Anthem Of My Dying Days
Author's Note
- Thanks everybody for for your precious supports... they certainly motivate me very much!!!
- Don't worry, Lighting-Squall, this chapter will consist of many fighting scenes such as the first encounter between the Akatsuki and Naruto
- Questionnaire - Okay LIL T273, Naruto will stay that way forever, following the his principles of "dare to sacrifice everything in order to achieve your dream"... but he will become more soft and well-considering the wishes of his former comrades which to become as usual... He will become more nice and kind to his former comrades in Konoha, but he will not change his appearance and his attitudes, which means that he is still that badass.
- The Three Demons of Tokugawa will appear in this chapter, but I'm still thinking of whether I should make Sasuke appear in another chapter or not...
Okay, back to our story...
Episode 6 - Good Morning Revival
Having a good sleep last night really enjoys Naruto a lot. This is the first time he had a good sleep, since the day he finished his training with Kenshin Himura and started his way to fight against the Meiji rebels in Hakodate, Tokyo (Edo), Kyoto, Anzu, Edowara and finally Sapporo. He wakes up early and take a bath before he wears the long coat which was given by Yoshinobu just after he completed his training with Kenshin.
(Flashback)
"Uzumaki, what technique do you learn today?" Yoshinobu asked Naruto, after completed his training with Kenshin.
"Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki... Yoshinobu-kun... Wow, you do have a beautiful long coat, do you realise??", Naruto replied back, pointing his finger to Yoshinobu's long coat.
"This long coat, Uzumaki, has a long history behind it... It is the first long coat that has been worn by my great-grandfather, Ieyasu Tokugawa-sama which established Tokugawa Shogunate 400 years ago... this long coat has been passed through generations to the brave samurai which is only from Tokugawa Family. I really don't remembered on how this long coat had been passed to me, since I don't own any great records just like the long coat's past wearer... hmmm..."
"Maybe it's because you totally deserved it well... who says that you don't achieve great things during your past days... in fact, you have fought well for to defend your family's precious properties... Don't ever blame yourself because of that...".
"Yeah, I do think so... thanks for having such a big trust on me, even my family says that I'm a worthless child... anyway, here. This long coat is for you... my present... take it!!!"
The silence conquered the environment before Naruto replied in a loud tone.
"Nani??? you wanna give me this long coat?? well, I don't deserve to wear this noble coat..."
"Take it... consider it as Yoshinobu's gift to his small brother who is going to continue his fight to defend the principle's of Tokugawa Family...", Yoshinobu says as he gave the long coat to Naruto.
"Yoshinobu-kun... Thanks...", Naruto said, as he tried to stop his tears from dripping wet.
"Take care of it properly... Don't ever let anybody insult this long coat... You must be proud of it, since now you're a part of Tokugawa Noble Family...You're now even greater than any famous families in Konoha such as Hyuuga family, Uchiha Family, Aburame Family or even Nara Family...", Yoshinobu add, while showing a proud and arrogant face, maybe feeling proud of his family status in Japan, which is even more noble than the Imperial Family themselves.
"Yes, I will remember that...", Naruto replied back while wearing the long coat.
(end of flashback)
The long coat itself has a big history behind it, which is the long coat which has a Tokugawa emblem sewed on its left shoulder, has been inherited by the generations of Tokugawa family for 400 years. It was given to the most brave samurai of Tokugawa Family in their era such as Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder of Tokugawa Shogunate government himself, Yoshitora Tokugawa, Kaneda Tokugawa, Hideki Tokugawa and finally their last descendant, Yoshinobu Tokugawa before Yoshinobu gave the long coat to Naruto, as a symbol of his appointment as a samurai. That means Yoshinobu already considered Naruto as a part of his noble family and had sworn to protect him in any ways from unintened opposers.
Slowly Naruto wears his long coat, before he slips his swords on his hip. He made his way out from his apartment to Ichiraku Ramen stall. Along his walk to Ichiraku Ramen, he's thinking about what do his comrades in Japan prefer to do in this morning.
"Bleah, Saitou-kun is always with his favourite Soba and his Dunhill, while Yoshinobu-kun likes to start his morning with a cup of Sake. Kenshin-sensei on the other hand prefers eating only some rice-ball... what a humble hitokiri", Naruto thinks to himself.
After a few minutes of walking, finally he reaches Ichiraku Ramen stall.
He sits down and leans his swords to his side, and orders for a big bowl of beef-ramen. Then, he slowly lights his cigarette before he views the environment of the busy streets, watching various behaviors of human beings that morning. Some are just saring on him, while others start gossiping about him.
"This pathetic villagers need a few teaching of not to say anything bad about strangers...", he whispers as he slowly exhale the smokes to the air.
