A/N: Update date - 7/13/10. This chapter was pretty sad to write...but I really enjoyed writing it. There is one (maaaybe two) chapter after this one. After that, I'll be switching to my sequel (you'll learn all about it in the last chapter).
TRUST ME, YOU'LL WANT TO READ UNTIL THE END OF THIS STORY. I have several great things planned, and it would be a shame for you to not see them.
One of you guys pointed out that Naruto could have been saved by having the past Kyuubi sealed into Naruto. This wouldn't work for a few reasons:
1) That Kyuubi was already sealed into Asumi. Ripping it out of her would have killed her.
2) I actually had to go back and make it clearer, but Naruto was going to die regardless; the act of having one's bijuu released from its host kills the host instantly (with the exception of the Uzumaki clan, but the manga makes a strong case for them dying anyway after a little while). If (in canon) Minato could have sealed the Kyuubi back into his wife to save her, I'm sure he would have. But he didn't...so...
3) I also made it clear why Sasuke couldn't just control the Kyuubi with his EMS. With Madara already exerting his control over it, Sasuke could not take it over. He had to kill Madara first...which, as you read, was NOT going well until after the future Kyuubi joined the fray.
4) Naruto also DIDN'T plan on releasing his Kyuubi. The original plan called for him using the Shiki Fuujin, guaranteeing his death. Thus, he never worked the past bijuu being sealed into him as a possibility.
I also have to make one thing clear: This story does not follow canon past chapter 498. In other words, Kushina was not a jinchuuriki, Madara did not rip the Kyuubi out of her, etc.
Enjoy!
Chapter 18: Something To Remember Me By
After the funeral service, the group headed to the Namikaze house to retrieve the letters Naruto had left behind. Many of them couldn't bear to enter his room, so Minato walked in with the help of his sensei, Jiraiya.
What they found surprised even them. On the desk was a box, which upon opening, they found it to be filled with letters and seals. Picking one of the latter up, Jiraiya recognized it instantly. "It's a memory," he said. The toad sage looked at his student, perplexed. "What would he want to show you?"
Minato, however, was busy opening the letter that sat on the top of it all. It read…
Dear Everyone,
If you're reading all of this stuff, then it means I'm dead. Yeah, it feels weird writing that, but hey, when you travel back in time "weird" goes out the window. I've had a few months to prepare this stuff, so I tried to cover everything I wanted you to know.
Enclosed in the box, aside from the letters—which are addressed to each of you—, are memories I've left behind for you guys. Some of them my teammates will know; others formerly belonged only to me.
For those of you who are from the future like me, I ask that you not share any memories earlier than the ones contained in this box. Those are my own. My childhood is not something I want to share, ever. Please respect that.
Like I said, remember me with a smile. My only regret is that I caused you all the pain of losing me…but that's guilt I can bear in exchange for your safety. I made my choice, and I've had a lot of time to think it through. Trust me, if there was another way that didn't involve the death of my parents or someone I cared about, I would have done it. I know that some of you would have taken my place, which is exactly why I couldn't tell you what I planned to do.
This is who I am. My precious people have always mattered more to me than my own life. That is also my choice. It's a vow I've made to myself and others many times. I live by keeping my word, and so I have.
Don't blame yourselves for anything. Don't think "if only I had done…" Because that would piss me off. That's not how I want to be remembered.
The memories are labeled in an order, so stick to that, please.
Well, what can I say? Writing is not my specialty. I don't know what to write. I don't have any magical words of wisdom to share. I just tend to wing it, and it works out pretty well. Including this time.
Love,
Naruto
Minato let his arm droop down as the tears continued to fall. Jiraiya gently took the letter, read it, and decided to give it to the people waiting outside. The blond remained rooted where he stood. He'd let his son down in the worst way possible…his son died where he should have. But Naruto had told him not to think like that…he cracked a bittersweet smile as he recalled his son's words.
Because that would piss me off.
