what if naruto was itachi brother

The battle raged on around Naruto and Sasuke, their movements fluid and fast, but the enemy leader was proving to be a formidable opponent. The rogue ninja, his face obscured by a mask, dodged every blow with a grace that belied his power. Each time Naruto tried to land a strike, the enemy leader seemed to slip through his defenses, almost as if he were reading his every move before it even happened.

Despite their best efforts, the rogue leader had the upper hand. His chakra was overwhelming, pulsing with an intensity that vibrated through the ground. With every passing second, the distance between Konoha's defenders and victory seemed to grow wider. But Naruto wouldn't give up. Not now, not ever.

He gritted his teeth, channeling every ounce of his chakra into his fists as he faced the leader down. Sasuke, standing just a few feet away, mirrored his resolve, his Sharingan swirling with an intensity that promised the same determination. They couldn't let this rogue ninja get any closer to the Hokage. If they did, the consequences would be catastrophic.

"We can't let him win," Naruto muttered under his breath, his fists shaking with the pressure of his resolve.

Sasuke, his expression calm yet intense, met Naruto's eyes. "We won't."

The rogue leader sneered, his eyes glowing with malicious delight as he summoned a massive surge of chakra. The ground trembled beneath their feet, the air itself vibrating with the immense pressure of his power. Naruto's heart raced. The leader was preparing something catastrophic—something that could shatter Konoha's defenses in one blow.

"We've got to stop him before he releases that jutsu!" Naruto yelled, his voice cutting through the chaos of battle.

Sasuke nodded, his eyes narrowing. "We can't let him finish that."

Without hesitation, Naruto rushed forward, using his clones to disorient the rogue leader. Each clone attacked from different angles, forcing the leader to spread his attention across multiple targets. Meanwhile, Sasuke moved swiftly behind, preparing to launch his own assault with the Sharingan.

The rogue leader flicked his wrist, his chakra surging violently, and suddenly, Naruto felt his clones dissipate one by one. With each vanishing puff of smoke, Naruto realized just how powerful the enemy really was. His chakra control was nearly flawless—he was practically a force of nature.

"You're persistent, I'll give you that," the rogue leader said, his voice taunting. "But it won't be enough."

Naruto's body tensed as the rogue leader's jutsu began to take shape in the air. A swirling black vortex of energy formed above his palm, crackling with dark power. The energy gathered at an alarming rate, and Naruto knew that they had mere seconds to stop it.

Sasuke moved first, his Sharingan spinning as he activated his Chidori. With blinding speed, he rushed forward, his arm crackling with the sound of electricity, ready to pierce through the leader's defenses. But just as Sasuke reached the leader, the rogue ninja unleashed a devastating wave of chakra that sent both Naruto and Sasuke flying backward, their bodies crashing into the ground with brutal force.

The leader laughed, the sound echoing across the battlefield. "You're too slow."

Naruto struggled to his feet, his chest heaving with effort. He could feel the sting of the chakra attack, but he wasn't about to back down. Sasuke was already up beside him, his eyes flicking over to Naruto as if searching for some sign of weakness. There was none. They were in this together, and there was no way they would let this rogue ninja tear Konoha apart.

"We need a new plan," Naruto said through gritted teeth, his hand pressed against his bruised ribs. "If we keep charging at him head-on, it'll be the same result every time."

Sasuke didn't reply at first, his Sharingan still fixed on the leader. But then, he spoke, his voice low but clear. "I'll create an opening. When I do, you go for the leader's heart. Destroy him."

Naruto nodded, his eyes burning with resolve. "I won't let him get away with this."

The two shinobi stood side by side, their combined chakra flickering with an intense aura. Sasuke's Chidori crackled again as he gathered his strength, his Sharingan spinning faster and faster, his every movement fluid and precise. Naruto, likewise, called upon the depths of his own chakra, the Nine-Tails' energy flowing through him in a torrent of raw power.

The rogue leader, sensing the change in their energy, sneered and prepared to launch his jutsu once more. But this time, he was met with a surprise. Sasuke lunged forward, his Chidori slamming into the rogue leader's defenses, causing a violent explosion of sparks.

The leader staggered back, his dark vortex of chakra faltering for just a moment. That was the opening Naruto had been waiting for.

"Rasengan!"

Naruto's voice rang out as he charged forward with a speed fueled by pure adrenaline. With a single, powerful burst of chakra, he thrust his Rasengan toward the rogue leader's chest. The leader's eyes widened in shock as the Rasengan made contact, spiraling into his body with overwhelming force.

The rogue leader's body shook violently, the dark chakra he had gathered swirling uncontrollably around him. He let out a sharp scream as Naruto's Rasengan tore through his defenses, shattering the vortex and crushing his chest in one powerful blow.

For a moment, everything was silent. The rogue leader's form crumbled into the air, his body disintegrating into the dark energy that had once fueled him. The threat was over.

---

### **A Bitter Victory**

Naruto stood panting, sweat pouring down his face, his heart still racing from the intensity of the battle. Beside him, Sasuke stood with a quiet intensity, his eyes scanning the remains of the rogue leader's dissipating chakra.

"It's over," Sasuke said, his voice carrying a tone of finality, though there was no sense of triumph in his expression. "For now, at least."

Naruto nodded, his eyes slowly shifting to the village in the distance. Konoha was safe—for now. But the battle had shown him something deeper, something darker. The enemy's true intentions remained unclear, and this wasn't the last they would see of the forces that sought to tear the village apart.

"Yeah," Naruto murmured. "But I don't think the worst is behind us."

Sasuke's gaze lingered on him for a moment, and though no words were exchanged, Naruto could feel the weight of the unspoken understanding between them. They had faced darkness together before, and they would face it again. Whatever the future held, they would meet it head-on.

But for now, they had won. And that was enough.