Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had always been a fight for her, since the day she could sense, could walk.

Hated glares, whispers when they thought she wasn't looking (or pretended that she couldn't hear), ignorance followed her. The caretakers at the orphanage didn't care for her; alone she was, freak with whisker marks, demon child - that's what she was.

She was 3 when she was kicked out of the orphanage. The old man with the hat (Hokage, she learned later, the leader of the village she was in) gave her a new apartment, ruffled her hair, and left.

She was sold overpriced, low-quality food, spoiled milk. But her body and mind, strong they were, would not be defeated by them. She would not be defeated by those simple things.

She asked questions. The Hokage ignored them. Whatever trust and hope she had for him were destroyed.

None talked to her, none played with her; older children picked on her.

She could not afford to be weak, no matter what happened.

She would not cry, would not give them the satisfaction. So she smiled, a smile that hid her fangs. Her smile never faltered.

She was six when she was admitted to the Shinobi Academy. There it was, her chance to grow strong. Strong enough to break through the oppressive presence of the village. And she greedily devoured it.

Pranks. A way for the village to acknowledge her existence, as well as retribution for everything. She loved it. It was finally something under her control.

Her classmates hated her too. The girls pretended she did not exist, no doubt already hearing their elders' whispers, and neither did they want their fragile egos broken by a girl who outpaced them and was acknowledged by their prince charming. Who would want Naruto after all? She was a brute, a monster, not at all soft and kind that Sasuke-kun would like, right?

The boys did not hate her, though some of them did; their egos broken and humiliated. They became wary of her, not wanting to be on her wrong side.

Good, she felt, for it was the first time her strength was acknowledged.

There was a part of her that wanted to wear the Hat the old man wore. It would give her authority, power, and acknowledge her as the strongest.

The Uchiha massacre occurred. The entire family was killed by the eldest son. Sasuke Uchiha was the only survivor. Fueled by hate and grief, he became the only one who could match her.

They were ferocious, violent, none giving each other an inch. The girls hated her more for daring to rough up their dear Sasuke, but refused to truly move against her in fear of retaliation. Her pranks were just as sharp and vicious as her punches.

She... developed an unlikely friendship with the lone survivor. He was just as lonely, carrying just as much hate and anger inside him as her. They acknowledged each other, their motivation and determination unrivaled by anyone in the entire class.

The graduation exam. Naruto aced everything. Theory, Taijutsu, Shurikenjutsu, Survival Exercises, Stamina exercises, every single damn thing except the damned Clone technique.

She failed. Mizuki gave her an out. She stole the scroll. Mizuki was a traitor. He told her the truth. The reason for everything she faced. Why she was hated since the day of her birth. The truth of the Bijuu. Then tried to kill her.

The demon's chakra leaked from her gut. She killed him. The ANBU were too late.

The old man described everything with perfect clarity. He explained to her the demon inside her gut. He pointedly ignored her question about her parents.

It was that moment she understood she would never be Hokage, not with the damned Bijuu stuck in her gut. And she hated the Yondaime, the most loved Hero of Konoha far more than anything else she hated.

She swore that day, she would be the greatest Kunoichi, she would surpass Tsunade Senju herself, because only then she would be able to break the chains and escape. She would be stronger than the Yondaime himself and prove that she was not a damned sacrifice for his village, his plaything, his pawn to protect his loved village. She would be strongest.

__________________________________________________________

Sakura charged down throughout the forest , her senses prickling as she sensed the familiar signatures she had not sensed for two years. She had already received Sai's signal but even then her heartbeat was loud enough to reverberate in her ears . It was probably the first time after her training that she could not keep calm .

After years of hoping, searching–

“Hn. So Sakura’s here, too.”

That voice. She couldn’t turn fast enough, gaze quickly scanning the lip of the crater—

“Sasuke,” she whispered, voice shaking, “…Naruto.”

Sasuke's serene gaze locked onto hers. With one hand resting on his hip, he appeared disinterested, as if reuniting with his former teammates after three years was inconsequential. It was as if he didn't realize she'd been anticipating this moment since they abandoned her, only to be met with disappointment. His open-collared shirt with the Uchiwa on the left sleeve, and the sword at his belt seemed to taunt her, reminding her of all the lost time.

