A/N: This one has been in my head for… About a week, actually. But meh. What the hell. Enjoy (:

Published: 11/14/2017

Warnings: Naruto Spoilers here and there

Arashi Uzumaki

Naruto wasn't sure how it happened, and isn't that just fucking fantastic. Although, he blames Sasuke. Totally blamed Sasuke. There was no other way this could have come about. His current situation had obviously been caused by bullshit Uchiha bend time and space at random eye powers, because what else could possibly explain the current situation?

So it was that Naruto Uzumaki, the Seventh Hokage, found himself flung back in time. It didn't take him long to discover that he had come alone. Huh. So, no Kurama, he realized with a pang.

Also, the village security was getting pretty fucking lax.

A stranger appears out of nowhere in the middle of the village, and no one does a damn thing? Naruto wasn't sure if he should be pleased or offended.

Whatever. He'd take whatever blessing he could get. Hm. Naruto's stomach gave a loud grumble.

Allowing a quick henge to change his features, wouldn't do to be recognized after all, Naruto set off with one crucial destination in mind.

Ramen.

He needed ramen.

Only fools think on empty stomachs, and he could deal with this shit later.

The second Naruto sees his younger self, no older than 4, slurping away at noodles is the moment he knows he is well and truly fucked.

Goddamn, Sasuke!

Oh well. Since it looked like he was stuck here for the foreseeable future, time to make the best of it.

Perhaps this isn't the wisest of choices. However, Naruto wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't take on look at the world, see its faults, and say fuck it.

As if he was going to let this continue on? Ha!

"Who're you?"

"My name is…" Naruto paused. He couldn't very well go around calling himself Naruto, now could he? It wasn't a very common name at all, at least, not yet. After the war, Naruto remembered the countless times Boruto would come home and bemoan yet another Naruto-kun or Sasuke-teme or Sakura-chan had joined the class. Or, the ever memorable Kakashi Narusasukara that Naruto wasn't sure existed but Boruto insisted did.

Hm. What to call himself…

Well, he supposed… yeah, that would work. It's not like there was anyone around to dissuade the claim, after all. Uzu had, regrettably, been wiped off the map.

"My name is Arashi Uzumaki, and I'm your uncle, brat."

Getting his younger self out of Konoha is remarkably simple. Well, if you call simple creating a massive distraction in the form of an assassinated Danzo and riding on the coattails of Orochimaru's espace 'simple'.

Tenzo, small and precious and only a child, stands before him. His arms are trembling and all of Root is burning around them, but Tenzo will fight to his last breath because that is what Danzo-sama has trained him for.

"Ne, Yamato-kun, do you wanna see the world?"

A part of Arashi's mind reminds him that kidnapping is not an act one should partake in, but meh. No way he's leaving one of his precious people behind to deal with the damage.

Anko Mitarashi seethed.

Ever since Orochimaru's defection, things had not been the same. And, how could they be? Her master, her sensei, had left her behind to deal with the fallout. He had abandoned her, betrayed her, betrayed them all, then walked away without a care in the world because Orochimaru was a bastard like that.

"It's not that bad. I'll blow over eventually."

The only one who seemed to even try to get her was that Umino-teme.

Anko sneered and tossed back another drink.

Iruka Umino was different than her. His depression came from an event that had coincided with Orochimaru's betrayal, but that they had later learned was unrelated.

The Uzumaki kid.

"I wasn't fond of him. I hated him. I hated him a lot. He took my family, you know? But then... Now... He's gone, and I just think- he was just a kid! A kid, and we all-"

"Don't lump me in with you lot, Umino!" Anko spat. Of course, it would come to this. It always did when Umino let himself get drunk. And then, she'd have to carry him back to his place and it was really such a drag.

Elsewhere, members of the Nara clan tilted their heads, sensing a comrade in arms.

Umino glared.

"Then, you did nothing, which is just as bad! It was exactly what I did! I-"

"Maa, maa. Calm down, the pair of you. You're making a scene."

