Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Here is the next chapter! This is the one before the last one. It's a lot longer than the other chapters. I hope that you all enjoy it… let me know what you think… PLEASE?
I am thinking that the last chapter MIGHT be finished this weekend but no promises. But I will try to start on it tonight! – laydee kai
A Son's Path: the Last Namikaze
Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Aftermath
Naruto and Sakura sped through the trees with Jugo following close behind. Naruto held Yuri close to him as he made his way through the trees. He was trying hard to keep his movements steady so he would jar her around too much.
Yuri had just been through so much in the last hour. She battled with Suigetsu, faced Sasuke's Mangekyou and was stabbed again. It was a testament to her strength that she was even still alive.
It wouldn't have been as urgent of a trip if Sakura would have been able to stop the bleeding, but she couldn't. Her blood was now seeping through Naruto's clothes. He looked down at his paling wife with a broken heart. He could feel her body temperature starting to fall.
"Yuri-chan, please hold on." He whispered to her as he picked up speed. "Sakura!"
"Hai?" she asked as she caught up.
"Go to our home, Baa-chan is there. She and Daifu are watching the kids. Bring her to the hospital as fast as you can. I don't want the twins to see her like this."
"Hai."
"Please hurry Sakura… her body temperature is starting to fall."
"Don't worry… I'll get her." She said as she broke away from the two males. She doubled her speed to get there as quickly as she could.
Naruto and Jugo turned direction slightly and headed for the hospital. Jugo looked at Naruto and saw the worry in his face. It was at the moment that he was honored to be at his side. They may not know each other, but Jugo saw what kind of person he was. This was a man that he should follow, not someone like the Uchiha.
As they approached the village, they saw what the Oto-nins had done. There were still fights going on. Konoha ninja were fighting with everything that they had in order to protect their homes. The battle would have been even harder if the Oto-nins had possessed the same amount of conviction as their opponents.
Naruto was slightly torn. He knew that he was still needed on the battle field, but his wife was slipping away in his arms. He had to get her to the hospital first and then he would come back. They passed a few small fights on their way through the massive chunk of wall that had been knocked down. Naruto eyed his comrades and he rushed by.
Jugo looked at Naruto. He saw how torn he was. This would be his chance to actually help and also show that he wasn't a monster.
"Go Naruto-san. I will tend to things here. Please make sure that Yuri-san is okay."
"Thank you Jugo-san." He said, relieved. "I will be back to help clean up."
"Just go… don't worry about this." Jugo told the blond.
Naruto nodded and then vanished in a yellow blur. Jugo landed in the middle of a crowd of Oto-nins that had surrounded two Konoha chûnins. The two inexperienced chûnins looked up at the giant of a man and started to panic, where as the other ninja started to laugh. They thought that Jugo was there to help them, they couldn't have been more wrong.
"You two are going to die!" One of the Oto-ninja sneered.
Jugo looked at the two Konoha ninja and smiled. He looked back at the crowd around him, glaring.
"They won't die by my hand… or yours. But if you are looking for a fight… I will provide one for you!" he said as he settled into a stance.
The enemies looked at each other in a sheer state of panic. One of their own had turned on them. That must mean that their leader, Sasuke Uchiha had lost.
"Jugo-sama! What are you doing? Uchiha-sama will kill you for your treachery!" one of them yelled.
"How can someone who is dead kill me?" he asked calmly.
"He's dead?"
"Hai. As will you if you don't back down." Jugo said. "I will give you one chance to leave."
- - xXxXx - -
Sakura came to a skidding halt against the massive doors to the Namikaze estate. She grabbed the handles to the gate and pulled, but the gates would not budge.
"Shit! The seals! What was he thinking? I can't open them! How am I going to get to Shishou?" Sakura said loudly.
A small wave of panic set in as she thought of Yuri. She had to get Tsunade; there was no way around that. 'I can't open the gates, the seals make sure of that… I wonder if they can hear me on this side of the gate with the seal activated.' Sakura sighed. She charged her fists with chakra and began beating on the gates. Hopefully the noise would be enough to bring them out of the house.
"Lady Tsunade!" Sakura screamed. "Please! Lady Tsunade! You have to come with me, you are needed!"
She proceeded to pound on the gates. But there was no answer.
"Okay… I can't get in… and they can't hear me…maybe they will be able to see me over the gates." She thought out loud.
Sakura nipped her finger and flew through the signs. She slammed her hand on the ground sending small tremors around her and yelled, "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" In a large plum of white smoke, she rose up over the walls of the estate on the head of her own massive summons, Katsuyu, the Queen of the Slugs.
"Lady Sakura?" The large slug questioned. "How may I be of service?"
