"Lord Tobirama! Do your thing!" a voice shouted from the chaos.

Naruto barely had time to register the blur of blue-white light streaking toward him. Instinctively, he ducked, narrowly avoiding a kunai that sliced through the air where his head had been. But the blur disappeared, only to reappear an instant later.

Before Naruto could react, a sharp pain bloomed in his chest, cold and searing all at once.

Dip.

Dip.

His vision blurred, and he looked down to see a gleaming katana jutting from his chest, blood trickling down its length. The world around him seemed to slow, the screams and clashing of weapons fading into a distant hum.

Behind him, Tobirama Senju stood, his eyes cold and unfeeling. "You are free now," Tobirama said, his voice steady, but there was something chilling in his tone. "Burn in hell."

Naruto's body shuddered as a sealing array flared to life around him, glowing with eerie light. His limbs felt heavy, his vision darkening as he felt himself being drawn into the scroll. The last thing he saw was the battlefield growing distant as he was pulled into a void of nothingness.

Then, silence.

Ū—Ū

Dip.

Dip.

Naruto blinked, rubbing his head as a dull ache throbbed through his skull. "Where am I?" he muttered, his voice echoing faintly in the strange space around him. His eyes scanned the dim surroundings, a creeping sense of familiarity settling in his gut. Then, like a wave crashing over him, it all hit him—the battle, the Uchiha, Nanashi Uchiha—and the carnage he had caused. His heart raced, and his hand flew to his chest, expecting to feel the cold steel of Tobirama's blade still buried deep in his flesh.

But there was nothing.

No wound. No blood.

His hand gripped the fabric of his usual orange jacket—his jacket, not Nanashi's. His body was his own again, not the frail shell of the young Uchiha girl. He patted himself down, wide-eyed in disbelief, checking every inch to make sure it was real. "I'm back?" he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. His voice, his body, even the familiar energy coursing through him—it was all just like before.

A grin spread across his face, excitement bubbling up in his chest. He quickly clutched his crotch just to be sure. Naruto Junior was there, too. "Yes! Thank Kami! It was a dream!" He pumped his fist in the air, his voice ringing with relief. "Heck, yeah!"

But then, something caught his attention. A faint, repetitive sound.

Dip.

Dip.

Naruto froze, his grin fading as he realized where he actually was. He glanced around the all-too-familiar surroundings—the dingy, endless sewer system of his mindscape. Water dripped rhythmically from the ceiling, creating ripples in the ankle-deep puddles below. His mood soured slightly. "Oh, great," he muttered. "Back here again…"

Still, maybe a little teasing of the Nine-Tails would lighten his spirits. That fox always had a way of making him feel better… even if it was just by growling at him from behind the bars. With a smirk, Naruto began to walk through the endless passageways of the sewer, the stale, damp air clinging to his skin as he trudged forward.

"Alright, fox, get ready! I'm coming to—"

Sniff.

Sniff.

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks. Huh?

He stiffened, ears straining as the faint sound of sobbing reached him. His brow furrowed. "Who's there?" he called, his voice bouncing off the slimy walls. There was no answer, only the soft, muffled sound of crying echoing back at him. His heart skipped a beat. Last time he'd heard anything strange in his mindscape, it had been his father showing up when he accidentally released the Nine-Tails. But this… this was different. This voice wasn't familiar at all.

Cautiously, Naruto followed the sound, his steps slow and deliberate. The narrow passages twisted and turned, leading him deeper into the sewer, the crying growing louder with each step. Finally, he reached a small, dimly lit room at the end of the passage.

And there, huddled in the corner, was a girl.

She sat on the cold ground, knees drawn to her chest, her face buried in her arms as her body shook with quiet sobs. Her clothes were ragged—an oversized, tattered dark top hung loosely over her frail frame. Heavy shackles bound her wrists and ankles, the chains clinking softly as she trembled.

Naruto's breath caught in his throat. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at her, disbelief flooding his senses.

"Nanashi?!"

The girl lifted her head slowly, her tear-streaked face turning toward him. Her coal-black eyes narrowed as they locked onto his. "Who are… you?" Her voice was quiet, weak, but there was a sharp edge to it, like she was ready to lash out if provoked. "What is this place? Another containment?"

