[A/N: Yo, everyone!]
Sorry for the delay, believe it! My laptop went rogue like a missing-nin and had to get some repairs—couldn't drop the chapter on time because of that.
But don't worry, I'm back in action! Gonna aim for 1 chapter a day, but if things get crazy like a surprise Chunin Exam twist, you'll definitely get one every 2 days—dattebayo!
Seriously, thank you all so much for the insane love and support. You guys are my ninja way! 🙌🔥
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High above the rooftops of Konoha, perched atop an old house that overlooked the north gate, Naruto Uzumaki watched the scene unfold below.
Arms crossed, one foot rested on the edge, the wind tugging at his cloak.
"So… Itachi and Kisame, huh?" he muttered, more amused than surprised. "Still partnered up. Thought maybe something would've changed in this timeline… guess not. Still got that messed-up chemistry—one massacred his clan, the other butchered his teammates."
He gave a dry chuckle. "Though, well… that first part's not exactly true anymore."
With a flick of his wrist, Naruto pulled a small senbon from his pouch—thin, sharp, silent.
"Let's say hello properly."
He threw the senbon with pinpoint accuracy.
Down below, Kisame's eyes flicked up. Instinct kicked in.
CLANG.
Samehada swung up like a living beast, swatting the senbon aside.
It buried into the dirt far behind them.
But before the dust could settle—
Flash.
A crimson shimmer sparked to life beside the needle.
Naruto appeared, crouched slightly, rising with an easy, lopsided grin.
Kisame's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on Samehada.
Naruto dusted off his jacket.
"Yo, Itachi. Long time no see," he said like he was greeting an old classmate.
Then he turned to Kisame.
"And you must be Kisame Hoshigaki of Shichinitai of Kiri. Still rocking the shark aesthetic, I see."
Kisame's yellow eyes glinted. "You throw a needle at someone's head and then offer compliments? You've got a strange way of saying hello."
Naruto shrugged with an innocent smile. "What can I say? I heard you were fast. Just testing if you're still sharp. Would've been awkward if you got hit."
Itachi didn't react much, though his eyes did flicker. "Kisame… this is Naruto Uzumaki. Jinchūriki of Kyuubi."
Kisame's brow rose. "The Kyuubi, huh? And you're walking around this casually?"
"Technically," Naruto smirked, "I'm more like his landlord these days."
The tension hung briefly, sharp as wire.
Then Naruto clapped his hands together.
"Alright! This whole standoff is getting boring. Why don't we all sit down like actual humans? I know a place—quiet, no ANBU eavesdropping, and they serve great dango."
That last word triggered a visible reaction.
Shisui blinked.
Itachi's eye twitched. Even Izumi gave a tiny gasp.
Dango wasn't just a treat—it was a memory.
A thread of familiarity. A bridge to the past.
"…Fine," Itachi finally said.
Kisame gave a half-smirk. "I've never turned down food. Lead the way, Kyuubi's landlord."
Naruto grinned wider.
With a simple seal sign, he vanished again in a yellow flash.
The rest followed—a rogue ninja, a cursed swordman, a prodigal son, two ghosts of love, and a boy carrying the weight of a new era.
All heading to a small shop, where truth, laughter, pain, and maybe forgiveness waited on wooden skewers soaked in sweet sauce.
The cozy dango shop had a gentle warmth to it—lamplight spilling over wooden walls, the air rich with the sweet scent of soy glaze and toasted dumplings.
Six plates of dango were laid out—one for each of them. No sharing today. Everyone needed space... or maybe sugar.
Izumi didn't stray an inch from Itachi, sitting right beside him like his shadow. She wasn't risking letting him vanish again—not now, not ever.
As the dango was served, they quietly began to eat.
Even Sasuke, not usually one for sweets, took a skewer. If nothing else, he wanted to savor the rare peace.
Naruto leaned back, relaxed, a stick of dango dangling from his lips.
"So… what does the honorable Lord Itachi say about coming home?" he asked casually, eyes twinkling with mischief—but something sharp lay beneath.
"He said he can't come back," Shisui answered in Itachi's stead, voice flat.
Naruto gave a mock sigh. "Thought as much."
He twirled the skewer between his fingers.
"By the way, love the fashion statement. These cloaks give off major mysterious cult energy. Should I be worried you two are plotting to summon some ancient god?"
Kisame chuckled, tapping his chest. "This ol' thing? You could say that. We're with a mercenary outfit based in Amegakure. Real cloak-and-dagger types."
Naruto paused mid-bite.
