AN: Hope you enjoy this! Let's see how far this gets accepted.
Disclaimer: I'm sure I don't own Naruto. Long live Masashi Kishimoto!
Warnings: Time travel/dimension travelling (hopefully the method I'm using isn't cliché'd), swearing and oh this is so an AU because why follow the canon stuff? Some things are from the manga, so spoiler warning here! You were forewarned, yo. Follows canonical storyline a little in this first chapter then second sways over to the AU part.
Also, thanks to my only reviewer from my "And Then There Were Two" fic that corrected me about Shisui's and Obito's ages. Haha...um. Still new to the Narutodom. The dated years and such are made up. So, don't kill me, please. Chapter titles are named after musical terms because I'm a music nerd. Shoot me.
There's been a couple, minor changes to this chapter, so it flows much better.
Decrescendo
1
Saturday, September 23, Year 419 NE (Ninja Era)
From inside the office within the Hokage Tower, a young man that was nineteen years old stood proudly. He was looking out the large windows, watching his village with careful, cerulean blue eyes. He was at peace, finally. The Hokage Monument had the previous Hokage's faces upon it; the Shodaime, Senju Hashirama, the Nidaime, Senju Tobirama, the Sandaime, "jiji" as he had affectionately called him but better known as Sarutobi Hiruzen, his father, the Yondaime Namikaze Minato, obaachan Senju Tsunade and lastly himself, the Rokudaime Uzumaki Naruto. Soon, there would be a Nandaime.
With everything that had happened over the last six years of his life, the peace that the Elemental Nations were in was well deserved. The other Kages and their villages were all in good terms with another; no malice between the other, however a few skirmishes of bandits here and there still occurred. From the horrible experience of the Wave mission to the corrupted Akatsuki, Uchiha Madara's insane plans and the battle and promise of Otsutsuki Kaguya, it was all worth it. Many sacrifices had to be made to get to this point, but with the help of his friends, his precious teammates, he was able to accomplish the impossible.
He may not be wearing the Hokage robes at the moment, namely because he didn't want to—he didn't like the colors, now that he thought about it, but he'd never tell anyone that except his wife—however, he donned his specially made coat. It was a cream colored long coat with sleeve, with the kanji "Rokudaime Hokage" imprinted on the back in dark red. He also had the kanji for "Nine" underneath that, symbolic for what he was: a Jinchuriki. Underneath, he wore the standard jonin green vest, his former Konoha hitai-ate stitched to the left side of said vest, a deep orange-red shirt and black pants. Matching black half gloves and zori were adorning his hands and feet respectively. His current hitai-ate had the kanji for "Shinobi" upon it, reminding him of his and his friends' struggles through the extreme battle of the Fourth Shinobi War.
His spiky blond hair grew out over the years, and he had to keep it maintained to some degree, lest his wife of one year reprimand him for it. His tan skin was still as it was, with his three whisker-like birthmarks upon each side of his cheeks. Since he was older from three years ago, his normally round eyes slanted a little more, and while he had to maintain his hair, the sides grew out and cupped around his face, both traits being reminiscent of the late Fourth Hokage.
While it seemed like he was simply idling the time away, he was in fact waiting for a few individuals to come. He had sent out a messenger hawk to summon them. He hoped he wouldn't have to wait too long. Some force within him was drawing him to stop moving, to drop down dead and become a statue. Stubbornly, he forced it down, wanting to prolong what was to come for him. He knew he wasn't going to like what he would say to them when they arrived, and he knew they wouldn't like it, either. But, it was inevitably happening, and leaving without telling anyone his fate would be less than pleasing.
Thankfully, he didn't have to wait for long. He sensed the familiar chakra signatures outside the door. With a strong voice, he simply said, "Enter."
Opening the door was an older man, most likely in his thirties, with silver hair in an peculiar gravity defying style, garbed in the standard jonin attire but had his face covered. Normally his hitai-ate would have been covering his left eye out of habit, but this time, it wasn't. He also would have a typical book and reading it about now, but again, he wasn't. His dark grey eyes, both of them, settled on the young man behind the desk, staring out the window passionately.
The next person to enter was a young woman, nineteen herself, with pink hair and green eyes. She, as well, also wore the standard jonin attire, her hitai-ate worn in her hair instead of around her forehead as most would.
Next to her was another young woman, the same age as the other kunoichi, with midnight blue hair trailing down to her backside. Very similarly dressed to the other female, but instead her hitai-ate was worn around her neck, and her pale white eyes found themselves on the young man as well. She closed the door behind her after she entered.
