Fate never asked for permission.
It imposed itself, implacable, dragging Shizuki in its flow without giving her time to breathe. She was never the protagonist of a great prophecy, nor the bearer of a legendary lineage. She had neither the weight of a family name, nor the luxury of a home to return to. Just a katana that felt like an extension of her own body and a master who, for some reason, had decided not to leave her behind.
And then Naruto Uzumaki appeared.
Too loud, too optimistic, too... him. A boy who radiated a blinding light, as if he refused to be ignored. At first, he was just an annoying jerk. But the problem with the sun is that even if you close your eyes, its heat is still there.
Sometimes, Shizuki wondered if she could shine like that too.
The path they shared was not an easy one. It was a path of dust and scars, of loud laughter and heavy silences. Of training to exhaustion and battles that left invisible marks. But among all the things Shizuki had learned, there was one thing that continued to haunt her:
Running had never gotten her anywhere.
She wasn't a hero, but neither was she willing to be just another spectator in someone else's story. If the world wanted to drag her down, then she would face it with everything she had.
The wind obeys no one.
And neither did she.