Summary: Starts around chapters 455, 457, to 469, and if Sakura’s confession did not happen the same way in the show. In this story, Naruto must find his own path, and he must rediscover his ninja way. Throughout his journey, he will meet those that will influence him. Every action he takes, every action he makes, will lead to new or old questions that need to be answered. It will be hard and long. But one thing is for certain, he will never give up.
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Being the chosen one is hard. But choosing the right path to walk is much harder.
Nightfall was beginning to roll over the hillside. Near the window, Naruto saw that the sun’s dangerous glares were slowly fading, second by second. When the peaceful atmosphere outside, seemingly mocked the inside’s atmosphere, something was amiss. And Sakura realized that as well, soon after she had entered the room.
Naruto sat from Sakura as far away as possible. Towards the end of the room, she went over to where he was sitting, her nose braced and her eyes were staring at his face stitched in bandages covering a mess of mongrel flesh. She waited for a long time, but Naruto didn’t say anything. The following minute – she got tired of waiting.
She wandered, seeking a soft seat near the blond ninja. The room seemed darker than before. Her blood was frozen, and her hairs were sticking out on the back of her neck. This feeling never accompanied the usual bringer of light and hope. She didn’t realize it, but her hands that were blue and cold were trembling.
“Naru-“
“Sakura,” Naruto turned towards his pink-haired teammate. “Why do I have to continue to get hurt for Sasuke’s sake?”
She was speechless, her mouth refused to open. Sakura couldn’t remember being frozen more times than she could remember. When she saw the way Naruto was looking at her, seriously and indifferently; her lips twisted, painfully attempting to say something yet easily achieving to say nothing.
There, near that same window, Naruto looked back outside. It was almost completely dark now.
“Why?”
He waited achingly for an answer. But identically yet slightly dissimilar to his visibility outside, he heard nothing.
“Sakura”, he said, she didn’t know him. She looked- she tried- but she saw no resemblance with this person to the Naruto that she knew, and maybe, just maybe, loved. Was it his appearance, his personality, or his attitude? No, that wasn’t it. Then, what was it?
Naruto sighed in defeat; she wouldn’t even respond to him. He sat up; his feet persuaded his body to walk past Sakura. A hand suddenly rested on his right arm. His head tilted, and before he knew it, his body was being held gently. In the embrace, he could hear Sakura’s gentle breathing, and most importantly, her heart mimicking his own heartbeat.
Through his shoulder, she whispered, “I don’t want to continue to hurt you, Naruto.” Her voice went lower than before. “I came here, and I thought I was ready to tell you that I… I care about my team; you, and Kakashi.” Her head lifted from his shoulder.
Emerald met calm cerulean eyes. “Please, don’t close yourself off to us, to me.”
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Minutes later, Naruto walked outside of the building that Yamato constructed. Near the side of the structure, Shikamaru was going through his weekly package of cigarettes. They nodded at each other as Naruto moved towards him. The blond ninja wandered, seeking a nearby tree to lean on.
Shikamaru paused from his smoking. “You would think just this once, we would agree.”
“But,” Naruto interjected, “we don’t.”
“Shikamaru, Sasuke is my friend; I can’t give up on him.”
“Naruto, we are not children anymore.” Shikamaru glanced at his cigarettes, and then, he glanced back at him. “Our actions need to take account.”
“I know that, but-“
“But what, Naruto… People are dying or being hurt every minute because of Sasuke. Do you want this to continue because of some bond? Or should we continue, allowing him to run free, slowly and once again, dividing the nations until another war breaks out?”
Naruto remained silent. For once, he didn’t have an answer.
“Naruto, do whatever you want.” Shikamaru reached into his pouch, slowly bringing out another package of cigarettes. “But if you leave again, you’ll be a traitor, hunted down until captured.”
Naruto’s hands tightened. “Shikamaru”, he said, “Even if I stay, I’ll still be a traitor.”
“Just don’t do anything stupid, Naruto.” His hands brought out a cigarette, and he placed it at his mouth. “Too many good people have died.”
Shikamaru let out another wave of smoke from his mouth. Through the gray
mist, Naruto saw a ghostly figure of Jiraiya appear in the night’s air.
The image said, “The true measure of a shinobi is not how he lives, but how he dies. Never forget that, Naruto.”
The spitting image of his dead Master disappeared as the smoke drifted farther in Naruto’s direction, but when it condensed, Naruto was no longer there.
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A/N: This is a story that I was planning to put on fanfiction.net. It would be my second fan-fiction story. I was unsure if I wanted to continue my first fan-fiction (A legend of Korra fan-fiction) as it didn't get any criticism with reviews, but decent amount of hits. So, I decided to share this one here before I post it, or if I post it there. Thanks for reading, and I hoped you enjoyed it. I may continue it as I have ideas to do so, and I have ideas to make some serious, and even some funny spin-offs known as Hotel Konoha, and Hotel Iwa.
