Sasuke collapsed backwards onto one of Naruto's beanbags. He said nothing even as Sakura appeared in the doorway courtesy of a Hiraishin and did not even glance her way when she sat down on the edge of a sofa beside him. He did not cry, but neither did he seem to care about Sakura's presence beside him.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

Sasuke did not respond.

"'Suke, at least Itachi-san's not going to die this time. Naruto's fixed that already. There isn't any reason for you to brood like this," she tried to reason.

Sasuke sighed even more gloomily, his hands moving to cover his face as he seemed to bury himself deeper into the beanbag.

"Things are better now," Sakura persuaded.

Sasuke snorted, finally looking Sakura in the eye.

"I don't know about you, but I think that more than anything else I hate the fact that Naruto is doing pretty much everything all by himself. It's like I came back for absolutely nothing. Tell me, just what did we vow to ourselves when we had come back to the past? I was so ambitious; had even told myself that I could change everything for the better. Sure, things are better now, but I have done nothing to contribute!" Sasuke burst out.

He panted for a moment to catch his breath before shaking his head helplessly.

"I could only watch as everything slipped through my grasp. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I couldn't save anyone. I tried to warn Shisui, but he didn't listen," Sasuke spoke in a self-deprecating manner.

Sakura fell silent. It was true, after all. It really did seem that they had not been able to make a difference. Naruto could have done all of that just fine without any of them. Even she was just useless in the face of the complicated projects that Naruto wanted to carry out. Naruto did not bother to give her tasks to complete anymore. She could not keep up and his own scientific knowledge seemed to far surpass her own by now. Neither of them could help lessen Naruto's burdens.

She also felt a little hopeless at the thought.

She was still useless even now, it seemed.

As such, Sakura could only shake her head and whisper lowly to herself, "I don't know. I really don't know."

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

A blond smiled kindly at a raven-haired lady.

"Mikoto-san," he uttered, "it's time."

The woman, Mikoto, sat straighter in her chair.

"Was it supposed to be today?" she asked with a slight tremor in her voice.

The blond's smile widened.

"As a matter of fact," he spoke slowly as he dragged his words out, "it isn't."

The raven-haired woman seemed to wilt at that statement.

"However, I decided to do it early," he continued, causing her to perk up.

"You mean...?" she whispered with renewed vigour.

"That's right. Now shall we go greet that person whom you've been longing to see? It may not be his birthday yet, but today's... still a rather important date," the blond agreed.

The woman's expression softened as she stood from her seat and walked up to the small blond whose back faced her and carefully placed one hand on his shoulder.

The blond turned around, both surprised and confused by the unexpected physical contact.

Mikoto giggled a little, covering her lips with her free hand.

Her eyes crinkled into a smile as she said her next words.

"Thank you. Happy birthday to you too..."

The blond's eyes widened in shock.

"...Naruto-kun."

A brief silence hung in the room.

"So you knew."

He sighed, shaking his head helplessly.

"One can never underestimate a woman's intuition," Naruto muttered, shivering as he recalled one particular memory involving his pink-haired teammate.

Mikoto actually laughed this time as she ruffled his hair, the action seeming almost practised as a result of how natural it looked when she did it.

"Not at all. It would be much stranger if I didn't recognise my dear son's best friend, wouldn't it?" Mikoto pointed out with a teasing smile.

"You..." Naruto had only started to speak when he suddenly recalled one occurrence where he had noticed a non-hostile presence nearby.

He had chosen to ignore it as it had not stayed long. It had been one of many times Sasuke and Sakura had come to the Forest of Death to train. There had been nothing sensitive discussed then, so he did not bother to give chase. He had no reason to be wary, after all. Had it been her?

"You're a really sharp kid, Naruto-kun. Has anyone told you that?" Mikoto chuckled, seeming to guess what went through his mind.

"And you are one scary woman," Naruto could not help but mutter.

She did not seem offended at all by his words.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" Mikoto giggled.

"However," she added, "I would quite like it if you called me kaa-chan instead of something as distant as plain old 'Mikoto-san'."

Naruto frowned, but before he could respond, Mikoto spoke, "I do understand that you feel uncomfortable, but I would just like to tell you that I have never held any ill intent towards you. I'm aware of how the other villagers view you and always wished I could do something to help you, but those of the clans of Konoha have all been forbidden from making contact with Naruto-kun."

Naruto shook his head, speaking quietly, "I do not blame you Mikoto-san. I know all about it already. I'm sorry, but that is not why I cannot refer to you as though you are my mother. I...."

When Naruto trailed off, Mikoto looked a little sad but still nodded with understanding.

"Then I will accept Naruto-kun's wishes. I never thought to replace Kushina-chan, but I thought I could act as your mother in her place. If you would allow me, I would gladly treat you as my own child," she spoke encouragingly.

Naruto froze, hesitating.

"That..." he murmured, looking a little torn.

"Take some time to think about it. You've never known what it's like to be loved, right? It would not be betraying her memory. I'm sure what she wanted for you was your happiness," Mikoto whispered, gently pulling him into a hug.

"I will think about it," Naruto conceded, unable to bring himself to leave Mikoto's warm and motherly embrace.

Mikoto beamed. "Please do, Naruto-kun."

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Naruto tapped a fork against a glass.

Everyone quieted.

At the current moment, the hideout had been replaced by stunningly realistic and picturesque scenery. It looked like a vast and beautiful garden with a massive table that had been filled with treats. Beautiful butterflies and birds fluttered around, harmonious and lilting birdsong lingering in the warm breeze. Though it was autumn outside, it seemed like this place had been plunged into springtime. This was not all. Surrounding this table were many chairs at which those who were family of the one to whom this tea party was being held were seated. Every one of them had the same black hair and eyes and they were all smiling.

