Just a short one-shot that I could not get out of my head.
This was my Fan Fiction contest submission for Anime Detour 2010.
This story takes place at Naruto's funeral.
Seven of his closest friends take a look at themselves,
finding they have all been corrupted by sin.
Thanks to all who took some time out read this!
Why don't you review and let me know what you thought?
Enjoy the story!~
Sasuke
Wrath. The feeling overtook my body. The hatred ran through my blood, infiltrated my muscles, and intertwined itself into all of my cells. This is something I can never let go. How could they have done this to him? His brief, short life was blown out like a candle at the end of the night. No more would his spirit blaze like the strongest of the warriors past. No more would his smile lift the fog of depression from this village. No more will I see my best friend alive. No more. I stared down at his cold unmoving face, trying to hold back my tears. Tears of anger. Tears of hatred. I will not let them get away with this! Revenge. That is something I have much experience with. I've gotten revenge for my brother, revenge for my clan. I thought I was done with revenge, but here I stood again, staring it in the face. I guess I'm just not meant to be happy. He was all I had left. He had searched for me for years. He never gave up on me, so how can I give up on him? I clenched my fists tight, the anger rising inside of me like a slowly-building flood. I have to leave. I have to go now before I hurt someone, or before I hurt myself. I gazed down into the coffin, my eyes taking in one last sight of my best friend. He was pale, like some unholy apparition. Why was this an open casket? I did not want to remember him like this. I shut my eyes. No more. I spun on my heels, heading for the door of the funeral home. I summoned a picture of him behind my eyelids. They day we first met. I couldn't help but smile. The smile soon faded, the anger running clean from my pores. It strangled the beating heart in my chest with its fury. I'll get revenge for you, my friend. I swear it.
Gaara
Greed. I hate to admit, but it's true. Even standing at his coffin side I still wanted everything. I wanted his friends, his status, his respect. I want everything he ever held dear. Although I was the Kazekage I still manage to get out shined by this arrogant boy. No more. He was gone now, out of the picture. All that he had could be mine. Despite everything, I was grinning. I know how the people here must see me. Smiling, at a funeral? Smiling, while the person who saved my life lies before me in a box? I couldn't help myself. Maybe I was flashing back to the man I used to be. The evil, sick, terrible man I was before this blond-haired boy changed everything. I look a long look at his emotionless face. He looked just as he did when he was alive, yet completely different at the same time. I know I should be sad. I also know that if I'm not I probably shouldn't be here. But I had to see it for myself, I had to know that it was true. The monster inside of me was struggling; biting, scratching, fighting to rip its way back into my life. I turned away, leaving the picture of his lifeless body burned into my memory banks. I had to get out of here before I made a scene. I stepped out, walking towards the backside of the funeral home. The sunlight burned my eyes, but in a way I liked it. It was dark in there, much too dark. The second I got out of earshot I nearly exploded with joy. A shrill laugh rung clear from my throat, and once I started laughing I couldn't stop. It's mine now, all mine! All the recognition, all the glory. I am a terrible, horrible person, I know. But now I've got it all again!
Shikamaru
Sloth. It's all my fault that he's laying there. I could have went with them on the mission, but I viewed it as something "troublesome", as a "drag". The fact is that I could have saved his life. There's no way he would have fallen into that ambush if I had been there watching his back. I have gotten close to death before, it's part of the ninja way of life, but it's been a while since someone close to me has been buried. Memories of Asuma's death came rushing back. Now I've lost yet another piece of myself. Back when we were in the academy we were inseparable. We were both always dozing in the back of the class. Lazy, that's what we were. Simply lazy. But somewhere along the line he changed. Suddenly he was trying. Trying to exceed, trying to excel. He was completely the opposite of me. I knew I could do the class lessons, of course, but they were so boring! I just refused to do them, or anything, really, that I wasn't required to do. This mission, for example. It was optional. Sure, I'd get a little bit of money for it, but I was too lazy to go. So this is all my fault. Just like with Asuma, this was my fault. Emptiness and guilt were eating away at me. I numbly walked out of the funeral home. I didn't want to sit around with friends and reminisce. Did they blame me as well? Did they look at me as a murderer? I let him walk into that trap. I found a spot near the river to sit, trying to close myself off from everything that was happening. The sound of the water soothed me, warmed me up, but this only made my bottled up emotions come pouring out. I buried my head in my hands, tears pouring down my cheeks. No more will I fail this town. No more.
Kiba
Envy. That was the only word to describe what I had always felt for him. I was jealous. Not because he was the golden child of the village, and not because he humiliated me in battle time and time again. The reason I was so envious was simple—he could have had the girl of my dreams. Hinata Hyuuga, who was by far the prettiest girl in this godforsaken town, was in love with him for years. It was so obvious! Everybody knew it, everybody except him. My stomach churned with frustration. Is it wrong to feel elated now? Is it wrong to hope that maybe now she'll turn to me? Something inside told me yes. How can I be cheerful while a man I knew all my life is soon to be dropped into a hole? All this thinking made me lightheaded and left me unsure of my ability to stand. I couldn't bear to look at him anymore. I turned away from the coffin, searching for comfort somewhere in the crowd. Hinata wasn't here yet. She was still in line for the viewing. I had a little time to kill. I stepped outside of the funeral home, noticing that the clouds had overtaken the sun. I sighed, agony echoing through me. I honestly felt like a demon. Unexpectedly a ray of sunlight sprayed down upon me, like a calling from the heavens. Clarity rushed to me so quickly it nearly knocked me down. It's alright. My emotions are not wrong, not dirty. Taking care of her is exactly what I need to be doing right now! I was unsure where this realization came from, but then I felt a familiar presence around me. It was him. My lips spread into a half-smile. It was Nartuo. He's telling me to take care of her. This is my calling, I just know it is! I slipped back into the darkened building, noticing Hinata's solemn face in the front of the line. I took a silent seat in the closest row of chairs. Watching. Waiting. I'll be here for her, I promise. I'll take care of her for you, my friend.
