Naruto: The Chosen Undead

Chapter 71: What Is Owed and What Is Feared

---

"A dragon is prophesied to destroy Konoha."

The words landed with deliberate weight. Jiraiya looked between Kakashi and Hiruzen, letting the silence do the work for him.

Hiruzen drew in a long, measured breath through his pipe. Smoke filled the room as he exhaled, slow and controlled, the way a man did when he was forcing his temper down rather than letting it surface.

No one could blame him.

Danzo was a constant pressure at his back. Orochimaru was a shadow that refused to stay buried. The other villages were circling like carrion birds. And now this.

"Define prophesied," Kakashi stated. "I want specifics before we start panicking."

"The Great Toad Sage can see fragments of the future." Jiraya paused, then continued more quietly. "Years ago, he foresaw that I'd take on a student who would become either the savior of the world… or its destroyer."

"The Child of Prophecy," Kakashi said.

"Minato told you."

"He trusted me," Kakashi replied simply.

"Well," Jiraiya said, grimacing, "the Sage says the original vision is unstable now. It might still happen, but right now there are other futures that are coming through more clearly."

Hiruzen's shoulders sagged a fraction as he released another breath.

"And one of those is a dragon attacking the village."

Jiraiya nodded once.

Silence settled again, heavier this time.

"When?"

"The Sage doesn't know."

Kakashi frowned. "So it could be tomorrow. Or ten years from now."

"Exactly," Jiraiya said. "Which is about as helpful as you'd expect."

"At least that means we're not on a countdown. Small mercies."

"There's more," Jiraiya added.

Of course there was.

"Fukasaku believes the dragon could be related to the Snake Sage of Ryūchi Cave who have long pursued draconic ascension. If Orochimaru succeeds, the prophecy could be referring to him."

Hiruzen's expression darkened.

"I thought the same, but there is another possibility."

Jiraiya turned to the Hatake.

"There's a chance the prophecy isn't about Orochimaru at all," Kakashi said slowly. "Naruto's connection to Lordran complicates things. He's encountered dragons. Fought a hydra. And, whether we like it or not, his physiology isn't entirely human anymore."

"You think the dragon could be from Lordran."

"I think it's reckless not to consider it," Kakashi replied.

"So the threat could be Orochimaru… or something far worse."

Jiraiya nodded, his expression grim. "That's my read."

Hiruzen shifted in his seat. "Anything else to add to our massive pile of problems?"

Jiraiya hesitated. "The elder gave me a prophecy he got from the future."

He glanced between the two of them, then began to repeat the words exactly as the toad sage had spoken them.

---

When the Darksign burns three times,
And the thrones of the old lie empty and cold,
They shall rise.

The First shall wear the face of a Dragon.
Born from chaos, raised in calamity.
They will know too much, feel too deeply,
And be called monster by those who fear the truth.

Do not lie to the Dragon.
For it sees through all things.

The Second shall wear the chains of the Giants.
Silent, crowned in rust and old echoes.
They will walk the paths of the dead,
And the earth will remember every step.

Do not fight the Giant.
For it has already endured more than war.

The Third shall fall on hollow wings,
An Angel whose tears burn instead of fall.
Where they go, sorrow will burn cities,
And love will leave only ash.

Do not fear the Angel.
For their grief is older than gods.

Three shall rise.
Not born, but forged.
Not chosen, but burdened.
They will pass through fire, through shadow, through loss.
And they will not turn back.

And in their wake, two worlds shall tremble.
One will try to forget.
The other will relive it again and again.

Three times shall the veil between them shake.
And all that was left behind
Shall walk forward once more.

And at the end of all things, when the stars grow quiet,
You, Dragon.
You, Giant.
You, Angel.

Will you not meet again at the ramen stand at the end of the universe?

---

Kakashi and Hiruzen exchanged a look, then both turned back to Jiraiya as if silently asking whether they had heard him correctly.

"…How likely is it," Kakashi asked carefully, "that the Great Toad Sage has finally gone senile?"

"Respectfully asked and still insulting. Impressive." Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck. "I know how it sounds. I can't even tell if what he saw was literal, symbolic, or something in between. A future that doesn't quite want to stay still."

"And the prophecy itself is frustratingly vague," Kakashi added. "Almost like it wasn't meant for us to understand cleanly."

Hiruzen frowned, tapping ash from his pipe. "A ramen stand at the end of the universe," he repeated slowly. "That part still bothers me."

All three of them paused.

"…That does sound uncomfortably connected to Naruto."

Kakashi coughed. "Lord Hokage, correlation doesn't equal causation. Just because Lordran has dragons and Naruto has an unhealthy emotional attachment to ramen doesn't mean the prophecy is pointing at him." He gestured vaguely, as if brushing away a bad thought. "We already learned the hard way what happens when we start assuming connections. Especially where Naruto and Lordran are concerned."

"You're right. We can't afford to jump at shadows." Hiruzen straightened in his seat. "For now, we narrow our focus. Whatever this prophecy means in the long term, the immediate concern is a dragon attacking Konoha. We plan for it the same way we would a potential bijū assault. That gives us a framework without chasing speculation."

"What if we tell Naruto?" Jiraiya asked. "If he knows there's even a chance Lordran is involved, maybe he'll stop going there."

Kakashi shook his head without hesitation. "No. He won't."

Both men looked at him.

"That place means too much to him," Kakashi continued quietly. "Minato sensei. Kushina. Oscar. Lordran isn't just a battlefield to Naruto. It's family, memory, and purpose all wrapped together. He won't abandon it over a possibility. And like you said, Jiraiya, the future isn't fixed."

Jiraiya opened his mouth to argue, but Hiruzen raised a hand, stopping him.

"I know you're worried. I am too. But we don't act on fear alone. Lordran is one possible source of this prophecy, not the only one. What we can do is prepare. Prepare thoroughly, and hope that when the storm comes, we're strong enough to endure it."

"Yeah… yeah. Fair enough."

A moment of silence followed.

"Well," Kakashi said at last, stretching his arms behind his head, "if you'll excuse me, I'm going to relax at the hot springs. Now that we're back in Konoha, Naruto can't possibly get into anything insane."

Hiruzen chuckled softly. "Knowing him, he's probably just eating ramen right now."

If only that was true.

---

Hiashi wanted to bang his head against the wall.

He didn't, of course.

A Hyūga clan head did not indulge in such vulgar impulses, no matter how tempting. Instead, he sat perfectly straight at the head of the council chamber, hands folded within his sleeves, expression calm and unreadable.

Inside, he was grinding his teeth.

The Hyūga council chamber was filled with tatami mats. They lined the floor in precise geometric patterns. Shoji screens filtered the moonlight into soft blues. Incense burned faintly at the corners of the room.

Seated before him were the elders of the main family, men whose spines were straight despite their age, robes pristine, eyes sharp with calculation.

They had been discussing this topic for the better part of twenty minutes.

"Hiashi sama," Elder Masanori began, "perhaps we are overcomplicating matters. The boy is not unreasonable. Offer him land and coin in exchange. A generous stipend, perhaps a rural estate. Even an Uzumaki would understand the value of stability."

Hiashi's jaw tightened imperceptibly.

Another elder nodded. "Indeed. And we must remind him, gently, that Hyūga techniques cannot be properly utilized without the Byakugan. The Gentle Fist, the Eight Trigrams, all of it relies upon sight that he simply does not possess."

That, at least, was not a lie.

Theoretically, a shinobi could memorize the entire chakra network. In theory, one could strike tenketsu blindly, guided by instinct and experience alone. In practice, it was madness. The human body was not a static diagram, and even a fraction of error meant the difference between a disabling strike and wasted motion.

Without the Byakugan, the Gentle Fist was a shadow of itself.

"How about a compromise?" Elder Jūbei interjected, tapping his fan thoughtfully against his palm. "We petition the Hokage for two A rank techniques from the central archive. A generous offering for a genin. That should appease him."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the chamber.

It was, by the average standard, an absurdly generous offer.

For the average shinobi, access to jutsu was a rigid hierarchy. Genin were restricted to D rank techniques. Chūnin might get C rank. Jōnin alone had routine access to B and A rank jutsu, and even then, it depended heavily on politics, lineage, and contributions. S rank techniques were forbidden outright unless the Hokage himself granted permission.

For the Hyūga clan to leverage their influence to secure two A rank techniques for Naruto Uzumaki was no small thing.

"I cannot believe you're all entertaining this," snapped Elder Rokuhara. "That boy sent the head elder to the hospital. Months of recovery. And we're discussing awarding this boy?"

"Elder Rokuhara, might I remind you that we are in this situation because of the former head elder's actions."

The room stilled.

"The destruction of his Byakugan was a small consequence. Upon recovery, he will be stripped of his formal elder status."

That set the chamber buzzing.

Faces that moments ago had worn carefully neutral expressions now held thinly veiled interest. Some hid their reactions better than others.

Politics was not a game of honor or loyalty. It was a game of timing, patience, and knowing exactly when to look sympathetic while sharpening the knife.

"Very well. Then the question remains. What do you intend to do about Naruto Uzumaki?"

All eyes turned to Hiashi.

"As you are all aware," Hiashi said, "my daughter Hinata shares a close bond with Naruto Uzumaki. One of friendship and admiration."

The elders exchanged glances.

"There exists a high likelihood that Naruto Uzumaki will, in the future, become Hinata's betrothed."

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Where moments ago the discussion had centered on safeguarding Hyūga secrets from an outsider, now the framing changed entirely.

A future son in law.

That altered the calculus.

"Ah," Elder Jūbei said thoughtfully. "If that is the case…"

"Then courtesy must be observed," Masanori added. "One does not treat family as one would a stranger."

"Still, we cannot simply hand him our sacred arts."

"Nor is that what I propose," Hiashi replied, leaning forward slightly. "We will offer techniques that can be used without the Byakugan, but whose true potential can only be realized with it."

Silence followed.

"That narrows the field considerably," Elder Shin'emon said at last. "The Twin Lion Fist is the only technique that comes to mind."

"And even that would be… unconventional."

"Unconventional times," Hiashi replied.

Around him, the elders nodded, some reluctantly, others with careful calculation.

---

Meanwhile, Naruto sat cross legged at the low dining table with Hinata, Hanabi, and Tsubaki.

Oscar occupied a cushion near Naruto's side, happily gnawing on a strip of meat with crystal teeth that clicked faintly as he chewed.

"I thought Oscar could only eat metal?"

Hanabi slipped another piece of meat onto the small dish in front of the crystal lizard. "But, he really likes it."

"Don't encourage him. He'll start demanding seconds."

Oscar chirped proudly and kept chewing.

