Chapter Text
Naruto sat in his apartment, staring blankly at the wall. Hinata’s ultimatum echoed in his mind, a cruel choice that left him trapped.
If he submitted, Sakura would be free, but he would be enslaved to Hinata, subject to whatever she had planned for him. If he refused, Sakura remained in captivity, forced to endure whatever punishment Hinata decided to inflict on her.
And there was nothing he could do about it.
The thought of Hinata torturing Sakura relentlessly made his blood boil. He knew Hinata wasn’t bluffing. The way she spoke, the cold certainty in her voice, left no room for doubt. She would break Sakura piece by piece until he had no choice but to give in. The fear in Sakura’s eyes from their secret meeting all but gave it away.
His fists clenched. Every problem he’d ever faced could be fought head-on, but this wasn’t something he could punch his way out of. If he attacked the Hyuga compound, he’d be fighting against one of the strongest clans in the village, and that wasn’t even considering the political fallout. If Tsunade could’ve done something, she would have by now. He couldn’t expect anyone to step in and fix this for him.
He hated this. He hated that he even had to consider giving himself up just to stop Hinata from hurting someone else. But could he really just let Sakura suffer because of his dream, his pride?
Naruto gritted his teeth. He needed to decide soon.
He leaned back on his bed, running a hand through his hair. Two years ago, Hinata never would have even considered saying something so cruel. She used to be kind, quiet, and gentle, someone who could barely get a full sentence out around him without blushing. Now, she was confident, commanding, and ruthless. He barely recognized her anymore.
He sighed and turned his gaze to the open book on his desk, one of the legal texts he had borrowed when he first started studying to become Hokage. His studies and knowledge of the village law had finally made themselves useful, just not in the way he had ever expected.
Slavery laws in Konoha were old, obscure, and rarely invoked. But they were real. If he willingly signed a legally binding slavery contract, citing Hinata as his master, there would be no loopholes. No way out. It would be final.
That was the part that hit him the hardest. If he signed that contract, he would be giving up everything—his freedom, his future, and most painfully, his dream of becoming Hokage.
All the years of training, fighting, and struggling to prove himself would be thrown away the moment he signed that contract.
But what other choice did he have?
Naruto exhaled sharply, pushing the book aside. He had made up his mind.
He would do it.
Even if it meant losing himself, he couldn’t abandon Sakura.
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Tsunade sat behind her desk, scowling at the mountain of paperwork in front of her. Scrolls, legal documents, and old village records were scattered across the wooden surface, some half-unrolled, others stacked haphazardly. She had spent hours combing through every legal document, searching for a loophole—anything that could overturn the Hyuga Clan’s claim on Sakura.
Nothing.
She downed the last of her sake in one gulp, barely registering the burn. The political weight the Hyuga Clan carried in the village was suffocating. They were one of Konoha’s founding clans, deeply entrenched in the village’s leadership. If she pushed too hard, the consequences could be severe. The Hyuga had made it clear that if she interfered, they could take drastic measures, possibly even leaving the village altogether.
And as much as she hated to admit it, Konoha couldn’t afford that. Losing the Hyuga Clan would cripple the village’s power structure, and plenty of other villages would welcome them with open arms.
Tsunade’s frustration boiled over. Her options were slim, and every attempt to find a way out only seemed to reinforce her helplessness.
Before she could pour herself another drink, a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Shikamaru entered, his usual lazy demeanor replaced by something more serious. He glanced at the mess on her desk and sighed.
“We’ve got a problem,” he said.
Tsunade scoffed, gesturing to the scattered papers. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head before shoving his hands in his pockets. “It’s about Naruto. He told me Hinata gave him an ultimatum. He either becomes her slave, or she keeps Sakura.”
Tsunade’s grip on the empty cup tightened, but she remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
“And from what I could tell,” Shikamaru added, “he’s seriously considering it.”
Tsunade slammed her fist down on the desk, rattling the papers and bottles around. “That idiot!” she snapped, her voice thick with fury.
She was furious—not just at the Hyuga Clan for putting Naruto in this impossible position, but at Naruto himself for even thinking about accepting it.
Taking a deep breath, Tsunade tried to steady herself, her mind racing. “I won’t let this happen,” she muttered. “There has to be a way to stop him.”
Shikamaru crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “The Hyuga played this perfectly,” he said. “Legally, there’s no way around it. The clan’s influence is too strong, and every law backs their claim. Even if we tried to challenge it, they’d fight back with everything they’ve got.”
Tsunade clenched her fists but remained silent. She already knew that much.
“The real problem,” Shikamaru continued, “is Naruto. No matter what we say, he’s not going to let Sakura stay trapped. If the only way to free her is sacrificing himself, he’ll do it without hesitation.”
Tsunade exhaled sharply, leaning back in her chair. She didn’t want to admit it, but Shikamaru was right. Naruto would never sit by and let someone else suffer if he could stop it.
“And even if we did step in—sending ANBU, issuing a direct order—it wouldn’t end there,” Shikamaru added. “The Hyuga won’t take it lightly. If they feel cornered, they could threaten to leave the village entirely.”
Tsunade’s fingers tapped against the desk.
Her mind raced as she shift through the mountain of legal papers. “Is there really nothing we can do?” she muttered, more to herself than to Shikamaru.
Shikamaru sighed, pushing himself off the wall. “The law’s been in place for generations, Tsunade. Even if there’s a loophole, the Hyuga clan’s probably already covered it. They know the system too well to leave any opening. This isn’t something we can just fix with a single stroke of the pen.”
“There has to be something—anything—”
“There’s nothing,” Shikamaru interrupted gently. “At least, not anything that won't blow up in our faces. The slavery laws are deeply entrenched in Konoha's legal system. Most of the top clans—Hyuga, Yamanaka, and others, including my own—use them to keep servants within their fold. Even the Uchiha and the Uzumaki clans used them when they were still around. The system is designed to benefit the clans. If we tried to challenge this law... it would be a disaster.”
Tsunade’s gaze hardened. “You’re telling me I can’t even get rid of a law that enslaves people?”
