A New Snake In The Shinobi World

Orochimaru, leaving the chaos in Konoha behind, traveled far with Kushina. Crossing the border of the Land of Wind, they ventured deep into the barren desert until they reached the legendary ancient kingdom of Rōran.

When he saw Naruto, Orochimaru was only mildly surprised. He had long known about the dragon vein in Rōran, a power capable of traversing time and space. The presence of these strangers from another time didn't shock him.

But when a young girl, one he had no recollection of, stood beside Kushina and called him "father," Orochimaru's composure cracked for the first time in years.

What was this?

A daughter? His daughter?

And not just a daughter, but one he apparently had with Kushina?

The idea was absurd. Orochimaru couldn't make sense of it. After all, he and Kushina had no relationship whatsoever. None!

Orochimaru's thoughts were racing, but before he could speak, Kushina broke the silence.

"You little girl, what are you even talking about? Where are your parents?" Kushina's tone was sharp, almost accusatory.

She was still young herself. How could she possibly have such a big daughter? And this girl—she looked like she was sixteen or seventeen years old, just a few years younger than Kushina herself! How was that even possible?

The girl glanced at Kushina, her expression calm but serious. "Mom, even though you and Dad aren't a couple yet, can't you tell just by looking at me?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of exasperation. "I didn't think my mom would be so… slow when she was young."

"Slow? What are you…" Kushina started to say, but trailed off as the girl's words began to sink in. Her gaze swept over the girl, and something about her appearance struck a chord.

The clothes were normal—just a T-shirt, shorts, and knee-high socks. But her long, striking red hair and delicate facial features? They were unmistakable. She looked so much like Kushina herself, at least 70-80% similar.

Kushina's mind raced. Could this girl really be her daughter?

Wait a second… the girl had also said "Dad."

Her eyes instinctively darted to Orochimaru, her expression filled with disbelief.

"See something familiar?" the girl asked, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. She spread her hands dramatically. "I have to say, Dad's as composed as ever. No matter what timeline, he's always confident."

Orochimaru remained quiet, his expression unreadable.

Naruto, standing nearby with his arms crossed, scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Uh, Lord Orochimaru? You seem like you already knew about this… or maybe not?" he muttered, clearly confused.

Orochimaru's golden eyes flicked toward Naruto. "Your name is Naruto, isn't it?" he asked, a faint smile forming.

"Huh? Uh, yeah!" Naruto stammered, caught off guard. "Why?"

"What's your full name?" Orochimaru asked casually, though his eyes gleamed with sharp curiosity.

"Full name? It's… Namikaze Naruto," Naruto replied hesitantly.

Hearing this, Orochimaru's analytical mind went into overdrive. It was almost effortless for him to piece together the puzzle based on the scattered bits of information he'd overheard.

First, he apparently had a daughter. And not just a daughter, but one with Kushina Uzumaki.

Second, Naruto's full name was Namikaze Naruto, confirming that he was Minato Namikaze's son. But Naruto hadn't called Kushina "Mom," meaning Kushina and Minato were not together in this version of events.

Lastly, Minato must still be alive in the future. Otherwise, Naruto's existence and behavior didn't make sense.

The more Orochimaru thought about it, the clearer it became. The infamous "Night of the Nine-Tails" likely never happened in this timeline. If Kushina had not been with Minato, and Minato had never become Hokage, there would have been no chain of events leading to his death or the Nine-Tails' rampage.

"Namikaze Naruto," Orochimaru repeated with a knowing smile. Then, he turned to the girl. "And what about you? If you truly are my and Kushina's daughter, your last name would be Uzumaki, wouldn't it?"

"Yes! My name is Uzumaki Reige," the girl declared proudly. "My mom gave me that name."

Kushina stared at the girl, completely stunned. "Uzumaki?" she murmured. "Why… why would her last name be Uzumaki? And… what's going on here, Lord Orochimaru?!"

She was utterly overwhelmed. The idea of having a daughter was shocking enough, but to have a daughter who was apparently this old? And to top it all off, the father was Orochimaru? How could this be real?

And why was Orochimaru so calm about all of this? He seemed to be accepting the situation far too easily.

Kushina's mind raced, and for a brief moment, she even wondered if she was caught in some elaborate genjutsu. But no, her chakra flow was normal. This wasn't an illusion.

As if sensing her confusion, Reige smiled faintly and began to explain.

"Let me simplify things for you, Mom," she said.

As Reige talked, Kushina slowly started to understand. These people were from the future. They had traveled back in time through the dragon vein.

Time travel? It sounded like something out of a fantasy. And now she apparently had a daughter with Orochimaru? The whole situation felt surreal, and yet, the evidence was right in front of her.

The more Reige explained, the redder Kushina's face became. Her gaze shifted toward Orochimaru, and for the first time, she couldn't meet his eyes.

Orochimaru didn't seem phased by any of it. Instead, he focused on the information Reige and Naruto were providing.

"So, you used the dragon vein to come here," he said, his voice calm and analytical. "And you're saying there are others besides you who came back as well?"

Naruto nodded eagerly. "Yep, that's right!"

"Can the dragon vein be freely controlled to determine the exact time of travel?" Orochimaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

Naruto scratched his head. "Uh, I'm not sure about that part…"

Orochimaru's expression remained neutral, but inwardly he was intrigued. In his memory, the dragon vein was only usable once, and its temporal reach was limited to about twenty years. But now it seemed… different.

According to what these two were saying, they had traveled back exactly eighteen years.

Reige crossed her arms and said, "Dad, you'll have to study that yourself. Before we came here, Aunt Mikoto warned us not to reveal too much about the future. If we say too much, it could mess things up, even causing the timeline to collapse. And if that happens, I might disappear altogether…"

"Aunt Mikoto?" Orochimaru repeated, smiling faintly. "How many people came back with you? And are there any familiar faces among them?"

"I know! I know!" Naruto began excitedly, but before he could finish, a cold voice interrupted him.

"Naruto, stop talking. It's not your place to introduce me."

Whoosh!

Three figures landed from above, their movements swift and precise.

"Idiot Sasuke! What's your problem?"

***

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