Yo, yo. It's 12Ookami12. Here again with another installment of Who Are You. For those of you who are still reading this story, I thank you very much. I'm not able to dedicate as much time to these stories as I used to. If you like this chapter, feel free to let me know your thoughts in the review section.
If anyone at all from Midnight Lost's Discord Server sees this. I hope everyone is in good health and is doing alright! Will see you guys if get some time on my hands.
Now, that's enough rambling from me. Let the story commence.
"Regular Talking"
'Thoughts'
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights go to the respective owners
Chapter IV
It was 4 a.m., and Naruto was still wide awake. Normally, waking early wouldn't be an issue for him—but this time was different. He and Satomi had gotten back from their outing well past midnight, and after walking her home, he hadn't returned to his apartment until a little after 1 a.m. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, sleep refused to come.
Staring up at the ceiling, he asked. "Why can't I fall asleep?" His question was met with silence in the empty room. Tossing around a little more as he re-arranged his pillows for the hundredth time, the blonde stopped and looked at his window. "Maybe some fresh air will help." Bare-chested, the boy stepped onto the cold, hardwood floor and walked over to his bedroom window.
As he opened the curtains, a genuine smile appeared on his face. "Someday I'm gonna have to thank the Old Man for this view." Naruto muttered to himself. Opening the window to his apartment on the top floor of the building, the blonde closed his eyes as he allowed the crisp and chilly early-morning air wash over him.
It felt refreshing.
Sitting on the window's ledge, the blonde cast his gaze over the sleeping village. Naruto could never pinpoint why, but seeing the village like this—enveloped in the gentle glow of the moonlight, unbothered by the presence of its…distasteful residents, always succeeded in bringing him comfort.
He closed his eyes, as if he were in a meditative trance, and allowed his senses to stretch out and take in all of the serene beauty nature had to offer. The whistling of the wind, the chirps of the land's natural orchestra, the scent of the many florae being carried on the wind, the distant sounds of dogs playing with each other. Re-opening his eyes, he had the same genuine smile on his face. "I should go for a walk."
As he was about to close the window and pull on a shirt for his walk, he looked back at his bed and recalled the sleep he had lost. Looking back out the window and then back at his bed, Naruto shrugged and carried on. "Sleep's over-rated anyway."
With his hands in his hoodie's pockets, Naruto slowly strolled through the empty streets of Konoha. As he walked and took in the sights of the barren village, he grinned to himself. "Ya know, this place ain't half bad. Minus the asshole villagers and we've got a real gem on our hands." Chuckling at his own words, the blonde threw his hands behind his head as his stride got some extra bounce.
With no direction in mind, the blonde merrily walked until he reached a children's playground. He paused and looked at all the amenities. Swings, slides, a jungle gym, rock-climbing wall—all these and more that he never got the chance to play on.
With friends at least.
He could recall seeing children playing on all of these things and as soon as he tried to play with them, they would leave, or their parents would tell him to leave their kids alone.
A tear escaped down his cheek before he quickly wiped it away and continued on his merry walk, though his stride had lost some of its energy.
His walk would eventually lead him to the market street. As he strolled past all the closed vendor stalls, he stopped at one. As if the memory was playing out in real-time, he could see the vendor getting mad at him for merely being interested in one of the masks—specifically, a white fox mask.
"Get out of here, you freak."
He recalled the man's words as he was hit on the head with the very same fox mask he had been admiring. He recalled the look all the other villagers gave him. They looked at him as if he weren't human, as if he didn't deserve to breathe same air they did, as if their eyes could burn a hole through his heart and remove his life from their presence.
Squeezing his eyes shut as tears threatened to escape them, he threw his hands behind his head and muttered, "Mask wasn't that cool anyway," as he kept on his way, noticeably slower than before.
Around 5 a.m., his walk led him to the gates of the Uchiha Compound. A real smile crept onto his face as he recalled the girl that had found a way to sneak into his life.
'What did I do to deserve you, eh, Tomato-chan?'
Stepping through the gates, an unnatural chill ran up the boy's spine. He didn't know how it was possible but the air past those gates felt different. It felt ominous, and unusually cold. A few times he could've sworn he heard voices. Voices pleading for him to stop, for him to not do it, voices screaming in pain before going silent.
Naruto looked around at the empty and dark houses and had to question how Tomato-chan walked through those gates every day, while also applauding the fact that she walked through those gates every day. Thinking about it made him even more grateful to have her in his life. With all the things she's gone through, and is currently going through, she found it in herself to open up to him, to let him in, to help him.
