The jutsu had worked.
They were back in time, back to when their younger selves were only five.
But the price had come too high.
Naruto had given his chakra, given it all. Pumping the reserves out from his body, calling upon the Kyuubi, fighting each step of the way to save his friends from the ravages of the temporal vortex. His efforts had not gone in vain, as they were both alive, kneeling beside his body as he struggled to breath.
Sakura cried. She had no chakra left to heal him, nothing to stop the tremors wracking his body. Apprentice to Tsunade, and it did her no good.
Neji stood, silent tears running down his face. All his talk of fate had done him no good. Naruto proving him wrong time and time again. Going on to prove his dreams. Becoming Rokudaime.
They sat in silent vigil over his body as the last of the sun slipped from the sky, tears falling down their cheeks. The night closed in, but they made no move to light a fire, to move away from their friend's side.
Morning came. They buried Naruto as the light of the sun rose over the horizon, setting up a marker where he lay.
They made sure the words were engraved deeply. They made sure that it would stand the test of time.
Here lies Naruto.
Belittled and scorned, looked upon as a monster.
He rose above that.
We owe him our lives.
Honour him.
OoOoo
"Ano sa, ano sa, Sensei come look at this! Look! It's a memorial stone!"
"Aa."
"What do you think it says? The words are all blurry and old."
"…Here lies Naruto. Belittled and scorned, looked upon as a monster. He rose above that. We owe him our lives. Honour him."
"…How did you know what it said, sensei?"
"I helped write it. This man was… an extremely close friend of mine. He taught me to see past the mask and look underneath the underneath."
"He had the same name as me."
"Aa. You remind me a lot of him."
"How so?"
"Blond hair. Blue eyes. Obsession with ramen. But you're not exactly alike, either. You think things through more than him, and don't rely so much on your emotions."
"Oh."
"Don't worry. I'd be worried if you were exactly like him. You're your own person."
"Okay."
"Let's go, Jinchuuriki."
"Don't call me that!"
"Why?"
"Cause I don't know what it means!"
This one's a two-parter. Timetravel theory again, with Neji and Sakura bringing Naruto up. Second part is Naruto finding the grave of his older self. [insert twlight zone music here