Chapter 3

Keikaku

Hyūga Compound – January 21, 996 A.C. (Morning of the Graduation Exams) – 0330 hours

Sleep was not something Hyūga Hiashi had much of a need for in his middle age. He'd trained viciously in his youth to eliminate all signs of weakness, both physically and mentally. As a result of that conditioning, he'd spent many nights alone in his office, thinking and doing things that were often unbecoming of a Hyūga.

That training made him grateful to Kurama for the bijū's decision to have him stay awake upon arrival in the past. He could easily take the loss of sleep in stride. It would allow him to get a precious head start on several matters of personal importance.

Highest on his list of priorities was reconciling with his daughters and setting his relationship with them back on the right course, though Hinata needed it more surely than Hanabi. Currently, he was sitting down at the foot of his eldest daughter's bed, watching over her sleeping form while he carefully chose the words he would say to her when she woke up.

Hiashi was tempted to cry at the sight of his eldest, from a mixture of joy and guilt. Joy that he had a second chance to make things right and be the father his daughters deserved, instead of simply the clan head who deprived his children of a proper childhood and drove them away. And guilt that he had done so, and knowing that most of his mistakes were not undone by his participation in the time travel scheme.

Being here, now—it felt surreal to the Hyūga patriarch. Hiashi had trouble believing that his and Naruto's plan worked (so far), that he was really in the past again, that fifteen years had been erased with a single jutsu.

Hiashi had wanted to go back even further, to save Minato and Kushina and eliminate Hiruzen, Danzō and Obito before they could screw up Konoha as well as Naruto's life, but even the Rikudō Sennin's power Naruto had tapped into in the original timeline had limits. Also, if they had been able to go back that far, the baby Sakura and Ino would have been overwhelmed and lost their memories, Kurama would not be trusted by Kushina, and it would have been up to Hiashi and Minato to do everything that needed doing. An unacceptable scenario. Fifteen years was the most ideal length of time to travel, given the circumstances. It would allow all the participants in Naruto's plan to become ready for war quickly, as well as allow Hiashi and Naruto time to set up a power base which would be used to facilitate their revolution.

Hiruzen, Danzō and the Konoha Council had to be eliminated, as did the five Daimyōs of the Elemental Nations. The power of the Daimyō itself had to be weakened, if not eliminated altogether; while many in the shinobi villages believed their influence was weaker than a Kage's, the cold fact of the matter is they had the ability to destroy whole countries without a single overt act of aggression. It was happening now in Kaze no Kuni. It had nearly happened to Hi no Kuni in the future. It would not be allowed to happen again.

Naruto's plan was ambitious. The threat of Akatsuki had brought the Elemental Nations together, but Naruto wanted to see if the same unity could be achieved without war or terrorism—although he admitted it might not be possible. Either way, his endgame was to unite every land in the region, both major and minor, into a single nation, or at least a federation if the goal of one shinobi nation couldn't be achieved by his generation. All of the Kages would lead together, chosen by the people to guide the people. It was almost the exact opposite of what existed currently. The system Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara created together had worked to bring some semblance of stability, but as long as it existed, lasting peace would forever elude the people of the shinobi world. The daimyō system and the era of dictatorships needed to end, and while Hiashi worked behind the scenes to realign the political arena in favor of a revolution, Naruto would inspire the masses to make the revolution happen.

The old Hyūga Hiashi would have laughed it off as pointless drivel before pummeling Uzumaki Naruto into the ground.

This Hyūga Hiashi knew Uzumaki Naruto just might have enough charisma to pull it off, and had wholly bought into the plan. This Hyūga Hiashi had absolute confidence in Naruto.

But this Hyūga Hiashi also knew the real reason why Naruto had gone back in time, rather than work with the conditions which could have made his plan work in the future. Yes, part of his motivation was revenge, and that was a necessary evil given everything they'd learned. But the primary force driving Naruto into the past, the very reason he continued to live and not merely function as a biological unit, was sleeping in this bedroom right now.

But apparently she wouldn't be asleep much longer. Judging by the moans of "Naruto-kun" coming from Hinata's mouth, her dream was too intense to handle. Hopefully she wouldn't be too out of it to hear what his heart needed to say.

"Would you like me to retrieve Naruto-san and bring him to you?" Hiashi prodded.

"Hai, Otōsama," Hinata answered. Then, realizing what she just heard and said, her eyes shot open and she abruptly sprang up. "O-o-otō-sama? W-w-what are y-you doing h-h-here?"

"Is a father not allowed to spend time with his daughter?" Hiashi said. Hinata was unable to answer, so he continued: "As I was saying, if you would like me to bring Naruto-san here for you, it'd be no trouble. Actually, I'm certain he would love to see you right now."

Hinata had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't still dreaming. She yelped softly. This couldn't actually be happening. Her father couldn't actually be in her room, telling her that Naruto-kun wanted to see her and that he was willing to make it happen.

Hinata, in an uncharacteristic act, activated her Byakugan, trying to expose the impostor in her room.

To say she was mortified when she discovered it was the real Hiashi and not a genjutsu or a Henge would have been the biggest understatement of the year.

Naruto-kun wants to see me? Hinata asked herself. How can this not be a dream? Having no knowledge of the future Naruto and Hiashi hailed from, Hinata still believed Naruto was hopelessly crushing on Haruno Sakura and would never want to see her, much less notice her. Hinata was very suspicious of Hiashi, and kept her Byakugan focused on him.

Knowing what his eldest was thinking, Hiashi said, "Naruto-san may not know you that well, but he still wants to be close to you, even if he's had problems approaching you. When he found out about the way you were being treated here some time ago, he immediately confronted me about it." The second half was a lie; Naruto had confronted Hiashi in the future, but only after Naruto carried out the Hyūga Clan Massacre, and the confrontation was not over Hinata—at least, not solely. "While the confrontation was painful for him, he made me realize just how pathetic I've been ever since your mother died. It has taken me some time to come to grips with his actions, but I owe him a great debt for opening my eyes to the suffering I put you through." Hinata gasped. Was her father trying to apologize to her for everything he'd done?

"Otōsama..."

"I offer no excuse for driving you away from me, for belittling you each time you failed to meet our clan's expectations, for casting you aside like the worthless trash I am. I will not ask for your forgiveness, as I do not deserve it. But," here he paused to compose himself and drop down on his knees, causing Hinata to gasp again, "I am asking for a chance to start over and be the father I should have been all along. Will you give me that chance, my precious daughter?"

Hinata couldn't believe it, even though her Byakugan couldn't detect any signs of insincerity. Her father really had just asked for a chance to redeem himself and amend the mistakes he'd made as a father, and was willing to help bring her and Naruto-kun together. He'd even chosen to kneel in front of her, showing genuine humility. The scene in front of her was so extraordinary and extraordinarily heart-warming, she couldn't help but shed tears.

"Otōsama, please get up," Hinata said, struggling to not give in to her overwhelming emotions yet. "Everything you just said...you'll f-forgive me if I have trouble believing it, yes?"

"Of course, my dear," Hiashi said, rising to his feet.

