Symphony Paradise

People often search for meaning in everything. They come up with words like ‘fate’ and ‘destiny’ to justify their existence. Perhaps it brings them comfort to believe that things happen for a reason, or that pretending to know the purpose of others actions gives them some sort of control. They bank so much in the meaning of things that when they come to realize the truth, they no longer want to understand how the world works. Meaning is obtained, not inertly given for merely existing. People don’t need a reason behind their actions. Sometimes things just happen, without logic or meaning. Actions must be given meaning by those who carry them out, lest they plunge into chaos and become the demon of their meaningless existence.

Movement VI
Crescendo

It had been nearly 10 hours since Naruto’s coronation ceremony. A local bar offered for Naruto and his friends to use the building for a private party that evening and the group had been celebrating for several hours. Kiba had made the mistake of challenging to new Hokage to a drinking game and was now passed out on the bar floor. Naruto barely ever drank, but somehow had an incredibly high tolerance, despite his inexperience. He barely felt the effects of the alcohol even as he helped a very embarrassed Hinata heave Kiba onto Akamaru’s back.

“Thank you, he always insists on these drinking games even though I ask him not to,” Hinata sighed to Naruto, “He always ends up like this, and then it doesn’t work. It just causes problems for everyone!”

“Huh? It?” Naruto replied, cocking his head in confusion, “What doesn’t work?”

Hinata just blushed and motioned Akamaru towards the door, “Well we should probably head home now, congratulations Naruto, I’m so proud of you!” as she threw her arms around his neck, pulling the blond into a tight embrace and planting a kiss on his cheek.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably in her seat, eyeing Hinata jealously. She never liked bars in the first place and abhorred drinking in general, seeing her husband getting so much attention was pushing her limits. Sakura’s protectiveness of Naruto had started mostly before they were even involved romantically with one another. Two years of solitude without seeing him was far harder than she expected. When he finally did come back, she knew if she didn’t hold on with every last ounce of strength, he too, might slip away from her again.

Mentally kicking herself for acting like a jealous child, Sakura offered an uneasy smile to Hinata. Sakura didn’t release her death grip on her stool until Hinata finally let go of Naruto and led Akamaru and Kiba out of the bar.

When he returned to his seat, Sakura got up and plopped down in his lap. It wasn’t exactly in her character to publicly show this sort of affection but she felt the need to reassert who Naruto belonged to.

Naruto gladly welcomed the attention Sakura was giving him and snuggled close to her. Shikamaru who was sitting nearby rolled his eyes, “If only that much was enough to suffice for my wife. Seems like every time I turn around she wants something and then expects me to deliver tenfold! It’s such a pain in the ass if you ask me…”

“No one asked you, besides its not her fault if you can’t deliver. I feel bad for poor Temari, stuck with a man who can’t satisfy her needs” chided Ino.

Shiamaru scoffed, “What are you talking about? As a matter of fact I’m very good at satis…”

“Uhg whatever, I have to go to the bathroom.” As she waved a pudgy hand over her shoulder.

“That woman,” Shikarau groaned, “has to be so open about things like that…” It was then that a very drunk Tenten practically fell into Shikamaru’s lap. If it had not been for Neji’s steady hands to catch her, all of them would have tumbled to the floor.

“Don’t let her get to you Shiky! You’re a great guy! Just like Naruto and Kiba! Aww man let me tell you about that Kiba, if he hadn’t asked me to distract Neji so he could sneak off with Hinata, I dunno what I would have done! I had been needing an excuse to molest this guy here for years!” she elbowed Neji in the side who was desperately trying to become invisible.

“You know, I’m going to go wash my hands and ears out, I’ll be right back…” moaned an exasperated Shikamaru.

Neji quickly jumped to his feel, “Good idea I’ll join you…” he eagerly offered practically running from the group, his face becoming increasingly red. After out of earshot, Neji remarked quietly, “Tenten should not be speaking of such things so openly…”

“Don’t let it bother you, pretty much everyone here tonight has some sort of strange sex life. They’re all too embarrassed by their own dark secrets to really criticize you for yours.” Shikamaru remarked pushing the bathroom door open and reaching for the sink, “Besides mostly everyone there was wasted anyways, they won’t remember a thing come tomorrow.” Letting the hot water run over his hands.

