Naruto was shocked when he saw the large frog appear and help defeat the equally large snake and on top of that those tangled and messy whitish locks that moved with the wind - ero sennin! - Naruto exclaims, but immediately lets out a shriek when a sand ninja tries to hit him with a kunai, he takes a step back and lets the anbu intervene.
The clone quickly jumps onto a wall with Chakra in his feet before jumping to the top of a building.
She turned on her heels and saw the perverted sage finally looking at her - do you know where... the third hokage is fighting? - the man asks and before Naruto could answer a ninja at his side does.
- He's over there, Jiraiya sama! - The ninja points and sees the man turn around to look at the dark barrier created around what seemed to be a battle, he narrowed his eyes seeming to have too many thoughts going through quickly and for once Naruto thought he looked intimidating, he never thought he could define the man with that word before, maybe powerful and perverted... yes, that second one was a fact.
Naruto jumped at the soft presence of a Chakra passing too quickly by him, that Chakra... - "I know him" - Naruto thinks and looks towards where the person with that Chakra went, he sees a hooded man carrying a person under his arm, his eyes narrowed wrinkling a little at the corners trying to see who the person being carried was before jumping at the sight of that short dark hair and fair complexion.
Hinata Hyuga.
- Hinata! - Naruto exclaims shaking his arms almost hysterically, in a scream, but he covers his mouth almost immediately realizing what he had just exclaimed and looks around, but he was lucky, if he could say so when seeing that the ninjas were still trying to cut each other's throats.
He was panicking, he was supposed to stay and help the civilians, not facing the ninjas or his life as a clone would end, but... wait, wolf, didn't he say to help the injured people? Hinata if Naruto remembered correctly was injured that means this was part of her mission, swallowing heavily he thinks before jumping dodging a kunai, she was stuck in the middle of fighting.
So Naruto makes a decision knowing that with this his life as a clone was already marked with an end, half of the Chakra destined for himself is passed on to the formation of another clone, both had the same little strength and felt that they had little time left.
The clones spoke among themselves - look for any ninja you see who can help, I'll... follow Hinata chan! - he exclaims and the clone leaves at full speed, then Naruto one looks towards where the ninja who had kidnapped the Hyuga girl went and goes to chase him...
Naruto three wants to curse out loud at the situation he finds himself in…
When he had caught up with the others through the tunnels, an older shinobi had taken the little baby from his hands claiming that she was faster and Naruto would have wished for that, but when the kunoichi who was barely a few feet away from her had some rocks fall on top of her, Naruto jumped back avoiding the weight of the rocks and metal from falling on her.
Her stomach turns when she sees the blood, but she hears a loud screech right in her right ear and she backs up, spinning on her heels and says, "Don't look, please." She still had a two-year-old baby to carry, but... Her legs wouldn't move, the baby who was just a few months old could still be alive and everything that drives her to stay finally does so, Naruto gets on his hands and knees and leaves the little baby on the floor, the little one was obviously very reluctant for Naruto to let go of him, small tears were once again welling up in his eyes - hey, I'm not going to leave alone... stay here - Naruto points to the place where she is standing and approaches the blood, the metallic smell flooded her nose, she writhes, her heart was pumping hard and she herself tried to calm it without any success, it was a strange itch in her throat that kept her aware that she shouldn't stay here for long, she breathed shakily and listened for... any sign of life until she finally did, it was a light cry and she knew what rock she had to lift.
She quickly tries to gather as much Chakra as possible in her hands and lifts it up, her hands shaking as the rock rolls away from the baby, Naruto turned his head and felt like gagging, all the bile rising in his throat at the image he saw, the baby was trying to cry and she heard him, the little boy tried to get closer, that was what Naruto heard as the dry gagging was painful, there was nothing to vomit, he was an empty clone, she tried to compose herself and spoke - don't come - she said softly to the sobbing little boy, she moved towards the baby again and swallowed heavily again, a large piece of glass had completely pierced his abdomen, she could see all the pain in the little baby and Naruto could also start sobbing in chorus with the little boy because he didn't know what to do, if he took the little bit of the lower part of the little boy's body he would bleed to death but he couldn't... he just couldn't...
End the suffering... the thought crosses her mind as she feels her kunai among her weapons fall to the ground, Naruto tries to shake his head, he can't do it, babies are precious, the third one had told her that, that she had to be more delicate with Koh for that very reason, but...
The little boy's crying grew louder as he waited for Naruto, if they stayed any longer he would…
Naruto took the kunai from the ground and raised it towards the little baby.
Bum Bum bum
He felt the gagging coming back again, but then Naruto took a deep breath…
The loud cry of a baby echoed in the tunnel that was no longer so closed for a few seconds…
as Naruto one softly stepped on the grass and turned to hide when Hinata's kidnapper had finally stopped he narrowed his eyes and tried to filter some of his Chakra as a clone to feel the Hyuga girl, the soft bursts still moved smoothly over Hinata and Naruto sighed silently in relief, he readied a kunai in hand preparing to attack but he would only do that if it was absolutely necessary, he couldn't afford to attack and lose, leaving Hinata alone, he had to wait for the precise moment or wait for the other half of her to find reinforcements and bring them here.
-The heiress of the Hyuga clan- the masked man speaks and Naruto covers his mouth avoiding letting out a squeal in surprise, tense she tries to relax to avoid her breathing startled and giving her away- What are the plans after here? – she asks her partner.
-Orochimaru sama would love to have a new toy to work with, especially one as refined as this Hyuga, who has the Byakugan - Naruto swallows heavily but doesn't intervene, he will if they were to move more than the boss could allow.
Then he saw that gloved hand going towards Hinata's closed eyes, taking momentum he pulls the shuriken and points them.
Unfortunately the blow didn't even graze the masked person's hand when he pulled it away, Naruto cursed internally as he had to move out of the way when he saw a shuriken fly past him -I know you're there- the masked man spoke and Naruto gulped deeply as she tried to gather herself further against the tree, her fingertips gripping against the hard bark of the tree and then she felt it.
The Chakra she had given to create that clone of herself was gone… and she herself knew that she had no time left as a clone….
Naruto three, took a deep breath as he dropped the kunai to the ground, the baby started to cry loudly, but Naruto just hissed softly, he couldn't do it, he just couldn't.
I take the kunai again and look at it, this shouldn't be taking so long, I shouldn't stay here and just watch as the life of such a small creature would be lost.
She then realized how grateful she was to be just a clone, the real Naruto might not even be aware of what this Naruto went through.
Then deciding to change plans, she took out a shuriken and took the cloth of her shirt and tried to clean the shuriken as best she could, before bringing one of the sharp points towards the overly large glass stuck in the baby's tummy -shhh, I-I'm sorry - and she pried it as gently as she could, but... she was not a medical ninja! She was trying to do what she could in the midst of the painful crying of a baby and a two-year-old who was waiting for her to come back.
Naruto could feel relief when he saw that the baby wasn't losing more blood than he could allow, but unfortunately or maybe for the best he had lost consciousness and when the glass felt loose enough, with two too small and trembling fingers he pulled the glass out small drops of blood fell from the glass, he threw the glass aside and assessed the wound as best he could -i-it seems t-that... - Naruto couldn't breathe, he was choking as the metallic smell flooded his sensitive nose mixing with all the dust and dirt that had fallen, Naruto shook his head and hit his own cheeks with the palms of his hands, the blood on one of them stained her cheek and made her shudder, but it had been a good hit of reality.
She put her little finger in front of the baby's nose, he was still breathing, what a relief , she looked at the wound and knew that she had nothing she could have to stop the bleeding, the small bag she had was just a replica of the one Naruto had and everything inside was just as fake as her, a clone that at any moment would turn to smoke.
She felt a gentle push on her shoulder and she jumped turning around a little. "p-please I told you what!" Naruto was surprised to see the little boy, he was still crying but he pulled his green shirt towards Naruto, that made him give a shaky smile. "you know, you're braver than me." She pulls a piece of the cloth with her teeth tearing it a little. "very brave." Naruto turns around returning with the baby, and wraps the deep wound with the green cloth, and gently takes the baby in his arms, imitating how the kunoichi had carried the baby before she was vilely crushed and surely... dead from the collapse, she felt the baby's small heart beat, she pressed him closer to her, trying in part to put pressure on the wound to avoid more blood, she kneeled down and spoke. "we have to go... to" then Naruto realized that he did not know the little boy's name.
As the boy settled in for Naruto to carry him on his back he said through his tears – Yūkan – it was soft and he almost missed it, but as Naruto continued to climb up the landslide before jumping off seeing how much of the invasion was located far away from them… it made him feel hopeful that he wouldn't have to stop.
