Shinobi Across the Multiverse

The sake burned going down, but that was the point.

"Another."

The bartender—some no-name local who barely looked old enough to run the place—hesitated for half a second before nodding. Maybe he saw something in Tsunade's face that told him it wasn't worth arguing. Or maybe he just wanted her to keep spending. Either way, she didn't care.

Outside, the rain hammered against the roof, the kind of downpour that made even the most desperate gamblers stay indoors. Fine by her. She didn't feel like talking to idiots tonight.

The kid—Taro, she thought his name was—refilled her saucer and set the bottle down gently, as if she might break at the wrong movement.

"You've got the look of someone who's been drinking for a while," he commented.

Tsunade snorted. "You got the look of someone who should shut up and pour."

He had the good sense to back off.

Shizune had been watching her with that same tight-lipped frown all night, hands folded neatly in her lap. Not drinking. Not talking. Just waiting.

"Go ahead," Tsunade muttered. "Say it."

"I'm not saying anything, Tsunade-sama."

"Liar."

The thing was, Tsunade already knew what she wanted to say. She should stop drinking. She should think about her health. She should stop throwing her life away in shitty bars in towns she wouldn't remember in the morning. Not to mention the gambling.

But Shizune never said it. Because she knew what Tsunade would say back.

She was a Senju. The last one. And the last Senju could do whatever the hell she wanted.

Hell, she had the entire fortune of the clan sitting back in the old estate, gathering dust. All hers. The barrier around the compound would only recognize her blood, locking it away like a tomb for ghosts. A tomb that smelled like old wood and wasted potential.

So no, she wasn't about to hear a lecture.

She reached for the sake again when a damp plop landed on the table.

A scroll. Delivered by a tiny slug.

Hiruzen's handwriting.

Shizune was already reaching for it. "It's from the Hokage," she said, voice carefully neutral.

"Great," Tsunade said, tossing back the last of her drink. "What does the old man want?"

Shizune scanned the contents. She blinked. Read it again.

Tsunade frowned. "What?"

"...I don't think you're going to like this."

She snatched the scroll out of Shizune's hands, squinting at the slightly smudged ink.

[ To Tsunade Senju,

I hope this letter finds you in good health, though I suspect you'll take issue with my reason for writing.

It has come to my attention that the Senju Clan estate, which has remained unoccupied for years, is no longer as empty as it once was. A certain Naruto Uzumaki has managed to take up residence within its walls—something I suspect was made possible due to the blood recognition seals of your grandmother, Mito. Given the circumstances, the boy has unknowingly invoked an old property law.

Simply put, if you do not return to Konoha within the next 30 days to reclaim your home, the estate will, by legal decree, be transferred to him under the village's squatter rights.

I trust you understand the gravity of this situation.

Consider this letter an invitation, if not an obligation, to come home. 

— Hiruzen Sarutobi ]

Tsunade stared. Then she read it again.

And then she started laughing.

It wasn't a normal laugh. It was the kind of thing that scraped up from her throat like a dying cough, the kind that made the bartender take a step back and Shizune press her lips together in alarm.

"Oh, that senile old bastard," she choked out between chuckles, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Squatter's rights?!"

The Hokage, the so-called God of Shinobi, was resorting to legal loopholes? Over some brat squatting in the Senju estate?

She shook her head, still grinning, even as something sharp and unpleasant twisted in her gut.

"Who the hell is Naruto Uzumaki?" she asked, wiping the corner of her eye.

Shizune hesitated. "...Minato's son."

The laughter stopped.

Tsunade stared at her, the words slow to process through the haze of alcohol.

Minato's son.

The Fourth Hokage's legacy. The child of Kushina Uzumaki.

Mito had been Kushina's mentor, practically a grandmother in all but name, passing down her knowledge and her protection. If the seals had been attuned to recognize Uzumaki blood, then Naruto—Kushina's son—would have had no trouble walking right in, just as if he belonged there.

Tsunade set the scroll down, staring at it. The ink, the words, all blurred together into nothing.

Minato's son. Some kid she'd never met, born from a dreamer who died for a village that didn't deserve him. A brat probably too stupid to realize what kind of place he'd taken shelter in.

She poured another drink.

Shizune was watching her carefully now, waiting to see if she would get up, throw the bottle aside, demand they leave for Konoha immediately.

She didn't. Instead, she took another long sip, letting the burn settle in her throat.

"It's fine," she slurred.

Shizune's brows knit together. "Tsunade-sama—"

Tsunade waved a hand. "If the brat wants the house so badly, let him have it. Not like I was ever going back."

Shizune didn't say anything, but Tsunade could see the worry in her eyes.

Maybe tomorrow, when the haze of alcohol faded, she'd give a damn.

Maybe.

But tonight, the bottle was still full, and that was all that mattered.

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The rain had stopped hours ago, but the streets of Konoha still glistened with the memory of the downpour. Under the pale morning light, the air carried the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves, but Hiruzen Sarutobi had little time to appreciate it.

