THE PATH OF LIFE || U. SASUKE

The forest was silent except for the soft crunch of leaves under Sasuke's sandals as he walked through the familiar terrain. 

The late afternoon sun filtered through the dense canopy above, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow over his path. The air was heavy with the scent of earth and bark, with a faint chill that hinted at the coming evening.

He moved diligently, though his expression was as unreadable as ever. 

This place had become something of a routine, a constant in a life where nothing else seemed to stay the same. 

It was here, beneath these towering trees, that he always found her—or rather, where she always found him.

And he felt her now.

A flicker of chakra, subtle and fleeting, brushed against his senses like a whisper of cold wind. His hand instinctively moved toward the hilt of his sword, the weight of it a familiar comfort. 

He didn't stop walking, didn't even falter, but his onyx eyes sharpened, scanning the shadows with quiet intensity.

It came fast, as it always did—a beautiful blur of black and violet slicing through the air, her figure barely visible until the very last second.

 Y/N's kunai gleamed in the slanting sunlight, aimed with precision at his side. Sasuke turned, his movements fluid and practiced, the blade of his katana singing as it met her strike with a sharp, metallic clang.

Their eyes met for a fraction of a second as the impact sent a shiver through their weapons. 

Her amethyst gaze was cold, assessing, yet tinged with something that was impossible to name. His own onyx eyes, edged with the faintest red of the Sharingan's awakening, were equally unreadable. 

Neither spoke. They never did.

Y/N twisted sharply, disengaging from his blade with a grace that spoke of the training she had endured. 

She spun, her cloak flaring out around her like a storm, and came at him again, this time with a series of swift strikes aimed at his chest and shoulders. 

Sasuke deflected each with a precision that was almost casual, his katana a blur of silver in the dim light.

Their movements were fluid, almost like a dance, though the force behind their strikes was anything but gentle.

 Y/N's attacks were sharp and relentless, her kunai flashing as she sought to break through his defenses. Sasuke countered with equal ferocity, his strikes deliberate, calculated, his Sharingan now fully activated as he read her every move.

The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, the sound of clashing steel and the rustle of their movements the only things breaking the heavy silence. The two of them moved in perfect sync, each attack met with an equally forceful defense, their mutual understanding etched into the rhythm of their battle.

A burst of chakra crackled between them as Sasuke spun, his katana slashing through the air with enough force to send a gust of wind rippling through the trees. Y/N leapt back, her feet skidding slightly as she landed on the uneven ground. She crouched low, her violet eyes gleaming with a dangerous light as she regarded him, her breath coming in soft, measured intervals.

"Still slow," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, but sharp enough to cut through the silence.

Sasuke smirked faintly, his katana lowered but still at the ready. "Still daring," he replied, his tone as cold and biting as hers.

She darted forward again, her movements a blur as she closed the distance between them. This time, there was more force behind her strikes, more intent, though it was never meant to harm—not truly. Sasuke met her head-on, their weapons clashing with a ferocity that sent sparks flying into the dim forest air.