"Naruto-kun, is this where the Dragon Vein is sealed?"
Orochimaru's golden eyes shimmered with curiosity as he gazed at the runes carved into the stone.
Naruto nodded, stepping forward. "That's right. These seals were set up by my father — the Fourth Hokage — years ago."
Within Naruto's spiritual space, Minato Namikaze observed the scene silently. His expression softened as nostalgia welled up inside him. So much time had passed, and yet… even Rōran, once a thriving city, had fallen to ruin.
Naruto knelt and placed his palm on the ancient seal. The chakra embedded within it pulsed faintly in response. As he examined the intricate patterns, he could feel both his parents' legacies reflected in it — Minato's precision, and Kushina's powerful sealing technique.
A quiet sigh escaped his lips. Father truly was a genius… it's just a pity his life ended too soon.
Then, as Naruto focused, he felt the immense energy sealed below — a vast, roaring current of chakra mixed with pure natural energy.
He murmured thoughtfully, "So this is the Dragon Vein's true nature… It's not just chakra — it's a fusion of the planet's life force and natural energy."
The Dragon Vein, he realized, wasn't something artificial. It was an echo of the world before chakra ever existed — before the Ōtsutsuki brought the Divine Tree and altered the world's flow of power.
The chakra system of today was but a seed left behind by the Divine Tree… and the Dragon Vein was what that seed had grown into — a towering spiritual tree within the earth itself.
Determined, Naruto gathered his chakra and began channeling it into the seal. "Let's begin."
The runes on the ground glowed, and a sudden flash of light burst forth — fierce and blinding.
Orochimaru stepped back slightly, his expression tensing. "What's happening?"
Naruto's voice remained calm.
"Don't panic. We've triggered a space-time fluctuation. It's harmless… probably."
As the air around them shimmered, Naruto quickly formed a hand seal, and a shadow clone appeared beside him.
"Just in case," Naruto said lightly.
Before Orochimaru could respond, a white light engulfed them both, swallowing their figures completely.
The clone remained behind, watching the light fade into silence. He exhaled slowly. "As expected of the original… always thinking ahead. If something happens, at least I'm still here."
He looked at the seal one last time before turning away. Naruto wasn't certain when — or if — he and Orochimaru would return, so this clone would remain as a safeguard.
After all, he still remembered what had happened in the original timeline — the Naruto who had fallen into the Dragon Vein's power and vanished into another era.
Meanwhile, back at Umbrella Headquarters —
"What?!"
Tsunade slammed her fist on the table, cracking the reinforced surface. Her golden eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're telling me Orochimaru and that brat Naruto went off together?!"
She was furious — not because of the danger, but because of the recklessness. "I rush back here, and he's off somewhere with that snake!"
Inside the conference hall, Uchiha Shisui stood awkwardly to the side, his expression halfway between apology and amusement. Few people in the world could make him nervous — Tsunade was one of them.
"Lady Tsunade," Shisui began with a small smile, "there's no need to worry. Naruto-kun and Orochimaru-kun's mission this time is crucial for the organization."
"You mean that insane Sky City Project of his?" she said incredulously.
"It's not insane," Shisui replied calmly.
"According to Naruto-kun, it's a calculated, well-structured plan. Everything has been tested, step by step."
Tsunade exhaled, rubbing her temples.
"You've all been brainwashed by him… You believe every word that comes out of his mouth. I really don't get it — what makes him so damn convincing?"
Shisui chuckled softly.
"Isn't Lady Tsunade the same?"
The words caught her off guard. Her hand froze mid-motion, teacup suspended in the air. For a brief moment, she couldn't find a retort.
He wasn't wrong. Naruto had changed all of them — their beliefs, their direction, even their dreams. What once seemed impossible now felt within reach.
Step by step, she had watched him reshape the shinobi world — spreading the Umbrella's ideology to every corner, inspiring unity through his sheer conviction.
"…You're impossible," Tsunade muttered, setting her cup down with a sigh.
"Fine. I'll head back to my research. Let me know the moment they return."
"Of course," Shisui replied.
As she left the room, her long blonde hair swaying behind her, Shisui's lips curved into a faint smile.
He turned toward the window, gazing out at the bustling training grounds below. The sounds of sparring shinobi echoed through the air — laughter, shouts, and determination blending together.
The world was changing — slowly, but surely.
And at the center of it all… was Naruto.
The facility housed a gravity training room, one of Umbrella's most popular innovations — especially among the younger shinobi.
As Umbrella's influence expanded, more and more recruits began training in its specialized combat and martial arts programs. The most talented among them were already being dispatched across the shinobi world, establishing the first phase of Umbrella's global network.
Meanwhile, in the midst of one such project…
A blinding flash of light engulfed Naruto and Orochimaru. The next instant, their surroundings twisted and reformed — the cold, sterile lab replaced by a dark and eerie forest.
Orochimaru's eyes darted around, snake-like pupils narrowing. "Where… is this place?"
Naruto took a few steps forward, scanning the thick canopy and the damp mist coiling between the trees.
"Not sure yet," he said evenly. "But first, we need to find someone to talk to."
He already had a suspicion — that they had traveled through time. The question was when.
Orochimaru didn't argue. He quickly formed a series of hand seals, summoning several small snakes that slithered into the undergrowth, spreading out in all directions.
Naruto raised a hand, smiling faintly. "No need for all that trouble."
He closed his eyes and entered Sage Mode, the orange pigmentation blooming around his eyelids.
"Kagura's Mind Eye!"
Instantly, his perception expanded like a wave across the land. Even without effort, Naruto's sensory field already stretched beyond a hundred kilometers — and now, empowered by Sage Mode, it expanded even further, exceeding two hundred.
Moments later, his eyes snapped open. "Found something. Follow me — there's a castle in that direction."
He deactivated Sage Mode almost immediately. Though his body already existed in a constant, balanced flow of nature energy, he preferred not to reveal his true limits just yet.
Orochimaru's gaze lingered on him for a moment, envy flickering in his eyes.
Despite having mastered Sage Mode himself, his version was still imperfect — he needed time and complete stillness to gather natural energy, an obvious weakness in battle.
They moved swiftly through the forest, covering the hundred kilometers with ease. Soon, towering spires appeared in the distance, their intricate designs glimmering faintly in the sun.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "This architecture…"
"Rōran," Orochimaru said, his voice laced with fascination. "These are Rōran's towers. Could it be… we've really traveled through time?"
Even he sounded incredulous. At first, he had assumed the Dragon Vein had simply displaced them elsewhere within the shinobi world. But now, seeing the intact spires of Rōran — the very same city known to have been destroyed decades ago — the truth was undeniable.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a thin, delighted smile. "Heh… how fascinating. The mysteries of time and space never fail to amaze."
He licked his lips unconsciously — a telltale habit whenever something piqued his deep curiosity.
"Let's go," Naruto said quietly. "We'll scout the area before acting."
With a shared glance, the two vanished into the shadows of the ruined streets.
Before long, they reached a wide plaza at the heart of the ancient city. The air shimmered faintly with residual chakra — traces of the Dragon Vein's energy flowing beneath the surface.
And that was when Naruto froze.
Standing not far away, beneath the crumbling remains of a tower, was someone who made both him and Orochimaru stop in their tracks.
The young man turned around — same hair, same eyes, same whisker marks.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a serpentine grin. "How… intriguing."
Naruto stared, expression unreadable.
Because the person before him wasn't just similar — it was unmistakably him.
Another Naruto.
...
TN:
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