dmims Chapter 2 Dawn
Chapter 2 Dawn
"Naruto, I've come to find you."
The child on the bed suddenly opened his eyes and jumped up, but he seemed to have underestimated his limits and fell back down halfway. Fortunately, the bed was big enough for a child.
The first thing you see is an old-fashioned wooden ceiling, a style that was phased out more than a decade ago due to fire hazards. The furnishings in the house are very simple, just enough to make it habitable. It's not very well cleaned either. After looking around, the only thing that shows any hint of the homeowner's style is the goggles on the headboard.
The child lay there with wide eyes for a while before sitting up again, then moved to the edge of the bed as if in a trance, and walked out the door barefoot. The living room was as simple as the bedroom, but the child didn't look at anything else, instead heading straight for the calendar hanging on the wall.
July, Konoha Year 55.
is this real?
The child raised his hand and squeezed the frail body. Pain and the all-too-familiar, frenzied chakra stirred his heart, which had been numb from the stimulation. Kurama's chakra was real, the house he had lived in for over a decade as a child was real, and his spirit was strong enough that it was impossible for him to be imprisoned by genjutsu. Moreover, genjutsu could not possibly conjure up an ANBU squad surrounding this small house, because he shouldn't know this at this moment.
He's gone back to the past! This means he has more time to hone his skills, gather more strength to face the future, and he can even preserve those lost souls etched in history, maximizing the pool of forces to fight against the Otsutsuki clan! Most importantly, he can do everything in his power to give Sasuke a brand new future, one without regrets!
The overwhelming emotions triggered a backlash; a sharp, throbbing pain erupted in his head, then spread to his heart, lungs, and limbs. He clutched his chest, curled up on the ground, and instinctively cut off his senses, plunging into his mental space. Only when the waves of his consciousness subsided did he climb out of the water and look down at his reflection. The shadow was tall and strong, with flowing blond hair, wearing a white haori with sun patterns, its expression peaceful and serene, yet its eyes were closed, as if in a deep sleep. When he looked at himself again, he was still wearing the Hokage's robes, his hair was also buzz cut, and the only thing he had in common with his reflection was his face.
Intuition made him stop exploring the reflection. He didn't reject the reflection that shared his face but remained motionless; he simply ignored it instinctively. Right now, there was only one thing he was most eager to do.
"Ku~ La~ Ma~~!" The future Seventh Hokage beamed with his brightest smile, eagerly plunging into the dark cage. He was so overjoyed that he didn't even care that the fox might be harboring resentment and wanting to kill him. He desperately wanted to burrow into that orange-red fur, even if it meant being burned by the malevolent chakra.
The fox that was called out was dumbfounded. The Bagua Seal was bidirectional; if the nine-tailed fox couldn't escape the cage, the spirit outside the cage shouldn't be able to get in either. But that golden figure just grinned foolishly and stepped into the cage without stopping, rushing towards the nine-tailed fox demon feared by the world as if seeing a long-lost friend. Perhaps the other party's smile was too bright and its speed astonishing, because the nine-tailed fox was caught off guard and hung directly near the fox's chin, casually stroking its fur.
As expected, Kurama, who hadn't been handled like this for thousands of years, went ballistic. A tsunami of red chakra filled the entire seal, with even faint signs of overflowing.
Nine-Headed Rabjam roared with a powerful voice, "You brat! Who the hell are you! Get down here!"
After a period of chaos, Nine-Tailed Fox managed to shake off the offending imp, but he had to admit, with a sense of humiliation, that he was completely helpless against him. The man was still in his cage, but his will was incredibly strong; he was not easily swayed, and his mental fortitude was unprecedented. Nine-Tailed Fox couldn't harm him in the slightest!
"I don't think I've changed much, right?" The unreliable adult chuckled, touching his face and turning away to show off his divine robes. "Look, Kurama, my dream has come true."
Kurama was genuinely stunned. This adult, who might be his equal, had exposed his back without reservation. Kurama recognized the five bright characters on the divine robe, and the blond hair, blue eyes, and features so similar to Minato's all pointed to an unbelievable possibility.
"It's been a long time, Kurama." The adult's smile faded slightly, and a bittersweet nostalgia crept onto that face that should have been carefree. "I am the future Naruto Uzumaki."
