STARGAZER

Abyss

Uzumaki Naruto was at the end of his rope.

His vision was blurry, and he heard a familiar voice, questioning. He thought it was familiar, at least; whether it was male or female, he couldn't even say.

"Didn't think we'd leave you behind, did you?"

What were they saying? He understood the words, but they didn't seem to make any sense to him.

There was something running down his forehead, rolling down his face. Trickling from his nostril.

Staggering slightly, Naruto tried to raise a hand to wipe away the blood, but the limb felt heavy, almost unresponsive.

The world around him seemed to sway and blur, the edges of his vision growing darker, like a tunnel closing in. His hearing seemed muffled, the sounds around him distant and far away, like echoes in a… in a…

Someone cursed. "Catch him!"

More sounds. His mind struggled to latch onto them, to identify their owners. To identify which arms were wrapping around him, softly, firmly.

Every fiber of his being screamed in pain and exhaustion, and Naruto clung to these voices.

'We managed.'

He let the darkness overtake him.

Sanctuary

"He's physically stable." Karin stated, firm and sure. "There's no question about that."

Ino, standing beside her, sighed. "And mentally, he seems to be intact as well."

Toru, arms crossed, stood there with a tense expression. He didn't make any easy joke, didn't mention anything about the gaping hole in the bond, where Yoisen used to be. "…Are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes." Hanabi echoed the same frustration. "We've checked and rechecked. Three times over."

Toru sighed, and his stance relaxed, just a fraction. "Sorry, it's just…" He shrugged. "Strange. I'm not too used to seeing that guy actually down for the count."

From his corner of the room, Sasuke merely grunted. However, his gaze, locked onto Naruto's unconscious form, communicated his concern more clearly than words ever could. Yugito, too, lingered in the doorway, a quiet sentinel unwilling to leave until Naruto's safety was confirmed.

They were on Umi, the celestial city that now was suspended high above Earth, a sanctuary shielded by multiple barriers.

Naruto lay still on a medical bed, cold and marred by bruises and bloodstains. Under the supervision of Orochimaru and the healing hands of Tsunade, who had been summoned for her medical prowess, the group had done all they could for him.

"Rest." Tsunade had said, summarizing decades of medical wisdom in one word. "Let him rest."

And so, they filed out of the room, each preoccupied with their thoughts, bound by a collective, uneasy sense of relief.

While half the group remained on Umi, the rest returned to Earth.

Fracture

The situation was dire, catastrophically so.

Susanoo-Arashi's attack had inflicted a wound on the planet that extended beyond the visible — far beyond the cataclysmic rift that had sundered the oceans.

"…As far as I can tell." Hanabi said, voice tight. "We'd better leave this place. Fast."

Sasuke remained disquietingly quiet, obviously sensing something beyond Toru's perception.

"When you say 'this place'…" Toru started.

Ino confirmed it. "She means Earth."

"It's either going to blow up or simply… vanish into nothing." Hanabi concluded. The slightest edge of disbelief colored her tone.

For all their contingency plans and strategic discussions, nothing could have prepared them for the reality they faced. The impact zone was a growing abyss, its scale almost incomprehensible and Karin was frantically exploring ways to contain it. The fissures radiated outward like a nightmarish web.

Ecosystems had been ravaged. Forests that once teemed with life were now barren wastelands, their charred trees stretching futilely toward a murky sky.

Mountains to the east were cleaved, their summits shattered and valleys choked with ash and ruin. To the west, oceans had been bisected, leaving expansive salt flats and suffocating marine creatures.

Human casualties were thankfully minimal, if that ever applied to such a large scale disaster — most had heeded evacuation orders. But the loss of wildlife was incalculable.

Above them, the sky seemed anguished, orange and gray hues occasionally slashed by red lightning. Ashen clouds swirled angrily, casting ominous shadows across the devastated landscape as they veiled the sun.

But it was more than just the physical desolation, the perpetual twilight over this part of the world. An eerie silence reigned, punctuated only by the sporadic tremors that hinted at even deeper chaos below the surface.

Toru glanced at Sasuke, whose eyes mirrored a deep-rooted concern, an intangible dread that was almost palpable. The planet was grievously wounded, gasping its last breaths.

With a heavy sigh, Toru ran a hand through his hair. "Great. Just great."