Naruto Cipher: The Nightmare that Lived

The winter chill was merciless, blanketing the streets of Konoha in thick layers of snow. The village was quiet, but not for the right reasons. In a secluded alleyway, the sound of cruel laughter echoed against the walls, drowning out the soft whimpers of a small girl.

Hinata Hyuga cowered against a cold stone wall, her lavender eyes filled with unshed tears. Three boys loomed over her, their grins sharp and unforgiving. One of them shoved her roughly, sending her falling into the snow.

"What? The princess of the Hyuga Clan is crying?" the tallest of the three sneered, his breath visible in the freezing air. "You're weak. Just like that demon brat!"

Hinata sniffled but didn't reply. She tried to stand, but another boy kicked snow into her face, making her fall back down. The bullies laughed harder.

"What a waste of space. You're just as pathetic as that monster."

A voice cut through the laughter, small yet unwavering.

"Leave her alone."

The bullies turned. A six-year-old boy stood at the entrance of the alleyway, his golden hair messy and dusted with snow. His blue eyes, though young, held a determination far beyond his years.

"Oh? The demon himself decided to show up?" one of them mocked, cracking his knuckles. "What? You gonna save your little girlfriend?"

Naruto Uzumaki ignored their taunts. He knew these kids—he'd been their favorite punching bag for years. It didn't matter what he did; they always had an excuse to hit him. But Hinata... she hadn't done anything. She didn't deserve this.

He stepped forward, positioning himself between her and them. "I said leave her alone."

The tallest bully scoffed. "And what if we don't?"

Naruto clenched his fists. "Then you'll have to go through me."

The boys exchanged glances before their grins widened. "Gladly."

They swarmed him.

Naruto barely had time to react before the first punch landed in his gut, knocking the air from his lungs. He staggered, but another hit crashed into his ribs. A sharp pain spread through his side, but he refused to fall. He had to protect her.

Another fist connected with his face, sending him sprawling into the snow. He tried to push himself up, but a kick slammed into his stomach, forcing him down again. The cold seeped into his skin, mixing with the sharp sting of bruises forming on his body.

"Not so tough now, huh?" one of them spat, kicking him in the ribs again.

Naruto gasped, his vision swimming. He could barely hear Hinata's choked sobs behind him. He needed to stand up. He needed to fight back. But his small body refused to move.

"Finish him off," the first bully ordered.

One of them grabbed a stone from the ground, its jagged edges glinting under the pale winter sun. He stepped over Naruto, lifting the rock high above his head.

"Say goodnight, demon."

The stone came down.

A sickening crack echoed through the alleyway.

Silence followed.

The boy holding the stone stumbled back, his hands trembling. The snow beneath Naruto's head darkened with crimson, steam rising as warm blood melted the frozen ground.

"Y-You killed him..." one of them whispered, his voice barely audible.

The boy who had delivered the fatal blow dropped the stone, his face pale. "I... I didn't mean to..."

The tallest bully swallowed hard before forcing a grin. "Good riddance. We just did the village a favor, right?"

The others hesitated but eventually nodded. "Yeah... we did a good thing."

The lifeless body of Naruto Uzumaki lay motionless in the snow, his bright hair stained red. The alley was silent except for Hinata's broken sobs, her small hands gripping Naruto's sleeve as if willing him to wake up.

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Elsewhere, Beyond Reality 

In a place far removed from the mortal world, a vast chamber stretched endlessly, its walls adorned with knowledge beyond comprehension. A long obsidian table sat at the center, surrounded by figures cloaked in secrecy and power.

The O5 Council Room.

At the head of the table sat a boy—no, a man, despite his youthful appearance. He rested his chin on his hand, expression unreadable beneath the sharp gleam of his yellow-ringed eyes. He wore no grand robes, no armor—just a simple suit, yet the air around him crackled with an energy that defied logic itself.

Naruto Cipher, the Third Seat of the SCP Foundation's O5 Council.

Across from him, a girl lounged lazily, her cat-like golden eyes half-lidded as she swirled a cup of tea. She looked human, but only at a glance. The weight of her presence alone could bend fate itself.

Bernkastel, the Voyager Witch of Miracles, the Second Seat of the O5 Council.

She smirked. "So... you want to resign from your seat, Naruto Cipher?"

Naruto leaned back in his chair, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah. Consider it my next game."

