The forest had fallen into an eerie silence.
The darkness had blanketed the trees like an old curse. The occasional rustling of nocturnal creatures in the underbrush was the only thing that disturbed the stillness.
The Stars shimmered faintly above the dense canopy, barely visible through the thick foliage that crowned the Forest of Death.
A soft orange glow flickered through the clearing where Team 7 had set up camp.
The fire crackled quietly, its flames dancing as it consumed the last remnants of the wild boar they'd hunted. Skewered chunks of meat, now browned and glistening, rotated slowly over the embers. The aroma of roasted meat mingled with the earthy scent of moss and damp leaves, forming a strangely peaceful ambiance amid such a deadly place.
Naruto sat on a log, arms folded, his eyes scanning the area around him with sharp focus.
A few feet to his right, Sasuke was lying on his side, his face half-covered by his arm, his chest rising and falling slowly in sleep.
Sakura rested a bit farther away, curled up and hugging herself lightly for warmth.
The two of them were exhausted.
Naruto, however, felt wide awake. His mind was unusually calm, sharp, almost surgical. He wasn't just watching the woods.
He was watching Sasuke.
His golden-blue eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the boy who once proclaimed himself his rival, his brother, and his equal.
He thought. It's happening…
The fire's reflection shimmered in his pupils like a glinting blade. He could see the subtle signs.
The changes in the chakra of Sasuke. His chakra had changed, very faintly, but unmistakably.
Naruto, being the container of the Nine-Tails and someone who had inherited powers far beyond the mortal realm, could feel chakra signatures like fingerprints.
Sasuke's chakra was no longer the same.
It had slowly begun to turn darker now.
There was a sense of weight to it… something ancient and violent, like a cold wind.
Just then, Kurama stirred inside him.
"You're going to do it, huh…" The Nine-Tails growled, his voice low and tired. "I was wondering how long you'd hesitate."
Naruto didn't react immediately. He leaned forward slightly, placing another log on the fire. The sparks flared into the night sky.
"I'm not hesitating, Kurama," He murmured softly.
Kurama snorted.
"Could've fooled me. You've known for days that Indra's chakra was starting to awaken in him. You even watched him pick fights just to test his own limits. You saw the way he sometimes looked at others and you like enemies, not comrades."
"I know," Naruto replied, his eyes fixed on Sasuke's sleeping face. "That's why I have to do this now. While I still can."
Kurama was silent for a moment. Then, with a rumbling exhale, he asked, "So why did you give him access to the Sharingan at all? Why give him power if you knew it would lead him here?"
Naruto's smile was faint and bitter.
"Because he deserves it," He said. "He's my friend… Just because I know he might fall, doesn't mean I should chain him to weakness. I didn't give him power so he could rise above others… I gave it to him so he wouldn't be left behind."
His voice softened, full of resolve.
"I've already decided to carry the weight of this world. To face the dangers... the challenges in my path... who knows how many corpses I have to walk over... but I at least want this brat to live a happy and peaceful life with his family."
Kurama scoffed, though not unkindly.
"Heh. Big words for a brat." His tone darkened. "You know if you go through with this, it'll change him. He might hate you for it. He might not even remember why he trusted you in the first place."
Naruto stood up slowly, his gaze never breaking from Sasuke.
"That's fine," He whispered. "If hating me keeps him from becoming another fool like Madara… then so be it."
Naruto took a slow breath. The seal flickered to life in his hand, a glowing glyph formed from chaotic lines of energy that pulsed with quiet intensity.
He turned toward Sasuke.
"I'm sorry," He said under his breath.
Body Flicker...
In a split second, Naruto appeared beside the sleeping Uchiha.
Before Sasuke's instincts could wake him, Naruto tapped two fingers on the boy's forehead, releasing a pulse of chakra that immediately paralyzed him.
Sasuke's eyes fluttered open in momentary confusion, then shut again. His body had been locked in temporary stasis.
He couldn't move, couldn't speak... couldn't resist.
Naruto knelt beside him and gently placed a hand over Sasuke's chest, right above his heart. He took a deep breath and his eyes flashed with an eerie darkness.
At the center of him, a small dark circle appeared and dark energy burst out from his body, seeping into Sasuke's body.
Kurama remained quiet, watching through Naruto's eyes.
"You're really doing it…"
"I have to," Naruto replied. "I'm the only one who can."
As the dark and greedy energy penetrated into Sasuke's inner depth, a faint cry echoed within Naruto's soul, a distant voice filled with resentment, grief, and wrath.
Indra's chakra also showed great resistance. It twisted and snarled like a caged beast.
For a split second, the forest around them darkened unnaturally, the very trees recoiling at the spiritual pressure emanating from Sasuke's body.
But Naruto didn't flinch and he pressed on.
And in just a few seconds… it was over.
He pulled back his hand and stared at Sasuke.
The boy's expression was calm, and peaceful
Naruto let out a long, shaky breath and sat back. His hand trembled slightly before he clenched it into a fist.
"It's finally done," He said again, more softly this time. "You'll probably never understand why I did this, kid. But it is the best for you... Just live a peaceful life and smile more in the future."
Kurama hummed quietly.
"You're strange, you know that? You pretend to be a fool around others. You flirt, you tease, you laugh… but when it comes down to it, you carry all of this alone."
Naruto smiled, eyes still fixed on the stars peeking through the treetops.
"I'd rather they smile than cry. I'll take the burden. After all, only I have the power to carry their dreams."
He looked back at Sasuke one last time before returning to his seat near the fire.
The flames had died down to glowing embers, casting only a faint light across the dark forest.
He pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders and leaned back.
Tomorrow will be another hard day.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
📢 Author's Note 📢
If you're enjoying this story and want more chapters right now, I invite you to check out my Patreon. There you'll find:
✅ Daily updates – never miss a day of new content
✅ Advanced chapters – read far ahead of public releases
✅ Exclusive perks & extras – only available to patrons
Your support not only gives you early access but also helps me dedicate more time to writing and expanding this story. Every reader who joins makes a huge difference.
👉 Dive into more chapters today: patreon.com/Myth_Valley
Let's keep the adventure alive! 🔥📚✨