Time of transition

-Yes, no one really asked me about it. -Because of this, the organization may face problems and its work may be undermined. I do not advise hiding this fact from the medics.-Sasori turned away, then took some tool in his hand, approached Uzumaki, and placed his hands on his waist. Naruto tensed and slightly blushed from the tactile contact, but when the red-haired one began to press on the ribs, examining for fractures, the blond immediately grimaced from the unpleasant sensations. -The ribs are fine. The physique... is strong. If you continue to develop your body like this, there will be nothing left of the omega in your body. Visually. Sasori sat down on a chair and again entered the obtained data into his notebook.-Describe your condition. -Um... Well... - Naruto scratched the back of his head and thought, If I'm honest, I don't even understand what is happening to me.- It seems that I have let go of the situation with Konoha, but I am still angry. This is a normal reaction of the body. There are several stages that you will go through, sooner or later. What do you say about your overall physical condition?-Sasori recorded every word. Endless questions, a bunch of answers, thoughts. Naruto had never encountered such a detailed study of his psychological and physical state. When Sasori took blood for analysis, the blond waited a long time for him to inform him of the results. And he waited. -The composition of your blood. It is non-standard and, most likely, unstable. More examinations are needed, and then I will be able to say much more. There is a laboratory not far from the Sand village. It has been there for quite a while, and every shinobi has been there at least once. Wounded fighters from the battlefield were brought there. Now everything needed for your examination is there. At the moment, I cannot say or promise more. - The red-haired one got up, gathered all his things, approached the door, and was already reaching for the doorknob when Naruto's face changed. -Shall we sneak in? Kill everyone? I like that idea. - Naruto closed his eyes, slightly lowering his head. A light smile touched his lips, but with notes of bloodthirstiness, and his voice was so even, calm, and cold that Sasori stopped. The uninvited guest smiled at the corners of his lips and closed his eyes. Undoubtedly. - After a single phrase, Sasori left the room, and Naruto suddenly grabbed his head and, breathing heavily, fell to his knees. He did not catch the guest's departure, but now there was a more important problem, namely blood from his nose, which was flowing down his face in large streams, getting into his mouth. Almost immediately, a metallic taste of the vitally necessary liquid appeared, and the mucous membrane in his nose burned unbearably, sometimes tingling. What is happening now, Naruto does not understand himself. He feels anger and selfishness, which seem to be coming to the surface, but by inertia, nature suppresses them, leaving the former Naruto.Somehow getting up from the floor and moving to the bed, the blond wiped the blood with the back of his hand and fell on his back, spreading his arms to the sides. A few minutes of silence were broken by loud nervous laughter. "Am I going crazy from everything that has happened, or does it seem to me?" - he thought. His head was aching from the number of thoughts and unknown processes, making it even worse; sometimes a feeling of nausea arose, which he suppressed. Grabbing his head with damp palms to somehow ease the throbbing pain, Naruto decided to listen to Hidan's words. He decided to dedicate himself to training while simultaneously breathing in the fresh street air.       Half an hour later, Naruto left his room, taking with him several kunai, bombs, various equipment, and weapons. His head was still spinning, but the blonde was quickly leaving his place of residence, looking for an exit to the street. Finally, the exit was found, and the opponent, in fact, too. Of course, not all members of "Akatsuki" were on the training field, but the overwhelming majority were still there. Deidara and Sasori were practicing close combat capture techniques, while Hidan was bothering the seated Kakuzu. Kisame was sitting on a bench, trying to keep track of every strike from Sasori, but Naruto appeared in his line of sight. Pain made it clear that Kisame and Naruto were partners. They needed to understand each other in battle and know each other's techniques, so Hashigake confidently got to his feet and purposefully approached Uzumaki. -Decided to come out of your hideout?- the brute placed his weapon on his shoulder, resting his free hand on his hip. -I need training,- the blonde said with some anger, showing his smirk and looking up from under his brow with big blue eyes and dilated pupils. -Good decision.