Naruto manages to find the culprit behind the massacre he saw when he felt the chakra in the forest outside the village. Clearly some people are fighting, and Naruto judges based on the fluctuation in the chakra that it's a one-sided fight.
Naruto saw three middle-aged men wearing a chunin vest with the Uchiha Clan symbol behind their vest while the one they fought was clearly a teenager wearing an ANBU uniform.
Upon getting closer, the teenagers had already killed the three chunin while looking at Naruto, who was standing on the branch of a tree.
This teenager had long black hair tied into a low ponytail. Naruto knows this person; in fact, no one in the Village Hidden in the Leaf knows this person.
This teenage boy is none other than Itachi Uchiha.
What really caught Naruto's attention, aside from the fact that Itachi was already an ANBU and wearing their uniform despite his young age, was the mutated sharingan he possessed.
The design was different from the masked man who attacked him earlier. Itachi's Sharingan had a pinwheel pattern, unlike the usual three-tomoe pattern.
"What an interesting eye you got there, and to think that the greatest genius that the Uchiha Clan informed everyone about is the one that killed multiple Uchiha in their own territory, no less," Naruto said in a calm manner, cutting the silence between them like a hot knife through butter. One also heard a disdain in Naruto's voice.
Itachi didn't respond but continued to stare at Naruto with great intent, and while his outward appearance was calm, inside it wasn't but calm.
'How? 'Itachi thought inwardly.
He was shocked that Naruto managed to learn that he was the cause of the massacre of the members of the Uchiha Clan, which only a few select people should know.
He was also unable to believe he was unable to sense Naruto approaching the area; in fact, he failed to notice him before his arrival, which wasn't subtle in any shape or form.
What was even more abnormal was the fact that from Itachi's perspective, Naruto didn't bother hiding his presence, yet he still failed to notice it.
Even more alarming was the fact that Naruto manages to locate him despite other leaf ninja failing to do so. The only reason why the three Uchiha Clan chunins managed to locate him was due to him being unlucky.
Still, right now Itachi didn't have a plan to attack Naruto yet since the latter didn't show any hostile intention and he needs to hurry right now.
The only reason why he stayed still and hasn't run yet was due to the fact that Itachi wants to hide his traces from others and also put Naruto in the illusion so the latter is unable to tell the leaf ninja about the direction he is about to run.
Just as Itachi was about to use genjutsu, suddenly Naruto appeared in front of him instantly, which widened Itachi's eyes in shock.
"If I were you, I wouldn't use genjutsu," Naruto calmly said.
Itachi's back was currently flowing with sweat, and at the same time, he felt deep within his bones a chill thanks to the almost empty eyes of Naruto, who had been staring at his own eyes right now.
'So fast! 'Itachi thought to himself.
He was unable to follow Naruto's movements despite having the Mangekyou Sharingan activated and at the same time staring at Naruto intently.
Itachi was about to bring out his kunai and launch an attack when he heard Naruto speak once again.
"So, Itachi, tell me about your mutated Sharingan, which is clearly far from the normal Sharingan you Uchiha possess," Naruto said, but in a commanding way, which made Itachi frown.
"The fact that I didn't attack you after you deliberately tried to put me in an illusion is already a mercy from me, but if you continue to ignore me and launch an attack, I don't mind cutting your head off your body," Naruto coldly added while at the same time releasing a portion of his killing intent.
Itachi unconsciously takes a gulp after sensing the killing intent coming from Naruto. He didn't expect such a young child to possess such killing intent.
Itachi also suspects that Naruto's killing intent far surpasses that of veteran ninja who already live in a wartime.
"... My eyes called Mangekyou Sharingan the next level of the Sharingan," Itachi answers while at the same time preparing himself for whatever action Naruto takes.
"Mangekyou Sharingan, huh?" Naruto whispers while one of his hands is holding his chin.
