Prologue: The Storm of Fate
The air in Konoha's council chamber was thick with tension. The topic at hand was this year's Chunin Exams, an event that had sparked heated debate due to its unprecedented location: Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds.
Hiashi Hyuga's voice cut through the murmurs, sharp and unyielding. "I will not send Hinata to Kumo," he declared, his pale eyes narrowing. "Not after what they did. Their attempt to kidnap her cost my brother's life. I do not trust them, and I will not risk her safety in their territory." His words carried the weight of old wounds, the memory of Hizashi's sacrifice still raw despite the years.
Other clan heads nodded in agreement, their own concerns echoing Hiashi's. Inoichi Yamanaka leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "It's not just Hinata. Sending any of our genin, our children, into what could be a trap is reckless.
Tsume Inuzuka growled, her feral energy barely restrained. " Kiba is tough, but I'm not throwing him into a lion's den just to prove a point. Kumo's got a history of playing dirty, and I don't trust their 'hospitality' one bit."
Shikaku Nara, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Sending our genin into their territory without guarantees is a gamble we can't afford."
Danzo Shimura, seated in the shadows, spoke up, his voice cold and calculated. "Refusing to participate sends a worse message. It tells our rivals, Iwa, Kumo, even the smaller villages, that Konoha is weak, scared. That we lack the confidence to face them on their ground. Such a perception could invite aggression, perhaps even war." His single visible eye glinted with a predatory intensity. "We cannot afford to look feeble in the eyes of the shinobi world."
Shikaku's eyes narrowed, acknowledging the truth in Danzo's words. "You're not wrong, Danzo. A show of weakness could embolden our enemies. But I'm still not sending Shikamaru into a potential ambush just to save face."
Shibi Aburame, his voice calm but firm, added, "Shino is capable, but Kumo's history with Konoha is troubling. The risk outweighs the optics."
Danzo's lips curled into a faint, calculating smile. "Then allow me to propose a solution. My Root operatives, my best, are trained for precisely these scenarios. They can shadow the genin and their jonin sensei, operating unseen to ensure their safety. Should Kumo attempt any treachery, my agents will neutralize the threat before it escalates."
Hiruzen exhaled, the weight of his decision pressing heavily on his shoulders. After a long pause, he nodded. "Very well, Danzo. Your operatives may accompany the teams, but they are to remain discreet. The genin must not know they're being watched. This is a test of their abilities, not a mission for Root to overshadow."
Tsume bared her teeth, leaning toward Danzo. "Your men better do their job, Shimura, or you'll answer to me. If one hair on my son's head is harmed, I'll rip your throat out myself."
Danzo met her gaze unflinchingly. "Your threats are noted, Inuzuka. My operatives will not fail."
The council dispersed, the decision made. Konoha's genin would attend the Chunin Exams in Kumo, under the unseen protection of Root. But in the hearts of the clan heads, unease lingered like a storm cloud on the horizon.
Timeskip: The Black Mountain Survival Test
The storm-wracked cliffs and mountains outside Kumogakure loomed like jagged teeth against a sky torn by lightning. The second test of the Chunin Exams, dubbed the "Climb the Black Mountain," was a brutal survival challenge designed to push genin to their limits. The objective was clear: reach the summit with at least one Heaven Medallion and one Earth Medallion, obtained by defeating other teams carrying opposite medallions. The terrain was treacherous, freezing rain stung exposed skin. Worse still were the natural hazards: wild lightning panthers, razor-winged storm hawks, and sudden rockslides that could crush the unwary.
Team 7, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno, navigated the perilous cliffs with grim determination. Their progress was hampered early on by an encounter with a mysterious "Grass ninja" who, after a brief but intense skirmish, left a strange mark on Sasuke's neck. The curse mark, though they didn't yet know its nature, sapped Sasuke's strength, leaving him pale and feverish, his movements sluggish. Sakura, torn between worry for Sasuke and the need to press forward, took on a leadership role, her sharp mind compensating for her teammates' struggles.
As they climbed higher, the storms grew fiercer, lightning cracking like whips across the sky. It was then that they encountered a formidable threat, three teams of Kumo genin, nine in total, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent. They moved with coordinated precision, clearly intent on eliminating the Konoha team and claiming their medallions.
Naruto, despite his exhaustion, stood at the forefront, his orange jacket a defiant beacon against the gray cliffs. "You guys aren't getting past me!" he shouted, kunai in hand, his blue eyes blazing with resolve.
The Kumo nin sneered, their leader, a wiry girl with electric-blue hair, crackling with static. "Konoha brats think they can compete with us? You're out of your depth, blondie."
The battle erupted in a frenzy of steel and sparks. Sasuke, despite his weakened state, fought with lethal precision, his Sharingan tracking the Kumo nin's movements. Sakura hurled shuriken and set traps. Naruto summoned clones. But the odds were brutal, three against nine, on hostile terrain, with Sasuke barely holding it together.
