Mini Sasuke, propelled by pure, unadulterated panic, started to bolt. His small legs pumped furiously, but his eyes were still wide with terror.
He took a single, desperate step, then suddenly—THWACK!—something hard and soft connected squarely with the back of his head. He tripped, sprawling face-first into the damp earth, realizing that Karin had weaponized one of her sandals in a perfect, panicked throw.
He tripped, sprawling face-first into the damp earth, a small, choked gasp escaping him.
He scrambled back to his feet, rubbing his aching head, and didn't dare to look back.
"I'M SORRYYYY!"
he shrieked, his voice cracking with humiliation, and he vanished in a blur of small, panicked limbs, disappearing into the dense forest ahead.
Mini Sasuke tore through the underbrush, his small lungs burning. His legs were moving purely on autopilot, driven by the single, primal fear of the word 'PERVERT!' echoing in his head.
'I was just looking! It's not my fault they were doing something so bizarre in the middle of the forest! That Sakura...menace screamed so loud my eardrums are damaged! I'll never be able to face the older me again!'
He didn't dare slow down. He was running from the most terrifying force he had encountered all morning:
ADULT FEMALE HUMILIATION.
He burst through a dense line of bushes, his frantic dash taking him right into the main clearing where the other group was starting to stir.
Just ahead of him, Tenten and Hinata were kneeling on the dry earth. Tenten had just managed to coax a wisp of smoke into a tiny, fragile flame—the very first successful spark of the morning.
Without seeing a thing, Mini Sasuke's small foot came down hard, grinding the delicate coal into the dirt. The wisp of smoke vanished instantly.
"HEY!" Tenten shrieked, her hands flying up in frustration as the cold ashes dusted her face.
Mini Sasuke skidded to a stop, his face lifting to reveal eyes still wide with panic.
Hinata, seeing his state, tilted her head with gentle concern. "Um, Mini-Sasuke-kun? Why are you in such a hurry?" she asked softly.
Mini Sasuke's mind, still reeling from the shock of the past thirty seconds, short-circuited completely. He looked at the polite, lavender-eyed girl who had asked a simple question, ignored the question entirely.
"Good morning, Nee-san!" he squeaked out, the honorific sounding utterly bizarre coming from his lips.
And before either girl could process the strange greeting, he spun back around and vanished again, tearing into the deeper woods.
Mini Sasuke was a streak of movement across the forest floor, his breath coming in sharp, even bursts as he pushed himself harder. He was focused only on the rhythm of his steps until, with an abrupt, powerful halt, he skidded to a stop.
'Wait a second...what are they all doing without me? Don't tell me...a bath?' he thought, his eyes fixated on the unexpected scene before him.
In front of him, a sheer wall of rock gave way to a powerful waterfall, its roar softened by the trees. The water collected below in a wide, clear lake. It wasn't the steam and sulfur of a hot spring; the water was a deep, refreshing blue.
Several figures were already there, enjoying the cool pool.
Up on a natural, extended cave platform that jutted slightly over the water, Naruto sat with a placid expression. He had shed his typical ninja attire and was wearing only green shorts.
His usually spiky hair was down and wet, plastered to his forehead, giving him a strangely mature and tranquil appearance.
Below him, the rest of the group was already in the clear water. The water glistened on their upper bodies, revealing their bodies left without clothes above the waist, submerged just enough to be fully relaxed.
Lee was in the deeper section, his movements minimal. Closer to the rocky edge, Sasuke and Neji were the picture of peaceful contemplation.
Neji's eyes were closed, his head tilted back as the cool, blue water ran over his bare shoulders. Sasuke, too, was leaning against the stone bank, one arm hooked over a smooth rock.
The clarity of the water made their skin glow subtly beneath the surface as they simply enjoyed the quiet solitude, relaxing.
Mini Sasuke was still frozen, staring at the unsettling serenity of the adult shinobi, when the scene violently shattered.
A loud, drawn-out yell cut through the air. Naruto, still on the high rock platform, was a blur of motion. He didn't just step into the water; he launched himself from the great height of the platform in a spectacular, cannonball dive aimed at the deep center of the lake.
"ALRIGHT, MORNING EXERCISE NUMBER ONE!" Naruto bellowed, sounding far more like his younger self than the thoughtful man Mini Sasuke had just been observing.
He hit the blue water with the force of a small explosion.
WHOOOMP!
The resulting splash was gigantic. A colossal wall of water erupted high into the air, reaching far above the waterfall's spray. Simultaneously, the sheer force of the pressure wave sent several small, startled fish leaping desperately into the morning air.
Before the fish could even begin their descent, Sasuke moved. His eyes snapped open, his relaxed posture instantly vanishing.
His right hand flashed out of the water, drawing a single kunai.
