Yakumo Kurama

Naruto lay on the floor, utterly dejected.

Some things weren't appreciated until they were gone.

Naruto didn't know much about the Cinnabar Mark. The original story had never explained how to remove it, either.

That was what left Naruto most speechless. For someone devoted to cultivation, this restriction was actually quite useful.

In the early stages of cultivation, one had to maintain pure energy, so having a pure yang body provided a significant boost.

Before he knew it, Naruto had fallen asleep.

When he woke the next day, Naruto immediately looked down and saw the mark.

"So it wasn't a dream."

He felt a pang of melancholy, but eventually accepted reality.

The days that followed were peaceful. Life without anyone keeping tabs on him was truly comfortable. He could do whatever he wanted.

Aside from being a little lonely, that was. As for the Third Hokage, with the Uchiha Clan situation keeping him occupied, no one was paying attention to Naruto.

That finally gave Naruto a stretch of peaceful days.

He trained, read, and went fishing. He also got to know Yakumo Kurama. When she told him her name, even Naruto was taken aback.

In Naruto, the first thing that came to mind when genjutsu was mentioned was the Sharingan. The original story had once featured someone whose genjutsu surpassed even the Uchiha Clan's.

Yakumo Kurama's genjutsu had gone beyond common sense. She could change reality.

Naruto had heard of someone so extraordinarily gifted.

So when he heard her name, he was surprised.

They gradually got to know each other, and she became his only friend in this world.

As for Hinata, Naruto never saw her again after that. No wonder he barely remembered her by the time he graduated in the original story.

Naruto was fishing by the stream. Yakumo sat behind him, as usual, drawing on a sketchpad.

They only chatted once in a while.

"Naruto, what about your parents?" Yakumo asked casually.

"I'm an orphan."

Naruto answered calmly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Yakumo hurried to apologize, realizing she'd said the wrong thing.

"It's all right."

"I'm an orphan too," Yakumo murmured, as if trying to comfort him.

"It's in the past."

Naruto frowned. He knew what had happened to Yakumo: she had killed both her parents.

The memory had been so painful that she'd chosen to forget it.

A trace of sympathy crossed his mind, but Naruto didn't say anything. And there was no need to save her just yet. In the original story, she had lived until Tsunade's time.

Naruto wasn't good at comforting people, so he fell silent.

Yakumo already understood what he was like and didn't say anything more.

The atmosphere grew quiet. The sky was clear and the sun bright, and they enjoyed a rare moment of peace.

Naruto didn't need to go out of his way to train. What he needed to cultivate was his willpower.

Even if he did want to train, now wasn't the time. Compared to Tsunade, the Third Hokage wasn't a particularly magnanimous man.

Maybe I should find a chance to kill the Third and put Tsunade in power early.

Compared to the Third, Naruto naturally preferred Tsunade. In the Third's eyes, Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Minato Namikaze's son, and a bargaining chip in his hands.

Tsunade was different. Whatever her personality was like, she had been on good terms with Kushina. With the Nine-Tails, the Fourth Hokage, Jiraiya, and the others in the picture, Tsunade would naturally feel close to Naruto.

Of course, that was only wishful thinking.

With his current strength, Naruto wasn't sure he could take the old man down.

In the original story, the Third had held back against Orochimaru, but that didn't mean he'd show Naruto the same mercy.

And the Reaper Death Seal was a jutsu that targeted the soul, which made Naruto wary of it.

As for ambushing him, Naruto wouldn't underestimate a powerful shinobi's instincts.

Whoosh!

Just as the two of them were enjoying their peaceful afternoon, a sound cut through the air.

Naruto's expression changed.

He dodged instinctively.

A kunai struck the ground.

Naruto's eyes sharpened as he stared into the depths of the woods.

Someone's attacking us. What's going on?

Naruto quickly considered the possibilities, his expression shifting.

"What's wrong?" Yakumo hurried over nervously.

"Nothing."

Naruto shook his head, keeping his eyes fixed on the woods.

Yakumo grew tense and immediately picked up her sketchpad, ready to draw.

"Who's there? Come out!" Naruto called toward the woods.

Footsteps sounded.

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

A little kid emerged from the forest.

He had black hair, a young face, and wore the uniform of the Uchiha Clan.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto recognized him at a glance.

"Are you all right?"

Sasuke asked. He wasn't as brooding as he would become later.

Naruto didn't answer. He looked past him.

A short distance behind Sasuke stood a man with an expressionless face.

It was Sasuke Uchiha's older brother, Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi didn't have a mission that day, so he'd set aside the afternoon to play with Sasuke.

During their kunai practice, one of the kunai had flown over here.

And that was how this had all begun.

Naruto stared at Itachi behind Sasuke. He knew Itachi had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

But Itachi's attention was entirely on his younger brother.

He hadn't noticed Naruto at all.

As if sensing Naruto's gaze, Itachi looked over.

His eyes narrowed slightly. He naturally recognized Naruto.

Uzumaki Naruto?

At the same time, Itachi had sensed several Anbu watching him.

The Uchiha Clan wasn't allowed to approach the Jinchuriki. That was an order.

Itachi could sense that, too. If he moved any closer, the Anbu would definitely make a move against him.

"Sorry about that, kid. You weren't hurt, were you?" Itachi asked.

"I'm fine. Be careful next time."

Naruto didn't want anything to do with someone that dangerous.

He shook his head.

Sasuke had been in a good mood, but when he saw Naruto's attitude, he immediately snorted.

"All right, Sasuke. Let's go."

At his brother's voice, Sasuke's composure crumbled.

He picked up the kunai from the ground and ran back.

Naruto watched the two of them disappear from sight.

Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He no longer felt like playing, so Naruto decided to head home.

Yakumo felt a little disappointed.

She didn't get to spend much time with Naruto as it was, and now that man had interrupted them.

She couldn't help feeling a little angry.

That man deserves to die. Kill him.

At the same time, a voice rose in her mind, whispering temptations.

Yakumo's eyes gradually took on a dangerous look.

"I'm heading back," Naruto said. He was about to leave when he suddenly noticed something was off about her.

"Stay safe," Yakumo said.

"Are you all right?" Naruto frowned. He knew he hadn't imagined what he'd just sensed.

"I'm fine."

Yakumo's expression was normal.

Naruto thought nothing more of it and turned to leave.

Yakumo quickly resisted the temptations of her inner demon.