Naruto: The Forest's Chosen (Mori Mori No Mi)

On the moon, Kushina's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Behind her and Kaguya stood an army of silent puppets.

"This place is huge~!"

Kaguya gave a subtle nod, standing quietly by her side.

Kushina blinked, then turned her head to look at Kaguya's unchanging expression.

As always, Kaguya kept a calm, unreadable face around others—especially the girls.

But deeper expressions? Those required keys.

Kushina happened to hold one.

She stepped closer and gently extended her hand.

"Kaguya, can we make this our secret base from now on?"

Kaguya gave a soft response, "As long as you like it here."

Kushina smiled, her lips twitching into a grin. And this time, even Kaguya's lips faintly curved.

"I know where this place is."

"You probably feel uncomfortable, don't you?"

Kaguya didn't reply.

"That's okay. If you don't like it, we don't have to stay. There are plenty of places down below too… like the ruins of Uzushio. We could rebuild the Uzumaki clan there."

Kushina slowly pulled her hand back. But Kaguya's soft smile lingered—this time, more natural than before.

"Okay~"

"With you all here, the moon doesn't feel so lonely."

Kushina nodded, then glanced at the puppet maid standing nearby.

"First this… then that… and this too."

Like performing a magic trick, Kushina pulled out a blueprint.

Kaguya peeked at it.

It didn't look like something drawn recently.

"Let's go back first," Kushina said cheerfully.

Kaguya opened a Yomi Hirasaka portal.

Together, they returned to Konoha.

Meanwhile, at Konoha's main gate…

The ever-vigilant gatekeepers, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, asked in robotic unison, "Name, village?"

"Are you three from Kumogakure?"

Mabui stepped forward and replied, "Yes."

Izumo and Kotetsu exchanged glances.

"You're here to see Naruto-sama?"

"Yes."

Kotetsu sighed. "So… are you going or am I?"

"I'll go…" Izumo muttered, resigning himself.

"You're welcome to look around," Kotetsu told them. "I'll go inform Naruto."

Yugito Nii gave a cool nod and stepped into Konoha first.

"This... this is Konoha?" she murmured, blinking in disbelief. Her usual aloof demeanor wavered slightly.

"It's hard to believe," added Samui, equally surprised.

Especially with the Rōran-style palace complex still under construction in the distance.

"Come on, let's explore what Konoha looks like now."

"Mm~!"

Back in the village, Izumo had already left to locate Kurama.

When Kaguya and Kushina returned via the portal, a faint smile still played on Kaguya's lips.

The girls preparing food nearby froze, then quickly gathered around.

"So pretty~!"

"Sister Kaguya, you should smile more often~!"

"Yes! When you smile, you're just like a goddess!"

"..."

The chatter overwhelmed Kaguya, leaving her rooted to the spot.

She had always been known for her strength—but when praised for her beauty, she was at a complete loss.

Thankfully, Kushina came to the rescue, smiling warmly.

"Kaguya, come with me. I have a feeling we'll be getting visitors today… and not just one group!"

"Let's call a meeting later—time to rebuild the Whirlpool Kingdom~!"

"Alright."

At the same time, in the Shikkotsu Forest…

Naruto stood between Sara and Boa Hancock, looking slightly troubled.

"We're heading to the Land of Water next."

"How about... you two head back first?"

"No way~!" the two women responded in perfect unison.

"I'll go alone," Naruto insisted. "I think Mom will be happy to see you both."

He gave them no chance to argue.

Hancock's lovesickness… I'll treat it properly later, Naruto thought. For now, I need to send them back and let them adjust to the ninja world.

Yomi Hirasaka opened with a buzz.

Back at home, Kaguya sensed the familiar chakra immediately and halted mid-step. Kushina, who had been walking ahead, turned in confusion.

Just then, a girl with short orange hair peeked through the portal.

Then came another figure with long red hair.

Behind them, Robin and Hancock also emerged from the portal.

What surprised Naruto the most, however, was that Mei Terumi actually volunteered to return.

"Leave the Water Country's affairs to me," she said calmly.

Baji!

Mei trotted through the portal without looking back.

As soon as she arrived, the Yomi Hirasaka portal closed behind her.

Kushina blinked, taken aback by the confident arrival.

"Such strong leadership!"

Mei couldn't help but smile.

"Are you… from the Uzumaki Clan?" she asked, turning to look at Sara's flowing red hair.

Kushina approached, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.

Sara's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

She quickly bowed deeply. "I'm Sara… Naruto brought me from the past. I was the Queen of Rōran."

"Queen?!" the girls exclaimed, rushing forward with excited looks.

Kushina's lips curved slightly in amusement.

"A Queen too?!"

Kushina raised a brow in pleasant surprise. "Mei Terumi, well done~!"

Mei blinked, a little unsure how to respond.

Then Kushina's gaze shifted to the three other women who had just arrived.

"Don't you all feel like you're from the same place?"

Nami immediately nodded. "Yes!"

Robin smiled warmly. "I'm Robin. Nami and I are from the same world."

"And I," Hancock said proudly, lifting her chin slightly, "am the Snake Princess of Amazon Lily. The Pirate Empress."

