"Is it safer to have a stronger person steer? How about having Baki-sensei step up as the... aeronaut?" Temari piped up. "Not that I look down on you, Uzumaki Naruto, but..."

"I think if Naruto can't do it, there's a bigger chance of crashing if Baki-san pilots," Kakashi turned her suggestion down directly.

"Even if this aircraft falls apart, I will be able to protect all of you," Sōjirō interjected. "So, you don't have to worry."

"Protect, huh? Then I'll be in your care, kōhai," Kakashi replied merrily.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted in classic Uchiha style, something he has not done in a while.

Sakura rolled her eyes, while Naruto helpfully translated, "He said, 'Just board the damned thing.'"

Gaara was genuinely impressed.

"You could infer that from that incomprehensible sound?" he marvelled sincerely.

"It's the first language that every Uchiha speaks," Naruto revealed, scratching his cheek. "I could pick up on a few simple meanings after knowing him for a while, but I learned the language recently."

"I have a list of definitions and the various sounds associated with them," Sakura admitted.

"It's a language heavily dependent on context. The same sound can mean at least twenty different things," Naruto corrected her.

While Gaara looked mindblown by the revelation of the Uchiha secret, Kankuro readily flattered, "Shishō's knowledge is so profound!"

Naruto felt bemused, knowing that the second child of the Kazekage family was hoping to get more tips by boosting his ego.

He knew the childish schemes of his disciple but acceded to him anyway.

"Centre of gravity matters. When you add accessories to your puppets, make sure that they are balanced, and that heavier weapons are equipped lower than lightweight ones," Naruto apprised.

Kankuro's eyes brightened as he ingested the new tip that he just received.

"Then if I have tank-type puppets, I should make their weight concentrated at their base so they wouldn't fall over so easily!" he thought aloud, gushing. "Shishō, you're amazing!"

He applied the newfound knowledge very quickly.

Naruto discerned that he had on his hands a genius puppeteer.

If he educated Kankuro well, he might be able to stand in the same league as Sasori and leave his name in the continent for generations to come.

After much fuss, the ten were finally seated on the Hikōki.

"I would recommend strapping yourselves down with those seatbelts," Naruto cautioned while activating the windshield.

A series of clicks resounded as the terrified passengers fastened their seatbelts.

The seats were equipped with heaters to keep riders warm at high altitudes, but since they would be flying higher than during the outgoing trip...

"There are blankets under the seats. If I was in your position, I would be wrapping myself up with them right now," Naruto advised. "Place your luggage there instead."

"But it's really hot in Suna," Kankuro said in dismay.

Despite their confusion, the Suna members obediently wrapped themselves up in blankets.

Naruto fished out his old goggles which fell out of favour so long ago when he first received a hitai-ate and put them on. Then, without any indication to alert his passengers, the aircraft took off steadily with the combined efforts of Naruto and Sōjirō.

It gradually accelerated as it shot forward at an angle, the inclination causing the passengers to lean backwards and clutch at the seat for some support. Naruto aimed for a gap between clouds -- otherwise, they would all be wet and cold. He decided that he would incorporate a capsule in some way or another to separate the interior from the external elements when he planned the next design.

He flew through the gap, using wind to deflect clumps of water that could not be safely avoided.

At this altitude, the Suna group finally realised why Naruto told them to wrap themselves up.

Noticing the air pressure start to drop, Sōjirō created an air pocket around the aircraft.

Naruto only felt the change when the pressure was forcibly raised by the other "pilot". Honestly, other than during takeoff, he could take control of the aeroplane on his own. Even then, he only needed help to maintain the stability of the flight path. If not, the turbulent journey would probably cause the eight humans to vomit in midair.

Above the clouds, Naruto cruised peacefully for another hour at a high constant velocity that could not be detected by the passengers within the comfort of the wind capsule.

During this process, Naruto thought it might be a good idea to incorporate such seals in the design of the next plane. It not only reduced air resistance but also overcame the issue of a lack of cover from incoming rain and winds. At the same time, it maintained air pressure at a liveable range so that the passengers would not die from asphyxiation.

"It should be about here?" Naruto mused aloud.

With no other sign, he tilted the aircraft downwards and accelerated towards the earth.

Sakura squawked in surprise, "'Ruto!"

