The tower didn't stay quiet for long.
Footsteps echoed through the stone halls—multiple sets, overlapping, familiar voices bouncing faintly off the walls.
Sakura was the first to turn.
"…Wait—"
The door to the main chamber creaked open again.
And one by one—
They filed in.
Shikamaru, hands in his pockets, already sighing. Choji right behind him, munching on chips obliviously .Ino Yamanaka stepped in next, immediately scanning the room for Sasuke—
—instead finding a rather rough looking Sakura.
"…What happened to you megamind?"
Sakura blinked.
"…Shut up miss piggy…"
A beat.
Then—
Relief. They had all made it.
Across the room—
Kiba laughed loudly, Akamaru barking in agreement. Hinata stood quietly nearby, offering Naruto a nervous, relieved smile. Shino remained still as ever, observing.
And then—
A heavier step.
Confident.
Grounded.
Lee practically sparkled with energy. Neji stood beside him, calm, piercing gaze already analyzing everyone in the room. Tenten ran over to her fellow females, her and Sakura's catfight last weeks news.
"…Looks like we were the last ones" Naruto muttered, an embarassed smile tugging at his lips.
Sasuke didn't respond.
But his eyes narrowed, a pissed off look marring his visage.
—
"Yo."
A lazy voice cut through the room.
Naruto turned.
Leaning against the far wall—
Hands in his pockets—
Headband tilted lazily over one eye—
Kakashi.
"…You took your time."
Sakura straightened immediately.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Naruto scratched his cheek.
"…We had some complications."
Kakashi's brows furrowed.
"…I know."
His gaze flicked—
Directly to Sasuke's neck.
The faint, darkened marks barely hidden beneath his collar.
"…Sasuke."
A pause.
"Come with me."
—
The vibe among the group took a turn for the worst.
Remembering his Sensei's competence in personally training him within the two week break they had after the wave mission, Sasuke didn't argue.
He simply turned—
And followed.
Naruto watched them go.
Then—
"…Yeah, no."
He moved too.
Quietly.
Carefully.
Keeping distance.
Shadowing them through the stone corridors until—
A secluded training room.
Dim.
Sealed.
Private.
Kakashi stepped inside.
Sasuke followed.
Naruto slipped just outside the doorway—
Listening.
Watching.
Unseen.
—
Inside—
Kakashi didn't waste time.
"…Show me."
Sasuke hesitated.
Then—
Pulled his collar aside.
The curse mark pulsed faintly.
Alive.
Hungry.
Kakashi's eye sharpened instantly.
"…I was afraid of that."
Sasuke's jaw tightened.
"…It's nothing."
"Wrong."
Flat.
Immediate.
Kakashi stepped forward.
"…This is not something to take lightly."
A pause.
"…You've been marked. By the snake saanin, Orochimaru."
*Ping*
You have discovered the identity of team 7's assailant.
Naruto's lips tightened, Orochimaru? He swear he'd heard that name before. Curse his old self for not paying attention during history class.
Silence.
Heavy.
"…Sit."
Sasuke didn't move for a second.
Then—
"…Tch."
He complied.
Kakashi crouched, pulling out a brush and ink.
"…I'm placing an evil containment seal."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"…I don't need it."
Kakashi didn't even look up.
"…This isn't a suggestion."
—
Outside—
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"…containment?"
His mind clicked.
Pieces moving.
Fast.
"…Wait…"
Before Kakashi could begin—
Naruto stepped in.
"…That won't be enough."
Both of them turned.
Sasuke's expression darkened instantly.
"…You again."
Kakashi's eye curved slightly.
"…Finally decided to show yourself, eh?"
Naruto blinked.
"…You knew?"
"Of course."
Naruto ignored that, stepping closer—
Eyes locked onto the curse mark.
"…If you just suppress it, it'll keep building pressure underneath."
His tone sharpened.
Focused.
Different.
"…It needs to be regulated. The effects of the seal can be lessened by purifying the chakra it provides to the host. To do that, his chakra pathway will need a gateway barring the seals influence."
Sasuke scoffed.
"…And you suddenly know how to handle this?"
Naruto didn't even look at him.
"…Yeah."
That—
Made Sasuke pause.
—
Kakashi watched him carefully.
"…Explain."
Naruto stepped closer, crouching opposite him.
"…The seal's core is feeding off his emotional spikes—amplifying output but destabilizing control."
His finger hovered near Sasuke's neck.
"…If you just suppress it, the feedback loop gets worse upon repeated use."
