The Price of a Promise
The sun was rising at Konoha, and just outside the village a young boy could be seen sitting on a hill, watching the sun appear. The boy was no other than Konoha’s number 1 prankster, ramen-lover, most surprising ninja and jailor of the strongest demon that ever lived, Uzumaki Naruto.
If anyone would have seen the boy like this, they would have suspected that this person was an imposter, since Naruto would never have such an expression on his face. Naruto’s face was emotionless; the usual happiness the boy emitted was no longer there.
He just looked up into the sky and slowly sadness began to overtake the expression of the orange-clad shinobi. Naruto was in deep trouble. Really deep. To be honest, it had never been worse. And why was that?
Because Naruto Uzumaki had only one day left to live.
Naruto let out a deep sigh. He remembered the day when this huge mess had started…
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flashback: Wave Country, Battle on the Bridge
Naruto was wordlessly staring at the lifeless form of Uchiha Sasuke that lay before him. His facial expression wasn’t able to show the feelings that were raging inside him. Shock, grief, helplessness… and rage. An all-consuming rage was swelling up inside Naruto. He was angry that he hadn’t been able to protect his friend. He was angry that Sasuke had given his own life to save him. He was angry…
At the masked hunter nin.
Slowly that rage changed… into an unsurpassable fury. Deep inside of the blond shinobi, the fury was concentrating on but one thing: to kill the murder of his best and first friend.
Naruto could feel a fiery fury awakening in the pits of his stomach, blazing like a burning inferno. His mind clouded by sadness and rage gave in to the deep voice in the back of his head. While the other shinobi on the bridge saw how Naruto was engulfed by an aura of malicious flames which took the form of a giant fox, they felt a wave of incredible strong killer intent hitting them.
Haku, the masked ice-user was frightened to his very core by the sight before him. He didn’t take a fighting pose. He didn’t think how to escape. Deep inside his mind a voice told him that escaping was just as impossible as staying alive. He had never felt like this before. What was this boy?
His thoughts came to an abrupt end when they orange clad boy turned around and looked straight at Haku with his red eyes which had slits instead of pupils. It didn’t get any better when Naruto leapt Haku with the intent to kill.
End Flashback
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naruto stared at his right hand, the same hand he had raised to kill Haku, a boy that would have become his best friend if fate hadn’t been cruel to both of them. Naruto snorted. He almost sounded like Neji.
But Naruto’s thoughts returned to the Kyuubi and the power he had received from him. Or rather the power he had unlocked. He remembered how he had learned the cold hard facts about himself from none other than the Kyuubi no Yoko himself.
The Kyuubi… or rather the true form of the ninja that people knew as Naruto Uzumaki. The Yondaime never sealed the Demon Fox inside a newborn child as everybody thought. The seal he had used had taken the fox and forced the Demon Lord into the form of a human child. Naruto was what every villager thought he was:
The Nine-Tailed in human form, he was the reincarnation of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flashback: Forest of Death, Battle against Orochimaru
Naruto and his team were in grave danger, mildly put. Sasuke and Sakura were both hurt and far too frightened to help Naruto in his fight against the disguised Kusa ninja. Despite his confident appearance Naruto was realistic, he knew that his chances to survive were slim, and his chances to win were non-existent. But he couldn’t give up, he had to protect them. They were his teammates, his friends… his family.
After knocking some sense into Sasuke, Naruto charged. The blond jinchuuriki wasn’t only fighting to protect his friends. He fought to prove himself. He wanted to show them and himself that he wasn’t a monster; he was Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage. To his teammates he might be the dead last, the class clown. But now they were looking at him and depended on him. He had to overcome his fear. He couldn’t let them down. He couldn’t lose. Not yet. Not yet!
His mixed feelings focused on one thing when he noticed that he was being overwhelmed. He needed more power! Power to protect them! Power!
And suddenly a voice ringed within his head and Naruto found himself in some kind of… sewer? Where were the others? Sasuke? Sakura? The snake-freak? Just what was this place? His thoughts however were abruptly interrupted when an inhuman voice just behind him asked:
“SO YOU WANT… POWER?”
Naruto spun around so fast he almost fell over. That voice couldn’t be human, there was no chance in hell something that sounded this evil could be produced by mankind. But somehow Naruto still wished he hadn’t been right when he saw the head of a gigantic fox behind something that looked like prison bars.
“WELL WELL, LOOK AT THIS: MY OTHER HALF FINALLY COMES TO VISIT ME, I’M HONORED. I WONDERED HOW MUCH LONGER I’D TAKE YOU.”
Naruto swallowed hard. The pressure and killing intent this being was emitting was otherworldly. And then realization dawned within him.
“You’re the Nine-Tailed Fox… the Kyuubi no Yoko!”