"Our most important guest will soon arrive, so let the party..."

The door, which looked like that of the gate of an iron-wrought fence covered in beautiful flowering vines from within the strange room that seemed like a separate world altogether, opened.

"...begin!" Naruto announced.

Fanfare broke out as everyone in the room began to revel in their merriment.

The newcomers looked around blankly, feeling incredibly confused for a moment.

That was when Sasuke's eyes landed on a familiar figure and refused to budge. His eyes widened as he continued to stare at the form of the woman, not quite comprehending just what he was seeing. She was laughing happily with Naruto as they sipped at tea from dainty china teacups.

Naruto suddenly turned around, acting as though he only just noticed the new arrivals.

"Heya, Sasuke!" Naruto greeted brightly.

The raven-haired lady with Naruto also turned around and smiled lovingly at him as she spoke his name tenderly, "Sasuke-chan."

Sasuke did not, could not, react.

"Happy unbirthday!" every single person, apart from Sakura and Sasuke, cheered loudly.

"And a very happy birthday to Naruto too!" one familiar voice called out.

Sasuke's jaw dropped as he slowly and shakily turned around to make eye contact with one particular Uchiha.

"Shisui-nii? I thought... aniki... Danzō... your eye... died... killed... suicide...?" he mumbled quite incoherently.

Said Uchiha, however, actually knew of the events Sasuke spoke of and thus was not at all confused by the stuttering speech. Although it was far from clear, he had no trouble understanding everything Sasuke had spoken of despite the trembling voice. As such, his eye twitched as he frowned at the boy before him.

"You stinking brat! Who exactly do you take me for? Suicide? You could only wish that you can get rid of me so easily!" Shisui huffed, cuffing his younger cousin's ear.

Sasuke's smile in response to this was a little bit shaky but indescribably relieved.

"Right. You're alive, Sui-nii."

"Of course, I am, you brat!"

Then, Shisui looked at Naruto coyly.

Naruto's eyes widened but, before he could stop him, he had already spilt the beans.

"Only because your friend over there saved me, that is. Didn't you know that, Sasu-chan? Naruto could not possibly have hidden that from you, right?" he spoke provocatively.

Naruto's eye twitched.

"Shisui-nii..." he spoke slowly, "you really said something unnecessary."

Shisui snorted. "Was it really?"

"Shisui-nii."

Said Uchiha, finally making eye contact with the blond, could not help but gulp when he saw the chilling look in Naruto's eyes.

Sakura's expression turned menacing as she finally spoke for the first time since entering the room (?).

"So, Naruto. What's this about you hiding something...?" she asked darkly.

"This was originally Sasuke's birthday present!" he said defensively.

"Huh?" was all Sakura could say in her surprise.

"However, I just couldn't stand the sight of our 'Suke moping around all day. You see, I've had no choice but to hide it to keep it a surprise. Anyway, since I am giving this to him now, he's not getting another gift from me," Naruto explained.

Sakura felt more than just a little speechless at Naruto's words. It actually made a lot of sense. However, she felt as though something was off. It was clear that Naruto was not lying, so how did it seem like he was pulling one over her?

Either way, she had to punch him in the head.

Naruto reflexively allowed himself to get hit (it was a habit now) and winced as he rubbed at the bruise forming (and also quickly healing) on his head.

"What was that for, Sakura?" he whined.

Sakura scowled at him. "I'm not quite sure. Why don't you tell me?"

Naruto only stared at her, looking puzzled. "Me? Have I done something?"

He turned around to look at Sasuke helplessly, but the raven was already engrossed in talking to his mother.

As such, Naruto had no choice but to resolve himself for a scolding from Sakura.

Moreover, this time he did not even know what he had done wrong!

Well, on the bright side, Sasuke seemed much less burdened by grief now.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

"Takamatsu Sōjirō of Konoha, in the service of the village as a shinobi as well as a core member of ANBU of four years and captain of three, will you hereby accept your pronouncement as the commander of all ANBU operatives, serving the village for the duration of your appointment? If you accept, you must concede to living within a shadow cast by the light of the Hokage for the duration of your career," a solemn voice spoke gravely.

"I, Takamatsu Sōjirō of Konoha, hereby accept the position of ANBU commander, taking upon myself the duty of protecting Hokage-sama as well as the best interests of the village," blood clone Sōjirō (although only Naruto and friends would know the truth behind his identity) said these words with clarity and severity.

The stern and commandeering visage of the Hokage suddenly faded away, swiftly replaced by that of an elderly man who gazed upon the newly-appointed ANBU commander with pride as though viewing his own son.

"Those are good words. I am sure that you will live up to that promise. I will be counting on you from now on too, Sōjirō-kun," Hiruzen spoke with a kind smile.

"Of course, Hokage-sama," 'he' responded curtly.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

A similar event was playing out at a faraway location.

"Aki-chan!"

One half of Zetsu bounded into the cave, his counterpart nowhere in sight.

"Shiro?" Akihiko or 'Aki-chan', as the white half of Zetsu liked to call him, responded with slight confusion, unable to comprehend what exactly had excited the creature so.

"It's time!" Shiro exclaimed eagerly.

"It's time?" Akihiko echoed, feeling even more puzzled now.

It was then that Kuro entered together with one of Shiro's clones. However, a smaller figure was shadowed behind the white Zetsu clone. A small hand clutched the hand of the clone with a little more force than necessary. It was crystal clear that she had noticed that something was wrong with this situation.

"Misaki?" Akihiko uttered her name in surprise.

