Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ quixotism ❯ chapter 14 ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Blanket disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Naruto or any characters associated with the anime/manga. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do claim rights to any and all original characters that appear in this story.

A/N: There will be cursing, adult situations including slash pairing (boy X boy) and hentai (boy X girl). If you are offended by such things, not of age to be reading such material, or are not wanting to read spoilers then please push the back button now.

A big thank you to Jaded Lady who betaed this chapter. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help.

'thinking'
"talking"

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Below the tower the Genin and Chuunin of the village fought with all the power they possessed within their hearts to protect those they held precious. Both Konoha and the enemy shinobis' attention was diverted to the transformation taking place on the roof of the Hokage Tower. Stopping their own individual battles they watched riveted by the sight of Naruto's transformation, it was a sight to behold. The waves of power that radiated off him made many tremble in fear of such power, but the Konoha shinobi could also feel the love and protectiveness toward them enveloping the area giving them the strength to fight. While their enemies were distracted, they turned the tide on the battle; many of the enemy ninjas fled the village and those who didn't found their end.

When the blinding light from the fight between Itachi and Naruto dissipated the chakra-filled dragon, which had held Sasuke safely away from the fight returned to it’s original form leaving the simple wooden toy lying at his feet. Further away also lying on the ground was the body of Uchiha Itachi, his life was truly gone this time. Looking around desperately Sasuke was unable to find any sign of what had happened to Naruto. He had simply disappeared.

While the Godaime and wounded were taken by the civilians to the hospital those still able to fight separated into groups. The less experienced Genins were left to guard the walls surrounding the village for any more signs of attack. While the more experienced searched the surrounding woods for any enemies that might still be near the village and for signs of Naruto. Sasuke pushed himself without rest looking for any sign of his blonde friend.

Soon the higher ranked shinobis returned to the village. After the tale of what had occurred was explained to them, more groups were sent out to hunt for Naruto. No sign was found, after searching for a week Tsunade called an end to the search.

"Whatever magic he used to save us must have taken him. I'm sorry, but Uzumaki Naruto is declared killed in combat. His name will be added to the Shrine of Heros, the search is called off."

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Within a day of her order Tsunade gathered with all those that called Naruto friend at the local sake house to toast him and his sacrifice.

Sasuke attended but remained silent as those around him told stories about times they shared with Naruto during his life. After drinking to the toast his Hokage made Sasuke reached over and snagged a bottle of sake and left, never saying a word.

Sighing as she finished her cup, Tsunade jiggled it for someone to refill watching as Sasuke left. 'I wonder how that boy is going to handle this?' She thought eyeing Neji, motioning for him to approach, the Anbu walked toward her dipping his head in respect, when he got to her side as he reached for the sake bottle and poured more into her cup. "Follow Sasuke, make sure he doesn't do anything . . . stupid." The Godaime ordered, nodding in thanks for the refill, chugging it down she added. "Remind him Naruto would want him to live." Bowing slightly as he sat his cup down, Neji took off.

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Sasuke began the walk to his home from the sake bar. Along the way he passed by a couple of men busying themselves with a board game. He stopped suddenly when he overheard Naruto's name mentioned; he wandered over to the side of the road, listening in on the men's conversation.

"Did you hear Hokage-sama finally called an end to the search for that Naruto kid?" The man with gray hair asked his bald friend as they sat playing a game. The bald man looked up from the board. "You mean the Kyuubi brat?" Nodding in agreement to his friend's question the gray-haired man reachedd down to move one of the playing pieces on the board. Huffing at both his friend's play and his feelings regarding the question, the bald man returned his attention to the board to figure out his next move, stroking his chin with one hand he replied. "I never took the time to learn the demon's name. His death is no loss, good riddance I say."

Squeezing his eyes shut Sasuke turned around, opening his now red eyes spinning in anger with the Sharingan. In his one hand he gripped the bottle of sake he had taken and his other hand clenched into a fist. He could feel his lower lip quivering from listening to what the men were saying about the one person in the whole village he had loved. 'Itachi was right . . . they don't care what he did for them.' Carefully he placed the bottle of sake down; he was going to need it later. With his bottle of sake safely out of the way, Sasuke walked toward the men, stopping in front of them, starring down at their game board.

Looking up to see whose shadow was now on them, the men smiled at him, recognizing who he was. Before they could greet the last Uchiha, Sasuke raised his foot breaking the game board in two.

