Home: Part III
Naruto arrived at the foot of the Uzumaki Temple just as the last remnants of sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon. The shadows stretched long and deep, casting the temple in an eerie twilight glow. Today was the day. The day she would go back home—back to her own time. Yet, as she stood before the ancient structure, unease gnawed at the edges of her resolve. The place had an unsettling air about it, like it held secrets long forgotten, waiting to be unearthed.
Jiraiya stood at the entrance, his Jounin attire blending with the encroaching darkness. His face, though always carrying a hint of mischief, was serious now. "Kushina!" he called out, his voice echoing slightly against the stone walls of the temple.
"Hey, Pervy Sage," Naruto greeted, her voice holding a forced casualness. She tried to shake off the growing tension in her gut, but something about this place made it hard to breathe.
They approached the grand, weathered doors of the Uzumaki Temple—carved with intricate patterns, ancient symbols of the Uzumaki clan's sealing prowess. In the center was a seal that would only unlock with the blood of the clan. Naruto bit her thumb, letting a drop of blood fall onto the seal, and with a low groan, the doors creaked open.
The interior of the temple was... haunting. Cold air rushed out as if the place itself had been holding its breath for centuries. Stone statues lined the walls, their hollow eyes seeming to follow her every move. Some statues were grotesque, with twisted features, while others were masked—smooth and featureless. The dim light barely illuminated the long-forgotten masks hanging from the walls, their expressions frozen in time. Each mask seemed to hide a story, a secret.
Jiraiya walked in, his eyes scanning the surroundings, cautious. "This place hasn't been touched in years," he muttered, kneeling to draw seals on the floor. His hands moved swiftly, marking the ground with precise strokes. Privacy seals. No one would be able to sense what they were doing from the outside. At least, that was the plan.
Naruto and Jiraiya located the circular marks on the floor to draw sealing diagrams and Jiraiya pulled out a pot of ink.
They began to draw sealing diagrams on the marks.
The Flying Thunder God Technique formula.
It took quite some time to do it. After Naruto was done doing her task, she stood up.
Naruto stood silently as Jiraiya worked, her eyes wandering to the numerous masks that lined the walls. One caught her attention—a face twisted in agony, its mouth open in a silent scream. She reached for it, curiosity getting the better of her. She lifted it carefully and held it up to her face. "What does this one do?" she asked, her voice slightly muffled by the mask.
Jiraiya didn't even look up from his work. "Probably summons a banshee or something. Put it down, brat."
Naruto quickly removed the mask, her pulse quickening. "Yikes. I don't want that happening." She picked up another mask, a black one with red eyes. "And this?"
"That's for an eclipse. Mess with that, and we might plunge the village into eternal night. You know, no big deal." He shrugged, his tone dry.
She wrinkled her nose, placing the mask back and reaching for another. "And this?"
Jiraiya finally glanced up, irritation creeping into his voice. "That one? That's for summoning the Reaper. So unless you want your soul ripped out and devoured, I suggest you stop messing around."
Naruto pouted, tossing the mask back onto the pile with a soft thud. "Fine, fine, killjoy."
Just as Jiraiya finished the last of the seals on the floor, a soft rustle echoed from the entrance of the temple. Footsteps. And not just any footsteps—heavy, deliberate, filled with purpose. The kind that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Naruto and Jiraiya froze. The privacy seals had been broken. They both instinctively dropped into defensive stances, kunai at the ready.
From the shadows emerged a figure—a man around fifty years old, with dark hair and a cross-shaped scar on his chin. His presence exuded danger, a cold and calculating aura that sent a chill down Naruto's spine. Behind him, several shinobi in blank masks—ROOT agents. They moved silently, like specters in the night.
"Danzo," Jiraiya growled, gritting his teeth. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Danzo's gaze was unreadable, his voice like ice. "Hiruzen gives you too much freedom, Jiraiya. And now, you're meddling in something dangerous. Something that could harm the village."
"Huh?!"
"You think I wouldn't catch the wind of what you have been doing?" Danzo smirked. "Unfortunately for you, I cannot allow that."