Naruto blinked, still trying to process what he was seeing. "I should be the one asking that! WHY are YOU in MY mindscape?" He gestured around wildly, his voice rising in confusion.

"Mindscape?" she repeated, her brow furrowing. Her eyes shifted, taking in her surroundings. Slowly, her gaze darkened, and when she looked back at him, her irises had turned a deep crimson—the unmistakable glow of the Sharingan. "This is… a mindscape, I suppose," she muttered, her voice trailing off as if lost in thought. Then, her eyes snapped back to him, sharp and accusing. "Who are you?"

"Naruto Uzumaki!" he declared proudly, puffing out his chest a little.

Her gaze hardened, her lips curling into a bitter sneer. "Uzumaki," she spat, her voice dripping with contempt. "Like the Senju."

Naruto blinked, taken aback. "Hey! That doesn't sound like a compliment!"

"In my clan," she said coldly, "that's a curse. You hate somebody, you call them: 'What a Senju.'"

Naruto crossed his arms, nodding sagely. "Tch, sounds like a clan of assholes," he muttered, earning a sharp glare from her. "I mean, the Uchiha I know are either revenge-hungry idiots or psychopathic serial killers. Or homicidal maniacs."

To his surprise, Nanashi's lips twitched, the faintest hint of a smile ghosting across her face. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make Naruto's heart skip a beat. He grinned, eager to keep her spirits up. "Hey, you should meet my friend Sasuke. He fits all three categories. He's like a collector of Uchiha stereotypes!"

She shook her head, the smile fading as quickly as it came. Her eyes softened, curiosity replacing the anger in her gaze. "How do you know my name?" she asked quietly.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well… see, I kinda… was you for a bit. Long story short, I woke up in… your body, and there was this guy, Kiro, and then Madara showed up, and things got real messy."

Nanashi frowned, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Why are your clothes different from the ones boys wear in my clan? Or any other boy for that matters?"

Naruto froze, caught off guard by the question. "Uh… well… maybe 'cause I'm from the future?" he offered, his voice uncertain.

Her expression shifted from confusion to disbelief. She snorted, rolling her eyes. "You're daydreaming," she muttered, her tone dripping with skepticism. But then her brow furrowed as something seemed to click in her mind. Her gaze snapped back to him, more serious this time. "You're not joking, are you?"

Naruto shook his head, his heart pounding as her Sharingan spun again, this time forming a new, intricate pattern. Her eyes took on the shape of two jagged shuriken-like designs overlapping one another—her Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Woah!" Naruto gasped, his eyes wide with amazement. "You've got eyes just like Kakashi-sensei's! Those are so cool!"

"Is he an Uchiha?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"Nah," Naruto said with a grim face, "his dying friend gave it to him as a gift. Weird, right?"

Nanashi locked her gaze with his, her crimson eyes burning with an intensity that made his breath catch in his throat. Everything around him seemed to blur, the world spinning as he felt himself being pulled into a deep, dark void.

She shook him, her face twisted with fear. "It's not working…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "I thought waking you up would wake me up too…"

Naruto blinked, his mind reeling. "Why am I not waking up, then?" he asked, panic creeping into his voice.

She narrowed her eyes, her mind working rapidly. "What were you doing before you woke up as… me?"

Naruto scratched his head, thinking. "Uh… sparring with a friend, I guess?"

"Where?" she asked, her voice tense.

"In the forest, near a river," Naruto answered slowly.

Her eyes darkened. "What river?"

"Something like… Ashura Falls?" he said, his voice uncertain. "Why?"

Nanashi's expression grew cold, her voice low and dangerous. "That's the Senju's ancestral river," she said. "Which means this was the work of the Senju."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Uh… actually, almost all the Senju are dead. The only one left is Granny Tsunade, and she wouldn't pull a stunt like this!"

"All the Senju… are dead?" Nanashi's voice wavered, disbelief washing over her.

"Yeah," Naruto said, nodding. "The Uchiha are almost extinct too."

Her face twisted in shock. "What?!"

