The night wind carried a hint of chill.
Sasuke walked slowly along the banks of the Naka River alone.
The river water shimmered with fragmented silver light under the moonlight, its gurgling flow exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
He had walked this path countless times.
Each time felt like retracing a stretch of time he could never return to.
At the end of this riverbank lay the former clan compound of the Uchiha.
To be precise, what were the clan compound.
Sasuke stopped in his tracks.
The sight before him was a world away from the home in his memories.
Most of the Uchiha-style architecture had been torn down and rebuilt, replaced by mansions and shops belonging to other Ninja Clans.
Sarutobi, Shimura, Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi... these clans' properties now occupied this land that once belonged to the Uchiha.
Only the area around the Naka Shrine remained as it was.
Or rather, remained as ruins.
A crude wooden fence cordoned off the area, with a warning sign hanging on it.
[Danger Zone. No Entry.]
Sasuke thought this was just a superficial measure to keep up appearances.
He didn't know that, for Konoha's higher-ups, the real 'danger' had long vanished with the massacre that night.
What remained were only ruins and an inescapable memory of blood.
Sasuke nimbly vaulted over the fence, landing on the open ground before the shrine.
Moonlight filtered through gaps in the clouds, illuminating the desolate place.
The main structure of the shrine had mostly collapsed, leaving only a few charred wooden pillars stubbornly standing like the bones of a dead giant.
The shrine that once housed the ancestors of the Uchiha Clan was now just a pile of rubble… tenacious weeds grew from the cracks between the stone bricks of the altar.
Sasuke walked to the center of the shrine and sat down on a relatively intact stone step.
He lifted his head, gazing at the sparse stars in the night sky.
The wind whistled through the ruins, a low, mournful sound like the lament of countless lost souls.
Closing his eyes, those long-blurred faces surfaced in his mind once more.
His father Uchiha Fugaku's stern, deep face… his mother Uchiha Mikoto's gentle smile… the severe or kindly gazes of the clan elders… the figures of children his age chasing and playing on the training grounds...
And that man.
Uchiha Itachi.
Sasuke's fists clenched unconsciously, nails digging deep into his palms, bringing a faint sting.
But this pain was insignificant compared to the searing hatred burning in his heart like wildfire.
The crimson moonlight of that night, the sight of his father and mother falling under Itachi's blade...
And that man, his own older brother, staring at him with those Mangekyo Sharingan, cold, hollow, as if looking at an object.
"I will definitely kill you..."
Sasuke's teeth-gritting whisper was so low it was almost scattered by the night wind.
But the determination in his eyes was as hard as bedrock.
"...to avenge Father, Mother, and all the clansmen."
He remained in that position, sitting in the ruins for a long time.
Until the moon climbed to its zenith, until the night dew dampened his clothes, until the emotions in his heart were suppressed once more into a frozen depth.
Sasuke stood up, took one last look at these ruins that held all his childhood memories, and turned to leave.
His lonely shadow stretched long in the moonlight.
Konoha's Anbu Training Base, Sub-Level Three.
This was one of the training grounds reserved for Anbu ninja, more concealed than those above ground and better equipped.
When Sasuke entered the training ground, three people were already waiting inside.
Yamato stood in the center of the field, his expression as wooden as ever.
He wasn't wearing his Anbu animal mask today, revealing his somewhat plain but well-defined face.
The other two, Sasuke wasn't familiar with.
One was a boy who looked about his age, with black hair and slightly pale skin. Though a smile was plastered on his face, it felt like a mask, showing no genuine emotion.
The other was a female Ninja with long purple hair, tall and slim, with delicate features, but her eyes held the sharpness and wariness unique to those who had weathered the battlefield. She wore standard Anbu attire, a slender ninja sword sheathed at the small of her back.
Sasuke wanted to observe from the side first, but Yamato had already spotted him and beckoned him over.
"Sasuke, over here."
Sasuke walked over, stopping before Yamato with a slight nod. "Captain Yamato."
