*Under the Starry Night*
The night was deep and still.
Countless stars shimmered in the sky like dazzling jewels sewn onto a black velvet curtain.
Uzumaki Kushina, draped in a snow-white gown, sat cross-legged by the riverbank, gazing up at the celestial display with a relaxed smile.
To her left stood Uchiha Mikoto, clad in a black dress, her expression hesitant, as if she had something to say but couldn't quite bring herself to speak.
"You think Yuto's asleep yet?" Kushina suddenly broke the silence.
Mikoto paused before answering softly, "Probably."
"I bet he isn't." Kushina chuckled lightly. "That little rascal's been working himself to the bone lately—either researching hand-seal-less jutsu or tinkering with some new invention. He's nothing like the guy I first met…"
Mikoto listened quietly, offering no reply.
"Back then, he always had those dead-fish eyes, slacking off every chance he got."
A fond smirk tugged at Kushina's lips as she recalled Yuto's early days. "Aside from Naruto and Shikamaru, he couldn't be bothered with anyone. All he cared about was napping and goofing off—just that harmless "little Lamb" you remember. But now? He's changed so much."
"Maybe he found his purpose," Mikoto suggested.
"Purpose?" Kushina shook her head. "That's not quite the right word. His dreams were always there—he just didn't have the means to chase them before. That lazy act? Just a front."
"A front?"
"It's painful to be the only one awake. Knowing the right path but being powerless to take it… that kind of torment wears on you. So he numbed himself, played the part of a carefree slacker."
"Oh…" Mikoto nodded in realization.
"Of course, he'd never admit it himself." Kushina grinned. "That brat's a master at hiding his thoughts—along with all those… unique little quirks of his."
"Like his 'thing' for his best friend's mom?" Mikoto teased.
"Exactly. Wonder what his buddy would think if he knew?" Kushina laughed breezily. "Then again, someone as dense as Naruto probably wouldn't even care."
"And what about Minato?" Mikoto's tone sharpened suddenly.
Kushina fell silent for a long moment before murmuring, "He'd want Yuto dead." Then, softer: "But Mikoto… what do you think we are now? Lingering echoes of the dead, or reborn?"
Mikoto pondered. "For now, the former. If we regain physical bodies, then the latter."
"I think as long as we choose to keep living in this world, we're already reborn." Kushina tilted her face back toward the stars, her voice ethereal. "If this is a second life, why cling to the past?"
"So you're really serious about this." Mikoto sighed, her expression conflicted. "You're right—we shouldn't dwell on what's gone. But at the very least, maybe wait until he's grown up?"
'Seriously, what kind of logic is this?'
'You spend all day mocking Yuto for crushing on his friend's mom, yet here you are, a full-blown shotacon? If we're ranking degeneracy, you're clearly the bigger offender!'
"We're not even at that stage yet! Besides, that brat's no actual child." Kushina smirked, batting her lashes. "Adult mind, kid's body. And you've seen it too…"
Mikoto stiffened, plunged into abrupt, flustered silence.
Both she and Kushina had witnessed Yuto's soul during an experiment—"au naturel", no less.
"Still hung up on the mental block, huh?" Kushina elbowed her best friend playfully, whispering, "Don't worry—I can test-drive him for you first."
Pfft.
Mikoto's elegant face instantly flushed crimson. "Shut your mouth, you shameless shotacon!" she hissed. "If you want to embarrass yourself, fine, but don't drag me into it!"
"Shotacon, huh…" Kushina mused, unbothered. "Sounds creepy, but at least it's better than "Magical Girl Uchiha Madara", right?"
"*Gah!* We agreed never to mention that again!"
The tables had turned—now it was Mikoto's turn to wear the "pain mask."
*Land of Sound, Otogakure*
Deep beneath the Hidden Sound Village, in a shadowy lab, Kabuto Yakushi and Orochimaru moved in a blur.
*Thud.*
Orochimaru staggered back several steps, his serpentine pupils contracting sharply.
Across from him, Kabuto's face was half-covered by a white bone-like mask, his eyes gleaming with feral bloodlust.
"Remarkable, Kabuto," Orochimaru rasped, clutching his bruised arm. "Even I can't claim victory over you now. "Super Soldier Serum"—it lives up to its name."
