Chapter 31

Dear Sasuke,

It's been six months since I last saw you – six months since you vanished. The war is over now, and if it weren't for the gravestones telling me otherwise, I'd have a hard time believing it ever happened. It doesn't seem real. I can't help but expect to wake up at any moment and find that it was all just a dream - wake up and realize that you were never there, that you aren't coming home. It's that, more than anything else, which scares me.

I'm writing this to you, knowing I'm a terrible writer and knowing you'll probably never read it. But the sun is coming through the trees this morning in a way that makes me think of you. I wish I could hear your voice. The absence of you is everywhere I look. I feel an ache inside me every time I wonder where you've gone, and if you're ever coming back.

I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I understand why you had to go. And I understand that you'll never stop trying to undo what happened in the past. All I'm asking is that you don't forget me. Please don't forget me. You may not be able to understand it, but I hope you believe that I love you more than anything. I hope that you aren't lonely, wherever you are. I hope you know how much I wish I were there, walking beside you. Talking with you.

There's something I have to take care of now; a monster made out of Tailed-Beast chakra is rampaging in the east. If this is my last mission, then I hope this letter finds you someday, and that it finds you happy.

I have to leave. But I'll be here, waiting, when you come home.

Your friend,

Yours truly:

Love always,

Naruto

As Sasuke led Shikamaru and Kakashi onwards through the dense, pressing clouds, his mind recited a letter he had read so many times, it was etched into his memory. A letter he had discovered folded in an old book, dried flower petals that had been hiding inside falling onto the floor as the pages whispered open. He was sure it was a letter he was never meant to find, with sentences seeping emotion and truths that Naruto had written only for him. Containing words a man like Naruto had a hard time saying, because they made him vulnerable. Something he was never allowed to be.

Your friend, yours truly: love always.

There were many things that Naruto could never be. He could never be a child, never know the love of a family, never know the innocence only those who've never witnessed death can have. He wasn't permitted selfishness, or weakness. His body and his power belonged to those who needed his protection. He could never belong to one person, never seek safety in solitude, never grow old. Never love one person, for his humanity was dependent on his ability to love everyone, everything, unconditionally.

Sasuke knew Naruto wasn't dead, not yet, but still he grieved. He mourned the fact that a man with the prowess of a king, a man whom he loved so aggressively, had been reduced to a casualty among the rubble. Stripped of his ability to lead, to command, clinging to a life he had risked for the sake of love. And he mourned the loss of that single, emotional letter hidden in a book, which had probably been burnt to ash with the rest of their home. Sasuke's sharingan prickled painfully, droplets of blood clinging to his lower lashes and freezing there in the thin, cold air.

"Shouldn't we stop and come up with a strategy?" Shikamaru muttered between chattering teeth, leaning close to Sasuke's right shoulder. "If you're right, and he's going back to his body, then we can't afford to go charging in there unprepared."

Kakashi, swift and silent on his feet, hummed softly in agreement. "A good thought, Shikamaru, but I doubt any amount of planning could prepare us for this. We don't understand his powers well enough to come up with a strategy to counter them. Which is why I'd like you two to promise you'll follow my lead, and retreat if things get messy."

Sasuke stopped abruptly, turning so he was nose-to-nose with his old sensei. "I will not run from this man. Not after what he did to Naruto."

Kakashi's grey eye narrowed as he frowned. "Naruto didn't risk his life to save you so that you could get killed!"

Uncontrolled emotion boiled within Sasuke, making his heart race and his limbs shake. His voice was unsteady as he said, "You were there, Kakashi. You know."

For a moment, Kakashi stared at Sasuke in confusion. But realization came in a rush of unpleasant memories, blurred by the years that had passed. His frown deepening, Kakashi whispered, "You can live without him, Sasuke. You don't have to die with him."

Sasuke shook his head. "You don't understand," He snapped. "Naruto was there for me when no one else was. I won't abandon him now."

