Chapter 22: For the Sake of a Dream
"Naruto!" Hinata dropped off the -kun. "I am going to beat you to a pulp if you don't get here right now! Naruto-kun! Please!"
Naruto now came. "Oh. Hey Hianta, whattup?"
She looked down, disappointed. Suddenly, she felt someone kissing the back of her neck. "Naru --" But it was too late. Naruto already had her in a fit of giggling as he tickled her upstairs to the bed.
"Naru – hahaha. Naruto! Hahaha. St- haha Sto-ah!"
"That's what you get for thinking I forgot my promise!"
Naruto pinned her down to the bed. He nibbled he lower lip. Hinata wasn't going down without a fight, though. She turned around, and now, he was the one on the bottom. She managed to distract him long enough to get him into a deep kiss, while she unbuttoned his shirt. Gently, she kissed his chest. "Naruto-kun, be careful..."
He massaged her. She moaned. Yup, it payed off a bit to hang out with Jiraiya – he knew every trick in the book... After all, the book itself was written by his sensei. She moaned louder as he kissed her. Naruto got off now and lied down next to her, snuggled together. "You worry too much..."
"Mmmm... Not without a reason... Mmmm... A bit lower – yeah... Naruto-kun, please. Promise me you won't be so reckless..."
"I am not reckless... I can't believe you would have such a bad opinion of me, Hinata..." he said, kissing her cheek.
She smiled. Nevertheless, she continued, "Promise me..."
"All right, I do. Okay?"
"Mmmm..."
author's note: this is rated T, so yeah... we'll all just pretend they continued and did what adults do in the night, 'kay?
"Let's go... They've lowered the defense jutsus. We have exactly three minutes to get out of here." Itachi stated.
They all nodded and ran as fast as they could.
Itachi guided them to the base. On the way, they all talked about strategies and practiced drills and formations... Once reaching there, he released the seals.
"They already know we're here... There's no point in hiding much now... Let's go."
They all nodded, bracing for what was to happen next. Naruto immediately said, "He's not here... The Leader isn't here... But a clone of him is..."
Itachi paled. Shit... This was not what they had expected... No... This meant he was with the forces, guiding them... Meaning...
"We're going to get annihilated..." Naruto said.
Itachi's eyes were wide with fear for the first time.
"My, my, my... If it isn't Itachi... And the little traitor squad. Come to get killed?"
Itachi was urgent. "We can't back away now... What do we do...?"
Naruto looked at him.
Of course... It seemed Naruto, too, was a clone. He was a shadow clone... The real Naruto was back in Konoha, preparing for war. Good... Good...
The clone answered, "I dunno, guys..."
Everyone looked at Itachi, who suddenly seemed relieved, and soon caught on. There was one drastic mistake that separated Naruto from the real Naruto – that only someone who knew him could've known... Naruto hesitated for one moment before making the rasengan – completely off against the drill, just to get their attention...
The sky was dark, though it was roughly noon... They stood atop the wall and looked... It was a chilling feeling. All the while, waiting for war, and when the signal comes... fearing it. They looked to the horizon... No one was there... yet... They had just dispatched a patrol squad, with Naruto's shadow clone there as well...
"How is the other battle going?"
Naruto remained silent. "Better than I thought." Naruto lied. He knew the truth... Death had already struck the battle... And it wasn't even close to finishing. Dammit... Monroe don't be so damn reckless... Jenna... T... Even Itachi... Crap...
The patrol unit came back.
Naruto's shadow clone disappeared to conserve chakra.
"They're sending every single on of their men in one blow... They intend to finish it here and now..." the patrol sergeant said immediately.
"CHANGE IN PLANS!" Tsunade yelled. They all geared up and got ready. As for civilians? Every man able to wield a blade or hold a kunai or even club someone on the head was escorted. Every woman capable of fighting was also sent, and every man or woman knowing healing were forced into the nursing department. They had blood containers ready, three camps already set up for the battle grounds, and one main hospital back at Konoha. The allies were mixed together in three separate militias – forced to fight on three fronts, commanded by a central force. All kages excluding Tsunade, who was needed for healing had decided to fight. It was time. Woman and children were all gathered together in one, large, underground building made of steel. The war, had begun.
Readying their first squadron, they dispatched the first regiment of chuunins and jounins out to meet the onslaught...
"Naru-kun... Will we be safe here?" Miki asked. Her mother was escorted to be a healer, and Naruto would do nothing less than guard her himself.
