Chapter 7
"Naruto, you're under arrest for the murder of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage." Kakashi spoke out, jumping behind the pair with a squad of Anbu following him.
The blonde still facing the Uchiha narrowed his lone eye at the news, 'The Kyuubi told them about that? What is he planning?' His face then glowed in recognition remembering the original plan everything is in place.
Sasuke eyes widened at the news as Naruto turned around slowly, he began to protest the accusation. "Naruto would never-"
"We shouldn't keep meeting like this, Sensei..." The blonde muttered out.
"Honestly something is truly unforgivable. To harm the village you're hailed from... Naruto just turn yourself in don't make this hard." Kakashi said with disappointment riddled in his voice.
"Tell me it isn't true, tell me it isn't true!" Sasuke shouted. Naruto dawned a small unnerving smile
"Yea, I killed that old bastard. He deserved it," He turned around and began walking. "I'm going down my own path now. Get strong Sasuke so your eyes can see the full truth of the world."
"You think we'll let you just leave?" One Anbu member asked darkly blocking any exit. The blonde looked at the group impassively.
Kakashi felt pain and guilt burning throughout his heart but he stood firm, "Naruto, you once told me you wanted to prove world wrong. Don't tell me you've forgotten that."
Naruto scoffed, "You're going lecture me now? A bit late for that, don't you think Sensei." He shook his head in disappointment, "You're always late when it matters the most." The blonde finished, causing Kakashi eyes to widen slightly, the Copy Nin then sighed tiredly.
"N-Naruto," Sakura began, shaking uncontrollably.
"We are your family, don't we mean nothing to you?!" Naruto met the pink head eyes full of pain and confusion. The blonde didn't feel any guilt, he came to far for that but he couldn't help but think of the rare act of kindness Sakura gave him a few weeks ago.
Flashback - One Month Training Ark
Jiraiya giggled as he wrote furiously on his notebook. He and Naruto had gone to a waterfall in order to train his water walking that much was true but what Jiraiya didn't tell him was that it was one of his favorite places to do his research. When they had started training early in the morning, because of the previous training with his teammate, Naruto had gotten down most of the toad style taijutsu. After the taijutsu portion of the training was over he had Naruto fight one of his clones while water walking.
The blonde had made good progress and it would only a matter of time before he was finished. Jiraiya had to admit that he was impressed at the level at which the kid learned. The sannin heard a loud cheer followed by a round of laughter and instantly knew that his student was done with water walking.
Naruto turned towards Jiraiya and grinned. "You better stop peeking on those girls Jiraiya-sensei. I beat the clone and that means that you have to teach me how to summon toads!"
Jiraiya sighed and dropped down from the tree. "Alright already!" Jiraiya exclaimed with a frown, "Sheesh kid, has anybody ever told you that you're too loud."
"A lot of people actually," Naruto confessed.
"As long as you know that." Jiraiya said with an annoyed expression as he took off the scroll he carried on his lower back. The sannin opened the large scroll and Naruto could see that there were two names written in blood, "I need you to sign this using your blood, it's the first step in using the summoning jutsu."
Naruto smiled in excitement. "No problem Pervy Sage!" The blond bit his thumb and drew blood. He began to write his name next to the one that read Minato Namikaze, "All done!"
Jiraiya couldn't help but sigh, maybe having a hyperactive blond as an apprentince wouldn't be that good after all. "Now you need to do the hand signs I taught you. Remember that the toad summon depends on the amount of chakra you put into it."
Naruto smiled and went through the hand signs. He slammed his hands into the ground and watched as a poof of smoke appeared. He smiled in excitement but groaned when he saw a small green toad had appeared.
"What did I do wrong?" Naruto whined with a frown.
"I told you to put more chakra into it." Jiraiya scolded, "Now do it one more time but put more chakra into it."
The blond frowned and did as instructed only to summon a slightly bigger purple toad. Naruto growled and went through the seals one more time only to summon the previous green toad.
