IN NARUTO AS KURAMA

Hyuga Hiashi returned to his grand home, but the memory of the encounter with Shiro refused to leave his mind. He tried shaking it off, but the fox-like figure and the veiled insults replayed over and over.

Damn it! Stop thinking about it! Just sleep!

Throwing a blanket over himself, he finally drifted off into restless slumber.

---

The Next Morning

Naruto Uzumaki emerged from his small apartment, humming an unfamiliar tune.

"The king asked me to patrol the mountains, I went around the world, the water in the mountains is very sweet," he sang cheerfully, though the words had little meaning to him.

Naruto smiled to himself. "I don't know what this song is about, but if Master sang it, it must be something amazing!" He had once asked Shiro about its origins, but his teacher had only grown uncharacteristically somber, muttering about a legendary figure.

As the school gates began to close, Naruto sprinted with all his might, yelling, "Hashidou Madai! Let me in!"

Naruto barely slipped through the gates, turning to wave at the guard. "Thanks, uncle!" he called out with a grin.

Panting heavily, Naruto finally reached the classroom, dropping into the seat next to Sasuke. "Huff, huff…"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Were you being chased by a dog or something?"

Over time, Sasuke had grown more tolerant of Naruto's antics, even indulging in the occasional banter.

"No," Naruto whispered, catching his breath. "Iruka-sensei was right behind me!"

Sasuke's expression froze. "What?! Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

Iruka entered the room moments later, his face dark with irritation. "From now on, you're not allowed to slide in at the last second, Naruto!"

"Y-Yes, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto stammered, shrinking in his seat.

The day passed quickly, and as the sun set, Naruto stretched his arms lazily. "Finally, class is over!"

On his way home, he pondered what to eat for dinner. Ramen, of course, was always a top contender.

But suddenly, Naruto stopped in his tracks. His eyes sharpened, and in an instant, he disappeared from view. A moment later, he reappeared in an alley, pulling a certain timid girl along with him.

"Hinata? What are you doing following me?" he asked, tilting his head. "Miss Hyuga, you can't be this bad at stealth, can you?"

Hinata Hyuga flushed crimson, flustered beyond words. She broke free of Naruto's grip and bolted toward the Hyuga compound, her heart pounding.

Naruto shook his head with a bemused smile. "What a strange girl…"

Inside Naruto's mind, Shiro was fuming. "Naruto, you idiot! Are you completely hopeless? That girl likes you, and you're too blind to see it!"

Naruto, now embarrassed, rubbed the back of his neck and hurried home, his face slightly red.

Back in the sealed space, Shiro vented his frustration. "I can't believe this boy! He's absolutely clueless!"

From his perch atop Kurama, Minato Namikaze smiled faintly. "Shiro, you've been grumbling about Naruto all day. Don't you think you're overdoing it?"

Shiro shot him a glare. "Minato, you wouldn't understand. Your son is hopeless!"

---

Later that Night

Shiro stood atop Hokage Rock, gazing at the village under the blood moon's light. He muttered to himself, "I wonder if Obito will lose his composure when he sees that Itachi won't cooperate with him. Heh, he's in for a surprise."

But then Shiro's expression changed. A troubling thought crossed his mind. What if something unexpected happens? Without wasting another moment, he vanished.

At the Uchiha Clan's Gate

A man wearing a tiger-patterned mask stood at the gate, holding two long chains in his hands. His single visible eye glowed red as he muttered, "Damn it, Uchiha Itachi refused to cooperate. Looks like I'll have to handle this myself."

As he prepared to move, a flash of steel streaked through the air, stopping just inches from his mask.

"Damn it!" the man growled. "An ambush?"

Uchiha Izumi stood atop the gate, her Sharingan glowing brightly. Around her, Fugaku's personal guards emerged from the shadows, surrounding the masked man.

"I walked right into this…" the man muttered, recognizing the trap. "You dare treat your ancestor like this?! I am Uchiha Madara! Tonight, you'll all pay the price for betraying the Uchiha name!"

With a fierce cry, he wrapped the chains around his arms and leaped into the air, his Sharingan spinning wildly. The guards braced themselves as chaos erupted.

Izumi darted forward, her blade slicing through the air. "You won't harm the Uchiha!"

But the masked man's body blurred like a mirage. He phased through her attack and reappeared inches from her. Izumi had no time to react as his fist struck her chest with devastating force.

Bang!

Izumi's body flew through the air like a broken doll, slamming into a nearby wall. Dust and rubble buried her motionless form.

"Itachi!" Izumi's name was a desperate scream on Uchiha Itachi's lips as he appeared at the scene. He tore through the debris, finally uncovering her pale, bloodied face.

"Izumi…" he whispered, his voice shaking. A tear fell as his anguish reached a peak.

Under the blood moon, the three tomoe in Itachi's Sharingan spun wildly, transforming into the Mangekyō Sharingan.

At that moment, another figure appeared beside him. Dressed in dark attire, with a short-sleeved shirt and a small sword on his back, the newcomer radiated calm authority.

"Itachi, get a hold of yourself. Izumi will be fine." The man's voice was steady and reassuring.

It was Uchiha Shisui, Itachi's mentor and best friend. Shisui gestured for the medics to take Izumi away, then turned to face the masked man.

"You've prepared for this," Shisui said calmly, drawing his ninja sword. Chakra flickered along the blade's edge as he narrowed his eyes. "Are you here to destroy the Uchiha? If so, you'll have to go through me first."

The masked man laughed mockingly. "You can try, Shisui of the Body Flicker. But you'll soon learn why I am invincible!"

Shisui's grip tightened on his blade as he prepared for the battle that would determine the Uchiha's fate. The night, drenched in blood and shadow, was far from over.