Naruto: Xiao Ming in the Darkness

Third Hokage: "What? Naruto is missing? Hurry up and find him!"

"Naruto-kun, could you please not leave?" Hinata watched Naruto before her, tears streaming from her eyes down her cheeks. She truly didn't want Naruto to leave her world.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. When I have the strength to change all this, I promise I'll come find you." The eight-year-old Naruto steeled himself, turned away, and stopped looking at Hinata. Then he vanished on the spot.

Years later, in an underground base, Orochimaru said with an amused smile, "You've become very strong over the years, Naruto-kun. Interested in joining my Konoha Crush plan?"

Pain: "Naruto Uzumaki, our ways of bringing peace are the same. Join the Akatsuki. I'll use something else to replace the Nine-Tails inside you."

The System detected no ill intent from the other party. Host may consider this.

Naruto: "Heh, sure. I can take advantage of this..."

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any similarities are purely coincidental. Do not imitate.