- Kisame was already prepared for a training battle. And his decision was quite serious. Samehada was making various sounds, from hissing to growling. Kisame seriously swung his weapon and began the attack. Naruto initially started jumping from side to side without anything in his hands. He didn't want to think about strategy at all. He wanted to see what he was capable of in a normal state to assess his strength. While Kisame was trying to hit him with Samehada, expending a huge amount of energy, Uzumaki jumped from corner to corner, but suddenly the headache struck him sharply from the other side. Grabbing his head, Naruto lost concentration and fell to his knees. At that moment, Kisame was not idle; he grabbed his opponent by the collar and lifted him off the ground. -Insufferable brat. You still have a long way to go to catch up with all of us.-Kisame laughed loudly, but Uzumaki... He seemed to have changed. His gaze and behavior became completely different, priorities were rearranged, and in a matter of seconds, Naruto managed to escape from his opponent's grip. He hung on his arm like a monkey, bit, tearing off a piece of flesh with his sharp fangs, swallowing the opponent's blood, then moved behind him and pressed a kunai to his spine. Everything happened so quickly that Kisame couldn't immediately orient himself. -Let's continue,- the blonde whispered in anticipation into his ear with a smirk, stepping away from his opponent. Kisame turned around and met the changed Naruto: orange eyelids, yellow eyes with rectangular pupils, a wicked grin, and frantic breathing, like a beast. Kisame himself felt uneasy seeing such an unusual image of the rookie, but he gathered his courage and launched another attack. The swing of Samehada happened quickly, but this time Naruto did not move from his spot and did not jump aside. He grabbed the edge of the weapon. The sharp edges immediately tore through his skin, sinking into the flesh, and blood began to gather in large drops in his palm, gradually flowing in thick streams down to his elbow, soaking into the orange fabric of his shirt along the way. To this, Naruto merely smiled, still looking from under his brow, then with a finger from his other hand collected blood from the visible areas of skin and plunged it into his mouth, savoring the taste. Kisame reacted quite bloodthirstily to this, but on the other hand, he felt slightly disgusted. Snorting, Naruto quickly pulled out a kunai and, gripping it in his palm, began to deliver blows to the abdomen and ribs. Everyone around had already formed a semicircle to assess the rookie's physical preparation, parting to create more space for the fight. The strikes were so strong that Kisame could not breathe, while Naruto's expression did not change, as if he was not putting any effort into his attacks. Finally, when the blonde cornered Kisame, he released Samehada and forcefully pushed it away, stepping back from opponent. The shark sat on the green grass, catching its breath. -That's enough for today,-Naruto said, turning his back to Kisame. At that very moment, large clots of blood flowed from his nose, which he wiped with the back of his hand, and his orange eyelids suddenly turned the usual flesh color. Taking two steps, the blonde grabbed his head again and instinctively stepped aside to keep himself on his feet, but his attempts were in vain. Naruto fell to the ground. A loud nervous laugh echoed around as the blonde clutched his head with his hands. At that moment, Naruto felt agony, heat, as if his body was melting apart, and hallucinations began before his eyes. He saw Itachi standing next to Sasuke, but he still understood that his friend could not be there. He realized that all of this was just in his mind, but he continued to laugh loudly, curling up into a ball, pressing his temples with his hands, pushing hard on his skull. -Naruto... Naruto... Uzumaki, damn it!- someone shouted. A veil was before his eyes, there were no clear images, only a silhouette. Someone hit him hard on the cheek, trying to bring him to consciousness, and finally, the blonde turned his head and grimaced. A sharp smell of ammonia was felt, then it disappeared just as sharply.-Did you come to? -Yes...- he croaked. -"You lost consciousness for two hours, then you started laughing and screaming loudly. I had a hard time bringing you to your senses." Naruto focused his vision and noticed red hair. "Sasori..." -he thought. -Did you scream? Hmm... -Yes. You promised to kill everyone involved in your life in Konoha. Silly, of course, but still, it was in a fever. Your temperature was over forty degrees Celsius. Antipyretics didn't help, nor did the compresses. You literally heated them with your warmth. Your blood tests changed their structure and composition again. I see this for the first time in practice, but I have heard about it in theory.- Sasori took a syringe filled with liquid from the table and turned to Naruto. -Don't take it to heart, Sasori. It's just a cold.-The blonde pushed his hand away from his body and, getting up, headed for the exit, not even hearing the response. -I don't think so...       