Chapter 10: Silent Echo

[Yakiniku Q – Hidden Leaf Village (Konoha)]

The grill crackled under strips of sizzling beef, steam curling in lazy wisps toward the ceiling. Midday sun filtered through the window beside their booth, bouncing off the glossy wood table where two untouched cups of tea sat growing colder.

Naruto had taken off his coat, folded neatly beside him. He sat in a sleeveless black shirt, arms relaxed on the table, posture composed but not rigid. He didn't fidget. He didn't glance around. He simply stared at the meat while it cooked, as if listening to something no one else could hear.

Kakashi sat across from him, flipping a pork belly strip with the tongs. His single visible eye occasionally flicked up toward Naruto.

"Still not used to seeing you in town," Kakashi said mildly. "I half expect you to vanish every time I blink."

Naruto gave a low hum. "There's nothing out there that needs my weight right now. I'm only here because I'm not required elsewhere."

"Standby, then."

Naruto nodded.

"Any developments I should be worried about?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto didn't answer immediately. He picked up the tea, sipped once, then set it back down.

"Land of Earth has been quiet, but not still. Subtle movement in their scouting patterns—testing borders. Grass just lost a trade hub to a local uprising. And Lightning…" He tapped the edge of the table lightly. "They're listening. Pretending not to look. But they're watching."

Kakashi's brow lifted. "At us?"

"At me."

Kakashi exhaled. "And the small fry?"

"There's a rebel cell forming near Ame. Decentralized. A little too organized to be brushed off as freelance banditry. If it evolves, it'll be a problem."

"Has it evolved?"

Naruto glanced sideways. "That's classified, sensei. Sorry."

Kakashi waved it off. "Had to try."

Another pause. Another turn of meat.

Naruto glanced up, voice quieter. "Anything I should know about on this side?"

Kakashi hesitated. Then set the tongs down.

"Sakura," he said.

Naruto's expression didn't change, but his gaze lingered.

"She requested leave the day after returning from her mission," Kakashi continued. "Still hasn't shown her face. Her mother says she hasn't left her room. Tenten dropped by—twice. Said she talks, even jokes, but…" He shook his head. "There's something off. Voice like paper. Eyes that don't track."

Naruto didn't respond at first. He let the sound of the grill fill the space between them.

"You know," he said finally, "I've been thinking about the Wave mission lately."

Kakashi blinked. "That's a throwback."

"She was with Sasuke during the Haku fight," Naruto said. "You, and I was busy with Zabuza. She was the one who got hit with the needles protecting him."

"I remember," Kakashi said quietly. "She took them all without shielding herself."

Naruto nodded. "She couldn't even lift her arms after. And yet… the first thing she said was, 'Is he okay?' Not 'Did we win?' Not 'Am I alive?' Just—'Is Sasuke okay?'"

Kakashi leaned back slightly. "I thought that was the moment she broke."

"She didn't break," Naruto said. "She hardened."

More silence.

"The Chuunin Exams were the proof," Naruto went on. "That encounter in the Forest—Orochimaru. We were still kids. Still cocky. But she wasn't. She was scared. Shaking. And she still moved first."

"She was the one who got Sasuke away while I was pinned," Naruto said. "She pulled him out by the collar, screaming at him to run. I was too far to hear the words, but I remember seeing her fists up, kunai in her palm like she was trying to decide whether to stab or cry."

"And she didn't?"

"She stabbed," Naruto said flatly. "One of Orochimaru's lackeys lost half a cheek. She took on four of them before Sasuke got back up. I found her later—slashed, bleeding, and still screaming threats."

Kakashi tilted his head. "And after?"

"She never talked about it again," Naruto said. "Like it never happened. But the next time I saw her fight, it was against the Sound trio. Sasuke was out cold due to the cursed mark he got from Orochimaru. I'd taken a hit that rattled my nerves. And she…"

He let the words hang.

Kakashi didn't interrupt.

"She said, 'Stay down. I've got this.' And she meant it. Even when they cracked her ribs. Even when they pulled her by the hair and slammed her into the ground—she just kept swinging."