00.000.00
After leaving a Hiraishin kunai next to the box for easy access, the group now assembled inside the memory room. Hiruzen placed the pre-made seal in the designated spot, and they entered the memory.
The scenery faded into…a stone wall with paint? Hanging by a rope, Naruto was painting something, but what? Kushina wondered.
Voices shouted from below. "Look at what you've done!"
"Stop doing this!"
"You'll pay for this!"
I turned around, smiling. "SHUT UP YOU MORONS! None of you would be able to do something like this! But I can! I'm incredible!"
Suddenly Kushina felt the urge to laugh and cry at the same time. Her son had just pulled off a prank that would put hers to shame…he had painted the faces of the Hokage Monument while hanging from a rope. It was even more ironic that he was painting his father's face at the time. It was something she would have been so proud about had she been there…
Before I could complete my work, a familiar voice made me jump in surprise.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING DURING CLASS TIME? GET DOWN HERE YOU MORON!"
Iruka-sensei. Crap.
My arms tied, I sat in front of the class while Iruka-sensei lectured me. "Tomorrow is the Academy Graduation Exam and you've already failed it the last two times! This isn't the time to be causing trouble!"
I scoffed at him. "Whatever…"
Iruka ordered a impromptu henge test, yet again making the class pissed off at me. "This is all your fault!" one yelled.
"Like I give a damn…"
"Next, Uzumaki Naruto!"
Of course, the last thing Kushina expected was for Naruto to transform into a nearly naked woman, but she supposed she should have known better. This was her son, after all.
Cleaning the monument was tedious, to say the least, but at least this time I had an actual scaffold to work with.
"I won't let you go home until everything is clean!" Iruka shouted down to me.
"Like I care! It's not like I have anyone to go home to!"
That statement brought a gush of tears from Minato and Kushina. All of their guilt came piling back…
"Naruto…"
I looked up at him. "What?"
"Well, um…if everything is cleaned up, I'll buy you some ramen tonight."
My face lit up. "OKAY! I'll work as hard as I can!"
The memory skipped forward to Naruto and Iruka slurping up ramen at Ichiraku's. Kushina recalled when she had suggested that very same shop to her son when they met on the village wall…he had really known about it all along?
"Naruto?"
I slurped down some more noodles. "Huh?"
"Why were you doing that to the monument? Don't you know who the Hokage are?"
"Of course I know!" I shouted in protest. "Basically the Hokage are the strongest shinobi of this village, right? And among them is the Yondaime Hokage, a hero who saved the village from the Kyuubi no Youko."
Minato couldn't bear the sheer irony of it all. Only now was he beginning to understand…Naruto truly had no idea who his parents were. On top of it all, Naruto had sacrificed himself in his own place…knowing full well what would have happened otherwise.
"Then why?" he asked.
"Well, one day I'm going to get the Hokage title," I said, pointing my chopsticks at Iruka-sensei with a determined look, "and then I will surpass all of the previous Hokage!"
The blond wanted to tell him that he already had…but he knew he couldn't…
The day of the Academy Graduation Exam came, and lucky me, it was the Bunshin no Jutsu: my worst jutsu. I was the last person to go, and when I did…the results were terrible.
"FAIL!" yelled Iruka.
"This is his third time, and he did create a clone. We could let him pass…" Suddenly, Mizuki looked like my savior. My hopes ran high…
"No way Mizuki! All of the others created two clones, and Naruto oly created one—which was useless. I can't let him pass."
No one could believe the paradox. The guy who could make thousands of shadow clones failed his graduation exam because he couldn't properly make a single normal clone?
Once again, my hopes had been crushed right in front of me. Later, I sat on the familiar swing, unable to look at the happy kids being congratulated by their parents…
"Great job! That's my son!"
"Now you're a man!"
"I'm so proud of you! I'm going to make your favorite dinner tonight!"
