The early morning air was crisp as Naruto and Hinata approached the town gates, blending into the line of merchants and travelers waiting to pass through. Naruto's hood was pulled low, his eyes scanning their surroundings as he calculated the best approach. He could feel Hinata's nervousness beside him, her posture tense as they neared the guards.
"H-How are we going to get through without drawing attention?" Hinata whispered, glancing up at the stone-faced guards checking each traveler ahead of them.
"Leave it to me," Naruto replied quietly, his voice steady. "Just keep close, and whatever happens, don't let go of my arm."
Hinata nodded, her fingers curling around his forearm as they moved forward in line. When they reached the checkpoint, one of the guards stepped forward, eyeing them suspiciously. Naruto gave him a polite nod, angling his face so his hood cast a shadow over his features. "We're just passing through to see family," he said, his tone relaxed but firm.
The guard narrowed his eyes, looking between Naruto and Hinata, whose gaze was fixed on the ground, her face hidden by her own hood. "Lift your heads," the guard ordered gruffly. "We need to check everyone."
Naruto could feel Hinata's grip tighten, her pulse quickening against his arm. He lowered his hood slightly, revealing his face just enough for the guard to see his eyes—blue, calm, and piercing. As the guard leaned in to inspect him, Naruto held his gaze, a subtle but unyielding intensity in his eyes that seemed to unsettle the guard.
"We're traveling light," Naruto said, his voice as steady as a blade. "I assure you, there's nothing to see here."
The guard hesitated, momentarily caught off guard by Naruto's confidence. With a huff, he waved them through. "Move along, then."
Naruto nodded, pulling Hinata gently forward, his hand resting protectively on her shoulder as they slipped through the gate. Once they were out of earshot, Hinata let out a quiet breath she'd been holding, relief flooding her expression as they walked into the forest path beyond the town.
"How did you…?" she asked, glancing up at him, still marveling at how effortlessly he'd gotten them through.
"Confidence can go a long way," he replied with a slight smile, though his voice carried a note of caution. "But stay alert. We're not in the clear yet."
The path through the forest was quiet, the silence broken only by the rustling leaves and the distant call of birds. Naruto walked in thoughtful silence, keeping a steady pace as the trees grew denser around them. They had been walking for hours, the morning chill slowly giving way to the warmth of midday.
As they reached a small clearing, Naruto slowed his steps, glancing up at the sun's position. "We'll rest here for a bit," he said, setting down his pack by a fallen log. "It'll give us a chance to regroup and plan our route to the next town."
Hinata sat beside him, her gaze drifting to the forest around them, her face thoughtful. After a few quiet moments, she turned to Naruto, curiosity in her eyes.
"Where are we headed after this?" she asked.
Naruto considered her question, his expression contemplative. "We're heading to the Land of Stars," he said finally, his voice steady but cautious. "It's not the safest place, but it's somewhere we resupply and lie low if it comes to that. There are a few neighboring towns, so we'll have options if things get too dangerous."
Hinata's expression shifted, a mixture of worry and determination crossing her face. "The Land of Stars… is it like this town?" she asked, her gaze shifting back to the quiet forest surrounding them.
Naruto shook his head, a shadow crossing his expression. "Not quite. It's a place where a lot of people go when they have nowhere else to be. Slavers, mercenaries, black market traders… they're all there. But that also means it's harder to track people. It's easier to disappear."
Hinata shivered at his words but nodded, her face set with a quiet resolve. She looked down at her hands, gathering her thoughts, and finally spoke. "Thank you, Naruto… for everything." Her voice was soft, but there was a depth of sincerity in her words that caught him off guard.
He glanced at her, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "There's no need to thank me. Let's call it aligned interest." A small smile touched his lips, barely there but genuine, as he met her gaze.
They sat in silence for a while, the air between them filled with a quiet understanding. Eventually, Naruto stood, stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders. "We should keep moving. There's a lake not too far from here. We can stop there to refill our canteens and catch some fish if we're lucky."
Hinata's face lit up with a soft smile, and she stood, nodding as she adjusted her cloak. They set off down the path, moving deeper into the forest as the trees thickened around them, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
After a few hours of walking, they finally reached the lake, a shimmering pool of clear water nestled among the trees. Naruto scanned the area, his eyes sharp as he checked for any signs of danger. Satisfied, he set down his pack by the water's edge and turned to Hinata.
