Welcome back! Semi on time for a change!

We've arrived at chapter four of Konoha's stand. This was a chapter, I thoroughly enjoyed writing, and I can't wait to read what you guys and gals thought of it!

Fun fact. I had already finished writing the author note and then my pc crashed, nice.

Big thank you to:

Majin Snake, ItsjustKhris, Etheri0n, Valdezleoris, Ronin96, Arissan, BethxAngel, ImaginationAngel, Timvast, Oppal Crusader, Johanerikssonekornarp, StitchyJit,

For adding this story, or my profile to your alerts/favorites.

Reviews:

Nithu Velu: Very tempting to go into spoilers, but let's not do that ;) But I am glad you've enjoyed the previous chapter, here's to hoping, you'll enjoy this one as well!

KingYamYam: I remember having that same feeling with some of those stories, unfortunately they never updated that one. I think it was called the Kirai Kitsune. Might be my favorite story on here. Luckily for you, this won't be the case here!

Enjoy the chapter, mate!

Gamesdean1: Well damn…I'm very happy to see the previous chapter had such a positive response! Here's to hoping this one will be even better!

Guest: Well, Pein never had the opportunity to fight Kenpachi because of unfortunate circumstances. At Kumogakure, the clash was brief and Pein wasn't at Sunagakure, leaving Itachi and Naruto to fight him alone.

Prior to the battle for Konoha, Pein left to unite the remaining shinobi nations, so he's unfortunately, not here either. I promise though, he will make an appearance, eventually.

Tim: That was my goal from the start. At first people thought this was your typical Konoha bashing kinda story, where Naruto leaves and comes back after a few years. I tried to set it apart from those stories because I didn't want it to be the same old kind of thing. But I am incredibly grateful for your kind words, and I hope I can live up to those expectations until the very end.

Enjoy!

Itsjustkhris:

I had an incredibly lengthy response to your review the first time, before my pc ruined it. I'll try my best to recreate what I wrote then.

In the original Naruto/Shippuden story, there have been numerous mentions of the shinobi wars. Unfortunately, that's always what it was, mere mentioning, or small glimpses of what was.

The fourth great shinobi war was more focused on the resurrected and on Tobi etc. It shows the white zetsu army, and you see some of the clashes, but never a full-scale war (besides some background fighting).

It always felt off to me and made little sense that two armies of such magnitude didn't reaaaally clash head on.

I did that differently with this war. One of the reasons for this is, because of the way the Reavers wage war, using their sheer numbers to their advantage, forcing the shinobi to act similarly.

I'm not saying the shinobi forces won't use and underhanded technique they can, some of which will still be shown in the chapters to come, but I tried to find a balance in between.

As for Kenpachi, that one is quite simple. He wouldn't let them gang up on him. He'll try and keep the others separated, focusing on his foes, at a more manageable number (which is actually something that you'll see a bit of in this chapter!)

Also, the Reavers have fighters in their ranks who aren't pushovers either. Having all your top tier shinobi, clutched together to fight one threat, leaves the rest of the defenders exposed.

I hope that helps you with your questions. Don't ever hesitate to ask these things. I love explaining them, wherever I can!

Alright, let's get into the chapter. I hope you will all like it!

Konoha's stand – part four

Kurenai had heard stories about the reaver ruthlessness. But never had she expected this. When she first witnessed the horde that stood at their doorstep she nearly faltered in her resolve. She had locked eyes with Anko, who had looked just as shocked.

The footage they had seen, had done little to mentally prepare themselves for this.

Kakashi was with them and had quickly helped them to focus. Stepping off two hours later. Witnessing the chaos and death, she was certain they had no chance in hell.

Her hands were red with dried blood. Not hers luckily. The elevator came to a stop on the ground floor, and reinforcements stepped on. While they still held enough reinforcements, the amount of fallen shinobi were rising fast.

Their demise was inevitable.

"Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata came running up, holding out a flask.

"Hinata. I'm happy to see you're alright."-

"I've been assigned to guard duty at the medical section two."