Jiraiya frowned, it looks like he'll have to use that chakra after all. "That's enough kid." Jiraiya said, ignoring Naruto's complains, "We have to go over some things now."
The teen groaned but walked over to Jiraiya. "What are we going over now Jiraiya-sensei?"
The toad sannin chuckled. "We have to start a new training schedule. I didn't plan on you learning to water walk so quickly so we have to make some changes." Jiraiya explained, "We'll still work on your taijutsu first but it will grow on level as time goes on. Right after the taijutsu we'll be having sparring matches to help you learn how to use it in battle."
"After the sparring I'll help you with your wind chakra control." Jiraiya continued, "When the wind training is over I'll teach you the basics of sealing. The art of sealing is very useful to ninja and, if you have enough skill, you can create your own seals. When we're done with that you'll continue to try and summon bigger toads."
Naruto nodded. "I got it Jiraiya-sensei but will I still be able to train on my free time?"
Jiraiya grinned. "You're welcome to train whenever you want but I assure you that you won't have the energy to do so when I'm done with you." The sannin had a glint on his eye that made Naruto shiver involuntarily, "We're done for today, I'll see you tomorrow morning kid."
The sannin disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Naruto sighed in contempt and stretched his sore muscles. He couldn't wait to get started with his training but that glint on Jiraiya's eye had told him that he'll be in pain in the future. The blond chuckled and summoned two clones, like Jiraiya had instructed, and began to work on cutting the leaf.
The sun was setting when Naruto was making his way home. It had been a long day and he knew that it would be nothing compared to what was to come. He walked through the streets and played his oblivious act. He had learned how to pretend that he didn't notice the stares the villagers threw at him but he could still feel the gazes on him. How he hoped that the stares would stop.
"Naruto!" He heard a voice scream. The blond turned around and was met with the sight of his teammate running towards him.
"Are you okay, Sakura?" Naruto asked as the girl tried to catch her breath.
She frowned and pointed at Naruto's clothes. "Look at you Naruto. You're a mess!" Naruto took a look at his clothes and noticed that his clothes were in fact cut up in some places and filled with dirt, "What happened to you?"
Naruto grinned lightly. "I was training with Jiraiya-sensei." The blond answered, "I think I was cut up when he tried to teach me how to block a kunai with my new taijutsu."
Sakura sighed. "You idiot, you're always going over board. Naruto look you have blood in your jacket." She said in concern, "You're coming with me."
"Uh.. Going where?" Naruto asked in slight concern.
Sakura took hold of Naruto's sleeve and dragged him with her. "I'm going to take you home and clean your wounds."
Naruto stiffened. "A-are you sure your parents will be okay with me being there?" He asked in alarm, "I don't want to bother them."
The girl chuckled. "Are you kidding?" She asked with a smile, "They've wanted to meet you for a while."
The blond's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" He asked incredulously, "Why would they want to meet me?"
She sighed. "Naruto you're my teammate." She said with a small smile, "You beat Kiba by not giving up and took everyone by surprise. Ever since you became a ninja, my parents have wanted to meet you."
"..." Naruto didn't say anything, he just remained silent, noticing Sakura gave Naruto an odd look. "What's wrong Naruto? Why are you so quiet?" She whispered to him, "It's not like they'll eat you alive or anything." Naruto kept his gaze to the ground and only grunted in response. Sakura threw him a worried look and dragged Naruto towards a tree.
Grabbing her first aid kit with a frown, she posed a question that's been bothering her. "Why do you not want to meet my parents Naruto?"
Naruto lowered his gaze and sighed. "I really didn't mean it like that Sakura." He said with a sad expression, "I'm just not good with adults."
Her face softened and she sighed. "I'll let you off the hook this once." She said with a small smile. "But if you ever deny a girls request to meet her parents, you'll pay the consequences."
Naruto gulped and laughed nervously. "It won't happen again, I promise."
