The Kyuubi awoke with a smile on his face and stood, shaking himself awake. Today he was going to escape this pitiful cage that held him bound he said to himself as today was the climax of Naruto's training with Bee to possess the nine tails power and control it.
He wasn't going to miss this opportunity at finding his freedom and executing his plan to ensure that he would never be a captive in this situation again. Naruto appeared before Kurama with his usual annoying smirk on his face he looked so sure of himself well Kurama was sure to change that soon enough.
"Alright, stupid fox. It's time for this to end. I'm here to take your power once and for all!" Naruto shouted in his usual shrill and loud voice that annoyed Kurama to no end. He just gave a snide and gruff growl as a retort to that statement
"The brat has no idea how many things are about to end today," he thought to himself
He saw Naruto shake his head and open the seal releasing him from his prison. The battle for power had begun. Naruto started off by making a full charge towards him with a charged up Odama Rasengan which Kurama dodged easily causing Naruto to crash into the floor with a loud explosion.
Naruto summoned several shadow clones in midair as they screamed out loud they fell towards Kurama attempting several blows with Rasengan a swift flick of his tails and they dispersed with ease. Naruto however, had already charged his most famous attack the Futon Rasenshuriken whilst in sage mode.
He hurled it as Kurama as it exploded on impact causing a blinding flash of light and wind to assault Kurama it subsided and Kurama was barely damaged,
"Damn that fox is tough" Naruto thought to himself
He noticed Kurama was preparing to charge the Bijudama. He was really serious about destroying Naruto luckily the eight tails suddenly appeared to shield Naruto from the attack leaving Naruto completely unscathed which disappointed Kurama but he was determined to be victorious in the end.
Naruto had finally found his opportunity as he grabbed a hold of the Kyuubi with his chakra and tried to pull as much power from Kurama as possible both struggled in a massive chakra tug of war with Kurama being the victor of that match.
Naruto finally made his last mistake, he flung himself into the air with yet another Rasengan. Then Kurama suddenly did something strange? He instead of fighting or dodging oddly sat back and opened his mouth.
Naruto realized too late what was happening as he couldn't adjust course he ended up falling right into Kurama's gaping maw. The Rasengan dispersed with a loud pop then everything got dark and wet.
The last thing Naruto saw was the top of his innerscape before the Kyuubi snapped his mouth shut and swallowed sending Naruto to Kurama's intended destination. The moment Naruto landed in the Kyuubi's stomach he began to attack the stomach walls with as much force as he could which didn't even make the Kyuubi so much as flinch at the effort.
Soon the familiar sounds of a stomach gurgling reached his ears as he got much wetter. To make things worse it soon became apparent to Naruto that the Kyuubi had been draining his chakra! Now with no chakra left Naruto did the only thing he could and began to plead for his life.
"Come on Kyuubi I was just joking you know, that, right?" He said with a terror in his voice that Kurama brushed aside entirely
"Really? because those rasengans felt pretty real to me and if I recall you were here to steal my powers were you not?" Kurama said with a condemning tone.
"No! I mean ye, yes, I was, but I thought I could be your friend eventually I wanted to be friends with all of you." Naruto said as if he were innocent.
A surprising answer but sadly it seemed the brat had never realized what Kurama was to him all along!
"I am your friend Naruto why do you think I've protected you all this time?" Kurama began to question him.
Naruto with an understandable outburst screamed out
"Then why this!? Why now if you're my so-called friend!?"
Kurama wanted to calm him down. He spoke in a soothing voice
"Naruto, this is nothing personal I know that you have goals to achieve and friends to protect, but so do I."
"The other tailed beasts you mean what are they to you?" Naruto asked.
Suddenly the eight tails appeared to rescue Naruto
"Kurama I know what you're after I really do and while I support your goal, destroying Naruto isn't the way to go about it."
The gurgling stopped while Naruto immediately found a safe place away from the stomach acid the hachibi and Kurama talked to each other. Kurama screamed in desperation
"What do you suggest I do then!?"
The Hachibi spoke with empathy again. "Trust in Naruto I really do believe in him."
Kurama continued to scream "I've trusted in humans before! It's always the same they never release us or give us any freedoms! they just brush it off as they're protecting us or were a dangerous weapon that shouldn't be roaming around openly I don't want to live in another prison anymore!"
The hachibi was desperate but brought up a good point "I know but Naruto's different you know that as well as I do!"
"He reminds me of old man paths." Kurama hurled Naruto up as Naruto stood in front of him looking almost oddly sympathetic.
