Ch 135

"Naruto..." 

I knew this day would come. I knew I would have to face him. It didn't matter that I wasn't ready for this, ready to expose years of running away and lies. I need to explain it to him. Even if he doesn't forgive me, it will be enough that I could see him one last time. 

I could see his silhouette from where I was, he was outside on the balcony, just standing there. It seemed like we're both nervous for this meeting. 

Then, he took a step inside. The first thing I noticed was his yellow fluffy hair, longer than I remember but still familiar. His head was tilted down so I couldn't see his eyes. 

We stood there for a while, both of us unable to move. 

And I... 

I felt terrible. 

He must hate that I came back. I saw it in the way he didn't smile, didn't even lift his head. He must've looked at me like a ghost, something long buried that clawed its way out of the past. 

I'm not who he remembers. Time changed me, carved pieces away, and what's left... maybe he doesn't recognize it. 

Or maybe he does, and that's worse. I thought he'd look relieved, but he didn't. He just stood there, silent, like he didn't know what to say—or didn't want to say anything at all. And that broke something in me I didn't know was left. 

He doesn't want me back... 

He's not moving. I couldn't stop the tears and emotions that flooded through me as I stared at Naruto in desperation. 

"Naruto?" I called out, my voice quiet as I addressed him. 

I could see him visibly tense, like he was like he was bracing for impact. Like my voice hurt him. Like it angered him. And maybe it did. I shouldn't have come back. 

What was I thinking? That he'd smile? That we'd laugh and pretend nothing happened? The silence between us is louder than any scream. My chest aches—tight, raw, like something inside me is breaking all over again. 

I thought I was ready for this, but I'm not. Not for his silence, not for the way he won't look at me. I don't belong here anymore. 

I don't belong near him. I should've stayed gone. This hurts more than I ever thought it would.

I can't do this...

Please...

"Are you...?" 

I heard Naruto finally speak. But he stopped himself. He didn't finish his sentence. Just stopped, like the words caught fire in his throat. 

He still wouldn't look at me—his head low, fists clenched at his sides. I could see his chest rising and falling, heavy, uneven. He's angry. I know that kind of breathing. He's trying to hold it in. Trying not to explode. 

He must hate me. I left, and now I'm standing here like I deserve something from him. I don't. I don't deserve his forgiveness, or even his voice. Maybe just this—this quiet, this distance—is all he can give me. 

And maybe I've earned that. 

No, I did earn it. 

I don't deserve seeing him again. 

I don't deserve anything... 

"Are you..." He tried once more, but I didn't come out. What is he trying to say? Is it something cruel? 

No... Naruto isn't like that. He never was. But maybe this time... maybe I've pushed him too far. Maybe he's going to ask why I came back, why I'm here now after everything. Why I'm alive. 

God, even I don't know the answer to that. 

I wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to see me again. Maybe that's what he's trying to say—that my place here is gone, that I burned every bridge. 

I'm scared of his words. Terrified. Because whatever he says... I might not survive it. 

And then I heard it—soft, broken, barely a whisper. 

"Real?" The word hung in the air, fragile and unfamiliar. I blinked, unsure if I'd even heard him right. Real? What did he mean by that? My heart stuttered. I looked at him, trying to read something—anything—from his face, but he still wasn't looking at me. 

Just breathing, trembling. Then, slowly, his head lifted. And when our eyes finally met, everything inside me shattered. 

His eyes were bright, wide, glassy with unshed tears. Not angry. Not cold. But overwhelmed, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Like he didn't trust it. 

"Shishi," his voice shaking. My nickname. He said my nickname like it hurt to speak. "Are you real?" 

And I couldn't breathe. Because that wasn't hate in his voice. That was hope. That was pain. That was everything I thought I'd lost forever, it was still alive in his eyes. 

"I'm here, your Shishi is here," I opened my arms wide, and Naruto immediately ran into my embrace. 

The moment his arms wrapped around me, everything else vanished. For the first time in years, I felt safe—truly safe. Like nothing could touch us here. 