"Good," she said before checking Naruto for any wounds. Satisfied she looked at her friend sadly. The blond had a look of exhaustion on his face that seemed alien on his face. "Why do you train so hard?" She asked, "I know you want to be a Chunin but isn't this a bit too much."
Naruto gave a small smile and shook his head. "I'm not training to be promoted." He began, "I'm training so I can protect everything I love." They both stared intently into each other eyes, until both blushed slightly and the the blonde looked away.
"Uh, I've been unable to help you guys with my own power and want to change that. I don't want to watch as you guys get hurt, I want to be someone you can always rely on Sakura."
She now looked at Naruto in a whole new light. She hadn't expected an answer like that and gained a new respect for her teammate. His dream of being Hokage didn't look like a ridiculous idea anymore, she actually believed that with more experience he could actually become Hokage one day.
"I have to go Sakura, I'm really tired," Naruto said with a weary smile.
She smiled. "I'll see you later, okay?"
Naruto gave a foxy grin. "Of course, maybe we could train together one day."
She nodded in agreement. "I'll get stronger too." Naruto looked at Sakura in confusion, "You were right about what you said. I feel like a burden on you guys sometimes and I want to change that. I'll follow your example and get stronger."
Naruto smiled. "You'll get stronger for sure Sakura." He said with a grin, "We should train together sometime."
She grinned. "Just you wait Naruto, I'll be a lot stronger next time we meet."
"Don't think that I'll just let that happen." Naruto smiled, "I'll get stronger so we can both protect our love ones."
Sakura gave Naruto a sweet smile. "Now go get some rest or you won't be able to train tomorrow." Naruto chuckled in response and left the area with a single wave.
Present Day
"Our bond is insignificant to me, everything I have with you Ninja of the Hidden Leaf is built on lies and treachery..." Naruto said coldly, "But know this Sakura.. I've always hated you, all of you." The pink haired girl eyes widened then welled up with tears. Her heart, no her soul hurt.
"The mere sight of you all always makes me sick, just slaves to a system with no free will at all. Mere cattle.." The blonde finished, a bit harshly. He then turned around, "But you of all people should understand the value of obtaining absolute strength at least." The blonde muttered towards the Uchiha.
"Dammit, Naruto..." Sasuke said lowly, anger evident in his voice. "Who are you fooling with this act!" He screamed
"Y-yeah, w-why are you doing this Naruto, stop trying to push us away, whatever your going through... we can help you!" Sakura cried out in tears.
"Isn't it obvious?" Naruto said darkly as he turned back around. "I'm a demon remember? That's why they placed this seal me, isn't that right Sensei." The blonde asked giving Kakashi a knowing look. Pointing at the Yin seal, glowing on his forehead.
Kakashi felt a feeling of regret in his heart but he cast it to the side to complete his duty as a Shinobi. "No Naruto, I never seen you as a demon. None of your comrades did but... what you did is completely unforgivable. So are you turning yourself in peacefully or not?"
The surrounding area became became tensed with silence. Then after a few moments Naruto let out a burst of laughter that was genuinely filled with amusement.
"I took down a Bijuu host and I killed your Hokage... You think a Joūnin and mere squad of Anbu can take me down?" He asked rhetorically, his wrist cracking as he twisted it. "Please, try it..."
He met Kakashi eyes and his curse mark glowed ominously. Kakashi sighed once again and soon the sound Lightning echoed throughout. "Then all I can give you.. is just death." He said with finality.
Seeing the situation was about to escalate Sasuke stood between Naruto and Kakashi.
"Wait Naruto, don't do this. Remember you want to be Hokage, you told me that you have the desire to bring about change. How can you do that by doing this?" Sasuke asked, desperate for his friend to stop going down the path he's walking towards.
Naruto looking at everyone impassively collected himself before speaking, "I haven't change my goal Sasuke, I am going to bring about change to this world. My view of being Hokage is not the one who is accepted by all but the one who accepts all hatred, the one who accepts the world for what it is and not what it can be, is worthy of that title.
