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McAwzome: You will see McAwzome, you will see.
Naruto sat against the wall stone wall eyeing his tenant. Kurama had literally doubled in size due to the fact that his two halves were now reunited. Naruto had thought Kurama was impressive in size when he was only half a being, considering he was the same size as the other tailed beasts but now he dwarfed the other tailed beasts. Naruto was pretty much speechless at the sheer size of his furry friend. He never noticed that his own mouth hung open at the sight.
"This is all it takes to impress you? And here I thought that you were an extraordinary human." Kurama chuckled when Naruto's mouth snapped shut before a mischievous grin spread across his lips.
"Well Sakura always tells me that I'm extraordinary, unlike you Fluffy!" Naruto laughed at Kurama's reaction to Sakura's nickname for the demon fox. It irked the fox to no end when Sakura would refer to him like that.
"Even after you brought Sakura into you mind she still referred to me as Fluffy." Kurama groaned remembering how Naruto and Sakura had perfected a technique that allowed Naruto to enter his mindscape with Sakura. They had become so proficient with it that Sakura could enter Naruto's mind by herself through contact. After she enters the mind then Naruto is free to move around, contact was only needed to allow her in. The two Uzumakis usually used the technique to talk in private or just to spend time together when they were having a busy day, considering that 1 second in reality was over a day in his mind.
"Oh yeah! THAT was funny. I still remember her looking at you and declaring that your name was Fluffy from then on. I've never seen a Tailed Beast embarrassed until that day!" Naruto was practically crying from laughter at the memory of the event. Kurama rolled his eyes before plopping down and speaking.
"As much as I enjoy our chats, your wife and pretty much everyone else is worried so get out of your mind. Even I fear your wife's wrath so you should hurry."
Naruto groaned at the feeling of being expelled from his own mind. He silently cursed the Kyuubi before he felt a pair of arms stretch around him. He glanced down into the tangle of pink hair before he hugged her back. He looked around to take in his surroundings and noticed that they were in one of the many medical carts. He looked at the foot of his bed to see his son lying in another bed. His concern skyrocketed when he saw the other members of Team 7 in beds and heard his wife sniffle.
"Hey Sakura what's wrong?" He cupped her chin and tilted her head up. He immediately lost himself in the emerald eyes of his wife. He noticed how exhausted she looked and could tell that she had most likely lost some patients under her watch. Naruto knew how torn up she got when she couldn't save someone. He just pulled her closer to him and she broke down completely.
"So...so many died...I've lost 10 under...under my watch...I...I failed 10 families. T-" Naruto cut her off by placing a finger to her lips. He knew how she felt. He had been the same way when Sasuke had "died". He just pulled her close and spoke.
"Sakura don't. You haven't failed anyone. I felt the same darkness creep over me when we thought Sasuke died but do you know who saved me?" His blue oceans met her tear filled green eyes. "You did Sakura. You pulled me from that all consuming darkness. Now I intend to repay the favor." He just pulled her close again after his statement and waited until her breath evened out before he let sleep claim him.
Akio was having a good day. She had been working in the hospital ever since her former patient, Riku Uchiha, had awoken from his coma. Now she had been charged with watching Hinata Hyuuga. The request had come from her friend, and the Hokage's wife, Sakura Uzumaki. They had remained good friends after Riku woke up. She had found out that she was actually the only civilian and that group of friends. She had also become a friend to the Hokage and had befriended Ino too.
Today she had just returned from a relaxing 3 day vacation so of course she was having a good day. She reached Hinata's door and knocked gently before speaking.
"Hinata I'm coming in ok?" She waited fof a response but didn't hear anything. She opened the door and gasped at the sight. She ran into the room to check on the doctor there before she seen him walking through the hospital. Today. Akio shot up and turned around to see said "doctor" finish a hand sign. She immediately felt tired and realized that she was falling asleep standing. As she fell her eyes began to water thinking about the fact that she failed her friend.
