Chapter 40 – Blows of the Heart
"Even the strongest eventually fall beneath the weight of their own silence."
The gates of Konoha slammed shut.ANBU surrounded Karin, Jugo, and Suigetsu. The three were quickly restrained, their weapons confiscated.
— You are under arrest for unauthorized entry into the Hidden Leaf Village, said the captain.— What?! shouted Suigetsu. We're not enemies, damn it!He turned toward Sasuke, who stood a few steps away, silent.— Tell them, Sasuke! Tell them we're your allies!
But Sasuke didn't answer.He just looked away.
Karin's face fell instantly.She lowered her gaze, her voice gone.The ANBU led them off, and Suigetsu spat bitterly:— You haven't changed one bit. Always running when you should speak.
Sasuke stood alone as the sun dipped behind the rooftops.The wind whispered through the trees — a reminder of everything he'd lost.And without thinking, his feet led him toward the hospital.
Sakura was there, treating a patient. When she saw him, her hand froze mid-heal.
— What do you want? she asked coldly.— I came… to apologize, he said quietly. For what Karin said.Sakura blinked, disbelief crossing her face.— Apologize? For her?
— She shouldn't have said those things.— You think that's the problem?!
She stepped toward him, fury shaking her voice.— You always blame everyone else, Sasuke! The world, your past, the people around you — everyone but yourself!
He tried to speak, but the words died on his tongue.
— You think just saying "sorry" fixes anything? You think silence makes you noble?
— Sakura…
He moved closer — and she struck him.A single blow.The floor cracked beneath his body as he hit the wall, collapsing unconscious.
For a long moment, Sakura just stood there, breathing hard.Her hand trembled. Her tears fell silently.
— Idiot… you still don't understand, she whispered.
Then she sank to her knees beside him, her shadow trembling under the fading light — caught between love, anger, and exhaustion.