Walking the increasingly familiar road, Naruto allowed his feet to bring him to Satomi's home. Quietly going around to the backyard, he climbed a tree and sat on a branch overlooking Satomi's bedroom window.
"Tch, tch, tch, tch, tch. Forgetting to pull your curtains, Tomato-chan. For shame." He joked to himself. Looking at her through the window he couldn't deny how cute she looked, bed-head and all. Smiling, he quickly and quietly descended the tree. With one last look at his friend, he muttered. "See you tomorrow, Tomato-chan, or today. Bah, you know what I mean."
With his hands back in his hoodie's pockets, Naruto was slowly walking back to his apartment, finally feeling sleep nipping at his ankles.
As he opened his mouth to yawn, he called out, "I thought old guys needed their sleep."
A voice chuckled before a figure appeared out of the darkness. "I must be out of practice. Snot-nosed brats like you can pick up on me"
Pausing in his tracks, Naruto chuckled. "Well, you do sit behind a desk all day."
The Old Man chuckled. "Touche." Falling into step, the pair continued their walk. "So, what's brings you out at this hour, Naruto."
"I could ask you the same thing, Old Man. Without your protective-detail no less." The boy answered, side-eyeing the aged leader.
Hiruzen smiled. "Nothing gets by you, does it?"
Tapping his nose, Naruto responded. "With how important I am to this village; it pays to always be aware." Saying the word 'important' as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.
The pair stopped on a bridge that led to Naruto's apartment building.
Hearing that tone of voice, Hiruzen could tell that Naruto was still upset with him. Sighing deeply, the Old Man spoke. "Naruto, I'm…"
"Don't." Holding out his hand, Naruto interrupted. "Just don't." The second time he spoke, his voice wavered. The blonde broke eye-contact with the Old Man and looked away, blinking away tears as he reigned in his emotions.
Hiruzen stayed silent, watching as Naruto composed himself, knowing the young man had something he wanted say. After a few minutes, he watched as the boy took a breath and made eye contact with him.
"I'm mad." The boy finally says, the well behind his eyes shattering. "I'm mad that my parents were taken from me. I'm mad that I house the thing that took them from me." By now tears were freely flowing down his face, but he was managing to not shout. "I'm mad that I spend every day of my life protecting people who hate my guts. And I'm mad at you." Pointing at the Old Man. "I'm mad that I had to spend the first nine years of my life not knowing why people hated me, not knowing why I didn't have parents. I'm mad that I had to find out that one of the only people I trusted, lied to me about everything."
A silence fell over the pair, Naruto still glaring at the Hokage with endless streams of tears going down his face, and Hiruzen, silently allowing the boy's words to soak in. Looking at the young man, seeing the tears, seeing how torn up he was on the inside, Hiruzen felt his age now, more than ever before.
After what felt like an eternity, Hiruzen broke the silence. "Naruto, I…I had every intention of…"
"Bullshit!" The boy interrupted, his rage momentarily spilling out. "Ever since I could remember, I asked, demanded, I BEGGED YOU to tell me who my parents were. Over and over, I begged you to tell me why my life was like this, and you lied to me every single time. EVERY SINGLE TIME!" The boy took a moment to take a few breaths to reign in his trembling rage. Wiping the tears away, he spoke again, his tone even. "And now you want me to forgive you. After I had to practically beat the information out of you, you want me to just forget that you betrayed my trust."
"Naruto…I"
The boy turned his back to the Hokage. "I have to get going, Old Man. I haven't slept yet and I need my rest." He then started walking away. "I'm sure you understand."
Sighing in defeat as he watched the young man walk away, he answered, "I do."
Before he was completely out of earshot, the blonde paused and without turning around, he called out. "Hey, Old Man."
Perking up a bit, Hiruzen answered. "Yes, Naruto."
"Thanks for the view." With that, the blonde continued his trek to his home.
Standing on the bridge all alone, the old leader allowed the last few minutes to replay in his mind. In his 60+ years of life, he had made many mistakes and made many ill-advised choices, but none have ever bothered him more than the choices he made toward Naruto.
Looking up at the sky, the Hokage took in the village before him—the village Naruto protected despite everything it had done to him. He thought back to the way the boy had spoken, how he held back his anger until he couldn't anymore, how he had refused empty apologies but still acknowledged the man who had let him down.
Naruto's words had stung, but Hiruzen knew he had earned them. Every single one.
