It hurt him. It hurt so much to watch his childhood home burst into flames. He didn't think it would affect him like this but as the fires escalated, a cold ache ate at his heart. After all these years, the people he once knew no longer existed. The fires that he had given birth to had consumed their bodies. The trees had been destroyed, charred and laid broken.
Tears fell, however, he was alone so it didn't matter; no one was there to witness him die. From where he stood, he could see the old school and swing that his blond haired friend would sit upon. Just how long was he gone anyways? Hmm… two years? Maybe five? Who knows? He wasn't one to keep track of time. Memories played in his head, and he willed them to retreat. His memories will never influence his decisions again.
The pain on his neck seethed, causing him to reach over involuntarily and gently massage the area. He cursed at himself, knowing he was a fool to believe that someone would help him. At the same time, he sadly smiled and wondered if things were better off this way as he patted the two graves next to him. They were decorated with cherry blossoms, ones that he had recently arranged.
Sighing once more, he turned from the graves and slowly began to walk away.
"Good bye dear teammates."
As he walked, the fire's light shone on the graves. The names that were engraved there emitted red light as if they wanted to be read. If anybody was there they would have recognized two familiar names: Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno.
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Suntiger: And I do believe that this would be my first Naruto fic-- though this is a oneshot. How did you like it? Can you guess who the figure is--ahem, it should have been obvious-- but anyways, give me feedback!
