-Naruto-

The air feels heavier than usual. Like it's pressing down on my chest, squeezing the life out of me. I can barely hear the shouts of my team, their voices blurred by the pounding of my own heart. My breath comes in shallow gasps, and my vision blurs at the edges, but I can't seem to snap out of it.

I'm here...on the battlefield...but my mind isn't.

All I see is her. Mizuki. The way she looked at me last night. The anger. The pain. Her tears. The words she threw at me, sharper than any kunai.

"I hate you."

The memory consumes me, wrapping around my thoughts like a suffocating fog.

Why did she have to say that? Why did I have to push her away? I was trying to protect her. Wasn't I? Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?

Her voice echoes in my head, repeating over and over again until it's all I can hear. It drowns out the battlefield, the sound of clashing weapons, the grunts of my teammates, and even Hidan's unhinged laughter. Everything fades away, leaving just her words, like a mantra of failure.

"I hate you."

The words hit harder than any punch, cutting deeper than any wound.

Why can't I stop thinking about her? Why can't I just focus? My teammates need me. People are depending on me. But the more I try to push the memory aside, the tighter it grips me, pulling me deeper into the fog.

A sharp, searing pain jerks me back to reality, Sakura's foot colliding with my side.

"Snap out of it, Naruto!" she screams, her voice cracking with something between anger and fear.

I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. My ears ring, and for a moment, all I can do is stare at the dirt beneath me, trying to figure out what just happened.

"You're going to get us all killed if you keep zoning out!" Sakura yells again, standing over me with her fists clenched. Her eyes burn with frustration, but there's fear in them too. "Get up! We need you!"

I force myself to sit up, my head spinning. It takes me a second to realize where I am. The battlefield. The middle of a fight. Hidan's crazed laughter cuts through the chaos like a knife, and Kakuzu's monstrous form looms in the distance, his tendrils lashing out like vipers.

My stomach churns.

Right. The mission.

I scramble to my feet, but my body feels disconnected, like it's moving on autopilot. I grab a kunai, but my grip is shaky. My fingers tremble as I look around, trying to process everything happening at once.

Kakashi-sensei is fighting Kakuzu, his Sharingan blazing as he dodges and counters each attack. Shikamaru is further off, setting up a trap for Hidan. Choji and Ino are backing him up. Everyone's moving, fighting, giving it their all.

Except me.

I'm standing here like an idiot. Like dead weight.

Sakura pulls me back just as a stray tendril from Kakuzu shoots past where I was standing.

"Focus, Naruto!" she shouts, shaking me by the shoulders. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

What's wrong with me?

I want to answer her, but I can't. The words are stuck in my throat. My mind is blank. My ears are ringing again, drowning out everything else. I feel like I'm underwater, like the world around me is distant and muffled.

"I hate you."

The words echo in my mind, louder and louder until they're all I can hear.

I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I need to focus. I have to focus. But I can't.

I see Mizuki's face again. Her tears. Her anger. The bracelet she threw at me, lying broken on the floor.

She hates me.

The thought twists in my gut, sharp and relentless. I thought I was protecting her, keeping her safe. I thought I was doing the right thing. But what if I wasn't? What if I was just being selfish?

My breath hitches, and my chest tightens. The battlefield blurs again, the noise fading into a dull hum.

I can't think straight.

The memory of her eyes, so full of pain, burns into my mind, making it impossible to focus.

Sakura shouts something, but I barely hear it. My vision swims, and my legs feel like they're made of lead. I'm useless like this.

I don't even notice Shikamaru until his hand clamps down on my arm, dragging me away from the fight. His grip is firm, unyielding, and his face is a mask of frustration.

"Get out of here, Naruto," he snaps, his voice low but filled with authority.

"What?" I manage to choke out, but he doesn't give me a chance to say more.

"You're a liability right now," he says bluntly, not even looking at me. "Go. We'll handle this without you."

His words are like a slap in the face. A jolt of reality.

A liability.

I've always wanted to be someone people could count on. Someone who could protect his friends, no matter what. But right now, I'm just... useless.

I let him drag me to the edge of the battlefield, my body too heavy and my mind too scattered to resist. When he finally releases his grip, I collapse to my knees, the weight of everything crashing down on me.

