Adult Sasuke and Minato moved through the dark, narrow servant's hallway. It was a tight space that smelled like old wood and dust. They walked quietly until they reached a spot where they could look down at the hallways below.
From their hiding spot, they could see everything.
At the far end of one hallway, the three twelve-year-old boys ran in and stopped fast. They were breathing very hard. Their chests moved up and down as they leaned against the cold wooden walls.
"Lee..." Young Sasuke gasped. He was struggling to breathe. "What... what did you tell them? I couldn't hear because of the shouting. Why were they... looking at us like that?"
Lee was bent over with his hands on his knees. "I told them... huff... I told them I am a traveler! A traveler of youth!"
Neji finally opened his eyes. Now that the crowd was gone, he looked very angry at Lee.
"Again! You are lying again!" Neji hissed. "You told them... you were a citizen! You said you lived here!"
Young Sasuke's eyes went wide. He looked shocked. He stepped forward and pushed Lee against the wall. He looked like he wanted to hit him.
"What did you say?" Young Sasuke asked loudly.
"I am sorry! I am so sorry!" Lee started to shout. He waved his arms around because he was in a panic. "I got confused! The pressure was too much! My heart was—"
Up in the shadows, Minato was leaning against a wooden beam. He had a big smile on his face. He was really enjoying the show. He shook his head and laughed quietly so the kids wouldn't hear him.
"They are funny," Minato whispered to the older Sasuke. "Is this how you remember it? Just a lot of shouting about youth?"
But the older Sasuke did not smile. He stood very still. He looked worried. His eyes were fixed on the empty hallways.
'Something is wrong,' Sasuke thought.
"They are being too loud," Older Sasuke whispered. His voice was very serious now.
"In my memory, we had more time to rest. But now, I feel like something is coming. I don't remember if the clerk or the samurai came first. I don't remember if we were already gone."
He leaned forward to see better. The hallways were quiet, but it was a scary kind of quiet.
"Minato..." Sasuke said softly. "Get ready. I think things are about to go wrong."
In the corner where Adult Sasuke and Minato stood, the air turned freezing.
SMACK!
The sound of Neji slamming his hand over Lee's mouth echoed from below. The kids went silent, but a new sound replaced them.
Clink. Clank. Shhhhk.
The heavy, slow footsteps of Samurai.
In the shadows, Adult Sasuke's heart hammered. 'Shit..' he cursed silently.
'I thought the clerk would come from our side and I would take him down quietly... but who knew the Samurai would be here now? Fuck me!'
He looked over at Minato. The Yondaime Hokage had his face pressed against the wall, hiding his features. The Samurai were just one corner away. One look up, and the mission was over.
Down on the floor, Young Sasuke pressed his back against the cold wall. He moved slowly, inching his head toward the corner to peep around the edge.
His eyes narrowed. Further down the hall, a large group of Samurai was moving away. But two stayed behind. They stood close together, hands on their swords. They were guarding the only exit.
Young Sasuke pulled his head back, his face pale. He looked at Neji and Lee and held a finger to his lips. The funny mood was gone.
The City Samurai stopped talking for a second. He tilted his head, his eyes darting toward the ceiling. He felt a massive, crushing weight of chakra—something powerful—pressing down on the hallway. He gripped his sword, looking around in confusion, but he couldn't see the two legends hiding in the dark.
He shook his head and continued.
"The orders came from the top," the City Samurai said, his armor clanking.
"There is an infiltration in this hotel. Our unit is to search every room and find the traitors. But why is a Border unit like yours inside the city?"
The Border Samurai sighed. "We caught ten children trying to cross from Misu no Kuni. We were careless, and they escaped. We have to find them before the Lord finds out."
The City Samurai went quiet. "Kids? Don't tell me the intruders are just children."
"How can you be so sure?" the Border Samurai asked.
"Because of the evidence..." the City Samurai replied. "This morning, the hotel staff found a shirt in the changing area of the hot springs. It was left behind by a small child. It carries the crest of an elite clan from Konoha."
