Hey everyone! I know I said I would probably never write another story again but ... I can't resist. I'm one of those really sentimental types of guys. I really value "traditions" and stuff between friends. And in a wierd sort of way, December 7 has become a day of posting what I've written among you guys and gals. So to start things off, thanks for reading this and thank you to all my prior readers. I love you all. Without further ado ... here's my new one-shot. (possible spoiler to Chapter 381 and beyond ... what i think will happen anyways)
It Hurts
A figure crouched quietly in the darkness as the clock's second hand slowly clicked.
Tick ... Tock ... Tick ... Tock ...
His shoulders visibly rose and fell numerous times beneath the towel covering his head. But it couldn't hide the tears that had fell onto the floor beside the completely torn up clothes from the mission. Scratches from kunai and the Chidori spikes had shredded his clothes, leaving him in desperate need of a new wardrobe. "Why ..."
Outside, the thunder roared as the boy ... no. The young man cried for his loss.
It had been less than two hours since he got back from the mission to bring Sasuke back, and here he was. Sitting down. Mourning and grieving the two things that struck his heart straight to the core. No matter how much he had tried to keep his mask up in front of everyone, it shattered, and the tears had fallen in front of everyone, including Sakura, the one person he needed to be strong for.
He had just been brought back into Konoha, carrying a wounded Sakura, and on the brink of consciousness himself, when he was greeted with the face of a certain busty blonde.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto exclaimed as the village gates came within sight. The clouds were gathering above them, and it was going to start raining soon. "We've finally arrived!"
"That's great, Naruto," Sakura mumbled, as she dug deeper into his back, still half-asleep. Naruto smiled, as he continued to smile, his failure forgotten for the moment. "I'm happy right here." Naruto nearly stumbled at the comment, bringing the blood to his cheeks.
"Hey look!" Naruto yelled, pointing at a figure waiting at the open gates. "It's Tsunade-baachan!"
Kakashi sighed as the began to follow the speeding blonde towards the gate, signaling the rest of the team to follow. Kiba sighed, while Hinata giggled. And Shino just stayed stoic, as usual.
"BAACHAN!" Naruto yelled, still carrying Sakura. He closed his eyes, expecting a fist or kick from the busty blonde. Instead he received two fists to his head from behind. "SHOW SOME RESPECT, NARUTO!!!"
Naruto twitched in the crater. "Ow ... It ... hurts ..."
Sakura wiped her gloves before turning to the Godaime Hokage, bowing and saying, "I apologize for Naruto's behavior, Shishou."
Naruto lay twitching on the floor, when the rest of the team caught up with them. Noone bothered asking what had happened. It was obvious Naruto did something stupid, and Sakura punished him. Then they noticed something.
"Godaime-sama?" Kakashi asked, concern visible in his face and voice.
Naruto, still half-unconcious, heard, "Shisho? Are you ok?" He heard the sound of a tear hitting the dirt. His eyes opened. He did not like that sound at all. Not one bit. He jumped up onto his feet before facing the Slug Princess.
"Baachan?" he asked, concern now dominating everything about him. "What happened, baachan?" Tsunade didn't reply. Everyone grew quiet as they slowly began to realize the possibilities. "Baachan!" Naruto yelled, shaking Tsunade. He wasn't dumb. Something had happened! "Baachan!!!"
"Naruto," Sakura began to say, reaching towards Naruto.
Ignoring Sakura, Naruto continued to shake the blonde when he heard "J ... Jir ... Jiraiya ... " escape her lips.
Realization hit everyone around them as they bowed their heads. Sakura took a step back as it dawned upon her what must have happened to put the Hokage in her current state. Naruto stopped shaking her, before laughing it off, his voice shaking, "Oh. Haha. I was worried for a second. So did ero-sennin finally confess to you?"
At this the Hokage completely broke down, holding out a scroll for Naruto. Naruto's hand trembled as he reached for the scroll, before turning away and disappearing in a swirl of leaves.
"Naruto," Sakura whispered into the wind, hands at her side.
"HE'S NOT DEAD!!!!" he yelled into the wind from the top of the mountain.
Despite his attempts to deny it, he had known immediately what must have happened. Tsunade wouldn't have cried over anything but that. His sensei ... the Toad Sannin, Jiraiya was dead.
