AN: firstly I want to state the age of the teenage heroes. The rookie nine and Kankurou are 17, team Gui and Temari are 18, and Gaara is 16. Naruto's birthday was over the time he was dead, and for those who figured it out, yes, his birthday was the day he killed Green. And thus the tie in with Chaos' statements. He said he had no idea how Naruto was tangible, the answer is Kami allowed him to be for two reasons. It being his birthday and because the only reason he was coming back was to save a loved one, a completely selfless reason. Thus you now know how Naruto saved Sakura that day.
x-X-x
Chapter 16: Dead Demon
Sasuke didn't have time to panic about Naruto. As soon as the boy went limp five people appeared around the two.
"Naruto!" Sakura yelled kneeling down opposite Sasuke. The others stayed standing.
"What happened?" Gaara asked Sasuke.
"I got here, there was a flash of light then I saw him fall. I ran over here and he said he won before going out," Sasuke said.
Sakura breathed a big sigh of relief, "he's not dead, just unconscious. Probably from the loss of blood," she said as she reached into her pack. She took out a small red pill and forced it down Naruto's throat, "he'll be fine, we should take him to the hospital, but there's no real rush," she said standing up, Sasuke along side here.
"I'll carry him, Kankurou, you go in front of me, Temari, behind. You three, wherever you see fit to follow," Gaara said as sand started to lift Naruto off the ground.
They all started walking back, all except Sasuke. Something else caught his eye, "Sakura, Hinata, hang on a sec," he said.
The two girls looked back as Sasuke slowly walked towards what he saw, "Sasuke, what is it?" Sakura asked as she stepped up next to him, Hinata behind her.
"Hinata, could you take a look at what that is?" Sasuke asked pointing at something on the ground.
Hinata nodded and activated her byakugan and looked at the object, "it's fireworks, three of them, on a timer," she said.
"Why would he set those up?" Sakura asked.
"A signal, he probably knew whatever he was going to do would knock him out, and these're probably big enough to see from Konoha," Sasuke said crouching down next to them, "how do I deactivate the timer?" he asked.
"Just pull of the explosive tag," Hinata said and Sasuke did. The then picked up the device and stood.
"Where's his bag?" he asked looking around.
"Over there, with your sheath," Hinata said pointing.
Sasuke retrieved the bag and his sheath sliding his katana into its resting place as he swung the bag over his shoulder. The three then hurried off to catch up with the others.
x-X-x
Chaos sighed as he leaned back in his chair, the mirror in front of him an over head view of Gaara and the others heading back to Konoha. "Ever chaotic aren't we?" he asked the mirror.
"Someone messing with your plans," a voice called from the darkness.
"I was wondering where you went. You haven't been around for a while," Chaos responded.
"You had a guest, I didn't want to intrude," the voice replied as a woman walked out from the darkness. She was in an elegant dark blue dress, her flowing black hair down to the small of her back. Her bright blue eyes were fixed on Chaos.
"Yes, and now he's alive again," Chaos said.
"Is that what disrupted your plans?" she asked walking closer the Chaos.
"He didn't disrupt my plans, but he almost did," Chaos said.
"How?" she asked.
"The boy's a jinchuuriki. You know about what happens when they die. Luckily he was revived before the demon got out, but then he goes and breaks the seal inside him and challenges the thing. If that demon would have won and gotten free, it wouldn't have been a minor set back, everything would have gone wrong," Chaos said.
"So that was a sigh of relief because the boy won and killed the demon. Who is this boy, which demon did he have?" she asked.
"He had the nine-tailed Kyuubi," Chaos turned to face the woman, "and he's your son."
x-X-x
Sasuke was up front with Kankurou both as silent as the night. Sakura and Hinata were behind Temari, Hinata was looking at the ground and Sakura was wondering what was wrong.
"Hey, Hinata, why were you in Tsunade-sensei's office earlier?" she asked.
