"Blah": Talking
"Blah": Demon speaking/Inner Sakura
'Blah': Naruto's thoughts/other people's thoughts
'Blah': Harry talking to Naruto
And here we are at the second-to-last chapter!
This chapter has a little resolution to the nature of Harry's curse on Orochimaru in the Forest of Death for a little comedic moment, but the rest is a bit sad with the funeral scene from the original Naruto series. This is going to be kind of a sad chapter, folks :( and this one was pretty tough for me to write when it comes to Naruto dealing with loss. I tried my best to develop how Naruto goes through his loss and I hope it turned out well. I wrote at least four different versions of the funeral scene before I decided on the one I eventually settled with. I also added in a bit of development for Sasuke this time around and the three elders are introduced (or re-introduced) in this chapter as well.
Other than that, there's not much more to add, so let's go on ahead and get to the final chapter!
Reviews are welcome and wanted!
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto,
Harry Potter in property of JK Rowling
Chapter 27: The Memorial Service
For the next couple of days, Naruto remained in the hospital where he sat around in bed and stared out the window most of the time. As he healed, he was soon able to sit on his bed and even walk around a bit. But Iruka insisted he rest as often as he can. Whenever he was on the mend, Naruto would retreat into the mindscape and studied magic. The blonde rookie tried to distract himself as often as he could and wondered where Kakashi was. He hadn't seen his sensei since the invasion and Iruka told him he wasn't seriously injured at all. Kakashi had visited Naruto before when he was struck by lightning and seemed worried about him after the incident in the Land of Waves. But he hadn't seen him since the conclusion of the Chunin Exams.
The rookie guessed his sensei was probably too busy with the defense of the village to visit him, or maybe his teacher had visited him earlier while he was still unconscious for all he knew. But no matter what, Naruto still would have appreciated seeing his masked teacher. He soon looked back down at his textbook and reviewed the more complicated spells dealing with fire whilst in the mindscape. As he continued to stare down at his book, he heard his older brother arrive from his office and sit in one of the armchairs beside the fireplace. Naruto looked over and carried his book with him to the fireplace, but he sat down on the couch, close to the fire. The older wizard seemed lost in thought, still analyzing the exact circumstances of the Priori Incantatem.
Harry turned to look at his little brother and decided it was time he needed a distraction, "You ok?"
"Me?" the blonde wizard asked and then answered, "I'm fine. Just a little bit bored and I'm still a little tired from all the trouble we've been through."
The older wizard smiled, "It's like no matter what we do, no matter what world we live in, trouble still comes looking for us instead of the other way around."
Naruto snorted as he smiled, sitting in a more comfortable position on the couch. His mind started to wander back to Kakashi and he wanted to rant about his continuous neglect. But then he stopped, as he didn't want to fill their warm, comfortable moment in the mindscape with furious rants about his teacher. So Naruto decided to talk about something he had failed to look into earlier.
He asked, "Nii-san… I'm curious… What kind of curse did you use on Orochimaru back in the Forest of Death? What was it?"
"You really want to know?" asked the wizard as he looked at him and rubbed the back of his head and smiled.
Naruto nodded, curious to no end as he watched his trusted companion smile with satisfaction. The older wizard let his smile stretch into a wide smirk as he remembered the exact nature of the ancient curse he had forever burdened Orochimaru of the Sannin with.
He then answered with that wide smirk still stretched across his face, "Let's call it… an extreme case of bad luck."
Naruto's eyes widened as he stared at Harry, and then he started howling with laughter as if his brother had told him the funniest joke he had ever heard in his life, "Hahahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Well it worked, didn't it?!" snapped the wizard.
Naruto tried to hold back his uncontrollable laughter but failed to do so for a while. He fell off the couch and had rolled from side to side as he cradled his insides. His older brother soon summoned the book Naruto had used and whacked him in the head with it, similar to how Hermione reprimanded him when he stepped out of line. The whack to the head silenced Naruto in no time and the rookie returned to the couch as he tried to catch his breath and calmed down.
"Yeah, it worked," he said as he cleaned the tears off his face, and snickered between sentences, "That curse probably saved the Sandaime's life. But I sure hope Orochimaru doesn't like gambling. If he visits a casino, he could lose millions!"