"As long as I'm here, I'm not going to let anything happen to anyone." He and about thirty genin were in the building, taking their blankets and short rations and whatever that could comfort them. Naruto looked around... It was cold in here... Freezing. He could see his own breath, and people were shivering. Rations were short... And not much could be offered. People were gathered in tight bunches, huddled together for warmth under the one family blanket they had. Everything was sent to the medics to support the troops.
He set to work. Using his chakra, he began working tirelessly using ancient jutsus, to make blankets, beds, and anything to make them feel better. At the end of three hours of work, most everyon had one blanket per person – warm, comfy, and a better mood was around. Naruto stood in the center to get everyone's attention. Looks like it's time for another speech... He thought as stepped up.
Naruto dodged an attack form the only remaining guard. Looking around, he noted their status... Sasori and Kisame, dead. The higher level Akatsuki guard, also dead. This guard? He thought as he gave the signal to Itachi. The guard fell to the ground. Also dead. My team? Pretty damn tired... This isn't good... Deidara is guarding them and himself... Itachi and I still have to take down this guy...
Shikamaru and his squad of thirty ninjas looked to the distance. "Holy... Fuck." They were on a lower height, and it was dark above... Clouds were red – almost as though they retained the blood which was to come. The sun wasn't visible at all... But through all this, they saw the onslaught – a black wave of shinobi... half of which they couldn't kill...
"LET'S GO!" the jounins gave the signals, and the ninjas disappeared. The fighters ran out screaming, prepared for their fate... And the enemy collided. The war had begun...
"They say war is hell..." Naruto began, immediately gaining the attention of everyone around him. "All the time before it... You want to go... You're anxious... Looking around, you see rookies... and you see experts... And you wonder to yourself, what every man questions... Will I make it? Will I live? Will we win? Will I become honored like those kages... What will happen. And when the time comes to fight... You don't go... You can't go... You are too wrapped up in your questions... You see the experienced ones make tactical moves and run their skillful bodies to war... You see even the rookies run – the question out of their minds – simply madly running, why? Because that's what everyone else is doing... Running to their death... As you look and see, you see the ones you called friends, fighting. Fighting for what they believe in... Fighting to their death. Looking beyond, you see the angry sky, pouring down rain, diluting that sacred blood of your friends... And looking back, you see the home which you want to protect... Which you try to protect... And you wonder to yourself... Will all this go to waste... And around you... You see your friends die... You see your family die... And immediately, anger seizes you, and the one thing keeping you back now dies away... Do you know what that one thing is?"
Silence.
"Fear?" Someone asked.
"No... Not fear... You are still afraid... Very, very afraid. You look at the dead bodies and think to yourself about joining them... Joining your friends... But you smile... And you run on, anger seizing control of you. And you meet the enemy... Just as your friends had..."
"Hope?"
"Lose all hope? No, then you would run away... No, what you lose is doubt... You are in a state of helpless confidence – confidence you never thought you had. You know you may die... But fight anyways, because you are happy to defend who you fight for. You are defending your home... Your family... So that one day, after this hell is over, your family, with or without, may once again have that nice candle light dinner without ever having a worry... They say war is hell... But tell me, did anything – could anything – but war give you this boundless courage to rush out into death willingly and happily? No... Nothing could. War comes from two vines... Our forces are the ones that are happy to be defending... If you run out there, you will see people doing things you never thought possible. People stabbed in three places, blood gushing out, and yet, still fighting on... Just to kill one more – just one more... before they die... Just one more, because that's one less worry for their families... War brings death... horror... and sadness... But without war... Could people have ever found that life, that energy, that vibrant feeling of courage and joy in themselves... To be able to think, ignoring all past comments, to think to themselves for once in their lives, that... I am strong... I can do this... And I am doing this with my friends, my family, and the ones I love... Knowing that every single soldier fighting and risking their lives out there, knowing that every ninja trying to defend out nations, knowing that every medic out there is trying to get us to the top... I ask you this, how can I possibly doubt our victory? In my mind, there is no question... Why? Because of all our collective efforts... The enemy's' men? They are fighting not because they want to, but only because they are forced to... With all of that on our side, how can we not win... And I will tell you this, there is no greater hell than seeing, after you have tried your one hundred percent, to see failure... And if we fail after all this, then God damn it I don't want to live! I'd be happier in heaven with all my friends... all my family... Away from an unforgiving place..." he finished up.
The mood had changed significantly after that. People started giving up their blankets to donate to the medics... They began helping out in every way they could, be it kind words, or simply transportation. Everyone got involved.
