❝ what a coward. ❞

going to the Land of Iron. Dressed in full ANBU henge plus clothing, she was ordered by Nara Shikaku to spy on Danzo ―who became the new Hokage― because of his distrust of the man. Two years of being an ANBU with Sandaime made the girl know how cunning he was.

United with the tree, Shizuka spied from a distance. Something behind that bandages made him even more suspicious. She didn't know what was behind it, but she had a bad feeling about it.

Fortunately, even though the name is Land of Iron, there are still a lot of trees and wood there. That made it much easier for Shizuka to hear what was going on in the meeting room.

What the―

She facepalms after hearing that Uchiha Sasuke interrupted the meeting. Come to think of it, all this time, his actions were always stupid. Actually what was on his mind that he dared to attack the meeting?

Even so, Shizuka was silent and followed Danzo who left the room. Escaping. What a coward.

Looks like Sasuke's goal is Danzo. And it looks like the old man knows it. Shizuka didn't know what happened and why Sasuke targeted Danzo. But now they are fighting.

A fierce fight between Sharingan and Sharingan. Yes, it turned out that the old man had a doujutsu belonging to the Uchiha clan in his right arm and eye. How disgusting that action was. Shizuka wouldn't be surprised if he was the mastermind behind the massacre of the Uchiha clan.

Shizuka was just hiding while watching the fight until Danzo killed himself along with the other Sharingan he destroyed. Fortunately, at least Uchiha Shisui's eyes weren't in Akatsuki's hands.

Before she had time to go back to Konoha (she failed to retrieve Danzo's corpse), she saw a flash of pink on her peripheral vision heading towards Sasuke. Pink hair. It was clear from the color who it belonged to.

Sakura? What was she thinking?

She decided to jump down too. Her hange has disappeared into her original form. Shizuka came down together when Sasuke used his purple skeleton to aim the arrow at Kakashi. Standing in front of Kakashi, her hands were ready to withstand any attacks from Sasuke. But the purple skeleton's form suddenly turned smaller and finally disappeared. And Sasuke seemed to be hissing while covered his eyes.

"He overused his eyes," Shizuka simply said. Hearing the sound of footsteps, she immediately looked up to see Sakura running towards Sasuke with a kunai.

"Stop, Sasuke!" shouted Kakashi, he quickly ran towards Sasuke who had snatched Sakura's kunai and was about to slash her.

"Naruto!" Naruto came. Saving Sakura while his cheek got slashed by Sasuke.

Pressing her palms together, the wood popped out from under Sasuke and stretched toward him. Followed by Kakashi who also attacked him. But even though it seemed like his eyes were a bit troubled, Sasuke was still able to move quickly to avoid it.

The girl walked towards her friends and kneeled beside Naruto. Placing her palm on his wounded cheek. "Why are you here, Shi-chan?"

"None of your concern," she calmly said, stood up as Sasuke and Kakashi landed on the river.

"You've got even better timing than me, Naruto," Kakashi stated. "I never imagined you coming here, but it's a good thing you did."

"Sasuke," Naruto stood up beside her. "Sakura's from team 7, remember?"

"That's former team 7 for me," he smirked.

"Tobi told me the truth about Itachi," Naruto's statement clearly made Shizuka interested. "I don't know if he was lying. But it doesn't matter. What you've been doing... I get it."

What? Shizuka narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not satisfied with it.

"I told you before. What can you, with no parents or siblings, possibly know about me?!" Sasuke raised his voice in annoyance. "All you outsiders just shut up!"

"Do you know what Naruto has gone through for you?! No matter what bad things he heard about you, he never stopped thinking of you as a comrade!" Sakura exclaimed. "Even now!"

"Just a little while ago, I finally got to take revenge on one behind Itachi's betrayal. I killed a Konoha Elder! Right here! The one called Danzo!" He boasted, spreading his arms wide in satisfaction. The others gasped in shock while Shizuka just stared at him in disinterested.

You didn't kill him, he sacrificed himself. Shizuka pointed out.

"This is my task," Kakashi suddenly spoke, shielding Naruto with his arm. "The three of you, get yourselves away from here."

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"You'll see things you do not want to see," Shizuka glanced at him briefly, exactly understood what he's going to do and didn't mind at all.