Behind the wall, Young Sasuke's heart stopped. His mind started racing like a wildfire.
'An elite clan? Whose clothes? Mine? No, I'm wearing mine. Naruto? No, the Uzumaki crest isn't famous here. Neji is too careful. Lee is wearing that green suit...'
A cold sweat broke out on the boy's forehead. A terrible realization hit him. He remembered the small, messy pile of clothes from the night before when they were all rushing.
'Don't tell me...?'
Adult Sasuke could guess the sudden, cold spike of fear coming from his younger self. He knew exactly what the boy was realizing.
Beside him, Minato's eyes were wide. He stayed perfectly still, but his gaze shifted toward the man in the black cloak. He was finally learning the truth.
"The crest." the City Samurai continued, his voice turning cold as ice. "IT BELONGS TO...."
"IT BELONGS TO THE UCHIHA."
Down on the floor, the word 'Uchiha' felt like a physical blow. Young Sasuke and Neji both froze. The air in the hallway felt like it had turned into solid glass.
Even Lee's usual sparkle vanished. He looked at Sasuke, seeing the raw shock on his friend's face.
Young Sasuke felt a surge of pure panic. He had been so focused on the mission that he had forgotten the simplest thing: a child is always messy.
Mini-Sasuke must have dropped his dirty shirt—the one holding the most prestigious thing of all: THE UCHIHA CREST.
The secret was out. They weren't just travelers anymore. They were hunted children.
Neji was absolutely fuming. The veins near his eyes were practically popping, and he wasn't feeling sorry for Sasuke at all.
'I knew it!' Neji cursed in his head. 'I knew that little Uchiha brat would be the death of us! One job! He had one job—to change his clothes—but...! Sasuke, your younger self is a total disaster!'
Lee looked terrified, his mouth hanging open as he glanced between his two friends.
"Sasuke..." Neji whispered, his voice dangerously low and sharp. "Your younger self just compromised this entire mission. Because of his carelessness, the lives of everyone in that room are now at risk. He just handed them the map to our door!"
Just then, the voices of the Samurai rose again. "Come, let's go talk to the staff over here. They can tell us exactly which room that little brat is staying in."
Neji turned back to Sasuke. "If that staff member remembers which room we are in, the Samurai will be at our door in minutes. We don't have time for your 'gut feelings' anymore. We have to move!"
Young Sasuke's teeth were gritted so hard his jaw ached. He didn't say a word, but his eyes burned with a dark light. Neji was right. The secret was dead. Now, it was a race against the clank of Samurai armor.
They stood frozen in the narrow hallway. The air felt heavy. To their left, the two Samurai finished talking. The clomp, clomp, clomp of their heavy boots started coming closer. If the boys went that way, they would walk right into the blades.
"We have to go the other way," Neji whispered, his face pale.
They turned to run to the right, but Sasuke stopped so fast that Lee bumped into his back. At the end of that hallway, a man was walking toward them.
It was the Clerk.
His face was white, looking like he had been through a nightmare. This was the same man Sasuke had hit with Genjutsu earlier. If that clerk saw Sasuke's face again, he would definitely scream for help.
Young Sasuke's mind was spinning. 'If we go left, the Samurai catch us. If we go right, the clerk points his finger and calls the guards. There is nowhere to go.'
Neji looked back and forth, his heart thumping. 'This is a total mess,' he thought.
'We are stuck in a corner. The clerk knows Sasuke's face, and the Border Samurai knows all three of us. One step in either direction and the whole hotel will be on top of us.'
Lee looked at the walls, desperately searching for a window. "Sasuke-kun, Neji... the circle is closing! My youthful heart is beating too fast!"
"Be quiet, Lee! Let me think..." Sasuke whispered.
They were stuck in the middle of a 'T' shape. The metal sound of the Samurai was getting louder from the left. The footsteps of the clerk were getting closer from the right.
