AN: Kind of a filler chapter, but expect the next couple to be quite large. Hope you enjoy, and I apologize for the delay getting this out. Thanks all!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form. Kind of wish I did, but alas, such is life.
ITALICS – thinking
BOLD – demon talk/jutsu
Arc Three: Home is Where the Heart Lies
Chapter Nine
The sound of a hammer finding its mark on a red hot piece of metal, the hissing of the bellows at work keeping the forge at the right temperature, and lastly the grunts of exertion from a man dedicated to his craft. This old man, who has lived passed any expectation and has discovered much during his lifetime, was crafting his final katana. And after one last swing of the hammer then a dip in a water trough nearby, he examined his work and nodded with a smile.
"And thus, my final creation is born. A blade which rivals no others, a blade which can cut about anything; a blade which never dulls as long as one cares for it much like a mother cares for her child." After a deep breath, the man turned to his students. "Make sure this blade falls into the chosen one's hands, my students, and above all, continue my craft until I return."
The 10 students bowed and simultaneously replied to their Master. "As you wish, Masamune."
With that, the legendary Masamune walked out of his hidden underground home in the snowy mountain ranges and decided to traverse the mostly unexplored land. At almost 70 years old, the man knew that his time on this world would soon come to pass. As he started to descend the mountain, the master swordsmith looked up to the sky with a smile.
"You have had a hard childhood like I, oh chosen one, but amidst the feeling of wanting to end it all you found hope; a new path to follow. Go, follow that path, may it lead you to walk amongst my footsteps. Find my dwelling, learn what I have discovered…to become a legend that I will soon become."
The area was then engulfed in a massive blizzard, but it soon cleared to show Masamune near a massive cave entrance. Again, the old man, now 73, looked to the sky with a smile.
"Have you found my dwelling yet, oh chosen one? Good, good, but you have much to learn. Listen now, oh chosen one, as your path continues onwards."
"From blizzards to warmth, from frozen lakes and streams, to the biggest eddies one has ever seen. It is here I give unto you the secrets to help you succeed. Become that legend, make people believe."
Another blizzard, but this time the scene was the 10 students laying Masamune to rest inside his hidden mountain home. Although the ceremony was not extravagant, it did give the legendary swordsmith the honor he so rightly deserved. All 10 did as their Master told them to do. His stories were told, hopefully being passed around for generations to come. Although the students mourned, they had one last task to do per their Masters request.
Naruto gasped and quickly sat up in the cot he was in. A cot? Now Naruto was confused, as the last thing he remembered was falling out of the sky and hearing someone's voice. Not to mention that strange dream.
"Masamune…you knew so much, yet kept so much secret. Why me?" Naruto thought then grunted in frustration. "What is it that you wish for me to do!?"
The mysterious voice responded back. "…The riddles"
Before Naruto could try to talk to this mysterious being, something entered his senses. With a pulse of Ki, he scanned the area to find someone nearing his tent; a signature that he didn't recognize. In a calm manner, Naruto looked for Honjo and his wakizashi to find them resting on the wall to his right. With a grin, he feigned sleep, and waited for the opportune moment to strike.
The canvas flap at the entrance of the tent made a slight ruffle followed by the almost silent patters of feet against the sandy ground. The assassin, dressed in all black and reaching into his kunai pouch, grinned maliciously at his target. A grin which quickly turned into shock as the feeling of cold steel punctured their heart.
Deed now done, Naruto took his wakisazhi out of the corpse and cleaned the blade on the bed sheets. With a sigh, Naruto sheathed the blade and grabbed Honjo; he affixed both to his waist and ran outside. The armor he got in Iron Country all but forgotten due to the seriousness this situation presented. Was Naruto nervous about injury even though he only had on his loose fitting kimono and pants?
No.
All he cared about was the safety of those in the camp and to show them that all hope was not lost.
"Kurama, can you sense how many enemies there are?" Naruto said as he eyed multiple black blurs start to enter camp.
Said fox scoffed, "I didn't allow you to take my chakra for nothing, brat…"
Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Heh…right."
With that, Naruto activated his Kyuubi cloak and frowned at how many unknown signatures there were. It was like the war in Iron Country all over again. With determination in his heart, Naruto flashed to the nearest batch of enemies and quickly used Aikido to snap their necks. The occupants in the tent were wide-eyed and at a loss for words.
