He heard the explosion,loud ,messy and the direction it came from was obvious .
He felt the panic begin like a cluster of spark plugs in his abdomen. Tension grew in his face and limbs, his mind replaying the last attack. His breathing became more rapid, more shallow. In these moments before his personal hurricane, he understood the drug addicts, the alcoholics... anything to stop the primal surge to flee. Akamaru sped up ahead of him,in his head he chanted a prayer-no,he chanted a plea. He begged any god that would listen,any god that could hear;please,please!let the orphanage be okay.
Kiba is running about the village like there's a hurricane inside him. he's moving like his brain is demanding the energetic expenditure of an athlete but won't tell his limbs what to do. His eyes are wildas he sees the house,the orphanage,the home of over a dozen kids;its become no more.
Kiba's eyes scanned the area,spotting tiny,limbs and small heads sticking out from the rubble,red with blood,and brown with dirt.
An invisible hand clasps over his mouth; an equally ghostly hypodermic of adrenaline pierces his heart, unloading in an instant. He feels his ribs heaving as if bound by ropes, straining to inflate his lungs. Kiba's head is a carousel of fears spinning out of control, each one pushing his mind into blackness. He wants to run; I need to freeze,he thought. Sounds that were near felt far away, like he was no longer in his body.
He pushed the boards out of the way,desperate to know if anyone was alive.
He found Miss Bovine, her skull cracked open and her old body nearly in pieces.
In what used to be the living room,he found little Eiji,crushed by the book shelf,blood running from his mouth.
The stillness of the villa sent shivers down his spine. The mirthful garden, where once young children played joyously with Ino Yamanaka, where the flowers bloomed under the sun rays, is now just a blood covered solitary path. There is blood dripping from the roof somehow, rhythmically, generating a melancholic melody. The door hinges are all rusted and the glass windows are all shattered, shattered like the dreams of over a dozen children. A dozen children whose voices rung in Kiba's ears,giggles and shouting of dreams and goals,he heard all so clearly.
With a sickening certainty he knew,this,this would be moment he remembered as when he finally gave up on Konoha.
Naruto woke with a groan,his eyelids heavy and his vision blurry as he tried to sit up, the chemical scent of medicine and the white sheets let him know he was in a hospital.A dangerous place for a jinchuuriki.
"Damn Urchin head,does your body not know what rest is,you havent even been out for 15 minutes,"
The blonde was suddenly aware of Tayuya sitting in a chair next to his bed.
he jumped in shock, "the invasion!is it...?"
She nodded. "was over the minute you defeated gaara,"
He rubbed at his aching head."how long was i out?"
"Like I Said,fifteen minutes,"
"Everyone must be cleaning up now,"
"Ye-!"
The two were interrupted by kiba,screaming frantically.
"N-Naruto!Tayuya!! It's Ino!!you have to come quick!!!!"
Naruto had never moved so fast in his life despite being injured,they ran through the halls of the hospital,knocking side characters out of the way and almost tripping on the marble floor.
Naruto skidded to a halt at Ino's room door,a doctor blocking his way.
"Where is she???!"
"Sir ,they brought her in a while ago,she's lost a lot of blood"
"Is she alive??!"
"Yes,but you must understand,she's sustained serious brain damage,"
"Can I see her please,?!" He cried
"We're doing everything we can but she doesn't have good chances,"
The blonde rushed to Ino's bedside.
She smiled,pale and covered in blood as he held her hand.
"Ino.."
"Naruto...I tried , I really gave it my best..."
"I know,I know,"he whimpered.
"I wanted,to show you that I was strong too,"
"I know,save your strenght and stay alive!"
"Ino!!"
Kiba entered the room,for the first time he wasn't faster than Naruto.
He ran to her bedside.
"Is she breathing? Is she going to survive this!?"
Tayuya came after,"who did this? Kiba do you know!!?"
"Stop being such worry warts guys..." Ino smiled weakly and she coughed up blood.
"Kiba,"she called
"Y-yeah?"
"Later,can you make sure the orphans are okay,and find the piano piece I played that one time,I want to play it for them once I get out of here okay,"
The brunette couldn't bare to tell her when she was already in such a state,so he wimpered and nodded."sure,"
"Tayuya...are you there?"
The redhead couldn't answer.
"I was really excited to meet you y'know.I was glad not to be the only girl in the group anymore and I knew you'd be strong, so I tried to be strong too,I hope..." her voice stalled for a moment, "I hope i didn't disappoint you."
"Anyway...Naruto,
I'm a little tired...so, I'll just close my eyes for a sec okay?after I promise we'll all eat ramen together..."
