slightly-ish over two weeks since I posted last. The story is nearing its end. Writing the last chapters now. We're almost there!

I want to give a big shout out to everyone who added this story to their favorites/alerts. Normally I give you all a shoutout, but I can't, for some reason access the list. Apologies! but I greatly appreciate the support!

Reviewers:

Nithi Velu: It's been a part of his journey. I've said for earlier in the story that, yes he holds a big dislike for the village and his 'friends', he matured enough to move on with his life, for his own sake, and for the sake of the war itself.

I'm glad to read that you agree with the decided path. Most people prefer a standard, typical Konoha bashing for 60 chapters straight.

Gamesdean1: I apologize for the short chapters. I prefer 6k chapters at the least, but sometimes the flow just doesn't allow for it. This one is 6k+ though ;) Enjoy!

KingYamYam: I really wanted to remind you (the readers) that Kenpachi is a monster, and that a simple powerup isn't going to fix the problem. I do hope you enjoy some of the other perspectives!

Stalker1: What kind of action do you mean? it's been almost non-stop action ;P. I hope this chapter will satisfy your needs!

Tmntlover2013: Thank you so much for your kind words! it helps a lot! As for your question, you'll have to wait and see ;) No spoilers!

Without further ado, enjoy the 50th chapter of I will become a Ghost!


Chapter 50 - Konoha's stand part six

The Reavers continued their relentless assault on the walls, the defenders of Konohagakure nearly caving under the pressure.

"Hold them back! don't give them anything!" Ibiki roared, crushing the windpipe of the Reaver he was holding. Noticing that the life had left the body he was holding, he tossed it toward the tower where the Reavers were offloading from, but not before slapping a particular nasty tag onto it.

The explosion shook their part of the wall. There was the sound of wood breaking as the tower could no longer sustain its own weight. It collapsed, killed or wounding dozens that stood in the tower, as well as below.

Behind them he heard the familiar sound of the elevator reaching to top could be heard. He could feel a sense of relief as reinforcements stepped off. He had been asking for it for a while now. He was also well aware that their numbers were dwindling, and it wouldn't be long before the general call of retreat would be heard.

He looked around and saw the clashing of blade against blade, of jutsu flying overhead. He also saw the terrified faces of the inexperienced who were mustered up to fight and die.

"-we do?"

Ibiki saw that someone was shouting, and desperately pointing at something, but couldn't make out what he was saying. "What?" he roared back.

The man stepped closer, grabbing the interrogation expert by the should and pulled him back. "I said, they've taken control of sector 10! What do we do?!"

The scarred man looked towards the sector and saw that Reavers were now pouring into the other sections of the wall. Konoha's fuuinjutsu experts had put up a barrier to prevent them from entering the village, but that was the extent of what they could offer.

He mentally cursed, before looking to the fresh shinobi that were lining up to assist. "Take my batch of reinforcements and start making your way there!" he yelled over the sound of the metal clashing. "Do the same with the sectors you pass and round up people."

"Unerstood Morina-san!" the man quickly made his way over to the fresh troops and started instructing them.

A chunin fell to the ground in front of him, screaming in pain as he clutched the stump where his arm used to be. Ibiki reached for his vest and dragged him back. "Medic!"

He propped the chunin up against the low wall at the back, where the medical section was location. Noting the blood spurting everywhere, he reached for his pouch and pulled out a tourniquet and quickly applied it. "Someone will be here soon."

He made his way back to the front part of the wall, where there was a stalemate going on. Both sides pushing against each other, hoping that the other would give way. It was messy and chaotic, but that was exactly what war really was.

A chaotic mess.

Unable to move any further, he beckoned for a few shinobi to give him their attention. He reached for his pouch and pulled out a kunai and a exploding tag. He held it up for the others to see, but low enough so the opposition wouldn't find out.

He wrapped it around the kunai and applied a tiny portion of chakra to it, setting off the 'fuse'. He tossed it over the group of fighting men, while the others did the same.

A series of explosions rumbled and entire groups of Reavers were killed or dismembered. Using this to their advantage, the defenders applied pressure, and soon enough, the Reavers lost their foothold.

"Again, now for the towers!" He reached for a tagged kunai and tossed one extra to his comrade beside him, who had just thrown his last one.

