Sasuke waits. His eyelids grow heavy, his legs go numb, and yet he stares at the door, waiting. Oki-Nii-san loves him like Nii-san loves him. Sasuke's eyes burn into the door. His lips curve down. But what if that love isn't as strong as he thought?

Time passes. Dawn's light crawls up the table, warming his back. Sasuke wilts, eyes dulling. Oki-Nii-san…

The door lock clicks. Sasuke's head shoots up while the door opens. Oki-Itachi enters the room, and though he's expressionless, hope blooms in Sasuke's chest. He's here! They're actually going to talk!

Itachi locks the door shut and turns to him. "I'm sorry for running off on you but about what you said—"

He smiles gently and Sasuke's hope crescendos.

"I'll consider it."

Sasuke's grin vanishes. Numb shock echoes inside him. Consider it…he'll consider it?

The Oki comes to the table, laying down a closed scroll, but his words keep ringing in Sasuke's ears. Consider it…consider it…consider it…

He's not going to do it.

Hope shatters in Sasuke's chest. He feels nothing for a second…then rage blazes inside.

Yet his voice is ice as he asks, "Do you know what will happen to my brother if you die?"

Oki-Itachi stills. He looks at Sasuke, brow scrunching.

Sasuke smirks cruelly. "When our Oki counterpart dies, most of our chakra goes with them."

Itachi's eyes widen and Sasuke growls, "My clan's chakra was crippled after what you did, and now you're going to kill yourself and steal chakra from one of the only two who didn't lose theirs."

Itachi's expression goes flat. "You say that like it's a choice."

"It is." Sasuke glares, hands balling up. "You never even tried curing yourself, and if I told you us Chibi could cure you, you'd deny our help, wouldn't you?"

Itachi's expression doesn't change and Sasuke bristles. "And even if there is no cure," his voice darkens, "How dare you use your brother like a tool."

Itachi doesn't scowl but his face twitches in a way that says he wants to. "My brother has every right to kill me as the clan heir—"

"Then it's my right too, isn't it?" Sasuke raises a brow. "Even my brother's right by that logic," he scoffs.

Itachi finally scowls but his voice is perfectly calm while he says, "You and your brother haven't abandoned Konoha like Sasuke, and though he isn't officially listed as a missing-nin, most of Konoha views him as such. Yet if he kills me, he can return to the Village a hero."

Sasuke glowers but soon looks to the desk. "You know," his voice softens, "I'm not blaming you for the choices you made that night."

Itachi blinks, taken aback.

"Oki-Sasuke needed a goal to keep him from falling into despair, and telling him the truth would have just had him target the Village and be killed, I get that."

Sasuke's face hardens. "My problem is that you have more options now, yet you're still going with a plan that will cripple my brother, hurt my clan, and hurt me!"

Itachi's breath hitches. "Little Sas—"

"I've loved you since the day I learned you exist!"

Itachi freezes while despair twists Sasuke's face.

"Don't you get it?" he whispers like the silence is too fragile to handle anything more. "Chibi or human, you're all my family." His eyes burn, voice wavering. "And I didn't just lose Oki-Tou-san and Oki-Kaa-san that night."

His sad eyes bore into Itachi's.

"I lost you."

Itachi's eyes widen.

"And I just got you back." Sasuke's expression crumbles. "So why are you leaving me again?"

Itachi stares. Suddenly, he looks very tired. "I'm being selfish, aren't I?"

Sasuke frowns. "I…don't want you to suffer." He looks away. "So if this is what you want, I won't stop you…"

He turns to the Oki.

"But you should tell your brother the truth."

Itachi stiffens while Sasuke's face grows serious.

"Because I forgave you the second I learned the truth, and though I'm not Oki-Sasuke, a lot of what makes me me comes from him. So I know if Oki-Sasuke finds out the truth after you're gone," his eyes narrow, "It will kill him."

Itachi's lips purse. "I've taken precautions to ensure that doesn't happen—

"And if those precautions fail?"

"I have a backup in case Sasuke—"

"Why are you so afraid of asking Oki-Sasuke what he wants?"

Itachi's jaw tightens. "I already explained—"

Suddenly, Sasuke realizes Itachi isn't listening—hasn't really been listening this whole time. Nothing he says will change anything. Sasuke's heart shrivels and he turns to the rising sun outside the broken window.

"Little Sasuke?"

