Just Smile: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 43: Abyss

"You want to die too, huh?" What? 

Yugao dropped her blade in pure shock at what the son of the Fourth Hokage said in a sad tone. What did he mean by 'too'? "What?" She said aloud. Naruto gave her a sad smile. 

"Yugao-chan," He spoke gently and carefully as he said her real name and not her codename. "I know how you feel." Anger swirled inside the woman once again and she glared at Naruto.

"You know nothing!" She screamed, letting out all of her wayward emotions. "You don't know what it's like to love someone so much and in a single night lose them all!" As soon as the words left her mouth she instantly regretted it, finally realizing who she was talking to. 

Naruto Namikaze, the man who had lost everything not once, but twice. 

"I-" She began, trying to apologize but was cut off as Naruto plucked her wooden mask, a grin on his face. 

"Don't." He said with a chuckle. "Just let it all go. I'm not saying forget Hayate, he was a good man and a damn good shinobi. But if he saw you on this suicidal track then what do you think he would think of it?" Yugao looked at the blonde as she felt like she had just been slapped across the face. 

"He would be disappointed." Naruto clucked his tongue. 

"Ding ding ding, he would. You and I are similar in a way, ya know? I want to make those who I've lost proud of me. I want to become the person they would want me to be and I'm sure Hayate wants you to become the person who you were meant to be, whether he was present or not." Yugao's hands covered her heart as she sank to her knees, her mask falling to the ground as tears streamed like rivers over her pale cheeks, hitting the dirt. 

"I just miss him so much," She choked out. She wasn't able to speak any further, afraid she would completely break down in front of the strongest shinobi in her village. Naruto knelt down and wrapped her in a hug. 

"I know." He whispered in her ear. "Let it all out. I won't tell anyone, I promise. Just. . ." He felt her grip tighten around him as she returned the hug. "Let it out." 

Then the first of many wails of hidden pain erupted from Yugao's throat as Naruto held her in his comforting arms. 

"I refuse to attack or arrest Naruto Namikaze, I'm sorry, Hokage-sama." Tsunade gave Yugao a pitied look and looked down at her desk. 

"I'll let it go this once," Tsunade spoke. "You are free to disobey this order if any of you so wish, but it will be the only order of mine you will ever be allowed to refuse. If you refuse any orders after this one, you will be jailed and charged with treason." 

Yugao nodded and disappeared in a Body Flicker. Tsunade then turned to the remaining Anbu. "Do what you need to do. If you must kill him then make sure you don't damage his body too much, he holds too many secrets within that body of his." 

"At once, Hokage-sama." He then disappeared. 

Tsunade then looked to Kakashi and Sai. "Go find Anko and Sasuke, I have no doubt they'll find him first." Kakashi and Sai saluted and dashed off to find Naruto. Tsunade grabbed a bottle of sake from her desk and quickly took a gulp of the liquid, enjoying the burn her throat experienced as it traveled to her stomach. 

"Bring it," She muttered under his breath. 

Naruto stood on top of his father's stone head, gazing upon the village he had sworn loyalty to when he was only seven-years-old. He had succeeded in what he planned to do. He had saved Anko. 

He saved her. 

It had been an entire day since the destruction of Mist and Naruto hadn't slept since he had made his decision. Beside him, sat Indra.