wip wednsday el oh el. this is a snippet from my long ass demi!neji oneshot. if you want more details, here you go!
the howling winds intensify—nipping at the skin of your hands and neck, leaving a stinging sensation that lingers like an unwelcoming brand in the relentless winter.
the landscape seems to stretch on indefinitely, a sea of glistening white that sparkles beneath the muted light of the grey sky. you close your eyes, finding the cold brightness irritating. the vast, featureless expanse would swallow up any unsuspecting travelers if one wasn’t careful.
you pull your heavy cloak tighter around yourself, the fabric swishing softly as you walk—concentrating on navigating your squad through the winding trail that snakes throughout the wilderness. the harsh bang of a mallet against a bell has you opening your eyes, drawing closer to the jagged precipice of a towering mountain that looms overhead. below, a cluster of dilapidated buildings lay, their roofs sagging under the accumulated snow.
“is this the place?” lee asks with a raised brow.
you nod, looking below at the ocean’s waves crashing against the rocky shoreline far below, sending plumes of icy spray into the air.
the village hidden in the icicles.
much like its neighboring village—the hidden snow village — spring is nonexistent. winter rules year-round, casting on eternal frost that blankets everything in a ghostly silence.
“it’s more of a ghost town,” tenten remarks, taking in the scenery. the air is thick with an eerie silence, only interrupted by the wind as it weaves through the empty streets, carrying with it faint traces of smoke that rise lazily from the forgotten chimneys.
“you aren’t wrong,” you say, pushing onwards and trekking down into the heart of the village. “no one’s allowed out at night.”
it’s so unlike Konoha, with its near constant bustling activity—especially concentrated at the market you’ve frequented many a time. perhaps getting a taste for what it’s like living in the land of fire made the once normal bareness now feel unnerving. footsteps echo in the air, and you feel neji beside you—his chakra calm like that of an undisturbed river. Before you can comment, he speaks, “it’s been abandoned for years. constant war between rival clans drove out most of the population.”
for a moment, your eyes widen, and you turn to face him.
did he really see those letters?
the thought came as quickly as it dissipated, taking with it the brief flash of hope that formed and leaving behind an empty hollowness deep within your chest. surely there must have been a brief overview of the village’s history in the mission packet, and that’s how he knew.
your fingers brush across the pen that’s deep within your pocket, and the feeling only grows.