Naruto gave them a sharp glance, his tone just as equal as his stare. "So…it comes down to this. Here you sit, too shocked and too hopeless to do anything. What would those that already sacrificed their lives say about you once you meet the great Kami above?"
With that, Naruto flashed out of the tent and left the four rebels to digest what he had said. One glance at the dead enemies on the ground and what sounded like their allies dying made something snap. Morale boosted slightly, the four people in the tent gave a stiff nod then gathered their weapons and joined the fight.
With Utakata
The jinchuriki groaned as he came to, and decided to look at his surroundings once the grogginess wore off. It was cold, damp, and the space he was confined to made him feel cramped. Utakata's hands were chained to the concrete wall behind him, in front was the bars of a prison door. With a grunt of exertion, he shook the chains and tried to access his chakra only to get a painful shock which made him scream out in pain.
"Escape is impossible, jinchuriki." Tobi said as stepped out of one of the dark corners of the cell. "But by all means, I do hope you try as I seem to enjoy the howls a trapped beast makes."
Utakata glared at the man in front of him, but refused to speak. The silence made Tobi smirk underneath his mask.
"The silent type, eh? I suppose your actions are just seeming that I sent my subordinates to capture you." A slight pause. "Speaking of which, I must applaud for how well you performed…taking on two S-ranks by your lonesome is no easy task."
"So, do I get a present?" Utakata quipped with a small smile.
Tobi let out a small chuckle before he walked up to the jinchuriki and grasped him by the chin. They were now looking eye to eyes.
"…A present, why yes, why wouldn't I reward such a man who single handily takes on two S-rank nin? However, I am in need of a present of my own." Tobi grinned evilly underneath his mask. "I'm sure the present I give you will help a great deal with my goals."
Instead of responding, Utakata made his statement clear by spitting into Tobi's visible eye. Angered, the masked man slammed a chakra enhanced fist into Utakata's gut. While the jinchuriki was currently gasping for air and spitting out blood, Tobi wiped the spit out of his eye with a growl.
"All of your kind are nothing but beasts needing to be controlled, to become weapons for the cause! Your statement was clear, but like it or not, you will bend to my will."
It was here, that Utukata saw Tobi's Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and knew what he would soon become. Before darkness enveloped him and his jailor, however, Saiken sent out a cry of help to his fellow bijuu in the hopes they would get it in time.
With Fu – Turtle Island
"That's it Fu, keep it going, fool ya fool." Killer B thought to himself as he watched Fu accessing Chomei's chakra.
One tail.
Two tails.
Three tails, so far so good.
Four tails, concentration started to slip and Fu gritted her teeth in pain; control was starting to wean.
By the formation of the fifth tail, Chomei was in full control, but the seven-tails quickly reigned in her power before her container was injured. Once the bijuu's chakra disappeared, Fu dropped to her knees and panted heavily. Minor chakra burns were visible on her body, but they quickly healed. Frustrated, Fu pounded her fists on the ground.
"Dammit! What am I doing wrong, why can't I go past the fifth tail!?" Again, she punched the ground and yelled to the sky before she took a deep calming breath.
Killer B smirked at Fu as he remembered his trials to fully mastering Gyuki's chakra; a trial which Fu was about to undergo.
"Fifth tail you cannot go as darkness rests in your soul, the Falls of Truth we will go; fool ya fool!" Killer B rapped which made Fu raise an eyebrow in question.
"Darkness? But I never harmed anyone in my life…"
Before B could answer, Chomei did for her. "It is not what you did or did not do, Fu, but what was done against you. Think back to our former home, think back to what they did to you…now tell me, what do you feel?"
Fu thought about Taki and instantly began to feel anger and the desire to level her former home. As those feelings started to grow, she now understood where her darkness came from. With a deep breath, she calmed herself down and smiled.
"I see now, thank you Chomei."
Said bijuu nodded, but could not speak as Saiken's plea reached her ears. The seven-tails could only sigh in sadness knowing that what their Father told them so many years ago was about to start.
"And so it begins…for our sake, Naruto, I hope you are ready for when the world experiences the Juubi's reawaking."
While Killer B guided Fu to the falls, Gyuki could only hum in contemplation on what these recent events would bring. While he had faith in Naruto and Kurama's abilities, the prophecy their father foretold many years ago was too overwhelming.
It didn't take long to reach the Falls of Truth, but once there Killer B informed Fu of what to do. And so, here she was standing on a small island and looking into the falls. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then the world shimmered around her and a face appeared from the Falls of Truth. The face was that of Fu's, but the eyes were an angry yellow and the scowl that was plastered onto that face sent shivers down the real Fu's spine.
