With other universes, not every Naruto will be alike or dress the same. With 458th Naruto, he is dressed a bit more modern. For starters, his jacket has a different layout design with a bit more black on it and has a diagonal zipper. It also comes with a hood. On the left shoulder is the spiral design that would usually be on the back of the jacket, which is replaced by the Konoha symbol. The round area on the back of his jacket where the spiral used to be is metallic, providing some protection from surprise attacks. The jacket also has a wingsuit function built in it, and it functions as a Mystic Code.

His pants stay the same, though the white bandage wrappings on the right thigh are removed. His left leg has a red kanji for wind on it as well.

Last but not least, he has a literal utility belt. It comes with:

Smartphone Holder - Of course, it's used to listen to music and take calls.

Airpods Case - Where else would Naruto keep them? In his pocket? I don't think so.

Makibishi Compartment - What better way to get the jump on the enemy or make a getaway than to throw these on the ground?

Military Rations Pills Compartment - With Compa's help, Naruto perfected the military ration pills to not only be nourishing, but delicious.

Shuriken Compartment - This compartment stores Naruto's tech shurikens, special shurikens that Naruto designed for a variety of effects and purposes. Think of it as Naruto's version of a Batarang. Naruto has an endless supply of them in the compartment, due to a seal inside it that immediately supplies him with whatever shuriken he needs by tapping the inside of it a certain amount of times and by using either one or two fingers.

Non-Lethal Bombs Compartment - Carries various bombs that contain Smoke or Anesthetic Gas.

Ninpo Scroll Compartment - The scroll stored in here was a gift from Kureha that he keeps, which contains several advanced techniques from the Hayabusa Clan. Only Naruto and members of the Hayabusa Clan can read it.

Sealing Tags Compartment - Kureha was Naruto's master in the art of sealing and had passed on most of her knowledge to Naruto. This compartment contains tags specifically for sealing.

Explosive Tags Compartment - Nothing beats blowing things up with an exploding tag.

Miniature First-Aid Kit - A gift from Compa, the first aid kit is actually a compacted state-of-the-art med lab and medical scanner. Compa stated that it was the only one of its kind and that she gave it to Naruto because he was very nice to her.

With that, you have a good idea of how Naruto looks. His suit will get updated in a future crossover.

OP:Scar/let by ReoNa

With Jiraiya

Hidden Leaf Village

"It's been more than three years since we last set foot here," Jiraiya said to himself as he followed Naruto to the Hokage's Office. Noticing Tsunade's face on the Hokage Rock, Jiraiya tells the blond chunin about it, only to receive silence from him.

"Naruto? Hey, Naruto." Jiraiya rests his hand on his godson's shoulder to get his attention. "What do you think of Tsunade's face on the Hokage Rock?"

"It's nice," was Naruto's response.

"Well, if it isn't Naruto, back in the village." Naruto looks up to see Kakashi waving hello to him. Instead of saying hello to him, Naruto continues on his way to Tsunade's Office, to Kakashi's confusion.

"It's rude to ignore your Sensei, Naruto," Kakashi said to himself as he watched the chūnin continue his way towards the Hokage's Office.

"Kakashi...He's not in the mood at all to speak, at least not a lot," Jiraiya told the Jonin.

"Does this mood have anything to do with the death of..." Jiraiya only needed to nod his head to confirm Kakashi's answer. "Does he think the Hidden Leaf chose not to help the Hayabusa Clan?"

"Kakashi, a messenger from the clan sent a carrier pigeon to the village before he died. That pigeon either did not make it to the Leaf, or someone got the message but chose not to inform Tsunade. Maybe someone did receive the message and chose not to inform Tsunade. It could be anyone in the higher-ups who read the message and chose not to help the village, and we both know who it could be."

"I came to the same conclusion as well...but we don't have any proof of him receiving the message," said Kakashi, sounding angry towards the person they were talking about was one of the leaders of their own village. "By the time an investigation could be conducted, he'd have already covered his involvement somehow."

"Root?" Kakashi only nods his head to confirm.

"...We'll find some way to deal with "him" and those who are allied with him some other time. Right now, I need to gather intel on Akatsuki. I leave Naruto in your capable hands. Also..." Kakashi's eyes lit up with joy when Jiraiya presented him with a new title to the "Icha Icha series" called, "Icha Icha Tactics".

