"You... Who are you?!"
Temari's eyes widened in disbelief as three figures slowly approached. Her gaze landed on the man with dark red hair—his appearance nearly identical to her father's. The only difference was the clothing.
"You… damn invaders!" Shiro Rasa, the Kazekage of this world, growled through clenched teeth.
(Author's Note: The main world is Kurosa. The Ninja World of this timeline is Shiro Rasa's. The same applies to later characters like Black Weasel and White Weasel.)
These bastards... they dared to send their alternate-world selves here! Their intentions were becoming obvious. In this world, aside from the few people present and Orochimaru, no one knew the Kazekage was already dead. If this "Kurosa" took his place, the people of Sunagakure wouldn't suspect a thing.
"You two..." White Kakashi stared in disbelief at Uchiha Itachi and Hyuga Neji, their presence almost nostalgic. He had worked with Uchiha Itachi during their time in the Anbu, and Hyuga Neji was the student of his close friend, Might Guy. But these two weren't the same individuals—they were their counterparts from the other world.
Uchiha Obito stepped forward with a casual grin and clapped Kakashi's shoulder.
"Hatake Kakashi from this world has now officially surrendered to the Empire," Obito declared.
Kurosa nodded and turned to face Shiro Rasa and Gaara.
"No need for introductions," he said with a cold smirk. "I've heard enough about this guy's monstrous deeds."
Shiro Rasa's face darkened. His alternate self clearly held deep resentment toward him.
"Before coming to this world, Lord Tenma taught me something…" Kurosa muttered.
With a flash, he appeared in front of Shiro Rasa and struck his abdomen with a palm strike.
"Impure World Reincarnation – Contract Seal!"
A dark spell surged across Shiro Rasa's reanimated body. Instantly, he felt a connection form between him and his alternate self.
"KR—!"
Shiro Rasa stared at the marking on his abdomen, horrified. "What did you just do to me?!"
"A precaution," Kurosa said coldly. "The connection between you and your summoner was already broken. I merely followed the method of Lord Tobirama—re-signed the control contract."
Kurosa snapped his fingers, and to Shiro Rasa's dismay, his body moved involuntarily.
"You b*****d!" Shiro Rasa seethed. "We're the same person! How dare you do this to me?!"
He raged internally. Orochimaru had betrayed him, Obito and the others treated him like trash, and now even his alternate self was against him! Was there no justice in this world?
"The same person...?" Kurosa scoffed. "I felt nothing but shame after learning about your actions. How could someone like you be a version of me?!"
"You sent assassins after your own son! You even used Yashamaru to attempt to kill Gaara! What kind of father does that?"
Temari and Kankuro trembled. Their father—well, the version from another world—was confronting their own with pure disgust.
Kurosa noticed their expressions and softened his tone. "Sorry if I frightened you."
He gave them a warm smile.
Temari, Kankuro, and even Gaara froze.
Did... did their father just smile?
A genuine smile?
It was hard to imagine their real father smiling like that. Ever.
Kurosa sighed. "Judging from your reactions, I can guess how he usually treated you. It must have been tough."
He turned back to Shiro Rasa. "Honestly, just treat him as dead. The Empire has the means to resurrect people, but someone like him isn't worth it."
Shiro Rasa's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You... you can resurrect people?!"
A spark of hope flared within him.
If the Empire could bring people back to life...
Maybe he could still survive!
"Wait," Obito said suddenly, puzzled. "Aren't you the Kazekage of Sunagakure? In our world, Academician Chiyo won the Imperial Highest Ninjutsu Innovation Award for the resurrection technique, Jisei Tensei. Doesn't your world's Chiyo have the same?"
Shiro Rasa blinked in confusion. "Elder Chiyo? From our Sunagakure?"
Obito nodded. "Same name, then it's probably the same person."
Shiro Rasa looked lost. Chiyo hadn't been active in Sunagakure affairs for years.
Kurosa interrupted. "Don't get any ideas."
He snapped his fingers again, making Shiro Rasa's body twitch involuntarily.
"Whether or not your Chiyo has that technique, it doesn't matter. You're not getting resurrected. The Empire has no use for someone like you."
"You b*****d! Why are you targeting me?!" Shiro Rasa shouted. "Is it because of Gaara? I was fulfilling my role as Kazekage!"
He was bitter. After countless wars, Sunagakure was left the weakest of the five great nations. Their relations with the Wind Daimyo were strained. Resources were scarce. He had done everything he could to keep the village afloat.
Kurosa looked at him, disappointed. "When I first learned about your decisions, I thanked Lord Tenma. Without him and the Empire, I might've ended up just like you. That future terrified me."
"Tenma... gave me a second life."
Shiro Rasa was stunned. "Second life?"
"Twenty years ago," Kurosa began. "Back in our world, around Konoha Year 40, Otsutsuki Tenma had already purged Konoha of the old guard—Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzo—and took power as the Fourth Hokage."
"But when the Daimyo tried to limit the village's development, Tenma eliminated the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. The rest of the world panicked. All major and minor Daimyos united. The four great villages and smaller ones joined forces."
"I was the Fourth Kazekage at the time and part of the alliance. We all fought against Tenma."
"We were crushed."
"Tenma unified the ninja world. But instead of executing us, he chose to rebuild—re-educate us."
Shiro Rasa scoffed. "Re-education? That's just brainwashing!"
Kurosa shook his head. "It was painful... but transformative."
He recalled the process vividly: forced to learn anew, to unlearn outdated beliefs. When that failed, there was the final test—the Real Waterfall. A place where you confronted your darkest self.
"I passed. I emerged with clarity."
Shiro Rasa remained unconvinced. "So, you gave up everything? For what?"
Kurosa smiled softly. "For my children. For myself. Titles, politics—they're meaningless compared to family."
"And yet you tried to mold Gaara into a weapon," Kurosa accused. "If you truly wanted him to control the Tailed Beast, why didn't you improve Sunagakure's sealing techniques instead?"
Shiro Rasa scoffed. "I'm not a sealing expert!"
Kurosa stepped beside Gaara, smiling.
"Don't resist. This is a gift."
He placed a palm on Gaara's abdomen. Black, tadpole-like marks spread across his skin.
Gaara gasped. "What are you doing?"
"Your father claimed he couldn't fix the seal. But the best at sealing is the Tailed Beast itself—Shukaku."
The marks entered the sealed space within Gaara.
Shukaku, now free from Genjutsu control, blinked in confusion.
"Huh?! Isn't this... my own sealing jutsu?!"
The black marks drew Shukaku's power directly into Gaara.
"Stop! What the hell are you doing?!" the beast roared. "Why are you using my own technique—better than I ever could?!"
Gaara looked at his hands, stunned. "I can... control it. Fully."
Kurosa nodded proudly. "I developed it from Shukaku's ability. Y
ou're now what I call an 'alternative perfect Jinchūriki.'"
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