A ninja looked up at the immense chakra. His jaw dropped. "RUN! RUN BACK!" he yelled. Too late. A large explosion hitting both troops occurred, only, the enemy troops got back up, as they were the living dead.
"How are we doing?"
"There has been sudden troop declination... Probably from the Akatsuki leader we're guessing. We're fighting a losing war..."
Tsunade glared at the old lady. "And what do you suggest we do?" she said putting down her medical gloves.
Silence.
"Then shut your fucking mouth and get back to work."
The command was obeyed.
"A total of 10 are unable to fight – 2 dead, 8 injured."
"Already? It's only been a day... At this rate we won't last ten day. We estimate a loss of 3 for them."
"Kuso." Gaara cursed. "I'm going out there..."
"You can't even out the field!"
"I don't intend to..." Gaara said, sand pouring out already. "They will lean to our side." A demonic glare appeared in Gaara's eyes, and, for the first time, it was met with happiness.
"Go and get 'em."
1 DAY LATER...
Naruto rammed into the cloaked shadow clone of the Akatsuki leader, but he blocked.
The plan was all set... The enemy's chakra level was at forty percent – they had rehearsed it well... And they knew what to do...
Naruto looked at Itachi, and, for the first time, Itachi smiled sadly and nodded.
Naruto used FTG to appear behind him and rammed a rasengan, but he used FTG as well to appear behind Itachi. 39.5 chakra. Punching Itachi, he found it was only a shadow clone, and Itachi used the Mengekyuou. The Akatsuki Leader managed to block it, but at the cost of his chakra – 35 chakra. Naruto rammed an Odamma rasengan while he was blocking – only to be blocked as well. 32 chakra. Perfectly according to plan. Naruto came from the ground and punched, but it was dodged and he was attacked; Naruto used his absolute defense and returned the hit. Right as the hit returned, Itachi used up the rest of his chakra with a final Mengekyuou – to block was a great cost – 25. Now, they would begin. Naruto ran and made some taijutsu sequences while Itachi carefully got into position.
"Status?"
"40 loss for us – 25 for them."
"Shit... We're losing more and more... Come on, Naruto..."
"What should I do, sir?"
"Call a retreat... We need to save the --"
"No..." the Raikage stepped in. "I will go. Do not retreat."
Now all the kages were in.
Another explosion occurred.
"They're gaining on Konoha fast!"
"Stand stro --" a sword appeared from his stomach. The body fell.
"SHIT!"
"Naru-kun? Are you okay?" Miki asked.
Naruto smiled, panting. "I'm fine, Miki-chan... Just using a lot of chakra..."
They revived ninjas were unstoppable and were gaining fast on Konoha. They had already gotten past the defense jutsus, and Naruto was knocking them down, only to see them get back up again. Come on... Just need to get that crystal... Naruto's eyes widened. It was time. He used FTG to teleport there.
Naruto punched, but the enemy dodged, and gashed Itachi in his chest. While he was holding the kunai there, the real Naruto came and sliced his throat. The shadow clone poofed away. All that for a shadow clone... Jeez... True, Naruto had to hold back some power or the leader would know, but it was still rather difficult. He looked at Itachi and smiled.
"All according to plan..." he said.
"All according to plan..." he agreed. "Listen, Naruto... The Akatsuki leader has a jutsu... It poisons a person... Only, whoever that person touches also gets it. Everyone except... That person's family – whomever they may be. But two weeks later, they die painfully... He infected my family... And forced me to join Akatsuki... And that's why I had to kill them..." he chuckled slightly and coughed out blood. "Perhaps, to spare them the torture at the end... Avoid the poison... Or you'll die. Be careful..."
"Should I heal you?"
He chuckled. "You know by now I'm beyond healing. I was born to do this, and I have... I'm done here..." He looked at Naruto, sharingan now gone. "I had a dream... My brother and I... We would've come back and remade the Uchiha clan... He always wanted me to teach him how to throw a kunai properly... chuckle Foolish, little brother... He never realized he had far more potential than I... If he had the common sense to use it...
Naruto nodded respectfully. "You miss him, don't you..."
He shook his head. "No... I shall join him, soon enough... Along with my clan... Naruto, I saved you for that reason... Don't... Don't waste my dream... Don't let it die, Naruto... Pl-Plea... se..."
Itachi... I won't... Even if I'm not there to see it come true, it will...
The lieutenant didn't ask for a damage status... The enemy ninjas were already in Konoha... The status was rather evident.
Tsunade carried Miki to safety. Damn it... I have to protect her... For Naruto's sake... But Tsunade saw a group of chuunins about to die... One life... against ten? Naruto... I'm so sorry... Please, forgive me... Tsunade knew it was the end, but not without a fight. She was forced to place Miki down. Pounding the ground, all the enemy ninjas collapsed.