Another young man within the same age group as the previous duo shunshin'd inside. He was dressed in ANBU gear, complete with the mask. It was a snake mask he wore. His dark hair was visible, in a strange, gravity defying way much like the first male's hair. His sword was sheathed and strapped to his backside. He is the captain of the ANBU corps of Konoha.
Good. They were here, and now, he could inform them of the grave news he'd been keeping to himself for a long time.
"Hokage-sama," all four said, bowing respectively.
"Rise, it's all right." The Rokudaime said as he turned around to face the four in the room. He went towards the desk and activated the privacy seals throughout the room. Once done, the four stood up, curious.
"I understand you all are wondering about why I summoned you here." A collection of acknowledgment met him and he continued, "I'll get straight to the point since there isn't a reason to sugar coat this; I'm dying."
Their reactions were quick.
"What?!" the pink-haired female was the first to speak up, rather loudly.
The silver-haired ninja eyed the blond, narrowing them. He was upset that his former student was telling them this at the last minute. The second female gasped, straining herself from not shedding tears while the ANBU captain stiffened but was equally shocked.
"How? Pardon for my abrasiveness, but Hokage-sama, if you had a terrible illness—!" the first kunoichi began again but was stopped.
"Sakura," he said, his sharp tone silencing her at the moment to get her attention, "there wasn't much you or Tsunade-sama could do about it. It's not an illness." He focused on the rest of them. "It's what happens when a bijuu is extracted from its host; the host dies."
"Was Kurama...?" the silver-haired jonin started but the Rokudaime shook his head.
"No. It was when I separated the remaining bijuu from my person three years ago, similarly how Otsutsuki Hagoromo did." He paused, his audience hanging on every word as he spoke. "It wasn't long when I started noticing strange symptoms happening to me a few months after the self extraction of releasing the tailed beasts. I've consulted Yin Kurama about this and he's informed me that it was due to my chakra 'restarting' the lives of the tailed beasts so that they may roam again. Because I've had Yang Kurama extracted from me once, my body had to forcibly adjust to that, not too easily, mind, and then Yin Kurama was sealed into me to keep me alive..."
"I believe my body couldn't handle the strain of two extractions, whether forced or intended, so it's succumbing to death in one way or another." The Hokage walked around his desk, standing in front of the four he trusted with all his heart. "Last month, my body began to...fade, for lack of better terms. I know I don't have much longer until I've completely faded from existence, but I know it will happen today. I'm entrusting the future of Konoha to you four." He turned to the masked ANBU and smiled lightly, "Hebi, please remove your mask. I must speak with Uchiha Sasuke."
Nodding, the ANBU captain removed his mask, revealing the Last Uchiha. "Hokage-sama, I understand what you've been enduring. Please do not forget that the Rikudo Sennin granted me equal powers as yours. We can also sense one another; I had already known your signature was odd and...slowly fading." Sasuke said, the last bit coming out slower than usual. This man, despite everything he had done in the past, was the current Hokage's best friend. In fact, they considered themselves brothers and promised one another to remain at each other's side until death does them apart. Unfortunately, death was about to tear them apart.
"Can...can this be reversed?" The dark-haired kunoichi, Uzumaki-Hyuuga Hinata, his wife, asked, her pale eyes worriedly set on the Rokudaime. The blond turned to her, frowning deeply. He really didn't like saying this to his hime, but there was nothing he could say to get around it. No, it was best that she know everything.
"I'm sorry, Hinata-hime. There's nothing anyone can do about this." She gasped at this, and he knew her heart was already in the process of crumbling. He'd have to remedy that soon.
Hatake Kakashi, the silver-haired jonin, spoke up next, "Have you tried alleviating it with your Six Paths Sage technique?"
"I've tried it before; it only sped up the process unfortunately."
"Naruto-kun..." Hinata murmured under her breath. This couldn't be happening! This has to be a mistake or a really bad dream! Not after all their hardships together, their struggles and their relationship as well. Hell, they'd only been married for a year. The Hyuuga knew she suspected her husband was hiding something but he told her he would tell her in due time. That was why they...now she knew why.
Haruno Sakura, the pink-haired medic-nin glared at the blond. "Why would you wait this long to tell us? What about everyone else?!" While she wanted to stay respectful to her Hokage, there were some old habits that just wouldn't die. Shouting at her former teammate who had usually said or did something stupid. This was one of them. "Did you think we shouldn't have known about it or—?"