Unfortunately, he did not hear her cry.

She repeated herself telepathically, scowling at the blond two rows ahead of her.

"'Ruto! Doing things like that can give people a cardiac arrest!"

Naruto did not respond immediately, practically cackling as he relished in the thrill of the moment.

The trajectory changed abruptly once again as the treetops came into view, the forests of Hi no Kuni speeding toward their sights as the vehicle continued its downward path. It felt completely reckless to the passengers -- their pilot had no sense of measure whatsoever. Not only was the journey jerky and unpleasant but also absurdly fast and with sudden dives that made them feel like their hearts might stop beating in the very next second.

The aircraft decelerated further as it rapidly approached the visible landmark of the Hokage Monument that rose above the canopy.

It swept over Konohagakure no Sato, landing neatly in front of the gates.

"And we're here! You didn't have to worry, 'Kura. I took into account the physical fitness of those on board. Even Kankuro, who is the worst-off in that aspect, would not be too unwell with the precautions that I have taken," Naruto exclaimed cheerfully, totally unfazed by the bumpy ride.

As they alighted on wobbly legs and staggered towards the gate, Kakashi (playing it cool) asked out of nowhere, "Sōjirō-san, would you teach him?"

Puzzled, Sōjirō turned to look Kakashi in the eyes.

"Who?" Sōjirō asked blankly.

The question came without warning but the firm, determined light in the dark grey eyes of the silver-haired jōnin made it clear that he was not joking around.

Kakashi fumbled, slightly flustered, and explained, "My student, Naruto. He's an Uzumaki too, and your cousin. I think he has potential. You should impart some of your skills to him, as a junior if nothing else."

Naruto was truly gobsmacked by Kakashi's sudden proposal.

He was ruffled by Kakashi's kindness -- the man was always so distant, only teaching Sasuke who was the last loyal Uchiha after the task was assigned to him by the Konoha Council. He respected the man, of course, and it was not like Kakashi did not care for him, at least, knowing who Naruto's father had been. However, Naruto would not defend the man -- it was true that he neglected the two other genins under his care. One could argue that Kakashi really did not have anything to teach them, what with him being known for his Sharingan and them being non-Uchiha, but it was undeniable that the man did not even put in any effort. His greatest teaching was just a quote left to him by his former teammate.

"Those who break the rules are scum, but those who betray their friends are worse than scum."

Then again, that was a moral lesson. If not for that having such a great impact on their lives, Kakashi only ever taught them the tree-climbing exercise. That certainly could not be considered anything special -- it was a common form of chakra-control practice that all other shinobi would learn at some point. If that was all he did for them, Naruto really would not have considered the jōnin his teacher at all.

It was his life lessons that solidified Hatake Kakashi's position in the young Naruto's mind, not that the man ever knew this in that timeline.

As such, Naruto could not react immediately when such thoughtful words came from his sensei's mouth without prompting.

When he finally processed the fact that it was Hatake Kakashi who was belatedly showing concern for Uzumaki Naruto, the blond could not help but snort at the irony of it all.

This situation was truly one-of-a-kind.

Where else could he find a person who asks a clone to teach its creator a technique?

He was touched that Kakashi was thinking about him at all, but he found the circumstances to be more humorous than it was moving.

Naruto muffled a snort of amusement, while Sōjirō looked at him helplessly with a silent plea for help.

Unfortunately, Naruto did not notice.

"You want me to teach Naruto my way of the sword?" Sōjirō reiterated to buy time, still trying to non-verbally signal to his Master for support.

"Are you unwilling? I can vouch for his ability. I promise it would not be a waste of time for you to teach him swordsmanship," Kakashi assured, pleading in his eyes.

Sōjirō, torn, muttered under his breath, "It's not that I don't want to. I'm just the last individual who would be qualified to teach that personage anything."

"Please? My cute little kōhai?" Kakashi openly begged now, grabbing Sōjirō's hands and looking very pitiful.

"Naruto doesn't need someone to teach him," Gaara and Sōjirō refuted in unison.

Simultaneously, Kankuro scoffed, "Shishō doesn't need a kenjutsu teacher."

Sakura and Sasuke were confused -- since when did everyone think so highly of their blond friend? Naruto had yet to demonstrate his true skill. Even so, they could only nod along to the remarks made by the others.