'He' had spent a lot of time with her in the past few years. Though he was just a blood clone of Naruto, without any other will besides that of his master, this little girl had been with him all this time. This little nine-year-old knew him as a brother and considered him her hero. She looked up to him. For some reason, he felt an attachment to her that he could not bring himself to destroy.

Even though he was only a 'servant', he sought to request something of his master.

The original, whose form in which he, Akihiko, had been born.

"Master. The time has come for me to obtain my Mangekyō Sharingan. I will have to kill Misaki, the child I have watched over for four years. I humbly seek-" Akihiko addressed this to the original, Naruto, through the link that every blood clone had with their original.

However, before he could finish saying this, he noticed his form appear before him.

"I know," Naruto responded through the link as he smiled at the clone with understanding, a look that made the clone feel as though he had been seen through, as though every single one of his mistakes was known to his master.

"Every single one of my clones has its own 'individuality', after all," Naruto spoke out of nowhere, but these words soothed Akihiko more than he could dare to admit. "Even shadow clones, ephemeral as they may be, are unique. I cannot fault you for growing attached just as I will not condemn myself for creating my bonds with my fellows that I so cherish. You have not sinned. It was my order that resulted in this situation and, besides, I have never truly intended for you to kill that child."

Akihiko almost heaved a sigh of relief.

So he had not betrayed his master. There was simply no way he could put the feelings he felt at this into words. He was not abnormal. He was just the same as all the other clones. His separation from his master did not irrevocably change him into the unseemly form that he had become in his imagination. His personality had been accepted by the one that he served. That was, somehow, more refreshing than the thought that his imōtō Misaki had been saved. He was a clone, after all. His truest, deepest and greatest desire would always be to fulfil the needs of his master.

"Misaki-chan, was it not?" Naruto continued, "I will have her taken from your care and raised till the day she can walk through this beautiful, dangerous and unpredictable world that we live in without aid. So will you continue to serve me and act as my eyes to gaze upon the actions of my enemies?"

Akihiko felt warmth course through him before that last sentence caused him to feel like he had been doused with icy water.

"I will continue to serve Master regardless. Even if it means killing Misaki, I would not mind at all as long as it's for Master," he said urgently with no small amount of panic.

Naruto laughed. "Of course, I knew that. It was a joke. Calm down already, wouldn't you?"

He swapped the girl with her duplicate that he had prepared before as a slightly twisted smile appeared on his face.

Clones were the best, after all.

After all, a blood clone played its role better than any temporal ally could. Why trust anyone he did not know with important tasks when it was so risky? Even if they were loyal to him, no guarantee was offered that they would stay like that. Humans changed.

His blood clones, however, would remain.

They would serve him and follow his will without dissonance even if it contradicts their own.

After all, that was their role.

Akihiko's blade pierced through the heart of the body of the girl who looked just like Misaki with no hesitation whatsoever. He did not doubt the words of his master. Even if Naruto had lied, he would not have resented him. He simply had no 'capacity' to hate Naruto. It was ingrained even before he had been created. A clone would not turn against its master.

It simply could not do so.

That the blood clones, that grew to have their own personalities that were no less than those of humans, would have a master like Naruto... It was their blessing. Only Naruto will have the heart to treat his clones as he would his allies. He did not exploit them wholeheartedly despite being the only one who can use them.

The Sharingan bled red into forest green irises before it rapidly swirled into a unique form of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Although tears fell from his eyes, he did not waver. A smile made its way onto Akihiko's face as he watched that face which resembled his sister's so completely that it made his heart hurt contort. It was not a kind smile, but a cold and heartless one that he would always wear while carrying out an order.

He did not pause, pulling the blade out of the falling body and sliding it back into its sheath before blood could stain it.

He did not turn back to look when the face of Misaki smiled painfully or when she whispered that one heart-wrenching word, "Nii-san."

That was because Naruto had mouthed earlier: 'Do it now.'

Akihiko was a clone.

Though he did have emotions, though he was an individual who was just as unique as any human, he could not defy his nature.

He would not consider it even if he were to be abused by his master.

For he was a clone.

A blood clone was a type of existence that only served one master all their lives.

The 'Master' of the blood clones was a singular existence, after all.

In any timeline, there can be no two individuals capable of summoning these servants. Be it in this world, the next or even the one after that, it was impossible for there to be anyone that could utilise this 'jutsu'. Though Naruto, the Master, did not know it yet, the clones did. For the blood clone technique was no ordinary jutsu, but an individual trait and unique ability.

"Shall we now have you meet our little puppet?" the dual voices of Zetsu spoke in bizarre synchrony.

Naruto had already left at this point.

"I was under the impression that I needed my eyes to be replaced first?" Akihiko queried.

"They do need to be replaced, but I am most fond of their green hue," Kuro reluctantly admitted.

"Right? They're way prettier than those boring black ones of other Uchiha," Shiro agreed readily.

Kuro snorted. "As if that was why I wanted to keep them green. Black is Hagoromo's colour, remember? Mother always hated him the most. I can't stand those black eyes that Hagoromo's descendants inherit. 'Tis truly a miracle that we've managed to find one with such affinity to wood that even his eyes turned green. That Senju Tobirama of Ashura's line had nearly been qualified, but his personality was a mess. He just didn't suit my tastes."

The two Zetsu continued to argue even as they phased through the ground into another cave with Akihiko in tow. Akihiko immediately took notice of the chakra signature which was just a little bit familiar. He recalled that it was during an encounter that his master has had with the Sanbi jinchūriki. The Mizukage had been taken over by the Mangekyō Sharingan of this person, causing Naruto to have a brief face-off against him.

Obito warped out immediately upon Swirly the white Zetsu clone's notice that there were visitors.