Naruto clenched her fists. "I just want to get back home, dattebane!"
Danzo's eyes flickered, a glimmer of amusement crossing his face. "Home…" he said slowly. "You are not Kushina Uzumaki, are you?"
Naruto narrowed her eyes.
"You don't deny it… fascinating." Danzo stepped forward. "As the root of the tree that is Konoha, it is my duty to weed out the rotten branches."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Naruto snapped, feeling the knot of dread tighten in her chest.
Without a word, one of the blank-masked shinobi stepped forward, his movements precise and mechanical. Danzo unrolled a scroll, muttering something under his breath. Before either Jiraiya or Naruto could react, a seal glowed on the floor, and a burst of energy shot out, wrapping around Naruto like invisible chains.
"Seal!" Danzo's voice was calm, almost indifferent.
A sharp, searing pain shot through Naruto's body, and she cried out, collapsing to her knees. Inside her, something stirred—something ancient and angry.
"Kushina!" Jiraiya shouted, rushing toward her, but two ROOT agents blocked his path, their movements fast and ruthless. Jiraiya's hands flew into action, summoning toads and countering their attacks, but it was clear he was being overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, Naruto could feel the Kyuubi's chakra being forcefully drawn from her body. She gasped for breath as the malevolent energy tore through her, threatening to rip her apart from the inside.
Danzo stood over her, watching with cold detachment. "Yes," he murmured, "the Kyuubi will be mine."
Deep inside Naruto's mindscape, the Kyuubi stirred. Its massive form shifted in the darkness, its crimson eyes glowing with malevolent glee. "Foolish humans," the beast rumbled. "You think you can control me?"
Naruto, barely conscious, grit her teeth. She wasn't going to let Danzo take the Kyuubi. Not like this.
Jiraiya's fist connected with the blank-masked shinobi, sending a shockwave through the air. The ROOT agent staggered back only slightly, his movements unnervingly silent, as if pain didn't register in his body. Another shinobi lunged at Jiraiya, kunai in hand, aiming for his throat. With a swift pivot, Jiraiya dodged, flipping backwards and slamming his hand into the ground. "Kushina, stay back!" he yelled over his shoulder.
Naruto, standing beside the eerie wall of masks, barely heard him. Her fingers hovered over the Reaper mask—the one Jiraiya had warned her about. But now, with Danzo looming over them, she had no other choice. The swirling chaos of battle felt distant, as if the temple itself had fallen into an unnatural stillness. Her hand shook as she grabbed the mask and pressed it over her face.
Instantly, her body convulsed even more, muscles seizing in violent spasms. The sensation was like being ripped apart and stitched back together, over and over. Sweat poured down her face, and her breathing turned ragged, but still, she forced her hands into motion. The familiar sequence of hand signs. SnakeBoarRamHareDogRatBirdHorseSnake.
Danzo, still overseeing the extraction of the Kyuubi, saw the mask and realization hit him like a sledgehammer. "No!" he screamed, panic flashing across his cold, calculating face for the first time. But it was too late.
A cold wind rushed through the temple, and the lights dimmed. From behind Naruto, a figure began to materialize, looming over her with a presence so suffocating it felt like the air itself had turned to ice. The Shinigami had arrived. Its form was ghostly, pale, with a twisted grin on its skeletal face. Its robes fluttered as if caught in a non-existent wind, and its eyes—those hollow, endless pits—locked onto Naruto.
It spoke, its voice echoing from everywhere and nowhere at once, "Human... Why dost thou summon me?"
Naruto's body convulsed again, but she forced her mouth to move, her voice barely a whisper, "T-take... Take... him…"
The Shinigami's gaze shifted, gliding over to Danzo, who was already trying to make his escape. Its twisted grin widened, grotesque and terrifying. Slowly, almost lazily, the Reaper raised its long, curved blade and licked it with its long, black tongue, tasting the air like a predator sensing its prey.
Danzo's breath hitched as he realized what was coming. He tried to leap back, but the Reaper's blade moved faster than anything humanly possible. It plunged deep into Danzo's stomach, slicing through him like a whisper of death. Danzo gasped, eyes widening as his hands fumbled for a last-second seal—anything—but it was useless. The Reaper had already claimed him.