"You don't k-know how much I've wanted your acknowledgement, Otōsama...to en-encourage me to keep trying when I failed, to h-hear you say that you w-were p-p-proud of me if I-I, if I su-succeeded…" Hinata paused to wipe away her tears and take a couple of deep, calming breaths, "You have a lot of work to do to prove this is r-real, Otōsama, to p-prove you've changed."

"I know, and I will." Hiashi drew Hinata into a tight hug, and they both gave in and started crying. "I'm sorry for what I've done, Hinata. I promise I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you, if you'll allow me that chance."

The two lost track of time as they held each other, letting out all their pent-up emotions at once. Eventually they managed to separate, but when they did, Hinata realized she couldn't go back to sleep. Or at least, she didn't want to.

"Otōsama," Hinata said, "w-when you said you would bring N-Naruto-kun here…"

"Do you still want me to do so?" Hiashi asked. Hinata finally lost it and started panicking.

"W-W-What are y-you th-th-thinking, Otōsama? You c-c-can't bring him here!" she insisted, not quite yelling, but only because she just wasn't a loud person by nature.

"I have personal business with him that requires he visit the compound. If, after he and I are done talking, he is still here, would you be willing to see him?" Hiashi couldn't let Hinata know that seeing her is the personal business he had with Naruto, lest she faint and push the inevitable reunion to a more dangerous hour in the process.

"I-I...I..."

Hiashi sighed at her stuttering. At least she hadn't quite gone into full meltdown. "Just try not to be unconscious when he arrives."

Hinata didn't try to answer that with words and settled for a nod. Reluctantly, she laid back down, but couldn't fall asleep. Her mind was racing too quickly, trying to avoid emotional overload from the realization that Naruto-kun was coming here.

Well, it's a promising start, at least, Hiashi thought as he left Hinata's room. On his way out, he was stopped by one of the maids in the Cadet Branch making her late night rounds across the clan compound.

"Hiashi-sama?" the auburn-haired Cadet Branch maid questioned, wondering why Hiashi was awake, his eyes were bloodshot and his cheeks and robes were moist with tears.

"How long do you need to stay awake?" Hiashi replied.

"My evening rounds won't be finished until 0800 hours, sir. What do you require of me?"

"Only a small favor. I will need you to send Tokuma-san on an errand for me. Instruct Tokuma-san to find Uzumaki Naruto-san and let him know I wish to meet with him at a private location this weekend. Also instruct him to bring Uzumaki-san here from wherever he's currently training, if possible."

"Very good, Hiashi-sama. The task will be completed to your satisfaction, sir."

Amazing, Hiashi thought. She didn't question why I wish to see Naruto. Most others in the clan would have protested to no small degree. Hiashi was about to dismiss the Cadet Branch maid before another thought came to him. If he was going to win over the side branch and heal his clan, he needed to get to know them better, and gauging the maid's reaction to his request, she seemed like the best person to start with. "My apologies, miss, but I can't seem to remember your name. Would you be kind enough to jog my memory for me, please?" The maid gasped. Was Hiashi actually being polite to her? Did something happen recently to cause him to change? His one question was making her doubt everything she knew about the clan patriarch.

"It's Hisoka, sir," she hesitantly replied.

"Hisoka-san, what are your honest thoughts towards the Hyūga Main Branch? Please do not fear punishment. As long as your answer is completely honest, I will not allow you to be punished." Hisoka gasped again. There was no way this could actually be Hiashi. Surprisingly, when she made a hand seal to activate her Byakugan, he made no move to stop her.

What in the world was going on?

After confirming that it was in fact Hiashi addressing her, Hisoka relaxed. "I...I hate most of the Main Branch, Hiashi-sama. They abuse their power over us. Their children are little different from them. Actually, I'd say most of the younger Main Branch members are somewhat worse than the elders, sir."

"I see." It was a confirmation. Hiashi had observed increased discontent among Cadet Branch members in the future. With the murders of his daughters and the absence of Naruto from Konoha, several Main Branch Hyūga had started showing increasing disdain for their underlings and servants, reverting back to the days before the Oto-Suna Invasion. It was a total disaster. By the time Naruto returned, the situation had required extreme prejudice in its handling. Under orders from Kakashi, the Hero of Konoha had been forced to kill nearly one-third of the Cadet Branch and almost the entire Main Branch to stop a full-scale internal war from breaking out and completely destroying the clan, a war which would have crippled Konoha were it to happen.

This time, Hiashi would destroy the core of the problem well before his clan could revisit the brink of self-destruction. A Hyūga Clan Massacre was very high on the list of things he would not allow to happen in his lifetime.

"And what do you think about my eldest daughter, Hinata?" Hiashi continued.

"I...can't give you an honest answer, sir," Hisoka said, almost stammering in her reply. "We've been taught to hate her for her weakness, for everything about her that doesn't conform to their image of the clan. They believe she will destroy the clan if she is allowed the chance."

Hiashi was incensed, but not at Hisoka. "The arrogance and greed of the elders, if not dealt with, will destroy the clan more completely than Hinata ever could," he spat. "I am not ignorant of the rift between our two houses. If nothing is done to close that rift, the Cadet Branch will eventually revolt against the Main. The result of that rebellion will be nothing short of catastrophic, both to the clan and to Konoha. You have my word that from this day forward, I will do everything in my power to heal and unite the clan before it tears itself and our village apart."

Hisoka was in awe. Her Byakugan was still active and had not detected even a single trace of deceit in the Hyūga head's words. When did this change in him happen? "Hiashi-sama..."

"Hisoka-san, would you like to become my personal attendant?" The question further shocked Hisoka. Hiashi-sama had just offered her complete protection from the elders. Yes, it also resigned her to further slavery, but she would answer only to Hiashi-sama, if she accepted his offer. And she could feel it in her heart, that Hiashi-sama would not bow to the will of the elders any longer. A spark of defiance was clearly seen in his eyes, and it was...inspiring to her, for lack of knowledge of a better word.

Hisoka's decision was predetermined. "I would be greatly honored to serve you in your quest to save our clan, Hiashi-sama."

Her final shock of the early morning was seeing Hiashi smile as he dismissed her.


Naruto's Apartment

Naruto groaned as he crawled out of bed. He was extremely tired and his headache was worse than any he'd had for years, confirming that the Kokugen Henkō no Jutsu worked and he had returned to the past. He didn't need to look in a mirror for added confirmation; he was already feeling disorientation caused by turning back the clock fifteen years and adjusting to his smaller body. It sucked being short again. He also wasn't sure how he felt about losing the physical scars he'd accumulated, the tangible proof of his many failures, though he admitted to himself it was a relief not having to keep his right arm wrapped up in bandages anymore.

The first thing he would have to do is get re-accustomed to the strain his older body had frequently endured. It would not be an easy task at all, and would put his health at great risk every time he trained despite his Uzumaki bloodline's powerful life force, but it had to be done. Every limit Naruto had ever had needed to be broken, and fast, if he was to have any hope of achieving his ambitions.

