Naruto looked up in surprise.
Across the field, Sasuke was standing with one of his Shadow Clones, electricity crackling all over him, his face full of pride.
It looked like he was perfecting the Chidori Flow—a technique he'd developed in the original timeline. Though his current strength far surpassed his canon counterpart, he still had one key limitation: chakra capacity.
Without activating the Sharingan, he could only use Chidori about six times a day.
With the Sharingan activated, that number dropped to four.
Naruto dismissed all of his Shadow Clones. Then, pulling a small glass vial from his pocket, he gave it a light shake. Inside were two amber-colored pills.
He walked over to Sasuke.
"Replenish your chakra. We're heading back soon."
The two versions of Sasuke both deactivated their Lightning Release. One clone accepted the vial, while the other dispelled itself with a poof.
Sasuke uncorked the vial, staring at the pills with mild suspicion. They looked slightly different from the typical soldier pills he was used to.
Still, he didn't question it. He tossed both into his mouth and swallowed.
Naruto asked calmly,
"How do you feel?"
Sasuke blinked.
"Doesn't feel like—"
Suddenly, his vision blurred.
Thud!
He collapsed like a log.
Naruto bent down, picked him up effortlessly, and activated Flying Thunder God.
In a flash, they appeared inside a sealed room at the daimyō's residence in the Land of Waves.
After setting Sasuke down, Naruto created eight Shadow Clones.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Six of the clones transformed into different disguises and left the room.
Naruto nodded, activated Flying Thunder God again, and returned to a forest near the Naka River in Konoha.
He transformed his appearance and calmly headed toward the village center using sensory perception to avoid detection.
Land of Water – Kirigakure
It was midday—the sun was at its peak.
But thick mist perpetually shrouded the Hidden Mist Village, muting all sunlight. The village loomed like a ghost town, streets wide but nearly empty, everything cloaked in a chilling silence.
A boy around twelve or thirteen, with short grayish-blue hair, walked slowly through the streets with his head down.
After passing several alleyways, he arrived at a worn-down old house and knocked lightly.
Knock knock.
Then he stepped back, lifting his head. His young face wore black-rimmed glasses.
Creak.
The door opened.
A tall, dark-skinned man with a powerful build stood in the doorway.
"Come in."
The boy's cheeks flushed slightly. He glanced around cautiously before entering.
As soon as the door shut, he bowed deeply.
"Zabuza-san, this is too risky! Don't you know the Fourth Mizukage's office is just two streets from here?!"
The man—Zabuza Momochi, now back in Kirigakure—no longer wore his signature facial bandages. His expression was cold, his tone biting.
"Is there anywhere in this village that isn't dangerous?
Chōjūrō, if you came so quickly, that means Ao agreed to the request, didn't he?"
The boy's expression grew grim.
"Yes. He agreed. But he said we should proceed with caution…"
Zabuza's eyes darkened.
"I know what he means. But tell him not to worry. I've already contacted other powerful allies.
We can't delay the plan any longer."
"You both should understand—
if I only wanted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage, I wouldn't need to take this kind of risk."
Chōjūrō bowed again, his voice solemn.
"Yes. We've heard of your ideals, Zabuza-san.
Truthfully, everyone is already tired of this endless killing."
Zabuza's sharp-toothed grin spread across his face.
"Then it's time this wretched 'Village of the Bloody Mist' vanished."
Back in the Land of Waves – Late Afternoon
Sasuke was still unconscious, lying on the bed.
His eyes were wrapped in gauze.
Naruto had already returned to the estate, but now, something strange was happening.
'Warning: Unknown will detected. Proceed with erasure?'
'Warning: Unknown will detected. Proceed with erasure?'
'Warning: Unknown will—'
"How interesting. There's no option to forcibly eject or capture it…"
Naruto stood in front of a mirror.
In the reflection, his eyes—now borrowed from Sasuke—gleamed with a strange red hue.
'Warning: Unknown will detected. Proceed with erasure?'
Kurama's irritated voice echoed from the seal.
"Naruto, just pick something already! This voice is driving us insane!"
Matatabi nodded in agreement.
Both Tailed Beasts could hear the notifications due to their World Guardian status—and the message had been repeating all afternoon.
It didn't interfere with their Mirror World training, but it was relentlessly annoying.
Naruto shifted his consciousness into the Seal Space.
Kurama and Matatabi exchanged confused glances.
Naruto frowned.
"What's with those faces?"
Kurama narrowed his eyes.
"Did you take that kid's eyes?"
Naruto smirked.
"Just borrowing them to study his jutsu. I'll give them back soon."
