Homura's heart pounded in his chest as he straddled the female kunoichi, his grip tightening on the blade pressed against her vulnerable neck.

“Do it! Just swing the blade slightly and it will be all over,“ Homura kept telling himself the same thing over and over again but his hand refused to move.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, as he stared into the kunoichi's eyes, he couldn't help but question the morality of his next move.

“Darn, it! I told myself that I would never again hesitate…Why can’t I do it now!? She is the enemy! I will kill all my enemies! All of them! They will all pay!“ Homura’s inner voice screamed inside his own mind. It was the promise he made that fateful day. A promise that he had sworn to keep, but reality was a cruel mistress.

For as much bravado that Homura was capable of, and for as much as he kept lying to himself; Homura was overall not cold-blooded.

Even the wild beasts he killed in the past were because they had given him no choice. He had been blessed with sharp instincts but he was far from cruel and did value the worth of a life.

However, committing the sin of intentional murder was something totally different. For someone such as Homura who at the end of the day was a passive individual.

He had learned to compartmentalize his feelings like any good shinobi but everyone had their limit, and causing unnecessary pain or killing others was far from something Homura wanted to do.

As much as he refused to admit it, his training was far from complete at the academy, he may be a more or less capable fighter but as a cadet, he still lacked the maturity and readiness to face real combat head-on.

He was simply too emotional.

A surge of conflicting thoughts and emotions consumed his mind, creating a whirlwind of uncertainty. He knew that as a shinobi, his duty was to protect the village and eliminate its enemies. But the weight of taking a life, especially one that seemed just slightly older than his own and perhaps not even in their 20s, gnawed at his conscience.

"Is this really what it means to be a shinobi?" Homura pondered silently. "To extinguish the lives of others without hesitation? Is there no room for mercy or redemption?"

As he locked eyes with the kunoichi beneath him, Homura's mind raced with a torrent of introspection.

The subdued kunoichi was also quite surprised by the turn of events, her confusion evident. She couldn't fathom why Homura, her sworn enemy, hesitated to end her life. The unspoken curiosity in her gaze mirrored his own inner turmoil, and for a brief moment, they were united in their uncertainty.

As the seconds ticked by, Homura's mind raced with questions and justifications.

The teachings of the academy echoed in his thoughts, instilling the belief that enemies were to be eliminated without hesitation. Yet, he couldn't escape the lingering doubts and questions that plagued him. Was this truly the path he wanted to follow? Was the preservation of the village worth sacrificing his own moral compass?

As the seconds ticked by, Homura's mind raced with questions and justifications. The village's teachings echoed in his thoughts, ingrained in him since his days at the academy. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there had to be another way, that life need not be discarded so readily.

It was something he had learned at the orphanage from the priest and sister Kasumi, though he was not truly religious and they never tried to make them follow the same fate or morals; was not something he could easily discard.

Unlike the other children, Homura has an idea, as vague as it was, of what it meant to experience war and what murder truly entails.

Actions pertaining to murder or hurting others could leave an ever-ending sour taste to the ones committing these said actions.

His conflicted feelings toward the village added another layer of complexity to the situation. Homura had friends and loved ones within the village, and he acknowledged the importance of maintaining peace and order. But a part of him always felt like an outsider, never truly fitting into the mold of a loyal shinobi. The tragedy that befell the Uchiha clan deepened his skepticism and mistrust, fueling his resentment toward the village's leadership.

Amidst his inner turmoil, the realization struck him that the kunoichi had glimpsed his face. Panic surged through Homura's veins as he desperately tried to assess the implications of this revelation. His disguise as an older version of himself relied on the assumption that his true identity would remain hidden. However, if the kunoichi was captured by someone who possessed the ability to read minds or was forced to divulge information, his secret actions would be exposed. The potential consequences sent shivers down his spine.

Avoiding eye contact with the kunoichi, Homura focused his attention on analyzing her movements, hoping to distract himself from the mounting pressure. He yearned for a justification, a reason to extinguish her life. But deep down, he knew that it would be an act of cold-blooded murder, regardless of the village's expectations. The conflict between his duty as a shinobi and his own moral code tore at his soul.

Yet, the kunoichi's presence posed a threat. If she had caught sight of his Sharingan, even if she was unaware of its meaning, more likely than not, his most important secret would be laid bare. Homura couldn't ignore the implications of that revelation. His face, partially exposed during their encounter, left him vulnerable to discovery. The fear of exposure intensified his internal debate, pushing him toward a grim resolution.

"I can't risk it," Homura's thoughts raced. "If she has seen my true face, if she knows of my abilities, then I must eliminate her. It's a matter of self-preservation, not just for me, but for those I care about." Homura thought that such a resolution was the right one inside his mind.

How could it not be? If ended her life, the kunoichi would have died happily to have died as true shinobi and he would avoid any risks to his loved ones.

The weight of responsibility settled heavily upon him. He knew the village expected him to eradicate threats, to safeguard its peace. But as he stared down at the kunoichi, he couldn't help but question the true nature of that peace. Did it require sacrificing one's humanity, forsaking mercy and compassion?

None of that was in the textbooks or scrolls, but if the mission is above everything else for a shinobi, then perhaps as someone training to become a true shinobi, the act of killing was always the only solution, to begin with.

