One year has passed since Raven's rebirth. In that time, her parents had managed the impossible: they turned the Krusty Kunai from a curious little restaurant into a rising empire. The original shop has expanded so quickly that a second location now stood on the far side of Konoha. It was always packed. The reason? Her father's ridiculous but strangely effective gimmick of pairing fortune-cookie wisdom with slices of pizza.
"To bring love into your life," Seijirō Kamazaki declared dramatically to a young couple, "order today's Margarita Special."
The customers laughed, ordered, and left convinced they had participated in something profound. By chance or perhaps by the strange luck that followed Raven's family, some of these fortunes proved true. Two couples had since married. One already cradled a newborn. All of them credited their happiness to the Krusty Kunai, now whispered about as Konoha's "matchmaking pizza place."
From her crib, Raven watched this unfold with an indulgent smile. Seijirō beamed with pride, Chiyo scolded him constantly for being a fool, and yet the business thrived. Raven began sketching mental plans of scaling this nonsense into something greater—a pizza empire, disguised as "sage business management philosophy."
Later that night, once her parents kissed her forehead and slipped out of the room, the toys and pink wallpaper faded into silence. From the shadows, Yumi emerged, tails swaying. Raven's body relaxed in her crib, and with a puff of smoke, her adult shadow clone form appeared—long white hair cascading down her back, Rinnegan glowing faintly beneath a mask.
She addressed Yumi with quiet certainty. "A year has passed. Riko is progressing well in Root. She's already secured a small handful of kunoichi as her subordinates."
Yumi inclined her head. "She's advanced quickly. Her foundation in sealing is solid now thanks to your training."
Raven shook her head. "You underestimate her willpower. She rose from nothing inside Root, where mistakes mean elimination. That environment breeds paranoia and ruthlessness. One misstep, and Danzō disposes of you. The fact she's survived at all proves her potential."
Yumi's golden eyes narrowed, then softened with reluctant agreement. "You're right. Root is cutthroat in ways ANBU is not. ANBU corrects mistakes into lessons. Root buries them in graves."
Raven's tone was flat, measured. "Even so, the organization has its merits. Its brutality forges weapons. And Riko is shaping into a blade I can wield."
The conversation shifted. Raven sat cross-legged, reporting her own progress. "I've begun serious natural chakra extraction. I now carry five standard units—about Kakashi's level of chakra—inside me."
Yumi snorted softly. "That's nothing. At best, it puts you on par with a basic jōnin. Against true powerhouses—even the rising Uchiha—you'd be cut down. Some of their prodigies reach that level by the time they're nine."
Raven exhaled slowly, frustration tight in her chest. "Are people in this world truly that strong already?"
"Yes," Yumi answered flatly. "You're underestimating the age you've been born into. The future of the Elemental Nations will be drenched in blood unless you intervene."
Raven pulled her mask back over her face, rising. Together, they slipped out the window and into the cool night, heading toward the Forest of Death. Branches shivered under their feet as they moved in silence.
"There's not much I can do yet," Raven admitted. "I can only plan small steps at a time. Taking back the Land of Whirlpools is still years off. I need more subordinates, more reach. My parents' business can provide pocket change, but not nearly enough for what I'll need."
Yumi's tails flicked behind her. "You'll need real resources. Ninja operations cost a fortune. Launch something bigger now—secure war funds early."
Raven's mouth curved faintly beneath the mask. "I already have an idea. With my knowledge of what's to come, I know certain key individuals. If I move now, I can change their paths and secure funding immediately."
Suspicion glimmered in Yumi's eyes. "You're going to interfere with the timeline, aren't you?"
Raven didn't hesitate. "Yes. For the first time, I'm making my move. Beyond Riko, I'm preparing to change the fates of others. We'll be quick, finish in a few days, and return before anyone notices. My training must continue as soon as possible."
Yumi sighed, though there was no real protest in her tone. "Fine. Let's go."
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