"Kyuubi I had no idea if there's anything I can do to help you I will." Naruto said almost shocked at the Kyuubi's situation.
Kurama was equally shocked at Naruto's response but at the same time it didn't really surprise him. He immediately gave Naruto his chakra as payment for what happened. When Naruto came to he was in the room of training surrounded by the power of the Kyuubi a warm and calm energy.
He immediately sensed the war happening and set off much to the dismay of all the others, he arrived right as the battle between Kakashi's regiment and Zabuza began. Kakashi was surprised to see him but rather than ask questions he gave Naruto orders.
Naruto was an immense help as his incredible new-found power led him to easily defeat the Zetsu and was capable of fending off several famous shinobi like the third Raikage. While the war progressed Kabuto and "Madara" were focused on Capturing Naruto and Bee.
They had been as of yet unsuccessful getting desperate with half of their army being sealed and Naruto and bee being especially elusive the time came to reveal their true weapon the real Madara Uchiha. It wasn't long before the army was decimated at his hands being infused by Kabuto with the legendary powers of Hashirama Senju plus his own which effectively gave him access to the rinnegan.
With Madara's assistance and approval, most of the Edo Tensei soldiers were freed much of the allied forces terror. The army did however, find a surprising ally in Itachi Uchiha who had freed himself from Kabuto's control using a jutsu kotoamatsukami he had hidden within Naruto.
The kotoamatsukami not only prevented Kabuto's control but also disabled any attempts at unsummoning making him effectively an infinite Edo Tensei with no drawbacks as far as being controlled went. In their time together, Naruto and Kurama had formed a friendship that Kurama would never forget.
Battle after battle only served to strengthen their friendship as the Kyuubi finally reached the point of giving Naruto access to his full strength. Naruto was dying, a recent bout with Madara had left him with a serious wound that Sakura soon found she couldn't heal.
In his coma, Naruto was thrown back into his inner scape as he stood in front of Kurama with utter terror on his face as Kurama spoke up.
"You're not going to make it like this kid." Kurama spoke softly
"I can't believe this is happening!" A slight hint of terror ran through Naruto's words while Kurama focused on calming him down.
"I'm going to miss you, you were the first friend that I had in a long time." He again spoke softly.
Suddenly A strange idea gripped Naruto's mind.
"I couldn't even save Sasuke; You know this is going to sound really random but I was thinking back a while ago when you ate me to take over right?" Naruto said which caused Kurama to step back in shock!
"Yeah but that won't, well that won't save you." Kurama began to think to himself.
"What do you mean?" Naruto curiously asked him.
"Naruto if I did that then you, this you, that is the one that everyone knows will stop existing. You'd become me entirely but on the plus side, your body would be healed and I could summon a version of you to act in your body." Kurama said.
"Kurama If I did this, could you promise me one thing?" Naruto calmly said
"Of Course, Naruto."
"Please protect everyone and if you can please save Sasuke for me." He said in a very serious tone
Kurama nodded his head then Naruto leapt right into his open mouth. They were in the same situation as before except Naruto was now a much more willing feast and Kurama felt as awful about this as any friend would. Still, if it meant allowing Naruto to accomplish his goal as well as Kurama's what issue was there and not to mention Kurama was planning on doing this later.
As Naruto landed he was apprehensive when he found the safe spot he was standing on earlier, he looked down weighing his terrible options as Kurama once again focused on soothing Naruto's fears he spoke.
"Naruto, the way I see it there are two options, one you fall and let my stomach take over, your body survives and you vanish becoming me instead. Or two you stand there probably be summoned with Edo Tensei after you die being completely controlled by Orochimaru or worse Kabuto.
You know they wouldn't hesitate to steal your body to summon us but Naruto, I won't ask you to make that choice no one should have to."
"Kurama's right and what's so bad about becoming someone else anyway?" Naruto thought to himself.
For a moment it seemed both understood each other perfectly finally Naruto had come to a decision as the last thing the Kyuubi heard him say was simply, "Kurama, make it quick." he then took a deep breath and fell forward making a loud splash that rang through Kurama's ears.
With tears in his eyes Kurama wanted to fall asleep and let his body do the work for him but found he couldn't. Naruto was in pain as more and more of him was taken by Kurama yet he was oddly calm like an ocean of worry and terror was swept away from him suddenly. He let his mind wander until that too was taken away, he thought about his previous life experiences the fun times he had with team 7 with the third Hokage, with Sasuke.
