Behind the Mask: Silver Blood Fox

The End

"I'm worried. Naruto's entered a coma-like state and hasn't awoken for weeks," Temari whispered, looking down at the male blonde. His face was contorted slightly and he was twitching, as if he was fighting in his sleep or having violent nightmares. 

Actually, Naruto kind of was fighting in his sleep because he was in his mindscape the whole time, being taught by Kurama. 

"That's all I have to teach," Kurama said, looking weary. "Bring honour to your name and defeat that filthy bastard named Uchiha Madara."

"Hai." Naruto nodded in gratitude.

"... Naruto-kun!" Two arms were flung around his neck when he stirred. His cerulean blue eyes fluttered open to see a blonde.

"Temari, was it?" he said with a smile. "I'm going to retrieve my memories."

"The body is in room 300," Temari informed him. "I'll... Step out now."

Naruto nodded and made his way to room 300 where he found the body, lifeless and motionless just like when he had picked it up. He crouched next to it and closed his eyes, pouring chakra into the body.

In a rush, it all returned to him. Who Temari was, who Ino was, who Sasuke was, who Sakura was. Who the Sandaime was. It hit him like a ton of bricks and the pain he felt in his chest was overwhelming as he stood, his blue eyes threatening to turn to the red of the Eternal Mangekyo.

Sandaime-jiji is dead.

Dead.

He took a shuddering breath, taking out his sword and running his hand over the golden fox symbol.

That's my identity.

He turned his cold blue eyes up to the ceiling. 

Jiji... Are you watching over me, in heaven?

He tore away from the hospital, running to the private ANBU training grounds and collapsing on his knees. He had been the only one who cared.

He had been the one to watch over Naruto.

He had been the one to give Naruto his fox mask, to give Naruto his identity, to make Naruto who he was.

Naruto stared at the sky, not caring when rain began to fall.

He's dead.

I wasn't even there to see it.

He chuckled mirthlessly. I didn't even attend his funeral. I didn't even REMEMBER him when I was introduced to the Godaime.

He stood on his feet unsteadily.

Jiji... 

A bolt of lightning split the sky.

Do you think I could join you in heaven?

And Naruto released all his seals at once.

KIT! Kurama screamed.

Naru-kun... No... Kushina was sobbing.

He's going to die, was the thought that ran through Kurama's head. Kit is going to die. 

Naruto let out a heart-wrenching scream as he collapsed on the ground, the raw chakra rushing through his chakra pathways too much for him to bear.

No! Kurama screamed inwardly. He's going to die from chakra burn, and I... Everything stilled for a moment, and the tip of one of its nine tails touched the water lightly. He's fading away. He'll die soon if I don't act.

A silvery tear slipped from the fox demon's eye. It had already expected something like this, but it hadn't expected the talented blonde to be so reckless as to release all the seals at once. His life was slipping away, and fast.

This is what it comes to.

Naruto's eyes flickered briefly, and then closed.

"Nagato..."

The Uzumaki looked up at Konan. She was hauntingly beautiful, but her face was marred with concern, her paper wings curled inwards. "Is this about Naruto?"

Konan nodded. Amegakure's angel had been tracking Naruto's chakra signature for a matter of days already. "Naruto's chakra signature... It's gone."

Worry entered Nagato's Rinnegan eyes. "Maybe he just suppressed it."

"There's not a trace," Konan responded softly. "He's gone."

A silver-haired nin froze.

Naruto? He walked over to the blonde. No...

No!

He saw the blonde's mouth slightly ajar, his hands splattered with mud, raindrops running down his face. Seals were pulsing all over the blonde's body. Kakashi bit his lip under his mask, hoping it wasn't what it seemed like.

Rin...

Kakashi closed his eyes, sensing for Naruto's chakra.

His blood ran cold.

It was gone.

His ex-ANBU commander was dead.

He revealed his Sharingan, looking at the still chakra in Naruto.

The same as it was in Rin.

When they had put the Sanbi in her, it had overloaded her chakra coils, causing chakra burn, which could be fatal. He remembered as she begged him to end her life quickly, to bring her out of her suffering, and how she impaled herself on his Chidori, and the sweet smile on her lips despite the crimson blood gushing out as she mouthed 'I love you' to him before she died. He remembered collapsing next to her, tears running out of his eye as her body lay motionlessly next to him, a faint smile remaining on her lips.

Naruto...

Kakashi clenched his fists.

Another one. How could he throw his life away like this, especially after retrieving his body?

Kakashi's hair was getting soaked by the rain. Grief pulling at his heart, he saw the sword lying not far away, and grabbed it, placing it on Naruto's chest. The man knew that Naruto's status as ANBU commander meant the world to him, as it gave him a meaning to life, and he would want to die with the sword.

"Sayonara, Taichou," he whispered.

A certain fox demon wiped away the tears. It's over.

Back in the waking world, a pair of sky-coloured eyes shot open. 

In Amegakure, Konan let out a loud gasp and ran over to Nagato.

In Konoha, Kakashi paused in the middle of taking a step.

"Konoha..." Naruto whispered. He felt the raw power running through his chakra. All his seals were unlocked, and he felt the full power of it.

Yet, he was alive.

He picked up his sword and stood.

"Naru-kun?"

He turned, tears forming in his eyes. "Kaa-chan?" The word left his mouth, barely above a whisper.

There was a yellow flash and his father stood behind him. "Somehow, we're back in the living world," Minato announced with a warm smile.

"Kaa-chan... Tou-chan," Naruto whispered, tears of joy spilling down his face as they embraced him.

In his mindscape, everything was still. A young woman lay on the water's surface, her scarlet red hair splayed out, her sapphire blue eyes closed peacefully. Her chakra coils were overloaded to the max as she lay. Her heart stopped beating and her lungs stopped working, but a sweet smile remained on her lips.

The end.