"I'm leaving..."
Naruto's excited expression froze on his face, his mind echoing with the abrupt words Kazuki had just said.
Leaving? All of a sudden?
Just a moment ago, he was watching Kazuki wield his power and dominate the battlefield.
Naruto hadn't even had the chance to express the excitement surging in his heart when this bombshell dropped. It felt like a nightmare. He had always known this day would come, but the suddenness of it, the speed—he hadn't expected that at all.
Part of him clung to Kazuki, unwilling to let go. Another part was weighed down with worry for the uncertain future ahead.
Kazuki had taught him a lot. But deep down, Naruto didn't feel strong enough yet…
Kazuki had helped him uncover his past—how he, the son of the Fourth Hokage, had been treated so coldly. How powerful shinobi like Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Obito had run rampant through the ninja world with nothing but sheer strength...
Naruto yearned for that power. Desperately.
And with that yearning came anxiety. The two always walked hand in hand.
Without Kazuki… how was he supposed to deal with Sarutobi Hiruzen? With Uchiha Obito? With Uchiha Itachi? Or with those enemies he hadn't even encountered yet?
Even Kurama, standing beside him, wore a heavy expression...
So Kazuki-sama was finally heading off to his next destination?
"Don't worry, Naruto… Before I go, there are still a few things I need to pass on to you."
Kazuki gave a gentle smile. He knew exactly what Naruto was thinking. Slowly, he began: "Naruto, the identity I've given you… is the best shield you could ask for."
"Right now, in the eyes of Konoha's leadership and the shinobi clans, you're no longer just a Nine-Tails jinchūriki who needs to be watched. You're someone who's been possessed by the Second Hokage."
"To them, you've mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, harnessed the power of the Nine-Tails, and you now hold unparalleled status and strategic intelligence within the village."
"People like Sarutobi Hiruzen—or Konoha as a whole—won't dare bother you for a long time. And even if they do approach you, they'll tread carefully. That gives you precious time to grow and learn."
Naruto nodded slowly, deep in thought.
The Second Hokage? He didn't really know much about the guy. But judging from everyone's reactions, Kazuki had clearly convinced the Anbu, Hiruzen, and even the Uchiha.
He recalled that moment when Kazuki declared—'I am Senju Tobirama, returned.'
Yeah… That name carried real weight.
The Uchiha had all shown the same flash of fear in their eyes. Hiruzen lowered his head. And the Anbu? They actually avoided Naruto's gaze, as if afraid of drawing attention to themselves…
"But Kazuki-nii… what if the Third Hokage talks to me? How am I supposed to keep pretending I'm Senju Tobirama?" Naruto asked, clearly uneasy.
"I—I'm not good at pretending to be someone else… What if they see through me…?"
"Of course I'll help you, Naruto."
Kazuki tapped Naruto's forehead several times, infusing three distinct chakra signatures directly into his soul.
After losing the influence of Asura's chakra—and under Kazuki's guidance—Naruto was still hot-blooded, still cheerful and bold. But now, there was a newfound layer of caution and calm to him.
Indeed, Naruto—who no longer charged into things so recklessly—might not be as immediately likable as his counterpart from the original timeline, but he was far more in line with what Kazuki had hoped for: a calm presence standing apart from the chaos of the ninja world.
"I left you the first chakra imprint to help you enter Senju Tobirama's mindset. That should be enough to handle Sarutobi Hiruzen."
Kazuki gently patted Naruto's head as he continued, his tone calm and measured: "In truth, it's not that difficult. Naruto, if you carefully analyze Tobirama's obsession with ninjutsu and his personality, I believe that one day, you won't even need my chakra anymore. You'll be able to fool Sarutobi Hiruzen on your own."
"Think about it—didn't I already teach you Dust Release?"
Naruto nodded. That was the very first complex technique Kazuki had taught him. Even Kurama had trained seriously alongside him for a long time.
Suddenly, Kurama's eyes lit up. He raised his paw high into the air, clearly eager to speak.
Kazuki gave a slight nod, and Kurama immediately jumped in, unable to contain himself. "Naruto, why do you even need Kazuki-sama's chakra anymore? You really are an idiot!"
"Why would you even talk to the Third Hokage? You're his sensei now, remember? Everything Kazuki-sama did—you did. That Hokage advisor got killed, and what did the old man say about it?"
"It's obvious. He feels guilty. He doesn't dare face the so-called Senju Tobirama!"