Shikamaru nodded, a frown on his face. “If you tried, the shinobi council wouldn’t allow it. They’d resist, and they’d have the backing of every clan. If you pushed it too far, they could band together and throw Konoha into chaos. We could have a civil war on our hands.”
Tsunade slammed her fist on the table again, frustration bleeding through her words. “Damn it... How did it get this far? Why hasn’t anyone done something before?”
“Because they all benefit from it,” Shikamaru replied, his voice calm. “The system’s been in place for so long that no one’s really questioned it. And now it’s biting us in the ass.” He hesitated before adding, “It’s not just Hinata. If we try to act, we could be taking on every clan in Konoha.”
Tsunade stared down at the pile of papers in front of her. She knew Shikamaru was right. This wasn’t just about one person or one law—it was about a deep-rooted part of the system that couldn’t be easily undone.
“Then... what the hell do we do?” she muttered, feeling the weight of the situation press down on her.
Shikamaru thought through their options. “There’s not much we can do,” he said finally. “Not without making things worse.”
“So what? We let Hinata claim Sakura like property? Let her blackmail Naruto into signing his life away?” Tsunade angrily responded.
“I’m not saying it’s right,” Shikamaru said quietly. “But it’s already happened, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. No law has been broken. The Hyuga clan's new Cursed Seal has already been applied to Sakura. And if it's as permanent as Naruto told me, then even if we did act radically outside the law, there's still no way of saving Sakura.”
Silence fell over the room. Tsunade stared at the papers in front of her: legal documents, clan decrees, and political briefs. All of them useless. Every instinct told her to act now, to rip the Hyuga compound apart with her bare hands if she had to, but she knew Shikamaru was right. The consequences of rushing in could be catastrophic. Still, the thought of leaving Naruto and Sakura in the Hyuga’s hands made her stomach churn.
She finally exhaled through her nose. “So what? We just sit on our asses while Hinata—while the Hyuga—keep Sakura enslaved?”
“The truth is,” Shikamaru said. “We will have to prepare for the possibility that Sakura or even Naruto will remain in the custody of the Hyuga clan… Permanently.”
Tsunade clenched her teeth. “This isn’t leadership. It’s surrender.”
“No,” Shikamaru said. “It’s survival. We’re doing what we have to for the village.”
“Damn it,” Tsunade muttered under her breath, her voice breaking slightly. “I’ve never felt so helpless.”
Shikamaru didn’t argue. He didn’t offer comfort or defiance. Only silence.
“Keep your ears open,” Tsunade finally said, voice hollow. “That’s all we can do. If something changes, even slightly, I want to know.”
Shikamaru nodded, his expression serious. “Understood. I’ll keep a lookout.. If there’s a way to turn this around without provoking the clans, I’ll find it.”
Shikamaru remained silent for a long moment, his eyes thoughtful. “In the meantime, I’ll try to talk to Naruto, see if I can’t get him to reconsider.”
As Shikamaru turned to leave, Tsunade's eyes lingered on the papers once more. The legal system, the politics of the clans—it was all so much more complicated than she ever wanted it to be. But the lives of her people were at stake, and she couldn’t afford to fail them.
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The path leading to the Hyuga compound was isolated, shaded by tall wooden fence walls on either side, and the evening sun was casting long shadows on the ground. Naruto walked it alone, each step slow, like a man approaching his own execution.
He didn’t wear his usual confident grin. His shoulders were tense, his expression unreadable. He was still a hero in the eyes of the village, but right now, he didn’t feel like one. He felt like a chess piece walking into checkmate.
A figure stepped out from around the turn ahead of him, hands in his pockets.
“Yo,” Shikamaru said simply.
Naruto stopped. “...Hey.”
For a moment, neither of them moved.
“You really going through with it?” Shikamaru asked, voice low.
Naruto nodded once.
Shikamaru didn’t look surprised. “Yeah, I figured.” He took a few slow steps forward, then asked, more softly, “Is there anything I can say that would change your mind?”
Naruto’s eyes dropped for a moment before looking up again. “No. There isn’t.”
Shikamaru let out a breath, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Didn’t think so… but I had to try.”
Naruto turned his eyes to the compound gates in the distance. “There’s no other way. Not one that ends with Sakura free.”
Shikamaru didn’t respond at first. He shifted slightly, looking away. “You know if you go in there and sign that contract… we won’t be able to pull you out. Not legally. Not politically. Not even forcefully, without blowing the whole village apart.”
Naruto gave a tired smile. “Yeah. I know.”
Shikamaru let out a slow breath. “Give us time to look for another angle. A loophole. Anything. Tsunade—”
“She already looked,” Naruto cut in gently. “You all did. And I appreciate that. But Hinata’s not bluffing. She said that every day I hesitate, Sakura suffers.”
He paused, gaze falling to the ground.
Naruto’s fists clenched at his sides. “I can’t sit around knowing Sakura’s suffering because of me. She was taken because Hinata wants me. So fine. She can have me.”
Shikamaru’s voice lowered. “Even if she doesn’t let Sakura go?”
Naruto flinched—just barely.
“That’s what this is,” Shikamaru said flatly. “A bluff you’re folding to.”
Naruto looked up at him, eyes tired but firm. “Then let me be the idiot who called it.”
They stood there for a long moment, two friends, two shinobi, one trying to protect the other from a mistake that couldn’t be undone.
Naruto finally exhaled through his nose, then gave Shikamaru a small nod. “Thanks… for everything.”
Shikamaru didn't respond right away. He just looked at him, jaw tight, eyes flicking to the compound gates ahead. “If she breaks her word… if things go bad in there…”
Naruto offered a faint smile, one with no joy behind it. “Then it’s too late anyway.”
Naruto turned and continued walking.
“I’ll see you around, Shikamaru,” he said without looking back.
Shikamaru stayed behind, watching him go.
There was nothing left to say.
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The sky above Konoha had darkened into a deep orange as Naruto approached the Hyuga compound. The noise of the village was far behind him now—fading into silence with each step. The only sound left was the steady rhythm of his own footsteps on the path.
The Hyuga compound stood apart from the rest of the village, isolated and imposing. The massive white walls of the estate loomed ahead, glowing faintly under the setting sun.
Naruto came to a stop before the main gate.