Kurenai nodded in understanding. It had been reported that a few Reavers had been able to break through the defenses and were now committing guerilla style maneuvers. "How are your friends? Everyone still alive?"

"I heard Sasuke needed to be treated for some minor wounds. But I haven't heard about any casualties. You?"

Kurenai shook her head. She had heard of Asuma being wounded. But it hadn't been life threatening and was already preparing to get back into the fight. "We've been lu-"

A large explosion not far rocked the very ground they stood on. Both looked at smoke billowing upwards.

"Is that..."

"Kenpachi." Hinata answered with clear discomfort.

The sound of the elevator brought them out of their stupor. Hunter Kitase and Kiba Inuzuka came running up. "Are you under attack?"

"No, but they are getting closer."

And they did. Booms and crashes were heard just around the corner. Putting the group on edge.

"Who is they?" Kiba asked as they all listened intently.

"Naruto, Itachi and Kisame." Kitase answered.

Kurenai glanced at Hinata. She looked fearful as she desperately tried to listen to any bits of info.

"Where's Rome and his squad." Kitase asked, his voice laced with worry.

The fight led further away and grew distinctly quieter before it died out completely. Leaving the group wondering which side won.

"It's over?" Kitase asked with uncertainty.

A loud bang could be heard, putting their focus on the point of origin.

"I'm done waiting, they need our help!" Kitase shouted over his shoulder, kicking off into a sprint.

Despite Naruto and Kisame's best effort, they had no further control over the fight and it took place all over the village. It went from the supply hub, towards the wall, and then back towards another highly populated zone. Kenpachi was no longer giving them time to catch their breath. First, he knocked Naruto out of the fight, breaking numerous bones in his body and scorning his body with cuts and gashes.

Kisame was able to hold on a bit longer due to his transformation, but it didn't take long for Kenpachi to defeat the Akatsuki agent. They had given everything in their attempt to take out the Kenpachi and there had been a few close calls for the Reaver. In the end though, he was still standing, while they were not.

Naruto was laying against a pile of rubble, slightly propped up. his head tilted forward, blood dripping onto his ruined outfit.

"Hey brat…"

Naruto gave the smallest of glances; his body couldn't handle any more than that. "Y-yeah?"

"Do you-you regret what we did?"

'Irosa…'

"E-every d-day…You?"

He could see Kisame's shoulder slump. He was resting on his knees, from which he hadn't moved in the last minutes. "O-of course."

"S-s-so y-you do h-have a heart." Naruto coughed, nearly losing consciousness. Gritting his teeth, he managed to hang on.

"I'm s-sorry for dragging you in." Kisame wheezed. The punctured lung was making it harder for him to breathe.

"Don't be…W-what do w-we do now?" he tried forcing his body up from the rubble, but he failed. Pain rocked his body. He had always regretted what they had done in the Irosa village. But he knew that what they had done was the only choice.

Kisame managed to turn his head, locking his gaze with his teammate's. "Now we die."

Naruto shook his head. Drops of blood falling on the ground around him. "We…We keep fighting." His eye glancing down the side street where he knew their quarters to be, temporarily looking at the clock on the side of the building, it was miraculously still working, despite the damage.

A soft, yet painful chuckle could be heard from his teammate. "I've grown tired…Maybe it's okay to let someone else do the heavy lifting."

Footsteps ended their conversation, trepidation loomed, and both knew that they were out of time.

"You are a fascinating creature." Kenpachi rumbled as he towered over the kneeling form of Kisame. He had various bruises and cuts, and he was walking with a slight limp. Despite those wounds, he was still standing and capable of fighting.

Kisame looked up at him with resignation. "Just do it."

Kenpachi remained silent for a few moments, before acknowledging his request. "Any last words?"

Turning, Kisame faced Naruto with a small smile on his face, "See you soon, Uzumaki Naruto."

A moment later, Kisame was decapitated. His head fell forward and disappeared from Naruto's sight.

Staring, Naruto could feel grief and anger welling up. Yet, his body refused to budge.

Kenpachi now focused his attention on the blonde and made his way across the square with long strides.

