Hey lovely reviewers and readers! Sorry for the delay in the second chapter! But it's here now! :D Enjoy!

3rd Person POV

Naruto didn't stop as he dashed after Sasuke, Kakashi and his…

He couldn't even bring himself to think it. He was really dead. Gone. Done. He could never become the Hokage he dreamed of. To let one's dreams die so hard and so fast…it's not right.

In a spurt of hope, he finally caught up to them. Frantically, he tried to get Kakashi's attention.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled.

He got no response from his…former sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke! Please. Answer me! Look at me! I'm here! Right next to you! Please!" With he begging, he reached out with his hand, meaning to touch his sensei's shoulder. But his ghost of a hand went right through his body.

Naruto's eyes widened in horror. They really couldn't see him. They really couldn't hear him. This was horrible.

He continued to follow Sasuke and Kakashi all the way back to the village. Sasuke, he noticed, didn't even spare his body a glance. There was obvious remorse in his eyes. He kept his gaze either on Kakashi's blank, emotionless face, or the passing trees.

A small smile slowly spread across Naruto's face. He realized that he really had changed Sasuke's mind about going to Orochimaru.

But, it was all at the cost of his own life.

His smile faded.

Finally coming up to the village, memories flood back to Naruto. And, speaking of flooding/water, the first memory that came back was Team 7's first real C-Ranked mission. All of the memories of Zabuza and that kid… When Sasuke and Naruto both risked their lives for that old man, and to get their sensei's life... How they worked together to reach that goal…

That memory was one of the happiest he's had to cherish.

Finally making to entrance of the village, they were immediately greeted by Sakura.

Sakura.

How will she react, he wondered? Will she feel sorry for him? Tsk. Probably not. She always seemed to find that even things like this were his fault.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura called in delight, her eyes bright with happiness. "You're back and alright!"

She gave a small smile and her green eyes dropped over Kakashi's. "Kakashi-sensei, where's Naru-" she stopped as she stared at the limp body draped over Kakashi's shoulder that resembled Naruto.

"Oi, Naruto, baka! You did it! Oi!" Sakura walked towards Naruto, but as she got closer, she notice his usual tan skin looked sickly pale.

"No," she whispered, "No, Naruto. Please, No! NO!!!" She screamed at last.

Her eyes wandered over to Sasuke sharply. "You!" she hissed coldly, and full with venom. Her eyes were menacing and glared at him.

"Sakura, wait. Let me explain!" Sasuke pleaded, about ready to get on his knees and beg. "I-" But he didn't get the chance. Sasuke felt the air get punched out of him, as all he could see was a pink blur coming towards him. If it was any other time, when there wasn't something to distract him so easily, he would have been able to avoid her attack. But not today – not this time.

He slammed against the ground and he felt his strength slowly ebbing away. Before any further damage could be done him, Sakura was held back by an ANBU, struggling fiercely.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "Let me go, damn it!! He killed him! I'll never forgive you, Sasuke! Never!"

Naruto couldn't help it, he had to somehow try to calm her, to tell her he was actually okay. "Sakura-chan! I'm right here! I'm okay!" He tried calling, but she couldn't hear him.

No one did.

Suddenly, that tall guy wearing that black robe came out from the shadow of the tree line. "They can't hear you, you know?" Naruto turned to him reluctantly. "They can't even see you, or me for that matter. They don't even know of our existence." He looked off into the distance, or, more as, Naruto's friends, seeming to be deep in thought for a moment. "You were a freat hero. You accomplished your mission, Naruto. You will not be remembered in sadness, but with great remembrance of a hero that saved the village – many villages, a friend and a brother."

Naruto looks back at the village. Sakura is still struggling against the ANBU. Sasuke's being surrounded and arrested; he doesn't resist or react. Kakashi hasn't looked away from the Naruto that he still holds in his arms.

Isshin put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Are you finished? We need to go."

Naruto pulls his shoulder away. "No!" Then he runs off into the village, after the ANBU that just took Sasuke away.

Isshin is surprised by his sudden need to be somewhere. "Wait! You can't--" But he was already gone.

The Shinigami sighed. "What am I suppose to do about this kid?" He ran a hand through his jet black, pointy hair. "He reminds me a little of my son…"

Then he starts after Naruto, Flash Stepping after a few steps.

Naruto, meanwhile, was currently standing in a long hallway, watching his friends sitting on the benches along the wall near a double door. The sigh above the door is glowing a bright red, signaling that what ever is going on in the other room, it's still happening.

Naruto shook his head. He just shouldn't think about it. He couldn't think about it. He didn't want to think about it.

Suddenly, that Shini…whatever was behind him. Damn he was fast. But Naruto could sense his presence the whole way here.

"You shouldn't be here," Isshin says gently and kindly.