The teen presses his lips shut, eyes closing. Oki-Itachi listened more when he said nothing at all.

The Oki waits…

Silence prevails.

An hour later, Itachi enters the base's living room, cloak missing, hands cupped before his chest, and raven hair loose and unkempt.

Deidara gapes at him from his seat on the low table, his shogi tile slipping out his fingers and clattering onto the board. Tobi is wide-eyed across from him while Zetsu's head sprouts out of the wall, his white half's eye sparking with childish curiosity.

"Wow, you look different! Did you grow out your hair?"

Itachi stares straight through Zetsu and the plant man falters as Itachi turns to the room corner. Pain looks up from his discussion with Konan and both regard him, mouths a line.

"Pain-sama…"

Itachi bows his head and slowly pulls apart his hands. Little Sasuke lays in his palm, eyes closed and soft cloth laid over his unmoving chest.

"The min-nin passed away this morning."

Deidara's breath hitches. Konan's eyes widen. Tobi gasps, grabbing the sides of his face.

However, Zetsu grins. "Really?" He stretches out towards the Uchiha, grin sharpening. "So I can eat it now?"

He's ignored as everyone watches Itachi. The Uchiha is quiet for a moment, then he harshly whispers, "I thought he was getting better. He opened his eyes, looked at me…"

He raises his head and his irises are dull—lifeless. "But his eyes closed and soon he stopped breathing." He stares mournfully at the deceased min-nin. "So maybe it was just him saying goodbye."

The room goes silent. Deidara and Tobi share a look. However, only one set of sandals walks up to Itachi and stops.

"You can take off five days."

Itachi's dull eyes slowly look up. Pain is expressionless but it's obvious his offer is sincere and it's more than generous for a shinobi, especially considering Itachi abandoned his mission and outright threatened the Akatsuki leader. However, maybe this is Pain's attempt to appease the Uchiha who's been volatile lately…or maybe he truly is sympathetic.

Regardless, Itachi shakes his head. "I just need one." He looks down mournfully at Little Sasuke. "Uchiha are burned, not buried. I'm going to make a pyre for him…I won't go far."

He shifts his hands to cover the min-nin again and walks past Pain. However, Konan catches his gaze.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

She raises her arm and opens her hand. Paper squares flutter around her fingers, coming together.

"For Little Sasuke."

She holds out a white origami rose. Itachi hesitates, but eventually accepts it, whispering, "Thank you."

He continues out of the room and enters the staircase, Sasuke cradled right over his still beating heart.

Itachi piles branches on the little island in the lake. It's up to his waist when he pauses, looking it over. That should be enough.

He glances down and his face creases at the folded white bandana on the sandy shore, a tiny body bulging under the cloth. Itachi crouches and reverently picks up the body, laying it on top of the sticks. Yet as he's pulling away, he stills. Itachi looks over his shoulder, Mangekyō gleaming.

"I'm only allowing you to watch because you're an Uchiha. Disrespect this ceremony," Itachi glowers, "And you'll die."

Tobi gazes evenly at him and nods. Then his Sharingan slides over to the bandana. He's checking the min-nin's chakra, making sure it is Little Sasuke and that he's truly dead.

Itachi ignores him because it is the min-nin's body and his death will soon be proven true. So his Mangekyō recedes as he reaches into his pocket, pulling out the paper rose.

Tenderly, he vows, "I'll see you soon."

He blows fire onto the flower. Flames engulf the paper petals and Itachi drops the rose onto the min-nin's body. The fire roars over the pyre, burning the cloth and racing down the fragrance-soaked sticks. The aroma of lilies and cherry blossoms wafts alongside the smoke curling up to the gray skies.

Itachi puts his hands together, closing his eyes. He stays like that as the fire eats away at the puller, the sticks falling apart and pile sinking lower and lower under the orange flames.

Heat warms his front even while goosebumps crawl up his bare arms. Still, Itachi stays in position until the flames are embers, the pyre is ash under a few burnt sticks, and the bandana is nothing more than a scrap.

Itachi opens his eyes and lowers his hands. "I'm going away for a while," he says without looking back. "Follow me, examine Little Sasuke's remains, do whatever you want to verify he's really dead." He glares at the lake. "I don't care."

He bursts into crows. They screech, black feathers flying through the air while they take to the sky.