With a groan he managed to click on his microphone. The sound of crackling erupted in his ear, it seemed it was still working, barely. "1st s-squad -is d-d-down. G-good l-ck." He groaned.

~They are almost there Naruto. Just hang in -~

He reached for his microphone and tore it off his neck. That action alone took a lot of effort as his breathing turned heavy and uneven. He let his head rest as he gave up on trying to keep it up.

He could barely let out a groan as he felt the boot of Kenpachi being planted on his shoulder. He tried to urge his body to move and fight, but it was to no avail.

Kenpachi was looking at his gauntleted hand. "Interesting concept," He turned the gauntlet and observed it from multiple angles. "I know that the transformation can be excruciatingly painful for some. I've always theorized it had something to do with the body trying to reject it. The gauntlet must help with it."

He examined it for a few more moments before he let it slide from his hand. His eye settled on the crawling hand of Naruto, trying to reach for a kunai in his pouch. Shaking his head, he shoved the hand away. "I find your persistence to be a mild annoyance. Why don't you just give up?"

He mustered every ounce of anger he could find and turned it into a glare. "B-because…w-we deserve to-to live."

"No, we don't. We've caused pain unimaginable. We kill for sport and wish misery upon others, just because they are different. We destroy this world, for no reason other than the selfishness of man." Kenpachi's anger resurfaced fast.

Naruto, in a pathetic attempt tried to push Kenpachi's leg away. It was something he instantly came to regret as the reaver yanked him by the hair and slammed his head into the concrete. When he was done, Naruto was barely conscious. Blood dripping from various wounds on the side and back of his head.

"I didn't say, you could move." He said as he crouched down.

His head rolled from side to side. "I-I" He nearly choked on a mouthful of blood.

Kenpachi chuckled and shook his head. "I must admit, Hunter Ghost, you and your two teammates gave me one hell of a fight, desperate as it was."

"t-t-thanks for the c-c-compliment." His hand reached for the blade that Itachi had given him as a gift, long ago, it's handle was coated in blood and dust.

"Not a problem."

His blue eye stared into the glowing red one. Kenpachi reached down for the hand that was clutching the blade. He yanked it out of his hand, breaking his arm in the process. "Any last words?"

A voice rang out. "Let go of my student."

They were vaulting over debris or dashing from rooftop to rooftop, never once did they slow down. From the last bit of intelligence, they had received, Naruto's team was last seen near the academy.

The ground shook as projectiles crashed into the village, setting buildings ablaze. The group tried to ignore the fact that their homes were being destroyed. They looked to each other for reassurance but continued regardless, following Kitase.

~Be aware. More Reavers have managed to infiltrate the village. ~

He jumped over fallen debris and ruins of buildings as they neared the fighting. Even though it was morning, the clouds covered the morning sun. The rain had stopped, but from the looks of it, it wouldn't last long before the downpour started once more.

Kitase nearly bumped into a squad of genin who were rushing towards the wall, carrying supplies. With a little sidestep, he managed to slip past them.

After a few minutes of sprinting, they could see smoke clouds coming from where they knew the academy to be.

"Look at all the ruined buildings…" Hinata spoke with a heavy-laden voice. Her home was being destroyed.

"Homes can be rebuilt. Konoha will survive this." Kurenai said from the far right, she too took in the destruction around them.

"Those bastards will pay for this!" Kiba growled.

"Incoming!" Someone roared from a nearby rooftop.

The group came to a skidding halt and saw as the flaming object flew past them and crashed into a large building, in a street that ran parallel to theirs.

"That was…" Kitase slowly started, realizing where it crashed.

"One of the major supply hubs." Ino whispered. Her thoughts went to the genin working there and her felt her stomach plummet in fear.

Kiba slid his hand through his hair, before gripping it tightly. "Kuso…We-we can't think of that now."

Kurenai reached for her headset and clicked it on. "This is Kurenai Yuhi. I need to speak with command."

~Verifying…what's the message? ~

"Supply hub 2 has been hit by a long-range bombardment."

~We have already been notified. Operator Zuka signing out. ~

Kurenai was mildly annoyed by the short answer but realized that there was no point in mulling it over. "Let's continue!"

