Voice of the Wanderer Chapter 10, a naruto fanfic

Voice of the Wanderer

Naruto Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I don't own a single shred of Naruto.

Chapter 10: Worth Dying For

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Select f(x) = sin(x) and decrease h. For what value(s) of h do you think the graph of [ f(x+h) - f(x) ] / h is close enough to the graph of the first derivative of f which is f ' (x) = cos (x)?

...

What the fuck...?

What kind of math is this? I never had to learn this in the shinobi era. I knew I should have listened to Asuma-sensei's lectures more. Oh well, not all of this is a complete blur to me but still... what are grown ups teaching kids these days? What do they call this stupid course? Calculus? This is nonsense! This stuff looks like those problems from my first chunin exam. I read through them but couldn't even begin to understand what any of it meant. I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. The Kyuubi gave me access to his knowledge before he passed on so maybe he might know something about this. Finally, the answer came to me. I raised an eyebrow and grabbed my pencil.

The class was silent all throughout the test. I wonder if Ino or Neji are having problems with this? Probably not. I mean, they listen to this kind of thing more than I do. In fact, they don't have much of a reason except to do so. They don't have access to the Kyuubi's near infinite wisdom, like I do. I looked to Asuma-sensei, who was grading some papers. Suddenly, he stopped and looked straight at me, narrowing his eyes. I gave a smile and slightly waved my hand to him. He shook his head and muttered something that was impossible for me to hear. I returned to my work. I should at least finish this so I can get to recess. The only thing I'm really counting on is spending more time with Ino. At that moment, I felt a poke on my back.

Before I was able to react to it, I felt another poke. I placed my hand on the poked spot and felt a small piece of paper, taped to my jacket. I snatched it quickly and read over it. It was from Ino, asking what I got for number 14. I scanned through my test paper and scribbled the answer on the paper. I passed it back to her. A few seconds later, I felt that poke again. I felt my eyes twitching as I grabbed the note again. When I saw it, I had to stop myself from laughing out loud. In big, capital letters, it said "WTF??" I had that same reaction too, when I wrote my answer down. I then resumed the rest of my test in silence, taking a nap when I finished.

//////////

"Gaaaahh! That test was impossible!" shouted Neji, ruffling through his head. I chose not to laugh at my friend's misery. I would never have finished that test if not for the Kyuubi's wisdom. I guess I won't tell them that I cheated a bit. Ino latched onto my arm as I walked to my locker.

"You know, you should put your stuff away. Recess is coming and after that, we have Hatake-sensei," I said. Ino pressed her lips together and nodded. She walked over to her locker, making me wonder a few things. I shook my head against it and placed some of my books away. Before I knew it, she had returned... but this time... with all of her books on her arms. I looked at the stack of books, raising an eyebrow. "Uhh... what?"

"I was wondering, Naruto-kun. I have a friend who's locker is broken, her combination won't allow her to open her locker anymore. Luckily, she never really placed any of her belongings in her locker. I want to help her out so... I decided to give her my locker," she said.

"Okay... and?" I asked, trying to catch onto her game.

"I don't have a locker anymore."

"Well, that's because you gave it away."

"Right... but... come on Naruto-kun, it's not hard to figure out."

"I'm not following."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I wish I was."

"Naruto-kun... these are really heavy!" she said, giving her books to me. I nearly fell over because of the weight, but mostly because I wasn't prepared to actually take them from her. I decided to think about what she said. She allowed her friend to have her locker, because she's a good person and wants to help her friend out. She's talking to me with her books on her arms, as well as some other accessories and pictures. Hold on a second.. I have a locker.. she's my girlfriend.. oooohhh.. I looked to Ino when the revelation hit me like a crane ball. She was smiling brightly at me. I sighed to myself and placed her books inside my locker.

"You could have just told me, you know. I would be happy to share my locker with you," I said, aligning her books in a straight line. I placed a divider between her belongings and mine, so it would give us both easier access. My belongings were located on the upper half, while hers were on the bottom half.

"Oh and, you might want this," I said, scribbling my locker combination on a piece of paper. Ino took it, looked over it, and placed the paper inside her pocket. When I placed putting all of our belongings inside my locker, I closed the thing and headed outside with Ino. There goes five minutes out of my half hour with her for recess. The rest of our friends were already outside, dealing with their own separate business. Ino and I sat down together.

"Ino-chan, what are you wearing for the homecoming dance? Should we match? I don't know how these things go. This is technically my first year of high school, you know," I said. Ino gave it an honest moment to think about her answer.

"Just wear something formal, I guess. The student council debated about it and they just said to wear something that you would wear to a corporate meeting with CEOs to a huge company," she replied. I placed an arm around her shoulder and leaned on her.

"I get it. I know what I'm gonna wear. But what are you putting on?"

"Clothes. You don't want me going around naked, would you?"

"Actually, I probably wouldn't mind."

"You're such a hentai, you know that?"

"I am not."

"You are too."

"But you still love me."

"You're really taking advantage of that, aren't you?" she asked. I chuckled softly.

