Blades clashed, jutsu lit up the forest—and in the chaos, they were outnumbered. One wrong step sent them tumbling from the cliffside, the air ripped from their lungs before the lake swallowed them whole.

The water was deeper than it looked. Limbs heavy, breath fading, the surface drifted farther from reach. Darkness crept in.

Somewhere nearby, a ripple disturbed the lake’s surface. A curious figure stood on the water, eyes narrowing as he watched bubbles rise to the top.

“Huh… someone’s down there?”

With a lazy smirk and barely a second thought, Suigetsu dove in after them—drawn in by the promise of a fight, or maybe just something interesting to break the boredom.

The world was hazy when they woke—lungs burning, limbs heavy with soaked clothes. They were lying on damp grass, coughing up water as a silhouette stood over them, arms crossed, amusement flickering in sharp lavender eyes.

“Tch. You’re lucky I was bored,” the stranger muttered, flicking a droplet of water off his arm. “Most people drown quieter, y’know.”

They blinked up at him, chest still heaving. “Who…?”

“Suigetsu. From the Hebi team—well, ex-Hebi, whatever.” He crouched beside them, voice laced with curiosity. “Now you wanna tell me why a shinobi like you was flailing around like dead weight?”