Chapter 58: "Warning from the Universe and Other Slight Inconveniences"
If you ever get a tap on the shoulder from the universe, you should probably listen. Especially if that tap feels less like a tap and more like a cosmic "Hey buddy, maybe don't die today."
Naruto Uzumaki—resident blonde menace, walking natural disaster, and dinner party host extraordinaire—had just polished off a decent helping of grilled octopus with Gaara and the gang. It was a peaceful night. Which, in Naruto-speak, meant something terrible was probably about to happen.
After all, peace and Naruto had a very complicated relationship.
So, while the others chatted away about friendship, sand powers, and whether Conis was blushing because of Gaara or the spice level of the food, Naruto did what any hyper-responsible, overpowered ninja would do.
He took off into the sky.
Now, when I say "took off," I don't mean in a polite, subtle way. Naruto shot up like a blond missile, wind chakra swirling at his heels, his orange cloak trailing behind like a rebellious comet. He looked like the kind of guy the weather filed restraining orders against.
From high above, the world below looked peaceful—sparkling ocean, moonlit villages, and a suspiciously shaped cloud that looked a lot like Jiraiya's nose. But Naruto wasn't looking for scenery. He was on his hourly Danger Check™.
Sage Mode activated.
And that's when he felt it.
A whisper—not from a person, but from everything. The trees. The wind. The clouds. Even that one annoyed seagull flying too close to his head.
Something was coming.
Something... big.
Not "destroy-a-city" big.
More like, "Oops-I-ate-an-island-for-breakfast-and-now-I'm-eyeing-your-continent" big.
And for once, the universe didn't phrase it politely. It practically screamed, "NARUTO, STOP BEING A CHAOS GREMLIN OR WE'RE TAKING YOUR TOYS AWAY."
Which, rude.
Naruto frowned, crossing his arms mid-air like a flying orange dad. "Kurama, did you feel that?"
"Feel it? That warning buzzed through my tails like someone shoved a toaster into my chakra pool."
Naruto winced. Kurama had a flair for dramatic metaphors. Must've picked it up from Kakashi's book collection.
"Who do you think it is?" Kurama continued. "Doflamingo?"
Naruto tilted his head. The name had been bouncing around in his head for a while now, like a villain-shaped fly he couldn't swat.
"Could be," Naruto muttered, narrowing his eyes. "But is he really 'island-eater' level?"
"Maybe if he's upgraded since the last info dump. Or maybe he brought friends. Giant ones. With bad breath and worse fashion."
Naruto sighed. He'd hoped for at least one day off before someone started planetary-level nonsense again.
And just to make his celestial spanking complete, the universe decided to chime in again.
This time, it didn't bother with the subtle stuff. The entire sky shifted slightly—like someone had tilted the screen of existence—and suddenly the warning was very, very clear:
Stop making wormholes, or we will revoke your favored son privileges.
Also:
Maybe don't punch so hard next time? Islands have feelings too.
Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Okay, okay. No more planet-breaking punches. I get it. I'm not that reckless."
A pause.
Kurama coughed pointedly. "Need I remind you of the time you nearly flipped a tectonic plate because someone said ramen was overrated?"
"That was one time!" Naruto protested.
"And the time you created a chakra storm over the ocean to see if dolphins could surf on it?"
"They liked it!" Naruto cried. "They were laughing! I swear dolphins can laugh!"
But the universe wasn't laughing. Not tonight. It was humming, pulsing, watching.
Be ready, it said.
And Naruto, floating in the sky with the weight of stars pressing on his shoulders, did what he always did.
He smirked.
"Bring it on. But you better be ready too... 'cause I've got a lot more than Sage Mode now."
Below him, the world spun on.
For now.
But something—someone—was coming.
And Naruto had every intention of meeting it head-on.
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He drifted down, his cloak flaring behind him as he landed with a soft whoosh. Kakashi looked up from his book (which Naruto was 98% sure he hadn't even been reading) while Shikamaru already looked like he had a headache.
"So," Naruto began, scratching the back of his head, "either I'm overreacting, or someone who bench presses volcanoes might be headed this way."
Kakashi closed his book with a thoughtful sigh. "That's… not ideal."
Shikamaru groaned. "Troublesome."
They pulled away from the group a bit, though everyone was obviously eavesdropping (except maybe Gaara, who was still being romantically stoic and totally not blushing).
