The room snapped back into place like nothing had ever happened. No sea of fragments, warped walls, witch footprints scorched into reality—just Hanzo's guest room, quiet, dim, ordinary.Just Hanzo's guest room—quiet, dim, ordinary.
Naruto opened his eyes on the futon, exhaling slowly as the last trace of cosmic distortion faded from the air. The ceiling looked the same as before. The floor looked the same as before. The world knitted itself back together because Lambda's descent had only been partial… and Bern's presence even lighter. They never stayed long enough to leave permanent scars unless they wanted to.
Naruto sat up, gaze drifting across every corner. . No Zetsu roots crawling through the walls, chakra signatures lingering in the air, no unseen observers perched in the shadows. Just his space.
A small smile tugged at his lips. Tobi—Obito—must be terrified right now, he thought. He saw exactly what I'm willing to do. And he called me a traitor to the world…
Naruto chuckled under his breath. "…that has a very nice ring to it. Much better than being lumped in with the Ōtsutsuki—Kaguya's people—those space parasites who drain planets dry."
Naruto lifted a hand, golden light flickering faintly at his fingertips, as if every word fed the madness sitting comfortably in his chest. "I could just cash out this moment… in one go."
knock tapped against the door. Naruto didn't even turn. "Come on in. No need to be shy."
The door slid open—and instead of the "brown boy" he fully expected to come harass him, it was Tsunade and Shizune stepping inside.
Naruto blinked once, then let a slow grin form. "Huh. I was expecting the annoying brown kid to pester me again. But a sannin? Well then… what can this humble merchant do for you?"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she stepped closer, studying him openly. "Humble merchant," she echoed, unimpressed. "You wear a pale blue high-collared jacket and plain black pants—ordinary enough. But your eyes are gold. Your techniques warp space with gold. None of that matches the persona you pretend to be."
Naruto shrugged lightly. "Giving surprises to the customer is the best way to spook them."
Shizune stepped forward, worry etched across her face. "Was it necessary, Tiel… to make that announcement? Telling every leader that the world might end because a red meteorite will land on Uzushiogakure?"
Naruto waved a hand as if brushing away stray dust. "You make things too big, Shizune-chan. We only talked about Amegakure's Hanzo, Kumogakure's Raikage, and that Root old man Danzō. What could go wrong?"
His smile sharpened. "Besides them probably forming an alliance."
Tsunade stepped closer, tone flat with disbelief. "They're not forming an alliance, Tiel. lot of them will tear each other apart."
Naruto tilted his head at her, golden eyes narrowing with amusement. "Quick question. Why does someone who drinks herself numb on sake every night suddenly want to save the world from extinction?"
He leaned forward slightly. "Isn't that what you want, Tsunade? Your dream died with your loved ones. Why not let everyone else die too?"
The air tightened. Shizune stiffened. Tsunade's fists clenched at her sides.
"That's different," Tsunade said, voice low but steady. "If I'm the one drowning in sorrow, it should be me alone . I… I've warned plenty that Hokage is a fool's job."
Naruto studied her in silence for a moment. "So," he murmured, golden light flickering faintly in his eyes, "you still have attachments to your past. You want to forget them, but you can't let them go."
Tsunade drew a breath, ready to answer—but Shizune spoke first.
"Tiel… why are you like this?" Her voice wasn't sharp. It was raw, pulled straight from somewhere she didn't usually expose.
Naruto tilted his head slightly. "Like what, exactly?" he asked, almost curious. "I'm still me. I didn't get replaced by some doppelgänger, right?"
Shizune shook her head, hands clenched at her sides. "That's not what I mean." Her words trembled now. "When you helped Tsunade-sama, I saw someone who wanted a better future. Someone who could change things." She swallowed. "And then you walked into that hall and announced the world might end. You dangled a red stone that promised immortality and ruin. Everything you did after that—everything—contradicted the man I thought you were."
Her eyes burned, tears gathering despite her effort to hold them back. "I regret it," she said quietly. "I regret trusting Tsunade-sama to you."
