Author's Notes: When I started writing for Blade of the Blizzard in High School, who could've possibly seen a rewrite coming? Alas, I'd be lying had I said I haven't grown attached to the story as a whole... As such, I'll do my best to rewrite it now and introduce newer elements to create a more dynamic and original experience for readers, whilst also doing my best to make sure it doesn't read as if an angsty teen wrote it.
So, what differences can be expected this time around? Firstly, I'd say the general setting. I won't say too much as I'd rather leave most of it to your imagination, but I'll mainly say the starting point is nowhere as stable as the original. This version of Naruto will also have a briefer and altered backstory. Lastly, I may consider having a love triangle within this rewrite, but will come to a conclusive decision down the line.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"'Talking/Thinking but emphasised'"
"'Talking or thinking by a Bijuu or berserk Jinchuuriki'"
Alright, no further delays, let's get right to it.
-Winter, En Route to 'Konoha'-
"Keep pace now, Nario, keep pace," An old, grizzled man stated, parts of his white mane flowing out through the ends of the kabuto helmet he wore, whilst the Haidate of his armour clanked along with his horse's hooves. "These lands aren't as kind as they had been in my younger years."
"Well, what is it, Yoshiyuki-san?" Nario, the younger of the two, questioned. The man's long, raven hair was settled neatly into a bun at the top of his head, whilst his helmet hung by his horse's saddle. "From what I can tell... Wasn't pretty."
The younger man slowly lifted his hand from what was once the wall of a large tower, with the only remains being the first floor and its foundation, the exterior of the building having nearly entirely collapsed into itself. The older man scoffed, storing a map back under his robes before spitting at the side of the barely recognisable road they had been riding along.
"A relic, Nario, that's what," Yoshiyuki stated as Nario climbed atop his horse again, hands reaching for before placing the helmet atop his head. "From a far more forgiving past."
The younger man accepted it with a nod, the hooves of their horses beginning to clop along the cobblestone roads once again, departing the area as snow began to fall upon the ruins of Kikyo Castle.
-Half an Hour Later, 'Konoha'-
"We're here," Yoshiyuki stated, the two men riding their horses under the large gate that lacked a door, the older man disembarking shortly after entry. "This is as far as they'll take us. The rest will be on foot."
"Where do we leave them? This place hardly has a watchtower, let alone stables," Nario commented. He stepped off his horse and guided it by the reins, stepping along yet keeping a distance from the wooden fencing that lined the roads and surrounded larger buildings.
"We shan't need them, then," The older man stated, peering around before calling out to a young boy no older than eleven walking past the two on the side of the road. "You there! Child, come here!"
Acknowledging this call, the boy turned around to face the two men, blond locks flicking with as his head tilted. Nodding, the boy turned towards the young girl around his age that he had been walking with, scratching the back of his head as he did so.
"What trouble have you gotten in now, Naruto?" The girl questioned as her long, black hair flowed untethered down her shoulders, just managing to reach her waist, whilst her kimono billowed in the wind and at the early signs of snow. "You've not gotten roughed up again, have you?"
The blond sighed, his expression brimming with indifference, whilst his lips still offered a small smile of understanding.
"No, Satsume, it's nothing like that," Naruto assured, shaking his head moments later. "I don't know either of them, but I'll go check on what's going on, then I'll be right back, alright?"
"Well... Alright, make haste," Satsume relented as she crossed her arms and gingerly rubbed her shoulders. "It's getting rather cold, and I'd rather not my retainers, or worse yet, my brother, catch us out here again."
"I'll be right back," Naruto assured again, before stepping over the fence and walking over to the two men. "Apologies. Did you need... Well, my help?"
"Peace, child, and quite so," Nario explained, holding the reins of both their horses in his hands as he attempted a more soft-spoken tone when compared to Yoshiyuki. "We're envoys from a land far from Konoha, and we require some assistance with the handling of our horses until we conclude our business here."