He was immediately met by two Hyuga guards in formal attire, their expressions unreadable. They exchanged a glance, then bowed stiffly.
“Uzumaki Naruto,” one said. “We’ve been expecting you.”
Naruto gave a small nod. “Lead the way.”
The massive gates of the Hyuga compound groaned open, and Naruto took a slow breath before stepping through them.
He was flanked on both sides as they guided him through. First, he was escorted through the inner grounds of the compound, taking him through the courtyard. The entire place was immaculate. The corridors were spotless and polished to perfection. Lanterns hung from the wooden beams above, their soft light flickering against the polished wooden floors.
Naruto walked in silence as they led him through the pristine hallways of the compound. They passed a few servants who quickly moved out of the way, and a few clan members who whispered quietly among themselves as Naruto passed. At last, the guards stopped before a tall set of engraved double doors.
Without a word, one stepped forward and pushed them open.
Beyond the threshold lay the Hyuga clan’s main chamber—an expansive throne room adorned with royal banners bearing the clan’s emblem. At the far end of the room, seated on an elevated platform, was Hinata Hyuga.
She sat upon a cushioned, ornate throne fit for a princess. The glossy black leather of her jacket and matching pants caught the warm light, her midriff was bare beneath a fitted mesh top, and her feet were clad in black leather sandals. Her posture was perfect, her expression cool and composed. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. Her pale eyes locked onto Naruto the moment he entered, unblinking.
Her gaze made his heart heavy.
To the side of her stood several high-ranking Hyuga elders and clan officials, their presence a reminder that this was a serious meeting. This was a legal ritual, a formal event sanctioned by the higher-ups of the clan.
Naruto came to a stop at the base of the steps leading to Hinata’s throne.
The guards behind him stepped back and left him alone at the end of the room.
Hinata didn’t rise. Her voice was calm and clear.
“Have you made your decision?”
Naruto’s gaze didn’t falter. “I have.”
“And?”
“I’ve chosen to become your servant,” he said.
Hinata didn’t react right away. She studied him in silence, her pale eyes steady and unreadable. A faint murmur passed through the gathered elders, officials, and politicians, but none spoke out loud. All eyes were on Hinata.
She rose from her throne with deliberate grace, her tall frame imposing in the silence. From this distance, she stood over him, and the elevated platform made the difference feel even more pronounced.
“Then kneel,” she said, her voice calm but absolute.
Naruto hesitated for only a moment. Then, without a word, he stepped forward and lowered himself to one knee at the base of the steps. His head bowed. He was ready to completely surrender to her to save Sakura, even at the cost of his own freedom.
Hinata stepped down from the platform slowly, her sandals clicking softly against the steps. She came to a stop just in front of him, still standing on the last step, her pale eyes fixed on his lowered head.
“In the presence of the Hyuga clan,” she began, “you will swear your oath willingly. Say the words exactly as I speak them.”
Naruto kept his eyes downcast. Willingly is a funny way of putting it
Naruto gave a short nod, never raising his eyes.
Hinata spoke clearly, her voice measured.
“I, Naruto Uzumaki, of sound mind and body…”
“I, Naruto Uzumaki, of sound mind and body…” he repeated.
“…freely offer myself into the service of Hinata Hyuga…”
“…freely offer myself into the service of Hinata Hyuga…”
“…to serve her will without resistance…”
“…to serve her will without resistance…”
“…to surrender my rights, my rank, and my claim to freedom…”
“…to surrender my rights, my rank, and my claim to freedom…”
“…until she chooses to release me.”
“…until she chooses to release me.”
Silence followed.
Hinata extended her hand toward him, palm down. “Kiss it.”
Naruto glanced up briefly, then leaned forward and pressed a solemn kiss to the back of her hand. A hush fell over the room.
The elders gave faint nods of approval. There were no cheers, no applause—just the quiet weight of ceremony.
Hinata withdrew her hand and snapped her fingers.
One of the clan officials stepped forward, holding a scroll sealed with the Hyuga crest along with a kunai. Hinata’s expression was composed as the scroll was brought to her. She unsealed it carefully, revealing the formal contract in elegant script, a contract between master… and slave.
“Sign,” she said, holding it out to him along with the ceremonial kunai.
Naruto looked at the kunai; it was clear what he had to do. This contract worked exactly the same as the summoning contract. It was signed with his blood.
Naruto took the kunai without a word, sliced a clean cut across his palm, and pressed his bleeding hand to the space at the bottom of the scroll. The blood smeared across the signature line, binding him to the contract by blood.
It was done.
Hinata looked down at him and spoke with cold indifference.
“You belong to me now.”
Naruto held his tongue.
The elders began to disperse, some speaking quietly among themselves, others glancing down at Naruto with measured detachment. To them, this was no different than any other contract made in service to the clan. Formal and final.
“Guards,” Hinata called out.
Two of the guards stepped forward.
“Escort him to the lower chambers,” Hinata ordered. “Begin preparations for the sealing ritual.”
Naruto stood as they approached. His expression didn’t change, but his eyes met Hinata’s one last time before he was led away.
Naruto didn’t resist as they flanked him and led him out of the chamber.
She watched him go without speaking, then turned her gaze toward the contract, still damp with his blood.
Satisfied, she rolled it up and sent a small pulse of chakra that flowed from her hand into the scroll. The contract vanished in a puff of smoke—sealed away through a reverse summoning Jutsu. It was gone, stored in a space only she could access.
Her task complete, Hinata descended the dais, her sandals tapping softly against the polished floor. The remaining officials gave respectful nods as they quietly dispersed, leaving her alone in the wide, empty chamber.
Without breaking stride, Hinata made her way toward the hallway where Naruto had been taken, her expression calm, her pace steady. There was still one final step to bind him completely. And she intended to see it through herself.
Naruto walked in silence as the guards led him down a long, narrow staircase. The air grew cooler with each step, the polished stone giving way to darker, older tile. Sparse wall-mounted lanterns lighted the path, their flickering glow casting shadows across the stairwell.
He didn’t ask where they were going.
The guards said nothing as they descended, their footsteps echoing steadily in the confined space. Eventually, they reached a wide corridor flanked by a heavy, locked wooden door on the left. It was locked with reinforced bolts. The door was recessed in a pocket along the hallway wall.
