Chapter 59: Pained Departures and Solemn Vigils
The night set in long before the sun well and truly sank beneath the horizon. Clouds that thickly blanketed the sky brought darkness along far earlier than they were used to, but as winter came closer and closer, Naruto suspected that they would have to get used to such a thing happening now. Winds gusted harshly and regularly, there was a wetness in the air, and Naruto could only guess that rain was coming close as he gazed down at the village below. No matter what the weather was, the village looked all the same from his position on his father's stone head as Naruto found himself unable to rest comfortably in his bed. Truly, there was nothing around him that made him calm and it was best to wait out his own worries by gazing down upon such a familiar sight.
The future never seemed more uncertain to Naruto, and that was saying quite a bit. He always had a hard time foreseeing what was to come, discerning what he wanted to come, and what others expected to come. The present was always what he was most focused on, but even that was shaky to say the least. Jiraiya decided that it was time to consider the start of his training to use the Tailed-Beast sealed within his stomach, Sakura and the Sand siblings will leave the village in a few short hours and he won't be seeing them for who knows how long, and now Sasuke has reached the end of his rope with the seal that was placed on him. So much was up in the air and, once again, Naruto was lost in what to do. He was stuck in place like he was looking at the dome of Haku's Ice Mirrors, like he was trapped within Gaara's sand, caught in Itachi's genjutsu, or up against a sturdy monster he hadn't the strength to hurt. It seemed like no matter how hard he worked, there would only be bigger obstacles that sat in his way and it was exhausting.
Silent considerations lasted him for who knows how long. Naruto had nowhere else to be but here, so he allowed himself to spin himself in circles like he often did. Maybe this time something would actually come of it. His musings, though, didn't extend for as long as he had hoped they would. They didn't get the chance to carry him to an uncomfortable sleep this time around as the clap of shoes meeting the rock in the spot directly to his right interrupted Naruto from his thoughts and the visage of his teammate became his main focus instead of the orange glow of the faint lights from below.
"Sasuke, what're you doing here?" He asked with no small amount of surprise. Naruto's eyes met the troubled gaze of his friend, a gaze that was equal parts the confidence that always sat within them and trepidation that was a rarity within the Uchiha. It took longer than most would expect for Naruto to see the pack that was strapped to Sasuke's shoulders and the lack of a chunin flak jacket that Sasuke was so often wearing. Whatever uncertainty or anxiety flowed through Naruto earlier was magnified by the pit that sat heavily in his stomach. The Uzumaki understood quite thoroughly that this was not some friendly meeting between them.
Sasuke didn't answer immediately, choosing rather to search Naruto's gaze before turning his head to the Leaf below them. When he did speak, Sasuke's voice was quiet and measured like he was reciting words he had found long ago. "I can't stay here, Naruto. I won't stay here." Was the extent of the Uchiha's answer. It took a minute longer than it should've for the weight of Sasuke's words to settle on Naruto, but when they did, the Jinchuuriki snapped his head around like he had been slapped by the boy next to him.
"What?!" Naruto choked out in a half-whisper and half a shout, being mindful of how a voice can carry from where they stood. The concept of just leaving the village was never one that wandered into his mind, there was never an ounce of him that gave entertainment to the idea of abandoning his home, no matter how little he would truly be leaving behind. Naturally, that also gave less of a chance to consider anyone around him doing the same, especially not Sasuke. Thankfully, Sasuke didn't respond immediately, again choosing to pick his words carefully, and it gave Naruto the opportunity to search his friend once again. It gave him the chance to look for anything that would prove Sasuke's words insincere.
"I can't stay here, Naruto" Sasuke repeated with his dark eyes practically burning his glare at Naruto, "I won't stay here after today. Me being here puts you and Sakura in danger anytime we're around each other. When Kakashi-sensei hears of what happened, I'll be no better than a prisoner under watch, and with every day that passes I feel less like myself. The fear I felt when I thought I killed you was the first time I felt like I was supposed to in months. What if, the next time it happens, it is Sakura in your place and she's too tired to escape? I can't let that happen. I won't lose any more." The words were like forged steel, hard and unmoving as they fell from the Uchiha's lips. Sasuke tried his damndest to give Naruto no room for argument and did a hell of a job. He was at a complete loss as he digested what he heard but only more questions sprouted in Naruto's mind.