Others in the back quickly caught on and copied their behavior, reaching for kunai with exploding tags, lighting the fuse.

"Throw!" Ibiki's deep voice echoed over the wall.

Dozens of shinobi threw their explosives, kunai embedding in wood, deep in the tower.

A spectacular display of thundering detonations was seen across the wall, pieces of wood and metal work flew everywhere, the majority of it, hitting the ground below.

With the Reavers cut off from reinforcements, they soon succumbed to the superior number of defenders.

Ibiki held up his hand with a grimace on his face. A large piece of wood had perforated his hand. With a grunt he pulled it out and let it drop to the ground.

"You okay, Ibiki?" a concerned chunin asked, having noticed the hand.

He didn't respond. Instead, he reached for his first personal first aid kit and pulled out a bandage. Unfolding it, he slowly and with slight difficulty wrapped it around his hand. It was clear it wasn't his first time doing this because he was done quickly.

"What now?" the same woman asked.

"Replace the people at the front, with fresh defenders in the back, and prepare for the next wave."

Ibiki stepped forward and looked down, over the battlement. The sea of glowing eyes looked up at them. Despite the massive losses the Reavers had gained, it certainly didn't look it. The army below still seemed as massive as it had done when the battle started.

His face remained impassive but, on the inside, he knew that if help didn't arrive soon, they'd all be dead. He pushed away from the cover and went back to work.


Konohamaru came to a stop when the elevator reached the top. He had been dreading it for a while now. Ever since the start of the fight…Ever since Naruto had spoken to them.

He stepped off, along with Udon and Moegie, both of them looked as scared as he was. They saw people moving about, shouting orders at each other, while only a mere 10 meters away the two sides were clashing against each other.

Someone bumped against him as they pushed past the three greenhorns. They gave them a side glance but didn't bother to stop.

"Oi, move it along, yeah?" A voice rang out, causing the trio to turn.

His trademark senbon in his mouth, Genma was staring at them, beckoning them to move over.

They quickly walked over, their eyes darting all over the place.

"Situation must really be dire to send in the rookie chunin." Genma said, his hands shoved in his pockets.

They were unsure how to answer, so they quietly waited for him to continue. He sighed and turned to walk further down the wall. It was clear they were meant to follow him.

"How many reserves do we still have down below?" the Jonin asked, without turning.

Konohamaru was still looking around, in clear discomfort. "Uhm…It's not very bad yet…But numbers are definitely going down faster."

He was silent for a moment before he steered the conversation in a new direction. All the while he led them to their destination. "You don't like you've seen much action, am I right?"

Konohamaru gave a dejected nod.

"Okay. Well, prepare yourselves. Don't engage the glowing baka's. They're either Haeta's, or Shifters. You won't stand a chance. Let our stronger nin take them, okay?"

"Understood, Genma-san." Moegi chirped nervously.

Genma stopped and turned to them. "Good luck. I hope to see you alive, when this is all over." And with that he walked back, not even sparing them a side-glance.

Konohamaru stared at the Genma's retreating back. The fear he felt had been dimmed slightly, with the arrival of the familiar face of Genma. But now that he left…It had returned full force. He became fully aware of the voices and sounds around him.

Someone bumped into Moegi while she pushed past her. "What are you standing around for?! We need help over here!"

Konohamaru swallowed his nerves and gave his teammates a nod. He ran over and jumped into the fray, joining the mass of bodies smushed against each other as they tried to overpower each other.

Moegi and Udon watched with wide eyes and jumped in after him. They got shoved around for a bit before their comrades made space for them. There was another row of shinobi in front of them, but beyond lay the enemy. The deafening sounds seemed to dull out, while the sounds of grunting and shouting remained.

"Keep up the pressure! We're taking care of the towers!" A voice from the rear shouted. There wasn't a response, but everyone followed it regardless.

Moegi glanced to the right and let out a shriek of fear as an explosion to her close left killed everyone in that spot.

"Spread out! Cover the spot that's been bombarded!" someone ordered, and the defenders got more breathing space. Somehow, she felt less secure than before.

She grabbed a kunai and held it firmly in her hand. She shook her head and tried to steel her nerves for the fight she was about to be engulfed in.