Kakashi's eye sharpened slightly.
"…Go on."
Naruto's mind raced—
Patterns aligning.
"…You need a secondary lattice, to work with the seal's intended affects. Not just block them."
His finger traced invisible lines in the air.
"…Anchor it around the core—not over it."
"…Redirect excess chakra into a controlled purification cycle fed by Sasuke's own physical energy."
A pause.
"…Sacrifice for increased functionality."
Silence.
Then—
Kakashi put his hand up, about to tell Naruto that it was too risky.
"…Naruto...I can't allow this kind of experimentation-
Kakashi was suddenly cut off by Sasuke. "…Stop...do it Naruto."
Naruto's eyes widened slightly.
"…Of course."
Kakashi looked between the two, his opposing hand soon dropping to his side.
"…We'll do it together…Lie still," Kakashi said calmly.
Sasuke clicked his tongue—
But didn't move.
—
The process began.
Kakashi laid the foundation—
A traditional evil containment seal.
Clean.
Precise.
Naruto followed—
Adding to it,
Layer by layer.
"…Here—this junction—"
"…I see."
"…Don't close that loop—leave it open to connect to his chakra pathways. The purification needs to be supplied somehow—"
"…Right."
"…Anchor here—this is where it links to emotional stability—"
Sasuke gritted his teeth as the seal reacted—
Chakra flaring—
Then stabilizing—
Then resisting—
"—NGH—!"
The curse mark surged—
Dark patterns spreading—
Then—
Naruto pressed his hand down.
"…Now."
Chakra flowed.
Controlled.
Directed.
A secondary lattice formed—
Locking into place—
A spiral of script formed around the tri-commas, eerily similar to the uzumaki crest.
The seal functioned as it was intended
Not suppressing—
But regulating.
Containing without suffocating.
—
Ping
Seal Successfully Modified!
Unique Seal Created: Curse Mark Regulation Seal (Incomplete)
Advanced Fuinjutsu LVL 1 (1/10) → LVL 2 (1/20)
—
Sasuke's body jerked once—
Then—
Stilled.
His breathing slowed.
The mark—
Faded.
Not gone.
But… quiet.
Contained.
—
Silence filled the room.
Naruto leaned back slightly, exhaling.
"…That should hold."
Kakashi stood, eye studying the result.
"…You've done your teammate a great service Naruto. "
Naruto scratched his cheek.
"…Heh."
Sasuke slowly lifted his head.
His eyes—
Clearer.
But unreadable.
"…Tch."
A pause.
"…Don't think this means anything."
Naruto smirked slightly.
"…Yeah, yeah."
But internally—
Ping
Rival Growth Link Status Stabilizing…
Unstable → Moderate (Recovering)
To be sure, Naruto cast inspect over his rival
Name: Sasuke Uchiha
Village: Konohagakure
Rank: Experienced Genin
Due to the target being your Rival, their stats are currently visible
Stats
Strength: 64
Agility: 82
Endurance: 58 (-15% purification supply)
Intelligence: 75 (-10% Aggression modifier)
Charisma: 34
Luck: 11
Current Debuffs:
Curse Mark Inflicted (Heaven Seal Variant – Actively purified/contained)
Effects:
+20% Chakra Output (Unstable)
+25% Physical boost to stats upon activation
-10% Chakra Control
-10% Intelligence/Mental Stability (Aggression Increase)
-15% Endurance (Post-activation fatigue)
Foreign chakra actively integrating into host system. Seal feeds on negative emotional stimuli to accelerate synchronization. Seal has been contained with an evil purification seal. Influence is still present, however severely reduced.
Silence lingered in the training room.
Heavy.
Tense—
But stable.
For the first time since the Forest of Death, Sasuke's chakra didn't feel like it was on the verge of tearing itself apart.
Naruto let out a slow breath.
"…Yeah," he muttered quietly, eyes still scanning the seal.
"…That's way better."
Kakashi straightened—
Then paused.
His visible eye narrowed slightly.
"…Naruto."
Naruto blinked.
"…What?"
A beat.
"…Don't move."
The air changed.
Subtly.
But unmistakably.
That same feeling—
Cold.
Slimy.
Wrong.
Naruto's stomach tightened instantly.
"…No way…"
Sasuke's head snapped up—
Eyes flashing red, his hand crept up to his newly modified seal. A twinge of pain and a sense of wrongness still remained.
"…That presence—"
A voice slipped into the room like a whisper dragging across skin.