“WHO ELSE WOULD I BE? DO YOU HAVE ANYONE ELSE SEALED INSIDE THIS PATHETIC BODY? I THINK NOT.”
Was the rather sarcastic answer of the Demon King.
“BUT ENOUGH OF THAT; THERE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING IMPORTANT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT. I THINK IT CONCERNS A CERTAIN SNAKE-SUMMONER AND THE PATHETIC NINGEN YOU CALL ‘TEAMMATES’. AND YOU NEED POWER, RIGHT?”
Naruto’s mind went into high gear when he remembered what he had been doing until a few moments ago. The mere presence of the entity before him had made him forgot about the danger his teammates were in! His desperation made him temporarily forget who he was talking to.
“Damn it, what do you want?! Send me back, they need my help or everyone will die!”
The fox was annoyed by Naruto’s little outburst but decided against putting him in his place. It would only take more of the little time they had for this.
“WERE YOU LISTENING AT ALL? YOU WANT POWER TO DEFEAT THAT GUY, I HAVE POWER, I’LL GIVE YOU POWER. IT SHOULDN’T BE THAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND IT LIKE THIS.”
To say Naruto was perplexed was a big understatement.
“Why would you freely give me power? Don’t come telling me something like ‘I won’t stand for having a weak container’, I’m not that stupid. If you give me your power so freely, there must be a trap somewhere!”
And then the really freaky part happened. The Kyuubi started chuckling. And soon the chuckling erupted in an unearthly laughter. But the fox got serious again shortly after that.
“YOU’RE RIGHT, THERE IS A BENEFIT FOR ME. YOU SEE, THE MORE OF OUR DEMONIC CHAKRA YOU USE, THE FASTER THE SEAL CORRODES THUS ALLOWING ME MORE CONTROL UNTIL I CAN FINALLY TAKE OVER!!!”
“And why do you think I would agree to something like this you stupid fur-ball?! And what the hell do you mean with ‘our demonic chakra’, I’m as sure as hell is hot that I don’t have an ounce of this stuff in my body as long as you stay out of this!”
The Kyuubi stared intensely at the orange-clad ninja before him and an evil smile started to spread across his face. Breaking the spirit of Naruto would make things much easier. The gigantic head of the fox drew closer to the bars and was now almost touching them.
“BEFORE I TELL YOU I’LL LET A LITTLE BIT OF MY CHAKRA FLOW INTO YOUR SYSTEM FIRST, DON’T WORRY, YOUR BODY WILL PROBABLY FIGHT THE SNAKE OFF; YOU WON’T NEED YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS FOR THAT. AND NOW… COME CLOSER I’LL TELL YOU A LITTLE SECRET, AND I’M SURE AFTERWARDS YOU’LL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN…”
And it was true. Naruto would never be the same.
And while on the outside Sasuke, Sakura and Orochimaru noticed Naruto’s growing strength, deep inside Naruto’s mind Kyuubi’s fangs were exposed by the malicious grin that formed on his face when he saw the blond shinobi fall before him. The day of his revival was drawing near.
End Flashback
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naruto clutched his heart silently, ever since that day in the forest he had felt the growing presence of the fox in the back of his head. Somehow he had managed to hide it from his teammates and sensei, who were luckily too busy with the curse seal Sasuke had received. Naruto was almost thankful to Orochimaru for providing besides a distraction a seal that reduced the influence of the fox. Unfortunately Jiraiya had removed it again, and it would have been suspicious if he had been against it. But ever since Sasuke had challenged him on the roof of the hospital he knew how critical his own situation was.
Should he tell Jiraiya and Tsunade? But what should he tell them? ‘Hi there, how are you doing, oh by the way, in less than 24 hours Kyuubi will probably break out and go on a rampage, any last wishes?’ Naruto sighed. Deep down he knew there was only one way to avert the next coming of the Kyuubi. And that was his own ‘death’. But would it truly be enough? Who said that the Demon King wouldn’t return from Hell, he came from there once, why not twice? You couldn’t kill an immortal…
“Oi, Naruto!”
The yell pulled Naruto out of the world of his thoughts and made him wonder who would look for him at this time of the day, it was still early in the morning after all. His questions were partly answered when he saw a familiar looking pineapple head appearing in front of him.
“What’s up Shikamaru? You look like someone told you there won’t be any clouds to watch for the next ten years.”
“Although that would indeed be terrible – and troublesome – I’m afraid it’s something much more serious.”
Shikamaru looked directly into Naruto’s azure-colored eyes.
“Sasuke has abandoned the village Naruto.”
