Sasuke's gaze sharpened as he watched Karin finally pull her arm away from Neji. The raw, almost brutal power of her healing was something he hadn't seen before. 'A strange ability... useful,' he mused, his mind already filled with thoughts.
He noted that Neji was now healed well. Sasuke didn't waste time on the noisy group or their emotional reactions to the healing. This loud and messy situation, with everyone talking and surprised, wasn't the right place for him to think clearly.
Also, he didn't want the young boy, Mini Sasuke, to get too comfortable or attached to Hinata or the others so that he doesn't reveal personal information about the clan and his young life.He needed to keep Mini Sasuke under his control and out of the way.
Without a word, Sasuke tightened his grip on Mini Sasuke's hand. He didn't just lead Mini Sasuke; he pulled him firmly away from the group, heading towards a darker, more secluded part of the cavern. He moved with a purpose that brooked no argument, drawing the small, struggling boy deeper into the shadows, far enough that their voices would be muffled, their figures barely visible to the others.
Mini Sasuke stumbled, his smaller legs trying to keep up with Older Sasuke's brisk pace. He tugged against the hand holding his. 'He's pulling me! I don't want to go with him! I want to stay with that girl!' his thoughts screamed, but no sound escaped his lips.
He cast a desperate look back at the receding figures, especially Hinata, but he was dragged swiftly into the dimness. He felt no connection to this older version of himself, only a cold, unwelcome force.
The sudden, decisive move caught everyone's attention. The tension that had eased after Neji's healing returned in a different form.
'What's he doing now?' Ino wondered, her eyes narrowing as she watched the two figures disappear into the gloom. Then Ten -Ten thought, 'Always so weird, that Sasuke.'
Lee's fists clenched. 'That's just like him! To take advantage of the chaos and bother a child!' He was ready to leap forward, his protective instincts flaring, but Tenten subtly placed a hand on his arm, holding him back.
Hinata, still by Neji, watched them go, a flicker of concern in her eyes. 'Why is Sasuke-kun taking the boy away like that? Is he alright?' She remembered how Mini Sasuke had clung to her, how he clearly preferred her presence.
Naruto, ever straightforward and quick to react, didn't hesitate. "Hey! Sasuke! What are you doing dattebayo?!" he called out, his voice echoing slightly in the cavern.
He took a few quick steps, hurrying closer to the shadows where Sasuke and Mini Sasuke had disappeared, his brow furrowed in confusion and suspicion. 'What's he doing with a little kid? He better not be causing trouble!'
Reaching the darkest part of the secluded corner, far from the light and distant voices, Sasuke finally let go of Mini Sasuke's hand. The young boy immediately brought his hand up, cradling it gently.
A faint red mark bloomed on his small wrist where Older Sasuke's grip had been too tight, a visible sign of the pain he felt. Mini Sasuke winced, rubbing the sore spot. Older Sasuke just stared at the younger boy in front of him.
His dark eyes, usually so sharp and cold, were now filled with a mix of confusion, suspicion, and a strange, unreadable intensity. He observed every tiny detail of Mini Sasuke's face, his posture, his frightened expression.
Mini Sasuke, feeling the weight of the older boy's gaze, fidgeted. He was still scared, and the silence stretched. Finally, he broke it, his small voice echoing faintly in the quiet corner.
"If you brought me all the way here just to stare at me," Mini Sasuke said, a hint of childish annoyance mixed with his fear, "you could've done that back over there too, you know."
Older Sasuke didn't react to the cheekiness. His mind was racing. 'This can't be real,' he thought, his analytical brain churning through possibilities. 'My younger self? Right in front of me? Has someone cast a powerful genjutsu on me? Is this a trick? Is someone trying to manipulate me emotionally, trying to make me drop my guard by putting a fake version of my past right before my eyes?'
Every instinct screamed deception.
Without a word, Older Sasuke's hands moved swiftly. He formed the Tiger hand seal, chakra gathering. His eyes, though not displaying the Sharingan, were focused intensely on the younger boy.
"Kai!" he intoned, his voice firm and resonant, the jutsu to dispel illusions. A small pulse of chakra radiated outwards.
Older Sasuke's eyes snapped open, a flicker of desperate hope in them. He expected to see the cavern wall, the illusion of his younger self vanishing like smoke. But his hope was crushed. Mini Sasuke still stood directly in front of him, blinking, very much real. Older Sasuke gasped, a ragged breath escaping his lips. He was breathing heavily, his entire body tense.
