In the heart of Iwagakure, a woman cloaked in invisibility stood motionless outside a small wooden house. She was Tsukikage, a god-tier reconnaissance ninja with the rare ability to conceal both her chakra and her presence.
Her skills made her an elite among Iwa's shinobi, but at this moment, she was not engaged in a life-or-death mission. Instead, she was eavesdropping on something that made her face flush with disbelief.
"Naruto-sama~"
"❥~"
Tsukikage froze.
What… am I hearing?
The more she listened, the more her scalp tingled.
Kurotsuchi?
Her mind reeled. The granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage—one of the most promising young kunoichi in the village—was intimately involved with a man named Naruto? And judging by the tone of her voice, she sounded more than happy about it.
Tsukikage swallowed hard, her face burning.
For a long time, she debated whether she should interrupt, but in the end… she simply couldn't bring herself to do it.
After all, how could she barge into such a situation?
Shaking her head in exasperation, Tsukikage made her decision. She would report this matter to Tsuchikage-sama and let him decide what to do.
Ohnoki's Rage
"What?!!"
A deafening crash echoed through the Tsuchikage's office as Ohnoki's palm slammed onto his desk, splintering the wood beneath his fingers. His wrinkled face turned red with rage, his mustache twitching furiously.
"Kurotsuchi! That girl—!"
He clenched his fists.
No, something was wrong.
Kurotsuchi wasn't the type to throw herself at a man without reason.
Taking a deep breath, Ohnoki calmed himself and turned to Tsukikage, his sharp eyes narrowing.
"Tell me," he said slowly, "who is this man?"
Tsukikage hesitated, then replied, "Tsuchikage-sama, his name is Naruto… but I don't know his surname."
Ohnoki's expression darkened.
Naruto?
Could it be that Naruto?
Uzumaki Naruto—the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki who defected from Konoha? The same Naruto who had been strong enough to defeat a Tailed Beast?
If this was true…
Ohnoki leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.
After a moment, he asked, "Do you think Kurotsuchi truly likes him?"
Tsukikage recalled the unmistakable happiness in Kurotsuchi's voice and nodded firmly. "Yes, Tsuchikage-sama. Without a doubt."
Ohnoki rubbed his chin.
"Hmm… well then…"
He smirked.
"As a grandfather, I shouldn't interfere too much in my granddaughter's love life, should I?"
Tsukikage blinked in surprise.
"So… what do you want to do?" she asked hesitantly.
Ohnoki turned to his Anbu guards.
"Spread the news," he ordered. "Tell the entire village that Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, is no longer a rogue ninja. He is now a member of Iwagakure… and the official husband of the Tsuchikage's granddaughter!"
A Shocking Proposal
Several days passed.
Naruto and Luna were enjoying a peaceful morning when an unfamiliar presence entered their territory.
Naruto had sensed her long ago, so he remained calm as she approached.
The figure was a masked Iwa Anbu, but the slight bulge of her chest and the smoothness of her movements suggested she was female.
The kunoichi stopped in front of him and spoke firmly.
"You are Uzumaki Naruto, correct?"
Naruto's gaze sharpened.
So they had found out.
"Yes," he replied simply. "I assume this is about Kurotsuchi?"
The two were talking about completely different things, but neither realized it.
Tsukikage took out a scroll and held it toward Naruto.
"Tsuchikage-sama is already aware of your relationship with Lady Kurotsuchi," she announced. "But you don't have to worry—he has given his blessing. You no longer need to hide."
Naruto blinked.
What?
Frowning, he took the scroll and unrolled it.
His eye twitched.
The letter was filled with endless praise, hailing him as a mighty shinobi and the perfect husband for Kurotsuchi. It even invited him to Iwagakure to officially discuss the marriage.
Naruto stared at the letter, then looked at Tsukikage.
"…Are you serious?"
Tsukikage nodded. "Tsuchikage-sama has already acknowledged you as his grandson-in-law."
Naruto's jaw nearly dropped.
Did Ohnoki hit his head or something?!
After taking a deep breath, Naruto glanced at Tsukikage.
"What exactly did you hear?" he asked suspiciously.
Tsukikage crossed her arms and smirked. "I didn't see anything… but I heard enough."
Naruto rubbed his temples.
This was getting out of hand.
"I'll give you three days," Tsukikage continued. "Come to Iwagakure and meet Tsuchikage-sama. If you refuse, I'll feel very sorry for Lady Kurotsuchi."
With that, she turned and left, disappearing into the shadows.
Naruto stood there, still in disbelief.
Luna peeked over his shoulder at the letter.
"So," she mused, "are we attending a wedding?"
Naruto groaned. "Let's just go talk to Kurotsuchi first."
Kurotsuchi's Horror
When Naruto showed Kurotsuchi the letter, her face turned as white as a sheet.
She grabbed the scroll and read it three times, her fingers trembling.
Then, she turned to Naruto, horrified.
"I AM NOT MARRYING YOU, YOU PERVERT!"
Naruto smirked. "Then go back and tell Ohnoki the truth."
Kurotsuchi swallowed.
Right…
This was clearly a huge misunderstanding.
If she explained things properly, her grandfather would definitely cancel the whole thing.
Taking a deep breath, she nodded.
"Alright," she muttered. "I'll go."
She hesitated for a second, then added, "You really are letting me leave, right?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Or would you rather stay a few more days?"
"HELL NO!"
Kurotsuchi bolted.
As she disappeared down the path, she muttered under her breath, "I need to erase these past few days from my memory…"
Luna watched her go, then turned to Naruto.
"So," she said, "where do we go next?"
Naruto crossed his arms, deep in thought.
Then, an idea struck him.
"The Land of Snow."
Luna tilted her head. "Huh?"
"It's remote, has advanced technology, and barely any ninjas," Naruto explained. "It'll be easy to control and a perfect place to stay low for a while."
Luna smiled.
"As long as we're together, I don't care where we go."
Naruto nodded.
With their new destination set, they began packing their things.
A Sudden Threat
Just as they were about to leave, Kurotsuchi suddenly came sprinting back, looking terrified.
"WHAT NOW?!" Naruto groaned.
But when he saw the look on her face, he tensed.
"Naruto!" Kurotsuchi gasped. "They're after you!"
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Who?"
Before she could answer, a deep mechanical voice echoed through the air.
"You have discovered Pain's secret."
A towering figure with a bald, metallic head emerged, his robotic arms shifting as he raised a cannon-like device.
"To ensure confidentiality," the figure declared, "you must die."
With a deafening BOOM, a blast of energy shot toward them.
Naruto reacted instantly, grabbing Kurotsuchi and teleporting away with Flying Thunder God.
As he reappeared a safe distance away, his eyes narrowed.
"Asura Path…"
His lips curled into a smirk.
"So the Six Paths of Pain are nearby, huh?"
This just got interesting.
To be continued…
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