Ambitions...that was a weird way to put it, since saying that out loud would make him sound too much like Sasuke, but it was accurate enough. Becoming Hokage, changing the world, these things were no longer dreams. Naruto had made his first dream happen for one night before pressing the reset button on the timeline, and he would make it happen again, after all opposition was eliminated and his revolution succeeded in uniting the Elemental Nations.

Naruto rubbed his eyes and looked around the apartment he remembered being given by the Sandaime. Contrary to what Naruto-haters (of which there were once again many) might have assumed, the apartment was actually in good shape, minus the messes he'd left around because he'd never had anyone to teach him why it was important to do his daily chores.

Scratch that, the first thing he'd have to do is clean up this damned apartment, then get re-accustomed to the physical disadvantages of being twelve again and train to compensate for them, and become stronger than he'd ever been.

Clumsily dodging the empty ramen bowls and chopsticks scattered around his room, Naruto walked over to his window and opened the curtains, and groaned. The sky was still dark. Kurama had seen fit to deprive him of sleep.

Kurama brought us back a few hours earlier than I would've preferred, Naruto complained to himself as he changed into his orange tracksuit before conjuring two Kage Bunshin to assist with his chores. His bijū still heard the complaint.

"Be grateful that I did, gaki," Kurama said through their telepathic link. So, even though the seal was back to its original condition, the link was still intact and could be turned on and off at will. That was the first piece of good news Naruto received today. "If your memory is correct, you'll still have four hours before you have to leave to take the graduation exam. Make use of that extra time and get in as much training as you can."

"Well, I already figured out why you chose such an ungodly hour to return to. That doesn't mean I can't be at least a little upset about your sleep-robbing."

Kurama was quickly annoyed by Naruto. "While I suppose you have to practice this childish behavior again to regain proficiency in the art of playing the idiot, I would much appreciate it if you could remain mature while conversing with me. I will not tolerate any genuine slips into your pathetic former self."

"Alright, alright! Do you still think I'm that stupid?"

"It is a question worth asking."

"I salute you with my middle finger," Naruto shot back, sending Kurama a mental image of him flipping the bird.

"Did you truly change at all during the war?" Kurama taunted, returning the image of Naruto flipping him off with one of it doing the same. "Or was your misery the true mask?"

"Don't you fucking dare go there, Kyūbi," Naruto warned. The dangerous tone in Naruto's voice actually made Kurama shiver in fear and think twice about egging on its container.

"Noted. In the meantime, I suggest hightailing it to Training Ground 26, the farthest ground from Konoha and the only one that is used less often than the Forest of Death. I estimate that you'll have to use two hundred Kage Bunshin to practice chakra control and get it to an adequate level to compensate for the loss of your Six Paths chakra and the current status of my seal. I would prefer it if you could actually perform the Bunshin no Jutsu correctly this time around."

"How much would that change?" Naruto wondered as his clones finished picking up the dirty dishes and laundry and moved on to making the bed. Cleaning up was turning out to be much easier than he first thought. "If I actually pass the test, Mizuki might not try to trick me into stealing the Scroll of Forbidden Seals again, and I wouldn't have a reasonable explanation for how I can perform Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

"If that happens, have Kakashi vouch for you, once Ino restores his memories. Also make sure that he utilizes the memory transfer aspect of Kage Bunshin in his own training this time around."

"Eh, I suppose that might work. I still think it'd be easier to just steal the scroll again, but then again, I might have problems convincing Sandaime I was manipulated by Mizuki and I doubt he'd believe I did it because I found out Mizuki was a traitor but did what he asked me to anyway to expose his treachery."

"Yes, I've already noticed that you will have problems maintaining your old attitude from before we helped fuck up the original timeline. The more observant characters of Konoha will see in your eyes what no amount of acting can hide. While I cannot blame you, knowing what you suffered, these difficulties will pose a serious risk to our plans. I would give it a week at most before some of your friends, as well as our enemies, start growing suspicious."

"Man, Kurama, you're not letting up at all, are ya?"

Kurama continued as though Naruto hadn't spoken: "You know this already, but Danzō is the one you must watch out for the most. He is thoroughly entrenched in the shadows of Konoha and he WILL notice something about you is off. Once he becomes aware that you're not who you're supposed to be, he may try to capture and conscript you into the Foundation. Without access to my full power, you have no hope of taking him down early, and may have to rely on Jiraiya and Tsunade in your endeavor."

"That's not an option. Unless we can prove them innocent, we have to assume that Ero-sennin and Tsunade-bāchan are guilty." Naruto looked around his bedroom to make sure he and his clones had cleaned up everything. Time to move on to the kitchen. "At least, I'm pretty certain Ero-sennin is guilty," he continued in a more somber tone. "He would have been involved in my life a lot sooner if he wasn't involved in the Sandaime's cluster-fuck of a plan. But we don't have a damn clue about how involved he is or isn't." Kurama acknowledged Naruto's suspicion and his reasons, and chose to leave it at that for now. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single mention of Jiraiya in Sandaime Hokage's Failures at all. Not knowing whose side the closest thing Naruto ever had to a father was on was gravely concerning. Even worse, there was absolutely no way to discover the self-proclaimed Super Pervert's true allegiance until the Chūnin Selection Exams brought him back to Konoha and put him within Ino's mind-fucking range. So for now, Naruto had to assume Ero-sennin was in on the conspiracy.

The reliance Naruto had on Ino in this grand scheme of his was also troubling. Naruto hated to admit it, but Ino was currently the most valuable member of his inner circle, arguably more valuable than Naruto himself, at least until he acquired the key to unlock the seal again. Naruto would be heavily reliant on her mental ninjutsu to weed out any possible conspirators who weren't mentioned in the Sandaime's black book. He absolutely couldn't afford for her to be discovered. Unlike him, Ino didn't have enough power to defend herself if she was compromised.

"Alright, the rest of the chores can wait until after the Academy," Naruto announced to his clones. "For now, we need to make sure the bastard Sandaime can't spy on us at will. You," he pointed at one clone, "should use Tōton Jutsu to sneak into Hokage Mansion and use Raiton to disable the Sandaime's crystal ball."

"Aye aye, cap'n!" clone number one replied, mock saluting. The original rolled his eyes as his clone vanished from both his sight and sensory range before opening the front door and leaving towards his destination. Right then, Naruto noticed he had a major problem: his sensory abilities had greatly diminished with the loss of Sage Mode and Negative Emotions Sensing. Knowing that he had lost most of his sensing, if he couldn't detect his own clone, how would he be able to accurately judge their stealth ability and make sure no one else could detect them?

"And you," Naruto addressed the other clone, "I need you to go to Sakura-nēchan's place and get about two weeks' worth of soldier pills and sealing supplies with her. I'm gonna send another clone to Suna and try to befriend Gaara before the Chūnin Exams begin. And trust me, Sakura's awake. Inner will make sure of it."

"Good luck with that!" clone number two said, closing the apartment door behind him. Naruto sighed. He made a mental note to create a fūin kekkai (sealing barrier) that would keep unwanted visitors out later.

"Impressive foresight," Kurama commented after the second clone left to carry out his task.

"Why thank you, Kurama," Naruto replied, sending his partner turned prisoner an image of a mock bow. "Now how do we deal with Neji before the Chūnin Exams?"

