The restless movement didn't stop.
The fabric of the heavy blanket rustled once more, followed by another sharp Creak from the floorboards as the body shifted yet again.
The other figure's eyes snapped open. They were pitch black, clear and sharp even in the dim light of the freezing room. There was no sight sleep in them—only a deep, burning annoyance.
Without a word, he reached out from under his warm blanket and delivered a swift, hard slap directly into the back of the person tossing beside him.
"OW! Ow, ow, ow!"
The man who was hit unguarded let out a muffled cry of pain, his body jerking forward as he clutched his spine, tossing toward the very edge of the mattress.
The black-haired man sat up, his eyes still half-closed as he began to rub his messy hair with one hand. He looked completely exhausted, his face a mask of irritation as he grumbled into the freezing air.
"Do you ever stop?" he muttered, his voice low and rough. "I've seen academy students with more discipline in their sleep. Why are you so noisy?"
"Sasuke..." the blonde man moaned, finally gasping out the name as he rubbed the sore spot on his back. "You are surely going to break my back one day, I swear..."
Sasuke didn't offer an apology. Instead, he let out a long, heavy sigh and fell back onto the thin mattress. He lay there with his arms stretched out, staring up at the dark wooden beams of the ceiling with his dark, tired eyes.
Minato turned to look at him, his face twisting into a slight, funny pout. "Why are 'you' sighing?" he asked in a complaining tone. "I'm the one who just got attacked! If anyone should be sighing, it's me."
Sasuke didn't move his gaze from the ceiling. He looked at Minato, who was sitting with his back turned toward him, still nursing the bruise.
"I'm shocked." Sasuke said, his voice flat and dry. "If the great Yondaime Hokage is hurt by such a mild hit to the back, I wonder how the entire Konoha is supposed to rely on him."
Minato started to open his mouth, a quick
reply ready on his lips, but suddenly he stopped. His happy, complaining face fell. His expression darkened, turning quiet and sad as he stared at the frosted window.
The room went silent, except for the whistling wind outside. Sasuke noticed the sudden change—the heavy, thick silence that replaced Minato's voice.
"Nevermind." Sasuke said quietly, his own face falling slightly. "The hit was surely from 'The Black Devil.' It was a strong one. Even the Yondaime Hokage shouldn't be expected to resist that."
Minato stayed quiet for a heartbeat longer, then forced a small smile and looked back over his shoulder at Sasuke.
"Sorry." Minato said softly. "I didn't mean to stay quiet. And you're right... a hit from you is definitely enough to shake anyone."
Minato let out a small breath, trying to lighten the mood. "How are you feeling, anyway? Have you regained your chakra, or are you still feeling unwell?"
Sasuke grunted, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "I'm alright now." he said shortly. He turned his black eyes toward the blonde man, his gaze piercing. "Are you alright?"
Minato laughed, a bright, airy sound that didn't quite reach the corners of the room. "Me? What could possibly go wrong with me? I'm—"
"I'm not talking about your back." Sasuke interrupted, his voice steady and knowing. He looked directly at Minato, seeing past the smile. "I'm talking about what's going on in your head."
Minato stopped mid-sentence, the fake cheerfulness vanishing from his face as he froze.
Minato slowly turned his head to face Sasuke. The faint, grey morning light caught the lines of worry on his forehead that he couldn't quite smooth away.
"I'm just..." Minato started, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm worried, Sasuke. Everything feels so tense, like if I make one wrong move—"
"It's Kushina, isn't it?" Sasuke interrupted. He didn't say it harshly; his voice was steady. He didn't wait for a nod. "She's going to be alright. She isn't alone. She has everyone by her side to protect her. You know her strength better than anyone."
Sasuke turned his gaze away, looking towards the window. The glass was thick with frost, covered in delicate, crystalline patterns that looked like frozen lace. As he watched a single snowflake slide down the outside of the pane, his expression softened in a way it rarely did.
For a moment, the freezing room in Tetsu no Kuni vanished.
'She is like this snow...' he thought, his mind drifting to a memory of a gentle face and a warm smile that felt like home.
'Quiet, beautiful, and so delicate that I'm always afraid my touch might be too rough. But even the softest snow can withstand the harshest winter if it has a place to land.'
He felt a familiar ache in his chest—a quiet longing for a person whose presence was the only thing that could truly break the ice in his soul.
He pulled his thoughts back to the present, his voice returning to its usual calm as he looked back at the blonde man. "I am worried about my family, too."
Sasuke admitted, his voice low. "But I have to believe they are alright. If we doubt them, we doubt the very things we are fighting for."
Minato let out a long breath, his shoulders finally dropping. "And the village... the people..."
"Naruto is there." Sasuke said firmly, and there was a flicker of pride in his black eyes. "Everything is going to be fine. He doesn't know how to give up, and you know that better than anyone."
