Will of Fire (Part 5) -
Finality
"Is he going to be alright?"
Arashi turned to smile at his student; the platinum-haired genius was watching the younger blond with unconcealed concern, mask dangling from where it tied loosely around his neck as he leaned over the whisker-scarred vessel's bed to peer into his face. Apparently, after Naruto's sudden introduction into Kakashi's life, the latter had been stunned; and then came to embrace the fact that he was as much of a son to his teacher (he didn't know the gory details) as he was, and let it go. In fact, Naruto so reminded him of his deceased teammates--kind-hearted at times, roudy and loud as hell during others--that Kakashi began to take a strangely protective liking to him; at least, that was everyone else's reasonings. Kakashi could put the feeling into words; he only followed it.
"He'll be fine," Arashi said, ruffling the silver spikes affectionately. "He's only tired is all."
The little blond container had passed out soon after the rain began to fall; even through his involuntary slumber, his grip on Arashi's sleeve had never loosened. Arashi hadn't set him down for hours either, slowly rocked him back and forth where he stood, glad it was raining so the tears wouldn't show; he'd finally called him 'dad'...
"Hn," Kakashi muttered, looking unconvinced but nonetheless appeased. Sighing regretfully, he drew on his mask--metaphorically as well as literally--and fell into his silent shell. "I've got to get back to work."
Arashi smiled ruefully. "I'd help..."
"Like Hell." Kakashi hopped back into the windowsill. "Anyway, we're nearly finished with half of the damage--we've got to clear out some more of the rubble, but the villagers have already started rebuilding." Arashi could tell that he smiled behind his mask. "They won't accept help from shinobi or even ANBU. They told us that they wanted to remember their village as one they helped to create, and to rebuild."
Arashi grinned hugely. "That's my Hidden Village!" he said with a cheer in his tone, sounding not unlike a proud parent. Kakashi took a second--to roll his eyes, Arashi was sure--and then disappeared out the window.
The Fourth sighed, completely at peace with the world for the moment. He smiled down at his son, stroking blonde hair from the whisker-scarred face. "Sleep well, little guy."
---
He just kept sleeping. All through the next few weeks; and as the days built into months, he was checked into the hospital.
At the same time, Nasake's stomach was getting rounder and rounder: it seems that Naruto had not been quite so observant upon his arrival in the past, but Nasake was due to have a child in a few months; that is, before the fire.
The time kept passing, and he didn't wake up.
On the inside, however, he was screaming.
"OI! FOX-BASTARD!WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH MY BODY?!"
Little brat, Kyuubi snarled in a tone Naruto hadn't heard in years. Shut the fuck up.
Naruto, however, was undeterred; he scowled. "What?! Dammit, I need to wake up! How long have I been comatose?!"
Almost two and a half months.
"WHAT?!"
You're actions are taking their toll on your body. You shouldn't do have the things you do normally anyway, but I'm always there to pick up the slack and make sure you don't kill yourself. Naruto was unimpressed; nevertheless, Kyuubi continued: Now, however, you're chakra--you're life--is battling to belong in a time it was not meant to set foot in. And I am in joint existence with another Nine-Tailed Fox--my past self.
Naruto was silent, now. Kyuubi waited almost patiently for him to catch on. You mean...
"I" am currently on my way to Konohagakure, with full intention of destroying it.
Naruto sat down, back against the bars. Kyuubi watched his small form kind of deflate, young face crumpling into a mixed emotion of overwhelming fear and distress and helplessness; but it was obvious he hadn't really grasped the full gravity of the situation. Then the Bijuu continued once more: And your mother is, apparently, here at the hospital as well.
Unquestioning the fact that he was in a hopsital, and that the beast inside him somehow knew, Naruto leapt up again. "What?! Why?! Is she alright?! Did something happen?! Is--"
Shut up, kit. Kyuubi growled. She's gone into labor.
Naruto stared at him for several minutes. "You mean like...having a kid?"
In the process of such, anyway.
Another long stretch of silence. "...I see..." Naruto then grinned hugely. "That happens with us all, I guess...being born, I mean, not having kids...Heh, I--"
'He's finally caught on...' Kyuubi thought to himself softly as two bright blue eyes widened hugely.
"Wait...Kyuubi, what day is it?!"
...October ninth.
---
His eyes fluttered open, then clenched tightly closed for another moment, before slowly opening half-way; a white wall met his gaze, and a strong, antiseptic smell assaulted his sensitive sense of smell. I will always hate hospitals.
...You've...had enough experiences in them...to have means to say as much...
Naruto frowned, expression oddly sleepy and concerned. Are you alright, Fox? He'd never heard the kitsune sound so drained before.
Shut up, kit. I'll be fine after I...rest for awhile.
