The Future: Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 104- The Bells

South of the Imperial Palace

Sora tries to gauge the reactions of many people at once. The easiest emotion to discern is relief, particularly from the shinobi. The weaker ones have all been given longer to live, at least if they end up doing as he says. Next he looks through the stronger ones, through the many colonels who serve under Clyde and Lara, he sees their conflict. The generals and the Hokage are all clearly frustrated, not with him but with themselves. He understands how they feel right now, they all feel useless, just as he has done for years, but then he looks to Naruto.

One doesn't have to be a genius to understand what is going through his mind right now. Unique amongst this group, he has his fist tightly clenched and an unblinking wide-eyed gaze. Sora is stunned by the quick turn around in the young man's attitude. He should be more afraid given the power that Sora demonstrated just seconds ago. Compared his drive to free his people it seems that fear is barely impacting the 7th Hokage at all.

"You won't let me fight Furst?" Naruto asks.

"That's right." Sora replies.

"I think you need to look around, this has already gone too far to stop," Naruto declares, the look in his eye becoming more crazed by the moment. "Do you know what Furst Jonas is responsible for? Do you know what that man did to my world, to what you call a pocket-world? He sent unstoppable warriors, he sent people that couldn't be killed, that could turn our own dead against us. They slaughtered our friends, over half our population."

"I know, I'm sorry."

Sora feels embarrassed as he watches the rage pour from Naruto's body. He feels like he is standing opposite his brother-in-law once more, that the man in front of him is the person who everyone is looking to. That's what Naruto is, he is the person taking responsibility for this whole situation, just like Endou Akashi had before him. Now Sora stands before a group of helpless beaten individuals, far stronger than the lot of them, but he is not the one who takes responsibility. The only one brave enough for that is the young man stood in front of him.

"The villages of my world struggled for peace for hundreds of years," Naruto explains, "Then, when we finally found it, do you know who people looked to for protection. They looked to me! They looked to me and I couldn't do anything. It took everything out of me just to stop Clyde, but then I had to protect everyone from Lara and the betrayals that followed. If I don't defeat Furst, this is going to haunt me forever. So, I can't let you stop me."

Kushina feels the pain wash off her son's body and knows that she can't hide the truth. "He's right," she admits, knowing that it may well send her son to his death.

"Are you his sister?" Sora politely enquires.

"I'm his mother," Kushina explains, "I haven't always been around, but in the short while that I have known Naruto I think I've come to understand him. This isn't just some duty or expectation that has been placed on him, this is his calling, it's the thing he strives towards the most. If you are going to stand in his way, I think you're crazy."

Minato nods. "Naruto's more determined than any of us to see this through. None of the obstacles placed before him have been able to stop him yet. Mr Muto, I don't know about your life or your beliefs, but the people of this village believe in Naruto. He will be the one to defeat Furst Jonas."

"He can't hide from it now," Sarada adds, "This is what my master was born to do."

Sora watches as determination returns to the group before him. Naruto's family prove to be the catalyst for a mass of rebukes against Sora stopping him. Sora, despite the people speaking against him, smiles and relaxes. This is just the sort of thing that he would want to happen. The young man with 'life' as his element is so much weaker than he is, he's weaker still than Furst, yet he's brought these people this far. They all believe in him, even in the face of odds that they can see are impossible to beat. This is perfect.