Naruto walked to the edge of the village, still rethinking the events that had taken place a few moments ago.
'Old coward. But well, don't say I didn't give it a chance…' an evil smile painted his lips. Hehehehehe'
"Erm…Naruto, it's good here already." Kyuubi said, pulling him out of his thoughts. Looking around, Naruto could see he was in a forest. He sat down with his arms and legs crossed, and a short time later he was in his mindscape, facing the huge fox.
"So what do we do first?"
"A kind of crash course for a year." Kurama felt disappointment radiate from his jinchuriki. "It's no use scowling, you know those idiots of your teachers didn't teach you a damn thing. But now, I'm going to teach you and we're going to have to, and I emphasize, TRAIN A LOT. Which means little sleep, little time for meals, and above all you will do whatever I say, do you hear?"
"Okay, okay... Whatever, let's just get started." Kurama smirked.
"I want to see how long you're going to keep that attitude once we get started…" He said with a sneer. Naruto kept his gaze steady but couldn't ignore the shiver that ran down his spine.
The colossal fox then rose. But before he could speak or do anything, Naruto walked over to the bars and ran his hand over the paper that said 'seal'.
"So, it's this little paper that keeps you on your toes, right?" Kurama snorted. This Naruto really had nothing to do with his memories.
"Yes it is. This is a powerful seal that the fou-" Was interrupted when Naruto started to pluck the seal from the bars. Kurama widened his eyes, and kept his gaze on the boy, until the entire seal was ripped off. Kurama immediately shifted his gaze to nothing.
"There, I think this will be more comfortable for both you and me." Naruto spoke, looking at the seal in his hand. When there was no answer, he looked up, and saw that the fox was staring at nothing, as if he were looking at something. Or waiting for something to happen. "Kyuubi?"
'So, this time, that effeminate Hokage didnt show up. Strange... Maybe it's because the seal was taken out on its own, without my influencing anything. If he didn't show up, it means that Kushina won't show either... ' He stared at the boy, who was looking at him confused and with his arms crossed. Naruto's intimidating red eyes watched him intently, waiting for an explanation.
"What is it, boy?"
"You tell me. You've been standing there like an asshole staring at nothing for a while. Should something happen or do you just like to play the idiot?" A vein popped out on the fox's forehead.
'Definitely without knowing his parents, and now that he has severed emotional ties with the useless old man, I see no solution other than for him to succumb to the darkness. This boy just has…the…me…' His eyes widening as he realized that fact, he was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his voice again.
"Tsk, again. What's your damn problem, overdeveloped furball?"
"More respect, kid!"
"Then stop staring at nothing and let's start with a damn-" Suddenly, a red chakra quickly began to surround him. "What does that mean?" Asked a little altered. Kurama quickly opened the cage doors and held out his fist.
'As I thought, the seal has a key'! "Quick, hit your fist on mine!" Naruto looked at him and, to Kurama's surprise, his eyes turned blue again, and it was reflected in them for the first time since Naruto had succumbed to darkness, fear in his gaze. Naruto raised his arm, but the red chakra enveloped it before their fists could clash. His eyes turned red again, and Kurama saw that there was no other alternative. If he didn't knock him unconscious, Naruto was going to die because his body couldn't handle all of the fox's chakra, which flowed without restriction.
Outside, in the middle of the woods, Naruto let out a roar. He put his hands to his head as he felt his awareness slowly slip away. He felt his nails turn into claws, and he drooled uncontrollably as his teeth became fangs. Before his vision blurred, he saw two thin shadows flutter behind him, and then a third, followed by excruciating pain throughout his body, from muscles to hairs, as if they were tearing at his organs, bones, and muscles at the same time they set fire to them. He was scared, and he realized that gradually a fourth shadow was taking shape. But before he could react, he felt his body push itself forward, and then a loud thump on his head made him close his eyes, and the feeling of relief came, which was the last thing he remembered before falling unconscious.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
In Konoha, an explosion of evil chakra smothered the entire village, causing some experienced shinobi to fall to their knees, along with some civilians. Civilians who would never have guessed what hit them, but to the village shinobi, this chakra had a bitter taste of dèjá vu.