Suddenly, wild cats surrounded Naruto, summoned by Bernkastel—cats that could devour stories and multiverses. Some of them gathered and formed a leviathan-like whale with countless teeth.

Naruto exhaled. "I take that as a no."

Bernkastel moved toward him, revealing her sharp teeth as she whispered, "Don't forget, we were the ones who accepted you without question. You have luxury beyond anyone—not even your pathetic self as the Seventh Hokage could compare."

Naruto Cipher chuckled. "That's a bit of a handful. I enjoy the luxury, but I can't stay. That's too bad..." He smirked. "Lambdadelta, I call in one of my favors."

Bernkastel scoffed. "Lambda? She's not the type to—"

A massive explosion of konpeito erupted as Lambdadelta, the Witch of the Absolute, appeared.

"Ya halooo! Lambda's here!~" she declared with a grin. "And you know me—I reward those who work hard. My words are absolute."

Lambdadelta paused and grinned wider. "Ohhh, Bern! Long time no see!"

Bernkastel wiped blood from her mouth, glaring. "Lambda, you've got the worst timing."

She turned toward Naruto—only to find he was gone.

Her expression darkened. "Lambda... where the fuck did my toy go?"

LambdaDelta scratched her head. "Uhhh... I think I got tricked?"

Suddenly, an alarm blared across the SCP Foundation facility—all Keter-class SCPs had been released.

Bernkastel sighed, unimpressed, while the rest of the staffs erupted into chaos.

Meanwhile, Naruto Cipher stood amidst the storm of red lights and wailing sirens, clad in a brown coat, his single eye covered by a black eyepatch, leaning on a cane with an amused smirk.

He had fashioned himself as the next dream demon, having eliminated the previous one.

Hundreds of thousands of eyes turned toward him as the space darkened, the fabric of reality twisting around him. But before true havoc could unfold, Bernkastel's wild cats swarmed the area, effortlessly restraining the escaped SCPs with predatory grace.

As the darkness pulsed, Bernkastel manifested, her piercing glare locking onto Naruto.

"There's nowhere to run, Naruto. You belong to me, and ONLY ME."

Good, Naruto mused. The plan hasn't derailed yet.

He made his move—a suicidal one.

Summoning the most dangerous SCPs, he detonated them simultaneously, sending an explosion of paradoxical energy spiraling through the facility. Reality buckled, tearing at the seams, consuming everything in its wake.

Bernkastel, unfazed, brandished her dark black scythe—one that harvested miracles from reality itself.

She slashed through the chaos, cutting down SCPs as though they were mere paper dolls. But when the smoke cleared, all that remained was Naruto's lifeless corpse.

She exhaled sharply, lowering her weapon. "Better to die as a lion than live as a slave. Fine. I won't pursue you."

Beside her, Lambdadelta let out a dramatic wail. "Boohooooooo! Tsundere! You miss him!"

Without hesitation, Bernkastel swung her scythe, severing Lambda's arm.

Lambdadelta gasped, eyes wide, as Bernkastel readied her needle and thread.

"Prepare yourself, Lambda," she said, voice dangerously sweet. "My toy is gone. Now you will be my next object of focus."

Lambdadelta gulped, sweat forming on her brow. "C-Can you be a little kinder, Bern? You look kinda scary right now..."

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The snow fell in soft, silent sheets, blanketing the streets of Konoha in an eerie stillness. The wind howled through the narrow alleyway where a child lay motionless, his golden hair stained red against the frost.

Hinata Hyuga knelt beside him, her body trembling, tears streaming down her face as she gripped his sleeve. "P-Please… wake up…" her voice cracked, desperate, broken.

For a moment, nothing happened. The world stood still.

And then—

A deep, ragged breath tore through the silence.

Naruto Uzumaki's fingers twitched. His body spasmed. His eyes snapped open, but they were no longer the soft, defiant blue of a hopeful child. They were sharp, cunning—predatory. The kind of eyes that had seen everything and laughed in the face of oblivion.

A slow grin spread across his lips, filled with something far beyond human understanding. He sat up, stretching his arms as though waking from a nap, glancing around the bloodstained snow with detached amusement.

"Isn't this where I died? Hmm… yeah. First time, anyway."

He dusted off his torn jacket, unfazed by the gore beneath him. His voice dropped to a casual, almost lazy murmur. "I've died a billion times by now… to the point where death is just a restart button." He exhaled, shaking his head. "Isn't that right, Bern?"