Mini Sasuke watched the older boy's strange actions, a knot of fear tightening in his stomach. 'This man... I mean, he's not a man, is he? Okay, I'll call him, this old boy. What is he trying to do?'
Mini Sasuke thought, his mind racing. 'He's doing something weird. I want to run away. I want to go back to where everyone else is, where that girl is. This old boy... his intentions aren't good. What if he's doing something bad to me right now? But I'm too scared to move...'
Older Sasuke, despite his heavy breathing, barely registered Mini Sasuke's presence anymore. His eyes still fixed on the boy, but they were distant, calculating.
'It's not a normal genjutsu... or is it a manipulation. This is clearly a part of someone's larger plan to mess with me,' he concluded, his focus shifting from the 'how' to the 'who.'
He cared little for the breathing, real boy in front of him, seeing him only as a tool, a piece of a grand illusion designed to break him emotionally apart by remembering the time and what happened when he was this much old.
Back with the main group, Lee was still fuming, his worry for Neji mixing with his growing anger at Older Sasuke. "Tenten, stop it! Let me go!" Lee insisted, trying to pull away from her gentle hold. "I have to stop Sasuke-kun! He's bothering a young boy, and I can't bear to see it!"
Hinata, seeing Lee's frustration, spoke calmly. "Lee-kun... please stop. Naruto-kun is already there. He will stop Sasuke-kun if he tries to do anything to that young child." She paused, then added, "But right now, we should think..."
Hinata's words were cut short by Ino, who looked completely bewildered. "I don't understand," Ino blurted out. "How come Sasuke-kun and Naruto are here? I mean, Naruto has left with Jiraya sama for training and Sasuke-kun..you all know" she became sad while finishing the sentence. 'This is so confusing!' she thought, her brow furrowed.
Hinata looked at Ino, her voice soft but clear. "Ino-chan, I think... they are from a time before us."
Tenten's eyes widened. "But how is that possible?!" she exclaimed, disbelief coloring her voice. 'Time travel? That's insane!'
Lee rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I know it's hard to believe," he said, "but Hinata-san has a point. This was the reason that Naruto-kun asked me how I was able to walk. He seemed so surprised."
Suddenly, a flash of recognition crossed both Ino's and Tenten's faces. 'Naruto asked Lee how he could walk?' they both thought simultaneously, remembering the odd question. Tenten nodded slowly, the pieces starting to click.
Ino's eyes lit up. "You mean," she said, looking from Lee to Hinata, "he's from a time after the preliminary round of the Chunin Exams, when you fought Gaara of the Sand?"
"Yes," Lee confirmed, a serious nod.
Tenten then looked between Sasuke in the shadows and the conversation. "And what about that Sasuke?" she asked, gesturing vaguely. "Of what time is he?"
Hinata thought for a moment, weighing her words carefully. "I think he is of a time before the final round of the Chunin Exams, or perhaps from that time itself. Because if he was from a time ahead of us, he would have probably tried to do something dangerous to us by now."
Ino added, "And if he was from a time even before that, he probably wouldn't have interacted with us much, or he wouldn't seem to know us at all."
"Yeah," Tenten agreed, a thoughtful look on her face. "It seems as if he knows us, even if he's not showing it."
Hinata looked at Lee. "And to know for sure from which time he is... Lee-san, please ask him," she urged softly. "I'm sure he will tell you."
Ino quickly interjected, "But we can't tell him or Naruto that we are from a time ahead of them! That's too much information!"
"Because the information of the future can't be shared with people from the past," Lee finished, nodding gravely, recalling basic shinobi rules about temporal interference.
"Or it can change the future or the past itself," Hinata added, her voice quiet with understanding of the serious consequences.
Tenten, ever practical, suggested, "Why don't we tell them that we are from a time when we were about to go to the Second Round of the Chunin Exams, the Forest of Death? That's a good common point."
"Right!" Ino exclaimed, a relieved smile spreading across her face. "That will fix everything and keep our secret safe!"
Hinata considered their plan, then gave a thoughtful, quiet, "Hmm."
A sudden, soft drip... drip... drip echoed in the quiet, dark corner of the cavern. The sound was strangely rhythmic, like water falling, but the air was still. Older Sasuke's gaze flickered downward, then to his own hand.
It was red.
