With You, Forever | Naruhina

Chapter 9: Nightmare

The people who sacrificed themselves for the war and for Naruto were now standing in front of him, in flesh and smiling. Tears streaming down his face, all he could manage was to give them his goofy smile. He wondered if someone else might also show up, in particular, he was looking around for a red-haired beauty and a blonde with blue eyes, just like him. He looked around but they were nowhere to be seen, this confused him but he didn't dwell on it that much. Instead, he ran towards his saviors and pulled them into a bone-crushing hug.

"Jiraiya sensei, thank you for everything. And Neji, we defeated Obito and Madara. The war ended a year ago!! Hinata is also safe. I-uh-we miss you both so much" he said between sobs wanting to spit out all the apologies and explanations that have kept him up at night. Although he never said anything about this to anyone, he also felt guilty about the people who died. That he thought will never go away, such lives wasted, he thought. All he ever wanted was to apologize to everyone who had died, because he wasn't strong enough, fast enough. He has done that, every night he recites the same apology that was coming out of his mouth right now. The pain of losing these two hit him hard. 

"I-I am sorry, I wasn't strong enough to save you both! I wish- I wish I could've saved you both! I-I know this isn't ideal...but can you forgive me? I will make amends, I will not let any of the lives of people who have died forgotten. I---" He didn't even know what to say. His words didn't make sense, even to him. But as he looked up, he saw something he was always afraid of, something he never thought he would have to deal with ever again. 

Hate.

He looked into their eyes all he could see was pure hatred directed towards him. He thought he deserved it. He just knew then, that anything he would say would not make this any better. Even Jiraiya-sensei, his own godfather hated him, he knew. His fears were coming true, once again he felt the ground beneath him shake violently. 

They hate me....just like every--

"Naruto," Jiraiya said but his voice wasn't his own. It was the same cold voice Naruto heard before he started falling. He stared at him in confusion, What the hell is happening? he thought. 

"What have you been doing for the last year?" Neji said, but once again the voice was ice cold. 

Huh? The last year....?

"You haven't avenged us yet," Neji said. 

"I don't understan---" Naruto said but all of a sudden, the ground beneath him trembled and he looked around to see where the ghost of his past went. He was on his knees and could hear screaming he looked around only to find himself once again on the battlefield with corpses all around him. The Fourth war? But it ended a year ago!

Neji and Jiraiya laughed manically. 

"Now you will avenge us." Both said or the cold voice said. 

He couldn't move his body, he was breathless then he had a déjà vu, he remembered this moment very well, Neji's sacri-. Just to confirm this bitter reality he looked up, only to see a blue-haired girl shielding his body from the focused attack of the Juubi which he knew was coming. All he wanted to do was save her and Neji from the attack.

"If only you had the strength Naruto," said the same old cold voice coming from Neji's mouth. He was standing in front of him with an evil look on his face. "Now you will live to see your worst nightmare again and again."

Naruto was horrified by the look on their face, he knew it wasn't the Neji he knew or Jiraiya. Just when Neji stopped speaking and he understood what he meant, he looked towards the girl who was protecting him. He was waiting for Neji to jump, the worse thing was, he was wishing Neji to jump. But no one jumped and several wooden arrows pierced Hinata's body and her hot blood spilled on Naruto's hands and face. He looked at her as she fell to the ground, and lie there. She died...

OH GOD NO.

Fear and panic took hold of him, as he ran to hold her in his hands, trying to figure out a way to save her, just maybe if he believed enough, she could live? But he knew it was all in vain when he saw the light leave her magnificent lavender eyes, he just broke. He didn't want to believe it, she couldn't.... he was in such a state of shock that he couldn't even scream the pain he was feeling and it was getting worse with each second. As her body grew cold in his hands, he didn't dare look at her face, but his eyes didn't listen to his mind and saw her pale bloodied covered face... but a hint of a smile lingered on her lips.

"HINATA!!!" he scared, "YOU CAN'T... PLEASE COMEBACK!!!" Hot tears came streaming down his face and he held her even more closely now, trying to warm her body with his own. This was his worst nightmare.

"You haven't seen anything yet Naruto" once again came to the cold harsh voice from Jiraiya's mouth but this time Naruto didn't think and from a Rasengan and ran towards Jiraiya. He struck him down with it but he disappeared and the Rasengan faded.

"Now you are going to attack your own godfather?" said the voice from nowhere.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!! YOU ARE NOT MY GODFATHER, THIS ISN'T REAL!!!" he screamed, "it can't be" he said returning to Hinata's side.

"Oh, it's real, after all this is what lays inside your mind. I'm just showing you your worst fear and I've just started" the voice mocked.

But Naruto didn't care anymore for his worst nightmare was just being played in front of him. Why her? Why... he was once again kneeling on the ground and looking at her fragile dead body. Why does it hurt more than anything in this world? I've never felt so angry and sad at the same. Oh, but he did, and once again his thoughts were read and he found the landscape around him change, it was no longer night the sun was shining brightly in the sky and Hinata's body disappeared from his view, he desperately tried to hold her but his efforts were futile.

"Bansho Ten'in" shouted Pain's voice and Naruto went flying towards him only to be slammed into the ground with his hands pinned down. Fear once again consumed him as he knew what was about to happen. And if this was his worst fear, he knew what was going to happen. 

P-please s-s-stop, I-I can't... he begged.

But his begs were unheard and disregard. As he lifted his face he saw what he dreaded the most. No, not again... I can't... please n- but Pain lifted his hand and slammed Hinata right in front of him. Naruto's eyes were fixed on her, he couldn't look away when he saw Pain stab her not once but multiple times. Her blood was all over the ground but mostly it was on Naruto's face. His spirit once again broke when he saw her lifeless body.

"Do you want to give in now? I can save you" came the same cold voice.

"THIS IS NOT REAL!!! STOP MESSING WITH ME" he shouted back, though he didn't believe it himself. He was in a pure state of panic. 

"Fine, then I will break you again and again until you are left with nothing to live for" the voice replied and laughed.

And so, his nightmare began again. Everywhere he looked Hinata died some way or the other. And her blood made its way to his body. And every time she died, he was useless. No matter how hard he tried, how many Rasegan he formed, even going into Kyuubi form multiple times he just could not save her.

I'm useless, he thought.

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