Naruto glanced briefly at it before moving away from it along with the guards.
Behind that door was the Hyuga dungeon.
Inside, Sakura sat quietly on the cold floor of her cell, her back against the wall. She stirred when she heard footsteps, several pairs, coming from the stairwell. Her eyes narrowed.
She rose quickly and crossed the cell, pressing her face toward the narrow metal bars of the door. The sounds grew louder. For a brief moment, she saw faint shadows passing under the door to the dungeon, too many to be random patrolling guards.
Someone important was being taken somewhere.
She strained to listen but heard no voices, only the steady beat of footsteps as they passed by.
Something was happening.
And she had no idea what.
The guards led Naruto down a final hallway that opened into a large, dimly lit chamber, opening the heavy door and guiding him through before closing it shut. The air was cool and still, thick with the faint scent of old incense and stone. The room was circular, built from smooth, gray stone, clearly older than the rest of the Hyuga compound. It had no windows, only lanterns affixed to the walls, casting a glow within the room.
“Step forward,” one of the guards instructed.
Naruto obeyed.
“In the center. Kneel.”
He moved to the center of the room and knelt without protest. He felt the hard surface press against his knees.
The two guards moved to his sides. Without a word, they each took one of his arms and pressed their fingertips, charged with chakra, to his skin, applying a sealing formula directly to his wrists. The inked seals flowed into place around his wrists like molten iron, forming jagged language that glowed faintly before settling into his skin.
Naruto didn’t resist. The jutsu hurt him and burned his wrists a bit, but he showed no reaction. He sat still, his expression steady but tense.
When the seals were finished, dark chakra chains sprouted from the black markings, snaking outward and attaching to two heavy stone pillars on either side of him. His arms were drawn wide, locked in place. His ankles were next—more sealing formula applied, more chakra-draining inscriptions burned into his skin, forming dark chains that locked him in a kneeling position, anchoring him to the floor.
He couldn’t move. Couldn’t stand. Could barely feel the energy in his limbs.
The chains didn’t just restrain him. They were draining him.
Naruto could feel his chakra being siphoned away—slowly but steadily sealed, smothered like a flame under water.
Soon afterward, the heavy door to the ritual chamber opened once more, and Hinata stepped inside.
Her sandals echoed softly against the stone floor as she entered. The guards bowed briefly before she dismissed them with a wave of her hand. They left without a word, the chamber door closing behind them, leaving Hinata and Naruto alone in the silence.
Naruto lifted his head, his arms still stretched and bound by chakra-sealing chains.
“When are you going to let Sakura go?” he asked, voice low but steady.
Hinata walked toward him slowly, her expression unreadable. She didn’t answer right away.
“Your Cursed Seal comes first,” she said finally. “We won’t proceed with anything else until you’re bound properly. After that, we’ll talk about Sakura.”
Naruto finally looked up, meeting her eyes. “So that’s really how it’s going to be?”
Hinata stopped a few feet in front of him. “Every servant of the Hyuga clan receives a Cursed Seal. That includes you.”
Naruto's brow furrowed. “The seal… You mean the one you put on Sakura?”
Hinata nodded once. “Exactly the same. It's not optional.”
Naruto’s stomach sank. He looked down briefly, his expression grim. He had suspected this might be the case, but hearing it confirmed hit harder than he expected. Some part of him had hoped otherwise. That Hinata might spare him that final humiliation. But it was clear that it was wishful thinking.
He had seen Sakura after the seal was branded on her neck. The pain she described. The change in her demeanor. How broken she looked compared to how expressive she usually was. He hadn’t forgotten the look in her eyes. Those sad, dead eyes. Like she had completely lost hope.
And now that same mark was coming for him.
Naruto lowered his head again, his jaw clenched tight. “I guess I should’ve known.”
Naruto exhaled slowly. Part of him still wanted to press the issue—to beg her to release Sakura now, not later. But he knew that wasn’t going to happen. Naruto knew better than to fight it. His chakra was sealed. His limbs were locked. He was in absolutely no position to tell Hinata otherwise.
He hated it—hated feeling powerless. But he wasn’t in a position to demand anything. For now, he could only wait, kneeling in silence as Hinata prepared to finish what she had started.
Hinata stepped closer, her expression focused. Without a word, she reached for the zipper of Naruto’s jacket and pulled it down, exposing the mesh undershirt beneath. Her hands moved with precision as she began forming a long series of hand signs, her fingers weaving through the familiar sequence that she had previously used for Sakura’s bondage, the Crimson Binding Seal.
Naruto tensed. He had braced himself, but he didn’t know what to expect.
The moment the last sign was formed, Hinata stepped close and placed her hand firmly at the base of his throat, just below the collarbone.
The chakra hit him like a hammer.
Pain erupted instantly. A sudden shock tore through his chest as her chakra surged into him. Naruto’s eyes widened as his muscles convulsed, his body jerking against the restraints as the sealing process began. His back arched slightly from the force, and a raw jolt of pain radiated outward from where her palm made contact. It felt burning and tearing, like his skin was being split from the inside out and prodded with a hot iron.
Glowing, fiery crimson symbols burst forth from beneath her hand, and they slowly began to move up to his neck.
A low, involuntary growl escaped Naruto’s throat as he shut his eyes tightly. His pride told him to stay silent, but as the seal dug deeper, it became harder to avoid giving any reaction. His breath came in short, ragged gasps. Sweat began to bead across his brow. He writhed and struggled against the bindings to no avail.
The seal spread like fire under his skin, jagged lines, complex patterns, and spiraling glyphs carved a path up his neck and around his throat. His nerves and pain signals flared and screamed as the seal forced itself into his chakra network, connecting to each chakra point. The Crimson Binding Seal had to connect to every chakra point and connect to the entire nervous system in the body, including every pain receptor, all in order to work efficiently.
Naruto cried out as the pain intensified. The seal was anchoring itself deeper, latching onto the very core of his chakra system. Each second felt like fire crawling under his skin, shredding through his chakra pathways as the seal claimed him.
