Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

«Hey!»
A voice struck him from behind like a sudden sharp shuriken. Naruto jumped, half-leaping on the dry sand of the park, then turned around, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand.
A boy with sharp features and fair skin was staring straight at him. He must have come up behind him unnoticed.
«Why are you crying?»
«I'm not crying!» Naruto replied at once, raising his voice more than necessary. His little nose was red, his cheeks wet. He quickly wiped away the tears, hoping the other boy hadn’t already seen them.
«Looks like you are to me.» the boy replied, without malice — just stating a fact.
Naruto scowled. «What do you want?»
The other boy didn’t answer. Instead, he pointed at something on the ground, just a few steps away: a shuriken, half-buried in the loose dirt. Naruto looked down. He hadn’t even noticed it. Maybe it had landed there from who-knows-where while he was lost in thought.
He followed the kid’s movements, never quite meeting his eyes. He watched from the corner of his eye as the boy bent down, picked up the shuriken, and calmly walked away. Naruto stayed still, frozen like a stone. Then — GROAR.
His stomach rumbled loudly, breaking the silence like thunder. Naruto’s eyes widened in embarrassment. He turned his head quickly to check if the other boy had heard. But he was gone.
And yet, strangely enough, Naruto didn’t feel relieved. He felt… lonely. Again.
He looked back at the kid in the distance, laughing and playing, running into the loving arms of their parents when it was time to go home for dinner. Naruto clenched his fists on his knees. His stomach rumbled again, and another tear was ready to slide down his cheek when… something changed.
He didn’t hear him coming, but he sensed it. The boy had returned — again — quiet as a cat. Naruto felt it in the air, in the soft rustle of grass under light steps. Without saying a word, the boy made room for himself on the swing next to Naruto.
The blondhead’s heart skipped a beat. No one had ever sat so close to him before, so pressed up on that tiny wooden plank that wasn’t made for two. The swing’s slats creaked under their shared weight, yet neither of them moved.
The kid rested a small bundle on his knees, wrapped in a cloth with a little fan embroidered on it. He opened it carefully, as if it were something important, and pulled out two slightly squashed onigiri. The scent of seasoned rice wrapped around Naruto like a primal call.
«Here.» the boy said simply, handing him one. «Dried tuna. My favorite.»
Naruto hesitated, but another grotesque noise from his stomach convinced him to accept. He grabbed the onigiri and devoured it in two bites, before the other boy had even taken a bite of his own. Only then did he notice the curious look the other was giving him.
«I've only eaten instant ramen this week…» he quickly explained. «I love ramen! But sometimes it’s nice to eat something different.»
The boy didn’t laugh. But he raised an eyebrow.
«Where are your parents?» he asked next, with disarming simplicity.
The question hit him square in the chest. Naruto swallowed. There wasn’t a single adult in Konoha who hadn’t wondered, aloud or not, what had happened to his parents.
But the truth was… he didn’t know either.
He had asked the Third Hokage — who was sort of a guardian to him — many times, but the old man had never bothered to tell him the truth.
«There’s no point in asking such things. It won’t bring the dead back.»
That was always the answer. Always cold. Always the same.
Naruto had learned not to insist. Not to expect anything.
So, to avoid showing how much it really hurt, to the few who cared enough to ask, Naruto had learned to appear indifferent, settling for a shrug and a grimace:
«There’s no one waiting for me at home.»
Actually, the other kid was quite famous in the village too, but for opposite reasons: his family belonged to one of the most renowned and respected clans in Konoha. The Uchiha. It was impossible not to recognize them, since they proudly displayed the clan’s symbol on all their clothes.
Naruto didn’t know much about it — he’d never really cared — but he couldn’t hide a certain envy toward them, given how deeply he longed to belong to a clan too, or simply to have a family.
The silence between them grew thick, but not uncomfortable.
The dark-eyed boy calmly folded the napkin, placed the empty bundle on his lap, and looked at Naruto, who was still licking his fingers.
«Take this one too.» he said, handing him the last onigiri. «I’m not hungry.»
Naruto looked at him in surprise, happy that no more questions followed about his family — or the lack thereof. «Really?»
A curt nod as a response. No insistence. Just that simple, silent offer.
The blondhead grabbed the rice ball eagerly. One bite, then another, until his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel’s. Maybe the goofy look gave him away, because the boy next to him let out a soft snort, as if stifling a laugh, and flashed a small smile.
Naruto froze. That look, that faint smile — almost an involuntary reflex — hit him hard. So spontaneous, so… beautiful. He stared at him for a moment longer than necessary, caught off guard. He wanted to say something, maybe smile back, but… something caught his attention.
Just a few steps away, a woman and a child had stopped to watch them. They were whispering something — words barely audible — but Naruto knew those looks well. The downcast eyes, the forced smile, the tighter grip on the child’s arm.
He had seen them a thousand times. And he knew exactly what they meant.
The smile trembling on his lips vanished. His heart clenched.
«Hey!» shouted the boy sitting next to him. His voice, suddenly rough. «What are you looking at?»
The woman flinched. She quickly pulled the child away without even turning back.
But Naruto did turn — he looked at his swing companion as if seeing him for the first time.
«Why does everyone avoid you?»
Naruto lowered his gaze. «They’re afraid of me,» he murmured. «They think I’m a monster.»
The kid let out a short, incredulous laugh. «A monster? You look more like a scared kitten to me.»
«Shut up, teme!» Naruto snapped, annoyed. But the insult died in his throat when the other shoved the remaining onigiri into his mouth and burst out laughing.
For a moment, everything felt lighter.
«You wander around, pull pranks, and annoy people to get attention, right?» the boy asked, his voice calm again.
Naruto hesitated. «No, I—»
«You can try to get attention all you want, but if you don’t do something to prove them wrong, nothing’s going to change. That’s not how you’ll get accepted by those people.»
Naruto stared at him. Those words stung more than he wanted to admit.
«What should I do then?» he finally asked, barely above a whisper.
The boy shrugged. «I don’t know. You have to find your own way.»
A longer silence settled over them.
«Have you already found yours?»
The Uchiha didn’t reply, but stretched out an arm, pointing at something to their right.
Naruto followed the gesture with his eyes. A low, imposing building. A symbol of something far bigger than either of them.
«Do you know what that is?»
«Uhh… a ninja school, I think?»
«It’s much more than that.» the other said, a spark in his eyes. «That’s the most prestigious ninja academy in the Land of Fire. Every ninja in Konoha was trained there. And when I’m old enough, I’ll attend it too.»
Naruto looked at him, intrigued. «You want to become a ninja?»
«Yeah.»
«Like the Third?» Naruto asked, snickering. «If you ask me, that old man’s not so great.»
The boy shook his head slightly. «The Honorable Hokage is a great ninja. But…» he clenched his hands into tight fists. «I want to become like my brother. No… I’ll become even stronger than him.»
Naruto stared, impressed. The other boy’s dark eyes were filled with something he couldn’t quite name, but it made him feel inspired.
Then he turned back toward the academy, a spark lighting up in his own eyes.
«If I became Hokage… people wouldn’t be afraid of me anymore, and they’d treat me with respect. Just like they do with that old man.»
«If you want someone to believe in what you’re trying to do, there’s only one choice.»
«Do you think even someone like me could be accepted?» Naruto asked, a sincere note of hesitation in his voice.
The boy didn’t answer right away. He studied him, as if genuinely evaluating him. Then he said: «Wanting it isn’t enough. You need solid basic skills. And a ton of consistent effort. Think you’ve got it in you?»
Naruto paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and scrunched his lips. He jumped to his feet and pointed straight at the rocky cliffside with the Hokages’ faces carved into it.
«Good, so it's settled then! I’ll become Hokage!»
The kid’s eyes widened. «Hokage?! You literally decided a second ago that you want to become a ninja!» Then, with a sarcastic tone, he added: «And honestly, it’ll be a miracle if they even let you into the academy, usuratonkachi!»
Naruto pouted. «I will become Hokage!» he shouted back. «The greatest of all time! So that finally… everyone who looks at me like that and gossips behind my back will have to accept me, dattebayo!»
«Datteba-what?» the Uchiha repeated, puzzled but slightly amused. «Cool your jets, dobe. If you want to be chosen as Hokage, you’ll have to become the strongest ninja in the whole Land of Fire. I don’t care about the Hokage title, but fair warning: if it’s strength you’re after, you’ll have to go through me!»
Even though the boy was still sitting on the swing and looking up at him, Naruto felt a bit intimidated. And yet… for the first time, he felt something crawl up his spine.
A shiver of excitement. Of challenge. A new desire. A promise.
«I can beat you right now, dattebayo!» he exclaimed, rolling up his sleeves. «Get up and-»
«Ohi!»
A voice interrupted them.
Naruto looked up, but all he could see were the silhouettes of what looked like two young boys standing against the orange sky, their shadows stretched by the setting sun.
«Ohi, Sasuke!» one of them called out.
The Uchiha turned to look at them, then slowly got up from the swing. He passed by Naruto, gave him a mischievous smile and, before walking away, whispered: «See you at the academy, usuratonkachi.»
Naruto watched him go, still dazed.
«Sasuke, huh?» he muttered to himself. Then clenched his fists. «I’ll be your rival, dattebayo!»

«Where you been?»
The voice belonged to his older brother, Itachi Uchiha. Calm, yet laced with a subtle concern.
Sasuke approached him with confident steps, hands in his pockets, eyes lowered. Next to Itachi stood another boy, more easygoing, already smiling before he even spoke.
«You're always the one insisting on training with shuriken.» Itachi continued: «and then you vanish like that?»
«Leave him alone, Itachi,» Shisui cut in, bending slightly forward to catch the younger boy's gaze. «He went to have a little chat with his friend.»
Sasuke turned toward him sharply, visibly annoyed. «You're wrong, Shisui. He's not my friend.»
Shisui raised an eyebrow. «Really? That’s odd, it looked like you liked him.» he replied playfully, clearly not convinced and not planning to let it go. «I’ve never seen you pass up a chance to train with Itachi… let alone to hang out with another kid.»
«Don’t be ridiculous.» Sasuke shot back, looking away. His ears had turned red. «That brat is an usuratonkachi.»
«Naruto grew up without the love of his parents.» Itachi said calmly. «That’s why he acts like a little troublemaker with no rules. It’s his way of asking for attention.»
Sasuke didn’t answer. He knew it, deep down. He had already figured it out on his own. But admitting it in front of them — his brother and Shisui, who still treated him like a cute, cuddly kitten — was out of the question.
He didn’t want to look soft. Not him. Not the Uchiha who would one day become the strongest in all the ninja lands.
Itachi crossed his arms and spoke in a quiet tone: «He might not show it, but deep down, he’s hurting. He’s just a desperate kid.»
Sasuke felt even sadder for Naruto, but when he turned to look at him, he found himself smiling, despite everything.
Naruto was still there, in the middle of the empty park, pretending to strike ninja poses, slashing through the air with clumsy but determined moves. He jumped from side to side as if starring in a show of his own. Every now and then he made a sound, as if casting an invisible jutsu.
Who knew… maybe that loud, stubborn boy, so starved for attention, could become something more than just a nuisance.
Maybe, one day, even a true rival.
Or a friend.

                                        ~~~***~~~

Against all odds, Naruto managed to get admitted to the Academy.
That morning, he woke up with a fluttering heart and a smile he couldn’t contain. It was the first time he truly felt happy to start a new day. He got dressed in a rush, gulped down a cold instant ramen — the only thing he had at home — and ran out the door, eyes gleaming and his head full of dreams.
He was eager to start his new life, to learn lots of “ninja stuff,” to make tons of new friends… but most of all, he hoped to see Sasuke again.
He recognized him immediately, in the middle of a crowd of children gathered at the Academy gate. It was hard to mistake him: those deep dark eyes, pale face, and that half-smirk that made him look like an arrogant know-it-all… it was definitely him.
The first day was hectic: between the Hokage’s opening speech, the teachers’ introductions, and the classroom assignments, Naruto didn’t get a chance to spend time with the Uchiha. But he felt comforted when he found out they had been placed in the same class and would have plenty of time to be together every day.
What Naruto could never have imagined was that, very soon, something terrible would shatter Sasuke’s life completely.
It all happened in a single night.
The Uchiha clan, the most prestigious and powerful in Konoha, was annihilated. No one knew how. Or by whom.
Naruto found out the next morning at school, and a tight knot of anxiety formed in his chest when he noticed Sasuke wasn’t in class that day. Or the next. Or the week after, during which Naruto desperately tried to find out what had happened to him.
He asked his classmates, the teachers. He even went to the Hokage’s tower and begged the Third to at least tell him if his friend was alive. But every question slammed into a wall of silence and evasive glances.
He spent entire days in front of the Uchiha district, where all the clan members lived, but it was sealed off with yellow police tape, and only a few people were authorized to enter.
In Konoha, the police force had always been exclusively run by the Uchiha. Now that the village had no officers, medical ninja teams and ANBU took over, and for days they carried out a disturbingly high number of black bags of various sizes from the district.
Naruto counted them. Some were small. Others were far too large.
Every time, he clenched his fists so tight it hurt.
Although the news had understandably plunged the village into fear and chaos, the tragedy was forgotten surprisingly quickly, like a sudden storm, and everyone went back to their lives as if nothing so awful had ever happened.
Everyone but Naruto.
One night, when everything seemed to have returned to normal, Naruto sneaked into the still-sealed Uchiha district. But he soon realized he had no idea where to go. So he wandered for hours through dark streets and abandoned houses, guided only by a tiny voice inside him telling him to keep looking for Sasuke.
The only sound was that of his footsteps, muffled by the dust. The air smelled old and smoky, as if pain had left a permanent trace.
Then, incredibly, he found him.
Naruto stopped in his tracks, breath short and heart racing faster than his feet.
In front of him, dimly lit by the flickering light of an almost burned-out candle, was Sasuke. He was sitting on the ground in front of his house, knees pulled to his chest, forehead resting on tightly crossed arms. The orange light cast broken shadows across his face, framed by messy hair.
He looked like a wax statue: still, fragile, silent.
Naruto froze, almost afraid that a single breath would make him disappear.
«Yo!» he managed to call softly.
Sasuke flinched slightly, as if shaken from a dream. He looked up slowly, like his head weighed as much as the entire world.
«Are you crying?»
«I'm not crying!» Sasuke hissed, but his downcast gaze and tear-streaked cheeks betrayed his words. His eyes, red and swollen, reflected the flickering candlelight like shattered glass.
Naruto stepped closer without waiting for permission, letting out a long sigh of relief — as if only now he could finally breathe.
«Looks like you are to me.»
Sasuke clenched his jaw. «What are you doing here?» he growled, more to himself than to Naruto. The irony of the moment was clear. It was the perfect replay of their first meeting — but with the roles reversed.
Naruto didn’t answer right away. He sat down beside him, shoulder to shoulder, as if that were the most natural place in the world.
«I looked for you everywhere, teme! You scared the hell out of me!»
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Only the quiet breathing of the night and the faint crackling of the half-burned candle filled the space, casting flickering shadows on the wall behind them.
«I heard… what happened.» Naruto said, his voice uncertain, almost afraid.
Sasuke didn’t reply.
«I was afraid you were dead.» the blondhead added, gripping his hands between his knees.
«I should be.» the other muttered, barely realizing he’d spoken. «I wish I were.» and for a moment, saying it out loud seemed to lighten the weight on his chest.
The candle flame wavered, as if it had heard the words too.
«How did you find me?» Sasuke finally asked, his voice hoarse.
«I figured… if it were me, I’d come back here.»
Sasuke didn’t respond. A silence followed, long enough to feel eternal.
«You live here alone now?»
«No. The Third moved me to a different apartment. No one’s allowed to live here anymore.»
Naruto looked down.
«And I bet he doesn’t visit much.» Naruto said quietly, speaking from experience.
«Doesn’t matter.» Sasuke’s voice was flat. «I can take care of myself.»
Naruto nodded slowly. He didn’t say anything else. But something inside him cracked — and mended — at the same time.
Another silence fell between them, broken only by the soft rustle of wind weaving through the abandoned houses.
Naruto curled up a little, the night feeling colder on his skin, but he didn’t move.
«Will you come back to school?» he asked, uncertain. Then, more firmly: «Becoming a ninja is your dream. You can’t give up, dattebayo!»
Sasuke looked away, staring into the void beyond the candle’s light. «Now I’ve got a new dream.»
«What is it?» Naruto turned toward him, curious.
Sasuke didn’t reply. He couldn’t.
How could he say that his only goal now was to grow strong enough to erase all the pain?
That he wanted to chase an unreachable shadow just to fill the emptiness?
That he wouldn’t leave space for anything else in his heart?
«Naruto…» Sasuke slowly turned to him, and this time he looked at him with eyes far too hard for a kid their age. «You’re not waiting for your parents to come back, are you?»
Naruto shrugged.
«You wanna know something? Even if you wait forever, they're not going to come back. Those who abandon you will never return. Ever.»
Those words hit like stones.
Naruto lowered his gaze. He didn’t cry, but something inside him broke.
He stayed quiet for a few seconds, then lifted his eyes and said, with a voice more grown-up than he thought possible: «But you didn’t leave me, right? You’re still here.»
Sasuke stared at him, surprised. That simple sentence slipped under his skin.
Naruto continued, more confidently: «Doesn’t matter if the world crushed your dream, or if you’ve got a new one. If you want to get stronger… then come back to the academy. Let’s start there. Together.»
Naruto smiled, and Sasuke, almost imperceptibly, nodded.
That faint, almost involuntary smile struck him deeply. So real, so full of hope, so… beautiful.
Sasuke watched him a moment longer than necessary, disoriented. He wanted to say something, maybe even return the smile, but… he chose silence.
He couldn’t admit that, in that moment, his dream wasn’t about strength or revenge.
That would become the mission he’d devote every breath of his future to… but that night, his only wish was simpler. More painful.
He didn’t want to be alone.
And maybe — just maybe — he wanted to stay a little longer by Naruto’s side.
«Usuratonkachi!» he laughed softly, nudging him on the shoulder.
They stayed like that, side by side, in silence. The night wrapped around them like a cold blanket, but in that forgotten corner of the village, with that flickering light between them, something fragile and real was beginning to take shape.
Not by choice, not by force. But because, deep down, they were the only ones who truly knew what it meant to wait for someone who would never come back.

But Naruto was wrong about one thing. At some point, Sasuke would become the one he would wait for every night.

                                        ~~~***~~~

Since he had started attending the Academy, Naruto’s days had become full: classes, training, punishments. He didn’t have much time to get bored anymore.
But in the evenings, when he returned to his empty apartment, loneliness would creep back in with the same overwhelming force as always.
However, he had discovered a new resource all his own: himself. Or rather, the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Naruto had a very personal way of not feeling alone: he often created clones to play cards with, chat with, or simply pass the time. And every time he did, it was as if, just for a moment, he could truly forget he was alone.
That evening, though, Naruto didn’t feel like talking. He didn’t feel like laughing, or making up games with his clones.
He was still shaken by what had happened that morning at school. Another quarrel with Sasuke, another clash in front of the entire class. Another embarrassment.
It had gone like always: him trying to provoke him, to drag him into a heated argument… and Sasuke, with glacial calm, taking him down in seconds, effortlessly.
Sasuke had returned to school a few days after his clan’s funeral. Not much time had passed, and yet he already seemed like a different person.
He used to talk, even if only a little. Now, he was silent. He used to stay around others, maybe on the sidelines, but still there. Now he always sat alone, his gaze lost in the void, as if nothing around him really concerned him. He seemed to live in a world no one else could see.
Sasuke wasn’t looking for rivals. He wasn’t looking for friends. He wasn’t looking for anyone.
And when he glanced at him, it was never a real challenge. As if he didn’t even really see him — he didn’t seem to acknowledge their rivalry at all.
Naruto yelled, made a fuss, tried every day to push him to notice him. But all he got in return was indifference and countless defeats.
So that evening, the moment he stepped through the door, Naruto summoned a squad of clones and threw himself into hand-to-hand combat.
He had become so skilled with that technique that each of his clones seemed to have a life of its own, however brief. They thought, responded, and above all — just like him — got angry quickly. It wasn’t unusual for him to end up arguing with them, all sharing his same short fuse.
He fought fiercely, making them explode one after another in a flurry of kicks, punches, and smoke clouds. In the end, only one was left. The most stubborn. The most relentless.
Naruto and the clone kept fighting nonstop — neither one gaining the upper hand.
«What are you looking at?» Naruto growled, crossing his arms.
«You’ve got no hope of beating Sasuke if you can’t even beat me. You’re weak, Naruto! If you keep this up, that stuck-up jerk will humiliate you forever, dattebayo!» the bushin snapped back with a sneer of disdain.
«Tsk. It’s not my fault that bastard is good at everything.» a smirk crossed his face. «I train hard every day, but Sasuke always seems one step ahead!»
He paused. Eyes lowered, shoulders tense. «That damn Uchiha… he thinks he’s better just because he has the highest grades in the whole school.»
«Well, it’s not just that.» the clone tilted his head. «It seems like Sasuke has everything you want, Naruto. He’s better at every Academy activity, the teachers adore him, girls fall at his feet…»
A spark flashed through his eyes. Naruto lunged forward, trying to land a punch on the clone. The bushin dodged with a leap, rolling across the floor.
«And he’s also grown way taller than you,» the clone added with a wicked grin, knowing exactly where to strike.
«That’s not true! He’s not taller than me, dattebayo!»
In an instant, the room turned into a battlefield. They chased each other between the furniture, with chairs knocked over and pillows flying like projectiles.
The clone jumped on him, pinning his arms, but the blondhead shook him off with a kick to the side. They kept wrestling, Naruto trying to seem confident, but deep down he felt increasingly frustrated.
«Everyone’s got eyes only for him… and no one looks at me.»
The clone hesitated slightly, gaze more serious. «Does it bother you that much? Do you really want to become like him?»
Naruto hesitated. The clone hadn’t asked in an accusing tone, more like a curious one. But it was a question he had never truly asked himself.
Maybe yes. Maybe not. Maybe he just wanted Sasuke to see him. To notice him. To take him seriously. To recognize him as a rival.
The blondhead didn’t reply. He simply clenched his jaw and went back into a guard stance.
«That bastard! It’s just a matter of luck. School’s full of distractions. But if it were just the two of us, here, I’d knock him flat in two minutes!»
«Are you sure, Naruto? Sasuke is strong. You have to be really confident to believe what you’re saying.»
Naruto puffed out his chest. «Of course I’m sure, dattebayo!»
«Then prove it!»
A strange idea flashed through the clone’s mind. He formed hand signs in silence, eyes focused. Naruto watched him, confused, as the chakra swirled and began to shift. A moment later, the smoke cleared, and standing in his place was… him.
Sasuke.
«I'm the great Sasuke Uchiha. Prepare to be defeated, dattebayo!»
«No, no! Sasuke would never say "dattebayo"! He ain't that cool.»
«Oh yeah? Then what should I say?»
«He’d say something like… "You're not on my level" or "You're just a waste of space".» He mocked him with a teasing tone, imitating his voice.
The clone turned serious. He closed his eyes and reviewed every detail, every phrase, every mannerism. When he opened them again, his gaze had changed. Colder. Deeper.
«Tsk. What is this nonsense, usuratonkachi?»
Naruto gulped. It felt just like hearing the real thing.
«Woah… you’re exactly like Sasuke!»
«Do you want to fight, or are you just trying to get my attention like always?» replied Sasuke-bushin, with a faint smirk.

Naruto chuckled at his clone’s behavior, but at the same time, his determination to defeat Sasuke grew even stronger. With a growl, he launched himself at the bushin with renewed energy and resolve. This wasn’t just training anymore — he was determined to prove his worth and defeat Sasuke once and for all.
The Sasuke-bushin responded with equal intensity. He darted forward with a sharp cry, and Naruto rolled away just in time. He tried to grab him from behind but received an elbow straight to the stomach that made the blondhead stumble backward.
It wasn’t just a physical transformation. That clone had truly become the part. The icy stare and that annoying grace in every move.
Even though he was doing his best to focus on the fight, Naruto could barely dodge the Sasuke-bushin’s attacks, who instead hit and evaded with an unnatural sharpness and speed in every movement.
The bushin kicked him hard in the chest, knocking him to the ground in pain. Naruto stood up with effort, growling, still determined to prove he was the strongest.
«Tsk. Pathetic, usuratonkachi.»
Naruto flinched. Those words hit harder than a punch.
The clone was becoming more and more like Sasuke with every passing minute, both in fighting and personality. So much so that Naruto forgot it wasn’t the real Uchiha.
He lunged again, but the other caught him, twisting his arm behind his back.
«You’re always predictable.»
The voice came right by Naruto’s ear, low and sharp like a blade. He felt something tighten in his stomach — maybe rage, maybe something else — but he had no time to dwell on it.
With a cry, he broke free and shoved him against the wall, but Sasuke-bushin spun around, and they ended up face to face, smashed against the wall. Naruto hesitated just for a moment, but it was enough for his opponent to bring him down again.
Sasuke-bushin leaned over him, pinning him to the ground, straddling his chest with his knees and locking his wrists beside his head.
«Give up, dobe. You can’t beat me.» he stared straight into his eyes, with the merciless calm of a predator looming over its prey.
«I… I can’t give up!»
Naruto struggled with all his strength, but Sasuke-bushin was stronger, heavier… and yes, even taller than him.
«Don’t fight it, Naruto. Just admit I’m stronger than you.»
Sasuke-bushin lowered his face, close enough to almost brush against his. He wore a smug little grin, insolent and amused.
Naruto shivered. His breath hitched as he felt the other’s warm breath on his neck. His body trembled — not just from the fight. Every movement grazed his most vulnerable spots. His heart pounded, in his chest and in his ears.
«I’ll never give up, dattebayo!» he whispered with the little breath he had left in his lungs.
And then — BAM! — the door burst open.
The noise exploded like a bomb in the room and Naruto turned his head sharply.
«Naruto, I’ve told you a thousand times not to leave the doo—» Iruka’s voice stopped mid-sentence. «—or open.»
Naruto was still on the floor, his chest rising and falling quickly. He stared at him with wide eyes, as if he’d been caught in the middle of a crime.
Iruka stood in the doorway, holding a grocery bag and wearing an expression somewhere between puzzled and concerned.
Silence.
A moment later, the clone vanished in a puff of white smoke.
Naruto remained motionless, still shaken. His heart thundered in his chest, but he forced himself to stand. He tried to act casual, but the burning in his cheeks betrayed him.
Iruka walked in without a word, set the bag on the table, and glanced around at the mess in the small apartment: cushions everywhere, a chair knocked over, a kunai abandoned near the bed… and Naruto standing in the middle of the chaos.
«Naruto…» he sighed, not angry. Just with that patient worry he always showed toward his student. «Are you alright?»
«Y-yeah!» he replied a little too quickly, trying to fix his hair with one hand while the other still trembled slightly. «I was training! Totally super normal stuff!»
Iruka looked at him. Then nodded, though still puzzled.
«Training, huh… Seemed pretty… intense.»
Naruto nodded while trying to pull himself together. But his gaze kept drifting — stubbornly — toward the spot where the clone had been moments before. Now there was only the wrinkled carpet and the hollow space left behind by the Sasuke-bushin.
Iruka didn’t ask anything. He took off his coat, folded it calmly, and placed it on the back of a chair.
«I thought maybe you'd like some company. How about some curry?»
Naruto stared at him, surprised. Then his body relaxed just a bit. «Curry? Really?»
Iruka set the water to boil and began chopping vegetables, occasionally glancing at the boy.
«With extra carrots. Someone’s got to get you to eat something healthy now and then.» he added, using the gruff tone he always used to mask his affection. «And while I make dinner, you can tidy up a bit. Did you train, or did you fight off a pack of angry tanuki?»
Naruto mumbled something, already kneeling to gather the scattered items. «Worse. Clones. They have my face, but I swear they hate me, dattebayo!»
Iruka smiled without turning around. «Maybe you treat them badly. Have you ever apologized to them?»
«Apologize?! To myself? But they’re the ones who-» his voice faltered when he remembered what had happened with the Sasuke-bushin. «…they’re the ones always acting like bullies.» he finished in a whisper, trying to shake off that lingering feeling.

Dinner unfolded in a calm atmosphere. The scent of warm rice blended with that of spicy curry, and the sound of spoons scraping the bottoms of bowls was enough to fill the silence better than any words.
Iruka was good at giving space, as if he could sense when Naruto needed quiet more than conversation. But while he enjoyed the food he had prepared, he threw out the question with the casualness of someone who noticed far more than he let on.
«Did you train a lot today?»
«Yeah.» Naruto replied, without looking up. «I have to get stronger. I have to beat Sasuke, dattebayo!»
Iruka gave him a sideways glance, almost smiling. «It’s incredible… not long ago you couldn’t even make one clone, and now you can recreate a perfect Sasuke.» he said between bites. «You’ve improved a lot.»
Naruto crunched a mouthful, trying to seem nonchalant. «I worked hard to get there.»
«It shows.» Iruka nodded, taking another spoonful of rice. He paused for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. Then he added, in a light tone: «You know, Naruto… lately you talk about Sasuke all the time.»
Naruto glanced at him from the corner of his eye, suspicious. Iruka continued with mock indifference, as if he were talking about the weather. «You sound pretty obsessed with him.»
The boy huffed, folding his arms defensively. «No! It’s just… he annoys me!» he snapped, blushing faintly. «He acts all cool! Everyone looks at him like he’s the best! But I… I’ll become Hokage, not him!»
Iruka held back a smile, taking his time before replying. «Sure, sure. He’s your rival, got it. But…» He sipped some water. «I get the feeling there’s more to your rivalry than that.»
The blondhead frowned. «What do you mean?»
«I don’t know, maybe… you’ve both got a crush on the same girl?»
Naruto didn’t answer right away. He lowered his gaze to the bottom of his bowl, drawing invisible circles with the tip of his spoon. «Sakura only has eyes for him, she doesn’t even look at me.»
The room suddenly felt bigger.
A part of him felt exposed, as if Iruka had lifted a blanket under which not even he knew what lay hidden. Another part didn’t even understand exactly what it was he was trying to conceal.
«Sasuke is the heir of a great clan…» he said after a moment, in a quieter voice. «He’s handsome, strong, mysterious. I’m just the ridiculous orphan everyone avoids.»
Iruka opened his mouth to say something, but Naruto beat him to it, with a nervous gesture.
«It doesn’t matter, anyway.» he said quickly, scratching the back of his neck. Then, as if to slice through the awkwardness with a knife, he leaned over the table and pointed a finger at him with a cheeky grin. «And what about you? Got a girlfriend, Iruka-sensei? Or are you still as single as a scruffy old tanuki? You know you’re getting old, right?! You’d better make a move before your hair turns white!»
Iruka froze, his spoon mid-air. There was a brief silence. Then he made that exaggerated, theatrical expression Naruto knew well — the one he made every time he wanted to scold him but ended up laughing instead.
«Old?! How dare you, you brat!» he burst out, pretending to be outraged. «I’m only thirty!»
Naruto burst out laughing, and for a moment the air seemed to lighten again. But beneath the surface, Iruka kept watching — attentive, silent. Like someone guarding something they didn’t want to force out, but was ready to be there when it did.

When Iruka left, Naruto stood still on the doorstep, eyes fixed on the doorframe that was still gently quivering. As if he were waiting for it to open again, for Iruka to come back — maybe with some random excuse, or even just to say one more kind word.
But that didn’t happen.
Evening had already settled over Konoha, slow and familiar. And with it came that silence Naruto knew all too well.
He threw himself onto the bed with a sigh, arms spread wide, eyes on the ceiling. The curry had been good, the company too, but now he found himself alone again. Alone with his thoughts — always louder than the silence surrounding them.
He stayed up longer than usual, replaying the training session in his mind, the clone, that sense of helplessness… and then that absurd, confused moment when his body had reacted before he could even think.
Sasuke’s face — it hadn’t been the real Sasuke, he knew that — but there was something, something in the way that clone had looked at him that still burned on his skin. Like an echo that refused to fade.
That look… the one Sasuke had worn ever since losing his family.
That look… the same one everyone else had always given Naruto.
No, it was something… even worse. But… it hadn’t been aimed at him.
Sasuke’s eyes were full of hatred, yes. But when those eyes landed on him, Naruto didn’t feel like the target. They passed right through him.
He tossed and turned under the covers.
«Stupid clone!» he muttered. Then, even more quietly: «Stupid Sasuke!»

                                        ~~~***~~~

The next day, Naruto showed up at school quieter than usual. No one seemed to notice. No one stopped talking, no one turned to look at him. To everyone else, he was just a shadow slipping between the desks, like always.
As soon as he stepped through the door, he felt a knot in his stomach. His eyes searched — almost against his will — for Sasuke’s figure, already seated in his spot, arms crossed and gaze lost out the window.
Naruto slowed his pace for a moment. It wasn’t fear, nor anger. It was… something else. A sudden warmth in his ears, his face growing too hot. He turned his head sharply and sat down without saying a word.
Sasuke noticed. He noticed immediately. He was expecting the usual loud greeting, some childish provocation, a dumb joke. But nothing. Just a sudden, almost suspicious silence. He raised an eyebrow, slightly turning his head to watch him from the corner of his eye.
Naruto could feel that weight on him, those eyes. But he didn’t look back. He rummaged through his bag longer than necessary, fiddled with a pencil like it was the most fascinating object in the world.
«What’s up with you today, usuratonkachi? Cat got your tongue?»
That nickname, tossed out with the usual hint of contempt, seemed to stir something back into motion. Naruto snapped his head around, pride stung, and his eyes lit up again with the usual challenge.
«Me?! You’re the one always sitting there all boo-hoo with the wind in your hair like you’re the main character in some tragic novel!» he snapped, crossing his arms defiantly.
Sasuke stared at him for a moment, eyes narrowed, studying. Something didn’t quite add up. Then he shook his head slightly, as if to say “the usual nonsense”, and turned back to the window.
Naruto stared at him a second longer, then crossed his arms on the desk and stared into space with a sulky look.
Sasuke glanced at him for a few seconds, one eyebrow slightly raised. He seemed torn between ignoring him and replying. In the end, he gave a small shake of his head and looked back out the window with a half-smirk he didn’t quite manage to hide.
Naruto gave him one more look, then slumped onto the desk with puffed cheeks and a muttered grumble. «Tsk. Always acting all cool, and I’m the weird one…»

The day dragged on, slower than usual. Naruto was avoiding Sasuke with almost stubborn care: no provocations, no challenges, not even a glance. And that silence, though unusual, now felt like part of the strange, suspended atmosphere.
At first, Sasuke pretended not to notice. But as the hours passed, that absence became deafening. Every time he turned around, he expected to find Naruto behind him, with some idiotic remark or a challenging expression. But, nothing. Just emptiness. Just silence.
When the final bell rang, Naruto was one of the first to leave. He walked with his head down along the dirt path behind the school when he heard two voices coming from the shadow of a low wall. Two older boys were leaning there, one with his hands in his pockets, the other bouncing a stone with the tip of his foot.
«That Sasuke kid’s getting weirder, don’t you think?» said the first, spitting casually to the side. «Always alone, quiet, acting like some fallen prince. He gets on my nerves.»
«Tsk,» muttered the other, crossing his arms. «He used to act all high and mighty ’cause of his élite clan… and look how it ended. Wiped out. Pathetic. I bet he’s crazy too, just like his brother. Just a matter of time before he snaps.»
It was barely more than a whisper, half amused and half poisonous, but to Naruto it sounded as loud as a slap.
Those words. That tone. He knew them all too well. And for a moment — a single, absurd moment — he wished they were talking about him. That they’d go back to picking on the failed orphan, the village rejected. He was used to that. He could take it. But Sasuke… no. He didn’t want him to know that kind of loneliness — made of whispers and laughter the moment you looked away.
Anything but seeing Sasuke dragged into the same mud Naruto had learned to survive in.
He could’ve walked on. He should’ve. But something twisted in his stomach. And before he even realized it, he turned around.
«Hey!» he shouted, marching toward them with eyes blazing. «Take that back, now!»
The two exchanged a surprised glance, then one of them laughed. «What do you want, brat?»
«Don’t talk about Sasuke like that!» snapped Naruto, pointing at them. «You don’t know anything!» His voice shook just slightly, but his gaze stayed firm.
The first boy took a step forward, leaning down a little with a mocking smirk. «What are you, his lapdog?»
The second one snickered. «Or maybe you like him, huh?»
Naruto opened his mouth to respond, but a shove sent him stumbling back. The other boy kicked him in the chest, making him stagger.
«Get lost, brat. Go cry to your boyfriend.»
Naruto charged at them again, but his blows were clumsy, hesitant. It was more like trying to stop them with words than with fists. And when he fell to the ground, it was the pain inside that made him grit his teeth more than the bruises.
But the boys didn’t laugh. Their expressions stiffened, pulled tight like wires suddenly snapping. One of them froze mid-motion, his eyes locked on something behind Naruto’s shoulder. The other swallowed hard, taking a half-step back.
Sasuke was there.
Standing in the shadow of a low rooftop, still and silent like a statue. His pitch-black eyes gleamed in the backlight, fixed on them. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to.
One of the boys hesitated, uncertain. «Tsk… let’s go. Not worth the trouble.» His voice came out thinner than expected. They tried to hide their haste behind indifference, but their legs betrayed them. They walked off briskly, glancing back repeatedly, as if that silent presence might follow.
Naruto remained there, with a scraped knee, his hands dirty and trembling. He didn’t notice Sasuke behind him at first, only a few steps away. When he turned around, on instinct, he flinched.
Sasuke stared at him in silence, for a long time. No thank you, no snide remark. Just those dark eyes, fixed on him.
«Tsk.» The voice was low, almost a whisper. «Mind your own business, usuratonkachi.» He turned, hands in his pockets, and walked away without hurry.
But something in the way he said it didn’t sound like an insult at all.