"Naruto and some of his university friends helped write and proofread it." Smiling under his mask, Kakashi told the toad sage he looked forward to reading the book.

With Naruto

"Naruto!?" The blond ninja stopped in his tracks with an annoyed expression on his face when Sakura came into his view alongside a bit older Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon.

"It IS you! I almost didn't recognize you," said Sakura, Naruto not responding to her. "Wow, you look really good in that jacket, and you're taller than me."

"Looks that way. I'd talk more but I need to hurry to Grandma Tsunade's to-"

"Naruto, check it!" Turning to face Konohamaru, he was met with the kid's Ninja Centerfold Technique, which served to both shock and anger Sakura. Konohamaru had hoped that Naruto would be affected by it, but he only glared at the young genin.

"Keep this ridiculousness up and I won't teach you anything." This took Konohamaru and his friends, even Sakura by surprise as Naruto resumed his walk to the Hokage's Office.

"What's up with him?" Konoahamaru asked Sakura, feeling like he may have blown his chance to learn something from the blond ninja.

Hokage's Office

"First, I'd like to welcome you back, Naruto," said a welcoming Tsunade, with Shizune standing beside her, with Tonton in hand.

"Grandma Tsunade...Shizune...Tonton..."

"...You don't look happy to be back," Tsunade points out, Naruto rudely asking her what gave it away. Tsunade directs a look of sadness towards him, fully aware of why the blond chunin was the way he was now. Realizing how harsh he sounded, he apologized. "It's fine...I lost two people I cherished. You...I can't imagine how much you're suffering, having to put up a strong and positive front to not worry others. I do know what it's like to lose people I care about."

"...Master Ryu killed the fiend responsible for her death. I'm glad he killed him, it's just...I just wished I was the one to do it. To avenge her."

"...It'll take time to heal the wound, Naruto. Just...hang in there," Tsunade told the blond chunin. "You must be tired after coming back here. Why don't you go home and rest?"

"Alright. It is nice to see you both again, even if I'm not looking the part."

"...Naruto, before you go, please, don't hate the village for not being there to help the clan. When the news of the attack became known, the villagers were in disbelief. They donated money to pay for all the clan members that fell that night, "her" included. Naruto didn't respond to the Hokage. Instead, he just left through the door.

On the way home

"Naruto!? Is that you!?" Naruto turns around to see Shikamaru with Temari, both looking surprised to see how tall the blond has gotten.

"I knew you were back. Wow, you've grown pretty tall," said Shikamaru.

"Height isn't the only thing that's changed," Temari adds, telling the blond he was a lot more handsome now following his temporary leave, much to Shikamaru's surprise.

"Shikamaru...Temari...Good to see you both." Now just noticing the mood his friend was in, Shikamaru asked him if he was okay, pointing out the blond's attitude.

"I'm fine," Naruto assured. "This is just how I look by default."

"Maybe, but there's more to it." Narrowing his eyes, Naruto notes how observative Shikamaru was.

"So why are the two of you together on this partly sunny day?" Naruto asked, changing the subject. "On a date or something?"

"No. If you must know, it's almost time for the Chunin Selection Exam again," answered Temari. "While I've been acting as the liaison between the Hidden Sand and Leaf Villages, I'm being forced to act as an exam proctor so...I was ordered to escort the Sand Ambassador is all."

"That so..."

"Also, just in case you weren't aware, everyone became a Chunin, like you, me, and Temari, though Neji and Kankuro skipped Chunin and became Jonin." Shikamaru looked surprised when Naruto told him he knew, having built a toad-like robot that observed his friends independently before returning to him. "Wait, you were watching everything all the way from Japan!?"

"You're asking someone who built a whole computer blindfolded for a bet and won?" Naruto said, Shikamaru recalling how much money he and the other guys lost.

"You could have sent a message or something to say congratulations to them," said the Nara boy, Naruto telling him their parents congratulating them on passing was enough for them. "True, but I am sure they'd have wanted to hear you congratulate them." Naruto said nothing after, his friend telling him he was a piece of work after letting out a sigh.

"I also like to add that Gaara became Kazekage while you were gone," Temari told her fellow blond.

