[naruto] Ends

Title: Ends

Author: PunkWolf

Pairing: SasuNaru-y

Rating: PG(-13?)

Warnings: angst, chara death

Disclaimer: Written for fun, not profit. Naruto belongs to Kishimoto.

Summary: Prompt 3 for FanFic100. 

Ends 

Blood dripped down the katana as he raised it to gleam brilliant crimson and chrome in the light of the rising sun. Behind him, the hodgepodge that was Team Kakashi looked on in horror at his actions. At least, all of Team Kakashi, except one.

 

Naruto was the only one not present to witness his former friend’s deed… for it was his blood that stained Sasuke’s katana.

 

He had already fallen when Sasuke raised the blade. He’d refused to fight, even whilst the Uchiha made his intentions painfully clear. All hope had faded from his eyes as Kyuubi red receded to riveting blue. Falling to his knees, Uzumaki Naruto gave up for the first time in his sixteen years.

 

Sasuke had already suppressed Kyuubi’s chakra when he drove his weapon directly through the center of the seal fading upon Naruto’s bare torso. He removed the blade immediately and stared impassively down at the dying teen before him as the blond turned morbid blue eyes toward in his direction.

 

“Teme…” He hissed as the edges of his vision turned black, but Sasuke never heard what was meant to follow, for Naruto was dead a moment later.

And yet Sasuke waited for the blond to jump back up just as he’d always done.

 

Two minutes later, it became obvious… Naruto wasn’t getting back up.

 

From somewhere behind him, Sakura began to sob uncontrollably, as Sai watched the scene with an odd ache in his chest. It was Kakashi who stepped forward.

 

“You’re going to regret that some day… Sasuke.”

 

A whirling Sharingan turned to face him as a Chidori charged in the prodigy’s hand. “I think you’re wrong.”

 

Kakashi merely graced him with a knowing look as he continued past the dark haired nin to where Naruto’s body lay. “Oh really? Then why is it that the Mangekyou Sharingan has found a home in your eyes, Sasuke? Hmmm?”

 

Sasuke looked startled, but silently berated himself for not instantly noticing the shift in his vision. “What are you trying to say?”

 

“I was aware of the fact that one had to murder their closest friend in order to gain such power. And here you are with it, after killing Naruto.”

 

“That means nothing.”

 

Kakashi knelt to scoop up the blonde’s broken body when he was cut off by a surge of violent red chakra spiraling up toward the sky. Everyone except Sasuke and Sai covered their ears as a strangled howl shattered the still of early morning. Haunting, it rose in pitch until even Sasuke fought the urge to flinch, when suddenly it was gone, and the vicious chakra dissipated into nothing.

 

“So it’s true…” Kakashi whispered. “Somehow… I hadn’t really thought it’d be possible…” He rested one gloved hand over Naruto’s chest, and felt neither heartbeat nor flow of chakra within. “He’s really gone. Kyuubi and all.”

 

Sakura’s sobbing grew louder, and Sai sank to his knees, clutching the fabric over his heart tightly. His eyes clenched as his grip tightened, but he said nothing.

 

Kakashi rose with Naruto’s body, and turned to face his team and the silent Uchiha. “This battle is over.” His eye strayed to where Sasuke watched Naruto’s body impassively. “He isn’t getting up, Sasuke. Not this time.” He whispered as he passed. “And I know… some day, you’ll want to kill yourself for what you’ve done.” Those were his last words as Team Kakashi took off towards the distant Fire Country.

 

Sasuke still thought Kakashi was wrong.

 

–

One again, blood ran down the honed blade of Sasuke’s katana, yet instead of raising it in hollow triumph as before, he let it fall to the cold stone floor with a metallic clatter.

 

Itachi’s waning eyesight hadn’t stood a chance against his fresh Mangekyou Sharingan.

 

The fight had been shamefully simple, even whilst the rest of Team Hebi perished at the hands of the remaining Akatsuki, the surviving of whom watched this final threat warily.

 

But Sasuke paid his audience no mind while staring blankly at his blade as Itachi’s blood pooled grimly underneath it.

 

It was done.

 

He resisted the urge to pinch himself, just to be sure this wasn’t another dream. But deep down, he knew very well that this was real. He was no longer an Avenger. He was no longer the Uchiha burdened with his clan’s massacre and Itachi’s betrayal. No.

 

He was a teenager, a sixteen year old standing over his brother’s corpse. A teenager who’d been forced to grow up far too long ago. A teenager who’d killed probably his only friend.

