Understated { OP / Dark Naruto AU }

He's Called Death

When the tall, lean, neon haired, crystal blue eyed teen with three shallow cuts going from jaw to mid cheek on each side of his face, opened the large door to the monarchs room, he wasn't expecting it to be much. He'd been pouting thoroughly on the way there, until he saw the grim expression worn by the others in the room.

Naruto had been a ninja since he was twelve, he was sixteen then, so he'd seen his fair share of death. More than any other ninja his age in Konoha, excluding Sasuke of course. Naruto chewed his cheek at the thought of Sasuke, a bitterness settling over his tastebuds as he remembered the rainy day when Sasuke took the small blade known as a kunai, and slashed it across his own ninja headband, desecrating the hidden leaf village and renouncing his citizenship.
Naruto flung himself back into reality. Staring blankly at the dark faces, he finally spoke up.

"What's the big idea? I was sleeping!" He said jokingly, but the mood only seemed to get heavier.

"Take a seat Naruto." Tsunade, the Hokage, or the leader of the village politely ordered. She brushed her soft blond hair from her face, which was painted with heavy make- up.

"There's no chairs, what do ya' expect me to do? Sit on air?" Naruto tested with another joke, but his smile was quickly cut short when Sakura, a ninja of the hidden leaf that was on the same team as him and Sasuke, sat next to him on the floor and patted the area next to her for him to sit down.

"Seriously guys, what's going on?" Naruto asked with a twinge of seriousness as he ignored the offer to sit himself on the ground.

"Just come out with it." He said sternly after another few minutes of silence.

"Look this ain't worth my-"

"It's Jiraiya. He was on a covert mission in the Hidden Rain. We never even thought that there could be a threat there that was strong enough to kill him, but we were wrong. I-Im sorry Naruto. Nobody could've predicted this."

When Jiraiya was mentioned, Naruto's blood ran cold as his heart began to beat sporadically. When Tsunade continued on, he could feel his heart clenching in his chest. It was painful, like he was having a heart attack. For a second Naruto thought he actually was, before he quickly calmed down to his usual self.

"Oh." He said, then spun on his heel and walked out the door, letting it slam behind him.

Nobody followed him, and he was happy with that as he ran though the crowded streets of Konoha, fixing his jacket collar that fell every couple of seconds, and ramming through the pods of people walking on the dirt roads. His sandals clapped against his feet as he sprinted past his apartment, and into the forest nearby. As a child he was told that entry into the forest was prohibited unless he had a ninja partnered with him, but later there was no doubt about his strength, and his ability to protect himself in the many vulnerable situations he could catch himself under in that forest.

After running a solid mile in, Naruto sputtered to a stop and climbed a thick branched tree, sat himself down on the highest point he could, and pulled off his jacket.

He flipped the sleeve inside out and turn it to make the tag placed there visible. Yes, it was extremely uncomfortable to have a tag there, but his master, Jiraiya, had left his signature there as a reminder to Naruto to always keep him in his memories.
Naruto hugged the jacket close to him, and began to struggle at holding back the tears that were rushing from his eyes. He's really dead. I can't see him anymore. He's gone forever. No more of his laughing, or pranks and jokes, just a bitter memory of his death. Naruto thought.

He was struggling to hold the mass emotions taking over his brain, and breaking down in the process. Nothing could've prepared him for the death of the person closest to him, his father by  choice. Though Naruto wouldn't have ever called him that until today.
"F-Father-" He whispered as he clutched the jacket more tightly. Letting his tears roll down his cheeks and plop onto the wood of the tree in unison.