Naruto Cipher: The Nightmare that Lived

Itachi's breath hitched slightly as realization struck.

This wasn't just some mysterious trickster. This was—

"You're Naruto," Itachi murmured, staring at the boy before him. "The kid I rescued from bullies a few days ago… But your eyes… they were blue. Why are they yellow now?"

Naruto rolled his shoulders, exhaling like someone who had been waiting far too long for someone to catch on.

"Yeahhh, duhhhh," he drawled, waving his cane lazily. "But at least one of you finally noticed the eye change."

Itachi's expression didn't waver. "And your eye patch…?"

Naruto's grin thinned slightly. "I lost my eye. That's it. Stop questioning it."

Itachi observed him carefully, analyzing every shift in his posture, every subtle flicker of amusement in his face.

"You seem very… experienced," Itachi finally said, choosing his words carefully. He turned to Shisui. "What's the word I'm looking for?"

Shisui didn't hesitate. "Too experienced." His voice was unreadable. "An expert liar."

Naruto smirked. "I'm very, veryyyy aged. Like a fucking relic. That's all you need to know."

His gaze flicked between them, the amusement still there, but something deeper—something far older—lurking beneath. "Now, are you satisfied?"

Itachi stared. Then, without hesitation, he shook his head. "No."

Naruto tilted his head slightly.

"You are not the Naruto I know," Itachi continued, his voice calm but firm. "The Naruto I met… was energetic, mischievous, always pulling pranks, and—above all—unshakably optimistic."

His gaze in suspicious to naruto . "You are not him."

Naruto tilted his head slightly, an amused glint in his sharp yellow eye.

"So, you want me to be a loser, huh, Itachi?" he scoffed. "Shit, I'm not a masochist. You ask too many questions—now it's my turn."

His grin widened, but the air shifted—like the moment before a storm.

Naruto's voice dropped slightly. "Is the Uchiha planning a coup yet?"

A deep, unnatural silence. Shisui and Itachi's eyes widened.

This was classified information. No one outside of Konoha's highest-ranking officials knew about this.

And even then—only a select important person were truly aware of it.

Yet here Naruto was, saying it like he was asking for the weather.

Shisui stiffened. Itachi's shoulders tensed.

Naruto chuckled, twirling his cane. "Oh, don't look so shocked." His voice stretched with amusement. "I know lots of things."

His grin widened too much.

"VERYYYYYY LOTSSS OF THINGSSSSSSSS."

The moment he spoke, his eyes changed.

The yellow sharpness morphed.

They turned into something else entirely.

Something nightmarish.

The gray space around them shuddered, distorting as if the very air itself couldn't handle what it was witnessing.

Naruto tilted his head slightly. "Now, be a good boy, Itachi."

His grin sharpened. "Leave."

Itachi didn't move immediately.

He could feel it. An overwhelming pressure.

A force that made his instincts scream. This wasn't chakra. Nor killing intent.

This was something that shouldn't exist. And yet—it was standing right in front of him.

Itachi clenched his fists. "I—"

Shisui cut him off. "Do as he says, Itachi."

His voice was calm, but deadly serious.

"This being—Naruto or not—can kill us anytime he wants."

His Mangekyo Sharingan remained active, but useless.

"Kotoamatsukami didn't work on him," Shisui continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "Which means… we don't stand a chance."

Itachi exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down.

Then, with a slow nod, he stepped back, further into the gray space.

He watched. But for now—he listened.

Shisui turned back to Naruto. "Naruto… is this the first time we've—"

Naruto cut him off immediately. "For you, this is the first time we've had this conversation, yeah."

He smirked, leaning on his cane. "For me? You should be asking yourself that question."

His grin widened. "Do you have any idea how many variants of you exist?"

Shisui's breath caught.

Itachi's sharp gaze flickered toward Naruto, his mind processing the word.

Variants. It wasn't something they could take lightly.

