Wilting Roses

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

Warning: This fiction contains death! And so I rated it T for safety.

A/N: This is just a story I came up with while I was lying in bed not wanting to wake up! So I decided to make it into a one-shot. =P I'm also really horrible at coming up with titles so if anyone has a better title, feel free to tell me.

How had it come to this? Thinking back, Naruto could not remember a day that he had thought that he would ever be doing this. Sure, he had almost done it once before, but back then, he had been angry and confused. He had thought Pein had killed Hinata and that had made him loose conscious and his sense of judgment along with that. But this time, he was purely awake. His thoughts were left unclouded as he walked toward the cage before him.

He slowly dragged his feet through the water, creating ripples that followed him. He was sore and there was not a spot on his body that was left unmarred. He was bleeding, and that blood was seeping into his clothes, making the orange he was wearing turn into red.

Suddenly, he tripped, his legs giving way and he fell into the water. He tried to get up, but it was useless. His legs and arms were both to weak to push himself up. Looking at the cage before him and remembering what he had to do and why, he continued to crawl through the water. He could barely feel anything and the only thing keeping him from falling unconscious was the need to save everyone.

He coughed, spewing blood into the water, dyeing it red around his knees and wrists. His mouth was dry and now full of the taste of bitter blood. He kept on moving though, his body going numb.

He reached the cage before him. Using it for support, he eased himself into standing. He was leaning all of his weight onto the cage. Slowly, he reached up with one hand, and slowly he touched the edge of the seal. Once again, he started a coughing fit, spraying the white seal with blood. He groaned as he slowly slipped his hand under the corner of the seal.

Ever so slowly, he started to rip the seal. His mind having flashbacks of trying this once before, but back then, his father had stopped him. Back then, it had been Kyuubi urging him into taking the seal off. This time, it was own decision. This time, he was doing it safe everyone.

Kyuubi was already standing by the edge of the cage, smiling. He knew what awaited for him: Freedom. He knew that he would have to fight even more once he got out, but it would be worth it.

Naruto continued to rip the seal off, his hands shaking. He would've moved faster but this slow speed he was going at was already to fast. His eyes were hazy and he could barely see what he was tearing at. The only thoughts that made it through to his head were: I must save everyone.

Naruto groaned as more short, but horrible flashbacks came back to his mind. His friends dying. Everyone in Konoha being attacked and dying. Blood. Blood everywhere. Blood on his hands, his coat. His own blood and that of his dying teammates and also of their enemy. Everyone was going down. He couldn't stand seeing it anymore. He couldn't face it. He couldn't save anyone.

This was the only way that he could save everyone. And although he knew that this plan would probably kill just as many of his teammates as the enemy, it was still the only way that some of his teammates would survive.

So Naruto continued the painfully slow ripping. Knowing full well that this would be the end of Uzumaki Naruto.

The seal came of and Naruto collapsed. Kyuubi bounded out of his cage and grabbed at his power that had been seperated from him. He didn't waste anytime taking over Naruto's body.

Naruto smiled as he felt Kyuubi taking over. No more would he have live with the pain of everything in his life. No more. The water around him slowly rose until he was completely under it. He couldn't breathe, but that was fine because he no longer wanted to breathe; All of his friends would be safer now, saved from the enemy. He could die, knowing that. The water dragged and pulled him around, and Naruto just floated along with the current, not seeing anymore. Kyuubi, please kill the enemy and leave my friends alive. That's the least you could do for me after I set you free...was Naruto's last wish and thought that he had. Kyuubi could only hear him because they were still apart of each other.

"I will," was Kyuubi response, as he felt Naruto die inside of him.

Well... I hope you liked it. ^^ If you did, then you should review *hint hint* Also, if you liked it, you should check out my other two stories I'm working on currently. So again, please review. =^^=