"My dear spy, what's up?" Naruto chirped as he appeared next to Sasuke in a Hiraishin.

Sasuke, sprawled on a daybed that might have been a window seat if Orochimaru's lab were not underground, turned to look at his visitor.

"Hokage-sama, aren't you a little too free if you're coming to see me in a little over a month?" Sasuke drawled, taking a tomato from a storage seal to munch on.

"I came to check on what is happening on your end," Naruto replied crisply, scrutinising Sasuke's rooms with a keen eye.

Sasuke suspiciously averted his gaze when Naruto turned to look at him.

"There are no surveillance cameras in your living space, but there's a few at your door. It's Kabuto's handiwork. No traces of Orochimaru in those," stated Naruto.

Sasuke made a mental note not to step out of his room with tomato in hand.

It would be devastating if Kabuto were to discover his sole greatest weakness.

"So, 'Suke, what have you accomplished thus far?" Naruto inquired, picking up a chokutō from a weapons display rack -- the replica of the Kusanagi no Tsurugi in Sasuke's possession during the previous timeline.

He found the quality of this blade barely passable.

"I'm still using the one you made for me," Sasuke told him, not-so-subtly trying to steer the topic away from his activities as of late.

Naruto returned the sword to its display and glanced at Sasuke, unimpressed.

"Stop acting like a kid, 'Suke. Don't avoid the question. What did you do? Why are you looking so guilty?" Naruto prodded, pitiless.

Sasuke was standing now, and he scuffed his slipper against the tatami like a kid who was caught red-handed.

Naruto patiently waited, tossing out, "I'll call 'Kura over if you refuse to cooperate and spit it out."

Sasuke's switch was immediately flipped, and his attitude instantly turned into one of professionalism.

He knelt in the standard salute to the Hokage.

"I laid low until Orochimaru lowered his guard against me and Kabuto stopped eyeing me. Afterwards, I... obstructed all of Orochimaru's plans. I have hindered every one of the evil plots that the Snake Sannin has hatched up thus far. Orochimaru would never realise it's me, but Kabuto is getting suspicious. I think I am at risk of compromising my position," Sasuke reported dutifully, head down to show that he felt contrite.

Naruto sighed. "Kabuto shouldn't be an enemy to you even if he discovers your opposition to Orochimaru. He won't sell you out. He might even support you for the sake of overthrowing his owner. He is more of a snake than Orochimaru, so be careful when interacting with him. If it makes you feel better, continue to do what you're doing. Thwart as many of Pedomaru's plans as you want."

"You let an unsavoury nickname slip out, Naruto-sama," Isobu informed him considerately.

"Orochimaru's nickname has evolved again!" exclaimed Chōmei.

Ignoring his bijūs' comments, Naruto continued talking business, "I remember there's an Uzumaki who should have been kept in Pedomaru's lab around this time?"

"That would be Karin. Her chakra has a unique healing property that allows her to rejuvenate anyone she gives it to. Her only limitation is that someone will need to bite her to suck her chakra," revealed Sasuke, who was familiar with this kunoichi and even added her to his Team Hebi during the previous timeline.

Dragging Sasuke with him, Naruto lured Karin out of the base by flashing yellow chakra chains at the edge of her vision.

"That was the Kongō Fūsa!" Karin said through pants as she reached a hidden cave behind a waterfall.

The Kongō Fūsa, otherwise known as Vajra or "Adamantine" Sealing Chains, was usually undermined by Naruto. He oversimplified their use. Instead of referring to it by its proper name, he called them chakra chains. It was among the greatest of ultimate techniques of the Uzumaki clan. It could be classified as one of their kekkei-genkai, except this technique was based on chakra instead of one's bloodline. They were an amalgamation of the highest fūinjutsu methods and could be used to form any kind of barrier. Using those chains, Naruto could technically bind all of the bijū from the Ichibi to the Jūbi. However, he never needed to seal or restrain his bijū -- they have always cooperated with him.

During his fight with Kimimaro, Naruto never displayed the sealing properties of his chakra chains. That was because he wanted to combat the final survivor of the Kaguya clan as a fellow physical combatant. It was like how he had used Kiba's skills against him and then the Jūken to counter Neji.

These were not real battles where it was necessary to kill or incapacitate his opponents. He would treat them the way Kimimaro did -- as a form of communication between fellow shinobi. For Naruto, it would be the intermingling of the present and an alternate future.

"I guess that's what others called it?" Naruto responded unreliably, walking out of the shadow and into the light.

Karin's breath hitched, and she stared at him.

Unknowingly to him, the girl recognised him as her saviour -- the stranger who had rescued her from a bear attack in passing.

It was a benefit and drawback of making his chakra signature so distinctive.