-Yūkan chan huh? -then Naruto starts to run, knowing that he would have to get to where they were sheltering all the civilians near the hokage monument -that name suits you -he felt the little one sniffle, but it was the last sob that escaped him, he seemed curious and Naruto was happy to distract the little one -Yūkan means brave-….
Then he arrived at the entrance of the shelter, he heard the slight moans of the baby he had, in addition to the heat that emanated, it was too much, even for Naruto who had never been sick before.
He had to dodge when a ninja threw a shuriken at him when he had managed to get down the stairs to get there, he tripped on his feet and Yūkan let out a shriek but Naruto was able to regain his balance and looked at the ninjas who breathed a sigh of relief, Naruto quickly approached and showed the baby, both ninjas immediately reacted, one of them even went to seek help from a doctor inside the shelter while the other ninja better examined the baby's condition - i-is he o-okay? - Naruto's voice trembled when the ninja took the baby from his careful grip and while he left Yūkan on the ground.
-This baby needs immediate medical attention- the ninja informs and sees the small child clinging to Naruto's pants- are you going to go in and stay? - The question was directed towards Naruto, but he shakes his head, Yūkan looked horrified and tears threatened to return to his small and scared face.
-No, no - he repeats in his childish voice and Naruto stands on his hind legs and although he doesn't know how to comfort him, he gently runs his hand through the little boy's hair, a gesture that many people had done with her, he smiles softly and says in a low voice.
-You don't need me anymore, the older and kinder ninja will take you to your mom and dad, they must be so worried about you, and I Naruto Uzumaki... I'm done ttebayo - Naruto finishes standing up and looks at the ninja and the baby, he rubs his fingers against the fabric of his sweatshirt, only for a squeal to escape him at the wet sensation, he looks at his hand and only sees red...
-I don't know if this baby is going to be okay- the ninja comments and Naruto jumps in surprise because she hadn't said anything in a few minutes- but no matter what happens next, you managed to live up to what you were entrusted with and you should be proud of it- Naruto's eyes shine with accumulated pain, he wrinkles his nose and finally smiles.
-yes -then the clone exploded into smoke…
Naruto two shook the air and barely managed to hit whatever was about to fall on him, only to see a clone of the original Naruto -no, no, no - the clone repeats and feels how she turns into smoke, looks at Naruto two and speaks - Hinata chan is in danger! - was the only thing she said before she vanished into smoke…
It took Naruto a couple of seconds to process what was said, she was lucky that there were older ninjas who did such a process faster than her - Hinata? Hinata Hyuga? - a ninja asks out loud and makes Naruto react.
-Shit- Naruto curses for the first time in a long time, panicking a bit and feeling like running in circles.
As he tried to think about where Hinata was or what kind of danger she was in he felt the boar's hand on his shoulder, he saw it, his hands in anbu sign language - look for help from the people of the Hyuga clan, right now none of us can intervene in that… - Naruto takes a deep breath and nods, his feet moving quickly as he sticks to a wall before jumping, from roof to roof looking for some pearl-eyed person…
The real Naruto let out a pitiful sound causing both Pakkun and Sakura to look at her in concern, as Naruto held very close to her neck and wrinkled his nose "Are you okay?" Sakura asks and Naruto nods.
-We're close- she says, feeling that the few beats that Sasuke let reflect in his own heart were quickly moving away, she had to get there... she had to hurry .
- Naruto! - Sakura screams as Naruto quickens his pace before her own eyes can see the boy she's adored for years on the floor writhing with those black tattoos appearing all over his body.
Sasuke shakes his head quickly as he watches his teammates arrive, they weren't supposed to be here - G-Go away! - he yells only to end up wincing in pain.
Naruto doesn't do it, he doesn't back down and kneels in front of Gaara... he protects Sasuke -I won't, that mark...
- Naruto, be careful! - Sakura exclaims, but Naruto barely sees out of the corner of his eye, sand and then she is thrown, she hits the wood crudely and feels a great weight on her body, she looks and sees Sasuke on top of her frowning and shaking, but everything was happening too fast, that sand never expected to catch her, instead she heard a cry of pain and recognized it.
- Sakura! -he exclaims and tries to get Sasuke off of him, but the boy was stubborn and wouldn't move -g-get off him, Sakura… -
-If... I... were to get rid of you... It would be so you would run away far... far away - Naruto shakes his head and tries to look for Sakura with his eyes.
The blonde herself can't deny that she's scared... she can't deny that Sasuke is scared either... she can see it, she's not blind . But still he was trying to protect her, trying to endure the cursed mark.
-Sasuke… sorry - Naruto whispers so only the black-haired boy can hear and raises a hand and pulls Sasuke's own hand slowly and places his hand over the mark, the boy flinches and lets out a cry of pain -I know it hurts - Naruto feels the itch of pain in his shoulder and neck, the marks were slowly moving away, she had noticed that it had an effect on the seal, but when Sasuke lost all strength, Naruto accumulated Chakra in his arms and removed it leaving it on the wood.
He looks at the red-haired boy with a frown and clenched fists - so... you finally decide to stand up, did you realize? The people around you only make you weaker, you should forget your friends and fight for yourself -
-No -
- No? -
-Maybe that's what you learned, huh? You have to be strong enough to hold on, strong enough to stand on your own, but in the end… I think… - Naruto wrinkles his nose and feels his eyes water - you still feel pain, even though you claim to be strong enough not to feel it, right? -
Gaara frowns and clenches his fist, the sand tail is pushed towards the branch where Naruto and Sasuke were, she gathers Chakra in her feet and legs and pulls Sasuke to another branch before walking away -I'll be okay - she says out loud when she sees those dark eyes, but it seemed like the mark had receded enough for her to feel it again, that heart and warmth -I'm going to protect them-
Naruto jumps away and stands on a branch in front of Gaara, she thinks about what she can do to help Sakura, she needed to get him away from that sand grip soon or else... she didn't want to think about that.
She screams as she feels the sand hit her body, she shouldn't have been distracted, she is pushed back miserably, she feels the strong whip of a broken branch before hitting a distant trunk.
She was so scared… but, she knew she was scared, she always knew and… she took a breath and let it out in a strong exhalation before narrowing her gaze, standing shakily, the pain in her back throbbing horribly in pulsations.
Naruto watched Sasuke struggle to get up and those eyes… eyes she hadn't seen since the Land of Waves mission, concern, real, deep concern for her.
- "What can I do? If I fill it with clones with the multiple Jutsu it would simply be a waste of Chakra, it is too strong, if I try to destroy the… monster that around Gaara would only rebuild itself" –Naruto jumped from the branch just in time so that it was not crushed –"How would you damage the sand defense? It is light but resistant to blows…" –
Naruto then stops hanging halfway on a tree with his eyes wide and glowing - Got it! Wah! - She jumps to dodge and climbs onto the tree closest to Gaara as he pulls something out of his case.
No one knew how threatening a wooden stick could be when the whiskered blonde took it out as if it were a weapon, Sasuke frowns and makes an extra effort to get up without success, instead Temari looks at the branch, the little whiskered blonde and... her brother, she couldn't understand what was so special about that branch... unless it was one of those she used against her fight against that boy and as you can see, it isn't.
The wind fluttered around Naruto.
Maybe this spell wasn't made for this, but if there was something Naruto considered himself good at, it was the power of his spells, always too much and often excessive .
- ¡ Expelliarmus! –
It was just a blue light… but… Sasuke couldn't be more amazed when that great ferocious creature was pushed more than ten meters, the sound of trees falling one after another leaving a large cloud of dust and finally revealing that Naruto had destroyed a large part of Gaara's defense.
- Gaara! -Temari exclaims.
- "Okay… one more time" -Naruto thinks feeling that now common pull, it was the sign that his core was working on its own, without the magic surrounding it -just one… time - Naruto lost total concentration when the sand being became bigger and bigger, she needed to change strategy now, she needed to use a lot of her energy to do that spell, now she knows that she will need even more if she wants to push… this Biju
- Move! - Naruto flinches at Sasuke's warning shout before realizing that... he'd been careless as the sand swirled around his body. - N-Naruto! - Sasuke finally moves and gets up as fast as he can, but then Naruto looks at him and moves his mouth, but the words don't come out the way Sasuke expected to hear them.
I'll be fine she smiled and the sand covered her
It was the most horrible two seconds Sasuke had ever experienced.
Naruto was a little surprised that Gaara didn't crush her in the dome he put her in. "Gaara," Naruto says quietly, as he brings a finger to his mouth, "a while ago I would have panicked, since... I don't like small places, but I found out that you can get out of any place if you try... if you want to , whether it's good or bad." He grimaces as he bites his thumb and crouches down feeling the dome shrink, surely waiting for the perfect moment to crush it in front of Sasuke. "I don't think it's that you think it's better to be alone, it's something you've lived with, right ttebayo? If so then you were right in the hospital." He puts his finger on the ground and says...
