Chapter 18: An Uneasy Truce
The world was a wasteland. A massive, semi-circular scar, miles wide, was carved into the earth—a testament to Deidara's final, failed masterpiece. High in the sky, a lone clay dragon beat its wings, its rider staring down at the devastation, his spirit as broken as his crushed arm(the one Gaara destroyed in their battle)
"How...?" Deidara whispered, his voice trembling, not with rage, but with the hollow shock of an artist whose life's philosophy had been proven utterly meaningless. "My... masterpiece..."
Down below, in the single, pristine circle of untouched ground, Naruto looked up. He shifted the massive weight of Nozarashi on his shoulder, his expression one of profound disappointment. He had expected a challenge, a thrill, a climactic end to a worthy opponent. All he got was a loud noise and a lot of dust.
He channeled his golden Reiatsu into the blade, the jagged edge humming with power. With a single, fluid motion, he swung.
"Kenshō."
A colossal wave of cutting pressure, silent and impossibly fast, shot towards the heavens. It wasn't aimed to kill; it was a statement. A dismissal.
Deidara glared down one last time, his face a canvas of grief and utter defeat. In the next instant, he and his dragon vanished, retreating into the clouds.
His attack continued its inexorable course, slicing through the clouds and disappearing over the horizon, a golden scar across the evening sky. He let out a sigh, adjusting the massive weight of Nozarashi on his shoulder. The Shikai was his new normal, a constant companion and a heavy reminder of his true nature.
"Well," Yachiru said, popping up beside him. "He was all sizzle and no steak, huh, Kenny?"
"He was boring," Naruto corrected, his voice flat. He turned his gaze toward the direction Yachiru had taken Gaara. "Let's go."
When they arrived, the scene was not one of celebration. A large contingent of Suna shinobi, including a recovered Kankuro and his sister Temari, had gathered. The atmosphere was somber, heavy with a grief that Naruto recognized immediately. In the center of the crowd, Gaara stood tall, his eyes clear and his body revitalized. Beside him, Lady Chiyo lay peacefully, a faint smile on her face.
So that's how it is, Naruto thought, his expression unreadable. She gave her life for his.
The Suna ninja paid their respects, their quiet murmurs a eulogy for the woman who had saved their Kazekage. After the solemn rites were concluded, Gaara approached Naruto. For a long moment, the two Jinchuriki, the two friends, simply looked at each other, an entire conversation passing between them without a single word.
"Thank you, Naruto," Gaara said finally, his voice steady.
"Don't thank me," Naruto replied, his gaze flickering to Chiyo's body. "Thank her."
Gaara nodded slowly. He extended his hand. "The offer still stands. You will always have a home in Sunagakure."
Naruto looked at the offered hand and, after a moment's hesitation, clasped it firmly. It was the same handshake from two years ago, a promise between two lonely souls who found solace in each other's existence. "I'll keep that in mind," Naruto said.
With a final, meaningful look, Gaara turned and led his people away, beginning the long, somber journey home.
And then, there was silence. An awkward, suffocating silence.
Naruto stood alone, Yachiru on his shoulder, facing the shinobi of Konoha. Kakashi, Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Guy, Lee, Neji, and Tenten. They were a crowd of familiar faces that now felt like strangers.
Sakura was the first to break. She stepped forward, her hands clenched at her sides, her head bowed. "Naruto... I..." Her voice was thick with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry. What I said to you... that day... it was the worst thing I've ever done. I was selfish, and I was cruel, and I threw away our friendship because I was hurting. There's no excuse. I... I truly regret it."
Naruto listened, his expression a cold, impassive mask. He didn't offer forgiveness. He didn't offer anger. He offered nothing.
Lee stepped forward next, his usual fiery demeanor replaced by a desperate sincerity. "Naruto-kun! Please, return to the Leaf with us! Your youthful flame belongs in Konoha!"
