Chapter 2: The Chosen Bearer

The Fourth Great Ninja War was over. In difference to the others before it, this one was the shortest. Only lasting three days. Madara Uchiha was dead, this time forever. Kabuto had been trapped in an endless genjutsu loop and his army at rest and at peace. Obito Uchiha had redeemed himself in the eyes of Konoha and Kakashi. Above all, Kaguya, the Goddess and Progenitor of all Chakra, and Black Zetsu, her immortal servant were sealed away, unable to trouble the world again.

In the site of the soon to be rebuilt Konoha, it was a time of celebration as the ninja army rejoiced over the end of this bloody conflict. This was not just an event for the villagers of Konoha, but for all the ninja villages. Lovers reunited, new bonds of friendship forged, and camaraderie proven.

Those that celebrated knew in the back of their minds that this was not just about a war's end or their survival to see that victory. They also knew that on this day the world had changed forever. No longer where there separate ninja nations any longer. With this war, they realized that what happened in the past between them was behind them. Old wounds healed. Scars faded. A long lasting era of peace and unity was soon to be upon them.

Though it was not without a price. Many had died in the great ninja army. Those that had fallen were held a memorial service days before. Many of those that lived would return to their villages to bury and mourn their dead.

These were the thoughts running through his mind. For you see, three people were not among the fellow ninja celebrating tonight.

Two were dead.

The third was sitting on the Hokage Monument, the one thing that was not destroyed during Pain's attack. His clothes were still tattered from his battle with his former best friend with his head band in his left hand while his right hand and arm was mostly recovered from the final blow. His name was Naruto Uzumaki. Many in the new ninja world looked to him as their hero, their savior. Though knowing their own battles and victories in this war, they saw him as their beacon of hope.

'If only they could see me now.' he thought looking upon the masses below.

Looking down at what would be Konoha again, to the masses who were at the moment drinking, dancing, laughing, talking about what would come the next morning, some he could even see grieving for the loss of loved ones, Naruto looked most of all at his friends. How the Konoha Seven were interacting with each other and with the sand villagers. Especially the sand siblings. Or in Shikamaru's case Temari. How Shikamaru was trying to handle casualty and troop reports when Temari finally got him away from it to dance with her. Lee was trying to get past a wheelchair-bound Gai-Sensei for his "first" taste of sake.

Neji, in a rare bit of emotion, hugged Tenten after the war's end. A hug she received with a glowing face.

Naruto allowed himself a small smile at scenes below him. Happy that his friends were free to enjoy themselves after the war. Enjoyment that he himself would never have.

The small smile faded at the thought. Until he heard his now complete partner speak.

'It doesn't have to be that way.' a voice reverberated in his mind. That got Naruto's attention.

'I thought you were sleeping Kurama.' said Naruto.

'I have been awake for a while now thank you. I just decided to keep silent until I heard what you were thinking.' Kurama responded.

'I thought you stopped looking into my head fox.' said Naruto, little pissed that Kurama was checking in on his thoughts...again.

'Can't help it when you're projecting so loudly in here Kid.' said Kurama chuckling a bit at Naruto's frustration but quickly becoming serious again.

Since the battle with Sasuke ended, Kurama had been silent. Keeping his voice unheard as the emotional turmoil of his host had reached its boiling point.

Immediately after Kaguya Otsutsuki had been sealed and the Tailed Beasts liberated, Sasuke had decided to make himself priority one again. Itachi's proclamation of love to his little brother or their alliance and shared power did not seem to affect the decision Sasuke made to try and take control of the power of the Tailed Beasts for his own and issue in his own way of making peace by killing the Kage's and making an empire of his own. Which lead Naruto and Sakura to follow him Valley of the End, and their ultimate fate.

Sakura went in first to try and reason with him to make him see his folly. Instead Sasuke was deaf to her pleas and her declaration of love once more. So she tried to fight him alone to spare Naruto further pain.

That's when it all went wrong. For soon Naruto found out from Kurama where Sakura was. Knowing that while Sakura was a strong kunoichi that was at least on Tsunade's level he knew in his heart that even if she wanted to she could not defeat Sasuke with his newly acquired Rinnegan eye.

So he followed her as he always did.

(Flashback)

It was night. It was raining. It seemed to always rain after battles in the Valley of the End. Or rather, what was left of it. The fight that had taken place had left another scar on the land much like the first battle that had formed it so long ago.