The room seemed to darken further as the Shinigami dragged the blade upward, and with a sickening sound, began devouring Danzo's very soul. The man's body slumped forward, lifeless, but the Reaper wasn't finished. It turned its attention to the remaining ROOT ANBU, who hadn't even had time to react before their souls were ripped from their bodies, one by one. The sound of their screams echoed, not in the air, but deep within Naruto's mind, sending chills down her spine. Each one fell like puppets with their strings cut, lifeless husks left behind.
As the last ROOT shinobi collapsed, the Reaper's dark gaze returned to Naruto. "Anything else, mortal?" it rasped, its voice an unsettling blend of boredom and hunger.
Jiraiya finally arrived by Naruto's side, having barely managed to fend off the onslaught of ROOT agents. The enemies were gone, but his student—no, his old friend, Kushina—was still convulsing violently on the floor. He could see the chakra swirling inside her, a wild storm. The Kyuubi's seal was weakening, and fast.
Just as Jiraiya took a step forward, a fragment of dark, malevolent chakra burst free from Naruto's body. The Kyuubi. Its essence, pure hatred and rage, surged toward him with terrifying speed.
Naruto gasped, her eyes wide and wild, "N-no! Save him!"
The Reaper's empty gaze shifted back to Jiraiya. "So be it," it rasped, and with a motion that seemed almost lazy, it plunged its blade into Naruto's chest.
Naruto's body jerked violently, the pain tearing through her like nothing she had ever felt before. The Shinigami's hand reached into her, its long, spindly fingers grasping at the Kyuubi's essence.
"No!" the Kyuubi's roar echoed from deep within her mind. Its monstrous voice filled her head, shaking her to her core. "Not again! I will not be devoured!"
But the Reaper was unmoved. Its grip tightened around the Kyuubi, and with one swift motion, it yanked the beast from Naruto's body, piece by piece. The Kyuubi's agonized screams filled the temple, its massive form thrashing violently as it was torn apart. The pain was unbearable, even for a creature as ancient and powerful as the Nine-Tails. Its essence was devoured bit by bit, the Shinigami's maw opening wide, its jaws snapping shut with each bite.
The last fragment of the Kyuubi's essence tried to lash out at Jiraiya, but the Reaper was faster. It devoured that too, snuffing out the attack before it could reach him.
Naruto collapsed to the ground, the Reaper gone, the air suddenly still. She gasped, trying to catch her breath, her body drenched in sweat. The temple felt cold again, as if it had never been touched by the presence of so much chakra.
Jiraiya knelt beside her, eyes wide with concern. "That was... something. Unexpected, to say the least. You okay, Kushina?"
Naruto pushed herself up slowly, her entire body shaking. "I feel—" She stopped, her breath catching in her throat. There was something new inside her, something vast and deep. Her eyes widened as a rush of knowledge flooded her mind. Techniques she had never learned. Power levels far beyond her comprehension. Chakra reserves that felt nearly bottomless.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she processed it all. It was overwhelming, intoxicating. She could feel the Kyuubi's chakra, mingling with her own, stronger than before but somehow... under control. It was like she had tapped into something beyond human comprehension.
She nearly collapsed again, but then—she laughed. A wild, gleeful sound that echoed through the temple, startling Jiraiya.
He blinked, clearly confused. "Kushina?"
Naruto grinned up at him, her eyes alight with a new fire. "Pervy Sage… I feel great. I feel like I can take on everything. Come on now, let's get me back to my world."
Û~Û
The air in the clearing felt thick, almost suffocating, as Jiraiya etched the final line of the intricate diagram. The sealing array glowed faintly beneath Naruto's feet, flickering in the dim twilight like a warning, or perhaps a promise of the unknown. The forest around them was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that presses down on your skin, making you feel every heartbeat, every breath.
Naruto stepped into the middle of the circle, her heart pounding against her ribs. This was it. The moment she'd been preparing for—the moment she'd return to her own world. But the weight of it all pressed down harder now that it was real. Her usual bravado flickered, just for a second, like a candle in the wind.