The ground shook, the dome itself doing so as it simply exploded into a pile of sand, Sasuke took a step back only to fall exhausted on his butt, his eyes were so wide when he saw the enormous frog in front of him and on top of the large toad was… a blonde that he no doubt knew very well.
-So I'm just like you and you're just like me - Naruto exclaims, kneeling over the big toad.
-Oh it's you again- the big toad says and Naruto can notice the roughness in his tone.
She crawls up to peek in front of one of the eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't plan on calling any toads, but… I guess I can't do much about… you know," the big toad takes a sip from the giant pipe. "Besides, you said you'd put me under your care, remember?"
-That would be when we have signed a deal -he releases the smoke and continues.
Naruto turns his head slightly, golden locks twirling with it as he raises an eyebrow - How old do you think I am ttebayo? Can't I make deals? - He puffs out his cheeks as he sees that the toad was actually thinking about his age.
-You're a baby... about five? -That makes Naruto let out an indignant squeal, but he knew the big toad was joking in some way- Mah, likewise -the toad squints at the Biju in front of him- you should summon my son sometime, I'm sure you two will get along, Gaki- as Gamabunta was pulling out the katana Naruto realized that he hadn't really explained anything to him yet.
- Wait! - Naruto exclaims, shaking his arms and whispers...
When he finishes, Gamabunta just lets out a laugh - that sounds like a plan to me... a being of sand... it is made of sand after all - Naruto smiles and nods.
- Yes! - she then sits on the big toad's head - Please! - The toad takes out the katana and finally lunges forward.
It was fast, was Naruto's thought as he held on with Chakra as best he could… the toad passed by and… the ichibi's arm was cut off turning to sand
- I recognize that you have something in you! - Gaara exclaims and Naruto can only watch as the boy mostly comes to the surface of the Chakra being…. - Naruto Uzumaki - the voice was different from Gaara's, it was Shukaku, the One-Tailed Biju.
- more lost every day - Naruto hears a hoarse voice inside him.
The toad lunged forward again, but this time it wasn't light and not fast enough to simply cut it down, two forces collided creating a huge breeze, one that shattered trees and surely generated an earthquake down below, Naruto squeezed his eyes shut before realizing something - Gamabunta! Hold him there please! - Naruto then whispers, hoping it was low enough for only Gamabunta to hear.
- She's crazy! - she says.
- Trust me! - The big toad clicked his tongue, while trying to keep the ichibi in place with one arm and with it he approached the mouth.
- What do you think you are! - Shukaku didn't finish his thought when something entered his mouth, something particularly yellow and orange.
-… is your partner an idiot? - Temari asks pointing at the toad, looking at Sasuke, who has such a damn expressive face that completely breaks the aura he usually has, he is sure that even that damn seal had remained silent because simply, Naruto had thrown himself like a sacrificial lamb into the mouth of a wolf!
Naruto one was in front of the ninjas who had kidnapped Hinata, coming out from behind a tree he looks with a frown at the five masked men, he had to gain time somehow - What are they doing? - Naruto asks as if it weren't the most obvious thing in the world.
A masked man slowly says, "You really don't know?" Naruto wants to frown and claim that he does in fact know, but... he doesn't. Instead, he takes a deep breath and says.
-T-they're t-thinking about ta-taking Hinata chan -he gasps as if he had just discovered it, the masked men seemed to believe enough in his performance except... one of them - w-what are they going to do with her? -
-This kid is really an idiot - Naruto purses his lip a little and even though he's a clone it hurts - What do you think we're going to do to your little friend? -
Naruto really takes a while to give an answer and then she opens her eyes wide trying to look surprised enough, she knows that maybe her performance wasn't the best, but... she was giving the best she had - her Byakugan!... they're going to - Naruto gets into his own dark thoughts, he knew what people were looking for - that's horrible ttebayo! -
Then the last masked man claps once and everyone else looks at him - Why are you playing along with a child? - The masked ninja hides a kunai behind him, but Naruto just tries not to move and then he hears it, they were footsteps in the distance! In turn, he turns his head slightly and sees Hinata frowning tremblingly... she was regaining consciousness, that means that.
-I'm done here ttebayo -then Naruto hears a roar in the distance and the masked man stabs him with the kunai, it explodes in a cloud of smoke and disappears completely...
- Lumos - Naruto mutters slowly as she stretches her arm out of the sand, putting Chakra into her other arm she manages to get a little to the surface, she hadn't really expected the inside of the ichibi to be like quicksand.
- I know what you're planning - Naruto this time recognizes the Ichhibi's voice - believe me when I tell you that you are not the first human to think "oh, a being of sand, that means that if I use a water Jutsu it will turn into mud" and let me tell you that no water Jutsu has been able to defeat me -
-Who said I'll be doing a Jutsu... -
- What, you keep water in a seal? Ha! As if that would work –
- nobody said that either ttebayo - Naruto raises the corners of his lips a little, but that smile doesn't really reach his eyes.
It was like the sound of a loud waterfall, but Sasuke wasn't sure where the water was coming from until he saw the beast in front of him begin to swell and suddenly it just exploded.
- D-damn it! - the Biju roars and loses control when Gaara finally reacts, realizing the situation.
Naruto flew a considerable distance, when in a last attempt to hurt her the Ichhibi threw his hand towards the blonde with whiskers, Gamabunta almost immediately took Naruto between one of his hands protecting her from the Ichhibi's claws, causing her to hit him.
- Hey Gaki, is everything okay?! - The toad opens his hand and sees the girl squirming, squeezing that piece of wood, before opening his eyes, nodding and sitting down.
- Uzumaki! -Gaara growls- Do you somehow think you can kill me like this, now knowing full well what I contain?! -Naruto stands up shakily
- No! - Naruto exclaims loudly, placing his feet firmly on the big toad's hand as he lifted her up, Naruto can finally see the full work of that spell and not only in his magic core and his completely depleted Chakra reserves, it looked like a work of horror, the mud trying to stay stable, with the boy looking at her with clenched teeth and a demented look.
Then the boy snorts – at least you admit it –
-I'm not going to kill you - Naruto exclaims stretching out his hand, Gaara tries to lift his sand, but everything was too heavy and he was exhausted, but now he knew the power that that damn branch had - Expelliarmus ! -
Naruto knew that by casting this last spell that was supposed to be a disarming spell he was depleting everything left in his core.
The sound was deafening as the mud that was once sand receded and in a second it was simply gone.
Naruto jumps holding the toad's hand to the top of a tree and then says - thanks, but, from here, I... will fight alone! - she jumps again and finally finds herself face to face with Gaara, she won't tell when she saw him in the middle of that transformation, the boy who was trying to stay on the tree that was going to collapse at any second, breathing heavily, with cuts and bruises, the human Gaara ...
Gamabunta only helped the girl because he knew that... he couldn't just let her die, besides being one of his contractors, she was Jiraiya's student, Minato's daughter, that's why she fought at the beginning.
But when Naruto approached him and whispered - please make the ichibi open its mouth and… let it devour me - it was soft and had left the toad surprised for a second, one that made Naruto continue - trust me, I'll be fine - the girl's voice became thinner… but he recognized it, that voice was so similar to Minato's when he was sure of something and… he just couldn't say no…
- "You've got guts, girl" -the toad thinks as he watches Naruto leave that damned, but incredibly functional stick in a kunai case – "As a father I can be sure that yours would be very proud of you" -he ends up returning home…
Gaara jumps off the top of the tree, Naruto just moves his hand a little and catches her fist in the air –I-I don't want to kill you- she says again and Gaara lets go and removes her fist, but not before burying her nails in clean cuts and steps back, being a tree away from Naruto, being careful knowing that there was a pretty big cliff nearby. She lets out a shriek when she feels the pull of the flesh being torn from the palm of her hand and sees the blood flowing.
- Why, dammit, wouldn't you want to win?! - she launches herself again but this time Naruto launches himself to accompany her in the air, every muscle in her body hurts, she knows she has Chakra exhaustion and she feels the incessant dripping of her nose, the blood that drains and finally, the tiredness she has every time she used accidental magic, all that could be mixed with the damn cuts she had on her body and the one Gaara had just given her on the entire palm of her hand, she knew that at any moment she could fall exhausted, but even with all that, her body was burning what was left of itself.
Naruto slammed his fist into the boy's face but the boy himself grabbed Naruto's clothing dragging him with him - You're the one who doesn't understand you idiot! - Naruto exclaims as he pulls Gaara's hands from his clothes, both of them stepping back enough to launch themselves again, he was frowning as he accumulated Chakra throughout his body in the Chakra armor he had been working so hard on, his fist launches towards Gaara's stomach and Naruto saw how the red-haired boy's vision clouds over, his own vision was clouded by pain and an unpleasant heaviness, when he didn't notice that the trees had come to an end, his eyes widened as his sight met the cliff where ero sennin had thrown her in training.