 

A heart, that was suddenly no longer numb, clenched within Sasuke’s chest.

 Now what? 

He could go back to Konoha, but why? To subject himself to the punishment due for his crimes and to face a village that no longer revered him and his heritage? No, Konoha no longer held any meaning for him- because he’d killed the only one left who’d been willing to forgive him.

 

It was Sasuke’s turn to fall to his knees as the hideous truth hit him like a tidal wave- Kakashi had been right. Because now, not only did he find himself without allegiances or a purpose, he found himself completely and utterly alone with not even the false pity of the villagers to sooth the edges of solitude.

And he found himself regretting.

 

Naruto was dead, and it was his fault. Not just his fault- his doing. His choice. His whim.

 

He hadn’t had to do it. He knew that. He’d been well aware of the fact that Kakashi possessed the Mangekyou form of the Sharingan, not having killed his most precious person. Yet even with this knowledge, he’d still driven his blade through the one soul on earth who’d been fighting for him, even after all he’d done.

 

He would have been able to kill Itachi… eventually, whether Naruto had died or not. But now it was too late to turn back time, and Naruto had died a needless death.

 

Sasuke stood from the floor slowly as the Akatsuki members watched him cagily, but he didn’t even take notice of them, but instead barreled at full speed out of the chamber and down the maze of hallways, Sharingan guiding him out.

 

Only a week had passed since Naruto’s death. And Sasuke was off to Konoha.

 

–

The Godaime pounded her fist upon the metal table, making the corpse jerk slightly from the jarring. Dammit, why couldn’t she figure out that jutsu? Tears streamed freely down her face as she mourned over Naruto’s unnaturally still body. Team Kakashi, the Kazekage and Shizune watched somberly as she cried over the blond. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He’d always cheated death before! Why… WHY?!

 

Kakashi stepped forward hesitantly. “I remember it.” He whispered, drawing all eyes to him.

 

Tsunade’s gaze snapped to him instantly and not a moment later the Copy Ninja was pinned against the wall. “Tell me.” She growled, eyes glowing with both desperation and hope. Kakashi remembered Chiyou-baa’s Jutsu. There was still a chance.

 

“No.” Kakashi whispered even softer than before. Her gripped on his vest tightened.

 

“Why the hell not?!” She roared, not expecting this answer whatsoever. Kakashi turned his one grey eye to her gold ones.

 

“Because Naruto would rather die than live knowing you gave your life to save him. He always hated being saved. By anyone.” Both he and Sakura instantly relived the moment where a kunai pierced Naruto’s hand on that first mission lifetimes ago.

 

That answer wasn’t good enough for her. “I don’t give a shit! Tell me the damn jutsu!”

 

Kakashi gently removed her hands from his clothing. “I know you don’t mean that.” He replied just as gently. “We both know Naruto would never be the same living his life with that kind of burden on his shoulders. Not with how much you meant to him.”

 

Her hands fell to her sides as she crumpled to the floor, tears retracing their tracks down her suddenly aged cheeks. No one commented on the dropped genjutsu. She managed to speak through her bawling. “I w-was going to name him R-Rokudaime, you know… I was going t-to tell him in a few months.” She weeped. “And not just because… it was his d-dream. H-He was truly… Konoha’s greatest. Just like he said h-he’d be.”

 

Kakashi nodded above her. “If he had truly fought Sasuke… I have no doubt he would have won.” He paused shortly before adding, “But he was always too noble, wasn’t he?”

 

Tsuande’s tears slowed slightly. “He was our Rokudaime. Let no one challenge me on that fact. And thus…” She shifted to face the table that held his corpse. “He will be buried as our Rokudaime.”

 

–

Not three days later, all of Konoha was gathered at the base of Hokage Mountain. In the front row was none other than the Rookie Nine… or seven, as it happened to be now, and Gai’s Team. Gaara stood with the Fifth next to a coffin no one had ever expected to be see so soon.

 

From where she stood beside Kakashi, Sakura vaguely noted that she’d run out of tears. Konohamaru beside her, was a different story altogether. She had moved to comfort him when she was cut off by Sai’s pale hand coming to rest on the boy’s shoulder. The sobbing teen immediately buried his face in the shinobi’s torso, that for once wasn’t bare. Sai looked awkward for a moment before he shifted to accommodate the genin better. Sakura couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Sai willingly offering to comfort another. A sight that would never have existed if it hadn’t been for Naruto.

