The village held no funeral.
No flowers. No silence. No mourning cloth.
They didn't even put his name on the memorial stone.
Just a whisper, passed through ANBU lips like it was an inconvenience — "Uzumaki. Died in the Valley of the End. Incident classified. Body unrecovered."
He vanished like a problem swept under the dirt.
And yet, there were still a few who gathered, not because they were asked, but because the weight in their chests hadn't let them breathe since that night.
They met in the training field.
The same one he used to shout in.
The same one where he fell on his face and laughed every time.
Hinata was the first to arrive. She wore her jacket zipped to her throat, but her eyes — red, not from the cold.
She stood still.
Said nothing.
Just looked at the ground like she could still see him standing there, calling her name too loud, waving awkwardly.
Then came Lee.
His steps were heavier than usual.
He didn't shout.
Didn't throw a single kick.
He just bowed his head and said, "He was fire."
Tenten arrived next, arms crossed, teeth clenched.
"I used to roll my eyes at him."
Silence.
"I'd give anything to hear him ramble again."
Neji was last of the three.
He didn't speak for a long time.
When he did, he said quietly, "I used to call him destiny's fool."
He swallowed.
"He made destiny look like a lie."
Ino came walking in behind them.
She tried to smile.
But it cracked too fast.
Sakura was behind her.
Sakura didn't look at the tree stump Naruto used to sit on.
She didn't look at anyone.
She looked at the ground and said, "Well... at least Sasuke's back."
Lee's head snapped up.
"What?"
Sakura blinked. "I mean... it's what Naruto would've wanted, right? He got him back."
Hinata stepped forward, voice trembling. "He died."
Sakura shrugged.
"There was always a risk. We're shinobi."
Tenten looked away, disgust on her face.
Neji closed his eyes, fists clenched behind his back.
Sakura went on, voice flat. "Naruto was reckless. He didn't listen to orders. He ran headfirst into everything. Maybe... maybe if he wasn't like that, he'd still be here."
Hinata's voice cracked. "Maybe if someone cared enough to help him—"
Sakura turned sharply. "Don't put this on me."
Ino's voice came quietly, shaking. "But he... he liked you, Sakura. He... he always looked at you like you were his whole world."
Sakura scoffed. "I didn't ask him to."
Ino's eyes filled instantly. Her breath caught.
She looked around at everyone, like maybe someone would laugh, say this was a joke.
No one did.
Sakura's voice dropped lower. "He was loud. He was annoying. He always messed things up. And now... he's gone. And we have Sasuke. Isn't that enough?"
Ino couldn't hold it anymore.
She turned and ran.
No words.
Just a sob caught in her throat like glass.
Lee stepped toward Sakura.
He didn't hit her.
Didn't yell.
But he looked her in the eyes, voice like steel.
"You never saw him. You never even tried."
Sakura opened her mouth.
But then Hinata stepped between them, her breath shaky but her voice steady.
"You want to know why he died?" she said.
Sakura blinked.
Hinata's fists were clenched so tight, her nails dug into her skin.
"He died because he still believed people like you would one day care. That no matter how much it hurt, he'd bring everyone together. Even if he broke himself doing it."
Neji added, "And none of us helped him."
Tenten nodded, silent tears on her cheeks.
Hinata stepped closer, voice rising just slightly.
"You talk about orders, about recklessness — but he fought for you, Sakura. For all of us. He carried this village on his back when no one else cared if he lived or died."
Sakura tried to look away.
Hinata's voice cracked.
"And you're glad he's gone?"
Sakura didn't answer.
Not because she didn't want to.
Because deep down, she couldn't.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Lee turned his back on her.
So did Tenten.
Neji walked away without another word.
Hinata stayed a moment longer.
Her voice, almost a whisper now, barely held together.
"He was the best of us. And none of us deserved him."
She walked away, leaving Sakura alone.
The training field felt colder now.
Even with the sun above.
Sasuke appeared in the distance.
He looked at the group dispersing.
And with that blank face of his, he simply said, "He was weak."
No one answered.
Not one.
Because they all knew...
The only weakness Naruto had — was believing they'd ever change.