"... Then they fought with all their might against Itachi and Kisame, the mountains were filled with the sounds of battle!" He smiled at the faces enraptured by his story. Small hands stilled by his words, large eyes turned to him in fascination. Oh yes... he could tell tales like no other. "Sakura and Naruto were weak, but they kept fighting! For peace! For Konoha! For their love!" The old man stood up shakily on his cane and used his free hand to emphasise his words.
"When they only stood against Itachi, a flash of black came and there stood..."
"SASUKE!!!" The children cried, clapping their hands in excitement and enthusiasm. Sai grinned at the effect that his words were having. Oh yes... he could tell the greatest stories.
"Sasuke took the opportunity to avenge his clan! He fought with his brother until he was near dead! But then Sakura held him back as Naruto bent down and asked the question that would lead their destinies henceforth... Who is the tenth Jinchuuriki?" He paused, and these children waited patiently for him to finish. They knew the story well, everyone in the city of Konoha did; the story of three children who endured everything to protect their friendship and their village... the story of the three children who, to this day, stand tall and proud over Konoha; their statues marked the north border of the city, and were considered to be of equal importance as the old Hokage monument.
"Then... Itachi laughed and whispered just two words... Haruno Sakura..." The children's parents appeared at the entrance to Sai's library and smiled when they saw what was happening; Sai was like a grandfather to every child in the city. When the old man saw the more adult faces at the back he smiled wickedly and beckoned them in.
"But this old man has talked for too long... I think I shall continue this legend another time..." He ignored the cries of protest and made his way over to the adults at the door, more specifically, a dark haired man who stood grinning as his own child began to pout. "Konohamaru! Good to see you old friend!" He put his hand on the younger man's shoulder.
Konohamaru grinned, nodding up to the five heads that adorned the mountain above them. "Been a long time since I last reminisced in such detail... I used to want to be up there you know... as the seventh head."
Sai looked at him with sad eyes. "With Naruto as the sixth?" Konohamaru nodded, smiling sadly. Sai looked up at the monument and sighed. "Since the day of the Bijuu there's been no need for ninjas... but life has still been eventful and full of wondrous things." He turned to look at the north gate in the distance, where three full length statues stood together holding hands. "Though not a day goes by when I do not miss them, they died... the right way. The only way for such people... such ninjas."
Konohamaru nodded. "The museum's repairs are complete now, you should come by and give a talk for the re-opening." The museum was a monument inside the mountain, and it portrayed the entire history of the ninjas of Konoha in paintings and written texts. There was a whole section dedicated to team 7 and it's experiences, and it was the most popular tourist site in the city, which was the most popular tourist resort in the Fire country.
Sai thought about it for a moment. "I'd love to... I am the artist who created that section after all."
"Good man." Konohamaru slapped his elder on the back and received a cane to the leg. "OW!" He hopped for a moment before recovering his composure and lifting his daughter onto his shoulders he grinned. "I'll give you more details tomorrow okay? First I have to get Konohahime home to her mother." He left the smiling old man as he headed into the residential district.
Sai smiled again and turned around the sigh on the door of his library to "closed", then he headed for the north gate; stopping every now and then to talk to his friends or give a sweet to a child. Eventually, he came to a stop at the north gate, the old man looked up at his two best friends and their teammate and smiled.
After the funeral, there had been many changes; Konoha didn't need to be a ninja village anymore, and the Yondaime and his wife were cleared of any charges because "Naruto wouldn't have wanted it" so they had adapted and become a historic city. Konoha became a national treasure and grew to accommodate the floods of tourists that arrived in every season. The statues at the North gate had been erected by this time so the northern border never moved; the village walls, too, never changed; they were preserved as historic artefacts, but there were buildings outside of the walls.
Sai and many others had written books about team 7, the three unusual Shinobi had become legend so soon after their death, that their story was the best known in the fire country. Sai was pleased.
"I'll be joining you soon." Then he bowed his head and allowed his mind to remember the short time that he had spent with them... and he smiled again. Then he turned and headed home, looking forward and smiling. He got to his house and entered.
"But not too soon."
Oh Sai, It hurts to be the one left behind... but on the plus side, He is happy! YAY!
Next... The chapter featuring team 7!