_INSIDE THE HOLE_
The floor of the huge hole was dim and still. Dust from the recent falls hung in the air. In one corner, Ino knelt, her hands glowing green as she tried to heal Sakura, who was knocked out. Close by, Naruto held Sakura's hand gently, watching her with a worried look.
Farther away, Tenten was bent over Neji, who lay still and pale, badly hurt. Lee stood guard, his body stiff with worry. Karin, who was new and worried, stood a bit away, her red eyes watching them all with a frown.
For a few quiet moments, Hinata, Sasuke, and Mini Sasuke stood in the shadows. They had just slid down into the deep hole and were covered in dirt. But no one else noticed them. Everyone was too busy focusing on their hurt friends.
Hinata, still shaky from the fall, slowly stood up. Mini Sasuke, who had been clinging to her back, slid down and stood next to her leg, looking up at her with trusting eyes. Hinata turned to Sasuke, her voice soft. "Th-thank you, Sasuke-kun," she whispered.
Sasuke just nodded. He then gently took Mini Sasuke's hand, trying to lead the boy towards a quieter, darker part of the cave. 'I need to think,' he told himself. 'And this kid needs to stay close.'
But Mini Sasuke pulled his hand back, shaking his head. "Hey! Where are you taking me?!" he said, looking at Sasuke with a confused face. "I want to be with the girl! She saved me!" He moved closer to Hinata's leg, like a small shield.
This little voice, clear in the quiet cave, caught Karin's attention. She blinked, her red eyes seeing the three new people. 'More people?!'
She quickly turned to the others. "Hey!
Everyone! Someone else is here!" she called out, surprised.
Ino, focused on healing Sakura, just waved her hand without looking up. "Not now! I'm busy!" she mumbled. Lee and Tenten were too worried about Neji to hear her well.
But Naruto looked up from Sakura, his eyes wide. He saw Hinata first. "Hinata!" he cried, sounding very relieved. Then his eyes saw Sasuke, who was just standing there, looking a bit lost. "Sasuke?!"
When they heard that name, everyone else froze. Ino's head snapped up, her eyes wide. Lee and Tenten quickly turned around, their faces showing shock and disbelief.
It really was Sasuke. He just stood there, now simply observing the chaotic scene, a small frown on his face.
Suddenly, Lee marched forward, his face full of anger. "What are you doing here?!" Lee demanded, pointing at Sasuke. His eyes then went to Mini Sasuke, who was peeking from behind Hinata's leg. "And stay away from that child right now! Why are you bothering a kid?!" Lee didn't know the small boy was a younger Sasuke. 'That mean Sasuke kun! Is he already causing trouble for innocent kids?!'
Lee thought, feeling very angry. He then turned to Hinata. "Hinata-san! Get away from him! Fast!"
Naruto, completely confused by Lee's sudden anger, stood up. "Hey, Bushy Brows! What are you talking about?!" he asked, looking from Sasuke to Lee, puzzled.
Lee turned to Naruto, about to explain.
"Naruto-kun, this Sasuke kun is dangerous! You can't trust him—"
"Lee-kun! Stop!" Hinata's voice was strong, cutting off Lee's words. She rushed forward and put a hand on his arm. "Please, calm down. Don't say anything more."
Lee was surprised by how firm Hinata was. He blinked. "Hinata-san? What do you mean?" he asked, very confused.
Hinata looked at Older Sasuke, who was now watching her with a little interest in his eyes. Then she looked back at Lee. "I... I think he's not the Sasuke kun you think he is."
Lee's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, Hinata-san? There's only one Sasuke kun!"
Hinata moved closer to Lee, speaking softly so only he could hear. "I think... he's probably from an earlier time, Lee-kun," she whispered. "Maybe... from the Chunin Exams. He saved me when we fell, and... he was talking so... normally. He wouldn't be like that if he was our Sasuke-kun, right?"
Lee's eyes opened a little as he thought about what she said. 'A Sasuke kun from a different time? That would explain why he's confused... and why he helped Hinata san.' He stayed quiet for a long moment, looking back and forth between Older Sasuke and the small boy hiding behind Hinata, trying to understand.
"I... I need more time to think about this,
Hinata-san," Lee finally said, his voice quiet.
Naruto and Sasuke stood a few feet away, completely confused, unable to hear their whispered talk. 'What are they talking about, dattebayo?' Naruto wondered, scratching his head. Sasuke just watched, his eyes still, trying to figure out the strange situation.
Suddenly, Neji started breathing hard, making loud, gasping sounds. Tenten's eyes grew wide with worry. "Neji!" she cried out, her voice filled with fear. Lee rushed to Neji's side too, his face serious. Naruto stood still where he was, but he turned his head quickly to look at Neji.