Suddenly, some group of jounins snaps his attention. They are consist of Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, Tenten and Rock Lee.
They will ignore me, if I don't make any silly move that will attract their attentions... be a good citizen, Naruto..., he thinks as the jounin group walk towards Ichiraku Ramen.
Meanwhile, the jounin group make a noisy environment as they reaches the stall.
"Sakura, please treat me with a big bowl of ramen... will ya??"
"Oh hell no!!! I've a few money left... why don't you ask Shikamaru to treat you??"
"Okay, Ino... I'll treat you today... erghh, girls!!! It' hard to understand what they are thinking..."
The environment becomes silent when the stall owner hand over a big bowl of beef-ramen to Naruto.
"Here you are, Naruto... You haven't changed a lot since the day you went to Japan, isn't it?? Still loving ramen... ha ha..", the stall owner says.
"yes, oji-san... I still remember the tasty ramen of yours... It's totally delicious, compared to Japanese Ramen...", Naruto replies back.
After a few minutes eating ramen, Naruto slowly lights another cigarette and start drinking his red tea. His style of drinking the red tea amazed the jounin group.
"Wow, his movement is full of art... gracefully, polite and carefully... unlike himself during his ninja days, full of harsh and impatient action...", Ino slowly talks to Sakura as they lay their eyes completely on Naruto.
With his eyes staring to the front of the table, Naruto carefully starts his conversation with the jounin group in order not to hurt their feelings, after the incidents last night.
"It's nice to meet all of you here... Konoha jounins..."
"Yeah, it's nice to meet you too... Nippon samurai... having a breakfast here?", Shikamaru greets with a lazy tone.
"yes...", Naaruto replies back.
"Excuse me, I have to go...If all of you want to meet me, I will be training in Konoha taijutsu training field...", Naruto stands up and strat his pace when Sakura grab his shoulder.
"Yes... What can I do for you??", Naruto still in calm position while continuing smoking. The jounin group are shocked to see that Naruto is still acting calm, even though in front of him is Sakura, the successor of Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin.
"I need the best answer for this... otherwise, I hit you hard, you got that??! What do you think you're? Abandoning us, your former comrades as we're just like a form of trash to you??? Answwer that!!!", Sakura shouts towards Naruto.
But then, Naruto yet still acting calm and after that, he burst out in laughter...
" HA HA HA HA!!!! Who are all of you anyway?? Tell me!!! Please, tell me!!! Do we know each other??", Naruto answers in his usual mocking tone.
Dushhhhhh!!!!
Sakura's fist lands violently on Naruto's cheek, but Naruto is still standing steadily, grinning which surprised and frightened the whole jounin group.
"You're quite powerful, but only for this era in Konoha where people here live in harmony and peace only... If you're living with this power in Kyoto during Bakumatsu era, you will cannot live for at least more than 5 seconds, for sure... I'm sure you will be killed violently...," Naruto says, grinning.
He's repeating these words again, Neji thinks in his mind.
"What do you say, Naruto?? I can't believe you can survive my attack, since I've sealed all of my destruction chakura all around my fist!!!", Sakura shouting half-histerically in disbelief, to see that his attack not even knock Naruto down to the ground.
"IF YOU LIVE WITH YOUR RECENT POWER IN KYOTO DURING BAKUMATSU ERA, YOU WILL BE DEAD AS SOON AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY OUT FROM YOUR HOUSE!!!", Naruto shouts while releasing his dark Ki and gripping his Shinuchi.
That time Sakura feels a strong hit on her waist for two times in a great god-like speed, just before she kneels down painfully, in front of Naruto. The group of jounin are standing numb, just to watch the incident happened with their own naked-eyes.
"Hiten Mitsurugi, Double Battou-jutsu...", slowly Naruto whispers into Sakura's ear.
"How dare you attack Sakura??! She's your former teammate, do you know that??", Shikamaru voices out loudly.
"I will kill those who attack me and will I have no mercy towards them no matter who they are... that's how I'm dealing with my enemies, for sure...", Naruto grins before he unsheathes his Nagasone Kotetsu.
"Naruto...", Sakura forces herself to speak, while trying to heal his pain.
"Sakura, you should thank me for sparing your life just now... what can you do if I slashed you into pieces just now??" Naruto speaks, showing his precious Nagasone Kotetsu to the face of Sakura.
"Naruto, you bastard!!! Last night you hurted Tsunade-sama's feelings, now you attacked Sakura and tries to kill her!!! What kind of human being are you??", Ino shouted as she jumps to attack Naruto.
"Becareful, all of you!!! the Akatsuki is here now!!!", Naruto tries to warn the jounin group as he sees at least 4 class-A missing-nin, wearing akatsuki's cloak in front of them.