Sasuke had lost sight of his blonde companion, but he didn't have much time when the girl, Temari, walked away and Sakura was released from the sand, her body felt heavy again the more she thought about that battle she had just witnessed and that had just destroyed half the forest.
That thing that looked like a simple branch, Naruto used it as a weapon that did different things... maybe it used elemental Chakra?... no, that Expelliarmus thing, it wasn't just a thing of wind, because it was able to destroy part of Gaara's sand as if it wanted to... - disarm him - he says in a low voice.
Wow~, so you're finally going to realize that Naruto is just a lying rat?
Sasuke puts a hand on his shoulder and shakes his head. "Sasuke?" The dog approaches the boy as he drops Sakura on the ground.
- "Naruto didn't tell me" –
Correct, he lies to your face
- "Not telling is not lying" - Sasuke closes his eyes, but he knows that spark of competitiveness and jealousy towards Naruto was there, sticking like a needle deep, but…
"Sasuke is a white poppy "
- "Naruto is important to me, whether you like it or not, you are a mark… but Naruto is another mark that was engraved much longer ago than you and you will need more strength to make it deeper" –
So when he raises his head and sees a small yellow spot next to a red one in the distance... he gets up in a hurry, he knew the cliff was there, that's why the girl in the sand - Naruto! - the spots on Sasuke's body weaken until they finally disappear and he hears him .
Bum Bum bum.
It was Naruto's heart beating rapidly, mixed with feelings of surprise and… a lot of pain all over his body.
He runs as fast as his legs will allow him to where Naruto is, jumping from branch to branch saying - take care of Sakura! - the dog nods and looks at the girl on the ground…
-It seems that it's… over- Asuma says to Shikamaru making him let out a long sigh.
-All this… -Shikamaru squints his eyes -it felt like days… -He massages his shoulder feeling it crack slightly and sees his sensei who was watching from a distance -Asuma sensei? -Shikamaru looks questioningly at his sensei when he sees him advance with wide eyes, he opens his mouth slightly and the cigarette falls to the floor, releasing a light smoke.
- Find a safe place. Shikamaru, I… have to go…! - Then his sensei walks away towards the village…
Shikamaru is exhausted and looks into the distance, he had witnessed when the big toad had appeared and fought against that thing... Naruto was on the toad's head.
Now there was nothing, he couldn't see anything at all... or at least -but what?! - Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as he took a step forward and saw Naruto, he wasn't that far away but far enough to make her seem small as she fell... -I'm not going to... -then remember... the cliff -damn troublesome blondes and their troublesome problems - he began to mutter with disgust as his eyes filled with controlled worry and he jumped onto the tree branches to go find his mission partner...
- W-where's Gaara? -Kankuro asks trying to keep up with Temari as he follows her.
-I… -Temari frowns and looks ahead -when I realized… they were falling over here-
-over... here - the trees ended and there was a large cliff-like crack - GAARA! - Kankuro screams and both brothers try to get there when they see both their brother and the blond boy falling, but when Temari reached out her hand and barely touched the fabric of Gaara's clothes her face contorted into one of horror as her brother walked away from her sight - no, no! No! - Kankuro thinks about how to get down, but for some reason no one comes here and he himself knew it, he realized that there was no way to get to the bottom before... his brother was dead.
When Sasuke arrived he could see two of the sand brothers looking at the cliff, when they turned around, Temari had a burning look and Kankuro was clenching his fists tightly.
He had arrived late... Naruto was... down there -he can't- Sasuke doesn't have time to finish his murmur when Kankuro exclaims.
- Damn it! - it was loud and painful, when Temari steps forward taking her fan, Sasuke feels his legs fail him, he is in no condition to fight, he doesn't even know how he got the strength to come here - damn idea, damn invasion, damn Konoha , even if Gaara wasn't the best of people... - Kankuro prepares himself, takes out a kunai... that was the little he had left.
Then the sound of footsteps brought the gathered people out of the heavy atmosphere, and Shikamaru was seen entering the scene... he looked at the cliff, then at the eyes of the two remaining sand brothers and finally at Sasuke, whose legs were shaking.
Then his gaze returned to the cliff and he knew he had arrived too late…
But there was no time to stay still... at least that was what Shikamaru knew... whether he did so was another thing, he was paralyzed... he didn't think he would lose a friend today.
The confrontation would start at any second at this rate, this was no longer part of the plan to invade Konoha... this was revenge .
Was that... an owl? Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw that bird fly by with something in its claws, long and if he had had more time to see before the bird dropped the thing and fell to the bottom of the cliff...
Naruto's back hit one of the sharp rocks on the slope, cutting his back and he continued falling. He tried to turn around... but his body didn't react. He tried to bite his finger to summon the big toad, but that didn't work either... he was losing consciousness...
Then an object appeared in front of his eyes, it was blurry, but it only took a few seconds to realize it was a broom.
He lets out a painful moan as he tried with all his being to take it, his fingers felt the texture… it was his! That was a fact without a doubt, the one he had lent to Harry, but… What was he doing here?
When he tried to take it, it slipped, Naruto muttered in a hoarse voice, cursing and trying again.
He was so close... when she felt him in the palm of her hand... she remembered that she was not alone, she turned her head as much as she could, her body rotated with effort a little and saw the red-haired boy falling towards the end just a few centimeters below her.
- Leave him - a voice echoed inside him - I'm trying to hurt everything you love -
That was true, he hurt her village, her friends... Where was Shikamaru?!... she didn't know.
He should have done it, he should have let him fall… that's what a ninja would do, he wouldn't save his enemy so that he couldn't stab him in the back with a kunai later…
Then Naruto grabs the broom and his fall stops abruptly, holding himself in the middle of it, he breathes deeply and shakily, while he feels the blood flowing down his back from the cut he just made.
Then she lowers her head a little and sees the red-haired boy, she held his arm tightly despite being the hand that Gaara dug his nails into and was bleeding, her face was contorted in pain as she sent the broom up as fast as she could, since she didn't know when she could endure this.
- Why? - it was too soft that Naruto almost missed it, he looks back at the red-haired boy and looks at him with narrowed eyes - Why are you saving me?... I am... your enemy, you must... kill me, you are like me -
Then Naruto can't help but feel his tired eyes watering as he says -I've told you before... I'm like you... but you're like me -she wrinkles her nose -if there's anyone who can understand what it feels like-it's me -she looks at Gaara -arriving at my apartment and closing the door... it just made me want to run away from that place... sitting at the table eating alone, while the only sound I heard was the clock on the wall... -
-So... How is it that you still...? -Gaara doesn't finish the question, for the first time his eyes are wide open, it was the first time Naruto could see the turquoise color so clearly.
She says - if I answered you that it is ah! -Naruto feels Gaara's hand slip away from him so he almost immediately digs his nails into the boy's skin a little, not wanting to hurt him but not finding another way to hold on -w-what is it... because I simply want to be loved and respected and that's why I endure... it would be a lie ttebayo, I resist because I have it deep in my heart -Naruto smiles a little -the people who were once with me and wanted to show me what love was for them and the people who are with me now, are my precious people -she looks into Gaara's eyes again and now she knows totally that the feeling of kinship was not because Gaara was a jinchuriki like her... it was because their life was similar in many ways, what was different was the way they confronted them... that Naruto one day discovered that there were more people like her... maybe I should say it -about a year and a half ago, an old man came to Konoha, I didn't understand what was happening until he approached me and told me I deliver a letter, where they told me that there were people like me… I couldn't believe it, all those years I thought it was just the simple power of a monster and… it was one of the happiest moments of my life, I met new people and made new friends… I learned incredible things ttebayo - Naruto then shakes his head - and it wasn't just techniques or Jutsu, being there made me understand that there are many types of ways to be brave, that winning doesn't mean you defeated your enemy… and with that I realized that my life was worthless if they died - she let out a shaky sigh when she finally fell silent, she didn't waste any more strength and instead closed her eyes and hoped that they would soon reach the surface.
Gaara knew he couldn't counter all that, Naruto had lived like him, he understood his pain, they shared it... he wondered if one day, he could feel it too...
When a blonde lock of hair peeked out, Temari turned around. Had the blonde boy really been saved? She was going to use her fan, her arm had shot out towards him after all. "You won't!" The Uchiha growls, but then sees how those hate-filled looks change to disbelief and then to worry and... relief. The Nara boy next to her had his eyes wide open.
Then Sasuke turned his head and saw Naruto mostly holding on to what was now undoubtedly a broom… How was he making that thing fly?, was another mystery to add to the list… but he couldn't help but smile with all his teeth, that was Naruto and he shouldn't have thought she would be defeated so easily. But then he saw what Naruto was carrying with him… it was the red-haired boy, who was staring into space deep in thought.