They continued toward their destination until Kiba pointed towards a faraway rooftop. "Look!"

The group looked toward where he pointed and saw Anko and Sasuke dashing at an incredibly high pace toward what looked like the same area.

"WATCH OUT!" Kitase roared.

Two reavers came barreling in and first sent Kiba flying into a passing alleyway.

A bolt of lightning erupted as a follow up and they nearly struck Kitase, if he hadn't dodged it at the last second.

The two Reavers landed in front of the group, baring their teeth in pure hatred.

Kitase reached for her short blades, twirling them in her hands. "You've picked the wrong group."

"You're not to interfere with Kenpachi."

"Your boss is running scared, eh?" Kiba said with a groan as he came stumbling out of the alleyway.

"Lord Kenpachi is fearless." The woman, to the right said.

Kitase locked eyes with his teammates. "We don't have time for this." He charged forward and locked one of his blades with the woman, while he threw his second towards the other Reaver.

Using his superior speed, the reaver deflected the blade and charged forward, while the Hunter was still occupied.

His hand snapped out and sent a kunai to the incoming Reaver. Regardless of the sudden attack, he could still dodge it by sidestepping the projectile.

Kurenai came charging in and stopped his advance and traded blow for blow with him but was being forced back. It was clear that these two were handpicked for their skills.

"Gatenga!" Kiba rammed into the Reaver with deadly speed and precision.

"Pathetic!" He roared as he held out his demonic claw and staved off the attack.

Kitase's eyes widened as he saw just how little the attack did. He tried applying more pressure and slammed his blade into his opponent's. Slowly he managed to chip away at his defenses and was putting him on the back foot.

"I can't keep this up!" Kiba grunted as his buzz-saw like attack was slowing in speed.

Kitase did a back flip to dodge a low sweep, and while he was twirling in mid-air, threw the other blade towards the male Reaver, piercing his neck. He gurgled and dropped to the ground.

The lone remaining reaver looked at the enemies that surrounded her. She had been successful in pushing back Kurenai but was now uncertain of the outcome. Sensing danger, she flipped back, dodging the feral shinobi, landing in a low crouch.

She got jackhammered into the ground by Kitase. Snapping her hand up, she let out a burst of lighting, forcing the hunter back. the Reaver quickly got to her feet and used flashstep to close the distance between her and Kurenai, who could do little, expect put up a cross guard.

"Hakke Kūshō!"

A vacuum of chakra burst forward and struck the Reaver at near point-blank range. She was flung straight into the outstretched hand of Kitase, who grabbed her and slammed her into the ground. His other hand reached for a kunai and slammed it into her chest, piercing the vital organ. Her hand struggled for a moment longer before it stilled.

Kitase slowly caught his breath, swiping the hair out of his face, his eyes darting between the two bodies. Slowly he made her way over to the first one, and retrieved his blade, before moving to her other one, that lay a little ways down the street. "Everyone okay?"

They all sounded off. Everyone had come out of the short battle, unscathed. They had a numerical advantage. If they were in a one-on-one fight, or two-on-two even, it was doubtful they would finish it up as well as they had just now. "Okay. Let's not waste any more time."

He took the lead once more and after a few more minutes of travelling, they reached the square that was in front of the academy.

"Let go of my student!"

Kitase saw Kakashi standing close-by his stance lowered into an aggressive one, ready for a quick dash. he followed his gaze and found the imposing figure of Kenpachi standing over…

"Naruto!" he yelled. Kenpachi's foot was firmly planted on the blonde's shoulder, keeping him firmly in place.

"Kami…he's a mess," Hinata spoke as she tried getting a good look at Naruto, her heart was hammering in her chest as she saw just how badly her crush looked. His hair was drenched in blood, and his face was full of cuts and other gashes. His arm was oddly bent, and she could make out a deep gash on his torso. "We…we need to get him away from Kenpachi."

