Warnings: For the first few chapters (or something like that)--slight angst and fuzzy-feely moments. Slight Alternate Universe. Oh yeah…Naruto dies, along with a few others.
Pairings: SasuNaru implied KakaIru
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Spiritual/Drama/Angst/Romance
Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto owns this first and foremost…then all those other companies that sponsor him.
Author's Note: Fusion with the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. No characters of his are used; just the plot.
Word Count: 3,461
--The Five People You Meet in Heaven –
By ChaseAnyDream
- A Man Named Naruto Dies Part 1-
"Death…is only the beginning." –The Mummy
Whatever lies beyond the line that separates life and death is unknown to man. Few may actually have come into contact with the "other side" or have been so close to their end that they've really seen what awaits them, only to be yanked back into the resuscitating embrace of life's cruel arms breathing air into their lungs. The inevitability of such an end, however, still does not deter man's strive to see beyond the bounds of the mortal world. What is it that the human soul moves on to after the use of their body is no longer possible? Is it simply just a cold coffin and five tons of dirt, fertilizer, and grass piled on top of them, trapping them forever within the darkness of eternity; or is there a being that awaits them, filling them with unimaginable greatness that could only be called God?
…What can truly be called the afterlife?
∞∞∞
All endings are also beginnings.
Such a thing may seem a bit absurd. After all, how can you have a beginning when something is supposed to end? If endings were beginnings and beginnings led to endings, would the purpose of an ending be nothing in itself? An illusion which isn't really there?
This was something that Uzumaki Naruto barely wasted his time on—a thought that not once even came into his brain in all his years of life. His job didn't depend on thinking about the innermost workings of the universe or whether or not endings were beginnings and beginnings were endings and endings were simply illusions of nothingness. All it depended upon was whether or not he could keep doing it.
Naruto's job took a lifetime and a half to be accomplished and achieved. His heart always soared when he recalled that day: the sun was a squint-inducing ball of light with clouds slightly obscuring its surroundings and the blue sky above him. The breeze kept all of Konohagakure cool and even brought in a few sprinkles of raindrops from an approaching cloud halfway off the horizon. The summer weather, it seemed, had given Naruto a chance to be content.
Finally… he thought to himself, his handsome face stretching into a mile-wide smile that crinkled his eyes and made his whiskered-cheeks stand out on his tanned complexion even more than they already did. The people surrounding him, particularly the older ones, politely clapped, while a fairly large section of the crowd cheered and jumped up and down into supportive waves. Naruto chuckled when Kiba attempted to blast off into the air using the chakra concentrated into his feet and perform mid-air gymnastics, but instead, ended up knocking his head into the taller, oblivious chin that belonged to Neiji.
Naruto's heart soared with the magnitude of the beautiful day. Heaven seemed to shine down upon him, if only for a few moments. He even saw upon the faces of some of the older villagers the expressions of gentle respect and genuine joy. Naruto's dream had come true.
…I've become Hokage.
∞∞∞
It is widely known—ah, heck, everyone knows that Hatake Kakashi does not arrive where he is supposed to be at the time he is supposed to be there by. At first, his tardiness came with legitimate reasons that were believable and had an alibi. Once, he even confessed to the Fourth Hokage that he was late for the annual ANBU checkups because he was scared of the "humongous needle they're gonna shove up into my handsome behind so I made sure to exercise this certain place so it doesn't hurt too much when the big, fat needle goes up there". This, of course, is not known by anyone else except himself and the deceased Fourth. At least, he hopes no one knows…
However, on one such occasion that his punctuality came through, the Kyuubi no Kitsune was rampaging through the forests surrounding Konohagakure, and the Fourth Hokage made a swift decision to instill upon a person his plan as how to save the village. He'd selected the nearest person to him, who, coincidentally (or was it?), was his former student, Kakashi himself.
Hatake Kakashi was never particularly punctual every again.
Even now, Naruto thinks, Kakashi-sensei (he never really could let go of the suffix to his former teacher's name) is late. Through all the years that Naruto had been under the tutelage of the silver-haired jounin, the man would always be ready with a lame-brain excuse that was something short of insane.
Now, however, if Kakashi-sensei arrives, Naruto won't yell at him.
This phenomenal event to which has never happened while Naruto was learning under the ninja is solely and will only be excused for this day and this day only. The thought might've been amusing, but another glance up from his bowed head would bring the memories rushing back.
This is because Iruka-sensei has died.
