The large pair of eyes stared back at Naruto, and along with Sasuke's own Sharingan, the effects seemed to have been amplified. It threw Naruto into a momentary trance, however....
*Whoosh*
After a quick blink, Naruto's dazed gaze returned to normal.
!!!!!!
Sasuke's eyes widened, knowing that Naruto had broken free from the genjutsu in an instant. It was so fast that he didn't even have time to voice out his thoughts, before a fist came hurling at his face, sending him tumbling back.
"The pair of eyes looks interesting, but it seems it only amplifies your sharingan's abilities by an insignificant amount, at best, it's good for intimidation purposes" Naruto brushed his fist and said.
His words rang in Sasuke's heart
"Was it really that useless?" He muttered as he crawled up
He wiped the blood from the side of his lips and bent his knees. Lightning crackled in his hands, a very familiar technique to Naruto, the chidori.
This technique has practically become Sasuke's go to technique if he wants to finish foes, though not once has it worked on Naruto.
Naruto brandished the blade towards Sasuke, his gaze remained indifferent.
Sasuke charged, his figure blurred from the speed he moved, so fast that he closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. The Chidori appeared right in front of Naruto's face, but his blade has been ready, placed in trajectory of the attack.
But right before impact, Sasuke suddenly vanished, his figure blurred in Naruto's vision, and he heard the chirping of the lightning behind him.
*Bang*
Lightning crackles everywhere, zapping the ground, causing dust to fill the air. Sasuke felt the impact, but the impact was off...
The dust gradually faded, revealing what he couldn't understand. Once it did so, he knew why the impact felt strange. It was because he never made contact, his wrist was being firmly clasped by Naruto, his hand stopped right in front of his face.
"The flash steps is a good idea, against most enemies, they would be dead on the ground" Naruto said
'Then why are you up and about' Sasuke cursed
"Good work, but that won't save you from a beating" Naruto smiled
That smile made Sasuke shudder, as he knew what came next...
*Bang*
A huge amount of force pressed down on his head, his eyes rolled back from the impact as Naruto slammed his fist down on him.
Before he lost consciousness, he heard a mature voice in his head
'Brother dear, that isn't how you fight'
A single thorough strike was enough to knock him unconscious, leaving his motionless body in a small crater that formed from the impact.
The moment he lost consciousness, Naruto also seemed to have lost interest
"Another day, another pointless battle, *sigh*, when will he give me back the thrill of beating him up? I've been doing my best in training him, yet beating him still doesn't give me the past excitement" Naruto muttered
He then looked up
"What about you Kurama?"
[...seeing you fight that kid, I don't even have the motivation to commentate on the battle] Kurama replied
Normally, he'd be quite excited to commentate on any battle Naruto goes through, but with Sasuke, it's as if there is nothing more to comment about.
The two sighed in unison before leaving
As he was about to leave, Sasuke's body trembled, and his eyes shot open. A smile appeared on his face, one unlike any, a smile of sheer excitement. If Naruto sees it right now, he'd be stunned, because Sasuke has not once smiled since the two met, so such a smile...it was offputting.
He rolled to his front in silence, and lightning gathered in his hand.
The chidori formed once more, but this time...it was silent.
He pushed forward, the moment he took a single step, his figure blurred. The flash steps, the very same he used before, but this time, it was more refined, with no traces of him left the moment he stepped forward.
His every movement was silent, so quiet that even Naruto didn't notice anything until the very last moment.
Naruto's senses warned him, and he quickly rolled to the side, just in time to dodge the strike that shot past him.
His pupils shrunk, Sasuke was too quiet just now...
"My, you dodged it" Sasuke chuckled as he turned around, he placed a hand on the side of his cheeks and giggled at Naruto.
His smile made Naruto shudder, but he stared at Sasuke's eyes. A sense of familiarity came from those eyes...
"Surprised?" Sasuke asked
Naruto nodded
"Naturally...so, who are you?" Naruto asked
"I'm Sasuke, who else?" He giggled, his actions carried a slight feminine hint, and the gaze that seems to analyse the situation at every chance made Naruto freeze up.
