Konoha Village had been under reconstruction for a while and was no longer desolate. Rough wooden houses stood here and there, gradually shaping the outline of a village.
Ichiraku Ramen [Temporary] was open for business again and already packed with customers.
In a quiet corner, a plain-looking boy stared at a large bowl of pork bone ramen in front of him, drooling slightly. His left hand was wrapped in bandages.
Placing his chopsticks together, he said with a small ritual-like tone, "A big bowl of Ma Si [I'm ready]~~"
Slurp! Slurp!
He snapped his chopsticks apart and began eating with joy.
Yes, this boy was Naruto.
Back in the day, after finishing his training, he would treat himself to a bowl of Ichiraku ramen. And even after becoming Hokage, that habit remained.
The taste had become part of his soul, a part of his life.
No ramen, no Naruto.
Even now, as a wanted man who had betrayed the village, he couldn't resist the craving.
He used the Transformation Technique just to sneak back in for a taste of that unforgettable flavor.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
At this moment, Naruto had put aside all grudges, pain, and worries about the future. All that remained was a boy happily savoring a bowl of ramen.
He finished it in just three minutes, not even a drop of soup left.
He drank it all!
"Koda~ Koda~ [I'm so full, so full~]"
Leaning back, rubbing his belly in satisfaction, he turned slightly—only to spot a familiar figure sitting right next to him!
"Iruka-sensei..."
Naruto almost called out without thinking.
For some reason, Iruka looked worried. The ramen in front of him had gone cold, but he still hadn't touched his chopsticks.
Naruto's eyes dimmed as he slowly lowered his outstretched hand.
It must have hurt Iruka deeply to see the student he once believed in become a rogue ninja hated and criticized by the village.
Naruto couldn't bear to see Iruka like that any longer, so he quietly stood up to leave.
At that moment, Teuchi, the ramen shop owner, looked up from where he was rolling noodles.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, his gaze suddenly drawn to the figure walking away.
"Dad, what is it?" asked his daughter Ayame as she helped knead the dough.
That back... it looked just like Naruto. But it had to be an illusion.
Right? How could it be him...
"It's nothing," he said softly, shaking his head and going back to work.
Naruto walked down the evening streets. The village was full of people, many faces he recognized, but he just kept walking, lost in thought.
Before he knew it, he arrived at the place he knew best.
Only when he saw the ruins did he snap out of it.
"That's right... they're gone. Konoha was destroyed after Pain's attack. How could that family still be here... I really fooled myself."
He shook his head with a bitter smile and turned to leave, when something caught his eye.
Bloody words were scrawled across the rubble.
Demon fox. Traitor. Beast. Monster...
Twisted handwriting, filled with hate and malice. The words burned into his eyes.
"..."
Naruto stared blankly. He had long accepted the fickle nature of people. At this point, their hatred and misunderstandings couldn't shake him anymore.
He stepped over the ruins, observing the scene. The hateful words looked freshly written, while others nearby had been partially wiped away.
"What's going on here...?"
Just then, Konohamaru appeared, an OK sticker still on his cheek, carrying a wooden bucket and brush. Moegi and Udon followed close behind.
Spotting the new graffiti and the unfamiliar figure standing on the ruins, Konohamaru frowned and shouted, "You're the one who wrote today's words, aren't you?!"
"..."
Before Naruto could respond, Konohamaru stepped forward and declared, "Listen to me! Big Brother Naruto isn't who you think he is. He's the strongest ninja and the one who'll become Hokage one day!"
There was fire in the young Konohamaru's eyes.
"Konohamaru, don't be reckless..." Udon tugged nervously at his sleeve.
"I know, I know. A ninja doesn't fight over things like this."
Though he said that calmly, the OK sticker on his face twitched as if betraying his emotions. Without even glancing at Naruto, he threw paint over the graffiti, covering it up.
Naruto gave a small smile and quietly jumped down from the rubble. With his hands in his pockets, he turned and walked away.
There was a deep light in his eyes.
"You didn't have to do that. Konohamaru's seen too much of the world to be shaken by a grain of sand like this..."
He made his way to the Konoha cemetery and stood at a distance.
In front of the memorial stone, under the fading sunlight, Kakashi was paying tribute to Obito as he always did.