Naruto heard the words. He understood their meaning. But he still couldn’t comprehend them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took Shikamaru and Naruto only 10 more minutes to assembly the 3 other genin Shikamaru had chosen for this mission plus Lee who wanted to see them off. Naruto silently looked at them when they were discussing the final details of the Sasuke-Retrieval mission as it was called. How long did he know them? Sadly Naruto remembered how Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and him had pulled some pranks or even skipped class sometimes together. Those were good times. Neji – he hadn’t known the Hyuuga genius for long, but he had felt the amount of sorrow and grief in the young shinobi. Both of them knew what it meant to carry a seal for their whole life. He cared for all of them. And then there was Lee who just like himself fought to fulfil his dream with a determination that might even surpass his own. They had accepted him when the rest of the villagers treated him like dirt. A deep sadness was about to swallow him when he thought that he would never see them again, no matter what the outcome of the mission was.
Naruto had already decided when he heard from Shikamaru that Jiraiya, the only person who could help him with the seal, was no longer in the village. His decision? Once Sasuke was safe he would kill himself and personally drag Kyuubi to hell with him if he had to. Not that he had any other place to go. After all, ‘Naruto’ was just as much of a monster as the Kyuubi. His thoughts however where interrupted when he noticed Sakura approaching the gate.
“Wait!”
The five genin that were just about to leave stopped and turned around. Sakura had apparently heard of the mission, but for what reasons she was here was unknown to them.
“Sakura-chan.”
Naruto was confused. Did she want to come along? That would become quite problematic. He didn’t want the girl that held a special place in his heart to witness what would most likely happen on this mission. But before he could say anything else Shikamaru spoke.
“I heard from the Hokage. Sorry, but I can’t take you to the mission. Even you couldn’t convince Sasuke, right? It seems like we gotta force him to understand. Sakura, your job is done.”
“What…? Sakura-chan, you already met with Sasuke?!” Naruto exclaimed surprised.
But Sakura didn’t answer. Instead her head hung low and tears started to flow from her eyes. The genin could see how badly she had taken Sasuke’s treason. Her voice was shaking when she finally spoke again.
“Naruto! I beg you! Please… please bring Sasuke back! I couldn’t do it… I couldn’t stop him! The only person… who can save Sasuke now is probably you… Naruto. Only you…”
A sad understanding smile graced Naruto’s face. He always knew he had no chance against Sasuke in Sakura’s heart. But perhaps this was for the better. No, not perhaps. Definitely. He would give her happiness, although it was in a way Sakura wouldn’t accept if she knew what Naruto planned to do.
“ … Sakura-chan, you really like Sasuke, huh? I know how much pain you’re in because of Sasuke. I can understand.”
Sakura kept crying. She had been wrong about Naruto all the time. He might be loud and brash, but his heart was so caring he would take a mortal blow for you without thinking about it. How could she have been so blind? The tears continued to drop down from her face.
“Naruto… Thank you.“
Naruto flashed one of his famous foxy grins. It would be the last time she saw it. But only Naruto knew this at that moment. He gave Sakura a thumps-up.
“Don’t worry! I’ll bring him back! It a promise of a lifetime!”
‘He always knew. He always helped me.’ Sakura thought sadly. When Naruto came back she would apologize properly to him she promised herself.
“Hey hey Naruto, you sure you can keep that promise?!” Kiba asked in a teasing tone.
“Heh, I won’t take back my words! That’s my nindo!”
‘To be honest, I don’t know what the outcome will be. But now is not the time to think about such things. I have a promise to keep.’
“Alright, let’s go!” His cheerful attitude and the big smile were in place again, conceiling his true emotions.
“Well, we’ve wasted a lot of time. Let’s hurry.” Shikamaru mentioned.
As the five left through the gates of Konoha a still crying Sakura and a thoughtful Lee were left behind. To cheer the pink haired kunnochi up Lee tried to ensure her.
“Naruto-kun said with the ‘nice-guy’ pose he’ll keep his promise. This… this will all go well.” He smiled and gave Sakura his trademark pose. And her tears really did stop. Both of them just hoped everything would be alright.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naruto was cursing under his breath as he charged towards the waterfall where he had seen Sasuke heading to. Why did everything have to turn out that way? They had started with five persons, but one by one they had to stay behind so the rest could continue with the mission. He hoped they were all alright. The Sound ninja were no opponents to you could take lightly. And if Lee hadn’t shown up Naruto wouldn’t even be able to dream of catching up to Sasuke. He remembered the short conversation he had with the spandex wearing ninja before he went after Sasuke.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flashback
“Go Naruto, I’ll take care of this one! You have to catch Sasuke, you made a promise, remember?!”
Naruto just stared at Lee for a moment. He was truly happy to have such loyal friends, even if it had taken him so long to find them. Naruto looked into the direction he had to go and prepared to run off when he remembered something. Facing Lee with his back, Naruto said:
“Lee? I want you to promise me something. No matter whether Sasuke returns or not – please, always protect Sakura-chan, okay?”
