Then both Lee and Neji saw a huge flock of birds were flying towards there side. Then came a voice....
Neji looked up, his brow furrowed in thought. He was about to speak when a small flock of birds suddenly shot out of the tree line and flew in their direction.
Lee's face lit up in a wide grin. "A flock of birds! It's a sign of a new beginning, Neji! They are heading towards us! A symbol of our great and youthful victory!"
Neji shook his head, but his expression became serious and he thought. "A flock of bird huh.... If they are moving towards us that mean from the other side....."
His thoughts were broken by Lee's words whose face was lit up and had a wide grin. He said, "A flock of birds! It's a sign of a new beginning, Neji! They are heading towards us! A symbol of our great and youthful victory!"
He watched the birds fly, his mind already piecing things together.
Then came a voice....
"U..Z..U..M..A..K..I.. NARUTO 2k Barrage"
Neji's eyes went wide.
"That's Naruto-kun's jutsu, isn't it?" Lee asked.
Neji's eyes returned to the bodies on the ground, then to his friend. "Yes," he said, his voice flat. "It is."
THE MUDDY CLEARING
The ground was soft, wet, and smelled of earth. There was no grass there, only a thick layer of dark mud that clung to their boots with every step.
The trees were tall and ancient, their thick, branches stretching out wide, strong enough to hold a person's weight.
Red apples hung from them in clusters. The air in the clearing was thick with the smell of mud and raw earth. The ground, slick with moisture, was a battlefield.
Naruto, a whirlwind of bright orange, was a blur of motion, a dozen clones moving in a frantic, chaotic dance. He was using his two-thousand-barrage, a jutsu that was as overwhelming as it was flashy.
Each clone was a fist, a kick, a shout, a powerful force that was pushing the Iwagakure shinobi back.
Up in the branches of a tall, old tree, Sakura was watching, her body tense. She was perched on a sturdy branch, her hands gripping the wood. Her heart was in her throat, but she had a calm look on her face.
'He's so reckless, so loud. But he can do it. He has to be able to do this much on his own.' She had seen him handle far worse.
The shinobi were getting smarter.
They saw his power and began circling around, using the tall, gnarled trunks of the trees as cover. They were getting closer, their hands moving in signs, completely unaware of the pink-haired girl in the branches above them.
"He's using too many clones! Get him from the back!" one of them shouted.
A lone shinobi, a small and fast one, broke away and slipped behind Naruto. He was about to attack. Naruto's clones were too busy with the barrage to notice.
Sakura's breath hitched. 'You idiot! Why are you so careless?!'
She didn't think. She just acted. A kunai appeared in her hand, and with a quick, powerful motion, she threw it down.
The kunai spun through the air, a flash of silver, and it struck the shinobi's kunai right as he was about to throw it. The sound of metal on metal rang through the air.
The shinobi looked up in confusion, not understanding where the attack had come from.
Naruto heard the sound and turned, a grin already on his face. His eyes met Sakura's in the tree, and in that brief glance, a wave of easy relief washed over him. He knew she was there all along.
"Sakura-chan!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the clearing. "I knew you had my back!"
Sakura sighed, a quiet, tired sound. She couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face.
Naruto's grin widened even more. He knew the shinobi was distracted by the strange attack from above, and he wasn't about to waste the opportunity. In a single, quick motion, he put his hands together, and all his clones disappeared in a series of white puffs of smoke.
The sudden silence was jarring. The Iwagakure shinobi froze, their hands still in signs. They looked around in confusion, the target of their circling attack having vanished.
From her perch in the tree, Sakura watched, a proud smile on her face.
'He's so much faster when he isn't being so loud.' She saw Naruto reappear behind the lone shinobi who was trying to get away, and a single, powerful kick sent him flying into one of the tall trees.
With a satisfying thud, he slumped to the ground. The rest of the shinobi, seeing their leader defeated, looked at each other and then at Naruto. They were no longer focused on fighting; they were looking for an escape.
