WHEN TIMELINES CHANGE

_AN YEAR BEFORE THE UCHIHA MASSACRE_

_THE NAKA RIVER CLIFF_

The night was very dark and cold. A strong wind blew through the trees that grew on the rocky slopes of the cliff. Far below, the Naka River moved slowly, dark water winding through a deep, narrow path in the ground. In the river, there were many large, smooth rocks, with water flowing around them and making small waves.

At the very edge of the jagged cliff, two figures stood. One was a little closer to the cliff's edge, and the other was standing a little behind him. The air felt heavy and quiet, with only the wind making soft sounds and the low hum of the river below.

The person standing closer to the edge, 16 years old, had short, spiky black hair. One of his eyes was gone, and blood was coming out from that side. His other eye glowed with the red pattern of a Mangekyo Sharingan.

He wore a dark green short-sleeved shirt with matching pants, and a brown chest guard strapped across his body. His lower legs were covered with bandages, and he had open-toed black sandals. A Leaf headband was tied firmly on his forehead. This was Uchiha Shisui.

Standing a little behind him was a young man, only 12 years old. He had straight, jet-black hair that framed his face, with bangs hanging between his eyes. His eyes were sharp and intelligent, looking normal and black, not activated with the Sharingan.

He wore a dark shinobi uniform: a black shirt with a high collar under a gray vest, like those worn by high-ranking Leaf ninja. His dark pants were cut short and tucked into bandaged sandals. He also had protective arm guards on his forearms. A Leaf forehead protector was tied neatly on his forehead. This was Uchiha Itachi.

Shisui then turned back. His one injured eye was closed as he looked at Itachi. "He didn't trust what I was trying to do..." Shisui said, his voice filled with a sad understanding. He continued, "They'll probably come after my left eye too..."

After saying this, Shisui reached up and took out his other Mangekyo eye as well. Now, both of his eyes were gone. Seeing this, Itachi became very sad. He lowered his head a little, not looking at Shisui, tears silently gathering in his own eyes.

Shisui, holding the eye in his hand, spoke softly to his friend. "You're the only friend I can trust. Protect the village, and the Uchiha name as well."

Just behind them, where the forest began, a young boy around 6 years old came slowly towards them from behind a tree. He watched Itachi and Shisui without them knowing.

He had spiky, jet-black hair that stuck out at the back and longer bangs. His eyes were dark and intense. He wore a black, long-sleeved shirt and light-gray shorts that went just above his knees. His forearms and legs were wrapped in white bandages. On his feet, he had the usual navy blue open-toed ninja sandals. This young boy was Kid Sasuke.

Shisui, holding the eye gently in his hand, held it out to Itachi. Itachi's gaze was fixed on the powerful, yet terrifying, orb. His hand slowly, almost unwillingly, reached out and took the eye from Shisui's palm.

It felt heavy, a burden and a gift at the same time. Itachi looked at his hand, which now held Shisui's remaining eye, his brow furrowed in confusion and despair.

"But I..." Itachi began, his voice choked, 'I can't take this. This is too much. This is everything.' He was about to say more, to refuse, to argue, but then Shisui started speaking again, his voice softer, yet firm.

"And..." Shisui said, stopping Itachi's words.

Hidden behind the trees, Kid Sasuke looked at them. His small face showed that he didn't understand. His dark eyes darted between his brother and Shisui, trying to make sense of the strange, sad scene unfolding before him.

'Why is Shisui-san hurt? Why is Nii-san so sad?' His young mind couldn't grasp the deep pain and choices being made.

Shisui's gaze was steady on Itachi, even though his eyes were now gone. "This isn't the only thing that I need to give you. I'm going to give you a new power. The Mangekyo Sharingan."

Hearing that, Itachi's head shot up. His eyes widened, truly shocked. A cold fear gripped him. 'The Mangekyo Sharingan? Does he mean... the way to get it? The price of it?'