And then he was gone before Lee could even answer. What did his friend mean with this? Wouldn’t he be there for Sakura? Lee’s eyes widened when he understood the meaning of these words.
“No… Naruto-kun, you can’t mean…?”
He whispered these words to himself, however, Kimimaro, the ninja with the ‘Dead Bone Pulse’ blood limit, heard them and decided to tell his opponent what he had felt while fighting Naruto.
“You know… when people are about to die they see the world differently. It’s the same for me. My body is close to death, but in this brief moment I still have I can see things much more clearly. It’s the same for your orange-clad friend.”
He slowly approached the still dumbstruck Lee, a bone slowly emerging from his arm.
“I saw it… the shadow of Death lingers above him. He will not survive this day. Even if his ‘friend’ doesn’t kill him, this is probably the last day of his life. And you know what? He knows. I’ve seen it in his eyes. He already knew that this would be his last mission. No one can escape death.”
“No, this can’t be! Naruto is one of the strongest ninja, I know, he wouldn’t die this easily! I’ll defeat you in no time and catch up to him!”
And then the two ninja charged each other with the intent to kill.
Flashback End
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course Naruto didn’t know of the conversation that took place after he left. He stood on top of the giant stone statue that represented the Shodaime Hokage. On the other side of the large river and waterfall stood Sasuke, his body half transformed by the Curse Seal.
“Ah, Naruto, you’ve come. I knew you would come after me, although I already told Sakura why I left. Go home Naruto, I’ll go to Orochimaru and gain the power I need to kill my brother!”
“I can’t do that Sasuke. I made a promise to Sakura-chan to bring you back. Even if I have to break every single bone in your body to bring you back, I’ll keep my promise!”
The two shinobi stared at each other, the eyes of both of them filled with determination. A fight was unavoidable.
“I see. Then allow me to show you the power I have gained! You’ll see why I need to go to Orochimaru after that!”
With a battle cry the former team mates charged each other. In the beginning Sasuke had the upper hand, but Naruto was slowly catching up until it was a fight on even grounds. Even the Sharingan wasn’t enough anymore to give Sasuke an advantage. He even put on his headband to symbolize he was taking Naruto seriously. But then the Sharingan user managed with the help of his Curse Seal to beat Naruto up so much he was actually lifting him up from the water-surface, a Chidori blazing in his left hand.
Sasuke was pissed. Really pissed. Why was Naruto suddenly so strong?! And why did he keep fighting to bring him back?
“Why…? Why the hell won’t you just give up?! I don’t want to return to the village! Shouldn’t you be happy? Without me Sakura is all yours!” Sasuke shouted with a mix of anger and mocking.
But Naruto didn’t fall for Sasuke’s mocking. He just looked at Sasuke with eyes full of sadness.
“Sasuke… why? We fought together, we were a team. Was all of this meaningless to you?!”
Sasuke’s anger subsided as his usual cool demeanour resurfaced. He answered Naruto’s gaze with absolute honesty and sincerity.
“No. None of this was meaningless to me. Although my family was killed and Itachi made my life miserably I enjoyed life again. The time I spent with Team 7 was probably the best time of my life. You, Sakura and Kakashi-sensei… you all became important to me. But then I noticed that the more I enjoyed the time I spent with all of you the less my hate for Itachi became! And that can’t happen; I have to keep that hate! I will kill him for what he did!”
As Sasuke mentioned Itachi’s name he became agitated and the Curse Seal and the Chidori flickered dangerously. It stopped shortly afterwards when Sasuke calmed himself again.
“You see Naruto, although I left the village I don’t hate you or anything. No, in fact, to me you have become my best friend. But now… I’ll break this bond!”
Sasuke’s hand jerked up and was just inches away from piercing Naruto’s heart. Naruto was almost glad to die that way. It would all be over and the Kyuubi wouldn’t break free tomorrow… No! Not yet!
With a sudden motion he managed to move enough in Sasuke grip that the Chidori only pierced his shoulder. Blood splattered on both boys’ clothes and gave the water at their feet a red color. Although it hurt like a bitch it was better than dying without fulfilling his promise.
Sasuke could only stare in surprise. The look in Naruto’s eyes had been one of resignation and acceptance, but at the last moment light had returned to his eyes and he managed to avoid the lethal attack. He didn’t understand it. A chakra based shockwave that emitted from naruto’s body forced the Uchiha to retreat a bit as he saw a cloak of red chakra slowly enveloping his best friend. Naruto’s head hung low, denying Sasuke a look at the blond’s face.
“Why Naruto? Why are you trying so hard?!”
