Note : I've added a little information to help you understand the Pov, the chronology and the location of the scene. If you had trouble understanding the chronology, you can skim the previous chapters. If you see any errors, don't hesitate to point them out to me. I did this in a few hours in both French and English versions, and may have reversed a few things.
I'm trying to improve my style, to translate better who does what. In French, I have fifty times as many words to avoid mixing up, but English doesn't have as many pronouns/synonyms. Add to this the fact that I'm a novice translator, and the whole thing becomes sometime a headache. I read your opinions and take them into account. The problem isn't entirely the style, it's the fact that I'm bad with it. Let's say I've literally never written before this fanfiction (french or english), I'm just bad and I'm trying to improve, your reviews help a lot. I didnt have any feedback before you guys. If in the next chapter it's still unreadable for a lot of you, i'll change the whole style and go back to naming the pov. (I'd have to rewrite the whole thing, which will take up a lot of my time).
Along with this, a French reader told me on my French fiction to abandon the English version and devote myself to the French because the English one is unreadable, literraly. I've asked him to be more specific, but he doesn't answer my private messages. Although some of you are telling me otherwise, I can't let a review like that go unnoticed. I'm a bit concern.
On that note, happy reading.
Chapter size : 11000 words.
The tower that lights up the valleys
Part 3
Naruto
November 17 1014, 1 :37p.m.
Land of Hot Water
It bothered him to no end.
It had been a week since they had left, since they had left Hinata alone on that mountain and today, she wasn't answering his messages. It had been more than five hours since he had sent her one and she still hadn't replied. He was about to turn back even though they had almost reached the Land of Lightning.
As he continued his walk, he opened the yellow-trimmed book for the umpteenth time. Only the ink of the previous day greeted his azure gaze on page fifty.
"Still no answer?"
Under the cloudless sky, he turned his attention to Jiraiya in front of him.
"No, still nothing."
"Maybe she's still sleeping."
"She wished me good night more than seventeen hours ago, she's never slept that much, it's not possible... how long until we have an appointment with the Raikage?"
"Three days."
If his calculations were correct...
He stopped on the dirt road bordering the forest, and his master did the same before turning back.
"Let's go back, we still have time to-"
"Don't move" the former Sannin cut him off in a low voice. The same tone the Sannin had grown accustomed to using whenever he brought up the subject of going back.
It had been two days since they had talked again, two days since they had put everything on the table, since Jiraiya had made him understand why he had to control the fox demon, that his survival depended on it. The old Sannin wouldn't always be there to protect him; he had to be able to defend himself against any kind of danger, even against himself, against the demon that slumbered within him.
He understood, he really understood, and he had accepted it. He would go to Kumo to train. However, what he didn't understand was why the Sannin had taken this unequivocal tone, why he didn't want them to go back to Tetsu. They had plenty of time to get there and come back. And even if they were late, that was still less important than whether Hinata was okay, that wasn't questionable.
As he studied his master's inky-black irises, the cool breeze ruffled his golden hair and his mood crumpled inexorably.
"It wasn't a suggestion." he replied. "She's not answering, anything could have happened to her, I can't just hope it doesn't. If we hurry, we can get there tomo..."
As he spoke, he had turned around to walk back and... had frozen completely. Jiraiya hadn't asked him to freeze for the reason he thought.
In front of them, or rather behind them before he turned around, a man stood about twenty meters away. Dressed in a long, dark cloak adorned with red clouds, the man stood perfectly still in the middle of the dirt road that bordered both a lake and a forest.
A single thought crossed his mind: what was this ridiculous mask?
Taking his eyes off the orange spiral mask, he turned his face back to his master.
"Do you know him?"
And from the look on his master's face, he understood the gravity of the situation. Turning his attention back to the man, he was surprised to see him moving quietly in their direction.
"Above all, don't move."
The whisper behind him made him frown.
With the dry, windless air, the man stopped six meters in front of them, and the silence became palpable.
At that moment, his eyelids widened in surprise.
He remembered what Jiraiya had told him years ago. That outfit, those clouds... Akatsuki.
"The Great Sannin Jiraiya, I am honored." the man said in a hoarse voice, muffled by the mask he wore.
"Isn't it a bit too hot to wear such a mask?" Jiraiya asked, moving to stand next to him, much closer than he was used to.
Through the only visible hole of the mask, the black eye moved until it reached him, while the mask did the same in the next instant.
"This is the first time we've met, Naruto, I've heard a lot about you."
Despite the twenty-two degrees and dressed in simple black shorts and a t-shirt, his hair bristled as a chill ran through his body.
"Who the hell are you?"
The man placed a hand on the clouds that adorned his chest.
"I'm a friend of a friend."
His face still closed, he stared at the affabulator, or at least at the only eye he could make out.
"A friend of a friend? What are you..."
He stopped in his tracks. Though the man's face was hidden, he could easily guess the smile on his face, which sent a second shiver down his spine as he thought he understood who the hoarse voice was talking about.
The next breath confirmed his fears.
"She's not answering anymore, is she?" The man asked, tilting his mask aside.
It only took him a second.
A half to feel his pulse racing and another to take a step toward his friend's friend. All this before Jiraiya's hand came to rest on his shoulder, stopping him from making a rash move.
"Calm down, this is no time to lose control."
Following his master's words, he stared madly at the crimson clouds and managed to slow his heart, while the mask seemed to enjoy the turn of conversation.
"You're probably wondering if I heard you, if I'm bluffing, didn't you?"
Jiraiya's grip on his shoulder tightened against his black t-shirt.
"That poor child, you left her all alone in that hut, I find you very cruel."
A strong anger seized his muscles and his breathing... no. It wasn't anger, it was...
Here was that feeling when a loved one was in danger and you had no control over what was happening. That feeling of helplessness, of disbelief.
His belly, calves and hips were caught one by one by a chakra he couldn't control, contracting until they reached his fangs. Despite Jiraiya's words, it was the turn of his golden hair to bristle.
"Don't listen to him, he's trying to get it out, this is not the time, I can't protect both of us if you're out of control. Naruto...are you listening to me?"
He was listening... he was fucking listening. But... it was only the voice of the man that remained.
"How do you think I found you? By chance? Don't be naive."
He felt... he felt slowly losing control... it was the snake biting its own tail. He screamed at his conscience to calm down, but the chakra that began to flow freely into his coil was so... satisfying and easy to accept.
