In the stillness of night, Naruto lay on his bed, hands behind his head, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Even now, the experience of dying and being reborn as a teenager felt unreal, like a dream he hadn't fully woken up from.
He needed the quiet of night to calm himself, to let his body and mind catch up with the truth.
The sound of running water came faintly from the next room, someone was showering.
Naruto stirred. He slid his left hand out from under the pillow, slowly moving it down to his lower abdomen.
Buzz.
A faint glow appeared, the Eight Trigrams Seal.
"Hey, Kurama," Naruto said,
"Have you finished going through all the memories I brought back?"
It was nearly a hundred years' worth. A lifetime of memories. Even for the Nine Tails, it would take time to process.
Kurama's voice echoed coldly in his mind. "Hmph. So what if I have?"
Naruto remained calm. "Then you understand why I did it, right?"
Kurama scoffed. "And what if I do?"
Naruto didn't waver. "Then maybe we can talk… like we used to."
The fox growled. "Open up? Don't make me laugh. I've never had that kind of relationship with you. And that Kurama in your memories, that's not me."
Naruto sat up, frowning. "Come on, that was you!"
"Silence!!!" Kurama roared. "I am the embodiment of hatred! You think I'd ever lower myself to talk like that to a brat like you?! That was not me, don't say such disgusting things!"
Naruto sighed. "Kurama… I know you like to act tough, but you're just lying to yourself…"
"Argh! Shut up! And don't call me by name like we're close or something…!!!"
Inside Naruto's heart, the Nine Tails thrashed its tail in fury, its anger so strong it leaked out through the seal.
Boom!!!
"Ouch…"
Naruto's head slammed into the bed from the force, making him wince in pain.
"Even if that was me in those memories, I don't care! I don't like you right now! I don't like you, I really, really don't! I hate you!!"
"Kurama, I…."
Naruto tried to speak, but the Nine Tails cut him off, not giving him a chance to explain.
"No matter what your reasons are, you're not Uzumaki Naruto anymore!! Get out! Get out of this body! I'll never recognize someone like you as Naruto, never, ever!!!"
Whoosh!
The seal's glow faded. The Eight Trigrams Seal disappeared again.
The Nine Tails had gone silent, it had cut off the chakra link.
"..."
Naruto shook his head with a helpless sigh. He understood where Kurama was coming from.
Tailed beasts are living beings too. Like animals, they have emotions, and it takes time and experience for those emotions to grow and change.
In his past life, Kurama had slowly opened up to him—eventually even sacrificing herself willingly.
But this version of Kurama hadn't gone through that journey. Even if he saw the memories and felt Naruto's pain, it wasn't enough to change his heart right away.
It would take time. Real connection can't be forced.
Naruto muttered to himself,
"Still… I believe that day will come. One day, we'll understand each other again…"
From the next room, alerted by the noise, Konan's voice called out, "Naruto? What's going on? Are you talking to someone?"
Naruto said, "I'm fine, Sister Konan… I just ran into an old friend."
"I see…" Konan replied softly, understanding without needing more words.
Thinking about the Nine Tails' reaction, Naruto asked with a complicated look, "Sister Konan… are you helping me just because I let you see my past memories?"
There was a long pause before Konan answered.
"We were all Jiraiya's students… but from beginning to end, only you truly carried on his legacy. Even before your death, I could still see a trace of Yahiko in you…"
She added, "Yes, those memories matter, a lot. But they aren't the only reason."
Naruto gave a small smile, finally feeling at ease. "I understand. That's enough for me…"
Konan spoke gently, "Go to sleep. The road ahead is long. We'll walk it together—step by step."
Naruto closed his eyes. "Alright… Goodnight, Sister Konan."
No more words were spoken that night.
…..
The next morning, Naruto woke up well-rested, had breakfast, and joined the others on the ninth floor of the tower.
It was time to discuss the plans for the future.
There were seats placed at the east, south, and west sides of the round table. Naruto sat facing south.
A wooden box rested on the table before him. From his position, he had a clear view of the overcast sky and the steady rain falling outside the tower.