It was true, after all.

Naruto finally managed to get his laughter under control and reassured Kakashi with a poker face on, "Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. I'm not interested in learning kenjutsu. You don't have to get upset with Sōjirō-taichō."

Kakashi frowned and seemed like he was about to uncharacteristically lecture Naruto on what he would miss out on by not learning kenjutsu from a swordmaster when he suddenly realised what the blond referred to Sōjirō as.

He asked Sōjirō quietly, "You told him?"

Although the meaning behind those words was implicit, the tacit understanding between them was sufficient for Kakashi's intent to be conveyed to the other.

"Naruto and I... You've probably noticed already, but we're closer than one might think," Sōjirō responded, flashing a grin.

He was covertly prideful of his closeness to his creator. Naruto hardly paid attention to the other blood clones, often treating them as mere extensions of his will. None would feel offended by their Master's view -- it was natural for them to function as such. Rather than taking offence, they relished in it. Even if told to sacrifice themselves, they were just glad to be useful.

Sōjirō has privately met several of the other blood clones, and he knew that they were somewhat envious of him. He was the most indispensable, and the oldest of the clones. Sōjirō knew that he would also be willing to disappear whenever Naruto desired it, that he would be glad to give up his existence to be of assistance to their creator. However, it was his secret predilection to be noticed by his Master.

Of course, all of them wished to avail their Master in any way they could. Sōjirō was a bit of an oddball in that sense. He wanted to be close to Naruto and liked that feeling of being appreciated by him. His only want was his Master's validation, which was why he would often find reasons to contact him beyond the regular reports.

The others probably would not oppose this either -- nothing that Naruto did was wrong to them. Even so, Sōjirō actively sought the attention of their Master while knowing the fact that Naruto did not tend to self-praise. He knew that Naruto was more humble than others might presume, and he knew how Naruto thought of his clones.

Sōjirō knew that Naruto appreciated their individuality and uniqueness and that he was willing to treat them as a part of him even after they no longer had any purpose. He could choose to discard them after they were no longer needed -- it was completely unnecessary to reintegrate with his clones after dispelling them. If only Naruto did not insist on doing so, he would not be harmed even if the blood clones were killed.

It was their Master's kindness that allowed them rights like that of the humans who surrounded Naruto.

Sōjirō knew that he was greedy. This was not something essential to him as a clone. It could even impede his decisions. It was something he should immediately report once noticed. However, he chose to bury it deep within his heart where Naruto could not easily find it.

He knew that Naruto would discover it one day, but he hoped that it would be after his use was fulfilled and he returned to being a part of his Master.

At least then, Naruto would never feel like he was a burden.

He knew he was flawed. He knew he could not hide this forever. He knew that this was just a delaying tactic.

He supposed that he simply did not want Naruto to be disappointed in him.

As a clone, he had ulterior motives towards his Master and that was unforgivable.

He was well aware of that.

Maybe Naruto, in his infinite kindness, will not despise him for it, but he did not wish to risk it. His current relationship with his Master was special. He could interact freely with Naruto, and make things that would be useful to him. He would sooner die than lose all of this.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

With a baffling atmosphere, the ragtag bunch arrived before the Sandaime Hokage.

Kakashi submitted the mission report and Hiruzen courteously welcomed the guests from Suna, inviting them on a tour led by Naruto upon hearing that Suna's jinchūriki had done the same for them.

As the nine were dismissed, once again leaving only Sōjirō, the splitting of the group eased the mood.

"Has anything happened?" Hiruzen queried with fatherly concern.

Sōjirō blinked once, then carefully hid his worries within himself again.

"No, Kakashi-senpai just had a personal request for me," Sōjirō sighed, massaging his temples as he recalled it.

It was an unreasonable task, though he did not blame Kakashi for not understanding it.

"Why did it trouble you so?" Hiruzen probed.

Sōjirō knew what the aged Hokage was trying to do. The old man was attempting to get Sōjirō to open up and tell him about his troubles. That way, even if Hiruzen will not be able to advise him about it, Sōjirō might feel better after telling someone.

Instead of beating around the bush, Sōjirō answered with full honesty, "He asked me to train Uzumaki Naruto. I'm afraid I'm not qualified to do so."

