Kakashi was unconscious for most of the next day.
His chest rose and fell steadily. We took turns watching over him while Tazuna led us to his house by the coast—a simple, creaky place with wind-battered walls and a tired warmth.
We didn't talk much.
Not at first.
The adrenaline had worn off.
Now there was only the silence.
---
Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, served us soup.
"I thought you were just kids," she said, watching us eat with guarded kindness. "But you came anyway. Thank you."
Naruto stared at his bowl. He hadn't touched it.
"I didn't do anything," he muttered.
Sasuke glanced at him. "You charged an A-rank missing-nin head-on."
"I just got lucky again."
I sighed, setting down my spoon.
"Luck doesn't throw clones into fog. Or distract a demon long enough for us to save our sensei. That was you, Naruto."
He looked up, eyes shining.
"And next time," I added, "you'll do even better."
He blinked.
Then smiled—just a little.
---
Later, we sat outside, the mist rolling in off the water, curling around our ankles.
Sasuke sharpened his kunai in practiced silence. Naruto leaned against the porch post, tired but thoughtful.
I sat between them, doing push-ups.
Because the system didn't care about trauma. The system wanted results.
> [Daily Requirement Complete]
+3 Strength
Passive Skill Unlocked: "Pain Threshold I"
Great. Wonderful. Emotional agony now gives me buffs.
"Are you training again?" Naruto asked, groaning.
"Helps me think."
"Yeah, well, thinking makes me tired."
Sasuke: "That explains a lot."
Naruto: "HEY!"
I smirked. A small, tired, earned smirk.
---
That night, Naruto fell asleep on the couch, ramen cup still in hand.
Sasuke stood alone by the window, watching the fog.
"You knew it wasn't over," I said quietly.
He didn't look back. "That hunter-nin wasn't trying to kill Zabuza. You saw the needle placement."
I nodded.
"So did Kakashi," he added. "He's just waiting for the next move."
We were kids.
But we weren't blind anymore.
---
As I lay down on the floor, blanket wrapped around me, I opened the system interface quietly.
Not for stats.
For the journal function I hadn't touched since Day One.
Entry 1:
> I'm in a world that's supposed to be fiction.
But nothing feels fake when people are bleeding.
Naruto's more than a character now.
Sasuke's got more layers than the show ever showed.
And I'm not just here to get strong.
I'm here to make sure they live.
All of them.
Even if I have to tear apart the script to do it.