The sun set and the crescent moon rose.
There were no people, no houses, and no signs of life—only silvery moonlight blending with the white snow, plunging the world into a desolate, frozen wasteland.
In the middle of the snow-covered land, a massive crater sat, gradually being buried by falling snow.
Suddenly, a hand emerged from the snow. A blond-haired boy clawed his way up through the frost.
"What the hell... Where is this place?"
Naruto stood up shakily, brushing the snow off his body. The cold had woken him up.
The Gobi Tensou Technique was tricky. To escape, the user had to move at extremely high speeds. For Naruto to reach that speed, he had to open the Eight Gates.
But this time, he was cautious. He didn't go straight for the Death Gate. Instead, he opened each gate one by one until he reached the seventh—Shock Gate—which allowed him to escape.
The cost had been high, but still far better than opening the Death Gate.
At least his meridians weren't completely destroyed. His injuries were serious, but he could still use chakra to some extent.
As Naruto looked around at the endless snow and desolation, he couldn't help feeling uneasy.
"What the hell... Did I time-travel to some far-off future where the Earth is in a permanent winter and humans have started the Wandering Earth project or something?"
Damn. Couldn't someone have left behind a bunker entrance?
The cold wind howled, whipping up waves of snow that slammed into his body, making him shiver.
His chakra was running low, so he didn't dare use it wastefully. He wrapped his arms around himself and shook from the cold.
"I'm gonna freeze to death out here... I need to find shelter immediately. Dying from the cold would be ridiculous."
He took a step forward, but suddenly stopped.
As a trained ninja, his instinct kicked in. Something was off.
His right foot landed firmly on packed snow. But under his left foot—it felt soft. Not like snow. More like flesh.
"Huh? Someone there?"
"It can't be that idiot childhood version of me, can it?"
If it were his younger self, maybe he'd heroically jumped under Naruto to shield him.
Thinking this, Naruto didn't hesitate. He gathered what little chakra he had.
"Scorch Release: Scorching Flame Arm!"
Heat radiated from his arm, slowly melting the snow beneath him. Gradually, a shape began to form.
Naruto grew anxious and continued channeling chakra.
As the ice melted away, the figure became clearer: a beautiful woman.
She wore a blood-stained robe. A blue paper flower adorned her head. Her eyes, closed and lined with blue shadow, looked peaceful. Her red lips were cracked. Blood marked the corners of her mouth. Her entire body was frozen.
She looked like a corpse sealed inside an ice coffin.
Naruto let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't his childhood self.
But then he squinted and murmured, "Wait... why her?"
Konan.
One of Jiraiya's three disciples from the Hidden Rain. Co-founder of Akatsuki. Partner of Pain.
Naruto was bewildered.
She looked dead.
But in the original timeline, Konan had died at the hands of Uchiha Obito in the Rain Village.
Could this be the distant future? A post-apocalyptic version of the Rain Village?
Naruto shook his head. Did he have to go back in time again?
When would he finally return to his proper timeline?
When would this loop end?
He dusted off the snow that had accumulated again and turned to leave.
But just then, Konan's finger twitched.
Huh?
She's alive?
Then maybe... the timeline isn't that far off.
Naruto stepped back and watched as Konan slowly opened her eyes and tried to speak.
"Cold..."
Her voice was faint, like a candle flickering in the wind. It could extinguish at any second.
"Whether you're cold or not isn't my concern," Naruto muttered. He turned to leave. He was in no condition to help a woman who might be his future enemy.
"Save... me..."
Konan raised a trembling hand toward him.
Naruto already felt like he was doing her a favor just by not finishing her off. In this blizzard, she'd probably die soon anyway.
Carrying dead weight was a surefire way to die.
He started to walk away.
Suddenly, an old sound echoed in his mind.
It was the system.
[Passive Selection Triggered!]
[Konan was injured in your crash. Her leg bones are broken, and she's unable to walk. Severe head trauma has caused memory loss. She can't use ninjutsu. What will you do?]
[Option 1 – Kindness: You injured her, so save, protect, and heal her. Reward: 100% physical recovery.]
[Option 2 – Logic: You're barely surviving. Caring about others now will get you killed. Run. Reward: Snow Release Chakra.]
[Option 3 – Wicked: She's helpless. In this storm, that could be fun. Reward: 50% recovery.]
[Option 4 – Deceitful: She has amnesia. Trick her into thinking she's your wife. Reward: Big Spiral Wheel.]
...
Wait.
So he was the one who injured Konan?
Naruto sighed.
