Sasuke opened his eyes… the world around him was blurry… his head hurt, and that was good. It meant he had survived. He didn't know how. He had been sure his time had come… but in the last moment, he thought he saw Hinata crying at his side, giving him strength, holding him at the threshold. Her warmth had kept him on this side.
However, his eyes… wouldn't focus properly. Every shape was a smear. Every outline, a haze.
Beside him, he saw a smudge of orange and yellow.
"Sakura-chan! He's awake!"
Naruto's voice boomed in his ear. Sasuke winced.
"Keep your voice down… idiot," he muttered.
Naruto laughed, relieved. "You look just as grumpy as always. Glad to see you're still alive. Fighting alongside you again felt good."
Sasuke replied, "It would've been better if you'd shown up earlier… but you made it. That guy was tough."
Naruto scratched his head. "Don't even get me started. I don't wanna think about what it would've been like without you helping to thin their numbers… that Deva Path was brutal."
Sakura entered just then, hurriedly, still in her medic coat stained from hours of nonstop work. When she saw Sasuke awake, she let out a breath that was almost a sob.
"Sasuke-kun…"
He turned toward her, trying to focus, but all he could see was a blur. He recognized her only by her voice. "Sakura…"
She approached and began checking his pulse, his pupils, his motor response. "Your body's recovering. It'll still take time, but… your system is responding well to treatment."
Naruto crossed his arms, smiling. "Told Hinata you were too stubborn to die."
Sasuke sighed. "Where is she?"
"She came back to Konoha with me. Visited often until she had to leave the village again. Something urgent and personal — she seemed intense about it. She left with Kiba and Shino."
Naruto made a hand seal. "I'm gonna dispel this clone so the original knows you're awake. Give me a few minutes, I'll be back."
With a puff of smoke, the clone vanished.
The room fell silent. Sakura finished her examination and, seeing Sasuke a bit more lucid, began putting away her tools.
Sasuke watched her intently for a moment. Then, without preamble, he murmured:
"I need your help. I want… to do the eye transplant. With Itachi."
Sakura looked at him, surprised, but said nothing.
"I'm going blind. It's the Mangekyō's toll… we knew it. But what happened with Akatsuki was a wake-up call. If I want to keep protecting this village, if I want the strength to face what's coming… I need this. And so does he."
She nodded, slowly.
"His body is fragile… but stable. And if Tsunade-sama left me in charge, it means she believes I can handle it. I'll do it."
Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the world darken further. But for the first time… it also felt clearer.
<<<< o >>>>
The Red Monk sat in silence, his body still, his thoughts like a current running deep beneath the earth. Darkness surrounded him in the cave chamber, interrupted only by the soft flicker of chakra-infused lanterns reflecting off the cold stone walls.
From a side tunnel, the heavy wooden door creaked open and Kabuto stepped in, adjusting his glasses as always.
"News from Konoha," he announced, his voice sharp. "It appears someone destroyed my Edo Tensei versions of Kakuzu and Hidan. The one responsible is none other than the Iron Princess—Hinata Gin."
The Red Monk's head tilted slightly, as if the weight of the name physically struck him. His aura shifted, and Kabuto instinctively took a step back. The pressure was suffocating — like molten hatred pressing down through the air.
"So… she still lives," the monk murmured. "That changes things."
Kabuto frowned. "Changes things? How so?"
The monk turned his eyes — bright, burning crimson — away from the shadows and onto Kabuto.
"She is the Silver Lady. She survived our ambush in Amegakure."
Kabuto's breath caught. "That… fits. More than I'd like."
"Have they captured the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki?" the monk demanded, his voice now sharp and clear.
Kabuto nodded, pushing his glasses back into place. "As far as I know, they're en route, just as you ordered. Your warning about his attempt to evade capture was effective. We now have both the Jinchūriki and his clone. Deidara, Kisame, and Tobi are bringing them here."