"Where will you go?" he tried, hoping that giving his friend more to consider would make him realize that he was being hasty, that he wouldn't just up and leave like this. However, Naruto knew that Sasuke was always a better thinker than he was. The genius of their class could always run circles around him in any mind games.
"I'll go to Orochimaru, like the seal wants me to. He'll make me strong enough to face Itachi and I'll finally see through what I've always wanted. So long as I can kill Itachi and avenge what he did to my family, then what should I care about how it happens?" Those words called back to their first meeting with Kakashi on the roof of the Academy and the three newly-minted genin were asked about their goals. Sasuke was quick to mention what Naruto would later find out to be a declaration against his brother. It was what he always trained for, it was what drove him during their spars, and it was what almost got them all killed when they were face to face with the older Uchiha. Naruto knew already that, if Sasuke was using Itachi as justification, that he would be hard pressed to find anything in the world that could combat his teammate's determination.
Naruto fell into silence, letting only the breeze whisper through their ears for a time. A sad smile fell over Naruto's face when he looked back at Sasuke. "You know, I promised Sakura that we'd both be seeing her when she comes back from her trip." It wasn't a true argument to get him to stay, more of a passing comment that held more than a little defeat at their discussion. Sasuke gave a snort, lips vaguely curling at their corners while he kept his focus elsewhere.
"That's what you get for making promises you can't keep." He said with a lightness that quickly fell away, "I can't go to Sakura tonight, she'll drop everything to try and get me to stay and I can't promise I'll be able to control whatever anger comes from it. Take care of her, Naruto, and take care of yourself. One day, sometime, we'll see each other again, all three of us." The more the Uchiha said the more breathy his voice was and Naruto would've been able to hear the barely restrained emotion that caught in the boy's throat had he not been overwhelmed by his own. A lump crawled up Naruto's throat and eyes began to blur in the sudden wave that tried to overtake him, a wave only held back by the slimmest of margins and the deepest of breaths. In the cascade of emotions, it was hard for Naruto to not fall into memories of his time with his team, memories that felt impossibly far away for how recent they truly were.
"I hated you in the Academy, you know?" Naruto began with a sad chuckle, his words capturing the attention of the boy on his right, "I thought you were some snob, someone who had it all but didn't care. I saw how many of our classmates wanted to be around you, the same kids that wouldn't bother to look at me, and you couldn't care less. Even when we would catch each other randomly, every time we were both alone, I still didn't get why you would take that for granted. I hated you for it, just like I didn't care for Sakura as your cheerleader, but now I couldn't imagine it being any different. You two and Kakashi-sensei are the only family I've ever had and I wouldn't have it any other way." It all just fell from his lips, just as the stray tears that bypassed his attempts to hold them back trickled from his eyes, and it made the loss of Sasuke feel all the more real despite him still being at his side. Naruto didn't dare to look over at the Uchiha when he felt a hand clap the top of his shoulder, he would only listen from here on if he wished to keep himself together.
"I didn't want anyone else around me, not after Itachi killed them all that night. I didn't have any use for anyone outside of those that could make me stronger for my next meeting with my brother. I never wanted to care for Team 7, but somehow you became the family I never asked for and the only ones I can call family from now on." Sasuke seemed to stop himself from saying something else and for a moment Naruto thought that was, for a second he expected that to be the last of their goodbyes. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm sorry that I let this happen to us."
The heaviness in Sasuke's sorrow could practically be felt physically, the weight of the words weighing heavy on his shoulders and his mind. Before Naruto could even forgive him, though, the hand that was once on his shoulder disappeared along with its owner in a strong waft of air and swirling leaves that danced around him for several moments. Now, with Sasuke gone and the toll of their conversation settling on Naruto, the dam broke and silent tears fell freely down Naruto's face at the loss that he didn't even know how he could've prevented. He took a seat and simply allowed himself to let out the tears that wished to fall and let the time pass around him as he quickly accepted that he wouldn't be finding his bed tonight.