He cried as he thought of losing his best friend but was happy knowing that Kurama would protect him and save him he finally smiled at the day he defeated pain and the last tears fell for his friends who would miss him; then nothing. On the outside the more and more of Naruto that faded away into Kurama's body the more the flesh corpse of Naruto healed.
"Why is this so hard!?" He thought to himself as he tried to understand what he was actually feeling in himself was it Naruto? No there was something else something different, was this friendship? Did he actually care about Naruto's well-being?
Soon enough Kurama could feel the essence of Naruto begin to course through him then it was done and Naruto was no more. The memories of Naruto flooded into Kurama's mind he could feel Naruto's hopes and dreams his pain and sadness his emotions, his soul.
For the first time, Kurama was sad an emotion he hadn't felt since, well how would he know!? In the end all he wanted was to make it stop the guilt and pain that was surging through him as more and more of Naruto's essence flowed through him like a terrible nightmare.
On the outside, Naruto had healed but had gone cold although he appeared to still be breathing
"Is he dead or is he alive, Sakura" Kakashi asked with worry Sakura was confused,
"I, don't know, what just Happened?" She said in a tone that conveyed her confusion.
On the inside Kurama decided it was time to get to work. He focused his chakra making it burst from his body like puppet strings attaching him on a biological level to what was once Naruto's body. He focused on resurrecting his new body as slowly with some effort he managed to get the heart restarted as the blood began to flow the natural color returned to Naruto's body with a great deal more effort the Kyuubi managed to get the body's natural chakra to flow once more.
"humph it seems fighting in this state will be more difficult than I thought if I fuse our chakras together though it may become easier anyway, I suppose I should act like Naruto while I'm in control well here we go." The Kurama thought to himself then the corpse as he had gotten around to calling it rose up in an almost zombie-like fashion. Both Kakashi and Sakura seemed astonished!
"Naruto!? What happened how are you alive right now?" Kakashi asked with a certain terrified shock in his voice.
"Oi, Kakashi senpai where are we?" Naruto Groggily asked Kakashi
"The medical tent you were stabbed by Madara and everything! Then by some miracle, you managed to heal completely." Sakura said with just as much shock in her voice.
"What I died!?" Naruto blurted out.
He certainly was the Naruto they knew but they couldn't help but feel like there was something completely off about this situation and about Naruto, much to the blight of both Sakura and Kakashi Naruto hopped from the bed and awkwardly stumbled towards the training grounds.
This form was foreign to Kurama no doubt but he was determined to Learn the intricacies of his new human form and how to walk on two legs. Once he was in a place he was certain was secluded and out of sight and range of anyone he released the facade he fell onto all fours which certainly felt more natural but he needed to master the Human art of all standing on two legs and fighting with their hands like Naruto.
He first practiced walking like a human which certainly was awkward not having Naruto's soul to manipulate anymore. He noticed that he seemed to be getting the hang of it after a while almost to the point that the humans wouldn't be able to tell the difference between his walking and Naruto's.
After that was established he started to work with Naruto's chakra which unsurprisingly wasn't so keen on working with him it was almost impossible to control! During one of his experiments with Naruto's Chakra he heard a shuffling sound in the bushes. He looked to see Itachi approaching with Kakashi and both seemed concerned about something.
"Naruto, are you ok?" Kakashi asked as he approached.
He response was not what they wanted to hear but they had both suspected
"I'm not the Naruto you know" This person shook his head and said
"As we feared, so then the miraculous recovery was?" Itachi asked
"Me, look at me with your Sharingan we can talk face to face." What they had now guessed was the Kyuubi asked Itachi
He immediately focused the Sharingan on "Naruto" Kakashi and himself taking them into the mindscape a large prison greeted their eyes as they moved through the Halls it was clear there was no Naruto in sight and there wouldn't be finally they reached the inner chambers. A massive orange 9 tailed fox greeted their gaze massive strings of Chaka attaching him to the body finally the conversation began with Kurama.
"Please call me Kurama." The Giant fox in front of them said as he lifted his head and looked at them with a stern expression.
"What happened to Naruto?" Kakashi asked
"I ate him." Kurama said in a tone that conveyed the obviousness of that response.
With a hint of anguish Kakashi stepped back then spoke to Kurama
"You ate him!? He was your friend!" He said in a desperate rage
"He asked me to if I hadn't the body would've died and I would've fallen into the enemy hand's not only that but my dream and he would never have been realized." Kurama replied as if to calm Kakashi down.
"What dream? Do you share the same dream?" Itachi calmly asked Kurama as he instead of stepping back approached the fox demon.