Kakashi watched with Sasuke from a nearby rooftop towards the top of the wall. Smoke plumes could be seen on various spots at the very top, giving it a dreadful look. "They're going to breach the wall again, won't be long."

The Uchiha watched with an unreadable expression. "What then?"

"In Suna, we got cut off and killed off, sector by sector. We've created strongpoints, to make it more difficult for them to do a repeat…And we still have Konan as our trump card."

"We're not dead yet."

Behind them they could hear Sakura hopping up. "Where are you heading to?" Her voice was still hoarse, and upon seeing her eyes, they could see that she had been crying.

Kakashi's eye flicked to Sasuke before responding. "We're going to try and find Itachi."

Sakura's gaze instantly went to Sasuke as well. "Why?"

"With Kisame and…and…" Kakashi's breathing hitched. "And Naruto dead…We need to see if Itachi is still alive."

"Lead the way, Kakashi-sensei."

The two men rose their eyebrows but gave a nod. It was a good plan to have a medic along.

"We need to hurry; they need our help up there." Sasuke nudged to the wall.

"You're right, I'll take point, Sasuke you take up the rear, and no matter what, we stay away from Kenpachi."

The trio darted from rooftop to rooftop their eyes darting everywhere, while heading to the last known location of Itachi.

"Haven't heard any fighting in the village. You think Kenpachi's still here?" Sakura asked.

Somehow, Kakashi doubted it. There hadn't been sounds of fighting going on inside the village, in the last half hour. He was aware that Rome and his squad had been ordered to retreat, while a root team had taken over. The fighting had ended soon after.

They quickly made their way to the academy, landing on the ruined rooftop. Sakura looked somberly. "It's difficult to see our old school like this…"

Both of her teammates agree and quietly looked around, to see if Itachi was here. Sakura hopped down to get a closer look but nearly slipped and fell when the rubble beneath her gave way. She landed in the ruined classroom and made her way to the hallway and tried to see if she could find anyone.

Kakashi in the meantime had summoned Pakun and gave him a pat. "Can you find Itachi? He should be here somewhere."

Pakun had been aware of the battle that had been going on and was trying to catch the scent of the older Uchiha. "He was here but isn't any longer. He moved away."

"Sakura!" Sasuke's voice echoed through the building. "Itachi's not here. Get back up."

There was a muffled response and after a few moments, she climbed back onto the roof. "Is he still alive?"

Sasuke shrugged. "We don't know, Pakun caught his scent."

Before anyone could respond, a massive explosion erupted at the top of the wall, to their far right. The top half was blown apart and debris was landing everywhere.

"Kami…" said Sakura, watching as the dust settled around it.

"Pakun. Show us the way." Kakashi ordered and waited for his ninken to take the lead.

The small dog hopped from the roof, onto the main street and went into a series of alleyways, followed by the Konoha-nin.

"I can also smell Naruto nearby. Do you want to head-" Pakun started but was quickly cut off by Kakashi.

"No. He's dead."

Pakun's head jerked to the side, surprised by the news. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Kakashi glanced at Sakura who stayed quiet, a solemn look on her face. "How much further?"

"Not much."

They turned a few corners before Kakashi came to a stop as he recognized just where they were heading to. "Pakun…Is Itachi at Naruto's position?"

There was a moment of silence. "It is."

They looked at each other. Sasuke and Kakashi had already seen Naruto, but Sakura hadn't. It would be difficult for her to see her old teammate in the state that his body was.

When the group didn't move, Pakun pressed the matter. "I know it's difficult, but I also smell strong chakra signatures. It isn't safe here. We either go now, or head back."

"Is it Kenpachi?" Sasuke hissed, his eyes darting around, his hand clutching his wrist. The memory of the Reaver breaking his arm like a twig a few hours before was still fresh in his mind.

"I don't know who 'Kenpachi' is, but one chakra presence towers above the others." Pakun answered.

Kakashi looked over his shoulder, tempted to head back. "That's Kenpachi…Maybe we shouldn't…"

"No! I…I need to see, h-him." Sakura said with a hiccup.

The veteran Jonin gave a weary nod. "Okay, but let's stay quiet."

