Konoha.
In the shadowy base of the Root organization, under Orochimaru's supervision, the lowest levels of the research facility had been expanded several tis over.
"Hehe, this is fascinating… immortality! This is true immortality..."
Orochimaru, who had crossed over from another world and was obsessed with the Sharingan, now had a crazed glint in his eyes, filled with fervor and excitent.
"Sharingan, Mangekyo, Wood Release… and even the Hyuga… hahaha, how interesting… so very interesting…"
As the Orochimaru from another world spoke with manic excitent about the Sharingan, the Orochimaru of this world, upon encountering his counterpart, revealed a similarly twisted smile when their thoughts collided.
"Hehe, fascinating… truly fascinating. The from another world took a completely different path. This is incredibly valuable for research…"
In the underground base, the two Orochimarus stared at one another, both displaying sickly, greedy smiles.
They could no longer contain their eagerness to study each other, driven by a mad desire to understand what kind of existence the other world truly was.
For soone like Orochimaru, power was rely a byproduct of pursuing his dream. His true goal was singular: uncovering the ultimate truth of the ninja world.
Even immortality was nothing more than a necessary tool for his endless quest for the truth of the ninja world.
...
At the sa ti, the team Hebi, who had also traveled to this world, found themselves in Konoha.
The Ninja Academy.
"Mom!"
An eight-year-old Karin bead as she threw herself into her mother's arms. Hidden in the shadows, Karin witnessed the scene, her eyes trembling as uncontrollable tears began to fall.
"Mom… you're really still alive…"
With a look of disbelief, the normally resilient Karin found the softest part of her heart touched. She now saw her mother, the one who had vanished protecting her during her childhood.
"Karin-chan, co on, let's go ho. Lady Kushina said there's a surprise tonight."
"Sister Kushina? Yay!"
Amid the cheerful chatter after school, the mother and daughter duo smiled brightly under the sunlight, each wearing the emblem of the Uzumaki clan.
The image of the mother and daughter holding hands and smiling in the sunset brought even more tears streaming down of Karin.
...
Elsewhere:
"Hey, Shark Tooth! Are you heading ho? Why don't we hang out first?"
"Shut up, Namikaze Naruto!"
An eight-year-old Suigetsu scowled fiercely, glaring at Namikaze Naruto before grabbing his bag and hurrying ho.
Watching this unfold, Suigetsu widened his eyes in disbelief.
"That's as a kid? No way! I couldn't possibly have been this childish!"
However, Jugo was different from the other Team Hebi. Instead of seeking the younger version of himself, he silently followed behind a young Kimimaro with white hair.
As the sun set, it felt as if so invisible force was pulling the Team Hebi mbers apart, each going their own way.
Each followed the desires buried in their hearts: Karin sought her family, Jugo followed his source of solace, and Suigetsu—though he claid his dream was to collect the Seven Ninja Swords—quietly longed for his clan, the Hozuki, to regain its glory.
In his world, the Hozuki clan had vanished, but in this world, though Suigetsu wore a mask of disdain and scoffed coldly, his feet quietly followed the younger version of himself ho. Perhaps he wanted to see what his clan was like in this world.
anwhile, ANBU operatives openly monitored them from the shadows.
"Nii-san…"
Sasuke found himself frozen in place, staring in disbelief.
Thirteen-year-old Itachi approached with a warm smile to pick up his younger brother from school. In front of others, Sasuke tried to maintain his composure, but as soon as they rounded a corner, a pure, childlike smile broke across his face.
"Who are you?"
But just as Sasuke was lost in thought, a cold, familiar voice pierced the air. Turning, he saw Itachi standing behind him, his Sharingan spinning with three tomoe fixed sharply on him.
This caused Sasuke's eyes to tremble with a mix of emotions: hatred, anger, confusion.
So many feelings churned within him that, for a mont, he didn't know what to say.
"Itachi, Sasuke ans no harm."
A composed voice broke the tension—Uchiha Shirou. Hearing this, Itachi lowered his guard slightly and bowed respectfully. "Shirou-sensei."
Though he seed relaxed, Itachi's gaze remained wary, scrutinizing the older figure who bore the Uchiha clan symbol but was unfamiliar to him.
"Itachi, you'll have two more guests at your house tonight."
With a soft chuckle, Shirou casually patted Itachi's shoulder. Itachi nodded respectfully, his Shadow Clone dispersing monts later.
Far away, the real Itachi—walking with the younger Sasuke—received the information from his clone. He paused montarily before smiling.