Slowly, the darkness of the night gave way to the rays of the morning that still lay hidden behind thick clouds, bathing the morning in a sorrowful gray that Naruto couldn't help but appreciate. Naruto watched the Leaf Village wake up with the early risers first, watching bodies in the distance begin their mornings like they did all others. Idly, Naruto knew that he would have to remove himself from the Fourth's head and walk toward the gates to see off his other teammate from Team 7, but only dread followed that line of thought. He didn't have the heart to tell Sakura what Sasuke told him, but he also didn't trust himself to not give away the sadness he felt.
That choice didn't seem to be in his hands, however.
Out of nowhere, Naruto was face-to-face with a white porcelain mask that held the vague distinction of a snarling bear. Across the bear's face, about where the whiskers would have been, streaks of greens and blues spread outward toward the edges of the mask. The sudden appearance and uncomfortable closeness of the Anbu made Naruto leap backward in surprise, making him struggle to find a balance on his feet.
"Chunin Uzumaki, Lord Hokage demands your immediate presence within his office." The bear-masked operative relayed in a very stiff voice that was muffled by the mask they wore before disappearing as quickly as they came. A cold sweat washed over Naruto, knowing exactly why he was called. Technically speaking, with Sasuke coming to him and admitting that he planned to desert the village, Naruto aided the Uchiha's escape by not immediately reporting it. There was no small chance that he could be blamed for letting the last Uchiha walk out of the Leaf's gates.
"Or maybe Sasuke got caught leaving. How could he escape past all the Anbu anyway?" He thought half-heartedly. Again, Sasuke was much better at forward thinking and Naruto knew that the boy, despite whatever conditions the seal put him in, wouldn't half-assedly try and escape a shinobi village. Still, none of it boded well for Naruto's meeting with Kakashi.
Despite his trepidation, Naruto was sure to follow his summons shortly after hearing it. Whatever worry he felt or the pit that settled within him was forced to be ignored as Naruto made his way to the Hokage Tower, a quick commute made quicker with empty roads and a silent village. The only pause Naruto truly made was when he was already immediately outside the thick oaken door that separated himself and his teacher, his Kage, and with a deep breath used to gather himself, Naruto let his hand fall heavily in an approximation of a confident knock on the man's door.
He was bid entrance shortly after his knock, but it wasn't the cheery eye squint or even the droopy and crestfallen fatigue that filled Kakashi's limited visage, rather the hardened glare of a leader of shinobi. It took Naruto all he could to not flinch away from the gleam in the dark eye that never left him. Stiff footfalls carried the chunin to the center of the floor in front of the Hokage's desk and an even stiffer tenseness held Naruto's back perfectly upright as he addressed the Hokage in front of him.
"You summoned me, Hokage?" Naruto began with a shallow drop of his head in deference to the man before him, but none of which were met with too much appreciation. When Naruto lifted his gaze back to the Kage, Kakashi's gaze only harshened with his eye squinting ever so slightly in response to his words. Fingers threaded themselves just in front of a masked face as Kakashi propped his elbows onto the desktop, leaning forward ever so slightly as he did so.
"I'll give you this one chance, Naruto. You will tell me what happened, you will tell me why it happened, and you will tell me what exactly you and Sasuke spoke of on the Fourth's head. Anything less and any reassurances are off the table." Naruto couldn't place what it was in Kakashi's tone that made him so intimidated. It wasn't the anger, Naruto has encountered anger for too long to be fearful of it. Kakashi didn't speak particularly loud, so it wasn't yelling or any audible that made him feel so shaken. Still, there was something about what Kakashi said that made Naruto immediately comply without a second thought. From the afternoon before and how rough Sasuke looked to the Chidori and the conversation they shared only hours ago. The only detail Naruto had any thought to alter was the explicit words of Sasuke's leaving. Frankly, Naruto knew that he could only be blamed if he allowed Sasuke to leave without a fight or without immediately reporting it. So, instead of describing his and Sasuke's final conversation as a goodbye he tried to frame it as a heartfelt apology and hoped he was convincing enough to see it work.
