Naruto: In the future world

The next day.

At a modest, cozy house, a brown-haired boy stepped outside, waving goodbye to his parents.

He made his way toward school with a light-hearted energy, quietly humming a song by his favorite artist, Immoral Scarlet, when he spotted a disheartened Cherry Blossom walking ahead.

"Morning, Sakura. What's with the face? You look like your favorite toy just got smashed."

He jumped right into the subject.

Sakura glanced at the boy and quickly recognized the familiar features—it was none other than the wolf-like Kiba.

"Ah… I'm just not feeling too great right now."

Sakura didn't feel like talking—not because Kiba wasn't close to her. In fact, he was one of her dearest friends.

But she intended to keep it all bottled inside, no matter how painful it was.

"What happened? Are you sick or something?"

"No, not at all. Don't worry about me."

Sakura forced a smile toward Kiba and began walking to avoid making eye contact, fearing he'd see right through her.

Kiba sighed in frustration and followed her. "Are you sure everything's okay?"

"…"

Sakura stayed silent.

"…Sakura."

Kiba muttered, his expression tinged with sorrow. He couldn't think of anything that might lift the wilted cherry blossom walking ahead of him.

"By the way, didn't you see Naruto this morning?"

Sakura, still walking with Kiba behind her, replied, "No, I haven't. Maybe he went to school with my cousins."

Kiba pulled out his phone. "I'll give him a call—"

But before he could dial, both of them heard a loud yell.

"What?!"

"That's Naruto's voice!" Kiba exclaimed in shock. Sakura nodded in agreement.

"Let's go."

Kiba took off, and Sakura followed closely behind, arriving to find Naruto standing with Shino and Rock Lee.

"What do you mean you've lost contact with them, Lee?!"

"I sent people yesterday, but none of them could reach the Bushi Gang. It's like they've either scattered or been wiped out. Even Vice-Captain Ringo is unreachable."

"Wait, what are you guys talking about??" Kiba said, confused by the strange gathering.

Naruto turned to him, and the moment he saw Sakura, nervousness filled his face.

"What's going on?" Kiba asked again, more sternly.

But Naruto just stood there, frozen and speechless.

"Naruto, what's this all about? What are you guys talking about?" Sakura asked, demanding answers.

"Ah, th-this…"

Naruto was about to speak, but Shino interrupted, stepping forward coldly.

"What's so strange about a leader meeting with his team?"

"Huh??"

"Just as you heard. This person here—he's our leader."

"Hold on, Shino! That's not what we agreed on!"

Naruto grabbed Shino's shoulder, visibly irritated.

"Trying to hide it further is just troublesome for us. Why not just tell them? That during the fight against Jin that night, you became the new leader of the Great Konoha High Gang… the new Red Devil."

Shino spoke with his usual chill, eyes hidden beneath his black sunglasses.

"What?!"

Sakura and Kiba were both shocked.

Naruto felt cornered. This was the one thing he didn't want to reveal—at least not yet.

He scratched his head and sighed heavily. It was too late now.

"I'll explain everything. Why don't we go somewhere else first?"

---

That same morning…

Inside Konoha High, down winding hallways that could make your head spin, a certain door came into view.

Behind it, the sounds of practice could be heard.

It was the basketball team's training hall.

"Pass it here!"

A familiar voice shouted as its owner dashed toward the hoop with professional precision.

The ball was hurled with great force by a broad-shouldered boy.

"Strong pass as always, Jugo!"

The leaner boy caught it smoothly, then jumped and shot the ball gracefully, scoring two points with stunning accuracy.

"Nice shot, Suigetsu!"

The two clapped hands in triumph.

"Well, my brother's still way better than me, haha," Suigetsu replied, grinning.

"You two were amazing. With you guys—and Sasuke—our team will be unstoppable!" said another boy with black hair as he approached.

"Yeah, but where is that demon prince of ours?" Suigetsu asked, looking around.

As if summoned, Sasuke entered the gym with his usual cold, indifferent expression.

"Speak of the devil!" Jugo chuckled in relief.

"Morning, Sasuke. How's it going?" Suigetsu greeted him, raising his hands in a laid-back manner.

"Ah. Morning…"

That was all Sasuke said before heading off to the changing room.

Right after him, another boy slipped in unnoticed.

"Heh, what a loner," Suigetsu chuckled, resting a hand on his hip.

"By the way, where's Assistant Coach Karin?" Jugo asked, glancing around the gym.

"It's crazy the principal let her be assistant coach for both the basketball and soccer teams."

"Well, her skills are insane. She's better than most full-time coaches. No wonder he gave her whatever she wanted without argument. Plus, she's terrifying when she complains."

"Yeah, no one wants to sit next to her when she gets started."

"You're absolutely right. I'm a whiny, scary monster, aren't I?"

Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over the group—the terrifying figure of Karin had appeared.

A chill ran down their spines as they immediately backed away.

"Oh yes, I'm the scary nag who works herself to the bone every day coming up with new strategies for the sake of the team, breaking my body and mind to counter rival teams. And this is the thanks I get?"

Karin smiled, her expression as dark as death.

"Miss Karin, you know we were only joking! Of course you're kind and sweet and do your best for us!" Jugo flailed, smiling nervously.

Her smile did not fade.

"Jugo's right, Miss Karin! You're the greatest coach ever!!" Suigetsu chimed in desperately.

"One hundred laps. Now."

And off the boys ran in terror.

Karin sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "That should teach them."

She turned to glance across the court, watching her brother train silently with two others.

(He's all about basketball now. What do I have to do to get him talking like a normal person again?)

She shook the thought away and headed toward the coach who had just called out to her.

---

> Note: The following scene is not suitable for all audiences. If you're sensitive to mature content, you may skip to the next scene.

