Itachi sat at his desk looking at photographs taken of a resent procession led by Bishop Namikaze.
"I'd never thought the day would come when I'd miss Sarutobi." He said to no one in particular.
Looking over the photos, he'd seen how this Namikaze, the 'New Light' of Konoha, had avoided breaking the law. The pictures showed the Bishop leading the procession, followed by a highly decorated icon bourn on four men. Flower girls and altar boys surrounded the icon adoring it with flowers and people had line the streets. The problem was the icon was only a large picture frame. Because there was no actual religious image in the frame, the Kumo legal system could do nothing. It was just a religious procession, which was allowed, but the effect was much more dramatic. Hope had returned to Konoha, something that he was likely to get scolded for again.
"Comrade Itachi."
Itachi looked up to see Kisame with two Akasuki personnel behind him.
"Kumo has ordered my return." He said.
"That's a shame." Itachi replied, not looking up. "Oh, well, then." He stood up and brought his hand out to Kisame, as if to shake it. "Good luck to you."
Kisame only smirked, then walked away.
"Kisame." Itachi said in his usual tone, "As we say in the Land of Fire: If you play with a fox, you must not mind his scratch."
Kisame looked at him again, then left.
Naruto spent a lot of his time abroad. His activism in the face of Kumo had gained him much credit in the Vatican, and the Pope had even named him as Archbishop of Konoha. His many years of using such energy had given him grey hair where his blond head once was, which got lighter in color every year now. He was now currently conversing at the Vatican with other Bishops from his area in a meeting called a Synod.
"I think the Church's mission is to rediscover and make others rediscover the unique dignity of every human person…"
As he went on and on, even Cardinals stopped from their walks to huddle around him and listen. One of the Cardinals knew of an old teacher who once taught Naruto long ago.
"Professor Iruka." the Cardinal said.
"Cardinal Kornig." The old professor shook the Cardinal's hand.
"Your protégé can certainly hold his own in this company." The Cardinal said, pointing at Archbishop Naruto, who was again lecturing Cardinals and Bishops.
"He's hardly my protégé," the Professor mused, "Though I am honored to call him my friend." Iruka looked on to Naruto, fascinated by what he had become as he listened to his words.
"…and it must be made clear to everyone that the recognition of God is in no way hostile to man's…"
"He has a remarkable tallent to reach people." Kornig turned to the old professor, "The most complex issues, he can reduce and express in the most simple of ways."
"Yes, well, I am told he is now fluent in seven or eight languages, now," Iruka said, turning to the Cardinal.
"Potentially, a very broad reach." Mused the Cardinal
"Yes." Iruka replied, looking back at Naruto.
"…of this divine support, their dignity is deeply impaired."
To the priest from a small village, Rome was a miracle. Before he saw Rome, he could never imagine a place like this. Everything was so different, especially culture. Naruto had never gotten used to the idea of being here, it was always so foreign and different.
Atlast a day away from meetings and philosophical debates had come. This day was a day for reading, something he had become quite fond of doing. He went outside into the Vatican gardens and found a perfect place for some quiet reading. He sat there, and began to read
"Look, there he is." He heard a man say. No doubt he was looking for a particular saint's statues, which littered the shrubberies and hedges.
"Dobe."
Naruto knew that word. He hadn't been called that in decades. The only person who called him that was…
He looked up and saw two people, a man and a woman, both about his age. The woman had green eyes and pink hair with some grey mixed in due to her age. But next to her was a man with black hair with an unmistakable chicken-shape style. It was him, it was…
"Sasuke." Naruto got up.
The two friends embraced in a hug with a laugh. When they released each other, Naruto kept his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
"Thank God you survived." He said.
Sasuke looked down at the ground and back up with a solemn face, "A piece of me did not." He smiled again and looked at the pinkette beside him, "Oh, Naruto, this is my wife, Sakura." He turned towards his wife, "Sakura, Naruto Namikaze."
"A great pleasure, Sakura." He said taking her hand, "I am so happy for you both." He put one arm on each of them. "So happy."
"Me, too." Sasuke said.
"Thank you, Excellency." said Sakura.
The three shared a moment of comfortable silence until Naruto broke, "And look where you live!" He motioned to the buildings of Rome beyond the Tiber River.
"And you, already a Bishop, at the Vatican." Sasuke said.
"Not bad for a Dobe." Naruto said.
"No." Sasuke replied.
The two men shared another hug. "Praise God's mercy." said the Archbishop.
Naruto was with some old friends in a familiar setting. The Synods came and went and eventually Naruto found himself back in Konoha. He had reached the age of 57 years old, but was not any less active than he was at twenty.