Hatred within humans can't be destroyed so I rather take it upon myself to divert it. To me a Hokage is someone who uses his own flame to sear away the darkness of the Five Villages and keeps living by eating the ashes.. What I seek is... REVOLUTION" Naruto proclaimed staring into the Heavens.
Hearing those powerful words sent everyone in shock. It made everyone question whether the blonde lost his mind or not. But it left a resounding impact on Sasuke, everytime he sees Naruto face he sees his brother. He put his head down quietly and stood behind Naruto. This cause the blonde to smirk, "I see you agree Sasuke, I'm glad you came to your senses."
"Treasonous bastard!" Was yelled at by the Anbu who were itching to kill the traitor. As soon the order was giving they'll waste no time in killing the nuisance before them.
Kakashi looked towards the blonde, "That's not peace Naruto, that's slavery. We have the right to choose their own path, whether good or bad. That's what makes us human... is all about wave?"
Naruto narrowed his lone eye dangerous "Watch it Hatake."
Ignoring the blonde he continued, "Is this what Haku would've -" he was cut off
"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO TALK SO READILY, YOU'RE WORDS ARE WORTHLESS AND MEANINGLESS!!!" The blonde roared with renewed strength, flexing his chakra upon them. His mental state after all this time is starting to slip.
"That's enough Naruto!" A new rung out, "You don't get to go around killing anyone you please! There's a right way to do this!" Jiraiya proclaimed, arriving to the field.
"There is no right and wrong in war Jiraiya. It's an eye for an eye. Those who take away other freedoms don't deserve to live." The blonde retorted
"So that's what this is about? We hurt you by the accidental death of Haku, so you retaliate by slaughtering our Kage? Betraying your home!? Working with Kyuubi and Orochimaru, literal monsters who wiped out an entire villages! They killed men, women and children! They thrive off chaos Naruto! DO YOU NOT CARE?" Jiraya said taking a step towards Naruto.
Everyone stared at Naruto, awaiting his answer.
"No...no I don't. You sealed me into darkness... you lied about my parents and then you killed my friend... EVERYTHING HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM ME! NEVER AGAIN! Never again will I allow an enemy to have the chance to take anymore! This world will be changed! I will decimate any opposition that threatens MY peace!" The blonde roared.
"Then you'll have to go through us because what you are seeking is not peace Naruto. World domination and peace aren't the same. Please Naruto, just surrender yourself to Konoha and face trial for what you've done..." Jiraya said taking another step to Naruto.
"Naruto please, that's enough. You need to relax and come with us." Kakashi tried to reason
Naruto looked straight at Kakashi and became angered "REALLY? LIKE ALWAYS YOU DO NOTHING! MY MOTHER DIED AND YOU REMAINED IDLY BY! I GET A SLAVE SEAL AND YOU STILL DO NOTHING!!" This proclamation made Kakashi and Jiraiya eyes widen, they realize that Naruto knows information he shouldn't be privy to.
"You know your parents? Who told you this information Naruto?"
Naruto snarled, "Honestly that's all you got from that? Out of everything you could've said, dismissal was your answer?!"
Jiraiya shook his head in disbelief, "Naruto you have to understand for the sake of the Village we-" he was cut off when a Wind coated Kunai slice through the air, he dodged and narrowed his eyes at the blonde. If he wasn't careful he would've died.
"The Village... The Village... You shinobi always think you're doing the greater good because of the Village, while undermining the evil you support. Obsessed with the shinobi creed.. Obsessed with the Village, a worthless urge that enslaves you and creates wars throughout the nations. All the 5 Villages do is limited our freedom which in turn leads to psychopathic mass murdering robots. You all fear what you don't understand."
The blonde proclaimed, his madness overcoming him. These words cause Sasuke eyes to widen, Naruto was literally mirroring his brother. He's becoming a monster, he clenched his fist he has to do something or he's afraid another massacre will happen but at a much bigger scale.