"You never suspected, not even once? Tell me, what were the chances of her falling on you back then, of you being under the bridge, of you seeing her?
"Naruto, calm down, for God's sake!"
He felt the skin under his fingernails being torn, never before had he felt such anger, such hostility. He wanted to dismember that man, make him suffer slowly and watch him die. That was all he wanted.
"I visited her last night... use your imagination, what do you think happened?
The drone of the annoying voice to his right made him want to rip it to pieces as well, but the white-haired man stepped back as he swung his claws at him. With his shoulder free, he lunged at the spiral mask.
Naruto
December 31 1020 , 10 :49p.m.
Land of Fire, Natoma
The memories of his clone diluted between his thoughts and emotions, leaving him with nothing but adrenalin and excitement. With his arms alongside his body, motionless in the immaculate corridor and keeping his back toward the elevator, he watched the red clouds some twenty meters away at the intersection.
Silent and alert, he waited patiently. When he heard the elevator open to the first floor above him and his clone evacuate the girls, he finally took his first step toward the two men.
Ten meters away, right next to a black suit covered by the panels of the false ceiling, he stopped. The corridor was quiet enough that not even a whisper could escape him. He stared at the immortal's face before doing the same for the hooded one.
The excitement of this unexpected encounter opened his lips and for the first time both men could hear the sound of his voice.
"If you wish, I can give you a few minutes to call your friends."
A chuckle followed by a mocking laugh triggered the movement of the scarlet scythe. Leaving the man's shoulder in a circular motion, the three blades plunged effortlessly into the white tiles, which imploded with a deafening thud.
The reaper immediately looked to his acolyte to his left.
"Does he think he's funny?"
The fake smile that adorned the psychopath's face vanished and took on a new form, offering a real one.
"Oi, Kakuzu, you'd better not interfere, is that clear?"
His azure gaze inevitably returned to the blood-red sclera that had not stopped watching him and, delving into his memories for a moment, the pages turned to his thoughts.
Hiroto Takeda. Page one of Taki's Bingobook 1019. C-rank Nukennin. Actively wanted for over twenty years for selling information to Iwa during the Third Great War. Thirty-two years old at the time. Very unskilled, to be apprehended alive. Last appearance: July 14, 1009, Kitakata, Demon Empire.
Shunichi Wakiya. Page two of the Taki 1019 Bingobook. S-ranked Nukennin. Actively sought for more than six years for having attempted a coup after the village went to war with Iwagakure. Twenty-three years old at the time. Very competent, to be apprehended alive. Last appearance: February 3, 1018, Onomichi, Land of Fangs.
Kakuzu. Page three of Taki's Bingobook 1019. S-ranked Nukennin. Actively wanted for over sixty years for murdering seven high-ranking Waterfalls officials after escaping from prison. Age unknown at the time of murder. Extremely skilled, flee on sight awaiting reinforcements, to be apprehended dead or alive. Last appearance: May 25, 1014, Suna, Land of Wind
Sixty... the little he could make out of the face in front of him couldn't be more than thirty. It didn't fit. If he added the energy this one was radiating, he understood why the advice to flee on sight was highly recommended, even for bounty hunters.
"We need him alive." the presumed Kakuzu reminded his partner, who sighed loudly.
"Yes, yes, you don't have to remind me every damn time!"
In one swift movement, the immortal unhooked the scythe from the tiled floor and approached him, weapon in hand.
"Do you have any last words?" he asked with a psychotic smile.
There was one that bothered him, but it was more of a question than a dying wish.
"Do you need oxygen?"
The smile on the face of the man less than five meters away vanished, and this time it was not replaced. The scythe was raised once more to hug its owner's shoulder.
"Decidedly, your humor really sucks, I really hope your skill level matches your arrogance, crushing you easily would be really humiliating."
The man inhaled sharply before exhaling exultantly.
"I can't feel it anymore, have you mastered Kyūbi? Oh, by the way, while I'm thinking about it, where is Nanabi? According to the rumors, you're the one who stole it, so if you could give me both at the same time, it would be... less painful, although you'll suffer, I can't hide it from you, it's been several days since Ja-"
"You talk a lot." he cut him off calmly.
An angry grimace materialized beneath the violet irises.
"I'm going to enjoy every second you beg me to stop."
The end of the sentence immediately reminded him of the one he had uttered in the bedroom on the eighty-second floor, and the thought that followed focused his mind on it, more than three hundred meters above him.
His excitement vanished in an instant, replaced by incomprehension before hatred took over.
He knew that the immortal's next step before him would be followed by a leap, so he immediately raised his hand to stop him.
"Wait here, I'll be back."
His command given in a manner similar to one addressed to a child, his field of vision shifted from the immaculate corridor to a room plunged in darkness, lit only by the lights of the indoor pool, as he reached for the seal on the jacket he had left behind.
Despite what was in front of him, his expression remained blank. After everything he'd seen in the last twenty minutes, it went without saying that the situation was very similar.
Bound to the bed by her wrists and ankles, almost naked, the heiress of the Okada family raised her face flushed with shame, anger, disgust, fear, grief, and once again, hope reached him.
The only thing left in him was disgust as he watched the small man standing in front of the bed with his back to him, continuing to undress. The man let go of his pants, which fell to the floor.
"What are you staring at?" he asked his victim who was not paying him any attention.
The impostor finally turned toward him, and the confidence he exuded was quickly shattered, as was the excitement. The fifty-year-old opened his mouth, ready to shout a word that would warn the guards behind the battered door, but had no time to say anything.
In a split second, he moved from the suit jacket next to the stool to the bed, grabbed the man by the throat with his right hand, and lifted him up with disturbing ease. Using very little force so as not to break the man's neck, he began to feel the businessman's terrified thoughts.
For his part, a single thought crossed his mind, a single desire, and it was directly related to the young woman on the bed. It was her, her thoughts that he felt.
Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.
Nearly naked, clad only in a boxer short and his pants slipping down over his struggling feet, the man quickly become purple, and as an agonized grunt echoed through the room, the fifty-something literally began to pee himself.
With a flick of his arm to the right, following the first drops of urine that fell to the parquet floor, he swung the half-conscious man toward the indoor pool, but the latter hit the double-paned window that separated the two rooms head-on, cracking the glass with a thud and a scarlet spray before collapsing pitifully to the floor, unconscious.
Calmly, he watched the young woman tied to the bed and, pausing for a moment as her face began to close as the seconds ticked by, he approached her gently just as the first sob was heard.