"Gaara as Kazekage? From Genin all the way to leader of the Hidden Sand? That's a very big leap for him. Has he been doing well as the leader of your village?"

"Yes, and if you're worried about whether he gets enough sleep, he does," Temari assured.

"I'd like to catch up on what you were up to in Japan over a meal, but Temari and I are going to get back to work." Naruto only nods at him, with Temari telling Naruto he should visit the Hidden Sand if he had time on his hands.

"Yeah..."

Naruto's House

Entering his home, Naruto instinctively said, "Tadaima", the silence making him realize no one was here to welcome him back.

"Right...She's not here."

3 years ago

"Tadaima..."

"Oh, welcome back Naruto," said Kureha, coming out of the kitchen to welcome him back. "You must be tired. Come, I just finished dinner."

"Sounds good, Kureha."

Now

[Fate/Stay night - Unlimited Blade Works OST - Sorrow]

Heading into the kitchen, Naruto brought out the ingredients needed to make himself an eel don. As he concentrated on his cooking, he was reminded of the times Kureha would help him cook to quickly get the meal on the table.

3 years ago

"Naruto, here are the sliced daikon radishes." Naruto thanked the shrine maiden before taking the plate of sliced daikons and adding them to the stew. "Mmmm, it smells great. Hmmm, it seems we made too much. How about you invite some friends over?"

"I'll give Shikamaru, Choji, and Hinata a call."

Now

"I made too much..." Seeing how he wouldn't be able to finish the meal by himself, he decided to leave the rest for lunch tomorrow. At the table, Naruto ate in silence for the whole meal, washing his dirty bowl and chopsticks by hand and leaving them to dry after.

Half an hour later, Naruto started training by himself in his backyard, improving on the reaction time of his movements. But his heart wasn't really in it, causing him to fail to execute a scissor kick, abruptly and accidentally missing the landing.

3 years ago

"I think you executed that kick well Naruto. Keep it up and you might be as good as Ryu."

"I can never be as good as him," Naruto admitted.

"Not with that attitude. I think you CAN be as good, maybe even greater, than Ryu. You just need to keep pushing on and believe."

Now

"What's the point..." Not feeling good about today, Naruto got up from the grass and went back inside to turn in early.

[Music End]

The next morning

"Naruto answer the door! This is very important! You need to hurry!" Waking up, a still-tired Naruto got up from his bed and said, "You're a ninja, but you decide to knock on the door instead of the window..." Heading to the front door, he opens it to see Sakura tell him to hurry up, and that Gaara was kidnapped, shocking the blond awake.

"Gaara is...I'll be out soon."

Village Gate

"As you all know, the Kazekage has been kidnapped by members of the Akatsuki," Tsunade told Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. "Your mission is to leave for the Hidden Sand Village, assess the situation, and report back immediately. Afterward, you will follow there Hidden Sand's orders and provide them whatever assistance they acquire."

"Understood," said Team 7, just as Jiraiya came to inform her of Gaara's kidnapping.

"Pervy Sage, you're a bit late on informing us this," said a bothered Naruto. Going over to Tsunade, Jiraiya asked her if it was wise to send Naruto on the mission to rescue Gaara.

"It should be fine if you've trained him well while you two were out of the village," answered Tsunade. Going over to Naruto, he told him to not push it if it came to a fight against the Akatsuki.

"I don't see that being possible," Naruto responds. "I either face them or run the opposite direction with my tail between my legs."

"You are stronger than before, yes, but if you lose your cool, you're bound to lose. Don't forget that." Facing Kakashi, Jiraiya told him to keep a good eye on Naruto, and to not let him go crazy.

"You have nothing to worry about. He's in safe hands," Kakashi assured the toad sage before leaving with Naruto and Sakura.

"I hope you're right..." Along the way, they encountered Temari, who was just on her way back to the Hidden Sand Village. Informing her of the situation, she joins them on the three-day travel to the Hidden Sand. Naruto wanted to get there in a hurry, but Kakashi told him to not break formation.

"It's not like you to be in such a rush. Usually, you're calm about this," Kakashi points out.

"I am well-aware of how I am acting, Kakashi-sensei," said Naruto, sounding angry in his response. "You, Temari, and Sakura, you know why." While they knew the answer, they didn't respond, knowing Naruto could tell without looking at them.