Hiruzen shook his head and admonished gently, "Don't look down on yourself so. Naruto is indeed very intelligent, and a jinchūriki on top of that, but you are not at all inferior to him."

Rage briefly coursed through Sōjirō as his fists clenched tightly but he forced himself to calm down. He knew Sarutobi Hiruzen did not know anything. He was aware that he should not allow those ignorant words that, to him, seemed to put Naruto down to place himself in a higher position to frustrate him. No one has the right to demean his Master.

"That was not my intention," Sōjirō gritted out, though Hiruzen did not perceive the clone's annoyance. "I only meant to say that he does not require a teacher. His skills are self-made, and he did not wish to learn kenjutsu from me anyway."

Hiruzen pondered over this. "Is that so? I'll speak to him about this..."

Sōjirō twitched slightly.

He felt guilty for bringing up this issue to the Hokage -- he never intended to allow it to trouble Naruto.

"I will accompany him with basic training and correct his stances should I see any mistakes," Sōjirō quickly inputted.

Hiruzen chortled jovially, finally content with Sōjirō's attitude, "That's the spirit. You Uzumaki youngsters should get along well."

Sōjirō stiffly forced an expression similar to a smile.

If Hiruzen looked closely, he would realise it was more alike with a grimace.

Thankfully, he did not.

"On the surface, I would like your break to last until the end of the Chūnin Exams. Take this time to interact more with your young cousin, Naruto-kun. Please also keep track of any possible disturbances to the Exams while 'off-duty'," Hiruzen stated with a low cough, putting air quotation marks around the last word.

Sōjirō's eye twitched.

That sounded like an excuse if he had ever heard one. The Hokage just wanted him to rest longer under the guise of an undercover investigation. If he did not know any better, he would presume that the man wished to save on the costs of paying him his salary as the ANBU commander Kitsune.

"About that," Sōjirō said while handing over a scroll, "these are the plans that I made with Kazekage-sama. Orochimaru has made his move. He has teamed up with Suna to attack Konohagakure during the Chūnin Exams. I requested for Kazekage-sama to cooperate with that missing-nin for the time being. In short, he would pretend to attack Konoha during the last segment of the Exams and we can then surround Orochimaru's forces with a pincer attack."

Hiruzen scanned through the plan detailed on the parchment and nodded.

"Excellent," he commended, "I could not have thought of a better approach myself. No, I would not have considered such an ingenious tactic."

"It's based on mutual deception and backstabbing. A person as honourable as Hokage-sama would not even contemplate such underhanded methods," Sōjirō skillfully deflected the compliment.

He could not care any less whether anyone else appreciated his efforts, not to mention that this was his Master's work. He was not displeased that Hiruzen thought so well of it, but he did not like taking credit if it was not his deed. Besides, he knew Sarutobi Hiruzen's true nature. The person known as the Professor was no pushover in his youth. It was not as if he could fight a war uprightly as shinobi.

Hiruzen merely mellowed out with age to become calmer and less radical.

Peace caused him to grow soft, but Hiruzen was still the same person at the core.

"Don't underestimate yourself. With you two Uzumaki on our side, Konoha's future is bright!" Hiruzen guffawed.

Sōjirō's eyes cast downwards momentarily.

He did not feel like telling the Sandaime, but he knew that Hiruzen would not tattle about it to others and that his rich experience might be of help.

"Hokage-sama, this has nothing to do with our previous discussion but... could you... spare some of your time for me to consult about something?" Sōjirō asked haltingly. "It's a personal matter."

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

In the meantime, Naruto was guiding the five visitors from Suna around Konoha. The other members of Team Seven opted to exit the scene instead of tagging along, mirroring the previous situation where only Gaara accompanied Team 7 on the tour. He walked at a leisurely pace and chatted with Gaara about various things, occasionally pointing out landmarks. His path was not very straightforward, however, and was quite confusing to those unfamiliar with the place.

Baki, who was more disorientated than he cared to admit, seriously considered the thought that Naruto might have chosen the befuddling route on purpose.

It was not wholly wrong, since Naruto liked to mess around with people. Harmless pranks like these were his speciality, and all residents of Konoha could attest to his ability to wreak havoc without causing any lasting harm. Of course, the Suna guests could not possibly know of this reputation.