A rather peculiar idea came to mind at that very moment
"Itachi?" Naruto asked
"Bingo, well, more specifically, Sasuke's dear sister, Itachi-chan, that's me"
Naruto became dazed, he was right...
"Heh...what an interesting turn of events, I created quite the terrifying thing, haven't I?" Naruto asked
Sasuke smiled
"Indeed you have, over the years, you're not the only one honing your skills, every passing day, I analysed the seal of the dream scape, and finally, I found out how I can leave...by manipulating Sasuke's mental state, putting him in an eternal genjutsu, I can manifest myself" He said with a creepy smile
Naruto was intrigued by this method, and was about to ask more when Sasuke's brows furrowed
"It seems I can't stay for long, until we meet again" Sasuke gave him a final smile before closing his eyes.
After 'Itachi' faded, Sasuke's eyes opened once more, this time, it was filled with the prior coldness.
"What...just happened" He looked around, confused
Naruto waved his hand
"Nothing much" He replied
Sasuke frowned, and at that moment, he heard another voice
[Brother dear, you better fight better next time, or I won't be happy] A slightly playful voice entered his ear
He turned to his left, and immediately, shock filled his heart as he involuntarily took a step back.
"Y-You-" Before his eyes, he saw her, the female Itachi that he would always meet inside his dream world.
Naruto on the other hand, only saw Sasuke stare at air, and take a step back from shock.
"How are you out here!" Sasuke exclaimed, his cold facade breaking down when faced with Itachi-chan.
Itachi-chan chuckled as she stepped closer
[Why am I here? To make sure you can fight properly] She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he could actually feel it!
Sweat rolled down his face
"J-Just what are you"
[Your sister, Itachi-chan] Itachi-chan smiled
At this point, Naruto figured it out. What Sasuke sees right now is much like a genjutsu that Itachi-chan created by directly manipulating his mental world. Even with the Sharingan, he would not see through the illusion, as it was directly implanted inside his mind.
So everything Itachi says and does to him, he can feel and hear it, all because his mind believes such things are really happening, but in reality, there isn't actually anything there.
'It seems...this has gotten very interesting, maybe I can finally feel that same rush I used to feel when I beat him up'
[Fufufu, I hope so] Kurama agreed
Sasuke's situation is new to him, but he couldn't help but hold some anticipation to how the illusion will grow in the future.
Sasuke's eyes suddenly turned to Naruto
"You did something, didn't you?" He said
Naruto raised both hands up helplessly
"Sorry buddy, but I have no idea what you're talking about, all I see is that you're screaming at nothing" He replied
Sasuke's eyes trembled as he looked back at the illusion next to him. He couldn't understand, how is it that something that appears inside his dreams now appeared in reality, but...only he can see it?
'Did I...really go crazy?' He pondered
[You didn't] Itachi said with a smile
'....'
"Well, seeing that you're busy with whatever...this is, I'll be leaving now" Naruto said, acting as if he saw Sasuke as a madman.
He was just about to leave after saying that, but a thought occured to him.
'Right, I still have 'that' thing'
A smile appeared on his face as he took out a book. This book is none other than the one Ino gave to him, Jiraiya's latest work.
"Right, I found this at a bookstore, I'm sure you'll be interested" Naruto said as he passed the book to Sasuke.
Sasuke was still struggling to understand the situation, and immediately pushed the book away.
"I'm not in the mood for that crap right now" He growled
Naruto chuckled
'No matter how calm he appears to be, it's all just a facade for his hot headed nature' He thought to himself.
Naruto pushed the book into Sasuke's hand
"How about I cut you a deal, read the whole book, and I'll tell you what I think your situation is" Naruto suggested, his smile widened as he spoke
If Sasuke were to have a list of people he didn't trust, this 'assistant' would be one of the top three contenders. But with how desperate hwas right now to find an answer, he decided to agree.