Could he have simply admitted he let the last Uchiha leave without doing anything? Probably. Naruto was an asset just as Sasuke was and whatever punishment that Kakashi chose for him could only be so bad, but still, Naruto didn't say it. He didn't want to see Kakashi look at him like he was now, with the sheer disappointment he was already being met with. Therefore, Naruto lied with the hopes that Kakashi wouldn't push it on him too much and that there would be a reprieve from the judgment that wouldn't have been there if he spoke the whole truth.
When Naruto was finished Kakashi merely sat in silence, stewing over Naruto's story and minor fabrication. After a few passing minutes, Kakashi wrote something over a half-opened scroll before he pushed himself to stand in his chair. The Hokage's single eye glanced to the ceiling and an Anbu that was hidden somewhere or another fell at Kakashi's side to grab the scroll with the hasty scrawlings before the Anbu left and Kakashi's focus was on Naruto again.
"We will discuss this more, but there are appearances to keep at the moment. Come on." Kakashi walked around his desk, the cloak he now wore to show his status as the Hokage snapping in a sudden movement as the hat that fit the ensemble found its way on Kakashi's head. Naruto watched with cautious confusion as Kakashi walked past him and opened the door to his office, propping it open as he looked back at the chunin with a raised eyebrow. "We have a teammate to see off, don't we?"
Those words snapped Naruto out of his stagnant position, making him almost scramble to follow Kakashi out of the door. In truth, Naruto lost track of what time it even was, the blanket of the clouds that covered the sky doing well to repel the brightness that should've befitted the hour of the morning. In silence, Kakashi and Naruto stomped down the stairs and out of the Hokage Tower, quickly making it out to the slowly crowding roads of the village. Villagers and shinobi alike gave them both more than enough room to walk without interruption, this time making it hard for Naruto to tell who they were spacing themselves from more, but any answers would've had to be saved for later with the sound of Kakashi's whisperings just barely reaching his ears.
"I understand you're keeping something from me. Something about Sasuke's leaving. I didn't need to even tell you he's abandoned the village and yet you told me everything that led to him fleeing from the village." Naruto supposed that there was no shock in knowing that his sensei saw through whatever he tried to hold back, but to be caught so simply and readily stung more than Naruto wanted to admit. "If I were your jounin-sensei right now, we would have to discuss potential scenarios to protect you from interrogation." At the word "interrogation" Naruto almost tripped over the ground he was walking on as blue eyes widened toward the Hokage with no small amount of worry, but settled quickly when he saw the teasing glance of his teacher and the chuckle that came from his lips. "You aren't stupid, Naruto. You know how serious this is and I'll trust you to share with me anything that could be of use in getting back Sasuke."
The man's words were warmer than Naruto could've expected and many degrees away from how he spoke in the Hokage's Office. Still, in spite of that warmness, Naruto heard the scolding in Kakashi's tone. That scolding induced the same, albeit to a lesser extent, feeling that he was faced with minutes ago in the office. Like he was being talked down to and punished by someone he knew cared for him. Was this what Sakura would bring up when she would talk about arguments she had with her parents? Probably not, right?
"I don't know anything else, Kakashi-sensei. I knew he'd leave, or try to, but how could he? I don't think I could sneak through all the guards we have posted, especially not at night." If it were him, Naruto was sure he would've already been thrown into a cell for desertion. Anbu weren't just given their position for nothing. Only the best could escape them.
Kakashi never responded to those words, or rather there was a long gap between those words and the ones that he interrupted their silence with once again. The gate at the front of the village was growing closer, as were the figures that idly stood in front of it, but they stopped before they could get too close to it. A hand found itself on Naruto's shoulder, turning him to face Kakashi as the man looked down at him with a renewed air of seriousness.
