Chapter 023

Akeno glared at him, before laughing.

- Ara ara, why do you care about my opinion? - She responded with another question.

- I do not care. I actually shit on her. Naruto shrugged, putting his hands in his pants pocket. - But I'm curious about what you think about it, I'm not going to lie.

Akeno laughed, dismissive of the blonde's response.

- I have no opinion. - She answered. - But if it has to come between you and Buchou, of course Buchou.

The blonde once again shrugged.

Anyway, why do you think that, Rias? - He asked.

Rias straightened up, puffing out her chest to respond, confident in her response.

- Because a hero would find a way out! A hero would never choose to take lives to save lives. She replied, seriously.

Naruto laughed.

- And even? What if he tried to talk to his Clan and failed? The Clan would know that the Village had knowledge of their plan and could advance the attack when they were unprepared. - Naruto replied. - Or kill Itachi, accusing him of being a traitor.

- But what if it worked? - Rias replied. - It would save you a lot of pain and suffering! He simply took the easy way out!

- Easier? - Naruto repeated disdainfully. - Do you really think this is the easiest way, Rias? Would you have that courage Rias? Would you kill your family to protect the Underworld? Would you kill your father and mother, your cousins, uncles and aunts, childhood friends... For your village? - Naruto looked at her seriously, seeing Rias had no response.

That... She had nothing to say. The answer was obvious: She hadn't.

Rias, you didn't grow up in my world... You don't know how bloody and difficult it was growing up and living in it... We were trained since we were 6 years old to become assassins in the service of our Village. - He said seriously, before falling silent. - My generation made sacrifices, my father's and my mother's too, and the one that came before them too... We all made sacrifices so that our Village would continue to exist, because if one day it fell... We wouldn't just become homeless, the People turned into piles of bodies and ashes.

Rias swallowed, not sure what to say, but still opened her mouth: She was never a girl who didn't respond.

B-Still! Itachi had a choice...! interrupted her. Naruto

-And would it be worth risking all this? - The blonde asked. Not only risk the lives of their entire Clan and the entire Village, but also the lives of everyone who came before them... Everyone who died for the village, who swore loyalty and who sacrificed themselves for it? Naruto asked, before adding.. Itachi was a genius... He certainly knew that it wasn't just killing his Clan to avoid a Conflict, it was killing his entire Clan to prevent everyone from dying. He knew that a weakened Konoha wouldn't stand... His clan would die anyway.

Rias had nothing to say... So... She accepted her defeat.

-I... I'm sorry, Naruto. She asked. I don't know what you went through in your past life or how much it affects you today, but that doesn't mean I have the right to criticize a hero of your land.

There was silence, Naruto didn't respond. He wasn't angry with her... But... He couldn't help but admit that he was bothered... Itachi was a hero! One bigger than himself!

If he hadn't done what he had done, if he had been a coward or supported his Clan, Naruto wouldn't have lived to change the Shinobi world let alone his own life... He would have died either within the Rebellion because he was Kyubi Boy or later against the other Villages that would try to destroy Konoha during its weakness.

So, even with the apology, Naruto still didn't feel able to give an answer. He thought that Rias was thinking very little about her past life, Itachi and the importance of the Village.

Realizing this, Rias sighed.

- I... I'm going to leave you alone now. - She said, before slowly leaving, followed by Akeno.

Naruto sighed, as he put away the guitar and the song's lyrics in a quiet place.

He had said too much... His past life was in the past. There was no need to argue with her about that... Konoha was no longer her reality.

But it was so difficult... His past life was much more difficult than this one... He had yet to turn 18 in this world and he hadn't yet had any real conflict other than his death to the Fallen Angel. In his past life, at this age he had already defeated a Goddess, killed a Legend and fought a Demon.

He simply couldn't assimilate that it was the past... Especially because he didn't want it to be just the past! He wanted to keep it inside him, guiding him into the future... But that didn't mean he had to argue with Rias because she thought differently. This was a different world.

Naruto looked at the painting that showed his old family... His family and friends, all very happy... And sighed.

Sometimes it was so difficult to move on... Even more so when you had an old soul in a young body...

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