Well, last chapter was rough. The reviews were a mixed bag, reminiscent of Chapter 18: The Rising Action. For anyone wondering about why I named the chapters: it makes it easier for me to remember what takes place in a chapter. I don't have to look at the entire chapter if a reader presents a problem I'm fuzzy about. Anyways, off to the chapter.

Chapter 24

Ignorance was bliss, but it could also get people killed.

That thought nagged at the Hokage as he scanned the report from last night, fingers drumming on the table. The report, turned in by Neko, detailed that her unit had sensed a blast of demonic chakra originating from the forests just outside the village. Demonic chakra that was instantly familiar to anyone who had been alive twelve years ago. The Kyuubi had been released.

But just a fraction of its chakra had leaked out. Apparently, from the Hyuuga heiress's account, one tail had developed. She had also revealed another interesting detail: Naruto had struggled against the demon's influence and the chakra cloak had changed color from crimson to dark orange, and What this meant was beyond him, but he suspected that it had something to do with Naruto's sudden astronomical rise in reserve chakra. The boy had already possessed reserves that rivaled the his own, but now it was off the charts. The description the hospital had given was that his reserves had grown by exactly a biju's tail. The best explanation was that he had somehow absorbed the tail that had developed.

That was unusual in itself. While jinchuriki were known to control their biju, it was rare that one actually took in a huge amount of the biju's chakra into their bodies. Their control was like reins on a horse. Naruto had taken the chakra as his own. It was all very vexing.

The Hokage pressed on his aching temples. This shouldn't have happened to begin with. Naruto should have known about the Kyuubi when he became a Genin. Or Guy or himself should have told him after that disastrous B-rank mission. Instead, they had chosen to protect him, to shield him from the truth, believing that he would be better off if he didn't know. And now one of their own was dead because of their mistake

But was it a mistake? Naruto was only a little more than twelve-though emotionally he was older-and telling the truth would have backfired. He was smart, but he wouldn't understand people were scared of him and so shunned him. He would assume they hated him and maybe have fled the village. If that had happened, the Leaf would have been in grave danger, and the Hokage would have to live with the mistake all his life.

Maybe. If. The truth was out, and there was no turning back. Either way, a mistake was made, and the possibility of its impact lessening was gone. Iruka, one of the best instructors, had died, and the blame was shared. By whom could be debated, but the Hokage was at the center of it, insisting the wool be pulled over Naruto's eyes. Now the wool had burned away, and the blonde's sight was clear. He would decide whom to blame.

There was a knock at the door, and an aide stuck his head in. "Hokage-sama, you wanted all information pertaining to Naruto Uzumaki forwarded to you?"

"Yes?"

"Well, he's asked to talk to you in his hospital room."

"Good. I'll be there shortly."

"But, sir, you have several important meetings today-,"

"To hell with them. This is more important than what some politician thinks." The Hokage rose and strode out the door.

Naruto, his eyes closed and yet light blinding him, felt horrid. Everything was bright, too bright. His eyes hurt from it, and muscles ached. His body was on fire, and he struggled to move a finger. Ants seemed to bite everywhere on his skin, and breaths were shallow and painful.

He blinked open his eyes, and needles assailed them again. He winced as they adjusted, and a sterile, white ceiling came into view, rectangular fluorescent lights intermittent. He was laying in a hospital bed, and the steady beep of a heart monitor was the only sound in the room. The smell of cleaning alcohol and too clean air reached his nose, and he grimaced and vainly tried to wave away the smell. He did, however, get a nurse's attention. She came over and looked down at him. He frowned up at her, eyes bloodshot.

"Hello, Naruto-san," she greeted softly, "How do you feel?"

"Like hell," was his answer. His head pounded, and blurry, convoluted images floated around in his mind. He tried to sit up, but she lay a hand on his chest to stop him. He tried to push her hand away, but she was firm. "Lemme up," he mumbled incoherently, "I gotta...I gotta go." He needed to do something, something pertaining to those blurry images. Something about the night before.

"No, you can't go, Naruto-san," said the nurse, "You need rest. The good news is that you have visitors."

"R-really?"