"I think this can go without saying, but we can't mention Sasuke's actions to Sakura. It is a secret that would preferably not see the light of day outside of these walls. It's a secret that weakens the Leaf, like many others, and for now it shall be left at that. Understand?" There was no hesitation to Naruto's nod because he knew it was true long before Kakashi said anything. Did he not do the same thing the day before as he kept Sakura from going to Sasuke? He knew that Sakura didn't need to worry about this yet, but that didn't make the chunin feel anything good when he was met with the smiling face of his second teammate that was to depart the village. Suddenly, when met with Sakura, such a secret was hard to bottle up. Even harder was the sour taste in his mouth and the steep sense of loss that still filled him from the night before.
"Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, you're both here. We were gonna leave without you guys if you took any longer." Sakura practically threw herself at Naruto and caught him in a bone crushing and soul splitting hug, a hug that was quickly pulled back to do the same to Kakashi. When she pulled back from their sensei, though, she finally noticed the last one missing from their group. "Where's Sasuke?"
Green eyes settled solely on Naruto, no doubt looking for the answer after the day before. He took a breath, preparing to speak, but it was Kakashi that answered without so much as a sliver of indication that he was keeping something from the girl. "Naruto told me about what happened at your training. It's best that he gets rest now, but I can pass your goodbyes and farewells on to him next time I see him."
It was a flawless lie and the perfect response for Sakura to let it go, the girl even putting on a smile when she heard Kakashi's explanation. Naruto searched for something, anything to say to remove the bitterness from his mouth at lying to Sakura, despite not having to say a single word, but nothing came to mind. At least, nothing came to mind before another arm came and wrapped around Naruto's shoulders, an arm that belonged to another green eyed girl that he wouldn't be seeing for sometime in her trek back to the Sand.
"And Kankuro and I will pass along words to Gaara for you, Naruto. I'm sure he will be glad to hear them." Temari smiled down on Naruto with a wide smile, excitement at the prospect of seeing Gaara again was gleaming brightly in her eyes and matched equally with Kankuro who stood only a few yards away by Tenten. The girl's arm brought a comfort he missed since the last evening, making it all too easy to let his own arm return her hug with little hesitation. "But we should leave quickly if we want to put any distance between us and the rain that's rolling in."
Temari's arm removed itself from around Naruto as eyes looked upward, the clouds showing no signs of parting anytime soon. "Temari's right, it's best we move now if we want to leave today." Kankuro agreed easily, head nodding in its eared hood as he spoke. The traveling party all slowly moved toward the gate after a few more words shared between them with the exception of Sakura's lingering gaze and the liquid that hung delicately within it. Many times Naruto thought she was going to say something else, only for her to turn around with a wave of her hand being all that was left for them.
Naruto stood still next to Kakashi as they watched the group walk down the path that led away from the Leaf. He watched as three more of his very short list of friends carried themselves away. All at once, Naruto felt a wave of loneliness that he wished to be able to say he was comfortable with. He was used to being alone, but after becoming so used to the presence of Sakura, Sasuke, and, more recently, the Sand siblings, Naruto didn't feel as equipped to be alone. But, no matter his feelings, there wasn't much say that he had in the matter. As the figures of his friends disappeared in a blur of speed into the trees, what was done was done.
Naruto could've stayed there longer, simply staring in the distance at nothing, but Kakashi pulled him from his stirrings.
"Things are changing, Naruto. I expect you to be able to keep up, or rather, we'll need you to keep up." Naruto only nodded at his sensei's words because that was the only thing Naruto knew whole heartedly. What else did he have to do now? Most of his days were training anyway, with brief intermissions to talk and spend time with his friends, but now that they were all gone, Naruto didn't have anything else but training. Maybe that was for the best? Perhaps that was needed for him to get where he needed to be?
