In a dank, lightless cell, a 16-year-old boy was held captive, selected for a grim task by his Hokage, Danzo. This boy was none other than Naruto Uzumaki, the resident of a village nestled deep within the mountains, where a volatile volcano threatened to decimate their home. In order to quell its fury, a sacrifice was demanded—a life for tranquility.
Naruto, carrying within him the spirit of the demon fox, was considered a fitting choice. Danzo, with his manipulative prowess, persuaded the council to agree to this dreadful plan. Their disdain for Naruto and their eagerness to rid themselves of the demon fox overwhelmed their judgment. The time had arrived, and the village had seized its opportunity.
Lonely and desolate, Naruto awaited his fate in the grim cell. The door creaked open, revealing a figure from his past. Naruto's former sensei, Kakashi, stood in the doorway. Naruto's eyes welled up with tears as he asked, "Are you here to say goodbye to me?"
"Yes... But I'm not going to let them do this to you. I have a plan for you to escape this sacrifice," Kakashi whispered into his ear, just as the guards approached to investigate.
With a sly smile, Kakashi handed Naruto a pair of orange swimming trunks, saying, "This is what you'll be wearing for the sacrifice." As the guards left, they had unknowingly set the stage for a daring plan.
The following day, a group of ANBU stormed into the cell, discovering Naruto already attired in the orange trunks. They escorted him to the mouth of the volcano, the site of the impending sacrifice. Waiting for him was Danzo, who addressed him solemnly, "Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails Fox demon, you are here to be offered as a sacrifice for the protection of our village and to atone for the crimes committed 16 years ago. Do you have any final words?"
"I will not resist this. I'm willing to proceed," Naruto declared, surprising Danzo with his acceptance.
Danzo, expecting resistance, commanded, "Unchain him. Proceed to the cliff and offer yourself." Naruto, with a deep breath, closed his eyes and jumped into the fiery abyss, causing gasps to ripple through the crowd. They had anticipated a struggle, a plea for mercy, but Naruto had willingly accepted his fate, without a scream or plea.
Little did they know, the boy who leaped into the volcano was not the real Naruto.
In a stunning twist, the moment Naruto hit the lava, there was a poof of smoke, revealing Kakashi, who was reduced to a pile of ash.
In a flashback, Kakashi had explained his plan: "I'm going to get you out of here, but I will stay and take your place as the sacrifice." Naruto protested, but Kakashi insisted. He gifted Naruto a scroll that harbored a teleportation jutsu and information about his family heritage. Kakashi undid Naruto's chakra seal and implored him to seize the opportunity for a better life. They exchanged a heartfelt goodbye, and Naruto teleported away, leaving Kakashi to impersonate him and await the execution.
The volcano, not appeased by the false sacrifice, erupted in a fiery explosion, decimating the village and its inhabitants. Naruto, however, survived, vowing to become a formidable ninja and carry on Kakashi's legacy.
The end.