章節 235: 234
Haruto trudged alongside his team, the weight of his mistake settling heavily on his shoulders. He couldn't believe what he had done—letting his anger take control, leaving Shisui and Daichi behind, chasing after Aika. Dammit.
They eventually stopped in a quiet spot, far enough from any potential threats. Haruto turned to face Shisui and Daichi, guilt gnawing at him. "I messed up," he said, his voice quieter than usual. "I shouldn't have run off like that."
Shisui and Daichi exchanged a glance, both of them clearly waiting for more. It was Daichi who broke the silence first, crossing his arms. "Damn straight you shouldn't have. But… you wanna explain why you did it?"
Haruto sighed, the knot in his stomach tightening. He reached into his pouch and pulled out the crumpled photo Aika had thrown at him. Daichi grabbed it first, frowning as he studied the image. Then, he passed it to Shisui, who raised an eyebrow, recognizing it immediately.
"This… this is the woman… Obaa-chan," Daichi muttered, his tone softening. "The one from her funeral. She's holding you as a kid."
Haruto nodded, his expression hardening. "Aika killed her. She did it just to make me mad, to mess with my head. That's why she threw that photo. She wanted to draw me into a trap."
Shisui let out a low whistle, his brow furrowing. "Well, if that was her goal, I'd say it worked."
Haruto let out a humorless chuckle. "Yeah… it worked. Too well."
Shisui's gaze sharpened, and he stepped closer, his tone more serious now. "But why? Who would go to those lengths just to mess with you? Who did you piss off, Haruto?"
The question hung in the air for a moment. Haruto's mind raced. How was he supposed to explain this? He knew exactly who had orchestrated this, but saying it out loud was a different matter. ROOT was a ghost organization—people whispered about it, but no one truly knew the extent of its reach. And Danzo? He had never even met the man.
Shisui had his suspicions too. His mind flashed to Haruto's essay—the Uchiha Police Force letter. That had definitely stirred the pot in some circles, ruffled some important feathers. But Shisui knew that killing Haruto wouldn't change what had already started. Those embers were being fanned by others, killing Haruto would do nothing.
Daichi, less patient, pressed for more. "So? Who could be mad enough to pull something like this? Who?"
Haruto hesitated. "I don't know. She wouldn't tell me anything." It was technically the truth. The curse seal had seen to that.
Daichi frowned, clearly unconvinced. "We should tell Sensei. He'll know what to do about this. He'll want to know."
"No." Haruto's response was immediate, almost too sharp. He softened his tone quickly, knowing his teammates were just trying to help, but his mind was set. "No. If we tell Sakumo-sensei, this turns into something bigger. I don't want that. We need to just… let this go."
The truth was, Haruto hoped that doing nothing would somehow reset things—make everything "normal" again. He didn't want to fan the flames any more than he already had. If they started digging into this, into Danzo, into ROOT… it would only make things worse. And Haruto wasn't ready for that kind of fight. Not yet.
Shisui, ever the sharp observer, nodded slowly, though there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. "Alright. But don't go running off again like that. Whatever's coming next, we'll face it together. Got it?"
Haruto managed a small nod. "Yeah. I got it."
Daichi sighed, clearly less satisfied but willing to let it slide for now. "Just… let's not pull this again, alright?"
Before they turned away, Haruto felt a sudden weight on his chest. He didn't want to lie to them. Not Shisui or Daichi. His eyes shifted to the ground as he spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "Look, just because she didn't tell me doesn't mean I don't know who sent her."
Daichi and Shisui turned to him, their attention focused completely on Haruto now.
"I know who's behind this," Haruto continued, forcing himself to meet their eyes. "And I know I was a really shitty teammate just now, but I'm going to ask you to trust me on this. We can't face it—not yet. Not now."
Shisui's brow furrowed, but he stayed silent, giving Haruto the space to continue.
Haruto sighed, his voice softening. "Don't ask me for now, okay? But one day—maybe years from now, maybe even a decade—I'll tell you everything. And when that day comes, if you want to help me get revenge… you can."
Shisui and Daichi exchanged a glance, the weight of Haruto's words sinking in.
"But for now, we're in no position to do anything. Not yet."
Shisui studied Haruto closely, his sharp eyes scanning his friend. Haruto was very intelligent, and strong for a genin, even a most chunin wouldn't stand a chance. One day if Haruto kept growing the way had been, Haruto was going to be a terrifyingly good shinobi. But right now, he was telling them they didn't stand a chance. Shisui knew to trust that judgment.
Daichi, on the other hand, took it more simply. Damn it. Why did things have to be so complicated? He thought back to the scar on his chest, the mark of a battle that would've taken his life if not for Haruto. He's my friend. Haruto had saved him, and Daichi knew he owed him. Even if it meant doing nothing for now.
Both Daichi and Shisui nodded in silent agreement. They'd trust Haruto, follow his lead. They would let this go—for now.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票