Chương 17: Chapter 17: Echoes of Guilt
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the quiet training ground, its heat still lingering in the air even as the day began to cool. With academy hours over, most students had already dispersed, leaving the area almost deserted. The only sounds that remained were the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional distant chirp of birds. Shin stood in the center of the training ground, arms crossed and gaze fixed on Naruto, who was shifting uneasily from one foot to the other. Iruka had left them alone for a while to practice, but Shin's patience was already wearing thin.
"Alright, Naruto," Shin began, his voice sharp and laced with a venom he couldn't suppress. "Let's just get this over with. Perform the Clone Jutsu quickly so we can stop this bullshit." His words hung in the air, heavy with disdain, the bitterness in his tone unmistakable.
Naruto looked at him, his usual goofy grin faltering for a moment. He shifted uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, sure! I can do it! Just give me a sec!" he replied with an uneasy laugh, trying to cover his insecurities.
Shin clenched his fists. This was such a waste of time. He had better things to do, more important things to focus on—things that could actually help him stand a chance against Sasuke. But now, here he was, forced to help this monster who couldn't even perform a simple jutsu.
Naruto took a deep breath and formed the hand signs, his concentration evident, but as he finished, the result was as expected: a puff of smoke, and in its place, only a single, wobbly clone that vanished almost immediately.
Shin's face twisted into a scowl. "Pathetic. You really can't even do the most basic technique," he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he watched Naruto's defeated expression. "I knew this was going to be a waste of time."
Naruto, looking discouraged, slumped slightly. "I—I can do it, just... just give me another try!"
Shin's voice cut through the air, icier this time. "Hurry up. I don't have all day. You want to graduate or not?"
Naruto nodded eagerly, trying once more, his hands shaking slightly as he formed the hand signs. This time, two clones appeared, but they were weak and unstable, flickering like a dying candle.
Shin's patience snapped. "That's still crap!" he barked. "You're wasting my time. Do you think Sasuke is going to go easy on you just because you can't make a proper clone? You're pathetic. I should be out there training, not babysitting you."
Naruto's face darkened, his eyes narrowing. "Shut up!" he snapped back, fists clenched. "I'm trying, okay?! You don't know what it's like!"
Shin stepped forward, getting into Naruto's face, his anger bubbling over. "You think I care about your excuses? You're a demon, Naruto. The one who killed my mother, and now you want me to help you? Pathetic." The words were like venom, dripping with raw, unfiltered hatred.
As Shin stepped forward, the burning anger in his chest fueled every word. His hatred toward Naruto, rooted in the trauma of his mother's death, surged to the surface. However, before he could say another word, Naruto's fists clenched tightly, his voice trembling as the dam of his own frustration finally broke.
"Why?!" Naruto yelled, his voice raw with emotion. "Why do I have to suffer like this? Why does everyone look at me like I'm some kind of monster?!" He took a step forward, his eyes desperate, wide, and filled with confusion. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask to be treated like this! I just want to be accepted, to be understood! But all you do is hate me!"
Shin stopped in his tracks, the intensity of Naruto's words shaking him. For a moment, he was speechless, the anger and bitterness in his heart faltering in the face of Naruto's pain. The boy's anguish—raw and unfettered—sliced through Shin's hatred like a blade.
Naruto's eyes were brimming with tears, and his voice cracked as he continued, his hands shaking. "I didn't kill your mom, Shin! I didn't do anything to you! Why do you blame me for everything? Why do you hate me so much when I'm just trying to survive like everyone else?"
Shin's breath caught in his throat. For the first time, doubt began to creep into his mind. Why did he blame Naruto? His mother's death had been a result of the Nine-Tails' attack, but that didn't make Naruto responsible. He had just been a child—a vessel for the demon fox. Yet, Shin had poured all of his pain and anger onto him, the wrong target all along.
A wave of realization washed over Shin, and in that instant, the blind hatred he'd carried for so long began to crumble. His stomach twisted with guilt, and he reached out, a soft whisper of an apology on his lips. "Naruto, I—"
But before he could say anything more, Naruto's face twisted in pain. His eyes were glassy, a sheen of tears forming, and without another word, he turned and bolted away, his footsteps hurried and filled with a desperation to escape.
Shin's heart tightened as he watched Naruto run, his words of regret dying on his tongue. He stood there, frozen, the weight of his actions crashing down on him. What had he done? Naruto, who had been a victim all along, had carried so much pain for something he couldn't control, and Shin had added to that pain.
Shin didn't move. He simply stood there, his mind reeling. The boy he had despised for so long, the boy he had blamed for his mother's death, had now become the one who needed healing more than anyone else.
For the first time in his life, Shin understood what it really meant to hurt another person. The realization hit him harder than any punch, and all he could do was watch as Naruto ran, his small, fragile figure disappearing into the distance.
...
The next day, Shin sat in the classroom, his eyes bloodshot and heavy-lidded, the result of a sleepless night. Every time he closed his eyes, the image of Naruto's pained expression flashed in his mind. The anger, the accusations, the harsh words—he couldn't escape them. The guilt churned inside him like a storm, preventing him from finding rest during the night.
And so, desperate to push the guilt aside, Shin had focused on something he could control: his chakra. He needed to practice, to refocus his mind and so he had tried to practice the Healing Jutsu. The glowing green light was supposed to flow from his palms, soothing injuries and wounds, but as he had formed the necessary hand signs, nothing happened. His chakra had felt completely out of balance. His hands had remained empty, no green light, no healing energy.
Frustrated, he had shifted his attention to other techniques—the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Jutsu and the jutsus he had learned from the library's scrolls, but once again, nothing happened. His chakra control, usually so precise, was a mess. It was as though his mind and chakra were no longer in sync. He could barely focus enough to perform even the simplest jutsus.
The guilt had twisted his chakra control into something erratic and unstable. He couldn't focus. He couldn't practice. How could he possibly be a shinobi when he was so consumed by his own mistakes? He slammed his fist on the desk, trying to suppress the feelings rising in his chest, but the anger was no longer directed at Naruto. It was aimed at himself.
Iruka was speaking at the front of the room, but Shin barely heard a word. His thoughts were consumed with guilt and self-loathing. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had caused irreversible damage to Naruto, who already carried so much pain.
...
The lesson finally ended, and the students began to filter out of the room. Shin, however, stayed behind, his resolve firming up with each passing second. He couldn't leave things like this. He had to make things right. He had to apologize to Naruto.
As the last of the students filtered out, Shin stood up, his legs heavy with the weight of his guilt. He walked to the door and paused, glancing back at the classroom. His hand hovered over the door handle, but he hesitated for just a moment longer. He knew what he had to do, but facing Naruto after everything felt like an impossible task.
But there was no going back now. He couldn't let this guilt continue to suffocate him. With a deep breath, he stepped out into the hallway, determined to find Naruto and make amends for all the hurt he had caused him.
To be continued...
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How was this chapter? Trying to set up the Naruto lore more, do you like it?
Ah, and don't forget to check out my original novel Hyperborea!
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