komorebi - a naruto uzumaki love story

ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ - ２４

„realm of pain"

Hanako opens her eyes and sees the mansion that she used to live in. She looks around and smells the familiar omelette that once made her mornings.

She walks towards the kitchen to see a small figure of a boy, tip-toing to reach the stove.

"Giro?", the boy glances to the directions of her sister's voice.

"Onee-san! You're home!"

"Giro!", Hanako feels tears in her eyes as she runs and hugs the little boy.

"Oka-san, Otto-san, and Ayumi-nee are waiting for you.", Giro says with a cheery voice.

"Hanako.", a voice calls out for her.

The girl stops at the familiar stop, feeling her body stiffen in nervousness. She turns around and sees the rest of her family.

"Otto-san.", she responds.

"We were waiting for you, and you came too early than expected."

"My baby girl!", Hanako's mother exclaims, embracing Hanako's body, "What happened? Why are you here too soon?"

"I-i don't know.", Hanako stutters, "I was helping the village fight a strong enemy but he got me."

"He got me..."

Hanako suddenly gets on her knees and bows, not wasting anytime to burst out in tears.

"I failed, I failed them, and all of you.", she said in between sobs.

"If I only knew better, I could've protected all of us."

"Stand up.", Hiroshi says with a stern voice.

I can't face all of you, why were you waiting for me?

Hanako feels two little hands forcing her to stand up.

"Stand up Onee-san!", Ayumi says.

"C'mon you're too heavy!"

Hanako hears her parents chuckle at the behavior of their two children. Hearing this, the girl stands up with the shame and guilt that haunted her to this day.

"It wasn't your fau—.", Hiroshi says to the young woman before being engulfed with a hug.

"Gomen! I missed all of you so much that it hurted to grow each day without seeing all of you."

She looks at her two little siblings, feeling more guilty to see their little bodies in a realm that should've been empty in the first place.

"You guys were supposed to be great ninjas by now, fighting by my side.", Hanako says, "And both of you didn't even have the time to relax and enjoy the rest of your lives."

"You tried your best, you helped a village and offered your life to protect them.", Hiroshi says, "We are very proud of you. What you have done is more than enough."

The heir smiles at her father's words, "Why did you wait for me?"

"To see if even without us, you still found your way back home.", Hanako's mother says.

"And you did, you still are the strong young woman that we have raised and cared for."

"But I'm not, I left the battle too soon, father.", Hanako sighs, "And I left the people that I have learned to love and care for after all these years of loneliness."

Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan, I'm sorry.

Her chest tightens in pain from the great sorrow that she was feeling. It felt like her life was about to start again but only for the universe to take it away.