Every statement felt like a blade to the heart for his parents. The moments they were never there for their child when he needed them the most…
Two girls near the crowd glared at me. "Hey, that kid…" one said.
"Yeah, that's 'the kid' and he's also the only one who failed."
"Well, that's a good thing. He shouldn't become a shinobi, since he is—"
"Shh! We're not supposed to talk about that."
I pulled my goggles over my eyes to hide the tears.
As I walked home, Mizuki-sensei asked to talk to me. We sat on a terrace overlooking a portion of the village.
"Iruka-sensei is a serious person. His parents were killed by the Kyuubi no Youko when he was young and he had to take care of everything himself."
"But then why does he only pick on me?" I shouted.
Mizuki smiled at me. "He probably sees himself in you. He's probably thinking that he wants to see you become strong the real way. Try to understand Iruka's feelings, since you also have no parents…"
I slouched even further. "…but I wish I graduated…"
"In that case..I'll tell you a special secret."
I looked at him, confused. "Huh?"
"There's another way to graduate…"
Minato recognized the trap and lie immediately, and was furious. His son's teacher had so blatantly taken advantage of Naruto's trust, desperation, and grief? He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
Hiruzen was particularly embarrassed when Naruto used his 'Sexy no Jutsu' to knock him out cold. Though he had to admit, being able to defeat a Hokage as an Academy student was unheard of, despite the…unconventional means.
I studied the scroll. "Let's see, the first jutsu is 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?' What the hell! Why does it start with the thing I'm bad at!"
Once again, the memory skipped forward to a panting Naruto sitting in the middle of the forest.
Iruka-sensei walked up to me. "I've found you…" he said as he smiled.
I pointed at him, joking around. "Hey! I found the nose-bleeder!"
"Baka! I found you!"
I scratched the back of my head. "Hehehe…you found me…I've only had time to learn one thing…damn."
"Hey! You look all beaten up, what were you doing here?"
"Never mind that! Hey, hey! I'm going to try and incredible jutsu! If I do it, then let me graduate!"
Iruka seemed very confused now. "Naruto, where did you get that scroll?"
"What, this? Mizuki-sensei told me about it, and about this place too." I grinned wide at him. "He said if I showed you this skill, I'd definitely graduate!"
Suddenly, I was shoved aside by Iruka. Looking back up, I saw that he had been peppered by a hail of kunai.
"Nice job finding the moron!" shouted Mizuki.
"I see…so that's what's going on," commented Iruka.
"Naruto, give me the scroll!" yelled the traitor.
I looked between the two frantically. "What? What's going on here? Hey?"
"Naruto, whatever happens, don't give him the scroll! That's a dangerous scroll that has forbidden ninjutsu written inside of it! Mizuki used you to get his hands on the scroll!
I was very alert now.
"Naruto," said Mizuki, "there's no point in you having it. I'll tell you the truth."
"No! Don't!" yelled my sensei.
Mizuki continued anyway. "Twelve years ago…you know about the Kyuubi no Youko being defeated, right? Since that day…a special rule was created for this village."
"…a rule?" I asked.
"But…this rule could never be told to you."
"Not to me? What is this rule? Tell me!"
Mizuki chuckled. "The rule that nobody is allowed to talk about the fact that you ARE the Kyuubi no Youko!"
Everything froze. My knees buckled as my mind reeled. "Wha-what do you mean?" I shouted.
Iruka begged for him to stop, but the bastard was enjoying himself now. "It means that you are the Kyuubi no Youko…that killed Iruka's parents, destroyed the village, and killed your precious Yondaime Hokage! You were sealed up by the Hokage you admire and have been lied to by everyone! Didn't you find it odd how everyone hates you? Iruka is the same! He also hates you!" Mizuki grabbed one of the giant shuriken from his back and prepared to throw it. "Nobody will ever love you! That scroll was used to seal you up!"