Anko froze. She froze, because there was a hand on her shoulder. There was a man, standing before them, hand on both of their shoulders, and she hadn't heard him, hadn't sensed him in the slightest. If it wasn't for the hand on her or the form that now filled her vision, she wouldn't have sensed him at all.

Anko almost makes to stab him, but something stops her. Something stops Umino too. They can't move. Neither of them can move. Whoever this person is, he's dangerous, and he has them at his mercy.

"If it's Naruto-kun that the pair of you are worried about, don't be. He's in safe hands."

Then, a card was dropped before them as the man turned to make his leave.

"Make a decision, the pair of you. This place doesn't deserve either of you, and we all know it."

Its a gamble.

The strange man must know its a gamble, considering he all but admitted to kidnapping the Kyubbi Jinchuriki.

In the end, its a gamble that pays off as Konoha looses two more of its finest.

Obito had everything planned out.

True, the assassination of Danzo had actually almost derailed the entire plan, but the Uchiha Clan wouldn't be the Uchiha if they weren't stubborn little self entitled bastards.

It was oh so easy to engineer a rebellion.

And, of course, good little Itachi played his part perfectly and reported everything to the Third Hokage. It was almost perfect.

Reluctant though he might be, Hiruzen was Hokage for a reason, and a Hokage always puts the village first, above all else.

"Wipe them out. All of them."

There is, of course, the added difference of Shisui Uchiha. Obito hadn't predicted his survival, but he supposed he could use this to his advantage.

Except for one crucial factor that had his blood boiling.

Where, in the living hell, were all the Uchiha?

Arashi had always wanted to rebuild Uzushiogakure. Well, ever since he learned what the hell it was. To do so, however, one has to gather clans, and he had already started nicely enough on that endeavor if he did say so himself.

Little Naruto and Sasuke were having a blast, running around in the courtyard playing some bizarre form of tag which involved kunai, explosive tags, and lava.

Ninja were always extreme in whatever they did, after all.

"Arashi-sama, I can't thank you enough for what you've done."

"It's nothing, Itachi. And I thought I told you to stop calling me sama!"

"... My apologies, Uzukage-dono."

Arashi sighed.

Convincing Fugaku to leave Konoha had been surprisingly easy. The head of the Uchiha Clan wanted nothing to do with a village that not only rejected them, but at the same time continuously blamed them for every little thing that went wrong, even when it physically could not have been them.

Where on earth had the accusation that they were the cause of the demon cat Tora come from?

(Several years earlier, Shisui Uchiha had decided to test his newly gained Mangekyo Sharingan on the peaceful cat of the Daimyo's wife. Generations would suffer for it)

As Arashi gazed at the slowly rebuilding Uzu, he decided then and there that, if he ever got back home, he'd make sure this world ended up in a far better footing than his own.

Future knowledge like his, after all, was a critical power in the Shinobi World.

Gaara can't help but stare in wonder as the stranger with hair the color of his own battles of both his father and his uncle.

His uncle had promised that he loved him, but that was all a lie.

Love was a lie, because the Shinobi world was a twisted thing and there was no place for something as idiotic and sentimental as love.

Yet…

"I won't let you harm him! I won't let you harm Gaara ever again! I won't let either of you near my precious people again! That is my nindo, my ninja way!"

And yet here stood this man, protecting him. Someone else, protecting him. Gaara had never thought it possible. Why would he, of all people, need protection?

Despite that, there he stood, defending him from both Rasa and from Yashamaru.

Yashamaru.

Gaara had always known his father hated him. He made that self evident. He hadn't bothered hiding it.

But… Yashamaru as well?

Gaara gripped his head as he felt the shards of his heart begin to crack. What was the point of this? What was the point of any of this? What was-

Blood. Take their blood. Blood!

Blood?

Was that the point?

Live only for yourself, love only your-

Gaara is shocked when the stranger bypasses his sand completely.

No one. No one has ever done that. No one-

Arms wrap around him. Gaara expects to be crushed, but instead, the hold is gentle. The hold is kind. The hold is warm, a warmth Gaara hasn't felt in a very long time.

