The evening air was cool as Naruto and Sakura made their way through the dense forest, the sound of their boots crunching on the dried leaves beneath their feet. The sun had already set, leaving only the faintest remnants of twilight behind. They were heading back to Eginami Village after a long day of training and preparation. Tomorrow would be a big day—returning across the vast ocean to report to Konoha about their findings on Orochimaru's disappearance.

Naruto, ever the optimist, walked ahead, his hands behind his head as he hummed a little tune. "Man, I can't wait to get back home! I'll finally be able to eat some good ramen again. This place is nice and all, but the food isn't the same."

Sakura smiled faintly, following just behind him. She was tired, but her mind kept turning over everything they had learned in the past few days. Orochimaru's presence on Enraoi was worrying, to say the least. And the more they had dug into it, the more questions kept cropping up. It wasn't just that he had disappeared—it was where he had disappeared to. Why hide in a place like Enraoi, so far from the rest of the ninja world?

Sakura couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about it all, though she kept her concerns to herself. For now, she would focus on the task at hand—reporting to Konoha, and keeping her promise to Naruto to stay positive, no matter what.

As they neared the edge of the forest, the village lights just coming into view through the trees, a strange presence seemed to hang in the air. Sakura felt it first—something was off. She instinctively stopped, her senses heightened, her eyes scanning the shadows between the trees.

"Naruto," she murmured, her voice low. "Do you feel that?"

Naruto turned, pausing mid-step. He looked around, his grin fading slightly. "What's wrong, Sakura?"

Before she could respond, a figure emerged from the trees ahead of them, his presence sudden and imposing. A man cloaked in a long, dark robe, with a hood pulled low over his face. The only feature visible was a cold, expressionless mask covering his face—white with sharp angles, his eyes hidden completely.

Naruto's brow furrowed. "Who the heck are you?" he demanded, stepping forward with a scowl. "We're not in the mood for any games, buddy."

The masked figure stood still, his hands hidden within the folds of his cloak. His posture was rigid, unnaturally so, as though he wasn't concerned at all by their presence. "Konoha ninja," the man spoke in a gravelly voice that sent a chill down Sakura's spine. "How predictable."

Naruto bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The figure's head tilted slightly, the masked face staring at Naruto. "You should not have come to Enraoi. This land does not welcome outsiders—especially those like you." His tone was cold, unfeeling.

Naruto's fists clenched, and he stepped forward. "I don't know what your problem is, but if you're gonna start trouble, then I'll give you a fight you'll never forget!"

Sakura immediately stepped forward, raising a hand. "Naruto, wait!" she called out. "We don't know who this guy is. Let's just—"

But before she could finish, the cloaked man's cold voice interrupted her. "Do you think you can stop me? The weaklings of Konoha, so full of yourselves... Do you even understand the price of your presence here?"

Naruto's patience snapped. His expression hardened as he charged forward, his chakra surging around him. "You're asking for it now, jerk!" He threw a fist forward, intending to knock the masked man away.

But just as Naruto's fist came within inches of the cloaked figure, something changed. The air around the masked man seemed to ripple, his body blurring for a split second as he effortlessly sidestepped Naruto's punch. It was like he wasn't even there.

Naruto skidded to a halt, his eyes widening in disbelief. "What the—?"

Before he could react further, the man was already moving. His cloak swirled in the air as he raised a hand, quick as lightning. He didn't strike Naruto, but instead grabbed his wrist mid-air. With a sudden, forceful twist, he sent Naruto crashing to the ground in a heap. The force was enough to make the earth tremble beneath their feet.

Naruto grunted, struggling to get up, but the man was already standing over him, his presence overwhelming.

Sakura gasped and jumped forward, taking a defensive stance. "Naruto!" she called out, concern flooding her voice. "Get up!"

But the masked man didn't give Naruto a chance to recover. With swift, fluid movements, he spun around and delivered a series of rapid blows to Naruto's midsection, each hit landing with the force of a sledgehammer. Naruto was sent staggering back, gasping for breath.

"I told you," the man's voice was calm, detached. "This land is not for the likes of you."

Sakura clenched her fists, her eyes flashing with anger. "Who are you?! Why are you attacking us?" she demanded.

The masked figure didn't answer her immediately. Instead, he turned his attention back to Naruto, who was struggling to get back on his feet. His body was bruised, but his spirit remained unbroken. "You really think you're strong enough to stand in my way?" the figure mused, almost mockingly.

Naruto wiped blood from his lip, a fire in his eyes. "I don't care who you are, you're gonna regret messing with me!" He was barely able to steady himself, but his will to fight was stronger than ever.

The masked man smirked, the smallest shift of his head, before he suddenly lunged forward, disappearing from sight as he moved faster than Naruto could track. In an instant, the man appeared directly in front of Naruto. He raised his hand to strike, but just as quickly, his eyes flashed with recognition.

Naruto, despite his pain, was already pulling chakra into his legs, moving just in time to avoid the strike. "Not this time!" he shouted, his voice ringing out in defiance as he attempted to counterattack with a swift kick.

But as his foot connected with the air where the man once was, the cloaked figure was gone again, vanishing in a blur.

"Impossible..." Sakura whispered under her breath, her eyes wide with disbelief. "He's so fast...!"

Naruto's chest heaved with the effort of keeping up. "Where the hell is he—?"

Before he could finish, the cloaked figure was behind him once more, his hand closing around Naruto's throat in a vice-like grip. Naruto struggled, his hands clawing at the man's wrist, but he couldn't break free. The grip tightened, and Naruto's vision began to blur.

Sakura moved to help, but she was too far away to intervene in time. "Naruto!" she shouted, her voice rising in panic.

But then, as quickly as it had happened, the grip loosened, and Naruto was dropped to the ground with a thud. He gasped for air, his hands clutching his throat as he tried to recover.

The cloaked figure stood over him once again, his posture relaxed as if he had merely been playing with his opponent. "You're far too weak to challenge me. And you are not worthy of standing here." He turned slowly, his cloak swirling with each movement. "Konoha's reputation will not save you."

Naruto struggled to his feet, glaring at the masked man through clenched teeth. "You may be stronger than me, but I won't back down!" he shouted.

The man merely turned his head slightly, his mask hiding whatever expression he might have had. "I do not need you to back down," he said coldly. "But you will wish you had."

Sakura stepped in front of Naruto, her stance firm. "Enough!" she said, her voice ringing out. "Who are you? Why are you doing this? We're not your enemies!"

The man stared at her for a moment, considering her words. Then, in an unexpected move, he tilted his head to the side, his voice softening just slightly. "You truly don't know who I am, do you?"

Naruto and Sakura both looked at him, confused.

"I'm the one who will end you," the man said ominously, his voice chilling. "But before that, I'll leave you with this message. Tell your Hokage... we're coming."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the darkness of the forest, his presence fading like a whisper on the wind.

Sakura and Naruto stood there, still processing the encounter, both too stunned to move. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, but there was one thing they both knew for sure—whoever this masked figure was, they weren't just dealing with another random enemy. They were dealing with someone who knew far more about them than they had realized.

And that was a danger they couldn't afford to ignore.