---

---

Elsewhere…

In a small hotel room occupied by two people.

A passerby, holding his phone and scrolling through news, paused as he heard strange moans from the room beside him.

"Ahh… I love that~..."

A woman's sensual voice leaked through, causing the young man to blush and hurry away.

(Geez, can't he keep it down? Ugh, lucky bastard…)

Grumbling about being a single twenty-something, he quickened his pace, trying to ignore the sounds.

"Ahh~ darling, inside me…"

Eyes wide, the man practically bolted, diving into the elevator to escape.

---

---

Back inside Room 209, beneath a white sheet, two naked bodies—man and woman—lay wrapped in each other's arms.

"Was I too rough on you, my love?"

"Not at all… I loved every second of it."

The blue-haired girl smiled shyly, her cheeks flushed. Remembering what had just happened, she buried her face in her lover's chest. He chuckled, holding her tighter.

It was their first time—entering a new world together.

Who would've thought making love could feel this warm, this intense?

They embraced, becoming one under the morning light.

Today would change their lives forever.

"Mm, Konan…"

"What is it, Yahiko?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Outside the hotel, a black car parked two blocks away.

Two men stepped out, wearing black suits with a red cloud symbol encircled in black on their collars.

"Think we'll get new recruits, or more corpses for the boss's case?"

"Since when do you care? Let's just finish the job."

"You're so heartless."

"Stop clinging to me, damn weirdo."

"Tch. Cold, depressed jerk."

"Shut it."

---

Naruto's Perspective

I explained everything to Sakura and Kiba—what happened that night with Shino, and how I accepted becoming the leader of the Breakers and the new Red Devil gang.

It was the only way to unite both gangs. I was the one who defeated Jin, after all—or at least, that's the excuse I used for joining the dark side.

The five of us sat in the school's private garden, a somewhat secluded spot.

"So that's why you joined them, huh?" Sakura said, staring at me skeptically.

I couldn't blame her. She had every right not to believe me.

I nodded silently.

"I know it's wrong… but I wanted to protect you both. I can't rest until I'm sure Jin is no longer coming after us."

"You did all this without telling me or asking how I felt. How can you call yourself my friend?" Kiba grabbed my collar, eyes burning with anger and hurt.

"I'm sorry, Kiba. I already told you—I did it to protect you."

"You idiot… if you go at it alone, who's going to protect you? Just like you want to keep me safe, I want to do the same for you! You're scared of losing us—but we're scared of losing you too, you moron!"

His words shattered me.

He wasn't wrong. Acting on my own was my mistake.

"You're right, Kiba. I'm sorry. I should've come to you from the start."

"He's not the only one who feels that way, Naruto," Sakura added with a soft smile.

"Thank you both for understanding… Kiba, Sakura."

"You better tell Sasuke and the others too. Don't forget."

"I will. I'll tell them everything."

Shino casually stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Now that that's resolved, what about Bushi's gang and their leader? Still no contact."

"After school, we'll head to Ai High and find out what's going on. Lee, call Lily and tell her to meet us there."

"Understood."

Rock Lee pulled out his phone and stepped aside to make the call.

"Shino, during lunch, I'll need your help dealing with him."

"So you finally decided to bring him into the fold?"

"Yeah."

My tone was cold—so much so that Sakura and Kiba couldn't believe this was the same Naruto they'd known for years.

After giving orders, Shino and Lee left.

I turned to them and gave a wide grin. "Shall we head to class together? Sakura, Kiba?"

"Yes, let's go," they both said with calm smiles.

A few steps away, a shadow loomed.

Someone holding a pink book titled "The Art of Flirting: Vol. 2" by Jiraiya stood in the distance.

"So this is what's going on with that boy Naruto… I'm starting to understand."

The half-masked man muttered softly, then turned and disappeared.

---

Somewhere on the outskirts of Konoha…

A black car with tinted windows pulled up in front of a small house.

Out stepped a tall, dark-skinned man in a gray suit and red shirt, hands in his pockets and sunglasses on his face.

He approached the house in silence.

"You sure you don't want backup, Kakuzu?" came a bored voice from the car.

"You'd just get in the way. If things go south, then show up. Otherwise, stay put and wait for orders."

Kakuzu walked to the door, knocked twice, and let himself in.

A narrow hallway greeted him.

He walked swiftly, scanning for traps, before entering a 4x5m living room.

The stench of smoke and liquor was heavy.

A massive man sat drinking—Fuguki Suikazan of the Seven Swordsmen.

Beside him lay a sleepy-eyed man with an eye bandage—Jinpachi Munashi.

To their side, shirtless and playing cards, sat Jinin Akebino facing a masked blonde—Kushimaru Kuriarare.

A little farther off, the only girl among them, Ameyuri Ringo, lounged nearly half-naked in sports gear.

On the couch sat a young man with blue hair flipping TV channels—Mangetsu Hozuki.

And finally, leaning against the wall with a massive blade—Momochi Zabuza, the legendary swordsman.

Kakuzu eyed them all coldly.

"You have a new mission, Seven Swordsmen."

No one answered.

He pulled a photo of a blond boy from his coat and tossed it near Zabuza.

"A high schooler, supported by a major clan. Track him, capture him, and bring him to the third branch of M&H Corp."

As he turned to leave, Zabuza's voice stopped him.

"You say he's backed by a clan. That means danger. What's the pay?"

"Ten million for intel. Thirty for capturing him alive. Twenty if he's dead. Ten if the body's destroyed but confirmed dead."

"Give us a month."

"Fine."

Kakuzu walked out.

(Why is His Excellency so worried about this kid? I've never seen him so desperate before.)

Lighting a cigarette, Kakuzu stood by the car and stared into the distance.

"Naruto… just what are you?"

---

To Be Continued…