For Naruto, this clansman of his was only vaguely familiar.

"How are the other Uzumakis doing out there?"

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Naruto took his leave after hearing all that Karin had to say.

It was as he had expected.

The Uzumaki clan was not obliterated. Its members were scattered across the continent without any way to contact each other, but they were alive. If another Uzushiogakure was built someday, they would gradually regather and regain their former glory. However, Naruto presently lacked the resources to handle such a large undertaking. If he had any intentions to help restore the Uzumaki clan, it would have to wait until the war was over.

That left Karin alone with Sasuke, who had steeled his resolve to deal with his biggest fangirl since Academy-Sakura.

Surprisingly, Karin did not spare Sasuke a second glance after identifying him as Orochimaru's latest vessel-in-progress.

"That guy was?" she asked Sasuke, staring at the space that once held Naruto.

"That was Uzumaki Naruto. He's a chūnin of Konoha and of direct descent to the Uzumaki clan from which you both hail. That's the man who will one day become the Hokage and the lord I serve," Sasuke replied frankly, having received orders to take care of this girl.

It would not be that bad if she was no longer one of his rabid fans -- though he also felt a sense of loss.

Was he becoming unpopular because he was growing old in spirit?

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

A blond appeared abruptly before Uchiha Akihiko in an underground cavern -- Zetsu's hideout.

Anyone else would have been surprised to see him teleport in, but Akihiko was not.

Deferentially, the usually-proud Uchiha spoke, "Master, welcome to my humble abode."

"I've left Misaki in Mikoto-san's care," Naruto revealed as he double-checked his concealment seals.

"Thank you, Master," said Akihiko, bowing deeply.

"No need for that. It is my duty, as your creator, to ensure that your needs are met. It wasn't much trouble to teach her a few things before sending her over," Naruto gently rejected the courtesy. "We are Master and clone -- we should not be so petty. It was a simple request, and I didn't mind doing that much for you. There's no need for excessive gratitude."

"Master, we do not require benefits. We serve you as our creator. You don't have to keep us satisfied or happy," divulged Akihiko. "We're bound to your will, never to oppose you."

"I don't desire slaves that might as well be mindless drones. You are my servants -- subordinates and individuals. It's not a sin for you to want something for yourself. Do not feel conflicted about it. I condone your personality," rebuffed Naruto, expressing his intent through his link with this blood clone.

Akihiko earnestly looked up at his Master without straightening his back.

"I'm sorry, Master. For me, those two commands are in conflict. I could not, simultaneously, be true to myself and take your favour for granted. I'm genuinely grateful for your timely assistance. That girl... Misaki is important to me. As her older brother Akihiko -- a person, I couldn't have killed her. However, I was always willing... to act against her if Master willed it. Master is important to me -- to us. I don't understand humans, Master, but I understand my devotion to you. My obligation towards Master is a part of my personality, and my gratitude for Master's kindness is sincere. Please suggest what I should do," Akihiko entreated, forest green eyes steady as he made eye contact with his creator.

Naruto sighed and, scratching his cheek, relented, "Just be yourself then. I would not dictate what you can or cannot do. I merely hoped you clones would be less restrained in expressing your wishes to me. I had to express that I don't prohibit you from having opinions that may not align with mine."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Master, but we can't oppose you. Whether willingly or unwillingly, we clones unconditionally serve the existence called 'Naruto'," the blood clone deftly returned.

Although he spoke words of denial, the expression on Akihiko's face was one of contentment.

It was pleasant to be cherished by their Master.

Naruto saw that pure, heartfelt smile without any pretences and was inadvertently reminded of Sōjirō. His clones very much resembled him, but they seemed to like being praised. Akihiko's current behaviour was proof.

To begin with, Akihiko was easygoing and inquisitive -- a combination of traits that made him easy to trust. His skill in deception and concealment, borrowed from his Master, made it such that Zetsu could never doubt him. Naruto thought little of this before, but it was indeed an admirable feat.

"Well done on getting Zetsu to trust you immediately," Naruto complimented casually.

Akihiko's expression brightened further.

Naruto watched him, mystified.

"I'm happy. I met Master's expectations," Akihiko explained himself.

Naruto tilted his head to the side in thought.

This did not seem to be a problem with Daiki or Seijī. Even "Naruto" in Ame, with his childlike disposition, would not be so... deferential. It seemed... there was something that made these clones revere him more as they gained power and responsibility. Either that, or he just did not understand his clones very well. They were not simply duplicates of him, after all. He never tried to communicate with those lacking identities in the world before. For all he knew, they might crave his recognition as well.

'They are alive. They are people,' Naruto thought offhandedly.

He sat on Akihiko's sofa and made himself comfortable on it.