 

Then again, none of this would be… if it hadn’t been for…

 

She knew Kakashi was right when he told Sasuke he was going to regret his actions. She didn’t doubt it for a second. And she was almost certain he was regretting it at this very moment.

 

She had a sudden quixotic vision of the crowd parting as Sasuke reverently walked through their midst straight up to Naruto’s coffin. Though she knew it would never happen- as always, her brain was just over romanticizing everything.

 

Just as the procession began, Kotetsu ran up to the Godaime and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes visibly widened, as did Gaara’s, who’d overheard the hushed alert. His fists clenched dangerously and the cork popped off his gourd. Kotetsu glanced at him warily before whispering in her ear one more time. He must have been softer this time, because Gaara scowled lightly, marking that he must not have heard this last part.

 

Sakura watched with interest as Tsunade’s eyes darted up toward the massive replica of the Yondaime’s visage. Her expression was neutral. The medic-nin, too, chanced a glance up toward the Mountain, and was only half-shocked by what she saw.

 

Sasuke, clad in his back polar neck and shorts, stood solemnly atop the Yondaime likeness, arms wrapped securely around his midsection. His gaze was fixed upon the Rokudaime’s coffin.

 

She nudged Kakashi and jerked her head toward the spectacle. Kakashi followed her lead and didn’t look at all shocked by what he saw. Sakura realized others must have caught her motion when a few jounin behind her sensei looked up as well. She easily caught the gasps as one by one they recognized the figure. More nudging and gesturing ensued and soon, the majority of the crowd was sneaking glimpses up the mountain, many unsure of what to make of it.

It was not public knowledge that Naruto had been killed by none other than the defective Uchiha.

 

 

Then the whispering began, and the single file line of ninjas paying respects, slowed to a halt. Their uninvited guest shift his stance, and all at once, the murmuring ceased.

 

Yet still, Sasuke did not pay them any mind. He only stared down at the red and white case that housed the blond’s corpse. Had he even noticed he’d been spotted?

 

All of a sudden, Tsunade cleared her throat and addressed the stalled procession. “Well? What’s wrong with you? Keep moving!” And the line began to move once again.

 

–

When the funeral was over, and Konoha had retreated back down the mountainside, Tsunade halted the ANBU who’d stepped forth to hoist Naruto’s coffin to the gravesite.

 

“Wait a minute.” She whispered and unabashedly drug the Kazekage away from the head of the stage to where Naruto’s closest friends still clustered. As she ushered the crowd a further distance away, rain began to fall.

 

A few minutes later, Kiba spoke up. “What the hell’s going on?”

 

Tsunade whirled on him. “Urasai!” She hissed, glancing quickly back toward the casket. Not a moment later, a black blur came to a halt beside the lid she had left open. The crowd was dead silent as Sasuke approached Naruto’s immobile form. He stopped when he could clearly see the prone body.

He  cupped his chin in his palm and pale fingers pressed against his lips as he gazed upon the corpse before him, other arm still wrapped tightly around his torso.

 

“So you made Hokage after all… dobe.” He murmured just loud enough so that the wind carried his deep voice to the audience. An audience he still had yet to acknowledge. “Hn. It figures you were going easy on me.”

 

Tsunade felt numerous questioning gazes turn her way at his words, but ignored them, continuing to watch the scene before her.

 

His voice was lower when he next spoke, but they managed to catch his words by some miracle. “I know you would have forgiven me, even if I didn’t deserve it.” His arm lowered to fold over the one still wrapped around his waist. “And I certainly don’t deserve it. Because this didn’t have to happen. You didn’t have to…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but moved on instead. “He’s dead, you know. I killed him, not 10 hours ago. Thanks to that stupid Mangekyou Sharingan that I never should have gotten. I wonder… does this make me any better than him…?”

 

The rain began to fall harder, making a small racket against the floorboards of the platform.

 

“You should have fought me seriously, usuratonkachi. If you had then I wouldn’t have… you wouldn’t have…” A few noises of surprise echoed throughout the watching mass as the brightest of the group caught what Sasuke was implying. “But I can’t blame you. That’s… that wouldn’t be fair.”

 

It was then that he shifted again, reaching an arm out into the coffin.

 

Sasuke sighed quietly as his hand made contact with Naruto’s cold skin. This was all wrong, he thought. So completely and indescribably, wrong. “I don’t have much left to say to you.” He continued. “But, I guess I do owe you one thing…”

 

The remaining shinobi stilled, instinctively measuring the gravity of Sasuke’s pause.