What spiked her anger and hurt and the not unfamiliar sensation of burning in her heart was his other hand, his fingers interlocked with hers in a way that she and many others only dreamt of. It was just as she had suspected.

Next to Sasuke, Naruto was far less composed . She wished she had learned to read her face better, back then. Because she couldn’t parse the look on it now. The way her brows furrowed, while her lips curled in a twisted contempt and sorrow .

Their exploits had been noticed by both the fire and wind country , killing an S ranked monster did that.

Why were they waiting anyway ? Why did not they just escape ?

There was a very faint hope and relief inside her , they had not simply forgotten her . Then they would have ignored , vanished . But then , what the fuck were they doing in fire country again ?

Neither of them wore their hitai-ate. Of course not. But still, it was her first time seeing them together, and it was jarring .

Kakashi and Yamato joined them. Kakashi’s posture somehow still managed to have that damned slouch even during such a time . She would never understand how he did that. He probably did not know it too .

Sasuke's blank gaze sliced toward their teacher, “You brought your entire team here ."

"There are other ways for you to gain the power you want Sasuke . We had sworn it , you had sworn it . We would not abandon our team . Then why did you two.. do it ?"

"Are you intentionally forgetting every single time the village hurt Naruto ? Where were you then ?"

Kakashi paused, before saying, “I’ll admit, perhaps I didn’t do the best job of understanding and supporting you both. I wasn’t prepared when you needed me the most. But is this really the answer? Come back with us—we can make this right.”

"And willingly go back to the cage that kept us chained like animals?" The voice was melodic, but cold, sharp and blunt in a way that left both of them staggering. They never expected such words from Naruto, probably from Sasuke, but not her. It left them disoriented for some moments.

“…I don’t think so,” was all Sasuke said to that.

“Please,” Sakura requested, “There are so many people who want you to come home. Don’t write them off without giving us a chance to show you—“

“We don’t care,” Sasuke replied. “The only bonds that matter are the one I have with myself."

"Naruto, I implore you. Once a time you wanted to be Hokage, the Sandaime cared so much for—"

“Orochimaru gave us quite a few truths, you know.” Naruto stopped Kakashi in the middle and Kakashi stiffened at the words for just a moment.

He didn't let Naruto continue as he immediately said, "Whatever Orochimaru has told you are lies Naruto, lies with which he manipulates—"

"What about my heritage?" The words stopped Kakashi dead in his tracks. He looked pained, defeated, and immediately understood his mistake.

"So he told you about your parents?"

"Yes, he did." Naruto's eyes darkened, the anger and disappointment so potent in her sky-blue eyes that Kakashi felt like burning in shame.

There was something else she had to ask them. "What about Neji ?"

There was no change of expression on Sasuke's face but Naruto adopted a thoughtful expression. Then , she grinned , a grin that was all teeth .

"He's like me . Of course I had to get him . I heard there was lots of chaos in Konoha Kakashi sensei ? Is my godfather holding up well ? Is Konoha still strong ?"

Sakura looked up at her sensei . The way his face had blanked was frightening. They had suspected , it was Naruto that had broken the Caged Bird seal , good riddance in her opinion even if it ruffled lots of feathers of different politicians . It was Naruto too who had got Neji out of the village. But still she did not expect her to confirm it .

Sai opened his mouth . There was that damned horribly ugly fake smile in his face and she grimaced . Whatever Sai was going to say , it was going to be ugly .

"So you are not only a run-away , but also a traitor to the Great Tree-"

"Shut up." The rebuttal did not come from  Naruto , it came from Sasuke. There was a certain intensity in his eyes that Sakura understood immediately . It was something Ino had too when whe she had protected her from those bullies all those years ago . A defensive , protective edge .

She could not change the past . The entire village had wronged them , both of them , Neji too , and so many more . She had come to know that throughout the years under Kakashi’s and Jiraiya's teachings . No matter how hurt she was , she could not blame them , for searching for a better home . The only regret she had was ... she was not enough .

