When one door closes
A young man in his early twenty's stands alone in a field, he has standard issue foot and leg wear of leaf ninja and on his torso is an orange T-shirt underneath a black flak jacket. Around his forehead is a black headband, keeping his spiky blond hair out of his face, with extra long length going down his back, the only irregularity is the rectangular metal plate on the front with a leaf symbol embroidered on it. He stands at a solid six feet with the build of an athlete, and in his right hand he holds a bouquet of twelve different flowers. His face is angular with sharp eyes and on each cheek there are three lines almost like tattoos. But what stands out the most is that his face, which is normally a near endless source cheerfulness, is currently set in solid stone. It is pouring rain and the single solitary life form in the field is completely drenched.
The only other thing in the immediate vicinity is a stone monument which he has not taken his eyes off of in the past twenty minutes. Carved into the sides of the stone are hundreds of names, each belonging to a different unique individual from all walks of life. Some were poor, some were rich, some were black, some were white, some men, some woman, orphans, and beloved family members. They all had one thing in common though, no matter what there differences, they all died as patriots in service to their country and their people.
"Hey guys it's finally over" said the young man "Madara has been defeated and Sasuke captured."
"I know what you're all thinking, what took you so long, right." He smiles grimly and shakes his head wistfully.
"It was a long and brutal six years and it was only thanks to you guys that we had a chance in the first place. There were times when I just wanted to throw in the towel and say "enough is enough," then I would remember what we were fighting for, what you and countless others have died for. It gave me the strength and will to carry on, it made me relies that the Will of Fire is not just past on through future generations but through our peers as well."
The young blond looks over the names of all his loved ones inscribed on the stone: Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji, Nara Shikimaru, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuga Hinata, Hyuga Neji, Tenten, Rock Lee, Maito Guy, Hatake Kakashi, and Haruno Sakura.
"The alliance is over with, but with enough hard work and dedication I hope that the five great nations can stay on common grounds. If we succeed it will go along way to making sure something like this tragic war never happens again."
The young man places the bouquet on the ground in front of the monument and takes the time to look at every flower individually.
"I don't know much about flowers so instead of getting ones with special meanings I got one for all of you that seems to remind me of you. For instance a yellow rose for Ino, a beautiful golden and yet it still has thorns to protect itself. Or a Cone Flower for the green beast of Konoha. And a bunch of others whose names I don't even know. Heheheh sorry Ino, you could probably tell me everything about them and then some." He rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment and then stands back up to look over the stone as a whole.
"It was the greatest honor of my life to grow up and fight along side you guys, the twelve bravest and noblest souls I have ever met."
His eyes then travel to a name a bit away from the most recent additions, Jiriaya; he just stares at it for a moment before speaking.
"Well sensei, I seem to be getting closer to that dream of yours, peace for all the shinobi nations, wish me luck. I hope to do you and everyone else proud in the coming years."
He finally looks up from the stone monument and smiles a huge smile that lights up the field, as he does this a break in the could cover allows a ray of sunshine to shine down on the field directly over the stone. As he turns to go he catches sight of someone standing in the tree line. She is a tall woman in high heels and grey pants and shirt; over her shirt is a green jacket with the kanji for gamble on the back. In her hand is a diamond shaped hat with the kanji for fire on it.
Her eyes meet his and she says, "Come on brat everyone is waiting for you, after all it's not everyday that the man who saved the world is given the title Fire Shadow."
The young man just smiles at her before glancing back at the stone one last time and then walking towards her. As he does so the sky clears and the clouds completely disappear as she hands him the hat.
"Yeah yeah keep your shirt on you old hag, I was just about to leave anyways" the blond man says with a childish pout on his face.
"Don't call me that!" screams the irate woman.
The man puts the hat on and says to the fuming woman, "Let's do this Tsunade, before they send a search party after us." He then walks away leaving the sixty year young woman to gawk at him.
"I was waiting for you!" she screams before chasing after him as he picks up his pace to stay ahead of her while laughing.
The door has closed on one part of his life and a new one is opening, this is the beginning of that part of his life; the live of a pariah who became a hero and a hero who became a shadow, a shadow named Naruto Uzumaki.