[Author-Notes: Sorry for the short chapter.]


November 12th 2004:

Numerous civilians traversed the paths in a quaint town on the outskirts of the Land-Of-Fire. Different merchant stands were lined up across these roads. Ryomen Sukuna had settled into a restaurant.

Seated on a table in the corner of the humble restaurant, Sukuna slurped the Miso soup gathered on his spoon. Nothing much had happened once he had crossed an entry-point to the Land-Of-Fire.

There were a few common bandits and crooks that Sukuna had encountered, but they were no real threat to him and his safety. Sipping more of the soup on his spoon, Sukuna wiped his mouth.

Sukuna had planned to head off to the Land-Of-Whirlpools upon his entrance to the Land-Of-Fire. After some short deliberation, he made the somewhat responsible decision not to visit the Hidden-Leaf village.

Finishing his soup, Sukuna dabbed a napkin on his mouth, dropped the right amount of cash onto the counter, and exited the small town. Many of the townsfolk looked at him in brief flickers of recognition.

(-)

Shikamaru Nara tucked his hands into his pockets, accompanied by Ino Yamanaka and Choji Akimichi. The three of them had finished a mission outside the village and strolled down a path in the woods.

"Hey, Shikamaru." Choji asked him out of the blue. "How much stronger do you think Naruto will have gotten when he comes back?"

"Naruto?" Shikamaru scratched his chin. "I wouldn't be able to tell you. He looked pretty depressed when he and lord Jiraiya left the village."

"Can you blame him?" Ino scoffed. "Both of his teammates abandoned Konoha. I know Sasuke left for Orochimaru, but why'd Sukuna leave?"

"You remembered his name this time." Shikamaru snorted. "Sukuna was the most anti-social one in our class. He only had two friends."

"Yeah." Choji murmured to himself. "Naruto, Sasuke, and Sukuna had been friends for ages. I'm still surprised that two of them left Konoha."

"And now Sukuna's in the Bingo-Book." Shikamaru said. "They've given him a ton of ridiculous nick-names. I bet they embarrass him."

"Hold on." Choji stopped in his tracks, taking a double-take at the bushes ahead of them. "Am I hallucinating or is that Sukuna there?"

"Huh?" Shikamaru murmured, then blinked at the blatant outline of Sukuna on the dirt path. "What the hell is that moron doing here?"

"What should we do?" Ino followed her team-mates and hopped onto the tree-branches above them. "Should we try and capture him?"

"Are you sure we even could?" Choji responded. "His entry in the Bingo-Book said that he's challenged Kage and their Shinobi."

"Be quiet, will you?" Shikamaru hissed at them. "I bet he's sensed our presence beforehand and is just waiting for us to make the first move."

"Damn it." Shikamaru clicked his tongue. "Standard protocol says that Chunin and Jonin have an obligation to capture or kill Rogue-Ninja."

"But Sukuna hasn't been sighted in the Land-Of-Fire for two years." Shikamaru thought. "What business does he have coming back here?"

"Choji and Ino." Shikamaru watched Sukuna from afar. "We'll try to capture him. If it gets too dangerous, disengage or go for the kill…"

(-)

Sukuna had detected three cautious gazes mere minutes ago. Hands slid into his pockets, he remained blank-faced and sauntered across the forest in the western portion of the Land-Of-Fire.

When he had reached the spot where team ten spied on him from above, Sukuna watched three blurs surround him. Shikamaru cast a hand-sign, linked his shadow to Sukuna's own, and immobilized him.

"Good job, Shikamaru." Ino took out a Kunai from her pouch and administered a poison onto its tip. "This poison should knock him out."

"That was too easy." Shikamaru increased the hold that the Shadow-Paralysis-Jutsu had on Sukuna. "Just be careful, you two."

Sukuna decided to make some small talk. "Did the three of you track me down?"

"Nope." Shikamaru indulged him in a short discussion. "We happened to be coming back from a mission to guard a closeby town's supplies."

"What a reunion." Choji rubbed the back of his head, awkward. "Since I have the chance to ask. Sukuna, why did you abandon the village?"