The trio stood in a quiet circle, and the conversation turned serious.
"Should we alert Skypiea's Council?" Kakashi asked.
Shikamaru shook his head. "Unless we know it's a direct threat to the islands, no need to cause panic. For now, we treat it like a personal-level threat aimed at Naruto."
Naruto grinned wryly. "Yay me."
"But," Shikamaru continued, "we can't take chances. Put up a barrier. Something low-key but solid. Maybe something tied to your chakra so it only triggers if this thing comes close."
Naruto nodded, already running through seals in his head.
He raised one hand and touched the sky.
The wind shifted.
A faint shimmer spread across the perimeter of Skypiea, a barely visible aurora that danced like starlight around the floating islands. It was subtle. Elegant. The kind of barrier you wouldn't notice unless you tried to walk through it without an invite.
"Nature says I'm on thin ice, by the way," Naruto muttered. "Says I should stop blowing holes in the universe."
Kurama chuckled.
"They liked you better when you were just a hyperactive ninja with a ramen obsession."
Naruto smirked. "Don't worry. I'm still that guy."
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Dinner on Skypiea was usually a quiet affair—cloud plates, sky fruit, a bit of grilled sky-lobster if you were feeling fancy. But tonight, the floating city's golden glow shimmered a little warmer, a little softer, as if the stars themselves were leaning in to listen.
Gaara sat across from Conis under a pavilion of cloudstone, the two of them sharing a modest but aromatic dinner. Someone had gone the extra mile—there were candles, actual napkins (not the disposable kind), and coconut curry that smelled so good even a sand ninja had to admit it made him feel things. Good things.
Conis had that warm-sunshine-on-a-breezy-day aura. The kind of girl who would welcome you into her home and scold you gently for not wiping your feet first. She'd tied her golden hair back and wore a simple white dress—airy and elegant like she had floated out of the sky itself.
"So, you don't like melons?" she asked, spooning some rice onto his plate.
Gaara blinked. "I... don't dislike them. I just don't see the point of eating something mostly water."
"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard," Conis said, mock-gasping. "Melons are joy! They're summer happiness in fruit form."
Gaara raised an eyebrow, lips twitching. "I prefer food that doesn't give me a sugar hangover."
She giggled—and he felt it, a small flutter inside his chest. Not Shukaku. Not fear. Just... flutter.
They ate in companionable silence for a moment. Gaara wasn't one to fill a room with words, but Conis didn't mind. In fact, she seemed to thrive in the silence, as if she could hear the things he didn't say.
"You're not what I expected," she said softly.
Gaara tilted his head. "And what did you expect?"
"I don't know," she replied with a shrug. "A guy who commands sand and wears mascara at night seemed like he'd be... intense. But you're calm. Quiet. Kind."
He blinked. "I don't wear mascara."
She gave him a look. "Gaara."
"...Fine."
They both laughed, and it felt—strangely—normal.
Conis leaned in just a bit, resting her chin on her hand. "You know, people here… they talk about you like you're some kind of sandstorm wrapped in red fabric. But I see something else. You care deeply, even when you hide it. Like a desert rose."
Gaara paused. That kind of compliment used to make him defensive. Now it just made him... flustered?
"I don't know what I am," he admitted.
"Well, maybe you don't have to decide that tonight." She smiled. "Tonight, you're just Gaara. And I'm just Conis. And we're two people sharing curry."
He looked at her—really looked—and saw not just the kindness, but the quiet strength beneath it. She didn't flinch when he looked serious. She didn't stammer around his title or ask about the monster sealed inside him. She just... saw him.
And for the first time in a long time, Gaara felt like maybe that was enough.
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"Yo, lovebirds," Naruto said as he floated down with an air of casual mischief, wind swirling at his feet like he owned the sky. Which, technically, he kind of did. "Mind if we crash the party?"
Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Smoker followed him, looking like an odd mix of a philosophy professor, a man allergic to effort, and a disgruntled military officer.
Gaara raised an eyebrow, not letting go of Conis's hand. "Is this about the danger you sensed?"
"Not quite," Naruto said, waving his hand as if brushing away a minor inconvenience like planetary doom. "It's something else. And Smoker here's the guy with the details."
Conis nodded politely as Smoker sat down, looking like someone who hadn't smiled since taxes were invented.