"Lee," Sasuke said, his voice low and utterly focused, the word cutting clearly through the settling water.
He executed a flawless great shuriken technique, snapping his wrist and sending the kunai spinning with deadly precision. THWIP! The gleaming metal pierced straight through the body of one of the largest airborne fish, spearing it mid-air.
"Understood, Sasuke-kun!" Lee shouted, instantly abandoning his own relaxation. He sprang from the water with explosive speed, performing a complex series of mid-air Taijutsu.
He intercepted the flying, speared fish—kunai and all—with a crisp, clean thwack into his waiting hand, before sinking back into the lake.
Neji, who had been the only one to anticipate the entire action, merely shook the water from his hair. "Hmph. Predictable," he commented, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly in approval.
Mini Sasuke's jaw dropped.
'That wasn't morning exercise! That was a synchronized attack! That Usurantokachi used the entire lake as a giant fishing net, and my Older self used the Shuriken Jutsu just to catch breakfast! Why are they all so ridiculously powerful, even when relaxing?!'
He thought, his earlier terror now replaced by stunned, grudging awe.
The action around the lake was just as swift in winding down as it had been starting up.
As Lee emerged from the water, his arms laden with the three speared fish, he called out. "Ino-san! Please catch it!"
Ino walked towards the group and caught the fish easily, giving Lee a look of mild irritation and amusement.
Naruto, meanwhile, didn't waste a second. He was already scaling the cliff face toward the extended platform, preparing for the bizarre exercise which came next.
Mini Sasuke, watching the seamless transition, felt a thrill shoot through his chest. 'That was actually... brilliant,' he thought grudgingly.
The sight of the powerful men in the cool blue water was utterly irresistible. He wanted in. He felt a sudden, childish urge to rush into the lake and leap up to that platform just like Naruto.
He pushed off the ground, ready to sprint into the water.
Then, his mind slammed on the brakes.
'Wait. If I go inside the lake like this, my clothes would be soaked! They'll be heavy, and I'll have to wear wet clothes for the rest of the day. That's illogical and disgusting.'
He paused, a tiny frown forming. 'But if I remove my clothes and go...'
A sudden, horrifying image flashed through his mind: Sasuke and Neji staring at his small, unformed body with expressions of pity.
Lee would probably yell something about his lack of youthful physique, and Naruto would simply point and laugh like the idiot he was.
'No! Absolutely not. The shame would be eternal. It's better to go with the clothes! Wet clothes are temporary. Eternal mockery is forever!'
He took a decisive step forward, already prepared to sacrifice his dignity for the sake of the cooling water. He raised one leg to step down the slippery bank, when a clear, low voice cut through the sound of the waterfall.
"Oi... Wait. Don't come inside like this, or else how would you wear wet clothes."
Mini Sasuke froze. The sound of the voice, low and unmistakable, caused every muscle in his small body to lock up. He slowly turned his head.
Sasuke was looking right at him. He lifted a hand from the water and gave a tiny, almost imperceptible gesture—a crook of his finger that clearly meant: Come here.
Swallowing hard, Mini Sasuke crept toward the edge of the lake until he was standing right beside his older counterpart. He leaned in conspiratorially, dropping his voice to a strained whisper.
"I know, I know that if I go inside like this then my clothes would be wet, but I am too embarrassed to go inside without my clothes!"
Sasuke did not move. He looked down at his younger self, his dark eyes fixing on the small, red face almost like a tomato.
There was no surprise, no amusement, and certainly no warmth. Instead, the penetrating stare conveyed a silent, profound judgment, tinged with a weariness that only an older self could possess.
It was the unmistakable look of someone whose mind was perfectly clear, and who saw his younger self's logic as completely, pathetically flawed.
The look conveyed, without a single word, the message: 'You are standing here, having a debate about wet clothes, because you are seriously embarrassed? That is your primary concern right now?'
The depth of his silent disappointment was palpable.
"Ok, I know...." Mini Sasuke muttered, his shoulders slumping. He threw his both hands up in a gesture of complete, exasperated surrender. "I am sounding dumb."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. "Good," he stated simply, his voice dry and flat.
Before Mini Sasuke could decide his next move, Sasuke pushed himself up slightly from the water. He reached out, grabbed the collar of Mini Sasuke's shirt, and swiftly yanked it up and over his head.
He tossed the dry garment onto the bank right next to the child's feet.
Mini Sasuke stood there, small and bare-chested, momentarily shocked by the cold air hitting his skin.
But his racing mind quickly processed the action and he thought, 'He only took the shirt! He left the pants!'
The others in the water, he noticed, were wearing their equivalent of under-shorts. His older self hadn't forced him into the most embarrassing, exposed position.