Carefully, delicately, he untied the knot on her right ankle, then the left, and walked around the bed, untying the left wrist, then, bending over and placing one knee on the mattress, he untied the right.
No sooner was she free to move than she embraced him, or at least pressed herself against him, gripping him with all her might. With a gesture as slow and meticulous as ever, he tangled his fingers in the pink hair over his shoulder, and his murmur was heard as the sob against his right eardrum intensified.
"It's okay, it's over."
The grip on his neck tightened further as he left the bed to stand in front of it again. He then lowered one knee to sit the heiress on the edge of the mattress and, removing his hand from her hair, pressed a little on her exposed ribs to make her let go, which she did with a sniff.
He looked her straight in the eye and brought his hand up under her silver irises to wipe away the tears.
"You need to get dressed, okay?"
She nodded and made a few awkward head movements before looking at the suitcase in the half-open room to her right.
He stood up, allowing the young woman to do the same with the help of her wobbly legs.
Moving to the center of the room, he listened as the suitcase opened and the guards in the corridor breathed, before concentrating on the two men he had left in the basement. His eyebrows furrowed inexorably and his calm expression became impassive again.
"Mia."
He turned toward the bed to meet the wet gaze of the heiress beside it. Dressed in black pants and a simple white t-shirt, she laid her trembling hand on the white fabric around her chest.
"My name is Mia."
Understanding what the young woman was getting at, he began to answer, but had to stop short.
- Na-
Three knocks rang out across the room. In unison, they looked at the glass behind the pool. They watched the man with the mad grin, who, accompanied by his thirsty scarlet scythe, was perched vertically on his toes against the glass in the void.
The immortal tapped three more times, louder and louder as the final blow shattered the triple-glazed window. Leaning his forehead against the glass, the psychopath opened his mouth, and though inaudible, two distinct syllables were visible on his lips.
Kyūbi.
Sakura
January 4 1021, 10 :10a.m.
Land of Fire, Natoma
"Give me a few seconds."
She remained silent and accepted the Hyūga's request.
If he had told her earlier who this woman was, this Okada, she might have been able to come up with a plan.
If she had slowed down on the way from Konoha to Natoma, maybe he would have.
Whose fault was it?
Hers, always hers.
"She is on the top floor in room three hundred and eighty-two, on the west side."
Looking around the western part of the hospital as Neji was doing, she frowned skeptically.
"How can you be sure it's her?"
"The five men in front of the door leave me no doubt, and besides, I have the impression of seeing you there."
Before raising back her eyebrows.
"Does she look like me... that much?"
Standing in front of the ledge of the building, the Hyūga nodded.
"Yes, it's quite strange, except for the chakra coil, you have almost the same bone structure, the same face... is she a distant member of your father's family?"
Staring into space after the umpteenth burst, she didn't know what to think, so many questions plagued her.
Why did that woman look like her? Who was she and how did she end up in the same place as Naruto, or rather, why was he in this tower and what was he looking for?
Had he approached this woman because of her familiar face or because of her name?
Shaking her head slightly, she shrugged her shoulders.
"I have no idea."
Still to her left, Neji climbed onto the concrete ledge and sat down. With his hands on either side of his white tunic, he let his legs fall into the void.
"What are you doing?" she asked in surprise.
"Let's wait and see what happens, maybe an opportunity will arise."
The wind blew again as she repeated Hyūga's gesture a few seconds later, but positioned herself with her back to the hospital, her feet on the gravel that covered part of the roof. She crossed her arms and sighed.
The seconds ticked by, then the minutes, and when ten came and her memories no longer brought back heartbreaking moments of her life, she turned her attention back to her right, to Neji.
Still as focused as ever, the latter's eyes were riveted on the hospital complex that was bigger than the one she worked in, even though Natoma had half of Konoha's population.
The umpteenth slashed budget that the Leaf had put aside to concentrate on the army. On the war that was brewing.
"How did you meet this man?" the quiet voice to his right asked, breaking the silence.
For a moment, she watched the long black hair twirling in the wind before turning her gaze back to the mountains and buildings on the horizon, wondering if she was going to answer that question. Something that the Hyūga, judging by the tone of his voice, wondered just as well.
The answer came as quickly as her lips had opened: she had nowhere to go and time to kill, and if she wanted to find him, Neji would have to help her. Maybe she could open her mind for once.
"By chance. We... we met by chance," she stammered, clearing her throat and not knowing where to look, a little embarrassed.
"Did Tsunade-sama introduce you?"
Surprised by the speed with which the conclusion had been reached, she turned her gaze back to the member of the Branch House. All her embarrassment vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Don't use that kind of honorific to refer to that woman." she spat in a grumpy voice.
Still looking straight ahead, Neji's apology was not long in coming.
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again."
She raised her face to the sky and took a deep breath listening to the monotonous timbre, then exhaled softly before swallowing the toxicity in her throat.
"Sorry."
Then she closed her eyes and bit her lips, not knowing what else to say other than a simple word to excuse her outburst against a... simple word.
"You don't have to apologize, I don't know the circumstances, it was inappropriate of me."
Amid thousands of cawing sounds, a flock of crows flew over the building, adding a touch of unpleasantness to the conversation.
"Did you know he was the son of the Yondaime?" he asked her after the birds had gone, trying to change the subject.
She opened her eyes again and lowered her gaze to the gravel.
"I suspected that he knew Konoha, every time the subject came up, he changed it, but I didn't know whose son he was." she replied, her tone a mixture of melancholy and sadness.
The question was not long in coming.
"The resemblance is striking, didn't he look like him three years ago?"
The memory of two hours ago came back to her and with a small, forced smile, she went back to watching the Hyūga.
"Is this an interrogation?
And he gave her a similar smile before expressing himself in a somewhat amused tone - something unusual.
"Yes, answer."
Her arms still crossed under her chest, she giggled, and in spite of the answer he had given her on the shore of the lake, she complied.
"His hair was white, or at least dyed white."
Her attention still focused on Neji, she immediately opened her mouth again.
"I answered you, so answer the question I asked you."
The veins around the opal eyes resorbed, and according to the rumors she'd heard, she faced the most trained Byakugans the Leaf had ever seen.
"Can you repeat your question?"
"What is your common interest with Utatane Koharu?"
Only to lose them again to the hospital.
"We're looking for the heiress."
