Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!
Sky-eyed Kitsune and Gomi-kun blab & Updates
Sky-eyed Kitsune: Glad that you all weren't too angry with me from the previous chapter lol. We've finally reached chapter twenty!!! :youthful tears: I am so honored to recieve such lovely reviews!
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For those of you just joining the madness now, I have stopped replying to reviewers because I've got so many that it tends to take an hour to do so! X0 But please know that I treasure each review I get, and read them all. In fact when I read them they made me smile in the way that a writer does when they've realized that they have a reason to write! So sincerely, thank you all who take the time and read and review! I will though be answering questions if someone doesn't understand one part of the story or something along those lines. ^^
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Chapter Twenty: Letters
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Tsuande hummed as she took out her extra key to the Hokage's office. Naruto had had one specially made for her so she could visit what had once been her office anytime she liked.
She placed the key in the lock and was surprised when she found the door already opened. She shrugged and strode in.
"Ohayo Hokage-sama!" she said loudly and cheerfully, heading straight to the sake cabinet and taking out a glass for herself.
"Oi gaki, why are you hear so early? You're taking this Hokage business too seriously. You have plenty of years to work as Hokage, so relax a little, ne?" Tsunade poured herself a drink and walked over to the desk.
"Hellooo?" she said, taking a sip. She walked around the desk and smiled when she saw Naruto slumped in his chair, head lolled to the side.
"Finally you're sleeping," she said to herself. She pushed back his hair from his face, and paused momentarily when she felt no warmth radiating from his skin. Come to think of it, she hadn't even sensed a chakra presence when she had walked into the building.
Tsunade let Naruto's hair drop as she tightened the grip on her glass.
She looked down to the floor in thought, and stopped in mid-sip when she saw Naruto's hitaiate lying on the floor, his hand lying limp and open a little ways above it.
Sake stained the wooden floor as Tsuade's glass shattered in her hand.
Jiraiya giggled and drooled a little as he watched tree lovely young women play at the shallow end of a lake just outside of Konoha, splashing each other and laughing.
Jiraiya quickly scribbled on his notepad as he wiped away the saliva hanging off his chin.
"Great stuff, great stuff!" he chuckled quietly to himself. He jerked and looked up when he heard a scream, and stood from his squashed position behind the bushes.
"Kiara! Help! Help!" one of them cried, and Jiraiya saw one of the women thrashing in the water further out to the deep end.
"She can't swim!" the other girl cried.
Jiraiya bit his finger and make a quick but silent summoning jutsu. A large toad appeared beside him, and he pointed to the lake.
The toad made a mighty leap, and the girls screamed and ran as it crashed into the water. It swam below the drowning woman, and then stood, carrying her on its back to shore.
Jiraiya sighed as the women made a fuss over the other one, helping her down from the toad as she coughed up water.
It was a close call, and she probably would've drowned if Jiraiya hadn't been peeking.
Jiraiya stood proudly and took long, proud steps ahead.
"Another life saved by the great Toad Sage!" he chortled to himself as he went. He fell backward, waving his arms in a frenzy when a poof of smoke erupted right under him.
"Wha-wha!?" he stuttered, and his eyebrow twitched when he saw that it was just one of Tsuande's small slugs.
"Ugh, what have I done now?" he whined, running a hand down his face. The slug pushed a scroll towards him before leaving in another puff or white.
Jiraiya grumbled as he swiped the scroll from the ground and practically ripped it open.
"What!?"
Sasuke groaned as he opened his door.
"What?" he practically hissed as he saw Sakura facing him.
"Sasuke-kun, it's—"
"Barely past sunrise and I don't need to start my morning off in the worst way possible," he interrupted, and slammed the door.
"Sasuke-kun, it's Naruto!"
Sasuke reopened the door immediately and waited for Sakura to answer. Now that he looked at her, the white's of her eyes were red and bloodshot, her hair a frizzy mess.
"He…" She took a moment to gather herself, hiccuping once. "He's…dead."
Tsunade and several other ANBU turned abruptly as the door to Naruto's office was smashed open off its hinges.
Sasuke rushed in, and stopped in front of Tsunade.
He didn't say anything, searching her face for confirmation of Sakura's report.
She looked away from Sasuke's eyes, gesturing a hand towards the seat behind the hokage's desk. It was faced away from Sasuke's so he couldn't see anything in it.
