Naruto: A New Life with Tsunade

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The token Natsume gave to Uchiha Izumi's destiny organization had been exchanged for destiny points. It functioned as a communicator—chakra input allowed for instant contact. Its mechanism resembled the Demonic Illusion: Mirage Projection Technique, often utilized by Rinnegan wielders. The cost? A mere ten destiny points.

Having left Orochimaru's underground experimental base, Natsume now stood in the midst of a dense forest far from Konoha, his location concealed. Leaping onto a nearby giant tree, he scanned his surroundings, quickly deducing his position—somewhere east of Konoha Village.

After several minutes of walking, he arrived at the Memorial Stone and raised an eyebrow.

Standing before the gravestones of Nohara Rin and Uchiha Obito was Hatake Kakashi, his single eye downcast in contemplation.

"Who's there?" Kakashi asked sharply, turning as he sensed Natsume. The younger shinobi made no effort to conceal his presence.

"Kakashi-senpai, hello. My name is Natsume," he greeted calmly.

"Tsunade-sama's apprentice, huh?" Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly as he studied him. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"I'm an orphan. My parents died during the war," Natsume explained with composure.

Kakashi's demeanor softened. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"There's no need to apologize," Natsume replied, his gaze shifting to the memorial stone. "I've heard about your team—their legacy inspires our generation."

Kakashi's silence deepened. His teammates were indeed heroes, but the weight of his actions—the burden of killing a comrade—remained a scar on his soul.

Noticing the tension in Kakashi's expression, Natsume frowned slightly. "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories. My apologies. I'll take my leave."

Before Kakashi could respond, Natsume vanished into the trees. Kakashi sighed and knelt down again, his hand brushing against Obito's name etched on the stone.

"What a strange kid," he muttered. Then, as though speaking to his fallen comrades, he continued, "I've left the ANBU. They want me to become a Jonin instructor. You wouldn't believe it—I saw Naruto at the Academy. He's got Minato-sensei's spirit in him. That kid's going to change the world..."

Unseen by Kakashi, space distorted nearby, and Uchiha Obito materialized, his face concealed behind the mask of Tobi. He silently observed his former teammate.

"How does it feel to see your old friend again?" White Zetsu's mocking voice broke the silence as it emerged beside Obito.

"Shut up," Obito snapped coldly.

"Tsk, still as harsh as ever," White Zetsu muttered. "You should be thanking me. If I hadn't saved you, you'd still be a corpse in Kirigakure."

Obito's gaze darkened, his thoughts flashing to the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and the near-death experience that had once again left him dependent on Hashirama cells and Zetsu's intervention.

"That was nothing more than carelessness," Obito said, his voice low. "The next time I see Kakashi, he won't be so fortunate."

"Oh? Planning to take back your Sharingan?" White Zetsu teased. "You'd be much stronger with both eyes."

"Hmph," Obito sneered. "Let him keep it. It's a reminder of his guilt—a wound that will never heal. Besides, it has its uses."

Zetsu shrugged. "Humans and your emotions... I'll never understand them."

"Plant a spore on him," Obito ordered, his tone clipped before he vanished into the void of his Kamui.

Zetsu sighed. "Always so complicated." Before it could disappear, a sharp jet of water sliced through the air, severing its head cleanly.

Natsume stepped forward, a smirk tugging at his lips. "A useful catch."

White Zetsu's clone was merely a shell, but its organic material was priceless. With it, he could experiment on enhancing Hyuga Hinata's chakra flow using the Otsutsuki clan's lineage. Combined with Rinnegan and Hashirama's cells, the possibilities were limitless. His next target? Kaguya Kimimaro.

---

Back at his base, Natsume dumped the severed remains of Zetsu in front of Yakushi Kabuto.

"What... is this?" Kabuto asked, crouching to inspect it.

"Raw material," Natsume replied, patting Kabuto on the shoulder. "How's the progress on Edo Tensei and the cursed seal development?"

Kabuto sighed in irritation. "Do you think I can just conjure results? This work takes time."

Natsume scratched his head awkwardly. Kabuto was undoubtedly brilliant, but without Orochimaru's direct guidance, progress was slow.

He fell silent, thinking of others who might help. Hiruko, the creator of the Chimera Technique. Shennong, the medical ninja with mastery over the Body Revival Technique and a deep knowledge of forbidden jutsu. Their expertise could accelerate his plans.

"I'll get you some help soon," Natsume promised Kabuto. Once he mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, finding them would be much easier.

---

Elsewhere in Konoha, Uchiha Itachi walked through a shadowy alley after leaving ANBU headquarters, heading home to his younger brother Sasuke. As he moved, space distorted in front of him, and Uchiha Obito appeared.

"Itachi," Obito began, his voice calm but firm.

Itachi's glare stopped him cold.

"Where is Shisui?" Itachi demanded, his voice low and icy. The tomoe in his Sharingan began spinning faster.

Obito stiffened. Shisui? What did he have to do with this? He considered feigning ignorance, but when the Mangekyo Sharingan began to take form in Itachi's eyes, he hesitated.

The air grew heavy with killing intent. "I won't ask again. Where is he?" Itachi demanded.

Obito narrowly avoided the Amaterasu flames that erupted from Itachi's gaze, his composure faltering.

Itachi with the Mangekyo Sharingan was far more formidable than Obito could anticipated.

---

Natsume woke abruptly, his breath catching in his throat. As he lifted his head, it collided with Tsunade, her figure warm and firm against him.

"What's going on?" he asked, voice heavy with sleep.

Tsunade had already started dressing, her sharp gaze fixed on the distance. "There's a strong fluctuation in chakra," she said tersely. "One of them is Orochimaru. I'm going to check it out."