Naruto continued, as if he hadn't just dropped that existential bombshell on them.

"And do you know how many of those versions of you lost both of their eyes?"

Shisui's body tensed. He had no idea what Naruto was talking about, but something deep in his gut told him—this wasn't a joke.

Naruto twirled his cane lazily. "Your brilliant plan was, what? 'Hey, let's brainwash the head of the Uchiha family, Fugaku Uchiha, into calming the fuck down.'"

He pointed his cane directly at Itachi, who had remained silent until now.

"The father of your boyfriend over there."

Itachi twitched. His voice was flat when he spoke. "We are not gay, Naruto."

Naruto ignored him completely. "Good plan, though. Too bad it didn't work."

He grinned wider. "Bad endings for minor characters. They just get cleaned out from the script."

Shisui took a sharp breath. "This isn't a game, Naruto. The Uchiha—they need to be stopped."

Naruto tilted his head, amusement still in his eyes.

"Oh? And then… hmm?"

Itachi, more logical than Shisui, took a step forward. His voice was measured, but firm. "Then what are you suggesting, Naruto? It seems like you have a better outcome in mind."

Shisui remained silent, observing. He knew that Itachi was starting to believe—or at least consider—that whatever this being was, it might actually help them.

Naruto let out a mock yawn, tapping his cane against his shoulder.

"No benefit, no help," he said lazily. "Middle finger."

He raised his middle finger straight at them.

Itachi didn't even react. Instead, he extended his hand.

"A handshake," Itachi said simply.

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

Itachi continued. "In children's stories, devils always seal their deals with a handshake. It's costly for the user—but it gets the job done."

Naruto chuckled. "If it was me a few minutes ago..."

He lifted his palm, and the familiar blue flames flickered into existence.

Shisui nodded slightly. "Like I said. He does have that blue flame, and it requires a handshake."

Naruto twirled his wrist, and the fire vanished.

"But guess what?" he said, his smirk stretching wider. "I don't need it anymore."

He leaned forward slightly, voice lowering. "I just realized how much effort it is to keep up the 'entertainer' act. I have my own job to do."

Shisui exhaled, closing his eyes briefly. Then he looked at Naruto.

"Then let's duel winner gains what the loser wants ."

Naruto paused.

Shisui's expression was dead serious. "Not here. Not in this place. But in the real world. Whenever you win or lose, you shake my hand ."

Naruto clicked his tongue. "Are you that desperate?"

Shisui didn't hesitate. "Yes."

Naruto let out a tired sigh, his fingers drumming lazily against his cane.

"Without your Kotoamatsukami, Shisui, you're just a shinobi of the Uchiha Clan." His sharp yellow eye glinted with something cold. "That's it."

He smirked.

"And you want to fight me?" His voice carried amusement, but there was a dangerous edge beneath it. "You'd just be another nameless minor character, blown to bits and forgotten."

He twirled his cane absently, flicking his wrist.

"I'm in no mood to fight someone. And I don't need a handshake." His grin widened slightly. "It's inefficient."

The gray world around them began to crack.

Reality itself prepared to shatter.

"So long," Naruto muttered, watching as the space between them fractured.

But then— Something unexpected happened.

The shattered fragments of the dreamscape froze in place.

They hung in the air, suspended, unmoving.

Because Shisui— Shisui had dropped to his knees.

His hands dug into the cold, lifeless ground, his breathing uneven, ragged. His shoulders shook.

"Please."

His voice cracked. "Please… help end this bloodshed."

It wasn't a request. It wasn't a bargain. It was desperation.

For a long moment, Naruto said nothing.

His expression was unreadable. Then—without another word—he transported them.

A violent pull. A sudden rupture in space. And in the next instant—

They were no longer in Konoha. The Valley of the End stretched before them, the colossal statues of Hashirama and Madara standing tall against the roaring waterfalls.

Shisui took a shaky breath, rising slightly. "Are you… are you going to help us—"

A searing pain tore through his body before he could even react.

