The Naruto Fanfic Challenge!
Rokudaime: Danzo Shimura!
Hey there, Fanfic readers! I asked for a Naruto Fanfic challenge, and considering I haven't seen any manga since Jiraiya first snuck into Amegakure (xD) this one works! It was my favorite suggestion, so I decided to go with it! I'd like to be very specific before I get hatemail on this one - THE EVENTS OF THE PAIN INVASION AND THE BATTLE AT AMEGAKURE ARE NOT ACCURATELY REFLECTED HERE. First, I didn't know what had happened, and second, Pain not resurrecting people made it fit my story idea better. So please, don't tell me in a review that I mixed up my details, because I did it intentionally. Thanks ^^ Please read and enjoy!
"Yes! We did it guys! We won! Akatsuki was defeated! Woohoo!" Kiba cheered happily as he and his friends led the march back into Konoha through the great gates that led into the Ninja world's largest Hidden Village. Akamaru bounced excitedly at his side, mirroring his master's enthusiasm. Sakura looked at him and hung her head slightly, exhaling a brief sigh. Naruto noticed Sakura's dismay and jogged up next to Kiba, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Kiba, settle down. Let's not forget all we lost." He turned himself and Kiba around to see the procession, several shinobi carrying a dozen caskets in the middle of the returning army.
"Yeah, sorry, Naruto." Naruto nodded to Kiba and walked towards the procession. Two coffins led the way into the city, each held by four Jonin. Naruto walked between them and stopped, looking at the ground, fighting back tears. The other caskets continued past him as he wallowed in his sorrow. He knew there were dozens if not hundreds more caskets on their way home, all the heroic shinobi that had gave their lives in the fight against Pain and the Akatsuki, but it was those carried here that most profoundly struck him. Granny Tsunade was dead, the Pervy Sage too. Their caskets were leading the group, as was fitting, them being the last of the Sannin.
The next two hit Naruto possibly harder than either of the two in front; Kakashi had died fighting Pain as well. Tears welled in his eyes as his thoughts went back to the first day of Team 7, then to the bell test, their battle on the bridge against Zabuza, and then their second bell test, where Kakashi declared him an equal. Probably far worse for him than Kakashi, was Iruka, because no one shared his grief. When he thought about Iruka, all he could think about was back in his academy days, when no one believed in him except for Iruka, and he felt more alone now than he ever did.
The third pair of coffins held two chunin, and these blows each felt like spitting into an ocean compared to those that preceded them, but they were felt keenly all the same. Shino and Hinata hadn't made it home in one piece either. Even if they were those he was the least close with among the Konoha 11, he had known them almost as long as he'd known he wanted to be a ninja. They'd helped him through hard times all the same, just as everyone else had. Hinata had always struck him as weird, until it had been revealed to him by Jiraiya that she clearly had feelings for him. This had been shortly after the last time he ever saw her alive.
He didn't know the rest anywhere near as well; Might Guy had been killed, along with Kurenai. All the team leaders of the Konoha 11 had been killed in battle, in service to their village, which is probably the way any one of them would have wanted to go. Might Guy was said to have been surrounded by the broken bodies of Amegakure's ninja, having released all his gates when he realized his death was imminent. Kurenai had gone on a deadly revenge mission for her lost love, Asuma. Anko as well, she had counted on her curse seal to pull her out of a tight spot, but just as Sasuke had lost his as a unforeseen side effect from Orochimaru's death, she had lost hers, and it had cost her dearly. Sai had fallen as well, and again, although he hadn't known him very well, they had fought alongside each other, and this was akin to the straw that broke the camel's back. He slowly fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face, imagining all the important people to him that had passed. A mass funeral was going to be held, and it didn't seem fair to him. These were important people, not people to be read from a list. It was insulting. He slammed his fist into the ground in anger, tears still dripping to the ground.
"Hey, Naruto." He looked up to see Sakura crouching in front of him, her eyes looking into his. She held a forced smile. "If I hold you up, and you hold me up, we might just be able to make it into the village without making fools out of ourselves." Naruto choked on a laugh, smiling up at Sakura.
"Alright, deal." Sakura had been possibly the most effected by any of this. She'd finally caught up to Sasuke, after everything had been said and done. Naruto had been there, he recalled it as clearly as if it was happening right now.
"Sakura...Naruto. I'm giving you a fair warning, because once, a long time ago, we were friends. Consider this my repayment for everything I've put you through." Sakura had tears in her eyes as she clinged to Sasuke, barely aware of what he was saying. Naruto's eyes were still hard, and he clenched a kunai tightly, prepared to take Sasuke out if he tried anything. "I've learned some things about Konoha, and I'm going to destroy them. Every last Leaf village shinobi, from the Hokage to the lowest chunin. I'm going to kill them all. I would suggest you stay out of my way." He pushed Sakura away and began to walk. Sakura stared at him, open mouthed.
"But, Sasuke..."