I miss this about her. She's so full of life, and I've been missing it for a whole week. I rested my body on her lap, looking up to her face. I looked around us, smiling at how happy my friends are. I guess we really are at our happiest when we're around the ones that we love. I looked to Neji, who was finally accepting those little pushes from Tenten. Normally, he would just say that he's not in the mood, but I guess after losing her for just a week, he came to realize that time waits for no man. Shikamaru had the same path set before him. He didn't really like spending too much time with Temari, thinking that she's troublesome, but hey, guys change of their girls when they're in love. I turned back to Ino, who was reading a book.

"Ano.. Ino-chan.." Ino placed her book to the side.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to go out somewhere tonight?"

"As in tonight on a school night? I think you're insane, Naruto-kun."

"I'm being serious," I said, sitting up to face her. She continued reading her book, but I know she's listening. "It's been a while since our first date and I don't really want that to be our only date. With all the stuff that's been happening lately, don't you think we deserve a little break? You know, as a couple?"

"Maybe. But I'm busy with a lot of things this week. I'm not sure I really have much free time until next week, unless you really can't wait until then," she said. Man, this is going to be harder than I thought. I want us to spend some quality time again, just like we've been doing before.

"What if I say I really can't wait until then?" I asked. Geez, why is it so hard to ask my girlfriend for a date? Do I have to beg for a date? She can't possibly be so busy to turn down a date when it's been such a long time since we've spent any quality time together. Well maybe it hasn't been that long, but to me, it has. Last week felt like a lifetime for me, mainly because I didn't think I'd ever get to be with her again. I'm such a fool for love, I know that now. Or maybe I'm a fool for her... or maybe both?

"You're gonna have to, if you want that date. The student council just dropped a load of work for me to do, last weekend. I'll be lucky if I can finish it all by the end of next week, in time for the homecoming dance," she said, still focused on the book that she was reading. I playfully pushed her with my shoulder.

"Ne, come on. You can ignore the student council for just one night, right?"

"Nope, I seriously doubt that. I've already been ignoring most of my duties ever since I started..." she stopped. What? What was she gonna say? I hate it when she leaves me with these cliffhangers. It's like reading a really good story and the author just suddenly leaves the leader abruptly, in the middle of the good part. "I just can't, okay? Just please go with it and wait until the end of next week."

"Aww.. but that's way too long."

"Naruto-kun..." she closed her book.

"Yes?"

"No."

"But.."

"No."

"That's not fair."

"Yes--"

"Really? Great. I'll pick you up at--"

"I meant, yes it's fair. I really can't, Naruto-kun," she said as she stood up and left. I groaned to myself and slouched on the bench. Can it really hurt her to go out on one night? It's not like the student council will kill her if she misses a little thing. And besides, she was so happy to see me this morning. Now, it's all gone like it never happened. Then again, can it really be the student council that dumped her with so much work? Although these are times of peace, I'm still a trained shinobi. I know when things aren't as they seem, a lesson taught to me by none other than Kakashi-sensei. What was it that he always used to say? A ninja must see through deception. Well, there's a whole lot of deception that's going on here.

I was about to go after her, when I remembered something really important that I have to do. I slapped my forehead hard, I can't believe I actually forgot about it. Maybe it really isn't a good idea to go out on that date, now that I think about it. I have to visit him tonight and tomorrow. It's that time again, just like last year. But the problem is, I have school to go to, this time around. I didn't have to go to school last year. I'm going to have to miss school tomorrow, I owe him that much for what he did for me. I looked to the others, who looked so cheerful. I can't ruin their moments. This is my problem, they don't have to face it. And then there's Ino-chan. Well, I'd tell her, but she's really busy too. I guess I'm flying solo.

//////////

The rest of school flew by without much of my caring. Ino met up with me at lunch, apologizing for the way she acted around me at recess. I didn't mind, but she really is busy. She showed me her schedule and now I really feel inconsiderate for the way I tried to push her on that date. I guess she really didn't have the time after all. Considering her schedule, I should be feeling lucky that she asked me to the homecoming dance. As I contemplated at recess, I didn't bother to tell her. I took her home on my motorcycle though. I wanted to spend time with her, and so did she, but I have a lot of preparations to deal with. I told her I'd take a rain-check on it. She gave me an odd look but accepted it.

On my way home, I started thinking about what I'm going to do. I'm going to be at that place for a while, since I do have a lot of things to tell him. It's been exactly a year now, and still, I wish he didn't do what he did for me. It's not fair, life isn't fair, but what can I do about it? I should be where he is, but oh well. Life didn't work out that way for me. I guess fate and destiny have something else in store for me. But I wonder something... do I really deserve it? Have I really worked hard enough to deserve what they have for me? Oh great... why am I thinking such things so early? I should at least wait until I get there. When I arrived home, before I even started preparing for my trip, I received a text on my cell phone. I popped it open, it was from Ino.

Hey, I noticed something going on at lunch, with you. I didn't ask you about it because I thought you would tell me, but you didn't. I don't mean to pry but, is something wrong?

Great.. I knew she would ask something like that. But I don't think she needs to worry about this. I'll only be gone for a little while. And that reminds me, I should call the school today, tell them that I won't be at school tomorrow. Oh yeah, I still have to reply to Ino's text. Hmm... what should I say so she becomes comfortable and doesn't start thinking that there's something wrong with me? I thought about it for a while before inputting it and sending it. I placed my cell phone on the counter top and decided to cook a little something for tomorrow. Hmm... should I go with ramen? Nah, I always go with ramen. I went with ramen last year and the years before. I think I'll go with something different this time.

