Someday,
I'll join you in Heaven
I'll join you
And we can be together
Forever
Someday,
When the sun has faded,
When the moon is darkened,
When the stars are gone
I'll still be with you
Someday,
Far off in the distant future,
I'll hold you forevermore,
And the angels will sing praises
And the demons will bow to us
Someday,
No limits
Will there be
No empty
Promises
Someday,
I'll have a golden ring,
And on it
Will be inscribed
'K&N
Forevermore'
Death of a loved one
Rain. Silver rain. Drenching him. Soaking into his black clothing. Turning his fingers to prunes. Turning him into a wet mass of despair. And why wouldn't he despair? His beloved surrogate father was dead, as was his protector, his brother, his comfort. All these things... 'Jiji-san, why did you have to die?...' a single silver tear rolled down his cheek to join the silver rain, and was soon followed by more. His mouth twisted into a grimace of pain and grief, and his hands clenched tightly into fists. 'Jiji-san...' a sob escaped him, echoing in the eerie silence of the woods. That one gasp of anguish released the floodgates, and soon he found himself on his knees, arms wrapped around himself, trying to hold it back and failing miserably. Anguish, despair, hopelessness, depression, misery, desolation, torment, sorrow, gloom, and any other name for pure black angst, all were released, all were there, waiting for the gates to open. And they flooded his every cell, his every fiber, burning through him until he was a dry husk of agony and distress. And still the tears came, washing down his tired face, leaving it raw and red. And when he stopped crying, he saw that so, too, had the rain. And when he looked up dismally at the shining sun, he felt peace and calm inside him. And he felt that yes, he could move on. Not forget, oh no.
But he could move on.
Birth of a new love
Why not? Because it isn't right. Why not? Because I'm too old. Why would you think that? Because the boy's only twelve. So? So it isn't right. Why not? I'm old, the boy is young... let him have a life unshackled. To who would he be shackled? Me. Why? I don't like sharing. Neither does he. But he's young. So? So it- no, no, you know what? I give up. There is no right or wrong. God damn it, I want him to be happy, and if I have to KILL myself for that to happen, then GOD DAMN IT, I'll DIE.
So glad you agree.
With you, I'm broken
"GOD DAMN IT, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!! I KNOW JIJI-SAN WOULDN'T WANT ME TO BE HOLED UP LIKE THIS!!! I KNOW HE'D TRY TO GET SOME IDIOT TO HAUL ME OUT OF HERE!!! AN' YA KNOW WHAT?!? I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!!! NOW GET THE HELL OUTTA MY APARTMENT!!!'
Without you, I'm shattered
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I didn't mean it..." He held the sobbing boy close, not caring that Asuma was standing in the door to the living room staring at them. He didn't care about anything except the heart-broken child who couldn't let go, because letting go meant moving on, and moving on felt too much like giving up.
Dismal past
'"You don't know what it's like to lose everyone precious to you!"' 'Wrong... You're wrong...' Without opening his eyes, he knew it was his sensei carrying him so gently, cradling him in his strong arms as he ran down the descent. He sighed inaudibly and opened his eyes. There he was, being carried by his sensei's clone. Sasuke-teme, in all his evil glory, half blown to bits. He knew he was in the same condition, and the only thing keeping him alive was the continuous stream of healing chakra from his sensei. He shifted a little and winced as some area or other twinged, sending shockwaves through his body. His sensei halted immediately. "Naruto?" He looked up, and two sapphire eyes met one gray and one red. He tried to smile, but it hurt too much. "Ne, hey sensei. I guess I look like a zombie, don't I?" Kakashi chuckled, worry draining away. "Dunce. Least you managed to find and incapacitate Uchiha-teme." Naruto smirked a little. "You used my nickname for 'im. Obviously, I have achieved the status of 'perhaps worth your time'." Kakashi ducked his head a little, though it didn't do much good, a pleased blush beneath his mask. "Eh, more like the status of 'on the same skill level, so I better not piss 'im off'." Naruto laughed, but that hurt worse than smiling, and he stopped and held his ribs, forcing back a moan. Kakashi shifted his hand a little and sent in a pulse of chakra. "Better?" "Yeah. Thanks, Scarecrow-sensei." Kakashi smiled down at his student. "No problamo, Kitsune-san."
Brighter future
"AGGGH!!! DEMON!!!" "TENGU!!!" "KITSUNE!!!" "SCARECROW!!!" "ASSHOLE!!!" "MOTHERFUCKER!!!" "^(#&(^#*(^!(^#^#^*&$*^#*#*(#^&%*$%*###^&&!!!" Naruto paused his relentless tickle-attack to stare at the elder shinobi panting and trying to push him off. "Damn it Naruto, I have a mission!" Naruto's grin widened. "NEVEEERRR!!!" He crowed, beginning again with his quest to make his sensei laugh. Kakashi was quite good at turning laughter into screams. In fact, he was roaring at Naruto at the moment, cursing like a sailor and with twice as much originality. And then, the moment he'd been waiting for; "GOD DA- AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA D-DAMN IT NARUTO, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!" Naruto's grin was so big, it didn't even fit on his face. "HA!!! YOU'RE LAUGHING!!!" He yelled, and jumped to his feet. Kakashi lay there panting, eyes glazed as he glared at Naruto. "Damn it... Naruto..." He huffed, "Can't... breath... now... all your fault..." Naruto stifled his giggles as the older man rolled over and got to his knees. Then he leapt and landed on his back. He wrapped his arms around Kakashi's neck and grinned as he stared at the boy, having turned his head fast enough to get whiplash. "Mwahahaha. Giddiup, horsy." Kakashi stared for a minute, then began to chuckle. "...Idiot..." he croaked, voice cracked by yelling. Then his chuckles grew, and he flipped over, catching Naruto and crushing him in a hug. "This is for the torture." He muttered in evil glee, and pinched Naruto's waist. Naruto yelped, jumped as best he could, and started laughing. His laughter grew into shrieking as Kakashi continued the torment, chuckling evilly. They didn't notice the three watching them in the bushes. "Awww!!!" Sakura murmured, eyes filling with happy tears, "They're so CUUUUUUTE!!!" Sasuke grunted and watched in mild fascination as Naruto managed to tickle Kakashi and make him roar with laughter. Sai simply stared at the two, one eyebrow raised as he smirked. "Dude," He murmured, "Wonder when the cock action starts..."
