The Way Through Stone Village (Naruto)

88: Closing Out Rain Village

[OP: "Dear Wormwood"--The Oh Hellos.]

Wally had never seen such a response to their message before. He was told by one of the shinobi later that it had come to around 200 people, just who actually spoke to them.

Out of the 400, perhaps, who'd shown up at the party altogether, that was a huge amount.

Some of the those were Guren and Gozo.

They had been moved to hear the full story in this way.

"I'm not above admitting I've wanted a fresh start," Guren said. "I thought that was just atoning for my mistakes, but you really think they can be washed away?"

"As if they never happened," Wally said.

"And what sins did you commit?" Gozo ask him soberly. "That you're so sure?"

Wally thought about what Shine would have said...or what he'd heard preached before.

"Well, according to the Word, we're all born into sin," he said. "Not that we're born doing sin, exactly, you know, 'cause a baby doesn't know what it's doing...but that eventually sin will get us all, if we live long enough to make our own choices. And I think God doesn't really care if they're big ones or small ones, because each sin is taking us away from Him, no matter how small it is. Maybe there are no small sins, just we measure them differently, you know, by our societies' rules. But those aren't even the same between societies, right? Stealing is a lot more frowned upon where I live than it is here."

"I see," Guren said. "So by divine standards, none of us are not just as bad as the others?"

"Actually, yeah, I think you've pretty much got it," Wally said.

"Well, I feel a little better about myself," Guren said dryly. "How do we get this forgiveness?"

"Just ask for it," Wally said. "He knows all about what you want."

Gozo looked somber. "I've regretted all my wasted years with Orochimaru--and all those before that when I didn't think of anyone... Taking care of them has helped." Meaning Guren and Yukimaru. "But I thought I would never stop regretting anything, that that's just something we all have to bear in life."

"It's hard not to feel the way," Wally said, remembering what he'd seen of them. "That guilt can't go away--you just find some way to live with it...but that's not right. It weighs you down... I mean, me? I didn't feel guilty all the time before, but I did feel like my life wasn't quite right. I knew something was missing from it. Then I saw what it was, and it seems like a lot of ninja feel the same way, from the ones I've met."

"True," Guren said. "This might do that Uchiha brat some good, actually. Have you tried it on him?"

"Oh, yeah..." Wally said. "He's a tough sell. But let's not worry about him."

"Yes, I suppose it's none of my business. I was just not sure Naruto got what he really wanted," Guren shrugged. "But someday maybe he will."

Wally really hoped that Naruto did get what he needed and that it would also be what he wanted, but he didn't know. The kid was just as stubborn as the rest of Team 7, even though he was nicer than the other two.

Maybe that was his problem, Wally thought. Just like his League buddies at home--when you were looked up to as an icon of goodness, sometimes it was hard to admit you also needed to be taught and led the same as anyone else... For Wally that had never been that hard; he never thought he had it all figured out...but then, he wasn't as sharp as some of his friends or as powerful, and they carried that burden heavier than he did.

Shine had told him his humility was his best quality and why she'd always liked him, even before they were friends... He guessed it was his saving grace that he'd been made humbler...but that wasn't to his credit. It was something that life had done for him, and he was grateful for it.