The wind was colder than usual that night. The moon had decided to hide behind a veil of clouds, leaving the forest cloaked in thick darkness. A faint rustling of leaves whispered secrets to those willing to listen but Kiyomi knew better than to trust the sounds of nature. Out here, danger didn't announce itself; it simply appeared.
She stood near the riverbank, her feet barely making a sound as she moved with the grace of someone trained in both stealth and survival. The water shimmered faintly under the dim starlight, and she stared at her own reflection eyes that carried burdens far beyond her age, lips that hadn't smiled freely in years.
"I told you not to come here alone."
The voice behind her was soft but firm. Familiar. Sasuke.
She turned slowly. "You said that, but you knew I would."
Sasuke Uchiha emerged from the shadows as if he were part of them. His cloak fluttered slightly in the breeze, the Uchiha crest barely visible beneath its folds. He looked older now, wearier perhaps, but no less formidable. There was a moment of silence between them, filled with everything they couldn't say.
"You shouldn't take risks like this," he said, stepping closer. "The village isn't safe anymore. For you."
"I'm not helpless," Kiyomi replied. "I can protect myself."
His jaw tightened. "That's not the point."
She looked away, brushing her fingers against the river's edge. "Do you regret it?"
Sasuke's expression didn't change, but something flickered in his eyes. "Regret what?"
"Me. Us. This... secret life."
He was silent for so long that she almost gave up waiting. But then he took another step forward, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"I've made many mistakes in my life. But you were never one of them."
Her breath hitched.
"I left the village to protect what mattered most," he continued. "But I didn't expect to find something... someone... worth staying for. You were unexpected, Kiyomi. And in this life, the unexpected is dangerous."
She looked into his eyes. "Then why keep me hidden? Why not tell them?"
Sasuke's gaze hardened. "Because if they knew, you'd be hunted. Used. You're not just some civilian, Kiyomi. Your bloodline... your abilities... they'd never let you live in peace."
She clenched her fists. "So I'm just supposed to stay invisible forever?"
"No," he said softly. "Only until I can make the world safe for you."
A branch cracked in the distance. Both of them turned instinctively, eyes narrowing.
"Chakra signature," Sasuke muttered. "Two... maybe three."
Kiyomi stepped back. "They found us."
He moved quickly, his Sharingan activating with a faint red glow. "Get back to the safehouse. Now."
"I can fight!" she protested.
"And I need you to survive!"
There was no room for debate. Kiyomi turned and sprinted toward the woods, heart pounding. Behind her, she heard the unmistakable sound of steel clashing, of jutsu igniting the darkness.
She didn't look back
The safehouse was hidden deep beneath the roots of an ancient tree, cloaked with layers of genjutsu only a skilled shinobi could see through. Kiyomi collapsed against the wooden walls, panting, her body trembling not from fear, but from the weight of helplessness.
Every time she thought she was ready to step out of the shadows, reality reminded her just how fragile her existence was.
Minutes passed. Then an hour. Then two.
She didn't sleep. Not until the door creaked open and Sasuke stepped in, blood on his sleeve but eyes still burning with intensity.
"They're gone," he said. "For now."
She rose shakily to her feet. "Did they see your face?"
"No. But they knew someone was with me."
"And if they track me—"
"They won't," he cut her off. "I'll erase the trail."
But Kiyomi didn't believe it. Not entirely.
She walked over to him, her fingers brushing the torn fabric of his cloak. "This can't go on forever, Sasuke."
He looked down at her. "No. It can't."
They stood like that for a long while, two shadows pressed together by the cruelty of fate and the weight of choices made in silence.
Outside, the night remained starless, as if even the heavens chose not to witness what fate had written for them.
But in the darkness, their bond only grew stronger.
Unseen. Unspoken. Unbreakable.