Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Death Brings New Life ❯ Remembrance ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

CrimsonCat101: Well sorry for such a long wait. Heh heh ^^ Well, my other story is getting most of my attention at the moment so yeah…

Spritwolf30: Well yes I already have a very nice weapon thought out and well…it is very unique. I think you will like the results. I know I haven't updated this story very recently, but I've been very focused on my other story, as you know.

Disclaimer: I don not own Naruto, unfortunately Masashi Kishimoto does.

Death Brings New Life

-Remembrance-

Naruto's head hurt, to say the least. Mental strain was making him dizzy as he sat on the soft grass in attempt to sort out his thoughts. Kyuubi decided to test out a new training routine on Naruto, dealing with `kage bunshins'. The training method consisted of him creating five-hundred clones, and each studying individually on different books or scrolls. Each clone is then dispelled and the life span memory of every clone is transferred to his mind. This then allowed him to do about a year of studying in a matter of minutes. The side effect of it though, didn't set him in the best of moods.

It gave him a massive migraine from hell. Sadly though, it was not enough to knock him out, so now he had to endure the pain.

He cursed under his breath as he stood up and walked back to Akane's house. He had a half-hour break, before he had to return for taijutsu practice. During that break he was given, he intended to grab a bite to eat and maybe confront Akane about a question that has been nagging him for a while.

He walked inside the house, carefully closing the door behind him. He took his blue shinobi sandals off by the door, before walking over to the kitchen.

Hiroshi was boiling water to make tea when Naruto walked in the room. Hiroshi noticed the blonde's presence, “Ah, Naruto-san, may I help you with something?” he asked without turning around to face him.

“Yeah actually, do you know where Akane-san is?” Naruto replied, while grabbing an apple from the fridge.

Hiroshi poured the boiling water in a cup before answering Naruto. “Hai, I believe she is training in the woods again.”

“I see…thank you.” Naruto walked out of the house and into the side of the woods that was on the opposite end of where he trained. He quickly finished his snack, and tossed the apple's core into a bush. He continued on until he saw a familiar form, sitting on the cool grass in the middle of a clearing. By the way her eyes flicked over to his spot, it was safe to say that she knew he was there.

Naruto cautiously approached her, and greeted her in a friendly manner, “Hey Akane-san!”

Akane glared at him, “What do you want runt?”

Naruto dropped the grin on his face and settled for a small smile, “I wanted to ask you about something.”

Akane huffed frustratingly before replying, “Alright, but you better make it quick. I was just taking a short break before I return to my training.”

Naruto nodded, “I understand. What I wanted to know is why you let me, a Konoha ninja, into your home when you are an Oto nin. Further more, why did you ask if I was an Oto nin?”

Akane furrowed her eyebrows for a moment, before heavily sighing. “The same question eh? Like I said before, I do not mind Konoha nins, they are not my enemy. As for your other question…” Akane silently contemplated before continuing, “To put it simply, a civil war is breaking out in this country.”

Naruto's eyes widened a small margin, “A civil war?”

Akane nodded sadly, “Hai, you see Orochimaru, one of the legendary sannin, has been taking control of Ta no Kuni (Land of Rice Fields). He assassinated our jounin-riido (lead jounin), and now claims this land as his own. This village is just used as a resource for his inhumane experiments. He takes people without warning, choice, or…mercy. His victims are tortured then killed, numbers ranging within the thousands. Two of his victims happened to be my parents…”

Naruto stared at her with widened eyes, and then shrunk to ones of pity. Akane saw his eyes full of pity towards her, and quickly became angry. “Do not give me your pity!” She growled, startling Naruto out of his thoughts. Akane realized her misplaced anger and relaxed visibly, “Gomen,” she apologized.

She sighed heavily, looking at Naruto, then at the ground. She drifted her hand over the grass, allowing it to brush against her skin. She continued to gently caress her skin against the grass as she spoke, “My parents…were taken from me when I was only seven years old. I remember them faintly, as time does that to most memories. I remember the day the they were taken, very clearly, though…how could I forget…”

Flashback

“Hey dad, can you teach me how to throw those metal star-shape thingies?”

Yoshirou watched as his daughter pointed to the pouch on his left leg. “You mean shuriken?” he asked, to which his daughter nodded eagerly. “Um, only if it's okay with mom, I really don't want her to berate me about your safety today.”

Akane pouted, but complied out of understanding, “Alright, I'll go talk to Mom.”

Yoshirou watched as his small daughter dashed back towards the house, and smiled warmly at the sight. After he saw her disappear out of view he focused back at the training dummy, stationed in the center of the field.

Akane ran down the streets of the village, until her house came into view. She was about to continue running home until an unfamiliar sight greeted her.

Just outside of her house two men had walked up to her mother and had said something that had struck fear in her mother. “You and your husband have been chosen to become a part of Orochimaru-sama's experiments.” Her mom attempted to flee, but it was all in vain. The men had a smug expression on their face as they hassled her. Her mother's hair was held by one of the men, as he whispered dangerously into her ear.

Akane couldn't take anymore and was prepared to charge. She noticed their apparel and backed down. The two men appeared to be village jounin, she knew she didn't stand a fighting chance. Akane watched as the man threw her mother against the side of her house in horror. Akane decided then to get her father, perhaps he could help.

She raced back to the training field, her breathing labored by exhaustion. Her father looked at her curiously, as she approached.

“Honey, what's wrong?” He asked, concerned by his daughter's behavior.

Akane's breathing evened out when she began to breakdown and cry, “Dad, mommy's being hurt by two men!”