Kurama's face met the sewer floor in a loud crash. The overgrown kitsune was utterly stupefied. "Why in the nine circles of hell are you asking me that?"

"I don't have Negative Emotions Sensing anymore! I can't know if it's possible to get rid of his hatred towards Hinata without a fight, and I'd really rather not risk any of the Hyūga aside from Hiashi-sama and Hinata finding out I'm stronger than I'm supposed to be. Also, if I somehow get lured into a close quarters or taijutsu-only match against him before I've rebuilt myself, I'm probably screwed, even with your chakra negating most of his Jūken."

Kurama conceded the point, but added, "There are other ways to crush Neji's arrogance and free him of his hatred and wretched enslavement to fate. But you are right to have this concern. Your infamous way with words won't work on him on its own, so you will need some show of force to back it up. He is similar to Uzumaki Nagato and Uchiha Obito in that regard." Naruto nodded; he already agreed it would come to a fight before he could convince the leaders of Akatsuki to change their ways again. He really didn't want that to hold true for Hyūga Neji as well.

"Looks like it's time to get to training," Naruto said aloud. "Maybe it'll help me sleep better tonight."

Kurama snickered at its jailor's misfortune. It couldn't help but deliver a parting shot after hearing that: "Oh, and Naruto?"

"Yes, Kurama?"

"You really should be more grateful that I kept you awake. You would have revisited that nightmare again if I'd let you sleep." Naruto shivered after hearing that last remark. He had no will to ever experience the nightmare Kurama was talking about again.


Haruno Residence

Haruno Sakura was furious with herself. She'd known there would be personal complications with her involvement (or potential lack thereof) in Uzumaki Naruto's plan, but she'd failed to anticipate they would already be this bad. Not even five minutes after arriving in the past, Inner Sakura had seen fit to start a major argument with her, and she guessed the delay was only because Inner decided to play a very discriminatory game of catch-up with Sakura's memories.

Inner was a total enigma, even to its creator. Its personality was more or less an amplification of the most intense parts of Sakura's character. Her old character, that is, since Inner had, at some point during Sakura's apprenticeship to Tsunade-shishō, simply vanished, and she didn't know why. But going back in time had reset her entire physical and mental condition, and that included bringing back Inner.

Sakura sighed. Inner might have been a fascinating construct to study, if not for the fact she was the one stuck with it.

Nonetheless, there were three very important questions about Inner which needed to be answered quickly:

One, just what the hell was her Inner persona?

Two, when and how did it disappear the first time? Did it require Sakura to address her insecurities, or was it something else that dismissed the construct?

And three, was it for the best that it disappeared, or was there a way to make it useful?

"Useful? I sure don't feel very fucking useful right now," Sakura remarked after listing off the third question. Inner was giving her a serious migraine headache and was making it difficult for her to think of anything other than how to get Inner to shut the hell up, especially about the abomination which, the first time around, Sakura had called "her precious Sasuke-kun". Sakura knew that thrice damned Uchiha was not precious and she was dreading the chance that she might be forced to keep up the appearance of her old self, her thoroughly disgusting, hopelessly obsessed with sexing up Sasuke self.

At least she would not waste most of her time pursuing him to no end. Uchiha Sasuke was dead to Haruno Sakura, emotionally speaking, though if Naruto couldn't figure out how to stop Sasuke from turning evil again, Sakura insisted on being the one who turned him to ashes this time. That is, if Ino-pig didn't break rank and destroy his mind the moment she arrived in the Academy.

Sakura sighed deeply. Thinking about how to deal with the Last Loyal Uchiha had brought up depressing thoughts about her nonexistent love life in the future. She had focused so completely on claiming Sasuke as hers that she had destroyed any interest anyone else might have had in her as a possible girlfriend, or even as just a one-night stand. Had that future continued, she, just like her otōto, would have been forever alone. It was yet another debt she owed Naruto, another debt she could never repay.

But who could she possibly hook up with among the Konoha 12? Ironically, Naruto himself would have been the best option, but there was simply too much history between them to start over. Besides, she liked having the blond blockhead as a brother, and even if they weren't family in all but blood, Naruto's heart belonged to Hinata, and only Hinata, and Sakura would be truly damned if she let anyone take the Hyūga Princess away from her otōto again.

The other guys didn't even compare to Naruto, and each had their issues which made pursuing a relationship problematic. Rock Lee...Sakura shivered at the prospect of him crushing on her again. Lee was more annoying and persistent than Naruto had ever been, and far too energetic. Not to mention he was practically married to his training. How the hell Tenten got him to settle down was something even Ino-pig couldn't figure out, and Ino was married to the only man in their age group who was an even bigger piece of work. Sakura would have to shoot Lee down completely, quickly, before his obsession got out of hand. Chōji? Sakura wasn't superficial anymore, but the Akimichi deserved someone better than her. Shikamaru? Wrong answer again; the lazy genius belonged to Temari, period. Kiba? Far too brash, wild and arrogant, plus Sakura had entertained the idea he might be gay or at least have bi-sexual inclinations, thanks to the Alpha mentality of his mother and sister. Shino? Already married as well; and it would not surprise Sakura if Shino's marriage had been arranged while he was still in the Academy. And Neji? He was more or less a combination of several of the worst traits of Kiba and Shino; and besides, Hiashi-sama wouldn't approve of her starting a courtship with his nephew despite her value as a medic. Hiashi would likely try to get Karin into the Hyūga clan through Neji, if an opportunity presented itself quickly enough.

Sakura sighed. She would have to look outside of Konoha's walls to find love.

"Or you could impress Sasuke-kun with the skills you learned in the future," Inner said. Sakura decked her over that.

"For the last fucking time, bitch, I am NOT going to pursue Uchiha-san anymore!" Sakura yelled with fury. She was about to start ripping her hair out. "Now be a good figment of my imagination and SHUT UP! Shānnarō!"

"Why? He hasn't done any of those things!"

"Keyword you deliberately forgot to add is 'yet,' Inner, and the fact remains, no matter how much you want to deny it, he DID do them once before. I'm not about to forgive him, not now, not ever. And have you seen the memories of the war yet, or are you deliberately choosing to ignore all the worst moments of our pathetic life? If you haven't, I suggest looking at the one where he stabbed me in the heart inside a genjutsu."

Remarkably, that actually got Inner to shut up and think about what Sakura just said. The dominant persona had been acting far out of character, and Inner hadn't cared why that was so; it just wanted to rectify the issue it perceived. But like the old Sakura, Inner was almost incapable of recognizing that it was the one in need of an attitude adjustment.

Sakura, for her part, was even more disgusted with her old self after bringing up the memory of the genjutsu. Whatever bonds she and Sasuke shared in that future, he'd thoroughly broken them all. She could never even look at him again unless forced to.

"Having Inner problems, nēchan?" a muffled but familiar voice said from outside Sakura's bedroom window, tearing her away from her reverie. Sakura lifted up her window to reveal her favorite blond.

"What are you doing here, Naruto-baka?" Sakura hissed, pulling her blankets over her to hide her pink pajamas.