"She would've died," Kakashi murmured.

"She didn't," Naruto said. "Lee came. Saved her. But it wasn't a rescue. It was a substitution. She was already too far in."

Kakashi's voice was low now. "Then the tournament."

"She shouldn't have fought," Naruto said. "Too many fractures. Too much damage. And still, she stood across from Ino like it was personal. Ino told me later she felt like Sakura wasn't even trying to win—just trying to scare her. Like she wanted her to break."

"She nearly did."

Naruto nodded. "Ino told me she saw Sakura's face… and started praying mid-fight. To what, she didn't know."

Kakashi leaned back, silent.

"Kurama loved it," Naruto added. "Called her a proper creature of violence. Asked why I was the one carrying him when she wore it so naturally."

Kakashi gave a tired sigh.

"She was always like that," Naruto said. "We just didn't look close enough."

"And now?" Kakashi asked softly.

Naruto finally looked him in the eye.

"Now she's tired of pretending it's not part of her. And I think… the quiet? The isolation? She's not recovering. She's adjusting."

Kakashi's brow furrowed. "To what?"

Naruto tapped the table once.

"To herself."

They sat in stillness again. The meat was already cooked. The tea had long gone cold.

"You're not using that questioning technique anymore," Kakashi said.

Naruto didn't flinch. "Sometimes I already know the answers. I just don't like them."

Kakashi leaned forward again, grabbing the tongs.

"And what do we do with someone like her?"

Naruto looked out the window.

"We wait. We give her space. And if she comes back…"

He paused. Then finished:

"…We make sure there's still something left worth coming back to."

Kakashi flipped another strip of meat, though neither of them had touched their plates in minutes. The smoke curled slowly, curling between them like unspoken tension.

Naruto reached for his tea again, paused, then looked up.

"What exactly happened on her last mission?" he asked quietly. "I heard it was bad… but I don't know how bad."

Kakashi's hand stilled. He glanced at Naruto over the grill.

"I figured you'd already been briefed," he said. "Another agent fill you in?"

Naruto gave a faint half-smile. "Just the gist of it. Not the detail. That's not classified, right, sensei?"

Kakashi exhaled. "Not if I leave out a few names."

He leaned back, arms folding across his chest.

"Kumo requested mediation," he said. "Small border settlement, loyal to the Hidden Cloud, wanted to split off. Claimed oppression. Trade blockades. You know how these things go."

Naruto nodded. "Konoha sent someone neutral."

"A team. Kurenai led it. Sakura, Kiba, Lee."

"And?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "There was no real negotiation. The village never wanted peace. They just wanted to lure us into a trap and make a statement."

Naruto's expression didn't change.

"They hired mercenaries," Kakashi continued. "Real ones. Not ex-nin thugs. Professionals. One of them was a field captain from Hidden Stone."

Naruto raised an eyebrow slightly. "They sent veterans?"

Kakashi nodded. "And they weren't subtle. Laid an ambush at the outskirts. First wave hit them at the border."

Naruto tilted his head. "She lead the response?"

Kakashi's eye narrowed. "She was the response."

A brief pause.

"Lee says she started laughing in the middle of it," Kakashi went on. "Didn't even blink when one of them took a chunk out of her shoulder. Just smiled and kept going. Used her chain to tear through a dozen of them. Kiba said it was like watching a butcher waltz."

Naruto didn't move. His tea sat untouched.

"Kurenai wrote a clean report," Kakashi said. "But she came to me after. Said Sakura's movements weren't just calculated. They were joyful. Like she didn't want to stop."

Naruto looked down. "Did Tsunade say anything?"

"She signed the leave," Kakashi replied. "Didn't question it. But when I brought it up, she said 'She's young. Let her breathe.'"

"That's not like her."

"No," Kakashi said. "It's not."

Naruto's fingers traced the edge of his cup absently. "What about the aftermath? Did Kumo say anything?"

"There's tension," Kakashi admitted. "Nothing formal yet. But I've heard the whispers. That it was a massacre. That the Leaf sent demons instead of diplomats."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "They think it was me?"