"It sounded fun." Sukuna felt Ino stab the poison-coated Kunai into his shoulder. "There's no dramatic reason behind it."

"Naruto was crushed when you and Sasuke left." Shikamaru said, keeping himself casual. "Your defection was random, you know?"

Ino placed her Kunai into her pouch, then told her teammates. "The poison should kick into his system in around ten minutes or less."

"I haven't seen that moron in two and a half years." Sukuna looked bored. "Why the hell did I have to run into these three nuisances?"

"He and lord Jiraiya left on a training trip." Choji chimed in. "He was dead set on bringing Sasuke back and learning why you also left."

"Good." Sukuna blinked his four eyes at them, disinterested. "I'm sure you three pests have heard that the Akatsuki is making their move."

"Of course." Shikamaru let himself smirk at Sukuna in mockery. "I know that you've recruited the six-tails Jinchuriki onto your team."

"How are you going to fight S-Rank Shinobi on your own?" Shikamaru asked him. "We both know you and your team aren't strong enough."

"Wouldn't it be better to come back to Konoha for extra protection?" Shikamaru's logic was sound. "Instead of going from place to place?"

"Yeah, Sukuna." Choji nodded. "I'm sure that lady Hokage would give you some kind of amnesty. You did help in bringing her to Konoha."

"Heck." Ino folded her arms. "I'm sure Naruto could vouch on your behalf. He'd be happy to have at least one of his teammates back."

"I'm not interested." Sukuna's eyes glowed an ominous crimson. "Haven't you realized that the poison you gave me hasn't worked?"

"Damn!" Shikamaru sensed Sukuna's shadow stir and a large snake emerged from the darkness. "What the hell?! Is that his summon?!"

Sukuna had used Orochi to cut off the Shadow-Paralysis-Jutsu's effect on his body. "I'm not interested in fighting the three of you right now."

It was Orochi's upper half that had surfaced from Sukuna's shadow. In Choji's opinion, the sight of Sukuna and his snake-themed 'summon's' upper half behind him was quite sinister. Shikamaru scowled at them.

"The poison should have kicked in!" Ino leaped back, cautious and on guard. "Shikamaru! Should we still try to capture him or disengage?"

"Formation-C!" Shikamaru yelled at them. "It's idiotic, I know. But I want to see how much stronger this moron has gotten firsthand…"

"If the situation does get too extreme." Shikamaru blurred forward. "I'll call this off and tell lady Hokage that Sukuna's in the Land-Of-Fire."

Sukuna dispelled Orochi into the shadows, redirected Ino's punch to the side, and held his hand up to catch Choji's expanded fist. A severe shock-wave rolled across the air after Choji's failed attack.

"I just said I'm not interested in fighting you three."

Channelling Nue's power through his system, Sukuna electrocuted Choji and shoved him into a series of boulders in the distance. Shikamaru grunted. "His physical strength has gotten even greater."

Ino had distanced herself from him, casting three hand-signs and spitting out bullets of water in Sukuna's direction. Shikamaru followed up on her combo, summoning tendrils of shadows to restrain Sukuna.

"Shadow-Stitching-Jutsu!" Shikamaru shouted, then calmed himself down and said. "Turn yourself in, Sukuna. You will get pardoned."

"Yeah, no." Sukuna saw Choji return to the dirt path they were on. "I'm not sure why you're so insistent I come back to Konoha, Shikamaru."

"Trust me." Shikamaru scoffed in response. "I don't care that much about either you or Sasuke. You both made your choices back then."

"This is more for Naruto's sake." Shikamaru said. "How crushed do you think he looked when he realized both of you had left Konoha?"

"I know that moron better than all of you combined." Sukuna broke through Shikamaru's shadow-constructed tendrils. "He'll be fine."

Sukuna stepped forward and appeared behind the three of them. Instead of facing them, though, he was facing the opposite way. Choji and Ino fell onto the ground, unconscious. Shikamaru scowled a little.