"Why don't you rest for a bit?" he suggested. "I'll see if I can catch something for us to eat."
Hinata sat down on a nearby rock, watching as Naruto waded into the lake, his focus intense as he studied the fish swimming beneath the surface. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of him, his usually guarded expression softening as he concentrated on his task.
After several minutes, Naruto finally caught two modest-sized fish, a triumphant grin on his face as he brought them to the shore. "Not exactly a feast," he said, dropping the fish near the small fire Hinata had built, "but it'll keep us going."
The two of them sat by the fire, cooking the fish over the flames and savoring the warmth of the meal. As they ate, a comfortable silence settled over them, and for a moment, it felt as if they were simply two travelers sharing a meal, free from the weight of their circumstances.
After finishing their food, Naruto leaned back, his gaze drifting over the lake. "You know, I don't remember the last time I just… stopped like this," he admitted, a rare note of vulnerability in his voice. "It's strange… almost feels normal."
Hinata looked at him, her eyes soft with understanding. "Maybe… maybe normal isn't so far away," she said quietly, her voice gentle but filled with quiet strength. "It's just… about finding the right people to be with, isn't it?"
Naruto met her gaze, something shifting in his expression as he took in her words. For a moment, he allowed himself to believe it, to see a glimpse of something beyond the constant battle, a possibility he hadn't considered.
"Maybe," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, but there was a warmth there, a glimmer of hope that he hadn't felt in a long time.
The fire crackled softly in the night, its warmth and light a small refuge from the cold shadows gathering around them. Naruto sat across from Hinata, the flickering light casting shadows over her face, highlighting her haunted expression as she stared into the flames. He could see the weight of her past in her eyes, the kind of hurt that ran deep and silent.
"You know, before I met you…" she started, her voice a fragile whisper in the darkness, "I'd lost all hope."
He watched her closely, noticing how her hands trembled slightly as she spoke. She kept her gaze fixed on the fire, as if afraid to look at him, afraid of the vulnerability in her words. She seemed so small at that moment, her figure wrapped tightly in her cloak, but her voice was resilient, a strength born from pain.
"I used to believe that things would change," she continued, her voice wavering. "But after months of… being trapped, of seeing things I can't unsee… I started to believe what he told me." Her voice grew tighter, and she seemed to shrink further into herself as if the memory itself was suffocating her. "He'd say he was just 'keeping me pure for the right price,' like I was some… something to be sold to the highest bidder."
Naruto's fists clenched, though he kept his face still, his expression stoic. He could feel the anger building within him, a slow, burning fury at the world that had left her to suffer like this. He remembered the sense of rage he'd felt when he'd found her, that night when he'd confronted Galoorn, a man so caught up in his twisted sense of power that he'd dared to use Naruto like a pawn. In truth, Naruto had been just another resource, someone Galoorn thought he could manipulate. But Naruto had turned his anger back on him, a fury he'd channeled into saving her if only to break free from the trap Galoorn had set for him.
"If you hadn't shown up that night… God knows what would've happened." Her voice was barely audible, but the words struck him deeply, a reminder of how close she had come to being lost forever. He hadn't known then what would come of his rage, hadn't realized the path it would lead him down, but a part of him wondered if it had all been inevitable. Was it his anger that had saved her? Or something else, something beyond either of them?
Hinata's voice softened, her eyes turning upward, staring into the night sky as though looking for answers among the stars. "Now, some part of me wants to go back home. I was so naive, thinking I could just leave, that I could be free from the demands of my clan. But I was wrong. I see that now."
Naruto's gaze remained steady on her, the firelight flickering in his blue eyes. He understood that feeling too well—the strange, aching desire to return to something, even if it had never been what he needed, even if it was just a dream of something that might have been. Home. A word that held so little meaning for him, a concept buried under layers of secrets and lies.
"Naruto…" Hinata's voice was soft, almost hesitant as if she were reaching out to him in her quiet way. "You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago. His name was Naruto too."
Naruto felt a cold rush of memories, his past surfacing against his will. He forced himself to stay still, to keep his expression unreadable, but her words struck him like a blow, bringing with them memories he had buried long ago.
"When I first saw you, it was like…" she trailed off, struggling to find the words. "It was like finding a part of myself I'd lost. For a moment, I thought you were him—the Naruto I knew as a child. He was kind. He had this fierce determination, even back then." She let out a small, bittersweet laugh, through her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
Naruto kept his silence, though a quiet ache stirred within him. He hadn't heard anyone speak his name with such warmth, not in years. It was as if she had peeled back the layers he'd wrapped himself in, revealing something he had long hidden, even from himself.