"The boss needs your help." Of course it had to be a Kage Bunshin! But Sakura knew it had to be important for Naruto to send a Kage Bunshin her way at this hour. "He needs soldier pills and sealing supplies, and no, it can't wait. He can't send another clone to Suna once he passes the exams today."

So Sakura knew now it was about Gaara. Yep, that was very important, indeed. "Alright, hold on for a few while I get dressed." Naruto's clone nodded and turned around while Sakura closed the window and her curtain. Another advantage to having the resident knucklehead as her surrogate brother: he wouldn't be tempted to take a peek at her naked.

"Okay, I'm ready," Sakura announced two minutes later. She opened her window and climbed out, donning her favorite red qipao dress along with dark green shorts and black sandals. "I do know of one place that's still open this late, but it normally only caters to upper-class or wealthy civilian families unless the customer has an unusual mission."

"And your parents are allowed to shop there, right?"

"Would I mention the place if they weren't, baka?"

The clone rolled his eyes at the insult. He knew Sakura-nēchan only said it out of habit and it was her main way of showing affection towards her otōto, but he wished she didn't have to stay in character so much. "Well, what are we waiting for, Sakura-nēchan? Let's go!" Both of them hopped down onto the street; however, before they could start walking towards their destination, they noticed a flash of light coming from the direction of the Academy and Hokage Mansion.

"Oh, Cloneruto," Sakura said a little too sweetly, "would you care to explain what the hell you just did to the Hokage's office?"

Cloneruto, as he was now referred to, shrugged. "Boss doesn't like being spied on."

"So he sent another clone to destroy the infamous crystal ball?" The clone nodded. Sakura's mood took a sharp turn and she started laughing. "You are in so much trouble, otōto."

"It had to be done. We can't afford prying eyes." Another shrug from the clone. He was completely focused on his task and was currently incapable of humor. "Now that that's taken care of, can you please tell me where that shop you mentioned is?"

"Uh, sure, but there's no way you're walking in there as yourself."

"Of course there isn't." The clone rolled his eyes. "Kōdo Henge!" he yelled, transforming into a perfect replica of her mother, Haruno Mebuki. Sakura was struggling to not hit her surrogate brother's clone.

"Too soon," Sakura muttered.

"We're not walking there, nēchan," Cloneruto-as-Mebuki pointed out.

"You're really going to use the Hiraishin no Jutsu out in the open?"

"No, I was going to just do a basic Shunshin no Jutsu. But even if I did use Hiraishin, who's gonna notice this late at night?"

"Hmm…" Sakura dramatically adopted a thinking pose. Cloneruto didn't like the sound of her voice. Personal experience tried to tell him that Sakura trying to think of a bright idea...wasn't such a bright idea. "Why don't you drop the Henge and just follow me to Ino's house for now? That way, we can also try to figure out what we're going to do about the exams?"

Okay, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea. The clone nodded his approval and did what was requested of him, returning to his normal appearance before using Shunshin to arrive at the Yamanaka Flower Shop with his creator's surrogate sister.


Training Ground 26

For someone who was supposed to be the embodiment of light in this world, Naruto strangely had very little problem operating in the darkness. Then again, it should have been expected. In his future, Uzumaki Naruto had been labeled the Hero of Konoha, the Child of Prophecy, the Savior of this World, and ultimately, for a single night, was the Nanadaime Hokage. He had got there primarily through perseverance and his famous way with words, convincing a majority of enemies to either switch sides or atone for their sins with an act of self-sacrifice. Doing so to the degree he had basically mandated spending a large portion of his life wandering through shadows, without succumbing to them. If someone in the future had been asked what Naruto's most powerful jutsu was, the 'Talk no Jutsu' would have been their most likely answer.

Naruto actually wasn't sure yet how his reliance on putting his enemies through therapy in his effort to rewrite history would compare to the original timeline. He had learned the hard way that even with all the power in the world to back up his words, some sentient beings simply couldn't undergo a change of heart, once they'd fallen a certain distance into the darkness. Some people just needed to die. And it had taken her death to make him realize this painful fact.

But there were still a lot of enemies Naruto wanted to convert to his side this time around that he hadn't had the chance to before. Zabuza and Haku took priority; he'd considered them friends despite the fact they'd been on the wrong side of the battlefield, and even now, he owed his nindō to what they taught him in the brief time he knew them. Naruto would not let them die this time.

Doing one last check of his surroundings, Naruto began to assess his physical situation. He needed to train his body rapidly, and needed to focus on speed, since he already had more stamina than almost all of his peers. His Uzumaki bloodline and jinchūriki status compensated for his current lack of physical strength, boosting his healing factor off the charts and giving him an enormous amount of chakra to use on high-level ninjutsu such as his trademark Kage Bunshin, which was by far the most effective force multiplier known to the shinobi world, albeit one only he could use to its fullest extent. Speed was paramount for this reason; the faster he could move, the easier it was to avoid enemy attacks, allowing him to last longer and deal more damage in battle.

Normally, he would have sought out Maito Gai immediately, but he realized the attempt would be problematic, in more ways than one. While Naruto was certain that everyone in Team Nine was on his side, or would be soon enough, the possibility that Gai-sensei and Neji could be used as pawns against him couldn't be dismissed. Thankfully, he had alternative approaches. One, Naruto could just ask Kakashi-sensei to consult Gai-sensei; this would throw off suspicion, as having Kakashi ask for the training regiment would be seen by the Sandaime as an effort to further Sasuke's training. Or two, he could fall back on his knowledge of fūinjutsu; Naruto knew how to make gravity seals and had also figured out how to apply them to opponents in the middle of combat. And Naruto would be the first to tell you that putting your enemies under the strain of twenty times Earth's normal gravity was not a pretty way for them to die.

Naruto hopped off that train of thought quickly. He was here for chakra control, not body building or killing people. He tried forming a Rasengan in his right hand, only to find he couldn't get it to stabilize. Naruto cursed under his breath, then tried again, this time using his left hand to help mold and shape the chakra. And again, it wouldn't form correctly.

"Craptastic," Naruto muttered. "I'm back to needing a damn clone for my dad's move, at least for now." He growled as he created two hundred clones via a sealless Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu—why the hell was he still able to do Kage Bunshin without hand seals, but reverted to needing a damned Kage Bunshin to stabilize the Rasengan?—and had them start running up and down the nearest tree or on the river that flowed through the training grounds. "Kurama wasn't kidding when he said I needed to reestablish adequate chakra control." It wasn't a terribly daunting task, though. All he needed to do was discover how much forfeiting the Six Paths chakra and the restoration of the Hakke no Fūin Shiki had affected his equilibrium. He already knew all the chakra control exercises he needed, and would have that issue resolved to the best of his ability by the end of the day.

The sensing issue, however, would remain a thorn in his side for a while. Without his two greatest detection tools, Naruto couldn't sense the onlooker who was closing in on him.

From a rapidly decreasing distance, Hyūga Tokuma was observing the blond Uzumaki in the training grounds. His Byakugan, stronger than any other in the clan, allowed him the ability to see Naruto's chakra network and expenditures in exquisite detail even from several hundred meters away, and what he saw caused him to tremble as he continued his approach.