Naruto and Kakashi separated themselves then, one having duties of the village to tend to and the other hoping to not be too late for his meeting with Tenzo at training Ground 6. Training took up most of the chunin's day from then on. No longer did Naruto have to cut his training short to meet at training Ground 3 and so it was quickly replaced with more training by the Wood Release user. They stretched through the entire length of the day, only pausing to eat or rehydrate as needed, and by the end of the day it was Tenzo that called the session's end. It would never be confused that Naruto outperformed the jounin, but it was also never a confusion that Tenzo could work Naruto into a mess of fatigue any longer. The Uzumaki kept pace with Tenzo every step of the way, forcing more than enough energy to continue through his restless day when the training was called in the wet evening.
Light was harder to come by than it even was in the morning, the ground was holding water from the incessant rain that had yet to let up since the late morning or early afternoon, and yet Naruto didn't have to urge to return to his empty apartment. Instead, after Tenzo released him for the night, Naruto let his feet carry him around the village. He considered stopping at the diner he used to share a table with his teammates at, but thought better of it. He thought about stopping at Ichiraku's, an establishment he frequented much more before he was given a team, but that too didn't feel right. Eyes pondered over the stone faces of the four, almost five, Kage that have led the Leaf, but the perch of the night before still gave no comforting thoughts. Fatigue started wafting over Naruto's mind, now that his body settled, and so he absently allowed his feet to carry him off once more. When they came to a stop, it was again at a training ground, the grounds that no longer belonged to his team that doesn't exist.
Puddles field the divots in the uneven field ground, loud echoes of the rain slapping the rivers surfaces filled the air, and the loose dirt that surrounded the three wooden poles that trademarked the training ground was all mudded. Naruto, however, despite being in an unused training ground, was not alone. Standing before the grand Memorial Stone, the stone that Kakashi spoke passionately about after their genin test a half-year ago, was the Fifth Hokage himself. As opposed to that morning, Kakashi was absent of his cloak and hat that betrayed his status, and was left standing in the rain in the clothing Naruto was most familiar with.
The chunin took slow steps toward the Memorial Stone. He didn't do so with the idea of stealth in mind, he would be a fool to think he could sneak up on Kakashi, but Naruto also didn't know how welcomed he would be. He could be interfering with personal time that Kakashi didn't want encroached upon. When Naruto made it to Kakashi's side, though, he was met with no arguments from the man he stood next to. Kakashi never took his eyes from the stone's surface, nor the names that plastered it, not even to meet Naruto's questioning eyes. After several moments, Naruto's blue eyes joined Kakashi's to search the surface of the Memorial Stone. His eyes trailed over many names, countless names that would only be added to as time went one, but none of which he was truly familiar with. No name was bigger than another, which was notable in a village filled with clans that held a level of prestige. Be it a Senju, Uchiha, or Hyuuga, their names were no different than the titleless shinobi that shared a space next to them. All the names that could be read before him were all the same under the memorial they sat upon. All of them were the names of heroes that died for the sake of the village in the duty of the village.
There were only two names Naruto could possibly know that would be honored here. One by one, he silently read through all the names he could to find theirs, but that was a task that was due to take no small amount of time. Suddenly and unbidden, Kakashi raised a hand that pointed out in a space between them both, on a spot that was closer to the ground than it was to eye level. Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze sat next to each other, side-by-side just as he hoped they would be. When his eyes found their names, Naruto didn't speak a word. At that moment, he was perfectly content simply staring at those two names as rain poured down onto the pair that stood silently in Training Ground 3.
"I promised that this Team 7, our Team 7, wouldn't end up like my genin cell. In a way, I did that. None of you have died, none of you have experienced the horrors of war yet, but still, you all splintered far too soon. With any luck, Sakura will be back soon and there will still be two, but Sasuke defecting will weigh on me for some time. I did what I could to save you all from my team's fate, and yet there is still just us two staring at a stone of the past." Kakashi spoke with more emotion than Naruto has ever heard from the man. The Uzumaki was at a loss at how to respond to the deep words, and so he didn't. Their watch merely continued in silence as he stared endlessly at his parents' names, at the names of two people he never met but was perpetually connected to.
