Homecoming

This chapter is actually the 2nd part of the previous chapter. It may seem abrupt, because it was just flowing when I was writing both parts together (I cut it in two for length). Also, this is the original ending I had intended 5 years ago, after debating whether to use two other optional endings.

Hope you enjoy this nonetheless, and thank you for following the story. I enjoyed writing it, even if it stressed me out for years ^^;


.
.
.


Part Eighteen
From the Ashes


Sasuke’s face twisted in pain and he coughed, the blood drops joining the large stain of blood on the torn navy blue sweater. His hand dropped before he could touch Naruto’s face and suddenly he felt cold.

Why did he jump in front of the girl? Probably for the same reason Konohamaru jumped in front of him. Sasuke knew that his current ability along with the alcohol he had just consumed without care would not have been enough to kill that nin before he killed the little girl.

He closed his eyes. All the people that have sacrificed themselves for him, from his brother who became a murderer and Sakura who gave up her life for his sons, he could finally understand them.

Naruto was shaken. He was finally prepared to live his life without the shadows of his past. He finally made amends. But now he realized, he couldn’t – no, he wouldn’t live without Sasuke in his life. All those years away from home, all the sorrow and the anger that burned in him and kept him going, above all of that, there was always the sliver of hope. The Pandora box that Sasuke and he had opened up unwisely in their youth would finally be sealed. He could feel it burning inside him. He hadn’t been there for Konohamaru, Hinata, Sakura and many others of his friends. But he was here now.

“Take care of the boys for me, will ya?” Sasuke said quietly, more blood oozing on his pale face.

“Shut up,” Naruto hushed him coldly. “I told you, didn’t I? You can’t die on your sons…” he said in a husky voice, and then whispered in one breath, “You can’t die on me.”

“Sensei… I’m…” Hikari started saying quietly. She was sitting right next to them and felt deeply guilty for disobeying Naruto and jumping into the scene before he had told her it was safe to come down.

Naruto ignored her and leaned in, covering Sasuke’s mouth with his.

“Sen…” she gulped.

“Wha…” Ryoichi, who was still sitting in the same spot, looked on in shock. “What the hell is he doing…?!!”

“Wow… Naruto-sensei and dad…” Kenji grinned, before twitching in pain.

Hikari jumped back when a red bubbly chakra covered Naruto’s body. It felt as though it would burn her if she was too close.

The red chakra moved from Naruto’s body like it had a life of its own, and it moved to cover Sasuke’s body like a cocoon. Hikari’s eyes widened as she noticed the blood on Sasuke’s body beginning to vapor and disappear like it had never been shed.

Several minutes had passed before Naruto started to move away and his chakra started to return to normal. He sat up, looking softly at Sasuke, whose breath returned to normal.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.” He smiled at Hikari. She just stared at him with a mixed expression of disbelief and mistrust.

Naruto gently lowered Sasuke to the ground and got up. He walked over to the boys.

“Now let’s see how bad you’ve managed to screw yourselves up…” He crouched before Ryoichi and reached out his hand to touch the boy’s bloody face.

“Ugh, don’t touch me!” Ryoichi blurted and flinched away from his teacher’s hand.

Naruto blushed, realizing the kids had seen him kissing Sasuke. He rubbed his head and laughed nervously. “That was just…. Ha ha ha… just my healing skill!”

“Then DON’T heal me!” Ryoichi moved farther away.

“I still like you, Naruto-sensei!!” Kenji hurried to say. “But I’m not dying or anything, so I’ll just wait for the medical team.”

Kiba suddenly showed up in a puff of smoke. “Naruto?! What are you doing here? We received reports about hostile ninja trying to invade the…” He stopped talking when he saw the three bodies.

“Yeah, we’re on it...” Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head. “I think Sasuke killed that one over there but these two are just unconscious. You can interrogate them later.”

A clean up team showed up as soon as Naruto finished his words. All they had left to do was picking up the bodies. The medical team soon appeared as well. One of them healed Kenji’s wounds. Two others approached Sasuke.

“He… he has no wounds…” They were a little taken aback.

“Yeah, Naruto-sensei kis-“ Kenji started saying but Naruto quickly covered the boy’s mouth and let out a nervous chuckle. “He’s fine, he’s just sleeping… he needs a good rest.”

Kiba turned to Naruto, looking annoyed. He huffed, raising his upper lip much like a dog would. “Those bastards… taking advantage of the Hokage’s condition to start a war…” he muttered.