Naruto wandered through the corridors of the base for a long time in search of his room. Silence and peace. Everything he needed to get back in order. His head hurt terribly, radiating to his temples, the aching mucous in his nose reminded him of itself, and, oh miracle, what Naruto had not even worried about happened. Blood flowed again. And this time in such quantities, as if he had been wounded in an artery. The light red liquid dripped from his chin onto the floor, leaving a trail on the floor, and even if Naruto wiped it with the sleeve of his sweatshirt, it still paved a new path, gathering in drops on his chin. The long-awaited dwelling finally appeared in his path. The room was dark and quiet. He made it to the bed and fell with a loud thud. He didn't care about the blood, about the headache. The main thing was to rest. -You wander in the maze... Looking for another way out... I know the future... You are now mine... Hee-hee-hee,- a voice sounded in the deep darkness. -Again you?-Naruto shouted. -Again... Again... These are unnecessary words. The word 'Always.' That is what should haunt you. -What are you talking about? -In the dark thick of nightmares lies the answer to the question... You will remember that very fiction and your answer,- the unfamiliar voice continued. -What do all your words mean? -Think and you will find all the answers. Turn left, and then straight. Just three flights, after all, that's so little. You will look horror in the face, and then we will see who is who. - the voice continued. Naruto immediately remembered the last lines and decided to head in search of that very horror. First to the left... The blond stepped into a long corridor that was filled with water. Three flights... " First... Second... Third... ", - the guy counted to himself. There was only one turn to the right. Naruto hesitantly moved deeper into the dark room, and at some point, the entire space was illuminated by a dim light. In front of his face were huge, tall gates with an unknown seal on the lock, and behind the gates... A huge fox face of incredible size, its eye intently watching Naruto himself. - Don't be afraid. I am sealed. - the fox sighed heavily and laid its muzzle on its front paws, closing its eyes. - A-a-a, damn you, I would tear you apart! Who are you?! - with the speed at which the guy wanted to run, he fell into the water at his feet and splashed around there for about three seconds, then got up and stepped back to a safe distance. - Hm... Who am I? The one with whom you share everything of yours. - In what sense? - In the sense that I am you, and you are me. Have you never heard the rumors about yourself? About the fact that a demon is sealed within you. The fox that attacked Konoha many years ago. - the fox's voice was calm and soothing, but something changed in Naruto. He stepped closer to the fox, grabbed the bars of the cage with one hand, and leaned in closer. - You are me, you say? So you are that very fox, and everything around... All this darkness that haunts me... This is my body, right? But the fox just silently smiled. - Hm... What is happening to you is explainable. - the fox raised its head and looked at Naruto. It is all due to the Sage Mode. It's a pity that that red-haired guy didn't understand this. - Sasori is a specialist in another field. - the guy sneered maliciously. -Well, what about you? You were such a strong little fox, and now... - Naruto tried to smile sweetly, running his fingers along the bars, you sit here in the dark. It must be frustrating, right? - he whispered the last words, sticking his head into the cage. - I was sealed without my consent, so yes, I am sitting here. Our conversation is over for today. - the fox struck the floor with its huge claw, and it was as if Naruto was pulled by a string, rapidly pulling him out of sleep. - Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto, please open the door. The leader has sent you an envelope with a mission, and I need to deliver it to you personally. A careful knock on the door woke the blond, as if pulling him out of sleep. - Ah. Yes, right now. - he got up from the bed and approached the door. He didn't need to get dressed; he had fallen asleep in his clothes yesterday. Opening the door, Zetsu handed over the envelope with the mission and smirked, then lifted his head and left Naruto, merging into the wall. "Strange ability..." - thought Naruto, closing the door. Opening the envelope, Naruto spent a long time trying to understand what exactly he needed to do. In the letter, Pain reminded him that his partner was Kisame, which made the blond recall the previous day. After a while, Uzumaki went to the kitchen. After breakfast, Sasori approached him and pulled him away from the common area. - Wait for me at the exit this evening. I will sort things out with the leader. - after these words, the red-haired guy left Naruto's