"I don't understand what happened to him," she continued, her voice filled with a lingering sadness. "One day, he was just… gone. They told me he had died. I remember they held a small service, but no one spoke of him after that. It was like he'd been erased like he never existed."
Her words cut through him, a sharp reminder of the life he'd left behind. In Konoha, he was nothing more than a forgotten child, a secret swept away to preserve the purity of his father's legacy. The child of a Hokage who could never claim him. As Hinata spoke, he could feel that weight settling over him once more, pressing against him like the bars of an invisible cage.
Hinata looked up at him, her voice a trembling whisper. "You remind me of him… but he had these little scars on his face." She smiled softly, her laughter mixed with tears. "I used to tease him about them. Called them 'whiskers.' And you… you don't have those."
Naruto's chest tightened, his throat constricting as he watched her, her laughter fading into a wistful silence. She had unknowingly uncovered the child he'd once been, the life he had once held dear before it had been taken from him before he'd become something unrecognizable, someone forged from the anger and resentment that had filled the void left behind.
He stayed quiet, feeling the weight of her words settle around him like a shroud. She was seeing something he hadn't shown anyone in years, something fragile and vulnerable, a piece of himself he'd thought long dead. And yet, as he looked at her, a part of him wondered if that piece had survived, if perhaps there was still something worth finding within the person he had become.
For the first time in a long while, Naruto let the silence linger, the firelight casting warm shadows over them as they sat together, the unspoken connection between them growing stronger, fragile yet real. The night stretched on, and for just a moment, they weren't bound by the past or haunted by their secrets—they were just two souls, finding solace in the quiet understanding they shared, each finding a part of themselves in the other.
Then he felt it.
The fire had long since died down, leaving only embers glowing faintly as Naruto scanned the darkened forest, his senses sharp. His instincts were on high alert—an instinct honed from years of survival and skill. Hinata sat close by, unaware of his rigid stance, the faintest hint of tension in his jaw as his eyes flicked to the tree line.
A chill crept into the air, carrying with it a strange scent, one that tingled with something dark and sinister. Then it hit him—he knew this aura, that twisted, suffocating presence that pulled at the darkest depths of a person's mind. It was unmistakable.
Hidan.
Naruto's hand moved instinctively to his sword, his mind racing through the possibilities. Last time, the fight had been brutal; it had ended in a draw, but Hidan's taunts had lingered in his mind, his opponent's manic thrill in battle leaving a mark he couldn't ignore. Now, the bloodthirsty man was back, closer than ever.
"Hinata," he whispered, barely audible, his voice calm but urgent. "Move quietly. We need to go. Now."
Hinata looked at him, startled, her gaze meeting him in the dim light. His face was tense, his body coiled as though ready to spring. She sensed the danger in his tone and nodded, gathering her things quickly and silently, following him as he led them into the darkness of the trees. They moved swiftly, Naruto keeping her close as they wove through the underbrush, avoiding branches and sticking to the shadows. All the while, he could feel the bloodlust growing stronger behind them, a hunter closing in on his prey.
Then, somewhere nearby, a voice rang out, twisted with a cruel, familiar glee.
"Oh, Akuma! Running from our reunion, are we?" The words echoed through the forest, Hidan's tone dripping with mockery. "Come on, let's get fuckin crazy! Don't disappoint me now!"
Naruto cursed under his breath. The lunatic was enjoying this, savoring the hunt like it was all a twisted game. Hinata's grip tightened on her cloak as she glanced back, her breathing quickening as Hidan's laugh reverberated through the trees, an unnatural, grating sound that sent shivers down her spine.
Naruto led them down a narrow path, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the dense foliage as he tried to put distance between them and the approaching killer. But Hidan's footsteps echoed behind them, the man moving with a relentless, predatory energy, his maniacal voice drawing closer.
Just as they broke through a gap in the trees, they stumbled into a clearing, the moonlight spilling over the tall grass. Naruto glanced around, eyes narrowing as he assessed their options. There was no cover here, nowhere to hide. They were exposed.
Naruto positioned himself between Hinata and the edge of the clearing, his hand tight on the hilt of his blade as Hidan emerged from the shadows, his face lit with a sick grin. Moonlight glinted off the edge of the deadly scythe he swung over his shoulder, the weapon's three blades sharp and ready, each one stained with dark, dried blood.