The group resumed at a slower pace than before, careful not to make any unnecessary sounds. Luckily for them, the sounds of fighting, of jutsu impacting, and of explosions going off, significantly helped.

They turned a corner and reached the end of the alleyway. Across were the ruined buildings that Kakashi and Sasuke recognized as the one from earlier. "There it is. Is Itachi still there?"

"Hai." Pakun quietly replied.

The group peered around the corners but found the streets on both sides to be clear for the moment. "Pakun, you can go. Thank you for helping us." Kakashi crouched down next to his ninken.

The dog looked up at his longtime friend. "I'm sorry for your loss, Kakashi. You've already endured too much."

Kakashi sighed, his arm resting on his knee. "I'll overcome this. We all will."

Pakun tilted his head. He knew this behavior all too well. It was the exact same behavior he had when Rin had died…When they all had died. He would become an even more reclusive man, just like before. "Take care, pups. Take care of each other." And with that, he disappeared in a small puff.

Slowly the grey-haired Jonin stood back up. "Okay, let's not waste any more time." Glancing at the street one last time, he quickly proceeded to sprint across, with Sakura and Sasuke following closely.

They climbed over the rubble, just like before and made their way towards the collapsed entrance of the building they knew Itachi to be in, along with Naruto. Kakashi looked at the scorched ground in front. He remembered that's where one of Kenpachi's attack had struck. The area had been blackened and destroyed, like a great fire had occurred there.

Before the party could enter, they noticed movement inside and they tensed up. The figure stepped outside, revealing it to be Itachi. He was carrying something, covered by his Akatsuki cloak.

"Itachi, you're alive." Kakashi said, his eyes darting down to what he was carrying. He could see legs sticking out from underneath his cloak. 'Naruto…'

"I did. The rest of my…team didn't." He answered quietly, before stepping out of the shadow of the building, revealing his battered and bloodied face.

Upon paying closer inspection he could see that he slightly swayed from side to side. "Are you okay?"

Itachi looked down at the body he was carrying. "I'm not."

Sakura had noticed the body as well and she was hesitant to ask. "Is that…N-Naruto?"

Itachi gave a solemn nod. "I'm going to bring him to one of our safe zones."

Sakura stepped forward, her quivering hand reaching for the fabric of Itachi's cloak but stopped herself and pulled the hand back. She slowly backed away, wiping away some of her tears.

Sasuke's eyes had also remained on the body his brother was carrying, for once the hatred he had felt for Itachi was strangely absent. "What now?"

"We protect Itachi, while he completes his mission." Kakashi knew full well not to offer his support in carrying Naruto. It was something Itachi needed to do himself.

Itachi gave the Jonin a nod and slowly stepped forward, taking one step at a time while dragging his left leg behind.

"Keep your eyes open. There's reaver presence in the area." Kakashi ordered, taking the lead, with Itachi close behind.


Konohamaru pulled his hand back, leaving the kunai embedded in the chest of his foe before slamming into another one, helping one of the other chunin finishing him off. The youngster jumped back and regained his composure. He gave a little hop before he dove back in, assisting where he could. He was well aware he couldn't stand up to the Reavers and was only capable of taking out a regular.

To his right he could see Choji using his superior strength to take on multiple legionnaire's. smashing his enhanced fist into the nearest foe, destroying her skull, killing her instantly.

The number of towers that were parked against the wall was an intimidating amount, and they were slowly being pushed back from the front of the wall.

"Konohamaru!" Udon yelled as he was struggled to hold back the blade that was pressing down on him. Quickly he sprinted towards his friend, pushing past the crowd, when he got near, he tackled the Reaver and killed him.

Udon pulled his teammate to his feet and together they engaged the next foe, working in close tandem.

"Where's Moegi?!" Konohamaru yelled over the sound of the fighting.

"She was pulled away to retake the sector to our right!" Udon yelled back, ducking underneath a fist.

An explosion nearly made them tumble to the ground but managed to remain upright. Udon kicked the legionnaire back before being countered by a holder who crashed into him.

Konohamaru dove after them and stabbed the demonic Reaver in the back of his neck repeatedly.

Udon managed to crawl out from underneath the body but was quickly buried by another fallen fighter.

Pushing away the bodies, Konohamaru saved his teammate from suffocating, or being trampled, pulling him to his feet.

