After appearing in an alley within the village, I began to wander.
My gaze swept over the familiar streets, yet everything felt foreign. After a short walk to rediscover Konoha with fresh eyes, I realized how much things had changed. It was incredible to see how time could reshape a place. Then again, it wasn't like I ever had the chance to explore the village before my death.
Eventually, my steps guided me to where my old home once stood.
In place of the building from my memories, a much larger complex now stood— a hotel. I remained silent for a moment. Here, my memories were of no help… If I wanted to find my brother, I had to do it myself.
The first place that came to mind was the Ninja Academy, but it didn't take a genius to understand that going there in this form would draw too much attention.
The other place, however…
An abandoned training ground, where Naruto and I used to fish sometimes. A small, peaceful lake where we could hide from the rest of the world. Occasionally, some families would come for a picnic, so we had to avoid them.
A smile formed within my puppet. That idiot never managed to catch anything.
Without wasting any more time, I made my way to the secluded training ground.
But as I approached, something felt off.
This place, usually deserted, was much livelier than I had expected.
Taking a shortcut I knew well, I glanced toward our secret spot.
And I froze.
Naruto was there.
Dressed in his signature orange jumpsuit, he was laughing loudly, sitting on the grass alongside Kiba, Chōji, and Shikamaru. He looked happy. Truly happy.
I knew he had already met those three… But from my memories, he wasn't supposed to be this close to them yet.
I was happy. Happy that he had managed to make friends.
Yes, really…
But…
Seeing him so happy without me hurt.
Without even thinking, my hand reached out toward him… Only to bump against the rigid shell of my puppet.
The next moment, I realized the dangerous path my thoughts were taking. And like a flame being smothered, every emotion rising within me vanished instantly.
Without a word, I turned away and continued to watch from a distance.
I slumped against a wall a bit further away and placed my palm against the ground.
"Tremor Sense."
The vibrations spread out, and just as I suspected, there was an ANBU watching over Naruto.
I decided to move even farther away. Spotting a pigeon pecking nearby, an idea crossed my mind to locate Naruto's new home.
I wandered through the village, searching for an animal, while occasionally casting Tremor Sense to ensure I didn't lose track of him.
Eventually, in one street, I saw some children tormenting an old dog. The moment they saw me approach, they ran away.
I walked up to the animal and guided my puppet's palm to rest against its side.
Poor thing… It doesn't have much time left.
"Negative Pulse."
The dog simply passed away. An outside observer wouldn't even have noticed the change.
"Now, Animate Dead."
The dog stood up once more, moving with an eerily natural motion, before gently rubbing against my palm.
Moving even farther from Naruto's location, I let my new servant go search for him. Its movements, initially a bit stiff, quickly became fluid, perfectly mimicking a tired stray wandering the village. No passerby would pay attention to a street dog.
As for me, I moved through the village, avoiding main roads and slipping through the most discreet alleys of Konoha. I couldn't stay too close.
Thanks to my link with Undead Domination, I could feel the dog moving, perceive what it saw, and hear what it heard. It wasn't a perfect connection, but it was enough to keep an eye on Naruto without raising suspicion.
A few minutes passed. Naruto and his friends were simply having fun, showing no sign of leaving. But then…
Through the dog's perception, I finally saw the ANBU approaching. She wore a mask, but I could still recognize her. Yūgao Uzuki.
That detail triggered a memory.
Compared to my memories, Naruto had grown significantly. He had to be around ten or eleven years old. Meaning only one or two years left before his graduation.
By this point, Kakashi was no longer an ANBU… In the original timeline, he had already rejected several teams before finally accepting the future Team 7.
I wonder what he's doing now.
Night was gradually falling. Eventually, Naruto said goodbye to his friends before heading toward what he considered home.
But once again, I was surprised. He wasn't as excluded as I expected. There was some wariness, but people treated him with relative kindness.
All these differences compared to my memories…
I was starting to wonder if I had woken up in the wrong universe.
I waited until night had completely fallen and Naruto had closed his blinds. Once I was sure he was alone, I let my puppet's shell slump against a wall and teleported inside his apartment.
Darkness filled the room.
I waited for a moment, and finally, the light flicked on.
Naruto was stepping out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist.
I watched him carefully, searching for any trace, any mark that could give me a clue.
But I found nothing.
Meanwhile, Naruto was staring back at me.
I expected him to recognize me. After all, unlike him, my appearance hadn't changed. Only my hair had slightly faded, and thanks to magic, my pale complexion gave me the appearance of a living person.
And yet…
— "Uuuuh… Hello? Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?"