A candle's weak flame glittered in the crashing darkness of the room, deathly silent as the shifting shadows blended in and out of focus. None spoke a word, save from the deep, raspy breathing of the dying, an occasional choking noise tearing the eerie silence apart.
Seven people stood in the room, hardly moving save for one, a pink haired woman who occasionally stooped over the dying man's blond hair to ease his suffering. The man's gasping breath was the only sign of the flitting life left.
Suddenly, the vigil was broken by a woman's angry shout, "He's my sensei! I have to be by his side!"
"Tamane," came a softer voice, belong to another woman, "I understand your suffering, but please, the others need to—"
"I need to be there for him! Naruto was always there for me, when my comrades died before my eyes! The least I can do is be there for him!"
"Let her in, Ino." The commanding voice came from an older man, wearing a forest green haori and black kimino, his gray hair tied to resemble a pineapple almost. A woman around the same age as the man, with long blond hair tied into a high ponytail, wearing similar garments, only colored in purple. The woman stands aside, allowing a brown haired younger woman to march in. The woman's march was, however, halted when she gazed upon the old man lying in bed.
"How is he?"
The question was hush, as if she was afraid to wake the dead. The pink haired woman, dressed in white scrubs, straightened slightly from her bent down position, stating solemnly, "He doesn't have much time."
The brown haired woman choked a sob as tears welled in her dark eyes. "Sensei…"
"…That you, Tamane?"
Tamane immediately fell to her knees at the weak squeak of her old sensei's voice. "Sensei! Please, you mustn't speak!"
"I'll be damned if I don't speak." The man coughed heavily, raising a hand to stop the pinkette's movement. "Where's Konohamaru?"
"Here, Naruto." A man emerged from the small group, dressed in traditional Konoha wear. His clothes, however, were far from neat and pressed, like the other, older people around him. They were covered in grim, mud and blood caking random bits of his blue and green clad body.
Konohamaru, his face bearing a few wrinkles, approached Naruto slowly. Bending on one knee, he asked huskily, "Yes, Naruto?"
"Look at me." Konohamaru slowly looked up, grimacing at the once lively Sixth Hokage. Uzumaki Naruto's face sagged, wrinkles defined and making him appear at least 70, even though he was barely brushing 60. His spikes were graying severely, but what was left of yellow was now a dull color in its place. His blue eyes were, by far, the worse. The light was barely there now, as bright as the single candle in the dark room.
Konohamaru bit his lip. Time was really running out, he realized. The poison was moving faster than Sakura had expected. Which meant—
"I have to give my will," Naruto rasped. Konohamaru nodded firmly. Faint blue eyes flickered to the other people in the room. "These people are my witnesses.
"My wife, Hyuga Hinata." A blue haired woman with silver eyes, dressed in a traditional blue kimino with a silver sash and silver flames decorating the sleeves and hem, put a hand to her lips, choking a sob back.
"My brother-in-law, and my son's godfather, Hyuga Neji." The man standing next to the bluette, also bearing silver eyes, nodded curtly, his jaw trembling slightly. His body was clad in simple pale kimino with a black sash, some of his graying, waist long hair draping over his shoulder.
"My teammate and comrade, Haruno Sakura." The pinkette, from her position near the dying man, wiped a single tear from her green eyes, clenching a wet rag, which she then draped on his sweating forehead.
"My faithful advisor and strategist, Nara Shikamaru." The man with the pineapple hairstyle remained emotionless, save his dark eyes, which gleamed as water began to fill them.
"Bushy-Bows, also known as Rock Lee." A man standing besides Shikamaru sobbed openly, drenching the raised green sleeve of his kimino, clenching his cane firmly in his free hand.
"My student, Nara Tamane." The younger woman cringed, flinching at the whispered hush of his voice. He used to be so loud. This sort of low tone hurt for her to hear.
"And my best friend and rival," the man paused to stare at the final member of the group, a black haired man with bandages firmly wrapped around to cover his eyes completely from sight, "Uchiha Sasuke."