"AAAAH!" she heard a high pitched scream.
No... Miki! She ran back.
A living dead was attacking her. Right before the finishing blow, it dropped dead. Looking around, she saw all the living dead with wounds drop dead. The crystal... Tsunade smiled. "Naruto... Naruto did it! The Akatsuki Leader's dead!"
Hope had returned.
"Status report."
"Our loss, 50 unable to fight. 25 dead. For them? With the recent occurrences, I would estimate around 60 dead. One half of their arsenal was composed of the living dead... Now, they, too can be killed. And many of them had swords sticking through them already, so when the crystal broke they immediately died."
"Okay."
Tsunade looked at Miki. She was now kicking the dead body. "Bad boy! Naru-kun's gonna come an' spank you!"
She smiled and picked up Miki.
Naruto now came. "He's not dead... It was only a shadow clone... The real one's out there fighting. That's why our numbers dropped so suddenly."
Tsunade paled.
"We've got a long way to go... But at least now, we can kill the enemies." He said smiling. "But in the mean time... I need... Some rest..."
Tsunade nodded. "You've got half a day."
Naruto nodded, went to the hospital, and slept on the floor.
"So they destroyed that crystal... Of the traitors? Only one remains..."
"Sensei..."
"Sensei!" T said.
"Huh?" Naruto woke up.
"We're going out to fight."
Naruto smiled and nodded. "You better make it out alive."
"We will. We're the greatest team ever, remember?" Jenna said.
"But you better focus on making it out alive. Sigh What would you do without us..." Monroe said with dry humor.
Naruto chuckled at that. "Get out." It's time... Naruto had a sinking feeling in his heart. They could take care of themselves: whatever weaknesses they had, the other made up for it... They were a perfect team... But was he?
Naruto changed his clothes, had some food, and went out. It was time for him to fight now. He would have to find the real Akatsuki Leader...
Naruto made a huge scan and, soon enough, located him. Not too hard to find a chakra signature ten times stronger than everyone else's. Naruto simply walked there, killing any who stood in his way.
"You." he said, pointing. "You are the Aktasuki Leader."
The cloaked man grabbed another aggressor and tore his head of, making sure the bones cracked. Blood stained his black cloak. "And if I am?" a dark, masked voice spoke. The two stared at each other. The man made some hand signs – which Naruto immediately recognized. "Shall we?"
Naruto nodded, and everything became dark and unclear. When visibility came again, he saw they were in a different dimension. No scenery, no distractions, nothing to hide behind.. Nothing... Just blackness.
"Where are they?" Tsunade asked.
The sergeant pointed up.
Looking in the sky, Tsunade gasped. A black orb was there, and Naruto and the Akatsuki Leader were fighting. No... Way... "All right! We have to trust Naruto will complete his job... Let's do ours..."
Now, the Akatsuki Leader removed his cloak. He had death-black eyes with a vicious green in the center of his pupils. His hair was a blue-green, and he was about Naruto's height, if not a half-inch more. He spoke now with his true voice – a cold, emotionless one. "The battle amongst our kinds will end here... The result will forever be set in stone... This is the end."
"Of what? A fight between Main House and Branch House?"
"Yes... To see who are the true masters of the Ryoushagan, the Chosen bloodline..."
"You can't settle it with one battle – every person is different. Every instance changes... Each effort varies... You can't force it upon others with just one fight."
After a short silence, he spoke, "Did you know the highest level is thirty? Ten levels of mastery for each type of jutsu... Gen, tai, and nin... I am level twenty-nine... And you are, too... The one last level I need is from the kyuubi... And once I get it from you, I will prove to the world..."
Naruto shook his head. "Wrong... The last level isn't in the kyuubi... It's from the human heart – that's what you're missing... A heart! Something you'll never have. You sacrificed it long ago, and now it's too late. The fire of the human spirit, the thing we call the soul... That's what you're missing... And no amount of strength will get you that."
Suddenly, his hands began glowing green as he got into a taijutsu stance.
So his chakra is green... I was wondering myself why my chakra was a different color.
As Naruto got into his taijutsu stance, the Akatsuki Leader saw Naruto's red chakra. "Wrong... Emotions are something used only to manipulate... And I will prove it to you."