"Sakura, the reason I hadn't informed anyone until now because there were a few reasons why," he returned her glare with a passive glance, one that didn't harbor any anger for being disrespected nor any of the sort. When he got their attention again, he continued once more, "The number one reason is because everyone would have started panicking just like you did and ask me questions that I do not have many answers to. Can't you imagine the uproar of the people if they were told this? There would've been in an outrage."
The room went silent after that. None of them said another word, only breathed the air around them. It was tense, they knew, but...
"...Permission to speak freely, Hokage-sama."
"Permission granted, Hatake-san."
Kakashi nodded, a heavy sigh escaping his mouth, his eyes still upon his former student. "Naruto, what have you planned to do now that this...is happening?" The man, despite being in denial that his sensei's son, his Hokage, was dying (furious even that he didn't tell them) and there wasn't a way to reverse or cure it, remained calm as possible.
Naruto glanced at his former sensei and nodded. "Yes. I knew my time would come right around today. I've already written down everything that I want in these scrolls here." He unsealed three separate scrolls that were on his person and gave them to Kakashi. However, the last one, he gave to Sasuke. "Only you four are able to see what's inside. My condition is an S-rank secret, not to be mentioned outside this room. The contents inside the scrolls also follow. In a nutshell, these scrolls are my will."
The Rokudaime turned his gaze intently on Sasuke, the Uchiha returning it. He was scared, but kept it back. He noticed, when he squinted, he could see the tell-tale signs of a distortion and flickering particles of light emitting from his best friend's body. They were floating off slowly, like if he were performing some jutsu without hand signs. It was possible given who the young man was, but Sasuke knew Naruto wouldn't purposefully eliminate himself. No, his senses were correct in feeling Naruto's chakra signature lessening slowly every day. The man was using willpower alone to hold on for as long as he could, just to stand here in front of them.
"Sasuke... I know this is very informal of me, but I want to do this before I forget," the blond smiled warmly and the Uchiha ANBU had a strange feeling of what was coming. The others gave their Hokage their attention, wondering. "You were my rival back when we were in Academy. You were my teammate when we were genin. And despite everything we all went through, the pain, the internal struggling, the fighting, you stood by my side and fought the impossible together." Naruto's smile widened a little more while his eyes continued to stare into the dark, endless pools of his friend. "We saved the Elemental Nations together, and you've been a blessing as both my best friend, adviser and personal guard. It is this that I appoint you, Uchiha Sasuke, as my successor as the Nandaime Hokage."
If it had been any other person, they would have dropped the ANBU mask that Sasuke was currently holding. Three years ago, he had declared he wanted to be Hokage in recognition of his change, and his restoration of the Will of Fire. However, the public had chosen Naruto over him, but that was fine. He knew that the blond would choose him as his successor because they shared the same ideals, the same passion for the world. Together, they were bond by Hagoromo's Yin and Yang, bound by ancestry further than the Uchiha and Senju clans. But, to hear the words come out of his best friend's mouth...it stunned him. He thought he'd have to wait patiently for a few more years, maybe longer, given the Uzumaki's lifespan, complimented by his heritage.
"Hokag...Naruto..." Sasuke breathed out slowly, still trying to reel his mind in like a fishing pole does a fish around this. He was expecting this, anticipating it even, but it still stunned him none the less. "Naruto, I... I accept the position." The Uchiha bowed in respect. This caused the blond to chuckle.
"Hey...teme. Don't do that. You're technically my superior now. Like you've always wanted to be," Naruto joked harmlessly, causing the room to partially lighten up. Sasuke rose from his bow and allowed a genuine smile cross his face.
"...Dobe."
"Heh, that's the Sasuke I know. Anyway, listen, the scroll you have in your hands, Sasuke, is my written will of appointing you as my successor. The village S-rank secrets will be for your eyes only. Also, make sure you use Kage Bunshin to help you with the war that is paperwork. It'll overwhelm you if you don't."
Sakura looked down in remorse once the jovial aura of the room dissipated. She was still in denial herself, but...now that she had a better look at Naruto, some parts of his body seemed to flicker into intangibility for half a second before resuming the solid state. If she squinted, she would have seen the fragile light particles rising of his form as well. She just couldn't... No, she couldn't just accept her friend was going to...disappear. But, the signs were there and she knew he wasn't doing this on purpose. If only she could have seen it sooner, she and Tsunade-sama could have at least attempted to finding a way to help him! It wasn't fair. He always helped them in some way, shape or form. Why, why couldn't she ever return the favor?
