Pick Up The Pieces

Delirium

It was surreal. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Izumo? Dead? It's not possible. I can't be true. The words washed over him in a torrential wave and his whole world began to crumble around him. His eyes grew wide as the blood drained from his face.

'Please tell me it's not true...' He said, his knees beginning to collapse from underneath him.

Naruto said nothing but held out his hand, his fist closed tightly over something. Kotetsu instinctively reached out his hand for it, and the blonde pressed it into the palm of his hand. Izumo's ring, now dull and frigidly cold indented its shape into the rough palm; lifeless and empty.

Kotetsu wanted to scream, but everything about him was paralysed the moment that ring touched his hand. His vocal chords refused to move, his brain lost all sense of reality. He couldn't move his lips, his tongue and the only sound that came out of him was a rush of air.

It was then that his lungs gave out.

And then his heart stopped.

Shattered and broken he sank to his knees, despair stricken on his face. This was it, there was no escape from the reality of this situation. There would be no more banter between them, no more playful wrestling, no more tender moments.

Nothing. That's it. There wouldn't be anymore of just...him.

Before he knew it, he was face down on the floor, tears erupting from his eyes and flowing endlessly until they puddled under his face. Gently, Naruto placed his hand on his shoulder, watching the grown man weep uncontrollably before him. His heart sank. It was painful to watch him looking so fractured and defeated.

'I was told he fought valiantly.' He said softly, vainly attempting to console the other nin.

'It's...it's not going...to bring...him back.' Kotetsu sobbed, keeping his head bowed infront of the Rokudaime. The tiniest amount felt ashamed of his display, but it was pushed away as his mind flooded with a never ending stream of thoughts and memories of his now-deceased love.

'I know... I understand-'

'No you don't!' Kotetsu shrieked, snapping his head up to look at Naruto squarely in the eye through his own tear-filled pair.

'You don't understand anything that has happened!'

His hands pawed the hem of Naruto's cloak as he continued to cry relentlessly, and the blonde stood his ground. He couldn't flinch away at this. This was raw, human emotion in front of him and while it was painful to watch, it was impossible to turn away.

'He was...he was everything to...to me...'

'I could see that.' Naruto said calmly, crouching before the older shinobi as he cried.

'...I saw you when you bought those rings...'

'What good are they now?!'

'They'll always be memories-'

'I don't want fucking memories! I want Izumo back! I want my best friend! I want my...I want my... I just want my fucking Izumo back!'

'I can't do that...'

'Then piss off! I don't want your sympathy!'

Those cerulean eyes flicked away and he sighed as the his hand was roughly brushed off, like it was burning into his skin. He folded his arms and stared out the window, watching the sky change from a coral pink into a blood red; almost like an omen of despair.

'You are relieved of duties until further notice.' Naruto said quietly and flickered away, leaving Kotetsu in his pitiful state alone. As much as he wanted to, he would have stayed to comfort the shinobi, but he had other matters to attend to that were unavoidable.