Chapter 29: Choosing You
( — 0.0.0.0.0 — )
The silence that followed the destruction of Ehrmich felt almost unnatural.
Smoke rose between the collapsed buildings, while the wind carried dust, ashes, and small fragments of stone through the devastated streets. In the distance, the cries of the wounded began to mingle with the desperate calls of those searching for their loved ones among the rubble.
The wall, which had protected humanity for generations, now bore a massive breach.
And in the middle of that disaster, a blond boy calmly surveyed the area.
Naruto tilted his head slightly. He had thrown his weapon at Albert. He remembered that perfectly.
What he didn't understand was why he had ended up destroying so many things.
He looked at the enormous opening in the wall before shifting his gaze toward the collapsed buildings.
"How strange..."
He didn't seem particularly worried. Nor was he satisfied. He was simply confused.
His intention had been to punish the boy who had dared to hit him. Not destroy an entire section of the district. Although, come to think of it, he didn't feel that this was a problem he needed to solve personally, either.
Albert had done something he disliked, and Naruto had retaliated. The result had been unexpected, but that didn't change what had happened.
Besides, the blond had other things to think about.
His weapon, for example.
Naruto raised his open hand, and a moment later, a whistle cut through the air.
From somewhere beyond the destruction, the axe answered his call.
Stormbreaker swept through the same area it had previously devastated, flying over the remains of the buildings and raising small clouds of dust in its wake. Its trajectory was direct, without deviating for even a single instant.
Finally, the weapon reached Naruto, who calmly grasped its handle.
Naruto examined the axe for a few seconds.
"Good."
He turned it slightly, inspecting its edge and handle. It didn't appear to have suffered any significant damage.
That was good.
He wouldn't have liked losing such an interesting object because of a badly behaved child. Even so, he stored the weapon away, despite the strange reaction it exhibited just before disappearing.
Naruto noticed it but decided to ignore it.
He turned away from the destruction and began walking toward the gate leading inside the wall. He had no particular destination in mind. He simply wanted to leave the place and find something that would pique his interest.
Or perhaps get some rest. That would work, too.
There were too many people shouting, too many broken things, and far too much noise. It was all beginning to annoy him.
As he made his way through the streets, the survivors moved aside to let him pass.
Some watched him from a distance. Others stepped back as soon as their eyes met his.
A man holding an injured little girl clenched his teeth as Naruto walked past.
A woman, covered in dust, brought her hands to her mouth to stifle a sob.
No one dared to stop him.
Naruto glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, unable to fully understand their reaction.
Why were they looking at him like that?
He wasn't doing anything.
He was simply walking.
"Aetheria."
The voice of the intelligence accompanying him resonated directly in his mind.
[I'm here, Naruto.]
"Why are they looking at me like that?"
There was a brief pause.
[Because they consider you responsible for what happened.]
Naruto frowned slightly.
"And?"
[They have suffered losses. Some have been injured, while others have lost their homes.]
The blond turned his head toward the collapsed buildings.
"Oh," he exclaimed softly, his expression remaining unchanged. "But I only wanted to hit that boy."
[I know.]
"Then why are they acting as if I've done something terrible?"
Aetheria didn't answer immediately.
[In their eyes, you've destroyed something they consider important. That's why they're afraid of you.]
Naruto thought about it briefly.
"I see."
However, judging by his expression, it was obvious that he didn't particularly care.
Aetheria continued:
[But you don't need to worry about them.]
Naruto raised his eyebrows slightly.
[Your priority is yourself, Naruto. Your safety, your well-being, and the things that spark your interest. You have no obligation to carry the burdens of strangers simply because they expect you to.]
The blond remained silent.
[If something interests you, you can investigate it. If you want something, you can try to obtain it. And if someone intends to hurt you, you have every right to defend yourself. Everything else... is unimportant unless you decide otherwise.]
Naruto took one last look at the survivors.
A man was trying to lift a beam to free someone trapped underneath. Two more people rushed to help him, although they could barely move it.
The blond watched the scene for a few seconds.
Then, he looked ahead again.
"Yeah. I suppose you're right."
He didn't know those people. He owed them nothing. And, above all, he had no interest in staying there and listening to their screams.
So he continued walking.
Unhurriedly.
Without looking back.
Until a familiar voice stopped him.
"Naruto!"
The boy recognized that voice. He stopped, although he didn't turn around immediately.
"Naruto, wait!"
Mikasa caught up to him, breathing heavily. Dust covered her clothes and face, and her expression reflected a mixture of worry, anger, and disbelief.
For a few seconds, she watched the boy before looking toward the district they had just left.
The destruction was still visible, even from that distance.
She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. She had seen Naruto take Albert's punch without barely moving and witnessed the terrifying force unleashed when he finally retaliated.
However, that wasn't what worried her the most.
Naruto had already proven himself violent.