The sea of consciousness surged again, but the turbulent waves only raged outside the cage, having no effect on the world inside. Unnoticed by both the human and the fox, the reflection beneath the water's surface slowly lost its serene expression, its brow slightly furrowed, as if trapped in a nightmare.
"You say you're from the future?" Kurama decided to hear this absurd possibility. Tailed beasts are extremely sensitive to human emotions, and from beginning to end, this adult who called himself Naruto showed him absolute trust. A normal person could not possibly trust a tailed beast unless time eroded the barriers between them.
Naruto quickly regained his composure, and both his mental state and his reflection returned to normal. He said in a relaxed tone, "Yeah, a... not-so-good future. After all, even you've left."
The fox's ears twitched; despite the veiled language, he understood. What circumstances would cause a tailed beast to die in front of its jinchūriki?
Heavy particle mode... huh...
My future self would actually be willing to die for that brat?
"...Let's assume you really are from the future. Then what kind of enemy did you encounter? And why did you return here?" Kurama didn't believe in humans, but he believed in himself. His sincerity in giving his life for others was far more valuable than any words.
“The Otsutsuki clan.” Naruto uttered a surname that was once considered taboo by the Sage of Six Paths, a surname unknown to anyone in the current ninja world. “They discovered this place and intend to replant the Divine Tree and harvest its energy.”
Nine-Tailed Buddha gasped, and asked nervously, "Did they succeed?"
Naruto shook his head and said, "Not yet, until I get back here. But their offensive hasn't stopped, and the world has already paid a heavy price. I don't know... whether the next attack can be stopped."
"So, that's when you died?"
"...I guess so."
In their question-and-answer exchange, the dark future was already undeniable. Seeing Naruto staring intently at him, Kurama felt a pang of embarrassment for the first time, but this cherished affection also stirred his heart. It turned out that after the old man and Ashura, he could still have true "comrades."
The commotion outside interrupted the two old friends who had just reconnected. Naruto glanced at it with some displeasure, but he had to wake up as soon as possible to avoid any further complications.
"Sorry, Kurama, it looks like I have to go out and deal with something first. Let's talk again tonight~"
The outside world was indeed bustling. The Jinchuriki's sudden coma alerted the ANBU monitoring unit, not to mention the subsequent signs of a Nine-Tails chakra outburst. However, these signs quickly disappeared, and the child opened his eyes shortly after being taken to the hospital, innocently giving an impeccable answer.
He was so hungry.
The doctor's disapproving gaze made the Third Hokage uneasy. Those in charge of the Jinchuriki were, of course, elites within the inner circle, and these people all knew Naruto's true identity. As for where the rumors about the Demon Fox came from, many knew perfectly well, but simply remained silent.
"Third Hokage, children are at the age where they need to grow, and they must get enough nutrition, otherwise it will affect their development." It's one thing if you don't want to treat a child well, but at least you can't let them go hungry, right? Otherwise, if their chakra can't keep up later, and the Nine-Tails goes berserk for no reason, no one can stand it.
"I eat the meals Auntie brings me every day, and Grandpa Three even gives me a lot of pocket money!" Naruto innocently defended others, "It's just... maybe I eat too much, because I get hungry again soon, and sometimes my stomach hurts..."
"I'm sorry, Naruto, Grandpa was too busy and didn't notice these things." The Third Hokage's apology was very sincere. He did feel guilty towards the Fourth Hokage's son, but he was also too weak to stop the rumors about the demon fox. He could only argue his case during the elders' meeting to protect Naruto's remaining freedom.
Thankfully, this wasn't a riot, otherwise...
Naruto ate what was arguably the most sumptuous breakfast he had ever had as a child. The Third Hokage personally led him to the shopping street, choosing a prominent shop. The shopkeeper didn't dare to act presumptuously in front of the Third Hokage, only secretly observing this unusual group with surprise and curiosity. Naruto didn't pay any attention to any of this; he carefree accompanied the Third Hokage on a leisurely stroll, slowly walking along the entire main street and casually buying some daily necessities. Of course, it was the Third Hokage who paid.
Naruto, personally escorted home by the Hokage, reluctantly bid farewell to his grandfather, the only source of warmth he had received during this period, as was his usual custom. He then hopped around the house for a bit before opening his bulging package and pulling out paper and pen. Like any mischievous child, he dipped his brush in ink and scribbled on the walls and table. However, his attention was quickly drawn to other things, such as his newly bought toys and his fun little dinosaur pajamas. The Anbu members observing from outside the window watched for a long time, and finally one of them broke away from the group, heading towards the Hokage Building.