"You guys heading out already?" Naruto yelled, his voice as boisterous as ever. "I was just getting warmed up dattebayo!"
He was right. He took them down effortlessly, one by one, a flash of orange and a series of loud thuds the only evidence of his work. When the last shinobi fell, Naruto wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and looked back up at the tree.
"I'll help you down, Sakura-chan!" he said, waving his arm wildly. "I think now there are no more!"
_PRESENT TIME: UNDER THE APPLE TREE_
Neji's face was a mask of cold professionalism. He was about to speak when a small, second flock of birds suddenly shot out of the tree line and flew towards them in a clear, deliberate formation.
Lee's eyes lit up. "Look, Neji! Another flock of birds! The heavens are calling upon us once more!"
Neji's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes followed Lee's gaze. This flock was different. He narrowed his eyes, and the veins on his forehead pulsed as his Byakugan activated. His gaze pierced through the forest, searching for the source.
He saw the residual chakra from a powerful jutsu who had just been undone...but his eyes kept moving, his vision sweeping through the trees.
He saw two distinct chakra signatures, one bright and powerful, the other calm and controlled, heading in the opposite direction from them.
"Neji, what do you see?" Lee asked, his voice filled with urgency.
Neji deactivated his Byakugan. "It's Naruto and Sakura," he said, his voice flat. "They appear to be fine and are heading towards the waterfall."
Lee's face lit up in a wide grin. "Then we should join them! Together, we can defeat any enemy that stands in our way!"
"No," Neji said, his voice firm and cold.
Lee's smile fell away. "Why, Neji? They are headed towards the waterfall, a safe place. Why wouldn't we join them?"
Neji sighed, a sound of pure frustration. He reactivated his Byakugan, this time looking beyond the trees, his gaze piercing through the forest. "Because it is not them we need to find. Their is someone else also I felt their chakra."
He looked at Lee, his expression serious. "There are others. I can see them." He saw three familiar chakra signatures, all moving quickly, and behind them, a large group of pursuing shinobi—almost fifteen of them.
He deactivated his Byakugan, the veins around his eyes receding. "It's Tenten, Ino, and the 'red hair girl'.... "
" 'Red hair girl' you mean Karin-san? " Lee asked.
Neji nodded and he continued "But...they are being chased by an entire platoon of shinobi," he said, his voice grim.
Lee's face paled. " Platoon you mean Fifteen of them? Neji, they can't fight that many alone! We need to go get Naruto-kun and Sakura-san first! With all of us, we can defeat them!"
Neji shook his head, his conviction unwavering. "No," he said again, his voice cold. "The girls are in my vision. They are in strict need of help. There is no time to get reinforcements. We must go to them now."
Lee's eyes showed a flicker of hesitation, but then his expression hardened. "Understood, Neji! The springtime of youth requires us to act quickly to protect our comrades!" He grabbed Neji's arm, his grip firm. "We will go to them now!"
With a powerful leap, they both jumped on the trees, their figures disappearing into the dense foliage in a silent, determined sprint.
_THE WATERFALL CAVE_
The tense silence from before had been replaced by a deep stillness. The only sound was the constant roar of the waterfall outside, a loud yet strangely soothing curtain of sound.
Inside the cave, the air was heavy and damp, and two figures were sleeping peacefully.
Hinata and Mini Sasuke were sitting against the cold, dry rock, their bodies slumped in exhaustion.
Mini Sasuke's small head was resting on Hinata's shoulder, and his breathing was even and soft. Hinata's head was tilted to the side, her eyes closed, the fear that had been etched on her face replaced by a deep, restful calm.
The chakra Sasuke had used on her wounds had allowed her body to finally rest, and she was sleeping soundly, a stark contrast to her terrified state from moments before.
In front of them, a small, worn scroll lay open on the ground. Its faded ink showed various symbols and write up, and a section that had once been written in bright red ink was now just a smeared, wet blur.
Suddenly, a loud thud echoed through the cave, a jarring sound that broke the peaceful quiet. It was the sound of a fist hitting the ground.
