man of the world.
MAN OF THE WORLD
PROLOGUE:
"Ayame-chan…"
"Naruto-kun…I love you…"
…
A beat…
…a few more…
…
…
…
"HINATAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Blink—
Naruto snapped to. He sat solemnly in the Hokage Tower. He daydreamed. He brooded. He pondered shit. Hokage Tower was blown to pieces. The sun scathed his skin. He didn't care. The open skies screamed at him. He didn't care. He sat in the lone chair that stood unbroken. He sat in the Hokage's blown-to-bits office, in the Hokage's unbroken chair.
He. Didn't. Care.
Hinata's dead. Nothing. Else. Fucking. Matters.
Naruto buried his face in his hands. He examined the cuts in his palms. They ran deeper than his lifeline. He was caked in dirt head-to-toe. His cloak was in tatters. He was in tatters. His hands felt wet. He was crying. He acknowledged his right to. He cried that much harder.
He stared at his home—Konohagakure. It was in bad shape. Everything was blown to bits. Everyone was scattered. Lost loved-ones. Lost hated-ones. It didn't matter. She told him she loved him…and then she died.
Naruto slapped his own face. He slapped it twice. Thrice. He slapped himself a hundred times. He couldn't feel shit, and the memory of her confession still remained. He cried. It sounded like a fox-howl. He clenched his stomach tight. He cursed the beast in his belly. He cursed his fate and his father. He cursed the mother he knew not. He cursed everything to bits—like his blown-to-bits home.
"Naruto."
He didn't react. He vaguely remembered the owner of the voice.
"Naruto?"
He. Didn't. React. This voice was not the one he expected to come searching for him. He sad-chuckled. Why? 'Cause nothing ever turned out the way he expected it to—Some fuckin' saviour I turned out to be. The one who should be here's a no-show. The last person on the list showed up. He was out-of-his-mind, post-battle-royale CONFUSED!
"Naruto-kun…"
She held his cheeks. She felt tears. She wiped his eyes. She went down on her knees. She prayed for him. She ran fingertips through his dirt-and-blood-caked hair.
"Naruto-kun…I know…they all told me. I'm so sorry."
Naruto cried even harder.
He hugged her tightly. He whispered never-let-me-go's in her ear. He thought he was saying it in his head. He was scared. He was sorry. He was lost. He was hurt. He was heart-cut-in-half-with-a-pair-of-scissors-broken.
She felt tear-fall. She couldn't hold them back. His sadness was just as contagious as his laughter. She cried just as hard as he did. She hugged him back just as tight.
Naruto pulled away and wiped his tears. He sad-smiled. He melancholy-smiled. He idk-how-to-smile-anymore-smiled.
He said, "Thank you for showing up…Ayame-chan."
Ayame attempted to hold back her tears. It came out a pout and a whimper. He caressed her chin. She hand-on-shoulder-comforted him. He wiped her tears and stood up. He looked different. That look on his face. That's—RESOLVE.
He said, "I know what I need to do, Ayame-chan. Forgive me, I'll see you around. Right now, there's something I need to do."
And he leapt away.
And Ayame cried that much harder.
Konoha 11 top-secret meeting. It's post-Pain. As in, it's post-village-decimation…
Shika said, "There's gonna be a new Hokage."
Sakura went bug-eyed. "WHAT?! B-but Tsunade-sama will be back in shape-shape…soon!"
Shika hand-on-shoulder-comforted Sakura. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I know she's your sensei and we all loved her as a leader…but I heard my pops talking with the higher-ups of the village."
Neji scoffed. "The Konoha Council. My ass. They're just a bunch of glorified civvies. Failed shinobi. The Ones Who Couldn't Cut It."
Shika arms-crossed said, "Be that as it may, Neji-san, they have status—and more importantly: power."
Sakura held back tears. Rock Lee zoned out. Akamaru went, WOOF! Kiba went, Down, boy! Shino was Shino-quiet. Choji wasn't eating. Ino chewed her fingernails. TenTen pondered this shit.
She said, "Who's the likely candidate?"
Shika stuck an unlit cig in his mouth. "Shimura, Danzo. One of the three members of the High-Council."
TenTen went, Never heard of him.
Shika rolled his eyes. "He began the Root Ops."
Sakura went wide-eyed. "Anbu?"
Shika nodded. "He has the other two's support. They have sway over the entire village. Even the Daimyo."
"They're Untouchables."
All-eyes-snapped-to.
Naruto. He's bruised, blued, and dirt-cake-bruised; cut, brut, and sliced-up-rough. He had leftover dried-up tears streaked across his cheeks. That indicated enough.
They all collectively said, "Naruto."
