Naruto Uzumaki

After Uchiha Sora regained his focus, his first instinct was to look at the Kumogakure group that had just died.

The area of blood seepage was exactly the same as when he had left.

He sensed the chakra within his body... not a single point more, not a single point less.

It was as if his state before the traversal had been locked; no matter how much he expended in the mission world, it was not calculated into his current state.

Uchiha Sora immediately thought of other potential uses for this traversal.

A Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

If he were to fall into a disadvantageous position during a fierce battle, could he choose to accept a loan mission to travel to another world, wait until he had devised a countermeasure, and then return?

This could be considered a form of time-stop.

He just didn't know if the growth achieved in the other world would be brought back with him.

Theoretically, it should be possible; after all, anything could be brought back by paying Credit Points, which should include his own strength.

It was just that this time was too short, and Uchiha Sora didn't feel his experience bar increase.

Infinity Castle...

It could almost be considered a portable pocket dimension; whether used for combat or protecting others, it was a treasure of immense value.

That guy who looked so much like Orochimaru better hurry up and accumulate enough Credit Points to call me...

--

"Sora, are we still proceeding with the original plan to go to the Land of Iron?"

Even with Shisui's ocular prowess, he had no idea that the person beside him had just gone sightseeing in another world.

Uchiha Sora nodded: "Yes, they are rich in iron ore. Since we have struck out on our own, we need our own source of weapon materials. We need to talk to them."

"Then... are we still going to charge straight into the Daimyo's mansion?"

Uchiha Sora looked at Shisui as if he were an idiot: "Did you never study the geography of the ninja world?"

"Uh... why do you say that?"

"Use your brain before you speak next time."

"The Land of Iron doesn't have a Daimyo; they have a General as the leader of their samurai."

"Do you think they are some kind of pushover like Yugakure? General Mifune is a powerhouse capable of trading blows with Hanzo, and they have countless formidable samurai."

"The reason they can maintain their neutral status isn't because of some ancient agreement; it's because they possess the strength to defend themselves!"

Even though Shisui was two years older than Uchiha Sora, he stood there receiving instruction like a junior.

"Your head is full of ideas about controlling others. Being a ninja isn't just about killing and fighting; it's about social nuance..."

As he spoke, Uchiha Sora felt something was off.

It seemed that General Mifune had actually been controlled by Shisui's eyes in the original timeline.

"In short, the methods we employ must be based on the balance of power between both sides."

"This time, we are truly going to discuss cooperation."

"Oh... I understand, I'll listen to you..."

Shisui nodded submissively, honestly playing the role of a sidekick.

--

--

Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.

The ninja village was built upon peaks that pierced the clouds, shrouded in mist, with the deafening roar of thunder echoing periodically.

Hidden in the clouds, mastering the lightning.

Every generation of Raikage was known as "A," which, in the traditions of the Land of Lightning, meant the strongest.

In the office of the Raikage building.

BANG!!!

The furious Fourth Raikage smashed his desk to pieces with a single punch, his mustache trembling with rage.

"What did you say... Dodai is dead!!"

"Bastard!!"

"He went to the Land of Hot Water, who could possibly kill him!!"

Dodai was a high-ranking official left to him by his father, his most trusted confidant.

He could never have imagined that merely going to investigate why the Land of Hot Water hadn't paid their protection money on time—such a trivial matter—could result in Dodai losing his life.

"Lord Raikage... this is the final message Dodai transmitted to the Intelligence Division..."

The secretary, also a dark-skinned middle-aged man, handed over the intelligence report with a sorrowful expression.

He and Dodai were close friends, and he felt deep grief over Dodai's death.

The vast majority of people in Kumogakure were forthright and bold, and the village as a whole was united and fraternal; the death of any comrade would fill them with sadness.

Though, it must be said, they were quite ruthless when dealing with people from other ninja villages.

Raikage suppressed his grief and stared at a single line of text on the report.

"Konoha in flux, Uchiha in Land of Hot Water."

One could tell from the brevity of the message just how urgent the situation had been at the time.

"Uchiha..."

Raikage gritted his teeth until they creaked, roaring, "I will have the Uchiha clan buried with Dodai!!"

The secretary voiced his opinion at the opportune moment: "Lord Raikage, I am also deeply saddened by Dodai's death, but I believe the key lies in the first four words."

"What exactly has happened in Konoha is what is most important to us."

"To leave Dodai without even a chance to escape, there would have to be at least five Uchiha with three-tomoe Sharingan; such power appearing in the Land of Hot Water is illogical."

"We know that Konoha has always been wary of the Uchiha; it is impossible for that many Uchiha jonin to leave the village collectively."

"We speculate..."

"It is highly likely that a major upheaval occurred in Konoha, and a portion of the Uchiha have defected!"

The secretary said in a low voice, "We must avenge Dodai, but we are currently at war with Konoha, and this intelligence is too critical."

"The several spies we had in Konoha have all lost contact; the top priority is to send people to investigate the situation in Konoha. This might... be an opportunity for us to deal a heavy blow to Konoha!"

"Please make your decision. Whatever you decide, we will follow you."

He took a few deep breaths.

A long while passed.

"Send people to infiltrate Konoha."

Immediately after, Raikage said coldly, "Send a squad to the Land of Hot Water to investigate as well, but do not act rashly..."

"Once we find out who killed Dodai, I will personally take action to avenge him!"

"As you command."

--

--

The sea.

On the coast of an island shrouded in mist year-round.

A green frog leaped out of the seawater. The frog shook its head, and after discovering there were no people nearby...

Click—

A human hand reached out from the frog's mouth, and a tall, white-haired man crawled out from the tiny frog; the scene was indescribably bizarre.

"So this is the main island of Kirigakure... the defenses feel a bit lax."

Jiraiya tapped his fingertips on the ground, expanding the range of his chakra perception.

Along such a long stretch of coastline, there wasn't a single ninja patrolling!

Jiraiya's nose twitched; amidst the pervasive mist, there seemed to be a faint scent of blood.

--

--

Konoha.

It was already late at night, and Sarutobi Hiruzen was still processing documents.

The replanning of the village had been finalized, and the area that originally belonged to the Uchiha Compound had been carved up by the various major ninja clans.

The Uchiha Compound hadn't suffered much damage during the Nine-Tails incident; one could have simply tidied up and moved into the mansions...

Unfortunately, when the Uchiha clan evacuated, they demolished all the buildings, and even Fugaku's residence had been blown up by a single Great Fireball.

The main idea was: if I can't have it, I'll destroy it so you can't have it either.

They had even packed up every brick and tile of Naka Shrine, nearly scraping away several layers of soil in the process.

It was precisely because of this massive workload that Uchiha Sora had hired a large number of Ninja Cats, spending a significant portion of the clan's funds.

The migration of the entire clan... was, in truth, a helpless choice.

Naka River was the ancestral land where the Uchiha clan had lived for a thousand years, and the existence of the shrine predated the history of the clan itself.

If they had a choice, no one would want to leave their homeland.

Recalling the final look in Uchiha Sora's eyes, Sarutobi Hiruzen's intuition told him that this youth would absolutely make a comeback.

He... might be even more dangerous than Madara Uchiha.

This youth possessed a certain special talent that could unite an entire clan, and even Fugaku had chosen him...

Exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked toward the ninja lurking in the shadows.

"How is Naruto's condition?"

"Vital signs are normal, the seal is stable, and there are no signs of a rampage."

"Hmm..."

"Do not leak the news that he is the son of the Fourth Hokage; just call him..."

"Naruto Uzumaki."