During the Konoha Chunin Exams.
The stands were filled with familiar faces.
A worried Sakura Haruno, the rest of the Konoha 12, a Third Hokage with both arms intact, the Konoha elders, and a naive, innocent-looking Naruto Uzumaki.
In the arena, the air was thick with a dense cloud of sand. At the center of the sandstorm, Gaara's eyes were ice-cold.
"A-Amazing! That panda guy is so strong!" Naruto Uzumaki's eyes lit up, and he shouted in shock before his expression turned to one of concern. "Damn it, can that bastard Sasuke block that? He should be able to! Even though he's a little weaker than me, he shouldn't have a problem with this."
"This Sand ninja can control so much sand, but it's still not enough to face the great Naruto Uzumaki!"
This Naruto Uzumaki was acting like a complete simpleton.
Ch-ch-ch-ch. On the other side of the arena, the piercing sound of a thousand birds chirping erupted, making everyone instinctively cover their ears.
A blinding Chidori ignited in Sasuke's right hand, the surging chakra within it carrying the power to pierce through anything.
"What an incredible jutsu!! Damn it, Sasuke's gotten so strong now," Naruto said, looking at Sasuke with envy, followed by a hint of unwillingness. "Damn it!! Sasuke is improving so fast!!!"
He slammed his fist on the railing, but his dejection lasted less than three seconds before he was filled with renewed vigor, roaring, "I, Naruto Uzumaki, will definitely surpass that bastard Sasuke and become Hokage!!!"
"The geniuses of your village are quite astonishing," the Kazekage, secretly Orochimaru in disguise, said in a low voice, his eyes landing on the curse mark on Sasuke's neck with a faint smile.
"Not bad. Sasuke is one of the more outstanding geniuses of this generation," the Third Hokage said with a pleased smile, happy to hear the praise.
He had no idea, however, that the events to follow would lead him directly to his death.
Just as Sasuke was about to attack, a sudden, immense pressure descended from the sky.
In the next moment, everyone in the arena looked up in terror, their very souls trembling. It was a fear that originated from the depths of their being.
A deep, black gate materialized in the empty air.
Before everyone's horrified eyes, the gate slowly swung open.
A tall figure stepped out.
He had brilliant, sun-kissed blond hair, pure azure eyes, and the trademark six whisker marks on his cheeks. He carried an air of gentle elegance and profound mystery.
"Naruto! Is that Naruto?!" Cries of shock erupted from all sides.
The mysterious figure who had appeared looked exactly like the Naruto Uzumaki they knew, yet he gave off a completely different feeling.
They looked back at the Naruto Uzumaki in the stands.
One was a goofy idiot, the other was elegant and calm.
The contrast was almost too much to handle.
"Oh my god, you've got to be kidding me! Is that Naruto? How did he get so handsome?!!" In the stands, the Konoha 12 all covered their mouths in disbelief, their eyes darting back and forth between the two Narutos, filled with amazement.
"They look exactly the same, so why does the difference between them feel so ridiculously huge?" Choji's hand, holding a potato chip, froze in mid-air. He didn't even notice when a few chips fell. For someone who lived to eat, this was an extremely rare occurrence.
Choji had spoken the words that were in everyone's hearts.
"Ahhh, how did Naruto suddenly get so handsome!!! Oh my god!!" Sakura stared at the new Naruto in shock. She recalled the times the other Naruto had pursued her, and imagined this new Naruto in his place. A Prince Charming-like Naruto, kneeling on one knee, gently kissing the back of her hand.
Sakura's face flushed red, and a warm feeling spread through her body, making her feel incredibly shy. She even felt the urge to start a romance with this Naruto.
"Naruto-kun… so handsome," Hinata murmured, lowering her head with a blush, her fingers tapping together as she stole glances at him.
"Are you kidding me?! Is that really Naruto? How did he suddenly become a dreamboat?" the outspoken Ino blurted out. She shot a suspicious look at the original Naruto and questioned, "Naruto, I never knew you had the potential to be this good-looking."
"What are you talking about?! I'm the real Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm the most handsome one!!" The original Naruto's face turned beet red from the scorn of his classmates, and he roared back in anger.
"Who is this?!" the Third Hokage exclaimed in shock, staring at the face that was identical to Naruto Uzumaki's. But compared to the Naruto he knew, this one lacked any immaturity, and instead possessed a steady, gentle demeanor similar to the Fourth Hokage's.
