"Pooh!"
Izumi's face flushed red as she sat up from Yugito Nii's lap, spitting into the grass. She had just tasted some grapefruit honey tea, but it had a strange, unpleasant flavor—perhaps it had expired.
Now she felt uncomfortable and slightly nauseous.
Yugito pursed her lips as well. She had just drunk a bit of mountain spring water, but it hadn't been clean. Even so, she didn't react as strongly as Izumi. Compared to the terrible Huangmao brand yogurt she'd choked down before, the spring water was still acceptable.
"Ugh..."
Yugito sighed faintly, glancing at Naruto.
Her master's head was clearly full of wicked thoughts.
Her soft body leaned into Naruto's arms, her slender white fingers sliding slowly across his chest.
"Master, I pleased you. Now it's your turn to please me," she said with a seductive lilt, her rosy lips leaning closer to Naruto's.
But Naruto pushed her back gently.
The weather inside the space was under Naruto's control. He pointed to the sky and said, "Look how blue the sky is, how white the clouds are, how warm the sun feels."
Yugito looked up, puzzled. "So?"
Naruto suddenly seemed to gain a new philosophical insight. "Why don't we just enjoy the beautiful scenery for once, instead of thinking about kissing all day?"
Yugito blinked blankly. "Just because you appreciate beauty doesn't mean you can't appreciate beauty. Could it be..."
Then she caught the faintly bashful look on Naruto's face.
Ah. She understood.
Her master had been indulging a bit too much lately. It was only natural he might want to take a break.
Naruto noticed her doubtful expression. Feeling like his pride was under siege, he frowned and pinched her cheek.
"I just don't like the smell of your mouth. That's all. I don't want to kiss you. It's not that I can't."
...
Silence.
Yugito rolled her eyes in annoyance.
Izumi stopped spitting and turned to glare at Naruto.
Realizing he'd stepped into dangerous territory, Naruto chuckled awkwardly. "Maybe it's because you had garlic today and didn't brush your teeth."
"Heh."
Izumi walked over gracefully, hugged Naruto from behind, and twisted his chin to make him face her.
"I don't think you brushed your teeth either, Naruto-kun. Don't you love spring water? Let me use spring water to brush your teeth for you."
Her eyes gleamed with mischievous allure.
"That's really not necessary, I already used purified water." Just because Naruto liked to watch didn't mean he wanted to participate.
But Izumi, now provoked, had already made up her mind. She took her revenge.
Naruto had no choice but to endure.
"Next time, don't insult me," Izumi warned sweetly.
As she forced water into his mouth, she held his lips closed with her palm to prevent him from spitting. When he finally swallowed, she kissed him with her soft, red lips.
A delicate fragrance lingered. Their breaths mingled.
Just as Naruto recovered, Yugito, usually shy, took advantage of the moment. She pounced and whispered with flushed cheeks:
"Master, let me feed you some grapefruit honey tea too."
Above, clouds drifted into heart-shaped patterns as warmth spread between their lips.
Naturally, Naruto didn't suffer for long. He soon demanded both women change into the outfits he preferred.
Yugito wore a teacher's white blouse, a black professional skirt suit, stockings, and heels. Izumi wore a female student's uniform, white stockings, and dainty shoes.
They stood together before Naruto, holding hands shyly, their postures elegant and demure.
Naruto dove into their embrace, overcome by their scent.
"Call me Master."
"Master~!"
"Master."
Naruto: "╭(‵▽`)╮"
Yugito: "(3)"
Izumi: "(_..)"
Suddenly, the blue skies turned to dark clouds. Thunder cracked. A storm swept through.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Naruto pulled the two women into a classroom—sheltering them from the storm while posing as their teacher.
He began lecturing on the 19 different ways to write the character "Kun" during China's Spring and Autumn period.
Just as he hit his stride, Izumi suddenly asked, "I know you have your reasons, but why haven't you let me awaken my Mangekyō Sharingan? Sasuke-kun already has the Cursed Seal."
Naruto, standing behind her, gently ran his fingers through her hair.
"Because I need Sasuke to fight. I need you to stay with me."
"Hmm~"
Izumi thought for a moment, then nodded with a smile.
If you were strong enough, why send the one you love to fight? That burden was his to carry.
Besides, Sasuke loved showing off. He'd probably enjoy being sent to battle.