"Ero-sennin ..." he cried in the darkness of his room, the old nickname still sticking. It was one of his last connections to him. He couldn't believe that his sensei ... his grandfather had left him for good this time. First Sarutobi-jiji, then Sasuke ... and now Jiraiya.
Knock ... Knock
"Huh," Naruto cried, towel coming off, the trail of tears still visible on his face. Hurriedly wiping them away with his hand, he got up yelling, "C-Coming!" He got the door and opened it to reveal a pink-haired figure waiting, drenched in the cold rain.
"Sakura-chan ..."
"Naruto ..." she said, understandingly. "I know that you probably want to be alone right now but-" She was startled when the blonde ran into her and embraced her. "Naruto ..."
"It hurts," he cried. Sakura was surprised to find her shoulder slightly wet. He had been crying, and still was. "Stupid ero-sennin left me alone, again. Except this time ... he's not coming back." Sakura hugged him back. "He's really gone ..."
The two stood there in the rain for several minutes, before Naruto continued, "First Sarutobi-jiji left me. Then Sasuke. And Now Ero-sennin."
"It's ok, Naruto," Sakura tried to say, but Naruto jumped away, hints of anger in his eyes.
"Don't tell me," he started, "it's ok! It's not ok! I failed again! I couldn't bring Sasuke back again. Kyuubi came out again, and I couldn't stop him. I almost killed you all!"
"Naruto ..."
"I almost killed Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. "All because I was too weak to save him ... with my own strength." The tears started to fall again. "I couldn't save him. I couldn't save anyone. I can't save anyone."
Slap!
Naruto was shocked to find his cheek red and stinging.It wasn't a super powerful slap. It was one filled with anger and emotion. Sakura must have been really angry to have slapped him like that. "Sakura ..."
"I don't ever want to hear you saying crap like that again!" Sakura yelled.
They both stood still for a while, neither moving in fear of triggering something.
Naruto turned away. "I have something to do now, Sakura." With a gust of wind, Naruto disappeared again, leaving Sakura alone for the second time today. Sakura fumed, before walking away. Naruto's recovery could take a while.
"You do know that she was only trying to help, right?" Kakashi asked Naruto, as he passed the alley.
Naruto stopped, but he didn't respond. "She really cares about you, you know that?" Naruto just kept walking towards the Hokage tower. He had some final business he had to attend to with the Godaime Hokage.
"Tsunade!" Naruto yelled jumping through the window. The Godaime Hokage had been drinking heavily and was staring at several pictures of the old Team Sarutobi. "We need to talk!" Tsunade simply looked at him and nodded her head telling him to sit down.
"It seems you realize how serious the situation is ... eh Naruto?" Tsunade realized. Naruto raised an eyebrow at her apparent soberness, despite her drinking.
"Cut the crap! The only situation we have is that Ero-sennin is dead!" Naruto yelled, standing up. "This is not the time to act professional! We lost Jiraiya!!!" He brought his fist down into the table, crushing it into thousands of tiny pieces.
"Do you know how much," Naruto continued, "It hurts!!!"
Tsunade's eyes grew cold at that comment.
"Shut up, brat!" Tsunade yelled, standing up as well. "Don't you think that I'm feeling this just as much, if not more, than you are?! He was my teammate! And my best friend!!!" Naruto stopped, immediately. "If you thought about what that pervert would have wanted, you'd realize that he died serving his village! He died fighting the leader of Akatsuki! Trying to protect you!"
Naruto dropped to his knees. "Ero-sennin ..."
Tsunade sat down. "His hermit toads were able to give us a lot of information though. But the scroll with the information won't open unless you unseal it with your blood." She smiled slowly. "Apparently, he knew he was probably going to die, and he had a few more words he wanted to say to you."
Naruto nodded, grabbing the scroll. "I'll be back in an hour." He jumped out the window heading towards the Hokage mountain.
At the base of the mountain, Naruto stopped and unsealed the scroll.
With a poof, the seal disappeared and a letter dropped out. Ignoring the scroll, Naruto picked up the letter. It simply said "To the Blonde Brat."