But this time, his expression seemed even more solemn and sorrowful than before.
After mourning her lover and late sister, Uzuki Yugao walked over and greeted softly,
"Kakashi-senpai, are you talking to Obito… about Naruto?"
Realizing he'd been seen through, Kakashi gave a faint smile and said,
"Yugao… sorry you had to see that."
Yugao replied, "We're all heartbroken about what happened to Naruto. Now that Danzo holds the Hokage's power, public opinion is turning even more against him. But I believe... once Lady Tsunade wakes up, she'll set things right."
"I hope so," Kakashi said quietly.
From his distant spot, Naruto couldn't hear what they were saying. He simply stood there, gazing at the memorial stone, lost in thought.
He thought of Jiraiya.
After his negotiations with Nagato, Naruto had once built a cenotaph for his master on the way back to the village.
But this time... he hadn't.
Because during his later conflict with the Kara Organization, Naruto had encountered someone else, someone too familiar.
Kashin Koji.
A clone created by Amado, Kara's chief scientist, using Jiraiya's cells.
Naruto muttered to himself,
"If only we could turn back time… A month earlier, and Pervy Sage might still be alive."
He clenched his fists.
"But it doesn't matter anymore. As long as we find his body before Amado does…"
Tampering with time and space had always been a forbidden path for shinobi.
"But I, Uzumaki Naruto, have already gone against the flow of time. Once more won't make a difference…"
Night was falling.
As he glanced up at the Hokage Rock, he noticed that Tsunade's face had already begun to be carved. Then, turning away, he walked deeper into the village.
Suddenly, two Root members in white robes and animal masks blocked his path.
"This area is restricted. The Hokage is handling official duties. No unauthorized entry."
Naruto raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly.
"Oh? Hokage-sama…"
One of the masked men shouted, "Sixth Hokage, Danzo-sama!"
"I see. Sorry to bother you…"
Naruto turned away and walked into a quiet alley.
"So, Danzo's back in the village," he muttered.
"Judging by the timing, it makes sense. And with all these tight security measures… looks like he's afraid."
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"But will Danzo just sit around and wait for Sasuke or me to come for him? That doesn't sound like him. I need to confirm something…"
Sizzle!
He entered Sage Mode, and nature energy surged through him.
"Hm?"
His senses reached into the tent where the Hokage was. His expression shifted… and then a sly smile tugged at his lips.
"So that's how it is…"
He placed his left hand against a nearby streetlight and left the mark of the Flying Thunder God on the pole.
Swish!
In the blink of an eye, he vanished, leaving behind no trace.
Moments later, a group of familiar figures strolled down the street: Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza, the elder generation of the Ino–Shika–Cho trio.
Choza was clearly drunk, his large frame being supported by the other two.
As they passed the streetlight, Shikaku suddenly paused and stared at the utility pole in silence.
Inoichi noticed. "What is it, Shikaku?"
That mark... could it be—
"…Nothing,"
Shikaku replied, his tone calm. But his sharp eyes lingered for a moment longer before he looked away.
...
In the forest outside Konoha, Konan, Orochimaru, and Kisame stood beside a freshly dug pit.
Swish!
Naruto appeared in a flash of light, returning via the Flying Thunder God technique. His Transformation Jutsu faded, revealing his true form as he walked forward, his cloak fluttering.
"How did it go?" he asked calmly.
Before sneaking into Konoha, he had given them one extra task.
Kisame scratched his head. "My Samehada really isn't made for digging... But yeah, he's here. Just as you said, though it looks like..."
Naruto stepped up to the edge of the pit and looked down.
At the bottom lay a gray-haired head, eyes closed and seemingly lifeless.
Hidan.
"Universal Pull!"
Whoosh!
A burst of gravity lifted the head out of the pit and into Naruto's hand.
Snap!
Hidan's eyes flew open, burning with fury.
But before he could say anything, Naruto stuffed the head into a sealed box.
Bang! Bang!
The box shook violently, but Naruto didn't react.
Orochimaru glanced at it with a curious grin.
Konan stepped forward and asked, "What's the next step?"
Naruto turned away.
"Let's go back to Amegakure."
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
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