Naruto: The Tragic Hero

Chapter 3: Promise

Chapter 3: Promise.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Author's Note: For convenience's sake, the years will start as 100 plus Naruto's age.
*Also, thank you for following and reviewing the story! Unfortunately, this story's upload schedule will be erratic as it is a side project that I'm working on but be assured that I won't drop this story.

"Hinata, I'll always love you. Even in the afterlife, my soul will always follow you in the heartless abyss. I'll always protect you from the vicious monsters that roam the world. I'll give you warmth in the harshest winter. And in our next life, I'll give you all my love. This is a promise that I'll never break..."

That was the last thing I remembered before my eyes closed.

In my hands, I held Hinata close without letting go, like a knight protecting his princess.

Wooo...

The wind calmly passed the crater known as Konoha. Clouds engulfed the blue sky, and raindrops began to fall. Not long after Naruto closed his eyes, warm chakra emanated from his body and spread into the dry soil below him.

Grass covered the barren soil, flowers of various colors mysteriously sprouted and bloomed, and a tree grew from where Naruto and Hinata's bodies lay silent, covering them and protecting them from the rain.

Wiiish—!

Woooosh!

Suddenly, the air around them became hot, and all the grass and flowers burst into golden-red flames. Not even the rain could put it out as it spread toward the panicking civilians.

In an instant, whatever was left of the village collapsed, engulfed in the majestic flames that spread from Naruto's body.

The once mighty Konoha was ironically burned down by its last hero.

All that's left is a tree in the middle of Konoha and two bodies. One had golden-blond hair, and the other had deep-blue hair. Only they were unaffected by the raging flames around them, as a fox made of red flames slowly formed from the hot golden fire.

The fox looked down upon their bodies and without making a single sound, he vanished into thin air.

In the pure land, two souls happily held each other's hand, walking across arrays of flowers and trees. They had smiles on their faces, and laughter occasionally echoes out from their mouths. Although their happiness was mostly silent, and only their ghostly laughter could be heard, they were content as they walked deeper and deeper into the dark forest.

Other souls could only watch in amazement and envy.

Not one soul was able to walk through that forest, not even the revered Sage of Six Paths.

It seems that his promise was fulfilled, after all. He followed her into the unknown. He kept her from the wolves in sheep's clothing. And finally, he sheltered her from the cold.

"Huff! Huff... huff..."

My eyes snapped open as I shot up from my bed, gasping for large amounts of air as if I ran for an entire day. Sweat trickled from my forehead and into my brow, reaching my cheeks and finally dripping off from my chin.

I looked around, my eyes widening with each second that passed. After my head spun around in circles like a frantic owl, I brought my shaking hands into my face.

"Urgh..."

A muffled ground slipped through my lips as my mind ran a hundred miles a second.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly put my hands down, revealing my sky-blue eyes that seemed to shine in this dark, messy room.