[My, you want me gone that badly?] Itachi placed her hands on his shoulders and whispered
He could feel the cool sensation of her hands, and the gentle breathe that blew onto his neck when she spoke, which made it all the more worrisome for him.
From Naruto's words, he genuinely couldn't see her, meaning...this is truly all in his head?
He grabbed the book and read the title, nothing weird, Loving times, fits Jiraiya's naming sense for his books, though Sasuke didn't know.
He opened the first page, it depicted the story of an aloof boy with black hair. His family was caring, and he had a rival at school.
The rival was a blonde boy who constantly wore a smile on his face, and as he read it, he couldn't help but feel that these two characters felt...familiar.
When he read a few more pages, he realised...they were based off him and Naruto! His hands clenched tighter as anger seethed.
[Wow, this is getting hot and heavy]
[Come now, don't closer your eyes, you need to read it]
[Hahaha, you two shouting at each other like that, I remember that~]
The illusion by his side continued to speak, making Sasuke all the more embarrassed. He wanted to close the book, but Naruto stopped him.
"Read the whole thing, or I won't help" He said
"Grr" Sasuke gnashed his teeth and kept reading with a red face.
Naruto didn't know whether it was from embarrasment or anger, but it was funny to watch.
"What is this crap! When this happened, we were in battle, not in bed!" Sasuke had the urge to throw it away, but Naruto continued to make threats.
'Hah, this is fun, I should ask Jiraiya to write more'
[A-About yourself and Sasuke???] Kurama asked
'Maybe, or it can be him and Orochimaru~' Naruto grinned
[That is a picture I did not need in my head]
'Neither was me and Sasuke, but you seem pretty okay with that' Naruto scoffed
[I'm not] Kurama scowled
As they conversed, Sasuke was forced to complete the whole book with a red face.
"I-I-, there, I read the damn thing!" He yelled at Naruto as he threw the book at him
Naruto laughed as he caught it
"Well, how was it?" He asked
"F**k you!" Sasuke yelled
"Damn, he read the book and now he wants to f**k me?" Naruto gasped
[So blunt, but if that's your preference, your big sister won't mind] Itachi said to Sasuke
"DAMMIT! Just tell me what's wrong with me!" Sasuke roared
Naruto laughed
"Fine, fine~, from what I can see, you are under a type of genjutsu" Naruto said
"Bullsh*t! I have the sharingan, how can genjutsus affect me!" Sasuke shouted
Naruto shook his head
"There are different types of genutsu, and depending on how powerful it is, even the sharingan cannot see through it, in fact, there are legends listing the Uchiha clan history of powerful genjutsus that can be casted by the Uchiha clan, so great that even other members cannot see through it" Naruto explained
Sasuke listened, slightly in awe, but also became more desperate.
"Th-Then what do I do?" He asked
Naruto rubbed his chin
"Tell me, what do you see?" He asked
Sasuke blushed, he really didn't want to say it...
"I-It's..."
"Judging by your expression, it's probably the same person you keep complaning about seeing in your dreams, you big brother, right? But as a woman?" Naruto asked
"..." With a red face, he nodded
Naruto sat down
"Tell me about the Itachi you see" Naruto said
Sasuke hesitated
[Come on, tell him about me~] Itachi giggled, knowing completely what Naruto was doing at this moment.
"Well..."
Sasuke took in a deep breathe, and decided to tell Naruto about Itachi-chan. He told Naruto about how powerful she is in his dreams, and how her combat senses were incredibly high.
He continued about her attitude, as well what she did in the dream scape.
After listening, Naruto acted surprised, as if he never knew about this, and fel into deep thought.