"Your blood clones are not a mere jutsu you discovered, are they?" Mugetsu, all of a sudden, spoke up.

'I don't know their origin,' Naruto divulged, kicking off his boots.

"They do not belong to this world... no, this universe. Each clone you create is a disposable copy of you, but they are alive. Their existence hinges on yours, but they're living entities -- separate from you. They do not have souls, but they are autonomous in following your will. Such lifelike dolls... my world can't sustain such complex existences," Mugetsu explained.

Naruto was too sharp to miss the hint there.

He chuckled. 'Your world, huh? I see. Then it's no wonder every living thing that discerns my status as the jinchūriki acknowledged by you becomes so deferential.'

The Shinju was the coalescence of the energy of this world and the origin of all chakra.

That made the Jūbi the one who dominates the chakra of this world.

Thus, for the inhabitants of this world that rely on chakra, the Jūbi was their overlord. As someone that the overlord of this world willingly submits to, they gave him the title "Master of Mugetsu". The Phoenix race seemed to see him as a little more than that, but he did not wish to dig for the truth -- fearing the answer may be more than he could accept.

"You were busted, Mister Ten," Shukaku sang, cackling afterwards.

"So this is why you say as little as possible to him," said Kurama in faux compassion. "You were hiding some big secrets of your own."

"I owe you a life debt, as humans would call it. I would never betray you," Mugetsu hastily tried to amend the situation.

'I don't need it. Your allegiance is dispensable to me. I only need you to cooperate with me when necessary,' Naruto replied dispassionately.

Chōmei winced in sympathy.

It was painful for one's declaration of loyalty to be rejected.

Naruto then added to prevent misunderstandings, 'I will not keep you bijū with me indefinitely. I will release you when the world stabilises. You should not take the responsibility of a familiar for me.'

Mugetsu stubbornly insisted, "I'm willing to be your familiar, Naruto."

Naruto's lips quirked upwards. 'No longer calling me a child?'

Mugetsu did not respond to that.

"How could he? You're older than him," Kurama snorted, piercing Mugetsu's facade without hesitation.

Naruto's eyes dimmed at the reminder of those ungrounded memories.

He knew he did not belong to this world, but...

"I want to stay here a little longer."

Startling Naruto from his deep contemplation, Akihiko said, "Please stay as long as you have to, Master."

Naruto looked up, and he was faced with his clone's peaceful smile.

He did not know if Akihiko, whose abilities included unconditional access to the original's memories, was trying to invite him to remain in his quarters or telling Naruto that he could stay in this world despite being an outsider.

'I shall do both.'

"Then I'll rest here for the night, Akihiko."

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Naruto woke after a reposeful slumber and noticed Akihiko guarding him.

The clone stared at him intently, causing Naruto to wonder if something was amiss.

"What's wrong, Aki?" Naruto asked, sitting up and stretching.

Akihiko politely lowered his gaze.

"I enjoy looking at you, Master. I'm always paying attention to your day-to-day experiences through the recollections you allow me to access. You always give things to Sōjirō for him to keep, but all I want is to know that you are well," Akihiko confessed, twisting his hands behind his back.

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Your intrinsic desire is to protect?" he asked, unbothered by the revelation that Akihiko was stalking him.

This was his clone, after all.

"I... suppose so?" Akihiko replied, unsure.

Naruto nodded. "Then continue watching me. I don't mind."

So that was the attribute that Akihiko inherited from him. He wondered what Sōjirō received. For his clone to want to be close to him and keep his possessions was unusual... If he was not mistaken in his line of thinking, Sōjirō's desire would be acknowledgement.

"I'll get going now," Naruto informed Akihiko. "Goodbye."

Naruto's figure vanished from Akihiko's chambers, leaving behind a lone clone.

In the orphanage of Amegakure no Sato, a blond teenager's silhouette quietly flickered.

At the end of the Kawarimi, Naruto had taken the place of his blood clone.

"Ame's endless rain is an extension of Nagato's senses," he heard his own disembodied voice. "I'll conceal myself now."

"Hold on a bit," Naruto mouthed to the air, surveying the surrounding children in interest.

Once upon a time, he had lived in an orphanage too. However, this was his first time being so close to the other children in such a setting. During his childhood days in Konoha, the adults' fear and dislike translated into the children distancing themselves from him. Therefore, he never had a positive impression of any institution calling itself an orphanage.

He picked up a flower crown folded from origami -- the masterpiece his clone had completed just before his arrival -- and placed it on the head of a little girl who wore a bright yellow dress.

"There you go, little princess," said Naruto, a subconscious smile tugging at his lips.

"Naruto-nii-chan is amazing!" declared a boy who was sticking to his side like glue.

