Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Helping Hand
It was late at night when Naruto was home alone. Not really strange. He was always alone when he was home. He was alone most of the time. Even when he was with friends he still had a feeling deep inside him that he was alone. That no one was on his side. That nobody cared for him. He felt like he was fighting the world sometimes and there was nobody on his side. He was trying to do so much. He was trying to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, defeat the Akatsuki, become Hokage, and be a strong ninja who does the Wright thing.
He felt like he had to do it on his own. Of course Sakura was his teammate but he knew that she loved Sasuke more then him. He wished there was just one person where he knew he was the most important person for. He wished there was a person who considered him the world. The most important thing in somebody's life. That's what he secretly wanted to be. He knew it was a selfish dream but didn't he deserve one?
He had dreams and goals but sometimes it seemed like he only did them for other people: Sakura, Sasuke, the villagers didn't he deserve a selfish dream?
The phone rang and he picked it up.
"Hello"
"Naruto?" A weak voice said on the other sound of the phone. He didn't completely recognize the voice because he had never heard her like this. She had been crying and she sounded really desperate.
"Sakura-chan? Are you okay?"
"Naruto, can you come over? I really need someone right now."
"Sure Sakura-chan, I'll come right away."
He stormed out the door and ran the entire way to her house. When he came there he was breathing heavily. He knocked on the door and Sakura immediately opened.
"Naruto, thank Kami you're here."
"Sakura-chan, what happened?"
"It's Sasuke… A report has arrived just minutes ago. Sasuke fought Itachi and he died."
"What?!" Naruto said. Sakura could only nod as more tears streamed down her face. How could Sasuke die? He couldn't believe it. He was his best friend and he died.
"Why Naruto?" She looked at him. Her voice had gotten a little bit more strength and she didn't cry anymore. "Why didn't you bring him back? You were so close! We saw him but you weren't strong enough! You promised me on your life! Why didn't you safe him when you had the chance?! Like you said you would! Why can't you do anything right?!"
He could tell she just wanted to blame someone. He knew that he promised her. He knew he had failed. It was his fault Sasuke was dead. He should have been faster, stronger… better. But even though he knew it was true, it was still so painful to hear her say it. Hear her say it was his fault, that she blamed him. She was right. How could he live with himself when he broke his promise? He promised on his life.
"Sakura-chan, I'm sorry." He muttered softly.
"Don't call me that! You're not my friend anymore! You're not Sasuke's friend anymore! You're nobody's friend anymore! Everyone is going to know that you're the lowlife ninja that let his best friend killed and had the power to stop it! You betrayed Sasuke and you betrayed me!"
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The next day was even worse for Naruto. Sakura had been right. Nobody liked him anymore. They didn't say it like she did but he could see it. He was the Kyuubi brat. He was the reason of the death of the last Uchiha. It was his fault Sasuke died, his best friend. What kind of Ninja would do that? And now he was standing at Sasuke's funeral. He didn't even have a scratch on him while his best friend was rotting. He didn't even try to stop him.
He couldn't stand the funeral. Even the rookie nine didn't look him in the eye. Like they were ashamed of knowing him. They probably hated him too. Sasuke was there friend and now he was dead.
When the funeral was over Tsunade left. The village elders had told her there was a great emergency at the hospital. Everyone who came at the funeral looked at Naruto. Everyone there had known Sasuke and they looked at him like he killed him personally.
"This is our chance! The Hokage is gone and this might be the only chance we get! It's his fault the Uchiha kid is dead! He's the Kyuubi!" A man in the crowed screamed. Naruto didn't care. He deserved to die. He didn't want to live. He had failed and they were right. The idea was encouraged by the crowd and a couple of shinobi prepared to throw Kunais at him.
The Kunais flew through the air and something unexpected happened. Hinata stepped in the circle and blocked them all with her own kunai in hand.
"No! I won't let you hurt Naruto-kun! He's a good person! He's kind, caring and generous! He always tries to do the best for everybody and he tried his best to save Sasuke!" The crowd hesitated. The Hyuuga heir stepping up for a demon made a lot of impression. You couldn't mess with the Hyuuga clan.
Naruto looked up. "Hinata its okay they're right. I don't deserve to live. I'm a monster." His voice sounded emotionless. He sounded defeated, broken.
"That's not true!"
"Hinata!" Her father yelled from the crowd. "Get back here right now. If you don't and you survive this I will inherit you and burn the curse mark on your forehead personally."