"Yes. Your team is here along with a few others. I'll bring them in." She opened the door, and TenTen nearly trampled her in a mad dash to see Naruto. Guy apologized to the rumpled nurse, and Neji pushed past them. TenTen, seeing that Naruto was awake, caught him in a bone-crushing hug.

"You idiot!" she whispered, "You alive idiot! You nearly died!" She squeezed him more, and Naruto choked. She relented just enough for him to catch his breath, but then she throttled him. "Do you know just how stupid that was, chasing after him like that? You never think about yourself, do you, you selfless idiot?" Naruto frowned in confusion; what was she talking about? She wrapped him in another crushing hug before he could ask.

Neji smirked, and Naruto didn't have enough energy to glare. The Hyuuga's smirk softened into something more friendly. "Good to see you healthy, Uzumaki-san," he said, "And I agree with TenTen. You are rash in your decisions.." Naruto rolled his eyes, again wondering what they were talking about. Evidently he had done something stupid. Nothing new, in other words.

Anko and her team walked in as the nurse peeled TenTen away from Naruto, saying that she was cutting off his air. Lee smiled cheerfully as he saw Naruto, and Yakumo placed a vase of multicolored flowers on the table beside the bed. Tomitsu smiled at TenTen's and the nurse's arguing and then bowed to Naruto. "Belatedly," he started, "forgive me for my outburst yesterday. I am terribly sorry."

The blonde furrowed his brow, but some images became clear. Tomitsu had manhandled him after he found out about Fu's letters. Naruto waved it away tiredly. "'S okay. I understand." TenTen, fuming from her argument, settled for sitting close to him. Naruto looked over at her. "Wha' happened?" he asked, "C-can't remember."

Everyone present exchanged glances and looked expectantly at Guy, and he sighed deeply. "Naruto, you might want to sit down." He blinked at his choice of words seeing as the blonde was already in bed, and Naruto afforded a weak chuckle. Guy went on, "Do you remember anything, anything at all, about last night?"

Naruto drew his brow together, and he muttered, "Last night? Well, I remember dinner with you and Lee havin' a eatin' contest...Hinata came after she passed-," A memory came to mind, one of Hinata staring at him with a mixture of terror and concern. It had been dark, and power had hummed in his veins. He had felt unstoppable, invincible, and he...he had wanted to kill her. He stumbled over his words, coming back to his senses, and looked around wildly. "Where's Hinata?" he demanded, adrenaline countering drowsiness. He tried to sit up, but again the nurse stopped him.

"Hinata-sama is at the complex," assured Neji, "She's fine and in no danger."

Naruto nodded, trying to shake the memory away. She would never look at him like that...he hoped. "That's good. I thought I remembered something about her." He was oblivious to the second exchange of looks as he talked on about the night before, "After she came, Iruka-sensei showed up 'cause I invited him...him and Ayame both showed up." Naruto grinned tiredly at Anko. "And you made fun of him." Anko's face was stone, and he frowned as he continued.

"After those two..." His face scrunched up. The images had been clear enough until that point. "I think Touza and his friends crashed our party with Tora-," he drummed his fingers on the bed, "-and Hinata calmed down that damned cat before letting it go." They nodded encouragingly. "After that, we had a toast, and...and Guy-sensei wished us good health and a bunch of other things."

Naruto faltered. His eyes widened as he slowly recounted the next events. The beeping of the heart monitor quickened, and the nurse cast a nervous glance at it. "And...Iruka-sensei had a toast for me." A picture of Iruka, red trailing from his mouth, flashed in Naruto's mind. "He...he said that..." Iruka, fighting Mizuki and losing, played in his mind. "...that he was proud of me." The last memory of Iruka smiling happily before a shuriken ripped into his chest. The beep seemed to be one sound now, and the nurse prepared a needle. "And...and now," tears formed in Naruto's eyes, "he's dead. Because of me."

The needle plunged into Naruto's arm, and he fell back into unconsciousness.

Even in unconsciousness, hallucinations plagued him. The same scene of Mizuki revealing the truth and killing Iruka replayed over and over, and each time Naruto was helpless. Nothing he could do to stop it, nothing he could do to escape it. Then sometimes Mizuki would turn toward him with an evil smile, and his face would contort. His teeth elongated and sharpened into fangs, his nose bulged and then narrowed into a snout, his eyes turned crimson. He was the Kyuubi made flesh.