"You have said enough. Nothing you can say changes anything. My goals and my companions mean everything to me. And I have the power to achieve my goals and protect them ."

“…Is that so?” Kakashi asked, the blank look not faltering even once and out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw his stance getting just a little sharper, his Sharingan already exposed. “You really think we’re prepared to give up that easily?”

In the blink of an eye, both Naruto and Sasuke’s postures shifted to distinct battle-readiness. Sasuke gripped the hilt of his sword with clear intent now, as Naruto stood straight for the first time, without leaning on Sasuke's side.

“…Of course,” Sasuke said, “Konoha wouldn’t allow a weapon to slip from their grasp without a fight. This was never about Naruto or me."

In the next moment, Kakashi vanished, barely visible until he collided with something so hard he was thrown back.

A barrier. Naruto’s palms glowed with visibly bright chakra as she held the Bird seal, indicating the purple triangular barrier .

Trees erupted , slamming down on the barrier . Countless wind blades came out from the inside the barrier , cutting them in pieces .

There was a flash of white and their targets all but disappeared.

__________________________________________________________

When Kakashi observed Sasuke and Naruto becoming closer, he felt content.

Team 7 hadn’t truly bonded yet, and spending more time together outside of missions would help build familiarity. They needed trust instead of rivalry.

It wasn’t surprising that Sasuke still largely ignored Sakura, favoring Naruto instead. Despite their differences, they had many similarities. Perhaps they would learn from one another, with Sasuke opening up a bit and Naruto calming down. Perhaps this would calm Sakura down as well, slowly she would lose her crush and grow up.

Kakashi couldn't identify the exact moment Sasuke's attitude toward Naruto shifted. It happened gradually, through small, increasingly noticeable changes.

They stood closer on the bridge, sparred without their usual complaints, and left training together.

Sasuke’s body language shifted when Naruto was near. He relaxed his shoulders, uncrossed his arms, and faced Naruto with an open stance. Naruto did the same.

It seemed harmless when his students exchanged shy smiles occasionally. Especially when Sakura pointedly ignored everything, surely there must not be anything. Kakashi was not the most social person to begin with, rotting within the darkness of ANBU and ROOT.

However, months later, when he arrived at the Valley of the End and saw two discarded headbands, he realized how blind he had been.

And now, staring at the gradually disappearing backs of his former students, he understood there was probably no chance to bring them back.

What broke him was Naruto's condition. At first, he had thought Sasuke had simply used the Sharingan to make her loyal to him; otherwise, it was impossible for Naruto to abandon Konoha, let alone hate her village (even though it should have been very much possible, considering the hatred she faced from her birth, he mourned). She wore such a bright smile, she wanted to be Hokage after all. He remembered her childhood exclamations. Come to think of it, she did not say it during her introduction too, did she?

No.. she had abandoned that dream long ago. And he had not even noticed it .

He wondered just how much pain Naruto hid behind her sunny smile, her loud boisterous laughs, just how much Konoha had broken, piece by piece, that all it took was the acknowledgment and friendship of one Uchiha to abandon the village she had so earnestly wanted to protect once (or did she? Was it all just a mask?).

The only thing he could do was hope and pray it didn't break Sakura further , hurt as she was .
__________________________________________________________

When Jiraiya had come back to the village after long years of traveling and avoiding his student's offspring, he had certainly been happy to return home, no matter how many painful memories it held. Orochimaru was involved in the Chunin exams, scheming, so he had to return back.

He had somehow hoped that he would connect with his god-daughter, train her a bit probably (even though he did not deserve it after neglecting her for so long)... but that was not meant to be.

She had discovered him during his... research (which was important, damn it!). And the look of utter loathing in her eyes had made him want to sob. He still tried; she refused, no intention of associating with him.

Unable to face the loathing (deserved in his opinion) and rejection, he had decided to simply watch her from the shadows.

Naruto Uzumaki did not have a shred of the optimism her parents had. In fact, she had very little resemblance to her parents outside of her physical look. Mistreated, hated by her own village who refused to acknowledge her sacrifice, the only things she had were a cold rage that Minato held very rarely and a bottomless pit of manic passion and determination that far, far succeeded Kushina's own fiery passion. Even if she wore sunny smiles that resembled her father, it hid too many fangs inside.