"I'll come too—" Natsume began, but the air around him shifted. She was already gone, leaving only the faint scent of her perfume.

Natsume clenched his jaw. If it's Orochimaru, this could be bad.

Throwing off the covers, he rushed to the door, sliding it open with a sharp jerk. His breath caught as he took in the scene outside. A colossal serpent towered over Konoha, its scales gleaming like polished obsidian under the moonlight. The Yamata no Orochi—Orochimaru's monstrous snake form.

A cold sweat broke across Natsume's back. This is serious.

A familiar chime echoed in his mind, halting him mid-thought. Translucent messages appeared, hovering in his vision:

> [Because of your actions, Orochimaru's fate has changed. You've gained 70 Destiny Points.]

[Because of your actions, Uchiha Obito's fate has changed. You've gained 56 Destiny Points.]

[Because of your actions, Uchiha Itachi's fate has changed. You've gained 30 Destiny Points.]

The notifications felt surreal, almost like a cruel joke.

Has the battle already started?

Without hesitation, Natsume formed the seal for the Body Flicker Technique. His surroundings blurred, and in an instant, he landed on the edge of the battlefield.

Before him, Orochimaru's massive coils wound around the village outskirts, his yellow eyes gleaming with malicious intent. Facing him was Uchiha Itachi, his Sharingan spinning lazily, the faintest hint of tension hidden behind his composed demeanor.

Natsume scanned the area. Obito was nowhere in sight, but the clash of chakra signatures told him this wasn't just Orochimaru's doing. Nearby, Konoha shinobi and Uchiha clan members stood in tense clusters, their stances rigid, hands hovering near their weapons.

A voice rang out, commanding and steady. "What is going on here?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, stepped forward. Though his expression remained calm, the sharp edge in his tone betrayed his frustration.

"Itachi, Orochimaru—what is the meaning of this?"

"It's nothing, Lord Hokage," Itachi replied, his voice smooth and unreadable. "We encountered a rogue user of Mokuton, the same one from three years ago. Orochimaru assisted me in neutralizing the threat."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. Orochimaru assisting anyone? Unlikely. Still, the lack of immediate hostility between the two lent some credence to Itachi's words.

"Do we know the whereabouts of Shisui?" Hiruzen asked, his tone more measured.

"He has space-time ninjutsu," Orochimaru growled, his frustration evident. "He slipped away before I could secure his Mangekyō Sharingan."

Orochimaru's snake eyes narrowed. Three times now, Shisui's ocular powers had eluded him. But he wasn't empty-handed—his serpent form had managed to tear away a fragment of Obito's body. Something about it intrigued him.

Hiruzen's face darkened. Space-time jutsu…

"Itachi." A deeper voice cut through the air. Uchiha Fugaku stepped forward, his imposing presence silencing those around him. "Is Shisui alive?"

Itachi's crimson eyes turned to his father. "Unclear," he replied curtly.

Before Fugaku could press further, Hiruzen raised a hand. "Enough. Everyone, disperse! This matter will be handled by the ANBU."

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" the gathered shinobi chorused, retreating reluctantly.

Hiruzen turned to Itachi, his expression firm. "You will accompany me. I expect a full report."

Itachi nodded, his movements precise and detached as he followed the Hokage into the shadows. Fugaku's jaw tightened, frustration flashing in his eyes. There were questions he wanted answered—about the Mangekyō Sharingan, about Shisui—but for now, they would have to wait.

---

Natsume stood quietly, his thoughts a whirlwind of unanswered questions, until Tsunade's voice broke through his reverie.

"Natsume. What are you doing here?"

He turned, forcing a casual grin. "I couldn't sleep," he said lightly, taking her hand. "Not without you, Sis."

Tsunade stiffened, glancing around before yanking her hand free. "Don't call me that in public," she hissed, her tone somewhere between exasperation and amusement.

Natsume smirked. "So, about tomorrow. Can I take the day off?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden request?"

"Just need a break," he said, shrugging. "Been working too hard on Senjutsu lately."

Her expression softened. She knew how much effort he'd put into his training, and even she couldn't argue against taking a moment to breathe. "Fine. I'll make the arrangements."

---

The next morning, Tsunade reached for her usual green robe, only for Natsume to stop her.

"What now?" she asked, annoyed.

"You promised to listen to me today," he said, pulling a green cheongsam from a storage scroll.

Tsunade frowned but took the dress. "Fine. But I'm not wearing this without some privacy."

Minutes later, when she called him back, Natsume's eyes lit up. The cheongsam fit her perfectly, the lace neckline adding an air of elegance. But something was missing.

"Sit down," he said, grabbing a comb.

"You can style hair?" she asked skeptically.

"I pick things up," he replied with a grin.

Tsunade sighed but relented. Natsume undid her twin tails, letting her hair cascade before tying it into a high ponytail. He finished with a delicate hairpin, the floral ornament catching the morning light.

"Not done yet," he said, pulling out a small makeup kit.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow but sat still. With steady hands, Natsume applied a soft blush and painted her lips a striking red. Finally, he retrieved a pair of black knee-high stockings.

Sliding them onto her legs, he hesitated briefly, his gaze lingering.

"Natsume." Tsunade's voice was sharp, though her face was faintly pink. "Don't tell me you're into feet now."

He flinched, grinning sheepishly. "Not feet. Just admiring how beautiful you are."

Tsunade snorted, but her blush deepened. "You're lucky I let you get away with this."

"Lucky to have you, Sis," he said softly, his smile genuine.

For once, she didn't argue.

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