He choked, eyes widening as he felt something pierce through his shoulder.

His breath hitched. Slowly—too slowly—he looked down.

Naruto's cane had transformed.

But this wasn't just any blade.

A Masamune. A ridiculously long sword, its silver edge gleaming ominously.

It wasn't just a weapon. It was Naruto's primary weapon.

Shisui gasped, blood dripping down his chest.

His vision blurred, his body screaming in agony.

And Itachi?

He barely had time to process what was happening.

With a single hand gesture, Naruto made the earth beneath him rise up, twisting and warping like liquid metal—pinning Itachi in place.

Then— Weirdmageddon flared.

The sky cracked open, twisting into a horrific blend of brown and purple.

Space itself distorted, flickering like a corrupted film reel.

And behind Naruto—

A massive golden pyramid manifested. Reality shuddered.

Naruto grinned, his sharp yellow eye gleaming with something beyond madness.

"There are two things I hate throughout my life," he mused, his voice calm, almost conversational.

He twisted the Masamune deeper into Shisui's shoulder.

"One…" He tilted his head, his grin widening. "'Please be a hero.'"

Then his gaze flickered toward Itachi, still trapped beneath the shifting earth.

"And two…" His voice stretched, thick with mockery.

"'Please rescue me.'"

Then, suddenly—his expression lit up.

"And heyyyyyyyyyy—"

His arms spread wide. A manic grin split across his face.

"I'm already rescued!"

His laughter echoed through the warped valley, bouncing off the twisted sky.

"We're freeeeee!"

Then— His smile disappeared. His voice turned cold.

"Ungrateful bastards."

Naruto sighed, rolling his neck like this entire conversation was a waste of time.

"But then again," he muttered, "you both wouldn't understand my rambling anyway."

He waved his hand lazily, as if dismissing the very idea of them.

"So let me keep it very simple."

His sharp yellow eye flickered, his grip tightening slightly around Masamune.

"You all have a part to play. And you will fulfill it."

His voice held finality. "For example—your role has already been written. The author already decided your purpose."

He twirled Masamune slightly, the blade gleaming under the twisted sky. "That's it. That's your role."

He grinned mockingly.

"And once that role is done?"

He shrugged. "Discarded."

His voice lowered. "Minor characters get erased."

He looked at Shisui dead in the eyes. "No one—nothing—can do anything about it."

Naruto chuckled darkly. "Well, actually… I can."

His smirk stretched wider. "But shiiiiiitttttt—do I get anything out of it?"

He paused for dramatic effect. Then, his voice dropped into something cruelly amused. "The answer is NONEEEEEEE."

His laughter echoed. "None of you can Truly fuffill my end goal . Not you. Not Kaguya. Not Madara. Not a single fucking being that ever breathed in this verse."

His grin twisted, eyes gleaming mockingly.

"All of you—small. Pathetic. Not even worth comparing to what I actually want."

Then, with a lazy flick of his wrist—

He dismissed them both his sword and pyramid behind him . "So fuck off."

His voice was final. "Enjoy your remaining days. Following your roles. Like the good little pawns you are."

Shisui, still bleeding, clenched his teeth.And then—

He forced himself to stand. His eyes burned with something fierce.

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

Shisui's voice was firm. "Everyone has an equal right to change their fate."

His eyes didn't waver. "And I see it."

He took a step forward, ignoring the pain. "You're the only one who can do it, Naruto."

 Naruto groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Fucking hell. You just said two contradicting things." His sharp yellow eye locked onto Shisui, completely unimpressed. "First, 'everyone has an equal right to change their fate.'" He waved his hand dismissively. "But then, 'only I can do it.'"

His expression twisted in disgust. "Are you trying to pull some Talk no Jutsu bullshit on me?" His tone dripped with mockery. "That's supposed to be me, but if I ever turn out like that—" He grinned, sharp and unhinged. "I'd kill myself first."