The cold, logical older version of him had implicitly acknowledged and respected the boundary of the younger one's modesty.
The gratitude and excitement were immediate and overwhelming. A wide, triumphant smile exploded across his face.
"You're not that bad after all, you know!" he chirped, and with a whoop of pure glee, he launched himself forward.
It was a full-body attack. He jumped onto Sasuke, wrapping his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist.
"What the—?!" Sasuke let out a startled, guttural sound, his eyes widening for the first time that morning. The sudden, small weight of his younger self was too much. He lost his footing on the slippery stones beneath the water.
With a huge, magnificent KA-SPLASH, Sasuke fell backward, crashing into the lake with Mini Sasuke still clinging tightly to him.
They both shot back to the surface a moment later, sputtering. Sasuke was shaking his hair like a furious wet dog, while Mini Sasuke was shrieking with triumphant, ecstatic laughter.
"HAHAHAHA! WE DID IT! WE REALLY JUMPED INTO THE LAKE TOGETHER" Mini Sasuke yelled, still glued to his soaking older self.
Naruto, who had just reached the top of the platform, threw his head back and let out a roar of absolute delight. "HAHAHA! SASUKE! Did your little shadow clone just hug you into the water?! That was awesome!"
Lee, still holding the speared fish, dramatically raised a fist. "Youthful passion strikes again! The bond is growing, Sasuke-kun! You cannot escape the power of friendship!"
Neji merely sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Troublesome," he mumbled, shaking his head but gave a smirk.
The fight between the two Sasukes was still going on, but Neji broke the noise. He looked completely calm through all the splashing.
"Lee," Neji started, his voice quiet and straight. "I can't reach the right spots on my back to clean it well. It doesn't make sense to leave it untouched. I need your help."
Lee's eyes suddenly lit up with energy, like he got a huge mission. "Of course, Neji! I will scrub hard to make sure your back is completely clean and relaxed perfectly!"
Lee quickly grabbed a thick, wet piece of bright orange cloth from the ground. He soaked it in the water and started rubbing Neji's back very fast. Neji closed his eyes and leaned back, looking very calm and peaceful.
Naruto, still on the high rock, shouted made-up attack names while moving his hands in the water. Mini Sasuke tried to copy his older self's quiet, cool pose in the water, but he mostly just bobbed around clumsily.
"Wow, Neji looks totally relaxed!" Naruto yelled from above. "He's never looked that calm! Gejimayu, I want a turn with that strong orange cloth!"
Lee quickly left Neji and swam over to Naruto's rock with excitement.
"Don't worry, Naruto-kun! I will scrub you hard too! Get ready to be super relaxed!" Lee promised, and he started enthusiastically rubbing Naruto's back with the orange cloth.
Naruto closed his eyes and sighed deeply as Lee worked. "Wooh, man! This feels amazing, Gejimayu! So much better than trying to use a tree branch! My skin feels so smooth!" Naruto cheered.
He opened one eye and looked at the cloth. "Hey, where did you find this great cloth? It's really thick and soft!"
Lee stopped scrubbing. He held the wet, bright orange cloth up with a proud smile.
"Oh, this?" Lee beamed. "Well, it should feel good after all it's your pants, Naruto-kun!"
The entire group suddenly became silent. Mini Sasuke and Sasuke stopped arguing and just stared.
Naruto's mouth dropped open. His eyes grew huge and wide. He let out a loud, high-pitched scream of total shock:
"HEEEEEH?! MY PANTS?! YOU USED MY MISSION GEAR'S PANTS WHICH I WAS WEARING JUST NOW.....MY BRIGHT ORANGE FAVOURITE PANTS....TO WASH YOURSELVES?!"
When Naruto yelled, Lee instantly let go of the wet, bright orange cloth. Lee's eyes were wide with genuine shock, suddenly realizing the terrible mistake he'd made.
He stood frozen in the water, his hands now empty, no longer rubbing Naruto's back.
The orange cloth—Naruto's last pair of pants—drifted away, flowing gently onto the river current created by the waterfall. It looked completely lost and forlorn as it started to float out into the middle of the lake.
Naruto didn't waste a second. He looked wildly at the floating laundry, his face twisted with panicked grief.
"My pants! Wait for me!" Naruto yelled. He lunged headfirst into the water and started swimming frantically after the bright orange fabric. "They're limited edition! They match my jacket! And of all they are my 'LAST PAIRS' "
Mini Sasuke couldn't hold it in any longer. The entire situation—the horrified scream, the dramatic chase, the absurdity of the "scrubbing rag"—was too much. He threw his head back and started to laugh really loudly.
"HAHAHA!!" Mini Sasuke howled, clutching his small stomach. "You look like a crazy duck, Usurantokachi!"
