Note: This fanfiction is going to have several oc characters and villains. Naruto isn't a Jinchuriki hut rather his siblings are. His parents and Itachi are alive and the story takes place after the fourth great shinobi war. This fanfic is going to be different than any you may have read on this platform!
Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze gazed intently as his sister, Erzu Namikaze, sprinted from the swirling portal, accompanied by Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, and his mother, Kushina Uzumaki. Their combined efforts had vanquished Kaguya Otsutsuki, securing the seal capable of resurrecting the world and freeing humanity from the curse of Infinite Tsukuyomi. Yes, Madara had been defeated, but after a betrayal that he faced from the black Zetsu. "Its finally over," Sakura managed between breaths, her voice laced with relief. Erzu, the blonde girl, collapsed onto the ground, a sigh of relief escaped her lips, while others offered solemn nods of agreement. Abruplty, the harmonious atmosphere was disrupted by the spirited voices of two siblings, Menma Namikaze and Natsumi Namimaze. They ran to embrace their family and friends, curious with what they may have faced. Having successfully purged the battlefield of Zetsus, all threats to the Shinobi world had been quelled.
Beneath the concealing shroud of a black hood, Naruto smirked as he recognized his siblings. Erzu, a long-haired, blonde teenage girl with whiskers on either side of the cheeks, Menma, a spiky blonde hair boy with whiskers as well, and Natsumi, a ditto copy of their mother. Time had wrought a profound transformation upon them since their last reunion. Years had passed since the last time he saw them. His mind raced to the past, and painful memories started to resurface, which strangely enough weren't painful to him anymore. Did he stop looking them as family? Or it was because he had quenched his desire for revenge? Perhaps, it was both. But what he knew was that they weren't to be blamed either.
Naruto's attention shifted to the sound of the footsteps behind him that got louder and louder. "Are you going to hide behind this rock and watch them from a distance, or will you actually go and hug them?" A man spoke. Naruto looked at the questioner, who stood with the support of a stick. His hair ran all the way to his back, small tufts of beard adorned his chin, and his right eye was covered with bandages. He was Daisuke, a trust worthy companion Naruto made during his time with Akatsuki. They both had grown extremely close after all the time they had spent together. Despite being 4 years older, Daisuke acted as if Naruto were his master, while to Naruto, Daisuke was the big brother he had always longed for. This level of respect defined their profound bond.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Naruto said and continued after a pause, "I am not here for them. We have accomplished what we came for, you know." He stood up and dusted down his clothes and gestured him to follow. "Are you going to leave his body right in the open like this?" Daisuke said pointing towards the body of Madoka Uchiha, the mastermind behind framing Naruto several years ago. "Yeah, about him. Install his Sharinghan in your right eye and destroy the other one. Let his body rot," Naruto replied in a cold manner and earned a nod from Daisuke. "His Susano is the reason why we deflected the infinite tsukuyomi. He saved us thinking we would help him get Madara's eyes only for him to get killed by us. I pity him," Daisuke said while inserting his sharingan in a scroll, a storage seal, for safe keeping. "You know what they say, everything is fair in love and war. As a ninja, you must get the job done doesn't matter what," Naruto said.
They both then continued down the path towards the forest, from where their new journey starts. Naruto took a last gaze towards his family as they continued walking. Daisuke noticed and chuckled in a teasing manner. "What's out next move, then? You've come a long way from that Leaf Village invader," Daisuke quipped, a smirk playing on his lips. Naruto's gaze shifted from his family to his friend, a gling of mischief in his eyes.
"Who's to stay? Maybe I'll surprise you," Naruto replied, a hint of mystery in his voice. Daisuke raised an eyebrow, his tone skeptical. "You're not tired of all that fighting?"
Naruto's grin widened. "Relax, just messing around, you know."
