Hatake Tatsuya in Naruto

The Chūnin Exams, held twice in the past, were nothing out of the ordinary for Konoha. However, this year's exams held a unique significance for Tatsuya, the traveler. For him, it marked a pivotal moment in the original timeline, the first true climax of the plot. 

As the reality of the approaching chunin exams settled in, Tatsuya found himself momentarily stunned. Had it been more than forty years since he had first crossed into this world? The passing of time felt like the blink of an eye, and yet here he was, standing on the cusp of a moment that would shape the future of this world.

...

...

Orochimaru had decided to participate in this year's Chūnin Exams, and that, inevitably, meant a confrontation with his former teacher, Hiruzen. Tatsuya, however, couldn't be bothered to care about this group of people. Their petty squabbles and teacher or father figure issues were of little interest to him, but others had to constantly trouble Hiruzen.

It was a problem of his own making—he owed far too many debts. To be honest, even without Orochimaru's involvement, if Uchiha Shisui wasn't so bound by his moral code, he would've already sought revenge on Sarutobi Hiruzen. Even in this timeline, Hiruzen had avoided dying at Orochimaru's hands. But, when Sasuke eventually learned the truth about the massacre and death of his father, it was inevitable that he would come for Hiruzen, just as he did for Danzo. After all, there were far too many past enemies, and too many sins committed.

But the plan for Konoha's collapse was nowhere to be found. Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't about to face the fate he did in the original timeline. Even with Orochimaru's motives, the elder Hokage had no real reason to start that chain of events again. More importantly, he lacked the courage—and the strength—to see it through.

Yet, when Tatsuya thought of the Chūnin Exams, one thing came to mind that he couldn't ignore. It was not Orochimaru's scheming, but the hidden threat behind the scenes: Akatsuki. More specifically, the key players—Nagato and Obito. These two were crucial, with Nagato at the very center. After all, it was the Rinnegan in his eyes that held the key to everything. If Tatsuya could ruin those eyes, the course of history would shift dramatically, and countless incidents would vanish.

So, after Itachi joined Akatsuki, Tatsuya gave him a singular order: find Nagato. Learn where he was hiding. Unfortunately, just as Orochimaru had mentioned, the search had not gone smoothly. Whether it was Obito or Nagato, the true leaders behind Akatsuki were elusive. Kirigakure had been reclaimed by Tatsuya and his allies four years ago, and since then, Nagato has remained in the shadows. The man had not revealed himself in person to any other members; instead, he communicated through his infamous projections.

It had been over three years since Itachi joined Akatsuki, yet he had made little progress in tracking down the organization's new base. Itachi kept his distance from Shisui, not allowing him to carry out the mission to kill him, at least not yet. There was still one final task to complete, one final mission to fulfill before Itachi could meet his end.

And Tatsuya would ensure that the mission was carried out.

...

...

At the Konoha Shinobi School, in a spacious, tiered classroom, the atmosphere was tense. Compared to the normal class sizes, there were at least twice as many candidates packed into the large lecture hall. Despite the written exam being centered on testing the candidates' ability to cheat, detect cheating, and counteract it, the challenge was more of an interesting diversion. It paled in comparison to the brutal, war-torn environment that had shaped the previous generations.

Naruto's generation, by contrast, had it easy. They grew up in a time of relative peace. It was hard to believe that even Obito had been a seasoned war Chūnin at the same age.

"This is like... reading a bunch of scribbles! How am I supposed to know all this stuff?!"

Naruto groaned in frustration, staring at the test paper in front of him. The symbols on it seemed to blur into an incomprehensible mess. He buried his face in his hands, his entire body tense with anxiety. He was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Sasuke and Sakura, sitting behind him, exchanged a glance, their frowns deepening. "Naruto, are you going to faint?" Sasuke thought, his expression unreadable. Sakura, trying to stay focused on her exam, couldn't help but feel a bit of concern for her teammate.

Meanwhile, in the staff office located downstairs from the exam room, a different kind of tension was brewing. Kakashi, Kurenai, Rin, Might Guy, and a few other Jōnin had gathered together, discussing the events of the day.

Might Guy, as always, was full of energy, his voice booming.