"Thanks for the view."
Despite everything, Naruto had still found something worth holding onto—something Hiruzen had given him, even if unintentionally. It was a small thing, insignificant compared to the weight of his failures, but it was something.
He exhaled softly, turning away from the bridge and beginning his own walk back. "You may never forgive me, Naruto." His voice was barely above a whisper. "But that doesn't mean I'll stop trying to make things right for you." And with that, the Third Hokage continued into the early morning, carrying both his regrets and his resolve.
It was 12 p.m. in the afternoon before Satomi finally woke up. Sitting up in her bed and stretching out her limbs, the girl squinted her eyes as rays from the high noon sun poured into her room.
'Note to self: Remember to close your curtains next time.'
Closing her blinds so she wouldn't go blind, the girl spared a few minutes to properly make her bed and tidy her room. Afterward, she went to the bathroom and got out of the clothes she had been wearing since the prior day. After a hot shower and a change of clothes into a black crop top under a sleeveless, navy-blue hoodie and grey sweat pants, she ate breakfast, brushed her teeth and packed a training bag before locking up and making her way into the village.
Her immediate goal was to get some training at one of the training grounds outside the village. She preferred the exterior training grounds due to them not being used as much; so often times she had the training ground to herself.
On her way to her destination, she could feel the eyes of the villagers on her. She inwardly sighed. 'Don't these people have anything better to do than watch me.' Glancing out the corner of her eye, she saw the usual, which was them waving and greeting her. What she didn't expect to see, were a few of the villagers looking at her as if she had done something to upset them.
'That's…odd.' She glanced around a few more times and noticed that there were quite a few other residents also giving her dirty looks. She watched as these people whispered to others and soon, she could see the cheerful expressions become ones of distaste.
While she didn't care for how the villagers perceived her, the sudden shift in their attitude toward her was too noticeable to ignore. Re-focusing her gaze on her path, she saw that she was nearing the main gate. After checking in with the guards to let them know where she was going, she was back on her way to the training ground.
On her way, she couldn't help but think of the villagers and their strange behavior toward her. "Something's changed with them. They're not usually like that." She muttered to herself. As she was closing in on Training Ground 25, she had this nagging feeling in the back of her head, telling her that she had seen those same dirty looks before, just not directed at her. Before she could ponder on it anymore, she arrived at her destination.
Placing her training bag under a tree, she started stretching. "I'll think about it later. For now, it's time to work up a sweat."
"Yo, Scarecrow."
Kakashi's lone eye flicked up from his Icha Icha, and he paused mid-step. Over his shoulder, he spotted Anko, who was on the arm of Iruka, waving at him. The pair strolled toward him, casual and relaxed.
"Afternoon, Anko, Iruka." Kakashi greeted, his voice friendly as the trio fell into step with each other.
Leaning over to peek at his book, Anko smirked. "How do you walk around reading that smut without pitching a tent?"
Iruka stifled a laugh, shaking his head at his girlfriend's complete lack of shame.
"A lot of self-control." Kakashi answered with an amused chuckle. No matter the time of day, Anko would always be Anko. "So, where are you two headed?"
"Nowhere really." Iruka replied, lacing his fingers with Anko's. "It's a nice Sunday afternoon, and since Anko-chan didn't have any work to do, I figured we could go for a walk."
"Hm." Kakashi acknowledged with a nod, flipping a page.
"So…" Anko began, tilting her head curiously, "…what time did you get back last night, Scarecrow?"
"Past midnight." Kakashi replied, his visible eye holding a glint of humor. "Seems Naruto's love for exploration is rubbing off on Satomi. They spent hours out at that old place, just looking around, trying to find Kami knows what."
Iruka smiled. Considering that the blonde was missing for a week now, it was good to hear that he was doing alright. It was especially good to hear that somehow, he and Satomi had become friends.
"That late, huh?" Anko mused as she hugged Iruka a little closer. "I'm sure glad I didn't stay. Watching the kids was all well and good, but I need my Iruka-time."
Iruka flushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as Anko grinned.
"You know…" she continued, her voice becoming playfully scandalous, "…if those kids were teenagers, getting back that late would have a whole other meaning."
"ANKO!" Iruka sputtered, his face turning a deep shade of red.
"What? It's true!" She shrugged innocently before leaning toward him with a teasing smirk. "You can't tell me that when you were younger, you never snuck around when you were with…"
A quick kiss from Iruka cut her off.