Naruto didn't hear them. He forced their voices away. He ignored them all. He walked up to Shikamaru. He said, "When?"
Shika chewed on his unlit cig. "Now."
Naruto said, "Where?"
Shika sighed.
Naruto pressed. "Where, Shika?"
Shika said, "What do you intend?"
Naruto said, "I have to speak to someone in charge."
Shika q-eyed him. He gave him a look that said, Why?
Naruto said, "You'll find out soon enough…"
Shika saw something in Naruto's eyes. He couldn't place the feeling.
Ino felt it. She knew instantly. Maybe it was her clan-ability. Maybe it was just human-science. She went numb all over. She never remembered why she never said anything. She just waited for the world to end.
Shika said, "They're all convening by the west border. There's a campsite—"
Naruto put a hand on Shika's shoulder. He eyes-closed smiled. "Thank you, Shika. You've always been a good friend to me."
Shika felt weird about this.
Naruto hands-in-pocket, swerved, and promptly left towards his destination.
Sakura clenched her waist-skirt. Ino felt Naruto's intentions. Sakura knew them by proxy of, this-goof-is-my-best-friend.
We're still trying to mourn the loss of one friend…please Naruto…don't go and do something stup—
Uzumaki Naruto's Resignation!
The Daimyo was old-af. Kakashi wondered how he was still alive. He watched the High-Council murmur in his ear. He saw Danzo's confident smile. He knew what was happening right then. This is a takeover.
The Daimyo said, "So sad to hear about what happened. Even worse, when I heard about poor Tsunade-hime. And as sad as it may be, we must act quick. Your leader is on her deathbed. The time for an election is nigh, I say."
Kakashi one-eye-rolled. "The facts have been exaggerated, my Lord. Tsunade-sama will be back to good health in a few weeks, tops."
The Daimyo swallowed those facts. He chewed on nothing. He dead-eye stared Kakashi down. Kakashi didn't blink. Danzo's smile never left his face.
The Daimyo said, "I say, Kakashi-san, you're quite the formidable shinobi. Son of the White Fang. Trained by The Fourth himself. You're quite the fit for Hokage—"
"With all due respect, my Lord, I've no interest in politics or the required leadership the title of Hokage demands."
The Daimyo chewed on nothing. "Hmm…I can see that. Yes. Then, has anyone any suggestions? Any candidates?"
Shikaku said, "Uzumaki Naruto."
The Daimyo went wide-eyed. "Oh? He is a tad young, no?"
Kakashi one-eye-closed-smiled. "The Fourth was about as young."
Danzo's smile broke. "No he wasn't."
Shikaku joined in. "Yes, if I recall correctly, he was only a few years older."
Kakashi nodded. "Yes. You're correct, Shikaku-san."
The Daimyo deliberated.
Danzo shot eye-daggers from there. He said, "Obviously, I would like to nominate myself. I unbiasedly believe I am the perfect candidate. I've studied under Lord Second, same as Hiruzen. I was Hiruzen's comrade, and he was the Third. I've run operations out of this village that have bolstered our defences and sky-rocketed our growth in terms of market and village/country-relations. I have all the necessary attributes. And I'm more than interested in the so-called requirements the title of Hokage demands from me."
The Daimyo deliberated.
Shikaku said, "Bolstered our defences? Are you shitting me Danzo? We just got infiltrated like it was taking candy from a baby. Great job you did there, buddy."
Danzo shot eye-daggers.
The Daimyo said, "Settle down, young lads. It's alright. I believe I've come to the right conclusion. I elect Uzumaki Naru—"
Naruto burst into the room and said, "木の葉の忍としての職務を辞任する."
As in…
"I quit!"
Konoha 11 get wind of the news…the plot thickens!
Sakura was cheezed.
Shika dropped his cig.
Choji stopped eating.
Kiba barked louder than Akamaru.
Ino fucking knew it!
TenTen facepalmed.
Rock Lee punched empty-air.
Neji stayed q.t.-quiet.
Shino didn't seem bothered. He was.
They collectively thought it. They collectively said it. The words were…
"Dumbass."
They were collectively cheeeeeezzzzzed. They collectively departed towards the Daimyo-High-Council conference. Shika chain-smoked all the way there. He was stressed.
They didn't find Naruto at the conference. Kakashi-sensei and Shikaku pointed that-a-way. They traipsed.
They found Naruto—hands-stuffed-in-his-pockets—traipsing through a dark alleyway, all nonchalant, like.
They collectively pummelled him doooown.
From-the-top. Naruto's flat on the ground. Konoha 11 towered over him. They arms-crossed shot him dirty-looks. TenTen stank-eyed him. Kiba flared his fangs. Shino took his sunglasses off. Shika flicked his cig.