But then Naruto would feel the same transformation, and pain consumed him as he fell to his knees. Teeth clattered out like pebbles, bloody fangs shooting out to replace them. Reddish orange fur burst from his skin. Bones ground and cracked as a snout took shape on his face. His eyes turned into crimson slits. A scream of pain turned into a howl of victory.

Suddenly the pain stopped, and the ground morphed to dust under him. The darkness turned purple, and Naruto looked around in confusion. He leaped up as he alighted on Sayuri, mouth drawn back in a snarl. She spat out: "A jinchuriki. And one of the Kyuubi at that." Anger crashed into him at her words, and he swiped with a reddened claw. She dissolved into dust, her maniacal laugh echoing in the flat wasteland.

Naruto gasped and sat up suddenly, finding himself back in his hospital room. The sun was still out, and it blinded him for a moment before he adjusted. His body still ached, and the heart monitor's beeping slowed as he calmed. He looked around the room, and he saw another bouquet of flowers beside Yakumo's vase. He picked up the note beside it.

I hope you're better soon-Love, Hinata

He smiled and put the card back, but then the smile faded. He ran a hand through his hair; he could remember everything now. The mission in which he killed Sayuri was crystal clear. The events of last night were imprinted onto his eyelids. Iruka's dying smile would forever be with him.

A nurse came in, a different one from before, and she smiled as she saw he was awake. "Feeling any better, Naruto-san?" she asked.

"No," he answered shortly, "but I'd like to talk to a few people."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"My team and the Hokage himself."

The Hokage stopped outside Naruto's hospital room and stared at the closed door. An unknown path lie beyond it, a path to either darkness or light. Darkness beckoned enticingly, but light did nothing, waiting to be found, never drawing people toward it. The Hokage wanted a middle path, a path of gray, of twilight, but there was none. It was up to him to guide Naruto to the light. If he wanted to be guided.

He took a deep breath and knocked. Guy opened the door, and the Hokage nodded to him as he entered. Naruto's teammates were standing at either side of his bed, TenTen holding his hand. Naruto himself was sitting up, head bent to shadow his face. He looked up as the door closed, and his eyes locked onto the Hokage's. They studied each other for a few moments before the Hokage looked away. Those eyes and the look behind them were all too familiar.

Guy stood beside Neji, and there was a loud silence. Naruto, head again bent, broke it. "I know what I am now." Everyone jumped, some in guilt, others in surprise. "I know who and what my tenant is. I know that I've killed two people and caused the death of another under its influence. I know that this has been kept hidden from me." He raised his head, eyes sharp. "But what I don't know is why the secret has been kept from me, and I want answers."

No one but TenTen dared to speak. "So you know that-,"

"-that I'm the jinchuriki, some sort of holder or something, of the Kyuubi," finished Naruto, "I know what happened during the mission now, and I know that you kept the truth from me even when you knew. I want to know why, TenTen. Why did you keep it from me?"

TenTen searched for words, and she looked down at his hand in hers. "We...we were to trying to protect you, us, and Team 6. When you woke up after fighting Sayuri, we hoped and but also dreaded that you would remember. We were ready to tell you everything, but then," she searched for words again, "you woke up. You couldn't remember anything."

"So you chose to lie to me?" he demanded angrily, "Lie to me to 'protect' me? Because you 'protected' me, Iruka's dead!"

"That's not true," said the Hokage, "Mizuki was far stronger than him-,"

"But he wasn't stronger than me!" shouted Naruto, "Because of the shock factor of finding out that I was the Kyuubi, Iruka was weakened from the get-go! And Mizuki took advantage of that!" He swung toward Guy. "If you had told me, this wouldn't have happened! I'd be asleep in my bed, battered and bruised, but happy because me and Iruka stopped Mizuki, and he was going to take me to Ichiraku!" His voice cracked, and Naruto blinked away tears of anger and grief. "But now he's dead." He glared at the Hokage and his sensei. "And it's all your fault."