Naruto's head slowly tilted to the left, he tried forming a cohesive sentence, but Kenpachi's previous bashing had made it difficult to think straight. What he did know, was that he was a dead man. Kenpachi had him, right where he wanted him. No amount of speed that Kakashi could muster would save him from what would come next.

He saw that Kakashi was ready to charge forward. And he could make out Sasuke, not far to the right of him. He could hear him shouting things, but he couldn't make out what the Uchiha was saying. 'Teme.'

Kakashi's eyes morphed into the mangekyō sharingan. "I said…Let go of my student!" his leg was building up as much chakra as he could. Speed was of the essence, consequences be damned.

"I'd listen if I were you. He's been killing your pets all night, and he's just warming up." Anko barked from the far right. She was slightly out of breath. They too had been ambushed by Reavers and it had been a difficult fight.

Kenpachi briefly glanced at the others. A purple haired kunoichi in a trench coat was standing there, along with another Uchiha. He turned his focus back on the blonde that lay below his feet. "No…I don't think I will. Ghost, you've caused me pain. Emotional, and physical. Let me return the favor."

The blade he had forced out of the blonde's hand was still in his grip. He looked at it briefly, with seeming interest. His eye locked on the still, bleeding form of Naruto. A satisfied smile was already etched on his face, and he hadn't even done anything yet.

Naruto stared straight into Kenpachi's eye, defiance until the very end. "G-g-go to hell."

He turned the blade in his hand, inspecting the craftsmanship, ignoring the silent glare of the figure laying trapped underneath his feet.

Kakashi watched in shock as he realized that the Reaver was going to strike. "GO NOW!" He charged forward with speed he didn't even realize he had. But it did little, and he had known, deep down.

Kenpachi paid the incoming shinobi no mind. He let the tip of the blade rest on Naruto's chest while staring into the angry, but resigned fate of his opponent. Slowly he slid the blade through, piercing his heart.

Naruto spat out a mouthful of blood, his eye shut tight as the agonizing pain flooded his mind. He could barely register what was happening, nor did he realize the frantic screaming and shouting of the other people around him.

Kenpachi pulled him to his feet and placed his hand next to the embedded blade, glowing red. "Goodbye, Ghost." Red nucleus erupted from his hand and sent Naruto flying, crashing through various buildings, disappearing from sight.

Kenpachi turned and blocked the attack Kakashi had sent his way, unimpressed by the Jonin. But Kakashi wasn't done. The moment his feet connected with Kenpachi's wrist, he twisted his body to keep the momentum going, skidding past the Reaver and continued his dash towards the blonde.

Hinata's quivering hand covered her equally quivering mouth, staring at where her crush had been seconds before. "N-n-n"

"Kitase!"

Kitase turned slowly, his face contorted in anger and breathing heavily. Landing on the ground in front of him was the replacement team, Rome, Hawke and Sasori. "We…we came too late."

Hawke was off to the side, seething with rage, his hands gripping the handles of his blades tightly, with one pointed straight at the lord of all Reavers.

"Listen to me! You need to get Naruto and the others away from here. I need you to focus!"

Kitase reached for his weapons, lowering his posture into an offensive stance, ignoring Rome. "He's a dead man!"

"Leave him to us, Kitase! If there's someone who could survive a blow like that, it would be him, now please go!" Rome asked, his face too was a mixture of emotions, but managed to force it down.

Kurenai was the only one who seemed to still have a grip on the situation. "We need to get Naruto out of here! Let's go!"

Hinata pulled away from Kiba, her pale eyes had turned red, her face glistening in tears. "Is he still alive?"

"Naruto could." Kitase murmured, thinking back to the blonde's near-death scenarios. He snapped himself from his morbid train of thought and grabbed hold on the shimmer of hope that Naruto could still be alive. Falling in behind Kurenai, he gave her a curt nod, who took that as her cue to move.

They ran past Rome, Hawke and Sasori, who were spreading out and were flanking Kenpachi, who in turn paid little mind to the passing group. His gaze was solely focused on Rome. "You're next, Rome."

Kurenai became the lead figure and hopped across the rubble and through the smoke that had erupted from the earlier attack. She nearly lost her footing when the ground shook heavily. The fight behind them had started once more, and by the looks of it, neither side were holding back.