Udon gave a grateful nod. "Thanks."

"Anytime!" Konohamaru yelled, still gripping the hand of Udon tight. He spotted a glint of metal before his face got sprayed by blood. "K-kami?" He looked down to his hand, where he was still holding Udon's arm, severed from the rest of his friend's body.

He quickly landed his eyes on the fearful gaze of Udon as he stuttered, staring in complete shock at his dismembered arm. "K-ko-"

The Sarutobi looked up at the towering figure of a Reaver, watching him with a sickening grin plastered on his face, preparing to kill his friend Udon, and him along with it.

The blade swung but missed as Choji came barreling in and snapped the neck of their would-be killer. "Konohamaru, get him out of here!"

Konohamaru was still staring in shock at the grotesque sight.

Choji marched up and pulled him to his feet, shaking him violently. "Snap out of it!"

He shook his head and turned his focus on the large Akimichi. The normal warm look he held, was replaced by a battle-focused one. "Right!"

Choji slapped him on the shoulder and turned back around. "Good l-"He never was able to finish his sentence as a blade pierced his chest.

"CHOJI!" Konohamaru screamed.

A towering figure grabbed Konohamaru and Udon, pulling them back.

"We have to save Choji!" Konohamaru yelled, trying to break free from his grasp.

Ibiki gave him a hard slap. "He's dead! Get a grip!"

Konohamaru abruptly stopped moving, his eyes wide. "D-dead?"

"And your friend will too, if you don't get him some help!" Ibiki dropped them on the ground and quickly rejoined the fight, leaving the two youngsters behind.

Slowly he wiped away the tears and tried to regain his composure. He pulled Udon to his feet and tried to get him to a medical station, whispering Choji's name over and over again.


Micheru ducked underneath a wide swing and pushed her shoulder into him, sending him stumbling towards the back. She used her momentum to shove her short blade into the gut of her second foe.

Her mind was screaming for her to dodge, and she quickly used a backflip to dodge a large red discharge that impacted right where she was standing.

She glanced to her left and saw more allies emerging from the elevators. It was something they sorely needed. The Reavers had been unloading troops at a high pace, giving them the clear upper hand on their clash on top of the wall. As long as the defense held a numerical advantage on the wall, they could control the fight. Once they lost that advantage…There was no telling how fast it would cascade towards other sections on the map.

It was something the defenders of Konogakure knew. But it was also something the Reavers knew. Once the first cracks started to show on sector 17, they started applying more pressure. Sending forth extra siege towers and more bombardments started hitting their area, far worse than any other sector.

Micheru wiped the sweat of her forehead, her other hand reaching for her microphone. "This is Hunter Sun. We need any available high-level shinobi here immediately. Sector 17 is taking a beating."

~Where is the commanding Jonin in charge of sector 17?~

She looked down at the dark haired Jonin laying at her feet. ~She's dead. I've assumed command for now.~

~Understood, stand-by Hunter Sun.~

She looked to her side and saw a huddled chunin fearfully looking around. It was something she had seen before, in herself when they invaded Mirarca. She grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him to his feet. "On your feet, chunin. Now isn't the time to give up!"

It was clear that he was a newly promoted one at that. He gave a slow and unsteady nod and looked around.

She let go of his wrist and watched the desperate struggle unfold in front of her. It was incredibly similar to Suna's fight, despite the extra advantages they held.

A volley flew overhead and crashed into the massive army below. Behind the wall they had stationed all sorts of different siege equipment. Most notably was a strange looking device that apparently flung metallic balls into the sky. They would crack open at its peak, releasing exploding tags that would detonate on impact.

~Hunter Sun. There are two anbu squads reinforcing your position.~

She gave mental sigh. It wasn't nearly enough. Every sector would require at minimum fifty shinobi to make sure they wouldn't be overrun instantly. Optimally 70 or more would be best. 8 Anbu operatives would barely fill the gap left by the fall of experienced fighters.

Regardless she responded. ~Understood.~

She gave a brief glance to the scared chunin, who was now shuffling back forward again. Reaching for two kunai she pushed forward. Swinging and slicing she managed to reach the front, standing shoulder to shoulder with the dwindling defenders.

