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Chapter 10 - C10 : Echoes of the Past

Chapter 10 – Echoes of the Past

"The past never leaves quietly. It whispers, it shouts, it drags you back to the edge of yourself."

Sasuke moved through the dense forest, the mist curling around his boots. Every step felt heavier than the last, the weight of the night and the days before pressing on his shoulders. He thought he was alone.

Then he heard a voice — calm, precise, familiar.

"You always run, Sasuke," the voice said.

He froze. The air seemed to thicken. The voice came again, impossibly close, yet untouched by the trees.

"Itachi…" he whispered.

And there he was. In the shadow of the trees, eyes as cold and knowing as ever, a faint silhouette. His brother's presence, yet not real — a reflection of guilt, a memory that had grown sharper with distance.

"You left without a word," the apparition continued. "You abandoned those who relied on you. Do you think running changes anything?"

Sasuke's chest tightened. "I… I had to," he muttered. "I can't go back. Not like before."

"It's not about going back," Itachi said. "It's about facing what you've left behind… about facing yourself."

The words sank deep, echoing through his mind. He wanted to speak, to argue, to justify the solitude he had chosen. But Itachi's eyes, filled with the shadow of all he had lost, offered no escape.

"I am trying to make things right," Sasuke said quietly. "I cannot undo the past. But I can protect those still alive."

A rustle of movement broke the hallucination. It faded instantly, leaving only the whispering wind and the weight of his own heart.

"Enough brooding," a voice said.

Sasuke turned. Jūgo stood there, arms crossed, eyes fierce. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye?" His voice trembled, not with anger, but with the weight of unspoken worry. "Do you know how many were looking for you? Karin—she's searching. She won't stop until she finds you."

Sasuke clenched his jaw, the old ache returning. Words failed him.

"We don't have time," Jūgo continued, scanning the horizon. "There's a village to the east. Mercenaries have been taking what's left of the Orochimaru experiments. People… innocent people are at risk. If you want to atone, this is the chance."

Sasuke nodded. The hallucination of Itachi had vanished, but the weight of its truth remained. He could not flee forever.

The two of them moved together, silent, shadows among shadows. The forest seemed to watch them, every step a reminder of the past, every heartbeat a warning of what could come.

Sasuke knew the path ahead was treacherous, but for the first time in days, he felt a purpose beyond guilt.A mission. A chance to face what he had avoided.And perhaps, in the process, a chance to find Karin before regret consumed them all.

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