"I need to get Lady Tsunade. Yuri is in trouble and she is the only one who can help her."
"Say no more, Lady Sakura." She stated in her serene voice.
- - xXxXx - -
Tsunade sat on the couch stroking Yuki's long silvery yellow hair. She was nervous that the twins would hear the banging and noises outside of the walls. She prayed to Kami that they would continue to sleep even when the banging got louder.
Tsunade looked up at her old friend sitting across from her. Jiraiya had himself propped up in a large chair. In his lap was Takeshi, sleeping very soundly.
"Jiraiya?" she questioned.
"Hai, Hime?"
"They are okay aren't they?" she asked, clearly worried.
"Hai… I know they are. Give us some credit after all, we did train them. They can really handle themselves."
Tsunade absorbed what he said, feeling herself relax a little because she knew he was right. That is why they both handed over their mantles to Naruto and Sakura. The remained three, Kakashi, Anko and Yuri were more than seasoned shinobi and all had proven themselves time and time again. She really had no reason to worry. She silently chided herself for being so silly.
All of a sudden, Tsunade's eyes widened when she recognized the sudden burst of chakra. She quickly identified it as her old friend, Katsuyu. She was close by, very close by. She tried to crane her neck to look out a window but couldn't. Every so smoothly, she got up and placed a pillow under her sleeping charge's head. She grabbed the blanket from off the back of the couch and covered her. Checking once more to make sure Yuki was sleeping, Tsunade hurried out of the house.
Jiraiya watched his friend leaving. He dared not call out after her because there was a chance that he would wake the children. That was something better done when they were sure that the fighting was over and the parents were ok. He didn't want them to worry about Naruto or Yuri.
Jiraiya quickly followed suit. He stood and gently placed Takeshi back in the chair. Grabbing the other blanket, he covered him and made sure he didn't stir. Satisfied that he was still sleeping soundly, he followed behind Tsunade.
"Hime?" he said as he caught her at the door. "What's wrong?"
"It's Katsuyu… I feel her chakra close by."
"That shouldn't be anything surprising… there is an invasion going on. Sakura probably summoned her."
She turned to Jiraiya. "I have a feeling. I just need to check."
"Okay, Hime." He said reassuringly.
The two soon to be retired Sannin ran out of the front door and down the porch. The two looked around at what was visible above the gates. There were several large plums of smoke coming from various places all over the village. Tsunade gasped as her eyes fell on the huge slug standing at the gates.
"Katsuyu!" she called out.
"Tsunade!" Sakura yelled. "I have been sent for you!"
Tsunade saw her former student standing on the head of the summons. She was obviously exhausted. She was covering in dirt and there was blood on her. She was to far away from Tsunade to be able to decipher if it was her blood or another's.
"Naruto has ordered me to say here with the twins!"
"Well, he sent me here for you! You must come now!" Sakura pleaded.
"Go, Hime. I'll stay here with the twins. It must be important if he sent Sakura here." Jiraiya offered.
"Okay… let me out of the gates. Seal them back when I am on the other side and take care of them, Jiraiya."
"Hai. I know. Be safe Hime." Jiraiya countered.
Jiraiya nipped his finger and smeared his blood over the seal. After the seal opened, Jiraiya pushed the gates open to let her out. Tsunade brushed past him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He then did something very out of character. He kissed her deeply. When he pulled back, she just starred.
"Hit me later… I don't care. I just had to do that. Go now, Naru needs you."
She nodded and ran out of the gate. As she turned to look back at him, it was too late. He had already shut the gates and activated the seals. Tsunade shushined up to the top of the slug and was greeted by Sakura.
"Katsuyu, please take us to the hospital as fast as you can." Sakura ordered.
"Hai, Lady Sakura."
Sakura turned to Tsunade. "It's Yuri, Shishou. She was wounded when she fought Suigetsu, but I was able to heal that wound. But when we got to Naruto's battle…The Uchiha took her and used his Mangekyou on her and then stabbed her again in the same wound. She has lost a lot of blood and is under severe mental strain."
"Oh Kami…" Tsunade said as her breath left her lungs. She inhaled deeply. "What about the other's?"
"I have Karin's dead body, Suigetsu is dead, and Jugo is with us and…"
"Did Naruto kill him?" Tsunade cut Sakura off.
"Hai. The traitor is dead." She said coldly. "Anko and Kakashi are taking care of the body now."
"Good. One less thing to worry about. Time to focus on Yuri."
- - xXxXx - -
Jiraiya leaned against the massive gates. He had just re-activated the seals. He sighed and contemplated what he had just done.
