IN NARUTO AS KURAMA

The Uchiha Compound – Fugaku's Decision

With a sudden snap, Uchiha Fugaku crushed the fox mask in his hand, the shards scattering to the ground like his wavering thoughts. A puff of white smoke swirled in front of him, and from it, Shiro emerged, his presence radiating authority.

"What happened?" Shiro asked, his voice steady, his gaze sharp.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen called me in today. He believes I am his confidant and revealed everything about his plans," Fugaku replied, his tone laced with bitterness.

"Oh?" Shiro tilted his head slightly. "You mean Sarutobi and Shimura Danzo's grand plan to create an army of Wood Release users using the First Hokage's cells?"

"Yes," Fugaku nodded grimly. "I saw it with my own eyes. Their experiments are monstrous."

Shiro laughed coldly, shaking his head. "Creating a Wood Release army? It's not as easy as they think. Even with Hashirama Senju's cells, the failure rate is astronomical. Tenzo—Yamato—was a lucky anomaly."

"Then what do you want me to do?" Fugaku asked, a hint of unease in his voice.

"Exactly what you've been doing," Shiro said, handing Fugaku several new fox masks formed from his chakra. "Stay close to Sarutobi Hiruzen. Let him think he has you under control. When the time is right, I want to see how far their arrogance takes them."

Fugaku took the masks, examining them closely. "What are these?"

"They're infused with my chakra. Each mask can summon one of my clones to protect you or your family. Keep them safe."

With that, Shiro vanished, leaving Fugaku alone in the dim light of his room. Slowly, he handed three of the masks to his wife, Mikoto.

"These are for you, Itachi, and Sasuke," he said. "Keep them close. They might save your lives one day."

Mikoto accepted the masks with a nod, her face calm but her eyes heavy with worry. "Be careful, Fugaku."

---

Sound Ninja Village – A Lesson in Diplomacy

In the dimly lit lab of the Sound Ninja Village, Orochimaru hunched over a table of samples, his eyes scanning data as another failed experiment fizzled before him. The sound of footsteps made him turn, his hands trembling slightly.

"Failed again, I see," Shiro's voice came from behind.

Orochimaru stiffened, forcing a smile. "Ah, yes, failure is part of progress."

"True," Shiro said with a smirk, "but too many failures make people lose faith. Keep that in mind."

Orochimaru grumbled under his breath but quickly straightened when Shiro's gaze hardened.

"Pack up. We're heading to Sunagakure," Shiro ordered.

"So soon?" Orochimaru asked, feigning surprise.

"We don't have time. Sarutobi and Danzo are moving quickly with their plans. We need allies, and Rasa of the Sand Village is... pliable," Shiro said, a hint of disdain in his voice.

Orochimaru nodded, a sly grin forming on his face. "Understood."

---

Sunagakure

The golden sands of the Wind Country swirled around the towering walls of Sunagakure. Inside the Kazekage's office, Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, sat with his head in his hands, his stress palpable.

"The village's funds are dwindling," Rasa muttered, his voice heavy. "What can we do?"

Before he could dwell further, Orochimaru's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Kazekage-sama, I believe I have a solution to your problem."

Startled, Rasa spun around, his hands instinctively summoning gold sand to defend himself. Orochimaru stepped into the room, holding a scroll.

"What is this?" Rasa asked, narrowing his eyes.

Orochimaru smirked, tossing the scroll toward the Kazekage. The gold sand caught it midair, and Rasa unrolled it cautiously.

"Konoha's Collapse Plan," Rasa read aloud, his eyes widening.

"Join me, Kazekage-sama," Orochimaru said smoothly. "Together, we can cripple Konoha and secure the resources your village so desperately needs."

Rasa frowned, his grip tightening on the scroll. "Betraying Konoha... Are you sure you can go through with this? It's your home, after all."

Orochimaru's smile didn't falter. "Home is where opportunity lies. Konoha has no place for me anymore."

Before Rasa could respond, a massive pressure filled the room. Shiro descended from above, his chakra suffocatingly dense.

"Sometimes," Shiro said, landing gracefully on a wave of gold sand, "words aren't enough to convince people."

With a flick of his fingers, Shiro's chakra disrupted Rasa's control over the gold sand, burying the Kazekage in an instant.

Rasa clawed his way out, gasping for air, his face pale. "Who... Who are you?"

Shiro grabbed Rasa by the collar, slamming him against the wall. "Your village's survival depends on your decisions. Stop shouting for your guards—they'll only die in vain. Now, what do you want more? Pride or survival?"

Rasa stared into Shiro's cold, piercing eyes, his defiance crumbling.

"What do you want?" the Kazekage asked, his voice trembling.