Here's @riojiyo131, your trusted writer.
You can now get early access up to Chapter 154 of Re: Naruto Uzumaki on my Patreon.
Up to Chapter 11 of Marvel: Star Wars System is also available on my Patreon. Each chapter averages 5,000 words.
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The first 5 chapters of Marvel: Star Wars System are now available, completely free on my Patreon!
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"Nngh...!"
"Haaah..."
Sakura covered her ears tightly and let her forehead fall against the table for the fifth time that night.
Ever since Naruto, Hinata, and Reika had disappeared behind that door, the silence in the lab had become... uncomfortably revealing. It wasn't that Sakura could hear everything clearly, but the faint echoes of broken voices, muffled giggles, and something that might have been the sound of a table crashing to the floor were pushing her to the brink of collapse.
She could swear she had heard the wooden bed creaking before it finally broke.
"Ah... ah..."
"Aaahn~"
"This is driving me insane..." she muttered, a vein twitching on her forehead as she buried herself further into Yomi's papers.
Sakura sighed.
"Hmm..."
"Aah! Aaah! Naruto~!"
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, silence took over the place once more. The room door had yet to open, but at least the sounds had stopped.
"At last..." Sakura muttered without lifting her head. "Now I just have to forget all of this before Sasuke comes back... I mean Reika..."
The door creaked open. A warm and humid air floated out.
Naruto was the first to exit, calmly closing the door behind him. His hair was slightly tousled, torso bare, and a satisfied smile painted across his face. He walked with complete ease, as if he'd just woken from a nap and not... what had actually happened.
Sakura glared at him from her seat, one eyebrow trembling with pure irritation.
Then, the door slowly creaked open again.
Reika emerged crouching, trying not to make a sound, dressed only in a black tank top that barely covered her and dark underwear. Her legs visibly trembled as she tied up her hair with both hands, as if she had just finished an intense training session... though they both knew that wasn't the case.
Sakura didn't look away. Her frown deepened as she watched Reika extend a hand to drag Naruto back into the room.
"Wait, Reika. I'm just getting some water for Hinata..." he said with a casual smile, walking off slowly.
Reika pursed her lips, glanced into the room, and clicked her tongue with a frustrated sigh.
Then her eyes met Sakura's.
A playful smile curled on Reika's lips as she calmly walked over to the table, sitting across from her boldly, as if she weren't almost naked.
"What are you doing? Still going over these old notes?" she asked, feigning interest, leaning slightly over the papers.
Sakura didn't reply. She didn't even look up.
"Are you feeling alright, Reika?" she said sharply. "Because I haven't been able to sleep... thanks to your screaming."
Reika kept her smile, unbothered. "I feel great, actually. You should try it sometime... you'd release a little of that tension."
Sakura clenched her fists, her fingers going pale from the pressure. She took a deep breath... and managed to hold herself back.
"No, thanks."
Sakura refocused on the documents, though she couldn't read a single word clearly. Reika crossed one leg over the other, making no effort to hide that they were still shaking a bit.
"Well, if you change your mind, I can give you a few tips..." Reika murmured casually, inspecting her nails with blatant indifference. "They might come in handy when you and Rock Lee..." She didn't finish the sentence, letting the words hang in the air.
Sakura narrowed her eyes. "I don't need your advice, Reika. I need silence. I want to finish this and get some sleep..."
Reika chuckled softly. "Didn't think we were screaming that loud..."
Just then, Naruto returned with a couple of water bottles, whistling nonchalantly.
"Everything okay in here?" he asked with a smile, offering a bottle to Reika, who took it casually.
Sakura looked at him in disbelief. "Naruto, do you even know what respect for other people's rest means?"
Naruto blinked. "Huh? Well... yeah, of course I do. That's why I spoke quietly when I left."
Reika had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
Sakura sighed again, resigned, sitting back down with a long breath.
Reika simply drank some water, still wearing that mocking smile, before slowly getting up and grabbing Naruto by the arm.
Both of them began to walk back toward the room.
Sakura glanced at them from the corner of her eye.