"Wait… did you just say Amegakure?"
Kisame raised a brow. "Yeah. Why?"
"What's the name of your group?"
Kisame looked at Itachi. A brief nod told him it was fine.
"Akatsuki."
Naruto's lips curled into a nostalgic grin. "Ah. That explains the flair."
He popped the last dango into his mouth, chewed slowly, then added, "Y'know, I actually hired your group about eight years ago."
That made everyone freeze.
Even the quiet sound of chewing stopped.
"…Hired?" Kisame asked, eyes narrowing. "For what?"
Naruto gave a small hum, tapping his skewer to his chin.
"You remember the total annihilation of Kusagakure?"
Itachi's eyes widened just a fraction. Shisui's grip tightened on his skewer. Sasuke blinked.
Izumi looked stunned.
Kisame leaned back slowly, face unreadable.
"That was… you?"
Naruto's expression didn't change. Just a cheerful, innocent smile.
"Well, I didn't do it personally. I was four. Kinda short for battlefield command. But I paid well. Had my reasons."
He leaned in slightly, voice softer now. Dangerous.
"They hurt two of my clan. Treated them like livestock. So… I returned the favor. With interest."
Silence.
A single drop of sweat ran down Kisame's temple.
Even Itachi, with all his stoic control, flicked a glance at Naruto that said one thing:
This kid isn't normal.
Naruto, oblivious—or pretending to be—gave them a radiant smile.
"What? I didn't do anything wrong. Justice is justice, yeah?"
They all stared at him.
'He's not a kid… He's a demon.'
And yet… they still took another bite of dango.
Because somehow, that made it taste better.
Naruto casually picked up another skewer of dango and popped a dumpling into his mouth, speaking mid-chew like it was just another lazy afternoon.
"You guys should know Amegakure well, right?"
Kisame tilted his head, suspicious. He'd been around enough to know that when Naruto sounded casual, something crazy was about to drop. He shot a quick side-glance toward Itachi, who was still sipping his tea like nothing mattered.
"What are you getting at, brat?"
Naruto smirked, licking a bit of glaze off his thumb. "Did you, by any chance, ever meet an Uzumaki like me? Red hair, same chakra that makes you feel like the air got heavier?"
Kisame narrowed his eyes. "You'll need to be more specific. Red hair doesn't scream 'Uzumaki' only. What are you—some kind of redhead supremacist?"
"Fair," Naruto nodded. "Then let me clarify. His eyes… were purple. With concentric rings."
Itachi, mid-sip of tea, choked and sprayed it all over Shisui.
"Oi!" Shisui growled, wiping tea off his face.
Kisame, meanwhile, had just picked up a dango skewer—only to let it slip from his fingers and bounce off the table, completely forgotten.
"…You're joking," Kisame muttered, staring at Naruto like he had just said he saw the Sage of Six Paths grocery shopping.
Naruto just smiled, twirling his dango skewer like it was a kunai. "Nah. I don't joke about purple eyes and ringed pupils."
Itachi murmured under his breath, barely audible, "We met someone with eyes like that… but he wasn't a redhead."
Naruto tilted his head, putting a hand to his ear with exaggerated playfulness. "Speak up, —I've got enhanced senses but not mind reading. Yet."
Kisame chuckled dryly and spoke louder, "He said we met someone with those eyes—but the guy wasn't a redhead. Definitely not Uzumaki."
Naruto leaned forward, his playful smirk flickering with curiosity. "Hmm. Then describe him—don't leave me hanging. Was he orange-haired? Piercings? Goes by the name 'pain-in-the-neck,' maybe?"
Itachi, who'd been quiet for too long, finally set down his tea. His dark eyes met Naruto's. "Orange hair. Face covered in piercings. Cold eyes—eyes that made the room feel like a grave. He called himself Pain. And he wasn't alone."
Naruto's gaze sharpened. "Go on."
"He had a woman with him. Calm, poised. Blue hair, paper wings. She called herself Konan."
The air around Naruto changed for a moment—less like a breeze, more like the stillness before a storm. Then, he chuckled under his breath.
"Orangehead and Konan... yeah, that rings a bell."
He leaned back in his chair, the light from the shop window catching his eyes like molten gold.
"Jiraiya-sensei once told me about his students from Amegakure. Their names were Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato. All three were war orphans. Gifted. Scarred. Trying to survive in a world that didn't care."
Everyone at the table quieted, listening.
"If what you're saying is true, then the one walking around calling himself Pain… that's probably Yahiko. And those eyes…"