Through the Darkness To You (Sasuke x Reader)

Chapter 11: Shadows of the Mist

Then, the air grew freezing cold.

I gasped as crystalline ice mirrors rose around us, encasing Sasuke and me in a perfect dome. The mirrors shimmered like frozen glass, reflecting the masked ninja's image in every direction—each one identical.

"We're trapped," I muttered, my heart pounding as I spun, looking for an exit.

"Not for long," Sasuke growled, his Sharingan glowing as he pulled out a kunai.

He darted forward, striking at one of the mirrors, but the masked ninja's reflection blurred—

Then, he appeared inside the mirror.

"You won't break them," the masked ninja said.

Before Sasuke could react, needles rained down on us.

I dodged the first wave, but a sharp pain tore through my shoulder as one of them struck deep into my skin. I staggered, gritting my teeth against the pain.

Sasuke's eyes darted toward me for the briefest second. "Tch. Idiot," he muttered, grabbing my arm and yanking me behind him.

I hissed in pain. "I'm fine," I shot back, even though my vision blurred for a moment.

Sasuke didn't answer, but he stepped forward, putting himself between me and the masked ninja. His grip on his kunai was tight, and I could see the way his jaw clenched.

I wasn't imagining it. He was being protective.

Understanding the Ice Mirrors

I forced myself to push past the pain. If I focused on that, I'd die here.

I narrowed my eyes at the mirrors, my mind working. There had to be a pattern. The masked ninja wasn't appearing in random places.

Then, I saw it.

His movements weren't instant. He was incredibly fast, but not teleporting. He was using the reflections to move seamlessly between mirrors.

I exhaled sharply. "Sasuke—I think I get it."

He shot me a glance, but didn't lower his guard. "What?"

"He's not everywhere at once. He's just moving between the reflections at high speed," I said quickly. "We can't destroy the mirrors directly, but if we time our attacks right... we can corner him."

Sasuke's Sharingan flickered as he processed my words. He didn't argue. Instead he shifted slightly his stance adjusting to match mine.

It was a silent agreement.

We were going to work together.

The masked ninja moved again, another rain of needles flying toward us.

This time we were ready.

Sasuke dashed left. I went right.

The needles missed.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke called out, launching a barrage of small fireballs.

At the same time, I moved my hands. "Water Style: Exploding Water Shot!"

Our attacks collided at the same time, steam exploding through the dome of mirrors.

For a moment, I saw a flicker of hesitation in the masked ninja's reflection.

We had forced him to stop moving.

Sasuke lunged first, his kunai slicing through the mist. The masked ninja dodged, but he wasn't as fast this time. I followed immediately, aiming for his blind spot.

He barely evaded.

His eyes widened slightly as he realized we were adapting.

"You're learning quickly," he murmured, his tone still unreadable.

I smirked despite the pain in my shoulder. "That's kind of what we do."

Sasuke scoffed. "We're not losing to you."

The masked ninja didn't respond, but I felt something shift. For the first time, we had him on the defensive.

I glanced at Sasuke, and for a split second, our eyes met.

We understood each other.

Without speaking, we moved together again.

Sasuke feinted left—I cut right. The masked ninja twisted to avoid Sasuke's strike, but my kunai was already there, slicing through his sleeve.

It wasn't a deep hit, but it was a hit.

His breathing grew heavier.

"I see," the masked ninja murmured. "You two make a strong team."

Time passed.

The fight wasn't over. We both knew that.

But as we positioned ourselves for another attack, my vision swam for a second. The blood loss from my wound was catching up to me.

I clenched my jaw, trying to ignore it, but Sasuke noticed.

"Tch." He grabbed my arm, pulling me behind him again.

"I told you, I'm fine," I muttered.

Sasuke didn't let go. "You're bleeding all over the place," he shot back.

His grip was firm but not rough. His brows furrowed slightly as he looked me over, eyes scanning my injuries.

I blinked, caught off guard. Was he... worried?

Before I could respond, the masked ninja moved again.

Sasuke let go of me instantly, kunai raised.

"You better not die," he muttered, but I heard the meaning beneath his words.

He was worried.

And somehow, that made my heart skip a beat.

The Fight Continues...

We weren't done yet.

The masked ninja was still watching us, calculating.

And Sasuke and I were ready.

We weren't just fighting separately anymore.

We were fighting together.

And we were going to win.