"I would like to extend my greetings, Uchiha Obito-san. My name is Uchiha Akihiko and I am a fellow clansman. I hope to get along well with you from now on," Akihiko greeted with a warm smile.

"Say, I think I'm liking Aki-chan more and more by the day!" Shiro exclaimed.

Kuro ignored him, saying instead, "This is the will of Madara-sama. You can think of Akihiko as Uchiha Madara personified."

Obito twitched imperceptibly.

"The two of you never saw fit to inform me? Did you find it entertaining to watch me acting like I was Madara-sensei? My commands to you were about as significant as the chitters of a monkey in your ears, huh?" Obito growled as he glared at Zetsu balefully.

Shiro laughed, agreeing merrily, "Quite!"

"Anyway," Kuro continued, whacking Shiro on the head, "listen to him well, lest you wish to face the consequences."

Obito snorted. "As if I'm dumb enough to go against Madara-sensei."

"Right. Now you should meet the one to whom Madara-sama's eyes have been bestowed," the black half of Zetsu mused.

"Obito, bring him to Ame," Zetsu spoke in that eerie manner that Akihiko had noticed that they preferred whenever they had company.

With a strange, swirly sort of warping sensation, Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Akihiko disappeared together as the former used Kamui to warp the two newly acquainted Uchiha (albeit the latter could hardly be considered one since it was actually a clone) away to a destination that had been determined previously. Akihiko was not at all surprised when he saw the world that acted as an intermediary between the place they had just left and their intended destination. Naruto had already known all about the specifics of his current companion's mangekyō skill, after all. He was, however, a little confused when Obito next retrieved an orange-swirled mask from whoever knows where and started to put it on. Of course, Akihiko recognised the mask. He just did not understand why Obito would hide his face.

"Drop me off. I see no need for you to introduce me to that person," Akihiko ordered with an air of inborn arrogance that was unexpected, considering his natural subservience towards Naruto who was his master and creator.

Obito, however, did not know this.

As such, with only the slightest hint of irritation, the one-eyed Uchiha obeyed without question, leaving Akihiko in the doorway to a chamber in the depths of the secret Akatsuki headquarters. Akihiko could not help but think that Obito was rather well-suited to serving others. Although Akihiko was an individual that he had only just gotten to know, he did not hesitate to obey his orders. He was a cautious person who knew how to approach things safely.

Though subservient, Obito was someone quite hard to trust. He had his own intentions and he was also quite calculative when one looked at a certain perspective. Most notably, it was how his morals would often be lacking as long as it meant he would achieve his goals which made him quite an untrustworthy character. He had inherited Naruto's odd sense of humour and found this slightly amusing, especially since Obito had been a righteous and caring boy, especially to his friends and family. A truly sweet child he had been. It was a morbid and cruel sense of humour, but who said that Naruto had not become twisted? The only thing that separated Naruto from the villains of the story all this time had been his choices. This was part of why he had felt that he should not have the capability to obtain the trust of others (which was a rather flawed notion since many villains had their own following, though Naruto never thought of it that way). If the bijū within him had known about these opinions, they would probably have sighed so heavily that half of the Great Shinobi Countries would be blown away.

Akihiko stepped into the interior of the room, a cool smile (it was one of the expressions Naruto had crafted for Akihiko's persona, quite similar to the one he wore whenever carrying out orders) on his lips.

"Greetings, Leader-san," he greeted simply, acting as though he did not notice the paper shuriken spinning all around him on the verge of being launched.

"State your intentions," a female's voice spoke tersely, her tone harsh.

"I seek a meeting with Uzumaki Nagato-san of the Akatsuki," Akihiko responded smoothly.

The female hesitated at that, stepping out of the shadows as she directed her gaze towards another individual who was still hidden within the darkness. It was revealed that she had navy blue hair done up in a bun which was adorned with a paper flower and deep amber eyes flecked with grey. She had origami papers swirling all around her, ready to be used at any second. It was clear that she was still on guard.

"Uzumaki, you said?" a hoarse voice murmured.

The woman clenched her fists.

"Nagato!" she warned, worry shining through her eyes despite her cold expression.

"It's fine, Konan," the man (who sounded like he definitely needed a glass of water, Akihiko thought offhandedly) coughed as he weakly raised a hand to beckon Akihiko over.

"But-" the navy-haired woman protested.

"Please. I wish to speak with..." he trailed off, watching Akihiko expectantly as his scarlet hair fell aside to reveal his glowing metallic purple dōjutsu.

"Uchiha Akihiko," the blood clone responded simply.

"...Akihiko-san, I do not suppose you mind me calling you that?" Nagato asked while coughing a little.

Akihiko shook his head mutely.

Konan drew back reluctantly, sending one final warning glare at the intruder.

"One funny move and I'll make you wish you were dead," she hissed acrimoniously.

Akihiko accidentally chuckled, a little stunned by the sight.

Konan actually quite resembled an upset kitten and, if not for the fact that she would probably kill him if he tried, he would have pet her head. Somehow, she also reminded him of his little sister Misaki. Though Misaki would get upset like this whenever she was made fun of, that had not been nearly as dangerous. This particular blue kitty had sharp claws. It was unwise to antagonise her, he thought acutely.

Konan twitched but did not pounce or claw him like Akihiko was half-expecting her to. It was a fairly amusing sight, to be honest. Yet he wisely did not pick on it. He had once learned from Naruto that a woman's rage was terrifying beyond compare. If it was something that even his master would avoid, he thought he would rather not bring it upon himself without cause.

Nagato looked more than a little exasperated at this but did not deign to comment.

