Changing Fate As Naruto

With the surviving elites of Root fully absorbed into the system, the organization that Danzo Shimura had spent years building collapsed with his death. Even locating and eliminating the remaining hidden branches was just a matter of time.

But in the end, those trivial yet necessary cleanup tasks could be safely handed over to the Third Hokage to assign. In other words, the secret mission filled with danger and adrenaline had reached its conclusion—for now. It was time for Naruto to return to the simple, fulfilling daily life he once had.

"'He'll come back. He won't come back. He'll come back. He won't come back…'"

On the first day after the mission—and the first day of the new year—Uchiha Sasuke, completely unaware of the shocking changes that had taken place in the village overnight, walked as usual toward Training Ground Three with a backpack full of food. On the way, he curiously wondered what that deep, pitch-black hole that had appeared near the Hokage office building overnight was for. At the same time, he absentmindedly picked a small flower covered in morning dew and slowly plucked its petals one by one, mumbling to himself as a way to comfort and "divine" when Naruto would return.

'It's already been a full day and night since I last saw Naruto training here… What on earth is he doing? Is he really okay?'

On the surface, Sasuke still looked like a somewhat naive and immature child, but as a descendant of the Uchiha Clan, he was born with sharp instincts. And after spending so much time training with Naruto, he had come to understand him more deeply. That was why, on the day they parted, he sensed the subtle danger hidden in Naruto's actions—in particular, the strange way Naruto tried to push him away with clearly forced and unnatural words.

Then his father had gone out and didn't return all night, and Sasuke couldn't shake the feeling that it had something to do with Naruto leaving mysteriously without even leaving behind a single Shadow Clone.

But it was just a feeling.

From their sparring match in the training grounds, Sasuke had come to believe Naruto's strength was on par with his genius older brother. Yet even so, Naruto had chosen to push him away and face whatever it was alone. His brother had seemed absentminded and worried during their training sessions too, so whatever Naruto was dealing with couldn't possibly be as simple as he made it sound. It had to be something so dangerous that he couldn't afford even a moment's distraction to protect Sasuke.

Knowing how far behind Naruto he was in strength, Sasuke understood that if he insisted on tagging along, he'd only become a burden. The painful truth of how helpless he was in the face of danger made him understand why Naruto—despite being the same age—trained so obsessively.

That's why, when Naruto promised he'd come back safely, Sasuke pretended he didn't notice anything and obediently walked away—so Naruto wouldn't worry.

And it was also because of this that Sasuke, for the first time, truly understood the importance of strength. Without a single complaint, he once again dove headfirst into grueling, high-intensity training, squeezing every last drop of energy from his body. He pushed himself so hard that he collapsed in exhaustion more than once.

Because deep down, Sasuke had never longed for power more than he did now.

He wanted to grow stronger—fast.

Not to surpass everyone, not to reach the peak—but just to stop being the kid who had to hide behind his brother and Naruto, waiting passively to be protected. As long as he could catch up to them—walk beside them, witness the world they saw, and face things together—that would be enough. That would satisfy him.

"'Come back. Didn't come back. Come back…'"

As the flower petals in his hand grew fewer and fewer, Sasuke's wandering thoughts began to refocus. He stared at the flower and whispered softly, his heart a mess of worry and uncertainty. But the truth was, no matter how gently he plucked the petals, they were limited in number. Under his intense gaze, the final petal eventually fell.

'No… He won't come back… No way! That… That can't be true!'

And that last petal, sadly, was the one that said Naruto wouldn't return.

'Tch… I should've picked a different flower. This one's completely unreliable…'

He stood there blankly for a second before scoffing to himself. Still, his hand holding the flower trembled ever so slightly at the outcome he had feared most. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but the growing whiteness in his knuckles revealed how much he was panicking.

'No, no, stay calm… It doesn't count. This is just a silly game. It doesn't mean anything…'

...

'Sasuke, Sasuke… Why can't you just… sigh… What a pity…'

'Huh? Dad, what did you just say?'