"Something's bothering me," Shikamaru suddenly said. "When we left him, Naruto was in really rough shape. Sorry, Sasuke, I don't like to say this, but Naruto may not be able to pull through this time. If…if the worst happens – shouldn't we be worrying about Kurama going on a rampage?"

Shikamaru's words breezed through Sasuke, but he was too numb to feel their chill.

Kakashi frowned. "I don't want to think about it. But I suppose it's a possibility. Kurama and Naruto are close, but the Kyuubi is still one of the tailed beasts. Maybe we should warn the others."

They both looked up as Sasuke shook his head, words passing through his lips without his brain's consent. "You don't have to worry about it." He mumbled listlessly, "Naruto and Kurama decided well over a year ago that there wouldn't be a Jinchuuriki successor."

Kakashi's eye widened in shock. "What? What do you mean, Sasuke?"

"Aside from Karin, Naruto is the last in the Uzumaki line." Sasuke continued, staring unseeing into the surrounding clouds. "And he doesn't plan on having kids, so there isn't a natural successor to be the next Jinchuuriki. But more than that, Kurama himself decided that when Naruto…leaves…he will too. The other tailed beasts are dead. Kurama knows that his time is coming, too."

"But if Naruto is killed," Shikamaru reasoned, after absorbing this new information with difficulty, "Kurama could break out in a fit of rage."

Again, Sasuke shook his head, now starting to feel irritated. He couldn't understand why they were fixating on this. There was absolutely no way that Naruto would die. "The two of them are fully bonded. Their chakra systems are intimately connected and have practically merged into one. If Naruto dies, so does the fox."

The three were silent for a moment, staring back the way they had come. When after a while neither had spoken, Sasuke continued, "Sakura will heal him the best she can. He isn't our concern anymore. All we need to focus on right now is destroying Kou."

Shikamaru flinched. "Jeez, talk about cold." He muttered, before adding more audibly, "But don't go too crazy, Uchiha. Naruto gave strict orders to capture instead of kill, when possible."

"Then I'll tell him it wasn't possible." Sasuke snapped, turning on his heel as if to resume the steep upward climb. He hesitated, feeling the gazes of his companions on the back of his head. He swallowed hard, the faintest blush spreading across his cheeks as he muttered, "I realized something today. Naruto's an idiot, but I – Gods, I fucking love him. And that's why I need to kill Kou. For Naruto."

After a long silence, Kakashi said, "We understand, Sasuke. We'll follow you."

That was all Sasuke needed to hear. He nodded curtly before he continued the climb, leading the way through the dense clouds. He ignored the low muttering of the two men behind him, concentrating on his breathing. "He'll be fine." He assured himself with every exhale. "He'll catch up to us soon."

He returned his focus to the task at hand, straining his sharingan as he searched for traces of Kou's chakra. The clouds made everything damp and slippery, droplets of water clinging to Sasuke's bare chest. As they ran down his torso, the water droplets mixed with the blood covering his chest, making runny lines of pale skin peek out from beneath the crimson.

Sasuke threw out his hand to get his comrades attention as movement caught his eye. Kakashi hastily lifted up his forehead protector, revealing his own sharingan as he followed the direction of Sasuke's gaze. They both watched, breathlessly, as Kou's chakra flickered faintly through layers of rock.

"He's inside the mountain?" Kakashi wondered aloud.

"Seems like it," Sasuke muttered, expanding his focus as they inched closer. He felt around the nooks and crannies of the space, using a technique Naruto had taught him during his rehabilitation. "It doesn't seem like a natural cave. Maybe he also has earth-natured chakra?"

"It's possible, but when he's up against two advanced sharingan users, it doesn't matter." Shikamaru whispered. "You guys can do basically everything, right?"

Sasuke decided not to answer that question, since there were, in truth, jutsu's that the sharingan simply could not copy. He led them around a final curve in the path, and the trio found themselves standing on a small rocky plateau, carved out of the mountain. And before them, it's massive wooden door blasted from its hinges, the doorway was like a gaping black eye staring back at them.

Squaring his shoulders, Sasuke glanced back at his companions. "Let's go."