*ring* *ring*

I whipped my head to the direction of my cell phone, ringing loudly. Man, that girl texts fast. I haven't even started the fire and there it is. I opened my cell phone, just so the sound would stop. I started the fire and placed a bit of oil on the pan that I placed on the stove a second ago. I glanced at the text and read through it quickly.

Are you sure there isn't anything wrong? You looked really out of it and I was just wondering if it's because I turned that date down. I really feel bad about it, but I showed you my schedule, remember? I really don't have the time. I'll make it up to you, kay? As soon as my schedule clears, I'll be all yours.

I sighed to myself, she's worrying too much. Well, at least it's a sign that shows she cares. I inputted my reply and sent the message, turning back to my cooking. Now where did I put that beef? Oh and vegetables, he always told me to eat my vegetables. Come to think of it, he was no where near my technical age but he had so much wisdom. That's probably how we became friends, because we had such great times together and good conversations. I miss our conversations, now that I think about it. They were so enticing.. so indirect.. but so fun nonetheless. After about a minute, I received another text. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my phone, flipping it open.

Well, if you say so. I'm sorry for worrying like this, but I can't stop feeling that it's my fault, no matter how many times you say it isn't. I mean, you risked your stay in Japan, just to get my freedom back, after I lost it. You played that stupid game against Uchiha-san for me, and I'm too busy to repay the favor to you. You're my boyfriend, and I shouldn't be refusing a date from you, especially since I owe you big time and we've only really gone on one date.

Okay... what to say this time. I have to focus on my cooking, as I have a lot of other things to do. Oh yeah, I have to go and get some flowers, candles, matches, and some other things. I'm not even going to be able to work on my homework. And on top of that, I'll have to e-mail my teachers for tomorrow's homework, since I won't be there to receive it on the day of. After placing my reply on the phone, I sent the message and placed it back on the counter top. Let's see... I have to do my homework for tonight, finish these preparations, e-mail my teachers for my homework for tomorrow, call the school for my absence and... reply to another text?

Alright, I get it. But how about this? I'll skip some of my duties and go out with you tomorrow night? I have some ifs and ends to take care of, but I want to spend time with you too. And don't take it as something that I'm doing to return a favor. I want to go out with you.

Perfect.. now she wants to go out with me. But anyway, it isn't fair. I have something else to do now and it's really important. I'm not trying to get back at her, but I think it's my turn to refuse. This is something I really need to do. Once I sent my reply, refusing the date, I returned to my cooking. I hope that's the end of the texts for today, I really have to focus on this. Sadly, that wasn't the end of the texts, as another one came in. Seriously, why don't we just call and talk it out? It would be so much faster and I wouldn't be using up so much time. I'm really starting to hate texting... and I asked the other guys why they hate it? I must be out of my mind.

... Um, ok, now I'm really worried about you. You've never been one to turn down something like this, but I'll take your word on it. How about we do something tomorrow at school then? I don't have any student council meetings at either recess or lunch tomorrow, so maybe we can do something together?

Maybe I should just say it, just to end all of this. I can see it right now, Ino-chan, I can't go out with you and it isn't because of what happened this afternoon. I have something that I need to take care of and we won't be able to spend time together tomorrow either because I'll be away somewhere for the day and won't be back home until dawn of the next day. I have to visit an old friend of mine who I visit once per year... on the day of his... nah, I shouldn't tell you that. It's nothing for you to worry about. Hmm... yeah, that's probably how it would go, but I bet it would stir up her curiosity even more. I sent my reply, a few seconds later. I decided not to keep my cell phone in hand this time, as I knew the reply was coming.

*ring* *ring*

And there it is. I wonder if she has a QWERTY text pad. I have this lame, old school kind where there are three to four letters per button. But oh well, I don't find the need to upgrade to a new cell phone, just so I can text faster. I don't even like texting. I opened up my cell phone and read through it.

You... can't? Naruto-kun I... I knew I should have taken up your offer on recess. I had a feeling that my actions would have consequences, but I didn't know they would be this severe. I guess there's no way I can change your mind, is there? I'm so sorry. I wish I said yes to you today.. I'm really, really sorry.

You don't have to be sorry, it's not your fault, Ino. There's just something I really have to do that is really important to me right now. Maybe I shouldn't reply to this text, it would probably end the whole chain, but it wouldn't be right. I should at least make up a stupid excuse so I can focus on my preparations. But what should I say? Oh, how about this? Ino-chan, you should focus on your student council duties. When you finish them, we can spend as much time together as we want, without interruptions. I'll let you do your thing for now, and I'll be out of your way so you can concentrate. That doesn't sound too bad, and it's the best thing I can come up with right now. Oh shit! The beef is burning! I sent the reply quickly and returned to my cooking.