“Stop—ghh—! Please, Hinata!” Naruto’s voice cracked under the pressure, his body jerking as if to pull away, but the chains held him in place.
Naruto’s cries slowly faded into ragged breaths. The pain didn’t go away, but his body was beginning to collapse under it. Finally, the red glow around the seal dimmed, the markings settling into their final shape: a clean crimson ring around his neck.
Hinata pulled her hand away.
Naruto slumped forward slightly, still bound with tears streaming down his face, his breath shallow. The seal was complete. The Crimson Binding Seal was now a permanent mark on his body.
The burning pain of the sealing had finally dulled, but in its place came something far more unnerving: emptiness.
He closed his eyes and reached inward. Slowly.
Nothing.
There was no spark of chakra waiting for him. No warmth, no flow—nothing. He tried again, more forcefully this time. Reaching deeper, straining.
Still nothing.
A sharp knot of panic twisted in his chest. He dug in further, pushed beyond his own reserves, into the space he’d always known to hold the Kyuubi’s presence. That vast, boiling power, that storm of crimson energy that had once threatened to consume him, but later became one of his greatest sources of strength.
“Kurama...?” he whispered internally.
No response.
Naruto’s eyes opened wide as he was stunned by the lack of response. For as long as he could remember, the fox had always been there, growling, grumpy, sometimes silent, but never absent.
Now there was nothing.
He tried again, harder. “Kurama!” Still nothing. Not even a flicker of recognition. He couldn't feel the bijuu's presence at all, as if the beast had been torn out of existence. But Naruto knew that wasn’t the case. Kurama was still there. He had to be.
“Why, wha- I can’t hear Kurama…” Naruto said.
Hinata stepped forward.
“You won’t reach him.”
Naruto slowly lifted his head to look at her, still panting. “What… what did you do?”
Hinata stood just in front of him, her eyes calm but unreadable. “You’re still a Jinchūriki,” she said. “Kurama is still inside you. But the seal I placed on you suppresses everything. Your chakra. The Nine Tails’ chakra. Communication between you. All of it.”
Naruto’s jaw clenched, his arms trembling in their restraints.
“I developed the seal with this in mind,” Hinata continued. “When I first created the Crimson Binding Seal, it was meant to restrain you completely. But I later used it on Sakura.” She looked him directly in the eye. “Nonetheless, it was still made for the possibility of being used on you.”
“Even if he tries to lend you power,” she continued, “he won’t be able to reach you. That part of you is gone now. At least… as long as I allow it.”
For the first time in years… he couldn’t feel Kurama at all. The first time he ever heard the Fox’s voice was when Jiraya sent him tumbling down a cliff. He could always depend on him in life or death situations, in situations where he was helpless. But now, there was nothing.
Naruto’s chest rose and fell unevenly as he slowly regained control over his breath. The cruel fire of the seal still burned beneath his skin, a constant reminder of his submission. His limbs remained bound, heavy with chakra chains that sapped his strength and freedom alike. Yet, despite the agony and humiliation, his mind clung to one desperate hope.
He looked up, meeting Hinata’s calm, unreadable gaze. “I—” he began, voice cracked and raw, “I kept my part of the bargain. I signed the contract. I gave you everything. So now… let Sakura go.”
For a brief moment, the only sound in the chamber was the rattle of the chains restraining Naruto, then Hinata’s lips curved into a soft smile. Then she tilted her head and let out a soft, amused laugh. It started as a chuckle but quickly grew louder, crueler, until it echoed through the chamber.
“Oh, Naruto…” she sighed mockingly. “You really are an idiot.”
He blinked, stunned. “What?”
“You actually believed that?” she asked, her arms folded under her chest. “You thought I’d just hand Sakura over the moment you signed yourself away?” She leaned forward slightly, looking him dead in the eyes. “How pathetic.”
Naruto flinched as if slapped. “But… you said—”
“I said just enough,” Hinata cut in sharply. “Enough to get you exactly where I wanted you. And like the dimwitted hero you are, you jumped at the chance to play the martyr to try and save Sakura. Now look at you, kneeling like a dog at my feet.”
Hinata’s smile widened as she circled him slowly, her steps echoing faintly against the stone floor.
“Tell me, Naruto, did you even read the contract? Or were you so desperate to play the hero that you didn’t care what it actually said?”
He remained silent, but the guilt was all over his face.
“I’ll save you the suspense,” Hinata continued. “That contract was airtight. It spelled out, in very clear language, that you were surrendering yourself to me. Permanently. It never said anything about Sakura. Not even a word. You should have read the fine print, Naruto. ”
Naruto’s mouth opened slightly, but nothing came out. His eyes widened as the realization hit him. She was right, the ritual had moved so quickly, so formally, he hadn’t even thought to examine the contract. All he’d cared about was protecting Sakura.
She leaned in near his ear. The tight black leather of her pants flexed with the motion, the material creaking subtly as it stretched along her legs.
“You didn’t check. You didn’t question me. You didn’t even hesitate. You walked in here and signed your life away with your own blood… all because you assumed I’d keep a promise I never intended to keep. You’ve just been conned.”
She stepped back, letting those words sink in
His head sank. The weight of it all hit him at once: the trap, the manipulation, the consequences. And he fell for it, all of it. He realized that he should’ve listened to Shikamaru.
“So… Sakura…?” he asked quietly, barely able to say her name.
“Still rotting her cell,” Hinata answered casually. “Right where I want her. She’s been very quiet lately. Maybe she’s hoping you’ll save her.” Hinata smirked. “Imagine her face when she realizes that you just signed your life away to me for nothing.”
Naruto’s jaw tightened. He tried to suppress the tremble in his arms, the heat burning in his chest.
“You tricked me.”
Hinata’s eyes gleamed, and a smirk curled at the corner of her lips.
“Of course I did,” she said, without a hint of shame. “And you let me.”
She stepped closer, crouching in front of him so their eyes were level.
“You wanted to play the hero, so I gave you the perfect stage. A noble sacrifice to save a poor damsel in distress. You never even questioned a thing.”
She reached up and tapped the seal on his neck lightly with her finger.