Harry tossed the book back at Naruto and smiled while the rookie caught it in his stomach. The older wizard then stretched out his limbs and blew his hair out of his face out of boredom.
He then said, "You should get some sleep. After all that chaos the Sannin caused things are going to be hectic for a while. With the supposed number of shinobi that died in the invasion, all of the available shinobi, and the rookies, will be needed to help with the cleanup. You might even get a few C-Rank missions!"
The wizard leaned back in his chair, but then he frowned when Naruto didn't sound as excited for more advanced missions as he expected. He looked over at Naruto and saw him look down at his feet with the book in his arms as he held it close to his chest. His hands trembled while most of his face was hidden behind his locks of blonde hair. Naruto seemed stressed after what Harry had said and the wizard wondered if his little brother were still shaken after he witnessed the invasion and the battle with Gaara, or if there were another stressful matter on his mind he was oblivious about.
Harry leaned in closer towards his brother and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I never got to tell you," said the rookie as he continued to stare down at his feet, "When Iruka-aniki visited me yesterday, and you were locked away in your office, he said that in a few days, the Hokage is going to hold a funeral, in honor of all the shinobi that were killed… But I never looked at the list of the dead…"
The older wizard frowned and looked more somber as he realized what it was that was on Naruto's mind. He had seen the list of the dead, or had refused to look at it and he knew the reason. Naruto was afraid, terrified to find one particular name on the list. He still refused to accept Hayate's demise. Harry didn't know what else to tell Naruto and feared his little brother would lash out or hate him if he tried to convince Naruto that his swordsmaster was dead. But he feared Naruto's reaction for when he attended the funeral and was forced to face the truth. Naruto had brushes with death before: the demise of his parents long after their deaths, the supposed death of Sasuke, the deaths of Haku and Zabuza, but this was the first time he had ever had to face the real deal, of losing someone he knew well and cared about. The older wizard wanted to ease Naruto's pain, but all he could do was comfort him and remind him that he still had friends who were waiting to help him as soon as he was ready to accept it.
"I see…" said the wizard before he sat beside his old friend.
The blonde-haired rookie leaned into his embrace when he reached his arm around him and let the book in his arms fall onto the floor. The two wizards sat there in front of the fire and stared out ahead as the flames danced and flickered about. Neither one of the spoke or shed a single tear, though Naruto was able to relax and stop trembling as he stared at the fire and let the heat warm him in addition to embrace from his oldest mentor.
Naruto was released from the hospital and Iruka escorted him back to their home. The two of them didn't talk much that afternoon and went to bed a lot earlier than usual, with the aid of some powerful sleeping syrup.
But the next morning, the two of them were sullen as storm clouds spread far across the skies and the air felt moist outside. A storm was approaching and seemed fitting given the current event. Iruka and Naruto both collected their individual ceremonial black funeral clothes and took short, separate showers. Naruto went first and insisted he didn't need help washing up without the use of his right arm. As soon as Iruka finished his shower, he saw Naruto, dressed in his ceremonial outfit, seated at the living room as he stared out ahead with a blank expression on his face. Iruka took a mental note that his little brother's blonde hair had grown a lot without this notice. It almost reached down to his shoulders and branched out at the sides in thick tuffs. Iruka noticed, the current state of his hair, that Naruto bore a striking resemblance to Minato Namikaze, the late Yondaime Hokage. The chunin stared at Naruto for a moment as a curious thought came to mind, but then he dismissed it as he reminded himself to make sure Naruto got a haircut soon.
Naruto turned around to look at his older brother and stood. Iruka nodded and Naruto followed him out the door.
{{District 12 by James Newton Howard}}
As the tan-skinned chunin and his rookie friend walked down the street, the two of them noticed the devastation the invasion had caused. All of the stores at each street were closed, the power shut down, while some buildings were blown out and whole towers had collapsed. Trees were torn apart from explosions and whole blocks were was closed off due to the fires. In the distance, the massive wall that surrounded Konoha had been crushed from the massive snakes, while whole buildings were destroyed and left in ruins. Yellow tape cut off certain areas around more rubble as well as blood smeared on the walls and roofs. No bodies were left from the battle but Naruto was certain someone could have been buried beneath one of the numerous collections of rubble, friend or foe.