No mother, no father
'I never knew them... I've missed out on so much... I'm all alone... no one here beside me... my problem's never gone, there's no one to deride me... BUT YA GOTTA HAVE FRIENDS!!!'
'Mum... Da... I miss you guys... even if you were a dick, Da... I still loved you... Anyway... Naruto... he's doing okay... He's a jonin now... I can't help but worry about the idiot... Ah well. I guess I love 'im because he's so troublesome. Heh. I gotta quit hanging out with those rookies.'
BUT YA GOTTA HAVE FRIENDS!!!
"Sakura-chan, where the hell are you taking me?" Naruto grumbled. Sakura giggled but didn't answer, too busy steering him towards the training grounds. "You'll see..." She said mischievously. Naruto pouted, but didn't respond, simply trusting her judgment (Not too much) to take him on the safest, easiest path to wherever they were going. Finally, she halted him. "TADAAA!!!" She yelled, whipping his headband off his eyes. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NARU-CHAN!!!" The gathered shinobi screamed. Naruto gaped, then whooped and threw himself at them. "HELLS YEAH!!! FUCK ICHIRAKU'S, THIS IS A HELLUVA LOT AWESOMER!!!" Everyone cheered, and soon a party was well under way. The sakè was being drunk by Asuma, Tsunade, and Jiraiya, and the ramen was disappearing quite rapidly between Naruto and Choji, but no one cared. And near the end of it, Kakashi pulled Naruto aside and gave him his birthday present; a lucky fox statuette and a kiss.
Hardly any hope left
Ten years. Ten years since Jiji-san passed away. His hand clenched in his lover's, their grips on each other death-tight. Ten years for him since jiji-san had died. Ten plus three plus twelve for his lover. First Kakashi's teammates, then his sensei, and finally, jiji-san. And it kept getting worse. Asuma had passed away on a mission a while ago. Kurenai had slit her wrists and joined him. Jiraiya hadn't returned from his 'research mission'. Ibiki had stopped a blade meant for Shizune and died in her arms. Shizune had done the same for Tsunade. Shino had been killed in his sleep, avenged by Hinata and Kiba soon after. And Naruto had the feeling he or his love would be next.
...Notice the 'hardly'
Naruto didn't know why he took in the enemy child. He just knew that by looking at that grateful smile, he felt like he'd fulfilled his duty on earth. And with Kakashi to help him raise the boy to be a shinobi probably stronger than either of them, he didn't have to look far for more reasons to keep him.
Death shall have its toll
Gone. All of them... gone. Just Naruto, Kakashi, and their adopted son, Haku. Everyone else had been wiped out. No one lived in that desolate pit of burned earth that had been Konoha. And so the three went off to the Land of Waves. Tazuna welcomed them, but he was old and weak, and his daughter bitter from the loss of her son Inari in the war. Soon they were wandering again, Tsunami's curses ringing in their ears. Tea country was hostile to them; the Land of Snow closed to visitors; Iwa was out of the question; Oto... they never even gave Oto a thought. They went to Suna, and Gaara welcomed them, and let them stay. And then his brother was killed, and somehow, he blamed Naruto. Kakashi and Haku followed him when he escaped, and they returned to Konoha. With the work of months, they built it up to a single dojo with a small temple to honor the dead; and every morning, Naruto and Kakashi would stand before the memorial stone, and weep for what they lost.
Yet life goes on; for it cannot be conquered by death alone
'So many students...' Naruto smiled, genuine pride and joy in his face. His thirty students grinned back. Three years, and already, the dojo was full of ninja hopefuls. Kakashi had retired, exhausted and bone-weary, but he still came and watched his love teach, gray eye full of tender love and sadness, still with his 'I-don't-care' and 'fuck-you,-I'm-a-ninja' attitude. Haku had gone to Iwa, somehow managing to sneak in, and was currently happily married to his wife Elini. And Naruto still felt fresh as ever. But then... he had Kyuubi to thank for that.
After the day was done, snuggled against Kakashi, Naruto felt so much safer than all those years ago, after the death of jiji-san, his first experience with death. He smiled sleepily. He could deal with all the sorrow he felt when he visited the stone. He could deal with all the pain he felt each time he stepped wrong and sent a shard of lightening through his leg, the one Gaara had crushed in a fit of rage. He could move on. Like he had told himself all those years ago...
'Not forget; never forget. Just... move on. Live.'