They circled each other for a couple of steps when the Akatsuki Leader rushed him. They went through an entire sequence of their style – 48 steps to be exact – all in a matter of twenty seconds. It was incredible. Naruto had never been in such a concentrated fight before... All of his attention had better be on it – one slip and he would be done for. Panting due to the exhilarating speed of the fight, Naruto wiped off his sweat.
"Tired already?"
Naruto didn't bother to answer. This time, he was on the offensive. He punched forward; his opponent ducked and made a low kick. Jumping, he made a kick to the side while in the air, but his opponent sidestepped and made a punch to Naruto's chest while he was still sideways in the air, but Naruto caught his arm, brought himself down on the ground, and pushed the two away... All in about a second.
There was silence as the people watched.
"Incredible... My eyes can hardly follow their movements..." someone said.
"Tell me about it... Amazing..."
Now, foe and friend alike simply watched; some continued fighting, but it was such a immense scene above them that most didn't bother with it.
They had their Ryoushagans activated now, but the battle was at a standstill. They were equal – or so it seemed... They had used everything, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, and neither had made a single blow. I need to get more creative then... Making quick hand seals, he activated his genjutsu.
"You betrayed us..."
"Naruto-kun... I... I loved you..."
"He would have given us freedom!"
"You should have died, demon!"
Voices rang in his head. Shit... Genjutsu deflection... Breaking out of the genjutsu, Naruto made it just in time to dodge a punch and jump away. Okay, so genjutsu might not be the way...
"Tell me... What would you do if you win? Rule the world? Power? Money?"
Cold green eyes stared at him. "Those are useless to me. What is power and money but a concept made by emotions... I want freedom... Freedom for my people."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Freedom... For your people? Meaning..."
"The Uzumakis... The Main House... I want to prove that the Main House is best..."
"And if I die? You will be the only one left..."
He shook his head. "Resurrection Imposition Jutsu."
"So you're going to make everyone Main House Uzumakis? Distort everyone's way of life to impose your own?"
"I will give them freedom. Powers they never dreamed of... Powers only a Main House Uzumaki could have... Powers you don't."
"That isn't freedom... People would isolate themselves away from each other to keep their own power... What you speak of, a Master Race. Everyone being the same... That isn't freedom... That is control."
He shook his head. "No... It is. Discrimination stops, meaningless wars stop, and everyone befriends... We will all be the same... It will be freedom. I must save our world."
"Then why kill your family?"
"Everything has a cost... They needed to be sacrificed..."
"So you needed a DNA sample of them... You're wrong... That isn't freedom – because every freedom has its limits. That's one of the greatest paradoxes of freedom... Freedom without limits isn't freedom."
"I will give them that kind of freedom – to be able to do anything they want."
"Wrong. Freedom is the ability to make your own decisions, make your own choices, and interact in your own way with others, to share that bond within your limits... Everything has limits... Even your power."
All this they spoke while exchanging blows.
Naruto's chakra was now a blazing red as it gushed out, maximum power. I need to end it here and now...
Apparently, the Akatsuki Leader was thinking the same thing – as his green poison was gushing out as well. author's note: by poison I mean the chakra, not real poison
The two titans clashed.
Now, only flickers could be seen – FTG was being used so many times it was redundant; kunais were being thrown all over the place, and Naruto got an idea. Instead of using the kunai to use FTG, Naruto threw the kunai at the Akatsuki Leader and pinned him down. Coming down with a rasengan, Naruto rammed into the ground.
Meanwhile, the Akatsuki Leader came from behind with a powerful jutsu of his own. Naruto managed to turn around just in time to dodge and counter with a teleportation jutsu. Naruto now came again with more force. Having an Odamma Rasengan in his hand, he once again used FTG to come with speed, but the Akatsuki Leader did the same and it was a tie.
"What the fuck are you... You have as much chakra as the kyuubi..."
"Names are immaterial. I want freedom for my people... And I will achieve it."
"Immaterial this --"
All the while, Naruto had been charging up his chakra; of course, the Akatsuki Leader had sensed it, but it bought him time. Activating the Mengeyuou, Naruto began to bend the reality surrounding the Akatsuki Leader. He was forced to flee, but Naruto chased him down and attacked. Now, they exchanged sequences with Naruto on the offense. Suddenly making a chidori, Naruto managed made an uppercut, but, dodging the attack, the Akatsuki Leader made a kick to Naruto's head. Naruto jumped and used FTG to come down in a flash. As he came down, Naruto put all of his chakra into it – making it blaze with power. Bringing the Akatsuki Leader down with him, Naruto's hand cut through his opponent's heart and went up to his elbow into the ground. A huge crater formed around the two, and now, Naruto's arm was stuck.
