Summary: His final war, his final stand, and his final breath. After a Konoha elite shinobi was kidnapped by Orochimaru, the mission is accounted for Naruto retrieve him. Death, love, chances, and traitors, all in one. 'Naruto' Sakura cried... no... he's dead.
Rated: "T" for language, and violence throughout.
Disclaimer: Yes, I don't own Naruto.
Naruto: Havoc Amongst His Final Breath
By: x HoRo HoRo
Chapter Two:
Hungry, in the night of peace
The sun has already almost set by the time they have gotten to Konoha. The sun started its rays of orange and yellow over the skies, and the cool night breeze started to reincarnate back up into the village. Every shop or market in Konoha started to close, and the villagers started for there home. Only shinobi standing guard, and other lights from houses were living at the moment.
"Jounin!" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs. "Eh!" He pulled his hair in major disbelief and scolded Shikamaru, who stood in front of him with his tongue out; taunting him as he turned to a smile. "This isn't fair!"
"Baka." Shikamaru retorted. He crossed his arms and illy faded back from Naruto.
"I've only been gone for about five days, and Shikamaru's already a Jounin?" Naruto continued, rampaging with words.
Sakura and her team had just gotten through with bringing Naruto back to the village of Konoha. Though it had taken them a little while longer than they had expected, everyone managed to get back safely. Tsunade had healed Sakura's wound to her back thigh and they had just told Naruto that Shikamaru had become a Jounin. Though of course the reaction Naruto gave was expected.
All Sakura could do at the moment was silently laugh to herself and gaze at the stupidity of Naruto as he showed his reaction to what he had just heard minutes ago. Really, she felt like lobbing him in the head like she always would, but felt that it was better for Shikamaru to keep his humiliation up. At the same time, she felt sorry for Naruto just as she enjoyed is frustration.
"Shika-"
"Hai, hai, yamete, Naruto." Tsunade briefly interrupted.Naruto stared up at a throne like chair and saw Tsunade sitting with her head rested against her fist. She gave a small smile, and soon got up to her feet. Her green robe dragged on the floor and her sleeves hung inches below her wrist, for they were almost ten times her size, and yet, she continued to wear them every day and night.
"Tsunade-baachan!" Naruto quickly turned, and then changed glances back at Shikamaru. "Shika-"
"Please, Naruto, just shut up for a moment." Tsunade pleaded in a non-convincing way as she interrupted Naruto once again. She walked down a small couple stair step and made her way towards the group that saved Naruto from Orochimaru and Sasuke. "Naruto." She started.
Naruto kept his gaze on Shikamaru, the Jounin that made him jealous, but then slowly turned his head towards his Hokage. "Na…ni?"
"Since you were captive for almost a week, do you have anything to tell us?" She said, looking Naruto dead in the eyes.
"Like…" Naruto stared nervously at her.
"Like… plans you might have accidentally heard, or any of that?" Naruto thought for a minute, and then shook his head. Tsunade frowned and gave a hard sigh, disappointed to hear nothing.. She pushed Naruto back on the fore heard with a finger. He fell over lopsided, but then got back up to his feet, dusting dirt off his orange baggy pants. "This whole time, you didn't get one piece of tip or note from them?" Naruto shook his head again, but held his arms tightly around his stomach as he heard it growl in hunger.
"Being captive for five straight days without food is hard enough." He fell down to his knees and clamped harder to his stomach. "Having to do something else in enemy territory is even harder; especially on an empty stomach.
Tsunade slapped her head, and sighed heavily once again. She stared over at Sakura who covered her mouth; she seemed to be laughing. Her glance changed towards Shikamaru, who stood by Naruto and stared at him with the same old boring look he gave everyone. Neji stood alone in the corner far from the group. He had his arms crossed across his body and stared out the window. His mind wondered elsewhere and didn't care for this discussion and the aura around him.
The doors behind the group slid open, and a joyful girl with almost white colored, but blonde, hair and deep blue eyes walked in.
"Your all back!" She exclaimed.
"Ino." Shikamaru was surprised to see her in a time like this. Usually whenever someone would have a group discussion with Tsunade, Ino would always stay out, but not this time.
"Ino?" Sakura turned her head to see her friends walk in between the whole group.
