Chapter 27- The Planck Era

Three days had passed, and Shanan was suddenly jolted awake by a searing pain in her head. She grasped her temples, trying to open her eyes, but the agony was too intense. She sat there, frozen, attempting to breathe her way through the pain. Her chest heaved as she struggled to calm her racing heart.

As she struggled to regain control, she heard the sound of someone approaching. A low, smooth voice cut through her misery.

"Are you alright? Do you need me to get help?" Kakashi's concern was evident, but Shanan couldn't muster the strength to respond immediately.

Slowly, the pain began to subside, receding like a tide. "No…" she said weakly. "I think I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Kakashi's voice was gentle, but laced with concern. "You've been asleep for a few days."

She nodded slowly, still trying to shake off the remnants of pain. She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. But as she looked around, her face fell. She blinked, her eyes unfocused. "Kakashi… are my eyes open?"

"What?" His expression faltered, and he leaned in slightly, his eyes locked on hers.

Her chin quivered, and she tried to speak again, but her words were lost in a sob. Kakashi's hands moved carefully, cupping her face. Shanan flinched at his touch, but he held her gently in place. He studied her eyes, his expression grim. Tears streamed down her face as she silently sobbed, her body shaking with despair.

"Just wait here, alright?" he said. He rushed out of the room, leaving Shanan alone in her darkness.

She looked down at her hands, her eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to clear them, hoping against hope that she'd be able to see something, anything. But each time she blinked, there was only blackness.

Panic set in, her chest heaving harder with each failed attempt to see. Tears poured down her face, her breathing growing more ragged. She rubbed her eyes, her fingers scrubbing desperately at her eyelids as if she could dislodge the darkness.

Her blinking grew more frantic, her body shaking with sobs. She didn't even notice the door opening, didn't hear the murmur of voices as several people entered the room. She was too lost in her own panic, her world reduced to a never-ending void.

It felt as though her greatest fear had come true. She couldn't remember a single dream this time. Finally, she'd slept too hard, too fully... Surely waking up with Kakashi there meant he'd at least held her hand once or twice, but the darkness had won this time.

No sunlight.

No starry night.

No dawn breaking on the horizon.

Nothing.

She was trapped in a living nightmare, and she didn't know how to escape.

"Shanan, calm down," Kakashi's voice cut through the darkness, calm and soothing. He grabbed her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. "Lady Tsunade is going to examine you, alright. I'm right here, just breathe with me."

She turned her head in his direction, her eyes straining to see him. She tried to breathe, her chest heaving as she struggled to calm down.

Lady Tsunade's voice was gentle as she placed her hand on Shanan's head. "Let's take a look, shall we?" But Shanan's composure shattered at the touch, and she started crying again.

"It's… too dark, Kakashi…" she sobbed, her voice barely audible.

His grip on her hand tightened. "I'm right here. Breathe."

She tried again, her breath shuddering in through her nose and out through her mouth. Kakashi's hand never left hers, his grip a steady reassurance.

"I'm gonna help you lay down now," he said.

Shanan nodded, still crying, her hand squeezing Kakashi's for dear life as he helped her lay back onto the hospital bed.

Lady Tsunade's skilled hands moved over Shanan's body, checking her vital signs and probing her chakra network. She felt a gentle hum of energy as the older woman worked.

But without warning, a searing pain shot through her eyes, making her sit up with a cry. She felt like her eyes were going to explode, and she was convinced that they were bleeding, that she could feel the warm trickle down her cheeks. She pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes, trying to feel if there was any blood, but there was nothing. Just an intense, burning pain that made her want to scream.

Kakashi's hands shot out to steady her, holding her shoulders as she rocked back and forth, trying to escape the agony. Lady Tsunade's voice was calm and soothing, but Shanan couldn't make out what she was saying. The pain was all-consuming, a raging fire that threatened to engulf her.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the pain stopped. Shanan froze, her hands still pressed to her eyes, as the silence washed over her. She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm her racing heart, and slowly lowered her hands.

She blinked slowly, and as she did, her vision began to clear. It was as if a veil had been lifted, and she could see more clearly than ever before. The pain that had lingered in her head for the past six weeks or so was completely gone, vanished as if it had never existed.

She looked down at her hands, marveling at the clarity of her vision. She spread her hands, and her gaze followed the movement, taking in the sight of her legs crossed in front of her. Everything seemed so vivid, so real.

Then she looked up at Kakashi, and his eyes widened in surprise. Her gaze locked onto his, and she felt a sense of wonder and confusion. "What the hell just happened to me?" she asked. "I can see you perfectly now."

Kakashi's eyes darted to Lady Tsunade, and then back to Shanan. A soft, breathy chuckle escaped his lips, his eyes misting with a knowing glint. "So that's what it was…" he said, his voice low and thoughtful. He seemed to be speaking more to himself than to anyone else, but his words only added to her confusion. What did he mean? What had just happened to her?

Lady Tsunade leaned sideways, trying to get a better look at Shanan's face. Her eyes widened, and she barked out a command. "Everyone but Kakashi, leave now!"

Shanan looked at her, confused, and then back at Kakashi, who still wore an amazed expression. "Kakashi, why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, her voice laced with unease.

His smile was enigmatic, but before he could respond, Lady Tsunade reached into her pocket and pulled out a small compact mirror. She handed it to Shanan, her eyes glinting. "Have a look, kiddo."