Chapter Text

It was finally time for Team 7 to embark on their first official mission.
Naruto had managed to wear the Hokage down to the point of getting assigned a C-rank mission. But his excitement didn’t last long — not after discovering that the task was simply to escort a grumpy old carpenter from the Hidden Leaf Village to the Land of Waves, a small territory beyond the borders of the Land of Fire.
Tazuna, a renowned master bridge builder, had introduced himself by complaining about the team assigned to protect him and had immediately called Naruto “the smallest one with the idiot face.”
Needless to say, Naruto didn’t take it well, and it was only thanks to Kakashi’s intervention that he didn’t end up punching the client they were supposed to be protecting.
Still, Naruto was thrilled. It was the first time in his life he had ever left the village, and he was buzzing with excitement at the thought of the adventures waiting for him beyond Konoha.
The journey to the Land of Waves wasn’t particularly long, but it quickly turned out to be anything but peaceful.

Tazuna’s house was a two-story stilt dwelling, sparsely furnished but still cozy. The scent of wet wood and broth simmering on the fire soaked the walls, and for the first time in hours, the silence didn’t feel threatening.
After introductions with Tsunami and Inari, the carpenter’s daughter and grandson, the hosts proved to be very welcoming. While everyone rushed to help Kakashi, who needed to rest after using the Sharingan, Naruto had stayed in the living room, sitting cross-legged by the wall, his gaze lost in the void. His bandaged hand, resting on his thigh, had stopped throbbing a while ago.
They hadn’t made it even a hundred meters outside the village when two creepy ninja had emerged from a puddle and attacked them.
Naruto hadn’t been able to do anything. His usual bravado had vanished in an instant, leaving him frozen in fear.
Sasuke, on the other hand…
Sasuke hadn’t been afraid, even though it was his first real fight. He hadn’t changed expression, and he didn’t even get his clothes dirty. In fact, he had even saved him.
The poisoned blade of one of the enemy ninja had barely grazed his hand before Sasuke intervened. He’d taken them down with such ease it looked like a simple Academy drill.
And then, when Naruto was still trembling and couldn’t stop staring at his bloody fingers, Sasuke had called him a scaredy cat (ビビリ君, bibiri-kun). He’d said it with a half-smile, just to provoke him.
Naruto swore to himself he would never need help again, that he wouldn’t be scared or run away anymore. He swore he wouldn’t be inferior to Sasuke. He swore it on the pain in his left hand and sealed his promise by stabbing it with a kunai.
Sasuke moved silently. He approached and crouched in front of him, eyes fixed on the bandage wrapped around his hand. «Let me see your hand.»
Naruto looked up, confused. «Huh?»
«I want to make sure the wound’s completely cleared of poison.» his voice was flat, almost annoyed. But there was no hesitation in his movements.
Naruto scoffed a little. «I’m fine, okay?»
Sasuke didn’t reply. He held out his hand, waiting in silence. It wasn’t a request—it was an order.
With a grimace and a stubborn look, Naruto gave him his hand. Sasuke took it with his usual, unintentional confidence. His fingers were cold, his grip firm but careful. He slowly unwrapped the bandage, layer by layer.
The silence grew thicker. When the last strip fell away, revealing perfectly healed skin, Sasuke froze. He stared at it, his hand still wrapped around Naruto’s.
He couldn’t believe it. If he hadn’t seen Naruto stab himself with his own eyes, he would’ve thought it was a performance — just another dramatic stunt to draw attention.
Naruto watched him in silence, eyes locked onto his. Sasuke’s fingers were still there, tangled with his. Neither of them seemed to notice, or maybe neither wanted to be the first to pull away.
The air between them had grown dense, almost warm, as if time had stopped just to let that moment of contact last a little longer.
«Come on, boys.» Tazuna’s voice broke the spell. «I’ll show you to your room.»
They both jumped, almost in sync, and Naruto was the first to pull his hand back, clumsily and in a rush.
Sasuke stood without a word. But for a moment, he looked at the now-empty hand again.
The three young ninja followed Tazuna up the stairs and along the creaky hallway of the house. Tazuna slid open a door, revealing a bare but clean room. In the center, a futon already spread on the wooden floor.
«You boys can stay here. It’s not much, but it’s all we have.» the man said, slightly embarrassed. «Hope it’s okay.»
«Only one futon?!» Naruto blurted out, eyes wide.
«Don’t worry!» Sakura jumped in right away, raising a hand with fake nonchalance. «I can sleep with Sasuke-kun!»
«No way, dattebayo!» shouted Naruto, more out of instinct than jealousy.
Sasuke remained impassive, though one eyebrow twitched slightly.
But Tazuna cut her off, arms crossed in a stern posture: «Not a chance. You’re a young lady, you’re not sleeping with a boy. Not under my roof.»
Sakura blushed to the tips of her ears. «But I…»
Tsunami appeared behind her, smiling gently. «I’ve already made a bed for you in my room. Come, I’ll show you.»
Sakura lowered her gaze and nodded, still a little mortified.
The two boys entered the room in silence, each walking around to a different side of the futon. They dropped their backpacks almost simultaneously and, for a long moment, just stared at the mattress on the floor. Their eyes inevitably lifted and met. One second. Then both turned abruptly away, embarrassed.
«What a day, huh?!» Naruto exclaimed quickly, trying to fill the silence.
«Yeah.» Sasuke muttered, bending over his backpack, pretending to look for something.
«Not bad for a first mission. We almost kicked the bucket.»
«Speak for yourself, dobe. You freaked out over those two pathetic ninja.»
«Shut your face, teme!» Naruto snapped, puffing his cheeks. «They just caught me off guard! But I made up for it, big time! Did you see how I handled Zabuza?»
He immediately struck a theatrical pose, straightening his back and pointing his thumb at his forehead protector. «Hey! You, with no brows, record in your Bingo Book about the man who will one day become the Leaf Village's Hokage: Uzumaki Naruto!»
Sasuke shook his head with a faint smile. «Same loudmouth as always.»
A moment of peace followed. As they got their things ready for the night, the atmosphere turned softer, almost homely. The creak of the wood, a few groans from the house, and the rustle of fabric were the only sounds in the room.
Then Naruto spoke again, this time in a low voice. «When Zabuza attacked you… I felt my blood boil.» His gaze was lowered, his voice uncertain. «If he’d hurt you, I…»
Sasuke cut him off immediately, in a gentler tone than usual. «You did well, Naruto.» He blushed slightly, aware that admitting something good about Naruto wasn’t easy. But if there was ever a time he could say it without losing face, it was now. «Using the shadow shuriken technique to free Kakashi-sensei was a smart move.»
Then, right away, he fell back on his usual irony, as if to cover the compliment that had just slipped out. «Didn’t expect that from you.»
Naruto smiled at first, too happy to notice the jab at the end. A few seconds later, the smile faded into an offended expression. «Hey!»
Sasuke laughed. A short, real laugh. And Naruto, as always, burst out laughing with him.
Excited, he started reenacting the whole scene, hopping and gesturing like an actor in an epic monologue.
«You threw the shuriken and he was like: “Ooooh, you missed me!”… Then he saw the shadow shuriken and again: “Ooooh, you missed me again!”… And then I went puff, threw the kunai and zaaack!»
With a theatrical gesture, he dove onto the futon, landing on his back, laughing. He only stopped when he noticed the distance between him and Sasuke. Or rather… the almost total lack of distance.
He was lying just a few centimeters from the other’s face, who had just leaned down to fix the pillow. Black eyes stared at him. For a moment, they found themselves suspended in a space outside of time.
«It was like…» Naruto began, but the words died in his throat.
«Like we read each other’s minds.» Sasuke finished, in a softer voice.
«Yeah.» Naruto whispered.

After dinner and a hot bath, it was time for bed. It wasn’t even that late, but the day had been long, and the alarm would ring early.
Naruto and Sasuke found themselves side by side under the covers, lying on the futon in the center of the room. Each tried to occupy as little space as possible, clinging to their own side, as if an invisible line divided their bodies and made any contact forbidden.
Naruto stared at the ceiling, arms crossed behind his head. He could feel the other’s presence — warm and silent — a few centimeters away. But the emotional distance seemed much wider.
Sasuke, on the other hand, had already turned to the other side, apparently ready to sleep.
«Hey, Sasuke…»
«What?» came the reply, without turning around.
«Don’t you ever feel lonely, when you’re in your apartment in Konoha?»
«No.» the answer was curt, but not hostile. Just closed, like a door that didn’t want to be opened.
Naruto was silent for a moment, then murmured: «I do. Always. But you know… right now I don't feel lonely. Actually, this is my first time sharing bed with someone. And that makes me really happy, dattebayo!»
As soon as he said those words, he realized how strange they sounded — intimate, maybe too much. He shot up into a sitting position, blushing furiously. «B-but not because it’s you! This would be the same with Sakura-chan, or Kakashi-sensei, or even Inari… anyone, really!»
«I got it, dobe.» Sasuke didn’t move, but something in the line of his shoulders shifted, as if he were trying to hold back a sigh. «It’s really late and you're still so loud. Now shut up and go to sleep.»
«Yeah… sorry.» he lay down again, in the same position as Sasuke but facing the opposite direction, like a mirrored reflection. But both, in the dark, smiled. An embarrassed, shy, hidden smile. As if sharing the same silence, for one night, was already something.
And yet that new, fragile happiness soon gave way to nervousness.
Even though he was exhausted from the trip and the fights of the day, he was too restless to fall asleep. It was the first time he had ever slept next to someone… and that someone was Sasuke!
Naruto could feel his heart pounding so hard he feared Sasuke might hear it.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
«Damn it!» he muttered under his breath, squirming under the covers.
«You can’t sleep?» Sasuke’s voice was low, barely above a whisper.
«I’m not used to it. I’ve always slept alone. It’s… weird.»
There was no reply for a moment. Then, without warning, Sasuke moved.
«Then take the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.»
«No, I…» Naruto felt him getting up and swallowed hard.
«It’s fine.» he lied, as he rose and moved away from the futon. «I couldn’t sleep either. You move too much.»
Sasuke grabbed the sleeping bag from his backpack and laid it on the floor, at some distance. He slipped into it slowly, and once again turned his back.
«We… we can take turns.»
«However you want.»
Naruto watched him from the edge of the futon, frustrated with himself. He had said too much. And yet not enough.
A moment of silence, then a voice came from the floor, muffled by the pillow. «Naruto…»
Naruto lifted himself slightly, heart racing for a reason he couldn’t quite explain.
«Yeah?»
He held his breath for a moment, as if something were about to happen. For a second, he really hoped Sasuke would get back up, that he’d shove him aside with his usual indifference and demand his spot back.
«Your hat is ridiculous.»
Caught off guard, Naruto scrunched up his face and pouted. He grabbed his beloved nightcap — with its oversized teeth and drooping tail — with both hands and pulled it further down over his head. He sighed softly, disappointed… but also relieved.
«Good night to you too, teme.»

In the dead of night, Naruto jolted awake. For a moment, he couldn’t tell where the sound was coming from, until he realized it came from the other side of the room.
Sasuke was tossing in his sleeping bag, breathing unevenly, fists clenched tightly against his chest.
«Dad… Mom… stop… Itachi, no…»
His voice broke through sleep like a whisper soaked in pain. Naruto sprang to his feet and rushed over, kneeling beside his curled-up body.
«Sasuke…» he called softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. «Hey, wake up… it’s just a dream…»
The moment he touched him, Sasuke’s eyes flew open and he shoved him away instinctively with a harsh movement, as if still trapped in the nightmare.
«Don’t touch me!» he shouted, gasping.
Naruto froze, as if struck. But then he took a step back. The darkness seemed to thicken between them.
Sasuke immediately lowered his gaze, running a trembling hand over his face. «Go back to sleep.»
Naruto stayed still for a few more seconds in silence, then whispered a barely audible «Okay.» and returned to bed.

The next morning, Kakashi led them into the forest at dawn. He walked slowly, leaning on the crutches that barely allowed him to stay upright. The three students followed him in silence, still groggy and sore.
Their arrival in the Land of Waves had been anything but smooth: right after dealing with two rogue ninja outside Konoha’s borders, Team 7 had been ambushed by an opponent of an entirely different caliber. Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist. A former ninja from the Hidden Mist Village, now a paid assassin, hired to kill Tazuna.
They had only survived thanks to Kakashi’s skill. But the teacher had paid a high price for the prolonged use of the Sharingan: Zabuza had been defeated, but not killed. A mysterious masked ninja had tricked them, pretending Zabuza was dead and then taking his body. Shortly afterward, Kakashi realized the truth: Zabuza was alive, and he would be back. But not yet. Like Kakashi, he too needed time to recover.
So, while they licked their wounds, the teacher assigned his students special training to prepare for the next fight. The goal was to learn how to control chakra: concentrating it under their feet to climb trees without using their hands. A seemingly simple exercise, but one that required razor-sharp control.
Kakashi told them to take a running start and climb up the trunk of a tree, marking the highest point they reached with a kunai. The idea was to improve every time, step by step.
Naruto, boasting before even trying, charged forward with enthusiasm… and immediately fell flat on his back.
Sasuke, more calculating but no less competitive, managed to climb a few meters before the wood crumbled beneath his feet due to excessive chakra.
Sakura, with her usual precision, reached a branch on her first try. She looked down at the others from above, a small smile on her lips.

From the next day on, only Naruto and Sasuke returned to the forest. Sakura, ahead of them in chakra control, had been assigned to guard the bridge and Tazuna.
The two boys found themselves alone, day after day, immersed in the same challenge.
As usual, a fierce competition ignited between them.
Sasuke progressed slowly but steadily, while Naruto struggled to focus: every time Sasuke was nearby, he seemed to completely lose his head. The more his rival pulled ahead, the more he stubbornly overdid it — and the more he ended up falling behind.
Not that Sasuke was satisfied. The fact that Naruto was able to keep up with him annoyed him, even if he would never admit it.
Meanwhile, Naruto had also started a silent personal battle with Inari. He wanted to prove to him that heroes really did exist — and that he could become one too.
Training had become a matter of principle: he pushed himself to the limit every day, until he collapsed exhausted among the tree roots, covered in mud and scratches.
Sasuke said nothing about it: they had different ways of approaching training. But every morning he made sure Naruto had something to eat as soon as he woke up. He brought him breakfast in a small bento box, claiming Sakura had forced him to, and they ate together in the shade of the trees.
Naruto never suspected a thing — not even when he tried to thank her and she looked at him as if he were talking about a dream.
Naruto was certainly not one of the most perceptive ninja in Konoha. But he had many other qualities. And Sasuke, even if he didn’t say it, was starting to notice them.

On the morning of the sixth day, Sasuke didn’t find Naruto still asleep like on the previous days, sprawled out on the cold ground, mouth open, with birds flitting around his head.
This time, he was already awake — or almost. He was sitting cross-legged in the grass, a strangely quiet expression on his face, as if lost in a thought too big for that early hour.
A little earlier, while crossing the clearing, Sasuke had passed a solitary figure on the path. A girl, dressed simply, with long dark hair and eyes far too sharp to be truly distracted.
It was strange to see her there so early, but Sasuke hadn’t paid it much mind. His gaze had immediately locked on Naruto, sitting just ahead, bathed in the pale morning light, his hair messier than usual.
«Hey!» he said, stepping out from the trees with quick, precise movements. «Did you see that girl?»
Naruto raised an eyebrow, still half-dazed from sleep, and chuckled. «Yeah, she woke me up.» he scratched the back of his neck, stretching with a wide yawn. Then he added with a sly grin, «Guess what? That “girl”… was actually a guy!»
He burst out laughing, as if he’d just pulled off a great prank. «I swear, I never would’ve guessed! He was even cuter than Sakura!»
Sasuke’s eyes widened slightly, but the gesture was brief, almost imperceptible. He immediately looked away, as if watching Naruto too long might give something away. A blow to the chest. Sharp. Too sharp to be just surprise.
«What did he want?»
«He was nice. He was worried I’d catch a cold sleeping out here.» Naruto laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. «He was out gathering medicinal herbs.»
Unaware, Naruto kept playing with the grass at his feet. «Look, here.» He picked a few sprigs, like the boy had shown him earlier, and filled his palm with them. He held them out with his usual disarming enthusiasm. «We could pick some too, dattebayo!»
Sasuke didn’t say anything. He just looked at him. For too long. Actually, he wasn’t listening anymore. His mind was racing, chaotic, down paths he never wanted to explore.
Naruto had been captivated by a boy.
Since when did that dobe notice boys? Was it just a throwaway joke? Or was there something more?
If Naruto could notice a boy — and even say it out loud, laughing about it — then what did that mean? That maybe he could like boys too?
And if that were true, then…
He clenched his jaw. Told himself it was nonsense, that he didn’t care. And yet, his head wouldn’t stop spinning.
"Cuter than Sakura", he had said.
What did it mean, "cuter"? What was so special about that guy?
Just because he seemed kind? Because he had a nice face? Or because he looked like a girl?
Maybe Naruto liked boys like that.
And then… how did he look in his eyes?
Too harsh? Too closed-off? Too full of himself?
Too much… Sasuke?
The Uchiha felt a burning discomfort crawl over him, like being left out of a game he hadn’t even known he wanted to join.
It was jealousy, though he didn’t recognize it at the time.
Naruto pulled his hand back, absentmindedly looking at the tiny plants in his palm.
«He asked me… if I had somebody precious in my life.»
Sasuke held his breath.
«He said… when a person has something precious they want to protect… that's when they can truly become strong.»
That thought clashed like a blade against armor. The contradiction between what Naruto was saying and what Sasuke wanted to believe grew sharper — almost painful — exposing the fracture that was beginning to grow inside him: between what he had carved into himself as truth and what, against his will, he was beginning to feel.
If bonds were truly an obstacle, a weakness… then why did it seem like Naruto grew a little stronger every time he fought for someone?
Iruka. Tazuna’s grandson. For him.
And above all — why did it burn so much to think that maybe, for Naruto, that “somebody precious” might not be him?
His jaw clenched. He forced himself not to turn. His gaze fixed on the leaves, shut tight as if trying to block out any emotion that might slip through.
«What’s wrong?» Naruto asked, finally noticing his silence.
«Nothing.» Sasuke snapped. «You’re an idiot.»
Naruto stared at him, confused. «What did I say now?»
Sasuke didn’t answer. He walked away, eyes lowered, as if needing to leave before hearing anything else he wouldn’t know how to deal with.
Naruto huffed. «You didn’t bring breakfast today?»
«No. Scrub it yourself.»
The answer slipped out bitterly. And without another word, he sat down and ate both portions alone.
The rest of the morning passed in silence. Neither of them brought the subject up again. No teasing, no provoking. Only the sound of training — quick steps, strikes against trunks, short breaths. But each on their own, like strangers who just happened to be in the same place.

The next morning, Kakashi and Sakura entered the forest to check on Naruto, worried about his overly zealous training behavior.
Sasuke had also left early that morning, officially for a walk before breakfast. Actually, he had gone to spy on him. He would’ve joined him for training anyway, but… there was an irresistible urge to watch him from afar, while he trained alone. Or maybe he just wanted to make sure that a certain doe-eyed boy wasn’t nearby again, picking medicinal herbs.
The teacher and the pink-haired girl found Naruto slumped over on a high tree branch. When he tried to stand up, his legs — exhausted from days of intense training — gave out. He lost his balance and fell backward.
«Gotcha!» he shouted with a laugh, clinging to the branch upside down. Too bad his chakra ran out right after, and he actually fell. «Waaaaah!»
A whoosh of air, an impact that never came.
Sasuke caught him out of nowhere, mid-fall.
They stayed like that. Dangling upside down. Sasuke holding him with one hand, fingers clawed around his ankle, arm extended, jaw clenched from the effort.
«You usuratonkachi!» he snapped, tightening his grip. Meanwhile, the two ninja watching from below scolded Naruto for the stupid stunt.
After a hearty breakfast and some rest, the two boys went back to training. Alone, as always.
The challenge had become stubborn. Neither of them spoke during training anymore, but each counted how many times the other climbed without falling. Naruto had improved a lot — he fell less, stayed up longer — but he knew it wasn’t enough. It was never enough, not if Sasuke was always one branch higher.
Clouds thickened by mid-afternoon. The air turned electric, and minutes later the storm hit the clearing like an explosion. Thunder shook the leaves and rain poured without mercy.
Sasuke took shelter under a thick weave of branches, soaked and annoyed. He ran a hand through his drenched hair and turned.
Naruto was still there. Still running up the tree, slipping over and over, but not stopping.
Sasuke was about to turn away and give up on him, when Naruto stumbled. He lunged at the trunk with too much force and too much chakra, his foot slipped on a slick patch, and his unbalanced body tumbled down.
Sasuke moved on instinct, like in a déjà vu. He threw himself into the rain, caught him mid-air by the collar, pulled him close and they rolled together into the mud with a dull thud and a groan.
Naruto was on top of him, hands pressed to his chest. Their faces inches apart. Eyes wide. Their breath warm despite the rain.
«Are you crazy?» he growled at him, breathless.
The blondhead chuckled, embarrassed, but didn’t get up right away. «I was almost there…»
«It’s the second time today you’ve made me save your ass, dobe!»
Naruto smiled, like it was the most normal thing in the world. As if they weren’t lying on top of each other, in the mud, under the pouring rain.
«Usuratonkachi…» Sasuke hissed, turning his gaze away. His face was burning. He didn’t know if it was from the fall or from something else entirely.
Naruto got up and wiped his face with his sleeve, then held out a hand to him, still lying down. «Come on. Let’s get back to training.»
Sasuke hesitated, then took it. Got back on his feet without another word. And they resumed training. Like before. Like the world hadn’t just trembled a little.
The storm passed quickly. But they didn’t notice.
They kept running up trees, falling, trying again. Water streamed from their hair, their clothes, their eyes — eyes that never strayed too far from each other.
When they finally reached the top, they turned toward each other. One glance, and everything else went quiet. The sky had cleared, and moonlight filtered through the leaves.
«Shall we go back?» asked Sasuke, with a faint smile.
«Okay!» replied Naruto, still clinging to the trunk like a little monkey — too exhausted to move, but his face lit up by a satisfied grin.
They returned to Tazuna’s house just in time for dinner. Dirty, wounded, their legs trembling from exhaustion. Sasuke held him up with one arm around his shoulders, careful with every step. Closer than they had ever been. They laughed. Happy.

                                        ~~~***~~~

The room was shrouded in darkness, barely lit by the milky glow of the moon filtering through the half-closed shutters. The air felt suspended, still, as if even the night had held its breath after what had happened.
Everyone was asleep. Except for Naruto.
He sat beside the futon, curled up on himself, knees to his chest and chin resting on his crossed arms. He hadn’t moved for hours. He stared at the body lying in front of him as if it could disappear at any moment. He was exhausted, his eyes burned and his eyelids drooped, but he didn’t want to sleep. He couldn’t. Because he was afraid. Afraid that, if he closed his eyes, Sasuke would be gone.
The Uchiha was in a deep sleep, his breathing barely perceptible, his body wrapped in bandages and battered. His face was a map of bruises, scratches, and fine cuts. But it was the wounds you couldn’t see that hurt the most. Sometimes he stirred, his brows furrowing in his sleep, as if even his dreams brought him pain.
He looked so… vulnerable.
Naruto lowered his gaze. The smell of blood had long since faded, and yet he still felt like it clung to him. He saw it again — the exact moment. The chill of the mist, Sasuke’s body collapsing in his arms, cold and motionless. The scream that had burst from his chest, the despair that had overwhelmed him.
He had thought he was dead. He had truly believed he’d lost him forever. And something inside him had broken. Or maybe, had awakened.
He wasn’t even sure what had happened next. There had only been a flash, a blind impulse, a burning heat under his skin. And then… it was as if something had taken control.
He kept asking himself why Sasuke had done it. Why had he sacrificed himself to save him?
Because he wasn’t strong enough. Again. That’s why.
He had sworn he wouldn’t let anyone help him anymore, that he wouldn’t be inferior to Sasuke… and yet it was always the same story: he got into trouble and Sasuke came to save his ass.
Haku’s words had pierced him straight through the chest, like an accusation.
Sasuke had died to protect him. He had done it to protect someone dear to him.
Those words kept echoing in his head.
Sasuke had protected him. Not out of duty, not out of strategy. He had chosen to do it.
«You, don't die…» he had said, with his last breath, before losing consciousness.
But Naruto had to do more than just survive. He had to become strong enough to be the one protecting him, from now on.
He leaned over and gently adjusted the blanket on Sasuke’s shoulder, barely brushing it with his fingers, as if he were afraid of breaking him. Then he curled up again beside him, pulling himself even tighter.
A soft rustle of sheets, and Naruto’s heart skipped a beat. Sasuke stirred slightly with a faint moan, his eyelids fluttering before slowly lifting.
«Sasuke…» he whispered.
To Sasuke, it felt like rising from the bottom of a lake, even the dim light seemed too intense. But when his eyes met Naruto’s, without a word, he slowly reached out and took hold of the hem of Naruto’s nightshirt between his fingers, tugging him closer. A barely-there gesture. A silent invitation.
Naruto shook his head. «I move too much, remember?» he murmured, his voice cracked with exhaustion. «I might hurt you in my sleep.»
But Sasuke gave another tug, firmer, more stubborn. He kept looking at him with that silent determination he used when he wanted something.
In the end, Naruto gave in. He lay down beside him with awkward movements. «If I move too much, just tell me, okay?»
The creak of the wood beneath the futon was the only sound for a while, until, in the darkness, their shoulders brushed lightly. It was like a jolt of electricity passed through them both.
Naruto recoiled like he’d been burned. «S-sorry!»
The contact had lasted only a heartbeat, yet both of them felt the warmth of it linger on their skin. It wasn’t the first time they had touched, but this time, it felt different. More intimate. They remained back to back, apart, but every cell in their bodies still seemed to hum with that brief and absolute moment.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Later, in the dead of night, Sasuke began to stir. His breathing became labored, his hands clutched the sheets, his forehead beaded with cold sweat. A broken whisper slipped from his lips: «Itachi… no…»
In the dream, Sasuke was always there, in his old house. The floor slick with blood beneath his bare feet, the walls trembling like under an earthquake.
Then him… Itachi. He stood at the end of the hallway. Motionless. With those red eyes glowing like infernal slits in the dark. He was watching him. He said nothing, but that stare alone was enough to pin him down.
Sasuke tried to run, to scream, but his body wouldn’t respond. And Itachi moved, slowly, without a sound. Each step an eternity. Each heartbeat a roar.
When he was close enough, he shoved him to the ground with force. Threw himself on top of him and dug his fingers into Sasuke’s throat.
«If you wish to kill me… resent me! Hate me!» he hissed. His face too close, distorted and inhuman. «Live a ugly, manner life. Run away… keep running… and cling to your life.»
Sasuke struggled, but Itachi’s hands were iron claws. He couldn’t breathe. His vision darkened.
«Then one day, when you have the same eyes as I do… come and stand before me!»
The dream was always the same. The words his brother had said to him that night haunted every nightmare. But this time, unexpectedly, Itachi added something different.
«You sacrificed yourself… you gave up your revenge… for him?» the voice grew more distant. «If you want to gain the power of eyes like mine, you know what you have to do… you have to ki-» Itachi’s mouth moved, but no sound came out.
Just when the darkness was about to swallow him whole… something foreign arrived, something that didn’t belong to the dream but to the real world. A presence that slowly pulled him away from the nightmare.
Everything began to fade. The hands around his throat, the voice, the darkness… all dissolved into a muffled silence.
Sasuke opened his eyes wide, gasping. Despite the flash of pain shooting through his wounded body, he brought his hands to his throat, as if trying to break free from a grip that was no longer there.
For a few seconds, he had no idea where he was. Then he realized… he was in Naruto’s arms.
The blondhead, without even waking up, had instinctively moved closer and wrapped him in a protective embrace.
He hadn’t let go, not even when Sasuke had kept thrashing.
Sasuke remained still. His body gradually relaxed. His breathing steadied, though his heart was still in turmoil.
He turned slowly, seeking a less painful position, and found himself just centimeters away from Naruto’s face.
It was still dark, but the sky was beginning to shade into the cold blue of dawn.
Naruto was snoring softly. His mouth was slightly open, eyebrows relaxed, messy hair falling over his eyes, and a red line on his cheek where he had pressed too hard against the pillow.
There was something incredibly tender about that sleeping face.
He didn’t look at all like the loudmouthed brat who challenged him at every turn, nor the annoying teammate who never knew when to shut up.
Stubborn, irritating, full of flaws… and yet someone who, without Sasuke even noticing, had become familiar. More than he wanted to admit.
He had been his last thought before losing consciousness: Naruto’s face, the sound of his voice screaming his name.
And it had also been his first thought upon waking. He had managed to come back from the brink of death just to make sure Naruto was safe. That he had managed to save him.
Revenge — the purpose he thought he was willing to sacrifice everything for — had vanished in an instant before the fear of losing Naruto.
Sasuke had chosen Naruto.
After thinking about it for a long time, unable to find the courage, Sasuke reached out and brushed Naruto’s face. He followed with a finger those strange kitty whiskers on his cheeks, the pad gliding softly along the subtle lines. He couldn’t help but pinch one slightly, and chuckled when Naruto let out a grumpy little whimper in his sleep.
The blondhead didn’t wake, nor did he loosen his hold.
Sasuke then looked at his lips — not exactly inviting, with a bit of drool at the corner — and yet, for a moment, he wanted to kiss him… again.
For no real reason, Sasuke had always thought that Naruto had kissed him on purpose that day, with his miso-flavored lips, only to pass it off as an accident.
Everyone had laughed, even Iruka-sensei had worn an amused expression. And he had looked away, face burning, as if it were the most disgusting thing in the world.
But it hadn’t been. Not really.
And now, in the silence of night, pressed against him, the desire to repeat that gesture — this time on purpose — pierced his heart like a splinter.
Sasuke blushed all the way to the tips of his ears and buried his face in Naruto’s chest. In the comforting warmth of that embrace, it even felt like being close to him eased the pain from his wounds, as if even his body — not just his mind — found peace beside him.
From that night on, for the two weeks that followed during their mission in the Land of Waves, they always slept together. And Sasuke didn’t have nightmares, not even once, as if Naruto somehow kept them away.

Sasuke always woke up before dawn and got up in silence to avoid potentially embarrassing wake-ups. Every morning, basically, he fled.
But on the day of departure, it was different. Since it was their last morning together, the Uchiha had thought he could enjoy that moment just a little longer — just a few more minutes. Instead, he fell back asleep.
When he reopened his eyes, Naruto was asleep on top of him. One leg tangled between his, an arm draped around his chest like a pillow. His face nestled in the hollow of his neck. Then he felt something. Something… solid. Pressed against his thigh.
Instinctively, he held his breath.
A kunai? No. It wasn’t a kunai.
His heart shot into his throat. And when Naruto stirred in his sleep, nuzzling his nose against Sasuke’s neck and mumbling a sleepy «Mmh… ramen…», he jerked away like a plank of wood. Stiff and frozen. He stared at him for a long moment, caught between horror and panic, then, with a trembling hand, gave him a sharp flick to the head.
The poor guy woke up with a start, rubbing his eyes. «Eh? What is it?»
«Stay away from me, dobe!» he growled through gritted teeth, trying to mask the panic — but the redness still burned at his ears.

They had both changed. They were no longer just rivals constantly picking on each other.
Now, there was something more between them. Even if neither of them could name it yet.

Chapter Text

The second stage of the chūnin exams had been grueling — a long run through the heart of the Forest of Death, filled with ambushes, traps, and ruthless enemies. And as if that weren’t enough, the survivors had to face a series of preliminary matches immediately afterward, meant to further reduce the number of participants advancing to the final stage. In the end, only nine genin qualified. Among them were Naruto and Sasuke.
As soon as the matchups were determined by random draw, the ninjas were finally allowed to rest.
Naruto, however, had no intention of wasting time. He was set to open the finals, and his first opponent would be Hyūga Neji — the heir of one of the most prestigious clans in Konoha. It was going to be a tough fight.
He immediately ran to the hospital in search of Kakashi, who had personally taken Sasuke there after his preliminary battle. Naruto had wanted to check on his teammate and make sure he was okay, but the nurses firmly stopped him. Just as he was about to lose his temper and start yelling, Kakashi appeared out of nowhere — quiet as always — from a side corridor.
His teacher didn’t bother much with explanations. In his usual calm, detached tone, he told Naruto he would be entrusted to another instructor — an élite ninja who could train him better than he could. Naruto, of course, didn’t believe a word of it. He was convinced Kakashi simply wanted to train Sasuke instead.
And then that so-called élite ninja turned out to be… Ebisu.
Naruto couldn’t help but remember the time he had taken him down using his Sexy Jutsu, and honestly, he had found it pretty funny. But ever since then, his opinion of Ebisu hadn’t exactly improved.
It didn’t even cross his mind that there might be something embarrassing or inappropriate about using a forbidden technique like that — he was far too naïve to grasp such implications. In his view, if a ninja was knocked out that easily, then he wasn’t much of a ninja. Period. He had yet to understand that a ninja’s strength wasn’t measured by their resistance… to a naked girl.
He was forced to follow Ebisu, who led him to a rather unexpected training location: the hot springs just outside the village.
But Kakashi had told him it was time to level up. His students had just learned how to climb trees using chakra, and now the next step was to walk on water.
Naruto quickly discovered — painfully — that the location had not been chosen by chance. At his first attempt, he lost his balance and sank like a stone. The water was so hot that if he didn’t learn to stay afloat soon, he’d end up hard-boiled.
But just as he resigned himself to having to work with Ebisu, something completely unexpected happened.
Struggling to avoid drowning, he didn’t immediately realize what was going on. When he finally came back to the surface, panting and soaked, he saw Ebisu lying unconscious on the ground. Next to him stood a man with an eccentric appearance, to say the least.
An old man was sitting atop a giant toad. He had long spiky white hair tied in a ponytail, two red markings running down his face from his eyes like tears, and a cocky grin on his lips. His clothes and forehead protector made it clear that he was a ninja — and if he’d knocked out Ebisu that easily, he had to be a strong one.
Naruto, in his usual impulsive enthusiasm, didn’t waste time with questions. He immediately asked if the man would become his new teacher.
The fact that the man introduced himself as “the great toad sage of Mount Myōboku… also known as the Toad Hermit!” didn’t impress him one bit. In fact, when Naruto found out he was the author of the erotic novels that Kakashi-sensei loved so much, he didn’t hesitate to nickname him “Pervy Hermit.”
What followed was a surreal argument, during which the old ninja declared he wouldn’t train him because “he wasn’t into boys”. Naruto, undeterred, tried everything he could to convince him. Eventually, he figured out exactly what really interested that shady individual… and played his trump card.
With a mischievous grin and a snap of his fingers, he unleashed his devastating forbidden technique.
And so, disguised as a voluptuous naked woman, he seduced the Hermit with zero effort. The man collapsed with a massive nosebleed… fully confirming his title as the Pervy Hermit.
With that wildly inappropriate scene — especially for a boy his age — Naruto managed to secure himself a new teacher. A complete lunatic. A genius. A real pervert.

