Through the Darkness To You (Sasuke x Reader)

The air was heavy with silence as we walked toward the bridge builder's home. The earlier fight against Zabuza left its mark on all of us. Kakashi was slower than usual, his body leaning slightly forward with each step.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you okay?" Naruto asked, his voice filled with concern.

"I'll be fine." Kakashi replied, though his voice was faint. "The Sharingan takes a toll. I just need rest."

Naruto glanced back at me, his expression worried. "Y/N, is he really okay? He doesn't look good."

I gave Naruto a small smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. "He'll be fine. Kakashi-sensei's tough; he just needs time."

Naruto seemed to relax at my reassurance, but his frown returned quickly. "That masked guy... why'd they take Zabuza like that? If they were a hunter-nin, wouldn't they leave the body behind?"

I hesitated, glancing at him. "It didn't feel right, did it? The way they handled Zabuza—it looked more like a rescue."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Exactly, dattebayo! I knew something was off."

"It's a waste of time to think about it." Sasuke interjected from ahead, his tone calm and direct.

Naruto frowned, clenching his fists. "How is it a waste of time?! What if that masked ninja is working with Zabuza?!"

"They probably are." Sasuke replied bluntly, his gaze still forward. "But what difference does it make? If Zabuza is still alive, we'll face him again soon enough."

I raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to Sasuke. "You don't think it's worth trying to figure out what their plan is? Knowing more could help us prepare."

Sasuke's dark eyes flicked to me briefly before turning back to the road. "If they show up again, we'll deal with it then. Anything else is just a distraction."

Naruto grumbled under his breath but didn't argue.

"Focus on what's in front of us." Sasuke added, his tone cutting through the tension. "We can't afford to be careless."

I sighed, shaking my head slightly. "Noted, Sasuke. But there's nothing wrong with being curious."

"Hn," was all he said, but his posture relaxed just a bit, as though satisfied the conversation was over.

By the time we reached the bridge builder's home, the sky had turned a deep shade of orange and the mist had mostly cleared. His daughter greeted us at the door, her expression brightening with relief as she hugged her father tightly.

"Father! You're safe!"
The bridge builder smiled wearily, patting her head. "Thanks to these shinobi, yes."
She turned to us, bowing politely. "Thank you for protecting him. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need."

After a quick meal, Kakashi excused himself to rest, retreating to one of the back rooms. Naruto sprawled out on the floor shortly after, snoring loudly in his usual way, while Sakura hovered near the bridge builder, asking polite questions about the area.

The tension of the day hadn't left me entirely, so I stepped outside to get some air. The night breeze was cool against my skin, carrying the faint sound of the river in the distance.

The door creaked behind me, and I turned to see Sasuke stepping onto the porch. He leaned against the railing a few feet away, his dark eyes focused on the water below.

"Couldn't sleep either?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"It's too loud in there," he replied, nodding toward the house where Naruto's snores echoed faintly.