My whole world had been turned upside down. Now everything made sense. The glares. The hate. I am the demon who destroyed the village…who killed all of those people…I deserve to die…
Kushina's heart was overwhelmed. She had just learned more about her son's childhood than she had in the past year and a half…she still couldn't even imagine it. Everyone hated him…no one ever loved him…no one, let alone a child, should ever have to feel anything like that. She finally understood the true weight of Hinata's confession and apparent death to him…it was even worse than she had previously thought. And to think that he believed he had killed his own father, his hero and idol…
I didn't even move as the shuriken flew at me. But a blur appeared in front of my face as a drop of blood dripped onto my cheek. It was…Iruka-sensei…taking the hit for me. "Why?" I asked, fearful.
"My parents…after they died there was nobody to compliment or acknowledge me…I always acted like an idiot just to get people's attention, since I wasn't good at things like learning or doing was better than nothing, so I kept acting like an idiot. It was so painfull…" The man started crying over me. "Naruto, you must also have been in a lot of pain. I'm sorry, if I only did a better job…you woulnd't have to feel like this…"
Overwhelmed, I ran away as fast as I could. It was too much to process. I hid behind a tree as the pair fought briefly and then talked.
"Hehehe, you'd even transform into what killed your parents to protect him."
"I won't hand the scroll over to someone like you! You idiot! Naruto and I are the same!"
I felt a twinge of hope, that maybe I wasn't a complete monster after all…
"If you use the techniques in that scroll, you can do whatever you want. There's no way that demon fox wouldn't try to use the power of the scroll, unlike what you're assuming."
Iruka sighed. "Yeah…"
That was the last straw. Even Iruka-sensei, deep down, hated me too. I killed his parents…
"The demon fox would do that…but Naruto is different." My head perked up. "He is one of my excellent students. He may not be the hardest worker, and he is clumsy and no one accepts him…but he already knows what it is to feel pain inside your heart. He isn't the demon fox. He is a member of Konoha. He's Uzumaki Naruto!"
I broke down, crying. The hope that I wasn't a monster returned.
"Well, whatever." Iruka grunted in pain as Mizuku pulled the second huge shuriken off of his back. "Iruka…I said I would take care of you later, but I changed my mind. HURRY UP AND DIE!"
He moved to throw the shuriken…but I slammed into him, knocking off his aim. "You shouldn't have done that!" he yelled.
I looked at him, hate in my eyes. "Don't touch Iruka-sensei or I'll kill you!" I yelled.
"You idiot! Why did you come out? Run away!" shouted my sensei.
"Haha, I'll kill someone like you with one shot!" Mizuki yelled.
I formed a hand seal. "Try it trash! I'll return the pain a thousand times over!"
"Then do it, demon fox!"
"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Mizuki suddenly found himself surrounded by a thousand shadow clones.
The traitor looked around in shock. "Wha—what's going on?" he shouted.
"What's wrong?" I taunted. "Weren't you going to kill me in one shot? Well then, I'll start!"
He screamed as I beat the shit out of him. Dispelling the clones, I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head again. "Hehe…I went a little too far…"
Everyone stared at the memory in stunned surprise. Naruto, as an academy student, managed to beat the crap out of his Chuunin Instructor? Sakura, Sasuke, and Hinata finally realized what happened to their academy teacher. None of them had ever seen this coming.
"Naruto, come over here…there's something I want to give you."
I closed my eyes as asked. "Now, sensei?"
"Yes, you can open your eyes now."
I did, and found Iruka's head bare. "Congratulations on graduating!" Iruka shouted. "Let's celebrate! I'll buy you some ramen!"
Feeling happier than I ever had been, I jumped at him, locking him in a tight embrace.
The memory skipped ahead…
Waking up with a stretch and a yawn, I walked around my small, messy apartment and quickly got ready. I saw the glint of my hitae-ate and the memories came flooding back. I had graduated! I needed to get to the Academy quickly!