Another child latched onto him, crying out, "I want one too, Naruto-nii-chan!"

The girl stuck her tongue out at the child and said proudly, "You don't need one! You're a boy."

"Pop a Kage Bunshin for me," Naruto hurriedly instructed his hidden blood clone.

He might have received reports regularly, but those did not include information on the children from the orphanage that was supposed to be his cover. The reports also did not detail the origami skills his clone had learnt from Konan. As such, he was ill-equipped for this role he suddenly took over.

The blond clone swiftly carried out Naruto's command, transmitting all of its experience with a shadow clone as an intermediary -- something Sōjirō and Akihiko rarely did.

Naruto slipped into his mindscape briefly, sorting through the information instantly with the help of auxiliary shadow clones and time compression in his mindscape.

He then tried to mediate, "Boys can wear crowns too. Don't kings have crowns? Hotaru-chan, you shouldn't be so mean to Kei-kun. Kei-kun, what kind of crown would you like? If you don't want a flower tiara, I can also fold a crown of stars or bears."

Kei replied meekly, "I like bears. Naruto-nii-chan, I kept the Kuma-chan you folded for me last month."

Naruto knew that from his blood clone.

Naruto also had a fleeting impression that there was someone else who should have come to mind when bears were being discussed, but he could not seem to remember... He shrugged it off. Anyway, it should not matter if he could not recall it immediately.

"So, would you like me to fold a bear crown?" Naruto patiently asked.

Kei shook his head. "I already have a bear. I want something else this time. I want a star crown fit for a king!"

Naruto used up the remaining origami paper and folded colourful stars that he joined together to form a crown.

He handed the crown to Kei.

The other boy, attached to his side still, suddenly tugged on his sleeve.

Naruto crouched down so that the clingy child could whisper into his ear.

"Naruto-nii-chan, I actually like stars and flowers too... Could I have both?" the boy whispered, casting secretive looks at the other children.

The boy's breath tickled the shell of his ear, and Naruto almost laughed.

He quickly looked down and stammered, "I-If it's t-t-too difficult, you don't h-have to do it that way. I'm f-fine with a normal st-star crown too!"

"It isn't too difficult," Naruto informed lightly, tapping the boy's nose.

Naruto accepted another stack of colourful origami paper from the girl standing behind him. This boy, who has not allowed himself to be pried from Naruto's side until now, was a normally-introverted blue-haired boy who became very attached to his clone after "Naruto" had approached him one rare cloudless night when he was star-gazing. Naruto's clone taught this boy about the stars, setting off an obsession with those celestial bodies so far removed from their world in this child. The mere fact that the lights in the sky were a rare sight seldom seen made it a novelty for him. This boy has always been attracted to cute and pretty things -- something he was often teased by the other children for.

Naruto's clone was this child's only enduring supporter.

His name was also quite fitting considering his hobby -- Seiya (星矢).

The first character of his name meant "star", which Seiya was pleased to discover when learning how to write his name. He loved staring at the sky and imagining the stars up above. For his name to include that was wonderful. He did not remember his parents -- he thought himself to be an abandoned child, but Seiya decided that he loved them after realising what the name given to him meant. Naruto found this detail to be quite adorable. Seiya was a naive child, never realising that his parents were not gone but dead.

Amegakure, always getting dragged into the conflicts of other hidden villages, was a perpetual warzone.

Death was not an uncommon sight here.

"Stars and flowers, then," said Naruto, picking yellow, pink, blue and white from the stack.

It represented Team Kakashi, though little Seiya in Ame would not know that.

Naruto began to fold the squares of paper into beautiful shapes.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

By the time Naruto escaped from the encirclement of children, it was already past lunchtime.

He returned to the empty dormitory and entered his blood clone's place of residence, locking the door behind them.

"The kids love you," Naruto sighed, cleaning off marker stains using a Suiton jutsu.

"I like them too," the clone, still invisible, responded.

Naruto has found his desire with ease.

"Companionship," Naruto muttered under his breath.

"Yes, Master. I take pleasure in forming bonds with others. If you don't wish to be influenced by my feelings for these children, you may dispose of me when I am no longer of use. I don't yearn for my continued existence," the clone explained, reserved.

"It's fine. You've done a great job establishing your presence here," Naruto absently expressed appreciation for the clone's work.

The compliment came out naturally this time.

He took a beat to react to his own words and carefully gauged his doppelganger's reaction.

Surprise and... joy.

His eyes widened by a fraction, and a beaming smile bloomed on his face.

"I'm glad to have been of service, Master," said the clone, elated.

That pure, innocent exhilaration...

So his clones really did like having their efforts acknowledged by him as their creator.

An intriguing thought to ponder over, indeed.