Naruto said nothing. A full minute passed.. Long enough for something unwanted to stir.
It did reach him. brushed against something he despised. The naïve side. The boy who once dreamed of being Hokage. A dream he hated, buried, and mocked, yet one that still left an ache when disturbed.
Naruto's thoughts turned inward. What is this feeling called… confusion? No. its Uncertainty. The opposite of Lambdadelta's certainty. A hollow sense of the unknown, mixed with boredom—just like Featherine always described it to him.
Tsunade and Shizune watched him closely, unease settling in their chests.
Shizune leaned closer and whispered, barely audible. "Tsunade-sama… maybe you can—just a little—push him to help. At least stop this before the shinobi world collapses."
Tsunade drew breath to answer—
"Ooh, sorry," Naruto cut in suddenly, blinking as if waking from a daydream. "Did I take too long thinking?"
Tsunade snorted, a small smile tugging at her lips, irritation mixed with familiarity. "At least let me answer first. Your turn's done, you gold-eyes-obsessed gold freak."
Naruto tilted his head, gesturing lazily with one hand. "Go ahead. Speak on your mind. Time's still spinning."
Tsunade fell silent again, lips pressed together as she searched for the right words. When she finally spoke, her voice was steadier than her expression.
"Tiel… your hatred for anyone who mistreats you is enormous," she said. " you want this mistrust to happen—between Kumo, Ame, and Konoha's Root. Is that really what you're aiming for? I want an honest answer."
Naruto's face went blank. No smile. No edge. Just stillness.
"I don't want this outcome," he said. "I'm only a messenger."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Is it really that hard for you to help them too? If you stay at the center, they won't tear each other apart so easily."
Naruto met her gaze, golden eyes unreadable.
"Then answer me this first, Tsunade, What do I get from doing things the complicated way?"
Tsunade opened her mouth to answer—then stopped. The words caught somewhere behind her teeth. In that pause, she realized it, clear and uncomfortable. In a way she didn't want to admit, she was like him. Stubborn. Avoidant. Carrying wounds she pretended were scars. She said nothing.
Naruto watched her for a moment, then exhaled lightly. "You don't need to answer that, Tsunade," he said. "I should cool off. Get some fresh air. You should too. Things are getting heated."
Shizune stepped forward, unable to hold it in anymore. "Tiel, Tsunade-sama's circumstances are personal. Yours—your actions—could push the shinobi world into a great war because of that reckless announcement."
Naruto paused at the doorway and glanced back, his smile easy, almost carefree. "At least I take down every piece of shit that gets involved with me, right?" he said. "To the hollow level I always stand on."
Then he turned and left, footsteps light, a cheerful smile still on his face as the door slid shut behind him.
The room fell quiet. Tsunade remained standing where she was, staring at the empty space he'd occupied a moment ago. Shizune stood beside her, hands clenched, unsure whether she was more angry, afraid, or simply tired.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Inside the Akatsuki hideout, rain echoed faintly through metal corridors. The group was still young here—unbroken, uncorrupted. Yahiko stood at the center, Nagato beside him.
Yahiko inhaled, then spoke without theatrics. "Nagato… will you take my place as Akatsuki's leader?"
Nagato stiffened. "You're serious?"
Yahiko nodded, jaw tight. "I'm not cut out for it. Even now, my hands still shake. Yesterday was the first time I killed someone. I told myself it was necessary. I told myself it was justice." His voice wavered. "But I'm still trembling."
Nagato lowered his head. "Yahiko…"
Yahiko stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're different. You carry something I don't." His eyes lifted to Nagato's face. "Those eyes of yours—the Rinnegan—they're a mark of a hero. People will believe in you. They'll follow you."
Nagato's fingers curled slowly. "Are you saying this because of my eyes?" he asked quietly. "Because that scares me." His voice dropped. "I'm afraid of myself, Yahiko. These eyes… I don't know what they'll make me do. What happens if I lose control again?" He looked up sharply. "What if you're caught in the crossfire?"
