But silence in this group was rare. Rare enough that the notification ping cut through the dark of your room like an alarm.

You'd stopped bothering to check who was talking months ago. The names blurred together, became familiar voices in a conversation you weren't part of. Just noise. Comforting, chaotic, late-night noise that made your apartment feel less empty.

Kakashi couldn't sleep again. Naruto was being aggressively supportive. Sasuke was being Sasuke. Shikamaru was tired. Gaara offered company like it was nothing.

Itachi finally spoke.

The three dots appeared.

You typed before you thought.

<Kakashi Hatake> can’t sleep again

<Naruto Uzumaki> you’re allowed to be okay sometimes

<Sasuke Uchiha> your optimism is exhausting

<Naruto Uzumaki> YOUR FACE IS EXHAUSTING

<Shikamaru Nara> it’s 2am. troublesome.

<Gaara> I’m awake if you need company.

<Kiba Inuzuka> bro we’re literally all here

<Kakashi Hatake> had a nightmare

<Minato Namikaze> want to talk about it?

<Itachi Uchiha> …

<Itachi Uchiha> talk

<You> maybe stop weaponizing your insomnia as a personality trait and join kakashi in the emotionally repressed sleep deprivation club

The three dots disappeared.

The chat went absolutely still.

Your thumb hovered over the keyboard.

You could delete it. Pretend it never happened. Claim it was a glitch, a hack, a random number—

<You> oh no

<You> i wasn’t supposed to send that

<Naruto Uzumaki> SEND WHAT

<You> …the message

<You> in the group chat i’ve been accidentally in for four months

The silence that followed was louder than anything.

<Sasuke Uchiha> FOUR MONTHS