"So tell me, Akihiko-san," Nagato spoke, "what exactly do you know about my origins?"

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Naruto's shoulders trembled as he hunched his body over, a hand covering his mouth.

Sakura looked at him in concern, making to ask what was wrong. However, before she could do so, the reason for this was made known. Naruto was neither in grief nor physical pain. In fact, he was far from any of that.

That was because Naruto just could not hold back any more and had broken into a fit of giggles (and even Sakura had to admit that it sounded a little demented).

"Ah, this is too amusing," he finally managed to say once his bout of laughter ended.

"What is it?" Sasuke gasped through heavy breaths as he slammed the door open, clearly having sprinted over after dropping everything on hand the moment he heard the unusual and unexpected sound. "Did Naruto finally break?"

Naruto did not even seem offended, too deeply engrossed in his humourous discovery to even care about the offensive question that Sasuke had directed towards him.

"Ah," Naruto breathily laughed once more, "this is just too funny!"

Sakura's eye twitched as she punched Naruto on the head.

"Explain," she instructed firmly.

Naruto shook his head and spoke, "It was all so stupid. How did I never think of this before? He had never known! Why did I not make use of it the last time around? It would have saved a lot of trouble. I'm so lacking in innovativeness. The truth was right in front of me!"

Sakura's eye twitched even more violently.

She grabbed another book to whack him once more.

"Explain clearly," she spoke in a falsely sweet tone.

Naruto did not even seem as scared as he would usually be even though Sakura was clearly angered by his antics.

He was too excited to even notice as he explained, "I should have known that he would have listened if I brought up the clan. Jeez, just how did I miss it? We could have solved things so much more easily if I just approached him in peace instead. It was all so stupid. Like this, we can bring everything to a conclusion in a much simpler manner. Now, all we need to do is for us to continue to drag this on and follow the flow of the timeline to drag out the true mastermind behind the catastrophe that had caused an end to the world during the previous timeline."

Sakura looked about to hit Naruto once more for his less-than-satisfactory response, but Sasuke stopped her before she could do so as he interjected, "Do not just jump straight to the conclusion without even giving the context. What happened?"

Naruto managed to calm himself down then and smiled at his teammates in a manner that had both of them backing away slightly.

"Actually, Akihiko met Nagato. I discovered that it was pretty easy to get to him just by mentioning the clan name of Uzumaki. It seems that he had always wanted to learn more about his clan and what it stood for. He even opened up to me, well my clone at least, soon after I let him know more about the clan as well as what had happened to Uzushio. Can you believe that he actually made it his goal to track down the rest of his clansmen instead? He actually shoved the plan of collecting the bijū into the background, considering it less urgent since nothing stopped him from delaying it. It took great effort to convince him to continue working on it. He also revealed that he found his special eyes to be a burden, a curse instead of a blessing," Naruto explained, shaking his head.

"Was he always that easy to get through to?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"Look at the year," Sasuke sighed.

"What about it?" Naruto asked, not quite understanding.

"Look, you probably do not really understand, but an obsession is a thing that runs deeper as time passes. An obsession is different from any ordinary desire. It does not fade over time, nor does being apart from the subject of it cause it to diminish. It would only grow stronger when it is tested. Instead, if you can manage to tackle it before it properly takes root, it is fairly easy to resolve," Sasuke explained patiently.

"Oh!" Naruto finally made a sound of understanding.

Sasuke ran his fingers through his own hair. "You wanted to drag me back before but that hadn't been much of an obsession. You have never known what it is like to want something so badly that your very emotions would grow twisted."

Naruto shook his head, already not listening.

"The war ended later this time around and, if I'm not wrong, that fiasco with Hanzō at Ame could not have ended too long ago. My intel actually states that it concluded a year and a half ago, with Yahiko having sacrificed himself in battle instead of having no choice besides committing suicide by his friend's hand like what had been said to have transpired in the previous timeline. This was actually something that deviated from our timeline without any of our interference, a situation similar to Sasori's. If I had to make an assumption, it might be the fact that our very existence has caused a ripple effect through time itself despite us not directly causing such events to occur," Naruto mumbled to himself as he thought aloud.

"That's exactly it. So you can be smart when you want to be," Kurama spoke up in a teasing manner.

Naruto snorted before ignoring him.

He had more important things to be getting to.

"I'll catch up with you two later," he spoke simply with a mock salute before vanishing through a hiraishin before anyone could react.

As such, he did not hear Sakura's frustrated growl.

If he had, he might have rescinded his decision.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

"You want to go to the hideout, un?" Deidara asked with a complicated expression on his face.

Naruto smirked, crooning, "Oh dear. Is that too difficult a task for our little Deidei?"

Deidara scowled as he protested, "I can do it, un! I just want to know why you need to visit!"

He was practically pouting at this point. Naruto snickered, reaching up to ruffle the taller male's blond hair (which honestly looked more than just a little strange considering how Naruto was physically younger). Even so, Deidara did not seem to notice this. He had already become accustomed to it.

"So what exactly is stopping you?" Naruto goaded.

Deidara sighed, "Just don't run around and get caught, alright? You know Akatsuki's true goal."

"Do you take me for a novice?" Naruto snorted.

Deidara shook his head, but spoke, "Even so, I'd still have to worry since I'm the one who would be bringing you there. I wouldn't want danna to kill me over it."

"Then why don't you take the task of distracting him?" Naruto suggested, mock-serious.

Deidara, as usual, did not catch the hint. He nodded determinedly, seeming to have taken that as his mission for the day. As he watched the gullible Deidara start to make his plans to keep Sasori away from the hideout for the rest of the day, Naruto mutely decided to leave the teenage bomb maniac to his own devices. He would not take responsibility for the troubles that Deidara would undoubtedly cause in the process.

