Chapter 3: The sun was rising over Konoha, its golden light washing over the village like a silent promise of a new day. But beneath that warmth, something dark had already taken root.
Naruto walked slowly through the empty streets, his hands buried in his pockets, his clothes still stained with blood. He could hear the distant cries—villagers waking to the news of last night's massacre. The air was thick with tension, the scent of fear clinging to the morning breeze.
He breathed it in.
The fear. The uncertainty. The realization that everything had changed.
It was delicious.
And yet… he felt nothing.
Not guilt. Not regret. Not even excitement.
Because he was not Naruto Uzumaki. Not anymore.
He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers as if testing them. They were strong, responsive, but they still felt… foreign. This body was young, full of raw potential, but it was not his own. Not truly.
"How strange," he mused, tilting his head.
Memories flickered through his mind, pieces of a life that was supposed to belong to him—lonely nights, bitter smiles, the desperate need to be acknowledged. He knew these memories, could recall them in perfect detail, but they weren't his. They belonged to the boy who had lived in this body before.
The boy who was gone.
Something had taken his place.
Something ancient.
Something hungry.
The Village Reacts
The Hokage Tower was a storm of movement. ANBU operatives rushed through the halls, their faces grim beneath their masks. Tsunade stood at the center of the chaos, gripping a report so tightly that the paper had crumpled beneath her fingers.
"This has to be a mistake," she muttered, eyes scanning the details for the third time. "There's no way…"
Kakashi stood beside her, his single visible eye dark with worry. "I saw the scene myself, Lady Tsunade," he said quietly. "The bodies were… torn apart. This wasn't just an outburst. This was calculated."
Tsunade shook her head. "This is Naruto we're talking about."
"Is it?" Kakashi asked.
The words hit harder than she expected.
She wanted to deny it. Wanted to tell him that of course it was Naruto. That he was the same reckless, loudmouthed idiot they had always known.
But she had seen the destruction with her own eyes.
The precision. The cruelty.
This wasn't Naruto. At least, not the one they knew.
And that terrified her.
A Visitor in the Shadows
Naruto—or what was left of him—walked through the streets aimlessly. He had no destination, no plan. He was merely observing, listening.
The whispers were already spreading.
"The demon has finally shown his true colors."
"We should have killed him when we had the chance."
"He murdered ANBU. The Hokage won't let this go unpunished."
A slow smile curled on his lips. Good.
Fear made them weak. And weak people were easy to break.
"Enjoying yourself?"
Naruto stopped.
The voice was deep, smooth, and laced with amusement. It came from above.
Perched on the edge of a rooftop, cloaked in the shadows of the early morning light, sat a figure. He wore a high-collared cloak, dark and flowing, and his piercing red eyes gleamed like embers in the dimness.
Uchiha Itachi.
Naruto met his gaze, his expression unreadable. "I wondered when you'd show up."
Itachi studied him in silence, his face betraying nothing. "The reports were… disturbing," he finally said. "But I had to see for myself."
Naruto smirked. "And? Do I meet expectations?"
Itachi didn't answer immediately. He simply observed, his Sharingan analyzing everything—the way Naruto moved, the way his chakra pulsed unnaturally, the way his presence felt off.
This was not the same Naruto he had encountered before.
"I see now," Itachi murmured. "You are not him."
Naruto chuckled. "Took you long enough."
A flicker of something passed through Itachi's expression—concern, curiosity, perhaps even fear. But it was gone in an instant.
"If you are not Naruto," Itachi said carefully, "then what are you?"
Naruto tilted his head, considering the question. Then, with a slow, deliberate smile, he answered:
"I am what comes after."
Itachi's eyes narrowed.
The Invitation
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, to Naruto's surprise, Itachi smiled.
"Fascinating," he said.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Not the reaction I expected."
"You intrigue me," Itachi admitted. "I do not know what you are, but I can see what you are becoming."
He paused.
"And I would like to offer you a proposition."
Naruto crossed his arms, amused. "I'm listening."
"The Akatsuki," Itachi said simply.
Naruto laughed. "Oh? You think I need a bunch of rogue ninjas to guide me?"
"No," Itachi said. "I think they might need you."
That was… interesting.
Naruto had already been considering his next steps. Konoha had served its purpose—he had tested his power, shaken the foundation of the village. But if he wanted more, he needed to expand.
The Akatsuki could be useful.
Naruto smirked. "Alright, Uchiha. Let's see where this takes us."
Itachi nodded once. "Then follow me."
And just like that, Naruto vanished into the shadows, leaving behind the village that had once been his home.
The demon was free.
And the world was about to burn.
End of Chapter 3
In this chapter:
Naruto fully embraces that he is no longer human.
The village realizes this is not the same Naruto.
Itachi meets Naruto and recognizes the change in him.
Naruto joins the Akatsuki, setting up the next phase of his rampage.