"Shisui, you can't!" Itachi cried out, his voice filled with a mix of protest and horror. He knew the terrible condition to awaken that power, and the thought of Shisui...

But then Shisui tried to calm Itachi, a faint, sad smile touching his lips. "I'm not going to last long anyway. Take it as a gift... my dying wish."

Itachi's heart twisted. Grief washed over him like a cold wave. The full weight of Shisui's sacrifice, his friend's impending death, crashed down on him. His eyes burned with unshed tears. He couldn't speak, could only feel the profound sadness.

Shisui's smile grew a little, a gentle, knowing smile that reached beyond his empty eye sockets. "What's with that look of yours? I can still see your face easily, you know." His voice was soft, trying to offer a small comfort in the crushing darkness of the moment.

Then Shisui put his one hand on Itachi's shoulder. His touch was light, but firm, a silent message of support. "A worried expression just doesn't look good on you," Shisui said, his voice soft but clear.

"You must always, always remain calm, my friend." A small, encouraging smile touched his lips. "That's what Uchiha Itachi is. I'm positive you can do this." Shisui's smile deepened. "So don't worry. It'll be fine."

Itachi was shocked for a moment, letting Shisui's words sink in. Then, after a brief pause, he closed his eyes in deep grief. His head lowered, and he looked as if he was about to cry, his body trembling slightly. "I will carry on your will for the Uchiha..." he whispered, his voice barely audible, thick with emotion.

Shisui then spoke again, his voice now filled with a quiet strength that defied his weakening body. "From now on. You may be forced to walk a long, dark path. One that's filled with pain and suffering."

His smile faded slightly, replaced by a look of sorrow. "I have to apologize... that I can't be with you through it all. Still, I hope you don't falter from your path."

He offered another faint, gentle smile, a final reassurance. "And keep moving forward as a Konoha Shinobi. I believe in you."

Itachi gritted his teeth, his jaw tight. The weight of Shisui's trust, his dying wish, felt like a crushing burden, yet also a sacred promise he had to keep. 'A dark path... pain and suffering... he knows what's coming. And he's entrusting it all to me.'

Shisui's voice pulled him back from his thoughts. "That is why I'm able to ask you to carry my will..."

Then, slowly, Shisui turned his back to Itachi, facing the side of the cliff and the dark, flowing river below. He looked up towards the night sky, even though his eyes were now empty and unseeing. A soft, weary breath escaped his lips. "Whew..."

_SHORTLY BEFORE NARUTO'S CHUNIN EXAM_

_THE HOT SPRINGS BEHIND THE WOMEN'S BATHHOUSE IN KONOHA_

The air was warm and wet, smelling lightly of steam and cherry blossoms. The ground was made of big, flat, gray stones. These stones were smooth from water and time. They went down to a small, shallow stream. Thick green bushes and trees grew close together along the edge of the stream. They made a thick, natural wall, hiding this place.

In this quiet, hidden spot, a very large creature sat on the smooth, wet rocks right next to the water. A tall man with light skin sat easily on its back. He had long, spiky white hair that went down to his waist. It was tied back in a ponytail.

Two pieces of his hair hung down next to his face. You could see lines around the sides of his mouth and a small bump on the left side of his nose. He wore a green shirt that was short like a kimono and matching pants. Underneath, you could see a net-like armor at his wrists and ankles.

He also wore hand guards, a black belt, and old Japanese wooden sandals. Over all of this, he had a bright red coat with two yellow circles on each side. A big scroll was tied to his back. A special headband with horns on it sat on his head. This was the Toad Sage snd the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, Jiraiya.

The giant creature Jiraiya sat on was a toad. It was huge, almost as big as the powerful Bijus. Its skin was a dull, rusty red color. But around its eyes, on its lips, and on its chest, there were brighter red marks. It had a clear scar above its left eye. Its tongue had small, stud-like rings on it.

This very big toad often wore a large blue vest with a strong Japanese symbol on its back. It always carried a huge, curved sword at its side. It also held a big pipe, which it often smoked. This was Gamabunta.