Kurama glanced at Kazuki with admiration, then smugly raised his brows and continued with full confidence. "You may not be strong right now, but in their eyes? You already are!"
"As long as you don't fight again, you'll stay strong in their minds."
"So use this time to actually get stronger!"
Kurama gave a sly grin. "Let me give you a scenario. Say the Third Hokage comes to see you—just give him a cold look, say you're busy, and form a Dust Release technique in your hand. What's he going to say then?"
"Tobirama loved ninjutsu. Researching Dust Release totally fits his character. And once you show you can use it, your identity as Tobirama becomes even more convincing."
Naruto looked at Kurama with wide eyes, delighted. He bumped his fist lightly against the tailed beast's paw and muttered with genuine admiration, "Damn, Kurama… you're crafty as hell."
"You little brat! Crafty? This is what we call experience. You get that? Experience!" Kurama crossed his arms with pride and puffed up his chest.
"Kazuki-sama had this all planned out from the start. Teaching you and me Dust Release—that was part of it too. But you, you still haven't calmed down enough to study as seriously as I have!"
"No way! I've been way more serious than you!" Naruto shot back, his neck stiff with indignation.
All he got in return was Kurama's booming laughter.
Kazuki's lips curled into a smile. Kurama might be a tailed beast, but with a little critical thinking, he wasn't lacking in intelligence at all—he had just been missing the right resources.
In the original timeline, once Kurama and Naruto truly understood each other, he probably gained access to some ninjutsu techniques. But the fact that he had managed to develop something like the Baryon Mode—akin to the Eight Gates—on his own?
That made him something of a forbidden-tech genius among the tailed beasts.
"All right, that's enough, Kurama…"
Kazuki motioned for Naruto and Kurama to stop bickering and continued: "Outside of Konoha, the enemies who have their eyes on you—once they believe you're Senju Tobirama, they'll have to factor in both Konoha's protection of you and your own mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique before they dare make a move."
"Take Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Itachi, for example. Neither of them will make a move on you any time soon. That grace period will likely last a while—until they're confident enough to take on the entire ninja world."
"Because you're the Nine-Tails jinchūriki and Senju Tobirama. Within the current balance of the ninja world, any group outside the Five Great Hidden Villages that tries to seize a tailed beast would be attacked by all sides."
"Naruto, I've heard Obito's inner thoughts… You need to understand—he's trying to capture all the tailed beasts to revive the Ten-Tails. Kurama knows about this Ten-Tails."
It had been during the Uchiha massacre at Obito's hands.
To help Naruto truly understand how brutally unreasonable the strong could be, Kazuki had shown him Obito's inner voice.
In it, Obito had returned to the old Uchiha grounds and recalled his battle with Namikaze Minato. He believed that if he'd just been more cautious back then, he might have revived the Ten-Tails even earlier.
Kurama, at that time, had flown into a rage, practically ready to hand over all his chakra just so Naruto—or Kazuki—could crush him on the spot!
"I'll explain all of this in detail, Naruto…"
Kurama's voice dropped, serious and grave. "This is exactly what Kazuki-sama meant when he spoke of the leap in the hierarchy of life and the evolution of power."
Naruto nodded with equal gravity. "Then we really need to talk this through, Kurama."
"So, Naruto, you've got plenty of time to grow," Kazuki said softly.
"For the next eight years or so, you're unlikely to face any serious trouble from Konoha or from outside organizations."
"Of course, that's just my estimate based on current intel. You'll need to gather your own information and reassess as you go."
"These eight years—if you want to rise above the ninja world—you'll need to master the techniques I've left for you. They were tailored to your bloodline and potential. If you study them seriously, you will learn them."
With a casual wave of his hand, a dazzling array of scrolls appeared in Naruto's spiritual realm.
There were sealing techniques from the Uzumaki Clan, Minato's signature Flying Thunder God Technique, training manuals for the Rasengan and its variants, detailed breakdowns on the nature and shape transformation of all five chakra elements...
And even techniques related to the Six Paths and the Ten-Tails.
Foundational theories were there too—more than enough to be considered an encyclopedia of the ninja world.
Much like how Uchiha Madara had once left Obito with an immense cache of resources, Naruto—Kazuki's chosen heir in this world—was now receiving a legacy of his own.
Only in this case, compared to what Madara had left…
Kazuki's teachings were far more comprehensive, touching every corner of the shinobi arts.
