Here's another story that forced itself out of my head. Probably a wee bit too ambitious, but hey, whatever. Stories wish to be written down, so they shall. This is going to a large conglomeration of anime and games being meshed together into one story, it's not going to be all at once, but more like one by one or if they can be together easily, like Dirty Bomb and Jormungand or something. It's not going to be like a whole handful just jump into the same universe at once and have like 10 different things happening at the same time like a giant crossover. Wait... I lost myself, how was I gonna explain this again….
Meh, whatever. I'll just go with it. Now the question is, should I break things up into different stories, but same series, like NeonZangetsu's 'Not Going Home' series? Or just put it all in a single story… Choices, choices...
-Shrugs- Oh well, it'll go how it turns out. You guys just enjoy the story, and listen to me ramble.
Disclaimer: I don't own the many different references in the story, just fyi.
It was over. It was finally over. Madara (who turned out to be Tobi), was killed, his body sealed into a scroll, which was sealed into another scroll, before being burned, the ashes then burned by Sasuke's Amaterasu, where the remaining ashes were sealed into a rock which was sealed into another scroll before being Kamui'd by Kakashi. The Jyubi was sealed back into the moon after it was almost unsealed by Akatsuki. Kaguya also sealed into the new moon along with Black Zetsu.
Laying down on the ground, their bodies both spread-eagled, was a crimson-haired young woman with whiskered cheeks and vibrant sapphire eyes and Sasuke. The landscape around them torn and ragged, a pale shadow of it's former self. Both were exhausted, their final bout finished with Sasuke admitting his defeat. Then together, they ended the Infinite Tsukuyomi that Kaguya managed to pull off.
Now here they lie, everything was over. No more, Akatsuki, no more Kaguya or Black Zetsu, their relationship reconciled, becoming best friends once more, everything was at peace. The sky overhead was a clear and blue with small clouds hanging lazily here and there. The sound was the duo's harsh breathing, which was already tapering off.
Then, with a quiet rustle, a small group of shinobi arrived, with them was Sakura and Kakashi. All of them having soft smiles on their faces, Hearing the noise, the the crimson-haired woman and Sasuke looked to where it came from before she let out her trademark foxy grin and loosely held up a victory sign while Sasuke merely let out a small smile.
It was all over.
… One Year Later …
The sun rose early in the morning. It's people all waking up to get ready to take on the day. Shops were opening, restaurants had their doors open for breakfast diners, shinobi starting their early practice.
At this time, a young woman was walking down the village's main street, her vibrant, sapphire blue eyes transfixed on the village's tallest building situated in its center. Her vibrant, crimson hair waving from side to side in the gentle breeze, a small, content smile on her lips reaching past her whiskered cheeks to her eyes, a peaceful atmosphere around her. Peaceful, until the whispers started.
Civilians on either sides of the street took a single glance at her, and instantly, curious glances turned into hateful, spiteful ones. Innocent, whispered gossip turned into harsh rebukes. Some calling the young woman a 'whore', others 'Kyuubi brat', more a 'bitch'.
The woman's face where before had a smile, still had a smile; but anyone who truly knew her could easily see that it was fake, the smile itself fit only for civilians, not reaching her eyes. The light in her eyes also gone and the aura around her, where before was peaceful and content, now sad, if a little angry. Her heart, slowly breaking even more.
Quicker than before, she walked to the Hokage Tower wanting to get away from all the harsh words aimed at her. The dust picking up behind her from her footsteps. Soon she arrived at the tower, entering and heading up the stairs towards the Hokage's office. Passing Shizune and Tonton, she said hello, Shizune nodding in greeting and Tonton oinking. Walking into the office, she could see Kakashi behind the desk working on a mountain of paperwork. who hearing her footsteps looked up and waved, sending an eye smile her way.
She asked Kakashi if there were any missions she could take today. She, hoping there would be something for her to take that could help take her mind off things. Kakashi replied in the negative, There wasn't anything available for her to take that was right for her skillset. With the way the Elemental Nations were these days, those types of missions were few and far between.
Giving a tired sigh, she nodded, before waving goodbye, receiving the same in return. She walked back out of the office, waving goodbye to Shizune and Tonton and stepped out into the sunlight. Sighing once more she decided to just train again, there wasn't anything else to do anyway. Taking to the rooftops, she closed her eyes, letting the feeling of the wind wash over her as she jumped over roofs to the training ground, by now the rooftops were like the back of her hand.