After the mess of sensei’s death, he had assumed, perhaps she would be able to relate to Tsunade, break her out of her grief and bring her back to Konoha to fix the mess that the village was.

Oh, just how wrong he was. They had related to each other, talked, connected. It just did not go in the direction he had wanted. In fact - it went the very opposite direction.

They had related too well, the pain Konoha had caused both of them resulting in an understanding of each other.

So he had taken up the hat because no way in hell was he going to let that damned warhawk get it.

He had not understood the relationship between the Uchiha and Naruto, had mistakenly assumed it was similar to his and Orochimaru's.

Another one of his failings. The Uchiha had wormed his way into Naruto's heart, and Jiraiya had wanted to rail and shout and destroy everything in the office.

What would Minato and Kushina say if they knew that he had let it come to this?

He was the girl's godfather, yet he had never been there to raise her. Had let her grow up alone and shunned, hated, mistreated, abandoned her, which eventually made her so susceptible to the Uchiha's poisonous touch (he hoped that was all it was but deep inside, he knew. Naruto had chosen it hersel—no. He would still hold hope).

If only Jiraiya had been a parent for the child, or at least a distant uncle, if he had done something, anything at all – then Naruto would most likely never have left Konoha.

What untapped potential she had , too truly fix the hellhole that Konoha had become , to probably do some good, some change in their hate filled world , much like Nagato had tried , much like Minato had tried .

Defeating a Hyuga and that too a Prodigy, keeping up with him in pure Taijutsu and defeating him with a mix of Taijutsu and Ninjutsu that was often utilized by Kushina when she did not use her Chains (Naruto had learned from Asuma, he was the only remaining Wind release specialist after all and Hatake was busy with the Uchiha) proved that potential.

Instead, she was lost, a traitor and missing-nin, associated with his snake of a teammate and a mad Uchiha.

Team 7 was truly cursed. First, it was his own team. One of them lost to madness and the other lost to the grief of living.

Then his students, the only surviving member being Minato, the other two lost going against two Jinchuriki.

Then Minato's team 7 was lost too, leaving behind Kakashi alone, traumatized, broken.

History repeated itself again, Kakashi's team was broken too, not in death but broken by their own village, broken by the Shinobi world.

It was not even funny.

Chapter Text

Killing Orochimaru had been pathetically easy. The once-feared Sannin had lost his ability to use hand seals during his battle against the Sandaime. When he had managed to escape from the Akatsuki to his base, he was a shadow of his former self—wounded, weakened, his once-legendary regeneration barely holding up.

By the time Orochimaru sensed the spear of crackling hot lightning, it was already too late. The Chidori Spear seared through the vessel's brain with unrelenting force. But of course, that alone should not have been enough to deal with someone as deadly as Orochimaru.

Desperately, Orochimaru flexed the remnants of his chakra in waves, attempting to trigger the Sanguine Black Fang transformation. Sasuke, unyielding, pushed more chakra into the Chidori Spear, intensifying its lethal energy while deftly backtracking, ensuring no disruption in the technique.

In a synchronized assault, four of Naruto’s exploding clones descended upon the still-transforming snake . The Fuinjutsu enforcing the room shattered as the entire chamber collapsed under the cataclysmic force of the explosions. Fortunately for Sasuke, he had already retreated to a safe distance.

When nothing but ash remained of the serpent, Sasuke finally released the technique and exhaled a deep, cathartic sigh. If there was one thing he would never regret, it was this moment. He felt no sympathy for the monster that the snake was , despite the refuge Orochimaru had provided. The cursed seal of Heaven tingled on his neck, but gave no other reaction—Naruto’s handiwork had sealed it tightly.

And if their theory was correct, it would soon be gone entirely.

Sasuke moved to the hall outside, executing a seal-less Shunshin with terrifying speed. Naruto stood near the entrance, droplets of blood on the floor a few meters away, the only indication of Kabuto's demise.