Naruto, bruised and bleeding from the wounds he suffered, especially to his right arm, looked down at the corpse of his now former best friend as he sunk into the water. Even after what he had done, it gave him no satisfaction to see him sink. In a way, it symbolized the end result that Naruto, deep down in his heart, knew would happen. He had simply never acknowledged it until this very moment.

Turning away from Sasuke's sinking corpse, he looked at the body that he held in his arms even with the right one in pain. The adrenaline wears off, and the anger fades as he looks down at Sakura's body her eyes closed never to open again. He comes to the realization. Sakura Haruno, the girl he loved, was dead.

The tears start pouring he walks from the river to the riverside, where he kneels near collapsing from the shear weight of what had happened. Tears mingled with rain. No loud yell of rage as he just cradles her body. Him shaking while the tears pour down his face as Tsunade and Shizune arrive.

(End Flashback)

'What happened to her was tragic, but take this to heart Naruto, it was not your fault.' Kurama's voice snapped Naruto out of his thoughts.

'How is it not? I couldn't see what everyone else had shown right in front of their faces!' Naruto mentally shouted. 'How come it took Sakura dying to make me see that there was no other way to stop him? Deep down I knew that the only way to end this was one of us to kill the other yet I still...'

'You still hoped you could change him.' Kurama said as Naruto's mental rant halted for a moment. 'You would not be who you are if you didn't try. Some people just can't be saved, not even by you.' he continued mournfully.

Naruto was about to respond when he heard footsteps behind him, stood up and turned to see Tsunade without a bottle of sake in hand for the first time since the celebrations started. Eyes widened, Naruto turned away from her, tears about to come out again. He couldn't face her. Sakura was her student, nearly a daughter to her.

Tsunade knew what Naruto was doing up on the Hokage monument. So she made the trip, limping up the mountain, and not from booze. For once she seemed sober. She realized that drowning herself in despair wasn't going to help. She was still weakened from her and the other four Kages' battle with the resurrected Madara Uchiha.

When she had regained consciousness and found that Madara had left to find Naruto, Tsunade felt shame. Shame that after all of their blustering, their confidence, they still had to rely on Naruto to fight perhaps one of the most powerful ninja of all time. Anger that Madara felt that they weren't worth his time and that Naruto had to clean up their mess. Something that he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. Finally pride for when Naruto had somehow managed to stand against him even with the First Hokage's power added to his own along with Obito. Even more so to defeating a god like being such as Kagura. To see him become the savior that Jiraiya envisioned him to be as the child of prophecy.

However, what should have been the beginning of a joyous new era, instead began in tragedy. Sakura dying was almost as much a blow to her as it was to him.

For she seemed to understand that this may be a final blow for Naruto's heart. Though there were many things that Tsunade loved about Sakura, what irritated her was her still seemingly unable to acknowledge or even attempt to reciprocate the love that Naruto bore for her. Even when Naruto seemingly did everything that a guy could do right. Not force his love on her, save her life and the villagers live several times, be kind and loyal to her even after Hinata confessing her love for Naruto.

Then again, the only one who would know what she was doing going after Sasuke was Sakura herself. And now neither she or Naruto would ever learn the answer.

That was why Tsunade knew she had to go to him.

"Why do you turn away from me Naruto?" asked Tsunade.

"...I failed" said Naruto

"Sakura went there of her own free will. She knew the risk. The risk we all take as shinobi. No blame is on you"

"But I should have killed Sasuke after he nearly killed Sakura the first time. I should have gone after him as soon-" Naruto tried to explain but Tsunade grabbed his shoulder, turned him around, and grabbed him by the front of his jacket forcing him to look at her.

Tsunade was repressing her own tears as she continued "Do you think she would want you to wallow in grief!? No! She would want you to live, to continue on and live your dream of becoming Hokage!" she yelled in his face. Finally, she took a few breaths before letting him go. They just stood and looked at each other for a few seconds before Tsunade spoke again.

"Do you think it was easy? Seeing her body burning as she was cremated? Next to Shizune, she was the best student I ever had. She even had the potential to surpass me one day. She died to try and protect you, because she knew the promise you made to her was causing you pain. In a way, she got what she wanted in the end. You have got to move on Naruto, for her sake, but especially for you own." said Tsunade, starting from commanding tone as the Fifth Hokage and softening to something akin to a grandmotherly tone.

