Author: Yes, I'm finally updating again. Lol, sorry about the wait.

I had a revelation for an idea that will make my fics a bit more interesting. Starting with this chapter, I will put up a list of songs off the Naruto Soundtracks to help bring out the mood of the scene better. I'll let you know when to start or stop a certain song when I want you to. This is to be done only to help give a better feel of the scene, not to be done as a copy of the anime (as in, there may be a scene of Naruto walking down the street and I'll cue to play Kakashi's Theme, even though Kakashi might not be showing up at all, just because that theme captures a specific mood.) Don't expect everything to be timed perfectly, you may need to replay, or stop certain songs early in order to try and get what I am attempting here. This is really an experiment on my part, Lemme know if you guys think it works out better.

A direct link for the page to get the songs is on my bio, its at Narutofan, that's also the place where I get manga downloads too.

Oh yeah, Repcraptor – As interesting as it would be to have everyone see Naruto, that would kinda put a hitch in the "How do people react with him gone" angle so, sorry, but no can do.

Other than that, I'm convinced that I will add in an extra chapter or two to show more of the characters, but to you who asked for Gaara...that probably won't happen because that would be REALLY hard to fit into the story.

I heart Naruto reviewers.

Songs needed for this chapter:

"Loneliness", Soundtrack 1, Track 9
"Morning", Soundtrack 1, Track 4
"Sasuke's Theme", Soundtrack 2, Track 5
"Hinata vs. Neji", Soundtrack 2, Track 12
"Sadness and Sorrow", Soundtrack 1, Track 8

Chapter 5:

(cue "Loneliness")

Naruto's ethereal body floated up into the clouds, hiding himself in the clouds though no one could see, the air of the high altitude was much cooler and in some ways, more comforting. He reflected on the scene he had just witnessed in his mind, trying vainly to make sense of what just happened.

Sakura had not only turned away from Sasuke, but had slapped him too, on top of that, she offered him none of the quick redemption she normally readily gave the boy. Sasuke had actually opened up to her, and she just turned him down. Part of Naruto expected fire to rain from the sky as the next sign of the apocalypse.

'The hag's seal is much better than that last one that Sasuke had though.'

His mind drew the memorized picture of the small black slash over Orochimaru's seal on Sasuke, being the last evidence of its existence. The seal itself was no more than tanned skin in a slight outline of its former self. Sasuke didn't have to keep his emotions in check anymore, not with that new seal covering it.

He heaved a heavy sigh, he never expected Sasuke to care, well not after the incident with the Inuzuka girl, but then again he hadn't expected anyone to care. He was pretty sure the day was still to be full of surprises.

With another sigh, he set his sights for the academy below him and descended to the streets once again.

(end "Loneliness")

(cue "Morning")

It didn't take long to get to the streets, and from there the Academy was only a few minutes away with the ability to faze through houses. It wasn't long before he found himself in the playground that he had spent so many lonely lunches at. He passed a glance at the swing set he had sat in every time he had failed the graduation exam.

His face twitched at the memory before he turned completely and floated over to the door, fazing through it, into the wooden halls.

With practiced ease, he found his way into the classroom that he knew Iruka taught in. A few more memories brought him to smile as the thought of him running in late and being scolded by his father figure came to mind. If anyone would care, it would be Iruka, that much he knew.

He fazed into the room, Iruka was lecturing, his back to the unruly group behind him, while writing on the chalkboard. Naruto faintly recognized it as a teaching on the ninja code, behind him, most students were giggling, passing notes, and doodling, with a small few that were taking notes. Iruka normally had a 6th sense about things happening in the classroom that shouldn't be, Naruto couldn't count the times when Iruka had caught him doing things he shouldn't have been doing without so much as even turning around. For Iruka to let such a thing go for so long meant one thing...he didn't care.

(end "Morning")

(cue "Sasuke's Theme")

Naruto drifted to the back of the class, recognizing only two of the students. Moegi and Ueda (I really don't know his name), Konohamaru's friends...but Konohamaru wasn't there.