During their training at the hot springs, Jiraiya noticed something that made him raise an eyebrow. Every time Naruto summoned chakra, an eight-trigrams seal would surface on his stomach — likely the work of the Fourth Hokage, placed there to protect his son, though Naruto, of course, had no idea. That mark served to keep the Nine-Tailed Fox at bay, sealed within his body.
The Fox’s chakra filtered through the seal and mingled with Naruto’s own. However, something was interfering with the flow: the five-pronged seal Orochimaru had placed on him during the chūnin exams. Because of that barrier, the two chakras coexisted but disrupted each other, preventing Naruto from achieving true balance. That was why he struggled so much to summon chakra the way he wanted to.
Jiraiya didn’t waste any time. He placed a hand on the boy’s navel and, with a swift, precise strike, broke the enemy seal. Naruto was sent flying backwards, tumbling like a sack of potatoes, but got back up immediately, with the stubborn determination of someone who doesn’t know what it means to give up.
After an initial outburst of outrage — classic Naruto — he tried walking on water again… and succeeded on the first try.
That was when Jiraiya revealed the existence of two distinct chakras inside him: his own, and the Fox’s. Naruto listened with a mix of disbelief and suspicion, but in the end, it seemed plausible enough.
He told Jiraiya about the time he had felt a different kind of chakra pressing from within, giving him immense power… and how, right after that, he’d lost control and couldn’t remember anything that had happened.
Jiraiya nodded slowly. He knew exactly what that was: the demon’s chakra, raw and throbbing like lava under pressure. A devastating power — but also a dangerous one. That’s why he decided the time had come to teach Naruto how to control it.
Naturally, he didn’t say that outright. He just gave him a wink and theatrically announced that the next day he would begin teaching him a new, very powerful Jutsu.

Naruto was surprised — and even a little impressed — to see that the old pervert had actually kept his promise. The next morning, bright and early, Jiraiya showed up right on time for their training session. Sure, he got distracted every three minutes to spy on any nearby girl, but Naruto let it slide: he was too excited at the thought of learning the Summoning Technique to complain.
The very idea of calling forth a giant battle toad made his eyes sparkle. He couldn’t wait to ride one, looking all tough, while his friends stared in awe. He burst out laughing to himself, imagining Sasuke’s shocked face as he threatened to squash him with a slimy, muddy paw.
Jiraiya explained that, before Naruto could control it, the Fox’s chakra could only be drawn out under certain circumstances: when his normal chakra was depleted, forcing him to tap into the Fox’s reserve… or in response to strong emotional surges or an imminent life-threatening danger.
Considering the boy’s incredible vitality, the sennin quickly realized that waiting for him to run out of chakra could take days. Maybe weeks. So he opted for the emotional route instead.
And what better way to stir the emotions of a hormone-driven teenager than love?
That’s when he asked Naruto if he had a crush on any girl. Without hesitation, and with his usual spontaneity, Naruto answered: it was Sakura, of course. Jiraiya seized the opportunity and ordered him — just as casually as if he were giving instructions on how to do a somersault — to go and confess his feelings to her.
Naruto panicked. He knew perfectly well that Sakura didn’t return his feelings — she had told him so a million times. He feared that actually trying, going beyond his usual clumsy friendliness, might cost him the little they had between them. But this was training, after all. And despite fearing the outcome, he decided it was worth the risk.
As expected, he got rejected with a punch straight to the face that sent him crashing to the ground faster than any ninja technique ever had.
The old sennin observed the scene from a distance, a thoughtful expression on his face, seeing no emotional reaction from his student — not even after such a spectacular rejection.
Up to that point, the only thing Naruto had learned from his master was how to get rejected by women.

«This hot water is amazing, dattebayo!»
«A little drink after training is just what we need.»
Master and student had returned to the hot springs. This time not to walk on water, but to sink into its steamy embrace. After a long day of training, they were enjoying some well-deserved rest.
«Tell me something… do you really like that girl?» Jiraiya asked vaguely, as he poured another sakazuki of sake from the bottle resting on the edge of the pool.
«You mean Sakura?» Naruto asked, confused. «Yeah… I think so.»
Only his head was above water, a towel pressed over his hair damp from the steam, his face flushed — maybe from the heat, maybe not.
«You think so, or you know? You didn’t seem particularly upset when she turned you down.»
«That’s because… I’m kinda used to it by now.»
He sank a little deeper, blowing bubbles with his mouth. His eyes dimmed slightly, touched by a hint of sadness.
«Do you want to kiss her?»
«You really are a pervert, you know that?» Naruto’s head shot up from the water like a spring. The question made him blush to the tips of his ears, while Jiraiya chuckled under his breath, amused.
«And you’re just a brat. I bet you’ve never kissed anyone.»
«Yes, I have!» Naruto blurted out proudly, before he even realized what he was about to say. «I kissed Sasuke!»
«Sasuke…» Jiraiya scratched his chin, thoughtful. «Wait a second… isn’t Sasuke your teammate…» he grimaced, «…and a boy?»
«Yeah, but it was an accident!»
«An accident? And how did that happen, exactly?» he smiled faintly, clearly entertained by the boy’s flustered reaction. «You’ve never kissed a girl, but you kiss boys by mistake?»
«Enough, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.»
Silence fell between them. Only the bubbling of the water and the distant song of the cicadas filled the air. The steam wrapped around everything, clouding even their thoughts.
«That kiss…» Jiraiya glanced at him sideways. The boy was still sulking, arms crossed over his chest, cheeks ablaze. The man pondered for a moment, then asked calmly: «What was it like?»
«What do you think it was like? It sucks!»
«Forget for a moment that it was a boy who kissed you. Tell me about this kiss.»
«The kiss was… it was…» Naruto closed his eyes. For a moment, the memory returned, vivid. «Sasuke’s lips were… warm and soft. I’d never have guessed, just by looking at them. And even though the bump was rough at first… for a moment… it was…»
«Nice?» Jiraiya suggested, in a neutral voice.
«Great.» the boy whispered, mesmerized by the dancing reflection of the moon on the water’s surface. Then he snapped out of it, as if realizing what he had just said, and came crashing back to reality. «No! It was totally gross!»
Naruto sank back into the water up to his nose, pulling the towel down over his eyes, but he couldn’t hide the blush that now reached the tips of his ears. «Ugh, I said I don’t want to talk about it anymore.»
«Alright, alright.» Jiraiya raised his hands in surrender and took a long sip of sake.
They sat side by side, soaking in the steaming bath. A short distance away, the huge toad that often accompanied Jiraiya surfaced with a splash, puffing like a fountain. He, too, had a small towel resting on his head.
«So tell me… the time you felt the Fox’s chakra, when you lost control… what happened?»
«It was during our first mission outside of Konoha. We were up against really strong enemies and Sasuke… I thought Sasuke had died.» he paused for a moment as he spoke his teammate’s name. A slight twitch passed over his face, then he forced a smile. «Luckily, he’s tough. He got right back up like it was nothing.»
«And you kissed him?» Jiraiya looked at him innocently, though the corner of his mouth betrayed a mischievous smile.
«Of course not! That happened a long time before, dattebayo!» Naruto snapped, crossing his arms and turning his head away with an offended expression, as if Jiraiya had just said the most indecent thing in the world.
«I see…» he half-closed his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He seemed to have figured something out.
Sasuke again…
That name kept coming back. In stories, in thoughts, even in accidental kisses.
For a moment, an idea slipped into the mind of the Toad Sage — silent, barely a whisper. But he brushed it away with a grimace and another sip of sake.
Too young… too complicated…
Better not to dwell on it.
«If we stay in here too long, we’ll turn into toads ourselves!»

Training resumed normally in the following days. After recent events, the Ero-sennin was forced to take the longer route: exhausting Naruto’s chakra until the Fox’s chakra surfaced. It wasn’t the fastest approach, but it was the only one he now found acceptable.
Sasuke was still in the hospital, and Naruto wasn’t allowed to visit him. But even if that hadn’t been the case, Jiraiya had no intention of exploiting that strange, silent something moving between the two boys to trigger an emotional outburst in his student. He had no intention of poking his nose into certain matters of the heart — especially if Naruto himself didn’t even seem to know what the hell was going on.
One evening, after yet another day spent summoning tiny tadpoles, they camped at the edge of the forest. A lazy fire crackled between the stones while a few small fish sizzled on skewers made from dry branches. The sky was a deep blue, stained here and there with pale clouds.
Jiraiya scratched his chin, as if making a difficult decision, then rummaged through his jacket and handed the boy two crumpled sheets of paper.
«Naruto… I wrote this story for you. Read it and tell me what you think.»
The boy glanced at him sideways. «I’m not gonna read your dirty stories.»
«It’s not that dirty, don’t be such a kid.» the sennin smirked, raising an eyebrow with the most innocent look he could muster. «You’ll have to learn how this stuff works sooner or later. Or do you want that kiss with your friend to remain the only kiss of your life?»
Naruto let out a fake growl of exasperation and snatched the pages. «Tch. Fine.»
«Wait!» with a quick move, the Pervy Hermit yanked the second sheet away at the last moment, perhaps realizing too late how young his reader actually was.
The boy stared at him with a raised eyebrow. «…So it is dirty.»
«Just a little!» Jiraiya stammered, awkwardly hiding the sheet behind his back. «I’ll give it to you when you’re older.»
Naruto muttered something unkind, but sat down by the fire and started reading, the page tight in his dusty hands. He occasionally commented under his breath: «Ah, I like this guy! He’s strong and fun. Totally cool like me, dattebayo!» then his expression darkened. «This other guy’s annoying. He really reminds me of Sasuke…»
As he read on, his face turned every shade of red imaginable. At one point, Jiraiya could’ve sworn he saw smoke puffing from his nostrils, like a boiling kettle gone wild. Naruto suddenly lowered the sheet.
«You’re such an old perv, I knew it!» he snapped, but instead of tossing the page into the fire, he quickly folded it and shoved it into his jacket.
Jiraiya chuckled. The flames flickered higher with a gust of wind, and for a moment, both of them fell silent.
«Naruto, you grew up in a village where people can’t see past the tip of their own noses.» he blew on the fish skewered over the fire, then took a slow bite, eyes fixed on the crackling flames. He was speaking more to himself than to his student, but with that gruff tone that always left some doubt.
«It’s kind of funny, if you think about it, since Konoha was founded by Hashirama and Madara… but I guess they don’t teach certain parts of history in school.» he muttered it more to himself than to Naruto.
«I just want you to know one thing.» he turned to him and, with a certain hidden gentleness behind his usual gruffness, gave him a pat on the head. «Two men can love each other. For real. Just like a man and a woman.»
The boy furrowed his brow. «What kind of nonsense are you saying?»
«Nonsense, my ass!» barked the sennin, fish still half-bitten in his mouth. «It’s the truth, you little brat!»
Naruto hunched into his jacket, shoulders tight. «But you’re always saying you don’t like boys.»
«I don’t like them, for sure!» Jiraiya raised his hands as if to say “that would be the last straw!”. «But that doesn’t mean everyone has to be the same.» then he glanced at him sideways, with a half-smirk. «If you don’t believe me, go ask your Sensei.»
Naruto squinted, confused. «Why the heck would I ask something like that to Kakashi-sensei?»
«Huh?» Jiraiya blinked, momentarily thrown off. «I meant Iruka…» then scratched his chin, and for a second seemed to seriously consider it. «…But now that I think about it, maybe Kakashi too…»
One of the fish dropped into the fire with a hiss. Sparks rose straight into the sky like tiny fairy flames, and the forest around them remained silent, watching.

After three uninterrupted weeks of training, Naruto still hadn’t managed to summon anything more threatening than a tadpole. Tiny, shiny, and hopping. And Jiraiya, his heart wavering between frustration and pity, realized it was time to take drastic measures.
He understood that Naruto’s body was simply too small to contain such immense power — his very organism was likely suppressing the energy to avoid damage. And so, if the only way to force that power out was to push him to the edge, to make him brush against death… then it was better to do it now. For his own good.
In silence, he led him to a deep ravine among the mountains, where the water from a waterfall thundered down in a cloud of foam. The walls were slippery, carved by time and studded with jagged spikes like claws. The deafening roar made speaking nearly impossible, but perhaps that was for the best.
«The training ends today.» he finally said, his face as hard as the rock beneath their feet. «If you don’t want to die, then figure it out yourself. Only by facing true fear will you find the strength to summon that chakra. You have to feel it flowing. Only then will you be able to control it.»
And without warning, he pushed him off.
The terrified little ninja had barely enough time to open his eyes wide. A scream died in his throat as his body was swallowed by the void. The wind whipped his face, his throat tightened in panic, and his heart pounded against his ribs like it wanted to break free from his chest. The waterfall loomed closer — a white, roaring abyss — and that’s when it happened.
The air vanished. The sound vanished. The light disappeared, swallowed by a dark, damp corridor, echoing with something not quite human. Wet floor, pipes along the walls, and the metallic scent of condensed chakra. It wasn’t a real place. It was as if he were somewhere inside himself.
He walked, driven by a sensation, until he reached an enormous gate. The solid bars, sealed with a large paper talisman, vibrated softly, as if holding back the breath of an ancient beast. Beyond them, two crimson eyes opened in the dark like blades. They stared at him. Not with surprise, but with a centuries-old grudge.
The Kyūbi.
Naruto stood still. He could feel the demon’s hatred burning his skin, and yet he didn’t flinch. It was as if, in that darkness, for the first time he truly knew who he was. And he wasn’t afraid.
The Fox’s Voice rose like a growl from the bowels of the earth. It didn’t trust him, couldn’t stand him, but the pact was clear: if the boy died, it would share the same fate.
They only had time for a few exchanged words before a crimson flare erupted behind the bars. The seal gleamed. And then came the chakra. Hot, dense, bestial — it hit him like a wave.
In the real world, the waterfall exploded all of a sudden. A roar shook the entire valley, reaching even the outskirts of Konoha. From the bottom of the ravine, under Jiraiya’s satisfied gaze, rose a giant orange toad with a massive pipe between its lips and an annoyed expression. Naruto stood on its head, his jacket torn, eyes alight with a new fire, and chakra still swirling around him like flames.
«Good job!» murmured Jiraiya, grinning with barely hidden relief.

                                        ~~~***~~~

The sun was slowly setting behind the mountain, the light of dusk filtering between isolated rock spires, painting the ground in orange hues. The silence was broken only by Sasuke’s labored breathing and the irregular crackle of chakra.
«You’re still focusing too much chakra into the palms of your hands.»
With his trembling hand still stretched toward the rock, Sasuke looked over his shoulder.
Kakashi was there, sitting a short distance away on a flat boulder, seemingly absorbed in his reading.
«You’re not even looking!» he protested, frowning, but still lowered his arm.
He knew Kakashi was watching him, even if he seemed lost in that stupid novel of his. Sasuke could feel his gaze. He had always felt it.
«Your arms are under stress.» said Kakashi, without lifting his eyes from the book. «If you keep training like this, you’ll hurt yourself.»
Chin raised, Sasuke forced himself into another attempt. The electric sound of the Chidori exploded in his hand, but the strike he released was weak. The charge disintegrated against the rock wall, already battered by hours of blows.
«That’s enough.» Kakashi closed the book with a dry snap.
Sasuke didn’t answer. He wiped a hand across his scratched, dirt-streaked face and remained hunched over as if still torn between obeying his teacher and the instinct driving him to push beyond his limits.
All the ninjas qualified for the third round had been given a month to prepare.
But he… he had spent fifteen of those days tied to a hospital bed. Motionless, eyes bandaged. Completely cut off from the world.
When he had finally managed to escape, he had gone straight to Kakashi, who had vouched for him at the hospital and agreed to train him.
The teacher had honored him with the transmission of one of his original jutsu: the Chidori.
But time was short. And the Cursed Mark had become an increasingly burdensome obstacle.
The day he met Orochimaru for the first time was one of the most terrifying of his life. Second only to the night of the Uchiha massacre.
Sasuke had been paralyzed with fear. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. He only wanted to run from that grotesque being — if you could even call “human” something that looked like it had crawled out of a nightmare.
He had seen him slither from the jaws of serpents like a vomit from hell. Or open his mouth in an inhuman way and regurgitate himself again and again. Leaving behind a trail of empty bodies, all identical, collapsing to the ground like old snake skins. A nauseating sight.
Sasuke’s heart pounded in his chest when Orochimaru summoned a massive snake and hurled it at Naruto.
Sasuke couldn’t tell if he had really moved, if he had taken even a single step to help, or if he had just frozen in place. All he remembered was the terror — paralyzing — and Naruto rushing to shield him, placing himself between Sasuke and the serpent, stabbing its snout with two kunai.
He was enveloped in an unfamiliar chakra, red and pulsing like living flame. There was no trace of his usual innocent blue eyes: in their place burned two demonic crimson pupils.
«Scaredy cat! (ビビリ君, bibiri-kun)» he had yelled, face twisted in disappointment. «This stupid coward is absolutely not the Sasuke I know!»
Those words exploded in Sasuke’s mind like a blunt blow. Naruto hadn’t held back. But when even Sakura — Sakura! — had the nerve to call him a “coward”, Sasuke knew he had hit rock bottom.
That’s when Itachi’s face surged into his mind, sudden and unstoppable. The rage. The humiliation. The thirst for revenge. And with it, a new, brutal energy that brought back the strength to react.
He lunged at his opponent with blind fury, striking him with everything he had.
Orochimaru smiled, satisfied. Instead of finishing him off, he complimented his talent. He said he wanted him. That he was worthy.
Then he marked him. With a bite — like a beast. A cursed seal burned into his flesh and began devouring him from the inside, leaving him writhing in pain.
Before vanishing among the trees, Orochimaru gave him one last look. He said it was just a parting gift to make sure he’d would come look for him… looking for power.
It had been the most traumatic encounter of his life. How could that creature even think he’d go after him?
Right?
And yet, with each passing day, that thought crept deeper inside him, slithering silently into his mind. Subtle. Insidious. Like a damned snake sent to corrupt his heart.
The first time the Cursed Mark activated, shortly after Orochimaru’s bite, Sasuke had completely lost control.
The sight of Sakura injured by the Sound ninja had thrown him into a rage. A wave of unknown strength had surged through his body, blinding all rationality. Drunk with power, he had violently taken down two of the three enemies, leaving behind only blood and silence. That was when Sakura had stopped him. She had begged him, crying, and clung to him with trembling arms. Slowly, as if pulled back into reality, the Mark had receded, disappearing beneath his skin.
And he, in return, had pushed her away. He had yelled at her not to interfere, not to say anything to anyone. Especially not to Naruto.
He didn’t want the blondhead to worry, much less to be disqualified from the chūnin exams because of that little… incident.
Truth be told, he felt amazing. Despite the physical pain — those burning flames that stretched across his flesh and blackened one of his eyes — he felt invincible. Like a drug. Once tasted, he wanted more.
And yet, when the euphoria wore off, one thought kept returning more and more often: how far was he willing to go to gain more power? Would he really be ready to seek out Orochimaru?
Frustrated, Sasuke began walking in the direction of his teacher, resigned to going back home. But after only a few steps, his knees gave out and he collapsed heavily to the ground. His body trembled slightly, exhausted.
He was about to let go, to lie down on the rough ground and lose consciousness there, while the sky dimmed above him. But Kakashi appeared behind him in an instant, supporting his back with his knee and preventing him from collapsing completely.
«Don’t push yourself too hard.» he said calmly, with apparent detachment. That voice he used when he tried to seem less involved than he really was.
«Stop saying that! That’s why I keep failing!» Sasuke snapped, lifting his face toward him. He looked at him with eyes burning with frustration, expecting to hear the well-deserved scolding, laced with disappointment for not learning fast enough.
A harsh judgment. Like the ones he used to get from his father.
But Kakashi was not Fugaku Uchiha. His teacher had offered him the attention and recognition his father had never shown. Kakashi’s opinion of him had become important to Sasuke. He didn’t want to be seen as weak.
The jōnin placed a hand on his head, gently running his thumb through his hair. «Don’t be too hard on yourself, Sasuke. You’re improving.»
The boy lowered his gaze. «I have to learn how to control this damn Mark. Or I…»
Kakashi looked at him for a few seconds, then sighed. «Sasuke…»
«I almost killed someone.» he interrupted. When he spoke again, his voice cracked. «If Sakura hadn’t stopped me, I…» the sentence died there, but it was enough. He turned away sharply. His breath unsteady, his muscles tense. He tried to get up again. His hands trembled as he pushed himself to his feet, but it wasn’t enough. He fell to his knees. Once, twice. Each attempt weaker than the last. All he could feel was the pounding in his ears. His body wouldn’t respond.
His vision turned grainy. And then, nothing.

When he opened his eyes again, the world was immersed in a silent stillness. The familiar ceiling of his home loomed above him, white and unmoving in the uncertain light of dawn. His throat burned. Every breath was labored, his body stiff as if after a long battle.
He tried to move. His muscles protested. And that’s when he saw a figure in the shadows.
Kakashi was asleep in the armchair next to his bed. The book he had been reading had slipped onto his chest, still open, a page badly folded under the weight of the cover. His head was tilted to the side, a silver lock brushing the backrest. He seemed perfectly still, and yet…
Only then did Sasuke notice that his own wrist was wrapped in the man’s hand. It wasn’t a grip, it wasn’t forceful. He was holding him gently, as if to watch over him even in sleep.
His heart skipped a beat. A silent jolt, a squeeze in the center of his chest.
He slowly pulled his hand away. It wasn’t a harsh gesture, but it was enough to wake Kakashi, who opened his eyes slowly, as if he had been waiting for it.
«You’re awake…» he ran a hand through his hair, his voice hoarse. «How do you feel?»
Sasuke didn’t reply immediately. He swallowed with difficulty, his mouth dry, eyelids still heavy.
He simply nodded slightly, curling under the covers. Then, almost without realizing it, he murmured: «It makes me feel strong. The Mark.» Sasuke’s voice cut through the air before his teacher could pretend everything was fine. «Like I could do anything. Invincible.»
«Sasuke…» Kakashi began, but the other’s voice overrode him.
«I can’t stop it. I want its power.» he admitted, ashamed. He swallowed again, staring into space. «I feel its call… all the time.»
The silence that followed wasn’t awkward. It was dense. Heavy with meaning.
«You know…» Kakashi said at last, his voice calmer. «I once believed being strong was enough. I thought that if I became powerful enough, I wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.»
The boy slightly raised his gaze. His dark eyes were fixed on his teacher, attentive. But silent.
«Then I realized that strength… is worthless. Not if, when you turn around, there’s no one left beside you.»
Sasuke clenched his fists. For a moment it seemed like he wanted to reply. Instead, he lowered his gaze again.
«It’s your choice. Every time you use that power, every time you let it surface, it’s like you’re deciding to… lose something.»
«Lose what?»
«Yourself. Or… those who care about you.» his voice softened. «This power, the Mark, the Sharingan, the rage… they won’t make you stronger if, in the meantime, you lose everything else. I’m telling you from experience.»
The Uchiha clenched his jaw. «And what if it’s not enough for me?» he recoiled under the blankets, then turned his face away, as if to escape something hunting him from within. Every fiber of his body seemed ready to snap, and yet he remained there, still and tense, like a wounded animal refusing to show weakness.
«Then get what you want your own way. But don’t trade yourself for power. Think for yourself, follow your heart, set your own rules. Choose your path.»
«And what if I choose a path you don’t approve of?» he retorted, without looking at him.
Kakashi leaned forward, then placed a hand on his shoulder. Right over the spot where the Mark, beneath the fabric, lay dormant like a burning coal. «I'm telling you, it’s your choice. As your teacher, I might have to stop you at some point.» his fingers tightened slightly, his eyes fixed on his. «Even if it means killing you.»
Sasuke turned sharply, his eyes slightly wide. The surprise lasted only an instant, then vanished behind the impassive expression he now wore like a second skin.
«I already know what it’s like to lose an Uchiha.» his voice cracked slightly, and for a moment his eyes seemed darker. «I don’t want to lose another one.»
Kakashi remembered the happy boy Itachi had once smiled at. But that boy no longer existed. Before him now stood only a calm, cold, focused young man, with anger bubbling just beneath the surface.
When Sasuke declared his intent for revenge, Kakashi understood how deeply Itachi had destroyed him.
He should have known by now: you don’t get attached to an Uchiha without paying the price.
He had already seen how that story ended — twice — and every time, pain always won.
Looking at that boy full of rage, all he could see was the reflection of his own failures staring straight back at him.
«But if you choose that path… I’ll have no choice but to let you go.» He smiled, just slightly. «I can’t say the same for Naruto.»
He said nothing more. As usual, there was no need between them.
«Here, drink this.» said the jōnin, handing him a small cup with casual ease.
«What is it?» he looked at him suspiciously as a bitter aroma quickly filled the air, pungent like sulfur and rotten roots.
Kakashi shrugged. «A healing infusion. Tastes awful, but it’ll help.»
He watched Sasuke take a sip of the medicine, pausing for a second with a slight grimace on his face. It was bitter, strong, and it sent a jolt to his stomach that made him stiffen for a moment, but he didn’t pull back.
«No training today.» Kakashi declared calmly. He knew full well that at that very moment Sasuke was already planning how to improve overnight instead of sleeping. «I won’t stop you from leaving if you really want to, but chances are you won’t get far before collapsing. And then I’ll have to carry you back. Again.»
Sasuke was silent for a moment, his eyes half-closed as he fought the urge to fall asleep. Then he spoke, apparently convinced: «Fine.»
Kakashi said nothing, but the smile that formed beneath his mask was more relieved than he let on.
«Get some rest, Sasuke. I know it’s hard, but you need it.» He took the empty cup from the boy’s now-relaxed hands.
«You don’t have to stay.» he murmured, blinking slowly. It wasn’t a reproach. He didn’t want his teacher to feel obligated to stay. Actually, he was grateful that Kakashi was there with him.
«I know.» he replied, sinking back into the armchair. He stretched his shoulders slowly, resettling himself with the ease of someone who had no intention of leaving anytime soon. Then he resumed flipping through the book he had left open.
Sasuke thought back to the days just past, to the exact moment the cursed Mark had changed his life.
Sakura, who had stopped him from giving in to blind rage during his first awakening and had worried about him the whole time.
Naruto, who during the preliminary match had shown him he could control the Mark with nothing but sheer willpower, just by yelling stupid encouragement from the stands.
Kakashi, who had sealed the Mark, limiting its power and keeping it from consuming him alive.
If he stayed with them, maybe he wouldn’t make progress as fast as he wanted. They would protect him, hold him back, force him to stay within limits.
But he still trusted his teacher and his friends. He had chosen his teammates. With them, he would make it.
He had no intention of surrendering to Orochimaru. He would control the Curse Mark and gain power his own way. He would have his revenge with his own strength.
«Sensei…» the voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough to make Kakashi lift his gaze from the book. The teacher noticed a faint relief on the boy’s face as he stared at him in silence. Yet in the way he looked at him, in the way his pupils lingered — there was something. A thank you. Mute, hesitant. But it was there.
Kakashi understood. He simply gave a small nod. He didn’t say anything, but smiled beneath his mask.
For a long moment, they remained like that, two shadows keeping each other company without the need for words.
Sasuke fought sleep a little longer, but eventually the exhaustion became too strong and his eyes closed.

Kakashi didn’t know how to help Sasuke.
He didn’t know how to be a guide, the way his own Sensei had been for him.
He had failed Itachi — but that didn’t mean he had to fail Sasuke too.
His student could still heal. Maybe, just maybe, he could mend what Itachi had broken.
Maybe this time it would be different. Maybe this time he would succeed.
Maybe Sasuke Uchiha wouldn’t break his heart.
His student stood at a crossroads and couldn’t see which path to choose. Would he choose to gain power through hatred… or through bonds?
Sasuke had taken a few timid steps toward his teammates. And yet he had failed. Again and again and again, he couldn’t get the reassurance he needed. The reassurance that he had made the right choice. That he could truly become stronger with his comrades.
Sasuke needed to win, just once, to feel confident that he was on the right path.
Beating Gaara would have been enough. But the only way to do that was with the Chidori. So Kakashi had taught it to him, hoping it would be enough.
But Sasuke didn’t defeat him. Gaara had turned into an uncontrollable creature, driven by a madness that went beyond human. Gaara was a crazed Jinchūriki. Naturally, only another Jinchūriki could defeat him. So Naruto did it. Right in front of Sasuke. And he took another step back. Another step toward Orochimaru.
An imminent psychological collapse in Sasuke, as concerning as it was, wasn’t even the most urgent threat looming over them.
Jiraiya had told him everything he had discovered in his latest espionage missions. A new danger was growing in the shadows — an organization called “Akatsuki”.
It was gathering some of the most powerful and dangerous ninja ever to come out of the great villages. Renegades. Traitors. And their target seemed to be the Tailed Beasts.
As if that weren’t enough, one of them was none other than Itachi Uchiha.
Kakashi knew, then, that both his students were in serious danger.
Naruto had been taken away by Jiraiya on one of his journeys outside the village, safe — for now. But Sasuke was still there, in Konoha. Just steps away from his murderous brother. From his nightmare. From the abyss.
That morning, Kakashi was early. He had told Sasuke to meet him in front of the small dango shop before heading to the training grounds, but — against all odds — it was the teacher who arrived first.
There was a good reason for that rare event, almost as rare as snow in Konoha. With casual indifference, he stood a few steps from the entrance, one foot resting against the wall, gaze lowered. But in truth, he was watching everything.
His attention was focused on two figures seated at a table inside. They looked like ordinary travelers, if not for the black cloak decorated with crimson clouds and the wide straw hats covering their faces. But the chakra they radiated was anything but ordinary. One of them, especially, felt familiar in a way that tightened his stomach.
Itachi. Calmly sitting and eating dango like a tourist, next to a companion who radiated an equally unsettling presence. His face was hidden, but his chakra spoke for itself.
Kakashi knew Itachi was far too intelligent to think he could go unnoticed. Just as he hadn’t gone unnoticed by the other jōnin, who had already surrounded the area, ready to act.
When the young Uchiha arrived at the meeting point, he was surprised to find his teacher already there, talking with Kurenai and Asuma. It wasn’t like him to be on time. Something felt off, though he couldn’t say what. Looking around, he saw only an empty table with still-steaming cups and a half-finished plate of dango.
Something was hanging in the air — a subtle tension, imperceptible to most. But Sasuke didn’t pay it much mind: a few moments later, the two jōnin quietly excused themselves and vanished.
Kakashi gave him his usual absent-minded smile. Then, with the intention of leading him far from the village, he suggested: «How about we go up to the usual spot?»
Sasuke nodded without objection. They walked together for a few minutes, but hadn’t even reached the base of the mountain when Kakashi stopped, wearing his usual distracted expression.
«Ah… I just remembered I have to take care of… something. Go ahead and start without me, I’ll catch up soon.»
Without waiting for an answer, he vanished. Sasuke watched the puff of smoke he left behind, his expression quickly fading into indifference. He could sense there was something going on, but his Sensei had always been strange. And he had no intention of wasting time.

Sasuke trained without rest. His hands were scratched, his palms burned from chakra. The limit on using the Chidori was the same as during the chūnin exams: twice a day, without the help of the Curse Mark. An impassable ceiling that frustrated him deeply.
The wind blew hard on the mountaintop, swirling dust over the rocky ground. The peace around him clashed with the turmoil inside.
An image crossed his mind, as sharp as a carving in stone.
Naruto. Standing in front of the monster Gaara had become. His face smeared with blood and dirt, and that light in his eyes. That light that never wavered.
He had fought to the end. Summoned a giant toad as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Had faced an enemy that seemed unbeatable, all on his own. To protect Sakura. To protect him.
And Sasuke… Sasuke, even that time, had failed miserably.
In a desperate attempt to push past his limits, he had launched a third Chidori. But the Curse Mark had awakened, wrapping around him in a burning grip that drained his chakra. His body froze, like it had turned to stone. Vulnerable. Completely powerless.
He tried to move, to fight the pain that devoured him from the inside, but every fiber of his body screamed against him, refusing to respond. And while he stood there, paralyzed, he saw Sakura. Trapped in a grip of sand, unconscious, her face pale and her head slumped like a rag doll. Then he saw Naruto: bleeding, battered, but still standing. Always ready to stand back up.
It wasn’t about pride anymore, or revenge, or power. Their lives were at stake that time. The only lives that, despite everything, had stayed by his side. And if he couldn’t even protect them… what was the point of talking about revenge?
He silently surrendered to the evidence that he wasn’t strong enough. But if he had to die, he would do it protecting those he loved. Just like he had already done the first time he had seen Naruto in danger.
In that instant, he decided he would give his life for the bonds he hadn’t yet broken. For Sakura. For Naruto.
He had lost everything once. He didn't want to see any precious comrades die right before his eyes again.
But Naruto hadn’t let him. Because he still hadn’t given up. He never did.
And in the end, he was the one who won. Again.
How was that possible?
Naruto kept getting stronger. You only had to look at him to see it.
He thought he knew him, and yet at that moment, he had felt fear toward him. Naruto had never shown anything like that at the Academy. Where had he been hiding that incredible power?
He felt inferior to him. He kept wondering how he managed to become so strong too.
He had always chased after his brother.
Now he was chasing Naruto too.
And that race no longer stopped at the battlefield. Even outside the ring, Naruto shone. There was something about him that drew others in: raw and radiant energy all at once.
Even Sakura had noticed.
She thanked him for saving her from Gaara, assuming it had been him. But Sasuke told her it had been Naruto. That he had risked his life for her. That he had shown his true strength for the first time.
Sasuke had seen him charge into problems like an idiot plenty of times. But that time… it wasn’t stupidity. It was love.
An uncomfortable thought, one that had begun to gnaw at him since then.
Sakura lowered her eyes, embarrassed. A gentle expression softened her face, a new light crossed her gaze when she turned it toward Naruto. That gaze she had always given to him, but which he had never liked — and now, he found it bothered him even more when it was directed at Naruto.
Because Naruto had always been in love with her. And she had always rejected him.
But now — for the first time — Sasuke feared that Sakura might really see Naruto. Not the clumsy, loud clown trying to get her attention. But the boy who had thrown himself between the fangs of a monster to save her.
He feared — primitive, irrational, visceral — that she, too, would realize what he, though it was hard to admit, had already seen long ago: how extraordinary Naruto was.
Naruto deserved to be seen. To be recognized. To be loved.
He deserved to be happy. And if his happiness was tied to Sakura… then Sasuke couldn’t stand in his way.
Even if the idea tore him apart.
It was jealousy — this time he could recognize it. Even if he couldn’t explain why. Or maybe he didn’t want to.
He bit his lip until it almost bled. His fist struck the rock beside him, cracking it. A stone fell from the mountain, rolling into the silence. Sasuke followed it with his gaze, fixed, as if he could lean over that edge and let himself fall with it.
«Idiot…» he whispered to himself, not quite knowing who he meant.

