This Isn't Canon! (Or that time I reincarnated into an AU-Naruto)

Her hair rustled in the wind, the water tickled at her feet, and the sun bore down on her. Yet, Naruko remained unphased, gaze locked onto the sky above, vibrant cerulean eyes a darker almost stormy color, showcasing the turbulent thoughts that had been rampaging in her mind. 

Finally, she spoke out loud. "I'm a fool." A fist that in one pinky had more chakra than most Jonin had in their entire body clenched, and a humorless laugh escaped from her lungs. "I'm a weak fool who got lost, even after I thought I knew myself with Hagoromo's help..." 

There was no response, no Kurama's snarky reply - after all, she was a mere clone, separated and alone - falling under the radar of all of the beings that were inside of her - or had their gaze on her. "I'm an arrogant weak fool.

Her smile turned helpless and a mirthless chuckle bubbled out of her lips. "Kabuto fell into this same trap. Other people's DNA, in my case Kurama's Chakra as well. Arrogance believing I can do everything. But it wasn't just Kabuto's arrogance that I fell into; but Naruto's as well. No matter what I said, was I still not positioning myself to do everything?"

"Was I not playing the entire world in the palm of my hand - something Itachi came to regret?" A sigh escaped, and her body slumped. "In the end, I am the manifestation of this Shinobi World - each grave arrogance that nearly ruined it embodied perfectly with me. Striving for more and more power - not caring if it was my own. Falling into the same routine, yet believing myself omnipotent. Lying to everyone for my own goals, not entrusting my burden upon others."

If she truly cared about this Shinobi World - would she not have worked on figuring out how to grant power to those less fortunate? If she cared - would she have truly sent a Bijuudama at Kumo, an unprecedented act? "I used to care, yet - when did I stop truly caring?" She who had walked up to perhaps the most insane man in the world, and leaked knowledge arrogantly to him. She who revealed loopholes in Konoha's defense - again not caring for her well-being. Who leaked the name 'Ashura', inevitably drawing Zetsu's attention onto her - when did she stop caring? 

Her teeth grit as memory after memory wracked her, all coalescing into that hellscape that Orochimaru had constructed. "Perhaps; I never did. In the end, was my first act to get into this life not in fact ruining another - no matter how scummy they appeared?" 

Her stormy eyes began slowly brightened. "Then no more! No more following the path my counterpart took. No more playing the entire world. No more striving for power through such dubious means." As she said that, a hand reached up, coiling around a blonde lock of hair that seemed white in the sun's light, her blue eyes nearly flashing purple. "From now on, no more regret. No more turning back. From now on I strive forward. From this day I no longer question myself. No more deluding myself, no more hiding the truth from myself. No more pushing it down, that truth I had gleamed."

A bright smile appeared on her face as her chakra soared around her in a vibrant yellow, "The future is the future, but today? That in the end is what matters. There is no future if there is no today. So, the new me, my new goals, my new journey; it starts now."

As those words left her lips, a change occurred. Her chakra visibly brightened, the aura around her surging, and yet, curiously enough it seemed to 'tighten' around her becoming more compact. "The first step..." Her eyes sharpened the words seemingly causing the ground to crack around her, mid-sentence knees bending. "Get my father's soul back." 

-???????-

Kind eyes remained squinted in joy at the glee of another happy customer, be it cause they truly enjoyed his food - or the fact that it was heavily discounted for all orphans was irrelevant. As his stall went quiet, with only the hum of his daughter in the back, a wide smile made its way across his face. Vibrant light glowing white, almost in a flower pattern flashed behind his eyelids, and a chuckle filled with sheer childlike happiness escaped from him. 

"Another lost child helped. It appears I no longer need to stay here, this world will be well taken care of, and a flower only shows its true beauty when it resists the oncoming storm. But, I suppose I could wait and see your coronation." 

"What was that Dad?!?" The glowing behind his eyelids disappeared, and his smile shrank to almost a small smirk. 

"Just musing about the boy who was just here Ayame, next time I should let you be his waitress, I think he likes you!"

"DAAAAAAAAAD!!!!!!!!"