Inside the Hokage's room, Hiruzen felt, for the second time that day, a spike of utterly evil chakra. But this time, the chakra was much stronger and more intense than before, and it seemed to grow stronger with each passing second. Astonished, he didn't hear when they invaded his room, nor did he notice when his pipe fell from his open mouth.
"Lord Hokage, what is this?!" Hiruzen snapped out of his thoughts when he saw that his room was full of shinobi, among them jounin and anbus. And he saw that the speaker was none other than Asuma Sarutobi, his son.
"Lord Hokage, we must go investigate right now!" An anbu spoke, receiving a unanimous nod from everyone in the room. When he realized his ninjas would leave, Hiruzen regained control of his body in time to react.
"NO!" The Hokage screamed at the top of his lungs, surprising everyone present. Remembering the threat Naruto made to him earlier, he didn't believe he would ever release the Kyuubi from his seal. His guess is that something went wrong with some jutsu attempt. But if ninjas went there, then yes, the citizens would see for the second time a giant fox destroying everything in its path. "Don't do anything, let's just wait." Silence settled in the place, while the ninjas exchanged glances with each other. After a while, the spike of chakra suddenly weakened, and as if from a breeze, it disappeared. Hiruzen, like everyone else, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Listen, I don't want you to find out what happened. Let's just ignore it for now. Trust me, it's the best we can do for now." Again the ninjas exchanged glances with each other, clearly disagreeing. But if they are orders from the leader, there is nothing left but to accept them.
"Yes sir." And the crowd in his room dispersed, until there was nothing left but the old war veteran. He picked up his pipe, and looked out the window, lost in thought.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Nee kikoemasu ka? (Can you hear me?)"
"Sora wa... Hateshinaku aoku sunde itte... (the sky is boundless and blue)"
"Umi wa... Kagirinaku koudai de itte... (the sea is great and endless)"
"Kimi wa...Itsumademo egao de itte...(May you please keep smiling)"
"Janai to... Nai chau kara (Or else I will cry)"
'What the fuck…' Naruto thought, regaining consciousness and opening his eyes, realizing he was once again in his mental landscape. But this time, floating calmly on the water.
"You're awake, finally." The fox snorted with his arms crossed.
"What happened?" He asked getting up.
"Well, the seal has a key, and you released it without using it." Naruto crossed his arms, still facing the fox. "Look at it like this, you are a container that contains water. Instead of turning on the faucet, you took it off. You see?"
"Well, it makes sense. And what happened after?"
"I had to knock you out, or else my chakra would keep flowing freely through you, and your body isn't used to my chakra. Your own chakra coils would explode, and then your organs as your body will slowly disfiguring, and then it would explode and I would walk out without collateral damage. In other words, you would be like my cocoon."
"I understood. But what do you mean by 'no collateral damage' to you?"
"Listen carefully, because what I'm going to tell you now is important. We bijuus are beings made of chakra, and therefore immortal to time. But we can still die in different ways. And one of them is if our jinchuriki dies." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.
"So to keep you alive, you have to keep me alive."
"Yeah, more or less like that. But in the case just now, I would be released from my seal and my bond with you. As I said, you would become my shell, so I wouldn't die." Naruto closed his eyes thoughtfully. After a while in silence, he went back to watching the fox.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why didn't you let me die? After all, freedom is what you've always wanted."
"Well, let's say you're the first jinchuriki that's worth following and helping to grow." Again, silence was present.
"I understand." Naruto suddenly spoke. "Thank you, I think".
"You're welcome. But anyway, everything has a price. You were out for two weeks, and in that time I let my chakra flow through your body so you could get used to it. But that changed you a little... "
"How so?"