There was no answer, of course. Not here. But he chuckled to himself. "Though, you probably can't hear me, you yandere step-sister of mine." He spread his arms wide and tilted his head back, grinning like a madman.

"BECAUSE I'M FREE, MOTHERFUCKERRRRR!"

His laughter rang through the alley like shattered glass, raw and mocking.

The three bullies, who had been backing away in horror, froze mid-step. Their faces paled, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"T-The demon child is still alive!" one of them stammered.

One of the taller boys clenched his fists and, despite the sickening dread curling in his gut, took a step forward. "N-No! We killed you! You can't—"

Naruto Cipher turned his head, amusement flickering across his face. "Killed me? Buddy, you're gonna have to try harder than that."

He tapped his temple with a single finger. "You know… I think it'd be funny if your bones were made of cookies."

The words barely left his lips before the two boys who had stepped toward him collapsed.

Sickening, wet cracks filled the air. Their limbs twisted unnaturally, their bodies convulsing as their bones—no, their entire skeletal structures—crumbled into brittle, crumbling cookie-like fragments inside them. Blood burst from their skin as sharp shards of "cookie bones" shredded their flesh from the inside.

They screamed—high-pitched, inhuman sounds of agony—before their lungs filled with blood, cutting them off into gurgled, choked gasps.

Naruto Cipher tilted his head, watching with mild interest as they spasmed on the ground.

"Hmm… Too much blood. Guess I didn't specify the cookies weren't sharp." He shrugged. "Eh, I'll get better at it."

The remaining bully—now the only one standing—staggered back, his face ghostly white. His legs trembled so hard that he collapsed into the snow, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

Naruto Cipher stretched lazily, his sharp yellow eye glinting in the pale moonlight as he summoned his cane into his hand, tapping it against the ground.

He lifted his free hand to his face and frowned, feeling the emptiness where his left eye should be.

"Tch. Damn. I lost an eye," he muttered, adjusting his grip on his cane. "Guess I'll have to do something about that later."

Then it hit him. He had just suffered something that had never truly happened to him before. Every overpowered cultivator, every so-called strongest being across worlds, always had that one moment—when they were knocked down, when they lost everything. But him?

It had never happened. He had always won. Even when he died, he came back. Even when he lost, he adapted.

But death inside the SCP Foundation? That was a different story.

He stretched his arm, rolling his shoulder as he processed the situation.

I just lost most of my power… the Weirdmageddon itself. I probably only hold a small fraction of what I once had.

His influence—the sheer ability to break reality at will—had been crippled. But not erased.

Naruto closed his remaining eye, reaching out with his senses, testing the waters.

Good news… as long as it's within 300 meters, I can still influence reality.

Pathetic compared to what he once had, but a start nonetheless.

He exhaled, deep in thought. This is kinda like Sukuna's domain expansion—200 meters of absolute control. A smirk tugged at his lips. Though, Sukuna could unleash everything he had with a binding vow. Meanwhile, I'm just a downgraded version of my former self.

His gaze flicked toward the last remaining bully—the only one still standing. The boy trembled, frozen in terror, his body refusing to move. Naruto smirked.

"Let's make a deal, my dear friend."

The boy flinched. "Y-You're gonna let me live? After we… after we blinded your eye?"

Naruto clicked his tongue and waved a hand lazily. "Tick tock, kid. Do you want to shake my hand or not?"

A blue flame flickered to life in his palm, its glow casting eerie shadows across the alley.

The bully's breath hitched. Fear clouded his judgment, numbing his instincts. His young mind couldn't comprehend the feeling of something far greater than him pulling at his existence. He was too terrified to question it.

And so, he lunged forward and grabbed Naruto's hand.

The moment their hands connected, the boy let out a bloodcurdling scream.

His body twisted and contorted, his limbs rearranging in impossible ways. His fingers fused into his ribs, his eyes rotated to the back of his skull, his torso bent and stretched in ways that defied human anatomy. His legs inverted, his spine cracked outward, forming jagged protrusions that didn't belong.

His mouth opened wide, but it wasn't his mouth anymore. It was somewhere else, misplaced on his body, gurgling incomprehensible agony.

Every part of him shuffled and reshuffled, like a grotesque puzzle being forcefully reassembled in the wrong order.

Naruto watched it all with mild amusement, spinning his cane in his fingers.