She jumped over fallen debris and ruins of buildings as they left the fighting behind, the early morning sky lighting up as a large beam of light erupted and was sent towards the heavens.

Looking back down and saw that she had cleared the smoke and was able to spot Anko standing outside, covering the entrance. She was waving them over.

Another series of explosions shook the earth. It looked like it was getting closer again. "Get in the building!" Anko roared as she jabbed her finger to the building behind her.

Everyone heeded her instruction and sprinted towards the building as the attacks neared their position. They slammed the door open, and Kurenai held it open for the others, beckoning with her hand. "Hurry, hurry!"

There was rummaging as the group inside headed towards the back, away from the door. She slammed the door shut and barricaded it with a large cabinet.

Right outside an explosion shook the entire building and smoke covered the entire area.

Slowly she turned back to the group. A few were standing around Kakashi, who was looming over Naruto, blocking her sight. She could see Hinata hugging Kiba.

She saw Sasuke standing, turned away from the rest. "Is he…?" Kurenai asked, noticing the turmoil of emotions on his face.

Sasuke looked over his shoulder, towards the others. "He's still alive...For now."

Kurenai hadn't known the blonde very well. But she knew what he meant to the others. After years he had finally returned to them, and despite the friction between them, she was hopeful that they would be able to reconnect. Stepping past Sasuke and neared the crouching form of Kakashi.

He saw her approaching and slowly stood up, stepping aside, letting her approach Naruto. She let out a small gasp as she caught sight of Naruto's still impaled body her eyes travelled to the katana that was imbedded in his chest. She felt a cold dread spread through her body. The blade had struck his heart.

Naruto didn't have the energy to respond. It took him almost everything he had to keep his eye open, to look at them for just a second longer. He tried saying something, but nothing got past his cracked lips.

Behind her she could hear the near-silent sobbing of Hinata, with Kiba gently patting her on the back, whispering quiet words of comfort.

Kitase kneeled next to the blonde, grabbing his hand, letting it rest in his. "You put up a great fight, Naruto."

Naruto's head briefly rose to look at Kitase. "T-take c-care of…M-m-Micheru."

The dark-haired ame-nin gave him a sad smile. "Of course. I'll protect her."

"d-d-on't fail…like I-I d-did." He slurred; blood trickled down the corners of his mouth

Kakashi crouched down in front of him. Seeing Minato's son lying there, a broken mess. It nearly tore him apart. He looked up at Sasuke, who was having as much difficulty in hiding his emotions as he was. His eyes roamed towards the others in the room. Ino was quietly crying, Kurenai who looked mournful and even Anko had trouble keeping it in check. "You didn't fail, Naruto." He said as he finally settled his eyes back on Naruto.

"Isn't there a-anything we can do?" Hinata whispered, her head resting on Kiba still.

Kakashi didn't answer, nor did anyone else. He looked into the sole eye of Naruto. It was drooping and despite his best efforts, it was clear that he was merely hanging on for them. Slowly he reached for his student, his hand resting on his face and neck. "It's okay Naruto. You've done enough. We can take it from here."

Naruto slowly blinked and looked at Kakashi. "F-f-f-fight's n-n-not d-d-on". More blood dribbled from the corners of his mouth and onto his legs.

Sasuke crouched down next to Kakashi and looked at his 'rival'. There was barely any sign of life in him. The cover of his 'eye' was gone. Revealing the mutilated eye socket. Memories of a young Naruto popped in his head. Of them both running up a tree, trying to improve their chakra control. "You've already done so much. Trust us." Sasuke softly and sincerely spoke.

It took him an incredible amount of willpower to look at his former teammate. "T-teme."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he gave the blonde a nod, forcing a smile on his face. "Baka."

"I-I w-w-wish I-I could see M-michu-c-chan, o-one l-last time." He said, his voice full of regret, his eye slowly travelled up toward the clock that was hanging on the wall behind the group.

"You'll see her again, one day." Kitase promised, gripping the blonde's shoulder, trying to comfort him.

