"Misaki!" Sakura's voice cut through the chaos, filled with concern and urgency.
I felt a surge of relief as Sakura rushed to my side, her presence a comforting anchor amidst the turmoil. Meanwhile, Sasuke's Sharingan blazed with determination as he prepared to confront our adversary.
Sakura knelt beside me, her expression filled with worry. "What's happening?" she asked gently, her voice a soothing balm against the raging storm within me.
"It feels like my whole body is on fire," I responded through clenched teeth, the pain threatening to overwhelm me. Despite my efforts to remain composed, my grip on the source of the agony tightened involuntarily.
Sakura's gasp drew my attention, and I followed her gaze to where my hand was clenched tightly on my shoulder. Her shocked exclamation only added to my growing panic.
"What is it?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear and confusion.
Sakura's words came out in a rush, her voice tinged with alarm. "There's this mark... a mark on your shoulder!" she exclaimed.
My heart pounded in my chest as I processed her words. A mark? On my shoulder? I couldn't comprehend what she was saying.
"What?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the chaos surrounding us.
"Misaki, calm down," Sakura urged, her tone soothing despite the urgency of the situation.
But the pain was relentless, intensifying with each passing moment. I gritted my teeth against the agony, my breaths coming in shallow gasps as I struggled to maintain control. In the midst of the battle between Sasuke and the woman, my consciousness began to fade, the darkness creeping in to claim me.
-
In mere moments, the battle reached its climax as Sasuke, too, was ensnared by the same fate that had befallen Misaki by the despicable woman known as Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin.
-
The girl in front of me resembled myself, yet she wept with a bitterness that cut through me. "Who are you?" I managed to utter, though my voice felt trapped within me.
"Father and mother didn't have to die," she accused, her words piercing like shards of glass. "If only you had the strength to save them. Without power, you're helpless. Our family perished because you couldn't protect them!" As she spoke, her fingers clawed at her face, tearing away the skin to reveal piercing yellow eyes beneath. "You stood there, watching, a coward."
