"Caw… so this is Itachi."
The black crow tilted its head slightly, dark eyes gleaming with intelligence.
"I actually ended up in the Naruto world… and saved my idol."
A brief pause.
"…Wait. Why did he jump off a cliff?"
The crow blinked, then let out a small, amused sound.
"Oh right… this is that phase where he overthinks everything and spirals."
"In the original story, he saves himself anyway. I didn't even need to interfere."
"And this future genius…"
Its gaze landed on the small boy before it.
"…is just a four- or five-year-old kid right now."
"…with serious issues."
The crow—Kitahara—rested calmly in Itachi's arms, its expression far too complex for an ordinary animal.
Though its memories had been artificially created, Naruto's craftsmanship was flawless.
Kitahara wasn't pretending.
It was real.
A fully formed mind.
A living will.
"…So what now?"
"If I stay with the Uchiha, I'll witness the clan massacre."
"And Itachi will walk that same tragic path."
The crow's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…No."
"That storyline ends here."
"Since I've come to this world…"
"I'm rewriting everything."
---
High above the cliff, Naruto watched in silence, a faint smile resting on his lips.
He would not remain in this timeline for long.
But even so—
He had already planted something.
A seed.
A variable.
And sometimes—
That was enough to change everything.
Naruto's gaze deepened.
At his current level, the entire ninja world felt fragile.
Predictable.
Too easy.
Even in his original world, he had deliberately chosen slower methods—guiding change step by step—simply to make things more interesting.
Because if he truly wanted to—
He could destroy everything.
Madara.
Obito.
Nagato.
Even Kaguya.
None of them posed any challenge anymore.
"That kind of power…" Naruto murmured softly.
"…is boring."
He preferred this instead.
Small changes.
Subtle shifts.
Unpredictable outcomes.
"…How many parallel worlds are there?"
The thought lingered.
"If one isn't enough…"
"Then I'll create more variables."
His eyes shifted briefly toward the time-space turtle.
"It needs to evolve."
"It can only move within a single timeline for now…"
"I need access to parallel worlds."
His research into space-time was far from complete.
---
Meanwhile—
Back within the Uchiha clan—
"Whoa… you can talk?!"
Itachi stared at the crow in disbelief.
"Of course I can, idiot," Kitahara replied instantly. "You should read more. You're way too stupid."
"…Read?"
"Reading builds wisdom," the crow said matter-of-factly. "Everything that has happened before… will happen again."
"If you read enough, you'll understand things you don't now."
Itachi fell silent, lost in thought.
This crow…
Was different.
When he practiced jutsu, Kitahara could replicate them effortlessly—without hand signs—and even enhance their power.
But more than that—
It spoke to him.
Argued with him.
Challenged him.
And for the first time—
Itachi had someone who truly understood him.
He was only five years old, yet burdened with thoughts far beyond his age. Shisui wasn't always there, and no one else could follow his thinking.
But now—
Kitahara could.
"You overthink everything," the crow said bluntly. "You're naive. Childish. Ridiculous."
Itachi flushed slightly—
But couldn't refute a single word.
Over time, their conversations became routine.
And slowly—
Itachi began to change.
He even brought Kitahara home, introducing it to his family.
---
That was when Kitahara discovered something new.
"…So this is Sasuke?"
A tiny baby lay in the cradle.
Kitahara leaned closer, eyes gleaming.
"…Future emo legend?"
Without hesitation, it scooped him up.
Sasuke began crying instantly.
Kitahara burst into laughter.
Chaos followed.
Because deep down—
Kitahara was like a newborn itself.
Curious.
Unrestrained.
Playful.
And that personality spread quickly.
---
"Have you heard? The Uchiha clan head's son has a talking crow!"
"It's not just talking—it's insane!"
"They're calling it an immortal!"
"Immortal? That thing?!"
"It said so itself! Like the sages from Mount Myoboku or Ryuchi Cave!"
"I heard it beat up a group of jonin…"
"…what?!"
Kitahara became a legend almost overnight.
And it loved every second of it.
"Hahaha! Want to see my power?"
"I am the great Immortal Kitahara!"
"Fine—I'll show you."
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball surged forward—
Then exploded across the river.
Flames roared outward, turning the water into steam in an instant.
The entire river seemed to vanish beneath the heat.
It was far beyond the level of a normal jutsu.
Even the village was shaken.
---
Inside the Hokage office—
Hiruzen frowned deeply.
"…This 'Immortal Kitahara'…"
Danzo's voice was cold.
"Just kill it."
Hiruzen shook his head.
"If it loses control, it could cause destruction comparable to the Nine-Tails."
"…Then what about the Uchiha relocation plan?"
"…Put it on hold."
---
Back at the Uchiha compound—
Kitahara puffed out its chest proudly.
"You see that?"
"One move—and the higher-ups are already scared."
"Power gives you freedom."
Then it turned toward Itachi, its tone sharpening.
"You Uchiha are idiots."
"Retreating won't solve anything."
"If you fight for peace—peace survives."
"If you beg for it—peace dies."
Itachi froze.
Beside him, Fugaku's eyes flickered.
For the first time—
He considered the possibility that this strange crow…
Might be right.
---
From that moment on—
Kitahara became a force.
It beat up Root operatives.
Disciplined arrogant Uchiha.
Put down anyone who stepped out of line.
Eventually—
Everyone learned.
When the crow appeared—
Behave.
"Your strength comes from Madara's legacy," Kitahara said coldly. "You're just riding his name."
"Earn your own power."
Under its influence, the Uchiha began to change.
Their arrogance faded.
Their relationship with the village improved.
Even Shisui was stunned.
"What happened here…?"
"Idiot," Kitahara snapped, smacking him on the head with its wing. "Study more, or you'll get yourself killed someday."
Shisui stood there—
Speechless.
---
High above—
Naruto watched everything unfold.
"…Not bad."
Kitahara had stabilized.
It had grown into something real.
A true variable.
The future—
Was no longer fixed.
"…Perfect."
Golden light flickered.
A space-time gate opened.
Naruto cast one final glance at Konoha—
Then stepped inside.
The ripple faded.
Time resumed its flow.
---
Back below—
Kitahara suddenly looked up.
"…Something's gone."
A strange emptiness filled its chest.
It didn't understand why.
But it felt it.
"Itachi…"
Its voice was quieter now.
"…Train harder."
"Your strength isn't enough yet."
"If your fists aren't strong…"
"You won't be able to protect anything."
For once—
There was no sarcasm.
No arrogance.
Only something real.
-------------------------
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