Jiraiya stood at the edge of the diagram, his arms crossed, his face more serious than Naruto had ever seen it. His usual goofy grin was gone, replaced by something darker, something filled with the kind of tension that made her stomach twist.
"Listen, Kushina," Jiraiya said, his voice low, almost a whisper in the heavy air. "We have only one shot at this. If you fail..."
Naruto didn't let him finish. "I know," she said firmly, though her voice cracked slightly at the end. She looked down at the glowing lines beneath her, feeling the power thrumming through the earth. "I'll tear apart the space-time barrier. Got it."
"Aye," Jiraiya nodded gravely, eyes narrowing as he studied her. "The hand signs are: BoarFoxTigerCow…" His voice trailed off as he formed each sign in front of him, slow and deliberate, his eyes flicking to Naruto's face to ensure she was following.
Naruto nodded along, mentally tracing the sequence with him. Each sign felt heavier, more crucial than the last, as if the very fabric of reality was stretching and warping around them. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her nerves in check.
"…Tiger," Jiraiya finished, lowering his hands. "Got it?"
"...Yeah." Naruto nodded, but her hands were trembling, just a little. She clenched them into fists, determined not to show any more weakness. She couldn't afford to.
Jiraiya's eyes softened for a brief moment, the tension easing slightly from his posture. "Then let's do this."
Naruto took a deep breath, feeling the cool air fill her lungs. She forced a smile, that cocky grin she always put on when the stakes were too high to comprehend. "All right, Pervy Sage," she said, waving him off as if this was just another sparring session. "Next time we see each other, I hope we'll be surrounded by our precious people."
Jiraiya paused, confused by the sudden sentimentality in her voice. But then, he grinned back, a flicker of his old self returning. "You bet, brat."
Naruto closed her eyes and began to fly through the hand signs, each one sending a ripple of power through the air. BoarFoxTiger. The seals flowed from her fingers like water, but each movement felt like an eternity. Her mind raced, memories flashing before her eyes—her friends, her battles, her village. Finally, she reached the last sign.
She placed a hand on her chest, feeling the steady thump of her heartbeat. "See ya', mom," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the growing hum of energy in the air.
And then, with one final motion, she formed the seal. "Sealing Art: Flying Thunder God: Step 0!"
The sealing array erupted with light, brilliant and blinding. The ground beneath Naruto glowed with a golden hue, and within seconds, the light consumed her, wrapping her in a cocoon of pure chakra. Jiraiya shielded his eyes, the intensity of the light too much to bear.
For a moment, the world stood still. Time itself seemed to pause, the very air holding its breath. Then, a sharp thud echoed through the clearing, cutting through the silence like a knife.
The light began to fade, and as Jiraiya lowered his arm, he saw her. In the middle of the clearing, lying unconscious on the cold ground, was Kushina.
Without thinking, he rushed to her side, his heart pounding in his chest. Dropping to his knees, he cradled her in his arms, shaking her gently. "Kushina, you okay?"
No response.
Panic surged through him, and he slapped her cheeks lightly. "C'mon, Kushina, wake up!"
"Ow, ow!" Kushina's eyes snapped open, glaring at him through a haze of confusion. "The hell are you doing, 'ttebane?!"
Jiraiya let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, grinning weakly. "It worked…"
Kushina blinked, still dazed. "I was having this reaaaally long and detailed dream…" She raised her hands slowly, staring at them like they didn't belong to her. A strange, wheezing sound filled the air. Her hands glowed faintly, and in her palms, a small swirling orb of chakra began to form—something twisted and off about it.
"Rasengan…"
"Ras-san-gun?" Kushina stared at the orb in disbelief, sniffing it like it might explode. "The hell is this, 'ttebane?!"
Jiraiya's expression turned serious again. "Long story short, kid, let me start right from the beginning…"
The clearing was still. The light was gone, but a strange, uneasy quiet had settled over them. Something had shifted—something they both felt deep in their bones
And so, Jiraya told her the tale, completely unaware that a certain blonde boy was listening.
