95 chapter 85
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Chapter 85~ Naruto and Shion part 1
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It was a tranquil night, with everyone peacefully asleep, except for Taruho and Naruto, the appointed guardians.
Naruto had witnessed the battle between Neji and Kusuna. Both of them were depleted of chakra, and Neji was now making his way toward them, while Kusuna had retreated in the opposite direction.
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Shion's eyes snapped open, sweat beads glistening on her forehead as she quickly surveyed her surroundings.
With a sigh of relief, she finally relaxed.
Rising to her feet, she approached the spot where Naruto and Taruho were seated.
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Her eyes fixed on Taruho, a man whose loyalty had never wavered. She spoke with a sense of urgency, "I've glimpsed my own death in my visions," her words directed solely at him.
The man was clearly shocked; he quickly stood up. "Lady Shion, let's go. We can't wait here any longer," he said to her.
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"You are not coming with us. You must return to the palace. I will handle the sealing by myself," she yelled at him.
This wasn't the first time she had seen her own death and every time, she promptly alerted her soldiers, who took measures to safeguard her.
"No, I won't leave," Taruho's voice boomed, his commitment resolute. Protecting her was his sworn duty.
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"You are not coming with us; this is my order," she spoke in anger and walked away from there.
Shion walked away from there, and after a while, she found herself beneath a colossal tree.
Her palm rested against the tree's rugged trunk, her head hanging low as she stared at the ground. She didn't want any of this, none of it.
In reality, she had glimpsed three visions. One of them depicted her own death, while the second vision showed Taruho's demise.
In each vision, she saw death, and she didn't want any of it. The soldiers died while protecting her, and she blamed herself for their deaths.
She felt guilty because of protecting her the soldiers died, her heart couldn't take the burden.
Her palm rested on the tree trunk and her head hung low, her eyes became watery, she wanted to cry but couldn't… so people don't think she is weak.
"Why are you holding back?" she heard a voice from behind her.
She turned around and looked at him. Naruto was standing there, gazing at her.
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"What do you mean... I'm not holding anything back," she replied defensively.
"You think you can fool me?" Naruto's words carried a weight, his eyes scrutinizing her.
He had seen through her facade.
She met his gaze with a mixture of emotions, a complexity that had rarely been witnessed.
No one had ever glimpsed her in this vulnerable state; to everyone else, she was either a revered priestess or an object of fear.
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She couldn't bear to look into his eyes any longer, so she turned around, her face towards the tree.
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"Do you feel guilt in your heart?" Naruto asked her.
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There was a moment of silence.
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She nodded, recalling her soldiers who had died protecting her. Her eyes welled up with tears that were about to fall.
"They died because of me," she whispered.
"No, they didn't die because of you," Naruto said.
"What do you mean by that?" she questioned.
"Tell me, did you ask them to die for you? …I guess not. They died because they chose their own path… It's not your fault," he said to her.
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His words reached her ears like a soothing balm, and upon hearing them, her heart quickened its pace.
This was the first time someone had told her that it wasn't her fault, that she had nothing to feel guilty about.
She had never asked them to protect her; they had made that choice on their own.
"Tell me, do you always want to live like this, burdened by false guilt? I guess not. This has nothing to do with you," he asked her.
"No, I don't want to live like this. I want to live a happy life away from all this," she said to him.
"So why don't you live the way you want?" he asked her.
Hearing his words, her head hung lower.
"I don't have any friends or family. They all fear me, thinking that if they become friends with me, they will die," she said, her tears falling as she shared her painful truth with him.
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"I see," he said to her.
He placed his hand on her shoulder, and as she felt the reassuring touch, she turned to face him.
Naruto stretched out his hand, a genuine smile on his face. "Why not become my friend? I don't have many either," he proposed.
He found the girl likable, her childhood much like his own—no friends, no family, people around fearing them.
And she had so much potential that shouldn't be wasted.
