A/N: Ah, so this is what happens when you listen to one song just one too many times.. I swear, I didn't know what I was writing when I was suddenly attacked by this thing -- bunny? Oo;; -- in the middle of the night. I wrote in near total darkness, so deciphering the words on the paper was amazingly difficult.. Oh, wait, that's just my handwriting. Damn.

Beta: TakiBiMegumi (Sank-kyuu, Megumi-san!)

I Will Follow You into the Dark

"Love of mine, someday you will die,

But I'll be close behind,

I'll follow you into the dark"

"I Will Follow You Into The Dark" by Death Cab For Cutie

Death is something most is afraid of. Most people do not want to think of or talk about death. Death is inevitable, but most people like to pretend it is not. People with normal lives and families. Normal people.

Normal. Such a relative word yet used all the time to describe anything ordinary and reoccurring. Normal.

Death is reoccurring, and therefore normal.

Nevertheless, most people do not want to face that fact. Because death is scary. The thought of leaving loved ones behind and depart alone into what we assume to be darkness scares us to, well, death. Unless we believe that we will go to heaven, where the sun is always shining. That obviously is not endless darkness, but rather everlasting light.

I am not going to say what's more right or wrong, since I, quite clearly, have not tried to die and therefore cannot correct any opinions. I can only share mine.

I would dearly like to believe that my loved ones -- loved one, really -- and I get to go to heaven and "live" together forever underneath the bright sun.

Note to self: Must remember sunscreen. What? I burn easily!

But, in all honesty, I do not really believe that Naruto and I will get to be together forever, bouncing on weirdly solid clouds and bathing in the rain.

I believe that, when you are dead, you are dead.

Simple as that.

I do not believe I will have an afterlife or that my soul will make its way to heaven or hell. Maybe it is because I do not believe in God.

Naruto always said that I held too little faith.

That he said.

When I die, my brain will stop functioning and thereby render me nothing but a corpse.

Just a corpse. Not the corpse of me, just a simple, anonymous corpse.

Because "me" is not a body with pale skin, black duck-butt hair or thin lips. "Me" is purely my mind and if my mind does not work, then I have ceased to exist.

Simple as that.

This is also a reason why I do not understand people who are against donating their organs when they die. What do they want them for? If you die, you will not need your organs. Even religion says that it is the "soul" that goes to heaven, not your body.

You probably did not see that one coming in a million years.

Uchiha Sasuke, being helpful.

Even if it is after death, where no one can give him teary-eyed "thank you"s.

Which is what I prefer.

Sakura and Tsunade would understand. They are Medic-nins. They understand why it is important and necessary that people give up their organs after they die.

Because it will save another.

Funny, is it not? By dying, I will allow another to live. Makes me feel somewhat good, actually. Naruto would have been so proud of me, if he knew.

But he does not know and he never will. His brain has stopped functioning, since his heart has stopped beating and thus stopped transferring oxygen to his brain by his blood.

Blood that his heart should be pumping out into his body, but is not. Naruto is dead.

Simple as that.

I feel numb. I do not really feel anything. Maybe it is because my heart stopped beating when Naruto's heart stopped beating. However, I know that is not true, since my brain is functioning.

A bit slow, certainly, but definitely functioning.

Which I do not really want it to.

Naruto is my everything. Or, he was my everything.

The body that lies sprawled over my lap -- spread eagle and with various kunai and a long sword embedded into the flesh -- is not Naruto. It is just nameless body.

But it looks like Naruto, so I bury my blood-splattered hand into the soft, spiky blond hair that looks too much like Naruto's. Empty blue eyes stare into mine, lifelessly. There is no spark in those sky blue eyes. No spark of perpetual mischief, no spark of love, lust or happiness. No spark at all.

This convinces me -- fully convinces me and takes away any doubt -- that this is not Naruto.

My hand is shaking as I bring it up to the corpse's chest. I know that the eyes that follow that hand are dull. Nearly as lifeless as the blue ones that are staring blankly at the black sky above, sometimes illuminated by reflections of fighting kunai, bathed in the sparse, pale light of the moon. The tips of my fingers are aching; tingling unpleasantly, you could say. Proof that my body is mourning for Naruto before my brain, which really is not that big of a surprise since my mind is being unusually slow at the moment.

Naruto would always hold me close and whisper those idiotic sweet nothings into my ear whenever my fingers would ache. But he does not tonight, and I nearly resent him for it.

When my stinging fingers touch the cold steel of a bloodied kunai, I nearly flinch, my mind having forgotten my body while wandering down the lane of thoughts and memories.

With a grimace, I pull the gory kunai out of the fair-haired corpse. I always hated that feeling. The feeling of pulling something out of a body. The way that the flesh would grip at the weapon at first, but then let go with that disgusting sound.

A sound that cannot exactly be described and probably should not be.

The kunai is not of very good quality. The blade is quite blunt and the handle is even a little crooked. I had rather hoped to get it over with quickly and painlessly, but I guess I will have to deal with it.

I will not use one of my own sharp kunai. I do not know why, but it seems kind of fitting that the weapon that killed my heart will finish the job and pierce mine along with his.

As I bring the kunai to my own chest, I already feel my heart slow. Maybe it knows that it might as well give up instead of fighting its owner's wish to join his beloved.

Tch, now even I start sprouting that crap.

Foolish of me, really, since I made my opinion quite clear just a few minutes ago.

Foolish little brother…

The fight between the Akatsuki and the best ninja of Konoha is still raging on around me. I cannot hear anything; only watch as members from both sides are slaughtered mercilessly. It is like watching a movie with the TV on mute.

I do not really care, but a tiny little prang does go through my heart when I see Kakashi fall lifelessly to the ground.

Iruka will be devastated.

The rather blunt tip of the bloody kunai presses against my chest, positioned just over my heart.

Before I plunge the weapon as deep as possible into my body, I gently close the body's unseeing eyes with my other hand.

After the initial pain of stabbing myself, it does not even hurt. I feel even more numb than before and I smile before my body tumbles, lifelessly, to the ground.

Even though I have been irreligious since I could decide for myself, I feel the need to pray to some kind of higher being. Beg to whatever deity that I will get to see Naruto again.

And maybe, if they grant that heartfelt wish… maybe Naruto will smear the sunscreen on the spot on my back where I cannot reach myself.

Gah, I didn't think I could write a sad fanfic… Oh, well! XD

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