It was impossible to escape the mutterings of legend that followed his father, and Kakashi was sure to share his fair share of compliments about his mother, but seeing their names here, Naruto knew the weight of those things seeing their names here. Here, their sacrifice was felt in a way he could experience outside of his nightmares. Here, Naruto felt pride that poked through the melancholy that plagued the area, the day, and his mind. A pride he didn't want to let go of.
While the previous days were filled with gloomy weather, this day, as the Sun was setting on the horizon, was one with plentiful light and a beautiful set. The rays of light completely bathed the porch Hiruzen sat upon in a way he couldn't have asked more of. Warmth flooded his face in a way that some would confuse for giving him life, like nature itself was giving him the energy to continue on a little longer with the time he was already borrowing. He wouldn't dare consider something so foolish, not now especially, but he would take every second he could to gaze out and enjoy the view he was gifted with. The old man would take detail of the rainbow of colors that painted the sky, ranging from the deepest indigo to the brightest orange, like it was the last chance he would get to. Who would dare take it for granted?
Hiruzen couldn't have asked for a better time in his life since Tsunade gifted him with extra breaths to breathe. Words he's spoken to his son in the past weeks was more than they've shared since he was but a boy. No longer was the shadow of the hat or of Hiruzen's own undoings cast over every word and sentiment they shared. The old man got to hear all the things he's wished to hear for so long without worry of having to tend to this or that. His grandson, Konohamaru, and he could talk about all the boy's fantastical dreams and aspirations that could only be held by the innocence of youth. Faces of a son that was long gone would stare at Hiruzen like a ghost that he would only treat with the highest respect. Old friends and teammates, those that could only treat with him over tragedy or soon-to-be tragedy could finally share with him a calming cup of tea or play a calming game of shogi. Students he long thought wrote him off for dead regularly shared a word or two. A successor that could share conversation and wisdom without the weight of the world on either of their shoulders for the first time since they've known each other. The boy he's long since felt like he failed in his upbringing was able to hear his apology and call him grandpa.
Hiruzen was feeling as close to peaceful as a man amongst the living could ever feel. There was little he could ask for at the moment and none of which were things that could be granted in this world as it was. Soon. He took a final sip of his tea and placed the empty cup to the table that sat to his side. Usually, there was someone filling the seat on the opposite side of the table, but today he needn't have one. With the warmth of the last bit of tea coating his insides, relaxing him enough to press further into his wheelchair. Many would've called such a thing a form of a prison, but Hiruzen thought of it as only a comfort and a promise. So he rested within his comfort to delve further into the creeping feeling that tittered up his spine.
If someone asked him to put the feeling into words, he couldn't. Though, despite what he couldn't describe, Hiruzen knew what the feeling was all the same. He let his eyes catch the light that showed off the grass that was still damp from the storms of previous days, he listened to the chirping that danced above the overhang of the porch he sat upon, and he felt the gentle push of the breeze that gently wafted him. It all felt so perfect and so different. Of what was once an experience of fear and loathing, a feeling of panic and anxiousness, was now a cool calm to what awaited him in the next life. Instead of the pained grimace that his face once pulled into, Hiruzen let his lips stretch into the smallest of smiles as his eyes closed and his arms fell into his lap. The only sight he saw when Hiruzen's eyes finally shut was the faded image of Biwako, his precious wife he long since ached to meet again. His precious wife that he was only moments away from joining.
It was on that day, after days of continuous downpours that brought beautiful sunlight, that Hiruzen Sarutobi finally fell into his final sleep. If there was anyone there to see it for themselves, they would say that it was a sight worthy of a man of his stature. Many would say that it was the Sage himself that welcomed him to the afterlife, offering to walk side by side with a man that was called the God of Shinobi. None, however, could say the truth. None would be able to say that it was simply an old man finally accepting that it was his time to pass as he willingly let himself drift into a long sleep.
Here's the first chapter of a few that take up the same general time, beginning with Sasuke's departure and ending with Hiruzen's passing. Next chapter is one that I had a good time writing and will be glad to share on Sunday.
Now then, American folks can enjoy their Thanksgiving and non-Americans can enjoy a regular November day