Yahiko didn't hesitate. He stepped in close, voice steady despite the weight of the moment. "I know. And that's exactly why you won't be alone." His hand tightened briefly on Nagato's shoulder. "Me and Konan will be right beside you. If you ever turn into a monster, we'll stop you. Together."
Before Nagato could answer, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Kyūsuke burst into the chamber, landing in a half-crouch, breath slightly uneven. "Yo—Yahiko—uhh… I don't even know how to say this. Something crazy just happened. Like, really crazy."
Yahiko turned, brows lifting. "What is it?" he asked. "You look like you ran the whole village."
Kyūsuke scratched the back of his head. "Hanzo. Hanzo of the Salamander." He swallowed. "He's asking for Akatsuki's help."
Yahiko blinked. "Hah…?"
Nagato looked up sharply. "You're serious?"
"Yeah," Kyūsuke said, nodding fast. "And that's not even the weird part." He hesitated, then added, "He also said… apparently the world's going to end in a few days?"
Yahiko frowned. "Hanzo… joking?" he asked slowly.
Kyūsuke shook his head. "I don't think so. Honestly, I'm confused too." He gestured back toward the exit. "You should hear it from him yourself."
Outside the Akatsuki hideout, rain slid down broken stone and rusted metal. Hanzo stood waiting with a line of Amegakure ANBU at his back, masks unmoving, posture rigid. Across from him were Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato. Nagato kept his head slightly lowered, long red bangs hanging just enough to hide the Rinnegan from view, a habit he never broke in front of outsiders.
Hanzo spoke without ceremony, laying out everything—Amegakure, the meeting of village leaders , the golden-eyed merchant, Uzushiogakure, the Blood Stone, and the claim that something catastrophic would fall there in a matter of days. He spoke like a man reciting a battlefield report .
When he finished, the rain was the only sound left.
Yahiko's expression didn't change. His voice was flat when he answered. "Hanzo-sama… with all due respect, that's nonsense." He folded his arms loosely. "We already have a masked Uchiha wandering around our base talking about salvation. Now there's another one? To me, this 'Tiel' sounds no different. A liar."
Hanzo's gaze sharpened. "Don't mock the fate of the shinobi world," he said coldly. "This isn't a story meant to impress you. Right now, we need manpower. Every capable hand."
Nagato lifted his head slightly, enough for the shadow of his hair to shift. His voice was calm, but probing. "Hanzo-sama," he said, "if this Blood Stone truly exists… and if it lands in Uzushiogakure as you claim—what will you do once you obtain it?"
The question settled over the rain-soaked ground like weight. No one spoke. Hanzo didn't answer immediately. His silence wasn't hesitation—it was calculation, deliberate and heavy.
Nagato watched him closely. The pause, the way Hanzo's eyes didn't waver, the absence of outrage or denial. He needs it, Nagato realized. Not for the world. For himself.
Hanzo finally spoke, turning his attention first to Yahiko. "Yahiko-dono," he said, voice firm, "this is not nonsense." His gaze hardened. "I saw the Blood Stone with my own eyes—in Tiel's hand. It wasn't fused to him. It floated near his palm, responding to him." He inhaled once. "It drained life. Even the Raikage—overflowing with chakra—was weakened simply by approaching it."
Yahiko's expression tightened, but he didn't interrupt.
Hanzo then turned back to Nagato. "And as for your question," he continued, "what would I do with it?" He spread one hand slightly, as if outlining the future. "I would use it to defend Amegakure. To ensure its survival." His voice softened, almost persuasive. "Tiel claimed it grants immortality and immense power. Power like that could reshape more than battlefields."
He gestured upward, toward the unending rain. "Imagine Amegakure beneath sunlight instead of constant storms. A land no longer choking under endless rain. A future where this village doesn't have to scrape for survival."
Hanzo looked between them, his eyes lingering on Nagato. "Wouldn't you want that as well?"