Snowstorm.
The wind howled, sharp as knives, and snow fell like a curtain from the heavens.
Sakura and her team were currently hiding inside a mountain cave, huddled away from the brutal weather. They hadn't dared to light a fire. Even in such a freezing blizzard, they couldn't afford to let their guard down for even a second.
The whistle of the wind echoed in their ears, and the cold bit at their skin. Sakura, curled up near the entrance of the cave, could hardly recall another mission during which she had experienced such terrible weather.
The cave was pitch black. Fortunately, all four of them—Sakura, Sasuke, Kiba, and Shino—had trained senses far sharper than most. Even in the dark, their awareness allowed them to function as though it were broad daylight.
Even Kiba, who was usually the most energetic and impulsive among them, was uncharacteristically quiet. He sat still, resting and conserving his strength.
Time passed slowly, minute by minute. The silence of the cave was broken only by the occasional gust of wind and the rustling of snow.
Sasuke, the dark-haired boy, slowly rose to his feet. Without making a sound, he walked over to Sakura and gently tapped her shoulder.
He motioned to her that she could take a break now. He would take over the watch.
Sakura nodded silently. With her body tense from hours of vigilance, she stood and moved toward the back of the cave to rest.
But just as she turned away—crack.
A faint crunching sound split the night.
Even with the storm howling outside, the noise struck her like thunder in the dead silence of the cave.
That wasn't the wind. That was the unmistakable sound of footsteps on snow.
All of them had grown attuned to it during this mission. There was no mistaking it.
Sakura froze, her senses sharpening in an instant. She wasn't the only one.
Sasuke's expression darkened. His eyes narrowed with focus, and he moved silently toward the shadows.
The two of them retreated deeper into the cave, finding spots to hide. When they entered, they found Kiba and Shino already awake, alert, and ready to act.
Sakura gave them a quick hand signal—silence—and the four of them scattered into position, finding cover among the rocks and shadows.
The sound of crunching snow outside the cave grew louder.
Closer.
Then, figures appeared in the storm—three or four of them, bundled in heavy coats, trudging through the blizzard.
"This weather is hell. Patrolling in this storm is just torture," one of the figures muttered irritably.
"Tell me about it. At least this cave will give us some shelter. Start a fire. We need to warm up."
A sharp click of a lighter broke the darkness. The cave, once shrouded in pitch black, lit up with flickering orange light as flames began to consume a bundle of dry twigs.
The heat pushed away the biting cold, at least near the entrance.
Sakura cautiously peeked out from behind her hiding place, just enough to catch a glimpse of the intruders.
Three men.
They wore uniforms in shades of white and gray—typical of ninja from the Cloud Village. The forehead protectors they wore confirmed it: Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds.
All three wore thick cloaks suited for harsh weather. It looked like they were part of a patrol team.
Sakura frowned slightly. Who goes on patrol in weather like this? Kumogakure is certainly diligent... or paranoid.
She glanced back to find her teammates already looking toward her, awaiting her judgment.
She gave a subtle shake of her head, then made a series of hand signs.
Avoid combat. Do not engage.
These were just a few patrol ninja—not worth exposing themselves over. But if this squad were to suddenly go missing, reinforcements would surely come looking. And in times of war, a lost patrol didn't mean an accident—it meant enemy action.
The best-case scenario was for these men to rest for a bit and then move on, never discovering the four Konoha ninja in hiding.
But of course, Sakura knew things rarely went according to plan.
One of the men, after warming his hands by the fire, began to walk deeper into the cave.
Sasuke, his face impassive, quietly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. He was prepared. If the man saw them—if he even glimpsed a shadow—Sasuke would strike first.
The Cloud ninja's steps echoed softly as he walked forward, peering into the dark recesses of the cave.
"Hey! What are you doing?" one of his companions called out. "Quit wandering around. Come warm up."
"Oh, it's just so dark back here," the man replied casually. "Thought I might see if there's anything edible. Some mushrooms or something."
He scratched his head and turned as if to go back.
And that was when it happened.
A faint sound—barely audible, but unmistakable.
Every head turned sharply toward the source.
It was Akamaru—Kiba's loyal dog—nestled under his partner's coat. A tiny growl had escaped him, unintentional but fatal.
"A dog?" the man muttered, his eyes narrowing. "There's a dog in here?"
The Cloud ninja looked surprised for a second. Then he grinned.
"Well, well… looks like we found dinner."
"A dog?" his companion echoed, intrigued. "Is it a husky?"
Dogs weren't uncommon in snowfields. On the contrary—they were often used by villagers as transportation across snow. Huskies, Samoyeds, Alaskan Malamutes—"the sled dog trio," as people sometimes called them.
Hearing them mention huskies, Akamaru stuck out his tongue and tilted his head in a goofy, dumb expression, trying to act the part.
Trying to pretend to be a harmless sled dog.
"Eh, doesn't really look like one…" the first man muttered, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
Sakura sighed inwardly.
Too late.
Sasuke, ever vigilant, didn't hesitate for a second.
Shing!
The sound of a blade slicing through the air echoed like thunder.
The sword flashed out from the darkness like lightning, cold and sharp as the blizzard outside.
The man didn't even have time to scream.
"Damn it!" his companion cried as the ninja collapsed to the floor, blood staining the snow.
"It's Konoha ninja!"
Before the other two could react, Kiba and Shino were already in motion.
"Fang Over Fang!" Kiba shouted, spinning like a deadly drill.
"Bug Sphere!" Shino's calm voice followed, his insects erupting in a dark, humming wave.
The two Cloud ninja didn't stand a chance.
Caught off guard, unprepared, they were taken down in seconds.
Blood, snow, and silence fell over the cave once more.
Sakura didn't seem surprised. After all, Kiba and Shino were heirs to two of the most respected clans in Konoha—the Inuzuka and the Aburame. The secret techniques they wielded were powers ordinary ninja could only dream of.
But despite the swift victory, Sakura's expression remained grim.
Sasuke, too, looked colder than ever. His sharp eyes were locked not on the fallen enemies—but on Akamaru, still trembling in Kiba's arms.
Even the dog sensed Sasuke's fury.
"Ak-Akamaru didn't mean to…" Kiba said hesitantly, hugging the dog tighter.
Sasuke's glare was like fire.
"Do you understand what you've done?" he growled, stepping toward Kiba. "Do you know what happens next?"
"I—"
Kiba faltered, clenching his jaw. He couldn't argue. He knew he was at fault.
Shino remained silent, eyes hidden behind his glasses, lips pressed tight. He didn't know what to say either.
"Enough."
Sakura stepped between the two boys, hands raised.
"Even if Akamaru hadn't made a sound, we were close to being discovered. There's no point arguing about it now."
She turned to Sasuke, her voice calm but firm.
"We need to keep moving. Now."
"This patrol squad is dead. It won't take long for Cloud to notice something's wrong."
Sasuke didn't reply but didn't resist when Sakura pushed him gently back.
She turned to Kiba, her voice softening.
"We don't have much time left. We need to reach our objective as quickly as possible."
"Infighting is the last thing we can afford. Got it?"
Kiba nodded stiffly, his shoulders still tense.
Sakura looked around. The tense atmosphere had eased slightly, and Shino's clenched jaw relaxed just a little.
"Let's move," she said quietly, leading the way out into the snow.
The blizzard still raged outside.
But the blade had been drawn, and now there was no turning back.
(End of Chapter)
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