“What do you mean, the Hokage’s condition?” Naruto asked.

“What you didn’t notice the Hokage is waning? You’ve been here for a few months now… she’s already…” He looked at the kids, who were all staring at him, as though he’s just realized they were there.

“She’s already what?” Naruto asked and latched onto Kiba’s lapels.

Kiba was reluctant to speak. “Well, she’s in her room… her bedroom…”

“Take care of the kids,” Naruto quickly said and vanished.

\

The white ceiling was the first thing Sasuke saw when he woke up.

Not again. His heart raced. He vaguely remembered there was a hostile nin raising a spear at Shikamaru’s daughter. The alcohol in his blood seemed to be gone, but his memories of whatever happened after that were gone as well. The boys… did they make it? Naruto should’ve protected them… Sasuke felt his stomach clenching. He couldn’t lose someone important again. He just couldn’t…

It became clear to him that he wasn’t alone in the room. He sat up, and saw his two boys sitting calmly not too far from his bed, but not too close either.

“Dad!” Kenji noticed him and jumped up. “You’re okay!”

They seem fine. Sasuke thought in relief and got up.

“I’m okay.” He wasn’t sure how exactly he survived, but it didn’t matter. The boys were safe.

“Father…” Ryoichi said quietly and got up. “It’s my fault… I made Kenji go there…” He raised his head to meet his father’s eyes. Kenji watched him, almost in awe.

“You what?” Sasuke blinked at his son.

“I wanted Kenji to get into trouble and get a scare… so Hikari and I… I mean, it was just me… Hikari didn’t want to do it… I made her help me out…” the boy started mumbling.

“What did you do?” Sasuke asked quietly.

“We stole a C-mission after we got Shikamaru to leave the room… and told Kenji we received a B-mission…” Ryoichi admitted quietly.

Kenji’s lip dropped. “You mean… it was a C-mission?!” He sounded almost too disappointed. As no one filled in the children on what had really happened, he had no way of knowing it was not the scare his brother had plan to cook up for him.

Ryoichi continued to look at his father, without removing his eyes. For the first time in his life, Sasuke raised his hand on his son. He slapped him hard across his face.

Both boys looked at him stunned. Ryoichi rubbed his swollen cheek.

“You could’ve gotten your brother killed!” Sasuke raised his voice at him.

“I thought they were just robbers…” Ryoichi almost started crying. His voice was shaking. “I didn’t know…”

“Do you have any idea… how it feels to live knowing that someone – someone important - lost their life because of your lie? Could you live with that?” Sasuke continued.

“I… I didn’t…” Suddenly the young boy started crying. “It was because of you!!” He cried. “You never came for me… he said that I’m… that voice…”

Sasuke paled a bit, listening to words muttered by his son. For Kenji, it seemed like gibberish, it sounded like even Ryoichi didn’t know what he was talking about.

“The seal is breaking…” Sasuke whispered. “Could it be… the Hokage?!”

\

“Tsunade!!” Naruto had no problems tossing the Anbu guards away as he forced his way into the Fifth Hokage’s private room.

“Naruto!” Shikamaru stood up, surprised.

“Hey, damn hag, wake up!” Naruto yelled over The Fifth’s head.

She twitched and opened her eyes. “You’re so noisy, damn brat.”

“Ah, you’re fine.” Naruto smiled brightly. “Kiba that bastard had me worried.”

Shikamaru lowered his head.

“Naruto…” Tsunade said quietly. “This is as far as I’ll go…”

“What are you talking about, you’re really not that old,” He laughed her off. “80s are the new 50s or something like that.”

“I’m 67!” She raised her voice. Then she coughed. “I mean, I’m not 80.”

Naruto smiled softly, looking at her wrinkled face. “See? You’re still young.”

“I’ve used my life force way beyond the capacity… Playing with seals that had never been tested…” she mumbled, touching the seal on her forehead gently. “Naruto… you must promise me that you’ll be the Hokage after me… that you’ll be the sixth…”

“But…” He wanted to say she still had a long time to go. He wanted to remind her about the fat lord’s wife and her threat, but looking into Tsunade’s eyes, her real eyes, small and crinkled in a face that looked well over the age she was claiming to be, he could hardly utter a word at all.

“I promise,” he said quietly.

“That’s good…” she sighed. “About the lord’s wife…” she started saying, but harsh knocks on the door stopped her.

Shikamaru went to open the door.