Yamato pointed at the two, introducing them in his usual steady tone. "Good timing. These two are your new teammates."
He gestured to the purple-haired kunoichi first. "Uzuki Yugao, Special Jonin. Strictly speaking, she's your senior, as her Anbu tenure is longer than either of yours. Since the other Anbu teams are at full capacity, she's been temporarily assigned to lead you."
Yugao gave Sasuke a nod in greeting. Her movements were efficient and precise, without any excess.
Sasuke looked at her, feeling she looked familiar, perhaps seen during a few joint Anbu missions, but they'd never worked together directly.
Yamato then pointed at the black-haired boy. "Sai. About your age, but he became a Ninja earlier than you and was promoted to Chunin two years ago."
Hearing this, Sasuke's gaze lingered on Sai for a few more seconds.
'Chunin in two years?'
'That meant this Sai guy had at least Chunin-level strength by around ten years old.'
Sasuke's brow furrowed slightly.
Not out of jealousy… though he was only twelve himself, after training under Kakashi and Yamato, he believed his own strength was at Chunin-level, having even recently awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
What made him uncomfortable was the aura Sai gave off.
Cold. Hollow. Like a... tool.
Behind that clearly fake smile seemed to lie no genuine emotional fluctuations.
"Sasuke." Sai spoke up first, his voice flat. "First time meeting you. I look forward to working with you."
He extended a hand, the gesture so standardized it felt unsettling.
Sasuke hesitated for a second before shaking it.
Sai's hand was cool. The handshake was perfectly firm, but this very 'perfection' felt unnatural.
As if he had practiced this motion a thousand times, it had become instinct, not a gesture of genuine connection.
"I'm Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke replied curtly, quickly withdrawing his hand.
Yamato watched their interaction, his expression unchanged. He continued, "From today, you three will form a new Anbu Team. Yugao will be captain, reporting directly to me."
Sasuke suddenly remembered something and asked, "What about Captain Kakashi?"
In his understanding, Kakashi was still the Anbu Commander, his direct superior and mentor.
Yamato explained, "Captain Kakashi has been reassigned as a Jonin Instructor, in charge of leading a new Genin team. From today, I am the acting Anbu Commander. Your team will be under my direct command."
'Jonin Instructor?'
Sasuke was surprised.
'With Kakashi's notoriously strict standards and lazy personality, he was willing to lead a Genin team?'
But since it was the Hokage's decision, he didn't inquire further, simply nodding. "Understood."
…
On the second-floor corridor above the training ground, in the shadows.
Two figures stood side by side, observing the four people in the training ground below.
Danzo leaned on his cane, his right eye and right arm heavily bandaged. His exposed left eye was sharp as an eagle's, fixed intently on Sasuke below.
His gaze was filled with scrutiny, calculation, and a trace of unconcealed greed.
The last bloodline of the Uchiha Clan...
"Hiruzen," Danzo's voice was hoarse and low, like two rough stones grinding together. "Do you truly believe assigning Uchiha Sasuke to this 'protection squad' is a wise decision?"
Hiruzen, standing beside him, didn't answer immediately.
The Third Hokage wore casual clothes, a pipe in his mouth, white smoke curling slowly.
His gaze was also on Sasuke, but his eyes held more complexity… worry, expectation, and deep guilt.
"It's the best arrangement for now," Hiruzen finally spoke, his voice weary. "Kakashi has been reassigned as a Jonin Instructor. Yamato needs time to adjust to his duties as acting Anbu Commander. And as for Naruto..."
He paused, taking a deep drag from his pipe. "Though he now has Kakashi as his Jonin Instructor, the current Ninja World situation is too unstable. The safety of the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki must be guaranteed at the highest level."
The corner of Danzo's mouth lifted slightly. While he questioned verbally, this was precisely the outcome he wanted.
Using 'strengthening protection for the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki' as a pretext, he had proposed to Hiruzen the formation of a dedicated Anbu Team to covertly monitor and protect Naruto.
He had inserted Sai, an elite from Root, into this team.
