CHAPTER 21 AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON
Naruto was flying over a barren waste land with the Pillar of Autumn off in the distance. "so how do you think we are getting out of this one?" he asked the fox
"well lets worry about getting to the Autumn first then worry about getting off this ring." The fox replies
"yeah this bird has seen better days" naruto says back just then a piece of the nose rips off "what the fuck was that?!" naruto yells
"think that was the primary buffer panel." The fox answers
"did the primary buffer panel just fly off my goddamn ship?" naruto yells at the fox
"why the hell are you yelling at me for, it ain't like I can do a damn thing about it. Just get us to the damn ship" Thefox says back in a calm but annoyed voice.
"I am trying to get us there as fast as possible in one piece." Naruto says back to him as one off the engines begins to smoke "well you better hurry or this will begin to get interesting." The fox says as he checks on the pelicans stats on his hologram
"define interesting?" naruto asks
"oh god, oh god we're all gonna die." The fox responds
"so a little turbulence then explode?" naruto asks with a smartass smirk as he looks over at the foxs hologram who just looks back and shrugs at him "I don't want to explode." Naruto says to him in a whiney voice.
Just then his right engine blew up "shit lost the right engine." Naruto yelled at the fox
"stop yelling goddamnt and don't panic." The fox yelled back at him
"we are going to crash and your telling me not to panic this is a perfect time to panic." He yells at the fox
"there is an open hanger right there just get us in there and we should be good" the fox tells him as the hanger lights up on the windshield
"ok I'll try." Naruto says as he turns the pelican toward the hanger and bursts through the open door and skids across the floor the pelican rolla sideways and crashes into the far side of the hanger. Naruto gets out of the pilots seat and grabs his SMG's and heads out the back of the pelican. "well any landing you can walk away from, right" naruto chuckles to the fox
"give me your pilots license." The fox says in a dizzied and shaken voice
"what license?" naruto asks back which just made the fox shake his head. "well at least we didn't panic." He says to the fox just then his head whips to the side "the fuck was that." Naruto wells as he takes cover thinking something just hit him
"I just bitch slapped your brain cause you were being retarded. Now let's focus on a way to get the fuck off this ring." The fox explained
"Wait you can do that?" naruto asked with a confused and shocked look on his face and the fox just remand silent shaking his head in annoyance "well that wasn't very nice." Naruto said with a huff.
Naruto started to look around the hanger and saw a single pelican that looked space worthy. He got up to it and put his hand on the counsel and the fox downloaded himself into it to check it out.
"Well seems good should be able to get us out of here." The fox explained
"well that is convenient, but where the hell are we gona go? We are in the middle of nowhere." Naruto asked
"well while I was in that terminal I found out there is a research facility on the gas giant the ring is orbiting. It may take us awhile to get there with this bird but we should be able to get there in under a week" the fox explains.
"Alright set the auto pilot to bring us there and then I'll go get some supplies for the trip." Naruto said as he headed out of the pelican and toward the nearest armory and supply room to get weapons, ammo, and food.
Sasuke was sitting in the pelican watching out the back hatch as the ground raced under them. He looked over and saw the empty seat where naruto normally occupied and felt a pain of sadness of it being empty then looked back and saw the empty seat where Yamato normally sat. Just then his mind flashed to the underground facility and naruto blowing the brains out of Yamato then him falling to the ground screaming about something in his head.
They had only been in the squad with each other for a short time but him and naruto had been closer than anyone else he could think of, he knew he lost someone he would forever consider a brother. As these thoughts were going through his head he felt a hand touch his shoulder he looked over and saw sakura staring at him through he depolarized visor. "hey you ok?" she asked
"Yeah I'm good" he replied as he depolarized his visor so she could see his face, then he glanced over at naruto empty seat
"Yeah I know I miss him too but there is nothing we can do for him now except get out of here. So no one else has to lose anyone else like that." She says to him which made Hinata who was right behind sakura lower her head in sadness trying to fight back the tears but failing
"Hey why the hell are you guys talking like Namikaze is dead" Kiba barks as he rips off his helmet so everyone could see his pissed off face as he glared at them. "show me a body then I may believe he is dead, but that bastard has survived more shit then any of us could possibly imagine. Besides Sasuke don't you have an ongoing bet with the chief that he will survive?" kiba yells at them
"Well that was before I seen what those things were capable of and I just don't thin…." He begins but is cut off by kiba barking out
"Well fine I bet 50 bucks that he survived and is trying to find a way off this thing." He finishes with a death stare. No one says anything and just stares at him "fine then shut up about him being dead." he barks.