She... was speechless. Not because she was surprised to hear it from Neji - after all, everyone knew that he had never stopped searching for her, but rather that the Utatan was doing the same.
So her next question came without surprise.
"Why is she looking for her?"
"I answered your question, now it's your turn."
She raised her pink eyebrows a second time.
"I've already answered two questions, so don't try to cheat and just answer."
Neji smiled and sighed at the same time.
"She helps me find her and in return... I'll stand by her side when the time comes."
Thinking for a moment, imagining the worst possible shenanigans, many of which she had already considered, her breathing became shallow and with what little oxygen she had left, she whispered:
"She's... organizing a coup?"
A slight silence, then Neji's rose.
"It's your turn to answer."
Unbelieving and still staring at the Hyūga's profile, a shiver ran down her spine.
How far was Utatane Koharu willing to go? Was that why the old lady had sought out the son of the Yondaime? For what he represented?
Just as she feared a fifth war might break out at the gates of the Leaf, this one might actually be born right before her eyes?
"Is this man your mysterious Prince Charming?"
The question rang out and her thoughts simply disappeared. Slowly, she got to her feet on the gravel and looked at the white tunic in disbelief, not even bothering to breathe.
Had she talked about it when she was tipsy? No, it was impossible; even drunk, she wouldn't dare mention him.
With his back to her, Neji continued to watch the anthill below and with a calm tone, he gave her a completely different answer than she had imagined.
She'd almost forgotten him.
"The young receptionist from the hospital."
She didn't know what to do or how to react. A hot flush ran down her chest and she thought she would give in to her anger for the umpteenth time, but nothing happened. The man in front of her was no Uchiha and it would be surprising if Koharu had made a pact with one of them after the message on the shuriken she had sent her. But then again, why use resources for such trivial information? It could only mean one thing.
Kahoku Sasane, her trusted colleague, was working for the Utatane.
A grin of mixed happiness and irritation appeared on her face.
Hadn't she always known? This world, this village, knew only this, had taught her only this.
Lie.
"Is there anyone I can trust?" she asked in a sarcastic whisper.
For the second time on his perch, Neji turned to look into the emerald of her eyes, Byakugan activated.
"A nurse."
She was stunned, unable to understand what he was getting at.
The multitude of nurses at the hospital where she worked came to her mind, scrolling by hundreds.
"A nurse? What nurse? Who are-"
"A nurse just went in and out of the room."
Cut off in her tirade, she stepped out onto the gravel to reach the edge of the building, and the opal went back to observing the hospital - even if it was useless.
What she had just learned immediately faded into the background. She'd have a long talk when she got back, if she got back.
"What does she look like, where is she?"
"She's walking toward another room on the top floor, to the east, she's your height and must weigh ten kilos more, her right leg is slightly shorter than her left, which makes her limp without her realizing it. Some of her discs are pinched, she walks with her back bent forward a little, there's an old wound on the right side of her neck, a C-shaped scar that's healed badly, her chakra is undeveloped, she's untrained, she must be about forty, and if I'm to believe the shape of her ears, she wears a disposable mask and a notebook across her chest, she..."
The description went on and on, leaving her shocked.
One look and a Hyūga knew as much about your body as you did, it was frightening.
"Are you staying here?" she asked, coming to her senses to confirm what she already knew.
"Yes."
She put one foot on the ledge, ready to throw herself over, but Neji's voice called out to her just before she could make up her mind.
"Wait, take this."
She turned her attention to the small black object the Hyūga was holding out to her and immediately understood what he was getting at. She grabbed the earpiece and stuck it in her ear before jumping.
The wind went from loud to deafening. Ten meters off the ground, she placed a foot vertically on one of the building's windows, which made a thud, and used it to propel herself toward one of the surrounding oak trees. She caught herself on a branch with her hands before landing on the cobblestone floor. Slowly, unnoticed by the passersby who were too busy going about their own lives, she began to walk in the direction of the hospital.
The thought that crossed her mind made her turn and look up at the top of the building, at Neji's perch.
With this device in her ear, the description he'd given her was obsolete; he'd be able to guide her.
Was he just trying to show off?
Turning her attention back to the street in front of her, she climbed the many white-tiled steps, more than twenty meters long, and a few moments later pushed open the swinging doors to enter. The cold outside vanished with her third step, replaced by air-conditioned warmth.
"Elevator at eleven."
Inhaling the disinfected scent, she crossed the huge hall and headed for the elevator.
Her curiosity piqued as her shoes nearly slipped on the immaculately polished beige tiles, she raised her eyes to the stone and the light.
Open to the glass roof over a hundred meters away, the oval hall let in the sun's rays, illuminating each successive floor and each panel suspended from the massive columns that held it all together. Even from here, through the transparent glass panes a meter high on each floor that served as railings, she could see the dozens, no, hundreds of hospital staff on the top floor moving from room to room, desk to desk.
This city made her neck ache, even indoors.
"Thirtieth floor."
She pushed the button that called the elevator. The shaft opened immediately and she stepped inside, empty of people, while the ones next to her emptied of their occupants.
Now she understood why he had pointed to this one.
With a quick gesture, she pressed the number thirty and the metal doors closed, isolating her.
"Can you hear me?" she asked, her voice filled with doubt.
"Yes."
She looked surprised.
The last time she'd used such a device, two years earlier, the earpiece had been much larger and had to be held to the ear by a small string or cable... where the microphone was often connected. Now it was all compressed into a small device that you couldn't even see.
In the last two years, technology had taken a quantum leap. It seemed like there was an arms race going on.
The doors opened on the thirtieth floor without stopping and she stepped out of the elevator into the corridor. She only had time to step up to the glass railing and catch a glimpse of the place she'd left behind before the path to follow whirred in her ear.
She followed each direction without a word, and each command took her a little further into the hospitable maze.
"Right, then straight on for twenty meters. Then left. Left, then right after the cleaning lady. Straight on for ten meters, then take the door just before the man reading the newspaper. The door on your right. Not that one. Yes, that one. Stop smiling, left, you'll be noticed. Go straight on for fifteen meters. The nurse is behind the next door on your left, don't stop, keep going, she'll be out in front of you in a few seconds."
As if by magic, a slightly limping woman in her forties, wearing a mask and carrying a notebook across her chest, emerged from the restroom three feet in front of her on the left.
Silently, she followed her.
