NN-chan: Well this sucks….

Naruto: What's up with you?

NN-chan: My mom says I have to start at least one club activity!

Naruto: Why is that bad?

NN-chan: They all suck, Hockey, Soccer, Basketball, Cheerleading (males do it to), Ballet ect. They all suck!

Naruto: Come on they can't be that bad…

NN-chan: I wish, anyway I'm not the only one having a bad time; my brother is having a hassle at Uni so that kind of makes me feel better!

Naruto: Your cruel you enjoying your brother's own pain

NN-chan: What! He does the same, it's how our brother to brother friendship works.

Naruto: You are one emo teenager

NN-chan: Look who is talking 'Fox boy!'

Naruto: Meanie!

NN-chan: Whatever it's time for the disclaimer take away Sai

Sai: Sure thing, Dickless's friend here doesn't own Naruto but he does own his Oc Ratio.

NN-chan: It's story time!

The next morning, Naruto awoke to meet that ever familiar ceiling. Letting out a quick groan, the blond propped himself up on his elbows, glancing about. Taking a moment to familiarize himself with his surroundings, he noted the table, the chairs, and the kitchen area. Not much else was noticeable about the room. Yawning, the boy threw the covers off himself, rubbing a hand through his hair as his other hand rubbed at his eye, attempting to remove the salt from the night that had accumulated on his eyelid.

Suddenly, Ratio came barging in. His snow-white hair flared about as he strode over to the youth, eying him for a moment before smiling. "Naruto! Get up, take a shower, get dressed, and meet me in the yard in twenty five minutes. Do it!" He stammered at a lightning pace, so fast that Naruto had barely a chance to keep up with him. Then, he was gone, back out the door in a moment.

Cursing slightly under his breath, Naruto stood, yawning again before heading to the small shower and bathroom that lay directly in front of him. It took a moment to adjust the water temperature, where it wasn't scorching his skin, nor making him leap out of the stall in a cold chill.

After his relatively short shower, he walked out, glancing at where his clothes had been. They weren't there, leaving a very naked Naruto...very worried.

"Oy! Where the hell are my clothes!?" Naruto yelled, attempting to cover himself with the small towel that had been left for him.

"I took the liberty of burning your old clothes...except for your jacket. I thought that you may need that later. As for your new attire, check the closet!" A voice answered from the window. Sighing again, Naruto made his way to the closet on his left, opening it and eying what was supposed to be his new clothes.

A few minutes later, Uzumaki Naruto stood in the sun, taking in the new day. His new baggy black pants and black shirt reflected the sunlight, his black leather gloves crisply responding to his hands clenching at his sides. "Ah! A perfect morning!"

He had just enough time to take it all in before his instincts kicked on. Ducking fluidly, his right hand shot up, catching the rock that had flown through the air, on a direct course with his head. Grimacing, the boy clenched harder, crushing the rock into dust. "What the hell!?"

Ratio stood, grimly eying him as another rock bounced in his hand. Naruto eyed him carefully before getting back into a standing position. What the hell has got into him? Yesterday, he was nothing but kind and caring. Today...he's grimmer than ever, thought Naruto.

"Ok, Naruto. Today, I'm gonna introduce you to a very strict training schedule. You'll follow this schedule exactly, point by point, letter by letter, until I deem you fit. Do you understand?" Ratio said, all caring attitude exempt from his rock-hard voice.

Naruto huffed, smiling slightly as his hand came up to his brow in a mock salute. "Sir, yes sir!"

Another rock zipped by his head, and he barely dodged in time. Ratio hadn't thought his antics...up to snuff. "Naruto. You asked me to train, so you will take it seriously. Taking on a man of Pain's stature is no game. You'll die if you try to act like this is nothing more than a play date. Do you understand me?"

For the first time in a long time, Naruto felt fear. He knew exactly now what Jiraiya had been training him for, though, Jiraiya's training was never this down-to-earth or harsh. "H-h-hai!"

Ratio smiled, allowing the next rock to fall from his hand. "Good. Now, here is your daily routine and schedule. Read it first and tell me what you think." A scroll left his other hand, and Naruto caught it deftly in the air.

Opening it, he began to take in the scroll's contents, his eyes widening all the while.

