is far more agile than any dragon. But while a dragon is a force of nature—an unyielding embodiment of the world itself—a wyvern is a mortal creature, subject to the limits of flesh, blood, and bone."

Naruto scratched his chin, trying to keep it all straight. "So dragons are like… ancient gods, and wyverns are their wannabe cousins who took steroids?"

Solaire chuckled at the analogy, shaking his head. "If you wish to simplify it, perhaps so. But do not let the wyvern's lesser stature fool you. Its ferocity and cunning make it a fearsome opponent. To underestimate it is to invite death."

"Toh-may-toh, toh-mah-toh. Still gonna kill it."

Solaire's voice grew lighter. "Oh, are you now?"

"Yeah," Naruto said confidently. "That thing's sitting between me and my goal. Can't let it live, can I?"

Solaire straightened up, a newfound excitement in his posture. "Well then, young squire, I have a proposition."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What kind of proposition?"

Solaire stepped forward. "I propose we engage in jolly cooperation—to vanquish this beast together! What say you?"

Naruto smirked. "I could use the help carrying its corpse back. Let's do it, Sunbro."

The two warriors stood side by side, gazing at the wyvern in the distance. Its form exuded menace, its wings shifting slightly as it remained perched on the tower.

"So, any ideas?" Naruto asked. "Because that thing's fire breath is insane."

Solaire chuckled softly, reaching behind him to retrieve a talisman. Its design was intricate, with white cloth flowing from the top like a banner. Naruto immediately felt the air change, an electric charge building in the atmosphere.

"No need to worry, my little friend. Observe."

Solaire's voice carried an unusual gravity as he raised the talisman high, golden light crackling in his palm. The air grew thick with the sharp, metallic tang of ozone, the pressure building as he formed a spear of pure lightning.

Naruto's eyes widened as he watched the miracle take form. The golden bolt hummed with energy, a radiant beacon of power in the misty air. Solaire's arm drew back, and with a fluid motion, he hurled the lightning spear toward the wyvern.

The bolt tore through the air like a thunderclap, faster than Naruto could track. The impact was immediate—a flash of golden light, followed by an ear-splitting roar as the wyvern screamed in pain. Its massive body twisted, wings flaring as it leapt from the tower toward the bridge.

Naruto grinned, his muscles tensing. Now that's my cue.

Without hesitation, he activated the Fist of the Peregrine, his body enveloped in the invisible wind cloak as he surged forward with unparalleled speed. The bridge became a blur beneath his feet as his senses honed in on the wyvern. For a moment, his jaw almost dropped—Solaire was keeping up with him.

Naruto's grin widened.

"Let's show this thing what jolly cooperation looks like, Sunbro!"

He leapt forward, ready to strike.

---

As always, thank you for your support, feedback, and amazing ideas. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter's developments!

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me. Let me know what you thought of the chapter—I'd love to hear your feedback!

And if you can't wait for the next update, the next chapter drops on Feb 25th! You can read ahead to Chapter 69 on Patreon.

Thank you all for your support—you make writing this story such an incredible journey!

Until next time,
Adamo Amet

 

[Wardemer]

Will Naruto get the bell to summon allies?

 

[legrio]

Sunbro flexing on Naruto lmao.

Remember, Solaire is basically the Might Guy of Dark Souls. Aside from the occasional lighting miracle, it's all strength and skill.

Considering that he canonically Links the Fire in his world, he's literally the strongest non-PC character in the series.