The Red Flash

The Truth

Naruto

His eyes slowly opened; Naruto could only see white; first, his eyes then went to the window close to his bed. The sun was shining high in the sky, and the trees and grass shone with life relaxed Naruto. His muscles around his hands were hurting. He moved his hands slowly, trying to get up; only then did Naruto notice Hokage-Jiji sleeping in a chair close to his bed. His body was resting on the chair, and his head was on the edge of the bed.

Naruto slowly smiled that his Jiji had stayed for him; he now understood where he was. I'm in hospital. Was all that a dream? Naruto asked himself and hoping that it wasn't.

"It was no dream brat" Kurama's voice was suddenly heard.

"Kurama is that you, wow. Is good to know that wasn't a dream," Naruto replied, smiling, but his voice was heard throughout the room.

"Don't talk out loud idiot, just think of what you want to say, and I will hear you", Kurama immediately replied and shaking his head in Naruto's stupidity.

Naruto understood and mentally nodded his head at the giant fox. His mind then remembered his father being the fourth Hokage and his mother being of the Uzumaki clan. He wondered why wouldn't his Jiji and toad-Jiji tell him. Maybe I'm still too young; I shouldn't know, Naruto thought, scratching his cheek.

His movements around the bed made the old Hokage slowly open his eyes. When he saw Naruto was awake, his face smiled, and he went to hug him.

Naruto felt happy and hugged him back but still had questions on his mind. He slowly pulled away.

"Naruto my boy, how are you?" The third Hokage asked, still concerned.

Naruto nodded his head that he was alright, but the third could see something was bothering him. He sighed and looked at Naruto's eyes.

"Tell me what's wrong?" He asked, his voice low. Naruto looked at his tiny hands almost in shame; he slowly lowered his head; he could remember that he killed the shinobi, Naruto still could remember his blood coming out of his chest and mouth. Him in the ground, trying to breathe and moving his body around. His life slowly left his body. Naruto felt his hands slowly shaking at the memory.

"I . . . I . . . I killed h - him," he stuttered slowly, his voice low as a whisper, his voice fragile almost like broken glass. The third understood and put his hand on Naruto's chin. He slowly raised his head to look at his Jiji. He expected his Jiji to be angry at him, maybe calling him like everyone else 'A Demon', but he did none of that.

Naruto could feel and see the sadness in Jiji's face and sorrow.

"I'm sorry you had to do that Naruto, but you shouldn't think of yourself as a monster or anything because you protected yourself. I'm not angry at you and never would be. Listen, in the shinobi world, killing is part of the job. But we do that to help people. To help the people we love," The old Hokage said, his voice speaking of experience. He would have waited to explain this to Naruto when he was much older.

Naruto's face brightened up; his blue eyes looked to be shining again. He said nothing as his eyes looked at the trees outside the window. Silence took over the room. Naruto thought about what his Jiji said.

Naruto slowly stood up from the bed and walked to the window; he opened it and let the fresh air come inside. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he felt at peace, the birds singing outside, the leaves sound as the wind moved to pass them. The wind hit his face.

He opened his eyes again and turned back to see his Jiji in the chair smiling at him. Naruto decided to talk to his Jiji about his parents and Kurama.