And far, far away, the space-time barrier rippled, like the surface of a pond disturbed by a single drop of water.
Û~Û
The air in the chamber was stifling, almost as if the very room itself was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Yamato—Tenzo, to his comrades—was pacing back and forth. His wood-style jutsu had been stretched thin over the course of the mission, and it was beginning to show in the tired lines etched into his face. He glanced at Killer Bee, who was seated nearby, arms crossed as he watched Naruto with an intensity that made the situation feel even more ominous.
Bee wasn't his usual rapping, carefree self, which sent a cold shiver down Yamato's spine. The last time they had faced the Nine-Tails' power, it hadn't exactly been a walk in the park. The thought of Naruto failing to control the beast made his gut twist in knots.
"You think he's close?" Yamato asked, hoping for some kind of reassurance.
Bee hummed, his fingers tapping against his knee in an uneasy rhythm. "Strange... I don't feel any struggle from him," he muttered.
That made Yamato pause. No struggle? What did that mean?
"The Nine-Tails' chakra ain't resonating," Bee clarified, his tone dead serious.
Yamato's eyebrow shot up. "That's... good, right?"
Bee shook his head slowly, his face grim. "No," he said, the weight of that single word sinking like a stone in Yamato's stomach. "It's not."
A sharp chill crept up Yamato's spine. Naruto's whole mission here was to gain control over the Nine-Tails' chakra, but if the Fox wasn't fighting back... then something was very, very wrong.
"I'm waking him up—"
Before Yamato could take another step, the room exploded in blinding white light. It was as if a star had ignited right in front of them. Yamato cursed, throwing his arms up to shield his eyes. The brilliance was so overwhelming it felt like it was burning through his eyelids.
"What the hell..." Yamato exclaimed, his voice muffled by the ringing in his ears.
"Did he do it?" Bee asked, squinting into the light.
The Hachibi's deep voice rumbled from within Bee. 'We'll see.'
As the light slowly dimmed, a silhouette appeared where Naruto had been sitting moments before. But something about it wasn't quite right. The figure was too small. Too... feminine.
"Uh... Naruto?" Yamato called out, his voice shaky with uncertainty.
"I'm back!" A voice, high-pitched and far too cheerful to belong to Naruto, rang out. "Octopops! Captain Yamato!"
Yamato blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision. As the last of the light faded, he finally saw her.
Standing where Naruto should have been was a girl. No older than twelve, maybe thirteen, with long, fiery red hair cascading down her back. Her blue eyes, almost violet in the dim light, were wide with a mixture of confusion and panic. She wore a standard kunoichi outfit—one Yamato recognized as the academy-issued uniform for fresh graduates.
"Uh... who the hell are you?" Yamato asked, his voice cracking from the sheer absurdity of what he was seeing.
The girl's face twitched. She blinked at them, then at her hands, and then down at the rest of her body.
"It's me, Naruto!" she declared, her voice thick with disbelief.
Bee and Yamato just stared.
'It's true,' the Hachibi muttered to Bee. 'That aura is unmistakable. The Fox's chakra is there, too.'
Bee rapped hesitantly, "Hachibi says she's the kid, but doesn't know what caused this deed!"
Yamato's face twisted in horror. "Oh... fuck."
"Yeah, no shit," Naruto—no, this little red-headed version of Naruto—muttered, crossing her arms. "I mean, mom's cool and all, but... come on..."
Bee squinted, leaning in closer. "You mean... this is the Red Hot Habanero's body?"
Naruto—now Kushina—nodded, looking profoundly irritated.
Bee scratched his head, looking her up and down. "But wasn't she, like, taller? And older? Not that you ain't cool or anything, yo!"
Naruto sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. "Long story short: the Kyuubi screwed up. Big time."
Bee raised an eyebrow. "You mean he turned you into a... loli?"
Naruto groaned, her face a mixture of exasperation and embarrassment. "Yeah, kinda'. I got sent back in time to the Second Great Shinobi War and got stuck as... well, my own mother."
"Huh?!" Bee's jaw dropped, and even the Hachibi seemed stunned into silence.