"I'll keep it short," Smoker said gruffly, lighting a cigar that Naruto immediately put out with a puff of wind. "The world government wants Granfall to become part of the system."
Conis's eyes narrowed. "Become part of the system?"
"Join the world government," Smoker clarified. "Officially. Diplomatically. Legally. Otherwise—" he paused, letting the tension hang like a guillotine, "—they'll send someone who doesn't ask nicely. Someone who doesn't care about culture, history, or people. Just conquest."
"And slavery," Kakashi added mildly, as if discussing the weather.
Naruto nodded. "They'll tear the island apart. Survivors will be lucky to end up as indentured workers. Worst case? No survivors at all."
Conis paled. "But… but if we agree, that means betraying the Straw Hats. The World Government still has them labeled as criminals."
Smoker leaned forward. "Don't worry about the pirates. That's manageable. We don't need to tell anyone they're here. Keep them hidden. It's politics. Smoke and mirrors."
Naruto gave a half-shrug. "I mean, I hide whole armies inside dimensions. What's a couple of pirates?"
"But we fought for freedom," Conis said, her voice cracking. "We rebelled against Enel. We wanted to choose our own path. And now… now we're just handing it over to another tyrant?"
Gaara pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her protectively as if shielding her from invisible chains.
He leaned into her ear, controlling the air so that no one else could hear what he said—except maybe the occasional bird with clearance.
"Don't worry about it, Conis," he whispered. "This is just temporary. We won't let your people suffer. I promise."
She closed her eyes, breathing in the calm steadiness of his presence. When she opened them, she looked at Smoker with a new kind of strength—the kind that didn't come from weapons, but from choice.
"I'll try to convince Granfall," she said quietly. "Not because I trust the world government… but because I trust you. All of you. Especially Gaara."
Smoker cracked the faintest smile—well, more like a grimace, but for him that was basically a party. "Good. You shouldn't."
"Also," she added, turning back to him, "thank you. For trying to protect the island."
Smoker blinked like he wasn't sure how to handle gratitude. He settled for a short nod. "It's my job. Justice, remember?"
"And justice doesn't always wear a clean uniform," Kakashi murmured behind his mask, just loud enough for only Naruto and Shikamaru to hear.
Naruto smiled and folded his arms. "Guess we're all learning how to fight smarter."
Then he turned to Gaara and added, "By the way, pumpkin pie for breakfast? Really?"
Gaara, without missing a beat, replied, "It's nutritious. And emotional support food."
Naruto laughed. "You've been spending way too much time with me."
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If anyone told Smoker—a gruff, cigar-chomping Marine with the subtlety of a cannonball—that one day he'd be sitting on a floating cloud terrace, sipping coconut milk while discussing political strategy with a girl whose hair looked like it was styled by the wind itself, he would've arrested them for lying to a Marine officer.
But here we were. At the Pumpkin Café Terrace, which sounded like a place you'd find pumpkin spice lattes and indie music, not international diplomacy.
Gaara and Conis had just finished what could only be described as "emotionally heavy sky-flirting," and everyone politely pretended they hadn't noticed Gaara's arm sneak protectively around her waist.
Smoker ignored it, and went straight to business. "Conis," he began, tone gruff but respectful, "now that you've agreed to help us... what are the odds you can convince Granfall to cooperate?"
Conis didn't answer right away. She took a small sip of her pumpkin-flavored tea (which honestly sounded like it came from a seasonal nightmare), then set the cup down and looked up at him.
"Well…" she said, smiling like someone about to tell a story rather than deliver intel, "Granfall has always believed in peace first, battle second. If I speak for the people, especially now, I think he'll listen. Even Wyper might."
Smoker raised a brow. "Wyper? That hothead who thinks yelling louder makes him right?"
Naruto snorted into his cup. Kakashi nodded sagely. Shikamaru muttered something about troublesome warriors with firecrackers for brains.
Conis laughed, not insulted in the least. "Yes, even Wyper. It's not that I'm anyone special. It just so happens… I was the first person to meet the Straw Hats when they arrived. And then, you know, helped them defy our entire social structure, destroy a god, and end a centuries-long war. So I guess people kind of… listen to me now?"
There was a pause.
"That's it?" Smoker said, squinting like she'd just told him she got her political influence from a cereal box. "Coincidence?"
She nodded, modest as ever. "Total coincidence. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. And maybe didn't die. That helped too."