It was difficult for even an experienced ninja to take on the appearance of someone just met. Certain aspects were often forgotten. Luckily - or rather unluckily - she wasn't just experienced, she had been an integral part of the ANBU Section and when the Section recruited a member, metamorphosis at a glance was the ABC. The first technique to be tested on a potential new recruit.
Knowing how to adapt and blend in with the snap of a finger: knowing how to take on the appearance of the enemy without anyone noticing.
A simple glance exchanged, a simple hello, a single smile of greeting shared with the woman, and the next second she opened a door to her right to enter the room.
"There's no camera."
In the dim light, she paid little attention to the place she had just entered. A puff of smoke made her disappear, only to reappear as a woman in her forties.
Dark-haired, with a ponytail and brown eyes, dressed in a white blouse, black shoes, blue pants and a mask of the same color, she opened the door and stepped into the corridor.
The door was only closed for a second.
With her back to the original, now more than seven meters away, she took the opposite path and followed the one indicated by the voice in her ear.
After picking up a notebook a minute later, she pressed it to the left side of her chest and stepped into the last corridor to face the two men.
Dressed entirely in black, as were their opaque glasses, the two giants at the sliding door watched her from head to toe.
"Did you forget something?" asked the man to her right, a blond-haired who must have been one meter ninety-five and one hundred and twenty kilos.
She smiled kindly.
"No, I just want to make sure of something," she replied, highlighting the paper on her notepad. "After consulting with a colleague, I've become aware of certain anomalies in the blood test results, and I just need to ask Ms. Okada a few questions, if that's possible, of course."
She only hoped that the simple hello exchanged had been enough to have her voice perfectly tuned.
The two men looked at each other, then at the other three further down the corridor, before they all nodded briefly.
The man to her left silently pulled open the reinforced wooden door and, still smiling politely, she stepped between the two suits to enter the dimly lit room.
Just as silently, the door closed behind her, leaving only the dim light of a bedside lamp.
The first thought that crossed her mind as she entered the orangish room made her wonder if she was in the right place.
The room looked more like a luxury hotel room than a hospital room. Where the floor and walls were usually pristine white, the colors here tended toward brown and beige. Even the humidifier in the corner of the room, belching wet smoke, looked like it had just come out of its box. The countless colorful plants in the four corners of the room, the black curtains that filtered the sunlight, the flowers on the small piece of furniture at the foot of the bed, so abundant that some had been placed directly on the floor.
Everything was reaching the point of exaggeration.
Finally, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the woman in the bed, and she had to stop herself from taking a chakra pulse to try to break the illusion.
Lying with her back on a huge pillow, her eyes closed, her hair loose, her right arm resting on the immaculate sheet that covered half her body, dressed in a wide white shirt, and her feathered left arm resting on her belly, her spitting image was asleep.
Stunned, she took another step toward the woman and the machine screens that illuminated and surrounded the hospital bed.
Pink hair, thin lips, diamond cheekbones, angular eyebrows, and slightly hollowed cheeks, in addition to several stitches on the right side of her forehead, this one had everything she could observe in the mirror every morning.
It was confusing. She really didn't know what to make of the situation. She'd at least hoped for a difference, but this woman was literally her twin sister.
How could that be?
Framed by faint dark circles, the view in front of her opened up and for the first time she felt relieved. A little more and she would have screamed parallel universes and space-time portals.
At first confused, the silver irises finally landed on her in the middle of the room.
Clutching her notebook to her chest, she smiled at the hospital's guest of honor, barely aware of her presence.
A second difference was obvious: the tone of the young woman's voice was a little deeper than her own. A smoker, perhaps.
"What are you still doing here? I asked you to leave me alone."
Gently, she lowered her face in front of the bed.
"My name is Haruno Sakura."
Her copy, who seemed to have the same character, raised an eyebrow in both surprise and annoyance.
"Why should I care? Get out of my room, I'm tired."
She stood there, staring at the murderous stare without making a sound, which drew a second eyebrow as well as an annoyed murmur from the young woman.
"Didn't you hear me, Sakura? Get out of here or it'll be your last day in this place."
She continued to smile.
"I don't work here."
The atmosphere changed from relaxed to anxious, and in a split second, the tiredness on the bed disappeared.
The heiress of the Okada family repositioned herself on the pillow with a confused look on her face, and no sooner had the young woman fixed her gaze on the small metal plate hanging from her white nurse's uniform than she began to stammer.
Repeating the gesture, she lowered her brown eyes to the small iron badge.
Mayuko Kawasa, definitely nothing to do with Sakura.
"Wh-who are you?"
The informal tone was gone, as was the smile the heiress had offered her until then. For the second time, she lowered her face slightly in front of the bed.
"My name is Haruno Sakura, I'm from Konoha and I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Okada."
With her mouth open, her interlocutor seemed to have lost her tongue, as if the name of the military village of Fire had just ripped it out of her mouth.
Realizing that a scream could be directed at the guards at any moment, she took a step back toward the small hallway that led to the sliding doors.
"I mean you no harm, you have nothing to fear."
With a slow movement, so as not to frighten the legs under the sheet, she placed the notebook on the mattress and smiled for the second time.
"I don't know if you're used to seeing things like this, but don't be afraid, it's nothing dangerous. I'm going to release some chakra around me to repel the atmosphere so that my transformation won't hurt me. This will create smoke. Although it's hot, it's harmless; you can breathe it in, it's just humidity."
Giving the heiress only enough time to understand half of what she had just said, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and as the condensed humidity dissipated, her pink hair reappeared. The blouse was replaced by her green sweater and the blue pants by her black ones.
The young woman's eyes widened in surprise.
"What... what the..."
Despite the awkward situation, she kept her smile alive in the middle of the room. It might have been the only thing that kept the heiress from screaming, as she could easily guess from her accelerating heartbeat.
"My name is Haruno Sakura, I'm Eiseinin, I work at Konoha Hospital and as you can see, I'm just as surprised as you are."
With her only detachable arm, the heiress pointed hesitantly.
"It-it's... not possible... this isn't your real appearance... y-you're trying to trick me... I-I know your magic tricks now."
The young woman opened her mouth wide, ready to scream a name, but stepping back from the bed a second time, she raised her hands in appeasement, stopping the heiress just in time.
"Believe me, deceiving you is the last thing I want to do, I need you, I need your cooperation, please, let me speak first, then you can scream if you want, I won't stop you."
