Naruto: The Shattered Eyes

While Suguru departed from the Senju compound and Tatsuya arrived before Hiruzen, Naruto was subjected to a dull torment.

His mind had fallen into a swamp of thoughtlessness, teetering between the dream world and reality. The sheer pain he was experiencing was numbing his senses.

The simultaneity of both excruciating pain and the peaceful release of slumber created a nightmare that plunged him deep into the abyss.

The Negative Chakra Formation had fully taken shape, enveloping the entirety of Konohagakure in its safety net.

Looking at the shivering Naruto, Danzo's eyes flashed.

"This is good," He said, praising his kneeling subordinates behind him.

Now, no threats to Konoha would go undetected. Every dangerous individual could be monitored. The moment they harbored foul intentions...

Their neck would be slashed right through.

Here, Danzo's reign would truly begin. It was predestined to be tyrannical.

***

Deep within Naruto's subconscious, Kurama opened his eyes. His snarls caused ripples throughout the water beneath his feet.

"My chakra..."

They were getting blatantly audacious with their use of his chakra. 

With bloodshot eyes, Kurama tried exercising control over what they had siphoned from him. He located every wisp scattered about the village and perceived the emotions rushing through.

"Ho..."

Kurama would soon realize that he could exert no governance over his own chakra. Ethereal chains were shackling him down, binding him to the ground.

Despite knowing more cruel seals, it was still a suffocating feeling.

The hatred he felt in the past was returning like a recurring nightmare.

"Those bastards..."

The temptation to tear them all apart had long turned into a clear goal. He would spare no mercy to the people subjecting him to this hell.

"Keheuk—!"

That was when Kurama's gaze fell upon the quivering Naruto.

"Oi, human brat."

Kurama's voice was a grating growl, scratching at Naruto's ears.

"...Oi!"

However, not even that ominous intonation could pull Naruto out of the abyss of his mind. The pain was mind-numbing and ever-present. Like the buzzing of cold steel inside the hollow of his skull.

Naruto could hear nothing but the cause of his pain.

"Tsk," Kurama's anger truly flared.

However, neither he nor his Jinchuriki could do anything.

A part of Kurama regretted kicking out that silver-haired boy from earlier.

'I could've used him...'

Feeling the dull pain of his own chakra being used for another person's greedy purposes had gone past the feeling of being used as a weapon.

Now, the Nine-Tailed Fox had become nothing more than a tool.

***

Manifesting out of a spiraling hole in space, a masked man appeared near the outskirts of Konohagakure.

Although no one could see it, a small frown formed on his face. The shine of a single Sharingan glowed with an ominous hue.

"Danzo, you rotten old fox."

—Crack.

Emerging from the branch by his feet, Zetsu appeared with apparent dread. Despite their ability to travel with Mayfly, some barriers could not be crossed in stealth.

"I can't get any closer without being detected."

White Zetsu was the first to speak.

"What is happening to Konoha?"

Black Zetsu spoke next.

Both of them gazed into Konohagakure's walls. From outside, everything seemed calm.

However, their experiences at the moment resembled adventurers discovering still water in the depths of an abandoned hospital. Something deadly was hiding beneath the surface, and mere contact with the substance could yield unexpected results.

Very much like looking into the abyss.

Unbeknownst to everyone present, this sentiment was a reflection of Naruto's emotions.

The pain, the torment, and the unending nightmares...

Naruto's suffering had been given tangible form.

***

Senju Kisouma had been cleaning up when he felt a speck of his life force disappear.

'This location... Someone discovered the sapling I left behind in Konoha.'

Kisouma squinted as his gaze was pulled in the direction of the village hidden in the leaves. The weight of the scroll he had just received seemed much heavier than before.

'That child... Did he come to us for this exact reason?'

Smacking his lips, Kisouma felt odd after realizing that a mere child was leveraging his clan as a chess piece. By handing them a large amount of weaponizable information, Kisouma could not simply ignore its implications any longer.

'Ignorance was bliss.'

Kisouma chuckled, ending his thoughts there. He glanced at Isao, who was still obediently sitting on the cushion he had set out.

"Isao. Send word to the clan. We are to hold an emergency meeting."

***

Around the world, the other Kage and leaders of various smaller villages unknowingly received one final message from their spies. The information they had all obtained was similar, direct, and bone-chilling.

[Beware of the Fifth Hokage.]

That was all they could say.

No... that was all that they were permitted to say.

The gleam of the Sharingan in their eyes would have been a telltale sign. Unfortunately, there would be no witnesses.

They all perished at the exact same time — with their throats cut open. As if the angel of death had swept over them with an obsidian blade.

***

Thus, we return to Suguru.

"I don't like this feeling,"

Muttering to himself, he forced himself to a sudden stop. The village had already entered his range. However, he did not dare approach any closer.

Something told him that doing so would ignite a chain reaction like no other.

A chain reaction that would end in his loss.

Thus, for a moment, his desire for chaos had been snuffed out. He acted cautiously, treading through the dark, unfamiliar depths.

—Crack!

Pouring chakra into his eyes, his irises shattered.

'Kaisugan!'

Furthermore...

'Shadow Clone Jutsu!'

Three other clones appeared beside him, with their eyes also activated. Together, they scanned the land in a systemic hurry.

Although he would experience an information overload when he was done, Suguru felt that a small headache would be a better price than death.

First, the original directed their gaze into the depths of Konoha. There, he spotted Naruto and Danzo standing in the same room. Even without his other senses, he could still sense the tension hidden under their skin.

A bad sign.

Like a boiling, bubbling pit of lava about to burst.

Next, his first clone spotted two individuals he had not expected to see. One wore an orange mask and the other had a Venus Flytrap appendage framing his head. Spotting the iconic crimson cloud-patterned cloak worn by Zetsu, Suguru felt a twang of nostalgia.

"Obito..."

Suguru breathed. It seemed like the Akatsuki might also sink their teeth into the situation.

On the other hand, Suguru's second clone had scoured the land to find a familiar old face. Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Itachi, and the surprising presence of Tatsuya all came into view. The shock on Tatsuya's face was apparent, and for some reason, Itachi still refused to reveal his visage.

It made sense. After all, it seemed like their meeting had just begun.

Finally, the third clone had scanned as much as he could of the empty spaces throughout the Land of Fire. Although he did not come up with much, Suguru was quite happy with those results.

He had enough variables to take into account.

'Wait...'

That was when Suguru realized the importance of someone else. Someone he was forgetting. A main character as relevant as Naruto himself.

'...What's Sasuke doing at this time?'

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