Swirling Chaos Ch. 25 (Naruto) (Patreon)

A/N: Naruto spins a mostly truthful tale. But everything eventually comes right back around again~

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Deflecting didn’t feel right. Not just to his conscience, but on a tactical level as well. Kushina and Mikoto might be put on the defensive by his accusations, but they wouldn’t stay that way forever. It was a stop-gap measure that would not only leave him back where he started once it stopped working, but also cause damage to his relationship with both women in the process.

At the same time, lying was out of the question. There wasn’t a lie that could get Naruto out of this particular faux pas. He’d been caught red handed with knowledge that shouldn’t have been possible. Not even Minato would have been foolish enough to write down how to get to a secure room like this deep within the Hokage’s Tower. No… rather, Minato couldn’t have, seeing as the seals warding this room had been updated multiple times since his father’s death from what Naruto was seeing.

The only reason he’d slipped by them so easily was because… well, he was who he was. He’d lived through the things he’d lived through, seen the things he’d seen, and done the things he’d done.

… He would have to tell them the truth, Naruto decides.

You sure about that, brat?

Kurama tilts her head to the side, giving him a curious look from her bound and chained position as both Kushina and Mikoto stare at him expectantly. Naruto hesitates for only a moment more before deciding that yes, he is sure about this. Of course, he’s not going to tell them everything. He has a feeling that the whole truth would turn the two women against him. Rather… he would tell them a version of the truth.

Hm. That could work.

Being in his head, Kurama can see what he has in mind. Her hesitant approval almost has him rolling his eyes in response but Naruto keeps that reaction at bay as he lets out a sigh and makes sure both Mikoto and Kushina can see his hands to see that he’s not about to try anything. It’s the best he can do without having his mother use her Chakra Chains on him as well… which she might end up doing if he doesn’t navigate this situation carefully.

“… I haven’t been entirely truthful with you, mother.”

Kushina frowns at that, still in Hokage Mode despite Naruto’s appeal to their familial relation. Perhaps it’s easier for her given the next thing that comes out of her mouth.

“Genin Uzumaki. Report.”

At least she still acknowledges that he IS Naruto Uzumaki. If her suspicion had started to trend towards a deep cover infiltrator replacing him wholesale, Naruto would have been a little hurt… and a lot more worried. But no… Kushina is clearly leaning on Mikoto here. And Mikoto has not only been using her Sharingan nonstop, but she’s also given Naruto a recent check-up. They would know if he were an infiltrator… especially because it would be very, very hard to fake being the Jinchuriki of the Nine Tails.

Regardless, Naruto snaps to attention, head held high and eyes forward… making eye contact with Kurama as a result, even as he speaks.

“Hokage! The reason I and Kurama have been acting differently of late is not because of anything she taught me or even anything I read from my father’s notes ma’am. It’s because we… experienced a shared vision of another world.”

You could hear a pin drop. Kurama looks like she’s doing her best to stifle her amusement, even as both Kushina and Mikoto go still at his words. Naruto is doing his best to present complete honesty to both of them right now, knowing full well how good they are at cold reading people. It’s part of the job for Kushina… and Mikoto is a Uchiha.

Even still, their disbelief is palpable. Kushina is the one who finally breaks the silence, her voice quiet as she just stares at Naruto incredulously.

“… What?”

Letting out an explosive breath, Naruto focuses on his mother.

“I can’t explain it any other way then that, really.”

True, because if he did explain it in another way, he was afraid they would both react poorly.

“But basically, it’s like Kurama and I suddenly lived another life on top of this one. It’s like a different version of Naruto and the Nine Tails sent over their memories and uploaded them into our heads.”

Also true, just leaving out the minor detail that he felt just as much like he was that version of Naruto as he felt like he was this world’s version of Naruto. A perfect melding… but when one of you is over thirty and the other is only fifteen, a perfect melding is going to be a little… unequal.

“That… that’s not possible.”

Naruto just shrugs at Kushina’s continued incredulity. However, before he can speak up, Kurama does so instead.

“Isn’t it? Think for a second, woman. In what world do I suddenly present as female? In what world do I decide that I love Naruto with all my heart after fifteen years of him not even being aware of me?”