Naruto skipped out of the room and bounded down the stairs.

"Kazu-san, I'm going to look for Tenshi-nee-chan and Kami-ani again!" he yelled over his shoulder to the supervising caretaker in the hall with the other children.

He proceeded to run out of the orphanage unimpeded.

"It isn't fair that they only like Naruto-kun. We want to be able to meet Tenshi-sama and Kami-sama whenever too!" protested a fourteen-year-old teenage girl, Sayuri.

Kazu mercilessly dashed the hopes of these children, catching two who tried to sneak out after Naruto.

"You know Tenshi-sama and Kami-sama are partial to Naruto-sama. They are ninjas, you know? It would be suicide if you tried to follow uninvited. How about you ask Naruto-sama if you want to be brought along next time?" Kazu coaxed the disobedient children left in her care.

"Naruto-nii-chan said not to call him that! Kazu-nee-san, your kunoichi tendencies are showing again!" Hotaru immediately drew attention to their caretaker's fault.

"I'm telling on you to Naruto-nii-chan," said Kei.

"Kei-kun, if you bully Kazu-nee-chan I'll tell Naruto-nii-chan you tried to take my toy last time," Seiya timidly piped up, protecting Kazu from the other boy.

Kei narrowed his eyes at Seiya.

"Do you dare to do that?" he said threateningly.

"Kei-kun, Naruto-nii-chan will hate you if you bully Sei-chan!" Hotaru warned.

"Don't you bully him all of the time too?" Tatsuhei scoffed, rolling his eyes as he backed off.

"It's called lighthearted teasing! Sei-chan is so cute no one would think anything's wrong even if we put him in a dress!" Hotaru defended herself indignantly.

Seiya blushed and retreated from the group, squeaking, "I don't want to wear a dress!"

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Naruto merrily pranced into Akatsuki headquarters.

The members of the Akatsuki have yet to be dispatched at this point.

They were still gathering funds by doing S-rank missions and thus returned to HQ regularly.

Naruto managed to avoid the other S-rank missing-nins and arrived at the entrance to the room on the uppermost floor.

He did not have a chance to knock before Nagato opened it for him.

"Nagato-ani!" Naruto exclaimed, hugging the fellow Uzumaki.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. It's been a week since your last visit, so Konan has been getting agitated," Nagato greeted, patting his back as he returned the embrace.

Nagato was not nearly as haggard as he had been during their first meeting.

Naruto also faintly remembered Nagato being physically disabled in the previous timeline, but there was no such issue at this time.

'It almost feels like a different parallel universe,' Naruto mused, somewhat vacuously.

Then he blinked. That thought... had some merit. It was worth mulling over when he was not occupied with other matters.

"Where's Konan-nee-chan?" Naruto inquired, peering into the room behind Nagato.

He felt a light breeze picking up and turned around.

A navy blue-haired woman appeared in a swirl of paper behind him.

"Naruto-kun, why... did you have to... come... when I was not... in?" she gasped, out of breath.

Nagato supplied helpfully, "She rushed back when I sent news of your visit."

From this alone, Naruto could tell that his clone had done an excellent job in maintaining his relationship with the official leader of the Akatsuki.

"What do you wish to learn this time?" Nagato queried, leading the blond into his room and leaving Konan behind to close the door.

"I want to learn a jutsu this time! You guys use a neat communication technique. I think you called this jutsu Gentōshin (Magic Lantern Body)? I want to use it too!" Naruto replied honestly.

"This one is a bit difficult," noted Konan, who has since caught her breath and entered after them.

"I think Naruto-kun can handle it with his Uzumaki sensory," Nagato dismissed her concerns. "No harm trying anyway."

"No harm trying, I suppose," Konan agreed, getting a stool to sit on next to them.

"You only need the Ram seal for this. The technique relies on the conversion of Shinenha -- also called thought waves -- into chakra by those who wish to communicate using the Gentōshin no Jutsu. You, the user, will have to convert these pulses into images to project onto a space. Your role will be to relay their thoughts so that they can converse normally as if all of the members are present," Nagato explained, committed to his task.

Naruto nodded in understanding.

That was quite a simple concept.

"I used fūinjutsu as a medium through which their thoughts are transmitted. This is the seal we use," Nagato plucked off the cerulean blue stone with the painted kanji "零" on the ring he wore on his right thumb and showed Naruto the engraved seal on the metal beneath it. "It functions as an intermediary assisting in translating their thoughts into chakra to be sent to the user without limitations on distance."

Naruto, discovering that this was facilitated by fūinjutsu, was suddenly no longer nervous about learning this jutsu. He believed that there was nothing he could not achieve with fūinjutsu. The specifics of this jutsu would have to be worked out, but a seal simplified things considerably.

