Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
The blood smeared his trembling hands, his mind not quite comprehending what had just occurred. The trembling just continued, his body shaking from the after effects of sheer power, from the fear that took over his mind at what he saw at his feet, and the grip of sadness that clutched at his very soul as he saw the woman he idolized, loved, and cared for lie dead in front of him.
The light blond hair covered her pale face, mercifully left untouched. His gaze slowly wandered to where the flow of blood came and saw that there was a large gaping hole in her chest. He felt his legs gave out underneath him as he silently stared, hoping with all his might, that somehow it would bring her back to him. Uzumaki Naruto was no cold blooded killer. Yet here was undeniable proof that he was. His hands were soiled with his beloved Tsunade's life. The Godaime Hokage, his surrogate sister, mother, and secret lover, was taken from this world by his own hands. He simply sat on the ground beside her, too numb to register the clouds beginning to cover the glorious sun up above, almost as if they understood what had happened.
Before he realized it, he had heard shouts and was already running as fast as he could away from the city with her body cradled in his arms. There was no real way to tell where he was headed, but his body just pushed him onward, gripping the object of his affection tightly to him as he leaped from tree branch to tree branch, distantly hearing shouting from behind.
"Why? How? How did this all happen?" Naruto thought numbly. "I don't remember anything but waking up to find I had- I had killed her." A small growl of laughter echoed in his mind. The once bright cerulean eyes widened as that cruel laughter continued rising in its menacing glee. The young man's mind slowly began to awaken from its haze, as the image of the demonic Kyuubi no Kitsune grinned maliciously in its cage. He felt the blood staining his hands dry, sticking onto the skin like a permanent mark of the irrevocable deed.
Moving for what seemed an eternity, the trees began to thin out as the sun lowered, hovering in the scarlet sky as night moved to take its rightful place. His body felt very heavy, more from guilt and sadness rather than holding the frail and still hauntingly beautiful form of his Tsunade. There were no tears to be shed as he stared down once more at her cold, unmoving body. No, there was only a hatred for his inability to control the damned demon that was put inside of him against his will. The demon had done it; it had forced his guard down to control him and destroy the one woman he could not live without. The memories of their times together played in his mind, laughter and genuine smiles. He didn't need to create a mask of happiness for her, she was his happiness, his reason to continue fighting with all of his strength, the reason that he was able to live to this current day since many of the elders still believed he should be dead for what he carried inside himself.
She was no more. His happiness was gone. There would be no more late night meetings for a quick bite to eat, no more loving, bone-crushing hugs, no more flicks to the forehead for calling her "Obaa-chan." No more times when he could wake up and know that he was indeed loved and watch her sleep quietly next to him on those very rare nights they spent together. As the young, blond haired, blue-eyed man watched his princess's now forever sleeping face, he heard that laugh once more. Taunting him, luring him to enter into the depths of his mind. To give himself up to the very demon that had done this to him. He ignored it once more and stepped out to the Valley of the End, the area still immensely scarred from his last battle with his former friend and rival, Sasuke. Yet even with those scars and craters left behind, he saw the waterfall continued to flow onward as if nothing happened.
He found a spot near a tree by the river where he placed her body. Without a word, he took off his jacket and draped it over her chest. Naruto gazed at his hands while listening to the river flow off the cliff and into a rushing roar. He knelt down and began to dig, even though his body was close to exhaustion. With hands in numb pain, his body aching, and his mouth dry, he dug as fast as he could, glancing back to the woman resting peacefully under the tree. Overhead, the clouds rumbled as rain threatened to fall, Naruto only dug in deeper into the soil, wanting to hurry and finish making her final resting place worthy for her.
The concept of time did not exist anymore for him. All of his concentration, every last ounce of focus, was put into his Tsunade's new bed. He picked her up as if she was the most fragile thing in the world and carried her as he would have if she was his bride. Tucking her in with his jacket, and slowly placing the necklace that she had given him around her pale neck, he kissed her on the lips goodbye and whispered, "I love you." His voice did not come out.
He silently threw each successive pile of dirt back into the ground, his hands scratched and bleeding from their constant use. When all was finished, he laid his back against the tree where his princess had once slept and closed his eyes. Everything disappeared as he heard that low, dark chuckle become louder and louder in his mind as the demon took control once more, this time for good…