Sakura said, "Wtf were you thinking?"
Naruto wasn't looking at them.
Sakura slapped him.
Naruto wasn't fazed. He still wasn't looking at them.
Sakura chewed her lip dry. She held his cheeks. She forced his eyes to look into hers. She stumbled back. They were that empty.
Naruto's eyelids shadowed blood-red. He easily got up, moved Konoha 11 aside, and promptly walked-tf-off. They bug-eye stared at his back.
Shika went, WAIT! NARUTO!
Sakura chased after him.
TenTen held Neji back from going too.
Rock Lee went. Nobody stopped him. He was much too youthful.
Choji chucked his chip-bag and got.
Kiba mounted Akamaru and they zoomed.
Shino sent hordes.
Ino already knew.
She said, "Hinata…"
What about your Nindo, Naruto…?
Naruto walked the whole way. He didn't look back. She kept chasing him. She chased him all the way to Training Ground 8. He stopped. He stood still. He evinced nature. She bumped into him. They fell. She grabbed his wrist. He gave her a look. She caught it. It said, You can't hold me.
She truly thought she could.
Sakura said, "Why?"
Naruto stayed mum.
Sakura saw red! She pummelled the ground with her fists and yelled, Why! Why! WHY! WHY! WHY! WHHHYYYYYY!
Naruto stayed mum.
Sakura stared into his eyes. They were so cold and empty. He got up. He walked away.
She said, "What about your Nindo, Naruto…?"
He stayed mum.
She said, "What about your goal? What about becoming Hokage?!"
He stayed mum.
She said, "NARUTO! Tell me!"
He stayed mum!
Sakura punched the ground. The grounds split in half. Naruto leapt to one side. He stared at Sakura.
She walked up to him and said, "Tell me…"
Naruto said, "I don't want it anymore. I don't want any of this anymore. I don't want anything."
Sakura saw tears in his eyes. She held his cheeks. They were this close.
She said, "Because she died?"
Naruto narrow-eyed her.
She nudged his forehead like, What?
She said, "She wouldn't want this. She loved you. She would want you to keep going. She would want to see you achieve your goals. So take it back. Take back what you told the Daimyo. Do that for Hinata…"
Naruto narrow-eyed her. He shut them tightly. He cinched his eyelids and held back tears.
Sakura held his chin. She weak-smiled at him.
Naruto whispered it. "It's not because of her."
Sakura barely heard him. "Hmm? All because of Hinata?"
Naruto said, "No."
Sakura said, "Then what?"
Naruto said, "Pain."
He took her hands off him. He turned his back and walked away. She didn't chase him. She stood still as nature and pondered this:
Pain is dead…but I don't think that's what you meant, is it, Naruto-kun?
Ichiraku's Famous Ramen!
"One large bowl. Miso. Xtra fishcake."
Old man Ichiraku went, Comin' right up.
Ichiraku Ramen Shop was destroyed in the battle. The old man had grouped together a pair of benches and prepared meals for the ravaged. He used rock-pots and portable burners.
He set the bowl in front of him and said, "This one's on the house. It's a new menu-item. I call it, The Naruto Special!"
Naruto stared at the bowl. Steam rolled off like his smoke-bombs. He never ate it. He just stared at it.
Someone sat beside him. He didn't notice who. A pair of hands entered his field-of-view. They were tiny. They were fragile. They were beautifully fair. They held chopsticks. They dipped into his bowl and chop-stuck a bundle of noodles. He heard air-blowing and saw the bundle of noodles blow here-and-there. The hand brought the noodles to his mouth. He turned.
Ayame smiled warmly at him.
Tears slipped through. They trailed down his cheeks. She set the noodles down and wiped his tears.
He said, "I quit. I resigned from all of this. I feel ashamed of myself."
She said, "What's done is done, Naruto-kun. You gave them everything. Now, no regrets. I'm right by your side. I always will be. I always have been. Every time you came home from a long mission. Every post-training-session-meal. I've watched you every step of the way. You. Gave. Everything. Now…you rest."
Naruto nodded. He opened his mouth and went, Aaah.
Ayame smiled. She chop-stuck a bundle of noodles in his mouth. He slurped it right up.
He true-smiled at her. She smiled back.
It happened fast.
Naruto slid the bowl away. He slid closer to her. He pulled her closer. He leaned in. She closed her eyes. He kissed her. She kissed back. Sparks didn't fly. But for the first time in his entire life…he felt okay, like the world wouldn't end if he rested.
But in the back of his mind, a thought lingered. It pinpricked through his skull. It permeated at the back of his head. He ignored it and focused on kissing Ayame. The thought was this:
What is the world…without Uzumaki Naruto…?
PROLOGUE END!