“This? This is the price of your stupidity. A permanent mark of shame. You didn’t even ask for terms. You just knelt and signed that contract in blood and kissed my hand like a good little pawn.”
Naruto stared at the ground, jaw clenched.
“You sacrificed yourself for her,” Hinata continued, her voice laced with mock praise. “And it didn’t even matter because Sakura’s still mine. And now?” Her smile widened. “So are you.”
Her tone turned colder, almost surgical.
“You know what probably stings the most, Naruto?” she said as she looked down at him. “It’s not the seal. It’s not the chains. It’s knowing you weren’t outplayed by some genius strategist or mastermind.”
She leaned in closer again, her voice low and venomous as she whispered in his ear.
“You were broken and bound by the girl who used to faint at the sight of you.”
She gave him a mocking look.
“You’re going to live with that while you and Sakura bow down to me. Every. Single. Day.”
She let the silence hang for just a moment, letting the weight of her words sink in. Then she straightened, her smile turning razor-sharp.
He remained kneeling in silence, head bowed, his pride ruined. The pain he felt wasn’t just from the seal; it was from something deeper. Hot, bitter shame curled low in his stomach, like acidic fire.
How did everything go so wrong?
Naruto shook his head, his voice rising, panic flooding his system. “No… Hinata, this isn’t right… this isn’t who you are—”
Hinata didn’t let him finish. With a sudden motion, she simply raised her leg and brought her sandal down hard, right onto the center of his face. The strike snapped his head back slightly, but the chains held him upright. A muffled sound escaped him as Hinata pressed her foot down, letting the weight settle there.
She leaned in just enough to put pressure behind it, the soft creak of her sandal the only sound in the room. She pressed her sandal down harder with slow, steady, increasing pressure, grinding it into his face. The humiliating gesture lingered for several long seconds as she spoke to him condescendingly.
“This is who I am,” Hinata said flatly, gazing down at him. “And this is exactly what you are now. A servant. Owned. And humiliated.”
Naruto squeezed his eyes shut. He could feel her sole against his skin, his lips, and nose, the pressure behind it, grinding painfully into his skin.
Only then, with one final shove, she pushed her foot harder into his face before finally pulling it back.
She stepped back and crossed her arms, studying him.
“And since you’ve finally accepted your role, let’s make something very clear,” she said. “From now on, you speak to me with the respect I deserve.”
Naruto didn’t respond.
Hinata’s eyes narrowed. “Princess, Mistress, Lady Hinata… Your Highness, if you want to be dramatic. Whatever title you choose. But never again will you speak to me like I’m your equal. That part of your life is over.”
Naruto gritted his teeth, eyes lowered.
“Well?” Hinata asked. “Do you understand?”
“…Yes…” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “…Yes, Mistress.”
Hinata smiled faintly.
“Good,” she said. “You’re learning.”
Once Hinata had decided he’d endured enough, she made a small motion with her fingers, and the chakra restraints binding Naruto’s wrists and ankles unlatched with a click. The heavy chains retracted, vanishing back into the carved stone pillars with a faint hum of chakra.
Freed from their hold, Naruto collapsed forward with a dull thud, his body too weak to catch himself. He landed hard on his elbows, then slowly shifted onto his side, breath shallow and unsteady. Sweat clung to his skin, and the burning remnants of the cursed seal still pulsed faintly along his neck.
Hinata stepped forward, her expression unreadable as she stood over him.
“Get up, and kneel,” she said plainly, her tone devoid of warmth.
Naruto didn’t move right away. He pushed himself upward with his hands, trembling slightly, but he didn’t rise to his knees. His jaw was clenched, and his glare burned with frustration and betrayal.
“No,” he muttered, voice hoarse. “You tricked me. I’m not going to bow to someone like you.”
Hinata rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. She watched him for a long moment, then let out a quiet breath, almost disappointed.
“Still so stubborn,” she murmured.
Then, without another word, she formed a quick hand sign.
Naruto didn’t even have time to brace himself.
Suddenly, agony exploded through every fiber of his body all at once, like molten metal being poured into his veins. His muscles seized and spasmed uncontrollably. He gasped, then screamed, raw, guttural cries tearing from his throat as the pain tore through him. It was like his nerves were being shredded from the inside out.
He dropped to his knees, hands scraping desperately at the cold stone floor as if trying to claw his way out of the torment. His whole body convulsed in waves of burning, stabbing pain that left him gasping for breath, tears streaming down his face. His throat tightened as another scream tore out of him.
“AHHH—PLEASE—PLEASE STOP!”
He couldn’t think. He couldn’t even breathe as the Seal hummed violently against his neck.
“I CAN’T—IT HURTS—PLEASE—HINATA—PLEASE!”
Naruto sobbed, voice breaking, begging like a broken child. His cries echoed off the dungeon walls, pleading and raw. But Hinata didn’t relent.
“You don’t get to refuse me anymore,” Hinata said calmly as she walked past him, circling slowly. “Your pride means nothing. Your choices mean nothing. You belong to me now, and when I say kneel, you kneel.”
Naruto’s body writhed on the floor, shaking violently, unable to do anything but scream and cry out for mercy, which he knew wouldn’t come. The pain burned hotter and hotter, unrelenting.
His sobs came louder, and panicked. “I'LL LISTEN, I’LL DO IT! PLEASE JUST MAKE IT STOP! I’M BEGGING YOU!”
After what felt like an eternity, Hinata dropped the hand sign. The searing agony eased, and Naruto collapsed completely, gasping like he’d been underwater for hours. His limbs were dead weight, his body limp, trembling. He lay there, broken and sobbing quietly, utterly defeated.
He lay there for a while, trying to recover his strength. Hinata was patient with him. His fingers curled weakly against the floor. Eventually, Naruto’s breathing began to steady,
Only then did Hinata step forward, her gaze steady.
“I’ll ask once more,” she said. “Kneel.”
Naruto slowly, shakily, forced himself up to his knees with what little strength he had left, then into a kneeling position. His head hung in defeat with teary eyes.
Hinata nodded in approval. “Much better.”
Hinata stood motionless with her back to the door as the chamber quieted again. She turned her head toward the door, and she raised her voice calmly.
“Guards.”