She grinned at the sight of him, as if she hadn't just murdered Orochimaru's right-hand man and her clones hadn't collapsed an entire room and vanquished a vile snake. Her chakra felt as magnificent as ever, a whirlwind of raw energy. She must have already sensed Orochimaru's demise, thanks to the memory transfer ability of her clones.

Sasuke couldn't help the smirk that broke out on his face. Taking down two monsters like those brought a sense of satisfaction he hadn't anticipated. Two years of enduring the snake's machinations, of killing tortured escapees and spies that gnawed at their moral code, finally culminating in the eradication of those two, felt undeniably good.

With nimble steps, he moved closer to her. It was finally time to bid farewell to the hidey-hole of Oto.

"So, what's the plan now, bastard? The southern base?" she asked, her tone light .

Sasuke hummed, his good mood undiminished. It was finally time to move forward , get out of this hidey hole under the land of Oto .

"Let's start with the southern one; we'll raid the western fortress later," he said, his voice calm but resolute. The rest of their ... team were divided in between the southern and western bases . Karin was probably travelling already .

Naruto cheered, her enthusiasm infectious. Both of them loathed Orochimaru on principle for his grotesque experiments on prisoners, but Naruto’s vitriol was especially potent on the subject.

"Hell yeah, let's go. I’ve already packed everything into the scrolls. Let's move."

Freeing his prisoners was, in essence, equivalent to obliterating Orochimaru's twisted legacy.

As Sasuke watched her leave, her hair and haori bouncing with each step, he pondered whether he would have retained his sanity without her by his side. If Orochimaru would have ensnared and bound his soul in the darkness he called home.

It didn't matter now. She was with him, had chosen him, and he would honor that. She was his partner, the only person left in the world he truly cared about.



“I played the part of the brother you wanted to see,” Itachi had said, “in order to see if you had the potential. To make you want to surpass me. Because of that, I will let you live tonight if only to see if you can awaken these same eyes. However, there is a requirement. To manifest the Mangekyou Sharingan—

“You must kill your closest friend.”



How could he? When the reason he was escaping the village was to gather enough power to protect her from his brother ? He- he could never do that . No matter how much he needed it .

It was probably the very first time he had felt such sheer anger and hatred towards his own bloodline.

Back then, when he had prepared to defect, he had felt weak. Even then, he couldn't even consider harming her. The very thought felt like killing himself.

She couldn't do it either. Their bond was too deep; they cared for each other too much to even contemplate such an act.

Why was it only them that had to sacrifice? Why was it only them that had to endure the pain? Why did they have to suffer the abuses of others? Why did they have to bind themselves to the rules imposed by others?

It wasn’t hard to break those chains. For both of them.

They chose themselves.

For the first time in his life, he had felt strong, without countless doubts clouding his mind.

Alone, he could have been powerful . He knew it . But together ? They were invincible.

And they had only just begun their journey.

When Orochimaru awaited them near the border of the Sound, he was greeted not only by the younger Uchiha brother but also by the Jinchuriki. He had laughed, a sound laced with dark humor. Jiraiya, the coward and fool that he was, had failed to secure the loyalty of his own goddaughter. What was even better was that the girl had chosen to betray Konoha and come to him.

At long last, Karma had caught up to Konoha. Those who preached kindness and peace most loudly were often the ones capable of the worst types of cruelty. Given the two-faced nature and inherent rot within Konoha, it was only natural.

Oh, the delicious irony! The offspring of the Yondaime, abandoning her village—the very village that the Yondaime had protected with his life—because of a burden he had placed upon her himself.

In one swift, decisive stroke, Konoha had lost its nuclear deterrent, Jiraiya had lost his goddaughter, and Orochimaru had gained an Uchiha vessel along with a potent weapon against the Akatsuki.

It was perfect.

Or so he thought.

It would take two long years for Orochimaru to realize the depth of his miscalculation.

The first two days were a torment of sleeplessness. They lay awake, minds racing with the consequences of their actions. They had wanted to leave the village, but now, as they faced the reality of abandoning their team, their home, and having hunter-nin tracking them with bounties on their heads, staying with Orochimaru seemed a bitter irony. The thoughts whirled too quickly for either of them to find rest.

