Chapter 23 – Echoes of Ash
"Even when the fire dies, its smoke still burns the sky."
The cave was silent, except for the soft crackle of the fire.Sasuke sat near the entrance, his back against the cold rock, his eyes fixed on the rain that fell in steady lines outside. Each drop seemed to echo the chaos still running through his veins.
Behind him, the others rested. Jūgo's breathing was shallow but steady, his massive frame wrapped in bandages. Suigetsu sat close, sharpening his blade with rhythmic motions, the sound grating against the quiet.
And Karin… she was awake, but motionless. Her arms were still marked by the deep bites Jūgo had left on her skin. She hid them under her cloak, staring into the fire.
No one spoke.
Hours passed like this—just the wind, the crackle, and the unspoken weight pressing on all of them.
Then, Suigetsu broke the silence."Found this on one of those Senju bastards," he muttered, tossing a bloodstained scroll at Sasuke's feet.
Sasuke caught it with a flick of his wrist. The parchment unfurled, revealing the symbol of a twisted leaf, half-burnt, half-reborn. Beneath it, a few words written in a trembling hand:
'We act under the command of the Root Reborn. Vengeance for Hashirama's desecration will be fulfilled.'
Karin looked up sharply."The Root Reborn…?"
Sasuke's gaze darkened. "A faction born from the ashes of Danzō's old network, most likely. Using the Senju name to justify their hatred."
Suigetsu clicked his tongue. "Great. More ghosts from the past."
Jūgo stirred, groaning softly. His voice was low, almost fragile."Maybe… they're right to hate. If someone had taken your clan's power, wouldn't you want vengeance too?"
Sasuke didn't answer. He just stared into the storm outside, the reflection of lightning dancing in his eyes.
Karin's voice trembled slightly. "But vengeance only breeds more pain… more monsters."
He turned toward her. For an instant, she saw the boy he once was — the one who carried guilt like a wound that never closed.
Then his eyes hardened again."There's no end to vengeance," he said quietly. "Only to those who seek it."
The fire crackled louder, as if trying to fill the silence that followed.
Suigetsu sighed, muttering under his breath."Well, I'm not dying for another one of your philosophical crusades, Uchiha. I've had enough blood for a lifetime."
Sasuke didn't react. He simply rose, pulling his cloak tighter. "Get some rest. We move at dawn."
Karin watched him disappear into the rain beyond the cave.The firelight flickered against her face, half in shadow, half in glow—just like her heart.
She whispered, almost to herself:"He's still fighting ghosts… and I don't know if any of us can save him."
The rain outside answered her in silence.