Naruto: The Forest's Chosen (Mori Mori No Mi)

"Before we go… there's something I need to handle first."

"Handle what?" asked Sara, puzzled.

Even Minato looked confused. Naruto had just told everyone to leave, and now this?

Then, Naruto pressed both hands to the ground.

Boom—boom—

Massive vines burst forth beneath the factory, surging up and filling the entire space in an instant. The puppet was swiftly entangled and sealed within.

"This way, even when we return to the future, Mukade can still control the puppet as long as he has chakra."

At the same time, Naruto's body flickered, turning into natural energy—his back transforming as he created a Wood Clone infused with White Zetsu cells.

He placed his hand gently on the clone's forehead.

The nutrients he'd absorbed from Mukade began transferring—every last bit of chakra and memory.

The clone's form twisted and morphed…

Until it became Mukade himself.

His consciousness reawakened with a scream.

"Ahhh—!!!"

Mukade's mind was still trapped in the last moments before Naruto had absorbed him, the trauma fresh and raw.

His eyes opened—

—and met Naruto's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

Kotoamatsukami.

Buzz—

Mukade's pupils contracted sharply.

His trembling body froze. Then, a few heartbeats later, he slowly lifted his head.

His eyes cleared.

He looked at Naruto with clarity… and bowed.

"…Naruto-sama."

Naruto gave a small nod. With a flick of his fingers, Mukade's body was drawn back toward the mass of vines.

Thick tendrils wrapped around him.

"I'll awaken you once we return to the future," Naruto said. "By then, your puppet body will be complete."

The vines wrapped around Mukade like a cocoon, binding him completely. They sent his sealed body deep into the massive puppet vessel hidden beneath.

Only after all of this did Naruto fly out of the factory.

As he left, the vines surged again, sealing the exits behind him.

He released a stream of refined chakra into the network of vines below—enough to keep them alive, sustaining the seal until the future came to pass.

A short distance away, a wooden clone formed from Naruto and Sara's merged chakra walked toward him. Though called a clone, it carried a sliver of both their consciousnesses.

"I'm leaving things in your hands now," Naruto said.

The clone nodded solemnly. "Did you meet… my future self?"

Naruto chuckled, but said nothing.

"I'm going," he said simply.

Then, Naruto turned and flew toward the underground palace.

—

By the time he arrived, Sara had already sealed the Dragon Vein chakra.

Minato stood waiting, his expression calm but focused.

He drew a three-pronged kunai, drove it into the sealing formation's keystone, and rapidly performed a sequence of hand seals.

"Sealing technique—activate!"

Fwoosh—!!

The purple seal instantly turned green.

The rampant chakra of the Dragon Vein quieted, shrinking back into the earth.

"…It's done," Minato said with a relieved smile as he turned to Naruto.

Sara, noticing Naruto glowing faintly with a white light, rushed over in a panic.

"Don't leave me behind!"

Naruto smiled gently, brushing her head with a comforting hand. "I came here to take you to the future. Why would I abandon you?"

The Dragon Vein's power surged again—both their bodies started glowing in sync.

Naruto looked back at Minato… then at Choza Akimichi and Shibi Aburame, who gave him silent nods of acknowledgment.

Finally, his gaze landed on Kakashi, who stood off to the side, expression unreadable.

Bang!

"W-What the hell?!"

Kakashi yelled as Naruto suddenly kicked him, knocking him flat.

He scrambled up, indignant. "Why'd you do that?!"

"You were standing there acting all cool with your hand on your hip. You looked ridiculous," Naruto replied flatly.

Minato chuckled and stepped out of the sealing formation.

"It's time," he said softly. "Time for you to return to your era."

His eyes lingered on Naruto for a moment longer—filled with quiet pride, and just a hint of sadness.

Then he turned to Kakashi, who was sulking with his back turned, still rubbing his hip.

"Kakashi, the mission was a success," Minato said calmly.

"Yeah, Naruto. It's time to head back."

"…It's a shame, but I suppose this is where we say goodbye."

Akimichi Chōza and Aburame Shibi approached, both wearing faint smiles.

"To avoid altering the timeline, it's best we forget what happened here."

"How about using a memory-erasing technique?" Shibi suggested.

"I believe we'll meet again, in another time."

Minato turned to Naruto, gaze lingering.

Then he looked to Sara and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I'll see you in the future."

Sara gave a gentle "Mm," and wrapped her arms around Naruto's arm.

Minato began forming hand seals. Chōza, Shibi, and Kakashi followed suit.

"Destroy."

All four pressed their palms to the ground simultaneously.

In an instant, countless sealing runes flared into existence.

A sealing formation spread out across the chamber. The three supporting ninja looked toward Minato.

He smiled—his signature warm, hopeful smile.

"If I had a son… I'd want him to become a ninja like you."

Buzz—

The ritual activated.

Naruto took Sara's hand and led her out of the formation.

Their bodies began to glow with an ethereal light.

Sara suddenly teared up.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked softly.

"…It's nothing. I just… I think I'm going to miss you."

"Naruto~"

Naruto leaned down as Sara called his name.

Bang—

Their foreheads touched. The light around them flared.

And then… they vanished, without a trace.

The formation faded, and the team awoke.

They looked around the now-quiet underground palace of Rōran.

Minato frowned. "This technique… Was it a memory-erasure jutsu?"

"Seems like it," Chōza replied, furrowing his brows. "I feel like… something happened."

"So we're still in Rōran?" Shibi asked, voicing the unspoken thought.

"Everyone," came a voice from the doorway.

