Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Set Fire to the Rain ❯ To Overcome Devastation ( Chapter 1 )

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

Chapter 1: To Overcome Devastation


The sounds of a storm began to cry out in the Village Hidden in the Grass.  The devastation of war has ravaged the innocent lands of the Shinobi world.  It was here within the grassy plains of Kusagakure that would serve as an important front for the victory of this war as it did for the Third Shinobi World War.  The village itself had long been evacuated of the people that resided there.  An almighty stand off could be seen between two beasts battling against one another that formed the epicenter of the Fourth Shinobi World War.  The grass valley of the Kusagakure were scotched with the flames of fire.  As the heavy rains pouring out of the dark clouds above tried to subdue the flames, there within the circle of fire were two beasts that fought, each holding their own fate of the Shinobi world within their hands.  Through the eyes of the pink-haired kunoichi that quivered, formed tears at the corners of her green eyes.  She fell to her knees injured and bruised from the overextending fight to protect her land from an inevitable fate.  The sorrow and fright that was evident through her eyes looked upon the two:  Uchiha Madara, who's ultimate plan of total world domination and conquer, has caused nothing less of devastation and destruction throughout the Shinobi world.  He stood clothed in his torn and bleedy Akatsuki cloak and half-broken face mask baring the eyes of the Sharingan.  His right side and arm bleeding profusely from the attack given by Uzumaki Naruto, whom was now transforming into the Kyuubi.  

Haruno Sakura trembled in fear and pain, witnessing once again the horrible transformation of her beloved friend.  Four out of the nine tails had finally appeared, and the skeletal makeup of the Kyuubi was beginning to take form.  

'Naruto …,' Sakura cried to herself as she watched the horror of her friend being consumed by the Kyuubi's power, “Naruto!!!”

Sai began to sit up slowly, coughing up a little blood from his earlier wounds. Yamato rushed to Sai's aid at that moment seeing that he had finally regained consciousness, “Are you alright, Sai?” Yamato asked, assisting him.

“Yes, I'm fine,” Sai replied, a bit weakened from attacking Uchiha Madara not too long along in order to help Naruto.

Sakura continued to stare down at the beasts before her.  The team watched from above the crater of the grass valley, horrified and scared of what would come of the Kyuubi that continued to overcome Naruto.  Yamato looked upon Sakura's trembling body in worry and watched as she wrapped her arms around herself, clenching her shoulders and crying uncontrollably.

“Sakura ...”

“Is there nothing ...” Sakura faintly spoke in a choked up voice as her vision blurred from her tears, “Is there nothing we can do to help him, Yamato-taichou?”

Yamato turned his eyes towards the Kyuubi and Madara below them, “Due to the First Hokage's necklace being destroyed during the Pain invasion, there is nothing I, myself, can do for Naruto to turn him back.” Sakura gasped as she grit her teeth and trembled in pain as she clutched her dislocated left shoulder.

Sakura bowed her head in defeat, feeling helpless and pained.  The ever present sorrow of losing her friend to the power of the Kyuubi once again became overwhelming.

'Naruto …'

The Kyuubi's skeletal makeup was now completely formed.  Slowly the fifth tail began to show itself.  Uchiha Madara fell to his knees, clutching onto his right side.  However, he was not yet defeated.  He held an evil grin behind his broken mask.  His menacing laugh became audible to the three Shinobi looking down into the crater …

“S-something is wrong …,” Sai spoke as his own eyes watched in horror. Yamato looked harder at Madara and gasped realizing his true intent.

'Oh no … He's …,' Yamato exclaimed within himself.

Sakura turned to the both of them with worry, and then turned back to Madara below. It appeared that a vortex originating from Madara's right eye began to manifest itself, pulling the Kyuubi in. Yamato took note of this has he watched in suspense as the jutsu that the enemy was using also seemed to be bringing out the Kyuubi's full power.

“Madara is drawing out the Kyuubi's power and forcing it into his right eye using the Space-Time Migration jutsu!”

