Sasuke staggered backward as the Mind Link dissolved, sucking in deep, ragged breaths as if he had just broken the surface of icy water. The weight of Itachi's memories clung to him like a suffocating fog. Every shard of pain, every buried fear, every impossible choice pressed against his ribs until he felt his lungs seize.
He finally understood.
The pressure Itachi had carried was the kind that could crush a grown man, yet his brother had borne it alone at thirteen. Thirteen. What child could shoulder the fate of an entire clan, a village's suspicion, and the constant threat of civil war?
Sasuke remembered the scene in the memory: Itachi standing in the pouring dark, shoulders trembling, yet refusing to cry except in the shadows where no one could see him. No one in the clan understood the danger looming over them. Many were obsessed with rebellion, blind to the truth. The village elders mistrusted them, and Danzo... Danzo had severed the last fragile bridge to peace with his own hands.
Shisui had died for that hope. His sacrifice had been handed to Itachi like a torch burning through his palms.
If Sasuke had been in that position, would he have done anything different? The thought made him nauseous.
When he finally managed to steady himself, he looked at the fading illusion of Itachi. His voice was quiet yet unwavering.
"I'll find Danzo. And that masked man. Both will pay for everything. As for you... I will come for you myself."
Before Itachi could respond, Sasuke's Chidori Spear struck through the illusion's heart. The figure dissolved into another face entirely. Itachi had never been there.
Sasuke rejoined the group minutes later, finding Naruto waiting with Gaara, who had regained consciousness.
"You talk to Itachi?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah."
Naruto didn't pry further. Not now. "Alright. Let's get Gaara home."
Their pace quickened across the desert sands, the wind tugging at their cloaks as they moved toward the Hidden Sand Village.
Halfway there, they encountered Temari, Chiyo, and several Sand ninja sprinting toward them.
"Gaara!" Temari's voice cracked as soon as she spotted her red-haired brother. Her eyes grew hot, tears threatening to spill as she ran forward. She collided with Gaara in a fierce embrace.
This time, Gaara's sand did not rise to shield him.
"Do you know how worried we were?" Temari's voice shook. "The elders... those idiots even suggested giving up on you. If you had really..." Her breath hitched, unable to finish.
Gaara steadied himself under her hold. Her tears dampened his shoulder, seeping into the fabric. His hands hovered uncertainly before finally resting on her back.
"I am sorry I frightened you, Temari," he whispered. "Sister."
Temari froze. For a heartbeat she forgot how to breathe. Then she held him even tighter.
A few paces away, Chiyo's gaze swept the group, her voice thin and trembling. "Where is Sasori?"
Kakashi stepped forward without hesitation. "Sasori... is gone."
Chiyo's back hunched further, the news hitting like a sandstorm after years of anticipation. Regret, relief, grief, and exhaustion washed across her features. She closed her eyes and murmured, "So that is the path he chose. I could not save him after all."
The wind carried away her whisper.
Temari finally released Gaara, though she kept a firm grip on his wrist as if he might vanish again.
"This time," she said, voice firm with lingering anger and fierce devotion, "I am not letting anyone treat you like a tool. You are the Kazekage, yes, but before that... you are my brother."
The fire in her eyes burned hotter than the desert sun.
Gaara stared back at her, something thawing behind his calm exterior. Maybe Naruto was right. Maybe he had finally found the people worth loving, and people who loved him back.
He had found warmth.
He had found light.
He was no longer the lonely Gaara buried in endless sand.
Naruto smiled gently at him from the side.
Congratulations, Gaara. You are not alone anymore.
Then a soft hand slipped into Naruto's.
He blinked, turning to find Hinata standing shyly beside him. She looked up with her pale lavender eyes, cheeks tinted pink.
Naruto froze for a second, then returned her smile without a word.
When they reached the village gates, an enormous crowd had gathered. Every villager, every shinobi, every merchant waited breathlessly. The moment Gaara stepped into view, a tidal wave of cheers erupted.
"Kazekage!"
The roar of joy shook the streets. A group of young kunoichi surged forward, each carrying small bouquets of desert thorn flowers. One girl, face red as a tomato, stumbled closer and pressed her bouquet into Gaara's arms.
"You... you saved our home that night. Thank you!"
More flowers piled into his hands. Sand clung to the petals as they brushed against his bloodstained clothes. Temari watched closely, realizing something important.
Gaara's sand did not reject a single person.
He held the bouquets carefully, fingers touching the sharp stems as if they were delicate treasures.
Kankuro stepped through the crowd, still pale and unsteady but smiling. Pride shimmered in his eyes. He had chased after the Akatsuki despite knowing he couldn't win. He would die for his brother without hesitation.
Temari wiped her tears, then nudged Naruto toward Gaara.
"Go on," she said softly. "Say goodbye, Leaf's sunshine."
Naruto scratched his cheek awkwardly as the Sand villagers stepped back, forming a circle around the two boys. Sunlight poured onto them, gilding their shadows.
When Naruto extended his hand, the rays of noon traced along his arm. But Gaara didn't look at the hand. He looked straight into Naruto's bright blue eyes.
In those eyes, he saw the same light he had clung to in the darkness.
"Hey, stop looking so serious!" Naruto laughed, giving him a gentle punch on the shoulder. "You've got a whole village to protect, Mister Kazekage."
Gaara stared at Naruto's outstretched hand. Memories flooded him:
Naruto offering to buy him ramen.
Naruto healing him in the hospital.
Naruto breathing life back into him with chakra when he was on the brink of death.
Then Gaara stepped forward and threw his arms around Naruto.
Flowers tumbled from his hands.
"Thank you," Gaara whispered, voice raw and trembling. Hidden inside that word were a dozen others. Thank you for finding me. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for proving we are the same.
Naruto froze, then gave a warm, genuine smile and hugged him back.
Sasuke watched with crossed arms and an unimpressed huff. "Tch."
When the two finally pulled apart and clasped hands, the entire village erupted again. The sunlight fell perfectly across their joined hands, leaving a brilliant overlapping glow.
Like two lonely paths that had finally met in the light.