Hinata had a small spur of hope that she would see the blond once more after hearing kiba's rant.
"We got a situation here guys." They heard foe hammer come over the intercom as kiba put his helmet back on.
Kakashi replied over the radio "what is it foehammer?"
"If I am reading this right we have a covenant banshee headed toward the autumn." She replied back
"What about it?" Kakashi asked
"When it came on to my radar it had the chief's IFF signature on it." She explained which gave a shock to everyone on the bird
"Hail it and try to establish com with it, and alter our course we have to see if it really is the chief and if it is what he has planned." Kakashi said over the radio
"Roger that." She replied. "Kakashi I have established com with him and am patching him through now." She said
The Chief came over his radio "Kakashi is that you?" he heard the Spartans voice over the radio
"Yes thank god it's good to know your still alive Chief, what happened back at the pickup si…" Kakashi began but was cut off by the chief
"No time for that we need to focus on destroying this ring." He said
"Agreed we cannot allow these zombies to leave." Kakashi said
"It's more than just the flood, but meet me at the Autumn and I will explain once we link up there." The Chief said as Kakashi was a bit confused at the word flood but figured out that he was referring to the zombies and that must be their real name.
"Roger that we are on our way." Kakashi said as the squad felt the bird turn towards the downed battle ship.
"But Kakashi what about the assault on the covenant ship?" Sasuke asked
"It was a suicidal mission just a last hope shot and we are under the chief's command not the commanders." Kakashi explained, as everyone got a sick feeling about that but deep down agreed.
Naruto had just finished loading all the food, weapons, and ammo and walked back into the armory to see if there was anything else he could salvage from inside
"How much more do we need we got enough to hold off a small army." The fox asked him
"One more time to see if there is anything else we can use." He said as he walked over to the armor section where he found a bunch of basic marine body armor then found the helljumper armor "alright lets see what we got" he said as he started looking through the boxes of gear.
"Well you do need a new helmet, and shirt." The fox said
"Yeah but you gotta program those things and I don't have the time to do that, and as for the shirt I kinda like this look" he replied as he looks down at this sleeveless arm where his tat was, and begins looking through another box and pulled out some new forearm guards he hadn't seen before. (think about the arm guards the Anbu have but more squared off to look like halo armor) "These look interesting." He said as he glanced over them and was sizing them up to his arm
"They seem to be hand to hand combat arm guards. Reinforced titanium but light with easier flow of movement." The fox explained as naruto took his off and put them on
"Yeah these are nice" he says as he swings his arms around in different hand to hand moves. "lets see what else we can find while we are waiting for the Chief" he says as he moves on to some other boxes.
After a while of searching naruto had just found another knife like his that he attached to his belt and moved his other knife around so their handles were sticking out over each hip bone for easy access.
"Hey kid I am picking up the chiefs signal just came onto the ship." The fox told him
"Chief you there?" but he got nothing but static "damn't com never fucking works when you need it" naruto complains to himself. "Any idea where he is going?" he asks the fox
"Looks like the bridge." the fox answered
"Well lets go link up with him." Naruto said as he stepped out of the armory and into which was packed with flood. "were those there when we went in?" naruto asked the fox
"No I think we would have remembered a bunch of flood outside if they had been." The fox answers nonchalantly
"Well guess fun time is over time to get back to work." Naruto said as he lifted up his two SMG's
"When the hell was fun time?" the fox asked naruto with a confused look on his holographic face as naruto started tearing through the flood.
Foe hammer had just dropped off the hell jumpers in a landing bay and flew back out to await their call for pick up. After they were dropped off they cleared the hanger and Kakashi called the chief "chief we are on the autumn where do you want to link up"
"I am heading to the bridge we will make link up there." The chief calls back
"Very well we are on our way." Kakashi tells him "lets move." He tells the rest of the helljumpers and begins going out the door of the hanger as they follow.
Naruto had fought his way through flood and covenant alike and had finally made to the level the bridge was on "alright just through the chow hall and we should be there." Naruto says more to himself then anyone.