When Kakashi didn’t show up even after noon, Sasuke lost his patience. It wasn’t just his usual lateness.
He jumped down from the boulder in a single sharp movement, leaving behind the view stretching under the sun-scorched sky, and headed straight to his teacher’s house.
Finding the door slightly ajar, he pushed it open. But something stopped him on the threshold, before he could even cross into the room.
Kakashi was lying on the bed. Motionless. Eyes closed, breath steady. He didn’t look injured, just asleep. But what worried Sasuke was the presence of the jōnin at his bedside.
Gai, Asuma, Kurenai. His most trusted friends were there, gathered in silent vigil.
The atmosphere in the room was surreal. Too quiet. Too much tension on the other ninja’s faces. As if the air itself was thick with unspoken words.
Suddenly, Aoba burst in, yelling out if it was true that “that Itachi” had returned to the village. And that he was after Naruto.
Time stopped.
The jōnin exchanged a swift, tense glance. Then they all turned to Sasuke.
Everyone could see it — the war raging behind the boy’s eyes. That was one of the differences between him and his brother: Itachi’s eyes had always been stone, unreadable. Sasuke’s, instead, were transparent. Inside them, you could clearly see the pain, the hatred, the loss.
Blood rushed to his face, his hands trembled as he clenched them into fists. He didn’t waste another second. He left the room, nearly tripping over his own legs, already charging down the corridor in a furious run.
Itachi had found the courage to come back. And moreover, he was pursuing Naruto?
What did all this mean?!
If Itachi laid a hand on him, it would be the end for Naruto.
And Sasuke wasn’t going to let that happen!
He sped up.
His legs tore across the ground, his eyes burned, his breath turned to steam. He ran as if he could tear through time itself, as if he could stop what was already unfolding.

«There's a reason Itachi let me live. A reason he chose me to be the one track him down and kill him. I am an avenger!»

Chapter Text

Icha Icha Onsen!

“To my student, to whom this story is dedicated...
You won’t find in these pages epic battles or forbidden jutsu.
You’ll find something much rarer, and far more precious:
two hearts that searched for each other without even knowing it.
A true story... or maybe not. But that doesn’t matter.
Remember: the heart of a ninja is made to face the impossible.”

In an ordinary village, where the wind hissed through the trees like a rusty shuriken, two young ninja were destined to fight over the most legendary of treasures: a mochi.
The full moon watched over the world from above, still and silent, like an ancient eye set into the velvet sky. Its light shimmered faintly over the steaming surface of a hidden hot spring, where vapor rose slowly among the stones and statues of a temple carved into the rock. An abandoned sanctuary, suspended between the sacred and the mythical, where even time itself seemed to hold its breath.
It was said that the place was cursed.
But Saruto wasn’t the kind to be scared off by rumors. He moved through the trees on silent feet, breath held, eyes alight with excitement. His heart pounded — not from fear, but from anticipation. He’d traveled miles to get there, and his mind was fixed on one thing only: a mochi.
According to an old legend, the most coveted treasure in all the ninja lands was kept in that temple. 
It was said that it had rested there, on the altar at the sanctuary’s center, for centuries. Smooth, white, always fresh and unchanged.
A magical sweet capable of breaking any curse… but only if eaten on a full moon night.
The ninja crept forward, eyebrows furrowed in focus, his kimono slightly rumpled. He clenched his fists at his sides and muttered under his breath: «This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, Saruto. No distractions allowed!»
Then he tripped over a loose floorboard, rolled like a rice ball, and slammed straight into the altar. The impact kicked up a puff of dust — and embarrassment.
He bounced to his feet, rubbing his aching head, and finally saw it.
The mochi.
Sitting there on a small lacquered plate at the altar’s center, surrounded by flickering candles and time-worn scrolls.
«Bleah! What the heck is this crap?»
More than a legendary dessert, it looked like a forgotten relic — coated in a thin, sticky film of violet mold and cracked like dry skin. Its acrid smell vaguely resembled his socks after training, and not in a poetic way.
He lifted it into his trembling palm, partly from awe, partly from disgust, and eyed it like something that, rather than being eaten, might just bite him first.
But just as the ninja braced himself and started to bring it to his lips… SWOOSH!
A figure materialized atop the altar in one clean, fluid motion.
«Bit late for a snack, don’t you think?»
Calm voice, sharp gaze, and that infuriating smirk that said “I-live-to-ruin-your-day.”
«You again?!» Saruto jumped back in shock. «What are you doing here?»
In a move as quick as it was dramatic, the mysterious ninja swiped the mochi from his hands. A flipping somersault, a graceful blur through the darkness… and poof, he was behind him, fast as a gust of wind. A flick of his fan.
Saruto was a boy with messy, sun-colored hair, as loud as a herd of hungry boars. He had a sweet smile and the annoying habit of talking with his mouth full.
Nasuke, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Raven hair that looked like it belonged in some temple of darkness, and the glare of a very annoyed owl. The kind of handsome, brooding guy who could probably bring down mountains with a single glance.
The two young men knew each other.
They had met more than once, always on opposing sides, always by chance. Or by fate, if you believed in that kind of nonsense.
There was a long history between them — made of interrupted duels, venomous stares, and cheap shots thrown with alarming flair. And almost always, it was Nasuke who walked away with a sardonic half-smile and victory in his pocket, while Saruto was left on the ground, biting his tongue and swearing that next time, he’d win.
They were rivals.
Or at least, that’s what Saruto believed — he put his whole heart into that rivalry.
For Nasuke, on the other hand, the matter was more… lukewarm.
He didn’t hate him, didn’t fear him, didn’t see him as a worthy enemy. He classified him as “annoying”, like a mosquito or a splinter in your finger. Someone who made noise, talked too much, occasionally pulled off a decent move by accident and built a whole legend around it.
And yet… there had been a time — long ago — when Saruto hadn’t been so irrelevant to him. But that was just a reminder now. Faded like wet ink, tucked away in a fold of memory Nasuke had long stopped flipping through.
«That mochi is mine!» Saruto snarled, jumping like a deranged grasshopper. «Give it back!»
«Is this what you want?» Nasuke still held the mochi between his fingers like it was a trophy. He lifted it into the air and challenged the blondhead with his usual icy tone. «Then come and get it.»
A legendary battle ensued… or at least, that’s what they would have liked to say.
Saruto launched into the attack like a faulty firework, but stopped abruptly half a meter from his opponent. From there, he began bombarding him with every attack in his repertoire: water, fire, wind, even his flying geta*… missing the target miserably every time.
Nasuke dodged with the elegance of a bored cat, barely shifting his torso, hands behind his back, gaze impassive.
It might have seemed like he was holding back to avoid hitting the mochi, but the darkhead knew better. In their past clashes, Saruto always kept a certain distance from him. Too much. So he simply assumed the boy was just bad at fighting. Bad, but smart enough to know that getting too close would land him flat on his back.
That’s exactly why he didn’t see the direct hit coming. Saruto slapped his hand, making him lose his grip on the mochi.
The treat shot into the air, spinning like a sticky little meteor.
They both followed it with their eyes, frozen. Then shouted in unison: «Mine!»
They hurled themselves forward to grab it. Chest against chest, faces too close, breaths tangled. For an instant… time stopped, leaving them suspended mid-air.
Then — inevitably — the fall.
Nasuke landed with the flawless grace of a feline. Saruto, however, bounced like a sack of potatoes. He hit the ground, his backside striking a rotten floorboard that cracked under his weight, and vanished into a hole.
«Dammit!» Nasuke snarled once he realized he no longer had the mochi.
For a few seconds, surreal silence returned to the place. Then, from beneath the floorboards, came a confused groan.
At first, all Nasuke saw were fingers gripping the broken wood, nails varnished black and tapping against the planks lightly. Then, in the darkness, two eyes glowed with a scarlet light, slit by a thin pupil.
Nasuke took a step back. «What the f…» he cut himself off with a strangled sound when the blondhead head came fully into view, and he saw the ears standing up among the messy hair. But they weren’t human ears: they were furry, pointed, black at the tips shading to red at the base.
Saruto emerged with a clumsy jump from the debris, a cloud of dust and sawdust rising around him. He coughed, waving his hands in front of his face, ears trembling.
«What the fuck are you?» Nasuke got into position, ready to face whatever his opponent was about to turn into.
But, unexpectedly, the fox-boy didn’t attack him.
«It’s not what it looks like!» he panted, hastily trying to cover his ears with his hands.
The darkhead raised an eyebrow, gripping the kunai on his belt. «Oh yeah? It looks to me like you're about to turn into a demonic beast.»
«No, it’s not like that! It’s just… when I get too emotional, this happens to me.» his voice trailed off. The fox eyes dropped, guilty.
And in fact, his posture wasn’t threatening. He looked more like a pup caught stealing from the pantry.
Nasuke held back a laugh. Slowly, he lowered the kunai, along with his shoulders. «When you get emotional, huh?» he asked with a barely hidden note of mischief. «You mean when you get horny?»
Saruto made a sound that clearly meant the darkhead had hit a nerve and definitely guessed right: «Y-you… shut up!» he growled, redder than a cooked lobster.
«You’re a ridiculous ninja.» Nasuke commented, turning to the side to hide a smile. «Now give me the mochi, kitty.»
«I’m a fox!» the other yelped, outraged.
«Don’t care. Hand over the mochi, Saruto!»
«No!» he shouted, clenching his empty fists. «I got it first. It’s mine… it’s… it’s…» his ears drooped. «It’s gone!»
Nasuke frowned. «You don’t expect me to believe that.»
Saruto frantically checked himself, patting down the neckline of his kimono, the sleeves, the pockets. «No, no, no! It was here!»
«Are you serious?» Nasuke stopped smiling. His gaze, once sharp, now became more focused. «Don’t tell me you lost it!»
«No! I mean… maybe? I can’t find it!» Saruto began spinning in circles, checking the floor, lifting planks and stirring up dust. When he bent over to look into the hole he had come out of, Nasuke saw it. The mochi.
Smashed, squished, stuck. Right there. On Saruto’s butt.
Nasuke shook his head with an exasperated sigh. He stepped closer, bending slightly.
«Hold still.» he ordered flatly. «It’s stuck to your butt.»
«Wait! Don’t — AH!» Saruto yelped, frozen mid-motion as Nasuke, unfazed, reached out his hand.
Before he could stop him, Nasuke was already touching him… a bit too firmly. But it turned out to be trickier than expected. His fingers pressed in resolutely, but the mochi wouldn’t come off.
Saruto’s red eyes flew wide open. His heart started pounding like a war drum, and his knees wobbled like chili pepper jelly. And then it happened.
A long, soft tail burst from the base of his spine, launching the mochi into the air.
Nasuke froze. He felt the furry tickle against his knees. The tail brushed between his legs, as if mirroring its owner's agitation.
«Don’t look!» Saruto burst out, spinning around with flaming cheeks. «It’s your fault!»
Nasuke couldn't do anything but blink at him for a moment. Then he burst out laughing. «You’re a joke. One little grab on the butt and you lose control?»
He crouched down for a better look, curious. His voice dropped to a softer tone. «It’s… fluffy.» he touched the tip of the tail – which really was quite soft and fluffy and nice to the touch – as if he were handling something precious.
Saruto flinched. «Don’t touch it!» He grabbed the tail with both hands, clumsily trying to hide it behind his back.
«Sensitive, huh?» Nasuke whispered with a half-smile.
«Shut up!» The tip of his nose had blackened, and he was visibly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His gaze darted to the floor, where the mochi lay smashed on the dusty wooden boards. A sudden twitch: he dropped to all fours and, with a feline leap, reached it. His toes clawed the rotten planks as he shoved the sticky sweet mush into his kimono sleeve and bolted off at full speed.
Nasuke sighed. He dashed after him and caught up in no time.
They chased each other through the temple corridors, leaping between slanted columns and swaying lanterns like in a mad game of tag.
But a poorly timed tug sent them crashing into a thin wall, fragile as a kabuki stage set. It creaked… then gave way miserably.
Saruto tried to stop. Nasuke tried to save himself. Neither succeeded.
A dull thud, a dry tear, and the two of them flew backward like sacks of rice tossed off a runaway cart.
They tumbled along the rear porch, bumping and bouncing between stone lanterns, loose planks, and bushes. Clinging to each other amid stifled yelps, accidental elbows, and desperate attempts to get back on their feet. They finally landed in a pile of damp weeds and moss, just a few steps from the steaming hot spring pool.
Saruto on top, Nasuke below. Locked in a kiss.
An unintentional kiss, unplanned — a cosmic mistake — and yet so real it stole their breath away.
Their lips brushed with the grace of two leaves carried by the wind.
An unreal silence exploded around them, as if an invisible jutsu had enveloped the moment.
The two ninjas — sweaty, disheveled, tangled in a position anything but dignified — and yet strangely comfortable — stared at each other. Nasuke’s eyes flew wide. Saruto’s even wider.
Neither of them were breathing, trying to remember if kissing rivals was part of the secret techniques to distract the opponent. Neither of them dared to move.
Just long enough to feel the warmth, the softness, the flutter and… POOF!
A cloud of smoke burst out of nowhere. And when it cleared, in place of Saruto there was a nine-tailed fox crouched on Nasuke’s chest.
«Oh… crap…» whimpered Saruto, waving his tiny paws, which barely peeked out of the kimono now far too big for his new body. «Please tell me that didn’t just happen!»
Nasuke was still lying underneath him, eyes wide and breath caught somewhere between panic and disbelief. «Are you kidding me?!» He wiped his mouth with his hand while two huge golden eyes stared down at him.
It was too much. The silence shattered in a sudden, uncontrollable laugh. Nasuke let his head fall back and laughed like he hadn’t in years.
«What’s so funny?!» Saruto barked indignantly.
Nasuke actually had to hold a hand over his eyes before he could regain a scrap of composure. «How am I supposed to take you seriously… looking like that?»
Saruto nipped his nose gently in protest, while his nine tails wagged over the brunet’s lower belly.
Nasuke was sorely tempted to stand up and dump him on the floor… except that he did, sort of, look a little bit cute like this, in that weird way that Saruto made everything look beautiful, no matter how ridiculous. With a barely audible sigh, he reached out and gave him a little scratch behind the ear.
Saruto… well, if it were even possible to blush under all that fur, he definitely would have.
He let out a sharp yelp and jumped away with a twitchy motion, more flustered than truly offended — an awkward attempt to hide his embarrassment.
From the frayed sleeve of his kimono, the mochi slipped out and rolled lazily until it stopped right between them. It was deformed, dirty, crusted with dust — a sort of biological threat. It looked rotten.
The moon, silent witness to that madness, seemed to laugh from behind a cloud. But when its light filtered through the clouds and struck the mochi with a flickering gleam, in the blink of an eye the sweet turned white again, soft, inviting. A warm aura surrounded it, as if it glowed from within.
They exchanged a shocked glance, then looked at the mochi. Then back at each other.
«Creepy.» whimpered the fox after a silence thick with tension. He bent down to inspect it more closely, sniffed it, poked it with a few quick taps of his paw. «It smells good.»
«What if it’s a trap?»
Saruto gathered his courage and shouted, «I’m gonna eat it anyway!»
He lunged forward, hungry and determined, mouth already open mid-sprint. But Nasuke was faster: he grabbed his snout with one hand, closing it in a casual, commanding gesture.
«I need it more than you do.»
«How can you say something like that?» the other protested, rising up on two legs with a twitchy motion. His tails lashed furiously behind him. «Did you see what’s happening to me!»
«You’re turning into a funny little critter, not a big deal!» he replied with a shrug, utterly unfazed.
«Oh, not a big deal?» he mocked. «Do you know what happens to someone who turns into a talking fox?» he barked, sticking his snout in his face. «The villagers treat me like a monster! They hunt me down!»
The other crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. «Well, maybe try to keep your mouth shut once in a while! Maybe they’re not hunting you because you’re a monster, but because you’re annoying!»
He stood up, brushing off his dark clothes. In front of him, Saruto looked at him pleadingly, his fur still puffed and his ears drooping. He stared with a lethal mix of embarrassment and threat.
«You just need to stop getting embarrassed, right?» he chuckled, gracefully cheeky. «I’ll teach you a trick to cool down those hot tempers.»
With bewildering nonchalance, he grabbed him by the scruff and tossed him into the spring water.
The porch jutted over the water like a stilt house, held up by beams damp and blackened with age. The lanterns hanging under the rafters swayed gently, stirred by a warm breeze laced with steam. Where the corridor ended, the ancient wooden planks gave way to a short stone staircase, worn smooth by footsteps and water. The steps curved down, half-submerged, descending into the wide natural pool that bubbled with stillness: the hot spring steamed gently beneath the moonlight, reflecting the blurred outlines of rocks and moss that grew everywhere, as if nature had chosen to embrace that place suspended in time.
Saruto resurfaced a few seconds later, spluttering, wet hair stuck to his forehead. He had returned to human form. His boyish features were back, but the puppy-like pout remained.
«Have you lost your mind?!»
Nasuke stared at him in silence.
Water trickled down his body, his kimono had fallen open across his chest, revealing tanned, wet skin beneath the heavy fabric. Steam rose thickly around him, blurring his outline, and for a moment he looked like something out of a wet dream.
Every curve of his body, every droplet sliding down his collarbones. The soaked kimono no longer hid a thing. Saruto followed the line of the fabric with his eyes, down to the poorly tied sash.
«Oh, looks like it didn’t work.» he smirked wickedly, tilting to the side with theatrical shamelessness. «You still have your tail.»
Saruto stiffened, grabbing the edge of the kimono to close it as best he could, but it was already too late. Nasuke had already seen too much. And was still looking.
The fox ears and tail popped right back. He blushed, but this time, a mischievous spark danced in his eyes.
«I’m gonna kill you!» he laughed, advancing on him.
In a flash, he was on top of Nasuke, grabbed him by the waist and yanked him down into the water. The spring exploded around them in a splash that echoed off the rocks. A wave engulfed them, warm and gleaming, sending droplets flying through the air.
What followed was a merciless battle: chasing, shoving, stifled laughter that burst out at last, the moon lighting up the smooth, warm rocks, the temple watching over them like a silent guardian.
Nasuke shook his head with a sharp flick, and a cascade of water lifted from his black hair like a glittering veil. The soaked strands spread across his forehead, then fell to the sides with cruel elegance. The moonlight hit his face at the exact moment, tracing silver lines along the drops sliding down his cheeks, his chin, to his neck.
Saruto stared a second too long, completely mesmerized.
«Stop looking at me like that, you perv.» Nasuke murmured, but his voice quivered just enough to ruin the threatening tone. Then he splashed a wave of water straight into his face, snapping him back to reality.
Saruto stopped. Looked at him. Suddenly turned serious, and his voice dropped a tone. «Nasuke…»
The darkhead turned to him, still a little breathless, but alert.
«What’s your curse?» he asked quietly, as if he had been carrying that question for a long time.
«Who says I have one?» he retorted, his tone no longer playful. «Who says I’m not retrieving the mochi for someone else?»
Saruto stared at him with those bright, clear eyes that seemed to dig beneath his skin. He wasn’t buying it. He didn’t believe him, and Nasuke knew it.
He didn’t say anything, but his gaze was an open, insistent question.
The darkhead held his stare for a moment, then looked away. His breathing slowed. When he spoke, his voice was lower, calmer. «The curse of the stone heart.»
«The stone heart?» Saruto echoed, unsettled by such a cruel name.
«It makes me incapable of loving anyone.» the other continued with unnatural calm. «My heart hasn’t beat in years.»
He pronounced each word with carefully measured emotion. Once he started speaking, it suddenly felt easy to go on, as if everything was meant to pour out.
«But it wasn’t always like this.» His voice dropped, barely audible above the sound of the water. «I remember what it felt like. To love. My family… my master…» He paused, then added in a near-whisper: «Someone special.»
Nasuke remembered perfectly what it felt like to feel something for Saruto — that sudden warmth, the pounding in his chest, the sensation of being swept away like a river in flood.
It was affection. Or maybe something more. But now… nothing remained. Only the faded memory of what once was.
As if someone had flipped a switch, leaving him hollow, motionless, unable to feel anything at all.
And yet, Saruto kept looking at him, as if he knew. As if he’d been waiting for him all along.
«I don’t feel anything.»
Time seemed to stop there, between the ripples of water that mirrored the sky and their tangled shadows.
Saruto stepped away in silence. He climbed the slippery steps with bare feet and reached the little mochi sitting further down the porch. It looked different now. More fragile. More important. He picked it up gently, as if afraid to damage it. Then he returned and crouched on the first step, knees drawn in, back slightly curved.
Nasuke joined him a moment later. He hesitated briefly, then sat down beside him.
The stars, nosy as ever, had fun watching them draw close once again.
They looked at each other. And in that silent exchange, it became clear to both that only one of them could break the curse. Only one could return to how he was before.
Saruto lowered his gaze to his hands, wrapped around the sweet. A sigh escaped his lips.
«You should eat it.» he said, and with a hesitant yet gentle gesture, offered it to Nasuke. His heart trembled in his chest, but he did it anyway.
Nasuke stared at him, surprised. «You’d give up your only chance to break your curse… for me?»
«Not being able to love is the cruelest curse of all.» he took his hand and placed the mochi in his palm. «I don’t want to be the one to steal love away from you.»
The darkhead remained silent. Then, almost imperceptibly, he nodded. He brought the mochi to his mouth… and paused. He looked at Saruto, who gave him a small smile, sad but sincere.
With his usual calm, unreadable expression, Nasuke slowly leaned toward him. Their lips brushed just as he pushed the mochi into Saruto’s mouth, where it split in half with a kiss. The mochi, stubborn and chewy, resisted with all its might, tearing only after a shared moment of awkwardness that made them smile against each other’s lips.
«Feel any different?» Saruto muttered through a mouthful. Then he swallowed with a puzzled expression, and added: «How do we know if it worked?»
«There’s only one way to find out.» Nasuke smiled, a playful glint in his eyes, and leaned in again.
This time, Saruto met him halfway. Despite the nervousness, the fear, the excitement swirling in his chest, he truly wanted to taste that kiss.
The taste was the same — a sweet, sticky aftertaste — but something had changed.
That kiss was different. It wasn’t awkward or hesitant.
The darkhead pulled him close, and Saruto responded with a small lick. Nasuke smiled and captured his lower lip between his own, sucking lightly, tracing it with his tongue.
When they pulled away, it was reluctantly. But curiosity to know whether they had truly broken their curses was too strong.
Saruto moved first. He pulled back slowly, with a focused expression, almost comical in its seriousness. He glanced down at his hands, then felt his ears, his cheeks, his back… no claws, no fangs, no fur, no tail.
«I’m… I’m human!» he said, as if he hadn’t really expected it. His eyes lit up and he laughed. «It worked!»
He turned, full of joy, to share the discovery with Nasuke. But the other boy had his eyes downcast. One hand pressed against his chest, as if he were still waiting to feel a heartbeat.
«Nasuke…?»
Nasuke didn’t respond immediately. He lifted his eyes just a little.
What if… what if it hadn’t worked for him? What if his heart was still stone?
Saruto leaned toward him, his breath caught in his throat. He almost felt guilty, hearing how hard his own heart was pounding.
Then finally, Nasuke smiled. «I feel it.»
Nasuke gently took Saruto's hand and placed it over his chest, their fingers intertwined over the now-damp fabric.
The heart, though shy, had started beating again. «It hurts a little. But…» he whispered, voice trembling slightly as he admitted it, «I missed feeling it beat in my chest.»
Saruto stared at him, frozen for a second. Then, inevitably, he smiled back.
«I want a bath.» Nasuke said quietly, almost unexpectedly. He stood up slowly and made his way to the porch behind Saruto.
The blondhead boy stayed still, listening to the muffled sounds of clothes falling one after another, and the soft steps of Nasuke returning to the hot spring. He watched him slip into the water with fluid grace, settling on a seat carved into the rock at the bottom of the pool, and for a moment it was as if the world had slowed down.
Encouraged by the gesture, Saruto took a deep breath, slipped out of his kimono, and let it fall on the stone step. He lowered himself into the steaming water, but chose to stay at a distance, settling on the opposite side of the bath, as if that small space could contain the agitation making his chest tremble. He let himself fall back, feeling the water envelop him, nearly covering him completely. He closed his eyes, letting himself be carried by the muffled sound created by the water’s pressure. He gently raised one leg from the water and brushed his toe against the wall, shivering pleasantly from the contrast between the hot water and the cool surface beneath his foot as he pressed it more firmly.
He felt every muscle, tired and tense after the long day, slowly melt away, lulled by the surrounding heat.
Then, he caught Nasuke’s gaze. That silent tension they both had been trying to ignore suddenly became evident. It was an unspoken game and both of them knew it well. Nasuke pretended not to notice, rubbing his shoulders and chest as if simply washing away the fatigue, then patted the stone beside him — a silent, irresistible invitation to join him.
Saruto moved with measured ease and sat on the little rock platform without hesitation.
Nasuke, however, wasn’t much of a talker, and so the two ninjas remained seated in the warm water in companionable silence. A silence Saruto was desperately trying to interpret, while searching for a way to make a move, to break that delicate balance.
«So…» he began, and even that single word sounded awkward. «What do you think it’ll be like… living a normal life, without the curses?»
Nasuke didn’t answer right away. He leaned back into the warm water with a barely audible sigh, finally relaxing his shoulders.
«I don’t even know what "normal" means anymore…» he murmured at last, eyes closed. He pressed hard against the stone wall, breathing in short breaths. «Let’s just enjoy one simple, normal night. We’ll think about the rest tomorrow.»
Saruto nodded. He pretended to close his eyes, but every now and then he peeked sideways to glance at Nasuke. He waited, and waited, until he found the courage to stretch out his foot under the water and brush it against the darkhead’s muscular calf. He stayed still, listening for the slightest sign of rejection — but none came. Only silence.
Nasuke opened his eyes and stared at him, a faint smile on his lips. There was something soft and sharp in that gaze. He slipped an arm behind Saruto’s shoulders, tangled a hand in his still-dripping hair, and gently pulled him in for a kiss that melted away all hesitation.
Saruto melted against him. But he was the first to break the kiss, only to move a few centimeters and inhale the scent of his damp skin. He nuzzled his nose behind Nasuke’s ear, releasing a low sound, like contented purring.
Little jolts of joy traveled down his spine every time the dark hair brushed against his cheek.
«Foxes show affection by nibbling.» whispered the blondhead with a mischievous smile, then bit Nasuke’s earlobe gently, worrying it between his teeth.
Nasuke let his hand slide beneath the surface, gripping Saruto’s knee. «Interesting… I wonder if you're ready to find out what I do when I return affection.»
He began to massage him slowly, in firm, circular motions, tracing the curve of the muscle. Then he moved upward, slow and sure, brushing his nails across Saruto’s pale skin, drawing a faint, uneven line along his hip as if marking it with his touch.
Saruto jolted, caught off guard. His heart leapt in his chest and, instinctively, he grabbed Nasuke’s porcelain-toned arm — but he didn’t stop him. Not really. The gesture felt more like a need than a rejection.
The other’s hand kept moving, free, gliding along his thigh where the contact grew lighter, almost ticklish. Saruto closed his eyes for a moment, torn between a smile and a stifled moan, as every fiber of his body lit up under those fingers.
And if until then his cheeks had been red from heat and embarrassment, it was nothing compared to the flush that now flared across his face as that exploring hand ventured higher — bolder, more determined. His heart pounded. A knot of anticipation formed deep in his belly — desire… and perhaps a touch of fear.
The trembling that rippled through his body spread in gentle waves, wrapping around his erection like a warm, liquid embrace.
Nasuke circled the area, lingering, tracing invisible rings in the water with his hand, and every motion sent a shiver through Saruto’s core, making him giggle and moan at the same time.
After all, he wanted the pleasure to last. There was no rush.
When he finally touched him, he did so with a tenderness that felt almost reverent. The tips of his fingers brushed over Saruto’s arousal in slow, cautious strokes, up and down, as if still exploring sacred ground. And that’s when a high-pitched, involuntary sound escaped Saruto’s lips — a startled “yip!” like a true fox caught by surprise.
Nasuke stared at him, puzzled, but with an amused smile. «Did you just… yip?»
«Sorry… habit.» he blurted, adorably embarrassed.
He’d never felt anything like it. Nasuke’s hand, rough and calloused from sword training, gave a sensation that made his head spin. It was all too much — too intense, too perfect.
Saruto leaned forward and kissed that self-satisfied smirk straight off Nasuke’s lips. But the latter giggled against his mouth, like he knew exactly what he was doing — and how much of an effect he was having.
Saruto’s hand slipped between Nasuke’s legs with slightly overzealous fervor, squeezing a bit harder than he meant to. The gasp it drew made him widen his eyes, but the silent reaction from the other — the hitched breath, the goosebumps racing across his skin — was enough to reassure him.
He kept moving, slow and steady strokes that grew faster and faster. His breath came out hoarse as Nasuke’s heavy breathing filled his ears. He felt him push into his hand, and that instinctive motion ignited him further. He spread his legs, raising one to rest over his partner’s knee as their movements intensified.
He pressed his back against the rocky wall and panted hard, feeling his release claw its way through him.
He had no awareness of anything else — only the pleasure. Blinding, ruthless pleasure. He stifled a growl and dug his nails into Nasuke’s pale arm, desperate to drag him down into the same abyss of release. He thrust into the water, syncing with the frantic jerks of the other’s hand, until a strangled cry broke free from his lips. Everything burned: inside, outside, through him. Every muscle contracted, then released, in one intense and violent wave.
When the wave finally passed and his body calmed, he opened his eyes and looked toward Nasuke. For a moment, he simply took in his beauty. Long black hair framed a flushed, breathless face, while his lean, toned body arched under the touch of Saruto’s fingers — fingers that had never stopped caressing him.
He shifted slightly to the side, keeping a firm grip on the darkhead’s erection. He felt it throb between his fingers — alive, hot, ready. His hand moved faster, guided by both desire and devotion. Nasuke moaned — a lot, maybe too much — but it didn’t matter. He was too far gone to care.
The end came quickly. Perhaps too quickly. Nasuke wanted it — and yet, a part of him wished he could stay in that perfect limbo forever.
Their mutual enthusiasm made up for their lack of experience, guiding them more with heart than technique.
Around them, the water seemed to pulse to the same rhythm, embracing them in their journey.
In the dim glow of the bath, the two ninja came together beneath the impassive gaze of the moon, wrapped in the warm steam and dancing shadows of the temple.
Time, in that place, seemed to have stopped. But outside, dawn had already begun to chip away at the edges of the night, dissolving shadows and painting the sky with a hint of pale pink.
Nasuke was the first to rise from the water. His still-damp clothes clung to him, but he didn’t seem to care. He dressed in silence, eyes cast down, as the steam faded around his figure.
Saruto emerged too. He picked up his clothes from the floor, dressing with trembling hands. When he looked up, he noticed Nasuke glancing at him from the corner of his eye, as if wanting to say something but unable to find the words.
«So what now?» he finally asked, breaking the silence that weighed like a boulder. «Are you leaving?»
Nasuke nodded. «If I stayed, I’d just end up wanting another night like this.»
Saruto’s heart skipped a beat. «A normal night, huh?» he murmured, just a whisper. But he knew Nasuke had heard. «If this is normal… then I hope we have a thousand more like it.»
Nasuke didn’t answer right away. He adjusted the final buckle of his ninja uniform, then lowered his gaze. «I can’t stay, Saruto. I’ve got missions to complete. Far from here.»
Silence fell between them like the moment before a storm, broken only by the soft murmur of water trickling in the hot spring.
Then, Nasuke turned to him with a strange glint in his eyes. «Just so you know…» he said, biting his lip to keep from smiling too wide. «Next time, I won’t go easy on you.»
«There’ll be a next time?» his eyes sparkled like he’d just been handed the most precious gift in the world.
Nasuke didn’t reply, but his smile widened just a bit more.
At dawn, without a single word, they parted with a long look.
It wasn’t goodbye.
They knew they’d find each other again.
Someday.
For another kiss.
Or another mochi.
Who knows.

And that’s how two rival ninjas discovered that sometimes, you just have to stop fighting… and share a dessert.
That night, between two stubborn souls, something was born — something no rivalry, no legendary mochi, no curse could ever erase.

End of the tale for true connoisseurs,
signed by the one and only Jiraiya-sama:
the greatest shinobi and casanova of all time,
author of masterpieces, misunderstood poet and visionary,
and direct witness to heartbreaking love stories between young ninjas whose identities are legally untraceable to any real persons, but are most definitely of age and fully consenting.