Suddenly a crashing sound came from one of the stalls and Neji immediately activated his Byakugan and cried out, clawing at his eyes. Shakamrui just continued looking at the water run across the surface of his hands and sighed, “Just make sure you two clean up when you’re done.”

Ino’s head appeared from the furthest stall, “MIND YOUR OWN BUISNESS!”

“Whatever.” Shikamaru waved over his shoulder, pushing the bathroom door open and heading back to his seat. Neji scurried after him, tears running down his face that could only beg to ask the question “Why Me?!” As they approached their seats, Shikamaru noticed a child sitting on his stool. “Selene.”

“Mommy sent me to tell you that if you don’t get your butt home right now she’s going to beat you in your sleep again!” snapped Shikamaru’s eldest daughter.

“…This is a bar, children aren’t allowed in here. Go home.” Grunted the Shadow Ninja.

Selene’s eyes narrowed as she pointed to the door.

“…Yes Ma’am” groaned Shikamaru taking his daughter’s hand who practically dragged him out the door. He waved over his shoulder “Oye Naruto, congrats, I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

“Aha! That Shiky sure is a henpecked husband! Even his kids order around!” laughed Tenten who was quickly losing her ability to stand.

Sakura smiled, “No, he just understands that its better to trust a woman’s judgment over his own. Isn’t that right Naruto?”

He shrugged, “Sakura-chan is always right anyways, so its better just to listen to her.”

Sakura kissed him on the cheek, “I’ve trained you well. Say, does anyone know where Lee went? I haven’t seen him since earlier today.”

“Lee couldn’t make it,” answered Neji quietly, “He’s convinced himself that being even near alcohol will make him go berserk, so he didn’t come to the bar.” Right at that moment Tenten lost control of her stomach all over the front of Neji’s robes.

“Oh geeze I’m sorry baby, well I feel a lot better now, so the sex will be better tonight ok?” Tenten struggled, wiping her mouth with Neji’s sleeve.

The Hyuga just sighed, “Lets just focus on getting you home first ok?”

“Hmm whatever you say baby…” Tenten cooed as a very disgusted Neji carried her out of the bar.

With their departure, the bar was starting to feel eerily empty and Naruto and Sakura decided it was best to head home. They bid their farewells and thank-you’s to the remaining friends at the bar and went on their way home.

Soon after at the front door, Naruto steadied himself against the wall and looked out across the moonlit village as Sakura dug through her bag for the keys. The sky was scattered with clouds, their moonlight shadows creeping across the village like a silent army. And then there was a glimpse of something in a distant alley, raven hair with orbs of red below. Naruto rubbed his eyes, blinking, but whatever he saw had vanished.

“Something wrong?” asked his wife,

“No nothings wrong, just had a bit too much to drink I think, that’s all” he half-heartedly chuckled.

Sakura scoffed and pushed the blond through the front door, “I told you it was a bad idea to begin with. I don’t know how you can stand that wretched drink. We best get you to bed, move along now!”

Several drowsy minutes later, Naruto was tucked under the covers in his warm bed. Sakura slid in beside him, throwing her pale arms around his neck.

“You know,” she smiled deviously, tracing her finger around Naruto’s chest, “I wonder what it feels like to have hot late night sex with a Hokage…”

Offering a half grin, “I’m not Hokage quite yet you know”

Sakura smirked, slipping up and straddling her man, “Now you are” motioning to the glowing 12:01 on the bedside clock.

Naruto just chuckled, “Somehow you’re always right” letting Sakura’s tongue slip into his mouth to silence his own as his hands slipped under her shirt.

---

It was 2:34, the glowing red numbers burned into Naruto’s eyes. Despite being exhausted, he couldn’t sleep the night before the first day at work. He looked down at the sleeping woman in the crook of his arm. Her naked form, still glistening with sweat and moonlight creeping between the shutters soothed his bloodshot eyes. He took a lock of her hair in his hand and pressed it to his nose, inhaling her unique aroma. The smell reminded him of the long weeks at her bedside after the attack and her operation. She had told him to go home and get some rest in a proper bed numerous times, but try as he might, only the alluring scent of his cherry blossom’s hair could lull him to sleep.

