Chunin arc

Demise pt1


Aburame Shino was not the type of person to easily display his emotions. For as long as he could remember, he was calm and collected. He was someone whose actions were based on proper logic rather than chaotic emotions. He acted exactly as a good Aburame was expected to, but still… today, Shino wasn't as calm a he wanted to be. In fact, he had to make a conscious effort to suppress the frown that constantly tried to emerge on his face.

Then again, loyalty to his team was something of key importance to him. While his insects were far easier to interact with, his teammates were, odd as they may be to him, a connection to humanity that he valued very much. But under the current circumstances, he began to question the functionality of his team- almost to the extent that he started to regret not being on his original team any more. Because, while Kiba had been an anomaly to Shino, since he was a being who was driven by emotion to the same extent as Shino was by logic, Hinata and Kurenai had been far easier to interact with.

Instead, Shino felt helpless as he saw a distant Kakashi, who seemed unable to comprehend his teammates' feelings, a very angry Uchiha, and the emotional chaos which was named Haruno Sakura. Admittedly, Shino could not blame Sakura for her fluctuating behavior. The young kunoichi had first lost her mother, and now her father had died due to an accident. While Shino could logically comprehend the sorrow which Sakura felt, her moments of rage surprised him. It eluded him why someone would blame an intoxicated person for having an accident, or why she would be enraged at someone who had already left their world. What point was there for her to blame her father?

Shino knew that alcohol was a tool used by many shinobi in order to find a temporary escape from the emotions that cropped up within them. And while the Aburame did not require such a crude method to control themselves, they understood the function it served well enough- even though the method was obviously flawed. The number of accidents caused by intoxicated people, such as the latest rampage of Senju Tsunade through the main street of Konoha, was evidence of that.

By definition, people who were under the influence of alcohol were not in control of their actions. It was a cardinal sin in the eyes of every Aburame, but… well, the Aburame simply had better teachers. Their insects showed them the way- a far less confusing way.

In that contrast, the behavior of his last teammate was the most difficult to understand for Shino. Insects did not bear grudges. Insects did not strive for pointless violence, especially not against those who are considered allies- but Uchiha Sasuke had ended up in hospital for those exact reasons. Shino noted that while he and his team visited him there, none of the others really seemed to be there. Sakura was distracted by her own grief, and didn't fawn over Sasuke like she usually did– Shino had to admit to himself that this was the only positive that came out of all these horrible events. Kakashi, their sensei, seemed to be at a loss for words. Shino suspected that he was mostly disappointed in Sasuke, although he wondered why Kakashi didn't intervene earlier. All the signs that Sasuke had been having issues with his temper were there. Issues which clearly were not solved.

Uncharacteristically, Shino had been the person who had talked most of the four- even while not speaking more than usual…

On his way back to his clan's compound, Shino couldn't help but release the sigh which had been building up for the last hour. 'I am beginning to think that Naruto-san was not the one at fault, unlike how Sakura-san insisted. While his behavior is highly illogical too, Sasuke's unprovoked attack would suggest that the reason for his conflict with Naruto could also originate from him; therefore, I might have judged Naruto unjustly.'

Yes, interacting with other humans was a confusing activity. Highly illogical.


Raido looked to his side, and realized that for once Anko was feeling completely the same way as he felt. They were out of place here. "Hokage-sama, are you sure Mitarashi-san and I should-"

"I am no longer your Hokage, Raido-kun," Hiruzen chided him gently. "But you two should remain here, yes. You two should stay near, in case Jiraiya or Tsunade need help."

"You're seriously going to let that kid go through with this? Now, of all times?" Anko gritted her teeth, trying to suppress her frustration. "You know how much he's already struggling!"

"I do, Anko-chan, and that's why I asked him to do it now," Hiruzen smiled, much to the confusion of the two tokubetsu jonin. "It is why we are doing this up here, on the top of the mountain ridge where there is little left to destroy, yet still within the barrier of the Uzumaki compound. Besides, Jiraiya and Tsunade are here as well."