As he walks into the chow hall and sees a bunch of dead covenant bodies sprawled all over the ground "well looks like the chief has been here." The naruto says to the fox
"Nah really what was your first clue?" The fox asked sarcastically
"Well all the dead covie's for one." Naruto answered "that was a rhetorical question." The fox said annoyed
"And I gave you a rhetorical answer." Naruto said just to get on the fox's nerves
"How do you function?" the fox said in a shocked tone
"I dono you're the one in my brain ain't you supposed to know that?" Naruto asked knowing it was gona piss of the fox even more
"Your just fucking with me right please tell me you just fucking with me." The fox pleaded
"Well you are in my head thought you could read my mind?" naruto said as he started across the room
"Well you asked me to stay out of your thoughts so I have been trying to." The fox replied
"Oh that is so nice of you." Naruto said as one of the side doors opened up and two hunters charged in to the room straight at naruto "Shit" he yelled as he swung his SMG's around but had to duck under the massive shield on the hunters arm and is about open up on the hunters back when he looks over his shoulder to see the other hunter taking a swing at him as he swings around to bring his arms up in a defensive block and the only thing going through his head is "this is gona hurt." Just before the massive hunk of metal makes contact with his body and launches him back.
"Alright just through the chow hall and we will be at the bridge." Kakashi calls up to Sasuke on point. The helljumpers were moving at a slight jog and were about to come up on the doors to the chow hall when an orange and black streak came flying out of the doors across the hall and into the adjacent room causing them all to stop
"What the hell was that?" sakura asked
"No way was that…" Sasuke began when a blond walked out of the door
"Ok now you're gonna have a date with Vera." He said in a pissed off voice as he racked a stockless shotgun and made his way toward the doors he was just thrown from.
"NAMIKAZE!" Sasuke nearly shouted as the blond stopped to look over at the group of helljumpers in the hall way
"Sup, give me a minute I got some hunters that need an ass whoppin." Naruto said as he procceded into the chow hall and all they heard was naruto yell at the top of his lungs "hey bitches I ain't dead yet so who wants a piece?"
They just stared in disbelief at what they had just saw. Hinata couldn't believe it naruto was still alive she was overjoyed. But then they were knocked back to reality when they heard the firing of a fuel rod cannon and then a few shots from a shotgun which made them all jump into action and into the room the blond had just entered.
They found him standing over the two dead hunters reloading his shotgun with his back to them. He swung the shotgun back into its holster on his back and pulled an SMG off his left hip and another off his lower back and then turned to them and said "what's up guys."
They were just shocked at all the dead bodies strewn about the room "did you do all of this" Sasuke asked with disbelief in his voice
"That no I only took those two down." He replied gesturing to the two hunters behind him "the chief took care of the others before I got here." He explained but at the mention of the chief they all moved with haste over to the back doors leading to the bridge but found them sealed shut.
"Chief its Kakashi we have made it outside the bridge but its sealed shut.
"Change of plans I am going to overload the Autumns engines manualy so just get to a bird and get off this ring." Came back over the radio
"Well lets get to the hanger for foehammer to pick us up" Kakashi said to the squad
"Hey I got a bird all prepped and ready to go it's just up a few levels." Naruto explained. Everyone just stopped and stared at him for a second
"And what do you suggest we do with that none of us know how to fly a pelican, and who do you think you are showing back up here acting all friendly and shit after killing sergeant Yamato then almost killing us the last time we saw you." Kiba yelled at him he was happy his friend was alive but he did need to explain what the hell happened
"He did save us and Yamato was infected." Sakura said remembering how the flood combat form almost killed her before he jumped on it and killed it.
"Maybe but he also held his pistol to Hinata's head right after that then went insane. I just want in explanation." Kiba said to the group
"your right I do need to explain myself but can we do it while moving I don't want the flood surrounding us." Naruto replied
At this he noticed Hinata stepping up to him with her visor depolarized with what looked like tears being held back Naruto got a feeling of guilt in his gut remembering that he did do as kiba said and had the pistol pointed at her face.
"I am sorry hina…" he began but was cut off as she lunged at him and embraced him in her arms unable to hold back the tears anymore.
"I thought you were gone forever … sob… that I had lost you." She mumbled through he sobs at this he was just shocked he suspected she had a crush on him from the fox out right explaining it to him, but he didn't think it was like this.