"They don't know who it was," Kakashi said. "And they're scared to ask."

Naruto gave a low, quiet hum. "She's always been like this," he murmured. "We just thought it was her temper. Or her ego. We didn't want to admit it might be something else."

Kakashi looked over at him. "And now?"

Naruto's eyes didn't leave the swirling steam.

"Now I think she really is just tired of hiding it."

---

[Flying Dragon Forge –Hidden Leaf Village]

The little bell above the door jingled as Naruto stepped into the warm, lacquer-scented air of Flying Dragon Forge. Polished racks of gleaming kunai, collapsible staves, modified smoke bombs, and tagged scrolls filled the modest but well-kept shop floor. Everything was immaculate. Efficient. Deadly.

The kind of place Sakura would've drooled over during their genin days.

"Just a minute!" a familiar voice called from the back.

Naruto stepped aside to inspect a curved blade mounted horizontally across the wall, its surface etched with kanji that shimmered faintly under the late-day sun filtering through the windows.

Tenten emerged from the back room a moment later, tying her apron over a sleeveless black top, hair up in a loose bun. She blinked once when she saw him.

"Oh. You."

Naruto turned slightly. "Me."

"You're not exactly our usual customer," she said, narrowing her eyes with suspicion. "Too... quiet."

"Maybe I'm evolving," Naruto offered.

"Maybe the world's ending," she muttered. "Either way—welcome to Flying Dragon Forge, where our blades are sharp and our mood sharper. What can I interest you in? Throwing knives? Sealing bands? Anti-materiel kunai?"

Naruto glanced down at the reinforced gauntlets on display. "Something practical. Less loud. More… repeatable."

Tenten smirked. "Ah. Planning for subtlety. Black Fox's signature."

"Yep, always prefer to be clean."

She rounded the counter and leaned forward onto it. "And I'm guessing you didn't just come here to flirt with me about blade selections."

"Can't I do both?"

Tenten grinned. "Not unless you're planning to leave a generous tip."

Naruto gave her a dry look. "I heard you've been manning the shop lately."

"Yeah. Dad's out dealing with some fussy nobleman's order. Mom's helping a cousin in Suna. So guess who gets to babysit a shop full of sharp things?" She gestured around. "At least I get to talk to actual people for once."

She then huffed, scanning the empty space behind Naruto. "Why is it so quiet lately? Usually the Anbu sends someone in with a special order—scrolls, traps, chakra anchors…"

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

Tenten gasped, dramatically grabbing the edge of the counter. "Oh no. Is it because they don't want me anymore?"

Naruto blinked. "Tenten."

"Is it the designs? Be honest—did someone say the black finish on the pressure tags was too much?"

"You're fine," Naruto said, deadpan. "Anbu's just been on cleanup duty lately. No flashy deployments. No overhauls."

"So you're saying it's... budget cuts?"

"I'm saying no one needs a flamethrower trap in a farming village."

Tenten narrowed her eyes. "I feel attacked."

Naruto allowed the smallest smirk to tug at the corner of his mouth.

She relaxed, folding her arms. "Alright. If you're here for work stuff, you're getting the good treatment."

"I talked to Kakashi earlier," he said. "He mentioned you dropped by Sakura's."

Tenten's expression didn't shift immediately, but her shoulders lowered a little.

"Yeah," she said. "Twice."

Naruto waited.

"She still cracks jokes," Tenten said. "Still rolls her eyes at me. But there's… something missing. Her voice has this emptiness. Like she's reading a script she wrote herself."

Naruto nodded slowly.

"She's not ignoring me," Tenten continued. "But she's not really listening, either. Like… she's locked behind a wall, and even she forgot where the door is."

Naruto picked up a weighted chakra ring from the shelf, rolled it between his fingers.

"She ever talk to you about the mission?" he asked.

"Not in detail. Just said it was messy. Said Lee got upset. Kiba wouldn't stop pacing afterward. She didn't say how she felt about it, just that she 'got the job done.'"

Tenten looked over. "That's not how Sakura used to talk."

