"Are you making your move now?"
So decisive!
Naruto held his breath, staring into Uchiha Mikoto's scarlet Sharingan. A ripple of panic rose within him.
Choices three and four were clearly out of the question. Picking either of those options would mean certain death. That left him caught between honesty and deceit.
Truthfully, Naruto wanted to lie. But he had no idea what kind of person Uchiha Mikoto was in this era.
How much would she say herself?
And how much could he get away with?
Besides, Naruto wasn't even sure if he'd actually died and been sent back in time by the Selector. He had no clue what year it was or even what his current body looked like.
Too many unknowns. Lying was far too risky.
Outside, the rain hammered the earth relentlessly. Every raindrop echoed in the cave like the ticking of a death clock.
Naruto tried to move—nothing. As if this body didn't fully belong to him.
Why can't I move?
Suddenly, Naruto had a thought: What if he had actually escaped from that tunnel? What if he really had traveled back to a point in time many years ago?
It made sense.
The perfected version of the Eight Gates Technique wouldn't kill its user—it just took time for the body to repair itself.
That matched his current condition.
So why had he panicked earlier?
With this realization, Naruto's mind cleared, and a plan began to form.
Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.
Mikoto was clearly done waiting. She raised her kunai, her eyes locked on Naruto's heart.
With the precision of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, her aim would never miss.
The July monsoon howled outside like a beast. Wind tore through the forest as if the world itself was screaming.
Naruto took a deep breath, then met her gaze head-on.
"Uchiha Itachi. Four years old."
The words echoed through the cave like a lightning strike.
Mikoto paused mid-throw.
Because Uchiha Itachi was her son—and he was four years old.
Still, that alone wasn't enough. That kind of information could be known by any spy.
"Not enough," Mikoto said coldly.
But Naruto could sense it—she was listening. This wasn't someone toying with him. She was giving him a chance.
She might act cold, but beneath it… there was still kindness.
Now that he knew Mikoto was 26 and Itachi was 4, Naruto was sure: this was the end of the Third Ninja World War.
Back then, even Itachi had been brought to the battlefield by his father, Fugaku.
And if Mikoto was out here with only one companion, it likely meant their squad had been defeated and they were retreating.
Isolated. Cautious.
She wasn't wrong to be wary of Naruto.
If he were in her shoes, he wouldn't hesitate to cut down any uncertain element.
But she was too soft. And Naruto had always been good at reading people.
Keeping his tone steady, he continued.
"Your son, Uchiha Itachi, is currently fighting at the front alongside your husband, Uchiha Fugaku."
Mikoto's eyes widened.
Yoshino was the first to react. "What?! That's impossible!"
Naruto grinned inwardly. He had struck the nerve.
There was no way Mikoto would knowingly send her four-year-old to the battlefield. Fugaku must have acted without her consent.
It made sense. Fugaku was clan head, and he was probably stationed at the most dangerous front. Itachi would be there too.
And if Mikoto didn't even know this, it meant she was not on the main front line.
Meaning it would take time to verify Naruto's words.
Time he could use.
"Nothing's impossible," Naruto said flatly. "Ask around. Anyone who's seen a four-year-old child on the battlefield won't forget it."
Silence fell for several tense seconds.
Then Mikoto's hands trembled.
Fury flared in her eyes.
"That bastard Fugaku… Itachi's only four. What the hell does he know about war?"
"He's a disgrace as a father!"
Yoshino was equally furious. She punched the air as if it were Fugaku's face. "Next time we see him, we're giving him a beating!"
Mikoto bit her lip. Her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. She winced in pain but forced herself to stay composed.
"It's still not enough to prove you're one of us," she muttered.
Of course not.
Naruto had only thrown out bait. But now that he had a better grasp of the situation, it was time to escalate.
He activated his natural talent—just in case—and spoke clearly, locking eyes with Mikoto.
"Minato-sama will become the Fourth Hokage. And your husband, Fugaku-sama, supports him."
Yoshino blinked. "Wait… is that true?"
She knew her clan—along with the Yamanaka and Akimichi—had been on the fence. They'd leaned toward Minato, but Orochimaru had stronger ties to the Third Hokage and more experience.
But Mikoto had once hinted to her about spending more time with Kushina—Minato's wife.