"How the Shinenha may be interpreted is up to you to handle and based on your aptitude. It should hardly be an issue -- you're a natural sensor," Nagato added as an afterthought.

Naruto nodded and drew his own version of the seal on origami paper.

"We can try it out here. Konan and I will send our thoughts to you, and you can test the effects of the jutsu."

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Naruto was walking out of Nagato's quarters when he was suddenly reminded of an event that would arrive soon.

The Akatsuki's bijū collection fad.

Akihiko had mentioned that he would be starting it on time in two years in his regular reports, but the matter slipped Naruto's mind.

He made a mental reminder to inform the jinchūriki of his plans before then.

"Naruto? What are you doing here, un?" came the familiar voice of a certain bomb maniac.

"Hello, Deidara. How have you been as of late?" Naruto greeted calmly, belatedly realising that his clone's previous visits were precisely targeted at Nagato -- ordinary members of the Akatsuki had never chanced upon him before.

"Itachi and Kisame have been awfully chummy lately... Ah! Tomato-eyes should be in, but Shark-face left yesterday for a personal matter and wouldn't be back so early. Stitches -- that creep -- does not care about anything except himself. He should be holed up in the treasury counting money, as usual, un. The cussing Zombie was about to run out to find sacrifices for his rituals. You would be able to catch up if you go now, un!" Deidara rambled on about everyone except himself.

"I don't need you to help keep tabs on the others for me," said Naruto, amused. "I'm inquiring after your wellbeing."

"Oh! I'm good, un! Sasori-danna has been trying to get me to learn fūinjutsu together with him. I like it -- fūinjutsu makes pretty explosions! I'm a bit intimidated by Tomato-eyes... He glares at me behind my back, but I don't think we have a grudge? Sasori-danna also told me I shouldn't ever blow myself up and that if I dared, he would have you resurrect me so he could kill me by his own hand. He said that if I didn't want to live anymore, I should just donate my body to be used as a puppet. But I like being alive, un! And explosions make me feel alive! There's no way I could choose to go out like that. If I die, it must be in a blast! I will turn myself into the best spectacle -- my greatest masterpiece! But Sasori-danna forbade it," chattered Deidara, his tone turning sulky when he talked about Sasori's preemptive move of stalling future plans of suicide bombings.

"Sasori just doesn't want to see you dying foolishly. He worries about you because he cares," Naruto remarked, peering over at the seams on Deidara's palms inquisitively.

Deidara showed off how he could open and close the mouths on his hands.

"These can do anything except swallow and talk," he bragged proudly.

Naruto grabbed Deidara's wrist and inspected the mouth that smiled crookedly back at him.

"You mould your clay using these mouths?" Naruto asked in fascination, prying the mouth open so he could scrutinise the complete set of teeth and tongue within.

"This was Iwa's kinjutsu, un. It's why I became a missing-nin!" Deidara announced with dignity.

Naruto let go and wiped off the saliva on a napkin.

"It isn't something to be prideful about," Naruto admonished lightly.

"Come on, you can't possibly be saying you've never stolen a peek at Konoha's kinjutsu before? It's forbidden for a reason, un! It means: we have to learn it to figure out why it's kept from us!" Deidara proclaimed righteously.

Naruto had no way to retort against this.

He was guilty of stealing Konohagakure's Forbidden Scroll, after all, and had almost become a criminal because of it.

"Think what you will," Naruto sighed. "I have to go look for Hidan soon. It would provoke Pain's ire if he decided it was a good idea to kill some Ame-nin."

"Ah, yes. I suggest you bring Sasori-danna with you. That crass Zombie doesn't listen to reason, but he's tolerant of Sasori-danna," Deidara advised solemnly.

"I will heed your advice, Deidara. However, that means you must behave. Don't do anything rash, and make sure you run any plans through Sasori before executing it," Naruto lectured, feeling as though the fellow blond was a child he had raised -- which was not far from the truth.

"Are you the right person to be telling someone to refrain from acting rashly?" Kurama guffawed.

Naruto primly ignored the bothersome Kitsune in his gut.

He marched down the hallway and knocked on the door beyond which resided Uchiha Itachi.

The undercover agent of Konohagakure was stunned to see the blond standing at his doorstep.

Furtively scanning the corridor and ascertaining that the coast was clear, Itachi dragged Naruto into his room -- hiding the teen with his mission on the line.

"Pain and Konan-nee-chan already know I'm here," Naruto stated, finding this sight quite funny.

Startled, Itachi swivelled around to face the Uzumaki.

"You..." Itachi trailed off.

He had no idea where he should begin.

Undeterred, Naruto replied, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage and leader of the allied shinobi forces."

