A Multiverse Tale: Hope in Another World!

In ancient times, the Sage of Six Paths' younger son, Ashura, inherited his father's Yang Release power—physical energy, auto-healing, and the like. This power passed down to Ashura's descendants, the Senju clan. The Uzumaki clan, another offshoot of Ashura's lineage, also inherited robust vitality and massive chakra reserves, though they fell short of the Senju's prowess. Meanwhile, the elder son, Indra, inherited Yin Release—potent spiritual energy—which flowed into his descendants, the Uchiha clan. 

Takuma Kirie, perfectly harmonizing both forces, had trained for just half a month yet already boasted a genin-level chakra pool and mastered the Three Basic Techniques with ease. Thanks to his Sage Body and Two-Tomoe Sharingan, his chakra reserves dwarfed those of an average genin. With diligent practice, he'd even picked up [Earth Release: Mud Wall], [Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique], and [Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique]. 

His terrifyingly rapid progress left Orochimaru quietly rattled—maybe even a touch regretful. A monster like Takuma Kirie, if fully grown, might just shake the world to its core. 

So, on the sixty-fifth day of Kirie's stint in the Naruto world, Orochimaru hauled him off to the Ninja Academy for registration without a second thought. 

On one hand, Kirie's success had ignited Orochimaru's research lust. On the other, he hoped Kirie would forge bonds with Konoha's people—insurance for the village's future. 

By dusk, under Kirie's puzzled gaze, Orochimaru led him to an ordinary single-family home. 

After a quick knock, Orochimaru strode inside, Kirie in tow. As they reached the entryway, a small girl with short purple hair dashed over—inner fishnet sleeves peeking out from under a light tan coat. 

"Orochimaru-sensei!" 

She was loud, impulsive, and brimming with innocence—the type who'd be easy to fool, Kirie judged silently. 

"Anko…" Orochimaru's expression softened, a rare sight. He stepped aside, letting Kirie come into view. "Let me introduce you. This is my new student, Takuma Kirie—your junior." 

At Orochimaru's words, Mitarashi Anko's curiosity flipped to instant warmth. 

"Takuma Kirie, looking forward to learning from you," he said with a nod. 

"Mitarashi Anko, your senior!" She thumped her chest with a grin. "I'll protect you from now on!" 

"Then I'll count on you," Kirie replied, a chuckle escaping as he took in this pint-sized version of Mitarashi Anko. 

Orochimaru, noting their easy chemistry, gave a satisfied nod before turning to Anko. 

"I'll be holed up with research for a while. Kirie will stay here with you for now and join your class at the academy. Can you look after him?" 

His tone was gentle—back before he turned rogue, he'd raised this disciple like a daughter. 

"Live together? That's… like… cohabitation?!" Anko's eyes darted to her absurdly handsome junior, her imagination running wild. She floundered, gaze skittering away. 

"Is that a problem?" Orochimaru sounded faintly disappointed. 

"Uh…" Anko stole a glance at Kirie, then whipped her head away. "It's not impossible…" 

"Then I'll leave Takuma-kun in your hands." 

Objective achieved, Orochimaru didn't linger. He clapped Kirie on the shoulder and hurried off to prep his experiments. He'd done his part—now it was up to Kirie to build those bonds. 

As the door clicked shut, the room fell silent, leaving just the two of them.

In the Naruto world, people matured fast—early marriages, early crushes. Alone in this private space with a boy she'd just met, even the bold Mitarashi Anko seemed at a loss. 

Kirie, reading her every twitch, pulled out Orochimaru's wallet with a casual grin. "Wanna go buy some bedding with me? My treat—how about some dango?" 

"Got any red bean soup?" 

"Yep, loaded with beans." 

"Then what're we waiting for? Let's go!" 

Before he could blink, Anko grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the shopping district. 

--- 

The next day, at the Ninja Academy: 

"Takuma Kirie, Orochimaru-sensei's newest student. Looking forward to working with you all." 

Kirie finished his intro and scanned the classroom. 

Yuhi Kurenai, Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin… 

Quite the lineup of future legends, he mused. 

His gaze lingered subtly on Might Guy and Hatake Kakashi. Sure, Uchiha Obito would hit god-tier later, but these two offered the most immediate perks. Might Guy could lead him to the Eight Gates, and Hatake Kakashi? A perfect tool for his plans. 

Scheming how to cozy up to them, Kirie kept his expression aloof, tuning out the chatter of starry-eyed girls.

He hadn't counted on one thing, though: This world's girls ate up the cool, aloof type. From Hatake Kakashi to the future Uchiha Sasuke, that vibe was a magnet. 

Amid whispers from precocious classmates, he slid into a seat beside Mitarashi Anko and Yuhi Kurenai. 

"Wow, Kirie, you're popular," Anko teased, already chummy after a few shared meals. She gestured to the girl beside her. "This is Yuhi Kurenai, my best friend." 

"Kirie-kun, nice to meet you," Kurenai said, eyeing him with curiosity. 

"Nice to meet you too. Since you're Anko's friend, just call me Kirie—same as she does," Kirie replied, his tone warm and approachable—a stark contrast to his icy stage persona. The shift caught Kurenai off guard, a little flattered. 

Cold to others, warm to them—it screamed "you're special." Girls, especially, loved that distinction. 

Kirie didn't overthink it. He just figured letting a future knockout like Yuhi Kurenai slip by without a move would be a damn shame. 

Who knows? Maybe he'd snag something like One Piece's Pure Gold down the line—eternal youth. Picture it: a forever-young Anko and Kurenai by his side… pretty slick.