"I may not be here to teach you, Naruto… but when I controlled your body, I helped awaken your dormant talents. That's the second chakra imprint I've left behind for you."
Kazuki gently brushed his fingers through Naruto's soft, golden hair and looked earnestly into his clear blue eyes. "I truly believe you can learn all of this… I have that kind of faith in you."
And with that affirmation from Kazuki,
The knot of worry in Naruto's heart slowly began to loosen.
'Kazuki-nii… he really thought of everything for me. He must be incredibly busy… probably off saving some other world by now, huh?'
'Even so, Kazuki-nii was planning everything for me from the very beginning. He had everything laid out. He never intended for me to face the world alone…'
Naruto took a deep breath. His gaze sharpened with determination as he looked Kazuki square in the eyes.
"Kazuki-nii, if you say I can do it, then I will. I keep my word—I'll get it done!"
Kazuki nodded in quiet approval.
Keeping your word—that's your ninja way, little Naruto…
Though for Kazuki himself, he had never believed in things like the "ninja way." His sense of identity had never aligned with being a shinobi in the first place.
"Once you've mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique," Kazuki said, "you'll naturally be able to sense the marks I left on those two Mangekyō Uchiha. You'll be able to locate them at any time—track them down with precision."
He was referring to the backdoor seals he had placed on Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Itachi. As he spoke, a trace of solemnity crept into his expression. He raised his hand and summoned a long-dormant force—Asura's chakra.
"Those two Mangekyō Uchiha—yes, they harbor strong hostility toward you. But they are not the final arbiters of this world's fate…"
"This chakra… it holds power far beyond that of the Mangekyō. It's been feeding you strength from the shadows. And it's also been reshaping your personality, molding you into someone else…"
Kazuki kneaded the Asura chakra in his hand, compressing it over and over until it took the form of a compact blue chakra sphere, no bigger than a clenched fist.
"I've restructured it for you. When you find yourself at a plateau—when you feel your strength can no longer advance—this is what you'll use to break through to a higher tier."
"But listen to me carefully, Naruto…" Kazuki's tone turned unusually grave.
"I can sense it—this chakra is linked to a being from beyond this world. Once you absorb it, you may draw the attention of the true enemy—the one who stands between you and complete freedom from fate."
The term "being from beyond" referred, of course, to the Sage of the Six Paths.
If Naruto fully internalized and absorbed the Asura chakra, it would amount to a reincarnated soul destroying Asura himself. And as the Sage's favored younger son… the Sage's reaction would be anything but merciful.
Especially now that Naruto was no longer following the script of that so-called prophecy—no longer playing the obedient protagonist in a carefully staged performance for "true peace"—that overly controlling Sage might very well respond with drastic action.
But for now, Naruto couldn't fully grasp the weight of everything Kazuki had said.
Kurama, however, nodded thoughtfully at his side.
Old man… I don't want to be some laughing beast, summoned at someone's convenience. In this world—no, this universe—there are people I want to see once I break free…
That thought lingering in his heart, Kurama turned to Kazuki and spoke solemnly: "Kazuki-sama, I understand everything you've said… Rest assured—I'll stand with Naruto, always."
"Thank you, Kurama."
Kazuki offered a soft smile and continued gently, "The final of the three chakra imprints I left behind—that one is meant to help you face the last of your enemies."
"I won't let you two fight that battle alone. Without me there, it wouldn't be complete."
He gestured for them to come closer.
Kurama and Naruto ran over—one paw, one pair of feet—and came to stand on either side of him.
"Let's make a memory…"
Before them, a large mirror appeared from nowhere.
"Strike your coolest pose—and smile from the heart!" Kazuki beamed at the reflection, flashing a big thumbs-up.
Kurama and Naruto froze for a moment, caught off guard.
Then Kurama lowered his massive frame and sat down behind Kazuki, curling his tail around as his fox face broke into a bright, sunny grin.
Naruto fought back the sadness swelling inside him, stretching his mouth into the biggest smile he could manage. Mimicking Kazuki, he held out a proud thumbs-up.
"Alright—this one's for you. I'll keep a copy for myself…"
The mirror glowed softly, freezing the moment into a vivid, perfect photograph—
A portrait of Kazuki, Naruto, and Kurama together.
Kazuki handed the photo to them, his gaze lingering on the boy and the beast. His eyes held a trace of reluctance as he spoke in a warm voice: "I'm lucky to have met you two in this world…"
"Goodbye, Naruto. Goodbye, Kurama."
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