𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 | 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙤

²²; ᶠᵉᵃʳ

𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐉𝐈𝐑𝐎'𝐒 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐘 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃,
the heat of the sun that bore down on him causing him to wince as he sits up, looking around in confusion.

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

Kenjiro turns toward the voice, who he recognized to be Ronin's, his eyes landing on his teammates—who were very injured

Immediately, the memories of the fight that took place began invading his mind, flooding his brain with the various atrocities he had committed.

He nearly took every one of his allies' lives. He nearly killed everyone.

Why?

Why did he do it?

It was like all reason left his mind, like what he was doing was right, like he was supposed to kill them.

For whatever reason, they became the enemy.

His head began throbbing at the idea of his comrades dead by his hand, their bodies mangled by his jutsu.

He was given strict instructions to never use those Jutsu's, Kenjiro's personal forrbidden jutsu, yet he was about to use the most dangerous one.

His curse-mark pulsed in harmony with his heartbeat, a sick feeling forming in his stomach, the pain radiating through his body becoming exceedingly excruciating.

His head, his eyes, it all hurt.

His vision was slightly blurry, his eyes pounded with an inexplicable pain, his cheeks stained red, all a result of his overuse of his bloodline's ability.

Nothing about any of this made him feel good.

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to talk to his brother, to seek Shisui's guidance. But Shisui was in a place that now, Kenjiro thought he would never get to go to.

"what was that... out there, Kenjiro..."

Mai's words brought Kenjiro out of his own mind, the loud silence disrupted by the one sentence.

Kenjiro took note of her tone, confusion spreading through his system as he listened to her talk.

Fear.

There was fear laced in her words, the way she diverted from looking the Uchiha in the eyes, fidgeting with her hands.

She feared Kenjiro.

Whether it be for the moment, or permanent, he didn't know.

But it wasn't like that was irrational...both her and Ronin, all the other leaf genin, all almost died at the hands of this man.

The idea of his own team fearing him made him sick.

Over the past weeks of training they had gotten closer as a team, closer as friends.

Well, as close as anyone could get with a very depressed sole survivor of a clan.

Like before, Kenjiro didn't know what moved him to save Mai—twice—But he felt glad he did.

And now she feared him, looked at him like he was a monster.

Kenjiro finally mustered up the courage to speak back, accepting the previous fact as he spoke.

"I- I don't kno-"

Kenjiro's sentence was cut short as his eyes widened—quickly bringing a hand to his mouth as he doubles over and erupted into a fit of coughs.

His teamamates watched on, confused as to how the random fit of coughs came about.

Until blood started leaking through his fingers, the coughing showing zero sign of halting.