He darted towards the door, keeping to the shadows and watching intently for signs of movement within the cave. But as the three crept forward soundlessly, nothing within the cave seemed to stir. They paused beside the door, so that Sasuke could peer in before they entered. He found himself looking down a long, dark hallway. It was utterly still and silent within.

Gesturing for them to follow, Sasuke started down the hall slowly, his footsteps slapping loudly on the damp floor. He glanced down in surprise, realizing for the first time in days that he was barefoot. He shook his head slightly, reaching up to comb his wet hair away from his face. Sasuke didn't care that he was half naked and filthy, but somehow it bothered him to know that he'd been attacked so suddenly and unexpectedly, he didn't even have time to put his shoes on.

Scowling, Sasuke stomped down the hall, eyes fixed on the opening that grew ever larger before them. After what seemed like an hour, the opening was before them, and the three Konoha ninja peeked in curiously.

They gasped in unison, eyes wide with shock and disgust.

Before them was a large, circular cave, its walls smoothly carved out of the ancient mountain. The ceiling was arched like that of a church, and a strange pulsating light hung from the center. It had a faintly green light, which bathed everything in a sickly hue. But this was not what drew their focus. The three shinobi stared, open mouthed, at four giant capsules made of glass that lined the opposite wall. Each was filled with a bubbling, unpleasant looking liquid. And floating, suspended in time within three of the four capsules, were bodies.

"What the fuck." Shikamaru whispered, pointing to the woman on the right. "I recognize her. That's his daughter, Lila. The one Naruto killed in the woods a few days ago."

Sasuke grimaced. "Ew."

Lila, her face smooth and carefree, floated dreamily in the mystery liquid. A mask covered her face, presumably providing oxygen, but she wasn't breathing. Her naked body was thin and pale, her veins dark and pulseless beneath. In the tank beside her was a woman who looked remarkably similar. If it weren't for the different arrangement of their freckles and scars, Sasuke would have thought they were the same person. This other woman also seemed slightly older – at least, she seemed to have been in the capsule much longer than Lila. Her hair was at least double the length of Lila's.

"I wonder…" Shikamaru muttered, his face a mask of disgust as he too looked at the second woman, "If that's Kou's wife?"

With that, the three of them turned to look at the last occupied capsule. And sure enough, floating amidst hair long enough to tickle his ankles, was Kou. He was pale, scrawny and malnourished looking, but it was Kou. The real Kou.

"But surely they can't be alive." Shikamaru reasoned, "I mean, who knows how long they've been floating in that stuff. And I know for a fact Lila is dead. I was there when it happened."

Kakashi shook his head, looking nauseous as he replied. "At this point, nothing would surprise me. But, Sasuke, doesn't this kind of remind you of-"

"Orochimaru?" Sasuke cut in. "Of course. It wouldn't shock me to learn the two of them had been in contact once. But that doesn't matter, let's find out how to turn these things off before -"

"Holy shit!" Shikamaru suddenly yelled, making all three of them jump.

Within his tank, Kou began to stir. Bubbles haloing around his head as his chest began to move up and down, breath filling his lungs for the first time in what might have been decades.

"Well, this is it then." Kakashi said, trying without success to sound cheerful. Sasuke and Shikamaru grumbled in response, standing together defensively. And even though they were prepared for it, what happened next was still profoundly disturbing.

Kou's eyes snapped open, glowing with chakra light. Fixing his long-dead gaze upon them, he pulled off his mask, opened his mouth wide, and smiled.

Naruto awoke with a start, his heart racing wildly as he inhaled. His lungs ached, burning as if he'd inhaled salt water, and he found himself idly wondering how long they'd been starved for air. Still panting heavily, he pulled himself up and leaned on his elbows, looking around in confusion.

The world had fallen eerily and unnaturally silent. Though he still lay in the rubble of the temple, not even the whisper of a mountain breeze stirred the still air. The colours seemed strangely muted to Naruto, as if he was looking through a pale screen. Groaning as he sat up straighter, Naruto finally managed to decide the most unsettling thing about his current surroundings: there wasn't a living person in sight.

