Chapter 5: Seeing Red
Obito materialized in The Hidden Rain's tallest tower and perched on the side of a windowless ledge. He lost himself in the hiss of the persistent rain that touched all corners of the village, waiting for The Orphans to notice his arrival. An overhang shielded Obito from the chakra-laced water droplets — not that he was trying to hide. He'd made no effort to conceal his chakra. Pain and Konan stepped out of the shadows to greet him.
"I assume you were successful," said Nagato, although his words came from the late Yahiko's mouth.
"Do you even need to ask?" Obito chuckled.
"The intel I've collected from The Rain tells me there's been mass chaos in The Leaf since their disappearance."
"Just as planned."
Obito looked out across the vast sea of sleek metal. Long pipes ran the length of most buildings, giving a unique industrialized aesthetic to the architecture. The steady flow of rain drenched the landscape and drowned out all sound. Down below, people no larger than specks were going about their business. Obito mused that they resembled little colonies of ants, right down to their levels of insignificance.
Pain's done a wonderful job with the place.
"I assigned Zetsu to look after the children while I'm here," he explained while keeping his back to Pain and Konan. "I have a plan for monitoring them long term as well."
"What if they are found by The Leaf?" Konan interjected.
"As unlikely as that is, I've taken measures to ensure that even if by some miracle they are discovered, the news won't make it back to the village." Obito turned and fixed his gaze on the stoic kunoichi, his right eye gleaming behind the mask. He flipped on his hood and stepped down from the ledge.
"Nagato, I can no longer control the Nine Tails like I did before," he said, pacing past his stone-faced accomplices, "but now I don't need to. Sasuke's fresh eyes are full of potential. I can mold him into the asset we need so that when we have all of the other Jinchuuriki hosts, I'll be able to deliver the Nine Tails to you muzzled and ready for extraction."
"It will be beneficial to have one less Jinchuuriki to capture," Pain reasoned.
"Exactly," Obito said. "Put a rush on collecting the others. Today we've come one step closer to our goal, Nagato. Konan." They nodded. "I'm going back to be with the children now. I'll relieve our poor Zetsu from babysitting duty and send him to the Akatsuki hideout."
"Understood," The Orphans said in unison. They didn't react in any way to their leader's attempt at humor.
A portal manifested and propelled Obito to his next location with ease. He smirked; everything was going as planned. Soon, he would create the world that he and Madara envisioned.
In a spacious dojo, Naruto backed away from Obito. There were sealing jutsu markings on all of the walls, a constant reminder of the translucent barrier protecting the building. Most of the time, this reassurance made him feel safe. Right now, Naruto wished the barrier wasn't up so he could escape to go anywhere but here.
Obito crouched in front of him with an extended hand. The man's gentle smile did little to soothe his adopted son. Scared eyes met calm ones.
"Unh-uh," Naruto said, shaking his head.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
"It's not me I'm worried about." Naruto's wary gaze darted toward Sasuke for less than a second, but Obito noticed.
The latter gestured behind him, a nonchalant laugh escaping him. "Oh, come now. He's going to be alright. Everyone will. Just trust me, okay?"
"But why?! Why would you wanna let that thing out?"
"The Nine Tails isn't getting out, Naruto."
"How do you know?"
Obito's jaw muscle flexed. "Because, I've done this before. Now come back over here, please."
They stood across from one another for a long time. Tension filled the uncomfortable silence. Against his better judgment, Naruto trudged back toward his father, deciding to trust him. Obito hadn't betrayed him so far. Why would he start now?
Still, something wasn't adding up.
"What do you mean you've done this before?" Naruto said in a small voice.
Obito pointed to his eyes. "You'll notice my Sharingan has all three tomoe. Sasuke's doesn't. The Sharingan possesses many abilities he has yet to learn, but I can show him how they work. In just a year, I've already helped him unlock the first two states." He indicated the Uchiha boy, whose less developed Sharingan blazed a youthful red.
Naruto frowned; Obito still hadn't answered the question.
When he saw that his words hadn't quite sold Naruto, Obito changed tactics. He softened his voice and adopted a warm smile. "I promise you, Naruto, the fox won't get loose. I tamed him once. I can teach Sasuke what I know."
"Um…okay then, I guess."
The Uzumaki gulped, standing tall while he watched Obito squat low next to Sasuke. Then he put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in to say something Naruto couldn't hear. Sasuke nodded but kept his gaze fixed straight ahead. Deep within his stony expression, though, there was something else. Maybe a hint of emotion?
Whatever Sasuke was feeling didn't last. He shrugged it off and took a few steps toward Naruto, who was doing his best not to chicken out again.
"Ready?" Obito said, approaching the nervous blond.
"Not really, but if you say this'll help, then I'll do it."
Nodding in understanding, his adoptive parent patted him on the shoulder, then knelt to examine his stomach. Obito slid a gloved hand across the skin above Naruto's belly button, causing him to almost burst out in laughter.
