The sun was warm and bright, a perfect spring day. The training ground was alive with the sound of steel clashing and feet thudding against the dirt.
The air was thick with chakra, a familiar and comforting feeling.
"Come on, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, grinning widely as he charged forward, a dozen Shadow Clones right behind him.
Sasuke didn't even flinch. His mind was calm, his focus absolute. He dodged a punch from Naruto, then spun to kick one of the clones, which dissolved into a puff of smoke. His eyes, in their natural state, saw every single move.
He saw Sakura, a few feet away, practicing how to resist a genjutsu, which was put up by Kakashi himself. He saw Kakashi, leaning against a tree stump, one hand in his pocket and his face hidden behind a tiny, orange book.
"You're slacking, Kakashi..." Sasuke called out, his voice sharp. He charged, a blur of motion, and delivered a swift taijutsu attack towards him.
Kakashi, without even looking up from his book, calmly leaned his head to the side, allowing Sasuke's kick to pass harmlessly by.
'He's not even trying,' Sasuke thought, a flicker of irritation in his chest. 'Still reading that ridiculous book.' He feinted left, then moved right, aiming for Kakashi's blind spot.
But before he could land a hit, Kakashi vanished. There was nothing of him.... no physical body, a clone or even a voice of him.
Sasuke landed on the ground, his eyes darting around. "Where are you, Kakashi?" he demanded.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the trees. The sounds of fighting had stopped. Sakura was no longer practicing her genjutsu, and Naruto along with his clones was gone.
ALL WAS SILENT.
Sasuke turned around, his heart pounding in his chest. "Naruto? Sakura? Kakashi?" he called out, his voice now laced with a hint of confusion. 'What's going on? Where did they go?'
A flash of movement caught his eye. Just a few yards away, he saw two figures running. One was tall and dark-haired, with an imposing build.
The other was an equally tall man with spikyblond hair and wore a white haori or cloak.
They didn't even look back, their forms blurring as they ran through the forest.
'Who are they?' a strange voice in his mind whispered.
He didn't know why, but a powerful instinct took over. He had to follow them. He broke into a sprint, chasing after the two mysterious men. He felt his own chakra, his own energy, urging him on. He had to know who they were. He had to know why they were here.
He chased them for what felt like miles, his feet flying over the forest floor. He was closing on them, just a few feet away, when the ground suddenly gave way beneath him.
He didn't have time to react. He was falling, tumbling into an abyss of nothingness.
He fell for a long time, the darkness a suffocating blanket around him. He couldn't feel anything, only the sensation of falling. He didn't know when it would end. He closed his eyes, bracing for impact.
When he finally landed, it was with a jarring thud that knocked the wind from his lungs. He lay on the cold ground for a few moments, trying to catch his breath.
The air was heavy and damp, and the only sound was the far-off roar. He had made it out of the fall, but he was alone in a strange, dark place. 'Where am I? What just happened?'
He looked up, and his heart leapt into his throat. A huge, spherical boulder was descending rapidly towards the hole he had just fallen through.
It was going to seal him in. The light from the outside world was getting smaller and smaller, a tiny speck against the rock.
He closed his eyes, accepting his fate.
'This is it, then? Trapped. Alone.'
A minute passed. Nothing happened. He slowly opened his eyes, fearfully looking up. The darkness was absolute, no sign of anything such called as daylight.
He looked up, and his eyes widened in shock.
A large, smooth and round structure was fixed on the opening. It was a boulder.
The boulder was stuck. It was wedged perfectly in the opening, leaving a small crack for light to pass through.
But that wasn't the most shocking thing. The boulder wasn't a normal rock. It had a face carved into it. A detailed face, with shocked eyes and a single eye covered by a forehead protector. It was a face he knew very well.
It was Kakashi's face, carved into the stone, an expression of utter surprise and disbelief frozen on its features.
'Kakashi... here? How? Why is his face on this rock? This is impossible.'
...Then, a cacophony of voices broke through the eerie silence, echoing from somewhere behind him in the darkness of the cave.
"Can you believe it?! The way we split up was so awesome! Like a real mission, believe it, our journey is going to be amazing, dattebayo!" It was Naruto's familiar, boisterous voice.
"You idiot, Naruto! I was about to call Ino and Sasuke-kun but you caught me and we fleed so suddenly that I didn't got the time to react!" Sakura's sharp, exasperated tone.