The blond vessel smiled softly. Alright. Now--these thoughts were his alone as he sat up in bed, trying not to fall back into a laying position again as his head spun--I've got to find Dad--
"Naruto!!" He winced, swaying, and nearly fell to the side, off the bed; strong arms caught him, held him fast. "Naruto, what in the name of anything even remotely holy do you think you're doing?!"
"D...Dad..." He surprised himself by speaking in such a weak voice. He frowned again, this time at himself, and opened his mouth to try a second time, when he was crushed into a desperate embrace.
"You little idiot. I was worried."
Naruto blinked several times, never used to such blatant affection meant only for him, before smiling softly and burrowing into the warmth. "I'm...sorry...I tried really hard to wake up."
"Nevermind that..." Arashi seemed to have to force himself to pull away from the longer-than-usual hug. His eyes were sparkling with relief, but the life in them faded after a few seconds. "We need to get you someplace safe. I'm assuming you're able to walk?"
Both blondes were familiar with Naruto's regeneration; Naruto having lived with it since birth, Arashi having witnessed it the night of the fire--so Arashi stood back and Naruto swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing--
"Naruto!"
For the second time in less than five minutes, Naruto had to be caught as his knees buckled, dooming him to a painful faceplant. "Cut that out!" his father snarled.
"Oy...you're the one who assumed I could walk." Naruto wasn't fooled by the false anger in the man's voice, merely scowling. "And like Hell I'm going anywhere."
"...Naruto..." Arashi seemed to struggle with something. "There's a war going on right now--a Nine-Tails Bijuu is attacking Konoha--"
"ALREADY?!" Naruto stiffened, squirmed out of Arashi's hold. Fox, Fox, Fox! Please--
...Yes, kit...
Chakra pulsed into him from Kyuubi's reserves; just as he was standing--albeit shakily--a doctor rushed in--"Yondaime-sama! Nasaka-sama--she's--"
---
Naruto waited outside in the hall, listening in horror the screams from both the room and outside the hospital. A little shamefully he knew that the ones coming from his mother scared him more; what if she were to die? It was foolish thinking, but still..she sounded like she was in so much pain...
And then, quite suddenly, he found it hard to breathe...He gasped, falling to his knees; clutching his throat, clawing at his chest, willing his lungs to work--
It is useless kit... Even Kyuubi's voice was faint. This is your birth--you and that infant cannot coexist...the new will push out the old to make way for its existence, however ignorantly. ...A person cannot exist twice in the same time frame. That isn't how it works.
F... Naruto continued to struggle, panicking and drawing blood when he continued to scratch at the flesh over his failing lungs. F-Fox...we need...to...to help...
Gaki...do you not understand we are dying?...No...we are completely fading from existence. The great kitsune's voice was resigned, regretful.
Sin...Since we're going to...be gone any...way, we might...as well...do something while...we can...
The Fox said nothing, choosing to instead watch his failing kit in silence. Two blue eyes met his, nothing 'failing' about them; they gleamed with determination, angry defiance, rebellion-- "P...Please, Fox...These..." Tears were suddenly welling in his eyes, not that he noticed. "...People...are precious...to--"
"Naruto?!"
Arashi emerged from Nasake's room, in time to see his son tremble and then cough hoarsely; light purple liquid poured from his mouth to the tile floor to glitter dazzingly, before fading. He stared, horrified; was that...chakra? Naruto coughed again, chest heaving dryly, face a tortured mask of agony--
"Dad--help me stand..."
His voice was odd, mechanical, as though he were talking through...It must be that demon in him...Arashi thought, mind strangely calm through his suddenly subdued panic. He reached down and gripped his son gently by the arms hoisting him into a standing position. Naruto stumbled in the general direction that would lead him to his mother; Nasake cried out weakly when she saw him, stopping rocking her newborn child. Naruto lurched to the bedside, staring in fascination at the infant; surprisingly, the wailing thing stopped crying and stared up at him. Two sets of liquid blue eyes gazed at once another; then Naruto raised a hand and brushed the tiny baby's cheek with a gentle finger.
"He looks...just like...me, doesn't...he?"
---
He stumbled into the battlefield, ignoring the cries and screams around him. The only thing he saw was the Kyuubi--roaring, shredding the forest, killing the finest shinobi of Konoha. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two parents consoling a young boy--Iruka!--telling him they wouldn't be killed.
No--they wouldn't; he would never, ever let that happen to his sensei.
In his arms, he clutched a sleeping child; I'm so sorry. I know the pain you'll feel--but it'll be better...you'll have a father.
Are you ready, kit?
The vessel glanced wearily up at the beast, who'd just noticed his presence, and his faint demonic chakra.
...Yeah.
TBC...
THERE IS ONE CHAPTER LEFT!
Don't you all hate me now?
Yes. I would too.
Please don't flame--I know this was rushed, and it wasn't very well-written, but I tried...
Thanks for reading!
(And remember--one chapter left...)