Oh good... it's not burning and I'm just imagining it. Texting really does take a lot of time out of my concentration. It's been a while now, and I haven't gotten a text back from Ino yet. Well, at least this way, I can focus on my cooking. I placed a lid over the pan and ran upstairs to grab my lap top. I'm glad I have wireless internet connection in this place, so I can e-mail my teachers from the kitchen. When I returned, I heard my cell phone beeping on the counter top. Ahh, it was wishful thinking and a good few minutes of silence. I better see what she said. I placed my lap top down and opened up my cell phone.

Naruto-kun, don't say that, you're not in my way at all. I'm sorry if I make you feel that way though, I know I can be like that sometimes. I really do want to make it up to you, but I am wondering something. Why can't we do anything tomorrow at school? Are you going to be busy?

Oh forget this.. I'll just call her.

*ring* *ring*

"Hello?"

"Ino-chan.. sorry, but yes I will be busy tomorrow. I haven't told you or the others this but I won't be at school tomorrow. Something came up and it requires my attention. You don't need to worry about it though, it has nothing to do with us," I said. I heard her breath from the other line.

"Oh.. I guess that's why we can't do anything together at school tomorrow. Where are you going?" she asked.

"I have to visit someone, an old friend of mine. It's going to take me quite a while to get there, that's why I'm not coming to school tomorrow." I replied. Actually, I'm not so sure about that anymore. It kind of just came out but oh well.

"I understand. So, there's nothing wrong with our relationship?"

"I would hope not. Why would you ask that?"

"It's just that... I haven't been pulling my end in this relationship. There's always something that gets in my way and it ends up hurting you. You may not be in the student council, but I'm sure you have other priorities but you always have time for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't think I've been treating you fairly," she said. I sighed at that, as there is some truth behind it.

"Don't worry, I don't feel offended. You just do what you need to do, I won't be going anywhere. Don't worry too much, okay? It's gonna give you wrinkles and white hair," I said. I instantly clasped my mouth when I finished saying that. If there's one thing I've learned in high school, guys should never insult their girlfriends' appearance. She laughed slightly at that. Wait... why?

"I suppose you're right. Anyway, I'll see you whenever I see you. I have to go now, I have some things to do. Bye, Naruto-kun, I love you, and I promise to make this up to you some time."

"I love you too, Ino-chan," I said as we both hung up at the same time. Alright then, time to finish with this cooking so I can get with all the other stuff. I still have a long list of things to do and I have to finish it all before I leave, tonight.

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I collapsed on my bed, not feeling the need to do anything for a few hours. I finished all of my preparations, e-mails, calls, texts, and... bleh, I'm too tired to think right now. I better not sleep, I have a lame history of not waking up when I'm supposed to. I stood up straight and devoured a food pill. I'm going to need energy for where I'm going to go. And I can't take my motorcycle either, the engine it too loud for where I'm going. I wonder what I have to say to him this time. I'm always telling him how my life has been and I bet he gets bored of it, even though he never replies and only listens. I really wish he would say something though.. I really do miss him.

Glancing at my watch, I realized that it's about time that I do get going. I packed everything in a fairly large back pack and walked out of my house. As I walked outside, the wind began whirring around my clothes. I knew it was going to be cold, so I decided to wear a few more things than usual. Loose black jeans would keep my legs warm, and my usual pair of shoes for my feet. I decided to wear a matching black long sleeve top and my tactical jounin vest. I didn't want to wear it this time, but the extra pockets hold some very important materials that I might need. Over that, I wore a black, leather jacket, but kept the zipper down. The wind danced around my hair, I always did love this feeling.

When my house was no where to be seen, I took a turn at an alley. I looked around me, sensing that no one was around. I formed a hand seal and vanished. I reappeared at a cemetery. This is where I should be, or a place similar to this. But since this is my last life, I guess I'm going to be able to join my friends here, or at least those who I made after Konoha. I walked through the isles of the graveyard, glancing at a few notable ones, but I didn't come here to visit them, at least not yet. I stopped walking as I arrived to the grave in question. I looked down at it and brushed some dirt that has gotten on the gravestone.

I looked around my surroundings. It's so dark and creepy in this place, but seems fitting for those who's lives have ended and has gone to a better place. Hundreds of gravestones are all in here, rows upon rows, columns upon columns. There are statues of angels here, probably made so the spirits of the dead can rest in peace without being disturbed. I suppose these angel statues protect the spirits from demonic forces... then again, do I really believe in that kind of thing? Oh right, I'm a living relic of the shinobi past. I've seen things that others would assume as demonic practice. Just my ability to do jutsus might already seem like a demonic practice, because of the use of hand signs, and blood for summons.

"Hey, how's it going?" I asked. Of course, no one replied back. "I came back, just like I said I would. You didn't abandon me like I told you to, and now here you are. Well, you would probably still be right here, whether you came back for me or not."

"Oh and guess what? You lost our little bet because I actually have a girlfriend now and she's madly in love with me," I said. I formed the hand seal for the shadow clone jutsu, creating one clone. That clone used the transformation jutsu to become a chair for me to sit on. I wonder just how long this clone can retain this form, especially with me sitting on him. I placed my pack down and sat on the chair.