… I can regain my power by tricking people into shaking my hand.

It clicked instantly.

Bill Cipher used deals because he couldn't invade minds directly—he needed consent. He manipulated people into giving him access.

But Naruto Cipher? He didn't need permission to invade someone mind . however he still need to the handshake to regain what he lost .

Naruto Cipher exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as he let the lingering remnants of his regained power settle within him.

"Three hundred meters and… one centimeter," he muttered, flexing his fingers. "Not bad."

His gaze shifted toward Hinata.

The girl stood frozen, her small frame trembling violently. Her pale white eyes were wide, brimming with fear—this Naruto standing before her was nothing like the one she had known just moments ago.

Naruto tilted his head, his sharp yellow eye studying her.

"You're… Hinata, right?"

She flinched, but nodded. Once. Twice. Then countless times, as if afraid that failing to answer fast enough would cost her something.

Naruto chuckled. The sheer terror in her reaction amused him.

Then, without warning, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

Hinata gasped, her entire body locking up in pure shock.

"Don't be afraid," Naruto murmured against her skin, his voice low, almost hypnotic. "I'm still Naruto."

He pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, grinning.

"And Hinata… would you be my wife?"

Hinata's cheeks instantly turned red—a deep, burning crimson that spread all the way to the tips of her ears.

"E-Ehh?" Her tiny hands flew to her flushed face, her brain short-circuiting. "N-Naruto-kun… w-wanted me… to be his w-wife?!"

Naruto smirked, watching her reaction with interest. "Am I that handsome, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata frantically nodded, unable to form words.

"V-Very handsome!" she squeaked, practically vibrating in place. Then, suddenly, her expression turned serious—almost determined.

"U-Umm! Naruto-kun… w-would you… like to c-come to my house?" she stammered, her voice high-pitched but sincere. "I-I can hide you from my p-parents!"

She clasped her hands together tightly, her tiny fingers gripping each other with nervous energy.

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

Even in her six-year-old innocence, she was offering to protect him?

Naruto sighed. "That's nice and all, but I have to refuse, Hinata-chan."

Her expression immediately dropped. A faint, almost pitiful sadness flickered across her face.

"Oooouuuhhh… Naruto-kun… w-will we mee—"

Before she could finish, he was gone.

Hinata blinked. The only thing left of him was the imprint of his footsteps in the snow.

Naruto Cipher walked through the freezing streets of Konoha, his cane tapping against the icy ground.

The cold of the snow doesn't bother me at all… he mused. That means I'm immune to sickness. Probably poison as well.

He flexed his fingers, feeling absolutely nothing from the cold winds slicing through the village. His body was adjusting—adapting.

But that didn't change the real problem.

I need to shake hands to regain my power, and my status as the 'demon brat' makes that very difficult.

Every villager already avoided him like a plague. No one in their right mind would willingly touch him.

Unless…

Naruto's sharp yellow eye glimmered with amusement as an idea formed.

The Ichiraku Ramen Shop stood at the edge of a quiet street, steam rising from the warm bowls inside.

Naruto pushed the curtain aside and stepped in.

Behind the counter, Teuchi—the old ramen chef—looked up and grinned.

"Oh! Naruto! Want to buy ramen again?"

Naruto gritted his teeth internally. I hate this. I hate this so much.

A former O5 Council member of the SCP Foundation, a man who has rewritten fate and world itself, now begging to be a dishwasher.

It was humiliating. But necessary.

Naruto dropped to his knees in front of the counter, pressing his hands together dramatically.

"Teuchi-ojisan! Can you accept me as a dishwasher or a cleaner?!"

Teuchi blinked. "Uhhh… what?"

The old ramen chef scratched his head, genuinely confused.

In his mind, Naruto was supposed to be a naughty, hyperactive kid. Someone who caused trouble to attract attention.

But now, this same kid was begging to do chores? Something about that didn't make sense.

Naruto forced a smile, hiding his frustration. If this was what it took to stay under the radar, then so be it.

Teuchi scratched his head, looking at Naruto with a mixture of confusion and pity.

"Sure, kid. You can work here," he said, sighing. "But business isn't great right now… I hope you don't mind if I pay you late."

Naruto shrugged, his tone casual. "As long as you give me food—real food, not cockroaches or bugs—I'll be fine. I just need a small place to stay, as long as it's on the ground. Dirt is fine."

