Title: To Always Know

Summary: Naruto always knew this would happen.

Rating: T, I guess. Just a little cursing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Naruto always knew that he would never live to become an old man. Never to have his hair turn gray. Never to have his body start shutting down as he grew older.

He always knew.

He knew that his dream of becoming hokage was just that. Just a dream. It didn't stop that small part of him hoping for it though. Didn't stop the yearning for something that was doomed to never happen from the start. He would never feel the red and white hokage robes. Never feel the texture of a pointed hat sitting atop of his golden hair. Never have stacks of paperwork waiting for him in his office.

And as he gasped for breath, he could feel a puddle of blood pooling around him and oh god, the pain. The blood was slowly drenching his clothes and it felt so warm on his back compared to the numbing coldness consuming his body. He could hear people screaming at him, just shouting for him to get up, to open his eyes, and to please just hold on.

He could hear Sakura's sobs as she tried to heal along with Tsunade. He knew they wouldn't make it in time. It was just his time to go, after all. He could feel Kakashi's gaze as he looked on as his student lay dying. His other friends was standing back and watching as the best medic-nins in history work on their friend and comrade.

Death was strange, he decided. He had watched others die instantly, he had watched others die slowly, and he had watched others die with a combination of ways. Now that he was getting a personal taste of dying slowly, he couldn't help but wish to die instantly. It was a little morbid, he supposed, to be thinking like that when he can hear people crying for him. In the back of his mind, he could hear the fox howling wildly.

Probably pissed, Naruto decided with a vicious little chuckle.

A jolt of screeching pain shot down his side and he gasped. A spurt of crimson blood dripped from the corner of his lips as he panted trying to calm down even though he knew it was futile.

He always knew that he was going to die like this.

Now, don't get him wrong. He was proud to die for his village even though it detested his existence. It was just so damn messed up, he thought. He always knew he wouldn't fall in love and get married. Always knew that he would never have children to go home to and a little cute wife or a lover waiting for him. No children with innocent little smiles and chances to teach them right. No lover to trace the spine of and simple words uttered from them that would make him shiver in excitement.

"God damn it! Don't you fucking take away another person from me!" Tsunade screamed as she tried to heal Naruto. It was too late. She knew that. However, she wouldn't admit it.

Naruto knew she was shouting at the necklace that was around his neck. He could feel it through the shirt he was wearing and he wished he could see the emerald shine of it just once more but he could feel something tugging at his eyes and telling him it would be okay just to keep them closed from now on. He wasn't really in the position to argue, he decided, and he let his heavy eyelids close from the narrowed position they were in.

He hopes that Tsunade wouldn't get drunk and revert back to what she was like before he came along. It would be a shame, he mused.

He musters up the last of his strength and murmurs, "Don't mourn me." He can feel their surprise but he knew it would only be a matter of time before they would look back and with a bittersweet smile, decide that was just so like him to say that.

And with that last breath, Uzumaki Naruto was no more.

Hmm, I like it so I hope you do too.