"Long time no see! Kakashi, my eternal rival! Today, let's run 100 laps under Konoha's fiery sunset!" Guy grinned enthusiastically, clearly hoping to spark a challenge.

Kakashi, however, seemed completely uninterested, sitting with his legs crossed and his arms resting on his knees. His eyes lazily glanced at the others, before addressing the two women across from him.

"I've been sitting around with nothing to do, guiding my dear students on their missions... It's too quiet around here, huh? Rin, Kurenai?" Kakashi's tone was calm, almost indifferent.

Rin, eager as always, was about to reply when Kurenai suddenly flashed a mischievous grin. "Is it impolite to call your aunt by her name? Nephew Kakashi~" she teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Kakashi rolled his eyes so dramatically that his mask seemed to twitch. The gesture was enough to make his frustration clear.

Truthfully, when he'd learned that two of his old classmates—and his uncle—had all received their official certifications of marriage, he nearly choked on his breath. Kakashi had never imagined the day would come when they'd all be sitting around like this, with the next generation rising in power while he tried to hold everything together.

Even if Kakashi didn't want to admit it, the truth was undeniable. Obito's downfall wasn't just a result of his own choices—it had a lot to do with his uncle, the man who seemed perpetually distracted by women. Kakashi couldn't bring himself to say more on the matter, though. After all, matters of love and relationships were never straightforward.

"Rin doesn't like you, Obito," Kakashi thought bitterly, though he would never say it aloud. "You can't force someone to love you just by putting them in a headlock."

"Alright, alright," Rin interjected, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Can we stop talking about this already?"

She quickly shifted the conversation, eager to avoid any more awkwardness. "Anyway, this year's candidates are interesting. Not only do we have Hokage-sama's son and the Uchiha clan's heir, but we also have the next potential Mizukage from Kiri."

"The next Mizukage?" Kakashi and Might Guy both looked surprised.

Rin nodded, her gaze narrowing slightly. "The Haku of the Yuki Clan. The one who looks like a girl."

Kurenai, who had been quietly listening, rolled her eyes. "Terumi Mei, that scheming bitch, is so eager to pass the Mizukage title on. Once she's out of the way, she'll come to Konoha and live shamelessly with Tatsuya."

Kakashi's eye twitched, unable to keep the sarcasm from creeping into his thoughts. Terumi Mei and my uncle… a serious husband-and-wife relationship, huh? The wedding had already been held.

While Kurenai and the others were clearly at odds with Mei, Kakashi couldn't help but feel some discomfort at the harsh words. "No need to call someone a scheming bitch," he thought, but the idea of Terumi Mei moving into his uncle's home in the future was... unsettling, to say the least.

He couldn't help but cover his face with his hand, already dreading the scene that would inevitably unfold in the future.

...

...

"It's been a long time since I've seen you. How is Uchiha doing in Cloud Shinobi Village?"

At home, Tsunade was still lying on the bed. Since stepping down as Hokage, she had fully embraced the life of a recluse. To her credit, her body and appearance had barely changed, though the years had passed. Even an old woman could still hold onto a girlish heart.

Tatsuya leaned lazily against the pillar by the courtyard walkway, using a nearby stone as a backrest. His gaze wandered towards the courtyard on the right, where a familiar figure knelt.

"Shisui."

Now past the age of twenty, Shisui's presence had matured. The Konoha forehead protector he once wore was replaced by Cloud Shinobi's, along with the white vest of their village. At first, the sight had been jarring, but after a while, it became just another part of the scenery.

"The latest information from Itachi." Shisui summoned a crow, which perched on his shoulder. The bird's beak cracked open slightly, revealing a tiny scroll.

Tatsuya's expression remained neutral, unsurprised. It had been more than three years since they last heard from Itachi, and in that time, very little useful information had been brought back. Most of it had been about Akatsuki's internal workings. For example, Deidara had joined the organization two years ago.

"In the latest internal meeting of Akatsuki, neither Pain nor Nagato—the one you were searching for, Master Tatsuya—wasn't present."

"Mm?" At the mention of Nagato, Tatsuya's interest was piqued. His eyes sharpened as he set aside any remaining drowsiness.

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