He passed over the heads of a few other students and saw a doodling that was being passed around, with a stick figure in the middle, one could tell it was meant to be Iruka from the pencil drawn hair and head band. There was a slash mark across his face, stretching a few inches off to either side, it was circled and under the picture was a poorly written caption. "That musta been a bitch to get" (A/N: Stolen righteously from my brother Dalcacris)

The picture was passed to another kid, burst into a fit of giggling before passing it on.

Naruto grimaced and punched at the back of the kid's head, forgetting for a moment that he was a ghost. His hand flew right through the kid's head altogether.

There was a heavy sigh from the front of the room. Everyone (including Naruto) looked up to see Iruka's back slump and his forehead lean against the board he had been writing on.

"Guys" his voice was unusually sad, even the students who had been giggling to themselves the entire time stopped at the sheer depression in that one word. All eyes were on Iruka as he continued. "you have an extended recess today, I'll come get you when its time to come back to class."

Without another word he went to sit at his desk, resting his head upon the hands that were being supported by his elbows. His students followed suit, noiselessly leaving the classroom, ghost student and teacher left alone in the quiet of the nearly vacant room.

Naruto eyed the teacher for what seemed like 10 or 15 minutes. The expression on the adult's face never shifting, unknown amounts of sadness leaked through his eyes and heavy sighs. A pang of guilt hit Naruto at the reaction of the adult, his first and truest friend, the one whom he could've called father. He wanted so badly to shout out to the man that he was alright, and that there was no need to worry, to tell him he never ended his own life, and that nothing had changed, but it had. He knew that, and unfortunately things could never be the same again.

(end "Sasuke's Theme")

(Author: Sorry no song for this part)

He was about to faze through one of the walls so that he could get away from the area, when he heard the door slide open. He turned to see none other than Kakashi enter the room. He turned to the teacher sitting at the desk, acting as if he didn't even notice the man enter.

"I saw the kids out in the playground, I figured something was wrong so I thought I would make sure your alright."

"Don't you have a team to be getting to, I know your normally late, but I won't have Nar-"Iruka's voice stayed steady until the pause, losing his resolve as his voice began to quiver almost uncontrollably. "...Sakura-san mad at me for holding you up."

Kakashi heaved a heavy sigh before going over to one of the student tables and sitting down on it, his arms crossed looking over at the board as if it held the key to some great mystery.

(cue "Hinata vs. Neji")

"It sucks doesn't it? Not being able to mourn over his death because of some ancient custom."

Iruka shifted a bit where he sat.

"I imagine you and Hinata-san are taking this harder than anyone else..."

'Hinata-chan? Why her?'

"I...just don't understand..." Iruka's voice was shaking thoroughly now. "Why couldn't everyone else just see him for who is was...not for what was in him..."

His voice trailed off leaving a sad silence between the two.

"I mean...it's not like I didn't lose anyone important in the attack..." a few tears began to flow from the man's eyes. "If I could see him for what he was, why couldn't everyone else..."

"...There was no reason to hate him as much as they did..."

He looked up at the jounin, who for once didn't have a copy of Icha Icha Paradise in his hand.

"...Have you ever seen the looks the villagers gave him...?"

Kakashi shook his head slowly.

"...They looked at him like he was a monster...malice in every glare...all of them hated him...it wasn't fair...not to him. He suffered more than anyone after the attack...but no one else seemed to understand that..."

His eyes turned up toward the ghost of Naruto, believing it to be an empty space in the room.

"...I don't blame him in the least for what he did...after all that he had to endure...I just hope that he's in a better place now..."

"We all do Iruka-sensei...we all do..."

Naruto turned and flew out the room through the wall, sunlight streamed onto his ethereal face.

"...I'm sorry Iruka-sensei..."

(end "Hinata vs. Neji)

===============================================================

Naruto looked around at the forest area he was now surrounded in, this was the second time that aimlessly floating ended him up in a forest. There was a clearing a little while away, and the phantom ninja headed for it, eager to see if there was anyone there, yet trying to push out of his mind the pain that he had caused those around him.

He entered into the clearing and saw one person. A boy, no older than 8 or 9, standing before a small mound of clay with a stick in it. From what he could tell, there were hand picked flowers in the boy's hands. From the long blue scarf and the helmet on the boy's head, Naruto recognized him beyond a shadow of a doubt.

