Hokage: Reborn as Hokage, Starting with Saving Jiraiya

The night sky stretched vast and unbroken above the Fire Country, a tapestry of stars glinting through wisps of cloud. Naruto perched atop the massive green-feathered bird, its wings cutting through the cool air with a steady rhythm. His new cloak—black with red clouds—flapped against his shoulders, a relic of Akatsuki's infamy now tethered to his vision of "Heaven." He stared down at it, lips pressing into a thin line, unease gnawing at him. The fabric felt wrong, too heavy with a past he'd claimed but couldn't fully embrace.

Konan drifted closer, her paper wings rustling softly as she hovered beside him. "Junior Brother, what's wrong? Is the bird's head uncomfortable?"

Nagato's raspy voice carried from the launcher strapped to the creature's back. "Come sit behind me—the transmitter blocks the wind. It's quieter."

Naruto shook his head, gaze still fixed on the cloak. "It's not the seat. It's this." He tugged at the hem, voice low but firm. "These clothes need to change. Akatsuki's mark is too loud—everyone knows it, fears it. We're Heaven now, not that."

Konan tilted her head, amber eyes thoughtful. "It's true—Akatsuki's reputation precedes us. Tailed-beast hunters, village destroyers. What do you propose?"

Naruto's eyes lifted to the sky, the endless blue of memory stirring an idea. "Heaven—Ten—it's the sky, right? Daytime's blue expanse, night's starry glow. This black… it's too dark, too grim. I say we dye it anew—blue sky as the base, white clouds drifting across. A uniform that screams our purpose: a bright future, not shadows."

Nagato's frail form shifted, his murmur barely audible over the wind. "A bright future… Yahiko spoke of that when he forged Akatsuki." His Rinnegan glinted, lost in a flicker of nostalgia.

Konan's gaze softened, a rare longing breaking her stoic mask. Naruto's jaw tightened, a flash of irritation darkening his face. What's with these two? Wishing me dead like Yahiko? But the thought faded—Nagato's wistfulness was progress. Shisui's Distinguished Heavenly Gods had tamed his madness, rekindling the light Yahiko had once ignited. Naruto filed it away: a seed for later, when Orochimaru's genius could resurrect the past.

He turned to practicalities, mind racing. Danzo's arm—its Sharingan hoard—was a treasure trove. He knew the path from Sharingan to Rinnegan, a secret from his past life, but he lacked the scientist to wield it. Orochimaru was the key—undying, brilliant, and soon to be his. With Anko secured, Jugo was next—Sasuke's tales had traced the curse seal's power to him, a raw source Orochimaru had refined. Naruto trusted that memory; it would hold.

The bird banked toward the Iron Country, Naruto's Flying Thunder God mark pulling them to a pre-set anchor. Stars blazed overhead as Sage Mode flared, his senses stretching across the landscape, hunting Jugo's wild chakra. Then—a jolt. A familiar pulse tugged at him, sharp and desperate, from a mark he'd etched on Hinata's arm. His breath caught, eyes snapping open. She's calling me.

Since that day—Danzo's blood on his hands, the ramen date he'd abandoned—Hinata had poured chakra into the seal, a silent plea for answers. Tonight, it surged stronger, a beacon of her stubborn hope. "This is ridiculous," he muttered, frustration warring with guilt. He stood, cloak billowing. "Senior Brother, Senior Sister—I've got somewhere to be. Back soon."

A buzz of chakra, and he vanished, leaving the bird's steady flight behind.

Konoha's forest loomed under a silver moon, shadows dancing across gnarled trees. Naruto materialized atop a branch, his marked kunai grounding him in a hidden grove—his childhood training haunt, a secret sanctuary. A shadow clone split off, settling cross-legged to gather natural energy, a precaution as he scanned for threats. The air was still, save for a soft rustle ahead.

Hinata sat on a fallen log, her dark hair catching the moonlight, her focus locked on the Flying Thunder God seal glowing faintly on her arm. Chakra pulsed from her, a steady stream of longing and despair, oblivious to his arrival. Naruto's chest tightened—her quiet resolve, her unbroken faith, cut deeper than any blade. He stepped forward, boots crunching softly, and reached for her arm, his touch gentle but firm. "Enough, Hinata."

She flinched, head jerking up, eyes widening as they met his. Recognition dawned, then shattered—tears welled, spilling down her cheeks, glinting like stars under the moon. "Naruto-kun…" Her voice trembled, a whisper heavy with pain. "Why did you lie to me?"

The words struck like a hammer, reverberating through him, freezing his breath. He stood there, hand still on her arm, caught in the raw hurt of her gaze. That promise—dinner at Ichiraku, a simple night—had crumbled under his defection, leaving her waiting, abandoned. "Hinata," he began, voice rough, "I didn't mean to—"

"You said you'd come," she cut in, soft but piercing. "I waited. I thought… something happened to you. Then I heard—Danzo, the Hokage office, you running. Why didn't you tell me?" Her fingers clenched, chakra faltering as tears blurred her vision.

Naruto's throat tightened, guilt and necessity warring within. "I couldn't face you," he admitted, low and raw. "Not then. I didn't know how to explain—what I'm doing, why I had to leave. You'd believe me, I know you would, but…" He faltered, eyes dropping to the seal. "It's bigger than us. I had to go alone."

Hinata shook her head, voice breaking. "You promised we'd face it together. You marked me—said you'd protect me. Was that a lie too?"

"No," he said fiercely, gripping her arm tighter. "That's real. I'll always protect you. But this path—it's dark, Hinata. I can't drag you into it, not yet." His voice softened, pleading. "Trust me—just a little longer."

She stared at him, tears slowing, her Byakugan catching the storm in his eyes. Silence stretched, heavy and fragile, until she whispered, "Come back to me. Promise that."

Naruto swallowed, nodding. "I will. I swear it." He released her, stepping back, the weight of her trust anchoring him as he buzzed away, returning to the bird's flight.

The Iron Country's jagged peaks loomed below as Naruto rematerialized, the bird's steady beat a contrast to his racing heart. Konan glanced at him, sensing the shift, but said nothing. Nagato's Rinnegan tracked him from the launcher. "Everything settled, Junior Brother?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied, voice steadying. "Let's move—Jugo's next. Then Orochimaru." He tugged at the cloak again, resolve hardening. "And these clothes—they're changing. Blue sky, white clouds. Heaven's dawn starts now."

The bird soared on, carrying Heaven's architect toward his next conquest, Hinata's tears a silent vow etched into his soul.

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