He stood before the Senju Compound, its towering gates as imposing as ever. The crest of the clan, long faded by time, was still carved into the wood—a quiet reminder of what once was. The home of a dynasty. The birthplace of Konoha's greatest legends.

And now, an orphaned loudmouth had taken up residence inside.

Hiruzen let out a slow, measured breath, adjusting his Hokage hat as he turned to Iruka Umino, who looked like he would rather be anywhere else but here.

"Explain to me," Hiruzen said, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "how exactly this happened?"

"Well, Hokage-sama… It, uh, started as a history lesson."

"Of course it did."

Iruka cleared his throat. "I was teaching my students about the founding clans of Konoha. When we got to the Senju, I mentioned that their compound still stands, though it's been sealed off for years—only someone of direct Senju blood could enter."

"And?"

"And then Naruto…" Iruka hesitated, already anticipating the reaction, "stood up in the middle of class and said—and I quote—'Betcha I can get in.'"

"Of course he did."

"He ran off before I could stop him," Iruka admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "I thought the barrier would just reject him. But the next thing I know, he's inside and yelling about how he has a house now."

Hiruzen turned his gaze back to the high walls and looming rooftops of the Senju estate.

This wasn't just about some reckless prank of Naruto's.

The Senju Library was in there.

A vast, untouched archive of forbidden techniques, battle strategies, medical texts, and secrets from the Warring States era. The kind of knowledge people would kill for.

And now, the most gullible, unsupervised, loud-mouthed child in the village had free access to it.

Hiruzen sighed. Tsunade, please get here soon.

"CHARGE!"

Boing.

The Anbu who had attempted to breach the compound were violently repelled, slamming into the ground with a comical thud. The barrier shimmered faintly before settling, undisturbed, as if laughing at their failure.

Hiruzen groaned, massaging his temples. He had already tried diplomacy.

"Naruto," he called, his voice firm, "come out of there."

From beyond the walls, Naruto's voice rang out loud and clear. "I got food, water, and a warm bed!"

"Naruto—"

"Law says in twenty-nine days, this place is mine if no one can kick me out!" Naruto declared triumphantly. "Not my fault my blood can get me in here!"

Iruka looked torn between exasperation and mild amusement. "Well… technically, he's not wrong," he muttered.

"Not. Helping."

"Just saying," Iruka coughed.

Inside, Naruto had already started exploring.

The compound was massive—a sprawling maze of interlocking courtyards, towering pagodas, and training grounds worn by time. Carved wooden beams lined the covered walkways, their lacquer faded but still etched with the Senju clan's legacy—spirals and intricate kanji seals woven into the very bones of the structure.

Sliding doors led to hidden chambers, filled with artifacts that had not been touched in decades. Scrolls, blades, portraits of warriors long forgotten.

Naruto ran down the halls, skidding to a stop before a wall lined with masks—some painted with fierce expressions, others blank and haunting.

He tilted his head.

"Weird."

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he kept moving, taking two random turns before nearly tripping over a raised tatami mat.

Grumbling, he straightened up—only to spot a massive set of double doors at the end of the hallway.

Unlike the others, these doors were covered in seals.

Big, elaborate ones, the kind that practically buzzed with chakra.

Naruto squinted. "Huh…"

Most of the estate had been musty and quiet, like a house that had been asleep for too long.

But this door felt alive, like it was waiting for something.

Curious, Naruto reached out.

The moment his fingers brushed the wood, the seals flared. The walls trembled as if recognizing his presence and allowing him inside.

Naruto had never seen armor up close before.

Sure, he'd seen pictures in his textbooks—blurry ink drawings of Konoha's founders, sketched with reverence by artists who had never met them. But here, in the light of the Senju compound's ancient armory, the past didn't feel like history.

It felt alive.

The armor was lined in neat rows, standing on mannequins that had long since gathered dust. Dark red plating, layered for mobility. A black underlayer. Shoulder guards marked with the Senju crest.

This was the kind of armor worn in the Warring States Era.

Naruto reached out, fingers hovering just above the cool metal. Hashirama Senju himself might have worn something just like this. The armor of warriors who built this village. Who fought in the shadows of mountains, carving a future with their own hands.

He wanted to be like them.

The thought made something inside his chest thrill with excitement, and just like that, the moment of quiet awe passed. He wasn't here to stare at old armor—he was here to explore.

And if the dusty stairway at the back of the armory led somewhere?

Well, that was just asking for him to check it out.

Naruto expected the basement to be small.

What he found instead was a library so massive it made the Konoha Academy look like a broom closet.

His jaw dropped.

Row upon row of scrolls stretched farther than his eyes could see. Stone pillars, carved with swirling Senju motifs, rose up to support the cavernous ceiling, and the walls were lined with hundreds—no, thousands—of scrolls.

No way.

Naruto grinned, jogging forward as his gaze darted across the shelves. Even though he wasn't much of a book person, even he knew the vast knowledge surrounding him.