Naruto said nothing first. His hair became more and more rugged as the chakra cloak became more intense. His fingernails became claws, and if his head hadn’t been hanging down Sasuke would have seen fang like teeth and dark feral whsikers. Then Naruto spoke. His voice was low and serious.
‘THAT’S RIGHT LITTLE ONE! DRAW ON MY POWER, RESIGN YOURSELF TO YOUR FATE!’ Kyuubi roared in the darkness of Naruto’s mind with a malicious grin on his face. Naruto did his best to ignore this, although he could feel himself slowly being sucked in by the fox’s unimaginable power.
“Because… to me too you are my best friend. And though I never had a family I sometimes wonder… when I’m with Iruka-sensei – is this what it feels like to have a father? And when I’m with you – is this what it feels like to have a brother? The bond I have with you is one of the most precious things I have. It’s one of the things that make me human… and not a monster. That’s why… I will bring you back! Even if it costs me my own life!”
The chakra began swirling violently around Naruto and Sasuke saw the image of a Nine-Tailed Fox behind his best friend. Flabbergasted he could only form one question:
“Just what are you?!”
Naruto looked up, crimson eyes with black slits met red eyes with three spinning tomoes.
“I’m your friend!”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The battle went on again, and none of the two was even thinking about giving in. As attacks and emotions clashed, Naruto couldn’t help but to think back to the last conversation he had with the Kyuubi in the Forest of Death. The conversation that had changed his entire life. The conversation where he had been told why he looked like the young Yondaime – and why his life would soon end. Where he had been told that he was the reincarnation of the Kyuubi no Yoko.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flashback
“COME CLOSER I’LL TELL YOU A LITTLE SECRET, AND I’M SURE AFTERWARDS YOU’LL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN…”
Naruto stood in front of the Kyuubi’s cage with mixed feelings. He wondered if he should even bother listening to him, after all, why should he tell the truth?
“What is it furball?”
To Naruto’s surprise the Kyuubi didn’t attack him for this lack of respect but simply chucled. This was not a good sign.
“LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING. DID YOU EVER WONDER WHO YOUR PARENTS ARE?”
Naruto perked up at this. Did the Kyuubi know something he didn’t?
“THERE IS A REASON WHY NO ONE EVER TOLD YOU WHO THEY WERE. WELL; ACTUALLY TWO REASONS. THE FIRST ONE IS THAT THE SANDAIME NEVER TOLD ANYONE ABOUT YOUR PARENTS WHICH HE DISCOVERED WITH A BLOOD TEST. HE REALLY THOUGHT YOU WERE THE SON OF THE YONDAIME HIMSELF!!!”
At this Naruto was dumbstruck. His father was the Fourth Hokage? Now that Kyuubi mentioned it, he DID look like him… But the way Kyuubi said this…
“What are you trying to say with ‘thought’? Isn’t a blood test always right?”
“I’M SURPRISED; THERE APPARENTLY IS A BRAIN IN OUR HEAD. YOU SEE, THE REASON WHY THE BLOOD TEST STATED THE YONDAIME AS YOUR FATHER IS BECAUSE HE USED HIS OWN BLOOD TO CRAFT THIS VERY BODY!!! YOU ARE NO HUMAN, YOUR JUST A CONSTRUCT MADE OF CHAKRA, BLOOD AND THE DEATH GOD’S SEAL!!! AND I’M NOT THE MONSTER SEALED INSIDE OF YOU, NO, I’M JUST THE PART OF OUR MEMORY THAT HAS BEEN LOCKED AWAY. WITH HIS JUTSU THE HOKAGE CREATED ANOTHER PERSONALITY INSIDE OUR OLD SELF. THIS PERSONALITY IS YOU. THERE WAS NO ‘NARUTO’ TO BEGIN WITH! YOU ARE JUST WHAT EVERYONE THOUGHT YOU WERE, A MONSTER; THE MIGHTY KYUUBI NO YOKO REBORN!!!”
Naruto fell on his knees when the Kyuubi started laughing like a madman. All his strength had left him. He didn’t try to deny what the Kyuubi said. Deepd down he felt that he was telling the truth. The Yondaime didn’t sacrifice a child; that man was no monster after all. Instead he came up with something much better. Creating a new child and suppressing the Kyuubi’s old memories. It was just as safe as sealing it in a child but not as cruel. And as if things couldn’t get worse the Kyuubi started talking again.
“AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BEST THING IS? I ACTUALLY FOUND A WAY TO TAKE OVER AGAIN! YOU TAPPED INTO MY POWERS ON YOUR OWN FREE WILL, ACCEPTING ME AS A PART OF YOU. ENJOY YOUR LAST DAYS, YOU’VE PROBABLY ONLY ONE MONTH LEFT!”
