Sasuke took a deliberate sip from his coffee before settling into his car. Inserting the key into the ignition, he turned it, eliciting a powerful roar from the engine. Simultaneously, the radio came to life, filling the car with sound. He shifted the gear into drive and navigated towards his office, hoping to find solace in his work, a welcomed distraction from his thoughts.

Sasuke glanced down at his phone for a brief moment, noticing a message from Hanabi. He tapped the screen in his car, navigating to the option that would read the message aloud.

"Hey, my dad can't drive me to school. Can you give me a ride?" The automated voice of the car's system relayed Hanabi's request, briefly interrupting the music that had been playing.

Sasuke let out a resigned sigh as the mechanical voice faded, allowing the music to resume its flow. With a quick glance at the time and another sigh, he made a decision. He started driving towards Hanabi's location, fully aware that this detour would inevitably make him late for work.

As Sasuke neared the Hyuga household, the song transitioned into the voice of the show's host.

"Have you all been following the recent news? There's a rather intriguing development regarding a discovered body." The voice on the radio caught Sasuke's attention. "Brace yourselves for this one; remains belonging to a boy who vanished a decade ago have been unearthed. Suigetsu Hōzuki's lifeless form was found afloat in the river earlier today."

Sasuke slammed on his brakes abruptly, causing the car behind him to swerve hastily to avoid a collision, accompanied by a blaring horn. The name that had just been mentioned struck a chord within him, a familiar resonance he couldn't quite place. With a furrowed brow, he maneuvered his car to the side of the road, his curiosity now piqued.

Retrieving his phone, he glanced at it, the radio's voice still murmuring in the background. "Bafflingly, hikers initially assumed he was just a swimmer, until closer inspection revealed the grim truth. Authorities have disclosed that Suigetsu had actually met his demise around six years ago."

Effortlessly entering the name into the search bar, an image of the young man appeared, causing Sasuke to halt in his actions. A barely audible whisper slipped from his lips, heavy with incredulity, "It's you." He hesitated, caught between astonishment and confusion, as he grappled with the implausible reality. "But how? It was merely a dream."

The lines between reality and illusion seemed to blur for Sasuke as he gazed at the image on the screen. His mind raced, attempting to reconcile the haunting familiarity of the face with the distant memory of a dream. The coffee stain on the floor mirrored the chaos in his thoughts.

He sank into the seat, his heart pounding. The weight of the revelation settled heavily upon him. How could a mere dream have predicted such a grim reality? The news story had shattered the boundaries of logic, leaving him with a gnawing sense of unease.

As he sat there, an array of emotions surged within him — confusion, apprehension, and a strange sense of foreboding. His fingers trembled slightly as he clenched his fists, trying to make sense of the inexplicable connection between the dream and the news.

The mundane details of his morning routine now felt like a haze, overshadowed by the profound mystery that had suddenly manifested in his life.

Sasuke couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this unsettling revelation. Was there a hidden truth beneath the surface, waiting to be unveiled? He found himself driven by an inexplicable urge to uncover the enigma that had disrupted his world.

"Missing hand, scars, bloodshot eyes, and peculiar skin marks," he read aloud, the same distinct features aligning with what he had observed in the reports provided by Jiraiya.

With a quick swipe, he exited the article and navigated to Jiraiya's contact. His fingers moved deftly as he initiated the call. After a few rings, the call was answered.

"Jiraiya, turn on the news!" Urgency underscored Sasuke's words as he spoke.

Jiraiya emitted a groggy murmur, suppressing a yawn. "Sasuke, why are you calling me at such an ungodly hour?" He inquired, a sleep-induced lethargy lingering in his voice.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow in response to the question. "Early? It's already 10 AM," he replied matter-of-factly. "Just turn on the news."

Sounds of movement emanated from the other end of the line.

"Where are you anyway?" Sasuke inquired as he merged back into traffic.

"That's none of your business. And why exactly do you want me to tune into the news? People die every day. What makes this one so significant?"

"I realize this might sound implausible," Sasuke admitted, his focus unwavering on the road ahead as he accelerated.

"In what way?" Jiraiya's curiosity was now piqued.

Sasuke began to elaborate, his voice tinged with a hint of hesitation. "I've been experiencing recurring dreams," he confessed.

Jiraiya's brows furrowed, his patience waning. "Sasuke, you know we're in the midst of a critical case. We can't afford to indulge in discussions about dreams."

Sasuke swiveled his attention, locking gazes with Jiraiya through the phone. His voice remained resolute. "This isn't just about dreams," he asserted firmly. "That person who's now deceased, the one from the news? I dreamt about him last night. Yet, I've never laid eyes on him in real life until now."


Karin perched herself on Orochimaru's lap, encircling her arms around his shoulders. "I'll work on gaining her trust," she assured, her words resonating with determination. "I just need some more time. I said this will work, and that can only happen if you put your faith in me a little bit more."

Orochimaru's knuckles brushed against Karin's cheek, a gesture that held a twisted tenderness. He allowed a smirk to grace his lips, his grip on her neck tightening briefly before he pulled her closer. A low hum escaped him as his tongue traced her cheek in a disturbing display of intimacy. Withdrawing, he locked his gaze with hers, his smile seemingly pleasant but void of warmth. "Understood," he stated, releasing his hold on her neck and gently shoving her away.

As Karin receded from Orochimaru's lap, her attention shifted to Kabuto, who stood across the room, his form leaning against the wall. His gaze was inscrutable behind the frames of his glasses, his presence a blend of quiet observation and hidden intent.