In a critical moment, as a Kumo nin lunged at Sakura with a lightning-charged blade, Naruto threw himself in front of her. The blade pierced his chest, and blood sprayed across the rain-slicked rock. He collapsed, his eyes dimming, as Sakura's scream echoed through the storm.
"Naruto!" she cried, dropping to her knees beside him, her hands trembling as she tried to staunch the wound. Sasuke, fueled by rage, unleashed a flurry of fire jutsu, forcing the Kumo nin back, but the damage was done. Naruto's breathing stopped, his body still.
The Kumo nin pressed their advantage, sensing victory. But before they could finish Team 7, an unexpected intervention arrived: the Sound team, Dosu, Zaku, and Kin. Their motives were far from altruistic; they had been ordered by the "Grass ninja" (secretly Orochimaru) to test Sasuke's strength, particularly after the curse mark's application.
Dosu's bandaged face twisted into a smirk. "We'll handle these Kumo pests. The Uchiha's ours to deal with."
The Sound team's brutal efficiency turned the tide. Dosu's sound-based attacks disoriented the Kumo nin, Zaku's air pressure blasts knocked them off balance, and Kin's senbon struck with deadly accuracy. Within minutes, the Kumo teams were incapacitated, their medallions claimed. But the Sound team's eyes remained fixed on Sasuke, their intent clear: they wanted a fight.
Sakura stood protectively over Naruto's body, tears mixing with the rain. "Stay back!" she warned, her voice cracking. Sasuke, panting heavily, readied himself for another battle, his Sharingan flickering.
Innate Domain
As the real world froze, Naruto's consciousness plunged into darkness, then bloomed into a surreal landscape, a crimson-lit shrine draped in shadows, with a throne of bones at its center. Seated upon it was Ryomen Sukuna, Naruto's past self, the King of Curses. His true form was terrifying: four arms, two faces, crimson eyes with black sclera, and black tattoos snaking across his muscular frame. A malevolent aura radiated from him, the air heavy with the scent of blood and ash.
Naruto stood before him, his orange jacket torn, his chest wound gone in this ethereal space. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded, fists clenched. "And where am I?"
Sukuna's lips curled into a predatory grin, revealing sharp fangs. "I am you, brat, or rather, what you were. Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses. This is my domain, woven into your soul. You died out there, but I can bring you back… if you're willing to pay the price."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Died? No way! I'm not done yet! I've gotta protect Sakura, Sasuke, and become Hokage!"
Sukuna's laughter boomed, a guttural sound that rattled the shrine's walls. "Protector of the village? Don't make me laugh." He leaned forward, his crimson eyes glinting with disdain. "You're no hero, brat. You're a joke. A weapon chained to a rotten village."
Naruto bristled, stepping forward. "What're you talking about? Konoha's my home! I'm gonna prove I belong there, no matter what!"
Sukuna's grin widened, his voice dripping with venom. "Look at you. Still clinging to that pathetic dream. That village, you know, the one that glares at you like you're filth on their sandals? The one that lets you rot in silence while they worship cowards and frauds? That's the place you want to risk your life for?"
Naruto's fists tightened, his jaw clenching. "They don't get me yet, but they will! I'll show 'em I'm not a monster. I'll earn their respect!"
"Tch. You're not noble. You're not kind. You're desperate," Sukuna spat, rising from his throne, his four arms flexing as he paced. "Desperate to be seen. Desperate to be loved. Like some lost dog that keeps crawling back to the master who beats it. Tell me, where were your so-called people when you cried alone in that empty apartment? Where was your precious Hokage when the villagers hissed 'demon' and turned their backs? Where was the warmth of Konoha when the only thing you ever felt… was cold?"
Naruto's breath hitched, memories flooding back, nights spent alone, the sting of hateful glares, the silence of an empty home. His voice wavered, but he shook his head. "The old man (Hiruzen), Ayame, and Teuchi, care about me! And Iruka-sensei, he believes in me! They're not all bad. I just gotta keep pushing, and the rest'll come around!"
Sukuna's eyes narrowed, his tone mocking. "A chance? A few scraps of kindness from a dying old man and a soft-hearted teacher? That's what you cling to? You think they'll ever truly accept you? Wake up. They fear you. They hate you. If they could lock you in a cage and throw away the key, they would. If they could rip the fox from your belly and leave you dead in the street, they'd cheer while they did it."
"That's not true!" Naruto shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "I've got friends now, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei! They're my team. They need me, and I need them. I'm not giving up on them or the village just 'cause it's hard!"
Sukuna stopped pacing, his gaze piercing. "Friends? That pink-haired girl who fawns over the Uchiha while ignoring you? The brooding boy who'd rather see you dead than admit you're his equal? And your sensei, too busy with his own secrets to notice you bleeding out on that cliff? They're not your family, brat. They're chains holding you back. And yet you keep smiling, bowing, begging for their approval. Pathetic."