Scrambling back away from the enraged Uchiha they didn't get far before Sasuke reached out and lifted them by their shirts yelling profanities at them as they struggled in his grip. Slamming the two men together Sasuke continued screaming, gathering a crowd of villagers around him. "Worthless bastards, all of you. Naruto put his life on the line time and again for this fucking village from the day he was born. This is how you repay him? By cursing him and ignoring his sacrifices?" Dropping the men, Sasuke drew his fist back, preparing to beat them, perhaps to death.

Neji could hear the shouts before he arrived. Landing on the roof across from the scene the Hyuuga branch member watched as Sasuke prepared to beat on the men. Jumping from the roof, Neji landed beside him, grasping the wrist that was drawn back before the fist could connect with one of the villagers. Having drawn Sasuke's attention, Neji remained unflinching when he turned his Sharingan eyes to him. With Sasuke's attention completely on him Neji calmly said. "Please Sasuke, while I agree they are worthless creatures that do not see what a true hero Naruto was. But I cannot allow you to harm civilians, whom have no way to protect themselves." Lowering his gaze Neji admitted. "I understand some of your pain, Naruto was important to me as well. It is beneath you Sasuke to attack civilians."

Jerking his arm away Sasuke trembled with rage. "Didn't you hear what they said?" Sighing Neji laid his hand and Sasuke's shoulder. Of course the man jerked away from the contact but, the offer of comfort had been extended and received, if only for a second. "I heard. Even if they don't deserve his sacrifice. Don't disgrace what he did by doing this."

Deactivating his bloodline limit Sasuke jerking his head in agreement. Turning away from the group that had formed Sasuke walked back to where he had left his bottle of sake. Picking the bottle up he continued his way to his home.

Neji watched as the last of the Uchiha's walked away with his bottle till he disappeared over the hill toward his dead clan's homes. He knew the Godaime wanted him to watch Sasuke but the man deserved to be allowed to mourn alone. 'No matter what Sasuke ends up doing. To be the last of an extinct clan and now without the only person he ever held as precious. I'll not force that role on him.' Neji thought, feeling a great deal of pity for the lonely man.

"Thank you, bushi for saving us." The man who had first started the conversation said, drawing Neji's attention back to him and his friend that was assaulted. "Please bushi, you must arrest him." The grey-haired man pleaded. Examining both men carefully, Neji cocked his head to the side in question. "Arrest Uchiha, for what?" Pointing down the road in the direction Sasuke went, the bald man explained. "That boy is as insane as his brother who killed the rest of their clan. We are all in danger from him." Narrowing his eyes coldly at the men, Neji replied. "No, he is in mourning for a dear friend as is many and you insulted that person." Crossing his arms over his chest Neji showed his unwillingness to listen to them. "Trust me, it has taken all of my training to come down here to stop him instead of helping him. Uzumaki Naruto was my friend as well. I would trade all of you useless ignorant people for the chance to have him back, even if it would shame the sacrifice he willingly gave to save you."

Turning away Neji leapt back up to the roofs leaving behind him many confused people, heading toward the training grounds instead of following Sasuke. Landing at the spot he trained at with Gai-sensei when he was but a Genin, Neji sighed as he looked up at the clear blue sky. 'I'm almost as bad as Uchiha. Telling those men off like that. What would Naruto say if he saw me?' Neji wondered, taking a seat by one of the trees that had been his favorite to rest by when he was a Genin. Above him he could see a bright yellow bird sitting on a branch starring back at him. Neji snorted, chuckling at the thought that the bird reminded him of Naruto, as the creature cocked its head as if trying to understand him. “Yes . . . you would have told those people off. I'm glad I put them in their place." Neji remarked as he closed his eyes and smiled.

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Sasuke stomped his way to his clan's compound. He made his way around his family home to the yard in the back; there over the hill was the pier and pond where his father had taught him the Katon Ryuuka no Jutsu not long before his death. Walking out to the end of the pier Sasuke sat with the bottle of sake beside him, pulling off his sandals he let his feet hang over the edge into the water below.

'Guess I'm alone in this world again.' He thought to himself reaching for the bottle, opening it he began to drink. Closing his eyes he savored the feel of the sake as it burned down his throat and warmed him from the inside out. Having downed a quarter of the bottle in but a few gulps, Sasuke returned to looking out across the water. He now wore a slight blush on his face, effects of the alcohol. Carefully he sat the bottle down on the pier.

