Sirzechs was a failure.
Throughout his entire life, there had not been a single moment when he did not consider himself as being one. Sure, he possessed the power to destroy anything, the influence to acquire what he desired, and the charisma to lead people anywhere, even unto their demise. However, there was still one thing that he never managed to achieve on his own.
'Rias' smile.'
His sister's smile was something he had worked tirelessly to earn, but he had failed every time. Since her birth, he had loved her wholeheartedly and wanted nothing more than to see her smile in return. Sadly, he never received one from her, at least not for something he had done for her.
Why?
Because he failed her when she needed him the most, as his duty as the leader of their world forced him to let her down. She needed him, and he could do nothing but tell her lies. Their father kept ruining her life, and he did nothing but deceive her with his empty words again.
"Rias..."
So now, as he stared at her with tears in his eyes, he could only stand back and watch her cry in the arms of her friend. It was a heart-wrenching sight to witness, but Sirzechs knew there was nothing he could do at that moment, except tell her lies once more. He did not want to do that anymore. He wanted to see her smile.
"S-stay away from me."
His heart shattered into a million pieces when her words entered his ears. They were cruel and cold to hear but most importantly they were genuine. Rias, his little sister, was responding to him with a tone filled with hate, something Sirzechs had considered impossible.
"I'm sorry, Rias." His voice was feeble, just like his heart was at that moment. He wanted to reason with her, tell her how he had no idea what and how much that boy meant to her.
"He left me because you and your men were chasing him all the time."
Sirzechs frowned and looked away from her. The sight of her crying face was becoming too much to handle. "I did not know he was this important to you, Rias," he whispered with a sad look in his eyes, "I thought he was-"
"A coward like you, who would let Riser and dad ruin my life?"
Thin and cold pieces of ice were what Sirzechs would call the words that left Rias' mouth at that moment. They were difficult to digest, and even harder to ignore, because they were true. "I-" he tried to speak again, but his heart refused to form words.
"You are -"
He gulped and gazed at his sister when she stopped midway through her words, only to be overcome by a wave of emotion as he saw her nestled deep within the comforting embrace of Akeno, her shoulders shaking with cries and suffering.
"A monster who took away my happiness away, brother."
"Rias!" Sirzechs gasped at her, his eyes widened with surprise as his heart struggled to accept the words he had just heard.
There was no way his sister could have said such things to him. Sure, he made a mistake, but that still wasn't a good enough reason for her to speak to him in such a manner. Her words were filled with accusations and pain that he found too difficult to confront. They were horrible.
"What!
Sirzechs took a step back in shock when Rias left the warmth of Akeno's arms and began to glare at him. "I'm sorry..." he stammered, unable to find the right words, and repeated the only thing he ever seemed to say to her. The way she was looking at him was indescribable, and the hate that he could see in her eyes was something he could not bear to witness for more than a second.
"You ruined my life again, brother."
Her words pierced his heart in an instant.
"You are the reason Naruto is no longer here with me."
Each word she spoke, killed a part of his heart that he had created just for her.
"He did what you should have done for me and what did he get in return?"
He tried to stop her but could not because all his focus was on the tears that were streaming down her red cheeks. They were too many to count, just like his failures.
"Death..."
Sirzechs looked at Akeno and was surprised to see her with the same expression he had on her face. An expression of shock and sadness.
The Rias they were looking at was a different Rias. She was not the person who had lived her life with him.
"Lord Lucifer!"
As if to console his heart and shield him from more humiliation, the door to the inn room abruptly swung open with a creaking sound, causing all of them to divert their attention towards it.
"We have found some signs related to that boy!"
-oOo-
It was still raining heavily outside. The skies, which would typically be adorned with countless stars and a beautiful moon, were drenching the earth with relentless cold rain. It was as if they too were crying at the state of Rias, who was running barefoot towards the beach, her eyes scouring through the darkness for a sign of him.
"Naruto!"
Her wet lips parted to scream out his name in hope that he would reply, just like he had usually done throughout their trip.
Why wouldn't he?
He was her friend, right? The one who had promised to never leave her alone until they reached Fukuoka.
"Naruto!"
Then why was he not replying to her?
Was he busy brooding and crying in a silent place? Rias could not tell but hoped that he was. It was easier to find him like that.
"Rias, wait for -"
"Akeno, keep looking out for him!" She told her friend, not even glancing in her direction as she continued sprinting towards the beach, her feet unscathed by the small stones that had become embedded in her skin. They were painful but nothing compared to the pain in her heart.