"No, Sakura. What did you think? When Konoha was victorious, I'd just come home? Like this was all about you? Well it's not. After what they've done to my family, after what the village did to my family...after what they did to me, they deserve no better. Goodbye, Sakura." Naruto had remained motionless and silent until now. He stepped forward and put a hand on Sakura's shoulder.
"Sasuke!" He called out, his voice ringing clearly through the air. He didn't respond, he simply turned his head over his shoulder to regard Naruto. "If you're going to destroy Konoha down to her last shinobi, then you'd better understand that I'll be the first. Don't expect any mercy either. After what you've done to the village, to Sakura, and to me, I'm done with you. If you come anywhere near Konoha, I'll kill you."
"I look forward to it, Naruto Uzumaki. I trust you won't disappoint." He grinned and walked off, the fog quickly enveloping him as his image faded.
The entire Konoha 11, if not the entire village, was ready to kill Sasuke on sight now. He was a missing-nin, and a murderer on several accounts. Sakura helped Naruto to his feet, and they shared a short smile before walking towards the city. The entire army procession had passed them, and the road to the village was quiet.
"The funeral is starting as soon as they bring all the caskets to the site. We should get going." Sakura said, and so he nodded. They headed for the base of the Hokage monument, where the funeral was already underway.
Danzo Shimura stood at the base of the monument, speaking on the behalf of the dead. "It is with great sorrow, that we here today pay our respects to the dead. Among those dead is our beloved Hokage, Tsunade, Godaime, who gave her life for her village, as any Hokage, or any citizen of Konoha, would have likewise done. Those of us that live should not mourn the dead, for they fought in service to a greater good, and full well knew the dangers of their missions. On the contrary, we should be celebrating their lives, and all of the good deeds each of them has done in service to Konoha." He continued to list each of the dead, starting with those of highest rank, and moving downward. Sobs were heard throughout the audience, muffling his speech slightly.
The Konoha 11, or Konoha 9 as it now was, stood together, supporting each other as they had since the beginning of their careers. Neji still stood as the only Jonin, however it was widely considered that they should be promoted for their valor against the enemy.
"I can't believe that Shino and Hinata died. I should've done something!" Ino said through choking tears, and Shikamaru placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You can't blame yourself, Ino. The responsibility to every dead shinobi falls on the shoulders of their squad leader. I was in charge of the Konoha 11's entrance into Amegakure."
"Shikamaru, it's not your fault either. It's that Pain freak's fault. The world is a better place now that he's dead. He wanted to control all the tailed beasts, and look what it did!" Kiba said angrily, clenching his fist.
"Psychopaths are nothing without those willing to blindly follow a cause. All those s-class criminals each had a chance to prevent it, but they were in business with a man they didn't understand." Sakura stated softly. "They just took their next chance to ruin lives in stride."
"Well they're all gone too. Akatsuki is defeated down to it's core. Even Orochimaru is dead. Maybe now Konoha will know peace." Choji said hopefully.
"No, they're not all gone. There's one left, the one who started it all."
"But Pain's dead, Naruto. Sakura was there, she proclaimed him dead, and she's the best medical-nin in the village!" Ten-ten said, fear clearly in her voice.
"Not Pain, Madara Uchiha. The founder of the Uchiha clan, and the founder of Akatsuki. He's more dangerous than the rest of the Akatsuki put together. Even the demon inside of me is afraid of him." Naruto recalled his first encounter with Sasuke after their nearly fatal battle, where Kyuubi stated that Madara's chakra was 'More sinister than his own.'
"It is with a heavy heart, and great confidance in the people of Konoha, that I assume the mantle of the Hokage, the Rokudaime." Danzo finished his speech and stepped back, and two attendants presented him with a cloak and hat, they appeared almost exactly like the Sandaime's, with the exception that the fire pattern was black.
"What!?" Ino cried out, but her voice was drowned out by the cheering that followed the proclamation.
"That bastard, he turned a funeral into his own promotion ceremony." Naruto growled through bared teeth.
"It's not that, Naruto. Everyone knows that Tsunade only took the job until you were old enough to become Hokage! That should be you!"
"Well, I'm not old enough yet, but I doubt he'll just give it up when I am."
"Guys, he's a decorated war hero, and an elder of the village. He's a natural choice." Shikamaru reasoned.
"Are you suggesting that he's the right man for the job?" Neji asked, clearly in contempt.
"No, only that he's a natural choice, especially considering the most notably dead. Who else would you choose? Jiraiya, Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, Kurenai, they're all dead. For those who aren't aware of what a dirtbag he is, he's a great choice."
"I guess you're right, Shikamaru." Kiba said with a sigh. "I still don't like it."
"Agreed." The rest of the group said in unison.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! More to come, I promise! Please review and pass it on to your fanfic loving friends! Hearing your comments (constructive criticism is welcomed) makes it all worthwhile! If I don't know anyone is reading it, I may get discouraged! I'm a nerd, we have very fragile egos ^^ Thanks for reading and again, please review!