Kushina and Mikoto both whip around to look at Kurama, causing the kitsune to give them a bitter smile.

“In another world, far different from this one, apparently. The brat and I were hit at the same time. It was a lot to take in, don’t get me wrong… but it gave me a lot of perspective. That other version of me… was happy. I couldn’t remember the last time I was that happy. In fact, I’m not sure such a time existed… until now.”

Naruto can’t help but flush a little bit. He hadn’t asked Kurama for her help, nor had he expected it. And yet here she is, throwing out such sappy lines and tossing him affection-filled looks as she finishes monologuing. Inwardly, just between the two of them, Kurama huffs in amusement.

Don’t say I don’t ever do anything for you, Naruto.

Yes, well… this whole mess was a byproduct of her trying to do something for him by seducing his mother and honorary aunt. So really…

Tch.

“I think… I think they’re telling the truth, Kushina.”

The Fifth Hokage’s eyes turn towards her best friend and closest ally, the Uchiha Matriarch. Sharingan still active, Mikoto stares back at Kushina, biting her lower lip.

“The way Naruto has been moving, the way he fought my daughter… those are not the movements of someone his age. His skill level erupted practically overnight, and his ability to manipulate his Chakra is off the charts. Our original theory was that he’d been hiding all of this from us on Kurama’s orders… but that was simply the best idea we had at the time. It didn’t really fit, did it? Because this much… it should have been impossible to hide for so long.”

Looking around them at the secured room all four find themselves in, Mikoto smiles crookedly.

“And it was. They didn’t last very long for all before we found them out, did they?”

Well, when she puts it like that it’s a little embarrassing isn’t it? Kurama scowls slightly while Naruto flushes some more. Kushina, meanwhile, looks a little lost. Finally, she looks at Naruto.

“But… why? If you have his memories… why would this other Naruto do this?”

Naruto sighs, his shoulders rising and falling in a helpless shrug.

“He was twice my age.”

Both Kushina and Mikoto jolt at that.

“… And he was just so tired. He lost… everything. Even as far back as when he was born… you didn’t survive. He grew up as an orphan. And without you around, the Uchiha Massacre was much worse. Until it was only Itsuki and Satsuki left. Nobody else.”

Kushina had flinched at being told she didn’t survive his birth. Mikoto flinches at being told that no one save for her two daughters survived the Uchiha Massacre.

“Dominoes upon dominoes. The world… his world anyways, had come to an end. Everyone he’d ever known was gone.”

“Except for me.”

Kurama’s sudden interjection draws attention back to her, even as she smiles ruefully.

“The other me, I mean. It was just him and the Nine Tails. Familiarity breeds contempt, as you humans like to say. But loneliness makes for strange bedfellows.”

All of the humans in the room blush at the mention of ‘bedfellows’, even Naruto himself. Kurama just smiles all the more savagely.

“That world was at an end. That Naruto and Kurama wanted to give their past selves another chance. They missed.”

Kushina’s eyes widen at that, the Fifth Hokage sputtering a little bit in shock.

“W-What?! What do you mean they missed?!”

Kurama just shrugs from within her bindings.

“Exactly what I said. They meant to send their memories back to their past selves. They hit us instead. Needless to say, this is not their timeline. This is another world entirely. Some of the things that Naruto and I now know remain relevant, but some do not. For instance, the man you know as Shimura Danzo would have caused quite a lot of trouble if he had survived to present time. But because he died earlier, things have changed.”

The Fifth Hokage takes a moment to process all of this before slowly nodding.

“I… I see. Still… you said that Naruto had lost everything. Everyone. Can the same thing happen here?”

Kurama stays quiet, looking at him instead to answer. Naruto hesitates for a moment before sighing.

“That depends. Does the name Akatsuki mean anything to you?”

Both Kushina and Mikoto stiffen up at that, their lips thinning out and their eyes widening. So yes then. The Akatsuki were here. Naruto isn’t all that surprised to be fair. This world might have felt rather idyllic ever since he arrived here, but it was still the Elemental Nations. This was still Konoha, and the other Ninja Villages were all still out there as well. Kushina had done her best… and Naruto would even go so far as to say that she’d done a better job than Sarutobi would have done if he’d had to take over as Hokage again.

