Naruto escaped from some low-level ninjas who didn't appreciate his latest prank. Basking in the thrill of his escape, he was taken by surprise when he suddenly found himself falling through the air. Tumbling down a hill, he managed to regain his balance, and his curiosity drew him further down. At the bottom, he found an old shed that seemed abandoned for ages. With no pressing matters, he decided to explore.
Inside the shed, Naruto noticed a trapdoor, which piqued his interest about where it might lead. After he cleared the dirt and dust, he was startled by a kanji symbol that glowed momentarily before disappearing, leaving the trapdoor plain.
Climbing down the ladder, he attempted to make sense of the notes on the tables but couldn't. One particular paper stood out from the rest. He sat down and began to read, but the sight of another sheet underneath distracted him. Shaking off the distraction, he concentrated on the paper in front of him and continued reading.
Naruto unfolded the first note. "I am Minato Namikaze. This note is a contingency, should my safeguards fail. My wife is due to give birth tomorrow, and she carries the Kyuubi No Yoko. The seal containing the beast will weaken during childbirth. If the Kyuubi escapes, my life is uncertain. This room holds the legacy for my son, should he decide to become a shinobi."
Glancing around, Naruto took in the room, awash with sunlight pouring through the trapdoor above. He noted every item mentioned in the note. The prospect of exploring the super ninja weapons was thrilling, but another note demanded his attention.
He began reading the second note. "Everything has gone awry." It was clear this note was written on the night of the disaster. The paper was in tatters, with missing pieces and holes complicating the reading, and the script was rushed and sloppy.
"If you are reading this, I am dead. The Kyuubi is loose. An intruder breached the barrier. The details elude me. Our plans have failed. Your mother's and my survival tonight is uncertain. I have a method to contain the Kyuubi, though I wish for an alternative. If you're reading this, I am gone, and the Kyuubi is sealed."
The bottom of the page gave Naruto a mini heart attack.
"Dear, Naruto."
--
Naruto had lingered in the shed for some time before he noticed the encroaching darkness. Not keen on spending the night in the spooky shed, devoid of cobwebs-thanks to a seal that kept spiders and insects at bay-he opted to leave.
He descended the ladder, closed the door, and watched as the blue kanji resealed itself. Believing it to be locked, he began his trek back home. Climbing the hill he had earlier descended, he arrived at the village just as the sunset drove the villagers inside, sparing him from their usual scowls.
Back home, Naruto set aside his jutsu scrolls, stretched out on his bed, and slipped into the oddest dream he'd ever had-it was eerily vivid. He found himself waking up in a meadow ringed by trees. Near a pond, he looked down at his reflection to see everything as usual, except his normally blue eyes were now a deep red.
He walked with no destination and started to hear talking. "Naruto, don't be a picky eater. Just eat a lot so you grow up big and strong, and make sure that you bathe every day and that you stay warm too." Naruto tuned into the genuine feminine voice speaking to him. As she spoke, the vision of a woman with flowing red hair and a fair complexion emerged in his mind. "Also, don't stay up too late to make sure you get plenty of sleep. Don't forget...to make friends as well" It sounded like she was struggling to articulate these words. Naruto was horrified as another image flashed in his mind of the same woman, impaled through her stomach with an object he couldn't recognize. He was perplexed by her familiar appearance. "You don't need a ton of them, okay? Just a few is fine. As long as they're the ones that you can really trust... And-" The dream was cut off when Naruto fell unconscious.
Naruto awoke in his bed, drenched in a cold sweat, long before sunrise. With the academy starting in a few hours, he chose to remain awake.
Perched on his windowsill, Naruto reflected on the previous day and his dream, seeking a link between them. He had found notes from the late Fourth Hokage that seemed deeply personal, as if they were meant specifically for him. Naruto's knowledge of the Fourth was limited, but he was aware of his renown as a master of seals. If these notes were meant for Naruto's eyes only, they would be invisible to others. This sparked a shocking thought: "Could the Fourth Hokage be my father?" It suggested that the Third Hokage knew the truth. Why, then, would he keep it from Naruto? Moreover, Naruto discovered that the Kyuubi was sealed inside him, which contradicted what he was taught at the academy. He sensed there was more to uncover. Overwhelmed with thoughts, he decided to take a walk. As he mused, dawn broke, bathing the lake in the sun's magnificent glow.
--
A vortex appeared outside the headquarters of the Leaf Police Force, and from its swirling depths, a masked figure with long, spiky black hair and a yellow mask with one eye hole stepped out. Moving quickly, he approached the building and burst through the entrance.
