Shizune blinked between them. Even she could feel the tension—something sharp, like two predators sizing each other.
"Thank you, Tiel… and Tobi." She bowed again, then hesitated as she looked at both their faces. "Um… would either of you like the leftover sake Tsunade-sama didn't finish? It's… a gesture. And maybe you two could, uh… not glare at each other like that? Just for a moment?"
She held the bottle out with both hands, hoping a drink might diffuse the silent hostility filling the room.
A roar exploded from outside. "THAT DAMN WOMAN!"
The doors slammed open. A massive silhouette filled the frame—broad shoulders, fury in his eyes. The Fourth Raikage, A, stomped into the inn with enough anger to crack the floorboards.
He ignored Tiel and Tobi completely.
"TSUNADE! You broke your promise with me! Get up and fight me!"
Tsunade blinked awake, still half-drunk. "Huh? Who… are you supposed to be?"
Amai , the Kumo medic trailing behind him, bowed frantically. "T-Tsunade-san… this is A, the current Raikage. He—uh—really wanted to see you."
A's the raikage face twisted into an angry, almost comedic contortion, veins popping as he remembered waiting all day for a drunken Sannin who forgot he existed.
Shizune nearly screamed. "HAHHHH!?"
Across the bar, Tiel—Naruto—watched the chaos unfold and tilted his head.
Is this a filler episode I just wandered into? Tsunade versus Raikage… and now Tobi sitting right beside me. This timeline is a joke.
naruto low laugh broke from his chest—rich, mocking, almost regal. "KUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The Raikage snapped his attention toward him. "What's so funny, white-haired man?"
Naruto palmed his face lightly, still amused. "No, no—don't mind me. It's just… what a twist. I thought this night would be calm, but somehow everything tangled itself into one room."
Tsunade finally turned toward the Raikage, one eye half-open. "Isn't this a surprise."
A's the raikage snapped back to her instantly. He slammed one foot on the nearest chair, leaning forward with a glare that shook dust from the wooden frame. "You also said that yesterday."
Tsunade waved the accusation off with a lazy hand. "Don't be angry. You said you'd force me to come with you. Fine then—let's settle it with a bet. Arm wrestling. If you win, I'll go with you."
A's the raikage teeth clenched. The inn went silent. Half the customers in the back quietly shuffled behind chairs.
At the bar, inside Tobi's body, Black Zetsu whispered like rot blooming in wood. "Tobi, let's get out of here. Things are heating up."
Tobi muttered under his breath, hardly moving his lips. "Not until I figure out what this 'Tiel' really is."
Tsunade's gaze slid toward Naruto. "And you… white hair. Even drunk, I'm not a fool. That smile of yours reeks like a snake. Just like that damn Orochimaru ." Her eyes narrowed. "What's your purpose here?"
Naruto only smiled, silent and unreadable, the golden eyes gleaming with a predator's calm amusement. He made a small gesture—barely a flick of his fingers—and space warped.
In a blink, Tsunade wasn't by her table anymore. She was standing right in front of him, breath hitching as Naruto's irises flashed red for an instant, that same Bill-Cipher agitation rippling beneath the surface.
A's the raikage jaw tightened, muscles flexing beneath his cloak.
Hiraishin? No… that wasn't it.Minato moved himself through space.This brat—he moved the target.Same principle… reversed.
Naruto leaned in slightly. "Settle your arm wrestling. You'll definitely lose—speed isn't your strong point. Then deal with me afterwards."
Before anyone could respond, he vanished—his departure tearing into a star-shaped golden portal that sealed in a single blink.
Tobi's head turned sharply. He whispered into his body's inner shell. "Find him. He's not far."
Guruguru's muffled voice vibrated through his armor. "Tobi… he could be anywhere out there."
Tobi shook his head once. "No. He's still here. I can feel it. He hasn't left Amegakure."
He formed a seal—not using Kamui this time—and flickered out of the inn with a sharp shunshin.
Shizune stood frozen. "Uhh… what exactly just happened with those two?"
Tsunade blew out a tired sigh and grabbed another bottle. "Forget them. Now—Raikage." She pointed at the arm-wrestling table. "You gonna accept my bet or not?"
The match was already over by the time the crowd dispersed along the rainy street.
Tsunade sat on a broken stone , cracking her knuckles with a scowl. Raikage A stood over the overturned table, lightning still hissing faintly along his arm.
Everyone had seen it. She almost had him—completely had him—until A tilted the match with a pulse of Raiton that forced her arm down the last inch.
A's the raikage crossed his arms. "I won't let you accuse me of cheating."
Tsunade snorted, wiping rain from her cheek. "I'm not accusing you. I asked for an arm-wrestling match, not a raw strength contest. You won. Fair enough."
But the irritation stayed in her eyes.
She muttered, "Still… how did that white-haired brat know the outcome ahead of time?"
Shizune fumbled slightly with her umbrella. "Tsunade-sama… he said his name was Tiel. His appearance was… unusual. White hair. Golden eyes."
Tsunade's brow tightened. "Golden eyes… and that smile. He reminded me of Orochimaru in the worst possible way."
A the raikage glanced toward the rooftops, the rain carving hard lines down his face. "I'm not worrying about him. I'm more concerned with the other one. The masked man beside him—Tobi, right?"
Shizune nodded. "Yes… he introduced himself as Tobi."
