In the past few months, tales had spread far and wide of a mysterious, blood-soaked shadow known only as the "Crimson Halo." A name whispered with awe... and fear. They said he was no angel. He was the opposite. A devil with a grin.
Haruto, that very devil, sat casually on a mossy tree trunk, biting into a sandwich stuffed with roast beef, mayo dripping down his finger.
Across a small clearing, his next target moved with mechanical precision. A tall, grizzled ex-samurai, name forgotten but known for his ruthless past—Akihiko something. The man crouched over a freshly slain pig, slowly dragging his blade across a whetstone with a patient, deadly grace.
Haruto licked the mayo from his thumb, stood, and casually walked forward.
"Heeey, Akihiko!" Haruto called out, arms wide, voice like an old friend spotting a long-lost drinking buddy.
The samurai jerked up, instincts flaring. His blade was at Haruto's throat in an instant. "Who are you?"
Haruto grinned. "Me? I'm—"
Akihiko's eyes narrowed. Recognition hit like a hammer. "Crimson Halo..."
A shockwave burst from Haruto's feet, sending dust and leaves spiraling. Akihiko stumbled back, eyes wide, blade trembling slightly in his grasp.
A strange, crimson blade shimmered in Haruto's hand—pulsing, hungry.
Akihiko steadied himself. "Maybe... there's a way we both walk away."
Haruto cocked his head. "Yeah, maybe there is. A pure Kenjutsu battle. No tricks. No jutsu. Just blade to blade."
Before Akihiko could respond, Haruto lunged.
The red blade swept horizontally—a strike aimed to cleave his stomach. Akihiko backstepped fluidly, sand crunching beneath his heels.
"Ohh! You're pretty good, Aki-san," Haruto said, eyes gleaming. Then he spun, bringing his katana down in a vertical arc.
Clank!
Their swords met with a shock of sparks.
"LET'S GO!" Haruto roared, twisting around in a whirlwind 360, blade aimed at Akihiko's knees.
Clank!
"Armored legs? Hah! You old fox!" Haruto laughed.
Akihiko roared and charged forward, slashing from above. Haruto ducked under the silver gleam, countered with a sharp upward deflection, forcing Akihiko's arms high.
"You're strongest with your right... aren't you?" Haruto muttered.
Without hesitation, he thrust his crimson blade toward the samurai's shoulder.
Swwip!
A clean pierce.
Push!
A geyser of blood shot out, hot and pressurized. Akihiko's pupils dilated. His sword clattered slightly in his now-weakening grip.
"AGHHHH!" he howled, switching to his left hand in desperation.
Haruto ducked again, rolled beneath the wild swing—and with a single, practiced motion, his blade sang through the air.
Thud.
Akihiko's head landed seconds after his body hit the ground. The grisly scene painted red. Brain matter, blood. One eye still wide with shock.
Haruto exhaled. Wiped a streak of blood from his cheek.
"Still got it," he muttered, grinning.
A burst of flame enveloped the corpse—cleansing by fire. Haruto turned toward the lake, already undressing.
He stepped into the cool water, washing blood and grime from his skin. Silent. Focused.
After rinsing, he put on fresh clothes, burned the old ones, and sheathed his cleaned blade.
---
Later, Haruto lay atop a high roof in land of iron, chewing on a blade of grass as the sun dipped into the horizon.
The orange sky bathed the village in molten light. Peaceful. Almost.
"Feels like Earth Premium," he murmured with a chuckle.
From a nearby window, he heard muffled moans. Some couple clearly enjoying themselves.
He turned his head lazily, raising a brow when a man's bare backside flashed across his vision.
But then—his eyes locked on a calendar pinned on the wall inside the room.
OCTOBER 9TH.
Haruto shot upright.
"Shit. I'm late!"
---
He dashed through the land of iron like a red blur. Shops zipped past in a dizzying speed.
He barged into one. "HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT TO GET?!"
Clothes? Too boring. Jewelry? Nah, Naruto's a guy.
He picked up a strange bead. "What even is this doing here?"
The shopkeeper said, "Oh, that's for inserting into the as—"
"I KNOW!" Haruto shouted, slamming it back.
Ten shops later, he was near losing his mind.
"Five fucking hours and nothing!"
Then he spotted a kid holding a shiny orange kunai holster.
"That'll do!"
He burst inside. "I want that kunai holder! Orange. Stuffed. Go!"
The shopkeeper blinked.
"GOOOOO!"
The man scrambled, returned with a perfect holster.
Haruto slapped down 5,000 ryo. "Give some gifts to passing kids too."
And vanished.
---
Konoha's streets were eerily empty.
Then—
BOOM.
Red streaks zipped through alleys. Windows rattled.
Sasuke sat upright. "What the hell—?"
SWOOSH.
Gone.
Kakashi? Snatched mid-snore.
---
Inside the Hokage's Office—
"WHO—" Tsunade began to yell.
Haruto stood in the doorway, holding two unconscious bodies. "It's Naruto's birthday. Chop-chop."
"I can't—I'm the Hok—"
Thud. Tsunade collapsed mid-sentence.
Haruto: "Time-waste."
---
Naruto sat beside Jiraiya on a quiet bench.
"Do you think Haruto remembered our birthday?"
Jiraiya laughed. "Of course. He's your older brother."
Naruto scratched his cheek. "Technically I'm older. But... he's definitely more mature."
Suddenly—
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
A random man crashed from the sky.
Thud!
Naruto leapt up. Another scream followed. "FUCK YOU—MOMMM!!"
A guy got stuck in a tree.
Then—CRASH.
The earth cracked as Haruto descended like a god of chaos.
Cake in one hand, candles flickering.
"Happy birthday to Naru—"
"HELPPPPP!" Sasuke wailed, flailing as he crash-landed onto Jiraiya's head.
Thud. Double KO.
Tsunade just sighed, rubbing her temple. "This kid..."
---
Later: At a Restaurant
Sasuke and Jiraiya sat with bandages, grumbling.
Tsunade and Kakashi cheerfully sang:
"Happy birthday to Haruto and Naruto... happy birthday to youuuu~!"
Naruto and Haruto grinned, cutting the cake together.
Haruto handed slices to everyone, including the grumpy duo.
"Here. One each. Eat up. Or I'll shove it in your mouths."
"Tch... thanks," Sasuke muttered.
The dinner came out—sizzling BBQ meats, grilled to perfection.
Naruto stuffed his cheeks. "Mmmph! So good!"
Haruto took a bite, leaned back in his chair, and smiled faintly.
"Tastes like home."
The table fell into laughter, even Sasuke chuckled under his breath.
haruto laid back and watched everyone laughing
"Hey, that was funny you know...when sasuke landed square on Pervy sanin's face!" Naruto laughed as sasuke smacked his lips in response
"I told you not to call me that!!" Jiraiya instantly got angry
...