Minato stared at him for a long beat, then a genuine, soft smile broke across his face. "Thank you, Sasuke. I needed to hear that."
Sasuke grunted, shifting his weight. "Don't thank me. Friendship isn't about gratitude. It's a shared burden. When one person's light flickers, the other simply stands in the dark with them until the flame catches again. That's just how it works."
The heavy, suffocating tension that had filled the room since they woke up finally began to lift. Minato's blue eyes brightened, the spark of the legendary Yondaime Hokage returning to his gaze.
"Well..." Minato said, his tone suddenly switching to a playful, lighthearted one as he stretched his arms over his head. "Since you're so philosophical this morning, does that mean you're going to be 'the flame' and go get us some breakfast? I'm starving, and my 'shared burden' currently feels like a very empty stomach."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, a small, nearly invisible smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "In your dreams. You're the one who woke me up with your yelling. You can go find the tea."
"Hey, you're the one who punched me!"
Minato laughed, the sound finally warm and full. "I think the 'Black Devil' owes me at least one steamed bun for the spinal damage."
"Hmph!" Sasuke muttered, though the edge was gone from his voice. "If I wanted to damage your spine, you wouldn't be sitting up right now."
The lighthearted moment was suddenly broken by a strange, wet sound from across the room.
The man who had been sleeping in a tangled mess of blankets let out a loud, sudden snore. His legs kicked out, nearly hitting the wall.
"Shut up..." he mumbled in his sleep, his voice thick and distorted. "Don't... don't touch the food, Boruto. I'll kill you... get your hands off..."
He let out a pathetic, muffled sneeze and rolled over, dragging the entire blanket with him and leaving his feet exposed to the freezing air.
Minato and Sasuke both froze, staring at the heap of blankets for a second before they both burst into quiet, genuine laughter. The absolute absurdity of the dream was enough to clear the last of the heavy fog from their minds.
"I think he's having a harder time than we are." Minato whispered, still chuckling.
He stood up, stretching his limbs until his joints popped, and then he reached down, offering a hand to Sasuke. Sasuke looked at the hand for a brief moment, then reached out and grabbed it. With a firm, strong tug, Minato pulled him up to his feet.
"So.." Minato said, dusting off his clothes. "Do you actually know any shops in this frozen village"
"I know the layout." Sasuke replied, his voice regaining its mission-ready edge. He walked towards the window, his gaze fixing on the large, grand building standing right next to their inn. "But before we eat, I need you to go somewhere with me to check something."
Minato followed his gaze, looking at the Frozen Crane. "The building next door? Why? This inn isn't that bad, Sasuke."
"I'm not changing the inn." Sasuke said, already moving toward the door.
Minato quickly grabbed his thick traveler's cloak, pulling the hood low to hide his bright hair and keeping his face shadowed to conceal his eyes. He stepped into the hallway, following close behind. "Then why are we heading over there? Is there a lead?"
Sasuke glanced back over his shoulder, a small, playful glint in his dark eyes. "Stop asking so many questions and just follow me."
"Understood. But i hope you're not going to mess around." Minato replied with a grin, falling into step.
As they walked through the dim, creaking corridors of the Three Wolves Inn, they turned towards a sharp corner and suddenly stopped. Their feet went silent on the wooden floor.
Standing in the shadows of the hallway was a pale, slender figure.
"Where have you been all morning?" Sasuke asked, his voice losing its cool instantly.
The figure turned slowly. His yellow, slit-pupil eyes caught the faint light, and a thin, unsettling smile stretched across his face.
"My, my, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru hissed softly, his voice like silk rubbing against stone
"Did you not sleep at all last night? You really shouldn't push yourself so hard... it will ruin that beautiful face of yours."
Sasuke's expression tightened into a mask of pure irritation. "Stop talking nonsense and answer what I asked."
Orochimaru let out a dry laugh that echoed uncomfortably in the narrow hall. He tilted his head, looking between the two of them. "I was simply taking the air. I've never been quite comfortable in small rooms. They feel too much like... cages."
Minato, standing slightly behind Sasuke, leaned in and whispered in a voice just loud enough to be a comment. "If he doesn't like rooms, why isn't he frozen ice yet?"
Sasuke let out a short, sharp smirk. "As expected." he muttered, then straightened his cloak. "Come on, Minato."
"And where are you two off to in such a hurry?" Orochimaru asked, his eyes locked on them with intense curiosity.
Sasuke stopped but didn't turn around. "It's none of your concern. And stay where you are—don't follow us."
Orochimaru raised his hands in a mocking gesture of surrender, his smile never fading. "Of course, Sasuke-kun. If that is what you wish, I shall remain here in the shadows."
Minato and Sasuke turned and headed for the stairs, their footsteps fading as they moved towards the exit. Orochimaru remained standing in the corridor, perfectly still.
He watched the spot where they had disappeared, his yellow eyes glowing slightly.
"Always so protective, Sasuke-kun."