The polished oak coffin his body now lies in came from one of Konoha's own forest trees—healthy, in its prime, and the best within a two-mile radius of Iruka-sensei's home—which Naruto himself ordered and carried out at any cost (he personally oversaw the creating of the casket and thus hadn't slept in nearly a week).
A simple black suit, tie, and white dress shirt with shiny, new loafers dresses his academy school teacher. The leaf-emblazoned symbol upon his forehead protector sits lightly on his chest, right over his heart. The blue cotton holding the metal in place is already slightly faded due to the hours in the sun to which the public could view the (Naruto doesn't want to say "body", because that would signify his already letting go of Iruka-sensei and he isn't going to do just that when twenty-four hours ago, his teacher was bright and smiling so he'll just say "Iruka-sensei") before being lowered into the ground.
The Sixth Hokage is currently standing to the right of the casket, thanking all who are showing their respects to the long-time teacher; Iruka-sensei himself doesn't have any more living relatives.
With that thought just ending, a soft crunching of leaves behind Naruto alerts him of another's presence. The autumn wind blows across Konoha the dried leaves that can't cling to the tree which they grew old upon. The sky is gloomily melancholy, making Naruto inwardly desiring to ask it why it's going to rain on an already sorrowful day. Then again, the heavens themselves may be crying because a person such as Iruka-sensei has died. His heart was one of the purest Naruto had ever encountered, and the man had been the first person to utter words such as being proud of him or saying that he was worth something much more than death. He'd spoken words that still made Naruto cry to this day.
"Thanks for finding him, Sasuke." Naruto says quietly under his breath, his head still bowed and not looking anywhere but idly reminding himself to purchase shinier loafers. He feels a slight pressure to the suit-pressed small of his back—a comforting gesture that nearly brings another batch of tears to his eyes. Sasuke lays a small kiss to his temple, his rich scent and neck-length hair pressing into Naruto's face. He'll have to remind Sasuke to get a hair cut.
Daring to lift his head to peer to his left, Naruto instantly regrets it. He can't take his eyes off Kakashi-sensei's slightly droopy hair covering the half of his face with the Sharingan (Naruto supposes it makes sense to cover it since no ninjas are wearing their forehead protectors and Kakashi-sensei didn't want to simply thank everyone with one eye shut) and the wrinkled and slightly dirty shirt and matching dirt marks on the knees of his pants. His shoes are also scratched somewhat and is that blood on the palms of his hands?
"I found him at that grave marker—the one that lists all of the shinobi heroes that lost their lives. He was kneeling and just staring at it with his Sharingan; I had to fight him to actually bring him here." Sasuke says softly, not removing his hand from Naruto's back.
"Yet you're not disheveled at all." Naruto remarks dully, quietly glancing up to meet the other's dark eyes.
Sasuke's meaningful gaze draws closer to Naruto's own. He can feel the silent intakes and outtakes of breath that Sasuke draws. The warmth is slightly comforting and it makes him want to just burrow himself into the warmth of Sasuke's embrace.
"It's wasn't very hard considering he was fighting half-heartedly; he just wanted to come to terms with his loss." There is another kiss to Naruto's temple, and along with that, a silent suggestion. You should also come to terms with your loss.
"Sasuke…" Naruto mutters warningly.
One of my best friends is dead, dangit!
"I know. I just want you to have that thought to make sure you carry it out when this is over." Sasuke says smoothly, quietly increasing the pressure behind Naruto.
For the first time this day, Naruto lifts his head to look over the crowd that is gathered. Quiet sobbing from almost all the women in the village forms a small orchestra of tears as they gather to sit in the same section of assembled chairs. Few men also shed tears or carefully keep them hidden from plain view, though Naruto knows that each and every one of them want to cry their eyes out and wish that their beloved Iruka-sensei would come back.
Naruto can see on their faces the contemplation and reminder that all things come to an end—that death is an inevitable fate one meets. His gaze strays to Sasuke's cool eyes which are as sharp as ever—even in mourning, Sasuke looks out for others as they cannot. A stubborn welling in Naruto's throat surges upwards into his eyes, blurring his vision and forcing him to look away.
The sight of a lifeless body that is both like and unlike Sasuke is too overwhelming for Naruto to handle.
Before his knees hit the ground, he feels those strong arms envelope him like they have many times before, gently supporting him. Soft, whispered concerns float in and out of Naruto's ears. All he hears is nothing. All he sees is the abnormally (even for Sasuke) pale face of his lover. When he closes his eyes, each eyelid presents before him a scenario of the other's death.
