(After Naruto killed the 600 hundred assassins)

Naruto ran his hands from the top of his head to his neck, pressing down hard.

Blood trickled down his neck, staining his clothes.

He wiped his palms on his shirt and turned to look at the dismembered bodies scattered around.

Most had vanished, but a few tough parts remained: a severed head, a lone arm, a leg.

'That really drained my chakra... huh?'

His senses suddenly flared. Instantly, he propelled himself toward the disturbance, chakra surging through his body.

"Hey there, little spy," Naruto grinned menacingly at the white Zetsu.

"Hiiih!" Zetsu squeaked as Naruto grabbed him by the neck. "How did you find me?"

Naruto just smiled innocently before slicing Zetsu in half, killing him instantly.

'Now what?' Naruto thought, surveying the carnage. He had just killed 600 key members of Kumogakure.

'I can't just act like nothing happened. They'll never overlook this.'

He glanced at the sky and saw eagles circling above.

'Those aren't normal eagles. Too much chakra. Father did say Kumo used eagles as scouts. So, they probably know already.'

He crouched, resting his chin on his hand, deep in thought. 'My father's much stronger than his canon counterpart. He can handle them. And mother... she has the Nine Tails' chakra. She'll be fine if she uses it properly.'

He opened his eyes and looked around.

'The problem is this: I can't explain this carnage. My intelligence won't help here. I have a few options. One, I could stay and wait for someone to find me. I'd probably get lost, but hiding with my shadow powers wouldn't be too difficult.'

'After this stunt, Obito might try to target me, no he definitely will.'

'And most importantly, I am five fucking years old! No matter how intelligent I am, they won't believe me or value my opinions at all! I can tell them everything, and they still won't believe me. My parents are good, but like everyone's parents, they have a brain that tries to rationalize the world. This is real life, not some BS fucking fanfic written by a 12-year-old wimp who has never been loved by anyone. They won't go, "Oh, Naruto, we are your parents, we believe in you. We will support you! You, as a five-year-old, want to leave the village and go on side quests all alone in this dangerous, cruel world of shinobi? Why not? That's the best plan I've ever heard!" Expecting things to go like that is beyond idiotic.'

'If I stay, I need a reason to explain all this. I could lie and say I can see the future, but they're some of the smartest shinobi in the world. They'd find the holes eventually. I've already fucked up the plot, so that route is a dead end.'

'Another option is to claim I can see the past and say I'm Asura's reincarnation, revealing Hashirama's role. But that messes with my plan. Revealing my wood style and other Asura-related powers will attract too much attention. Dealing with external threats is hard enough; adding Danzo and Orochimaru to the mix will drive me insane. I don't even know if Hiruzen is trustworthy. Father trusts him too much, and I can't risk it. I can't assume anyone's a good guy in this world.'

'Once they realize my powers, they'll imprison me in the village and turn me into a weapon. I can't let that happen. My goals are bigger. If I'm trapped by the village's conflicts and desires, I'll never see my family again.'

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'Second, I could run away. This has many benefits. I'd have freedom and be able to do as I like. Sure, I'd lose my parents' support, and they're arguably the strongest people in the world if you ignore that parasite from Kaguya's time. I need to account for him too! This isn't a story; it's real life. Who knows if Isshiki will show up before Kaguya can do anything!'

'Well, I'll deal with it when it happens. Anyway, the only support my parents can offer is their jutsus, and I don't need those. With my intelligence, I can build galaxy-destroying bombs from scraps. Who knows what I can achieve with that and fuinjutsu.'

'Knowing Father, he'll probably hold someone hostage to get me back. If I don't return, it'll start a global conflict, and I don't want innocents dying because of me. Should I fake my death? No, Zetsu has already seen me. If I'm not wrong, he can transmit messages through his roots, so Obito might already know my situation.'

'The only choice I have is to leave the village myself by informing them. This will break my parents' hearts, and they'll think of themselves as failures for the rest of their lives. They are kind people and don't deserve that. But the hardest choices require the strongest wills.'