Jiraiya leaned back a little on Gamabunta's head. A playful smile slowly grew on his face. He chuckled softly to himself. It was a low, happy sound that seemed to come from deep inside him. "Heh heh!"

In the hot spring water just in front of him, two women were enjoying the bath. One woman, on the left, had short, dark hair and wore a red bathing suit top. She was partly in the water, splashing it gently.

The other woman, on the right, had dark, spiky hair and wore a blue bathing suit top. She was also splashing in the water, a smile on her face as she enjoyed the warm spring

He stayed hidden behind the thick green leaves of the bushes, peering through them.

His face was pushed close to the leaves, and his cheeks were red. His eyes were wide, looking surprised, as if he had just seen something that made him blush or was caught doing something he shouldn't be.

In the hot spring water just in front of him, a waterfall poured down from rocky cliffs above, filling a clear pool below. A woman with brown hair, tied up, sat on the smooth rocks at the edge of the water. She wore a red two-piece swimsuit and held a blue cup.

She looked towards the water and spoke to the other two women who were splashing and enjoying themselves, "Seriously you both". In the pool itself, near the waterfall, one woman with dark hair splashed water excitedly, yelling, "WHEE!". A smaller person was also partly in the water nearby.

Jiraiya's face, still hidden, broke into a wide, loud laugh. His eyes were crinkled with mirth, and his mouth was open in a big grin, showing all his teeth. "AH HA HA!" he roared, unable to hold back his amusement.

_AN YEAR BEFORE THE UCHIHA MASSACRE_

_THE NAKA RIVER CLIFF_

"I guess this is the end of the road for me,"

Shisui said, his voice quiet but clear to Itachi, who stood behind him. "But this will pave a new way for you... and give you a new power."

Shisui paused, his body now still, looking out at the darkness. A wave of sadness washed over him, a deep grief for what he had to do and what Itachi would face. "Well, Itachi..." he began again, his voice filled with a calm sorrow. "Now, the time has come... Make a new way for yourself with your own hands.

You can do it... I know you can."

Itachi's hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. He listened, his heart aching, as Shisui spoke further. "See you... friend," Shisui said, his voice almost a whisper. "I leave the rest..."

Seeing all this, mini Sasuke, hidden in the trees, finally understood what was about to happen. His small face twisted in horror and disbelief. 'No, it can't be... Is he...' he thought, his breath catching in his throat.

With those last words, Shisui moved closer to the very edge of the cliff. There was only a tiny space between his foot and the long drop into nothing. He turned slightly, facing Itachi one last time.

He gave a faint, sad smile, a silent farewell. And with that, Shisui jumped from the cliff. As he fell, his voice, already fading, could be heard, "If you're my friend..."

From his hiding spot, mini Sasuke screamed, finishing the terrible thought, "going to die?"

His voice was a thin, panicked cry.

Itachi's arm shot out, his fingers stretching, trying to catch Shisui's hand, to hold him back from the dark fall. But then, the memory of Shisui's last wish, his words about saving the village, about the burden he was passing on, stopped him.

He froze. He couldn't move. He couldn't save him. He watched, helpless, as Shisui slowly and gradually fell down the tall, dark cliff, becoming smaller and smaller.

"Shisui!!" Itachi screamed, his voice ripped from his throat, full of pain and disbelief. But it was too late. Shisui was gone from his sight.

Now, Itachi stood all alone at the side of the cliff. The cold wind bit at his skin, but he didn't feel it.

He looked as if his mind couldn't accept what had just happened. He stood there for a long time, frozen, unable to move. Then, slowly, his normal black eyes began to change. They swirled, turning into his three tomoe Sharingan.

He closed his eyes tightly in pain, and a thin line of blood started to come out of his left eye. When he opened it again, the pattern in his eye had changed completely, forming the unique design of the Mangekyo Sharingan, with three tomoe extending outwards like petals from a central point.