"CURSE IT!!"
A voice roared, filled with a raw, bitter fury.
Sasuke was standing a few feet away, his face twisted in a cold rage. His hand was clenched into a tight fist, and he was shaking, his dark eyes fixed on the open scroll.
The calm from before was gone, replaced by a storm of pure, unbridled anger.
"Curse it...!" he snarled again, his voice a low, venomous rumble. He stomped his foot, the sound a dull thud against the dry rock. His rage wasn't just in his voice; it was in the way his shoulders were tense, the way his jaw was clenched.
He bent down, his hand hovering over the scroll, as if he wanted to smashit, but stopped himself.
"Out of all the times for this to get wet," he hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes burning with an intense fury. He kicked a small pebble away, his frustration boiling over.
He looked at the smear of what had once been red ink, now just a faint, washed-out blur. He turned his angry gaze to his fingers, the small, half-healed bite marks on them a testament to his efforts.
'All that blood... all that effort... for nothing!'
He cursed under his breath, his hands trembling. "Every single detail... everything that happened... the strange forest, everyone from different timelines, mu younger self, the time in that miserable cave... I recorded all of it. Every detail, every clue! And what did I have to use?"
He pointed a trembling, angry finger at the smear of faded ink. "My own blood. I wasted my own blood on this useless thing!"
The two sleeping figures remained undisturbed by his outburst, their quiet, even breathing a stark contrast to his loud, roiling anger.
He stood there, alone in his rage, all of his hard work undone by a moment's carelessness.
The sudden, jarring thud of a fist hitting the ground echoed through the cave. The peaceful, sleepy quiet was shattered by a raw, bitter fury.
Sasuke sat against the cold rock, his earlier rage having faded into a heavy, weary stillness. He kept his eyes closed for a few moments, the constant roar of the waterfall the only sound in the cave.
When he finally opened them, his gaze drifted towards Hinata and Mini Sasuke.
Mini Sasuke was half-sitting, half-lying against Hinata, sleeping soundly. His mouth was sl0ightly open, a clear sign of his utter exhaustion, and a faint 'zzz' seemed to hang in the air around his small head. Hinata, too, was deep in sleep, her head tilted, her breathing even.
Sasuke watched them, a strange quiet settling over him. 'So much for a strategic regroup. Two liabilities, both completely out of it.' He tried to rekindle his frustration, but the energy for it simply wasn't there.
His mind, usually a whirlwind of calculations and plans, felt heavy and dull. 'This wasn't supposed to happen. None of it.'
As he watched, Hinata began to slowly lean further to her left, where Mini Sasuke was nestled. She was falling, gradually, her shoulder inching closer and closer to covering Mini Sasuke's face. 'She's going to crushhim.'
Sasuke thought, a flicker of something like concern, or perhaps just annoyance at a potential new problem, going through him.
He reached out a hand, intending to gently push her back upright, to prevent her from smothering his younger self. But just as his fingers were about to brush her jacket, Hinata's eyes fluttered open.
They were half-lidded, unfocused, still glazed with sleep, but open. She didn't seem fully awake, yet the subtle shift in her balance had registered.
Before Sasuke could react further, her head, with a soft, almost imperceptible movement, slowly found its way to his shoulder. She leaned into him, her entire body relaxing further against his, her breathing remaining deep and even.
She was still fast asleep, completely unaware of the shift, her head now nestled comfortably on his shoulder.
Sasuke froze. His hand, which had been reaching for her, hovered in the air for a moment, then slowly, stiffly, lowered back to rest on his knee.
'What is she doing? She's... sleeping on me!?'
A strange sensation, unfamiliar and unsettling, prickled at him. He didn't move, couldn't move, for fear of waking her, or worse, making the situation even more awkward.
He closed his eyes again, trying to regain his composure, to make sense of the sudden, unexpected warmth against his shoulder.
He turned his head straight, away from her, trying to put distance between his mind and the physical contact.
'This is... unacceptable. I am not a pillow. I am not a comfort.'