personal space and went about his business. Naruto casually remembered that he still needed to undergo the examination that Sasori had mentioned, so he almost imperceptibly nodded to the departing "friend" and headed to his room. The mission requires it Was Supposed to Happen Tomorrow Afternoon. But now he still has time for meditation. Sitting on the cold bed, Naruto tried to concentrate and focus, calming his breath to find the balance between Yin and Yang of his body, and after several long minutes, he was able to find that very golden mean. During meditation, he felt someone's presence inside himself, so he tried to establish contact with that someone. He attempted to return to the very place where he was in his dream, wandering through the recesses of his mind, and finally, he found the right path. Mentally walking through dark corridors, he stumbled upon the same cage, which was now in complete darkness, shrouded in a light haze. He cautiously approached the bars, grasped them with his palms, and pushed his head inside. Almost immediately, a huge pupil with a red iris appeared, staring directly at him. He abruptly left the space of the cage and stepped back a few paces. -I see you became curious. Is something bothering you?- the fox asked. -Yes... What is happening to me? -It's all the fault of the Sage Mode. You absorbed what was lingering in your room, including the energy of that gray-haired guy. He is strong enough and insane enough to bring you to such a state,-the fox spoke calmly, resting its muzzle on its front paws, just like in the dream. -But in this mode, the body absorbs only Nature's energy. How could I absorb energy?- Naruto raised an eyebrow. -Easily. A person's energy easily connects with Nature's energy. Essentially, energy is a part of Nature. -But that can't be. Every day it gets worse,- the blonde protested. -And it will continue to be so. Your body is trying to transform the gray-haired guy's energy into Nature's energy. It doesn't understand that such splitting can lead to dire consequences, hence the side effects arise. You absorbed a sufficiently powerful dose. But I can help you. Just remove the seal from this cage, and you will feel much better." The fox got up, looking intently at Naruto. -What will happen if I open the gates for you? -Nothing special. We will cooperate, as we have all these years, but sometimes I will see the world through your eyes. -In what sense? -We will exchange consciousness. In return, I am ready to offer you something more. For example, all my chakra. It will be practically endless.- The fox grinned slyly. -Tempting, but I won't fall for that.- Naruto furrowed his brows. -I'll give you time to think.-The fox lay down again and rested its muzzle on its front paws. -You are strong, but with my chakra, you will be practically invincible. Naruto broke out of meditation. Opening his eyes, he noticed that the door was slightly ajar, and a short silhouette appeared behind it. Sasori entered the room of his acquaintance and quickly approached the bed, gripping his hand tightly. -We were supposed to meet 40 minutes ago. What are you doing sitting here?- the red-haired one whispered."But I just... How long have I been sitting like this?" -Naruto thought, looking around the room. -Grab your cloak, and let's go. Right now. Sasori approached the door and was already ready to open it. Naruto took all the necessary things, namely weapons and clothes, and followed his friend.Naruto had never been in such strong confusion. How could he sit for so many hours and remember nothing? As the partners ran through the dark corridors of the hideout, Naruto constantly thought about what had happened. He feared the worst—amnesia, because otherwise...You can't call it, but still tried to drive away these strange thoughts. The young people had already run into the forest, where they hid behind wide trees and listened to the foreign sounds that surrounded them. Birds, the noise of the river that was far away, crickets, and the wind. The trees made a suspicious creak, but it was just developing paranoia. Or not? -Let’s go,- Sasori beckoned with his hand, slightly crouching and leaning forward. Naruto followed the caller, repeating his movements. After a few hundred meters, Sasori announced that they could relax. It was quiet around, already late evening. But why then did Naruto feel a foreign presence? Uzumaki tried to keep up with his guide so as not to get lost in the unfamiliar terrain. The cloak was getting in the way, irritation was growing, the ringing of a small bell sent shivers down his spine, and running in an unknown direction was slightly frightening. For half the night, the young people jumped from branch to branch, and finally, in the distance, what was necessary came into view. A large round tent stood on a small rise among the sand and earth. At night it was quiet, there was no wind, but Naruto was slightly tense at any idea from the red-haired one. -Listen carefully. We need to get inside. Preferably without casualties.