I'm always watching
Have you ever wondered, what if Naruto handled the death of Jiraiya in another manner? What if Sakura ignored Tsunade, about leaving Naruto alone? What if Sakura was there instead of Iruka? OneShot NaruSaku
I do not own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto.
Everyone looked so solemn in the room, as Tsunade dropped the bomb on Naruto.
"Jiraiya is dead."
No one spoke a thing as Naruto tried to process the information in his head. Thinking he heard wrongly, he asked the Godaime as he gave a sheepish look.
"W-w-what? I didn't hear that properly. Hahaha! Baa-chan! I know you like to joke a lot! What happened? Did he get beat up in the onsen? Was he caught peep-"
"Naruto. Jiraiya is dead."
The look on Naruto's face changed, slowly. From his smirk, his lips became a thin line, and then he gave a blank look. Worried, Sakura wanted to give the blonde ninja a hug, and just tell him that everything was going to be alright. She knew that the bond between Jiraiya and Naruto was a very, very deep bond; it was a grandfather to grandson bond.
"H-how?"
"Jiraiya had found the base of where he believed that the leader of Akatsuki was operating in. H-he came to me to ask for clearance for him to go check it out. Jiraiya, he was killed while fighting the leader. Na-naruto, blame me if you must, I was the one who sent him to battle."
A moment of silence fell in the room. Then, Naruto walked over to Tsunade and gave her a hug. He gave a fake smile that everyone saw through.
"I-I'm alright. Baa-chan, I'm alright. It must be so tough on you, baa-chan."
"Narut-"
"Everyone will be here for you, baa-chan." Naruto smiled and then he left the room.
"Naruto.." Sakura called out to him, but to no avail, he never turned back.
"Sakura, please. Please follow him." Tsunade said, prompting Sakura to go after him.
Sakura then left the room, trying to find the blonde boy who must be hurting so much.
Naruto continued to walk down the village, stopping by the onsen. Turning his head to look at the onsen, he remembered his teacher. He remembered his perverted nature, peeking over at the ladies' side, every time he had the opportunity for his 'research'. He gave a small smile as well, as this was the place he first met Jiraiya as well. He remembered catching him peeping on the ladies in the bath, and then he kicked Jiraiya's butt. He smiled. But as soon as the smile came, it left. There was no longer going to be teachings from him. His teacher would no longer take his frog pouch and spend it on brothels. There was no longer going to be a scolding from his teacher, of how idiotic he was, of how foolish he was, chasing after Sasuke. There was no longer going to be a perverted laughter every time he went to the onsen with him. With that, he walked away. He did not, however, sense the presence of Sakura walking a few meters away from him.
It was past the night time, and Naruto had yet to eat anything. Naruto had gone home to get changed. He was walking down the park before he saw a convenience store. He stopped before getting an ice-cream. The ice-cream that Jiraiya and him had gotten when they were training at Tanzaku Gai. Naruto continued to reminisce about his relationship with Jiraiya.
He also did realize that tears were flowing freely down his face.
Sakura, seeing this, walked towards Naruto.
"Naruto." Naruto turned his head and wiped the tears off his eyes.
"Sakura-chan." He said as Sakura took a seat beside him.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
Then, there was a moment of silence between the two before Naruto spoke up.
"I-I wanted him to be there. I-I-I wanted him to be there, to see when I became Hokage. It's just.." Naruto tried to speak out but the sheer emotion from speaking about it stopped him.
"Tsunade-shishou always spoke about other teachers. Those other teachers kept talking about how Jiraiya always raved about you. Praising of how you were so hardworking, laughing of how you were an idiot. Jiraiya always smiled when he talked about you, they say."
Upon hearing this, Naruto looked at her.
"Jiraiya was always so proud, of how a person, you have grown. He was proud to have taught you. He was so proud of you, because you were so similar to him, of how gutsy you were. He was proud to have you as a student." Sakura said, as she took the melting ice-cream in his hand and broke it into two and handed it to him, just like how his teacher did.
"I know you are hurting Naruto, don't hide it. It's okay to cry; crying is a sign of releasing the pain. Pain exists because we are still living. But don't ever forget, how and what Jiraiya was to you, and what he stood for. He loved you, so much."
With that, the barrier that hid the pain that Naruto was going through came down, and Naruto began to cry. Sakura put his head on her knees as she stroked his hair and mumbled things to comfort him
For an hour, Naruto become vulnerable to the woman he loved, and he broke down.
- A few days later –
"Yosh! Time to learn Senjutsu!" Naruto exclaimed as he prepared to leave for Mt. Myoboku with Fukasaku. They were at the gates of Konoha, along with Tsunade as well as his team.
"Alright, Fukasaku-sama. I leave Naruto to your care. Please teach him well." Said Tsunade to the small elderly toad, who smiled and nodded his response to her. She turned to Naruto and said.
"Learn well, alright Naruto? Follow well in the footsteps of your teacher." Naruto smiled and gave her a mock salute. He was about to leave before Sakura came up to him and gave him a hug, making the eyes of everyone except for Fukasaku and Tsunade pop out.
"Sa-sakura-chan-"
"Naruto, be safe. Promise me you won't do anything reckless? I-I will be right here, waiting for you to come back. So, come back in one piece, please, for me?" Sakura asked.
"O-okay. I will, Sakura-chan!"
What she did next widened Naruto's eyes as he was taken by surprise.
She brushed her lips onto Naruto's. As she parted from him, a rosy blush formed on her cheeks, Naruto's as well. She then looked him in the eye and said.
"I'm always watching." She gave a smile before kissing him again, which he gladly returned.