"Stop this Naruto! That is enough!" Jiraiya ordered but suddenly Naruto threw his headband and stabbed a kunai through the Leaf symbol. The hidden message was loud and clear to everyone there.
"I have my own dreams to fulfill... my own path. To reach the next level. I have had enough of this there's no hope left in this pathetic world ruled over you shinobi. The people of this village are all the same, change is impossible in this fog of ignorance.. I'm done." Naruto uttered throughout, the treasonous words made all the Ninja get ready for battle.
"W-What are you saying Naruto?" Sakura interject
"My days playing Ninja with you kids of the Hidden Leaf Village is over." He said with finality.
Sasuke watched everything unfold, he had enough. He noticed that he still had enough chakra. He had to make a choice, a tear left her eyes as she went through a few handsigns and charged Naruto with a Chidori. The blonde was so engrossed in madness the blonde didn't even notice.
SQUELCH
He stabbed his hand through back piercing his chest from behind, Naruto's lone eye widened in pain. He tilt his head to the left slightly in confusion and gasped. He furrowed his brows as he didn't understand. Everyone stood in shock silence.
"I'm sorry...Naruto..." The Uchiha muttered in sadness.
"I.. g-guest y-you c-chose your path then... Y-You l-love t-this V-Village so much t-that You'd... even kill me." Dropping to his knees, as he coughed up blood, Sasuke went to his with him.
"I can't let you become another Itachi... I'm sorry." Sasuke said eyes shedding tears but the clear liquid began to turn red.
"Heh, w-would y-you laugh if I t-told you that all I wanted was a normal life? T-Thank y-you for being there for me S-Sasuke..." Naruto rasped out before breathing his last breath and collapsing on the floor. Sakura began crying tears hold cradling the dead corpse of her friend.
Sasuke began hyperventilating, he did the one thing he promised never to do. Allow his new family to die. Kakashi noticing placed a hand on the Uchiha shoulder to calm him down but gasp in shock when he saw his eyes. Sasuke began morphing into its MS but he couldn't maintain it and passed out.
Jiraiya cursed the whole situation went to shit, he sent Kakashi a glance, "This whole situation could've been avoided. If I was there for him... Minato is truly rolling in his grave. He truly died for no reason." He signaled the Anbu to clean up the mess and to take the kids back to the Village.
Kakashi sighed, "Honestly, I don't know about that. After the Forest of Death debacle went down, I had Naruto in custody before we placed him in a holding cell. While you was gathering information on Orochimaru, it was my job to seal the curse seal but while doing that Orochimaru himself appeared and he said some ominous things..."
The look on Jiraiya face became serious as he clenched his fist. "Explain"
Flashback - Right After Forest of Death Ark
Kakashi took a deep breath and readied himself. It had been quite some time since he had attempted any sort of complex fuinjutsu. He was competent in the field, but hardly a specialist. Unfortunately, time was of the essence, and enlisting the help of a more skilled sealer was not an option.
'At least I didn't have to make the array.' the Jonin thought to himself as he checked each section of the formation that Naruto was laying in the center of. The boy had still yet to awaken since he lost consciousness after the battle between him , Naruto and Asuma. He shook his head, "This situation is the worst kind to be in, Minato.. please forgive me." He muttered to himself.
Sighing to himself and stepping back away from the complicated circle of symbols and characters,
'I'll line him up with a therapist if he struggles too much with it.' he decided, adding the thought to his mental to-do list. He then weaved a sequence of hand signs before slamming his palm down just in front of the array. The circle quickly began to glow, with chakra rising up from it like smoke from a fire. Tightening his focus to ensure that the process went along smoothly, Kakashi performed the final procedure. Stepping inside the circle, the Jonin pressed his palm to the mark on Naruto's neck.
The chakra coursing through the array then flowed inward, soon finding its way to the Uzumaki boy. A few moments later, the circle went dark, and Kakashi removed his hand from his skin. The mark was now encircled with a seal on all sides. The process had been successful. Releasing a breath he had been unknowingly holding, Kakashi stepped out of the circle again.