Guy went on the defensive, latching onto the easiest argument. "Maybe you shouldn't have chased after Mizuki. Iruka could have handled him-," Even as he said it, Guy knew he was wrong. Mizuki was a powerful Chunin, strong enough to be considered Jonin. Iruka had been at the other end of the spectrum, being one of the weakest. The fight would have been unfair and in Mizuki's favor. The glare he got from Naruto reaffirmed the fact.

"No, that choice was perfectly fine, thank you," he countered dryly, "I'm not asking about my choices anyway. I'm asking about yours."

"Like TenTen said," said the Hokage, "we were trying to protect you-,"

"And you failed!"

"In protecting Iruka, yes, but not in protecting you."

The heart monitor beeped erratically, and the nurse peeked her head in but then ducked back out as Naruto shouted, "Same difference! You should've told me, dammit. Stop with the 'protecting' crap and tell me why the hell wasn't I told?"

"It was solely for your protection," said Guy, "Nothing else. You're a child, for Christ's sake, barely more than twelve. No one your age should know something like this about themselves-,"

Naruto snatched his headband from the flower-covered table. "But this makes me an adult! I'm not a child, I can handle everything you can."

"No, you can't," said the Hokage, shaking his head, "Your reaction is proof enough."

"Oh, so I'm immature 'cause I think I should know the truth? Is knowing the truth a crime? I don't think so."

The Hokage sighed, and his voice hardened. "Alright, I admit it. Your protection is not the only reason we hided your secret."

"Aha! I knew it!"

"It was also for the village's protection."

"Wait-what?"

The Hokage stepped closer to Naruto, eyes steely. "Naruto, despite the treatment you've gone through already, you're actually treated quite fairly by the ninja and civilian population."

Naruto snorted. "Yeah, right. People trying to kill me on my birthday is fair treatment."

The Hokage ignored him. "In most other villages, the jinchuriki are either trash or weapons. They are property, not humans. In the jinchuriki Fu's village-," Naruto's eyes widened, "-yes, there are others like you and she's one of them. But in her village, our reports say that she lives outside of the village. Their form of the Academy grudgingly accepted her only because she could possibly be weaponized. Sand's jinchuriki is a ticking time bomb waiting to be placed in a village. Rock's jinchuriki are outcasts like Fu. It's the same for almost all the jinchuriki except for Cloud where they are much like you." He grasped the blonde's shoulders.

"If we had told you the truth, you could have rebelled against the village or fled to another. If either had happened, the village would be in grave danger. Not one village would hesitate to turn you against the Leaf, and some military sects here in this village would gladly turn you into a emotionless soldier. With your innocence, you were under the protection of me and the Shinobi Council. Committing crimes against the village, however, would put you out from under that." The Hokage shook him. "We did this for you and the whole village, Naruto. Please realize that."

The blonde was silent, processing what he'd just heard. He asked quietly, "How many are there like me?"

"Eight others, and we know the location of six."

"And of those eight, two live like me." He returned the Hokage's steely gaze. "I wonder if their villages ever kept secrets from them?"

"Naruto-,"

Neji cleared his throat, and everyone turned their head. He took a deep breath. "Naruto, you are very stubborn, I hope you understand."

"What, you're taking their side, Neji? If you do-,"

"No, I'm not taking their side. I am merely going to put this into terms you might relate with." He put his fingers together like a steeple. "Think about Touza for a moment. You like him, do you not?"

"Yeah, he's like my little brother," answered Naruto, unsure of what Neji was doing.

"Yes, a little brother to you. What if Touza, by some chance, had a tumor?"

"This is ridiculous-,"

"It's hypothetical," said Neji sharply, "and do not interrupt again. As I said, what if Touza had a tumor? It doesn't affect his appearance, health, or personality. From outward appearances, he is a perfectly fine eight year-old boy. But the danger of this tumor is unknown. Whether it is malignant or benign remains to be seen, yet his family has a history of cancerous tumors. But he doesn't know of this tumor and happily goes about his life, pulling pranks or scaring people, but you know the truth. You know that it could threaten his life one day, and you are deciding whether to tell him or to let him go unburdened. What would be your choice? Would you tell him and risk the fact that the truth could change him, contort him even, or would you keep silent to let him keep his innocence and play with the other children?"