Kakashi observed his ex-students and Naruto's wife with rapt attention. He was still having a hard time wrapping his head around this whole ordeal. Even though he was older and was entitled to some secrets of his own, not because he was—had been, now—the Hokage, this was something the Copy-nin hoped Naruto to share with all his friends. 'He would have if he had time and the strength to do so... But then, the rest of former Rookie 9 would have raged in some way, like Sakura did... No wonder he hadn't.' He thought to himself, coming to that conclusion. Dying, fading, disappearing...this situation was a delicate one, and the reason why Naruto hadn't made this announcement public, at least with the others, was because he didn't want them to worry about him. Kakashi assumed this as such. His sensei's son had always been like that since he had been the teen's ANBU guard in the past. A clearing of a throat alerted the four to look at Naruto again as his posture resumed it's 'Hokage mode'.
"Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Sasuke, Hinata-hime. You four are the only ones I can entrust this to at the moment. I know Shikamaru would have remained as calm and in shock at the same time with this knowledge, however, the four of you are closest to me." Naruto smiled warmly again, letting out a sigh, and when he did, allowed his chakra, or what remained of it, go. His body flickered again, but this time, the bright particles of light emanated off his person, visibly, and only continued to grow as it did. The three teens gasped while Kakashi remained as collected as possible. But there was no doubt he was feeling the same way as his former students.
"Naruto!" Sakura screeched in worry but the young man held up a hand to stop her from continuing.
"Don't worry, Sakura-chan..." he used the suffix, one had hadn't used in a long time, affectionately. Sakura was still one of his closest friends, and he used the suffix only when he wanted to grab her attention right on the spot. It did its job effectively as she stopped her forming rant and stared at him with a pained expression.
"You were keeping it in for this long, hm?" Kakashi said in a low voice. Naruto blinked at the statement, but nodded. Of course, hand it to his sensei to figure it out.
"You really can see through me and figure me out, huh?"
Kakashi eye smiled. "It's apart of my job description as your sensei, Naruto. Even if I'm not anymore." The blond smirked, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. Despite his position, the Kyuubi Jinchuriki could still get embarrassed.
"Ha... But I still consider you my sensei regardless. Nothing will change that—" He couldn't finish as a blur jumped at him, grabbing him into a tight embrace. Naruto knew who it was and returned it. "Hinata..."
"Y-you were hiding this all this time... I..."
"Hey, listen to me hime," he softly intertwined his fingers into her dark strands soothingly, not caring that he was being used as a crying pillow at the moment. No, he loved his wife, and even though his time was going out, he wouldn't leave without giving her a gift. "I didn't want you to worry about me. I wanted to spend the time with you, with our friends, without that worry. Without you all knowing that this was my personal burden to bear. I just couldn't allow you to know. Because you would have gotten upset and then tried to find a way to reverse the effect. And, I just couldn't imagine how heartbroken you would be if I told you there was nothing you could do about it..." Granted, he had told them now, but it was with friends and not alone.
Hinata's form trembled under his touch, in fear that he would vanish before he finished. Her mind was still in denial, still believing this was some cruel joke or a well-thought out genjutsu. But, she could feel him. His body felt lighter as she wrapped her arms around his form. And, when she opened her eyes, she could somewhat see right through him. Shinobi code be damned—she couldn't fight her strong emotions and these tears! "W-why couldn't..." The former Hyuuga heiress couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence. Naruto seemingly knew where it was going and answered anyway.
"I don't know. Kurama and the other bijuu don't know either, but they compared this to when the Rikudo Sennin separated the Juubi from his body and created the nine of them. He was getting old, though, so he couldn't contain the Juubi within his body anymore. He knew it would be released the moment he died, so he did what he had." The blond held his wife in his arms, bringing her close as possible. "I may not have had the Juubi within me, but I had the essence of the nine beasts within me. I've already assumed the effect of separating them from myself caused my body to start...disappearing. It's unstable and most likely, got attached to the bijuu themselves and either attempted to become one of them and substitute everything with chakra."
"What...what does that mean?" Sakura asked.
"He means because of the bijuu's influence, his body adjusted to their pure chakra entities and adjusted to it. Without them, his body isn't a condensed form of chakra like they are and can't hold together any longer." Sasuke answered as if he had read the blond's mind. Given their connection, it probably wasn't too farfetched.
"...That's why you said you were 'dying'," Kakashi wondered, another heavy sigh escaped him. "You're not a bijuu, yet your body assumed a half state of being both human and a condensed structure of chakra..."