Naruto chuckled. "You're selling yourself short, Conis. You're the glue girl. Every team needs one."
"Glue girl?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah. The one who holds people together without ever asking for credit."
Conis blushed slightly but smiled. Gaara, sitting beside her like a warm sand dune of stoic support, finally spoke up.
"It's not just coincidence," he said quietly. "It's trust. They trust her because she believes in them—even when the world doesn't."
Conis turned to him, touched. And Gaara—yes, emotionless Gaara—reached out and gently took her hand. If there had been a background music track, this is where it would've swelled.
Smoker, unfortunately, wasn't into background music. "Still, that trust better translate into results. If we don't make this work, the World Government will retaliate. They'll see Skypiea as rogue. And when they come down from the sky, they won't be bringing party favors."
"I know," Conis said, her expression sobering. "But if I tell them we're not submitting—we're protecting—it might just be enough. We're not giving up freedom. We're buying time. That's a message even Wyper can get behind."
Naruto leaned back, arms folded behind his head. "That's what we're counting on. Play along, make peace, protect your people… and when the time comes, we punch the tyrants in the face."
"An elegant plan," Kakashi said dryly. "Subtlety worthy of a philosopher."
"I am a philosopher," Naruto declared. "Philosopher of Punches."
Conis laughed, and even Gaara's mouth twitched like a smile was trying to sneak its way past security.
Smoker nodded, clearly still skeptical but starting to see the bigger picture. "Alright. You'll take it to Granfall?"
"I will," she said. "I'll tell him the truth. And I'll make sure he sees the hope in it."
Smoker stood up, finishing his cup like it was a challenge. "Then I'll do my job and make sure the higher-ups don't ruin this before it starts."
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The streets of the island glowed with lanterns as Smoker and Tashigi made their way back toward their hotel. Skypiea's night breeze was cool, the kind that carried petals, old secrets, and awkward tension.
Smoker walked with that same gruff gait, muttering to himself. "Teenagers these days. With their magic eyeballs and teleporting swords. I swear they're all from Wano or some secret cursed bloodline."
Tashigi followed, very much not muttering. In fact, she was too quiet. Which, for a girl who'd earlier been chatting away with Sakura, Ino, and Hinata like it was a slumber party, was suspicious.
Smoker glanced at her. "You okay? You've been staring at my face for the past ten minutes."
Tashigi blushed and looked away. "No, I was… uh… analyzing your facial muscles. For science."
Smoker gave her the flat look of a man who had seen pirates pull weirder excuses. "Right."
Truth was, Tashigi had been infected.
By girls.
Specifically: girls who had spent an entire hour teasing her with ideas like, "You and Smoker make such a cute couple," and "He's so gruff—it's hot," and "Imagine him shirtless with a marine coat fluttering in the wind!"
Now, every time she looked at him, her brain betrayed her with mental imagery involving slow-motion wind and dramatic saxophone music.
Smoker, blissfully unaware of this internal romcom, continued ranting. "And did you see that kid with the dog mask? He looked like he was from a samurai opera. Probably carries three swords and a tragic backstory."
Tashigi coughed. "You're not that normal yourself, sir. You literally emit smoke."
"Exactly. I own my weird. These kids don't even try to be subtle."
The awkward silence returned. Then Tashigi glanced at him again, cheeks pink. "Do you… think I'd look good with a new haircut?"
Smoker blinked. "Where did that come from?"
"Nowhere!" she snapped a little too fast. "Just forget it!"
Smoker shrugged. "You look fine. You always look fine. Better than half the pirates we deal with."
It was not a compliment in the usual sense, but for Tashigi, it hit like a cannonball made of butterflies. She smiled—just a little—and followed him down the moonlit street, mentally deciding that maybe she wouldn't tie her hair up tomorrow.
Back at the café, Naruto was munching on dessert number four, Gaara was holding Conis's hand under the table, and Shikamaru was already napping against a chair.
The game was still on. The pieces were weird, the board kept changing, and nobody quite knew who was winning.
But for tonight, there was cinnamon, laughter, and maybe—just maybe—a little hope.
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A.N. I really hope you guys can leave a review since there are now more than 50 chapters. Let's be honest I am ending the story once I finish the Skypiea part since it is just depressing to see a story with 70 plus chapters have zero reviews.