"Hahahaha....."
While Kurama's booming laughter echoed through his mindscape, a sound that grated on Naruto's nerves.
Despite the grim satisfaction of the Uchiha's downfall, Naruto's attention was drawn to a group of Anbu clad in sealing robes.
'Hm.'
'Silencing seals,' he observed in a low mental murmur.
'Obviously, Wouldn't want the villagers waking up to a massacre.'
He remained hidden in the shadows, a safe distance away from the unfolding tragedy.
Roughly half an hour later, Sasuke emerged from the main gate of the Uchiha compound, oblivious to the Anbu concealed on either side.
'Looks like it's coming to an end,' Naruto thought, his gaze fixed on the young Uchiha.
'But, what's he doing out so late? Training?'
Another thought followed. 'So Itachi didn't kill everyone inside. Some who have tried to escape, cut down by the Anbu. And there's not just a silencing seal, but a full-blown barrier.'
Naruto's mind raced. 'Two Mangekyo Sharingan users… and all those Jonin-level Anbu. This isn't just Itachi acting alone, despite what the anime highly implied.'
Though most of the uchiha members were killed by Itachi himself.
In the anime, Danzo's Root Anbu were supposed to block any other Anbu from approaching after the massacre.
Naruto mused. 'But here, even Hokage Anbu are present.'
A cynical thought crossed his mind. 'Well, both Hiruzen and Danzo were Tobirama's students. It shouldn't be surprising if Hiruzen is also just as wary of the Uchiha.'
Later, Itachi emerged from the compound, his figure silhouetted against the blood-soaked moonlight.
Root Anbu materialized from the shadows, while the Hokage Anbu vanished, presumably to report to Hiruzen.
'Haa.., Finally over.'
'Obito will be along soon to collect Sharingan,' Naruto thought grimly.
'And Danzo will get his share too.'
Kurama, his earlier glee still evident in his mental voice, rumbled, "So, it's over now, brat? Hey, how about we just finish off those three remaining Uchiha as well?"
Naruto shook his head,"Know your limits fox."
"You're not at full power, and I'm only seven. Taking on two Mangekyo users is impossible right now."
"And Sasuke… , even if we try to kill him," he added with a hint of wryness, "some thousand-year-old spirit would probably show up to save him anyway."
"A thousand-year-old spirit? What are you talking about, brat?" Kurama demanded, curiosity piqued.
Naruto ignored his question. "If I were stronger, I wouldn't just kill those three Uchiha. There are plenty more in this village who deserve death."
"But patience… that's what I needed."
With that, he turned and headed back towards his apartment.
The two Anbu he had knocked out were still lying where he had left them.
"Looks like we hit them harder than I thought," Naruto muttered.
"I gave you enough chakra to kill them, brat," Kurama scoffed.
"You were the one who held back."
Naruto simply shrugged, grabbed the two unconscious Anbu by their collars, and unceremoniously tossed them out of his apartment door.
"It's a shame I couldn't see those Uchiha get wiped out up close," Kurama grumbled, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"But still… quite satisfying."
——
The next morning, Naruto woke with a familiar ache in his muscles, a testament to his consistent basic training over the past year.
"Being a jinchuriki and having Uzumaki bloodline perks definitely has its advantages", he mused.
Running for hours without tiring, needing only a few hours of sleep and still remain in your top condition.
He still disliked the exercises, but the steady accumulation of XP was a powerful motivator.
Later that afternoon, as Naruto made his way to Ichiraku, the usual murmurs of "demon fox" were absent.
Instead, a different kind of hushed conversation filled the streets. "The Uchiha clan… Itachi Uchiha… S-rank missing nin…"
The news of the massacre had spread with surprising speed.
'No internet, no TV news channels', Naruto thought, a touch of disbelief in his internal monologue.
'How does information travel so fast in this world?'
——
Days turned into weeks, and one evening, after an early dinner, Naruto was returning to his apartment when he spotted a lone figure sitting by the lake.
It was Sasuke, his small form hunched over, radiating an aura of profound sadness and grief.
"Is that the Uchiha brat who was survived,huh?" Kurama's voice echoed in his mind, laced with a familiar bloodlust.
"Now is a good time, let's kill him."
Naruto growled internally. 'Will you ever stop with your killing obsession? Only 3 Uchiha's left anyways.'
"Brat, a good Uchiha is dead Uchiha."
"..."
Then, a thought struck him. 'What if I told him the truth? The whole truth about the massacre? Would it drastically alter the storyline?'
He shrugged mentally. 'I don't really care about sticking to the anime's plot. It might actually be more interesting if Sasuke's hatred is directed at the village and its leaders from the start, not just at Itachi.'
A slow, wicked smile spread across Naruto's face. He changed his course and began walking towards the grieving Uchiha.