Up in the corner, Adult Sasuke watched the trap close. His hand was already on his sword, his eyes fixed on the Samurais. Beside him, Minato glued to the wall. .
For the last time, Adult Sasuke looked down at the intersection where the Samurai were about to turn the corner. He glanced at Minato.
"Don't move.." Sasuke whispered, his voice as sharp as a blade.
Minato blinked, his hand still on his kunai. "Wait—Sasuke, where are you going? We should stay together—"
"Shhh! " Sasuke hissed, putting a single finger to his lips.
Before Minato could say another word, Sasuke disappeared into the darkness. He moved with such speed and silence that it looked like the shadows themselves had swallowed him.
Minato was left standing against a cramped, uncomfortable position, his chest pressed against the dusty wooden support.
"Remarkable!" Minato mumbled to himself, a small, tired smile on his face. "Fine. Go ahead. We will regroup later, and I shall inform you that you left me sticking to a wall like a common decoration."
Down below, the Samurai were just steps away from the kids' hiding spot. Suddenly, the air in the hallway became impossibly heavy.
Adult Sasuke didn't just walk out—he appeared. He stepped into the middle of the hallway, blocking the path of the Samurais.
His long, black cloak swirled around his boots, and his hood was pulled so low his face was a mystery.
The two Samurai skidded to a stop, their hands flying to their katanas.
"Who are you?!" the City Samurai demanded, his voice tight with sudden fear. "Were you listening to our conversation secretly? Answer!!"
Sasuke didn't move. He stood like a statue of black ink.
The Border Samurai, showing the rashness of a man used to getting his way, stepped forward and grabbed a handful of Sasuke's heavy cloak, pulling on it.
"Do you not hear us?!" the Samurai snapped.
"Speak, or you will regret standing in our way!"
Up in the corner, Minato watched with intense focus. He expected a fight. Instead, Sasuke spoke in a low, calm tone that carried a terrifying weight.
"I have a question for you," Sasuke said. "Since you travel the borders... have you heard a name? Have you heard of... THE BLACK DEVIL?"
In the shadows, Minato's eyebrows shot up.
'What a strange question,' Minato thought, his analytical mind spinning.
'Why is he asking about himself? He is clearly a man of great power—he must know his own reputation. Is the awareness of his title really that important right now?'
Minato stared down at Sasuke's back, watching the tension in the hallway. Then, a realization hit him.
'Ah... I see,' Minato thought, his expression turning thoughtful and slightly amused.
'He isn't being egoistic. He is using his own name to scare them. He is testing the weight of his name in this land. It's a clever way to strike fear without drawing a blade.'
The two Samurai looked at each other, their confusion growing.
"Black Devil?" the City Samurai muttered. "Never heard of him. Is he a bandit? A rogue?"
Up in the corner, Minato's smile deepened.
'Oooooh... wait!!' Minato thought.
'He is confirming his place in the world. He is checking to see if the 'Black Devil' exists in this present, or if that name only feared in our time. You are a very deep man, Sasuke.'
Down below, Sasuke tilted his head slightly. The lack of recognition from the Samurai was the answer he needed.
"I see..." Sasuke whispered, his hand slowly moving toward the hilt of his Katana.
"Then allow me to give you a proper introduction...."
---
A MESSAGE TO THE READERS 📢
WELCOME to the chapter after which half of you probably stared at your ceiling at 3 AM like this 👁️👄👁️
Because YES.
The timeline is officially breaking 😭✨
Now let us begin today's investigation session 🕵️♀️🔍
OBSERVATION NO. 1️⃣
PLEASE tell me you all understood the meaning behind this line:
💬
"I thought the clerk would come from our side and I would take him down quietly... but who knew the Samurai would be here now?"
💬
Now some of you probably thought:
"Ohhh poor older Sasuke 🥺 maybe he forgot the details because he is older now."
NO 😭❌
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
That line is MUCH more dangerous than that.
See, older Sasuke DOES remember the original event.
The problem is...
