Somewhere not too far, a breeze stirred the leaves overhead, still tinged with the coppery scent of scorched bark and chakra-burnt earth. Shikamaru Nara paused mid-step, his fingers twitching at his side. The shadows around his feet quivered unnaturally, like they were being pulled. "Something's not right..." he muttered, narrowing his eyes as he stared toward the distant treeline. He reached up and pressed two fingers to his temple. There. A flicker of chakra. No, four. But only one was active. The others were dim, unconscious. "Team 7 and Rock Lee," he said, voice suddenly sharp. "Their chakra signatures... they're down."

Ino turned, brushing blond hair from her face, her eyes already scanning. "You're sure?"

"I don't guess," Shikamaru muttered, his brows furrowing. "One of them is still conscious... but barely. It's fading."

Choji shifted nervously, tightening the straps on his gear. "Could be an enemy," he offered, voice low. But he didn't sound convinced.

"No," Shikamaru said, his jaw clenching. "It's Sakura... hers is the only one still moving, but it's weak. Like... like she's on the edge of chakra collapse." He didn't mention the other thing that unsettled him, the remnants of a foreign chakra signature, something that had pulsed out like a beacon before vanishing entirely. Whatever had happened, it hadn't been ordinary. "We have to get to Team 7," he said, already moving through the underbrush. "Fast."

Ino's eyes narrowed with determination as she fell into step beside him. "Lead the way, Shikamaru." Choji's footsteps pounded the earth behind them, his hands already fishing in his pouch for a soldier pill. The air grew heavier as they neared the epicenter, a strange stillness in the forest, as if even the animals were holding their breath. Smoke curled in lazy spirals from just beyond the next ridge, and the scent of ozone and blood thickened the air.

"Almost there," Shikamaru whispered, more to himself than to them. His pace quickened. He didn't know what they'd find, but something deep in his gut warned him, nothing would be the same after this.

As they neared the source of the disturbance, Team 10 slowed, feet treading soft moss and ash-covered leaves. The forest was unnervingly quiet, save for the occasional groan of wind rustling through scorched branches. A sickly scent of blood, burned bark, and ozone hung thick in the air.

Ino gasped sharply, her steps faltering as her eyes locked onto the limp figure slumped in the center of a cracked, scorched clearing. "Sakura!" She broke into a run, her sandals skidding against blackened soil as she dropped to her knees beside her friend. Sakura's body was bruised, swollen, her pale skin smeared with blood and flecks of dirt. Ino's hands trembled as she gripped her shoulders. "Hey! Hey, wake up!" she begged, her voice cracking as she shook her. "Sakura, it's me. Please!"

Shikamaru stood frozen just behind her, his eyes scanning the destruction, the cracked earth, the smoking crater, the broken trees bowing under unseen force. "What the hell happened here...?" he whispered, his normally bored expression replaced with quiet shock.

"They look like they fought each other," Choji added, his voice hushed, pointing at the Sound Trio sprawled nearby, bloodied, battered, twitching. "But why would they?" Unseen to all of them, a soft pulse echoed within Sakura's subconscious.

'Perfect. I didn't do too much damage.' Sekhmet whispered, her voice as smooth and cool as gold under moonlight. With a flicker of divine chakra, she manipulated the memory pathways of the Sound Trio, veiling her appearance and erasing their recollection of Astra.

A rustle behind them made Shikamaru pivot, his hand darting toward his pouch. But it was Sasuke, the Uchiha staggered upright, one arm cradling his side. His hair hung over bloodshot eyes, his expression hollow. He blinked in the smoke-filled air, taking in the scene, his teammates sprawled, Ino cradling a motionless Sakura.

"...Sakura?" His voice was rough, barely more than a breath. His chest rose with shallow, sharp gasps. Sasuke stared at her barely recognizable face. A mix of her blood, hair all over, her face swollen. Sasuke's entire body tensed. His chakra surged suddenly, violently, as if a match had been thrown into dry oil. A low hum built in the air, dark and unstable. The curse mark writhed like a brand on his skin,

"Who did this to you?" His voice had lost all softness. His head snaps up at Zaku who stood up, groaning. The Sound-nin struggling to his feet, smirking despite a face full of blood. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, zooming in on the deep bite wound on Zaku's wrist. His blood ran colder than steel. "Was it you?" he asked, voice low and dangerous. The curse mark pulsed. "Did you... put your hands on her?" He glared firmly.

