Part 12- Sayonara
Once Kyuubi's bellows died down to pained whimpers, the silent watchful crowd stared, expectant, waiting. And as Naruto stood before them with his hands positioned out in front on him the katana held in his tight grip on the hilt.
"Kill him." The words echoed through the darkness where Naruto sat restricted and powerless in its gloomy atmosphere. He glared teary eyed at the swirling walls of his own sealed container, and gathered his chakra once more throwing it frustrated into the walls that seemed to be forever closing in on him, threatening to swallow him up in eternal darkness instead of facing a pain filled death.
"Naruto!" Iruka called out. "Naruto! Please repent!" * I want to Iruka but I can't…But I will try for you, Sasuke, Kakashi, Sakura, the Hokage and everyone…*
'Try? You won't be able to do anything brat! The one who YOU loved probably was as weak as you now!'
Naruto looked through his captor's eyes and saw the tearstained and swollen face of the kind man who had first brought light into his life. Iruka…
"Kill the damned beast! HE KILLED NEARLY ALL OF US!"
"END IT NOW NARA SO WE CAN FINALLY BE RELIEVED OF THIS FILTH!"
"Nara…"the Hokage looked at the man, who gulped. Iruka pushed his way past the people blocking his way and stood facing Naruto who stood before him swathed in the white robes, the katana millimetres away from his abdomen.
"He was the Fourth's son. And it was my duty to make sure nothing happened to him. I want Naruto to be enlightened upon his full past."
Naruto stared through the cage at the scene before him. He concentrated on using his mind to break free as he watched and listened to Iruka unfold his true past.
"The Kyuubi attacked Konoha 13 years ago, nearly wiping us all out the village and then your father the Fourth Hokage came and sealed the Kyuubi inside you Naruto, he died soon after, your mother passed away after giving birth to you, I was left to care for you…"
Naruto's concentration slipped slightly and heard Kyuubi chuckle at his failed attempts, his father was the Fourth Hokage… No one had bothered to tell him this… Naruto shook himself as he watched Iruka being gently dragged to one side by Kakashi as he began reminiscing about the terrible past they all had suffered. Naruto then smiled and the Kyuubi felt it, 'what?' he snapped angrily.
*Thank you, Iruka-sensei.*
'What are you going on about brat!? You and I are about to be sent to hell!'
*But at least I will be going to a place where you won't*
'Pitiful you are just like the Uchiha brat, you can't do anything can you?'
*I can… but I will die.*
'We both are going to die brat!'
*I know, But… I can keep on living Kyuubi, unlike you. I will carry on living because I am in love with my best friend. Uchiha Sasuke.*
'How the hell is that going to help you? Just because you love the Uchiha weakling doesn't mean you won't die!'
*I know I'm going to die. But I will have someone. You won't you will die in darkness from which you were born. I love Uchiha Sasuke and I swore the day he comforted me I would try and protect him not him protecting me or die trying. But it never works that way. He always helps me. But I broke that promise and now I will die too to be with him. It's a promise I will never break*
'Such petty responses! Fine if you won't shut up I will for you!!!'
Kyuubi launched himself forward breaking out of the Shadow Bind and knelt down beside the cold body of Sasuke. Supporting the lifeless corpse the demon slid a tanned hand behind the former Uchiha's head and brought his lips crashing down upon those of Sasuke's. Strangled and shocked cries rang and reverberated around the small area in which the whole village was gathered. Kyuubi smirked, his tongue slipping inside the cold mouth that tasted of clotted blood; he probed around for sometime before he withdrew. The boy who was no longer Naruto stood up and wiped his mouth with the heel of his hand and surveyed the crowd with cruel eyes his face broke out into a twisted sharp grin that distorted his features. Uchiha Sasuke lay there at his feet still and dead, blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth, but was washed away but the heavy rain cascading down. He bent down and picked up the pale corpse.
'Happy now!' snarled Kyuubi mentally to Naruto who had watched the whole scene in horrified silence. Naruto shook his head as Kyuubi was caught up once more and he was stopped in the embrace of the Shadow Jutsu.
'No, you… mauled him…'
Naruto threw his willpower against that of the demon fox he was contained within and heard it scream. Kyuubi screamed and howled as he felt all his mental control being pushed aside. He grimaced and snarled inwardly as he battled with his container. The village watched on silently the rain and the rustling of trees the only sound apart from the suffering ear splitting shrieks coming from the blonde's sharp fanged and bloodstained mouth. Yet Uchiha Sasuke stayed there in his arms.
Kakashi walked forwards and picked up the abandoned Katana.
"Nara, Kakashi… The pitiful animal is in distress Naruto is no longer there kill him." The Hokage tilted his head down as he surveyed the frozen man holding out his arms his technique holding death.
"No! NARUTO IS STILL THERE! NARUTO! BREAK FREE YOU WILL BE FREE! I BELIEVE YOU! NARUTO!" Iruka howled along with the Kyuubi, the villagers stood there and watched the scene as it played out.
At the last moment as the katana flashed down as a freak bolt of white blue lightening ripped the sky apart and shattered the heavens with its ear splitting growl, Iruka was restrained by the Hokage. And Naruto broke free. He blinked blinded and saw his death plunging down towards him in a blazing streak of sharp silver he uttered a single sentence.
"I'm sorry for all the pain I have caused you."
People gasped and Iruka fell to his knees.
And the sharp point pierced him clean through and warm blood spurted out of the terrible wound inflicted, and he cried out in agony his face plastered in sweat, blood- his blood, Sasuke's blood, his victims… his hair clung to his scarred cheeks as he rent his soul apart as he was forced to stand once more, the villagers eyes widened as he stared straight ahead his eyes showing no more pain clouding them but happiness and his mouth was turned up into a graceful smile the bloodied fangs had long vanished. The sun suddenly burst through the pouring rain and stuck the blonde illuminating him just like it had the day he was born, the 10th of October. Naruto ignored the searing pain in his stomach where his life was pouring out of the two punctures caused by his own Sensei, he stared at Iruka, and Sasuke's body shook in his arms.
"Arigatou Iruka-Sensei… I broke free… Sayonara…" He cast his blue eyes up towards the sky and then closed them, "Sasuke… We will meet again…Soon I hope" Naruto sighed as his blood poured out faster in scarlet rivulets they mixed with the tears of nature swirling red pools at his feet staining the pure white, red. A single tear slid out from under his eyelids. Naruto brought the face of the one he loved so much up towards his own; pink torn lips met Sasuke's pale dead for the last time...
"Sayonara… Uzumaki Naruto… Your father would have been proud…" Iruka gasped out as he finally allowed a small smile to grace his sore lips. The villagers stood there in hushed silence, the Hokage gazed sadly his dark eyes shining with sorrow.
That word, reader, Sayonara.
Do you know the definition of Sayonara? Don't bother with your dictionary. I will tell you.
Sayonara is the Japanese word for 'Farewell'.
"Farewell" is not the word you would like to hear from the man who had cared for you for so long as you were lying there bleeding to death unable to do anything except watch your vision waver and die.
Words that I think you would like to hear are: "No! Don't go! Don't die you can still be saved! We just need to get you to a medical centre!" There is a great deal of comfort in those words.
But, reader, there is no comfort in the word "Farewell," even if you say it in Japanese. "Farewell" is a word that, in any language, is full of sorrow. It is a word that promises absolutely nothing…