Chapter 5: Masks Behind Masks
Uchiha Compound – Midnight
The paper door slid shut behind her.
The moment Sasuke stepped inside her room, she tore the binding from her chest and dropped the wigged shoulder wraps to the floor. Her breath caught in her throat — not from exhaustion, but from pressure. Pressure that never eased.
The mirror reflected her true self. Long dark hair let down from its disguise. Eyes that didn't sparkle like other girls. A body being trained like a weapon, not a person.
She hated the deception.
But she hated the way the clan looked at her even more.
To the world, she was Sasuke Uchiha, boy genius. The prodigy to succeed Itachi if anything happened. To her clan, she was the last female born in two generations — a delicate chess piece hidden behind illusion.
The truth was dangerous.
Only her parents, Itachi, and a few elders knew.
And still, she had to pretend — every day, every breath — that she was someone else.
She clenched her fists. Her thoughts turned — as they had more and more recently — to the blonde idiot with the wide grin.
Naruto Uzumaki.
He shouldn't be strong. He shouldn't be fast. He shouldn't be improving so quickly.
And yet…
He moved like he was meant to fight. And his chakra… It wasn't normal.
Not even for a jinchūriki.
---
Naruto's Apartment – Early Morning
Naruto sat bolt upright in bed, sweat pouring down his face.
The dream had returned.
But this time… it wasn't just a dream.
He'd seen eyes. Slitted, blood-red. A massive grin of fangs. A voice that spoke without speaking — not in words, but emotions.
Rage. Power. Hunger.
And beneath it all… sorrow.
Naruto breathed heavily. "What… is that thing inside me?"
He didn't have the answers. No one would tell him. The villagers avoided his eyes, the Hokage always changed the subject, and he wasn't even allowed near the restricted sections of the library.
But he knew one thing.
It was watching him, just as he was watching it.
And it was getting closer.
---
Hokage Tower – Later That Day
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood at the window, looking down at the village. His pipe had gone cold in his hand.
Behind him stood Itachi Uchiha, silent.
"You saw him again?" the Hokage asked.
Itachi nodded once. "He sparred with my sister. He shouldn't have been able to keep up. But he did."
"Did she reveal anything?"
"She was careful. But she's interested. And Naruto…"
He hesitated.
"…His chakra is no longer dormant."
Sarutobi sighed. "So the seal is weakening."
"No," Itachi said. "It's responding to him."
The Hokage's eyes darkened.
"If he learns the truth too soon—"
"He won't," Itachi cut in gently. "But the boy isn't normal. That much is certain."
The old man nodded slowly. "Then we must prepare."
Itachi turned toward the door.
"Oh… and Hokage-sama?" he added, pausing.
"Yes?"
"If anything happens to me…" His voice was quiet. "Watch over Sasuke. And watch the boy."
Without another word, he disappeared.
---
To be continued…