Turning back to Konohamaru, Naruto's voice gained some strength, stating, "Konohamaru, hear my words and act upon them. First of all, I am nominating you as my successor. The Fire Daimyo has already agreed to promote you, and I have full faith the village will agree with my decision."
Konohamaru almost let out a growl. Rivals to the end, Naruto was practically handing him the title, the title he had dreamed about for years, fought for since he made that bold declaration to Naruto years ago.
Was it really that long ago? Gee, he was such a kid then. Now he understood everything Naruto had told him.
Bowing his head sully, Konohamaru spoke softly, "Lord Sixth, I understand it will become my duty to protect Konoha at your passing."
"Second, as one of my last acts as Hokage, I ask you honor the desires the Council's advice and heed them carefully."
"I understand, Lord Sixth."
"Third, all legislation that I didn't get to," here, he broke into another cough, not bothering to stop Sakura fuss over him for a good few seconds before he finally brushed her away with a weak wave of the hand. Hinata bent down to sit by her husband's side, cradling his trembling hand as he continued to speak, "is in my desk. All things marked in red are vitally important. I ask you look over each and use your best judgment."
"I understand, Lord Sixth."
"The details of my will are there, somewhere." He laughed weakly. "Hinata could tell you I was never really tidy when it came to paperwork."
Hinata let out a sniff, quickly wiping a tear aside. After glancing over to her, when Naruto's eyes returned to meet Konohamaru's, his voice had gained a new inch of strength.
"And concerning the Nine-tails jinchuriki, I have decided who shall carry forth my burden and dream."
That night, a brave soul moved on. A grand service was provided, in honor of one of the greatest shinobi to live in the Land of Fire. No one would forget his name.
With his death, the Five Kage Alliance crushed the Oto-Kusa-Yuga forces. The neutral powers, Amegakure, was put on the spot alongside Hoshigakure and several other smaller villages. All had to make their stance known, in order to avoid yet another Great Ninja War.
The Fourth Great Ninja War marked the beginning of the Five Kage Alliance. Konoha, Suna, Iwa, Kumo, and Tsuki became closer than any treaty could produce. This, however, frightened several smaller villages, fearful of possible invasion.
It was Oto that became the beckon for the weaker villages. They band together and began to behave aggressively to the Five Kage Alliance and other villages who had not sided with them.
It was the death of a Kage that lead to the Fifth Great Ninja War.
It was the bloodiest and longest war in the history of shinobi existence. Friends fell, family was torn apart, homes set ablaze, new weaponry invented, deadly jutsu created.
The bloodshed was finally quelled when the Sixth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, created a peace treaty with the opposing force, acknowledging them as their own separate alliance. But when he turned his back, he was shortly assassinated. Sarutobi Konohamaru was nominated as the Seventh Hokage, and he began to work feverishly to rebuilt the village and deal with the backstabbing traitors.
The village had no peace. Konoha was far weaker than it had ever been before. Nine years were rushed through to get Konoha standing again.
But behind the shadows, plotting snakes began to coil their evil influence inside the men and women of the once powerful shinobi village. Konoha was beginning to falter...
And we haven't even begun on the young man who had inherited the Kyuubi from the brave war hero.
Yo, everyone! My very first Naruto story, one I have been working months to get together. Just so you know, I am working feverishly to keep this as canon as I can. Of course, some recent developments has certainly put a monkey wrench in my plans, but I shall proceed forward and pray that Kishimoto gives me enough room to throw this stuff in. I might go back and change things, so keep that in mind. Thankfully, I have put enough time between the canon timeline that ANYTHING could happen. ^-^ 48 years to be exact. Naruto and everyone were grandparents now!
And yes, sorry I had to open with such a depressing chapter. Yes, most of the canon cast is done. The only ones alive are the ones mentioned here, (Gaara, too), and two or three others from the canon cast. So yeah, grandkids, yay!