The blond paused for a moment, as Yoshiyuki huffed indignantly, his breath condensing in the air that grew colder.
"Well? What say you, child?" The older man questioned as he crossed his arms, the scales upon his armour clinking with the movement. "Do not hamper us any further, child. Time is of the essence."
The blond tilted his head, looking at the two men and giving a puzzled expression, one that soon turned weary as he held up his hands.
"Just... One moment," Naruto mumbled, receiving a nod before he stepped back over to the waiting Satsume's side.
"Hmpf, of all people, you two just pick that cursed child," A gruff and bitter voice from the side stated, drawing the attention of the two samurai as an older and larger man puffed from a lit cigarette.
"What was that?" Nario questioned, curiosity betraying his tone as he turned towards the voice's source. "What is this curse you speak of?"
"Oh? You don't know? I guess it's to be expected, most outsiders wouldn't know," The man stated, taking another puff before taking the cigarette into his fingers. "That boy you just spoke to... He is a cursed one. He houses within himself all of Konoha's evil, past and present, and brings misfortune wherever he goes."
The man took another puff from his cigarette, tossing it next to the walls of one of the surrounding buildings that still stood, despite its creaking wooden foundations, as he tilted his head to look at the two horses.
"Some fine mounts you have there," The man commented, shaking his head moments after. "Believe me, nothing good can be attained from asking for that boy's help. That... The monster who brought this fate upon us. Have you any sense, request another to carry out this task, unless you seek a bad fate to befall your steads."
"... Fine. If that's the case, I'd better see you here tomorrow. First thing in the morning," Satsume sighed, crossing her arms after hearing what Naruto had to say, before continuing. "Once again, you allude me. In any case... Please be careful."
"I will, I will," Naruto assured, nodding with a small smile as he did so, "I'll be here tomorrow. Have a safe trip home, alright?"
"Very well. Good night, Naruto," Satsume assured, nodding her head before turning and walking away moments later.
The blond stepped back over, drawing an indignant huff from the man as the latter turned to leave.
"Apologies for that, sirs, I'm ready to take on the... Duty, now?" Naruto began to say, his tone turning confused at the puzzled expressions on the men's faces. "Err..."
"... What is to be done now, Yoshiyuki-san?" Nario asked cautiously, glancing at Naruto momentarily before glancing back.
"... We shan't take too long with this, Nario," Yoshiyuki assured, taking the reins from Nario's hands before placing them in Naruto's. "Child, understand that should any fate that proves unpleasant befall upon our horses, you will answer to it personally."
"Wait, Yoshiyuki-san..." The younger Nario began to say, only for the older man to continue speaking regardless.
"Should there be no fault, you will be rewarded well for your duties," Yoshiyuki stated, placing his hand on his temple for a moment. "Have you a name we should refer to you with?"
"... Naruto, sirs. Uzumaki Naruto to be specific," Naruto explained, holding tightly onto the horses' reins as the beasts stepped over. "And don't worry. I will take care of your horses."
"Very well," The old man stated, straightening before turning to leave. "Nario. Let us be off."
The weary Nario glanced at the blond, before offering a nod of acknowledgement, his steps quickening to keep pace with Yoshiyuki. The other man scoffed at the scene, hastily retreating as the smoke from his prior discarded cigarette wafted into the air next to the building in the spot where it found itself.
"Yoshiyuki-san, if I may ask..." Nario began to say, looking back at the horses and Naruto, before returning to look at the path they found themselves on. "Even after all that man has said, which may be true, why trust that boy?"
"... That man referred to the boy as a monster. We, you and I included, all have our monsters, Nario," Yoshiyuki stated, continuing to walk along as the katana hanging by his side clanked along with the Hiadate of his armour. "Yet, we only ever label them and fear them for what they show us of ourselves."
