Chapter 58: A twist

Morning arrived, painting the sky in soft hues of orange and gold.

As usual, Naruto and Karin set out for their daily training. But as they reached the training ground, something was off. Sasuke was missing.

He never skipped training. Not once.

A flicker of unease passed between them before they set out to find him. They searched everywhere—his usual haunts, the academy grounds, even the quiet spots he would sometimes retreat to when he wanted to be alone. Nothing.

With no other choice, they made their way toward the Uchiha clan district—an area strictly off-limits to outsiders.

As they ran, the others trailed behind, chatting idly, their voices light and carefree. But Naruto was silent, his brows furrowed in unease.

Karin, always attuned to his moods, slowed her pace to match his.

"Nii-san… is something wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

Naruto's gaze remained fixed ahead. "Yeah, Karin. I have a bad feeling about this."

The conversation behind them faded into silence. Hinata, Sakura, and Ino, sensing the shift in Naruto's demeanor, exchanged wary glances.

As they approached the Uchiha district, an eerie stillness hung in the air. There were no guards at the entrance—no signs of movement.

The moment they stepped inside, a heavy, suffocating stench filled their lungs.

The scent of blood.

Then, they saw it.

Bodies. Scattered like discarded dolls, lifeless and still.

A choked gasp escaped Hinata. Ino's hands trembled. Sakura pressed a hand to her mouth, her breath caught in her throat.

Then came the scream.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Their voices cut through the silence, loud enough to reach the ANBU patrolling nearby.

But Naruto was already moving.

He sprinted forward, his heart pounding, his vision blurring with a mixture of rage and disbelief.

This can't be happening.

Not like this.

Karin reached out, desperation in her voice.

"Nii-san—wait!"

But he was already gone.

Naruto stood frozen.

Before him, Mikoto and Fugaku lay lifeless.

He staggered forward, his knees threatening to give out. His vision blurred, but he refused to look away. Mikoto… she had been another mother to him. Always smiling, always warm.

Fugaku… he had been another father. Stern, but fair. He had treated Naruto like a son, in his own way.

And now—they were gone.

A choked sob broke free from Naruto's throat. He clenched his fists, trembling. Why? Why did it have to be like this?

Then—movement.

His gaze snapped to the side.

Sasuke.

The boy was lying unconscious, his small body barely rising and falling with each breath.

Naruto's heart clenched. He was alive.

Without hesitation, Naruto lifted Sasuke into his arms, holding him tightly. His body was cold, but he was breathing. That was all that mattered.

Tears still streaming down his face, Naruto ran—ran as fast as he could.

He burst through the entrance of the compound, his lungs burning.

"SURVIVOR!"

His voice rang through the silent night, shattering the stillness.

ANBU operatives, who had been combing through the massacre, snapped to attention.

Their masks betrayed no emotion, but their hands paused over the lifeless bodies they had been inspecting.

So many of them—so many bodies were missing their eyes. Gouged out. Stolen.

But Naruto didn't stop to think about that.

An ANBU leaped in front of him, stopping him with a firm grip.

"He's alive! I need to take him to the hospital!" Naruto shouted, desperation in his voice.

The ANBU hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Go."

Naruto didn't need to be told twice. He dashed off, but not toward the hospital.

He ran home.

Karin and the others followed, their faces pale, their emotions raw. They had seen something they would never forget.

But Karin—Karin handled it better than the others. She had seen worse.

Naruto reached his house, shoving the door open with his foot. Tsunade.

She was here. She could save him.

He laid Sasuke down gently on his bed, then spun on his heel and sprinted toward Tsunade's room.

"Tsunade, wake up!" he shouted, shaking her.

Tsunade groaned, her eyes heavy with sleep. "Naruto, what—"

But she didn't get to finish.

Naruto grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, dragging her down the hall.

"Tsunade, hurry!" His voice cracked, his grip firm. "It's Sasuke!"

All traces of sleep vanished from Tsunade's face.

Without another word, she ran.

Tsunade's breath caught the moment she saw Sasuke.

He lay there, unconscious, his small frame covered in blood. For a split second, her heart clenched—but years of experience took over.

She knelt beside him, hands glowing with medical chakra as she inspected his vitals.

After a moment, she let out a slow breath. Relief flooded through her.

"He's fine," she murmured, still focused on her scan. "There's no serious injury. He passed out from severe mental shock. With rest, he'll wake up in a day or two."

She expected Naruto to relax at the news—but when she turned, she saw him crying.

Silent, choked sobs wracked his body. His fists clenched at his sides, his whole frame trembling.

Then—the others entered.

Hinata, Ino, Sakura, and Karin—all of them had been holding themselves together, but the moment they stepped inside, the weight of everything collapsed onto them. Their faces crumpled in horror, silent tears falling as they grasped the reality of what had happened.