Behind one, Sasuke's body is a mangled mess of bones and blood—barely recognizable as even being once whole. A leg has been blasted off and is stuck on the branch of a tree 50 meters away, drenching the soft, pink petals in an ugly shade of crimson. The limbs that are still intact are protruding at least six inches into the air in every direction imaginable. His eyes are wide open in fear; the Sharingan is still activated, but that could just be the blood that was pouring out from the corners of his sockets.
The image is sickening.
Behind the other eyelid, Naruto sees an older version of the man beside him. Gray hairs form tiny streaks in the once-jet black hair. The slicked-back hairstyle from his youth is reduced to a scraggly pathway of thinning hair that ends at the nape of his neck. Wrinkles appear at the corner of his eyes—a thing that Naruto would make fun of because the result is most likely from glaring so much. His skin, once so pale and seemingly flawless, is yellowing with tiny, faded scars crisscrossing his arms and legs. However, his face is peaceful as he lays in the gleaming coffin, polished and waxed multiple times.
The image is equally making his stomach churn.
"Naruto!"
When the images finally releas their haunting scenarios, Naruto realizes he isn't at Iruka-sensei's funeral anymore. Sasuke is a mere inch from his face, his arms on either side of Naruto's head. The orange-spiraled bedsheets are wet beneath his head, making it slightly uncomfortable to be laying down in a wet spot. He realizes that Sasuke has somehow carried him all the way back to their home at the Uchiha mansion.
Naruto wants to lift his hand to the sting on his left cheek, inwardly twitching irately at his lover for punching him. However, he finds that his fingers are digging ten crescents into Sasuke's arm, which has a matching set of bloody rivers dripping onto the cotton sheets. Naruto releases him quickly, but Sasuke has yet to even grunt in pain.
"And I thought I was supposed to be the only one bawling like a baby today…" Comes a slightly disinterested-and-yet-slightly-worried voice behind Sasuke. Not wanting to break total eye contact with Sasuke and suffer his worry-wart wrath, Naruto lifts his head up and rests it on Sasuke's shoulder. Kakashi-sensei comes into view, a small smile set on his unmasked face.
The man looks well beyond his years in weariness. The visible eye is coated with a red, glassy sheen, appearing as if both eyes were Sharingan. Naruto notices the loosened black tie and scuffed loafers, his jacket and knees also looking a bit dirty. Naruto idly wonders if Kakashi-sensei envisioned Iruka-sensei's death prior to this day and in the same manner Naruto himself has envisioned Sasuke's. The thought nearly makes him nauseous.
"The great Uzumaki Naruto does not bawl," He says softly in response, his usually arrogant and unyielding voice in the statement but a faint whisper, "he knows that Umino Iruka is a hero, always will be, and don't you forget it!" The last bit includes a lot of pointing and raising of his voice with every word, resulting in Sasuke loosening his grip on the seemingly back-to-normal Hokage, who is still glaring at a slightly-surprised Hatake Kakashi.
This is the first time Naruto has said Iruka-sensei's full name before.
And slowly, a small smile makes its way onto Kakashi-sensei's mouth, and for a moment, the Kakashi-sensei that mentored Team 7 through their early childhood is back, the cheery air around him swirling in slight mischief. For a moment, his intense grief is replaced by a reminder of an embodiment of passion; the passion that Iruka has left behind in his students.
"I never will."
∞∞∞
The irritating buzz of Naruto's alarm clock insistently tries to make his every morning a living nightmare. The evil device sits oh-so-innocently upon his desk, claiming to do nothing more than what its creator designed its purpose for.
Yeah right.
He mumbles another 'five more minutes' before he realizes, once again, that no on will turn it off for him and mumble irritated, incoherent things into his ear about waking people up by having them turn off his own alarm clock when they're trying to rest from a long mission and a sore night.
He opens his eyes and finds himself just slightly saddened again and no longer wanting 'five more minutes'. He begins his daily rituals—shower, teeth, clothes, and ramen-slash-breakfast—and mentally goes over his schedule.
What day is it anyway? He wonders, and for the next five minutes of idle munching, he comes to a conclusion: Ask Konohamaru when I get into the office.
So he does.