Then the broom trembled as if it had given its last effort and moved to the edge and Naruto let go, Gaara crashed against the ground first and then Naruto who stumbled heavily on his shaky feet and trying to stay standing, letting go of the red-haired boy Naruto slowly and almost painfully turns to see the sand brothers... he seemed to want to tell them something when Naruto finally falls to the ground.
Sasuke and Shikamaru ran towards Naruto as the sand siblings approached their own brother.
Sasuke took Naruto in his arms, lifting her up slightly before noticing the wound on her back. She was frowning heavily, as if trying to use all the strength in her being to open her eyes.
Shikamaru was still looking at the sand brothers waiting for the confrontation, but -leave it- Gaara said surprising Shikamaru, was this the same boy from the hospital?... then why did his gaze look so clear? -that's enough-…
Then Kankuro approaches and surprised says -o-okay-….
Shikamaru watched as Sasuke grabbed Naruto to carry him on his back, but when he tried to get up his legs didn't have the strength and he fell to his knees. Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "I can carry him." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and Shikamaru could see Sasuke shrinking further, pushing Naruto away from him.
-I can do it- he finally gets up, walking slowly he knows they have to go back to Sakura.
When they arrived, they saw Sakura sitting against the tree, she must have come down at some point, Pakkun was next to her, he smiled with deep tiredness towards his black-haired teammate - "Sasuke, he did it, he saved us" - she thinks, while she draws on her strength to get up, before she looked at Naruto - Is Naruto okay? - she was worried as she took a shaky step.
Sasuke stepped back again causing the pink haired girl to stop -yeah… Naruto is fine, just- Sasuke stumbles as he passes the girl.
Shikamaru reacts and stretches his arm slightly, but the Uchiha had regained his balance - Sasuke! - Sakura exclaims, but the boy doesn't stop.
-Sasuke kun, you must be worried -Pakkun says- maybe you've never seen Naruto chan so weak -
-I see- Sakura says and feels her legs weaken for the second time, she trembles and leans against a tree.
Shikamaru awkwardly approaches Sakura and asks - do you want me to help you? - Sakura looks at the Nara boy, only to look back at her teammates.
It was always like that with them, Naruto was the center of the team... and an important part of the person likes him and a part of her feels jealous, she doesn't know at what moment between all those fights and insults Naruto had managed to enter Sasuke's heart or... maybe he was already there from the beginning... a place where he didn't belong because maybe he wasn't strong enough to be by his side -no... thank you - Sakura advances shakily but firmly, stumbling every few steps.
-As you wish -Shikamaru shrugs and just walks to accompany again.
"You've been… a little calm, Kyubi"
Naruto hears a voice in the distance, it was somewhat serious, but at the edges it sounded feminine, he squeezes his eyes to try to open them, but when he thinks they are open everything is dark.
Calm down? Of course, calm down, when they have me chained here
That deep and powerful voice, that woman was really talking to the kyubi.
The woman lets out a laugh.
But it's strange, even under my chains you're always complaining and trying to escape, so what changed?
Everything went silent, as if the kyubi had been caught red-handed, then at last he lets out a growl.
Nothing has changed, I still hate you and the moment I can I will
The woman interrupts and says
Admit it, you don't hate me and… you don't hate her
The woman softens her voice almost into a childish lullaby.
You take so much care of her, you take so much care of me these days!
that is not true!
Admit it you stinky fox!
No !
yes!
The fox was perhaps accustomed to these things because he did not continue to contradict the woman and remained silent.
You might die… even if I wasn't here it could happen… the women of your clan are not made to have babies, they are warriors.
Silence returns.
Mah, I knew what I was getting into by doing this, kyubi and
The woman laughs again and Naruto feels his heart skip a beat as he feels something pass over her, caressing without actually touching her.
I want to know what kind of person you will become ttebane
Everything returned to a mournful silence and now Naruto felt his own body exhausted again as he remembered why he was struggling so much to keep his eyes open before.
-ss-Sa-Sakura -the others stop dead in their tracks when Naruto starts to shake and twitch, the girl slowly takes a step to be closer to Naruto, but trying to prevent Sasuke from moving away -w-we h-have to g-go b-back f-for her -her voice trembled and sounded hoarse, when Sakura lets out a laugh.
That made Naruto frown, she was so nervous, where were her teammates? -Idiot~ - she heard a feminine voice again but this time it was recognizable -I'm Sakura and Sasuke is the one taking you - Sakura lets out a laugh when she sees Naruto let out a big sigh before clenching his fists again and opening his eyes slightly, looking like little blue specks.
-S-Shikamaru, h-he s-stayed… w-we h-have to –
-What a problem? - Naruto heard behind her and the simple fact of hearing that word, she knew who it was and let out a giggle.
-Okay… they're fine - she ends up muttering and finally loses consciousness again…
-Asuma sensei -Ino murmurs softly as she stood next to Chouji and Shikamaru, the three of them had met when Shikamaru had left team seven to be treated at the hospital and when he left Ino had approached him and had told him that.
The third hokage had died
Her eyes were heavy as she looked at the ground, she saw Chouji a few steps away from the girl who kept her head just as low. "You're a fool," Ino says after an awkward silence that had lasted too long. "When they took me out of the genjutsu and told me you were gone," she lets out a sigh.
-That was scary -Chouji adds, clenching his fists…
-I went to help against Gaara in the sand -Chouji and Ino have their eyes wide open -with team seven, although… I stayed halfway, in the end it was Naruto who faced Gaara -
Ino blinks once… twice… three times and finally jumps a little – What?! – then she remembers when they woke her up from the genjutsu to get her out of the stadium, she saw a big toad… that in itself was surprising but now… – wait, wait, wait!, are you telling me that little yellow spot on the frog was – Ino points in the air, Shikamaru nods.
-It was Naruto who summoned the toad and… also who defeated Gaara -Shikamaru stops talking when he sees his sensei, returning to the beginning.
Team 10 isn't sure what to say in general, "we're sorry for your loss" sounded too typical and such a small thing to say to their sensei, who for once didn't have a cigarette in his mouth, nor would saying "we know how it feels" be basically lying, all three of the genin's parents were alive, Shikamaru had even crossed paths with his father and Uncle Choza.
But their sensei instead gave them a smile when he saw them - I see that the three of you are fine - the three gennin looked at each other without being sure what to answer, Shikamaru is a genius, but then again, always a disaster with feelings.
-We too... we're relieved to see you okay sensei - Ino answers with a small smile, but it falls a little while later, they were her students, they couldn't be like the rest of the people who treated Asuma in that delicate way... as if he was going to break.
Konohamaru was confused when he was brought out of the shelter the next day, seeing the village… it was something that made him tremble -honorable grandson -Konohamaru turns around when he hears Ebisu's voice, he expected to see the strict sensei but he was frowning and was clenching his fists -hokage sama… -Konohamaru quickly shakes his head, next to him were Udon and Moegi when Ebisu continued -hokage sama… has passed away-…
Naruto looked at the clock in his apartment, sitting on the bed in just his underwear, he felt the heaviness of the large gauze he wore on his back and the bandage that was rolled up in his hand, when he pulled his legs closer to his chest.
His life was upside down since he woke up, one day after the invasion, the first blow was his grandfather figure... Hiruzen Sarutobi had died fighting against Orochimaru to protect the village.
At first the news had left her stunned in her hospital bed, she often looked at her hands and looked back at the window where the Hokage monument was, noticing the younger but recognizable face of her grandfather.
When the first impact passed, Naruto felt his shoulders shake slightly.
It didn't matter if the third hokage had ironically been a good hokage or if he had made the right decisions throughout his life, the person who had seen Naruto grow up had died, but that was only the first.
When the boar commander entered the room he saw Naruto dressed to leave the hospital, she didn't want to stay any longer taking the place of someone who was much more injured than her, she turned around and saw the anbu holding something in his hands, Naruto stepped back shaking his head, he crashed into the glass behind her that didn't simply rumble once, it remained shaky as if it were going to explode at any moment "no" she smiles not believing it's true "n-no" she repeats and wrinkles her nose when they hand her the mask and an envelope.
It was broken at the top but even in pieces Naruto would know whose mask it was... the turtle was dead .
Naruto took the mask in his hands and took a few extra seconds to take the envelope…
When she arrived at her apartment she received the third knock - Brave? - Naruto said softly and walked slowly through the apartment… it was so quiet… maybe even too quiet - Brave, where are you? - she searches her bed, looks over the refrigerator and in the bathroom - Where? - then Naruto feels his breathing alter and the mask falls from his arms and he inhales sharply, only to smell medicine and snakes .
She… searched for the creature throughout the destroyed village without seeing it anywhere, at another time Naruto would leave the village and go look for it, but… at that moment she only thought about how hurt and alone she felt when she sat on the bed…
Brave looked suspiciously at the boy who had put him to sleep locked in the cage. I said, "How dare they put him to sleep?" He let out a growl, but quickly calmed down.