Drops of blood were silently falling from his palm, painting dark, stark spots on the damp cavern floor. Mini Sasuke's eyes widened, fixing on the blood falling.
"Mister! What are you doing?!" Mini Sasuke burst out, his voice sharp with sudden concern, all fear forgotten. He reached out a tiny hand and instinctively grasped Older Sasuke's bleeding palm, his small fingers wrapping around the injury.
"Tcchhh!" Older Sasuke made a sound, snatching his hand back quickly as if the younger one was the one who hurt him. He glared at his palm, then at the blood-stained floor.
'Nothing seems to work,' he thought, his frustration a bitter taste in his mouth. 'Not even hurting myself, not even dispelling illusions. This genjutsu is truly on a grand scale, and this illusion... this 'miniatureme'... is truly getting me off guard and I am not able to focus.'
Just then, a voice cut through the tense air, closer than Sasuke expected. "Sasuke! What in the world are you doing?! Why did you hurt yourself, dattebayo?" It was Naruto, his voice laced with confusion and genuine worry as he peered into the shadows, having followed them.
Sasuke didn't turn fully. He kept his back mostly to Naruto, his gaze still fixed on Mini Sasuke as if trying to bore holes through the illusion. "Leave that," he snapped, his voice rough. "Naruto... pour some of your chakra into my body. Now."
Naruto's brow furrowed. "Huh?! I'm asking you something, and you're telling me to do something else, dattebayo?" he retorted annoyingly, his hands going to his hips. "What's wrong with you?"
"Hurry up!" Sasuke shouted, his voice dangerously low, a sharp edge cutting through the air. "Don't you understand me?!"
A flicker of something dark in Sasuke's tone made Naruto pause. He didn't argue further. With a silent, wary movement, Naruto stepped behind Sasuke and placed a hand firmly on his back. Sasuke closed his eyes tightly, his body tensing, as he felt Naruto's warm, familiar chakra flowing into his own network, a powerful surge.
He opened his eyes. And still, Mini Sasuke stood there. The young boy's face was pale, his black eyes wide, with faint, shimmering tears beginning to well up. He was truly scared now, not just of Older Sasuke's strange actions, but of his rising anger and the blood.
Sasuke thought, 'Nothing seems to work not even all these steps of breaking from a genjutsu. If this also doesn't work then the one in front of him is a true a real big deal reality.'
Older Sasuke moved forward, a silent, predatory glide. His tall figure loomed over the small child, his shadow completely covering Mini Sasuke's face, plunging him into deeper darkness. The air grew heavy, thick with unspoken threat.
"Mis... mister... what are you doing?" Mini Sasuke whispered, his voice trembling, backing away as much as the confined space allowed.
Naruto, watching this unfold, instinctively reacted. "Sasuke, wait! What are you trying to do?!" he yelled, recognizing the dangerous intent in his friend's movements. He noticed Sasuke wasn't listening, still moving purposefully towards the young boy. But Naruto didn't give up. "At least tell me! We'll do it together!"
As Naruto finished speaking, Sasuke finally turned his head, just enough for his profile to be visible in the faint light filtering from the main cavern. And in that slight turn, Naruto saw them. Sasuke's eyes.
They were not his usual dark ones. They glowed a terrifying, fiery red, with two black tomoe spinning within them. Deadly and piercing.
Naruto's breath hitched. A single word escaped his lips, barely a whisper. "Sharingan..."
Then, his voice exploded into a desperate scream. "Sasuke! Wait!"
But it was too late. Older Sasuke looked directly into Mini Sasuke's wide, fearful black eyes. In an instant, a horrifying, perfect reflection of the crimson, two-tomoe Sharingan bloomed within the depths of the young boy's own black pupils.
It was a terrifying, invasive image, burning into his innocent gaze. The world spun for Mini Sasuke. His eyes rolled back, his small body went limp, and he collapsed silently to the ground, unconscious.
As Mini Sasuke's small body hit the cold, damp ground with a soft thud, Older Sasuke turned completely away from the unconscious boy. He took a few steps forward, then, with a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of countless burdens, he sank to the cavern floor.
He sat down slowly, his posture tired, as if the last few minutes had drained every ounce of his strength. His intense, focused energy from moments ago had vanished, replaced by a quiet, almost weary stillness.
Naruto stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock. He couldn't believe what he had just seen – Sasuke, using the Sharingan on a child, then simply sitting down so calmly, as if nothing profound had just happened. It was unnerving.
