Through the Darkness To You (Sasuke x Reader)

I was panting now, my breathing uneven as I pressed my palm against my bleeding shoulder. The pain had turned dull by now — not because it stopped hurting, but because I'd forced myself to stop thinking about it. I couldn't afford to slow down. Not now.

Sasuke stood just ahead, eyes locked on the ice mirrors, his Sharingan flickering like fire. He hadn't said much, but I could feel it in the way he moved — the way his attacks started matching mine. We were syncing, without needing words.

But something in the air shifted again.

A flicker of movement behind the mirrors — no, outside the dome.

My heart dropped.

Naruto.

I saw his silhouette through the mist just outside the ice mirrors.

"No..." I breathed. "No, no, no—he better not..."

And then I saw it.

He was getting ready to jump in.

"Naruto! Don't you dare come in here!" I screamed, voice sharp with panic. "Stay OUTSIDE!"

I saw him hesitate for a second.

But it didn't matter.

He charged in anyway, yelling, "You're not fighting without me, dattebayo!"

"Idiot—!" I snapped, my voice cracking. "I said stay OUT!"

Too late.

With a burst of chakra, Naruto leapt into the mirror dome — and just like that, we were three targets instead of two.

The masked ninja didn't flinch. He only tilted his head slightly, the tiniest shift in interest.

"...Another one?" he said quietly.

Sasuke cursed under his breath beside me. "Now we're completely surrounded."

I glared at Naruto. "You absolute idiot! We had a plan—"

"I'm not gonna let you two fight alone!" he shouted, his fists clenched tight.

"You're not helping!" I snapped, panic bubbling up in my chest. "This isn't some training exercise!"

But the fight didn't wait.

The masked ninja attacked again — needles raining from all sides.

Naruto tried creating clones, but they were gone in seconds. He was too uncoordinated for this type of battle. This wasn't about brute strength. This was about speed, reflex, timing — and we were already running low on all three.

"Sasuke—left!" I shouted, blocking another set of senbon as Sasuke turned and slashed at the nearest mirror.

He gritted his teeth. "There's too many angles..."

Naruto staggered as another needle hit him in the arm. "Ah—dammit..."

"Stop running around like a headless chicken!" I barked, my heart racing. "You're getting hit more than you're helping!"

But I knew he was trying his best. He just wanted to protect us — he just didn't realize he was making it worse.

More needles flew through the mirrors — fast, sharp, deadly.

One hit Naruto in the leg. He cried out and fell on one knee.

"Naruto!" I ran toward him again, arms outstretched.

Another storm of needles came flying — this time aimed directly at him again. My body moved before my brain did.

I ran straight toward him. "Get down!" I yelled, trying to shield him, even if it meant taking the hit again.