"Gaara and I, we're carrying these tailed beasts inside us, and we're being targeted like big game animals because of them. We suffered all our lives because of these damn beasts. The only difference is that Gaara's suffered and fought alone a lot longer than I. It's not fair that he lived a life of misery, only to attain the acknowledgment he fought so hard to achieve and have it taken from him so early by those Akatsuki bastards. That's why I have to be there to save him, so he can continue to live the life he worked so hard to get that he couldn't all those years ago!" Hearing how determined the blond was to save her little brother, Temari thanked him as they continued their way to the Hidden Sand. Along the way, Sakura asked Naruto if he met Itachi Uchiha three years ago.

"I haven't just been training these past three years. I secretly read Lady Tsunade's reports...and snuck out of the village to snoop around as much as I could. The person Sasuke wants to kill is his older brother Itachi, right? The one that's a member of the Akatsuki?"

"It looks like you're caught up to events Kakashi-sensei and I kept from you," said Naruto. "What exactly do you want to know from me?"

"Time is running out. We've only got all a year left to find him..."

"...Sasuke visited me. Back in Japan over about a month ago..." Sakura and Kakashi looked shocked when Naruto revealed that to them.

"You met with him?" asked a shocked Sakura.

"He's not the same person we knew from three years ago...You know, he tried to kill a "very close friend of mine" while he was visiting. I had to fight him, with some help. I can tolerate him if he insults me or calls me soft for caring about others, but if he threatens someone I care about the most just to get to me or insults them, I won't be so forgiving with him. When I see Sasuke, I won't hold anything back. I haven't forgotten my promise, but if he really forces my hand, as he did in Japan, I have no choice but to break that promise, and kill him."

"Naruto..." Staying silent as he listened to Naruto and Sakura talking to each other, Kakashi wondered if the blond was in the right mind.

Three Days Later

"Lady Temari, you're here too?" asked the Hidden Sand guarding the entrance to the Hidden Sand Village. "We've been waiting for you."

"Tell me the situation," Temari said to the guard as she and Team 7 followed him.

"First, the Kazekage was taken, then Lord Kankuro chased after them but was gravely wounded."

"What!?" Temari shouts. "Kankuro, too!?"

"To make matters worse, he was poisoned...and we can't identify it for an antidote. They say he only has half a day left." Stepping up, Sakura insists he takes her to Kankuro to examine his condition and hopefully treat him.

Treatment Room 3

Upon arrival, an old woman named Chiyo tried to attack Kakashi, only for Naruto to block her attacks before standing off against her.

"That day, how dare you...! Despicable White Fang of the Hidden Leaf. Today, I finally collect vengeance for my son!" Chiyo shouts. Her younger brother, Ebizo, had to step in and tell her it wasn't "The White Fang" to stop her. Realizing this, the old lady apologized to Kakashi. While Sakura and Chiyo handled Kankuro, Naruto and Kakashi went to get information from Baki, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro's former leader back when they were Genin, now a member of the Hidden Sand's Council.

"So they're long gone?" Kakashi asked Baki, the subject involving the pursuit of the Akatsuki.

"Yes."

"Take me to where Kankuro fought. I must track them...If even a trace of their scent remains..."

"No need," said Naruto, noticing one of Kankuro's puppets, Crow, had torn off a piece of one of the Akatsuki members' clothes. "Since one of those two has Gaara in tow, all we have to do is follow Gaara's scent," Naruto informed the two Jonin. "Tell us, who were the members who attacked?"

"One was named Deidara...The other was a former Hidden Sand shinobi named Sasori."

"Sasori!?" Chiyo said in a lout voice, having just heard Baki's answer to Naruto's question. "Are you sure one of them was Sasori!?"

"Yes, Kankuro told me, right before he passed out, that the one who poisoned him called himself, "Sasori of the Red Sand"."

After Chiyo informed the two of her relation to Sasori as his grandmother, along with his abilities as a puppet master, Sakura, having finished treating Kankuro, told them she was ready to head out with them to save Gaara, though not before telling Naruto a message Kankuro wanted to relay to him.

"Please save my brother. That's what he wanted to say to you."

"I will..."