He rushed closer, his voice low and cold, laced with disbelief. "What did you do to the child?" Naruto demanded, his eyes fixed on Sasuke.
Sasuke, without looking up at Naruto, reached a hand behind him, fumbling for his pouch. He pulled out a roll of bandages, his movements unhurried, almost detached. He began to slowly wrap the bandage around his injured palm. As he did so, Naruto noticed that the intense red glow was gone from his eyes. They were back to their normal, dark, unreadable black.
"What...?" Sasuke finally murmured, his voice flat. He lifted his gaze, his black eyes meeting Naruto's confused ones. "I just put him in a genjutsu."
Naruto's eyes narrowed, his voice rising in disbelief. "Putting a young child in a genjutsu... you call that 'just'?!" His anger flared. "And this child... you're not the only one concerned with him! You should have asked everyone before doing anything to him! We don't even know him dattebayo, and neither do you!"
"I do," Sasuke stated simply, his voice calm, cutting off Naruto's angry rant. "What?!" Naruto exclaimed, utterly confused by the unexpected claim.
Sasuke pushed himself up from the ground, rising to his feet. His eyes, now dark and steady, held a strange depth. "I am the only one over here who knows him completely," he said, his gaze briefly flicking to the unconscious boy.
"What?... But how come... I thought..." Naruto stammered, his mind reeling, trying to process Sasuke's bizarre statements. He had so many questions, so many pieces that didn't fit.
Sasuke ignored his confusion. He bent down, carefully scooped up the unconscious Mini Sasuke, holding him gently, almost protectively, in his arms. He lifted his head, his eyes meeting Naruto's again, this time with a profound, heavy truth in them.
"He is my younger self."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Younger self...? That's impossible dattebayo! You mean he came from the past?"
"Yup," Sasuke confirmed, a ghost of a wry expression on his face. "I'm talking about space-time teleportation. At first, I thought that someone had cast a genjutsu on me. That's why I was trying different methods, even cutting my hand to break any illusions. But nothing helped, and the reality is that..."
Sasuke carefully lowered Mini Sasuke, laying him gently on the damp ground beside him. He then straightened up, turning his full attention to Naruto, his face grim.
"He is Uchiha Sasuke, from six years ago. The one before the Uchiha's Massacre."
The cavern's silence seemed to amplify the weight of Sasuke's words.
---
QUIZ QUESTION:
What shocking truth did Older Sasuke reveal to Naruto about the identity of the young boy, Mini Sasuke?
A) He is an orphan from the Leaf Village.
B) He is Older Sasuke's younger brother.
C) He is Older Sasuke's younger self from six years ago.
D) He is a genjutsu clone created by an enemy.
Share your answers in the comments down below!
AUTHOR'S NOTE :
Chapter 8, "The Past in His Eyes," was a whirlwind of tension and mind-bending revelations! 🌪️ We watched Older Sasuke's desperate attempts to understand Mini Sasuke's presence, culminating in that chilling use of the Sharingan on the young boy. 🔴 It was a stark reminder of Older Sasuke's ruthless efficiency and his single-minded pursuit of answers. 🤔
The true impact of this chapter, however, lies in Sasuke's shocking confession to Naruto: the young, terrified boy is none other than Sasuke himself, from six years in the past, before the Uchiha Massacre. 🤯 This isn't just about time travel; it's about a character literally facing his own history, and Naruto grappling with a truth that shatters his understanding of reality. 😱
Meanwhile, the other Konoha shinobi pieced together their own theories, setting up a clever plan to navigate these temporal confusions. 🗺️
Now, with the core mystery of Mini Sasuke's identity exposed, the stage is set for even deeper dives into the implications of this strange situation. What a ride! 🎢
Get ready for a chapter packed with conversations that will unravel more layers of this temporal puzzle! 💬🚀 In the next chapter, we'll shift our focus to the crucial dialogues between various characters.
Expect intense exchanges between Older Sasuke and Naruto as they try to comprehend their predicament, 🗣️ Lee's unwavering concern and questions, ❓ and even more insights from the bewildered Mini Sasuke as he slowly processes his surroundings. 👶
These conversations will not only explore their immediate survival but also the profound effects of this timeline shift on their understanding of themselves and their world. 🌍
Thank you for sticking with 'NARUTO: A CHANGE IN TIMELINE'! Your support fuels this journey through time! 👋✨