His grip was tight, desperate, like he was afraid I'd disappear again if he let go. And I held him just as tightly, burying my face in his shoulder, shaking with the force of it all. It wasn't just a hug—it was home. 

It was warmth, forgiveness, everything I thought I'd never feel again. In that moment, we weren't older, broken, or haunted. We were just Naruto and Ishi. Just us. Like before. Like always. 

And we stayed like that, unmoving, crying, and happy. His heartbeat was loud against my ear, steady but shaken—like he was holding back everything he couldn't say. 

I could feel his fingers clutching the back of my shirt, trembling slightly, like he was afraid this would vanish if he blinked. I squeezed tighter. I needed him to know I was real. That I was here. 

That no matter how far I'd gone or how much I'd changed, this—he—was the one thing I'd never stopped needing. We didn't speak. We didn't have to. The silence now was different from before—full, not empty. 

It wrapped around us, comforting, and for the first time in years, I didn't feel like a stranger to my own name. We were both crying quietly, but neither of us pulled away. He smelled like warmth and the sun—like Konoha, like home. 

I didn't want to ever let go. But eventually, I felt him shift, his breath hitting my neck as he pulled back just enough to look at me. His eyes searched my face with something soft but uncertain. 

He just looked at me, eyes wide and searching, like he was trying to memorize every detail all over again. I did the same. His face was older—sharper around the jaw, a little more tired around the eyes—but still him. Still Naruto. 

Time had carved new lines into both of us, but I saw the boy I remembered beneath it all. The one who never gave up on anyone. 

His gaze lingered on my scars, on the shadows time had left behind. He didn't flinch. He didn't look away. Just stared, like he saw everything—and still wanted to keep looking. 

Then, he opened his mouth, a tired look in his eyes. 

"They've been telling me a lot of things," he said, voice low and raw. "That you're not the same, that you're dangerous." 

I am not surprised, they have been on my back every since I got back. But I can understand it. 

"What do you think?" I asked, letting my hand caress his soft hair. Naruto leaned into my touch, letting out a breath. 

"I don't know..." he mumbled. "I've heard all sorts of rumors, but seeing you... it's different. You've changed, I can feel it. The way you look at things, the way you carry yourself. It's not the same." 

I felt my eyes drop to the floor, a wave of sadness coming over me as I am shown how obvious my change has been. 

"Oh..." I don't know how to respond. My hand tensed and I suddenly felt guilty for touching his hair, so I let my hand drop from it. 

Naruto's gaze softened as he noticed the shift in me, he grabbed my hand and put it back on his hair, a sweet smile on his face. 

"But even with all the changes, I can't just forget who you are. You're still Ishi Uchiha. You're still my sister. No matter what happens, no matter what they say, that won't change." 

I smiled at him, though the weight of his words didn't reach me fully. There was a hollow feeling inside me, a gnawing emptiness that no comforting words could fill. 

"I'm not who I was," I whispered, my voice faltering. "Things I've done... I've crossed lines." 

The truth stung more than I expected. The person I once was, the one he remembered, no longer existed. I had done things I could never take back, and though he tried to offer comfort, I knew I wasn't that innocent person anymore. 

The scars on my soul were deeper than he could see. Naruto's eyes softened, understanding and calm. He stepped closer, not flinching or looking away. 

There was no judgment, just warmth and a steady resolve. His hand gently cupped my hand, the familiar touch grounding me. 

"Maybe," he said, his voice quiet but certain, "But that doesn't mean you're lost. People can change, but they can also come back. And I'm not going anywhere." 

His gaze locked with mine, unwavering. "I'm still here. I'll always be here for you." His words wrapped around me like a promise, steady and unbreakable. 

"You don't have to say that." While my words were that of dismissal, you could see on my face that they were greatly appreciated. If not warranted for my mental health. Naruto and his talk no jutsu could also see that. 

"No, I do. Because no matter how dark things get, you're still my family. And that means something. No matter what the world says or how far you go, I'm not leaving you behind. You're not alone."

A/n I know it took a while, I'm SORRY! Enjoy~