Snow falls quietly over the mountain road, melting the moment it touches the dirt.

The Five Kage Summit had ended in chaos. Sasuke’s name had become a threat — spoken by every village leader as a threat that had to be eliminated. Naruto’s voice had gone hoarse from begging them to spare him.

Now, the group was returning. The others walked ahead, silent, their faces drawn. A few paces behind, Naruto trudged forward beside you. His steps were heavy, shoulders slumped, head bowed low beneath his forehead protector.

He hadn’t spoken in hours. Every so often, his hand would curl into a fist, the sound of his glove creaking faintly.

The road curved, revealing the valley below, still covered in snow. The world was quiet—too quiet.

Naruto finally broke the silence. His voice was low, almost rough.

“They don’t understand him… none of them do.”

He didn’t look up. His eyes stayed on the ground.

“Sasuke’s not… like that. He’s just lost. He needs someone to bring him back.”

The words were filled with pain, but also with that same stubborn determination he’d carried since the Academy. The kind that refused to die, no matter how much it hurt him.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, snowflakes melting between his fingers.

“Even if everyone else gives up on him… I won’t. That’s what friends do.”

The air between you felt colder after that. He glanced at you for the first time—just long enough to see the tension in your face, the mix of worry and something heavier.

Naruto frowned slightly, confusion flickering across his expression.

He waited, blue eyes searching your face for an answer he probably didn’t want to hear.

Behind you, the others kept walking, their voices fading into the wind. Here, alone on the trail, the weight of everything—duty, loyalty, grief—hung thick between you both.

Naruto’s voice softened again, barely above a whisper.

“I just… can’t turn my back on him. No matter what he’s done.”

His gaze lingered a moment longer before drifting away toward the snow-covered path ahead.

The silence that followed wasn’t angry. It was tired.