Hopefully you enjoyed the first chapter enough to keep reading! ...*sigh* I won't bore you continue reading already.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…q.q

Naruto had been walking for hours now, his legs shaking with every extra stride they had to take and his body was drenched combat sweat. It was hard enough to edge himself closer to the horizon but with the added weight of his now limp best friend lying in his arms, having to be carried to a suitable resting place; it was more than just a struggle.

To his relief Naruto knew he must be close to the headquarters where everyone had already resumed too, the war had been won and the message was spread through telepathic link, he couldn't wait to see his friends however something was twisting inside of him his last link of thoughts made him clench in teeth in rage.

How would they respond to the male in his arms…he was a hero too! Would they be happy knowing he was dead? Naruto clutched to his friends peaceful body in a protective manner

"Sasuke…" he wept as warm droplets trickled down his face and onto the face of his fallen teammate

it was too late to consider stopping now, he had entered the sensors perimeter.

Meanwhile

while the war had been said to have been over, the allied army were waiting for news upon Naruto and Tobi, and un-certain thoughts drifted around what to think for the Uchiha that clung to the name of traitor.

The Surviving members of the war were gathered at the main headquarters, worried and tense, although the room was full of expectations, no one was certain on what the outcome would be. The medic tents and the main hall of the headquarters where brimmed with ninja and samurai alike, yet it was quiet and only the occasional whispering conversation could be heard rustling with in the mass of people.
The grey walls around the great hall capable of storing such an amount of people was no soother of the atmosphere, they were tinged with dirt with the declaration of old age being able to be seen on the walls that had not aged gracefully.

The room was tense not even the five Kages could hold their thoughts in for much longer, despite their victory they knew that winning would be no easy task even for the gifted jinchuuriki.
Tsunade could no longer take it, her fists clenched tight she struck the old grey wall to the side of her 'dammit Naruto! You better not loose gaki' she thought to herself and slowly eased her anger.

"CAPTAIN! There are two figures approaching the main entrance!" declared one of the sensor ninja observing the perimeter for any breaches.
"Alert everyone telepathically immediately!" …'if it is him…if…who was the second person' the concerned captained dreaded … 'it couldn't be that? Surely even Tobi wouldn't dare to bring the defeated hope of the allied nations all the way back to the main headquarters with no sign of fear!'
He shook his head in denial. It had to be Naruto!

Upon receiving word cheers lit the room with new found colour and the room roared with the rustling of people scurrying and doing their best to all get out of the main doors at the same time to greet what could possibly be their hero. Tsunade's face now wore a smile 'Damn kid, I should of known he'd be back' she thought to herself in joy 'I should have known he'd of been coming back, he hasn't annoyed me in at least a couple of weeks' she sighed acting like she didn't want to see him, but she knew deep down she couldn't wait to see the closest thing she has to a child return to her.

-Outside of the Gates-

'Finally' he thought to himself, his breathing heavier than before and each step was literally a battle in itself, his knees wobbled with fatigue that caused his body to shake of balance, each time one of the supports he was desperately forcing to keep him from falling to the floor was lifted to stride closer to the gate, his arms were numb and he could no longer feel the weight upon them and his strained legs were forced to bear the burden of this extra added weight.

Suddenly everyone was rushing to see who approached their headquarters, his face lit up as he saw familiar faces of people crying out to him and waving hands beckoning for him to come to them, losing his balance Naruto gained extra ground by using multiple steps in a running like motion before throwing his back into an upright position once more, he could see all of his friends at the head of the crowd waiting for his return, only to be left in the shadow of the proud fifth Hokage with her hands at her hips waiting for the arrival of 'son', and the pink haired kunoichi that stood on her right side.

He was so close…just a couple of yards away from them…away from the warmest welcome of his life … his hero welcome. He looked towards the pink haired woman that stood before him eagerly awaiting him. He stopped, knees bent, firmly planted against the floor in order to make sure he didn't lose his balance. She can't have seen who was carrying…he couldn't urge his body to move anymore. He looked down towards the lifeless figure he held and sobbed… he should have spent his tears already but they were back again…how could he do this to her? Showing her the dead body of her the one she's always…the one that should always would, 'L-Lo.'

Naruto thought stopped in its tracks as his legs buckled sending his knees crashing to the ground, his own despair washing over him staring down at his brother…the one who accepted him as an equal … his first real friend laid dead in his arms! Yet it was no other than him who brought his end as he pleaded for his life to be stopped.
His mind shattered , he laid waste to storm of tears and buried his head on Sasuke's chest letting tears soak the upper body still clutching him close and held him above the ground… he could not make it any further.

The mood of the crowd dropped instantly as similar thoughts were passed around 'is he hurt?', 'why has he fell to his knees?' ….'was he crying...' the attentive crowd suddenly realised the newfound importance of the second figure 'could that be killer bee!' one man voiced to his comrade 'no he was confirmed to be resting at a medical tent…' the question the crowd needed to have the answer too was who exactly was that figure causing so much sorrow and why?

Then it struck her, the wavelength passed through her mind much like a sharp pain, she looked towards the untouched soil beneath her , as she did water droplets were seen to be absorbed by the ground at the sudden pour of rain…she had a horrible knot in a stomach…her body moved accordingly to her panic …was it him?