"Naruto!"
The skies above her rumbled as the downpour increased.
"Naruto!" It was becoming hard to keep her eyes open now, but she still did. Rias wanted to see him more than she wanted anything at that moment.
"Naruto!"
But he was nowhere in sight.
The rain began to pound against her skin, mingling with the tears streaming down her cheeks as she desperately scanned the beach for any sign of him. Her eyes looked everywhere, but there was nothing they could see which would lead her to him. Everything was doused in darkness and water.
'Naruto...'
The sadness inside her heart began to consume her from within. As she tried to look around helplessly, the strength in her body began to dwindle too. Her breaths were getting shallower and ragged, her chest heaving with sobs as she fought to remain standing in the unforgiving rain.
"We found him!"
A glimmer of hope flickered within her and without hesitation, she spun her head in the direction of the sound, hoping to see him walk towards her with that strange thin smile on his face.
Unfortunately, just like always, fate had other plans for her.
"N-aruto..."
Her eyes, which were finding it hard to remain open in the storm, widened to unimaginable levels in shock when they saw his lifeless corpse resting in the arms of his brother's man.
"No..."
A trail of fresh tears began to stream down her cheeks as despair flooded her heart again. "No..." With trembling hands and vacant eyes, she fell to her knees, unable to accept the reality that was standing in front of her.
"He is dead, my lord."
As soon as those words left that man's mouth, the remaining strength in Rias' body disappeared. In an instant, her body became as lifeless as her eyes, which were still staring at his pale lifeless face.
"Rias..."
Rias turned her head towards a crying Akeno and couldn't hold it any longer. "NO!"
Her heart-wrenching cry echoed through the darkness and water, drowning the place with an unfiltered surge of her pain that pierced the souls of the people around her. "This can't be real, Akeno." Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched her chest, feeling as if her heart had stopped working all of a sudden. "He can't die like this!" She screamed again, her whole-body shuddering with the force of her sobs.
Akeno rushed to her side, pulling her close and holding her tightly, but it had no effect on her. Rias was still crying, all while staring at the body that was now lying in front of her.
"Please... wake up, Naruto."
Her cold hands met his cold skin.
"Please..."
Her fingers gently brushed against his cheeks, silently pleading for him to react and end her torment.
"I beg you..."
The emptiness within her heart and eyes grew as she noticed the thin thread of red wrapped around his wrist. It was the only thing that did not appear pale and lifeless at that moment. It was as if that red thread was holding onto the last sliver of hope she had left, reminding her of the time she had once shared with boy.
"You are not weak, Rias."
Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the thread.
'Sorry, Naruto.'
Rias was going to save him, even if that meant her going against him.
'Seeing you alive again is my last wish.'
"Naruto…"
-oOo-
"Naruto..."
A pair of eyes scrunched in annoyance as a familiar sound echoed around the clearing.
"Naruto..."
The owner of the eyes groaned in pain as he slowly opened his eyes, hoping to see some familiar faces.
"Huh?"
Instead, all he found was a beautiful landscape in front of him. Filled with greenery everywhere and thousands of trees and plants, it was a place Naruto knew too well. A place where he had shared countless memories of childhood with a person very close to his heart.
"So you have finally waken up, brat?"
Naruto's eyes widened in utter disbelief when he heard that familiar voice, bringing back memories he thought he had completely forgotten. "Ero-sennin?" He whispered, his voice filled with hope as he began to turn his head around to look at the individual.
"Hello, Naruto..." Jiraiya muttered as a small smile flickered on his lips when he saw Naruto's face morph into a state of shock. Sad or not, Naruto was always going to be the same boy he had trained and admired for so long.
"E-ero-sennin?" Naruto gasped in disbelief as he stared at his old teacher. "Is it really you?" He asked with a wavering voice, still finding it hard to believe that he was sitting beside his teacher again.
"Yes, brat," Jiraiya roared in excitement and raised his arms to put on a show which he knew would make Naruto happy. "It's me, Jiraiya, the great toad sage." He added, his teeth gleaming with pride and joy. He wanted to hug the boy, but at the same time his mind couldn't help but be content with seeing the smile his student was sporting on his face.
"What are we doing here?" Naruto stepped forward, his feet shaking due to the emotions he was feeling. Everything was feeling like a dream, and he couldn't help but stay prepared for it to be over.
