The secret, of course, was something Uchiha Raizen had learned from Konan's body in his own world. This world was also the Naruto world, and the people were the same, but it was the original timeline where he didn't exist. Naturally, the Konan of this world had the same birthmark.
With no attachments in this era, Raizen had no reason to hold back. He could do exactly as he pleased. He beamed at Konan and said, "Baby, don't be angry. It makes such a beautiful face look ugly!"
"Who is your baby?" Konan replied coldly, flicking several sheets of paper laced with explosive tags toward Raizen.
Seeing the incoming tags, Raizen immediately used a Body Flicker, carrying Tsunade along to dodge.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several deep craters were blasted into the spot where Raizen had just been standing.
"Whoa, Konan, you really want to kill me? I'm your man!" Raizen, still holding Tsunade in a princess carry, watched Konan with great interest. The Konan of this world didn't know him, and she was certainly striking with lethal intent.
"Hey, put me down already!" Being held like this made Tsunade's face turn bright red.
"Sister Tsunade, you have no combat power left, so don't try to be brave. Just stay in my arms; I'll protect you," Raizen said, giving her a wink.
Konan prepared to strike again, but the Deva Path Pain stopped her. "Konan, let me handle this. My Human Path can read his memories; then everything will become clear."
Konan looked at Raizen, then nodded and retreated, standing behind the Six Paths of Pain. The Six Paths formed a perimeter, trapping Raizen and Tsunade in the center.
"A guy appearing out of nowhere..." the Deva Path said. "Once I capture you, I'll know exactly who you are."
Raizen looked at the Deva Path, wondering why Naruto hadn't appeared yet despite all the time he had stalled. Did something go wrong?
The Other Side of the Rift
Meanwhile, in the world Uchiha Raizen had traveled from...
Kurenai Yūhi, Anko Mitarashi, and the others were staring in shock at three giant toads and the young man standing atop one of them.
"Kurenai-sensei! Anko-sensei!"
Naruto Uzumaki, accompanied by the Sage Shima, jumped down from Gamabunta's head and landed in front of Kurenai. Both Kurenai and Anko recognized Gamabunta as Jiraiya's summon, but they were baffled by the blonde youth.
He looked unfamiliar, yet there was a striking sense of nostalgia about him—he looked remarkably like the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
"Who are you? Why did you appear here suddenly? And why are you with Lord Jiraiya's summons?" Kurenai demanded, eyeing Naruto warily.
"It's me, Kurenai-sensei! I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Naruto?" The women froze in unison.
"You're Naruto? How did you get so big all of a sudden?" Kurenai asked, her face full of disbelief.
"Auntie Kurenai, which enemy broke in?"
A small figure leaped from the air and landed beside Kurenai. When Naruto saw the boy who had just landed, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"You're... Sasuke?"
"Why are you so small!?"
Naruto stood there, completely dumbfounded. The Sage Shima looked at the young Uchiha Sasuke and frowned.
"Who are you?" Sasuke asked, eyeing Naruto with suspicion. He felt a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't place the identity of this tall stranger.
"I'm Naruto!!" Naruto pointed at his own face excitedly.
"Naruto?" Sasuke's expression stiffened. "Liar. How could Naruto be that tall?"
"Anko, what is going on here?" Kurenai whispered to her friend while the two boys argued.
Anko replied in a low voice, "I don't know, but this guy really does look like the Naruto brat, just much older. And those markings around his eyes... they look like the Sage Mode Lord Jiraiya uses!"
Sasuke glared at Naruto. "You're lying. You aren't Naruto. I just saw Naruto a short while ago! Who are you? Why have you trespassed onto Uchiha clan grounds!?"
"I really am Naruto!!!" Naruto tried desperately to explain.
"Auntie Kurenai, I don't think this guy is a good person. Let's capture him first!" Sasuke suggested.
Kurenai thought for a moment and addressed Naruto. "If you really are Naruto Uzumaki, surrender now. Once we verify your identity, we will release you."
"I can't. I have to support Konoha! I don't have time to waste here," Naruto shook his head.
"This is Konoha!" Anko pointed out. "We aren't under attack. What support are you talking about?"
"That's impossible!!" Naruto looked at Shima on his shoulder.
Shima sighed. "If I'm not mistaken, this isn't our space-time. This is another dimension entirely."
"What does that mean, Grandma Shima?" Naruto asked, confused.
Shima explained, "It means the people we see here are not the same people we know from our world. There will be differences in their lives and personalities!"
Kurenai and the others listened, processing the toad's words. "So... you're a Naruto Uzumaki from another space-time?" Kurenai summarized.
"Based on what Grandma Shima says, I guess so," Naruto said, scratching his head.
"But how did you appear in the Uchiha district? And how did you bypass the barrier without a sound?" Anko asked.
"I don't know. Grandma Shima summoned me, and I just ended up on that lake."
Shima added, "I think I can explain. A space-time distortion must have occurred right as I was performing the Reverse Summoning, dragging us here by accident."
"Space-time distortion?" Kurenai murmured.
"Yes. When I tried to summon little Naruto and the others, the space where I was standing warped and pulled us into this timeline."
Naruto grew frantic. "How do we get back then, Grandma Shima? Konoha is in mortal danger! They need me! We can't stay here; we have to go back!"
Shima shook her head. "I don't know how to get us back. Unless we encounter another distortion that happens to take us home."
"Could Uncle have caused the distortion?" Sasuke whispered.
"Raizen-kun?" Kurenai blinked. She remembered that Raizen had told them he would be "away" for a month.
"Uncle?" Naruto blinked. "Sasuke, do you have an uncle?"
"Yeah!" Sasuke replied. "Doesn't the 'me' in your world have an uncle?"
At the mention of the Sasuke from his own world, Naruto's eyes flashed with a hint of sadness. "In my world, that guy is a loner, just like me. He's the only one left of his entire clan."
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