"I can't fucking sleep, bastard. Can you stop making that damned tapping sound with your new fancy pointy stick?" Naruto's voice was edged with frustration, her irritation palpable.

“Hn,” Sasuke grunted in response, deliberately avoiding any admission of his own excitement about the Chokuto—a chakra-conducting sword that Orochimaru had 'gifted' him. Despite his eagerness to test it, Sasuke had checked it thoroughly for hidden seals and had even asked Naruto to inspect it, just to be sure.

"Why aren't you sleeping anyway, Sasuke?"

“I am.”

“Well, you’re doing a really poor job of it, you know. Because it doesn’t sound like you’re actually sleeping.”

“Whose fault is that, idiot?”

Their arguments continued in this lethargic manner until, at long last, exhaustion claimed them both. Their obstinacy ebbed away like the receding tide, and sleep finally enveloped them.

In their isolated predicament, they had only each other. They hadn’t spoken of it directly, but an unspoken agreement had formed on their very first day: when the opportunity arose, they would kill Orochimaru and escape.

Orochimaru had made it clear he disliked them wasting time. He also had no intention of allowing them to mingle with his other subordinates. Thus, they were left to their own devices—studying, practicing, and training. They found themselves spending more time together than they ever had before in the village .

A few days into their defection, Sasuke inquired about her status as the Jinchuriki of Konoha, something Orochimaru had mentioned in passing.

When she began to speak, her face was an emotionless mask. She explained her condition with a detached calm, revealing that she harbored a Bijuu sealed within her by Konoha’s greatest hero, the Yondaime himself.

The revelation clarified everything—every glare, every stare, the hatred, the abuse—all of it fell into place with crystal clarity.

“How long have you known,” Sasuke asked, his voice barely steady , “about the Kyuubi?”

"Not very long," she replied, her tone clipped, her eyes unwavering from his. The blankness in her expression stirred an uncomfortable churn in his stomach. She had never once used this impassive demeanor against him before.

"I learned about it during our graduation, when I used the Bijuu’s power to kill Mizuki-sensei."

What ? Sasuke's mind short-circuited at her admission, his shock momentarily freezing him. The expression on his face must have been evident, as she sighed, signaling her readiness to continue.

She began to recount another story—her graduation, Mizuki's betrayal , and her journey to mastering her greatest technique: the Shadow Clone Technique.

“Who else knows about… what you are?” Sasuke asked, his discomfort with discussing emotions evident. He preferred to bury his feelings or destroy them with fire or lightning. However, this conversation was long overdue.

"Every adult in Konoha knows. Only our generation was kept in the dark. That didn’t stop their parents from poisoning them with prejudice, though.” Her words were steeped in bitterness and anger, a reflection of the pain she had endured.

Sasuke listened, the weight of her revelation sinking in. The depth of Konoha’s betrayal and the burden she carried were now laid bare. The village he had once known and the bonds he had once cherished seemed tainted, and he could only grapple with the emerging complexity of their shared situation.

The revelation of this information was profoundly unsettling—how could Konoha possibly defend a conspiracy designed to deceive and systematically abandon a child? Yet, in a strange and perverse manner, it also brought a sense of comfort , loath as he was to admit it . It provided a clearer understanding of the depth of Naruto's suffering. It also left something churning inside him , he should have helped her more .

But then again , he was not in a very good condition either .

In the end however, the revelations changed little for him; if anything, they only deepened his respect for her.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Sasuke asked , his voice laced with the barest hint of frustration.

“Well, duh! You think I was allowed to share it with others?” Her retort was sharp, reflecting the bitterness of forced silence.

Each word she spoke ignited his anger further. Coupled with his own grievances about Kakashi—who somehow had a fucking Sharingan—his frustration was palpable. There had been no effort to apprehend Itachi, no attempt to bring him to justice. Every time he had pleaded for early graduation or more training, he had been turned away. The village’s reluctance to support him painted a bleak picture.

But this? This was far worse than he could have ever imagined. The notion of returning to that village was now inconceivable.