Naruto chuckled lightly, while pouting, "Stupid, pervert." He carefully opened the later and began to read:
Dear Naruto,
If you're getting this, it probably means I'm dead. Well. It's time for you to grow up, brat. But before I say my final goodbyes to you, I want you to know
that I am proud to have died fighting for my village and protecting you. You were like my grandson. The son of my star pupil, Minato Namikaze. If you
can't figure this out, you more dumb than I thought. The Fourth Hokage was your father and Uzumaki Kushina was your mother. Aside from your parentage,
(which Tsunade-hime can tell you much more about) this letter is to let you know how proud of you I am. I bet you already mastered some new jutsu since you
faced Sasuke. I know you lost. You're two kind when it comes to him. You must learn to harden your heart at the right time. I know it must hurt right now to
know that I'm gone .. but I'm not. In your fighting style ... in your jutsu ... in the way you talk. Keep the pervert name living! (Anime sweatdrop on Naruto) I love
you, brat.
-- The Toad Sennin
JIRAIYA
p.s. Tell that Sakura girl that you love her. Don't do the same mistake I did.
Wiping away the tears, Naruto slowly placed the letter back in its envelope. He would keep this letter forever ... the last words from his sensei. He chuckled. The hermit had known him better then he did. He had something to offer his sensei, and by god, he was going to give it to him.
Turning around and looking at the top of the mountain, he set out to do what he wanted to do.
Naruto climbed the mountain and at the top of the Hokage mountain, Naruto stood facing the village. It was time for his final tribute to his mentor. "This is for you, Ero-sennin!" he yelled from the mountain top. "You better see it from that bathouse in heaven!" Not a single ninja in the village didn't hear his yell.
---------
Stupid Fox!!! Give me your chakra right now!
You measly little human! How dare you think that you can command me, the King of Demons, the Kyuubi no Yoko!
Looking into Naruto's eyes, the mighty Kyuubi quivered in shock. Those eyes. They were filled with hatred for him, and loss. You're going to be giving me your chakra ... like it or not!
The great demon lord could do nothing as Naruto performed several seals and placed his hands onto the seal, forcefully drawing out the chakra.
------
Back on the mountain top, Naruto smirked, the chakra gathering in his hand turning red.
"Say hello to my new jutsu, ero-sennin!" he cried. "Demon Wind Blast!"
A huge gust of red wind blasted into the heavens, parting the clouds and completely clearing the skies above all of Konoha.
The shinobi awed in amazement at the feat, while a certain busty blonde and masked jounin chuckled. It looked like the kid would be alright after all. Thank god. He was going to be stronger than ever now.
"I hope you got the message, sensei." Naruto smiled, brushing away the last of his tears. "And by the way ... you'll never hear me say that again." Naruto yelled the last part to the sky, almost laughing as he waved goodbye one last time.
He turned away a few seconds later, the sun shining brightly on Konoha, the cloudy days over at last.
Smiling, he said, "You can come out now, Sakura." Sakura smiled sheepishly before coming out.
"I thought you noticed me," she smiled.
Naruto feigned surprise for a second before saying, "O yeah! I have something to give you."
Sakura looked suspicious. "What do you have to give me-" She was cut off just as she finished with the lips of a certain blonde-haired whiskered friend of hers. She didn't want to fight back so she just deepened the kiss. Life was going to be ok for a certain Naruto Uzumaki.
"Baachan!" Naruto yelled, jumping through the window. "Here's the scroll. I thought that we should see it together. There was also a letter for you." Tsunade smiled. "After all, if I'm going to become Hokage, I'm going to have to inherit his title ..."
"NOT YET, KID!!!"
A time of unprecedented violence and war was ahead of Konoha, but with shinobi like Naruto Uzumaki to be leading them soon, things would be fine for the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Two months later:
Memorial stone:
"I'm coming, Sakura-chan," Naruto yelled, waving at his girlfriend. Turning back to the memorial he took one last look. The statue was perfect. The wart, the scroll, the sandals, the perverted grin ... Everything.
Naruto smiled, before turning away.
Watch me, ero-sennin.
There you guys. Haha. I really hope you guys like this short oneshot. Haha. I really really really hope you guys liked this story. Thanks for readin!
-- Tennisdesi91