"He can eat both organic and inorganic stuff," Naruto explained, reaching for his cup. "But I found out that he mostly absorbs the minerals. The rest just… passes through."

"You figured that out how?"

Naruto was about to say that he'd tossed Oscar's poop into his inventory and read the item description when he took a sip of the milk Hinata had poured for him.

The taste hit him like a punch.

"…What the heck is this?"

Tsubaki covered her mouth with a smile. "That would be fermented horse milk. A traditional Hyūga drink."

"You people drink this on purpose?"

"It's good for circulation," Tsubaki said serenely.

"Right," Naruto muttered. "Horse contract clan. Should've seen that coming."

With a faint shimmer, the cup vanished into Naruto's inventory.

"You stored it?"

"Emergency rations," Naruto said gravely. "For my enemies."

Tsubaki laughed softly. "To use space time techniques that casually at your age… that's impressive."

"Uh, thanks. Though I'm actually sure the inventory is something else."

Something he still didn't fully understand.

Tsubaki's gaze lingered on him for a moment. "So, Naruto," she said lightly, "what's an interesting and mysterious boy like you doing spending so much time with my daughter?"

"M Mother!"

Naruto looked genuinely confused. "Huh? We're friends."

Hanabi smirked. "Sure you are."

Hinata was now actively trying to melt into the tatami.

Tsubaki gave Naruto an amused eyesmile, her attention drifting between the two of them. Hinata sat a little closer to him than she probably realized, shoulders relaxed in a way that spoke of trust.

Affection.

But affection went two ways.

Tsubaki wondered, quietly, what Naruto felt in return.

Dinner wound down not long after, the dishes cleared as the conversation softened into comfortable quiet. The sliding doors opened, and Hiashi entered the room, posture formal, expression composed. In his hands were two scrolls sealed with the Hyūga crest.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Hiashi said, stepping forward. "As promised. Two taijutsu techniques of the Hyūga clan."

Naruto straightened immediately.

"The first is the Twin Lion Fist," Hiashi continued. "The second is the Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm."

Naruto accepted the scrolls with both hands and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you."

They weren't what he would've chosen if he'd had free rein, but they were more than enough for him.

Hinata clasped her hands together, eyes bright.

"Naruto kun, if you'd like… I could help you practice."

"You sure?"

"I don't know them perfectly, but we could learn together."

Hanabi's and Tsubaki's eyes sparkled with mischief.

Hinata knew exactly what was coming later.

"Sounds good to me," Naruto said easily, giving her a thumbs up.

Oscar crawled up Naruto's shoulder and settled on his head like a crystal crown.

Hiashi stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Thank you. For everything."

"Hey, you don't gotta..."

"No," Hiashi said quietly. "I do."

Naruto scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed. "I'm just glad I could help a friend."

Tsubaki rose gracefully. "It's getting late. Why don't you stay the night?"

Naruto hesitated. "I'd like to, but… I have some stuff to do back home."

Hiashi nodded. "Be cautious. News of your return will spread quickly. Many will wish to see the son of the Fourth Hokage."

"Yeah. I figured."

"Why don't I walk you out?"

"Sure."

Hinata and Naruto headed toward the gate together, their footsteps fading down the hall.

Behind them, the rest of the family watched with varying degrees of amusement.

"Big sis is getting pretty bold."

Tsubaki hummed thoughtfully at Hanabi's statement. "Maybe not bold enough."

"What do you mean, Mom?"

Hiashi responded calmly. "Naruto grew up as an outcast orphan. Children learn how to recognize and interpret affection through observation and attachment models, usually from their parents."

Tsubaki nodded. "Naruto never had a secure reference point for romantic or familial love. Praise, concern, kindness, even loyalty, all blur together for him."

Hiashi continued, voice even. "Which means any hints Hinata drops are likely filtered through that lens. To him, it's friendship, trust, and safety. Not romance."

Tsubaki sighed, then shot her husband a sharp look. "And then there's Hinata."

Hiashi winced slightly.

"She waits like she doesn't believe she's allowed to stand beside him yet. Like she has to become 'enough' first."

Her eyes lingered on Hiashi pointedly.

Hanabi waved a hand dismissively. "You two are overthinking it."

They both looked at her.

Hanabi grinned. "Big sis'll figure it out. And Naruto's not as clueless as you think. He's just… slow. Don't worry, Nee chan. I believe in you."

Meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata walked side by side beneath the lantern lit paths of the Hyūga compound, the night quiet except for the soft crunch of gravel under their feet.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?"

Hinata startled slightly. "I… was it that obvious?"

Naruto and Oscar nodded.

"I'm sorry. You just got back to Konoha, and you haven't even had time to rest because of me and my family's troubles."

Naruto waved it off immediately. "Hey, don't worry about that. I can manage." He flexed his arm with exaggerated confidence. "See? Totally fine. So… what's going on?"

Hinata smiled faintly. Naruto always did that. He made things sound simple, manageable, like problems could be solved just by facing them head on. And yet, somehow, she always felt like she was the one struggling to keep up.

"I've been having nightmares," she admitted quietly.

Naruto slowed his steps.

"They're… strange. I wake up scared, but I can never remember them clearly. It's like my mind refuses to hold onto the details. Just feelings of witnessing something horrible."

Naruto's expression darkened. "Shit."

"Naruto… do you know what's going on?"

The boy hesitated, jaw tightening. "Do you remember when we saved Haku from Guren's captivity?"

Hinata nodded at first, then paused. The memory felt… incomplete. Like a page torn from a book. Her brow furrowed, and suddenly pain spiked behind her eyes.

Images flickered of a red mist and a vibrating sound.

She gasped, clutching her head as a migraine slammed into her. "Naruto!"

He was beside her instantly, steady hands on her shoulders, rubbing her back in slow, grounding circles. "Easy. Easy. Breathe."

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "What… what happened? I can see it, but I can't. Why can't I remember?"

Naruto exhaled slowly. "There were a lot of shinobi guarding Haku. I wanted it to end fast. So, I used a magic enhanced wind cloak to kill them all."

Hinata trembled.

"You saw it," he continued quietly. "And it was too much. The violence, the speed… it wasn't something you could process. So I used a Great Heal Excerpt to heal your mind. Guess, the heal didn't fully work."

Hinata swallowed hard, then nodded. "Thank you… for telling me the truth."

They stood there for a moment, the weight of it settling between them.

"I could try again," Naruto offered gently. "Use a stronger miracle. No nightmares at all."

Hinata wiped her tears with her sleeve and shook her head. "No." Her voice was soft, but firm. "I want to overcome them myself."

"Alright. But I'm here. Whenever you need help."

She looked up at him, eyes shining. "Naruto… why are you willing to go so far for me?"

"Because you're my friend."

It really was that simple to him. Healing her mother. Standing against the elder. Protecting her mind from things she wasn't ready to face. None of it had been done for gratitude, obligation, or reward.

Naruto did it because Hinata was his friend.

The knight stepped forward, moonlight catching in his red hair. He looked like someone moving relentlessly toward a future that kept growing larger, brighter, farther away.

Hinata opened her mouth.

She could feel the words pressed against her chest, begging to be spoken.

But they wouldn't come.

The distance between them felt enormous, like a canyon she didn't know how to cross. Naruto's life was changing so fast. His power, his world and his burdens. Sometimes, she wondered if she truly knew him anymore, or if she was just watching him from behind, always a step too slow.

"Goodnight, Hinata."

"…Goodnight," she whispered.

She stood there long after he left, hands clenched in her sleeves, heart aching with things she wasn't brave enough to say.

Hinata looked up at the sky and made a silent promise to herself.

One day, she would be strong enough to stand beside him without... fear.

---

In front of Naruto's apartment building, a rough semicircle of stone barricades had been erected. It wasn't elegant, but it was effective enough to keep people from rushing the entrance. A handful of genin stood watch behind it, clearly out of their depth, while a tired-looking chūnin paced back and forth, barking orders and trying to maintain some semblance of order.

It wasn't working.

"Is it really him?"

"I heard he's back. The Fourth Hokage's son, living right here."

"Does he look like Lord Minato? He has to, right?"

"I just want to say I saw him once. That's all."

"Imagine growing up as the Fourth's kid… must be incredible."

"Come on, let him show himself! We waited all day!"

"I brought my kids. They should see the Yellow Flash's legacy."

"Legacy, yeah… that's what matters. Not like we'll ever talk to him."

"Do you think he's as strong as his father already?"

"Doesn't matter. Just knowing he exists is enough."

"Minato's son… like he's some kind of living monument."

"Stars don't belong to themselves," another voice muttered, half-joking, half-serious. "They belong to the crowd."

And mixed in between the noise, quieter voices lingered.

"I hope he's doing okay."

"I wonder if he even wants this."

But those were drowned out quickly, buried beneath curiosity, spectacle, and the hunger to witness a name rather than a person. The voices overlapped into a noisy, restless mass. Civilians pressed forward, some craning their necks, others standing on crates or railings. A few off-duty shinobi watched with thinly veiled curiosity, pretending they weren't interested while very obviously being interested.

The chūnin sighed. "Back up! I said back up! This isn't a festival!"

A genin leaned toward another, whispering loudly, "Do you think he'll come out?"

"No way. If I were him, I'd just disappear," the other replied.

Naruto watched the whole scene from a nearby rooftop, crouched beside the edge with Oscar curled around his neck. The night air was quiet up here compared to the chaos below.

"…Yeah," Naruto muttered. "Disappear sounds about right."

He rested his chin on his palm, red hair catching the moonlight as he stared down at the crowd. His expression wasn't angry. It wasn't happy either. It was something muddled in between.

"So this is what it's like," he murmured. "Not 'that demon brat' anymore. Just… the Fourth's kid."

Oscar yawned, a low chirp slipping out as he stretched one limb.

"Don't get me wrong," Naruto continued quietly, more to himself than to Oscar. "It's kinda nice not being hated. But this?" He gestured vaguely at the crowd. "This feels… loud and performative."

He watched a civilian woman clutch a letter to her chest like it was something precious. A man argued with a genin, insisting he needed to meet with the 4th's son. Someone else shouted that they wanted Naruto to hear their story, their thanks, and their apology.

"I don't think I wanna deal or be seen by these people tonight."

Oscar responded by falling asleep.

Naruto snorted softly. "Yeah. Same."

He lifted his sorcerer's catalyst as pale sparkles of light flared briefly around him and Oscar before fading entirely. Their forms blurred, bent, and vanished from sight.

Invisible, Naruto rose to his feet and hopped lightly from the rooftop. He landed soundlessly near his apartment, slipping past the barricades with ease. The genin guarding the area shivered slightly as a breeze passed them, one of them glancing around nervously.

"Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

Naruto reached his front door and paused.

There were a lot of letters.

Stacks of envelopes, some neat and some hastily scribbled. Small wrapped boxes. A basket of fruit. A crudely carved wooden charm. A bouquet of flowers that had definitely seen better days.

Naruto stared at the pile.

"…Hn."

He unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing it quietly behind him. The apartment was dark and still, the familiar emptiness greeting him like an old friend. Even with the door shut, the muffled noise from outside bled through the walls. Oscar stirred slightly as Naruto placed him on a pillow from the couch. He leaned his back against the armrest and slid down to sit for a moment.

"All my life," Naruto murmured, eyes fixed on the cracked ceiling above him, "I just wanted people to look at me and not see something else first. Just… Naruto. A kid from the village. Someone who's allowed to exist without having to prove it every single day."

He let out a slow breath. "But it looks like that was never really the deal, huh? First I was the demon brat. Now I'm the Fourth Hokage's son. Different labels yet the same cage."

Oscar nudged the back of hyis head with a gentle little boop.

Naruto smiled faintly and scratched the lizard's head. "Hey. It's fine." The words were soft, but steady. "Let 'em see whatever they want. A monster. A legend. A legacy. It doesn't really matter. Because the people who actually know me? They don't need a title. To them, I'm just Naruto. And that's enough."

He stood and brought his hands together, forming a seal. Shadow clones popped into existence around the room, stretching, yawning, and taking in the mess. "You guys grab everything and dump it into the inventory. We're crashing somewhere quiet tonight. And no snooping."

"Yes, boss."

Another tilted his head. "You know we're literally you, right?"

"Still. No snooping."

The clones got to work, furniture and belongings vanishing in faint shimmers as they were stored away. Naruto himself headed for the bedroom, intent on grabbing another pillow. Oscar liked being sandwiched between them, and it helped block out noise.

He lifted the pillow and froze.

A red envelope laid on his bed.

Naruto's stomach sank.

A letter from Shimura Danzō.

---

It was close to eleven at night when Sasuke finished brushing his teeth.

His house was quiet, the kind of quiet that pressed in on your ears if you weren't used to it. Sasuke rinsed his mouth, set the cup down, and turned toward the hallway.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

The front door rattled.

"Sasuke!"

He froze for half a second, then scowled. He knew that annoying voice.

Sasuke walked to the door and yanked it open. Naruto stood there, eyes a little dull with exhaustion, holding two pillows stacked together like a sandwich. Oscar was wedged between them, tail flicking lazily.

"Yo."

"…Why are you at my house?"

Naruto shifted his weight. "So, funny story. There's like… a lot of people in front of my apartment."

"Define 'a lot.'"

"Enough that I decided not to open the door," Naruto said. "They're yelling stuff about the Fourth Hokage and asking to see his son and..." he waved a hand vaguely, "...ya know. That."

Sasuke's expression tightened. "So they're not there for you."

Naruto snorted. "Oh no. Definitely not. They want the idea of me. Not the actual me." He bounced the pillows slightly as Oscar let out a tiny chirp. "So, I figured I'd crash somewhere no one goes. And this place is basically abandoned."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "That's your reasoning?"

"Also you're my friend," Naruto added quickly.

There was a beat of silence.

"What about Sakura?"

"She lives in the middle of the civilian district," Naruto replied. "Which is where half the crowd probably came from."

"And Kakashi."

"Not home. Plus… the Uchiha compound is far away from the rest of Konoha," Naruto said, then added a joke, "It's almost like no one wanted you guys too close to the village or something."

Sasuke glanced past Naruto at the empty compound, frowning slightly. He'd never really thought about why one of Konoha's founding clans had been placed so far from the village proper.

"But it works for tonight. So, can I stay at your place?"

"There are empty houses everywhere in the compound."

"No water. No electricity. And what if they're haunted?"

Sasuke gave him a flat look. "Ghosts don't exist."

"Yes they do," Naruto said immediately. "I've fought them in lordran."

"…Of course you have."

Naruto nodded like that settled it.

Sasuke rubbed his temple, then stepped aside.

"Dude, you're the best."

Naruto slipped off his sandals at the entrance without being told, lining them up neatly before stepping inside. He glanced around as they walked, taking in the long wooden hallways, the polished floors that creaked softly underfoot, and the paper sliding doors lining the walls. There was very little furniture, just low tables, folded cushions, and shelves that had clearly been cleaned but rarely used.

"Your place is huge," Naruto said.

"It used to be full," Sasuke replied.

Naruto didn't respond right away.

They passed a room that looked like it had been hit head-on by a fireball.

"That was Itachi's room," Sasuke said before Naruto could ask. He didn't stop walking. "I did it. After I finally accepted that the Uchiha massacre wasn't some nightmare I'd wake up from."

"…I'm sorry," Naruto said, then paused, choosing his words carefully. "But why stay here? Wouldn't it be easier to live somewhere else?"

"The Yamanaka medic and the third hokage said the same thing that leaving would help."

Sasuke looked back at the ruined room, jaw tight.

"But if I leave, then what? I forget it happened? I wake up here every day because I don't want to forget. This place reminds me why I train. Why I get stronger. If I ever stop remembering, then… it really would all be meaningless."

Naruto understood that feeling more than he wanted to admit.

As they moved on, Naruto's gaze caught on a framed photo resting on a shelf. Sasuke, younger, standing stiffly between his parents. One side of the picture, where itachi would be, was torn clean away.

"So, you think my mom and yours ever knew each other?"

"Maybe."

"Kinda makes you wonder how our lives would've turned out if… you know. If none of the bad stuff happened."

Sasuke broke the silence first. "You'd probably still be an idiot," he said flatly.

"Wow. Thanks. And you'd still be a jerk."

"Correct."

That earned a small smile from Naruto anyway.

Sasuke slid open a door and flicked on the light to an empty clean room. "You can sleep here."

Naruto snapped his fingers and, with a soft shimmer, a bed materialized out of thin air and settled neatly into place.

"…You know, normal people carry futons."

Naruto gently placed the sleeping Oscar on the bed. "Yeah, but normal people don't have an inventory."

"Show-off."

"Jealous."

Sasuke turned to leave. "Good night."

"Night, teme."

Sasuke closed the door then opened it again.

"…If things were different," he said, not quite looking at Naruto, "we probably would've known each other back then. Our parents ran in the same circles. You'd probably be blonde gremlin. I'd still hate crowds. But… maybe we would've rivals."

Naruto blinked, surprised, then smiled. "Yeah. I think that would've been cool."

"Don't read into it."

"I won't."

A beat.

"Also," Sasuke added, "go wash up. I know you don't shower before bed. You smell like sweat and… something else."

Naruto gasped. "Excuse you. This is the smell of the great Naruto Uzumaki."

"You smell like shit."

A pillow flew.

Sasuke caught it with one hand, unimpressed. "Good night, idiot." He shut the door for real this time.

"I don't stink," Naruto muttered, rolling onto his side and pulling Oscar closer. The little creature chirped sleepily and settled in.

For a brief moment, his thoughts brushed against the red letter tucked away in his inventory.

Tomorrow's problem except Danzo had made sure it wouldn't stay that simple. Along with the letter, there had been two attachments.

The first was a photograph.

Kushina Uzumaki stood dressed in a traditional white wedding kimono. Her long red hair was pulled back neatly, a pale flower tucked near her temple. She wore a smile that wasn't quite polished, soft and slightly crooked, as if she were holding back a laugh she didn't trust herself to let out.

There was a brightness in her eyes that made the expression feel earned rather than posed. The kind of look that said she was still a little stunned it was real, still grounding herself in the moment.

Naruto had his mother's wedding photo but not his father's.

He remembered that the previous letter had promised more about his mother, but this didn't feel like that. It felt like a cruel joke dressed up as sentiment, or worse, bait carefully chosen to make him take the hook.

On the back of the photo, etched carefully into the paper, was a storage seal.

He activated it.

A small puff of smoke curled into the air, revealing a tightly rolled jutsu scroll.

Naruto stared at it for a long moment.

Clearly, whatever Danzo wanted would make more sense if he actually read the letter. But the day had already wrung him dry.

Not tonight.

He slid the scroll back into storage, hesitating only a second longer. A faint sense of unease tugged at him, the feeling that he had forgot something important.

Then he shrugged it off.

If it mattered that much, it would still be there tomorrow.

Naruto turned onto his side, pulling Oscar closer. The little crystal lizard shifted and let out a series of soft, rhythmic chirps, oddly soothing in the quiet room. And with that gentle sound as white noise, Naruto Uzumaki finally let himself fall asleep.

---

Meanwhile, Jiraiya slipped into Naruto's apartment through the window with the practiced ease of a man who had broken into far too many places in his life. He landed silently, straightened, and flicked on the light.

Silence.

The apartment was empty.

Every piece of furniture was gone. Naruto's garden was gone. The freaking toilet was missing. Jiraya stepped into the kitchen and the sink was missing. There was a clean, rectangular hole where it used to be, pipes capped off like someone had politely said goodbye before leaving.

Jiraiya stared at it for a long, quiet moment. "…Why would you rip out the sink and take it with you?"

Elsewhere in the village, Naruto sneezed in his sleep, rolled over, and pulled Oscar closer like a pillow. "Someone must be talkin' about me," he mumbled, and went right back to dreaming about being a ramen dragon.

---

Author's Note:

And with that, the chapter is finished. Let's get into everyone's favorite section… the Q&A. Woooh.

---

1. Is the inventory infinite storage?

Honestly, this is a tricky question.

Canonically, the inventory is linked to an item called the Bottomless Box.

Description: A peculiar bottomless wooden box. Its origins are unknown. Some deride it as a symbol of unbridled avarice. Any number of items can be deposited into the box, and items can be managed while resting at a Bonfire.

As the name and description imply, the Bottomless Box can hold an unlimited number of items. Those items can be retrieved from any Bonfire.

Functionally, it works like Stockpile Thomas from Demon's Souls. However, unlike Stockpile Thomas, it doesn't separate every weapon or item type into different NPC menus. Instead, it uses tabs for consumables, upgrade materials, weapons, armor, ammunition, and rings.

That said, there are limitations.

The Bottomless Box cannot store souls, and it can only be accessed while resting at a Bonfire. This means its primary purpose is inventory management rather than being an all-purpose pocket dimension you can abuse mid-combat.

So whether you interpret the inventory as a literal infinite pocket dimension or a Bonfire-linked storage system is kind of up to you.

One thing I forgot to clarify earlier: most Dark Souls characters like Andre, Siegmeyer, and others are implied to use the Bottomless Box as their form of inventory management. Naruto is different because he accesses the same functionality through the system itself.