"Please don't say 'what could go wrong', because if you say that shit will definitely hit the fan," Anko grumbled. Raido, having far too much respect for Hiruzen to actually voice any disagreements, silently agreed.

"He really grew on you, didn't he?"

"W-what?" Anko blinked.

"The way you are worried, both of you, about what might happen to Naruto-kun," Hiruzen clarified. "It has been a while, since I last saw you worrying about someone else."

"He… I don't usually give a damn about people, considering how everyone treats me anyway. But that kid is different," Anko admitted. "It could be frustrating at times, but the mission sure was fun. He's like some kind of insane little brother, who actually knows what it is to… well, you know," she moved her shoulder a little, making it obvious to Hiruzen that she was pointing at the cursed seal Orochimaru left her with.

"You of all people calling someone else insane, that's a new one," Raido mumbled.

"Wow, even mister stick-up-his-ass is making jokes now?"

"You should've heard Raido and Genma, when they had enough sake, at the campfires at night," Hiruzen chuckled, thinking back at the times they were his guards. "Ah, it's nostalgic to think back to those times. It's so sad that Genma died," he sighed, sad that the man had lost his life at the hands of the Akatsuki shinobi who had attempted to capture Gaara and Naruto.

"He's ready, sensei," Tsunade stomped forward. "I'm still thinking you've lost it, though."

"He isn't completely stupid," Jiraiya joined them. Raido noted the sad look on the face of the Godaime Hokage.

"You heard what he said, he has to use the Kyuubi's chakra again," Tsunade snarled. "You know the effect that demon has on him, and you still want to proceed with it? Baki himself said that Gaara could stay here as long as it would take, and cautioned that we should avoid unnecessary risks."

"Sure, he did," Jiraiya sighed. "Sunagakure knows that it depends on us, or more specifically on Naruto, when it comes to the fate of their jinchuriki. And they know full well that Gaara is one of their strongest assets if he is sane. Why else do you think Baki gave those scrolls to Naruto? They want to ensure he's doing his absolute best, even though they realize he relates more to Gaara than any non-jinchuriki could possibly understand."

"Handing him copies of Pakura's scrolls on her shakuton abilities was certainly unexpected," Hiruzen chimed in. "But it seems like Naruto is ready."

Jiraiya nodded. The business with Sunagakure wasn't exactly unimportant, but with the new treaties signed in the past week since Jiraiya had taken the position of Godaime, relations between Suna and Konoha had at least been restored to a decent level. After all, breaking recently-signed treaties was a thing that was highly frowned upon in their world. And Sunagakure already had suffered a lot of damage to its reputation, after the way it had launched an attack on Konoha during the Chunin Exams. But with the election of Jiraiya, Suna's council had been willing to accept that they had to make concessions after those events. Jiraiya also knew that the recent improvements between Kirigakure and Konoha also aided this: Sunagakure was afraid to be left out, as it knew that Konoha didn't need an alliance any longer to maintain the balance against the threats of Kumogakure and Iwagakure.

Frankly, Jiraiya felt like the gesture of returning Kankuro with the corpse of the late Kazekage had been a genius move as well, because it had only further increased the goodwill from Suna's side. And Jiraiya valued the alliance between Suna and Konoha far more than the possibility of uncovering teh secrets behind the late Kazekage's kekkei genkai. Many within the council had argued against this, saying that Konoha should value power above anything else, but Jiraiya disagreed. In his view, power only brought more war, yet it would take kindness and tolerance to establish a peace. This was what the Sandaime had taught his students, and this was also in line with Jiraiya's personal views on what he called the 'cycle of hatred'.

"Still, to rush things like this," Tsunade hesitated. "It only seems to invite troubles, and for what reason?"

