News of Naruto's pursuit of Uchiha Itachi spread quickly within the Akatsuki. The organization, already dealing with mounting challenges, now faced an unexpected internal issue.
Previously, four prominent Akatsuki members had gone on missions together:
Sasori
Deidara
Kisame
Itachi
Now, only Itachi had returned—alive but not unscathed.
Having lost one of his Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi's position within the Akatsuki weakened considerably. It wasn't just about the loss of an eye; the real issue was that he had no valid explanation for why he was still alive.
Why had Naruto, who had the power to eliminate him, chosen to let him go?
Nagato and Konan were quick to grow suspicious.
Itachi had always been an enigma, and now, with his sudden survival under inexplicable circumstances, doubts about his loyalty intensified.
Finally, it was Obito Uchiha who stepped in to clear Itachi of suspicion.
The reason?
Because with only one eye left, Itachi was no longer a threat.
Obito now had the perfect opportunity to manipulate him, ensuring that Itachi would serve his agenda without resistance.
Thus, Itachi remained within the Akatsuki—but his power and influence had significantly declined.
The Struggles of Setsu
After the fall of the Uzumaki Clan, Setsu and her mother wandered the lands, searching for safety.
Eventually, they found refuge in a small village, but the price of acceptance was far too high.
From a young age, Setsu was treated as nothing more than a resource—a tool to be exploited for her unique Uzumaki bloodline.
She trained in the village's underfunded ninja school, barely receiving proper instruction.
When the time came for her to participate in the Chūnin Exams, she entered with a team of fellow ninja.
However, Setsu quickly realized the truth.
Her teammates didn't value her life at all.
To them, she was just a living chakra supply—a tool to be used and discarded.
During the second stage of the exam, Setsu made a crucial decision.
She abandoned her team.
However, fate had other plans.
As she made her escape, she was suddenly attacked by a massive bear.
Just as she thought it was over—
A blond-haired boy appeared.
He moved swiftly, defeating the bear with ease.
Setsu was mesmerized.
Naruto.
His golden hair, his piercing blue eyes, the way he fought without hesitation—everything about him captivated her.
From that moment on, she never forgot him.
When the Chūnin Exams ended, Setsu saw an opportunity.
She planned to stay in Konoha, hoping for a chance to see Naruto again.
But then, something unexpected happened.
She received an invitation from Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The Third Hokage welcomed her warmly.
Almost too warmly.
Having spent years wandering and suffering betrayal, Setsu understood one fundamental truth:
There is no such thing as kindness without a cost.
Hiruzen's invitation terrified her.
He was offering her a place in Konoha, but for what reason?
He never stated his true intentions, and that scared her more than anything.
Fearing that she was walking into a trap, Setsu ran away before she could be caught in Konoha's web.
Betrayed Once Again
Returning to her village should have been a relief.
Instead, it became a nightmare.
Her village elders scolded her for failing to prove her worth during the Chūnin Exams.
But that wasn't the worst part.
They stripped her of her ninja rank.
To them, Setsu had one purpose—she was nothing more than a mobile healing spring.
With her powerful Uzumaki life force and chakra, they planned to use her as a tool for war.
But Setsu had changed.
She was no longer the naïve girl willing to accept her fate.
Taking advantage of a moment of carelessness, she escaped the village and became a rogue ninja.
From that day forward, she was relentlessly hunted.
Her village wanted her back—not to kill her—but because she was a valuable asset.
No matter where she went, bounty hunters, mercenaries, and shinobi from her village were always on her trail.
Her strong sensing abilities allowed her to stay one step ahead.
But luck never lasted forever.
Eventually, she was cornered.
Just when she thought it was over, a man in a white robe appeared.
Orochimaru.
He saw potential in her abilities and offered her a place in Otogakure, the Village of Sound.
With no other choice, Setsu accepted.
For a while, life under Orochimaru was bearable.
She had a purpose. A place to stay.
But then… the experiments began.
The way Orochimaru looked at her changed.
And Setsu realized the truth:
She was just another test subject.
Before it was too late, she started planning her escape.
Only she knew of this plan.
And she had rehearsed it over and over in her mind.
She had to leave before Orochimaru used her for his inhuman experiments.
The Escape Begins
One day, as Orochimaru extracted her blood for study, a sudden shockwave rippled through the village.
A powerful chakra tremor.
Setsu immediately recognized it.
Naruto.
His chakra signature was unmistakable.
And it was close.
This was her chance.
Relying on her advanced perception, she determined Naruto's exact location and set her escape plan into motion.
However—
She had to move earlier than expected.
Because she had been discovered.
The bad news?
Her pursuers were already on her trail.
The good news?
Orochimaru himself had not yet arrived.
Behind her, three Sound Village shinobi chased her relentlessly.
"Uzumaki Setsu!" one of them called out. "Orochimaru-sama already knows you're trying to escape!"
"Give up now," another warned. "If you surrender, your punishment might be lighter!"
But Setsu wasn't naïve.
She had seen what happened to Orochimaru's previous test subjects.
They weren't just punished—they were turned into monsters.
Or worse—they died.
She refused to let that happen to her.
Without hesitation, she kept running.
Naruto's chakra was less than a kilometer away.
Just a little further.
But then—
She was caught.
Exhausted from the long chase, her movements slowed for just a moment.
A sharp impact hit her from behind.
"Agh!"
She screamed as she fell from the trees, crashing onto the hard ground.
The three Sound Ninja landed around her, smirking.
"She ran pretty far," one of them muttered. "Annoying brat."
"Hmph," another scoffed. "We should just kill her now."
One of them raised a kunai, ready to strike—
But his companion stopped him.
"Idiot! She's Orochimaru-sama's experiment. If we kill her, we'll die too."
"Tch… fine."
As Setsu lay on the ground, her breathing ragged, she reached out desperately toward Naruto's presence.
"Naruto… save me!!"
Far away, Naruto was sleeping peacefully.
But within him, Kurama's eyes snapped open.
He had sensed everything.
And he would not let it go unnoticed.
To Be Continued…
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