The Kyuubi started laughing again and left Naruto in a growing darkness.
Flashback End
------------------------------------------------------------------------
After what seemed like hours, the battle was coming to an end. Both sides were injured and almost out of chakra. Yet neither of the two would ever give in. They were fighting with everything they got, and one last charge would determine the winner. Or so it would seem. Actually Naruto was planning something that would probably kill him in the process. It was a gamble, but the blond shinobi had decided to use his demonic chakra to burn Sasuke’s Curse Seal away. But to do so he had to get really close to Sasuke and somehow hold him down. He didn’t have a solution for that problem until both of them landed heavily breathing at the opposite feet of the giant statues. Sasuke in his hideous cursed form with grey skin and hand-like wings and Naruto in his red chakra fox-cloak with one tail swirling behind him.
Naruto saw Sasuke channelling the last chakra he had to form a last Chidori. That was all Naruto needed to form his plan.
“Naruto… It’s time to put an end to this battle… To all our battles!” Sasuke shouted, the Chidori slowly turning from its blinding white color to an ominous black.
Naruto answered Sasuke’s gaze with eyes full of resolve, his plan completed. This would be his last attack, and hopefully return Sasuke to his former self. While Sasuke was of course striving for power, the Curse Seal was a completely different matter. It had affected Sasuke’s rational thinking and would only worsen his condition if not removed soon.
“You’re right Sasuke. This is the end. But in a whole different way you could imagine.”
Sasuke stared at the blond shinobi. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
“But Sasuke… You must promise me one thing. It’s the only thing I’ll ever ask of you as a comrade, as your friend.”
“Che, if it’s that important to you, sure. But only if you can make me accept my defeat. And that will never happen! So, what is it?”
“Please, protect Konoha in my place.” Naruto said with a sorrowful expression in his transformed face. A Rasengan had formed in Naruto’s right hand and glowed with red demon chakra. And before Sasuke could even ask what he meant he was charged by Naruto. Sasuke’s body moved on it’s own as it jumped too, both genin determined to end this battle.
“NARUTO!!!”
“SASUKE!!!”
This was the final clash. There would be only one winner.
“CHIDORI!!!”
“RASENGAN!!!”
The attacks collided and began fighting for supremacy, neither of the two sides giving in. Both of them were focused so much on their attacks that they didn’t notice how the energy they emitted was creating a giant sphere that boiled water and turned stone to dust. Yet in the middle of the sphere the two warriors remained unaffected by this.
‘Shit, I’m almost out of chakra… And the dobe is still fighting back! I have to end this now!’
Sasuke bumped every last ounce of chakra he had into the attack, slowly pushing Naruto back. But then something happened Sasuke hadn’t thought of as possible. Without any apparent reason Naruto’s Rasengan vanished. Without the resistance provided by the attack the two ninja drew closer. Naruto’s right hand shot forward and scratched Sasuke’s headband as he forcefully put his hand on Sasuke’s cursed seal.
But by giving up his attack Sasuke’s hand landed right where it had been aimed at: Naruto’s heart. With a sickening sound of tearing flash the Chidori completely pierced Naruto’s chest, and inflicted a fatal wound. Blood erupted from the orange-clad boy’s mouth, but he still smiled and whispered something in his best friend’s ear while the hand stuck in his body. Sasuke’s eyes widened.
“Got’cha Sasuke.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside the seal Kyuubi howled with an unholy rage.
“HOW DARE YOU, NARUTO!!! MARK MY WORDS, ONE DAY I’LL COME BACK FROM HELL, AND I’LL DRAG YOUR PART OF MY SOUL WITH ME WHEN I ATTACK THAT PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A VILLAGE! I’LL HAVE MY REVENGE!!!”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was this strange feeling in the air. Not many people felt it, but those who did instantly knew to whom this feeling was connected and feared the worst.
Sakura was in the hospital with Ino. Chouji and Neji had already been brought back. They were alive though barely. Suddenly Sakura’s head snapped around and she found herself looking thorugh a window that showed the gates of Konoha. “Naruto… Sasuke-kun….”
Tsunade was busy treating Chouji who had used all three food pills of his clan. Just as she managed to somehow stabilize him for the moment she felt like something inside her broke. “Naruto…”
In the school Iruka had just ending the lesson and watched the children leave the classroom. He heard the sound of breaking class and turned around only to see the picture of Naruto and himself at Ichiraku’s had fallen from his desk and was clearly broken where Naruto was on the picture. “Naruto…!”