She trailed off,her eyes closed shut and her hand went limp in Naruto's
Tayuya buried her face in her lap and let out an agonizing wail.
"My DAUGHTER??! WHERE IS SHE?"
Inoichi Yamanaka stormed into the room,face decorated with worry.
"What's wrong with her? Why won't she wake up doctor!?"
"She's in a coma,it won't be long before she passes"
"What happened?"
"Severe brain damage and an infected wound to her side,"
The doctor hung his head.
"There's no one in the village that can help her,"
Inoichi turned,noticing the three other ninja,specifcally Naruto and growled.
"WHY IS HE HERE?"
"SIR I -"
"WHY WOULD YOU LET HIM IN MY DAUGHTERS ROOM!!"
"GET OUT! STAY AWAY FROM HER!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!"
The third sat at his chair pipe in hand as he stared at Jiraiya.
"I'm thinking of stepping down,"
"From hokage?"
"Yes," the Sandaime was ashamed at his failure to protect his village,but in any other universe things might've turned out the same. He would not have listened to Naruto and everything would play out all over again.
Jiraiya shrugged."good for you then i guess,"
"I was hoping you would take over for me,"
Jiraiya was shocked but did not show it.
"Sorry old man, though i think i know who can do it,"
"You can't possibly mean her?"
"Of course its her,who else would it be."
As Jiraiya walked through the village he suddenly spotted Naruto,the blonde seemed to be waiting for him somehow.
"I'm coming with you to find Tsunade,"
The toad sage smirked,"I knew you were listening,you cheeky bastard."
"I'm serious, one of my friends are seriously injured, the doctor said she only has a few days,"
"And if Tsunade refuses me?"
Naruto glared darkly. "Then I'll drag her back,"
Never let it be said that Naruto Uzumaki was a normal person. The boy who everyone thought of as a failure, annoyance or just as that loud kid from Konoha, was in fact anything but normal.
First of all when he was born he there had been the attack of the Kyuubi no Kitsune on Konoha , which led to Naruto becoming its jailor, the death of Narutos parents and practically the end of any chance for the boy to be normal.
Despite the wishes of the fourth Hokage Naruto was never seen as the jailor, hero or even boy that he was. Instead people saw a monster in disguise, mocking them, a threat to the village or a reminder of their pain. Because of that they treated the boy like he was the dirt under their shoes,tried to kill him, ignored him and in fact abused him in a way that no one but a fellow demon vessel could ever hope to understand.
He became a child in dire need of attention, who only got neglect and hate, but from a few times when a soul took pity on him,like say,Ino and Kiba. Those occasions where he felt kindness directed towards him, few as they were, could be described as the sole reason of him not becoming the monster he was painted as by people.
Still the abuse he suffered changed him. He learned fast that crying had little to no use. He learned that people didn't deserve his trust, that he wasn't like the other kids and most importantly he learned one thing: Konoha was not to be trusted. He had no worth to anyone but himself. After all that was what people told or proved him most of the time
And as any kid his young age his defiance to accept anything like that made him act out to prove people wrong. He became a prankster, a clown a loudmouthed brat, a kind soul to people who needed it, anything to get a reaction. But never did he get the reaction he craved so very very much. Acceptance.
So he tried to find his place in a world that told him he had no place. He put on a mask that at least somewhat justified the behavior people had towards him, so he hadn't had to think about why people acted the way he did. The stupid idiot who gave everybody a hard time.
Next he decided what to dedicate his life to and searched for a goal to reach. Just to spite the people who looked down on him he chose to become a hero and every time he people talked him down he told them his goal: to become Hokage.
But all that didn't mean that he always gave his best, or that he never gave up. When he noticed that the academy didn't not really want to teach him, or taught him wrong he gave up on them. He just stopped trying for the longest time losing himself in his mask.
That was the time Iruka became his teacher and just by chance the older male showed Naruto that there were people who liked him, even if he wore his mask. And not just because he was their costumer or pupil. Iruka also accepted him after knowing the secret everybody hated Naruto for .
With just that he gave the boy a new if still small sense of self-worth that gave the boy energy. Then he died, and the reason for his death was hidden,he didn't die with honor,he just died.
Now after finding out an evil organization is hunting down tailed beast and seeing one of your teammates be tortured by his own brother and even before that, having the one girl whose always been with you be lying half dead in hospital,Naruto was absolutely sure.
He was absolutely sure that his goal up until now had been wrong;I wanna be Hokage!
