Meanwhile upstairs….The heavy silence in the room was almost unbearable.
Sasuke paced back and forth at the top of the stairs, arms crossed tightly as his brow furrowed with worry.
His Mangekyou Sharingan flickered on and off unconsciously, a clear sign of his rising anxiety. Sakura sat nearby, her hands clenched together in her lap, occasionally glancing between Sasuke and the basement door. She didn't say anything, but the concern in her eyes mirrored his.
On the living room couch, Naruto was upside-down, hanging over the armrest, his arms crossed behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.
"Man… what's taking so long?" he mumbled.
"It's a delicate process. You can't rush perfection." Karin was seated beside him, twirling her red hair between her fingers, trying to stay patient.
"They said it would work, and you know Kakashi-sensei never fails."Ranmaru leaned against Naruto's side, yawning quietly.
At that moment, a click echoed from the basement door. Everyone froze.
The door opened, and first came Kakashi, calm and collected as always, his sharp gray eyes slightly glowing with lingering chakra.
Behind him, Orochimaru stepped up with his usual sly grin, and next to him came Tsunade, arms folded and a proud smirk on her face. Kurenai and Anko followed, looking relaxed but alert.
And finally… Nawaki emerged.
He stepped into the light, dressed in a simple white robe Kakashi had tossed over him earlier, his golden-brown hair tousled, a cocky grin almost like Naruto's was plastered on his face. His features were clearly Senju, strong jaw, gentle eyes, and youthful energy that filled the room instantly.
Sasuke stopped pacing.
Everyone else sat up straighter.
"Whoa…" Naruto's mouth dropped open.
"So That's Nawaki…" Karin whispered.
Sakura gasped quietly, her hands over her mouth.
"Uh… hi?" Nawaki glanced around and gave an awkward little wave.
The whole room lit up with realization, it worked.
Sasuke's tension vanished from his body in a single exhale, and he gave a small nod. If this worked… then there's hope for him too.
"Everyone, this is Nawaki Senju. Tsunade's little brother, and one of Konoha's lost hopes. Now he's back." Kakashi smiled gently and stepped forward.
"It's weird being introduced like that, but yeah. I guess I'm back from the dead?" Nawaki scratched the back of his neck.
Naruto immediately leapt from the couch, grinning from ear to ear. "Back from the dead, and I heard before from Granny that you are aiming for Hokage, right?!"
"Wait, you wanna be Hokage too?" Nawaki's eyes sparkled.
"Of course!" Naruto beamed, thumbing his chest. "Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage!"
"Then I guess we're rivals, huh?"Nawaki stepped forward, standing toe-to-toe with him.
"You bet we are!" Naruto grinned wider.
The two bumped fists in a mutual, instant friendship that radiated with shared purpose and youthful energy.
"So," Nawaki said after a moment, "who's the Hokage right now?"
"She is." Naruto grinned and jabbed a thumb over his shoulder.
Nawaki followed the motion and saw Tsunade crossing her arms with a smug look on her face, chin tilted high.
"She's the Fifth Hokage," Naruto added proudly. "Tsunade-baachan!"
"Wait. What?!" Nawaki blinked.
He pointed at her dramatically, jaw dropping.
"No way! Big sis?! Hokage?! You'd sell the entire village in a day just to bet on dice!"
Everyone burst into laughter. Naruto clutched his stomach and rolled on the couch. Sakura chuckled behind her hand, and even Sasuke cracked a small smile. Orochimaru gave a low chuckle, amused, while Anko grinned like a hyena.
Tsunade's smugness vanished as her face turned red with a tick mark pulsing on her forehead. In a flash, she closed the distance and slapped Nawaki on the back of his head with sisterly affection, though the force still knocked him forward a step.
"Ow!!" Nawaki yelped. "What was that for?!"
"For being exactly the same brat I remember!" Tsunade growled, but she was laughing, too.
As the laughter died down, Sasuke slowly approached Kakashi, who was watching Nawaki and Naruto bicker like old friends.
"Kakashi-sensei…" Sasuke said quietly.
"Hm?" Kakashi turned to him.
"…If it worked with Nawaki… can we do the same for my parents?"
Kakashi's expression softened. He reached out and ruffled Sasuke's hair, something he only did in rare, emotional moments.
"Of course."
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"But there's a catch," Kakashi continued. "They won't be able to be shinobi again. To build a compatible body like Nawaki's, I need a clean genetic sample. Blood, hair, tissue. Without it, I'll have to use more general Uchiha genetics and stabilize them with my own."
"I don't care. I just want them alive. Even if they can't fight again." Sasuke nodded, his dark eyes serious.
"Then we'll go tomorrow. We'll visit their graves and collect what we need." Kakashi smiled.
"Hah! You're really just a stylish tomb robber now." Before Sasuke could respond, Anko slid behind Kakashi with a sly smirk.
"I'll deal with you later." Kakashi rolled his eyes.
"I look forward to it." Anko winked.
Later that evening, Kakashi descended once more into the basement, this time with Orochimaru and Sasuke. The lab had a calm, humming glow to it now, like it had fulfilled part of its purpose.
Sasuke stood in awe as Kakashi removed his gloves and summoned a faint chakra signature from his palm. Two glowing clone spores slowly materialized in his hands, drifting down like snowflakes before hardening and growing into two blank clones.
"Spore clones," Kakashi said.
Sasuke watched, mesmerized.
Kakashi placed them in two nutrient-filled glass tanks. The clones floated and pulsed gently, like tiny stars waiting to ignite.
"Tomorrow," Kakashi said, as he sealed the tanks, "we'll go and get the samples for your parents. Once we have that, I'll begin shaping their bodies."
Sasuke stepped closer to the glass, placing a hand on it. He stared at the soft glow with hope in his eyes, a hope he hadn't allowed himself in years.
"You'll see them again," Kakashi said quietly.
"I know," Sasuke whispered back.
From behind, Orochimaru let out a hum. "You've come a long way, Sasuke-kun. Soon, your clan will smile again."
The young Uchiha didn't answer. He didn't need to.
He was already imagining the day he'd hear his mother call his name again, and see his father's stern eyes watching over him.
Tomorrow, they would take the first step.