_________________________________________________________________
Being the chosen one is hard. But choosing the right path to walk is much harder.
Nightfall was beginning to roll over the hillside. Near the window, Naruto saw that the sun’s dangerous glares were slowly fading, second by second. When the peaceful atmosphere outside, seemingly mocked the inside’s atmosphere, something was amiss. And Sakura realized that as well, soon after she had entered the room.
Naruto sat from Sakura as far away as possible. Towards the end of the room, she went over to where he was sitting, her nose braced and her eyes were staring at his face stitched in bandages covering a mess of mongrel flesh. She waited for a long time, but Naruto didn’t say anything. The following minute – she got tired of waiting.
She wandered, seeking a soft seat near the blond ninja. The room seemed darker than before. Her blood was frozen, and her hairs were sticking out on the back of her neck. This feeling never accompanied the usual bringer of light and hope. She didn’t realize it, but her hands that were blue and cold were trembling.
“Naru-“
“Sakura,” Naruto turned towards his pink-haired teammate. “Why do I have to continue to get hurt for Sasuke’s sake?”
She was speechless, her mouth refused to open. Sakura couldn’t remember being frozen more times than she could remember. When she saw the way Naruto was looking at her, seriously and indifferently; her lips twisted, painfully attempting to say something yet easily achieving to say nothing.
There, near that same window, Naruto looked back outside. It was almost completely dark now.
“Why?”
He waited achingly for an answer. But identically yet slightly dissimilar to his visibility outside, he heard nothing.
“Sakura”, he said, she didn’t know him. She looked- she tried- but she saw no resemblance with this person to the Naruto that she knew, and maybe, just maybe, loved. Was it his appearance, his personality, or his attitude? No, that wasn’t it. Then, what was it?
Naruto sighed in defeat; she wouldn’t even respond to him. He sat up; his feet persuaded his body to walk past Sakura. A hand suddenly rested on his right arm. His head tilted, and before he knew it, his body was being held gently. In the embrace, he could hear Sakura’s gentle breathing, and most importantly, her heart mimicking his own heartbeat.
Through his shoulder, she whispered, “I don’t want to continue to hurt you, Naruto.” Her voice went lower than before. “I came here, and I thought I was ready to tell you that I… I care about my team; you, and Kakashi.” Her head lifted from his shoulder.
Emerald met calm cerulean eyes. “Please, don’t close yourself off to us, to me.”
________________________________________________________________
Minutes later, Naruto walked outside of the building that Yamato constructed. Near the side of the structure, Shikamaru was going through his weekly package of cigarettes. They nodded at each other as Naruto moved towards him. The blond ninja wandered, seeking a nearby tree to lean on.
Shikamaru paused from his smoking. “You would think just this once, we would agree.”
“But,” Naruto interjected, “we don’t.”
“Shikamaru, Sasuke is my friend; I can’t give up on him.”
“Naruto, we are not children anymore.” Shikamaru glanced at his cigarettes, and then, he glanced back at him. “Our actions need to take account.”
“I know that, but-“
“But what, Naruto… People are dying or being hurt every minute because of Sasuke. Do you want this to continue because of some bond? Or should we continue, allowing him to run free, slowly and once again, dividing the nations until another war breaks out?”
Naruto remained silent. For once, he didn’t have an answer.
“Naruto, do whatever you want.” Shikamaru reached into his pouch, slowly bringing out another package of cigarettes. “But if you leave again, you’ll be a traitor, hunted down until captured.”
Naruto’s hands tightened. “Shikamaru”, he said, “Even if I stay, I’ll still be a traitor.”
“Just don’t do anything stupid, Naruto.” His hands brought out a cigarette, and he placed it at his mouth. “Too many good people have died.”
Shikamaru let out another wave of smoke from his mouth. Through the gray
mist, Naruto saw a ghostly figure of Jiraiya appear in the night’s air.
The image said, “The true measure of a shinobi is not how he lives, but how he dies. Never forget that, Naruto.”
The spitting image of his dead Master disappeared as the smoke drifted farther in Naruto’s direction, but when it condensed, Naruto was no longer there.
__________________________________________________________
A/N: This is a story that I was planning to put on fanfiction.net. It would be my second fan-fiction story. I was unsure if I wanted to continue my first fan-fiction (A legend of Korra fan-fiction) as it didn't get any criticism with reviews, but decent amount of hits. So, I decided to share this one here before I post it, or if I post it there. Thanks for reading, and I hoped you enjoyed it. I may continue it as I have ideas to do so, and I have ideas to make some serious, and even some funny spin-offs known as Hotel Konoha, and Hotel Iwa.
