"Naruto, you home?" A firm knock sounded at the door, followed by a man's voice. Goku didn't need to guess; aside from the Sandaime Hokage, the only one who ever visited was Iruka Umino. And that voice definitely wasn't an old man's.
"Kushina, it's not a good time for you to meet anyone yet. Why don't you head into my World Ring? There's an old friend of yours waiting there."
"World Ring? Old friend?" Kushina looked at him, bewildered.
Goku just smiled faintly. "You'll see." With a casual wave of his hand, he drew her into the World Ring. Then, he gave the sleeping Naruto a gentle tap on the forehead. The boy stirred and blinked awake.
"Naruto? I'm leaving if you don't open up!" Iruka's voice came again from outside.
Hearing it, Naruto scrambled off the sofa with a happy yell. "Iruka-sensei! Iruka-sensei, wait, I'm coming!" He dashed to the door and flung it open.
"What took you so long? What were you—" Iruka stepped inside, and his words died in his throat as he saw the room full of women. He froze, blushed, and took a step back to check the doorframe. "...Uh. Did I get the wrong apartment?"
The women couldn't help but giggle at his flustered reaction.
Goku looked at the young chūnin with an amused smile. "You must be Iruka. Naruto talks about you all the time."
"A-and you must be Lord Son Goku, whom the Sandaime-sama mentioned? A pleasure! I am Iruka Umino. Thank you for taking care of Naruto." Iruka's posture instantly became rigidly respectful, performing a formal bow. The Sandaime had personally briefed him, showing a photograph and emphasizing that this man was to be treated with the utmost deference—more so than the Hokage himself. Rumors of his earth-shattering power and the potential threat he posed to Konoha were enough to make any loyal shinobi nervous.
"So you know of me. The old man spreads the word quickly," Goku remarked, gesturing casually. "Have a seat. We were just about to eat."
"N-no, thank you! I just came to drop off Naruto's allowance for the week." Iruka waved his hands in polite refusal. "I've just taken on my new teaching duties and have a lot to prepare. I won't intrude any further." He quickly handed a small pouch of ryō to Naruto, gave him a few quick words of advice, bowed again to Goku and the women, and made a hasty retreat.
He had to leave. The presence of so many beautiful women was intimidating enough, but meeting Son Goku's gaze had filled him with an almost tangible pressure he couldn't shake.
"Alright everyone, dinner's ready! Come eat before it gets cold!" Saeko announced, emerging from the kitchen with a final dish.
"Yay! Food! Food!" Naruto cheered, bouncing over to claim his spot at the table.
---
By the next morning, Son Goku and the women had left Konoha. With the Uchiha massacre, the village was on high alert. Noted kunoichi like Yūhi Kurenai had been assigned to border patrols or missions, leaving little opportunity for Goku to make their acquaintance. For now, he decided to explore the wider world—there were plenty of interesting people beyond the village walls.
Their departure came as a palpable relief to the Sandaime and the village elders. Every day Goku spent in Konoha had felt like sitting on a powder keg. Naruto and little Hinata, however, were heartbroken to see them go. Goku had briefly considered taking Hinata with him but decided against it. She was still very young and would likely grow homesick. Moreover, the main story hadn't even begun; he wasn't ready to alter the timeline that drastically just yet.
"Goku, where are we headed now?" Kiriko asked as they walked down a dusty road leading away from the village.
"Just wandering for now," Goku replied casually. But his mind was elsewhere, turning over thoughts of two specific individuals from the original story. Has Zabuza found Haku yet? And what about Karin?
After several hours of leisurely travel, they were nearing the outer borders of Konoha's territory. As they passed through a dense stretch of forest, the distinct sounds of clashing metal and shouted commands reached their ears. Curious, they followed the noise.
---
"Who are you people? Do you think you can harass Konoha's borders just because we've suffered a loss?!" A young woman, perhaps seventeen or eighteen, faced down five masked figures, her voice steady despite the clear tension in her stance. Her opponents radiated the controlled power of jōnin. Around her, several comrades lay motionless. Only three from her side remained standing—all bearing the lesser pressure of chūnin.
"Kurenai, you have to fall back! We'll hold them off, or none of us are making it out!" a man in his twenties declared, his grip tightening on a kunai. The beautiful kunoichi was indeed Yūhi Kurenai, famed even now for her skill and looks. Her two remaining comrades, Yūichi and Shūzō, were, to put it bluntly, destined for obscurity.
"Abandon my comrades? Never! Just hold on—Asuma and Kakashi's squad should be here any moment!" Even as she spoke, Kurenai's hands moved subtly behind her back, forming a sequence of hand seals.
"Third, wrap this up. We're wasting time, and their backup will arrive," the lead enemy said coldly, his arms crossed. His dismissive tone made it clear he viewed the three chūnin as mere insects.
"Yes, Boss!" A wiry, sinister-looking man stepped forward from the group of five. His predatory gaze locked onto Kurenai as he ran his tongue along the edge of his kunai. "Such a pretty face. Under different circumstances, I'd hate to ruin it, but—"
His sentence ended abruptly as his body vanished.
He reappeared in a blur behind Yūichi. The kunai in his hand became a silver streak aimed at the chūnin's throat.
Yūichi's eyes bulged with terror, a cold sweat breaking out. By pure instinct, he threw himself sideways, the blade whistling past his neck.
"Quick reflexes," the man—'Third'—snorted. The kunai in his other hand darted forward, aimed for Yūichi's heart.
Thwip!
A kunai suddenly shot toward Third's face, forcing him to abort his strike and deflect the projectile. It was Kurenai, who had seized the critical moment to intervene and save her comrade.
A cruel smirk spread across Third's face. It had been a feint. The moment Kurenai committed to her throw, he flickered again. This time, he materialized directly behind her, one arm snaking around to press a kunai against her throat.
"Game over," he hissed into her ear. "This is the gap between a chūnin and a jōnin. A word of advice for your next life: never engage an opponent a full rank above you." The blade drew back for a final, merciless slash.
A spray of blood filled the air, accompanied by the horrified screams of Yūichi and Shūzō.