Chapter Text

In the Valley of the End, the roar of the waterfall drowned out everything. A deep, unstoppable rumble crashing between rocky walls, making the air vibrate and the very earth tremble.
The thunder of the last blow had long since faded, yet its echo still hung suspended in the atmosphere, like an invisible wave refusing to vanish.
At the feet of the two stone giants — the ancient founders of Konoha who watched over that sacred and cursed place — the battle had come to an end.
It had been a brutal, fierce fight.
There was no longer just rivalry, fear of falling behind, and the desperate need to prove themselves to each other.
There were compressed feelings clashing with the force of a hurricane. Two hearts in collision. Two destinies close, yet unable to walk the same path.
Naruto hadn’t fought for victory. He had fought to hold him back, to save him.
Sasuke, instead, had fought to sever every bond. A desperate plea to be let go.
And yet, in the instant their chakra clashed — equal and opposite — there was no hatred.
Only pain. Immense and unconfessable.
This time, they hadn’t stopped. They had gone far beyond that limit they should never have crossed.
Perhaps even beyond the point of no return.
The Valley of the End had put them face to face. Alone at the center of the world, as if it had always been their destiny.
Naruto had proven stronger than expected. He had held his ground against Sasuke despite the power of the Curse Mark. He had forced him to push beyond his limits, deeper and deeper — until Sasuke lost control.
There had been moments in the fight when he no longer knew where his thoughts ended and the blind fury of the Mark began.
Had he truly tried to kill Naruto?
He didn’t know.
And the very fact that he couldn’t answer terrified him.
Yet, amid that storm of madness clouding his reason, before the Mark could consume him completely, he had looked Naruto in his big blue eyes and asked him a sincere question.
«Can you see what’s really inside my heart?»
Why had he asked?
Because, even if he was hurting him… even if he was losing control… even if his conscience was fading into chaos… a part of him — a small, hidden, desperate part — wanted Naruto to know the truth.
To understand that this wasn’t what he truly wanted.
He hoped that he didn’t hate him.
But the fact that, in that moment, Sasuke’s face was twisted into a mad grin and his lips curled into a cruel smile certainly didn’t help Naruto understand what he was really feeling.
Especially since, a moment later, he had thrown a Chidori straight at his heart — and only thanks to the intervention of the Fox had the blow pierced his shoulder, missing him by a hair.
And if Naruto hadn’t diverted it?
Would Sasuke have done it himself, at the last moment?
Deep down, he feared the answer. He feared that if Naruto hadn’t drawn out that red and terrifying chakra… if he hadn’t transformed into that unstoppable creature… maybe he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from killing him.
While gripping his hand around Naruto’s throat, he had thought of Itachi.
During the coma in which his brother had forced him to relive the clan massacre in an endless loop for seventy hours, Sasuke had remembered painful details of what he had told him that night. Details he had repressed… that he had wanted to forget.
But now they echoed loudly in his head. Clear. Relentless.
“Like me, you will awaken the powers of the Mangekyou Sharingan. However, on one condition… you must kill… your closest friend.”
Naruto was his friend.
His first, his only.
His light, his Sun.
And he was there, among debris and puddles. Unconscious, his face dirty with blood and mud.
He stared at him for a long time, exhausted.
It was over. He had won.
He could have ended it all. Just one blow, and every bond would be broken forever.
But he didn’t move.
Sasuke didn’t kill his closest friend.
And in that choice, there was something that still tied him to him.
Something he couldn’t break. Even if he wanted to.
The sky had closed above them, darkening from the immense energy released by the battle.
A thin beam of light filtered through the heavy clouds and lit up Naruto, narrowing little by little until it faded into a tiny point between his closed eyes.
Sasuke’s forehead protector came loose and fell beside Naruto’s motionless body with a muffled sound. That was when the Uchiha lowered his gaze, just slightly, and saw the scratch carved into the metal.
He had hit him… even though he’d said, more than once, that a loser like him would never even be able to touch him.
But Naruto wasn’t a loser. He hadn’t been one in a long time.
«Naruto…» he whispered, his voice breaking. There were too many things he couldn’t say. Too many he couldn’t even think without feeling a knot tighten in his throat. «I…»
Suddenly, it began to rain. Sasuke raised his face to the sky — his skin burned by the Curse Mark, his body exhausted — and let the water pour down on him, as if it could wash away the blood, the pain, the guilt. His breath was ragged, labored. The beating of his heart blended with the drumming of the rain.
He closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to freeze time, or erase everything. But nothing disappeared. It was all still there. The torn shirt, the scratched skin, the arm still trembling after the last Chidori.
Naruto was still there.
A sharp pain flared from the Mark on his shoulder, and he dropped to his knees. He collapsed, clutching his left arm and spitting blood just inches from Naruto’s blond head.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself hunched over him. Face to face, but reversed.
Naruto below, Sasuke above — broken, but still aligned.
Unable to look away from Naruto’s bruised face, he stared for a long time. In silence. As if trying to burn that image into memory before leaving it behind.
«I've tried.» Sasuke whispered something Naruto would never hear. «I've tried, Naruto, to see myself as you did.»
He could feel the faint warmth of his breath against his frozen skin. «But I know who I am. And what I am…» the bitterness burned in his throat. «I’m an avenger.»
His voice softened a little — the confession slipping out despite his best efforts to keep his emotions in check. «You can't watch over me anymore. Now you have to look away.»
Sasuke leaned in closer, until his forehead rested against Naruto’s. Opposites, yet connected.
The cold metal of Naruto’s forehead protector pressed against his skin — still firmly in place, unlike his own, now lost.
«Stop worrying about me, usuratonkachi.»
Sasuke hated the part of himself that wanted to stay.
That wanted to hold him.
That wanted to hear his voice again, even just to argue. To be called “teme” one last time.
He hated himself for almost killing him.
He stood up slowly. With effort, he climbed back up the waterfall, and when he reached the top, he turned to look down at the valley. From up there, the Hidden Leaf Village looked small and distant — a faded memory on the horizon, as if it no longer belonged to him. He didn’t belong anywhere anymore.
Sasuke had made his decision.
Even though he had chosen to leave Konoha in search of power, consumed by his demons — just like Itachi had done — he would not follow in his brother’s footsteps.
He made a promise to him and to himself.
“I won’t be your puppet. I’ll obtain power my way. I’ll surpass you my way!”

He had just crossed the border of the Valley when he felt something. Like a blow to the chest. He turned slightly, by instinct.
Naruto was awake.
For the first time, he distinctly sensed his chakra signature — and clearly felt how much he was suffering.
But Sasuke didn’t stop. He kept walking down the dark path he had chosen — a path from which he could no longer turn back. He dragged his feet, each step heavier than the last, each one feeling like a betrayal.
But he kept going, with water running down his back and his hands pressed to his wounds to ease the pain. He tried desperately to push from his mind the image of Naruto lying unconscious on the ground, left behind in the Valley of the End — on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice.
Even though Sasuke had never been to the Village of Sound, he made his way to Orochimaru’s secret hideout — the one Konoha’s Anbu had been searching for years, to no avail.
Sasuke reached it effortlessly, guided by the strong pull of the Cursed Mark, which drew him toward Orochimaru. Each step closer made his skin burn and his blood turn to ice. If he didn’t hurry, that power would consume him before he even arrived.
When he finally reached the underground hideout, he found Kabuto waiting for him.
«You?» he panted, stumbling down the stairs to the entrance but stopping at a safe distance. «So it’s true. You really are one of Orochimaru’s lackeys.»
Kabuto gave a slight smile. «The master is expecting you.»
In a cold tone, the gray-haired boy asked what had become of his traveling companions, though he already knew. He showed no concern or sympathy when the Uchiha told him what little he knew of the Sound Four’s grim fate.
A sudden, searing pain bent him over. The Cursed Mark flared through his flesh with a violent sting that tore a groan from his throat. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his neck, while Kabuto watched with a satisfied smirk.
«Now we can have some fun together, Sasuke-kun.»
Sasuke fought with the last of his strength to stay conscious, refusing to be left helpless in the hands of a man he didn’t trust. But in the end, he collapsed, exhausted, to the floor.

Sasuke still lay unconscious on a cot that looked like something between an operating table and an autopsy slab. The slightly raised edges and stitched padding made it resemble a deathbed.
Dozens of tubes hung from the ceiling like silent snakes, and IV bags filled with fluorescent green fluid dripped slowly onto the floor.
Everything around him was dark. The only light came from a wall of monitors. Their flickering reflections intermittently lit the boy’s pale face and the controls of a central computer that monitored his vital signs — and simultaneously surveyed the security cameras scattered throughout the hideout.
«Kabuto-san!»
Though her arrival had been shown on the monitors, that shrill voice shattered the silence reigning in the room.
«You’re late, Karin.» the medical ninja scolded her without even turning around.
«I got here as fast as I could!» the girl was still out of breath after running through the immense cavern to reach him in that macabre-looking infirmary. «Orochimaru-sama…»
«Orochimaru-sama was forced to perform the Immortality Technique earlier than expected.» Kabuto cut her off. «He chose Gen’yumaru.»
Karin’s urge to protest died instantly when the boy stepped aside, and she finally realized that the one lying on the cot wasn’t Kimimaro anymore — but an unexpected, pleasant sight that quickly distracted her from everything else.
«And that… who’s that?»
«That’s Uchiha Sasuke. He just arrived and he’s already Orochimaru-sama’s favorite.» the note of resentment in his voice was unmistakable. «He’s a strange one. He came to us of his own accord, to grow stronger — to achieve a certain goal.»
«A goal?»
«Though I doubt he’ll succeed.» the medical ninja scoffed and stepped to the side to arrange some tools on a small tray nearby.
But the redhead was no longer listening. She took the chance to move closer to the boy and study him more closely.
«Uchiha… Sasuke…» she whispered.
One glance — not even a careful one — was enough for her to recognize him. She had already seen him during that year’s chūnin exams in Konoha. It was him. The boy who had saved her from a giant bear during the second test. They had both had the Earth scroll, so he had walked away without even telling her his name. But before that… before that, he had smiled at her.
That smile was all it took. In those few seconds, she had fallen for him. So much that from that moment on, she had started wishing she could see his face again one day.
And there he was. Right in front of her. As if fate had brought him back into her life. Even in that hellhole, even under the sickly neon lights, Karin could still see meaning in everything. Maybe… maybe they really were destined to find each other again. And to stay together. Forever.
«He’s destined to be Orochimaru-sama’s next vessel.»
«O-Orochimaru-sama’s v-vessel?!» the girl with glasses snapped out of her daydream, and reality hit her so hard she almost cried, thinking of how much of a waste it would be to give that perfect body to the slimy snake-man.
Still, Karin intended to show devotion to the sannin — but more importantly, she had to hide any sign of interest in Sasuke.
«And who’s this brat to deserve such an honor?» she asked, masking her voice with disdain.
«This brat, as you call him, is about your age.» Kabuto didn’t hide his intent to tease her — calling her a brat too, just not openly. «Even if he looks harmless and defenseless at first glance, his techniques make him a top-tier lethal weapon. He possesses one of the Three Great Dōjutsu. No wonder Orochimaru-sama is interested in him.»
Karin stepped closer again, this time more cautiously. She leaned in just a bit and, discreetly, began to sniff him. She didn’t want Kabuto to notice — but the Uchiha’s chakra had an irresistible scent.
«And you’ll be the one taking care of him until then.» Kabuto added.
«You expect me to babysit him?» her superior’s words distracted her again. «Not a chance!»
«Already complaining? This is a direct order from Orochimaru-sama. And let me remind you — you swore eternal loyalty to the master.»
«Y-yeah, but…»
«If you’re worried he might get attached to you, there’s no danger. With your awful personality, that’s impossible.»
«S-shut up, Kabuto-ssssorry!» she realized she had gone too far and quickly returned to her subordinate role. The redhead just hoped that her fiery temper — repressed for years and only now resurfacing — wouldn’t cost her her place among Orochimaru’s ranks.
Luckily, Kabuto didn’t seem offended. On the contrary, he snorted a laugh at her boldness, thinking of how similar the two brats really were.
«You two make quite the pair.»
Her face immediately turned the same color as her hair. Even though she secretly agreed with her superior, she quickly regained her composure, not wanting to seem like a girl helplessly caught up in a crush. «Fine, but just so we’re clear — if he doesn’t do what I say, he’ll regret it.»
«Instead of whining, try to stay on your guard.»
«On guard? Why?»
«You don’t know?» he asked, with a smug look. «The entire Sound Four was sent to retrieve Sasuke-kun, but none of them returned. He made it here on his own. Konoha is probably moving by now. They might have sent someone after him — best not to get involved.»
Kabuto turned back to his subordinate with a sharp, serious gaze.
«Orochimaru-sama gave us a very clear order: we must not allow Sasuke-kun to return to Konoha. We are to stop him — by any means necessary.»
«I know that! You don’t need to tell me!»
«Suit yourself. But remember: if you fail this mission with Sasuke-kun, you can forget about ever advancing your position here.»
Kabuto checked the patient’s stats on the computer once more before giving his final orders. «Don’t try anything stupid. And keep an eye on the brat. I don’t trust him — he might even be a spy.»

                                        ~~~***~~~

Naruto woke up slowly, like someone resurfacing from a deep abyss. He felt hot, his mouth dry, and every fiber of his body ached. He blinked several times, disoriented, until the hospital room came into focus: the white ceiling, the window flooded with light, the faint smell of disinfectant.
Sitting on the bed, one leg bent and his gaze lost in thought, was Kakashi.
«Sensei?» Naruto murmured, his voice still thick and groggy.
Kakashi turned. His visible eye seemed to smile. «Oh. You’re awake.» his voice was low and calm, as if he’d been waiting there for hours.
The boy slowly pushed himself up, groaning. «How… how long has it been?»
«Two days. You took quite a nap.»
Naruto clenched his jaw, frustration rising inside him. Two days. Two days he had stayed there, unmoving, while Sasuke had gotten further and further away.
A sharp pain flared in his chest, something between anger and remorse. A pain that didn’t come from his wounds.
Kakashi didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled something out, holding it for a moment between his fingers. Then he let it drop onto Naruto’s knees.
It was Sasuke’s forehead protector.
«I found it next to you in the Valley.» Kakashi said softly. «He probably lost it during the fight.»
The blondhead stared at it for a long time. His breath caught in his throat. His hands trembled slightly as he picked it up gently. The metal was cold, marked from battle… scratched.
A clean, horizontal slash ran across the Leaf emblem. It was the same symbol the Akatsuki members carved into their forehead protectors to declare they had renounced their village. The mark of a traitor.
«He… he said I’m his best friend. And then…» Naruto bit his lip. His fingers, wrapped tightly around the headband, trembled slightly. «He tried to kill me.»
«Naruto, I don’t think he-»
«Did you hear what I said?» Naruto snapped, his voice tinged with anger. «Sasuke said he would kill me. And he wasn’t joking. He really tried, dattebayo!» he threw him a sharp look. «Unless murder is a sign of affection for the Uchiha, I don’t think Sasuke… cares about me.»
Kakashi sighed. A short sigh, heavy with fatigue. «Love is a complex emotion, Naruto. And just because Sasuke says he wants to kill you… doesn’t mean that’s what he truly feels in his heart. Especially when it comes to an Uchiha.» he gave a faint, bitter smile. «The Uchiha have a different way of showing their feelings. They lived… they live everything intensely. Even emotions.»
Naruto thought back to what Sasuke had said during their fight:
“A frist-class ninja can read his opponent’s heart just by trading blows with him once.”
Maybe that’s what Sasuke had meant when he asked if Naruto could see what’s really inside his heart.
Not to listen to his words, but to see the truth hidden behind his actions. To understand what he couldn’t say.
Naruto had always believed that the two of them could read each other’s hearts. That they could understand one another without speaking.
And yet… Sasuke had aimed for his heart… with the Chidori.
And this made him doubt everything.
Maybe Sasuke really wanted to eliminate him.
Maybe he didn’t understand him at all, not like he’d always believed.
Maybe he was the only one who had thought they were friends.
And if that was true… then he’d been a fool.
Kakashi watched him in silence. He knew that look. He knew exactly what was going through his head.
«Sasuke is full of anger, and hatred. But also… of affection. Of love. He just doesn’t know how to deal with it. He’s confused… scared.» he sighed, his expression softening for a moment. «He lost everyone he ever loved in the most violent way possible. And now… he’s afraid to love again. Because losing someone again would be unbearable. And when you’re afraid to love, Naruto… sometimes you destroy everything that matters, before someone else can take it from you.»
«So what am I supposed to do?» Naruto asked.
Kakashi scratched the back of his head, like he always did when he didn’t know where to start. «Ah, Naruto… I don’t have an answer for that. Trying to reach him and save him from the darkness he’s fallen into won’t be easy. You’ll have to be stronger than his anger. You’ll have to endure even when he pushes you away.»
Naruto lowered his gaze. «I promised…» he closed his eyes, his voice shaking. «I promised I would bring him back.»
Kakashi shook his head with a sad but understanding expression. «Not all promises can be kept in a day. Some… take a lifetime.»
Naruto nodded, and his face grew a little sadder. «I’ll bring him back. Even if it costs me my life. I won’t go back on my word… it’s my nindō, dattebayo!»
He lifted his gaze, more serious than ever. «It’s the promise of my life.»
Kakashi tilted his head slightly. «The promise of your life?»
«I promised Sakura I’d bring him back to her… because she really cares about Sasuke. I know how much pain she’s feeling for him.»
Naruto’s voice faded, and his heart beat hard with a mix of emotions. «I understand it…»
Kakashi scratched his head again, letting out a long, tired sigh. «I’m starting to think you understand him better than anyone else, Naruto.»
Naruto saw his teacher lean over him, then felt his hand gently rest on his own — the one still clutching the forehead protector. «Take it with you,» he said, giving it a light squeeze. «Hold on to it until Sasuke is ready to take it back.»
«Thanks… sensei.» His eyes welled up, but the tears didn’t fall.
«Get some more rest.» He placed a hand on his head and gently ruffled his golden hair. «Tomorrow you can start thinking about how to keep your promise.»
Then he turned toward the door. Took one step. Then another. Then —
«Kakashi-sensei…» Naruto called out, barely above a whisper. «What if he doesn’t want to be saved?»
The jōnin froze at the threshold. «You can’t save someone who’s chosen to fall.»
Naruto’s heart skipped a beat. Those words hit him right in the chest like a punch. But then his teacher went on, in a gentler tone: «But you can be there when he decides to stand back up.»
He could’ve stopped there. But after a brief pause, he added with a hint of irony: «And no… I don’t think he really meant to kill you. If he had, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.»
After the fight on the hospital rooftop, when he had seen his two students launch their most powerful and deadly techniques at each other, Kakashi had truly feared they might kill one another. But the fact that, in the end, Sasuke hadn’t delivered the final blow had given him a sliver of hope.
Naruto huffed, but that idea — however fragile — made him feel a little better.
Kakashi left without another word, gently closing the door behind him.
In the silence that filled the room, Naruto began to sob. He clutched the forehead protector to his chest and, for the first time since it all began… he cried.

“I’ll never abandon you… Sasuke. You and I are friends… now… and forever.”

                                        ~~~***~~~

Karin performed her assigned task with zeal over the following two days. She went to check on her patient frequently — far too often for Kabuto’s liking. But she had her reasons, and they all had the same name: Uchiha Sasuke.
Using her ability to sense chakra, she would indulge in a moment each time to bask in Sasuke’s energy. At first, she just held his hand between hers. Then she moved on to full-on embraces, soaking in the warmth of his blue, steady, reassuring aura.
“Sasuke-kun’s chakra…” she thought each time, her face bright red. “He’s… so cool…”
But one day, she arrived in his room and found the bed empty. Her heart jumped in her chest. She rushed out, dashing through the damp, dark hallways of the hideout until she found him wandering through a forbidden wing, walking slowly between rows of prison cells.
«Sasuke-kun! There you are!» she ran up to him with a relieved smile. «Orochimaru-sama ordered me to be your guide.»
«A guide? Or did he mean guard dog?»
«Well, that too.» she laughed nervously, realizing how accurate his words were. «The master hasn’t met you yet, so he doesn’t know you. But I’m sure he’ll like you once he does.»
«We’ve already met,» he corrected. «He nearly killed me just to test me. Once he decided I was worthy of his attention, he marked me like an animal to make sure I came back.» his voice dripped with sarcasm and disdain. «From what I can tell, he already likes me more than I’d like him to.»
«Well… Orochimaru-sama has some pretty harsh methods, but no one sees hidden potential like he does. If he wanted you here, it means you’re extraordinary.» Karin averted her gaze, trying to hide the blush on her face. «I can see it too. I mean… I just met you, Sasuke-kun, and I already like you.»
Sasuke ignored her, too focused on the disturbing sight around him. «Who are these people?»
The hallway was lined with countless cells, each filled with prisoners of various kinds. Some were in terrible condition; others hardly looked human anymore. Among them were even children younger than him — wounded and terrified.
Sasuke shuddered at Orochimaru’s madness. But he had to admit to himself that there was nothing he could do for them — not yet. Maybe one day, once he was stronger than the Serpent, he’d be able to free them.
«We use them for experiments.» Karin replied, her voice tinged with hesitation. «Orochimaru-sama’s research requires a lot of data. Kabuto-san has been collecting it for years. I help him with that work.»
«So basically, both you and them are sacrificial pawns for Orochimaru.»
«Sacrificial pawns?»
Karin had been working under Orochimaru long enough to know she had slowly lost her compassion for those people, seeing them merely as test subjects. After all, her situation wasn’t much better — she just had the privilege of not being locked in a cage. She was a slave, too. And for the sake of her own survival, she had learned to tolerate the atrocities inflicted on the others.
«Hey, what are you two doing here?» Kabuto appeared behind them without warning. When he noticed them, he stopped writing in the file he held and quickly approached.
«Orochimaru-sama told me to guide him around.» Karin shot back quickly. «Remember?»
«He’s not allowed in here.» Kabuto replied curtly, pointing at Sasuke. Then he shot Karin a disapproving glare. «Don’t take him on too many strolls.»
Sasuke stared back at him with complete lack of respect. «When will I see Orochimaru?»
The impatience and insolence in his voice grated on Kabuto’s nerves.
«Orochimaru-SAMA is recovering and needs rest. He’ll see you in a few days and…» Kabuto adjusted his glasses in that irritating way he always did. The light turned the lenses into mirrored disks, hiding his eyes, though his gaze still felt threatening. «You’ll refer to him with proper respect.»
Karin hurried to step in, trying to smooth over the rising tension. «Alright, let’s keep going. Come on, Sasuke-kun, I’ll show you your room.»
The two kids left the forbidden area and reached another section that was only slightly less macabre. It didn’t look much different, but at least it wasn’t haunted by constant background moans of pain and desperate pleading.
«That’s enough for today. You need to rest.» Karin said, trying to sound cheerful. «But this place isn’t as bad as it looks. There are fully equipped labs, a big library, lots of training grounds… You’ll settle in just fine.»
She led him through the maze of identical corridors without seeming disoriented in the least.
«Every hideout is different, but this one’s my favorite because…» she lowered her gaze and shrugged slightly, «Because I met you here, Sasuke-kun.»
«There are others?» he asked, ignoring her again — just like he did with every other girl who fawned over him on a daily basis. Sasuke had no interest in girls’ attention, especially now that he was finally getting closer to his goal.
«Yes, lots. We used to move every week, but now that Orochimaru-sama isn’t well, we’ve slowed down a bit.»
«What’s wrong with him?»
«Umm, well…» she hesitated. «Ah!» just as they reached a door, she seized the perfect excuse to dodge the question. «Here, this is your room.»
She unlocked it without a key and showed him the inside. «It’s a bit dark and bare, but it’s cozy.»
Her description was accurate: there was a large double bed with a white sheet, a small dresser serving as a nightstand, a wooden desk with a chair, and a single candle.
For Sasuke, it was more than enough. He had everything he needed.
«My room’s down the hall. If you need anything, just let me know.»

                                        ~~~***~~~

Orochimaru’s private chamber was cloaked in darkness. The walls, rough and uneven, looked as though they had been carved directly from the living rock — damp and heavy with the smell of mold. The only source of light came from a few torches mounted on the walls, their yellowish glow flickering faintly, casting long, restless shadows across every surface.
At the center of the room stood a low, square bed, built from dark metal whose edges were worn down by rust. There lay Orochimaru — still as a corpse, cold only in theory. Still, like a snake in the middle of shedding its skin.
There was no furniture, save for a small medical cart with a few empty vials and sharp instruments. No luxury. No comfort. Only the essentials. Only darkness.
Kabuto entered without hurry. He stopped a few steps from the bed, bowing his head slightly.
«What news do you bring me?» Orochimaru asked, his voice hoarse yet controlled. The faintest trace of strain made his tone even more serpentine.
«Everything is proceeding smoothly,» Kabuto replied confidently. «The boy has fully recovered. The Curse Mark has settled deep into his body just as expected. He’s strong enough to begin the procedure.» he walked over to a small side table where several documents lay scattered.
«Sasuke-kun won’t cause any trouble. And if he does…» a flicker of pride crossed his face. «I won’t let him. Either way.»
A faint smile formed beneath the bandages wrapped around Orochimaru’s face. His body, worn down by the Immortality Technique, left him too drained to act — but no less dangerous.
«All that remains is to adjust the drug,» Kabuto added, lowering his gaze as he checked a file in his hands.
«When will it be ready?» Orochimaru whispered, his voice never rising.
«It won’t take long.»
«Then tell Sasuke-kun to be ready at any time.»
A moment’s hesitation flickered in the silverhead ninja’s eyes. «I know I’ve asked this before, but… are you truly certain about that boy?»
Orochimaru remained silent for several seconds. When he spoke, his voice was a cold breath. «Stop doubting. Once his powers reach full maturity, all this effort will begin to bear the most wonderful fruit.»
Kabuto was a skilled spy — and an even better double agent. Perhaps even a triple agent. Orochimaru knew that.
Despite suspecting that his subordinate might one day try to kill the Uchiha, he had ordered him to abduct Sasuke from Konoha… as a test of loyalty.
Orochimaru loved to toy with people’s lives, and he didn’t hesitate to do so even with those who were useful to him.
He had risked losing his most competent subordinate and the perfect vessel with one single reckless gamble.
Kabuto had approached Sasuke while he was in the hospital after his fight with Yoroi in the chūnin exam preliminaries. But Kakashi had stopped him before he could lay a finger on the boy.
Would he have really kidnapped Sasuke and brought him back to Orochimaru?
Or would he have killed him — betraying the Serpent for another master?
Orochimaru didn’t know the answer. But he had chosen Kabuto as his right hand anyway.
Perhaps because of that uncertainty.
«Since you haven’t killed him yet…» he said, with a tone so disarmingly ambiguous it made Kabuto flinch. «I suppose I can entrust him to you. At least until I recover.»
Kabuto smiled. He knew that kind of trust all too well — rare, and dangerously fragile.
«Bring him to me. I want to see him.»

                                        ~~~***~~~

«Sasuke-kun, may I come in?» Karin stepped into the boy’s room after receiving his permission. She found him seated cross-legged at the center of the bed, his back straight, immersed in silent meditation. Despite his detached demeanor, he shifted slightly to make room for her when she timidly sat at the edge of the mattress.
Karin jumped when she felt Sasuke’s hand gently, but firmly, grasp her wrist. He wasn’t rough — just resolute. He raised her arm, studying her skin with sharp focus.
«What are these marks?»
Sasuke had immediately noticed what appeared to be unmistakable bite marks — some old and faded, others more recent, deep and red.
«I-it’s nothing!» she exclaimed, awkwardly trying to pull down the sleeves of her too-short shirt. «I have… special healing abilities.»
The boy’s questioning gaze pushed her to keep talking, even through the embarrassment. «If someone bites any part of my body… they’ll heal.»
Sasuke didn’t answer right away. His eyes darkened. «They’re using you.»
«I’m just trying to earn my place here.» she replied, barely above a whisper.
«You shouldn’t be here.»
«And where should I go?»
«Go home.»
Karin looked at him with a dark, bitter expression. «I don’t have a home. My clan — the Uzumaki — was wiped out a long time ago…»
Sasuke whipped his head around at the sound of that name, his eyes wide. His mind instantly flashed to Naruto, and his heart started beating faster. But Karin didn’t seem to notice his inner turmoil. She continued, in a quieter voice: «Since then, the few survivors have wandered, looking for a place to call home.» after a pause heavy with sadness, she asked:  «Tell me something, Sasuke-kun… do you have somewhere to return to?»
«I don’t.» it came out as a whisper, but he tried to say it with conviction.
«Then… maybe there’s someone waiting for you?»
A tight knot formed in Sasuke’s throat, keeping him from speaking. And maybe that was for the best — because there was no way he could lie convincingly. Not this time. He simply shook his head, gripping the edge of the bed with both hands.
Karin had asked the question fearing the answer, but after hearing it, she looked relieved. A timid smile crept onto her face. «Then… maybe we can make this place our home, Sasuke-kun.»
«Karin…»
«Sasuke-kun!» Kabuto’s voice sliced through the moment like a blade.
Sasuke sprang to his feet as if struck by lightning, snarling toward the boy standing in the doorway: «How much longer are you going to make me wait?»
Kabuto remained calm, unfazed. «The wait is over. Orochimaru-sama has summoned you.»

                                        ~~~***~~~

As Sasuke entered the room, Orochimaru’s cold, dull eyes lit up with satisfaction. Just looking at him was enough to sense the immense power and dormant potential within the young Uchiha.
For the occasion, he had left his bed and forced himself onto a grand armchair placed in the center of the room. He didn’t want to appear vulnerable — as if a being like him could ever truly be.
Despite still being weak, he was terrifying. Most of his body was wrapped in bandages. Only a single serpentine eye peeked out from between the folds and his short, spiky gray hair — a hairstyle very different from his usual flowing mane.
«I’ve been waiting for you, Sasuke-kun,» he chuckled darkly. «I’m glad you’re here.» he stared at him with eyes gleaming with hunger. «Sasuke-kun, you are the chosen one.»
Sasuke ignored the theatrics. «I don’t care. Give me power.»
Kabuto stiffened. «Even if his appearance is different, the man before you is Orochimaru-sama.» he leaned in to whisper sharply in his ear. «If you don’t want to die, you’d better watch your mouth.»
The look Sasuke shot him made him flinch backward. The chakra that rose from the boy was so dark and dense it chilled the blood.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, was delighted. «You’ve come to me seeking power, haven’t you?»
«You were the one who marked me to make me come to you. You sent your lackeys to get me.»
«You’re a lot like me, Sasuke-kun. A genius with tremendous potential.»
Sasuke said nothing, but his gaze darkened. His fingers slowly clenched into a fist.
«There's something much… more captivating about you. You have a deep-rooted anger within you, a twisted thirst for vengeance. I can bring that darkness to the surface, to exploit it and strengthen you in ways you can't even imagine.»
He straightened slightly, and the shadow of his body stretched under the dim light, twisting across the floor like a claw creeping toward Sasuke to crush him.
«Join me and I'll show you true power. I'll help you achieve your goals, and together, we'll crush those who have wronged you. I'll teach you techniques that you've only dreamed of — secrets that will propel you beyond the limits of even the Sharingan.»
Sasuke regarded him coldly. «Don’t think I’m stupid enough to believe you want nothing in return. So tell me: what do you want from me?»
Orochimaru’s serpentine smile widened at Sasuke’s defiant demeanor. «You’re perceptive, Uchiha. There is indeed something I want from you. Something that only you can provide.» His voice lowered, like a whisper slithering along the walls. «You possess the Sharingan, a rare and powerful innate ability.» the dim light cast eerie shadows across his face. «I want you to let me study your eyes — to understand the secrets they hold.»
«That’s all? You just want to study my eyes?»
In response to the subtle venom in those words, Sasuke instinctively activated his Sharingan, locking eyes with Orochimaru with a calm so cold it bordered on inhuman.
The Snake stifled a moan of pleasure, entranced by the three tomoe spinning slowly in his gaze. One more than the last time he had seen him. Orochimaru stared, ravenous.
«My dear Sasuke-kun, it isn't just the eyes I'm interested in. Oh, no.» tilted his head, amused. «I want to attain true understanding of everything in this world. I want to master every jutsu that exists — and for that, I need eternity.» his pupils narrowed to thin slits. «Only one who has spent endless time seeking knowledge can be called a perfected being. For me, a body’s lifespan is far too short. Too fragile.»
That mutilated body was just a shell. Inside... something too ancient to be human stirred.
«I want a younger, more beautiful, stronger body... I want your body, Sasuke-kun. I intend to reincarnate within it... as soon as it becomes to my liking.»
Sasuke shivered at the words and the tone of that repulsive man. But he didn’t let any disgust or fear show. His gaze remained fixed, his face impassive.
Despite his young age, Sasuke wasn’t naïve.
He knew well that to obtain what you want… you have to be ready to sacrifice something.
And to achieve his revenge… how far was he willing to go?
He had already accepted the idea that he might die.
But to become that thing. To surrender his body to a being like Orochimaru. To become a tool of something he despised.
The thought of his own will silenced, his spirit suffocated by a foreign consciousness, made him sick.
He knew exactly what awaited him, even before setting foot in that place.
Naruto had told him.
And yet, despite everything, he had left it all behind just to get there. And now he couldn’t — and wouldn’t — turn back.
«You’re the one who’s supposed to give me power? Are you sure you can deliver on what you promise?»
Standing in front of him, Sasuke could clearly feel the abyssal difference between them. And yet, he stared at him like a little mouse ready to bite a snake a thousand times its size.
«You look like a wreck barely able to stand. You’re a mess.»
Kabuto stepped forward, furious. The lenses of his glasses flashed under the flickering light. But Orochimaru raised his bandaged hand slightly to stop him.
«Ah... so young, and already so arrogant.» narrowed his eyes, his smile dripping with liquid venom. «But that’s fine. It’s part of what I like about you.»
Orochimaru stared at him so intently it felt like he was touching him, as if his snakelike eyes were already probing every inch of his body, imagining what it would be like to inhabit it. «Don’t worry, Sasuke-kun. I’ll return to my usual form soon.»
He made a vague gesture toward Kabuto. «For now, he’ll handle your training. He’s a worthy substitute — at least until I fully recover.»
Kabuto nodded, but his voice was thick with resentment. «Because of that pack of incompetents, the vessel didn’t arrive in time. Now she’ll have to wait three years before she can perform the Immortality Technique again. I should’ve handled it myself…» he shook his head in smug disapproval. «But not all setbacks are bad. We’ll use this time to make him the perfect vessel. To properly prepare him to receive her spirit and hold it permanently.»
He spoke as if Sasuke already belonged to them.
As if his will didn’t matter.
Sasuke had chosen this path of his own accord — yes — but not to become their pawn.
Even among snakes, he was still an Uchiha… and an Uchiha does not bow.
He would let them believe they were in control. Just until he reached his goal.
«Fine.» lifted his chin, face cold and emptied. His voice flat as stone. «But before you get my body, you’ll give me my revenge.»
A satisfied smile stretched across Orochimaru’s face as Sasuke accepted his terms. «Wise decision, Sasuke-kun. I shall be your guide in that quest. And I’ll make sure you get your vengeance.» he chuckled darkly. «But make no mistake, my dear Sasuke-kun. You now belong to me… and when the time comes, your body will be mine to do whatever I please.» his voice dropped, more viscous than ever. «You’ve become my tool. A vessel for my ambitions. Your power will serve only me. And from you, I expect complete obedience.»
Sasuke clenched his teeth, barely holding back a sarcastic, witty retort as he usually would. He needed Orochimaru and couldn’t afford to provoke him.
Orochimaru quirked an eyebrow, amused. He could read his silent anger with unsettling precision.
«Well then?» he leaned in slightly, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
Sasuke returned a blank, unreadable stare. «You’ll have my complete obedience.» without flinching, he told a lie. But it was so well delivered, it could’ve been true.
But not enough to fool someone like Orochimaru. He could sense the lie behind his words, but it didn't bother him. His smile widened at Sasuke’s promise of obedience.
Kabuto stepped forward and added in a honeyed tone: «Orochimaru-sama expects a lot from you, Sasuke-kun. From now on, this will be your only reason to live.»

“I’m different from all of you. I can’t follow the same path you do. Deep down, I’ve already made my choice — to seek revenge… it’s the only reason I live.
I’ll never be like Naruto and Sakura.
From now on, we’ll each walk our own path.”

Chapter Text

They started very early the next morning — but not with training. First came the tests.
Sasuke was subjected to a long list of examinations, none of which made any sense to him. Whatever their purpose, they all seemed to share an annoying fondness for stripping him down and strapping him into cold, noisy machines.
Karin, armed with a notepad and various instruments, carried out her work with meticulous focus, doing her best to maintain a professional demeanor. But it was difficult.
«The parameters are perfect.» she mumbled, struggling not to linger too long on his body. She blushed every time she touched him to remove the electrodes.
«Is all of this really necessary?» the boy muttered. «It’s just a waste of time. When do I get to start training?»
«Calm down, Sasuke-kun.» Kabuto tried to placate him. «To make you into the perfect vessel, it’s not enough to strengthen your body. Other treatments are needed too, to ensure Orochimaru-sama isn’t rejected.»
«Is the Cursed Mark what allows the possession?»
«No, the possession is done through a jutsu. The Mark only serves to make the recipient stronger.»
«How?»
«The Cursed Mark technique was born thanks to one of our... patients. A boy named Jūgo. He was looking for a way to suppress his homicidal urges and came to us for help. His body transforms, becoming a real monster… but in return, his power increases exponentially.» he turned toward a monitor and continued casually. «Orochimaru-sama synthesized an enzyme from his blood, capable of awakening dormant rage in the human body. This causes mutations similar to those of the original host.»
«Is that why I turn into that gargoyle-looking thing?» Sasuke said, with a disgusted expression.
«What’s the matter, Sasuke-kun? Not willing to give up that pretty face of yours for a bit more power?» Kabuto teased.
Sasuke ignored the provocation, more interested in learning the rest. «This Jūgo… how strong is he?»
«Very.» Kabuto said simply.
«But completely out of control.» Karin added right away. Then she made a face, as if trying to downplay it. «But hey, as long as he stays locked in his cell, it’s not a problem.»