---

2. Why did Danzō give Naruto a jutsu scroll?

This plot point took place before the Wave arc, so if you don't remember it, here's a quick refresher.

Danzō made Naruto a deal. If Naruto kept their interactions a secret, Danzō would give him a photograph of his mother. On top of that, I planned for Danzō to give Naruto a Wind Style ninjutsu as a way to test his character.

Now for a question for you guys.

What new Wind Style jutsu would you like to see DS1 Naruto use?

So far, he has:

Wind Style: Vacuum Blade

Wind Style: Wind Bullets

Wind Style: Wind Cloak / Fist of the Peregrine (Shisui's Wind Cloak that reduces air resistance)

That's it for now. If you have any canon Wind Style jutsu you'd like to see adapted, or even fan-made ideas, feel free to drop them below. I might add one in the future. Who knows?

---

That's It… For Now.

And if you can't wait for the next update, the next chapter drops on Feb 7th! You can read ahead to Chapter 110 on Patreon.

As always, I want to thank you all for taking the time to read, comment, and follow along with this story. Your feedback means more than you know, and it helps push me to make each chapter bigger, sharper, and more true to the worlds of Naruto and Dark Souls.

Until next time, Praise the Sun.

—Adam

Chapter no.72 Legacy, Leashes, and Lies

---

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Sasuke's hand shot out and silenced the alarm in one clean motion.

The sliding balcony door opened with a soft click. Cool air brushed against his face as the sun began to rise over the uchiha compound. Pale gold light stretched across the empty courtyard below. He went back inside, set water to boil, washed his face, brushed his teeth, and tied his hair back. When the kettle began to whisper, he measured out coffee beans, ground them carefully, and poured the water through a filter with steady hands.

The smell filled the kitchen.

He carried the mug to the balcony and leaned against the railing, taking a slow sip.

Sasuke had been enjoying the quiet of the morning... right up until it was violently interrupted by a very loud reminder that Naruto existed.

"SASUKE!"

The balcony window door slammed open.

Sasuke almost spilled his coffee.

Naruto stumbled out in bright orange pajamas and a ridiculous conical sleeping hat that drooped over one eye. In one hand he held a large metal pot filled with water. In the other, he dangled Oscar by the tail like luggage.

"What are you doing?"

Naruto ignored him and set the pot down on the balcony tiles. He formed a quick hand sign. A small, controlled flame flickered under the pot. He dipped a finger into the warming water, nodded to himself, and lowered Oscar into it.

The lizard floated, perfectly content.

Sasuke blinked once. "…You're boiling a lizard."

"It's a bath," Naruto shot back. "He likes warm water. Right, Oscar?"

Oscar made a pleased little trill.

Sasuke decided this was not worth the energy. He took another sip of coffee.

Naruto stretched and yawned loudly. "So. What's for breakfast?"

Sasuke didn't look at him. "There isn't any."

"C'mon. You've gotta eat something."

"I don't really do breakfast," Sasuke said, taking another sip of his coffee. "I'll have this, maybe some fruit if I feel like it."

"So, you just drink bitter bean juice."

"…Say that again."

"Bean. Juice."

There was a long pause.

"You have the palate of a five-year-old," Sasuke said calmly.

"At least I enjoy life."

"At least I don't think instant ramen is a balanced diet."

Naruto gasped. "You take that back."

Sasuke sipped his coffee. "No."

Naruto crouched by Oscar's bath, muttering, "Ignore him, buddy. Some people wake up and choose misery."

"I choose comfortable silence," Sasuke corrected. "And you're ruining it."

Before Naruto could fire back, something landed onto the balcony railing. "So this is where you ran off to."

Both boys glanced to the side to see Jiraiya balanced on the railing like a toad.

Sasuke frowned. "Why is everyone suddenly trespassing in my house?"

"I'm not everyone," Jiraiya said lazily, still perched on the railing. "I'm just here for the brat. You could've left a note, you know."

"I didn't have the energy to write a note while half the village was camping outside my door."

"Fair enough." The white haired sannin turned to Sasuke. "Mind if I borrow him for a bit?"

Sasuke lifted his coffee and took a slow sip. "Be my guest. I'll enjoy the peace and quiet."

Naruto gasped dramatically. "You wound me, teme."

"You'll recover," Sasuke replied.

"Anyway," Jiraiya said, hopping down from the railing, "let's go, brat. I've got some news."

Naruto perked up immediately. "What kind of news?"

"The kind you don't shout about on someone else's balcony."

"Okay, okay. Let's go."

Without another word, the redhead hopped onto the railing and leapt down to the courtyard below.

Jiraiya followed in a blur.

As they landed, Naruto's voice floated back up. "Sasuke! Look after Oscar for me!"

"Hn."

The uchiha took another sip of coffee, listening as their voices carried faintly through the quiet compound.

"Pervy Sage, did you know Sasuke doesn't eat breakfast?" Naruto called.

"What kind of idiot doesn't eat breakfast?" Jiraiya replied immediately.

"I KNOW, RIGHT?"

Sasuke's eye twitched at that as lonliness returned.

Almost.

He looked down at the metal pot still sitting on the balcony tiles.

Oscar blinked up at him from the warm water.

Sasuke stared back. "…How do you tolerate him?"

Oscar chirped.

"Yeah," Sasuke muttered. "I don't get it either."

He stepped over, crouched beside the pot, and examined the lizard more closely. The creature tilted its head, steam rising faintly around it.

Sasuke glanced at his mug, then back at the lizard. "…You want to try coffee?"

Oscar nodded.

Sasuke smirked faintly. "Thought so."

He dipped a fingertip into the mug and let a single drop fall near Oscar's mouth. The lizard flicked its tongue. Then immediately recoiled.

Sasuke let out the smallest huff of amusement. "Pathetic."

Oscar made an offended little trill and splashed water at him.

"…You're lucky you're cute," Sasuke muttered.

Oscar blinked slowly, entirely unbothered.

Sasuke stood, drained the last of his coffee, and looked out over the compound once more. He valued the quiet, but lately… he didn't entirely mind that the house wasn't so silent anymore.

---

After grabbing breakfast from a small street stall, Naruto and Jiraiya wandered through the village at an easy pace.

Jiraiya had been gone for years at a time, drifting between borders and brothels, battlefields and back alleys. Naruto took it upon himself to give him a "proper tour," which mostly meant pointing at places and saying, "I onced pranked them like this."

But, neither of them was in a rush.

Jiraiya had been gone for years at a time, always chasing rumors, women, or trouble. Naruto had spent his life moving forward at full speed, whether that meant training, fighting, or surviving in lordran.

Walking without urgency felt… strangely nice.

"You know," Naruto said, pointing at a renovated storefront, "that used to be an old weapons shop. Now it's a dango café."

"I remember that place used to sell kunai so bad they'd bend if you sneezed on them. Good riddance."

They passed the academy.

Jiraiya stopped.

"This courtyard used to be smaller," he said, hands tucked into his sleeves. "Back in my day, we trained on packed dirt. No tiles. If you tripped, you ate rocks."

"Sounds about right."

"And over there," Jiraiya continued, pointing toward a distant rooftop, "that's where Tsunade punched me through a wall for peeking."

Naruto blinked. "You deserved it."

"I was doing research."

"You deserved it."

Jiraiya laughed.

They eventually reached the park near the river. Children ran across the grass. Elderly civilians fed koi in the pond. Naruto sat down on a wooden bench beneath a broad tree. Jiraiya returned from a nearby vendor holding a pale blue twin-stick popsicle.

He handed one half to Naruto.

"So," Naruto said around a bite, "what did you want to talk about?"

Jiraiya licked his popsicle slowly, eyes drifting toward the sky.

"Naruto, does Lordran have dragons?"

Naruto swallowed. "Yeah. But the true dragons were wiped out a long time ago by the Lords of Lordran. What's left are descendants. Still dangerous, but not the everlasting kind."

"What's the difference?"

Naruto scratched his cheek. "Dunno. The old ones were immortal or something."

"Comforting," Jiraiya muttered.

Silence stretched between them for a moment.

"Is there a possibility that a dragon could escape from Lordran?"

Naruto didn't hesitate. "No."

Jiraiya's gaze sharpened. "Are you sure?"

That made Naruto pause.

He frowned slightly, thinking it through instead of answering on instinct.

"Look," he said finally, "I can't give you a hundred percent guarantee. But getting out of Lordran is insanely hard. Me being able to do it is… not normal. It's kind of a big deal over there."

Jiraiya nodded slowly.

"Even if something did escape, I'd kill it."

Jiraiya glanced at him.

When Naruto spoke those words, something in his expression shifted. The easy going attitude disappeared, replaced by a calm, cutting focus that mirrored the Fourth Hokage the moment he stepped onto a battlefield.

"Pervy Sage, Knights were created to fight dragons."

Jiraiya believed him.

Still…

"Why are you asking?" Naruto said, tilting his head.

Jiraiya almost laughed it off. Almost said something about idle curiosity. But that wasn't fair. What kind of godfather kept secrets out of fear? "Naruto, have you ever heard of the Child of Prophecy?"

"Sounds dramatic."

Jiraiya leaned back on the bench, staring at the clouds. "Long ago, the Great Toad Sage told me a prophecy. He said one of my students would change the world. That they would either bring about great peace… or plunge everything into destruction."

Naruto slowly nodded.

"I've spent most of my life chasing that prophecy," Jiraiya continued. "Looking for the one who would fulfill it. I thought it was your father once. I thought it might've been Nagato. I've been wrong before."

The wind stirred the treetops above them, carrying the distant sounds of the village.

"Pervy Sage, you're going way off topic. What are you even talking about?"

Jiraiya winced. "Yeah, yeah. I'm rambling. The point is that I trusted thiz. I built my life around it. I kept thinking if I found the so-called Child of Destiny, everything would make sense."

Naruto snorted and waved a hand as if brushing away smoke.

"What was that for?"

"I think the whole prophecy thing is flawed," Naruto said bluntly. "You're putting the weight of the entire world on one person's shoulders. That doesn't make sense. No matter how strong someone is, they can't rewrite human nature."

Jiraiya watched him carefully.

"People fight because they want different things," Naruto went on. "Power, money, revenge and pride. Even if one guy forces peace, what happens after he's gone? What happens when the next generation disagrees? Or when someone stronger shows up and decides to take everything?"

He looked out over the park.

"One person can't control greed, fear, or hatred forever. If peace is real, it has to come from everyone choosing it. Not from some chosen hero who fixes everything alone."

Jiraiya's expression softened.

"How do you bring true peace to a world that's always been torn apart by conflict? That question followed me through every war, every mission, every loss." He exhaled "Maybe I'll never find the answer."