Far below the cliff, in the dark Naka River, many large, smooth rocks lay in the water. The river flowed around them, making small waves. A single green leaf floated down from above and landed softly on one of the wet rocks.

Itachi's voice, now colder, stronger, carried down into the quiet night. "Rest in peace, Shisui!

Suddenly, the water underneath the cliff began to move wildly. It swirled and rippled, making a big splash and movement. Then, out of nowhere, the giant toad, Gamabunta, appeared in the river! He and Jiraiya had just fallen into the Naka River from thin air.

They were completely confused, having no idea where they were or what had happened.

Gamabunta, being a huge toad, quickly caught his balance in the moving water.

Itachi, still at the cliff's edge, heard the sudden loud sound from below. 'Wait, what was that sound?' he thought, his new Mangekyo eyes focusing sharply on the river. He quickly looked down the cliff, trying to understand what was happening.

Meanwhile, mini Sasuke, still hidden inside the forest, was crying and weeping silently. His small body shook with deep sobs. "Shisui-san, why?" he whispered, his voice broken. "How could Nii-san let him die?"

Down in the river, Jiraiya was just as confused, perhaps even more so than Gamabunta. His mind raced, trying to grasp what just happened. 'W-what in the world?!'

he thought, his eyes wide and darting wildly around. 'One moment, I was in the hot springs, enjoying a moment of peace and... research. The next, BAM! I'm in a river, in the middle of nowhere, and it's night! Where are my girls? Where am I?! This isn't familiar terrain at all!' He stared here and there, rubbing his head with a bewildered frown.

"Bunta," he asked Gamabunta, his voice filled with utter surprise and a hint of panic. "Where are we? And where are my girls?!" He clenched his fists, trying to make sense of the sudden, impossible transition.

'How did we get here? Teleportation? But from whom? And to where? This just doesn't make any sense!'

As Jiraiya was speaking, he noticed something falling from the sky above them. A human figure, plummeting down the long cliff!

Even though Jiraiya couldn't clearly see who it was from that distance, his natural instinct to save a falling person took over.

'Someone's falling! No time to think about where we are!' "Bunta!" he shouted loudly to Gamabunta, pointing urgently up. "Save the falling person! Quickly!"

Gamabunta reacted instantly. With a powerful, practiced flick, he stretched out his incredibly long tongue upwards, shooting it out like a fast, sticky rope. It wrapped around Shisui gently, stopping his fall and saving him from crashing into the river and dying.

Shisui, with his vision completely gone, could only feel a strange, soft, wet thing holding him, pulling him out of the terrifying freefall.

'What... what is this strange, wet thing holding me? Is this... rescue? But how? Who?' he thought, utterly bewildered by the sudden stop and the bizarre sensation.

From the cliff above, Itachi watched, his eyes wide. He saw that Shisui had been saved. A gasp escaped his lips, a shaky breath of pure, overwhelming relief.

He gripped the edge of the cliff, his knuckles white. "Shisui!" he cried out, his voice thick with a mixture of shock and profound gratitude. 'He's alive!

Someone... someone saved him! But who was that large presence in the river? A toad?

And... another person?'

Jiraiya looked closely at the figure Gamabunta was holding, and then up at the young man standing on the cliff. His eyes, though still processing the bizarre arrival, sharpened with recognition.

"Wait, that's Uchiha Shisui!" he mumbled, his eyes widening further in disbelief. 'Shisui?! But he's... he's supposed to be... wait. What about... no, that's not right.

This doesn't make sense!' He then looked up at Itachi. "And that's Uchiha Itachi up there! He's so young! What in the blazes is going on?!" His mind wrestled with the conflicting realities. 'Uchiha Shisui is alive? Uchiha Itachi isn't rogue? This... this can't be my time. This is impossible!'

Now, Jiraiya stood there, confused and troubled. He couldn't understand what just happened, and how or where he and Gamabunta had reached. He was confused about one thing the most: Shisui was dead in his own time, and Itachi had become a rogue ninja. But here, he saw Shisui alive, and Itachi had not yet gone rogue.