Naruto's hands trembled, his resolve faltering. "I… I know they're not perfect, but they're trying. Sakura's getting stronger, Sasuke's got my back sometimes, and Kakashi's teaching us. I can't just abandon them!"
Sukuna's voice softened, but it was laced with a sinister edge. "You were born to be more than this. That power surging through your veins… that fury they've tried to bury… it's not a curse. It's a gift. You're not some loyal little shinobi, you are the reincarnation of the King of Curses. Turn your back on them. Tear their walls down. Make them kneel. Not as Naruto the fool. Not as the village's puppet. But as the storm they should've never dared to ignore."
Naruto took a step back, his heart pounding. "Tear Konoha down? That's my home! The people there… they're not all bad. I've seen it, kids playing, families laughing. I wanna protect that, not destroy it! You're wrong about me. I'm not some monster who just wants to hurt people!"
Sukuna's laughter returned, cold and cutting. "Protect? You can't even protect yourself. You died out there, brat, because you threw yourself in front of a blade for a girl who barely notices you. And where's your village now? Where is your Hokage, your sensei, their love? You're dead, and they're not coming to save you. But I can. Merge with me, and you'll have the power to make them pay, to make them fear you, worship you. Become the god they tried to chain."
Naruto's eyes glistened with unshed tears, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't wanna be feared. I just… I just want them to see me. To know I'm not the fox, not a demon. I want them to believe in me."
Sukuna's expression hardened, his patience thinning. "And how's that worked out for you? Thirteen years of pain, and what do you have? A few fleeting smiles and a knife in your chest. You're not their hero, Naruto. You're their scapegoat. They'll use you, bleed you dry, and discard you when you're no longer useful. But with me, you can rewrite your story. You can make them regret every glare, every whisper, every night you spent alone. You can be free."
Naruto's head bowed, his shoulders shaking. The weight of Sukuna's words pressed against his heart, each one a dagger twisting in old wounds. He thought of the Kumo nin who killed him, the villagers who shunned him. But he also thought of Iruka's warm smile, Teuchi and Ayame's love, Sakura's determination, Sasuke's rare moments of camaraderie. Could he really abandon them? Could he destroy the village he'd dreamed of leading?
"I… I don't know," he murmured, his voice breaking. "I don't want to hurt people, but… I'm tired. Tired of being alone, tired of fighting for people who don't care. What if you're right? What if they never accept me?"
Sukuna seized the moment, his voice low and commanding. "They won't. But I will. I see your strength, your rage, your potential. Merge with me, and we'll show them what you're truly capable of. Not as their pawn, but as their reckoning. Let Konoha burn for its sins, and from its ashes, you'll rise as something greater. Choose power, Naruto. Choose yourself."
Naruto's tears fell, his resolve crumbling under the weight of Sukuna's truth. He thought of Sakura's scream as he fell, Sasuke's struggle to protect her, and the Kumo nin's mocking laughter. He thought of the village that had never truly been his home. Slowly, he raised his head, his blue eyes hardening with a new, dangerous resolve.
"Alright," he said, his voice steady despite the pain. "I'll do it."
Sukuna's grin was triumphant, his crimson eyes blazing. "That's the spirit, brat. Let's tear their world apart."
Their forms blurred, a surge of crimson cursed energy binding their souls. The innate domain shattered, and time resumed.
The Real World: Resurrection and Transformation
On the rain-soaked cliff, Naruto's lifeless body twitched. A pulse of crimson energy flared, and his chest wound began to close, flesh knitting together as if time rewound. His heart thumped, then roared to life. Slowly, he rose, his movements fluid, predatory.
Everyone froze, Sakura, Sasuke, the Sound team, even the unconscious Kumo nin. Naruto's appearance had shifted, a terrifying fusion of his former self and Sukuna's demonic essence.
Naruto grinned, a wide, maniacal smile that revealed elongated canines. His laughter erupted, a chilling, unhinged sound that reverberated through the storm, unnerving everyone. Sakura's breath caught, Sasuke's Sharingan spun frantically, and the Sound team stepped back, their confidence faltering.
"Are you all ready for a massacre?" Naruto asked, his voice deeper, laced with Sukuna's malevolent edge. His crimson eyes swept over the group, promising bloodshed.
As he spoke, a massive silhouette flickered behind him, a towering, four-armed demon, its presence suffocating. The air grew heavy with a malevolent aura, the storm itself seeming to bow to his will. Sakura clutched her kunai, torn between fear and hope. Sasuke gripped his sword, sensing a power he couldn't comprehend. The Sound team exchanged uneasy glances, their mission now a dangerous gamble.
The Black Mountain trembled, and the Chunin Exams had just taken a deadly turn.