Chapter-106

At the same time, on the other side of the city, more precisely at the hospital, a darker figure is seen climbing up the building until reaching the third floor. There, the dark, hooded figure silently opened a window to enter one of the hospital rooms. The mysterious figure was illuminated by the dim white light of the room, revealing that it was Naruto in his Ronin suit.

The shinobi silently approached the person in the room, Yumi Toho, who was resting peacefully in bed with a mask aiding her breathing. Various devices monitored her vital signs, indicating stable conditions. Although the critical stage had passed, she was still under constant monitoring.

Examining the room, Ronin noticed the gifts left by Yumi's acquaintances – flowers, balloons, and letters wishing her well. In silence, the teenager took a chair and sat next to the bed. "It's hard when you can't protect someone, right?" Hearing a voice in the room, the shinobi looked up to see the image of a young man a little older than him, with dark bluish hair and eyes as dark as the night – Shishui Uchiha.

Closing his eyes, the shinobi lowered his head, grappling with the internal conflict. Was it the vixen inside him or his own guilt-ridden mind punishing him?

"Yes, it can be hard," smiling peacefully, Uchiha looked at his student. "Do you remember Akiko-chan?" he asked quietly, directing Naruto's attention to the patient sleeping soundly.

"She... was your best friend," answered Naruto, looking up to see his sensei nodding with a sad smile.

"Yes, we were best friends since I can remember, maybe I even loved her more than just a friend..." With a sigh, Shishui crossed his arms. "When we had a capture mission by a Jounin of Suna on the borders of the country of rock, we were ambushed by a large squad of Anbu ninjas from Iwa, commanded by the eldest son of the Tsuchikage... that's where I lost it and won this..."

Naruto sadly observed his sensei's legendary mangekyo Sharingan shine, obscuring the light of the room's lamp. "Yes... she died in combat. I remember that day when we almost had a confrontation against Iwa, since you killed the Anbu squad and the Tsuchikage's son..."

"And I regret it." With a more serious look, Shishui kept his legendary eyes active. "My fury and selfishness did not make me see that I almost caused the fourth war, where we would have lost everything our previous generation sacrificed. I would not have tolerated the idea of children leaving the academy, only to die..."

"What's the point, Sensei?" The shinobi asked with a cold look, not fazing Shishui, who maintained a sympathetic and serious expression.

"Everything has consequences. What do you think will happen if you keep putting pressure on the wrong people? Have you even thought about what you might do?" The Uchiha stood up and approached the window, facing away from his student, asking with a harsh voice.

"So what?" Naruto asked, maintaining his gaze on Yumi. He carefully moved his hand to gently take her hand. "Do you want me to pretend that nothing happened? Leave everything as it is?" With a bitter smile, he watched as Yumi seemed to want to wake up, but the sedation made it difficult. "There is someone out there who did this to her. Yumi had nothing to do with all of this, and yet, look at her state..."

"You can lose everything by seeking revenge. You will lose the few friends you have, be hated again, and persecuted. Do you really plan to sacrifice everything?" Shishui's gaze remained on the shinobi, waiting for an answer to the question, which already had one.

"If killing All for One means losing everything... so be it." Standing up, Naruto observed that it was only him and his friend. Without saying a word, he approached the window to open it and left in silence. Once outside, he jumped, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

….

A new day began, and activities inside Uzumaki Naruto's apartment were underway. He hung from a steel pipe attached to the main beam of the ceiling, shirtless, engaged in push-ups with ankle weights—small steel plates with strange writings.

"897... 898... 899..." Counting each push-up, the blonde continued his routine. Behind him, seated at the kitchen table, was Hatsume Mei—a girl with pink hair and unusual eyes. She carefully examined a police radio transmitter, making improvements to allow access to different broadcast channels.

"Isn't this illegal?" Mei couldn't help but ask as she disassembled the device, enhancing it.

"Maybe." Grunting, Naruto continued until he gave a heavy sigh and let himself fall, causing the ground to crack. This caught Mei's attention; she didn't understand how those little things could increase a person's weight. "But I didn't force you to come here, and you offered to repair it." He dried the sweat from his forehead with a nearby towel.

"Don't be offended, but I only came to deliver my order. Seeing that you were breaking down this baby, I had to do it myself." She smiled as the radio turned on successfully, taking off her visors to reveal her unique eyes. After drinking the coffee Naruto left for her, she expressed her satisfaction with a smile.

"Robbery on Ryuko Street, between 15th and 22nd. Professional heroes and authorities, go. I repeat, robbery on the street..."

Turning off the radio, Naruto nodded, confirming the device's proper function. Getting up, he retrieved a paper bag from a closet and handed it to Mei.

"*Awwww*" With a bright look, Mei opened the bag, revealing a considerable amount of money. Putting it in her backpack, she then retrieved another bag from under the table, containing various bladed weapons—shurikens, kunai, wire, and a few other basic items.

Testing a kunai, Naruto checked its balance and rigidity. It didn't compare to what he was used to in the elemental nations, but Mei hadn't done a bad job either. "Good blacksmithing job." He placed the bag back on the table and then in the closet.

"My grandfather would kill me if I didn't know how to make bladed weapons in the forge. In fact, he helped me." Mei shrugged as she continued drinking. She had toasted bread with honey, savoring a breakfast that had been long overdue. Looking at Naruto again, she took a moment to reflect. "In fact, you and my grandfather would get along well. You are both equally crazy and violent, but in a good way, of course!" She quickly added the last part, not seeking trouble.

"So you think?" Naruto asked calmly as she wrapped bandages around his hands and wrists after a short physical training.

"Of course! In fact..." Smiling slightly, Mei stood up and approached the blonde until she was close to his face. With a wide smile, she whispered, "It's a secret, but my grandfather was a watchman when he was just a little older than us and did things the same way you do now that I think about it." After saying that, she sat back down in her seat.

"I see..." Surprised, Naruto took a moment to look at the girl. "Why are you at UA?" he asked with a more serious air.