When they finally finished, Kabuto led him to their underground training field, which had nothing to envy from those in Konoha.
Much to Sasuke’s disappointment, Orochimaru hadn’t shown up. And yet, the Uchiha was certain the Snake was watching him anyway, hidden behind the lair’s ever-present surveillance.
«Go ahead.» Kabuto said without even turning around.
Sasuke stood still at the center of the room, cautiously looking around. The space was vast, carved directly into solid rock, with a high ceiling supported by metallic arches. The walls were covered in reinforced panels and instruments he didn’t recognize. In front of him, four straw dummies, placed at varying distances, stared at him like motionless ghosts.
«Well?» Kabuto snapped, impatient.
«What am I supposed to do?»
«Take down the targets.»
Sasuke activated the Sharingan. The red of his eyes flashed in the shadows, and the Cursed Mark responded immediately — pulsing out of sync, like a foreign heart under his skin. But he ignored it.
The stone crackled beneath his feet and an instant later the Chidori exploded in his hand with the familiar sound of a thousand birds in flight. He lunged at the first target with surgical precision. The straw figure was sliced cleanly in two, its halves flying apart in a spray of scorched fibers.
Kabuto scribbled something on his clipboard. «Another.»
Sasuke inhaled slowly, trying to summon his chakra again. It took him a few minutes to form a new Chidori. The lightning gathered, weaker, less stable. He hurled it at the second dummy, which collapsed under the blow, though without the same devastating impact.
«Another.»
Sasuke looked up at him, brows knitting slightly. The repeated demands annoyed him, as if he were being made to perform out of sheer boredom.
Still, he didn’t protest. Reluctantly, he got back into position. His arm trembled, worn out. He raised his hand, but the chakra struggled to concentrate. His palm lit up faintly, quivering with an unstable blue light… then fizzled out in a spark.
Kabuto noticed the strange look on his face, the way he kept glancing at him. He could see the conflict in his eyes, as if something inside him was struggling.
«Still stuck at two Chidori?» he remarked casually, not bothering to hide his disappointment. Pulling a pill from his pocket, he added: «Take this, it’ll help you get past the block.»
His smile was kind only on the surface. There was something more behind those words — a shadow of expectation, or perhaps satisfaction.
«I don’t need it.» the boy replied. His eyes turned dark as ink again. «I won’t take that stuff anymore.»
Not far from them, Karin watched in silence, her shoulders drawn in. She ran a hand through her hair but didn’t dare to intervene.
Kabuto raised an eyebrow. «Do you want to surpass your limits or not?» he asked sharply, holding the pill out again. «Then stop whining and take the medicine.» a provocative smirk curved his lips. «You forget you're not in Konoha anymore, where it takes very little to be top of the class.»
Sasuke didn’t respond, but the irritation on his face was clear.
«In just one month of training with Kakashi you learned the Chidori. You picked up and refined Lee’s speed and fighting style. Imagine what you could achieve with our enhancements…»
Sasuke felt a pang in his stomach. It wasn’t just anger — it was frustration. Those words struck him more than he wanted to admit. Kabuto’s voice echoed in his head as the memories of training with Kakashi resurfaced.
He had improved, no doubt, but too slowly.
He had sacrificed everything to gain power. He had left the village knowing that there, they would never let him push beyond his limits. But chasing his goal… was draining him.
«This damn Curse Mark…» he muttered at last, like spitting out a bitter truth. «It doesn’t just drain chakra. It drains me. It’s like it’s eating me from the inside.»
Kabuto gave a slight shrug. «It’s the only way to activate its power.»
«I don’t want to become a mindless beast. I want power under my command. It’s useless if I lose control.»
The medical ninja nodded slowly, as if he had expected that answer. «That’s exactly why you need to take the medicine. It helps you control it.»
«Last time it almost killed me.»
Kabuto shrugged as if it were nothing. «They’re not the same. These are meant to increase your tolerance to cursed chakra, not force the transformation.»
Sasuke gave him a look that hovered between stubbornness and defiance, making it clear he wouldn’t accept the offer.
Without a word, he turned away. He walked a few steps toward the center of the room, shaking out his arms like he was trying to loosen the tension from his bones.
Kabuto chuckled, amused by his stubbornness. He took a step back and kept watching him, intrigued.
The Uchiha took position, activated the Sharingan with a crimson flash, and drew in a deep breath. Despite feeling his chakra drain away, he tried to summon the Chidori.
He clenched his teeth. He was shaking. But he didn’t stop. He had to do it. He had to push past that limit.
He focused every remaining shred of chakra into his trembling hand. The air crackled, sparks danced around his palm — then the light went out all at once. The Chidori vanished with a sharp snap, swallowed by the void.
Sasuke dropped to his knees, gasping. His heart pounded in his chest, every fiber of his body ablaze with exhaustion.
The Curse Mark responded to his collapse with hunger. Black markings flared open across his skin like inky claws, snaking along his neck, down his collarbone, to his arm.
A cry tore from his lips, hoarse and furious. «No!»
He tried to resist, but the cursed chakra surged through him with brutal force, too strong to contain.
He collapsed to the ground, seized by uncontrollable spasms as the markings consumed him entirely.
His breath came in sobs. The chakra thrashed inside him like a wild beast.
He was losing.
He was sinking.
The Curse Mark was about to swallow him whole.
He searched for a foothold in his mind. A thought. A memory.
He remembered the chūnin exams. That time he had managed to push it back.
What had given him the strength to fight then?
What had pushed him to resist?
Naruto.
Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut, searching for him. He called to him in his mind, with the mute desperation of someone drowning. He reached for his presence, like someone reaching for light at the bottom of the dark.
«Sasuke! You call yourself an Uchiha with that?»
The voice seemed to rise from nowhere, as if he were really there. It wasn’t a hallucination. It felt like his spirit was right beside him. Like that stubborn, blazing will to never give up was there for him, once again.
«Temeee! Sasukeeee! Don’t be looking so lame!»
Sasuke gritted his teeth and clung to that presence, to that voice.
He needed it. To save himself. To remember who he was.
«No…»
He imagined Naruto next to him, ready to punch him just to drag him back.
«I won’t be swallowed up… by this thing… No way!»
With all his willpower, he began to push the Mark back. And the Mark… trembled. It paled in the face of that determination.
The black markings began to retreat, fading one by one. They slid back to their point of origin like shadows at sundown.
But then Sasuke was left there. Lying on the cold floor. Motionless.
Karin took a half-step forward, instinctively, but held herself back, arms wrapped tightly around her chest.
Kabuto, on the other hand, watched the scene with unsettling calm, like a scientist jotting down the limits of an experiment before collapse. Then his smile turned smug and cocky. He stepped closer, eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. He crouched down and spoke in a low voice, as if aiming straight for where it would hurt most. «And you… think you can defeat Itachi?» he grabbed Sasuke’s face with both hands, squeezing his cheeks to force him to look at him. Then he let go: Sasuke’s head dropped, gently hitting the stone. «At your current pathetic level… you wouldn’t even graze him.»
Sasuke clenched his fists. An invisible wound, always open, burning every time he thought of his brother.
Kabuto offered him the pill again, like he was doing him a favor he didn’t care for.
Sasuke lifted his gaze slightly, not bothering to hide his disgust. «Go fuck yourself!»
«Oh, if only!» he raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused. «But you know how it is — work keeps me busy.»
«Tsk…» was all Sasuke said, turning his head to the other side. But he didn’t take the pill.
Kabuto stared at him for a long moment, silent. Then he stood up, adjusting his glasses slowly. «As you wish.» he said flatly. «When you’re ready to get serious… let me know.»
He turned his back without waiting for a reply, vanishing into the shadows of the hallway with light steps.
Sasuke knew, unfortunately, that bastard Kabuto was right.
He lowered his gaze, torn. He felt the weight of failure settle on him, the dull hum of humiliation in his head.
He had managed to control the Mark, but he knew that like this, he wouldn’t be able to reach his goal.
He didn’t want to follow his brother’s rules, nor Orochimaru’s.
He would find a way to use the Mark on his own terms.

Not far away, in a dark room on the upper floor, Orochimaru lay on the bed, trapped in that temporary body.
He had enjoyed the show through a small buzzing monitor.
«Once you’ve burned through every last drop of chakra you have left, I’m afraid you’ll have no choice, Sasuke-kun. You’ll have to call upon the power of my Mark. Now… unleash the power of the Mark… it’s sweet and merciless at the same time.»
He had spoken those words with impatience, and when he saw Sasuke collapse to the ground, he pushed himself off the headboard and leaned toward the screen.
He watched him writhe, shake, kick — and then… the Mark began to retreat.
At first, he was annoyed. Then… he stared in awe.
«It’s astonishing. He managed to push back an expanding Mark through sheer force of will.» his whole body began to tremble with excitement. He licked his lips feverishly with his long tongue. «What a magnificent sight!»

                                        ~~~***~~~

The hospital corridor was steeped in ghostly twilight, lit only by dim courtesy lights flickering like dying candles. Everything was silent. Or almost.
A door creaked open with theatrical flair. A bandaged hand appeared first, followed by Naruto’s messy blond head as he peeked down the hallway, right and left, with suspicious caution.
He slipped out with a not-so-subtle burst of energy. He was barefoot, wearing a hospital gown that was two sizes too big, and had Sasuke’s forehead protector stuffed into his back pocket.
«All clear!» he whispered to himself, flattening against the wall and starting to slink along it with exaggerated movements, like a cartoon burglar. But as soon as he turned the corner — SBAM.
He slammed into someone else who, incredibly, had had the same idea. Both of them fell backwards with a dull thud.
«Oww! Watch wh — Kiba?!» Naruto blurted out, rubbing his butt. «What are you doing out of your room?»
«I could ask you the same thing!» growled his teammate, his little fangs showing and bandages still covering half his face.
«I’m going home, dattebayo!» Naruto huffed, crossing his arms.
«Well, me too. I haven’t seen Akamaru in days — I need to check on him.»
After a moment of conspiratorial silence, the two most bullheaded ninja in Konoha exchanged a knowing nod… and resumed their sneaky crawl, one heading left and the other right, moving along the walls with such awkward synchronization it looked choreographed.
But at night, the hospital had a creepy atmosphere. Every step echoed in the silence, and every door creaked by itself.
«What the heck is that?!» Kiba whispered, pointing a trembling finger down the corridor.
A hulking figure was approaching, slow and staggering… it looked like a man without a head.
Tak-Tak-Tak
The two ninja screamed and clung to each other in panic, squeezing their eyes shut and bracing for the worst. But then a beam of moonlight filtered through a window, illuminating the silhouette… and the mystery was solved.
«Bushy Brows?!» Naruto gasped, eyes wide.
Rock Lee was walking down the corridor upside down, balancing on his hands with utmost seriousness.
«Were you escaping too?» Kiba asked.
«Escaping? Absolutely not! I’m training,» Lee replied, giving them a thumbs-up with a twinkle in his eyes. «The power of youth never sleeps!»
«That’s not power… that’s madness.» said a stern voice behind them.
Neji was approaching with slow, composed steps. Even with crutches, he managed to exude an air of authority. His expression was that of an exasperated older brother. «Go back to your rooms and sleep. You’re being ridiculous.»
«Look who’s talking!» muttered Kiba. «You’re not sleeping either!»
«I was sleeping,» Neji clarified, raising an eyebrow. «But a pack of loud idiots woke me up.»
Suddenly, a sharp noise startled them all. They turned toward the window, where a little white furball was whimpering and pawing at the glass with a bandaged paw.
«Akamaru!» Kiba shouted, rushing to open it.
The puppy leapt into his arms and started licking him all over, wagging his tail wildly.
«You escaped too, little guy?» Kiba laughed, petting him.
«He’s a better ninja than you, Kiba!» Naruto teased.
Everyone laughed — even Neji. But only for a moment.
Akamaru froze. He sniffed the air, ears perked, and took off. The group followed him, confused, all the way to the opposite wing of the hospital. The dog slipped into the mess hall pantry through a door left slightly ajar.
Naruto slowly pushed the door open. Inside, the light was dim and flickering, just enough to reveal a crouched figure rummaging through some boxes.
«Hey… whoever you are… you’re surrounded, dattebayo!» shouted the blond, pointing an accusatory finger.
The boy jumped, spinning around with a sausage in hand. Beneath his hospital gown, bandages and glowing healing seals were still visible on his body.
«It’s not stealing! It’s survival!» said a familiar, offended voice. «I was literally starving!»
«Chōji?!» they all exclaimed in unison, finally recognizing their emaciated teammate.
«Shhh!» he hissed, speaking with his mouth full. «The night nurse has the hearing of a bat!»
Kiba’s eyes widened, then he grinned. «We’re breaking out. You in?»
«Deal.» Chōji rolled up the bottom of his gown to make a pouch and began stuffing it with snacks. Then he somersaulted and sprang up with surprising agility for someone in his condition. «I’m sick of hospital food. I want real meat. Grilled!»
The six ninja set off, Naruto at the front like a pint-sized revolutionary captain.
«Operation Night Escape, phase two!» he whispered in an epic tone.
«I don’t even know why I’m following you…» Neji muttered, rubbing his temples.
But near the main hall, their march came to a halt. All the lights were on. Nurses and doctors bustled about with charts and IVs; two ANBU stood on guard by the entrance, still as statues. Getting past them would mean the end of the escape.
«Damn it!» Kiba hissed, crouching low. «What now?»
«There’s only one way…» murmured Neji, pointing to a nearby window. Its lock was broken, and the glass was slightly ajar, letting in the cool night air.
Silently, one by one, they started sneaking toward the window.
Kiba was the first to climb through, followed by Akamaru, who leapt out with the grace of a seasoned ninja.
Then it was Naruto’s turn. He still wasn’t fully recovered, but his desire to get out of there was stronger than anything.
Just as Chōji tried to squeeze through the window, his gown stuffed with snacks, and Lee pushed him from behind with youthful enthusiasm…
«And where do you think you’re going?»
A figure leaned casually against a column, arms crossed, gaze tired, wearing an expression that said only one thing: “Mendōkuse~”.
Everyone froze instantly.
«Shikamaru?!» Chōji jumped, scattering food everywhere.
«And what is she doing here?» asked Naruto, pointing at the girl standing a short distance away. «Why are you with the Sand lady?»
Temari watched them with arms crossed and an irritated look.
«It’s not a date!» Shikamaru blurted out, before anyone had even asked. He turned slightly, blushing. «She… came to check on you guys. Just wanted to say hi.»
Temari raised an eyebrow, eyeing them from head to toe. Once she was sure they were all in one piece, she gave Shikamaru a crooked smile and took her leave in her usual blunt manner. «Later, crybaby.»
She turned to go. But before crossing the courtyard gate, she looked back one last time.
«Hey, blondie!» she said to Naruto with a half-smile. «That Uchiha… make sure you kick his ass and drag him back.»
He simply nodded, more serious than usual.
Shikamaru sighed in exasperation. «Everyone back inside. Now.»
«But-» Naruto tried to protest.
«No buts. If you get caught, I’ll have to write another damn report for Tsunade-sama. And I already have enough to do.»
The blondehead pouted but obeyed. One by one, they all slipped back into the hallway. Chōji clutched what food he’d managed to save like it was treasure.
Shikamaru followed them, just to make sure they actually went back to their rooms.
«You too, Neji?» he asked, surprised. The Hyūga just shrugged and didn’t reply.
They closed the window and padded quietly toward Naruto’s room. The corridor had returned to its usual calm. Their light steps felt out of place, like they were disturbing the silence of a sacred temple.
Behind them, Shikamaru dragged his feet like a man utterly done with life. «Mendōkuse~!»
Chōji sat on the floor and surrounded himself with his loot. Shikamaru leaned against the wall with arms crossed. Lee and Neji took the two armchairs at either side of the room. Akamaru curled up next to Kiba, while Naruto sat cross-legged on the bed, his gaze shadowed.
The boys started complaining to the jōnin for ruining their grand escape — some out loud, some with sulky pouts.
All except Naruto.
«So…» Kiba murmured, noticing how unusually quiet his friend was. «Still thinking about him, huh?»
«Woof!» barked Akamaru, leaping onto the bed and licking Naruto’s face with excitement.
Naruto didn’t answer right away. Then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out the forehead protector. He stared at it in silence for a few moments, clutching it tightly in his hands.
«He’s still out there… all alone…» he whispered. «And I… can’t do anything.»
«He’ll come back!» said Lee, poetic and confident. «The fire of youth will guide him back to the right path!»
«I already told you, Sasuke is currently in darkness.» Neji said, always the fatalist observer. «But you taught me that destiny isn’t set in stone.» he looked at Naruto with those pale eyes that always seemed to see deeper than anyone else. «Even a caged bird, if clever enough, tries to open the cage with its beak… without giving up the desire to fly.»
«He’s the one who chose to run off, isn’t he?» Kiba growled, impulsive and angry. «But just because he messed up… doesn’t mean we’re gonna abandon him. The pack always comes back for its own, period!»
Chōji, kind and empathetic, nodded softly. «Sasuke was starving for something none of us could give him.»
«He wasn’t thinking straight.» added Shikamaru, rational but resigned. «Tsunade-sama told me it was Orochimaru who talked him into it. That guy brainwashed him.»
Naruto nodded, unconvinced, head bowed, still holding Sasuke’s forehead protector.
His friends stared at him in silence for a long moment, unable to find words that could truly reach him. Everything they had said about Sasuke seemed to slide right off him.
It was Kiba who finally broke the stillness. «Hey… I know it hurts, but stop making that kicked puppy face!»
Akamaru barked again in agreement, and Kiba scratched his little head. «Sasuke’s strong, we know that. But so are you.»
«You beat that giant Sand monster. That’s no small thing.»
«Chōji is right!!» nodded Lee, his eyes shining. «If you train your body and spirit with dedication, you can overcome any obstacle! Even the one between you and your lost friend!»
Naruto lifted his gaze just a little. He looked at each of them, as if only now he could truly hear them.
Even Shikamaru, not one for big speeches, crossed his arms and said: «You know, Naruto… Sasuke’s not someone you can talk into doing something. But if you become strong enough, he won’t be able to ignore you.» he gave a faint smile. «Get so strong he has no choice left.»
The blondhead didn’t say a word, but a faint light sparked in his eyes. As if, in the darkness inside him, his friends’ words had cracked the surface just enough to let something in.
There was another beat of silence, then Kiba stretched out a fist toward him.
Naruto slowly returned the gesture. He managed a small but genuine smile, trying to lighten the mood despite the ache in his heart.
He let their voices surround him like a warm blanket. And even though the pain didn’t vanish, it felt just a little lighter. The emptiness inside him ached a little less.
One by one, they drifted off to sleep.
Kiba and Akamaru lay curled up together on the floor, snoring softly in sync. Not far away, Chōji slept hugging a sandwich. Neji had dozed off sitting upright, arms crossed, as if even in sleep he wanted to remain composed. Lee had slumped over the edge of the bed, folded forward, his forehead resting on the soft mattress. Shikamaru lay next to Naruto, one arm tucked behind his head, finally looking at peace.
And Naruto, curled up on his side, clutched Sasuke’s forehead protector to his chest, as if that small object could keep him tethered to him.
When Tsunade entered the room the next morning, with Sakura right behind her, she stopped at the threshold. «What…?»
Before her was a campsite of disheveled ninja snoring in every corner of the room.
Tsunade rubbed her temples. «For heaven’s sake…»

                                        ~~~***~~~

Sasuke was on his knees. His hands planted on the ground, his gaze lost in the cracks of the stone. His ragged breath stirred little clouds of red dust which clung to his skin, mixed with sweat and dried blood. One hand was clutched over his left shoulder, where the skin still bore the dark imprint of the Mark. The black streaks had only just withdrawn, but the burning sensation hadn’t left him.
It was the third time that day it had activated. And the third time Sasuke had managed to pull it back. Barely.
Even the memory of Naruto was starting to fade. It wasn’t enough anymore.
His voice dissolved in his mind, blurry. Distant like a dream slipping away at dawn. And the more he chased it, the more it seemed to vanish.
He tried to stand, but a sudden pain exploded at the base of his skull, radiating down his spine.
«Damn it…» he growled, more out of anger than pain. He gathered what strength he had left and formed the seals. The air quivered around him as he charged the Chidori, but the lightning hissed weakly, like wounded snakes.
The Mark pulsed beneath his skin, as if offering once again the easier path. But he ignored it.
The Chidori exploded in his hand before he could even throw it. He was flung backwards, slammed into the wall, and hit the ground with a dull thud.
He had failed. Again.
For a few seconds, Sasuke didn’t move. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, still flickering from the residual chakra in the air.
A shadow stretched across the floor. «Flat on the ground again?» Kabuto’s voice sounded amused. The worst kind of amused.
Sasuke shut his eyes, trying to block him out.
Kabuto stepped closer with his usual quiet stride. «You’re destroying yourself, you know that?»
«What do you want?» he growled, eyes still closed.
«You tell me, golden boy. You’re the one who came to us for help.» he tilted his head with that theatrical flair of his. «Let me guess, already having second thoughts?»
«Whatever the heck that is.» Sasuke snapped, irritated. «Either way, we done here?»
«Actually, as long as I'm here… why don’t you tell me how far you’ve gotten with controlling the Mark?»
Sasuke stood up slowly, leaning one hand against the wall. He was pale, drenched in sweat, but his eyes were the same as ever: black, steady, sharp. «Well... I'm on it.»
«Unless your ingenious plan to gain power your way involves getting stuck making no progress… I doubt it's working.»
Sasuke shot him a glare. «Shut the fuck up, Kabuto.»
Kabuto grew a little more serious, though his smile didn’t completely fade. «What’s going on with you, huh? You want power… then you don’t. You want revenge… then you act like you couldn’t care less. If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you're stalling.»
Behind the glasses, his eyes gleamed with dangerous intelligence. «I often wonder… what made you change your mind.» he stepped even closer, leaning down just enough to meet his gaze. «The first time you used the Curse Mark… you were furious. Bloodthirsty. It came so… naturally to you.»
Sasuke remembered the moment he’d nearly killed the Sound ninja during the chūnin exams, terrifying all of his Leaf comrades. He could still feel it clearly: the sensation of being invincible and empty at the same time. That uncontrollable urge… to kill.
«Are you resisting just out of pride?» he paused, then drove the knife in. «Or maybe… is it because you’re afraid of hurting someone?»
Sasuke turned sharply. His pupils wide, jaw clenched. He didn’t need the Sharingan to be threatening. He knew exactly who Kabuto was talking about, and he was ready to strike if he dared to say his name.
Kabuto smiled, as if he’d been waiting for this. «Just between us, how did you feel when you almost killed poor Naruto?»
His eyes, void of chakra but full of fury, locked onto Kabuto’s like sharpened blades.
«Not half as good as I'm gonna feel when I kill you.» he stepped forward, menacing. But it wasn’t enough to intimidate Kabuto.
«Mm, love it when you talk dirty.»
He said it with a syrupy smile that made Sasuke want to punch him on the spot.
«You know what I think? I think you felt powerful, manly...» he paused for effect, then lowered his voice with venomous delight. «And afraid.»
«Afraid?» Sasuke echoed coldly.
«You can’t scam a scam artist, kid. You're stalling 'cause you're scared. You’re afraid of yourself… and of what you might become.»
Kabuto stepped closer, leaned in as if to whisper a secret. «I think your dear friend made you soft. And now you don’t know who you are anymore.»
«Shut the fuck up, Kabuto.»
«Yeah, you said that already. You’re kind of repetitive, you know?»
Sasuke stared at him in silence. Blood pounded in his temples, his heart thundered in his chest.
Kabuto straightened, calm as ever. «Look, I merely suggested you might be a bit scared.» he said, as if delivering a diagnosis.
«Yeah, I heard you the first time. You still don't know what the fuck you're talking about.»
«I know that Orochimaru-sama gave you his Mark for a reason. And I know that rather than embracing it, rather than looking at it as the gift that it is, you're sulking like you lost your knuffle kitten.»
Sasuke clenched his teeth. His jaw ached from the tension. His hand moved on instinct to form a seal, but his arm trembled and gave out.
«Your body is failing you, Sasuke-kun. And so is your will.» he straightened with satisfaction. «Maybe you’re not that special after all. Just another kid full of dreams and not nearly enough hunger.»
«Fuck you!» the word came out low and tight, like a bite. But the tone, more than angry, sounded almost tired. He knew there was some truth in those words. That he was falling apart, little by little, day by day. He was hungry for revenge, yes — but not like this. Not crawling. Not becoming like them.
The very air seemed to grow heavier. A faint rustling hissed along the walls — barely audible.
A tall, slender figure emerged from the shadows: pale skin glowed faintly in the dim light, long dark hair framed a sharp, angular face. Golden eyes shimmered with a dunsettling mixture of curiosity and malice.
It was Orochimaru, back in his usual sinister, alien form. His long tongue flicked in and out as he slithered towards his subordinates.
Kabuto turned with calm, adjusted his glasses on his nose, and stepped aside with deference, leaving center stage to his master.
«Why are you fighting what you really are… Sasuke-kun?» the way he said his name was almost a caress, but rough like sandpaper. «We're the same, you and I.»
«I’m nothing like you!» Sasuke’s gaze was icy. «I want to kill one person — and for a reason. I’m an avenger. Not a murderer.»
Orochimaru circled him, like a predator studying its prey. His eyes, locked onto Sasuke, gleamed with sadistic light. He slipped a hand under the collar of Sasuke’s shirt and moved it aside with a slimy slowness, until the Mark came into view.
Sasuke didn’t move. Not out of self-control, but because something in that creature’s chakra held him still, made it hard to breathe.
A flicker of disappointment passed through Orochimaru’s eyes at the sight of the Curse Seal defaced by Kakashi’s interference.
A pitiful attempt at containment. That kind of seal only worked with great willpower. All it took was a moment of self-doubt for the Mark to take over.
But the fact that it was still active was undeniable proof that Sasuke hadn’t given in to the Mark and was using the seal to keep it in check.
«This seal is worthless.» he leaned closer to Sasuke’s neck, sniffing him like an animal. «To get what you desire… the heart must also accept the darkest of powers. You have that inclination. That’s why you came looking for me. Because you want power.»
Then he licked him, slow and nauseating. When his tongue touched the Mark, it pulsed — as if recognizing the touch of its creator.
A shiver ran across Sasuke’s skin, like an invisible serpent crawling down his back. But he gave no satisfaction. He remained perfectly still.
«Sasuke-kun... you are quite the killing machine. And it occurs to me that Itachi is not the only name on your list.» he paused. His tone cracked with false sorrow. «My name must be up there, as well.»
Sasuke, — full-blown and cocky — smiled without denying anything.
«If you want to kill me… why don’t you try?» with a slow, theatrical motion, Orochimaru lifted a hand and placed it gently over Sasuke’s chest — with deceptive softness. «If you’re capable of that… then I have nothing left to teach you.»
It was just a touch, but it was enough: a sudden surge of chakra flooded Sasuke’s body like poison. His smirk turned into a grimace of pain and he dropped to his knees.
Orochimaru leaned closer, closing the distance between their faces like a snake observing prey already caught. «You're strong. But you need to remember – I'm stronger.»
«For now.» he spat the words like a threat — or perhaps a promise. Even on his knees, even bent and wounded… he was still Uchiha Sasuke. And that man, one day, would fear him.
Orochimaru's gaze sharpened as he noted Sasuke's growing anger. The young Uchiha's inner turmoil was evident, and it pleased him to see the darkness within the boy.
«Good, Sasuke-kun. Then become stronger… let your anger consume you. Embrace that hatred, let it fuel your every move.»
He turned to Kabuto and gave him a nod. His loyal right-hand man looked down at Sasuke with a smug grin. He pulled out a pill and handed it to his master with sadistic satisfaction.
Orochimaru took it between his index and middle fingers, letting it sway in front of Sasuke’s face.«Should we fire it up? What do you say?»
Sasuke slowly raised his head. His breath was uneven, a bead of sweat sliding down his temple. «Go fuck yourself!»
«Come on, Sasuke-kun. This is the object of your quest. Tell me last son of the Uchiha clan isn't curious to see if it works.»
«Well, how about I take a knee? Then what are you gonna do? Huh? You gonna kill me?» his lips trembled, yet a fierce spark burned in his eyes. «'Cause without me, your dream of living forever is fucked.»
Orochimaru smirked, appreciating Sasuke's defiance. His eyes were two golden slits, still and unreadable. «Well, I'm not asking you for your cooperation.» the grin he wore stretched wide and bright, sharpening his features into something crueler. «I'm just taking it.»
Sasuke stared at him with wide eyes. Orochimaru towered over him, terrifying and oppressive, a quiet manipulation woven into his very presence.
In a sudden move, he seized Sasuke’s face in his hands. «Open your mouth.» his icy fingers dug into his cheeks with brute force. «Open... your mouth.»
Sasuke tried to fight back, kicked, attempted to strike him — but Orochimaru pinned him with disturbing ease, like a mere insect.
With surgical precision, he slipped the pill past Sasuke’s lips and shoved it deep down his throat. He clamped his jaw shut, palm pressing under his chin, fingers still inside his mouth.
Sasuke struggled. He tried to scream, but only a muffled groan escaped.
The Curse Mark devoured him from the inside like a parasite, whispering for him to give in.
His trembling hands clutched Orochimaru’s wrist. His teeth sank into those fingers, biting down in fury, but Orochimaru only pushed deeper, choking him until he was forced to swallow.
«Good boy.» he didn’t withdraw his fingers right away. He left them there, pressing against his tongue.
«Next time, it'll be easier.» his voice was a breathy whisper. «You'll get used to the feelings, even welcome them.»
When he finally pulled his hand away, Sasuke coughed and gasped for air. Tears streaked his face, and saliva dripped from his chin.
Within seconds, a surge of relief rushed through him. The pain vanished quickly, and he felt the chakra concentrate around his open wounds. The damaged parts began to mend.
An unnatural calm spread through him, a relief so deep it nearly felt like pleasure.
«Interesting effect, huh?» Orochimaru’s gaze swept over Sasuke’s limp body with smug satisfaction, as though he had just tamed a wild creature.
«All thought, all will just... drained out of you. I do this enough, you'll be ready for whatever I have in mind.»
He stroked his cheek with his thumb — a gesture that looked like tenderness but wasn’t. He caught a tear sliding down his face. He watched it glisten under the dim light of the hideout, then slowly brought it to his lips, tasting it with the tip of his tongue. «In time, you'll come to realize that resisting me is useless. You are already mine, body and soul.»
Sasuke closed his eyes, overwhelmed by that false sense of bliss. His body still trembled, but his mind… his mind was somewhere else. Everything turned white, and he lost consciousness.
Orochimaru watched him go limp in his arms. Then he let him collapse to the ground.
«Pathetic.» Kabuto remarked with twisted amusement. «The boy may have power, but he lacks stamina and discipline.»
«No matter.» Orochimaru approached Sasuke, his serpentine eyes studying him. «He'll need rest before we can begin his training in earnest.»
He effortlessly lifted the unconscious body, carrying him towards a dark chamber deep within his base.

When he came to, Orochimaru was laying him down on the bed in his room.
The sheets were cold against his back, but it was nothing compared to the chill tightening in his gut.
His eyelids lifted with effort. The room was steeped in dim light, barely lit by a faint lamp in the corner. The sharp smell of earth and metal reeked of a prison.
Orochimaru sat beside him like a shadow. He brushed a hand across his face with grotesque gentleness. «You’re safe here, Sasuke-kun.»
Sasuke recoiled instantly, turning his head away.
«Itachi…» he whispered, still dazed. «He’s the reason I’m here.»
His voice came out cracked, vulnerable, as if his defenses had fallen without him noticing. «My brother told me to feed my hatred, because only then would I be strong enough to defeat him. He said I had to kill my best friend to gain the same eyes as his.»
«Your brother’s advice is sound, and yet you faltered.» Orochimaru chuckled, amused by the admission of weakness. «Tell me, Sasuke-kun, why did you hesitate to kill your best friend? Was it fear or loyalty?»
«I don’t want to give my brother that satisfaction. I don’t want to follow his rules… I want to prove I can become stronger my own way.»
It was true. But not the whole truth.
Sasuke hadn’t refused to kill Naruto just to displease his brother, but because he didn’t want to let go of the one bond he had built. A secret feeling, too dangerous to admit — to keep hidden from his master, at all costs.
Unfortunately for him, Orochimaru didn’t buy it for a moment. «Ah, so it's your own sense of pride and individualism that drives you. How charming!» he tilted his head, tongue flicking between his lips. «But are you sure that’s all there is to it?»
A heavy silence fell over the room. Orochimaru stared at him, motionless, with a twisted smile that spoke of neither pity nor mockery. «Naruto still thought of you as a friend. So I wonder… do you, perhaps, still think the same of him?»
His golden eyes, almost hypnotic, bore into the Uchiha with disturbing intensity. There was nothing human in that gaze — it was the razor-sharp focus of a predator who knew every fear and every weakness, ready to exploit them with millennia of patience. «Come now, tell me more about this Naruto who means so much to you.»
Dazed by the drugs, he let his guard slip and found himself revealing more than he intended.
«He…» his voice came out gentler than he had expected. «He’s always smiling, always honest and direct. But he often pisses people off. And since he can’t stand losing, sometimes he causes trouble too. But he never gives up when it’s for the sake of his friends.»
He raised an arm and opened his hand to grasp something that wasn’t there. «Naruto is warm, and blinding. He’s out there, far from me.» he squinted as if that imagined light were dazzling, despite the darkness around him. «My sun.»
«The sun can only be admired from afar, Sasuke-kun.» Orochimaru hissed with a cruel tone. «Because the sun… will burn you if you get too close.»
A tear slipped from the corner of Sasuke’s eye, trailing silently along his temple until it soaked the pillow on the side hidden from Orochimaru’s view… but he noticed anyway.
«You must understand, Sasuke-kun, true power comes from sacrificing everything, even those close to you. Your brother’s way are harsh, but undeniably effective.»
The sannin had sensed their bond from the first clash in the Forest of Death. It wasn’t mere friendship, nor simple rivalry. It was a weave of contradictions: challenge and protection, attraction and fear, a silent dance of feelings never confessed.
They were like light and darkness. An eclipse that both darkened and illuminated everything at once.
A bond that had to be severed.
Naruto had a dangerous influence over Sasuke. A quiet threat pulling him in the opposite direction to the one he had chosen for his student.
But it wasn’t just that.
Naruto was also an unpredictable variable in his plans. If the Akatsuki captured him, the power of the Fox would fall into the wrong hands. Orochimaru couldn’t allow that.
He wanted the boy out of the way. He wanted to snuff out that bothersome sun that kept warming Sasuke’s heart from afar.
Orochimaru wanted him dead.
«You’ll have to kill your best friend to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. Only then will you be ready to claim the power you so desperately seek.»
«Why… why does everything have to depend on my bond with Naruto? I’ve sacrificed everything else… I just ask not to have to give him up!»
Sasuke tried to keep alive the hope of saving their bond — and Naruto’s very life.
«If there’s a way… to have both, to gain power without giving him up… if there’s a way, you have to tell me!»
Orochimaru arched an eyebrow, amused by the boy’s plea. But that spark of hope in his eyes was intolerable. He wanted to snuff it out immediately.
«Do you know what makes you, a nobody, so strong?» Orochimaru leaned in, pulling a pill from within his robe. «It's because you've got nothing to lose.» 
He pressed the medicine to Sasuke’s lips, unhurried. «So why bother creating a weakness? Whatever's in the past will only get in your way. Just forget.»
A shiver ran down Sasuke’s spine, a blend of revulsion and helplessness. That body Orochimaru treated like a doll was both his prison and his curse.
He let him do it, no longer moving or trying to question the man’s actions — he simply swallowed without resistance.
Fragile as a leaf in the wind.
His head grew light, as if every thought had evaporated. No fear, no anger, no will. Just emptiness. Just peace.
It felt as though everything finally made sense. As though struggling had been pointless from the start. As though surrendering was the right choice — the only one.
«You have tremendous power, and soon you'll have even more. But I have something you lack… wisdom, experience.» He spoke with the voice of a sage and the eyes of a predator. «I’ve killed two Kage. I’ve developed forbidden jutsu. I founded a village and created a personal army of ninja. And, a few minor setbacks aside, I'm still here.»
The Serpent whispered sweet lies to poison him slowly.
«I don’t want things to be hostile between us. Let me share with you all that I’ve learned. Let me teach you my secrets. I know you believe you don’t need my guidance. But I’m offering you a great opportunity — if you'd just give me the chance.»
Sasuke stared at him, voice hollow. «What are you asking for?»
«Time. Play by my rules. You give me your loyalty, I'll give you my protection from Konoha… until you decide you don't need it anymore.»
«Until the day you kill me yourself…» It was more a bitter acknowledgment than an accusation. In the end, he simply accepted. «Okay.»
As shadows danced across the ceiling, Sasuke felt himself falling into a deeper abyss — a dark spiral where his will began to waver. He closed his eyes as the darkness around him thickened and the feeling of being lost became inescapable.
«Before long, a violent war will ignite across all the shinobi lands. And the spark that sets it off… will be you, Uchiha Sasuke.»
He couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction and excitement at the thought of molding that young Uchiha into his personal weapon.
«Sleep now. When you wake up, you'll be a step closer to becoming the shinobi I need you to be. And when the time comes, you’ll be ready to fulfill your destiny.»
Orochimaru watched over Sasuke as he slept, already immersed in the plans for the training that awaited him upon waking.