Mikasa still remembered the men who had murdered her parents. When Naruto appeared to save her, he showed them no mercy. He beat them with a brutality that terrified her, refusing to stop despite their screams and pleas.
She herself had killed for the first time that day.
Then came Trost, where Naruto subdued one of those men with monstrous strength, prolonging his suffering until any attempt at resistance seemed utterly futile.
Mikasa knew that side of him. She knew that when someone angered him, Naruto could become merciless.
But this time had been different.
He hadn't punished just one person. He had destroyed part of an entire district and torn a breach through the wall.
And now he intended to leave as though nothing had happened.
Mikasa clenched her fists.
"Where are you going?"
Naruto turned his head to look at her.
"Somewhere else."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"Do you want me to say something else?"
Mikasa didn't know how to respond immediately. There were too many questions running through her mind, but in the end, she decided to start with the most obvious one.
"You just destroyed part of the district! People are injured, and families have lost their homes!"
"I know."
"And you don't care?"
Naruto tilted his head slightly.
"Why should I care?"
Mikasa stared at him, unable to believe what she had just heard.
"Because they're innocent people! They haven't done anything to you!"
"I didn't mean to destroy it," he replied casually. "I only wanted to punish Albert. He hit me first."
"That doesn't give you the right to do something like this!"
"Why not?"
Mikasa froze.
Naruto wasn't speaking arrogantly or trying to provoke her. He genuinely seemed incapable of understanding why she was so angry.
"You could have stopped him without destroying everything around you," she insisted.
"I didn't know that was going to happen."
"But it did!"
"Yes, I know," Naruto said, watching her for a few seconds. "What do you want me to do? Fix it?"
Mikasa pressed her lips together.
"I don't know..."
And that was the truth. She had expected an apology, some sign of remorse, or at least an indication that Naruto understood the seriousness of his actions.
But she found none of that.
"Naruto, what's happening to you?" she asked in a quieter voice.
He frowned.
"Me?"
"You weren't like this before."
"Before?"
Mikasa lowered her gaze slightly.
"Before you destroyed the district."
Naruto remained silent for a moment.
"I don't remember what I was like before. I've already told you that."
"I know, but..."
"Then how can you know what kind of person I'm supposed to be?"
Mikasa couldn't find an answer.
Naruto didn't remember his past. He didn't know who he had been or what kind of life he had led, other than that he was someone strong.
To him, the world was an unfamiliar place, full of questions he still couldn't answer. However, that didn't mean he could do whatever he wanted without considering the consequences.
"Not remembering your past doesn't mean you can ignore everyone else," she said.
"Why should I care about people I don't even know?"
"Because their lives have value!"
Naruto regarded her curiously.
"To whom?"
Mikasa opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.
To her, the answer was obvious. Every life mattered, even that of someone she had never met. But Naruto seemed to view the matter from a completely different perspective.
"There are still a lot of things I don't understand," he continued. "I don't know why I'm here or what I'm supposed to do. I barely remember anything about my life."
His gaze returned to the destroyed district.
"But I know I didn't want this to happen. It's already done, and I can't change it."
"At least you could help the injured!"
Naruto remained thoughtful for a few moments.
"Do you want me to stay?"
"I want you to take responsibility for what you've done."
In his mind, Aetheria intervened.
[You don't have to accept responsibilities you don't understand, Naruto. You can help if you choose to, but don't let others decide what you should do for you.]
Naruto listened in silence.
[Your priority is yourself. Everything else is unimportant unless it sparks your interest. You don't need to carry the burdens of strangers simply because they expect you to.]
The boy didn't respond, but he understood the message.
Meanwhile, Mikasa waited for an answer.
Naruto looked at her again.
"If you want to help those people, you can. I won't stop you."
"And you?"
"I'm leaving."
The answer made Mikasa feel a pang in her chest.
"You're just going to leave like that?" Mikasa spoke, unsure of what to feel at that moment. "After everything that's happened?"
"Mikasa, I already told you I didn't mean to destroy the district. I don't understand what else you expect from me."
He didn't seem angry. He had simply lost interest in the conversation.
"If you want to stay, stay. But I don't want to remain here."
Mikasa clenched her fists. She wanted to make him see reason. She wanted him to look back and understand that his actions had affected hundreds of people. But she also remembered everything they had been through together.
Naruto had been the one who saved her when she lost her parents. He had stayed by her side when she had barely anyone else, and he had accompanied her through situations in which trusting him had been her best option.
She knew how violent he could be, but she had also experienced moments when his presence gave her a sense of security that was difficult to find in anyone else.
She couldn't ignore either side of him.
"Naruto..." she murmured. "Do you really not care about any of this?"
He looked at her for a few seconds.
"There are a lot of things I don't care about."
"And the people suffering because of you?"
"I don't know them."
Mikasa felt a lump form in her throat.