"Oh, but the good news is I learned a lot of cool stuff and got these bad boys!" Naruto raised her hands, and with a flash of golden light, conjured the Adamantine Sealing Chains. They shot out from her palms, shimmering with an aura of raw power.
Yamato, still trying to process what the hell was going on, stared at the chains with wide eyes. "What happened to the Fox? I can't sense it..."
"Yeah," Bee added, his voice uneasy. "Hachibi says his brother ain't around, no sound, no fury, just... gone."
Naruto scratched the back of her head, looking sheepish. "Well, the thing is... The Fox was being really annoying, y'know?"
Tenzo's eyes narrowed. "What did you do, Naruto?" His voice had a dangerous edge to it.
Naruto laughed nervously, her voice rising in pitch. "I, uh... might have accidentally sold his soul to the Reaper?"
"What?!"
"The fuck?!" Yamato yelled.
'YOU WHAT?!' the Hachibi bellowed, his deep voice vibrating through Bee's body.
"Hehe... Oops?" Naruto grinned, sticking out her tongue. "But hey! Look at the bright side! Now I have infinite chakra reserves and these super cool power modes!"
Naruto struck a dramatic pose, her entire body glowing golden as she activated her Kyuubi Chakra Mode. "This is KCM-One!"
Yamato's jaw dropped as Naruto's chakra filled the room, making his Wood Release react, causing plants to bloom from his creations. He watched, stunned, as Naruto seamlessly shifted between KCM-I, II, and III, each form more powerful and radiant than the last.
"And I have one more, but it's kinda too big to fit in here," Naruto said, puffing out her chest proudly. "But trust me, it's awesome!"
Before Yamato could even begin to respond, Bee interrupted, his face grim. "Naruto, are you saying you... essentially killed Kurama?"
Naruto blinked, her smile faltering. "Who?"
"The Fox," Bee clarified through the Hachibi's voice.
Naruto's face fell. "Oh, him. Well, I mean... technically he's still alive. But, uh, he kinda deserved it, right?"
Bee's face darkened, his voice cold. "He was still my brother."
The air in the room grew colder, the tension palpable. Yamato glanced nervously between Naruto and Bee, sensing that things were about to take a dark turn.
Naruto's bravado faded, her eyes widening. "Wait, Bee... I didn't mean—"
'Please go away,' the Hachibi's voice rumbled, no trace of Bee's usual light-hearted tone. 'Leave this room of enlightenment. Now.'
Naruto swallowed hard, looking genuinely apologetic. "I was desperate, y'know. He was going to—"
"LEAVE!" The Hachibi's roar echoed through the chamber, leaving no room for argument.
Naruto stood there, her face falling into an expression of regret. She glanced at Yamato, who gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, Naruto. Let's go."
With one last, reluctant look at Bee, Naruto followed Yamato out of the room, her steps unusually heavy for someone so small. As the door closed behind them, she sighed deeply.
"I was desperate, ya' know," Naruto said quietly as they stepped outside. "I wanted the power to save others. The Fox... he made me so mad. He was saying these awful things about my mom and dad..."
Yamato nodded, his hand still resting on her shoulder. "The Fox wasn't exactly... a good guy. It's easier to control the power without him being a hindrance, right?"
Naruto nodded furiously, her blue eyes shining with determination. "Yeah! I think I can take on Orochimaru and the whole Akatsuki by myself now!"
Yamato chuckled. "That's the spirit."
As they left the room, Naruto continued to grumble under her breath, her small fists clenched. "Seriously, though, I didn't expect the Furball to be so... fragile! I mean, he's supposed to be this giant powerhouse, right? Now, look at me! I'm stuck in my mom's body, and not even the badass adult version. Nope, I get the mini version, fresh out of the academy! How is this even fair?!"
Yamato stifled a laugh, his usual stoic demeanor cracking just a little. "Well, you are technically still Naruto... just, uh... more compact."
Naruto shot him a glare, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration. "Compact?! Really? Look at me, Captain! I'm like one of those little action figures they sell at the market, except I don't have any of the cool accessories!"