Zaku snorted and spat blood into the dirt. "She bit me first," he said, grin crooked and cracked. "Crazy little bitch didn't know when to give up."

"Wrong answer." His curse mark shifted and red fire spread along his body before tiring back to their black inky color in place on him and dark chakra erupted from his skin in a shockwave that flattened the surrounding grass and sent pebbles skittering. His head tilted sharply, the vertebrae cracking with an audible pop. Ino flinched at the surge, clutching Sakura tighter.

Shikamaru tensed and inhaled sharply beside her. "That's not normal chakra..."

Sasuke began walking forward, each step measured, predator-like. His expression was blank, but his aura screamed murder, a shadow of himself oozing with an aura of pure vengeance. "You don't lay a hand on my teammates," he said, voice low and glacial. "Especially not her."

Zaku lifted his arms to defend, but Sasuke vanished. In the blink of an eye, his fist plowed into Zaku's gut. A sickening crack echoed through the trees. Zaku flew backward, crashing into a tree trunk, the wood splintering like brittle bone. Sasuke didn't pause. He struck again, a brutal blow to the chest. Zaku choked, blood spraying from his mouth in a red arc. Shikamaru's breath hitched. Choji swallowed hard. It wasn't just a beatdown. It was a punishment. Sasuke smirked at the pain he was causing Sakura's attacker. He wanted to kill Zaku for what he had done. The bloodlust was stronger than anything in that moment.

From the forest floor, Sakura stirred, Ino still holding her. Her lashes fluttered. Her lips parted, blood drying in the corners. But it wasn't the pain that woke her. It was the chakra. That chakra, familiar, yet wrong. It was cold iron, a storm barely contained in a human shell. It made her stomach turn, her heart race, not with admiration, but with dread. She pushed herself upright, ignoring every ache and burn screaming for her to lie still. Her head throbbed, her vision doubled, but she saw him. Sasuke. The black markings had spread along his neck and shoulder. His aura flickered like hellfire and his bloodlust unmistakeable. "Sasuke..." she whispered, breathless. Another blow. Zaku gasped on the ground, gurgling. Sasuke raised his hand again."No." At this point Zaku was barely alive. He groaned breathlessly. "You're still breathing?" he hissed. "Let's fix tha-"

With her last ounce of strength, Sakura stumbled forward and threw her arms around him, clinging to his waist. "Stop!" she rasped, her voice hoarse but piercing in the silence. "Please... stop." Sasuke froze mid-strike. He turned slowly, his eyes wide and wild, chest heaving. She met his gaze, her own eyes brimming with tears. However, not from the pain, but from what she saw in him now. His eyes weren't dark, they were void. It scared her more than anything ever had. She gasped, letting go, stepping back with trembling fingers. Her blood-stained hands left red smears on his shirt.

Ino stepped slightly in front of Sakura, her stance firm and unyielding. Her chakra flared with heat and tension, buzzing faintly like static in the heavy air. "She's scared of you," she said bluntly, her voice razor-sharp. "And frankly... right now, so am I." The words landed like a slap. Sasuke's eyes widened, barely, but it was enough. The black fire-like markings twisted violently along his body, a last angry pulse of cursed power before it dulled and spun back into the Curse Mark. His clenched jaw slackened. Then, without a word, he released Zaku.

The Sound-nin dropped to the dirt with a hollow, meaty thump, dust puffing up around his limp body. The smell of scorched bark, blood, and ozone lingered in the thick, humid air. The curse mark faded from Sasuke's skin like ink melting under a flame. The clearing fell eerily silent...just the rustling of leaves and the faint groans of the beaten Sound shinobi. No one spoke.

Behind them, a low groan broke through the stillness. Naruto stirred, his fingers twitching in the soot and debris. He pushed himself upright, blinking against the pain throbbing in his skull. "S-Sakura-chan...?" His voice cracked. He saw her...Her face swollen, one eye nearly closed with bruising, blood crusted along her temple and chin, her pink hair matted and dull. Her arms hung limp at her sides, trembling from exhaustion. Naruto's breath caught in his throat. "What... what happened?" No one answered. The air was too heavy. But his eyes trailed across the carnage: Zaku's twisted body half-buried in splintered bark, Kin groaning weakly in the brush, Dosu limp in the undergrowth, and then to Sasuke. The faint, writhing black of the curse mark still sizzled on Sasuke's skin, just visible beneath his torn collar. Smoke curled off him faintly, the air around him still charged with dying chakra. Naruto's expression darkened, his fists tightening against the dirt.

