Chapter:4 The rain fell in heavy sheets, soaking the barren earth beneath Naruto's feet. The cold droplets traced paths down his face, but he did not shiver. The storm had followed them for hours, dark clouds swirling like a vengeful spirit as he and Itachi traveled. It was fitting. The skies themselves seemed to mourn the world's ignorance—oblivious to the danger now walking its soil.
Naruto's new cloak was black, patterned with red clouds—ominous and symbolic of the bloodshed the organization so proudly displayed. The fabric felt odd against his skin, stiff and unfamiliar, but he welcomed it. The boy who once wore orange was gone. In his place stood a being far darker.
He glanced sideways at Itachi. The Uchiha was calm, eyes narrowed in thought as they trudged through mud and rain. Naruto had sensed his wariness from the start. Itachi's eyes held secrets, layers of calculation, but behind all that was something else—something even he couldn't hide.
Fear.
Oh, he masked it well, but Naruto could taste it. The way Itachi's gaze flicked toward him when he thought Naruto wasn't looking, the subtle way his hand stayed close to his kunai pouch. The Uchiha was afraid. Not of what Naruto had become, but of what he could become.
It amused him.
"Something on your mind, Uchiha?" Naruto asked, his voice carrying easily over the storm.
Itachi's gaze didn't shift. "Curiosity."
"About what?"
"You," Itachi replied, tone mild. "What are you truly? You walk in a child's body, but the chakra I sense from you is… ancient."
Naruto smirked. "Ancient, huh? That's one way to put it."
"I've seen Jinchūriki before," Itachi continued, ignoring the taunt. "I've even faced a tailed beast. But this... what lurks inside you is different."
Naruto's smile widened. "You really want to know?"
Itachi's silence was answer enough.
Naruto chuckled, a low, menacing sound. "I was born in a realm far from here. A world of chaos, where shadows writhe, and whispers drive men mad. There, I was a king—a lord of nightmares and devourer of souls. But power breeds jealousy, and my rule was not without rivals."
A flash of something—fear, fascination—crossed Itachi's eyes.
"They betrayed me. Sealed me away, and I slept for eons. But hatred is a powerful thing. I clawed through time and space, seeking a host, a way back. Then, I found him." Naruto gestured at his own body. "A child, filled with hate and desperation. Perfect."
"Possession?" Itachi asked, brow furrowing.
"No," Naruto replied. "I devoured him. The boy is gone. Only I remain."
The Uchiha's face was a mask of neutrality, but Naruto could see the gears turning. Weighing the risk, calculating the threat.
Naruto shrugged. "You think I'm a danger, Itachi?"
"Yes," Itachi said bluntly. "But I know danger. I can use it."
Naruto laughed, genuinely amused. "You think you can control me?"
"No," Itachi corrected. "But I can aim you."
The words hung in the air. Naruto tilted his head. "You mean at Konoha?"
Itachi's gaze was sharp. "Would you object?"
Naruto's grin was a promise. "Not at all."
The Akatsuki's Lair
The entrance was unassuming—hidden behind a crumbling boulder, concealed by illusion. It was a place the weak would overlook, but to those who could see beyond the surface, it was a gateway to something far more sinister.
Naruto and Itachi entered, shadows clinging to them like old friends. The stone corridors were lined with flickering torches, casting eerie shadows along the walls. The deeper they went, the colder the air grew. The smell of damp stone and old blood lingered, faint but unmistakable.
The main chamber was vast, dominated by a ring of stone pillars and a ceiling lost in darkness. Figures stood in a half-circle, cloaked and silent, their faces hidden beneath hoods and masks. Eyes glimmered in the gloom—some curious, others wary.
Nagato—known to most as Pain—stood at the center. His Rinnegan eyes bored into Naruto's, studying him as one might examine a weapon. The air was thick with unspoken challenge.
"Welcome back, Itachi," Pain said, his voice deep and resonant. "And you brought a guest."
Itachi inclined his head. "Naruto Uzumaki."
Whispers broke out. The name carried weight—Naruto could see the tension rippling through the room. One man with spiky hair sneered. Hidan.
"This is the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?" he scoffed. "Looks like a brat to me."
Naruto's gaze flicked to him, and in that instant, the shadows around Hidan quivered. The man stiffened, eyes widening as something unseen brushed against his throat—a phantom caress, razor-sharp.
Naruto smiled.
"Careful," he purred. "You might lose your head."
Hidan snarled, but Pain's glare silenced him.
Pain's attention returned to Naruto. "The Nine-Tails. I expected resistance."
"You won't get any," Naruto replied.
"Why?" Pain asked.
"Because your goal aligns with mine," Naruto said simply. "You want peace through pain. I want destruction through chaos. We can help each other."
A murmur spread. Kisame leaned on his massive blade, smirking. "Well, this should be fun."
Konan's expression was unreadable, but she remained silent.
Pain's eyes never left Naruto's. "You seek chaos, but what is your purpose?"
Naruto's smile was a slow, creeping thing. "To unmake. To tear down everything built on lies. Konoha will burn. The Shinobi World will crumble. And from its ashes, something new will rise."
Pain considered this. Then, slowly, he nodded. "Very well. Welcome to the Akatsuki."
First Blood
Naruto adjusted quickly to life among the Akatsuki. The missions they assigned him were meant to test his loyalty, gauge his power. He obliterated small villages, eradicated bounty targets, and left nothing but ruin in his wake.
But it was all foreplay. A prelude to what was coming.
Every mission deepened his connection to this body, his control over its chakra growing sharper. He could feel Kurama squirming—an ancient beast now caged by something far worse. Naruto would draw on the fox's power, forcing submission with a casual malice that left the beast howling.
One night, in the flickering shadows of their lair, Itachi approached him.
"You enjoy this," the Uchiha remarked.
Naruto didn't bother denying it. "Of course."
"You could betray us," Itachi pointed out.
Naruto grinned. "Oh, I will. Eventually."
Itachi's lips quirked into something resembling a smile. "Then I suppose we'll see who betrays whom first."
Naruto chuckled. "Indeed."
The tension between them was palpable—a cold understanding between predators. But the storm was building. Soon, the Akatsuki would march.
And Konoha would burn.
End of Chapter 4
In this chapter:
Naruto reveals his true nature as a malevolent entity reborn.
Itachi and Naruto forge a dangerous understanding.
Naruto joins the Akatsuki and begins to shape chaos.
Tensions build as betrayal looms.
What do you think? Ready for Chapter 5?