Naruto sat in front of Gaara, focusing to gather his and the Kyuubi's chakra. He had already drawn the changes that he would insert in Gaara's seal, under Jiraiya's watchful gaze. But between him and Gamazu, the professor amongst the toads, he had found no logical reason to assume that the design which Naruto had created these past weeks wouldn't work. Quite honestly, Jiraiya was a bit surprised at how much Naruto had grown in the art of fuinjutsu, despite knowing that his kage bunshin method made him learn far faster than normal people ever could.

Looking up, Naruto nodded towards Jiraiya. "Good luck, kiddo," the latter sighed. "Sensei, are you still prepared to go through with this?"

Tsunade frowned, caught off guard by his words.

"I am, Jiraiya. We already discussed this, it is unavoidable," Hiruzen's voice had a determination in it which made Tsunade shiver.

"What are you two planning?" she asked suspiciously. "What is going on?"

"Go, Naruto!" Jiraiya ignored her question and signaled his godson to start the sealing.


"No double agendas this time, right?" Naruto stood in front of the Kyuubi within his mindscape, looking at him with more than a dollop of suspicion.

"We made a deal, and I gave my word I would help you in changing Shukaku's wretched seal, didn't I?"

"Last time you gave your word, you still screwed me over," Naruto growled. "Give me your word that you're not going to mess with my seal this time."

The demonic kitsune sighed. "Fine, I will try my best to minimize the strain my chakra will create on that stupid seal. And it is not like I broke my word last time, because I stopped Shukaku exactly as I promised. You were just dumb enough not to realize the additional damage it would cause," the bijuu chuckled darkly.

"Yeah, I underestimated how much of prick you are," Naruto frowned. "All those words about honor, about how you detested humans who always lied and deceived, and you still ended up doing something that underhanded…"

"Don't push me too far, human," the fox narrowed its eyes.

"Well, for a freaking demon, you did something pretty damn similar to what humans do, when you screwed me over back then," Naruto huffed. "Now, give me the chakra I need so that we can get this over with. I owe it to Gaara to make sure his seal is fixed before you destroy mine. Even if I'm doomed, I could at least make sure he lives a happy life."

"Tsk. Fine, it's yours. Just don't waste it; the less you use of it, the less the amount of damage will be to your seal," the annoyed demon felt obliged to add his warning.

"After what you pulled, you bet your furry ass I'm going to use as little of it as I possibly can. As inevitable as it may be, I'd rather stay sane for a little while longer," Naruto looked up once more, the disgust and distrust clear in his gaze, before he turned around and left the sewer-like room.

'Comparing me to a lowly human… The kit has guts, I have to hand him that. But what irks me most is that it was indeed deceptive,' the somewhat guilt-ridden Kyuubi mused. Despite his annoyance, he couldn't escape the fact that the promise of 'help' he had given to Naruto when he fought the jinchuriki of the Ichibi was mostly aimed at helping himself. Not lies, if one chose to nit-pick on the wording, but… that very action was something he deemed more human than Kurama wanted to admit.


Lying as still as he possibly could, Sabaku no Gaara watched as the eyes of his brother-in-burden changed in color. Normally, the crimson chakra would have already intimidated Gaara, mostly due to the Ichibi's frenzy that followed as a response, but today it was worse. It was not just Shukaku's fear rising in him, but also his own. Then again, the success Naruto had with this seal would determine his fate. Live or die, it depended on whether or not the 'keyhole' in the new seal that held the Ichibi at bay could be inserted successfully.

His life was on the line, as any mistake would destabilize his seal and unleash the Ichibi. If the new element was not inserted successfully, the Ichibi could continue to gather chakra until it reached a level where the seal would collapse under the pressure- which would mean death. If the new element did not fit or not function properly for some reason, the seal would be weak and Gaara would once again fall under the demon's control. In Gaara's opinion, death would be a better fate.

