Naoki's consciousness drifted in the darkness.
He had no idea where he was or what state he was in. All he could sense was an endless expanse of blood-red mist, enveloping him like a thick liquid.
"What happened to me?"
He tried to remember, only to find his memories had grown indistinct.
Konoha, Hideko, Yumi, the battlefield... Those once-clear images seemed to have been submerged in water, warped and distorted beyond recognition.
There was only one thing he still remembered.
His name was Naoki.
He was Uchiha Naoki.
The thought was a faint glimmer, flickering in the endless darkness and keeping him from losing himself completely.
The red mist churned around him, slowly surging closer like a living thing, trying to swallow that last glimmer of light.
"Get away!"
Naoki roared inwardly, desperately clinging to that scrap of clarity.
But the red mist kept growing thicker and denser, surging in from every direction, pressing against his consciousness and eroding his memories.
The image of Konoha began to blur.
Hideko's face began to twist.
Yumi's smile began to fade.
Only that name, that identity, continued to burn stubbornly in the darkness.
Uchiha Naoki.
Uchiha Naoki.
Uchiha Naoki.
He repeated it over and over in his mind, as if swearing an oath to someone, or reminding himself who he was.
He didn't know how long it had been. Maybe an instant, maybe a whole day, maybe a century. Then, suddenly, something shifted in the darkness.
The faint glimmer trembled. Naoki felt himself being pulled toward something, drifting in a certain direction.
The red mist seemed to sense something. It grew more violent, rushing wildly in from every direction, trying to stop him.
But the force pulling him was stronger.
Naoki felt himself pass through layers of red mist, through endless darkness...
He