"That tickles!" he said, struggling not to resist the discomfort.
A second later, a stream of energy shot from the tips of Obito's fingers into his stomach. Naruto froze, overcome with unexpected shock and pain. The pressure of Obito's fingertips against his skin increased as he twisted them deeper. Naruto cried out and his eyes watered.
He could barely stand by the time the pain faded. A thin film of sweat covered him from head to toe. The five points of impact sizzled and left behind thin trails of smoke. When he had the energy to move, Naruto glared up at Obito.
"You…you tricked me!" he half-gasped.
Obito looked down at him with a blank stare. "I get that you're upset, but tell me. In all honesty, would you have gone through with this if I told you everything it entailed?"
Naruto doubled over, clutching his spasming stomach. The seal seemed to have awakened and taken on a life of its own. "N-no, probably not."
His father figure splayed his arms. "So you see why I had to trick you. Sorry, Naruto. Sasuke, you're up!"
The moment the order was given, Obito's feet disappeared from view. Naruto searched for the traitorous mentor and found he was instead staring straight into the blood-red irises of Sasuke's Sharingan. A pulse of invisible energy ran through Naruto. He blinked and opened his eyes to new surroundings. The stomach pain plaguing him was now a distant memory. He could focus on nothing else besides the vast chamber surrounding him.
Murky water reached his knees. Thick pipes ran the length of walls that opened out into wide hallways. The ceiling in this place was impossibly high. Most unbelievable of all, however, were the large bars sectioning off a portion of the room. A low rumble echoed in Naruto's ears. He didn't see anything, but somehow he knew what was making the sound. Somewhere in that infinite darkness, The Nine Tailed Fox lurked, its terrible power and potent chakra trapped within the seal.
"Hey," said a young voice.
Naruto yelped, turning to see Sasuke staring back at him. The Uchiha Clan's signature piercing red eyes were even more unnerving up close.
"Sasuke!" Naruto stepped back on instinct, prompting the other boy to cross his arms in annoyance.
"What are you so freaked out about, idiot? Obito told us how this would work."
"Well, yeah, but this is so weird! I've never had anyone put me under a genjutsu. Plus, it's one thing to hear about that evil fox. Now we're actually inside of the seal with him. It's a lot to deal with at once, okay?"
Sasuke let out a dismissive huff. "Stand back."
He cracked his knuckles and braced himself, staring into the darkness behind the cage. However brave he was pretending to be, he couldn't fool Naruto. Sasuke's legs were wobbling ever so slightly as he prepared to face the beast.
An ominous growl rattled the entire pocket dimension.
"Focus, Sasuke," ordered a voice that sounded far away. "Remember what I told you!"
"Obito?" Naruto said. He searched every corner of the place, but he and Sasuke were alone.
Grunting, the black-haired youth dug his heels in. The doors to the gate shook, inching open bit by bit. Naruto's spine tingled and he held out his arms in a useless defensive gesture.
A weighty, all-consuming voice filled the room. Its rough texture was beyond anything either of the boys had heard before — the furthest thing from human.
"So…you're the little brat, eh? Come to die?"
Sinister crimson eyes emerged from the darkness, assessing both unwelcome guests with a cold gaze. The boys stood their ground despite their blatant desire to be anywhere else right now.
"I-I didn't come to die!" Naruto spat, finding the courage to speak. He couldn't let Sasuke or Obito see him being such a coward. "I came because we're gonna put a stop to you."
"You?" A long, monstrous claw reached through the tiny opening in the gate. "How are two striplings going to do anything against my power?"
"Whether you believe us or not, we're gonna make sure you don't get out or hurt anyone else. Just like my dad did."
"Your father?"
A simmering red aura emanated from the fox's side of the partition, clogging the air. The dense fog spread out in wisps that moved in almost lifelike, sweeping arcs. Naruto and Sasuke traded fear for courage, refusing to abandon the mission Obito entrusted them to complete. They danced around the approaching tendrils. The 'safe zone' where the fox's chakra couldn't reach them shrunk until, at last, they bumped into each other and ended up standing back to back.
"Damn that Minato," the fox snarled, "condemning me to this prison inside of such a pathetic kid!
"I said stay behind me, Naruto," Sasuke repeated.
"There's not exactly anywhere else to go."
Gasping, Sasuke turned to observe just how much of the place the fox's dark chakra managed to consume. In that moment, it was clear to Naruto that for all of Sasuke's overconfidence, he was paralyzed by fear. So much so, in fact, that his Sharingan lost track of the spread of the dark chakra. Deep down he was still a kid, after all. Neither of them had the proper training to go up against a murderous tailed beast. They knew this plan was suicide from the start.
Baring his razor-sharp teeth bared in a feral display of killing intent, the Nine Tails shouted more threats. "Weakening the eight-signed seal was a mistake. I'm going to claw my way out of here and kill the two of you!"