Shikamaru ran a hand through his sweat-damp hair, eyes scanning the battered figures. His brows pinched in thought, his voice a low murmur. "We gotta get a move on. Now that you three are safe..." His gaze lingered on Sakura's battered form, on her broken nails and the streak of blood drying against her jaw. "We still need a scroll, but after this?" He gestured at the battlefield around them, charred earth, shattered trees, bodies strewn across the clearing. "Doesn't feel right taking yours anymore. What a drag."

Choji nodded solemnly beside him, already beginning to gather their gear. Ino gave Sakura one last long look before kneeling down. Her fingers gently tucked a lock of blood-stiff hair behind her friend's ear. Her chakra, warm and familiar, flowed like a whisper of sunlight into Sakura's shoulder. "I've got you," Ino said, voice soft. She leaned in and hugged her, firm but careful, anchoring Sakura's trembling body to something real. Sakura exhaled shakily into her shoulder, her muscles briefly relaxing in the safety of Ino's hold. "You're not alone," Ino whispered, almost too soft to hear. "Not anymore." Then, behind them, footsteps crunched over brittle leaves.

Sasuke had turned toward the Sound trio, his expression unreadable. His footfalls were heavy but quiet, and his chakra was strangely flat, dulled, like a storm that had passed but left destruction in its wake. He crouched by their unconscious forms and retrieved a battered scroll from Zaku's pouch. His fingers curled tightly around it, dirt and blood smearing across the parchment as he turned it over once. He didn't even really look at it. Then he stuffed it into his pouch like it meant nothing: Not a word, nor a glance. Only the tension in his shoulders spoke for him...like he was holding something back, something burning just beneath the surface.

Sakura, still trembling in Ino's arms, felt a flicker of something strange and sharp crawl through her chest. Not relief. Not quite fear, rather something between. It prickled beneath her skin like static, a feeling she couldn't name. Ino exhaled shakily and, with one last look into Sakura's eyes, gently let go. Her warmth faded, replaced by Naruto's steady presence as he stepped forward, the sound of leaves crunching beneath his sandals muffled by the thick layer of forest debris. The smell of ash and blood hung heavy in the humid air.

"Sakura-chan... can you... walk?" Naruto asked, his voice low, careful, and warm. He crouched in front of her, brushing back a clump of bloodied pink hair stuck to her cheek. His fingertips were rough from training, but his touch was tender. Sakura didn't answer at first. Her eyes were fixed on her hands; trembling, crusted in dried blood, her nails cracked, jagged, and blackened beneath from dirt and strain. Every pulse in her fingers ached, every muscle in her arms felt hollow and wrung out. She wasn't just in pain. She was terrified. No longer from being without Sasuke...but now, of Sasuke himself. Her hands wouldn't stop trembling.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto tried again, even softer now. The wind stirred around them, brushing through the trees with a hush like nature holding its breath. He reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, warm and grounding. "You don't have to push yourself. Just tell me what you need." Her lips parted, but nothing came out at first. The words caught in her throat like splinters. What did she need? Safety? Distance? Time? Sekhmet. The goddess's name echoed through her mind like a heartbeat. A flicker of gold and crimson danced behind her eyes, a memory not her own: the swing of a great weapon, the roar of a lioness, the heat of holy fire.

Then nothing. Just silence and that strange echo of something not yet hers, humming like a whisper in her bones. "I..." she rasped, her voice cracked and dry as sand. "I can walk."

Naruto didn't look convinced, but he gave a small nod anyway. "Okay. Just lean on me, yeah?" Sakura's jade green eyes finally lifted to his sapphire ones. There was no pity in them, only warmth. She gave the faintest nod and moved to stand. Her knees immediately gave out beneath her, and she gasped...but Naruto was there, arms steady, catching her before she fell. His chest was solid and warm, the steady thump of his heart barely audible beneath his shirt. She leaned into him, her breath ragged, the ache in her body deep and thudding like a bruise too large to name.

'Sakura-chan... just what... did you endure alone?' Naruto thought, his expression unreadable as he brushed a smudge of blood from her cheek, careful not to press too hard against the split in her lip. They started walking, slow and uneven. Each step stirred the underbrush, damp leaves and broken twigs snapping beneath their feet. The air was thick with humidity, the smell of moss and iron lingering around them.