"Nii-san, what's wrong?"
Looking at the innocent smile of the younger Sasuke, Itachi shook his head with a smile. "Nothing. We'll have guests tonight."
"Yay! Is it Brother Shisui or Shirou-sensei?"
"Mhm, both. But there'll also be a new friend."
"Aweso!"
Under the setting sun, their cheerful laughter seed to dispel hatred and confusion.
"Let's go. Didn't you co to this world to see your clan? To see yourself?"
Shirou's soft chuckle snapped Sasuke out of his daze. Like a marionette, his body moved chanically, his mind a whirl of chaos.
For the first ti, he felt out of control, unsure of what to do.
Shirou, still smiling, led Sasuke toward the Uchiha clan's district. As they walked, Shirou began to explain.
"Don't be so surprised. The Uchiha district is located in the heart of Konoha. In your world, the Nine-Tails incident gave the Uchiha a bad reputation, forcing them to the village's outskirts. But here, events unfolded differently. Perhaps it's due to the influence of the Dragon Vein, but our tilines diverged completely. Ironically, in this world, the Sarutobi clan ended up moving to the village outskirts after the Nine-Tails incident."
As Shirou explained, Sasuke's confusion deepened, but he slowly began to understand this strange yet familiar world.
In the heart of Konoha, the proud Uchiha clan thrived. Familiar childhood faces wore confident smiles, mingling harmoniously with the rest of the village.
"This world… it's real…"
Sasuke's mind buzzed as he followed Shirou to his counterpart's ho.
Though the house was in the heart of Konoha, its interior was unchanged, filled with the familiar essence of ho.
As the sun set and the crescent moon rose, the peaceful glow of moonlight enveloped all of Konoha.
...
The Uzumaki Clan.
"Wow! I have a big sister!"
Little Karin clapped excitedly, while her mother wiped away tears, gazing at the older Karin with guilt and sorrow.
The older Karin stood silently, her emotions a whirlwind as she faced the family she had long lost.
"Sorry... I'm so sorry. Mom let you suffer so much."
Faced with her mother's care and apology from childhood mories, Karin quickly waved her hands and forced a strong smile. "Mom, I didn't think I'd see you again, and besides, I'm really strong now. How could I have suffered?"
However, as Karin forced that smile, tears began to uncontrollably flow down her cheeks.
Little Karin, still too young to understand, was confused. She didn't know why her mother and sister were crying. But one thing she seed to realize: she now had a big sister, and her mother had an eldest daughter.
Watching all of this unfold, Kushina raised her cup with a bold smile and laughed heartily:
"No matter what choices the Karin from another world made, let's toast to the Uzumaki clan!"
"Cheers!"
Amid the laughter and joy, Kushina, as soon as she learned about the situation, had been filled with excitent. She didn't hide the truth, imdiately sharing everything with Karin's mother.
Knowing the pain her daughter had endured after being forcibly brought to Konoha from the Land of Grass, guilt and self-bla filled her heart when she saw the bite marks on her daughter's arms from another world. Being able to reunite, she didn't hesitate for a mont and chose to accept her daughter with open arms.
Maybe this is what motherly love is—no matter which world, there was no resentnt or hesitation.
Karin buried her head in her al, shoveling food into her mouth as tears silently fell into her bowl.
Her silent sobbing caught her mother's attention, and once again, guilt and remorse overwheld her. She blad herself for failing to protect her daughter.
"Karin, it's okay now. You're ho. Even if you're from another world, we're still family."
Under the glow of countless lights, the Uzumaki clan was filled with laughter and warmth.
For Karin, this was the first ti she truly felt a mother's love and the warmth of a ho. Here, she had family, clan mbers, and people she could rely on. She was no longer alone in the world.
...
anwhile, under the dim lights of the Hozuki clan, where only a few houses stood:
"Tch, this few people and they still call it a clan?" Suigetsu Hozuki sneered, his lips curling in disdain. But as he glanced at the lights inside the house and the familiar faces of once-lost clan mbers smiling, sothing seed to stir within him.
It was as if a wandering soul in the shinobi world had, for the first ti, felt the existence of a ho.
Nearby, three ANBU mbers who were monitoring Suigetsu said coldly, "The Hokage's orders are clear: as long as you don't harm the village, you're allowed to stay until you decide to return. During this ti, the Hokage has arranged a place for you to stay."
Suigetsu snorted, slinging his Executioner's Blade over his shoulder as he headed toward the assigned residence. But just before leaving, his gaze lingered on the lights behind him, his expression betraying an inexplicable emotion.