Itachi was an intelligent man.

He quickly made the connection.

"War. A war helmed by us, the Akatsuki. A future that was so dreadful that you had to traverse into the past to amend our mistakes. If you're from the future, you should understand this. It isn't enough even if you have the backing of Pain-sama. The ones calling the shots are... Uchihas. One calls himself Tobi, and the other is a man whose name was not revealed to me. Tobi obeys the commands of this person, and I believe that he also has the authority to direct this organisation at will," explained Itachi, massaging his temples.

"Correct. And, Ita-nii, for the future, for peace, I would like to enlist your aid during the war that will soon arrive. Would you stand with me in protecting this world?" Naruto asked, holding one hand out to the black-haired Uchiha.

Itachi looked down at that slender hand.

It was no longer frail or thin from immaturity and undernourishment.

Naruto has since grown up from that feeble child he once had to protect from harm.

"I've already detected signs of an upcoming war and convinced my partner, Kisame, of the need to do our part in keeping the world safe. I will be on your side, but you must leave this place now -- it isn't safe for you to hang around where they can see you," Itachi continued to urge Naruto to escape.

Naruto chuckled. "Akihiko is one of mine. I will be unharmed no matter what I attempt 'under his nose'." He drew quotation marks in the air. "He knows what is happening here as we speak."

Itachi finally took the offered hand but did not shake it.

"You were the Hokage," Itachi spoke slowly. "That makes you my superior in the future."

Naruto frowned slightly, puzzlement showing on his features.

Itachi knelt in salute, a smile on his face.

"Uchiha Itachi, at your service, Hokage-sama."

Naruto did not know why, but he felt a surge of embarrassment from this.

Uchiha Itachi was not one to submit to anyone, but, for his village, he was willing to kneel to a mere boy.

"Why do you have such conviction in my words?" Naruto asked weakly.

He has wondered about it for a long time now.

Why did people accept his words as the truth?

How could they follow his bidding despite his childish appearance?

And when did this change take place? It might have been before the leap through time and dimensions, or it could have been after. He might have been irrevocably altered by the journey, or he could have been something bordering on human comprehension, to begin with.

So many questions that he lacked the answers for.

Was there someone out there who knew? Someone who would be able to explain everything to him, from his identity to his current situation. Someone who could ascertain the nature of this world -- whether it was another version of the world they lived in or the original world at another time.

"You have an aura that makes people want to believe you and do their best to help you. I guess you can call it charisma or dependability. Usually, that would cause me to feel suspicious. I just can't help but trust you, Naruto-kun. It's not about how powerful you are. The words you speak simply give off the feeling of undeniable truth. It's as if this very world stands behind you," said Itachi, closing his eyes.

When he opened them, they were onyx.

"It always amazes me how you can look the same in chakra and body," Itachi murmured.

"Having the same chakra and hair colour isn't particularly rare," Naruto defended himself awkwardly.

"No, but the texture of your chakra is a bit too perfect -- as if composed to match the person you wish to portray yourself as. And your chakra distribution is very symmetric. Even as your emotions changed, your chakra flow did not fluctuate. It's... uncanny, and I would rather I could not see it altogether," Itachi elucidated.

Naruto activated his Rinne Tenseigan and looked down at himself.

There was nothing wrong, and every part of it was flawless as designed.

However, that was precisely the issue.

Imperfection was natural. It was only synthetically produced objects that were perfectly dimensioned. All living things were innately asymmetric and unidentical. If anything ran contrary to this, it meant that it was constructed.

"Ita-nii," Naruto sighed, "you're the first to notice this as an anomaly."

"I don't mean to call it an abnormality or aberration. It's just... a bit strange. Too regular," Itachi haltingly tried to soften the blow.

"No, you were right. This is an irregularity, and I'll have to fix it," Naruto admitted, untying his hitai-ate from around his neck and detaching the metal forehead protector from the navy sash.

He examined the fūinjutsu matrix, retracting his chakra from the seals.

Itachi was sensitive enough to chakra to notice that there was no longer chakra emanating from Naruto's body.

Itachi activated his Sharingan.

"Don't look at me directly," Naruto cautioned, his manner mild.

He had incorporated the chakra concealment into the imitation chakra system matrix. That was the fūinjutsu matrix he had carved into his hitai-ate. He was attached to the fox mask, but it was not practical to bring it with him wherever -- as Kimimaro had demonstrated.

Curiosity killed the cat -- Itachi could not help but defy those words of caution.

Acting unlike his usual self -- displaying a shocking lack of vigilance, he turned to look straight at Naruto.

Itachi was almost blinded by the white light that permeated Naruto's body.

