IN NARUTO AS KURAMA

Afternoon.

Naruto stood at the door of his small apartment, waving cheerfully at Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Grandpa Third, come over for dinner next time!"

Hiruzen chuckled, his kind yet weary eyes softening. "You're such a good boy, Naruto."

As he walked away, Hiruzen made a firm decision. "I'll remove the ANBU surveillance on Naruto. There's no need to burden the child further."

Naruto watched the Third Hokage disappear down the street, his cheerful expression fading. A sly smirk curled at his lips. "Got him. I finally got that old man to trust me."

Closing the door behind him, Naruto's thoughts shifted, and his consciousness entered the sealed space.

"Master," Naruto said with a bow.

Shiro, lounging on a sofa in the vast emptiness of the Nine-Tails' sealed chamber, smirked. "Well done, kid. You played your part perfectly. Now we can act with fewer eyes watching."

Naruto grinned. "It's all thanks to your teaching, Master."

Shiro laughed heartily. "Hah! Flattery already? You're learning fast, brat." Rising from the sofa, he stretched. "Now, follow your father and refine your chakra. I'm heading out for a bit."

Naruto nodded. "Yes, Master."

---

Shiro's figure shimmered as he materialized in an alley on the outskirts of Konoha Village. His sharp senses detected a faint disturbance nearby.

High in the trees, Obito Uchiha stood cloaked in shadows, his mask partially hiding his face. White Zetsu, perched beside him, spoke nonchalantly.

"Obito, when do we begin? You've been hesitating lately."

Obito's voice was cold and deliberate. "It's not time yet. Konoha's defenses are too strong."

Midway through his sentence, Obito's Sharingan flared, and he hurled a kunai toward a nearby tree. "Who's there?"

Stepping out from behind the tree, Shiro smirked. "The better question is, who are you to be sneaking around Konoha? You must have a death wish."

Obito tensed, his grip on his chains tightening. Something about the stranger exuded overwhelming power. His instincts screamed caution.

"I am Uchiha Madara," Obito declared, his voice steady but his eyes betraying unease. "How dare you challenge me?"

Shiro chuckled, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Madara? Don't make me laugh. You're just a fraud hiding behind a name. Let me guess—Obito Uchiha, right?"

Obito's eyes widened beneath his mask, and his composure faltered. "Who are you?"

Without answering, Shiro's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan spun into life, its oppressive aura crashing over Obito like a tidal wave.

Obito lunged forward, his chains slicing through the air. "Die!"

Shiro's hand shot out, his palm glowing with power. Obito's chain attack barely missed its mark as he phased out of harm's way using Kamui. However, the pressure from Shiro's presence was unlike anything Obito had encountered.

Gasping, Obito retreated, sweat dripping down his face. "This can't be. Who are you? There's no one in Konoha with power like this!"

Shiro tilted his head, his voice calm yet mocking. "Still don't recognize me? Let me jog your memory, little Obito."

The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan in Shiro's eyes spun faster, pulling Obito into a powerful genjutsu.

In the illusion, Obito found himself standing amidst the chaos of the Nine-Tails Rebellion. Kyuubi's massive form loomed before him, its crimson Sharingan eyes glowing with hatred.

"No… this is…" Obito stammered, backing away as the massive beast roared.

The scene shifted, and Obito froze as Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki appeared before him, their faces filled with rage.

"Obito," Minato said coldly, his voice laced with disappointment. "How could you do this to Konoha? To us?"

Kushina's voice trembled with fury. "We trusted you. You were like family."

Obito tried to speak, but his words were drowned out by another figure stepping through the mist. Nohara Rin emerged, her expression filled with sorrow.

"Obito," Rin said softly, her voice piercing his heart. "Why? Why did you abandon everything we believed in?"

"Rin!" Obito cried, falling to his knees. Tears streamed down his face as he reached out to her. "I did this for you! I just wanted to see you again!"

Rin shook her head, her image flickering like a ghost. "You're a fool, Obito. You've lost yourself."

As Rin's form shattered into fragments of light, Obito screamed, clawing at the air. "Rin! Don't leave me!"

The illusion shattered with the sound of snapping fingers. Obito collapsed, trembling and gasping for breath.

Shiro stepped forward, his presence suffocating. "Still think you're Madara? Or are you ready to admit what you are—a broken, delusional fool clinging to the past?"

Obito, his spirit broken, knelt before Shiro, his voice shaking. "Please… let me see her again. I'll do anything."

Shiro's cold gaze bore into Obito. "You're pathetic. Do you even know who I am?"

Obito slowly looked up, his Sharingan meeting Shiro's fox-like eyes. Recognition dawned on his face, and he recoiled in shock. "The Nine-Tails?! That's impossible! You were sealed away!"

Shiro smirked. "Sealed? And yet, here I am. Do I look like the same fox you once controlled?"

Obito scrambled backward, pulling out a kunai. "This is a nightmare. It's not real!"

Before he could act, White Zetsu intervened, grabbing Obito's arm. "Obito, stop! We need to retreat!"

Shiro watched as the pair disappeared into the distance, his smirk never fading. "Run while you can, Obito. The next time we meet, you won't escape."

In the sealed space, Minato watched the encounter unfold through Shiro's perspective. "You didn't hold back, did you?"

Shiro shrugged. "Why should I? He played a part in your death, didn't he?"

Minato's expression darkened. "Yes. But even Obito deserves redemption."

Shiro laughed. "Redemption? Not everyone gets a second chance, Minato. Especially not someone like him."

As Shiro reclined on the Nine-Tails construct, his eyes gleamed with determination. "Let the games begin."