ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪꜱᴛ | ᴛᴇɴᴛᴇɴ ꜰꜰ|

Chapter 77

Ugetsu leaned his head back against the tree, his gaze following Sakura as she concentrated on healing Naruto's injuries. He felt his own strength fading, and just as his eyelids began to droop, a sudden throb of pain shot through his arm, making him wince sharply.

"Ugh..." he hissed, gripping his forearm where the lingering burn from the Nine-Tails' chakra seared his skin.

Noticing Ugetsu's discomfort, Yamato approached, his eyes filled with concern as he knelt beside him. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked, his tone gentle but probing, as though looking for any sign of serious harm.

"Yeah... fine," Ugetsu muttered, though his face betrayed him, the strain evident in his clenched jaw. He closed his eyes, willing the pain away, hoping to steady himself.

Yamato's eyes narrowed slightly. "You absorbed... the Kyūbi's chakra. How did you do that?"

The question cut through the haze of exhaustion, making Ugetsu open his eyes. He looked at Yamato, confusion flickering in his blue gaze. "I don't know," he said quietly. "I didn't even know I was absorbing it until it was already... inside me." His voice trailed off, a trace of worry creeping in as he glanced down at his arm.

Yamato took a breath, assessing the boy before him. "The chakra of a tailed beast isn't something just anyone can contain. It's volatile, destructive. You're lucky it didn't overwhelm you."

Ugetsu chuckled softly, though it was tinged with bitterness. "Lucky, huh?" He stared at his trembling hands, the faint red residue of the chakra still pulsing beneath his skin like a dangerous echo. "Feels more like a curse than luck."

Sakura, overhearing their conversation, looked up from Naruto, her brows furrowed in concern as she regarded Ugetsu. "You absorbed that chakra to protect me... didn't you?" she asked softly, her voice filled with gratitude and worry.

Ugetsu's expression softened as he met her gaze, though he quickly looked away, brushing it off. "I did what anyone would've done. Naruto's not the only one willing to risk everything for his friends."

Sakura frowned but held back her response, knowing Ugetsu wasn't one to let his emotions show too openly.

Yamato's gaze remained sharp, though his expression softened slightly as he considered Ugetsu's resilience. "You need rest," he advised firmly, his tone carrying a rare note of sympathy. "The chakra residue in your system... it's not something you can ignore."

Ugetsu scoffed lightly but didn't argue, his exhaustion finally winning out. "Maybe you're right," he admitted reluctantly, settling himself more comfortably against the tree. But as he closed his eyes, he could feel the burn from the Nine-Tails' chakra gnawing away, leaving him uneasy, as if it were awakening something within him he didn't fully understand.

Just as he began to drift into a light, uneasy sleep, he heard Sakura's gentle voice close by. "Thank you, Ugetsu. For protecting me... and for believing in Naruto."

-

-

Ugetsu wasn't sure how to feel when he found out that Sai had betrayed them. The news weighed heavily on him, swirling with disbelief and frustration.

"Depending on what might happen, I'm afraid we may have to do something about Sai," Yamato stated, causing Sakura and Naruto to react with shock. "You don't mean..." Sakura trailed off, her voice shaky as she received a nod from Yamato in response.

"What do you mean by that?" Ugetsu raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with skepticism. "That's too much, don't you think? I know Sai is new to our team, but—"

"My clone is still following them. We have no idea what might happen," Yamato interjected, stepping forward with urgency. "We need to get on their trail right away."