Naruto lifted his head from the males, cold, hard chest that was newly soaked in tears, he could hear the sound of footsteps and he panicked, he knew it would be her…he couldn't do it,
he couldn't let her see them both like this 'I have to run!' 'I'll take the body with me' Naruto was thinking faster than ever and agreeing with his own decisions
'I'll have to bury him before people catch up to me'…'they'll know that I'm hiding something…but it'll buy me time to make an excuse!' 'I have to get away!'

It was no use he pushed against his feet with all his remaining strength , he could no longer lift himself along with the body – she was fast approaching just steps away, his heart was racing , he couldn't take it! 'She can't see it!' 'She can't!' 'I won't let her!' he declared in his mind, using whatever he could summon, he swivelled on his feet to face away from her and hid the body by tightly clutching it against his own.

"S-S-STAY AWAY!" he cried out as loud as his lungs would let him , making his throat sore , he heard the footsteps slow but they were still coming, he winced in pain thinking of how the pain he must have caused her.
"STOP! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" He was desperately clutching to body he held so close against his own as he cried out his sadness and the evidence that he'd been crying in his loud shouts.

…She didn't understand…Her heart shattered, running through the rain as it dripped of her famous cherry blossom pink hair down across her face towards the hero of the alliance….her hero! Yet he cried for her to stop.
The sound rang through her ears but she couldn't help herself but slowly pace forward until the second artillery fire at her emotions was fired, he was without a doubt trembling and panic, fear and sorrow evident in his voice. Was he scared of…her? 'It can't be…I'm his friend' she couldn't believe her own thoughts as tear viciously thrown themselves from her eyes.

The crowd was silent the mood no longer was that of a happy occasion of a hero's arrival…it was the sadness that war brought to everyone in a depression symphony accompanied by the unforgiving rainfall. Tsunade couldn't bare it any longer. She ran towards the fallen hero, his spirits crushed and it tore her apart to see him in such a state. She was closer to than him than Sakura had managed before her charge too was interrupted.

his voice wouldn't shout anymore, he didn't have the energy left …
"p-p-please…don-don't come any closer" he announced softly in a defeated tone he wept, heavily panting between words, forcing them out in between his painful outbreak of emotions.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO!" Tsunade bellowed tears forming at her eyes "…please! I beg you…Turn to face me at least! I can't bare it!" she let her tears slowly fall down her cheeks, blending harmoniously with the falling rain ready to plead for him to face her once again'

" I can't! ….I Can't!" he shook his head violently in denial producing further damage to his throat throwing the words out as loudly as he could, hoping to intimidate the two that he held so dearly, away from seeing his sorrow and guilt that he held in his arms…it was too much…too painful!

"Naru—to! P-Please! …It's me! Let me be at your side, like you are always at mine! ...What kind of person would I be! NARUTO! How do you expect me to just stay away when you're like this?" She pleaded desperately losing all care for what she said as she spoke her mind, it was true, how could she let him who'd never let her suffer in such away allow him too!

"S-Sakura-Chan…this is the one time …the one time! That I cannot let you be by my side! It's too painful!... it's too…it hurts!" he pleaded out in determination as he shoved the head of his victim into his shoulder fully concealing its face, he turned his head while remaining on spot, his tears soaked the skin of his face making it look a dirtied colour, the sight alone was enough to make the observers clutch their stomachs in pain of the sad scenario in their vision. Naruto knew he could no longer fend the two off; he could no longer force them away.

She ran to his spot seeing the closer up features of the figure that he clutched so protectively, the boy had raven black hair, though it was not uncommon, the way Naruto was holding the back of the head helped disguise any certain style of the hair as well as the onslaught of rain that was embedding the two. She approached slowly and saw the clothing …that's all she needed; it confirmed her worst fears as she gasped and with an instant was crouched at Naruto's height.

"S-Show me...Show Me!" She demanded as she shook Naruto in heartache already knowing what he would reveal to her. He twisted his head at, speed shooting his vision at the ground, whatever holding his neck up was released and his head fell limp staring towards the ground…he gently laid the body on the floor, covering it with his own bent over it until the final moment, he clutched his fists and couldn't face his long-time friend.

Soundless tears fell fast across her pale skin drowning it in moisture from her horrible discovery and the heavy hitting rain that tugged on her heart strings… she didn't say anything and as if she no longer recognised anyone's existence, thrown her body towards the man and planted her tear stained right cheek against his cold chest looking towards his face as she unloaded her sorrow upon him.
Naruto could only watch from the corner of his eyes his fist clenched…he couldn't bear to be the third amongst the two any longer…especially for this moment,
he pushed off on one leg towards the only thing he could use to barrier the pain…
his body loosely flung his arms as his head bounced, taking slow steps towards her… he fell most of the distance landing on her powerful shoulders. Clinging to her dearly and nuzzling at her neck for comfort vandalising it with tears, she held him in a motherly embrace until he could no longer keep his wasted body conscious, his eyes heavily closed while he was rested in against her neck.

Naruto's friends gathered around their Hokage in concern and support for them and winced at the sight of Sakura with the lifeless figure they could now identify only as Uchiha Sasuke.
Tsunade nodded for Shizune to collect Sakura and head inside, while Kakashi picked up the lifeless man that was now in his arms, unable to show his pain and hurt in front of his other team members that needed the support. The members of the scene were slowly collected into the main headquarters along with the rest of the sympathetic audience.

Authors notes: I really loved how happy and positive this chapter was /sarcasm off

… sorry but no happiness for a while just yet.
Please give your opinions, any kind of criticism is good, but constructive favoured as always.
/ramble off