"I see you didn't notice... Look at your hands and your reflection in the water." Naruto looked at his hands. Claws were present in place of his nails. He knelt down and saw his reflection in the water. His eyes were red, his pupils torn, his hair spiky and a little more voluminous, his canines had turned fangs and his whisker marks were stronger and more apparent. In general, it looked more animalistic.
"Well, if it's to get stronger then I don't care."
"Very well, then we can start right here." The fox sat up, and soon Naruto followed suit. "There is a very essential jutsu for you to learn, and it will fit you like a glove. So as soon as you wake up, try to redo it until you perfect it, ok?"
"OK"
"The name of the jutsu is Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Nah-ah!" Kurama cut as soon as he saw Naruto open his mouth." I know you have problems with the clone technique, but this is not a normal clone. These are solid clones. They can bleed, act, think and even perform jutsus on their own, depending on how much chakra you put in." Kurama smiled when he saw the excitement in the boy's eyes. Despite having plunged into darkness, Kurama felt that it was not too late. Maybe Naruto just needed a reason to go back to being the one in his memories... "Anyway, all you need to do is put your fingers in a cross...".
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
One year later…
The village hidden in the leaf was at peace. Some would say it was because the village demon was finally cast out, others more optimistic would say the demon got what he deserved and someone killed him. But as no one was credited for such a feat, they believed that there was a strong ninja, who in the midst of a difficult battle against the devil, who abandoned his boy form, as he no longer fooled anyone and assumed the form of a giant fox, gave his life to end the threat of nine tails. The romanticism behind this story made it the most accepted theory so far, although all shinobi knew it was nothing more than an urban legend. And so, among the military population, two thoughts were more recurrent:
What happened to Uzumaki Naruto?
And where the hell is Uzumaki Naruto?
Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew where he was, got tired of looking at him through the crystal ball. But one day, while watching the boy's training, something impressive happened. Naruto stopped what he was doing, and turned around. His feral aspect was intimidating, and his body was clearly more developed. Since the boy didn't wear anything covering the upper part of his body, it was possible to notice a more developed musculature, besides notable more inches in his stature.
But what was most etched in Hiruzen's memory was what the boy did. His feral eyes looked up, more precisely towards the Hokage himself, as if he were watching him too. He smiled crookedly, showing his fangs, and put a finger to his mouth, as if asking for silence. Then a red chakra surrounded him. Hiruzen was amazed to watch the chakra move spherically around the boy, until a sharp-toothed grin and stark red eyes stared back at him.
And his crystal ball broke into pieces.
In his astonishment, Hiruzen dropped his pipe as a wave of chakra from the ball knocked him off his chair. This was another message, and he knew what it meant.
Leave Uzumaki Naruto alone.
And after that, Hiruzen decided to accept the "request". All to prevent a fox from destroying everything and killing everyone. This time, there is no Seal Specialist Hokage to save them.
And through that thought, Hiruzen realized his mistakes. Just as Naruto threw it in his face, the fox could have left a long time ago, all because of neglect of the boy and ignorance of the citizens. And now, he was walking on eggshells with the one who really has the power to bring chaos or peace to his village. Compared to his younger self, he knew he wouldn't make such stupid mistakes. What happened to him to make so many mistakes like that...?
And of course, if there was one person who wasn't happy with the whole situation, it was Danzo. Even without Hiruzen knowing, he also knew where the boy was, but he wouldn't dare do anything to him. Not that the boy himself was a threat, but it takes an exemplary handling with the sharingan to control a bijuu, especially the kyuubi that is said to be the strongest of all. And that management he still doesn't have.
Yet.
The uses of Kotoamatsukami are still not entirely clear to him, as well as his secret experiment that will allow him to use this technique without time restriction as a side effect.
And he also knew that Naruto didn't give a shit about the village anymore, so trying to convince him to ally with him was a lost cause. So his best option was to watch him in the shadows and leave him alone.
And so it did for a while.
Until one day, Naruto released a tail of chakra and "politely asked" the root anbus to leave. Having nothing else, Danzo never again sent men to spy on him. He didn't want unnecessary casualties.