Chapter Text

Naruto and Jiraiya had been traveling for months, constantly on the move, taking great care not to leave any traces the Akatsuki could follow.
They crossed dense forests, jagged mountains, and raging rivers; they passed through thriving villages and others reduced to rubble by war. They encountered hostile ninja, makeshift companions, beautiful girls, and all kinds of people. Along the way, they took on a few unofficial missions just to earn some ryō, which Jiraiya promptly squandered.
That evening, as they wandered through streets lit by paper lanterns, Naruto sensed something strange. It was as if Sasuke’s presence was everywhere.
He thought of his friend every day, but this time was different: his chakra seemed near, tangible. The feeling made his breath quicken.
Probably, he told himself, it was just nostalgia. Yet he couldn’t shake it.
The two ninja stopped at a small dango stall. The scent of freshly made sweets mingled with the cool evening air.
Jiraiya, as always, took the opportunity to flirt with the waitress serving the dango. «Aren’t you a first-class beauty?!» he exclaimed theatrically. «Everything tastes better in the company of a girl like you!»
She laughed, a light but nervous sound. «Oh, stop it, you’re making me blush!»
«Naruto, you tell her too!» he urged, giving his apprentice an elbow that nearly toppled him from the stool, but the young boy didn’t comply. He stayed pouting, eating his dessert.
«A girl as kind as you doesn’t come around every day!» Jiraiya insisted, and with an exaggerated gesture, wrapped a dango ball with his tongue to shove it into his mouth in a lascivious manner. «Tasty dango… I bet you are too.»
The waitress recoiled in horror, but tried to keep a polite smile.
«Cut it out, pervert!» Naruto snapped, frowning. «Don’t you see you’re making her uncomfortable?»
«Shut your mouth, brat!» Jiraiya growled, turning back to the girl as if seeking confirmation.
«Don’t worry. You remind me so much of my dear grandpa, always ready to be a rascal with every girl!»
Being called “grandpa” hit Jiraiya’s ego hard: his bravado melted away, and he slumped on the stool, defeated.
The waitress lowered her voice, as if to share a secret. «Sometimes strange customers come by. Like the man who was here this morning. He was polite… but he really scared me. He looked… like a snake.» she clutched the tray to her chest, a shiver running through her shoulders. Then her lips hinted at a small smile. «But the two boys with him…»
Naruto, who until then had been distracted by his dango skewer, felt his heart jump. He let it drop on the plate, sprang up, and turned to the girl. «A snake, you said?»
«Y-yes… he…» she stammered, startled by the urgency in his eyes.
Then, before she could continue, Naruto’s mind pieced together what she hadn’t said and interrupted her again. «And the boys with him… WHAT?»
She hesitated for a moment, puzzled, then a faint blush rose to her cheeks. «They were… absolutely stunning.» the words slipped out almost before she could stop them, and she quickly averted her gaze, as if to hide the little smile that had escaped.
Naruto’s mouth fell open, his eyes wide. «Absolutely stunning…?» he repeated, as if processing information of vital importance. Then, suddenly, his face lit up. He turned to Jiraiya with a solemn expression and declared, «Then… it’s definitely Sasuke, dattebayo!»
The ero-sennin shook his head, sighing with a sly smile at the peculiar logic of that blond little head.
«When did you say you saw them?»
«T-this morning.»
«Naruto!» Jiraiya called.
«Which way did they go?»
«I-I don’t know!»
«Think carefully, it’s very important, dattebayo!» he insisted, leaning forward.
«I don’t know. I didn’t see them leave!»
«Naruto, that’s enough!» Jiraiya scolded, his voice more anxious than angry.
Naruto clenched his fists without realizing it, nails digging into his palms. He spun around, toppling the stool, and dashed outside. He began running through the village streets like a maniac, scanning faces in the crowd that flowed around him like a river of blurred, indistinct strangers.
His heart pounded, but a small smile tugged at him at the thought that Sasuke might be near.
Jiraiya caught up and grabbed him by the arm. «Naruto! Stop!»
«He’s here! I have to find him!» he panted, breath short and mind ablaze.
He kept looking until he spotted three hooded figures a little ahead. Their slim shapes, heights, furtive movements… everything matched. Naruto surged forward, chasing into the narrow gorge where he saw them slip in.
He accelerated, aiming straight for the shortest one, almost tripping over his own feet, face a mix of relief and genuine joy. «Sasukeeeeee!» he shouted, lunging at him and hugging him from behind.
The other two turned slowly, and Naruto’s expression changed when he saw that… it wasn’t them.
He let go of the figure in his arms, revealing it to be a little girl.
Jiraiya arrived, panting, and grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking him. «What the hell are you thinking?! You can’t just leap on anyone like that!»
«I… I thought…» he stammered, trying to catch his breath. Jiraiya’s reproach, full of worry, made him realize he had gone too far.
The three strangers, caught off guard and still confused, exchanged puzzled glances. Then, coins jingled as small bags fell from their long cloaks. Without even turning to pick them up, they bolted, scared and disoriented.
Jiraiya blinked, astonished. «Hm… seems they weren’t as innocent as they looked. I think these belong to us, for foiling a theft.» He chuckled, shrugged, and bent down to gather the loot. «But don’t think this will be-»
Naruto was kneeling, motionless, eyes fixed on the void, breathing irregularly. His heart raced. «Sasuke… I have to find him.» he whispered, voice tense and frayed by anxiety, hands trembling slightly as he clenched his fists.
«Master… do you have a friend that’s important to you?»
Jiraiya watched him silently for a moment, then nodded slowly. «I do.»
«I have this one friend… Sasuke.» His voice trembled slightly, a breath held tight, and then the words slipped out before he could stop them. «Although he’s actually more than that.»
He ran a nervous hand through his messy hair. «Right now ‘cause we feel differently. We fought and went our separate ways. But still I can’t just abandon him. He probably thinks it’s none my business and I’m just being a pest.»
The ero-sennin looked at him for a long moment, his eyes so determined to help him. He knew Naruto wasn't just bluffing, that he was dead serious about bringing Sasuke back. It was a determination that Jiraiya couldn't understand, but he knew he wouldn't be able to change his mind from that fixed idea.
He crossed his arms, a shadow of sternness on his face. «So you’re saying all the training you’re going through with me is for him?»
«I’ve got to get stronger no matter what so that I can talk to Sasuke just one more time.»
«Maybe you should think a little more about yourself instead of only about Sasuke. You’re so obsessed with him it’s almost pathetic.»
«I am thinking about myself. I want to become hokage, and I can’t do that if I can’t even save a friend.»
«You’re stubborn, kid. Are you really ready to do anything for that Sasuke? Even if it goes against what you believe?»
«Of course not. I’ll bring him back home my way.»
«And how do you plan to do that?» he raised an eyebrow, curiosity masked behind the hardness in his voice. «Even if you find Sasuke, he might refuse to return to Konoha with you.»
«I’ll force him, if I have to.»
«Force, huh? You really think you can make Sasuke do something he doesn’t want to, using force? Let me remind you, he’s much stronger than you. He’s already beaten you once, leaving you unconscious.»
Naruto stiffened. «Why… why…» he stammered. «What’s the point of having immense power inside me if I can’t use it to bring Sasuke home?»
«Let me tell you something, kid. This goal of yours only exists in fairy tales. Sasuke will never listen to you, no matter how much you beg.»
«Enough!» Naruto shouted, his voice twisting into a roar. «I… I can’t… I won’t let him go!»
The disappointment from yet another failed search for Sasuke, the constant fear for his safety, the accumulated despair and pain… all exploded at once, a fury fiercer than usual, pushing him beyond every limit.
A burst of red chakra shook the air around them, lifting dust and dry leaves. Naruto bent forward, his claws extending and scratching the ground beneath him. A crimson tail lashed like a whip behind his back.
His heart pounded like a mad drum. Rage and despair intertwined, seething, and with them the Nine-Tails’ chakra began to seep out like water through a crack in a dam.
Jiraiya watched closely. The more Naruto anguished over Sasuke, the more unstable his chakra became. Not from hatred, but from despair.
He remembered Naruto’s story of the first time the Nine-Tails had manifested, making him lose control: it had happened when he thought Sasuke was dead. Even then… Sasuke had been the trigger.
He was genuinely worried for his student and feared that this bond was becoming too dangerous for his own safety. So he decided to provoke him deliberately — like a test. To poke and push him, to see how far this obsession with Uchiha could go.
And if the first time the supposed death of Sasuke had unleashed the Nine-Tails, this time Jiraiya would have to present the idea of something even worse.
«Naruto… you have to accept reality.» he said gravely. «That boy doesn’t want to be saved by you. He hates you. And if you meet him again, he will kill you.»
Naruto growled, a fierce sound that made the air tremble, but it didn’t scare his master.
«What’s all this effort for?» Jiraiya clenched his jaw, determined to push further. «To bring back a traitor who has already turned his back on you?»
«Sasuke isn’t a traitor!» he closes his eyes for a moment, memories of their past together flashing through his mind. ««You… you don’t know him at all, dattebayo!»
Jiraiya’s expression softened a bit at his words. He could see the pain in his eyes and felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He hesitated, unsure whether to continue what was, for his student, a true torment. Yet, much of what he was saying, he genuinely believed.
He decided to provoke him further. «Listen, Naruto. Sasuke isn’t the friend you once knew.» he was harsh, raw, almost cruel. «He’s become something else. An enemy. He’s just like Orochimaru.»
For Naruto, still clinging desperately to the fragile hope of bringing him back, those words were like a blow to the heart every time. It was as if the whole world had already turned its back on Sasuke, judging him an enemy with no chance of redemption. A chill slid inside him, a mix of rage and helplessness, as he realized for the first time how alone he was in that fight to save his friend.
The second tail burst out behind him, followed by the third. The cloak of red chakra enveloping him crackled and sputtered. His face twisted with pain and anger. Drops of hot saliva fell from his cracked lips. His eyes were now two crimson slits.
«No! Sasuke…» he groaned, unable to form a coherent thought. «Sasuke… I…»
«Stop suffering for him.» Jiraiya didn’t back down, determined to push him to the limit. «Forget him. Erase him from your mind.»
Naruto fell silent.
The fourth tail erupted violently, tearing through the flesh now replaced by a glowing shell of demonic chakra. His body bent, twisted, split. Bones snapped with a horrible noise, breaking and reforming into unnatural shapes, more like an animal’s.
Skin began to peel away slowly, revealing the muscle and tissue beneath. Blood flowed freely, mingling with the red chakra. Yet, despite the severity of the wounds, his fury exploded uncontrollably.
A column of energy shot toward the sky, the shockwave devastating everything around, from the gorge to much of the nearby village. When the light faded, only a smoking crater remained.
Naruto was gone. Before Jiraiya stood a miniature version of the Kyūbi, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.
«Here we go…» murmured Jiraiya, ready to face what he had provoked.
Naruto had completely lost control. With a leap, he lunged at Jiraiya: claws slashing through the air, jaws gaping, body fully extended toward a face he no longer recognized.
Jiraiya knew this being could kill him in an instant, but he didn’t want to harm Naruto. He dodged claws and bites, skillfully deflecting the most dangerous attacks, while the boiling cloud of chakra surrounding the boy sizzled around them.
Every move was calculated, precise, in the desperate tension of protecting himself and, at the same time, the boy.
«Naruto!» he shouted, his voice swallowed by the roar of the Fox’s fury. «Listen to me! Don’t let the Kyūbi control you! You are not this monster!»
The beast’s scarlet eyes fixed on him, void of any recognition.
«You are Uzumaki Naruto! The one who never gives up! You are the boy who will become hokage!»
A massive, incorporeal hand of crimson chakra suddenly formed and shot toward Jiraiya. It grabbed him almost crushingly and then threw him to the ground, ripping a scream from his throat.
Silence fell like a sentence as the four tails of chakra curled toward the Fox’s gaping mouth. Tiny spheres of chakra, black and white, appeared from nowhere, flickering like unstable bubbles. One by one, they merged into a single dense, pulsating sphere.
Jiraiya paled as the Kyūbi swallowed it.
«Stop, Naruto!» he shouted hoarsely, choking on pain. «You have to stop!»
For a moment, everything seemed suspended. Then Naruto’s throat glowed: the sphere transformed into a devastating beam that shattered the ground and swept over Jiraiya before he could dodge.
The sannin emerged from the rubble, his body battered but miraculously still alive. Naruto pounced on him again, unstoppable. But Jiraiya didn’t move a muscle to defend himself: he stayed still, letting the blows strike him without resistance. Instead, he stretched out his arms and grabbed him by the shoulders, holding him firmly. «Come back to yourself, my boy!» he shouted, spitting blood, as the beast’s claws tore into his flesh. «Remember who you are!»
He shook Naruto slightly, trying to pull him out of the whirlpool of pain consuming him. The searing chakra burned his hands like molten iron, penetrating to the bone. The smell of charred flesh filled the air, but Jiraiya did not let go.
Those words finally seemed to reach Naruto. The Fox inside growled, but for a brief moment, his crimson eyes flickered with a human reflection. His breathing became ragged, his body trembling as if fighting against itself.
«I believe in you!» Jiraiya whispered, almost pleading. Tears mixed with blood on his face. «Do you hear me? I believe in you more than anyone else!»
Suddenly, the Kyūbi froze. And with it, everything around seemed to stop moving.
The beast withdrew, as if forced to yield to the boy’s will. The tails retracted, the chakra dissolved. Naruto collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The wind howled through the ruins of the destroyed village, a wail seeming to come from the very bowels of the earth.
Naruto floated weightlessly, powerless, as if the world had abandoned him.
«Na…»
A weak voice cracked through the silence…
«…ruto!»
A faint, distant sound, like an echo just out of reach.
«Naruto!»
When he opened his eyes with effort, the sight was terrible: Jiraiya slumped against a large rock, chest torn open, blood pouring onto the ground. «Here…» he whispered, as death threatened to take him. «Here you are, my boy.»
«No… no… no… Master Jiraiya!» Naruto screamed, desperate. He tried to reach him, but his body wouldn’t respond. A faint smoke rose from him as the Fox’s power slowly healed his wounds.
«Naruto… don’t you remember anything?»
Naruto shook his head. He remembered nothing. But the emptiness was worse than memory. «What happened?»
«It’s all right, kid. I’m here with you.»

                                        ~~~***~~~

The laboratory was bathed in a pale, unreal light, illuminated by a single hanging lamp that cast distorted shadows across the walls. The acrid smell of disinfectants mixed with the metallic tang of chemicals scattered across the worktables.
Kabuto turned to Sasuke, who remained standing near the door, arms crossed and gaze dark.
«Orochimaru-sama wants to test the limits of your Cursed Mark.» he announced calmly, as if proposing a simple training session. «You already have good control of the second stage. But we cannot rule out the possibility… of a third level.»
Sasuke clenched his jaw. «Does it really exist, or are you just playing with me?»
Kabuto smiled with that unsettling grin that creased his face whenever he witnessed an experiment. «We don’t know for sure. No one has ever reached the point you’ve reached. So…»
He stepped closer, popping the cork of a small glass vial. «There’s only one way to find out.» he took a handful of pills from the container and handed them to the boy. «These will force the Mark to advance to level three. Afterward, we’ll enclose you in the catalyzing cylinder.»
His eyes gleamed with a sick excitement. «If a third stage exists, it will emerge.»
«I already know how it works.» Sasuke hesitated, wondering if it was worth asking further questions. «But… without the Sound Four, who will form the barrier of the four dark mist seals?»
Kabuto shrugged as if it were a trivial concern. «That’s not your worry. We’ve already completed all preparations.»
Sasuke was afraid, but he would never show it. He had been through it before and remembered all too well how terrible it had been. He wanted to pull back. But in that instant, Itachi’s red eyes flashed in his mind like a relentless echo. The desire to flee was instantly overcome by a stronger impulse: "Brother… no matter how deep into darkness I must go, I will do it to kill you! No matter what happens, I will have that power!"
Kabuto saw Sasuke hesitate for a moment, but he also saw the boy’s exhaustion and resignation weaken his resolve.
«Fine.» Sasuke spat, his voice harsh.
«Sasuke-kun, you don’t have to do this if you don’t feel up to it.» Karin intervened, a thread of genuine worry in her tone. But Kabuto shot her a cold look, and she fell silent.
Sasuke took the pills with a brisk motion. He looked at them for only a moment, then put them in his mouth and swallowed without water. A grimace of pain crossed his face, and every fiber of his body seemed to rebel. A deep cramp bent him forward. He felt a pain in his chest so intense it seemed to devour him alive.
Soon after, the door of the large cylinder swung open. It was slightly bigger than the last one, reinforced with steel bands and hand-drawn seals. Sasuke was led inside with difficulty. He curled up in the center, trembling. As soon as he was inside, the lid shut above him with a dull thud, and the seals activated.
Chakra began to boil. At first, it was a suffocating heat starting from his stomach and radiating through his limbs. Then, suddenly, came the pain. The Cursed Mark spread wildly across his neck, arms, and face. It felt as if he were burning.
His mouth opened in a desperate scream, but inside that steel coffin, the voice echoed inhumanly. His senses began to falter. Chakra exploded in all directions like a shockwave, and the containment seals cracked.
The barrel started emitting irregular puffs of steam. Then it exploded with a dull roar, hurling metal and smoke into every corner of the room.
Kabuto covered his face as the glowing shards whizzed just inches from him.
«It’s… working!» he exclaimed, caught between astonishment and euphoria.
From the smoke emerged a distorted figure. Sasuke’s body had no monstrous form different from his first transformation, but it seemed fiercer. The wings of the Cursed Mark had returned, his skin gray, his long hair wild. He let out a deep, almost animalistic growl. With a violent lunge, he slammed into the wall, which exploded in a cloud of stone and debris. In an instant, he was in the adjacent training field. The air trembled, shaken by the storm of frenzied chakra.
Chaos erupted. The dummies were disintegrated. Rocks split in two. Tools ripped from the ground. Lights flickered, some fell. Glass shattered everywhere. The protective seals of the refuge began to give way.
«Stop him, Kabuto-san!» Karin shouted, taking shelter on the other side of the room. Her voice trembled, eyes wide with terror. «You’ll kill him like this!»
«Not yet.» Kabuto growled from behind his glasses, his tone far too calm for what was happening. «It’s not enough. Only by pushing to the limit can he go further.»
But Sasuke had already reached the limit. He was completely out of control.
Summoned by Kabuto’s voice, he froze in the middle of the devastated room. He turned toward him and launched himself into the air, attacking like a fury. He tore through the wall’s breach and, in an instant, was there, a hand’s breadth from Kabuto’s face, ready to strike with a Chidori. But he did not.
Kabuto did not move. He watched him approach without even preparing to fight or defend himself, as if he already knew it wouldn’t be necessary.
Lightning brushed the lenses of his glasses and then died out, leaving only the reflection of Sasuke. In that distorted image, he saw himself but did not recognize the reflection.
An invisible struggle ignited within him, a tug-of-war between the Mark’s fury and a remnant of clarity. And, in the end, behind those cold yellow eyes, Sasuke reemerged.
«What the hell’s happening to me, you son of a bitch?» His voice was hoarse, rough, thick with fear and disbelief. He grabbed his head with both hands, staggering backward. «I can’t turn it off!» he panted. «I feel the need to kill.» He reached a table full of test tubes and clutched it to stay upright. «I feel it growing inside me, constantly… and if I don’t…»
«You yank your guts out.» Kabuto finished with icy calm. «It’s the Mark. It wants you to kill. The more you kill, the better you feel. The less you kill, the less better you feel, boy.»
«How much less better?»
Kabuto gave a cold smile, a hint of mockery curling through his words. «One would imagine the least-best better.»
Sasuke lowered his gaze to his marked shoulder. He placed his hand there and dug his nails into the flesh, as if he wanted to tear it away. «What if I got rid of it?»
«You want to get rid of it?»
«What I want is to kill Itachi.» his voice low, a veiled challenge despite knowing he was at a disadvantage. «And you’re gonna help me.»
«A strange way to ask for help… but I suppose arrogance runs in your clan.»
At those words, Sasuke’s Sharingan activated instinctively. But the Mark reacted accordingly, twisting him in pain. That involuntary movement overturned the table, sending all the test tubes crashing to the floor in fragments.
Sasuke’s vision blurred. He fell to his knees, then sideways, like a puppet with cut strings. He gasped, his breath irregular. Every muscle in his body trembled with violent convulsions. Then the chakra dispersed, like smoke driven away by the wind. The darkness dissolved, and he lost consciousness.
«Sasuke-kun!»
Karin ran toward him. She crossed the devastated field, stumbling over debris and shattered remnants of the room. She found him on the ground, lying motionless. Arms abandoned, face turned to the ceiling. For a moment she froze, shaken by his monstrous form slowly receding. Then her heart took over.
She knelt at his side and cradled his head in her arms. She could tell right away he was still alive, but his heartbeat was irregular and his chakra… unstable, fragile, fading.
«I’m here, I’m here…» she repeated, holding him as tightly as she could. «Sasuke-kun…»
But he did not answer.
Kabuto joined them shortly after, scribbling notes on a clipboard without even sparing them a glance. He approached Sasuke’s still body, the lenses of his glasses opaque in the artificial light. He stopped beside him, observing with a cold, almost clinical expression.
«Tsk… what a disappointment!» he hissed through clenched teeth, his tone laced with mockery, not even bothering to hide the disdain.
His eyes slid over the boy’s arms, still marked by the unstable chakra of the Mark. The test seemed to have enhanced the second level… but nothing more.
«All this for what?» he muttered, clicking his tongue. «Weeks of preparation, calibrated drugs, tailored tests… and in the end you’re nothing more than a failure with the Sharingan.»
Without warning, he bent down and grabbed Sasuke by the collar of his sweat-soaked shirt, yanking him out of Karin’s arms with a rough motion. The boy’s body dangled for a moment, limp.
«Do you have any idea how many resources we’re wasting on you? Orochimaru-sama thinks you’re a prodigy… but all I see is an arrogant, spoiled, overrated child.»
He let him drop to the floor with a dull thud, as if he were nothing but useless flesh.
«What have you done?!» Karin snarled, her trembling hands rushing back to hold the boy. Her eyes burned red with anger and fear. «He’s overdosing! His chakra is collapsing!»
Kabuto merely adjusted his glasses with his usual unnerving calm. «He’s just… testing his limits. It’s necessary.»
«Necessary my ass!» she shouted, clutching Sasuke against her chest. «He’s not an experiment! He’s not one of your lab rats!»
Kabuto’s hand lit up with a greenish glow that looked like a threatening blade, but then he crouched beside the Uchiha and began to heal him.
Sasuke let out a faint groan. His eyes stayed shut, but his fingers twitched slightly.
Karin gasped. Then she watched the shimmer of the healing chakra spread across his body. «You’re going to give him that drug again, aren’t you?»
The redhead tried to recover a neutral tone, to regain the detachment she had always maintained. But she was already too involved.
«I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Kabuto-san. The boy seems truly exhausted. Pushing him this way could be very dangerous.»
«Don't worry. If we build up his stamina and allow him to rest a bit, we'll be able to use him.»
«But Sasuke-kun looks awfully weak!» she pressed. She tried to keep her composure, but her eyes gleamed with anxiety. «If you force him… are you sure he'll be all right?»
Karin feigned indifference, averting her gaze while Kabuto shot her a provocative little smile. The kind of smile that left no doubt: he was enjoying every hesitation of hers. «Well, I wonder...»
The girl threw him a look filled with hatred, her heart pounding in her chest.
Kabuto was crossing every line.
«Don’t look at me like that.» murmured Kabuto, his voice a sharp whisper as he straightened. «You should know by now that Sasuke-kun is nothing but a vessel. An empty shell, meant to welcome the master’s reincarnation.» his glance flicked to the girl crouched beside Sasuke, fleeting yet piercing. «You’ve grown far too attached to him, my dear.» a half-smile curved his lips, unpleasant as ever. «You know perfectly well what our goal is. And Sasuke-kun… is simply a tool we need to reach it.»
He stopped the treatment, the chakra glow fading from his hand in a greenish flicker. Then he turned, his gaze cold. «Unless we make use of him now, there's no meaning in his very existence.»
Karin’s eyes widened in disbelief. She turned toward Kabuto with a hard look, though her tone carried something personal beneath the surface. «Listen up, if the boy collapses and the plan fails… we’re screwed!»
Karin could not afford to appear vulnerable. Not here, not in this den of snakes waiting to devour her. But Sasuke made everything maddeningly harder. Around him, her mask slipped away, and too often she ended up looking weak, pathetic.
Yet she was not. Not at all. Karin was strong. She had fought, survived, earned Orochimaru’s trust with blood and cunning. And now… all that work risked going up in smoke because of a boy.
Despite her conscience screaming against everything she was forced to do in this place, she truly cared about pleasing the Serpent. «My credibility in the master’s eyes would be totally ruined!»
Kabuto looked her up and down. «Karin, do you think I’m willing to suffer defeat either?» he asked with feigned calm. «I’ve planned for every detail.»
«The main thing to the master is Sasuke-kun, right?»
Kabuto hesitated. «That’s not exactly what I said. I-»
«WELL THEN…» she cut him off. «I’ll take care of him.»
Her eyes dropped to the boy, her face taut with tension and a deeper emotion she could never admit aloud. Her hands trembled, but she knew exactly what to do. She brushed the hair from his forehead and whispered softly: «Bite me, Sasuke-kun. Please.»
Karin gently opened his mouth, pressing her bare arm against it. She guided his jaw, coaxing him to bite down. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, as if answering some ancient reflex, Sasuke’s lips moved. His teeth sank into her flesh — not violently, but with desperate hunger.
Karin stiffened, then closed her eyes. She felt her chakra flooding into his body in crashing waves, as though every fiber of her being was being drawn out and embraced at once.
Sasuke’s cursed chakra reacted instantly, devouring everything it could, absorbing, healing, burning — and she, between gasps and trembling shudders, pressed her lips together to keep from letting slip any sound that might reveal too much.
«Sasu…» she breathed, cheeks flushed, her voice caught between pain and pleasure. A ruined smile crossed her lips, unconscious.
Sasuke stirred. His body seemed to awaken in a silent explosion: his chest heaved suddenly, his fingers clutched her arm, and his breath returned — ragged but alive. His eyes snapped open, black and gleaming like the night.
He lifted his gaze, vision blurred. His pupils shrank and dilated unnaturally, as if his nervous system itself were going haywire.
He felt power surge back through his once-drained body, now coursed by a torrent of chakra, overflowing, crackling through every fiber.
He pushed himself up slowly, and after a moment of confusion, memories rushed back. Then he saw the redhead girl crouched beside him, drained, pale, but smiling. He noticed her wounded arm, the blood running down.
«Karin?» he muttered, dazed.
«Well, you’re up?.» the medic-nin’s voice forced into cheerfulness.
The Uchiha rose, his gaze still blurred. «What happened to her?»
«Come on, we must go back to Lord Orochimaru.»
Sasuke wasn’t surprised to be ignored by Kabuto. He turned toward Karin, still on the floor, and offered her a hand to help her up.
«No, she stays here.» Kabuto said carelessly, jotting something down on his usual clipboard without even looking up.
The Uchiha stared at him in disbelief. «But she needs medical treatment.»
«She’ll heal on her own. And in any case, that’s none of your concern.»
«I’m not moving until you heal her!» Sasuke’s voice was firm, glacial.
Kabuto sighed, exasperated. «Why do you care so much for her? Karin is nothing more than a tool in the service of the master. Sooner or later she’ll be sacrificed. Don't forget that… all of us here belong to Orochimaru-sama.» he pushed his glasses up with one finger, in his usual irritating way. «And you, Sasuke-kun, belong to him more than anyone else.»
«No! I-» Karin struggled, forcing herself onto her knees and dragging toward them. «My place is beside Sasuke!»
«You brats are really wearing me out!» Kabuto lunged at her, yanked her up, and slapped her. But before she could even hit the ground, a lightning bolt struck his cheek. The medic staggered back as Sasuke appeared between them, Karin clutching his leg.
«Move away from her!»
Kabuto wiped the blood from his cheek, looked at it, licked it, and then chuckled.
«What’s wrong with you, don’t tell me you-» he muttered, more annoyed than worried. He didn’t even finish the sentence before the Uchiha pressed a kunai against his throat.
«I don’t like you, Kabuto. I never have.»
Sasuke didn’t move a muscle. The kunai trembled faintly in his hand, not from hesitation, but from contained rage.
«This is the second time you’ve tried to kill me. There won’t be a third.»
«Relax. Dead, you’re useless.» Kabuto tried to lay a hand on his shoulder, but a spark repelled him. «If I wanted you dead, you’d already be.»
«Don’t act arrogant just because you’re Orochimaru’s right hand. I’m the one who matters to him. You, on the other hand… are nothing.»
Kabuto’s eyes widened slightly at Sasuke’s words, a flicker of surprise at such blatant defiance.
«Who do you think he would choose between us?» Sasuke tilted his head with a mocking grin. «Maybe you’re the one who isn’t living up to Orochimaru’s expectations.»
Between Sasuke and Kabuto it was a duel of serpents: one tongue sharper than the other, one eyebrow raised higher, one threat whispered colder.
Not a clash of fists, but a battle of poisoned sarcasm.
Kabuto shot him a murderous glare but didn’t reply. Then he turned to Karin, his voice cutting once more: «Humph! Keep a good eye on our test subject.»
He made to leave, but before stepping away he glanced back at them, chuckling. Then he disappeared into the corridor, leaving behind only silence and the acrid smell of burnt chakra.
Sasuke turned to Karin. «Are you alright?»
She nodded slowly, still shaken. Then whispered: «Uh-huh! I’m going to stay with you, right?»
Sasuke sighed.
«Sasuke-kun, please!»
«Stop it!» he narrowed his eyes at her words, a hint of irritation creeping into his gaze. «You really are annoying!»