With everything settled, the blonds made their way through the exit of the Workshop that had been connected to the Akatsuki headquarters.

With such great coincidence that Naruto could not help but wonder if it was planned, as soon as Naruto separated with Deidara to go on their respective paths, Naruto came across a familiar young man whose long black hair was tied in a ponytail.

"Naruto-kun...?" Uchiha Itachi muttered disbelievingly, looking stunned at the sight.

"Uh... Long time no see, Ita-nii!" Naruto chirped in greeting as he concealed his own discomfort.

What exactly was he supposed to do? Wipe all of Itachi's memories of this meeting? That was clearly not going to work out. After all, he never intended to conceal his presence in Akatsuki's main base at this point in time. In fact, he was trying to be noticed.

"Naruto-kun, I have no idea how you managed to get here but you must leave immediately!" Itachi whispered, looking harried as he started to glance around furtively to see if there were any eyewitnesses.

Naruto was about to protest, but Itachi was not done speaking.

"It is too dangerous for you to stay here. This is a place full of bad guys that want to catch you," Itachi warned while digging his fingernails into Naruto's shoulders from the sheer worry he felt as he made eye contact with Naruto.

Naruto was honestly a little surprised. The elder of the Uchiha brothers had not cared nearly as much for his safety in the previous timeline. Itachi had not tried to hurt him, but that did not mean that Itachi had concerned himself with protecting Naruto from harm. He could not help but be reminded of Mikoto's offer to become her son.

Would that mean getting a caring older brother in the form of Itachi? Admittedly, he had been jealous of Sasuke for having such a sibling in the past when Sasuke had not yet realised the truth. He had been a little resentful of the fact that Itachi would do so much for someone who would never appreciate his efforts. Itachi was someone who would love with the entirety of his being and cared for those dear to him with no reservation. Naruto, with his limited human interaction, had also once dreamed of what it was like to have someone care for him unreservedly without even expecting reciprocation like Itachi. Perhaps his initial dislike of Sasuke before he started getting attached to the raven had been due to this.

"Well-" Naruto made to come up with an excuse, but Itachi was not interested in hearing it.

"How did you get here anyway?" Itachi demanded, kneeling to match Naruto's height.

"Ah... Deidei brought me here," Naruto replied, casually pushing the blame onto the other blond (who was also conveniently not there to protest).

Itachi's eye twitched.

"Deidara? I will not forgive him for bringing Naruto-kun to such a dangerous place..." he spoke darkly, his Sharingan blazing.

"Umm... you shouldn't blame Deidei," Naruto spoke up while tugging at the sleeve of Itachi's Akatsuki robes, suddenly feeling a little guilty as he thought of the misery that his actions will cause the poor boy.

Itachi looked at Naruto for a moment before shaking his head.

"His actions are unforgivable..."

Naruto made his signature puppy-dog eyes (all of his ANBU guards, regardless of whether current or previous, would attest to their effectiveness).

"...but for Naruto-kun's sake, I'll be lenient in my handling of this misconduct," Itachi spoke with a light cough. 

"Yep! Thanks, Ita-nii!" Naruto spoke brightly.

Naruto beamed up at the Uchiha, causing him to feel a little flustered.

Sparing Itachi from further embarrassment, Naruto changed the topic by taking a parcel wrapped in red tissue out of his coat pocket.

He handed it over to Itachi and told the older male with a smile, "Happy birthday, Ita-nii! You can treat it as a lucky charm."

"Eh?" Itachi was so stunned that he could not say anything more.

"Oh, and Sasuke probably doesn't hate you at all," Naruto added thoughtfully.

With that said Naruto skipped off while acting as though he did not notice the faint killing intent that was quickly gaining on him.

Right when he was out of Itachi's line of sight, a flurry of origami paper rustled around him and formed into the form of a beautiful woman with navy-blue hair and amber eyes who had paper wings and paper shuriken hovering around her as though gravity did not affect her. He smiled just a little. His ploy had been incredibly effective. It had reeled in a big fish right from the onset. He had never expected to directly attract Konan's attention. He would have been satisfied as long as he managed to make the ones at the top of the hierarchy here take notice of his presence.

"Intruder-" Konan began to speak, but abruptly cut herself off while her eyes widened when she realised who she was speaking to.

After a moment of silence, as the female hesitated at what she was seeing, unable to believe that the child in front of her was real, she finally said in a softer tone, "Hello there."

"Hello, pretty angel onee-san," Naruto greeted while mustering the most innocent and awed expression that he had in his arsenal.

Konan giggled and knelt beside him as the origami papers around her settled, seeming to meld into her flesh.

"Why aren't you an adorable little charmer? I'm sure you'll break many hearts in the future," she chuckled as she reached out a hand to ruffle his hair.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. The pretty onee-san is?" Naruto introduced himself without hesitation before asking with an appropriate amount of curiosity.

Konan looked a little surprised.

"An Uzumaki? Truly a coincidence. I am Konan, Naruto-kun," she spoke without any suspicion, causing Naruto to feel a little bit of heartache.

Just how was this admirably kind and innocent lady a kunoichi again? She was far too soft and naïve, was she not? She should have at least a basic modicum of suspicion when an Uzumaki child appears out of nowhere in the middle of the base. This is especially so when a stranger had just spoken to the leader about said clan! Just how could Konan lack wariness so? It was honestly quite worrying. It was true that Naruto looked unsuspecting, but it was for that reason that she should have been more on guard. The fact that Naruto wished her no harm was truly the only reason why she was still alright at this moment.