"I'll visit the Hidden-Leaf sooner or later." Sukuna commented, traversing the path ahead of him. "I plan to fight Naruto at some point."

(-)

Sukuna travelled across the numerous roads of the Land-Of-Fire and had arrived at a large town that specialized in selling boats and shipwork. This town had belonged to the Uzumaki-Clan decades ago.

It had once been used to help civilians, tourists, and merchants get to the Land-Of-Whirlpools and visit Uzushiogakure. Shinobi had a simpler time getting to the village because of basic chakra-control.

After the destruction of Uzushiogakure, some kind of barrier had formed around the land and blocked off anyone who dared to enter it. Nowadays, the residents of the town ignored the obliterated village.

Sukuna stood at the outskirts of this town, summoned Nue, and felt its talons grab his shoulders before the two of them flew off towards the Land-Of-Whirlpools. Soaring across the sky, Sukuna stared at the sea.

There was one important reason why Sukuna was interested in going to Uzushiogakure. The Uzumaki-Clan had been famous for many things—they had been the clan to create the Reaper-Death-Seal.

That Jutsu in particular involved direct contact based around the soul. Much like Yuji Itadori in the Jujutsu-Kaisen manga, Sukuna also had the ability to perceive the contours of the soul and its boundaries.

Nue soon let out a light-hearted cry to signal to him that they had reached the outside of the Land-Of-Whirlpools' powerful barricade. Dispelling Nue, Sukuna landed on a chunk of stone rooted in the sea.

Hopping towards the shores of the land, Sukuna touched his feet down on another rock and pressed his palm on the barrier. He had a theory that this barrier stopped anyone who had chakra from entering.

Sukuna slipped through the barricade — like he had expected, people without chakra were immune to the effects of the barricade. Walking out of the sand on the shores of this land, Sukuna took a look around.

Rubble extended across each portion of the land. Numerous buildings in the distance had crumbled into remains of what they had once been. Sukuna stepped forward, searching for any intact places.

Sukuna climbed over pieces of rubble, looked at a few temples that held different types of masks, and checked out other places in the destroyed village. After twenty minutes, Sukuna sighed to himself.

"I doubt I'll be able to find any scrolls that talk about the soul." He mused. "Most of the scrolls must have faded away because of time."

Exiting the Land-Of-Whirlpools through its barricade, Sukuna summoned Nue. The two of them flew back to the outskirts of the town that had belonged to the Uzumaki-Clan. Sukuna landed on the soil.

Nue scattered into the shadows and Sukuna set foot into the town. Finding himself an artificial park built for tourists and visitors, Sukuna then settled himself down on a wooden bench and lowered his head.

"I'll have to prepare myself soon for the Akatsuki." Sukuna thought. "They'll be coming after Utakata to extract the six-tails from him."

Sukuna stood up from the bench, pulled his red cloak out of his shadow, put it onto his shoulders, and left the town.

(-)

Shikamaru had called for extra help to bring an unconscious Choji and Ino back to the village. Tsunade had summoned him to her office for him to explain the situation.

"You encountered the four-eyed brat?" Tsunade slid the files on her desk aside. "And he defeated the three of you without any trouble?"

"Yes, ma'am." Shikamaru nodded, shoulders somewhat slouched. "He could have also knocked me out, but I guess he decided against it."

"Lady Tsunade." Shizune pitched in, curious. "What will you do about Sukuna? He is a Rogue-Shinobi who comes from the Hidden-Leaf."

"I didn't even add him in the Bingo-Book." Tsunade scowled. "It was the councilors and everyone else who Sukuna fought that wrote his entries."

"Lady Tsunade, if I could." Shikamaru interrupted them. "I believe it's best to leave this in Naruto's hands when he returns to the village."

"That brat, huh?" Tsunade chuckled to herself. "I don't have any intention of acting against Sukuna, it's the other villages who could."

"Sukuna has survived encounters against the Raikage and Tsuchikage." Shikamaru said. "I believe he can fend off the villages."

