Here's @riojiyo131, your trusted writer.

You can now get early access up to Chapter 157 of Re: Naruto Uzumaki on my Patreon.

Up to Chapter 11 of Marvel: Star Wars System is also available on my Patreon. Each chapter averages 5,000 words.

patreon.com/riojiyo131

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The first 5 chapters of Marvel: Star Wars System are now available, completely free on my Patreon!

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"Whatever… leave me alone, brat. I'm not in the mood to keep putting up with you..." Madara muttered, turning her back while still lying on the grass.

Naruto watched her in silence for a few seconds before nodding to himself.

Then, his body began to flicker slowly, fading little by little.

Thanks to the system, and the training option he had discovered alongside Hizashi months ago, he had been able to talk to Madara about all of that in private without the chat group members interfering.

But clearly, she hadn't taken it well.

And how could she take it well, having just discovered that her entire life was a lie?

That she had been manipulated from the start?

There's no right way to take something like that.

Madara hadn't just discovered she'd been manipulated—she discovered that her will, her ideals, her fight, her entire worldview… had never really been her own. That everything she built, everything she sacrificed, had been part of someone else's plan. A silent parasite that had shaped her destiny from the shadows.

How does someone react to that?

Anyone in her place would feel rage, confusion, shame, deep sadness. Even emptiness. Madara is strong, but she's also proud.

Her identity is deeply tied to her fight, to her conviction. Taking that away from her is like snatching the ground out from under her feet.

"Maybe Hashirama could talk to her… No, forget it. That would only make it worse."

Back in his room, in the house he shared with Karin, Naruto shook his head, discarding the idea almost instantly.

Right now, what Madara needed was to be alone with her thoughts.

Maybe, later, spending time with a friend would do her some good…

And the only friend Madara had was Indra.

"That could be even worse than sending Hashirama," Naruto thought with a grimace.

But in the absence of better ideas...

...

"Who the hell are you idiots?" Reika frowned, brandishing her sword as she stared at the four who had crossed her path.

She had been training in the fields of the Uchiha Compound when they appeared, surrounding her.

"We are the Sound Four, subordinates of Orochimaru-sama!" they answered in unison.

Reika searched her memory. They were the same ones who had trapped Orochimaru and the Third Hokage inside a barrier during the Chūnin Exams.

She had thought Naruto had taken them out that day, when the barrier disappeared, but apparently they had just escaped.

A fleeting thought made her frown even more.

Naruto had told her about his journey before she joined him.

First, he had run into a group called the Four Men of the Celestial Symbols, then, during the journey, after she had joined, they fought the Four of Yomi, and now the Sound Four were trying to ambush her.

What the hell was going on with all these groups with such ridiculous names?

"Listen up, I'm not in the mood to fight, so you better scram..."

"No one's scramming, brat. But don't worry, we're not going to hurt you, we need you alive," one of them said.

Jirōbō was a burly and sturdy man, noticeably taller and broader than his teammates. His orange hair was styled in a Mohawk, his eyes the same color.

The only woman in the group, Tayuya, snorted in amusement while crossing her arms.

"Shut up, lard-ass. Let's not waste time talking to her—let's just kidnap her already."

Jirōbō turned to her, clearly offended.

"Who do you think you're calling fat? I'm not fat, I'm just strong!"

"Sure, sure, ball of lard," Tayuya mocked without the slightest restraint.

Just as Jirōbō was about to snap back—no doubt sparking another argument—Reika cut in firmly, her tone mocking.

"Kidnap me? I'm afraid it won't be that easy for you weaklings."

Then, the bushes behind Jirōbō and Tayuya began to rustle softly.

A pale-skinned boy with green eyes emerged, two red marks on his forehead and long white hair down to his shoulders.

Seeing him, Reika recognized him instantly—those marks marked him as a member of the fearsome Kaguya Clan, known for their ferocity and bloodlust.

"K-Kimimaro..." Kidōmaru stammered upon seeing the boy step out from the bushes.

Kimimaro glared at them all, his voice as cold as his expression.

"Orochimaru-sama is dead… and you're here, wasting time. Why haven't you captured the girl yet?"

"That's because this girl isn't going anywhere," Reika replied firmly, referring to herself.

Kimimaro didn't even look at her.

"Take her out of the village. I'll take care of luring Naruto Uzumaki to us," he muttered, spitting the name out with contempt.