"Ah, to face such a challenge with such a fiery spirit! The teamwork we displayed proves that the youth burns bright in us all!" Lee's enthusiastic shout.
"I'm so sorry for not able to join you or Lee-san but the explosion was the thing that made me join Sasuke-kun." Hinata's soft, worried whisper.
"I'm more concerned about you, Hinata-sama," Neji replied, his voice calm and serious. "I was so worried for your safety."
"You see I saw how you were being carried like a small baby, dattebayo." Naruto spoke to a familiar young boy.
"Usurantonkachi!! How dare you describe me like this. Huh... It's the duty of my older self to protect me."
A low, familiar grunt, filled with a certain childish irritation.
'That voice...'
Sasuke whirled around, his dark black eyes blazing to life, cutting through the gloom.
'They're here! All of them! But where...?' He scanned the darkness, his eyes searching frantically for their chakra signatures, for any sign of his team, his friends. His family.
But there was nothing. The cave was empty. The voices, so real just a moment ago, had vanished. The profound silence returned, more terrifying now than before.
'No... No, this can't be happening!' He spun around, looking desperately from one shadowy corner to another, his frustration boiling over.
'Where are they? Where did they go? Were they ever even here?'
A wave of utter desolation washed over him. He was truly alone.
Sasuke's eyes snapped open.
His entire body was drenched in a cold sweat, and his breathing was ragged. His head shot up from the wall, and his hands flew to his chest, as if trying to feel his own heartbeat.
The constant, loud roar of the waterfall returned to his ears, a welcome sound after the suffocating silence of his dream.
He looked down, his heart still hammering in his chest.
The terrifying dream was gone, but the knowledge it gave him was not. The figures were not a simple patrol from another village.
They were a part of something much bigger. He was back in the cave, but with a new, terrifying reality. And...
ALL ALONE....
Hinata and Mini Sasuke were gone. The terrifying dream was not just a figment of his imagination—it was real.
He was alone in the cave, with no one but the sound of the waterfall and his own racing heart.
He peered through the curtain of mist, his body shaking. They were gone. He bit his lip, but the pain was real. 'Not a genjutsu. This is... real.'
He stood up, turning his back to the cave's darkness. His black hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. He faced the thundering waterfall, his mind numb, his dark eyes empty.
He was an island, surrounded by a roaring ocean of water and a new, terrifying reality. The cave, once a temporary refuge, now felt like a lonely prison.
He stood for a long moment, a solitary figure against the roaring, white noise of the waterfall. He had to think, to act, to do something. He had to find them. He couldn't leave them alone.
'Hinata... she's not a skilled shinobi like the rest of them. She's alone out here, and my younger self... he's just a child.'
He took a few determined steps, moving away from the water's deafening roar, putting a little distance between himself and the thundering abyss.
He took a deep, shaky breath, filling his lungs with the cold, damp air of the cave. 'Everyone will question me. They'll say I let my guard down. They'll say I wasn't able to take care of Hinata or my younger self. I can't let that happen.'
He turned and bolted, sprinting towards the faint, hazy light that marked the cave's opening. Every muscle in his body screamed, his mind a whirlwind of fear and a desperate need to find his team.
He burst through the last rock formation, his eyes fixed on the forest beyond.
But he never made it outside.
The ground beneath him simply vanished.
It didn't break or crumble. It just... disappeared. One second, his feet were on solid earth, and the next, there was nothing.
A hollow gasp escaped his lips as he dropped like a stone. The fall was short, but hard. He landed on his body, a jarring thud echoing in the air.
He lay on the soft, grassy ground for a moment, the wind knocked out of him. The pain was sharp, but manageable. His mind, still in a state of terror, expected to see endless darkness.
But instead, he felt the cool, soft blades of grass against his skin. He opened his eyes, and the world was just as it should be. The waterfall was in front of him, but now he was at its base.
A small, winding river flowed just a few feet away, and beyond it, a lush, green forest.
He looked up at the opening of the cave, the very same spot he had just fallen from. 'I... I didn't go to a new place. I just... fell.'
The terrifying reality of the bottomless pit from his dream gave way to a new, strange reality. The ground he had just been on was a raised platform, and he had simply dropped to the forest floor below.
The shock of the fall was replaced by a wave of confusion.
He closed his eyes, his mind reeling from the shock. The roar of the waterfall was still deafening, but through it, he heard a sound. A familiar sound.