-Sasori spoke very quietly, listening to the surroundings. Naruto merely nodded and followed his guide. The medical station looked very clean, almost sterile, without unnecessary things. There was a lot of free space, and most importantly—quiet. The steps of the temporary partner were heard literally in the offices, echoing through the room. A couple of turns and the partner found themselves in the operating room, where a young guy greeted them. The shinobi, without unnecessary questions, pulled out a kunai and tried to attack Sasori, who was ahead of Naruto, but was defeated. Thin, blade-like strands of chakra burst out of the red-haired one’s body and pierced the inexperienced shinobi right in the chest, wrapping around his heart and slicing it into small pieces. With a crash, the lifeless body fell, and an indistinct plea lingered in the air. Naruto watched all this and understood that he had not gotten a simple partner. A professional in his field. Experienced, which made it scary to be near him, but still, this fear faded when he grabbed his hand and pulled him along, moving further. The snow-white corridors pressed on the mind, and the steps turned into a rumble in his head. Uzumaki felt that it was ticklish under his nose again, so he ran his hand over it and saw blood again. Sasori had already let go of his hand and moved on, while Naruto stood in the middle of the corridor and lowered his head, trying to calm his own feelings. Fear, excitement, adrenaline, thrill. What was happening to him at that moment, even Naruto himself did not know. He wanted to go further, wanted to stumble upon someone, wanted to sink his teeth into their throat so that the enemy's blood would fill his mouth, but reason told him that it was better not to do that. Sasori was no longer visible, sounds of a struggle could be heard, but footsteps were also heard behind Naruto. He seemed like a ghost, disappearing and appearing behind his opponent. Cold as ice, hands tightened around the opponent's neck and tilted the head to the side, revealing the life-essential vein. The pupils dilated, changing shape, and the iris turned red. Naruto began to resemble a ruffled tiger, ready to pounce on anyone within striking distance. The fangs were bared and... -Naruto, it’s time to go,- Sasori said loudly, returning to his partner. He froze when he saw the scene of the young guy tearing pieces of flesh from the neck of his opponent, who was alive, ripping muscles and bleeding. Where and whose blood it was, it was unclear; the main thing was that Naruto was alive.-Enough.-Naturally, Sasori said this to stop his friend, but inside him, it boiled. Endless amount of emotions: shock, surprise, confusion, and most importantly, anger. He blamed himself for not being able to stop him, for not being able to examine Naruto, for something going wrong, for everything going beyond the plan. Naruto still stood, biting into the opponent, and Sasori decided to intervene. He approached the guy, with one hand he grabbed him by the chest, tearing him away from the dead body, and with the other hand he pushed the corpse aside, which fell to the floor with a dull sound. The red-haired one looked at Naruto and was surprised. He had completely changed: eyes, behavior, gaze, breathing. All of this revealed the beast within him. -Stop!- Sasori said loudly, shaking the blonde by the chest, but he seemed not to come to his senses. He still looked at one point, into his eyes, still breathed frequently and superficially, the blood of the dead man flowed down his chin mixed with saliva. At some point, Naruto did come to his senses, but only for a few minutes, then he fell to the floor, rolling his eyes back. Sasori lifted his partner's body and headed to the operating room they had passed earlier, carefully placing him on the table and exposing his chest, unbuttoning the cloak and lifting the t-shirt. His breathing had not yet recovered, which made him more anxious. Having prepared everything necessary, Sasori attached special indicator wires to the blonde head and turned on the monitor, recording the readings, made an intravenous injection of adrenaline, and began to write down the readings in a notebook. Next, the heart's electrocardiogram. 197 beats per minute, given that he had more or less calmed down. "What is happening to you..." -Sasori said to himself, checking the pupil's reaction. He noted to himself that Naruto's eyes had regained their old blue color, the reaction was normal, and the breathing was gradually becoming steadier. After some time, the red-haired one took blood samples and concluded that the results had worsened. "Now all that’s left is to wait,"- he thought, covering himself with a thin sheet and sitting on a chair. Naruto still lay on the cold table with devices on his body, while Sasori waited the rest of the time for him to come to his senses.