A deafening roar turned her gaze to the sky, where the rain was still continuing unabated. She could see Que flying overhead, a stream of fire crashing into the ground far below. Jutsu and and shuriken accompanied the attack, inflicting even more damage.

A gust of wind blew her hair into her face, along with the familiar sound of arrows slicing the air, disappearing into the forest ahead.

Leaning back she let her foe make the mistake, quickly countering with her kunai, slicing open the stretched limb of the Reaver.

He let out a roar of pain but blasted her away with his demonic chakra, sending her flying back to the rear. Her eyes widened as she toppled over the edge, her free hand trying to reach for something, anything…her feet to far away to latch herself onto the wall.

The wind slammed into her as she plummeted to the ground. Gritting her teeth, she twisted her body, giving her a better reach, but still unsuccessful in actually sticking her to the wall.

The ground was now rapidly approaching and the fear was now filling her mind, trying to block out any form of rational thought.

Her eye darted to a large building below her, a bell tower. She quickly reached for her pouch and pulled out a wire. She quickly tied the wire to the kunai and tossed it towards the belltower where it firmly embedded itself into the concrete. The other end of the wire still in her hand, she wrapped it around her hand, grimacing what was about to occur.

As the wire ran out, her arm jerked up, along with her body. She let out a scream of pain as she felt her arm dislocate but tried to ignore it. Looking below, she could see the mass of people watching her as she was swinging towards them, still at a very fast pace, but no longer a life threatening one.

Grabbing another kunai, she cut the wire and let herself be dropped to the floor, where she came to a skidding halt.

She hissed out in pain, cradling her injured arm, slowly she slid to her knees.

"Hunter-san! Are you okay?" a medic-nin came running up, along with a few onlookers, crouching down next to her, inspecting her arm, while the others watched.

She merely shook her head, as waves of pain rolled over her. She glanced up to the distant top of the wall, feeling incredibly lucky to be alive.

"It's dislocated. I'll have to set it back in its proper place." He said gingerly, his fingers laid gently on her shoulder.

"Just…pull!" she managed to hiss, shutting her eyes in pain.

She didn't hear a response. Not that she needed it. She let out a scream of pain as the medic-nin wasted no time and gave her arm a quick jerk. "Christ…you…you got it!"

Slowly she opened her eyes again, looking into the reassuring gaze of the medical nin. "I'm sorry…"

She shook her head, still breathing heavily. "Not your…fault."

His gaze turned sympathetic. "Are you ready for the next part?"

She furrowed her brow. "What…do you mean?"

He carefully lifted her arm, showing her hand. The wire had dug deep into her flesh. Almost instantly pain erupted from it. She tried pulling her hand out of his grip, but he held it tightly, shaking his hand.

"I'm sorry, but the longer we wait, the worse it will become. Are you ready?"

The onlookers watched with grimaces of their own, turning away to give her some privacy.

She let out an unsteady sigh, but nodded. "Do it quickly. I..I don't-"

He never let her finish as he quickly pulled the wire out of hand, tossing it aside as if it was on fire.

She groaned in pain, accompanied with a string of curses as she clutched her wrist, not daring to touch her hand. Almost immediately the pain dulled as the medic-nin's hands glowed green and enveloped her wounded hand.

Closing her eyes again, but this time in relief as she let him treat her wounded hand. When she reopened them, he had wrapped a bandage around it, tying it into a knot to keep it in place.

He patted her on the shoulder and stood back up. "Good luck Hunter-san."

Her gaze followed him. "Thank you…" she hesitantly said.

He looked over his shoulder, smiling widely. "My pleasure, don't end up dying…it would be a waste of all my hard work."

She let out a half chuckle and slowly stood up as well, still holding her sensitive and painful arm.

Her head turned up again, looking at where the sounds of battle originated from. While the wall wasn't as imposing as Suna's had been, it was still a frightening distance to the top.

A large red wave turned her eyes towards the center of the village. "Kenpachi…" she whispered. She hadn't seen Naruto since last night, and she knew Rome was sent to help him, which had been over two hours ago.

a wave of dread settled in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it away and instead moved back towards the nearest elevator. She needed to have faith in Naruto and Rome.