"Why not?"

"Because the Great Toad Sage has spoken again." Jiraiya's face grew solemn. "He said the first prophecy may still come true… but the future is shifting. Even he can't see it clearly anymore."

Naruto frowned.

"This time, it was a warning that… a dragon will attack Konoha."

Images flooded Naruto's mind. The undead ancient dragons. The crackling lightning wrapped around Stormrend. The lesser drakes that still prowled the valley of drakes.

"Is it supposed to come from Lordran?"

"I don't know," Jiraiya admitted. "It might not be connected at all. But knowing dragons once ruled that land… it feels like more than coincidence."

Naruto stared at the ground for a moment.

"So what you're saying is… if I stop going to Lordran, maybe that stops the dragon?"

"That's one possibility," Jiraiya said gravely.

Naruto shook his head immediately. "No way."

Jiraiya blinked.

"You said the future is shifting, right?" Naruto continued. "You said it's dim. That means it isn't fixed."

He pointed at Jiraiya.

"The second you told me about this warning, the future changed. If it was dim before, it's dimmer now because I know."

Jiraiya's jaw tightened, searching for a rebuttal and finding none.

"Well, regardless of where this dragon is from, you're going to need to prepare for it," Jiraiya said seriously.

"Oh?"

Jiraiya bit into his thumb, drawing blood with as his hands blurred through seals.

Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!

A massive plume of smoke exploded outward, grass bending under the pressure. When it cleared, an enormous toad stood before them, large enough for Jiraiya to ride comfortably on its back. Its skin was a deep orange, patterned with bold blue markings. Bandages wrapped around its torso and left foreleg. Around its neck hung a heavy necklace of seven large beads, the central and largest carved with the kanji for loyalty. On its left palm were three swirl-like markings.

Clamped in its wide mouth was a giant scroll.

"Gamachu," Jiraiya said, patting the toad's side. "Open the summoning contract."

The toad's long tongue unfurled, placing the massive scroll on the ground before Naruto with surprising delicacy.

"This, is the contract with Mount Myoboku. It's been passed down for generations."

He pointed to the parchment.

"First, you write your name in blood. Below that, you press all your fingerprints. After signing this, you'll be able to summon toads in battle. Just like me. Just like your old man."

Naruto's eyes drifted over the names.

Jiraiya.

Minato Namikaze.

Then an empty column waiting for him. Yet Naruto didn't lift his hand.

"What's wrong, brat? Why aren't you writing?"

"I'm going to have to say no to the toad contract."

"…What?"

"I'm not signing."

"Why?" Jiraiya demanded. "Aren't you the same kid who practically demanded his parents' legacy? This is technically your father's legacy!"

"I know, I know," Naruto said quickly. "But it feels unnecessary."

"Unnecessary?" Jiraiya echoed incredulously.

"I don't see myself using toads in combat," Naruto explained. "Getting out of Lordran is hard. Getting in is even harder. I don't even know if summoning contracts would function there. And even outside of Lordran, I've already got Oscar. I don't think he'd appreciate giant toads hopping around us in battle."

Naruto pressed his palms together in apology. "I'm sorry, Pervy Sage."

"…It's your decision."

Jiraya tried to sound neutral, but the disappointment slipped through. With a grunt, he rolled up the large contract and handed it back to Gamachu. The toad vanished in another puff of smoke.

Jiraiya then pulled out a smaller scroll and crouched, beginning to inscribe a complex fuinjutsu array onto it with swift strokes.

"What're you doing?"

"I'm making you a summoning scroll," Jiraiya said without looking up. "I'll assign a specific toad to it. That way, while I'm out of the village, you can contact me directly."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah." Jiraiya finished the seal and blew lightly to dry the ink. "I've got to track down Tsunade and bring her back to Konoha. We'll need her for the Chunin Exams."

"When?"

"Sensei wanted me to leave right away," Jiraiya said, "I pushed it back a few days because I figured I'd teach you summoning properly before I went. Guess that plan's not happening now."

Naruto glanced at the small scroll, then back up at him. "What if, instead, you gave me a jutsu I'd actually use?"

"Oh? And what would that be, Your Highness?"

"I'm good with whatever," Naruto replied with a shrug. "As long as it's not something I'll never touch."

"Alright. New question. What's the plan for that hair of yours? You gonna cut it?"

Naruto immediately shook his head, brushing a hand through his long crimson hair. "No way. I like it long. Makes me look cool and handsome too. And Oscar likes sleeping in it."

"Then I have the perfect jutsu for you. A technique most shinobi ignore because they think it's flashy or gimmicky. Fools. In the right hands, it's a battlefield control monster."

"You're overselling it."

"Am I?" Jiraiya asked. "What if I told you this jutsu works as solid defense, mid-range restraint, sudden offense, and a hard counter to close-quarters fighters? And with your ridiculous chakra reserves, you could maintain it all day without breaking a sweat."

"Okay, now I'm interested."

Jiraiya blurred through a rapid string of hand signs. Chakra pulsed outward from his scalp.

His white hair began to move on its own. Thick strands spilled down his back and over his shoulders, growing longer and heavier. In seconds it spread outward like the quills of some enormous beast. He slammed his foot down, dust kicking up around him, and threw his arms wide in an outrageously dramatic pose.

"Behold! The magnificent Lion's Mane of Jiraiya!"

Naruto blinked. "…Like the mushroom?"

A crow cawed in the distance.

"Eh?"

"You know," Naruto continued helpfully, "the fluffy white fungus? Looks like a beard glued to a coconut? Pretty sure Teuchi-san mentioned it once."

Jiraiya deflated so fast it was almost audible. His glorious mane sagged.

"Shut up," he muttered darkly. "People like to assume it's based on an actual lion. The Majestic King of beasts."

Naruto squinted at the hair still puffed out around him. "…It kinda does look like the fungus though."

"It does not!"

"It does."

Jiraiya pointed accusingly. "You wanna learn this or not."

"Yes."

"Then listen carefully."

Ths Art of the Raging Lion's Mane worked by channeling chakra into the scalp to temporarily accelerate its metabolism, causing the hair to grow at a rapid rate. At the same time, chakra flows through each strand, hardening it to a density comparable to steel wire.

The duo wandered to an empty training field to practice.

"Brat, do you know how Lion's Mane helps with solid defense, mid-range restraint, sudden offense, and a hard counter to close-quarters fighters?"

"Dunno."

"It's the underlying principle of the jutsu that makes it so versatile. The art of chakra string manipulation."

Naruto tilted his head. "How does string relate to a hair jutsu?"

"Because the hair is the medium."

Jiraya lifted a strand of his own long white hair and let it fall between his fingers. "Lion's Mane is just about growing your hair and hardening it. That's only step one. The real trick is weaving chakra strings through every strand. The same principle puppeteers use to control dolls."

"So you're controlling each strand like a limb?"

"Exactly," Jiraiya nodded. "Without strings, it's just reinforced hair. With strings, it becomes an extra limb."

He held up a finger.

"Solid defense? You bundle the strands tight and anchor them with dense chakra strings. You hair now acts like a shield."

Another finger.

"Mid-range restraint? Split the strands thinner. Extend them outward like cords. Wrap, bind, and pull."

A third finger.

"Sudden offense? Coil the strands with tension in the strings, then release. It snaps forward like a whip."

He leaned closer.

"And close-quarters fighters? They rely on entering your range. But if your hair is controlled by chakra strings, your entire radius becomes active territory. They step in, they get caught."

Naruto ran a hand through his crimson hair thoughtfully. "…That's awesome."

"Of course it is," Jiraiya said proudly.

"Alright, pervy sage, serious question about this jutsu."

Jiraiya waved a hand lazily. "Go ahead."

"Could you… maybe… use it to make a bald guy not bald anymore?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"It's important."

"No, it isn't."

"It is to the bald guy."

"I… what? No. Maybe. How should I know?" Jiraiya snapped, rubbing his temple. "That's not what this jutsu was designed for. Stop wasting my time with nonsense."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "Okay. A different question. Can I use it to style my hair?"

Jiraiya slowly lowered his eyelids and gave him a long, flat stare. "Alright, brat. What are you planning?"

Naruto's lips curled into a mischievous grin. He rubbed his palms together.

"Picture this. I'm talking to someone. Every time they blink, my hair changes. Spiky then straight. Then maybe curly. Small changes at first. They keep blinking. It keeps changing. And I act completely normal. After a while they start wondering if they're losing their mind or are in a genjutsu."

He let out a villianous cackle, clearly proud of himself.

Jiraiya stared at him, caught somewhere between disbelief and reluctant amusement. He shook his head. "In theory, yes. If you gained enough control, you could manipulate it for styling. But is that really your grand plan for a jutsu this versatile? Hairstyle pranks?"

"Obviously I'd use it differently in a real fight! I'm not dumb. And it's not like there's some rule that says I can't use ninjutsu to have a little fun!"

"Okay, so the average human head has somewhere between eighty thousand and a hundred fifty thousand hairs. If you tried to move every strand individually, you would need tens of thousands of chakra strings. Each one anchored to a strand for maximum control. The level of control required would make most shinobi quit before they even began."

Naruto tilted his head. "So that's why you bundle the hair together, right? Makes it easier?"

"Exactly. Bundling reduces the number of chakra threads you need to maintain. It also reinforces the structure. But even then, the control is brutal. I would wager that even Suna's best puppet masters would give up halfway through."

Naruto's eyes lit up.

A massive puff of smoke exploded across the training field. When it cleared, hundreds of shadow clones stood shoulder to shoulder.

"Alright! Are we about to give up?"

"NO!"

"Are we going to let anyone deny us our right to prank?"

"NEVER!"

The roar shook the open plain.

Naruto thrust his fist into the air. "Then we train like never before! We master this jutsu! We make the impossible possible! Together!"

"Dattebayo!" the army of Narutos bellowed, their voices echoing like a war cry.

The original Naruto turned to Jiraiya and clapped him on the shoulder, completely satisfied.

"All yours, sensei, teach us everything."

Jiraiya stood there in stunned silence, staring at the sea of identical maniacs burning with determination.

All this effort, chakra and time for a prank.

"All of this… just to mildly annoy people. Minato, your kid is insane."

---

By the time night settled over the Uchiha compound, the four of them were seated around the low dining table. The meal had been simple but filling. Oscar had claimed a small saucer of diced vegetables and something suspiciously metallic that Naruto had slipped him on the side.

Sasuke rose first, collecting the dishes. "Do you require a futon for the night, Master Jiraiya?"

"Yes, thank you," Jiraiya replied with an easy smile.

Then he glanced sideways at Naruto, who was currently trying to maneuver his hair like a clumsy third arm in order to scoop Oscar off the table. "C'mon… cooperate… you're supposed to be my majestic lion's mane."

