Naruto: The Otsutsuki Naruto

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In the stillness of the night, Naruto lay on his bed, hands resting behind his head as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

The journey from near-death to his rebirth as a youth still felt surreal to him, even though it was undeniably real.

Thus, he needed the quiet of the night to reflect and synchronize his mind and body with reality.

The faint sound of running water came from the shower next door.

Naruto's thoughts stirred as he withdrew his left hand from beneath the pillow, slowly lowering it to rest on his abdomen.

*Sizzle!*

The seal of the *Eight Trigrams Seal* appeared.

"Yo, Kurama," Naruto greeted. "You've finished going through the memories I brought back, haven't you?"

Those memories spanned nearly a century—a colossal amount of information. It was no wonder the Nine-Tails needed time to process it all.

Kurama's haughty voice echoed in his mind. "Hmph, so what?"

Naruto remained calm. "Since you've seen it all, you should understand why I've done what I've done, right?"

Kurama's tone was as cold as ever. "So what?"

Naruto's voice stayed steady. "So, can we go back to being honest with each other, like before?"

Kurama's voice deepened. "Honest with each other? Don't flatter yourself. I don't recall ever having that kind of relationship with you! And as for the one in your memories—he wasn't me!"

Naruto sat up abruptly. "Hey, that was clearly you!"

"Silence!" Kurama roared. "I am the embodiment of malice! How could I ever bow to a brat like you? Let alone spout such sentimental nonsense! That wasn't me!"

Naruto sighed helplessly. "Kurama, I know you like being contrary, but you're just deceiving yourself."

"Shut up!" Kurama barked, his voice rising. "Don't call me by my name as if we're close!"

Inside Naruto's spiritual realm, Kurama thrashed his tails angrily, his fury so intense that it seeped through the sealing formula.

*Bang!*

"Ow!" Naruto yelped as the back of his head hit the wooden bed frame.

"Even if that was me," Kurama snarled, "I don't like the current you. I dislike you—no, I loathe you! I despise you so much it makes me sick!"

"Kurama, I—" Naruto began, but Kurama cut him off, his voice filled with venom.

"No matter your reasons, you are not Uzumaki Naruto! Get out of this body! I will never acknowledge someone like you as Naruto—never, not in this lifetime!"

*Whoosh!*

The *Eight Trigrams Seal* faded, and Kurama fell silent once more. He had severed the chakra connection.

Naruto shook his head with a wry smile, understanding Kurama's current attitude.

After all, tailed beasts were living beings with emotions. They needed experiences to grow.

In his past life, Kurama had slowly opened his heart to Naruto, eventually even sacrificing himself willingly.

But the Kurama of this timeline had yet to undergo that growth. Even after seeing Naruto's memories and feeling his pain, it was too much to expect a sudden change in perspective.

Such a disparity in understanding couldn't be bridged overnight.

Naruto murmured to himself, "But I believe the day we reconnect will come again."

From the room next door, Konan's voice called out, "Naruto, is something wrong? Were you arguing with someone?"

Naruto replied, "It's nothing, Sister Konan. I just ran into an old friend."

"I see," Konan responded knowingly.

Thinking back to Kurama's reaction, Naruto couldn't help but ask, "Sister Konan, are you helping me just because I showed you my memories?"

There was a long silence before Konan replied, "We are both Jiraiya's disciples, but from beginning to end, you have been the one to carry on his will. Even in your final moments, I could still see glimpses of Yahiko in you."

She paused before continuing, "Those memories played a big part, yes, but they weren't everything."

Naruto felt a sense of relief. "I understand now. That puts my mind at ease."

Konan's voice softened. "Get some rest. The road ahead is long, and we must take it step by step."

Naruto closed his eyes. "Alright. Goodnight, Sister Konan."

The night passed without further incident.

---

The next morning, Naruto woke refreshed. After breakfast, he and the others gathered on the ninth floor of the tower.

This was where they would discuss their plans for the future.

Three chairs were arranged in the southeast, southwest, and northwest corners. Naruto sat in the southern chair, facing north. Before him was a round table with a wooden box placed on it. From this vantage point, he could see the gloomy sky and endless rain outside the tower.

Konan stood behind Naruto.

Orochimaru sat in the eastern chair, arms crossed, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

Kisame occupied the western chair, sitting upright with *Samehada* propped beside him.

Naruto leaned forward, hands clasped together, his chin resting on his knuckles, his gaze steady.

"Let's begin."

*Swish!* Konan moved her hand, and a parchment map of the shinobi world unfurled on the wall behind her.

*Boom!*

Lightning flashed, illuminating her cold expression. The piercing lip stud she wore only added to her mature aura.

Naruto spoke methodically. "Konoha, Suna, Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa—these five great hidden villages dominate the shinobi world, supported by the economies of the Five Great Nations and their inherited jutsu."

"Our first objective is to gather the secret techniques and kekkei genkai of these villages."

"Kekkei genkai rely on bloodlines, so we'll start with secret techniques first."

"Kumo's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Iwa's Light-Weight and Heavy-Weight Rock Techniques, Kiri's assassination techniques, Suna's puppet techniques, and Konoha's Ino-Shika-Chō techniques—these are the powers I aim to acquire."

In his past life, the five great villages had cooperated in harmony. As the linchpin of the Five Kage, Naruto could have easily obtained these techniques, but he hadn't cared for them at the time. He had believed the jutsu he already knew were sufficient.

It wasn't until he faced overwhelming enemies that he realized the value of versatility. Unique techniques often held the key to turning the tide.

This time, Naruto intended to claim those techniques for himself.

Orochimaru ran a hand through his hair, resting his chin on his palm as he studied the map. His deep, raspy voice broke the silence. "Amegakure borders Suna, Iwa, and Konoha. We should prioritize these three villages. If we narrow it down further, Konoha—with its Flying Raijin markers—and the weaker Suna should be our first targets."

Naruto shook his head. "I want to leave Konoha for last. As for Suna, the sandstorms make it difficult to traverse. Iwa's Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, is a battle-hardened veteran. We might not gain much there either."

"Besides, Amegakure's proximity to these three villages means we can't afford to provoke them right away. If we do, they could send shinobi to attack us at any time. We're too weak to withstand that."

Naruto rose from his seat and approached the map. Taking a pen, he circled Kumo's territory and drew an arrow pointing from Amegakure to Kumo.

"Kumo has already shown hostility toward us. Conflict is inevitable, so we might as well strike first."

Naruto thought to himself, *This will also redirect the Raikage's grudge against Sasuke toward me.*

Orochimaru chuckled. "It seems you've made up your mind. Are you that eager for the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto's gaze was resolute. "Yes. The Lightning Release Chakra Mode will enhance my reflexes, taijutsu, and defense to a whole new level. Combined with Sage Mode—and eventually Kurama Chakra Mode—it might even become a power so great it terrifies me."

At that moment, Kisame spoke up. "By the way, our organization doesn't have a name yet. Acting under the name of Amegakure doesn't seem intimidating enough."

Naruto glanced at Konan, who still wore her Akatsuki cloak adorned with red clouds.

Turning back, Naruto declared firmly, "Our organization will still be called Akatsuki. We walk in darkness but strive for the light. To distinguish ourselves from the other Akatsuki, we'll add the word 'Dawn.'"

"Dawn Akatsuki?" Konan's cold expression softened into a faint smile.

From this moment onward, Akatsuki was reborn, its path divided into light and shadow.