The streets were empty.
Sasuke walked out of the Mirage Dojo, his brain still looping the footage from the simulation.
He had three days. Three days to flip the script.
Roy was right. He couldn't do it alone.
His chakra reserves were pathetic; he couldn't keep that Sky Projection running for even a minute.
He needed a battery. A battery with a freakish, abnormal amount of energy.
Sasuke found himself walking toward the park near the Ninja Academy.
The sun had already dipped below the horizon. The park was deserted, except for one figure sitting on a rusty swing.
Blonde hair. Obnoxious orange jacket.
Naruto Uzumaki. The class clown. The dead last.
In the past, Sasuke wouldn't have wasted a glance on this idiot. The Uchiha prodigy and the class flunky were from two different worlds. But things were different now.
His father had mentioned the Uzumaki clan at home once.
"Cockroach vitality," he had called it. "Their chakra reserves are dozens of times that of a normal ninja."
"That Nine-Tails brat is just a massive chakra storage tank."
Sasuke needed that tank. He didn't care if he had to use him or lie to him.
If it meant saving his brother, if it meant exposing the truth, he'd do whatever it took.
Sasuke walked up to the swing set.
Naruto was looking down, kicking circles in the sand.
It was a school holiday. Every other kid was out eating BBQ with their parents or practicing ninjutsu in the backyard.
Only Naruto had been sitting here since morning. He clutched his stomach and sighed.
His pockets were empty. Dinner wasn't happening tonight.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. Naruto flinched, instinctively hunching his shoulders.
Bullies again? Or someone here to chase me away?
When he looked up, he froze.
Standing there, looking down at him with that usual superior attitude, was Sasuke Uchiha.
"Sa... Sasuke?"
Naruto stammered, thinking he was hallucinating.
Sasuke stared down at him, his gaze making Naruto squirm.
"Hey, loser."
Naruto jumped off the swing. "What? You wanna fight? I'm not in the mood to deal with your—"
"You want ramen?"
Sasuke cut him off.
Naruto's eyes bugged out, his mouth forming a perfect 'O'.
"Huh?"
"Ichiraku Ramen," Sasuke pointed toward the commercial district. "Extra large bowl. Double pork."
Naruto gulped. This was weird. Too weird.
Did the sun rise in the West? Was this Sasuke actually an enemy spy using a Transformation Jutsu?
Sasuke Uchiha, the guy who acted like he owned the place, was buying him dinner?
"What... what's the angle?" Naruto took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't have any money to lend you! And I'm not doing your homework!"
Sasuke frowned.
Moron.
Time was tight. He didn't have time to banter.
Sasuke stepped forward and grabbed Naruto's wrist.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Naruto yelped.
"Shut up," Sasuke said coldly. "I'm buying, so shut your mouth and follow me. After we eat, I have a job for you."
"A... a job?"
"A life-or-death job."
Sasuke didn't look back, dragging Naruto along.
Naruto wanted to pull away, but the phrase "life-or-death" made him pause.
Life or death? The genius Sasuke needs my help?
Naruto's brain couldn't process it, but his stomach made the decision for him. The phantom smell of ramen broth was already calling his name.
---
Ichiraku Ramen.
When Old Man Teuchi lifted the curtain and saw the duo, even he paused for a second.
Usually, these two were like oil and water.
"Two extra-large bowls. Double pork on both."
Sasuke hopped onto a stool and slapped a ticket on the counter.
He was out of cash, but his face was basically a credit card in this village.
"Coming right up!" Teuchi didn't ask questions. He just started boiling noodles.
Naruto sat next to Sasuke, fidgeting.
He stole glances at the Uchiha. Sasuke just sat there, stone-faced, staring at the chopstick holder.
"Uh... Sasuke."
Naruto spoke carefully.
"If this is a prank, you can stop now. I won't get mad."
Sasuke turned his head.
"Eat."
The bowls landed on the counter. Naruto's stomach let out a roar like a beast.
Screw it. Eat first, ask questions later.
Naruto grabbed his chopsticks and clapped his hands together. "Thanks for the food!"
He inhaled the noodles, broth splashing onto his cheeks. He was starving.
Sasuke didn't touch his food. He just watched Naruto.
So this is the 'Demon Fox' kid.
The whole village hated him. Adults crossed the street to avoid him; kids threw rocks at him.
Sasuke suddenly realized that he and Naruto were in the same boat. They were both outcasts.
The difference was, Sasuke chose his isolation. Naruto was forced into it.
"Is it good?" Sasuke asked.
"It's awesome! Best in the world!" Naruto said with a mouth full of pork. "Old Man Teuchi is a wizard!"
"If you're full, let's go."
Sasuke hopped off the stool.