As he was dying, the Akatsuki Leader breathed a green poison into Naruto's arm and said in a raspy voice, "You'll die as well..."
Naruto shook his head. "No... I'll live on... In my family's hearts – something you lacked all the while... And that's why you'll die here."
One of the great chakra signatures now disappeared. Tsunade breathed. It was over... Naruto had either won or lost – and either way it was over... If he had won, they had won... If he had lost, they had lost...
Naruto lay on the ground, bruised, bloody, and hurt. Immediately, Hinata ran to him. She didn't waste a moment talking. "TSUNADE-SAMA! SAKURA-CHAN! NARUTO'S HERE! HE NEEDS TREATMENT!"
Sakura and Tsunade came immediately.
"Naruto!"
"O my lord..."
"Before I killed him... Before I killed the Akatsuki leader, he injected a poison into me... It'll kill me, but more importantly, it'll kill all I touch... except my family. But what he doesn't realize is, you all are my family... The entire village. Because of the kyuubi chakra in me, my body's used to healing me fast... But because of that, the poison will spread faster, too. It'll take over in about three hours... I'm guessing that's how much time I have left." He chuckled and coughed out a bit of blood.
Everyone had heard the news by now, and they had gathered in a circle around Naruto, respectfully silent for the man who had saved them... Saved all of them, by sacrificing himself.
Slowly, they all had their word with Naruto. Once all of them left him in peace, only Hinata, his team, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and his friends remained – the closest circle. Tsunade and Sakura wouldn't let him go without a fight; they were in the medical facility trying to find a cure.
All of them were crying except Kakashi, Jiraiya, and T.
"Don't die man..." Kiba said.
"I'll try not to. After all, you still owe me that one ass whuppin' from the Chuunin Exams."
Kiba smiled through his tears. "That's right... You better not die bastard... Don't die, man... Don't die..." and Kiba and Akamaru left.
Neiji and TenTen now stepped up. "You know... I believe it was someone who said 'I'll protect my loved ones at all costs...' And that person did... But what he don't understand is, he's hurting them even more by leaving them..."
TenTen nodded at Neiji's remark. "Please, Naruto..." and they, too, left.
Naruto smiled even though he was in pain.
Lee now stepped up, limping. "The fire of youth still burns in you, Comrade... I know you will make it out of this alive."
Soon enough, only Hinata, Miki, his team, Kakashi, and Jiraiya were left.
Jiraiya chuckled through his tears. "Looks like I'm cursed. Everyone of my pupils have died before I have... Jeez..."
"I'm not dead yet, you know..."
At this, only more tears came.
"Relax... I'm sure Monroe will help you with your 'Data Gathering.' "
Jiraiya smiled and left.
"Naruto..." Kakashi looked at him now, with his sharingan eye, due to respect. "I'm glad to have been able to teach you..."
Naruto smiled. "I'll always remember the stupid, perverted jounin who I managed pull a prank on..." He coughed again and more blood came out.
They were going to tell him not to speak, but... When someone has their life counting down by the minutes...
"Hey, all of you..." Naruto said to his team. "Ask Jiraiya-Sensei to take you to a monastery... You'll all benefit. Then, try working on speed... That's pretty much the only thing you're lacking... Monroe, keep working on those scrolls. Jenna, you, too. Shadow jutsus are one of the most difficult, but one of the most rewarding as well. T... Nice job... Same goes for you... I can't really coach you guys anymore... Unless Tsunade-sama and Sakura-chan find an antidote... Nice job guys..." he smiled. "First and last mission with me... Was a success."
The three left, very, very sad. Naturally, it isn't normal for a thirteen year old to see the death of his/her sensei...
"Hey, Miki-chan?"
"Naru-kun!" Miki came, and saddened immediately, realizing something was wrong.
Damn smart, that girl...
"I saved it for you, Naru-kun... Just like I said I would..." she said, revealing his forehead protector. "Are happy now?"
Naruto chuckled. "Yes, Miki-chan, I am... But... Why don't you keep it. For good luck. And some day, when you're big and strong, you can become Hokage. Your mother is calling you. Why don't you go..." he smiled.
Miki kissed him. "Yes, Naru-kun!" and she left, trying to smile.
Hinata caressed him, sobbing.
He smiled. "Hinata..." he rested in her loving arms.
She kissed him passionately. Her lips were so soft. Placing his tongue gently on her lips, he could tell they tasted salty from the tears. She let him in and their tongues intertwined. When they broke off, she looked at him like she was the one dying. She closed her eyes, and he gently kissed them. "Naruto-kun... No..."