Taking a seat next to a brooding Sasuke, a classmate came up to me. "Huh? Naruto, what the hell are you doing here? Only the ones who passed the exam are supposed to be here!"
I shouted back at him a little angrily. "Hey, hey! Can't you see the hitai-ate?"
"Hey, will you let me through already?" yelled a girl from behind that kid. I turned to see it was none other than my crush, Sakura-chan. Could it be…that she wants to sit next to me?
"NARUTO! MOVE YOUR ASS! I WANT TO SIT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF YOU!"
Confused, I looked over to see Sasuke. Damn it! It's always him, the most popular guy in the class!
Sakura and Sasuke facepalmed at that part while Kakashi-jisan and Hinata just laughed. When Naruto and Sasuke accidentally ended up kissing, Sasuke and Sakura hid their faces in embarrassment while the rest of the group joined in the laughter.
"Okay, next is Team 7. Haruno Sakura…Uzumaki Naruto…" I shouted in triumph while Sakura slumped in gloom. "…and Uchiha Sasuke."
Now I slumped in gloom while Sakura cheered. "Iruka-sensei!" I shouted, pointing my finger at Sasuke. "Why does an outstanding shinobi like me have to be on the same team as that prick over there?"
Iruka placed his hands on his hips sternly. "Sasuke's grades were the best of all 27 graduates…and yours were dead last. You understand that we have to balance the teams, right?"
"Bah," grunted Sasuke. "Just don't get in my way…dobe."
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"
The memory skipped ahead one last time…
"Why is our Team 7 sensei so damn late?" I shouted.
The fog lifted and the surroundings returned to normal. Tears trickled down the time travelers' faces as the nostalgia came flooding back. For the non-Academy students of Naruto's generation, the realization that this had all happened the day before the memory of Team 7's formation was incredible. When they first saw Team 7 introduce themselves in a memory more than a year ago, none of them had any idea that something horrible had happened right beforehand. How could he simply shrug off something so traumatic as if it never happened?
The answer came to Minato relatively quickly. His childhood must have been hell…the only way to explain why he acted so happy despite it all was that the boy actively tried to forget. He would wake up and try not to think of what had happened yesterday or the day before. He truly lived on a day by day basis on the hope that tomorrow would be better. This conclusion horrified Minato, but the sad reality that if Naruto had not done something like that he would have been a cold, distant person was heart wrenching.
00.000.00
Dear Kakashi-sensei,
You will not go to the Memorial Stone every waking moment of free time you have. That's not a question or a suggestion. That's a so-help-me-Kami-I-will-kick-the-ever-loving-shit-out-of-you-if-you-disobey-me order. Got it?
You are not to blame for any of this, at all. There is nothing you could have done. This wasn't at all like Obito's death; there isn't even a question of guilt. It was my choice, made months ahead of time.
With that out of the way (I know you too well, it seems), I can say what I REALLY want to say.
First off, I want to thank you for keeping me safe when I was a child. I understand that you were too emotionally broken to take care of my emotional needs—Kami knows you had too many of your own—but you saved me from the mobs and drunks, and for that I am eternally grateful. You helped me and protected me as my sensei, and you inspired me to work harder to reach that next lofty goal.
You're like family to me. Scratch that, you are family. It's a shame that it took me so long to realize that.
I would not want any other jounin-sensei, no matter who I had to choose from. I've never told this to anyone else before, but I came to view your odd habits—from ridiculous tardiness to always reading your perverted books—as endearing. It was…different. It made me feel a bit special, in a way. I can't really describe it, but I had to at least try.
We did pretty well, didn't we? We went back in time and saved almost everyone. Obito and Rin are holding hands practically every time you see them together, and your younger self actually stopped wearing his mask all the time.
You know, like a normal person. Minato and Kushina are the cutest couple I've ever seen, and Asumi makes everyone smile. Even when she poops in her diaper. Which, in case you're wondering, is QUITE an accomplishment.