"Well, well, no more hiding!" Hidan sneered, his eyes glinting with twisted delight. "Thought you could just slip away, huh? That was quite the rude exit last time." He smiled menacingly as he touched his neck where he had received the kunai before, his gaze flicked to Hinata, and his grin widened. "And you brought alluring company."
Naruto's jaw clenched, his face an impassive mask, though he could feel the simmering anger bubbling beneath his calm exterior. He stepped forward, keeping Hinata safely behind him, his voice low and cold.
"You want to do this here?"
Hidan laughed, the sound harsh and wild. "Oh, I do, Akuma. It's not every day we Masterthiefs get to fight to the death!"
In an instant, Hidan swung his scythe, the blades whistling through the air as he closed the distance between them. Naruto moved swiftly, sidestepping the strike with a quick, calculated twist, the sharp edge grazing his shoulder but not enough to wound. He countered with his own blade, forcing Hidan back a few steps, though the crazed man just laughed, thrilled by the challenge.
Naruto knew he couldn't afford to take risks, not with Hinata so close. Every move had to be precise, every strike intentional. Hidan was relentless, his attacks coming faster, each swing more forceful than the last. Naruto blocked and parried, his body moving instinctively, his mind calculating each move, every feint and counter.
Hidan's eyes were wide with exhilaration, his grin growing with each failed attack, as though the resistance only fed his twisted enjoyment. "You think you can keep running, Akuma?" he taunted, twirling his scythe with a deft flick of his wrist. "I'm gonna savor this."
Naruto's mind raced as he caught his breath, strategizing his next move. He caught Hinata's worried gaze, her hands clenched tightly, and with a subtle nod, he gave her a silent command: be ready to run.
Hidan lunged again, the scythe coming down in a deadly arc. Naruto met the strike with a powerful swing, the clash of their weapons sending a shockwave through the clearing. Hidan staggered back slightly, momentarily thrown off balance. Naruto seized the chance, calling out to Hinata.
"Now, run!"
Without hesitation, Hinata bolted toward the other side of the clearing, her figure disappearing into the shadows beyond. Naruto turned his full attention back to Hidan, his stance shifting as he prepared to go all out.
"Oh, now you're serious?" Hidan sneered, licking a thin trickle of blood from a cut on his lip. "Good. Show me what you've got, Akuma."
Naruto didn't respond, his eyes cold as he launched into a flurry of strikes, his blade moving in a blur as he pushed Hidan back, forcing him to stay on the defensive. The assassin laughed, blocking and countering with wild abandon, his eyes alight with a maniacal thrill as they traded blows, their fight a deadly dance under the moonlight.
But Hidan was strong, his strikes relentless, and Naruto could feel the strain on his wounded shoulder as each swing of his sword grew heavier. Still, he refused to back down, each strike laced with a fierce determination, a burning drive to end this fight once and for all.
And then, as if by some miracle, he saw an opening. With a swift, calculated movement, Naruto sidestepped Hidan's scythe and drove his blade forward, catching the assassin off guard. The tip of his sword bit into Hidan's side, drawing a sharp cry of pain as blood spattered onto the grass.
But Hidan only grinned, his laughter echoing through the clearing as he looked down at the wound. "Not bad," he sneered, his voice thick with malice. "But it'll take more than that to finish me."
Naruto stepped back, his chest heaving as he steadied himself. His gaze was unwavering, his expression hard as he kept his sword at the ready, his mind racing. Hidan was dangerous, and it was clear this fight wouldn't end easily. But he couldn't back down—not with Hinata's safety at stake.
Hidan's eyes gleamed with twisted excitement as he adjusted his grip on the scythe, his stance shifting as he prepared for another round. "Come on, Akuma," he taunted, his voice dripping with anticipation. "Turn into that demon again."
Naruto held his ground as Hidan growled in fury, his teeth bared in a feral snarl. The gleam in Hidan's bloodshot eyes spoke of one thing only: an insatiable lust for pain—his, Naruto's, anyone's. But just as Hidan began to lunge, a sharp, sudden call split through the tense silence.
"Hey!" The voice was familiar, cutting through the night like a blade. Tenten.
In an instant, a barrage of blades rained down between them, forcing both men to dodge. Naruto knew this technique well. Tenten's weapons were never just ordinary blades. These kunai were embedded with a potent chemical agent—one she'd used on him before in a mock fight.