"I have always wanted to kiss her… but why now?" he asked himself out loud.
He thought about the times they had together. True, it wasn't the most pleasant relationship in the beginning; however, as soon as they got over that, they had been great friends and allies. They were comrades in arms. The white haired man racked his brain trying to think of the reason why they had never been more than what they were.
"I'm nothing but a sentimental old fool." He said out loud as he made his way back to the house. He had to check on the twins.
- - xXxXx - -
Naruto's heart leapt when he saw the roof of the hospital signifying that it was still standing. He jumped over some rubble as he closed in on the front doors. He was relived to see that for the most part, that section of the village had been untouched. Konoha's forces must have been able to keep the intruders at bay. Thankfully he didn't see too many shinobi causalities and even fewer civilian.
Naruto kicked the doors to the hospital open. He rushed inside trying his hardest to not knock Yuri as he did so. Nurses and other staff bustled by him, it was obvious that they had been busy. At the front of the room there was a woman who stood out amongst them all, it was safe to assume that she was the nurse in charge. She was watching who came in and was clearly sorting all of the case by severity. If they were minor, they were sent to a safe zone, if not then they were tended to quickly. The whole building and all of her staff knew that this was not the worse, which was yet to come.
"Help!" Naruto yelled over the commotion of the waiting area. "Please! I need help now!"
The head nurse looked over at him and recognized him. She rushed to his side.
"Hai, Naruto-san? Oh no! Yuri-san!" she fretted.
"She has lost a lot of blood and was… tortured… I have called for Tsunade; she will know how to handle the latter part of her injuries. Please just help her."
"Of course…" she looked around the room. "Get me a bed now! If the surgery room is open, she is to be given top priority. If not, get her stabilized…"
The nurse's words were all running together. Naruto was having a hard time focusing on what she was ordering. He placed Yuri on the bed that was brought to him. He held her hand tightly and kissed it.
"Yuri-chan, hold on… Baa-chan is on her way for you." He whispered in her ear. "I love you and I will be back… I promise."
He kissed her on her forehead and placed her hand on her chest. The nurse was still barking orders to all those around her. Naruto didn't even wait for her to say anything. He turned and slowly made his way out of the hospital. He had a village to clean up before he could get back to Yuri. Kami help whoever got in his way.
- - xXxXx - -
Jugo was still fighting. When given a choice, the majority of the Oto-ninja fled. However, there was the occasional group who thought that they were up to the challenge of taking on Jugo. They were quickly dispatched.
"Jugo-san? Why do you fight against us?" a scared Oto-nin questioned.
"Because! It was never my wish to fight with you in the first place. This was not my battle. The Uchiha is dead… drop your swords and go home while you still can." He said as he resumed his stance.
- - xXxXx - -
Naruto was walking out of the hospital as Katsuyu arrived. Tsunade, spotting his bright hair, jumped from the slug's head. She ran to Naruto, pulling him tight into an embrace. Naruto was a shell of himself. It nearly broke Tsunade to see him like this; after all, he was the closest thing that she would ever have to a son.
"Stay strong Naru, you still have much to do Hokage-sama. I will take good care of Yuri-chan for you… you have my word."
"Thank you." He replied, with a small nod.
Naruto shushined to the top of Katsuyu's head and was greeted with Sakura's presence. She had concern etched all over her face.
"Are you okay, Naruto?"
"No. This has gone on long enough, Sakura. This battle has been going on since our days at the Academy… and I am damn sick of fighting. Tell them all that he is dead and if they wish, they can leave."
Naruto's expression was that of determination, anger and anxiety. Sakura knew that all he wanted to do at the moment was sit and wait for news of Yuri. It was in this moment that proved why it was him chosen to be Hokage. He knew that there was more than just him, that he needed to fight for everyone who couldn't. And that was what he was going to do and she would help him until she physically couldn't.
"What if they won't leave?" she asked.
"Take them down." He said dangerously.
She looked at her friend and nodded. "Hai, Hokage-sama!" she replied.
Naruto nodded back before he blurred away.
- - xXxXx - -
Anko and Kakashi stood silently over Sasuke's bloody body. The body was surrounded by an ungodly amount of blood. When Naruto pulled the sword out, he did it with such force that it sprayed blood all over the area.
Kakashi remained silent as he gazed upon the body. He had a swarm of different emotions going through his head. He felt sadness, anger and despair, but he mostly felt guilt. There were times when he felt like he was to blame for the way that the boy turned out. He had put the boy on a pedestal when he first met him. He was the last Uchiha. He was a genius. He had seen so much of himself in the boy that he thought there was a way to atone for his past mistakes. He soon realized this boy was nothing like his lost friend, Obito. He was something else.
