Chapter 39

Minato jumped away from Ino as she swiped at his chest. Menma came soaring in, kicking her away and quickly blocked Naruto's strike. Naruto dodged his counter and put him in a choke hold then he gently pushed him forward when Kushina's chain came flying out of the water.

Kushina stopped the strike just before it punctured Menma's chest. They both breathed sighs of relief until Naruto dropped back down and kicked Menma back over to her. He immediately had to jump back when Minato came rushing towards him. He leaped away, it was too late when he realized Minato was leading him away intentionally. Leaving Ino alone with those two again. Clever.

Staring off against him again, they rushed forward. Minato had one last tri-pronged kunai. He slashed at Naruto who leaned out of the way of it. He countered with a quick jab to Minato's chin. Minato blinked it off and slashed again, receiving two more jabs before he even brought his arm back. Going for an overhead slash, Naruto stuck his arm up and pushed his forearm up against Minato's wrist.

With his body exposed, Naruto kneed him in the gut. Minato coughed up spittle and dropped the Kunai, letting it fall behind the redhead. As soon as he let it go, he flashed to it, appearing behind him. Naruto expected it and turned to catch Minato's wrist. When he did, he spun the other way and kicked the man in the chest. Minato was sent skipping across the water like a rock. Naruto flashed to the Kunai in Minato's hand and appeared behind him. He stuck his knee out, causing Minato to hit his back incredibly hard.

Minato's face contorted in a grimace and just before he sunk down into the water, Naruto grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and tossed him again. He was sent skidding in the direction of the other three who were still hard at the battle. Naruto looked over and noticed that, even though she was holding her own, Ino was losing. Figuring his father had enough, he began walking that way.

As soon as he took that first step, he was kicked in the face. His back hit the water and he quickly flipped back up to see his father still standing. He was on his last legs and it didn't look like he had much left in him anymore. Minato wobbled back and forth on his feet, but the fire in his eyes remained.

Taking a deep breath, he rushed forward again. Naruto bobbed and weaved his unprofessional strikes with ease. It felt more like fighting a drunken brawler at this point. He grabbed his fist and used the bottom of his palm to push his nose back into his head painfully. Minato stumbled back disoriented by the strike. Before he could right himself, Naruto kicked him in the stomach, sending him to his knees.

"You have more fight than I thought you would Tou-san." Naruto said looking down at him. "I expected nothing less from the Yellow Flash." He said as he began to step around him. Minato reached out and grabbed Naruto's ankle painfully. He couldn't let him go yet.

Naruto could have simply lifted his leg and continued on, but there was something about the action itself that made him stop. He looked down and noticed how he was slowly sinking into the water. He tilted his head, wondering what it was that was keeping him going. He grabbed Minato's wrist and pulled his body from the rippling water. He stared at his beaten expression in wonder. There was nothing left in him. He wasn't dead yet or anywhere close to it, but he was too tired to continue fighting. He didn't have the reserves for this water front battle.

"Naruto!" yelled Ino from the distance. Naruto turned that way to see that they had finally subdued her. Kushina had her wrists impaled with her chakra chains and she was left dangling by her arms. With the sword now in Menma's hands. Naruto stared at them for a few seconds before dropping Minato back into the water. He struggled to just keep his head afloat any longer. Seeing him coming, Menma made his decision quickly and stabbed her through the heart.

Her eyes shot open wide and she gasped at the sharp pain. In a flash of red, Naruto kicked Menma away, and grabbed onto Ino. The chakra chains dispersed as Kushina ran for the drowning Minato. There was a piece of land shallow enough for him to stand in so Kushina and Boruto carried him there. It wasn't too far from Ino and Naruto.

Naruto offered her absolutely no words of comfort. She was now choking on her own blood and he just watched her pleading eyes. He was holding her body above water though. Slowly, Ino's breathing began to slow ever so slightly and tears left her eyes. "Shh-shh-shh." Naruto whispered down to her. "You were always but an empty doll… You served your purpose." He said heartlessly, shutting her eyes for her. The others heard his parting words and were absolutely appalled. How cruel could he be?

When the life finally left Ino's eyes, Naruto gently pushed her body down. As it filled with water, she began to sink towards the bottom. No parting words said, and no cries of sympathy from the man she claimed to love with all of her heart. Naruto used the water to wash the blood from his hands as he stood up.

He began walking over to them ever so slowly. When he finally came within range, he stared across the way at his exhausted looking father and his angry brother. "Now, a true family death match." He said with a casual tone as if he didn't care in the slightest that his companion had just died. "No more distractions." He said.