It was obvious now more than ever, that Konoha had been wounded.
The streets were lined with broken telephone poles, blasted windows, scorch marks from fire, and swords, shuriken, and kunai embedded in the walls or blasted roofs. There were still people out and about, but all of them wore the same outfits as Naruto and Iruka and were headed in the same direction. Some people took black umbrellas with them, certain it would rain later, while others carried white roses.
Naruto tried his best not to look around and see his home reduced to rubble and ashes, but he couldn't resist. He shivered as he continued to walk as his feet became heavier with each new sight of devastation. Naruto shuffled and almost tripped over some concrete, Iruka caught him in time but didn't save Naruto from what he saw next. Yellow tape closed off the area around the market and Naruto saw the entire street had been destroyed. The stores, booths, vendors, and all the buildings that lined the street were not saved from the invasion. The most active and festive area of Konoha had been blown apart from the bombardments and whatever was left had been burned down. The blonde rookie stared and shivered at the sight before Iruka led him far from it. Naruto couldn't believe what had become of the market street as he hoped the rest of Konoha didn't suffer as much.
Iruka and Naruto walked to the Konoha cemetery where the massive funeral would be held. When the two of them arrived, the field had been filled with countless shinobi and civilians alike. Naruto and Iruka were fortunate to attend the front rows with the other shinobi with the civilians behind them. Ahead of the front row, there stood a table covered in a white cloth. The table was erected across countless new tombstones with oil lamps. Across the entire table were soft cushions that stood dozens of dozens of framed pictures depicting the likenesses of those soldiers and few civilians that had died. Each frame was lined with a lit candle and incense that released a sweet smell in the air that burned Naruto's nostrils.
The blonde rookie looked around to find his teammates and sensei, but couldn't see them. But after a while, he did notice the distinct hair color of Sakura situated between her mother and father. He didn't wave over to her, but instead notice her look down a few rows and found Sasuke alone. The blonde rookie tried to find a hint of silver hair, but his masked sensei was nowhere to be found.
'Sensei isn't here…'
Harry stretched out his senses and tried to find Kakashi but failed to locate him in the crowd of mourners. The older wizard scowled at the absence of the masked shinobi as he felt a swell of hatred rise within his stomach at Kakashi's continuous poor behavior.
At the same time, at the training ground where he administered the bell test, Kakashi stood before the Hero's Memorial alone. Like countless others, he wore the traditional black funeral outfit. The rain drizzled down on him as he stared at a select few names on the smooth black stone. He couldn't care less as it rained and continued to read those same names in his mind.
But from behind him, a woman with purple hair holding a bouquet of beautiful white flowers stopped and noticed the silver-haired man. Kakashi could sense her and took a deep breath when he knew what she was there for and felt bad for her loss.
"Yugao," he said, "Are those for Hayate?"
The woman flinched and seemed saddened as she held the bouquet in her hands. She walked beside Kakashi, knelt down to rest the flowers down in front of the stone and prayed in silence. Kakashi turned from the stone to let his female comrade have her turn. As soon as Yugao finished her prayers, Kakashi reminded her of the deadline even he was late for.
"The funeral is about to start," he said, "You should hurry up and go…"
Yugao soon stood but then she turned to look at the masked man as she asked, "Kakashi-senpai, did you come here to visit Obito again?"
The man flinched at her question and refused to answer. He then closed his eyes in memory of his former teammate and best friend.
But then woman continued, "You always end up late for being here for so long, staring at his name. So why don't you come here earlier for once? Instead of upsetting your students and comrades all the time?"
Kakashi looked down at his feet and said, "I've been standing here for hours now. Ever since dawn."
Yugao looked back at Kakashi and stared at the back of his head and he said, "Every time I come back here… I think back to that time and I keep blaming myself for being so stupid back then."
Not far from Kakashi and Yugao, back at the three wooden posts, there stood Jiraiya. The Sannin leaned on the middle post and nodded as he listened in on Kakashi and his old acquaintance, but smiled, as it seemed Kakashi welcomed her arrival.
