Naruto: The Architect

Uchiha Compound,

Itachi moved silently through the compound. His oni mask—crafted in black and crimson—added to his ghostly presence.

The first elder's quarters were exactly as he anticipated—empty.

However, he detected faint trails of chakra leading out of the room.

"Missing," he muttered.

The Uchiha elders were many things—stubborn, arrogant, and meticulous—but unpredictable was not one of them. Their meetings were routine, their habits deeply ingrained in the clan's daily life. For such a large group of them to vanish without notice wasn't just odd—it was alarming.

'Did they know?'

Itachi paused as he approached the second elder's residence. Placing a hand on the sliding door, searching for any presence inside.

He felt a flicker—a faint chakra signature inside.

He slid the door open and stepped inside. Sitting at a low table was Elder Noriaki, notorious for his radical ideas about seizing control of Konoha's leadership.

Noriaki's eyes widened, but before he could scream or react, Itachi closed the distance.

"Elder Noriaki," Itachi said, "Your actions threaten the safety of the clan. Tonight, it ends."

The elder fumbled for a kunai hidden under his robes, but Itachi swiftly disarmed him with a sharp chop to the wrist, sending the weapon clattering to the floor.

"No… wait…!" Noriaki gasped, his voice trembling. "I can explain, they—"

Itachi didn't give him the chance. With a deft motion, he placed a seal paper on the elder's forehead.

The seal pulsed faintly as chakra flowed into it.

"Rewrite neural pathways according to Template 1," Itachi muttered.

The elder's trembling ceased. His panicked breathing steadied, and his eyes grew vacant. In moments, his expression shifted from fear to docility.

"State your name and allegiance," Itachi commanded.

Noriaki blinked slowly. "Uchiha Noriaki. My allegiance is to the safety of Konoha and him."

Satisfied, Itachi retrieved the seal paper and tucked it into his pouch. The elder now stood obediently, awaiting further instruction.

Itachi subdued two more elders with the same technique. Each one was loyal to their cause but entirely unprepared for Itachi's speed and skill. One by one, he erased their rebellious intentions and realigned their loyalty.

But the others… they were gone.

Standing in the abandoned meeting hall, Itachi scanned the empty space with his Sharingan, searching for clues.

Faint traces of recent activity—chakra residue from multiple people—hinted at a gathering earlier in the evening.

But then… they vanished.

…

Hiroshi, clad in his oni mask and disguised with a towering blond appearance, moved toward his target.

Nova's voice hummed softly in his mind. "Homura Mitokado is alone in his residence. No significant chakra signatures nearby."

Hiroshi smirked behind his mask. "Perfect. Let's begin."

He slipped into the room. Homura was seated at his desk, scribbling notes on a scroll. The flicker of candlelight illuminated his aged face, furrowed with years of scheming and manipulation. Hiroshi watched him silently from the shadows.

In an instant, he struck.

Homura barely had time to react before Hiroshi pressed a sealing paper firmly onto his forehead.

"What—" Homura gasped, flailing his hands, but it was too late.

The seal pulsed with dark chakra, and Homura's body stiffened as his mind was overwritten. His eyes glazed over, and Hiroshi leaned closer.

"Your loyalty now belongs to me," Hiroshi said coldly. "You will obey without question."

Homura nodded mechanically, his voice monotone. "My loyalty lies with you."

Hiroshi retrieved the seal, tucking it away as he straightened. "One down," he muttered, already turning toward the door. "Nova, where's Koharu?"

Nova guided Hiroshi toward Koharu's residence using the Root database.

Koharu's home was grander than Homura's, its walls adorned with relics from her long career as an elder. Hiroshi slipped inside effortlessly, his stealth rendering him nearly invisible.

Koharu was asleep in her bedroom, the rhythmic sound of her breathing filling the silence. Hiroshi approached her bedside, sealing paper in hand.

"Too easy," he whispered, pressing the paper to her forehead.

The seal activated, sending a wave of chakra into her mind. Koharu jolted awake, her eyes wide with panic, but she couldn't move.

"What—what is this?" she stammered, her voice trembling.

"Loyalty realignment," Hiroshi replied coolly. "Nothing personal."

As the seal completed its work, Koharu's expression grew vacant.

"My loyalty lies with the village," she intoned, echoing Homura's words.

Hiroshi smirked. "Good. Now stay quiet and—"

A sudden surge of chakra filled the room. Hiroshi froze, turning slowly toward the doorway, where a familiar silhouette loomed.

The Third Hokage.

"Who are you?" Hiruzen asked, stepping into the room. "And what are you doing here?"

Hiroshi didn't respond. Instead, he stepped back, preparing for the inevitable.

"I see," Hiruzen said, his voice grave. "You're the one behind the chaos among the elders."

Before Hiroshi could reply, the Third Hokage's hands flew through a series of hand signs with blinding speed.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"

A massive torrent of fire erupted from Hiruzen's mouth, roaring toward Hiroshi. Reacting instantly, Hiroshi mimicked Hiruzen's technique, countering with an opposite affinity jutsu.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bomb!"

The room filled with steam as the colliding elements erupted into a cloud of embers and vapor. Hiruzen charged forward, his staff extending in his hands. Hiroshi ducked under the swing, releasing a burst of dark chakra that lashed out like a whip.