Sasuke watched from the edge of the clearing, silent. Sakura didn't look at him. Not even once and that... hurt. It was a pain that bloomed deep in his ribs, tight and sharp, like something pressing inward from beneath the skin. The girl who once reached for him in every moment of danger...now turned away, even when she was on the verge of collapse. He clenched his jaw. His hands curled into fists at his sides.

The curse mark had dulled, but it still throbbed: slow and heavy like coals beneath ash. It fed on that ache, that anger, that hunger. It whispered again. Promises of power of control. "You were right to hurt him. You should have done more. They don't understand." The rage, the guilt, the shame...it swirled beneath his skin like poison, and the curse mark loved it.

They moved through the forest slowly, Naruto supporting Sakura with every cautious step. His arm around her waist was firm but gentle, like a tether. Her breath hitched every few minutes from pain she didn't voice, and she winced at every sudden sound: the distant cry of a bird, the rustle of a squirrel in the underbrush. But she didn't stop, not yet. Not until she was far from the memory of that black, violent chakra boiling off Sasuke's skin. No one spoke. The silence between them wasn't awkward, rather it was sacred, fragile, and heavy with everything left unsaid. Around them, the forest seemed to breathe again, but not in peace.Only in mourning.

Sasuke followed behind them at a distance, his steps silent against the moss-softened forest floor. The curse mark still throbbed beneath his skin, alive, as if it were a second heartbeat, slow and serpent-like. It pulsed at the base of his neck, radiating heat like coals buried just beneath the surface. Whispers curled through his thoughts; hollow, honeyed promises of strength and control. Power like he'd never known. One that felt unbeatable, violent, and oh so addictive. Zaku hadn't stood a chance. That strength had erased the pain, dulled the ache of helplessness until it was just... gone. But it also made Sakura afraid. Which to Sasuke, that, was the worst. He hadn't even realized it until Ino's words, sharp as a blade: She's scared of you.
They echoed in his head, louder than the distant rustle of leaves or the chirping of cicadas. It hit harder than any kunai, any fist, any jutsu. He didn't mean to scare her. He never wanted that. All he'd wanted was to protect her. Protect them. To never be weak again. So why... Why did it feel like he was the villain?

Up ahead, Sakura stumbled. Her foot caught on a root, and she gasped softly, bracing herself against the rough bark of a tree. The scrape of her skin against it made Naruto immediately step in, his arms steadying her with instinctive care. "Sorry," she muttered under her breath, voice brittle and ashamed.

"Don't be," Naruto said, his voice low, quieter than usual. The usual cheer was gone, what lingered now was a quiet reverence, something like grief. "You're doing amazing." Sakura tried to smile, but it was a ghost of one. Her lips were cracked, her skin still streaked with dried blood and grime. Her eyes... They were tired...Too tired.

"I should've woken up sooner," Naruto added after a beat. His words were barely above a whisper. "I should've been the one-"

"It's not your fault," Sakura said, cutting him off before he could drag himself into guilt. Her voice held more weight now, more steadiness than before. "You couldn't have known."

"But still..." he murmured, voice heavy with regret. His grip around her shoulders tightened just slightly, a grounding pressure. "Just rest, Sakura-chan. Everything will be fine now. Dattebayo..." The words were simple, soft, and so unlike the burdened thoughts she'd been drowning in. Yet somehow, they landed with a surprising weight. Her heart fluttered, not painfully, but like it had room to breathe. Like the warmth in Naruto's words and touch didn't demand anything from her. It just... was.

And Sasuke? Sasuke had heard it all. Every word. Every unspoken comfort shared between them. Something twisted violently in his gut, like a knot pulled tighter. He quickened his pace, just a fraction, his breath harsher now, though the air remained thick and humid with the weight of storm-soaked trees. He came up beside them, his voice flat and curt. "We need to find shelter. There's a clearing not far ahead."

Naruto shot him a quick look, brows furrowed. "She needs time, Sasuke."

"She needs to not bleed out in the middle of the woods," Sasuke snapped, too sharp, too loud. The words hung like a blade in the air. Sakura flinched. It was small, just a twitch of her shoulders, barely perceptible...but Sasuke saw it. Felt it like a punch to the chest. The way she recoiled as if expecting more. As if he was a threat now. Not a teammate nor a protector. The silence that followed was suffocating. Even the wind seemed to go still. Sasuke looked away. The curse mark pulsed again, eager, hungry. "...Sorry," he muttered, barely audible. He didn't wait for a response. He just kept walking, faster now, like he could outrun the guilt pressing down on his spine.