Naruto wasn't able to locate his fellow comrades in the crowds and decided to look on ahead. But scattered about the mass of attendants his friends, former classmates, and their teachers were there: Lee was with Gai-sensei and Tenten, while Neji was situated in the same row as Naruto. Shino Aburame was also in the same row while Hinata was with her father and little sister. Kiba was with his mother and older sister, while his mentor, Kurenai Yuhi stood beside Asuma Sarutobi.
Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru were beside each other with their fathers in the row behind them. Choji looked sad while Shikamaru seemed to example a much darker look that seemed to resemble his own version of sadness. Ino looked uncomfortable but sad nonetheless as she remained where she was. Their teacher, Asuma, was the first person to notice when it started to rain. Water fell down from the dark clouds above the mourners and drenched the cigarette in his mouth. He tossed it aside and tucked his lighter in his trousers while he stared up at the dark skies.
Kurenai took notice as well as said with a sad frown, "It's raining…"
"For even the heavens weep…" replied Asuma.
Naruto heard the sounds countless people crying and sobbing all around him. He tried to ignore them, but the sounds came from mothers, small children, and even fathers as streams of tears flowed down countless swollen, miserable faces. The rookie didn't want to look at the frames on the table and look down at his feet until the funeral was over. But he caved in and looked, realizing the invasion didn't cost the lives of a few soldiers. Naruto imagined the casualties were limited to a few dozen older shinobi, men and women that had led full lives. But he was wrong. Most of the faces on the frames were young as their families wept with untold sadness and woe.
The blonde rookie would have looked down the rows to see more faces of men, women, and even children that would have been too much for his heart to take. But the arrival of the Sandaime caught the attention of all those in attendance. It seemed that the last of the mourners had arrived as the old Hokage was accompanied with the elders. Iruka seemed more hopeful when the Sandaime arrived but looked surprised to see the old man appeared to be ill. Still dressed in the familiar white and scarlet robes, Sarutobi seemed sick, like he had caught the flu as he was forced to clear his throat every once in a while.
Behind him arrived the three elders. The first one was an old woman named, Koharu Utatane. Naruto remembered her as a bitter old lady who was often cold and distant to everyone around her. Koharu tied her hair in a tight bun, locked with a traditional Japanese hair needle with very many large, expensive pearls dangling off the sides. She also had large earrings, wore a simple kimono, closed with an obi, a jacket, and a sash over it. She squint her eyes so often in her old age that made it impossible to read her facial expressions. The second elder was a man named Homura Mitokado. The blonde-haired rookie knew little about him, like the rest of the council, but associated him with dark memories from his childhood. The old man was tall and thin, had grey hair like Koharu, but his hair was quite short and he had it slicked back as if he had been on a broomstick recently. Homura had a beard, wore oval-shaped glasses, and wore a constant frown. Naruto always suspected the old man must have had some cosmetic surgery done in order to keep it still like that. Homura wore robes that were similar in style to what the Hokage wore. But his robes were green, white, and beige in color.
And the third and final elder was a frail old man that Naruto had never seen before until now. The man required the use of a cane to walk; he wore a white shirt, with a dark robe that covered his feet and his entire right shoulder. Unlike the rest of the council, this old man had black, shaggy hair and his head was decorated with white bandages. The bandages covered his entire forehead and the right half of his face. Whatever skin on his face wasn't covered, was decorated with scars, with one x-shaped scar on his chin. The old man had more than his fair share of battles and even though he was old and seemed somewhat frail, he still looked dangerous. The old man frowned and Naruto felt chills whenever he looked at him. There was something about him that made him seem almost venomous in nature.
And then, out of nowhere, Naruto felt his scar burn for less than a second. He touched his bare forehead and winced. He rubbed his scar and had that somewhat paranoid feeling hit him. He didn't feel like he was about to be attacked, but he did feel uncomfortable when that old man arrived but he also felt an intense mistrust for him.
Curious for answers, Naruto leaned toward Iruka and muttered under his breath, "Iruka-aniki… Who's that man standing near the Hokage?"
