The wind is bitterly cold, ripping across this harsh landscape to tear through them and settle into their bones. It starkly contrasted the unbearable heat of the magma pit they had been suspended above a moment before. To say it was a shock to the senses was putting it lightly. Sasuke would have questioned his sanity if it weren't for the space-time-manipulating god currently adrift above them.
Kaguya had proven to be quite the challenge, her determination to lay claim to their world was relentless. Always one step ahead. They were so close, but she was just out of reach. Naruto's plan had provided more distraction than he could have ever hoped for but got them no closer to defeating her. She was clever and impossible to read. His plan was more thought out, though whether it would be enough, remained to be seen.
He glanced at Naruto from the corner of his eye. "We're doing things my way this time." He stated. "Help me."
Naruto nodded his affirmation.
He returned his full attention to the being above them and braced himself as he noticed her raised hand. It disappeared through the portal she summoned, and Sasuke was immediately caught off guard as something grabbed his collar and pulled him back. Through a portal, black distortion filled his vision for a moment before he's falling, staring up at blue skies. He quickly righted himself before he hit the ground and stared up at the quickly shrinking hole between these worlds.
He threw himself into the air, managing to snag the edge of the opening in his fingertips, trying to figure out a way to pry open the now small portal wider. But before he could manage anything, his fingers slipped. The portal quickly closes in on itself, leaving only Naruto's scream for him to drift into nothing as he once again falls back to the earth.
He quickly righted himself once more and stared up where the portal once was. His Rinnegan could see the remnants of the tear quickly knitting itself back together but gave him no ideas on how to reopen it.
He looked around to take in his surroundings, he was on a small street somewhere. Shops and stalls lined the path selling various items and wares. People were eyeing him with palpable trepidation, giving him a wide berth. He couldn't blame them, he wouldn't trust someone who just fell out of the sky either. He needed to get out of here.
He noticed a small alley nearby and slipped into its shaded haven. No one followed him. He continued to pass between alleyways and crowded streets, hoping to find somewhere less inhabited.
A feeling of Deja vu comes over him as he passes through the next street, less crowded than the others he can take in more of his surroundings. There are more shops on this street, and something about them seems familiar.
People have started to stare again, and he slips into the next alley. A pit of dread has started to fill his chest, and he is suddenly aware of someone's attention on him. Following him through this alleyway. He steps out onto the next street and stops, looking around, before casually making a left turn. He quickly slips between two buildings into an alcove and scales the wall.
On the rooftops he picks up his pace, trying to shake his tail. As he traverses over buildings the pit of dread grows deeper, and the feeling of deja vu gets stronger, till he can no longer ignore it. He has been here before. Before he can finish that thought his path is blocked by four shinobi.
ANBU.
Leaf ANBU.
Kaguya had dropped him back in the middle of Konoha.
But none of this made sense, none of these people should be here. They should all still be wrapped up in the infinite Tsukiyomi's cocoon, dreaming their lives away. These streets should be empty, desolate beneath a pale eternal moon. This wasn't just another dimension, this was another universe. Had he somehow managed to be swept up in the genjutsu himself?
Sasuke scoffed and glared at the ANBU surrounding him.
He didn't have time for this.
Eternal Mangekyo bled into his right eye as he quickly attempted to break the illusion around him. The ANBU make their move at the same time, expecting an attack.
But the Genjutsu doesn't break, and Sasuke is quickly forced to dodge the blade of a sword as the ANBU reaches him. A flurry of shuriken follows, and he twists unsheathing his sword in the process, blocking the few that get close enough to be a threat. And makes a swipe at the next ANBU trying to take advantage of his slight distraction.
The ANBU jumps back, but not before Sasuke's blade catches him across his arm and chest, cracking his mask in the process. Sasuke spins, kicks another in the chest, and dodges another blade catching its wielder deep in the thigh as he drops back to the street below.
More ANBU have been called in for backup, and Sasuke charges the two that drop to the street closest to him. He quickly drops beneath their defense and swipes the legs out from one before bringing his blade up and catching the other in the side, the blade slicing cleanly through flesh to stain the pavement red, spinning to land a kick to the other's face as they quickly right themselves and come at him again, the sound of their mask breaking as he makes contact. He dodges more kunai and brings his blade up to another, who manages to dodge his first swipe only to lock blades with his second.
"SASUKE!" screams a hauntingly familiar voice.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees one of the ANBU remove their mask, he turns his head slightly and takes in the figure in front of him. His older brother, alive and well. Staring at him with concern.
This small distraction is enough for someone to come up behind him, fast. So fast, he doesn't have enough time to react. A hard blow to the back of his neck, and his blade slips, the ANBU jumps back. He catches himself on his knee and tries to swipe his blade back at his new attacker, only to find himself very forcefully meeting the ground.
His vision swims, black encroaching inwards, as he pants and tries to stay conscious. People are talking around him, he can see who he thinks is his brother talking to someone with blond hair.
He needs to get up.
Now.
But the feeling in his limbs leaves first before it reaches his core, slowly taking over his body as his vision goes black.