"It's okay, Gaara. I'm here. And you won't ever be alone again. That's a promise, and I always keep my word."

At long last, Sabuko no Gaara gives in to the urge to cry and, without warning, grips the strange man and sobs. Whether their tears of happiness or years of sadness, he can't tell.

What Gaara does know, however is that this… This is home.

No one notices when the Nanabi Jinchuriki goes missing.

Fu gets along just fine with the other kid in Arashi's rather rapidly growing village. She's grown particularly attached to the Kagura boy that Lee had fought all those years ago. Kimi-something.

Arashi whistles and goes about his way, wondering if he should go off and collect the other Jinchuriki. It's not like anyone would notice other than Kumo, after all. They hadn't the first time around, which was what led to that clusterfuck of a war in the first place.

Actually, he supposed he'd look for the ones except those in Kumo. Bee-Sensei and Yugito, from what Arashi understood, had actually been treated rather well in their village once it had become apart they weren't going to turn into massive man killing abominations.

Hm.

Well, Arashi supposed he'd get there when he got there.

Killing Hanzo had been shockingly easy. Then again, in his prime Arashi had dueled with literal gods from other dimensions so this wasn't exactly surprising.

Then, turns g towards his wayward cousin, Arashi grinned.

"Yo, little cousin!"

Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan could only gape at the sight before them.

Obito seethed.

This was getting ridiculous. He was almost convinced there was a spy in his midst, but that made absolutely no sense since no one but he was aware of his plans!

Then, a single thought caused him to freeze.

Only Obito knew of his true plans.

Only Obito…

Surely…

He hadn't been caught in a Genjutsu, had he? No! Impossible! There was simply no way that he, Madara's chosen, had been caught by such a ploy.

But how? How?

For really, what else could explain Nagato Uzumaki and the rest of his wretched Akatsuki vanishing the second Obito had his back turned?

Damn it all!

Somewhere along the line, Arashi had made the conscious decision to dye his hair red. Holding up a henge 24/7 wasn't a problem for someone like him, but still.

In battle, one needs to focus all of their Chakra, all of their energy. Arashi couldn't be bothered to divert some of his attention to keeping his appearance up.

Which was exactly why he was currently winning this particular fight.

"You will tell me what you've done with Naruto if it's the last thing you do!"

Tsunade Senju seemed to have woken a maternal instinct in this universe that she hadn't gained into years later in Arashi's own time. He supposed it was do to the kidnapping. Still, he was slightly ticked.

Could Tsunade have not gained this maternal instinct when he was in that goddamned orphanage? That matron had been methodologically evil.

Arashi dodged another swing before vanishing.

Tsunade could only gasp as her opponent appeared directly before her, two fingers moving towards her forehead.

"Break, Baa-chan."

Despite herself, a tick appeared above Tsunade's head.

Then, the fingers collided and her word exploded as her illusion was forcibly stripped away.

Shizune gave a scream as her master collided with the earth, strength draining out of her.

"Now, will you listen to me, Baa-chan?"

The moment Yagura realized his actions, his movements, are not his own, he realizes that he is doomed. All of Mizu no Kuni is doomed, because their Kage had been compromised. Their Kage has been compromised, and the voice that whispers in his ears makes promises of vengeance and blood and destruction and the end of all thing.

Then, he is freed.

Freed, by a redheaded man with glowing blue-purple eyes that promise a better world, a better tomorrow, if he'll just take his hand. And he does. He does.

He does, and he doesn't regret it, even for a moment.

Its Nagato that dumps Ero-Sennin upon Arashi's desk. Bound, gagged, covered in seal marks, the Toad Sage glares at them both from within his bounds.

Arashi raises a single eyebrow.

"He was asking around about Naruto-kun. He was rather insistent about it as well." Nagato reveals.

Arashi can concede the point. Tsunade had been hunting his younger self. It is no surprise, then, that Ero-Sennin had as well.

"Thank you, Nagato-kun. I'll handle it from here." Arashi stands.

Nagato gives a single nod before turning and departing.

Arashi makes his way to the wall, cuts one of his fingers, and places it on one of the seal marks on the walls. Good. Now, they have the privacy they need.