He put an arm around her to comfort her he said "it's alright I am fine and right here." He told her at this she pulled away a bit to look up at his face and he saw the tears flowing down hers "but now we have to move before we are all lost." He said to her in a comforting voice.
At that she pulled all the way away from him and repolarized her visor to hide the look of shock and blush after the realization at what she had just done.
"Alright I will explain everything as we move to my bird ok." Naruto said
"You still haven't answered my question. How are we gona use it none of us are pilots?" kiba barked
"I can fly it. How do you think I got here?" at this revelation everyone just did the blank stare at him again. "what is it with you guys and that blank stare thing." Naruto asked
"How did… you know what I am not even gonna ask." Kiba said in defeat.
"Alright like I said explanation on the go, now… let's go." He said to the squad as he headed out of the chow hall leaving the rest of the squad with stupefied expressions behind their visors.
Sasuke shouldered his weapon and said "well let's get off this ring then." He heads out the door after naruto and the rest of the squad follow him."
The squad was moving down the hall towards the stair well leading up to the level Naruto's pelican was on.
"Alright we are moving now what is this explanation you promised. In the underground facility you said something about an AI in your head?" Kakashi asked as they moved up
"Right well this is gona be hard to explain but even harder for you to believe. But here it goes; awhile back I somehow got an ancient AI stuck in my head developed from the people who made this ring, I didn't realize it till just after Reach, after coming into contact with that forerunner object we received from noble team back on Reach." Naruto paused remembering what was left of noble sacrificing themselves to allow them to get away. "But ever since then I have had this AI stuck in my head." Naruto explained what he received was the quite expression of confusion and disbelief of his squad.
"Told you you wouldn't believe me." Naruto said
"how bout I just show you." The foxes voice came out of the speakers in his data pad and into their radios in their helmets.
"who the fuck is that." Kiba called over the radio
"My name is kurama but you guys can just call me nine tailed fox, kyubi no kitsune, kyubi, kitsune or just fox." The fox said as he appeared as a hologram on Naruto's shoulder.
Everyone just stared in shock at the orange hologram of the AI that looked like Naruto with a long cloak with black flames at the bottom. "Now you believe me." He asked his squad who were to speechless to answer "well lets just say this guy has been a hand full to deal with like the incident in the underground facility but he has helped me out." Naruto explained
"Like how?" Sasuke being the first to come out of the bewilderment of seeing the AI
"Well let's just say he has modified me and we don't have the time to go too far into that right now. Let's just say he was made to combat the flood and took it a bit too far but is now willing to help us and leave it at that." Naruto said as they reached the last set of stairs leading to the hanger level his pelican was on. They moved up the stair well and turned the corner "alright we are almost there." Naruto said to the squad
Just then out of the shadows of the room to his right a burst of light and a figure lunged at him. Before he could react a black blur put itself between him and it as he heard the burst of a suppressed SMG, and then he was hurled to the wall opposite the room
Naruto looked down and saw Sasuke's body on top of him clutching his helmets melted visor screaming "OH GOD IT BURNS I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!"
At this naruto got angry and looked up at the elite as his eyes changed from their blue to a demonic orange and became slit and a faint orange glow surrounded him.
The elite saw the eyes change and had a look of shock on his face for a moment before he swung to finish the job. But when he brought up his energy sword naruto had gotten up and launched himself at the alien and punched it in the stomach with more force than a normal human should have.
Upon contact with his fist the shields flared and vanished and his fist dug itself into the elite's stomach. The elite hunched over from the blow and spit out as the wind was knocked out of it. Naruto then brought his left hand around the back of the elites head driving it down while his knee came up into the opening in its split chin crushing its skull in.
The squad could only watch the event unfold as it only took mere seconds to occur. They saw Naruto crush the skull of the elite and toss the body to the side.
Then they looked over and saw Sasuke on the ground holding his visor at that sight Sakura yelled "SASUKE!" as she ran over to him and helped remove his helmet. To see the damage done, while she was checking on him the felt the Autumn shuddered and gave off an explosion.