Naruto winced. "Yeah… my friend's older brother killed them all. Except for Sasuke. And now Sasuke's on this revenge kick, and, well… let's just say he's not exactly friendly these days."

Nanashi's lips parted in disbelief. "So… no more chains? No more battles?"

Naruto grinned. "Nope! You're free!"

A small, hesitant smile tugged at her lips. "That's… great." Her eyes darkened again, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "But… Naruto, didn't you say you got stabbed by Tobirama while you were… me?"

Naruto blinked, his grin faltering. "Uh… yeah. I did."

"And you were sealed, weren't you?" Nanashi's face grew pale, the horror returning to her eyes as she pieced it together. "That explains everything," she whispered, her body tensing. "I was supposed to be killed or defeated today by the Senju. So, either they sealed my… corpse, or they sealed me."

Naruto's brow furrowed. "Wait, wait, wait… are you saying—?"

She nodded grimly, her voice tight with fear. "Somehow, when you were training, you must have activated the seal. You woke me up."

Naruto's eyes widened as the weight of her words sank in. "So, I'm back in the past… as you?"

Nanashi nodded slowly, her expression grim. "Exactly."

Naruto's stomach twisted, and his breath caught in his throat. His mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. He threw his hands up in the air, panic setting in. "What the hell, dattebayo?! How am I supposed to fix this?"

Nanashi looked away, her expression troubled, as if the weight of centuries had settled on her small shoulders. She took a deep breath, her crimson eyes narrowing with a mix of frustration and fear. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice soft. "I've never been in a situation like this before. I didn't even know this could happen."

Naruto's legs felt weak. He slumped to the ground, his back hitting the damp wall of the sewer with a dull thud. "This is insane," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I thought fighting Pain was bad, but this… this is a whole new level of crazy."

Nanashi stared at him, her eyes flickering with something like sympathy. "Welcome to my world," she said softly, her voice tinged with bitterness.

Naruto groaned, rubbing his temples. "Great, just great. Stuck in the body of an Uchiha, in the middle of a war, and now I'm probably messing with the timeline or something. If Kakashi-sensei were here, he'd be laughing his ass off."

Nanashi frowned, her gaze growing distant. "There has to be a way to break the seal," she murmured, more to herself than to him.

Naruto perked up at that, a flicker of hope sparking in his chest. "You think so?"

"I don't know." She bit her lip, her brows furrowing in thought. "But if this is a seal, there must be a way to reverse it. All seals have weaknesses. We just have to find it."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Right! There's always a way out of these things!" His mind flashed to Jiraiya, his old master. If Pervy Sage was still alive, he'd know what to do. Seals were his specialty. But that thought quickly fizzled. Jiraiya wasn't here. It was just him, trapped in this nightmare.

"Okay, so how do we start?" Naruto asked, his voice a little too eager, as if the idea of taking action could keep him from thinking too much about the dire reality of his situation.

Nanashi looked at him, her expression softening, and for the first time since they met, there was a glimmer of something that wasn't anger or fear in her eyes—hope, maybe. Or at least determination. "First," she said quietly, "we need to figure out more about the seal. What kind of jutsu Tobirama used. That'll give us a clue."

Naruto nodded, standing back up and dusting himself off, even though there was no real dust to brush away. "Alright. Let's get to work, then. I've broken out of worse messes, believe me."

Nanashi gave him a small, sad smile. "You really are something, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto grinned back at her. "Yeah, people tell me that a lot." He paused, looking around at the mindscape, and then back at her. "But first, we've gotta figure out how to wake up."

Nanashi's smile faded, her eyes growing serious again. "That's the tricky part. If this is the Senju's doing, there might be more than just a seal at play. Who knows? We might be in a scroll."

Naruto groaned again, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Of course there is. It's never easy, is it?"

Nanashi shook her head, the faintest hint of amusement tugging at the corners of her mouth. "No. It never is."

They stood there for a moment, the silence between them heavy, the reality of their situation sinking in deeper with every passing second. Naruto's mind was racing, trying to come up with a plan, but the more he thought about it, the more hopeless it all seemed. He was trapped in the past, in someone else's body, and the only person who might know how to fix it was long dead.