She stepped on the elevator, along with a dozen of other shinobi. As the elevator soared to the top, her gaze roamed the village where she could recognize small explosions taking place, or of people darting across the rooftops.

Despair loomed overhead as her thoughts briefly went back to her homeland and how they had been wiped out, fearing that a repeat was about to occur.


They made it back to the hospital safe zone without much trouble. It went at a slow pace, due to Itachi's wounds, but luckily for them, they didn't come across any enemies, Kakashi suspected Root to be the reason for his.

Sakura trailed behind, her head a turmoil of emotions. The death of Naruto… She had difficulty wrapping her head around it.

The Anbu guarding the compound saw them approaching and stepped aside.

Inside were a series of tents set up that contained supplies for the medical nin and frontline fighters alike, making this a critical supply and medical hub.

A chunin ran up to them, quickly noticing the body that Itachi was carrying. "Please, follow me."

She took the lead, moving them past a crowd of shinobi softly conversing amongst themselves, giving them a side glance.

"Does…Micheru know?" Itachi asked quietly.

Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment, he was dreading the conversation. "She doesn't."

Itachi's head bowed. "I should be the one to tell her."

Sakura covered her mouth, muffling the sound of sob that left her mouth.

They moved over to the left side of the hospital, where there was a large area. They quickly noticed the rows upon rows of bodies. Small groups of shinobi were mourning for their fallen friends, briefly as it was.

They walked past the bodies that were all covered with a white cloth, coming to a halt at an empty spot. The chunin gave them a sympathetic look. "You can lay your friend to rest here; I'll arrange for some linen."

Itachi stared at the empty spot for a few moments, before he slowly laid him down, remaining in a crouched position, his hand resting on Naruto's chest.

The chunin came back and quietly stood next to the group, a white cloth draped over her arms. Itachi turned his head and gave her a nod.

Slowly she stepped forward and crouched down across from Itachi, unfolding the shroud.

The Uchiha slowly slid his cloak away, allowing for the medic-nin to replace it with a more appropriate cover.

For a moment, Naruto's pale face and body was visible. Sakura's breathing hitched and stared at him, something she couldn't bear for long. She turned and buried her face in Sasuke's chest, who looked as distraught as she was.

The white cloth was gently laid across Naruto, covering him once more. It did nothing to lessen their pain.

Itachi slowly stood back up, his unsteady legs shaking under the pressure. "Rest easy, my friend." He took an unsteady step back, his gaze locked on the body of Naruto. After what seemed an eternity, he gave a snap turn and left, moving past the group, no words were uttered.

"It's not fair." Sakura softly cried, her shoulder shaking uncontrollably.

Sasuke rubbed her back and quietly whispered into her ear, tears dripping from his eyes.

Kakashi stood off to the side. the wave of pain he felt had numbed him, just as it had with Rin and Obito…With Minato and Kushina. With a slow shake of his head, he followed in Itachi's footsteps and quietly left, leaving Sasuke and Sakura behind.

He was about to turn the corner, when he nearly bumped into Mayu and Tsunade. "Hokage-sama."

Tsunade locked eyes with him, emotions written on her face. She knew, of that there was no doubt. "Is he?"

His response was a solemn nod.

She stumbled back, clutching the wall for support while Mayu somberly looked past Kakashi and saw two shinobi hugging each other, recognizing them as old friends of Naruto. "This…this can't be happening." She said with a quiet and hoarse voice.

"Who told you?" Kakashi asked in a similar low voice.

"Rome…he saw what happened. He knew that there was no chance he'd survive."

"Does Micheru-" his voice died in his throat, finding it difficult to finish the sentence.

Mayu shook her head. "She doesn't. But she has to know. I've ordered her to come this way. She'll be here shortly."

"Minato, I'm so sorry." Tsunade whispered as she slid past the two, moving towards the body. A chunin was crouched, placing a white piece of paper at the feet of Naruto's still body. The paper contained his name and affiliation.

The Hokage stood in front of the body, her hands balled into fists. "I'm going to tear him apart…I promise you, Naruto." Despite her quiet voice, everyone heard her words.


Micheru landed in front of the entrance, her fingers grasping her still tender arm. The guards recognized her as an ally and stepped aside. When the order had been given to head to the hospital she had been frustrated, angry even. Assuming the order to be one to keep her away from the fighting. But the tone in her mother's voice kept her from protesting.