She passed a few groups of shinobi who were going on patrol, each giving her greetings and her returning them. Reaching the training ground, she found it deserted as usual. Each of her old squad having their own things to do, leaving her alone. Sakura working in the hospital and Sasuke worked with the Military Police, being their Commander.
Surprisingly both of them were dating each other, with Sakura confessing after the war ended to Sasuke that while she didn't have a childhood crush on him anymore, she found that she liked him and if given the chance would like to see if it could be something more. Sasuke was surprised when she did, but since he didn't see her being a weakling anymore, but as a powerful shinobi in her own right, gave her that chance.
Looking around at the training ground, she reminisced on the old memories there; of a time, while less peaceful, was a lot more simple. All she wanted to do was become hokage. All Sakura wanted to do was become Sasuke's girlfriend and then be his wife. All Sasuke wanted to do was get revenge on Itachi for killing their clan. Everyone had something they strived to do, they had it clear in their head.
Now though, while everything was peaceful, everything had turned more complicated. She still had her dream of being hokage, but, it was like a photo, now yellowing and ripping at the seams. Being hokage won't solve her problems. While she had the respect of the shinobi of her village, of the whole entire Elemental Nations in fact, the civilians of her village won't ever change. They still, after all she's done for them, hated her with all their hearts, while lavishing Sasuke with women and gifts. Of course he refused every single one of them, it still didn't lessen the pain nor the jealousy in her heart.
She then walked to the center of the field, remembering what each and every detail in the training ground held. The three poles over there, where she was tied to after they failed Kakashi's test. The river past it, where she landed after getting hit by Kakashi's 'Thousand Years of Death' jutsu. The forest, where after returning from Jiraiya's (kami bless his pervy soul) training trip, she and Sakura had to pass the bell test with Kakashi again and fought him in.
Reaching the center, she fell into a Taijutsu stance she learned during her training trip with Jiraiya when she had him take her to Uzushio. There she found a few old scrolls among the ruins of the Uzumaki Clan's own Taijutsu form, among other things. While she didn't have time to learn all of it while on the trip, she did learn enough to be proficient with the basic katas.
As she moved around the grounds, she moved in short, compact routines, low stances, and quick movements. Her katas took her around the training ground, her arms and legs moving outwards with quick, powerful strikes. If a Hyuuga could see her, they would be surprised that there was large amounts of chakra coming out of her hands and feet, or wherever her body was supposed to connect with an opponent.
In truth, this style of Taijutsu was similar to the Hyuga's Juken in which they expel chakra from their limbs. It differs though in the fact that instead of sharp, accurate and controlled bursts of chakra, the Uzumaki Clan's style uses large, explosive bursts. Their style utilizes an Uzumaki clansman's natural large reserves of chakra to cause massive area damage on an opponent's body.
With this style, it allowed her to both train her Taijutsu and increase her already massive chakra reserves through large and rapid expelling of her chakra onto an imaginary opponent's body. As she kept moving through her katas, she hoped that it would allow her to silence her thoughts for a little while. Instead, the opposite happened. Her thoughts flowed freely, moving from topic to topic. But the main thought that appeared in her mind was about the Jyubi.
Everyone thought that when she sealed it, she sealed it back into the moon. But in reality, she must have made the seal incorrectly because while yes, the Jyubi was sealed, it wasn't into the moon. Instead it got sealed into her. That was the reason why she was in a coma the first week after the war ended. Her mind and body was fighting it for control. In the end, she won and the Jyubi was divided back into the nine Biju. All nine of them now residing in her head, their souls connected to her soul.
But there was a side effect due to this. While she had absorbed its power and locked it away for use if she required it, she also absorbed its memories. With the fact that the Jyubi was sealed into the moon, this meant that it could see absolutely everything that happened in the world. At first as she sifted through it all in that first week, she believed that the Elemental Nations was the world. But after, she knew. She gained knowledge that the Elemental Nations was miniscule compared to the rest of the world at large.