"Yea well, your ass can't take all of those ninjas alone anyways," Daisuke commented with a slight chuckle. The forest filled with their laughter, a bond forged through shared history and unwavering friendship. "That's probably true," Naruto said and they continued as they saw the sky getting slightly brighter, hinting for a sun rise.
"We need a new purpose. Something to Brighten our lives," Naruto contemplated. Daisuke nodded in agreement.
Lost in thought, Daisuke's eyes sparkled as he wove his dream. "You know, I always wanted to run a vegetable stall in a busy market," he mused, a dreamy smile tugging his face.
"Such a hassle," Naruto sighed and mumbled, a fleeting whisper only meant for himself. Yet, Daisuke's keen ears caught the barely audible remark.
Daisuke's frustration broke the tranquility. "What did you say?" he demanded.
"Nothing," Naruto brushed it off.
Daisuke persisted, his tone playful. "Come on, don't mock my interests!"
Their good-natured argument filled the forest, a lively exchange deep within the forest. As the sun ascended in the sky, casting its golden hues upon the land, Sasuke and eveyone else out there in the battlefield had undid the infinite tsukuyomi, and humainity was back from cocoon like structres that had caged them. Naruto's siblings looked at the scene with sparkles in their eyes, a testament that they were proud of themselves for having to successfully pull it off. Lost in thought was Natsumi, thinking what adventure awaits them in the future. Surely it can't be more darker than this. Or is it?
1 Year Later
"WAAAAKE UUUP!!" an angry female voice echoed the Leaf Village. It came from the Namikaze estate, where an overenergized blonde teenage girl was trying to get her brother, Menma, to wake up. "It's already 12 pm, for God's sake!" Erzu said with narrowed eyes and both hands on her hips, while Natsumi tried to calm her down. "Let him sleep, it's not like we are going on a mission, you know," said Natsumi.
"Huhhhhhh??? Don't you remember what happened? It was his turn to do the chores today but we both ended up doing all of them. This isn't how it's going to work!" Erzu said furiously, totally unhappy that Natsumi was taking their brother's side. Erzu strongly grabbed the blanket and pulled it with everything she had while Menma tried not to lose it. "I said give me 5 minutes, are you deaf or something?"
"5 minutes my ass," Erzu said determined to pull the blanket off him.
"Maybe he's just tired. He'll handle tomorrow's chores. I am sure he won't oversleep," Natsumi suggested, seeking compromise.
"He's just being lazy, a trait he adopted from that Shikamaru," Erzu countered. Menma intervened, putting an end to their banter. "Alright, it's enough," came the voice underneath the blanket. Menma's sudden halt caught Erzu off guard. Erzu and Natsumi fell back, hitting the table. Menma teased both of them and retreated to the bathroom before Erzu could react. "That bastard," Erzu muttered complaint accompanied by a gentle rub of her sore back. Natsumi took stock of her own well-being. Erzu extended a hand to assist Natsumi in rising.
As Natsumi stood, her gaze fell upon a shattered album, her expression morphing into one of solemn contemplation. Erzu, with her shoulder now reset, offered a comforting touch. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" Natsumi nodded, her thoughts lingering on the past.
A suggestion arose amidst the emotions. "Shouldn't we pay him a visit? It's been years," Natsumi mused aloud. Erzu's smiled waned, her voice tinged with sadness. "Naruto's actions carry weight. His crime was a major one after all." Despite the somber decleration, her smile persisted, albeit with a touch of melancholy. "Nevertheless, he remains family. Let's discuss this with Mom and Dad upon their return from their mission."
Natsumi agreed, her actions gentle as she carefully returned to the broken album to its place on the table. "By the way, what is your plan for the future?" Erzu asked. Natsumi delved into some thought before speaking up. "It feels like there's none. You have a dream to become Hokage. Sasuke has a dream to revive Uchiha clan, though Itachi as Hokage now, it should be easy. Sakura wants to become the best medic nin out there. I don't think I have any specific goal like you all."