Iruka blinked at Naruto before he looked at the two male elders on either side of the Sandaime, "Which one?"
"The one with the scars and the cane," he clarified.
Iruka frowned at the elder and said, "That's Danzo Shimura, one of the elders on the Konoha Council. He was the archrival of the Sandaime and he founded an old division of the ANBU that was abandoned around the time I was born. The division, I think, carried out real bad, less-respectable missions that are considered borderline criminal nowadays. He's tried to claim the position of Hokage for decades and… there have been a lot of rumors about him since the Sandaime first took office. None of them were ever confirmed, but it was rumored that he tried to overthrown the Sandaime. I heard he once tried to settle some kind of deal with a terrorist named Hanzo the Salamander… But the rumors were never confirmed. Still, I don't think Danzo Shimura is one to be trusted when compared to the Sandaime."
Naruto tuned out that last bit of information as he felt his stomach sink into his lower intestine. He remembered that name: Danzo Shimura. And the echoes of his mother's voice from his dreams screamed in his ears, as the rookie looked at the face of the man that made him feel nervous and threatened.
Naruto wondered what it was that his mother wished to warn him about; what made the man so dangerous that it prompted Kushina to warn her son about him from beyond the grave, when the Sandaime cleared his throat and caught the attention of all the mourners.
"A terrible… and most tragic end to an event meant to distract our nations from the flames of war… In the space of this past month, we have been deceived by two neighboring villages and then betrayed by our allies from the desert… But we are here to acknowledge the loss of many very important and precious people we hold dear to our hearts… The men and women that sacrificed their lives to drive the enemies out of the village, to protect us… As well as those we lost that tried to warn us of the bombardment."
Naruto heard a muffled sob behind him. He turned his head around and saw Izumo and Kotetsu, Hayate's teammates, with tears running down their cheeks as Naruto felt his stomach churn. He looked back at the line of portraits, unable to avert his gaze before his eyes fell upon a dreadfully familiar face: he saw the frame of his swordsmaster, one of his oldest friends, frozen in a moment of time with an eternal smile on his face.
The blonde rookie would have collapsed to his knees had it not been for Iruka beside him. The chunin held him close with one arm, careful not to squeeze his right shoulder too hard. But while he stood, Naruto stared at Hayate's portrait, unable to comprehend the truth he was forced to realize, what he had tried to avoid and deny all together. The truth was thrown into his face and he was forced to look at it.
{{My Love Is Always Here by Alexandre Desplat}}
The Sandaime continued to deliver his speech as families mourned the loss of their children, husbands, wives, mothers, friends, teammates, and grandchildren. But the old man was able to comfort those in attendance with a speech about the Will of Fire, how their village would continue to thrive and continued to repel the forces outside their walls, stronger than ever before. But Naruto couldn't hear a word as he continued to stare at Hayate's picture. He stared at the frame, unable to believe that he was never going to see Hayate Gekko ever again. His friend, mentor, and swordsmaster was somewhere far away now, in a land where he could never reach him, talk to him, or even see him outside framed photographs and his own memories. It didn't seem real to him, like some bad dream, as he wanted to reach out and grab him before it was too late.
'But it is too late…' he thought, as he lowered his left hand.
And Naruto stared out ahead and reflected on his memories of his late master; all the times the two of them shared when he was but a toddler. He thought back to the most memorable moments from the flight in the park, the comic books, watching television, teaching him how to read, or simply enjoying a cup of instant ramen together.
But then came the bad memories; the last time he ever saw Hayate before he returned to his missions. And then he compared that particular moment to the last time he ever saw Hayate alive. Both times, he promised the blonde rookie he would come back but the last time he would never return.
To make matters worse, Naruto looked around and saw the miserable faces of the citizens. He heard the continuous wave of sobs and tears echo from his fellow comrades, looked back at the endless line of frames on the table, the number of new tombstones, and thought back to the devastation that wrecked across his home village. Naruto started to feel something brewing within him: a massive mixture of emotions he wasn't able to understand, let alone control. But thanks to his experience as an Occlumens, the unfamiliar and unbalanced mixture of emotions and chemical reactions was hidden beneath his skin. Naruto wore a sad, blank mask while he stood there and let the Sandaime continue his speech.