Guy silently thanked Neji and his wisdom as Naruto contemplated, head down again. The blonde would always listen to him.

Naruto's initial reaction to the question was, yes, tell him everything. He deserves to know since it's meaningful to him. He shouldn't be left in the dark. But he thought about it, about Touza, the cheery, bright-eyed boy Naruto had saved from bullies. The boy who emulated him, who reminded Naruto of himself. Touza was like the little brother Naruto never had, and to lay something like that on him...it would change him. Gone would be the energy, replaced by a sort of dread. He would be aware his life could end abruptly, would have to face his mortality that kids like him never faced.

Naruto would not have wanted that. He would have wanted Touza to live his life to the fullest, be damned the tumor. The innocence of youth was a precious thing, one that could be taken away with the wrong word or action. He would not be the one to take it away. Only when Touza was older and more mature would he know. Naruto chuckled wistfully. "You sure know how to show me the way, teme," he said, "Even if I'm a bit stubborn about it." He lifted his head to regard them all. "I think...I think I understand. About why you kept this from me. You wanted me to live my life like a normal kid, worry-free. Well, at least as worry-free as a kid ninja's can get."

There was light laughter, and a small smile formed on the blonde's face. "My protection...and for the village as well. It's fitting, I think. A shinobi is to protect their village at all costs, and we all paid the price." His eyes were sad. "And one paid the ultimate price." A respectful silence passed, and a tear fell from one of Naruto's eyes. He suddenly turned toward the Hokage. "Hokage-ji, what was more important to you? The village or me?"

"Now, Naruto-," started Guy in a reprimanding tone, but the Hokage cut him off with a hand.

"It's alright, Guy. He asked, and I will tell him." He sighed through his nose. "The truth is, Naruto, the village came first. It always come first for the Hokage, and it always will. But you were still like my surrogate grandson, and I tried my best to care for you."

Naruto smiled. "That's the job description of the Hokage, right? Protect and lead the village. Something I'm going to do in fifteen years or so." The smile faded. "Would you have told me though, eventually?"

The Hokage nodded. "I was planning to wait until either you became a Chunin or turned eighteen, whichever came first."

"So eventually it'd come to light," rephrased Naruto, "The secret would no longer be secret. The question now is this: Is the tumor harmless or deadly? Does anyone have the answers?" All gathered exchanged questioning looks before shrugging. Naruto nodded and laid back down. "So it's up to me to find out."

"Yep," said TenTen, patting his hand, "It's always up to you, Blondie." She and the others moved to leave, but Naruto stopped the Hokage to say one last thing to him.

"Hokage-ji, could I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course."

"Could...could you arrange Iruka's funeral for the day after tomorrow?"

The weather seemed to mirror Naruto's mood on the day of Iruka's funeral. Low gray clouds hung in the sky, and a cool but dry breeze rustled the grass around a freshly upturned rectangle of dirt. At its front sat a simple stone marker that was Iruka's headstone. Naruto stared listlessly at it as the wind blew back his hair and black mourning clothes. There was no kind of decoration or poignant phrases engraved onto the headstone. There was only Iruka's name.

Iruka Umino

That was all that was needed.

He was alone, but he had expected that. Naruto had told no one of the funeral as he wanted to mourn in private. He knew that it was a selfish act, but he didn't care. For once, other people could deal with being ignored. It was time that they should. His stomach twisted when he thought that.

He was fooling himself. He thought that he had wanted to mourn privately, but instead he wanted no one else to know what Iruka had died for or for whom he had died. Guilt and shame plagued him even though he knew nothing was his fault. It was still a selfish act to tell no one, but he wanted to wrestle these placeless feelings by himself.

As the wind quieted, he thought about the first time he had met Iruka. It had been the first day of the Academy for Naruto, and he was squirming restlessly in his seat. There were other kids next to him, but he didn't know who they were. The door opened, and a man walked in and greeted the class pleasantly. Young Naruto perked up, and he pulled something from his pocket.

"I'm Iruka Umino," the man had introduced himself, "and I'll be your sensei until you graduate-BAH!" Naruto doubled over in laughter as water dripped from Iruka's ponytail and clothes. Pieces of the water balloon brightly stood out against his hair. Iruka, surprised, didn't move, but then he focused in on the laughing boy. "Boy! What's your name?" he had demanded.

