Pain.
A deep, aching pain spread through his entire body.
And the constant shaking—like his whole body was falling apart.
Naruto forced his eyes open.
A familiar figure came into view. The scenery around him blurred, rushing past in retreat.
---
"You're awake, Naruto?"
Yamato's voice reached him, steady but concerned.
"How do you feel?"
Naruto tried to answer, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a sharp, metallic taste filled his throat.
He coughed, hard.
---
Sakura's eyes widened as she noticed.
"Naruto! You're awake!" she called, relief washing over her voice.
Naruto, pale and exhausted, managed a weak nod in her direction. He forced a small smile.
"It's good… that everyone's okay," he murmured.
Sakura's chest tightened. She swallowed her emotions and spoke gently.
"Don't talk too much. Just rest for now—you'll be home soon."
---
Naruto's eyes lit up slightly.
Home?
Was Konoha close?
He shifted his gaze forward, but all he saw was an endless stretch of dense forest.
Still, everyone was safe… That was enough.
Letting his eyes close once more, he allowed himself to drift into rest.
---
Sakura's eyes grew misty.
With one arm, she adjusted Sasuke's unconscious form on her back.
"...Sasuke-kun..." she whispered.
He still hadn't woken up.
But there was no more danger.
After a long, grueling mission—
They had made it home.
...
Sasuke had suffered severe mental trauma.
Trapped in that illusionary world, he was forced to relive that night—his personal hell—over and over again.
A never-ending loop.
No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't stop it. He wanted to die. His mind screamed for one thing—
Kill Itachi.
But all he could do was curse himself for being weak.
---
The next morning, Sasuke finally woke up.
No matter how much Sakura spoke to him, he remained silent—lost in a daze.
It took two full days before he started acting like himself again.
---
Konoha Camp
Sakiya sat cross-legged, a bag of potato chips in one hand as she carefully stacked them into an intricate tower.
Two empty bags lay beside her.
Her creation had grown to half a meter tall, each chip precisely placed in perfect balance.
With great focus, she reached for the final two chips—the finishing touch to her masterpiece.
And then—
The tent flap burst open.
Sakiya flinched, pressing too hard on the chips in her hand.
In an instant, the entire tower collapsed.
She turned slowly, cheeks puffed with frustration, and glared at Ino, who stood hesitantly at the entrance.
"My supreme creation… destroyed! You must pay for this, Dark Emperor Ino!"
Ino sighed.
"I'll buy you grilled dumplings when we get back to Konoha."
Sakiya's eyes lit up.
"Deal! …Wait, back to Konoha?"
She blinked in confusion.
Ino nodded.
"Iwa has sent a messenger to negotiate peace. There shouldn't be any more issues. Most of us are being recalled, with only a few staying behind."
Sakiya grinned, practically bouncing on her feet.
"Hehe! Back to the domain of the 'Eye of Death'? That's great!"
Ino then smirked, eyes sparkling.
"I bet Sakiya is going to be a hero after this!"
Her expression turned dreamy, eyes curving into crescent moons.
"A hero, huh? Of course! My 'Eye of Death' has saved countless worlds—just not in this one yet."
She clenched her fist, full of determination.
"Alright! New goal—save the world!"
Ino pinched the bridge of her nose.
"We don't exactly have a world-ending demon god to fight, you know. How are you planning to save anything?"
Sakiya crossed her arms, deadly serious.
"Impossible! There's always a hidden mastermind plotting humanity's downfall. We just have to find them!"
Ino deadpanned.
"Maybe start with saving Konoha first?"
---
The Next Day
Sakiya and the others finally returned to Konoha.
As soon as she stepped through the village gates, she didn't waste a second—she headed straight home.
Pushing the door open, she found Kitahara Kira and Kihana Sakinoko staring at her in surprise.
Her heart clenched.
Before she could say anything, Kihana Sakinoko opened her arms.
Without hesitation, Sakiya ran into her embrace.
"I'm back."
A simple phrase. But in that moment, the weight of their worries melted away.
Kira and Sakinoko exchanged a warm smile.
"My 'Eye of Death' is the strongest. I would never disappoint the two of you," Sakiya declared proudly.
They chuckled.
For them, that name had always been part of the little game they played with her—a fun fantasy.
"Of course," Sakinoko said, holding her close. "Sakiya's 'Eye of Death' is the strongest."
She then gently ran a hand over Sakiya's back.
"You've lost weight."
Sakiya blinked.
That familiar warmth…
That feeling of home…
She nuzzled closer to her mother's chest.
"Then make more meatballs for me."
Sakinoko smiled.
"Careful, or you'll turn into a little pig."
Laughter filled the room.
Sakiya grinned.
"My 'Eye of Death' absorbs extra energy, so I'll never get fat!"
-----
In less than a day, news of Sakiya's performance on the battlefield had spread throughout Konoha.
The entire village now knew her name—Muhua Sakiya, the genius girl. They even started calling her the "War Angel."
With that title came a wave of admiration.
Everywhere she went, people greeted her warmly. Restaurants and shops offered her discounts—or even gave things for free.
Even Tsunade took notice.
She publicly stated that Sakiya would be promoted to Special Jonin personally.
---
And so, once again, Sakiya made her way to the Hokage's office—this time bringing Sakuragi and Tsuchiya Tsukumi along.
She marched straight to Tsunade, just as boldly as before.
"I'm here for my promotion," she announced.
Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temple. There was no getting out of it this time. Sakiya had earned her fame, and if she didn't follow through, the village would have questions.
But still…
Tsunade's face darkened.
"You're just in time," she said. "No need to call for Kakashi and the others."
Sakiya blinked.
"What?"
Tsunade let out a long sigh.
"There's an urgent mission."
A moment later, Kakashi and Gai arrived, followed by most of Konoha's Twelve.
Tsunade wasted no time.
"Sunagakure has sent an emergency request for help. One day ago, their village was attacked by members of the Akatsuki. Most of it was destroyed, and Gaara was taken."
"Our mission is to help them retrieve him."
Kakashi nodded in understanding.
Sakiya, however, was already deep in thought.
At this point, Gaara still wasn't strong enough.
If he had faced Deidara, it made sense that he was captured. That man's explosive techniques were nearly impossible to counter.
After Tsunade finished her briefing, the team wasted no time.
They set out immediately, accompanied by a familiar face—Temari, who would guide them and provide more details.
But Sakiya couldn't help but feel skeptical.
An entire day had already passed.
Would they even make it in time?
_______
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