From April to June
Chapter 7
A man's life would not be complete until he had reached true spiritual fulfillment. It was his experiences in that life that served as a path on his journey to that goal. Old man Hokage had once quoted those words to him when he had been ten. He hadn't understood them at that time.
In the midst of the battle between his team, Sasuke's new teammates, and Itachi and Kisame, he had recalled those words. It was a fight they had been waiting for: Sasuke for his brother's life, him for Sasuke's retrieval, and Akatsuki for the demon. He had wondered if that would be the end, and if he would reach fulfillment.
It had been a matter of time before Itachi had isolated him from his teammates and Sasuke had isolated them. He had remembered their scene in the inn many years ago, and had known the outcome wouldn't be the same. When he had allowed Itachi's sword to go through him so that Sasuke's would go through Itachi, it had been the look in Sasuke's eyes that had made him finally understand the Hokage's words.
It was a man's experiences that prepared him for the end of life; and it was his acceptance of that end that brought him fulfillment. Sasuke's tears had brought back memories of his pain, resilience, love, and happiness. He had realized that those had been what pushed him to fight for his special person and for that he had grown stronger; he had been loved; and he would be remembered as old man Hokage had.
That brought him acceptance. That made him truly fulfilled.
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fin
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E/N: And this is where my story comes to an end. It was extremely hard to figure out a way to tie everything in together and touch all the points I wanted to touch. There was a specific order I wanted things to flow in, but extending the chapters past that point would have completely lost the effect I'd been aiming for. I think I'm satisfied with this.
From April to June is a story of life lessons, development, and understanding. It starts from the springtime of a young man's life (namely Naruto) to his unfortunate end in the beginning of his summer. Along his way is where he learns from experiences and becomes a man.
I hope you all enjoyed.
—Jae