Ino kept healing Sakura, her hands glowing steadily. Karin remained standing, watching everything with a worried look. Sasuke and Mini Sasuke were still standing a few feet away, paying more attention to each other than to the rising tension. Mini Sasuke was still trying to pull away from Older Sasuke.
Hinata quickly ran to Neji's side. "Tenten san, what happened to him?" she asked, her voice shaking.
But Tenten didn't answer her question. Instead, she looked at Ino. "Ino! How much longer will you take with Sakura?" Tenten snapped, her voice sharp. She thought for a moment. 'Sakura looks a little better now. Neji needs help more.' "You've healed Sakura enough! Now come heal Neji!" she demanded.
Ino looked up, her face firm. "No! I'm not leaving Sakura!" she shot back. "She's in a much worse state than him!"
Tenten's face turned red with anger. She started to walk towards Ino, looking like she was ready to make Ino heal Neji by force. But then, Lee quickly grabbed Tenten from behind. "Tenten! Calm down!" he said, trying to hold her back.
Naruto, who had now come closer, looked angry too. "Hey, What are you trying to do?!" he yelled at Tenten.
Ino glared at Tenten. "I'm not scared of you!" she shouted. "And I won't heal anyone if I'm forced! I'll heal whoever is important to me!"
Now Ino and Tenten were yelling at each other, their words sharp like kunai. Lee held onto Tenten, trying to quiet her down. Naruto tried to calm Ino. "Ino! Just focus on Sakura chan!" he told her. Hinata also tried to help, talking to Tenten. "Tenten-san, at least we could wrap bandages around him, instead of just waiting!"
But then, Karin spoke up, her voice cutting through the noise, making everyone stop. "I can heal him!" she said clearly. "I am also a medic."
Tenten stopped struggling against Lee. Ino stopped yelling, and her eyes looked closely at Karin. 'She's a medic?' Ino thought, studying Karin's worried face.
Tenten's angry face broke into a small smile. "Could you have said that sooner?!" she said, sounding relieved.
Karin stepped forward. She walked towards Neji, where Tenten and Lee were still standing. Ino was still focused on Sakura, and Naruto was watching her. Hinata stood nearby, her eyes on Neji.
Tenten, looking hopeful but confused, watched Karin. "You said you can heal him?" Tenten asked, a bit unsure. "How? What are you going to do?"
Karin knelt beside Neji. She looked at his pale face and the bad injuries on his body. She could feel a lot of pain coming from him. 'He's really hurt,' she thought. She knew what she had to do.
She then pulled up the sleeve of her dark, long shirt, showing her arm. Her skin was clear, not bleeding, but a few faint, old bite marks were barely visible on her forearm. Tenten, Lee, Naruto, Hinata, and even Ino (who glanced up for a second) watched her, puzzled.
Karin looked at Tenten, her voice firm and serious. "He needs to bite my arm and draw blood," she said simply. "Then, my chakra will instantly flow into him and heal him."
"What?!" Tenten cried out, her eyes wide with shock and fear. Lee also gasped, taking a step back. Naruto looked confused, and Hinata put her hands over her mouth, surprised. 'He needs to bite her?!' Tenten thought, suddenly afraid that this 'medic' was crazy or dangerous.
"Are you crazy?!" Tenten asked, her voice full of disbelief. Lee looked horrified. 'This is not proper medical ninja technique!' he thought, ready to stop her.
"Just trust me!" Karin insisted, her eyes fixed on Tenten's. "This is how I heal. It's the only way he'll get better right now! He won't make it if we wait!" She held out her arm, ready. "He needs to bite me quickly!"
Ino, seeing the strange demand and hearing the argument, finally pulled her attention fully from Sakura. "What is going on?!" she demanded, seeing Karin's outstretched arm. "Don't you dare do anything strange to Neji!"
"She said he needs to bite her, Ino!" Tenten shouted, her voice full of alarm, even though she had initially been hopeful.
"This isn't how medics work!" Ino yelled back, about to stand up, ready to intervene.
Naruto, unsure what to do, just watched, his mouth slightly open. Hinata didn't like the idea, it seemed very strange and a little dangerous, but Neji was in bad shape.
Karin, seeing their hesitation, knew time was short. Neji was getting weaker. She held out her arm again. She pleaded, her voice urgent. "His life depends on it!"
Seeing the urgency in Karin's eyes and the fear for Neji, Lee quickly moved. "Right!" he said. He carefully helped Karin. Neji was unconscious, so Lee gently opened Neji's mouth and helped guide Neji's teeth to Karin's outstretched forearm.
