ALL NOVEL Chapter 75: 75. Shadows of the Past
The peaceful hum of the Hidden Leaf Village seemed to persist, but beneath its tranquil surface, the echoes of past battles began to resurface. As the newly formed teams continued their intense training, each of the Eternal Hokage sensed a shift in the atmosphere—something dark, something that tugged at their memories, reminding them that the past was never far behind. In every corner of the village, a sense of unease was slowly creeping in, as if the very shadows of the past were rising once again.
Ryusei's Perspective
Ryusei stood at the edge of the village, his eyes trained on the distant horizon, but his thoughts were far from peaceful. Though the future was at the forefront of his mind, the events of the past began to weigh heavily on him. His years spent traveling through timelines, witnessing the destruction of worlds and the devastation wrought by enemies beyond comprehension, had left scars that could never fully heal.
"Something's coming," Ryusei muttered to himself, his senses sharper than they had ever been. The Realm of Time had taught him many things, but one truth always lingered—time was cyclical. The past had a way of repeating itself, and when it did, it brought with it the unresolved conflicts of previous generations.
Naruto approached him from behind, his usual energetic expression replaced by a serious, thoughtful look. "You feel it too, right?"
Ryusei nodded without turning. "Yeah. It's like a storm on the horizon, but it's not just the future. Something from our past is coming back, something we didn't stop."
Naruto crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing as he looked out toward the distant mountains. "We've fought a lot of battles, but I thought we'd left most of those threats behind. What do you think it is?"
Ryusei sighed, his hand instinctively brushing against the Eclipse Energy that swirled faintly around him. "Could be anyone or anything. The timelines are fractured in so many places that it's impossible to know for sure. But one thing's certain—it's connected to the enemies we fought in the past. And this time, they might have gained new strength."
Sasuke's Perspective
On the other side of the village, Sasuke sat silently in one of the meditation gardens, his mind racing. Though he had gained mastery over Graviton Energy, his thoughts kept returning to a familiar darkness—his own journey through vengeance, his obsession with power, and the enemies he had made along the way. He knew that not all of them were gone.
Sakura approached him quietly, her presence gentle but grounding. She had learned over the years that, while Sasuke was often withdrawn, he always valued her insights.
"You're thinking about them, aren't you?" Sakura asked, sitting beside him on the cool stone bench.
Sasuke didn't respond at first, his eyes fixed on the small pond in front of them. His Sharingan flickered briefly as memories of battles long fought and enemies long defeated flashed before his eyes. Finally, he spoke.
"There are too many loose ends. We've beaten a lot of powerful enemies, but we never really ended it. They could come back, especially with the way the timelines have fractured."
Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice calm but resolute. "Then we'll be ready for them. Whatever's coming, we're stronger now. And we have each other."
Sasuke's gaze softened, though he kept his stoic expression. "I know. But we can't let our guard down. We've learned new powers, new techniques, but so have they. If they're coming back, we need to be prepared for a fight like no other."
Naruto's Perspective
As Naruto walked back toward the training grounds, a strange sensation washed over him, a mix of nostalgia and dread. He couldn't shake the feeling that something—someone—was watching him. It was as if the air around him had thickened, weighed down by the presence of old enemies, ones he had thought long gone.
He stopped abruptly, his hand instinctively moving toward his kunai pouch. He scanned the area with sharp, discerning eyes, but there was nothing visible. Still, the feeling lingered. His body tensed, and for a moment, he allowed himself to remember all the battles he had fought—the Akatsuki, Kaguya, the Fourth Shinobi War. It seemed impossible that any of them could return, but Naruto had learned over the years to never underestimate the power of those determined to escape death.
"Show yourself!" Naruto called out, his voice firm.
But there was no response, only the distant rustling of leaves and the faint sound of the village in the background.
Suddenly, Naruto felt a familiar presence behind him—a ripple in the air, like time itself bending. He turned, his hand ready to form a Rasengan, only to find Anon standing there, his face calm but his eyes alert.
"You felt it too," Anon said, his voice low but steady.
Naruto relaxed, though the tension in his body didn't completely fade. "Yeah. Something's not right. It feels like we're being watched."
Anon nodded. "The shadows of the past are returning. I've sensed them too. They're lurking, waiting for the right moment. But they won't stay hidden for long."
Naruto clenched his fists, the Eclipse Energy within him swirling slightly as his determination solidified. "Then we'll find them first. We're not going to let the past control us. Not this time."
Sakura's Perspective
Later that evening, Sakura stood at the entrance to the Leaf Village's hospital, gazing at the sky as the last light of day began to fade. Her mind wandered to the battles she had fought, not just with her fists but with her heart. She had come so far, learned so much, but now, the looming threat of the past weighed on her just as it did on her teammates.
In the quiet of the evening, Sakura felt a strange stirring in the air, almost as if the wind carried with it whispers of old enemies, of past struggles that had never truly ended. She clenched her fists, her Chrono Essence swirling gently around her, giving her a heightened awareness of time's flow.
"I won't let it happen again," Sakura whispered to herself. "We've come too far to be haunted by what we left behind."
The Hidden Enemy
From the shadows, deep within the mountains that surrounded the village, a figure watched. His eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, his body cloaked in an aura of malevolent power. His grin was cold, predatory.
"So, they've grown stronger," the figure murmured to himself, his voice barely a whisper carried on the wind. "It won't be long now. They've forgotten that the past never truly dies. And I… I will remind them."
As he disappeared into the depths of the shadows, his presence left a lingering chill in the air, a reminder that the past had always been waiting for its moment to strike.