"Is this some kind of clone jutsu? No, that's not right. This is definitely not a clone jutsu. Could it be some kind of forbidden technique?" Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, scanned both Narutos, his eyes filled with an unconcealable curiosity and desire for knowledge. He could feel similar, yet different, chakra from the two of them. The more mature, handsome Naruto clearly possessed a much more powerful energy. Not only that, but even he felt a hint of a threat from this Naruto.
As a scientist, he immediately made a bold hypothesis.
Assuming both Naruto Uzumakis were real, that meant this handsome Naruto was from another dimension. Orochimaru had researched time and space before. In his view, it was possible that other Orochimarus existed in the past and future, and that these different versions of himself from different times and dimensions might converge at a certain point in time and space.
Or perhaps… one could master the power to control time and space, allowing them to travel to another world.
Could it be that this Naruto is from another world? Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his expression grave. He prepared to carefully observe the situation. He hoped it wouldn't interfere with his Konoha Crush plan.
After stepping through the black gate, Naruto's vision cleared, and his ears were filled with thunderous cheers. The familiar venue brought back memories.
"This is the Chunin Exams?"
His gaze fell upon the faces of the Konoha 12. At this age, they were still quite green. Then he looked at this world's version of himself. He looked exactly the same, yet he had a rustic, unsophisticated air about him, as if he wasn't very bright.
"Hey!! You, the guy who looks just like me! Get down here!!!" the Naruto below roared up at him.
Is this what I was like when I was influenced by that power? If I hadn't awakened my Reiatsu, perhaps I would have been just like him. Naruto shook his head inwardly as he watched the other Naruto shouting and yelling below.
He then looked towards the Third Hokage's position, his gaze landing on the old man's intact arms, a playful look in his eyes. It seems the Konoha Crush plan in this world hasn't started yet, and the Third Hokage hasn't become a one-armed man.
Beside the Third Hokage, the Kazekage-disguised Orochimaru's eyes soon met Naruto's.
An unexposed Orochimaru. I wonder if he can succeed in killing the Third Hokage without my interference.
Naruto's playful gaze quickly caught Orochimaru's attention. He frowned, a little confused. Does this guy who looks just like Naruto Uzumaki know me? Why does it feel like he's seen right through my disguise? Like he knows me very well. Could it be that in another world, this Naruto and I have crossed paths? It seems things are getting more and more interesting.
Naruto had completely piqued Orochimaru's interest.
"Damn it!!! You, the guy who looks like me!!! Stop using my face!" Getting no response, and hearing the praise his comrades were showering on the other Naruto and the ridicule directed at him, the original Naruto's anger flared. He pushed off with his legs and leaped towards the levitating Naruto, throwing a punch.
"It seems the me of this world is a hot-blooded person who acts without thinking." Naruto's expression remained calm, but the gentle smile on his face vanished, replaced by an icy coldness.
"Your courage to challenge a stronger opponent is commendable. But in my presence, courage is just another word for foolishness."
"Bakudo Number 9: Horin."
Yellow lines of Reiatsu deftly wrapped around the original Naruto's body, binding him up like a dumpling.
Having lost his upward momentum, the original Naruto plummeted downwards, the chakra in his body completely sealed, causing him to scream in terror.
"What kind of jutsu is that?!" The crowd erupted in an uproar. Kakashi and several other Jonin instantly appeared in the arena. Kakashi caught the falling Naruto, his face grim as he looked up at the other one.
The battle had been interrupted, and both Gaara and Sasuke were displeased. A murderous aura flared in Gaara's eyes, and the sand around him began to stir restlessly.
"Who are you? This is the site of the Konoha Chunin Exams. Are you aware of the consequences of trespassing?" Kakashi asked in a low, serious voice.
The other Jonin surrounded the bound Naruto, trying to undo the Horin, but they all failed. The immense Reiatsu contained within the Kido was simply not something an ordinary ninja could withstand.
"Me?" Facing all the probing gazes, Naruto smiled faintly, a cold, mocking smirk playing on his lips.
"I am the Naruto Uzumaki from another world."
With that, he looked down at the Naruto lying on the ground and said coldly, "Hand over the power within your body, and I might consider giving you Konoha a chance to survive."