Beyond The Stars (Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter 110~ Trust

"Monster?" My eyes were starting to burn as this continued on. "Indeed, I was an outcast among the Astara Compound. My eldest brother had rejected the heir and it was passed onto me, but I was too much for the citizens, too much potential. They feared what I could do, my family specializes in swords skills, but I could challenge my dad at the age of four. So I wasn't exactly liked by most people." 

"Why did you take the mission?" My head snapped to the side as I saw Sakura looking down at her palms. A laugh escaped my lips as my hands clasped around the desk's edge. "You didn't tell any of your squad, and you said that if you did you wouldn't have left." 

"That's right, but I didn't have any other option. The Akatsuki are moving quickly, I can't exactly disclose everything with the people here but I couldn't sit idly by knowing what I knew. I wanted to protect you guys and the way I could just happen to be more dangerous." She took a couple steps closer to me, her arms coming up. It was near impossible with my eye strain to make out her expression. "But you didn't have to do that! Naruto and I would have been fine!" 

"You were spiraling when I left, I couldn't have done anything to help you. I'm, for a back of a better word, bad at emotions. I left for you and Naruto, I couldn't help with the Sasuke situation and I feel awful. But I could help with this one, so I did what I had to." I felt the gazes on me and Sakura now, they were watching our dispute. It seemed she also had a lot more to say now that I was being completely transparent. 

"But you didn't have to burden that alone! We were here, and still are!" My body tensed at the sheer irony her words held. My hands splintered the wood I was holding onto, sending the broken bits to the ground. "Like how Naruto burdens the responsibility of bringing Sasuke back. One you set onto him, as he felt guilty that he couldn't help. I did the same thing, except mine was an infiltration mission." 

"It's not like that?" 

"But it's exactly like that! I did what I had to do to keep everyone in this village safe, if the Akatsuki were to attack here the lead wouldn't know what hit it. They are strong, stronger than me. I lost my vision fending off two of them, if there were more I would've been more. But I don't regret what I did because I helped a person escape. For all the lives I took with Orochimaru I want to save triple the amount." My words kept coming out of my mouth. Half of what I was saying I didn't mean to slip, but they kept coming out. "So I did it for you. I did it for Naruto. I wanted to be useful, isn't that enough!" 

"But you have done so much! Think back to Team 7's first-ever mission, you saved all of us because we were too scared to move!" Her hand collided with the desk as she kept going on. "You saved our skin during the Chunin exams against Orochimaru. I know how scared you were against the man, I could see it, but I still couldn't do anything!" 

"But it's nothing, that should be human decency." 

"You helped Sasuke through getting the curse mark. I know what you did on that rooftop for the previous Hokage." Now she's just rubbing salt in the wounds. "And I couldn't save Sarutobi!" 

"You were eleven! You weren't expected to have won against two Hokage's and Orochimaru."  

"Now that you mention it Kritanta has done some pretty amazing things. Hey, Shikamaru remembers the Rin Mission she was in charge of. You told one of the enemies that you'd go insane if you didn't take pills." I hesitantly smiled remembering that mission but winced at Rin's betrayal. Shikamaru hummed, "Yeah I do, you also saved more than just your brother then." 

"You also helped us during the Sasuke mission, even though you had rejected it." Akimichi was the one to speak up this time, but he hadn't finished yet. "And if I recall you were skeptical then too Neji!" 

"She trusted you enough to disable her chakra in her neck Neji." This was Shikamaru. They were sticking up for me, it was strange. A loud sigh came from the Hyuga boy and I could feel everyone's anticipation. "I know it's wrong of me to be skeptical, but I can't help it." 

Jumping from the desk I bee-lined straight for him sticking my hand out. I could see his head move to see my hand before his hand grabbed mine. "I can assure you being skeptical is a good thing. I am really sorry for causing it but I will do all I can to live up to everyone's expectations." 

"Well, I guess that's fine then," He shook my hand before taking it away and crossing his arms. Kiba burst out laughing as did everyone else. "That was scary I thought you two were going to fight or something!" 

"I did too, we should all go eat!" They had livened up now that everything was out in the opening. They were trusting me enough to cast aside the mission, and that's all I could ask for. I really was lucky with the people I met during my time here. 

"That sounds great and all, but I really can't see much anymore." I sheepishly rubbed my hand against the back of my head, looking at them with an awkward smile. Shikamaru placed his hands on my shoulder, letting me know he was there before wrapping my eyes again. Sakura placed the choker fabric between my fingers. "Here is this too." 

Without much thinking, I placed the fabric into my pocket. Everybody knows now, so what's the point of keeping it hidden?