The older man turned his head, staring inquisitively as Naruto tended to the horses, the two beasts seeming considerably friendly to the blond as he did so. With a rare crack of a smile, Yoshiyuki continued along with Nario.
"We know not the boy's faults and merits," Yoshiyuki stated, "For all we know, Naruto may prove the most honourable of them all."
-Fifteen Minutes Later, Uchiha Compound-
"So you've returned," A boy Satsume's age commented as she stepped in through the doors of the large building. "More time spent with those beneath us?"
"Not your problem, is it, Sasuke?" Satsume retorted, tilting her head and glaring back at the boy, earning a scoff in return.
"Oh please, far be it for me to want to care for my sister," Sasuke stated as he stood up from his seated position. "Father's honoured guests are arriving soon, best we vacate this place before they do."
"Guests?" Satsume asked, brushing some snow from her kimono as she looked over to the door. "... Right, very well."
The raven-haired girl turned to return to her room, before looking back momentarily.
"Oh, and... Sasuke," Satsume began to say, drawing a curious eye from her twin brother. "Thank you, truly, for waiting out here. Had it been father or mother who was here..."
"It certainly wouldn't have ended too well for you, would it?" Sasuke snorted in bemusement, standing up as he did so. "Whilst I despise those you interact with... Nevermind. Just thought I'd mention Father's guests arriving."
Sasuke paused for a moment, before nodding and turning around, walking away a few seconds later. As Satsume turned to leave as well, subtle yet disciplined footsteps sounded out behind her, as a man with short, brown hair that reached to his shoulders stepped out of another room, onyx eyes befitting the simple yet formal kimono he wore, their gazes falling upon one another moments after.
"Father." Satsume acknowledged, her tone neutral as she bowed her head slightly at the sight of the older Uchiha.
"Satsume," Fugaku replied, glancing over at his daughter. "I take it you've just returned from training?"
"Yes, Father," Satsume replied, still trying to keep her tone as neutral as possible to not draw any suspicion regarding her actual activities for the day. "I've returned from today's session."
"Good. Ah, apologies, it seems my guests have arrived," Fugaku commented, looking over Satsume's shoulder before stepping past her entirely, not even turning to look at her before continuing. "In any case, keep up the good work."
Satsume nodded, watching as the door opened before Nario and Yoshiyuki stepped in, bowing their heads whilst she turned to leave.
'Those samurai from earlier...' Satsume pondered, thinking back to what had occurred earlier that evening as she wandered off back to her room. 'Wonder what they're doing here.'
"Gentlemen," Fugaku opened, taking a seat at the end of the living room's large table that faced the door, whilst Yoshiyuki and Nario bowed, before taking their seats opposite the Uchiha's head. "I take it the journey here was pleasant enough?"
"Quite so, Lord Uchiha," Yoshiyuki replied as he and Nario removed their Kabuto helmets. "We are honoured to be in your presence this evening. We, on behalf of the rest of the Land of Iron, thank you for your offer of a diplomatic meeting."
"Of course," Nario continued, thinking for a moment before speaking. "It is our greatest honour to be in the presence of one as renowned as yourself, Lord Uchiha."
"Your comments flatter me so," Fugaku replied, offering a soft chuckle before evening his gaze a moment after. "Now, shall we get to business, gentlemen?"
-One Hour Later, Near the Gates of 'Konoha'-
Leaning against the wooden fences that surrounded different parts of 'Konoha', and that were absent from others, Naruto sighed silently to himself, looking upwards at the slowly falling snow whilst holding the ends of the reins of the two horses, his expression seeming near-completely indifferent towards the murmurs around him.
"Look at that child, that cursed child..." A middle-aged woman whispered, "Not even bothered by the cold..."
"Of course, why would he be?" Another mumbled back, rubbing her shoulders gently as she did so. "How else would Kami choose to send their test? He's lasted through our calamity, he'll last through some snow."