He wasn't supposed to stay here, he looks around and sees more cages, but... he's sure they weren't for more creatures like him, they were cages for humans, he lay back and, half-closing his purple eyes, he stretched out a soft little paw before squeezing it, his claws showed and lightly scratched the bars of his cage like he had been doing for the last two hours since he woke up, he knew he had to be quiet, he could hear not only screams of pain in the next room, but also voices .
-I'm going to go crazy, I'm going to lose control, I'm going to go crazy, I'm going to lose control- then the human screamed, Brave's eyes opened wide as his hair stood on end, that scream was full of anger... the... human hit the bars, and exclaimed louder -I'm coming. I'm coming... - and he screamed again, Brave wanted to get out of here soon and go home.
-the mark- the kneazle quickly withdraws his little paw hiding it, looking like a spongy bread and turning his head to see the boy who had brought him to this place, he hissed a little, but avoided showing his teeth too much, he was too cool to show his teeth to this guy, he knew there was something weird about him when he saw him! He should have shown it better to his Naruto and... he hoped she didn't think he had... literally kicked the bucket.
He knew that his owner was a person who had barely accepted that he was… staying and a part of him knew that it wasn't his fault, she looked at him as if Brave was going to jump and scratch her at any moment and… he would never do that unless it was a game!
- damn Konoha -the boy says and Brave turns his head a little-… Orochimaru sama lost the ability to use his arms, there's no way to fix it -he clicks his tongue and turns to see Brave, who raises his head a little, his whiskers moving with him as he raises his ears a little, then he approaches -and… you, you are lucky that Orochimaru decided that he wants to… see you for himself, when he has solved the problem with his arms-
- it's a strange creature - the boy opens his eyes wider and steps back adjusting his glasses, Brave feels the cutting air and the hissing sound when a pale-skinned human with sharp yellow eyes looks at him, the kneazle himself steps back until he runs out of space in the cage - believe me, I've seen many different creatures and I've dissected each one of them - Brave isn't sure what dissecting is but he's sure he doesn't want to know - unless... - this human's gaze sharpens and Brave can't help but look at his arms ha! He deserved it for kidnapping him and taking him away from his home - can you show me... that book again ? - Brave looks at the boy when he takes a book out of his pocket that he recognizes very well.
The kneazle roars and lunges, its paws going through the bars trying to tear off the boy's face, that book was...
-Damn it, where's the book? - Naruto rummages through his things, his favorite book had disappeared along with Brave, he sighs heavily as he sits on the floor and turns his head slightly, out of the corner of his eye he can see the mask on the floor and the envelope, he bites his lip and looks at the wooden floor.
Crack
The wooden floor went dark for a second and Naruto saw a crack, she screams and gets up from the floor, then breathes , everything returns to normal, but she breathes agitatedly without understanding what she saw -maybe I'm... tired... just that- she repeats and looks at the envelope on the floor and the mask again before shaking her head when she feels the pain invade her again.
She wondered why Turtle had died, it was like repeating what she once experienced with Mouse Alone... that Turtle had spent more time with her over the years, correctly fulfilling his duty as an Anbu to protect her... not all the time, but enough to make himself noticed in Naruto's life.
He didn't sleep much that night...
And with that we're back to the beginning, Naruto finally moved, his feet hitting the wood in the typical squeaky sound they made and he bent down to search for the right clothing.
It was in the bottom drawer as she had never really liked the colour black, the last time she had worn this type of clothing was at the mouse funeral and she understood why people wore black clothes during funerals, no one has the joy of wearing any other colour …
-… I think you should go talk to him - Asuma barely turns his head to see Kurenai out of the corner of his eye before looking back to see the nine-year-old |… his nephew to be exact.
- What can I say? - Asuma answers a little abruptly - We met a few months ago and we haven't spoken since then... -
-But even so, you are one of the only ones who understands how the boy feels –
- Why are you hesitating so much, Konohamaru? - The boy jumps and turns around, raising his head a little, he finds his older sister's blue eyes and simply lets out a big breath of air, coming out like smoke due to the cold of the cloudy day.
-I don't want to go- Naruto turns his head slightly and answers.
-You might end up regretting that decision - Naruto rubs two fingers against the fabric of his clothes.
-I won't do it- Konohamaru was being difficult to convince when Naruto continued.
-When I was little, there was an anbu who used to take care of me… mouse, one day… he died -Konohamaru already knew that story, but not the one that followed -I cried for days locked in my room, I refused to go out no matter how much… hokage Jii chan or anyone else tried to cheer me up… but… but then a person approached me and said –
Naruto still had that memory well engraved in his memory, Boar entered his room, he had just been named anbu commander and stood in front of Naruto, she with eyes full of contained tears saw how the anbu moved his hands in sign language - today they are going to bury mouse - that makes a sharp gasp escape from Naruto's throat - are you not going to go? -
Naruto raises his hands and makes a circle on one of his palms with one finger -no-
- Why not? -
She feels the tears welling up again and sobs as she shakily tries to explain - what for? The mouse is gone, this burial is for us - she ends by dropping her hands.
-You are right - the anbu kneels before the melancholic form of the girl who pressed her legs closer to her chest and looked at him with bright eyes - maybe more than being something for the dead, it is something for the living, it is an opportunity -
- An opportunity? For what?
-to say a final goodbye and be able to move on, that is why at a funeral there is silence and your thoughts are usually directed towards the person who is being buried or burned –
-He doesn't listen to me anymore -Naruto shakes his head, but stops crying.
- How can you say that? - Boar asks and Naruto lowers his head in thought before moving his hands again, stretching out a finger.
-No, I can't - she wrinkles her nose and feels the tears wanting to come out again.
-He cries once more, but… when you finish, I want to see you get up and go say your last goodbye and not shed a single tear more - Naruto sighed heavily as he felt the air escape from him when he sobbed…
-It's... the last goodbye before moving on- Naruto repeats and puts a hand on Konohamaru's trembling shoulder -The funeral, even though it's supposed to be for people who passed away, is more for people who are alive, it's better to say goodbye now than to regret it later- she whispers at the end.
-Asuma -Kurenai looks at her partner before looking away -I feel like I'm going to cry if you keep that expression on your face-…
Asuma didn't know nor wanted to have to contradict the little blond from Kakashi's team, his words had surprised him but it was more than anything the expression he had while he said them, he wrinkled his nose in disgust and his eyes were glassy, they were so pretty but so painful to look at... he looked like a person who had already been through all this instead of the screaming child from the chunnin exams and... above all else, he had comforted his nephew, giving him what he couldn't give him because he was simply a coward, he didn't simply say "come on, you can do it" or "I'm so sorry about what happened" or try to lead him by the hand, as it seemed that many people wanted to do with Asuma, he was kind to the point of being affectionate, he was sincere without being biting and... what made Asuma break down was that he was only a child still, one who was so attached to his father that he could get up and face the world, hurt but without putting the weight of his feelings on other people and instead he took the pain of his nephew and put it on his own. about his own.
Konohamaru during the funeral hugged Naruto tightly burying his face in the boy's upper abdomen and sobbing, Asuma could barely hear them being muffled by the boy's lackluster clothing, the blond didn't respond as Asuma expected, he didn't wrap his arms around him and hug him back, but he didn't push him away either and Naruto's lack of response hadn't discouraged Konohamaru, as if he himself knew the reason why the blond didn't return the hug, instead he just clung tighter.
The boy finally moves, raising a hand he gently strokes Konohamaru's hair and curls into himself, Asuma knows how to read lips so when Naruto speaks so softly, Asuma hears him.
- Asuma san? - Guy watches his fellow jounin turn around in a second, but his eyes were full of tears to see what was happening properly.
Team 10 wanted to retreat and go look for their sensei when they saw him turn around and basically run off to who knows where... but they couldn't, they were genin, their duty was to be silent and keep as quiet as possible as the third hokage said goodbye.
-Naruto -Sakura whispers and Ino who was right next to her looks at her, the pink-haired girl had a soft expression -I didn't know she could be so sweet- Ino looked a little further from Sakura only to see Sasuke… but Naruto was not there.
When she felt a tap on her hand she turned around and saw Shikamaru who was looking straight ahead but not at the photographs instead his gaze was fixed on the no longer so spiky bush of blond hair, and Ino couldn't imagine a sadder scene but at the same time showing the sweet side that she had already seen before of her also blond friend, the boy... the grandson of the third hokage clung to him burying his face hiding his tears, Naruto gently ran his hand through the boy's hair and whispered things that they couldn't hear because of the rain that was starting to fall...
When the funeral was over, Naruto looked around for the person he was supposed to talk to only to not find him among the people at the funeral. "Naruto nee chan," Konohamaru calls out in a whisper. "Can I… live with you? At least for a while."