 

The weather quieted for one moment, allowing Sasuke’s nearly nonexistent whisper to reach their ears. “I’m sorry, Naruto.”

 

The din rose again and Tsunade silently signaled the waiting ANBU. In one smooth motion, all four leapt toward the vulnerable Uchiha, but he was already gone.

 

–

“He never gave up on you, you know.” She whispered to the shadow next to her, not at all surprised that he was there. It was her first visit to Naruto’s grave and the earth was still fresh where his coffin was buried. To his right was an empty plot and even farther was an honorary memorial to the Forth Hokage.

 

She could practically feel Sasuke’s disbelieving gaze upon her.

 

“I’m serious. Though… he was most definitely giving up that day he fought you…”

 

Sasuke waited a good three minutes before responding. “Then what was he giving up on if it wasn’t me?”

 

She smiled sadly. “Himself. He… talked to me about it before. How he was worried he’d never be able to reach you…” She paused before continuing in a whisper. “Did he reach you Sasuke?”

 

The Uchiha didn’t respond.

 

They stood there in silence for what seemed like hours before another set of footsteps could be heard coming toward them.

 

“The gang’s all here.” Kakashi quipped with false bravado. He halted just behind his former students. “You have quite the ANBU force out to get you, Sasuke. Isn’t being here a bit risky?” The dark haired nin just shrugged, eyes never leaving Naruto’s headstone. When Kakashi spoke next, the lighter lit to his voice was gone. “You regret it… don’t you, Sasuke.”

 

The prodigy seemed to curl in on himself. “Yes.”

 

Sasuke stepped forward, drawing himself up to the edge of the exposed soil, followed quickly by Sakura and leisurely by Kakashi. He hesitated a moment before lifting one pale hand to his right eye. Before his former team knew what was going on, his fingers had pressed into the socket and were gouging out a Sharingan stained orb.

 

Sakura gasped. “What are you doing?!”

 

He didn’t respond as he fully ripped the eye out in a mess of blood and sinew and tossed it upon the grave. Immediately, he reached up to remove the final one. Sakura moved to stop him, but Kakashi cast a stern gaze her way that stopped her in her tracks. The jounin knew something she didn’t.

Soon enough, a second eye joined the first atop blood stained soil.

 

“I obtained the Mangekyou Sharingan through his blood, he deserves something of mine in return. This is all I have to offer.” He muttered before turning an about face and striding off toward the city.

 

“S-Sasuke…” Sakura stuttered, still unnerved by the prodigy’s actions. “You’re headed toward  Konoha.”

 

“I know.”

 

“When the ANBU catch you they’ll kill you!” She cried out, not wanting another of her teammates to die, despite his many wrongs.

 

“Actually, Sakura, they’ll take him to the Hokage where he’ll have a trail arranged.” Kakashi amended. He redirected his attention toward Sasuke. “What are you planning?”

 

“Nothing that concerns either of you.” The Uchiha snarled before taking off into the trees, guided clumsily by his remaining senses back to the city streets.

They heard rather than saw the ANBU spot him and made their way as quickly as they could toward the source of the uproar. In the street below their perch upon a rooftop- Sakura looked down in dismay to find themselves above Ichiraku- they saw two ANBU guards frozen where they stood. Ten meters in front of them, stood a figure neither of them recognized, save two bleeding wounds where his eyes should be.

 

White hair reaching his mid back flowed softly in the light breeze, a black cross-like marking marring his ashen face. But the most distinctive difference between the person before them and Sasuke was the two leathery wings protruding from the prodigy’s shoulder blades.

 

Sakura gasped at the frightening sight, while inside Kakashi’s tensai brain, something clicked.

 

“The curse seal.” He murmured just loud enough for her to hear. “This is its advanced form…”

 

“I-I’ve never seen it before…”

 

“Maa… me either… I think the only two who’ve witnessed it, are Orochimaru… and Naruto.”

 

“Na-Naruto?” Sakura looked surprised.

 

Kakashi explained. “This chakra… the only other time I’ve felt it was three years ago when I found them in the Valley. I suspect that was the first time Sasuke used the full power of the seal.”

 

“…What now, Kakashi-sensei?”

 

The jounin instructor didn’t respond as Sasuke suddenly charged toward the platoon of ANBU, air singing with the ruckus of his thousand birds. Their trance was broken and they met him halfway.