"Yeah, still... With everything he's wrought upon us, you'd think he'd be gone by now..." The first woman commented, before both their gazes shifted slightly in shock.
"Hmm? Oh, there there... I'm sure they'll be back soon..." Naruto assured, leaning in and gently placing a hand on one of the horses' muzzle to try and calm it, whilst the horses twitched suddenly as if startled by something around them. "And don't worry. I'll make sure nothing happens to you... Hmm?"
The blond looked up from his crouched position, tilting his head slightly as the building next to him tore itself from the bottom up in flames, crowds upon crowds of those who once called it home rushing out through the entrance, bodies covered in ash as more and more crowded around.
"Wow... What..." Naruto mumbled, taking a step back with the horses as the building's wooden foundations creaked and cracked at the blistering flames. "How did that even..."
"Fire!" A civilian called out, rushing over to the scene yet doing nothing throughout.
"Is everyone okay? How did this happen?!" Another asked, more shocked than anything as several drew their glances at Naruto.
"I'd wager it's that monster standing there!" A third commented, finally drawing Naruto's attention for a split second before the blond turned it back towards the building and the horses he guarded.
"No... It's... Another test from Kami! It must be!" The second woman from earlier commented as the flames drew closer and closer to the top of the building. "He's sent his emissary... That monster of his creation... To test us once again!"
The blond stood watching, shocked as his hands trembled slightly, whilst doing his best to reassure the horses and keep them calm, slowly stepping away from the building ravaged by vicious flames, the ashes of a cigarette mixing into the snow that still fell around gradually.
"Wait! Wait! My child! My child!" A woman cried out, coughing along as she attempted to rush back into the building, ash falling from her face as tears raged down her cheeks. "Please!"
"It's too dangerous, you can't!" A villager called out, several others moving to hold her back as she wailed uncontrollably. "... I'm sorry."
Naruto looked over for a moment, glancing back at the building before shifting it to the horses, his mind racing before he nodded. Gingerly, the blond wrapped the horses' reins to one of the wooden fences.
"I'll be back, trust me," Naruto assured, stepping away in a hurry as he did so.
Ignoring the confused glances of those watching the incident unfold, Naruto dashed ahead, part of the sleeve of his orange jacket tearing and sticking to one of the fence's sharp edges. Stopping in front of the building, the blond took a deep breath, before charging head-first into the sweltering building without further warning.
"Did he just...?" The villager holding back the woman asked.
"He... He did," One of the women mumbled in disbelief, staring ahead dumbfounded as she did so. "Is this... Kami's statement...?"
"He's... Damn it! He's just a kid!" The crying woman wailed out, still fighting with all her might to break free of the other villager's grasp. "Monster or not... He's a kid! Can't... Can't you all see?!"
The building's walls and floors crumbling and creaking around him, Naruto stepped through the flames and ash, looking around as the wailing and screaming of a child could be heard. Squinting slightly, the blond dashed up the creaking stairs, flames rushing at him and setting the ends of his orange jacket ablaze as he attempted to follow the voice of the child.
'Hmm... Here!' Naruto thought, coming across a door on the second floor, accompanied by loud and uncontrollable crying from behind.
Reaching out for the doorknob, the blond fiddled around with it for a second, only to let go just as quickly before holding onto his hand a moment after, wincing in pain as he looked up at the door again.
'Why did I think that'd work...' Naruto thought to himself, standing back up before taking a deep breath. 'Plan B, then.'
Taking several steps back until a charred hole in the ground cut off his path, Naruto sucked in as much air as possible, before dashing forward, slamming his shoulder into the door and shattering it into several burning splints, barging into the room, only for one of the larger splints to fall upon him and plunge itself into his right eye.
"Gah!" Naruto called out, falling to his knees as he fumbled about, blood pouring from the wound as the vision from that eye faded.
Taking a deep breath to steel himself, the blond rose to his feet again, leaving the wooden stump within his right eye. Panting heavily, Naruto looked around, seeing through his left eye before the crying began again.