Sickness tore at his stomach as his gaze settled upon a disturbingly familiar sight; piles of bodies lying haphazardly down the hill from where he sat.

He slowly rose to his feet; eyes never leaving the bodies as he began to stumble blindly down the mountain slope. His heartbeat quickened with every step, his mind racing with fear. Having been a ninja since he was a child, Naruto was used to death. It had shadowed his steps since the day he was born. And yet, the sight of the dead still made him sick to his stomach. He grimaced as he reached the first body, crouching down to examine it. The gaping, charred hole in the woman's chest was clue enough for Naruto to figure out who had killed her. Kakashi, at least, was still alive.

Numbly, Naruto wandered from one body to the next; relaxing slightly every time he didn't come across a familiar face. But the evidence of the Konoha Eleven, and other's, signature jutsu's told him the tale of the battle his comrades had fought.

A group of Kou ninja stood suspended, their faces still full of shock, and feet inches above the ground as several wooden spikes impaled their bodies. Only steps away, two ninja – their chests torn to ribbons by razor sharp claws – had landed on top of one another. Several more bore signs of Shikamaru's shadow strangulation. And many Kou ninja, much to Naruto's surprise, bore evidence of trauma to their chakra systems. Hinata was fighting with fire today, it seemed.

Inhaling deeply to steady his stomach, Naruto glanced around again. Having had time to adjust to his surroundings and steady his addled mind, Naruto was now fully aware of where he was. It was a place he'd been to often, thanks to his abilities as a Sage and his use of shadow clones.

Naruto stood in the veil; a realm between the worlds of the living and the dead. Even though he had wandered through this plane on several occasions, it was always by choice - or because one of his clones had been killed. He had never told anyone that, when a clone was killed, his mental connection with it wasn't immediately severed. Brief flashes of this realm would enter his mind, and sometimes even the world beyond.

Hugging himself tightly, Naruto wished that Kurama were with him. He disliked the feeling of emptiness within himself. But even though they shared a body, their spirits were their own, so Kurama could not accompany him here.

Naruto shook his head sharply, making his way back up the mountain, knowing he had to get back to his body before death claimed him. But even as he thought this, Naruto began to sense that darkness was creeping in. Like one of Shikamaru's shadows, they twisted and contorted unnaturally as if they had a mind of their own, climbing up the hill behind him and snapping at his ankles. Naruto's pace quickened, and before long he was running up the hill as quickly as he could. There was a strange, glowing green light around his body, but its significance eluded him in his fear.

Reaching his body as last, Naruto spun around to face the creeping dark, reaching for his chakra, for any weapon, but he found himself defenseless. Naruto started to panic, his heart beating in his throat. He wasn't ready to die. He couldn't die.

The shadows stopped advancing. A light appeared, small and far away at first, but it twisted and grew as it came closer. Naruto held his breath, squinting against the brightness as the light went from pale green to pure white, expanding into a familiar shape. A thick mass of wavy black hair framed green eyes and high cheekbones. Flowing, gossamer robes hung elegantly from proud shoulders, displaying a body now free from wounds.

Luka smiled at Naruto warmly.

"Hello, Guardian of Konoha." When he spoke, the air resonated, and it seemed as though a dozen other voices spoke with him. "Forgive me, I didn't expect to see you here."

Naruto recovered quickly, managing a small smile as he glanced down at his own lifeless body. "Yeah, your Dad was better prepared than I expected. He won this time, you know."

Luka smiled at him pityingly, easily seeing through his act. "I know that as a master of the spiritual, you walk often through this astral plane – this veil between life and death. I myself passed through this plane every time I left the body I was inhabiting. But it is much different when you are not here by choice, is it not?"

He glanced over his shoulder longingly, towards the darkness. "Long have I evaded and denied death, Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha. But now it welcomes me home, and I find that I am eager to go." He turned back to Naruto and smiled warmly, the lingering sadness finally leaving his eyes. "I am ready to see my family again."