“Sorry to disturb Hokage-sama, but you’ve told me to inform you… Sasuke’s boys have safely returned. Everyone is well and the invaders are being interrogated.”

“That’s good, thank God…” she sighed and got up.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Shikamaru crossed his arms, blocking the door.

“I’m going to see Shizune,” she said firmly.

“You need to rest,” he said in the same tone of voice.

“I need to see her now,” she stressed, and directed her eyes at him.

He sighed. “This is so tiresome…” he muttered and cleared the exit.

“Wait, Shizune? She’s alive? I haven’t seen her around…” Naruto stepped in.

“Naruto… come with me.” Tsunade ordered and walked out.

\

“You never came to get me… you left me there…” Ryoichi continued to cry bitterly.

Sasuke sighed. He threw a glance at Kenji, who looked puzzled and unsure what he was supposed to do. “Kenji, go wait outside.”

Kenji was feeling too nervous and awkward that leaving the room almost seemed like a blessing. He nodded and quickly went outside, closing the door quietly behind him.

“Listen, Ryoichi…” Sasuke kneeled in front of the boy and laid a hand on his shoulder. “It seems like you’re starting to remember… it can’t be helped that you don’t remember much, you were very young…” he sighed. He was never good at this parenting role. What would Naruto do in a situation like this?

“Do you have any memory of people wearing masks? No… you couldn’t have…” Sasuke seemed to have started talking to himself. “It was already too late…”

\

“Shizune…” Naruto whispered, quite shocked, when he walked into the darkened room. The machine had a steady beat. “What happened to her?”

Tsunade lowered her head to the unconscious woman and unveiled her face. Naruto noticed the scars around her closed eyes.

“It was about five years ago… some small force from another village managed to invade Konoha unnoticed. They were after Sasuke, actually…” She slowed down her speech. “But Sasuke was away on a mission… so they found their way to his sons.”

“His sons?” Naruto repeated in horror.

“Shizune was guarding them… she managed to protect Kenji, but she was critically injured and Ryoichi was taken…” Tsunade started to gasp as speaking became too difficult.

“They wanted Sasuke’s sharingan,” Shikamaru stepped in, allowing Tsunade to relax.

“His sharingan…” Naruto mumbled. “His eyes?!”

“Exactly…” Shikamaru nodded. “They didn’t know if the boy had sharingan or not, since he was too young and it was known not every Uchiha can necessarily develop the sharingan.”

“So they held the boy hostage to lure Sasuke to them?” Naruto asked.

“Yes. But Sasuke arranged his Anbu team to sneak in and save the kid. Unfortunately, they were discovered… and during the battle, one of the abductors removed the boy’s eyes.”

“What?!!” Naruto gasped. “But… why?”

“Because he could?” Shikamaru shrugged. “Anyway, they were all killed, but for the boy it was too late… Sasuke brought him in, thinking he’s done for…” Shikamaru glanced down at Shizune. “But her dying wish was for the boy to have her eyes.”

“Yes, I performed the operation… and as Sasuke requested, I sealed away the boy’s scars and his memories, I’m not as good at creating seals as your father was...” Tsunade sat down on a chair next to the bed. “That boy was an experiment and I wish I hadn’t done that… lately the seal had started to break, I am not sure why… I guess I had made it correlating to my own chakra…“ she sighed.

Naruto just watched her quietly. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say. His eyes wandered to Shizune. She was critically injured and gave her eyes to Ryoichi and yet she continued to live. It seemed like a cruel, ironic twist. Was she confined to this bed all this time?

As though Tsunade could read his mind, she also looked at Shizune, and with a sigh said, “I couldn’t let her die, so I kept her alive with my powers alone…” She touched Shizune’s head. “For my selfishness…”

“Ryo…” Shizune whispered.

“Ryoichi is fine, I was just informed he returned safely. Kenji and Hikari as well,” Tsunade said softly and caressed Shizune’s hair. “You can rest in peace now… you did well.”

“Good…” Shizune whispered. “I’m glad…”

The machine’s steady beat turned into one grating sound.

“Naruto…” Tsunade, with a small smile, still caressing Shizune’s hair, turned to the tall man. “I’m leaving everything to you. Take good care of…” Before she could finish, her head sunk and she fell from the chair.

“Tsunade!!”

“Hokage-sama!!”

Both Naruto and Shikamaru yelped and rushed over to her side.