They all felt it. Jiraiya who was just returning from one of his spies felt like he had his first student Minato all over again. Kakashi, who was running towards the energies he had felt began running even faster although it should have been impossible. Some of the genin felt it too. Hinata, who was sitting in front of Neji’s room; Kiba, who was at the moment transported to Konoha by medic-nins; Shikamaru, who was still trying to go further but had to return to Konoha; and finally Lee and Gaara, who had just won their fight against Kimimaro. But the bone-users last words were unsettling. He had stopped right before them and was close to death when the feeling washed over them. Kimimaro smiled a gruesome smile with his body still transformed and his blood flowing out of his mouth.
“I told you, no one can escape death…”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Valley of the End
The battle was over. Rain was pouring down as to mourn the tragic outcome of the battle between two friends. Both Sasuke and Naruto were lying on the ground, the later bleeding heavily. In Naruto’s right hand were the faint outlines of Orochimaru’s Curse Seal, but it soon vanished.
The rain seemed to awaken Sasuke since he slowly started moving. He rolled over while trying to get up, and a look at his neck revealed that where once the Curse Seal had been there was now a burn mark that looked like a claw. Sasuke groggily picked himself up. What exactly happened? Sasuke didn’t know. As he lifted his battered body from the ground, his eyes caught a glimpse of an orange jumpsuit. With the little strength he had left, Sasuke began crawling towards the place where Naruto was lying. His mind was still unable to comprehend what it saw. Sasuke saw Naruto’s lifeless form in front of him, but he couldn’t understand. What was going on? Concentrating on more important matters, Sasuke managed to speak as he looked into the eyes of Naruto which seemed to have lost their light.
“Naru…to?”
Once more a tiny shine of light returned to the azure blue eyes of his best friend. His breathing was ragged; blood seeped out of the wound on his chest. The Chidori hadn’t hit the heart dead-on, but it was still fatal. Naruto knew that this would be the last time he would speak. Summoning the last bit of strength he started to talk.
“For the… both of us---“
Sasuke had to use every bit of willpower he had to focus on Naruto since his fatigue had caught up with him. But deep inside he knew that whatever Naruto was trying to tell him was more than just important.
“Both of us?” Sasuke repeated slowly.
A smile crossed Naruto’s face. “That's right... You’re gonna--- You’re gonna---“
Naruto didn’t know where the strength to move his left arm came from when he pulled Sasuke in a brotherly embrace, pressing the head of his raven-haired friend to his chest where he had been pierced. Although the blond boy felt darkness reaching out for him, he still continued.
”…Live. You’ll be… the proof of my existence.”
Sasuke’s head slowly rose up again, his face painted with Naruto’s blood. The state of confusion he was in was obvious to see. With his right hand Naruto took the necklace of the Shodaime, the necklace he had one by winning the bet against Tsunade, along with the headband he had gotten from Iruka and placed it in Sasuke’s unsure hands. As unusual as it was, when Naruto did this, his face got serious.
“My honor, my dreams… they’re yours now.”
There were a few moments of silence. Sasuke had still trouble concentrating, although his situation seemed to improve. With a shaking voice he answered to his friend for the last time.
“I am… the proof of your existence?”
The moment the words left his lips, a smile crossed Naruto’s lips. Slowly his eyes closed, the smile never leaving his face. Sasuke looked into Naruto’s fading eyes and finally realized the price Naruto had paid to save him. At last the fog that seemingly had surrounded his mind cleared, and Sasuke fully understood what had happened. His breath became short and ragged, he was gasping for air. And then a cry pierced the sound of rain.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
(Music: Crisis Core - Final Fantasy 7 “Why”)
In a state of disbelief Sasuke stared into the rainy sky, his tears mixing with the falling drops, the rain slowly washing away the blood on Sasuke’s face. What had he done? Why? Why had this happened? Why had he killed his best friend?! Memories started to flood the head of the raven-haired avenger. As the images started to fly by, he never noticed how his eyes turned into the accursed form of the Mangekyo Sharingan, blood-red iris, a black dot with black ellipses around it.
He saw Naruto and himself when they competed at the tree-climbing exercise. How he had jumped in front of Naruto to save him from the masked hunter-nin. The memories just didn’t stop! The image of Naruto when he had faced Orochimaru in the Forest of Death just to save Sakura and him flashed through his head. Then the oldest memory came to the surface. Sasuke saw himself sitting at the lake, and how Naruto looked down to him when he walked by. At first both of them scowled and turned their heads away. But when both boys turned their heads when the other one wasn’t looking, they saw the smile on the other boy’s face.
The images stopped along with the rain. The Mangekyo Sharingan was still spinning in Sasuke’s yes but started to slow down when Naruto’s voice echoed in his head for the last time.
“Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams.”