With a smile that carried a mix of familiarity and warmth, she left the room behind. As soon as the doors closed behind her, her expression became stoic as she dug her fingernails into the soft flesh of her waist. Her steps echoed confidently through the corridors of the building, as though she had navigated these pathways for years – which, in a sense, she had. Their presence here had been enduring, a constant despite their temporary relocation elsewhere. Now, they have returned.

As she entered the eerie blue room, her gaze fell upon Hinata, standing before the shattered vessel. "I'm sorry I'm late," she greeted, happiness taking over in an instant. It was a mask she had learned to equip whenever a situation calls for it — being with Hinata was no different.

Karin positioned herself beside her companion. A silence hung in the air for a moment, a poignant acknowledgment of the gravity of the situation. She eventually breached the silence. "It's truly sorrowful, isn't it? Watching the only friend you have in this place venture out on their own, leaving you behind."

Hinata turned her gaze to Karin, the weight of her emotions evident in her eyes. "Can you tell me what happened?"

The question was met with a shrug, Karin's voice carrying a note of resignation. "No one really knows. But at least he managed to escape with his life," she remarked, a faint smile touching her lips. With that, she fully faced Hinata, her smile growing warmer. "Come on, let's head to your room."

As they embarked on their journey to Hinata's quarters, Karin's chatter took on a lighthearted tone. She spoke of the prospect of a sleepover, detailing plans of sneaking into Hinata's room to indulge in braiding each other's hair. Arriving at the doorstep of Hinata's room, Karin's smile remained, though there was a hint of intrigue in her eyes. "I just need to attend to something quickly. Could you wait here? I'll be back shortly."

Hinata nodded as she entered the room, her movements carrying a subdued heaviness. Seating herself on the bed, she couldn't help but feel the yearning for her true room – the room that held memories of her family, friends, and her boyfriend, her longing for Sasuke being the most pronounced. The ache to be back home gnawed at her, a relentless desire. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned against the pillow, her eyes fluttering closed as exhaustion tugged at her.

Sleep began to envelop her, offering a brief reprieve from the reality she found herself in. However, the comfort was short-lived. A prickling sensation roused her from her slumber, causing her to weakly open her eyes. Shooting up, panic coursing through her veins, Hinata's gaze fell upon the unwelcome sight of Kabuto in her room.

"W-What..." Her words trailed off, cut short as he forcibly pushed her back onto the mattress, swiftly restraining her with hidden straps that bound her to the bed.

Hinata's initial struggle slowly ebbed into numbness, her body rendered immobile, save for her eyes and mouth. Fear and confusion gripped her as she tried to make sense of the situation. "What have you done to me?" She managed to utter, her voice tinged with desperation.

Kabuto remained ominously silent, his attention fixed on the array of supplies he had brought with him. He deftly connected wires to her body, the room soon resonating with the rhythmic beeping of monitors intertwined with the cadence of her heartbeat.

As her anxiety escalated, Hinata couldn't help but question Kabuto's intentions. "K-Kabuto! What is happening?" Her eyes widened as she observed him grasp another instrument. The metallic flick of the needle sent shivers down her spine, her plea for answers escalating to screams as she comprehended the gravity of the situation. "Stop! Tell me what you're doing! Stop!"

Her pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, Kabuto's focus unwavering as he proceeded with his task. Anguish surged through her as the needle punctured her skin, a pained moan escaping her lips. The room bore witness to her distress, the tension thickening with every passing second.

Kabuto's grip on another needle tightened, his expression a mixture of frustration and resolve. His thoughts turned to the betrayal he felt from those he considered "friends". As he worked, a glint of determination shone in his eyes. Orochimaru's name would not be tarnished in vain – he was resolute in his mission, despite the desperate urgency that seemed to hang in the air.

"Stop moving." He hissed, putting down the empty needle in preparation of another. "It will be over soon if you just stop."

"Why?" Tears fell from her eyes, she wanted to clench her fist and throw her head back as pain coursed through her veins, yet it seemed as though she had lost complete control of her body.

"Lord Orochimaru is waiting. He's watching and he's waiting. There are so many eyes, Hinata, eyes we do not see or care to take notice of. I've been betrayed, I've been stabbed in the back, and my failure will not cause Lord Orochimaru's future to crumble."

Hinata's eyes grew heavy, laden with the weight of her ordeal, as the effects of the fourth injection began to take hold. Her voice emerged in a strained whisper, carrying the plea of someone pushed to their limits.

"I don't understand." Her throat tightened, her eyes battling to stay opened.

"We can't have them finding you just yet." He pushed the contents of the needle into her bloodstream.

"S-Stop... please," she managed to utter, her words imbued with a mix of exhaustion and desperation.

Despite her plea, Kabuto continued with his actions, disregarding her plea as if it were mere background noise. Two more injections followed, adding to her distress as her body continued to bear the onslaught of chemicals.

With each subsequent injection, Hinata's struggle grew more futile, her eyelids slowly descending, her vision blurred by the haze of the drugs. The room seemed to spin around her as she fought to stay conscious, her voice a distant echo in her own ears. "Stop..." she whimpered, her voice barely audible, lost in the shadows of her deteriorating consciousness.

Her body's resistance dwindled, and her eyes finally succumbed to the overwhelming force of the drugs, closing as if to shield her from the ordeal. A final vision materialized before Hinata's eyes. It was a fleeting glimpse of Sasuke. Her heart monitor, once vigilant in its rhythm, began to falter, its steady cadence devolving into an unsettling silence. Hinata's journey through the darkness was marked by the absence of the very heartbeat that had accompanied her every step.