Naruto watched him go, jaw tight, his grip firm around Sakura's shoulders. A dull ache formed in his chest, one that had nothing to do with the injuries from before. Sakura still hadn't said a word. And for the first time, Naruto felt it, really felt it. Something had changed between the three of them. Something vital had cracked. Their team was falling apart and he didn't know if he could fix it.

Sakura clung to Naruto a little tighter before her fingers slowly uncurled from his shirt. She drew in a trembling breath, the scent of earth and iron-heavy blood still thick in her nose. Her limbs ached, sore and leaden, and yet her mind buzzed too loud for rest. The tension among the team was almost physical, like a wire wound tight, ready to snap. They moved through the underbrush, leaves brushing against their arms, twigs snapping underfoot. The silence wasn't empty, it was loud, pulsing with unspoken words and fragmented thoughts.

Sakura tripped over a gnarled root hidden beneath fallen leaves. Her breath caught in her throat. Naruto caught her instantly, clutching her tightly to his chest, arms coiled like a shield around her. "I won't let you fall, Sakura-chan. Don't worry," he said, voice low but firm. Then, without waiting for her protest, he lifted her into his arms, cradling her bridal-style. She gasped, caught off guard by the motion, but when he spoke again, so gentle, so certain, it stripped the tension from her muscles. "Please rest and leave it to me."

The warmth of him, the steady beat of his heart against her cheek, made something in her chest finally ease. She looked up at him, really looked at him. The furrow in his brow, the tight set of his jaw, the flecks of dirt across his cheeks and the soft light catching in the golden tufts of his hair. His eyes burned with determination, brighter than the fading sun above them. 'Naruto...' The thought was soft and full of something unnameable. Her lashes lowered, and before she could stop it, sleep pulled her under like a gentle tide.

The clearing Sasuke had mentioned wasn't far, but each step toward it felt like a mile, weighed down by the words they hadn't yet said. The sky overhead was bleeding from gold to violet, and the air was thick with the scent of damp moss and pine sap. "You weren't supposed to scare her," Naruto said suddenly, eyes still forward. His voice cut through the hush like a kunai. Sasuke, a few feet ahead, didn't turn. His shoulders were rigid, and he kept walking. "She flinched," Naruto continued, his tone hardening. "When you raised your voice. Sakura flinched. What the hell happened while I was out?"

For a moment, only the wind replied, rustling the canopy above them with a dry, whispering hush. "You weren't there," Sasuke finally said, his voice low and distant...foreign, almost.

"I know I wasn't there," Naruto snapped, stepping closer. Leaves crunched underfoot. "And I hate that. I hate that she went through that alone. But I woke up and saw her face bloody and swollen, and I saw you standing there like none of it mattered."

Sasuke turned, his face half-shadowed in the dimming light. "You think it didn't matter to me?"

"I don't know," Naruto replied, fists clenched tight enough that his knuckles paled. "You tell me. Because from where I stood, it looked like you lost control. And that mark. Whatever the hell it is, it made her afraid to even look at you."

Sasuke's jaw tightened, his lips pressed into a thin, bitter line. "I didn't ask for the Curse Mark."

"No one's saying you did," Naruto said sharply. "But you used it. You let it take over. And now she's afraid."

"I was protecting her!" Sasuke burst out, voice cracking with frustration. "Protecting all of us. I did what had to be done."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, the fire in them rising. "At what cost?" His voice dropped, dangerous and low. "If protecting us means becoming something she's scared of, then maybe you're protecting the wrong thing." The words hit harder than Naruto anticipated. He saw it, that look, just a flicker, but enough to see Sasuke's walls shake. "She called your name," Naruto said, softer now. "Even through the pain, she reached for you. And you didn't stop until she was trembling." The silence was heavy, like the forest itself was holding its breath.

"You don't understand what it's like," Sasuke muttered. "To be powerless. To watch everyone you love be taken away. I need this power."

"You don't need power if it makes you someone she can't trust and is afraid of," Naruto shot back, the words like frost. "And if you think you're the only one who knows what it's like to suffer, then you've never really looked at the people standing next to you." Sasuke didn't respond, or rather couldn't. Naruto exhaled hard through his nose. "Come on. We're almost there." Sasuke trailed behind, silent.

✨ Author's Note ✨
Thank you for your patience, for sticking with me through the slow burns and silent wars. The next chapter things are only going to get more intense from here.

With all my heart,                                                                                                                                                                    avisulov

Word Count: 4180

EDITED 6/18/25