"Hey Naruto, glad to see your still alive." She patted Naruto on top of his head giving a smile as she walked by.
"All fine!" Naruto assured her with a thumb up. Annoyed as always to see her, he forced himself to take his actions into a polite direction.
After staring around, she stepped back to Sakura and smiled. "Good job." She said, "I knew you'd do it." She commented, but then stared to Shikamaru. Her eyes changed as she stared into his. A cool but also warm feeling flowed in her veins. The air around her seemed to all of a sudden become thick as she tried to move, but for a small moment, couldn't. But the feeling stopped as she forced her legs to help move her forward. She shook her head, surprised at the sudden feeling she had.
Shikamaru felt like stepping back as Ino got closer, but stood his grounds to her. In his mind, the only person that really scared him was Ino… especially when she unleashes her anger towards him or Chouji for doing things that she didn't want them to do, or when she called something 'messing up' or even 'careless.' As for Shikamaru's point of view in those situations, he thought it was all fine.
"Shikamaru, we need to talk." Her voice changed into a grumpy tone, shivers went down Shikamaru's back as he heard her words clearly, but wished he had just imagined them.
Shikamaru tilted his head back. "Nani?"
Ino turned to Tsunade and bowed down. "Sorry I've interrupted, Tsunade-sama." She said, and turned to leave. "Come on, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru sighed, and stared back at Naruto, then started to leave. "Ino, sometimes you're so troublesome." He said on his way out.
As Shikamaru left the room, everyone stood silent for a moment. Sakura gazed from Naruto to Tsunade, and hoped that something else would uproar into a conversation, nothing ever happened. For minutes, the room fell silent. The only thing that happened was the shifting windows and blown hair that was emenced by the wind as the moon finally beamed overhead. Stars flocked it like a mother, and slowly, the clouds formed smooth blankets around the night sky.
"I should go as well, my fathers waiting for me." Neji said after a long stretch, and then jumped out the window he once stared at the whole time. His jump made the curtains wave like the wind had brushed up against them.After Neji disappeared, Tsunade brought her attentions back to Naruto.
"I guess we can talk about this later." Tsunade turned to leave, but stop when she heard Naruto's stomach growled of hunger again. She sighed, and her eyes twitched suddenly in a quick hesitation. She turned back, "Naruto, if you want, I can treat you for dinner, you seem awfully hungry."
Naruto's eyes shot open wide and his jaws dropped. "Haha! Ramen with Tsunade-baachan!" Naruto clenched his fist and started walking towards Tsunade. How could things get better? Saved by your best friends, and dinner with the Hokage. He thought.
"Matte!" Sakura yelled. Naruto and Tsunade turned back; both had questioned looks on their faces. Naruto swung his arms behind his head and smiled brightly Sakura had her hand out with her face towards the ground. Her face, filled with lost frustration and a bit of shyness. Tsunade punched her hands to the side of her waist. She wanted to leave, and get the rest for what she planned to do the next day.
"Nani? Sakura-chan." Naruto slowly said. He wanted to quickly get to dinner; he didn't think his stomach would hold up any longer. His hunger was now his brain, and when it roared food, it wanted food and nothing else. Though his mind wondered off towards his teammate, his stomach was in control, and forced him to slowly step backwards into Tsunade.
Sakura raised her face, showing her green eyes that seemed as if they had just been dried up on tears. "Um, Tsunade-sama, if you don't mind… I'd like to give Naruto dinner at my house."
Naruto's eyes twitched. Nani, dinner at Sakura-chan's house? Naruto thought for a moment. At first, he thought it was a trap, but he has known her for too long for her to just set up a random trap. But still, Naruto felt curious in why she invited him all of a sudden. Is this a date? Naruto held a finger up to his chin. She's not like this all the time… especially to me. The thought didn't last long enough for him to continue thinking, his hunger broke in.
Tsunade gave a small mouth-closed laugh. She looked at Sakura, her face wasn't quite happy at all. But instead, it was more sorrow like. Tsunade had a hint of probably why she felt such a way, but didn't want to get involved. Still, she didn't want her former student to feel so sad… especially during a typical time where every skilled shinobi in Konoha is needed; of course, she was one of them.
"If you really want to... sure." Tsunade left through another door behind her chair.