Uzumaki Naruto's Training Schedule

Morning: Fifty stretches, followed by five-hundred push-ups with one hand.

Mid-Morning: One-Hundred and Sixty laps around the entire forest.

First Break: Lasts fifteen minutes.

Noon: Gravity level added. Tree climbing for two hours, followed by Rasengan training for two hours. This includes continuously hitting a post with Rasengan...for entirety of exercise.

Second Break: Thirty minutes for a meal and rest.

Night: Meditating until sleep period.

Naruto glared at the paper, and then brought his attention up. "This is insane! No one can do this!" he yelled, aiming his voice directly at the white-haired man.

"Count yourself lucky, yeah? My original schedule was ten times that. Besides, unless you can do this easily each day, you'll never even touch Pain. In fact, unless you can do the first part of the training, you may never even see him before he kills you," Ratio mused. Seeing that Naruto wasn't about to give him more lip, he continued. "Now, are you aware of what a gravity seal is, Naruto?"

Naruto sighed. "Ano...I remember Jiraiya-sensei telling me something about it. Something about...activating a gravity seal...and it doubles the pull of gravity upon a particular object or person...or something," Naruto said, half-knowingly, half hoping that he was correct.

Ratio nodded. "Hai, you're correct, Naruto-kun. There are many levels of gravitational seals, going up to about twenty times normal gravity...a feat that I haven't seen accomplished." Reaching behind him, he pulled a jar of ink from his pocket, a quill already in his right hand.

"Ano...what are you doing?" Naruto asked, taking a back-step.

"Come here, Naruto-kun. I want to add the seal to you. It will be required for your training," Ratio said, beckoning the boy closer.

Half-heartedly, Naruto walked forward, sitting down in front of the other man and crossing his legs. "Good, Naruto-kun. Now, bend your head forwards, please," Ratio said. Naruto nodded, craning his head forward and allowing the man access to the back of his neck.

Smiling, Ratio began to work. Working quickly, he wove an intricate pattern upon the boy's skin, crossing and re-crossing his own work until he was satisfied with it. Stepping back, he admired his work under the dying rays of the sun setting below the Western hills. "Good...good. I'm damn good at this, you know?"

"Hai...hai. Whatever. You done?" Naruto asked. Ratio chuckled. The boy is as impatient as always.

"Hai hai. Stand up, Naruto-kun. I'm going to activate the seal now. It...may get a bit rough for you, so...just bear with it, alright?"

"Ha! I can take anything you can dish out, old man!" Naruto replied back, standing and patting down his clothes. The dust rose in the late afternoon sun as Ratio's eyebrow dipped.

Old...old man! I'll show him old man! Outwardly, Ratio simply smiled on. "For the first few days, you'll focus on just standing up. Alright, Naruto-kun?"

"Ay ay! Just do it already!"

"Alright. As you wish."

Slowly, Ratio began to make hand-seals. Then, faster and faster they came, until with a loud shout, he thrust his hands to Naruto's chest. "Sealing Arts: Gravity Well Technique!"

A ray of light penetrated the coming darkness, and Naruto glanced down at his stomach as beads of light began to pool outward, working themselves up his chest, across his broad shoulders, and up to his neckline, where the seal began to glow faintly. Stepping back, Ratio looked on as Naruto's body gave off a faint, greenish hue. The boy watched everything, taking in the effects of the jutsu. Then, he saw nothing but dirt.

A beam of light shot up into the sky, eventually subsiding as a dazzled and dazed Naruto found himself lying face-down in a small crater. Blinking and taking each breath as it came, Naruto grit his teeth. "W-w-what the hell!?"

Ratio gave a sadistic smile, which Naruto couldn't see at the moment. "I told you. It takes some getting used too." With that, the man turned, walking back towards the house.

"Hey! You...you just can't...can't leave me here!" Naruto screamed, attempting to rise but failing miserably.

"Sure I can! You have two feet. Move yourself! I'll have to reconstruct a bed for you, you know. I want you to eat, sleep, train, walk, talk, and breath at this gravity level." Putting his chin in a hand, Ratio stroked it thoughtfully. "Maybe in a week or so, we'll go a little higher."

Naruto cringed, still attempting to move. "Damn it! Noooo!" Yelling at the top of his voice, it didn't help things, but it made him feel better.

