Chapter 8
The mission was over. Sasuke, Suigetsu, Jugo and some more had passed. Some recruits had failed, and others… had not survived.
Now, the true test was about to begin.
Sasuke stood outside a massive warehouse, his heartbeat steady but his mind racing. Kyubi. The name had been whispered with respect, fear, and admiration. Even Itachi, someone Sasuke had always seen as nearly invincible, respected him.
And now, Itachi stood beside him, silent, watching as Sasuke prepared to step inside. His older brother’s presence was steady, but there was something else—a subtle tension. Itachi wasn’t one to show much emotion, but right now, his usually unreadable face held something close to curiosity.
Sasuke ignored it and walked forward.
The interior of the warehouse was dimly lit, the only illumination coming from the large overhead lights. At the far end, a figure sat on a chair, legs crossed, surrounded by the highest-ranking members of the gang.
Pain, Konan, Kisame, Nagato, and others stood like silent shadows around him. Kakashi and a guy with pineapple hair was nearby, standing casually with his hands in his pockets. Gaara, the one they had been told to suspect, stood to the side, his arms crossed.
And then there was Kyubi.
Sasuke’s eyes locked onto the man at the center. He sat with an air of absolute authority, golden hair illuminated by the dim lights, blue eyes sharp and unreadable. He looked familiar.
Too familiar.
Sasuke’s breath caught for a split second, his entire body tensing. No. This couldn’t be.
The moment of silence stretched between them before Sasuke blurted out .
“Dobe.”
A flicker of recognition crossed Kyubi’s face, but it disappeared just as quickly.
Naruto—or Kyubi—didn’t react. He simply leaned back in his chair, his expression cold, detached.
“Show some respect, ” Naruto said, his voice void of the warmth Sasuke had once heard. “You’re speaking to the boss.”
Sasuke’s hands clenched at his sides. What the hell was this?
The Naruto he had lived with for a week—the idiot who had eaten ramen with him, laughed, and smiled like a fool—was sitting here like a completely different person.
“Don’t act stupid, dobe,” Sasuke said, stepping forward. “What the hell are you doing here?”
A sharp tension filled the room. The gang members exchanged glances, some intrigued, others amused.
Kisame smirked, arms crossed. “Well, this is interesting,” he muttered under his breath.
Hidan let out a loud, mocking laugh. “Damn, Uchiha, you’re acting like you just found the lost love of your life!”
Some of the members chuckled, and Suigetsu shot Sasuke a teasing grin, Sasuke glare at hidan and look for Naruto reaction but Naruto ignored that .
Konan remained still, her sharp gaze flickering between Naruto and Sasuke. She was analyzing, piecing together whatever history they had.
Pain, always calm, didn’t react outwardly, but something in his expression showed mild curiosity.
Kakashi sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Well… that’s one way to find out.”
And then there was Itachi.
He hadn’t spoken a word since they entered, but his dark eyes were locked onto Sasuke, watching his reaction carefully. Confusion flickered across his usually composed face—just for a second.
Sasuke knew that look. Itachi was trying to figure something out.
He was confused.
Naruto’s gaze remained unreadable. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied smoothly.
Sasuke grit his teeth. He was acting like they were strangers.
“Don’t give me that bullshit,” Sasuke said, his voice lower. “You disappeared. You left without a word. And now I find out you’re—” He exhaled sharply, his frustration clear. “You’re Kyubi?”
Naruto’s jaw tensed slightly, but his posture remained relaxed.
“That doesn’t matter now,” he said. “You’re here because you passed the test. That’s all that’s important.”
Sasuke’s eyes darkened. So that was how he was going to play it?
He took another step forward. “You really think I’m just going to ignore everything and act like this is normal?”
For a brief second, Naruto’s fingers twitched. But he quickly masked it, his cold exterior unshaken.
“You have two choices,” Naruto said, voice steady. “You either accept the reality in front of you and do your job, or you walk away.”
Sasuke scoffed. “You really think I’d just walk away after all this?”
Naruto finally stood up. He walked toward Sasuke, stopping just a few feet in front of him.
For the first time since they had reunited, Sasuke saw something familiar in his eyes.
But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.
“This isn’t the same as before,” Naruto said quietly, his voice carrying a weight that Sasuke hadn’t heard before. “If you’re here, you follow my rules. That’s all there is to it.”
Suigetsu leaned toward Jugo, whispering, “Damn, things just got serious.”
Jugo only nodded, his expression unreadable.
Kisame let out a low chuckle. “I like this kid,” he mused, referring to Sasuke. “He’s got fire.”
Sasuke held Naruto’s gaze, searching for something—anything—that would explain why Naruto was acting like this.
But the dobe he had known was gone.
At least, for now.
Sasuke exhaled sharply, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Fine.
He’d play along.
For now.
Itachi, still standing quietly, tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing at Naruto. Something about this didn’t add up.
And he was going to find out what.
___
Sasuke walked out of the warehouse, his mind a tangled mess of thoughts. The cool night air did nothing to clear his head. Was that really the same Naruto?
The idiot who had laughed at the smallest things? The one who had gotten excited over ramen? The one who had left without a word?
And yet, back there, Kyubi had looked at him with eyes that felt completely different. Cold. Detached. Like a stranger.
Was he acting now? Or had he been acting back then?
Sasuke let out a quiet, frustrated exhale, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked toward his apartment. But just as he reached the parking lot, a familiar voice spoke behind him.
"You seem troubled, little brother."
Sasuke turned slightly, finding Itachi standing there, arms crossed, watching him carefully.
"Not really," Sasuke muttered, but Itachi raised an eyebrow.
"Your face says otherwise," Itachi remarked. "What happened in there?"
Sasuke hesitated for a moment. But then, realizing he needed answers, he spoke.
"You know the guy I helped—the injured one?" Sasuke started. "The one I told you about?"
Itachi nodded.
Sasuke took a breath. "It was Kyubi."
Itachi’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing, waiting for Sasuke to continue.
"He was acting like he didn’t know me," Sasuke went on. "Like we’d never met before. Like he wasn’t the same idiot I spent a whole week with. I don’t get it, nii-san… Which one is the real him?"
Itachi was silent for a moment, processing the information. Then, something clicked in his mind.
"That… might actually make sense," he murmured.
Sasuke frowned. "What do you mean?"
Itachi looked thoughtful. "There was an attack on Kyubi a few weeks ago. A gang ambushed him. He barely made it out alive. After that, he disappeared for a while, and no one knew where he was. Some people assumed he had escaped on his own. But…" Itachi turned his gaze back to Sasuke. "If you saved him during that time, then it all connects."
Sasuke clenched his jaw. So that’s when it happened.
The guy he had helped, bandaged, fed, and talked to was already the boss of the most powerful gang. He just hadn’t known it at the time.
But that didn’t explain the change in personality.
"Was he pretending when he was with me?" Sasuke muttered to himself. "Or is he pretending now?"
Itachi sighed. "There’s a reason he’s called Kyubi. His emotions aren’t easy to read. But you…" Itachi looked at Sasuke carefully. "You must have meant something, or he wouldn’t have avoided telling you the truth."
Sasuke scoffed. "That idiot didn’t avoid telling me. He straight-up ran away."
Itachi didn’t argue. He simply placed a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder for a brief second before turning to leave.
"Don’t overthink it," Itachi said as he walked away. "You’ll get your answers soon enough."
Sasuke stood there, staring at the ground.
Would he?
Or would Kyubi continue acting like Naruto never existed?