Was it real or just his imagination? Sasuke didn’t know. But for some reason he felt like Naruto would forever be with him. With a little strength having returned to his body, Sasuke managed to stand up. He then took his slashed headband and placed it on Naruto’s chest, before putting on his friend’s forehead protector. The pendant from Tsunade then got his place around Sasuke’s neck. He had just finished when he noticed a red light that started to envelope Naruto’s body. Although Sasuke’s face became even more downcast, his mood increased when he noticed that the same smile was still adorning the dead body of his best friend.
“Thank you.”
Sasuke turned around and slowly started walking towards Konoha, his body still heavily exhausted. But after a few steps he stopped again and turned around to see his friend for the last time.
“I accept defeat. And I’ll keep my promise.”
He grabbed Tsunade’s necklace and clenched it until blood dropped to the ground. On last tear slid down his cheek as he made the silent promise.
“Good night, Naruto.”
Having said his farewell to Naruto, Sasuke started to head home. He would live for the both of them. But even if he had stayed, he wouldn’t have been able to see what happened to Naruto on the border between life and death. He could no longer hear Naruto’s voice when it talked in the world of those who’ve departed.
“Hey, I kept my promise, didn’t I, Sakura-chan? I know Sasuke will always protect Konoha in my place. And he’ll even protect it from me when the time comes.”
Although he felt how the Kyuubi dragged his physical body to hell, Naruto felt his soul floating towards the sky. To say he was surprised was an understatement. Could it be? Or was it just an illusion? Had the gods really accepted his soul as human? Were they granting him entry to heaven? Naruto knew that no matter what it wouldn’t be permanently, the Kyuubi would make sure to take the other half of his self with him when he would attack Konoha in 4 years. But for now he could allow his soul to rest. And a tiny fraction of his soul was now with Sasuke, whenever the Uchiha would open his eyes. Yes, for probably the first time in his life he was truly satisfied. Although he hadn’t achieved his dream, he somehow knew that he could trust his friend with it. Naruto opened his eyes and looked into the clearing sky. Sure he was dead, but he didn’t feel remorse about it.
“It feels so… liberating.”
Was this an illusion? If it was he didn’t mind. In the distant sky he could see familiar figures looking down to him as he floated upwards. Haku, Zabuza, the Third Hokage… and another person he had never seen. But it didn’t take a genius to figure out who he was. After all, he had seen his face everyday when he woke up and looked into a mirror as well as when he gazed at the Hokage Monument. He should have been angry at the Fourth Hokage for all the pain and suffering he had experienced while he was young. But he wasn’t. Naruto felt thankful for having a chance to live, as short as it might have been. Even if he was nothing but the second personality of the Kyuubi, the feelings he held for his friends were real. Deep inside, even his other self was probably thankful for having a chance in life, although these feelings were probably buried under an endless amount of hate and malice. But perhaps even a demon can see the light…
“Farewell Sasuke, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Ero-sennin, Baa-chan… Farewell everyone. I’m really grateful I got to meet all of you.”
For the last time Naruto gazed down on the world he had lived on for more than twelve years. He could see Sasuke who was dragging himself towards Konoha. He didn’t know if the words he spoke really left his lips. But he hoped that the gods would grant him this little wish.
“If you see the others, say ‘hi’ for me, will you?”
Sasuke stopped in his tracks and looked up to the sky. A smile spread over his face. He had been right. Naruto would never be truly gone. He would live on in every one of them; that was just the kind of person he was. Sasuke knew that his return would be hard for him. He had killed Naruto, there was no denying it. But he would put up with it, even if he had to spend the rest of his life in jail. He would never go back on his word. That was his new nindo after all. He started walking again. In the distant he thought that he could hear Kakashi’s nin-dogs heading towards him. Sasuke gripped the necklace Naruto had entrusted him with, the resolve in his eyes strengthening even more.
And if you listened closely to the winds blowing in the Valley of the End in this moment, you could have heard the voice of a young boy.
“Hey…”
It could just be your imagination, but who knows?
“Would you say…I became a hero?”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Konoha – 4 years later
Sasuke was sitting on top of the Hokage Monument, his eyes gazing over the city he had sworn to protect as long as he lived. Konoha had regained most of its former strength it had lost in the Sand-Sound Invasion, but war was still lingering at the horizon. A sad smile grazed Sasuke’s face. A lot of things had changed. And yet some things always remained the same. The ninja of the village had fought like driven by an invisible fire ever since the Invasion. But the village had paid a heavy price for that. A price that had been caused by Sasuke’s own selfishness. Silently the raven haired Uchiha grabbed the Shodaime’s necklace he carried around his neck. It was a present he didn’t feel worthy of, but he had promised. Along with something else.
“I promised to live for the both of us. I guess that’s easier said than done, right?”
Sasuke could see dark clouds gathering in the distance. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, they were full of resolve – but also of sadness.
“I guess it’s time to keep the other promise… Wouldn’t you agree… Naruto?”
Coming soon