Itachi finally spoke, his voice steady. "Then use us as pawns however you like."

Naruto's grin faltered.

Itachi met his gaze, unwavering. "However, give us the best outcome in this tragedy."

Then—Naruto laughed. Loud. Mocking. "Benefit first. My payment first." His tone turned sharp. "And no—neither of you can fulfill it."

He turned to Shisui, his grin widening. "But you have to follow your role first."

Shisui tensed.

Naruto's voice was smooth, absolute. "Until you lose at least one of your eyes to danzo ."

Shisui stiffened. "To… Danzo?"

Naruto's grin didn't fade. "Bingo."

Shisui's breath hitched. "Danzo is going to backstab me?"

Naruto let out a sharp chuckle. "Steal both of your eyes, actually." His voice was mockingly cheerful. "But don't worry! That part comes anyway."

Shisui's fists clenched.

"But here's the fun part." Naruto's smile stretched wider. "I'll help you get both of your eyes back."

Itachi and Shisui both froze.

"And as for Danzo?" Naruto's voice dropped. His amusement turned cruel. "He's got a role in my problems."

His sharp yellow eye glowed. "And whether he likes it or not—he's going to fix it."

His smile was unnerving. Shisui swallowed.

Naruto's thoughts twisted. Izanagi is basically a restart button, right? A very cheap version of All Fiction, but still… His fingers twitched in anticipation. It's enough to break the space-time continuum. Or at the very least—make a hole in reality.

Itachi's voice was quiet. "Naruto… your smile is a bit scary."

( if its rushed or anything like that sorry since i want to get canon story as soon as possible )

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

After a few days, the moment approached. Tonight, Shisui would use Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku at the Uchiha clan meeting—one final attempt to stop the inevitable. If it worked, the coup might never happen. Or maybe, the moment the meeting ended, the Uchiha would immediately launch their rebellion.

But before that… Shisui had one last task.

A meeting with Danzo.

The hidden temple was isolated, its ancient stone walls carved with a massive "Shinobi" kanji. Shisui stood there, alone with his thoughts.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

A flashback to Naruto's words surfaced in his mind.

"How does my clan end up if you're not here?"

Naruto had chuckled, his sharp yellow eye gleaming.

"Nameless gravestones. Since most of you will be fucked."

Shisui clenched his fists.

"No. I won't let that happen."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

A voice cut through his thoughts.

"You're thinking about something, Shisui."

Danzo stepped forward, his one visible eye cold and unreadable. "Are you prepared to do this?"

Shisui took a deep breath. "Yes, Danzo-sama. However, the Uchiha meeting is about to begin. I need to be there to use my Kotoamatsukami. After that, the Third Hokage will change the regulations regarding the Uchiha."

Danzo's gaze darkened. "Even if Hiruzen is satisfied with Fugaku cooperating with the Hidden Leaf, I am not.What guarantee is there that the Uchiha clan will truly change?"

Danzo stepped closer. "I am always a suspicious person, and that will never change."

Shisui's unease grew.

"And when the time comes…" Danzo's voice dropped, his presence pressing down on Shisui.

"You will use Kotoamatsukami on me."

Shisui's instincts screamed danger. Danzo's words didn't sit right.

He had to act. Shisui's Sharingan spun.

"Forgive me, Danzo-sama," he muttered.

A genjutsu took hold.

Danzo froze in place. The illusion was simple—a delayed wake-up. Shisui needed just a little time to get away.

Then— A sharp crack in the air.

Shisui's breath hitched.

 Danzo's sharingan eye twisted unnaturally, as it used forbidden technique .

Izanagi. The illusion shattered.

A perfect copy of Danzo—one untouched by the genjutsu—stepped forward.

Before Shisui could react—

A hand grabbed his left eye.

Ripped it straight from his skull.

Shisui staggered back, clutching his bleeding socket.

"Naruto was right. Danzo… Danzo was always going to betray me."

