Naruto: Reborn in His Younger Self

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The tall gatehouse was supported by two thick red pillars, each wide enough to require two people to wrap their arms around. On the yellow-tiled roof, a large cement plaque hung overhead with the words "Vacant Area" etched onto it.

Itachi arrived with Shisui, carrying the unconscious ninja cat in his arms.

"Seriously, I haven't been here in ages," Shisui said, gazing up at the gatehouse, his eyes full of nostalgia.

Itachi smiled. "Today, we're just revisiting an old place."

With that, he formed a quick series of hand seals and transformed into a standard Konoha shinobi. Seeing this, Shisui followed suit, donning the same basic transformation.

On the way here, they had discussed a plausible cover story—the reason for returning the ninja cat was that they had found him passed out along the roadside during a patrol, with his whiskers broken. They decided to send him back to his origin point.

It sounded reasonable.

As Itachi and Shisui entered, the area was eerily silent. No one could be seen, not even birds. It was even more deserted than the Uchiha district. That was no surprise—this was a true vacant area, a place long abandoned and uninhabited.

Eventually, they reached a structure resembling an underground parking entrance. Itachi halted. Shisui knew they had arrived.

The two men stepped into the long corridor. The inside was pitch black, the silence broken only by the sound of their footsteps echoing against the stone.

Shisui sighed. "This place hasn't changed one bit. Still as dark and depressing as ever."

Itachi let out a soft laugh. "You know, when Sasuke first came here with our father, he almost cried. When he got back, he clung to me for ages, saying he'd been taken to a haunted place."

Shisui chuckled. "Really? That's adorable."

Itachi nodded, smiling fondly. Sasuke had still been so young then, barely old enough to understand the world. He used to cling to him all day long—it truly was an endearing time.

Their shared laughter eased the suffocating tension of the passageway.

"Hey, you two—stop right there!"

A sharp voice echoed behind them. Itachi and Shisui turned, spotting two ninja cats that had somehow appeared without a sound. One had the kanji for "fire" () marked upside down on its forehead, while the other bore the kanji for "ninja" ().

Itachi smiled slightly. He recognized them. "Long time no see, Denka, Hina."

The two cats narrowed their eyes in confusion. Their names had been spoken, but they didn't recall ever meeting these humans.

Denka spoke with suspicion. "Who are you? How do you know our names?"

Hina sniffed the air. "Your scent… it feels oddly familiar."

Itachi frowned slightly. Before entering, they had modified their chakra signatures—this wasn't an ordinary Henge no Jutsu, but an advanced transformation technique capable of altering chakra nature as well.

Shisui replied coolly, "As the weapons supplier to the Uchiha Clan, it's only natural for Konoha shinobi to know a bit about you."

Itachi gestured to the unconscious feline. "We're here to return your comrade."

With that, he revealed the ninja cat in his arms.

Denka and Hina peered at it and instantly recognized him—it was the missing one that Granny Cat had been searching for these past few days.

"How did he end up with you?" Denka asked warily.

"We didn't do anything to him," Itachi said calmly. "We found him during patrol, and since he matched a lost animal mission report, we figured we'd return him."

Denka narrowed his eyes. "Hand him over."

Itachi shook his head. "We want to deliver him to Granny Cat personally. There's been some fighting in Konoha recently—we were also thinking about purchasing weapons."

Denka growled. "Don't you know this weapons store serves the Uchiha Clan exclusively?"

Itachi nodded. "I'm aware. But the Uchiha Clan… no longer exists. Are you planning to shut down the business completely?"

"You—!"

Denka's expression turned fierce, but he paused when he saw Itachi calmly watching him. After a tense few seconds, Denka begrudgingly relented. "Fine. I'll take you to Granny Cat. But—"

Before he could finish, Itachi produced a small bottle and tossed it over. "Here, a gift. Bottled Moutan Polygonum—premium quality."

"Mew!"

Hina leaped and caught the bottle mid-air, sniffing it eagerly.

Shisui smiled. He and Itachi had gone out of their way to get that from the marketplace. They'd even borrowed some cash from Naruto to pay for it.

"Thank you for your kindness," Hina purred.

Denka gave them a sharp look. "You two know quite a lot for strangers."

With that, Denka turned and began walking deeper inside. "Follow me. I'll take you to Granny Cat."

They followed the ninja cats through the dim halls until they finally reached a cozy chamber.

Granny Cat sat cross-legged on a large carpet, her body adorned with elaborate cat-themed robes. She puffed on a long pipe, surrounded by a dozen cats of various breeds.

As she cradled the lost ninja cat in her arms, her expression grew troubled.

"Where are his whiskers?"

Itachi answered politely, "We're not sure. We found him unconscious on patrol. After recognizing him as a ninja cat, we responded to a relevant mission posting and brought him back."

Granny Cat hummed thoughtfully. Whiskers from ninja cats were valuable—rare ingredients used in high-level medicinal concoctions.

Still, these Konoha shinobi had brought the cat back voluntarily. She couldn't find fault with that.

"Thank you for your efforts."

She reached behind her, pulled out a pouch of coins, and handed it to them. "Consider this a mission completion bonus."

Itachi held up his hand and didn't take it.

Granny Cat raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Who exactly are you two?"

In response, Itachi took a pouch of his own from his robes and placed it in front of her.

Now she was truly confused. "What's this? I heard from Denka and Hina that you came to buy weapons for Konoha, yes?"

Itachi shook his head again.

Granny Cat squinted, taking a slow puff of her pipe. This visitor had been studying her closely ever since entering. He refused her money, then gave her his own without asking for anything. Something was off.

Suddenly, Itachi dropped to his knees and bowed.

Granny Cat flinched. "What are you doing?"

Itachi said sincerely, "I've always been grateful for your care."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"

He smiled. "It's nothing much. Just a small gesture of respect. Please accept this as a token of my gratitude."

She glanced at the money again—it wasn't a small sum. And he offered it without strings, while referencing past kindness. But who was he?

Granny Cat leaned forward and sniffed the air carefully.

Then her expression hardened.

"You suppressed your original chakra signature…"

Her voice was sharp now, and her eyes gleamed. "Who are you really? Why are you here?"

Itachi rose to his feet. Shisui stood up beside him.

The change in Granny Cat's tone immediately triggered the other ninja cats. They gathered tightly around her, tails bristling, standing upright with teeth bared and paws raised in defense.

Itachi smiled gently. "Goodbye, Granny Cat."

He and Shisui turned and calmly walked away.

Just as the ninja cats prepared to leap at them, Granny Cat raised her pipe.

"Stand down."

She watched them disappear into the shadows.

The smoke from her pipe coiled into the air like a veil—clouding her eyes, hiding the truth, and shielding the real identity of the two men who had come to repay a silent debt.

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