Jiraiya chuckled at the question, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "What do you mean, 'What are we doing here?'" He playfully raised an eyebrow as he moved closer to the young boy. "We are taking a well-deserved break, my young handsome student." His voice softened, a touch of sadness in his tone as he observed the glimmer of tears welling up at the corners of Naruto's eyes.
"But how are you still alive?" Naruto was standing in front of his teacher now, his eyes looking at him with tears and love within them. "Wait, how the hell am I alive too?" He glanced down at his body and noticed it was looking absolutely normal.
"We are in the middle of everything, brat." Jiraiya's reply came in words coated with unclarity and mystery. "You are neither dead nor alive." He raised his hand and placed it on Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto's mind went blank as he felt the comforting touch of his teacher's hand on his shoulder. The warmth spread through his body, stirring emotions that he had long struggled to keep subdued since his teacher's passing. "Hey, ero-sennin..." he whispered his name, finding it nice to say it without being invaded by memories of his death.
"Yes?"
Naruto wasted no time lunging at his teacher and engulfing him in a bone-crushing hug. "I missed you so much!" He cried out, refusing to let go, fearing that his teacher would disappear again if he did. "After your death, I-I became so lonely..." He stammered, his voice filled with a mixture of happiness and pain.
Jiraiya's eyes softened as he returned the embrace, a bittersweet smile on his lips. "I've missed you too, Naruto. But look at how much you've grown, brat." He said, patting Naruto's back before pulling away to look at him. "You have also become quite the looker, eh?" His smile widened as he teased his student, making him blush a little at the compliment.
"Really?"
"Indeed, you've grown into a fine shinobi," Jiraiya responded in a warm tone, his eyes reflecting a sense of pride and joy as he stared at Naruto. "Don't let it go to your head, brat. You still have a lot to learn before you can catch up to me." He chuckled as he ruffled Naruto's hair, impressed by how much the young ninja had matured since their last meeting.
The winds picked up pace as Naruto smiled at his teacher, his eyes never leaving Jiraiya's face. "Now I can learn everything from you, ero-Sennin," he whispered, fully aware that he now had all the time in the world. The place he was in did not follow the rules of the living world.
"Of course," Jiraiya leaned closer to Naruto's face and smirked. "But aren't you forgetting something, Naruto?" He asked, leaving his student confused.
"What?" Naruto mumbled.
"You…" Jiraiya noticed Naruto's face contorting with a mix of sadness and confusion, as he looked at him. It was a clear indication of the fact that his dear boy knew what he was talking about.
"Me?" Naruto blinked at the toad sage, no doubt confused by his teacher's response. "What do you mean by me?" he asked with a tilt of his head.
"You are still not dead, Naruto." Silence hung in the air as Jiraiya focused his intense gaze on the bewildered boy before him. "Your life hangs by a thread, caught between two worlds," he whispered and smiled when Naruto looked away from him, overwhelmed by shame. He understood the reason behind Naruto's action but chose not to confront him about it. "But forget about it," Jiraiya decided to change the subject, hoping to get Naruto to join the conversation again.
"Let's talk about your adventures in that strange world, brat." The old sage chuckled and brought Naruto back into a playful shoulder hug.
Naruto hesitated for a moment, with Jiraiya's words echoing loudly in his head. "It was a really strange world, ero-sennin." He whispered, remembering how different that world was to his home. "People were odd there and some of them had cool powers too," his eyes dilated with joy as he saw his teacher listening to his words, just as he used to do in the past.
"Really?" Jiraiya asked, leaning in closer to Naruto, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.
"Yup," Naruto nodded, now much more excited to share his experience than before. "They could fly, like really high with their wings," he raised his hand and began to make gestures in the air to show just how high those beings could fly. "And they had magic powers too." His words took a serious turn as he remembered the people he had killed who possessed magic power.
"Like who?"
Naruto didn't hesitate to respond to the question; her name was always on the tip of his tongue. "Rias," he quickly cursed himself as his teacher burst into laughter, a knowing look in his eyes. Naruto recognized that look all too well. "I didn't do anything with her," he hurriedly clarified, anticipating the perverted question his teacher was about to ask.
"Rias, huh?" Jiraiya whispered as he caressed his chin, wearing a thoughtful expression on his old face. "Was she beautiful, brat?"
Naruto rolled his eyes at the question. Of course, his teacher was going to ask that question after thinking about something for so long. He was used to Jiraiya's antics. "She was more than that." But that did not stop Naruto from answering the question in a way that surprised Jiraiya. "She was kind and so naive, sensei." He giggled, recalling the moments he had shared with the girl. For someone who was supposed to be a devil, she was awfully kind and innocent.
