dopliss: Here I am again, faithful readers! I managed to squeeze in this chapter between my bunches of homework.
Mizuki: Let me guess: we´re not gonna get that treatment often, are we?
dopliss: …Unlikely so.
Disclaimer: I don´t own Naruto. Now, let´s finish this story arc!
Down in the arena, Kakashi, Guy and Genma stared right over at Baki and the false ANBU agent. The three then noticed up on the roof that the barrier was gone and that Orochimaru and his flunkies were getting away. "Kakashi! They´re pulling out!" Guy stated. "We should go after ´em!"
"Wait, Guy," Kakashi said calmly. "I´m not so sure."
"That´s right," the undercover spy of Orochimaru agreed, drawing all attention to him. "Let´s not be too hasty. If we rush in, we might get snared in their traps."
The youthful sensei narrowed his eyes. "What are you suggesting, then?" he asked. "That we just stand here and let the swine escape, after what they´ve done to our village?! That´s not the Konoha way!"
"So!" Kakashi started. "You propose that we do nothing, eh… Kabuto?"
The agent removed his mask and, just as Kakashi had suspected, Kabuto´s face was underneath it. "Well, aren´t you the clever one," he praised mockingly. "Time to call it a day."
The teacher of Team 6 and 7 took a few steps forward. "Are you running away from me again?" he asked.
The traitor of Konoha smiled devilishly. "That would be too obvious," he replied. "Why should I show my hand when it´s so much more fun keeping you in the dark? That eye of yours can´t see everything, can it? Unlike the Uchiha clan, you haven´t mastered it. Oh well…" He made a hand-seal, and then he and Baki were gone.
Back in the forest, the disembodied hand of sand dissolved, letting Sakura´s unconscious body fall. Sasuke, slowly recovering his strength, had enough energy to catch his female teammate in her fall and bring her to the branch that Pakkun was on. He put her down gently, panting hard, and told the pug, "I´ll leave her with you." Then he leapt off of the branch.
Down on the forest floor, Gaara panted hard as he lied on his back, watching as Naruto lay on his stomach. What could it be… that makes him so strong? he wondered. I will not disappear…! I will not cease to exist! I won´t!
The orange-clad boy, meanwhile, was trying his hardest to move over to the redhead, dragging his own body along the ground with his chin. All while doing so, he compared himself to his opponent. While the two of them have different beliefs and reasons to fight and live, they were the same in how everyone around them treated them as abominations that should be ridden from the world. Then, he remembered what Haku had told him and how he said that he lost the most important thing to him: his purpose.
Gaara noticed Naruto slowly edging closer and slightly panicked. "No! Stay away!" he wheezed.
Naruto stopped and tilted his head up to look directly at the redhead. "It´s almost unbearable, isn´t it?" he asked. "The feeling of being all alone?" His eyes were moist with sympathetic tears. "I know that feeling… I´ve been there… in that dark, lonely place… But now, there are others… other people who mean a lot to me… I care more about them than I do about myself… and I won´t let anyone hurt them!" He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "That´s why I don´t ever give up! I will stop you… even if I have to kill you!"
Gaara´s eyes widened, but more in confusion than in shock. "But… why?" he asked. "Why would you do this for anyone but yourself?"
"Because they saved me from myself! They rescued me from my loneliness. They accept me for who I am. They´re my friends!"
Gaara looked up at the sky and thought of Yashamaru´s words to him. "Well, love is… a heart´s desire to serve someone who is precious to you… to watch over them… like my sister did for you, Gaara."
"Love?" the redhead wondered quietly. "Is that the thing that makes him so strong?"
Sasuke landed next to his teammate and kneeled down. "Naruto, that´s enough," he said. "Look, Sakura´s gonna be alright. The sand crumbled away – she is free." He looked over at Gaara. "This guy´s chakra is all used up."
"Ah… that´s a relief…" the orange-clad boy sighed, before he lost consciousness.
Just then, Temari and Kankuro appeared next to their little brother. They both glared at Sasuke, ready to fight him off if he would dare to hurt their sibling. "That´s enough…" Gaara whispered. "It´s over…"
The other two Sand Siblings turned to look at their third family member. "G-Gaara…!" Kankuro gasped, surprised. I´d never thought I´d see this… He´s had it… "Alright, Gaara…" He picked his little brother up and slung his left arm over his shoulders. The three of them turned to give Sasuke one last glance, and then they were off.
Sasuke looked down at Naruto. On his unconscious body, a small smile crossed his lips.
At the three of them leaped through the treetops, Gaara was deep in thought. Who knows, Naruto Uzumaki? Perhaps even I, someday… "…Temari… Kankuro…" he said. "…I´m sorry…"
The other two siblings looked at each other in surprise. This was the very first time that their bloodthirsty little brother had apologized to them. Not knowing what to say otherwise, Kankuro settled with saying, "Uh… don´t mention it."
The following day was a sad one. Every single person in Konoha had gathered at the foot of the Hokage Stone Faces, where the Third Hokage´s grave was stationed. No one said a word – no banter, no jokes, no idle chitchat, and no nothing. Each of them struggled for not breaking down in tears. All of them stood and mourned in their black garments, and the weather included black clouds and lots of rain.
"Even the heavens weep…" Asuma muttered.