\

Ryoichi covered his face with his hands. It was too shameful to cry. Especially in front of his father and brother. But the tears continued to pour regardless of his will and his attempts to control them. It became almost painful when he tried to breathe.

Ryoichi… it’s all right, I’m here for you… give me your hand.

He suddenly heard a voice, shrouded in darkness, calling from the depth of his being. It’s alright. I’m here now.

“Father… you were there…” Ryoichi suddenly realized, raising his head to Sasuke. “But…”

Sasuke looked at the boy and nearly gasped. He could see the red scars, from the boy’s eyes and down his cheeks, clearer than ever, as though they were never sealed.

Then the Fifth must have… He tried shaking the thoughts from his head.

“Let’s go home,” Sasuke said quietly and touched the boy’s shoulder. “We can talk about this later.”

\

SEVERAL DAYS LATER


“The time has come to choose a new Hokage,” the elder spoke. It was shortly after Tsunade’s death that the council has gathered. Her death was still kept secret, but the elders knew they couldn’t keep it for long.

“It is with great sorrow that we have to announce The Fifth Hokage is dead. We too, would like some time to grieve, but the village cannot withstand an attack should it come, in its current state.”

Naruto gritted his teeth. Next to the elders, the Lord of the Fire Country and his wife were sitting in the honorary high stands, looking carefully at the gathering. Naruto and Sasuke were not part of the council, but they were invited as witnesses. Shikamaru was the one who granted permission.

The elder carried on listing the Hokage candidate list. Naruto twitched. He had blown his chance to become Hokage. Even though he promised Tsunade before she died, he couldn’t stand up to the council. Their decision was final. He crossed his arms so tight, he felt his nails digging in his skin.

“So, we propose…”

Sasuke got up, making the old man stop speaking.

“Why not choose Uzumaki Naruto?” he asked.

“You have no right to speak to the council, Uchiha.” The elder glared at him.

“But I do.” Neji stood up. “And I also feel Naruto is the right one for the job.”

“I think so too!” Kiba shouted from the back of the room and stood up.

“Well… can’t say I can argue…” Kakashi stood up as well.

Naruto’s bottom lip dropped as he watched how one by one, members of the council started to rise up. First it was people he knew, then even those he did not, until not even a single member, other than the elders and Shikamaru at the front, remained seated.

“Everyone…” he whispered, his eyes starting to well-up.

“I think it’s clear what the council has chosen…” Shikamaru cleared his throat and got up. “Personally, I don’t think Naruto is ready… but he’s full of surprises… and besides, with my guidance… it’s tiresome, but it can be done.”

The elder huffed in displeasure and looked back at the lord and his wife.

“Well, I refuse!” The lady got up. “He’s a monster!” She pointed her finger at Naruto. She looked at her husband. “Tell them, dear. Tell them your choice.”

“Hmmm…” the lord fondled his beard. “The Sixth Hokage will be Uzumaki Naruto.”

“What?” she glared at him.

“They know better than me who’s the right one to lead them,” he explained. “Besides, that’s also what Tsunade had requested of me.”

“Well, the word of the Lord is final.” Shikamaru smirked at the disappointed elder.

Naruto was overwhelmed. He tried to hold back his tears, but to no avail.

“Idiot, what will our enemies think if they see the Leaf village’s leader weeping like a baby?” Sasuke stood in front of Naruto.

“Shut up… I’m not crying…” Naruto wiped his eyes, but his nose was already running.

Sasuke smiled and handed him a handkerchief. “Here you go, Hokage-sama.”

Naruto took the handkerchief and blew his nose so loudly, that the buzz around the room stopped. “Thank you.”

“Hokage-sama, there’s a mountain of paperwork you need to sign, so don’t trail behind…” Shikamaru said and walked out of the room.

“What paperwork? I’ve never heard there’s going to be paperwork!!” Naruto called out and ran after him.

“It’s not too late to hand over the title…” Shikamaru told him. “Since the official ceremony is still unscheduled.”

“What, no way. I’m ready!” Naruto said.

Shikamaru turned to look at him.

Naruto smiled at him with bright confidence and raised his fist in defiance. “I’m finally ready.”

He passed by Shikamaru as he put on the Hokage’s robe.

Shikamaru’s smirk turned into a softer smile when he looked at Naruto’s back as he walked away down the hall. He had never seen the fourth Hokage, the man and the legend, but somehow, it felt like that’s how he had looked.

It felt like the lost hero had finally returned to the village.

FIN. (well, there's the epilogue next!)