'It's probably better that you weren't awake for this. It's a painful thing to go through.' he thought as he studied his sleeping student. Then, just as the Copy Ninja had taken a step toward her to escort her out of the subterranean chamber they were currently residing in, the sound of echoing footsteps caught his attention.
"For such a powerful village, Konoha's security is lacking."
Instantly recognizing the voice that had spoken, Kakashi whirled around and drew a kunai. As his ears had informed him a moment earlier, they were no longer alone. Strolling past the stone support pillars with casual ease was Orochimaru, who was curiously wearing what appeared to be a Jonin flak jacket and a forehead protector bearing the symbol of Otogakure. Forcing himself to remain calm despite his nerves, Kakashi stood tall.
"That's my job, actually." he shot back calmly. Orochimaru halted his advance at the final pillar before the array, leaving him twenty odd feet from Kakashi and Naruto.
"Precisely my point." he said vaguely. Being quick witted himself, the Copy Ninja easily caught the insult laced into the older man's words. He ignored it.
"You're here for something. Come on out with it. We both have better things to be doing." the Jonin said. Orochimaru chuckled and made a wide gesture with his arms.
"Well, even a man like me gets homesick from time to time. The leaves are such a beautiful color this time of year." he replied with mocking humor. Kakashi narrowed his eyes.
"You've never been one for sight-seeing, and as far as this village is concerned, you're not welcome." he said bitingly. The Sanin's expression remained relaxed and confident. He then glanced past Kakashi.
"It won't work, you know." he said, gesturing to the sleeping boy in the sealing array. The silver-haired ninja tightened his grip on his kunai handle.
"What do you want with Naruto?" he demanded. Orochimaru did not give him a straight answer. Instead, he seemingly switched the topic.
"You've changed since last I saw you. You've acquired something new. Gaining that overwhelming power must've aided you greatly throughout the years." he said vaguely. It took Kakashi little time to deduce what he was referring to.
"And? What of it?" he countered. The Snake Sannin's pale lips pulled into a dark smile, the tip of his reptilian tongue just barely flicking out.
"Is it so wrong of me to want it as well?" he asked, once again allowing the younger man to connect the dots himself. When the trail of verbal bread crumbs led Kakashi to the obvious conclusion, he scowled.
"You want the Nine Tails power." he said. Orochimaru, much in contrast to his expectations, shook his head and stepped forward.
"No, no. Think bigger than that. More ambitiously. I want absolute power.. I have no interest in a pale imitation." he corrected. Kakashi's eyes widened slightly. What was being suggested was both deeply disturbing, and far too in line with the exiled Sannin's modus operandi. Seeming to sense that he had instilled a degree of unease, Orochimaru began to walk forward again.
Immediately, Kakashi uncovered his left eye and dropped down to one knee. Within seconds, a mass of sparking blue electricity encased his right arm, with the sound of wailing birds reverberating through the chamber.
"Take another step forward, and one of us dies. Right here, right now." he said threateningly. Orochimaru halted his advance once again, but his posture remained unbothered.
"Go right ahead. Flip that coin." he challenged, a look of total calm on his pale face. A tense silence then overtook the chamber, with neither man budging an inch. After a few moments had passed, Orochimaru turned on his heel.
"Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, he will come to me in search of power. You know what he is, deep down. It's in his nature." he said, vanishing into the shadows immediately after. Once the man was well and truly gone, Kakashi allowed his jutsu to fizzle out into silence. For a time, he simply stood inert. Alone to mull over what he had been told.
'He'd killed me. What was even the point of threatening him?' Kakashi wondered to himself, finding that he was shaking slightly. Getting his breathing back under control, the Jonin swiftly retrieved Naruto from the array and exited the chamber.
Things were even more dire than they had seemed.
