The group struggled through the deep snow, their legs disappearing into the white powder with every step.
The mountains were silent except for the sound of the wind howling through frozen, bone-like trees.
The air felt sharp and thin, smelling faintly like old coins—a sign that they were finally leaving the wild woods behind.
Sakura pulled her scarf tighter around her face and looked up at the grey sky. "Do you guys smell that?" she asked, her voice sounding small in the wind.
"The air feels heavy, like cold metal. We have to be getting close to the border of the Tetsu no Kuni."
Naruto wiped some frost off his whiskered cheek and gave a determined grin. "Yeah! I feel it too! We've been walking for ten days, and I'm not letting a bunch of snow beat us now! Just a little further, guys, you know!"
Neji stopped and scanned the rocky cliffs ahead, his eyes sharp. "The terrain is changing," he noted.
"The wind is shifting direction. If my instincts are correct, the border checkpoints should be just five minutes away."
"We can't stop until we find a place with real warmth," Hinata added softly, shivering as she looked at the gray sky.
Even Lee, who was still limping a bit from his big wipeout on the ice while carrying Mini Sasuke on his back said, "My spirit is still burning! The border is right there! Let's put all our energy into these final steps! Youth never freezes!"
They moved like a line of slow-moving shadows against the blinding white snow.
Suddenly, Neji held up his hand, signaling everyone to halt. They were standing on a high, slanted ridge that gave them a perfect view past the jagged cliffs.
Far in the distance, through the thick, swirling blizzard, a massive stone archway appeared. It looked like a giant dark shadow against the white mountains—the entrance to the Tetsu no Kuni.
Even though it was still quite a walk away, the sight of the tiny samurai outposts gave them a boost of hope.
Lee adjusted his grip on Mini-Sasuke, hugging the small boy closer to his chest to keep him warm. "I see it!" Lee shouted, though he tried to keep his voice down so only the group could hear. "The gateway of the samurai! We are almost safe!"
Then Mini Sasuke whispered to him, "Don't shout... They'll hear you."
Naruto stepped up next to Neji and let out a breath that looked like a cloud of steam. "Man, it looks like it's a hundred feets away still, but at least we aren't lost. We just gotta keep these legs moving even if they feel like noodles."
Behind them, Sakura and Ino moved to the edge of the ridge, their faces as red as tomatoes from the biting cold. Sasuke stood a few feet away, his black eyes fixed on the border with a serious, brooding look.
He didn't say anything, but he wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, his mind probably still stuck on the 'shortcut' that had caused them so much trouble.
Tenten held onto Karin to keep her from sliding down the slippery slope. Karin was shaking so hard her glasses were rattling.
"Finally," Karin chattered, her teeth clicking together. "Just please tell me there is a giant heater and a hot bowl of soup behind that gate, or I'm going to turn into a human popsicle."
The group stood there for a moment, perched on the edge of the slope, staring down at the gate that stood between them and the end of this frozen nightmare.
Neji raised his hand and signaled for the group to stay low, pointing toward a secluded corner sheltered by a group of tall trees. He wanted to make sure they weren't spotted by any distant patrols while they were still exposed on the ridge.
Everyone understood his silent command immediately. Naruto, Sakura, and the others gave a quick, serious nod and followed him into the shadows of the cliffside.
They moved quietly, their boots crunching softly in the snow as they squeezed into the narrow space to regroup before making the final push toward the gate.
Neji stood at the edge of the rocky corner, his eyes narrowed as he kept a close watch on the distance. Naruto shifted his weight, his boots crunching in the frozen snow as he looked at Neji with a confused expression.
"Hey, Neji, what's the matter?" Naruto asked, his voice low but urgent. "Why did we stop here when the border is right in front of us?"
Neji didn't turn his head, his focus remaining on the samurai outposts. "We are approaching a neutral territory with high security. We can't just go charging in looking like a group of leaf shinobi on a secret mission. We need a plan before the guards spot us."
Sasuke, who had been leaning against the cold stone wall with his arms crossed, suddenly spoke up in a cold, flat tone.
"We'll tell them we're orphans. We'll say we lost everything in the war and have nowhere else to go."
The group went silent. Naruto and Neji turned their heads at the same time, staring at Sasuke in total surprise. The suggestion was so dark and unexpected that even the wind seemed to quiet down for a second.
Naruto blinked, looking back and forth between Sasuke and the others. "Orphans? Sasuke, that's a bit extreme, don't you think?"
"It's the most believable lie," Sasuke replied, his dark green eyes flickering with a cold light.
"No one questions a group of broken children. It gets us through the gate without an interrogation."
Karin bit her lip, her heart sinking as she looked at the snow beneath her boots. The guilt started to gnaw at her insides like the biting cold.
She remembered the conversation she had with Sakura not long ago—when Sakura had asked about her home, Karin had panicked. She had spun a tale about being from an orphanage in the Hi no Kuni, specifically one located near the Daimyo's estate.
Karin's thought, 'I can't believe this. I already lied to Sakura-san's face once about where I came from.....'