Both Sai and Sakura gasped in suspense as Madara's jutsu slowly drew in the Kyuubi.  The defeat was overwhelming Sakura. Watching her dear friend being sucked into another dimension was unbearable …

'Naruto …'

What had she been training for? What had she accomplished all this time? What could she do when all she felt was weakness?

'Naruto …'

Sakura began to stand on her feet and race forward towards Naruto's transformed body, whilst forcing her own body to run. Yamato cried out to Sakura, trying to make her stop.

“Sakura, no wait. Down go near him!” Yamato made seals with his hands to begin his Wood Release jutsu in order to stop Sakura, “Sai!”

“I know!” Sai himself began running after Sakura while he initiated his Super Beast Imitating Drawing jutsu, “Sakura, stop!!”

Sakura kept running, forcing her body to reach Naruto's.  The Kyuubi turned his gaze over to the pink-haired kunoichi that was running towards him as he cried out with a loud roar like a beast ready to attack. His tails thrashing in all directions as Madara drew out the power of the Kyuubi more and more. Sakura stretched out her uninjured arm in a desperate attempt to save her friend …

“Narutoooo!!!!!!”



The blonde-haired teen sat up from his bed, clenching his shirtless chest and gasping for air.  Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead and whiskered cheeks as his brilliant blue eyes gleamed with fear.  Naruto slowed his breathing and rapidly beating heart as he realized he was waking up from a dream.  As much as he would have hoped that it was just a dream, the events that took place three years ago were all too real to him.  The horror of the Fourth Shinobi World War lingered forever in Naruto's mind.  Although the village of Konoha, and the other villages and lands that helped against the total rule of Uchiha Madara, were safe from total destruction, it was not a complete win for the Allied Shinobi Forces.  Madara was still out there in hiding, still plotting his next move in order to bring his own evil plans into effect.

Naruto sat up in his bed holding his face in his hands while his elbows rested on his knees.  He removed his left hand from his face and stared down at his empty palm as his right hand subconsciously gripped a different necklace that he now wore around his neck. His deep blue eyes held the signs of another sleepless night. The clock on this nightstand read 11:43 in the late morning. Naruto turned his gaze to his window on his left side gazing up at the clear blue sky and beaming high-noon sun. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, stretching out his arms above his head looking sleepy and worn out from the past few months of on and off missions. Looking down at the peaceful village from his window, Naruto could not help but smile softly to himself feeling proud of his village and of the people who have overcome the devastation of invasion and war.  Over the past three years, the village was finally rebuilt and stable once again, finally reaching its former glory that was the proud Shinobi village of the Land of Fire. He was happy that his village was once again back to normal … at least for now it was.

After awhile of deep thought, Naruto withdrew himself from his bed and walked over to his bathroom. Pushing back the shower curtain, he turned the faucet of his shower on, and leaned over the sink looking at himself in the mirror.  His blonde hair was a bit shaggy and fell slightly over his blue eyes.  Uzumaki Naruto, now nineteen years of age, appeared, of course, older and seemed wiser with the lingering expression of seriousness from time to time.  His state of mind, although still his surprising and youthful self, seemed bewildered and inflicted with troubling  memories of the past three years.  The events that occurred and overwhelmed him haunted his subconscious time after time.  Removing his black pajama pants and boxers, Naruto rubbed the lower portion of his abs where the power of the Kyuubi was sealed and resides within him.  His eyes narrowed as his mind was once again consumed with painful thoughts of the past …



A year after the Fourth Shinobi World War, a gruesome fight between Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto broke out on the outskirts of Konoha.  After regaining the power of the Sharingan from the eyes that he had implanted into him from the body of his dead brother, Sasuke once again continued his pursuit in getting revenge on Konoha for plotting against the Uchiha clan by deceiving his older brother Uchiha Itachi into murdering his entire clan.  Naruto effortlessly tired to convince Sasuke to not go through with his plans destroying the village in hopes of reconciling his pain. The result of the fight landed both shinobi unconscious and severely injuried.  Both Sasuke and Naruto laid motionless and weakened in the Konoha hospital as Lady Hokage and her team of medical-nin professionals worked through the night to recover both of the young teens.