Naruto stared at Tsunade until she left, but then curiously stared over at Sakura. He still wondered by she even wanted such a thing, to feed him dinner? Naruto didn't care whether he went with Tsunade or not, he was hungry enough to eat anywhere. But the last time Naruto remembered something like this was the night Sasuke had left Konoha. Then memories struck Naruto. He started to remember the promises that he made to her, Sakura. Both promises were vanished and broken. The hurtful feelings were brought back, and made him frown.
"Naruto, daijoubu'ka?" Sakura asked, seeing his sudden frown after her own.
Naruto blocked her out. He heard her voice, but didn't hear exactly every single word that was said. His mind kept him in a dark place, the thoughts of following his way of the ninja was hard for him, especially when he breaks his own rule of the ninja. Anger overwhelmed him as he thought of one man; Uchiha Sasuke.
"Naruto?" Sakura repeated, he still didn't answer. She stared up into his eyes. Sakura thought that they'd move towards her way at the scent of her motion, but they didn't. She could tell that Naruto thought of something bad, his head shook in fear, and a sweat-drop fell down from his cheeks. His eyes morphed into a circular shape as they suddenly turned red. His dark pupils enlarged as the whisker markings on his face darkened. His nailed evolved into claws, his teeth enlarged into vampiric like weapons, and eventually, his arms and neck showed muscle that he had never had.
Naruto hesitated for a second, and then jerked his head up. He made a gagging noise as he turned around towards Sakura. Her eyes showed that she was feeling a bit worried about him, but would never really admit it."Naruto…" She could feel the energy, chakra, that formed around him. Warm, and filled with hate and sorrow. Even thought she didn't have the Sharingan, nor Byakuugan, she saw the aura that surrounded Naruto clearly.
Naruto shook his head and pulled on his yellow hair. "Sasuke!" He yelled.
"Naruto!" Sakura reached an arm out but he pushed it back.
Once he turned towards her, his eyes flashed red. The Demon Fox... Kyuubi Sakura thought. The anger of thinking about Sasuke flowed easily through the pain he had. His anger triggered to release the kyuubi in him, but slowly, he calmed, and slowly, the redness in his eyes went away. His vampire like teeth started to move back in, and his whiskers lightened.
"Sakura-chan." He said. He shook his head to get himself out of the misery he was in and looked around the room as if he had not known what just happened. When his head seemed to be cleared of himself, he stared up at Sakura. She was here the whole time? "Sakura-chan…"
Sakura breathed. "Daijoubu'ka, Naruto?" Naruto thought, was he okay? He wasn't sure, but didn't want to see Sakura worry about him… if she was.
"Hai…" He said, not knowing if what he said was a lie, or the truth.
.:Naruto:.
The door slowly shut behind Shikamaru as he entered after Ino. He felt uneasy being in a small room, her room. Ino sat down on her bed, her short hair-blonde was like what she had back when she first met Sakura, soft and never got in her way in action. A blue hair-bead was used in style for her looks. The window being open let in a cool breeze that blew her hair in several directions, and the moons rays made the room look like it was covered in light white spechs. The smell was mainly perfume and other varieties of equipments that Ino had.
"What is it now, Ino." Shikamaru asked. His voice was fast and demanding. He didn't want to be in such a place. After a mission, he was tired, and the way he always has been throughout his life, all he wanted to do was lay back in bed and go to sleep.
"You promised me!" Ino spat. "You promised me that you wouldn't do this."
Shikamaru made a face. "Again? Ino! I didn't promise you anything."Alot of times, he just couldn't stand her. Being the leader of his team, it always seemed different when the kunoichi in his group was around. It was always her.
"But still- Shikamaru, you have to stop! Your a-"
"I'm a Jounin now." He said, pausing her in her continual speech. "I know that!"
"Exactly!" Ino stood up with her interruption. "I know you're a Jounin, that's why I want you to stop!"
Shikamaru turned away. He didn't want to see her face now. Why did she have to be so demanding? Why did she even have to bring such a troublesome thing up? Shikamaru never knew why. But when it came to him, all she ever did was try to order him around, along with Chouji. But now that he's a Jounin, things only got worst. He wondered if Ino even knew what the job of a shinobi was, because from their conversations they've had several times already, she seemed to be clueless.