Naruto squeezed his eyes shut just as the blinding flash exploded, bathing the clearing in a searing, white light. A scream of pure rage tore from Hidan's throat as he stumbled, blinded by the overwhelming brightness. He thrashed wildly, his scythe swinging in chaotic arcs, but his eyes were closed tightly, rage and agony twisting his face into something monstrous.
Taking advantage of Hidan's vulnerability, Naruto sprang forward, his blade aimed at Hidan's heart, his grip steady and his strike precise. But Hidan's scythe jerked up instinctively, intercepting Naruto's sword with an unearthly precision, despite his lack of sight. The clang of steel on steel reverberated through the clearing, and before Naruto could fully recover, Hidan lashed out with a vicious kick. Naruto brought his arms up to block, but the force sent him stumbling back, skidding across the dirt.
"Damn!" Naruto spat, cursing himself for letting such a perfect opportunity slip. Hidan had somehow countered even without his vision—a testament to just how deadly this man truly was.
From the corner of his eye, Naruto caught sight of Tenten, who had managed to position herself near the treeline with Hinata. She gestured frantically for him to retreat, her gaze intense as she scanned the area for any more incoming threats. Naruto glared back at Hidan, who had dropped into a defensive stance, his closed eyes betraying a twisted smirk as he spread his arms wide.
"Come on, Akuma," Hidan taunted, his voice a raspy growl. "Think you can take me now that I can't see you? Do it! Make me feel it!"
Naruto's fists tightened, his knuckles white on the hilt of his blade. Every instinct screamed at him to end it here and now, but Tenten's signal and the sight of Hinata's frightened face pulled him back to reality. This wasn't the time or place. Hidan would be hunting him, yes, but Naruto could use that. Let Hidan follow his trail; he would set the terms of the next encounter.
He shot Hidan one last look, muttering a low curse under his breath, and turned on his heel, sprinting toward Tenten and Hinata.
"Let's go. Now," he commanded, and Tenten fell into step beside him, Hinata close behind. They darted through the forest, dodging low-hanging branches and leaping over uneven ground as they pushed to put as much distance as possible between them and the clearing. Behind them, Hidan's voice echoed, loud and maddened, a mixture of laughter and enraged curses that cut through the night like a blade.
Naruto glanced over his shoulder, his gaze hardening. "He'll recover his sight soon. We have minutes at best before he's on our trail again."
Tenten nodded, her eyes sharp and calculating. "There's a narrow ravine up ahead. It won't stop him, but it might slow him down if we can reach it fast enough."
They ran through the forest at breakneck speed, Naruto pushing ahead to guide them as Tenten supported Hinata, who was keeping pace despite her exhaustion. The forest seemed to grow denser, the trees pressing in as if to shield them, the ground dipping sharply as they approached the ravine.
As they neared the edge, a sudden, familiar voice bellowed through the forest, chilling their blood.
"You think you can just run from me, Akuma?!" Hidan's roar shattered the brief silence. "You can't hide. You're MINE!"
Naruto's mind raced as he looked down the steep edge of the ravine. The fall was sharp, a drop into shadows that hinted at uneven rocks and a deadly descent. But it was the only chance they had to break free from Hidan, if only temporarily.
"Tenten," Naruto said, his voice low and firm. "Get her across. I'll hold him off here for as long as I can."
"No!" Hinata's voice was hoarse, panic-stricken. "You can't fight him alone."
Naruto shot her a hard look, his eyes blazing. "Go, Hinata. I'll be right behind you."
Before she could argue, Tenten took her arm, guiding her down the precarious path along the ravine's edge. Naruto waited, his senses on high alert, feeling Hidan's presence looming closer, his laughter and taunts slicing through the darkness as he approached.
Moments later, the killer emerged from the shadows, his face twisted into a grotesque smile, the bloodlust in his eyes a stark contrast to his otherwise smooth, calculated movements. He took in the scene, noting Naruto standing at the edge of the ravine, his stance ready.
"Oh, Akuma," Hidan sneered, swinging his scythe in a slow arc, his voice dripping with malice. "Are you planning to give me a real fight this time? Or will you run again?"
Naruto didn't respond, his gaze cold and unyielding. The rage that simmered beneath his calm expression was a controlled flame, waiting to be unleashed.