Even so he was haunted by nightmares of the attack, the memories, the smell of blood and sounds of Sakura’s cries. He felt himself obsessing over the event, and every time he saw Sakura’s wounds and scars he was consumed more and more by the hellfire of revenge. Uchiha Itachi. The one that had almost taken everything away from him was still out there, still drawing breath from a sky he did not deserve to enjoy.

Soon after Sakura was released from the hospital and returned home, information arrived on the location of Itachi. Naruto didn’t even tell Sakura, he just said that he’d return later that evening after he took care of some errands. The start of it all, Uchiha Itachi, the reason of sole much pain and suffering, would now end by Naruto’s hand.

He left without permission, he wouldn’t have been given it nor did he need it. He went alone, he didn’t need anyone else, this was his job to do now; for Sakura… for Sasuke.

---

Naruto’s back was to a tree facing away from his opponent, blood dripped down his left arm and leg, but he was still whole. Weapons and blood scattered the destroyed battlefield, Itachi stood atop a boulder awaiting Naruto’s next attack. He had suffered a few more wounds than Naruto but still held the upper hand in this fight. Suddenly Naruto swung around the tree, taking care to avoid Itachi’s eyes as he threw a flash bomb at Itachi’s feet. AS the blinding white light erupted, Itachi was forced to cover his eyes and instantly scores of Naruto clones were on top of him. “Uzimaki Naruto Advanced Combo: Barrage!”

“Pathetic” remarked Itachi, immediately forming a string of hand seals, resulting in the fiery death of all the clones. The real Naruto was blown back against a large tree, blood now running down his singed skin. Itachi was immediately on top of Naruto, pinning him against the tree, red orbs flashing from beneath his raven hair.

“Shit!” Naruto quickly formed a seal and vanished.

“What the..” grunted a confused Itachi

“Behind you!” roared Naruto as his blade came around Itachi’s head, the tip burying itself in his forehead. Naruto dragged the blade down with the sickening sound of blade in flesh, Itachi’s right eye being ripped open by the kunai.

Itachi whipped around, his right eye gone and the blood pouring down his face blinding the left. “What the hell did you do? My Mangekyou couldn’t see your movements.”

Naruto appeared behind Itachi again “Who said anything about moving?” kicking the back of Itachi’s leg, Naruto grabbed a handful of that raven hair and brought Itachi to his knees. Pushing his head down over a kunai stuck in the ground, its judgmental blade pointing at Itachi’s face. “I will make you pay for everything you’ve done!”

“What? You?” Itachi scoffed, “You don’t have it in you. You’re still just the pathetic kid that grows into the good guy that everyone loves because you always do what’s right. You won’t kill me, not a former Konoha shinobi.”

Naruto’s eyes grew dark and his voice went cold as he leaned down and whispered into Itachi’s ear, “I took my best friend’s head in my hand and squeezed until I crushed his skull and tore his face from his body. I watch him die as his hot blood ran down my arm…Do you honestly think that you mean ANYTHING to me?”

Itachi’s voice softened, “So Sasuke is dead? Then I truly have failed, there’s really no reason for me to continue living.”

“Then Die” Naruto sneered, shoving Itachi’s head down onto the kunai.

---

That was it. There was no dramatic ending, no victory fanfare. Just the lifeless corpse of Uchiha Itachi on the ground, his blood on Naruto’s hands. Naruto didn’t remember much of what happened after that, just arriving at the gates of Kohoha, dragging the body behind him. He remembered Sakura being there, crying, asking him what he had done. Naruto just dropped to his knees, a bloody and scratched headband tightly in his grasp, “I finished it.” Were the last words he uttered before collapsing from fatigue and his wounds.

He had woken up a few days later in the hospital, Sakura at his bedside, her eyes still red from tears. Later he was sent on a mandatory vacation, no words of thanks or congratulations were given, he didn’t want them nor deserved them. This was the life of a Shinobi, to kill or be killed. Meaning? Perhaps not, but Naruto tried to reassure himself that it was for those who could not defend themselves, those who suffered, those who felt pain. He wanted to protect everyone, perhaps a foolish and impossible desire, but nonetheless he wanted it. Still, first he would start with just one person as he stroked Sakura’s cheek. Just one is a good start. And with that he finally drifted off to sleep.