Kikidori strolled through the streets of Konoha, his mind preoccupied with his training. The sun was high in the sky, casting long shadows from the rooftops and trees. He barely noticed the people around him, too focused on his own thoughts.
As he walked past a quiet alleyway, he noticed a familiar figure leaning against a wall. Sasuke stood there, his one visible eye glowing faintly red with the Sharingan. He seemed deep in thought, but his gaze shifted to Kikidori the moment he approached.
"Yo," Kikidori said casually, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Sasuke didn't respond immediately. Instead, his Sharingan seemed to sharpen as he stared at Kikidori. There was an intensity in his gaze that made Kikidori feel uneasy.
"What?" Kikidori asked, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Sasuke tilted his head slightly, studying him. "Your chakra… it's strange. Familiar."
Kikidori frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Sasuke didn't answer. Instead, he activated his Rinnegan, and Kikidori took a step back. The energy radiating from Sasuke was suffocating, and Kikidori couldn't help but feel like he was being dissected under that gaze.
"Stop it!" Kikidori snapped. "What are you doing?"
Sasuke finally deactivated his dojutsu, his expression unreadable. "You don't know, do you?"
"Don't know what?" Kikidori demanded, crossing his arms.
Sasuke opened his mouth to explain but paused, his expression shifting slightly. There was something hesitant in his demeanor, something uncertain.
"Forget it," Sasuke said finally, turning his back to Kikidori.
"Forget what?" Kikidori was growing more frustrated by the second. "You can't just say something cryptic like that and then not explain!"
Sasuke glanced over his shoulder. "You'll find out soon enough."
Kikidori's hands balled into fists. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
But Sasuke didn't answer. Instead, he walked away, leaving Kikidori standing there, his mind racing.
"What's his problem?" Kikidori muttered to himself.
He shook his head, deciding he didn't have time to deal with Sasuke's mysterious attitude. He had more important things to focus on—like training.
Kikidori made his way to the forest, where he had agreed to meet Ere'ana. She was already there when he arrived, practicing her aim with a kunai. Her Sharingan flickered in her eyes as she focused on the targets she had set up.
"About time you showed up," Ere'ana said, not looking at him.
"Yeah, yeah," Kikidori replied, rolling his eyes. "I got held up by Sasuke. He's acting weird."
Ere'ana finally turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. "Weird how?"
"He said something about my chakra being strange or familiar or something," Kikidori said, scratching the back of his head. "Then he just walked away without explaining."
Ere'ana frowned. "That is weird. But, honestly, who cares? Let's train. You still suck at throwing shuriken."
Kikidori glared at her. "I don't suck. I'm just… less accurate."
"That's the definition of sucking," Ere'ana said with a smirk.
Kikidori groaned. "Whatever. Let's just get started."
The two of them spent hours training, practicing everything from taijutsu to ninjutsu. Kikidori pushed himself harder than usual, his mind still lingering on Sasuke's words.
As the sun began to set, Ere'ana finally called it a day. "That's enough for now. You're gonna pass out if you keep pushing yourself like this."
Kikidori nodded, though he was reluctant to stop. He couldn't shake the feeling that something big was happening, something he didn't understand.
"Hey," Ere'ana said, her tone uncharacteristically serious. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Kikidori said quickly. "I'm fine."
She studied him for a moment before shrugging. "Whatever you say. But don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," Kikidori muttered.
As they walked back to the village together, Kikidori couldn't help but glance at the moon overhead. He felt like he was on the edge of something important, like a puzzle piece was missing.
And for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that Sasuke knew exactly what it was.
End Of Chapter 10