"Master is so kind to Izumi. Unlike me… I get bullied every day," Yugito grumbled, snuggling against Naruto's shoulder.
"What nonsense. I gave you chances, and you wasted them!"
With that, Naruto grabbed her and threw her onto the floor, raising a hand and bringing it down hard on her pert backside.
Smack!
A bright red handprint marked her snowy skin.
...
...
Outside the space, time flowed differently. Though it was only February, the wind cut like knives for ordinary people.
Uchiha Itachi, now no different from a regular human due to his sealed chakra, was shivering in the cold. But colder still was what he was hearing.
With no anesthetics, Orochimaru casually transplanted Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan into Sasuke, chatting the whole time to distract him.
"I originally came to Konoha to steal your eyes.
I didn't expect to meet you, and eventually surrender to the organization.
At first, I thought my life was over. But slowly I realized—I was just incredibly lucky."
He wrapped Sasuke's eyes with bandages, his tone almost wistful.
Sasuke winced from the pain but smiled. "I feel lucky too. Naruto is a true friend. He's given me so much."
Their conversation revealed little—yet the more Itachi listened, the more he trembled.
Organization?
What organization?
Izumi. Orochimaru. The Two-Tails Jinchūriki. None of them had any ties to Konoha.
Now Itachi began to suspect even Haku and Zabuza, who once killed Akatsuki members Kakuzu and Hidan, were part of this mysterious group.
From the way they spoke, it sounded like Naruto Uzumaki was their leader.
The most terrifying part?
Itachi had no idea how Naruto had accomplished this.
Naruto was a Jinchūriki, always under Konoha's surveillance. How had he even met these people?
He couldn't figure it out.
The storm in Naruto's space had passed.
Pat. Pat.
Footsteps echoed in the cave. Orochimaru and Sasuke looked up.
Orochimaru patted Sasuke gently. "It's Naruto-sama. Don't worry."
Sasuke lowered his kunai.
"Naruto, why do I hear only your footsteps? Where's Sister Izumi? And the blonde woman from before?"
"Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong," Naruto snapped.
Izumi was still resting. Yugito had gone to rally the Cloud ninjas and lead them back to the Hidden Cloud Village.
Everyone here was family now—except for the crippled Itachi.
But Sasuke? Who said he could call his sister-in-law "Sister"?
Fake brother!
Sasuke, clueless about Naruto's male pride, just muttered, "Why's he mad at me again? I didn't do anything."
"How's the transplant going?"
Naruto strode in, Killer Bee's body slung over his shoulder.
"Perfectly," Orochimaru said. "Sasuke just needs a few hours to heal."
He moved beside Sasuke quietly, trying to show proper deference.
Learn from this, he thought. This is how you act around Naruto. Or you'll die before you know it.
Still, he used respectful honorifics: "Lord Naruto, I don't recommend keeping the Eight-Tails with you. It could be a powerful tool for conquest—and ideal for establishing a new ninja village."
"Exactly what I was thinking."
Naruto nodded. "Any recommendations for a Jinchūriki? Someone obedient, who won't betray us?"
Orochimaru glanced at Sasuke, but Naruto cut him off.
"Not Sasuke. I might need to extract the beast later. He could die."
The words made even Sasuke hold his tongue.
After a moment, Orochimaru said, "How about temporarily sealing it in someone and then... making them obedient?"
Naruto considered it. He didn't want to risk his most trusted allies. Orochimaru's plan seemed ideal.
After some thought, Naruto nodded. "If you have someone in mind, tell me."
He expected Orochimaru to suggest Jūgo or Suigetsu. But instead...
Orochimaru smiled. "In fact, I do. A girl. Her physique is perfect. And... she's connected to you, Naruto-sama. Her name is Uzumaki Karin."
Naruto blinked.
That girl who nearly wet herself during the Chunin Exams?
"The Uzumaki blood is perfect for Jinchūriki," Naruto mused. "Handle it. Do it right."
"Yes!"
Naruto handed over Killer Bee's body, then left with the blinded Sasuke, heading to Konoha's new camp.
...
Far away, Uzumaki Karin sat in a dark room in Kusagakure.
Alone.
Sad.
"Will I ever make Chūnin? I can barely afford to eat..."
Unbeknownst to her, the gears of fate had begun to turn.