The same two Hyuga guards who had escorted Naruto earlier entered through the chamber doors. They approached with the same expressionless discipline, stopping several feet from Naruto, who knelt alone on the cold stone floor, his face and expression showing defeat and resentment compared to when he first entered the room with them.
“Take him to his cell,” Hinata ordered, her voice cold.
The guards nodded silently and approached Naruto. He didn’t resist as they each took hold of his arms; his body still ached from the sealing process. As they hoisted him upright, his legs barely held him. He managed to stand, but his steps were unsteady as if he were about to buckle over any second.
As they escorted him toward the exit, Hinata didn’t look at him. She kept her posture tall and regal, just listening to the sound of his footsteps scraping the floor.
Just as Naruto crossed the threshold of the chamber, she finally glanced back over her shoulder.
“You should’ve chosen me when you had the chance.”
Naruto didn’t turn around. He just closed his eyes and walked forward, the door closing with a heavy thud behind him.
The guards led him back the way he came, retracing the same path through the Hyuga compound. After a few turns, the guards stopped at the same wide corridor with the familiar heavy metal reinforced wooden door Naruto had seen earlier—the one they passed on the way to the ritual chamber. It was reinforced with iron bands across the middle, top, and bottom. Large bolts and studs ran across its face, and there were visible chakra seals etched just above the frame. Previously, he had seen the door on his left coming into the long hallway, but now that he had left the ritual chamber, he now saw the door on his right.
One of the guards reached into his robe and retrieved an ornate key. He inserted it into the topmost lock, and with a deep clunk, it turned. The mechanisms inside the door shifted loudly, metal latches clicking into place one after another, until finally the guard pulled it open.
The door creaked slightly as it swung inward.
Beyond it stretched the Hyuga dungeon.
Naruto hesitated for a moment, staring at the cold passage before him. He felt the pressure of the guards behind him and resumed walking; his bare footsteps were nearly silent against the dark marble floor. They passed one empty cell after another, their interiors dark but clearly visible through the bars.
They passed cell after cell. Most were empty, the only sound being their quiet footsteps against the floor and the soft rustle of the guards' robes. But then, Naruto caught movement in one of the cells ahead.
His heart sank.
Inside, behind thick steel bars, sat Sakura.
The recognition struck him like a blow to the chest.
She sat against the far wall of the cell, knees drawn up to her chest, arms loosely draped around them. Her head was tilted down slightly, but she looked up the moment she heard footsteps. Their eyes met through the iron bars.
It was her. Pale, worn, but unmistakably Sakura.
Her expression shifted instantly, confusion at first, then recognition, then sudden horror.
Her eyes locked onto the branding around Naruto’s neck. The crimson markings of the Cursed Seal were unmistakable.
Sakura slowly stood, her face paling as she stepped forward, placing her hands lightly on the bars of her cell door.
“N-Naruto…” she murmured, but it barely carried beyond the bars.
Naruto stared back, unable to find words. There was too much in his expression: shock, guilt, anger, betrayal. But none of it could change what had already happened.
He saw it all in her eyes. She understood.
The same seal. The same fate.
Her fingers tightened around the bars.
One of the guards stopped across from Sakura’s cell and placed his hand over a sealing tag affixed just above the barred door. The tag glowed faintly, its chakra lock disengaging with a low hum. He then took out a smaller key, inserted it into the cell’s lock, and turned it. The thick iron-barred door creaked open.
“Get in,” the guard said flatly.
Naruto hesitated briefly, his fists clenched. But he was in no shape to resist, and the pain still throbbed through his body. Silently, he stepped into the cell. The guards shut the door behind him, locking it with a solid clunk. The sealing tag reactivated, glowing faintly once more.
Naruto was now caged, directly across from Sakura.
Once the guards walked off down the corridor and disappeared through the door, silence fell again. Naruto moved to a small sink at the side of the cell and splashed water onto his face. He washed and cleaned the grime from his face from his ordeal with Hinata, but it did nothing to ease the humiliation.
Across from him, Sakura stood quietly at her bars, watching.
“…Naruto,” she said at last, her voice soft but tense. “What… what happened?”
Naruto finished drying his face, then sat down against the back wall of his cell. He didn’t answer immediately.
“She tricked me,” he said bitterly. “She said she’d let you go if I surrendered. I believed her. Like an idiot.”
Sakura’s brows furrowed. “You… you came here for me?”
“I thought I could talk her down. Or fight her if I had to.” He looked away. “I didn’t know how far gone she was.”
Sakura’s gaze dropped to the Cursed Seal around his neck. “She used the seal on you too.”
Naruto touched it unconsciously. “Yeah.”
There was a long pause.
“…I’m sorry,” Sakura whispered. “I tried to warn you.”
Naruto looked at her, eyes heavy. “It’s not your fault.”
“I couldn’t let her keep you down here,” he muttered. “I thought—maybe if I gave her what she wanted, she’d honor her word. I should’ve known better.”
Sakura lowered her eyes, her hands gripping the bars. “She did the same thing to me,” she said quietly. “Used some kind of seal… I’ve tried to resist, but she always knows how to make it hurt.”
Naruto’s gaze lifted toward her. “I’m sorry, Sakura. I didn’t know how bad it was. I thought I could stop her—fix everything.”
“You shouldn’t have come alone,” she said, shaking her head. “You should’ve brought Shikamaru, Kakashi—anyone.”
“If I had… she would’ve hurt you worse,” Naruto said. “I saw it in her eyes. She was waiting for me to do something stupid.”
Sakura’s voice dropped. “You’re not stupid.”
Naruto let out a breath. “Yeah? Doesn’t feel that way right now.”
There was a long pause between them. Naruto leaned back against the cold wall of his cell.
Sakura finally broke the silence. “She tricked me, too.”
Naruto looked up slowly, “What… what happened?”
Sakura’s gaze broke away, a flicker of shame in her eyes. “She came to me all friendly, acting like her usual self, shy, soft-spoken… said she wanted to spar together. She told me that she wanted to meet in the Forest of Death on a private training ground, somewhere we could spar safely. Away from people, buildings, property damage, that sort of thing. I figured… I don’t know, maybe she wanted to reconnect.”