"I suppose I could visit your girlfriend, if you want, just so I can tell myself that I visited both of my friends. I know she's up there with you now but according to memory, she's probably in her 80s by now, maybe older, give or take," I said to the gravestone, feeling a sharp wind flow through me. My eyes narrowed by reflex. "Hey, at least I didn't say she's a total geezer, alright? If anything, I'm older than both you, and your grand parents combined!"

I sighed.

"Anyway, I made some pretty decent friends here too. Remember when I told you of my shinobi heritage? I met the reincarnations of my friends from the past, here! Can you believe it? What are the chances, right? They all pretty much act the way they did in the past," I paused. It's quiet now, no winds, no crickets, nothing.

"Okay seriously, you don't have to act so surprised. The only ones who sort of act differently are my teachers, who by some strange coincidence, is almost every adult I've met in my life as a shinobi. Although, one of the stranger things is the fact that Jiraya doesn't act as much of a pervert as I thought. I thought that was pretty weird," I said, grabbing a bag of chips and starting devouring them.

"Speaking of which, how do you like it up there? Have you met my friends from the shinobi era yet? They're pretty nice, I suppose," I said. I reached into my pack and grabbed a can of orange soda. As I inserted the straw, I felt that wind again. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"I know what you're thinking, and my answer will be the same as I it was last year. I do not, will not, don't intend to, and will most likely never drink one shred of alcohol. I don't know why the adults like that stuff. I mean, I took a sip of it once, when you and I went into that bar once, several decades ago. Remember what happened then? I spat it all in your face. I can't stand the taste and I don't know why you like it," I said, placing the can of orange soda on the ground and continued munching away at my chips. "It all went in your eyes and you were practically blind for four days!"

I laughed.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. I just felt like reminiscing old memories and I thought it would be kind of fun to strike at your with your back turned for once," the winds calmed. "Hah! What do you have to say now? If memory serves, you were the one who always placed a 'kick me' sign on my back. Then others would see it and kick me. I would never know why until you started laughing so hard, while pointing at my back."

"Anyway, I promised myself to be here for the rest of the day, but I do have an ever-worried girlfriend who loves me. Tell you what though, I'll visit your old girlfriend, okay? I'll give her your regards. After that, I might have to get going home. I do have a homecoming dance to attend, you know," I said, standing up from my seat. The orange chair poofed out of existence. I finished my chips and downed the rest of my soda, throwing it away at a nearby trash can, which wasn't as near as I thought it would be. I was about to leave, but instantly remembered something. I turned back to the gravestone and pulled something out of my back pack.

"Rest in peace, old friend," I said, placing a rose near his gravestone, before walking away. This place always did give me fond memories, but like the shinobi era, I have to learn to let go. I suppose it doesn't mean that I won't stop visiting my friends, but there has to come a time that I have to accept their deaths and move on. I'll join them one day, of that I'm sure.

I made my way out of the cemetery and took the path to my late friend's girlfriend's house. I'm not sure if she would remember me, as the last time I saw her was at the funeral of my friend. She used to be so happy and full of spirit, but I guess his death took a huge toll on her. I looked up to the sky, feeling a small yawn coming up. Walking around this place helps me to remember the days when I was here too, but with my friends, when they were still alive. It's been close to 200 years now, and I still haven't let go. He was a very good friend, after all.

We both joined the army, sometime during the year 20th century, in America. We met at boot camp, where I was the top of my class because of the military strategies in my head from my shinobi days, and my excellent physical condition. He was of equal rank as I was, and that's how it's always been between us. We would challenge each other, and he always surprised me because he reminded me a lot of myself, when I was truly his age. I would always push myself to do my best, and I guess I kind of lost that aspect of me, when I left the shinobi lands to travel the world.

We were living the good life, especially after the boot camp. We were both promoted to Sergeant-Major and were given our own platoons to lead. We were then sent to Iraq, under the guidance of whom I later thought to be the most idiotic leader of the United States, at the time, President Georg W. Bush. There was a so called "war" going on, but I didn't think such a thing existed. Those were times of peace, and that knucklehead of a leader, led many people to their deaths and placed the economy in a financial distraught. But even though those hard times, we made it out alright.

He and I even had a bet. We betted that we would never get romantically close to anyone, beyond the boundaries of friendship. He lost that bet after about a week or so, when he fell head over heels for once of the medics in the medical corp. She was very beautiful, reminded me a lot about Ayame-neechan, Teuchi's daughter. She actually liked me first, but I told her that my friend liked her more, and I only wanted to be her friend. Eventually, they hit it off and they became one of the most gorgeous couples I've ever seen. They had so much in common, but always argued, which kind of made me laugh. We were inseparable... until...

That day... It was a routine mission, similar to something that we've done for a long time. He and I were 27 years old, lieutenants at the time. I had to use a transformation jutsu to make myself look young. We were sent to gather information on enemy territory, nothing too hard, but we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We were young and very stupid, well, he was anyway. I told him that we should take our platoons, but he refused, saying that we could handle this on our own and no one else would have to get hurt. I should have argued harder with him because... that was the last mission we ever had together.

At the time, he already knew about my training as a shinobi, and we put that into good use. I taught him how to use his chakra, to perform jutsus, and some advanced taijutsu. I taught him for 4 years, but now I wish I taught him more. We were right there, right next to the enemy base. It was at night, where our stealth was at its strongest. There were hundreds of soldiers stationed there, but it shouldn't have mattered. We were to obtain a signed document of their plans, and get the hell out of there. It sounded easy, especially in the mission debriefing, but it wasn't.