Present Day
The Toad Sage looked into the heavens concealing his sadness, "I guess.. it couldn't be helped. Come Kakashi we must start funeral proceedings and begin the rebuild of the village."
Not saying anymore the silver haired Joūnin picked up Naruto's cold body and both began walking back, deeply in thought.
It's clear that Naruto's demise cast a profound shadow over Jiraiya and Kakashi. Jiraiya, who had a paternal bond with Naruto, felt a devastating blow to his heart. The weight of regret settled in, echoing the missed opportunities to guide and protect the young ninja. He couldn't help but reflect on the parallels with Naruto's late father, Minato, and the burden of not being there for Naruto during his formative years.
Kakashi, too, was engulfed in sorrow. As Naruto's former sensei, he grappled with the anguish of losing a promising student and the sense of responsibility that came with it. Thoughts of missed chances to bridge the emotional gap between them haunted Kakashi, amplifying his regret for not providing the support and understanding Naruto needed.
Both Jiraiya and Kakashi found solace in memories of Naruto's resilience and determination, but the pain of his absence lingered. The Chunin Exams became a somber turning point, forcing them to confront the reality of a lost opportunity to shape Naruto's destiny and offer the guidance he desperately sought.
As they trek back to the Village with Naruto's corpse in hand, Jiraiya and Kakashi reminisced about Minato, sharing a collective sorrow over the tragic parallels between father and son. The weight of their regrets pressed heavily on their shoulders, a poignant reminder of the impact they could have had on Naruto's life had circumstances been different.
A full day has passed and the whole Village was in a state of mourning. As the funeral procession wound its way through the Hidden Leaf Village, a palpable sense of grief enveloped the atmosphere. Villagers, young and old, walked in hushed silence, their eyes reflecting the pain of losing the venerable Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. The air was thick with sorrow, and the once lively streets now echoed with the somber footsteps of mourning citizens.
Faces that once bore smiles were now etched with sadness, and tear-streaked cheeks revealed the depth of the collective loss. The absence of their leader was felt not just in the grandeur of the ceremony but in the subtle details—the villagers' lowered gazes, the trembling hands clutching flowers, and the occasional stifled sob that escaped into the mournful air.
As the procession approached the memorial site, the clouds gathered ominously overhead, casting a shadow over the village. The sun, a symbol of hope, was obscured, leaving the world draped in muted tones. Then, as if in perfect synchrony with the collective sorrow, raindrops began to fall. The gentle patter of rain echoed the tears of the villagers, creating a melancholic symphony that accompanied the procession.
At the memorial, the faces of the attendees mirrored the anguish in their hearts. The eulogies painted a vivid picture of Hiruzen's selfless deeds—how he had tirelessly worked to protect the village, mentor the next generation, and embody the ideals of a true Hokage. Each heartfelt tribute intensified the heaviness in the air, emphasizing the void left by his departure.
In that moment, the Hidden Leaf Village stood united in grief, the rain serving as a poignant metaphor for the tears shed not just for a leader but for a beloved patriarch. The pain was not merely witnessed; it was felt in the very core of every villager, creating a poignant chapter in the village's history.
Land of Lightning
It's raining hard, it was as if the heavens were crying. Is this a sign of something ominous Itachi wonders while looking up in the heavens. Kisame leaning against a tree looking bored glanced at his companion "Ne Itachi, when are we going to have some fun huh? Let's go cut some people up, wouldn't that be exciting" The large blue man smiled manically showing his rigid shark teeth.
Itachi didn't respond to him. He never indulged in Kisame lust for murderous activities. He will never understand the nuance of life not a brute like him. Itachi kept staring in the sky until they both felt their chakra ring pulse.
"We have a summons." Itachi said stoically
Kisame grins in amusement "Heh I guess we got caught dawdling"
In a dark lair, several figures gathered together.
"You're late" a deep voice drawled out.