Naruto sat up with a grin. "Naruto Uzumaki, and you just got got!" He laughed again, and Iruka crossed his arms.

"You think this is funny?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Alright, how about you stay after class and CLEAN THIS WHOLE ROOM!" Naruto's laughter was stifled under Iruka's roar, and all of the new students quailed in their seats. Temple pulsing, Iruka snorted like a bull before starting the lesson. Naruto didn't say a word the entire time. After the lesson was done and the students had left, Iruka handed Naruto a broom, bucket, and mop. "Now, get to cleaning."

Naruto had expected Iruka to leave after saying that, but his new teacher stayed and watched him. When he was about halfway done, Iruka had asked, "Why'd you have to pull a prank on the first day of school, Uzumaki? Couldn't it have waited a week?"

"That'd be no fun!" had chirped Naruto, "Everyone knows that the best pranks are on the first day of class!"

"I thought it was the last day."

"Same thing."

Iruka smiled and shook his head. He had asked, "So you did it so people would know you?"

"Yep, dattebayo! Though everyone will know my name someday 'cause I'm gonna be Hokage!" Naruto gathered up the cleaning supplies in his arms. "And now I'm done!" He grinned, showing a missing tooth, and a smudges of dirt were on his cheeks.

Iruka stood with a smile and picked up the supplies. "Hokage, huh?" he asked, putting them in a closet, "You really think you can get there?"

"Yep, 'cause I never give up 'cause that's my nindo, my ninja way!" he shouted excitedly.

Iruka ruffled his hair affectionately. "Alright, how about I treat the future Hokage to Ichiraku?" Naruto's eyes lit up, and he hugged Iruka.

"Yay, thank you, Iruka-sensei!"

A sad smile crossed Naruto's face before the reality of Iruka's death crashed into him again. His heart panged painfully, and he clenched his fists as his body shook. But still the tears wouldn't come, and still the guilt and shame plagued him. Now that comforting smile of Iruka would never be there to ease his pain, and all because Naruto had been stupid. A single decision on his part had lead to a death of another.

As he fought against his own emotions, a group of people came up behind him. He heard the grass bending under their footsteps and turned around. His eyes widened. "How-,"

TenTen, her hair in a braid and dressed for mourning as the others were, smiled and explained, "We know you just a bit too well, Naruto." Behind her were several people: Neji, Lee, Yakumo, Tomitsu, Teuchi, Ayame, and the new, true Genin from Naruto's class, Leaf headbands visible. Sasuke wasn't among them. "Me and Neji knew that you'd blame yourself for this. That's why you didn't tell anyone about this, but we eavesdropped on the Hokage making the plans. Or rather, Touza did."

"Naruto-san!" The young boy jumped from nowhere onto Naruto's back and grinned. "I'm happy to see you." The grin slid off his face. "But I'm also sad that Iruka-san's gone. He was really nice." He dropped down from Naruto. "But maybe he's in a better place," he said hopefully, "He needs to be. Nice people like him should go to better places."

Naruto patted his head. "Don't worry. You're right, Touza. He is in a better place." He looked at the small crowd in front of him. Though his initial reaction was to scold them, he couldn't bring himself to do it. They wanted to ease the burden, and he had no right to stop them. A sudden idea sprang forth in his mind, and he walked behind the grave. He set a hand on it. He was going to speak off the cuff but also from the heart.

"Iruka Umino," he began, "was a great man. He never did an unkind deed or refused to do kind ones. Many of us here know him as a wonderful teacher, some know him as that special someone, some know him as a kind stranger. I knew him as a brother, maybe even father, who taught me right and wrong, who guided me down that bright path, who loved me unconditionally. Now he is gone, but he is not forgotten. He is with us in the Will of Fire, and may he be in peace." Naruto was silent. "Let's now say what he meant-," his voice caught, and he struggled to say the next words, "what he means to each one of us."