VOICES.
A wave of relief so powerful it made his head spin washed over him. He wasn't alone. He had to get up. But as he tried to push himself up, a wave of pain shot through him from the hard landing. He sank back down, forced to listen.
"Hinata!" he heard a voice shout. It was Tenten. "I'm so glad you're okay! We were all so worried!"
He heard a quiet, muffled sound, and a moment later, Neji's voice, calm and serious. "Hinata-sama, are you okay?"
"I am, Neji Ni-san. Thank you," Hinata replied, her voice soft but filled with relief.
"Believe it! This is so awesome!" Naruto's boisterous voice cut through the air. "We're all together! Teamwork!"
"Put me down, you idiot!" Mini Sasuke's shrill voice screamed. Sasuke could hear the faint sound of a struggle.
"But you're so tiny! I want to show you to everyone!" Naruto insisted, laughing happily.
"We were so worried about you, too,"
Ino's voice added, sounding exhausted but relieved. "That was a terrible ambush."
The sound of their voices, their relief, their complete happiness, filled the space around him. Sasuke, lying on the ground behind them, remained unseen.
Their backs were to him, and they were all focused on each other, a single, united group, filled with gratitude that they had all made it out alive.
Sasuke lay on the ground, his body aching from the fall. The roar of the waterfall was a constant, angry presence, but now, a new sound was cutting through it—the pounding of feet on grass, a frantic energy that felt all too familiar.
He knew who it was. The name had been screamed at him, a name he had answered to for years. But his body felt heavy, his muscles screaming. 'I have to get up,' he thought, his jaw clenched in pain.
He forced himself to push up, one arm trembling as he tried to lift his body. It took a supreme effort, but he finally managed to get himself into a seated position. He was still on the ground, his legs splayed out in front of him, but at least he was no longer lying defeated.
He looked up. Naruto stood before him, the frantic running gone from his posture. A wide, genuine grin was on his face, but his eyes were calm, a deep, silent blue that held nothing but relief. He raised his hand slowly, not with a triumphant gesture, but with a quiet confidence. His hand was clenched into a fist, palm facing Sasuke, just waiting.
Sasuke stared at the outstretched hand. His mind, still reeling, expected a loud, exuberant shout, a barrage of questions. But there was only this silent offering. For a moment, he hesitated. Then, a small, grateful smile touched the corners of his lips.
He lifted his own arm, his hand forming a fist. He reached out and gently bumped his fist against Naruto's. The contact was solid, a silent understanding passing between them.
The fist bump broke, but Naruto didn't pull his hand back. Instead, his fingers slowly uncurled, and he gently took hold of Sasuke's hand. His grip was firm but careful, as if he were holding something precious.
Without a word, he pulled, and Sasuke, surprised by the gentle strength, felt himself being lifted to his feet.
He was standing now, his body a bit shaky, his mind still trying to catch up to the warmth of the gesture. He looked at Naruto, who was still smiling, a silent, knowing look in his eyes.
A thick, heavy blanket of night had fallen over the forest. The moon was a faint sliver in the sky, but the countless stars above shone with a brilliant, cold light, scattered like diamonds on black velvet.
The only sounds were the soft rustling of leaves and the low murmur of a nearby river. The air, cool and fresh, smelled of damp earth and pine.
Two separate fires crackled in the darkness, their flickering orange light the only real beacons in the inky blackness.
Around the first fire, the mood was enthusiastic and filled with the sound of cheerful chatter. Lee's voice was the loudest, his spirit unwavering. "The eternal flame of youth burns so brightly tonight! This fish is truly a beautiful taste of victory!" he exclaimed, holding his roasted fish aloft.
Neji let a small smile touch his lips as Tenten chuckled at Lee's theatrics. Hinata sat quietly beside them, a peaceful smile on her face as she ate her own meal, clearly relieved by the lighthearted atmosphere of her comrades.
The laughter and funny talks of the group seemed to warm the very air around them.
A short distance away, the second fire burned with a much quieter spirit. The flames were high, but the six figures around it were largely silent, each person focused on their meal.
Sakura and Ino sat on opposite sides of the fire, picking at their fish. Karin was busy pulling the bones from hers, her usual sharp tongue silent.
Naruto, uncharacteristically quiet, was busy devouring his fish with a subdued intensity. Mini Sasuke sat beside him, nibbling on his fish. His large, dark eyes darted from one person to the next, as if trying to understand the silence.