She had shared her pain with him; it was only fair that he did the same.

So he opened up to her, revealing the horrors he had endured. He described how Itachi had seized his chin with cold, unfeeling hands, forcing him to look into the depths of the pinwheel crimson eyes .

The pinwheel rotated and he was plunged into the nightmare . It wasn’t just witnessing his parents’ deaths—he was ensnared in Itachi’s perspective. He saw through Itachi’s eyes as the sword was driven through his parents’ necks. The blood flowed freely, staining the floor as their lifeless bodies collapsed. He relived the moment repeatedly, not merely as an observer but as an unwilling participant in the nightmare, his hands holding the executioner's blade and bringing it down , over and over and over and over and over for an agonizing twenty-four hours.

The horror of that night wasn’t confined to the massacre alone. He spoke of the aftermath—how no one had come to help him clean up the bloodstained rooms, no one to transport the bodies to the morgue. Unlike the elders, he didn’t know the rites of the pyre. He had to scrub and wash the bloodstains himself, a grim reminder of his isolation. The village, once a place of refuge, had turned its back on him.

He recounted though barely, most of his memories of that time cloudy, how the clan had fallen into disfavor, how their isolation grew as distrust spread. The other children were barred from playing outside the clan compounds, forced to stay within the confines of their increasingly oppressive home. The reasons were shrouded in mystery, his parents’ silence only adding to his confusion. He had never understood why they had been ostracized, why their lives had become so restricted. His father’s displeasure and his mother’s blank stares offered no solace.

He even voiced his suspicions about Kakashi—whether he had obtained his Sharingan by scavenging it from a corpse, an abhorrent thought that plagued his mind.

Now, away from Konoha and under the temporary protection of the village’s greatest traitor, he could finally speak candidly about everything he loathed about the village. It was a release he hadn’t realized he needed.

The act of sharing their grievances only strengthened the bond between them. Each spar, each conversation, each moment of resting together wove them closer. The feelings he had tried so hard to bury resurfaced, but now, they were shared and understood. They had become more intimate than they had ever been in the village, their relationship deepened by the shared pain and understanding.

In their isolated sanctuary, they devised a secret code of their own— handsigns and gestures that shielded their thoughts and plans from Orochimaru and Kabuto, whose presence was a constant source of disgust. The eyes of their tormentors had made every interaction feel invasive and tainted, fueling their desire for secrecy and autonomy.

Left mostly to their own devices, they were provided with a few jutsu scrolls containing new techniques. These were supplemented by infrequent, much-despised check-ups of their bodies and occasional spars against Kabuto and Orochimaru’s subordinates. In these spars, they carefully masked their true strength, knowing full well the importance of not revealing their full potential.

Naruto, already adept with wind techniques, saw her abilities soar. Her mastery of the element grew with each passing day. She immersed herself in her myriad ideas about wind manipulation, channeling her abundant chakra into her training. She learned to layer the wind around her, expel it forcefully, condense it into dense forms, and shape it with precision . Sasuke, ever by her side, mirrored her dedication. His training sessions transformed the underground chambers into scorched arenas, where the intense heat and power of his white lightning left a lasting mark.

Under Naruto’s vigilant gaze, Sasuke honed his shape manipulation skills, exerting iron-clad control over his chakra. He shaped the crackling white lightning into the sharpest, most devastating blade conceivable. Each motion was a testament to his unyielding focus and discipline. In return, Sasuke’s crimson eyes watched over Naruto as she learned to flex her chakra with unprecedented finesse, spiking it to break through the illusions cast by Sharingan genjutsu. Their mutual training sessions became a dance of precision and power, each pushing the other to new heights.

The intelligence they had alongside had revealed that Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame were the Akatsuki members tasked with capturing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. As a result, their goals began to intertwine more and more. Their paths, once diverging, now converged with increasing intensity. The looming threat of the Akatsuki members added a new layer of urgency to their preparations, driving them to perfect their skills and strategies.