"Aww!" Dark Fu taunted. "My other half's shaking like a leaf in the tree she was holed up in all those years. HA! Scared of me you might be, but you won't like something unless you try it. So what do you say?"
Dark Fu extended her right arm in a welcoming gesture, evil smile still on her face; the trial at the Falls of Truth had begun.
With Han and Roshi
While Han overlooked Iwa's rebuilding process from a nearby mountain, Roshi was in Suna warning Garra in the hopes of persuading him to leave his village so that it would be harder for the Akatsuki to capture them. Sadly, those persuasions were all but a moot point as the jinchuriki was a prime candidate for the Kazekage position which was surprising seeming that he was the same age as Naruto. Did this halt Roshi's attempts? No, as he found angering his fellow jinchuriki amusing. Although some buttons that got pushed led to a massive brawl outside Suna's walls, both knew it was all in good fun.
"C'mon, Garra, why can't you see the benefits of my offer?" Roshi said as he and Gaara walked the streets of Suna.
The one-tailed jinchuriki pinched his nose and sighed; his eyes closed in the hopes that would halt his migraine.
"For the last time, Roshi, NO! I need to show these people, and above all my father, my worth as the next in line. If I leave, they will see me as a coward, but if I stay…I'm sure you get the point."
Roshi tried to refute Garra's words, but nothing was coming up. The silence made the future Kazekage smile, one which vanished when Shukaku told him of Saiken's plea. Both jinchuriki looked at each other with worry etched on their faces. After a tense silence, Roshi put a comforting hand on Gaara's shoulder; his tone soft and caring.
"Take all the time you need to make a decision, my friend, know that I will support you regardless of which you choose."
With that, Roshi headed back to his hotel room which left a conflicted future Kazekage alone in the streets. Gaara looked at the people around him, then up to the tower where his father was currently sitting. Next came the thoughts of his siblings, Temari and Kankuro. He now had two difficult choices to make, both of which had their pros and cons. Through it all, one question constantly came to mind.
"What would father do?" Garra mumbled to himself.
With Naruto
As Naruto was quickly dispatching the assassins Yagura sent using nothing but aikido and Ki to slice his opponents up, Orochimaru, Shizuka, Mei, and Ao were doing the same with methods of their own. Shizuka found that her chakra scalpels mixed with her limited samurai training was key to close quart combat. Orochimaru found joy in using his snake like qualities to effortlessly dodge any attacks and inject the poor saps with a highly potent neurotoxin. Mei also found this opportunity to be a great way to relieve the built-up stress in her system. True to her form, the rebel leader cackled evilly as she melted the bastards. Ao, using his hidden Byakugan, pointed out targets to the remaining rebel troops and joined in when he could.
Although morale was at its lowest and the will to fight was almost nonexistent, the rebels couldn't get over the sight of Naruto flashing between their enemies and killing them with one blow. It was this sight that put hope back into their hearts and fighting back into their minds. There was one emotion, however, that was still ever-present.
Doubt.
The doubt that this war could be won even with the help of these new faces and the doubt that Kiri would prosper even if they somehow did win. For now, that emotion was buried deep inside as all their focus was staying alive for the future. Amid all this, one person decided to enter the party. A person who wanted to see if the Akuma no Senshi was all that he was made out to be.
As Shizuka drug an assassin underneath the ground with the Headhunter jutsu, she flipped through multiple hand signs and pulsed her chakra into the ground. In an instant, multiple Earth Spears came forth and skewered any unsuspecting enemies around the island. As Shizuka appeared above ground to observe her work, she caught a flash of blue and found herself catapulted towards the love of her life.
Naruto, who just got done dispatching the latest group, nodded in thanks to any rebels around him then caught his fair maiden in midair with a smirk.
"Having trouble, milady?"
Shizuka nodded then noticed the pain on her lower chest and right side of her body. She looked down to see nasty gouges in her skin which were starting to bleed profusely. Seeing this, Naruto quickly set her on the ground so that she could heal herself. The injuries made the Uzumaki return to battle mode.
"Have any idea what hit you?"
"All I saw was a blue blur before being punted like a damn football." She paused to reach into one of her wounds and extract what looked like to be a blue scale. "FUCK! That hurt…here, have a look."
Naruto took the scale and looked at it with a scrutinizing glance. In seconds, he knew who this scale belonged to. Disgusted, he threw the piece to the ground and started off towards the newest signature on this island.