He yelled that so many times but he only just realized that the Hokage was only responsible for his one village,he couldn't go out and change the world when he was sitting behind paper work deciding a set of rules for HIS ninja to follow,devising plans on how to make sure Konoha the best. Showing off all it's great clans and amazingly diverse power system.
The hokage couldn't be bothered to ACTUALLY make sure that HIS academy made good and capable ninja.
Make sure your ninja are skilled before sending out to battle? No way...! We have the NINE TAILS JINCHUURIKI! Everything will be fine,He's the perfect military weapon,just as every other jinchuuriki is.
Should you Allow your ninjas vacations? Could you at least let them leave the village in their day offs?
Hah!No way,Letting them look at the same type of grass and buildings everyday totally provides great mental stability!
Honestly,Naruto understood that Tsunade must've been through some pretty traumatic experiences,she must had a past riddled with pain but,he always believed, that having a terrible past didn't give you an excuse to be an asshole.
He grunted getting up from crack in the earth that Tsunade had created.
"How about I make you a deal old lady..." He spat blood from his mouth.
She growled, "I told you not to call me That!!! And you Are in No position to make deals with me!!!!!!"
" I don't give a flying flip if you become Hokage but , if I perfect the Rasengan in three days time, you have to come back and heal Ino and that Bastard Sasuke too!!!!"
She was intrigued, She was a gambler after all so it was to be expected.
"Okay,if you do that then I'll heal your friend and I'll give this to you,"
She pointed at a strange necklace on her neck.
"Hmph! Why would I want that stupid thing !?"
" actually ,Naruto, " Jiraiya spoke up, "that necklace is worth millions,"
" Also, " Tsunade gestured to his headband, "you might wanna change that thing."
" my headband? Why? "
"It's scratched across the leaf symbol, that's how people usually identify Rogue ninjas,"
Naruto ran a hand across the scratch,his headband had originally belonged to Iruka-Sensei,it had been scratched in a fight with Mizuki-teme.
The sight of the scratch was funny somehow,in an ironic sort of way.
The explosion had destroyed everything. The orphans had been dug out of the rubble, lifeless and grey. Their bodies were lined up in size order like grotesque Russian dolls. She could smell them rotting in the sun and the taste of vomit was never far from her parched mouth. She gazed around the wreckage with eyes barely more alive than the children and could feel no life within herself. How could she still be breathing when she felt like this?
She chuckled darkly , how could have ever thought about staying here?
This place was despicable,an over hyped Ego factory,it's leaders were nothing more than porn reading ,drunken barbarians,the genin teams were as coordinated as an octopus wearing stilts.
She couldn't stay here,she had leave,if she didn't things would be no better than working for Orochimaru,she would be a slave,not even allowed to leave the village.
Before that happens , she needs to leave,she needs to leave and quick.
"Hey,Tayuya,"
It was Kiba,he had spent all day in the hospital with Ino,so Tayuya didn't know why he would be here right now.
His eyes were filled with a kindness that seemed so innocent and geniuine so endless: as big as the sea. It set her aright and made her happy. His hands lapsed with hers, holding them for a second and squeezing kindly. he patted her on the back.
Looking out at the rubble he sighed.
"I get how you must be feeling,"
" You do? "
"There must be someplace better than here for you,I'll take you there."
"W-why isn't she waking up?" Naruto stuttered.
Ino's skin regained its color and her heart rate stables but she had yet to wake up or even stir.
"Whatever chemical she ingested has done her great brain damage,any longer and her neurons could've been eaten away,add that to the infected hole in her side and I'm surprised she's not dead."
Tayuya spoke,"you fixed it though right?"
"Of course I did," Tsunade answered, "but she needs some time before she can wake up,"
The woman turned towards Naruto, "don't you have a teammate you should visit?"
The sun was setting as Sakura made her way to the hospital. She was a little slow on her step, having trained the whole day, with her face carrying an expression of exhaustion. Today's training had been a little more than demanding. Her two clones,which was all she could make, as usual, had spent the day training on the taijutsu, with another reading the book on sealing, while she and Anko sparred. Only this time she had her go through several exercises that would increase her speed.
'You might be a Chuunin level but I've seen old hags move faster than you!'
Those had been Anko's words before she made her run through the exercises. The first one had been simple, she only had to enter the river and walk against the current. It had been the second exercise where things had gotten more complicated. She was to do the same thing, only this time she needed to dodge rocks thrown by Anko. But nothing could prepare her for the final exercise of the day.
Anko had summoned a rather large snake. Sakura still remembered the sadistic grin Anko sported as she explained the exercise.