Hidan's grin widened as he took a step forward, the moonlight glinting off his weapon. "Come on then," he whispered his voice barely a breath but carrying all the weight of his murderous intent. "Let's make this interesting."
Naruto's blade flashed as he moved, closing the distance between them with a speed that made Hidan's eyes widen in brief surprise. Their weapons clashed, the metallic screech filling the air as they met in a brutal, swift exchange of strikes and blocks, each blow echoing through the trees. Hidan's face lit up with manic glee as he met Naruto's blade with ruthless strength, every strike fueled by a thirst for blood.
Naruto dodged Hidan's scythe, barely avoiding a vicious slash as he struck back, aiming for Hidan's exposed side. But the assassin twisted, laughing as he countered, his movements wild yet precise, each motion carrying a deadly intent. Hidan's eyes gleamed with the thrill of battle, his maniacal laughter ringing out every time their blades met.
"You can't escape me, Akuma!" Hidan sneered, lunging forward with a powerful swing that Naruto narrowly deflected. "I'll hunt you down until the ends of the earth if I have to!"
Naruto gritted his teeth, pushing Hidan back with a fierce counterstrike that threw the man off balance, if only for a second. "Not today, Hidan," he muttered under his breath, his gaze flickering to the path where Tenten and Hinata had disappeared.
With one final swing, Naruto feigned a retreat, stepping back toward the ravine. Hidan followed, his expression twisted in anticipation, completely unaware of the terrain behind Naruto. At the last second, Naruto shifted his weight, landing a swift kick to Hidan's chest, propelling him backward into the shallow edge of the ravine.
For a moment, Hidan flailed, his scythe slicing through the air as he struggled to regain his footing on the crumbling earth. Naruto took his chance, darting back and racing down the ravine's edge where Tenten and Hinata waited. As he reached them, he grabbed both their hands, pulling them to keep pace as they fled into the forest's dense underbrush, Hidan's furious shouts fading behind them.
They didn't stop running until the forest thickened once again, sheltering them in the safety of its shadows. Breathing hard, Naruto finally slowed, his eyes sharp as he scanned the dark woods. The night was eerily silent, save for the distant echoes of Hidan's enraged curses.
Tenten glanced back, her voice low but firm. "He'll be back. We can't stop here."
Naruto nodded, gripping his blade tightly. "Then we keep moving," he said, his gaze unwavering.
As they neared the edge of the Ravaged Lands, Sasuke's gaze remained fixed ahead, his expression unreadable, but his tone carried a quiet intensity.
"Master Thieves," he began, his voice low, as though sharing a rare insight, "are different from ordinary criminals. They're trained from childhood—conditioned to read the world around them, to disappear into it. They don't waste movement or make mistakes, and they don't leave witnesses."
Sara glanced over at him, surprised to see his usual stoic demeanor giving way to a rare openness. "So they're like shinobi in some ways. But why would they need that level of skill just to steal?"
Sasuke shook his head, the faintest trace of a frown creasing his forehead. "It's more than that. For them, it's survival, and they're willing to go further than most shinobi would ever consider. They live among people who could turn on them at any moment. They're always on guard, always watching. If you're trained to fight just to live, you develop a certain... ruthlessness."
Sara nodded slowly, taking in his words. "But if that's true, then Akuma is not just a thief. He's someone who knows how to take advantage of any situation. He wouldn't be afraid to exploit a weakness if it meant winning."
Sasuke's gaze darkened, his eyes still set forward as he continued. "Akuma isn't just some pickpocket. He's known for getting out of situations even when he's completely outnumbered. It's said he can anticipate attacks like a sixth sense, adapting faster than most people can react. He doesn't fight fair. He doesn't have to."
Sara felt a shiver run down her spine, not from fear, but from the weight of his words. The quiet, stoic way Sasuke explained Akuma's skills made it clear he wasn't underestimating their target. He saw Akuma for the threat he was—a different kind of opponent, one who had survived by stepping outside the bounds that even shinobi operated within.
"Sounds like we can't rely on typical tactics, then," she murmured.
"No," Sasuke replied, his voice steady, controlled. "And we can't underestimate him. But he has limits, just like anyone else. And if he thinks he's untouchable, that arrogance will be his undoing."
Sara took a deep breath, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. She wasn't alone in this, and with Sasuke's calm, focused approach, they had a better chance of understanding just what kind of enemy they were up against. Together, they pressed on toward the Ravaged Lands, ready for the hunt ahead.
.