(What is going on?) I wondered, hearing explosions and the feral howls of a beast. (This chakra… it feels like the Nine-Tails.) I could sense the overwhelming presence of its chakra suffusing the surroundings. (Am I born during the time the Fourth Hokage died, sealing the Nine-Tails?) The realization hit me as I tried to make sense of the situation.

Being reborn wasn't new to me; it's happened countless times across different realities. I've long grown accustomed to the helplessness of being a baby, but it's no less frustrating. Despite possessing immense knowledge and power through my connections with my alternate selves across 1,024 parallel universes, experiencing the frailty of infancy never gets easier. All my parallel versions are spiritually linked—we share knowledge, experiences, and even power. Still, every version of me is unique in some way.

As I lay there contemplating my predicament, I felt myself being lifted. Someone, panting and clearly strained, was holding me as they moved rapidly, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Explosions echoed behind us, and the roars of the Nine-Tails mixed with the sounds of various ninjutsu being unleashed. (Why do people shout the names of their jutsu while casting them? It's so unnecessary.) I mused, trying to distract myself from the chaos.

After about 15 or 20 minutes, the person carrying me stopped. A somber voice spoke.

"Brother, at least your child was saved from the calamity."

I could feel the sorrow in their tone. Then, someone else asked, "Takeshi, are you alright? Where are your family members? Did they make it to the shelter?"

The man holding me—Takeshi, apparently—responded in a heartbroken voice, "My family is no more. My brother and his wife… they died at the hands of that damned beast."

He glanced down at me, his sorrow evident. "This child… he's all that's left of my family," he said.

Hearing his words, the other person tried to console him while I silently pondered my new situation.

TWO YEARS LATER

It's been two years since my rebirth, and I now live with my uncle, Takeshi, a member of the Yamanaka Clan. We reside in the clan compound. As a ninja, he's often away on missions, so I'm usually cared for by our kind-hearted neighbors—civilians of the clan. While I don't need their care, I've learned to play along.

In these two years, I've organized the vast knowledge shared by my parallel selves. Of the 1,024 parallel realities I can connect to, I can only fully interact with a select few. The stronger, more advanced versions of myself share their experiences with me, allowing me to integrate their mastery of various abilities, such as dojutsu, ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, fuinjutsu, and kenjutsu, into my own growth.

To balance the disparity between my immense spiritual energy and my current physical limitations, the stronger versions of me developed a seal with properties similar to the Ōtsutsuki Clan's Karma seal. This spiritual seal spans across the universes via our shared connection. Over time, it transforms my physiology, granting me the abilities of an Ōtsutsuki without requiring their physical form. While I can assume their pale skin, horns, and Rinnegan if I choose, I prefer to keep my human appearance for now.

Thanks to this seal, I've been growing faster than normal children. At two years old, I already look like a four-year-old. My chakra reserves are steadily increasing as the seal enhances my physical and spiritual energies. I've also achieved unparalleled mastery over chakra molding and control, allowing me to cast jutsu without hand seals. With my current abilities, I could rival an elite Jōnin, and once my body matures, I'll easily reach Kage level or beyond.

A month ago, while strolling through the streets of Konoha, I caught a glimpse of a young Naruto Uzumaki at the orphanage. Despite his Uzumaki bloodline granting him boundless energy, he seemed blissfully unaware of the struggles that awaited him. For now, he's happy with the other children, but I know that won't last. Danzo will undoubtedly try to exploit him, and the Third Hokage's obsession with controlling the Jinchūriki will only add to the conflict.

I've seen many versions of Naruto across parallel universes. In some worlds, he becomes a celebrated Hokage; in others, he succumbs to darkness from the weight of rejection. There are even timelines where he doesn't exist—because of me. In one universe, we were twins, and I was the one who inherited the Nine-Tails. Dealing with Kurama was exhausting, but Naruto was a fantastic brother.

(Perhaps it's time to reach out to my twin from that universe.)