After the three of them returned, Naruto was the first to escort Hinata to her doorstep.
But why not take her inside?
Naruto didn't dare. Not now.
Judging from how bold Hinata had become, he was pretty sure that if they ran into Hiashi, she wouldn't hesitate to kiss him right in front of her father.
Back in the day, he had always danced on the thin red line set by the Hyuga clan. Even if he pushed his luck, he had only ever held hands with her—so while the Hyuga elders had been annoyed, they never took real action.
But this?
If Hinata actually kissed him in front of everyone, Naruto could guarantee that either he would die today... or the entire Hyuga clan would be wiped off the map.
"Naruto-kun…"
"You really won't come in?"
Hinata clasped her small hands together, looking a little aggrieved. But Naruto caught the glint of eagerness in her eyes.
"N-No, no!"
"I have… uh, something important to do back home!"
"Next time! Definitely next time!"
Naruto was so scared that he bolted.
Hinata burst into laughter.
"Naruto-kun is so cute."
---
After escaping from the Hyuga compound, Naruto immediately made his way to Uzumaki Stark.
A while ago, his clone had informed him that the new weapon was finally ready.
"Take your damn weapon and get lost!"
The moment Stark saw Naruto's real body, he was furious.
Even though they were technically the same person, there was something fundamentally wrong about exploiting his own shadow clones.
Naruto, unfazed, ran over to the massive black coffin sitting beside him. He examined it closely, even pulling out a measuring tape.
The weapon was two meters long—big enough to comfortably fit two people inside once the lid was opened.
More importantly, during future battles, he could place the Totem of Undeath inside it. There was even a specially designed hollow section that would allow him to reach in and interact with the objects inside.
As for its design…
Unlike the square coffins typically seen in the ninja world, this one resembled the ancient coffins used by the Flower Growing Family in his past life.
Grinning, Naruto lifted the black coffin and excitedly swung it around a few times before slapping it with his palm.
The coffin let out a deep, ominous sound.
"You're broken?"
Unlike his old door panel, this one didn't have "That's it? That's it?" engraved on it.
Mainly because he planned to install contact lenses later, and any engravings might get in the way.
"By the way, where's the Rinnegan?"
Uzumaki Stark, still holding the Impure World Reincarnation scroll, impatiently pointed to the top of the coffin.
"Just channel your chakra into it."
"Then you can activate the power of the Golden Samsara Eye."
"But let me warn you—this thing is a chakra glutton. If you give it to anyone else, it'll drain them dry on the spot."
At first, Naruto wasn't too concerned.
But the moment he grabbed the black coffin and started pouring chakra into it, he realized just how absurdly demanding it was.
The instant he made contact, chakra surged out of his body at an alarming rate. The sheer energy output stirred up a violent windstorm around him.
And in that moment—two new abilities surfaced in his mind.
The first was the Rinnegan's fundamental power—Chibaku Tensei.
The second…
Was the time-travel ability that Urashiki had used before.
But there was a catch.
Since Naruto only had one eye, the technique could only rewind time by three seconds, with a seven-minute cooldown. Plus, it consumed an insane amount of chakra.
Even so, Naruto was already satisfied.
Three seconds was enough—enough to anticipate and counter an enemy's next move.
Of course, the biggest drawback was that it only accelerated his own time, meaning he couldn't see beyond his own perspective.
"Alright."
"I'll take this with me."
"Oh, and hurry up with that resurrection research through Impure World Reincarnation."
Uzumaki Stark: "…"
Could you maybe just let me rest?
Stark grumbled internally but still picked up his research notes and got back to work.
Naruto, pleased, activated a light gate and headed straight for Sasuke.
---
Once he arrived at Orochimaru's base, he saw Sasuke standing there in a white shirt and tight pants, his chest fully exposed.
…
Wait, what?
Sasuke in white…? Limited-time event?!
Or had this guy finally grown out of his edgy phase and abandoned his black cloak?
Naruto glanced at Sasuke's high ponytail… then at the Xuanzhong Ruler strapped to his back…
Nope. Still a disaster.
Sasuke noticed Naruto's confusion and casually explained,
"The black cloak got too small."
"Make me a new one."
Now that he thought about it, they had grown a lot. Two years ago, they were barely 1.6 meters tall. Now they were pushing 1.7 meters—no wonder the old outfits didn't fit anymore.
"Got it."
"Should I wrap it as a birthday present?" Naruto teased.
Sasuke wordlessly placed a hand on the Xuanzhong Ruler.
"Okay, okay! Calm down!" Naruto backed away.
"I'll make it!"
"No need. Just upgrade this instead."
Sasuke planted the Xuanzhong Ruler into the ground, signaling Naruto to take it.
His strength had grown so much over the past two years that his old weapon now felt too light—completely out of sync with his power.
"Alright, let's head back to the village."
Naruto took the weapon, and Sasuke called for Karin. The three of them stepped through the light gate and returned to Konoha.
Sasuke, who hadn't been back for a long time, glanced around the familiar buildings.
There was nostalgia in his eyes.
"You guys go on ahead."
"I'll let the others know."
Since tomorrow was Sasuke's birthday, Naruto planned to invite everyone for a small gathering.
---
Half an hour later…
Shikamaru and the others got the news. Since tomorrow was the actual celebration, they decided to skip inviting the girls tonight—just a guys' night.
Some conversations weren't meant for female ears, after all.
But then…
Kakashi and Gai decided to crash the party.
Even Asuma showed up.
"Hey, Bo—"
"Sasuke?!"
"Why the hell are you wearing white?!"
Everyone stared at Sasuke in disbelief.
They had gotten used to seeing him in that black cloak, face half-hidden in shadows.
"It didn't fit anymore," Sasuke said matter-of-factly.
Naruto looked around at the three middle-aged men, the Twelve Little Strong Men, and even his brother-in-law Neji, who seemed oddly respectful today.
Somehow… Naruto felt that Neji's attitude toward him had improved significantly.
"Alright, alright. Let me get you guys some drinks."
Naruto smirked, then waved his hand.
In an instant, beer flooded the floor.
Everyone in the room froze.
…
What the hell?!
Who the hell was Naruto trying to kill?!
Just as Naruto was about to say that no one was allowed to leave tonight, his Mechanicus communicator buzzed.
The caller ID… was his wife.
Not wanting to let the others see him act like a doting husband, Naruto quickly laughed it off.
"I gotta step out for a bit. You guys have fun."
Shikamaru sighed.
"Let me guess… Hinata?"
Judging from Naruto's foolish grin, the answer was obvious.
Neji remained expressionless—but his fists clenched.
Kiba scratched his head, then turned to Sasuke.
"Hey, Bo Bing. What should we play next? I'm not drinking that."
Everyone stared at him in shock.
Would Sasuke beat him into the ground for that nickname?!
But to their surprise…
Sasuke simply chuckled.
"Let's play Werewolf."
"Oh, and let's make a bet…"
His fingers tapped against the Polaroid camera in his pocket.
Tonight… they would all know shame.
﹌﹌﹌
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