Konan stood quietly behind him.
Orochimaru sat on the eastern side, arms crossed, an intellectual smile playing on his lips.
Kisame took the seat in the west, his posture proper, with Samehada propped upright beside him.
"…"
Naruto leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together under his chin. His eyes were deep and focused.
"Let's begin."
Whoosh!
With a small motion of her hand, Konan unrolled a parchment map of the ninja world against the back wall.
Boom!
Lightning flashed outside. Thunder rumbled, lighting up her calm, sharp face. The stud at the corner of her lips made her look even more composed and mature.
Naruto began speaking steadily, his tone calm but serious.
"Konoha, Suna, Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa, these five hidden villages rose to power with the support of their nations' wealth and their inherited ninjutsu traditions."
"They rule the ninja world."
"Our first objective is to gather the secret techniques and kekkei genkai from these major villages."
"Kekkei genkai requires specific bloodlines, so we'll begin by focusing on the secret techniques."
He paused for a breath, then continued.
"Kumo's Lightning Style Nintaijutsu. Iwa's Light–Heavy Boulder Technique. Kiri's Silent Killing Art. Suna's Puppet Technique. And…"
Naruto's eyes sharpened.
"Konoha's Ino–Shika–Chō clan techniques. These are the powers I want to collect."
In his previous life, the five great villages had been allies, open in their dealings, and willing to share.
But this time… things would be different.
Back then, Naruto had been the pillar of the Five Kage.
If he had wanted to, mastering those secret techniques would've been easy. But he didn't care about them at the time.
He believed the jutsu he already knew were enough.
It wasn't until he faced an overwhelmingly strong enemy that he truly understood having more techniques, especially unique ones, could be the key to surprising an opponent… or even turning the tide of battle.
That's why, in this life, Naruto had decided he would start by collecting those secret techniques.
Orochimaru brushed a hand through his hair and rested his fingers lightly against his cheek.
Tilting his head slightly, he studied the map of the ninja world. His low, husky voice echoed through the room:
"Amegakure, where we are now, borders the lands of Suna, Iwa, and Konoha. We should prioritize those three."
He continued thoughtfully,
"If we're strategic, then Konoha, with the Flying Thunder God already marked and the Sunagakure, with its relatively weaker forces, are our best starting points."
Naruto shook his head slightly. "I want to leave Konoha for the last. As for Sunagakure… the wind and sand there are harsh, it's hard to move around freely. And iwagakure... Ohnoki is a veteran ninja. It won't be easy to get out cleanly if we cross him."
He paused, his tone growing serious.
"Besides, because Amegakure is positioned between all three, any conflict risks immediate retaliation. They're close enough to send reinforcements at any time. We don't have the numbers to win a direct fight right now."
Naruto slowly stood, walked over to the map, and picked up a pen.
He circled Kumogakure and drew an arrow pointing from Amegakure.
"Kumogakure has already shown hostility toward us. A conflict is inevitable. It's better to strike first,"
Naruto thought to himself. I can also draw the Raikage's attention to Sasuke instead of me…
Orochimaru smiled, his voice low and teasing. "It seems we've made a decision. You really want Lighting Style Chakra Mode, don't you, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto's gaze deepened. "Yeah… Lightning Style Chakra Mode would boost my reflexes, physical abilities, and defense to a whole new level. If I combine that with Sage Mode or even Kurama's Chakra Mode later on, I might become so powerful that even I'd be afraid of myself…"
At this point, Kisame spoke up. "By the way, don't we still need a name for our organization? If we're going by Ame Shinobi,' it doesn't sound very threatening."
Naruto glanced at Konan, who still wore her Fire Cloud outfit, and then looked away, his voice firm. "Our organization will still be called 'Akatsuki.' We may be in the shadows, but our hearts are focused on the light. To separate ourselves from the other Akatsuki, we'll add the word 'Hikari.'"
"Hikari Akatsuki…"
Konan's lips curved into a faint smile, a rare warmth in her cold expression.
From that moment on, Akatsuki was no longer just a name. There would be two sides: light and darkness.
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
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