'I told her I was just some orphan from the Land of Fire... and now, because of Sasuke-kun I have to double down on that lie? If I keep this up, I'm going to forget what the truth even is.'
'Oh god, if they ever find out I'm lying, they'll hate me!'
The weight of the secret felt heavier than the pack on her back. She felt like a total fraud.
Sakura, unaware of the storm inside Karin's head, adjusted her gloves and shook her head at Sasuke's plan. "The war part is definitely a bit off, Sasuke," she said, looking toward the distant iron gates.
"There isn't a major war going on right now. If we tell the samurai guards we're war orphans, they'll get suspicious and start asking which battle or which village. We need a simpler story that won't get us caught in a web of lies."
Sasuke didn't even look at Sakura, his eyes remaining fixed on the distant iron gates.
"You're missing the point," he said, his voice as cold as the wind hitting his face. "We have no idea where we are on the timeline. If we've been sent into the past, then the 'peace' you're talking about doesn't exist yet."
He shifted his weight, his eyes narrowing.
"Back then, the Great Nations were always at each other's throats. Border skirmishes and shadow wars happened every day. Being an orphan wasn't just common—it was expected. It's the perfect cover because it explains why a group of kids is wandering through a blizzard with no adults to protect them."
Sasuke finally turned his head slightly, giving Sakura a sharp, intense look. "In a world where everyone is fighting, no one looks twice at a few more broken souls. It makes us invisible. And right now, being invisible is the only way we're getting through those gates without a fight."
Karin stood nearby, listening to Sasuke's cold logic with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Every word he said made her earlier lie feel even more permanent, trapping her in a story she had only meant to tell once.
Neji shifted his weight in the deep snow, his face serious as he looked at Sasuke. "You're guessing too much," Neji said, his voice calm.
"What if we are in the present day? There hasn't been a war in years. Or what if we are in the future? We don't know anything about the future. If we walk in there talking about a war that isn't happening, the samurai will think we are disguised and will lock us up."
Sasuke let out a cold, mean little laugh. He looked at Neji with a sarcastic smirk on his face. "You really are naive, aren't you?" Sasuke asked, his voice dripping with attitude.
"Do you honestly think the five great nations will ever be in good terms with each other? Do you think they'll just stop hating each other because time passed?"
Sasuke stepped a bit closer, his eyes looking sharp and angry.
"Even when there isn't a big war, these nations are always fighting in the shadows. They are always hurting each other. It doesn't matter if it's the past, the present, or a hundred years from now—there will always be kids left behind by the fighting...."
"The 'orphan' story works because the world is always a mess. People find it easy to believe in a sad story."
Neji opened his mouth to argue further, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "But Sasuke, think about it. What if we are actually in the prese—"
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✍️ AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Author's NoteThe Strategy of Sasuke Uchiha🧭
Sasuke's strategy in this chapter is a chilling reminder of his past. By choosing the 'orphan' cover, he is using the world's cruelty as a shield. He knows that in any timeline, a broken child is the only thing people won't question, because the Great Nations never stop creating them. 🌑⚔️
The clash between Sakura's logic and Sasuke's cynicism reveals a deep divide. Sasuke isn't just giving the group a disguise; he is forcing them to see the world through his eyes—a place where peace is a lie and shadows are always bleeding. ❄️🎭
This lie becomes a cage for Karin, trapping her in the same story she once told Sakura in secret. As they stand before the iron gates, the 'Eight Shields' are no longer proud shinobi, but 'broken souls.' They are now bound by a shared deception that feels even heavier than the freezing mountain they just left behind. 🛡️🤫
🗣️ TALK TO ME!
That was a heavy transition! Sasuke has officially taken the lead with a plan that has everyone feeling a bit uneasy. Let's discuss! 👇
Sasuke's Dark Wisdom! 🧠 He told Neji that people "find it easy to believe in a sad story." Do you think Sasuke is right—is it easier to pass as a victim than a hero in this world? It's a cold way to think, but in a blizzard, maybe cold logic is what they need to survive. 🎭❄️
Karin's "Double-Life"! 👓 Poor Karin is sweating more from the guilt than the cold! She already lied to Sakura, and now she has to make that lie her official identity for the guards. Do you think her fear of being 'hated' will eventually make her confess, or will she become the best actor in the group? 🤫💔
The Silent Child! 🧒 Mini-Sasuke's small warning to Lee—"Don't shout... They'll hear you"—shows that even the youngest version of him is already thinking about survival. How do you think the "real" Sasuke feels hearing his younger self being so cautious and afraid? 👣🌑
📜 TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER
A clash of wills beneath the iron gate, 🏯
Where logic meets a dark and bitter fate. ⚔️
The Uchiha's shadow and the Hyuga's sight, 🌑⚪
Collide within the fading mountain light.
But through the sparks of an unfinished fray, 💥
A deeper question haunts the frozen way. 🗣️
A topic left unsettled in the snow, ❄️
That only one is brave enough to know. 🧭
💬 SNEAK PEAK LINES
"Don't bluff me!"
"Keep your lectures for Konoha"
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—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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