"Shit what was that!?" Kiba shouted
Fox appeared on Narutos shoulder again and answered Kibas question "that would be the shields on the engine being cracked and them beginning to overload I give it another ten minutes before this place becomes hotter than the surface of the sun." the fox explained nonchalantly
"Oh that's just great we have to get out of here now." Was Kibas reply
"Agreed" the fox said back. Naruto walked over to Sasuke to check how bad it was he looked over Sakura's shoulder and saw his friends eyes were bleeding as she began to wrap his them
"How bad is it?" Naruto asked
"Bad he has retinal scaring and burns he may never see again." She informed him
Naruto felt like he was just punched in the gut as guilt began to set in "why? That blade was meant for me" he thought to himself
"Hey don't blame yourself focus we need to get out of here, he is still alive he still has a chance now let's move." He heard the fox say to him in his head
"Right can't worry about that now have to get them out of here." He told himself, there was another explosion and he began to see fires start in some of the rooms he stood up and looked at the rest of the squad
"Alright get him up we have to move." Sakura and Ino got under each of Sasuke's arms and lifted him up and they began to head toward the hanger the pelican was in.
They could now see the door to the hanger "almost there." Naruto said to himself when out of nowhere a green plasma bolt flew past his head and then he heard the sound of an assault rifle and surpassed SMG fire from behind him
"We have those zombie things from before coming up behind use." He heard Kiba yell from the back
"Hey next door on the right get in there and it's the only working one in there." He said to Sakura and Ino and they along with Kakashi moved toward the door, he went back to help with the flood coming towards them.
When he reached the back he began to engage the flood and found the rest of the squad trying to hold the flood back but there was just too many for them to hold and the flood was getting closer by the second
"Damn't we won't be able to take off fast enough with those things right on our ass like this." Naruto said to himself as he realized someone was going to have to slow them down while the rest got to the bird and got out of there.
"Hey I am almost dry here!" Choji yelled out then naruto heard the sound of the machine gun click on empty and the flood started moving faster toward them "fuck I am out of ammo!" Choji called out as he switched to his SMG.
"shit I have no choice now." Naruto thought to himself as he realized what he was going to have to do. "hey fox can you start the auto pilot remotely from here." Naruto asked the fox
"yeah I know what you're thinking and I don't like it" the fox complained
"Never said you had to like it but I will get them off this ring. So can you do it or not?" He told the AI
"Yes I can." The fox said
"Good and also that thing you told me about earlier about removing my subconscious blocks can you do that? Cause I will need it here." He asked
"Well yeah but there is the chance you may slip into madness that you will never recover from, are you sure you want to do this?" The fox replied in shock
Naruto looked at the squad trying to fight off the flood slowly gaining ground on them as the Autumn gave off another explosion. He then looked at Hinata and knew it was the only way and accepted it.
"Yes I have accepted that. So get started already" He told the fox with a tear in his eye "hehe it's not like I will be around long enough for it to matter any way." he chuckled trying to hide his remorse
"Very well I will start taking them off." The fox said as he went to work
"Hey on my cue I need you to make a run for the hanger and get out of here the fox is going to activate the autopilot remotely once everyone is on." Naruto said trying to keep from choking up as he said it
"Wait what about you?" Kiba asked.
All he got back was a quite then "just get ready to move"
"NO I WON'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!" Hinata shouted at him as she grabbed ahold of him from behind wrapping her arms around him.
"I've already lost you twice in the same day I won't be able to do it a third time… sob… cause I-I I love you." She admitted through her sobbing, hoping that if she laid it all out like that he would come with her.
He put his hand over hers and held it for a second enjoying the warm embrace of the woman he loved as well. He pulled her hand away and slipped out of her embrace to turn around and look at her.
He looked into her eyes and said "I love you to and… that is why I have to do this." He said to her.
Her eyes began to widen in shock at him admitting he loved her but realizing he was going to leave her she began to protest when his hand connected with the side of her neck and she felt consciousness slip away and everything went black.
"Alright get ready." He said after knocking out Hinata and gesturing to Kurina to take her.
He handed her over to her them and turned toward the flood coming at them and felt the strength of the fox releasing the mental blocks. Then he felt pain as he dropped to a knee. "alright run, get out of here I'll cover you!" He yells with what sounded like an evil tone.
They stopped to look at their friend being consumed by a demonic orange arua and his body began to change. His hair became more wild, his eyes became demonic orange and slit with a ferial blood lust in them, his canines grew long and sharp, as well as his nails became more like claws.
After the change it no longer hurt and he felt the urge to kill everyone and thing in sight but was able to hold that urge back. He stood as the rest of the squad looked at what looked to be a demon standing in front of them. Even the flood had stopped for a moment to look at the new thing infront of them.
