My New Life is Harder Than Expected(Naruto SI-Waifu Catalog) (Patreon)

Chapter 44

With Naruko now joining us for the ride, I created a few clones and sent them off with Velgrynd to hunt down our remaining targets. Meanwhile, Naruko and I quietly slipped back to her apartment, gathered her belongings, and then made the jump—returning to my original timeline.

We arrived just a few hours after we had originally left, appearing only a few steps away from Kaguya—who let out a surprisingly cute eep of surprise.

Instead of teasing her, however, my attention was immediately drawn to the fact that she was no longer alone. The unconscious forms of Jiraiya and Naruto lay sprawled on the ground. But the most surprising of all was the floating, pale-skinned man with brown hair and a pair of Rinnegan—who turned his gaze toward us the moment we arrived.

The old man stayed silent as he observed me, his gaze lingering on Naruko at my side. He must have sensed the fragment of his chakra within her—amplified by the perk I had granted her and the presence of Kurama sealed inside her.

“Hoh, is this the one who freed you, Mother?” Hagoromo asked quietly, a hint of intrigue in his voice—though his weariness was still evident.

Kaguya, upon being addressed, could only look at her son with a mix of sadness and lingering hatred for the role he had played in sealing her away. “That’s none of your concern, Hagoromo. Soon, this world shall return to the way it once was.”

“Hmm… That’s sad to hear, Mother,” he said, shaking his head in quiet disappointment before turning his full attention to me. “Now, may I ask that you introduce yourselves, young ones?”

I stepped forward calmly, placing a reassuring hand on Naruko’s shoulder. Her grip on my sleeve tightened slightly, her eyes flicking between the unconscious forms of Jiraiya and Naruto, the regal, pale man floating in the air, and Kaguya, whose expression was unreadable.

“My name is Akari Tempest,” I said evenly, my gaze meeting the man’s. “And the girl beside me is Naruko Uzumaki. She’s with me now.”

Hagoromo’s gaze shifted fully to Naruko. His calm and composed expression began to crack, confusion spreading across his face.

“…That cannot be,” he muttered, almost to himself. “The jinchūriki of the Nine Tails is a boy. I’ve watched his journey. His name is Naruto Uzumaki, not…” His eyes narrowed as he studied her carefully. “Who are you, truly?”

Naruko blinked, clearly confused. “Uhh… Naruko Uzumaki? That’s my name.” She tilted her head. “Also, who even are you? You talk like you know me or something.”

I stepped forward, slightly positioning myself between them. “She’s not from this timeline,” I explained calmly. “She comes from an alternate world—one where things played out differently. Where Naruto was born as a girl, and her story took a different turn.”

Hagoromo looked between us, still processing the information. “An alternate timeline… created by your doing?”

“In a way,” I said, giving a small nod. “I brought her here to save her from a lonely path, and to give her something better.”

Naruko blinked, then leaned in closer to me, whispering, “Uhm, who is this guy exactly? And why is he acting like I shouldn’t be alive?”

I smiled softly, playfully patting her hair, which made her pout cutely and swat my hand away. “That’s not important right now, but if you really want to know, I’ll tell you later.”

Naruko blinked but trusted me, giving a small nod. “…Okay. I’ll hold you to that.”

I chuckled at her attempt to look serious. “Of course.” Then, turning back to Hagoromo, I tilted my head slightly. “While this is interesting and all… You don’t belong here, old man. The dead have no say in the living.” I gave him a small frown, my tone firm.

Sensing that the moment for lighthearted talk was over, Hagoromo straightened his posture, his expression hardening with a stern and somewhat disappointed gaze. “Why are you doing this? Do you understand the repercussions of the Infinite Tsukuyomi?”

I turned to Kaguya, raising an eyebrow at her. She sighed in frustration, her tone laced with annoyance. “He foolishly believes you plan to do what I did millennia ago.”

Nodding in understanding, I turned back to Hagoromo, shaking my head. “Even if I were, it’s none of your concern. Now, disappear.”

With a casual wave of my hand, I sent Hagoromo’s apparition back to the Pure Land, sealing off any possibility of his return.

Normally, I would’ve captured and sold him, but that was precisely what Velgrynd and my clones were handling in Naruko’s timeline, so I let him go.

“A fool until the end…” Kaguya whispered softly, her voice tinged with sadness as she glanced at the spot where Hagoromo had been. She shook her head and turned her attention back to me. “Are you ready to begin?”

“Give me a moment.” I turned to the still unconscious forms of Jiraiya and Naruto, letting out a sigh before appearing beside them and teleporting them back to Konoha.

‘The old fool probably used Naruto’s connection to his son to materialize in this world,’ I deduced, only to wince slightly as my enhanced senses were assaulted by a frightened shriek.

“YOU MEAN THAT OLD MAN WAS A GHOST!? GHOSTS ARE REAL!?” Naruko screamed as the fact settled in. She was now fully aware that we had been conversing with a spirit—a concept she was absolutely terrified of.

I could only chuckle at Naruko's reaction, even though her fear was completely understandable. The idea of ghosts was certainly something that could send anyone into a panic, especially when you're suddenly confronted by one of the most powerful figures in history even if she had no idea who he was.

I turned to her with a reassuring smile, trying to ease her discomfort. “Yeah, something like that. But don’t worry, he’s gone now. No more ghosts around here.”

Naruko blinked, still wide-eyed and shaking slightly, but she managed to compose herself after a moment. “Well, that’s… that’s good.”

Kaguya, who had been watching the exchange with mild amusement, stepped forward with an expectant look. "Now that that's settled, Akari, are we going to proceed with the next stage?"

I nodded firmly, turning my attention back to Kaguya and then to Naruko. “Yes. It's time to move forward. There’s much to be done, and we can’t afford any more distractions.” I offered a quick smile to Naruko to reassure her, even though I could sense her growing anxiety.

“Naruko, it’s time to meet everyone. I hope you’re ready?”

“You mean now?” Naruko asked, her voice tinged with panic.

“Yep, I’ll have my clone introduce you while I finish up here.” I reassured her with a smile before creating a clone in an instant.

“Wait! I’m not ready yet! My heart isn’t prepared!” Naruko protested, flailing her arms.

“You’ll be fine, don’t worry. Everyone will love you.” My clone said, calmly taking hold of the panicking Naruko’s hand before teleporting them back home.

‘I’m sure that’ll be an interesting introduction,’ I mused, imagining how Kushina would react to learning that the other her was older than her and already had a kid with someone who’s not me.

Turning to Kaguya, I took a deep breath. “Alright, let’s begin. Let me just bring our spectators.”

Without another word, I focused and teleported Nagato and Yahiko to our sides. They looked around, slightly panicked, until their eyes landed on me.

“…Where’s Konan?” Yahiko’s concern was evident.

“She’s back at home, and she’s doing just fine,” I answered dismissively, before turning to Nagato, who had been quietly observing the woman by my side. “I thought you two might want to witness the end of my plan.”

“You mean, it’s happening right now?” Nagato asked quietly, his gaze drifting to the God Tree behind him. His eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn’t help but glance nervously at Kaguya, whose chakra presence was undeniable despite her calm demeanor.

“Yes. Now, please stand back and enjoy the show.” I stepped forward, activating my Rinne Sharingan and staring up at the moon.

A moment later, the moon turned red, and a red Rinne Sharingan reflected off it. A brilliant, white light erupted from it, engulfing the entire world.

“Shine upon the world… Infinite Tsukuyomi.”

While those behind me were shielded from the illusion by my power, the rest of the world fell victim to its effects.

I heard quiet grunts from Nagato and Yahiko behind me, blinded by the bright light.

“Hehehe…finally!” Kaguya’s voice rang out with satisfaction.

After about a minute, the blinding light faded, leaving the red moon once more, signaling the completion of the process.

“Now for the second part.” I clapped my hands together and concentrated.

“Shin: Jukai Kotan! (Divine: Nativity of a World of Trees).”

The roots of the God Tree spread across the world, encasing everyone under the illusion and binding them to the tree.

“Alright, the last part might take an hour or two, so please be patient,” I said to those behind me, fully aware that the world had now begun its transformation.

=====

(Personal World, Clone)

We arrived just far enough from home for Naruko to catch her breath—a quiet moment before the storm of introductions.

When I turned to her, she was wide-eyed, drinking in the scenery like it was too magical to be real. I couldn’t blame her.

The Creator had truly outdone himself. This place looked like it had been ripped straight from the pages of a fantasy novel—sleek, elegant elven spires laced with modern tech, glowing softly with a surreal, dreamlike charm.

“So,” I said with a teasing grin, “what do you think of your new home?”

Naruko blinked and turned to me, hesitation clouding her expression. “You mean… I get to live here?”

“Of course, silly.” I tapped her nose playfully, earning a cute little pout. “Didn’t the original tell you? Your solo days are over. As long as you want it, you’ll never be alone again.”

The words hit her harder than I expected. A few tears slipped down her cheeks before she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. “Yeah… I remember. It’s just hard to believe something this good could happen so fast. I mean, it’s only been—what—an hour since I met you? Or your original.”

I pulled her into a side hug, pretending not to notice how she stiffened for just a second. Then, gently, I steered her toward the entrance.

“You’ve got all the time in the world to let it sink in,” I said quietly—meant literally. “One step at a time. And no matter what, I or the original will always be right beside you.”

Naruko leaned into me, head resting against my chest. I felt her nod.

“…Okay.”

We walked like that the rest of the way—slow, steady—until the front doors flew open.

A flood of chakra signatures surged toward us.

Oh boy.

I broke away from Naruko just in time. “Brace yourself,” I warned. “They're coming.”

Because if I didn’t move, we were both getting dogpiled.

“Akarii~!”

I barely had time to register the call before I was nearly flattened.

Throwing my hands up like a traffic cop, I shouted, “Wait! Hold up! I’m just a clone!”

The incoming stampede of excited girls actually stopped—thank the gods. I let out a sigh of relief. Getting dispelled by a tackle hug would’ve been so on brand for them.

Kushina, naturally, was the first to zero in on Naruko. “Okay, but… why does that girl look like that loud idiot?”

The others blinked, now really seeing her.

“Huh,” Hanabi murmured, eyes narrowing. “She does look like him. Same whisker marks and everything.”

With a smile tugging at my lips, I placed a steadying hand on Naruko’s shoulder. She was radiating nervous energy.

“Everyone,” I said, voice warm but teasing, “meet Naruko Uzumaki.”

A beat.

I turned to Kushina, my grin widening. “She’s actually your daughter—from another timeline.”

Silence.

More silence.

And then—

“HAAAAH!?!?”

I couldn’t hold it in anymore—I let out a chuckle, loud and unfiltered, at the sight of Kushina and Naruko standing there, eyes wide, jaws dropped like synchronized statues.

In hindsight, I probably should’ve remembered one very important fact about redheads.

They anger fast.

I heard the knuckle crack too late.

A deceptively delicate hand seized my shirt and yanked me down until I was face-to-face with a sweet, absolutely terrifying smile and a pair of ominously blank purple eyes.

“Akari~,” Kushina purred with saccharine menace. “You have exactly one minute to explain what the hell you meant by that—before my fist gives you a proper welcome home.”

Sweat beaded on my forehead like I’d been caught cheating on a test I didn’t know I was taking.

Behind me, Naruko was mumbling something under her breath about being the same age as her mom, while a few of the other girls were already giggling—clearly entertained by my impending doom.

“C-Calm down, Kushina—I can explain!” I stammered, raising my hands defensively as the giggles around us grew louder. Not helping, girls.

“The boss already talked to you about the whole ‘multiple worlds’ thing, right?”

Kushina narrowed her eyes, clearly not satisfied but—thankfully—she nodded. “Go on.”

I swallowed hard. “Okay, so… that concept? It goes way deeper than just alternate worlds. We’re talking infinite timelines. Like, every single choice or change, no matter how small, creates a whole new reality. A giant cosmic ‘what if.’”

I paused to make sure I wasn’t about to get smacked. She was still holding me by the shirt, but at least her grip had loosened. A little.

“There’s a timeline,” I continued quickly, “where you were born with purple hair instead of red. One where you were never part of the Uzumaki Clan. Heck, there’s probably a world where you decided to sleep in one morning and that alone spun reality into a completely different direction.”

The silence that followed was thick. Kushina’s expression flickered between suspicion, confusion… and curiosity. Behind her, Naruko was still muttering under her breath, and the girls? Oh, they were absolutely eating this up.

Kushina stared at me for a long, heavy second.

Then two.

I felt every one of them like a lifetime ticking by.

Finally, she released my shirt with a little tch, brushing it smooth with one hand like she hadn’t just threatened to punch me into another dimension. She crossed her arms, lips pursed.

“So, let me get this straight,” she said slowly. “There’s a timeline where I have a daughter… who’s my age... and somehow you brought her here?”

I nodded carefully, like sudden movements might still trigger violence. “Well you are older in that world but yes. All true. 100% verified multiversal science.”

Kushina’s gaze flicked to Naruko, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, and she was shifting from foot to foot like she wasn’t sure whether to run or start crying.

“…Huh,” Kushina muttered. “Well, at least she’s cute. Got my good side, huh?”

“M-Mom!!” Naruko blurted, face turning crimson.

Kushina visibly winced. “Okay, yeah—don’t call me that. I know it’s technically accurate, but ugh—just stick with ‘Kushina’ from now on, yeah?”

Naruko’s jaw worked uselessly for a moment before she huffed, cheeks still flushed. “This is so weird. You’re the same age as me. You act like me. You even sound like me when you’re mad. It’s like looking into a super embarrassing mirror.”

That got a round of chuckles from the others, and even Kushina cracked a grin.

“Yeah, well, better get used to it, kid,” she said, walking over and casually slinging an arm around Naruko’s shoulders. “Because if you're really my daughter in another life… then that makes you family.”

Naruko froze.

Then—slowly, cautiously—she leaned into the side hug, eyes shimmering just a little.

“…Thanks,” she whispered.

I smiled. Crisis: dodged.

“Woo hoo! Another Uzumaki joins the team~!” Karin cheered, practically launching herself into the hug.

Tayuya was hot on her heels, followed by the rest of the girls, all smiling and laughing as they piled on in one massive, chaotic group hug.

Naruko let out a startled squeak before dissolving into giggles, totally swallowed by the wall of warmth and affection.

I stepped back a little, letting it all wash over me, a soft smile tugging at my lips. It was surreal—watching friends, old and new, embrace each other like this. Like they'd always belonged together.

Even Sakura and Ino were in the mix, and honestly? I wasn’t even surprised. Tsunade was their teacher and probably roped them in the second she found out about boss’s plan. Heck even Tenten was present.

“Stop standing there like an idiot and get in there, stupid.”

I didn’t even have time to turn before Anko’s voice rang out behind me—and her hands were on my back, shoving me forward with no mercy.

I stumbled right into the group hug, swallowed up by laughter, arms, and way too much energy.

And honestly?

I wouldn't have it any other way.

=====

(A Few Hours Later…)

The golden hour cast soft light across the estate, stretching shadows and painting everything in warm hues. Laughter had simmered down into easy conversation—comfortable silence between old friends and new bonds just starting to form.

Naruko sat beside Kushina on the garden bench, still trying to make sense of it all. The others, however, were far too calm. Almost... expectant.

Like they were waiting.

And then, they felt it—the air shifted. It was subtle, but it was enough to make them pause.

“Hey, everyone.” My voice rang out across the garden, familiar and steady. “Sorry it took me so long to return.”

I stepped into the garden, a small smile tugging at my lips as I took in the sight of them all. Kaguya floated gracefully behind me, her calm aura contrasting the energy of the group.

“You’re late,” Kushina called out, her teasing tone betraying the fond grin that tugged at her lips.

I couldn’t help but smile back. “Had to make sure it was permanent.” I shrugged lightly as I stepped forward. “But it’s done.”

When I said that, I noticed the small frowns that appeared on Sakura, Ino, and Tenten’s faces. Not that I was surprised. I’d already received the memories from my clone. What surprised me, though, was that they didn’t have more of a negative reaction to the world-changing decision I’d just made. But I’d leave it for now. I could always ask them later when the dust had settled.

I spotted Kabuto off to the side, hanging back and keeping his distance. His presence, however, told me everything I needed to know—his mission had been a success.

Before I could even take another breath, I felt my face being pulled down into Mei Terumi’s welcoming lips. The kiss was quick but warm, and as she pulled away, she whispered in my ear.

“I hope you’re ready, Akari~ Now that there’s nothing stopping us, I won’t be letting you sleep tonight~” She purred, sending a shiver of excitement down my spine.

As if on cue, the girls rushed toward me.

I barely had time to react before they swarmed me, pulling me into a group hug. Kisses, playful bites, and teasing licks met my skin from every direction. The only ones who stayed back were Sakura, Ino, and Tenten, their expressions unreadable as they quietly observed the chaos.

But then, I felt a slight hesitation from one of them. Naruko. She had been quiet, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes, her face turning a bright shade of red. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearly not knowing how to react to the whole situation.

“I—uh—” Naruko stammered, her cheeks pink as she glanced at me. “W-Wait a minute… this is—this is so embarrassing…” She quickly looked away, crossing her arms and trying to hide her flustered expression.

Kushina, noticing her discomfort, chuckled softly. “Oh, relax, Naruko. You’ll get used to it.” Her voice had a teasing lilt to it as she smirked knowingly.

“I can’t wait to finally leave this shithole~” Karin laughed, her voice light and carefree.

“I wonder what kind of worlds we’ll see next~?” Tayuya chimed in, her grin wide with excitement.

The warmth of it all wrapped around me, a comforting blanket that made everything feel right.

It was time for us to finally move on from this world.