Morning came. Waking up in my own bed in Konoha felt nice, but relaxing wasn't part of the plan. Knowing what was coming, I saw rest as a luxury I couldn't afford. Ahead of me waited a "meeting" with Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin. An S-rank missing-nin who had devoted his entire life to one goal - immortality. In a twisted way… he had actually come very close to achieving it.
So what were my options? Avoiding one of the most dangerous shinobi out there was practically impossible. Telling anyone about the future wasn't an option either, for obvious reasons. From my past life, I understood what a "butterfly effect" was. I could, for example, deliberately fail the very first stage - Ibiki's written exam. In that case, there was a high chance we wouldn't make it to the Forest of Death… and wouldn't run into Orochimaru at all.
But then another question came up - who would take our place? First, who would save Karin Uzumaki? Second, Orochimaru would still find a way to get to Sasuke. That snake was obsessed with the Sharingan. He couldn't touch Itachi, so Sasuke was his only option. Third, other key members of Konoha's new generation - my future allies - could end up getting hurt instead. I wasn't willing to trade their lives.
So what was left? Just follow fate and let that bastard mark Sasuke? Let him take over his body eventually? No. I wasn't going to sit back and let my first real friend - the one who actually acknowledged me - suffer. Not after everything I'd worked for.
We still had a full week before the exams, and I had no intention of wasting it. I was going to use every second to get stronger and come up with a plan against Orochimaru. Beating an S-rank shinobi after just a month of training? Yeah… not happening. I wasn't that stupid. I knew my limits. But I had knowledge of the future, shadow clones, and time. That had to be enough to at least give me a chance to escape.
A few ideas started forming in my head. First, our team needed to learn the Body Flicker Technique. "Shunshin" was essential - fast movement, repositioning, getting out of danger.
But that alone wouldn't cut it. Orochimaru was on a completely different level. If we just tried to run, he'd catch us without breaking a sweat. That's when I started seriously thinking about summoning.
That was going to be my trump card.
A memory surfaced - Deidara vs Sasuke. Both completely drained, barely standing… and then things went completely insane. Sasuke, who could barely move, somehow still had enough chakra to summon Manda. Controlled him with the Sharingan. Crawled inside his mouth and "logically" survived Deidara's suicide explosion. Then Suigetsu pulled that half-dead snake back through a scroll…
Complete bullshit. But the mechanics behind it? That was useful.
Reverse summoning - that was the key. If you had a contract and knew the seals, you could teleport yourself to the summoning realm instantly. The only real question was how to come back. But with shadow clones, that problem solved itself. Leave a clone behind as an anchor, and once the danger passed, it could summon the original back.
Normally, this kind of plan would be impossible because of the chakra cost. Moving even one person across dimensions was heavy. Moving three? That was beyond most jonin. But my reserves changed the equation. If I had enough chakra for hundreds of clones, then I had enough for a group escape.
The logic was simple. The summoning technique moved everything in direct contact with the user - clothes, gear, weapons. To the jutsu, it didn't matter if it was a scroll or a person holding onto you. As long as they were connected and wrapped in your chakra, they became part of the same "object." That meant I could pull Sasuke and Sakura with me. They grab onto me, I form the seals - and we're gone.
Orochimaru might be faster. Stronger. But he couldn't kill what wasn't even in the same dimension.
That said, I wasn't planning to just abandon the exam. To come back, I needed an anchor - a shadow clone left in a safe location. The plan was simple:
1) The anchor clone hides somewhere in the forest;
2) The original and the team escape via reverse summoning;
3) After things calm down, or once we reposition, the clone summons us back;
From a traditional shinobi perspective, this was an insane waste of chakra resources. But for me, it was pure math. I took Sasuke's future "plot armor" moment and turned it into a controlled strategy. The only real weak point was the anchor clone. If it got discovered and dispelled, we'd be stuck in the summoning realm until Kakashi pulled us out. Which meant instant exam failure.
Still… the risk was worth it. Losing opportunity to have chunin status was one thing. Letting my friend become a vessel for that twisted snake freak? That was something else entirely.
Between the two, the choice was obvious.
All that was left was execution. Theory meant nothing without practice. After finishing my morning routine, I headed to our training ground.