Shanan took the mirror slowly, her eyes fixed on Kakashi's face. "You guys are freaking me out…"

With trembling hands, she opened the mirror, her eyes widening as she caught sight of her own reflection.

Her eyes gleamed with an ethereal intensity. The irises, already a deep blue, now seemed crystallized, with a delicate white pattern etched within. The shape resembled a sun, its rays extending towards the edges of her eyes, while her pupils remained a deep black, like voids drawing in the light.

"Is this... a Sharingan?" she asked.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on her transformed eyes. "I wouldn't say a Sharingan exactly, but…"

"It's gotta be some kinda dojutsu!" Lady Tsunade said. "But how the hell did you accidentally absorb enough chakra to create it? Do you feel any different?" she asked, her eyes scanning Shanan's face, searching for any signs of change.

Shanan stared at her eyes in the mirror, mesmerized by the strange, new pattern. Then, she looked up at Kakashi, her expression a mix of confusion and concern. "How could I have this, Kakashi?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He opened his mouth to respond, but Lady Tsunade beat him to it. She was staring off into space, a thoughtful expression on her face, and then she muttered a single word: "Uchiha..." The word hung in the air, as if it explained everything. She looked back at Shanan. "Guess we know who to blame for your headaches," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. "Looks like he left you with a little parting gift." She chuckled to herself, then stood up, her movements sudden and decisive. "I'll be back soon. I need to understand the implications of this… gift." With that, she turned and left the room, leaving Shanan and Kakashi alone once again.

The silence that followed was oppressive, with Shanan's eyes fixed on Kakashi, waiting for him to explain what was going on.

"What does she mean by 'parting gift'?" she asked.

Kakashi's sigh was heavy with foreboding. He knew he had to be the one to tell her, but the weight of his words felt like a burden he couldn't bear. He lowered his mask and took her hand again, his expression guilty. "Shanan… Sasuke is… gone," he said, his voice soft and gentle. "He left the village to train with Orochimaru."

Her confusion deepened, her eyes widening in shock. "But– I just saw him before… and he said he'd be back!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in protest. "What do you mean, he left?"

His eyes filled with sympathy as he looked at her. "That explains the flowers…" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Shanan's gaze drifted to the counter, where the flowers sat in a vase, their beauty now tinged with sadness. Her eyes dropped, her gaze falling to her lap as her eyes shifted back to normal. Her mind was reeling, processing her last meeting with Sasuke, the words he'd spoken, the promises he'd made.

Their kiss…

Her voice was barely audible as tears started falling. "He left?..."

"I'm so sorry," Kakashi said, his voice soft and gentle. "Naruto tried to get him back. A whole team went and tried. Neji went. Lee took off too, to try and bring him back."

"Even Lee went?" she asked, her gaze lifting.

He nodded, his expression grim. "They knew you'd be heartbroken, and…" He sighed again, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "He fought hard and refused to let anyone drag him back."

Her eyes never left Kakashi's face as she blinked through tears. "Was he hurt?"

"No, but–" his expression turned pained, his eyes clouding over. "He and Naruto fought, and–"

"Naruto? Is he alright?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"He's… here."

Shanan's composure shattered, her body wracked with sobs.

She was devastated by Sasuke's departure. Shocked by the news that he and Naruto had fought again. But Sasuke had hurt Naruto badly enough to send him to the hospital? The pain of him leaving was overwhelming, but she felt guilty for even thinking about her own heartbreak when Naruto's well-being was at stake.

Kakashi's eyes filled with worry as he watched Shanan struggle to contain her emotions. He realized that he should've done more, tried harder to get rid of Sasuke's curse mark, anything to keep him from leaving. A pang of regret and responsibility washed over him.

Noting the look on his face, Shanan took a few deep breaths, trying to compose herself. She wiped away tears, her eyes still brimming with sorrow. "I'm fine, Kakashi," she said, her voice still shaky. "I just need to see Naruto."

Kakashi's gaze lingered on her face, his expression skeptical. He let out a soft, resigned sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly. "I'll take you soon," he said, his voice gentle.

She nodded, her gaze drifting back to the flowers Sasuke had left for her. She stared at them, her eyes glazing over as her mind was consumed by the weight of her failure. She had tried so hard to be Sasuke's light, to keep the darkness at bay, but in the end, it had consumed him anyway.

Her temporary blindness suddenly felt like an omen, a harbinger of the news that she was no match for the darkness, and never truly had been. It was a reminder that her victories were a fleeting illusion of control and that the shadows would always return.

A sense of despair washed over her, as she realized that light was futile, meaningless, and extinguishable.

Darkness, on the other hand, was eternal…

It was the ultimate reality. The one that would always prevail in the end. No one could master it or escape it. It came for them all.

Eventually.

Orochimaru seemed to know this fact, and had learned to harness it down to a single bite.

As she sat there, lost in her hopelessness, the flowers on the counter seemed to mock her, their beauty and innocence a cruel reminder that nothing lasts forever. They, too, would soon wilt. The thought was crushing, and she felt her spirit sag under its weight.

She had always believed that love and light could conquer even the darkest of hearts, but now she wondered if that was just a naive fantasy.

Maybe the darkness was just too strong, too pervasive.

Maybe it was the only true constant in the universe…