"Just... make sure you clean yourselves well before we head out first thing in the morning... I don't want to smell anything weird on the trip back."
...
"Shūen, I'm glad to finally meet the real you..."
Atop Garuda's back, soaring through the skies toward Konoha, Naruto turned his head, surprised to see the man he had been calling "old geezer" until recently.
Shūen sat peacefully, arms and legs crossed.
Now nearly two meters tall, he had an imposing build, broad shoulders, and a commanding presence. A short beard framed his jawline, and his long red hair flowed in the wind. A patch covered his right eye.
There was no trace left of his cane or his former hunched walk. His posture was straight, his gaze sharp, and his expression calm.
Shūen smirked slightly.
"Hm. Quite the handsome devil, aren't I?" he remarked with a grin, running a hand through his hair.
Naruto raised an eyebrow, already expecting the worst.
"How do you think I managed to have kids... and most of them with different mothers?" he added proudly, puffing out his chest.
Naruto facepalmed with a sigh.
"Are you seriously bragging about that...?"
Shūen let out a deep, carefree laugh as the wind stirred his red mane.
Hinata, sitting calmly with her legs crossed, snorted with a smile, amused.
"You're not exactly one to judge, Naruto. You've got three girlfriends... and a fourth almost confirmed."
Her gaze intentionally drifted toward Shion, who was sleeping while hugging a pillow, her head resting on Sakura's shoulder.
"At this rate," Hinata continued teasingly, "you'll end up with more kids from different mothers than him."
Naruto opened his mouth to respond, but no words came. He simply raised a finger at her, torn between indignation and surrender.
"I can't wait to see the little ones again..." Shūen suddenly murmured with a touch of nostalgia, speaking of his children. "Especially Reiji, Kenji... and sweet, shy Naomi."
Then he turned his head back, eyeing Naruto with a more serious expression.
"You said they're in Konoha? I'm glad you found them, but you should know this: Konoha is not our ally. It never will be."
"Konoha is still our ally, big old man," Naruto replied without missing a beat. "Our only enemy was Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Elders' Council. Without them, Konoha can become a strong support in rebuilding Uzushiogakure. And I'm telling you this as the one person here who actually has reason to hold a grudge against Konoha..."
Shūen remained silent for a few seconds, thoughtful. Then, slowly, a smile began to form on his face. Not just any smile—one of the biggest shit-eating grins Naruto had ever seen in his life.
"Well... Uzushiogakure invested heavily in Konoha during its founding. The Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan owe us big time. It's time their descendants pay it back—with interest."
"Forget the Uchiha Clan," Naruto said, crossing his arms. "Fugaku's already decided to move to Uzushiogakure once it's ready. They need to rebuild after the massacre, and they're desperate for a stable base."
"Then that just leaves the Senju Clan... and Tsunade Senju, the Fifth Hokage." Shūen nodded to himself. "With her in charge, it shouldn't be hard to get Konoha's backing."
But just when Naruto thought the conversation was over, Shūen raised an eyebrow.
"And by the way, brat... What's with calling me 'big old man'? Weren't you calling me 'short old geezer' before?"
"That..." Naruto frowned. "Now that you're not short, I can't call you that anymore, can I? But 'big old man' doesn't quite feel right either..."
He crossed his arms, deep in thought.
"I guess I'll have to come up with a new nickname. One that does you justice..."
Shūen let out a hearty laugh as the wind tousled his red mane.
"How about 'The Red Beast' as a nickname?" Shūen proposed smugly, puffing his chest out.
Naruto didn't even bother to reply. He just raised an eyebrow, as if he hadn't heard anything, while his attention shifted to the skies around them.
Several giant hawks flew in formation beside Garuda, carrying dozens of red-haired people, most of them dressed for travel, some even armed with swords or sealing scrolls strapped to their backs.
Naruto clicked his tongue with mild concern.
"I'm not sure Konoha can handle this many people all at once without a heads-up..." he muttered, crossing his arms. "Almost fifty people..."
"Bah." Shūen waved his hand as if it didn't concern him in the slightest. "Let them see us coming. Let them know the Uzumaki are back."