And now, another cycle would end, and in this case, would be the students of the ninja academy. Promising young people, who would defend the village with their lives if necessary.
"I got there first, Ino-pig!"
"In your dreams, forehead!"
"No, look at my foot! It's a few inches ahead of yours!"
"Troublesome..." muttered Shikamaru
Every day is like that..." Chouji said eating his potatoes.
"Sasuke-kun!" yelled the pink-haired girl. "Can I sit by your side?"
"No way in hell, forehead! I'll sit with him!"
"Get out your offered sow!"
"What did you call me you board with legs?" Sasuke held himself still, but inside he was praying that Iruka would arrive soon. And as if his prayers were being heard, the professor entered the hall, accompanied by another.
"Attention class, everyone in your seats, let's get started."
However, a loud, sharp cry caught the attention of everyone in the class, including the two teacher chunins.
"What is it, Akamaru?" Kiba asked, seeing his dog try to hide inside his jacket. The extremely loud buzzing sound diverted everyone's attention.
"My bugs are agitated…" Shino said, trying to control them. After a while, the others felt enormous pressure in the room. Ino and Sakura dropped to their knees, the rest of them were glued to their chairs. After a few seconds, the pressure was gone, making them breathe a sigh of relief.
'What the hell was that?' thought Sasuke as a drop of sweat ran down his face. Then, footsteps could be heard, and automatically everyone looked at the classroom door. The sound of footsteps was light, but everyone could see that whoever it was was getting closer. After a few seconds, which seemed to all of them an eternity, the sound of footsteps stopped, and the door opened. And through it, entered a blond boy. He wore a dark orange kimono, and his pants were also the same color and were loose, but they were tight on his shins. The boy himself was barefoot. And above all, he wore a fox mask that covered his face. The boy looked at the rest of the students, and a small silence ensued. After a few seconds, the last person they expected to speak ended the silence.
And everyone was surprised. Not that the person himself spoke, but rather in his expression of surprise and perhaps…scared? They never saw Sasuke react to anything, he was always closed and stoic in his corner. But what made them abandon their surprise and adopt a somewhat fearful countenance was the tone of voice used by the Uchiha when speaking a sentence.
Or rather, when speaking a name.
"...Naruto...?"
But the one mentioned did not heed the call. He just walked to the last row and sat down as far away as possible by the window. He crossed his arms and sat down in the lotus position. His face pointed impassively forward, but thanks to his mask no one knew if he was even with his eyes open. A drop of sweat from nervousness ran down their faces. And then there was silence. It seemed that no one dared to even breathe a little louder, including Ino and Sakura sat together, stunned as they stared at the boy in fear.
Mizuki smiled maniacally, his plan had everything to work out. After the initial shock, Iruka cleared his throat.
"Naruto is you?" Iruka asked, but the boy neither moved nor made any attempt to respond. "I'm glad you decided to join us, but where have you been all this time?" He tried again, but without success.
"Leave him alone Iruka, I'm sure he's fine. Let's go on, yes?" Mizuki spoke with a fake smile. Without anyone noticing, Naruto's head moved a little.
"This guy... stinks of malice." Kurama growled.
'Yes I noticed. And this whole aura is focused on us.' Naruto concluded, ignoring Iruka's speech, not taking his eyes off Mizuki. And realized that he was looking at him too.
"I don't know what he's up to, but I'm sure this exams won't be normal."
'Um... Let's see. Maybe we'll play his game and get something out of it?'
"It's not a bad idea..."
'Kurama, can I defeat him?
"In a one-on-one battle, I would say that thanks to the shadow clones and my chakra you have great chances. But we don't know the opponent's strength, so go carefully."
'Leave it to me.'
"So now, you will have two hours to take the written exam. We will now distribute the tests, and then you can start." Iruka spoke, drawing Naruto's attention. The blonde noticed that both senseis shared the exams, and coincidentally Mizuki was in charge of distributing the exams to the half of the students on the left, where Naruto was. As the ninja approached, Naruto kept his head facing forward, but his eyes were intently watching the sensei's movements. And the arrogant smile that was on Mizuki's face didn't go unnoticed. As soon as he looked at his test, Kurama immediately identified the genjutsu placed on it.