 

Sakura screamed as four ANBU katanas skewered Sasuke’s torso. The Uchiha was dead before he hit the ground.

 

Bystanders watched as Sasuke’s rightful form hit the street with a muffled thud. Limp and motionless, no one expected him to move, and he didn’t. Blood quickly darkened the dusty road around him and Sakura whimpered helplessly before rounding viciously on the Copy Ninja.

 

“You knew he was going to do this!” She cried out, thrusting an accusatory finger into his masked face. “You knew, and you didn’t try to stop him!” Hurt and betrayal stained her voice beyond recognition.

 

“Would you have stopped him?” The white haired nin asked in return.

 

“Yes!”

 

“Really? Even knowing the pain he was in?”

 

“We could have healed him!”

 

“Do you honestly believe that, Sakura?” He countered, surprised etched clearly into his visible eye. “You honestly believe that we could ease the impact of Naruto’s death? That we could even compare to the influence Naruto had on Sasuke?” His gaze turned scornful. “You must be more delusional than you were when you were a genin.”

 

Sakura was crying now. “It’s what I wanted to believe!” She sobbed.

 

Kakashi’s gaze softened. “You saw them before the rift formed, Sakura… you know how significant their bond was, whether you had been willing to recognize it then or not.”

 

“I may understand, but that doesn’t make it any easier on me, Kakashi-sensei… do you think Sasuke-kun… loved Naruto?”

 

He didn’t answer as the Godaime arrived on the scene and the ANBU begin to clear the area. She glanced up to where they stood with an apologetic gaze before returning to her duties. Kakashi left Sakura standing on the rooftop alone. It had been a long, difficult night, and he just wanted to sleep.

 

–

There wasn’t a funeral for Uchiha Sasuke, though the majority of the rookie nine and company were present for his burial, minus Kiba and Neji, who couldn’t find it in themselves to make an appearance.

 

Sakura was the only one who cried… besides Gai…

 

Ino stared blackly as the plain coffin was lowered into the grave.

 

Shikamaru couldn’t help but remind himself how much trouble the Uchiha had caused for himself and Naruto.

 

Chouji, who hadn’t really known Sasuke all that well, mainly came because Ino and Shikamaru had come.

 

Shino… no one could tell what he thought of the procedure.

 

Hinata quietly cursed the man, having been one of the few who’d made the connection between Naruto’s death and Sasuke’s arrival. But she later amended herself, if only for Naruto’s sake.

 

TenTen had stayed behind with Neji, while Lee attended out of grudging respect for the Uchiha’s strength and the bond he’d had with Naruto.

 

Gaara pretended he was invisible; having only been there in honor of Naruto, feeling no one else was suitable to represent the blond at his precious person’s burial.

 

Tsunade watched with old, sad eyes as the coffin was lowered, though whether she was sad for herself, Naruto or Sasuke, no one could tell.

 

And surprisingly enough, Iruka attended, despite the fact that he was one of the few who’d been told how Naruto had died. He knew Naruto would have wanted him to go.

 

And Kakashi watched it all, feeling oddly detached from everything. Sakura had confided in him that she planned on taking the jounin exam that fall so she could train her own team of genin when they graduated in the spring. Kakashi thought it was a brilliant idea, despite the fact that it made him feel exceedingly old.

 

When most of the ninja had left, he turned to Sakura. “I believe a foundation was formed back when they were genin, though they were too young to recognize it then. I think that’s why Sasuke returned to Konoha. And I think… they loved each other in a way only they could pull off. If circumstances had been different…” A small smile creased his mask. He recalled the script hastily scrawled beneath the inscription upon Naruto’s headstone, spotted the last night they’d seen Sasuke alive.

 

Sakura smiled in return. “That’s kinda what I came up with.” She sighed as she looked from Sasuke’s grave to the one next to it. No one had touched the crimson eyes left upon the soil. Godaime had, behind the council’s back, made arrangements for Uchiha Sasuke to be buried in her plot instead of the depressingly crowded Uchiha site. Those who knew them figured both parties would’ve liked it better this way anyway.

 

Sakura approached Sasuke’s headstone and crouched daintily, kunai clutched in her hand.

 Uzumaki Naruto

Rokudaime Hokage

“Konoha’s #1 Most Unpredictable Shinobi…

And the most loyal friend one could ask for.”

The precious person I recognized too late. 

Uchiha Sasuke

“May his soul rest in the peace

he never found among us.”

And bring peace to the soul that

complimented him so beautifully.