"Naruto?" Shizuka said worriedly which made said person sigh.
"Help the others, my fair maiden, this is a battle between swordsmen; nothing more, nothing else." As he started to walk again, oblivious to the battle winding down around him, he made a vow. "The Tailless Tailed Beast will be without a head after this day, on my honor I promise you that."
Shizuka gasped and wanted to tell her love to stay away, but in her heart she knew that Naruto would come out on top.
"I have faith in you, my love…may your Master's lessons serve you well."
Wounds now healed, she decided to switch to medic mode seeing that the battle was basically over with. As she went about tending to the wounded, which was far less than she expected, the sun started to rise over the horizon. A sight which brought forth cheers from those who survived the nighttime raid.
Perhaps this war was winnable after all.
Kisame was currently sitting on a rock as he patiently waited for his opponent to arrive. Around him was 20 dead rebels who thought that the shark like man would be an easy target. For Kisame, it was a nice warmup, but for his sword, Samehada, the chakra absorbed was a nice meal. Soon, Naruto arrived and both stared each other in the eyes; both sets were those of war veterans.
Cold and emotionless.
Without saying a word, Kisame and Naruto walked forward and shook hands before they stepped back and bowed in respect for the person that they were about to face. Kisame grabbed Samehada off his back and got into his stance, while Naruto got in a half-seated stance to initiate his tatehiza no bu.
As the waves crashed onto shore, Kisame made the first move by aiming for Naruto's legs. Before it could connect, Naruto jumped back and took out Honjo to block an overhead strike. Kisame grinned as Samehada came closer and closer to the Akuma no Senshi's face, but then, to his surprise, Naruto quickly overpowered him and managed to strike him across the chest. It was a minor cut, a taunt if you will, to show that play time was over.
Both took a deep breath and reasserted their stances; the dance had started once again.
Just as Kisame vanished from sight, Naruto rolled backward to save his head from being lopped off, then hopped forward to complete the kata for an enemy in front of him. To Naruto's surprise, and happiness, each strike was expertly blocked. Naruto and Kisame smirked at each other as their blades clashed once again; their faces only a couple feet apart.
"You are a worthy opponent, Naruto-san, I have not had this much fun since I killed the former owner of Samehada."
Naruto grunted as he felt himself being pushed back, but he held strong; the smirk still evident on his face.
"I have longed for this day, Kisame-san, I assure you that I will honor your passing."
Kisame nodded as he hopped back. "And I will honor yours, Naruto-san. Shall we?"
"Let's."
With a roar, Kisame attacked again, this time aiming to shred Naruto's midsection. Although Naruto hopped backwards, Samehada's scales lengthened; his kimono was now shredded and the minor cuts he received started to bleed. From here, to any bystanders, the two were a complete blur. The only sounds was the clashing of swords, the grunts of pain and exertion, and the waves crashing to shore. Both were evenly matched as they had much in common when it came to stamina and their kenjutsu skills. The fight would ultimately come down to whoever made the first mistake or the first true advantage.
For ten solid minutes, Naruto and Kisame fought, and both had no sign of slowing down. Just as Naruto slid underneath Kisame's legs, Samehada crashed into the ground where he once was which created a small crater. Thinking quickly, Naruto managed to take the shark like man's feet out from under him, but failed to initiate the killing blow as Kisame managed to backflip as he was falling. Honjo and Samehada clashed again, but this time was different. Up until now, Naruto always blocked with the flat side of Honjo as to not damage the blade. Remembering his dream, Naruto blocked with the cutting side instead; the results of which were a complete shock to Kisame.
The horrid screech of an injured beast soon echoed around the island, a beast that was none other than Samehada. True to its craft, the Honjo Masamune cut the living sword in half. As the blue blood of Samehada dripped to the ground, Naruto quickly flicked the blood off his blade before taking advantage of Kisame's shocked state.
"How…the Seven Swords are supposed to be unbreakable!?" The Seven Swordsman thought, then sensed Naruto incoming which made him dodge to the left.
The sound of metal slicing through flesh and bone was heard followed by Kisame's held in scream. Said shark man had lost his right arm, the one which held the other half of Samehada. Although Kisame could still use his water jutsu, this was a duel between swordsmen. There would be no honor if he did such an act. As the cold steel of Naruto's blade tapped his neck, the Tailless Tailed beast fell to his knees and looked to the sky with a smile.