"There's no choice, we have to fight them all!!!", Neji shouts as to his comrades as he poses in Hyuuga's Gentle Fist Kaiten stance, just before Naruto spit out a few words calmly.
"This is my battle, back-off... I don't need you help to kill this missing-nin...", Naruto sheathing his Nagasone Kotetsu and poses in his popular Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu style.
"Naruto, you won't able to defeat them all by yourself!!! We must help you to defeat them!!" Rock Lee voices out his feelings of worry towards Naruto.
The surroundings becomes silent once more, just before Naruto voices his confidence.
"Neji, Tenten, Sakura, Rock Lee, Kiba, Hinata-chan, Chouji, Shikamaru and Ino!!! Watch carefully as you are lucky to witness the true legendary Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu wiithout being slaughtered at all...", Naruto lays a glance on them before he directs his head to the Akatsuki low-class members.
"Kankyo Kanashii, I'm glad we've found you now, after four years searching for you in Japan... Your Three Demons of Tokugawa totally disturbed our mission to find you...", the small-team leader stars the conversation between him and Naruto.
"For what do you waste such a long time, moron?? Why don't you live a happy life, instead of being a nuissance to me...", Naruto speaks in an insulting tone.
"Our great leader ordered us to search for you, and to make you as our Akatsuki member... the choices now is simple, either you follow us or you will die... spend your time thinking about it, samurai!!!".
"Fuck you, ass-hole... I'm will not bow under the rules of a ninja, I only bows under the true leadership of the samurai... don't ever try to make me feel ashame of myself, please!!!!" Naruto clearly states his principle in front of the ninjas.
"That means you're going to die, samurai!!!" the Akatsuki-nin shouts as he give a signal to other Akatsuki members to attack Naruto.
Using his god-like speed, Naruto unsheathes his sword Nagasone Kotetsu and dashes towards the Akatsuki ninjas.
"Katon; Goukakyuu No jutsu!!!!", one of the Akatsuki ninja shouts loudly before sprays a large amount of fire towards Naruto.
Shit!!! He'll never survive in that condition!!!, thinks the whole jounin group.
The Akatsuki ninja seems to show a happy and glad face just before Naruto appears in front of him, ready with his Nagasone Kotetsu to be swinged towards the enemy.
"Don't get too happy when the fight is still unsettled... Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-tsuisen!!!!" slowly he whispers.
In a second, the body of the Akatsuki ninja are splitted into 2 halves and created blood storms as his bloods scatters all over the fighting site.
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryu-shosen!!!
The attack hits the throat of the Akatsuki second ninja, causing his throat to be slit. Again Naruto has created the famous horrorful blood storms, which causes Ino and Sakura to vomit... Those girls cannot stand the way Naruto kills his enemies, cruel and heartless way of ending his enemies' lives.
Naruto deliveres his Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, simple battou-jutsu to the third Akatsuki member just before the Akatsuki member completes his hand seal of Kawarimi no Jutsu, simply separates his head from his body.
"Okay, everybody... the main event of the fighting scene..." Naruto speaks loudly just before the fourth Akatsuki member stabs his kunai into Naruto's back.
"Naruto!!!!!!" his former comrades shouts.
"I see... ha ha ha!!!! Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ku-zuryusen!!!!" Naruto screams total histerically.
He shocked the entire Konoha ninjas who watch the fight live by their own eyes.
Nine super-fatal god-like speed slash has been delivered, ripping every inches of the fourth Akatsuki member into small pieces and created the most frightening and horrifying blood storms the ninjas have even seen in their life!!!
Naruto slowly and calmly wiping his Nagasone Kotetsu before he sheathes it back into its scabbard. Then he quickly pull out the kunai stabbed on his back without showing any signs of pain on his face.
"Does it hurts??", Rock Lee asks, curious.
"No, I've suffering more painful injuries than this one... as an example, my left shoulder has been stabbed deeply before being burned severely by Makoto Shishio, my senior Hitokiri during our fight in Tokyo (Edo) before he fled to Kyoto... the fight went stalemate, without any winner and loser at all...",Naruto tells Rock Lee the story of his previous fights, causing Rock Lee to shape his mouth with a big OOO!!!!
"Naruto-kun, please.. let me.. treat your... injuries, errr...it looks bad...", Hinata offers herself to treat Naruto's injuries.
Naruto opens his long coat, followed by his hakama and finally his t-shirt, revealing many scars on his back, as a results of his previous fights with many high-skilled hitokiri before he came back here.
Hinata feels an enormous feelings of sadness to see Naruto's back filled with scars and scratches, causing her tears dripping on Naruto's back.
"Please Hinata-chan... Why do you cry?? I chooses to follow this path, then so be it... as a result, I have to face death greater than all of you have to, since it is my destiny in order to achieve my dream... Don't show your sympathy towards me, its not that I don't need it... I just think that we should let the past memories fly away, and not to recall them anymore...", Naruto tries to comfort Hinata.