After a few tense seconds, he opened his eyes once more, glancing at the damp, smeared scroll that represented his failure.
Then, with a slow, deliberate exhale, he closed them again, leaning his head back against the cool rock, Hinata's sleeping form a gentle weight against him.
The roaring waterfall continued its relentless symphony, a backdrop to the strange, quiet stillness that had settled between them.
---
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Chapter 24 - "The Failed Record" 💿🔥
This chapter was a masterclass in controlled chaos! 🤯 After the madness of the ambush, we saw how the groups operate under pressure, and the results were nothing short of impressive.
Naruto's jutsu was a blur of orange and power, but the real genius was Sakura's silent backup. That duo is a force to be reckoned with. 💥
Over with Neji, his Byakugan saw the bigger picture, proving that a sharp mind is just as important as brute strength. His calculated decision to go to the girls was a cold, professional move that only a genius would make. 🧠
But the real show was Sasuke's. We saw his breaking point—that raw, bitter fury over a ruined scroll. It's the failed record of his own rage, a perfect storm of anger and wasted effort. ⛈️
Yet, in the end, we got a glimpse of something else entirely. That final scene with Hinata wasn't just quiet; it was a strange, unreadable vulnerability.
What does it mean when the perfect plan falls apart? And what happens when a failed record finds a new beat? 🤔
TALK TO ME! 😎
Alright, shinobi! This chapter was a masterclass in controlled cfhaos and strategy. We've talked about a lot, but I want to get your thoughts on the real genius move of this chapter. 🧠
The big reveal is that Sasuke's move wasn't a panicked escape—it was a strategic retreat. 🏃♂️
💨 While everyone was running, he was using cold, hard logic to find a secure, defensible location. 🏞️ It's a move that cements him as a master strategist, not just a fighter. Did you see it coming? 🤯
And how about that flock of birds? 🐦 It felt like a vibe check from the universe, a moment of fleeting peace before Neji's sharp mind put the pieces together. 🧐
Tell me, what was the most impressive move of the chapter for you? Was it Sasuke's strategic retreat, Naruto and Sakura's flawless teamwork, 🤝 or Neji's incredible perception? 👁️
Let's discuss it in the comments!
📜 TEASER FOR NEXT CHAPTER:
When whispers of the past return in sleep, 🤫
And forgotten shadows stir from the deep. 🌑
The final paths will find their missing stride, 👣
As silent truths and troubled souls collide. 💥
A single step, a shared, uncertain start, 🗺️
Upon a border with a heavy heart. ❤️🩹
Where lands of stone and dust now rise to see, 👀
What a strange new journey yet will be. 🧭
AUTHOR'S THOUGHT
Phew! 😅 And with that, Chapter 24 is a wrap! What an emotional roller coaster, right? From Naruto's crazy fights to Neji's serious detective work and Sasuke's... well, Sasuke being Sasuke. 🤪
Now, I'm sure you're all wondering, "Did he really write with his blood?!" The short answer is: yep! 😂
But seriously, let's chat about that for a second. We all know Sasuke is a bit extra, but this wasn't just for show. Think about it: they're in a strange, uncharted forest, they have no idea what's going on, and they've been separated.
He's a planner, a strategist. He needs to know everything! But what do you do when you run out of pens? You get resourceful! 🤔 And for Sasuke, that meant a little "blood for ink" special. 🩸✍️
It's a huge commitment, right? He's literally sacrificing a part of himself to document everything. And that's why his anger at the end wasn't just a simple tantrum.
It was the absolute fury of realizing that all his hard work—all his pain and effort—was completely washed away in a flash. 😤
It's a relatable kind of frustration, but on a shinobi level. You know, when you write a whole essay and your computer crashes?
Yeah, like that, but way more dramatic.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! We've got more chaos and surprises coming up next! 😉
SNEAK PEEK LINES 💬
"You see I saw how you were being carried like a small baby, dattebayo"
"NI-CHAN!!"
—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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