Neji merely floated calmly, watching the scene with a silent, resigned sigh. "Such is the fate of bright, illogical clothing," he muttered.
Older Sasuke glared at the chasing Naruto, then at the hysterical Mini Sasuke. "It's not that funny," he grumbled, but even his strict face couldn't hide the slight, involuntary twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Lee, still standing frozen, suddenly pumped a fist. "I must make up for my error! I shall retrieve the youthful trousers!" And he swam off with renewed fervor after the fleeing garments.
A little further into the forest, away from the splashing and yelling of the boys, the girls were busy. The air here was strangely cool, filled with the scent of damp leaves and ripening fruit.
The loud cries of Naruto's "HEEEEEH?!"
echoed faintly from the lake, followed by Mini Sasuke's loud laughter.
"Honestly, those boys," Ino sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "To think they are 12 years old. I think Sasuke-kun's younger self behave good than Naruto.....Naruto's pants... seriously?"
Tenten grinned, slicing a fish with a practiced hand. "Well, they are all twelve. Except for Sasuke's younger self, who sounds like he's having the time of his life laughing at them like an old man."
Sakura frowned slightly, looking down at the herbs she was sorting. "Forget the pants. Why is it so cold?" She rubbed her arms. "It was warm yesterday, and now it feels like late autumn. We're not even close to winter in the Land of Fire."
Hinata paused her work, wrapping her gentle hands around a cool apple. "It's true. The nights here are much longer than they should be, and the cold comes so quickly after the sun sets. And the days feel shorter."
A sudden, serious quiet fell over the group.
Tenten stopped cleaning the fish, her kunai still. "She's right," she said slowly. "Look at the sunlight. It's high morning, but the light is weak. This place feels like it's trying to trick us about the season."
Karin bit her lip, her eyes scanning the distant trees. "My senses are trying to read the area, but the air itself feels heavy and dense. It's a completely different kind of cold than the forest back..."
She gave a pause and thought " No way.. I was about to get caught and then she recalled 'Land of Fire..as much as I remember.'
Then everyone looked at her and then she continued
"This is not Konoha."
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AUTHOR'S NOTE:
"This is not Konoha" ❄️🤯
This chapter was defined by a massive, silence-shattering revelation! 🤫 While the surface was all chaos, the underlying truth revealed by the girls completely rewrites the map 🗺️ for our heroes.
We focused on the terrifying details: the unseasonal, biting cold that is far too intense for the Land of Fire 🥶, the unsettling feeling of the air, and how the familiar Nature Energy feels strange and weak.
Sakura's wound—which should be healing quickly—is stubbornly refusing to close, signaling that something is fundamentally wrong with their surroundings. 😟
The realization that unfolded in the clearing was shocking: "This is not Konoha." 🛑 This means the sky they are under, the land they are on, and the environment they are fighting are all a colossal Mirage or a deception! 👁️🗨️
They are truly lost, far from any familiar territory, and the very air is misleading them. It's an existential threat that they haven't even registered yet, and it changes everything about their mission!
This stunning reveal pushes our story into a much darker, unknown territory. How will they navigate this alien environment? Stay tuned! 🏞️
TALK TO ME 😎
Before we dive into the chilling revelation, I first want to sincerely apologize for the long skip! 🙏 I know the wait between chapters can feel like an eternity ⏰, and I truly appreciate your patience and dedication to this story. Thank you for sticking with me! ❤️
Now, back to the chaos! I just love the simplicity and power of this title! "This is not Konoha" is the perfect end cap to a chapter that was all about spectacular misdirection. When writing this, the core intention was to completely disarm the reader with the superficial chaos and humor (the chasing of pants, the water fights 😂) so that the final reveal would land with maximum force 💥.
We all got distracted by the laughs, but the girls were keeping their eyes wide open! 👁️🗨️
The quiet, logical breakdown was terrifying: the unnaturally cold climate 🥶, Sakura's medical-nin instincts failing with the slow wound healing, and Karin confirming the air felt wrong.
This isn't just about being in the wrong village; it's about being in the wrong reality. The chakra is strange, the seasons lie, and the sky itself is a deception 🌌.
That final line is the moment the whole timeline shift stops being a game and starts being a fight for survival. I wanted that realization to feel chilling and absolute, a point of no return. The fun is over, and the real mystery has begun.
Where do they go from here? The map is blank,🗺️ the compass is broken 🧭 🛑. It's time to find a new path! ✍️
📜 TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER
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 💬
"Yes...I really miss my teammates"
" I told you not to mention anything infront of my younger self about the future events in his perspective!!!"
"If we are in Iwagakure then we can reach only two places"
"Heh! A place called 'Tetsu no Kuni' also exists dattebayo?"
—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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