Danzo's left hand still gripped Shisui's stolen eye, his bandaged face expressionless as he slowly unraveled the cloth covering his own right eye. Beneath it, a Sharingan was revealed—but now, its tomoe had faded to white.

Shisui gritted his teeth. "Sharingan?"

Danzo's voice remained cold. "This eye will replace the one sacrificed by Izanagi. Give me the other one."

As he spoke, shadows shifted. A full squad of Root ANBU emerged beside him, waiting for his command.

Shisui's breath grew unsteady. Anytime now, Naruto…

The moment the thought crossed his mind, a distortion rippled through the air.

Then—Naruto materialized.

Instant. Like he had always been there, simply choosing now to be seen. He stood with eerie calmness, clad in a yellow coat, black cane resting on his shoulder, sharp yellow eye glinting beneath his eye patch. His masked face turned toward Shisui, amusement flickering in his gaze.

"Shit, you really do have good looks when you're desperate, Shisui."

Shisui exhaled sharply, calling him by the name only he knew. "What's the plan here, Bill? Are we fighting them now?"

Then—something shifted in his palm.

His missing eye. It was back.

Danzo's fingers clenched. His expression darkened. He stared at his own hand, his grip tightening around nothing.

The eye he had stolen—was gone.

Danzo's voice was cold, sharp. "Shisui, you are now a traitor to Konoha."

The Root ANBU moved instantly. Hands flashed through seals. "Water Release: Wild Water Wave!" A blast of high-pressure water shot toward Shisui and Naruto.

Naruto barely moved. A single twitch of his finger—Dismantle.

The incoming attack was sliced apart mid-air. The Root ANBU didn't even have time to register their fate before their bodies split cleanly in half, their forms collapsing like discarded puppets.

Only Danzo remained.

Naruto's sharp yellow eye drifted to Danzo's right arm.

Sealed beneath its wrappings, a familiar power pulsed.

Hashirama's cells. And ten stolen Sharingan embedded into the flesh.

Naruto clicked his tongue. "Hehhh… Already got ten Sharingan? Well, I guess corpses are easy to come by. Orochimaru did a handy job on you, huh?"

Danzo's entire body tensed. His mind raced. How?

No one—not even the Hokage—knew the truth about his arm.

His voice came out harsher than intended. "Who are you? , Are you conspiring with Shisui to destroy Konoha?"

Danzo saw an opening. Naruto's stance was loose, almost careless—as if he wasn't even paying attention.

A mistake. Danzo lunged forward, fingers already forming a jutsu seal—

But before he could move—

His entire body locked in place.

The ground beneath him twisted unnaturally, locking his limbs in place, pinning him down.

His breathing hitched. "What…? When did he—"

Naruto casually twirled his cane, sharp yellow eye glinting with amusement. He raised a hand—subtly, a flick of his fingers.

A hidden signal to Shisui.

"Play along."

Naruto's voice was smooth. "Shisui, as you can see—I won the bet."

Danzo's confused . "Bet?"

Naruto grinned. "Use Kotoamatsukami on Hiruzen. Make sure most of the higher-ups are replaced by Uchiha."

Shisui stiffened. His mind raced. This man—this thing—was too dangerous. But right now, he had no choice. He had to fulfill his part. And prepare a countermeasure.

Shisui exhaled, then nodded. "Fine, Bill. You won the bet."

Danzo's eyes widened in pure rage. "Shisui, DON'T! You CAN'T bring Konoha under—!"

But before he could finish, Shisui's Body Flicker activated.

And just like that—he was gone.

Naruto sighed dramatically. "Old man, better retire. Ever heard people say stuff like that?"

Danzo's breath was heavy, his only remaining normal eye glaring at Naruto. "What do you want, criminal?"

His voice was cold. Calculating. "Money?"

Naruto chuckled, tilting his head. "Someone's looking desperate. Got anything else?"