"As I thought, he wants to sabotage you."
'Bah, what an idiot.'
"Now the question is: for what?"
"He must be one more in the bread line who hates me because he hates you."
"Could be... But something tells me he wants something..."
'Should we follow the game then?
"Yes".
And without even bothering to undo the genjutsu in place, Naruto answered the questions normally. After two hours, all students left the classroom for physical exams.
Standing in front of the targets, everyone performed the test, which consisted of hitting them with shurikens and kunais. On the male side, what stood out the most was Sasuke hitting nine of each, while on the female side Sakura and Ino hit the same amount of kunais and shurikens. Hinata, for some reason, seemed a lot more distracted than usual.
And then it was Naruto's turn. Again, he wasn't surprised when it was Mizuki who handed him the weapons. And it didn't take much analysis to discover that the weapons were cordless. They wouldn't pierce or cut anything unless you bathed them in chakra, and plenty of it.
"Bastard..." growled Kurama.
'Calm down Kurama. We will get him later. '
And so, Naruto threw the weapons at the targets. Despite all hitting the center, none was able to nail it for obvious reasons. Some students laughed, forgetting what happened a few hours ago, but the clan leaders' children sensed that something was wrong.
'He hit them all in the center, but none pierced.' Shino thought.
'Did he not put in enough force for penetration?' thought Kiba.
'Troublesome'. Shikamaru thought, already getting an idea of the condition of the weapons they gave Naruto. 'But if that was the case, why did they do it?'
"Okay class, now let's start the taijutsu exams. Follow me." Iruka said, being followed by all the remaining students, including Naruto. However, Sasuke moved towards the weapons used by the blonde. He bent down and was surprised.
'These weapons are cordless. Obviously it wouldn't penetrate the targets. Did that idiot not notice?' Rising, he put his hands in his pockets and approached the group of students. Shikamaru, looking at the expression on Sasuke's face as the Uchiha stared at Naruto, knew that his guess was correct.
"Okay, let's go to the taijutsu test. The time limit for each fight is five minutes, so give it your best shot. Remember that they will be constantly evaluated in posture, attack, defense and technique. The losers, if they reach the marks in these four items, pass the test. And the winners, as an incentive, get extra points. Okay, let's call it two by two through the list Mizuki has prepared at random."
And so the fights went on, until...
"Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha."
'HAH! Random my balls!' Externally Naruto almost laughed in disdain.
"They pitted the 'worst in class' against the aspiring 'rookie of the year'. Filthy bastards."
Both boys walked to the center of the makeshift arena.
"Very well, start." Immediately Naruto raised his hand.
"I give up." Everyone, including Sasuke and Iruka, were silently surprised. Silence that didn't last long, since forgetting everything that happened, Sakura let her fangirl spirit escape.
"Of course! Of course he gives up; no one is a match for Sasuke-kun. The worst in the class would never stand a chance." And the girls laughed and supported Sakura. However, Sasuke noticed that Naruto's head was slightly tilted to the side as they were still facing each other inside the arena, waiting for Iruka to announce Sasuke as the winner. Following the direction of his eyes, Sasuke met Mizuki with a sneer.
'What is happening? Why is the dobe staring at sensei?'
"Well…winner, Uchiha Sasuke." Announced Iruka. Both left the arena, and Naruto sat at the foot of a tree, in a lotus position and with his arms crossed. Sasuke, Shino and Shikamaru all looked at him, each questioning their own theory.
Later, back in class, everyone was gathered for the final exam.
"Naruto Uzumaki." Iruka called, and they both entered a separate room. "Well Naruto, you must perform the three basic academy techniques. The replacement jutsu (Kawarimi), transformation (Henge) and cloning technique (Bunshin). You can start."