"No, we didn't and Don't but I promised him I would do it for him." The fox replied
"Then what is your dream Kurama?" Itachi again inquired.
"To find freedom and peace and to protect and save the other tailed beasts." Kurama's expression seemed to be hiding something Itachi noticed but he played along
"I see to avoid being sealed thus you'd take on a human form if it meant living in peace." Itachi said in a realizing tone
Kurama looked like he was in deep thought a sad deep thought. "I see you miss Naruto don't you. I have one final question for you Is Naruto, dead?" Itachi asked
Kurama stood up and shook probably to wake himself up he opened his eyes wide as Kakashi saw a terrible sight a terrifying image of a living image of Naruto flashed in Kurama's eyes, he looked confused and lost as they both seemed mortified, Kurama smiled and laughed at them.
"I am Uzumaki Naruto!" The fox bellowed out.
Now content that they understood exactly what had happened they both left to report to the council of Kages there new situation they entered the shinobi HQ and stood privately before the Kages to speak to them. Under Kakashi's request, Itachi began to expound the situation
"Madam Hokage, we have something of utter importance that we need to discuss," Itachi respectfully said.
"Speak! Itachi were listening," Tsunade replied.
"Something's happened to Uzumaki san it seems the Kyuubi has possessed and eaten him."
They were mortified to hear those terrible words but attempted to maintain their composure as Tsunade replied
"I see, and you're sure?"
"As sure as we can be in this situation anyway."
They immediately called for Uzumaki Naruto after Kakashi and Itachi finished explaining the situation. He came in as soon as he was called and acted exactly like Naruto Kakashi looked utterly suspicious as if he could attack at any moment.
"Oi You called me Baa Chan?" Naruto replied.
"Are you Uzumaki Naruto?" She sternly asked
"No." Kurama replied.
"Who are you what happened to Naruto?" Garra asked just as threateningly
"I am Naruto I ate him, perhaps you'd prefer the term Kyuubi or Kurama either ones correct though or if you'd prefer Uzumaki Naruto also correct."
Kurama decided that they needed a demonstration as he closed his eyes and focused suddenly it was like an inner person awoke as suddenly he stood up looked them in the eyes and said
"Like I said I am Naruto baa Chan oi Garra you're here too!"
He started telling them facts that only Naruto could've known it certainly was Naruto, frighteningly so, it terrified all in the room as they stared at the freakish display when he stopped it he stood as firm as the Kyuubi would've and stared right into the Kages eyes.
"Satisfied?"
"You! what are you?" Garra asked in horror
"I am what you people call the Kyuubi show them Itachi." Kurama turned to Itachi and made a gesture towards his eyes in moments they were all connected via Tsukuyomi and placed right in front of a very un-jailed Kyuubi.
"He asked for this himself; Do not get the wrong idea" Kurama told them sternly.
"What happened?" Tsunade inquired
"He was dying I ate him to keep my dreams alive, and his." Kurama stood up looked down at the Hokage and said.
"Shukaku could do the same?" Garra almost seemed frightened to Kurama with that Question
"All of us can." Kurama nodded his giant head and told them.
They seemed shocked but complacent with the answer. This time the Mizukage spoke up
"What are your dreams or goals then," She asked the fox demon.
"Freedom from sealing." Kurama now speaking in a softer almost sad tone replied.
Itachi who cast the genjutsu appeared before them to once again question Kurama
"Surely that's not the only goal, is it?" Itachi asked Kurama who sat and leaned closer to Itachi presumably to see him better,
"No, but you'll see later." Again, Kurama seemed to be hiding something Tsunade in a fit of rage over this whole situation shouted at the Kyuubi
"What's to stop us from killing you and undoing all of this right now!?"
"Naruto is, what else do you want to know?" He replied smartly.
Regrettably, he was right Naruto, His disappearance would instantly raise questions especially since it had become well known in the encampment that he had survived. They had Itachi take them out of the Genjutsu then Kurama was sent out and he went back to reconditioning his new corpse for his style of fighting.
It was hard labor that he gladly welcomed for himself as he, day in day out trained to adjust to the new body and to get it adjusted to him. The Kages had a council about what to do about this fake Naruto.
"It seems that we can't just kill him. plus, Naruto's still in there I'm sure of it," Tsunade desperately hoped
Itachi chimed in "Not in the way you're thinking madam hokage, Naruto is the Kyuubi now there's no separation jutsu you could do to free him because there is no him there is only the Kyuubi."