The weight of responsibility settled heavily upon him. In the end, no matter the sentimental words of the Hokage and those of the villagers reality was much more different. He knew the village expected him to eradicate threats, to safeguard its peace.

At least it was a code he could follow since it would allow Homura to protect those who deserved it.

While Homura wrestled with his internal struggle, the kunoichi remained perplexed. Bound and unable to communicate, she couldn't comprehend why her enemy hesitated to end her life. The rules of their world dictated that enemies were swiftly dispatched, leaving no room for mercy. Yet, Homura's hesitation puzzled her, raising questions she couldn't voice.

Perhaps a novice would make such a mistake, then again how could she be beaten by a novice? It was a thought that didn’t even connect with her current self, the last few movements Homura had shown had to be from an experienced shinobi. It would have been impossible for a novice to avoid her attack and use it as a counter-attack.

“Could it be that…he was playing with me all along?“ It was a ridiculous thought that crossed her mind since she had been the one who was on the attacking for most of the fight and her foe seemed to be on the losing side, but then again how would a normal person rationalize that someone suddenly got much better in a fight for seemingly no reason whatsoever.

People don’t usually get much better at fighting when stuck in a fight to life and death, at least that was something she believed to be true from her years of experience.

How could a normal person experience such a reversal?

Such things do not normally happen, but then again why even bother thinking about it since her foe seemed to be struggling with the thought of ending her life?

The blade pressed against her neck shook ever so slightly as if her foe was stuck battling his own demons on the inside.

Under such a current predicament, the best that she could do was to remain calm and wait for an opportunity to break free from her current ordeal.

As her mind tricked her body to remain calm and still…waiting for an opportunity to break free from the situation she had made the mistake of getting herself stuck in; as any trained shinobi would do.

Fortunately for her, she would not have to wait long.

*BOOOMMMMMM!!!!*

“!!!“ both Homura and the kunoichi were taken by surprise by a sudden explosion and burst of flames that illuminated the sky near them.

Just as tension hung heavy in the air, a sudden explosion shattered the momentary calm. The ground trembled beneath them, drawing Homura's attention away from the kunoichi. Seizing the opportunity, she unleashed a swift kick to his gut, propelling him backward.

“…” An unspoken silence filled the area they were in but was immediately broken by the sound of birds and several other animals in the area that were perturbed by the recent explosion as both parties took a fighting stance once again.

Homura was barely able to activate his sharingan once again, struggling to have them remain active

Their eyes met for a fleeting instant, conveying unspoken inquiries and unfulfilled curiosity. Even though Homura’s face was still hidden via a mask, the kunoichi could feel his intense glare. As if he was carefully studying her every move.

Though she longed to ask why he spared her, her instinct to prioritize her teammates overpowered her desire for answers.

So it didn’t take long for her to join her hands together and form a hand sign before seemingly vanishing to Homura’s surprise.

“!” Homura was surprised by such an action but had to immediately force himself to deactivate his sharingan as a headache suddenly hit him and the woman in front of him vanished in a cloud of smoke.

“S-shunshin (Body Flicker)?!” Homura thought as he grabbed the left side of his face with his left hand while experiencing a splitting headache.

It was as if for a moment his entire brain felt that it was being attacked by a jolt of electricity, but it soon stopped.

“…” As the kunoichi vanished into the shadows with astonishing speed, leaving Homura alone with his thoughts. Or rather it allowed Homura to have other thoughts than ones pertaining to fighting since he had been quite on edge this whole time.

A mix of relief and regret flooded his being. He had narrowly escaped the dilemma of taking a life, yet the weight of his choices still pressed heavily upon him.

Regaining his composure, Homura took a deep breath, acknowledging the urgency of his situation. His injuries throbbed, and his chakra reserves dwindled.

If Kakashi, the formidable jōnin, was indeed present as he had suspected, time was of the essence.

In the midst of his introspection, Homura resolved to dispose of the second blade he carried, a symbol of his past and potential vulnerability.

As well as getting rid of his current set of clothes as they would be easy for anything with a keen nose to track him down after the ordeal he had just gone through, he could only hope that the kunoichi he let go of could buy him enough time to escape.

With every fast step he took toward his return to the academy, he couldn't help but wonder if his decision to spare the kunoichi would come back to haunt him.

This time he had put himself in real trouble.

He had managed to recover his mask but small amounts of his DNA were scattered all over the battlefield, he could only hope that they were corrupted enough to be useless and animals somehow stepped on the small pieces of clothing he had left behind as he struggled to keep his current transformation with his dwindling chakra reserves and fatigue.

It was in these fleeting moments of decision that Homura understood the gravity of his choices.

Inwardly, Homura resolved to eliminate any trace of his presence, to fade back into the shadows before his actions and the loose ends could catch up to him.

With less than two hours having passed since he ventured out, he calculated that he could slip back into the academy unnoticed, concealing his absence from prying eyes.

The prospects of a swift return provided a glimmer of hope in the face of uncertainty.

And with that resolve in his heart, he hurried up towards leaving the forest as fast as he could; completely unaware that through all this ordeal he had managed to evolve his sharingan for the first time in years of using it.