Naruto transformed into Iruka, and replaced himself with a trunk they made available just for the technique.
"Excellent Naruto, now all that's missing is the cloning technique."
"I will not do it." He said crossing his arms. Iruka noticed his voice deepening, and now being closer, he noticed all the physical changes in the boy. He was definitely looking fiercer.
Shaking his head, he decided to continue. "But Naruto, if you don't even try you will fail." But Naruto didn't answer, he walked in front of him with his arms crossed. After a few seconds, Iruka sighed. "Well, there's no way out then but to fail you. I'm sorry, Naruto."
"Of course you are" Iruka's eyes widened at the boy's sarcastic reply, as he headed towards the door. On the other hand, Mizuki could hardly contain his joy and satisfaction.
'Great everything as planned'
Outside the special room, inside the classroom, were the other students. Everyone watched as Naruto left and headed for his seat, and some followed the same train of thought.
'Where's his bandana?
"Well class, congratulations to all this year's graduates. I hope you honor your bandanas, and follow your dreams. Defend the village, and your loved ones. Tomorrow come back here to meet your teams and their senseis. You are dismissed." Everyone stood up, and realized that Naruto had already left. No longer able to take the worry, Hinata ran out of class. Sasuke, already having an idea of where she was going, decided to follow her.
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, confused by the two actions.
"Troublesome. Let's go too Chouji, I have a bad feeling." The Akimichi nodded, and both also left the class in a hurry, followed closely by Shino.
"A bad feeling? Shikamaru wait!" Ino yelled trying to get attention, to no avail. "Damn it!" And so, Kiba, Akamaru, Ino and Sakura decided to follow them.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Well, all we have to do now is walk away. If he really wants to kill us, he won't waste this chance to catch you alone."
'Yes. And then he'll be in for a surprise.' Naruto thought, grinning evilly.
"I just hope he doesn't take too long..."
'Well, on that we agree...'
"Naruto-kun!" A call made him freeze in his place. Behind him, Hinata Hyuuga was a little breathless. Realizing that Naruto froze, still with his back to her, Hinata realized her current situation. She was so worried about his disappearance and not seeing him in his graduation bandana that she was carried away by her feelings. And now, talking to him alone, she realized that she wasn't really prepared to approach him.
'But then, when will I be?' she thought to herself, mentally struggling. She saw that he still had his back to her, but he was still in place. And she filled herself with courage.
"Na-naruto-k-kun..."
"What did you call me?" Hinata widened her eyes at the tone so hostile he asked. Neither of them noticed Sasuke's presence there. And then, Hinata feel that all the courage she managed to gather was slowly fading away.
"I-I -I called you Na-Naruto-kun..."
"Hehe... Hehehehe... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" Naruto laughed manically. "So I am 'Naruto-kun' to you, am I not?" Naruto turned around, and slowly walked over to her. At this moment, Shikamaru, Chouji and Shino arrive at where Sasuke was looking intently at the scene. "I just want to know why…"
"B-b-be-beca-use-I-I..." Naruto came face to face with her. Hinata always dreamed of the moment when she would declare herself to Naruto. It would be on a date, on a beautiful starry night and with the moon as a witness. He would embrace her romantically and tell her that he loved her too. But this Naruto in front of her was no longer the one she remembered, and at that moment Hinata felt threatened, cornered like a helpless animal before a predator. This Naruto no longer carried a smile with him, a contagious joy. That wasn't the Naruto she knew.
And Hinata, at that moment, felt nothing but fear. And this is something she never imagined feeling for him.
"You? You what?" asked the boy, losing his patience. Hinata stared at him, and could see that his eyes were no longer blue, but red. Impressed, she dropped to her legs. Viewing him from below, he was much more intimidating.
"Because I..."
"I don't have all day, girl. Spit it out soon!" And at that moment, the remaining four joined the others, spying on the interaction.
"I w-was... I worry about you... Because I-I l-love you..." And there was a moment of silence, where everyone who was peeking was surprised by the revelation.