He had favored him over his other students, Naruto and Sakura. Thank Kami for Jiraiya and Tsunade. He knew that he couldn't take credit on their growth. He sighed heavily. "Trying to fix the past only caused more pain in the future. Sensei would have been so mad."
"You okay Kakashi?" Anko said breaking his train of thought.
"Hai." He replied.
"You don't look like it."
"I am."
"How does it feel to see a former student like this?" she asked quietly.
"This is not my student. That boy died seven years ago. This…" he nodded too the body, "is nothing more than scum." Kakashi said. His voice void of attachment.
The masked ninja kneeled down to check the body to determine if he was really dead or not. He placed two fingers on the vein in the neck for a pulse. His one eye widened quickly. He had just felt a very faint pulse. He checked again.
"I… I don't believe it. The bastard is still alive!" Kakashi announced.
Anko withdrew a kunai from her pouch and reached out to Kakashi. "Then finish him or he will recover!"
Kakashi flew through the proper hand signs and charged up his hand. The glowing mass of crackling chakra engulfed his hand. The area filled with the calls of a thousand birds. He looked at the body once more before his hand began it's decent. In that moment, two cloaked figures shushined into the area knocking both Anko and Kakashi unconscious, effectively causing Kakashi to lose the chidori. The figures stood over the two Leaf shinobi for a brief time. Their cloaks adorned with crimson clouds bellowing the wind.
"Let's kill them." The tallest said.
"No. That is not why we are here." The shorter man replied.
"I know why we are here… to save your little brother's sorry ass. He's lucky that we have good timing… that chidori would have put a whole through him." The giant shark man scoffed.
"Humph… foolish little brother." Itachi said under his breath.
"Itachi, I really want to kill these two… I mean it would be better to do it now… well it would be fun anyway." he said wickedly.
"Leave them Kisame. They are no threat." The older Uchiha said.
Itachi turned and started to walk away. Kisame hung his head and sighed. He hated when Itachi ordered him around. The large man turned and followed his partner.
With out even turning around, Itachi calls out. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Kisame growled as he narrowed his eyes into a glare at the man's receding back. He turned from his path and walked over to the body. He bent down and picked up Sasuke's unmoving body and tossed him over his shoulder.
"His blood better come out of my cloak… it's new." He mumbled to himself as he followed once again.
- - xXxXx - -
Naruto blurred to another location in the village. He didn't even wait for them to address him.
"Stop fighting. Your master is dead…will you proceed?" he coldly.
"Uchiha-sama is dead?"
"Hai. You can leave now and keep your life or you can try to fight me and die."
All the ninja eyed each other. They didn't know what to do. Was he serious? Would he really let them go? They tried to think it over as quickly as they could but the fact that an enemy gave them a choice seemed like a trap. They tried to gage Naruto. He was covered in blood, severely pissed and radiating a bloodlust that would make you want to break down.
"I'm a busy man! Make it quick! Live or die?" he yelled angrily.
The Oto-nins didn't need too be told again. As fast as their legs would carry them, they fled the area.
Naruto, satisfied with their choice, looked around to see where else he was needed. He couldn't see anything where he was, he needed to be on higher ground. He looked up to the monument and sped to the top. Once he reached his perch, he began to survey the progress of pushing the enemy out.
There were very few battles still taking place. The news was spreading that Sasuke was dead and the ninja didn't want to fight without their leader so they were all fleeing. There were several areas of the village that were decimated. There would be much to do tomorrow, but now he was needed else where. They knew where they could find him if he was needed.
- - xXxXx - -
Naruto walked into the hospital purposefully, he was there to see his wife. He looked around and at once fell pity for the staff. If he thought it was slightly busy when he brought Yuri in, then this was a full on insane hustle. The pep that everyone had before was now gone, it had been replaced with exhaustion. He looked around for the head nurse; he needed to know where to go.
"Naruto-san?" a young girl asked.
He turned to find a girl about 16 years old dressed in a white uniform. She was fighting back her tiredness and was pushing on because she felt it was her duty. She bowed to him slightly.
"Hai." He responded while wondering what she wanted.
"I was told to keep a look out for your return. Follow me please and I will take you to where you can wait." She answered softly.
"Where is she? Is she okay?" he rambled hurriedly.
"I wish I could be of more help Naruto-san. Tsunade didn't tell me anything of her condition, just to watch for you. They are still in surgery."
"Still?" he asked nervously.
"Hai." She turned to show him where to go.
"Do you know how long she has been in there?"
"Hai, it has been almost three hours." She said echoing his fear. She turned and gave him a small smile. "Fear not she is in good hands."