"Pity the effects are temporary." Kabuto exhaled sharply as the mask receded. "Ten minutes, max."
"How many battles last longer than that?" Orochimaru smirked. "Besides, this compound clearly has room for… refinement."
"As expected of Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto bowed. "According to Umbrella Corporation's researcher, the perfected version should last over an hour."
"Researcher?" Orochimaru's grin widened. "Yakushi Nono, was it?"
Kabuto tensed. "…Yes."
"I care not for your personal ties, Kabuto." Orochimaru's gaze turned icy. "Only your value. Fail to deliver, and you'll join the discarded."
"Understood, my lord."
"You've done well this time." Orochimaru licked his lips. "The serum intrigues me."
"All thanks to your guidance." Kabuto kept his head low. "Though I could only secure two vials."
"Stealing from Hanzo's grasp is no small feat." Orochimaru's eyes gleamed. "Who'd have thought the legendary "Demi-God" would sink to such desperate measures?"
Orochimaru, like most, assumes Hanzo leads Umbrella Corporation. Only a select few—Konan, Pain, Obito, and the Zetsus—know the "God of Rain" is now a broken man.
"With Hanzo collaborating with Konoha's Danzo, could this backfire on us?" Kabuto feigned concern.
"Hardly."
Orochimaru's chuckle sent chills down the spine. "I know Danzo. Once he gets this power, his first target will be my dear old sensei. And when that day comes… perhaps we'll lend him a hand."
**Bonus Scene: "The Great Ramen Betrayal"**
*Location: Konoha, Ichiraku Ramen *
The afternoon sun cast a lazy glow over the village as Naruto Uzumaki sat at his usual spot at Ichiraku, slurping down his fifth bowl of miso ramen with his trademark enthusiasm. Across from him, Yuto—now in his usual preteen body—poked at his own bowl with a look of deep contemplation.
Naruto: (mouth full) "C'mon, Yuto! Eat up before it gets cold! You're actin' all weird today!"
Yuto: (sighs) "Naruto, my friend, I've come to a tragic realization."
Naruto: (pauses mid-slurp) "Huh?"
Yuto: (dramatic whisper) "...I think I'm getting tired of ramen."
Naruto: (chokes) "WHAT?!" (stands up, knocking over his stool) "That's—that's blasphemy! Teuchi-jiji, did you hear this?!"
Teuchi: (from behind the counter, wiping a bowl) "Kid, I've seen ninja betray villages with less drama than this."
Yuto: (holds up hands) "Look, I'm not saying it's bad—I've just eaten it, like, every day for the past decade. My taste buds are staging a rebellion!"
Naruto: (clutches chest) "I thought I knew you, man. Next you're gonna tell me you don't like orange!"
Yuto: (avoids eye contact) "...I might have switched to navy blue."
Naruto: (gasp) "TRAITOR!" (points accusingly) "You've been replaced by a *pod person*! A fake! A—"
Sakura: (suddenly appears, bonks Naruto on the head) "Will you pipe down? Half the village can hear you!"
Naruto: (rubbing head) "But Sakura-chan! Yuto's broken! He doesn't like ramen anymore!"
Sakura: (deadpan) "Oh no. Anyway—" (turns to Yuto) "So what do you wanna eat?"
Yuto: (perks up) "Sushi. Specifically, that fancy place by the—"
Naruto: (dramatic collapse onto counter) "SUSHI?! That's rich people's food! Who are you?!"
Kakashi: (materializes out of nowhere, reading Make-Out Tactics) "Hmm. Midlife crisis at twelve? Impressive."
Yuto: (flatly) "I'm mentally thirty."
Kakashi: "Ah. Early midlife crisis, then."
Naruto: (grabs Yuto's shoulders, shaking) "SNAP OUT OF IT! Remember the *ramen code*! Bros before—"
Yuto: (interrupts, grinning) "Fine, fine. But you're paying for my next experimental bowl. Ever tried chocolate ramen?"
Naruto, Sakura, Teuchi, Kakashi: (in unison) "NO."
Yuto: (laughs) "Perfect. Let's science this."
Naruto's horrified scream as Teuchi slowly backs away from the pot.