"You could stand to learn a thing or two from him," Jiraiya added casually.

Naruto didn't even look up. His hair twitched, wrapped awkwardly around the lizard's middle, and lifted him an inch before dropping him again.

"Yeah," Sasuke said dryly as he headed toward the storage closet. "I highly doubt he's learning manners any time soon."

Naruto finally managed to hoist Oscar up by the hair and held him triumphantly at eye level. "Now that you've kinda taught me Lion's Mane," he said, adjusting his grip so Oscar wasn't dangling quite so indignantly, "are you leaving sooner or later?"

"Wow. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me."

"Just asking."

"I'll be heading out Sunday," Jiraiya replied. "Figured I'd give you a few days to practice before I go."

Naruto hesitated, then lowered his voice slightly. "... Then you should know Danzo contacted me."

"When?"

"When I went back to my apartment," Naruto said. "There was a letter under my pillow."

Jiraiya's expression sharpened, but before he could respond, Sasuke returned, carrying a neatly folded futon.

"Here, I cleared the spare room."

"Much appreciated, son," Jiraiya said as he accepted it.

They began settling in for the night. Sasuke moved to slide open the door to one of the unused rooms, but Jiraiya shifted direction.

"That won't be necessary. I'll stay in Naruto's room."

"Why?"

"The boy still has a hundred questions about the absurd names his father tried to give his techniques."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow, curiosity piqued.

Jiraiya cleared his throat dramatically. "At one point, your father wanted to call the Rasengan… 'Halo Frozen Dessert Hair Whorl Jiraiya Twin Formula Sphere.'"

There was silence.

"…No way."

"Way," Jiraiya said solemnly. "Thankfully, Kushina stepped in before he embarrassed himself permanently."

Sasuke slowly turned to Naruto. "That explains a lot."

"Hey!" Naruto protested. "Long names are automatically cooler and more intimidating."

"You once tried to name a combo attack 'Crimson Knight Supreme Infinite Comets,'" Sasuke deadpanned.

"And it was awesome."

"It was twelve letters too long."

Jiraiya barked out a laugh. "Minato used the exact same logic."

"See? It's hereditary."

"Get some sleep," Jiraiya said, shaking his head. "We start early. And that includes you, Sasuke."

"Me?"

"Think of it as a thank you for housing the village idiot."

Naruto gasped. "I am not—"

Sasuke hid his reaction behind a calm nod. "Understood." But the subtle glint in his eyes betrayed him. Anyone would be excited at the thought of being trained by one of the Sannin.

As they headed toward Naruto's borrowed room, Naruto nudged Jiraiya. "So you're not planning to make Sasuke a frog summoner?"

"What? No."

"I figured you were shopping for a replacement since I declined."

Jiraiya snorted. "There have been toad summoners before me. There'll be more after me. The contract doesn't hinge on you."

"So why not him?"

Jiraiya glanced back toward the hallway where Sasuke had disappeared. "The Uchiha clan relies on their Sharingan. On their own strength. I don't see Sasuke depending on a summon."

Naruto frowned slightly.

"And even if he wanted to, his reserves aren't suited for the bigger toads. You need ridiculous chakra for that."

"So, I guess you're stuck being the last great toad summoner."

Jiraiya promptly smacked him upside the head. As the door clicked shut, the older man's expression shifted.

He formed a quick sequence of hand seals.

A thin veil of chakra spread outward, clinging to the walls, ceiling, and floor like a transparent membrane. The air hummed softly for a brief second before going still.

"Alright," Jiraiya said, holding out his hand. "Let's see the letter from Danzo."

[ Item: The Red Letter ]
[ Description: A letter said to come from a friend. Within its words lies the promise of treasure, yet every boon bears a burden. To trust its sender is folly, yet to ignore it may be costlier still. ]

Naruto stared at the description as it hovered before his eyes. The phrasing was deliberately vague, but the malice was clear.

Said to come from a friend.

That alone set his teeth on edge alongside the system's warning sat heavy in his mind: Do not ignore it.

The letter shimmered into Naruto's palm. Jiraiya turned it over in his hands. His thumb brushed across the hardened wax seal, feeling the insignia pressed into it.

"Should I open it?"

Naruto didn't hesitate. "No point dragging it out."

Jiraiya exhaled through his nose, then broke the seal in one clean motion. The wax split with a brittle snap. He unfolded the parchment, eyes scanning the first few lines, his expression unreadable.

Without a word, he handed it to Naruto.

[ Naruto,

I see that you have upheld your end of the promise. It must not have been easy, but you did it. That shows strength… the strength of an Uzumaki. And as I swore, I return something precious to you. A picture of your mother. The woman who gave you life, who loved you more than anyone else in this world. Naruto, you deserve to know her face. To know her name. To know the bond that Hiruzen and the others have tried so hard to bury beneath lies. ]

Naruto pulled his mother's wedding photo from his inventory and carefully placed it beside the second photograph that had come tucked inside the red letter.

His father's wedding photo.

Minato Namikaze stood in a traditional black kimono. His blond hair was slightly tousled, soft strands catching the light as if stirred by a quiet breeze. His expression carried the weight of the moment. The kind of smile a man wore when he knew exactly who he was choosing and would choose her again in every lifetime.

Naruto held the two photographs out in front of Oscar.

The little lizard tilted his head, blinked once, then leaned forward to gently boop Minato's image with his nose. A soft, curious chirp escaped him before he shuffled closer and lightly pawed at Kushina's picture, as if committing their faces to memory.

Naruto huffed a quiet laugh.

Carefully, he slid both photos back into his inventory for safekeeping. Then his gaze shifted to the third photo.

A man stood beside Minato and Kushina. His hair was shaggy and long, framing eyes that were an ordinary brown in the picture. He looked like any other veteran of a bloody era. Nothing remarkable at first glance.

Yet something about the way he stood behind them felt… wrong.

"…Is this Danzo?"

"Yes," Jiraiya replied without hesitation, leaning in to inspect the image. "These two were from their wedding."

His finger moved to the third picture.

"This one's fake. Danzo probably had one of his Root operatives use a Transformation Jutsu to stage it. He wasn't even invited to your parents' wedding. I'm fairly certain Kushina said she'd personally throw him out if he so much as showed up."

Naruto exhaled slowly.

So Danzo had inserted himself into the memory. An attempt to place himself within his personal history.

"Trying to make me trust him without realizing it," he muttered.

Most of the letter was filled with details about Kushina that Naruto already knew. Until one line stopped him. Kushina had loved ramen and had gone on her first date at Ichiraku when it first opened.

A small smile tugged at his lips.

"Let me see the jutsu scroll he sent," Jiraiya asked.

The white haired man unrolled the parchment, and his expression shifted.

"Something wrong?"

"This is the Blade of Wind jutsu."

"So… it's strong?"

"It's classified as an A-rank Wind Style ninjutsu. But forget the ranking system. You've heard of the Sickle Weasel Technique from the Sand?"

Naruto shook his head.

"The Sickle Weasel Technique creates intersecting currents of wind that collide with each other, forming vacuum pockets," Jiraiya explained. "Even on its own, the gust is strong enough to deflect incoming attacks and send opponents flying off their feet."

He held up the scroll slightly.

"The Blade of Wind is to the Sickle Weasel what a longsword is to a kunai."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Historically, the First Kazekage unified the desert tribes through sheer, overwhelming strength. There are legends that his Blade of Wind could cleave through entire town blocks in a single sweep, carve apart S-rank Earth Style as if they were paper, and sever your fingers before you could even complete a handsign."

"No way," Naruto breathed, staring at the scroll as if it might explode in his hands. "He just… gave me one of the strongest wind jutsu."

"That's exactly why I don't like it. Danzo doesn't give gifts. He invests. If he's willing to hand you something like the Blade of Wind, then he expects a return worth far more."

Naruto's grip tightened slightly on the parchment.

"And don't forget," Jiraiya added, "this isn't some common technique floating around the villages. He either stole it, extorted it, or acquired it through means the Sand would not be pleased to hear about."

Naruto exhaled slowly, eyes scanning the rest of the letter until he reached the final line.

[I look forward to our meeting, my boy.]

Naruto felt Oscar shudder where he sat on his shoulder.

Below the signature was a summoning seal.

"If you channel chakra into it, you'll summon one of Danzo's summon. Either it acts as a messenger… or it reverse-summons you to him."

"Both options are bad."

"Agreed."

Silence stretched between them.

Then Jiraiya spoke again. "Let's activate it."

Naruto looked up sharply.

"I'll be with you," Jiraiya continued, voice low but steady. "If Danzo tries anything, he'll remember exactly why they call me the Toad Sage."

For a brief moment, the easygoing pervert vanished.

In his place stood one of the Legendary Sannin. A man who stood as one of the strongest shinobis of konoha. Naruto and Oscar felt the weight of that presence.

"…Alright," Naruto said quietly.

Jiraiya moved through a rapid string of hand seals, his expression sharpening in an instant.

"I'm going to use Toad Subjugation: Art of the Manipulated Shadow. I'll thread my chakra into your shadow, flatten myself, and merge with it. If that seal triggers a reverse summoning, I'll be pulled along with you. And if anything goes wrong on the other side, I can take control of your body instantly."

"That's… comforting and creepy at the same time."

"I have to hold my breath to maintain it," Jiraiya added. "So don't drag this out."

Jiraiya inhaled deeply and then his body thinned like parchment, collapsing into Naruto's shadow until it darkened unnaturally beneath his feet.

"Okay. That's officially the weirdest thing you've done today."

A faint tug at his leg answered him from below.

Naruto pressed a quick kiss to the lizard's head. "High alert. If anything weird happens, go ravenous mode."

Oscar chirped, eyes narrowing with surprising intensity.

Naruto channeled chakra into the seal.

With a puff of smoke, something small stood where the letter had been.

A tiny elephantine chimera no taller than Oscar swayed on stout legs. Its body was mostly soft pink, round and plush-looking, but darker tones colored its trunk and limbs. Tiger-like stripes wrapped around its feet. Tiny ivory tusks curled from its mouth, and delicate rings of vibrant color circled its large, glossy eyes.

It blinked at him then it sneezed out some pink smoke.

The system's window followed.

[ Name: Munna ]
[ HP: 150/150 ]

"Hello."

"Yo."

"My name is Munna. I am a baku summon."

The little chimera stepped closer, trunk reaching out to nudge his hand. The gesture was almost demanding, as if she expected him to pat her head. Naruto obliged with a single stroke, though his gaze slid to the side where Oscar crouched slightly openly glaring at the new girl.

"Why are you here?"