And so, he did not want to believe it, but actually the truth was that he and Gamabunta had traveled back into time almost six years back, and all because of whom? Uchiha Hikaru's wish of changing the timeline.

And similarly, many people had gone to different timelines and changed the real events, troubling and altering both the past and the future. No one present – not Jiraiya, Gamabunta, Shisui, Itachi, or little Sasuke – had any idea about the massive temporal shift that had just occurred.

"Bunta," Jiraiya then commanded, his voice now serious and full of purpose, pushing aside his overwhelming confusion for the immediate task. "Take me up! And gently, Bunta, gently with the boy!"

Gamabunta nodded, his large form moving with surprising grace. With a powerful leap, he began to carry Jiraiya and the still-unconscious Shisui back up towards the top of the Naka River Cliff.

After Shisui was brought back up, Itachi, seeing his friend safe, quickly moved to catch him in his arms. He gently lowered himself to the ground, his knees sinking onto the damp earth.

He sat down, carefully arranging Shisui so his head rested on Itachi's legs. Itachi's hand instinctively went to Shisui's shoulder, his grip firm yet tender, a silent reassurance.

"Shisui..." Itachi whispered, his voice still shaky with the lingering fear of loss, gazing down at his friend's still face. "Are you alright? Say something."

Shisui, his vision completely gone, blinked slowly, trying to process the sounds and sensations. He felt the gentle support, the familiar warmth. "Is that... Itachi?" he asked softly, his voice weak and raspy, a faint tremor in it. "Is that really you?"

Itachi's eyes were still a little watery, tears clinging to his lashes, but a small, sad smile touched his lips, filled with profound relief. He leaned closer. "Yes, Shisui. It's me. You're safe now." He reached out a hand, gently touching Shisui's cheek.

Shisui frowned slightly, a flicker of his earlier pain returning. "Why... why did you do this?" he asked, his voice gaining a little strength, a hint of confusion and a profound sadness in his tone. "It wasn't right... you shouldn't have stayed."

Itachi gently patted Shisui's shoulder, a gesture of unwavering support. "It's okay, Shisui. It's all okay now," he said, his voice trying to be calm and steady, despite the turmoil in his own heart.

"You tried to save the village, and that's all that matters. Don't think about it. We'll deal with them later, I promise. For now, just rest. And then, together, we'll think about what we'll do about the coup d'etat. We'll find another way, a better way, you and I."

Shisui's face relaxed, the tension easing from his features. A small, hopeful smile appeared on his lips, a flicker of his old, unwavering spirit. "Yes... I'm sure you can," he whispered, his trust in Itachi complete and absolute. "You always find a way, Itachi."

Then, Itachi carefully took out the eye that Shisui had given him earlier, the one he had held so carefully. He offered it back to Shisui, holding it out in his palm. "Here, your left eye.

Put it back. You'll need it."

Shisui reached out a hand, feeling for it, his fingers brushing against Itachi's before gently taking his own eye. With practiced ease, he carefully put his left eye back into its socket. A faint, almost imperceptible tremor went through his body as his vision slowly returned to that one eye, blurry at first, then sharpening.

His right eye, however, was still gone, a dark, empty hollow, taken by Danzo. After placing his eye back, Shisui turned his head slightly towards Itachi, his one seeing eye filled with a deep, profound gratitude. A sincere, tired smile formed on his lips. "Thank you, Itachi,"

he said, his voice soft but unwavering. "Thank you for everything, my friend."

Meanwhile, hidden in the trees, mini Sasuke's small heart swelled with pure joy. He had been holding his breath, crying silently, terrified of what he was witnessing. But now, seeing Shisui alive, seeing his brother cradling him, a wave of immense relief washed over him.

He was so, so happy and instinctively thanked God, or whatever higher power listened to a six-year-old's desperate prayers, that Shisui-san was alive and alright. 'Shisui-san is safe! Nii-san saved him! Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness!'