"I have to know. I have to know how the others did. I just…have to know that the rest of my friends made it out okay before I go with you to…wherever you're taking me. Please." Naruto never turn the look at the Shinigami the whole time. He was too concentrated on the sign about the door across the hall, though it seemed to be mocking him now.

Finally, after what seemed like days or weeks what was only actually a few hours, the light blinked off and Tsunade calmly and quietly stepped out of the doors. Everyone stood and the tension was high.

Sighing, Tsunade finally spoke: "I have good news, and bad news." She looked up at the group before her. "Chouji is just fine. He had some heavy damage and a few close call hits, but, all in all, he'll pull through." Shikamaru and the others gave sighs of relief. "Kiba and Akamaru are doing good as well, though, Akamaru has suffered more than Kiba. But he will be fine; with Kiba's sister, Hana, being a professional vet and all. Neji…" Another deep sigh from the 5th Hokage. "He's the worst out of all of them so far. Although I have teams of specially trained medical ops helping with his healing. So, all in all, everyone is stabilized."

Tsunade swept her gaze around the room, locking eyes with everyone for a brief moment.

Then, they all sat back down, almost as if they were running for days.

After a few moments of silence, Ino bucked up the courage to speak. "So…what about Sasuke?"

Tsunade considered this for a moment or two, then her eyes hardened slightly. "He is now under the ANBU Black Ops' careful watch. He was few to no injuries."

"Ha! As expected of Sasuke-kun! He's so strong…! He came back on his own!" Ino said arrogantly.

Tsunade pointedly glared at Ino, for only she, Kakashi and Sakura (who was send home to cool down) know of what happened at the Valley of the End. "That is incorrect!" He voice was loud and sharp, but she sighed and calmed down before continuing to speak, Ino's large smile now completely gone from her face. "That is incorrect. Naruto did bring Sasuke back."

Ino looked shocked. "Really?? Our Naruto brought Sasuke back?" It was easy to tell by her tone of voice that she didn't really believe it.

Tsunade sighed. "Yes," she said in a hushed tone.

She held back what she was going to say next: That just leaves Naruto…

She wanted to hold off on telling them Naruto's 'condition'. She didn't want to spoil the good news with bad. But, she knew she couldn't avoid it all together; she just wanted to wait a bit and tell them a little while later.

Then, after a few minutes of silence, and just as Tsunade turned her back to leave the room again, Hinata spoke up.

"Ano…what about Naruto-kun?"

Tsunade flinched and stopped in her tracks.

Ino snorted. "Of course he's okay. He definitely doesn't go out without some sort of fight…!"

Tsunade gulped, her throat dry and closed up as she felt tears sting her eyes. "That…is also incorrect."

The room suddenly had a heavy, dry, dead feeling to in.

Tsunade turned half toward the rest of the rooky nine, speaking with a rough voice and through her own tears. "Naruto Uzumaki has been confirmed deceased. His life was taken by Sasuke Uchiha's Chidori."

There were a few gasps from the room.

The new Hokage wiped her tears from her face, and cleared her voice. "His funeral will be held in two days and his name will be added to our memorial stone for the K.I.A., and his memory will forever live on in us all."

That was all Naruto was allowed to see, for the Shinigami that followed him there suddenly materialized in front of him with the hilt of his sward near his forehead. His voice was gentle and calm when his spoke, but his face held pain and solemn for the yellow headed boy before him.

"Time's up. And don't be afraid. Where you are going is a much better place: the Soul Society." Before he spoke the next words, he looked Naruto in the eye and saw no fear or shock for what was to come for him, but instead understanding and calmness.

"Good luck, Naruto Uzumaki."

A/N:

Miko; Hey everybodies! Thank you so much for reading the next chapter! You see, we-

Alice: Whoa! Wait!

Miko: What?

Alice: …'everybodies'? -raises brow-

Miko: Yes, 'everybodies'. Got a problem?

Alice: -holds hands up, backing off-

Miko: Anyway, we have this sort of 'system'. We picked either evens or odds and we are alternating in writing each chapter. I have evens and Alice has odds—

Alice: Wrong!

Miko: What now?!

Alice: I have evens and you have odds. Geez… Snappy today, are we?

Miko: -sigh- Fine. Alice got evens and I got odds. So, we apologize if chapters are coming slow. This last one was somebody's fault…! -looks pointedly at Alice-

Alice: What? Me?! Well, if you had just ready the damn book I lent to you-

Miko: Language.

Alice: -then the freaking chapter wouldn't have been so late! I told you! I will give you chapter and the $5 if you read the God-

Miko: Language.

Miko: Shhh… Calm yourself, Aneki-chan.

Alice: Whatever. You close the chapter! -stops off-

Miko: Oh, dear. Well, I'm afraid we'll have to stop here. I have to go calm my big sister. We'll have the next chapter up ASAP!

Thanks for reading! (We both give our thanks even though Alice is absent in this.)