"Haha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Naruto laughed maniacally. "Love me?"
"Y-y-yes..." Suddenly, Naruto stopped laughing, and spoke in a serious voice.
"Since when?"
"S-since you s-saved me…"
"You are pathetic." Hinata, like everyone else, widened her eyes. "Since that time, we've never interacted again. You never even talked to me for years. You have no idea what I went through, what happened to me. You don't know anything about me other than what everyone should know since I used to do the same things. You do not know me. And you didn't even want to meet me. You say you love me, just because of an action I did a long time ago. Seriously, how desperate for affection weren't you about to love a stranger?"
"I-it's not true, I-I've always watched you hiding..."
"Hahahahaha. In other words, spying on me. Stop talking, you're dumber than I thought you would be. Again, you say you love me just because of what I did. So, if Sasuke were the one to save you, you would love him. If it was Shino, Kiba or any other asshole in my place, you would love him, not me. You would be spying on them, not me, and the result would be the same." Naruto laughed some more. "You never even had the guts to try to be my friend, didn't even have the guts to get close to me, and now you're coming to say you love me. You are too pathetic, too needy. You're just a needy little girl who confused, perhaps, admiration for love, since your life must be so empty that you've clung to the first crumb of affection someone has given you. You pity me." Hinata, at this point, couldn't hold back the tears anymore and hid her face in her hands. And then she realized how a shadow was projecting in front of her. Looking up, her tear-blurred vision could only make out a blur of blue and white.
"That's enough, Naruto." Sasuke said authoritatively, causing the others to be surprised. Again, Naruto chuckled.
"You don't order me, Uchiha. What will happen if I don't stop?" Naruto uncrossed his arms, and Sasuke watched as he slowly flexed his fingers.
"I'll make you stop." Sasuke already knew of the blonde's intentions, but he wasn't going to back down. Not now.
"I want to see you try." And they both stared at each other. Sasuke threw a punch, but Naruto dodged it, and using the moment, grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt and flung him away. Sasuke, still in midair, could see how Naruto leapt over his body, holding him by the wrists. Sasuke slid onto his back to the ground, with Naruto on top.
"You know Sasuke, I sympathize with you since you now know what loneliness is. And that's why I'm going to tell you a secret." Naruto let go of the Uchiha's arm, and slowly brought a hand to the mask, dragging it a little to one side. Sasuke was impressed by the red eyes and the more prominent whiskers marks.
'What happened...?'
"And the secret is..." Naruto approached the Uchiha's face and whispered. "I'm going to destroy this shitty village one day. And when the time comes, don't get in my way." Sasuke once again in that day widened his eyes in surprise as he saw Naruto's manaic smile.
"Take your hands off Sasuke-kun!" yelled Sakura from behind, delivering a blow to the blonde's head. Sasuke watched as Naruto's deranged smile faded and his eyes only reflected fury. Naruto put his mask back on, and stood up, pushing Sasuke away.
"You always hit me." He turned to face the pinkette. "You always humiliated me. You always despised me." He snapped his fingers menacingly. "NO MORE!" He roared, and before she could react, Naruto hit her in the arm, flinging her towards the rest who were still watching, stunned. Sakura fell and howled in pain, clutching her arm as she cried. As they came, they noticed how his arm was broken, and a large, deep cut was made from her shoulder to her elbow.
"Anyone else want to say something?" Naruto threatened, raising his hand that dripped blood. Sakura's blood. Silence. "Excellent." He shook his hand a little to get rid of the excess blood, and went on his way, leaving Sakura crying in pain, Hinata crying in humiliation and the rest in terror.
'He's visibly stronger, but he's not the same anymore…' Sasuke thought to himself.
After walking for a while, Naruto made it to the river's edge. He washed his hands calmly.
"He is here." Kurama warned.
'Finally, it's about time.' She continued washing her hands, pretending she hadn't noticed his presence.
"Hello Naruto-kun." Mizuki spoke, full of venom. Naruto just lifted his head to face him.
'Show time'.