Indifference

The feeling of nearing death is like having all the oxygen in your lungs suddenly squeezed out in an instant. The abrupt suffocation breeds an instinctive, bone-deep fear and gradually robs you of your sense of touch, forcing you to experience the agony of losing everything bit by bit in the encroaching darkness.

Once is more than enough for such an experience.

And yet, Yuji had gone through it twice.

Not far from the ninja hospital, a cherry blossom tree stood in full bloom. The faint fragrance of its flowers drifted through the air, slipping in through the window and brushing past Yuji's nose.

The morning sunlight was warm but not blinding. It fell upon his pale face but failed to penetrate the darkness in his ink-black eyes.

"That choice… was a mistake." Yuji stared at the sky outside the window, his voice low as he refuted the turmoil within his heart.

How many times can a person face death in their lifetime?

How many times should a person face death?

Emerging from the darkness, he could still hear the distant echoes of familiar voices. He had even touched upon the deepening fear within himself. He didn't know how long he had wandered in that endless abyss before finally glimpsing a single sliver of light—just like a drowning man who finally breaks free from the water's grip, gasping desperately for air.

He had thought he was going to die. But in the end, he survived.

And so, regret began to creep in.

In that dark corridor, a voice so dear to him had called out from behind. But the light had been ahead.

If he had died… then everything would have ended.

Yuji slowly clenched his fists, a faint chill settling in his pitch-black eyes. He had never been one to sacrifice himself for others—except for the people closest to him…

So why, on that night, had he stepped forward?

What had driven him to act, to the point of nearly losing his life?

Crack!

The door swung open without warning.

A girl with deep red hair stepped inside, carrying a basket of fruit. Two others followed behind her—one was Minato, the other was Hokushin Yoru.

Hearing the sound, the coldness in Yuji's gaze gradually faded. He turned his head slightly and silently observed the visitors.

Kushina walked over, placed the fruit basket on the table, and looked at his pale face—so drained of blood that it was almost sickly. Concern flickered in her eyes as she asked, "Does your wound still hurt?"

"I'm almost fully recovered." Yuji averted his gaze, avoiding Kushina's worried expression. His voice was calm.

Hokushin Yoru leaned in, looking at Yuji's pale face. "You really scared me back there. Even if you wanted to train, did you really have to go somewhere that dangerous?"

The day he found out Yuji had been injured, he had rushed to the hospital immediately—only to see Yuji wrapped up like a mummy, unconscious.

Yuji gave a faint smile but didn't bother explaining. Yesterday, when he had woken up, Orochimaru had given him a brief rundown of the situation. Regarding Kushina's abduction, Yuji had already sensed that something was off. One thing was certain—the people and forces involved in this were anything but simple.

The official report stated that an enemy ninja had infiltrated the village, leading to Kushina's abduction. Yuji had sustained serious injuries while rescuing her. But in the end, the official explanation claimed he had simply been overconfident—he had gone to the Forest of Death for training and ended up getting badly wounded. Fortunately, he was found in time and managed to survive.

The real reason had been completely buried.

He wondered… if he had died that night, would his death have been meaningless? Would anyone have ever known the truth?

But in the end, none of that mattered to him.

This brush with death had made him understand something: there were no real bonds tying him to this world.

He didn't belong here.

Minato stood quietly by the bedside. The sunlight streaming in through the window made his golden hair glow even brighter. He looked at Yuji, a hint of admiration in his deep blue eyes.

Minato had always been mild-mannered, never one to compete with others. However, he had always been absolutely confident in his own strength. But after meeting Yuji, he had realized—sometimes, competing wasn't a bad thing. Especially when the person he was competing against was surpassing him.

Kushina picked up a red apple and smiled at Yuji. "Want one?"

Hokushin Yoru's expression turned a little odd at this. Kushina acting like this… was really unnatural.

Even Minato, who usually paid close attention to Kushina, found her gentle demeanor strange. His expression mirrored Hokushin Yoru's, slightly puzzled.

Kushina didn't notice their reactions. If she had, she might have accidentally crushed the apple in her hand.

Normally, Yuji would have called out Kushina's fake kindness without hesitation, summarizing her personality in the simplest, most direct terms.

But now…

A glimmer of cold detachment flashed deep within Yuji's eyes. He glanced at the bright red apple and declined in a perfectly measured tone, "I'm not hungry. Thanks."

Kushina's hand trembled imperceptibly. She quietly stared at Yuji, observing his usual expression and demeanor. Yet, something felt… off. That simple thank you had given her an unsettling feeling.

But she didn't dwell on it for long. She tossed the apple aside and huffed, "Suit yourself. I was even going to peel it for you."

Yuji merely smiled faintly and turned his gaze to the blue sky outside. No matter how similar they looked, their personalities were worlds apart.

Throwing away his life for something that foolish… once was enough.

Hokushin Yoru glanced between the two—Yuji, who remained eerily calm, and Kushina, who seemed just a little too agitated. He didn't know what to say. There was something different about Yuji. The atmosphere between them didn't feel the same as before.

"…If there's nothing else, I'd like to rest," Yuji finally said. For some reason, he felt deeply uncomfortable. He just wanted them to leave.

"Oh? Oh!" Hokushin Yoru blinked, then turned to Kushina. She frowned slightly but, after a moment, simply said, "Rest well."

With that, she turned and left.

As Hokushin Yoru followed her out, he called back to Yuji, "Hey, get well soon! Once you're better, I'll treat you to some barbecue!"

Yuji kept his gaze on the sky and gave a slight nod. That was enough of a response.

Seeing this, Hokushin Yoru trailed after Kushina. Minato looked at the three of them, as if piecing something together. Then, with a polite nod to Yuji, he also stepped out of the room.

Soon, the hospital room was empty again.

"The only one I can rely on… is myself."

Outside the hospital, Hokushin Yoru jogged to catch up. "Kushina, wait up!"

Kushina had no choice but to slow her steps, allowing Minato and Hokushin Yoru to catch up.

Minato studied her carefully, a thoughtful look in his eyes. A team that had been together for over a year shouldn't be acting like this—especially considering that Yuji had risked his life to save Kushina.

So why did the atmosphere just now feel so… strange?

"Kushina, don't you think Yuji seems off?" Hokushin Yoru finally asked.

"Who the hell knows." A trace of disappointment flashed in Kushina's eyes. She waved a hand in frustration, clearly irritated.

She had noticed it—Yuji's indifference.

That same coldness from when they first met. It had been carefully masked beneath his usual calm expression…

But why?

She didn't understand. The more she thought about it, the more restless she became.

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