Death…
It was something we all faced, although some of us were not prepared to face it. Many think that death is just a small step toward something bigger, something better; that after taking our last breath in the world of the living, we go to a new plane where we can be at peace and reunite with our loved ones.
One way to view death is as something good, but others believe that death is literally the end of the road, where everything ends and nothing remains but nothingness itself, without paradise, without seeing your ancestors, friends, or family. A cruel and bleak way of seeing things.
But who suffers the most from this? The deceased? No, he was the one who benefited from no longer having to endure continuing to exist in this shitty world. Those who suffer the most are those who had a bond with him, having to bear the idea that the dreams, memories, and goals of that friend, partner, son, daughter, brother, sister, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother... are now gone.
We, the living, can only feel the weight of knowing that death has snatched something precious from us, something we would never have wanted to lose. That's how the world worked, that's how it operated, that's how the being who began this universe decided it. To be born, to grow, to love, to cry, to hate, to suffer, to lament, to lose, to win—all of that was part of life, only for nothing to matter when death arrived, when all your unfulfilled goals and dreams went to the grave with you.
A cruel reality… don't you think?
It was an ordinary day, early in autumn, with gray clouds covering the sky. Around midday, a large crowd gathered, enveloped in a somber, gray atmosphere. This was typical for such an occasion, as everyone present was dressed in black, watching three coffins slowly being lowered into the excavated pits.
Among those present was Uzumaki Naruto, who wore a black outfit, as was customary for such occasions. The nine-year-old boy had bandages covering his hands and arms, along with heavy dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep and exhaustion. He was also using a wooden crutch under his right arm to help him stand. Silently, the young boy observed those present.
His mother, the Fifth Hokage, was wearing her traditional Kage cloak. She was giving her condolences to the relatives of the deceased, including the relatives and acquaintances of Takashi Hado. The only one present who shared a blood tie with him was his mother, Yuzuma Hado, a woman in her forties with brown skin, who was dressed in black and tightly held a picture of her lost son.
The Ichiraku family was also present; both cooks were affected by the loss of these young men, but Ayame was the most affected, as she was crying inconsolably while watching the coffins of two of her best friends descend into the pits for burial.
Another group was the large family of Kohara Kimi, which included five sisters who mourned the loss of their youngest sister, the only one who had shown interest in becoming a shinobi. Also present were her two parents, Kohara Kinue and Kohara Keiji, both of whom had to comfort their daughters and help them keep their composure when they began carrying earth toward the graves.
On the other side were several Jounin: Hatake Kakashi, Shimura Danzo, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sarutobi Azuma, Morino Ibiki, Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Shishui, and Uchiha Fugaku. All of them knew the legendary Hamura Tenko, a ninja who had gone through two wars and shed blood on the battlefield for his nation. Dying in battle was one of the most honorable ways for a shinobi like Tenko to die.
Finally, the coffins were lowered into the ground, and a tense, somber sound filled the air. Some offered brief prayers for the souls of their Konoha comrades, asking that they rest in peace. As the minutes passed, several people called for the families of the fallen genin to be allowed forward. Dragging his feet, Naruto walked with the aid of his crutch. The doctors had warned him that he would need to stay in bed for at least two weeks, but when he awoke in the hospital bed, he forced himself to make it to Team 4's burial.
"Hado-san…" The blond boy had approached the grieving mother to try to speak with her, but she was only staring at her son's grave with a dead emptiness in her eyes, silently shedding tears. "I…" Clenching his hands, he looked at the mother of one of his dearest friends. "…wanted to tell you that your son was a great shinobi and a great friend. I truly regret your loss…"
"..." The lips of the dark-haired woman opened, uttering a few words that no one could hear. She squeezed the frame of the photograph, causing it to crack until the glass shattered. "..." This time, she whispered a little louder, but still no one could hear her. Crying in pain, Takashi's mother turned to look at the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi.
"Hado-san, is—?" Naruto couldn't finish his question when he felt a sharp pain in his right cheek. The Uzumaki was knocked down and fell painfully, his muscles throbbing from the impact. "..." On the ground, the blond ignored the agonizing pain and, looking up, saw the eyes of the Hado woman, which shone with hatred, rage, frustration, anger, and pain.*
"You should have died! He was my baby! He was the only thing I had left in this world, and because of you, he's dead! It's your fault, you nine-tailed demon, it's your fault!" The heartbroken woman's cry was heard by everyone present in the cemetery, where some of them could only watch as Naruto remained on the ground, kneeling beneath Hado's hateful gaze.*
"Wait..." Kushina was about to stop the grieving mother, but she stopped when her son gave her a piercing look that said only one thing: don't interfere. All the Jōnin understood that message and could only continue to watch.*
Silence fell over Naruto as he searched for his crutch and slowly stood up, facing the woman who was firmly holding the photograph of her son. "Hado-san is right. I failed to bring your son back safely, and I truly regret it..."
"I don't want your apologies..." the woman spat venomously, shoving the photograph of her son against the boy's chest and almost making him fall again. "My son is dead. He was everything to me, and now he's underground... and I blame you for that." Each word was laden with hatred and contempt, all directed at Naruto, who kept his gaze fixed on the ground. "You should be there! Rotting underground! You don't deserve to live! You don't deserve to go back home and be with your family! You don't deserve it!"
"Yuzuma... that's enough..." Finally, Kimi's mother had to intervene, embracing the devastated woman and letting her scream and cry on her shoulder, pouring out her pain through her sobs. "Uzumaki... please just go, please," the white-haired woman pleaded with a cold stare, looking at the blond boy who, with his head down, slowly walked away from the two families of his friends.*
"..." Ignoring his mother and the others present, Naruto just walked away from everything. He had not only lost his teacher and two good friends; he had lost a part of himself. He had sworn to bring his two comrades back home, but he had failed.
[ If you want to read advance Chapters then go to Pat reon and support me there as I have already uploaded advance Chapters there.
PAT REON I'D:- Skythe ]