Naruto gives the boy a smile but shakes his head quickly, the boy lowers his head looking at his feet -you have a place to stay- he answers -Asuma is your uncle, I know he wasn't there for you before, but he had things to take care of before he came back… "or so I hope" and, in fact -Naruto raises his head and narrows his eyes a little to look into the distance…
Asuma heard footsteps behind him, he didn't recognize them properly, they weren't like those of kunai or his little gennin, they were light like those of any other ninja who tried to be silent.
Then the footsteps stop a small distance from him, he turned around and saw the blond boy looking towards the hokage monument, he leaned on the tree -it's a good hill, Shikamaru really likes to come here to watch the clouds or hide from the sun under the shade of the ttebayo tree- Naruto smiles softly.
-It is… it has a good view from here –then Asuma puts his hands in his pockets and looks at the little blond -thank you… for being there for Konohamaru –
Naruto looks straight into Asuma's eyes and says -I think you're the one who really wanted to be by his side- then the blonde boy's expression changes to a sadder one -that would have been better, I'm not... the best at comforting people-
-I don't think there was a better person to comfort my nephew at that moment-
-He needs his uncle –
Asuma looks at the wet grass and feels Naruto's words hit harder than maybe the blond was thinking they would, Asuma had to keep going, not looking back regretting the fights they had or if maybe he wasn't a good son.
Then Asuma's shoulders relaxed and he pulled the pack of unsmoked cigarettes out of his pocket before taking one out and putting it in his mouth and lighting it with his lighter and smiled at the blond, they looked at the monument for a while before the day finally ended…
Naruto sighed as he lifted one of the wooden boards, the hood over his head covering part of his face, the villagers were startled when they saw her from afar carrying that heavy item as if it was nothing -you can leave it here and go- today she was on a mission, to help people rebuild, during the day she had been helping the few people who had approached her to ask for help, that was one of the parts she sighed for, because she had gone out with the greatest energy she had (jumping on her feet) even though she was a "little" hurt from her fight with Neji and then Gaara, just to get to the most affected area, seeing how other gennin were trying to help with the reconstruction, she wanted to help! But... she didn't know how to approach people to tell them if they wanted her help... they would occasionally give her a glance, but they never came closer and when Naruto felt all her energy going away, a civilian that Naruto remembered from the dessert shop was in front of her, with a tense look he asked her for help carrying some boards to rebuild his business.
Naruto dropped the board on the ground but narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his nose as a sudden dizziness made her writhe – "itaiii" - she tried to stand up straight but the dizziness was constant and... it hadn't just been today, Naruto had been feeling bad for a few days, it was... like he had Chakra exhaustion , something that had only happened to him on rare occasions and the kyubi was always there to replenish his reserves while he recovered, he knew it couldn't be, he put a hand on his abdomen feeling the fabric of his... buso, it was no longer long enough to call it a tunic and he took a deep breath feeling the Chakra run through her, it was too warm , as if someone had pumped all that Chakra to get it out quickly, leaving it boiling, so she wasn't exhausted by Chakra, her pain although it also had some physicality was more on the inside but again we already discarded the above.
It was like something was sorely missing.
Like being hungry without being able to satisfy yourself with food.
It felt exhausting…
Naruto closes his eyes and shakes his head a little. "Hey... U-..." The blonde snaps out of her thoughts and turns her head to see the person she had helped before, who was scratching the back of her head. "... Uzumaki san, thank you for your help," huh? Naruto can't believe what he was hearing, that "Uzumaki san" hadn't been malicious at all, she clenched her bandaged-free hand, feeling her nails digging into her palm, but instead of opening her hand when she felt pain, a strange feeling washed over her, this wasn't a dream, was it? " You helped my sister during the invasion and..." The civilian bows. "You were a hero to my family, compared to my stupid past self, who only thought of you as..." Please accept my apologies and again. "The man's voice trembled as he handed her a bag... one that Naruto had seen many times already.
Mom, mom! I want a cake - Naruto saw the child pass by extending his hand and pointing, the woman smiled at her son and nodded.
Naruto saw the kind smile of the people who attended the place as they took out a blue bag with a white bow, and even gave the boy a candy as an extra.
She wanted one too… she wanted that smile for herself… to be told she was a "sweet and lovely boy" but… the boy just frowned when he saw Naruto in front of the store.
-Thank you, thank you very much - the man repeats over and over again and Naruto feels himself shaking, the tiredness, pain... sadness evaporates as he raises a hand and takes the blue bag.
The boy stands up and feels like he swallows deeply at what he was greeted with, he didn't know what had impacted him the most, the aura full of warmth, power... so much power , or that face, Naruto had a smile, showing his teeth crinkling his eyes narrowing them and although the smile looked so shaky, it looked so pretty -thank you, thank you, thank you! - She squeezes the bag closer to her chest and her cheeks blush, she continues -let's start over, what do you think? - The civilian never thought he would regret so many decisions in his life but here he was, living proof of how wrong he was, how had it even occurred to him that this sweet boy was a monster? Even if he keeps one locked away...
That means… that this child was not only a hero today… he had already been one… one that was despised , the man wipes away his tears a little and says -only if one day you can accept my apologies-
Naruto turns his head slightly looking confused as he feels his smile grow - What do you say? Okay… well, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, it's a pleasure to meet you… candy shop boy -san!... -
Naruto didn't know when he had helped that boy's sister, but… he had a feeling that he had, even if he didn't remember it correctly.
She hummed as she carried the bag to her apartment, then when she walked in… all the joy began to fade away.
Where was Brave? She still didn't know, seriously for once she wanted to think that the creature was on its own, away from danger, but she knew that the more she thought about it… the less likely it was that that was the case.
He then laid back down on the bed, letting out his second sigh of the day, before rolling over onto his stomach and looking at the three stuffed animals he had, the rabbit had fallen to its side until it ended up on top of the dragon and the lion, then his gaze went to the calendar and… then he sat up quickly.
Letting out a shriek she takes the calendar in her hands and sees the date, she had completely forgotten that she actually had to leave, but "I can't just leave" she mutters to herself, her eyes finding the trunk and feeling the wand among the kunai case.
The village was a mess now that it didn't have a leader, people were trying to repair everything that was once damaged, the village was in danger of being attacked by other villages, if they see them weakened enough.
But at the same time…
-So... Mr. Heir Potter, wait for me - Naruto leans in a little, amused, Harry rolls his eyes and shakes his head before leaning in a little as well, gently bumping into Naruto's head, blonde hair against black hair.
-Okay, Uzumaki heiress, I'll wait for you before continuing the investigation - they both let out a giggle before deciding it was too late and going to sleep
- I have to go back!... - He turns around in his bed again, several times until he finally falls, his head hits the floor first, he looks at the old ceiling of his place and thinks about what to do.
-Itaiii -she says when her vision becomes blurry due to a sudden dizziness, she puts an arm over her eyes, preventing any kind of light from passing through…
- Kiba! - Naruto greets with a smile when he sees his friend, along with Akamaru as always, he smiles back and stretches out his hands, Naruto stops for a second before clapping his palms against Kiba's.
-I see you're okay now... you got your ass kicked, huh? - Naruto blinks and turns his head at Kiba's playful attitude, he didn't have that soft tone he always used to have towards her, he was abrupt... but
Naruto just let out a laugh - not as much as you! - he was still the kind Kiba .
Kiba fidgets scratching the back of his head as he looks towards the gates of Konoha - soon our team will have to leave to get more things to fix the village, ha! My clan is in trouble now, puppies are supposed to be born around this time - Akamaru barks in response wagging his tail - and with part of our estate destroyed… it's a damn thing -
-I see- Naruto looks towards the doors as well, he had thought about asking Kiba since he was going to leave the village, if he could look for the kneazle while he was gone… but Kiba also had his own things to worry about, he had never actually seen that worried look on his face before, while he muttered things under his breath, it made him look a little older -everything will be better soon ttebayo! -she exclaims bringing her friend out of his thoughts, Kiba smiles with all his teeth.
- Of course! I never doubted that - then Kiba rolls his eyes a little, but that smile never leaves his face when he says - I know it will be okay, because my entire clan is working together to make it happen -….
Working together
That was what Naruto and Harry were doing before he left and… he felt like if he stayed he was breaking a promise even though he never made it in the first place.
But on the other side was Konoha, it was her home and she would one day be its leader and a leader… she never abandons her people no matter what…
He who breaks the rules is scum, but he who abandons a friend is worse than scum .
Naruto, if he left right now without anyone's permission and they found out... it was just going to be horrible, wrinkling his nose he adds, plus Brave was somewhere in the hidden land in danger most likely...
The night was much quieter than during the day, people were resting after a hard day's work.
