Naruto: The Prophetic Shinobi

Scene: Council of Secrets

The Council Room of Konohagakure was not built for comfort. Long before it had earned its polished flooring and lacquered table, it had been a war room — a space of silence, strategy, and sacrifice. Now it was dim, lit only by the sparse glow of chakra lamps lining the walls, their light cast more for mood than clarity.

Tsunade stood at the head of the council table, framed by the elegant drape of her newly donned Hokage robes. The stark white mantle with red flames shimmered slightly under the flickering lights, a symbol of her authority, her lineage—and now, her burden.

Seated before her were the heads of Konoha's mightiest clans and most powerful factions. Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, wizened and withered, sat stiff-backed, eyes sharpened by decades of political maneuvering. Nara Shikaku leaned back with his usual slouched posture, but his mind was keenly alert. Hiashi Hyūga held his chin high, arms crossed, silent and observant.

Danzo Shimura's chair remained empty.

A silence hung in the air, broken only by the faint rustling of paper and the occasional breath.

"You summoned us urgently, Tsunade-sama," Shikaku finally said, voice calm but edged with curiosity. "Is this about the Uchiha?"

"Has Sasuke defected?"Homura followed up, his voice urgent.

Tsunade's jaw tightened as she stepped forward. Her hand dropped a scroll onto the table with a dull thud.

"Sasuke Uchiha has not only abandoned the village," she said coolly, "he's aligned himself with Orochimaru."

The ripple of gasps and muffled curses was expected. Even Hiashi's normally unreadable face twitched in surprise.

"Are you certain?"Koharu's tone was severe.

Tsunade nodded once. "I am. He attacked one of our shinobi during an ambush—under Orochimaru's direction."

"Which shinobi?"Hiashi asked, voice low.

She met his eyes without hesitation. "Uzumaki Naruto."

Again, silence. This time longer.

It was Shikaku who broke it. "And… the Kyūbi?"

Tsunade's shoulders shifted slightly—barely noticeable, but to those who knew her, it was a tell. A hesitation she would never admit aloud.

"The Kyūbi," she said slowly, "is no longer a threat to Konoha."

The silence grew heavier.

Koharu squinted. "You mean sealed more tightly?"

"No." Her voice was sharp, crisp. "I mean gone."

"Gone?"Homura repeated, stunned. "You can't mean—"

"I can and do." She cut him off. "During the confrontation, Orochimaru applied a Five Element Seal to destabilize the containment. And Sasuke…" Her eyes narrowed. "…delivered a direct strike to Naruto's heart while the seal was unraveled. The Kyūbi's chakra reacted instinctively, sacrificing itself to protect the host."

"You're saying Sasuke killed the Nine-Tails?" Koharu whispered.

"I'm saying," Tsunade answered coldly, "that his and Orochimaru's actions caused the complete dissolution of the Kyūbi's essence. And very nearly killed Naruto in the process."

The council reeled in their seats. None could recall a time a bijū had simply... died.

"And Naruto?"Shikaku asked, more quietly this time.

"Alive, Changed and Stable. But without the Kyūbi."

Hiashi's expression remained composed, but his voice carried the weight of reality. "There will be consequences. The balance among the villages—"

"I'm aware," Tsunade cut in. "Which is why this information stays in this room. As far as the world is concerned, Naruto is undergoing chakra rehabilitation due to trauma sustained during an assault by Orochimaru. No one needs to know more."

"And if the other villages inquire?" Koharu asked, leaning forward suspiciously.

"They won't," Tsunade said, her tone chilling. "We give them no reason to. If they try anything… we'll remind them what Orochimaru is capable of—and how dangerous it is to let a rogue Uchiha roam free."

A tense silence followed.

"You're playing it well," Shikaku finally said. "Better than I expected."

"I'm not playing," Tsunade said. "I'm protecting my shinobi. That boy fought the One Tail to a standstill. He saved Suna and Konoha both. And now, he bears the cost of what the rest of us couldn't see coming."

She let her gaze pass over each of them in turn.

"He's not a threat. He's our future."

None dared argue.

Scene: Quiet Return

By evening, Naruto returned to the Senju Compound. The sun had dipped below the rooftops of Konoha, casting long shadows through the estate's ancient trees. 

He walked slowly through the winding path, his steps echoing in the silence. The house was unchanged—traditional wood and stone, Senju crest proudly carved above the main door. It was a place of legacy… and now, his home.

Shizune gave him a final check before he entered the main hall. "You're stable," she said gently. "Tsunade-sama wants you to rest. And… to be present at her inauguration. Three days from now."

Naruto gave a faint nod.

She hesitated. "Naruto… the Kyūbi—"

"I know," he said quietly.

Shizune left without another word.

Inside the house, he wandered. The walls bore scrolls of battle records, portraits of Hashirama and Tobirama. It felt strange to be here now — to be treated like a legacy instead of a liability.

His fingers brushed his stomach.

No seal.

No warmth.

Just silence.

He gazed at his reflection in a wall mirror. His eyes — deeper blue than before, crystalline with a strange shimmer. The whisker marks on his cheeks… gone.

His once unruly, spiky hair now cascaded in soft, straight strands down his neck, the blond silk catching the last light of dusk.

He didn't look like the boy who had participated in Chunin Exams.

He didn't feel like him either.

Scene: Roots of Treason

Beneath the ANBU barracks, in a chamber no shinobi dared visit uninvited, Danzo Shimura sat in the darkness.

A single lantern burned beside him as he dipped his brush into ink. His bandaged eye gleamed faintly in the light.

The scroll he wrote on was already sealed and marked.

To Orochimaru.

As agreed, ROOT did not interfere in your operation during the invasion. The promised silence was kept.

Now fulfill your end of the contract.

Deliver the stabilized sample. Senju cells.

We are done with promises. Payment is due.

He pressed his mark upon it — the sigil of Root — and summoned a courier with a single hand seal.

Within moments, a masked Root agent took the scroll and vanished into the tunnel system.

Danzo leaned back into the shadows, one hand resting over the bandages on his arm — the limb that pulsed faintly with a hunger for strength.

"Soon," he muttered to no one.

"The Will of Fire will burn brighter than ever… through me."