Embers of a Burning Sky

First Chapter

This--

This was unprecedented. 

Unfathomable,

Unrealistic,

Impossible even, yet here it was. Laying innocently on the desk: staring with deep, blue eyes... 

A baby.

A polished, red fingernail finds its way between crimson lips as the woman behind the desk thinks. She stands, the chair falling to the floor in her haste, and picks up the bundle before storming violently from the room.

She rushes through the halls and out into the open air, the tension building as her strides quicken.

~ ~ ~

All eyes are captivated by her; a vision with blonde hair, tied in neat pigtails; her stride sure and confident. 

One of the three Sannin. 

A medical genius. 

The Hokage of Konoha, Village of Leaves:

Lady Tsunade. 

~ ~ ~

Tears fall from his face as he cries, teeth gritted in agony;

"Why!? Why did Gaara have to die like this?"

He stumbles closer, stopping near the still-warm body of the deceased,
"You're the Kazekage, dammit...! You just became the Kazekage!" 

"Calm yourself, Uzumaki Naruto."
Chiyo's voice is tired and breaking but it doesn't stop the reaction; Naruto rounds on the woman, tears flying and face contorted in sorrow and anger;

"SHUT UP!"
He rages, voice hoarse with his tears,
"It's your fault! If you dammed Sand shinobi hadn't put that monster inside him, this would have never happened! Do you have any idea what kind of burden he carried!?"

There was silence from the surrounding Ninja as they bow their heads in shame.

"Damn the Jinchuuriki..." he begins again, his sniffles interupting his anger, "You have no right to act like you're better. To label us... use us..."

His legs falter, shifting in the soft grass under him as he cries, fat tears leaking into the soil. 

He tries to choke back his tears. 

Tries to accept that he's lost another friend;
This time an equal. Someone who had experienced loneliness. Someone shunned... someone with the same affliction as him.

"I couldn't save Sasuke... I couldn't save Gaara... I trained for three years, and nothing has changed..."