Naruto lifted his head, his face twisted with grief.

"Tsunade…" His voice cracked. "The Uchiha clan… they've been slaughtered." His lips trembled as he struggled to speak through his sobs. "Mikoto-baasan… Fugaku-ojisan… they're dead."

Tsunade froze.

The words hit like a hammer, stealing the breath from her lungs.

Then—a gasp.

They turned to see Kushina standing in the doorway, her face stricken. She must have woken when the door burst open.

"What…?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Naruto turned to her, his whole body shaking.

"They're gone, Kaa-chan…" His voice cracked, breaking completely. "Why? Why did this have to happen?"

Kushina staggered, her hands covering her mouth.

Then—she screamed.

A raw, heart-wrenching wail of grief tore from her throat as she fell to her knees.

She didn't care about who was watching. She didn't care about dignity.

She had lost another family.

Tsunade looked away, her hands tightening into fists. She had seen war. She had seen loss.

But this…

This hurt.

The news spread like wildfire.

Within hours, the massacre of the Uchiha clan took over every headline, every whispered conversation, every intelligence report across the nations.

To the world, it was just another story—a great clan reduced to nothing.

But to Naruto, his family, and those closest to the Uchihas?

It was everything.

Their friends. Their second family. The people they had trained with, laughed with, lived beside. Gone.

The weight of loss settled over them like a thick fog, suffocating and unrelenting.

Even Karin and Kana, who weren't as deeply attached as Naruto, Kushina, or the others, felt the void. They had been close enough to feel the emptiness. Close enough to see how broken everyone had become.

The house was silent.

For a week, they waited.

For Sasuke to wake up. For answers. For something—anything—to make sense.

But nothing changed.

Kushina barely spoke. Naruto, once so full of life, seemed hollow. Hinata, Ino, Sakura, and even Karin had lifeless eyes.

They had seen the bodies.

They had heard Naruto's cries.

They knew things would never be the same.

The village had already decided—it was Itachi who did it.

But until Sasuke woke up, they wouldn't have confirmation.

And so, they waited.

For truth.

For justice.

For the brother left behind to open his eyes and tell them what had really happened.

Sasuke's eyes slowly opened, his vision blurred, his mind clouded. But as soon as his consciousness returned, the first word he uttered was—

"Itachi…"

Naruto, who had been waiting beside him, immediately leaned in.

"Sasuke," he called softly, relief and worry mixed in his tone.

Sasuke turned his head slightly, eyes still unfocused. His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

"...Naruto. I had a dream. A nightmare where my brother—he—he killed everyone. Mom… Dad…" His voice cracked.

Naruto couldn't hold back anymore. He pulled Sasuke into a tight hug.

"No, Sasuke. It wasn't a dream."

The moment the truth sank in, Sasuke broke.

His body trembled, and the weight of reality crushed him. Tears streamed down his face as the grief he had been suppressing flooded out.

Naruto didn't let go. He held onto his brother—not by blood, but by bond—because what else could he do?

The house, already drowning in sorrow, fell into silence again, only filled with the sound of Sasuke's weeping.

Three day before, the burial of the Uchiha clan was completed.

When the time came, Naruto took Sasuke to the cemetery.

Sasuke stood in front of his parents' graves. His fists clenched, his breath unsteady. And then—he collapsed to his knees.

Tears fell freely. He didn't hold back.

Naruto stood beside him, silent, giving him space. He knew there were no words that could fix this.

After a long moment, Sasuke spoke. His voice was quieter now, steadier, but laced with something dangerous.

"...Naruto. Is this what you meant last year?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes, Sasuke."

There was a long silence before Naruto spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I couldn't save them."

Sasuke wiped his face, his expression darkening. His grief was still there—but now, it burned with something else.

Hatred.

"It's okay, Naruto." His voice was cold. "I'll take my revenge on my brother myself."

As he spoke, his three-tomoe Sharingan spun violently.

Naruto didn't say anything. Because this was what he wanted.

One year ago…

Saving Shisui had unlocked the second chain quest, rewarding him with the Mangekyō Sharingan.

But even without the quest, Naruto knew—he would have saved them anyway.

Because that night… he had saved all the Uchihas.

They were hidden now. Alive, but in the shadows. Waiting.

Only Naruto and Shisui knew the truth.

And right now, that secret had to stay buried.

Because the time wasn't right. Not yet.

With his Mangekyō Sharingan, Naruto's strength had skyrocketed.

He was Kage-level. Maybe even beyond that.

And now, Sasuke, with his three-tomoe Sharingan, had reached Elite Jōnin level.

They were no longer just kids.

They were warriors.

They were the last of the Uchihas in the eyes of the world.

And soon, the world would know the truth.