Miles away, Itachi receives his crow clone's memory from a lush field. Sunshine gleams off his tied-back hair as he turns to the tiny Sasuke on his shoulder, but the min-nin doesn't acknowledge him while he ties the soft cloth around his neck into a cloak.

Itachi frowns yet begins, "I guess this is goodbye—"

Little Sasuke bites his own finger and flies through seals before slamming his hand on the air. Smoke puffs and his hawk emerges from the gray tendrils, cawing as it settles on the man's shoulder. Itachi's face falls slightly as the min-nin climbs onto the bird's back and grabs its reins.

"Do you have everything you need?"

Little Sasuke just slings Itachi's coin pouch onto his back.

"You should be safe getting home this time." Itachi's face hardens. "There's no way Tobi can prove that dead body was the Zetsu around your neck and I'll be sure to keep acting—"

Little Sasuke tugs the reins. The hawk spreads its wings and angles to take flight. Itachi's mouth closes. He looks away….

A scoff.

"You'd really let me just leave like that?"

Itachi faces the Chibi as Sasuke glares. "When this is the last time I'll ever s-see you a-again?"

Sasuke's expression breaks, eyes shimmering, and he hastily ducks to hide it. However, he really won't see Oki-Nii-san again, something in his heart knows this goodbye will be real. Soon, the human will be dead—

Sasuke jerks off the thought, every cell inside denying it though he knows it's true. But he doesn't want it to be, would do anything to change the man's fate.

Two fingers tap Sasuke's head. He looks up. Itachi smiles. "I don't need you to say anything." His eyes crinkle fondly. "You've already given me more than I deserve…your forgiveness, helping me remember who I really am…"

He stares at the sun. "When I die, it will be as myself."

He sighs. "What else do I need?"

Sasuke's heart shudders but he fights back the tears. "Thank you for saving me." He swallows the emotions swelling in his throat. "For confirming the truth about that night."

His hands ball up, shaking. "I wish we could talk more, but it's forbidden for Chibi to talk to Oki." He sighs. "And even sending a letter to you would be considered treason."

Realization falls over Itachi. "That's why you didn't speak…" His brow furrows. "Will you get in trouble for speaking to me?"

Sasuke shrugs. "Yeah, but Nii-san won't let anything too bad happen to me."

Itachi frowns but nods. "Good."

Sasuke senses their conversation winding to its inevitable end, and though he wants it to keep going—never end—his brother is waiting for him in Konoha…he has to go.

He turns to his human brother and peers into his giant raven eyes. Itachi meets his gaze.

"I'm going to convince the Chibi Uchiha to reveal themselves to Oki-Sasuke." Sasuke's expression grows resolved. "So he knows he's not alone."

A small smile curves Itachi's lips. "I believe you can do it," he says, and Sasuke's heart warms at his faith in him…but this really is goodbye, isn't it?

Sasuke gazes off to the side. Pale blue ajisai bloom behind Itachi, petals rippling in the breeze.

"One more thing."

Sasuke looks at the Oki. A single finger jabs Sasuke's forehead. He grunts, eyes closing reflexively.

"Happy birthday, Sasuke!"

His eyes fly open. Itachi beams and Sasuke's eyes widen. He doesn't remember pulling the reins but suddenly the wind blows in his face and his stomach drops as his hawk swoops into the air. Yet Sasuke keeps looking back, and he'll never forget the sight of Oki-Nii-san smiling up from the field, genuine joy in his bright raven eyes.

Pale blue ajisai petals fluttering around him.

Sasuke's long journey home begins uneventfully. He borrows some pork dumplings from an Oki prior to leaving Amegakure so munches on the doughy meat while the wind ripples through his hair and the sunshine gleams off his hawk's brown feathers.

He stops at a river in the forest, pouring dew into an empty acorn and tying it close with a grass stem before stuffing it in his money pouch. Then he approaches the murky river, summons white-blue lightning to his hand, and shoots it into the water. Fishes jump out and his lightning blade skewers three. He cures a couple with the salt packets he borrowed from the dumpling place and tosses the other to his summon.

At night his hawk settles on a branch while crickets screech below. Sasuke curls up on the saddle, bundled in the soft cloth and pushing his nose into the cotton to breathe in Oki-Nii-san's faint aroma. He tries not to think about how soon the scent will leave the world forever.