He walked cautiously forward, and then froze as he saw a limp hand hanging from the armrest of the chair.
"Sasuke!" Tsuande cried as the raven leapt over the desk and turned the chair to face him.
He scanned his eyes over Naruto's dropped eyelids hiding those living, shining eyes. The blond's Hokage robes bunched in his slouched position as if to support him. As his eyes traveled further down they locked onto the Konoha headband lying on the floor not a foot from Naruto's limp hand.
Sasuke grasped the hand firmly and gripped his hair roughly in the other.
It was cold.
"Sasuke…" Tsuande said, trying to find something to say.
Sasuke didn't answer; he didn't even hear her. His senses were closed off, only the iciness of Naruto's palm echoing through him.
Sasuke moved his hand up the length of Naruto's arm, climbing to his still face. He brushed his fingertips over the blond's black scars, and swept down to trace the gentle contours of those lips, those lips he had not even one day ago kissed.
Sasuke held Naruto's face in his hands, brushing his thumbs under the softly closed eyes, expecting them to open and reveal his own reflection in their blue depths.
Sasuke swept golden locks from that beautiful, beautiful face, that face that radiated so much warmth, and now housed only the cold.
Sasuke let his head dip forward until it leaned against Naruto's. He could feel the tears getting ready to spill, and he scrunched his eyes shut, and an aching sob tore from his throat. He grasped Naruto's limp shoulders, pulling him into a tight embrace, placing his hand on the back of the blond locks as he wept.
Tsunade looked on with her own tears flowing down her cheeks. She turned and walked out of the room, motioning for the ANBU to follow.
Sasuke didn't care who was watching- he didn't give a damn at all. He dropped down to his knees, taking Naruto with him in his embrace.
"Open…open your eyes…do-dobe," he whispered in between sobs. He pulled back and pressed his lips against Naruto's firmly.
"Wake up!!!"
Tsunade wasn't entirely sure at first if she had the courage to tell everyone the news, and yet there she stood in Naruto's office, surrounded by his closest companions.
"Thank you all for coming here on such short notice," Tsunade said, building up a barrier behind her eyes so no tears would slip through. "As you all are aware, Hokage-sama is dead. But more importantly, Naruto is…gone."
The room was silent with the exception of quiet sniffs here and there.
"And that's what we're here for. When I came in here this morning I found this on Naruto's desk…" Tsunade held up an envelope addressed to her. "I opened it and inside Naruto had requested that I read it aloud to you all. So without further ado:
To my village,
I apologize that I couldn't have been your Hokage for very long. The sealing technique to stabilize the Kyuubi's chakra from taking me over backfired, and instead the seal was using up all the chakra it could, including mine. I didn't have enough to keep it at bay. I have loved this village for my entire life because it was the one place where my friends were, and it was the place I knew I would gladly die fighting for. In my absence I request that Tsuande-sama resume the role of Hokage until a suitable heir to the title is found. I will fondly miss this place, and hope to come back to it one day if ever possible.
To my friends,
First off, let me just say that if there is one tear in this room I'm sending Gamabunta to haunt each and every one of you. Hinata: I'm sorry that I couldn't have been there for the birth of your child. I'm sure it will be as beautiful as you and Shino will be a proud father.
Hinata managed a smile through her silent tears as Shino wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.
To Ino and Chouji: I know you will have a happy life together.
Choji held Ino tightly.
My dear companion Gaara: you are and will always be my closest friend. I will miss you terribly, and I wish nothing but the best for you and Neji, and your siblings as well.
Gaara didn't display any emotion, and neither did Neji standing beside him. Gaard stood with his hands in the pockets of his hokage robes like he was being told about the weather.
Shikamaru: I hereby pass to you the rank of ANBU captain. I'm sorry I couldn't do so sooner, but there was a lot of paperwork to fill out for it. I know you will lead our squad well. I also hope that you will get over your denial and admit that you do have a "thing" for Temari."
Temari looked over to Shikamaru, eyes wide, and he grumbled to himself.
"Sakura: I wish you well in your medical studies
Sakura bowed her head.
Sai: I hold no grudges, especially in death. Kiba: The same goes for you.
Kiba and Sai looked at each other before stealing their gazes away to elsewhere.
I know that there is one certain brown-haired chunin here today bawling no doubt on Kakashi-sensei's shoulder."
Iruka looked up from Kakashi's chest, then let his head drop back down as he continued to cry and sniffle quietly.