She did not blame Naruto for what happened to Sakura. That did not mean that she didn't wish Sasuke had died a much more painful death then what he had received at Naruto's hands. She also noticed a change in Naruto. At first she thought it was grief but then she notice something as Naruto now raised his headband to look at it. There was anger...but also doubt and sadness. And that was never a good sign.

"I don't know If I want to be Hokage anymore Granny." said Naruto. Tsunade's eyes widened in shock when she heard those words come from Naruto of all people.

"How can you say that? It was that dream that pushed you into where you are today. It had been what you have been seeking since your childhood." Tsunade asked.

"That's exactly my point. It was a child's dream." said Naruto. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, only then did Tsunade see how badly in despair he was.

"I don't know what I want anymore. I'm not even sure I should be Hokage. I mean yeah, I can say that I happen to be one of the most powerful if not the most powerful ninja of this generation. I could say I am one of the best fighters of this generation thanks to Hagoromo Otsutsuki. Not to mention I happen to be the most powerful of the Jinchuuriki thanks to Kurama. Hell I have proved it in this war." Naruto said. Inside his head Kurama was smiling not just because of the last part of what Naruto said but with honoring the old man.

Tsunade normally would be lecturing him not to be so boastful. However, she knew that Naruto wasn't boasting. He was stating facts. Facts that been proven over and over again. From his fight's with the Akatsuki, to Pain, up to fighting Obito, Madara, Kagura, and Sasuke, Naruto had more than proven his ability and valor. Something that while Tsunade was proud of him for, didn't know where he was going with.

"And yet with all this power, I couldn't save Sakura!" he yelled throwing his headband to the ground right at Tsunade's feet. Naruto, shaking with tears coming from his eyes looked at Tsunade " I-I couldn't keep my promise to her. She-she died, killed by-" Naruto took a breath to try and calm down "By someone I used to think of as a brother...the man she loved" Naruto said while wiping his face with his sleeve. Kurama remained silent as Naruto finally let the emotional wall crumble.

Tsunade reached out to comfort him but Naruto turned away and continued "I knew she would never love me as I loved her. Even if events had changed, I know that probably nothing would have changed that. I just wanted her to be happy. Be with someone else even if it wasn't me. After what he had become, anyone else. And Sasuke took that choice away from her" said Naruto with Sasuke's name sounding like a curse on his lips.

"I understand that but what does this have to do with you not wanting to be Hokage anymore?" asked Tsunade. She then bent to pick up his head band with her left hand. She then walked toward Naruto and used a free hand to take hold of his shoulder with her free hand to get him to look at her. "We all know how much that promise meant to you Naruto. But you can't give up everything for one failure. Sasuke fell into that dark pit of vengeance years ago. He pulled Sakura to her death because of it." She then grabbed the back of his neck to gently make him look at her with eyes shining from unseen tears of her own.

"And no one, not even you, could have stopped it." she said directly to his face. "I don't know whether or not she was still in love with him or not. But I do know this... Sakura did what she did because of how much pain your promise to her was causing you and she wanted it to end. She tried to stop him herself. That was not your fault. None of it was" Tsunade said. Naruto tried to protest but Tsunade gripped his head tighter "She went there of her own free will" she reiterated before taking a breath and continuing "And she would not want her best friend to give up his dream because of it." she finished and let him go, hoping to get through to his thick skull.

Naruto stood wide eyed before he spoke again.

"It's not just with-" Naruto was beginning to say when suddenly they saw something fall from the sky and land somewhere in the Forest of Death.

"What the hell was that?" said Naruto with Tsunade thinking the same. "Do falling stars usually land in Konoha Granny?" asked Naruto

"No they don't Naruto!" said Tsunade in response to his bad joke. Tempting thought it was to hit him, even after the heart to heart they shared for what seemed like hours, she had to wonder. What was it that just landed?

Suddenly, a small green light shot up from the forest. From there, it flew straight toward their exact spot on the Hokage mountain. They braced themselves for the impact of what appeared to be a small comet until it stopped right in front of Naruto. And from what Naruto could see, it appeared to be a ring. Naruto stared at it as if the ring was floating there as if waiting for him to reach out.

Which Naruto did.

'Naruto don't touch...' Kurama tried to warn him but it was too late. Next thing they both knew the ring had settled itself onto Naruto's right hand and had sent him flying toward the Forest of Death.

"Naruto!" screamed Tsunade as Naruto was seemingly taken by the ring.