"Shikamaru, now that you're a Jounin, you'll be given A Ranked missions, you'll be ordered to go after S Ranked wanted enemies, and you know how dangerous those are!" She continued, every word she announced meant every more word Shikamaru would have to endure, and he was already tired.
"What makes you think that you can stop me?" Shikamaru said in his defense.
"You promised that you wouldn't go on the last mission."
Shikamaru started getting irritated. 'You promised', 'you promised' was all she ever said, and he was starting to get sick of things. He felt like punching his own teammate, but held back his force.He knew how Ino felt for him, and he knew that Ino just wanted him to be safe, but what he wanted Ino to learn was to trust him. Trust him that he can be a leader, trust him that he will be safe, trust him that he will come back alive. But so far ever since becoming a Jounin, it was nothing but yelling and hell from her.
"Ino!" Shikamaru pushed her back onto her bed forcefully. She fell back hard, but slowly sat back up. "You know I had to! Sakura and Naruto were my friends, and are yours as well. Were you just saying that you didn't want Naruto to be saved?"
Ino shook her head. "No! But Tsunade-sama could have called some other shinobi to do the mission."
"She did, Sakura, and Neji came along as well. Why are you complaining? We all got back safely in a short amount of time with Naruto and a simple healed wound."
Shikamaru started to leave, but Ino held him back."Matte!" She called out, but was pushed back onto her bed again. "Shikamaru!"
"Ino!" Shikamaru yelled. "Shut, the hell up!" he walked up to the door and opened it. "Next time you want to talk, it better not be as lame as this..." He left, but not before slamming the door hard behind him creating several strong sounded vibrations throughout Ino's room.
All Ino did was stare with the dew of tears in her eyes. Her heart felt heavy, and her head wanted to explode and destroy the pain that was inside her. She lay down on her bed and scuffed her pillow on her head, screaming a vicious screech. She slowly and quietly called out Shikamaru's name several time and felt the pillow get moist with the rain that dwealt her eyes.
.:Naruto:.
In the next ten minutes, Sakura and Naruto had forgotten what had just happened back at Tsunade's place. They didn't feel like talking about it after hearing the word "Sasuke." It would seem that the name had been cursed and everyone who hears it would be drugged into silence. Being seperated into there own world as they would.
As the two walked in the dark night fell streets, everything was calm and silent. No one was outside but the two, and nothing but the lamps and lights lit the streets from pure darkness. Fireflies flew around in circled groups. There mating season, probably not. Did they have such a thing? It didn't matter, but it all looked so pretty in front of Sakura and Naruto. Both smiled brightly as if they had never seen anything so beautiful in their lives. Both laughed until their eyes met, then turned around.
"Um- Sakura-chan." Naruto, still walking, started. "Why did you all of a sudden invite me over? It's not like everyday you do such a nice thing to me."
Sakura hesitated before answering. Her breath ran out when she tried talking the first time, but the second time around words managed to get through."I-I wanted to talk to you about something…" She softly said.
"What is it?" Naruto veered over to Sakura, his blue eyes showed curiosity. "...Another mission?"
Sakura laughed. "What the heck Naruto? You know that Konoha is in a war with Orochimaru, and all you can think about are missions?"
"Well hey, missions are simple training. It gets us ready for this… war... so they call it atleast."
"Naruto, this is a war that all of us have to take seriously-"
"Well then let's attack; we know where Orochimaru's hideout is! Let's kill them." Naruto threw up a fist after another. "It's Konoha against Orochimaru, it won't be as hard."
"Naruto, we wouldn't be playing safe, who knows what Orochimaru has, remember, he's a Sannin with… Him." The "Him" part, Naruto knew that Sakura knew it referred to Sasuke. But he never wanted to talk about that name, atleast for as long as he's in Konoha. Only bad memories would be brought back.
"Well, what was is you wanted to say before we started talking about this?" Naruto said, getting back to there regular conversation.Sakura waited for a few minutes before talking.
"Oh! I-" A distance voice interrupted her.
"Hey, Sakura-chan! Get home!" Up a couple stories high, Sakura's mother stood on their porch, waving at them. Her eyes beamed down towards them as if they were the only thing that was viewable. "Naruto-kun!"
Naruto stared up and smiled; he waved back and started running. "Come on Sakura-chan, your moms waiting."