“Tsunade-sama, Naruto-kun seems to be stablizing,” Shizune stated as she and another medical-nin helped in assisting Naruto's healing. Though the power of the Kyuubi was more than enough to heal his wounds, at the state in which Naruto's injuries were, its' miraculous healing abilities were being slowed.

Tsunade and her young pink-haired pupil Sakura pushed their efforts into using the Mystical Palm Jutsu in order to heal the rogue ninja's, Uchiha Sasuke, wounds.  Sakura used all of her might to hold back the tears that were burning her green eyes. Tsunade looked upon the girl in front of her as she focused her charka in helping Sasuke to regain consciousness.

“Sakura ...”

“Please, Shishou …,” Sakura gritted her teeth as she forced all of her medical jutsu in helping to save Sasuke, “Please save Sasuke-kun ...” tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she did not allow them to fall. Sakura's blurred vision graced Sasuke's pained face.  Blood trickled from his closed eyes and ran down his cheeks and chin like red tears possibly due to the over-use of Amaterasu.  He sustained a dislocated right shoulder and arm, the palms of his hands were burnt, and his legs seemed to been broken in various places.  This was the worst state Sakura had ever seen Sasuke in, and she had witnessed the entire scene.  She turned her gaze over at Naruto's motionless body behind her, and at that moment feeling a tight cringe in her heart for not being able to stop them from their brutal fight …

'Naruto, forgive me … If only I could have been stronger, I could have been able to stop you both from fighting,' she turned her blurred gaze back down at Sasuke feeling helpless and weak, 'Why am I so weak? Why couldn't I help you … save you from this … Sasuke-kun ...'

“Hokage-sama, Sasuke's vital signs are becoming worse,” one of the medical-nins exclaimed as he watched Sasuke's heart rate become erratic.

“His breathing is slowing,” Tsunade focused her charka over Sasuke's head to analysis his senses. She gasped in shock at that moment. Something was not right …

Sakura took notice of this, gazing worriedly at her Master, “Shishou, what's wrong? What's wrong with Sasuke-kun?” She exclaimed, her voice becoming more chocked up with fear.

Tsunade turned towards one of the medical-nin next to her in frustration, “You, get me Yamanaka Inoichi and inform the Intelligence Division.”

“Yes, ma'am!”

Sakura looked around frantically as two of the medical-nin rushed out of the treatment room in a panic to retrieve Yamanaka Inoichi, “Wait! What is going on?” She turned to Tsunade's attention, “Please, Shishou, what did you see? What is wrong with Sasuke-kun?”

Tsunade looked upon her young pupil upset, “He's losing absolute consciousness. Sasuke is slipping into a coma, and it's rapid.”

At that moment, Sakura's heart began to halt, her breath caught and pained her chest as she withdrew from the healing jutsu in a shock. Unbeknownst to the people in the room, Naruto began to slowly regain some consciousness, trying to overhear the panic commotion within the room. His head turned to his right, looking at his friend's blooded face and unconscious expression.  Naruto tightened his fists and grit his teeth, thinking to himself that this all could have been avoided …

'It didn't have to come to this … I didn't want to fight you, Sasuke … Not … like this.'

Soon after, Yamanaka Inoichi arrived and rushed over to Sasuke's side.

“Yamanaka, can you sense anything within Sasuke's consciousness?” Tsunade asked firmly as Inoichi placed his hand over the Uchiha's head, focusing his charka and utilizing his ability to seek Sasuke's conscious mind. Sakura's heart began to beat rapidly in a panic, fearing the worst.

“His mind ...” Inoichi began to speak, “It is unclear.”

Sakura shook her head in disbelief, “What? What does that mean?” She held her hands against her chest trying to suppress her fast beating heart.

“We need to run some extensive test on Sasuke's subconscious,” Inoichi directed his attention towards Tsunade, “Hokage-sama, at this rate, at the level of his consciousness, Sasuke will slip into a coma, and … it will be prolonged.”

“But Sasuke has not suffered any direct injury to his head, has he?” Shizune spoke.