With a sharp, small snap, Neji's unconscious jaw clamped down on Karin's forearm. Blood immediately welled up and stained Karin's skin. The moment the blood was drawn, a bright, green chakra glow instantly erupted from the bite mark on Karin's arm, flowing into Neji's mouth and spreading powerfully through his body.
Everyone stared in stunned silence. Tenten's jaw dropped. Lee's eyes were wide with amazement. Even Ino, the other medic, watched with a mix of shock and wonder. 'This... this is an incredible healing power!' she thought, utterly surprised at the strange but effective method.
As the chakra poured into Neji, a visible change happened almost instantly. His pale face gained color quickly. His heavy, struggling breathing eased completely, becoming soft and normal. The deep wounds on his chest and arms began to close rapidly, scarring over and vanishing as if they had never been there. In just moments, Neji's skin looked whole and healthy again.
Karin held Neji's jaw for a few more seconds, ensuring the healing was complete. Then, she gently pulled her arm away. The bite mark on her forearm was still visible, red with fresh blood, but the edges of the wound were already starting to knit together. She looked tired, but relieved. 'He's stable now,' she thought, watching Neji's calm face. He was still unconscious, but no longer in danger.
The sudden, powerful healing left everyone stunned. Tenten and Lee stared at Neji, who now looked perfectly fine, though still unconscious. Ino watched, her mouth slightly open, amazed by the strange but effective healing. Naruto blinked, still trying to understand what he had just seen.
"W-what just happened?" Tenten finally asked, her voice quiet with wonder.
Lee, still amazed, looked at Karin. "Your medical ninjutsu... it's incredible! I've never seen anything like it!" he exclaimed.
Ino slowly walked closer, looking closely at Karin. "That was... unbelievable," she said, shaking her head slightly. 'She healed him so fast! My healing takes much longer for wounds like that!' A feeling of awe, and a little bit of confusion, filled her.
Naruto, always direct, just pointed. "You made him bite you! That was weird, but it totally worked!"
Karin pulled her sleeve down, hiding the small, bloody bite mark that was already fading. She looked a little tired. 'They're confused, but they seem to accept it now,' she thought.
Tenten quickly put her hands together and bowed her head slightly. "I'm so sorry!" she said, sounding truly sorry. "I doubted you! I thought you were doing something dangerous to Neji. Thank you! Thank you so much for saving him!"
Lee also bowed. "Yes, please forgive my rash behavior!" he said, his voice serious. "Your actions were for Neji's benefit, and I questioned them. Thank you, for everything!"
Ino looked down for a moment, feeling a bit ashamed. "I'm sorry too," she mumbled. "I shouldn't have yelled. That was amazing healing."
Karin shook her head slightly. "It's fine," she said softly. She understood their fear. She adjusted her dark glasses, which hid her eyes, a small habit of hers.
Naruto, seeing everyone calm down, asked, "So, what's your name, anyway? You're pretty awesome at healing!"
Karin paused. 'My name... Karin,' she thought. 'But I can't tell them everything.' She was from the Sound Village, a place many villages saw as an enemy. She hated the Sound Village herself, but she knew telling them where she was from could put her life in danger. 'I have to lie. I don't want to die here, not when I just got out of that place.'
"My name is Karin," she said, her voice clear.
"Are you a shinobi?" Naruto asked directly, always curious.
Karin hesitated for a moment, just a beat too long. 'Shinobi... from the Sound Village. No. I can't say that.' "No," she said, looking at the ground. "I'm... an orphan."
Everyone looked a bit surprised. Tenten tilted her head. "An orphan?" she asked gently. "But... how did you learn medical skills then, if you didn't have a village or a teacher?"
Karin gripped her arm slightly under her sleeve. 'More lies. This is hard.' "I... I learned it by myself," she said, trying to sound brave.
"And by watching others who were medics in the past." She quickly added, "My orphanage was near the Feudal Lord's place in the Fire Nation, a long time ago." She hoped that sounded believable.
The others weren't completely sure. Her story was strange. But they had just seen her save Neji. 'She saved Neji, even if her story is a bit weird,' Tenten thought. 'And her healing is real.' 'She must be good if she knows medical ninjutsu all on her own,' Ino thought, still impressed. They decided to trust her.
Naruto grinned. "Well, Karin, it's good to meet you!" He pointed to himself. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto dattebayo! And this is Ino," he said, pointing to Ino. "And Tenten," he added, pointing to Tenten. "And Lee," he finished, pointing to Lee. He didn't introduce Neji or Sakura, as they were still unconscious.