What made it worse was that they needed every abled body up on the wall. After returning back on top after her 'tumble' it became clear that the Reavers were applying pressure on all the weak points. It was nearing its breaking point.

Regardless she heeded the order and headed to the hospital. Looking around and saw that it was crowded with people. More and more people were being brought here as the battle progressed.

A quick glance to the distant wall caused her to sigh. She wanted to fight…she needed to fight. Her mind had been wandering to Naruto ever since he had started his fight against Kenpachi. And her worry only increased when Rome had been called away.

After she was done here, she was going to head for the fight, her mother be damned. She turned and moved towards the entrance of the hospital, letting a few genin run past her, watching them dash towards what she assumed to be their superior, a slight smile on her face.

Tsunade had reassured her that she would do her best to keep them as safe as possible, something she was glad for. She wouldn't be able to bear a repeat of Sunagakure.

"Micheru?"

Turning her head, Hawke entered her line of sight. He looked disheveled and he had a deep cut that went across his nose, narrowly missing his eye. "Shit…Are you okay?"

He gave her a slow nod. "It's just a scratch." he said without trying to wince, which he failed miserably at.

She slowly reached for the cut, her hand starting to glow green, but it was quickly pushed away. "I'll live. Use your chakra for someone who really needs it."

She gave him a nod. "Have you seen, Naruto?"

His eyes grew somber. "I, I…saw him, yeah."

"And?" she pressed, her heartbeat increasing slightly.

"Mich-"

The blonde turned to the woman who stood further down from Hawke. She quickly realized it to be her mom. Her eyes darted between her and Hawke. Looking around she now noticed more recognizable faces, Kakashi being among them.

He held the same look Hawke had. Her heartbeat had dramatically increased, a cold sweat slowly enveloped her.

She pushed past Hawke and now fully realized where they were standing, and where this area would lead to.

Her pace quickened as she broke into a sprint, her eyes locked with Kakashi's as she passed him.

She neared the corner, whispering silent pleas, before moving around it. The site of the fallen shinobi stacked in mass shocked her, but her eyes were darting around. She felt her legs slow down, just as her eyes settled on two people hugging one another. Sasuke and Sakura.

Her sprint turned into a slow walk before stopping altogether. "No…" A soft hand laid on her shoulder, but she didn't turn. She forced her legs to move, and she neared the two-grieving shinobi.

They broke their embrace and looked at her with despair, but she didn't care. She moved past them and came to a slow halt in front of the cloth covered body. A quivering gasp left her lips as she read the name that was written on the note.

"N-n-n -Naruto U-u-Uzumaki." She said with a shaking voice. she took a few more steps before her legs gave out and she fell to her knees besides him, a quivering hand reaching for the cover.

A short tug was all she needed to see the blood-soaked blonde hair of her love. Gritting her teeth, she tried to stifle her cry and a sob was all that escaped her lips. With one hand she covered her mouth, rocking back and forth.

The anguish she felt was something she had only felt once before…when her father and sister had been taken from her. Her hand was wet with tears when she finally pulled it away from her grief-stricken face.

"I-I" she tried forming a sentence, but with little success. She gave up on trying and merely stared at the blonde hair of her partner, tears dripping onto her dirt and blood ridden clothing. She didn't bother with trying to wipe them away…she didn't bother with anything.

After what felt like a few moments, A soft hand reached for her again, and gently guided her back to her feet. Micheru turned and dove her head into the person's shoulder, which turned out to be her mom, crying uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry, baby."

"H-h-he didn't d-deserve this."

Mayu gently rocked her daughter as she motioned for Kakashi to step forward, giving him a nod. He placed his hand on her head and quietly muttered something, putting her under a genjutsu. Her body went limp as she lost consciousness and entered a dreamless sleep.

Mayu lifted her into her arms and carried her away, giving Kakashi a side glance as he covered Naruto properly once more. "He deserved so much more…" Mayu whispered into Micheru's ear, she too was unable to keep her emotions in check and tears slid down her dirt ridden face.


And that's it for now! Next chapters I really enjoyed writing, i hope you'll enjoy reading it! until next time.