The heiress's mouth closed again and the young woman, perplexed, offered her one part of her attention, ready to listen to what she had to say, the other part focused on the reflexes of her lungs, ready to scream.
"I imagine you've already answered a lot of the investigators' questions, so I'll skip the ones about what happened that night."
She lowered her hands, clasped them mechanically, and rubbed her thumbs against her forefingers, a little stressed... but laughable compared to the silver gaze that disintegrated as she spoke:
"You've met a man, haven't you? He has golden hair, azure eyes, and is about one meter eighty."
Just when she thought she wouldn't have an immediate answer, the young woman, seemingly taken aback, replied with a negative shake of her head.
"No, I haven't met anyone, I don't know what you're talking about."
Even the stammer was gone.
She smiled for the third time.
"I'm going to get a piece of paper from the bag on my leg, so don't be scared, okay?"
Gently, under the heiress's anxious gaze, she reached into her bag and pulled out a photo.
"May I come closer and give it to you?"
Hesitant at first, the heiress finally nodded.
"P-Put it on the bed."
She took two steps toward it and placed the photograph on the bed before returning to her original position. Without taking her eyes off her, the young woman picked up the photograph to study it.
Turning as white as the sheet that covered her, the young woman glared at her with a mixture of incomprehension and anger. Once again the stammer left her.
"How did you get that?! she shouted at the top of her lungs."
Instantly, the sliding door opened and as she stepped into the room, the guard stopped dead in his tracks as he saw her standing on the other side of the corridor.
Fortunately for her, the bed was not visible from the entrance.
In profile to the half-open door, she remained unmoved, continuing to observe the heiress, before suddenly pointing her hand at the stationary suit and shouting in a slightly lower tone than she was used to.
"Close the door!"
As soon as she said that, the foot on the parquet retreated to the tiled floor of the hospital corridor before apologizing.
"S-Sorry, Miss Okada."
The door closed and, still standing in the middle of the room, she smiled at the shocked young woman for the umpteenth time. Shocked at what was in her hands and at what she had just saw.
The calm returned, as did the friendly tone she had used toward the woman until then.
"Like I said, I'm not here to harm you. I just want to know if this photo is real: have you met this man?"
No answer came. With her face back to the photo, the heiress seemed torn between telling the truth and lying. Which gave the answer without her having to.
"Naruto."
Silver irises flashed back at her at breakneck speed.
"His name is Naruto."
Before returning to the golden hair. With a flick of the hand that held the photo, the heiress wiped away a lone tear and then smiled foolishly.
"He... he hasn't had time to tell me his name."
Deep relief spread through the room as she unclenched her fists in front of the bed. It was all true. But something was bothering her.
"What... happened, do you know where he is?" she asked softly.
Her copy turned his attention back to her and wiped away a second tear.
"I didn't understand why he was helping me, why he was risking his life for mine, but now I think I do."
Frowning, she stared at the heiress, not understanding what she was getting at.
"Are you a relative? A friend, a family member... his wife?" the sad, broken tone asked.
Stoically, she continued to stare at the young woman as she spoke again.
"He saved me because I look like you, right?"
The pins and needles ran up the legs that held her upright, and when they reached her hips, she had to force herself to open her mouth.
"What happened?" she asked a second time, this time in a worried tone.
This time the tears flowed freely.
"I... I'm sorry he... he... died."
She took an animated step toward the bed, but no screams were heard. As much as she wished for it with all her heart, she took it upon herself to use the calmest tone in her repertoire.
"Tell me exactly what happened, don't leave out any details."
Biting her lips, the heiress tried in vain to hold back her tears.
"We... we were... the building was on fire, the... the monsters kept attacking him as he tried to save as many people as possible while... while trying to hold back the collapsing building and... then he grabbed my arm, then... then I didn't understand what happened, I must have lost consciousness, but I found myself on the street... and I only had time to look up when the tower collapsed, I... he..."
With narrowed eyes and a lost look, she watched the heiress, lost in her stuttering.
"Monsters?"
The latter nodded.
"Yes... they came out of nowhere... first it was two men, then these black string monsters started attacking us... attacking everything in sight... slaughtering everyone. They spewed flames, streams of water, shook the ground and walls..."
"Who were those two..."
"Her arm."
Cut off by her umpteenth question, she saw the sad look on the young woman's face, just as surprised as she was.
She had almost forgotten about Neji.
"Which one?" her voice rose in the room.
The heiress did not seem surprised that she was talking to herself. Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes filled with tears, the young woman was just waiting for her to finish her question.
"The right one."
Slowly, she took another step toward the bed, resuming the position she'd had when she arrived.
- May I see your right arm, Ms. Okada?
Holding the photograph in her hand, the young woman stared at her.
"Why?"
"A seal is present."
"A seal is present.
"A... a seal? What is a seal?"
"It's..."
She sighed.
Did she really have to start explaining what Fūinjutsu was?
"Please, it won't take long."
Hesitant at first, the young woman finally placed the cliché on her legs before raising her arm.
As meticulously as she had done since entering the room, she walked around the bed to approach it. Standing less than a meter from the heiress, who now seemed to trust her strangely, she took a long look at the arm.
"On the wrist."
"May I touch it?" she asked as the young woman nodded again.
Rolling up her sleeves more out of reflex than anything else, she slipped her right hand under the heiress and her left over the wrist where the bruises were still visible, and instantly she felt it. Hidden by a second, far less complex seal that served to make it invisible, the primary seal appeared as she injected chakra into it.
First, a black spot materialized at the center of the wrist, then a web of ink spread from the phalanges to the elbow, startling the heiress as this one attempted to remove her limb.
"What the...!"
With a firm hand, she stopped the wrist from making any sudden movements.
"It's nothing, don't worry."
And with a stunned eye, she observed the primary seal.
She'd never seen anything like it. It was... extraordinary. The seal hid another, which hid another, which hid another... she didn't know where to start. It was so complex that even if she had nine lives to try and decipher it, she doubted she'd succeed. After all, it only stood on one arm, how was that possible? Was such a level of Fūinjutsu even imaginable?
Without knowing why, the heiress's arm weakened until she had to carry it for her.
Turning her attention to the silver irises, she was surprised to see them turn in disbelief toward the windows of the room, behind her.
"Was it you who released that much chakra?! A pulse went through nearly the entire hospital!"
A shiver ran down her spine as the Hyūga's howl echoed in her right eardrum. Injecting chakra into her senses, she finally heard the inspiration at her back. Then the slight change in light returned to her memory before the scent of jasmine entered her nostrils.