This is just great, he thought sarcastically, staring at the dark water pooling around their feet.

But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nanashi watching him. Her expression was tired, her body weighed down by exhaustion, but there was still that spark of determination in her eyes. Naruto straightened up, his own resolve hardening. He wasn't going to give up—not now, not ever.

"Alright," he said, his voice firm. "We're gonna figure this out. Together."

Nanashi blinked at him, surprise flashing across her face before she gave him a slow nod. "I guess," she said softly.

Naruto grinned, his usual confident swagger returning. "You've got the brains, I've got the brawn. We're an unbeatable team, dattebayo!"

Nanashi rolled her eyes. "Let's hope you're right," she murmured, though there was a note of warmth in her voice that hadn't been there before.

As they began to walk together through the mindscape, searching for answers in the depths of their shared nightmare, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something much bigger. Something darker.

Ū—Ū

Naruto and Nanashi walked side by side, the dim light of the sewer flickering overhead, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Their footsteps echoed against the cold stone, the sound of water dripping somewhere in the distance creating an unnerving rhythm. Naruto knew this place all too well. The dark, damp corridors of his mindscape were familiar—too familiar—but now, it felt different. Something was off.

The air grew thick as they approached the massive iron bars. There, behind them, the source of Naruto's eternal torment—Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox, loomed. His immense figure was hunched in the darkness, the faint outline of his massive form barely visible in the shadows. Only his glowing, malevolent eyes stood out, glaring at them with an intensity that made the air colder.

Kyuubi's deep, guttural growl vibrated through the walls, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. "Naruto… you fool…" His voice was like gravel grinding together, filled with seething rage. "You've made a big mess, brat."

Naruto felt his stomach twist, but he stood his ground, forcing a smirk. "Yeah? Well, you're not exactly helpful in cleaning it up, you overgrown furball."

The Fox bared his teeth, lips curling into a snarl that revealed rows of razor-sharp fangs. "Do not test me, boy. I've always hated you. I hated your father. I hated your mother." His voice deepened, his hatred palpable in the air. "If I could, I would rip you apart, piece by piece, and—"

Naruto's blood boiled, and before he could think, he clenched his fists. "Eat your words, Kyuubi! You're stuck behind those bars for a reason! And if you think you can scare me with that big talk, think again. I'm not a kid anymore!"

The Fox's massive paw slammed against the bars with a deafening clang, causing the entire place to shake. His eyes flared with a bright red light, burning with hatred. "You think you're safe because of that seal? You think you can stand there and talk to me like that without consequences?"

Naruto didn't back down. "Yeah, I do. You're not getting out, not as long as I'm breathing."

Kyuubi's growl grew louder, vibrating through Naruto's bones. But before he could say anything more, Nanashi, who had been frozen in shock, took a shaky step back.

Her voice was small, barely audible. "T-That's… the Nine-Tailed Fox?"

Kyuubi's fiery eyes flickered toward her, narrowing in recognition. His massive body tensed, and a new wave of fury rippled through him. "An Uchiha?" His voice was filled with venom, dripping with loathing. "Of course, it would be an Uchiha! I hate your clan!" His claws raked against the bars, sending sparks flying. "I'll rip you apart, just like I should have ripped apart your ancestors!"

Nanashi's eyes widened in terror, her legs threatening to give out beneath her. She'd heard stories of the Demon Fox, of its unfathomable power, but seeing it here, caged yet still so terrifying, was beyond anything she could have imagined. "W-What is it doing here?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Naruto, his own nerves rattled but keeping a brave face, turned to her. "Long story short… my dad sealed him in me when I was a baby. It was either that or let the Fox destroy everything. So, now I'm his jailor."

"Jailor?" Nanashi blinked, confused. "Sealed… inside you?" She turned to Naruto, her eyes filled with both awe and fear. "You mean… you're a a human prison?"

"A human sacrifice— Jinchuriki." Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Guess that's not something you heard about back in your time, huh?"

Nanashi shook her head, still staring at Kyuubi in disbelief. "No… I've only heard whispers about demons and beasts being used in battle, but this… this is different."