"Hinata... I always told myself, if it were the last day on Earth, and I was next to you, I'd be happy... I'd tell you how much I loved you, and that would be enough... And I am happy..."
"No... No you're not... Because today isn't the last day on Earth! You're going to live! You... You will live..." she sobbed with all her heart.
"Hinata..." he said softly. "You and I both know that's not true..."
"No... No!... No, NO, NO, NO!... No... Naruto-kun..." she hugged him tightly, sobbing all the while in a fit of emotions...
"I love you, Hyuuga Hinata. I love you with all my heart, and I am glad to have known you. You are my life, my happiness, my reason to live. I love you, and I will always love you, wherever I go..."
"I love you, too, Naruto-kun! And..." she sniffled. "I'm... I'm Uzumaki Hinata..."
The two remained there like that. She, carrying him, he, resting in her arms, and both, sad to let go, but happy that they could be together, staring into each other's eyes, trying to get lost in their own love.
"You wanted me to become hokage... I'm sorry I could never finish your book..."
"You looked..." she kissed him.
"Of course..." he smiled wryly. "Here... Reach into my pocket... And take the book..."
Hinata didn't question why it was with him.
"Turn to the... cough the last page... It's there... What I would've said..."
"You have to live! You haven't become Hokage yet!"
"I have... I saved the village by sacrificing myself... Isn't that what a Hokage is supposed to do? Besides... I have you as well... That's good enough for me..."
Naruto died, in her arms, happy as can be. Right before he died, she gave him that beautiful smile that he loved... Her face radiated with beauty whenever she smiled. She could tell he wanted her to smile... Just one last time... To see her happy... That was all he needed. She smiled with all her heart for him... Just... Just one last time, so that he may see... So that he may remember...
The medical nins took him away before he could touch anyone... Hinata flipped to the last page, and read his final words to her.
Tsunade laid him on a table.
"All right... We don't know if this will work or not, but we have not time left. Where's his jugular?" she asked taking a needle.
Sakura placed her hand on it.
Tsunade walked up to him and slowly inserted the green liquid into his near lifeless body. "Please... Please be on time... Please!"
TWO WEEKS LATER
"Naruto... A great hero – truly cherished by everyone not only Konoha, but among three entire countries... Now, he has moved on to a better place... Yes, he has moved on, but he has not left us. Naruto lives on in each of our hearts. He taught us a lesson no one else could teach us... He left behind a blazing legacy that every generation may look up to and follow... A legacy that lives on in all of our hearts. Look at the flame of Konoha – it is the pride of the Fire Country... It is said to be an everlasting fire, and its size varies upon the condition of the country... Look at it now... It blazes brighter than ever before... For now, Naruto does not exist as one, but Naruto's great legacy is spread throughout all of us... He lives on in every one of our hearts... So yes, the Council of Elders my take away our rights, they may ban me from being Hokage, and they may even kill all those who speak about Naruto... But they cannot, and WILL not, kill the spirit of fire. The spririt of fire will spread throughout the generations..." Tsunade stepped down from the stadium, and the audience burst into applause. Every single person alive in the allied nations was either watching or listening to this.
Hinata now stepped forward. "I wrote a book about Naruto-kun... Everything I felt about him... His dream was to become hokage... I reserved the final page for his acceptance speech... Before he died, he wrote this... This is what he would've said, had he become Hokage.
My name is Naruto Uzumaki... I come from Konohagakure, The Village Hidden in the Leaves... We all have a story to tell – a story which is our lives... Our lives, interconnected to form a great web which is life... Our lives, which, in the daily business, are often devalued, have so much meaning... It merely up to us to find them. We never get a moment to stop and think... Think... Why? Why are we working? Well, I, too have a story... And it is about why I work... I work everyday, as hard as I can, for the people who are precious to me... Because, in the end, materials aren't going to matter. You can be the richest man in the world, but when you die, none of that goes on with you... The only thing that we as humans truly own, is our lives... Our lives are what? Getting materials? Getting power? For what? When we die, all of that is gone... We have roughly eighty years to live... I work everyday, so that I may enjoy the limited time I have with my loved ones... So that I may steal another kiss from Hinata-chan... So that I may spar once more with my friends...
At this, chuckles spread throughout the stadium.
So that perhaps just once more, I may see them... Because in reality, that's all we really have... Each other... We must share the bonds that we make, the connections that link my life to yours... That is what is precious. So yes, I may not know grammar... I may not know math... But being Hokage doesn't mean being the strongest in the village... Being Hokage isn't hiding secrets from the people.