Teuchi frowned. That sounded… rough. Even for Naruto. He had already been bullied enough—everyone knew it—but now the kid was talking like he expected to be treated even worse.

The old ramen chef sighed again. "Just don't take my daughter Ayame's job as a chore worker," he warned. "She might get angry if you step on her territory."

Naruto smirked, nodding. "I'll do my best. Thanks, old man."

With that, Naruto grabbed an apron, tied it around his waist, and got to work, scrubbing dishes behind the counter. The familiar warmth of the ramen shop surrounded him, the scent of broth and soy sauce lingering in the air. It was… peaceful.

Teuchi watched him for a while, rubbing his chin. Then, something caught his eye—Naruto's left eye was covered by an eyepatch.

"Naruto," Teuchi asked hesitantly. "That eyepatch… is that really necessary?"

Naruto didn't look up from the dish he was scrubbing. "One of my eyes is gone. That's all."

Teuchi swallowed hard. One of his eyes gone. Yet the kid shrugged it off like it was nothing.

Before Teuchi could say more, the shop curtain rustled, and a customer stepped in.

"One ramen, please," the man said, stretching as he took a seat at the counter.

Teuchi stiffened.

This is bad… he thought. If someone finds out Naruto is working here, he might get stones thrown at him again. Hasn't this boy had enough bullying already?

He glanced at Naruto, ready to tell him to step into the back.

But when he looked—

Naruto had already changed.

A face mask covered his mouth, a white chef's hat sat on his head, and his entire demeanor had shifted. His sharp yellow eye glinted with amusement as he smoothly stepped forward, grabbing a menu.

"Names Bill," Naruto said, his voice slightly deeper, adding an extra flourish with his hand. "Just got recruited here. We got normal ramen, ramen with pork, or…" He leaned in slightly. "Would you like to hear my jokes?"

The customer raised an eyebrow before grinning. "Tell me a joke, Bill."

Naruto tilted his head, acting as if he were deep in thought. Then, after a moment, he snapped his fingers.

"What's a fish that can't swim?"

The customer chuckled, trying to guess. "A dead fish?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope."

"A paralyzed fish?"

"Wrong again."

"A dried-up fish?"

"Close, but no."

The customer sighed. "Alright, what is it, Bill?"

Naruto leaned forward slightly, his eye glinting with mischief.

"It's a fucking idiot that forgot it can swim."

There was a brief silence—then the customer burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Damn, Bill, that was good!" The man wiped a tear from his eye. "Teuchi, I'm ordering ten more bowls. This guy's hilarious!"

Teuchi blinked. Just like that…

Naruto turned a potential problem into an opportunity.

For the first time in a long while, Teuchi smiled. Maybe, just maybe… this could work.

The customer, after finishing his last bowl, let out a satisfied sigh and stretched. "That hit the spot," he said, grinning. Then, as if on impulse, he extended his hand toward Naruto.

"Good work, Bill. Shake on it?"

Naruto's eye flickered.

For a split second, he almost reached out without thinking—but then, blue flames flickered to life in his palm.

The customer raised an eyebrow. "Whoa, is this another joke, Bill?"

Naruto tilted his head, smiling behind his mask. "Magicians have their tricks. Want to try one out?"

The man chuckled. "Why not?"

Their hands clasped together. Naruto smiled secretly. This ramen shop… was perfect.

A place where people came willingly, laughed freely, and left in a good mood. The most natural environment to trick people into shaking his hand.

He had just created his own human farm.

The customer, oblivious to what had just happened, laughed as he stepped toward the street. "Bill, you should open a circus! You've got talent for entertainment."

Naruto sighed dramatically. "Ah… sadly, I got fired from my last circus gig."

The man chuckled and disappeared into the streets, leaving Naruto standing behind the counter, twirling a wet rag in his hand.

Teuchi, who had been silently watching the whole thing, finally exhaled and leaned on the counter.

"You just turned the biggest problem of your life into the best employee of the month," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm impressed, kid. And you're helping my business too."

Naruto smirked, adjusting his chef's hat.

"As long as I keep making jokes and making people happy… for now, that's enough," he said.

His voice was lighthearted, but something darker lingered beneath it.

"After all… no one ever knows when we're all gonna die."

As the hours passed, the small ramen shop transformed into an unexpected attraction.

At first, five customers came in, curious to hear "Bill's" jokes.