"Ita-nii, I wasn't trying to hide my real chakra from you. My chakra is so compressed that it is unwise to look at it directly," Naruto tardily ascribed his reasons.

Beautiful, pure and all-encompassing light.

Itachi could not help but stare, the searing sensation from the intensity of the glow receding.

He could not quite grasp what he saw in Naruto's chakra. It was captivating and exquisite -- as if holding some hidden truth of the universe that was just beyond him. He could get lost in it, such a deep pool that seemed to contain another world of its own.

After what felt like an eternity, Itachi managed to say hoarsely, "Time law. I think... I get it now."

He tore his gaze away from Naruto, subduing the sense of loss in this action.

Itachi wondered why he could glimpse into another dimension through Naruto, but he felt it would be imprudent to ask.

Naruto was too engrossed in his work to notice Itachi's experience.

He made the necessary adjustments to the seals and turned to look at Itachi.

"If there's anything you would like to know, you can ask Deidara about it. I've explained the truth to him in whole," Naruto apprised, casually disregarding their previous exchange.

Itachi noticed that Naruto's chakra was back to normal now, the disguise much less apparent.

It was a shame.

"White looks better on you," Itachi commented.

Though he could no longer make out Naruto's features as clearly when he was glowing, the snowy white leached into every part of Naruto -- from the tips of his hair to his toes.

It should have been alien, but it did not look misplaced on Naruto.

Naruto chuckled, "You can ask my two-year-old self, who saw everyone else with colours, why he wanted one too."

"Colours. I wonder how that feels to an Uzumaki," Itachi mused.

Naruto was already walking out by then, so Itachi quickly caught up with his long strides.

"I'm going to get Sasori," Naruto said in lieu of an explanation.

"How do you sense colours?" Itachi repeated his question.

"Visible light exists in a spectrum depending on the frequency of the electromagnetic waves. In the case of chakra, its signatures also exist in a spectrum. A dōjutsu captures this and translates it into a form more easily decoded by your brain -- colour. I refer to it as such, but I sense chakra based on their signatures, which can loosely be approximated to an equivalent colour... Natural energy is also a part of this spectrum, but it roughly correlates to the ultraviolet region and thus cannot be perceived by your eyes. Due to my ability to sense natural energy, senjutsu was easier for me to learn," Naruto explained as they walked.

This was no secret.

Anyone who had a dōjutsu would know that they could not see natural energy, and the ability to sense the said energy was not that rare amongst the descendants of the Uzumaki clan.

At least Karin was able to detect the movement of natural energy.

"Your chakra was scarlet before you died in the other timeline. That indicates the burning of lifespan. It's indigo now."

Itachi did not have a chance to question Naruto.

They have arrived at their destination.

No longer paying Itachi any heed, Naruto knocked on Sasori's door.

The puppeteer took a minute to set down whatever activity he was working on -- though Itachi could not imagine it to be anything besides puppets with this missing-nin's obsession with dolls.

"Naruto? It's quite rare for you to visit. Didn't we just see each other yesterday..." Sasori noticed the black-ponytailed man behind Naruto. "Isn't this Uchiha Itachi?"

"He's onboard now. You can take some time to give him a heads-up on what's to happen. I was told I should bring you to meet Hidan," Naruto clarified succinctly.

"Deidara, that fool," Sasori rolled his eyes fondly. "Lead the way then. I don't know where the cultist could have run off to."

Itachi was amazed. "Even Hidan, that zealot, has sided with us?"

"Yes, but I have yet to meet him officially in either lifetime," agreed Naruto.

The trio soon arrived at the outskirts of a village just beyond the Land of Rain.

Naruto noticed the person donning an Akatsuki cloak who was surprisingly not wreaking havoc.

Standing at the doorstep of a rundown shrine was a man with steel-grey hair and warm, honey-hued skin that did not belong in the dreary landscape. His calm expression was nothing like his previous descriptions by people who have met him. Naruto has observed Hidan from afar once, but this was his first time drawing so close to this self-proclaimed religious man.

Hidan had thin brows, and this detail usually made one look gentle. He really did look like an eminent monk right now, serenely closing his eyes with his head slightly bowed. He was only lacking a classic string of wooden beads. If he held his hands together in prayer, someone might mistake him for a priest. The villagers kept their distance -- they saw how his hitai-ate was marred by a scratch and recognised the Akatsuki cloak he wore.

"So you are Hidan," Naruto broke the tranquil silence, stepping forward.

Hidan's head snapped up, his eyes affixing to Naruto's figure.

Tyrian purple eyes shook with emotion, his pupils dilating as he prostrated himself before Naruto.

Trembling in ecstasy, he shouted, "Hidan has met Jashin-sama!"

Naruto almost recoiled in surprise, spooked by this bizarre turn of events.