Even Sasuke-teme seems happy now, which I thought was beyond the impossible for the longest time.
Ugh. I hate writing letters like this. It's like while you're writing it, you can't think of anything to say, but when you're not writing it, you want to say everything. Damn it, I should have asked Ero-sennin for help. He was a much better writer anyway.
I'm going to tell you things in this letter that I won't tell anyone else. Not even my parents. In a way, you're the person I'm closest to. You were there the day I was born, and you saw me through my entire life. I don't mind talking openly about my childhood here, because you know it all anyway.
And you can handle it. Unfortunately, I know I can't say the same of anyone else I know.
I live my life with a constant pain. Like a hole in my heart that you know all too well. It can't heal. Some things will cover it up, like spending time with my sister or laughing with my parents…but the real wound never heals. Spending the first twelve years of my life alone and hated was hard. From what I know, that kind of damage runs deep enough to be engrained into who you are. I guess that's why I had no problems doing what I did…I've never really cared that much about living anyway. No matter what good stuff happens, there's just no sense for me in caring more about my own survival when a friend is in danger. Try as I might, I just don't get it.
I love my parents, I really do, but it's impossible to really have the kind of relationship I wish for. With everyone else, they had years to spend with their parents. They had a childhood to remember them by. But I never knew my parents for almost my entire life. I didn't even know about them at all. We've become a family, sure, but it's more like I'm a close cousin than a son. Ironic, right?
It IS something amazing though. I love every second I get to spend with them. I've never felt more accepted or loved than I'm around them (well, with Hinata-chan standing next to me too, but you know what I mean). The days…months…years of wishing with all my might to wake up the next morning with a loving family and brothers and sisters…they took their toll on me too much. I never really had a childhood, at least as it's been described to me over the years. What's worse, having something and losing it in a horrible way or never having it in the first place?
I've thought long and hard on that one. But with the experiences of the past year, I can safely say that it is far worse to never have those things at all. I never had a happy memory to fall back on. No memory of my family or a time when I could remember someone holding me and telling me everything was going to be alright.
That's something Sasuke really doesn't know. The pain is far worse when you learn of the experiences you could have had, but were denied. When I met my mom after battling for control of my Kyuubi's chakra, she told me all about the day I was born. That pain afterwards…trying to imagine what my life would have been like had that day been different…was the worst I've ever felt. Worse, even, than losing the ones I love. I don't know why. I've experienced both, but they just don't even compare.
But I can take comfort in knowing that I DID change things so that Asumi will never have that kind of pain. So that Sasuke can bond with his family once again. So that you don't have to go the memorial stone to talk to Obito…you can go talk to him in the flesh. So that Nagato will never know the pain of losing Yahiko, or cutting himself off from happy thoughts completely. So that all the families who were torn apart by the Third Great Shinobi War after the battle of Kannabi Bridge will be happy. So that Neji will not grow up grieving bitterly over the loss of his father and mother. So that my Mom and Dad can live out the rest of their lives as a legendary husband and wife, raising a kickass family that will dominate the history books. I think of all that, and I can't help but feel happy. I can give that happiness to people where it was completely denied to me. I can save them from the pain that I still suffer from every day. No regrets. Only the knowledge that I fixed what was once wrong.
Damn it, what can I say? These are my final words to you, but I'm terrible at this stuff. I don't have sagely wisdom (more irony, yay) to pass on.
I guess, then, I'll leave it with this:
Take off your damn mask already. Can you do that for me? As one last favor for me?
Love,
Naruto
"I know, I know," Kakashi-jisan said to the Memorial Stone. "You don't want me coming here all the time. I get it. But I have to have some place to talk to you, right?" Kakashi sighed, his hand hovering over his mask. "Yeah, I can do that for you, Naruto." He pulled it down from his face. "You never did get to see it, did you? Well…you will, someday. When it's my time to go, too. I have to admit, you did a damn good job with all this. They're taking it very well, all things considered. You really left a lot of things to remember you by. Your sister, especially. I'm sure she'll want to know all about you when she grows up. You're her counterpart, and she's yours. It's almost like you're twins…of fate, or something. Okay, I'm not one for sagely wisdom either. Sorry…"
He got back up to his feet. "I'll visit from time to time, let you know how things are going. And don't worry…" He started to walk away, but stopped, his head turning back to the stone. "I will be late."