When I arrived, my teammates were already there. Watching them from a distance, I immediately noticed how different things felt compared to what I remembered. There was a certain awkwardness between Sakura and Sasuke. Before, she would've done anything just to be alone with him. Now… it seemed like she'd accepted reality. Too much attention only annoyed him, and she was finally starting to understand that.
Neither of them knew how to start a conversation, so they just sat there in silence. That changed the moment they noticed me. The tension eased almost instantly. Sakura smiled - genuinely. Sasuke didn't show it, of course, but there was a clarity in his look now. Like my presence grounded things. Like I'd become that one constant that gave his otherwise dull world some meaning.
At least… I wanted to believe that.
"Heh… funny," I muttered under my breath, smiling as I walked over.
"Decided to pick up Kakashi-sensei's bad habit of being late?" Sasuke broke the silence first. He didn't sound annoyed - more like a casual jab.
"Relax, Sasuke. Keep that up and you'll age faster than you should," I shot back with a grin.
"How are you, Naruto?" Sakura asked.
"Great. What about you, Sakura-chan?"
She just nodded, silently confirming she was fine. I sat down between them, and we lazily started talking about our sensei's constant lateness. Sasuke, clearly tired of doing nothing, suggested a warm-up, and I was about to agree when Kakashi appeared with his usual poof.
To our surprise, training was cancelled. Sensei told us we were needed at the Hokage's office to receive payment for the Land of Waves mission. After that, it was back to routine - D-rank missions (my "favorite").
Fifteen minutes later, we were standing in the Hokage's office. The Third greeted us while smoking his pipe and flipping through reports. Then he confirmed what I had already figured out.
"Your mission has been reclassified," Hiruzen said, exhaling smoke. "Realistically, your encounter with Zabuza and the second ninja with Ice genom - should place it at A-rank. But officially… it will be recorded as B-rank."
He paused, tapping his pipe against the ashtray.
"It's simple. Tazuna paid us with the money he took from Gato. That amount only covers a B-rank mission. Konoha can't officially register it as A-rank if the payment doesn't match. Otherwise, people will start thinking they can hire elite shinobi for cheap. Don't worry though - I've made sure you receive full compensation. Consider it a bonus for surviving something you weren't supposed to."
I just nodded. Made sense. In the shinobi world, everything had a price. Sasuke didn't argue either - he cared less about the money than the recognition.
"That will be all. Naruto, stay behind. I'd like to speak with you," the Third added.
Kakashi gave me a short nod and led Sasuke and Sakura out. The door shut, and the room fell silent. At a gesture from the Hokage, even the assistants left.
He lit his pipe again and studied me for a long moment. Not like before. Not like I was just some loud kid. There was something else in his gaze now… almost like pride.
"I've read Kakashi's report," he finally said. "And I don't see the same Naruto who was painting over the Hokage Monument Faces a month ago. You've changed. Faster than I expected."
I stayed silent, waiting.
"He told me about your actions in the Land of Waves. Your plan. Your leadership. The way you took on the hardest part yourself. The ability to make those decisions and take responsibility for them - that's what defines a true shinobi. In your actions, I clearly see the Will of Fire. You're willing to dirty your hands so the village can keep its light. And that… I respect."
He took a long drag and smiled faintly.
"He also mentioned your interest in learning new techniques. And the way you've been using your chakra reserves and shadow clones efficiently. If you're this serious about your path, I won't stand in your way. In fact… I'd like to support you."
"Support?" I asked, not fully understanding.
"That's right. Your drive to grow stronger is admirable. So I'll help you. Tell me - what techniques do you want to learn? Say the word, and you'll receive the scrolls. But there's one condition - no more than three. Not because I'm stingy. I want you to master them properly. Not just learn them - but make them reliable in ur futere battles."
He fell silent, giving me time to think.
I was stunned. I hadn't expected this at all… This was a huge opportunity. Direct access to techniques, without having to dig through archives or hunt for them myself.
I slowly exhaled, organizing my thoughts. This was the kind of chance most shinobi could only dream of. Three techniques. Just three… but each one could decide everything.
Options started running through my head. Some too risky. Others not effective enough. I didn't just need power.
I needed to survive.
The choice had been made.
**Author's Note:
Long Time since last update! sorry for that and thanks for support! If u feel generous to live a comment and review - I will feel great!