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at the unexpected response, no doubt intrigued by Naruto's description of the girl. "Kind and innocent, huh? Sounds like the kind of girl anyone would love to meet." He remarked with a playful chuckle.
"Hmm..." Naruto could only smile in response as what his teacher said was completely true. Rias was a girl anyone would love to meet and spend time with.
"Then why did you leave her alone?"
Naruto was not expecting a question like that from his teacher. "Huh?" He looked at him and scowled when he saw an expression of sadness on Jiraiya's old face.
"Why did you end your life like that, brat?" Jiraiya was now staring at Naruto with a piercing gaze, unlike anything Naruto had ever seen before. It was a gaze that demanded answers.
"I-I..." Naruto was still in shock by the question and his mind was finding it hard to gather words to form an answer. "I wanted to save her, ero-sennin." He stammered, struggling under the weight of Jiraiya's intense gaze. But as he looked into his teacher's eyes, he saw no anger or disappointment there. Instead, Jiraiya's eyes were filled with nothing but a deep well of sadness and compassion.
"By sacrificing yourself, eh Naruto?" Jiraiya ruffled his hair again, making them dance in the wind that was blowing around them. "When did you become so mature and self-sacrificing, brat?" he asked with a playful nudge to Naruto's ribs.
Naruto chuckled as he opened his mouth. "I don't know, ero-sennin," he whispered, still unable to comprehend why he had made that choice. "Maybe I did that because I wanted to save at least one person before facing death," his words were as delicate as feathers, and Jiraiya made no attempt to interrupt. "Or maybe I just wanted to protect her from the same fate as mine."
"Idiot!" Jiraiya lightly slapped Naruto on the head. "How could you end your life like that, huh?" His voice echoed in the peaceful green clearing as he glared at the young boy with a faint hint of mock anger.
"I-I wanted -"
"Naruto..." The expression on Jiraiya's face softened as he raised Naruto's face to look into his eyes. "You don't have to sacrifice yourself all the time like that," the smile on his face wavered for a moment, but he composed himself quickly. "Especially when there is no need to."
Naruto's eyes welled up with tears, his voice trembling as he gazed at his teacher. "But it was the only way to protect her, Sensei," he whispered, vividly recalling the countless devils that had been following them during the last few days of his life.
"No," Jiraiya shook his head. "And you know that too, Naruto," he added as he placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You could have fought more for that girl, but you chose the other way because you wanted to meet your family, your friends and... me." The last few words were barely audible as Jiraiya struggled to maintain his composure.
"I'm so sorry, ero-sennin" Naruto muttered, his throat tightening with emotions that he had been trying so hard to suppress. The words of his teacher were cold but true. The decision he made at the end was not only for Rias but for himself too. He wanted to meet the people he loved, even if that meant leaving one like that behind. It was an act of selfishness from him.
"Don't apologize to me, Naruto. I can never be mad at you," Jiraiya smiled sadly at the boy as he brought him closer again. "Apologize to the people who died saving you on the battlefield, especially that Uchiha brat and your fox friend." His words left Naruto feeling perplexed.
"Kurama?"
Jiraiya nodded. "That fox had been trying to save your life ever since you went to that world, brat," he responded with a small smile. "Poor guy used all his chakra to cure your disease in hope that you could live and find happiness in that world."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock and sadness as he got to know about Kurama's sacrifice. Now, he knew why he could not contact him. "I... I had no idea," he stammered, his voice filled with both gratitude and sorrow.
"The same goes for that Uchiha brat," the toad sage said, giving Naruto's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "He gave up his life to send you somewhere safe without a second thought," he whispered, tears welling in his eyes as he looked at Naruto. "All of us gave our lives so that you could have a place that you could call home, Naruto." Those words, so familiar to Naruto, held him in place, echoing in his ears.
"I-I..."
"Shh..." Jiraiya quieted him with a comforting embrace, exactly what Naruto needed at that moment. "You've done everything I believed you would, Naruto," he murmured, his voice overflowing with emotion. "You've grown into the name your father gave you, earned the respect of the villagers, found your own friends, and brought peace to our war-torn world." Images of his former student flashed before his eyes, causing his chest to tremble. "The only thing missing to complete your story was a happy ending, brat," Jiraiya's words faltered, his heart heavy with sorrow.
"Which I failed to achieve..."