The encroaching red mist enveloped them, taking a semi-solid form. Both boys struggled against the tight grip of the blanket of sentient chakra. Sasuke blinked, his Sharingan fading in and out. He and Naruto cried out in pain.
"It's not real," Sasuke said to himself. "It's not real…"
He wasn't entirely wrong. However, Naruto wanted to scream. Real or not, the crushing power of The Nine Tails' influence was so great, it could take on a physical shape in this mindscape. The upside was that they weren't in their actual bodies. Right now, they were abstract copies of themselves made from chakra. Just like the fox could command his chakra through sheer will to act against them, they had the ability to direct their chakra at him. Or at least, that's what the past few months of training led Naruto to believe.
There was one problem, though: the fog was binding their hands. They couldn't make hand signs. That meant no jutsu.
"Sasuke!" Obito said again. "You can handle this. Don't think about him. Focus chakra into your eyes. Picture what you want to happen."
"I'm t-trying!" Sasuke wheezed.
"Not hard enough."
"Pull us out, Obito," Naruto pleaded, fighting the urge to cry. "Please! It isn't working!"
There was no response. Still more red miasma clouded their vision. Chuckling with delight, the fox increased pressure. If their bodies had bones in this dimension, Naruto was sure they would have snapped.
Sasuke opened his eyes again, this time maintaining his Sharingan's activated state. He looked down at the spiraling pool of red that was attempting to suck him and Naruto into oblivion. His chakra built to a boiling point. The pair of untrained Sharingan eyes surged with raw energy exactly as Obito had explained they would.
Just like that, the thickening tailed beast chakra dispersed. Both former captives fell to their knees and gasped for air. Shallow water sloshed around their arms and legs, carrying residual energy that the fox's rumbling laughter left behind. Sasuke looked at Naruto, his hair dripping wet.
"We're safe," he said.
Naruto recovered from his temporary shock and grinned. "You did it, Sasuke!"
A small smile graced Sasuke's lips. Even he seemed unable to maintain his usual grumpiness after escaping such a near-death experience.
"What are you both so happy about?" the fox retorted. The room shook again, and the bars of his cage blasted wide open. "Die, fools!"
Lunging at them with a mighty roar, The Nine Tails revealed his full form. Naruto and Sasuke's mouths hung agape.
His body was massive.
Long, sharp claws extended from even longer limbs. Endless tufts of fur decorated nine gargantuan tails, which conjured breezes strong enough to topple a small tree with each swish. Burning red eyes plunged daggers of hatred into the two children.
Neither target could move. Not even seeing the fox with its mouth wide open and about to swallow them helped.
This is it, Naruto said to himself. We're gonna die!
A radial blast of crimson chakra exploded from within Naruto, shaking the very foundation of the dojo within Obito's ninjutsu barrier. Floor and wall panels bent and splintered. Debris flew in all directions. Sasuke tensed and tried to put distance between himself and the unsealed Jinchuuriki, only to feel a hand press against his back.
"There's nothing to fear," Obito shouted over his disciple's shoulder, ignoring the raging winds and cloying heat waves. "Trust yourself!"
Naruto stood half-hunched over, little more than a limp conduit for the cloak of red chakra snaking across his body. Half of him was already covered in the stuff. His transformation showed no signs of stopping. Everything Sasuke saw was in direct contrast with Obito's words of encouragement. This was a fool's errand. His knees buckled and he contemplated running away, but then he remembered everything he learned on that fateful night.
Danzo, The Leaf Elders, everyone…they all lied to him. They sentenced his brother to an unfair life of isolation and disgrace. A temporary peace in the village was bought with the price of Itachi's destroyed reputation. One way or another, they would pay. Sasuke swore he would live long enough to ensure that promise came to pass.
He couldn't die here.
A rush of determination sprung up from deep within him, pulling Sasuke upright into a static pose. He grimaced, then concentrated on the source of Naruto's chakra leak. The seal. A faint glow visible only to those with his special eyes guided the Uchiha's Genjutsu. All of a sudden, his visual acuity grew even sharper.
"I can do this," he said. His consciousness, which was split between both realms, dove headlong back into the seal dimension.
Sasuke's will raged on inside the mindscape. He commanded the chakra in his eyes to push back against the fox's destructive wrath. The furious creature struggled to chomp down on Naruto and Sasuke, but was held in place with its mouth half-open by Sasuke's fierce glare.
Everything motivating the black-haired boy to survive blended together into a blazing tornado of emotions. He thought of his goals to achieve revenge for his clan, find and save his brother, surpass the current challenge set for him by Obito, and…
And yes, to save you too, Naruto!
Naruto Uzumaki came to life with a start. He screamed himself awake and sat up straight. Pausing, he touched his face. He swept the room and saw that they were all back in the dojo. Mr. Zetsu lurked in silence a few paces away. Sasuke looked beyond fatigued. However, now there was a third tomoe in both of his eyes. Whatever happened inside the fox's seal seemed to have been a success.
Obito stood tall, smiling down at an exhausted Sasuke. "That's my boy."