SomeCurious - That will come into play in a few chapters.

Naruto had just returned to Konoha after he left to train with the toads. To avoid causing concern over his sudden disappearance, he had left behind a shadow clone. It was one of his reinforced clones, designed to withstand a beating, so there was no need to worry—even if Tsunade ended up punching it all the way to Suna.

Naruto arrived at the Hokage's office, his steps confident despite the weight of his recent training. He pushed open the door, greeted by Tsunade's sharp glare as she worked through stacks of paperwork.

"So, you're finally back," Tsunade remarked, barely looking up. "Your clone was convincing, but I had a feeling the real you was off somewhere."

Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Had to train, Baa-chan. Important stuff."

Tsunade sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well, next time you go on an adventure, tell me first. Preferably before you vanish without a word!"

Naruto laughed nervously. "Sure thing! Promise!"

She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "You better. The last thing we need is people panicking about the 'Hero of the Leaf' disappearing."

"Yeah, yeah, we wouldn't want that." Naruto replied, his tone light but laced with nervous laughter.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Well? What exactly did you do on your little escapade?"

Naruto's grin widened. "I was with the toads training."

"Well, what did they teach you in?" Tsunade pressed.

"How to become one with nature." Naruto said, his voice carrying a rare note of pride.

Tsunade's brow furrowed as she studied him. "One with nature, huh? That sounds awfully vague, even for you, Naruto."

"It's not vague! It's…" Naruto paused, searching for the right words. "It's like I can feel everything around me—the trees, the wind, the earth. I've gotten stronger, Baa-chan. A lot stronger."

"Stronger is good," Tsunade said, tapping her fingers against her arm, "but I hope you learned more than just how to hug a tree. What else?"

"Well…" Naruto hesitated. "Let's just say you'll be impressed when you see it in action."

"Impressed or worried?" Tsunade asked dryly. "Because with you, it's usually both."

Naruto's grin widened, but he didn't elaborate. "Guess you'll have to wait and see!" he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

With that, they made their way to the training ground, Tsunade's curiosity evident in her skeptical gaze. The sun hung high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the open field. Naruto wasted no time settling into a familiar cross-legged position at the center of the clearing.

Tsunade crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Alright, Naruto. Show me what this 'one with nature' nonsense is all about."

Closing his eyes, Naruto took a deep breath. The lively energy that always seemed to surround him shifted. Slowly, a calm stillness enveloped him, like the breeze had decided to dance in time with his breath. The leaves on the nearby trees rustled softly, as though responding to an unspoken command. Tsunade's expression flickered, a trace of intrigue breaking through her skepticism.

Moments passed, and Naruto's presence seemed to fade, becoming almost indistinguishable from the world around him. Birds chirped nearby, unconcerned by his proximity, and even the insects that had been buzzing aimlessly quieted, their movements oddly synchronized with the rhythm of the forest.

Tsunade took a step closer, her brow furrowing. "This... feels different. It's like everything's—" she paused, struggling to find the words, "connected."

Naruto opened one eye, his grin as wide as ever. "Told ya, Granny! This is what it means to really feel nature."

"Impressive," she admitted, though her tone remained gruff. "But don't get cocky, brat. Let's see how this works in a real fight."

Naruto leapt to his feet, his confidence unshaken. "Bring it on!" he said, his blue eyes gleaming with excitement.

He then became one with nature, his presence blending seamlessly into the environment. It was as if Naruto and his surroundings had become indistinguishable from one another, a part of the same harmonious rhythm.

"Well, brat," Tsunade said with a smirk, rolling up her sleeves, "let's see how you handle this!"

Without hesitation, she bent down, her strength easily tearing a chunk of earth from the ground. The jagged piece of dirt and rock flew through the air as she hurled it at Naruto with precision and force.