He followed the rest of the way in silence. He had so much on his mind that he didn't even know where he should start. The young girl brought him to a hall way that was lined with chairs. At the end were two massive green doors that led to the operating room. Naruto sat in the one that was closest to the door, feeling like it was the only way he would be any closer to Yuri.
Naruto sat there unmoving for the longest time. He starred at the wall across from him. The white background slowly numbing his eyes. He closed them and sighed. He began to shift through the mass of thoughts in his head.
He was first and foremost worried about his wife. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he loved her with every fiber of his being. She was his world. He couldn't lose her. Lose her? How would he ever be able to face his babies? He promised them that they would be safe and be home. How would he ever be able to tell them that their mother had died and he couldn't save her? How do you explain to them that they would never see her again? It was one thing to grow up without parents like he did, but to know them, love them, spend time with them and then just have one or both taken, how does one recover from something like that?
He had also just killed someone that he once cared for. He knew that it had to be done, but the part of him that held on to his memories from that time ached. Naruto also wondered about his capacity of being Hokage. Could he do it? He wasn't even the Hokage yet and he was finding it hard to choose between his family and the village. The whole time he was fighting he wanted to be right where he was, sitting in the most uncomfortable chair that was ever produced waiting to find out about Yuri. His heart wanted to take on every ninja that poised a threat to anyone in the village, but at the same time he wished that everyone would just freeze until he knew for sure.
He began to worry about his comrades. He knew Sakura had made it through okay because she was back in the village walls, but he had yet to hear anything for Anko or Kakashi. Everything should have gone off without problems, but one can never be too sure. But why were the not back yet? What could keep them?
Then there was Jugo. Anko obviously trusted him so that meant something. After all, Anko's trust was something that was not easily earned because of her past. It had taken Naruto a while to earn it completely, but he was glad that he had. So then he would give Jugo a chance.
'Jugo… he had said something before we left. What was it? Make sure he's dead? Is that what he said? Is that why Kakashi and Anko aren't back? Has Sasuke come back to life and killed them? No! He has to be dead. I put a sword through his heart and there was blood everywhere. I am just over thinking; they just got caught up dealing with everything else… that had to be it.' He thought to himself.
The sound of foot steps snapped him out of his thought process. He looked to the green doors but didn't see the door open when they stopped. He turned to find Sakura standing there. She was covered in dirt and blood.
"Don't worry, it's not my blood. It's about 30 different people." She sat down next to Naruto. She turned to her friend. "Any word?"
"No. I just got here about thirty minutes ago… the girl said they had been in there for three hours."
"How are you?"
"I've been better." He said weakly. "All I have been doing is sitting here thinking and it's driving me insane. I am worried sick about Yuri. I have to know something soon." Naruto leaned over and put his head in his hands. "Sakura I don't know what I will do if she dies."
"Don't think like that Naruto! Shishou is in there and Yuri will be fine." Sakura comforted.
Naruto just nodded. He could speak anymore. He was so tired. But he had to know. He would sit there until she came out. And then he would sit in any other uncomfortable chairs next to her bed for as long as he had too.
Sakura watched the battle her old friend was going through and it broke her heart. She had come straight from the field, here. He was hurting and he needed his friend. He would wait with him until he didn't need her anymore. And still she would stay.
The minutes ticked by slowly until the green doors creaked and Tsunade stepped out from behind them. Both Naruto and Sakura's head snapped up and waited. Sakura studied her old sensei and identified that look. Naruto noticed it too, his heart shattered.
"Is she?" he said quietly.
"She is alive…" she began. Her words got caught in her throat.
"But?"
"I don't know Naru… She had lost so much blood and a few of her organs were damaged. It's a miracle that she made it through the surgery…" she said sadly.
Tsunade turned to Sakura for help. Sakura had tears already streaming down her face but was trying to control them. Naruto needed her to be strong.
"Is she… at least… stable?" he slowly managed.
"No…not at the moment." Tsunade answered.
"Can… can I see her?" he choked out.
Tsunade inhaled deeply. This was going to be hard for her to say. "Naru… son… I don't think you should." How could she tell him that he wouldn't want to see her like this? That he would want to remember her happy and healthy? That if he saw her like this, knocking on death's door, that the nightmares would haunt him for the rest of his life? She couldn't do that to him.
Naruto looked up. He starred into her eyes. He saw what she was doing. Tsunade wanted to protect him. Tsunade slowly started to blur out of his vision. A single tear signified the flood that was coming. He swallowed hard and doubled over. He body began to quake as the sobs flowed.
Sakura embraced Naruto and let him cry.
- END -