As Sakura saw Naruto frantically running towards her house, she couldn't help but to smile. Why did she smile? That was the question that all of a sudden struck her head like a kunai.Before she knew it, her legs were moving fast and she found herself running towards her house, after Naruto.
When she finally approached her door, Naruto had already been waiting inside for several seconds. He smiled as she entered through her door."About time you made it." Naruto joked. He held the door open for Sakura as she walked in.
"Sit, Naruto, I'll make you some ramen right away." Sakura said, and walked off into her kitchen. In the next room.
"Hai!" Naruto sat down on the floor next to a knee high table. He stretched out his arms and leaned back down onto the floor, stretching his back from his long journey. "This is nice." He said to himself. It was the first time ever he has been inside Sakura's house.
On her walls were pictures of Team 7's first few days being together. Naruto remembered that was the day that his whole life had changed. No one called him names or stayed away from him like they used to anymore. Everyone he knew started to respect him, and everyone that respected him started to become close friends to him. Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Sakura, and he'd hate to say his name, but even Sasuke. Those were the days that Naruto would never forget no matter what happened.
Bored, he got up and walked into a small skinny hallway. He found a half opened door and without asking, he stepped in. Immediately he recognized that it was Sakura's room. Just telling by the scent and flagrance that she always had when he was around her gave it away. He turned to leave because he didn't want to be entering without permission, but his eyes caught something; a picture.
Naruto looked back to see if Sakura was anywhere around, when he saw that she wasn't, he slowly walked in. On her dresser, was a picture that Naruto would remember for the rest of his life; it was the picture that he too had on his dresser next to his head.Sakura stood in the middle with her long pink hair blowing against the sudden wind, smiling at the camera with Kakashi's hand on the head of both Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged looks throughout the picture, but the camera managed to get both staring at eachother; a rivalry stare. Naruto picked it up to get a closer look; another image caught his eyes as a small yellow paper dropped out from the bottom. Setting the picture back down, Naruto grabbed and unwrapped the note. He read it…
Alright! Today was full of surprises for me. The best thing, I actually got to be on Team 7 with Uchiha Sasuke. But every good has to have a bad, that baka Naruto is with us as well. Just when I think something has gone great it's totally ruined. Everyone in the class hates him, why can't he be stuck with some other lame team?Sometimes when I think about it, he should just go to hell. I don't blame anyyone who thinks about this, it's the truth. That's how much everyone in class hates this guy. He's probably one of the most annoying kids in class.
Oh, the worst, he KISSED Sasuke-kun, what the hell! I knew he was perverted, but I didn't think he'd be that bad.
Naruto made a face and stared up at the ceiling, "Someone bumped me." He whispered to himself. After a long moment of silence to himself, he continued reading,
O'well, what's done is done. I can't change it anymore. Who knows, maybe this Naruto will actually act like an actual guy this time. He's competing with the best! Let's just hope he doesn't ruin my future with Sasuke-kun.
Naruto crumpled, and then dropped the paper to the floor. Did she really think about me that way? He asked himself. He thought back to everything he has ever said to her the first few days of Team 7. Every single time, Sakura'd reject him. Though his feelings were brutally hurt back then, somehow, for some reason, his feelings were being killed even worst at the moment. He wasn't sure how he felt about Sakura now. Back then, he had a crush on her, and now, was it just friends? Or something more, he didn't know, nor did he think he ever will know as well.
But when he thought about it, he did ruin there future. He thought of what would life be like if he never existed, what if he was never there. Sasuke and Sakura, would they be together, or would Sasuke still be what he is now; a monster?
"Remember those days?" Quickly, Naruto whirled around and saw Sakura standing at the door.
"Sakura-chan… I was…" He hesitated to even talk. "I was just..." a sweat fell down his cheek as he tried thinking of words.
"I had a lot of fun back then… even if you were pretty lame, Naruto."
Lame? Naruto crossed his arms and turned away for a few seconds, then turned back.
"Your ramen is ready." Sakura said, and left.
Naruto followed her back out to the table, and sat down. Sakura sat down on the opposite side of him. She grabbed a picture from behind her head and stared at it. It was a picture of her and Sasuke during their mission to escort the Snow Princess. She remembered that day, a lot of warriors from the Snow Country died, along with the Snow King. That was one of the saddest missions she had ever been on, and hoped that she wouldn't have to go through another sad mission. Yet, they also had a lot of fun at the end of it all.