Uzumaki Naruto was utilizing several of the advanced chakra control exercises only available after graduating from the academy and being accepted as a ninja, simultaneously, through an extraordinary number of Kage Bunshin. No Hyūga who ever lived had ever been able to make more than two Kage Bunshin, and even the Hokage was currently incapable of producing more than ten. But Naruto had spawned two hundred, and Tokuma could tell that the exercises they were practicing were the only reason there were two hundred and not two thousand. The exercises also proved to Tokuma that Naruto knew about the memory transfer aspect of Kage Bunshin. Naruto had the ability to compress decades of training into a single month, and that alone was enough to raise Tokuma's suspicions of the child.

The exercises Naruto was spamming were even more astonishing than his capacity to create that many Kage Bunshin. One group of twenty was running up and down trees; a second group was sparring on top of the river, practicing a taijutsu style Tokuma had never observed before; two more groups were harnessing Kaze (Wind) and Kaminari (Lightning) chakra; and—Tokuma gasped when he saw this—a fifth group was busy trying to stabilize and perfect control over the Rasengan, a technique created by the Yondaime Hokage.

Tokuma knew right away this was not the same Naruto who was dead last in the Academy. He knew Naruto did not possess any of the technique knowledge he currently displayed prior to this morning. And he knew there was no way the knowledge could have been granted to him. His eyes also ruled out the possibility of an impostor masquerading as Naruto.

For now, though, he continued to observe. It was easily possible that he was mistaken to rule out one of those scenarios, aside from the impostor bit. No technique existed that could successfully clone a human, and even then, a biological Naruto clone used to replace Naruto would not have the Hakke no Fūin Shiki to make him indistinguishable from the original.

Tokuma observed a chakra expenditure that seemed to be pointless. Then, a few seconds later, he gasped again when Naruto revealed a kunai which appeared to have a seal formula carved into the blade, tossed it fifty meters away...and then reappeared in a yellow flash at the kunai before it fell to the ground or made contact with anything else. Tokuma was frozen at the sight. Naruto had just used the Hiraishin no Jutsu!

That settled it in his mind. Hyūga Tokuma concluded that Uzumaki Naruto was a time traveler.

And that meant there was no way to predict the things of which he might be capable, but hasn't yet revealed.

As Tokuma continued his approach, he noticed the original starting to twitch involuntarily. That wasn't a good sign. Naruto was starting to panic. While Tokuma was confident he could defeat Naruto with his superior speed, despite the techniques he'd seen Naruto use—most Hyūga were consistently fast, which was required by their Jūken—he would rather avoid a fight if he could. Also, Hiashi-sama would not be pleased if Uzumaki-san was brought to the compound injured.

"If you're about to go meet the boss, then make haste, but do it calmly," Naruto's voice rang out from behind Tokuma. A second later, a Kage Bunshin shimmered into visibility. Tokuma jumped out of his skin for a moment, realizing now what the seemingly pointless chakra expenditure had actually been. On top of everything Naruto had displayed, he could turn himself or any of his clones invisible and render them undetectable by most sensory abilities!

Who the hell are you, Uzumaki Naruto?

"O-Of course, Bunshin-san," Tokuma stammered, his calm composure faltering. The formerly invisible Kage Bunshin dispelled and notified Naruto of Tokuma's presence.

Steeling himself, the Hyūga approached the Uzumaki, who was by now expecting him to come out into the open.

"My apologies for interrupting your training, Uzumaki-san, but Hiashi-sama has an important message for you," Tokuma said. He didn't miss Naruto's sigh of relief accompanying a look of recognition. Now wasn't the time to wonder when and how he and Naruto met in the future.

"Tokuma-san," Naruto addressed the elite Hyūga. "I was worried you might be someone I'd have to kill."

Tokuma's left eye twitched. Naruto and the Hyūga Clan were mortal enemies in the future? "Should I be relieved to hear that?"

"Make of it what you will. If Hiashi-sama trusts you, I guess I can try to as well." Though Naruto knew Tokuma now knew what he was, he couldn't bring himself to mention that Tokuma was one of the few Hyūga he'd maintained a friendship with in the future. Still, Naruto knew Tokuma was trustworthy, and recognized that Hiashi's decision to send him here was made deliberately.

"I see. I was sent here to inform you that Hiashi-sama and his eldest daughter wish for you to join them at the compound as soon as you can arrive there." Naruto easily saw the lie in that message; he knew Hinata would never actually make that request in her current mental state. "Hiashi-sama also requests to set up a second meeting with you later this weekend."

Still, Naruto wasn't sure how to react to the message Hiashi delivered through Tokuma. He'd planned on putting off seeing Hinata as long as possible. Truth be told, he was deathly afraid of approaching her, due to all the regrets he'd accumulated in the future after her demise. Part of him was fervently arguing against the plan he'd decided on before traveling back in time, using all of his pent-up sorrow to create a new barrier between him and his love.

That part of him also told him it would be safer for her if he kept his distance. That it was necessary to stay away to prevent her from being targeted by his many enemies. Unfortunately, it was a valid argument. Naruto knew exactly who his enemies and most of his potential enemies were this time—and they were far more numerous than they had been the first go-round, since he was going to be opposing the Sandaime's regime along with the Daimyō's. He wouldn't be able to completely conceal his changes in behavior, and didn't have a particularly strong desire to do so anyway. Sooner or later, Naruto's enemies would act on their suspicions, and the Uzumaki was betting on sooner.

But then how would Naruto be able to ensure Hinata was protected, if he couldn't be by her side? Who could he trust to keep her safe, if his power wasn't great enough to do so himself? And how would he help her become as strong as she needed to be to survive the coming storm, if he could not be her anchor?

The part of Naruto that was questioning his resolve could not provide satisfactory answers to those questions.

"I'll leave in one hour, Tokuma-san," Naruto said. "In the meantime, could I ask you to help me practice my taijutsu? I've had a few problems with a style I came across a while back and I want to work out all the kinks before my exams start."

Tokuma shook his head. "Hiashi-sama insists you come with me immediately. But I can leave one Kage Bunshin of my own behind to help out your small army of them, if you'd like."

"I guess that works. Just let me dispel all of these clones to recover their chakra and make a new one to take over with the exercises; it'll be easier that way in case something else happens." Naruto would only remember why that was a bad idea right after the mass of clones poofed out of existence. The strain hit him much harder than it had back when he'd first been overcome by the side effects of memory transfer during his wind manipulation training. But he did manage to make the solitary new clone before passing out.

Tokuma chuckled as he bent down to pick up the unconscious Naruto. "How long will Uzumaki-san be out of it?"

"Not that long," the clone replied. "I don't think my prisoner will appreciate the boss taking a snooze on the job." It slightly unnerved Tokuma that Naruto's clone had referred to the Kyūbi so casually around him, but he nodded as though the words had no effect.

Once I deliver Uzumaki-san to Hiashi-sama, he won't have any other choice but to sleep, Tokuma didn't say.


