All Alone

Hey everyone! I am back again with a new chapter. Man has time flown. I finally graduated college and got a decent job. With everything happening in my life, I sort of forgot about this story again. I'm not gonna guarantee I won't have another long break between chapters, but I finally got together another chapter. Please let me know if you enjoy it. It has been some time since I have written like this. I hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter 7

Naruto could hear the sound of feet shuffling through grass. He opened his eyes and looked around. Kakashi was still carrying him on his back. I guess I fell asleep. The sun was just beginning to set, pouring in its evening light through the trees.

"Kakashi sensei, how long have I been out?"

"Awake I see," spoke Kakashi. "I suppose you have been out for a good hour. We are nearly at the village now."

"Thanks for carrying me sensei."

"Anything for the hero of the Leaf village."

As Kakashi was speaking, they finally broke free of the forest and could see the village. Naruto was shocked. It looks like the whole village is gathered here!

"Do you see this Naruto? These are all the people you saved. They are all waiting to thank you."

Naruto's eyes widened. He couldn't help but think of all the hard times he had growing up. No one would help or even acknowledge him. Now, the whole village was here to thank him! All of a sudden, he began to feel warm all over.

"Thanks Kakashi, but I think I can take it from here."

As he got off Kakashi's shoulders, a shout rose out, "Everyone look! It's Naruto! He made it!"

The crowd began to break out in cheers. People were dancing and singing. Everyone was trying to rush in and meet Naruto. Naruto could feel his heart beating hard. This sensation! What is this? Naruto was experiencing so many emotions that he had never felt before. Tears began to form in his eyes.

The first people to make it to Naruto lifted him up into the air and began to loudly chant: Naruto! Naruto! Naruto! The whole village began chanting in unison. Naruto was being carried and thrown by the crowd. Naruto! Naruto! Naruto! He couldn't remember ever feeling this happy.

Finally! he thought to himself. Everyone is finally acknowledging me! With that thought, Naruto let himself go. He was laughing and crying hysterically. The tears kept flowing, but he didn't care. All of his hard work up till now had paid off. They finally care!

Naruto! Naruto! Naruto!

The cry of the people caused Temari to stop what she was doing. Is he back?! She quit helping the medical ninjas attend the wounded and ventured toward the sound. It seemed as if all of Konoha were outside shouting Naruto! at the top of their lungs. Then she saw him. The hero of the village was being lifted into the air and carried about by the villagers. It seemed unreal.

Just hours before Naruto was a wild demon-fox in a battle with a godlike being. And yet the villagers are treating him like a normal guy that saved the village. She tried to move in closer.

She finally got close enough to see more than his orange clothes and yellow hair. Naruto was crying and laughing at the same time and had the biggest smile in the world. He looked happier than she had ever seen. All this while the crowd continued chanting Naruto! She attempted to get even closer, but to no avail. The crowd was densely packed creating no room for pushing through. I will just have to meet up with him after everything dies down.

After a while, the cheering and chanting died down. Naruto was no longer being carried about by a wave of people. Temari began searching for him. Some people she passed said that he was going to visit the medical tents and see how the wounded were faring. She headed towards that direction.

It took a while to force her way through the retreating masses to get where she wanted to go. As soon as she made it to the tents, a blur of orange launched itself from a tent door into the sky. Was that Naruto? She approached the tent to see a crying Sakura. Connecting the dots, she figured that Naruto found out about Hinata. I have to follow him!

Her words left him speechless. He knew that Nagato couldn't revive everyone, but he had faith that at least she would be alive. He didn't know what to think, or how to feel. Her final words had left him with so many questions. Now he would never have them answered. He felt a surge of emotions well up inside of him, and he bolted out of the tent as fast as he could. He had to get far away. Suddenly his accomplishments felt empty. How could he be called a hero when he couldn't even save the life of the only person to say they loved him?

Naruto sped outside of the village and away from the battle-scarred walls. He knew of a place where no one could find him, and that is where he headed.

Temari wasted no time. Turning from the tent door, she swung her fan in a wide arc, sending a massive gust of wind into the air. Then she mounted her fan and rode the wind high above the village. Surveying the area outside the village, she finally caught a glimpse of orange moving at high-speeds towards the southeast. Taking out her small fan, she sent another burst of wind toward the same direction Naruto was headed. I can't lose track of him from up here.

After following him for around an hour, he finally quit running. She could barely see where he had stopped. She brought the fan low, lightly brushing the tops of the trees, before landing in a nearby opening.

"Useless! Useless! USELESS!"

Naruto's shouts reverberated throughout the forest. The pain and rage in his voice could be felt with every shout and cry. Temari heard a loud splintering noise and a tree falling and hitting the ground. Then she heard sobbing. Walking towards the sounds, Naruto slowly came into view. He was sitting on a tree that he presumably just knocked down. His head was in his hands, and tears were falling from his hands to the ground. Temari was unsure of what to do. She stood nearby, trying to decide how to help him.

As he sat there weeping, a red chakra-like substance started forming around him. He became engulfed in it. Slowly, a tail started emerging from him, then another, and another. Temari knew what was happening. She had to step in before he gave himself over. It was now or never!

"Useless! Useless! USELESS!" Naruto shouted. The loss of another person seemed too much to handle. How can anyone call me a hero when I couldn't even save Hinata!? Anger and sadness welled up inside of him. His thoughts became ever darker. I should have just died fighting Pain. He could feel the demon inside slowly creeping up on him. The turmoil and rage boiled out of him. The demon's chakra started to engulf him, but he didn't care.

Give in… the demon spoke inside his mind. I can take all the pain away. Simply give in to me, and I will solve all of your problems. As Naruto listened to the demon, chakra tails began sprouting off of his body. His mind became foggy. All he wanted was for it all to go away. First Jiraiya, then his village, then Hinata. My life is just a curse!

Temari approached Naruto. The air around her was thick and seemed to choke the breath out of her. Waves of red chakra came off of Naruto's body. Occasionally a wisp of it would hit Temari and burn her skin. The closer she got, the rougher the chakra became. Finally, she was an arm's length away. She didn't know what to say. No words could console him in this state. She got as close as she could. The chakra began burning welts into her skin and ripping her clothes.

With every ounce of her strength she fought through the last bit of chakra and wrapped her arms tightly around him and pushed her head into his chest.

Just as Naruto was about to give himself over to the fox. He felt something. It felt as if he were being embraced. Naruto's eyes flashed open. What he saw floored him. A woman was hugging him as tightly as she could with her head pressed against his chest. His chakra ate at her as it tried to consume the both of them. Burn marks covered her skin, and her clothes were ripped all over. Tears were still coming out, but he slowly became aware of what was going on. He noticed the metal fan on her back, and the four ponytails she had her hair up in. Finally, it donned on him who this stranger was. He couldn't believe it.

"T..T…Temari?"

Hopefully this chapter is as good as the others. I kept on with the changing of perspectives in this chapter. I didn't want to overuse it, but I think it turned out alright. Please let me know what you liked or didn't like about this chapter.