For the first time, Anko blushed, blinking rapidly before looking away, an embarrassed smile on her face.
Iruka grinned victoriously, loving the fact that he knew how to shut her up
As much as his attention was on his book, Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle at the young couple's antics.
A comfortable silence fell over the trio as they enjoyed their walk. The couple were enjoying each other's presence, while Kakashi was enjoying his book.
Then…
"Did you hear? The Uchiha Heiress was seen with that… that thing coming from the forest late last night."
Kakashi's pace stilled, his aloof posture remained unchanged and his eye still on his book, but his ears were listening to what he overheard.
Off to the side, seated on a bench with half-empty drinks, three men sat speaking in hushed, yet bitter voices.
The first man took a slow swig from his bottle before answering. "Yeah, I heard. My buddy was coming back from a mission last night and spotted them coming out of the forest."
The second scoffed, leaning back against the bench. "It's bad enough that freak is allowed to live amongst the rest of us, but now he's tainting the only decent human being to come out of the Uchiha clan."
The third man, darker in expression, drank the last of his drink before tossing the empty bottle into a trash can. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." He muttered. "From what I hear, the Uchiha looked happy to be around that spawn." He then looked at his friends, his expression darker. "How decent can someone be if they enjoy spending time with that cur."
His friends exchanged glances, silent for a moment before nodding in quiet agreement.
Then, the third man exhaled through his nose, lips curling in disgust. "Reminds me of the people running that damned ramen stall." He sneered, his fingers gripping the edge of the table. "If it weren't for that puppet of a Kage, I'd have burned that damned place to the ground a long time ago."
Suddenly, the air shifted.
An imperceptible force pressed down on the men, and suddenly, the three of them stiffened. It was as if an invisible grip had wrapped around their throats, squeezing just enough to send their hearts hammering against their ribs. A cold sweat broke out on their brows, their breath hitching in their throats. For a moment, they saw their lives flash before their eyes, and as quickly as the feeling came, it went.
The trio sat frozen, unable to move, unable to think past the cold, invisible grip that had suddenly wrapped around their throats. Their bodies trembled as their clothes became damp with sweat. They looked up, wildly searching for their source of fear…
…and found him.
Standing a few feet away from them, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his book, a single eye looking at them, was Kakashi.
First, their bladders failed.
Kakashi spoke. His voice calm, cheery even.
"I misheard what you all just said. Right?"
Then their bowels followed.
The men turned ghostly pale as they realized that they had been heard. Sweating bullets, the men frantically nodded.
"Good." Kakashi responded lightly, his signature eye-smile on his face. "Would be a shame if I didn't."
Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned his attention back to his book and resumed his leisurely walk. "Go get yourselves cleaned up. No need for your scents to match your personalities."
With no need to be told twice, the men bolted from the bench; practically tripping over themselves as they ran as fast as their squelching feet would carry them.
A silence fell over the area.
The civilians around the vicinity who had witnessed the brief exchange, all wisely decided to shut up. No one wanted to risk drawing the attention of the Copy Ninja.
Anko whistled lowly, a grin on her face as she watched the fleeing men. "Damn, Scarecrow. Remind to never get on your bad side.
Kakashi flipped a page in his book and spoke nonchalantly. "That was my good side."
Iruka, who had been fuming only moments ago, found himself utterly impressed. The way Kakashi had handled it, without raising his voice, without a single physical threat, was a masterclass in authority. The man shook his head in admiration. 'The power of a true elite, I guess.'
Anko, on the other hand, grinned. "Heh. Maybe I should start carrying around a little book of my own. Might make me scarier."
Kakashi eye smiled. "Somehow, Anko, I don't think you need any help in that department."
The trio had a good chuckle at that, as they continued their walk as if nothing had happened.
Finishing her bottle of water, Satomi let out a satisfied sigh, her thirst quenched. She wiped the sweat from her face with a towel, feeling a quiet sense of accomplishment. Five hours of intense training had pushed her limits, and she could humbly admit she had improved.
'Not on his level, though.' The thought surfaced as she recalled the effortless precision and strength Naruto had demonstrated at the pond. Even though he hadn't shown her the full extent of his abilities, that single display was enough for her to know there was a gap between them.
"Yet. You aren't good enough to hit a target like that yet. Keep practicing, and you'll get there."
Naruto's words echoed in her mind, and she found herself smiling. She was progressing—step by step, training session by training session.
Her gaze drifted over the training area, settling on the many kunai marks scarring the target boards. Some were off the mark, but many were close—much closer than before. Pride swelled in her chest at the visible proof of her improvement.