Naruto's class glanced between themselves, and Sakura prodded Hinata to the front. Her voice shook slightly at first, but she quickly recovered, "I-Iruka w-was our teacher, but he always seemed he was more than that. He was like our friend, the friend who shouted at us, but still our friend. He could dry tears, bandage a knee, or brighten up a gloomy face. He was patient, understanding, and above all forgiving. He was a kind man, one whose students will always thank." She stepped back into the crowd, and Yakumo spoke for her team.

"We never knew Iruka all that well," she admitted, "As you said, he was a kind stranger, but we witnessed enough of his kind deeds to feel as if we did know him. He was the man who caught you, Naruto, when you fainted from the chase. He was the man who celebrated you and who you are. He was the man who accepted all. He is the man whose benevolent acts every other person tries to match. We are honored to know him."

Lee placed a hand on her shoulder, and she put her hand on his. Ayame, dabbing her eyes with a cloth, was next. "I-Iruka...was someone I could've spent my whole life with," she said, "He was sweet, loving, and wise. I always admired his gift to see the best in people and to bring it out. He loved his work and used his gift with his students. He...he is the love of my life. He will forever be in my thoughts."

Her father squeezed her shoulder, and she huddled close to him. TenTen, with a glance at Neji, spoke. "As far as me and Neji knew when we first met him, Iruka was your old teacher, Naruto. But when we saw him more and more, we realized he was much more to you. Like you said, he was like your brother. When me and Neji found out about your rough childhood, we grew to respect him. He is that light for everyone, I think, that brightness that cheers everyone up. Everyone he met, he left a mark on. We, like Team 6, want to be like him. He is our Will of Fire."

She quieted, and Neji held her hand. Naruto felt the hot sting of tears, and he blinked them back. "Th-thank you, everyone," he thanked, "It means a lot to me that you came out even though I didn't tell any of you. Your words have proved that Iruka lives on, and that his memory will be preserved. Thank you." They nodded, and Tomitsu suddenly drew a flute from his robes. He put his lips on the mouthpiece and closed his eyes, and everyone watched as his fingers, long and thin, danced along the instrument.

The notes were bittersweet, telling a story of happiness and then grief. Then the notes seemed to soar beyond music's reach but remained in the reach of people. Tomitsu's face was smooth and unhurried, and he played the flute effortlessly. The music seemed to dance in the air, but then it dropped into a grief-ridden trudge. Everyone gathered felt the sting of sorrow, but then the music soared again along with people's hearts. Finally, the notes floated back down and settled around the listeners like a comforting blanket. Slowly, they faded, the ringing sweet sadness in their ears.

Tomitsu quietly stowed the flute, and nobody uttered a word because they knew it was his form of tribute to Iruka, something he couldn't put into words. Naruto again felt tears' sting, but he held them back. Tomitsu bowed, and Naruto smiled. "Thank you, Tomitsu. That was...incredible." Ayame burst into sobs, and Teuchi patted her back comfortingly. The wind picked up again and rippled across their clothes, and Naruto came from behind the grave.

"Again, I thank all of you," he said, "for paying your respects to Iruka. Now I can sleep easy knowing he is not truly dead." They nodded and slowly drifted away in clumps, Team 6 leaving first, then the eight Genin, then Teuchi, Ayame, and Touza. Naruto stood alone with his team now, and again he felt tears, and again he held them back. TenTen smiled and hugged him.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Naruto. Iruka wouldn't want you to be like this," she said soothingly, patting him on the back. He smiled his thanks, and TenTen walked away. There was a brief silence between the two boys before Naruto broke it.

"Neji, how did you deal with...with your parents' deaths?" he asked dismally, "I don't know anyone else who's lost someone this close. Anyone that I can turn to, anyway."

"And I might not to be the right person to ask," admitted Neji, "My father died, and I at first blamed the Main Family. I felt anger that overpowered my grief. But when my mother died..." He stopped, expression tightening in sadness, "That was grief. Yes, there was anger, but I felt hollow after she died. During that week when I was absent from team training, I trained and trained and trained with my Hyuuga instructor Hyoto. I tried to fool myself by thinking I was training to lash back out at the Main Family, but...I couldn't. It simply let me escape the pain for a while longer."

