The moon hung high in the night sky, casting pale light across the rooftops of Konoha. Naruto stirred from his sleep as a faint tapping sounded against his window. He frowned, rolling over to glance at the source of the noise. Through the glass, he saw a familiar silhouette, framed by the moonlight.
"Sasuke?" Naruto mumbled groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He glanced at the figure lying beside him—Ino, her blonde hair spilling across the pillow, deep in slumber. Naruto sighed, carefully untangling himself and slipping out of bed without waking her.
Sliding open the window, he found Sasuke crouched on the ledge, his face unreadable. "What the hell are you doing here?" Naruto whispered harshly. "It's the middle of the night!"
"Come to the roof," Sasuke said simply before disappearing in a flicker of motion.
Naruto groaned quietly, throwing on his jacket and stepping onto the cool tiles of the roof. Sasuke stood with his arms crossed, his black cloak fluttering slightly in the night breeze.
"This better be important," Naruto grumbled, leaning against a chimney. "You interrupted my beauty sleep."
Sasuke ignored the remark. "I need your help."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "My help? Didn't think you'd ever admit that. What's this about?"
"I need to leave the village again," Sasuke began, his voice low and measured. "There's another ancient Uchiha temple—one I've discovered references to in the ruins we visited before. But Tsunade doesn't trust me right now. Not after the Sound Village... and Orochimaru."
Naruto rolled his eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. "You're always up to something, aren't you? Can't you just sit still for five minutes?"
Sasuke's expression darkened. "This isn't a game, Naruto. It's about something bigger than me or you."
Naruto tilted his head, crossing his arms. "Alright, fine. I'm listening. What's so important that you had to drag me out here?"
Sasuke hesitated, glancing at the sky as though searching for the right words. Finally, he spoke. "It's about the Sage of Six Paths."
Naruto frowned, the name ringing a bell from old stories he'd heard as a child. "The Sage of Six What?"
Sasuke took a step closer, his sharingan glinting faintly in the moonlight. "The Sage of Six Paths was the progenitor of ninjutsu—the man who first wielded chakra. He had two sons: one who inherited his eyes and spiritual energy, and the other who inherited his body and physical energy. These sons, Indra and Asura, were the origin of the eternal conflict that has shaped the shinobi world."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, his frown deepening. "Okay... but what does that have to do with us?"
Sasuke's gaze bore into him. "I believe Indra and Asura reincarnated into Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju during their time. And now, I believe they've reincarnated again... into you and me."
Naruto blinked, the weight of Sasuke's words taking a moment to sink in. "Wait—what? That's insane! How could we—"
"Think about it," Sasuke interrupted, his voice sharp. "You can use Wood Release—a power only Hashirama ever possessed. And me? My sharingan is... evolving. I've had visions, Naruto. Of the Sage, his sons, their battles. The patterns are too clear to ignore."
Naruto stared at Sasuke, his usual skepticism warring with the undeniable logic of his argument. "So you're saying... we're reincarnations of those two guys? And that's why we've got these crazy powers?"
Sasuke nodded. "Yes. And if we don't understand what this means—what our roles are—we'll keep repeating the same cycle that's plagued the world for centuries."
Naruto scratched his head, clearly overwhelmed. "This is a lot to take in, man. And how do we even know this temple of yours will have the answers?"
"It's a lead," Sasuke said firmly. "One we can't afford to ignore. But I can't do this alone. I need your help, Naruto."
Naruto stared at his friend for a long moment, weighing his options. Finally, he let out a deep sigh. "Fine. I'll go with you. But only because I don't trust you wandering off alone—you've got a bad habit of getting into trouble."
Sasuke allowed himself a small smirk. "Fair enough."
Naruto jabbed a finger at him. "But we're telling Tsunade about this before we leave. I'm not sneaking around like some criminal."
Sasuke frowned but ultimately nodded. "If that's what it takes."
The two stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their conversation hanging heavy in the cool night air. Finally, Naruto stretched, stifling a yawn. "Alright, great. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a bed to get back to."
Sasuke watched as Naruto hopped back down to his window, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. As he turned to leave, he muttered under his breath, "Thank you, Naruto."