Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

"Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living."

Mother Jones (1830 - 1930)

Irish-born US trade union leader.

Autobiography

Chapter 6

Naruto walked the garden paths to the carved marble table and stools in a grove of sacred black bamboo looking out to the sea of the Chinese inspired mansion as he did so every evening while he is in this place. "Rubymoon" (1) a mansion in the middle of nowhere. It is his father's favorite mansion, built during the days when Marco Polo was busy exploring the debts of Japan. His father had fallen in love with this place the very first time he had saw it a few years before his birth. And his father had done such a wonderful job to renovate it as it was today.

It was once called "Sui Wun" which meant Little Cloud, quite contrary actually of the fact that the mansion was so big that when Naruto had first came to this mansion he spent a good hour looking for the exit.

As expected, when he returned back to the mansion there was a pot nestled in its padded wicker basket amid the bamboo containers of steamed delicacies that the various maids had put there.

The walk through the garden was one of the greatest delights for Naruto. Among the rare trees, brought from different countries and was transplanted in here were fully grown, masses of blue periwinkles and wild Chinese violet spread freely together with the roses and baby's breath.

Through them ran a man-made brook that emptied itself over a series of miniature falls into a lotus pond banked by carpets of deep green moss and filled with fat carps, crossed by a scarlet painted bridge. Gold and silver pheasants scratched among the trees shrubs selected for their attraction to birds and filled with their song.

And Naruto closed his eyes to relish a moment of tranquillity.

For a moment, in Naruto's short tumultuous life, he felt the wind brushing on his shoulder and giving him a fraction of comfort only a handful can.

And for a moment…

Just a single moment…

Naruto felt the love his father always gave him on the turbulent times of his childhood. A love that gives him anything yet asks for nothing in return. A selfless love.

A noble love.

He sipped his tea and ate silently, seemingly oblivious as a dark fierce storm hovered above.

Aeaeae

Naruto inhaled the scent of rose incense as he looked around the master bedroom. Just as he asked, they had changed the interior to suit his tastes. Walls hung with black velvet drapes and exotic tapestries of different war scenes and human sacrifices. The floor was a soft grey marble filled with white silken cushions, the ceiling stretching away in nothingness of white silk.

In the very center of the room, covered in black satin, rising like an altar above the grey marble steps, was a huge bed, surrounded by mirrors. Beside it on a table of soft brown marble lay a huge flat TV together with DVD and VCD players. Smiling, Naruto sauntered to the bed and sank down on its sift surface.

He closed his eyes and reflected on the past days. Days that seemed like years ago. Jairaiya's decision to leave the hotel, and he promising not to leave the Hermit no matter what. Naruto felt a sense of guilt; he left the Hermit for the operation. And to think that he promised never to leave it. Ah, Naruto thought wearily, if his father is right here now, he would surely get an earful from him.

Red hair flows, dancing a silent song together with the soft breeze. Red eyes bore on innocent blues, "Naruto, you must never promise something you cannot perform, and when you do promised, you must keep it no matter what the cost in agony and overtime."

They were his father's words before the accident. And Naruto always cherish the moments he had with his father, just as this one. He put an arm over his eyes and groaned, and then he remembered his meetings with Sasuke and felt the urge to vomit.

Santadio Sasuke, the bankable star that millions of women have fallen in love for and Uchiha Sasuke the Dark Avenger. His looks, his sensuality, his 'cool' personality and the way he carries himself as if he owns the world, all the things that one looks for an ideal person.

In Naruto's eyes, Sasuke is an angel, dark and deadly but an angel nonetheless. An angel not worthy of any demon's presence.

And for a moment, -just a tick-Naruto felt dirty and soiled. And in an instant it was gone as soon as Naruto remembered Jairaiya's words when he told Naruto about the death of his father.

Jairaiya sat on his leather chair silently playing with a silver fountain pen. "You want to know why, don't you Naruto?" he said quickly. "He never forgave himself for the consequences of the war."

Naruto searched his head for a reply but none came.

"You were the last and only thing he cared about. The last and only thing in his life that he cared about," Jairaiya said quietly. "He doesn't care about the rest of your clan. He doesn't care about the business, for him you are the only thing left in his life. He only lived because you needed him. Many times this he told me."

Naruto sat still staring on his father's liquid like writing. So big and free-flowing words scrawled on black ink. They were full of life. Not the scribble of a dying man.

"He lost it all Naruto. His life was all used up," Jairaiya savagely continued.

When Naruto looked up, his eyes full of anger. "What happened on the war? He never told me. I want to know."

Jairaiya poured another glass for himself, "You're too young to know Naruto. In time, in time."

The war. His father's suffering rooted on the ancient war between the Uchiha and the Oni. Between the progenies of Kyo and Kyoshiro. Between the children of two of Tokugawa Hidetada's (2) closest friends. Between blood cousins.

Sasuke was an Uchiha in name, thought, words and actions. And Naruto was an Oni. As simple as that.

