Mizuki and Sensei Iruka were not long in coming. Naruto and I listened quietly to the argument between the two. It brought tears to my eyes, as it did Naruto's, when I heard Iruka's words defending Naruto. Mizuki seemed to be completely cold to my sensei's bravery. Instead, he attacked him again, despite the latter's severe injury.

But before he could reach Iruka, Naruto had gotten in his way and fought him off. His features were scowling and angry at Mizuki, who was trying to recover from the surprise attack.

„If you dare to harm my sensei, then you can be prepared for something."

His white-haired opponent laughed superiorly.

„What can a little boy like you do against me, a chunin."

„You just wait and see," Naruto exclaimed, crossing his fingers. Wait a minute ... that was ... wasn't it!

„Shadow clones."

When I caught sight of the incredible number of clones, it was hard to even dismiss the sight as real. I had never seen so many doubles on one spot before. That was at least 1000. A feeling filled me, which I could not describe at first, because I had never felt it before. Pride. He had not only shown everyone around him what he was made of, but also himself.

I grinned slightly as these vast numbers of clones rushed at the visibly overwhelmed Mizuki. Cockiness rarely did any good.

It ended with a visibly broken Mizuki lying on the ground shaking and slumped over. After the task was completed, the doubles disappeared as well.

„Naruto, Tora, Iruka! Are you guys alright? What happened?"

I turned as I heard two voices all too familiar to me. There at the other end of the clearing stood Genma and Kakashi. Both seemed quite out of breath.

„Don't worry, we're fine," Sensei Iruka said.

„I'm sure you will have many questions, but first I must speak with Naruto alone for a moment."

Seriously, my sensei looked at the two. It was Kakashi who finally nodded in agreement and turned to Mizuki himself, lifting the unconscious man.

„I will take him to the village. There, the Hokage will then decide how we will proceed with him. Iruka please join me as soon as possible so we can clarify the circumstances." Then he was gone.

When Naruto and Iruka were also gone, I turned my gaze back towards Genma. My eyes narrowed slightly as I thought of Mizukis words.

„Well, you can ask dear, cowardly Genma, who's still running away from his past. I'm sure he could tell you a lot about it."

Firmly, I pressed my lips together as that memory flooded my mind. For a long time, I had feared, or hoped, that Genma knew more about my past than I did. But now I had to face it, already suspecting that some things would catch me very off guard.

„What did Mizuki tell you Tora?" asked Genma.

I winced, not having expected him to address me directly about it.

„He said you were hiding from your past, s-"

Genma cut me off with a simple wave of his hand.

„Don't call me that because I'm not."

An inner struggle was reflected on his usually controlled features.

„I am your uncle, Tora."

This news struck me like a bolt of lightning. Once again, my life was turned upside down, because I had assumed that everyone in my family had passed away. But somehow it fit, because now I realized so many things.

„That's why you knew so well about my abilities," I concluded.

Genma nodded. „Yes, that is true. Because I possess them as well. I am the younger brother of your mother, from whom you inherited the Kekkei Genkai."

A sudden relief flooded through me as I realized that he was related to Mother instead of Father. And yet, at the same time, a gloomy thought crept into my mind along with it.

„Do you feel any negative feelings toward me because my mother died giving birth to me?", I asked softly, earning a dismayed look from my "new" uncle.

„Never! How could I? You are not to blame at all, believe me."

I nodded slowly, trying to process the jumbled emotions somehow. Too many swirled around in my head. Questions upon questions, all of which had yet to be resolved.

„Uncle Genma." He winced slightly at the mention and turned back to me. It seemed as if he had been deep in thought until just now, for his eyes passed through me as if they saw another image.

"Tell me everything," I demanded, and he nodded slowly.

„Your father, Akaya was once a shinobi of Kirigakure. However, only as a child. When your mother was still a genin herself, she found him on a mission in the middle of the forest. He had fled from Kirigakure and hoped to find refuge in Konoha, since his family was killed due to an alleged treason against the state. Hikari, which is your mother's name, took pity on him and interceded for your father before the Hokage, and in the end he was allowed to stay. After her teammate Meiyo had to take a long break due to a serious injury, Akaya took his place in the team. And over time, the two fell in love with each other," Genma said quietly, taking a short break from talking.

I sat spellbound in front of him and listened to the story of my parents. So my father had also experienced terrible things in his childhood. But nevertheless, that was no reason to let something like that out on his child.

„In the beginning, I even got along very well with Akaya, until we all got wind of his true thoughts and views. Your mother hadn't told him about her Kekkei Genkai before but made him think it was a difficult jutsu. When he found out, it ended in a heated argument." Genma shook his head and closed his eyes.

„Since your father was once a shinobi from Kirigakure, he, like many other residents of that land, feared any Kekkei Genkai, as the clans there had often been used for warfare with their special abilities. On top of that, Hikari was pregnant with you at the time. Filled with the thought that the child could grow into a destructive force, your father ordered her to abort you.

For a long time, I had kept out of their affairs, hoping that Akaya would come to his senses. But that was not the case. I talked to him long and hard, trying to dissuade him from this goal. Finally, it came to it that Hikari and he separated. Whereby your mother had to tear herself away from him rather forcibly, because he didn't want to let her go."

Startled, I looked at Genma.

„Not let her go? But didn't he love her, then he should have understood or not?"

„Actually, he did, but Akaya was so fixated on the idea that the Kekkei Genkai was a destructive power that he couldn't let anyone dissuade him. And this caused him to direct his hatred toward something, and that was you." Sadly, he looked at me.

„After your mother died in childbirth, his hatred became more and more immense. He took sole custody of you and pretended to the Hokage that he loved you more than anything. When I approached him about taking care of you as well, we argued again. The argument finally ended with him threatening to kill you if I interfered in his affairs again."

Trembling, I nodded. „Now I understand. Due to the fact that Mother, in order to protect me, separated from him, he directed his hatred towards me, seeing in me the reason for all the quarrelling. Now I realize so many things."

Cautiously I rose, realizing how unsteady I was on my feet. This had clearly been too much information now. And I would need time to process it. With difficulty, I walked toward my uncle and held out my hand to him.

„There is nothing I can forgive you for, because now I understand your motives. But the time with my father has changed me. I don't know if I will ever again be in full possession of the emotions that a normal shinobi, is capable of feeling. And even if I did, I would not be able to love. Too great is my fear that the one might be like father."

Genma grabbed my hand and let me pull her up.

„Time heals all wounds Tora. Some faster and some slower."

Sadly, I returned the look.

„I don't know if I can believe that."