AN: I know Chaos alludes to some stuff that hasn't been revealed. Some if it will, some won't, and since I'm nice I'll take the next few chapters' author notes and explain some. The first being when Naruto kills Green and Sakura cries afterwards Chaos said he had to help her again. This was the second time, the first was after Naruto died, that's why she seemed to get over it so fast, and the side affect of his help was her control slipping.
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Chapter 14: He's Back
Sweat was pouring down Sakura's face, it had been nearly an hour and they wert done yet, but they had reversed all the decay that happened to his body. She was praying he'd be back soon, not just to have him back, but because she didn't know how much longer Gaara could last.
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Naruto was now completely transparent, and his lower half had completely faded away.
"What's Sakura doing? If it's the last time I get to se her…" Naruto said turning to the mirror.
"You don't have the power to go there, you can't even use the mirror, too much of you has left this place," Chaos said.
"Then, could you help me?" Naruto asked watching his hand fade into nothing.
"I could, but I won't. Don't think me heartless though, once you reach your destination, you'll see why I said no," Chaos said.
Naruto looked at him, "Are you doing something kind? Without any benefit?" he asked a slight grin on his face.
"I just might be, though I might not seem so now, I think you'll believe it fully when you arrive," Chaos said.
Naruto was nearly all gone now, his neck just finished fading, all that was left was his head, and if the dead could cry, he would be, 'Sakura, I hope I make it to Heaven, just so I can see you there.'
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"Come on, should it be taking so long?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yes, first it heals the body, then it has to find the soul. The body's done, but the soul could be far, I don't really know the layout of the afterlife," Tsunade said.
Jiraiya nodded in response, his eyes back on Naruto.
"Please Naruto, come back to us," Sakura said shakingly, she was starting to lose her grip, Tsunade saw it, but as she moved forwards she froze. A voice called out in the relative silence of the room.
"Sa-ku-ra." It was a whisper, but it was heard eerily loud in the room.
"Naruto?" Sakura asked, her hands stopped glowing and Gaara moved his off hers.
Naruto's eyes opened and he looked up at her face, "Sakura, why are you here? Is this Heaven?" Naruto asked.
A tear found its way to Sakura's eye, "no, this it the hospital, we brought you back," Sakura said.
Naruto sat up and looked around, seeing the others walk towards him, "so that's what he meant…"
"Who? What who meant?" Tsunade asked.
"I'll explain later, I guess I got a lot to explain," Naruto said scratching the back of his head.
Everyone looked at him one thought coursing through all of their heads, 'does he remember what he did when he died?'
"How'd you bring me back?" Naruto asked.
"I found a scroll one of the previous Hokage's hid away that had methods of resurrection, and we were lucky enough that one would work for you," Tsunade said as Sakura and Gaara helped Naruto to his feet.
The group left the operation room and was walking down a hall in the hospital. "So did that bring the Kyuubi back too?" Naruto asked.
"No, it must've stayed dead," Sasuke said.
"It didn't die," Jiraiya said.
Sasuke and Sakura froze, Naruto, however, took several hurried steps forward looking around franticly, "is it attacking? Did it leave Konoha alone? Is it way out where I died?" he asked the fear auditable in his voice.
"It didn't escape, it's still in the seal," Kakashi said.
Naruto stopped looking around. He turned around and looked straight at Kakashi, he had the look of complete understanding on his face. "That's why isn't it," it wasn't a question, it was a statement. Kakashi's eye widened in surprise and Naruto bolted down the hall as fast as he could.
"Naruto!" Sakura yelled after him, but only took a few steps towards following him.
"Damn it, Kakashi what the hell was he talking about?" Tsunade asked looking at him, the others did the same.
"When a jinchuuriki dies, sometimes the demon dies, sometimes it lives. If it lives it stays sealed in the body for a few months, usually four to five. Naruto knows this and probably thinks that's why we resurrected him, in two weeks it'd be four months," Kakashi said.
"How the hell did he learn about that?" Tsunade asked.
"Over the two and a half years he asked me a lot of questions about jinchuuriki because of Akatsuki. That was one of them," Jiraiya said.
"What do we do? Should we go after him?" Sasuke asked.
"No, he needs to think it over, we should let him," Tsunade said.
"What if he tries to do something like kill himself?" Sakura asked.
"He won't, that would send the Kyuubi loose in the middle of the village, Naruto would never do that," Gaara said Sakura nodded in response.
Tsunade looked over at Shizune and saw the look on her face. She sighed, "I have to go, the paper work never stops," she said walking away, Shizune following.
