Author's Note: Hello everyone, I just wanted to say that this only a prelude to the full story. Seeing as this is going to be my first fanfic, I want to make it as perfect as I can before uploading the final draft. I plan to make all further chapters ten thousand plus words, so updates will be rather slow. Also, seeing as this is my first fanfiction, I'm looking for a little criticism. In other words, feel free to rate and review! Now then, I've done enough rambling. On to the Story!
Disclaimer: I don't and never will own Naruto. If I did, Naruto would be a hell of a lot more competent and all you NaruHina fans could suck it.
"It wasn't supposed to end this way…" whispered a pink haired kunoichi to herself, as she stared intently at the brown casket in front of her on the podium.
Around her stood a multitude of people, all dressed in black, all wearing the same grief-stricken, disbelieving faces; all staring at the same coffin as her. A few hailed from different villages but the majority resided in Konoha.
'This wasn't supposed to happen…' she thought solemnly to herself.
The coffin in front of her was ornately decorated, the top being an intricate design of yellow chrysanthemums in a swirl-like pattern. On the elongated sides, the symbols of the five major villages were carved in left to right, speaking volumes of the respect each village had for that specific individual.
'If only I hadn't been so blind…'
Five individuals slowly parted from the crowd and began to walk up the podium, three being male, the other two being two female. The older man of the group stopped and stood to the far left of the casket, his short stature revealing no sign of the power contained within his small frame. He looked down to the casket, his usual arrogance gone, and removed the headpiece of his white and brown robes. His old eyes shown with sorrow as he slowly lowered his hand to the coffin, gently rubbing it along the dark mahogany while whispering soft words of gratitude.
'I should've never made him promise…'
Off to the far right stood one of the two women, her long orange hair dulled as opposed to its normal vibrant appearance. A frown marred her beautiful features as she too took off the naval blue and white headpiece of her robes. Reaching into her robes, she pulled out a single moist, red rose and gently placed it onto the coffin, finally bending down and giving it a small kiss before returning to her standing position.
'He died before I got the chance to…'
Next to her, the burliest of the men dropped to his left knee, removing his white and pale yellow headpiece. He then bowed his head in reverence and respect to the fallen warrior before him. He placed his large hand on the coffin, closed his eyes and whispered a prayer before retaking his position next to the orange haired woman.
'This happened because of my own weakness..'
The last of the males walked to the coffin next, his white and olive green headpiece already removed. He stood in front of the casket, his red hair marring his black rimmed eyes as he struggled to keep his tears at bay. Not trusting his own emotions, the teenager raised his hand forward and decided to give his friend one last parting gift. Calling upon the sand from the gourd strapped to his back, he ordered it to carve one final message to the man he considered his brother. When the sand cleared, the same tattoo upon his forehead was smoothly etched into the casket below him.
'I ruined his dreams, I took away his happiness…'
The last woman walked forward, albeit slower than the previous four. Unlike the red haired boy before, tears fell freely from the woman's eyes, her blond hair disheveled as well. There was no hint of alcohol on her person, a rarity considering her reputation, and her features that always seem to defy age looked as if they lost all of their youth. Slowly, she removed her red and white head piece, gently placing it on the coffin in front of her. Reaching around her neck, she unclipped and removed a small, crystal necklace before quietly placing it down on on top of the flower arrangement. After frantically wiping at her eyes, she stoned her features, adorning a mask of sadness but grudging acceptance of the events that had occurred as she walked to the podium.
'This is all my fault…'
"We are all hear to mourn and honor the sacrifice of the Rokudaime Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki."
