Namikaze legend

Chapter 61: A Hero's Tears

Joy

Happiness.

Relief.

He could see so many feelings in the eyes of his fellow Konoha shinobi, the entire battlefield was echoing with cheers. People were hugging, kissing, jumping with joy, some of them were still keeping an eye on the defeated enemy forces and capturing them. The Anbu shinobi of Konoha were leading the task of capturing the now surrendered enemy forces and their leaders.

And yet he stood all alone on a far off mountain cliff. It was still hard for him to believe, he was scared that any moment this dream might just end and he would again find himself on a bloody battlefield fighting against enemy forces.

Was the war really over?

7 years...

It had been 2555 days since he left Konoha to join the war, all the pain, suffering, anger, sadness that he went through got him to this point. Konoha had won an impossible war, defeated 3 great ninja villages and were now victorious.

But for him, the war was still not over. It was still going on inside his heart...for only one single question...

Did he really deserve this? After everything that he had done, did he really deserve a life of peace?

Even if he had won the war, he was still defeated.

"Naruto..."

"Naruto...

"Naruto...

Minato stepped beside his son, he couldn't understand why was the boy not hearing his voice? However one look in his eyes was enough to show him what had happened...

"Even if he looks fine from the outside, from the inside he is already dead..."

He could still remember Tobirama's words and looking into his son's eyes proved it. There was no spark, no love...no life in his son's eyes.

Naruto was just there...standing like a vessel without a soul, and it broke Minato's heart.

He hesitantly placed his hand over Naruto's shoulder, and as the boy slowly turned around Minato got a glimpse of the terror his son had endured for the past 7 years. There was a small line of water resting on the edge of Naruto's eyes, begging the boy to let it go.

"It's over..." said Minato in a comforting voice, as Naruto tried to say something...but couldn't say it.

Minato saw his wife and his younger son approaching towards them from the battlefield, and he knew seeing Naruto like this would break their hearts. So, he did the only thing he could do...

He grabbed Naruto's shoulder tightly as both father-son disappeared in a bright flash...
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Naruto silently watched as he was now standing at the shore of an unknown lake. His father was beside him and was just standing beside him, peacefully observing the reflection of the sun that was setting in the sky.

"Let's go for a swim..." said Minato in a very calm voice,

"I..."

"Don't resist, son..." replied Minato politely, as the hesitant boy quickly shut his mouth.

Without another word, Naruto started walking forward and slowly stepped inside the lake. As he continued to get submerged in the water, all the dirt, blood on his clothes started to get washed away. He turned around and saw his father entering the lake and slowly coming beside him.

As Minato neared towards his son, he realized the mental state his son was in. He was still not able to believe that the war was over, this was something which Minato had not thought about when he sent his son into Blacklight. Indeed, Naruto won the war for Konoha...but at what cost?