Sasuke gently reached out her hand, intending to wake Sakura.
But what she saw made her heart freeze. When she lifted the thin blanket, there was no one there.
Sakura was gone!
Staring at the empty wooden bed, Sasuke felt a shiver run down her spine, a chilling wave creeping from her feet all the way to her head.
"How is this possible?!"
Her eyes widened in terror. She hadn't fallen asleep. She had been in the room the entire time.
And without sensing anyone entering, Sakura had vanished right under her eyes?
Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!
The knocking grew faster, stronger, pounding on the already fragile wooden door until small cracks appeared.
Sasuke's mind raced, her thoughts spinning wildly. "The person knocking can't be Jiraiya-sensei or Yamato. So… it's an enemy!"
In less than half a second, she realized that someone had invaded the cabin.
Although she couldn't tell exactly how they had entered unnoticed, it was clear—they were coming for them!
Bang!
At that moment, the wooden door could no longer hold.
Sasuke moved with lightning speed, leaping and hiding on the roof beam. Three tomoe silently appeared in her eyes, spinning slowly.
At the same time, she gripped the hilt of her sword, ready to strike at any moment.
But once again, the situation defied her expectations.
The door had been pushed open, yet no one was outside, and there was no sign anyone had entered.
"Strange… what is going on?"
As Sasuke puzzled over the situation, she heard it again—the bone-chilling whispering.
But unlike the last time, these murmurs were now inside the room, closer, clearer than ever.
Creak! Creak! Creak!
Suddenly, it sounded as if someone was moving inside the room. The wooden floorboards creaked under invisible footsteps.
But Sasuke clearly saw no one. Her pupils constricted as a chill washed over her at the incomprehensible sight.
Stay calm! I must stay calm!
Her heart pounded wildly, but she forced herself to suppress the fear of the unknown, keeping silent.
Creak! Creak! Creak!
It felt like someone was pacing back and forth inside the room.
Suddenly, the blanket on Sakura's bed seemed to be lifted by an invisible hand and fell to the floor beside her.
"An invisible enemy?!" Sasuke's pupils shrank sharply. She was certain that the blanket had not moved by the wind—it had been lifted by someone.
The next moment, Sasuke's bed seemed to collapse under some unseen force, scattering the contents of her backpack across the floor.
Creak.
The invisible presence lingered in the room for a long time, but eventually, unable to find Sasuke, the footsteps faded away.
Along with them vanished the chilling whispers that had sent shivers down her spine.
"Have they left?"
Sasuke, perched on the ceiling beam, finally allowed her heart to relax.
At that moment, she suddenly felt a cold breath at the back of her neck.
Instinctively, Sasuke turned her head and saw a pale, lifeless face hanging from the beam. Its empty eyes stared unblinkingly at her.
"I found you!"
Because of the long journey during the day, Sakura had gone to bed early.
But in her drowsy state, she thought she heard a faint whisper, drifting right beside her ear.
"Save me."
"Can not. Sleep."
"Wake up."
The voice kept repeating that phrase.
No matter what, Sakura was still a ninja. She instantly snapped awake from her sleep and opened her eyes.
But the moment she opened them, she realized something shocking—the room was empty. She was completely alone.
"Sasuke?"
Sakura looked around. Her backpack and belongings were scattered across the floor, but Sasuke was nowhere in sight. Immediately, a sense of danger flashed through her mind.
Something had happened!
Without hesitation, she drew her kunai and stared at the door, which seemed violently damaged, before rushing out.
"Jiraiya-sama! Yamato! Something's wrong!" She ran downstairs, intending to find Jiraiya and Yamato and report Sasuke's disappearance.
But when she reached the first floor, she was stunned to find that they were gone too.
It seemed the entire house was empty, leaving only her.
"J-Jiraiya-sama?"
Sakura's fear grew. She tightened her grip on the kunai and called out with a trembling voice.
A cold gust of wind blew through. The flames flickering nearby suddenly went out.
Darkness engulfed the room, and the terrified Sakura stumbled backward several steps.
The eerie whispering returned, echoing throughout the room.
This time, it seemed to surround her completely. The voices grew sharper and more piercing, making her heart race and her face pale.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
Sakura shouted in frustration and fear.
Then, suddenly, the whispers stopped. Silence fell once again.
Just as she thought the invisible presence had left, her eyes widened in horror. Bloody handprints began appearing along the walls, one after another, as if some unseen creature was crawling along the surfaces, steadily moving closer to her position.
"Ah—!"
Sakura's pupils suddenly contracted, and she let out a terrified scream, turning to run upstairs.
The bloodied handprints seemed to have found their target, following her footsteps relentlessly, closing in from below.
Each handprint looked freshly made, dripping with blood, the crimson liquid still flowing, releasing a sharp, pungent odor.
The horrifying scene robbed Sakura of all rational thought. She could think of nothing but one word: run!
Thump. Thump. Thump.
She bolted wildly back into her room.
Pushing the door shut behind her, she pressed herself desperately against it, covering her mouth, eyes wide with fear, tears streaming uncontrollably.
She waited for what felt like an eternity. The bloodied handprints did not appear.
Sakura dared not make a sound, and she certainly didn't dare look. Her mental defenses were on the verge of collapse.
"Sasuke… where are you? Please… come save me!"
She prayed desperately in her heart, but now, there was no one who could save her.
After calming herself slightly, Sakura wedged something against the wooden door, moving as quietly as possible toward the window.
She had to leave this place. Leave this terrifying, cursed house.
The distance seemed short—only a few steps—but to Sakura, it felt like thousands of meters.
Finally, she reached the window and saw a blood-red moon hanging in the sky.
"The moon… why is it blood-red?"
Sakura froze for a few seconds.
Suddenly, she felt someone behind her, a hand covering her eyes.
Wait… how could there be someone behind her?!
Her face drained of color as she turned stiffly, only to see a pair of skeletal hands, smeared with blood, gently covering her eyes.
"Ah——!!!"
*******
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