The first rays of dawn filtered weakly through the fractured horizon, painting the ruins in a fragile gold that seemed out of place amid the devastation. Collapsed towers leaned like broken spears, and the wind whistled through hollow streets, carrying the faint whisper of a world that had been deliberately erased. Naruto Uzumaki paused near a crumbling archway, his blue eyes narrowing as he ran his fingertips across a symbol half-buried in stone.
"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto murmured, his voice subdued in a way that felt unnatural for him. "This… this looks like the Leaf's crest. But it's… older, warped somehow."
Sasuke crouched beside him, sweeping away the dust. The red rings of his Sharingan spun lazily, analyzing every line of the mark. "It isn't just older," he said quietly. "It's the crest's ancestor—a symbol from before the Hidden Villages united. This place existed before Konoha… and someone didn't want anyone to remember it."
Naruto gave a weak laugh, though it cracked at the edges. "Guess Iruka-sensei didn't cover this in history class, huh?"
Sasuke didn't even smirk. His gaze stayed locked on the broken crest. "This isn't a joke. To erase an entire nation and its history—someone powerful did this. And they've been gone so long, no one even questioned the silence."
They moved through the overgrown streets, their footsteps crunching on broken glass and debris. The ruins stretched endlessly, a graveyard of forgotten truths. The air felt heavier with every step.
---
Unspoken Memories
Naruto kicked a loose pebble and shoved his hands into his pockets. His voice, usually loud and cheerful, was hushed. "Y'know, when we saw that vision back there—the warrior with the bleeding eyes—you felt it too, didn't you? The chakra… it was familiar."
Sasuke's shoulders stiffened. "I felt it. And it wasn't just familiar—it was Uchiha."
Naruto's breath hitched. "But that's impossible. Itachi… Madara… you're the last."
Sasuke stopped abruptly, and for a heartbeat, the world held still. The name hung between them like a blade. His mind betrayed him, flashing back to the moonlit night of the massacre, the glint of his brother's eyes, and the blood pooling on cold streets. He squeezed his eyes shut against the memories.
"Don't say his name so lightly," he whispered.
Naruto looked at him, guilt flickering across his face. "Sorry… I didn't mean—"
Sasuke cut him off, his voice hard but quiet. "It doesn't matter."
But it did matter. The silence that followed carried the weight of a bond forged in pain—a bond that neither of them could escape.
---
The Earth Awakens
The ground trembled beneath them. Thin cracks spiderwebbed through the cobblestones, and a deep emerald glow leaked from below.
"Uh-oh…" Naruto backed up a step. "That can't be good."
A seal flared beneath their feet, runes blazing like wildfire. The glow coalesced into the ghostly projection of a masked warrior, its form flickering as though from another world.
The voice that came was distorted but commanding:
> "To those who trespass in the city of the lost: Raizen's sins are not forgotten. Beware the shadow of Shibai."
The phantom's image shattered like glass, and silence returned.
Naruto swallowed. "Raizen… Shibai… this is all connected."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, the Sharingan dimming. "Raizen didn't just destroy nations—he buried their memories. And Shibai… whoever that is, he's at the heart of it."
---
Naruto's Hope vs. Sasuke's Doubt
As they picked their way through the rubble, Naruto shoved his hands behind his head. "So what now? Hunt Raizen down, get him to talk? Maybe he had a reason for all this."
Sasuke shot him a sharp look. "Don't be naïve. If Raizen erased every nation's memories, if he wiped out history itself—he's not someone we can reason with."
Naruto stepped ahead of him, eyes blazing with stubborn determination. "I've heard that before—about Pain, about Obito, even about you. Every time, I found another way. I'm not giving up on anyone—not even Raizen."
Sasuke's lips twitched into the faintest smirk. "You're still the same idiot."
"And you're still the same emo jerk," Naruto replied, but there was warmth in his grin.
---
Visions in the Dust
The street opened into a broad plaza, the remnants of a once-grand fountain at its center. Sasuke's Sharingan detected faint chakra trails leading underground. "There's something beneath us."
Naruto's voice grew serious. "Another secret?"
As they prepared to descend through a gap in the stone, the sky itself seemed to ripple. For a fraction of a second, Naruto glimpsed a figure standing on a distant ridge—a man with long white hair, crimson eyes like bleeding moons, and a cloak of stars. His heart skipped. But when he blinked, the vision was gone.
Sasuke caught the flicker of unease on his face. "What did you see?"
"Nothing," Naruto lied. "Just… thought someone was watching us."
---
The Murals Below
The tunnels beneath the city were suffused with a faint, eerie light from veins of glowing crystal. Murals carved into the walls depicted a battle unlike any in the history books: a lone warrior clashing with a figure of pure light, the sky itself tearing apart above them.
Naruto traced a finger over one mural showing burning villages and falling banners. His voice trembled. "This… this is the war Raizen fought. He wasn't just some rogue ninja."
Sasuke studied a panel of five banners—the Five Great Nations—torn and aflame. "And yet, after this… the Hokage issued a decree to kill him and the Uchiha."
Naruto's fists clenched. "No wonder he erased everything. But… to wipe out memories? To rewrite history like this? That's…"
Sasuke didn't look at him. "It's the kind of choice someone makes when they've already lost too much."
---
The Crystal Monolith
The passage opened into a cavern dominated by a massive crystal monolith, pulsing faintly with ancient chakra. As they approached, the crystal flickered and projected a memory—Raizen himself, but younger, his eyes weary yet resolute.
> "To those who find this… I thought peace could be forged through forgetting. I erased their hatred. I erased my sins. But some wounds don't heal, even when memories fade. If Shibai's shadow rises again, I may be forced to return—whether this world remembers me or not."
The vision dissolved, leaving only the drip of water.
Naruto's throat tightened. "He… regrets it."
Sasuke turned away, the faint tremor in his hand betraying his thoughts. "Regret doesn't undo bloodshed."
Naruto looked at him, seeing Itachi's ghost in Sasuke's expression. "Then maybe we don't repeat the same mistakes."
---
Raizen's Distant Watch
As they climbed back toward the surface, dawn had fully claimed the sky. The ruins, bathed in golden light, seemed almost peaceful again. But on a distant cliff, Raizen stood cloaked in shadow, his expression unreadable.
> "Naruto Uzumaki… Sasuke Uchiha… You remind me of what I lost—and what I still must protect. But if you uncover too much… I may have no choice."
The wind carried his words away, leaving only the ruins and the beginning of a storm yet to come.
---