Uchiha's forgotten Ember

The Sound of Departure

The moon cast a soft glow across Konoha, bathing the streets in a silver haze. The village was quiet… too quiet. Sakura Haruno stood alone at the gate, her fists trembling, tears streaming down her face.

"Please… Sasuke…" she had whispered into the night, pleading for him to stay, but it had been in vain. He had left. Left everything—his team, his home, and her.

Behind her, footsteps approached.

Naruto, Kaizen, Neji, Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru, and Rock Lee stood ready. Each wore a flak vest or carried their tools with solemn resolve. The mood was heavy. No words needed to be exchanged—they knew the weight of their mission: Retrieve Sasuke Uchiha at all costs.

Sakura turned slowly. Her tearstained eyes locked onto Naruto's determined gaze. Then to Kaizen, whose eyes—one gleaming crimson with the Sharingan, the other glimmering faintly with the pale blue of the Ketsugan—narrowed with cold resolve.

"Bring him back… all of you. Please," Sakura whispered.

Naruto gave a small nod, hand clenching into a fist. "I made you a promise. I'll bring him back."

Kaizen's voice was lower, laced with a quiet steel. "And if he refuses… I'll beat some sense into him."

"Let's go," said Shikamaru. "We have our orders."

Without further delay, the group bolted through the trees, leaving behind the quiet sobs of Sakura and the village that had once been home to a proud Uchiha.

---

The Chase Begins

The forest moved around them in a blur. Each of the team knew what they were up against. Orochimaru's influence was a poison—and Sasuke had willingly swallowed it.

"Kaizen," Shikamaru said mid-leap, "your eyes… they'll help us track better, right?"

Kaizen nodded. "If Sasuke's chakra flares or the Sound Four try anything, I'll see it before they move."

"Good," Kiba added, Akamaru barking in agreement. "We've got the nose, you've got the eyes. We'll catch them."

But Kaizen remained quiet. His mind lingered on Sasuke. On the moment he had watched the Uchiha's descent begin—at the hospital, atop the roof, when lightning and wind had clashed between them. Now, there might be no turning back.

---

The Sound Four's Trail

Kaizen paused.

"They're close," he said, eyes glowing faintly in the shadows.

Shikamaru motioned the group to halt. "Positions. Choji, Kiba, you two scout east. Neji, take higher ground. Kaizen, Naruto, with me."

They found the remnants of a chakra trail—a cocoon-like seal signature imprinted in the forest. Sasuke had passed through here… carried in the Cursed Seal Coffin.

Naruto slammed his fist into a tree. "Damn it, they're really smuggling him like cargo!"

Kaizen placed a hand on the coffin's faint energy imprint. His Ketsugan shimmered.

"He's still alive. His chakra… It's dark, but not gone."

"Then we still have a chance," Naruto muttered.

Narration – Third Person

Sakura's soft cries faded into the wind behind them. Her desperate plea still echoed in Kaizen's mind, a reminder of what was at stake—not just a teammate, but someone precious to so many. Naruto clenched his fists as he ran, eyes narrowed with unshakable resolve. Beside him, Kaizen moved silently, his cloak flapping like a raven in flight.

> "We're bringing him back," Kaizen muttered, low but firm.

Shikamaru nodded, his mind already playing out countless tactical formations.

The mission was clear: intercept Sasuke before he reached Orochimaru.

---

Valley Outskirts – First Contact

They caught the Sound Four's trail near a ravine. Jirobo, the brute, was the first obstacle.

> "He's all yours, Choji," Kaizen said calmly, stepping aside.

Just like in canon, Choji stayed behind to battle him, but this time, Kaizen gave him something else—a small black pill, enhanced with his own chakra signature.

> "This will ease the pain from the red pill later," he added, before sprinting after the others.

---

Forest Battle – Split Paths

Kaizen and Neji broke off from the others next. Kidomaru had prepared traps for them, but Kaizen's Ketsugan saw through every thread, slicing webs apart mid-air with precision-enhanced kunai.

> "You go," Kaizen told Neji. "I'll hold back Kidomaru."

> Neji blinked. "You sure?"

Kaizen smirked. "I've seen enough puppet strings in my life. I'll cut his down too."

The battle between Kaizen and Kidomaru was swift and brutal. Unlike canon, Kaizen didn't get caught in the webs—he adapted. He used shadow-flame clones, their fire-infused bodies burning through every snare. In a final move, Kaizen's eyes flared and unleashed a wave of flame-etched spears—Ember Fang Rain—that pinned Kidomaru to a tree, motionless.

> "You're not even worth a burn scar," Kaizen muttered.

---

Near the Final Gate

Kiba and Akamaru faced Sakon and Ukon, while Naruto and Kaizen pursued Sasuke directly, only to be cut off by Kimimaro.

Rock Lee soon arrived, taking the fight to Kimimaro with his usual drunken ferocity, giving Naruto and Kaizen time to move ahead.

---

Valley of the End – Clash of Fates

By the time Naruto reached Sasuke at the Valley of the End, Kaizen remained just behind, observing the clash from the cliffside.

The two rivals collided—Naruto's Rasengan vs Sasuke's Chidori—in a storm of rain and rising chakra. Kaizen's eyes narrowed as he watched the clash escalate. But he didn't interfere.

> "This is something they both need to finish."

The outcome remained the same—Naruto was left unconscious, his body floating in the water, and Sasuke, bearing the curse mark's final transformation, walked away.

Kaizen caught Naruto's limp body before it sank. He stared toward the direction Sasuke left, his voice a whisper:

> "You're still within reach, Sasuke. But the next time we meet… I won't let Naruto carry that burden alone."

---

Aftermath

The retrieval team returned, battered but alive. Kaizen was silent as Tsunade checked over Naruto. The village was mourning, but the real scars ran deeper—across hearts and loyalties.

Kaizen stood atop the Hokage Monument that night, his coat fluttering behind him.

> "Orochimaru wants a vessel. But I've already buried one like him before. I won't hesitate next time."