00.000.00
Dear Mom and Dad,
Please, please don't beat yourselves up about this. You didn't fail me, nor was anything your fault. My actions were my choice, and I followed my nindo all the way through. I don't let my precious people die, no matter what.
I love you guys. I won't lie; our relationship was never really that of father/mother and son. It never really could be. But we did have something special, something that made me happier than ever. And for that, I hope you can smile.
Whenever I look at you two, I get a sense of belonging. You're where I come from; you're my history and, in an odd way, my legacy. I need you to understand just how big of a deal that is. The thing I lacked for most of my life was that sense of belonging. I didn't even know who my parents were until I was 16. Meeting you guys, even if it was for a total of a few minutes, meant the world to me. When I met you that day on the battlefield with Iwa, Dad, it was like living a dream. As a kid, my biggest fantasy (aside from waking up to a loving family and siblings) was fighting alongside the legendary Yellow Flash, the Yondaime Hokage. That, too, meant more to me than you could possibly know. And meeting you, Mom, on the village wall oh-so-worried about your precious Minato-kun was…I don't know how to describe it. It was…no, I really can't put any words to it. It was a great feeling, one that I'll always cherish. The time I got to spend with both of you was something I could only have dreamed of before…having actually lived it, I really can die happy.
If you ever need to know more about me, ask Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, or Sai…they know all about me. Mostly. There are some things about myself that even I don't understand, and probably never will.
You've helped me when I needed it most, in my most dire of hours. You didn't let me down. You saved me.
I'm terrible at stuff like this. I can't think of what to say. Even when I do, I can't put my thoughts into words. So I'll stick with the stuff I know.
Dad, I'm betting you 5000 ryou that Asumi will eat ramen just like Mom and me. I'm holding you to that.
Here are some tips for her, from someone who has a lot in common for her.
Teach her the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu while she's still in the Academy. Trust me, she can handle it. And tell her about the knowledge transfer right off the bat, too. That would have saved me a lot of trouble…it makes me laugh when I think about it.
If she's anything like me, she'll train until she drops from exhaustion. This is normal. It's ALSO normal for her to wake up in a few hours ready to go anew. After several helping of ramen, of course.
Tell her not to trust the Kyuubi until she is told otherwise. She'll know when the time comes. But also tell her to try and build a relationship with him. As crazy as it sounds, it is important, and is a very special thing for a jinchuuriki.
Tell her to actually pay attention in the Academy. It would have saved me a lot of trouble.
Don't let her status as daughter of the Hokage (or, maybe, as the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki) get to her head. Tell her to make friends wherever possible, ESPECIALLY with the weird ones who don't approach her. That's very important. I wish I had followed that advice.
If she has fanboys, tell her to ask Sasuke and Sakura for tips in dealing with them.
Tell her to prank Kakashi (both of them) and Sasuke for me. That is of the utmost importance. Someone must continue my legacy.
Lastly, tell her to never give up and to stay true to her word. Don't let her take anything for granted, because some people never can.
Love,
Naruto
P.S. – Don't name a kid after me. Please. It's bad enough with two Kakashi's.
Kushina held her daughter and husband as they wept together with smiles on their faces. They'd all seen the memory of when Naruto first met her inside of his mind, two years ago. Though embarrassed by the tale of their own love story, the whole thing was especially endearing. But the bitter irony of it all…the fact that at the end, she and Minato disappeared in front of his eyes as he lived on…was not lost on them. It was a hard reality to swallow.