"Huh? Oh," Hinata looked at Sakura and her hands started fidgeting, "I was in my room and Neji heard my crying. He asked what was wrong but I wouldn't tell him anything besides it having to do with Naruto. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to Tsunade-sama's office to tell her, but before I did Gaara and the other got there," Hinata said.
"Why were you crying? What did Naruto do?" Sakura asked.
Hinata looked her in the eyes and sighed…
x-Flashback-x
"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.
Hinata's eyes widened as Naruto started to explain about Kyuubi. When he finished talking Hinata had tears trying to escape her eyes, "Naruto…" she said.
"So you believe it's me then?" he asked and she nodded, "good, because there's something else too, something I don't know how to say," Naruto said looking around for help.
"J-just say it. If it's important, i-it shouldn't wait," Hinata said.
Naruto sighed and nodded, "alright then, I know how you feel about me," Naruto said.
Hinata's face went beat red, "y-you d-d-do?" she stuttered.
"Yeah, I found out when I was dead," Naruto said looking at his feet and scratching the back of his head.
Hinata was looking around, not knowing what to say, "I, I um, w-well I, um…"
"I'm sorry Hinata," Naruto said.
"S-s-sorry? F-for what?" Hinata asked.
"For not being able to return you feelings. I'm really sorry Hinata, but I…don't deserve someone like you. You know about the Kyuubi, I shouldn't even have friends the way I am," Naruto said.
"Th-that's not true! The Kyuubi doesn't make you any different, you're still the same Naruto," Hinata said.
Naruto grinned at Hinata's words. He was going to tell her that he had Kyuubi his whole life, so no one, not even he knew the real Naruto, but he didn't. "Thanks Hinata, you were always kind to me. No matter how everyone else acted, you were always nice to me. That's why I feel so bad about this," Naruto said downcast.
"N-Naruto…" Hinata said.
"Really, Hinata, I'm sorry, I feel horrible about saying this, but I'd feel worse if you lived you life waiting for me," Naruto said.
"B-but, I…" Hinata said Naruto looked at her. She didn't have to finish what she was going to say, either he knew it already, or it wouldn't change what he said.
"I'm really sorry. I should go now," Naruto said and he did something that shocked Hinata to the core, he hugged her, "and thank you, for everything you did over the years," he said while her hugged her, then he walked away.
x-End Flashback-x
Sakura was staring at Hinata, "Naruto said all that?" she asked.
Hinata nodded looking at the ground, "I hurt when he said it, but, I'm kind of glad he did," Hinata said.
Sakura's eye's widened, "you're glad? Why, he was being a complete jerk!" Sakura said.
"No, he was being honest. And I guess he was right," Hinata said looking forward.
"What! What do you mean he was right?" Sakura asked loudly, Temari looked back at the two with a raised eyebrow.
"I shouldn't spend my entire life waiting for him. He's in love with someone else. We'll still be friends, and I'll always care for him, but I still have my life to live," Hinata said calmly, with a slightly cheerful voice.
"Hinata, are you sure?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, I don't want to stand in his way, I don't want him to have to worry about my feelings about him anymore. I may sill like him, but I'll tell him he was right," Hinata said.
Sakura smiled to herself, 'Naruto, he has that ability to change people for the better, I don't know how, but I'm glad he does,' she thought.
x-X-x
Naruto was in a hospital bed. It had been a few days, Gaara and the others went back to the Sand, the report of what happened was still being filed and the elders were deciding what to do about Sasuke violating his parole. Naruto was sill unconscious from his fight with Kyuubi, Sakura barely left his side.
She was currently sleeping sitting in a chair and leaning over Naruto's bed, her head on his chest. She woke up suddenly but didn't move, she knew where she was and was just happy to be there, with him…
"Sakura, wake up," a voice calm from the door.
Sakura sat back and looked to see who it was, "oh, hey Sasuke, what brings you here?" Sakura asked.