"Alright, I think I understand it now" He said
"You do?" Sasuke's eyes lit up
Naruto nodded
"Two things, first of all, I think it's better to let this Itachi stay, not that I have a proper way of getting rid of her anyway" Naruto said
"You must be joking!" Sasuke exclaimed
Naruto placed a finger over his own lips
"Listen to me, I'm being serious, if this Itachi is as you said, then is it not better to let her stay? She can guide you in combat, teach you how to battle in real time, and give you feedback at all times, no?" Naruto asked
"This is my second point, she seems like she will genuinely become a great asset for you, be it now, or in the future" Naruto added
Sasuke fell silent, he still felt conflicted
"Also, I may know where this Itachi originates from" Naruto continued
"Really?" Sasuke asked, his ears perked up slightly when Naruto mentioned it.
Naruto nodded, lying so easily that Kurama felt disgusted.
"You see, the first characteristic of that Itachi is that she is incredibly gentle, a big sister figure, someone who comforts you, right?"
Sasuke unwillingly nodded, as much as he hates to admit it, she has been there for him for a long time now.
"Aside from that, the mature attitude she has almost seems like maternal love, so what Orochimaru said all those years ago isn't wrong, perhaps this is one of your desires, just not a single desire, rather, many desires mixed into one" Naruto said
"Many? Maternal? What are you getting at?"
Naruto cleared his throat
"You see, Itachi has the aspects of an older sibling and a loving mother, these are your emotional desires, a family that loves you, the next aspect is her skill, immensely powerful combat capabilities, this is your desire for power, and lastly, your target of vengence, Itachi, your desire of hatred" Naruto said calmly
The more he spoke, the more convincing he seemed, and even Sasuke was slowly believing him.
"Because of this, this Itachi will certainly pose no harm to you, if anything, it is the manifestation of your desire for growth" Naruto added
[Yeah, I can teach you how to battle, little brother, believe in me] Itachi whispered into his ears
Like a devil sitting on his shoulder, Naruto and Itachi both slowly spewed honey coated words, slowlt tempting him into believing this lie.
"With her by your side..."
[With me helping you]
"Perhaps"
[You can achieve your goal]
"And kill Itachi, your brother"
[I'm your sister after all, only yours]
Sasuke's head spun, the more he listened, the more he actually believed it all, and without his notice, his view on this Itachi slowly changed. Maybe...she really can help him with taking revenge.
[You're a realy piece of sh*t, you know that?] Kurama said, he couldn't believe that Naruto could spin such a convincing story.
What was originally something he created, somehow became Sasuke's mixed desires!? If Sasuke knew the truth, just how will he react?
Gradually, Sasuke nodded
"Alright...I-I'll see how it goes" He said
"Fantastic" Naruto smiled
[Aw~ Love you, hearts and kissed] Itachi formed a heart with her hands and wined at him
Sasuke shuddered at the sight, not because she looked weird doing it, but it's just weird as his older brother's face would overlap with her, and he'd imagine him doing something like that...
"I've said what I know, so I'll be leaving now" Naruto smiled
"Y-Yeah..." Sasuke waved, still in a slight daze about this matter
[I'll make sure you become much stronger] Itachi-chan giggled
Shortly after, Naruto teleported away, wearing a proud smile on his face.
"Hah, manipulating someone has never felt easier" He stretched as he spoke
[This is why I hate humans] Krama scowled
"Whatever you say, bud" Naruto laughed
He then took out a scroll. This scroll is none other hand the recording of Sasuke reading the book he gave him earlier. Ino was looking forward to Naruto's reaction to the book, but because Naruto didn't mind, she found it boring, but Sasuke's reaction will certainly cheer her up.
He teleported to Ino's place, and entered the flower shop. There were a few customers there, and upon seeing Naruto, they immediately looked away and left the shop.
Naruto sighed
"Sorry about this, mother-in-law" Naruto said as he walked to the counter
Kiku was there with an annoyed look. But what she was annoyed with isn't the fact that they left without buying, but because they left upon seeing Naruto.