For the next hour or so, the rain continued to fall but the shinobi endured the weather and remained in the field. The Sandaime cleared his throat a number of times until he had concluded his speech and allowed the attendants to offer their prayers and pay their respects. Soon enough, the weather did clear out and the clouds parted to reveal blue skies, though dark clouds still remained that blocked out the sun and dampened the mood as the afternoon rolled in.
With the ceremonies concluded, countless families and shinobi left with their loved ones and continued to mourn. Others were furious; their hatred aimed at Orochimaru and Suna for the deaths of their friends and lost loved ones. But were soon distracted when several of their friends sobbed and blubbered, unable to contain the sorrow of their loss. Friends held hands while others were embraced, half-carried back home to reflect on the recent events and move on with their lives. Others remained behind in the field to stare at the new tombstones while others found other graves to hover over and offer their respects. The frames of the soldiers were removed-to be sent somewhere else as the elders left and few shinobi remained behind, still grief-stricken or concerned for their comrades.
Naruto stared at the tombstone with the same blank look on his face he had maintained for over an hour. He was so fixated, he failed to notice someone approach him from behind; the last person he ever expected would be concerned about how he felt.
"Naruto…" called out a familiar voice.
He turned his head and saw his teammate, Sasuke Uchiha, dressed in the exact same funeral outfit. The Uchiha seemed somewhat concerned, though still distant as ever. Naruto was a little bit shocked but failed to show it, as his face remained emotionless.
"Look, uh…" the Uchiha started in an awkward manner, "I had no idea you knew someone that died in the invasion… I'm sorry to hear about that… Believe me, I don't say this much, and I will deny this if you tell anyone… but you have my sincere condolences, dobe."
Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah…"
There was an awkward pause between the two rookies. Sasuke looked down at his feet, looked back at the entrance to the field as countless others started to leave. Sasuke rubbed the back of his head and looked back at Naruto, somewhat surprised at the emotionless look on his face.
"Well, I better leave then," hesitated a somewhat awkward, hesitant Sasuke, before he sounded the same as he did with his last sentence, "You better not be late on our next missions and force us to wait, like Kakashi does."
The blonde rookie blinked at the Uchiha, froze still for a moment, and then looked back at the tombstone when he said, "Sure."
Sasuke didn't know what to do next and decided to let Naruto deal with his woes. He almost reached out to pat a hand down on his shoulder, but then he held back and turned the other direction, not quite comfortable with such an affectionate gesture. Naruto was aware Sasuke did not intend to sound rude or insensitive when he told him not to be late. It was perhaps one of the few times Sasuke ever tried to be kind to his rival. But the blonde rookie couldn't absorb the brief conversation in his head nor appreciate his teammate's concern. All he could do was contain the floodwaters of the emotions he tried to hide. But as he looked around the field and looked back down at the tombstone, he felt he had to be alone.
Iruka came around after Anko introduced him to the other Tokubetsu and became better acquainted with his fellow shinobi.
"Naruto," he asked in a soft voice, "You still need a little bit more time or-"
The chunin turned to look at Naruto where he left him for a few moments. But then he noticed his little rookie had vanished. He looked around and Naruto was nowhere to be seen.
"Naruto?!" he called out as he earned the attention and concern of Anko and the others.
{{District 12 Ruins by James Newton Howard}}
Naruto ran from the funeral as fast as he could. He went on a furious run for hours on end as he vented out the intense frustrations he felt about his friend's demise and the devastation of Konoha, as he drove his feet hard into the earth. He cursed until his throat felt raw and cut off his connection to his older brother as he took the time to vent. Naruto was exhausted at the end of his run but still felt he needed to be alone this one time. He didn't stop until it was dark and rested on some smooth rock.
There he sat in silence in the dark as the forest echoed with the sound of his sobs. Naruto had wished, with all his heart (the image of the tombstone still fresh in his mind), that his mentor, his friend were still alive. Hayate had faked his death countless times before when he traveled the world to learn the ways of the sword. But the tombstone was still there in that field, and Naruto was forced to accept it as he sank into despair.