From the members of Team 6, only one of them had showed up. Sairento looked at Takai, who stood next to her, and asked, "Where is Torabu?"
The fiery female looked back at the mute girl, sadness in her eyes. "You don´t know?" she asked back.
"Konran is in the hospital, despite the healing I´ve done to him, and I´ve also healed Torabu´s injuries… but why isn´t he here to pay his respects?"
Takai sighed. "I don´t know…"
One by one, each person who showed up at the funeral placed a white flower at the Hokage´s tombstone. Naruto looked to his left and saw Konohamaru, the poor boy openly crying. And for good reason. Iruka, the responsible and caring teacher that he was, comfortably hugged the grandchild of the Third Hokage.
Meanwhile, Kakashi was at the blue memorial stone for those who were killed in action. He simply stared at it, not shedding any tears. He then heard someone behind him walk closer. He turned around and saw the female ANBU agent with long purple hair. She was holding a bouquet of white flowers. "Are those for Hayate?" he asked. As she walked up to the stone, he started to walk away. "Better make it quick. The Hokage´s funeral has already started."
She placed the bouquet down next to the stone and folded her hands in a prayer. "And you, Kakashi?" she asked. "Paying respects to Obito? Instead of constantly inventing new excuses for being late, why don´t you simply come here earlier?"
Kakashi stopped dead in his tracks. "I did. I´ve been here since dawn. This place… makes me think of the mistakes I´ve made in the past… and I´ve made so many of them.
Naruto looked up at the monument, especially at the face of the Third Hokage. "Iruka-sensei?" he asked. "Why do they do it? Why do people risk their lives for other people?"
Iruka thought long and hard on what to say. "Well…" he began, "when someone passes away, it´s the end. His past and future… all the dreams he once had… may disappear along with him. This is true, even if he died honorably in battle, like so many have… as Hayate did. All the ties that bind him to the living are severed… all but one… the most important of all: people. Parents, siblings, friends, lovers… the people who were important to him… And these people, the ones left behind, are joined together in a great circle by their shared memories of him; a circle that grows larger as time passes."
He looked at his earlier student. "It´s hard to explain it. We remain in the circle together. We have no choice; it´s important to us."
"So we do it because we have to," Naruto summarized. "I get it… sort of. Still… I´m sad he´s gone.
Kakashi, who had arrived a little earlier, walked up to the normally orange-clad boy and patted him on the shoulder. "Think how sad it would be if he died for nothing," he said. "But he left us something priceless. Don´t worry, you´ll understand, one of these days."
Naruto gave a small smile. "Hey… give me some credit. That much I get."
The rain then stopped and the sun´s might rays shined through the clouds. The inhabitants and ninjas of Konoha then headed home, many of them still very sad, but all of them knew one very important thing.
While the now might be sad and depressing, they will do their best to make a happier future.
Takai returned back to Torabu´s apartment. In the living room, she found him sitting cross-legged on the floor, holding his head up with both of his hands. "Why weren´t you at the funeral?" she asked.
"I don´t feel welcome," he replied. "Everyone probably hates me by now. After all, I´m the reason Lord Hokage died."
The fiery female just stood there, staring down at her roommate.
"I was a huge burden to him. If I didn´t get deceived by Orochimaru, then he wouldn´t have given his life to save mine."
She sighed and walked over to him. "Torabu…" When he looked up at her, she bonked him hard on the head.
Rubbing his sore skull, he glared directly at her. "What the hell was that for?!" he hissed.
She stared the cat-boy right in the eyes. "You´re not the one to blame for the Hokage´s death… Orochimaru is," she said firmly. "The Hokage loved everyone in this village – adult or child – and he would gladly have sacrificed his life for any one of them. To be a leader means that you have to take huge responsibilities over your subordinates and protect them, no matter the cost." She smiled gently. "Think about this for a second. If you were in his shoes, and he was about to get killed… wouldn´t you throw away your life just so that he could go on living?"
He looked down at the floor. "I… I would."
"Don´t go blame yourself over his death. It was his choice to save you at the cost of his life. And the one you need to blame for his death is…"
"…Orochimaru…" the troublemaking ninja finished.
"Right." She offered her right hand to him. "Now, how about we go to his grave so you can give your final 'goodbye' to him?"
He looked up at her again and smiled. He took her hand, stood up, and walked along with her towards the foot of the Hokage Stone Faces. He looked up at the sky and imagined the Hokage smiling down at him. I swear, Lord Hokage… I will keep your memory and protect this village and its inhabitants with my life.
At the outskirts of Konoha, two mysterious men stared down at the village. Both were dressed in black cloaks with red clouds on them, and they also wore straw hats that covered their faces. The taller one of the two had a large object strapped to his back.
"Well, it survived… but barely," the taller one said in a deep voice. "The damage is extensive."
"Not long ago, it was at the height of its glory," the other stated. "Look at it now…"
The taller one looked at his friend. "You sound almost sad. Don´t tell me you still have feelings for your old home."
The shorter one seemed to hesitate, but then gave his answer. "No… none." He then lifted his head a little, revealing his eyes.
His Sharingan Eyes…
dopliss: And so, we have ended this story arc. Next up is the Tsunade arc, and after that, I will start uploading my third story!
Mizuki: So look out for that one, folks!