...

..

.

Black Zetsu flops on the ground as he passes through the ceiling.

Obito who was currently tending to the wounds he suffered glances behind when he heard the sound. His head turned while his hands worked on his chest, adjusting the bones and trying to get them to their correct place.

Kushina did a number on him.

"What happened? Where is the other part?"

Black Zetsu huffed, sweat trickled down from his head, "That Naruto kid, I think he has the same abilities as Kushina. He detected us. I managed to sneak away at the last moment. Had he been a moment faster, he would have caught me as well."

"What in the depths of the Infinite Tsukuyomi is going on with this cursed Uzumaki lineage?" Obito growls, his crimson eyes ablaze with frustration. "Suddenly, they all possess the ability to sense Zetsu. They're like thorns in my side, every last one of them. Nevertheless, how did that brat manage to seize the opportunity? Were the assassins even stationed in that vicinity?"

Black Zetsu gulped when he recalled that scene, that was no normal jutsu, he knew.

'It was like a Shinjutsu!'

Seeing Black Zetsu go silent, Obito raised an eyebrow and said, "Speak."

"That kid... he wiped them all out," Black Zetsu blurts out.

Hearing this, Obito's eyes widen in shock, his hand slips, and the bone he's fiddling with decides to go rogue, stabbing him right in the lungs.

"Owww..."

.....

..

.

(After some time)

Jiraiya looked down at the vultures feeding on the remains of the shinobi with a grim expression. He had just finished inspecting what remained of the people who had been here.

"The cuts were so clean, it's almost eerie," Jiraiya murmured to himself, his brow furrowing as he surveyed the grim scene.

"I've seen skilled swordsmen, but this... this is something else. And all these little fragments scattered around... it's like a nightmare made real, all human flesh."

He sighed heavily, his hand finding its way to his forehead as he tried to make sense of it all. "Kumo didn't exaggerate. Those assassins were torn apart with precision. But Naruto? It just doesn't add up."

Thinking of the boy who was too smart, not very social, avoided kids his age like the plague, and hated being recognized, Jiraiya couldn't imagine how Naruto could cause such havoc.

"And the rocks... By the sage, the rocks!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "Everywhere's a mess, except for this perfectly cut circle where Naruto unleashed... whatever he unleashed."

Having finished his investigation, Jiraiya decided to find where Naruto had gone. He located the bloodied steps of a child, and after confirming the size to match Naruto's, he followed the trail.

It led to a nearby cave, and he entered. As soon as he stepped in, he felt himself drop into the shadows as if falling into a pond.

"Naruto?"

The surroundings were painted black, but somehow he could still see. He unmistakably recognized Naruto on the other side.

"Jiraiya-ojisan, did you come to get me back?"

Jiraiya nodded and said, "Yeah, kiddo... come on, let's go and tell me what in the world happened here. Also, what is this place? It feels like a barrier."

Naruto slowly shook his head. "I'm not coming back."

"What?" Jiraiya's voice was laced with confusion and concern.

"Please inform my parents."

"W-what are you saying, Naruto? What's going on? Is someone threatening you?"

Naruto sighed. "Can't you understand? I can't stand all of this! I just want a normal life."

Jiraiya was finding it hard to process the sudden turn of events. He stepped closer, his brow furrowed in concern. "Naruto, you don't have to do this alone. Whatever's going on, we can handle it together. Let's go back and figure this out."

Naruto looked away, his face shadowed by an unseen emotion. "I'm not being threatened or anything like that. I just want peace, so please don't search for me. This is a shadow clone. And now, I will be undoing myself."

Jiraiya reached out, a desperate edge to his voice. "Naruto, wait—"

*Poof

With a puff of smoke, Naruto disappeared.

"Just what the hell is going on here?" Jiraiya asked no one in particular as he was suddenly shoved back to the cave's surface.