Danzo's expression barely shifted, but there was something new in his gaze—a calculation, an attempt to grasp at anything that might work.

"You'll get fame. Access to experiments beyond Orochimaru's wildest dreams. Genetic modifications, forbidden jutsu, power no shinobi has ever wielded." His voice was steady, enticing, tempting.

Naruto's smile widened, but there was nothing behind it.

"I've got a story for you."

Danzo's frown deepened, but he said nothing.

"A long time ago, Alfred was in Burma. He and his friend were working for the local government. They were trying to buy the loyalty of tribal leaders by bribing them with precious stones. But their caravans were being raided in a forest north of Rangoon by a bandit. So, Alfred's group went looking for the stones. But in six months, they never met anybody who traded with him. One day, Alfred saw a child playing with a ruby the size of a tangerine."

Naruto's voice was smooth, calm.

"The bandit had been throwing them away."

Silence.

Danzo's brow furrowed. "Get to the point."

Naruto's grin widened just slightly.

"Ever heard… some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money? They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with."

His yellow eye gleamed.

"Some men just want to watch the world burn."

Naruto leaned in slightly, his voice dangerously light.

"Now, my question is… which group do you think I belong to?"

Danzo's breath slowed. A chilling realization settled in—this man wasn't bound by morality.

Not by logic. Not by reason. Just pure, unrestrained chaos.

Danzo's voice was steady, but there was an unmistakable edge of caution. "You destroy for your own pleasure."

Naruto grinned, sharp and unhinged. "If you want me to."

He raised his cane.

And with a flick of his wrist—a panel materialized in thin air.

Three buttons. Red, yellow, green.

Danzo barely had time to react before Naruto slammed his palm down.

Click.

A distant explosion roared.

The shockwave ripped through the air, obliterating everything within a 500-meter radius of the Root base.

Danzo's eye widened.

Naruto threw his head back. Laughter tore from his throat.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

He gasped between fits of laughter, voice breaking into a sing-song melody.

"And a partridge in a pear tree~!"

Danzo's teeth clenched. "How many lives did you just take?"

Naruto wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "None, I think." He grinned. "That was just a demonstration of how mad I am. Hehehehehe."

Suddenly, a ringing phone floated in the air—just another one of Naruto's tricks to spice things up. He caught it midair and pressed it to his ear. "Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeeeahhh. Oke. Thanks, chief."

With a snap of his fingers, the ground that had pinned Danzo disappeared. Naruto stretched his arms. "Things just got rough—"

But before he could finish, Danzo was already running at full speed, his ninja reflexes kicking in.

Naruto watched lazily. "And he's gone."

Danzo pushed his body to the limit, his mind racing. I need to warn the elders. Shisui has betrayed Konoha. I need to check my Root agents and make sure the base is intact. But that person… what is he? He's not hum—

CRASH.

Danzo's body slammed into a tree. His breath hitched, disoriented from the impact.

A few meters away, Naruto gave a slow wave. "Welcome back."

Danzo's fingers twitched. He formed a Body Flicker seal, vanishing instantly—

Only to reappear in the exact same spot.

His body crashed to the ground near Naruto.

Naruto smirked. "Welcome back again."

Naruto twirled his cane lazily, the smooth motion completely at odds with Danzo's desperate situation. Danzo knew—he couldn't escape. Not by his own means. Not by any trick he could pull.

But that didn't mean he was out of moves.

"If I do what you desire, will you let me go?" Danzo's voice was steady, calculating. "For example… if I destroy any village except Konoha, will that please you?"

Come on. Take the bait, you selfish monster.

Naruto tilted his head, tapping his cane lightly against his shoulder. "Oh? What happens if the whole world burns is what I desire?" His sharp yellow eye gleamed. "Since what Shisui will do is already aligned with my interests. And you?" His grin widened. "I'd let you watch as everything turns to dust."

Danzo's fingers clenched. "My Root forces will search for me."

Naruto sighed. "And those Root members will turn into nameless gravestones. Come on, you got anything better?"