"Umm... Konan-onee-san, I don't really know how I ended up here. I don't really know where this is either. I tried to ask Itachi-san, the first person I met, but he just told me that I would be in danger if I stayed and that I should leave this place," Naruto rambled, acting nervous.

Konan smiled and told him reassuringly, "Don't worry. You'll be safe with me, Naruto-kun. I will protect you. I would like to bring you to see my friend, who is the leader here. The others wouldn't be able to do anything if he acts as your guarantor."

Naruto nodded, looking timid.

"Alright," he consented.

The two made their way into the hidden room at the top of the building. Konan knocked only once before the door opened to a room familiar to both arrivals, though only Naruto knew this. They did not have to wait for long. Within mere seconds, the door was opened by a man with scarlet hair and eyes that were metallic purple with dark concentric circles.

Both Naruto and Nagato were surprised by the sight of the other. Naruto because he had never expected the fellow Uzumaki to open the door by himself and Nagato because it was just too shocking for him to see a child on the other side of the door. Neither knew how to react in such a situation as they stared at each other blankly for a brief moment. Konan just stood next to them, a curious expression on her face.

"This is our so-called intruder, Naruto-kun," Konan explained when Nagato finally turned his gaze to her.

He blinked and spoke thoughtfully, "Oh?"

"Hello, mister. My name is Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto greeted unsurely, perfectly playing the role of a timid child.

Nagato's gaze softened as he carefully reached out a hand which he gently placed on Naruto's head.

"Hello. I am Uzumaki Nagato. Since we hail from the same clan, I can be said to be your distant cousin," Nagato spoke softly.

Naruto acted surprised by this revelation.

"Then... Nagato-ani?" Naruto suggested shyly with his eyebrows furrowed, actually uncertain this time.

Konan chuckled at him and, slyly, winked at Nagato.

"Say, what do you think of this adorable little otōtō?" she asked with a smirk.

Nagato bit his lip.

"Yahiko isn't here anymore. I have more than just a few responsibilities to handle. I can only neglect taking care of a child..." Nagato spoke after a moment of reluctance.

Naruto pouted cutely and grumbled, "I'm not actually homeless, you know. My tou-san and kaa-san may not be around anymore but that doesn't mean I haven't got anywhere to stay. I just got lost."

It would have gotten inconvenient if the older Uzumaki had decided to adopt him or anything like that. He could not possibly stay in Ame for that long. He had other responsibilities besides checking on the Akatsuki. In the first place, his allies and friends within the organisation were not few in number. There was no point even if he were to become part of Akatsuki and it will only result in problems if he actually did join it.

Nagato was a little startled by this response but laughed once he got over his surprise.

"Is that so? Then would Naruto-kun rather stay here?" he asked kindly.

"Well, I don't mind visiting..." Naruto decided after a moment of thought, looking a little embarrassed.

"You will always be welcome. Feel free to visit whenever. Konan will be there to escort you to me," Nagato consented with a self-conscious smile.

Naruto almost seemed to gleam due to the brightness of his smile.

"Arigatō, Nagato-ani!" he cheered, launching himself into the older male's arms.

After this, Nagato taught Naruto many things. He even told Naruto about Yahiko, the original objective of the Akatsuki, the plans that he had to gather his clansmen so that Amegakure can become a haven to their Uzumaki clan and also about how he had several puppets. Naruto was told about why Nagato had decided to turn his best friend into one of his Six Paths and about how he regretted not being able to save Yahiko. Nagato told him to cherish what he had and to always do his best to protect what he held dear.

It was only at the end of the day when the sun had started to dip beneath the horizon when Naruto finally declared his intention to leave.

Nagato and Konan bid him goodbye, but Naruto did not walk away immediately.

Instead, he asked, "Is it lonely up here? Don't you miss Yahiko?"

Naruto was actually reconsidering the idea of resurrecting the redhead's ginger friend.

Nagato's answer to this was actually somewhat unexpected to Naruto.

"Not at all. I have Konan by my side, after all. I even have another friend who is about my age and now you to come to see me now and then. If I said I wasn't satisfied with this Yahiko would probably crawl out of the Pure World to hit me for my greediness. Besides, I would like to think that he is in a better place now. Yahiko would not like to be brought back after dying rightfully in battle anyway. I was not really thinking when I had spoken of bringing him back. He would hate me for dragging him back from the afterlife when he had so believed in his ideology of the survival of the fittest. We've won against Hanzō in the end only thanks to his sacrifice and he must have been glad for that. I am not insensitive enough to disregard his wish for us who continue to remain after his passing to live happily and achieve peace in his stead to obsess over an unattainable dream of reviving him instead," Nagato spoke with his eyes clear.

Naruto stared at Nagato for a moment, his eyes wide.

Perhaps there was still hope of saving Nagato from the demise he had to suffer during the previous timeline. It definitely was worth working for. He had felt something within the depths of his soul resonate with the heartfelt words that Nagato had spoken. He knew that he could become rather close friends with Nagato. It would not be a waste for him to bring his fellow Uzumaki clansman over. Naruto felt that Nagato's ideals were truly worth fighting for. After all, he too desired to bring peace to the world.

Nagato's eyes had once been murky, clouded due to his obsessions. They had remained so until his end came and they gained that brief moment of clarity. That was how Naruto had remembered the Nagato of his previous time. The Nagato before him had bright eyes which saw through the darkness of the past and the present to a brighter future which he could strive towards. Naruto saw this Nagato as someone worth sacrificing his well-thought-out former plans to save.

"Then I'll have to make sure I visit often so you don't get lonely!" Naruto spoke, concealing his intentions behind the facade of a child's bright innocence.