'Ahem… Nothing. Don't worry about it. Your dad's just talking nonsense. I didn't sleep all night and my mind's a bit fuzzy, that's all.'

'...???'

...

'That weird stuff Dad said… Could it be… No, no, no, no… Naruto… Naruto promised me he'd come back. He said it himself. We even pinky-swore! He said a real man keeps his promises!'

For some reason, an image suddenly flashed through Sasuke's mind—his father stumbling home after being out all night, reeking of alcohol, shaking his head with a look of regret and disappointment as he pointed at Sasuke. The ominous feeling he'd been holding back all morning intensified. He couldn't bear it any longer.

He broke into a sprint toward the training ground where he and Naruto always trained.

Nothing could ease his heart like seeing things with his own eyes. Naruto must have already finished his mission and returned. He must be waiting at their usual training spot like always.

But reality was cruel—almost as if it wanted to drag Sasuke into despair. When he finally arrived at the center of the training ground, gasping for breath, he looked around desperately… but Naruto wasn't there. Not even a shadow of him.

Sasuke's heart sank. He collapsed to the ground with a thud.

'How… How could this happen… Naruto, didn't you promise me? You liar…'

The failed petal game, his father's strange but possibly meaningful words, and now his still-missing best friend… It was all too much for Sasuke's young heart. He hugged his knees tightly, nose stinging with tears, and buried his face with a quiet sob, completely unaware that his pitch-black eyes were slowly turning a deep, blood-red hue.

'Naruto… sob... Naruto… sob sob…'

"Yo, you're early today… But why are you sitting here crying like a little girl, Sasuke? …Sasuke? Hey, Sasuke, I'm talking to you. You hear me?"

"...Huh? N-Naruto?"

Before Sasuke could cry any longer, a familiar teasing voice reached his ears. A warm hand landed on his shoulder. He froze. Then, without even bothering to wipe away his tears, he jerked his head up in disbelief.

There he was—Naruto, smiling with half-lidded eyes, droplets of water still clinging to his face.

"Naruto, it's really you?! You're back?!"

'What the hell?! He awakened his Sharingan after just one day of absence?! What did this kid go through…? Wait—he cried this hard? Don't tell me the timeline's shifting and the Uchiha Clan Massacre got moved up…? Huh? What's that in his hand…?'

Naruto's thoughts trailed off as he noticed the single plucked flower still in Sasuke's hand—and the newly awakened, single-tomoe Sharingan in his eye.

'Ah… I see. So that's why he awakened it. Poor kid probably thought I died or something. Should I be laughing… or crying…?'

"Alright, alright, stop crying already. Your face looks like a little panda. There, there, Sasuke, good boy…"

Naruto sighed and shook his head with a helpless smile, gently ruffling Sasuke's hair. Then, seeing how stunned Sasuke still was, he chuckled softly and teased him to lighten the mood.

"Geez, I'm right here. No need to shout my name ten times. I've got pretty good hearing, you know. And come on—look at me! I'm fine! I'm not missing an arm, not limping, and definitely not dead. I just got sweaty yesterday while finishing up some stuff and decided to take a bath nearby while waiting for you. Is that really worth crying like someone died? You trying to curse me or something?"

"Wh-Who's worried about you losing sleep?! And who's crying like someone died?! I—I… Waaaaah!"

Completely unaware that his vision had mysteriously sharpened, Sasuke glanced at Naruto's annoying, familiar face and—after confirming he was truly fine and only wearing a fresh set of clothes—his cheeks turned red, and he snapped back in his usual way. But then he stopped, pouted a little… and threw his arms around Naruto's waist, snuggling close.

"Of course, I—huh?"

Naruto had expected Sasuke to argue back as usual, but when he felt the trembling in his arms and saw how genuinely shaken Sasuke was, the words caught in his throat.

He hugged him back instead, his smile softening as he gently patted Sasuke's back.

"...There, there… Don't be scared. I'm right here."

"Sniffle..."

"Just like I promised… I'm back, Sasuke."

"...Mm. Welcome back, Naruto."