"No," Naruto said. "It's not."

Tenten leaned an elbow on the counter, eyes narrowing.

"You're her teammate. You've known her since we were kids. Is this… something new?"

Naruto didn't answer right away. He set the ring back in its slot carefully.

"I think," he said slowly, "this has always been there. She just stopped trying to hold it back."

Tenten exhaled. "That's what scares me."

They stood in silence for a moment.

Then Tenten brightened slightly, nudging his elbow.

"Anyway. You're not getting away without buying something."

Naruto tilted his head. "Didn't know there was a toll for asking about a friend."

"There's a toll for everything," Tenten said. "Especially when your friend is a blood-soaked maniac with a kusarigama and no chill."

Naruto smirked. "Fine. Surprise me."

She turned, grabbed a slim black scroll from the lower shelf, and slid it across the counter.

"Sealing scroll. Tripwire kunai set. Low visibility, quick deployment, reusable. You get the cute little diagram, too."

Naruto picked it up, unfurled a bit of the parchment. "Efficient."

"I know my assassins," she said proudly.

He then paid, before turning to leave, scroll in hand.

"Thanks, Tenten."

"Anytime," she said. "And Naruto?"

He paused.

"Tell her, if she's tired of hiding… she doesn't have to be alone."

Naruto looked over his shoulder, met her eyes, and gave the smallest nod.

Then he walked out into the fading sunlight.

---

[Haruno Residence – Hidden Leaf Village]

The curtains hadn't moved since her last mission five days ago.

The air inside the room was warm, but not from sunlight—just trapped breath and body heat. One window cracked just enough to let sound in, not air. Outside, footsteps passed every so often. Neighbors. Strangers. Civilians.

Sakura lay on her futon, her arm draped across her eyes, bandages peeking from beneath the fabric of her tank top. Her kusarigama rested against the dresser, coiled like a sleeping viper. The scent of old sweat and blood still clung faintly to its chain.

She hadn't moved it. Not since she came home.

Her mother had brought soup that morning. She hadn't touched it.

"I'm not hungry," she'd said from behind the door, voice light and even. "Just tired."

That was enough to keep her mother from asking further. It always was.

Sakura rolled onto her side, staring at the wall, eyes dull but open. Her heartbeat was steady. Too steady. As if something in her had stopped adjusting to the tension and simply accepted it.

She flexed her fingers.

There was a moment, during the mission—somewhere between the second kill and the fifth—when everything had slowed. Blood hit her face like rain. Her muscles had stopped aching. Her mind had cleared.

It had felt right.

And that was the problem.

She pressed her fingers to her lips, remembering the way her teeth had bared when she struck the last one. Not to intimidate. Not to survive. Just to feel it.

Just to savor it.

Her shoulder still hurt from the wound. She hadn't even bothered to heal it fully. Not because she couldn't—but because it felt like penance.

Or maybe a souvenir.

Her eyes drifted to the photo tucked under her mirror. A worn image of Team 7—Naruto grinning too wide, Sasuke frowning like someone just insulted his soul, and her… standing between them, smiling like she had no idea what was coming.

She blinked once.

Then reached for the chain at her bedside and slowly began to uncoil it—not to clean it. Not to prep it.

Just to feel the weight in her hands.

---

The sun was beginning to dip by the time Naruto reached the familiar stone path winding toward Sakura's modest home. A breeze drifted through the trees, rustling the leaves above the roof tiles, brushing past him as if trying to warn him away.

He ignored it.

The porch creaked faintly under his steps. He knocked once—firm, but not loud.

No response.

He waited.

Then the door creaked open.

Sakura stood barefoot in the entryway, a loose gray hoodie thrown over her shoulders, one sleeve pulled over her bandaged arm. Her hair was damp at the ends. Her face unreadable. But her eyes—

Her eyes tracked him like she was still on the battlefield.

Naruto offered a small nod.

She didn't speak. Just moved aside.

He stepped in.

The inside smelled like tea and rubbing alcohol. The hallway was dim. No lights on, even though the sun was nearly gone.