This time, Naruto was just going wherever he thought of in no particular order. He did not mean to confuse, though it did not mean that he was thoughtful enough to take a clear route. He could feel the glares from Temari and Baki piercing through the back of his head but paid no mind to them since they did not voice their complaints.

Kankuro and Yashamaru looked around at first, but realised what was going on after a while and gave up on collecting info about their surroundings. They followed Naruto's conversation with Gaara, pitching in from time to time. While Yashamaru's comments were insightful, Kankuro was very off-topic. His input was all related to puppetry, and even Gaara could not help feeling beguiled.

He never knew his older brother was such a pleasant person to be around. Kankuro was annoying at times, that excessive obsession of his did that, but usually entertaining. The art of puppetry never caught Gaara's fancy, but he did not hate how Kankuro chattered about it as much as he thought he did. They hardly spoke with each other before, but he found himself easily chuckling at Kankuro's puppet jokes that did not always fit.

With Naruto as an intermediary, the two Sabaku siblings grew closer than they ever were in this lifetime or the previous.

A week later, Temari and Baki would return to Suna after recovering from their flight.

Gaara would remain until the end of the Chūnin Exams, with Kankuro staying behind for companionship and Yashamaru as their chaperone. Gaara was gleeful to have received permission to stay longer than originally planned, though he did not show it. Kankuro was plenty satisfied with the new arrangement -- it meant he would not be separated from his new shishō and could consult with Naruto about puppets whenever he wanted. Yashamaru was there to attend specialised therapy sessions with Konoha's Yamanaka counsellors.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

"Mikoto-san," Naruto greeted, crossing the threshold. "We have returned."

Sasuke was not here, having returned to the Uchiha compound under the prying eyes of Danzō.

Whether or not Sasuke behaved accordingly to the war hawk's expectations determined how the Konoha Council would behave in the coming meetings. If he was not careful, Danzō might even capitalise on it to obtain custody over him as the "last loyal Uchiha". Though was no longer as pressing now that Sasuke was officially a member of Konoha's shinobi forces now, and will thus be considered emancipated from Konoha's orphan programme, Danzō could still pull some strings if he were desperate enough.

"Welcome back, Naruto-kun," Mikoto said warmly, with a lively smile.

The gentle, somewhat motherly gaze that Mikoto directed at him was not so quickly interpreted and understood by the blond.

"Have you made a choice?" Mikoto asked tenderly, her eyes shining as bright as stars.

Naruto related this odd behaviour to her plea the previous time he had visited and finally realised why the current matriarch of the Uchiha clan survivors had that look of anticipation as she stared fixedly at him. He felt abashed for having forgotten all about the matter soon after he had decided to refuse. Moreover, he felt guilty about the words he intended to speak -- it would bring down the young widow's mood.

"I'm sorry, Mikoto-san," Naruto apologised lowly, meeting her gaze unregretfully. "I just cannot consider anyone as a parent. It isn't that I dislike you or anything -- quite the opposite. I just can't treat you as my mother."

When he uttered those words, his voice was steady and without reluctance.

Mikoto could not possibly continue to push when faced with such a powerful response. She knew that Naruto, this mature boy who was wise beyond his years, did not crave familial affection as much as others would think. He might have wished, once upon a time, to have had parents to shelter him and love him simply for who he was. However, that was in the past. Naruto no longer needed the superficial sense of protection she could offer him in the name of family ties.

Despite guessing as much, Mikoto still felt a forlorn sense of loss when she received the firm rejection from the only son of Kushina, who was her best friend since the Academy. She was unable to do anything for Naruto before the "massacre" -- the decline of the Uchiha clan kept her busy and attempts to apply for guardianship over the orphaned jinchūriki failed. Hiruzen would not leave Naruto in the care of any of the members of the Shinobi or Elder Council and claimed it was for the boy's safety.

Mikoto regretted not giving more. She lamented that she had not fought hard enough for her case while arguing with the Hokage for Naruto's custody, jinchūriki or not. She rued the naive thoughts she had allowed to stop herself from checking in on him over the years. In his most vulnerable period, Naruto had no one.

Unbidden, tears were already falling from the black-haired woman's dimmed eyes.