Unlike Karin, Suigetsu chose not to acknowledge the people of this world. His parents had been gone since the day he was born, and in this world, his elder brother was part of the ANBU.
...
Elsewhere, Jugo smiled as he watched Kimimaro sparring with another version of himself from this world.
"Kimimaro is here, too. Then, so will I."
Jugo was perhaps the purest of them all. He had once again found the spiritual anchor he longed for.
...
At the Uchiha clan's district:
Seeing the thriving, powerful clan before him, Sasuke was both shocked and overwheld with envy.
"A family like this! Why didn't I have this?"
He ate dinner in this familiar yet unfamiliar ho, his mind racing as he observed the younger Itachi's gentle face. The sight made him restless.
"You left behind your Mangekyo in our world. You must have known sothing. Can you tell now?"
Sasuke put down his bowl, his voice tense as he looked at Shirou with a grave expression. This food, so familiar yet terrifying, evoked feelings he wasn't ready to confront.
"Itachi made the al, you know," Shirou said with a smile.
At this, Sasuke's hand trembled slightly. Of course, he knew.
The taste was unmistakable. But why was this world so warm, while his own was so cruel?
Outside, the younger Sasuke trained under the moonlight, while inside, the 13-year-old Itachi watched the taller, older Sasuke with flickering eyes.
"So this is what Sasuke looks like when he grows up? Not as cute as when he was little," Itachi thought.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared, and the older Sasuke's smile froze as the figure removed their mask, revealing a familiar face.
"Brother Shisui!"
It was none other than Shisui Uchiha, who respectfully bowed to Shirou.
"My apologies, Hokage-sama, for being late."
Shirou waved his hand dismissively, a smile playing on his lips. "You've been inford of everything, I assu?"
"Yes. Itachi's crow passed everything to via genjutsu."
In this world, Itachi had inherited his father's summoning crows and maintained a close friendship with Shisui.
The four Uchiha sat inside, watching the younger Sasuke train in the courtyard.
But Sasuke was visibly uneasy. On one side was the gentle Shisui, and on the other, Itachi's furtive, frequent glances at him.
Unable to bear it any longer, Sasuke finally spoke up, his voice steady yet strained.
"The Mangekyo Sharingan illusion in Sakura's eyes—it was your doing, wasn't it? I'm here now!"
Before Sasuke could continue, Shisui smiled and interjected, "Sasuke, you should address him as Hokage-sama, or Lord Shirou."
Itachi also nodded in agreent. "Shirou-sensei is not only the village's Hokage but also the leader of our Uchiha clan."
Faced with these familiar yet different faces, Sasuke felt deeply uncomfortable. But knowing he wasn't strong enough to challenge them, he gritted his teeth, lowered his head slightly, and forced out the words:
"Lord Shirou, can you tell the truth?"
Seeing Sasuke's reluctant respect, Shirou finally smiled in satisfaction. Respect for strength was the mark of a true Uchiha.
"The truth? Didn't you already guess it when you saw my Mangekyo? You're just afraid to believe it."
"Your combat skills are sharp, yet in your world, why didn't you investigate deeper? Finding the truth isn't difficult—the likes of Orochimaru or Konoha's old ANBU could've provided clues..."
Shirou's calm voice carried a hint of reproach, like a teacher scolding a careless student.
Of course, in this world, Sasuke was his student.
Sasuke wasn't a fool. His mind raced as he pieced together the implications.
The truth of his world—this man seed to understand it better than he did. The new mbers of Team 7 who had traveled here with him through the Dragon Vein...
Naruto and Sakura lacked the brains for such matters. That left the unfamiliar Sai, who had replaced him, and their captain Yamato, a Wood-Style ANBU.
"It seems you've figured it out," Shirou said with a smirk. "Sai, who took your place, was from Root. And Yamato, the Wood-Style ANBU who led your team, also has ties to Root and the ANBU. Both of them knew parts of the truth."
Shirou's indifferent voice echoed as he watched Sasuke fall into deep thought. Finally, he shook his head and said:
"Never trust anyone's words too easily. Sotis, even what you see with your own eyes can be false. You must seek the truth for yourself. I think you should consider joining the Anbu for a while.
Work alongside Itachi and the others to monitor the Sarutobi clan. Perhaps you might uncover so truths through this."
Beneath Shirou's calm smile, it had already been eight years since he succeeded as Hokage. However, the voices of opposition within certain clans had reached their peak.
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