After weighing his options, he realized the first was too saintly.
The second seemed most logical—survival first.
The third and fourth... as rotten as the system described.
And yet, Naruto chose options 3 and 4.
Not because he was evil.
He just really wanted to try the Big Spiral Wheel technique.
"Wife! What happened to you? Who hurt you?!"
He rushed over with tears flowing.
To keep her alive, he poured what little chakra he had into her.
Of course, to fully grasp the Big Spiral Wheel, Naruto figured he needed to get a sense of Konan's chakra first.
As golden chakra nourished her body, Konan began to regain some warmth. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Y-You... let me go!"
"Tell me, wife—who did this to you?! I'll avenge you!"
"W-What are you talking about?!"
"Don't you remember? We're a married couple! Tell me who hurt you. I'll kill him myself."
Konan blinked in confusion. Seeing Naruto's tears, her expression softened.
"I... I don't remember anything. I'm sorry."
"Damn it! Whoever did this—I swear, if I find them... they won't live."
Naruto's voice trembled with sorrow as he stared into her eyes, as if speaking a thousand silent love confessions.
Konan began to believe him.
Even if his hands were annoyingly familiar—touching her legs, arms, face—he hadn't left her behind.
He even cried for her.
If he weren't her lover, would he have gone this far?
And... for some reason, her heart was fluttering.
Maybe she had forgotten his face.
But her body remembered.
He was her husband.
"H-Husband..." Konan whispered shyly, raising a trembling hand to wipe Naruto's tears. "Don't cry."
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! Option 4 completed. Reward: Big Spiral Wheel unlocked.]
Suddenly, Naruto's mind flooded with knowledge.
The Big Spiral Wheel—an ultimate move created by Menma Namikaze in the Tsukuyomi world. An upgraded Rasengan, more powerful than the Rasenshuriken—only the sage-enhanced version could match it.
This new Rasengan could flatten the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
A technique on par with Pain's Almighty Push.
Naruto teared up.
He was truly thankful for Konan's unexpected gift.
Now, he could rule the skies.
"I love you, my wife."
In gratitude, Naruto bent down and kissed her chapped lips, sending more chakra into her.
Konan froze, her eyes wide.
"H-Husband..."
"No talking. Just kiss me."
She turned away shyly, her eyes as soft as the blue paper flower in her hair.
"But... it's snowing... and we're outside."
"Our love is hot enough to melt the snow. Just one kiss."
"But—mmph!"
Wrapped in his arms, Konan fell into the kiss. The world blurred around her—wind, snow, her thoughts.
The storm swirled. Snowflakes danced in the air.
And the snow... began to sing.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! Option 3 completed. Reward: 50% recovery granted.]
...
When Konan's condition stabilized, Naruto paused, guilt washing over him.
"I'm sorry, wife. I'm scum."
"Don't say that." She pulled him close. "You're my husband. Don't blame yourself."
As she held him, she realized something strange.
She was taller than him.
He felt small and delicate in her arms.
Did he just have a baby face?
Or was she too big?
That thought scared her. Big girls usually weren't popular.
But he didn't seem to mind.
She silently vowed to find a mirror soon.
Hopefully, she wasn't ugly.
Just then, her hand began to heat up.
A ring engraved with the word "Bai" was glowing.
"Husband, what's this? Did you give me this ring? It's warm!"
Naruto immediately grabbed her hand.
"Something's wrong with that ring. I'll take it for now and replace it with a real gemstone later."
"You're so sweet. Thank you, hubby."
...
Hidden Rain Village.
The sky was dark. Lightning split the clouds as rain hammered down.
Uzumaki Nagato stood silently, eyes fixed on the storm.
"Why won't Konan answer my calls? Did something happen?"
The Akatsuki had suffered devastating losses recently. Kakuzu, Hidan, Itachi, Kisame—gone.
Even the masked man claiming to be Madara was defeated.
And now Konan was missing.
Nagato's eyes darkened.
"Let anyone else die... but not Konan."
"Yahiko is gone. I have to protect her. No matter what."
He closed his eyes.
Moments later, six figures—his Paths of Pain—took flight, heading for the Land of Snow.
...
Konoha.
Inside the Nara Clan's main house.
Three beautiful women sipped tea together in the clan leader's bedroom.
One of them placed a jewelry box in front of her, trying on various earrings.
"Mikoto, Izumi, do you think gold or ruby looks better on me?"
She giggled.
"Naruto should be back soon."
"I'm excited—and nervous."
"If that brat Shikamaru finds out Naruto's his father... will he cry?"