On one hand, to 'protect' the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
On the other, to monitor Sasuke.
This sole remaining Uchiha bloodline within Konoha must not slip from his control!
As for Yugao...
That was Hiruzen's insurance.
This veteran Anbu Special Jonin's loyalty to Konoha was beyond doubt.
With her present, she could check Sai and ensure the team wouldn't fall completely under Danzo's control.
The two old men's gazes briefly met in the air, each understanding the other's calculations.
But for the 'stability' of Konoha, this unspoken compromise was necessary.
"Yugao's experience is sufficient," Hiruzen continued, sounding more like he was convincing himself. "With her leading, Sasuke and Sai will also get good training. And..."
His gaze fell on Sasuke's dark eyes. "That child needs more bonds. Letting him stay in contact with Naruto might help him emerge from the shadows of the past."
Danzo didn't refute, merely sneered noncommittally.
Bonds?
In his view, that was just weakness.
A true Ninja should sever all emotions and live only for the mission.
Just like Sai.
A perfect tool.
…
Ichiraku Ramen.
Warm yellow light spilled from the shop, casting a cozy glow on the night street.
There were hardly any customers left inside, only two figures seated in a corner.
"Ha—! I'm stuffed! Stuffed!"
Naruto set down the large bowl, patting his round belly with satisfaction.
Three empty bowls were piled on the table before him, each scraped clean, not a drop of broth left.
Across from him, Menma had only eaten one bowl and was leisurely sipping tea.
"Menma-nii, you ate too little!" Naruto looked at the comparatively 'meager' empty bowl in front of Menma, complaining loudly. "How will you grow like that!"
Menma set down his teacup with a wry smile. "My appetite isn't as exaggerated as yours. And..."
He glanced at Naruto's noticeably protruding stomach. "If you keep eating like this, be careful you don't end up like Choji."
"Never!" Naruto immediately retorted, but then grinned. "I have a fast metabolism! It'll be digested by tomorrow!"
He stood up, stretching his stiff shoulders, then suddenly remembered something, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Menma.
"Menma-nii, do you think... we might be assigned to the same team tomorrow?"
Menma raised an eyebrow slightly. "What, you want to be on the same team as me?"
"Of course!" Naruto nodded vigorously, his face full of anticipation. "We've always trained together! If we could be on the same team, with the same sensei, that'd be awesome! And..."
He paused, his voice dropping a bit. "If Hinata-nee could be with us too, that'd be even better..."
Menma looked at Naruto's expression, feeling a slight stir within.
According to the original work, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura would be assigned to Team 7, led by Kakashi.
But now, the plot had already deviated significantly.
Sasuke was in the Anbu.
Neji had been taken to the Land of Stars by Hizashi.
And his own existence as a transmigrator had further scrambled the original timeline.
What would Konoha's new [Konoha 12] become?
"Who knows," Menma ultimately just smiled, not giving a definite answer. "Team assignments are decided by the Hokage and the Jonin. We just have to wait and see."
"True..." Naruto scratched the back of his head but quickly cheered up again. "No matter what! Starting tomorrow, we're real Ninjas! We can take missions, earn money, we can..."
He counted on his fingers, his smile growing brighter and brighter.
Menma watched his lively demeanor and couldn't help but smile too.
At least at this moment, this world's Naruto was much happier than in the original work.
The two chatted a while longer until Teuchi, the owner, started cleaning up, preparing to close.
"I'll head back first then, Menma-nii!" Naruto hopped off the stool, waving to Menma. "See you at school tomorrow!"
"Mm, see you tomorrow." Menma nodded.
Humming an off-tune melody, Naruto skipped away from the ramen shop.
Menma watched his back disappear around the street corner, the smile on his face gradually fading.
He looked up at the bright full moon in the night sky, a complex glint flashing in his eyes.
'Year 63 of Konoha Calendar.'
'The original [Konoha Crush] plan wasn't far off now...'
'Orochimaru, don't disappoint me.'
Menma left the ramen shop, melting into the night.