"We've just came from getting Intel about the Jinchuriki in Kumo when you summoned us.. Took us longer then expected but here we are." Kisame retorted
The Rinnegan Leader look impassively at them. "I have heard some important news that can be detrimental towards our cause. Orochimaru has attacked the Leaf and killed the Third Hokage, but the Nine Tailed Host is dead. I need you two to track his corpse down while the residual chakra is still within his body."
Itachi and Kisame nods, and look towards another member direction.
"I heard from my spy, Kabuto that apparently the Leaf Jinchuriku was in leagues with Orochimaru, doesn't seem likely but stay vigilant. Orochimaru probably wanted him for a new body." a Sasori figure added
The Rinnegan figure standing in the dark of a cave looked out amid the rainy plains of the country he sought to gain control over, "This sounds very suspicious. His corpse would undoubtedly be the well guarded. You two make sure to make this is clean and short we can't afford too much attention on is just yet."
"Yes Pein-sama. As you wish." They both said in unison and disappeared
A pair of legendary eyes shone through the darkness of the cave, "It is only a matter of time until my will shall be carried out. The world will know the true meaning of pain, and I will be known as the God that will lead this world to peace, one way or another."
While walking out the cavern, Itachi didn't show it but he was surprised, what the hell is going on over there he thought. Kisame smiles hungrily "Working with Orochimaru? This brat sounds formidable maybe I'll test him before we take him in." He stated as they walked away.
"Even more of a reason to find him.. we can't allow Orochimaru get that type of power." Itachi stated stoically.
A brutal homecoming was in store.
Village Hidden in Leaves
Normality could not be said for the gloomy clouds that reigned over the Village Hidden in Leafs. The Sound and Sand invasion had come and gone. The Konoha had remained standing; she had stepped out of the invasion as the winner. Konoha had battled against two hidden villages and won. Despite the victory, it still felt like a loss to many of the broken hearts in Konoha. A victory had been ensured, but it did not come without a price. Konoha had paid a high price for her victory. A price that she thought she would have never had to pay.
The death of the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, The Professor and the death of the son of the Fourth Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki.
The invasion of Sand and Sound might have been a failure to their end. However, Konoha had suffered a great loss. The Sandaime had lived through two great shinobi wars. He was a man of peace, loved and admired by many for his ways. He was the only Hokage to have served two terms and was the only man to have been Hokage for the longest period. The professor was indeed a great man in the eyes of many.
Amongst his achievements were the three legendary shinobi's, the sannin's. He had been their sensei and groomed them into the powerful shinobi they became. Unfortunately, the grandson he loved was the cause of his death. Naruto, had been the reason the Sandaime had left the world of the living.
While Konoha was trying to move on from the death of its Hokage you see a little boy still at the gravesite with his face in his small hand crying. A feeling no child should ever experience, yet this is the reality of the shinobi world. The boy had lost almost everything his parents, his grandfather and boy he use to see as his brother. He was confused and heartbroken, he wasn't dumb, he heard the whispers among the populous about what Naruto did. But why? He couldn't figure it out, everything was so confusing to Konohamaru.
A voice knocked him out his thoughts, "It is pointless to grieve over those who's no longer living child." Hearing that Konohamaru eyes widened and turned around to see a bandaged up old man. The sound of the old man cane can be heard as he approached the small boy.
"If there's any meaning in death at all, it's too take advantage of it.. that's the essence of being a Shinobi." The old man finished.
"So what's the meaning to life then?" Konohamaru posed a question that's been bothering him recently.
The old man eyed the young man intently, "There is none unless if you give your all to the Great Tree. Only than a sapling like you can obtain true purpose and power to prevent this." He said pointing at the thousands of graves.
'Life has no meaning...' The boy thought to himself, he then looked up towards the old man. "How can I get strong enough to prevent this old man?"
Danzo then looked towards the child and put his hand out, "Join me..."
Authors Note
Yo I know some of you are surprised about Naruto's death but if you go too chapter one you'll get a hint and a overall understanding on what's is going to happen. Again thank you for the support and feedback if you have any questions or opinions feel free to comment!