Naruto walked on a fence, stretching his arms out to each side doing a balance that he doesn't need to keep himself and looks at the sky, letting out a little air he sees how a cloud of smoke is created due to the cold that it was and whispered softly, in a lullaby - even if I can't sleep, dawn will come~ - he sees the triangle of stars of spring while he puts his right foot in front - while I watch it...~ - she bites her lip when not only the permanent memory of the mouse appears, but it joins with the envelope that she left in her apartment unopened and the handwriting changes - ~and... it's still closed~ -
-~ but~ -Naruto stops dead, his arms that are on either side of him descend -~ it's just me and "I" doesn't want to know what he wrote~
-~and even though you said it was shining, I… ~ -
-~I don't know what you saw~
-~ maybe it was the innocence of my little "I" or stupidity~ -
- ~how could a person like me shine~ -
Then Naruto closes his eyes and murmurs "what does that matter" - ~since in the end it will dawn, no matter what he feels~ -
Naruto stumbles as his vision blurs again and his feet trip over themselves, he shakes in a funny way, he was like a chicken that didn't want to be boiled, flapping its wings even though it knew it wouldn't fly, he put his hands in front of him to make a clean fall but it wasn't necessary.
Naruto felt a tug on his jacket and looked at the ground that was a few inches from his face. "How do you even call yourself a ninja if you trip like that, you moron?" That makes Naruto sigh dramatically as he instantly knows who the person is that… "rescued" her when she was clearly fine on her own.
-Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Sasuke - Naruto puffs out his cheeks still hanging from Sasuke's grip, but finally the boy lets go and Naruto falls onto his hands, he complains a little about the wound on his palm, but does a somersault and ends up standing up raising his arms in victory and turns around seeing that raised eyebrow, with those dark eyes telling him "are you serious?" -Well then - Naruto puts his hands behind her and turns his head slightly in curiosity - What are you doing here? -
-Hn -that made Naruto tilt his head forward a little -that doesn't matter Dobe -that makes Naruto puff out his cheeks and shake his arms at his sides.
- Don't call me that Teme! - Naruto finishes his outburst pouting as he let out some air to move an annoying blond lock of hair from his face, but the rebel came back to face his right eye, then Naruto realizes something - Can't you sleep? -
Then Sasuke looks away and puts his hands in his pants pockets -I never said that-
-You didn't say it, I see it ttebayo- Naruto wonders where Sasuke was going and looks behind her leaning her body slightly to one side, her locks falling a little as she looked at the path that she thought Sasuke was full of for him to find her and again she feels like she knows the answer -You're... going to the Uchiha clan estate- that wasn't even a question anymore, it was a statement.
-I did, but… you interrupted me - that makes Naruto blink in confusion.
- Did I? But… of course I got in your way, but… at any moment you could have moved on - those words came out as always… Naruto never measured them and when he realized the bitter taste of what he said, his lips closed in a dry click and he narrowed his eyes when he felt his heartbeat speed up for a second, nervous , before returning to normal.
-Moving on… it's not easy when you look… -Sasuke smiles mockingly and continues -a parrot singing-
Naruto gasps indignantly, a parrot? She was a parrot? -I'm not a parrot, Sasuke-
-Sometimes you take those things too seriously, it's not... "literally" that I think you're a parrot -Sasuke turns a corner and Naruto follows him -and... your way of singing -Naruto puffs out his cheeks and feels his cheeks blush when he interrupts Sasuke.
-I know my voice isn't nice to hear Sasuke and itaiii! Let go, let go -Sasuke viciously pulled Naruto's cheek, leaving it completely sore when he let go -I felt like you took it from me-
Sasuke looks at Naruto -still there- she lovingly strokes those whiskers on that cheek, knowing that it was now red -the way you sang… if you let me finish, it was… depressing -Sasuke says causing Naruto to stumble, depressing was better than not having a nice voice? -I always thought that, if I heard you sing, they would be songs full of joy-
Naruto was confused at that and that Sasuke wasn't guiding her to the Uchiha clan and instead, she was in front of a park, the slide was destroyed, as was the seesaw, but the swing was holding up well enough at least, Sasuke walked through the destruction of the park until he sat on one of the swings, Naruto narrowed his eyes when the thing sounded like it was going to break at any moment - Why would you think I would sing happy things all the time? You would be asking me for something completely impossible... there is no way to always be happy... but there is also no way to always be sad - Naruto walks forward and sits on the swing next to Sasuke, raises his head and sees the stars again, they were so beautiful and... it made him think that the hidden land and the magical world share the same sky, since every star that he was taught to identify in astronomy, was there.
-But you always see the best in things... in people like you did with that boy Gaara... -
- What other way can you see things? - he asks innocently, leaning on his feet and pushing the swing seat back - I feel like if I stop doing this… I'll break - Naruto pushes himself forward swinging gently while the sky was reflected in his eyes - I want to be happy - he says putting a smile on his face pushing himself a little higher - I want to see the world, I want to appreciate and I want to be appreciated, I want to help… even a little - Naruto throws himself off the swing landing softly on the ground on his feet and turns to look at Sasuke, the boy clenched his hands on the ropes that held the swing tightly looking Naruto in the eyes when their gazes focused - for this town to be a nice and better place, I have so many "wants" that I want to experience… so many that… I don't know if I will get… because you don't always get what you "want" -
- You could do it! - Naruto jumps at the way she was interrupted Sasuke had stood up and walked towards her, with a look too… bright and she felt her Chakra, itched with excitement - you are a dreamer, keep dreaming and growing , I think that… your "want" will come true, no matter how many things get in your way… or how challenging it is what you do, the best of you, is the light that you radiate when you dream -
-But that is not the way of a ninja - a ninja does not dream... he believes .
- What is the path of a ninja to begin with? Idiot… the path of a ninja is the one that makes you stronger, the one that brings you closer to what you want - Naruto is too shocked to say anything.
What's more, whoever was telling him this, was surprised.
She had always been compared to Sasuke
Sasuke this and that.
What if I were like Sasuke.
What if I did things like Sasuke.
If you were Sasuke.
But here was the real Sasuke, telling her that her way of seeing the world was Naruto's ninja way, that she was a dreamy ninja , and that was okay.
Sasuke could hear it, the cursed voice of the seal, but there was no way for its words to reach him right now - you are like a miniature sun - that takes Naruto out of all his thoughts.
- Not literally? - Sasuke shakes his head and then Naruto's smile grows - If I am a sun, you are a moon, you are the center of attention when you appear, overshadowing the other stars -
Sasuke scoffs -and you, as the sun, have no competition, how easy -
- Hey! Sometimes there are clouds in the sky – Naruto remembers how Shikamaru always wanted to be a cloud.
- Don't tell me you'd let yourself be defeated by a cloud? - Naruto pushes Sasuke a little when he answers.
-It's not just a "cloud", they can't be touched and they easily cover me if they try hard to move with the wind, they are a worthy opponent for me, the sun - then Naruto's smile evaporates as she staggers and the dizziness returns, she feels hands firmly resting on her shoulders to keep her standing.
-If you were feeling bad, you should have told me- when the dizziness fades and she raises her head, seeing that small glint of concern in Sasuke's eyes -don't be silly and keep shaking-
-I'm not shaking it- Naruto mentions in a low, sulky voice.
Then Sasuke takes his hands away and steps back - I wasn't going to leave around this time -
- leave? –
-Yes... to that place -Sasuke sees how Naruto deflates.
-I... I won't go, I'll stay in Konoha to help repair it – Naruto moves his arms and the dizziness returns.
-No… you should go –
But what are you saying? It's thanks to that place that Naruto is becoming more powerful and you want him to go?
Sasuke puts a hand on his neck where the seal is, almost wanting to cover the mouth of the inner Sasuke - he's still weak, so you won't be much help here because of that - Naruto frowns at the comment, but he knows that really the dizziness and the feeling of emptiness were only getting worse as time went by.
But doesn't that mean I'd be in the way at Hogwarts too if I went?
On Sunday Naruto woke up at nine and felt like garbage, the dizziness had become continuous and heavy, he sat up and looked at the trunk, she had put her things inside and her broom was next to it...
I run my hands through his hair, combing it a little while I wait for the instant ramen to cool. It reached above his neck, but maybe it was longer before, but during the fight he could have lost some strands.
When she finished eating, she got up and took one last look at the village, she heard the sounds of hammers and people talking, Naruto smiled -the village will be fine Jii chan- he took his broom putting it under his arm while he took the aza from his trunk, dressed in the uniform she took the card, but before she said the words, she moved a little adjusting herself, but when her broom pushed a piece of furniture she turned around to make sure she hadn't broken anything.
He saw the envelope fall to the ground, without opening it Naruto just frowned and stopped looking at it -… I'm leaving - he murmured and let himself be absorbed…