Matatabi circled him twice and asked,
"You're acting weird… what's going on in the Mirror World?"
Naruto rubbed his eyes.
"Do you think the Sharingan could have… a will of its own?"
Kurama's pupils shrank.
"You're saying… the detected 'unknown will' is the Sharingan itself?!"
Matatabi's expression shifted.
"No way. It's a powerful dōjutsu, sure—but it's just an eye. It can't think for itself."
Naruto shook his head.
"No. Remember—the Sharingan originates from the Ten-Tails. You two should know that better than me."
"And you saw Uchiha Itachi's and Hiruzen's puppet memories—
even after leaving its original host, the Sharingan can be transplanted again and again, as long as it doesn't go blind."
"My father once read Tobirama's research. A transplanted Sharingan will remain active, constantly draining chakra—but it won't reject the new host."
"The Byakugan's the same.
Honestly… they behave more like parasitic organisms."
Kurama's face turned grim.
"So… are you going to follow the Mirror World's prompt?"
Naruto's eyes sharpened.
"These aren't my eyes. But if I follow that prompt, I might never be able to evolve them again."
Matatabi flicked her tail but stayed silent, glancing warily at Kurama.
Kurama scowled back.
He clearly sensed that Matatabi was thinking things she shouldn't.
"Fine. If you're not erasing it, then return the eye to the brat.
Otherwise, that prompt won't stop."
Naruto nodded.
"On it."
Thirty Minutes Later
Naruto had returned Sasuke's eyes and removed the gauze.
He'd also healed him.
Back in the Mirror World, both Tailed Beasts were already battling their opponents.
Naruto casually tapped into Zabuza's updated data. Seeing something, he immediately summoned the Tailed Beasts back.
Kurama's eyes blazed with fury as he stared at the screen.
"So it's true. The Fourth Mizukage was under genjutsu.
But why is Isobu helping him escape to that coral island?!"
Matatabi raised a paw.
"Maybe he's accepted his Jinchūriki?"
Naruto was surprised as well.
In the original timeline, the Fourth Mizukage died under suspicious circumstances, but it was clear that he and Isobu had grown close toward the end.
Maybe this time… Yagura didn't need to die.
After a pause, Naruto asked,
"Should we still track down Isobu like we planned?
Right now, Zabuza and Haku are the closest. I've already marked both of them."
Kurama exchanged glances with Matatabi, then nodded.
"Better if we go. He needs to be informed about the Ten-Tails."
"Alright then—let's move.
Won't take more than a second."
The moment he finished, Naruto and the two Tailed Beasts vanished from the Mirror World.
After a quick disguise, he disappeared from the estate—
Whoosh!
—and reappeared atop a floating Ice Mirror high in the sky.
His hand immediately clamped around Haku's throat.
Haku looked up in shock at the dark mask.
"It's you!"
Naruto said nothing.
He activated the Binding Curse Seal he had previously placed on Haku.
The ice mirror beneath them began to collapse.
Naruto sensed Isobu's heavy chakra signature moving quickly across the sea—Zabuza was in the lead, while dozens of strong chakra sources followed behind on the water's surface.
"That guy with the Byakugan is among them too.
I'd better block his vision first."
With that, Naruto gathered a pitch-black Tailed Beast Rasengan in his palm.
Haku's eyes widened in disbelief as Naruto launched himself higher, then hurled the Rasengan downward.
Immediately after, Naruto threw a kunai in a specific direction.
He and Haku vanished and reappeared at its location—a rocky outcropping.
Haku gasped.
"Who are you?!"
"You wouldn't remember me."
Boom!
The impact from the Rasengan shook the entire area.
Haku stumbled. By the time he looked up, Naruto had already finished a string of hand seals.
"What are you doing?!"
Naruto pressed his palm to Haku's forehead.
"You're still useful to me.
So for now… you live.
Forget."
Dozens of sealing marks spread across Haku's forehead.
He collapsed, unconscious.
Confirming the memory erasure was complete, Naruto grabbed a kunai and locked onto Isobu's location.
Whoosh!
The kunai flew—and Naruto vanished.
After dozens of high-speed flashes, he finally caught sight of Isobu's enormous form gliding through the sea.
Inside Naruto, Kurama and Matatabi used the unique Tailed Beast resonance to call out:
"Isobu! Stop!"
"It's us—Kurama and Matatabi!"
Isobu hesitated.
Then, he suddenly dove deep beneath the ocean.
A moment later, a single voice echoed from below—
"Nice try!
I won't fall for genjutsu again!!"
(End of Chapter)
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