He couldn't hold back anymore. His small leg moved, taking one happy, eager step outside the forest, ready to run to his brother, to join them, to finally feel safe. "Nii-san!" he called out, his voice a joyful, relieved cry that carried clearly in the quiet night.

But the very next second, everything changed. One moment, he was seeing Itachi, Shisui, Gamabunta, and Jiraiya at the Naka River Cliff, bathed in the faint moonlight. The next moment, the world twisted, blurred, and then solidified.

He was somewhere else entirely. The familiar sounds of the waterfall were gone, the jagged cliff face was gone, Itachi, Shisui, the giant toad, and Jiraiya—no one was there. He was completely alone in a dark, silent night forest. The trees around him were taller, denser, and utterly unfamiliar.

Sasuke's eyes darted here and there, wide with sudden, gripping fear. He spun around, searching wildly for everyone, for anything familiar. 'Where did Nii-san go?! Where did Shisui-san go? What happened?!'

His small mind couldn't process the sudden shift. 'Where did that waterfall go? Where am I? This isn't home!' A young kid of six years old, finding himself utterly alone in such a strange, silent, and dark place, with no familiar faces or sounds, became profoundly scared.

His breath hitched in his throat, and his small hands trembled. There was complete silence, a heavy, suffocating quiet, and no one was around except for him. A cold dread seeped into his bones. His eyes welled up, and he slowly started weeping, the fear growing into a desperate ache.

Then, unable to bear the crushing solitude and terror any longer, his small voice breaking with unadulterated fear, he screamed Itachi's name, a long, piercing cry into the lonely, dark night.

"NII-SAN!!!"

---

QUIZ QUESTION

Q-Based on the narration, what is the fundamental, immediate consequence of Uchiha Hikaru's wish on the timeline that extends beyond just one person or event?

a) Only Uchiha Hikaru was able to travel back in time

b) It caused a major shift in the balance of chakra across all ninja lands

c) It resulted in many individuals being sent to different timelines, altering historical events.

d) It merged multiple parallel worlds into a single, cohesive reality.

AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS (for clarification! 😉)

Hey everyone! 👋 Just wanted to pop in for a quick moment to shed some light on the mind-bending chaos that just unfolded in this chapter! 🤔

So, what you've just witnessed is the direct, ripple-effect consequence of Hikaru using Uraume, the mysterious turtle! 🐢✨ She wished for a change in the timeline, and boy, is it delivering!

To clarify: our favorite pervy sage, Jiraiya, along with Gamabunta, literally just got yanked from his original timeline! Think of it like this: he was about six years ahead of Itachi and Shisui's current time, and then poof 💨 he landed right into their past. No wonder he's so confused, right? 😅

And then there's poor mini Sasuke! Our little Uchiha didn't just get to stay in the same new past as Jiraiya. Nope! He was pulled into another completely different time entirely. 🤯 Talk about a solo adventure before he even becomes a Genin!

This is exactly how Hikaru's powerful wish is starting to mess with and alter the timelines in some seriously unexpected ways! 🕰️🌀 Get ready for more wild rides!

Hope that helps clarify things for you all! Thanks for sticking with the story! 😊

Author's Note

Phew! 🎉 And just like that, we've wrapped up another exciting chapter! Hope you enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns at the Naka River Cliff. What a ride, right? 🎢

But wait, there's more! 😉 I'm super excited to share a little preview for what's heading your way. From the very next chapter, we're going to dive headfirst into the core of our story! 🚀 We'll be moving to focus on the main group of characters around whom this entire adventure revolves. And yes, you guessed it! Our little, suddenly-elsewhere Uchiha, mini Sasuke, is absolutely one of them. 👀 His new path is just beginning to intertwine with the grander scheme of things!

Get ready, because the real journey is about to kick off for our central cast. Can't wait for you all to see what happens next! ✨

Thanks a bunch for reading, and catch you in the next one! 👋