Yes

The forest beyond Konoha’s borders stretched vast and unforgiving, its dense canopy swallowing the faint light of dawn, painting the landscape in hues of deep gold and crimson. Hinata stumbled through the undergrowth, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her legs trembling with exhaustion as the cold air bit at her skin. But she pressed on, driven by a single, searing need: Find Naruto. Her Byakugan pulsed, veins framing her lavender eyes as she scanned the horizon—until a flash of orange caught her gaze. There he was, trudging along a dirt path, his blonde hair tousled by the wind, his pace unhurried, oblivious to the nightmare she’d fled. Relief flooded her, **** her throat as she sprinted forward, collapsing onto her knees before him.

“Naruto!” Her voice cracked, raw with desperation.

His blue eyes widened, his body tensing as he rushed to her side, catching her trembling form. “Hinata?! What’s wrong?” His voice was rough with concern, his hands gripping her shoulders as he searched her panicked, tear-streaked face, the scent of pine and sweat clinging to them both. She gasped for air, her entire body shuddering as she **** the words out. “Konoha—it’s fallen. Everyone—Kakashi, Tsunade, Shikamaru, Sakura—they’re gone. Taken.” Her fingers dug into his wrists, pleading, as tears carved paths through the dirt on her cheeks.

Naruto’s brows furrowed, confusion twisting his features. “What do you mean, taken?” His voice trembled, the warmth in his eyes flickering with dread.

“It’s Baby—a parasite,” she choked, shaking her head. “He’s infected them, taken their minds, their bodies. Kurenai, Hanabi, my father—they’re all his. I saw Sakura lure Sasuke back—she was bait. He fought, Naruto, but he lost. He’s in Sasuke’s body now, stronger than ever.” Her Byakugan flickered with the memory of red eyes and twisted chakra, her grip tightening as she whispered, “They tried to get me too. I barely escaped.”

Naruto froze, his stomach twisting as shock etched itself into his face. “Sasuke… lost? Sakura?” His voice dropped to a stunned whisper, the Nine-Tails’ chakra simmering beneath his skin as rage and disbelief surged within him. “How could this happen?” He stammered, his fists clenching, the air around him humming with barely contained fury.

Hinata swallowed thickly, steadying her breath as resolve hardened her gaze. “There’s no time—we have to stop him. I don’t know how, but you’re the only one left.” Her words hung between them, heavy and urgent. Naruto’s expression darkened, the easy warmth replaced by something colder, sharper, his blue eyes blazing with fierce determination. “Then we’re going back—together,” he said, his tone grim and absolute as he pulled her upright, his hand lingering on her shoulder. “No way I’m letting some freak take my village, my friends. We can still save them!”

Her breath caught, torn between the horror she’d witnessed and the hope he ignited. She wanted to believe, despite everything. Forcing herself to her feet, she nodded, swallowing her fear. “Then we go. Together.” Naruto met her gaze, his resolve a lifeline in the chaos, and without another word, they took off toward Konoha. Branches snapped underfoot, the distant smoke curling into the sky a grim omen as they raced through the forest, Hinata’s Byakugan active, Naruto’s chakra a blazing counterpoint to the darkness ahead. Neither spoke of the dread gnawing at them—that they might already be too late—but their bond held firm, a fragile thread of hope against the nightmare waiting to swallow them whole.