ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪꜱᴛ | ᴛᴇɴᴛᴇɴ ꜰꜰ|

Chapter 101

Tenten was walking down the hallway, her thoughts still swirling from the earlier incident when she bumped into Shikamaru. He had his usual lazy look, hands tucked into his pockets, walking at a steady pace as he made his way past her.

"Ah, Tenten," Shikamaru greeted, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Your 'boyfriend' is a genius, huh?"

Tenten froze for a moment, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "Boyfriend?" she repeated, clearly thrown off by the comment. "What do you mean?"

Shikamaru gave her a half-smirk, not even pausing his walk as he casually shrugged. "Ugetsu, of course," he said, nodding in the direction of where the group had been. "He figured out Jiraiya's code without breaking a sweat. Impressive, really. I mean, not everyone could decipher that mess."

Tenten blinked, a soft blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Ugetsu? You think he's a genius?" she asked, trying to make sense of what Shikamaru meant. She had always known Ugetsu was smart, but the way Shikamaru was speaking made it sound more... personal?

Shikamaru chuckled lightly, clearly enjoying the playful tease. "Well, you know, your 'boyfriend' is full of surprises," he added, his tone light and teasing. "But don't take my word for it. You two make a great pair. Anyway, I've got better things to do."

With a quick wave, Shikamaru continued on his way, leaving Tenten standing there, her confusion turning into a mix of surprise and mild embarrassment. She couldn't help but wonder how Shikamaru had made that leap so easily.

Her mind wandered to Ugetsu, who had been so cool and collected earlier. *Boyfriend?* Tenten shook her head, trying to clear the silly thought away. Shikamaru was probably just joking... but the idea stuck with her, and she couldn't help but smile, albeit nervously.

-

-

The streets of Konoha were unusually quiet as the sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm glow over the village. Sakura and Ugetsu walked side by side, enjoying a rare moment of peace. Naruto had been away for a while, training in Mount Myoboku to master Sage Mode so that he could fight against Pain and save the village. Both Sakura and Ugetsu felt the weight of the situation, but for now, they were trying to enjoy the calm before the storm.

"So," Sakura began, glancing at Ugetsu, "how's everything been going with you? How's Mochi?"

Ugetsu chuckled, stretching his arms overhead as they strolled. "She's been keeping me up all night." He yawned dramatically, stretching again as he felt his muscles relax. "You wouldn't believe how much energy that little ball of fluff has. I haven't gotten a full night's sleep in days."

Sakura smiled softly at Ugetsu's playful expression. "I never thought you'd have trouble sleeping with a cat. I thought you'd be used to it by now."

"I should be," Ugetsu grumbled, though his tone was light. "But she's not exactly quiet. She's all over the place—climbing on the bookshelves, batting at anything she can get her paws on. It's like she has endless energy. Sometimes, I wonder if she's secretly training to be a ninja herself."

Sakura laughed, her worries momentarily pushed aside by the image of Mochi's antics. "I can't believe you're getting outsmarted by a cat. Maybe you should try taking a nap in the middle of the day?"

Ugetsu shot her a playful look. "I've tried, but I'm always one step behind her. And then there's the fact that every time I try to lay down, she decides it's the perfect time to try to walk all over me. Not exactly relaxing."

Sakura smiled, but her thoughts shifted to Naruto. "I just... I hope he's okay. With everything going on with Pain, I know it's dangerous out there."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Ugetsu replied, his voice steady, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes. "Naruto's stubborn, and we all know he won't give up no matter what. He's stronger than he thinks."

Sakura nodded, but her smile faded as she looked out over the village. The weight of the situation had begun to press on her chest. "It's just hard to not be worried. Especially knowing that he's out there, training for something so dangerous."

Just as Ugetsu was about to respond, a strange, unsettling tremor rippled through the ground beneath them. The earth shook violently, and a low rumble echoed in the distance. Both of them froze.

"What was that?" Sakura gasped, her senses sharpening instantly.

Ugetsu's eyes narrowed. "That wasn't normal..."

Before they could even react, a series of explosions erupted in the distance, followed by the chilling sound of destruction. The ground shook again, and this time, the shockwave was much stronger. The air itself seemed to crackle with energy.

"Pain..." Ugetsu muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with an edge of urgency.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She recognized the signs immediately. "No... he's here."

The village erupted into chaos as the shinobi forces scrambled to respond to the attack. People screamed as they fled for safety, while others rushed to their posts, preparing for the battle to come.

"Ugetsu!" Sakura's voice was urgent. "We need to help—"

"No." Ugetsu's response was sharp, his usual calm demeanor shifting into something more resolute. He turned to her, his piercing blue eyes locking onto hers. "You're the medical ninja, Sakura. Your job is to stay safe and help the injured. You can't afford to fight."

Sakura opened her mouth to argue, but Ugetsu cut her off, his expression softening just a bit. "Sakura, I know you want to protect everyone, but you need to stay alive to do that. If something happens to you—" He paused, his gaze intense. "Don't make me lose you too."

Sakura's throat tightened. The weight of Ugetsu's words hit her harder than she expected, and for a moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. "But—"

"No buts," Ugetsu said firmly. He reached out and gently touched her arm. "I need you to trust me on this."

Sakura swallowed hard, nodding reluctantly. She couldn't afford to fight, not when so many others would need her help. "I understand."

Ugetsu gave her a brief, reassuring smile. "Good. Stay here, Sakura. I'm going after Pain."

Before she could respond, Ugetsu turned, his white hair and dark blue jacket blending into the chaos of the village. He moved with purpose, quickly vanishing into the smoke and debris as he headed toward the source of the destruction.

Sakura stood frozen for a moment, her heart heavy with worry. She knew Ugetsu was powerful, but she couldn't shake the fear that she might lose him, too. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her own fears aside and focused on the task at hand. She would do everything in her power to help the village, to help Naruto—by keeping everyone else alive.

But as Ugetsu's figure disappeared into the smoke, she couldn't help but whisper under her breath, "Be safe..."