Karin nodded, a small, tired smile touching her lips. "It's nice to meet you all," she replied. 'Maybe this won't be so bad,' she thought, feeling a tiny bit of hope.
Ino then looked at Karin, her earlier anger completely gone, replaced by respect. "Karin," she said, her voice a little softer.
"You're a much better medic than me. Could you please... heal Sakura too?"
Karin looked at Sakura, who was still unconscious. She sighed softly. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I've used almost all my chakra healing him. I need to rest and get my chakra back first." She gave Ino a reassuring look. "But don't worry. She is in much better shape now. It won't take long to heal her once I've rested."
As Karin finished speaking, a heavy silence fell over the group. The initial shock of Karin's healing method and the flurry of introductions began to settle. Naruto looked at Hinata, then at Sasuke, then back at Karin, his brow furrowed in thought. 'So many people, and so much weird stuff happening,' he thought.
Sasuke, still standing a little apart, holding Mini Sasuke's hand firmly, watched Karin pull down her sleeve. He had seen the faint marks on her arm. 'A strange ability,' he mused. 'And her story... an orphan who learned medical ninjutsu alone? It doesn't quite add up.' His eyes subtly scanned the cave, taking in the unconscious forms of Sakura and Neji, and the determined faces of the others. Mini Sasuke, held by Older Sasuke's hand, still darted glances towards Hinata, wishing he could go to her, but understanding she was busy. He felt no comfort or safety from Older Sasuke, only the firm grip on his hand.
Hinata, still by Neji's side, felt a mix of hope and worry. 'At least Neji-niisan is safe now. And Sakura-chan will be too, soon.' But the darkness of the hole, and the mystery of how they all got there, still weighed heavily on her.
Lee, having helped with Neji, now stood back, his worry for his teammate easing. He looked from the newly introduced Karin to the quiet Sasuke, his mind still trying to make sense of Hinata's whispered words about a 'differenttime.' 'A different Sasuke... it is a lot to take in,' he thought, rubbing his chin.
Ino, despite her earlier doubts, was now filled with new respect for Karin. She continued to watch over Sakura, her own healing efforts steady but slow. 'I hope Karin recovers quickly,' she wished, looking at Sakura's pale face. 'We really need her help.'
Tenten, relieved about Neji, knelt beside him, checking his breathing, which was now soft and even. She glanced at the newly formed group—Neji, Sakura, Naruto, Lee, Hinata, Karin, and the two Sasukes. 'We're all here now, at the bottom of this strange place,' she thought. 'But where are we? And how do we get out?' The echoing silence of the deep hole seemed to hold more questions than answers.
The group stood in the cold, damp darkness, a strange alliance formed by an unexpected fall. The immediate crisis had passed, replaced by the deeper mysteries of their situation and the unknown path ahead.
---
QUIZ QUESTION
Question: Despite being physically held by Older Sasuke, Mini Sasuke's true wish was to go to which character?
A) Sakura
B) Naruto
C) Hinata
D) Ino
Share your answers in the comments down below!
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Wow, Chapter 7, "The Healing Revelation," truly plunged us deeper into the heart of the mystery! What an intense ride it was, from the chaotic arrival of new faces to a life-or-death struggle that changed everything.
This chapter was all about first impressions and the shocking power of the unexpected. We finally saw Hinata, Older Sasuke, and Mini Sasuke join the main group, immediately shaking up the dynamics. Mini Sasuke's continued preference for Hinata and his subtle resistance to Older Sasuke adds such a poignant layer to his character, emphasizing his deep bond with the one who saved him.
But the real showstopper was Karin! Her dramatic introduction and the reveal of her incredibly unique, if unsettling, healing ability truly changed the game. The tension as the group struggled to accept her unconventional methods, only to witness Neji's miraculous recovery, was a powerful moment of reluctant trust and awe. It's a testament to how crisis can forge unexpected alliances.
Now, with everyone gathered and the immediate medical emergency handled, the path ahead is filled with both peril and potential.
Brace yourselves, shinobi, because the journey is far from over! 🚀 In the next chapter, our diverse group will face the harsh realities of their confinement, the shocking truth of their temporal predicament, and the daunting challenge of navigating a world where time itself seems to be playing tricks.
What will they discover as they try to escape the hole? And how will they cope when the path forward seems to loop back on itself? Prepare for revelations about their bizarre situation and the true nature of their strange journey! 🗺️
Thank you for continuing to follow 'NARUTO: A CHANGE IN TIMELINE'! Your enthusiasm keeps this adventure moving forward. See you in the next twist of fate! 👋✨