'Good luck lass, let's see if this timeline will be the one to finally survive...' For a brief moment, the white glow appeared again, and grief flashed across his face. 'After all, there's so few left, and with each one destroyed the burdens of the previous get dumped onto remaining. Sadly, that is our life, and we have to deal with it.' As if responding to his thoughts, numerous places around the world, including the gate that resided in the Land of Demons, fluctuated before they went silent. 

-Danzo-

"You're a fool." The words slipped out of his mouth instinctively, the shock at his old friend's plan causing all his usual planning, all his careful, sly, and delicate wordage to crumble apart.

"Perhaps."

"She's 13!" 

"I wasn't even 17."

"BARELY! There's a difference there. You lived through war, she hasn't."

"She's lived a thousand lives. Suffered unimaginable horrors, and has sensed things we can't even begin to fathom."

"She's 13." At those words, Hiruzen slumped.

"I know Danzo. I know. But what else am I supposed to do? Kakashi is only kept together by me throwing every unfathomable mission at him, just so he can keep going. Jiraiya focused solely on Orochimaru just so he could forget the horrors he enacted on the world after the back-to-back betrayal of his students and the death of another. When Tsunade isn't drunk she's crippled by self-doubt, PTSD, and an inferiority complex larger than Konoha. Don't even get me started on the mess that you created in Itachi."

"Let me do it then! All those years ago it was you who was willing to sacrifice for your Hokage, then let me do it now." A smile graced Hiruzen's face, his eyes holding a twinkle in them, and it was at this moment that Danzo truly knew, and it sunk in. 'He's going to die.' 

He staggered backward, breath halting, and yet aged hands caught him. Held him up, just like they always did. Just like when Tobirama-sensei died. When Kagami died, when his parents died, and the numerous times they barely made it back from a suicidal mission during all three wars. He saw the age, the exhaustion, the pain.

Danzo took a deep raspy breath, his eyes closed in sorrow. "I understand. I understand Hiruzen." 'Then let it be a glorious day. The day our greatest Hokage dies, taking down the most vile of traitors, and his backstabbing armies.' 

"Thank you." At the relief in Hiruzen's words, Danzo simply nodded.

"Always."

A million words passed between them unsaid, decades of brotherhood, rivalry, hatred, being enemies, and so many more coalesced into one silent moment. Then, it was broken.

"If this is to be my last month, you really should try out this blend Danzo, I have to say no matter our differences, Nagato truly does make the best."

"For fucks sake, I'm not trying your blasted marijuana Hiruzen!"

-Chunin Exams Tower-

His gaze focused on the ceiling and not on the burning gaze of the Chunin that had been summoned by the scrolls. A few moments passed before he looked down and stared, with a slow blink he said, "Did you say something?"

A spasm crossed Iruma's face, 'Or is it Izuka? Ifune? Mhm, Iruke? Maah I can't remember.' "-ust be here!"

"Huh? Did you start talking again?"

'That head size can't be healthy, someone should tell him your head shouldn't be larger than his body.' The titanic head on top of the Chunin's body grew impressively red, and an ever-so-slightly concerned giggle escaped from Sakura.

"You said that out loud." The words were accompanied by a sigh from Sasuke, and he blinked. 

"Oops?"

"Just, you know what? I'm taking my vacation. Go ahead, your room is on the 2nd floor. Congratulations, you get to wait a few days for the rest of the competitors to get here." 'Oh, right. You aren't supposed to pass the Chunin Exams in less than an hour. Huh. Now that I think about it, this is the 3rd time I've done the Chunin Exams, and I'm going to pass every time.' 

"You said that out loud again!" At the helpful words from Sakura, he blinked.

"Maah... I think Orochimaru might have hit my head. Or Naruko. Actually, Naruko might have just drugged me so I would be impulsive." A moment later, his vision rapidly turned blurry, and he shrugged. "Aah, oh well. When I wake up I'll be okay. Probably. Maybe. Make sure no one changes me, my clothes don't like being changed."

A second later his face slammed into the ground, his henge miraculously still holding in place.

"Sasuke, what did he mean by his clothes don't like being changed?"

"Don't ask questions Sakura. It's Kakashi-sensei, it's better not to."