THIS IS NO LONGER THE ORIGINAL EVENT 💀
The timeline has already started changing.
In older Sasuke's memory:
➡️ the clerk came first.
But NOW?
➡️ the Samurai arrived instead.
AND WHO CAUSED THAT? 🤨
✨ MINATO AND SASUKE ✨
Congratulations legends 👏😭
One accidental:
"SASUKEEEEEEEE!!!"
And now the butterfly effect has entered the chat 🦋💀
The timeline is literally reacting to their presence.
One interference here.
One delayed movement there.
One extra conversation.
One panic.
One dramatic Hokage yell 😭
And BOOM 💥
History starts shifting.
That is why older Sasuke keeps looking confused whenever events don't happen exactly as he remembers them.
Because he is slowly realizing something terrifying:
⚠️ THE PAST IS NO LONGER STABLE ⚠️
Now let us move to the FUNNIEST thing in this chapter 😭😭😭
SASUKE ASKING ABOUT HIMSELF.
THIS MAN REALLY STOOD THERE LIKE:
🧍♂️⚫
"Have you heard of... THE BLACK DEVIL?"
Meanwhile Minato upstairs:
🤨
"Hm. Interesting."
And PLEASE pay attention to Minato's observations because his thought process literally represents the readers 😭✨
FIRST Minato thinks:
➡️ Sasuke is flexing his title.
Like:
"Ah yes my name is feared everywhere 😌"
THEN he thinks:
➡️ Sasuke is trying to scare the Samurai psychologically using his reputation.
Which honestly is a VERY Sasuke thing to do 💀
BUT THEN—
Minato realizes the ACTUAL truth.
Sasuke wasn't flexing.
He wasn't showing off.
HE WAS TESTING THE TIMELINE 🧠⚡
Because in HIS era...
'The Black Devil' was already a legendary name.
People feared it.
People whispered about it.
People knew it.
But here?
The Samurai had NEVER heard the title before.
And THAT is the answer Sasuke needed.
So yes 😭
This entire terrifying interaction was basically Sasuke going:
🧍♂️
"Excuse me.
Does history know me yet?"
Honestly this chapter is just:
⚔️ tension
🌳 tree propaganda
🧠 timeline panic
😭 Minato overanalyzing everything
💀 and Sasuke unintentionally creating urban legends
Also please appreciate the fact that this man turned:
🌳 "sitting on tree branches dramatically"
into
👹 "a terrifying omen of death."
Sasuke truly looked at his weirdest habit and said:
✨MARKETING✨
And now congratulations to all Samurai of Tetsu no Kuni because they will NEVER trust trees again 😭🌳
Also please wait patiently for next chapter because something...
or rather SOMEONE...
is about to enter the hallway.
And trust me.
The chaos level is about to rise beyond recovery 💀🐍
Your evil author who survives entirely on cliffhangers,
Shinomiya Sakura ✨
⚡ NEXT CHAPTER ⚡
The hallway grows quieter.
And somehow... far more dangerous.
A forgotten face begins to remember.
The Samurai are only seconds away.
And the young shinobi are trapped between recognition and death.
But above the fear... another presence descends.
A man wrapped in black.
A voice heavy enough to stop steel itself.
And a legend that should not yet exist in this timeline.
As the Samurai search for children...
they instead come face-to-face with a nightmare born from the trees.
❄️ "If you feel eyes watching you from the canopy... look up." ❄️
But fear is only the beginning.
Because before the hallway can breathe again—
another monster arrives smiling.
And suddenly, the terrifying legend of the Black Devil becomes something far more chaotic.
👉 Chapter 19:"INTELLIGENT MEN ARE ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL" — THE BLACK DEVIL DOES NOT WALK THROUGH DOORS
Some horrors enter silently.
Others argue about relationship status in front of Samurai.
SNEAK PEEK LINES 💬
"Signs? What... what signs?"
'...they probably won't even look at a tree the same way again. Sasuke, you are truly a menace.'
---
—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
---