"Pull yourself together," Shikamaru says sharply before turning back to the fight.

I watch him go, my hands trembling as they dig into the dirt. I can't move. Can't think.

The chaos of the battlefield continues without me, shouts, explosions, and the clash of metal on metal. But it all feels distant, like it's happening in another world.

My chest tightens again, and my ears start ringing, louder this time.

Mizuki's words echo in my head, relentless and unforgiving.

"I hate you."

I press my hands to my ears, trying to block it out, but it doesn't work. The memory is inside me, a part of me, and I can't escape it.

I feel like I'm suffocating, drowning in guilt and frustration and fear.

What's wrong with me? Why can't I focus? Why can't I just be the person everyone needs me to be?

My vision blurs again, tears stinging my eyes. I slam my fist into the ground, the pain a brief distraction from the chaos in my mind.

But it's not enough.

Nothing is enough.

I close my eyes, Mizuki's face flashing in my mind. Her tears. Her anger. Her voice.

I can't lose her.

But maybe I already have.

And that thought is more unbearable than anything else.

.

.

.

A shadow falls over me, and I look up to see Shikamaru. His hand clamps down on my arm, his grip firm and unyielding. His usually calm eyes are cold and sharp, cutting through me like a blade.

"Get out of here, Naruto," he says, his voice low but harsh.

"What?" I manage to choke out, my voice barely audible.

"You're useless like this," he snaps, not even bothering to look at me as he drags me toward the edge of the battlefield. His shadow jutsu holds me in place, making it impossible to resist. "You're going to get someone killed. Leave. Now."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

Useless.

I want to argue, to tell him he's wrong, but I can't. Because deep down, I know he's right.

I let him drag me to the outskirts of the fight, where the chaos is slightly quieter but no less real. He releases his jutsu, and I collapse to my knees, my hands trembling as they press against the ground.

"Pull yourself together," Shikamaru says sharply, his tone leaving no room for argument. Then he turns back to the fight, leaving me there—alone.

Pull myself together.

I press my hands to my temples, trying to block out the noise, the screams, the laughter, the memory of her voice. But it's all too much.

My chest tightens further, and I can't breathe. My thoughts spiral, crashing into each other like waves in a violent storm.

What's wrong with me? Why can't I focus? Why can't I just let it go?

Because I can't.

I see her again, over and over. Mizuki. Her face. Her tears. The way she looked at me—like I was the enemy.

I can't lose her. Not her. Not Mizuki.

But maybe I already have.

The thought sends a fresh wave of panic through me, and my vision blurs with unshed tears. My ears ring louder, drowning out even the faintest sounds of the fight.

I slam my fist into the ground, the pain jolting me slightly out of my haze. My knuckles throb, but it's a welcome distraction. A reminder that I'm still here, still alive.

I look up, forcing myself to focus. My team is still fighting. Kakashi-sensei is holding his own against Kakuzu, his movements a blur of skill and precision. Sakura is relentless, her punches shaking the ground as she fights alongside Ino. Shikamaru's shadows dance around him, his mind clearly ten steps ahead of everyone else.

They're all fighting. They're all giving it their all.

And me?

I'm just sitting here. Useless.

The self-loathing coils in my stomach like a snake, tightening its grip until I feel like I'm going to be sick. I have to do something. I have to help.

But my body won't move. My mind won't clear.

I close my eyes, trying to block out everything, trying to find even a shred of clarity. But all I see is her.

"I hate you."

The words echo again, louder and louder, until they're all I can hear.

And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I've already lost.

The ringing in my ears fades slightly, replaced by the distant sounds of battle. I open my eyes, my vision still blurry with tears.

I don't know how long I've been sitting here. Seconds? Minutes?

It doesn't matter.

Because right now, I'm useless.

And that thought hurts more than anything else.

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SNAP OUT OF IT NARUTO, MY GOODNESS 💀 I already have an idea on what should happen next but it might take wuite a bit of time to actually implement it 👁️👁️

Long weekend ahead! So I can write some chapters before I go back to work, Ughhh😔💔

What do you guys think of this chapter? Do you think Naruto should've done or realized something throughout his current situation?

WHERE TF IS MIZUKI????

Anyways! I'll see you guys on the next one!

Bye Potatoes

Stay Fab!