Outside Konoha, under the night sky.
Naruto appeared outside the village in a flash of yellow light, the Flying Thunder God technique placing him precisely where he wanted to be.
The moonlight bathed Konoha in silver, its walls standing tall and undamaged. A wave of nostalgia hit him—back in his previous life, the village had already been destroyed by Pain at this point. But now, it was intact. Safe.
Behind him, Killer Bee whistled, taking in the sight. "Yo, Naruto, we heading in or what?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. There's something I need to do."
Bee grinned. "Then I'm coming too! First time in Konoha, gotta make an entrance, y'know?"
Naruto placed a hand on Bee's shoulder, activating the technique again. With a soft hum, the space around them warped, and they vanished.
Inside Konoha - Naruto's Home
They reappeared in Naruto's old home. Dust layered the surfaces, proof that no one had lived there for a long time. Naruto closed his eyes, his senses expanding. Sage Mode activated instantly. He scanned the area—no abnormal chakra signatures, no ANBU watching. Good.
"Seems like Tsunade's being lenient with me," he muttered.
Bee leaned in, whispering, "So, what's the plan now?"
Naruto smirked. "For safety's sake, let's disguise ourselves as regular Konoha shinobi."
A moment later, they were transformed—two random Leaf ninja, blending into the village with no suspicion. Naruto took one last look at his dusty home, sighed, then teleported again.
The Streets of Konoha
Taking in a deep breath, Naruto let the familiar air fill his lungs. Konoha smelled the same. It felt the same. But he knew better.
"Alright, Bee, from now on, call me 'brother,' and I'll call you the same. Got it?"
Bee smirked and gave a thumbs-up. "Gotcha, bro!"
Naruto chuckled. "Good. Let's go grab something to eat."
Bee's stomach rumbled at the mere mention of food, and Naruto led him through the streets. The warmth of home was there, but beneath it, there was something else. He could feel it—whispers, cautious glances, the paranoia surrounding his name.
After a short walk, they reached Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto pushed the curtain aside. "Old man! Two bowls of the supreme deluxe special!"
Teuchi turned around with his usual warm smile. "Coming right up—"
Then he paused, eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the unfamiliar face before him. There was something… familiar about the way this stranger ordered. But he shook the feeling off and got to work.
Bee, meanwhile, looked around, clearly excited. "Yo, this place got that cozy vibe! Feels nice!"
Naruto shot him a glare, and Bee immediately realized his mistake. Teuchi raised an eyebrow at them but said nothing, returning to making their ramen.
Moments later, two steaming bowls arrived. Naruto inhaled deeply, a genuine smile breaking through his usual guarded expression. "Still smells as good as ever."
"Damn right!" Bee grinned as they dug in.
Unwanted Conversations
Just as Naruto was enjoying his meal, a familiar presence entered. He turned slightly, catching sight of Iruka walking in. His old teacher looked… tired. He took a seat, sighing heavily before ordering his ramen.
Naruto watched him quietly. Something was weighing on Iruka's mind.
Then, more shinobi entered. Three of them. Their voices carried across the small shop.
"Did you hear? At the Five Kage Summit, Naruto attacked the Hokage and Jiraiya-sama."
Naruto paused, his chopsticks hovering mid-air. He kept his head down and listened.
"No way," another scoffed.
"I swear it's true. My contact in the Land of Iron saw it firsthand."
"Unbelievable. Jiraiya-sama always treated that brat like a son, and this is how he repays him?"
"He even took Danzo-sama's arm and eye! That demon fox bastard hasn't changed."
Naruto gritted his teeth. He could tolerate the insults towards himself. But the blind trust in Danzo? That made his blood boil.
Then came the final words.
"Well, he's a demon fox. Evil runs in his blood."
A sharp crack rang out.
Iruka slammed his hands on the counter, standing abruptly. "Naruto is NOT what you say he is!"
The shinobi turned, recognizing him. "Iruka, you're still defending him? After everything?"
Iruka clenched his fists. "The Hokage hasn't even made an official statement! Who are you to pass judgment?!"
The group scoffed. "Face it. He betrayed us. If I had a student like that, I'd—"
BAM!
A chair scraped against the floor as Naruto stood.
In a blur, he moved. The first shinobi—the one who called him a demon—flew across the room, crashing into the wall. The second didn't even see the hit coming before Naruto's palm connected with his chest, sending him sprawling. The last barely had time to react before a sharp backhand struck him down.
Silence filled the ramen shop.
Iruka's eyes widened. He hadn't even seen the attacks. Who was this person?
The downed shinobi groaned, looking up at Naruto in horror. "Who… who the hell are you?!"
Naruto exhaled, shaking his head. "We're shinobi of the same village. Is there a need to fight over gossip?"
One of them snarled. "You already said Naruto has nothing to do with Konoha, so why defend him?!"
Iruka clenched his fists. "Because Naruto does belong to this village!"
Naruto turned to him, a small smile playing on his lips. Then, he pulled out a wad of ryo and placed it on the counter. "For their meals. And for the trouble."
Teuchi accepted the money without a word.
Naruto grabbed Bee by the collar, dragging him away before he could finish his ramen.
"Hey, man! I wasn't done!" Bee protested.
"Too bad," Naruto muttered. "We're leaving."
As they stepped out onto the quiet streets, Naruto took a deep breath. Konoha was still his home, but it wasn't the same anymore.
And it never would be.
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