The monk gave a small, eerie nod. "Tonight, we'll contact the remaining Akatsuki members as planned. We may need to reconsider some strategies. Capturing the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki… won't be easy."
Several hours later, within the main chamber of the underground complex, the Red Monk and Kabuto stood before a wide, circular stone pool filled with ethereal chakra mist. One by one, the spectral projections of Akatsuki began to appear: Obito, Deidara, Kisame, Zetsu… and Konan.
Konan was the first to speak, her tone ice-sharp and unwavering.
"Before we begin — two things. First: Pain is dead. His eyes were taken by Hinata Gin. Second: I'm withdrawing from Akatsuki."
She removed her ring. Her projection flickered and vanished without another word.
Deidara blinked. "Who the hell is Hinata Gin?"
The Red Monk answered, his voice colder than stone. "She is the Silver Lady. The greatest threat to our plan."
Obito's projection leaned forward. "Pain's Rinnegan was essential. We need those eyes back."
Kabuto adjusted his lenses again. "She's emotional. If we capture people important to her, we might be able to force her hand. I can also reinforce the Edo Tensei summons. With the Red Monk's alterations, she won't be able to destroy them as easily as she did in Konoha."
The Red Monk's gaze narrowed. "We must seize her father figures. Hiashi Hyūga and Takama Gin."
Zetsu chimed in, his voice low and serpentine. "I've confirmed that the Five Kage will meet in the Land of Iron soon to address Akatsuki. Takama Gin will be there."
Obito nodded slowly. "In that case, I'll divert to Konoha first to secure Hiashi. Then I'll head for the summit. That's where we declare war on the Shinobi World."
Kabuto smirked slightly. "While you're in Konoha, there's another specimen I'd like you to obtain. With it, our forces could reach a new level."
Kisame cracked his neck with a grin. "Me and Deidara will handle getting the Eight-Tails to you."
Deidara scoffed, arms crossed. "This 'Silver Lady' better not show up. I hate people who ruin my art."
The Red Monk simply turned back toward the shadows. "Let the world prepare. Our next move will shake the very bones of the Five Nations."
<<<< o >>>>
The three young members of the former Team Eight arrived just outside the capital of the Land of Fire. From their vantage point, the city rose in the distance — open, imposing, alive. Streams of people flowed through its gates while the presence of Konoha shinobi was unmistakable. Patrols moved along the walls, and guards kept close watch on the flow of visitors.
The manipulation and justifications used by the Elders to relocate troops to the capital — once meant to corner Tsunade politically — had backfired. Now, those same units remained stationed there out of fear: the next strike could target the very heart of the nation. The pieces had moved, and the game Danzō had orchestrated was becoming painfully clear.
Hinata stood among them, wearing a comfortable white-and-blue kimono. Mitsue was coiled loosely at her waist, while Kuro rested calmly beneath her feet. Beside her stood Shino and Kiba, with Akamaru panting quietly by his side.
Kiba was the first to speak. "Honestly, this whole thing where you can find people just by tracking their threads… it feels like cheating."
Shino adjusted his collar calmly. "As long as the cheating works in our favor, I'm all for it."
Hinata smiled softly. "I've always wanted to visit the capital. Seems like the perfect moment."
Kiba cracked his knuckles. "I know I probably won't be the one to kill him… but at least let me get one good punch in."
Shino said nothing. But his body trembled slightly — not from fear, but from the fury bubbling under his skin.
Hinata glanced at them both and grinned. "Don't worry. The wonderful thing about Danzō… is that he keeps coming back. You'll get your chance."
Then Kuro's voice chimed in from below. "Wait… can I ask for one of his eyes? Maybe Mitsue can swap mine for a Sharingan. That'd be cool."
Hinata laughed gently. "Let's focus on finding him first, Kuro. Then we'll see what kind of souvenirs we can collect."
They began walking — three comrades bound by shared pain, stepping forward into the shadow of a capital that had unknowingly harbored the seed of treachery for too long.