Chapter 2: A New World: Naruto

The night was eerily silent, the world bathed in the pale glow of the moon. A cold wind howled through the trees, whispering secrets only the darkness could understand.

At the outskirts of Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, a new life was entering the world. A child who, in another reality, would be known as the Child of Prophecy, the Unpredictable Ninja, the Knucklehead who would one day become the greatest Hokage.

But fate had been rewritten.

Time had shifted.

And the world had no idea what was coming.

Inside a secluded cave, hidden from even the most watchful eyes, a woman lay on a bed of soft blankets, her crimson hair drenched in sweat. Kushina Uzumaki, the second jinchūriki of the Kyuubi, Kurama, clenched her teeth, her body trembling from exhaustion.

Then, in a final cry of pain and effort—

A baby's wail echoed through the cave.

A small, fragile life had arrived.

For a brief, precious moment, joy filled the air.

Then—

A shadow moved.

Faster than a heartbeat.

A figure, cloaked in darkness, appeared out of nowhere. In the blink of an eye, he snatched the newborn from Biwako, the midwife assisting the birth.

Biwako's eyes widened in terror. "AN ATTACK!" she screamed, whirling around. "WHO ARE YOU?!"

The intruder didn't answer.

Instead, he held the crying infant in his grasp, his presence overwhelming, his sheer existence suffocating. Then, with a voice that could freeze the bravest warrior's soul, he whispered a name—

"Madara Uchiha."

The cave fell into silence.

Even the wind seemed to halt.

Biwako's breath hitched, her legs trembling. The legendary Madara Uchiha—a man who was supposed to be dead for decades—stood before them. Even Minato, who had just teleported into the cave, was momentarily shaken.

But only for a second.

Minato moved.

Faster than thought, faster than light. His golden hair flashed like a streak of lightning.

In one swift motion—

The baby was back in his arms.

The intruder—Madara—narrowed his eyes behind his mask. He had been careless. But he wasn't done.

In a fluid motion, he shifted his target. Kushina.

She was still weak, her body barely holding on after childbirth. She had no strength to resist. And that was all Madara needed.

The seal broke.

With a roar that shook the heavens, the Kyuubi was unleashed.

A beast of destruction.

A creature of pure hatred.

Kyuubi's howl shattered the night.

The ground trembled. The air burned. The world crumbled.

Biwako and the other attending shinobi never stood a chance. They were wiped out in an instant, mere specks before a force that no mortal could withstand.

Minato, still cradling his newborn son, turned his gaze toward the village.

Fire.

Flames devoured buildings, tearing through Konoha's streets as Kyuubi's rampage began. The home he swore to protect was being turned into rubble.

Minato clenched his fists, his mind racing.

"How?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "How did they know? This place was supposed to be a top-secret location… yet they attacked at the perfect moment."

But now was not the time for questions.

He turned back to his wife.

She was weak—but alive. And in her arms, their son.

Kushina smiled, her voice barely a whisper. "Minato…"

"I'm here," he said, kneeling beside her.

She gazed at the baby in her arms. "He's… a boy."

Minato felt his breath hitch.

He had barely seen his son's face in all the chaos. Now, looking down at the small, fragile life wrapped in a blanket, his heart clenched.

Kushina smiled weakly. "He's going to be a great ninja, right?"

Minato's throat tightened. He reached out, gently touching his son's tiny fingers.

"Yeah," he whispered.

"Better than you?"

Minato chuckled softly. "Yes. Better than me."

Kushina's eyes welled up with tears. "Naruto…" she murmured.

Minato nodded. "Naruto. That's his name."

But their moment of peace was short-lived.

A shinobi rushed in, panic in his voice.

"HOKAGE-SAMA! KYUUBI IS DESTROYING EVERYTHING!"

Minato's expression hardened. His happiness vanished, replaced with fierce determination.

"I'm on my way," he said. "Evacuate the villagers. Get them to safety."

The ninja nodded and ran back toward the battlefield.

Minato turned to Kushina.

She knew what he was going to say before he even spoke.

"I'll be back," he promised.

She clutched Naruto close to her chest, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Be careful."

Minato gave her one last look—then disappeared in a flash of yellow light.

He reappeared at the heart of the battlefield.

Amid the devastation, he spotted Kyuubi. The beast towered over the village, its eyes burning with endless rage.

Minato exhaled slowly.

Then, he put on his Hokage cloak—the one he had left behind. He strapped his special kunai to his belt, the ones inscribed with Hiraishin no justu seals.

The battle had begun.

Meanwhile—

Kushina, weak but determined, carried Naruto in her arms as she made her way toward the village.

Minato had ordered her to stay behind, but she wouldn't.

She couldn't.

This was her child, her family. If this was the end, she would fight with them—until her last breath.

And in her arms—

The newborn had no idea of the world around him.

He did not know he had been attacked.

He did not know his father was fighting to save the village.

He did not know his mother was walking toward a battle she could not win.

But deep within the newborn's mind—

A consciousness stirred.

A soul.

Leo.

Reincarnated into the world of Naruto.

He blinked as he stared at the glowing blue screen before him.

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[SYSTEM INITIALIZED ]

[Host: Naruto Uzumaki ]

[Reincarnation Confirmed ]

Leo's eyes widened.

"System… am I really in Naruto's body?"

[Yes, Host. You have successfully reincarnated ]

"Then why can't I see anything?"

[You are inside your inner world. You can access the system here or modify it to appear externally ]

Leo's mind raced.

"What's the current timeline?"

[Host, you are at the moment of Naruto's birth—when Minato and Kushina are about to die ]

Leo's heart stopped.

The very beginning of the story.

The night of tragedy.

His mind buzzed with memories of the anime, the characters, the villains—the broken heroes yearning for peace.

The manipulators.

The ones who shaped destinies to fit their own desires.

"Konoha's F4… the Prophecy Toads…"

His fists clenched.

"They're no different from real-world politicians. Manipulators who play with lives as if they're pieces on a board."

His gaze darkened.

"This time… things will be different."