The assassin glanced down and, satisfied with his work, slapped a genjutsu seal onto the inside of the room before he left. The client had specifically wanted Naruto Uzumaki to discover the body and paid a small fortune for that extra task. He was going to make damn sure that it was completed perfectly.
-2 days later-
Naruto was ecstatic when Konoha's gates came into view of the convoy. When they got close enough they could see people rushing out to greet their loved ones and to give them a hero's welcome. Naruto felt a pang of sorrowwhen several people began to call out names that Naruto recognized as names of the fallen. He felt Sakura wrap her hand in his for comfort. He squeezed her hand and gently pulled her closer to him.
"Remember Sakura, war kills people. It's a fact o-" his statement was cut off when a searing pain ripped through his injured leg causing him to collapse in absolute agony.
"Naruto!" Sakura dropped to her knees next to him as she examined his leg, running glowing green hands over the area he was clutching on to. As she examined the injury she thought was healed her look began to get more and more panicked.
"I need a medical squad and a poison removal squad on standby at the hospital ASAP!" If the situation hadn't been so bad then e everyone present would have been laughing when Sakura picked up their Hokage bridal style and jumped away.
Sakura had seen this same poison in 2 of her dead patients and she would be damned before her husband joined that list.
By the time they had reached the hospital, Sakura was fuming at her "poisoned" husband. He had jumped out of her arms and leapt across the rooftops with her. When she asked for an explanation Naruto had told her that the poison was actually unstable Kyuubi chakra that had been injected directly though injuries. Kurama had finally stabilized the chakra which explained how he was fine again.
Sakura told the squads what happened and they went to treat the wounded soldiers.
"So Naruto do you want to come with me to check on Hinata? I'm shre Akio is there right now and you haven't talked to her in forever. Come on please!" She began to tug on his hand like an excited school girl causing Naruto to laugh and allowed his wife to lead him through the hospital unti they came to Hinata's room. Naruto threw open the door and stopped.
"No... no no no no NO!" Naruto started forward but stopped when it registered that she was headless. He turned away and seen the genjutsu tag. He peeled it off and destroyed it. Sakura embraced Naruto as he started to cry. They moved outside of the room and Naruto just collapsed against the wall. A team of nurses came running down the hall to respond to Sakura's call. She just silently pointed towards the room and continued to hold onto Naruto.
Eventually he had no more tears to shed. By this time all of their friends had arrived. They had finished securing Rykuga and had come to check on Naruto and found him like this. Now he silently stood up and entered the room to read the message that the nurses had told him about.
To Naruto,
If you are reading this ten you have defeated my student, the Reaper. I congratulate you on your victory but now I present you with another challenge, another opponent: Me. Now you don't know me but I know you. You are the challenge I have yet to overcome so I intend to rectify that. I give you 2 years to make everyone stronger. Use those 2 years wisely because as of now none of you stand a chance. I finish this letter with your first challenge: the men who assassinated your friend are still there. Good luck.
Your Challenge.
"Everyone be on high alert! We have enemies in the Leaf!"
"Rasengan!"
The last assassin turned and the Rasengan hit him in the face. Naruto wiped away the blood spatter and turned to leave. They had captured one assassin and thats all Naruto needed. He put a kill on sight order on the rest. Now they were interrogating the capturex man so Naruto left it in Ino's capable hands.
He was going to find out who did this even if it was the last thing he did.
A man with one black eye and one white sat thinking to himself.
'Well Naruto Uzumaki how will you respond to this' He laughed to himself before he spoke.
"Naruto our time is coming and I will be the victor. You will die within the next 3 years. That I promise."
End of Book 1
AN: Well there it is, the final chapter. Thank you, so much, to everyone that has stuck with me through this story! I will be putting the next book out soon. If you wish to read it I will be putting it out within the next 4 days. Thank you again to everyone. Enjoy!
UPDATE: The next book is out and is titled The Play Begins.