Naruto finally turned his head, looking at Lee with a deadpan expression. "Why?" he asked, the single word colder than any winter wind. "Why should I return to a village that spit on me for thirteen years? A village that celebrated my loneliness? Give me one good reason."
The question silenced them all. What reason could they possibly give?
"Because despite all that, there are people there who care about you," Kakashi said, his voice quiet but firm. "Iruka-sensei. The Ichirakus. Your friends." He paused, his gaze heavy.
A savage, humorless grin stretched across Naruto's face. It was a terrifying sight. "Kakashi? Does that include you?" He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a low, menacing whisper. "Then tell me... where were you? You were my sensei. You knew my father. You were supposed to be there. Why weren't you?"
Kakashi's expression crumbled. The confident, aloof Jonin vanished, replaced by a man drowning in a sea of ghosts. Guy, watching his rival, felt a pang of sympathy. Kakashi... he's carried so much loss. His father... Obito... Rin... Lord Fourth...
Kakashi finally looked up, his visible eye filled with a pain so profound it was startling. "Because I was a coward," he said, the admission raw and agonizing. "I was a child who lost everyone. My mother... gone before I truly knew her. My father... a hero who took his own life, leaving me with nothing but shame and confusion. My teammate, Obito, gave his life—and his eye—to save me. My other teammate, Rin... died on my own hand, impaled on my Chidori because I was too weak to protect her. And then... your parents. My sensei. The man I looked up to more than anyone. Gone, in a single night."
He let out a shuddering breath. "Every person I ever cared about died. I was broken, Naruto. I was convinced I was cursed, that anyone I got close to was doomed. I couldn't even look after myself, let alone the legacy of the man who had given me everything. I thought keeping my distance... was the only way to keep you safe from me." He finally looked Naruto in the eye, his own filled with tears. "It was a pathetic excuse. I know that now. I should have tried. For you, for them... I should have been there. And I'm sorry."
The group stood in stunned silence. They had never seen their sensei so vulnerable, so utterly broken. Sakura and Ino had tears streaming down their faces, understanding for the first time the true depth of the pain their cool, detached teacher had hidden for so long. Shikamaru and Choji looked away, an uncomfortable weight settling on them. Neji's usual stoicism was cracked, a flicker of empathy in his eyes.
Naruto sighed, the sound heavy, and the savage grin was gone, replaced by a weary understanding. "If our roles were reversed," he said quietly, "and you were the one left alone... I would have been there for you."
Kakashi's head sank, the words a heavier blow than any physical strike.
"But," Naruto continued, and everyone looked up, "I understand. "I'll go back to Konoha."
A wave of collective relief washed over the group.
"But make no mistake," Naruto's voice hardened again. "I'm not doing it for the village. I'm not doing it for you. I'm sticking around for a while, that's it."
"Well," Kakashi managed a weak, tired smile. "That's better than you not returning at all."
Naruto turned, his cold gaze falling on Sakura one last time. "I made you a promise," he said, his expression unreadable. "I told you I'd bring Sasuke back." He paused. "I always keep my promises."
Sakura could only nod, speechless. The others exchanged looks, a mix of hope, fear, and uncertainty. Naruto was coming back, but he wasn't the same. This wasn't a homecoming; it was the return of a storm.
As he turned to begin the long walk back, Naruto's thoughts drifted, a single name echoing in his mind. I'm coming for you, mummy-wrapped bastard. Danzo.
A few days later, they arrived at the main gate of Konohagakure.
Izumo and Kotetsu, the eternal gate guards, were dozing in their chairs. As the large group approached, they straightened up, their eyes widening as they did a headcount.
"Kakashi-san, Guy-san, welcome back!" Izumo said, before his gaze fell on the figure at the center of the group. His jaw dropped. "N-Naruto...?"
Kotetsu blinked, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. "No way... It can't be."
Naruto didn't even glance at them. He walked past the gate, his steps silent and sure, re-entering the village that had cast him out.
The storm had come home.