I love you. Goodbye.
The words were too heavy for her jaw, too swollen for her lips to work around. She abandoned them. Swallowing through the sand and fire in her throat, she retreated to what she has always done best—insults and accusations—but her words didn't quite hold their usual sting.
"Baka, look what you've done now."
Her idiot teammate had gone and broken the sun. It wasn't right. And she was pissed. Naruto was supposed to be all boisterous promises and grandiose dreams and endless confidence and ramen obsession. Not this quiet, sulking, pale figure, staring at the newly-carved name on dark stone. He was the picture of defeat, hunched over, head down, and barely standing. This stupid, kind boy—he was so strong and so fragile at the same time. He was as unbreakable as steel until the cold shattered him like glass.
"You broke him, baka. I bet you the boy will never recover."
A strong gust of wind rushed by where she hid in the tree line and into the clearing, moving the trees, oblivious to the otherwise calm day. The wind pulled at her pigtails, annoying and familiar, and something about the way the wind tussled the boy's hair left the impression of a large hand resting on his head in possessive pride. Back straightening, the boy was finally able to raise his head. With eyes no longer blank and voice surprisingly steady, Naruto said his goodbye to his sensei.
"I remember when you told me about your dream—that one day we would all be able to truly understand what's in each other's hearts, and the whole world would finally have peace. Well I understand what was in your heart sensei, why you had to go and be a goddamn hero. I don't blame baa-chan anymore, but I think it's going to take me some time to forgive you... I wanted you to keep watching me."
Two seconds, then a third. Suddenly, something solid and clear locked in his eyes. There was no more room for sulking or whining. His hands moved to rest behind his head in a familiar gesture.
"But don't you worry, Ero-sennin. I promise I'll take care of baa-chan and I won't stop until this world is finally at peace. That's a promise! And you know that I never give up or go back on my word—after all, master and student should have the same ninja way."
With a firm nod, his legs found the strength to walk away...to move forward. There were promises to keep.
Tsunade couldn't help the small smile that danced on her lips. Thank Kami, she always loses her bets. Their boy was going to make it.
"Huh, that boy is way too good for us, eh Jiraiya? I'll keep watching him, for both of us. And I'll make sure Konoha never forgets your sacrifice...but I'm not naming a bathhouse after you."
And Tsunade made a promise of her own—that she would always be there for the blond boy, a sturdy wall to lean back on when the rest of the world crumbled.
Just as Jiraiya would be the wind moving the trees, the steam coming off ramen, the burn chasing strong whiskey.