Shadowed Sun

Too

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"Yeah, I know he needs his Sharingan, but how exactly can he still receive it without Haku or Zabuza dying?" I questioned.

"He just needs to experience a near-death," Kurama said, his tails flicking all around in his cage.

"So...?"

"Things should go relatively... what's the word you used? Canon?... things should go relatively canon for the most part. It would be crucial in this upcoming mission; you must play Sakura's part well enough, so you do not ruin our plan. They need to develop their teamwork and they need their chance to grow. You've already experienced killer intent at its highest point, and you have already had your first kill. You work well enough with them. You do not need to grow anymore at the moment," Kurama purred.

"I don't... There's always room for improvement," I argued.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you're perfect. Far from it. You're still pathetic and weak. You're genjutsu and ninjutsu is laughable at best and you still flinch when using taijutsu. I suppose I can't be picky about your fuinjutsu skills, but the communication seal is one of the most basic seals and yet, that was almost too complicated for you. You're a Genin. A freshGenin. You do not need to improve in the way that they do," Kurama said.

I fell silent at that, chewing over his answer.

"So stay canon as much as you can go. We have only two goals in this mission: Allow Naruto and the Uchiha brat to grow as much as they had originally in canon, and prevent two unnecessary deaths," Kurama said. "Therefore, we only need to change very little. Or really, I should say, we only need to actively change very little."

"What do you mean?" I demanded, still not understanding what Kurama was getting at.

Kurama laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh. It was a laughter filled with malicious amusement. I shuddered at it.

Then he looked down, his teeth bared before me, sharp and deadly. His teeth stretched into a Cheshire's grin. "You need to do something you've already done before, little brat."

"What... What have I done before?"

My eyes opened, and my body stiffened.

It had been a week since we arrived here.

True to his word, Kakashi had set us out to work on a new jutsu. Sasuke and I worked on the same one though, while Naruto worked on his own jutsu. None of us had completed our jutsu, but we were close. Admittedly, Sasuke was the closest compared to Naruto and I, with Naruto right behind him, but still. We were close and that impressed Kakashi.

Kurama's plan was so laughably simple.

Any trained shinobi would be able to do it without a hitch.

I, not so much.

Instead of allowing Naruto to oversleep, I made sure it was only I who overslept instead. Naruto and Sasuke would already be at the bridge, possibly already engaged with Zabuza. Doubtful, as they had only left five minutes ago, but the possibility was still there.