Sasuke grinned as he sat down, "well, they finally decided how to file what happened," Sasuke said.
"Really, then they can decide on what to do with your probation right?" Sakura asked and Sasuke nodded. "So what's the file say?" she asked.
"According to Tsunade, it says that the time Naruto was dead weakened the seal, so he left the village to try and save it from the Kyuubi attacking. The six of us were ordered out to help him, once we realized he was gone, and arrived as the fight ended," Sasuke said.
"So, that means nothing happens?" Sakura said.
"Right, it says Naruto left to save the village, so nothing goes against him at all," Sasuke said with a nod.
"But, only five of us were ordered after Naruto, you just came on you own," Sakura said.
"Yeah, I know, but Tsunade said it's written off as me being one of the few who understood Naruto, and I was sent out of necessity," Sasuke said.
Sakura smiled, "so then you don't get any further punishments 'cause it was an order," she said.
"Right. Actually, because a lot of people don't believe the file, the elders among them, my probation time was cut in half. In about a week I'll be allowed to leave the village, and a month later, I'll have my ninja status back," Sasuke said.
"But, if they don't believe it, why are you getting benefits?" Sakura asked.
"Well, from what Tsunade told me when I asked the same question… it's because they believe Naruto was Kyuubi. So they think that he was getting wild, and we went out and killed him. but when the Kyuubi died the boy, Naruto, that was trapped inside all along by Kyuubi's power finally came out because the demon was dead," Sasuke said.
"So all the people who though Naruto was the Kyuubi are going to see us as the saviors that destroyed the demon and saved the little boy trapped inside?" Sakura asked.
"Yeah, probably. And they might treat Naruto like a prisoner of war who just got home…at least that's what Tsunade said," Sasuke said.
"That'll be weird getting used to," said a voice behind Sakura.
She spun around to see Naruto wide awake and starting to sit up, "Naruto your awake!" she yelled and grabbed him in a hug, knocking him onto his back again.
"Sakura, calm down, you're acting like I've been dead for years," Naruto said.
"Close enough, you were out for nearly a week," Sakura said letting go and sitting down.
"Really, I guess I have to get used to longer stays in the hospital without Kyuubi to heal me," Naruto said.
"When did you wake up?" Sakura asked.
"A few seconds before Sasuke came in," Naruto said.
"And you didn't say anything?" Sasuke asked.
"I wanted to hear about what would happen with me leaving too, and your probation," Naruto said.
Sasuke sighed, "I should probably tell a doctor you're awake, and Tsunade too," he said getting up.
"Yeah, I guess they should know…" Naruto said scratching the back of his head.
Sasuke left and Sakura turned to Naruto, "you didn't have to go, you know," she said.
"Not now, no, but eventually I would have to, and I figured the village was as prepared as it would ever get," Naruto said.
"But you didn't have to go alone," Sakura said.
"The fight was inside the seal, only I could go there. If I brought anyone they would've gotten hurt if I failed," Naruto said.
Sakura smiled, "at least you didn't fail," she said.
Naruto grinned back, "yeah, you're right," he said.
At that time Tsunade burst through the door, Sasuke and a doctor behind her. "As soon as he's done checking on you I want to know what happened while you were gone, and what happened with Kyuubi," Tsunade said as the doctor began checking Naruto's status.
"Do you want us to leave?" Sakura asked.
Naruto shook his head, "I'll end up telling you anyway, I might as well do it now and get it over with," Naruto said.
"All clear, you should be ready to go in a few days, we'll keep you just to be sure nothing comes up," the doctor said before he left.
Tsunade sat down in the chair Sasuke was in earlier, Sakura was still in her chair and Sasuke sat on a table, "alright, start talking," Tsunade said.
Naruto sighed and started telling them about the afterlife.
AN: this is officially my longest fanfic to date, both in chapters and words. I give my thanks to you, the readers, because if no one read this, I don't know if I would've kept going.
So thanks!