I should have known better. The enemy had guns this time, firearms, not kunai or shuriken. In the shinobi era, it would be completely possible to run through hand seals while dodging enemy projectiles because you could actually see them coming. But this was different, this was the modern era where people used guns. We managed to sneak into the base, obtain the document, but that was it. On our way out, I accidentally triggered an alarm, which alerted the enemy. We stormed out of the place as fast as we could and fought off as many as possible, but we were just two soldiers against a small army.

There was a solid brick wall that could lead to our salvation. We didn't have the chakra to break through it witha jutsu, but we could jump it easily. But just as we were about to leap, I heard a gunshot from right behind us. Because of my heightened senses, I could actually see the bullet coming, but just barely. It traveling to him, so I pushed him out of the way. The bullet was a sniper bullet and went straight through my thigh. There was no way I could make it. I gave him the document, to go without me, but he refused to leave me behind. I could still remember it all that day, as it happened.

The soldiers were making their way to us, my leg was bleeding profusely, but was slowly healing. I knew that it wouldn't heal in time. I told him to get out of there, but he refused once more. It was then that he smiled at me and hugged me, telling me to take care of his girlfriend. He then gave me a golden ring, of what I had no idea for, until later. He shoved the document in my pocket and threw me over the brick wall. As I was tossed into the air like a rag doll, I saw him focusing what remained of his chakra, unlocking the eight celestial gates.

When I landed on the ground, I passed right out. When I woke up, my leg was healed, and several hours had passed. Some of my strength had recovered, so I jumped up the brick wall to find him, but I was too late. What I saw was like a bloody warzone. No one was alive, and there was blood everywhere. I searched the place for my friend, and spent hours in there, until I finally found him. I cried so much that day, when I realized that he was dead. His body was on top of countless others. There was so much blood on his body that I could hardly recognize him. To save my life and his country, he destroyed the enemy base, at the cost of his own life.

I picked up his body and sprinted all the way back to our military base. When I arrived there, several medics rushed to me, taking him from my arms. They did what they could to save him, but I knew that it wasn't possible. He had been dead for a few days already. I still remember the fear-stricken look of his girlfriend's face. She saw him in my arms, dead. It was then that I realized what the golden ring was for. That was another day that I couldn't stop crying. He was planning on marrying her, when we returned. Sadly, I was the only one to return alive. I gave her the ring, and she hasn't spoken to me since.

As we were preparing for his funeral, one of his family lawyers found his will. When it was read to us, it stated his intentions of marrying his girlfriend, should he return from his mission alive. It also stated that if he were to die in that mission, he wanted his body to be buried in Japan. It must have been because I told him that that was my original birthplace, and that I want to die there some day. I guess he wanted to be buried at the same place as I was. There were other things about his possessions and the distribution, but I didn't care for that. However, there was one thing that was for me, from him. It was his badge as a Sergeant-Major. He wanted me to have it and keep it.

His funeral was about a week and a half later. His family, platoon, friends, and his girlfriend, as well as her family, were there. Her family treated him like their own son, and had already given him their blessings in marrying their daughter. When she learned the he was going to marry her, she wept hard. She wanted to marry him too. The funeral was a long one, but it all seemed to pass by me so quickly. I could only look at his cold, colorless face. I should have been the one in that coffin. When they lowered his body to the ground, I made a promise that day. I would not allow his country to fall.

The enemy attacked, about a month later. Thanks to the heroics of my friend, sacrificing his life so I could return the attack plans to our base, not only were we able to fend off the attack but we were able to drive them back and wipe them out. After receiving my payment for my services to them, I was promoted to general. I could have continued to serve them, but I found that I couldn't go on with it anymore. I wanted my friend to be there with me, but he was gone. So, I decided that I would disappear too. I stole my records, pictures, documents, information, everything that had to do about me, and burned it all. It was like I never existed.

I traveled the world again, after that, only returning there again, several years later. No one remembered my face, so I started a new life there. I thought I could stay, I thought I could live out the rest of my days there, but I couldn't. I still wasn't aging, so I knew I had to move out again, at some point. I later learned that his old girlfriend moved to Japan, continuing her medical education there. I also learned that she had cancer, but she never returned to America. She wanted to be buried in Japan, with her beloved. She died at her late 30s. She never had children, nor was she ever married.

Unfortunately, her body was never buried next to his, so that means I have to make an extra effort to go to her gravestone. It's not that far though, probably a few blocks from this place. Of course she wouldn't be buried next to him, as that spot was already filled before her death. I wonder if she's happy now, with him. They would have gotten married in heaven, and I would have missed it. I chuckled at that thought. He and I were best friends, and I wouldn't even be there for his wedding. What kind of best friend am I? I killed my first one and I couldn't even attend the wedding of my second one? I'm so lame.