Yoshirou's face became twisted in distress, as he thought over the situation. He quickly kneeled down to his daughter's level, and put both of his hands on her shoulders firmly.

“Whatever happens Akane, I want you to stay here.” Yoshirou whispered, his daughter's safety a top priority.

Akane became worried, “But dad-“

“No!” He cut her off sharply. “I'm going to help Izumi-chan so don't worry. Just promise me you will stay here.”

Akane's look became defeated as she muttered, “I promise dad…I promise…”

With that said, her father smiled warmly as he dashed off towards the house.

End Flashback

“…after that I went back to the house after an hour had passed, and they were both gone. My grandfather took me in after the incident, and brought me here to live with him, away from the village. Now I have become a part of the resistance, were we fight against that snake's oppression.” Akane finished, spitting out the last few words as if there was bile in her throat.

“Great, the damn bastard makes me want to rip out his organs and burn them even more then before!” Naruto growled angrily, clenching his fists at his side.

Akane looked at his confusingly, “Did he do anything to you?”

Naruto's expression rapidly changed from anger to sorrowful. “The bastard killed a man I looked at as a grandfather…and stole the one I thought of as a brother.” Naruto became angry once more, “One thing is for sure however…when I kill him, I will make him scream in agony as he tries to whisper mercy in my ear.”

Akane smirked, “Well, that's one thing we have in common runt.”

Naruto's vein pulsed angrily upon his forehead. “Could you stop calling me runt?”

Akane's smirk became smug, “I'll stop once you're no longer a chibi.”

Naruto's vein became larger as his face became red in anger and embarrassment. “Why I-“ He stopped mid-sentence, and his face became one of worry.

“Shit, “ He muttered, “Uh, gomen Akane-san I'm late for something. It was nice talking to yah.” Naruto said, before dashing quickly out of the training field.

“That was…odd.”

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It has been a day since Naruto's death was announced to the village. Ichiraku was having plenty of business on this day, with the arrival of many friends of it's number one customer. A large group composed of the rookie nine and Team Gai (minus Neji and Chouji), were gathered at their deceased friend's favorite spot in Konoha, in honor of his memory. For it appears that when the council heard of the young Uzumaki's demise, that they would not allow him a proper funeral. Tsunade was clearly against it, because she jumped and strangled one of the head council members. The member was to be hospitalized for a month, with Tsunade refusing to heal him.

They were gathered at Ichiraku, each ordered ramen, even Ino who had refused to before saying her diet prohibited such trash. Shikamaru turned towards the group, silencing them by simply raising his hand.

“I speak for all of us, when I say that Naruto was a good friend, and didn't deserve to die such a tragic death. Naruto was the type of person that motivated us to push ourselves farther then ever before, wiping away all fear of failure, sometimes unknowingly…His death may not be honored righteously by the village, but we will as his friends.”

Surprisingly, Hinata was the next one to speak. “N-Naruto-kun helped me find a strength I thought I had never possessed…H-He brought me courage…and a-always will…even in death...” Hinata's tears were flowing freely, and she made no action to hide them whatsoever.

Hinata looked over at Sakura, expecting her to say something, due to the fact he was her teammate. Sakura noticed Hinata's look, and decided to add in.

“Naruto, although an idiot at times, had promised me to bring me back Sasuke-kun. He made me happy, giving up his own happiness for the sake of mine. When I found out that Sasuke-kun was the one to kill Naruto, it wretched my heart to find that he had fallen farther into the darkness then I had thought. Now, I have to get him back myself, without Naruto's help. I regret making him take that promise.” She finished, her gaze locked on the ground. She looked up when massive killer intent had hit her like a bucket of bricks however.

Kiba growled at her, along with Akamaru perched on his head. “What the hell is wrong with you, that bastard deserves to die!”

Even Sakura's best friend, Ino, looked at her in disbelief, “Sakura, how could you want that bastard back after what he has done?”

Sakura didn't know what to say, everyone seemed to have given up on bringing Sasuke back, even Ino, a former Sasuke-fan-girl.

“Did you even care about Naruto-kun!” Everyone looked towards the one who had shouted. Hinata looked at her in anger, tears still adorning her once gentle face. “Naruto-kun always cared about you! I have yet to see a time when you cared for him! Even when he was HURT you would still focus on your beloved traitor Sasuke. He could have a gapping wound on him, but you would probably fret all about a scratch on Sasuke-teme. Naruto would go to life's end just for you. Even when he is dead, all your mind revolves around is that teme. How could you even call yourself a friend of his?”

To say everyone was shocked by Hinata's outburst, was like saying Jiraiya was a little bit perverted. In other words…a very large understatement.

Sakura was stunned.

Here was the once shy, timid, and modest girl, telling her how badly she had screwed up. She couldn't stop her tears from falling at a rapid rate. Before anyone could say anything else, she turned and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

She heard them shouting at her, but what she needed, was some time to think.

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Orochimaru was pissed.

He was ready to take the young Uchiha's body, but now he would have to wait…years.

He was torturing his experiments to relieve his anger. As he heard his victims scream in pain, he couldn't help the wicked grin from forming on his face. The pain of others always seemed to please him. He no longer cared to wait for his new body. He would have Sasuke's eyes eventually.

Sasuke was busy in his room that Orochimaru had given him. He sat within its dark depths, thinking over the blonde's death.

`Naruto, I have to thank you in the afterlife for giving me the tool that will kill my brother.'

With that thought, Sasuke channeled chakra to his eyes. He opened them revealing the gift that Naruto had bestowed upon him.

The Mangekyou Sharingan.

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