Naruto casually shook their hands, each time letting the flickering blue flames amuse them, earning chuckles and applause.

By the end of an hour, seven people had unknowingly helped him regain a fraction of his power.

But it didn't stop there. Word spread fast—Konoha was small, and laughter was rare these days. By the last hour before closing, nearly a hundred people had gathered, all packed into Ichiraku, spilling into the streets.

And they all wanted to hear Bill's final riddle of the night.

Naruto, standing behind the counter, leaned forward with a mischievous smirk.

"Alright, listen closely," he said, tapping his cane lightly on the wooden counter. "There was a green frog who was still sleeping at 7 in the morning. Someone knocked on his bedroom door seven times. And Tadaa! It was the frog's friend, who wanted to surprise him for breakfast."

He gestured with his hand as he continued.

"The friend brought several gift boxes, all containing the frog's favorite foods. There were nuts, cheese, chocolate, bread, fried rice, milk, and live flies."

A brief pause.

"The goal? To eat together."

Naruto let the riddle settle in.

"So, tell me…" He grinned, scanning the eager faces of a hundred customers.

"What should the frog open first?"

The crowd erupted into discussions.

"Open the door!" someone shouted.

"Open the Hokage's office!" another yelled.

"Open the gift boxes!"

"Open his mouth to eat the food!"

Naruto chuckled, shaking his head. "Wrong. Wrong. Wrong."

The crowd groaned in frustration, more people shouting out answers.

"Give up, guys?" Naruto teased.

A man in the back raised his hands in surrender. "Bill, you always have the hardest riddles and jokes. We give up—tell us the answer!"

Naruto leaned in, his one yellow eye glinting with mischief.

"Open your eyes."

Silence. Then—

"HAAAAAHHHHHH?!" The entire crowd shouted in shock.

Naruto tapped his temple. "The frog was still asleep, dumbasses! Can you pay a little more attention to what I said at the beginning?"

A beat of silence. Then— Roaring laughter.

The entire shop burst into cackles and groans, people slapping their knees, shaking their heads, and pointing at each other in realization.

"We got tricked!"

"Damn it, Bill! I should've seen that coming!"

"That was evil!"

Naruto simply smiled behind his mask, secretly pleased.

Because in that one night—over a hundred people had shaken his hand.

And with each handshake, his power slowly returned.

As the shop finally closed in the dead of night, Naruto stayed behind, washing dishes alongside Ayame.

The warm scent of broth still lingered in the air, mixing with the faint aroma of soap as the two worked side by side, scrubbing the last of the bowls.

Ayame, wiping her hands on a towel, sighed in relief. "Naruto… I just wanted to say, I'm really thankful."

Naruto didn't respond, just kept scrubbing.

She smiled softly, looking at the pile of empty bowls. "Because of you, we had a huge rush of customers tonight. We made so much that we can finally pay off our debts." She hesitated before adding, "You can… sleep in my room if you want."

Naruto remained silent, methodically rinsing a bowl under the water.

Ayame frowned slightly.

Is this really the same Naruto who used to run around, getting yelled at for pulling pranks?

She bit her lip. A kid who was bullied since he was three years old…

She thought about how easily he slipped into the persona of "Bill."

Was that really just a disguise? Or had it become him?

Before she could dwell on it further, Teuchi came down from the stairs, stretching his arms with a huge grin on his face.

"Here he is!" Teuchi laughed, patting Naruto on the shoulder. "Our money maker!"

Naruto didn't react, just kept washing dishes.

Teuchi held up a small bag of money, shaking it lightly. "We made 30,000 ryo tonight! Enough to pay off the debt for Ichiraku Ramen!"

Ayame brightened instantly. "The whole debt, father?"

Teuchi chuckled. "Well, our total debt was 20,000 ryo, so we still have 10,000 left over." He sighed in relief. "Naruto, I don't know how to thank you. You're truly like a son to me."

Naruto paused. For a moment, there was complete silence, save for the sound of water running over the dishes.

Then, without looking up, he spoke.

"That's a good miracle, following Teuchi-ojisan." His voice was light, almost teasing. "Though… Bernkastel would probably reap those miracles and give everyone a bad ending."

Teuchi and Ayame both blinked.

They exchanged confused glances.

"Naruto," Ayame asked slowly, "who… is Bernkastel?"

Teuchi frowned. "Is she someone from the village?"

Naruto smirked but didn't look up. "Forget it. Just a crazy yandere nobody."