Naruto's gaze softened, his usual bravado dimming as the reality of his life hit him again. "Yeah, well… being a Jinchuriki's no picnic. The villagers… they never saw me as one of them. To them, I was just the Fox. Just this thing they could hate. I grew up an outcast, treated like trash. The teachers didn't even want me to learn. They'd sabotage me at every turn. The shopkeepers would sell me rotten food or just kick me out. No one cared."

Nanashi grimaced, her heart sinking at his words. She could see the sadness etched in his eyes, hidden behind that determined smile of his. "That's… horrible," she murmured.

Naruto chuckled bitterly, shrugging. "Yeah, well, that's just how it was. But I kept going. Kept fighting, you know? I couldn't let them break me."

For a moment, they stood in silence, the tension from Kyuubi's rage fading into the background as they shared a quiet understanding. Then, hesitantly, Naruto broke the silence. "Hey… Nanashi?"

She looked up at him, her face still pale from the encounter with the Fox. "Yeah?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, his voice uncertain. "Why… why's your name 'Nanashi'? Doesn't that mean… 'Nameless'?"

Nanashi froze, her expression darkening as if he'd touched on a wound that had never healed. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she looked away, staring at the ground as if debating whether or not to answer. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"My parents named me," she began, her words heavy with pain. "But I don't remember what they called me. One day, my father died in battle, fighting for our clan. My mother… she fell ill and died not long after." Her hands clenched into fists, her body trembling. "After that… I awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, but he stayed silent, letting her continue.

"The Uchiha… they saw my power, and they got greedy. They used me. Trained me, even when I didn't want it. They called me 'Nameless'—an experiment, a tool, nothing more. They treated me like an animal." Her voice broke, and without realizing it, tears began to spill from her eyes. "They implanted other abilities… inhuman experiments… and all I wanted was for it to stop."

Naruto felt his chest tighten as he watched her, her small figure shaking with silent sobs. Without thinking, he stepped forward and gently wrapped his arms around her. "It's gonna be alright," he whispered, resting his chin on her head. "I'm here now. I'll free you from this. From all of it."

Nanashi stiffened at first, unaccustomed to such kindness, but slowly, she melted into his embrace, her sobs quieting. "But… how?" she asked softly, her voice full of uncertainty.

Naruto smiled gently, still holding her close. "With love," he said simply. "It worked for me. The villagers hated me, but I never gave up. I proved myself to them, showed them who I really was. And now… they see me as their hero."

Nanashi looked up at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Really?"

"Believe it!" he grinned, offering her a fist. "Come on, we're friends now, right?"

For a long moment, she stared at his hand, as if unsure what to do. Then, hesitantly, she bumped his fist with her own.

"That's the spirit," Naruto said, grinning from ear to ear.

But before he could say more, the ankle-deep water rippled beneath them, the surface trembling as if something massive had stirred beneath.

"What the…?" Naruto's eyes darted down to the water, confusion turning to panic as a strange light began to glow from beneath the surface.

"What's happening?!" he shouted, his voice rising in alarm.

"I-I don't know!" Nanashi's eyes widened in fear as she activated her Mangekyo Sharingan, the swirling patterns glowing ominously. But it was useless. Nothing changed.

The water beneath them began to churn, and suddenly, they both lifted off the ground, their bodies suspended in midair as a blinding golden light enveloped them. The pressure in the air grew thick, unbearable, and their forms began to glow with an ethereal radiance.

"We're—what's going on?!" Naruto yelled, struggling against the invisible force pulling him upward.

Nanashi's voice trembled as she tried to focus, her eyes locked on Naruto's. "I-I don't know! Something's wrong!"

They floated there for what felt like an eternity, weightless, helpless, and then, with a deafening crack, they were violently thrown back from each other, the impact reverberating through the mindscape.

A single, piercing scream echoed through the golden light.

Then—silence.

Ū—Ū

Author's Note:

Well, that was fun to write.

Make assumptions, theories and ideas for the future. Drop your thoughts in the review section, and let me know what you think! Your words inspire me to write faster, better and larger.

Till next time!