Chapter Text

The mission in Suna had been successfully completed. The Akatsuki had managed to seize the One-Tail, but Gaara had returned home alive — and in that moment, it seemed the only thing that mattered.
After the Kazekage’s miraculous resurrection, the Konoha ninja had paused for just one day, enough to catch their breath and attend the funeral of the Lady Chiyo. The next morning, they were already ready to set out again for the Land of Fire.
Naruto was stuffing the last items into his backpack when a calm voice asked permission to enter.
«Is there any way to convince you to stay?»
The blondhead turned sharply, surprised, then a bright smile appeared on his face. «I would have liked to stay for a few days, if only the circumstances were different.»
Gaara said nothing. He crossed the room and stopped on the small balcony overlooking the endless sea of sand, bathed in the dawn light. The desert wind blew warm and silent. He admired the view as if seeing it for the first time; no longer an arid, barren realm, but a new world restored to him.
Seeing him so absorbed, Naruto reached him and leaned beside him on the railing. «Hey… are you okay?» he asked, in that simple tone that could lighten even the heaviest moments.
Gaara stared at the horizon, searching for words. His face was still tired and marked from battle, but his eyes held a living light. «Naruto…» he said softly, hesitantly. «What you did for me… no one had ever done that.» he turned toward him, lips curling into a small smile. «Thank you.»
Naruto, caught off guard, scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. «Huh?»
«The way you fought so hard to protect those you care about… during our first fight… made me think about what a real bond is. It was after that battle that I decided I wanted to be like you, Naruto. To forge my own bonds, as you had… to hold my own dreams, as you did.» he lowered his gaze, his voice a whisper. «Thanks to you, I’ve learned to feel emotions I never knew before. I understood how important the love of those close to you is.» his hands clenched on the railing. «I… don’t want to be alone anymore.»
«Gaara…» murmured Naruto, moved by that confession.
«I will try, because I want to love and be loved by others.» he paused briefly, then met his eyes again. «And maybe, one day, we could become people who are important to each other.»
«What are you talking about?» Naruto replied seriously.
Gaara stiffened, fearing he had said too much, that the blondhead might reject the fragile wish he had just allowed himself to confess.
But then Naruto’s smile returned, bright and unwavering, sweeping away all doubt. «It’s true that you’ve changed, but it isn’t thanks to me.» he said, with that frankness that was so him. «It’s because you wanted to change. Because you put forth all of your effort. You worked hard, so everyone accepted you! You became the Kazekage because you worked for it! You shouldn’t be thanking me. You should be thanking yourself, Gaara!»
Naruto’s voice softened as he returned his gaze to the sunrise. «You are a great inspiration to me, Gaara. And you’ve given me hope.»
«Hope?» he repeated, almost incredulous. Beside him, Naruto couldn’t stop smiling, eyes shining with relief.
«That one day I’ll bring Sasuke back.»
«You mean Uchiha Sasuke?»
Naruto nodded. At the mere mention of Sasuke’s name, a slight twitch ran across his facial features, as if his heart had skipped a beat.
Gaara watched him in silence. Then, in a low, curious voice, he asked: «Why is he so important to you?»
The blondhead laughed, but without joy. He felt a knot tighten in his throat: the question was simple, but the answer was not.
Why?
Because every time he thought of Sasuke, that pang in his stomach returned, as if a piece of him were missing. Because, despite everything, he couldn’t imagine a future without Sasuke.
«Sasuke saved me from myself, from my loneliness. He was the first to accept me for who I am. My first real bond… my best friend.» his face twisted into a determined grimace. «That’s why I won’t stop until I bring him home. Even if he comes to hate me.»
Aqua-green eyes swept over Naruto’s face, sensing the sincerity in those words and the pain they carried. His chest tightened, as if that wound belonged to him too. «Humans live their lives hurting others and being hurt in return. But even despite all that… people still love more than they hate.»
He lowered his gaze, as if the weight of the past still pressed on him. «You didn’t hate me, despite what I did.»
Naruto shook his head. «It's almost unbearable… the feeling of being alone. I know that feeling. I've been there, in the dark and lonely place.» his smile softened. «I could never have hated you for that.» then, with a hint of embarrassment, he added: «I think you really are one amazing guy!» he scratched the back of his neck, looking away to hide a faint blush. «Even though I don’t know you well yet, I already consider you a friend.»
The word “friend” warmed Gaara’s heart, giving him a sense of peace.
Friend.
He had never thought a simple word could make him feel this happy, yet he also knew that this feeling had just been born, fragile like a sprout in the desert. He would nurture and protect it carefully, hoping that one day it would grow into something deep and solid… like the bond Naruto had with Sasuke.
«Why… are you…»
Naruto was like a ray of sunlight filtering through the dunes. Its warmth seeped into the deepest part of Gaara, the part he had hidden even from himself, slowly melting the walls he had built over the years. It was the kind of human contact he had always longed for but never dared to ask for.
«What?»
“Why… are you… so warm.” he thought, unable to find the courage to say it aloud, yet letting himself be enveloped by that unexpected warmth.
He said nothing more. In his silence, there was far more than words could express. He lowered his gaze, but the shadow of a small, delicate, melancholic smile appeared on his lips.
An indistinct chatter in the corridor caught Naruto’s attention.
«It’s time to go.» he said, adjusting his backpack. He left together with Gaara, who accompanied him to the door.
Neji immediately caught up, complaining about his delay, and Naruto let himself be dragged away amid protests. Gaara stayed at the threshold, watching them depart. The room suddenly felt too silent, too empty. Thoughts raced through his mind, confused: gratitude, admiration, and an unconfessed unease.
A sound of footsteps made him spin around.
«Hey, Gaara-kun!»
Lee reached him from behind, wearing his usual sincere and slightly clumsy smile. «You look in great shape, really. It’s good to see you like this.» he said, beaming, giving a thumbs-up in approval. «Let the power of youth explode!»
Gaara nodded superficially, still a little taken aback by the theatrical way the Konoha ninja expressed himself.
«Lee, I want to talk to you…» he hesitated, as if the words had to cross an inner desert before reaching his lips.
He had postponed this moment for too long, hiding the weight of his remorse behind silence. Now, though, something had changed. He had chosen to become a different person, to no longer be defined by the shadow of the past. And he knew that to truly do so, he had to start here: apologizing to those he had hurt.
Lee, however, anticipated him: «Gaara-kun… to tell the truth, I did as well. There is something I wish to speak with you about.»
The Kazekage stiffened, his fingers unconsciously clenching into fists at his sides. A shadow crossed his face, as if he feared what was coming.
«Thank you for what you did at the chūnin exams.»
«Thank you?» Gaara shook his head, unable to hide his disbelief. «I tried to kill you. You were hurt real bad… and you went through a lot of trouble over it.»
«Yes. At the time. It was very difficult.» he lowered his gaze, jaw slightly tight, as if struggling with the past. «To be honest… I did hate you for it. Sometimes.»
Gaara could barely breathe. A wave of memories hit him: Lee’s body sprawled on the ground, the sand mercilessly binding him, the terror in the boy’s eyes. He thought he could still smell the metallic scent of blood.
Guilt struck him like a sudden storm, heavy as wet sand dragging him down.
Those thoughts, however, were interrupted by Lee’s exuberance, whose pure and contagious energy had the power to chase away even Gaara’s most oppressive remorse. «But then I changed the way I thought about it. I thought. Gaara set me a trial!» he almost sang with his usual unshakable conviction. «Overcoming that trial would make me much, much stronger! So, ever since then, I exerted myself even more. In doing so. I gained the strength I have now!» Lee punched the air as he said it. «Of course I still have far to go… However, I bear no grudge against you now! None at all! Please do not worry about it!»
«Lee…»
«I’m sorry. I’ve been talking too much.»
«No, that’s not it…»
«Did I say something wrong?»
«Something right. You, with your personality… and Naruto… both of you…» After a slightly awkward pause, when the words got tangled in his throat, he added: «Are wonderful.»
He hoped that in time he would become better at expressing what he felt, but for now, he settled for being simply sincere.
«Naruto… he is one of the people who saved me when I was still in darkness. As are you, Rock Lee.» he squinted to hold back his tears and made a deep bow. «Thank you.»
Lee stared at him for a moment, surprised. Then his smile widened even more, and a faint blush colored his cheeks. Before Gaara could straighten up, Lee gave him a vigorous pat on the back — so strong that, caught off guard, the redhead nearly lost his balance and almost fell forward.
Which made Lee chuckle softly.
«Come on, let’s join the others.»

Downstairs, Sakura was already ready to leave. As usual, she had been the first to arrive and patiently waited for her companions.
She didn’t immediately notice Kankurō approaching. «Hey!» he said, breaking her thoughts and making her start slightly.
He carried the confident air of someone who let no one intimidate him, but when he reached her, he hesitated for a moment. «I wanted to thank you. Without you… I wouldn’t be here-jan.»
Sakura looked at him, surprised. «You don’t have to thank me. I just did my duty.» her lips softened into a genuine smile. «I’m glad I could help.»
Kankurō shook his head. «No. You did far more than that. Not everyone would risk their life for someone they barely know.» he lowered his gaze in guilt.
«I admit I was against asking Konoha for help at first…»
He had long sensed the affection Gaara felt for Naruto; that similarity of fates had sparked something new within him. It didn’t take much sensitivity to notice: the glances, the way he spoke Naruto’s name, the absolute trust he placed in him… all too obvious signs. He was infinitely grateful for the change that bond had brought in his brother, but he also feared how much heartbreak could hurt Gaara. Perhaps even more than harboring a bloodthirsty demon inside him.
He pushed the thought away and focused back on Sakura, who was still watching him expectantly. «But I have to admit you saved us once again-jan.»
He then tried to reorder his thoughts, returning to the conversation without being distracted by the girl’s charming pinkhead smile.
«You’re much stronger than you seem, Sakura.» his voice was firm, decisive, filled with admiration. «You defeated someone like Sasori, something I myself couldn’t accomplish. You restored hope for the future to Lady Chiyo. And…» a slight nod of his head accompanied the words. «You saved my life-jan.»
His eyes never left hers, and for a moment, his proud gaze seemed almost vulnerable. «I never imagined… that a cherry blossom could bloom in the middle of the desert.»
Sakura blushed, playing with a strand of her hair. Her timid but sincere smile made him smile in return, a small gesture betraying his usual bold demeanor. «Well, you were extraordinary.» he turned quickly, trying to recover his usual mask of confidence. He chuckled softly, a little nervously, running a hand through his tousled hair. «I’m in your debt-jan.»
From the bundle behind his back, the unsettling hand of his puppet Karasu extended, offering a package wrapped in a purple cloth embroidered with small pink flowers. «For you.» Kankurō mumbled, blushing slightly as he handed the gift to Sakura with trembling hands. «They’re rare medicinal herbs found only here in Suna. I know it’s not much, but-»
«No, I really appreciate it.» Sakura smiled gently, but instead of immediately taking the package, she held Kankurō’s hand, which gradually regained its usual firmness.
«Keep hydrating and resting properly, and you’ll see the tremor disappear soon.»
Kankurō lowered his gaze to her fingers brushing his, holding them for a moment longer than necessary. «You never stop working, do you? I hope to host you soon… but not as a doctor-jan.» he caressed her wrist with his thumb, almost imperceptibly, before letting go. «I’d like… to properly repay you.»
They stayed silent for a moment, both a little awkward, while the voices of the other ninja began filling the room.

At the gates of Suna, the hosts were preparing to bid farewell to the departing Konoha ninja.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to pause: around them, Gaara’s siblings and Naruto’s companions exchanged a silent smile, aware they were witnessing something important.
It was a simple gesture, yet it carried the weight of everything they had lived through — and the promise of all that was yet to come.
A moving handshake that sealed an alliance destined to endure even the fiercest winds.

                                        ~~~***~~~

The Eastern laboratory was different from Orochimaru’s other hideouts: no silent corridors, no empty rooms, only a constant flow of figures bent over sharp instruments, scrolls, and containers of sinister shapes. The cold neon lights poured over the damp walls, reflecting in the feverish eyes of the scientists. Inside, there was no respite, no peace: everywhere, imprisoned captives, ongoing experiments, moans blending with the metallic clatter of tools.
It wasn’t a hideout — it was a factory of monsters.
Sasuke had sensed it from the very beginning, yet he didn’t seem disturbed. Instead, he observed every detail with cold detachment, as if mentally cataloging the secrets of the place.
In the absence of a training hall, during the days he was forced to stay there, he dedicated himself to study, rifling through forgotten bookshelves, rare documents, and forbidden jutsu.
But since discovering that the archive contained files on all the prisoners, his sole objective had become consulting it. Every time he tried to approach, someone would be guarding the area. So he resorted to snooping wherever he could, turning to other rooms filled with dusty bookshelves that he now knew by heart.
That day, while skimming yet another shelf, his gaze fell on a bundle of papers carelessly bound in a black notebook. He opened it, barely noticing the margins filled with tiny, obsessive handwriting. There was no need to check the signature: that thin, slightly serpentine script was unmistakable.
An object like that couldn’t have been left there by chance. That notebook had to be read. He hid it beneath his jacket and moved away with measured steps. After walking through several corridors, he found a secluded room, strangely empty. Rows of glass cases, many dormant, others filled with bubbles and milky liquids, lined up like translucent sarcophagi. The faint bluish light from the active cases shimmered on the walls, making the room resemble a vast aquarium, yet giving it a strangely calming aura.
Sasuke sat on the floor, hidden among the cases, his back against the glass of one of the illuminated ones.
He took the notebook from his pocket and opened it slowly, almost savoring the anticipation of discovering the extraordinary secrets it contained. On the first page, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. On the second, he hesitated. By the third, he already understood what it was. His face remained impassive, but his fingers on the notebook’s edge stiffened. His breathing slowed, deepened, concentrated in a way designed to suppress any reaction.
They weren’t battle notes. They weren’t even experiments. They were detailed illustrations, accompanied by technical notes, depicting… positions decidedly not found in any combat manual.
Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment until something behind him made a soft “plop”.
His Sharingan flared reflexively, and he cast a quick glance over his shoulder. The case seemed empty, only indistinct shadows in the gurgling water.
Moments later, Sasuke snapped the notebook shut, sliding it back under his jacket as if nothing had happened.
«Stop hiding. Come out!» he said flatly, without moving.
The water in the case bubbled, and from the shapeless mass a human figure began to take form: broad shoulders, a defined torso, and finally a grinning face with sharp teeth and an amused gaze.
«Oh, sorry if I interrupted your… reading.» said the boy who had appeared from nowhere, emphasizing the word with malice. «You must be the famous Uchiha Sasaki, right? Orochimaru’s favorite pupil.»
«Sasuke.» he corrected, rising with elegance. «Uchiha Sasuke.» he stood in front of the case, watching him threateningly. «And who are you, besides a kid trapped in an aquarium?» he mocked with cold irony before even knowing his name.
«Suigetsu Hōzuki.» he announced proudly, with a slightly annoyed expression. One of his teeth was visibly protruding from his closed mouth. «I am the reincarnation of the Mist Demon.»
Suigetsu, a rogue ninja from the Mist, had been captured by Orochimaru and held prisoner in this laboratory for several days.
The only chance to speak to anyone came during the moments of brutal experiments. But for someone as extremely talkative as him, the worst torture was being locked in that silent tank.
So Sasuke’s appearance had been the first interesting distraction in far too long. Anyone would do, as long as it wasn’t one of those who enjoyed toying with his body, Orochimaru and the redhead bitch chief among them.
Suigetsu, hiding his form completely transformed into water, had remained still since Sasuke’s arrival. He hadn’t moved a muscle — or rather, a droplet — to avoid being detected. He had watched every move of the boy carefully, amused by the total absence of suspicion of his presence.
It was rare for Sasuke to let his guard down, but absorbed as he was in flipping through that notebook, he didn’t notice that just beyond the glass behind him, a pair of eyes were watching. Unaware of his audience, he continued browsing.
When a particular page made him flinch slightly, Suigetsu moved slowly, just enough to adjust his angle and get a better view of the notebook.
The drawing was… well… demanding. The marginal note read: “requires extreme spinal flexibility”.
He barely stifled a laugh. Perhaps one day he’d tell someone about the time the Uchiha had spent ten minutes studying… boyish filth. Or, better yet, he’d keep it as a blackmail weapon, for the right moment.
In any case, Suigetsu had already decided one thing: that boy amused him. And there was nothing more precious, for a bored prisoner.
«So this is the Uchiha heir…» he scrutinized him from head to toe with deliberate slowness meant to irritate. «Cold, controlled… and with a soft spot for illustrated manuals.» he gestured toward the pocket where the notebook was tucked.
Sasuke inhaled slowly, as if counting to three to resist skewering him through the case with his katana. «You’re a prisoner?»
Suigetsu nodded.
«Why don’t you break free?»
«You think I haven’t tried that?!» he snapped, hitting the glass in frustration. «It’s not like I can just snap my fingers and escape from this thing. This damn capsule is reinforced and electrified, designed specifically to contain my powers.»
«Or maybe you’re just too weak to get out.» said Sasuke, a trace of mockery in his voice. «Next time, reincarnate into something that can get out of a tank.»
«Oh, very funny, Uchiha!» he said with a forced smirk, but his eyes flickered with excitement, as if he’d just found an interesting opponent. «But aren’t you in a cage too, in a way? I see you wandering around here like you’re free, yet… you’re always in Orochimaru’s shadow.»
Sasuke didn’t take the bait, cold as ever. Even so, at that moment, the idea of turning him into sashimi seemed all too tempting.
«Not that I really care, but I still don’t understand why Orochimaru keeps you here. Since you have no particular talent, I’d like to know what he’s using you for.» he began pacing around the tank, as if thinking aloud. «Maybe for him, you’re just decoration. A little fish in an aquarium.»
«I’m not some damn freak to be displayed in a fish tank!» he bristled at Sasuke's words, feeling insulted by his comparison to a mere pet. «For your information, I have extraordinary powers!»
«Oh yeah? Like turning into a soda?»
«Hey!» he bristled again at Sasuke’s derogatory comment on his abilities. «There are huge advantages to being incorporeal. For starters, it makes me almost completely immune to physical attacks — they just pass right through me.» he punched through his own abdomen. «I can increase the size and power of my body, reaching immense attack strength that makes me a formidable hand-to-hand fighter.» Suigetsu’s grin became brazen. «Not to mention my unbeatable swordsmanship skills.»
«Hm, doesn’t seem like much.» Sasuke lied, staying impassive. He found the abilities interesting, but had no intention of giving him satisfaction. «Maybe you’d be better off staying a little fish in a bowl.» for the first time, Sasuke stepped closer to the tank. He stopped just inches from the glass, his face unreadable. «Although, to be honest, it’s not exactly a pleasant sight to see you floating there… completely naked.» another lie.
Suigetsu looked at himself, then shrugged, pleased. «Hey, I don't mind. Being naked doesn't bother me. Besides, I'm sure I look great without clothes.» he flexed his muscles, enlarging them as much as the space allowed, showing off his physique with bravado.
The Uchiha rolled his eyes, his face twisted into a scowl that barely hid a hint of embarrassment.
«Don’t you agree, Sasuke?» he pressed with a satisfied grin. He couldn’t help feeling a little triumphant for having irritated his new acquaintance, relishing the small victory.
«Shut up!» Sasuke’s voice was flat, icy, as always. Yet a small turmoil stirred inside him.
Sasuke had grown, his body had changed radically. Yet what scared him most was realizing he was no longer indifferent to certain emotions and impulses that had once been foreign to him, now stirring him more than he could bear. A sudden interest in lewd drawings or the naked body of a boy — instinctive reactions he had never experienced before.
Even someone as cold and detached as him had to face adolescence… and he hated himself for it.
The ground was slippery, too close to something he didn’t want to analyze. So he cut it short, steering the conversation elsewhere.
«What would you do if you ever got out of there?»
Suigetsu leaned back against the glass, a smirk spreading across his face. His gaze meeting Uchiha’s. «First, I’m gonna kick your ass.»
A short puff, almost a derisive laugh, escaped Sasuke. «Sounds ridiculous coming from someone who can’t even get out of a glass.»
«Ugh, you don't have to keep rubbing it in my face, y' know.» he snapped, dropping to the bottom of the tank with a pout. He stayed there, arms crossed, stubborn frown on his lips. Then, with a surprisingly serious tone, he added: «I’d take revenge on Orochimaru for having me trapped here all this time.»
Sasuke chuckled softly, a sound that made Suigetsu spring to his feet, irritated. «What? You don't think I can get revenge on that bastard?»
«You have no chance against him.»
«Well, I may seem powerless right now, stuck in this stupid tank, but I’ve got surprises up my sleeve, y' know?» he bit his lip, unwilling to admit that deep down, he was probably right. «I might surprise you. I could hold my own in a fight.»
«He’d turn you into shark soup in a second.»
«Wanna bet?» he gritted his teeth, annoyed at the teasing.
«Even if you did, you’ve got nothing to put on the table.»
Hōzuki frowned; the fact that Sasuke was right once again got on his nerves.
«Maybe there’s something…» Sasuke moved closer to the capsule control panel. His fingers barely brushed the release button, almost toying with the idea of freeing him, but never pressing it. «If I can kill Orochimaru, I’ll grant you freedom… and you’ll grant me your loyalty.»
Suigetsu blinked, surprised. Then he laughed softly, baring his sharp teeth. «You want my obedience?» he murmured, his voice wavering between mockery and unease. He tried to keep a light tone, but he couldn’t remember the last time someone had demanded something so uncomfortable from him. «That's a pretty big demand you're making, you know. I'm not exactly a loyal person.»
He decided not to give a clear answer. Instead, he pressed his forehead against the glass, studying him with sly eyes. «And if I win? What would I get from you?»
«It doesn’t matter. It will never happen.» his icy gaze drifted into the void as his hand gripped the hilt of his katana firmly. «By the time you get out of there, Orochimaru will already be dead. By my hand.»
Suigetsu remained silent, struck by the coldness of that statement. His usual irony caught in his throat: in Sasuke’s eyes, there was no pride, only a determination that sent a shiver down his spine.
«Wait, are you serious? You're really planning on killing Orochimaru? All by yourself?»
«If there’s anyone who can do it, it’s me.»
«You're that confident, huh?» he scrutinized him skeptically. «What makes you think you have a chance against  someone like him?»
«Don’t make the mistake of underestimating me, little fish.»
Suigetsu let out a melodramatic sigh, irritated by the return of that nickname. «You’re the one underestimating Orochimaru. Sure, he’s in a shitty state now… but he's not easy to take down, y'know?»
«If you’re trying to convince me to free you so we can face him together, know that it won’t work.»
«Tsk… fine, you caught me.» he huffed in frustration at being seen right through. «I hoped to make you change your mind. But since you’re set on suicide, then so be it.» then he added with a hint of dark irony: «I’ll be out of here just in time to witness your funeral.»
«No funeral for me. If I fail to kill Orochimaru, I won’t get a simple death.» for a moment, he seemed to forget Suigetsu’s presence, as if speaking to himself more than him. «I’ll lose everything. My body, my will, my memories… even my hatred. I’ll become nothing but an empty shell in Orochimaru’s hands.»
Suigetsu held his breath. He had seen many atrocities in Orochimaru’s prisons, but he realized that his tank wasn’t the worst cage. Sasuke walked freely in the corridors, yet was chained to a far more terrifying fate. His own body would be his prison for eternity.
«If you know the horror that awaits, if you know how terrible it can be…» he insisted, eyes fixed on him searching for a crack in that granite resolve. «Then why don’t you run?»
«I have plans to complete.» he lifted his gaze, cold and relentless, yet tinged with a melancholy that betrayed him. «Soon, I’ll be strong enough to do what I came here to do.»
«What’s that?»
«Settle an old score.»
«Whatever this score… do you really think it’s worth it?»
Silence was the only answer.
«You know something, Uchiha?» he tried to smile, attempting to lighten the mood. «You’re starting to grow on me.»
Sasuke turned toward the exit, ignoring him. He only took a couple of steps before Suigetsu called after him, tapping lightly on the glass. «Come back to visit.» he added in a deliberately casual tone.
Sasuke paused for a moment. Then he walked through the door, leaving only the gurgle of the liquid in the tanks to fill the silence.
Alone, Suigetsu let himself sink to the bottom of the tank, shoulders against the glass. A light sigh escaped him as he stretched lazily, as if his captivity no longer bothered him as much as before. The grin returned to his face, but his eyes stayed dark, fixed on the spot where the other had been sitting just moments before. «See you soon… Uchiha Sasuke.»

Chapter Text

«And that is why we need you, Yamato. You carry the First Hokage’s cells within you.»
Tsunade’s voice was steady, almost solemn. In front of her, the young man with brown hair stood motionless, eyes blank yet attentive, summoned to that strange private meeting in a hospital room.
The Fifth Hokage, the Toad Sage, and the Copy Ninja were discussing matters that would decide the village’s future: how to counter Akatsuki, how to deal with Orochimaru and the traitor Uchiha, and above all, what to do about the Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki.
Jiraiya opened his kimono, revealing the scar that crossed his chest. He spoke of how, during their last training session, Naruto had transformed until the fourth tail of the Kyūbi appeared — and had nearly killed him. Those metamorphoses, he explained, tore Naruto’s body apart and consumed his life a little more each time they surfaced. That was why they needed someone able to restrain him.
«You’re the only one with the ability to control the jinchūriki! And as luck would have it, the First’s necklace is already hanging around Naruto's neck.» Jiraiya concluded, closing his kimono. «We’re counting on you!»
When the meeting was dismissed, Tsunade and Yamato took their leave. Only Jiraiya and Kakashi remained in the room. The Copy Ninja was still recovering from his fight with Deidara — sending the Akatsuki bomber’s explosion into another dimension with his Sharingan had left him exhausted and bedridden for a week.
The first vacation he’d had in a long time — and it was in a hospital bed.
«Do you know what triggered Naruto’s transformation?» Jiraiya asked, standing by his bedside.
Kakashi shook his head slowly, though he already suspected the answer.
«That Uchiha kid.» said the hermit, his expression bitter. «Again.»
Kakashi didn’t reply right away, his single visible eye fixed on the ceiling, unreadable.
«You’re their teacher. You know them better than anyone.» Jiraiya continued, hesitating for a moment, his gaze shifting away as if he were about to step into forbidden territory. «What is this thing between them?»
A second later, his tone changed — sharper, almost preemptive, as if to block an excuse. «And don’t try to feed me that story again about how their bond is like the one that once tied me and Orochimaru, like you said on the hospital rooftop. You know damn well it’s much more than that.»
Kakashi was one of the few people with whom Jiraiya could truly speak as an equal. Two men who had lived, who knew pain, and who each in their own way tried to protect Naruto.
That gave him the right to be blunt, even protective, because he could feel that his student was no longer just attached to Sasuke — it was becoming an obsession.
«Why the hell does Naruto pine after that cold, arrogant kid?» he burst out, not waiting for an answer. «Yeah, he’s mysterious and cool, I’ll give him that. It’s the kind of mix that drives young hearts crazy. But he’s also the kind who, on his best days, ignores him — and on his worst, tries to kill him.»
Jiraiya wasn’t a man who held grudges, but he could have, for Naruto’s sake. He saw Sasuke as a threat to the boy’s heart. Not out of intolerance — even though he’d struggled at first with the idea that Naruto could be drawn to another boy — but out of fear that he would be hurt by someone incapable of love.
«I mean… he’s an Uchiha! A walking trauma compilation… a giant psycho alert.»
«Don’t be so hard on Sasuke. He’s suffered a lot too.»
«I’m not trying to judge the kid, believe me. I recognize the pain of his loss, the loneliness, the fight within himself.»
Ignoring the hospital’s no-smoking rule, Jiraiya lit his pipe with nervous gestures. He took a slow puff, releasing a dense spiral of smoke into the air. «But there’s something about him that worries me… especially because of what I see in Naruto’s eyes.»
Kakashi glanced at him sideways, as if he’d caught the hidden thread behind those unspoken fears. «If one day you were to realize that what you’ve seen in Naruto’s eyes… is exactly what you’re afraid of…» a shadow of concern slipped through his usual composure. «What would you do?»
Jiraiya clenched the pipe between his teeth without answering. He was a sentimental fool disguised as a pervert, but far from stupid. He loved Naruto like a son — and behaved like an overprotective father who couldn’t stand his daughter’s boyfriend. He wanted the best for him and feared that chasing Sasuke would destroy him, knowing full well that the young Uzumaki was loyal to the point of self-destruction.
He stayed still, staring at the ceiling, his mind a storm of images, fears, and possibilities — and for a moment, all he could do was remain trapped inside the thought he refused to speak aloud.
The only sound was the faint crackle of the pipe as smoke drifted through the air, making Kakashi cough softly.
«Naruto isn’t the kind to give up easily. Whatever he feels for Sasuke, he’ll always stay true to his heart.»
«You can’t always listen to your heart, Kakashi. You know that as well as I do. As shinobi, we have to make sure we judge correctly and make the right decisions.»
«Have we always made the right decisions?» Kakashi asked with a hint of irony.
For an instant, Jiraiya was caught off guard. How many times in his life had he followed his heart — or whatever part of him was in charge when a pretty woman walked by — and made an absolute mess of things… and now he was talking about sound judgment and flawless strategy?
Kakashi let him sit with the thought, then added quietly: «Sometimes kids don’t really know what they want. But that doesn’t make their feelings any less real.»
«And what’s that supposed to mean?»
«Two hearts searching for each other, trying to understand, yet unable to stay close without getting hurt.» his voice was calm, as if reciting an old poem. «There’s a powerful, silent force that binds Naruto and Sasuke. I don’t know what it will become — if it ever becomes anything. But it’s a bond that could either save the world… or destroy it.»
Jiraiya stared at him. He wasn’t sure if those words came from Kakashi himself — or from one of his own novels, since Kakashi was his number-one fan. Just in case, he made a mental note to steal that line for a future book.
«And I’m supposed to just stand by and watch?»
«Fortunately… you’re the greatest expert in the field.» Kakashi smiled faintly behind his mask. «I’m sure you’ll guide him the best way possible.»
A quiet, almost melancholic silence followed. Both men understood that their task wasn’t only to teach deadly techniques — but to have the courage to let their students go. Even if they made risky, foolish, or painful choices. Because the only way to grow… was to live one’s choices to the fullest.

                                        ~~~***~~~

In order for the mission to be approved, Tsunade had been forced to accept delicate compromises with Konoha’s council of elders regarding the team assigned to carry it out. Kakashi was still in recovery, Sasuke had never been replaced, and among the new members was Sai.
Formally, the young Root ninja’s presence was presented as a mere recommendation — but in truth, it was an unmistakable imposition by Danzō.
The Fifth Hokage had been granted some freedom in choosing the captain; she was only required to select someone from the Anbu. For the occasion, one of Konoha’s most skilled Anbu operatives stepped out from behind the mask: the man known by the codename “Yamato.” Tsunade instructed him carefully to keep an eye on Sai. After all, the mission was relatively simple and offered the perfect opportunity to test and evaluate the new team’s dynamics.
Thus, Team Kakashi — now fifty percent replaced — set out for the Tenchi Bridge, with the goal of capturing the Akatsuki spy embedded within Orochimaru’s ranks. The operation would not only provide valuable information on Konoha’s most wanted criminal and on Sasuke Uchiha, but also secure a crucial intelligence source to aid in crafting a strategy for retrieving the boy and assassinating Orochimaru.
Naruto, as always, was bursting with enthusiasm and impatience. But working with Sai proved far more difficult than expected. The boy, silent and seemingly unshakable, tested everyone’s patience, and poor Captain Yamato found himself forced to arrange an overnight stay at a hot spring inn — at his own expense — just to keep the peace and ensure the mission moved forward without disaster.

«The night crawled by. The chatter of the hot-spring guests had long since faded, swallowed by the intermittent chirring of the cicadas.
The room lay in a warm half-light, barely brightened by the milky moonlight filtering through the shutters. Two futons lay apart, separated by a thin space that looked like a war border, drawn by two boys who barely tolerated each other but were forced to share the same roof for one night.
«I can’t believe I have to share a room with you…» Naruto grumbled, lying with his arms behind his head and his eyes glued to the ceiling. «Yamato-taichō really is stingy, dattebayo!»
Not even the hot water had been enough to melt the irritation Sai had caused him all day, with that fake smile and his crude manner of speaking.
«According to Yamato-taichō, it’s important to strengthen team bonds.»
Sai sat composed, his sketchbook resting on his lap. «Apparently… For guys, being together naked really makes us feel like companions!» he parroted, imitating what the captain had told them earlier during the awkward hot-spring visit.
«I doubt it.»
«Are you embarrassed because you have a small penis?»
Naruto shot upright like a spring. «Shut up, bastard! It’s- it’s perfectly average!» he instinctively covered himself with the blanket, his face red with anger and embarrassment. «Why the hell are you so obsessed with my-» he stopped, refusing to say the word, but indicated it with a vague gesture of his hand.
«It’s a technique I read in socialization manuals: “say something provocative to stimulate interaction.”» he smiled in such an artificial way he looked painted. «Does it work?»
«It only works if you want to get punched, dattebayo!»
A cushion flew into the darkness. It struck Sai square on the face. He didn’t flinch; he set it carefully beside him. «It’s still a form of interaction.»
Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. «Of all the substitutes they could have sent… why you?»
Sai tilted his head slightly. «Anyway, it’s a bit ironic.»
«What?»
«You chase someone who turned his back on you… and you reject the one who wants to be your companion.»
Naruto let out a nervous, forced laugh, trying to mask the frustration. «You don’t want to be my companion. You only do what you’re ordered. You’re just a stopgap.»
«I wouldn't have had to replace him, if Sasuke-kun hadn't betrayed and abandoned Konoha.»
«If you keep talking about Sasuke like that, I’ll smash your face!» he snapped, his look full of aggravation.
«I’m just stating the truth.» Sai replied, with that disarming calm that drove Naruto insane.
«What do you even know about Sasuke, huh?!» he snapped, pointing a finger at him.
«Not much. But considering what he did to you, I don’t understand why you keep defending him.» the tone was passive-aggressive, perfectly in line with his role as an agent of social chaos. «If I had abandoned you, I doubt you’d miss me.»
Then, almost without changing expression, he added softly: «So what’s so special about him?»
He lowered his gaze to the sketchbook and closed it with deliberate calm, as if he wanted to focus all his attention on the conversation. «Tell me about Sasuke-kun.»
Naruto frowned in surprise. «Why should I?! It’s none of your business, dattebayo!» he grumbled, sulky, turning back toward the ceiling from his futon. He stayed still for a while, his fingers twisting together, and when he finally spoke, it was softly — like he was confessing a secret he had never told anyone before.
«We’re… it’s like we’re tied by a thread… and every time one of us pulls, the other feels it.»
He turned toward Sai, who was staring at him without moving a muscle, his gaze silent and piercing.
Naruto’s heart started to beat faster. He looked straight into Sai’s eyes, but all he saw was Sasuke. Sai’s face blurred in his mind, replaced by that of his friend.
The fact that Sai resembled him, even just a little — though Naruto refused to admit it — didn’t help.
For a moment, he wasn’t in that room anymore. He was elsewhere, suspended in that warm and cruel feeling that tightened around his chest every time he thought of him.
He didn’t even realize he’d stopped breathing, as if memory had pulled him somewhere far away.
«A thread?» Sai repeated softly, thoughtful. «It sounds less like a thread and more like a noose around the throat. Every time one of you pulls, the other gets strangled.»
The magic of the moment dissolved instantly, like mist scattered by the wind.
Naruto came back to reality — the room, the darkness, and that annoying guy who didn’t know when to shut up.
«You’re nothing like Sasuke!» he snapped, irritated, then turned his back on him, avoiding Sai’s gaze.
Silence fell again, and Naruto thought that maybe — finally — he could get some sleep.
But the worst was yet to come.
«I wonder what Sasuke-kun’s penis looks like.»
Naruto nearly choked, sitting up with wide eyes. «What?!»
«Have you ever seen it?»
«N-no!» his voice cracked with shock and total embarrassment, his brain short-circuiting as his cheeks turned bright red. «I mean… yeah, but-»
Sai stared at him without blinking, and Naruto felt the pressure mounting. He had an irrational need to justify himself. «When we were kids, sometimes we peed next to each other, or went to the onsen with the others. That’s all.»
«Ah. So his is small like yours?»
Naruto’s jaw dropped. «W-what?! No, of course not! I mean…» he flailed his arms wildly. «Why the hell are we even talking about Sasuke’s dick?!»
He yanked the blanket over his head and, after a brief pause, his muffled voice came from underneath: «Please stop talking about dicks, dattebayo!»
Sai raised an eyebrow, as if he couldn’t understand why the topic was inappropriate. «It was just a question about Sasuke-kun’s penis, why are you making it so hard?»
«For crying out loud, Sai!» Naruto groaned, face burning. «Shut up and go to sleep!» he turned on his side again, hoping to end the conversation once and for all.
From that moment on, the only sound in the room was the faint chirping of cicadas outside.
Naruto lay still, his eyes lost in the dark, unable to sleep for the rest of the night.
That guy could get on his nerves like no one else… but it was the way he reminded him of Sasuke that bothered him the most.

                                        ~~~***~~~

The spy they had been waiting for on the Tenchi Bridge turned out to be Kabuto, who for five years had been forced to play a double game under the effect of a mind-control jutsu by Sasori of the Red Sand.
In reality, Orochimaru had freed him from the jutsu immediately, and since then the boy had chosen to serve him of his own free will.
That encounter was nothing more than a trap to lure Sasori into an ambush and kill him… but Kabuto hadn’t expected to find the Leaf ninja standing in his way.
Even for Konoha, it was a surprise when Orochimaru revealed himself, not missing the chance to provoke Naruto, knowing exactly how to strike him straight in the heart.
«I would like to test my Sasuke-kun, to see how strong he has become, by having him fight with you, Naruto-kun.»
Using Sasuke’s name to taunt Naruto, Orochimaru sparked a storm of rage within him.
«He isn’t yours!» shouted the fox boy. «Don’t you dare mention Sasuke's name in front of me as if it were yours!»
What followed was a furious and devastating battle where Naruto soon reached the four-tails and lost control.
Orochimaru laughed at the sheer exhilaration of facing that unleashed beast. The sannin proved worthy of his legend, confronting the hurricane of chakra and destruction with an almost perverse pleasure. Yet, despite his strength, his worn-out body could not withstand it for long. He was forced to retreat, leaving behind a destroyed bridge and a landscape scarred as if by a cataclysm.
It would be more accurate to call it a battle between monsters rather than ninja.
Yamato fulfilled the task he had been assigned, containing the Nine-Tails with his special technique. He brought Naruto back to his human form, but the boy collapsed unconscious, unaware of what had just happened.
It was then that the captain informed the team that Sai had betrayed them and gone off with Orochimaru.