Chapter 35: Price Of Freedom
A droplet of water fell upon the jinchuuriki's head, sending a cold feeling throughout him as he slowly began to open his eyes. His blurred vision began to clear, revealing the darkness in front of him. Lying on his back, he made no move as he tried to take in the details of his surroundings but failing due to the lack of light.
The pain in his body threatened to overcome his senses as he began to rise from his position so he was sitting upright. The dreariness was visible in his eyes as he looked over the chamber in front of him, feeling a sort of familiarity towards it. The blonde held his hair, as his eyes began to adjust to the darkness.
Naruto rose onto his feet, before his eyes widened in shock from the sight in front of him. He walked forwards before reaching out and touching the towering gate which had been ripped open. He looked for the seal to find it intact, but barely.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he felt another presence behind him as if it were preying upon him. He turned around to set his eyes upon the large form of the Kitsune which had been trapped within him for 16 years. His feet began to tread backwards noting the danger he was in as the crimson eyes of the Kyuubi glared at his small figure.
The astonishment was evident in Naruto's voice as he spoke, "What's going on? How did you get out?"
Kyuubi had a feral grin across his countenance as he sat down, "Even on the verge of death, you feel fear." The demonic fox was amused with the genin in front of him.
Naruto looked around before towards the form of the Kitsune, "You brought me here…but you're fading."
Kyuubi had an impassive expression, "Indeed, but there's a difference. Do you feel it?"
Naruto remained cautious however he sat on the ground as he realised the demonic fox wouldn't attack him, "You're going to die before me…" The Kyuubi remained silent as Naruto understood exactly what he had said, "Nani? How is that possible?"
The animalistic grin of the Kyuubi returned on the demon's visage as he answered, "We're no longer bound to each other."
Naruto looked back at the withering seal on the destroyed prison of the Kyuubi, "What did you do?"
The chakra of the Kyuubi was a lot more silent that it's usual fiery self as he spoke in his menacing voice, "Isn't it odd that whenever you were close to death, I felt myself feeling the effects also, regardless of the fact that I am immortal?"
Naruto didn't know how to answer as he looked at the Kitsune with a clueless expression, "Maybe…"
Kyuubi's crimsons eyes remained fixated on the genin, "There have been many jinchuuriki in the past however when the containers neared the end of their lives, the bijuu would be removed and sealed in an object until it could be moved back to another container. Do you know why?"
Naruto thought over what he had said before answering, "They couldn't kill the bijuu?"
Kyuubi grinned before walking towards the blonde. Naruto rolled out of the way as the Kitsune's form stopped in front of the towering gates and the disintegrating seal, "Why is it that other bijuus have lived on past their container's deaths yet I was feeling myself fading away along with you?" The Kitsune turned to face the genin, "This seal…it was making me mortal by connecting my life force with yours."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, "But it's not anymore…you did something."
The demonic fox looked over the sewer like chamber he had dwelled in for the past 16 years, "The first time you lost yourself to my chakra, I realised then, the effects of the seal. The shortening of your life directly affected me and I took note of it. Imagine my surprise when you came crawling to me, begging for a pact, and giving me the exact opportunity I needed."
Naruto looked towards his left forearm where the seal was no longer present, "You tricked me…"
The Kyuubi gave a menacing laugh, sending chills down Naruto's spine, "I prefer the term manipulated. Our pact directly relied on me to sacrifice my life to attack and it leaves you near death due to the strain on your body to execute it."
Naruto shook his head as the full consequences of what he did descended upon him, "…It also destroyed any connection you had with me…leaving you alive with me dead…" He gritted his teeth as he knew exactly what the demonic fox craved to do, "I killed a demon to set another one free…"
The Kyuubi observed the visibly disturbed state of the genin, "I only want to destroy that pathetic village while Madara planned on changing the world. I'm the lesser of two evils."
Naruto looked up at the fox, his sapphire eyes full of rage, "You're finding this amusing? Bastard, you tricked me from the beginning…all that crap about acknowledgment was just to get me to fight and use this damn technique!"
Kyuubi stared right back into the blonde's fierce gaze, "You're angry at me because I did what I had to, to survive? How pathetic, do you honestly think I care whether you feel tricked or hurt?"
Naruto directed his vision to the ground, covered in water. His thoughts were on his friends and his unborn child, "…They'll stop you…just like before."
Kyuubi felt amused by the demeanour of the genin before finally speaking, "Will they?" He licked his sharp teeth, "Do you want a chance to fight me?"
The words of the Kyuubi instantly garnered the attention of Naruto, "What are you trying to say?"
Kyuubi walked past the genin, "You stood up to Anima for the sake of your village and came out victorious. You defeated Madara, the one whom I longed to destroy with my own power. Though it was me who finished him, I didn't get the chance to savour it like I normally would."
Naruto felt disgusted with the bloodlust of the Kyuubi even though he was well acquainted with his tendencies, "You want to fight me…"
Kyuubi stopped before giving a menacing smile, "You understand what it means to have honour. When I am reborn, I will come for your dismal village and I will enjoy ripping you to shreds, personally."