Danzo was running out of options. He opened his mouth—

BOOM.

Another explosion detonated near the Root base.

Danzo flinched. He couldn't tell what was happening, but whatever this thing was—it wasn't just playing games anymore.

Naruto chuckled, adjusting his grip on his cane. "Though…" He tilted his head. "I do have my own demands. And if a suspicious man like you wants to hear my terms…"

Danzo's teeth clenched, his control slipping for the first time. His voice came out rough, raw—almost emotional. "What kind of sick fuck are you?! You already said you wanted the world to burn, now you want to turn everyone into gravestones?! More people dead—more lives thrown away—what the hell do you even want?!"

Naruto whistled. "Sheeeeesh. The old man can swear." He flicked his cane, letting it rest on his shoulder. "Relax, it's nothing that deep." His yellow eye gleamed with mockery. "All I want… is a puppet. Any puppet."

Danzo's jaw tightened. "A puppet? What kind of game are you playing, monster?"

Naruto's smirk widened. "Oh, someone like you must have dozens of dolls stolen from Sunagakure. Right?"

Danzo didn't answer, but the flicker of suspicion in his eyes gave away more than words ever could.

Naruto leaned in slightly, voice smooth. "Seems small price to pay for your freedom in this cruel universe." He twirled his cane before tapping it against the ground. "Besides, you've already done so much. Trying your best to outmaneuver Hiruzen. And yet… here you are. A failed man."

Danzo remained silent, but Naruto could see it—the slight shift in his expression, the way his muscles tensed. He was gauging Naruto's intent, searching for an angle.

Naruto's sharp yellow eye shifted.

A clock. Tick. Tick. Tick.

He extended his hand, blue flames licking at his palm. His voice turned mockingly sweet.

"Tick tock, tick tock, Danzo~."

Danzo's expression twisted in frustration, but in the end, he had no choice. He extended his left arm—the only one free from the sealed bracers—and clasped Naruto's hand. The eerie blue flames danced between their palms, flickering unnaturally, almost as if they were alive. Danzo's grip was firm, his mind already planning his next move.

"Now, monster…" His voice was rough, strained. "Are you done? Can I go now?"

For a moment, silence.

Then—

Naruto's face cracked.

His grin stretched, his mouth peeling back far beyond what should be humanly possible. His features warped, shifting into something that looked like it had crawled straight out of a nightmare.

A deep, twisting echo slithered into his voice.

"Yes, you are."

Danzo felt a chill creep up his spine.

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU AREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Danzo's body locked Up. His soul was ripped from his body.

A pulling force, deeper than chakra, deeper than anything he had ever known, tore him away.

Danzo's vision blurred. He could still see, but he had no eyes. He could still hear, but he had no ears.

What the hell is going on?!

His mind screamed, but his body was no longer his.

And then—he saw it.

He saw himself. His body still standing, still breathing. But—

His eyes slowly blinked open. And they were yellow.

A nightmare-yellow. A grinning, cruel, inhuman yellow.

Danzo tried to move—but there was nothing left to move.

Naruto flexed his new fingers.

He rolled his neck, adjusting to his new stolen skin.

"Sorry, old man you're my puppet now …"

Danzo—**no, Naruto—**tilted his head, testing the weight of the new voice coming from Danzo's throat. He grinned, savoring the sick realization that the old war hawk was still watching, still aware, still trapped.

He lifted Danzo's right arm.

The bracer that concealed the truth—Danzo's hidden ace—shattered into dust.

The Hashirama cell-enhanced arm was fully exposed.

Ten Sharingan eyes snapped open.

They blinked one by one, gleaming red , their tomoe spinning, pulsing.

Naruto—now in Danzo's body—tilted his head, savoring the moment.

Then—he threw his head back. And laughed.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

His voice shook the air, filled the space with pure madness.

Danzo's soul, still floating outside his body, could do nothing but watch.