He drops to his knees and lets his power fade. It's over. It's all over. They've finally won. It's over.
He smiles and tilts his head up to the sky. As the first drop of water falls from the overhanging clouds, the first tear escapes from the corner of his eye. "It's over." He whispers to the clouds, hoping somewhere in his heart that he will hear.
The second teardrop leaves a clear track down his tanned cheek. His smile turns into a grimace, and for the first time he mourns. He is gone. The war is won, but only according to the greater picture.
He curls in on himself, and lets the dam that he built around his emotions to break. They come flooding out, bringing with them the pain of his loss. He is dead. His partner, his beloved, his husband. Gone.
A warm hand finds his back, but he can hardly recognize it through the sharp, digging pain in his chest. "Naruto."
He hears the voice, recognizes it, and hates it. It's not his.
"Naruto what's wrong? We've won. We can go home."
He abhors the soft feminine tones of that voice. Why won't it go away?
"Naruto?"
A new voice. He hates it too.
"Dobe."
When will they leave him alone? Alone to mourn what he hasn't been able to for months. He wasn't allowed to cry when he died. They would all get suspicious. Then the war started, and he had to wait some more.
He wasn't even allowed to bury him. His body was taken. Taken and used. Just like he wanted it to be. He planned for it to happen.
"Naruto."
He lifts his head. Just to tell them to leave him alone. They don't know. How could they not know? That's right. He's just the dead last that saved the village that he loves. He's always loved it. He loved it too. It betrayed them both, but they loved it just the same.
Tsunade, Sakura, Sasuke, and several others stand staring at him.
For a moment, he ponders wiping away the tears, and smiling. He thinks about telling them that he's just so happy that the war is finally over. Telling them that he's just missed his ramen so much. They would believe him. They would laugh, and scoff, and call him dumb.
Then he thinks about him. He doesn't want to pretend. His heart that has been shattered, and only just held together by his will. He doesn't want to pretend that the pieces are now lying at his feet in microscopic shards.
"Naruto, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Asks Sakura.
Naruto stares at her. Hurt? No. Devastated.
"He's gone." He chokes past the lump lodged in his throat.
Fresh tears leave warm trails down the sides of his face. He can taste the salt on his tongue as some of them make it past his trembling lips.
"Who's gone?" She asks, sounding confused.
Of course she's confused. They're so blind! How could they not have realized? Or at least suspected? He once told him that he wears his heart on his sleeve. Can they not see it? He doesn't hide it. Not really. If they had asked, he would have told them.
"Neji? Are you talking about Neji? Or your father? Who's gone?" She asks persistently. Annoyingly.
He knows she cares, but her wrong guesses are melting the shards that are all that remains of his heart.
He looks at his finger. Then he pushes chakra to the ring that's not visible on his left hand. The one he put there. The genjustsu he put on it disappears, revealing the smooth metal band.
He cradles his left hand in his right, loving the warm piece of metal that marks him as his.
He can see the others notice it. They're surprised. Why are they surprised? Is it so hard to believe that he of all people was able to fall in love? Why are they surprised?
"He's gone." He whimpers, and his eyes flutter shut. A cough rakes through his body. He brings his right hand to his mouth as pain flares through his body. When he pulls his hand away from his mouth, he sees the telltale crimson of blood.
He hears Sakura's startled intake of breath next to him. Did she really think the gift of power he had been given wouldn't have a price? He knew. Kurama warned him that anymore power would damage him. He knew from the very first time he tapped into the biju's power that he would eventually die.
He didn't realize it would be so soon.
A part of him is relieved. He won't have to mourn his love much longer.
Another part cries out in anguish. He'll never become Hokage. He'll never grow old with his friends. He'll leave Tsunade alone...
Did he feel the same too? When he knew he was dying? Somehow, Naruto thinks he did. He would have known the pain Naruto would feel because he left without him.
He cradles his hand again, and pulls it to his chest, keeping it close to his heart. Right where it belongs.
"Naruto." He can hear the hesitation in Tsunade's voice. Let her ask. He wants to tell them. All of them. He doesn't want to hide his lover. Not anymore.
"Who is he? Are you- are you married?" Her voice wavers.
He feels bad. She would have loved the small ceremony. The trees were green, and the cherry blossoms were shedding their petals. Their witnesses were Kisame, his partner, and Gaara, who was the first and only one to realize the true relationship between them. It was strange, but It worked.
He opens his eyes, and looks into the eyes of his only love. The eyes that no longer belong to him, and he smiles at them. "Itachi." He whispers lovingly. Just to those eyes, not the body. Sasuke has only ever been a rival, a brother, a team mate, and a friend.
Sasuke takes a step back, startled. It shows on his face, Naruto almost laughs at the striken look the youngest Uchiha sports. Almost. He's not really the youngest anymore. Technically that would be the title given to Naruto. He smiles wryly. He never got to use his new name, except to sign it onto the official document. He only got to hear it when Itachi whispered it relishing and possessive in his ear on their wedding night.
Another cough forces it's way out of his reluctant throat. He doesn't bother to cover his mouth this time. He tastes the iron tang of his own blood in his mouth.
Tsunade rushes to his side, her hands green running over his body with carefully detached emotions. He removes his hand from it's place by his heart, and stops her. He notices the blood shine on his ring, but ignores it.
"You won't like what you find." He warns her. "I agreed to pay the price that came with saving what was left of my precious people. This is not something you can fix."
Tsunade glares at him, and he can see the haze of tears that's gathered in her eyes. She directs him so that he's laying down on his back, and places her green glowing hands on his body. It only takes a few moments, but she lets out a choked, shocked gasp. Her tears land on Naruto's stomach, and leak through his clothes to touch his skin.
He removes her hands once again from his body, and holds them gently in his.
"Don't cry. I'll be with the man I love. I wasn't able to save everyone, but I was able to stop a needless massacre. I am happy. I won't be hokage, but I've done what was needed to be done to save lives. That makes me happy." He tells her. His endless tears slow, and stop. His breath shudders in his lungs, fighting to get in and out.
"Were you happy? With him, I mean? Did he make you happy?" She asks. He can see the bob of her throat as she swallows, trying to work past the lump that will have formed in her own throat.
Naruto looks into the living eyes of his dead lover. They widen in realization, horror, pain, anger, hurt, and finally the faint glimmer that he was searching for. He can see that those eyes still recognize him, still love him, even in a different body. It's a different kind of love, but it's enough.
"Yes. Always." He promises. "Sasuke." He mutters, no longer able to force his lungs to move properly. His heart palpates in his chest, ready to give. "Please." He begs. "I want to see his eyes last."
Impossibly, tears gather in the corners of those perfect eyes. Sasuke blinks, and they disappear, but then he kneels next to Naruto and takes one of his hands. Sakura sobs, and turns away. Naruto ignores her.
He releases Tsunade's hand and shakily traces one of the beautiful black eyes. "Take care of them." He wheezes.
Sasuke nods.
Naruto lets his hand drop to his side.
He takes Tsunade's hand again, knowing what his death will do to her. Gaara will help though. He promised. He will explain everything in further detail.
His eyes don't leave Itachi's. His vision tunnels, turning black even though his eyes are open.
It's the same color of his eyes.
"Naruto."
He smiles. It's his voice.