Still, if it could be a success…Gaara would be able to control the Ichibi's chakra to some degree, releasing the surplus of its chakra in a controlled fashion. It would make Gaara one of the strongest shinobi of Sunagakure, if not the strongest, and an invaluable asset when it came to the defense of his village. After all, what lunatic would opt to assault a village in the centre of a desert, when there was someone who could control that desert? It would be a mass suicide, because any who would try would end up being crushed by Gaara.

But if Gaara died… Baki had made it pretty clear that his death, so soon after the Kazekage died, would most likely lead to other nations trying to launch an assault on Sunagakure, sooner rather than later, as there was only a limited window of opportunity before the Ichibi would respawn.

"Remember: don't move, and don't try to mold any chakra," Naruto repeated his earlier words. "I don't want to tell Temari that I accidentally ended up killing you because you sneezed, all right?"

"I am ready."

"Good. Now, this will hurt for a moment," Naruto added a warning which Gaara would've liked to have known earlier- not that such knowledge would've helped him in any way.

Chakra flooded his body. Warm, scorching hot chakra. It ran through him like liquid fire, and Gaara clenched his teeth in an attempt to suppress the scream that he felt down his throat. Pain- for years Gaara hadn't known what it was, not physical pain at least, but this… this excruciating pain…

Oddly, his defenses never reacted. Or perhaps Naruto had somehow temporarily sealed that? Gaara did not know. Nor did he care too much either, at this moment.

"Don't move," Naruto hissed, mercilessly ignoring the pain Gaara would suffer. This pain was the smallest price which Gaara would have to pay, so he would just have to bear it. Naruto knew that some of the influx of chakra could have been regulated in ways that would cause less pain, but for some odd reason, Hiruzen and Jiraiya had insisted that Naruto would do the sealing as soon as possible.

Naruto watched carefully as the extensive patterns of ink that he had drawn earlier now started to glow. Like tiny crimson snakes, the symbols started to move, swirling down the paths Naruto had ordered them to go, straight into the seal he had put on Gaara during the final round of the Chunin Exams.

'Good, seems like everything is going according to plan,' part of Naruto's mind indicated, while most of his attention remained on the seal. Any small loss of concentration could be fatal now. Everything had to be right. The most difficult aspect of all was maintaining the exact same balance between his own and the Kyuubi's chakra as he had during the first sealing.

That balancing was not made any easier by the seemingly endless flow of chakra that the sealing demanded now. How could such a small element require such an amount of chakra?

Sweat drops started to appear on his forehead, and Naruto saw the squirming Gaara pant with an equal amount of exhaustion as he himself felt – seriously, feeling as if you are burned from the inside out did not feel very comfortable. But it was done…

His shoulders slumped, and Naruto would have fallen over if Jiraiya hadn't appeared next to him.

"Did it work?"

Naruto smiled weakly, though confidently, at the worried Godaime. "Of course it did, Erokage-sama," he boasted. "How could a genius like me fai-ughh," Naruto doubled over.

"Kid! Are you okay?"

His eyes shut, Naruto tried to bite away the excruciating pain in his stomach.

"Oi, answer me dammit," was it Anko or Tsunade speaking now, or both? Naruto couldn't tell. He was too tired. And his stomach… it was as if everything was on fire. As if his body was falling apart.

"F-fine," Naruto gasped. "I'm fine. G-give me my scroll."

"Yeah right, like I'm going to let you kill yourself," Jiraiya scoffed, making the two women gasp. "Or did you really think that I wouldn't check this 'back up' of yours?"

"I'm not in the mood to be reprimanded, old man," Naruto growled. "Give me the damn scroll, take Gaara, and scram. Now."

"Like hell we are," Anko snapped. "Don't think we're going to-"

"Sensei…" Tsunade's near-whispering voice drew Naruto's attention.

"Raido, Anko, you two take Gaara to the living quarters down the mountain," Hiruzen ordered.

