[Shiranui Residence…]
Samui and Shizuka looked at Sakura and Naruko, both falling into a moment of quiet contemplation.
"Nagi — how did Naruko and the others end up here?"
Nagi answered:
"Most likely someone used a Limited Tsukuyomi on Naruto and Sakura in the other world. Once the chakra sustaining the technique runs out, Naruko and Sakura will return on their own."
Sakura let out a quiet breath of relief. She had been away long enough that her parents were probably worried.
"And Naruko — I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have to leave now. We'll meet again tomorrow."
Naruko's face fell immediately.
"Ehh~~ But I haven't gotten nearly enough time with Nagi—"
Nagi shook his head gently.
"We're at a critical stage right now. I have to get back, or if something goes wrong without me there, it'll be a serious problem."
The lightweight chakra-element nuclear fusion experiment had reached its most pivotal phase. He had only managed to slip away for this one hour.
"…I understand."
Naruko read the seriousness in Nagi's expression and didn't press further.
The moment the words left his mouth, Nagi's figure vanished.
[Otogakure Research Division — Wind Country Branch]
Nagi materialized inside the facility and cast an appraising eye over the nuclear reactor humming before him. Satisfied, he turned to Sasori:
"Current status on the chain reaction?"
"Stable. We've achieved a controlled, self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction."
"Good. Then nuclear energy applications can begin in earnest."
Once that's operational — the superweapon, the orbital warship, the collapse cannon…
Nagi addressed the assembled scientists:
"Excellent work, everyone. We now move to nuclear fusion. The goal is to complete the super nuclear warhead — what we're calling the 'Light Bomb' — as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir!" ×many
And with that, Nagi plunged back into work alongside them.
With his computational simulation capabilities, the blueprint for the Light Bomb was already nearly complete in his mind. But getting the team up to speed on the underlying principles — and transitioning from theory to actual hands-on construction — would still take time.
[Tobirama Senju: Impressive. I didn't expect you to reach the nuclear fusion stage this quickly.]
[Nagi: Mm. Nuclear fission has been thoroughly mastered at this point, so the nuclear energy phase was the natural next step.]
[Madara Uchiha: Nuclear energy?]
[Nagi: Yes. The energy released through nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, and nuclear decay — if we can harness all of it, it will dramatically accelerate our progress in space exploration. And based on existing calculations, nuclear propulsion would also give us a viable means of countering the Ōtsutsuki Clan when we go on the offensive.]
[Ōtsutsuki Elder: Is that true? Then could we possibly—]
[Tobirama Senju: It's true. But don't even think about getting your hands on this technology.]
[Ōtsutsuki Elder: ...]
Well, announcing something this extraordinary and then immediately saying "no, you can't study it" — annoyingly, that does seem perfectly reasonable.
[Orochimaru: Hahaha~ It looks like the age of technology is almost upon us. How delightful.]
[The screen continues…]
[Konoha — Streets]
Shizuka took Naruko and Sakura on a tour of the village, showing them the things that made this version of Konoha uniquely its own.
"Mmm, it really is different. Slurp."
Naruko and Sakura worked their way through their ramen bowls.
"The handmade style here has a real character to it."
After finishing the ramen, Shizuka led them around to a few more spots across the village.
Then — Naruko suddenly stopped walking. She had sensed something. She whipped around.
And came face to face with Hinata, who had been hiding behind a utility pole.
The moment Naruko turned and looked directly at her, Hinata's face flooded with color. She clapped both hands over her cheeks and fled in an instant.
"Was that just… Hinata?"
"Looked like it."
"Well… how do I put this?"
"Something feels very wrong."
Naruko and Sakura watched that shy, flustered Hinata disappear around the corner, and both felt a deep psychological resistance they couldn't quite articulate.
Just then, they ran into Sasuke.
"Hm? Is that Satsuki — no, wait, Sasuke?"
"Looks like it."
Naruko and Sakura looked at Sasuke's very male face and got goosebumps.
Sasuke noticed them as well. He looked right at them — and looked right through them.
Naruko clicked her tongue.
"Hmph. Attitude's just as awful as that one's."
Sasuke caught the remark and turned back with a retort:
"Tch. Idiot Naruto — still wasting time on cheap tricks like that?"
He assumed this was just Naruto fooling around with the Sexy Technique again.
"Hah?"
Naruko's patience evaporated instantly.
"Say that one more time, I dare you."
Sasuke said it flatly:
"Tch. Instead of clowning around out here, you'd be better off training. The war is coming. Try not to get yourself killed by Madara for no reason, you idiot."
"You've got a lot of nerve talking to me like that. I'd like to see exactly how tough you really are."
Naruko wasn't about to let that slide.
"Hmph. Have you already forgotten what it looked like when I defeated you not too long ago?"
Sasuke launched into full Uchiha mode — smug, cold, relentlessly needling.
"You little — I'm going to flatten you!"
Naruko let herself be provoked.
It turns out the Naruto-Sasuke argument transcends gender.
[Konoha — Back Mountain Training Ground]
Naruko and Sasuke faced each other across the field.
"So… they're actually going to fight over this."
Tsunade looked on with weary disbelief.
Kakashi shook his head.
"I think it'd be weirder if Naruto and Sasuke were ever not at each other's throats."
Jiraiya, meanwhile, was studying Naruko intently.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk — when did Naruto's Sexy Technique get this good? Even I can't see through it."
"…Let's just watch," said Tsunade. She couldn't be bothered to explain right now, and honestly, she was curious to see what this other-world Naruko could do.
Jiraiya and Kakashi were mainly there to see how far along Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra Mode had come.
In the training ground, the two faced off.
Sasuke drew the Kusanagi Sword and moved first. Naruko watched his consecutive strikes come in and sidestepped every single one without urgency — even stifling a yawn mid-sequence.
"Nani—?! Since when is this guy this fast?!"
Sasuke stared.
Naruko caught him distracted and landed a full open-palm slap across his face.
"Letting your focus wander against me? Bold move."
The force of it sent Sasuke skidding backward into a tree before he stopped, crashing through the bark.
"Pfhh—"
The impact knocked the breath out of him and blood from his lips.
"What…? How is this idiot hitting this hard now?"
Sasuke took stock of the situation quickly and stopped underestimating her. He activated the Mangekyō Sharingan at once.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth.
Naruko didn't move.
Just as the fireball was about to connect, Sasuke triggered his dōjutsu ability:
"Bishamonten — Amplification!"
The fireball's speed, size, and intensity tripled in an instant.
But—
Naruko raised one hand and batted the fireball aside.
"Oh? So your Mangekyō's ability is amplification? Interesting."
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789