Naruto swallowed hard, his heart fluttering wildly. In his desperation to return to his body, he had completely forgotten that just beyond the darkness, many familiar faces awaited him. His conviction suddenly faded as his parent's faces appeared in his mind. His legs were weak; his body aching with his need for them, for their voices, their warmth.

As if reading his mind, Luka shook his head. "I understand the temptation, Naruto, but you know as well as I that it is not your time. There are many people waiting, eager to see you again, but time passes differently in death. They will wait. They would prefer to be kept waiting for a very long while."

Naruto's eyes were stinging, but he nodded. "Luka, I need to go back. I need to get back into my body so I can beat the crap out of your stupid Dad. But -" He glanced back at his body with a frown. "I feel some sort of block, like I can't get back. Wait, holy crap, I didn't die for real, did I?"

Luka answered slowly, choosing his words with care. "You were severally injured, Naruto. Not only that, but your chakra system and psychological plane were traumatized by the Jinchuuriki seal. Your body is rejecting you."

Naruto felt as if someone had just poured a bucket of icy water down his back. He'd been horribly injured before, but never so much that his own body refused to allow his spirit to enter. "What do I do, Luka? What can I do?"

"Be patient!" Luka urged, pointing to Naruto's body. "Look, Naruto, your friends are with you."

Naruto spun around in shock, the strange green glow surrounding his body catching his eye again. But as he looked at it more closely, he suddenly noticed a pair of small hands hovering over his chest. He gasped, kneeling down so his face was level with Sakura's. Ino knelt across from her, their faces twisted with concentration as they labored over his injuries. And then, as if she was speaking to him through a long tunnel, Sakura's voice reached him.

"Hang in there, Naruto!" She pleaded, sweat dripping down her forehead. "Ino and I will fix it, so you have to hang in a little longer. Don't you even think about leaving us, moron. Don't even think…"

Her voice broke off mid-sentence, her frown deepening as she channeled more healing chakra into her hands.

"Sakura-chan, Ino," Naruto whispered, reaching out to lay his hands on theirs. But his hands were transparent, and they passed right through. But he could feel their warmth, and that was enough to reassure him.

"I need you to listen to me now, Naruto Uzumaki. I do not have time to linger." Luka said, drawing Naruto's attention with the sudden urgency of his tone. Before Naruto's eyes, Luka's form was growing fainter. "I resisted death for a long time, I am afraid it won't let me evade it for much longer."

Naruto stood without a word, nodding for Luka to continue.

Returning the nod sternly, Luka began. "My father, as you may have guessed, fears death above all else. He spent so much time running from it, he forgot to live his life. Naruto, I assume you were confused about his obsession with you. I was too, in the beginning, but now I understand. It seems my sister was not the only one who considered you a messenger from the heavens. My father also believes you to be an angelic deity of some form, as mad as that may sound. And he truly believes that, if he masters you, he will finally defeat death."

After a moment, Naruto blinked, his mouth hanging open. "I've heard some crazy shit in my life Luka, but I mean…what the hell?"

"Exactly." Luka agreed. "To anyone else it sounds like madness, but in my fathers mind it is a logical solution to his problem. Now listen, Naruto. My father must be defeated. He has no regard for human life, he will not stop killing unless he himself is killed. But that will not be easily done."

Naruto's eyebrows met in a frown. "I learned that the hard way." He growled, feeling a slight tug towards his body as it continued to heal. "Luka, tell me what I have to do."

"Of course." Luka continued, having little more time to waste. His legs had all but vanished already. "Since my father, like yourself, is a master of the spiritual, the only way to defeat him is by doing it here. In the world between worlds. This is the only place he is vulnerable enough to be truly killed."

Naruto nodded, unfazed. He had fought spiritual battles before. As a Sage, it was practically part of the job description. But there was one major difference: the battles he had fought before had been within himself. And within his own spiritual realm, he was just as powerful as he was in reality.

"Question." Naruto blurted, raising his hand as if he was in school. "How do I beat him when I have no chakra here?"