"But-" Anko's protest was cut off when Raido put a hand on the snake-mistress' shoulder and shook his head.

"It was an honor, Sandaime-sama," the scarred tokubetsu jonin said while he bowed deeply to show his respect.

"The honor was mine, Raido," Hiruzen smiled softly, ignoring Anko's confused looks. "And if you would listen to the last advice of this selfish old man: please do not make the mistake I made. Live, Raido. Not just for the sake of the village, not for the sake of duty, but also for yourself and your own happiness."

Raido blinked, and looked up at the old man. "I… I shall try to do as you wish," the stoic man replied honestly. Honestly, because he knew that such a thing would be difficult for him. If not impossible, as it went straight against every custom imprinted in his behavioral patterns- to the point where Genma had often joked that he was the only bug-free Aburame in the village.

"Perhaps Anko can teach you a thing or two," Hiruzen chuckled.

Lifting up the completely exhausted Gaara, who was still struggling to endure the pain, Raido looked one last time at the Hokage whom he had served so long. He then jumped away, following orders, always following orders. Anko looked at Hiruzen, still confused about the exchange of words; then she shrugged and followed Raido.

"What are you playing at," Tsunade's voice had an edge that worried Naruto.

"Shiki fujin," Jiraiya whispered. He put the nearly paralyzed Naruto down, and removed the dark green kimono that covered the boy's stomach. Tsunade saw the seal on Naruto, glowing like a feverish wound, and felt her innards freeze when she realized what was going on.

"You can't!" she gasped.

"I can, I will, I must," Hiruzen declared, though as kindly as possible, which decisively ended any possible discussion.

"Don't, Hime," Jiraiya grabbed Tsunade by the arm. "Nothing you say will stop this. And I tried everything I can possibly think of, which is a lot more than even you would be able to, to be frank, considering that this concerns fuinjutsu."

"You can't be serious! Jiraiya, you can't let him go through with this!"

"Old man, what are you going to do?" Naruto frowned. "You know I can't hold the fox back for that much longer. I did what I had to do, so why can't you just let me end my life the way I want? I would rather take that bastard down with me, than allow him to control me and then hurt everyone precious to me!"

"That is not necessary, Naruto-kun," Hiruzen smiled fondly. "You will live, and you will remain in control of your own body, at least for as much time as I can possibly buy you."

"Buy time? What are you talking about?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, I offer you my final words. The jutsu which I am about to do is one that will claim my life, but in return, it will strengthen your seal."

Naruto cringed as the Kyuubi suddenly started to push as much chakra into Naruto's body as it possibly could. And Naruto barely had the ability to restrain himself. He… he wanted to kill, to maim, to tear everything into tiny pieces- to burn down the atrocious village that never-

Jiraiya spied Naruto's wild and deep red eyes, and slapped a paper tag on top of Naruto's head. Instantly, Naruto felt relieved, as he regained control over his chakra and his body. "What are you saying? And why is the Kyuubi going into a panicked frenzy because of it?" he muttered weakly, when he finally caught his breath again.

"Because it has probably realized what I am about to do," Hiruzen couldn't help but feel a rather large amount of satisfaction for scaring the mightiest of the Bijuu in his final moments. "The Shiki Fujin was the seal which Minato used to seal the Kyuubi in you. While the Hakke Fuin is the design of its prison, the Shiki Fujin was what empowered it. And as the name, dead demon consuming seal, states, it is backed by the might of the shinigami itself. But… there is a price that needs to be paid for its help."

"You're going to sacrifice your life," Naruto realized. He didn't even need to see the tears that were dripping from Tsunade chin to know that it was true.

"Don't feel bad about it," Hiruzen assured the boy. "I am dying anyway, Orochimaru made sure of that, remember? I made my share of mistakes, and can be blamed for many of the bad things that happened to you. Giving up the last few days I have is but a small price I could pay in order to repent for that."