"Can you hear me, Sakura? Something strange has just happened behind you! Move! Do something!"
Expectingly, as the sound of the wind blew into her earpiece, translating the fact that Neji had jumped, she slowly turned around and focused her attention on the presence above her.
For the first time in three years, the emerald met the azure.
Sasuke
January 4 1021, 9 :56p.m.
Land of Water
The gigantic basalt cliffs formed by hundreds of thousands of years of volcanic eruptions from the Rishiri volcano to the west of the Land of Water, more commonly known as Tōjinbō, were considered by many to be one of the places to visit in a lifetime.
By standing at its edge and peak, over a hundred meters above the Kyūshū Sea that connected the Ninja Peninsula to Mizu, it was said that one could see the five great archipelagos that surrounded the west of the country, including the Land of Honey and Carnations. Some even claimed to be able to see at night the lights of the Land of Waves, located eighty kilometers off the coast of Fire.
In addition to its reputation as a tourist attraction, this place had another, less... glorious side: it was rumored to be the largest human graveyard of recent decades, much larger than some battlefields.
If there was one thing the Kyūshū Sea was known for, it was its freezing temperature, something that certain sharks loved, especially the great whites. It was said that there were more sharks per square kilometer on the east coast of Mizu than there were inhabitants in Sakaide, the country's capital.
A capital plagued by crime and poverty.
The Land of Water had never been known for its wealth, far from it. It had always been the poorest nation of the Five Great Powers, the least populated, the least armed. For some years now, all these titles belonged to Fire. The strength of the Water Nation lay in its geographical position.
Since its founding more than a millennium ago, when the Empire of Fire, Wind and Earth had split in the wake of the famous War of the Provinces, which ended in mutual defeat, some fifty countries had emerged, including Lightning, Frost, Iron, Hot Water, Waterfalls, Rice Fields, Red Beans... Water.
In more than a thousand years of existence, Mizu had never ceded an inch of its territory, unlike all the major and minor nations that made up the peninsula, who were constantly changing the maps.
Although the country had never ceded anything to its enemies, it had steadily receded in the face of crime in recent decades. The vast majority of the drugs that ravaged the peninsula came from Mizu. And the vast majority of the people who tried to do something about it, who fought the cartels, ended up here, covered in fish blood and thrown into the sea.
Thrown to the sharks.
More than fifty meters above the sea, on the edge of the cliff and more than thirty meters from the sands of the black beaches, he opened the small plastic bag in his hands and emptied its scarlet contents onto the charred body at his feet. With a flick of his leg, he tossed what was left of the green vest, which fell into the void in front of him and disappeared into the darkness. The next second, waves crashed against the basalt rocks below, muffling the encounter between the lifeless body and the gurgling water.
Dimly lit by the stars and moon, he watched the lights of the archipelagos on the horizon as the wind blew through his jet-black hair.
"Why did you bring him to me, why didn't you take care of him yourself?" he asked the hooded Aburame who had just taken up a position on his right with his hands in his pockets.
"I wanted you to understand that I'm on your side," the latter replied from behind the collar of his black jacket.
Turning his attention to Shino, the cool breeze wrinkled his eyelids.
"Why do you need me to be on your side?"
"First tell me why I'm here, you didn't specify anything in your request, only my name."
Reflexively, he turned his sooty gaze back to the darkness before them.
"I need you to find someone, a woman."
"Do you have anything of hers?"
"Not on me."
The waves crashed against the rocks, and the crimson foam got caught in the current.
"All right, now tell me the real reason."
As he continued to look at the sea below, he couldn't help but smile. There were no two like Aburame Shino.
"I need you to confirm something, it concerns the Mizukage, I think he's under the influence of my clan's Dōjutsu, but I'm not sure."
"Why do you think I'm capable?"
"I read the reports you wrote when you were a member of the Section."
"Reading a sealed report is considered high treason."
"You can inform the Council as soon as you return."
A few gusts of wind prevented them from continuing their conversation as he began to observe the Aburame again, who, with his index finger raised in front of his opaque glasses, was admiring the insect on it, struggling against the wind.
"These insects can't fly, I have to be nearby."
He nodded.
"Once we've found this woman, I'll take you to the Palace."
"Do you have a valid reason for going there?"
"This woman, he's looking for her."
A long silence followed, during which Shino put his hand back into his pocket and looked at the archipelago for the umpteenth time before the Aburame finally decided to answer his question.
"Your brother visited Sakura shortly after you brought her home."
Frowning, he didn't just turn his eyes, but his whole body turned toward Shino. He wasn't surprised that Shino knew that he had been there that night - after all, every tracker would be able to tell - but he couldn't hide his surprise regarding his brother.
"According to what Sakura told me, Itachi saw Ino at Tsuchi." the Aburame added.
"Yamanaka Ino?"
"Yamanaka Ino."
A multitude of sensations and thoughts raced through his mind at lightning speed, and as he picked up the pieces, only one question remained unanswered.
What do you gain from this?
He took a step to the side and looked out over the forest with a troubled expression on his face, before turning and speaking in an annoyed tone.
"Forget what I just told you, your mission is over. Go back to Konoha and protect Sakura."
Shino didn't move an inch, his hands in the pockets of his black jacket, his gaze hidden behind his opaque glasses, watching him without flinching before he asked the question that anyone would ask in such a situation.
"Protect her from what?"
Two crimson pupils forced their way into his mind and he looked for the umpteenth time to the west, to the shores of the Land of Fire.
"From Itachi."
Naruto
December 3 1014
?
"Sometimes I wonder if he hears me, if he sees what I see, if he feels what I feel."
An unpleasant, repetitive sound reached his ears, then a foul odor prevented him from returning to sleep. He opened his eyes and stared up at the dark ceiling. He observed the dark hallway, the worn and dirty pipes, covered with greenish, slimy matter, decorated with holes from which water dripped freely.
"When I'm angry, I can feel him. Not directly, but more like someone or something is watching you, you know? He's there without being there, an uncomfortable... reassuring feeling."
Fear and discomfort drove him from his prone position in the puddle to sit on the dry ground. He watched the darkness, confused, as the warm breath twirled his golden hair and the raucous laughter came through the void.
"I would like to meet him, confront him, I never had the chance, Sensei told me that my mother had already done it, could do it if she wanted to, I have no idea how she did it, he remains inaccessible to me, maybe that's because of the seal, maybe my father didn't want it to happen.