"I don't care! You can inherit me! If you want to kill Naruto-kun! You'll have to go through me first!"
"If that is how it must be then so be it! You are no longer a Hyuuga! You're a traitor and will die along with the Kyuubi brat here today!"
The crowd hesitated for a moment but quickly realized Hiashi was right. She was just a weak girl that was a shame to her clan. She was a disgrace for sticking up for that monster.
"I will do the right thing and protect Naruto-kun with my life! If you want him you have to get through me first!"
"And me too." Shikamaru Nara lazily took a few steps in the circle and stood besides Hinata. His free hand took her hand. "Naruto didn't do anything wrong and he's my friend. It might be troublesome but I'll protect my friends."
This made a lot of impression. Shikamaru was the pride of the Nara clan. Hinata was only a shame to her clan that had now been banished but Shikamaru was a smart, wise, promising and good Ninja that a lot of people knew and admired.
"You'll have to get through me too." Rock Lee stood besides Shikamaru and Hinata.
"I'm with you guys." Chouji said as he too stood besides them.
Kiba took a few steps in. "Let's go Akamaru looks like were in for a good fight!" Akamaru barked in agreement.
Later Shino, Ino, Neji and Tenten stepped in too.
A series of insults and threats was thrown at the teen's but they didn't budge. Each of them was willing to give their life for Naruto even if they were far outnumbered.
Iruka-sensei walked in and stood beside them.
"What?! You too Iruka? This is an outrage! If you don't leave now you're fired! You won't teach at the academy anymore for the rest of your life! Nobody will talk to you anymore!"
Iruka didn't move.
"I'm with my students all the way!" Kurenai said as she too joined the growing group of people who were willing to protect Naruto.
"Me too!" Asuma added.
"I guess I might as well support my student as well." Kakashi said which caused a gasp from the crowd. Kakashi Hatake, the legendary copy ninja, was choosing the side of the Kyuubi? Impossible!
They still were outnumbered because their were a lot of Anbu and Jounin present at the funeral. The crowed hesitated. Was it alright to kill all of them? Most of them were just kids and what would there family say. Some came of very important families or were highly skilled. But the Kyuubi had plagued the village for years. He had killed so many people 16 years ago. They wanted justice.
"That's enough!" Tsunade yelled. At her side were standing an army of Anbu. "Trying to kill a fellow villager of Konoha. You're all arrested for treason. You are all marked a traitor." The Anbu arrested everybody who had tried to kill Naruto and the people protecting him. Most of them were root-Anbu and shinobi, there were also some normal Anbu and shinobi and even some villagers even Hiashi and Sakura couldn't talk there way out of it.
Hinata was watching them get arrested and quickly turned around. Naruto was still standing there. He looked surprised. "Why… Why did you risk everything to save me… I don't deserve it… I'm a monster… It's my fault Sasuke is dead…"
"You're not a monster Naruto-kun. We're all your friends and we'll try to protect you like you tried to protect Sasuke."
She looked at him and saw a scratch on his arm. She must've let one of the Kunai past without noticing it. She ripped a piece of her dress and used it as a bandage for his arm. Naruto gasped again. Hinata belonged to one of the richest families in Konoha and the dress she was wearing looked very expensive. He didn't even want to know how much she spent on it and now she had ripped it like it was nothing.
"Hinata, are you crazy?! Don't you know how much that dress is worth?!"
"I do Naruto-kun. It's not even worth half as much as you are."
There was a short silence. "Thanks everyone, if it wasn't for you guys I would've been dead right now."
"You shouldn't thank us but Hinata." Shikamaru said. "If it wasn't for her I probably wouldn't have stepped up. I probably wouldn't have had the guts to come protect you."
"That's not true, Shikamaru. We did it together." Hinata said.
"You're right Hinata. But if you hadn't said all of that stuff I probably wouldn't have been brave enough to do that. You inspired all of us." Ino said.
Naruto let them sort it out on there own. He was just happy that so many people cared for him and who knows… Maybe there was a person for who he was the most important person to in her life.
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Sorry for the Sakura bashing. I didn't want to it just happened. But don't worry she is released and forgiven by everybody. They understand she was just sad because Sasuke died. Sorry that nothing really happened but I wanted to do a one shot and didn't have any ideas. So this came out. It's weak I know. It was mostly for my own amusement. See you guys later.
Kisses, hugs and cookies 4 all my lovely reviewers.