He stared at them for a second "don't just stand there run get off this ring and warn everyone about this new threat. NOW MOVE!" he roared at them and that gave them the kick in the ass they needed and the sprinted to hanger while he stayed there and stared at the flood that had stopped to look at this new threat.
"Well what are you waiting for come and get me." He said with a smirk as he pulled out his two knives on his lower back and got into a fighting stance with the knives in the reverse grip. At that the flood charged at him and he lunged into them swinging the blades around slicing and tearing the flood to ribbons "just get off this ring please." He begged in his mind as he held back the flood for his squad.
He heard the engines of the pelican start up and it take off. He looked out a nearby window and saw the bird take off toward space. "at least they got away." He thought then turned from the window and said "well lets finish this." He said as he let out a scowl and a roar and started ripping into the flood.
Kurina cared Hinata to the hanger and strapped her into one of the seats of the pelican. Just then Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru, Shino, and Asuma ran into the pelican.
Asuma ran straight into the cockpit where Kakashi was trying to figure out how to get the pelican airborne.
"What the fuck did I just see? Namikaze just went all ferial, demonic and shit." Kiba yelled as he came in to the pelican
"I don't know but we need to leave we can't let his sacrifice go in vain." Shikamaru replied.
At the sound of sacrifice Sakura jumped up without her helmet on from checking on Sasuke and yelled "what do you mean sacrifice?" she then looked around and didn't see Naruto with them "where is Namikaze at!?" she yelled at Shikamaru.
"He said he would hold them off and went as the mutt face said all ferial, demonic and shit." He explained at the explanation of what happened she got up and ran for the back of the pelican
"I gotta go get him!" but the back door closed before she could make out the back hatch.
"Sorry can't let you guys leave." The fox's voice came over the speakers in the pelican.
Everyone looked around and then his hologram came onto the counsel of the pelican.
"Sorry but the kid wants you off this ring and asked me to make sure you do, and I intend to do so." The fox said as the engines started up and it began to take off.
At the motion of the pelican taking off Sakura became frantic and screaming "we can't just leave him here!"
"Sorry but it is his choice if he doesn't hold them back they will overrun you and you won't be able to get away. He knows what he is doing, and accepts it." The fox explains as the bird took off from the hanger.
"Easy for you to say leaving him there while you are with us." Sakura yelled at the hologram holding back her tears.
"What hell do you mean while I am here this is just a com link I am still stuck in the little fuckers head. I ain't getting off this damn ring either trust me I am completely against this I want to live just as much as you do but he is right we are the only ones who could hold them back long enough for you to get away and that is what he wants more than anything, to protect those he cares about the most. Well guess this is good bye then." The fox finishes the speech and chuckles a bit as the hologram vanishes.
The squad stared on as the hologram vanished and they moved to the back of the pelican to see what was going on. They saw the Autumn burst with flames on multiple levels and a few explosions rip out huge pieces of the Autumn. Sakura brought her hands up and cupped her nose and mouth and tears began to roll down her face as she began to cry as she thought about Naruto being stuck in that inferno.
They felt the pelican shake as it broke atmosphere just then an intense light burst through the windows as they were thrown about the pelican.
"The fuck was that." Kiba called out as he picked himself up off the floor of the pelican.
"Well guess that it's the last of that damn godforsaken ring." Kakashi says from the cockpit as he tries to figure out how to fly the pelican.
Hinata began to stir and came to and began to look around and realized she was in a pelican. She began to remember what happened. She ripped off her helmet and looked around the cabin looking for naruto.
"Where is he where is Naruto?!" she asked franticly and saw everyone's expression droop as she asked "no he can't be." She said as she ran to the back of the pelican to look out the window, and saw the remains of the halo ring and space.
Then the realization he was gone hit her like a ton of bricks. She began to cry uncontrollably as she collapsed into the seat next to the door.
Sakura looked over at her and sat next to her and put her arm around here in comfort. "It's alright. It'll be alright" she said as she as she also began to cry with her. Everyone just remained silent cause none of them had anything to say to comfort her.
Kakashi looked back in to the cabin from the cockpit seeing the depression in the room. "good bye dear friend I will let your father know your sacrifice wasn't in vain and how you were a great man… He will be proud. Even more proud then he already is." Kakashi thought to himself thinking about his old commander and his squad mate's memory.
END CHAPTER 21