Jiraiya tightened his hug and chuckled at Naruto. "Who said that?" He asked the boy, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes. "You can still have that, Naruto." His words were followed by a gentle pat on Naruto's back.
"Huh?" Naruto raised his head and looked at his teacher.
"Don't end your journey like this, Naruto..." Jiraiya pleaded, his voice filled with hope and sadness. "Complete it, if not for me and others," the hug tightened even more as Jiraiya bit back a sob. "Then at least for yourself and... her."
Naruto felt a lump form in his throat as he stared at his teacher's face, which was now beginning to fragment with cracks rapidly spreading across it. "Ero-"
"You will do it, right Naruto?"
"W-why?" That was all Naruto could ask as he was too overwhelmed by emotions at that moment.
Jiraiya chuckled as he allowed Naruto to break free from his embrace.
"Because I want you to have a better ending than me, Naruto."
-oOo-
"I have used all my pieces, but he is still not waking up, Akeno..." Rias whimpered as her damp eyes stared at the lifeless body of her friend.
"Naruto..."
She whispered for the thousandth time, but still, no response escaped the boy's lips. His face remained pale and cold, adorned with a faint yet eerie smile.
"Wake up, Naruto!"
Her lips trembled with sadness as fresh tears began to roll down her wet cheeks, mingling with the rain that was descending from the dark skies above.
"Naruto..."
-xXx-
Warm.
Even while being surrounded by an endless pool of cold water, his heart was feeling warm for some reason. In the ocean of blue and black, his eyes could see traces of bright red colour. They were beautiful and warm, just like her hair.
The silence surrounding him was deafening, and the only sound he could hear was the soft lapping of the water against the shore and rain falling on the ground, gradually becoming louder with each passing moment.
Where was he going?
He could not tell as there was nothing he could see with his eyes. They were filled with water and a sense of warmth as he stared at the red colour which was pulling him towards it.
Why was he here?
He could not tell that either at that moment. The only thing he knew was that he was supposed to be there, nowhere else.
Was he happy?
He wanted to say "maybe," but the smile on his face and the warmth in his heart told him otherwise.
"Hah!"
He gasped as the warmth inside his chest began to grow stronger, telling him that he was almost there where he was supposed to be.
Did he even want to go there?
He tried to search for an answer for that and closed his eyes when a familiar face flooded his thoughts inside his mind.
'Rias...'
His heart fluttered as he stared at her face. It was sporting a smile, a smile brighter than the brightest sun and beautiful than the darkness he was staring at a while ago.
"HAA!"
His breaths started to grow heavier as he tried to keep himself awake in the river of red and blue in which he was floating.
Why?
Because he wanted to see her face again.
"Hah!"
His mouth opened again, but this time not to breathe but to smile as a torrent of memories rushed his mind, painting heart-warming images of him walking beside her.
They were beautiful.
Just like her hair.
"HAA!"
His blue eyes snapped open and were immediately shrouded by countless threads of red colour.
They smelled and looked familiar.
'Rias...'
His eyes shimmered with happiness as her face flashed before them once more, this time looking more beautiful than ever. Even the surrounding rain could not hide her tears from him.
'I'm sorry.'
A small smile tugged at the corners of Naruto's lips as she clumsily wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and smiled at him.
"Naruto..."
His heart fluttered inside his chest, as a warm feeling engulfed his entire body.
The unmistakable feeling of being at home.
-END-
I hope you enjoyed the story. Drop a review to tell how you felt about it.
Before I begin, I want to express my gratitude to all of you who have contributed to making this story what it is today by showing your love through reviews, favourites, and follows. Without your feedback, this story would have never been finished.
Saigo was something I started writing when I was deeply depressed. It became a source of happiness for me, and I began to devote even more time to it. While the initial reactions to the story were mixed, I continued to write it, encouraged by the few people who loved reading it as much as I loved writing it. Soon, more people began to like the story and that made me even happier.
Now, the story has reached its conclusion and I couldn't be happier with it. Sure, the last chapter made some people upset with how it ended, but it was exactly how it was supposed to end. I planned it that way from the start and did not want to change it.
Anyway, thanks again for following Saigo till its end, especially people like Drangonkeeper10, Alchazar, Uday Sra, Superior Straight-Edge, CodyWhite, Sarthak, Atharvpathak, The Seventh Path, Zipzapdoowoop and others who had been following the story from the start and had left reviews on almost every chapter.
Stay safe.
See ya.