(cue "Sadness and Sorrow")

'Konohamaru...'

The boy floated over just in time to hear whispered words hit the air.

"Boss..."

Konohamaru knelt before mound, eyes in tears before placing the flowers on the grave crudely from inexperience. He placed his forehead against the ground after taking the helmet off and laying it next to him.

"They say that we're not allowed to honor you because they think you killed yourself...but I don't believe that...there's no way you could have...you were too happy for that."

Naruto's heart felt a pain as the young boy sniffled against the cold dirt.

"I don't care what anyone else says...you deserve your honor...you were an example...a role model...a friend...even if you had the Kyubi..."

He sniffled again.

"...I'm sorry I couldn't help you yesterday...Ebisu held me back from getting too close...if I was stronger...I could have helped you..."

There was a small yelp of a cry before his sniffling became louder and more frequent.

"Young master!"

An unplaced amount of relief came from the voice, alerting the two to another presence.

Konohamaru didn't move, nor did he pay any attention to the instructor.

"I'm glad I found you...what are you doing all the way out here? You had class this..."

He stopped when he fully took in the scene before him. He walked over to the young boy that was sprawled out before the grave.

"Young Master..."

"Stop calling me that!"

The boy screamed, pulling himself up and swinging at the man with a kunai wedged between his fingers.

Ebisu took the boy by the arm to stop the blow before gazing down at the angry tears covering his face through his sunglasses.

"I'm sick of everyone calling me 'Young Master' and Konohamaru-sama...I'm just sick of it...why won't you all just acknowledge me as just myself...not Konohamaru-sama, not young master, not grandson of the Third...just Konohamaru..."

The anger died down in his eyes and was replaced by sadness.

"I'm sorry Konohamaru-san..."

The boy looked up at the man cloaked in blue, the tears in his eyes renewed as he thrust his face in the man's chest, quickly soaking Ebisu's shirt.

Ebisu slowly wrapped his arms to hug the boy before looking down over the small grave.

It was a while before either spoke.

"Young Mas...Konohamaru-san..."

He pulled the boy away so he could look him in the face, even behind the sunglasses Konohamaru could tell that the man's eyes were softening.

"It...is forbidden...to have such a funeral for him..."

Konohamaru pushed against the Ebisu, placing some distance between the two. He stood to his feet and put his back to the instructor.

"I don't care Ebisu-sensei..."

The wind blew over the grass in the small clearing, flowers and grass blades alike kneeled in the direction that the boy's scarf was flowing.

"I can't...I can't ignore what is right...I don't care about customs and rules Ebisu-sensei...all I know is what I have to do. I will not...I can not let rules stand in the way of what I know in my heart is right..."

"...That's my way the ninja..."

Ebisu was speechless, but he stood to his feet quietly. He looked over the boy once before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

The sound caused the boy to look back and see his teacher had disappeared. He heaved a small sigh before turning back to the grave.

Seconds later there was another puff of smoke...and there stood Ebisu...with a handful of handpicked flowers in his hand.

Konohamaru turned back to see his teacher reappear, his face lit up a bit to see his sensei with a single tear running down his eye.

"You'll make a great Hokage one day Konohamaru-san..."

And with that, both bodies went back to kneel before the grave.

Naruto looked on in shock over what had happened. He floated up towards the sky, the sun looked as if it would start setting in another hour.

'I'm sorry Konohamaru...'

(end "Sadness and Sorrow")

Author: ...wow, that was fun. That last scene almost made me cry while the music was going with it. I think that the chapter was better with music, but that's just me. Let me know what you think, next chapter is the scene with the "Retrieve Sasuke" team, Hinata, and some bad news for a certain genin. I'll probably throw in a tidbit with Ino too maybe.

Yeah I went over and read it playing all the songs as I read so yes I do understand that it is a bit annoying at times since some songs didn't last as long as they should've, but this is really hard. So, I'll work on it, I've got a lot of chapters to write still, and I'll do the same things as long as I don't get too many reviews telling me to stop...Naruto music is just too pimped out though...