Naruto listened to the threatening tone of the Kitsune but didn't understand how he was going to accomplish such a thing, "I'm going to be dead shortly…"
The Kitsune nodded, acknowledging his statement, "I can't give you life…the most I can do is to repair your coils close to their original state. That won't change the fact that you're on the verge of death and if you're not healed, that will be your fate."
Naruto stood up, ignoring the pain within him, before staring directly into the crimson eyes of the Kyuubi who posed a dangerous threat to Konoha, "All this, just to kill me yourself."
The fading chakra of the Kyuubi began to swirl, "I want a challenge and some enjoyment when I come for that doomed village. Will you fall or will you stand?"
The form of the Kitsune burst into red chakra before rushing towards Naruto and engulfing him. The jinchuuriki could feel his chakra coils being healed causing him immense amounts of pain before his vision went black.
XXXXXXXXXX
Sasuke stared at the motionless form of Naruto, a tear slowly trickling down his cheek as he felt himself succumbing to the painful feeling of loneliness again. His sharingan faded, leaving only his black eyes before he rose to his feet.
Sakura clutched Naruto's form, one of her hands brushing away the golden locks from his visage as she struggled to control her tears. She bent down hugging his body as everybody looked on.
Tsunade remained quiet observing her student before her eyes became alert of the chakra beginning to seep off the jinchuuriki's form. Sakura moved back, looking at the strange force of chakra as it began to swirl around the genin's body.
Jiraiya recognised the menacing chakra of the Kyuubi's before calling out to the kunoichi, "Get back!"
Sakura placed Naruto's head on the ground and took a few steps back before the chakra burst out from the genin, rising into the sky. The shinobi looked on fearfully as it took the form of the Kyuubi's head causing some of them to cry out in concern, before it vanished.
Neji stared at the ominous chakra disappear before bringing his vision back to the figure of his friend. His eyes widened as he looked at the coils inside of the genin's body, "His chakra coils…"
Tsunade turned to the Hyuuga as she noticed him speaking, "What did you say?"
Neji kept his attention on Naruto, "His chakra coils aren't deteriorating…"
Sakura froze as she heard the Hyuuga before looking at her mentor who had a slight smile across her face. Tsunade nodded in her direction, "We still have a chance."
XXXXXXXXXX
Opening his eyes slowly, the details of his vicinity became clearer as he saw two figures standing a few feet away from him. Kakashi was leaning against a wall, calmly reading his favourite novel as Sasuke stared outside through the window. Neither shinobi realised the awakening of the genin as he slowly sat up, much to the dismay of his muscles which ached as he forced them to move.
The small room was covered in darkness; the only light was from the bright moon outside. Sasuke sighed before glancing towards Naruto and returning to his sky watching. His eyes widened before he looked back towards the genin to find him struggling to sit up.
He turned around garnering the attention of Kakashi, who closed his book as he saw his student slowly rise from the hospital bed, "…You're…"
Naruto tried to shake away his grogginess as he looked towards his lap to find a head full of pink hair. He smiled before stroking the kunoichi's hair and looking towards the sharingan wielders, "…Yeah…"
Kakashi closed his eye, full of happiness as he felt his heart lose a lot of weight, "Welcome back."
Sasuke remained quiet, a smile across his face letting Naruto know of how he was feeling before he gave a nod to the former jinchuuriki. The blonde brought his attention back to the kunoichi who began to stir, awakening from her slumber.
Sakura rubbed her emerald eyes before realising the sapphire orbs staring at her. She turned to face the genin who had a peaceful look on his face. Her eyes began to tear up as she tried to control herself before throwing her arms around the unsuspecting shinobi, "Naruto…"
Naruto recoiled as a jolt of pain ran throughout his body from her weight but settled into her embrace, enjoying the warmth of her arms, "I guess I kept my promise."
Sakura sniffed before nodding, not letting go of the genin, "Hai."
Kakashi and Sasuke smiled as Team 7 was finally reunited like it should have been a long time ago. They directed their attention towards the door as it opened before two figures walked in. The Godaime folded her arms as Sakura let go of Naruto and looked towards her mentor.
Tsunade walked up to the hospital bed, smiling at the boy she considered her brother, "It's about time you came to."
Jiraiya laughed as he remained near the door, "And the first thing you did was lay your hands on a woman…" He mimicked the movement of wiping away a tear, "…You really do take after me."
Tsunade had an annoyed expression at his perverted comments while Naruto merely smiled, "Heh, you never change Ero-sennin."
Jiraiya coughed before Tsunade directed her attention to the rest of the shinobi, "Its best if you go home and have some rest…that includes you also, Sakura."
Kakashi gave a small wave to Naruto before walking towards the door and leaving. Sasuke abandoned his position next to the window, nodding in the genin's direction before disappearing from his spot. Sakura sighed before kissing Naruto on his forehead, "I'll see you tomorrow…baka."
Naruto grinned at the kunoichi as she left and closed the door behind her. He turned his attention towards his body which was covered in bandages. He brought up his arms but halted his movement quickly as he felt a shot of pain.
"You haven't used your muscles in a really long time…it's going to be some time before you feel normal again." Tsunade took a seat after finishing speaking.