"Yeah..." she murmured, "...just not there yet. But one day... I will be."
She liked this—the feeling of steady progress, of knowing she was getting stronger, of being able to hold onto the confidence that she could keep moving forward. The last time she had felt this way was when her brother was training her. And now, she had Naruto to thank for it.
Thinking of him, and how close they had gotten in just a few days, made her chuckle at how it had all started. 'All because I was following him.'
As she recalled that day, a particular detail in her memory struck her.
'The way the villagers were looking at me this morning... that's how they were looking at Naruto.'
She frowned. The more she thought about it, the less sense it made. What could Naruto have possibly done to earn that kind of disdain? What was it about him that made so many people look at him with such coldness? And now, she assumed that by associating with him, they were doing the same to her
"I'm getting nowhere like this." With a sigh, Satomi stood, stuffing her towel and bottle into her bag. The questions gnawed at her, and she had a feeling she wouldn't be able to figure them out on her own.
"If I'm going to understand this, I need to find Naruto." She slung her bag over her shoulder, stepping off the training ground with newfound resolve. "Maybe we can figure it out together."
It took her a few minutes to make it back to the main gate. After checking in at the security post, she began making her way to Hokage Monument. As she was making her through the village, her mind was still preoccupied with the situation. Not paying attention to where she was going, Satomi accidentally knocked over a little girl who was running by.
Snapping back to reality, Satomi was quick to apologize. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going and I didn't see you." Stooping down. Satomi went to help the little girl up when a loud voice rang out.
"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!"
Standing up and looking behind her, Satomi saw a furious woman stomping toward her. Before she could utter an apology, the woman roughly shoved her out of the way.
Steadying herself so she didn't fall, Satomi was surprised—so surprised, she could only stay silent as she watched the woman comfort her daughter. The surprise steadily wore off and was replaced by confusion when the woman turned to confront her.
"You…' the woman spoke, pointing at Satomi, her voice dripping with disdain. "…keep away from my daughter."
"It was just an accident." Satomi spoke evenly. "Why are you being so rude to me?"
The woman scoffed, as if the notion of being rude to this…person was absurd. "You've been tainted by that demonic freak." She then leveled Satomi with a glare so heated, it would melt a glacier. "I won't have my daughter associating herself with either of you, lest she becomes tainted as well." The woman then grabbed her daughter's hand and began walking away. Before she was out of earshot, the woman looked over her shoulder and spoke. "If I were you, I'd distance myself from that scum. Nothing good comes from being friends with his kind." With that, the woman walked away.
Satomi could only stare at the woman's back in disbelief. The sheer hostility in her voice, the way she spoke as if she was dirty just for being around Naruto—it was unsettling.
She wanted to say something, to ask what the hell was her problem with Naruto, but the look in the woman's eyes, the way she had clutched her daughter as if Satomi was some kind of disease, told her that any attempt to talk would be futile.
Brushing off the encounter, using it to fuel her resolve to learn what the real issue was, Satomi continued on her path. The further she walked on the street, the more she noticed how the villagers behaved. It wasn't just the woman from before. Others had been watching—shopkeepers, villagers passing by, an elderly man sitting outside a tea shop. They weren't outright hostile, but the way their eyes lingered, spoke volumes. Quiet judgment. Mild contempt. Some averted their gaze, pretending not to see her, while others whispered among themselves, their voices just low enough that she couldn't make out the words, but she understood the sentiment well enough.
This wasn't just annoyance or dislike. This was something deeper. A quiet, steady rejection.
'This is what Naruto goes through every day?' She thought as she watched all the villagers she passed by. 'How does he do it? To deal with this crap, day-in day-out.' She got annoyed when they pretended to care about her; for him to deal with this level of hate constantly, and still be the person who became her friend—it made her grateful to have him in her life. To put up with this crap all the time and still have the will to let her in.
'A lot stronger than me, that's for sure.' Reaching the path up the mountain, Satomi quickened her pace. "I may not know why they hate him, but I don't care. He's my friend and I'm not about to let him face this crap alone."
Naruto sat atop the Yondaime's monument, looking out over the village, admiring the view bathed in the golden hues of the steadily setting sun. He sat alone, his mind replaying what had happened not too long ago.
He had been making his way to the monument when he overheard a conversation between some of the villagers. He heard how they were talking about Satomi, as if she wasn't a person, as if she didn't belong in the village, as if she were him.