He rinsed the last dish, setting it down before turning to Teuchi. "I don't need the money, Teuchi-ojisan. It's yours."

Teuchi raised an eyebrow. "You sure, kid? That's a lot."

Naruto waved a hand dismissively. "But… there is something else I need."

Teuchi leaned forward. "Name it."

"Two daggers and one isolated room. Make sure it's on the ground."

Teuchi scratched his chin. "Uh… not kunai? Or paper bombs? We've got those too if you need them to defend yourself."

Naruto shook his head. "No. A dagger. Any dagger. Even a rusty one is fine."

Ayame frowned. "The isolated room we have… We rarely use it, but… what do you need it for?"

Naruto's expression didn't change. "To sleep."

Something about his flat tone made Ayame uneasy, but she didn't press further.

A few minutes later, she led Naruto to the smallest storage room in the back. It wasn't much—just a tiny, windowless space with a simple futon on the dirt floor. It smelled faintly of old wood and seasoning, but it was quiet. Hidden.

Perfect.

Ayame handed him two daggers—one rusty, the other sharpened but old.

She hesitated before speaking. "Naruto… are you stressed out? Do you feel… pressured? If you need comfort, I—"

"Just go to sleep, Ayame-nee-san," Naruto cut her off, his voice calm but distant. "I need to rest."

Ayame hesitated again, then sighed. " good night, Naruto."

She turned and left, shutting the door behind her.

Naruto stood in the dark, empty room, staring at the two daggers in his hand.

Then, without a word, he slipped both daggers into his pockets.

Slowly, he dug into the ground with his bare hands, pushing aside the dirt, feeling the cool, untouched soil beneath him.

Without hesitation, he buried himself.

The dirt covered him, pressing down on his body, surrounding him in complete darkness. But Naruto remained still, his breathing calm, his heartbeat steady.

Then, a realization hit him.

Before this, Naruto Cipher had a realm.

A place beyond reality, beyond rules—a Nightmare Realm.

But the Naruto that had arrived in this world—the one who met Hinata, the one who just started reclaiming his power—was cut off from it.

If he died again right now before fully recovering, it would be the end. No resurrection. No second chances. Just complete erasure.

But now…

Now, the path to his Nightmare Realm had reopened.

The moment he died again, he would return to his true realm.

Naruto closed his eyes. And in an instant—

He vanished.

When Naruto opened his eyes, he was no longer in the cramped storage room.

He was in his domain. The Nightmare Realm.

A twisted, infinite void stretched around him. Colors bled into each other, the sky shifting between deep reds, purples, and sickly yellows. Buildings floated, spiraled, twisted upon themselves in impossible geometries. Creatures without form whispered in the distance, their voices echoing across the void.

And here, in this place, Naruto was everything. Omnipotent. Absolute.

Just like Bill Cipher was in his own realm—before Naruto killed him.

Naruto's sharp yellow eye glowed with satisfaction as he stretched his arms.

A smirk curled on his lips.

"At last. In here…"

He snapped his fingers—and the world shifted at his will.

"I can teleport anywhere I want."

But Naruto's grin faded slightly as another thought surfaced.

"Though… I still have a problem." He exhaled, tapping his cane against the void beneath him. "My Weirdmageddon power only extends 301 meters. That's way too small. That's the maximum range my reality-warping can reach right now. I need something more."

Naruto cracked his knuckles.

"If my reach is limited, I'll just make a technique that bypasses it."

He thought back to Jujutsu Kaisen—the way Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine worked.

A binding vow to remove the barrier of a domain, extending its influence outward, doubling the range in return.

"That could work," he mused, his sharp yellow eye gleaming.

He lifted a hand, and his Nightmare Realm trembled.

With a flick of his wrist, he began to form his own domain.

The space twisted, contorted, folding into itself like a kaleidoscope of nightmares. In the center, an altar rose from the void, twisted spires of black and crimson metal curling around a massive, pyramid .

Naruto placed his palm against the floating structure. "Let's call this…"

A grin stretched across his face.

"Forever Weirdmageddon."

He felt the rules set in place.

A binding vow. In return for removing any physical barrier of this technique, it would double its area of influence.

From 301 meters… to 602 meters.

A domain with no walls. No limits. Just absolute chaos.

He laughed. "Perfect."

But he wasn't done.