"Jii-san, you don't need to… I don't want you to… not for me, not like this… No…"

"I am only an old man at the end of his days, Naruto. But you, you are the future of Konoha. You endured things that would make most others fall in an instant. You endured years of hatred, shunned by a village that could not, and would not, understand the price you paid on their behalf. Even with a seal that was slowly decaying, you endured the hatred of the demon inside you, reaching out to all those around you. I know, Naruto, that you will become a far better Hokage than I have ever been. Just do not make the same mistake as I did. This goes for all three of you," Hiruzen looked up at his former students as well. "Do not focus merely on the village. Do not mistake the means for the end. Konoha is but a part of the world, and not the world itself. Shodaime-sama created our village to end wars, not to continue waging wars on a larger scale. Remember that."

The wide-eyed blond watched as Sarutobi Hiruzen, the professor, the god of shinobi, performed his last set of hand seals. Naruto was too stunned to even pay attention to which seals they were, and Jiraiya squeezed his shoulder. Looking up, Naruto saw the sad grimace on his godfather's face, one so uncharacteristically for the usually so goofy man.

"Shiki Fujin," Hiruzen exclaimed, grimacing due to the strain it put on his fragile body. Casting it cost more chakra than he anticipated. Or had his reserves dwindled more than he had realized?

A large and horrid, translucent, gaunt spectre with a demonic visage appeared behind the old Hokage, but Naruto noted that neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya reacted when it appeared. Naruto could see though, when Hiruzen had his hand on Naruto's seal. But the Shinigami wasn't all that Naruto saw.

A silhouette of Hiruzen himself floated in front of it.

"Be strong, Naruto," Hiruzen whispered. "Continue to endure. Change the world, and leave it a better place. That is the highest goal a shinobi could pursue. Do not delude yourself by thinking that strength or skill will make any difference. No, a truly great shinobi changes the world so that the next generation will get a better life. We too are but a means, never the end. We only serve as a transition for those born after us in the endless cycle called life."

"I will, old man, I promise I will. I swear on my life…"

"Good. And never sacrifice your life as easily as you were about to do just now. I give you what little is left of mine, so you are no longer just responsible for just your own life… Make me proud. I know you can do it!"

An indecipherable pattern of symbols spread over the Shinigami's arm, and then it plunged its hand into the soul of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

A sob escaped Tsunade's throat as she saw the blood run from her teacher's mouth.

Naruto gasped when he felt the cold hand of death literally touching him. The most surreal feeling chakra Naruto had ever encountered spread. This chakra was just so alien, almost even more inhuman than that of the Kyuubi itself. Naruto realized that this was why Hiruzen executed this specific jutsu. Just like Naruto had to do for Gaara, his own seal could also only be safely reinforced or altered by using the exact same chakra as the Yondaime had used to empower the original design. In other words: only someone knowing the Shiki Fujin would be able to help him repair the seal. This was why Hiruzen had said that he was the only one capable of helping him; only he knew the jutsu he and Minato had declared forbidden.

The determined grimace on Hiruzen's face slowly changed into a peaceful smile. The old man knew he had offered all of his chakra, down to the very last drop, to the Shinigami. And according to the contract, Naruto's seal was restored, stronger than it had been for many years. To his shock, Hiruzen realized that he had just completed the seal. Several elements had never been drawn out completely. They were details that no one would see, unless they would be connected to the Shinigami itself, the source of the seal's energy.

'Minato never got to complete the jutsu? But how… Minato knew the Shiki Fujin better than anyone, and the Hakke Fuin… He should not have made such mistakes,' Hiruzen panted. From the corner of his eye, he saw that the Shinigami had moved its tanto down, and was about to drag him into its belly- the place where Hiruzen knew he would have to reside for the rest of eternity, the price he paid to buy Konoha a better future. 'He should not have made such mistakes, unless-'

"The seal… It wasn't complete… That day… someone… interrupted Minato… while sealing the Kyuu-" Hiruzen gasped before the Shinigami claimed his soul.