His eyes landed on a single massive scroll at the back of the room, resting on an ornate pedestal.

Biggest one here—which meant it was obviously the most important one.

Naruto dashed forward, his excitement making his steps echo against the stone floor. He skidded to a stop, tilting his head as he read the large kanji scrawled across the front. Slug Summoning Contract.

Summoning… like the toads the Fourth Hokage used?

His gaze drifted lower. Names were written in faded, dried-up blood. Senju Hashirama. Senju Tobirama. Tsunade.

"Well… if they signed in blood, then I probably should too, right?"

Shrugging, he bit his thumb, smearing his blood across the paper with a quick flourish.

The ink glowed.

BOOM.

A cloud of smoke erupted, filling the chamber with a thick white mist. Naruto stumbled back, coughing, as the ground trembled beneath him.

When the smoke cleared, he was no longer alone.

A massive slug loomed before him, its pale body marked with elegant blue streaks. It had long optical tentacles and deep, intelligent eyes that seemed to peer into him, as if weighing his very existence.

The air shifted.

"It has been… a long time since I returned to this place."

The voice was soft but ancient, echoing through the chamber like a whisper carried by the wind.

"You can talk?"

"Yes."

Naruto, being Naruto, immediately reached out and poked one of its tentacles.

The slug twitched. "That… was unnecessary," it said dryly.

"Sorry."

The slug sighed, its tentacles curling slightly. "I assume you are the one who just signed the contract."

"Uh… yeah."

"And yet, you don't seem to understand what that means."

Naruto scratched his head. "Not really. I just saw the scroll, and it was kinda calling to me, y'know? Figured I should write my name."

The slug turned, its gaze settling on the contract. The name Naruto Uzumaki shone beneath Tsunade's.

A long silence followed.

"This… is unexpected," the slug murmured. "You are not a Senju."

Naruto tilted his head. "So, does that mean I get kicked out now?"

The slug's eyes returned to him.

"No."

Something in its voice made Naruto hesitate.

"This is your home now."

Naruto stared. He had been prepared to fight. To argue. To cling to this place, because no one had ever let him have anything before. But he didn't have to fight. No one was going to take this away from him.

He swallowed, hard, his fingers curling into the fabric of his jacket. His throat felt tight, but he forced out a breath.

"So… what does that make you, then?"

"A summoning contract," the slug explained, "is a pact between a shinobi and a summoned clan. It binds our chakra together, allowing you to call upon us when needed. Most contracts require blood and chakra to form the link. Ours, however, is different."

Naruto blinked, slightly confused.

"The Slug Clan does not have multiple members as others do," she continued. "There is only me. When someone forms a contract with us, they do not summon different slugs—they summon a piece of me."

"You mean... every summoner who's ever called you…?"

"Yes," Katsuyu confirmed. "Each one has called upon a fragment of my whole. That is our way. We exist together, always connected. No matter how small the piece, we are one."

"So… since I signed the contract?"

Katsuyu moved closer, pressing gently against his forehead.

"Then you are never to be alone again."

Something inside him cracked.

Never alone.

The words settled deep into his soul, filling an emptiness he hadn't realized was so vast.

"But you are young," she added, her tone shifting slightly. "Weak. If you had been older, stronger, I would have granted you a fragment of my power and sent you on your way. But that is not enough for you."

"What do you mean?"

"I will not simply be your summon, Naruto. I will be your guide."

His breath hitched.

"You do not yet understand the power of chakra, the legacy you hold, the path you will one day walk. You are not ready for that burden alone." Her form pulsed, as if her very being was reaching out to him. "But you do not have to be alone."

Naruto opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Katsuyu's voice softened.

"Let me teach you. Let me help you. Let me be with you."

The weight of those words was suffocating.

Family.

It wasn't just a contract.

It wasn't just a summon.

For the first time in his life, someone had offered to stay.

Naruto didn't hesitate as he hugged the slug.

And in the quiet depths of the forgotten library, surrounded by the wisdom of the past, Naruto made a choice that would shape his future.

History would look back on this moment as the first step of something far greater, the day an unwanted boy unknowingly stepped into the legacy of giants.

But history could wait.

Because right now, for the first time in his life, Naruto had something far more important.

A place where he belonged.

A friend who stayed.

And when he closed his eyes, he wouldn't feel alone.

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Author's Note:

Hey everyone!

This one-shot was a blast to write, and I want to give a huge shoutout to u/AnimeEagleScout on Reddit for the original idea. The concept was too fun to pass up, so I decided to put my own spin on it. If you're reading this, I hope you enjoy my take on your prompt—I had a great time adding some creative liberties to flesh out the events.

For anyone new here, this fanfic will be a collection of one-shots that I'll be writing from time to time—either when inspiration strikes or when I come across a particularly interesting prompt. If you have an idea you'd love to see turned into a one-shot, drop it in the comments! Who knows? It might just be the next chapter I bring to life.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!