"Huff... There," Naruto panted, stepping over to the closet in the corner of the room before flinging the doors open, finding a young girl no older than five, rolled up in the corner as she wailed uncontrollably. "Hey, kid. It's okay, it'll be okay."
The blond reached out, gently scooping the girl out of her position in the closet, cradling her along before dashing out through the open door, just as the roof above the door collapsed behind them, the flames around them growing wilder in a heated frenzy.
"I... Oh," Naruto mumbled, holding onto the younger girl carefully as the stairs he ascended from blazed in flames.
Taking another breath, the blond stepped over to a relatively clear spot on the floor, before gently setting the girl down on her feet and staring straight into her frightened eyes with his remaining one.
"Kid. Listen to me," Naruto mumbled, placing his hands on the girl's shoulders as he did so. "I promise. I will get you out. Just... Please, trust me."
Reaching out, the blond shook some ash from his right hand, before wiping the tears streaming down the girl's cheek, finally managing to stem her wailing and get her attention fully.
"Huff... Just..." Naruto panted, standing back up before holding the girl in his arms again. "Hold on tight."
-At the Same Time, Uchiha Compound-
"Hmm... Very well, Lord Uchiha, your terms appear reasonable," Yoshiyuki commented, rolling up a scroll he had written on moments prior. "We shall return home to present them to our general, before returning in the future to state either his acceptance or rejection."
"I see. Very well," Fugaku assured, nodding his head with his arms crossed. "Shall we conclude our business here today?"
"We shall, Lord Uchiha," Yoshiyuki assured, bowing his head again. "Again, we sincerely thank your hospitality..."
"If... You wouldn't mind, Lord Uchiha," Nario spoke up, drawing a glance from the two older men in the room. "May I ask a question?"
"... Very well," Fugaku replied after a moment of silence between both parties. "What is your question?"
"Nario, see to it that you do not overstep," Yoshiyuki whispered, his hand drifting instinctively to the handle of his sheathed katana. "Present your question."
"Many years ago, when I was still little, I recall people speaking of Konoha's leader. A great man known as the Hokage?" Nario asked, pausing for a second before continuing. "If we speak to you now... And you negotiate with us on behalf of all of Konoha... Does that make you the Hokage?"
"... Should we go by the ancient traditions, then, no, I am not the Hokage," Fugaku explained, pausing momentarily before continuing. "That title has not held any weight since that calamity that has seen Konoha undone."
Fugaku stood up, turning around for a moment before continuing onwards.
"As of now, however... Should you converse with me, you speak not only to the head of the Uchiha but to the one who speaks on behalf of the rest of Konoha," Fugaku explained as Yoshiyuki and Nario slowly rose to their feet. "Or what once was Konoha."
"I think we shall conclude our business here today, Lord Uchiha," Yoshiyuki stated after a long silence. "Thank you, once again, for your hospitality."
"The honour is all mine," Fugaku assured, eyes poking forward as Yoshiyuki and Nario took their leave a moment after. "... May this partnership prove fruitful, for our sakes… And for Konoha's."
Outside, Yoshiyuki placed his Kabuto helmet over his head again, before gazing at Nario as the latter did the same.
"That question wasn't necessary, Nario," Yoshiyuki commented.
"Hmm?" Nario asked back, tilting his head slightly. "How so, Yoshiyuki-san?"
"First, it's not our place to question the… Situations of our clients," Yoshiyuki stated, before his gaze turned slightly solemn, "Secondly, there's… No point. Do you think the head of the Uchiha, powerful as he is, would tell us the true state of their situation? It's clear. They've destroyed themselves here."
-The Burning Building-
"Okay, this is ridiculous..." Naruto mumbled, ducking around the hallways of the burning building whilst ascending the stairs, attempting to find someplace where the flames had yet to reach. "There has to be..."