At first, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. The villager always seemed to worship the ground Satomi walked on, and now they were turning against her because she associated with him. A pit formed in his stomach, realizing what all this negativity toward Satomi could mean for their friendship.
No sooner had that sentiment passed through his mind, the villagers realized that he was within their vicinity and immediately turned their cruelty toward him. They laid into him, berated him for daring to get close to someone as pure as Satomi. They threatened him to stay away from her. Telling him that she was too good to be around his kind.
The more they talked down to him, the more they steadily surrounded him. The way they were looking at him, like he was an insect they could easily step on, made him feel small, insignificant. If it hadn't been for Iruka, his girlfriend and a masked shinobi showing up on the scene and shutting the villagers down, he was sure the abuse would've turned physical.
He ran.
He needed to get away. He didn't stop when he heard Iruka calling out to him, he didn't stop when he bumped into someone on the path to the monument, he didn't stop when he heard a familiar voice call out for him, he didn't stop until he reached his safe space.
Hunched over, tears dripped from his chin, staining the stone beneath him.
"Why?" He choked out. His hands clenched into fists, knuckles becoming white. "Just one friend. Is that really too much to ask for?"
"She's too good to be around the likes of you."
"Leave her alone, or you won't like what we do to you."
"You're going to leave this world the same way you came in; alone and crying."
"WHY?" The boy cried out. For a split second, his blue eyes flashed red and his whisker marks darkened. "I… I…" He stammered, struggling to breathe through the lump in his throat. "I just… I don't want to be alone anymore…"
His voice barely rose above a whisper, the words carrying the weight of years of silent suffering. He clenched his jaw, his shoulders shaking. The loneliness, the rejection—it was unbearable.
And just as another sob threatened to break free, a gentle hand touched his back
His body stiffened. Slowly, he turned his head to the side and saw his friend. "To…tomato-chan?"
The girl smiled. "Yeah, Naruto. Finally managed to sneak up on you, huh?"
He let out a shaky breath, a forced grin stretching across his face. He shut his eyes for a moment, willing the tears to stop, and tried to sound normal. "Ye…yeah. I guess so?" His voice wavered, betraying his attempt at nonchalance. He cleared his throat, forcing himself to continue. "So, ahm… how was your…" Before he could finish, he was pulled into an embrace.
His breath caught in his throat and his arms hung limply at his sides as Satomi pulled him closer; her arms wrapped securely around him. He blinked in surprise, his wide blue eyes staring blankly over her shoulder.
The dam broke.
His body betrayed him—his arms trembling as they slowly came up, hesitating before wrapping themselves around her. The tears came again, but this time, they weren't silent. A soft, shuddering sob left him, muffled against her shoulder.
She tightened her grip and with her face buried in the crook of his neck, she spoke, her voice steady and sure. "You're not going to be alone anymore, Naruto. Not while I'm here."
His lips parted slightly, his breath shuddering against her shoulder. A genuine, fragile smile threatened to break free. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing it down.
No.
They would tear her away from him. They would make her leave. He couldn't—he wouldn't let himself believe this could last.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to break the hug, to push her away. "No… you can't." His voice cracked, heart pounding against his chest. "This was a mistake. You can't be friends with me. The villagers, they…"
"I know about the villagers."
His breath hitched. He felt her hands move, felt them cup his face gently. His eyes snapped open as she forced him to look at her. Her gaze held him in place, unwavering, unshaken.
"And I don't care if they like me."
He froze.
Satomi's dark eyes bore into his, burning with something fierce and unyielding. Defiance. Loyalty. Conviction.
"The only person I care about is you."
Naruto's breath came in shallow gasps. His mind screamed at him to pull away, to run, to protect himself. But his body refused to move.
"I don't know why they hate you…" she continued, her thumbs gently brushing away the tears staining his cheeks, "…and quite frankly? I don't care."
His lips trembled. His fingers curled around her wrists, not to push her away, but to ground himself—to make sure she was really there.
"You are my friend, and I will be damned before I let you go through this alone."
The final wall inside him crumbled.
His forehead dropped against hers, his breath shaky, uneven. His fingers tightened around her wrists, holding on as if she was his lifeline.
"Thank you."
Satomi smiled and embraced him once more. "That's what I'm here for."
Well, there ends the chapter. Hope you all liked it, and feel free to leave whatever thoughts or criticisms you have in the reviews. As long your words are constructive and not downright hateful or malicious, they will be considered.
I'll see you all again when I can.