As It Is Now
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Prologue
Having failed to bring Sasuke back from Orochimaru, Naruto continued to seek out the snake while fending off Akatsuki. Briefly after his short encounter with Sasuke, news came that Orochimaru had been killed, while Kabuto and Sasuke were missing.
Months went by after that as Naruto still tried to look for any sign of Sasuke. He would have continued had Tsunade not thrown her foot down by ordering him that enough was enough.
"Sasuke is dead!" the statement quieted everyone in the room. Tsunade glared at the blond in front of her. His face lost all traces of color, his eyes widened in disbelief and denial. He started to shake his head; his mouth moved to deny her words.
"His body was found by oinins three days ago. The report reached me last night," she let out a sigh and finally sat back down on her chair; the one that she had vacated when the argument had begun, "His body's been disposed of."
The occupants of the room stared at her; her words slowly sank into everyone that Sasuke was dead.
When the report had first come in that Itachi's body had been found, most had assumed that the last Uchiha had finally fulfilled his life mission and killed the one man he hated the most. They wondered where the ex-leaf nin had gone to after that. Now though, with the discovery of Sasuke's body, it seemed that the question was answered.
"Where was he found?"
All eyes turned to the one who had spoken. As his first sensei, Kakashi had every right to ask that question. The jounin's eyes remained passive but those who knew him knew that Sasuke had weighed heavily on his mind ever since the battle at the Valley of the End.
"Wave Country, an hour away from the southern border," was the Hokage's reply. Then slowly, other questions were raised. However, one blond remained silent throughout the entire ordeal.
He stared at nothing. His face showed nothing to the ones in the room, but even that was enough for them to realize that he was not okay. The hyperactive blond was always saying something, be it wise or stupid; his mouth was always moving. But not now, he merely stood there. When the occupants of the room were dismissed, he still stood there.
"Naruto," Tsunade began quietly, unsure of how to handle the boy in this state. She glanced at the masked man standing by the door. Kakashi returned the glance but did nothing more. Before she could say anything, Naruto spoke.
"I was supposed to bring him back, for Sakura, for everyone. Me, I promised," he whispered as he looked towards the window before his gaze centered on the Hokage, "He was my best friend…how…I, I…" and he broke.
For the first time since anyone could remember, the always cheerful and hyperactive ninja openly sobbed. Tsunade rushed to him and cradled him in her arms like a mother would her crying child. Her heart went out to him as he sobbed incoherently, his words jumbled and his sentences half-formed.
Kakashi could do nothing but stare as his student sobbed his heart out.