"I suppose he can." Tsunade tapped her finger on a document. "You're dismissed, Shikamaru. I'll give you a day off to apologize for all of this."

"Thank you, ma'am." Shikamaru bowed and exited the office. "I still can't believe how much stronger he's gotten since he left Konoha…"

Shikamaru set foot into the local streets located outside of the Hokage-Tower, mulling over his and his teammates' defeat against Sukuna. In the last few years, Sukuna had become a powerful foe.

"Shikamaru! Wait for me!"

A moment later, Shikamaru got blindsided as Rock-Lee rushed towards him at top speed. Lee stopped beside Shikamaru—who raised an eye-brow at him in boredom. "How can I help you, Lee?"

"I heard about your encounter against Sukuna from Neji!" Lee waved his fist. "I wanted to ask you how much stronger he has gotten!"

"That's what you care about?" Shikamaru sighed at Lee in annoyance. "Whatever. Let's just say that Sukuna beat us without any problem."

"Is that so?" Lee rubbed his chin. "He must have dedicated himself to training in these two and a half years! I must fight against him myself!"

"Good luck." Shikamaru scratched the back of his neck. "You'll have to get permission from lady Tsunade to do something like that, though."

"I'm sure that lady Tsunade will approve of a mission to retrieve Sukuna!" Lee ran into the building. "I'll talk to you later, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru shook his head to himself. "Yeah."

(-)

November 14th 2004:

Sukuna had reached some kind of town designed for merchants and travelers to stock up on supplies and products and hire new employees. It wasn't a typical place that people would visit.

The Land-Of-Fire had a bunch of villages and towns that specialized in helping people who were journeying around—most of these places were funded by the Land-Of-Fire's Daimyo and his group of councillors.

Having purchased himself some more supplies, Sukuna left the town and ventured out across a dirt road. Sukuna had bought himself the latest copy of the Bingo-Books, a new cloak, and a spare red mask.

Since he had encountered Shikamaru and his friends two days ago, there was a chance that Konoha would send people to capture him. Danzo Shimura had dispatched Root Anbu officers after him once.

Sukuna had defeated them and Danzo had never sent anyone to catch or kill him after that particular event. Though, he suspected Danzo would soon confront him for why he had returned to the Land-Of-Fire.

Sighing to himself, Sukuna resumed his trek on the dirt road and headed into the usual forest located in the Land-Of-Fire. On a different road across the bushes, there were civilians out on their own trips.

Pulling his newest edition of the Bingo-Books out from his shadow, Sukuna opened it up and skimmed through its pages. One of the new entries had been his own teammate—Kimimaro of the Kaguya-Clan.

Sasuke Uchiha hadn't been put in the public Bingo-Books yet because of Tsunade's influence over them. Sukuna had been told beforehand by one of Utakata's 'sources' that Danzo had written his first entry.

Sukuna knew that—the second that Naruto Uzumaki returned to Konoha—was when the official story of Naruto-Shippuden would start. However, a few decent changes to the official timeline had occurred.

Despite this, Sukuna hadn't planned much for the future. Besides some of the Akatsuki, Sukuna hadn't made any preparations for Black-Zetsu, Pain/Nagato, Obito Uchiha, and Madara Uchiha's revival.

Over the years, Sukuna had come to the realization that some of his personality traits were similar to the original Ryomen Sukuna. Of course, he retained some personality traits from his old self.

There was a chance this had happened because he had reincarnated into Itadori's body when Sukuna was in control of it, so some parts of his personality had been affected by the original Sukuna's personality.

That was all simple speculation, though.

Sukuna dropped the Bingo-Book into his shadow and hiked down the dirt path in a more isolated part of the forest. At the moment, he had no intention of leaving the Land-Of-Fire and had decided to stay.

Utakata and Kimimaro had constructed four log-cabins across each country of the Elemental-Nations. Like they had discussed, they would meet up at the western cabin in the Land-Of-Fire after their vacation.

Sukuna sighed. "I should head to an inn in the closest town to sleep."

He took out a map and walked away.


A/N: Thanks for reading.