Returning to the Compound

The current advantage to nighttime for Tokuma was that very few people in Konoha were awake, thus he wasn't able to catch flak from civilians for carrying an unconscious Naruto on his back. Well, it's not like it would have fazed him either way, but the Hyūga did have a certain image to uphold, at least for the time being. Hisoka's message to him, passing along Hiashi's orders, hinted at a potential major change in the clan.

After all, what reason could Hiashi-sama have for wanting to speak with the Uzumaki boy? Why would any Hyūga, sans Hinata-sama of course, want to associate with Konoha's social pariah? Tokuma did not question these things aloud—doing so would have risked incurring Hiashi-sama's wrath, even though he held no ill will towards the Uzumaki—but the order given to him by the clan head was profoundly out of character.

Tokuma arrived at the front gates of his clan's compound. The guards on duty glared at him for a second, but froze up due to a blast of killing intent directed at them from the least likely source.

"I see Uzumaki-san's tenant has pushed him a little too far this morning," Hiashi observed, focusing his gaze on the unconscious blond on Tokuma's back.

"His current state is probably your fault too, Hiashi-sama," Tokuma said. "He was panicking at first when he sensed that I located him."

"The boy is not what he seems." It was not a question.

Tokuma replied as though it were: "I saw him make two hundred Kage Bunshin at once and utilize them in his training with great efficiency, sir. I also observed with my Byakugan that he probably could have made two thousand if he'd wanted. Uzumaki-san's potential exceeds that of everyone else in Konoha, without question. May the kami show pity on anyone who incurs his wrath."

You have no idea how right you are, Hiashi didn't say. His musing was cut short by a groan coming from the boy who they were talking about.

"Ugh...remind me to never dispel that many clones at once again," Naruto groaned as he hopped off Tokuma's back and rubbed his temples. "My head feels like I drank a small lake's worth of saké."

"I cannot sympathize with you there, Naruto-san," Hiashi said. "However, if you're capable of following me at this time, I can offer you the best remedy the kami will ever allow a mere mortal to receive."

"You do realize that sounded like a very poorly worded request for me to marry Hinata," Naruto remarked. Hiashi, Tokuma and even the guards chuckled at that one.

"Indeed. But you do not appear to be opposed to that possibility. Now follow me. I cannot allow those who are awake at this hour to get the wrong idea by seeing you alone inside the compound." Naruto nodded, but stopped briefly, eyes widening. His first clone had apparently discovered a very interesting piece of information prior to dispelling.

"Is something wrong, Naruto-san?" Hiashi queried.

"I don't know. It's possible. But I don't think your concerns are warranted." Hiashi frowned at Naruto's slip into Hokage Mode. That was the last thing his compatriot needed to do in an area with hundreds of pairs of prying eyes, especially when said eyes had the reputation of being all-seeing. Even if none of those eyes were able to focus their gaze on him at the moment.

"At least try to act a little more like your old self," the clan patriarch advised the social pariah. "We've all become jaded, Naruto-san, but you must maintain your façade while not in a secure location, at least for the next six months. That's the minimum length of time we'll require to save Konoha from the sins of the generation in power."

Naruto scoffed. "I find it hilarious in an awful way that you're chastising my behavior and discussing The Plan at the same time, considering where we are."

"I've already confirmed that aside from us, Tokuma-san and the guards, the only souls awake are Hinata and a few of the Cadet Branch servants, and none of them are listening in on us. The compound is safe, if only for this morning." Hiashi shrugged. He was starting to grow weary of this conversation. "It might take some time to secure a new meeting place. Perhaps it would be best to have Ino use her telepathy for future conferences."

"Agreed." Naruto paused. "But six months may be way too long for us. If Kurama's right, Hiashi-sama, some of them will come after us within one, maybe two weeks, no matter how well we conceal ourselves behind our masks." Hiashi knew the "some of them" Naruto was talking about was ROOT. "The best I can do is keep the target on my back."

"Were we dealing with any other threat, I would leave you lying in the dirt and then criticize you for attempting to carry the burden alone. The very reason we are here discussing this together is because we cannot afford to stand alone. If we fail to maintain a united front, our plan will fail and we will end up creating an even worse future than the one we came from."

The two spent the rest of their walk through the compound in silence. Naruto observed his surroundings with tempered fascination. He'd never been inside the compound, at least not before he nearly killed off the Hyūga Clan, and then he hadn't been able to appreciate the interior design. It amazed him that a clan could adopt such a humble lifestyle and still suffer from almost unparalleled arrogance.

"We're here," Hiashi said, finally stopping on the sixth and top floor, which contained only a single room. It saddened them both to know the real reason why Hinata's bedroom was isolated from the rest of the main building. "If you were any other man, Naruto-san, this would be the time when I would reveal the family sword and promise to make you suffer if you ever hurt my daughter or did something inappropriate with her."

"We've all suffered far too much already," Naruto said. "I'd prefer we left it at that for now."

"Very well. If nothing occurs to disrupt my plans, I will see you again tomorrow." The amount of trust Hiashi put in Naruto was astounding. He did not say another word, nor take any action which could be perceived as a threat. He simply walked away, knowing Naruto was incapable of doing wrong when it came to Hinata.

Naruto hesitantly opened the door to Hinata's bedroom and was surprised. Unlike the rest of the compound, there were some luxuries inside. He had not expected her to have an actual bed or a vanity. Was there some part of Hiashi that remained unbroken, some part of his heart that never hardened?

"Naruto-kun?" The soft question from Hinata made Naruto's heart stop, and his composure almost completely shattered right then. There she was, waiting for him, just like her father said.

Hinata took her time gazing into Naruto's eyes. She'd always been able to see the pain he tried concealing from the rest of the world, and had always wanted to do something to ease that pain and take it away. But her clan and family had left her broken after years of constant mental abuse. Fearing rejection, all Hinata could do was watch, and draw inspiration from his determination, in the hope that one day she could find the courage to talk to him, to earn his acknowledgment, and with it, have the strength to prove herself to him and to her family.

But the pain in her Naruto-kun's eyes was far stronger than she'd ever seen. Stronger than it should have been. Naruto-kun looked like he'd been through hell and back, repeatedly. What could have caused him that much suffering?

And now that he was here, could she free her hero from this pain?

"Hai...it's me, Hinata," Naruto said, his voice anguished and wavering. "Can I sit down on your bed with you?"

"Y-Yes, you m-may." Hinata was surprised at how quickly that came out, despite the stutter. It looked like her shyness would dial itself down a few notches for now.

And that was a good thing. In the next ten seconds, Naruto shocked Hinata twice. First, he chose to sit down right next to her, far too close for comfort. And second, he pulled her into a tight hug...and then completely broke down.

For a few seconds, Hinata's blush flared up, turning her whole head bright red. She was about to faint before she felt teardrops fall down her neck, soaking her lavender pajamas. She gasped, her blush receding. Naruto was trembling, almost like he thought he'd lost her. Hinata had no idea how close to the truth that was.

"Shh," Hinata cooed, rubbing Naruto's back. "It's going to be okay now, Naruto-kun."

"I r-r-really h-h-hope so, Hinata," Naruto cried, gripping her more tightly.

"What...what happened?" She didn't even question where this surge of confidence came from; her only concern was dispelling Naruto's fears.