Only seeing how quickly she had wilted, Naruto finally began to feel anxious. He did not know how to comfort a crying person. If Mikoto continued being so upset, how was he going to explain this to Sasuke?

In an attempt to cheer her up, Naruto said in a coaxing manner, "I've finished setting up the defensive and concealment arrays. You can move back to the Uchiha compound with the rest of your clan now. 'Suke will be there to receive you."

She laughed weakly, "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

"Yes, this is something happy. So... stop crying, alright?" Naruto tentatively asked.

Mikoto nodded, fumbling to dry her tears.

"I'm sorry, I always seem to show you my weak side. It's no wonder you can't see me as a parental figure," she joked wryly.

Naruto frowned, admonishing, "That isn't true. You are a wonderful mother. My refusal is due to personal issues. Don't beat yourself up like this."

He next proceeded to go around informing the rest of the Uchiha clan of the change and waited for them to finish gathering their personal belongings at the massive Hiraishin array he had previously designed, meant for transporting large groups. Even since he was evacuating the innocents, he had prepared for the day he would return them to their rightful place. His arrangements for the Uchiha clan have been completed before the massacre even occurred. Naruto never did think of holding back the survivors from living their lives -- he was willing to house them to keep them out of sight but would never choose to trap them underground for their entire lives.

Snatching away anyone's freedom was just something Naruto could never do. Besides, the Uchiha clan was also part of Konoha. As a family who played a vital role in Konoha's founding and an indispensable component of his village's workforce, Naruto could not afford to allow the Uchiha clan to fall into obscurity in the annals of history as its age passed.

Most importantly, he felt that Sasuke's family deserved better.

The peaceful faction always existed, even during the previous timeline. However, in eliminating the extremists who intended to rebel against the Hokage's rule, uninvolved personnel died. If only Naruto owned that red hat rather than that sentimental and soft-hearted old man, he would never have allowed Danzō to gather so much power. If Naruto was just born several years earlier, he would have uprightly saved the Uchiha clan from Danzō's foul machinations.

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes as he tilted his head upwards to allow the warm rays of refracted sunlight to shine upon his face.

Dwelling on such impossibilities did not suit him. He had no desire to travel further back in time than he already did. He would simply work with what he already had now.

Naruto heard the shuffling of footsteps as the clan members filed in neatly, filling the empty plaza. This courtyard was the only place in the hideout that received natural sunlight -- an underground greenhouse of sorts. The plants surrounding it were mostly planted by Sasuke after Naruto first built it at the former's behest. It now had plenty of tomato plant varieties courtesy of Sasuke as well as medicinal herbs that Naruto thoughtfully later added to provide Sakura with material for healing and research. The place eventually became the favourite gathering spot of the Uchiha temporary residents.

An illusionary sky could be seen on the domed glass ceiling, giving people the impression of freedom despite the reality that this facility was buried around a kilometre beneath the earth. Naruto only made it that way upon the request of the Uchihas. Shisui even presented a petition signed by most of the group to convince him that it was a good idea.

"Hey, Naruto! We're all here!" Shisui yelled at the blond.

Despite looking as if he had been dozing, Naruto calmly opened his eyes and briefly surveyed the sea of heads with the same colour palette of the dark -- almost black -- hair colours.

"Have you brought everything important to you? I will be emptying the rooms after this," Naruto confirmed, doubtful.

There were already household seals that he invented to keep the underground hideout spotlessly clean. They were equipped with a function that allowed him to gather the selected "foreign" objects for disposal. The Uchiha clan survivors were initially brought over against their will -- Naruto essentially kidnapped the lot of them. They could only call the clothes on their bodies their own. It could be said that their daily needs were all thoroughly met by Naruto's provisions.

Some might have grown attached to some items that they have been using over these years, but most of them did not dare bring everything with them for fear of appearing too greedy.

"Naruto-sama means to say that... you don't mind if we take everything we used with us?"

The one who spoke up was a child. Naruto recognised her as the nine-year-old Uchiha Aiko. If not for the unfortunate incident, she would have already joined the Academy at her age. In the previous timeline, he never met this young girl -- she was merely one among the many victims of the Uchiha Massacre.

Naruto smiled gently at Aiko and nodded.

An elderly Uchiha coughed and stated, "If so, I will go back to take my things."

The rest of them chimed in with similar responses.