'Keep the snake from eating you for a total of ten minutes!'
She shuddered, horrible snake-related memories flooding her mind. She had barely escaped the damned snake but it had only been due to using a variety of jutsu. Those snakes were tough and wouldn't go down with anything but at least she had managed to live through today's 'training.'
She sighed, shoulders slumping slightly, she was tired. This wouldn't be a bad thing if it was regular training but with Anko, being tired could cost her her life. The crazy kunoichi was bound to kill her one day, she was sure.
She stood just out Sasuke's room door,wondering if she should go in.
At the moment Naruto would love some ramen,his most favourite places to get ramen would be at Ichiraku or at Miss Bovines Home For The Aimless, unfortunately they were both victims of an explosion,Ayame and teuchi's bodies were barely recognizable and ramen stand was reduced to piles of wood.
He would do anything to not pay attention to his surroundings right now,even if it meant looking at Sasuke Uchiha.
He spotted Sakura,just outside Sasuke's room.
"Sakura,should we go in together,"
She nodded.
Sakura didn't say a word as they entered the room. As soon as they entered they were the subjects of a hardened glare from the last Uchiha before his eye settled on Naruto. The blonde shinobi watched as Sakura went to sit next to the Uchiha with a nervous smile. The uneasiness was expected since neither of the boys had moved since they saw each other, they were in a kind of staring contest.
"S-Sasuke," Sakura muttered, bringing the plate of apple slices closer to the Uchiha, "I brought you something to eat."
Sasuke kept his gaze on Naruto, his teeth grinding together in a show of anger. "Fight me," he ordered. The genin simply frowned, further angering the Uchiha, "I told you to fight me. Right now."
"No," Naruto responded.
"Just calm down, we're in a hospital," Sakura broke in, her suggestion apparently falling on deaf ears.
"Are you scared Naruto?" Sasuke smirked, "Could it be that you know for a fact that you can't beat me?"
Naruto turned on his heel and headed for the door.
"I don't care about anything you have to say Sasuke,"
The Uchiha watched his rival open the door. He couldn't just let him leave without settling the score. He needed to know the difference between their power!!
"H-here Sasuke," Sakura offered the plate of food with an uncertain look. Sasuke turned to the pink-haired kunoichi with a heated glare, knocking the plate of food away with his left hand.
Naruto turned at the sound of shattering glass, seeing Sakura look at Sasuke in shock and perhaps some anger.
"What the hell are you doing?" he glared, his blue eyes filled with anger, "Sakura's our teammate, you can't treat her like that!"
"Then fight me," Sasuke countered, inwardly smirking at the way Naruto's fists shook. He had known Naruto for some time and knew that the way to get him riled up was to threaten his friends. Threatening others wasn't what he would usually do but he had no choice. He needed to make sure that he was still stronger than Naruto.
"Let's just leave, Naruto," Sakura decided, taking a few steps forward before being stopped by a hand wrapping tightly around her wrist. She turned to see Sasuke holding her wrist while glaring at Naruto,
"Let me go Sasuke." She said calmly.
Sasuke kept his gaze on Naruto. "If you don't fight me then-"
The Uchiha was cut off by a fist colliding with his face, the cheer force behind the strike throwing him against the room's wall. He glared at the aggressor, Sakura standing in front of him with a look of fury he had never seen on her before.
"I . am so TIRED of the two you," she said tensely her fist clenching.
"Let's all just forget about this,so our team can function and when we make it to chuunin we can all go our separate ways,"
Meanwhile Sasuke was seething.
How? How had he sunken so low that he could be hit by Sakura? Sakura Haruno!?
He launched at her but Naruto saw,running and knocking Sasuke aside.
They both rolled about on the floor , trying to get the advantage. Naruto was on top when he suddenly felt himself being lifted off of Sasuke.
Sakura had held him by the collar and flung him to otherside of the room.
"This is a hospital!! Stop Fighting!!"
"Why are you still on his side!?" Naruto yelled.
"I literally just punched him!!"
"Stay out of this Sakura,this is between me and Naruto!!!"
"Shut up! You need to calm down!"
Sasuke swiped at her foot and Anko would be disappointed in how easily she fell.
Naruto and Sasuke went at it again, this time Sakura joined in.
The three former friends rolled around the floor punching ,kicking and pulling at each other.
When Kakashi arrived on the scene,the very sight of his little genin trying to kill each other gave Kakashi an ironic feeling of failure.
He hadn't changed anything,he'd failed just like his sensei.
I dont own Naruto.