Yamato couldn't help himself this time. He laughed, earning another sharp look from Naruto. "Hey, at least you've got that fancy new chakra mode. Infinite chakra reserves? Chakra chains That's pretty impressive, even if you do look... well, smaller than usual."
Naruto sighed dramatically, her shoulders slumping. "Yeah, yeah. But it's still so weird! Do you know what it's like to suddenly look down and realize you're wearing your mom's face? And then you're like, 'Wait, that's me now? What do I even do with this?!' I keep expecting to hear her voice in my head, telling me to clean my room or something."
Yamato couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. "Well, if you start scolding yourself with your mom's voice, then we might have a problem."
They made their way outside, the fresh mountain air hitting Naruto like a slap to the face. She blinked, her senses heightened from the remnants of Sage Mode still clinging to her chakra. Something felt... off. She scanned the area quickly, her eyes narrowing as she spotted several members of the Akimichi clan standing guard, their expressions unusually serious.
In the midst of them stood none other than Shikaku Nara, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his face as unreadable as ever.
"What's with the welcoming committee?" Naruto asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.
Shikaku stepped forward, his sharp eyes scanning Naruto from head to toe. "Where is Naruto Uzumaki?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with curiosity.
Naruto grinned nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Uh, funny story actually... Yo! It's me!"
Shikaku's eyes narrowed. "You're... Naruto?"
Naruto nodded, biting her lip as she quickly explained the whole time-travel, body-switching accident, her words coming out in a rushed, jumbled mess. "So, yeah, long story short, I'm stuck as my own mom, and I kinda killed the Nine-Tails—well, sort of—but now I've got all these cool powers, so everything's fine! Right?"
There was a long, uncomfortable silence as Shikaku stared at her, his expression unreadable. The Akimichi guards shifted uneasily, glancing at each other as if they were just as confused as Naruto felt.
Finally, Shikaku sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "All right. I believe you."
Naruto blinked, surprised. "Wait, seriously? Just like that?"
Shikaku shrugged. "I know that look. It's the same one Naruto always has when he's telling the truth... or when he's about to do something incredibly reckless."
Naruto grinned, her confidence returning. "Well, you're not wrong there!"
But the lighthearted moment didn't last. Shikaku's face grew serious again as he exchanged a glance with the guards.
"What? Move aside! I need to grab a bite from Ichiraku's, 'ttebane!"
"Naruto, there's something you need to know."
Naruto's stomach twisted. The way Shikaku was looking at her... something was off. "What is it?"
Shikaku shifted slightly, blocking her path. "The Five Kage have decided that... for the time being, you'll need to stay here. It's for your own safety."
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. "The hell?! I don't need to be guarded! I'm plenty strong now! I defeated Pain! I can take on anyone!" She flexed her arms, then stopped, realizing her hands were still lean and much smaller than she remembered. She groaned. "Okay, I might look like Ichiraku's leftover ramen noodles, but come on! I've got these awesome new powers!"
Shikaku didn't move. His face remained calm but firm. "I'm afraid it's not up for debate."
Naruto clenched her fists, her frustration boiling over. "This is ridiculous! I'm not staying locked up while a war is going on! You can't just—"
Before anyone could react, Naruto's eyes shifted, her pupils narrowing into the unmistakable pattern of Sage Mode. In an instant, she bolted forward, darting between the Akimichi guards with ease, her smaller frame slipping past them like water through a sieve.
"Damn it!" Shikaku cursed under his breath as Naruto sprinted out into the open air, but there was no stopping her now.
Outside the cave, Naruto came to an abrupt halt, her enhanced Sage senses picking up something terrifying. It hit her like a punch to the gut—the overwhelming chaos of the Shinobi World beyond the walls of their temporary hideout. Zetsu... Madara... the Shinobi Alliance... the war.
"What... what the hell happened?" Naruto whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
Behind her, a familiar voice spoke softly. "Naruto."
She turned, her wide eyes locking onto Iruka-sensei, standing just a few feet away. He looked older, more tired than she remembered. He gave her a sad, knowing smile.
"You look... younger," Iruka said, his tone warm but tinged with sorrow. "And... different."