"There's no need. If everyone wishes for that, I will simply transport the items with you. There shouldn't be much that remains in the Uchiha compound belonging to you after so long, so this would save everyone the trouble of obtaining clothing through Sasuke," Naruto informed with a laugh.

"Your teleportation array covers the entire underground compound?" Shisui exclaimed, flabbergasted.

"That only allows me to transport inanimate objects," Naruto corrected thoughtlessly. "If I'm transporting people, plants, animals and the like, I need to use this array."

Shisui carefully deliberated over this.

"If there isn't anything else, let's get going," Naruto addressed the group.

"Hey, before that, can I come back to visit?" Shisui asked loudly, his eyes shining.

"If you can convince Sasuke to bring you with him," Naruto replied simply.

Shisui groaned, "Then that's as good as never!"

"Don't worry," Naruto assured, guessing the intentions of the Uchiha, "Sasuke probably has a whole personal tomato plantation by now. You shouldn't worry about not having enough tomatoes to eat."

Before the Uchihas resumed their delaying tactics, Naruto channelled chakra through his feet, causing the large circular array the group had gathered upon to glow.

The large platform's light quickly increased in intensity, levitating slightly.

"Hiraishin: Shitsuryō," Naruto uttered.

On the other end, the concealed fūinjutsu array glowed slightly as if synchronising with this one.

And the people who stood in the courtyard disappeared all at once, leaving the facility devoid of human presence for the first time in years. Since Naruto even included all the belongings of the Uchiha ex-residents when casting the jutsu, this also meant that almost all human traces were cleared all at once. In an instant, the clean white uniform cells within the hideout no longer looked like a place that people had lived in. They looked impersonal and cold, almost like a prison rather than a home.

Just like it used to be.

In an instant, the Uchihas appeared in a courtyard in the Uchiha compound in the same positions in which they assembled. Their belongings were piled neatly in rows categorised according to the rooms they were from. If an outsider witnessed this strange scene, they might have doubted their own eyes. The people standing there all of a sudden, however, were worse for wear.

Some doubled over, their stomachs turning with nausea. A few swayed slightly, dizzily disoriented by the shift in space. Most were fine, apart from looking a little pale.

Naruto stepped away from Mikoto, who appeared slightly green in the face, and bellowed, "Sasuke!"

The deafening shout echoed through the empty Uchiha district, summoning a frazzled Uchiha Sasuke in casual indoor clothing with hair still wet from the shower.

The raven-haired teen stared blankly at the crowd of relatives who had been absent in recent years, then looked at his blond time-travelling friend in a daze.

"'Ruto, this is?" Sasuke questioned, feeling confused beyond measure.

"Your entire extended family, of course. Who else could they be? Resurrected Senju clan ancestors?" Naruto snarked back.

Sasuke massaged his temples, trying to regain his cool.

Taking pity on his friend, Naruto spoke, "It would not cause any issues. I have finished installing advanced seal arrays for defence and concealment here. It's perfectly safe to let them walk in the open as long as no one leaves the Uchiha District."

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Naruto stood aside while watching the Uchiha clan survivors retrieve their items in an orderly manner. Their happiness was palpable, obvious merriment lingering over the Uchiha compound as its people busily moved around. The lifeless district returned to life like it never did in his previous life. The Uchiha District was demolished during Pein's attack and never had a chance to be reconstructed. Instead, the land was repurposed to the village's needs.

He would not allow that to happen again in this timeline.

Infected with the joyous atmosphere, even Sasuke was smiling visibly while helping his mother with her things. Naruto waited until Sasuke left to assist his older relatives with their baggage before approaching. He was not avoiding the other -- he just wanted to bring up a certain topic with Mikoto before informing Sasuke about it.

"Mikoto-san," Naruto called to his friend's mother through the window.

She set down a glass on the counter and stepped out.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?" Mikoto responded kindly.

"Would you do me a favour?" Naruto entreated.

Mikoto beamed at him.

"Anything within my power, Naruto-kun," she said readily, eagerly promising him her assistance even before hearing the request.

Naruto chuckled. "I just need your help in rearing a child, Mikoto-san."

Mikoto gasped in surprise, "A child?"

Naruto briefly explained, "She was picked up from a warzone. I have been taking care of her but I realised during this trip to Suna that I can't supervise her all of the time. I'll bring her to you. Just give me a minute."