Tsunade closed her eyes in frustration, “It would seem that Uchiha Madara did somehow manipulate Sasuke's subconscious at a rate that even I, myself, cannot understand, nonetheless treat.”

“We cannot be completely sure until we at the Intelligence Division run some tests,” Inoichi stated.

“Then … then …,” Sakura's tears began to fall from her eyes as she looked upon her Master in pain, “what does this all mean for Sasuke-kun?”

Tsunade looked at her pupil and then down at the unconscious Uchiha …

“It means that … if and when Sasuke awakens, his mind will not. In other words, all of his memories, thoughts, and past will be no more. He will have lost all that is known to him,” Sakura gasped as her body trembled, “I'm sorry, Sakura … Sasuke will not-”

“No!” Sakura fell to her knees in angst as she leaned over and clutched onto Sasuke's motionless body, “No! Please … Sasuke-kun … Sasuke-kun, please wake up! Wake up, Sasuke-kun!!”

Naruto's pained blue eyes sprung into tears as he was suddenly beginning to comprehend the fate of this old friend.

“Sa-suke … you …”

“Naruto-kun!” Shizune rushed back to Naruto's bedside as he too lost consciousness from his injuries once again. Sakura's cries to Sasuke was all that could be heard within the room as she clung onto his motionless body, sobbing uncontrollably …

“Sasuke-kun, please! Wake up! SASUKE-KUN!!!”



Naruto's fist hit the shower wall in front of him as he stood in the shower letting the hot water trickled down his blonde hair and back.  The steam of the hot shower filled the bathroom and fogged the mirror.  Naruto's thoughts wandered, tracing them back to that night two years ago when he fought his closet friend …

'Sasuke … '

The wetness of his blonde hair pressed against his cheeks and shadowed his eyes as his head was lowered, staring down at the drain.  The whirlpool of water created as it encircled the drain mesmerized the blue-eyed teen as his painful thoughts consumed him.  It was all just too much for him to bare.  Knowing that he was the one that put his closet friend in the hospital ate at him everyday of his life.  Two years had passed and Uchiha Sasuke was still in a coma, showing no signs of awakening anytime soon.  This fact alone partially hindered his friendship with Sakura.  Seeing her pained face weeks after the event hurt him.  He felt that he had betrayed Sakura by nearly killing the man that she loved the most.  Holding that burden within his heart made him feel like the worst person in the world.  Though the days seemed to get better between them, Naruto still held that grief of not only hurting Sasuke but Sakura as well.  And although she never blamed him for what had happened that night, Naruto still felt responsible for letting it all come to this …

'Sakura-chan …'

After awhile to himself, Naruto turned off the shower and stepped out.  He grabbed the white towel hanging on the wall by the shower, dried his blonde locks and then wrapped it around his waist, securing it.  Walking over to his sink once more, he wiped the steam away from the mirror to look at his reflection once again. He sighed to himself, no longer wanting to feel depressed. He then walked out of his bathroom and over to his closet to retrieve a fresh pair of white boxers and his usual orange track pants.  Flinging the damp white towel onto the floor, Naruto strolled over to his fridge and peered into his seemingly empty fridge.  All that he had was a half carton of milk, some old take-out ramen and chopsticks he left in there.  Naruto grabbed the small carton of milk and drank the rest of its' contents.  He then sluggishly sat himself in a chair at his dinner table, running his fingers through his slightly damp blonde hair.

“Ugh … I feel like the worst-”

Suddenly, a loud knock was heard at Naruto's door. He sighed to himself, lazily bringing his body to answer the annoying knocking, “Awww, come one. It's still early …,” Naruto exclaimed as he reached his door.

Upon opening it, he was caught by surprise seeing his silver-haired sensei at his door.

“Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing here?” He questioned.

Kakashi looked at Naruto with a dispirited and worried gaze, “Naruto, you have to come with me.”

Naruto was caught off-guard by his sensei's request, “What? What's the matter, Kakashi-sensei?”

“It's Sasuke, Naruto … he is awake.”

Naruto dropped his empty carton of milk as his eyes gleamed in shook from this sudden news …

“S-Sasuke ...”

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