Under a bandit's guidance, the group reached a hidden valley at the foot of the mountain. Their guide swore this was their stronghold, yet every bandit gaped, some rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
The cave entrance had vanished. A landslide had poured earth, rock and splintered trees over the entrance, sealing it completely.
Worse, the forest edge before the cave had been burned to ash. Only blackened stumps remained, a faint stench of scorched wood still curling in the air.
"I–it can't be…" one bandit whispered, knees buckling.
Miki frowned at the stunned men, then looked to Mamoru. "What's wrong with them?"
Mamoru pinched his nose against the acrid smoke. "Imagine coming home and finding your house… exploded."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning…" Mamoru lowered his hand, a cold smile forming.
He pointed to the ruin and spoke clearly, "I blew up their lair. Everyone inside is buried, no survivors."
Hie soft words seemed to freeze the very air.
Several nearby ninjas instinctively stepped back, eyes narrowing in alarm.
Even Miki's breath caught.
In that hush, fear, disapproval, and a flicker of admiration passed between them, yet no one spoke. The buried had earned their fate.
Miki drew a steadying breath. "Form up. We march."
In silence, they shouldered packs and drove the dispirited captives onward. The bandits looked back at the smoking rubble, some weeping, others vacant-eyed.
Before long, they reached the nearest town.
At Miki's signal, they halted at the gates, left the wounded in the clinic, and posted a ninja to watch over him.
After a brief rest, the group moved on, herding the downcast bandits toward Konoha.
—
Half a month had passed since the Muomu Mountain mission.
Inside the Uchiha compound, morning light filtered gently through the paper doors onto the tatami.
Mamoru sat cross-legged at the low table, shoveling rice into his mouth while sizing up the silent black-haired boy opposite him.
Sasuke sipped miso soup in small, deliberate motions, so precise that even the angle of his chopsticks was perfect.
The forced neatness made Mamoru mutter inwardly, 'It's been days since they returned from the Land of Waves, yet he still acts like a ghost.'
"Hey."
Mamoru finally cracked under the oppressive breakfast mood, scraping the last grains of rice into his mouth and mumbling, "How was the Land of Waves mission?"
Sasuke didn't even lift his eyelids. "How do you mean?"
Mamoru pressed, elbows on the table, "The mission itself, did it go smoothly?"
Sasuke's reply was terse to the point of dismissal. "Fine. Completed."
"Tch." Mamoru curled his lip. "Don't be so cold, give me the details."
He leaned forward, trying to catch Sasuke's evasive gaze.
"Nothing worth telling." Sasuke still stared downward, fingers lightly turning his soup bowl.
Mamoru stretched over the table till he was almost nose-to-nose with Sasuke. "I'm curious. C'mon, spill—"
Irritated, Sasuke set down his chopsticks with a sigh. "Standard C-rank. Hit a snag halfway…"
As he recited in that flat tone, the bridge battle, Haku and Zabuza's end all overlapped with Mamoru's memories of the plot.
"Hold up!" Mamoru slammed the table, rattling bowls.
"You and Naruto teamed up on one ice-ninja and still got wrecked? Pathetic."
Sasuke glared at the miso droplets that had splashed over the rim, brows knit. "What would you know?"
Mamoru lifted his chin, smug. "So useless. If I'd gone, Zabuza wouldn't have lasted thirty seconds."
Sasuke clicked his tongue and turned away, too lazy to entertain the brag.
Silence fell again, broken only by the occasional clink of chopsticks.
Before long Mamoru asked, "Got a mission today?"
"How could we not?" Sasuke shot him a look that said the question was idiotic. "What about you?"
"Got fired, lazing at home." Mamoru spread his hands, deadbeat.
"Speak normally." Sasuke frowned.
Mamoru shrugged, drawing out the words, "After earnest, in-depth negotiations with my Jōnin instructor, she granted me leave. Now I idle about all day. End of report."
"…"
Sasuke stared at him, helpless. "You're certainly unhurried."
"Oh, please. And stop staring, you'll make me blush." Mamoru raised a brow in an exaggerated shy pose.
Sasuke snorted and looked away.
Mamoru licked his lips, leaning in. "I've been hearing that you and Naruto are up to something improper. True?"
"What!?"
Sasuke sprang up from the cushion, cheeks suspiciously red. "Who spreads such garbage? That moron drives me crazy!"
Startled by the outburst, Mamoru blinked.
He'd only meant to tease, why so dramatic?
He waved it off. "Relax, just some bored folks who see everyone as gay."
Sasuke took several deep breaths, chest heaving, before sitting back down. He'd lost his appetite and stared at the cooled miso soup.
Mamoru sipped his soup casually and said, "If you don't hustle, Naruto will leave you behind."
Sasuke shot back, fingers tightening, "Impossible, I won't lose to that idiot."
...
Sasuke asked without turning, a trace of resignation in his voice, "Why are you still following me?"
"No big deal, just visiting old classmates." Mamoru strolled behind him, hands laced behind his head.
Ahead, a unique bridge came into view. It spanned calm water, its ends flanked by bright red torii-like structures.
The two stepped onto the bridge to find Sakura standing alone, glancing around uneasily.
"Sasuke-kun!"
The moment she spotted the figure she longed for, Sakura's face lit up in a brilliant smile and she waved eagerly.
But her smile froze slightly when she noticed the carefree figure behind Sasuke. "Huh... Mamoru? Why are you here too?"
Sasuke didn't answer. He simply walked to the bridge with a blank face, rested his elbows on the cold railing, and gazed at the distant water.
Mamoru copied him, leaning on the rail beside him and giving Sakura an easy grin. "What? Not happy to see me?"
"No, no! Of course not!" Sakura hastily waved her hands, blush rising. "It's just... so sudden."
"Sakura, long time no see. You look even cuter." Mamoru teased.
Eh?!" Sakura's face turned scarlet and she clasped her hands nervously. "N-no way..."
"Even your shy look is adorable." Mamoru's grin widened as he nudged the stony-faced youth beside him. "Right, Sasuke?"
Sasuke snorted. "Pathetic."
"Ignore the ice block, Sakura." Mamoru shrugged and began chatting with her about nothing in particular.
Throughout, Sasuke kept his face cold and silent as an iceberg, ignoring everything around him.
Mamoru muttered inwardly, 'If I hadn't shown up, would you two have just stood here in silence?'
Actually, Team 7's usual dynamic wasn't this bad. Without Mamoru, it was usually Sakura stealing lovesick glances while Sasuke remained oblivious.