Sasuke, with the main circle, sat with his back against a tree, his own half-eaten fish in his hand. The flickering firelight cast long shadows over their faces, creating a mood of quiet tension and unspoken thoughts.
He watched the flames of his group's fire crackle, but there was no warmth to be found in the silence. The quiet felt heavy, a stark contrast to the distant sounds of laughter and chatter coming from Neji's group.
'Why are they all so quiet?' his mind wondered, his eyes flicking from one face to the next. Sakura was staring into the fire, her brows furrowed in thought.
Naruto was just as silent, focused entirely on his fish. The silence was starting to feel unnatural. 'Did I do something? Is it because of me?'
A cold dread began to form . He had just been pulled from a terrifying reality and into this one, where he was surrounded by people, yet felt completely isolated.
He wondered if his return, after the whole ordeal, had somehow made things awkward. Maybe they were looking at him differently.
Maybe they thought he was weak for what had happened. He had to assume they all knew something was wrong. 'No, don't be stupid,' he told himself, trying to shake the thought.
'They're just tired. It's been a long day. Everyone is probably exhausted.' He gripped his fish tighter, trying to rationalize it, but the stillness of the group was unnerving.
The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he lowered his fish and looked directly at the group.
"Why aren't you all talking?"
His voice cutting through the stillness like a knife.
----
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Chapter 25 - "A Hand in the Sunset" 🤝🌅
This chapter was an absolute journey of emotion. 🤯 We dived deep into the mind of Sasuke, experiencing the suffocating terror of his dream.
The unsettling way his friends disappeared, the crushing weight of the boulder, and the profound loneliness he felt—it was a nightmare brought to life. 🌑
But the beauty of this chapter is in the contrast. After all that darkness and fear, we got the most powerful moment of the story so far: a hand in the sunset. 🤝
The non-verbal reunion between Naruto and Sasuke was everything. That simple fist bump, and the hand that pulled him to his feet, spoke more than a thousand words ever could. It was the promise that even in the darkest of times, he would never be alone. ❤️🩹
The final scene, however, leaves us on a cliffhanger. Despite being reunited, a new kind of silence has fallen over the group. The quiet tension around Sasuke's fire is a stark contrast to the carefree chatter of Neji's group, and it's clear something is wrong. 🤫
So, what are these unspoken thoughts? And what happens now that Sasuke has broken the silence with his question? 💥
TALK TO ME! 😎
Alright, shinobis! This chapter was all about what goes unsaid. It was a masterclass in silent communication and hidden emotions.
First, let's talk about that dream! 🤯
What do you think the face of Kakashi on the boulder meant? Was it a warning, or something else entirely?
And that fist bump! 👊 It was the perfect moment, the moment we've all been waiting for. What did that silent promise mean to you?
Finally, the end of the chapter... why do you think Sasuke's group was so quiet?
Were they just tired, or do you think they're hiding something from him? Let me know your theories in the comments! 👇 I'm all ears. ✨
📜 TEASER FOR NEXT CHAPTER:
A voice rings out to break the silent hold, 😠
A whispered truth on lips begins to unfold. 🤫
And as a heart prepares to bare its pain, ❤️🩹
A golden soul will feel the falling rain. 💧
Then morning breaks with sun and gentle grace, ☀️
When water's clear will wash away the trace. 🌊
A puzzle waits inside a mind's strange art, 🧩
Where stony secrets tear the past apart. 🌑
A hidden path with two shades of the past, 👤👤
And truths revealed where a bond is meant to last. 🤝
SNEAK PEEK LINES 💬
" Well, you see if I was at his place then I wouldn't have let you or any girl who says like that live!"
" I know what you like what you dislike.... when you are in a mood to talk.....when not because I LO....."
"PREVERTTTTT!!!"
AUTHOR'S THOUGHT
Hey everyone! 👋 I know you're all probably wondering where the new chapters are, and believe me, I've been fighting a war to get them to you! ⚔️
My brain has been taken hostage by a platoon of textbooks, and I've been trapped in the battle known as "Exams." 🤯
I'm officially on lockdown until the 29th, but I'll try to sneak in a chapter or two when I can. Just know that after that date, all bets are off! I'm going full "wild mode," and we'll be diving headfirst into this story. 🚀
So please bear with me just a little longer! We'll be back in action very soon! ✨
—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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