"It would become boring and tiring without a dream. Make up some purpose of your life, you know."
"I don't think you need to have a purpose to enjoy life. I am fine with finding random interesting things throughout my life until I die."
Erzu resonably looked unhinged on her reply. While exiting Menma's room she gave her final remarks. "Well, it's your life. Live how you want to live, but I think at some point you would want purpose in life because we humans can't really escape it."
Natsumi smiled as she saw her sister leave the room before giving it a thought. Before exiting the room, she looked outside the window and thought to herself, "a purpose, huh?"
With Naruto
Within the land of waves, beneath the great Naruto bridge, Naruto sat looking at the passes in his hands, with a giant smile. "Finally a permit that can allow me and Daisuke to enter the shinobi villages. Took a great amount of money to bribe some Anbus for hiding my identity, but thank God it worked," Naruto looked at those permits talking to himself in his thoughts, ignorant of the fact that two men were watching him from the shadows. "It's him, right?" an old man asked while the other one nodded. "Well, then let's go and meet him face to face."
Naruto was still looking at those permits when a voice diverted his attention. "Are you really going to live like this, Na-ru-to U-zu-ma-ki?"
Naruto's spine crawled back. Somebody knew his true identity. Who could this be? Somebody from the Hozuki Castle maybe? But it's impossible. Naruto slowly turned his neck to see who called him by his name, ready for any action he might have to take. Upon turning back, he saw an old man in a black uniform and a black porkpie hat, as if he was at some sort of funeral. That old man's facial expressions showed no emotions, but he didn't seem like a threat. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?" Naruto inquired. Perplexity mapped onto his face.
The old man chuckled, Naruto's tension mounted. Frustration flared with Naruto. "Tell me who you ar!" he shouted at him. A drawn-out breath heralded the old man's response. "I am what you make of me," he cryptically answered. Naruto's brows knitted in confusion. "What does that even mean?"
"Have you delved into the the ancient religion of this continent?" the old man inquired. Naruto scoffed, disinterested. "Not my thing."
"You're missing out. It contains everything a man can desire - love, power, acceptance, redemption, hope, and above all, salvation," the old man explained.
Naruto skepticism grew, thoughts whirring. "Who is this guy, and what's he after?" he pondered. Adressing the old man, he asked, "Are you from the Hizuki Castle?" Laughter was the response he got that made Naruto reasonably upset. "Look if you are some sort of missionary then know this that you are after a wrong guy. I am not into Jashin or any of the faith out there," Naruto said calmly. The old man's laughter got louder and evilished.
"Why is he laughing like that? What is there to laugh about?" Naruto wondered. The old man finally quelled his mirth.
"Are you fleeing salvation?" the old man taunted. A hand ventured into a pocket, Naruto tensed up anticipating an attack. He quickly threw an object at him. Naruto was quick to react. "Too slow," he gloated, as he jumped back and instantly threw a kunai at it, tearing the cloth of the bag hurled at his way.
Anticipating an explosion, Naruto shielded his eyes. No blast came. He glanced, taken aback. The bag had been torn apart, revealing photographs of him and his family. The weight of the monent struck Naruto. "Don't you wish to reveal the truth?" the old man prodded. The old man stirred Naruto's curiosity. "Who is this guy? And how does he know about this?" Naruto thought.
Naruto's voiced wavered with sadness. "I do, but I don't have evidence to do so."
"Didn't I mention my religion grants desires?" the old man's words help a knowing edge. Naruto's mocking chuckle rippled. "Even evidence?"
"Even evidence," the old man affirmed. Naruto's skepticism deepened. He was now sure this was just some insane priest.
Silence hung heavy before the old man spoke once more. "Believe me or not, it's your choice. If you do, meet me in the Leaf Village within a year. I'll reveal wonders and grant you a new purpos." With that old man departed, leaving Naruto with his thoughts and newfound intrigue. Is this the purpose that Naruto will cling to his life? Only time can tell.