"A really bad n-n-nightmare...that felt like it lasted for years...Hinata, please don't leave me..." Hinata gasped again. Naruto's words were desperate, saturated with the fear of loss—specifically, of losing her. Did Naruto, perhaps, harbor hidden feelings for her too?

"I'm here, Naruto-kun. I'm not going anywhere." By now, she couldn't help but start crying too.

"P-P-Promise?"

"H-Hai, I promise." No more words were needed between them. Hinata locked her arms around Naruto and rocked herself backward, falling onto her bed, crying almost as much as Naruto now. Eventually, they managed to cry themselves to sleep, but neither one of them could ever let go of the other.

In those moments, both of them knew in their hearts that they would always need each other, even if it would take them time to move past all fears and fully embrace this truth.

Somewhere else in the compound, Hiashi turned off his Byakugan and smiled, his eyes moist with unshed tears.

Everything was going according to plan...for now.

A/N: ...I had trouble with trying not to shed any tears myself while writing that moment for our favorite couple in Naruto. Which is unusual since I'm an emotionless bastard and don't cry easily.

Translations for all techniques mentioned/used in Chapters 1-3, plus descriptions of non-canon techniques:

Bunshin no Jutsu: Clone Technique

Chakura Kusari no Jutsu: Chakra Corruption Technique. An S-rank kinjutsu created by Orochimaru and taught to Uchiha Sasuke, this technique literally causes chakra to "rot", interfering with and canceling any technique the victim attempts to use. It can also affect chakra when it's still inside the opponent's body, making them unable to mold chakra by "rotting" their chakra reserves; this will almost always be fatal to the victim if used this way. The technique normally requires making close contact with the target chakra, whether it is in a technique or inside the opponent's body, with one's hand. However, Sasuke was able to use the roots of the Shinju as a medium to corrupt the chakra of hundreds of victims simultaneously.

Chidori: One Thousand Birds

Edo Tensei: Impure World Reincarnation

Gedō: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu: Outer Path: Saṃsāra of Heavenly Life Technique

Hakke no Fūin Shiki: Eight Trigrams Sealing Style

Hiraishin no Jutsu: Flying Thunder God Technique

[Tajū] Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: [Multiple] Shadow Clone Technique

Kioku Fukusei no Jutsu: Memory Replication Technique. An extension of the Memory Recall Technique that's used in conjunction with the standard Yamanaka clan arts. This technique takes the Yamanaka mind reading and memory manipulation power to the extreme. When inside or reading a target's mind, Ino has the ability to copy almost all of the target's memories from their entire life and store them within her own mind.

Kioku Sōki no Jutsu: Memory Recall Technique. Yamanaka Ino's most potent ninjutsu, a high A-rank, potentially S-rank technique of her creation that grants her amazing memory capacity and allows her to freely manipulate memories for a multitude of purposes. Ino is able to memorize an opponent's heartbeat, movement patterns and techniques, similar to the Sharingan. She can also create holograms of herself and psychically interfere with and cancel an opponent's technique by "forgetting" the hand seals that were used to cast it.

Kioku Tensō no Jutsu: Memory Transfer Technique. An extension of the Memory Recall Technique that is used in conjunction with the standard Yamanaka clan arts. With just a moment of physical contact, Ino can transfer any memory she has copied to anyone she chooses.

Kōdo Henge: Advanced Transformation. Naruto's version of the basic Henge; his transformations take on actual form due to chakra overload. It usually appears in the form of the Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique) or one of its variants. (Actually a canon technique, but not given a unique name in canon.)

Kokugen Henkō no Jutsu: Time Alteration Technique. With the full power of the Rikudō Sennin, it is possible to manipulate time itself. The technique can be used to travel either forward or backward in time. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Hagoromo chose to go forward, projecting his spirit across the timestream to manifest himself before Team Seven and the reincarnated former Hokages of Konoha, and is by far the simpler of the two choices. However, Naruto chose to go backward; doing so caused him to actually reverse the flow of time, becoming younger and sacrificing the Rinnegan and Rikudō Senjutsu while maintaining his memories of the future he undid.

Kyūkon no Jutsu: Absorption Soul Technique

Mugen Tsukuyomi: Infinite Moon Reader

Raikiri: Lightning Cutter

Rasengan: Spiraling Sphere

Rikudō no Yō no Chikara: Six Paths Yang Power

Shindenshin no Jutsu: Mind Body Transmission Technique

Shintenshin no Jutsu: Mind Body Switch Technique

Shunshin no Jutsu: Body Flicker Technique

Tōton Jutsu: Transparent Escape Technique

My apologies for the delay. I currently don't have a computer at my apartment and live five miles away from the nearest public library, so any writing I can get done depends largely on western Washington's weather and how much it interferes with my phone and my ability to walk to said library, as I also lack reliable transportation. It is very possible that delays between chapters over this coming winter and spring could last over a month for this reason. So try to bear with me. Also, certain scenes in this chapter kicked my ass and it's possible I may have to rewrite them later.

I am overwhelmed by the attention the Reintroduction Arc has received thus far. Having the attention of well-known writers on FF such as brown phantom and Dread Knight N7 (formerly Dreaded Rasengan) is something I never once thought would happen.

To address some concerns of the other reviewers:

- For those who thought Naruto would be limited to shadow clones, Rasengan + variants, Henge, and Summoning, this and the previous chapter show Naruto wielding Hiraishin. Yes, Naruto will use Hiraishin in combat eventually. No, it will not be the only technique Naruto has in An Uzumaki Scorned that he doesn't have in canon. While I've heard arguments in favor of restricting him to his canon moveset, largely due to its innate versatility, for various psychological reasons he will build a larger arsenal of ninjutsu and fūinjutsu in this fanfiction.

- As for his power, Sage and Bijū modes will return before Shippūden, not saying exactly when though. Six Paths Sage Mode is potentially (but not definitely) lost forever, same with the Rinnegan.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Starting with this chapter, I'll provide translations of all the techniques used up to this point along with descriptions of fanon-only techniques used, at the end of each chapter. Starting with Chapter 5, I'll also be recommending other fanfics to my readers.

You'll also notice a couple of changes in the summary. The Adventure genre tag the story used to have is currently false advertising, since the adventure part won't really begin until the end of the Reintroduction Arc, so it's been changed to the Drama genre tag. Also, while Ino still has a major role in this story, in this chapter Hiashi had a bigger role, so her character tag was replaced temporarily. There will be other times where Hiashi's importance overshadows Ino's, so you should probably expect that tag to change a couple more times.

An additional note: Many of the techniques that will appear in this fanfic that aren't in the anime, manga or video games were taken from the Naruto Fanon Wikia. Kokugen Henkō no Jutsu was created by The Gallant Toad Sage, and some of the non-canon techniques are of my own creation, but the Naruto Fanon Wikia is my primary source. Also, if some of my Japanese technique names are incorrect, I expect those who know what the names should be to notify me.

Sheesh, this is a long author's note, eating up 3-4 pages. I need to be more careful about keeping them cut down for future chapters.

Next chapter: Gambles. Where things already start going wrong.