--
The air was heavy with the anguished cries as a masked man, his long black hair flowing, cut down everyone in his way with a katana. Boys hid behind windows, watching in horror as those seeking shelter inside fell before they could find safety. Blood stained the windows, dimming the light in the houses, and dismembered limbs were strewn about. Children witnessed their parents' last moments before meeting their own end. The mastermind of this carnage stopped, facing a new challenger. "Itachi... What is the reason for this massacre?" asked a deep voice. "Can you reveal to me a future unlike the one I foresee?"
Emerging from the shadowy Leaf Police Force building, the masked man stood amidst the chaos, with blood seeping from beneath the shattered glass doors. An onlooker's shuriken passed right through him, embedding in the wall. Turning to face his attacker, he saw a girl with long brown hair and red eyes, each bearing the three-tomoe Sharingan, challenging him.
"Ah, such exquisite eyes," remarked the man. The girl hurled two kunai, but they passed right through him. "Impossible!" she exclaimed, backing away. In her attempt to flee, chains ensnared her, pulling her toward him. She fell to the ground, tears of terror streaming down her face.
--
"This is my vision for the future of the village... and for the clan," Itachi proclaimed. A pair of glowing sharingan met another.
"I understand..." said the man as his eyes ceased their red glow. The man burst into smoke.
"A shadow clone." Itachi said to himself in astonishment. "Father has become the worst possible enemy to me. This will be a battle of the Mangekyo Sharingan," Itachi thought
Approaching his home, Itachi slid open a door to peek inside. "Over here..." a deep voice beckoned. "No traps. Come," his father invited. Hesitant, Itachi stepped back, then moved forward. As he reopened the door, his parents sat with their backs to him. "I won't fight my son to the death... You've chosen the other side," Fugaku stated, as Itachi neared, his katana catching the moon's glow.
"Father... Mother..." Itachi began.
"We know already, Itachi," Mikoto interjected.
"Promise me, Itachi," Fugaku implored. "Take care of Sasuke." Tears flowed from Itachi's eyes as he nodded.
"I promise," he uttered, voice breaking, katana quivering.
"Fear not," Fugaku reassured. "You've picked your path... Our pain will be brief, yours long... Despite our different views, you have my pride." Itachi's blade trembled, tears hitting the floor. "Such a compassionate soul," Fugaku said, readying for the end. With a swift motion, Itachi's sword fell, and silence befell the room.
--
A young boy with raven hair merrily hopped his way home from the academy. His thoughts were light, and the descending sun threw long shadows across the deserted streets. Emblazoned on the back of his short-sleeved shirt was the Uchiha clan symbol.
Approaching the compound, Sasuke felt a wave of discomfort. He flinched as he opened the door, his hand flying to his mouth to stifle the nausea from the overwhelming odor. The sight of ruin and shadow that had claimed his home heightened his dread. He dashed towards his house, gripped by terror.
Itachi stood in silence as Sasuke entered. "Itachi! What's going on? Everyone's... gone..." Sasuke's stride broke as he spotted his lifeless parents at Itachi's feet. Gazing into Itachi's eyes, he witnessed the three tomoe shift into a shape he didn't recognize.
And in that moment, Sasuke understood it all.
Anguished cries filled the air as a masked man with flowing long black hair murdered everyone in his path using a katana. Boys peered from behind windows, witnessing the downfall of those seeking refuge inside, succumbing before reaching safety. Blood smeared the windows, extinguishing the light in homes, while severed limbs lay scattered. Children saw the life drain from their parents, then faced their own demise. Once Itachi finished killing everyone in cold blood he went to his house, where he quickly ran in and killed his parents. Smirking as they fell.
"No! It can't be... he wouldn't do this," Sasuke's internal scream echoed. Waking up, he realized Itachi was gone. Rushing outside in a panic, Sasuke moved so quickly he didn't see the leg sticking out. He stumbled over it and fell hard to the ground.
"Why do you chase me?" The voice chilled him to the bone.
"Why! Why would you?!" Sasuke cried out, tears coursing down his cheeks. Despair washed over him as Itachi looked on with a smirk.
"I sought a power beyond your comprehension, a power you cannot have unless you take my life... Channel your loathing, come after me. If you aim to destroy me, let your hatred boil, abhor me, and live in disgrace. Run, Run away and cling to your pathetic life. Use your animosity, then you can find me." Itachi's gaze intensified, and once more, darkness swallowed Sasuke.
When the Anbu found Sasuke, he lay unconscious, having relived his clan's demise over and over again.