Stepping forward, Naruto takes hold of Kushina’s hands and gives them a comforting squeeze as he smiles at her.

“Don’t worry. We’ll handle them together.”

Kushina blushes and huffs as she shakes her head.

“That’s what I should be saying to you, Naruto. To think… you’ve changed so much. You remind me so much of your father…”

Naruto’s smile becomes somewhat crooked at that, even as he feels a swell of pride in his chest. He likes being compared to Minato Namikaze, after all. He might never have gotten to know the man as his father in either life, but he knew the Fourth Hokage was a powerhouse who got shit done. More than that, he was a good man… an honest, fullhearted man who didn’t take no for an answer and did his best to protect his loved ones.

Being compared to Minato could only be a good thing, Naruto figured… that is, until Kurama cuts in.

“I bet he does, doesn’t he?”

At Kurama’s telling voice, Kushina goes as red in the face as her hair color, blushing profusely as she pulls her hands back from his and steps away. Smirking wickedly, the still bound kitsune tilts her head to the side and titters in amusement.

“You know, this doesn’t change much. Save for you both now knowing exactly why I’m suddenly so close to the brat. Everything else remains the same… including your feelings for Naruto. In fact, if anything this clears the path forward rather nicely, doesn’t it?”

Kushina scowls and crosses her arms over her chest defensively, glaring at Kurama.

“I-I don’t know what you mean.”

But Kurama isn’t showing mercy at the moment.

“You were worried that I was trying to use Naruto for something, that I had some big scheme in play. But now you know the truth… if anything, Naruto is the one using me~”

Hey now. That seemed unnecessary. Why was Kurama throwing him under the bus like that?

“She’s right, Kushina.”

Wait, what? Naruto’s head whips around to Mikoto at the same time that Kushina’s does. The Uchiha Matriarch flushes a little at the attention but she doesn’t back down.

“… We can discuss next steps later. The Akatsuki aren’t going anywhere and you and I both know that. But right here, right now… there’s no reason for us to hold back anymore. We can all have what we want. We can all be happy.”

Kushina fidgets and squirms at this, looking between all of them. Naruto could hardly believe it. Kurama, meanwhile, was smirking like the cat who caught the canary.

Ah, and so it all comes full circle. Maybe this wasn’t how I intended for it all to happen, but ultimately it’s all worked out in the end, hasn’t it? The Uchiha woman is helping us seduce my previous jailer after all.

“I… I… we shouldn’t.”

Not ‘we can’t. Not ‘no’. But rather, ‘we shouldn’t. Even Kushina seems to realize how weak her argument sounds as Mikoto suddenly steps up to her. The Fifth Hokage freezes in place as her oldest friend takes her face in both hands and pulls her into a deep kiss right there in front of Naruto. There’s nothing platonic about that kiss and Naruto watches with wide eyes as the two kunoichi makeout right there on the spot.

Kurama watches this with slitted eyes, a distinctly pleased look on her face even though she remains bound in Kushina’s Chakra Chains. She makes no effort to break free despite how distracted Kushina is at this point.

Finally, the two women break apart for air, but Mikoto doesn’t pull back completely. Instead she switches to pressing her forehead against Kushina’s and licking her lips.

“And why not? Why shouldn’t we? We should have done this ages ago with Minato. Now… now we have a chance to make up for past mistakes and lost time, Kushina. I’ve watched Naruto with the Hyuga Heiress and my daughter. You’ve watched him with the Nine Tails. We both know what he can do for us… and what we can do for him. Don’t let anything hold you back. You deserve this. You deserve happiness. Right, Naruto?”

All of a sudden, Mikoto puts the ball in his court. Twisting her head in a way that makes Kushina look over as well, they’re both suddenly gazing at him. Mikoto looks hopeful and expectant… and if she has in fact been peeping on him with Hanabi and Satsuki, it makes sense. But what was that about Kushina watching him with Kurama?

Kushina, meanwhile, looks embarrassed and uncertain. In that moment, he can tell that his next words will decide everything. If he says yes to Mikoto’s question, then he knows what will happen next. If he says no, he knows Kushina will bring this all to an end.

This is it. The ball’s in his court.