"So what does the Mangekyou Sharingan provide unlike the typical three-tomoe Sharingan? Of course, aside from the enhanced visual perception, you gain awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan," Naruto asks.
Naruto already theorized that the Mangekyou Sharingan gives the Uchiha enhanced visual perception thanks to the observation he had with the masked man but didn't have concrete evidence about this theory until he saw the battle between Itachi and the three Uchiha chunins who just had the regular three-tomoe Sharingan.
"It provides the users with exclusive abilities for each eye, which are extremely powerful, and at the same time unlocks our Susanoo," Itachi answers.
He didn't provide in-depth details about the technique he gained after awakening his Mangekyou Sharingan since Itachi was planning to use it as his trump card against Naruto.
"Interesting..." Naruto whispers.
Naruto thinks about the space-time technique of the masked man he previously fought and concludes that it was the ability the masked man gained after awakening his Mangekyou Sharingan.
"Thanks for informing me about your eyes, and as a thanks, I will help you safely leave the village without leaving a single trace," Naruto declares.
"Are you serious?" Itachi asks in disbelief.
He thought that after Naruto finished questioning him, Naruto would report his whereabouts to the leaf ninja. This is also why throughout the entire time he was preparing to launch one of the abilities he received after awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan.
"Of course I am serious," Naruto said in a matter-of-fact tone. "In fact, I can even bring you outside the territory of the Land of Fire if you wanted."
"Why are you helping my escape?" Itachi asks, his voice tainted with suspicion, which was natural since Naruto is part of the Village Hidden in the Leaf, and as a member, he had the responsibility to report the rogue ninja activity, such as himself.
"I already informed you this is my way of thanking you for providing information about the Mangekyou Sharingan," Naruto calmly responds.
"How will you be able to help me move away from the Land of Fire?" Itachi asks.
Right now Itachi had to trust Naruto in his words about helping him escape the chase of the Leaf ninjas. While he maintains his vigilance in case of Naruto's betrayal, he knows right now isn't the time to be choosy, especially since he is still near the village.
"Tell me where you wanted to go," Naruto asks.
"... The Land of Rivers, that's where I'm planning to go," Itachi responded after a few moments of silence.
Naruto slowly nodded before snapping his fingers. Itachi was confused about the action that Naruto did. He even wonders if this is the kind of signal for the Leaf ninja to arrest him.
This made Itachi look around in his surroundings to see if there's a Leaf ninja concealing themselves, but upon glancing at his surroundings, his eyes widen as big as a dinner plate.
He found himself in different place than the forest they previously standing. While he was indeed in a forest, the position of the tree and the species of the trees he currently saw were completely different.
He even saw a town just hundreds of meters away from their current location, and the only reason why he saw the town despite the darkness of the night was due to the lights of the buildings inside the town.
Itachi slowly turns his head back to Naruto, who has just been staring at him this entire time. This time Itachi didn't even bother hiding the shock he felt at this moment.
In fact, Itachi even started to believe that he was under an illusion and the snap of fingers Naruto did was the activation for this illusion, but even after disturbing the flow of his own chakra, what he saw remained the same.
"... How did you do this?" Itachi asks, his voice containing undisguised shock.
"I just warp ourselves in random town of the Land of Rivers" Naruto respond with small smile on his face.
'Warp? Does he know a space-time technique? 'Itachi thought to himself.
Itachi already considered the possibility of Naruto using the Flying Thunder God Technique, which Naruto probably got from his father, but Itachi failed to find the technique formula in the surrounding area.
This made Itachi belief that Naruto learn different space-time technique from his father and certainly far more advance in Itachi opinion.
"My job here is done until next time, then, Itachi," Naruto said, cutting Itachi from his thoughts.
"You wouldn't have informed the higher-ups of my location?" Itachi asks while thinking about what he should do next.
"Of course I wouldn't. After all, I wouldn't gain anything by selling your information to them, but if you don't trust me, you can find another location to hide," Naruto said before vanishing in the area.