Kitase stared into his eye, but Naruto was staring towards the space behind them. A smile appeared on his face. "We all have to at some point." He said in a clear voice, before his eye slowly glazed over, and one final breath escaped his crusted and bloodied lips.

He knew, yet his hand still reached for his pulse. He let out a sorrowful sigh as Kitase's head dipped low. "Goodbye, Naruto." Giving the blonde one last pat on the shoulder.

"I-I can't b-believe this is h-happening." Hinata sobbed as she fell to her knees in front of her crush. There was still so much she wanted to say, to apologize for. To make things right between them.

Kiba behind her, laid his hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze in comfort. Despite the issues he had with the blonde, he never wished this upon him. His mouth twitched as he felt regret and sadness.

Kakashi stared at the boy that was once his student. A student he had abandoned in a moment of weakness and stupidity. He would forever regret what he had done. "Rest easy, Naruto."

Sasuke felt a pang of anger as he looked at the still form of Naruto. Unjustified anger at Naruto for giving up, for leaving them behind. Anger quickly gave way to shame for feeling such an unwarranted emotion. Shame just as quickly got replaced by an immense amount of grief.

Kurenai was holding Ino in a tight hug as she whispered calming words. The blonde girl slowly turned and dared to look at the body of her old classmate. Her lips trembled and her face was streaked with tears. "I-it's for the best. He felt so much guilt…Now he can finally rest."

Kakashi looked at the pale, bloodied face. Naruto hadn't been the same ever since they had come back from Suna. He had tried his best to convince him, that it wasn't his fault. But he wasn't able to. Ino was right. He was finally able to rest.

The ground shook, and Anko looked at the barricaded door behind. It was clear that the fight was getting close. Turning back to the group, she locked eyes with Kakashi. They both knew that they had to go.

The purple haired kunoichi refused to look at Naruto. She was able to keep her emotions at bay and keep up her tough façade. But she knew…she knew that if she looked into the lifeless eye of Naruto, she would falter.

Moments later, a lone tear slid down her face as she tore her gaze away from the blonde. "Kakashi…"

He gave her a nod and slowly he stood back up, his eyes still locked on the still form of Naruto. "We…need to go."

A burst of red demonic nucleus landed right outside the building, blowing apart the entrance, exposing them to the outside.

Anko reached for Sasuke and pulled him to his feet. "We have to go, now!"

"W-what about…" Hinata spoke hoarsely, unable to look at Naruto's body.

More explosions rocked the building, and the group knew, time was up. Anko kicked open the back door and started ordering them out. "IF WE STAY HERE, WE'RE DEAD!" she barked, knowing full well she had to be the one to pull them together.

Kakashi slowly let out a breath he had been holding. Forcing his grief down, he gave a resolute nod. "Anko's right. We have to go, now!"

"We-we can't leave him!" Hinata cried out, trying to pull her arm away from Kiba.

"We'll come back for him; I promise-"The roof at the front collapsed as another jutsu landed. "Kiba, take Hinata and get her out of here!"

Kitase looked to Naruto before turning towards turning his attention to the purple haired kunoichi. With reluctance he moved towards her, followed by the others, Kakashi repeating his promise to the others.

Sasuke remained behind, staring at his old friend. Gritting his teeth, he reached for Naruto's shoulder and gripped it tight for a moment before stepping back. "Goodbye, Naruto." His gaze lingered on the blade that was still embedded in his body. He reached for the handle and as fast as he could, while remaining respectful, pulled it out. gently he laid it in Naruto's open palm, wrapping his fingers around it.

He turned and ran out after the others, leaving the body of his old teammate, rival and friend, Uzumaki Naruto behind.

Yep…I just did that. I don't know if it was a very predictable twist, I'd like to think It wasn't tooo heavy on the nose.

Naruto's last words were the same words, Akemi had said to him in Sunagakure, in case you were wondering what he meant with that.

Fun fact. This chapter I rewrote I think, and I'm not exaggerating, four times. The outcome (almost) always the same, except for the part leading up to it, including some of its characters.

Until next time ;)