A's expression sharpened. "He gave off a different kind of threat. I have a hunch we'll meet him again. And when we do—things won't be peaceful."
slow clap echoed through the street. golden, star-shaped portal unfurled in the rain, and Naruto—Tiel—stepped out in his apostle form.
"Well done," Naruto said with a bright, amused tone. "And exactly as I predicted."
Tsunade squinted at him, annoyed. "You seem very pleased knowing I was defeated."
Naruto smiled lightly. "Now, shall we go to Karai? I mean—bug that will explode inside his chest skin will woo cause some casualties. And I'd rather avoid that. I'm on a schedule."
the raikage stiffened and grabbed Naruto by the collar before Tsunade could respond. "You think this is a joke, Tiel? My subordinate life about—"
He never finished.
Golden portals erupted around them—clean, silent, merciless. Enkidu chains shot out like living anchors, wrapping A's arms, legs, and torso in a single synchronized strike. The Raikage's muscles bulged, chakra flaring—then snuffed, drained in an instant.
A's the raikage eyes widened. My chakra… it's being drained? What is this…?
Naruto gently slapped the Raikage's hand off his collar with a polite, almost aristocratic motion. "Relax. You'll thank me later. I emptied your chakra temporarily. As for why I mentioned Karai exploding?" He tilted his head. "I'm speeding things up. Would be a shame if the bug burst and painted half the street red, no?"
Tsunade, Shizune, and even Tobi all froze—three different kinds of shock locked in one moment.
Naruto brushed dust off his sleeve and continued walking. "Come on," he said casually. "Time's ticking."
Shizune frowned when he suddenly lifted a hand and waved toward the distant mountains. "Um… Tiel-san? Are you drunk like Tsunade-sama?"
Naruto didn't even look back. "Nah. Just greeting some old friends."
Far across the rain-soaked ridges, two figures hidden among the stones stiffened in unison.
Tobi—Obito under the mask—glared down at the white-haired apostle in the village below. "He knows where we are. And he's mocking us."
White Zetsu hummed thoughtfully. "Impressive. Even current Nagato doesn't have that kind of range."
Black Zetsu said nothing at first. Its thoughts churned cold and ancient. I am aware of my true purpose—to shape Madara's will, to guide Obito, and to resurrect our mother Kaguya through their hands… but if this Tiel is an Ōtsutsuki, then the invasion may come prematurely. And if it comes now—while we are defenseless—we will be swept aside. I know what lies beyond this world. We are not alone.
Tobi turned his head slightly, sensing the shift in tone. "What's wrong, Black Zetsu? You think I can't carry Madara's legacy?"
Black Zetsu, voice low and grim. "Obito. That man… Tiel… is not supposed to exist in this world. Kill him."
Tobi exhaled slowly behind the mask. "My cover will be blown. If I move now, the Uchiha Madara identity goes public too early."
"Not by your hand," Black Zetsu answered. "We will use a third party. The preparations have already been made. Don't worry . We anticipated variables like him."
Rain drummed through the shattered ceiling of the ruined Amegakure house, a cold rhythm over the broken beams. Karai lay on the makeshift bed, breathing shallow, skin clammy. Tsunade knelt beside him, hands glowing faintly as she traced the foreign chakra signatures inside his chest.
Shizune hovered close, pale with worry.
A the raikage stood nearby, arms folded, forced into stillness by the weight of Tsunade's diagnosis.
Tsunade pulled her hands away, the glow fading as her expression darkened. The infestation was far worse than she anticipated. The larvae weren't confined to Karai—one had slipped into the Raikage's bloodstream as well, a needle-sized parasite burrowing through his veins and quietly feeding on his vast chakra reserves.
Karai's eyes flew open despite the pain. "Tsunade-sama—save Raikage-sama first. If those creatures feed on the chakra he has… his life—"
Naruto cut him off without looking up from the small tube he was casually twirling between his fingers.
"You don't need to do that either," he said, tone light. "I already removed all of them."
Naruto held up the glass tube. Inside, floating in faint blue fluid, were several writhing micro-larvae—the exact type Tsunade just described.
Tsunade's eyes widened. "When did you perform surgery? I watched every movement you made."
Naruto shrugged with a teasing smirk. "Gotta go fast."
Amai snapped immediately, fists tightening. "Tiel, this isn't a joke! I swear, I'll punch you—"
A The Raikage lifted a hand, stopping her. His voice rumbled low. "There's no need. He's speaking the truth."
The Raikage turned toward Naruto, eyes narrowing with a strange mix of irritation and reluctant respect. "You sly fox… that's when you did it. When I grabbed your collar, huh?"
Naruto gave him a light, almost playful nod. "Well, I'm glad you noticed. But—"
golden rift tore open behind him. Several chains of Enkidu spilled out from the Gate of Babylon, rattling softly as Naruto dragged a few links forward. The air tightened; even Tsunade felt her skin prickle.
"This chain," Naruto said, smiling as if he were giving a casual lecture, "has many uses."
A's the raikage jaw clenched. "Including draining my chakra reserve. Weapons like that—are forbidden,."
Naruto's golden eyes curved into a more dangerous smile. "Should I get a thank you, then? Or a reward?" He tilted his head. "I did save your life. And be careful with your words… because what's mine is mine."
The chains tightened once, humming with ancient power.
"You take even a small thing from me," Naruto added softly, "and I'll show you a world made of nothingness."
The chains hummed once, then vanished back into golden light.