Orochimaru murmured to the empty hallway. He flicked his tongue out, tasting the cold air.
"Go on then. Play your games with the past. I'll be here when the snow finally settles."
---
A MESSAGE TO THE READERS !! 📢
Author's Note — 😭🧠❄️
Alright guys...
YOUR AUTHOR IS BACK AGAIN 😌
And I already know my little detective squad 🕵️♂️🔎 is back with twenty-seven tabs open in their brains after this chapter 😭
Because I KNOW what all of you noticed first.
"WHY THE HELL DID SASUKE TAKE KUSHINA'S NAME???" 🦊💀
Relax.
Sit down.
Drink water.
First thing:
🚨 THIS IS NOT THE SAME KUSHINA FROM THE ORIGINAL NARUTO TIMELINE MESS 🚨
No Kyubi attack stuff here 😭
And NOW your next question:
"Then where did this Kushina even come from?? Is this some ghost timeline? 👻"
NOOO 😭
Not a ghost.
But if you all remember Chapter 12 — The Black Devil 👀
Then GO READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AGAIN 🔥
Because there was ONE hidden line there:
✨
"Something has already changed in the timeline. Not now... not recently...
It happened way before this moment.
And because of that—
people who should've never met...
have already crossed paths."
✨
YES 😭
So if you think deeply enough...
Sasuke and his friends were transported into a timeline where things had already changed BEFORE they even arrived.
Meaning?
👉 Sasuke grew up in a world where Minato existed beside him.
👉 And if Minato exists...
then obviously Kushina exists too 😭
So for now, BOTH Minato and Sasuke are worrying about the era they originally came from.
Their people.
Their home.
Their timeline.
Now moving on because I KNOW some of you are screaming about the SNOW metaphor ❄️😭
And yes.
I know.
I am amazing 😎✨
But let's talk about THAT line...
"She is like this snow..."
OOOOOH 👀
You all are guessing already aren't you 😭
Well~
I won't reveal WHO it is yet 😚
BUT I can explain the meaning a little.
'She' is quiet.
'She' is graceful.
And while 'she' looks delicate...
'she' has the power to cover the entire world with her presence. ❄️
And if SASUKE of all people is comparing someone to snow...
then that means this person is VERY important to him emotionally.
Because despite being called the "Black Devil" 😈
Sasuke isn't just a warrior anymore.
He's someone who has learned to admire quiet strength.
Snow doesn't scream.
Snow doesn't boast.
Yet it survives the harshest winters.
Just like 'she' survived expectations...
pain...
and the chaos of timelines. Woops what did I say. Ignore this🙈
AND DID YOU GUYS NOTICE THIS LINE?? 🔎
👉 "I am worried about my family, too."
HELLOOOOO 😭😭😭
Congratulations everyone.
SASUKE FINALLY HAS A FAMILY 😭✨
LOOK AT MY BOY GROWING EMOTIONALLY.
I USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS 😭
Now moving away from emotions before I start crying—
Let's talk about ANOTHER word that appeared 👀
👉 Naruto.
YES 😭
I told you guys already:
Sasuke did NOT come alone.
And Naruto is obviously one of the important people connected to him now 😏
Even if their younger selves probably fought every five seconds 💀
AND NOW...
THE DETAIL THAT MADE HALF THE FANDOM SPIN 🌀
BORUTO 😭
Yes.
That name dropped casually like a nuclear bomb.
But PLEASE use common sense 🧠
If Kawaki is here...
then Boruto exists...
which means...
🙂
Yeah no.
I'm stopping there.
Because otherwise the entire plot explodes in my face.
So once again—
✨ CLASSIFIED ✨
ALSO PLEASE NOTICE SOMETHING IMPORTANT 😭
THE CHEMISTRY.
THE DIALOGUE.
THE WAY THESE CHARACTERS INTERACT 😭
Sasuke and Orochimaru.
Orochimaru casually standing in hallways like a sleep paralysis demon 🐍💀
Anyway~
Next chapter?
OH WE ARE GOING RIGHT BACK INTO THE CHAOS OF THE FROZEN CRANE 😭❄️
And trust me...
the next chapters are NOT calm.
At all.
So until then—
Stay confused.
Stay emotional.
And PLEASE keep your magnifying glasses ready 🔎✨
— Your very stable and definitely not evil author 😌💫
⚡ NEXT CHAPTER ⚡
The hallway closes.
The Samurai advance.
And somewhere inside the Frozen Crane... a shadow from the future finally moves.
Young Sasuke still doesn't know it yet—
but someone with his eyes is already watching from the dark
👉Chapter 17- When Shadows Faced Their Origin: Collision Of Two Sasukes
One hallway. Two Sasukes. And a moment that was never supposed to exist.
SNEAK PEEK LINES 💬
"Make way! Blind man coming through!"
"Sasuke, look at the detail on that breastplate—"
---
—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
---