Naruto didn't seem to enjoy other people's suffering. Nor had he destroyed the district for fun. He had simply retaliated after being provoked, and when the consequences spiraled beyond his control, he decided he had no reason to stay.
"Everything that doesn't interest me is unimportant to me," the blond added. "I'm not going to pretend I care about something when I don't."
Mikasa lowered her gaze. Those words should have driven her away from him. However, when Naruto looked at her again, he added something she hadn't expected to hear.
"But you interest me."
Mikasa immediately raised her head.
"Me?"
"Yes. You," Naruto replied as naturally as he would have answered any other question. "I don't know why, but I want you to stay with me."
Mikasa's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know what those words meant to Naruto. Perhaps he simply found her familiar after all the time they had spent together. Perhaps he just enjoyed her company.
But for some reason, hearing him say that he wanted her nearby caused her anger to mingle with an emotion she couldn't quite identify.
"And the others?" she asked, trying to maintain her composure.
"They don't interest me."
"Not even the people who need help?"
"If you want to help them, do it. But I'm not going to stay just because someone demands it of me."
Mikasa fell silent.
Part of her wanted to keep arguing. She wanted him to understand that the world didn't revolve around him and that one person's actions could affect many others.
But another part of her couldn't stop thinking about his first response.
You interest me.
She didn't understand why those words carried so much weight for her.
She could attribute it to the trust she had developed in Naruto, the dangers they had overcome together, or the fear of losing someone who had become important in her life.
But there was something else.
Ever since Naruto had obtained his first system-granted ability, certain feelings within Mikasa seemed to intensify in ways she couldn't understand. Her concern for him, her desire to stay close, and the uneasiness she felt at the thought of being separated from him had become increasingly difficult to ignore.
She didn't know that the power granted by Aetheria was subtly influencing that connection, strengthening her affinity toward Naruto alongside the influence of one of the gems he carried.
That didn't mean her memories or experiences were false. Everything they had been through together was real. But that influence made it harder for her to distance herself from him, even when his actions clashed with everything she believed in.
Mikasa wasn't aware of it. She only knew that she didn't want Naruto to leave without her.
"If I stay here..." she began, looking toward the district.
Naruto waited.
"What will you do?"
"Keep moving forward."
"And what if I go with you?"
The blond regarded her with some surprise.
"You can come if you want."
"You're not going to leave me behind?"
Naruto tilted his head slightly.
"Why would I? If you want to accompany me, come along. If you'd rather stay, that's your decision."
It wasn't a promise of protection or a declaration of affection. Naruto was simply giving her a choice.
To him, there was nothing complicated about it. But Mikasa couldn't help feeling relieved.
She didn't want to admit it, not even to herself, but the thought of being separated from him was far more painful than she had expected.
She looked toward the district one last time.
There were still people who needed help. She knew that staying would be the right thing to do, and part of her felt guilty for even considering leaving.
However, she didn't want to lose sight of Naruto.
"I don't agree with what you've done," she finally said.
"That's fine."
"And I'm not going to pretend I'm not worried about what you might do in the future."
"Suit yourself."
Mikasa took a deep breath.
"But I'm going with you."
Naruto blinked.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"All right."
That was all.
He didn't try to convince her or ask why she had changed her mind. He simply turned around and began walking.
Mikasa remained still for a moment before hurrying to catch up with him.
When she reached his side, Naruto glanced at her.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to anyone?"
The young woman hesitated. She thought about the injured and all the people she had left behind.
"I don't have anyone here I need to say goodbye to."
That wasn't entirely true, but she didn't want to discuss the matter any further.
Naruto accepted her answer without asking any more questions.
The two continued walking, leaving Ehrmich behind.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Mikasa couldn't stop thinking about her decision. She had witnessed terrifying violence and heard Naruto declare that almost everything else was unimportant to him.
And yet, she had followed him.
Not because she approved of his actions, nor because she had stopped caring about those suffering the consequences.
She had done it because Naruto mattered to her, and because the thought of losing sight of him was unbearable.
She didn't understand why those feelings were so intense, but she couldn't ignore them, either.
Naruto, for his part, seemed content with her company. He didn't need Mikasa to share his way of thinking or understand every decision he made. He simply wanted her to be there.
Among all the unfamiliar things surrounding him, she was the only person who genuinely interested him.
And for the time being, that was enough.
Behind them, Ehrmich remained engulfed in chaos.
The survivors searched for their loved ones, and the wounded needed help. The breach in the wall remained open, like a wound impossible to ignore.
Naruto didn't look back.
Neither did Mikasa.
He was leaving because he saw no reason to stay.
She was following him because, despite all her doubts, she still wanted to remain by his side.
And Aetheria remained silent as their connection continued to grow stronger, without Mikasa understanding just how much it was influencing her feelings.
( — 0.0.0.0.0 — )