Sakura laid a finger on the picture, touching Sasuke's face. Though it was only plastic paper, she imagined what it would feel like touching his face once more. She imagined his skin soft, and smooth like a babies. But for some reason, the Sasuke she touched had the evilness of Orochimaru's cursed seal. Sakura closed her eyes, and tried to imagine the Sasuke she met in the first place, but couldn't. All she could see was darkness, and the cursed seal. She couldn't figure out why, but that was all she ever could see.
Sakura sighed, and placed the picture back where she got it. When she turned towards Naruto, he was gone. She quickly stood up. Where did he go? She looked back in her room, but he wasn't there Naruto?. She ran back out to where Naruto was eating and started a panic when she still couldn't find him. "Naru-" She stopped, as she suddenly saw Naruto out on her porch. She walked out there, and saw him leaning against the ledge. He was quiet, as if thinking about something.
Naruto stared at the full moon as if he had never seen it before. Tonight, the moon looked extraordinary huge and looked blasted light like the sun every single day. Naruto smiled as a cool breeze splashed against his face, and the scent of a close Sakura blossom came nearer.
"I remember the last time the moon was this big." Naruto started. "It was the night the old man Hokage died." Naruto gave a little giggle.
"Naruto." Sakura leaned against the ledge a few feet away from him.
"Nani?" Naruto stared at the green eyes that glowed brightly in the moonlight. He knew that he had a huge crush on Sakura, but for some reason, his feelings started to change in some odd way. Again, he wasn't sure how he felt for Sakura anymore, buy didn't the thoughts distracting him at the moments.
"Um… uh…-" She stared down at the grassy ground beneath the porch. She saw it flare like flames across wind.
"Gomennasai." Naruto quickly said.
Sakura turned in confusion. "Nani?"
"Remember all the things I said to you?"
"Hmm... what things?"
"In one whole day, I promised you two things; I promised you that Sasuke would never betray us, and then I promise you that I'd bring him back to Konoha…" Naruto slammed his fist hard on the ledge. His voice cracked every time he started talking again. "But I had to lie… that asshole, Sasuke, made me lie to you... Kiba was right, I shouldn't promise anything that I can't keep."
"Naruto-"
"You don't deserve any of this. Sakura-chan… Like I said, you're in a pain that I know well." Naruto gave a long hard stare at the bright moon. "It's probably the worst pain a human could ever feel."
"I…" You don't desere any of this. She remembered the day after, and what she said to herself about Naruto. The words were exact, and it was when she felt Naruto for the first time, she remebered saying, He always knew about me. And she would say the exact same thing again.
"I'm keeping this promise though… I will bring Sasuke back no matter what." Naruto smiled and gave a thumb up. His teeth shined like Gai-sensei's would every time he smiled. "Even if my dream of Hokage has to be shattered."
Sakura wanted to smile at what Naruto sad, but didn't. She thought that he'd end up accidentally lying like he did the last two times. But she still didn't want to give up. It all just shows how much Naruto wanted to make everything right again. Everything meant life and Sasuke now. Naruto said that he'd bring Sasuke back, even at the cost of his own life. That's what a Hokage is.
The two stood silent for the next few minutes, feeling the breeze of the cool night wind that the moon gave out. Crickets chirped amongst themselves, and the owls, though they were far away, were heard as if they were right next to them.
Sakura saw the orange movement of Naruto as he walked back inside. He passed the table and stopped at the door.
Without turning back around, Naruto said, "Sakura-chan, I know I didn't make those two promises fulfilling, but I need you to believe me on this… if you want this one to succeed." With those words, he opened the door, and stepped out. "Arigatou." and left with the door slamming shut behind him.
Sakura stood alone in one single room. He promised… again. She wondered if this time he'd keep his promise. But like he said, if she wanted him to keep his promise, she'd have to believe in him.
"I do." She said.Sakura turned back towards the table and smiled at Naruto's bowl of ramen. To Sakura's surprise, every single piece of noodle string was still in there. The beef and shrimp that she had added were not touched, and the chopsticks were still together; unbroken apart. He didn't even take a bite.
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