"I also know there is another who's an even bigger perv than Kakashi-sensei here.
Jiraiya made a sour face and crossed his arms.
Iruka-sensei and Ero-senin: you were both the fathers I never had. I grew with your guidance, understanding, and a couple whacks on the head. I am forever grateful.
Iruka held a hand over his eyes as he exited the room, and Kakashi followed behind to comfort the broken-hearted chunin.
Baa-chan: I have a few words to leave behind to you that for once don't include "drinking", "old hag", or "sake". I know you're probably expecting some good-natured yet goofy response, but right now I'd like to be serious. Thank you. Truly. I cannot express how much you helped me to grow and solidify my ultimate life's dream of Hokage. You were one of the few who I believe truly understood and believed in me.
Tsunade cleared her throat as she continued, a tear escaping from one of her eyes.
Finally, Kyuubi: I was at first very afraid of you, but as I grew older and you recognized me as a strong-willed individual, I formed with you an unbreakable brotherly bond. You are and will always be my Kyuubi-nii.
Goodbye,
Uzumaki Naruto
6th Hokage
Sasuke stared into the void space of what was once a great hokage's office, now stripped of its owners possessions and the owner itself.
He didn't flinch as ANBU carrying boxes of Naruto's things passed him on their way to the door. He didn't move, didn't make a sound even when they left. He stared out into the empty space and felt how sedentary it really was, like all of the life had been sucked out of it. Then again, that really is what had happened.
Naruto had warmth that made everything around him brim over with life. Now that he had been stolen away life had died in the room.
"Sasuke," Tsunade said behind him, and he turned halfway. She paused before walking up to him, hands behind her back. "Naruto…" She gathered herself. "Naruto left two other things on his desk besides his goodbye letter to everyone. The first note said not to bury his body for 24 hours. I don't know why this is. Does it make any sense to you?"
Sasuke shook his head.
"I thought not," Tsunade sighed. She straightened where she stood. "There was also this…" She removed her hands from behind her back and presented Sasuke with a letter, his name written in sharp ink on the front.
Sasuke took it gently, looking at the soft curves of Naruto's handwriting which he had remembered to be chicken scratch when they were in the academy.
"I didn't want to give it to you until you had calmed," Tsuande explained. With one last glance at the letter she left the office, closing the door firmly behind her.
As the door clicked shut quietly behind him Sasuke turned the letter over, running his finger along the close flaps. He reached inside once they had broken and carefully took out the piece of parchment within, unfolding it carefully.
.
.
Sasuke
I never thought I would be writing a letter like this to you, or to anyone for that matter. I didn't mention you in my other goodbye letter to everyone because I have too much to say.
I know one of your questions: why didn't I tell you? I didn't tell anyone. The only people that knew were myself and Kyuubi. In the one week I had left I did as much work as hokage as I could, but I didn't expect to finally really get to know you during that time as well.
I won't say I'm sorry for pushing you away all this time. I was protecting myself, and also protecting you. I didn't want you to love someone that didn't exist. The Naruto I had always portrayed when we were younger was a fake. I wanted you to meet the real me, and then decide your feelings.
You met me. We talked. We spent time together. And you made me fall for you all over again. Telling you that I only had a short time to live would hurt me too much. In all honesty, I was a coward. I was afraid to say those words to you, and up until now I was too stubborn to admit it, but I'll say it now.
I'm scared, Sasuke. I don't know where I'll go or what will happen to me when the sun comes up. The only thing I'm certain of is that I'll never be able to return to you or Konoha again. Right now the only thing I want to hear is you telling me that it's ok, even though I know it's no going to be. Up until this point I hadn't been afraid of this day at all. I had resigned myself to it, and considered it just another part of my life that I had to accept, and I didn't care if I died. But now I want to stay here, I want to breathe and see your eyes tomorrow, and feel your skin against mine. I have something that I want to live for.
I forgive you, and I love you, Sasuke.
Naruto
.
.
The letter fluttered from Sasuke's grip as the last sentence hung on his fingertips, making its way up to his eyes and sinking into his skin.
He felt his legs shake as all energy was stripped from them, and they collapsed beneath him to his knees.
As the paper finally reached the floor, it was tacked down by the soft patter of drops that melted away the words on the page.
Why am I so mean? ='( Reviews are an honor!
Sky-eyed Kitsune