ENDLESS CYCLE

Chapter 7: Rebirth

Soft hands caressed Naruto's sleeping face, gently trying to wake him. As the tender touches continued, Naruto stirred, slowly opening his eyes to see a frail-looking Itama beside him.

"Where are we?" Naruto asked, his voice groggy. "Did you die too?"

Itama only smiled, his eyes filled with a mixture of love and sadness. "No, I'm the only one dying. You, on the other hand, will live on... together with our baby."

Confusion washed over Naruto's face. "Our baby? How?"

"Yes, Naruto. We're having a baby," Itama replied softly. "I don't know how you managed it, but you're conceiving one right now. Tobirama nii-sama confirmed it."

"Where is he now?" Naruto inquired, still trying to grasp the situation.

"He died a long time ago," Itama answered, his voice tinged with melancholy.

Realization dawned on Naruto as he understood that Itama's skill had saved him. "How many years have passed?"

Itama's expression turned apologetic. "I don't know... I mean, I don't know anything about the outside world. I'm only a mass of chakra now and will dissipate once you leave this place."

Naruto's tone turned sarcastic, masking his pain. "So, I'll be venturing into a new world without you while having a kid? Nice."

Itama's face fell, saddened by Naruto's words. "I really wanted to stay. Having a family to live for was always my dream."

Understanding washed over Naruto. He knew all too well the pain of loneliness—of having no family to go home to, no one to wish him luck on exams or tuck him in at night. He felt a pang of regret for his earlier sarcasm.

"I didn't mean to..." Naruto began, but Itama cut him off.

"It's okay. My sacrifice is worth it. I got to see your smile and know our baby will grow." Itama's words were filled with both love and resignation.

Naruto hugged Itama tightly, trying to convey all his emotions in that embrace.

Itama pulled away slightly, reaching for something. "When you go out, give this to the current Hokage. It will secure you a home and a portion of the Senju fortune." He handed Naruto a piece of paper with a symbol on it.

"It's time," Itama said, his form beginning to fade. "Please be safe. Sayonara, my koibito."

"Ai shiteru," Naruto replied, holding back his tears. He wanted Itama to see him happy before he vanished.

In a flash of light, Naruto found himself outside, materializing naked from within a tree.

Naruto took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew he needed to accept his current situation and move forward. Itama had sacrificed himself, and Naruto was determined to honor that sacrifice by living on.

He quickly prioritized his immediate needs:

Find clothing and food in the nearest town.Determine his location and the current era.Develop an alibi and backstory for when he presents Itama's paper to the Hokage.

Over the next three days, Naruto gathered crucial information that shocked him to his core. As he processed this information, he also took stock of his own transformation in this new timeline.

Gone was the boy with whisker marks and a bright orange jumpsuit. In his place stood a young man who looked both familiar and strangely different. Naruto's face, now devoid of the distinctive whisker marks, revealed smooth, tanned skin that spoke of long hours spent under the sun. His bright blue eyes, as deep and vast as the ocean, remained unchanged, still carrying that spark of determination and mischief that defined him. His golden blond hair, once wild and spiky, had grown slightly longer, falling in softer waves around his face and brushing the nape of his neck.