"Yeah, that's it." Naruto replied factually, noting his ex-teacher's pained tone when he gave the layman's version of the explanation. Boy, this was turning out weirder as it went. "Unfortunately, I can't survive without a solid structure of chakra within me. If I had Yang Kurama merged with his Yin self, then I could be stabilized enough to remain in a solid form for as long as my human lifespan allowed."
"Was that really it...?" the low rumble of the nine-tailed bijuu's voice echoed within his conscience. Naruto mentally nodded to his partner, his other best friend. Even though he had bonded with his Yang version, the memories transferred over once the Yin form had been sealed inside him during the war. "Kit, you should have told me. I would have contacted my other self and this whole mess wouldn't be happening now."
'It wasn't like I really knew about that until today. Besides, your other self is...happy being free. Why don't you go join him and merge together, anyway?'
"You know full well why I'm not. I'm coming along for the ride, kit."
Naruto sighed internally. 'I tried.' But, he was happy that Kurama—well, one of him—was still by his side, no matter what. The blond could remove the bijuu from his person, but that would only upset his friend. The last thing he needed was another angry companion. It wouldn't do on his conscience knowing he had upset his friends. In fact, he still didn't want to disappear because it was doing the same thing, having a similar effect. No, it didn't matter how he approached this problem, the end results would have been the same. 'But you know, you would die with me. I wouldn't want that to happen—'
"Don't give me that. I'm fully aware that I could die along with you. Despite there being no seal that holds me within you, I'm choosing this path. For all that's worth, being beside you for this long... I think our...partner-relationship could see death together." The darker orange furred Kurama said within the mindscape. Naruto smiled at that. The greatest demon of all the Elemental Nations had finally gone soft! The world must be truly ending if he was saying something as sappy as this. Apparently the fox overheard this thought and growled non-threateningly. "Hmph, don't push your luck, kit!"
'I'm not, trust me.' the blond replied back, chuckling a little. 'Thanks Kurama. It really is touching that you care.' The large fox turned his head away, not in shame for being thanked, absolutely not! Of course, he'd never admit that but his former container knew why and left it at that. It'd be something to use and tease the great fox later on in the afterlife. Once that thought processed, Naruto's body tensed and became a tad more sluggish. Everything felt heavier than usual, and his grip on Hinata was becoming a chore for him. Was this the effect of his body disappearing?
In that moment, he gasped, unexpectedly kneeling to the floor. Everyone in the room reacted and practically flew to his side, minus Hinata, who was already there. Yeah, he felt like he was getting heavier and slower. Not to mention, the glowing light orbs that were emitting from his person were growing bigger, and he started the signs of fading.
"Naruto!" Sakura and Sasuke called out worriedly in unison. Kakashi's eyes betrayed him, feeling them burning with tears. He hadn't cried since the day his teammate, Uchiha Obito, was presumably dead, when he killed Nohara Rin, his other teammate and the day his sensei died sealing the Kyuubi within his son. But now, he was struggling with them. His mask was chipping away at a leisure pace and he knew it wouldn't be long until the tears would fall from his eyes. He owed so much to the teen that was crumbling to the floor, trying his best to remain with them a few moments longer. He had done many things for Kakashi, including restoring his left eye during the war, and bringing peace to the nations. He was never alone, but he had to give him credit.
In his arms, Hinata was shaking even more. She didn't want him to leave her, she didn't want him to disappear. They had just been married a year ago, had been a happy, loving young couple, and they wanted to start a family. How cruel was this? Was this always the fate of Uzumaki Naruto? To never have a family? His father had died on the day he was born and now her husband was going to die before they finished their plans of having a family. It wasn't fair, it really wasn't. To herself, she chuckled darkly at the thought of "fate". Her cousin, Neji, had been so obsessed with it before his view was changed by Naruto during their first time taking the Chunin Exams. Neither she nor Naruto believed in fate but could it have caught up to them now everything was at peace?
A soft kiss to her cheek alerted her that her husband was still there. How much longer did she have in his embrace until he was no more? She glanced up to him, tears stringing down her face. "Naruto-kun..."
"Hime. I know this is painful. It's painful for even me," he started and that's when she noticed he had fought back his own tears but failing miserably. "I know our time has been cut short... but..." Naruto placed a hand upon her stomach. She knew she wasn't pregnant at all, but now that she thought about it, they had interacted intimately a month ago. Hinata was quick to assume what he meant by this action and her cheeks tinted a dark shade of red. "I want you to take care of him." Him? Him? A...son? He knew they would eventually have a son? Then again, this could be his ability of having the Six Paths Sage technique pulling through.
