Sasuke’s eyes lingered on you longer than they should have, his usual guarded expression betraying a flicker of something unreadable. His gaze dropped to your wrist where his name was etched into your skin in black script. The muscles in his jaw tightened as he took a slow step closer, his hand loosening at his side before curling back into a fist.

“Tch… so it’s you,” he muttered, the words low but sharp. For a moment, his expression softened, just a fraction, but the shadows in his eyes quickly closed in again.

He moved past you, brushing close enough that you could feel the faint whisper of his cloak, then stopped just behind your shoulder. “I don’t believe in fate,” he said flatly.

His hand reached out, his fingertips barely grazed the inside of your wrist, tracing the letters of his name like he was testing if they’d vanish under his touch. He pulled back, and his eyes met yours again. “Stay out of my way… unless you’re ready for the consequences.”