"How do you stand that? They're avoiding you like the plague?" Kiku asked
"Only some of them are nowadays" Naruto replied
"Even so" Kiku sighed
She shook her head
"You're here to see Ino, right? She's gone to train with Asume sensei earlier, she said she wanted to work more on her taijutsu, it seems the chunin exam is putting quite a bit of pressure on her" Kiku said
Naruto nodded
"Alright, then I'll trouble you with delivering this to her" He placed a scroll on the table and said
"No problem, but can I peek?" She asked with a grin
"Hahaha, if you want to read about the theoretical break down on a jutsu I am researching, go ahead" He replied
"Uh, I'll just stick to selling flowers, no thanks" Kiku said as she placed the scroll aside
Naruto laughed, he can't let other people see the content after all. If someone else saw him with a recording of Sasuke, how is he going to explain himself? Oh, we're good friends, so we meet up sometimes? As if!
"Just kidding, but it's something private between me and Ino" He placed a finger over his lips and said with a bashful smile.
Immediately, Kiku's face lit up
"Oh? Oh~, no problem, even Inoichi won't get his hands on this scroll" She patted her chest and said proudly
Naruto grinned
"Thanks mum~"
"Aw shucks, can't wait for the ceremony in the future, I expect many grandkids~" Kiku said with a big grin.
"Of course" Naruto nodded
"I didn't agree to this" From behind the door by the counter, Inoichi's eyes peeked through with a scary glare.
Naruto waved his hand
"Father-in-law~, how have you been?" He asked with a grin
"Dear" Kiku stared at him with a frown, and her hands placed on her hips
Inoichi flinched when he saw how angry Kiku had become, so he stepped out and faced Naruto upfront.
He stood in front of Naruto for a while, then scratched the back of his head awkwardly. His eyes darted around, but soon, he opened his mouth and spoke.
"Naruto...thank you" He said with a sincere look
"Eh? Hahaha, of course, I will do anything to make sure Ino is happy" He grinned as he patted his chest.
He didn't know why Inoichi was thanking him out of nowhere, but he was happy to have gotten more approval from him.
Inoichi shook his head
"Not just about Ino, I am thanking you on behalf of the village, Naruto, thank you for your hard work" He said
Naruto froze up as he stared at Inoichi, his eyes widened in an instant.
"Th-This, wh-what matters do you mean?" He asked, slightly nervous as he spoke
Inoichi didn't expect Naruto to react this way, but he couldn't help but smile at it. Naruto was finally showing his age with this reaction.
He looked around
"Come inside, we'll talk in a more private place" He said
"Ah, yes sir" Naruto followed Inoichi to the back, while Kiku stayed at the counter, giggling at both of their reactions.
Naruto sat down, facing Inoichi
"Naruto, as you know, I handle all the information that circulates the inner circles, so I naturally also know about the matters about...well, about Menma" He said calmly
Naruto nodded, expecting this as well
Aside from Tsunade, very few people knows of this matter, one of which is Inoichi, and the other is Shikamaru, who learned of it recently. Otherwise, no one else knows of such a matter, not even Jiraiya and Danzo, though Jiraiya can probably figure it out just by piecing things together.
Right, also Kiku, after all, this is her future son-in-law~
"This village hasn't exactly...treated you the best"
"Yep, the villagers are trash, I understand" Naruto nodded
"...very blunt, but yes, they subjected you to things you shouldn't have gone through, but that is all the more reason I need to thank you" He said firmly
"To a village that treated you this way, the Hokage could have done something, I could have helped, even a little...but we didn't, not when you needed us the most" He clenched his fists and looked down
He took a deep breathe
"But even so" He looked back up at Naruto
"You have taken up the role your father left behind, you have become a pillar of our village that now fends off dangers from other villages" He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder
"Naruto, one day, when you are willing, I will, no, the village will give you a proper apology that you deserve" He said
Naruto was silent as he listened, and the more he listened, the more shocked he became. He never thought that Inoichi has been thinking of this matter, but knowing it, he felt touched.
"Inoichi-san, I can't say I'm doing this for the village, I'm doing this purely for the selected few that I care about"
"But the entire village has benefitted from this, not just those selected few" Inoichi responded
Naruto's hands curled up
"W-Well, when you put it that way...."
