"Uchiha Itachi really slaughtered his entire clan?"
"Sasuke defected from Konoha and went to Orochimaru to gain power?"
"The so-called immortal duo killed Asuma… and were later killed by Shikamaru?"
"Gaara became the Fifth Kazekage, was kidnapped by Deidara, had his tailed beast extracted, and was revived by Chiyo…"
As they traveled, Naruto listened to Jiraiya and Nagato recount the recent history of the ninja world. He couldn't help clicking his tongue in amazement.
From the future Sasuke, Naruto already knew some major events, but not the details. Hearing them directly from the people who experienced them filled in many gaps.
"So if I hadn't obtained the Wishing Statue, my world would've followed this exact path."
Naruto gazed toward the distant silhouette of Konoha.
"This is the fate of the ninja world. And the destined path of Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke."
In this parallel world, Naruto was destined to become the Seventh Hokage—the savior of the ninja world, the incarnation of Ashura's chakra, forever entangled with Sasuke.
Naruto himself might have followed the same destiny.
But from the age of three, his life had unknowingly diverged.
And the further he walked, the farther he moved from that fate.
He was Uzumaki Naruto.
But not that Uzumaki Naruto.
With the strength he possessed now, even if every member of the Otsutsuki clan appeared together, they wouldn't be enough for him to defeat with a single slap.
With power like this—
Destiny meant nothing.
"I control my own life."
Naruto smiled faintly, his eyes blazing with confidence.
The world's original timeline had already been completely disrupted by him.
And this parallel world…
Would soon change as well.
Destiny?
Complete nonsense.
"Aren't we going back to Konoha?" Jiraiya asked in confusion.
"First, we pick up a few people."
Naruto suddenly raised his head.
His eyes flashed.
In the distance, violent chakra fluctuations exploded.
"Looks like it's already started."
He sighed lightly.
"No more wasting time. I'll take you there."
Chakra ropes shot out, wrapping around Jiraiya, Nagato, and Konan.
Naruto stepped forward.
Space twisted.
The scenery warped.
In the blink of an eye, they crossed a vast distance and appeared somewhere entirely different.
Jiraiya swallowed hard.
"That… was Flying Thunder God? Without a marker kunai?"
Nagato and Konan stared at Naruto's back with awe.
"Stop! Who are you—"
A shark-faced man suddenly appeared.
Hoshigaki Kisame.
His massive sword Samehada swung forward like a gatekeeper.
Behind him stood several others: Suigetsu, Karin, Jugo, and the pitcher-plant-shaped Zetsu.
When Kisame saw Konan, he froze in surprise.
But Zetsu's reaction was far worse.
He noticed Nagato standing upright again—healthy, energetic, decades younger.
Alarm bells rang in his mind.
Something was terribly wrong.
"Yo. The mastermind behind the ninja world—Zetsu, right?" Naruto said cheerfully. "Are you Black Zetsu or White Zetsu? Actually, doesn't matter. Running into me today means your luck has run out."
Zetsu didn't understand why the Nine-Tails jinchuriki would say such things.
But instinct screamed at him to run.
His body began sinking into the ground.
Mayfly Technique.
In one second, he would disappear.
Naruto stepped forward casually.
Boom.
The ground trembled violently.
Everyone's hearts seized.
Zetsu suddenly screamed as his body was forced back out of the earth.
Invisible chakra chains wrapped him instantly.
In the blink of an eye, he was bound like a mummy.
"The mastermind behind the ninja world… Zetsu?" Nagato muttered, staring thoughtfully.
Being captured by Naruto wasn't surprising.
But Naruto's words were shocking.
Nagato had always believed the real mastermind was the man posing as Uchiha Madara.
But apparently—
Someone else had been pulling the strings.
Someone deeper in the shadows.
"Let him go!"
Kisame roared angrily.
"How bold," Naruto said lightly.
The next instant—
He appeared directly in front of Kisame.
He grabbed Kisame's head and slammed it forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A nearby tree shattered, leaving a human-shaped crater in its trunk.
Samehada opened its mouth automatically, trying to bite Naruto's arm.
The sword shrieked in pain.
Its teeth shattered instantly.
Naruto tossed Kisame aside like trash, landing him in front of Nagato.
The entire fight lasted seconds.
Kisame had never even had a chance to resist.
"Kisame," Nagato sighed, crouching beside him. "Do you want me to introduce someone?"
"Are… you the leader?"
"Not anymore. The new leader of Akatsuki is this man."
Kisame stared blankly.
He recognized Nagato's voice.
The same voice as the Deva Path.
Then he followed Nagato's gaze—
And looked at Naruto.
The Nine-Tails kid from Konoha.
Now… the leader of Akatsuki?
His brain struggled to process it.
Suigetsu and the others were equally stunned.
They knew how powerful Kisame was.
