Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Search
After two long weeks of waiting, Sasuke still hadn't returned. Itachi, his heart heavy with concern and anxiety, finally got permission from Minato to search for him. Sasuke had been traveling with those "civilians," as they called themselves, but there was no trace of him. He had a two-week head start, but Itachi was determined to find him, right? Wrong. Despite his best efforts, Itachi couldn't pick up a solid trail. There were scattered clues, bits and pieces here and there, but nothing concrete enough to track him down.
At the same time, far from the familiar streets of Konoha, Sasuke was walking through the busy streets of Shibuya, Tokyo. The hustle and bustle of modern life around him was starkly different from the peaceful, traditional streets of his home village. His eyes scanned the towering skyscrapers, the flashing neon lights, and the busy crowds.
Gojo, the eccentric and carefree jujutsu sorcerer, smiled at Sasuke beside him. "Hm, a bit too modern for our shinobi, isn't it?" Gojo teased.
Sasuke sighed, his gaze remaining distant as he observed the new world around him. "It's not my first time here..." His voice was quiet, almost to himself, as if he was speaking more to the memories of his past than to the present. He paused, glancing at Gojo before asking the question that had been gnawing at him since their arrival. "So why didn’t Nanami pick me up?"
Gojo grinned, but there was something cryptic in his eyes. "Things happened..." His words were vague, and Sasuke knew better than to press further. Gojo had a habit of being cryptic when it came to matters he didn’t want to explain.
Sasuke turned to Megumi, the serious and composed member of their group, who walked with his hands in his pockets. Megumi rolled his eyes, clearly tired of the back-and-forth. "He got his arm busted by a Grade 1 curse and is recovering," Megumi answered, giving Sasuke the facts without the usual theatrics.
Sasuke clenched his suitcase tighter, as the reality of his situation set in. It had been a long journey, and he didn’t know what awaited him at the end of it. But his thoughts wandered back to Itachi—his brother, his protector—and a small pang of worry gnawed at his chest. I hope Itachi is okay... The thought lingered, but Sasuke pushed it aside. He couldn't afford to think about that now. He had his path to follow.
This was his 3 chance in life he couldn't mess up.
This time he would end the curse that had ruined the Uchiha clan in secret for decades.
Itadori and Nobara were fitting over whether they could grab a hamburger or a wrap. Sasuke rolled his eyes stuffing his other free hand into the pocket of his soccer outfit. the other tightly held the suitcase.
" Sasuke you...you sure about this?", Megumi spoke up suddenly as they walked the bustling streets.
" I have to, for my world, my clan, my friends, and your world."
that was it.
The suitcase ominously shook in his grip