His eyes brightened
"Then how about having a golden statue of me erected in the middle of the-"
"No" Inoichi's lips twitched, give this kid an inch, and he takes a mile!
He pinched between his brows, and to Naruto's shock, he burst into laughter. Inoichi laughing? He couldn't believe it! He only ever laughs for matters related to Ino!
"But if you really want it, I might be able to make it happen" He said
"Uh...no thanks, I was kidding" Naruto replied
"Good, because I was as well" Inoichi slapped his thigh and laughed
Naruto couldn't believe it, is this the same Inoichi that always glares at him? This is aclearly a different person!
After a while, he finally stopped his laughter, and patted Naruto's shoulder
"You are doing the village a service, one day, the villagers will see you for who you are, and accept you" He said
Naruto's eyes widened
"Really?" He asked
"Of course" Inoichi nodded
"Even if I'm a demon"
"Yes"
"Even if I'm a mad man who turned three generations of Hokages into women" Naruto asked
"Uh, yeah" Inoichi didn't know when that happened, but he nodded...wait, three generations?
"Even if I'm bribing the Hokage" Naruto asked
"O-Of course" Inoichi coughed
'He was bribing Tsunade-sama?!!?'
But the main point is to reassure Naruto, so he nodded anyway.
"Even if they know I'm the one who poisoned the town constantly, and refused to give the Hokage the antidote until I was satisfied"
Pfft
Inoichi almost choked
"I-I'm sure they will accept it" He said, but his voice had less certainty
"Even if-"
"Enough, keep going and even I'll lose trust in you" Inoichi was exasperated, ust how much more was he going to list!?
He had to stop Naruto before his respect for this boy crumbles! The mood was so good earlier! How did he manage to ruin it!?
Naruto smiled
"Hehe, then about Ino, I-"
"Oh that, yeah, no, I'll still keep an eye on you until you two are of age" He replied with a desolate gaze
"Dang" Naruto snapped his fingers and sighed
He then brightened up
"Father-in-law, thanks for telling me all this" He said
"Hah, a village hero shouldn't be mistreated" Inoichi replied
"Aw, thanks dad"
"Let's not go that far, dad is pushing it" Inoichi warned
"Kay~" So father-in-law is fine?
Naruto grinned happily
"Right, where did this come from? You've known that I was Menma since the start, so why so suddenly?" He asked
Inoichi scratched the side of his cheeks
"None of your business" He scowled
"Isn't it because you were too embarrassed to tell him" Kiku peeked in and smirked
"...."
"My~" Naruto covered his mouth with one hand as a bigger smile rose
"Oh my indeed~ fufufu, he was so hesitant about talking to you on this matter all this time, and only worked up the courage now" Kiku poked at Inoichi's cheeks and grinned
Inoichi suddenly stood up
"I'll be off now" He said in a low voice before dashing for the door
Kiku giggled as she watched his leaving figure
"Don't let his usual attitude fool you, he says no to you and Ino all this time, but when you're not here, he always brags about Ino's achievements, saying you played a big part in her growth" She said
"He did?" Naruto's eyes widened, today is just full of shock for him!
Kiku nodded
"He's what you'd call..."
The two clicked together
"A tsundere~" They both said at the same time
"So don't feel bad if he ever says things like 'I won't let you have my daughter', what he tries to say is that you're both still too young, after you are of age, he would be much more compliant" She said
'Wait, is that why Sai-san had no issues in the other timeline??? Because they met after they were both of age!?' Naruto exclaimed in his heart, no wonder!
"Hold on, if what you said is true, what about those times where he chased me across the village" Naruto questioned
"Hahaha" Kiku laughed as she shifted her eyes away
"Kiku-san?"
"Hah, that's just him, uh...well, extra protective, yeah, he's more forceful with his methods, yep, that's it" She said
"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself instead of me" Naruto said
"Because I am" Kiku replied as her eyes became a bit more stern
"..."