He closed his eyelids and reopened them to rest his hand on the crumbling wall, standing and panting. He gasped as a drop of water hit his forehead and lifted his right hand to wipe his chin, bringing his bloodied left arm back down.
"I think he's lonely. Despite everything he's done, all the creatures he has killed, I sometimes feel a deep, inexplicable sadness. I think it comes from him, that we share our feelings with each other, otherwise how would he know when to try to get out? Whenever I'm vulnerable, whenever I'm angry.
He lifted his gaze to the immense golden cage and the white seal that adorned it, inevitably meeting the hungry gaze within.
Plunged into total darkness and reaching dizzying heights, the blood-red, predatory eyes began to watch him. Far larger than he would ever be, the black irises that split the crimson pupils descended from their perch to tower over him by a mere ten meters.
The cavernous laugh echoed in his eardrums, and the giant creature's hot breath pushed the water back at his feet, causing his torn black clothes to sway.
"Finally, we meet."
The deep, cunning voice hit him so hard that it vibrated every fiber of his body and took his breath away.
"I wondered when this day would come."
Motionless, unable to make the slightest movement as the situation overwhelmed him, he simply listened to the sound coming from behind the cage: whips sweeping through the atmosphere, nine of them. Every second there was a slight tremor, meaning that one of the tails was changing direction.
"You told that impure-eyed human that you wanted to meet me, and now that you're standing in front of me, you're speechless. Are you afraid?"
Under the demonic eyes, the huge white fangs appeared.
"Are you... Kyūbi, the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon?
The echo of his voice in the surrounding nothingness made him suddenly look behind him, believing someone to be there, before he turned to face the huge orange-furred fox head that had just approached the bars.
A single fur was the size of his blood-covered forearm.
Though the giant fox didn't open its snout, the hoarse voice echoed through his body.
"Kyūbi... no, I don't know that name, your kind gave it to me."
Miraculously, he managed to keep his composure, not trembling under the pressure, and took a step forward.
"What's your name then?"
The beast's smile widened.
"Tear off this seal and you'll assign me several."
With a slow, uncertain movement, he moved his scarlet left hand to his chest and placed it against his heartbeat.
"I can feel you, I can perceive your feelings, there's no need to play the devil card with me as you must have done with my predecessors. I'm truly sorry for what we did to you. I really am."
The carnivorous fangs had disappeared into the darkness as he spoke, and no sooner had he finished his sentence than claws the size of a house reached violently through the bars, trying in vain to reach him. Despite the force of the shock, which nearly caused him to lose his balance and drop his hand, the cage did not move an inch.
"Do you think this is the first time I've heard this? Do you think you are special, different from your kind?"
The crazed eyes rose into the heights of infinite space, but the intensity of the hoarse timbre was not diminished in any way.
"Soon you will understand that you are not. You say you feel what I feel? Then prepare yourself, yes, prepare yourself. You'll feel exactly what I've felt for over a thousand years, you'll understand the meaning of the word injustice, the next time we meet it won't be with that pitiful look you give me, it'll be with one filled with hatred, the next time you come here we'll see who's locked up with who."
He could only take one more step forward.
"What are you trying to say? I don't understand, explain yourself."
The smile reappeared more than fifty meters away.
"Open your eyes, Uzumaki, this is where it gets interesting."
He opened his eyes and was immediately blinded by the sunlight. Then came the warmth and scent of the flora. In less than a breath, he knew exactly where he was, which is why his eyebrows furrowed inexorably as he gazed at the ceiling of the giant mushroom.
Lying on a thin mattress on the floor, he tried to sit up, but the effort and pain was so great that he fell back onto the pillow with an uncomfortable grimace.
The spiral mask came back to his mind, and fear made him sit up with reckless ease. Adrenalin completely smothered the pain his movement caused.
Suddenly panting, he looked around the room, at the coffee table, the kitchen, the small pieces of furniture, searching for a white hair, but only the surrounding silence reached him. Then he looked at the bandages covering his body, which was dressed in light blue pants, and became even more confused.
What had happened?
He examined his hands, more specifically his fingers, and looked at the dried blood between his skin and fingernails, quickly realizing that it was by no means his own.
Despite the pain of the gesture, he rose to his feet, almost touching the ceiling. Limping slightly, he walked to the only door in the giant mushroom and opened it wide. The warmth of the Mount awoke his wounds, which did not seem to have healed yet, and this surprised him. Normally, his wounds healed within a few hours, and he seemed to have been unconscious for much longer than that.
Careful not to put too much strain on his aching right leg, he took a few steps along the dirt road, stopping where it began its endless descent into the surrounding forests and villages.
No sooner had he turned his attention back to the horizon than his azure eyes widened in amazement. The only thought that crossed his mind at that moment reminded him of the many stories he had heard or read here.
The snakes... had they launched an offensive?
As far as he could see, despite the cloudless sky and blinding sun, huge gaping holes had replaced much of the flora. The giant plants that served as the toads' homes were mostly either cut in half or felled and lying on the ground. The river that ran through the mountain now flooded the western part of it, and the mountains on the horizon were covered in cracks, many of their flanks missing.
His right leg gave way and, closing one eye and clenching his teeth, he was forced to put one knee to the ground.
Not knowing what to think, what to do as he watched the giant toads scramble to clear the debris as far as the eye could see, he lowered his bewildered gaze to the purple-haired toad making her way up the dirt path about twenty meters away.
Carrying a bucket of water about her size, the little toad met his gaze, and it didn't take long for her to release the bucket, which emptied its contents before tumbling into the forest.
With a quick leap, the matriarch found herself standing in front of him, breathless. She looked him up and down, her expression changing from sad, to worried, to incredulous.
"Ho... how can you be standing already?"
He watched the bulging eyes for long seconds, fighting inwardly against the pain in his body, before opening his mouth.
"Obāchan... what... what happened here? Where... where's Sensei?"
Sadness returned to the toad's face and without being able to explain how, he understood.
"Go back and rest, your wounds aren't-
"Obāchan... answer please... where is Sensei, where is Ojisan?"
Shima's yellow eyes fell down to the dirt path.
"They... they are... dead."
Three words. Three simple words filled with injustice and his world collapsed.
Next chapter: The Tower that lit up the Valleys, part 4 (08/03/23, In progress, 1000 words.)