Naruto: I Have Cursed Spirits!

"What do you mean?"

Kuroi and Shiyu were both stunned.

He's not a ninja?

"He's not a ninja... and he's not human either."

Shiratori watched Kuroi's wounds heal, withdrew his hand, and walked over to Tetsuma, whose tendons in both arms were almost completely severed. His shoulder had been pierced by a sharp weapon, and his legs had suffered numerous burns.

Shiratori placed his hands on Tetsuma's arms. A green light enveloped his wounds, reconnecting the severed tendons and rapidly healing the injuries.

Kuroi and Shiyu stood beside him. Listening to his words, their pupils filled with shock. The two of them exchanged glances.

"Not human?"

"Then... what is he?"

They swallowed hard. They stared at Shiratori, fearful of the shocking answer that might come from his lips.

"He is a cursed spirit."

Shiratori's jaw tightened.

Kuroi and Shiyu saw the tension and guilt written across his face.

Just as they were about to speak, Shiratori lowered his head and began to explain quietly, "After my parents died, I wandered alone. Sometimes I ran into danger. I was scared, and... he appeared."

"I never wanted him to kill people, but I can't control him..."

His voice carried a weight of helplessness.

While continuing his healing, Shiratori looked up at Kuroi and Shiyu.

"I'm sorry. I really just wanted to protect you. I didn't want them to hurt you. I didn't know he would kill so many people..."

His words tumbled out in a rush, hands trembling slightly as he worked.

Seeing Shiratori's panicked explanation, they were suddenly struck by realization.

He was still a child.

Yes, he was still a child not even ten years old.

No matter how brave or skilled he was, it didn't change the fact that he was still just a child.

After experiencing so many terrifying events today, he must have been more terrified than anyone else.

A wave of guilt overwhelmed Kuroi and Shiyu.

"Don't be afraid. We're not blaming you. In fact, we're very grateful to you."

Shiyu's gray eyes carried a soothing look.

"That's right!" Kuroi quickly chimed in. His eyes curved into a grateful smile.

"If it weren't for you, we'd be dead by now. You saved us."

[Gratitude detected]

[Kuroi: +1000 points]

[Shiyu: +1000 points]

[Energy transferred to Smallpox Deity]

[Development progress: 53.8%]

Kuroi and Shiyu's words seemed to have a calming effect.

Shiratori no longer looked as panicked.

By this time, Tetsuma's wounds had fully healed. But perhaps from sheer exhaustion, he didn't wake up immediately.

As Shiratori continued to heal another person, the topic of Sukuna continued.

Shiyu thought back to the enormous creature that had appeared earlier and asked, "That thing from before... was that also a cursed spirit?"

He really didn't know what to call the monster that had protected Shiratori. Judging by the boy's demeanor, he seemed to have a good relationship with the monster.

Shiratori nodded. When he spoke of Rika, his eyes brightened. "Her name is Rika. She's my fiancée."

"..."

"..."

Did something go wrong with their ears? Should they have him heal their hearing too?

"If she's a cursed spirit, how can she be your fiancée?"

Kuroi scratched his head, struggling to sort through his chaotic thoughts.

"She was human. She only became a cursed spirit after she died."

Shiratori's face darkened, shadows falling over his expression.

"Her name is Rika. We were childhood friends. But she died in an accident. I didn't want to let her go, and she ended up like this. She's been with me ever since."

After hearing his explanation, cold sweat suddenly broke out on Kuroi and Shiyu's backs.

They stared at Shiratori in shock. Because he couldn't accept the death of his childhood friend Rika, he turned her into such a cursed existence. Because he was afraid of danger, he gave birth to the powerful entity that slaughtered the Suna ninjas.

Both of these beings were born from his emotions.

Was that why Shiratori called them cursed spirits, because he believed they were the embodiment of his own curse upon the world?

Kuroi and Shiyu's expressions became serious. They had never heard of such a bizarre ability before. But in the vast shinobi world, strange things are not uncommon.

One thing was clear: Shiratori was powerful.

[Gratitude detected: Mizukusa +1000 points]

[Energy transferred to Smallpox Deity]

[Development progress: 53.9%]

Mizukusa looked at her own hand, she was alive again. She couldn't help but let out a helpless laugh.

After meeting Shiratori, even death no longer felt frightening.

It felt like... just falling asleep.

She knew Shiratori would wake her up. She'd really been spoiled. But when she saw the corpses of the Suna ninjas, the smile on her face stiffened.

She turned to Kuroi and Shiyu and asked, "Who did this?"

Their eyes instinctively drifted toward Shiratori, who was still healing someone. Mizukusa followed their gaze, puzzled.

"Why are you looking at Shiratori?"

"I did it," came Shiratori's voice.

Mizukusa froze, then blurted out, "What do you mean you did it?"

The moment she asked, she realized the answer. She had never even considered connecting something like this to Shiratori. To her, no matter who had done it, it couldn't possibly have been him.

He was just a child!

She looked to Kuroi and Shiyu in confusion.

Shiyu said in a low voice,

"To be more accurate... it was the cursed spirit bound to him that did it."

Shiyu then took three minutes to explain everything about the two cursed spirits connected to Shiratori.

Mizukusa was silent for a while after hearing the story. She looked at his back. She could sense his distress. Since the killing was done by a cursed spirit, it had nothing to do with Shiratori directly.

Seeing such a bloody scene must have terrified him.

Not to mention, when the cursed spirit appeared, most of them had been unconscious.

At that moment, he must have felt incredibly helpless.

"Thank you."

Mizukusa stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, speaking with deep sincerity:

"Your healing has saved us many times. And now, the cursed spirit has saved us again. It's all thanks to you."

[Gratitude detected: Mizukusa +1000 points]

[Energy transferred to Smallpox Deity]

[Development progress: 54%]

Shiratori lifted his head, moisture gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"You're really... not afraid of me? You don't think I'm a monster? A bringer of disaster? I can curse people... I'm scary!"

His voice cracked on the last word.

The three of them froze for a moment. They finally understood what he had been afraid of all along.

[Affection detected]

[Kuroi: +500 points]

[Shiyu: +500 points]

[Mizukusa: +500 points]

[Energy transferred to Rika]

[Development progress: 58.85%]

The vulnerability act was working exactly as intended.