The rookie remained there on the rock until he felt a cool breeze brush the back of his neck. He turned around and realized he had run around the base of the Stone Faces. He walked across the smooth stone until he sat before the likeness of the Yondaime.
From there, Naruto curled into a ball for warmth and looked over his devastated home. With his thighs against his chest and his arm swathed over his knees, he looked out and saw more than half of Konoha shrouded in darkness. Naruto sat there on the rock and stared out in sadness. Tears continued to run down his face in torrents as he held his legs closer to his chest.
The blonde-haired rookie didn't know what to do. He felt so lost and helpless, like he would never smile or be cheerful again. With the threat of the invasion done and over with, he didn't know what could ever distract him from his friend's death or how he would ever be able to live again. Naruto felt Hayate's demise would haunt him forever and almost wished he had never met him, to be free from the pain he felt at his loss.
But then Naruto almost slammed his forehead into his knees at such a selfish thought. Hayate was one of the kindest caretakers he ever had and never regretted knowing him at all. He reflected on one of his fondest memories of his late master, when he taught him a song that always made him feel better whenever he was sad. He still remembered the lyrics as if he had first heard them yesterday, singing sadly:
"Cultivate your hunger before you idealize… Motivate your anger to make them all realize… Climbing the mountain, never coming down… Break into the contents, never falling down… My knee is still shaking, like I was twelve… Sneakin' out the classroom, by the back door… Man railed at me twice though, but I didn't care… Waiting is wasting, for people like me..."
His voice was low and somewhat course as a result of his sobs and when he cursed to himself earlier in the run. But the rookie continued to sing, tightening his left arm around his thighs.
"Don't try to look so wise… Don't cry 'cause you're so right… Don't dry with fakes or fears… 'Cause you will hate yourself in the end… 'Cause you will hate yourself in the end… 'Cause you will hate yourself in the end."
Before he could sing much more, Naruto blubbered and buried his face into his knees. The air above the Stone Faces was cold and made it difficult to breath, as the blonde rookie felt his eardrums sink further into his skull. He shivered as he curled into himself and the cold mountain breeze was merciless. But then the rookie felt someone place a thick coat over his shoulders. He flinched and looked to see Anko Mitarashi stand above him.
"Hi there, lion cub…" she said with a sad smile, "Nice little song back there."
Naruto didn't even bother to clean the tears on his face as he said, "Anko-sensei…"
"The Chunin Exams are over, kid," she said before she sat down beside the rookie, "You don't have to call me that anymore. Anko is fine, or Anko-nee, or whatever. Just don't ever call me, ma'am! You hear me?!"
The blonde rookie would have smiled at how nice she was to him and showed concern for him when she tried to make him laugh. But he was still depressed and couldn't even force himself to smile. All he could do was nod and looked down at his feet in defeat.
"Iruka asked me to set out and find you, but it looks like you need more help than that," she said, as she seemed more serious and sad.
Naruto looked at her, curious, but then he knew what she meant as he stared back down at his feet and felt his heart ache, "I never lost someone close to me before, at least not like this… I lost my mum and dad, but that was before I had the chance to get to know them... I knew Hayate and now he's gone… I honestly don't know what to do or how I'll ever be able to be like I used to with him gone… How can I return to a normal life after a loss like that? Even if I tried, what kind of insult would that be to his memory if I tried to forget all about him?!"
The kunoichi stared at Naruto when he buried his face back into his knees and she started to frown when she heard his weak, muffled sobs. She then started to scowl at him, almost like she was about to scold him. The woman crossed her arms and continued to frown at the depressed child and almost reached out to slap some sense into him. But she restrained herself and decided to talk to him as best she could.
"You're not the only person in the world who misses Hayate…" she said.
Naruto turned to look at the kunoichi as she stared down at him, like a venomous snake, and raised his head more. Anko looked out at Konoha and seemed less intense as she relaxed.
She continued on and said, "He left behind his fiancé, his friends; me, Izumo, Kotetsu, Ibiki, Genma, and Raido…"
"Fiancé?!" blinked Naruto.
