Drifting the Temporal Dimension

𝟽. ꜱʜᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏʀᴘꜱᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀʟᴋ

Naruto had bolted up before Sasuke came within a close enough distance to shake her awake, her body and senses alike too alert to allow herself to slip into a deep sleep. War had been going on for what seemed like an eternity. No longer could she rest uninterrupted while any other being moved nearby, living or otherwise.

("Paranoia," the medic had told her, blunt and apathetic. "It's common during times of war."

'It's common sense,' her mind had whispered in response, something feral and defensive growling harshly beneath the soft tone of its exterior. 'Vigilence and caution. One would be a absolute fool to ignore their instincts.)

"There's something out there," he muttered, sharingan glowing strangely in the dim light of the cave as he crouched by her side. She heaved herself onto her feet, coughing harshly when her broken ribs grated agonizingly against her lung. Each cough rattled her chest roughly, blood dribbling from her chin, and she cursed, forming a thousand scenarios in her mind about the many ways in which she'd love to murder Kaguya.

That little shit screwed up her sensory radius.

Sasuke frowned at her, a stubborn, reluctant sort of worry pooling in his chakra. "Shouldn't you have healed by now?"

"Kurama's tired," she sighed, voice hoarse from screaming, and shook her head. "He's been feeding me shitloads of chakra non-stop for weeks. My pathways are strained as it is; any more and they might be damaged for good--"

Another fit of hoarse coughs escaped her, and her eyes stung with pain. "Who's out there, Sasuke?"

His sharingan blinked slowly, trailing a chakra form that she couldn't see.'Or feel,'she thought bitterly. She had the Rabbit Goddess to thank for that.

A grimace befell Sasuke's pale and ashy features. "Something, Naruto. It's... it's not a person."

"...Not a person? Is it a tailed beast? I would've felt it by now, even with my senses as messed up as they are--"

She cut herself off. There. A small blip of chakra poked at her weakened senses, barely grazing the edges. It was familiar in a way that brought a delirous smile to her features, eyes glossy with joy, and Sasuke's previous words abandoned her mind instantly. "It's Hinata!"

Sasuke roughly pulled her back before she had the chance to bolt from the confines of the dirty cave, and the look that he sent her, grave and doubtful, sent a chill down her spine. He stared at her for a moment, a line forming between his brows, and his mouth pulled down at the corners as if he was trying to figure something out.

"Naruto."

She tilted her head, glaring at him in confusion, "What's wrong, Sasuke? Hinata's out there! We have to make sure she's-"

"Hinata is dead."

At that, her world stilled, mouth dropping open in shock, and she remembered. She remembered, clearly, because (Oh Kami, how could she forget?) she was there. Hinata was there, and then she was gone, blowing away as a swirling pile of grey and black ash in a matter of seconds.