How dare that Konoha brat kill Orochimaru-sama?

The mere idea that a kid like him had defeated the greatest of the Sannin was unthinkable.

Clearly, Naruto Uzumaki had only gotten lucky and found Orochimaru wounded after his battle with the Third Hokage.

And he, Kimimaro, his most loyal follower, would make sure to avenge his death.

"Don't forget, Kimimaro. We must rescue Kabuto. That was always our main goal," Tayuya reminded him, still with arms crossed.

Reika frowned upon hearing Naruto's name.

Naruto was their target…?

"These idiots..." she thought, relaxing immediately.

If Naruto was who they were after, then they wouldn't last long. Not with him in the way.

Their days were numbered...

Although there was something she couldn't stop thinking about since this Kimimaro guy showed up...

"If you call yourselves the Sound Four… why are there five of you? Shouldn't you be the Sound Five?"

They all stared at her for a second, in perfect silence, before completely ignoring her.

"Sure, don't answer. Leave me wondering..." she muttered under her breath.

"Kabuto will always be the priority," Kimimaro nodded coldly, agreeing with Tayuya's words. "Without him, Orochimaru-sama won't be able to return to life through my body."

As he spoke, his hand slowly slid toward the Cursed Seal of Heaven, marked on his neck.

Reika wasn't really following the whole conversation, but there was one thing she had clearly picked up—Orochimaru had a way to come back to life.

She frowned immediately. Just that idea alone was enough to make her body tense up again.

Kimimaro's head slowly turned toward Reika, locking onto the sword she held tightly.

Without looking away, he raised an arm and pointed a finger at her.

"That doesn't belong to you," he said with a calmness charged with murderous intent. "Give it back."

Reika simply smiled, calm, defying him with her eyes.

Then she answered with a single, firm word:

"No."

...

"Ichiraku Ramen, how I've missed you!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes sparkling like stars as he gazed at the steaming bowl in front of him.

Teuchi and his daughter Ayame smiled at the overwhelming excitement on his face.

"Eat all you want, Naruto! It's on the house! It's the least I can do."

Naruto looked at him, bewildered but grateful, a mix of surprise and emotion.

"Really…? What did I do to deserve that? Don't get me wrong, I'm not turning it down, just… surprised."

"What did you do, kid? Come on, don't joke!" Teuchi replied, laughing. "I still remember when Orochimaru left the village and all those atrocities came to light, the experiments on children… orphans."

"I was just a girl then, but I remember the adults demanding answers from the Hokage," Ayame added in a softer voice. "The streets filled with protests."

"And now you're practically a hero to Konoha, Naruto! You've avenged all those children! So eat as much as you want, until you can't take another bite!" Teuchi continued.

"Fufu~" Ayame giggled at her father's enthusiasm before heading back to the kitchen with a smile.

"Not to mention you saved the Five Great Nations from that Mōryō guy..." Teuchi added in a lower voice, almost as if he feared the demon might hear him from some hidden corner of the world.

Naruto chuckled at the superstitious gesture and turned his focus back to his ramen. But after a few seconds, he looked up with a mischievous smile on his lips.

"Can I bring Hinata too, Sage of the Six Bowls…?"

A bead of sweat slid down Teuchi's forehead at the mention of Hinata, Princess of the Hyūga Clan.

"P-please don't. I'll go bankrupt. I still don't understand how that much food fits in such a small body..."

Naruto burst into laughter at the look of panic on old Teuchi's face.

Yeah… Hinata really was a monster when it came to eating.

All those calories seemed to magically settle in all the right places instead of making her fat.

Eventually, old Teuchi returned to the kitchen to help his daughter Ayame, leaving Naruto alone.

Naruto was finally able to enjoy his ramen in peace.

He had waited a long time for this moment since leaving the village a few weeks ago.

But then, a woman entered the Ichiraku stand, accompanied by a teenage girl who looked about Naruto's age. Without saying a word, both sat right beside him.

The woman leaned an elbow on the counter and rested her head in her hand, watching him with a half-smile.

"Wow… you were so cute as a teenager. You grow up into quite the brute, Naruto."

Naruto froze, chopsticks halfway between the bowl and his mouth. He stared at her wide-eyed, stunned.

Then, just as surprised, he glanced at the teenage girl beside her.

What the hell was going on?