"Go where?" Naruto downed the last drop of soup and wiped his mouth, looking satisfied.
"To the place where we change destiny."
Naruto didn't have a clue what that meant.
But, the guy bought him dinner. And honestly, this was the first time anyone had ever asked him for help.
"Fine, let's go! I'm the future Hokage, I'm not scared of anything!"
Naruto jumped down and followed Sasuke.
---
The Mirage Dojo.
Roy was wiping down the counter.
Sasuke walked in, trailing a blonde kid who was looking around like a nervous squirrel.
Roy stopped cleaning and smiled.
"Fast work, rich kid."
Roy's gaze landed on Naruto. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. The world's largest portable chakra battery.
With him plugged in, they wouldn't just be broadcasting to the village; they could probably stream this to the whole Fire Nation.
"This is your backup?" Roy asked, playing dumb.
"It's him," Sasuke pushed Naruto forward. "Does he have enough chakra?"
Roy looked Naruto up and down. Naruto shivered under the gaze.
"Hey, Sasuke, what is this place?" Naruto pointed at the weird metal pod. "Are we playing a video game?"
"It's not a game."
Roy walked out from behind the counter.
He squatted down in front of Naruto.
"Naruto Uzumaki," Roy said his name.
"You... you know me?" Naruto was surprised.
"Of course. You're a celebrity in the Leaf," Roy said, his tone devoid of the usual mockery. "Do you want to know why everyone calls you a monster?"
Naruto flinched. The smile vanished from his face.
That was his trigger. The deepest scar he had.
"I'm not a monster!" Naruto shouted. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm gonna be the Hokage!"
"Talk is cheap."
Roy pointed to the metal pod.
"The villagers won't change their minds just because you yell a slogan. They'll just hate you more. They'll just fear you more."
"Do you want the truth?"
"Do you want to know who your parents were?"
"Do you want to know why the Third Hokage promised to take care of you, but leaves you drinking expired milk in an apartment with a leaky roof?"
Naruto froze. Parents?
He was an orphan.
No one had ever told him who they were.
Whenever he asked Grandpa Hiruzen, the old man just smoked his pipe and said they were heroes who died in the war.
"You know?" Naruto's voice trembled.
"I know," Roy nodded. "And I can show you."
"But you have to do Sasuke a favor."
Roy pointed at Sasuke.
"Sasuke is in deep trouble. His clan is about to be wiped out. His brother is being forced to become a killer. He needs your power to stop it."
Naruto looked at Sasuke.
Sasuke was standing in the shadows, head down, face unreadable.
But Naruto could see him shaking.
The arrogant genius, the guy who always looked down on everyone... right now, he looked like a kicked puppy.
"Helping him helps you," Roy continued.
"Enter the dungeon. Use your chakra to light up the Sky Projection. Make the whole village see the truth."
"You'll see how your parents died. Sasuke will see why his brother is suffering."
"This is a war for the truth."
"You in? Future Hokage."
Naruto went silent.
He looked at Roy, then at Sasuke.
The feeling of being needed washed over him. And the hook—the truth about his parents—was too strong to resist.
"I'll do it!"
Blue fire lit up in Naruto's eyes.
"I don't get this dungeon or projection stuff, but Sasuke bought me ramen, so I've got his back!"
"And..."
Naruto gritted his teeth.
"I want to know who my Mom and Dad were!"
Roy nodded, satisfied.
Hook, line, and sinker.
"Excellent."
Roy walked to the console, fingers flying across the interface.
"This machine is in Duo Mode. You two get in. Hold hands."
"Huh? Hold hands?!" Naruto and Sasuke shouted in unison.
"That's gross!" Sasuke made a face.
"Who wants to hold hands with this jerk?!" Naruto yelled.
"It's required for the chakra link," Roy lied without blinking. "How are you gonna boot up a multiplayer raid without a connection? If you want to save your brother, suck it up."
Sasuke gritted his teeth. For Itachi. He swallowed his pride.
He climbed into the left side of the pod.
Naruto grumbled but climbed into the right side.
The pod was spacious, not too cramped. In the darkness, two reluctant hands clasped together.
"Ready?" Roy's finger hovered over the start key.
"Start it," Sasuke closed his eyes.
"The Great Naruto is ready!" Naruto took a deep breath.
Roy pressed the button.
A massive surge of energy erupted from the pod.
[System Alert: High-Energy Chakra Reaction Detected.]
[Establishing Destiny Link...]
[Party Detected: Child of Prophecy (Yin) & Child of Prophecy (Yang).]
[Resonance: Indra & Asura Chakra signatures matching.]
[Special Raid Unlocked: "The Bloody Night: Final Showdown"]
[Difficulty: Hell Mode.]