"...I..." Her breath hitched as the words stopped but a comforting hand of her husband soothed her some. "...I understand... N-Naruto-kun." Oh dear, her stuttering returned. She thought she had gotten rid of that, but it resurfaced. The blond laughed a little at her stammering. The sound of his voice warmed her core but the situation they were in wasn't all too welcome. The feeling of coldness, dread, and loneliness was coming. She didn't want that. "I don't want you to leave me. Please...please let there be some other way."
"I wish there was, Hinata. I so wish there was. It's too late to call the other Kurama here. Who knows how far away he is at this point." Naruto slumped forward even further, eventually becoming dead weight. He could barely keep his arms around his wife; it was seriously becoming more of a chore. He was putting his all into keeping them around her form, to hold her there close to him. She did likewise.
"The council will no doubt want to hear about this...predicament. They'll have to be informed that I appointed Sasuke as my successor and finalize it," the Rokudaime said again, his eyes glancing from Kakashi to Sakura and finally landing on his best friend, Sasuke himself. "I'm sorry...all of you."
"What are...you apologizing for, Naruto-baka?" Sakura asked, using the suffix affectionately. He didn't mind anyway; it was normally used in private nowadays because the people would get offended if his former teammate called him that in public, thus disrespecting their Hokage. "Other than not telling us that this was happening to you. Th-this isn't your fault though..." She finished, trying her best to keep her own tears back but also failing.
"To add what Sakura said, I hope you'd have come to us beforehand, Naruto," Kakashi added, looking at the blond. "We could have figured something out together."
"I know... But I thought it was nothing at first but then when I figured out what was going on, I just... I didn't want to worry anybody."
"You still could have told us something..." Sasuke said with a firm glare in his dark eyes. Of course, everyone in the room was fighting back tears including him. "We're in this together, Naruto. Don't count us out of things like this!"
"...I know. I know that now... I just. I couldn't allow my friends to worry about me. I wanted to keep you all happy, away from my burden. But that was a huge mistake of mine that I'm now regretting."
"Damn right it was."
'Not you, too!'
"You expect me to let you not live this down?"
'No, not really but...'
Naruto winced as he felt his arms shake and suddenly go numb. They fell to his sides and his body finally collapsed to the floor. Well, it almost did had Sasuke not caught his head before that. Everyone went on sudden alarm. They knew they were prolonging this, but...but they just needed more time with him. Just a little longer.
'Kami, don't please...don't let him go...please let him stay for a little more.' Hinata thought desperately.
'The light's getting brighter...and I feel so much heavier than before. And damn, I can actually see myself fading. Well, this sucks.' Naruto thought. 'I can barely keep my eyes open.'
"Well shit, our time's up, Naruto."
'You know, that offer about releasing you still stands.'
"And when I'm released, the Hokage Tower will collapse and possibly kill innocent people below due to my size."
'Oh, right. Well...I could transfer you to Sasuke—'
"I'm not going anywhere, brat." Kurama growled in finality. "I just told you I'm coming along for the ride. Are you forgetting our friendship, kit?"
'No. But just thought I'd give it a shot again just in case you wanted to be free...again.' Naruto realized how odd that sounded, since the Yang half of Kurama was the one that was out and not inside him. Boy, this was getting confusing. 'Um... you know what I mean.'
The large fox chuckled deeply at his ex-container's words. "Sure, being free sounds delightful, but I'm content remaining here. Since you changed the kami-forsaken atmosphere in here, it's been rather pleasing to stay. Besides, my other half is free to do what he wants."
'Dunno if I should be scared of that or not.'
"Don't worry, he remembers our partnership with you. He is deciding to give humanity another chance, just as Kaguya has."
'Oh, all right then. I feel reassured then. All the bijuu deserve to live and be free, not contained, and do what they want. Except destroying things for fun, of course. That's why I separated them from myself. To give them that freedom, that chance to be alive and not trapped inside someone's mind and strapped to a life of being contained.' He meant every word of this, and he knew the nine-tailed fox knew it, too. Only a growl of approval was his reply before Naruto returned his attention to his friends. He knew his time was running out and fast. His blue eyes glazed over, but he could see the worried looks in his friends' eyes. They were trying to hold their emotions in check, but he knew, he could feel them leaking out.