The blond peered through the halls of the fourth floor with his remaining eye, looking around whilst holding the young child in his arms. Wincing from the pain of his wound, Naruto slowly stepped forward upon the creeky floors, flames surrounding his path as the ceiling above him began to crackle along with the fire.
"Okay, kid, so this might be a little... Scary, but," Naruto began to say, trying to soothe the child's fear as he stepped over to the burning window. "I'll need you to jump."
Taking a step back, the blond sighed, before throwing a swift punch with all of his might, shattering the window and allowing the billowing winter wind to enter, only for one of the shards to find its way to him, slashing at his face and remaining left eye.
"Gah! That..." Naruto cried out in pain, this time having the villagers hear him. "Can't... See..."
"Was that...?" One of the villagers began to say, the others looking up at the shattered window moments after.
'Strange... It's all dark, but...' Naruto pondered, still feeling the physical sense of the child he held in his hands, yet managing to feel the presence of the villagers gathered outside around the building. 'Need to get there... Somehow.'
Taking a deep breath, Naruto slowly clambered out of the window, the child clinging tightly to his chest as he sat at the empty window frame.
"Kami... He did it! He's..." One of the women called out, placing her hands at her mouth in shock as several others fell to their knees, some fainting at the sight. "Kami's message... His test..."
"Someone! Please! Help them! Help them both!" The child's mother wailed out, flailing her arms to try and break free or attempt to assist. "They're both kids! Both... Both of them deserve to live!"
"Okay... What now?" Naruto mumbled, sensing the presence of the villagers below the two of them, as he held onto the child for dear life, slowly crawling across the building's unburnt beam. "Hold on tight- Woah!"
The blond trembled slightly, the building's flames licking at his soles as he stumbled back, falling for a moment before catching the beam with his free hand.
"Huff... Okay, kid... You need to go," Naruto mumbled, sensing the villagers' presence below the two of them, before waiting for the child to let go of his grasp. "Oh?"
The blond tilted his head downwards, blood slowly dripping from the wounds upon his face, particularly from the two that seized all light he had left within his eyes. Sighing as he felt the child's presence tucked under his arm, Naruto slowly lifted the child to face him.
"You're gutsy, I'll give you that, and believe me, I think you're better than most people here," Naruto croaked out, still holding on as his fingers began to shake slightly. "I've chosen this. It's my choice, even though they hate me for it. And it seems you've chosen yours."
Sensing around, Naruto tilted his head down at the villagers gathered around, soon finding the presence of the child's mother.
"If anything, my regret now..." Naruto began to say, before flinging the child down with a swing of his arm, letting her fall downwards and into her mother's arms. "Is that I've made that choice for you."
"My child! Huff... Aiko, my dear Aiko..." The mother whispered silently, tears still streaming down her cheeks as she held the child gently, before tilting her chin upwards to gaze at Naruto. "P-please! Someone help him too!"
"That... That monster! He... He threw her!" One of the villagers called out.
'... Really? This is how it ends?' Naruto thought to himself, the voices of the villagers slowly droning out moments after.
"He tried to kill her!" Another villager yelled as several others began to yell out as well. "Let him burn! If he dares come down, we've ought to-"
"That's enough!" An authoritative voice called out as Yoshiyuki stepped over, armour clanking as he withdrew his katana. "She's correct, you all know that. Monster or not, that boy remains a child! Have you all no sense? No dignity remaining?!"
By his side, Nario nodded, mounted upon his horse whilst Yoshiyuki's horse galloped along with them.
The villagers looked amongst each other, looks of lingering hatred and rage flowing across their faces, whilst some showed rare glimpses of guilt and sorrow. One by one, the villagers stepped back from the building as Naruto's grip began to slip.
'Well... This is it,' Naruto mumbled, feeling the presence of Yoshiyuki and Nario around him, before passing out completely.