Anko nodded and continued, "Yes… But as much as we're going to miss him, he wouldn't want any of us to mope around and mourn him each and every day… Even his fiancé knows that."
The blonde rookie looked back out at Konoha and listened well to Anko.
"Do you actually believe he wants to see you like this, Naruto?" she asked and didn't bother to use the nickname she selected for him to let him know how serious she was, "Take his feelings into consideration for one minute, even if he is dead: Would he want you to waste the teachings he passed on to you, sitting on the stone face of the Yondaime, singing a sad song, crying, and wasting away the life he probably sacrificed in order for you to keep living?!"
Naruto blinked as he stared at the kunoichi.
She then said in a huff, "It would be selfish of you to sit around and be miserable all the time and force him to watch you suffer from the heavens above!"
The rookie stared at the older kunoichi while he absorbed what she said. Naruto reflected on how well Hayate treated him ever since he was a little kid. He knew from the start that he was concerned about him, worried, comforted him when he was upset and sad. Anko was right; he wouldn't want Naruto, or any one of his friends to continue to be miserable after his passing. But even so, his loss still hurt Naruto and he was still miserable. That is, until Anko said what he needed to hear.
He felt the older kunoichi rest her hand down on his shoulder. Her hand was warm and made Naruto feel less cold even while the wind continued to breeze against his skin without end.
Anko reached out to him in a softer, gentler voice as she beseeched him, "You have to accept this and move on… You don't have to forget about him, Naruto. You can still have fun, laugh, smile, and stuff your face with Turkish Delight, or whatever you people eat. Just remember all the good times you shared with him and don't waste the time you still have left in this world mourning him. Hayate wouldn't want you to be miserable; he would have wanted you to live."
The blonde-haired rookie stared at Anko and felt warmer with each word she uttered.
"Think about it," she said, "Would Hayate want you to stand over a stone with his name on it, crying your eyes out or locked away in your bedroom, or see you move on with your life, be happy, succeed in your career, but still remember him fondly?"
Naruto felt his heart ache a lot less as the tombstone in his mind seemed less like an omen and more like a firm reminder of what Anko had told him.
She then said, "True friends, even in death, don't want to see you to waste your life grieving over them."
The blonde rookie was silent as he stared out at Konoha. He felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Naruto could have stood and started to float, much like how he did when Hayate first witnessed his magic. He then felt another hand rest on his shoulder, the invisible hand of his older brother as the connection between them was restored.
'Don't shut yourself out like I did, Naruto… You are not alone… You will never be alone…'
Naruto let a small trail of tears run down his cheeks before he lowered his legs down from his chest and said, "Hayate used to take care of me when I was a little kid, and he wanted to help me become a chunin and trained me for the finals… It would be an insult to his name and what he meant to me if I sat around and let all his hard work and care go to waste."
Anko smiled when Naruto turned to look at her and saw a fire in his eyes. The rookie then cracked a small, sad smile, as he started to accept the demise of his swordsmaster and respect his best interests at heart. The older kunoichi looked a lot happier and reached out to the little blonde rookie.
"Ahh, hell," she half-shouted, "You little lion cub! Come here, Simba!"
And she embraced Naruto and nuzzled her cheek into his soft, blonde hair. The rookie blushed and felt a little uncomfortable as he felt Anko's chest smashed against him, but Anko's maternal treatment towards him broke whatever awkward tension could have existed. He then relaxed as he felt his woes and troubled emotions start to fade with the warm embrace.
"I'm not Simba, but thanks, Anko-nee…" he said.
Iruka would later be able to rest easier as soon as Anko delivered Naruto back to his house. And the blonde rookie received a nice fist to the head from his worried older brother.
To Be Continued…
And there we have it!
I felt a small happy ending was only necessary after some heavy stuff like that. I do admit that I fear Naruto's development after he was forced to accept Hayate's death was a little bit rushed, but I didn't want to keep dragging on Naruto's misery and give him some much-needed hope. I hope you guys were at least entertained with this chapter and I will work hard to finish the final chapter as soon as I can. It will probably be the shortest chapter in the book and soon we can begin with the next book in the series.
Until next time, guys!