Was it a coincidence?
A girl who had never learned the truth about another timeline had casually made up an ending to a story, and somehow, it eerily overlapped with dark fragments of that other, blood-soaked timeline?
This "coincidence," beyond anything he could comprehend, frightened Sasuke more than any explicit threat.
It seemed to suggest that the malice and cycles of tragedy rooted deep in the shadows of the Shinobi World's history might have origins far older and more secret than he had imagined.
They might even be influencing this seemingly unrelated present in some way he could not understand.
The sunshine remained bright, and the sounds of other students laughing and playing drifted from the street. Everything brimmed with life.
Yet Sasuke felt caught between two worlds: on one side, Naruko's bright, lively smile and this peaceful world; on the other, the blood-red night in his memories and the ominous presence lurking in history's undercurrents.
A sense of danger silently engulfed him once more, like icy seawater.
His nerves, which had relaxed a little last night thanks to his family's warmth and his reconciliation with Naruko, instantly tightened again, leaving him even more on edge than before.
Get stronger! I have to get stronger, faster! Strong enough to protect everything before me, strong enough to see through any conspiracy hidden beneath coincidence, strong enough to face any monster that might crawl out of history's shadows!
The thought seared his soul like a red-hot branding iron.
He drew a deep breath, forcing down the turmoil in his heart and the chill coursing through his body, and focused once more on Naruko's puzzled blue eyes.
He did not explain his strange behavior, nor did he press her further about that unsettling "coincidence."
Instead, he suddenly spoke, his voice slightly hoarse from