While the Elemental Nations is strong, it has a small population. The outside world had so much that she doesn't even know the number to express it. The surprising thing though, was learning that surrounding the Elemental Nations was a large and highly complex Genjutsu. This Genjutsu was put in place back when the Sage of Six Paths was still alive, in fact he was the one who put in up. It seems that he didn't want the whole entire world to fight over this new power called chakra.
She realizes now that Konoha, Fire Country, the Elemental Nations was merely a tiny part of the world, and her mind yearns to see the rest of it. But her heart yearns to be hokage holds her back. She desperately wants to become hokage, but even if she does, the civilians won't ever accept her as their leader. So why yearn to be something that won't ever work?
She could easily just leave the Elemental Nations the help of the Toads at Mount Myoboku, she theorized that she could use the Hiraishin her father developed as an accurate way for transportation. As she researched the seals that her father used, she saw that while it was ingenious, it was also limiting what the jutsu could do. After changing some parts of the seal, she can now use her father's kunai as both anchors for her to jump to, but also as a catalyst for the jutsu itself. Using them as a catalyst meant that she doesn't need an anchor to where she wanted to go, All she needed was a clear picture in her head of where she wanted to go.
So what is it that is holding her back? Really? Her dream to be a hokage while an obstacle, can be negated in her mind easily. She doesn't have any responsibilities here in Konoha that meant that she has to stay. If anything she's more like a celebrity. Could it be her friends? Yes. That is probably the reason why.
She doesn't want to leave them, but they themselves are slowly moving farther and farther away from her. The Konoha 12 lately has been having fewer and fewer get-togethers. Everyone has their own responsibilities to attend to, leaving her behind and alone.
As the sun rose to around noontime, she finally stopped her Taijutsu katas. Wiping her sweat away with a handkerchief, she decided to head over to Ichiraku's for lunch, opting to take the rooftops again.
Arriving there, she found Sasuke and Sakura already sitting there. Putting a smile on her face she walked up to say hey but then she caught their conversation. Sakura had a blush on her face, while Sasuke had a small smile on his face. Sakura had her hand extended to show something to Ayame, and looking closer, she could see that there was a ring on her ring finger. Giving a small gasp, she realized what it meant. With that realization came also the pain in her heart finally becoming unbearable, finally shattering into innumerable pieces.
Who would have thought that she, Sasuke's rival, could have fallen for him?
Deciding that she didn't want to intrude, she left for home, since there was some food she had that she can eat for lunch. Maybe it would be better if she did leave. Not like anyone needed her anyway.
After eating some instant ramen, she went back to training grounds. This time, instead of practicing Taijutsu, she unsealed a katana, aiming to practice the kenjutsu style she found in the old scrolls from Uzushio. This went on for a few hours, going undisturbed until both Sasuke and Sakura arrived nearby, causing her to stop practicing.
As she resealed her katana, she wiped her sweat off again with her handkerchief and greeted the both of them. They returned the greeting and invited her to a get-together for the Konoha 12 at Yakiniku Q. She in turn accepted the invite and promised to be there on time. After they both left, she decided to go back home to get ready for the dinner with her friends.
Showering, shaving her legs, putting a small amount of makeup on was the easy part. The hard part was what to wear. While she did like the color orange, she recently grew out of her obsession with the color. She decided to go with a black undershirt with an orange/black vest over it. For pants, she went with a blue/black short shorts, it ending around mid-thigh.
About ten minutes before the time they were supposed to meet up, she left home and walked towards the restaurant. It was already around 7 P.M. and the sky was almost fully dark, an hour more and the nightlife would fully start.
Soon enough she arrived at Yakiniku Q and entered, where a server came up to her. She being one of the more regular customers, was recognized by the server and quickly lead to the room where the get-together was happening. Seems like it was only Choji, Sakura, Sasuke, and Ino that arrived already.
As she entered everyone greeted her and she greeted them back. Taking her seat at the closest to the door, she quickly was pulled into a conversation with Ino and Sakura, who had her hand with the ring entwined with Sasuke under the table. Soon, everyone else started arriving and took their seats. The room was soon filled with lively conversation and laughter, with everyone having taken a drink of sake at least.
Then, Sakura asked for the table's attention, and when she had it dropped the bombshell that she and Sasuke were getting married. Everyone was shocked, except for her who had already found out but faked it. Soon they were being bombarded with questions. When were they getting married? Where was it happening? When did Sasuke ask her?