He was back hiking with his former students, Neji, TenTen, and some others. Kiba, who had decided to become a Physician, was too busy at work to hike and catch up anymore.
"Shall we stop here, Uncle?" Neji asked, heading the group.
"Okay…we stop." Naruto said bringing up the rear.
"We can't keep calling him 'Uncle' now that he's a Cardinal." Tenten said.
"Why not?" One other asked.
"It's disrespectful, that's why." Tenten answered.
Even if he was still as active as he had ever been, he could not avoid the difficulties that came with age. In addition to his hair losing all of it's color, leaving a white spiky head, he now also needed a walking stick when he went hiking.
As the group sat down for their break, Tenten approached Naruto.
"Uncle." How ironic that she couldn't break her force of habit.
Naruto looked up from his sitting position.
"Kiba told me he was meeting a new patient. Turns out to be an old friend of yours, from the resistance. Do you remember a Temari Sabaku?"
Naruto's eyes widened. "She's alive?"
Tenten nodded. "Alive…but very sick. The Sunans did medical experiments. I think something with her bone marrow."
"And…and now?" Naruto asked.
"They diagnosed cancer." Tenten said. "Kiba said she has only a few months."
For the remainder of their excursion, Naruto could not get his mind off of Temari, an old friend she had thought long dead. He would make it a point to see her as soon as he got back.
It was quite rare, if ever done, for a bishop to make a house call, much less a Cardinal, yet there he was, His Eminence Cardinal Namikaze walking up to a common apartment. He didn't think of it that way, he thought of himself as just a simple country priest, but onlookers were shocked by this rare chance to see the Cardinal.
As he found the right apartment, thousands of thoughts entered his mind at once, asking himself what to say, how to act, and how will she react. Will she be angry because he didn't help her? Will she speak to him?
He raised his hand and knocked twice.
"Enter." said a weak voice.
He opened the door and peered in. Inside was a small kitchen and sitting room. Adjacent to it was an open door that led to the bedroom. Inside the bed, there she was, an aged, grey haired Temari, weakly staring at him.
He approached her bedside and sat down on the side of the bed, looking at her. Her face pale, her body thin, sweat visible on her forehead.
"Naruto…Namikaze…" she said weakly.
"Temari." Naruto answered, solemnly smiling, though inside he was moved with great pity at his half-dead friend. He took her thin hand in his and felt how cold it was. "That night, I wanted…so badly…to do something." he said.
"I…would not…forgive you…if you had." Temari said
"Still, you are the one who inspires with her courage." Naruto said to her.
"You…are the one…who still fights…for his people." She said to him. "I'm so proud of you…Fr. Naruto."
That night, Naruto arrived at his home, still moved by the sight of Temari. She was dying, and Naruto could do nothing about it. He doubted he could even see Temari again in the state she was in. He didn't want his friends in pain, he didn't want them to suffer.
He went immediately to his chapel and knelt down. He could not do anything about Temari's health, but perhaps if a holy man would intercede for her from heaven.
"Most Blessed Alexius Nakamura, I beseech God through you, please heal my friend, give her the strength to live once more. Heal her from her affliction and bless her…" He could tell how long he prayed, but he didn't care. Those in heaven always listened, all it takes is time.
It was a few days later that Kiba called from the hospital. "Naruto, you must come to the hospital! It's Temari, she's-just come down here!"
"It's extraordinary, Naruto. No doctor has ever seen anything like it!" Kiba said triumphantly. "All her tests are normal."
"Yes, yes, good." Naruto said, as though he already knew. He had left his residence the moment he received the phone call. With him was his personal assistant Fr. Konohamaru, who always went with him when he went to public places.
"She's in here." Kiba led, "You can see here, she actually asked that you come."
Kiba lead them into a room, inside was Temari, stronger and with more color in her face. Naruto made his way over to her bedside while the other two stayed by the door.
"There she it." Naruto said softly, sitting on the bed and resting his hand on her arm.
"Naruto." she said.
Fr. Konohamaru pulled Dr. Kiba in the other direction so the Cardinal and the patient could talk.
"The Lord bestows an amazing grace." Naruto said, whispering to her, "Especially when Alexius Nakamura makes the request."
Temari looked up at him, "I will never doubt God again."
"It's a miracle." Kiba said to the priest next to him, barely able to contain himself.
Konohamaru only smirked, "Perhaps."
Yes, I know that the chapter progression is fast and kind of shallow, this is personally my least favorate chapter, but I am working on that.
I have more to work with in coming chapters, so I hope to get better.