Because, the only reason Hokage exists, is to serve you. You, the people... I believe being Hokage is binding the village closer together so that a greater friendship exists amongst ourselves and amongst other nations... That is true strength... For if were are united, then we would truly prosper. Thank You."
Even in his most important speech in his life, Naruto had managed to put in some dry humor. Hinata now spoke again.
"I believe, that Naruto was a Hokage... Everyone in the village knew him, everyone in the village could talk to him, come to him with any problem, and he'd help. So yes, he may have had a demon fox in him... But compared to the pain the fox caused, Naruto saved the village a thousand times over... I loved him... We all loved him... To me, Naruto was a Hokage... And a damn good one."
It was as if thunder struck the stadium. The audience boomed into applause... For the first time ever, it was a unanimous vote amongst the people that Naruto should have his face up on the mountain in recognition.
Now, the Council of Elders came. "He was not formally elected by the Council. As such, --"
Tsunade was about to explode, but Hinata was there first.
"And what are you going to do to stop me?" she asked and knocked out the old lady.
" 'Bout time someone did that. Thanks Hinata-chan." Tsunade said.
TEN MONTHS LATER
Naruto's head was up on the mountain in honor of him. Along with that, a special memorial was made where his grave was kept along with his life history and belongings... Well, almost all his belongings. Hinata still had his most precious one, and it was tied around her neck. It was the very same orange jacket that Naruto wore when he was twelve.
Hinata sat on the lush green grass. Spring had come – birds were chirping, the sun was out, white, puffy clouds danced with joy in the sky. And life had come... Hinata looked down at the one month old baby in her arms, smiling. He was sleeping soundly in his caring mother's arms. His cute, short tufts of blond hair gently swayed in the wind. Hugging tightly to his mother, it was as if he was slightly shy of venturing out into the big world. Uzumaki Hinata kissed him.
"Hinata-chan... Am I a Nii-san now?"
Hinata smiled and kissed the girl on her cheek. "Yes, Miki-chan, you are.
"Yay!" the girl jumped up with joy. "Can I make up a name for him"
Hinata laughed. "And what would that be?"
"How 'bout..." she scrunched up her nose. "Ramen?"
"Miki!" Hinata laughed.
"Naru-kun then?"
She kissed the hyper girl and said, "I have one. How about... Ichiro?"
"Yay!"
She looked at the little bundle of joy... It was all possible thanks to Naruto – she finding courage, becoming head of the Hyuuga, changing the Hyuuga, stopping the war, saving the allies, changing people for the better, and their most recent adventure... The first which she would have to face alone. Naruto-kun... Thank you... For everything...
Fin...
Special Thanks:
Matt and T.K. – my first reviewer. An author always remembers the first reviewer, you know, cuz this was my first fanfic, and the first review is important! Helps the confidence scale... Wow... I never even dreamed of getting a 100+ reviews... I was thinking around 20 by the time I was done... Yeah, I was surprised.
All my reviewers for helpful comments which guided me throughout my first ever fanfic. Believe it or not, I do read every single review. I reply to the ones I feel need replying.
My favorite author of all time – Dame Wren (who is no longer writing... WEEP! CRY WITH THE SORROW!) who wrote Two Halves – a very good read for any strong NaruHina fans – and inspired me to start writing fanfiction .
All rights to the plot belong to me. If someone wants to do a one shot alternate ending, that is fine, providing they give all rights to the original plot, and they simply title it Naruto's Legacy My Ending or something of that nature. I like this ending, and so, I'm not writing an epilogue for this story; I have like five other stories in my head, so I better get started! ''
Well, all in all, hope you guys like it! I don't think I did too badly for a first time fanfic, right? (You guys probably hate me right now for killing off Naruto...) But heck, I figure if you guys bothered to read all the way up to here, you must like the story at least a bit, right?
Well, that's pretty much it. I'm writing another story right now – True Freedom, and I'm thinking of another story called An ANBU'S TALE – it will be ShikaTema... Wow, I'm doing all sorts of pairings. Anyways, that one will be rated M for all the blood and gore – not so much for romance... I'm not too hot on lemon. But for any of you Ero-Senins out there, a very good read would be The Person I Admire – has quite a bit of lemon; NaruHina, SakuLee (it's good, trust me), and NejiTen. Another excellent T rated read is Team 8... Curse the author for not updating! If you guys want more, just check out my favorite stories list or my C2 Naruto Becoming Hokage. I have my first staff member! WOOT! Anyways, that's it. Hope you liked it and thanks for reading!
-MonkeysTotallyRock