On the next day, they don't come across much water and the blackberries he finds are withered, the soil dry under the bush. He frowns up at the harsh sunlight, his hand on his forehead to shield his eyes. It's been hot lately, so he might have some trouble finding edible vegetation. There are also no Oki settlements between here and Konoha unless he takes a detour that will add days to his journey… Yet Nii-san is waiting for him, the Oki Alatsuki must be stopped, he's got no time to lose.

Grimacing, Sasuke mounts his hawk again and tugs the reins. His stomach nips painfully at itself for hours until his hawk tracks down a few hares. Sasuke has to skin and roast his rabbit, so by the time he's made a meal out of it, the sun is dipping into the horizon.

The teen frowns while scanning the darkening forest floor below. Crushed leaves, Oki sandal tracks in the dirt, and twigs scattered about. But not a crumb to be found. However, he's still hungry and he'll be pretty weak by morning if he doesn't find something now.

Sasuke searches more frantically, every passing minute ticking in his head. A purple stain streaks down a tree. Sasuke's eyes widen. A rest stop sign?

He looks closely at the next few trees. Another purple streak on rugged bark, so faint it blends into the wood. Sasuke grins and points ahead.

"Follow those marks!"

His hawk screeches and flaps its wings, putting on another burst of speed. They pass tree after tree, shadows of branches darkening them while the violet-orange sky peeks between the leaves.

Eventually, they come upon a purple streak longer than the rest. Any Oki who sees it would think it's a mere splatter trail from the tree's fruit. Yet Sasuke knows what it really is as his hawk dives low and lands on the dirt, leaves stirring around them. He hops off the bird, soft cloth fluttering behind him and coin pouch jangling while he lands.

Sasuke quickly darts up to the tree and skids to a stop by the thick roots arching out of the ground, peeking under. A small stone sits in the darkness. Sasuke grins and turns back.

"Go rest up, I'll call you in the morning."

The hawk nods and smoke puffs around it, the summon returning to its dimension. Sasuke walks on under the roots and approaches the stone. He lays his hand on the smooth rock, pushing it aside with a grunt and glancing down.

A hole with a metal slide sits in the ground—in case those arriving are too weak or injured to climb. Sasuke raises and drops his chakra, respectfully signaling his arrival to the rest stop owner. Then he lowers himself onto the slide and pushes off.

He slips down into the darkness, soft cloth flapping behind him and metal ringing as he twists and turns. A light emerges below, the slide slowing until Sasuke is tossed onto his feet. He straightens, looking ahead.

Welcome—faint letters read on a wooden sign at the arched entrance. Sasuke pulls the soft cloth over his head and passes the sign, glancing around the lit area. A bar with shelves of alcohol behind the counter, electric chandeliers over round tables, and a weapon shop off to the side. Sasuke eyes the group of three hooded shinobi at a table but his attention soon falls on the man sitting at the bar, a blue headband around his neck. Could it be?

Hope flickers in Sasuke as the man reaches for his bottle. A grass symbol glints off his headband. Sasuke deflates. Not a Konoha-nin…

He quickly shakes off his disappointment. Not much farther till he's home anyway, though to be safe, grabbing a few supplies wouldn't hurt.

Sasuke swipes ten shuriken off the shelf, a bag of jerky, and five explosive tags. He's paying the woman at the counter when eyes burn into his back.

Sasuke doesn't tense up but his instincts shout danger! Swiftly he remembers the Mizukage put a hit on him and any shinobi can cash in on it.

The teen lays an Oki coin on the counter and smiles at the rosy-haired shop owner in an apron. "I think I'll add some ninja wire and a sealing scroll to my purchase. Never know, right?"

He leaves the shop broke but feeling more secure while his mind buzzes with ideas. The Grass-nin is gone and two Kaze kunoichi occupy the bar. Was it them who was staring or…

He side-eyes the hooded group while approaching the bar. If any of them are sensors and he encountered them before, they might recognize him without seeing his face. It's also possible someone spotted his hawk and recognized it. No matter the case, he has to leave here tonight. Few have summons with night vision so he has a good chance of escaping without a fight if he leaves under the cover of dark. However, his hawk can't see at night. So he needs a different ride home.

The bartender raises a thick brow at him. Sasuke inclines his head respectfully and leans his elbow on the counter. "Do you have any Oki-sized chicken?"

The man's brow rises even higher but everyone knows how Chibi teens eat so Sasuke smirks as the bartender shrugs and disappears into the back door.

