New Mask

A throbbing headache pounded Naruto's skull as he finally opened his eyes. The pain was a cruel reminder that the violence and humiliation he had endured the previous day were real. His sore body recalled every blow received, every punishment inflicted by his new sensei. He replayed her near-perfect movements in his mind—a deadly dance without a single wasted motion. Unlike his own style, still too... soft.

He blinked, regaining his senses little by little. Yet, something felt off. This wasn't his usual cell, damp and shrouded in darkness. Here, there was a semblance of comfort. A small, plain but decent room. He was lying on a bed—a real bed—and beside him was a nightstand. His gaze landed on the single object resting on it: a dark gray outfit, the typical attire of the ANBU, neatly folded alongside a mask.

Naruto sat up cautiously, every muscle protesting the movement. He observed the outfit.

A gray top and pants, snug yet flexible, designed not to restrict movement. Over it, a reinforced dark leather vest, providing light but effective protection against blades. Bracers covering his forearms, matching shin guards—everything crafted for the perfect balance between stealth and defense. At his belt, several pouches for kunai and scrolls. And finally... the mask.

He picked it up between his fingers. A smooth porcelain piece, painted with dark patterns, depicting a neutral, emotionless expression. Behind this mask, Naruto Uzumaki would no longer exist—only a shadow soldier. He understood immediately: this uniform was now his. A part of him rebelled against the thought, but another part knew he had no choice.

A sharp sound caught his attention. He looked up just in time to see the door open.

His sensei stepped into the room. Her piercing gaze, hidden behind her own mask, seemed to scrutinize his soul.

"I see you're feeling better…" she said in a neutral tone.

"This... this… pfft." Naruto gritted his teeth. After everything she had put him through yesterday, that was all she had to say? He wanted to curse her, to lash out, but he knew it would be pointless.

"I assume you understand that from now on, this will be your uniform."

Her eyes landed on the mask Naruto still held. He simply nodded in response. She observed him for another moment before turning on her heel.

"Hurry up and get ready. Meet me in the training hall."

She disappeared, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

"Again, she treats me like a piece of wood…" Naruto sighed. Was he not even allowed a moment of respite? He wasn't even fully recovered from the previous day. But he knew protesting would be useless. Instead, he got up and headed toward what seemed to be a bathroom.

Upon opening the door, he discovered a small but clean room. A simple sink with a mirror above it, a small shower with a gray curtain, and a few folded towels on a shelf. The bare minimum, but after days of confinement in darkness and filth, it was an unexpected luxury.

He turned on the hot water and stepped under the stream. The sensation was almost surreal. The water slid over his skin, washing away sweat, grime, and dried blood. A shiver ran down his spine.

"When was the last time I had a real bath?" he wondered. "This… feels good."

Since his imprisonment, he had only been given scraps of stale bread and the dampness of his cell. The stench of confinement, the filth clinging to his skin… he had almost forgotten what it felt like to be clean.

After finishing, he put on his new attire. It was light, flexible, perfectly fitted to his size. Then, he took the mask and placed it over his face.

He looked at himself in the mirror.

The mask he wore fit his face seamlessly, erasing all traces of his former identity. Its ivory-white base contrasted with the reddish-brown markings adorning it, resembling fox claws grazing the surface. Two thin, slanted black slits replaced his eyes, giving him an unreadable, detached expression.

Three parallel incisions, subtle but distinct, were carved onto the forehead of the mask—a distant echo of the whisker marks belonging to the fox demon within him.

He no longer saw Naruto Uzumaki.

He saw a stranger.

A soldier.

A ghost.

He let out one last sigh, then stepped out of the room. A new path stretched before him… and he didn't yet know if he would be able to walk it.

After a few minutes, fully prepared, he opened the door and stepped into the dimly lit hallway, advancing slowly. The silence weighed on his shoulders like a heavy shroud, broken only by the light sound of his footsteps on the cold floor.

He was alone with his thoughts, but unlike before, he no longer panicked in this isolation. Maybe his time here had changed him. He thought more calmly, analyzed everything with greater detachment.

But as he walked, a familiar voice reached his ears.

It was Tsunade.

His heart clenched. A flicker of hope ignited within him, a glimmer in this hell. Maybe… maybe he was finally getting out of here.

He quickened his pace, following the voice until he found himself near the room where the discussion was taking place. He stopped, listening through the slightly ajar door.

"I've already done too much, Danzō."

Tsunade's voice was firm, irritated.

"Hiding the fact that you used my disciple to capture him… You're asking me to allow this… The best I can do is let him join the ANBU?!"

Naruto's breath caught.

"Her disciple…?"

He didn't understand at first. But the more he heard, the more something inside him crumbled.

She knew.

She had known from the beginning.

She had covered for Danzō.

His hope shattered like a house of cards blown away by the wind.

A cold silence settled within him. His heart, which had still held onto a sliver of hope, clenched in a pain he hadn't even known he could feel. A single tear slid beneath his mask before falling to the ground.

"I was a fool to believe anyone cared about me," he thought bitterly.

Kyūbi's bitter laughter echoed in his mind.

"What did I tell you, young Uzumaki?" the beast growled, eyes closed, mocking. "They don't care about you. They only want to use you. All of them."

Naruto clenched his fists, trembling.

"Come. Let's destroy everything. What do you say?"

Naruto took a deep breath. His anger boiled beneath the surface, seething, ready to explode.

But instead of answering the fox's call, he forced his emotions to freeze over.

"Shut up, damn fox. I'll do it my way."

His inner voice was cold. Resolute.

Kyūbi opened an eye, intrigued by this new tone.

Naruto slowly lifted his head, dark pupils hidden beneath his mask. He understood now.

There was no "good." No "evil." Only results. Only the end mattered, no matter the means used.

He had learned his lesson.

Without a sound, he turned and resumed his walk toward the training hall.

There was no turning back. He now knew which path to take.