"I'm coming with you three," Chiyo told Team 7. "It's been a while since I've taken care of my adorable grandchild." Looking at Kakashi, they nonverbally asked him if they should allow the old woman to come with, Kakashi telling them it should be fine.

Hidden Leaf Village

Hokage's Office

"I am giving you an identical mission as Team 7. Join them and see that they complete their assigned task. Understood?" Team Guy responds with, "ROGER!" before making their way to the Hidden Sand Village.

On the way to the Land of Rivers

"Hey, Naruto. Can I ask you something?" Naruto turned to face Sakura as Team 7 and Chiyo jumped from tree branch to tree branch.

"What?"

"How long have you been a target of the Akatsuki?"

"How am I supposed to know? For all I care, they've been eyeing me ever since they formed," said Naruto.

"As you've read from the reports, Itachi and Kisame came to the Hidden Leaf to look for and capture Naruto three years ago," said Kakashi. "Though the reason for why I am still not sure."

"Why did they wait for three years?" Sakura asked her sensei.

"I figure it was because I was with Pervy Sage in a land they couldn't comprehend," Naruto answered. "Japan has...all sorts of unknowns and they weren't willing to go there until they had a reliable ally in that country."

"I guess...Why wasn't I invited to come to visit in December three years ago?" Recalling how everyone else was invited but her, Naruto told her he didn't do it on purpose, pointing out how she was out on a mission that time. "You could've at least invited me the December after that one."

"I did send an invite that time," said Naruto, much to Sakura's surprise and shock. "The postal office in the Hidden Leaf must have misplaced it. December invites aside, the reason for them waiting for three years is beyond me."

"If I may, I may know the reasons," said Chiyo. "You see, extracting a Tailed Beast sealed inside a Human Body requires some preparation, which required a lot of time, especially when there are nine tailed beasts in total.

"Nine!?" Sakura said out loud.

"Yes. Tailed beasts are distinct in character, and each of them has a different number of tails, their names representing the number of tails they have," Chiyo explained. Since they are huge concentrations of chakra, every nation's hidden village competed for control over them during the Era of Great War. But their power is beyond Human understanding, and no one could control them. While I don't know their intentions...I know that kind of power is far too dangerous for them to get ahold of." As they continued on, they didn't notice Zetsu watching them before leaving to inform his teammates.

Several minutes later

"Noticing a strong presence, Kakashi told them to stop. Landing safely on their feet at ground level, the four come face to face with Itachi.

"Who is that?" asked Sakura.

"So they sent you, Itachi?" Kakashi asked, the Uchiha's name surprising the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Itachi, The Boy Who Murdered His Entire Clan," said Chiyo.

"Long time no see, Kakashi...Naruto..."

"You're stalling us," said Naruto. "We'll be sure to kill you as soon as possible," he adds. Once Itachi prepared to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan, Kakashi warned everyone to look in his eyes or suffer being played his genjutsu.

"Too late," Itachi told them, having already put Naruto under his genjutsu, using only his finger. Caught in Itachi's technique, he found Kakashi, Sakura, and Chiyo massacred. Looking for the one who killed them, Naruto was shocked to come face to face with Doku, the Greater Fiend who murdered Kureha.

"You...You're-" Naruto felt his body shake in fear as he watched Doku lift Kureha up by her throat with his left hand, the Dark Dragon Sword in his right.

"Naruto...I can't...breathe..."

"Kureha! I have to-" To his confusion, he couldn't move his body. "I can't move! Why can't I move!"

"You weren't there to see this," said Doku. "Now you will finally watch as I kill her, and you can't do anything to stop it."

"Stop..." Doku ignored Naruto as he pulled back his right arm, preparing to stab the shrine maiden with the Dark Dragon Blade. "Stop..."

"Naruto..."

"Stop..."

"Naruto, whatever happens, don't blame yourself. Always know that I love you and Momiji very much. Please take care of each other for me, okay?" Just after she said those words, Doku thrusts the serrated dark blade forward.

"STOOOOOOOOOP!" Naruto could only watch as the greater fiend ran the blade through the shrine maiden's chest. Once he finished the dark deed, Doku threw Kureha's corpse aside, the blond falling to his hands and knees after.

