Naruto died.
In the final moment, as his consciousness faded, he saw Yuji Itadori rushing toward him, unleashing a Black Flash.
That pink-haired boy, his eyes filled with tears, roared in fury.
Black sparks of Cursed Energy crackled around his fist.
That punch
Slammed violently into Ryomen Sukuna's chest.
But the price…
Naruto, who had already been cut in half at the waist by Sukuna's slash, also lost his life.
Darkness swallowed everything.
...
"Hey."
"Coward, how long are you planning to play dead?"
A cold voice rang in his ears.
So noisy.
Naruto wanted to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt as heavy as lead he couldn't move them at all.
His body…
Wasn't cut in half?
He felt confused.
Fragments of chaotic memories flooded his mind all at once.
Jujutsu High. Cursed Spirits. Gojo-sensei. Yuji. Nobara Kugisaki. Fushiguro.
And that final, tragic massacre.
To hold back Ryomen Sukuna, he had exhausted all his Chakra and created countless Shadow Clones.
Some of them had even unleashed Black Flash.
But in the face of absolute power, it was meaningless.
One by one, the clones were cut down by Sukuna's slashes.
In the end, Naruto could only use his own body to desperately restrain that monster
To create an opening for Yuji.
He succeeded.
But he died.
And now…
What is this?
Naruto slowly opened his eyes.
A strange forest greeted him, the air thick with the scent of damp soil.
A black-haired boy stood over him, looking down with clear disdain in his eyes.
Sasuke?
The name surfaced in his mind instantly.
At the same time, another completely different set of memories surged forward.
The C-rank escort mission to the Land of Waves.
On the way, they encountered two rogue ninjas from the Hidden Mist Village.
That was the first time he faced death.
He was afraid.
His body froze, his legs too weak to move.
Kakashi-sensei easily defeated the enemies, but Naruto had still gotten scratched during the fight.
The enemy's claws were coated in poison.
Afterward, Sasuke called him a coward.
Anger rushed to his head, and with the poison taking effect, everything went black.
After that, he remembered nothing.
So…
Was everything in the Jujutsu world just a dream while he was unconscious?
Impossible.
That feeling of being on the brink of death… those desperate battles alongside his comrades
How could that be fake?
At Jujutsu High, no one ostracized him.
Gojo-sensei would pat his head and praise him Well done.
Yuji would throw an arm over his shoulder, share snacks, and talk about what to eat for dinner.
Nobara Kugisaki would call him an "idiot" while tending to his wounds.
That warmth…
Was something he had never experienced in over a decade.
Naruto lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky. Two completely different yet equally real sets of memories merged within him.
On one side Uzumaki Naruto, a Konoha genin, looked down upon for showing cowardice in his first real battle.
On the other Another Uzumaki Naruto, a first-year student at Jujutsu High, who fought a Special Grade Cursed Spirit alongside his friends… and died.
He had returned.
Returned to the world of ninjas.
But why didn't he feel happy at all?
His chest felt hollow, as if something was missing.
He missed everyone from Jujutsu High.
"Hmph."
Seeing Naruto awake but still lying there blankly, Sasuke's disdain deepened.
As expected of the dead last getting scared like that on a mission.
In the past, Naruto would have jumped up and argued immediately.
But now, he simply stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes.
He didn't even bother replying.
After witnessing Sukuna's overwhelming, world-destroying power, arguing with a brat felt childish.
Well~ that's enough, Sasuke.
A lazy voice came from nearby.
Kakashi Hatake walked over, looking at the two with mild exasperation.
His gaze lingered on Naruto for a moment, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
Since waking up, this kid felt… different.
Less loud and impulsive.
More calm too calm for his age.
Naruto, how do you feel?
Kakashi knelt down and examined the wound on Naruto's hand.
He frowned.
The injury had already healed, leaving only a faint scar.
He clearly remembered that while the poison wasn't deadly, it wasn't easy to deal with either.
Yet Naruto had just slept and now the poison was gone, and the wound healed?
Is the Nine-Tails' regeneration really this powerful?
"I'm fine."
Naruto shook his head, his voice slightly hoarse.
He moved his limbs his body felt completely normal.
And more than that…
A power not belonging to this world flowed within him.
Cursed Energy.
With it, he could still use Cursed Techniques
Even Black Flash.
"Good."
Kakashi stood up, not pressing further.
"Since you're awake, I'll explain the situation."
His tone turned serious.
"We've been deceived. The client, Tazuna, hid the true nature of this mission."
"This is no longer a C-rank mission it's at least B-rank, possibly higher. We may encounter Jonin-level enemies."
Kakashi glanced toward a short distance away.
The old man in a straw hat avoided eye contact, clearly nervous.
"Mr. Tazuna is a famous bridge builder in the Land of Waves. The bridge he's building is the country's hope."
"But that also threatens certain interests."
Naruto listened quietly.
These details already existed in his earlier memories.
"Normally, since this exceeds the mission's scope, we should return to the village
immediately."
Kakashi sighed.
"But after hearing Mr. Tazuna's story… we've decided to continue."
"Of course, your opinion matters too."
"If you want to withdraw, we'll escort you back to Konoha."
Naruto looked up at him.
There was rare seriousness in Kakashi's usually lazy eyes.
Sakura looked at him with concern.
Only Sasuke remained indifferent.
Withdraw?
Naruto let out a faint laugh.
He had fought a Special Grade Cursed Spirit
Would he really fear this?
"Let's continue the mission."
He gave his answer.
"Good."
Kakashi nodded.
"Then I must warn you."
"The biggest obstacle in this mission is a shipping magnate named Gato."
"He controls nearly all maritime transport in the Land of Waves."
"To stop the bridge from being completed, he's hired many thugs and ronin."
"The two who attacked us earlier were just Hidden Mist ninjas he hired."
Kakashi's expression grew grave.
"I'm afraid… stronger enemies will arrive soon."