But it looks like someone had objected to that and immediately attacked Sasuke. Rasengan vs Chidori. Shizuka immediately felt deja vu. And even though she was okay if Sasuke was going to die, Naruto could also die if the two attacks collided.

That doesn't mean Shizuka cares about Naruto. No no. She just didn't want her mission to fail.

So what Shizuka did was clapped her hands together and a thick wooden wall appeared between them. Both of their strikes hit the wood, making a large hole and the pressure exerted by it made them jump back.

The wooden wall disappeared by itself and revealed Sasuke who was no longer alone. There are Tobi and some Zetsu surrounds him. Shizuka and Kakashi automatically moved towards Naruto. Both are on alert if they intend to take the Kyuubi.

"Sasuke, do you remember what you said to me long ago at the final valley? The thing about when two shinobi are of a high enough level..." as Sasuke kept silent, Naruto continued. "Now, I do learn all sorts of things just from trading blows with you. It means we're high-level shinobi, Sasuke."

"Can you tell what I'm thinking too? Read my thoughts? You see, right? That if you and I fight..." Naruto opened his eyes. "we die."

"I'm your friend so I'll bear the burden of your hate and I'll die with you!" Shizuka looked deep in thought, this conversation clearly making her annoyed. "If I can't save a friend, I'm not worthy of being Hokage. So, I'll fight you!"

○○○

Shizuka stood leaning against the tree, watching Naruto who was training. After their reunion, the teen kept practicing. Every day he always practices from morning to evening. Even because of the intensity, the training ground was out of shape. Many holes of various sizes in the ground and half of the forest around them had been cut.

"Why?"

"Oh, Shi-chan you're here again..." Naruto glanced at her, completely oblivious to her tone.

"Why?" she asked again with gritted teeth.

"Eh?"

"Why? I don't understand why are you so desperate to help Sasuke?"

Naruto dropped whatever he was doing and turned his body to her. His attention completely on her. "Because I'm his friend."

"Tch, just because you're his friend?"

"Yes. Just because of it," Naruto narrowed his eyes, wondering how the girl suddenly asked that. He's not blind or oblivious. He knew how Shizuka never showed her concern for Sasuke.

"Didn't he himself say that he was not your friend?" she asked, her voice rising. "Didn't you see how he dared to kill Sakura? Kill Kakashi? Kill you? He even joined the organization that wanted you!"

"I know, Shi-chan. I clearly know that," said Naruto calmly. At a time like this, he was the one who had to stay calm. He didn't say that he wasn't surprised, seeing Shizuka whose walls were collapsing and showing her true emotions. He didn't want to get emotional too.

"Then tell me. Make me understand."

"Because we are the same. I can feel what he feels. I exactly know how he feels. Although our events are different, I can understand him," explained Naruto. "Sasuke, you, and I had a bad childhood. And we handle it in a different way. But among us, it is Sasuke who walks into the dark. His method is wrong. And as his friend, I want to help him on the right path."

Shizuka looked down. Her bangs shadowed her face. "...and you're ready to die with him because of that?"

"Yes. If that's the only way, I would be ready to die with him," Naruto replied firmly. But it seems that the answer made the girl even angrier.

"Have you ever thought about other people's feelings?" Shizuka finally looked up to look at him. And Naruto could see all the emotions she was holding. Her walls of steel had collapsed. "Are you sure other people would like to hear you die? What about the people who consider you are dear to them? Iruka? Teuchi? Tsunade? Inari? You want to let it go because of your friend?"

"Shi-chan...."

"How about me? Do you think I want to let you die?! Do you think I want to see you die for him?!" Shizuka exclaimed, panting as all of her emotion exploded.

Naruto gasped, staring at her with wide eyes. Completely shocked at her outburst and her honesty. "Shizuka... I'm sorry... I-I don't know that you feel that way..." he takes a step forward but the girl quickly took a step back.

"No no. I'm the one who should apologize," she took steps back, just realizing what she just said. She looked down, didn't dare to look at Naruto. "I trust you. So do what you are supposed to do. I won't interrupt."

"Shizuka..." he mumbles. His heart felt heavy. And seeing the girl he likes like that is very influential for him.

"I'm sorry, I'm not being myself today..." she takes a step back again. "please, leave me alone."

Shizuka turned around and quickly left Naruto who looks so dejected.

What's wrong with me? I'm being so selfish...