They stood in the quiet for a moment. Neither sat. Neither asked why the other had come.

Then Naruto glanced past her, to where the curved glint of a chain caught the corner of his eye.

The kusarigama lay coiled on a small wooden stand just inside her room. Cleaned. Polished. But untouched.

"I heard from Tenten," Naruto said simply. "And from Kakashi-sensei."

Sakura leaned one shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed. "I'm fine."

"I know."

A pause.

Then Naruto spoke again, voice lower now.

"I came to ask if I could borrow it."

Sakura's brow lifted slightly. "The chain?"

Naruto nodded once. "Just for a while."

"Why?"

He didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at it again.

"I think… it might be easier to forget what it feels like," he said. "Or easier to remember it without having to hold it."

She studied him.

Naruto didn't flinch. Didn't press. He just stood there, the way he always did when he knew he was asking something heavy. Quiet. Grounded.

Sakura's fingers twitched once at her side.

"I can still fight, you know," she said, voice brittle around the edge. "I don't need a weapon to break bones."

"I know," Naruto said. "Guy taught you. Said you hit harder than I did back before Gaara."

Sakura looked away, eyes narrowing just faintly. "What if I get called up?"

"You won't," Naruto said. "Not yet."

"And if I ask for a mission?"

Naruto met her gaze. "Then you go. You've never needed a weapon to be dangerous."

They were quiet again.

Then slowly—deliberately—Sakura stepped aside.

She disappeared into the room, and a moment later returned with the wrapped kusarigama in her hands. Her fingers lingered on it for a second too long.

Then she held it out.

Naruto took it without ceremony, the weight settling into his palm like it had always belonged to someone carrying ghosts.

"Thank you," he said.

Sakura shrugged. "It's just steel."

Naruto turned to leave.

Then stopped.

He didn't stop himself.

It was her fingers—gently pinching the back of his coat.

The weight of them was nothing. But it froze him in place like a thousand hands had grabbed him at once.

He turned his head slightly.

Her forehead was resting against his upper back.

"…Just a second," she whispered.

He didn't move. Didn't ask.

She trembled once—just once—before her voice came, raw and frayed.

"I miss it."

Silence.

"I miss the time when you and Sasuke were always around. I miss when missions were simple. I miss running through the streets yelling about who was stronger… who would get the higher grade."

Her voice cracked, but she didn't cry.

Not yet.

"I miss that little idiot who took a beating for no reason and still smiled afterward. The kid everyone hated and I couldn't figure out why."

Naruto exhaled softly, letting out a faint smiles

"I miss that smug bastard who thought he was better than everyone—until I proved him wrong by beating his grade by a single point."

Naruto stared ahead, unmoving.

"I miss the way he used to argue with me just for the sake of it. How he always found something to criticize—and how I always made it worse. And you…"

She exhaled softly against his back.

"You were always there. You didn't talk much. But you listened. You held us together when we didn't even notice you were trying. And sometimes, when it got too much, you told a joke so bad it made Sasuke actually blink twice. You were awful at it."

Naruto said nothing. But the silence around him felt warmer.

"I miss that. I miss both of you. Even when you told me to stop killing. Even when it annoyed me."

She trembled again.

"I miss being told to stop killing," she whispered, "even if I wanted to keep going. I miss feeling like maybe… maybe I didn't have to like it. Because you were there. Because Sasuke was there."

Tears touched the back of his coat.

"I wish we could go back. I'd trade anything to go back."

Naruto closed his eyes.

And then, softly—his voice was almost a breath.

"So would I."

She didn't say anything more.

And he didn't offer anything else.

He just stayed, letting her lean. Letting her be quiet.

The flutter of wings interrupted the stillness—a gray bird settling on the railing outside.

Naruto felt it arrive without turning.

He didn't move until Sakura finally let go.

He stepped outside into the early evening, retrieved the scroll from the bird's leg, and read the message once.

He didn't look back when he left.

And behind him, in the doorway, Sakura stood alone—arms crossed over her chest, face hidden in her shoulder, the ghost of that warmth still clinging to her like armor.