Lifeless, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the god of shinobi, fell forward into Jiraiya's arms. Tears flowed on the sennin's face as he lay down the body of his sensei, his example. The man had been like a father to him, back when he had been nothing but a poor, but talented, orphan.

"Rest in peace, old man," he whispered. He knew that there would be time enough to mull over the lasts words the man had uttered. What could he have meant when he said Minato was interrupted during the sealing ceremony? "Asuma, Kurenai, I know you're there, just come forth."

A shaky and subdued Asuma, supported by Kurenai, walked forward. Even though Hiruzen had asked them to stay home after telling them what he was going to do, they hadn't listened. How could they? With Kurenai's prowess in genjutsu, hiding hadn't been that difficult either. "You stubborn old man," Asuma wept. "Why did you have to be so damn honorable to the very end? Goodbye dad…"

Kurenai embraced Asuma, letting her own tears escape as well. Their hands intertwined, now adorned with the rings they had exchanged in a small private ceremony just two days ago.

Naruto didn't notice them though. He stared up into the skies, oblivious to the four grieving adults around him. Unlike them, he couldn't cry. He could not let his emotions flow out. He wanted to, he really did, but somehow he couldn't. Something blocked him. Something stopped the tears. It angered him; he felt like his heart was ripped apart by a thousand needles, yet he couldn't even force a damn tear out of his eyes.

'Goodbye old man. Thank you. For everything. For being there for me. And I never blamed you for anything that happened to me, I told you that. How could I? Apart from Ero-sennin, you were the only person looking after me. Until Hinata-chan found me, before I met Haruki and Ako, you two were the only ones who would acknowledge my existence. How could I not love you like you were family? Why did you think I called you my jii-san?' finally, the first tear escaped. 'How could I not admire who you were? I made my promise, but right now I can't imagine how I ever could become a better Hokage than you were..'

The first tear was soon followed by many more.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, had left this world. And he had given Naruto a peace and quiet which he would only later realized. No longer would the Kyuubi's hatred affect his every waking thought and emotion. Naruto was freed. He was himself again. The influence that had seeped into him was sealed once more, as the demon's prison was reinforced. In his death, Sarutobi Hiruzen had given Naruto a chance to live: a chance to grow strong, a chance to become powerful enough to resist the corrupting influences of the Kyuubi no Yoko. Sarutobi Hiruzen had also given Naruto time: time for the boy to grow strong, independent from the fox.

It was a sacrifice Naruto would never forget, and he swore to repay it, no matter the price. 'I will make the world a better place, jii-san. No matter the cost, the next generation will get a world of peace. It is the promise of a lifetime. No, two lifetimes!'


A/N: Credits to those who deserve it: Illuminated for beta-ing the chapter; trafalgarlaw10 for giving me so many reviews (thanks!); and Dreckman for setting me on the path that led me to the idea of Hiruzen using the Shiki Fujin to restore Naruto's seal. Without him, I would never have questioned my original ideas on this element of the story. But I like this scenario much more than the original ideas I had regarding Hiruzen's demise.

No bonus part today. Sorry about that, I actually wrote one, but it just felt completely out of place after how this chapter ended. If you want something fun though, you could always check out my newest oneshot "The Great Duel", which I posted shortly before my break.

As for recommendations: have you ever read Naruto: Wind Monk Banishment by Born of Prayers? Not the most cheerful story, but it sure as hell kept me on edge. Though, it is definitely not pro-Konoha. But I found it a nice deviation of the usual cliché that Konoha is, for some unknown reason, 'good' while all the other villages are evil. And why? What makes Konoha any better than the others? Even the manga failed to explain that properly to me. As if Danzo was the only bad guy in town..

Oh, and I guess I could spoil you all by saying that the title is not a mistake. Please look forward to Demise pt2!

-Z-