A wooden clone—formed from Naruto's chakra and White Zetsu's cells—walked in, looking like Sara.

She was followed by a group of Rōran citizens.

"Mission complete," Little Kakashi said.

The team regrouped.

As they passed through the gathered crowd, little Kakashi was suddenly kicked from behind—

BOOM—!!!

Future.

The Dragon Vein's chakra was still surging.

From the timeline's perspective, Naruto had only been gone for a single second.

The massive beam of purple energy was quickly shrinking.

Naruto's wooden clones, stationed around the formation, reverted to tree form—roots embedded in the ground like pillars holding a seal.

As the light from the Dragon Vein fully dissipated, Naruto and Sara reappeared.

Baji—

Naruto opened his eyes. He scanned their surroundings, sending out a pulse of sensory chakra.

Sara, overwhelmed by the sudden return, collapsed into his arms.

"It's the same as we left it," Naruto murmured. "The future hasn't changed."

From his back, wood sprouted—elemental transformation forming a new White Zetsu-based wooden clone.

"As for Mukade," Naruto said, "wake him up and return him to Orochimaru."

The wooden clone nodded and vanished immediately.

Naruto closed his eyes, focusing inward.

"Almost complete. The Kamui dimension has split cleanly into two zones now."

"One belongs to the shinobi world. The other, to the pirate world."

"Their fusion rate matches that of the Dragon Vein chakra and the Wet Bone Forest's barrier."

He turned to Sara.

"Let's go, Your Majesty."

Sara blinked. "Go where?"

"Underground. I've prepared a portal at the Dragon Vein's source."

He lifted her gently. Sara instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

Using the Mayfly Technique, the two sank into the earth, merging with the terrain as they traveled.

They emerged in a vast, luminous underground world.

"Wow… This is the Dragon Vein's source? It's beautiful~"

Streams of chakra flowed like underground rivers. Crystals of vibrant purple energy sparkled everywhere.

"If you ever want to see it again, you're always welcome."

Naruto raised a hand and drew a circle in the air.

A clear tone echoed in both their minds—though the space remained utterly silent.

Moments later, a circular portal appeared.

It was a dimensional gate—an advanced technique derived from the Yomi Hirasaka portal.

Naruto released a pulse of demonic energy. The gate stabilized.

The Dragon Vein's chakra began flowing toward it.

"…We're leaving."

The portal shimmered.

Another Yomi Hirasaka portal opened—this one in the Wet Bone Forest.

Naruto stepped through, holding Sara close.

She looked around in awe, as if waking from a dream.

But soon, she sensed hostile gazes.

"...Naruto~" Boa Hancock called softly, her tone slightly displeased.

Naruto gently set Sara down and smiled. "Wait a moment. I need to finish fusing the Dragon Vein chakra with the Wet Bone Forest's barrier."

With that, Naruto closed the Yomi Hirasaka portal and floated into the air.

Hovering above the Wet Bone Forest, his gaze swept the area. His pupils contracted slightly as the entire forest came into view.

"This spot... Yes, let's set the formation directly beneath the Wet Bone Forest."

—

Meanwhile, Sara bowed politely to the group of women before her.

"Hello… I am Queen Sara of Rōran."

Hearing this, Hancock arched an eyebrow, stepped forward with regal confidence, and looked down at her. "I am the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock."

Empress?

Sara was visibly startled.

At that moment, the Slug Sage—Katsuyu—approached.

"Lady Hancock, Lady Sara~"

Sara frowned slightly. "Why did you greet her first?"

Katsuyu: "…"

Seeing the exchange, Mei Terumi chuckled softly.

They hadn't yet met Kushina. If they had, things wouldn't be quite so peaceful.

Nor had they encountered the true mistress of the household—Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.

Suddenly, both Sara and Hancock turned to look at Mei.

Mei smiled with practiced poise. "I am Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure."

"Village leader?" the two women said in unison.

They glanced at each other again, sparks flying in the silence.

"Hmph~"

Mei secretly chuckled. You look down on me now? Just wait until I marry him first. Let's see if either of you can still laugh when that happens~

"I… I'm Ku— Xiao— Okay, I'm just an ordinary navigator. Nami." Nami fumbled under the scrutiny of the two queens and forced herself to smile through clenched teeth.

Sara and Hancock both nodded again, as if mentally sizing her up, trying to determine seniority.

Mei swiftly pulled Katsuyu out of the "battlefield."

The women of the Hidden Villages didn't care much for those from the desert or the sea.

Robin noticed the subtle tension, but unlike Nami, she didn't shrink back.

Instead, she offered a calm, elegant smile brimming with intellect and confidence.

"I'm Nico Robin," she said smoothly. "An archaeologist."

'Tch, they're ganging up on me again…'

'I'm the most beautiful!'

'I'm the Queen!'

—

Elsewhere, Naruto continued watching as Dragon Vein chakra surged from the circular portal and began merging with the Wet Bone Forest's barrier.

"It's almost complete…"

He turned his gaze toward the distance. "Time to visit the Land of Water."

"But first, I should send them back."

—

At that moment, three kunoichi from Kumogakure arrived at the border of the Land of Fire.

Back at the Uzumaki compound, Kushina suddenly felt something.

She frowned. "Why does the house feel smaller than I remember...?"

She glanced toward Kurama's direction. "Kurama, call someone to expand the compound. And while you're at it, have them build a giant swimming pool!"

A beat.

"No, never mind. Kaguya, let's go to the moon~"

"Yes, Mother~"

…

TN:

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