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Shion glanced at his extended hand; it was the first time someone had expressed a desire to befriend her.
Quickly, she clasped his hand, a rush of anxiety prompting her to fear he might retract it.
As she held his hand, she felt its warmth, and a wave of emotion overwhelmed her. She was so Overwhelmed by a surge of joy that some tears escaped her eyes.
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"Now you could do as you like," Naruto said to her.
Shion responded with a joyful nod, she felt the happiness that he was not fearful like others.
But at the same time, she remembered that she had seen her death, She didn't want to die when she found a friend that she could share her happiness with him. This was something she couldn't bear to happen.
Sensing her emotions, Naruto placed his hands gently on her shoulders. "Don't worry, you won't die. I'll protect you," he said while looking into her eyes.
His voice had a special charm, and hearing his voice, she herself began to believe that she would live.
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However, her fragile happiness shattered once more as the recollection of her third vision resurfaced.
"You're are going to die..." she disclosed, sharing the details of her third vision with him.
The thought of losing her sole friend weighed heavily on her heart, and she hoped for a different outcome, she didn't want him to die.
Naruto gazed at her with a smile, a smile she found particularly captivating. Her cheeks flushed as she felt herself drawn to it."I am not going to die, believe it," he said to her.
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She nodded in response, yet her heart remained restless. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him.
"You worry too much… as I said I am not going to die…because… I am the Strongest here," he stated with a playful smirk, and as she looked at him, she found herself drawn to him even more.
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A nod was her reply, accompanied by a smile that finally adorned her face.
She couldn't recall how many years had passed since she had experienced such a simple smile.
"Let's go. Arn't you going to seal that demon, Moryo," Naruto said, grabbing her hand as They walked out of the forest, where his teammates were resting.
In the meantime, Neji had arrived, and Sakura and Lee had woken up.
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They all looked as Naruto emerged with Shion.
"So when are we going to continue?" Sakura asked once they had all gathered.
"Let me replenish my chakra; we'll start our journey in two hours," Neji replied, and she nodded.
Shion stood behind Naruto, her gaze fixed on his back, and the strands of his hair gently swaying in the breeze. A content smile graced her lips.
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Taruho's attention caught the scene, and a surge of happiness warmed his heart as he witnessed Shion forming new bonds.
His resolution solidified; he would ensure that she wouldn't die.
"We are leaving in two hours," Neji said to them. They all nodded to him.
Naruto leaned against the tree, closing his eyes. 'So my guess was correct. By pretending to be weak, I could alter the course of predicted events. And this is what she saw when I pretended to be weak—she saw my death in her visions.' 'This confirms my theory: the future can be changed by our actions; it isn't predetermined.'
'But what about the past? Can it be altered too? If so, what happens to the events already set in stone? Would they vanish, or would a new timeline branch out? …It's not so simple to create timelines; the energy required would be colossal. But where could such energy come from? It doesn't seem feasible.'
' here I am thinking useless thoughts again' Naruto laughed inwardly.
Naruto sensed that someone was watching him, but he didn't react. Even though his eyes were closed, he could tell that Shion was looking at him.
His eyes were closed, but that didn't mean he couldn't see her.
Shion was gazing at him with a smile on her face. 'He looks really handsome when he's sleeping,' she thought to herself as she continued to watch him. Not knowing that he could see her.
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[AN~ end of the chapter,
While writing the current chapters a thought occurred in my mind, after altering their DNA to be similar to Kaguya's DNA. Naruto and Hinata will have almost identical DNA, didn't that make twins or Siglings?
I can't imagine Hinata calling Naruto "onii-chan" when they were alone… my mind became so corrupted, god forgive my insolence…. Tell me do you want her calling him "onii-chan" .
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Here's today's question…
How do you want Naruto and Shion's relationship to build up…
1. Fast but reasonable
2. Slow but with some intimate actions
if you like the chapter please leave a comment and give me your powerstones...