Naruto snapped his fingers again, and before him, the two daggers he brought into the Nightmare Realm hovered in mid-air.

They were weak. Incomplete. Not anymore.

Naruto's hands moved through the air, twisting dark energy around each weapon, reshaping them into something far greater.

The first dagger shifted, its form extending into a small weapon resembling a tokkosho—a single-bladed vajra.

But unlike a normal tokkosho, this one was different.

Its thin, dagger-like blade extended on one side only, while the central grip section was bordered by flat hoops that crossed at right angles, forming spheres.

This was a weapon of severance. A weapon of absolute destruction.

"Kamutoke."

The second dagger began to change.

No—not a dagger.

The blade expanded, growing jagged edges, a two-pronged, jitte-like shape.

The handle shortened, keeping it small enough to be wielded like a large dagger. A q-shaped, rounded hand guard curled outward, positioned at the side of the longer blade.

And at the very end of the black handle, a circular link remained—allowing it to be connected to chains.

But this wasn't just Toji Fushiguro's Inverted Spear of Heaven.

This one discharged chakra as well.

Naruto caught both weapons, spinning them in his hands, testing their weight.

A blade of divine severance.

A spear that denies all chakra.

"Now…"

But he wasn't done yet.

He needed a final touch. Something to use just in case anyone asked about his jutsu.

Because one thing was certain—he wasn't about to start throwing around Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu or spamming Rasengan like his original counterpart when he was a kid.

No. He wanted more.

Naruto lifted his hand, and within the depths of his Nightmare Realm, a new technique began to take form.

A shrine materialized in the space around him—an altar of pure malice .

This technique was inspired by Sukuna's Shrine—his innate cursed technique.

Naruto refined it further, shaping it into something uniquely his own.

Three key aspects emerged:

Dismantle, a precise cutting technique that could slice through anything with pinpoint accuracy.

Cleave, an adaptable attack that adjusted its power based on the durability of its target.

Fire Arrow, a blazing projectile of pure devastation, able to incinerate its mark the moment he said, "Open."

And lastly—his Domain Expansion.

Malevolent Shrine.

A domain that had no physical barriers, expanding over a wide area and ensuring that every attack lands without fail.

Naruto examined his work, feeling the power solidify in his grasp.

This would do.

Because there was no way in hell he was going to tell people that his primary ability was reality warping.

That was just stupid.

It would attract too much attention—especially from the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

Those shitty alien knock-offs were nothing but a cheap imitation of Dragon Ball's Saiyan race.

The last thing he needed was some wannabe celestial parasite trying to pull some prophecy bullshit on him.

Naruto let out a low chuckle, gripping both of his weapons tightly.

With his new techniques in place, he was ready.

But then—his senses flared.

His Nightmare Realm had amplified his range far beyond its previous limitations. Now, he could detect anyone on the planet in real-time.

And right now, something interesting had just caught his attention.

Naruto smirked.

"Potential recruit… or potential harem?"

He didn't waste a second.

He teleported.

—------------------

Kirigakure.

The Village Hidden in the Mist was shrouded in an oppressive fog, the air thick with bloodlust.

In a secluded alleyway, surrounded by the cold, uncaring walls of Kirigakure's hidden districts, a woman lay dying.

Pakura, Hero of Sunagakure.

Her once vibrant green eyes were dull with exhaustion, her breaths shallow. Multiple stab wounds riddled her body, crimson staining the ground beneath her.

A group of Kirigakure shinobi loomed over her, their eyes filled with vindictive satisfaction.

One of them scoffed, wiping the blood off his blade. "Did you really think we'd forget how your Scorch Release burned our comrades alive?"

Another laughed coldly. "Even your own Kazekage abandoned you. Left you to die for his own political gain. You were nothing but a tool."

Pakura coughed weakly, her vision blurring.

Her body was failing. This was it. Or at least, it should have been.

Then— Everything stopped.

The mist froze in place. The air stilled. The shinobi couldn't move.

Their bodies were locked in place, their expressions frozen in shock as if time itself had been rewritten.

The only thing that moved—was the sound of shifting stone.

Slowly, from the ground, as if forming from the very fabric of reality, a figure emerged.

His body pieced itself together from fragmented stone, jagged cracks reforming into smooth, flesh-like texture. His sharp yellow eye gleamed in the eerie stillness.

A black cane tapped against the ground as he took a step forward. A grin spread across his face.

"I think I know a guy."