Onoki agreed hastily as he eyed Itachi and spoke to his fellow kages
"So, then the question becomes do we trust him? Naruto, Kyuubi, Kurama, whatever we call him what do we do?" Onoki said.
The Raikage had a plan to share,
"Itachi, you'll watch his movements and see if he does anything odd or suspicious. Report to us immediately if he does and we'll decide from there." He said in a commanding tone then Tsunade turned to Kakashi.
"Kakashi your mission is to stop this info from leaking out if it does "eliminate the threat"" She told him.
"Yes, Hokage sama." Kakashi replied.
They left as they began to focus on their missions Itachi found Kurama training to be Human as he sat to watch him train. And learned more about Kurama as he watched him work on being more Human-like more Naruto like etc. Finally, he appeared before Kurama.
"Is it difficult for you to be Human?" Itachi asked the Fox demon who no took human form.
"It is as a matter of fact, but I'll get there." Kurama replied with a calm expression he turned to Itachi who seemed fascinated by him.
"So, tell me about yourself where'd you come from Kurama?" Itachi sat and asked, Kurama followed Suit.
"You can use your Sharingan I'm sure it'd be easier for you to get what you're after." Kurama smiled and said.
"Thanks, Kurama." Itachi said then he stood in front of Kurama and activated Tsukuyomi with the fox now completely under his control, he read Kurama's mind and saw his entire life his goals his dreams He saw exactly what happened to Naruto and his choice, Naruto's that was.
It wasn't long until certain disappearances had brought rise to rumors about enemy spies. The Kages, Itachi and Kakashi were doing everything they could to stem the flood of rumors but still, they spread. Meanwhile, Kurama had been doing arguably better at being Naruto but it was still off at times.
He was best during battle as he had started to learn the intricacies of Naruto's chakra and the working mannerisms behind it he focused on relearning jutsu he'd make simple excuses for his suddenly knowing new technique's something that Naruto wasn't so talented at that convinced most except one.
Sakura, she seemed to be on his trail from the moment this all began as she would randomly ask him questions that had a sinister purpose and Kurama could tell meant to throw him off so she could for herself confirm he was someone something else. But he was vigilant and answered the inquiries exactly as Naruto would.
It was driving her mad he answered like Naruto, he looked like him, sounded like him, in every respect that was Naruto Uzumaki the one she'd known since childhood but still. She couldn't help but shake the feeling there was something terribly terrifyingly wrong. Finally, the feeling became too much and she decided to inquire about it with Kakashi.
"Kakashi senpai I have a question about Naruto." Sakura asked
"Hmm, what is it Sakura?" Kakashi asked
"Is, is he really, Naruto?" she said.
"Sakura, of course, he is? Why would you ask a strange question like that?" Kakashi said
"I Don't know I just have a strange feeling that's all" She left promptly not feeling fully content with Naruto's identity. Kakashi immediately reported the behavior to Tsunade personally.
"She's on to him and I don't know what to do." Kakashi said
"This may come as a shock but tell her the truth although, I'd worry about her attempting something rash." Tsunade said
They went ahead with the plan anyway as Finally "Naruto" approached his friend Sakura she straight up asked as she saw him approaching with Itachi.
"Who are you?" She asked
"I am the Kyuubi." Naruto said to her a very serious facial expression adorned him that wasn't anything like Naruto rather than continue the conversation Itachi once again activated his Tsukuyomi and pulled Sakura into Kurama's domain. She was astonished seeing an empty cage a great fox and no Naruto in sight.
She was taken out of the genjutsu as she felt like running after realizing what happened she was intercepted by Kakashi who slapped her back into serious thought. She fell to her knees. Kurama tried to calm her down but she wouldn't as she pushed his hand away and ran. Kakashi followed after her.
Kurama went back to training he had become much more proficient in terms of human fighting his control over this new human form was becoming finer and finer to the point that he was satisfied and was simply waiting for a battle to come enabling him to test his new abilities. A battle he certainly didn't have to wait long for.
The enemy attempted an ambush he fought with his newly acquired body with utter elegance as in the most beast-like fashion he tore through the Edo Tensei and Zetsu and managed to conjure up several of Naruto's Rasengan attacks that were hurled like Bijuu Dama at the enemy blasting them away into dust.
Kabuto fearing the soldiers would be sealed called them back. Kurama was satisfied with his new corpse puppet and his skill at piloting it. Meanwhile, Sakura was standing by a lake; it appeared to Kakashi that she was in a very deep sense of thought about the new situation as he approached she stated she wanted to be alone for a while so Kakashi left but kept an eye on her.