"Heh, you did well kid…really well, but I have one request before the final deed is done."
Naruto nodded, a grim smile on his face. "On the honor between swordsmen, you may have this request Kisame-san."
"Please, may I know the name of the blade which did the impossible, and will end my life this day?"
"Honjo Masamune."
Kisame's eyes widened, then he started to laugh. Once calmed down, he sighed and reached into his Akatsuki robe only to pull out a scroll and placed it at Naruto's feet. Smile still in place, Kisame said his final words.
"May that scroll help you become the legend you were meant to be."
Naruto looked at the scroll, then back at his opponent who nodded his head in acceptance. With a choked sob, Naruto committed the final act.
In his cave, Kurama sadly smiled at his container. "Through all the wars, it never gets easier, does it?" After no response was heard, the bijuu spoke again. "Through good times and bad, I'll always be there for you, Naruto."
Naruto smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Thanks, Kurama…"
The fox nodded and let his container honorably bury Kisame and Samehada. Although he wanted to tell Naruto about Saiken's plea, Kurama knew that now was not a good time. Like the other bijuu, he hoped that what Father said all those years ago wouldn't come true.
Konoha – Hokage Office
Two persons were currently in the office chatting about Naruto's whereabouts. One was his cousin, Nagato, while the other was a stoic man with pale eyes; Hiashi Hyuga. For the past five minutes, the two have gone back and forth on the ancient treaty between the Harumasa and the Hyuga. Both had conflicting views on this topic, and it was making negotiations difficult.
Nagato saw Naruto as more of an Uzumaki and wanted him to stay in Konoha so that he could eventually rebuild Uzu. Hiashi, on the other hand, saw Naruto as a Harumasa not only due to his samurai status and accomplishments in the field, but also because of taking up Fukui's clan name.
The ever stoic Hiashi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed at what the Godaime just said. "Look, Nagato-san, I know you see him as your next of kin, but tell me this, did you have a good hard look at Naruto before he left for Kiri?"
Nagato rose an eyebrow and shook his head. He had no idea where the Hyuga clan head was going with this.
"He was tired, Nagato, tired of all this fighting, this bloodshed." Hiashi let out a short laugh. "And I don't blame him. Training since age six, fights and leads Iron Country in a war six years later, and continues to fight even though his master's death still haunts his dreams."
A silence soon engulfed the office, one which didn't let up for over two minutes. Nagato, after hearing what Hiashi said, turned his chair to look down on Konoha. His mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, thoughts which started to focus on one person in particular. The Godaime smiled as he looked at the stone face of Hashirama Senju.
"Naruto and the Shodai…a rough childhood, the need to train in order to protect not only themselves, but their friends and family, and above all, the drive towards peace." Another pause in thought. "Perhaps I have let my own ideals cloud my mind."
Hiashi watched as Nagato turned back to face him, and he hoped his words got through.
"Hygua-san." The Godaime started calmly. "I thank you for awakening my mind, and I give you permission to take Hinata and Neji to aid Naruto in Kiri. However, I wish for Kiba and Choji to come along as well as they have yet to achieve Chuunin."
Hiashi stood and bowed, "Thank you, Hokage-sama, may I be dismissed?"
The Godaime simply nodded with a smile on his face and watched the clan head leave his office. Once the door closed, Nagato leaned back into his chair and sighed. He knew that a long chat was needed with his cousin, but for now it had to wait.
Kiri
Amid the anger filled cries of Yagura which spread around the village, the Sound Five was having another meeting pertaining to what they have found out. Kenshin, the ANBU commander, was with them as well as a couple snakes and salamanders. For the Iron Country rebels, they already submitted their report to Kimimaro; reports which he was currently going over.
"Although most of the Iron Country rebels are in the shinobi program, we have a few who have found jobs in the hospital, as teachers in the academy, and, surprisingly, one has managed to claim the position as Yagura's secretary."
This made Kenshin and the others blink in shock. A spy as a secretary was a huge win, and not only that, it showed that Kiri had a severe security issue. There was many cracks in which the Sound Five, the rebels, and Kenshin's followers could squeeze into. Knowing this, it was him who interrupted.
"I have ended those ANBU who were loyal to Yagura, 12 to be exact. The others are onboard and have already started to increase the tensions between shinobi and civilians by letting them stage protests." The ANBU commander smiled and turned to Tayuya. "I have to thank you and your boss for that."