Naruto looked at his bandaged hands, "How long have I been out?"
Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair, giving a sigh, "Nearly 3 weeks."
Naruto was quick to express his surprise at the revelation, "NANI?"
Tsunade felt elated to see the genin acting normally, "Don't be so shocked. Even though your coils were repaired near enough to their original state, we still had to operate on you to fix them before we lost you. It took over a day to complete the full procedure and everyone participating was exhausted, even those who had to constantly supply you with chakra so you didn't die from depletion."
Naruto looked at the Godaime with a clueless expression, "So, I should be back to a hundred percent soon."
Tsunade frowned which Naruto noticed before Jiraiya spoke, "Remember the forbidden training method you've been using…"
Naruto instantly understood what path the legendary sannin was heading down, "Oh…"
Tsunade shook her head, "We don't know how long before your muscles give out and you have to stop...as a shinobi"
Naruto laid back in his bed, resting his head against the soft pillow, "Don't worry about it. I'll conquer this just like everything else."
Jiraiya laughed as he heard his apprentice, "I didn't think it would keep you down…but now to more important matters."
Naruto shifted his eye in the direction of the frog hermit, "Eh?"
Tsunade cleared her throat, "The Kyuubi, what happened with him? The seal is missing aswell."
Naruto sat up, supporting himself with his hands, "The seals missing because he's no longer a part of me."
Jiraiya had a serious demeanour as he remembered the vanishing form of the Kitsune in the sky, the day of the battle, "He's dead?"
Naruto shook his head, "No, he's in the process of being reborn…only, I don't know how long it'll take. It could be a week or maybe even 10 years."
Tsunade had a contemplative look on her face, "He let you live for a reason…"
Naruto nodded, acknowledging her statement, "He wants to kill me…and destroy Konoha."
Jiraiya closed his eyes, "I wouldn't expect anything less from him. We can't really prepare for something which could occur at anytime…I guess we'll face it when the time comes."
Naruto yawned before looking towards the window, "…Does Konoha know of Madara?"
Jiraiya walked over to the window, "The news was made public a few days after the battle…it left a lot of people stunned but others were afraid and called for the death of your friend."
Naruto stopped tinkering with his bandages, "Sasuke…"
Tsunade placed her hand on his thigh, "Nothing's going to happen. He's been given a chance to start again; we're not going to ruin that. It's up to him to give the Uchiha a new path."
Naruto smiled, "I'm sure he will."
Tsunade rose from her chair, "The true history of Konoha has been revealed and the Uzumaki no longer have a tarnished name. A lot of people owe you an apology and I'm sure they're dying to ask for your forgiveness, especially after you saved Konoha."
Naruto dwelled on the Godaime's words, "As long as they learn from their mistakes, I don't need an apology."
Jiraiya stretched his neck before making his way over to the exit, "That sounds like something the old man would say."
Tsunade made her way over to her ex-teammate before looking back for a final time, "Get some rest." She closed the door behind her, leaving the genin alone in his chamber.
Naruto looked around his room before pulling off the soft blanket from his body. He moved his legs to the side of the bed before touching down on the cold floor. He slowly rose from his bed before losing his balance and falling back. He sighed as he realised the weak state of his legs. Looking to the side of his bed, he saw a crutch which he quickly grabbed and used to lift himself onto his feet. Placing his feet into the shoes next to the cabinet, he walked over to the window.
He stood there, staring at the night sky as the hours passed by. His heart felt a lot more peaceful and light. Opening the window, he slowly exited his room and landed on the hard ground. He smiled as he thought of what Sakura would do to him if she found out he was sneaking out of his room at night when he was meant to be sleeping. However, the smile dropped as he realised what the Godaime would do to him when she inevitably discovered him going against her order.
Ignoring his wandering thoughts, he began to walk through the streets of Konoha with the help of his crutch. His trek was long and silent as there was no one else present on the streets of Konoha. He continued, until he ended up at the foot of the Hokage monument.
His eyes travelled upwards to the faces carved in the mountain before he looked to his side at the stairs which led to the top. Letting go of his crutch, it fell towards the ground causing a clattering sound as it impacted. The blonde reached out and touched the hard surface of the rock before attaining a firm grip and beginning to climb like he did months ago.
He struggled as he scaled the high mountain, his muscles aching from the amount of effort he was putting into climbing. He resumed, ignoring the fatigue and dreariness as he eventually made it to the top. Sweat travelled down his body as he crawled over to the head of the Yondaime and took a seat.
The stars and moon shone brightly, illuminating everything and adding to the already beautiful Konoha as it glittered with all its lights. Naruto controlled his breathing as he looked over the village. He looked at the night sky as he remembered the famous saying of the Nidaime.
"Protect the ones who love the village and believe in you."
His thoughts drifted to his ancestor and the Sandaime, remembering everything they had gone through and what their sacrifices entailed. A smile adorned his face as the light of the moon reflected onto his face.
"When a person dies, he doesn't disappear…he lives on in the memories and the hearts of the ones he has touched." He closed his eyes, inhaling the fresh air, "Arigatou…"
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT