Naruto: Did i Just Get Reincarnated as Gojo?

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"Maki, why haven't you packed?" Temari asked.

"Advisor Gojo said I should—decide after seeing our sensei," Maki replied, her voice flat. The news of Pakura's disappearance had—broken her. The ninja world held little appeal now.

But then, her eyes widened. Pakura, her sensei, was walking towards them.

"Sensei…" she whispered, her voice trembling.

"Huh?" Temari, too, stared in disbelief.

...

Pakura looked at them, her heart filled with a mix of emotions.

She'd thought, after becoming a—ghost in Konoha, she'd never see her student, or the Suna princess, again.

And yet, here they were.

Gojo Kaigetsu could have—kept her locked away in his lab, a—plaything.

But he hadn't. He'd made her an Avenger, given her a purpose. And now—this.

'He's—kind,' she thought, a warmth spreading through her.

'Is this—the Will of Fire?'

To be stationed in Otogakure, to care for Temari, to see Maki again—it was a dream come true.

And the price?

She'd agreed to become the Sixth Kazekage, and—to this.

Pakura blushed, her voice barely a whisper. "Temari—while you're in Otogakure, I'll be—looking after you. You can call me—Mother. Or—Pakura-sensei."

"M-Mother?!"

"Sensei!" Maki rushed forward, throwing her arms around Pakura. Pakura smiled, her touch gentle, maternal. "I'm here, Maki. I'm always here."

…

…

[Konoha Times Announcement: The ninja world faces a growing threat of assassination. To address this crisis, Konoha is launching a new initiative: The Avengers Initiative. We urge all citizens of the Land of Fire, and all ninja villages, to provide any intel regarding bounty ninja and underground exchange offices. Let us work together to create a safer ninja world. Please send all information to: Konoha – Avengers Tower.]

[Kumogakure Announcement: Assassinations are rampant. Elder Advisor is dead…]

[Sunagakure Announcement: The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, is dead—A new bounty has been placed on Sasori of the Red Sand, along with all ninja wearing black cloaks with red clouds.]

[Kirigakure Announcement: The Fourth Mizukage is gravely injured…]

Konoha's declaration sparked a—movement.

With the Four Great Villages seemingly united, even Iwagakure offered symbolic support.

[Iwagakure Announcement: The Third Tsuchikage has—thrown out his back.]

The five villages, united against a common enemy. A rare occurrence. A historic moment.

But aside from Konoha, none had actually committed to forming their own Avengers. They offered only words of support and—vague promises of intelligence sharing.

If they discovered any underground ninja activity within their borders, they'd—inform Konoha.

Who would deploy their strongest ninja for such a—risky endeavor?

And Kirigakure—they no longer had any truly powerful ninja.

Still, Konoha had achieved its primary objective.

They'd gained—some intel, and the Konoha Avengers, now recognized as a—legitimate force, could operate more freely.

That's all Gojo Kaigetsu wanted. A title.

Once the Avengers' reputation was established, with Konoha's backing—they could operate anywhere, targeting anyone.

They'd crush those who opposed them, while offering aid to the—less fortunate. A carrot and stick approach to—world domination.

Gojo Kaigetsu, satisfied, set the reports aside.

"What's next, Kaigetsu-kun?" Minato asked.

"We continue as planned. Purge the Land of Fire, then—expand."

The Akatsuki was still in its—preparatory phase. If their funding was disrupted, their operations would be—hindered.

They'd be forced to—act. And then—they'd be exposed.

A desperate Akatsuki was far more dangerous than one hiding in Amegakure.

Even if he gathered the Five Kage and explained the Akatsuki's threat, they wouldn't believe him. They'd likely accuse him of—fearmongering.

He needed the Akatsuki to—reveal themselves. Perhaps—crash a Five Kage Summit, declare, "Stop interfering with our business! We need to—make a living!" and then unleash a Shinra Tensei. Then they'd understand.

"Excellent." Minato nodded, then asked, "Hiashi Hyuga came to my office earlier, offering to—donate a ninja tool factory to the village. Any idea why?"

"No idea. Just—accept it. It's a generous donation. Have the Konoha Times publicize it."

Each village had its own—quirks.

Kumogakure's elders were like—warlords, their clans vying for control, their ninja interfering in the village's economy. The Raikage, the strongest among them, had to—maintain a delicate balance.

Kirigakure's elders were like—ancient nobles, their caste system stifling the village, hoarding its resources. The Mizukage was a figurehead, offering a glimmer of hope to the ordinary ninja. "See? If you're as strong as the Mizukage, you'll be free!"

Sunagakure's elders lacked true clan backing. The Kazekage held most of the power. The elders represented various interests: water, economic development, puppetry, military expansion.

And Konoha—Konoha was different.

Unlike the other villages, with their large councils, Konoha had only three elders. And they were the only village whose elders had—sacrificed their own clans for the village.

Konoha's clans could only send representatives to the Hokage Tower, with no real voting power.

Perhaps due to the Will of Fire, perhaps because the first three Hokage had been exceptionally powerful and respected figures, the Hokage's authority had never been truly challenged.

In Konoha, the Hokage and the elders were—supreme. The clans had to—obey.

The Hokage's power was absolute.

And the elders' influence depended on their relationship with the Hokage.

In this system, the clans weren't leeches, but rather—cash cows, regularly—milked for their resources. That's why the Uchiha had been so eager to gain influence within the Hokage's inner circle.

And now, the Hyuga, eager to please, had donated a ninja tool factory.

If even the Hyuga, Konoha's "premier" clan, had donated, wouldn't the others have to follow suit? If a single clan couldn't afford it, they could—pool their resources.

The more the clans donated, the stronger the Hokage's authority became. And the stronger the Hokage's authority, the more the clans had to—contribute.

"Report!"

"Kakashi? What is it?"

Kakashi, after a half-month vacation, had finally returned to active duty. His mind, it seemed, had grown—rigid, accustomed to the structure of the Anbu.

"A group claiming to be Uzumaki clan members is at the village gate. They don't have Green Cards. They're waiting in the reception area."

"Red hair?"

"Yes."

"Then what are you waiting for? Bring them in! No, I'll go myself. Escort them to the Uzumaki compound."

…

…

Uzumaki Shūkan appeared to be in his early forties, his temples streaked with gray, his eyes dull, his face lined with wrinkles.

Behind him stood seven other red-haired individuals of varying ages.

Since Uzushiogakure's destruction, they'd been wandering. Their distinctive hair color made them—targets. Shūkan had led a small group to the Land of Bears, a small, isolated nation without a Hidden Village. They'd survived by—manual labor.

Establishing a business was too risky. Their wealth, their hair color—it would attract unwanted attention.

They'd lived in fear.

Especially after hearing rumors of Uzumaki survivors being captured by smaller villages and used as—ingredients—their fear had intensified.

The Uzumaki bloodline—it was a curse. They'd either live in hiding or—fade away, like the Senju.

But then, a glimmer of hope.

An Uzumaki survivor had married the Uchiha Clan Head!

Fugaku Uchiha! He hadn't even cared about her past, had held a public wedding, and paid a massive dowry.

The news seemed too good to be true.

They were—cautious, like wounded animals.

Could this be a trap? Would Konoha lure them back and then—use them?

Though unlikely, Konoha had a—history.

To confirm, Shūkan had gathered intel from merchants who traveled between Konoha and the Land of Bears.

The wedding was real. Surely Konoha wouldn't lie about their Clan Head's marriage?

And then, Konoha's attack on the Land of Lightning, the war with Kumogakure—it was the final push.

The ninja world was in chaos. Kumogakure might—target Uzumaki survivors.

They needed—protection.

Shūkan and his small group had traveled to Konoha.

They'd been stopped at the gate, then—escorted inside.

The village's prosperity was—overwhelming.

The roads—they weren't even made of dirt. And the smells—even Uzushiogakure at its peak hadn't been this—vibrant.

Konoha—it was—a city.

The more they saw, the more—intimidated they became. They walked carefully, afraid of—breaking something.

A young woman with braided hair tugged at Shūkan's sleeve. "Father—how much do these houses cost?"

"I don't know," Shūkan replied, his voice heavy with—resignation. "But—more than we could ever afford."

"This is the new Uzumaki compound. Your—home. The elders will be here shortly. Please wait." The Konoha escort handed them a stack of green cards. "These are Konoha identification cards. Show them to the Military Police if you're—stopped."

"Yes—sir." Shūkan instinctively bowed.

The escort, startled, paled. If Advisor Gojo saw this—he'd be in trouble. The last ninja who'd—displeased Advisor Gojo had been sent home.

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