With that, he stepped out of the Akatsuki base and walked into a nearby orphanage where he left a blood clone with a hiraishin marker after altering the memories of its residents to include his existence within. It was truly fortunate that Nagato had yet to invent his chakra rain jutsu that had allowed Nagato to track all ongoings within the village during the later stages in the previous timeline. If the jutsu had already existed, then it would have been much harder to forge the existence of a child in Amegakure that had never existed in the first place.

He had intentions to come to visit often, after all.

That blood clone was simply the best alibi.

On that note, it was indeed rather amusing that Konan was so distrustful of Akihiko but had just opened up to Naruto so easily.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Naruto had a birthday present in hand as he snuck into the Hyūga compound.

He had returned to the village not too long ago and was proceeding to deliver his gift to Neji under the cover of night, albeit darkness was not key to his undetected entrance.

It was after he had sent the present through his specialised array on the wall of the building he knew Neji to reside within that he paid a visit to another person in the compound. He just felt it more convenient to do so. That gift was under a hidden illusory array that would be deactivated on Neji's birthday on the third of July. Since the current date was June tenth, that day was still rather distant. As such, it was unlikely that the two would guess that the presents had actually been delivered together.

It was after he had set down Hinata's gift on her cupboard at the door of her bed that he finally noticed the presence of someone who sat near Hinata's window quietly. He did not sense any hostility from this person, so he could not figure out what intentions they had. Even so, stranger still was the fact that he could not place where this chakra signature could be from. It did not possess any of the defining traits of shinobi of any region within the continent, but it was still vaguely familiar although he could not seem to recognise it.

Naruto activated his Tenseigan and was rather stunned when he discovered that this watcher was actually a child.

It was most surprising because it was still in the middle of the night. Midnight had already come and passed. The full moon was already starting its downwards trek down the sky. In Konoha, it was hard to expect a child to be awake at such an ungodly hour.

Without really thinking, he stepped onto the windowsill of Hinata's room without concealing himself as he came face-to-face with the child. Naruto had seen him through the concealment seal array that had been incorporated into the cloak that the child wore. Though he already had some expectations of what he would see when he pulled off the hood of the invisibility cloak, Naruto was still surprised by what sight greeted him.

Before Naruto sat a shocked boy with pure white hair and fair skin. His features were delicate and he was just so... pretty. Naruto had no idea what to feel about his discovery of a child that was more pretty than all of the prettiest girls he had met in this lifetime and the last combined. It was a little unsettling, especially since this child was clearly a boy from his chakra circulation system and the 'parts' he could see thanks to the Tenseigan through the boy's (strange) clothes. The pretty boy was also blind, Naruto noted with interest.

The one inconvenient part to deal with thanks to the Tenseigan was the fact that everything was visible to him. It was completely different from the Byakugan, which allowed the user to see chakra, thus allowing them to see through solid objects. It allowed him to see everything in a flawless three-dimensional view and simultaneously perceive the chakra within them. He believed that this made the Tenseigan the best tool for any pervert to fulfil their desires, but it was wasted on Naruto. His sole concern was the fact that he would be carrying out a severe invasion of privacy every time he activated the dōjutsu.

The white-haired boy whose eyes were covered by a white silk sash which seemed almost like a blindfold was surprised for an entirely different reason altogether. He was pondering just who it could be that would have such a rich bloodline. He could tell that the other boy before him was clearly of the same origins as himself, a Hamura descendant. He just could not fathom just how the other boy could emanate an aura that was practically indistinguishable from that of their ancestor's own. In fact, he would even dare to presume that this boy possessed the Tenseigan just like Ōtsutsuki Hamura himself.

With his mind racing, the white-haired boy blurted, "What are you doing off the moon?"

Naruto was confused by the strange question, but he did not show it, choosing to shoot back instead, "Why are you not on the moon then?"

The white-haired boy spluttered for a moment at the sassy reply he had received in response to his question, finally retorting, "That's none of your business!"

"Then you have no business knowing why I'm here either, right?" Naruto replied sarcastically.

The boy glared at him. Naruto could literally feel daggers shooting out of the strange pretty boy's eyes. This was particularly strange since he was able to tell that this child actually did not possess eyes in the first place. Naruto was unable to stop himself from wondering about just how the other boy was capable of this.

"More importantly, how can your bloodline be so rich?" the blind child demanded.

Naruto shrugged helplessly.

"I wonder too," he muttered, partly to himself and partly to answer the other boy's question.

The boy twitched, obviously annoyed by the lack of progress in his conversation with Naruto.

It was then that Naruto spoke once more, "So what's your name? I'm Naruto."

"I'm Toneri," the white-haired boy responded grudgingly.

Naruto blinked, stared and then blinked again.

"Servant...?" Naruto mumbled in confusion.

The child, Toneri, twitched violently and looked as though he was about to burst, but there was something in the distance that seemed to have caught his attention then.

Naruto followed his gaze to see that the moon was already setting, but could not quite grasp the significance of this occurrence.

"I will be the one to win the heart of Hyūga Hinata in the end!" Toneri declared before starting to run off with surprising speed.

"Hinata?" Naruto mumbled, feeling even more puzzled.

"I will not lose to you, Naruto!" Toneri threw back over his shoulder before disappearing from view as he seemed to dash into the rays of fading moonlight.

Naruto felt very lost.

Just who was that child? Were Hamura's descendants supposed to live on the moon? What happened to Toneri's eyes? What exactly was going on between Toneri and Hinata?

Naruto was filled with questions that he could not see himself finding the answers to anytime soon.

"How odd," he muttered as he watched the sun begin peeking out from the skyline as the moon finally disappeared as it fell below the horizon.

What was up with Toneri anyway?