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.[ADVANCE CHAPTER IN PATREON] (WILL BE THERE FROM TOMMOROW)
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Naruto sat quietly, staring out the hospital window, trying to push away the hateful glare of the nurse earlier. He refused to dwell on it—he'd faced worse. Still, a part of him couldn't shake the loneliness creeping in.
Then, suddenly, the door snapped open.
Naruto's eyes widened. For a second, they watered—but then a bright smile spread across his face. He wasn't forgotten. His team had come. And the one person he cared for more than anything, the one he loved with all his heart, stood right there.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, joy in his voice. "Guess what? I… I did it! I kept my promise. I brought Sasuke back!"
But before he could finish, a sharp sound echoed through the room.
SLAP!
Naruto's head jerked to the side. His cheek stung. His eyes widened in disbelief. Sakura's hand was still raised, her face twisted with anger and something he couldn't understand.
"S-Sakura…?" Naruto stammered, confusion in his eyes.
"How could you?!" she shouted, her voice trembling. "How could you hurt Sasuke-kun like that?! I told you to bring him back—not half dead! Do you have any idea how badly you broke him?! Two ribs, Naruto! Two ribs!"
Naruto blinked, stunned. Two ribs? That's… nothing. We break ribs in training all the time…
He opened his mouth, desperate to explain. "But… but I tried to talk to him, Sakura-chan! I didn't want to fight him! He attacked me first, I—"
SLAP!
Another strike rang through the room. Naruto's eyes widened even more, shock overwhelming him.
"Don't you dare blame Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed. "He was under the curse mark—Orochimaru's control! And you… you're just trying to push the blame on him, aren't you?! My mom was right… you really are nothing but a monster!"
The words pierced deeper than any kunai. Naruto froze, his whole body trembling. His heart felt like it had shattered into pieces. He wanted to scream, to explain, to beg her to believe him. But his voice wouldn't come out.
Sakura turned away, tears in her eyes, and stormed out of the room without looking back.
Naruto sat in stunned silence. His chest felt tight, his throat burned, and before he knew it, tears streamed freely down his face. Why…? Why does it always end up like this?
The door creaked again. For a brief moment, Naruto hoped Sakura had come back. But instead, his other friends began to enter one by one.
Relief flickered in Naruto's eyes. At least… at least they'll understand.
But his hope shattered quickly.
One after another, his comrades scolded him. Some said he was reckless. Others said the mission had gone wrong because of him. Every word piled on like a weight crushing his chest.
Naruto's heart sank deeper with every accusation. What… what's going on? Why are they all… blaming me? I brought him back, didn't I? I kept my promise… so why…?
Finally, the last person entered. Someone Naruto hadn't even expected to come.
Shikamaru Nara.
Shikamaru stood silently in the doorway, his sharp eyes scanning Naruto. He didn't say anything at first. His gaze lingered on Naruto's battered form, the bandages, the sadness in his eyes. Then he finally spoke, his voice low and steady:
"Troublesome… but… I see now. You're carrying more than any of us realize."
Naruto hadn't expected much from the last visitor. But when the door opened, it was none other than Shikamaru Nara.
Shikamaru stood there for a moment, hands in his pockets, his sharp eyes studying Naruto in silence. After a while, he sighed.
"Look, Naruto," Shikamaru began, his tone calm, "I'm not here to blame you. Not for Sasuke, not for the mission. I know better than that. Sasuke… he wasn't himself. And honestly, no one expected you to beat him. He was the rookie of the year, after all. But you did. You actually won."
Naruto blinked in surprise. "Shikamaru…"
Shikamaru gave a small shrug. "But… there's something you should know. Something that explains why everyone's acting the way they are."
Naruto's stomach sank. His eyes widened as he looked at Shikamaru. "W-what do you mean…?"
Shikamaru sighed again, scratching the back of his head. "While you were unconscious, the council made a decision. They… removed the law the Third Hokage put in place. The law that kept people from talking about what's inside you."
Naruto froze. His blood ran cold.
Shikamaru's eyes softened, but his words cut like knives. "It's out now. Everyone in the village knows you're the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails."
Naruto's eyes went wide. "...No… no way…" His hands clenched the sheets tightly, his whole body trembling. They know… they all know now…
Shikamaru continued, his voice steady, though tinged with annoyance. "Some of the council members even tried to say you weren't just the host—you were the Nine-Tails. That you're the demon itself. But… I'm not as stupid as some of them. I know the truth. You're not the Nine-Tails, Naruto. You're its jailer. Its prison. That's all."
But the words didn't comfort Naruto. His heart sank even further, his worst fear confirmed.
"That's why everyone's been glaring at you again," Shikamaru explained. "That's why Sakura lashed out… why the others are angry. They're scared, and fear makes people cruel."
Naruto's voice shook. "...So it's true. Everyone knows. They… they finally know what I really am."
Shikamaru looked away for a moment before speaking again. "There's something else. I wanted to warn you. When you get out of the hospital, keep your distance from Kiba and Chōji for a while."
Naruto looked up, confused. "Huh? Why?"
Shikamaru's face hardened. "Kiba lost his father and a lot of his clan during the Nine-Tails' attack. Chōji… he lost most of his cousins, his uncle… and his mom was badly injured. She's not able to be a shinobi anymore. They're hurting, Naruto. And… they might try to blame you. Even if it isn't fair."
Naruto lowered his gaze, his bangs shadowing his eyes. His chest ached, not just from his wounds but from the weight of Shikamaru's words.
"Don't take it to heart," Shikamaru said finally. "They're angry. They need someone to blame. But… don't let it get to you too much."
With that, Shikamaru turned and headed toward the door. "I should check on Chōji."
As the door closed, Naruto sat in silence, staring at the floor. His fists clenched, his tears falling freely now.
They know… They all know. And now… they finally showed me how they really see me. Sakura slapped me. She called me a monster. The others blamed me for everything. No matter what I do… no matter how hard I try… in the end, I'm still just the Nine-Tails to them.
Naruto's heart broke all over again.
Tears still streamed down his cheeks. After a while, Naruto couldn't take the suffocating feeling of the hospital anymore. He hated hospitals. Deciding he needed air, he slipped out and began wandering through the village streets.
But everywhere he went, eyes followed him. Smirks, sneers, and hateful glares. Even children—academy students barely ten years old—looked at him like he was some kind of monster. That familiar stabbing pain in his chest grew sharper.