Naruto Uzumaki

When Uchiha Sora came to, the first thing he did was look toward the Cloud shinobi who had died moments earlier.

The area stained with blood was the same as before he left.

He felt the chakra within him... not a single drop more or less.

It was as if his state before traveling had been locked in. No matter how much he lost in the mission world, it didn't count.

Uchiha Sora immediately thought of another use for traveling between worlds.

A Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

If he ever found himself at a disadvantage in the middle of a fierce battle, could he accept a loan mission and travel to another world, then return after coming up with a plan there?

That would be a kind of time stop, too.

He just didn't know whether the growth he achieved in another world would come back with him.

In theory, it should. After all, he could bring back anything by spending credit points, which should include his own strength.

But this time had been too short. Uchiha Sora hadn't noticed any increase in his experience bar.

Infinity Castle...

It could practically be considered a pocket dimension. Whether for battle or protecting others, it was an extremely valuable treasure.

That guy who looked so much like Orochimaru, hurry up and earn enough credit points to call me...

"Sora, are we still going to the Land of Iron as planned?"

Even Shisui's keen eyes couldn't tell that the person beside him had just gone sightseeing in another world.

Uchiha Sora nodded. "Yeah. They produce a lot of iron ore. Now that we've set out on our own, we need our own source of ore for weapons. We should talk with them."

"Then... are we going to charge straight into the Daimyo Residence?"

Uchiha Sora looked at Shisui as if he were an idiot. "Didn't you study the geography of the Shinobi World?"

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

"Next time, think before you speak."

"The Land of Iron doesn't have a Feudal Lord. Their Admiral is the leader of the samurai."

"Do you think they're some backwater like Yugakure? Admiral Mifune is strong enough to cross swords with Hanzo, and they have countless powerful samurai."

"They can maintain their neutrality not because of some ancient agreement, but because they have the strength to protect themselves!"

Shisui was two years older than Uchiha Sora, yet at that moment he looked like a junior being lectured.

"Your head's full of ways to control people. Being a ninja isn't just about fighting—it's about human relationships..."

As he spoke, Uchiha Sora felt that something was off.

Hadn't Admiral Mifune actually been controlled by Shisui's eyes in the original timeline?

"In any case, the methods we use have to be based on the difference in strength between both sides."

"This time, we really are going there to discuss a partnership."

"Oh... got it. I'll listen to you..."

Shisui nodded meekly, obediently playing the part of a little sidekick.

The Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.

The village was built atop towering mountains that pierced the clouds. Mist swirled everywhere, and deafening thunder rumbled now and then.

Hidden in the clouds, wielders of lightning.

Every Raikage through the generations had been called "A." In the traditions of the Land of Lightning, that meant the strongest.

Inside the Raikage Building, in the office.

Bang!!!

The furious Fourth Raikage smashed his fist through the desk, his small mustache twitching with rage.

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

"Damn it!"

"Wasn't he in the Land of Hot Water? Who could have killed him?!"

Dodai was a trusted advisor his father had left him, one of his closest confidants.

He'd never imagined that something as minor as investigating why the Land of Hot Water hadn't paid its protection fee on time would cost Dodai his life.

"Lord Raikage... this is the last message Dodai sent to the Intelligence Division..."

The secretary was also a dark-skinned, middle-aged man. With grief on his face, he handed over the report.

He and Dodai had been friends, and he was heartbroken by Dodai's death.

Most of Kumogakure's shinobi were hearty, straightforward people. The village as a whole was tightly united, and the death of any comrade left them grieving.

They were just ruthless when dealing with shinobi from other villages.

The Raikage forced down his grief and read the line in the report.

"Something's happened in Konoha. Uchiha in Hot Water."

The short message made clear just how urgent the situation had been.

"Uchiha..."

The Raikage ground his teeth and roared, "I'll make the Uchiha Clan pay for Dodai's death!"

The secretary offered his opinion at the right moment. "Lord Raikage, I'm grieving for Dodai too, but I think the first four words are the key."

"What exactly happened in Konoha? That's what matters most to us."

"To leave Dodai no chance to escape, there must have been at least five Uchiha with Three Tomoe. That kind of force appearing in the Land of Hot Water makes no sense."

"We know Konoha has always been wary of the Uchiha. They wouldn't let that many Uchiha jonin leave the village together."

"Our guess is..."

"Something major may have happened in Konoha, and some of the Uchiha have defected!"

The secretary's voice was grave. "We must avenge Dodai, but we're currently at war with Konoha. This intelligence is too important."

"The spies we had in Konoha have all gone missing. Our most urgent task is to send people to investigate the situation there. This might... be an opportunity to deal Konoha a heavy blow!"

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

The Raikage took several deep breaths.

A long while passed.

"Send people to infiltrate Konoha."

Then the Raikage said coldly, "Send a squad to investigate the Land of Hot Water as well. Don't make a move..."

"Once we find out who killed Dodai, I'll take care of them myself and avenge him!"

"Understood."

The sea.

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

A green-skinned frog leapt out of the water. It shook its head and, after finding no one nearby...

Crack—

A human hand reached out of the frog's mouth, and a tall, white-haired man crawled out of the tiny creature. It was an indescribably bizarre sight.

"So this is the main island of Kirigakure... Their defenses seem a little lax."

Jiraiya pressed his fingertips to the ground, expanding the range of his chakra sensing.

With such a long stretch of coastline, there wasn't a single shinobi on patrol!

Jiraiya's nostrils twitched. Amid the drifting mist, he caught a faint scent of blood.

Konoha.

It was already late at night, but Sarutobi Hiruzen was still working through documents.

The village's reconstruction plan had been finalized. The territory that had belonged to the Uchiha Clan had been divided among the major shinobi villages.

The Uchiha Compound had barely been damaged during Nine-Tails Night. They could have cleaned it up and moved straight into the mansions...

Unfortunately, when the Uchiha Clan left, they tore down every building. Even the Fugaku Residence had been blown up with a Great Fireball.

The message was clear: if they couldn't have it, neither could anyone else.

They'd even packed up every brick and tile from Naka Shrine, leaving only after digging up a few layers of earth.

That was why Uchiha Sora had hired so many Ninja Cats and spent a huge amount of the clan's funds.

Moving the entire clan... had really been a choice made out of necessity.

Naka River had been the Uchiha Clan's ancestral home for a thousand years, and the shrine had stood even longer than the clan itself.

If they'd had a choice, no one would have wanted to leave their homeland.

Recalling Uchiha Sora's final look, Sarutobi Hiruzen had a feeling the boy would definitely come back one day.

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

The boy had some kind of special talent that could unite the whole clan. Even Fugaku had chosen to follow him...

Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke and looked toward the shinobi in the shadows.

"How's Naruto doing?"

"His vital signs are normal. The seal is stable, and there are no signs of him losing control."

"Mm..."

"Don't reveal that he's the Fourth Hokage's son. Just call him..."

"Naruto Uzumaki."