Naruto The Red Spiral Rebirth

"Oh, my sweet little tiger! I was so worried about you!"

In the mission assignment hall of the Hidden Leaf Village, a rotund, overly extravagant woman cradled a small kitten in her arms, showering it with affection as if the world revolved around it.

That woman, as it turned out, was the wife of the Fire Daimyo. She had once been known for her beauty, but now—well, time had clearly left its mark.

Nearby, Team 7 stood watching the scene with stunned silence. Naruto, however, couldn't hide a mischievous smile as he looked at the pampered kitten being manhandled.

"Hehehe, serves you right, stupid cat. Guess you're in for some real suffering this time!"

At the front of the room, the Third Hokage leisurely flipped through a scroll. "The next mission for Team Kakashi is... let's see... helping noble families with their children... or perhaps a supply run to a neighboring village."

His voice was calm as he recited another D-rank mission from the task list.

"NO WAY! Don't give us another one of those stupid errands! I want to do something real—something exciting!" Naruto shouted, nearly bursting with frustration.

Iruka, assisting from the side of the office, immediately cut in. "Don't be ridiculous. You're still just beginners. Everyone builds their experience from simple missions."

"But we've been doing these same boring jobs over and over!" Naruto protested loudly, arms flailing.

Whack!

"Don't act like a brat, Naruto."

Kakashi, tired of his student's outbursts, delivered a light chop to Naruto's head.

The Third Hokage chuckled and continued, clearly amused. "Now, now. Let me introduce your next assignment."

But Naruto sat sulking on the floor, muttering angrily.

"Old man, you always lecture me like I'm still some prank-loving kid. I've grown up, you know!"

Despite Naruto's antics, the Hokage couldn't help but smile affectionately. "Very well. Since you're so insistent, I'll approve a C-rank mission. Your team is to escort and protect a client."

Naruto jumped to his feet, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"A mission to protect someone?! Who is it? A princess? A royal lord?"

The Hokage laughed lightly. "Be patient. I'll introduce him now."

A moment later, a rather scruffy and drunken man stumbled into the room—none other than Tazuna, the bridge builder from the Land of Waves. The Hokage introduced him and summarized the mission: escort Tazuna to his homeland and ensure his safety.

If Tom had been present in the room, he would've immediately noticed something was off. In the original storyline, it was Tazuna himself who exaggerated the mission details. But now, the mission briefing had come directly from the Hokage, suggesting the butterfly effect from Tom's existence was already shifting the flow of events.

Meanwhile, Tom was at the training grounds, guiding Hinata through the second stage of his "Tai Chi Soft Fist" technique.

After three months of intense training, Hinata had successfully mastered the first stage. She could now effortlessly deflect physical attacks that didn't exceed her own strength. Her movements had become more fluid, her senses sharper.

The depth of the technique had started to unfold before her, and she began to understand why Tom had introduced her to it. It was not just a fighting style—it was a path to self-discovery.

As they trained, a calm but magnetic voice called from behind.

"Tom."

He turned to see a small pug with a leaf symbol on its forehead—it was Pakkun, one of Kakashi's ninja dogs.

"Oh, Pakkun. What brings you here? Does Kakashi-sensei have a message for me?"

"We're heading out of the village. Team 7 has been assigned a guard mission in the Land of Waves. Kakashi asked me to let you know—we leave tomorrow."

"I understand," Tom said with a faint smile. But inside, he was contemplative. So the Wave Mission begins.

After speaking briefly with Hinata, Tom made his way to the Nara clan estate. He had left behind part of the "Yangjing Pill" formula with the Nara clan under his agreement with the Hokage, and now he wanted to retrieve a batch of the remaining pills he had held onto. They were crucial—especially since he would soon face Haku, whose tragic fate he wished to change.

Once his preparations were complete, Tom departed for the Land of Waves in secret.

While Team 7 prepared for their first major mission, another scene unfolded on the other side of the Land of Waves.

In a dimly lit corner of the country, two cloaked figures met beneath the cover of trees. Their voices were quiet, but serious.

"How are things going, Tom?" the figure cloaked in black asked.

Tom, the shadow clone of the original body, replied. "I've gained Kado's trust, but I'm still not part of his inner circle. The information I have access to is limited for now."

These two were none other than Tom and his clone, who had taken on the identity of a wandering ninja. After separating from the secret base they established near the border of the Land of Sound, Tom's clone infiltrated Kado's operations to gather intelligence.

Thanks to his knowledge from his previous life, Tom possessed skills and strategies far beyond the technological standards of the shinobi world. Within a few months, he had become a trusted figure in Kado's organization, working in the administrative department of his shipping company.

However, Kado remained cautious. As a result, Tom couldn't yet access the deepest secrets of the company.

"But I did learn that Kado is still trying to hire new mercenaries. A few days ago, he met with Zabuza Momochi again. I didn't follow them—I was being watched. But when Kado returned, he was furious."

Tom's original body narrowed his eyes. "What happened between Kado and Zabuza?"

"One of the bodyguards said Zabuza held his executioner's blade to Kado's neck. Kado was livid. Now it seems he's trying to reach out to missing-nin from the underground exchange again. He wants more dangerous help."

Tom's brow furrowed.

"That wasn't in the original storyline…"

Tom found this deviation unexpected. In the original plot, Zabuza was defeated early, and Kado resorted to thugs. This new development—hiring more missing-nin—was a clear divergence.

"This isn't the original world anymore," Tom's clone replied, rolling his eyes. "This world is real. The script may be similar, but our presence is already changing its course."

"Yeah... you're right."

Tom nodded thoughtfully.

"Keep an eye on Kado. Find out who he's planning to hire. If he brings in any other missing-nin, we need to be ready to stop them. We've already changed the timeline—it's our responsibility to clean up the mess."

"Understood. I'll report back the moment I learn anything."

With that, the clone nodded and began to vanish—his figure warping and refracting like light passing through water. In seconds, he had melted into the air and disappeared.

Tom smiled faintly.

"So... he's even mastered that technique."

The stealth technique his clone had used was a rare and highly advanced form of ninjutsu. It fused Water Release and Genjutsu, utilizing natural light refraction to camouflage the user like a mirage. The technique required not just chakra control but also the ability to subtly adjust one's presence based on the surrounding light.

Few had mastered it. Even among the Uchiha, who could use their Sharingan to analyze illusions, only a select few had the finesse to pull it off.

For Tom's clone to execute it flawlessly meant he had reached a frightening level of control over his chakra and environment.

Now, the pieces were in motion.

Team 7 would embark on their first dangerous mission. Kakashi would test his students. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura would experience their first taste of real combat and bloodshed.

Tom, operating behind the scenes, would quietly begin shifting fate even further—pushing events beyond the boundaries of the original story.

And in the shadows, the ambitions of Kado were no longer just financial—they had become something darker, more desperate. The storm was coming.

And everyone—shinobi and civilians alike—would be caught in its path.

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