Before the other party could react, Naruto disappeared.

Mikoto tried to wrap her mind around it in the meantime.

This was a child.

How old was Naruto? From Mikoto's perspective, Naruto was a child himself. He was only twelve years old this year. Considering his words, he must have been single-handedly raising her for a while. She has never met this child during her stay in Naruto's hideout, so she could only assume that the child had been living with him.

In exactly one minute, Naruto reappeared at the same spot. One would have thought that he never left, if not for the additional little girl next to him. She was nine, the same age as Uchiha Aiko. Her hazel eyes were bright as she curiously peered up at Mikoto, her pale milky fingers clutching at Naruto's larger hand.

"This child is Misaki. She has the potential to unlock the Sharingan. Please help me take care of her and teach her like you will teach any other Uchiha child. She is a little shy, but she has an interest in ninjutsu. It will be best if you can raise her as if she is your daughter," Naruto introduced, lightly urging the girl forward.

Misaki clung to Naruto's arm tightly, averting her gaze.

"I don't want to," she said stubbornly. "I want nii-san."

Naruto sighed, "Misaki."

He crouched down, prying off the vice-like grip that the girl had attached to his arm. Gingerly clasping her delicate hands in his own like he knew his clone Akihiko would do, he bumped foreheads with her. Though this display seemed affectionate from an outsider's point of view, Naruto knew that Misaki only believed in his credibility. She did not like him any more than one would like a stranger. She was willing to accept such closeness but to her, that was due to his similarity to her cherished nii-san.

"You will meet your nii-san again. Nii-san is busy. You'll have to be good and stay with Mikoto-san, alright? She is also an Uchiha and will take care of you for nii-san until you are big enough to protect yourself," he patiently elucidated in a manner that was easily misinterpreted by other listeners.

Misaki bit her lip and nodded.

"Secret," she mouthed.

"Good girl," Naruto praised, releasing her hands to pet her head.

There was a reason why he did not hand this child of whom his clone had grown so fond to someone else immediately.

"Go on. I'll come over to see you once in a while so you don't have to be scared," said Naruto.

Mikoto laughed awkwardly, "It's fine if she's shy. Misaki-chan, take your time. I'm not going to eat you."

In the end, Misaki was his responsibility.

Within the blank period between Naruto retrieving the child from Zetsu's base and bringing her to Uchiha Mikoto, he had her remain in one of his subdimensions under the care of shadow clones. They educated her on various matters regarding the world they live in, taught her to read and trained her mental fortitude. They instilled within the little girl the importance of burying the truth behind her obscure past.

Misaki would not disclose the truth to Mikoto and, even if she did so, the Uchiha clan survivors were trustworthy enough for Naruto not to fear the consequences of any careless revelations.

"I'll get going now. Misaki, you will be safe with Mikoto-san. Be good and listen to what she tells you."

Withdrawing before he could hear the girl's soft reply promising to obey his instruction, he left the two to their own devices.

While Mikoto did not realise it, Naruto had been glad to be relieved of the burden of a dependent he was not that fond of. It was only Akihiko's continued doting towards Misaki that caused the blood clone to end up cherishing the sacrificial lamb he was supposed to kill. Since Naruto had yet to dispel his duplicate "Akihiko", he did not possess the experiences and emotions that his clone had for Misaki. That, combined with the fact that he only met her twice in person, meant that he only felt a faint bond due to his shadow clones' time spent with her. Even then, the transient nature of each shadow clone meant that there was little impact on him.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Sasuke soon returned home, just in time to hear Mikoto coaxing an unknown little girl to call her kaa-chan.

He misunderstood the situation comically.

"Kaa-san?" he called out, a frown marring his face. "I understand that you find small children cute, but this is illegal. Where did you kidnap this little girl from?"

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Naruto face-palmed as he remembered something that he had forgotten before in his haste to leave Sunagakure.

Sachiko-chan, spiritual wisdom unlocked, was still lying unconscious in Suna.

Hopefully, the duck would not have caused too much trouble there before he managed to get her back. It would be inconvenient for him to secretly leave to visit another village before the events of the Chūnin Exams ended. Sachiko would just have to wait until he managed to sneak away.