Sasuke strides down the tunnel leading to the rentable rooms. However, halfway there, he sneaks back to the bar, concealing his chakra the best he can.

He climbs up the slide and pushes the stone, gritting his teeth as his arms shake. The rock rolls over and Sasuke sighs in relief, climbing out into the darkness.

Crickets hum deafeningly loud, fireflies glow past the tree roots, and an owl trills faintly. Sasuke doesn't have much time if good shinobi are after him and he's got even less if a good sensor is tracking him.

So he hastily leaves the tree and the cool summertime air runs over him while he surveys the moonlit clearing.

"Now look, Sasuke, the first thing you gotta do is become one of them."

Chibi-Kiba slung an arm around Sasuke's neck and the Uchiha scowled in the moonlight but allowed Kiba to drag him away from the hatch in the dirt and into a training field.

"You get on all fours," Kiba smirks, raising a pointer finger in Sasuke's face. "And you howl up to the sky."

He waves towards the full moon above and Sasuke raises a brow. "Can't you just throw out some food and lure—"

"No." Kiba has the nerve to eye Sasuke like he's a fool. "Bringing it food makes you seem like you're the subordinate and it might associate you with prey."

Kiba tsks, shaking his head, and annoyance flares in Sasuke. He yanks himself free of the Inuzuka and crosses his arms, glaring. "Fine, then what do you do?"

Kiba's smirk becomes wolfish, his fangs peeking out. "You show it who's boss, of course!"

Kiba laughs loud and free, and the sound chases Sasuke as he gazes over the stream on the forest edge. He scowls yet drops onto all fours, his palms sinking into the cold dirt while he arches back his head. That stupid advice better work, Kiba.

Sasuke howls up to the moon. Something flees out of the shrub behind him and the crickets go silent as he howls again. However, his skin bristles when eyes fall on him. He ignores whoever it is though because they aren't attacking so takes a deep breath and howls once more.

A leaf crunches behind him—too big to be a Chibi. Sasuke whips back on all fours.

A red fox stands tall on a stone peeking out of the stream, her amber irises observing him cooly. Sasuke's eyes widen. He was aiming for a wolf cub, but this works too.

The vixen's muzzle peels back in a snarl, her ears pulling flat against her head. Yet Sasuke bares his teeth and growls. The vixen snarls louder, opening her jaw warningly, but Sasuke growls and unleashes his chakra.

The fox's mouth clicks shut. Her snarling ebbs to nothing. Sasuke stops growling as the vixen's ears lift and she takes one step back.

"Now's your chance!" Kiba cheers in his head, and Sasuke launches himself high, springing at the fox.

Chibi shuriken sing through the air as he touches down on the vixen's back. Yet he's already torn out his own shuriken and is tossing them back. Their weapons clash but one of Sasuke's shuriken flies undisturbed and hits its mark.

There's a garbled cry before the Grass-nin's body drops out of the tree he was hiding in, a shuriken in his throat. If the man gets help fast, he might survive.

Though that's the least of Sasuke's worries as the fox contorts, wiggling violently under his feet. Sasuke snatches fistfuls of her red-orange fur and that's when water bullets shoot at him. Sasuke yanks the fur, hoping the fox understands.

The vixen might not but still obediently leaps over to the marshy earth. The water bullets pelt the stone behind them, smashing it to pieces. Sasuke spins towards the direction they came from.

The shinobi in hoods and the kunoichi are racing across the treetops. They're all after him. Sasuke whirls forward, yanks the fur again, and the fox takes off.

Water jutsu tugs up a wave from the stream, raising it above Sasuke. Yet the Uchiha pushes chakra into his feet, securing himself to the fox, and his lightning blade shoots out of his palm, slicing apart the wave.

Droplets sprinkle on his head but Sasuke doesn't feel them as his blade retracts and he fires lightning at the ground. The electricity sparks blindingly bright and the other shinobi cry out while Sasuke turns away, swiftly slapping explosive tags onto his shuriken.

He tosses them ahead at a tree. They stab into the bark, sizzling. One of the kunoichi jumps down at him, throwing a purple scythe high above her head.

The tags explode. Bark flies out, the tree cracks and the kunoichi is thrown aside, smoke engulfing her. Though the vixen rushes fearlessly past the scorched tree.

