"Lord Mizukage, Kira and his group have left the village, but they're still within the Land of Water."
"Good. Keep track of them, but don't approach."
Yagura waved the messenger away and turned toward the mist-covered village beyond the window. For the first time in years, there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
The reforms had been announced. The changes were still fresh — too new to show real results — but something was different.
Kirigakure felt alive again.
The oppressive silence that had once blanketed the village was fading. Even the usually cold and ruthless Jōnin seemed… gentler.
Though he had been under Sharingan control for years, Yagura remembered everything that had happened — every betrayal, every killing. He knew many of his elite shinobi still hated him. Some were even waiting for the right moment to strike.
If not for Kira's sudden arrival and influence, that assassination attempt would likely have already happened.
Now, however, that killing intent had disappeared.
"They're watching me," Yagura murmured. "They still don't trust me — and they shouldn't. Not yet."
"They need to see real change before they believe it."
He clenched his fists. There was still much to do — he couldn't afford to waste time.
Elsewhere in the village, a group of masked Mist-nin whispered among themselves.
"Should we keep going with the plan?"
"No. Hold for now. Let's see where this goes."
"You still trust the Mizukage?"
"When we overthrew the Third Mizukage's bloody regime, we truly believed the Fourth would change things. He did at first… but then everything went back to the same. Now that we know he was being controlled, we owe him a chance."
"Mangekyō Sharingan… so it was the Uchiha's doing. Damn that masked man. How much pain has he brought to Kirigakure? He's a monster."
"I heard the Uchiha clan was wiped out. Maybe that's karma."
And so, quietly, Kirigakure began to change.
But news of Kira — the Red Sun Society's leader — spreading reform in the Bloody Mist traveled fast. By the time the message reached the other Great Nations, the entire ninja world would be on high alert.
The myth of the new shinobi world was already taking shape — and it was terrifying.
"Don't you get bored doing this every day?"
Ringo Yuuri groaned as they wandered through yet another village in the Land of Water.
Naruto, as usual, spent his days observing villagers, chatting about their daily struggles, or silently studying the terrain and environment.
To someone like Ringo — fiery, competitive, and battle-hungry — it was torture.
"Oh?" Naruto asked, smiling. "And what wouldn't make you bored?"
"Fighting, of course!" she said, eyes lighting up. "Missions, battles — that thrill when blood rushes through your veins. That's what makes life worth living!"
Naruto squinted slightly, watching her. The excitement in her eyes wasn't fake.
That gleam — sharp, wild, bloodthirsty — was something ingrained into every shinobi. A habit built over years of killing and surviving.
Changing that would take time.
To unite the ninja world was simple in theory — with his current strength, Naruto could crush every major nation and all five Kage with a single punch. Even the nine tailed beasts wouldn't stand a chance.
But true unity was another story.
It was easy to change systems. Changing hearts was far harder.
Take Ringo, for example — barely thirteen, full of energy and pride. Naruto could command her, restrain her, even forbid her from killing. But he couldn't make her feel differently.
He could suppress her actions, but not her heart.
And there were countless shinobi like her throughout the world. No amount of power could truly change them overnight.
"There's still time," Naruto said softly, smiling again. "Things will change. Slowly but surely."
He stopped walking. His expression shifted.
Found it.
Ringo and Aoiha looked at him curiously as Naruto walked toward a pile of trash at the side of the street.
A small figure huddled there — a ragged beggar, thin and filthy.
Naruto crouched down and extended his hand.
"Come on. Stand up. Come with me."
The boy lifted his head. His eyes were a strange mix of black and white — clear, yet filled with confusion and fear.
He stared blankly at Naruto's hand, unsure what to do.
"Do you know who I am?" Naruto asked, but the boy just lowered his gaze again, pretending not to hear.
He can't mean me, the boy thought bitterly. No one in this world needs me.
Naruto sighed and simply picked him up — gently but firmly.
"Uh… President, what are you doing?" Aoiha asked, puzzled.
"Get him a new set of clothes," Naruto said calmly.
He carried the boy into a nearby inn, giving rapid orders the moment he entered.
"Prepare a hot bath, a room, and clean clothes — quickly."
The innkeeper, startled by Naruto's tone and presence, rushed to obey.
Moments later, Naruto tossed the boy inside the room.
"Clean up, change your clothes. From today onward, you're a member of the Red Sun Society."
The door shut with a boom.
Naruto walked back to the lobby, sat down, and ordered tea as if nothing had happened.
"President," Ringo said, her eyes sparkling mischievously, "are you… trafficking children? That was so bold! I love it!"
Naruto ignored her.
Aoiha, meanwhile, was more thoughtful. "Does that boy have something special about him?"
"Yeah," Naruto said simply. "He's from a bloodline clan. Funny, isn't it? A child born with such rare power, forced to live as a beggar on the streets. What a waste."
Ringo's jaw dropped. "Wait — that kid has a kekkei genkai?"
In Kirigakure, bloodline clans were taboo.
The infamous "Blood Mist" era hadn't just been cruel — it was built on the persecution of bloodline families.
Even the mighty Kaguya clan, wielders of the Dead Bone Pulse, had been wiped out by their own village.
Entire clans were hunted, exiled, or executed, leaving Kirigakure crippled.
And all of it… had been ordered by Yagura himself, while under the Sharingan's control.
Naruto smirked faintly but said nothing.
He'd seen Konoha's corruption firsthand.
He'd witnessed Sunagakure's foolishness in sending a hero to die in a foreign land.
He'd watched Kirigakure destroy its own bloodline clans.
Kumo had nearly sparked war over the Hyuga incident.
And Iwagakure? Still clinging to ancient pride under an aging Tsuchikage who refused to step down.
Every major village was rotten at its core.
No wonder the ninja world kept erupting in war.
When fools lead nations, what else could you expect?
The door creaked open.
Everyone turned.
A figure stepped out — a young child, delicate and beautiful, with long flowing hair and skin as pale as snow.
Even Ringo and Aoiha were stunned.
They had never seen anyone so ethereal, so striking — like a snowflake come to life.
Naruto smiled slightly. "What's your name?"
"Shiro," the child said softly. "Of the Yuki Clan."
"And your gender?"
"…Male."
Naruto tapped the table thoughtfully.
Ringo and Aoiha both gasped.
A boy?
That angelic face, those graceful movements — everything about him screamed "girl."
It was almost unbelievable.
The beautiful "girl" from the garbage heap was, in fact, a boy.
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