"—My, my…"
The shadows near the far wall seemed to stretch—
Warp—
And then—
Out stepped a tall pale intruder.
Orochimaru.
Smiling.
Hungry.
"…What an interesting development."
Kakashi moved instantly—
Positioning himself between Orochimaru and the genin.
Chakra flaring high, a multitude of hand signs forming before a high pitched wail erupted from his palm. Electricity arced through the air, untold amounts of current flowing from Kakashi's hand coalescing into a crackling ball of lightning.
Controlled.
Deadly.
His students to his rear looked at their sensei with awe. They hadn't seen their sensei get this serious before. His power putting a comforting blanket over their senses. Danger still clawed at their awareness; they readied their own chakra and techniques.
"…You've got some nerve showing up here."
Orochimaru's golden eyes slid toward him, amusement flickering.
"…Ah… Kakashi Hatake…"
A soft chuckle.
"…Still playing the dutiful guard dog, I see."
Kakashi's tone didn't change.
"…Say another word and I'll make sure you don't leave this tower."
A pause.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Orochimaru smiled wider.
"…Bold."
His gaze shifted—
Past Kakashi—
Landing directly on Sasuke.
"…Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke's jaw tightened instantly.
"…Tch."
Orochimaru took a slow step forward.
"…Tell me…"
His voice lowered.
"…How does it feel?"
A beat.
"…That power I gave you."
Sasuke didn't respond.
But his chakra flickered—
Uneasy.
Orochimaru's smile sharpened.
"…You tasted it, didn't you?"
"…That overwhelming strength…"
"…That freedom…"
A pause.
"…And yet…"
His head tilted slightly.
"…Something's changed."
Naruto's muscles tensed.
Orochimaru's gaze snapped to him.
Sharp.
Predatory.
"…You."
The word dropped like a blade.
Naruto didn't flinch.
"…One little boy not enough for you pedo? I'm less keen on hickies than my counterpart over here, you better stay away."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly, studying him in a way that felt far too invasive.
"…How… curious." His pedophilia comments ignored. Not denied, just shoved to the side.
A slow step closer.
"…The seal…"
His tongue flicked lightly across his lips.
"…I feel less of a connection...almost quiet."
A pause.
"…Contained."
The air thickened instantly.
"…What did you do?"
Naruto smirked slightly.
"…Fixed your crappy work."
That—
Wiped the smile off Orochimaru's face.
Just for a second.
But it was there.
"…Careful, child."
His voice dropped.
Colder now.
"…You're tampering with things far beyond you."
Naruto's eyes hardened.
"…You might be out of my league right now. But just wait snake face...you'll see.
Kakashi didn't interrupt.
Didn't move.
But his chakra sharpened, his technique flaring to a screeching wail.
Ready.
Orochimaru stared at Naruto for a long moment.
Then—
A soft laugh escaped him.
"…Fascinating."
His eyes gleamed.
"…Not just the Uchiha…"
A glance at Sasuke.
"…But you as well."
A pause.
"…You've interfered with my mark."
His killing intent spiked—
Just a fraction.
Enough to make the air feel suffocating.
"…Do you understand what that means?"
Naruto didn't back down.
"…Yeah."
A beat.
"…It means he's not your puppet."
Silence.
Then—
Orochimaru's face turned serene, interest clearly present.
"…We'll see."
His gaze slid back to Sasuke.
"…Power comes at a cost, Sasuke-kun."
A step back.
"…And you've already begun paying it."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"…I don't need you."
Orochimaru chuckled.
"…No?"
A pause.
"…Then why did you accept it?"
That—
Hit.
Sasuke didn't respond.
Orochimaru turned slightly, already stepping back into the shadows.
"…When you grow tired of pretending…"
His voice echoed softly.
"…Come find me."
A final glance at Naruto.
"…And you…"
A thin smile.
"…Try not to die before we meet again."
The shadows swallowed him.
Gone.
Just like that.
—
Silence crashed back into the room.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Naruto exhaled sharply.
"…Man…"
He ran a hand through his hair.
"…I really hate that guy."
Kakashi didn't relax.
Not fully.
"…You should."
A pause.
"…Because next time…"
His eye shifted slightly toward Naruto.
"…He won't just talk."
Naruto entered a state of deep focus, determination lighting aflame in his blue eyes.
"…Good."
A beat.
"…I've got a few things I wanna say back."
Sasuke stayed quiet.
But his hand—
Slowly lowered from his neck.
The game had changed.
And all of them knew it.