(Forest of Death, two minutes later)

"Ahhhhhh!" screamed Naruto as this...accessory suddenly attached itself to his right middle finger and sent him flying across Konoha into the Forest of Death past all the snakes and giant bugs and before landing beside a crater face first.

As Naruto grumbled, getting up from his face-plant and rubbing the dirt off his face, Kurama spoke up.

'You idiot! What made you decide to reach for the damn thing!?' yelled Kurama making Naruto wince at the volume of his mental voice.

'I don't know! I just got the feeling that it was searching for...me.' Naruto responded. Before they could continue arguing, he heard moaning coming from the crater. He looked across and was surprised to say the least of who or rather what he saw.

He saw what looked to be as best he could tell, a man that looked like something between a fish and a bird, dressed in a green and black skin tight uniform with a white circle with a green lantern pattern in it, and a domino mask across his eyes. He was tall, taller than Naruto in any case. Naruto further examined him and saw that he had rather large wound in his ribcage near his sternum, bleeding purple blood.

This of course overrode any common sense he had as he rushed to this person that clearly needed help. He ran towards him and noticed his breathing getting more irregular as he kneeled beside him. Lifting the man's head up with his left hand and putting pressure on the wound with his right.

"Hey, can you hear me? Hey!" he yelled shaking the mysterious being to get him to stay conscious.

The person in question opened his eyes suddenly and looked up to see Naruto proving he was still alive. Naruto was no medical ninja but even he could tell that whoever this guy was he was hurt bad and his wound was bleeding out pouring into his hand. Even Naruto knew that he didn't have much time left.

"Hey don't worry, I'm gonna get you back to my village. We have some of the best medical ninja around. They can save you. The can heal you wound and have a full supply of-" he looked to check the wound "um...purple blood." he said with some sarcasm which Kurama could understand.

'Okay...he's not normal' observed Kurama. Before Naruto could respond the weird person spoke.

"You-You're name-What is your name?" the strange being asked trying obviously to stay conscious.

"Naruto...Naruto Uzumaki." responded Naruto.

"I am Tomar-Re...Green Lantern of space sector 2813" Tomar-Re said.

'Space sector? Kurama any idea what he's talking about?'

'Hate to say it but I'm as much in the dark as you are Kid.' said Kurama.

Then Tomar-Re grasped Naruto's right hand. The hand that bore the strange ring that brought Naruto to him.

"The ring...it chose you" Tomar-Re said with an almost smile on his face. Naruto looked down at his hand.

"Chose me? I don't understand" said Naruto as he turned back to his wounded guest that he could see was fading. "Listen we gotta..."

"It's too late..."he began before coughing up blood which stained the dirt he was lying in "(sigh) I'm dying...listen to me. The ring chose you to take my place. Take it. To be chosen by this ring is the greatest of honors and the highest (breaths heavily) and...greatest of responsibilities." explained Tomar-Re while wheezing. He then pointed to what appeared to be a fire lamp or lantern that was next to him. "The lantern will guide you...sent message...use the lantern. Speak the oath to ah!" said Tomar-Re the winced in pain speaking too much. Naruto could see from looking in his eyes that the life in them was fading.

"Hey hold on! Don't you die yet!" Naruto screamed even though deep in his heart he knew what this person said was right. He was done for.

"Should've kept an eye on this planet...my fault" Tomar said as he grasped Naruto's hand tightly "Welcome...rookie..." he said. Then his grip loosened until his hand let go. Then his eyes dimmed through the domino mask and he breathed his last.

"No..." Naruto said as he saw his eyes faded. The domino mask on his face disappeared leaving his eyes exposed for the first time. He checked for a pulse on Tomar's neck. There was none to find. He was dead.

Naruto closed his eyes tightly to keep more tears from falling out. He didn't know who he'd been, but judging from the uniform he was a soldier of some sort. Not a ninja, at least not one he was familiar with, but definitely a soldier. He laid Tomar's head down on the ground, taking his right hand from the wound. And then closed Tomar-Re's eyes and made a silent prayer for him out of respect.

Suddenly the ring on his finger, his right hand stained in Tomar-Re's blood, began to glow. He heard a voice speak from the ring.

"Naruto Uzumaki. You have demonstrated the ability to overcome great fear." said the voice from the ring as the glowing suddenly got brighter. "Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps." it finished. And then the glow grew so intense it engulfed Naruto's entire body and the surrounding area.

Where new light dawns in shadow.

End Chapter