Then, he turns to his still blind godfather.

"Tell me, Ero-sennin," Jiraiya twitches at the statement, his expression going from hostile to feral, "what do you know about traveling through time?"

In the end, Obito does still manage to gather the allegiance of several S-Rank Missing Nin, but it doesn't matter unless they gain the Rinnegan. At this point, he realizes that Nagato is a lost cause.

Nagato will never serve him. No, instead, Obito will have to take his eyes by force.

When Nagato Uzumaki finally falls, Obito realizes that they've lost three S-Rank nin, but it doesn't really matter. Deidara, Sasori, and Kakuzu aren't that important to the final plan, after all.

The Rinnegan is his.

There is one thing Obito Uchiha had underestimated. It was something he really should have seen coming, but, really, in his arrogance he hadn't.

Hidan is scattered into so many pieces that Obito doubts even the immortal will survive it. Hiruko is gasping, alive but barely. Kisame watches in wonder, his precious sword now in the hands of their assailant.

The red headed Uzumaki Clan head, if Obito's spies are to be believed.

The Uzukage is examining the sword in wonder.

"Huh. Nice. Bee-Sensei will be pleased. No worries, Samehada, if you don't like him I promise you can stay with me." Arashi declared, seemingly consoling the sword of all things.

Then, those cold eyes turned towards Obito.

"Obito Uchiha," and Obito can't help but gasp, because how in the living hell does the brat know, "You've harmed my precious people. For that, I can't forgive you. Maybe a couple of years ago, but…"

In the end, Obito is defeated. He's not exactly sure how, really, but the redhead somehow manages to circumvent his phasing ability which spells doom for Obito.

He'd become far too reliant on that one technique, he realizes.

As he lays there, broken and bleeding and dying, a hand hovers over his head and he feels something in him break. Like a dam shattering to pieces, Obito can suddenly feel for the first time in years and fuck, it hurts it hurts it hurts!

"Madara left you too damaged… That's why I avoided you at first, Obito. Whatever he programmed into your mind… I could erase it, like I did with Yagura, but it's been in you far longer. Freeing you is killing you, unfortunately."

His enemy is holding him. His enemy, that Obito had sworn to destroy, is holding him as he dies, eyes gentle and kind despite all the atrocities Obito had committed.

He really was a monster, wasn't he?

"Sen… Sensei?"

The world starts to blur and, for a moment, it's not Arashi Uzumaki holding him, but Minato-Sensei, who he took so much from. Minato, whose family Obito destroyed with unholy glee because Minato hadn't been there when they needed him, he hadn't been there, and that's when it began, wasn't it?

The face smiles.

"It's okay, Obito. Let go. You can let go now."

So, he does.

Obito Uchiha closes his eyes, and knows eternal sleep.

Kakashi Hatake wondered where he went wrong.

Many years ago, Naruto Uzumaki had been kidnapped from the village and Danzo Shimura had been assassinated.

The civilians had been ecstatic and quiet pleased with themselves. At first.

Then, the horror of the realization that the Kyuubi brat was out there, somewhere, and could someday come back with a screaming vengeance hit them and the entire village scampered into overdrive to find them.

Years later, the only thing that had amounted from it was that the two remaining Sannin had seemingly defected to a growing power and reports of Jinchuriki vanishing all over the Elemental Nations began becoming an everyday occurrence.

Now, at long last, Kakashi had an explanation as the Chunin Exams finally began. As customary, each team from a neighboring village had presented themselves before a counsel of Shinobi Clan heads, along with the Hokage. It wouldn't do to let in a team that wasn't actually comprised of Genin, after all.

"And, hailing from the newly reconstructed Uzushiogakure no Sato, Team Jiraiya!"

The new Uzukage looked pleased. Several Konoha nin glared at the traitorous Sannin, before their eyes locked in the so called team and several people paled. Some even fainted.

Naruto Uzumaki. Sasuke Uchiha. And Sabuko no Gaara.

The Uzukage only grinned.

Let the games begin.