The projectile hurtled toward him, but Naruto didn't flinch. Instead, he moved like a leaf carried by the wind—fluid and effortless. His body shifted just enough for the chunk to miss him entirely, embedding itself in a tree behind him with a dull thud. The tree shook from the impact, but Naruto remained as steady as the earth itself.

"Whoa!" he said, his grin never wavering. "You're not holding back, huh, Granny?"

Tsunade's smirk widened. "You wanted a real test, didn't you?" She crouched slightly, her stance poised for another attack. "Nature or not, let's see if you've got what it takes to outmaneuver me."

Naruto closed his eyes for a brief moment, his breath steady as the energy of the forest seemed to ripple through him. The ground beneath Tsunade's feet shifted subtly—roots curling upward and stones moving as if alive. She leapt back just in time, her eyes narrowing in recognition.

"Using the environment, huh?" she muttered. "Not bad, kid."

Naruto chuckled, the sound light and easy, though his focus was razor-sharp. "Told you, Tsunade! I'm one with nature now. And nature doesn't lose!"

"Well, let's see if nature can handle this!" Tsunade shouted, launching herself at Naruto with explosive speed. Her fist, backed by her legendary strength, aimed directly for his face.

Naruto's eyes widened, but instead of panicking, he moved like a gust of wind, light and effortless. As her punch neared, he leaned back, the movement so fluid it seemed almost preordained. Tsunade's fist missed him by a hair, slamming into the ground instead. The impact was catastrophic—a shockwave rippled outward, shattering the earth and leaving a crater in its wake.

Chunks of debris flew in all directions, but Naruto weaved between them with a grace that bordered on supernatural. It was as though the rocks themselves bent around him, unwilling to disturb his harmony with the world.

"Whoa, Tsunade! Trying to break my face and the training ground?" Naruto quipped, grinning even as he remained on high alert.

Tsunade straightened, brushing the dust off her gloves. "You're dodging well," she admitted, her tone both begrudging and impressed. "But dodging alone won't win a fight, brat."

Naruto clasped his hands together, a playful yet determined glint in his eyes. "Who says I'm just dodging?"

As he spoke, vines burst from the ground, snaking toward Tsunade with alarming speed. She twisted her body, dodging the first tendril with ease and ripping another apart with a sharp tug. But more followed, as if the forest itself had joined Naruto in his attack.

"Nature's got my back, Granny!" Naruto called, his voice carrying above the chaos. "Let's see if you can keep up!"

Tsunade grinned despite herself. "Don't get cocky, kid!" she yelled, smashing through another vine with a well-placed punch. "You'll need more than a few weeds to take me down!"

It was then that Tsunade felt the ground beneath her shift unnaturally. Roots coiled around her ankles, tightening with surprising strength. Before she could react, the earth itself seemed to betray her, pulling her downward inch by inch. She struggled against it, planting her feet and attempting to leap free, but the grip was relentless.

"What the—?!" Tsunade growled, her fists smashing at the roots in a desperate bid to free herself. Yet for every tendril she destroyed, another would take its place, even stronger and more unyielding. The ground seemed alive, reacting to her every move as if it anticipated her strength.

Within moments, she found herself buried up to her shoulders, then her neck, until only her head remained visible above the surface. Her golden hair was dusted with dirt, and her expression was a mix of frustration and disbelief.

"Ugh! Why can't I get out?!" she barked, wriggling her head in vain. "This is ridiculous!"

A safe distance away, Naruto doubled over in laughter, clutching his sides. "Oh, man, Tsunade! I wish I had a camera right now—you look like a giant talking turnip!" He wiped a tear from his eye, clearly enjoying the moment a bit too much.

"Laugh it up, brat!" Tsunade snapped, her tone dangerous despite her predicament. "The second I'm out of here, you're done! You hear me?!"

Naruto straightened, his grin still plastered across his face. "Aw, come on, Granny. Don't be mad—it's all part of the training!" He tapped his foot on the ground, and the vines responded, tightening slightly before loosening, as if taunting her. "Besides, you're always saying I need to get creative, right?"