Naruto sat forward, listening intently. “So… she lured you there?”
Sakura nodded. “Yeah. But looking back on it now, she probably wanted me there so no one was around to witness anything. Once I got there, I thought it was just a spar. But she was stronger. Way stronger than I expected. She wasn’t holding back, either. She activated Sage Mode.”
“Sage Mode? Hinata?” Naruto was stunned. He knew how hard it was for someone to learn Sage Mode. Very few people in shinobi history have been able to do it.
“Mm-hm,” Sakura murmured. “She was on another level, Naruto. I didn’t stand a chance. I didn’t even have time to register how fast she was; my eyes couldn’t follow her. After she defeated me, she used a paralysis jutsu that locked up my whole body.”
“Then that’s when the mask fell,” Sakura muttered, her expression grim.
Naruto swallowed hard, his voice quiet. “That’s when she used the seal?”
“Yeah,” Sakura whispered.“She dropped the shy girl act, and the Hinata I knew was gone. She told me exactly what she had planned for me. She told me I was going to serve the Hyuga clan, that as the heiress, she had the right to claim someone as her slave. She put the seal on me. This one—” she tilted her head slightly, exposing the Crimson Binding Seal burned into her neck “—while I was still paralyzed. It hurt like hell, Naruto. Like fire under my skin, burning through every nerve. “I screamed until my voice gave out, but there was no one around to hear.”
Naruto looked away, sick with guilt. “Damn it…”
“When the seal was done, I tried to fight back. I tried, but…” Sakura’s fingers trembled against the bars. “I had no chakra, and when I tried to throw a punch her way, my entire body locked up and dropped to the ground. I must’ve felt the worst pain in my entire life during that moment. I’ve taken beatings, chakra exhaustion, broken bones, but this was nothing like that.”
She shut her eyes briefly, remembering the pain. “It was... worse than anything I’ve ever felt. Like hot needles driving through my spine and into every nerve. And then when it was done… I felt broken.”
Naruto looked horrified. “She did all that… just because of me?”
Sakura gave a small nod. “She blamed me for being in her way, for taking your attention. She wanted to humiliate me. And she did.”
Sakura continued.
“She used the seal to take control of my body and move me like a puppet. I was forced to follow behind her like I was on a leash. That’s how I ended up here. And once we were alone, she made sure I understood that I was her property.”
“She used the seal to force me to do things. Humiliating things. She made me lick the dirt off her boots. Kiss her feet. Forced me to kiss her ass. And I couldn’t stop any of it. Not even my own body was mine anymore.”
Naruto’s hands tightened into fists as his heart pounded in his chest.
“She enjoys it,” Sakura said. “The power. The humiliation. She wants complete submission and worship from me.
“She made it clear that I’m not her equal. Not anymore. She said the seal gives her full control of me. I can’t hurt her or run from her. I can’t even die if I wanted to. She can turn my chakra off with a thought.”
Sakura’s voice dropped to a whisper. “There’s no fighting it, Naruto. Not once the seal’s on. I tried. I really tried.”
Naruto looked up slightly. “That’s why I haven’t been able to talk to Kurama… Not since she sealed me. It’s like… he’s just gone. I can’t even feel him there.”
Sakura looked at him, her expression somber. “That’s the seal.”
“She told me about it after she branded me,” Sakura said. “It was something she designed herself. The Crimson Binding Seal cuts you off from everything. Your chakra, your abilities, your connection to tailed beasts. She decides when you can access any of it.
Naruto frowned. “So… she can just switch my chakra off?”
“She already has,” Sakura said. “You wouldn’t be locked up if you could still use it.”
“And it’s not just that,” Sakura continued. “She can control your body, Naruto. Literally. She can move you around like a puppet if she wants to. Make you do things. Say things. If you resist, she can cause you extreme pain—enough to drop you where you stand.”
“If you try to hurt her, even by accident… the seal reacts automatically. It’ll drop you in a second. I collapsed in agony just by raising my fist at her.”
Naruto’s hands balled into fists. He was reminded of the time he had refused to kneel before her. He was one of the most powerful shinobi in history, and all it took was just a simple hand sign to have him on the floor, writhing in pain, sobbing like a child, begging her to make it stop.
Never before had he felt so powerless. So utterly humiliated. It frustrated him to no end.
Naruto was quiet for a moment, staring at the ground. Then he shook his head. “There has to be a way to get it off. Some kind of Fuinjutsu.”
Sakura looked at him. The hope in his voice made her all the more demoralized about sharing what she knew about the seal. “It’s permanent, Naruto. The seal, technique, or jutsu can remove this. Hinata is the only one who can undo it. She made sure of that.”
“Even Neji couldn’t remove his own Cursed Seal, and that was before Hinata made a newer, stronger one,” Sakura added.
Naruto’s jaw clenched. “So we’re stuck like this?”
Sakura nodded. “Until she decides otherwise.”
He stared at the cold stone floor between them. He knew a bit about the Crimson Binding Seal from what Sakura told him, but now that he was branded with it, he never imagined that it would be this difficult to deal with.
“I can’t believe it,” he muttered. “I never even saw it coming.”
Sakura leaned against the wall of her cell, exhausted. “Neither did I.”
The silence stretched, just the occasional shuffle of guards’ feet outside the dungeon door from their routine patrols.
“I thought I was helping you,” Naruto finally said. “I thought… if I just gave her what she wanted, you’d be free.”
Sakura’s expression tightened. “I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
She looked over at him, eyes hollow. “Yeah. Me too.”
Another pause.
“How long do you think she’ll keep us like this?” Naruto asked.
Sakura didn’t answer right away. When she did, her voice was flat. “As long as she wants.”
Naruto leaned back against the wall, letting his head thump softly against the stone. He stared up at the ceiling, jaw clenched. “I hate this.”
“Get used to it,” Sakura said quietly. “She’s not going to let us go.”
He didn’t reply. There wasn’t anything to say.
The night dragged on.
Neither of them spoke much after that. They were too tired, too defeated. Sakura eventually curled up and fell into a restless sleep. Naruto stayed up thinking. His mind raced, memories of Kurama, of the freedom he’d lost, of everything he’d taken for granted.