"You all meddle too much!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, seething with rage and frustration, wishing he could destroy everyone around him.
But deep down, he knew he lacked the strength to do so, and worse, these people acted with Naruto's and even his own well-being in mind.
After a long silence, Sasuke suppressed the pain in his head, staggered out of the cave, and shouted toward the stormy sky, "I'm sorry! It's my fault you suffered!"
After saying that, he braved the wind and snow, found the direction of Sunagakure, and slowly walked away.
"Should we follow him?"
Gaara inquired.
Orochimaru shook his head. "It seems that black-robed figure held a special place in Sasuke's heart. Let him sort his thoughts. With that person presumably dead, Naruto's greatest threat is gone. Perhaps Naruto will return soon."
Gaara said no more, simply watching as Sasuke disappeared into the distance.
…
"I see."
Hearing this, Naruto looked enlightened. The pieces of the puzzle from a month ago finally clicked into place ago.
But if it ended a month ago, why are you still acting like you're facing a formidable enemy? What happened during this month?"
"That's a long story." Orochimaru said with a wry smile, "Here's what happened..."
…
Returning to a month ago.
After leaving the mountain, Sasuke headed south. Since all of Sunagakure's residents had migrated, they couldn't have gone far.
After traveling for about a day, Sasuke arrived at the ruins of the village.
Staring at the massive crater, Sasuke fell to his knees, overwhelmed, "No... how could this happen? Don't worry… I'll keep my promise to you. Once I've avenged my clan, I'll come to join you. You accepted me in life, so in death, I won't abandon you! This is all my fault!"
"Hey, hey, what nonsense are you spouting? You've got to live well, I'm still waiting for you to marry me."
Just then, a voice came from behind Sasuke.
Sasuke turned his head in shock and saw someone standing behind him. It was none other than the black-robed figure!
"You... you're alive?"
Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief.
The black-robed figure nodded slightly, "Of course. You underestimate who I am. A mere explosion couldn't..."
She abruptly stopped speaking.
Because before she could finish, Sasuke had already rushed forward and embraced her tightly.
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I put you in danger." Sasuke murmured, clutching her as if afraid she might vanish again.
In that moment, he didn't care about her fearsome reputation or the power she wielded. The overwhelming guilt and the joy of finding her alive consumed him.
Since childhood, so few people had treated him with kindness. The black-robed figure had done so selflessly, always helping him without complaint or arrogance.
To Sasuke, she was a true benefactor, and he couldn't bear the thought that she might have died because of him.
"There, there, don't cry!"
The black-robed figure trembled, and after coming to her senses, she gently rubbed Sasuke's head.
This time, it wasn't the scaled, monstrous hand he had expected but a smooth, delicate one… a young woman's hand, soft and fragrant.
'Sure enough, this person did not lie to me, she was indeed a young girl.'
Sasuke held onto her for a while longer before reluctantly letting go, "How did you survive all that?"
"I was never caught in the Genjutsu."
The black-robed figure explained.
"Not caught? Then why didn't you come find me? Do you know how worried I was?"
Sasuke demanded, feeling puzzled.
The black-robed figure explained, "I wanted to see what they were planning. When we left Gaara behind, I suspected they were setting a trap and decided to play along. I didn't expect them to take you away so suddenly. Once you were gone, I couldn't track the black portal's energy to follow. The explosion probably convinced everyone I was dead, which works in my favor. Now, no one will come looking for me, and I can focus on helping you get revenge."
"I never realized how much thought you put into all this."
Sasuke was surprised by her level-headedness.
After a moment, he frowned again. "But if you were fine, why didn't you try to find me afterward? Even if you couldn't track me, you could have spread the word and searched for my whereabouts. Staying here proves you didn't even try."
"Idiot." The black-robed figure said with a smug tone, "I knew you'd come back here to find me."
She added with a hint of triumph, "I admit there was an element of risk, but I was confident. This time, I gambled right. I didn't misjudge you. You're a qualified fiancé after all!"
"You're still testing me?"
Sasuke frowned slightly but quickly relaxed. He realized he had only made verbal promises and had yet to prove himself through actions. Being tested was reasonable. In fact, coming here, risking everything to find her, was something a fiancé should naturally do.
"Fine, you win." Sasuke said with a resigned smile, "But this is just another debt I owe you. I promised that after I've avenged my clan, my life will be yours. I don't go back on my word..."
As he spoke, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
The past two days had been grueling. First, the mental assault from Tsukuyomi, then the relentless worry and guilt. Under immense psychological strain, Sasuke had pushed himself to the limit to get here. Now that he knew the black-robed figure was safe, the tension released, and fatigue overtook him.
"Sasuke... Sasuke..."
The black-robed figure caught him before he collapsed completely. She fed him a golden pill and carefully examined his condition before finally sighing in relief.
…
When Sasuke woke again, it was deep into the night. He was greeted by the sight of a campfire and a large pot, with the aroma of freshly cooked meat wafting through the air. His stomach growled in protest after nearly two days without food.
"You're awake? Come eat." The black-robed figure said warmly.
"Sure!"
Sasuke eagerly grabbed a bowl and chopsticks, devouring the meal in front of him. The food was neither scalding hot nor undercooked, perfectly tender and fresh. It was clear she had timed the preparation to coincide with his awakening, a thoughtful gesture that touched him deeply.
Even for someone like Sasuke, who had grown up in comfort, such attentiveness would have made her an ideal wife.
After finishing three bowls of food, he finally set his utensils down.
"That was delicious. Thank you for the treat."
"If you like it, I'll cook for you more often."
The black-robed figure said.
Turning his head to look at her, Sasuke said thoughtfully, "Let's rest for tonight. Tomorrow, we head to Amegakure."
"Why Amegakure? What about Gaara?"
The black-robed figure was puzzled.
Sasuke shook his head, "Gaara and Naruto's men are all together. Since they think you are dead, there's no need to cause trouble. With that, when Naruto returns, he'll also believe you're gone. I've decided… Once I've avenged my clan, we'll find a quiet place to live in seclusion, away from everything."
"Live in seclusion? But your ambitions go beyond that. What about reviving the Uchiha Clan?"
The black-robed figure questioned.
Sasuke shook his head and said, "It's enough that revenge is over. Since Itachi didn't act out of malice, let him bear the burden of reviving the Uchiha Clan to atone for his sins. After all this, I realize I don't owe the Uchiha anything. If anything, I owe you… a great deal. I want to spend the rest of my life by your side."
After thinking for a moment, Sasuke added, "Of course, if you want to support reviving the Uchiha Clan, I'll have to trouble you."
"Trouble me?"
The black-robed figure was puzzled.
Sasuke nodded and, for the first time, showed a mischievous grin, "As long as you give me more children, a new Uchiha Clan can be born!"
The black-robed figure stiffened in shock, "I can't believe you have this side to you… Wait! Are you calling me a broodmare?! You want me to repopulate an entire clan? You're awful!"