Chapter 93: Resisting the Script
'So it's the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.'
Uchiha Itachi's gaze locked onto that golden-haired youth. But why... why tonight of all nights? Why would he appear in the Uchiha compound, together with Satsuki?
An ominous thought instantly flashed through Itachi's mind. Could those radical hawks within the clan have already begun acting impatiently? Was their target indeed the Nine-Tails jinchūriki? Were they trying to control the tailed beast to achieve their coup?
'And this power... is it a sealing technique?'
"Naruto..."
Satsuki sat collapsed on the ground, staring blankly up at those brilliant golden chains in the air. 'This power... what is it? When did...'
"Satsuki! Don't make eye contact with her! Run! Go to the village and get the shinobi! Better yet, get the Third Hokage!"
Naruto's urgent shouts awakened Satsuki's chaotic thoughts. Logic told her that what Naruto said was the only correct choice. Against her sister who was impossible to defeat, seeking help was the only way to survive.
But... an intense revulsion that almost made her vomit suddenly grew wildly from the deepest part of her heart.
'Run away? You mean... abandon Naruto alone? Leave him by himself in front of this woman who's stained her hands with the blood of the entire clan, who's become like a monster?*
'Can't... absolutely not!* If she turned and fled... if when she returned with reinforcements, what she saw was Naruto also lying in a pool of blood...
Just imagining this scene filled Satsuki with despair more terrifying than suffocation. She'd already lost almost everything—she couldn't lose him too! Never!
"Hurry up and go! I can't hold on much longer!"
Naruto shouted again, brutally shattering Satsuki's final hesitation and false hope. The undeniable urgency and difficulty in his voice completely awakened her from that drowning fear and selfishness.
'Damn it...!'
A scalding emotion mixed with endless regret and intense unwillingness suddenly burst through the dam, screaming frantically in her heart. 'Why am I so weak?! Why can I only run away?! Why can't I protect anyone, instead becoming the one who needs protection, even holding others back?!'
In this moment, tears burst forth again, but no longer from grief over losing family members, nor from anger at betrayal.
This was self-loathing, bone-deep hatred for her own weakness and powerlessness, the deepest revulsion toward cruel fate!
Satsuki suddenly stood up from the ground, keeping her head down throughout, not daring to look at Itachi again, much less let Naruto see her current expression. Using all her strength, gritting her teeth, she desperately ran toward the direction outside the compound.
---
Damn... I really don't want to do this kind of thing...
Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, maintaining the powerful restraining force of Kongō Fūsa with all his might, forcibly suppressing the urge to open his eyes and check the situation.
Once he made eye contact with those Mangekyō Sharingan, Menma's shadow clones would probably be instantly shattered by genjutsu.
However, what filled his heart more was an indescribable distress and conflict.
According to his original expectations and "script," when he displayed abnormal power and intervened, Uchiha Itachi's attention should have shifted at least partially away from Satsuki, right? The direct pressure Satsuki faced would be much less.
He knew awakening Sharingan required extremely intense emotional stimulation, but he felt it didn't necessarily have to be Satsuki herself receiving direct, cruel harm, right?
If... if the most important person to her was hurt in front of her... that should... also work, right?
For this reason, Naruto had even mentally prepared for "possibly getting a bit hurt." For Satsuki to awaken Sharingan, he could completely endure some physical pain.
But... the moment this thought formed, an extremely strong sense of déjà vu and awkwardness surged up.
'Wait... why does this plot development feel increasingly wrong the more I think about it?'
'Actively jumping out to draw fire, taking hits for the female protagonist, even calculating in his mind "let her see me get hurt and then explode"... this, this looks exactly like those clichéd scenes from trashy "abuse the protagonist" novels!'
'This feeling... is really too terrible!'
Suddenly, an extremely strange sensation, like his internal meridians being instantly ignited, rushed back through the chains with searing heat!
"!?"
Alarm bells rang in Naruto's mind as he instinctively cracked open one eye. The sight before him made his scalp tingle—those several Kongō Fūsa chains had somehow spontaneously ignited with a layer of strange black flames!
'No way?! Against me, a little kid? Is it worth using Amaterasu? Are you serious?!'
Though internally ranting frantically, Naruto's actions showed no hesitation. He immediately cut off the chakra supply and unhesitatingly released the technique.
Hum—!
The golden chains instantly became transparent before completely dissipating into the air. Amaterasu hesitated for a moment, then followed gravity's rules and drifted lightly toward the ground below.
However, in that brief gap when the chains dispersed—
Whoosh!
Uchiha Itachi had already broken through the short distance between them in the next instant, appearing before Naruto with Shunshin! A direct punch struck viciously toward Naruto's abdomen!
The intense sense of crisis made Naruto's body almost instinctively react—activate Hiraishin formula.
But he forcibly suppressed this thought the moment it arose. 'No! Under the identity of "Uzumaki Naruto," I couldn't possibly know Hiraishin.'
In that split second, reason forcibly strangled instinct.
"Ugh—!"
The consequence of taking this punch head-on was explosive pain that instantly burst open. The powerful impact made his vision go black, his body involuntarily curling into a shrimp shape, temporarily losing all ability to move.
Then, a hand mercilessly grabbed the collar at the back of his neck, effortlessly lifting his entire body.
Nausea from his stomach attacked as Naruto breathed with difficulty, his somewhat blurred vision looking toward Uchiha Itachi who was holding him.
It was exactly like his worst-case scenario, or rather, from a planning perspective, the most "suitable" script. Itachi chose to control him, this unexpected strong variable, and clearly intended to bring him along to chase Satsuki. Perhaps she wanted to use him to further stimulate Satsuki.
'But regardless...'
'Uchiha Itachi... you bastard... just wait for me... once tonight's mess is completely over... see if I don't settle this score with you!'