"My father said I'm supposed to use our clan's dream jutsu on you."

Naruto blinked. "And what's that supposed to do?"

"It's the secret technique of the Baku clan," she replied in a light, sing-song voice. "Baku are dream-eaters. We are a clan bound to the Dream Realm, the place human consciousness drifts to when the body sleeps."

"Like an actual dream?" Naruto asked confused.

"A dream is the mind untethered from the senses. When the body rests; thoughts, fears, memories, and desires bleed together. That space between waking and nothingness… that is where we live. We call it a shoreline between worlds."

She tapped her trunk against her forehead proudly.

"Our Dream Jutsu lets us step into that realm on purpose. We can enter someone's dreams, speak to them across distance, or carry messages through the space between sleepers. If two minds are dreaming, we can make a bridge."

"So, that's how the hawk wants to talk to me."

Munna bobbed her head. "

Naruto glanced at Oscar, then at the faint ripple in his shadow, and gave a small nod. "Alright," he said calmly. "Go ahead."

A haze poured from her trunk, pilling outward in curling pink tendrils. The edges of reality softened as if sleep had been forced upon him, and the last thing he saw was Oscar's silhouette, watching carefully as the world dissolved into dream.

---

The dream unfolded around Naruto in a way that was both familiar and deeply wrong. The colors bled together at first, a swirl of gold, ash-gray, and dying ember red, before the landscape began stitching itself into something recognizable. Stone arches from firelink shrine beside the crumbling battlements of Undead Burg.

The ground beneath his feet was a patchwork of everything he had walked before. Polished marble flowed into cracked cobblestone that spilled in the dirt of the valley of the drakes.

"Every individual is said to have their own unique dreamscape."

Naruto turned to the voice.

Normally, he wouldn't judge someone's appearance too harshly. But this man looked like he had stepped straight out of his parents' wedding photo, and Naruto understood exactly why. Presenting himself that way was another calculated layer of manipulation, meant to make Naruto subconsciously lower his guard and trust him.

That was what made Naruto's stomach twist.

"You must be Hawk," he said evenly, forcing his face into neutrality.

"Indeed. But shimura will suffice."

[ Name: Shimura Danzo ]
[ HP: ? / ? ] ◇

Naruto raised his brows slightly at the system prompt. That's new, he thought while asking, "So, what's with this dream call?"

"You are direct," Danzo observed, his tone held neither praise nor criticism.

"Honestly, I'm tired. I'd rather be asleep for real," Naruto replied with a yawn.

"Then I will be concise," Danzo said. "With the revelation of your parentage, multiple villages are sending expanded delegations to the Chunin Exams. Each comes with its own agenda. Some may attempt to eliminate you. Others will observe you carefully before determining how they will engage with Konoha in the future."

Naruto nodded slowly.

"Hiruzen will inevitably use your presence to elevate the village's standing. Increased prestige, increased trade, and increased influence. That is the burden of symbols. Your parents' legacy, their wealth, their name, all of it belongs to the village."

Naruto gave a small gasp, but not for the reason Danzo expected. He understood that this man was deliberately constructing a narrative. A quiet wedge meant to reframe loyalty as exploitation.

The manipulation was subtle in tone, but unmistakable in intent.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Naruto asked curiously, testing the waters.

"Direct confrontation with the Hokage would be inefficient," Danzo replied. "For now, survival and competence are your priorities. Power determines leverage."

"That's why you gave me the Blade of Wind scroll?"

"Yes," Danzo said. "It is a lethal jutsu capable of ending engagements swiftly.

"Yes," Danzo said evenly. "The true strength of the Blade of Wind lies in its invisibility. It cannot be seen, only felt when it is already too late. That makes it ideal for eliminating a target before they comprehend the threat."

His expression did not change.

"No matter how powerful a shinobi may be, a strike delivered unseen will always make them suffer. Power is irrelevant if one is unprepared. This technique exists to ensure your enemy never has that luxury."

Naruto nodded, remembering how the First Kazekage would cut off the fingers of ninjutsu users before they could complete their hand seals, how he would sever tendons, slice through defensive earth walls, and end battles before they properly began.

"But this jutsu is meant to push you and see what you're really capable of," Danzo said. "It will reveal your capacity for discipline. Strength without control is wasteful. I am assessing which you possess."

"A test?"

"A necessary evaluation," Danzo corrected evenly. "Master the technique with speed and restraint. Demonstrate that you understand what it means to carry a village's expectations. If you do, I will consider granting you access to certain Uzumaki clan techniques. Assets that should not remain dormant."

Naruto's eyes widened at the bait.

This was a leash being looped around his neck, plain as day. Danzo dangled his clan's legacy in front of him like a piece of meat, waiting to see how fast he would chase after it. Worse, he had not even set a proper deadline, leaving the condition vague on purpose. That way, Naruto would always feel like he was racing against invisible expectations, desperate to please a master who would never be satisfied.

"How do you even have those jutsu?"

Danzo's expression did not waver. "Your mother and father entrusted me with copies of their most precious techniques," he said smoothly, his tone soaked with feigned sincerity. "I am sure you have already asked Hiruzen for them. But he will never give them to you. He will dig into the Senju library, take what Uzumaki scrolls still remain, and claim that they were your parents' inheritance. Convenient, is it not, that the originals were supposedly destroyed during the Nine-Tails' attack?"

Naruto's anger threatened to spill out, but he pulled it back with a slow inhale. His parents' legacy dangled in front of him, twisted into a bargaining chip. He could not afford to lose his temper here.

"All I have to do is learn this wind jutsu, right?"

"Yes. I expect you will not disappoint me."

The subtle framing of expectations.

Danzo wanted him to crave his approval, to chase validation as if he were the only one who could grant it. The man was casting himself in the role of a trusted guardian, the one person closest to his parents' memory and the one who held their will.

"I see," Naruto muttered, careful not to give too much away. Suddenly; his body began to flicker, his form shimmering like water about to break apart.

"What's happening?"

"It seems someone is waking you," Danzo replied calmly.

Naruto let out a short laugh. "Oh, that would be Oscar. That little lizard gets pretty clingy." He gave a mocking grin. "Thanks for the jutsu, Shimura san."

The dream shattered. Naruto gasped awake just in time to be tackled to the floor by a crystal lizard, Oscar's tail slapping across his face with enough force to rattle his teeth.

"I AM AWAKE, I AM AWAKE!" Naruto shouted, throwing up his hands as Oscar gave him another thwack just to make sure.

Munna cried out in alarm, her small elephant form bouncing on its feet. "What have you done? That could have been dangerous!"

Oscar turned his eyes on her, growling low and threatening.

Naruto pressed a hand gently to Oscar's crystalline back. "Sorry about that. Oscar gets a little unhinged if I don't shower him with love every two minutes." He turned his gaze on the lizard. "Now say you're sorry to Munna."

Oscar dipped his head reluctantly, though his tail slammed down indicating that Munna did something.

"Don't worry, buddy. I understand."

His eyes shifted to the status bar flickering in front of him.

[ Status: Memory Eater (62%) ]

It did not take a genius-level intelligence to piece it together.

The dream was never a simple meeting. It had been an attempt to strip away his mind, to devour pieces of him until he was hollow and pliable. Danzo had not only been manipulating him with words, but had tried to reach directly into his memories.

Danzo was a parasite wearing the skin of trust.

Naruto gave her a small smile and gently patted her head. "Go back to your summoning realm. And thank you for your help."

Munna nodded nervously and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Jiraiya burst out of Naruto's shadow with a violent gasp. "Brat," he wheezed, pounding his chest once. "What the hell happened?"

"You okay? You looked like a sticker peeling off the ground."

"Answer the question."

Naruto's expression shifted, the earlier irritation fading into something more serious. He quickly relayed everything that happened. When he finished, the silence stretched.

"…Shit," Jiraiya muttered.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed quietly.

They both understood the implication without needing to spell it out.

Danzo had placed Naruto on the board like a piece to be maneuvered, and if Naruto wanted to reclaim the Uzumaki clan's legacy, he would have to learn how to play the game instead of flipping the table.

"Don't panic," Jiraiya said finally, voice calmer than he felt. "You've got people in this village who won't let you get swallowed by that man's shadow. Me, kakashi and even the old man, for all his faults."

Naruto nodded, though his eyes were distant. "I think I'm gonna head to Lordran. Clear my head. Kill a few things. Talk to some friends."

"Healthy coping mechanism," Jiraiya said dryly. "Try not to die."

"No promises."

Oscar gave Jiraiya a tiny wave with one claw.

A golden flare of light enveloped Naruto and the lizard. The Homeward miracle activated and they vanished.

---

Jiraiya lay back in the borrowed futon that night, staring at the ceiling.

Sleep did not come.

If he abandoned the Tsunade retrieval mission, he could stay and help Naruto with Danzo. But without Tsunade, the Chunin Exams would be a political disaster waiting to happen. The village needed stability.

Naruto needed protection.

For once, the great Toad Sage felt cornered. And morning arrived whether he liked it or not.

Jiraya found Sasuke in the kitchen making coffee.

"You want a cup?"

"Sure," Jiraiya replied, dropping into a seat. "Make it strong. I need something to kick me in the soul."

"How do you like it?"

Jiraiya back, giving two thumbs up. "Like I like my women... with big titties."

"...So you want to be breastfed?"

"..."

"..."

"...Yes"

---

After their "breakfast", the two headed to a nearby training ground.

It was quiet except for the sound of birds and the occasional rustle of leaves.

Sasuke reached into his pouch and pulled out a shuriken, holding it up between two fingers. He closed his eyes and began channeling lightning chakra into the metal.

He threw it. It hit the tree and... nothing.

"Yeah, you're doing it wrong." Jiraiya said.

"I gathered that."

"Alright Mr genius, lesson one. Elemental chakra coating isn't one size fits all. Every element has its own logic, its own personality. Wind, for example, has to be layered along the surface of a weapon. Earth is the opposite. You push it inside the weapon. It reinforces the structure, making the object heavier and harder."

Sasuke nodded slowly. "What about lightning?"

Jiraiya held up a finger. "Lightning is unique because it can be applied both internally and externally, and the two do completely different things." He paused to make sure Sasuke was following. "Internal coating is simpler so we start there. You channel lightning chakra inside the shuriken, compress it, and essentially store the current inside the metal. The chakra doesn't release until the moment of impact."

"So it detonates on contact." Sasuke said.

"Detonates is a strong word but yeah, basically. The charge builds up inside and the second it hits something, the energy discharges outward through whatever it makes contact with." Jiraiya gestured toward the tree.