The darkness was creeping ever higher up Luka's body. Only his shoulders and head could be seen now, and he was visibly straining to resist the pull of death. "You must exist in both planes at once," Luka explained, his voice becoming fainter with every word. "Find an anchor within the world of the living so you may remain conscious there, but allow your mind to fly free of your body."

"I don't understand," Naruto moaned, watching as Luka's shoulders were swallowed by the darkness. "Can't I just fight him as a Sage? Luka, please, help me!"

Luka smiled, his eyes losing focus. He no longer saw Naruto, his eyes swimming in a vision of his past. "I am called home." He whispered, ignoring Naruto's howl of despair. "Find the anchor, Guardian of Konoha, and fight with your heart. Naruto Uzumaki: the sea calls me home."

A rush of wind hit Naruto, and it carried with it the smell of warm ocean shores. Luka smiled, a look of serenity settling upon his features. And then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, the first son of Kou vanished, wandering happily along the path to death where warm arms waited to embrace him. Finally, after three hundred years, Luka was home.

Naruto blinked back tears of sadness and frustration. Feeling another strange tug, as if a large cane was hooked around his stomach. He allowed himself to be pulled towards his body. Naruto's mind raced, Luka's words echoing in his mind. He looked for the answer in the clues the Kou heir had given him, trying to understand what he was meant to do.

His form wavered and distorted as his body pulled him back, and Naruto followed its lead. He took one final look towards the place were Luka had vanished as he reentered his body, only to gasp in shock at what he saw.

Minato Uzumaki was staring at Naruto through the darkness, his eternally youthful face stern and intense with the message he was trying to convey to his son. Naruto called out, reaching wildly, but he could feel his body now – pain and cold – and he found that he could no longer speak. Minato, his golden hair and Hokage cloak caught in a wind that had died long ago, raised a hand as if in farewell as his voice resounded in his young sons head.

"You know what you have to do, Naruto."

And then, darkness pressed against Naruto's senses. For a moment, it was utterly silent, and Naruto wondered if he was really dead. Thump. A single beat shattered the silence. Ba-thump. Ba-thump. His heart began to beat faster and stronger. Sound reached him: a woman's voice and the sound of wind rustling fabric. Light appeared through his closed eyelids. A familiar scent of flower petals and hospital disinfectant filled his nostrils.

Without warning, Naruto's eyes flew open, making the two ninja who leant over him scream in alarm. He coughed the stale air out of his lungs, but before he could inhale, Sakura flung herself down onto his chest.

"Naruto!" She cried, hugging him tightly. Her whole body shook with exhaustion and emotion. "Naruto, you absolute moron! I thought -" Her voice broke, tears clinging to her eyelashes. "I thought you were dead."

His face twisting with pain, Naruto reached up to return Sakura's embrace. In response, she hugged him even tighter. She seemed so small in Naruto's arms, and he wondered how so much love and strength could be contained in such a small person. Her face was buried in his chest, so Naruto kissed the top of her pink head.

She sniffed loudly in response. "I thought you were really dead this time. Damn you, Naruto."

Pain and guilt pinched at Naruto's chest as he swept the hair away from Sakura's face. "I heard you calling me." He whispered, his voice painfully strained and rough. "I was almost gone, but you called me back."

Sakura made a noise half way between a sob and a laugh, loosening her embrace so that she hovered over Naruto, looking down at his pale, but still handsome face in disbelief. "You're really alive? You're back?"

"I'm back, Sakura-chan."

"Wow, get a room!" Kiba suddenly barked, Akamaru growling in agreement. Hinata, blushing crimson, elbowed him roughly with a disapproving shush. A chorus of relieved laughter echoed across the rubble.

Naruto sat up suddenly, Sakura yelping in surprise as she suddenly found herself sitting in Naruto's lap. She glanced up at him, blushing as she saw a familiar look of dogged determination on his face. His arms stiffened around her as his eyes transitioned from deep blue to fiery red.

"Where," He growled, through clenched teeth that grew sharper by the second, "Is Kou."

Hi hello new chapter finally. Enjoy!