Ratio gave a soft giggle. His hand reached for the doorknob as he turned around, waving at the crater in the ground. "Have a good night, Naruto! See you tomorrow morning!"

"Get back here, old man! This isn't...isn't fair!"

Closing the door to Naruto's screams, Ratio sighed. "Sometimes...life isn't fair, Naruto-kun. You should have learned that by now..."

Just outside of Konoha, the remnants of the Rookie nine stood gathered at a shallow grave. Joining them was Neji, Tenten, Lee, Gai, Kakashi, Tsunade, Shizune, Asuma, and Kurenai. It was a plain looking grave, just a tombstone and a pit. On the grave was engraved a short epitaph...something to remember the blond boy by:

Here Lies Uzumaki Naruto

Hero of Konoha

The Kyuubi's Vessel

A True Friend

The individuals stood there, each with a gravity of silence...none of them with anything to say. None of them had it in their hearts to speak.

Tsunade was the only one crying, losing yet another loved one to the curse of the necklace. First Nawaki...than Dan...now Naruto. Why...why...was the repetitive thought running through Tsunade's head.

Sasuke, his face a blind mask of cold indifference, felt worse than he'd ever had before. If...if I hadn't been so ignorant. Naruto...Naruto wouldn't have left. He wouldn't have died. I...I ruined everything. I'm...I'm truly sorry...my brother...

Sakura turned her eyes to the darkening sky, the clouds already beginning to gather. I never had a chance to tell him the truth. He probably died, thinking that I hate him. I...I didn't. I...I loved him. Why did you leave us, Naruto...

As if the skies could feel the deluge of their souls, it began its own deluge. A thick, cold rain began to fall, darkening further the loss of their dear friend.

Soon, the friends began to depart, leaving one by one...until the only remaining two who stood there were Sasuke...and Sakura.

Sasuke gulped, glancing sideways at the pinkette before voicing his opinion. "Sakura-chan...we should leave. We can come back tomorrow. If we stay out here, we may catch a cold."

Sakura smiled to herself, not even giving the Uchiha a glance. "You go, Sasuke-kun. I'm...I'm gonna stay a bit longer." Her voice was reassuring, even if her conscience was frail and shaking.

Sasuke hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was going to be alright. "Will you be ok, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura merely nodded. Sasuke waited for a moment more before turning and heading back to Konohagakure, leaving the girl there to stand alone by the gravesite. It wasn't long after that Sakura couldn't hold in her tears anymore. She had wanted to let loose during the entire funeral, through the entire service. She missed him now. Oh Gods how she missed him. She would have done anything just to have seen that reassuring smile once more. She would have traveled to the ends of the planet to have seen a wisp of his blond hair.

She would go to Hell itself if she thought she could find him one last time. To tell him how she really felt.

She stood there, crying until the early hours of the night. Slowly, painfully, she turned, her tears mingling with the rain as she headed home to cry some more.

As if understanding her sorrow and anguish, a bolt of lightning cracked overhead...and the heavens themselves opened up, pouring down tears of pain for her lost love. For a good friend.

For Uzumaki Naruto...

"You go I'm gonna stay a bit longer" Sakura said reassuringly

At first Sasuke was hesitant but then he decided it was ok "are you gonna be ok?" he asked before leaving.

Sakura nodded. When Sasuke had left Sakura broke down crying her eyes out like she had wanted to during the whole funeral, she miss him oh how she missed him, she would do anything just to get to him to stand next to her for one last time, or at least find his body. Sakura stood there crying till the early hours of night, before she went home to cry some more.

Ahh so sad! Thank you Uzuki-kun! For you amazing editing work on my crappy stories XD You brilliant, love ya! Don't forget to R&R!

Haha Got you! It doesn't end there, Our great editor Uzuki wanted to add something to the chapter so I thought I should let him!

Naruto lay in his crater, feeling the water pool about him. He had to find a way out of there, or he would probably drowned. "Hn. The great Uzumaki Naruto...dead in a ditch. How poetic," he said to himself. The situation was so ironic...that he laughed to himself. He laughed, long and hard, even as the rain beat down upon him and the lightning crackled in the sky. He laughed!

It was good that it was raining, he thought.

At least that way, no one could see his tears...