Tsunade's glare could have burned holes through stone. "Creative, my foot! Get me out of this, now, or you're the one who's going to be buried next!"

Naruto sighed, still smirking. "Alright, alright, hold on." He clasped his hands together, the energy around him softening. The roots slowly receded, the ground relaxing its hold as Tsunade was gradually lifted free.

As she brushed off the dirt, Tsunade's smirk returned, a dangerous gleam in her eye. "You've had your fun, Naruto. Now it's my turn."

Naruto's grin froze. "Uh... maybe I should—"

Before he could finish, Tsunade lunged forward, her fist raised high. "Let's see if nature can save you from this!" she roared, bringing her punch down like a meteor.

The impact was devastating. Naruto was sent flying through the air, his body careening across the village like a leaf caught in a hurricane. He finally slammed into the Main Gate, embedding himself comically in the wooden structure, arms and legs splayed like a starfish.

At their post near the gate, Koutetsu, one of the Eternal Gate Guards, raised an eyebrow as he glanced up at the human-shaped crater now adorning the gate. "Hey, Izumo," he drawled, poking his partner on the arm. "Think we should get him down from there?"

Izumo looked up from his paperwork, unimpressed by the sight of Naruto dangling awkwardly from the gate. He shrugged and went back to his forms. "Nah. He'll come down eventually."

Koutetsu chuckled, leaning back against the gate. "You've gotta admire the kid's dedication, though. He's always pushing his limits... even if it means becoming part of the scenery."

Naruto groaned from above, his voice muffled. "I'm... fine! Totally fine!"

In the distance, Tsunade appeared, walking toward the gate with a smug smile and brushing her hands off like she'd just completed a routine chore. "Let that be a lesson, brat," she called up to him. "Nature might have your back, but it won't stop a good punch."

Naruto's muffled voice replied, "Duly noted… Baa-chan…"

Koutetsu burst out laughing, while Izumo simply sighed. "Guess we'll need a carpenter," he muttered, shaking his head.

In Konoha Prison, Obito sat in his dimly lit cell, the faint glow of a single overhead light casting long shadows on the stone walls. His mask was long gone, and the scars on his face told stories of battles and betrayals. Shackles bound his wrists, not that he tried to struggle against them. He sat motionless on the small cot, staring at the blank wall before him as if searching for answers in its rough texture.

The muffled sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor. Obito's dark eyes flicked toward the barred door of his cell. A moment later, a figure appeared—none other than Kakashi Hatake, his former friend and teammate.

"Obito," Kakashi greeted, his voice neutral but laced with an undercurrent of something unspoken.

Obito's lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. "Kakashi. Here to lecture me again, or just to enjoy the sight of your old friend locked away?"

Kakashi ignored the jab, stepping closer to the bars. "You're not just my old friend, Obito. You're the reason so many of us are still alive. I didn't come to lecture. I came to talk."

Obito raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the wall. "Talk, huh? Funny thing to do with a prisoner. What's the catch?"

"No catch," Kakashi replied, his single eye calm but unwavering. "But I do have questions. About you, about everything that happened. I want to understand why you made the choices you did."

Obito laughed softly, the sound hollow. "Why? To redeem me? To make sense of the chaos? Or maybe you're just trying to convince yourself that what happened wasn't entirely my fault."

Kakashi's silence lingered for a moment. "Maybe I'm trying to convince myself there's still hope for you."

That made Obito pause, the faintest flicker of emotion crossing his face. But just as quickly, his expression hardened again. "Hope, huh? You always were the optimist, Kakashi. Even when the world proved us wrong time and time again."

Kakashi sighed, his hand gripping the cold iron bars. "You can call it optimism if you want. I call it faith. Faith that there's still a part of you worth saving."

Obito turned his gaze back to the wall, the ghost of his younger self flickering in his mind. "We'll see, Kakashi. We'll see."