Pirate?

Empress?

Such unfamiliar titles… The terms felt out of place.

Mei Terumi, ever quick to read the room, gently tapped Hancock's back.

The subtle cue made Hancock pause. Something felt... off.

Why haven't I felt uneasy despite being away from Naruto for so long?

She glanced around, slowly realizing—

Everyone here is a woman. Are they… Naruto's family?

Then the one who greeted them—was she the mother?

"I… I'm Hancock," she said a bit more reservedly now.

"You're so tall," Kushina said, smiling. "I'm Uzumaki Kushina—Naruto's mother."

Boom.

Hancock flushed a deep red, her heart pounding, but strangely… it didn't hurt.

Kushina, sharp as ever, caught on immediately. She stepped forward and began casually circling Hancock like a predator inspecting prey.

Still a virgin? Could it be…?

Her eyes sparkled with realization.

So that's why Naruto didn't come back yet.

Meanwhile, Kaguya—elegant and serene as always—drew the attention of the four newcomers.

They stared at her in awe.

"I am Kaguya Ōtsutsuki," she said simply. "The Rabbit Goddess."

Queen: "..."

Empress: "..."

Before they could even process that—

Buzz—

A soft hum signaled the opening of the Yomi Hirasaka portal.

Swoosh—!

A petite figure was tossed through—straight into Kaguya's arms.

Bonney rubbed her eyes and looked up.

A fair and divine face filled her vision.

So familiar. So warm. So... like Naruto.

Back in the Wet Bone Forest, Naruto turned to the Great Slug.

"No need to maintain the barrier anymore. If you get bored here, feel free to explore the Ninja World."

"Yes, Naruto-sama~" the slug replied respectfully.

Naruto nodded and tapped his foot lightly.

The circular portal beneath him expanded slightly, infused with his Dragon Sage Chakra.

With that, he flew off toward the Land of Water.

He arrived in mere moments, the coordinates Mei had given him guiding the way.

He passed over Kirigakure and descended toward the sealed-off waters.

"Hold it right there!" shouted an Anbu from the Hidden Mist Village as he stepped out from a boat.

But when he saw Naruto's face, he froze.

"Th-That's… Naruto-sama!"

The others immediately perked up. "It really is him! Naruto-sama has returned!"

The sea blockade's Anbu squad erupted in excitement.

"Leave this to me," Naruto said, waving his hand. "You can all return now."

"Wait—Naruto-sama! When are you marrying our Mizukage-sama?!"

"Yeah, the elders said it's a done deal—Mizukage-sama's yours~!"

"..."

Naruto could only smile wryly.

You're not giving Mei any escape routes here.

"After everything is settled," he said with a gentle smile.

He raised his hand slightly—and with a soft push, an invisible force swept across the water, sending all the ships gliding gently back toward the village.

The Hidden Mist Anbu stared in stunned silence.

That power…

Then, wide-eyed and giddy, they rushed off to inform the elders.

Now alone above the sea, Naruto narrowed his eyes.

A familiar chakra was stirring beneath the surface...

Without hesitation, Naruto slowly descended.

Peering through the seawater, he spotted a massive, bottomless pit at the ocean floor. Around its edges were faint traces—marks left behind by fins and flippers.

"There's a familiar energy here… I'd better check it out."

The moment he spoke, a soft layer of pale blue chakra enveloped his body. The surrounding seawater parted naturally as he continued downward, approaching the edge of the abyss.

That sense of familiarity washed over him again.

Crouching at the rim, Naruto scooped up a handful of sea sand and let it sift through his fingers.

"This energy… it's divine, yet also spectral. No, it's beyond just ghosts and gods…"

His gaze shifted to the imprints along the edge.

"Mermaids. Fishmen."

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Looks like this might be another passage to the pirate world."

Fishmen and mermaids… If that's the case, the other side must lead to Fishman Island.

Fishman Island—located thousands of meters beneath the sea, directly below the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. It's home to the vast majority of the world's merfolk and fishmen.

A fabled "Underwater Paradise"—a place as fantastical as it is beautiful.

"If I remember correctly… the population of Fishman Island is around five million."

Naruto stood.

"I'll take a look."

He had a feeling things weren't as simple as they seemed.

As he descended into the abyss, the darkness swallowed his figure. An unseen power emerged—an invisible force that blocked all seawater from entering the space.

At the same time, a tremendous suction surged from below.

Bang—

A thread of energy snapped in the void.

Naruto looked up at the sea above him.

––

Meanwhile…

In a realm shaped by divine power—the Six Paths' Pure Land, a world akin to that of spirits and gods.

The body of the Sage of Six Paths trembled slightly.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked out across the vast, white expanse of the Pure Land.

"…He found it."

The Sage glanced around at the nearly completed realm.

Then he shut his eyes once more.

"It's faster than I anticipated… But this is fine."

"I accept your power."

…

TN:

Support me on P-com/LordMerlin!

🍃 Limited-time 30% discount!

Get 10 advance chaps for $3.50, 20 for $7, and more — ending soon!