He scratched the ground with the tip of his foot absently. "The night before I came back to our team training, I couldn't sleep. I hadn't slept any of those nights after the funeral. Images of my mother dead in my arms kept reappearing in my head. I couldn't stop them. I made the decision that night to go back to the team, and the night of the first day back, I slept." Neji looked Naruto squarely in the eye. "I guess a summary is this: mourn for Iruka, but do not let it consume you. Remember, your team is always there for you, no matter what."

Naruto smiled appreciatively, and Neji nodded before he too walked away. The blonde returned his attention to the grave. When the eight Genin had left, Ino and Sakura had placed a bundle of flowers at its base. The wind caught the petals and ruffled them, and Naruto closed his eyes in thought. He opened them when he heard heavy, deliberate steps behind him.

"The Hokage sends his condolences," said Motama, dressed in his work clothes and leaning on his cane. Naruto smiled slightly at the former ANBU captain; TenTen had told him about the old man's old job a week after the mob chase. "He can't be here himself," explained Motama, "because of paperwork and things. Sorry if I'm a bit late." He stood by Naruto and peered over his glasses at the grave.

"You're not. You just missed the speeches, that's all," replied the blonde.

"Mm. Shame. I would've loved to hear 'em." The two regarded the grave solemnly before Naruto sighed.

"I'd hate to be the Hokage sometimes. You always hear of people dying, yet you can never honor them the way you think you should. The village comes first even if you think it shouldn't. It would...it'd wear me down. Sometimes I don't know if I could do it."

Motama nodded. "It takes a special kind of strength to become Hokage. The strength to send ninja out on dangerous missions, the strength to write the letter saying they've died and then moving on to write the next. I never wanted it. ANBU was tough enough. But I think that you've got that kind of strength."

"Some would call it inhumanity," replied Naruto darkly.

"There's a difference. A gray difference, but still a difference. You've got the good kind to become a respectable Hokage. You can send ninja out on those dangerous missions, but the ninja can see you're conflicted. You can write those letters, but the readers can see your tears." Motama looked sadly at the grave. "The Hokage had to write a few letters today as well." Naruto nodded, and the tailor produced a flower from a pocket and placed it next to Ino and Sakura's bundle.

He sighed. "When I met him, I got the impression he was a good man."

"He is."

"Yes, he is, isn't he? But even good people die, but usually good people live a good life before their time comes. His was just getting started. Too many are like that. I had friends and folks who went too early. But, like I've bet you've already said, he's not really gone. His life ain't over in a spiritual sense." A sadness known only from experience entered his voice. "But even then he can be forgotten."

"No, he won't," said Naruto forcefully, "I'll still remember, and I'll tell my kids about my hero, and they'll tell their kids who'll tell theirs. Someone will remember him."

"Tell them, and they may forget," said Motama cryptically, "Teach them, however, and they may remember." He looked beyond the grave. "Come on. I've got something to show you." Naruto furrowed his brow and was going to ask what he meant, but the old man was already moving away with surprising speed. The blonde followed him, and they traveled from the cemetery through the heart of the village to the outskirts where the Training Grounds were located. The old man was always a few steps ahead, and Naruto called out to ask where they were going, but Motama wouldn't answer.

They finally stopped in a broad clearing, three logs planted in the ground at the center. Opposite was a huge, carved stone which a man knelt beside, a small chisel in his hand. He looked up as Motama entered the clearing, and the man nodded and stood. Motama thanked him, and the mason walked off. Naruto, standing at the clearing's edge, was waved over by the tailor.

"This," said Motama as he came closer, "is the Memorial Stone. The names of ninja who've died serving their village are inscribed here. I know many of them, and I always hope the next generation is older when they start to know the names, too. It's a way for the ninja who died honorably not to be forgotten for generations after the ones who knew them." He pointed to the new name, freshly chiseled into the stone. "Teach your children about him, and they may remember. Show them his sacrifice, and they will learn."

Naruto felt the sting of tears again, but now the dam burst, and tears, some of grief, some of joy, came forth as he read the name.

Iruka Umino

Alrighty, this took me a while. First of all, school started and I'm swamped with college classes on top of a seven-hour, five-days-a-week high school day. Second of all, this was hard. Close to or the hardest chapters to write. Anyway, if you like it, thanks. If not, well, thanks for reading.