The sound of someone making their way towards his place of solitude caught his attention. He watched as the two kitsune kits that had always been with Naruto approached. He turned away from them but allowed them to come, each kit taking a seat beside him. Both leaned over to lay their head on his upper thigh as they sat beside the mourning young mortal. Reaching down, he gently stroked them gaining as much comfort from the act as he was giving. "You must miss him a lot huh?" Looking up at the sound of his voice the two kitsunes watched the young man as he kept his eyes on the water, his voice wavered with the emotions he felt.

"I don't know how I'm going to go on, this whole village is filled with memories of how things were and how they could have been." Reaching over Sasuke took his bottle back up until he finished the last of the sake. "I've never been the kind to show my feelings, growing up we were taught that being a shinobi meant never losing control of ones emotions." The two kitsunes watched him closely, though the boy never looked down at them.

Soft misting rain suddenly hit Sasuke, looking up into the sky a sad smile spread across his face as his eyes fell closed. He soaked in the feeling of the light mist falling on his face. "Rain . . . while the sun is shining in the cloudless sky . . . . " He whispered opening his eyes as he lowered his face trying to hide under his bangs.

All the emotions he had been holding surged forward falling in the form of silent tears. "Still pushing me aren't you Naruto? You never let what they taught us about being a ninja stop you did you?" He asked a slight tremor ran through him as he continued trying to hold his emotions in check. "You were a ninja in your own way up to the end. Even now that you're gone, you're still making me feel more then I thought I was able too." Raising his face back to the sky, he allowed his tears to fall. "How fitting, I haven't cried for you so you'll cry for me in the form of a Kitsune no Yomeiri."

The bottle he had been holding in his hand shook with his tight grip rearing back with all his strength he tossed the empty sake bottle into the pond. "I didn't come here to break down but fine . . . I'm just drunk enough not to care about what I was taught." He said speaking loudly to the mist that was still falling. "Do you hear me, Naruto? You win. To hell with my pride, I'll let go of my pain." He called out dropping his head. "Are you happy now, Naruto? You were right all along, we are just human." Raising his face, his Sharingan eyes spun wildly. "Damn you, why did you give yourself up?" He asked forcing his eyes back to their normal color, slumping down onto the pier again he asked. "What am I to do now? Before you returned, I lived outside my emotions, then you came back and showed me what life could be. You gave me what I never even hoped to wish for in life and now you leave me." Reaching up Sasuke wiped his eyes on the back of his hand whispering, "damn you usuratonkachi." Sasuke looked down at his hands, tears still rolled down his cheeks. "I had my precious, irreplaceable person in my hands and now you're gone. I didn't hold on to you like I swore I would."

Pushing himself up, Sasuke turned and began the walk to his home. Back on the pier, the fox kits he had left there began yipping. Looking back over his shoulder Sasuke watched as they bounced around on the old wooden pier calling out at the pond. Turning back Sasuke raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun so he could focus on the surface of the water

Out in the middle of the pond the calm water began to move suddenly forming a whirlpool. Sasuke's eyes widened, as he watched the water swirl around, running back down to the pier he stopped short in shock. From the middle of the whirling waters appeared Naruto, looking how he had before he faced Itachi. Not believing his own eyes, Sasuke reached up and rubbed them, reopening his eyes his mouth dropped.

Smiling Naruto walked upon the surface of the water over to the pier, jumping onto the pier in front of him. Naruto's apparition continued to smile at him as if nothing strange was happening.

Sasuke finished closing the distance between them with a trembling hand he reached out and gently stroked one of Naruto's whiskers marked cheek. "Is it really you?" He asked, his voice so quiet Naruto could barely hear him. Leaning his face into his hand more, Naruto reached up covering Sasuke's hand with his own. "Did I worry you Sasuke? Sorry I was really weak after that fight so I had to heal and rest. This is where I landed after the blast."

Assured that this was no specter but the flesh and blood form of Naruto in front of him safe and sound. Sasuke drew his hand back, making a fist he bopped Naruto on top of the head as hard as he could. “Ouch . . . you bastard!" Naruto cried out gripping the top of his head with both his hands he squatted down hissing between his clenched teeth at the large lump that was forming. "What was that for?" He demanded looking back up at his assailant.

