The ninja world had been unified.
The newly established Ninja World Alliance now stood as the sole authority governing everything. The great villages had merged into a single system, their identities reshaped into something larger—something unprecedented.
And at its head—
The first Supreme Leader of the ninja world:
Senju Hashirama.
In truth, both Hashirama and Uchiha Madara possessed the strength to claim that position.
But in the end…
History repeated itself.
Just as it had when Konoha was first founded, Hashirama became the one to lead.
Madara, for all his power, could not unite the masses. His ideals were too sharp, too extreme for a world that needed balance.
And more importantly—
Naruto had intervened.
"You need to atone for what you've done."
Naruto's words still lingered, heavy and inescapable.
"No matter how noble your ideals were, your actions caused suffering."
"Sin is still sin."
"If you don't pay the price… even the heavens won't accept it."
Madara had not argued.
He had not raged.
Instead—
He accepted it.
Calmly.
Rather than seeking power, he chose to wander the world. To see it with his own eyes. To judge for himself whether this new era could truly bring peace.
And if it failed—
He would rise again.
That unyielding will…
Was what made him Madara.
---
"New era… new world… new peace…"
Naruto stood high above the land, gazing down at the transformed world.
"How long will it last?"
He had remained in this timeline for nearly three months.
And overall—
It was peaceful.
There were still minor conflicts, small sparks of unrest. But compared to the chaos of the past, this was nothing short of a golden age.
People smiled more.
The air itself felt lighter.
Freer.
But Naruto understood something others did not.
Peace was fragile.
Ambition would always exist.
Conflict would never fully disappear.
And what of the shinobi—those who had spent their entire lives fighting?
Could they adapt?
Or would they fracture under the change, becoming unstable… or worse?
These were the hidden dangers beneath the surface.
But Naruto didn't dwell on them.
Those problems…
Were no longer his responsibility.
He had already obtained what he came for.
A complete record of unification.
Its successes.
Its flaws.
A perfect dataset.
"…Time to leave."
Naruto retrieved the time-space turtle, its dull surface faintly glowing in his hand.
"Li. Open a time-space gate."
"Please set destination and time."
"…Random."
Golden light erupted, twisting into a warped tunnel that stretched beyond sight.
Naruto stepped forward, his senses fully extended, carefully analyzing the fluctuations of time and space.
For a brief moment—
The coordinates of his original world became clearer.
But not enough.
Not yet.
"…I'll need a few more jumps."
A faint sigh escaped him.
For the first time—
He felt something unexpected.
Homesickness.
Even though he had left behind clones… even though everything there was stable…
One truth remained.
The Ōtsutsuki were still a threat.
And beyond them—
Who knew what else waited?
"Continue the jump."
"…Unable. Energy and anchoring require recovery."
"How long?"
"Half a month."
Naruto frowned slightly.
Energy wasn't the issue. He could replenish that easily.
But space-time anchoring…
Even for him, it was still a limitation.
"…Fine."
"Let's see where we are."
He stored the turtle away and moved toward Konoha.
This time—
He had no intention of interfering.
He would simply observe.
A spectator.
Perhaps… enjoy the moment.
After all—
To him now—
This world was fragile.
With a casual thought, he altered his appearance and walked into the village.
Four faces were carved into Hokage Rock.
The village itself was still under reconstruction. The echoes of construction filled the air.
Naruto glanced around once—
And understood.
"…Right after the Nine-Tails attack."
He moved silently through the streets, unnoticed.
Into a small room.
On the bed—
A baby lay sleeping.
Tear stains marked his cheeks. Even in sleep, his expression was restless, as if the world itself weighed upon him.
Naruto stood there quietly.
"…So this was me."
He couldn't remember this time in his life.
But seeing it now—
He understood.
"…Even in sleep… crying."
His expression softened.
Then—
A faint smile appeared.
"Well… since I'm here…"
"Let's give you a little gift."
He sat beside the bed, thinking.
He could grant power directly.
The Rinnegan.
The Tenseigan.
Anything.
But he shook his head.
"Power without growth…"
"Only creates a slave to strength."
Instead—
He chose something else.
Knowledge.
Understanding.
The things that had truly shaped him.
"…You already have the Nine-Tails."
"And your parents' chakra."
"So…"
"Let's add one more thing."
Naruto formed a seal and gently pressed it into the baby.
A genjutsu.
Dormant.
It would awaken at the age of three.
Within it—
Knowledge.
Training.
Fragments of the future.
A hidden path.
A guide.
So he would not grow up lost.
So he would not wander blindly.
"For strength…"
"You'll earn it yourself."
Naruto stood.
And left.
Whether this version of himself would become a hero…
Or fall into darkness—
He didn't know.
But one thing was certain—
He felt… satisfied.
---
Inside the Hokage office—
Sarutobi Hiruzen worked tirelessly.
Danzo stood in the shadows, silent.
His expression was dark.
His plans had failed.
Worse—
Hiruzen still lived.
The humiliation burned deeply within him.
Naruto observed quietly.
"…This again…"
Even now, it didn't make sense.
Danzo had tried to assassinate him—
Yet Hiruzen spared him.
"…Fate really was absurd."
Naruto shook his head.
"…Not worth thinking about."
In his original world, both of them were already gone.
As he turned to leave, he flicked his finger lightly.
Leaving behind…
A small surprise for Danzo.
---
Elsewhere—
At the edge of a cliff—
A young boy stood alone.
Uchiha Itachi.
Five years old.
Lost in thought.
Then—
Without hesitation—
He stepped forward.
And fell.
"…Is this kid insane?" Naruto muttered.
Then—
He paused.
A new idea surfaced.
"…What if…"
"What if I change him?"
Naruto raised his hand and caught a black crow mid-flight.
Power surged into it instantly.
Strange markings spread across its body, its aura shifting as it grew stronger—smarter.
Then—
He implanted something deeper.
A memory.
A consciousness.
A soul from another world.
"…Your name is Kitahara."
"Kitahara—the Immortal."
The crow's eyes flickered.
Awareness awakened.
"What… am I?"
"A crow?!"
"What kind of world is this?!"
Naruto smiled faintly.
This being…
Had potential.
Perhaps—
Even enough to reach the level of the Sage of Six Paths.
"…Now go."
Below—
Itachi continued to fall.
The crow shot forward like lightning, diving through the air.
At the last moment—
It caught him.
"Caw—!"
Itachi's eyes opened.
He looked up.
Their gazes met.
And in that instant—
Something changed.
A connection formed.
A single glance—
That would shape the future.
An eternal eye.
-------------------------
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