But instead of a straight-forward answer and exasperated sigh like he normally receives, there's a snicker and a barely-concealed snort. Semi-confused and still pondering the day of the week—let alone the month—it was, Naruto follows the retreating—and still snickering—back of his assistant. Into his office, he finds a very loud, very orange banner with colorful sparkles and letters glued haphazardly onto it.
Happy Birthday!…?
Realization strikes when there's a sudden uproar of "Happy birthday, Hokage-sama!" and stray "Happy birthday Naruto!"'s. He's suddenly overwhelmed with joy and slight embarrassment for forgetting his own birthday. He's enveloped by his friends and confetti, blinded by hugs and random gifts thrown in his direction. He sees the large cake with many candles on it, and orange letters glow amongst them all.
Happy 50th Birthday, Naruto-Hokage-sama!
They sing cheerily the tune of birthday and urge him to make a wish and blow out the small lights dripping with burning wax. He tells them that he couldn't wish for anything more, because he's got all he needs right here, but everyone knows he's lying through that mile-wide grin he always wears. However, no one wants to be awkward, so they play along and act as if Naruto really means it and is having a good time on his birthday. He fills his lungs and holds it in for a moment, closing his eyes.
I wish I was with Sasuke.
He blows, and the candles no longer burn brightly.
∞∞∞
"Hokage-sama!"
"Hokage-san! What should we do!"
"Naruto-sama!"
"Naruto-kun!"
"Naruto!"
"Naruto!"
"NARUTO!"
"Calm down, everyone!"
The frantic voices begin to hush as Naruto stills himself from his pacing. It is his 51st birthday, and of all days, he stomps into the village with that arrogant, slimy smile of his and claims the place as his own. He has already erected a barrier around Konohagakure and began rampaging across the land, killing people one at a time.
Orochimaru.
His new body is of a man whom Naruto has never seen before, but it is obvious Orochimaru's tastes haven't changed much. The body is pale as moonlight, dark eyes like duo holes of sadistic laughter and pain. No doubt whoever first owned the body was an accomplished fighter—faint scars crisscrossed the entire body; it is a young body, probably one with great potential and skill.
"Hokage-sama! Please, tell us what to do!"
Naruto's old face is tired when he comes out of his musings. He is indeed old, but he knew that the Kyuubi keeps him pressing onward. Just because he is old doesn't mean he still couldn't kick the head off of snake-man. "I have a plan, alright! Just stay quiet for a moment.
"ANBU squad and hunter-nin—each form four-men groups. Jounins—five men. Chuunins and any available genin—form ten-men groups. I want each group to go in different directions, each as far as the barrier allows; each group stay no more than a mile apart from one another. In one hour after the starting point, summon all the chakra you have and create a barrier larger than Orochimaru's. When his is broken, I want anyone who can to get to the Kazekage in Suna village and get Gaara over here and warn any other village you can.
"Don't come back for anything and don't stop until this mission is complete. Does everyone understand?"
There are nods all around and a flurry of bodies as they exit as fast as they can. The hour-long time limit begins. Naruto stands in the room of his home, surveying Konoha. He can faintly hear the maniacal laughter from Orochimaru's new throat and the echoing screams of the villagers that are much louder. He briefly closes his eyes, mumbling a quiet prayer, and darts out into the street.
Like a shadow, he dashes to every home as fast as he can, barking instructions with the most patience and calm he ever had in his lifetime to the frightened survivors, telling them to move as discreetly as they can to the outskirts (or as far as they can run) of the village where ANBU, jounins, and every other available ninja are. By the time he finishes half of the village, he can hear the less-frequent screams in the direction Orochimaru is and feel the suspicious/negative chakra waves he is sending out. Making sure to keep his own chakra suppressed, Naruto pants and takes another deep breath, darting to the next home.
His mind is racing like no horse race Tsunade had bet on. His heart is in his throat and jumping into his stomach at the same time, making him want to vomit. Sweat drips from his chin and into his eyes and mouth, but he doesn't stop. He doesn't dare even attempt to tap into the Kyuubi's powers to make him run faster—he won't use them just yet.
He can hear Orochimaru's laugher.
I have to get the rest of the villagers out of here!
He is only a few miles away.
I must ensure their safety first!
His chakra is flaring like wild fire into the burning sky.
Hurry!
It was coming closer at an alarming rate.
Hurry up Naruto!
He can almost taste the vile chakra burning on his tongue.
HURRY UP!
"Hello, Naruto-kun."
And just like that, there was no more running.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
End "A Man Named Naruto Dies" Part 1
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