In the confines of their dark, oppressive training chambers, the air crackled with a blend of tension and anticipation. Each day was a relentless pursuit of perfection, each training session a step closer to their ultimate goal. They were not just honing their skills; they were preparing for the inevitable confrontation that loomed on the horizon. The bond between them grew stronger, forged in the crucible of shared hardship and relentless training. Their silent agreement to one day confront their enemies, to escape the clutches of Orochimaru and reclaim their freedom, became a driving force in their lives.

It happened accidentally, when she had attempted to flush out his chakra while breaking another Genjutsu, the flow of their chakra had connected .

Both of them had separated, only a moment later , their intent on knowing each other's chakra matching both of them .

They clasped their right hand palms over each other . They held each other's hands , interlocking their fingers . Slowly , Naruto pushed her chakra , directly into Sasuke's system.

Sasuke's chakra emanated a palpable intensity, crackling with the raw energy of a thunderstorm. It surged through her like a relentless tempest, sharp and unyielding, electrifying the very air around her. Beneath the fierce current lied a smoldering undercurrent of fire, its heat simmering just beneath the surface, ready to ignite with a ferocious blaze .

She gasped as she pulled her chakra back in . It was everything she had imagined , and more . She opened her mouth and said loudly , their grasp of each other's hand never faltering.

"Your turn Sasuke ."

Sasuke felt her chakra with the untamed ferocity of a howling storm, an unstoppable whirlwind that defied any attempt to be caged . It roared and swirled with wild, relentless energy, embodying the very essence of freedom and chaos. The turbulent wind chakra swept through him like a gale-force tempest, fierce and uncontainable, capable of leveling obstacles with its sheer force. Within this tempest lies an unyielding spirit, a force of nature that embodied the boundless and indomitable will of the storm, ever-evolving and forever untamed.

And Konoha had tried to keep this chained .

It was strangely intimate , connecting with her in such a deep level . The grin on her face was intoxicating, even if both of their faces were redder than they had ever been .

One day in the early morning light, Naruto and Sasuke trained together on an empty practice field. Usually , they did not leave the base . It had been a year and four months . They had relocated to a new base , one of the northern fortresses and had been there for the last three months . But three months of staying in the same place , training in the dark basement was boring for both of them . Their movements were fluid and synchronized . Ninjutsu were thrown , bolts of lightning generated from his palm slamming on the pure shield of wind condensed in front of her . He moved , his speed blindly fast and she countered his blade with claws of condensed bladed wind . The spar continued .

Soon they collapsed onto the grass, breathing heavily but with satisfied smiles.

Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, who was lying beside her, his expression more relaxed than usual.

“Do you remember the first time we trained together?” Naruto asked, her tone light and teasing.

Sasuke deadpanned , “Hn . You had bit me to win.”

Naruto nudged him playfully , utterly shameless of her unorthodox movements .

“And you were looking so serious bastard , the look on your face was hilarious.”

Sasuke did not turn his head away and forced down the blush of embarrassment . Doing so would be admitting defeat .

"It was unsophisticated ."

"Because you were such a princess ."

"Shut up."

She laughed and Sasuke himself could not resist the corners of his mouth that turned upward just enough to form a faint, almost elusive smile .

"What were you working on yesterday ? I was .. preoccupied with Kabuto ."

She did not answer him; instead, she stood up. Sasuke's gaze followed her, lingering on the subtle elegance of her movements. Her strawberry-blonde hair, streaked with countless crimson red mixed within , framed her fair skin, accentuating the beauty she had grown into. Though he tried to keep his composure, he couldn't help but notice how she had matured, her graceful presence contrasting with their harsh surroundings. It was a beauty that made his heart skip, unexpected yet undeniable.

Her fingers moved in a frightening speed that his sharingan picked up , the code getting clear in his mind .

Cursed seal . Action started . 5 months approx . Containment .

His facial expression did not change much, except for the twitch of his lips , but the relief and happiness in his was easily recognizable to her . Her heart fluttered , just for a moment and she threw a grin at him , proud and pleased.

Soon . The time to escape would come soon. Orochimaru would not live for long . Constant combat had damaged Orochimaru's current vessel . He had been steadily growing weaker, only Kurama's keen senses had been able to perceive that .

Soon , they would be free of the clutches of the madmen .