The second kunoichi shunshins in front of him, stabbing a kunai at his neck. Sasuke catches her wrist, twists it until it crunches, and the woman screams before Sasuke tosses her into the water. Yet her voice is drowned out as the scorched tree groans, tumbling towards the river.

"Get him before he escapes!" one of the hooded ninja shouts, and his group rushes through hand signs.

Sasuke flicks smoke bombs to his hands and tosses them down. However, one of his enemies blows a fierce jet of wind down at him. Sasuke's feet are yanked off the fox, but his hand catches the fur and he fights to hold on.

Yet the hooded group takes advantage of his peril and two blow out fire. The wind stream carries the flames straight at him and Sasuke's eyes widen.

The tree crashes into the river. Water splashes high, and what looks like tidal waves from his Chibi perspective collide with the fire. Scalding steam erupts around Sasuke. The Uchiha cries out, skin burning, but the vixen leaps onto the fallen tree.

Sasuke slams facefirst on the animal's back. Quickly though, he grips the fur and raises his head. Cool air rushes into his face but Sasuke doesn't care as the fox leaps off the fallen tree and dives straight down a short waterfall.

Sasuke recoils. "Wait—!"

His breath is stolen as gravity punches his chest and he screams soundlessly as they drop, his legs flying up behind him. They hit the water. His mouth snaps close as the river engulfs him, cloaks drifting around him.

They breach the surface. Cold night air bites through his drenched clothes as Sasuke inhales desperately. Yet the fox swims with ease, her fluffy tail floating behind them. Sasuke turns back. Up on the fallen tree, the hooded group stands at the waterfall's edge. They make no move to follow—oh, they must know he has a lightning affinity and that entering the water would give him a great advantage.

So Sasuke smirks even as his soppy hair gets in his eyes and sends them a mocking wave. Then he turns forward as the fox paddles through the moonlit stream, homeward bound again.

The fox carries him until Konoha's walls appear just past a tree-covered hill. Sasuke beams at the sight while the vixen trots on fallen leaves and twigs, much calmer now that she's gotten used to his weight on her back and his gentle tugs on her fur—especially after he feeds her the chicken.

Sasuke has only eaten his bag of jerky and maybe caught six hours of sleep last night after leashing the fox to a tree stump with his ninja wire, yet he's wide-awake as he tugs the vixen to a stop, gazing up at those gigantic walls framed by leafy trees. Konoha…he's home. After everything he's been through, all the near deaths, and learning the truth about Oki-Itachi, yet he's finally back.

Sasuke hops off the fox and stares at the vixen. She stares back, her tongue peeking out in mild exhaustion. Sasuke slowly reaches up and lays his hand on her wet nose.

"Thank you."

He reaches back into his money pouch and pulls out the last of the chicken. The teen tosses it to the fox and she catches it in her mouth, quickly gobbling it. Sasuke turns away and approaches the gigantic walls. It's been…a whole month since Obito dropped him off here.

Yet this time there's no Zetsu spore posing as Itachi and leading him away, so Sasuke treads to the hole in the gate unbothered. He brushes aside the grass while entering the Village, peering up. Sasuke gasps.

Humans mill about the street, a few chunin racing over the rooftops, and children chasing each other around the block—he's home. He's really home.

Sasuke's smile wobbles. Nii-san…he can see Nii-san.

Sasuke sidesteps the nearby hatch leading to a Chibi tunnel because he doesn't want to be slowed down by someone recognizing him, and runs right into the street, hurrying to the Uchiha district.

"S-Sasuke?"

The teen freezes at that familiar booming voice. However, he twists around right as an Oki hand wraps around his body tight.

Sasuke chokes while he's yanked up to blue Oki eyes.

"Sasuke!?" Oki-Naruto gawks. "Is that really you!?" he bellows and Sasuke's ears bleed. "But what—why are you so small!?"

Shock freezes Sasuke even while a frustrated scream builds in his throat as Oki-Naruto runs, carrying him in the opposite direction from home.


Poor Little Sasuke just can't catch a break 😩

Still, thanks so much for your patience but hopefully I am back to updating this story regularly! Though I am a bit sad this story is soon coming to an end, I've enjoyed taking this writing journey with all of you! 😊

So as always, feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts, and I'll see you in chapter 20!

Next time: Sasuke is home but trapped in the hands of an Oki, he'll have to decide whether to break free and find his brother or risk everything by warning the Oki about the Akatsuki.

Bye now 👋