ALL CHARACTERS, NAMES AND SUCH FROM THE NARUTO FRANCHISE ARE ALL PROPERTY OF MASASHI KISHIMOTO, VIZ MEDIA, TOKYO POP AND SHONEN JUMP! THIS FANFIC IS FOR NON-PROFIT ENTERTAINMENT ONLY. I OWN NOTHING.
WARNING, THE ITASASU SHIP WILL BE SAILING AT TOP SPEED IN THIS STORY! UCHIHACEST (ITACHI AND SASUKE GETTING IT ON) AND YAOI (BOY X BOY) WILL BE PRESENT IN THIS STORY. IF EITHER OF THESE THINGS OFFEND YOU, PLEASE DO CLICK ON THE 'X' IN THE RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
:-:SPOILERS:-:
HAPPY READING
Chapter I: A Little Slip of Paper
"I... lost..." I choked out of my throat, in spite of the fact that my death is enviable, like my dear older brother, I'll try to die with a smile on my face. Perhaps, this guy, this friend, truly will keep his word. Can peace truly be achieved? Is living and dying nothing more than a despised tyrant what this world needs? I'm not sure anymore, however, it's after a few more minutes, this world will no longer be of my concern.
"You stupid asshole!" the blonde roared right into my ear canal. "This isn't a fight you can win or lose, this is between friends!" I blinked for a moment, taking in his words, peeling off the dead skin on the inside of my lip with my teeth. "I said I was going to smack some sense back into you until you woke up!" He paused as he inhaled, speaking, breathing, let alone, yelling must be very painful for those broken ribs of his. "The fight I wanna have comes after that…" He said weakly, almost as if it pained him. Well, friend, I don't believe we will ever have that fight you always wanted.
"Hey… Naruto." I collectedly beckoned.
"Yeah?" He turned his face toward my own. Damn, the kid's eye is swollen shut, and he's still proclaiming our "friendship". I wouldn't normally be giving in to someone's dying wishes whom tore my body apart. However, thankfully, Naruto has a far more forgiving soul than I ever will.
"I've come to accept you." I sighed, admitting defeat. "If I die here, then that 'Eternal Destiny' that the Sage of the Six Paths spoke of ends as well… doesn't it?" I close my eyes, ready to give my final request, "This can also be a kind of revolution; You can dispel the Infinite Tsukuyomi after I die, simply have Sakura transplant my left eye into Kakashi… he should be able to do it." I open my eyes slowly, not making eye-contact with the boy next to me. "I wanted to deal with you by myself."
"You can't deal with anything if you're dead! Why not just live and help me out?! My dream is for all shinobi to work together… that dream includes you, too." His frustration was building up, I finally turned my head to face him, his face filled with fury. As I turned my head, a gust of almost refreshing wind blew across my face, and I felt something light poking my in the back of the neck, what is that? I turned my head completely, and the wind took away the intrusion, only for me to snap my head in the other direction, watching a little slip of folded paper fly away. We used no paper bombs, besides, even if it was residue from the paper bomb it would be at least damaged or burnt… where did it come from? Is it Naruto's? "Hey, you bastard, pay attention!" The sound of the blonde's voice broke my trance, and I turned my head back to face him once again. I gave him a stern look as I questioned him,
"Well, even if that notion sits well with you, what about everyone else?"
"Stop nit-picking, will you?! I swear, I'm gonna beat you up again!"
"I might come for your ass again, you know."
"Then, I'll stop you again! Besides, I don't think you'd do that, anyways." You're overestimating my forgiveness, again, Naruto. The wind changed direction, and suddenly that same piece of paper was within sight again. How did it get in my back collar in the-. My eyes widen.
No.
"No matter what happens, I will always love you…" His hand slipped down the back of my head, ending at the base of my neck.
Did Itachi…? I turned my head again, this hurt is unlike anything else. Strength is nothing when you know you're going to die. I wish… I at least got the chance to read it…
"You still don't get it, do you?" Oh, I was spacing while he was talking. "Who knew you'd be that stupid?" I didn't even bother looking at him, I wept. The weeping almost hurt just as horrendously as the stub that used to be my arm. This is not what Nii-san wanted.
"Shut it, usuratonkachi." And there we lay motionless and silent. Nii-san… if I make it, I will live out of the shadows for you… for Naruto. I will be safe, I won't destroy what you died for.
"There!" A feminine voice yelled from the distance. Naruto gasped, our eyes glued on the pink-haired kunoichi. It wasn't long until she healed not only Naruto, but me as well. I looked at her sunk-in, heartbroken features and with all the sincerity in my heart, said,
"I'm sorry… for everything I've done." Before I knew it, I was finally sitting up.
"You'd better, geez…" She cracked out between tears. "You're so much trouble, stupid…" Sakura, you will find a man that truly loves you as a lover would. I'm sorry that I can't at least give you that. I gazed at my former sensei, as he was grinning ear-to-ear.
"They've finally returned." Before we took our leave to dispel the Eternal Tsukuyomi, the wind blew, signaling my memory. I scanned the ground frantically, and found the small paper slip close by, almost as if it was fate for me to read it. I pocketed it as quickly as I found it and we took off at a much slower pace than what I am used to. Naruto, I finally get what you're saying, now… we lived in a world full of hate, starved of love and alone.
I chose hate, you chose love, and that is why you won. I squeezed the slip in my pocket, between my fingers. I was loved by many, yet hated most others.
I'm not sure where I can start redeeming myself, but from this day forward, I will choose love.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM WELCOME IN RESPONSES OR PM'S
Seriously, the more reviews I get, the more motivated I get to write. So please, review, good or bad.
(A/N: My apologies that a ton of things you already knew in the canon took place in this chapter, but I felt this to be an appropriate place to switch things around just a little. Don't worry, even bigger switcha-roos will be present later. Just be patient! Trust me, writing down dialogue I've already read from Kishimoto-sensei was a little boring, and won't last long.)
Thanks for reading!