Sasuke took a breath, closed his eyes, and focused. Instead of trying to coat the outer edge of the metal he pushed the chakra through his fingertips and inward, compressing it into the body of the shuriken like he was packing something tightly into a box. The metal grew warm in his hand. He could feel the charge sitting inside it, contained and restless.

He threw it.

The shuriken buried itself into the bark of the tree and for a half second there was silence. Then the stored charge released in a sharp crackling burst, the lightning exploding outward from the point of impact in jagged arcs that scorched the wood black and blew a chunk of bark clean off the trunk.

"Wow." Jiraiya said, slow clapping. "Aren't you just a genius."

"Don't be patronizing." Sasuke said, but he was already reaching for another shuriken.

"I'm being genuine! That's annoying isn't it." Jiraiya grinned. "Most kids take a hundred tries to get the compression right. You did it in three."

Sasuke said nothing, which for him was basically a thank you.

"Now the fun part. External coating." Jiraya reached into his coat and pulled out a kunai, then crouched down, drawing two parallel lines about a foot apart. Then he took a shuriken from his own pouch and set it flat in the dirt between the two lines, right in the middle.

Sasuke tilted his head at the crude diagram.

"These two lines are your hands." Jiraiya said. "When you channel lightning chakra through both hands simultaneously and hold a metal projectile between them, you create a magnetic field. The current runs from one hand through the metal and to the other, and when the charge is strong enough, the interaction between the electromagnetic field and the current inside the metal generates a forward force." He looked up at Sasuke. "This is not just chakra theory. This is science."

"Hn."

"The tricky part is the balance. Too much chakra in one hand and the field destabilizes, the shuriken goes sideways. Too little and it just drops. You have to maintain perfectly equal output from both hands at all times while simultaneously building enough charge to actually launch it. Which should be easy to do with the help of the sharingan."

"How fast does it go?"

"Fast enough that you won't see it." Jiraiya said simply.

That was all Sasuke needed to hear.

The next six hours were ugly. The first attempt sent the shuriken spinning uselessly into the grass three feet to his left. The second attempt did nothing at all because he couldn't hold the balance long enough for the field to form. The third attempt built a field but discharged too early and the shuriken heated up so fast it burned his fingers and he dropped it.

"You're favoring cloakwise chakra flow." Jiraiya observed from where he sat on a log, eating from a rice ball. "You have to consciously counterbalance. Cloakwise flow in one and anticlockwise in the other."

"I know." Sasuke said through his teeth, shaking out his fingers.

"Just checking." Jiraiya said cheerfully, taking another bite.

"You could help instead of watching."

"I could." Jiraiya agreed. "But you're almost there and I don't want to interrupt your process. Also this rice ball is really good."

Sasuke shot him a look that could have curdled milk and turned back to the target. He reset his stance. Both hands up, shuriken held flat between his palms without touching it, suspended only by the magnetic tension of the field. He breathed out slowly and this time he didn't think about his right hand or his left hand. He thought about the current. One current. A single loop running from one palm through the metal and back. Not two separate outputs but one continuous circuit.

The shuriken began to vibrate.

The hum grew louder, higher in pitch, a sound like a wire pulled too tight. Lightning chakra crept across the surface of the metal in thin crawling arcs, and then the charge spiked and Sasuke shoved both palms forward and the shuriken left his hands.

It crossed the length of the training ground in something that didn't feel like a throw. It felt like it was simply gone from his hands and then it was on the other side of the field, buried past the blade into the solid wood of a tree with a crack that echoed off every surface around them. The bark around the impact point was scorched in a perfect starburst. The tree itself had a slight lean to it that had not been there before.

Birds scattered from the surrounding trees in every direction.

Jiraiya lowered his rice ball.

Sasuke stood with both arms still extended, breathing hard, staring at the damage across the field.

"Hm."

"Hm?"

"I was going to say something cool and mentor-like." Jiraiya said. "But you just put a shuriken through a tree with enough force to tilt it, so I'm actually a little speechless."

"You're speechless?"

"First time for everything." Jiraiya stood up, tucking the last of the rice ball into his mouth, and walked over to examine the tree. He ran a hand along the scorched bark, looked at the angle of the lean, whistled low. "You're gonna need to practice alot more if you want to master this technique. So, are you up for more training?"

Sasuke glanced at him sideways. "Don't you have to train Naruto?"

It was a reasonable question and not entirely an attempt to get out of anything. Naruto was Jiraiya's actual student. Sasuke was, by any technical definition, a bonus.

"Naruto's busy with a few things right now." Jiraiya said with a wave of his hand that implied he wasn't going to elaborate. "So I figured, why not make use of the time. Teach you something you can pass along to him later."

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes." Jiraiya said, already turning toward the open stretch of the training ground.

His Sharingan activated on instinct, the tomoe spinning into place. Whatever was coming, he wanted to see every detail of it from the first movement.

Jiraiya noticed and nodded once, approving without commenting on it. "This jutsu was created by the Third Hokage."

Sasuke's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. A jutsu bearing his authorship was not something you learned in an afternoon and called yourself done with.

He swallowed as he had to learn this jutsu and pass it onto Naruto.

Jiraiya reached into his coat and produced a handful of shuriken. He made some handsigns and threw the metal stars forward.

"Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

---

Author Note:

Sorry for the late upload, guys. Life has been really busy for me lately, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I am still writing consistently, even when updates slow down a bit.

Now, let's get into the Q and A.

---

Q. Why did you give Naruto Jiraiya's hair style jutsu?

Honestly, this is something I always wished canon Naruto had.

The hair jutsu is one of Jiraiya's most unique and visually distinct techniques. It is creative, versatile, and very different from the standard elemental blasts we see everywhere else. Considering how Kushina's hair moves almost like the flowing tails of the Nine Tails, I honestly thought Kishimoto would eventually give Naruto some kind of hair based jutsu. It just felt like the setup was there.

Since canon never gave it to him, I decided I would.

Also, I love when characters use their powers for stupid, harmless, personality driven things outside of combat. It makes them feel alive.

Plus ds1 Naruto is still Naruto and a kid. Of course he would test something like that in the dumbest way possible.

The idea of him changing his hairstyle every time someone blinks is exactly the kind of chaotic nonsense he would find hilarious. And imagine him pulling something ridiculous like Franky from One Piece with over the top hair designs mid conversation.

---

Q. Would it have been better to give Naruto toad summons?

I asked this a few chapters back, and after thinking about it more, my final answer is still no.

The main reason is simple. I am not planning to write Naruto actively using toads, whether in Lordran or in the Elemental Nations. And I do not want to give him abilities that just exist for the sake of familiarity.

Every power Naruto has in this story needs to matter. It needs to influence his growth, his fighting style, or the world's reaction to him.

Toad summons are iconic, yes. But this Naruto is already juggling Lordran, soul magic, pyromancy, miracles, shinobi training, and the political consequences of all that. Adding toads on top of that would either dilute focus or reduce them to background props.

I would rather keep the ability list tighter and more intentional than stack powers just because they are canon.

---

Q. Why did Naruto get the Blade of Wind?

So last chapter I got a ton of great wind jutsu suggestions in the comments, and honestly a lot of them sparked ideas for future techniques Naruto could develop down the line. But the reason I specifically chose the Blade of Wind comes down to one thing.

JJK.

I am dead serious. Sukuna's Dismantle is one of my favorite attacks in the series, and the moment I realized I could essentially add it to this fic as a wind jutsu that is actually canon to Naruto. I was over the moon.

From the wiki: Baki emits chakra from his fingertips and creates an invisible wind blade to attack with. Opponents can't see it coming and there's little they can do to defend against it. The Blade of Wind is to the Sickle Weasel Technique what a longsword is to a kunai.

An invisible slash fired from your fingertips. That is literally just Dismantle.

So yeah, Naruto now has a full wind range spread: Wind Bullet for long range, Blade of Wind for mid range, and Vacuum Blade for close range. Nice and clean.

---

Q. Who is the First Kazekage?

Reto founded Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, and was said to have gathered all the desert-dwelling shinobi under his control with his overwhelming power. You guys know by now that I love expanding on Naruto's historical side characters ( Sasuke Sarutobi, Hanzo), and Reto is the next one on that list.

Most of his legend in this fic is going to be built around demonstrating just how high the ceiling for the Blade of Wind actually is.

Think cutting through ninjutsu ( specifically earth style), severing an enemy's fingers before they can complete a handsign and slashing through an entire city block. And yes, those who caught it, those feats are all references to the Mahito vs Modulo Yuji fight.

Now here is a fun little tie in.

According to the wiki, Reto actually uses the Blade of Wind in the Naruto mobile game. So this isn't even a stretch on my part. The connection between Reto and the Blade of Wind has a canonical footprint to it, which made writing him around that technique feel even more satisfying. It just fits.

Now if you have ideas for how DS1 Naruto could eventually surpass Reto's mastery of the Blade of Wind, or how you'd want Naruto to use the technique differently, drop them in the comments. I genuinely want to read them.

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Q. Is Munna a Pokemon reference?

Yes, completely intentional. Danzo's assigned summon for Naruto is a nod to the Pokemon Munna, which like Drowzee draws inspiration from the Baku, the tapir-like creatures from myth that devour dreams. Since Danzo already uses Baku summons thematically, it felt like a fun way to tie it together while sneaking in a reference to my very first fanfic, which was a Pokemon story. Full circle moment honestly.

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Q. Did Sasuke just use a railgun?

Yes. Yes he did.

For those who don't know how a railgun works: a railgun is a device that uses electromagnetic force to launch projectiles at extreme speeds. It works by running a high voltage electrical current through two parallel conducting rails with a conductive projectile sitting between them. The current flows from one rail, through the projectile, and back through the other rail, creating a powerful magnetic field. That magnetic field interacts with the current running through the projectile and generates what is called a Lorentz force, which is the force that launches the projectile forward at incredible speed. Real world railguns can fire projectiles at speeds exceeding Mach 6.

Sasuke is doing exactly that. His two hands are the rails. The lightning chakra he channels through both palms simultaneously is the electrical current. The shuriken sitting in the magnetic field generated between his hands is the conductive projectile. When the charge builds to the right threshold and he releases, the Lorentz force principle does the rest and the shuriken is gone before you can blink.

A chakra technique built on real physics.

Hope you guys enjoyed that moment as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now I want you guys to help me name this jutsu, drop your suggestions in the comments.

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That's It… For Now.

And if you can't wait for the next update, the next chapter drops on Feb 25th! You can read ahead to Chapter 112 on Patreon.

As always, I want to thank you all for taking the time to read, comment, and follow along with this story. Your feedback means more than you know, and it helps push me to make each chapter bigger, sharper, and more true to the worlds of Naruto and Dark Souls.

Until next time, Praise the Sun.

—Adam