BELONG TO ME
By: Nousama
Chapter Two: He returns
"Tsunade-sama! Tsunade-sama!"
The cranky beautiful blond woman turned around as she heard her name being scream at the top of the lungs by a teenager. Today was a not a good day to bother her. She barely got any sleep from all the healing she did. Plus, she was getting old in her years.
"What is it Konoharmaru?" she asked with her hands on her hips. The little kid raced towards her with out prohibition. He was running to fast to catch himself.
"Is it true?" Konoharmau shouted in her face. He almost crashed into her giant breasts again.
So, the rumor was going around, too rapidly for Tsunade's preference- but better now than never. She might as well tell the poor kid. After all he was the one crying over the death for three days straight three years ago.
Looking into the hopeful eyes of Konoharmaru, a flashback jumped into Tsunade's head. Those eyes looked just like that blond kid's. It was crazy how she was always haunted by his memories, even after all these years.
Taking a deep breath she nodded. "It's true. He is coming home." She explained. She barely finished her sentence before Kakashi appeared from behind Konoharmaru.
"Konoharmaru!" Kakashi shouted at the boy. "You should be training with your comrades." Kakashi was Konoharmaru's sensei. Even after all the years of training and being a jounin, there was nothing quick like teaching a bunch of troublemakers how to be true shinobi. Kakashi became a sensei again and selected those who reminded him most of his favorite past students. Konoharmaru was just like Naruto.
Konoharmaru began to get terry-eyed. He stared at Tsunade accusingly.
"You knew it all along. You knew! You never told me?" He pushed at her shoulder and missed. Again he attacked her. "You heartless bitch!" Throwing punches and kicking, Konoharmaru missed Tsunade every time, but it only intensified his anger.
As Kakashi reached for his pupil, Tsunade held up a hand to stop him. "Don't. He has to let it out." She said with a stern voice as she dodged.
Continuing for a few more minutes, Konoharmaru calmed down, he knew he was never going to beat the 5th Hokage.
"How could you? You know how much he meant to everyone in this village. You had the nerve to put on his funeral and declare his death over all of Konoha. You are no Hokage. You're nothing but a lying bitch!" Konoharmaru raced out of the Hokage building.
At a lost for words Tsunade turned around and headed back to her office. Her head hung down as she slowly retreated. She knew this reaction was bound to happen, but it didn't lessen the pain.
"Tsunade-sama." Kakashi spoke. Tsunade paused for him to continue. "So he is back." It wasn't a question, but a clear statement. Kakashi never liked being lied to. Especially when it involved the death of one of close loved ones.
Again she sadly nodded. "Jiraya is bringing him home. Make sure everyone welcomes him." At that note, she left Kakashi standing behind bewildered.
Arriving at her office, she shut the door behind her as crumpled onto her knees. She wept as she recalled the things Konoharmaru said. Although she lied to the entire village of Naruto's death, it was completely necessary. Naruto's return would only cause more heartache and pain, but in the end, it would be the very best thing.
On the day of Naruto's death, everyone adorned black colors. No one smiled that day. It was impossible to go anywhere without remembering Naruto. The village idiot who always caused a ruckus was missed, extremely missed.
Konoharmaru didn't stop crying or come out of his room for three days. Kakashi had to physically break in and beat the crap out of Konoharmaru. Kakashi had a limit on his patience.
Even as Kakashi got some sense into Konoharmaru, Kakshi himself wasn't the same after the death. He became detached, usually keeping to himself even more than before, and was usually seen only to his students.
As for the other friends of Naruto, Sakura spent days and days decorating the grave of Naruto's with flowers and ribbons. Every plant she planted she cried. She insisted she be the organizer of the entire funeral. Sakura made everything in the funeral beautiful; every flower from every country was set up at the funeral in honor of Naruto.
On the day of the funeral, Sakura told Tsunade with a tear-striken face, "Naruto wanted to travel the entire world when he was Hokage. But since he's gone, instead I brought every flower in the world to greet him." Tsunade proudly touched Sakura's head at the funeral as her heart broke and Sakura shook with tears.
As for Sasuke, after Akatsuki and returning from Ochimaru, he left Kohona Village and became a wanderer. The void of Naruto drove guilt and suffering so much into him he had to leave. Sasuke blamed himself for causing Naruto's death, and causing the major hardships in Naruto's life.
But out of them all, the one who suffered the very most was the white eye girl from the Hyuuga family. Hyuuga Hinata. She spent every morning before training at Naruto's grave praying, then after training before going to sleep, she spent at least an hour saying goodnight to the phantom grave. It broke Tsunade's heart to weave such a treachery.
Getting up from her crouched position, she walked over to her desk and sat in her soft chair. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes as she thought to herself: Naruto, I promise I won't die until I see your face.
For the past three years after fighting the Akatsuki her age manipulation was catching up to her. The final fight with them left her weak and imparable. Her life was dwindling each and every day. No longer could she be the Hokage for the village very long. She needed someone to replace her soon.
As Tsunade drifted off into a deep sleep she smiled with the thought: Naruto, Hokage Naruto. I like the sound of that.
… to be continued…