"Damn with your dreams, Naruto... we just want you to change into your usual life as an ordinary Uzumaki Naruto, not as a cruel and heartless Kankyo Kanashii the Shadow Hitokiri... please Naruto, we love the way you're before... not the calm but deadly way you're now...", Ino speaks, noticing that Naruto holds his Shinuchi which seems wierd to her.
"You're wrong, bitch... this is what I am, now till forever... but I will act more polite and nice to all of you...", Naruto speaks as he tries to light his cigarette.
"BITCH??!! Do you call me BITCH just now??!! God, I swear I'm gonna slay you right now!!!".
"Doesn't happy with your new name?? You should thank me for not giving a bad name to you, such as 'hooker' or maybe 'sexy slut'... the same goes to you, pink-panties...", Naruto says in a calm voice, while pointing towards Sakura.
"Okay, that's it!!! You'll never change for the rest of your life!!! I get it!!!", Sakura yells towards Naruto.
"Anyway, thanks Hinata-chan... I really appreciate it...", Says Naruto, looking Hinata with a warm smile. The smile that Hinata had missed it so much for a long 4 years. The smile that shines the entire life of Hinata herself. The smile that bloomes Hinata's eternal love for the man she admired very much, Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto really has getting confused when he sees Hinata blushes, when her white face turns red.
"Nothing to do with me...", he mutters alone while inhaling the last pack of smoke before he throws away the cigarette.
"I will be in Konoha taijutsu training field tonight, I guess... those Akatsuki members really spoilt my mood of meditating today, until then..." Naruto says to his former comrades before he leaves Icihraku ramen stall, right before a group of Anbu reach the fighting site to investigate the incidents and to bring the bodies of the Akatsuki lackeys into the Konoha laboratory.
It seems that day has a special meaning to Naruto, where he has a new principles of his as a samurai now, to protect Konohakagure from any offences and disturbance. Why?? Because this is the place where he used to live although he had to face bad experiences from the villagers. But still he hope that someday by living his life according to the principles of a samurai, the villagers will admire him and finally treat him with respect, where he used to be treated in Japan.
Meanwhile, in a hotel, besides the main road to Konoha Village...
Kenshin : Saitou, Yoshinobu, Okubo-sama!!! Please stop smoking, honestly sessha cannot stand it anymore!!!
Saitou : Shut up, Battousai.. I've to arrange paperworks for tomorrow's visit to Konoha..
Yoshinobu : Will they greet us just like they celebrate the samurai which have come back from the war??
Okubo : Nope, I'm very sure about it since I've bring along the scary Three Famous Nippon Hitokiri with me...
Saitou : Enough with your lame words, Okubo... now if you don't mind, please help me with my works...
Okubo : Okay, not a problem...
Yoshinobu : Wow, Saitou... as hardworking as ever...
Kenshin : At least he's hardworking, compared to you, Yoshinobu-kun...
Yoshinobu : Don't you ever underestimate me, Himura... I've finished my paperworks just now!!! Ha Ha Ha!!!
Saitou : Wow, I can't believe it... That's the first time you didn't 'pull the cart before the horses'... That's my brat...
Kenshin : Wow, sessha guess sessha have underestiamte you ... sorry...
Yoshinobu : It's okay... At least you will consider me as hardworking too... wow, I'm so proud of myself...
Kenshin and Saitou : yeah, a big fuck-you clap for Yoshinobu... yeahhh...
Okubo : So good for a group of stupid + crazy hitokiri... all of you make me sick...
Saitou : Okubo-sama has already dead... only three of us left to discuss the future of Japanese relationship with Konoha...
Yoshinobu and Kenshin : Saitou, should we read at least some phrases from the bible, before we bury him??
Okubo : I'm just having a headache, you fuckers!!!! And you treat me as I'm already dead!!! How could you...??!!
Yoshinobu and Kenshin : Ouwh, sorry...
Saitou : Okay, okay... go on with our shitty works now... and don't forget to have enough rest since tomorrow we will keep our eyes on searching for Naruto..
Yoshinobu and Kenshin : Yes, wolf-master...
Okubo : that's sounds good to have our hitokiri living in Konoha, maybe he will serve us many information about Konoha, and finally ease our works.
Yoshinobu : There goes Okubo again, what a lazybone... always looks for easy ways of doing works...
Okubo : Yup, that's me!!!
Saitou : Okay, time to sleep... cigarette first... Dunhill!!!
Yoshinobu and Okubo : Okay, cigarette first... Marlboro!!!
Kenshin : No, no, no... Not again!!!!
- End of Episode 6 - Good Morning Revival -
- Stay tune for Episode 7 - The Killers