Something hurt, he just didn't know what. Naruto tried to pry his eyes open but it seemed no matter what he did it was continually dark.
"Where?"
His voice seemed to echo,
Such a weak container
Naruto attempted to sit up but his body felt heavy, his arms felt weak and he felt like he was struggling for air. But he didn't stop not until he could look in front of him and saw exactly where he was.
And in front of him stood a large gate with bars that went up into the darkness of the ceiling and he didn't even have to look in to know where he was or who was speaking,
"You"
So this is it? You plan to die?
Die?
Naruto sighed, his body ached and he couldn't keep up with the fox's foolishness right now. He had to return to help Sakura and…
He lifted his hand to see red.
Usually it was just water but today…
Then he remembered the weird guy standing behind him, the strange feeling through his chest and in an instant he realized with horror what the fox had meant.
He was dying….
So that's it you plan to just end your existance?
He was dying?
This was all your puny life is worth?
He was dying...like...
"AAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
His scream drowned out the fox.
Because it was so scary how human people really were. How many times had he said he would protect people? Hadn't he said even with his life? But he was scared!
NARUTO WAS SCARED TO DIE!
How pathetic
Tears poured out, and his body shook; but the fox just scoffed,
Well i have no intention of dying
Naruto could barely hear him or even care that dark, blood thirsty chakra began to pour out from inside the gate and part of the paper that sealed the door began to char,
I'm dying
I'm dying!
I don't want to die!
I'M SCARED!
"It's okay"
Naruto held his mother close tears falling from his eyes, He had been yelling at her to wake up and that he was going to take her hospital but a gentle hand stopped him and he heard her speak,
"It's enough"
That was not what she should had been saying. Not his mother, the mother that taught him to go at life at 100% and never give up,
"I'm tired"
WASN'T THIS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT SHE HAD ALWAYS SAID?!
"I'M GOING TO GET YOU HELP! I SWEAR!"
But there was that firm grip that stopped him the first time. Though she looked so pale and weak in his arms she still had enough to hold him, but he didn't want this,
"Mom...please…"
But her eyes had that same look that Haku had when he had asked him to kill him, resigned and finished.
"Don't.. Be a fussy eater...Eat your vegetables"
"Mom...don't…"
Tears fell on her cheeks but neither of them cared
"Take a bath everyday and… go to bed earlier...stop waking up so late.."
Her breathing started to accelerate and Naruto could feel himself being overwhelmed,
"Naruto...you're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering…"
"Then please….please let me get help..mom.."
"REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE! Find a goal..a dream.. And don't stop trying until it comes true…"
Tears streamed down her face matching the pained look on Naruto's face.
"I wanted to stay with you...I love... you"
Naruto calmed down.
That was how his mother passed, willingly and with a final message. Perhaps he had been stupid to not get help but.. He saw it, the way she suffered just moving each day…
He always saw it… and he wanted to give her just one… one moment of peace.
I shall not let you die
Naruto looked up and felt the power that he was desperately scared of.
"I don't want to die"
He tried to keep the tear from falling,
"But i made a promise...I WON'T FORGET WHO I AM!"
Oh…?
Naruto glared as he stomped to the gate,
"Save me! I don't care what you do those guys but please… DON'T HURT MY FRIENDS!"
Naruto felt the chakra circle around him like a snake, but the fox gave him a feral grin,
I'll save you… but i make no promises...not to someone…
Those red slitted eyes glanced at the shaking hands holding on the bars,
still so full of fear…
"No… way…"
Sakura stood frozen as she watched the white haired guy wretch his arm from where he had plunged it in Naruto's chest. She watched with the eyes of a trained medic as Naruto's eyes lost focus and darkened. And watched in horror as her teammate fell face first to the ground unmoving in a growing puddle of his own blood.
"No…."
"SAKURA HELP NARUTO!"
Sasuke screamed because he couldn't believe it either. That Naruto had been… there was no way. Naruto was an unrelenting idiot that rarely sat still, that loved to compete and talked too much… there was no way….
He turned to his opponent, there was no way they were getting off easy…
"Oi Kabuto! Why the hell dya kill him?!"
One of the guys yelled. But the white haired boy named Kabuto merely shrugged,
"I didn't think he would just up and die...guess being a jinjuriki means nothing"
Jinjuriki?
Sasuke knew what the word meant. But that would mean… Now things began to make sense. Why Naruto was hidden away when he was so much when he was younger, why the villagers gave him dirty looks, and why he was always being monitored.
But still…
THAT WAS NOT A GOOD ENOUGH REASON TO HURT HIS FRIEND!
Sakura tried but she knew even before she started….
It was too late…
From the wound inflicted, the angle, she already knew. But like Sasuke she was desperate so she ran over to him and tried hoping...just hoping for some kind of miracle..
"Please...damn it...DON'T YOU DIE NARUTO!"
But she already knew his heart had stopped, his lungs weren't moving and his body was going to turn cold soon,
"WAKE UP!"
"I was on my way i swear but i bumped into teacher Gai and he wanted an eating contest!"
"You're always late…"
"I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, YOU'RE STILL LOOKING AT US LIKE KIDS BUT WE'RE BETTER THAN THAT! WE'RE THE STRONGEST TEAM EVER! BELIEVE IT!"
"Shouting stupid things.."
"Don't be jealous! Duckbutt!"
"WHAT DID YOU CALL SASUKE!?"
"DAMN IT I DON'T CARE IF YOU CALL SASUKE NAMES!"
"OUR LIVES WERE IN DANGER THE MOMENT WE DECIDED TO BE NINJA! WE CAN DO THIS! WE'RE THE STRONGEST TEAM BELIEVE IT WE CAN HANDLE THIS!"
Sakura bent forward grabbing a hold of Naruto jacket
"Sakura you do realize what you're asking right? This is dangerous, you could die."
"Like hell...There's no way i'll let anyone of us die, believe it!"
"I'll believe it…"
"WHAT THE HELL?! I AIN'T PLANNIN' ON DYING YA KNOW!"
"So please don't…"
"We need you if we're going to do this."
"We need you too…"
Her shoulders quivered
"What do we do with the rest of them?"
The sound ninja said as he looked at their leader, Kabuto scoffed,
"Just kill them useless things are useless after all"
"NARUTOOOOOOO! WAHHHHHH!"
And Sakura screamed and cried because she didn't know how to handle it anymore. They were too young and it wasn't fair. Tears streamed down Sasuke's face because it was too painful, if he was just stronger...if he just had more power….
Sasuke watched as the sound ninja Naruto had been facing before walked toward Sakura as she knelt next to Naruto's body wailing,
"SAKURA!"
But she was crying too loudly to hear him,
"Some ninja, don't you know a ninja must keep their emotions inside?"
He raised a Kunai not at all affected by the way that she looked at him with tear filled eyes,
"But naruto… hic… Naruto is…"
"SAKURA GET AWAY!"
Sasuke wouldn't be able to bear it if he lost both his teammates but he would never get there in time… the man brought down the kunai quickly,
"SAKURA!"
Tell me you knew it was Kabuto... yes I brought that guy back and he's more cray cray than ever!