Naruto gave him a bewildered look, her hands twitching at her sides. "Yeah... a little. But this war... Iruka-sensei, what's going on? I feel like everything's... wrong."
Iruka's face darkened, and he took a deep breath. "Madara declared the Fourth Great Ninja War. The entire world is at war now. And it's all because of the tailed-beasts. He wants to capture you and Killer Bee."
Naruto's blood ran cold. She swallowed hard, her voice shaky. "Because of me...?"
"No—"
But Naruto wasn't listening. Her fists clenched tightly, her small frame trembling with the weight of what she was hearing. "I need to be there," she said, her voice firm with conviction. "I'm not going to let my comrades die. Not again."
"Wait—Naruto!" Iruka called out, reaching into his pouch. He pulled out something that made Naruto pause. "Take this."
Naruto turned, and her heart skipped a beat as she saw her old headband in Iruka's hand—the one she had worn through so many battles. She smiled, reaching out to take it, but before her fingers could touch the metal, a sealing array sprang up around her.
Naruto froze, her eyes wide with shock. "What the—?"
"I can't let you die either," Iruka said softly, his voice filled with regret. "You're too important to lose, Naruto. You're like... my precious little brother... or sister now, I guess."
Naruto's heart clenched at his words, but she wasn't going to let anyone stop her. She gave Iruka a small, understanding nod before forming a hand sign. In an instant, the seals vanished, dissolving into the air like mist.
Iruka's eyes widened in disbelief. "How did you—?"
"Iruka-sensei," Naruto began, looking over her shoulder at the bewildered man. "I've mastered Sage Mode, Kyuubi's chakra, and met some of the most important people in my life during that crazy trip back in time. Some of them gave me more than just power... they gave me hope."
Iruka, still processing everything, nodded slowly. "And now?"
Naruto grinned, her determination blazing in her violet eyes as she tied the headband on her forehead. "Now? Now I'm going to finish what I started."
With that, she disappeared in a flash of yellow and red, leaving nothing but stunned silence in her wake.
An Akimichi guard gasped, his voice trembling. "Was that... the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
Shikaku, standing by the waterfall, sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "What a drag..."
He glanced at Iruka, whose face was a mix of awe and sorrow. "Well," Shikaku said, his voice resigned, "I suppose we'd better get used to explaining this one to the higher-ups."
Iruka nodded, his eyes still on the spot where Naruto had vanished. "Yeah... but knowing her, I think she'll be just fine."
Shikaku smirked. "I almost feel sorry for whoever crosses her path next. Because the last person to wield this technique was…invincible."
Û~Û
Author's Note:
Well, that took a turn, didn't it? Bet some of you didn't see that coming!
So, here we are—Naruto's back in her original timeline, but now in the form of Kushina. And guess what? The Nine-Tails is completely devoured by the Reaper, leaving Naruto-Kushina with a whole new arsenal at her disposal. Let's break it down, shall we?
What does she have now?
-Adamantine Sealing Chains— You know, those chains that can restrain even a tailed beast? Yeah, she's got those locked and loaded.
-KCM I, II, III… and probably more forms to come. Basically, she's a chakra beast now (pun intended).
-Sealing Knowledge— Kushina was a sealing master, and Naruto, with his natural talent and now his training as Kushina, is like a sealing prodigy on steroids.
-Flying Thunder God Technique— Yep, Naruto-Kushina is zipping through time and space like Minato on Red Bull.
-Improved Chakra Control and loads of new jutsu— Forget the old Naruto who spammed clones and Rasengans. Now, we've got a skilled, precise, and even more dangerous ninja on the battlefield.
So yeah, Obito, Madara, Zetsu—you better be sweating bullets because this ain't your regular goofy knucklehead ninja anymore. This is Naruto-Kushina Uzumaki, and she's ready to raise all kinds of hell!
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, folks! Things are about to get wild, so stay tuned for what's next.
A question: In the 'Document Manager', it says my 200 document limit is finished. They are telling me to delete some documents. But I have almost no unnecessary documents. Thus, how will deleting an already used document effect the story? Do tell please.
Till next time!