"That acting, that illusion...tsk tsk."
The room fell silent the moment Naruto finished his final stroke. What appeared to be chaotic scribbles, when put together, subtly channeled a natural power imperceptible to ordinary people. The already unsuspecting Anbu members were immediately caught off guard, completely unaware that the Naruto they witnessed was a fake. Kurama, having just witnessed the utterly genuine Naruto, felt a profound sense of disconnect upon seeing this other side of Naruto's facade.
Was the Naruto he saw truly sincere?
"It's just a little trick to protect myself," Naruto said calmly, seemingly without any hint of wariness in his words. "I'm very weak right now, and I can't let them... notice me."
"who are they?"
"A bunch of old codgers who can live a long life." There was a hint of emotion in his voice. "Among ninjas, besides the truly strong, only cowards can live long."
After a brief incident, the woman delivering the food was replaced. She was older, and her gaze towards Naruto held a hint of affection. The food she brought was noticeably more plentiful and fresher. Naruto accepted the kindness with a smile, his adult soul forcing him to swallow vegetables he disliked, all in an effort to grow stronger as quickly as possible. This little body really couldn't withstand any strain. Even with Kurama around, he would get a severe headache if he showed any emotion, clearly due to a severe mismatch between his soul and body.
Moreover, there are really too few things one can do at this age. It took him two weeks to systematically and regionally explore the entire Hidden Leaf Village with his short legs, during which he had to take breaks to deal with sudden bouts of headaches and fevers. The only thing to be thankful for is that his sensory range is ridiculously large; he can observe the flow of chakra throughout the entire Hidden Leaf Village even while lying at home. However, using it for too long also causes headaches and fevers.
Having been used to being busy in his previous life, the Seventh Hokage was truly incapable of being a lazy bum. After integrating all the information he could gather, he immediately judged that the situation in Konoha was extremely tense.
He wasn't appointed Hokage for nothing; he could sense it just by observing the state of the people on the street. When the Uchiha patrol passed by, the villagers who should have been glaring at him instead cast looks of rejection and fear, while the Uchiha themselves made no attempt to hide their disgust.
Not long ago, spies from the Hidden Lightning Village kidnapped the Hyuga princess, and even Hizashi Hyuga's death failed to unite the villagers in their opposition. He had always known that Konoha had many problems in the past, but he hadn't expected them to be this serious. It seems that Granny Tsunade and Kakashi-sensei really had a tough time back then, but in the end, the village that was handed over to him... was still destroyed by invaders from outer space.
The massacre of the clan will occur three years later. During these three years, Itachi's close friend Shisui will die. This senior, who willingly sacrificed his life, never even appeared in the Fourth Shinobi World War; no one knows the whereabouts of his body, only two mysterious eyes remain. If we can save him, any sacrifice would be worthwhile. Moreover, he is too weak on his own. If we could find more reliable and well-known people to cooperate with, wouldn't that be much more efficient?
Where can you find someone like that?
Naruto's gaze slowly shifted, finally settling on a uniquely shaped statue. Buried beneath that burning flame were the heroic spirits of Konoha.
The Uchiha and Senju were the original clans of Konoha. Now, the Senju clan has vanished, and the Uchiha have gradually declined, even teetering on the brink of extinction. Since then, Konoha has struggled to produce truly extraordinary geniuses. Otherwise, why are he and Sasuke always the ones to play decisive roles in every major battle? Is it because the others weren't working hard enough?
No, that's not it. It's that taking another path to become stronger is too slow and comes at too high a price. Bloodline is the only shortcut that allows this world to catch up with the Otsutsuki clan in a short time. Too many ninjas have died in the major wars; the rapid turnover has slowed the development of ninjas. Geniuses have all perished on the battlefield. Who will drive societal progress then?
At that moment, Naruto had an extremely outrageous idea. He was always a man of action, and once he made up his mind, he immediately began to implement his plan.
He had never forgotten his best friend's roaring words, and that lonely figure was etched into his very bones. So this time, he would protect the Uchiha no matter what, by whatever means necessary.