The blond let go of the beam, freefalling for a moment as the burnt splint in his right eye finally dislodged itself, his blood dripping onto the ground below as Nario caught him firmly in his arms.
"Got him," Nario assured, as Yoshiyuki mounted his horse and raised his katana.
"What? Grown deaf? I said enough, disperse!" The old samurai demanded, before the villagers mostly dispersed from the area, leaving behind only the crying Aiko and her wailing mother.
"Sniff... What of the boy now?" The woman asked, trembling in fear as she slowly rose to her feet, the child in her arms ceasing her tears as Nario's horse galloped over with its owner in tow.
"... We will take him with us," Yoshiyuki stated as the woman slowly reached out, placing a gentle hand upon the unconscious and wounded Naruto's face. "This place... Whatever happened here, it is far too unsuited for him."
"... I see. Thank you," The woman whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek as she slowly pulled her hand back and held Aiko dearly. "Had he been my child, I'd have raised him. Just..."
"I understand," Yoshiyuki sighed, sheathing his blade before turning his horse towards the gate. "It often is hard committing to someone who you'd have no reason to. Though... You've certainly proven to be far more honourable in tending to mere children."
"Comes with being a mother," The woman replied, the answer slipping from her lips almost instinctively as she whispered in Naruto's ear. "... You may not ever hear my voice, or even know my presence, but... Thank you. I owe you a debt that can never possibly be paid. I... For as long as I live, Aiko will never see you as the monster everyone else does."
At the sight, Yoshiyuki nodded as he tilted the reins of the stead he mounted, the horse galloping away moments after as Nario took one last look at the woman and her child, at the building whose flames began to be extinguished by the falling snow, and at the young boy he now held in his arms. Sighing, he took hold of the reins of his horse in one hand, before beginning to ride along the path taken by Yoshiyuki moments prior, his final glance over Konoha being the sight of the remains of a face, amongst several others, sculpted into a mountain overlooking the village.
Omake: The Promise Left Unkept
"Tch... Weather isn't as nice as yesterday..." Satsume grumbled, rubbing her hands under the long sleeves of her kimono as she made her way towards the agreed meeting point. "Naruto better be there already..."
Walking along, Satsume's gaze fell upon several of those who wandered the snowy streets of what once was Konoha, gazes meek and fearful falling back upon her as she traversed the path, none daring so much to fall into her path.
'At least none of them are trying anything today...' Satsume thought to herself with indifference, her steps soon slowing down upon seeing the burnt remains of a tall building. 'What...'
Her steps slowing as she approached, Satsume looked over, before falling to her knees as she reached out her right hand, the cold no longer bothering her presence at the site as her fingers wrapped around a piece of cloth stuck to a fence. A piece of cloth that once belonged to the sleeve of Naruto's orange jacket.
"Naruto... I... No, no, surely not..." Satsume mumbled, the pieces slowly falling into play in her head as she held the piece of cloth close to her face with trembling hands. "He... He wouldn't have..."
Slowly, the raven-haired girl began to weep, tears rolling down her cheek at an even pace, before droplets of water began to fall uncontrollably upon the ground she now knelt on. Around her, the villagers went on with their day, either not daring to interfere with the affairs of one of the Uchiha's heirs, or demonstrating straight-up indifference towards the situation as a whole.
There, Satsume remained, continuing to weep uncontrollably as she stained the piece of cloth she still held in her hands. Deep down, she knew it herself. She was going to be there for a long time, as her onyx pupils slowly shifted to ones that were red, two tomoe flowing between each eye.
"I'm so sorry..."
Author's Notes 2: And that's the first chapter for Blade of the Blizzard's redux! Hopefully, this proves to be a superior take of this story as compared to what had originally been the first chapter, written all those years ago. After this, it'll be back to Bound by Blood, until I get a better timeframe for which story should take precedence over the other.
In any case, do tell me what you guys thought about this chapter in the reviews down below! I'm always eager to see what you guys have to say!