"...It's...all right to cry," Naruto breathed out. He grumbled to himself after he spoke. It was even harder to speak to them! His body felt like a giant piece of stone that wouldn't budge, no matter what he did. He felt numb all over. The only time he felt like that was when Yang Kurama had been extracted forcibly from him those years ago. He struggled to keep his eyes open, barely half-lidded, straining to keep the smile on his face. If he was going to die, or disappear, he wanted no more regrets. How ironic that he'd never see his family grow up, much like his father hadn't with him. 'Maybe Neji's obsession with Fate has finally kicked in...' he thought absentmindedly.
"Don't you...all regret anything...after this. I may not be happy...I never will, but this...I have made my peace." Naruto fixed his gaze towards his former teacher. "Sensei, please... help Sasuke lead Konoha and the other nations. And keep your head out of your porn," he allowed himself a smirk, which the older male eye smiled in response. It was the weary, saddened version of it, and Naruto knew, but he was glad his teacher understood. "Sakura, keep training medic-nins for teams and the hospital running strong. Tsunade-baachan will... still need you in the future." The pink-haired ninja closed her eyes but nodded solemnly.
"Sasuke..." Naruto focused his attention to his successor, who met his gaze firmly. "Keep Konoha healthy and strong. I know you will be a powerful Kage and just leader. I believe in you...teme." He couldn't help but say that, in a serious but light manner. Sasuke smiled a true smile, nodding genuinely to his predecessor.
"Of course I will...Dobe." He replied, using the normal insulting name as a nickname. Like with Sakura, the two only called each other such names in private. It reminded them of their past, the good and the bad. His face turned serious as he spoke his next sentence, "I will give my life for Konoha, just as the past Hokage have done, and you." Deep down, the Uchiha was hoping Naruto would remain longer. He couldn't bear to see his best friend in such a state, fading in and out like he was. Naruto's body was heavy, heavier than anything he's ever lifted before. Hell, he was using his chakra to keep his strength to holding the blond from hitting the ground unforgivably.
Naruto nodded, forcing himself to remain where he was. He could feel the effects of the disappearance creeping up on him. He wasn't sure how but he felt it. "Everyone...keep...Konoha safe... That's...an order," Naruto mumbled out weakly.
"Hai...Hokage-sama..." The four numbly replied softly. They knew this was Naruto's final order and would respect and uphold it with their very lives.
The blond knew they would hold true to that, and finally allowed the force to take his right arm. Cringing at its painful symptoms, he turned his focus to the last kunoichi in the room, the one looking down at him with tears pouring out of her lovely, pale eyes. Grappling for some form of control of his left arm, the one nearest her, the blond reached up, grimacing at the costive pace but knowing he couldn't do anything about it, and touched her face. "Hime..."
Hinata gently cupped her hands around his, never wanting to let go. "...Naruto-kun..."
Smiling weakly, feeling his chest harden as his heart's beat steadily declined. His eyes were growing wearier by the second. The energy he was using to maintain some semblance of solidity and keeping his hand where it lie was taxing him. An extreme price to pay, but worthily. He didn't want to leave Hinata alone, with any regrets of his passing. The radiant speckles emitting from his body intensified, and his feet began to fade out. It started seeping up his ankles, closing towards his legs. His time was approaching, but he needed to say this. 'Come on...Just...just have to open my mouth. It's so hard, and I'm so tired. Damn it! Just a little more!' Naruto thought angrily.
"Don't forget me. Don't...regret...this..." He managed to grit out. Naruto couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He fought valiantly to keep them open, to see his beautiful wife's face, but they wouldn't obey him. Fuck. Still, he had his mouth working, albeit, very hard to even maintain that control over it, too. With a deep sigh of relief, feeling the wetness of Hinata's tears splatter silently on his face, he ran his hand carefully over her cheek. "Don't cry, my princess. Even...if I'm not here... I will be here for you."
So much for having control over his arm. The control slipped from him, as if a force pulled it out of his grasp. Hinata gasped when it did, but kept his hand to her face, trying to warm it for comfort. She couldn't speak, just listen to him. She knew these were his last moments and knew he had more to say. The fact her mind was starting to see the light of this situation wasn't making this any easier for her. Her eyes traced over her husband's body, noticing nearly half his body was vanishing. The brilliance wasn't doing her eyes any good, either. There wasn't time left; she had to do this now, again, before she lost him forever.