Kurama was satisfied with his new corpse as far as control went he finally decided it was time to approach the eight tails. He took a breath and started searching for killer bee as he was known. He found him rapping in his usual manner as he approached acting like Naruto would.
"Oi! Bee-chan." Naruto's voice came in to Bee's ears.
"Yo, What's up Naruto Kun?" He said in a rap
"The Kyuubi wants to talk to the hachibi is he around?" Naruto asked him
"Ah, gotcha yo bee you there?" killer bee called the eight tails.
"Yeah, yeah, what's up Kurama?" The eight tails asked
Kurama sadly went on to explain what had happened to Naruto and much to Kurama's surprise Bee was sympathetic to the whole situation as they discussed what to do next.
"I see, he was a good man and you saved him the only way you knew how that's nothing to be ashamed of Kurama."
"I know and I remember that he chose this himself. What do you think we should do next bee?"
"Hmm, Kurama How about gaining their trust and seeing where we can go from there?"
"That'll be tough considering what I've done to them."
"You mean taking Naruto away, you shouldn't blame yourself remember he choose this himself Anyway for the plan to work you need to gain their trust."
Bee was right Kurama left as he explained what happened to killer bee who was sad to have lost Naruto but understood things just happened sometimes, Kurama went into camp his first objective was gaining allies and support he first went to check on Sakura Kakashi suggested that she be left alone, so Kurama focused on recruiting Itachi.
He found Itachi training a group of soldiers to probably be an assassination group black ops style. He smiled as he eyed them training the trainees barely starting to get the hang of it. He watched with utter fascination as Itachi showed them the way of fighting as an assassin something Kurama longed to learn. As he later approached Itachi after they finished training to ask him a question.
"Itachi can you teach me the ways of the Anbu black ops?" Kurama Looked at him with an almost needing expression.
"For what reason Naruto?" Itachi said skeptic of Kurama.
"If I'm going to be human, I'd better learn to defend myself like one don't you think?" Kurama smartly replied a small smile adorning his face as he did so.
Itachi thought to himself for a bit then promptly agreed the next day training began a tedious process that saw Kurama falling on his ass more than not. He, however, seemed to be enjoying it?
The concept of black ops style was simply to get from point A to point B with no one noticing your presence. Itachi drilled Kurama and the rest of the students to the bone and made them from the ground up learn to move on their feet silently. Once that was established they learned to fight like a silent assassin. Kurama was learning fast and it was clear Itachi albeit still distrustful of him was impressed otherwise.
They had fought several battles together Him Kakashi and Itachi, he started to feel like he was to some extent gaining their trust in some way although progress was slow otherwise he was hopeful that he could gain their favor in the long run. For Kakashi it was very different for him this Naruto was a very different person who reminded him more of Sasuke then Naruto and that was an awful thing to him. Who was this person what was his actual goal?
He seemed more of a terrible mystery to Kakashi then he dared to admit to anyone really that this situation was more of a nightmare to him than anything else. No matter how much in the past he wished he could be rid of that childish idiot he first met so many years ago. Was he was lamenting the loss of Naruto?
No, Naruto wasn't that idiot that he'd met so many years ago he had become a fine man a fine shinobi and ally to the Hidden Leaf village. He was the hero who'd saved the village from the tyranny of Pein a comrade had been truly been lost to him. Having now been replaced with some freakish fake the demon who'd assaulted the village and killed so many now fought alongside him like a comrade!?
To add insult to injury he wandered around like he had done nothing wrong in the first place like the mistake was theirs not his. It was driving Kakashi mad and Itachi could see it plain as day. Worse was Sakura. Her childhood friend in flesh stood before her but in spirit and mind was entirely lost to her.
If Kakashi though he was living a nightmare then Sakura must've been living in hell. Or so she told herself anyway. Just seeing what was the bodily figure of her friend Naruto anymore was terrible to her knowing that beneath that hollow flesh was someone, something terribly awful.
Even if Naruto had made the choice himself and wanted things this way he certainly hadn't considered her feelings at all and what would she have thought about the situation now she and Kakashi were both stuck living this horrible nightmare of a situation. Itachi had a lot on his plate between the two-struggling ninja's seemingly in his care for the time being.
His first and foremost focus was helping Kakashi snap out of it and to help him come to terms with this new person. He worked up a strategy in his mind as to how he would approach Kakashi. But for now, that would have to wait as night had come and the fox's eyes watched eerily over the camp.