Suigetsu had fought him personally—and barely survived.
Yet Kisame had been defeated instantly.
They looked at Naruto like he was some kind of monster.
Fear crept into their eyes.
"Bring Zetsu. We're going to meet a few more people."
Naruto walked forward.
Suigetsu and the others instinctively stepped aside like frightened rabbits.
Konan smiled brightly.
Paper wings formed beneath Zetsu's bound body, carrying him along behind Naruto.
She felt lighter than she had in years.
Nagato had recovered.
And the hidden threat inside Akatsuki had been exposed.
Everything felt right again.
Kisame opened his mouth.
"Leader…"
But the words stuck.
He had come here to guard Uchiha Itachi's final battle.
He had sworn to stop anyone who interfered.
But now—
The man standing before him was the leader of Akatsuki.
Both the former one and the new one acknowledged him.
Kisame's principles made him obey authority above all else.
So he did nothing.
He watched Naruto leave.
"When did the Nine-Tails brat become this terrifying?" Kisame muttered, shivering.
Then he realized—
Even if he had tried to stop him…
He couldn't.
They soon arrived at the Uchiha clan's old district.
Jiraiya's expression grew strange.
The sound of combat echoed from the distance.
Booms and crashes shook the air.
On the rooftop ahead—
Two figures faced each other.
Uchiha Sasuke.
And Uchiha Itachi.
Sasuke's three-tomoe Sharingan burned with hatred.
Itachi's eyes were calm and emotionless.
Dark clouds gathered overhead.
Both were preparing for the final strike.
"Why are you two just standing there? Fight already. This suspense is boring."
Naruto's lazy voice shattered the tension.
Both brothers turned.
Sasuke's rage exploded.
"Naruto?! What are you doing here? Get out of the way! Don't interfere with my revenge!"
Naruto shrugged.
"I'd love to respond properly… but I'm not your best friend Uzumaki Naruto."
Then he turned to Itachi and chuckled.
"You're dying anyway, yet you still went through all the trouble of staging this show. Letting the water flow like a flood just to protect your little brother. Must've been exhausting."
A flicker of killing intent flashed in Itachi's eyes before disappearing.
Sasuke froze.
"Letting the water flow? What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Naruto sighed.
"Anyone with eyes can see it. Your big brother has been holding back every single move. Only someone blinded by hatred like you can't see it."
"You really think this is Uchiha Itachi's true strength?"
Sasuke's body trembled.
He turned slowly toward Itachi.
Itachi said nothing.
Didn't deny it.
Didn't explain.
Sasuke's mind spun.
Holding back?
Because he cares about me?
Brother?
Impossible.
But what if…
It was true?
Suddenly Sasuke roared like a wounded beast.
Pain flooded his body.
Itachi's eyes filled with quiet sorrow.
Naruto watched with great interest.
This version of Sasuke—
He had never seen before.
Very entertaining.
"Huh? Pretty bold. Watching the show from the shadows?"
Naruto suddenly turned his head.
"Much dumber than the Obito from my world."
His figure flickered.
He appeared beside a distorted ripple in space.
His arm plunged into it—
And pulled someone out.
A masked man in Akatsuki robes.
The spiral mask shattered.
Revealing a scarred face.
Both Sasuke and Itachi stared.
Itachi's eyes widened slightly.
"This man… is not Uchiha Madara."
Nagato and Konan arrived beside Naruto.
"Who are you?" they demanded.
The man snorted coldly, saying nothing.
His Mangekyo Sharingan activated.
He tried to escape using Kamui.
But—
Nothing happened.
His face turned pale.
Kamui had failed.
"Uchiha Obito," Naruto said coldly.
"The Fourth Hokage's disciple. For a woman, you betrayed your teacher, destroyed your clan, and tried to destroy the world."
"Even if you're not the Obito from my world, what you've done is unforgivable."
Naruto raised his hand.
Lightning surged through Obito's body.
Thousands of tiny lightning needles pierced his flesh.
They wouldn't kill him.
But the pain—
Was unbearable.
Obito screamed, curling into a ball.
His body trembled violently.
"Uchiha Obito… so that's the truth," Nagato muttered.
The fake Madara mystery was finally solved.
Jiraiya sighed.
"Minato's student… Obito… so he caused the Nine-Tails attack?"
He glanced at Naruto.
"So this is revenge for your parents."
"Kill me… please… just kill me…"
Obito begged desperately.
Naruto crouched in front of him with a bright smile.
"Kill you so you can escape with Izanagi?"
"Obito… you're really naive."
Obito trembled.
Naruto's face seemed to shift.
For a moment—
He saw Minato.
Kushina.
Rin.
The pain intensified.
Dragging him toward an endless abyss.
And Naruto watched calmly—
Like a demon deciding how long to keep his prey alive.
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