"The first time, you weren't there to save her. Now you were too scared of me to save her. You have failed yet again, Nine-Tails." After a moment of silence, Naruto lets out an anguish-filled scream. His anguish then turned into rage as dark ki started enveloping him, along with the Kyuubi's chakra, his eyes and hair turning red.

Outside of the genjutsu, as Kakashi was battling Itachi, Sakura and Chiyo tried to wake Naruto up, stopping when they noticed his hair changing color, and dark ki started surrounding his body. Even the orange parts of his suit were turning red. Taking notice, Kakashi and Itachi stopped their fight as they witnessed Naruto break free from the genjutsu by himself.

"You...WILL DIE FOR THAT, ITACHI UCHIHA!" Naruto shouts, his voice sounding very demonic to everyone present.

"Naruto...That power...It's the same one you used when you fought Sasuke that day..." When Kakashi tried to approach the blond, he found himself unable to move, realizing he was too scared to act, Sakura and Chiyo included.

"This amount of killing intent...it's so powerful it's visible!" Chiyo points out.

"This feeling...it's darker than Sasuke's..." compared to when she saw Sasuke activate his Cursed Seal back during the Chūnin Exams, Naruto's was far deeper, and the fear it inflicted in her had a paralyzing effect that told her if she moved even a step, she'd die.

"How did you break out of my genjutsu, Naruto Uzumaki?" asked Itachi, the red-haired Chunin telling him, "YOU MADE ME WATCH HER DIE!"

Hinomoto

Masakado Shrine

A warrior priestess with long black hair and violet eyes prayed in silence when she sensed Naruto's wicked ki, abruptly opening her eyes.

"The Satsui no Hado..." Getting up, she grabs her sword, Kushinawa, and leaves the temple.

"Lady Tomoe, where are you going?" asked a warrior priestess on guard duty.

"I have an important matter I need to fulfill," she told her. "Let the others know I'll be gone for a while."

"Of course, Lady Tomoe. May Kami watch over you." The warrior priestess known as Tomoe gave the guard an approving nod before rushing out into the forest.

"Kureha...What you feared has happened...I may not have been there to save you, but I can save the boy you cared so much about...That is the least I can do for you, old friend."

[ED: Cold Sun by Aimer]

For this chapter, I wanted to view Naruto at his worst. While he's still focused on the mission to save Gaara, he's not on his right mind. He not only returned to a village that could've saved the Hayabusa Clan, but Kureha's death still tortures his soul. While he's still friendly in some form, when alone, he's a mess. He is also unwilling to have people see him cry. The only ones who have seen him cry would be Moka, Momiji, and Jiraiya. There may be more, but I haven't thought that far.

I chose Kureha as Naruto's precious person in his life because I wanted her death to mean something not just to Ryu Hayabusa or her younger sister, Momiji, and make her the source of Naruto's suffering. Once you take her away, you basically took everything from him.

"Itachi's" genjutsu made it worse for him, because since he wasn't there to see her die, just watching it was too much for his mind and his heart, and before you know it, his rage over being shown her death consumes his soul. I did plan to have him laughing at his own powerlessness, but I didn't want to break him that much. At least not yet.

From here on, most of Naruto's fights will be filled with rage, which builds up at times due to mistakes on the villains' part.

There was a scene where Naruto got angry with Tsunade about the circumstances regarding the attack on the Hayabusa Clan Village, but that was scrapped since I felt this chapter wouldn't be the right one to have it or it doesn't fit in at all. It may possibly be in Part II.

Tomoe from "Queen's Blade" was the obvious choice to put into Part III, as well as the Warrior Priestesses of Hinomoto. While they joined in defending the Hidden Leaf from the Sound and Sand Villages when they invaded, they didn't have a lot of attention. This time around, they have a bit more. Tomoe's back story with Kureha may be revealed in the next chapter or the chapter after the next one.

Momiji will eventually make an appearance, though it'll take some time.

"Scar/let" was picked because it helped convey the bond between Naruto and Kureha, and it also expressed Naruto's feelings and the need to move on from the past and finally be in the now, free from the pain he's suffering caused by past events.

For "Cold Sun", I love music by Aimer, and "Cold Sun" felt like a nice fit after seeing the translated lyrics. For Naruto, he's like a Sun that lost its warm presence, ending up cold and empty.