11: Fractured Ties

At a high-end casino in the Land of Fire, the dim glow of lanterns flickered over a crowded room of gamblers, shinobi, and merchants alike. Shikamaru sighed as he lazily watched the roulette spin, while Kiba cheered loudly,

slamming his hand on the table.

"C'mon, c'mon, big money—!" Kiba barked, practically bouncing in his seat.

Ino rolled her eyes, sipping her drink. "You do know that this is mostly luck, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, but that's what makes it fun!" Kiba grinned, waving for another round. "Besides, we earned this break."

Hinata giggled softly, shaking her head. "I still don't know how you convinced us to come here."

Shikamaru exhaled through his nose. "Because dealing with Naruto's Hokage stuff has been a pain, and we all needed a distraction." He rested his chin on his palm, glancing at the table.

"Speaking of which, where is Naruto right now?"

Ino hummed, swirling her drink. "Probably off sulking about Sasuke again."

Kiba snorted. "Tch. Figures."

Meanwhile, deep in the Forest,

Naruto struggled under Sasuke's grip, his back pressed against the cold earth.

His heartbeat pounded in his ears, his breath uneven as Sasuke loomed over him, pinning him down.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Naruto snapped, glaring up at him.

Sasuke didn't respond right away. His dark eyes burned with something unreadable, his grip firm—too firm. His body was tense, as if he was fighting something inside himself.

Naruto swallowed, his frustration mixing with something else—something he didn't want to name.

Sasuke finally spoke, his voice low, restrained.

"You don't understand, Naruto."

Naruto clenched his jaw. "Then make me understand."

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then—Sasuke's grip on Naruto's wrists loosened. Just slightly.

But before anything else could be said, a sharp voice rang through the trees.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke's entire body went rigid.

Naruto turned his head, his eyes widening.

Sakura stood at the edge of the clearing, her fists clenched, her expression frozen in shock.

She had been looking for Sasuke for days.

Hoping—praying—that he would come back to Konoha. That maybe, deep down, he still cared.

But now, standing here, seeing him hovering over Naruto like this—

The realization hit her like a kunai to the chest.

Sasuke wasn't coming back.

Not to her.

Maybe… not to Konoha at all.

Her breath hitched, her vision blurring with unshed tears.

Sasuke's grip on Naruto released completely, and he slowly stood up, turning his back to her. "…Sakura."

She took a shaky breath, forcing herself to stand tall. But inside, her heart felt like it was shattering.

"…Forget it," she whispered. "I already know."

Before either of them could say anything, she turned and ran—disappearing into the forest, leaving only silence in her wake.

Naruto sat up, rubbing his wrists, his chest tightening.

Sasuke didn't move. Didn't look back.

Didn't stop her.

Because deep down, he knew—

This was the path he had chosen.

And there was no turning back.

The silence between them stretched, thick and suffocating. Sakura was gone, leaving nothing but the sound of rustling leaves and their unsteady breaths.

Naruto was still sitting on the ground, fists clenched at his sides. His pulse was erratic, his skin burning where Sasuke had grabbed him.

Sasuke stood above him, his face unreadable.

His posture was stiff, his hands curled into fists like he was restraining himself from something—like he was on the edge of doing something irreversible.

Naruto exhaled sharply, pushing himself up, stepping closer. "You gonna explain yourself, or are we just gonna stand here all night?"

Sasuke didn't respond.

Naruto let out a frustrated breath. "Damn it, Sasuke—why do you keep showing up just to disappear again? Why come back at all if you're just gonna push me away?!"

Sasuke's jaw tightened, his eyes shadowed beneath his bangs. He didn't move, didn't even blink. But Naruto could feel the tension rolling off of him, thick and overwhelming.

Then—before Naruto could say anything else—Sasuke moved.

Fast. Too fast for Naruto to react.

One second, there was space between them. The next, Sasuke had him pressed against a tree, one hand gripping the fabric of his jacket, the other braced against the bark beside his head.

Naruto's breath caught. His heartbeat was a thunderous roar in his ears.

Sasuke was close. Too close.

His dark eyes burned with something intense, something raw. His breath was slightly uneven, his grip on Naruto's jacket trembling just slightly—just enough for Naruto to notice.

Naruto swallowed hard. "Sasuke—"

"Shut up."

Naruto's eyes widened.

Sasuke's voice was low, strained—like he was barely keeping himself together.

Seconds passed. Heavy. Suffocating.

Naruto could feel the tension between them like a live wire, sparking, dangerous.

Sasuke's grip on his jacket tightened.

Then—just as quickly as he had closed the distance—he let go, stepping back.

Naruto's body sagged slightly against the tree, but he didn't look away. "What the hell was that?"

Sasuke turned his back to him. His hands were clenched at his sides, his breath still not quite steady.

"…I told you," he muttered, voice quieter now. "I can't stay."

Naruto stared at him, his chest tight.

Sasuke took another step back, into the shadows.

Then—before Naruto could stop him—he was gone.

And the tension still crackled in the air, lingering like a wound that refused to heal.