Even though she already knew, she couldn't help the feeling of pain creeping into her already broken heart. While she couldn't be any happier for her two close friends, it still didn't help the fact that she secretly loved Sasuke even though he was already taken. Her mind knows this, but her heart denies it.
As time passed, she was slowly being left out of the conversation, not at all being able to get a word in. In the end, she simply sat there slowly sipping her sake, everyone else taking part in the conversation. Seeing that she isn't wanted anymore, she said out loud that she was going to go home and get some sleep. Getting up, she opened the door and left, not getting a single goodbye.
When she got home, she quickly washed her face and changed into her pajamas. As she got in bed, she found she couldn't sleep as her mind kept thinking of what she wanted to do. A few hours passed, and she got up, looking for a pen and some paper.
… The Next Morning …
The sun rose over the Village Hidden in the Leaves, signalling the start of a new day. Here we find a young man and woman walking through the streets, their destination the apartment their crimson-haired friend lived in.
Last night at Yakiniku Q they both announced the fact they were both getting married. Sakura already told her female friends that she wanted them as her bridesmaids while Sasuke did the same with their male friends. When she wanted to tell that to her whiskered friend, she found that she already left. For the life of her, she couldn't remember when, but she could vaguely remember someone saying that they were going home.
Feeling bad, they both wanted to see how she was doing, but when they knocked on the door to her apartment, the door slowly opened inwards, meaning it wasn't locked. Quickly, they both took out a kunai and stepped inside. The inside was dark, the blinds all covered and not letting any light in. Turning on the lights, they found to their shock that the apartment was empty, slowly they moved through the rooms clearing them, finding they were all empty, until they came to the bedroom.
When they opened it, yes the room was empty, but a letter was there on the floor along with a Konoha hitai-ate. A simple white envelope addressed simply 'To my Friends'. Taking the envelope, Sakura quickly took out the letter inside, and read it out loud.
Since you are reading this, that probably means you've seen my empty apartment. Well, if you don't know what that means, I left. I've decided to leave the village after agonizing over it for months. With this letter is also my hitai-ate, I am resigning from being a shinobi. Although not the way it should be handled, I just couldn't bear seeing you guys if I handed it off to Kakashi.
Before I get into any details though, I first have to ask you for forgiveness. I'm sorry that I left without saying goodbye. I'm sorry about how abrupt it is and just when Sasuke and Sakura announced they're getting married. But I'm most sorry about lying that the Jyuubi was sealed into the moon.
In reality, it got sealed into me, that was why I was in a coma for the first week after the war ended. I don't know why, but it was probably because I made a mistake somewhere in the sealing array in the haste that I made it. But now instead of the Jyuubi, I now have all tailed beasts tied to my soul now, and all the memories of the Jyuubi itself. My what things it has seen in its time sealed in the moon.
The Elemental Nations is not the only thing in this world. There is so much more beyond its shores and I am now going to see it all. Please, don't be sad I'm leaving, you guys all don't need me anyway. All I'm good for is being a weapon, and you don't need them in times of peace.
You are all already moving on with your lives, Sasuke and Sakura's marriage is proof of this. And what was I doing? Just training everyday, waiting for a mission that I can take. You guys all already left me behind. I feel so alone everyday. Our get-togethers are already becoming rare, and everyone has their own responsibilities to take care of, you don't need to burden yourself with me anymore.
I already gave up on my dream to be hokage. Why? Because to be hokage you need the loyalty of the whole village. I won't ever get that. The civilians, even now, hate me and sees only the Kyuubi. They still whisper things about me whenever I walk down the street, they still send me hateful glares whenever I pass them. It was a child's dream, one I've grown out of.
Maybe I'll come back and visit in the future, see how you guys are doing. I don't know really. But if anything happens in the Elemental Nations and you need me again, there's a seal below to call on the Toads, they'll call me.
Regretfully
Your friend, [ ]
[Play Ambivalentidea by Yanagi Nagi]
Well, I tried for the sad route as to why Naruko left. Tell me how I did, was it good? Was it bad? I wanted to have that same feeling of when in No Game No Life Sora was cut out from the ending song and replaced with static, if you didn't notice, Naruko was never called by her name in this chapter, even in the letter it was cut out. Anyway, review! Review! Tell me how I did!