Hiruzen blocked the attack with his staff, and the clash of their opposing forces sent shockwaves through the room.

"You're skilled," Hiruzen admitted, his voice calm despite the intensity of the fight. "But you're no match for me."

"We'll see about that, old man," Hiroshi retorted.

The two clashed again, Hiruzen's years of experience and vast chakra reserves pitted against Hiroshi's raw power and ingenuity. Summoning a dagger, Hiroshi channeled dark and lightning chakra into its blade as he lunged forward.

Hiruzen parried with his staff and countered with a swift strike that Hiroshi narrowly dodged. The room became a whirlwind of movement as they exchanged blows, each testing the other's limits.

Nova's voice echoed in Hiroshi's mind. "His chakra reserves are immense, and his technique efficiency is near perfect! You can't win this through brute force."

"I know," Hiroshi muttered, dodging another fire jutsu. "What do you suggest?"

"Create an opening and retreat. You've already achieved your objective."

But Hiruzen wasn't giving him any room to breathe. The Hokage summoned a massive earthen wall, cutting off Hiroshi's escape route.

"Your tricks won't save you," Hiruzen said, his tone resolute.

Hiroshi smirked behind his mask. "Who said I was trying to escape?"

"Gravity Release: 50G."

The gravitational pull in the room intensified fiftyfold, pinning Hiruzen under its oppressive force. The Hokage staggered slightly, his movements slowed but far from incapacitated.

'That old monkey is a monster,' Hiroshi thought. 'Anyone else would have died under this pressure, their blood pooling in their lower body.'

Seizing the moment, Hiroshi unleashed a barrage of lightning-infused kunai, forcing Hiruzen to defend himself. Despite the disadvantage, the Hokage remained calm. Slamming his staff into the ground, he dispelled the gravity field with a surge of raw chakra.

"You're good," Hiruzen said, his voice steady. "But you lack discipline."

He wove a series of hand signs, summoning a massive, monkey-like figure—Enma, the Monkey King.

"Hiruzen," Enma said, eyeing Hiroshi. "I sense unusual chakra from him. Be cautious, old friend."

Hiruzen nodded, wielding Enma in staff form as he advanced. The two clashed again, the sound of metal striking metal reverberating through the room.

As the fight dragged on, Hiroshi began to feel the strain. Hiruzen's experience and stamina proved formidable, and even Nova's guidance couldn't fully compensate.

"You're slowing down," Hiruzen observed, his strikes growing more aggressive. "It's over."

Hiroshi gritted his teeth, channeling all his remaining strength into one final attack. Dark chakra surged into his dagger, the blade glowing ominously.

"Dark Style: Abyss Slash!" he shouted, swinging the dagger with all his might.

A wave of dark energy surged toward Hiruzen. The Hokage raised Enma, blocking the attack, but the sheer force pushed him back several feet.

Breathing heavily, Hiruzen steadied himself, his resolve unshaken.

"You've fought well," he said, his voice tinged with respect. "But this ends now."

Before Hiroshi could react, Hiruzen unleashed a powerful wind jutsu, knocking him off balance. The room blurred as Hiroshi's vision wavered, his strength fading.

'I warned you!' Nova shouted in panic. 'Use Shadow Cloak and retreat!'

'You know,' Hiroshi thought faintly, 'you're awfully human for a soulless AI.'

As Hiruzen advanced, ready to deliver the finishing blow, Hiroshi touched the forehead of his oni mask, pouring chakra into it.

"It ends here—" Hiruzen began, but before he could strike, a shadowy figure leaped through the window.

Hiruzen didn't take long to recognize him. "Danzo?"

"We detected a foreign chakra signature in this area," Danzo said.

"As you can see," Hiruzen replied, stepping aside to let Danzo examine Hiroshi.

"I have just the thing for people like this," Danzo said with a smirk, pulling out a small scroll.

Hiruzen sighed. "I'd never normally allow this, but…"

Danzo nodded, unfurling the scroll to reveal a complex sealing array.

"Hiruzen, use a binding jutsu. I don't want him moving while I apply this."

Reluctantly, Hiruzen cast his jutsu.

"Adamantine Sealing Chains."

Glowing silver chains wrapped around Hiroshi like snakes, rendering him immobile. Danzo poured chakra into the scroll, activating the seal as he moved toward Hiroshi.

"What is that?" Hiruzen asked.

"You could call it an improved version of the Caged Bird Seal," Danzo replied.

"Caged Bird…" Hiruzen raised Hiroshi's head and removed his mask. The masked man resisted, but it was futile.

"Just do it quickly, before Minato arrives," Hiruzen said.

Danzo pressed the seal onto Hiroshi's forehead, his chakra activating the mark.

"Huh? …Danzo, wh-why?"

:

:

"Huh? …Danzo, wh-why?" Hiruzen said his last word; instead of the forehead of the enemy, Danzo put a seal on Hiruzen's hand; with a pulse of chakra, it blinked and disappeared, then reappeared on Hiruzen's forehead.

"...and Oscar goes to N09," Hiroshi said as he freed himself from the binding. The seal on Hiruzen's forehead was blinking, severing existing neural contractions so Hiroshi could reprogram him…