The Sound Five member returned that smile and nodded. "Hai, and I have started to let her into our plans little by little. Come to find out, that fucker Yagura is supposedly getting ready to act on these protests of ours."
Kidomaru chuckled slightly before he responded, "Yah, all of us were in a bar for lunch when a Yagura loyalist came in…should have saw his face when all of us gave him the stink eye. HA! Bastard looked like a tomato."
Sakon smirked, "Heh, yah the guy stormed out after about twenty minutes of being ignored and stared at which is how Tayuya got her information."
Kimimaro closed his eyes in thought for a moment before opening them. "I fear that Kabuto's gas will be used if we continue our protests, something we have no protection over."
Jirobo interrupted with a snort, "Hope Kabuto gasses himself to be honest."
Tayuya laughed and patted him on the back, "Heh, sounds great but the fucker is probably immune."
Kenshin's eyes widened, "That's it! Immunity! Tell me, if I can somehow get my hands on this gas, could Orochimaru create a vaccine?"
The Kaguya let out a rare smile, "See that it gets done, Kenshin, but make haste as Kabuto is sure to have his own agenda."
The ANBU commander nodded stiffly then left in a shunshin to let the others know.
Back with Naruto
Naruto smoked his cancer stick as he looked at the vast body of water in front of him. To his right was the same rock Kisame had sat on only moments before. That rock was now the former Seven Swordsman's resting place; his name forever engraved in stone. Although the tobacco helped Naruto calm himself to an extent, a deep sadness overcame him as the fight reminded Naruto of Fukui's death. With a sigh, and tears slowly running down his face, he flicked the cigarette into the sea then went to reach for his ocarina only to remember it was back in his tent.
The ocarina, an Uzumaki heirloom which he got after his first kills. Yet another memory of his deceased master, and yet another item to widen the void. Naruto started to toy with his wakizashi by unsheathing and sheathing it, a motion which unnerved Kurama to a great degree. A fear that was emboldened by Naruto's next thoughts.
"Is it even worth it, Kurama, to continue fighting for what seems like an impossible task? My path is still changing, yes, and I have much to learn, but no matter how hard I try, it seems like violence will forever be human nature." Naruto internally sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I should end it all so I can meet my parents and my master once again."
Kurama took a breath before he spoke in reassuring tone. "But think of what you will leave behind, Naruto. Mifune, Hiruzen, Nagato, the whole of Iron Country, and above all your lovely mate Shizuka."
Naruto smiled, "Ah, Shizuka, the love of my life who helped me in my time of need, and helped me conquer my inner darkness. Mifune, the one who I made a promise to that I would come back and become leader of my home; Iron Country. Hiruzen, my surrogate grandfather, the one who believed in me every step of the way. And Nagato, the cousin I thought I never had."
Kurama smiled and wagged his tails. "Look at all the bonds you've made over the years, Naruto. If you end it here, how would they feel? Could you live with the fact that your death could mean humanities destruction?"
Naruto quirked an eyebrow at that last question. "Humanities destruction?"
The bijuu sighed and proceeded to tell Naruto of Saiken's plea and what his Father, the Sage of Six Paths, said all those years ago. About a prophecy that detailed a great extinction that would wipe out the human race, only for one man and his followers to stop the catastrophe in its tracks; a man who would show the world true peace.
Over the five minute discussion Naruto digested every detail, however, one thing was unclear to him.
"But why me! Why stick a boy who has endured hardship almost his entire life with such a burden?" Naruto's tone took a sad turn, and tears started to flow once again. "It…It hurts, the weight of the entire world on my shoulders hurts, Kurama. In my mind, body, and soul; I feel its weight ever increasing, never diminishing."
Naruto soon found himself wrapped in a cocoon courtesy of Kurama's tails. The embrace was comforting and warm.
"You remind me of two such people in my lifetime, two who I revere in the highest regard." The bijuu started in a soothing tone. "Both were focused on showing the good side of humans, the side which can accomplish peace. They both cared for family and friends, but when it came to them being injured, they were the fiercest beasts known to man. These men were none other than Hashirama Senju and my father."
Before Naruto could respond, Kurama covered his mouth with one of his tails. Naruto looked up to see the bijuu shake his head.
"Embrace the ones you cherish, let them help you on your path; the one set before you whence you were born."
Naruto soon disappeared from his mindscape and woke to find Shizuka hugging him from behind. He couldn't speak, instead, he took Kurama's words to heart and leaned into the embrace with a smile.