As I walked to the gravestone of my friend's girlfriend, I started wondering what I would say to her. She and I never really talked that much, especially after her would be fiancee died. I kept my promise to my friend though, I did take care of her. I used my transformation jutsu to appear as one of her relatives, coming to visit for a while. I took care of her during the most difficult times of her cancer. I was even there as her life force slowly faded from existence. She died in my arms. I sighed to myself. There's so many damn memories, but I can't seem to let go of them. As I neared her gravestone, there were many cars passing through the streets.

"Why are there so many? Especially at this hour?" I asked myself, glancing at my watch. It was passed midnight, an still, there were so many vehicles. I shrugged my shoulders as the street light turned green, giving the walking symbol. When I got to the other side, I saw that the light was about to turn yellow. I then heard something behind me. Crying? I turned around, my eyes widening. There was a little boy there, on the street, crying as he walked to pick up a toy. I never saw that kid there, nor did I see a toy. When did that... suddenly, I saw red car, speeding and honking. Its breaks were probably busted but that means...

"Kid, get out of the way!" I shouted at the boy, but he didn't seem to hear me because of the constant honking.

The red car was definitely disfunctional, its wheels weren't even revolving. Sparks were being made from the rim of the tire-less wheels, and my theory was proven correctly when the driver jumped out of the vehicle. As if things couldn't get any worse, it was heading right for the kid. No... that kid... he's too young to... that was when I felt my legs moving. I found that I was running to that child. I want to save him, the way my friend saved me. It's too late to turn back now, I'm already close to him. I pushed him out of the way. For a second there, I looked into his face. A young boy like him will one day lead the future. He's definitely worth dying for. I smiled for a second, then felt something solid hit my body at a dangerous speed.

I was hit by the red vehicle, but instead of rolling to the roof of the car, spinning like a wheel, my body was slammed to another vehicle behind me. It hurts so much, but through it all, I was looking into the eyes of the child that I saved. He reached his hand out for me. I did the same, well, tried to, but my strength was fading from me. My body rolled atop the roof of the second car, smashing the windows and denting the metal vehicle, before falling on the ground. I can't move, everything hurts. Crowds of people surrounded me. It was then that I saw someone standing over me, wearing a white coat and a white hood. It extended an arm down to me.

"Hey, you ready to go?" it asked. According to the sound of the voice, this person is definitely a male. What I found the weirdest was the fact that no one else seemed notice this man's presence. I tried to take his hand, but I found that I couldn't. I had no energy left in my body. Everything was drained when I collided with that car. The figure above laughed a little.

"Oh, that's right. Of course you can't move. Silly me," he said as he bent down and picked up my hand. He pulled me up and lifted me. I stood up to my feet but noticed one other thing. I feel lighter, like all the weight was removed from my... body... My eyes widened. I wasn't looking at it yet, but I have a feeling that I know what I will be looking at. I tilted my head down slowly, seeing exactly what I feared. Right there, was my body, surrounded by people. I looked at my hands, they're see through? I glanced up to the man who lifted me up.

"Am I... dead?" I asked him. He nodded at me.

"Yeah. Your body is down there, which means... yeah, you're dead," he said to me. I looked down at my body again. Paramedics arrived and picked it up, placing it in their medical vehicle, and driving away. The crowds of people slowly dispersed, leaving me and this mysterious person behind.

"So what happens now? Are you like, the angel of death or something?" I asked, not looking to him.

"Pretty much."

"Alright, take me to hell already. I know that I've done a lot of wrong in my life. It may not look like it, but I'm a trained killer. I've killed people, and I suppose that makes me eligible for a one way ticket to hell, doesn't it?" I asked, still looking away.

"Normally, yeah, but I saw what you did here. No matter how many wrongs you committed in your life, your selfless act today clears up all of that. Besides, I've searched your soul when I grabbed your hand to pull you out of your body. You have a good heart, and a pure soul. I couldn't send you to hell even if I wanted to. No, Uzumaki Naruto, I'm not here to take you to hell," he said. I looked to him, surprised.

"How do you--"

"I'm an angel, I know these things. Anyway, I'm here to take you to heaven," he said as he took my hand again. Before I knew it, he and I ascended into the skies. Slowly, I noticed that my spirit was disappearing. I guess this is the end for me after all. I didn't want it to end this way, but at least it's finally over. I looked to the direction of Ino's house and smiled.

"I'm sorry, Ino-chan. Good bye... I love you," I said as my spirit completely vanished.

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End of Naruto's POV

Ino's POV (Two days later)

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"Ino, honey, what are you doing still up?" asked my father. "There was no school yesterday, due to a holiday, but you do have school tomorrow, right?"

I nodded at that. I was sitting in front of my television, after doing my homework. It's already passed midnight and here I am. I suppose he has every right to ask me that question, especially since tonight is a school night I looked to him, who was wearing his night robe.

"Sorry, daddy, but I really can't get any sleep yet. Don't worry though, I won't be late for school tomorrow," I said to him. He sighed and nodded, retreating to his room. I looked at the gallon of ice cream on my arms. I don't know why I can't sleep right now. I have some tests tomorrow, for classes that I didn't even study for. And Naruto-kun... that's another thing. He said that he had something to take care of, and that he wouldn't be at school for the next day, but that was a couple of days ago. I tried calling him, texting him, but nothing. I'm nervous, I hope he's okay.