It made sense.
Mikoto narrowed her eyes. "Don't talk nonsense. My clan follows no one."
Naruto didn't argue.
Instead, he changed the subject.
"Didn't you say earlier that you'd never seen me in the village?"
"Then think. Who's the kind of person you nobles never see?"
Yoshino answered immediately: "ANBU."
Smart girl.
Naruto just gave Mikoto a look, letting the implication hang in the air.
"You get it now, don't you? Whether I'm friend or foe."
Yoshino nodded. "You're ANBU. So is it true about Minato? Did the Third really choose him?"
Naruto only smiled.
Yoshino sighed dramatically. "If I'd known he'd become Hokage, I would've chased him back then. Then I wouldn't have been forced into some dumb clan marriage with that ugly guy Shikaku."
Mikoto said nothing, but her gaze softened.
Naruto smirked. "Aren't you worried I'll report that to your husband?"
Yoshino scoffed. "I hope you do. Maybe then he'll divorce me."
"He won't," Naruto said confidently.
"How would you know that?"
Naruto almost slipped up. Because I'm from the future.
Instead, he said, "Just a guess."
"Then guess we'll divorce."
"I can't do that."
Naruto smiled faintly. "A divorce would damage your reputation. I hope you find happiness instead."
Yoshino rolled her eyes. "I hope so too."
The rain outside gradually weakened. The cave grew quieter as the tension eased.
Finally, Mikoto spoke again. "If you're really ANBU, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the village?"
Naruto replied coolly: "Classified."
"No comment."
Silence.
Then Mikoto sighed. "If you don't want to say, fine."
Naruto smiled inwardly.
That's a pass.
"I think I've got it!" Yoshino suddenly exclaimed.
"???" Naruto blinked. "Got what?"
She leaned in and poked his cheek playfully. "You've got blonde hair, blue eyes—you're more handsome than Minato, but still 80% like him."
Nice taste. Naruto tried not to laugh.
"You must be Minato's secret brother. Just like those stories—the light and the shadow."
Wow. Fantasy much?
Naruto faked a panicked look. "That's not true!"
Yoshino narrowed her eyes. "You can deny it all you want. But if you and Minato appear at night together, Kushina might get confused."
Naruto: "…"
Mikoto: "…"
"She's a bit thick," Mikoto sighed, rubbing her temple. "Don't take her seriously."
"I'm not thick! I'm smart!" Yoshino retorted. "Tell us your name, then. Names say a lot."
Naruto hesitated before replying: "Menma. Namikaze Menma."
Yoshino's eyes lit up. "See! Same surname as Minato. I knew something was up!"
In the darkness, Mikoto's Sharingan slowly faded to black.
Ding! Congratulations! You've completed Option 2. Reward: Peak State Experience Card has been issued.
Naruto nearly laughed with joy.
He'd made it through.
Now all he had to do was wait for them to leave so he could recover.
"If you're awake, why are you still lying there?" Yoshino asked casually, sitting cross-legged beside him.
What do you mean why?!
Naruto groaned mentally. "Didn't you check me when I was unconscious?"
"Nope!" they said in unison.
"To be honest," Yoshino shrugged, "we weren't planning to help. You just woke up and saw us, so… now we're stuck."
Naruto almost fainted again.
"If I'd woken up a little later, you two would've just left me here!"
"So, what's wrong with you?" Yoshino asked, curious.
Naruto closed his eyes. "All my meridians are broken. You can check for yourself."
Silence fell.
The two women moved instantly, each grabbing one of Naruto's wrists. A moment later, they looked up at each other in shock.
"He's telling the truth."
Mikoto was stunned. "So you… calmly talked to us this entire time with shattered meridians?"
Naruto smiled weakly. "Yeah."
The two women gasped.
What kind of monster mental strength does this guy have?
Even ANBU would struggle to stay this composed.
And whoever did this to him… must be unimaginably powerful.
"What kind of enemy did you fight?" Yoshino asked, suddenly nervous. "Was the battle nearby?"
Mikoto's eyes locked onto Naruto, also demanding answers.
But before he could respond…
"Captain, let's take shelter from the rain before we go."
A voice echoed from the mouth of the cave.
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