She leaned over, her hair cascading over her shoulders as she did. It was strange to see some strands fall upon Naruto's near transparent body and some to go through him as well. Hinata drew closer until their lips were touching. She could still feel and hear his breath, could still hear his heart beating although weakly. The Hyuuga squeezed his hand one more time before setting it upon the floor, letting it go languidly. "Naruto-kun...I love you." She said, cupping her hands around his face, allowing their lips to touch.
He barely breathed out his response, tears streaming down his face once more, "I love you, too."
She pressed their lips together with a deep kiss. Hinata listened to his ragged breath hitch, accepting the comfort and if he could, he would have moved to join her in this passionate moment. But no, he was stiff, finally going numb everywhere. He felt his beloved's tender touch, and would treasure it no matter what. They remained in that position until his entire form completely winked away with the glowing light. Hinata opened her eyes to find Naruto no longer underneath her. She was most definitely heartbroken, already feeling empty as the love of her life, her husband, was taken from her. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself and settled for silently sobbing. This pain, it was too much. She would weep and mourn his death for now. She wouldn't cry forever; he had made his peace, he left with no regrets.
She would have no regrets either. But for now, she would settle for mourning him, just as she had for her cousin Neji. Sakura couldn't force her tears back this time, and they fell like an unstoppable waterfall. Kakashi placed a hand upon her shoulder, hoping to give the medic-nin comfort. Sasuke gritted his teeth together. He was frustrated and angry. Angry at Naruto for not telling them his condition. He sensed them, thanks to their bond, but he thought the idiot would tell somebody about them. But no, the bloke just had to keep them to himself. The Uchiha placed a hand on his bloodbound brother's wife's shoulder, trying to comfort her as well. If any indication by Naruto's gesture towards her stomach earlier, then they would have a mini clone of the blond running around sometime in the future.
'Naruto...' Sasuke thought in a whispered, longing tone, feeling disconnected in an eerie way. Perhaps it was because of the lack of the Yang half of Hagoromo's form that vanished alongside the blond. Idiot, but wherever he was, he hoped it was the heavens and not in the pits of hell. He deserved to go up there, after all.
Elsewhere...
'I don't feel bad anymore. It hurts, the pain of leaving them will never go away, but I can deal with it.' Naruto thought. He felt like he was drifting off, like if he suddenly been floating on the surface of water. 'I'll never forget that last kiss, either.'
"It's a shame you left on such a note..." Kurama's voice murmured from within. "Let's hope my other half comes around when your mate has your future kit."
'Yeah, that'd be great... I know we discussed a name for a possible kid. I already knew it'd be a boy though for some reason.'
"...Having this conversation while dying seems very odd and all but..."
'Well, I have nothing else to do. Wait a minute...what's that I'm feeling?'
Kurama paused himself, now noticing the faint trace of energy. Peculiar...why did it feel familiar to his own? When it grew closer, his eyes widened. "Well, damn. It's my other half." He stated rather bluntly, a little bit surprised. Naruto, however, blinked in utter shock.
'Wait. I thought he was back in the...um realm of the living? So why is he FOLLOWING us to our death?'
"Think about it for a second. He and I are one in the same. We both had contact with you, you being our most recent container. Some of your chakra had been inside him for a long duration, for sixteen years. We're most likely dragging him down with us than him following." At that explanation, Naruto calmed down then said a couple words that seemingly summed up their current situation.
'Well, shit.'
"Couldn't have said it better myself... And this will definitely put your world at risk of being off balance of chakra."
'Damn it. See, this could have been prevented if you'd had just accepted my offer and be released from me.' Naruto grumbled.
"And be stuck there bored with humans I don't trust for the rest of my immortal life? Hmph!"
'...Good point.'
At that moment, both Naruto and Yin Kurama felt the presence of Yang Kurama's form. It felt like being slammed into a stone wall with a sword embedded through his heart. At least, for Naruto it did. For Kurama, well, it wasn't too pleasant, either. It seemed like the brilliant radiance that his body had emitted earlier hadn't gone away completely, as it wrapped the nineteen year old Hokage and the pair of Kurama into its luminescence. Huh, it felt peculiar. Wait, how were they "feeling" anything? Weren't they dying? Do dying people, and chakra monsters, feel anything anymore?
"Something tells me this isn't the end..." Yang Kurama mumbled.
"...Indeed." Yin Kurama said after.
With both of them there, Naruto felt a headache coming on. But he had to agree with them. This felt off for some reason. He wasn't sure what it was but before he could say anything on the matter, he closed his eyes as the light blinded them all. All three of them thought one thing while it enveloped them.
Shit.
Edited: 8/14/2014