It's such a shame that they are the ones who should pay for the sins their ancestors committed.

Aeaeae

Naruto was inside his newly decorated room sitting on his soft black bed, watching the sleek television as it played images Naruto himself would never forget.

A beautiful woman with clear green eyes and wavy blonde waist length hair flowing freely against the backdrop of clear blue sea that spread far beyond the clear skies. The woman was laughing gaily as she looked directly at the camera.

She extended a small and delicate hand almost covered with jewels and gold towards the cameraman asking him to join her. Naruto could see the man's large and calloused hand pushing her away gently, almost lovingly. And then Naruto heard the voice he wanted desperately to hear all these years.

"Marguerite," The voice scolded gently. "Stay still."

"Oh!" Marguerite said in perfect English. "What torture are you doing to me, Kyuubi! I can't stand in the sun for too long!"

Kyuubi laughed. "Well, you have to tolerate it love! It's for keepsakes for the little man over here!" Big hands went to the woman belly, touching it softly and lovingly.

Naruto's tears silently flowed on his face. 'We all damped a pillow once or twice in our life', he remembered his best friend saying those words. He slowly willed his heart to calm down, along with Kitsune's voice in his head.

"I love you, Kyuubi…" Marguerite said with a soft smile. "So much that I will give everything for you."

Then, the camera shifted and was suddenly focused on a pair of men's brown leather shoes painstakingly walking forward until it met another pair of shoes, this time a woman's and was high heeled.

Then, it shifted again until it focused on broad strong arms that suggested that it embraces the woman in front. A series of hiccups and sobs followed soon after was the soft hushing sound of a manly voice.

"I love you, I love you so much……" Marguerite said between sobs.

"Shhhh, Marguerite love, I know so much. I know very well. And you couldn't have proved to me any better than this!"

"I love you, I love you." Marguerite continued to whisper hoarsely.

"Love, shhhh," Kyuubi murmured. "I love you too. I love you too."

At this, Naruto finally broke. He desperately walked towards the screen and laid his head on it. He sobbed and cried to all his might, trying to wash away the guilt that plagued him for quite some time now.

"Papa, Mama. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't. I don't think I can." Naruto sobbed and asked for assistance on the most important person in his life. "Help me. Help me. Please. Papa."

"Papa!"

Aeaeae

Kakashi's body was trashing in pain, his mouth uttering incomprehensible words as his hands tightly gripped the blankets of his bed, his knuckles turning white for lack of blood circulation. Then after a moment, Kakashi woke up with a bloody scream.

Panting wildly, Kakashi run a hand on his messy white locks. He buried his head on his hands, attempting to calm his wildly beating heart. An invincible stillness enveloped the room as Kakashi assured himself over and over again that it's just a dream. Everything is a dream. Then suddenly, at the stillness of the room, a single innocent voice of someone he knew too well echoed around the room.

Kakashi-san, why is your other eye like Itachi-san?

Kakashi put a hand tightly on his mouth as tears ran freely on his eyes. "Naruto," He painfully whispered between sobs. Then, out in the corner of his eye, he saw long tanned arms loosely wrapped itself on his neck and another soft voice whispered, this time on his ears. On ears that wanted to hear that voice again in the long, long years. Hungrily. Desperately.

Kakashi

Kakashi felt a million daggers wound his heart and broke it to pieces as he swiftly turned around, attempting to have even a single glimpse of his dolphin. And what he saw broke his heart to tiny pieces, there was his dolphin, dressed in his black business suit a betrayed look on his face. And for a moment, all Kakashi ever wanted to do was to ran and wound his arms around his beloved and utter words of comfort on the dolphin's ear.

Instead, he embraced himself and watched sorrowfully as his vision slowly dissolved in to the air. Then, the room suddenly turned black and the two figures returned, both of them bearing hatred and sorrow. A sorrow of which he himself had created. Then, a fierce nine-tailed demon appeared behind their back, growling in anger his fierce red eye looking straight at him. Making him remember.

Making him remember.

Of his betrayal.

Then, he awoke.

Aeaeae

Cool obsidian eyes scanned the perimeters of the lavish master bedroom. Then suddenly his eyes saw a mop of blonde hair in front of the large television. With reverent steps, he walked towards the man and flawlessly lifted him up and laid him on the soft bed. He reached out a hand and touched the man's forehead brushing away the stray hair on his head. He smiled softly as he noticed the tears tracts on the other's face.

"My little angel. Soon, everything will be alright. Soon."

Just a few more sacrifices.

A few more tears to shed.

AN:

(1) One of my frequent reviewers. Sorry I forgot to thank her on the last chap! But hey! Better late than never right! Hope you liked it!

(2) Hidetada was Ieyasu's son. And he replaced his father as shogun.

Demon'sChild! Yeah, I know who you are! Thanks anyway for reviewing this story. Hope you liked the cake I brought you the other day!

Hey! How come I only got 2 reviews for the last chap? Please, please, please review!