Hinata
Lust. My feelings for him clouded my judgments, distorted my abilities as a shinobi. I should have saw the trap, saw the other ninjas, but all I could see was him. I was the last person to see him alive. I was there, hovering over him on the forest floor, kissing his lips as I realized he was going to pass away. I waited until the absolute last second to confess to him my feelings. He was so badly injured that he could not even reply. Did he love me too? The question stung me as badly as my wounds. I was caught in the second wave of attack, but somehow I had survived. Back-up showed, but it was already too late. He had lost far too much blood. Now I'll never know the answer to my question. I shouldn't have been there with him. He should have had a reliable partner, one who paid attention to the mission instead of fantasizing about him. One who wouldn't have had their head in the clouds. I was obsessed, far too obsessed for years! No more. I can't watch him train anymore, secretly swelling with pride on how far he had come, on how far he could have gone. No more begging the Hokage to let me go with him on missions. No more staying up all night because the thoughts of him just could not let me sleep. All I see now is blood. All I have now are nightmares. I shivered, the coldness in my veins spreading until even the hole inside of me was numb. No more tears. I think I have run out of them. I wish I had told him before. Why was I so afraid? It could not have turned out any worse than this. I brushed my fingers across his cold, colorless hand, needing one last time to feel his skin against mine. I needed to feel something. I turned away. I headed off to a secluded corner of the building, ignoring everyone who called my name along the way. I didn't need someone trying to comfort me or trying to tell me it is going to be okay. It's not going to be. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I don't know how I'm going to face the world alone.
Choji
Gluttony. The urge to feed smothered all my other emotions. No grief, no pain, no despair, nothing, as long as I got enough food. I watched from the sidelines as all the crippling emotions playing out at the funeral. Person after person lined up to catch one last sight on their beloved friend. Not me. I was too much of a coward. I wouldn't dare to take a look at a dead man—I might have lost my appetite. For me that was simply an expression. Nothing ever seemed to get between me and my love for food. Even here I staked a spot out near the snack table. Offerings from broken people, hoping their gift of a cheesecake or a plate of shrimp would somehow heal the wounds of loss. Lucky for me, I was the only person it actually seemed to work on. No one else seemed to touch the food, except for the occasional nibble here and there. Me, I choked down a whole bowl of rice in an hour. Fill the emptiness. Fill the holes. That's what my mother had taught me—A little comfort food can cure anything. Little did she know that her life lesson would soon develop into a full-blown eating disorder. As the last person paid their respects, the Hokage closed the coffin's lid. Naruto's shining face was officially gone from this world forever. My stomach was swollen near the point of pain, but somehow I longed for more. The Hokage said a few final words, mentioning something about his "courageous last moments" and how his "undying spirit will stay with us forever". This brought sobs and applause from the audience, but for me it only brought on a stronger wave of want. I snuck my way back to the food table as she invited people up to share a few words. Gloom overcame me as I spotted the empty dishes. I swear I didn't remember eating it all. I clutched my churning stomach in distress. No more. There was no more food. This meant no more comfort, no more filling the empty space. Shivers shot up my spine as feeling began to return to my body. Feelings. Emotions. It was too much for me to handle. I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back a well of tears. Oh, god, Naruto. Why did you have to go? Why did you have to leave us here?
Sakura
Pride. That was my downfall. If I hadn't stood him up so many times then maybe we wouldn't be here now. Maybe we would have been out to dinner that night, or maybe we would have been cuddling down by the river. Maybe I would have grown to love him. Maybe. I sighed, swiping at my cheeks with the back of my hand. No more. No more opportunities, that as time went on I grew more and more inclined to take. Maybe I should have just said yes. I was too stuck up, convinced he was too lowly for me. My eyes only saw one person, and that one person was completely blind to me. It is all too much. I covered my eyes. Sobs escaped from my chest, a hollow breathless sound that matched exactly how I was feeling. I collapsed in the nearest row of chairs. "Naruto," I cried, his name sour on my tongue. "I'm sorry!" I felt someone's arm rest around my shoulder, attempting to comfort me. I didn't bother to see who it was before curling up against their chest. Their arms wrapped around my back, holding me tighter. Based on the smoothness of their skin I assumed it was a woman. Voices over a speaker recalled stories of Naruto from their childhood, but I was to overtaken to place the voices with a name. I opened my eyes slightly, the sight of my best friend filling my vision. Ino said nothing, just started down at me with silent understanding. I pressed tighter into her chest, feeling as if I was shattering like a plane of glass. Memories of my teammate strolled past my eyes, from the first day I saw his spiky head in the academy to the last time I saw him alive. It was only two days ago. Such a short time, but everything is so different now. Nothing will be the same without him. Nothing. Ever. No more.