I flipped through the channels, wondering if there's something good to watch on television, maybe something that will help me to fall asleep. I don't want anything scary, as I doubt that would help my situation. Maybe something humorous or romantic? I could try that, but there's nothing on. I let out a sigh, just like my father did, and looked at myself. I'm already wearing my pajamas. I find this odd though. Normally, when I wear my pajamas, I would immediately start falling asleep. But it's been a few hours since I wore this thing and still, I don't feel any form of tiredness.

I pressed the mute button on my remote control and placed the ice cream back in the freezer. When I finished with that, I saw the homecoming dance ticket that Naruto-kun gave to me. I can't believe that I had to be the one to ask him to that dance. What happened to the whole tradition of boys asking girls to these things? I smiled at the ticket. I don't mind. Well, at first I did, but now, I don't care anymore. As long as I'm going with Naruto-kun, I'm alright with it. I placed my hand on my chest, tracing my fingers on the necklace that he gave me.

It was returned to me by Tayuya, about two days ago, when Naruto-kun said that he would be absent from school. The others got their stuff back too, which meant that our whole deal with Sasuke had ended. I thought he would be mad, but he wasn't so. I was even surprised to see him smiling. I was about to ask him why, as he never really smiled genuinely like that before, but he beat me to it. He told me that he finally found a worthy opponent in the school to challenge in that odd game that he plays. What was it called, duel monsters? I smiled at that thought, at least he can stop brooding all the time.

I returned to the living room, releasing my television from its muted state. I was about to press the off button, so I could give it another shot at going to sleep, when something caught my eye. It was a program that was aired about three days ago, one of my favorite shows, and it was recorded on TvO. I figured, why the heck not, right? It's only about half an hour long, excluding commercials. After that, I would just go to sleep. I laughed throughout the show, this was exactly what I needed. When the commercials came in, I use the fast-forward feature to skip them, but once again, something in the commercials caught my eye. I resumed it to normal pace. I raised an eyebrow, a breaking news?

"We're sorry for interrupting your program, ladies and gentlemen," said one of the news tellers. Why does this seem to catch my interest all of a sudden? "An accident has taken place at the cross streets of 3rd and 5th street. According to eye witness, a young man was seen pushing away a small child from getting run over by a red vehicle. There were hundreds of thousands of yen in property damage, but no one else was injured. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the young man."

I rolled my eyes.

"People should really be more careful these days..." I said to myself. I was about to turn it off, but the news teller continued speaking. I suppose I should at least let him finish.

"There are currently no records on this young man, but he was reported to have blond spiky hair and blue eyes," he said. My eyes widened. I felt my heart jumping out of my rib cage and up to my throat. Blond spiky hair... blue eyes... it can't be. I turned back to the television, to see what was going on. There was a picture of the young man on screen. I dropped the remote control on the ground, tears welling up from my eyes.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

"Authorities state that the young man was brought into the emergency room. He doesn't appear to have any relatives, according to his information. Sadly, an information sheet was handed into us, just an hour ago. The young man didn't make it," he said. I felt my heart shatter right there. He's... gone? I fell to my knees as tears began flowing out of my eyes. I heard footsteps coming down from the stairs, my father's footsteps.

"Ino, why is the television so loud? Shouldn't you be asleep? And why is... oh no..." he said, probably seeing what was on the television. I felt arms go around me, just like you always would do, but even though these are the arms of my father, I don't feel so safe or secured. "Ino... I'm so sorry."

"Dad... he's..." I stopped myself there, continuing to weep. My father carried me to bed and tucked me in. He turned the lights off and left me alone in my room. I can't stop crying.

"Naruto-kun... what the hell!?" I shouted to myself. "You were supposed to take me to that dance. You weren't supposed to get yourself killed! You weren't supposed to... leave me alone..."

I grabbed my pillow, releasing all of my tears on it.

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Well, that's it for that. What do you know, he's finally dead after so long. I guess this is the part where I finish this story and make a sequel. Okay, I know that this isn't a story book ending at all, but hey, I'm not like other authors, I'm worse than them, lol. I hope you all enjoyed this story and maybe I'll write a sequel some day. Ten chapters isn't too bad, even though it probably doesn't explain everything that's happened. I know that I did promise more chapters but, things happen, things change. I guess it all ends here. Well, I'll see you all in the sequel, if I do decide to make one.

Ja ne!

...

Just kidding, April fools everyone! Of course this story isn't over yet, who do you think I am? XD Hahahaha. Oh and, I know I've only released 10 chapters so far, but I can honestly say that I'm writing this chapter on the day of April 1 2009, so it can count as an April fools joke, even though I'll probably post this chapter at a later date. Anyway, this story isn't over yet, but I bet you guys already knew that. Remember, this story is focused on Naruto, so don't count him out just yet.

However, don't expect him to return as a super-duper strong angel or something like that. As far as I know, there won't be any of that in this story. I did say I'm trying to make this as realistic as possible, right? Well, I'm going to overstep that rule with some boundaries, just once. I... can... right? But seriously, there won't be too much supernatural stuff going on. No angel wings, no halos, no holy powers, no flying, nothing of that sort, save the whole shinobi thing that Naruto has going on

Anyway, stay tuned for chapter 11!

Ja ne!