With a grim angry look on his face Sasuke took a deep breath reeling back in his emotions. "I though I had lost you, just like I have everyone else I'd ever cared about. Do you have any idea what that felt like? To know fate is against you so completely to continue to deal you the same bad hand over and over again." Naruto kept a hold of his head but blinked up at Sasuke owlishly. "Sasuke, you've been spending too much time with Neji. Who cares about fate?" Naruto asked shaking his head at his own question." You can't help what hand fate deals you. Sometimes you are going to get a bad hand but you can't let that rule your life." Cocking his head to the side Naruto assured his friend. "I knew you'd be all right, you're strong."

Jerking his head away the dark-haired shinobi asked. "Strong? You idiot, you didn't even think about how I'd feel or what I would have done." Grinning up at his precious person Naruto explained. "I have faith in you, Sasuke. I figured you'd do the same as I have always done. If you don't like the hand fate has dealt you and you can't change the hand, then just change the game." Naruto smiled brightly as if his simple answer explained all the mysteries in life.

Reaching up Sasuke laid his hand on his brow and squeezed, he wasn't sober enough to deal with Naruto's life lessons right now. "You knucklehead, what were you doing in my pond?" Releasing his head Naruto stood up and crossed his arms over his chest jerking his nose up into the air. "Well excuse me for tainting your pond teme . . . it's not my fault, I told you this is where I landed after that blast."

Folding his own arms over his chest Sasuke laid into him. "Do you have any idea how worried and upset everyone is? Here we thought you were dead and actually you were hiding inside my pond. How did you stay under the water for days like that?" Naruto did feel bad that everyone had assumed he was dead, so he relaxed his stance a bit giving Sasuke a small apologetic smile. "While I was fighting Itachi, Kyuubi gave me the knowledge to be able to form a realm; kitsunes can make pockets in reality by folding space and time to suit their needs." He explained uncrossing his arms he laid one hand on his hip and raised his index finger of his other hand up, in a stance that proved he spent a lot of time with Iruka-sensei. "You see for every day out in the real world in the realm I made it equaled several days. If I was older and more in practice I could have made up to several years pass within the realm in comparison to days out here in the real world but, Kyuubi just gave me the ability while I was fighting your brother, so days were all I could manage." Waving his raised hand as if to shoo way his explanation Naruto finished his lesson. "Any way I was able to use the faster time flow to allow myself the time I needed to completely heal up and here I am." He finished, throwing his arms out to the side as if to present himself.

'He really has Umino Iruka's teaching stance down to an art.' Sasuke thought to himself, all the sake he had drank still buzzed in his head, sighing he reached out and rubbed Naurto's head where he had clubbed him earlier. 'I shouldn't be upset, he's alive that's all that matters.' He reminded himself.

Puffing up his cheeks Naruto jerked away gifting Sasuke with a dirty look. "Oh, sure you think you give me a little rub and everything will be fine huh? That really hurt you know?" Smirking at his own thoughts a sly look graced Sasuke's face, walking over to Naruto he wrapped his arms around him laying his face on his shoulder. "Are you sure about that Naruto? You seemed really happy after I gave you a good rubbing a couple of days ago." He huskily whispered into Naruto's ear.

Ducking his head in embarrassment and blushing madly, Naruto whispered back in a whining voice. "Sasuke?!" As he twisted his neck so he could look Sasuke in the eye with a look that clearly said, 'I can't believe you just said that.'

"Enough with the lessons Naruto. The only realm I'm concerned about is the one that exists when we hold onto each other." Sasuke admitted, burrowing his face into Naruto's shoulder.

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Godaime: term used when refering to the 5th person holding the title Hokage

Anbu: An elite military squad of ninjas who specialize in assassination, information gathering and protection. silver vest and face mask(looks like an animal)tattoo on arm

Sharingan: copy wheel eye (doujutsu-bloodline limit of Uchiha clan) capability to read and defeat all types of nin, tai, and genjutsu can copy almost any technique seen.

bushi: is the term given to a samurai or other honorable warrior

Kitsune no Yomeiri: the kitsune's wedding. In reference to a folktale describing a wedding ceremony between the creatures held during such conditions. The event is considered to be a good omen. Rain falling from a clear sky, a sunshower. Information from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

kitsune: fox

usuratonkachi: total moron (Sasuke's pet name for Naruto)