"I'm sure there's something you three want to be left alone for, so I'll take my leave, Kakashi," Jiraiya said, but Kakashi had already poofed away. Jiraiya followed Tsunade and Shizune.
"I wish to tell my brother and sister of how it went, I'm sure they're curious to know," Gaara said before vanishing into sand.
Sakura looked at Sasuke who looked back. This was the second awkward silence between them, the first being when Sasuke was just released from jail. Then, too, neither knew what to say and both were trying to understand what they were supposed to do.
"You want something to eat?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah, I guess," Sakura said.
"Let's get some ramen, we might see Naruto there, and talk some sense into him," Sasuke said Sakura smiled and nodded.
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Naruto was walking through the streets of Konoha, nothing had changed, and even if it had, he'dve seen it through the mirror. He wasn't looking for anything, not yet anyway, he was just taking the long way home. Then he saw someone walking in front of him, someone he recognized to well.
It was Hinata, the girl who liked Naruto for god knows how long. Chaos was kind enough to bluntly state Naurto's thickheadedness at not noticing she liked him. after he was told about her feelings her actions around him made a lot more sense. He sighed to himself, he had to tell her.
"Hey, Hey! HINATA!" Naruto yelled running up to her.
Hinata spun around to see who called her name and saw Naruto running towards here. She blushed instantly, 'Naruto's looking for me,' then she realized Naruto was dead, the blush vanished and anger swept across her face.
Naruto stopped in front of her and Hinata punched him in the chest, sending him back a few feet and causing him to land on the ground, "That's not funny Kiba!" she yelled.
"Ah, Hinata, that hurt," Naruto said holding his chest and standing up.
"Well you shouldn't do that! Take the henge of already!" Hinata yelled.
"Hinata, it's me, Naruto. Sakura and Gaara resurrected me, do you really think Kiba would be that mean to you?" Naruto asked walking up to her again.
"Why, why did they resurrect you?" Hinata asked, she half believed him; Kiba wouldn't do that, but how was Naruto here then? Could they really resurrect him?
Naruto sighed, "that's part of why I wanted to talk to you," he said.
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Sakura was on the wall of Konoha leaning on the railing looking out towards the sky. She was there to watch the sunset, but that was hours ago, and she just never got around to leaving yet. Her mind was buzzing, Naruto being back, him misunderstanding why, Sasuke being more open with her. The world seemed to change over night, and only she noticed.
"I didn't expect to see you here," a voice said behind her.
Sakura startled and turned, it was Naruto. He had his backpack on and Sasuke's katana between the pack and his back, "Naruto, what are you doing?" she asked with a worried look on her face.
"I…well I…umm…I have to go-" he started.
"No you don't Naruto! We didn't resurrect you because of the Kyuubi! I didn't even know it could get out! after you saved me I just wanted to find a way to bring you back! And we found one!" Sakura yelled before walking up to him and grabbing his shoulders and shaking him.
"Yeah, Sasuke said that too. But I still have to, for a little while," Naruto said, stepping around Sakura and resting his arms on the railing.
"How little of a while? What do you have to do?" Sakura asked.
"It should only be a few days at most," Naruto hopped onto the railing and crouched down, "if I succeed," he said.
"What are you going to do?" Sakura repeated walking up beside him and leaning on the railing.
"I'm glade someone was here. Someone to tell Granny Tsunade what could happen if I fail," Naruto said.
"Naruto what is it?" Sakura asked putting her hand on his arm.
"I want you to tell Granny that if I fail, It'll come back. I don't know if It'll come here or go somewhere else, but either way, It will be back," Naruto said.
"But Naruto, what are you going to do? What'll be back if you fail? Are you going to fight? Is that why you have Sasuke's sword?" Sakura asked, her grip on his arm tightening.
"Every Hokage, beside Granny Tsunade, has died to protect this village. Tsunade didn't because Orochimaru ran away before the fight was over, but all the others did. And I know, that if I fail, and probably even if I succeed, I'll never become Hokage, but right now I don't care," he stood up on the railing, his arm being pulled out of Sakura's reach by his height, "because if I succeed, or if I fail, whether the village ever knows about it or not, at least I'll die like a Hokage, to protect this village," Naruto said before jumping off the railing and wall, outside of Konoha and running into the forest.
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AN: just a reminder on the naming of the jutsu that killed Orochimaru. It's the same name as where I got it from, you don't need to find the Japanese name for it. The first one who names it gets to make one of the OC's I introduce in the next arc. This is open until the author's note that states otherwise so don't think it's expired.
And if you're wondering why I'm mentioning this again, I want to know if any other Naruto fan also knows of where I got it from.