00.000.00
Dear Obito,
Kakashi-sensei would. not. stop. obsessing. over. you. when. you. died. He visited the memorial stone every waking moment of his free time (and then some, since he was several hours late every time a life wasn't on the line), talking to you.
So don't forget to prank the shit out of him, okay? I never saw him laugh until he saved you. Make that count, by the way. Enjoy the life you have, knowing that in my time, you never lived past 13. Think about that every day so that even the most annoying, boring moments of your life seem wonderful.
Trust me; I know what I'm talking about. Knowing that you're going to die months in advance is…a kind of freedom. It's almost like a beautiful gift. Every little thing is amazing. Every bowl of ramen is heavenly. Every laugh is that much funnier. Every smile warms your heart that much more.
I hope you and Rin will be happy. I have to say, I've never seen Kakashi (the elder) smile so wide when he saw you two together. It was like a big hole in his heart had been healed. Again, I know what I'm talking about.
You're a great shinobi and a wonderful student. It's been an honor being your sensei.
Prank on,
Naruto
00.000.00
Hinata held her letter loosely as the tears tricked down her face. She tried thinking of all the regrets she'd had, from being too shy to even approach her love until it was almost too late to not being able to save him. But her blond knucklehead had thought of everything ahead of time.
Dear Hinata-chan,
Of all the letters I have to write, this one is the hardest. I am far guiltier for not being able to spend the rest of my life with you than I am leaving my family incomplete. I really love you, and it's hard to let it all go, but there is no other way. I promised to never let my precious people die, and I never go back on my word.
I will never forget the time we spent together. Every moment, every day was like a day in heaven. I say that meaning every word…after living in hell most of my life, I should know the difference.
I know you. You will do a few things. You'll hate yourself for not having the courage to approach me earlier in your life, or confess your feelings years earlier. You'll also blame yourself for not being able to save me or change my mind.
Both of which, by the way, are stupid. Didn't we already agree to let the past go? You had reasons for what you did. Just as I was completely oblivious to your feelings, you were too shy to reveal them. We're both at fault, in that regard. And really, we had NO idea that any of this was going to happen. But we made the most of it, that's for sure.
So if you berate yourself AGAIN over stupid crap like that, I will not eat ramen for a month. And you know how terrible a torture that is for me.
You know all the stuff I want to say. We know each other too well for this letter to have deep revelations or crap like that.
So I'll say the one thing that, perhaps, you will actually question in the future. I want you to be happy, no matter what. That means that if you find a guy you like a year from now, by all means go and ask him out. Find someone you love and live a happy life. Seeing you with a loving family of your own would make me happier than you could possibly know. Okay? Can you do that for me?
I can't find anything to say here. There are no words of wisdom or last thoughts that I can put down here to sum everything up. There is no good way to say goodbye for the last time. So...like I've told everyone, remember me with a smile…because that is the best way to honor me. Remember the good, not the bad. That's how I've always lived my life.
I love you,
Naruto
00.000.00
"I can't believe you, dobe." Sasuke clutched his letter with a soft hand. "You were supposed to become the greatest Hokage, remember?" He paused, sighing painfully. "I…I never imagined any of this that day when we stated our dreams. I thought I had lost everything…but it's taken me all this time to realize that I hadn't. You were the one who lost everything. And worst of all…you lost it all before you even knew you had it. And yet you kept going like there was no tomorrow. How did you do it? I…I've tried imagining myself in your position, doing the things you did…but I can't. I just don't understand how anyone could keep going after that. How you never lost hope on me, or never gave in to despair when almost everyone else in your position would have…"
He bowed his head, holding back a sob. "Damn it, dobe…I told you not to die. It wasn't meant to be like this…"
For the first time since Itachi's death, Sasuke let the tears flow freely.
A/N: Next chapter might come out later today, perhaps...
All I can say is you'll want to read this to the end. Naruto's legacy remains, as do many of his memories...how will Asumi react to that?