"…What the hell is wrong with you?" Menma asked him with clear anger bubbling in his tone.

Naruto shrugged. "Too many things Otouto… too many things." He said slowly. "Well, while we're waiting for Tou-san to regain some energy, how about a little insight?" he asked dropping down so that he was just standing in the water and not wasting energy.

"Insight into what?" Menma asked. "What more could you have?" he was mentally exhausted from listening to Naruto's ramblings all day. What more could he possibly have to talk about now?

"After the attack on the leaf, I went to visit an old friend if you will. Not really much of a friend but…" he said shrugging his shoulders. "He is a man who sought more than what everyone believed he did. Including myself. For so long I thought him to be a selfish man with nothing but his own interests in mind. Come to find out, you don't truly know who a man is, until he's on his death bed. I've known this all too well."

"What the hell are you rambling about now?" Menma asked, clearly getting frustrated by his cryptic speech pattern.

Naruto smirked and waved his hands across the water. "The people we face in our lives.. never truly show who they are until they are forced to do so… could I tell you a little story while we wait?" he asked not receiving an answer. He shrugged and continued on.

A panther… and a tiger… two unlikely companions found a friendship rooted deep within the confines of secrecy. The tiger was… a bit of a wild card. Having been scorned by the world too many times to bear, the striped beast grew spiteful in his thinking. Everything he saw or felt was looked at in the worse possible way. He plotted revenge against those that harmed him in the past. He wanted it so bad, even though he was but a cub. He knew hatred all too well.

Then one day, he met a panther cub… Even as young as they were, the panther walked with such grace and joy, that it made the tiger envious of that carefree life. For, the tiger was all alone in the world… and the panther had an entire family that depended on him. The tiger had no purpose, while the panther had the most. When they first spoke, the tiger was hell bent on convincing the panther that he should not be as happy as he was. Sure, he had family, and lots of friends, but where would that leave him when they were gone? Or when his usage ran out?

The panther just smiled and told the poor little confused tiger that… the world isn't always fair. So, you have to focus on what it does give you… instead of focusing on what it doesn't. From that day forth, the tiger changed his ways. Inspired by the sweet tongue of the panther, he vowed to be more like him, even when his surroundings didn't permit it. True to his words, the tiger cub lived his life, sticking to that belief. He believed it whole heartedly and had anyone tried to tell him different, he'd ignore it.

The panther and the tiger cubs were inseparable. Slowly, the tiger was drawn into the family of the dark furred cats and he was shown the same level of appreciation as the panther cub. He gained a friend and a family, just by focusing on the brighter things and ignoring the ugliness of life. He loved every second of being with them, but something about them always felt off. It was just a foreign feeling that he held dormant within his soul for many years.

As they grew, the cubs became beasts and started to defend their section of the jungle they called their home, and every creature within it. It was the first time in a long time that the tiger felt he had any purpose at all, so he took it with extreme gratitude. The two grew stronger together, each of them acting as the fuel to the others fire. That was how they grew.

Eventually, their lives began to ever so slightly drift apart when the panther found love. It was an expected thing of course, but the panther he fell in love with was a somewhat weaker fighter. She could not properly defend herself and as inevitable as it was in the world they lived in, she was captured by a… by a lion… a lion that everyone hated. For, he was the most selfish predator within the jungle.

The panther and the tiger went after her, and when they finally caught them, the lion gave the panther an ultimatum. He claimed he wanted to be entertained so he demanded they fight to the death. In their battle to end it all, the lion spoke of some kind of atrocious betrayal that the tiger couldn't understand. He was babbling on about the darkness of the jungle and how deceitful some of the creatures could be.

The stakes were raised when the tiger was forced to fight back due to… unknown reasons. As they repeatedly clashed, both going for the kill, the lion finally explained himself.. in a way. He told the tiger something that made him realize what it was he was trying to say. He told him, "As a child, making a friend is easy, which is why the tactic is so clever."

The tiger ended up killing the panther that day… unaware that by doing so… he unintentionally saved a jungle he no longer cared for. When he returned with the news of what had happened, he was ostracized by everyone. Even hearing the story and knowing he had no choice, he became a well-hated individual until he eventually became nothing. A prisoner… within his own mind, trapped in isolation.

For years he remained just as he was… a lone beast, hating the world and thinking up ways to make a difference. But, all those years, he remembered the words of that lion. Wondering what they could have meant. He had a hunch, but he couldn't understand why. An end to his isolation came and he traveled the jungle, in search of the necessary things he needed to toss a stone in the pond.

When he retrieved these things, he began his deeds, doing things he would have never thought he'd do. Once again, his name was known in hatred, and he was ostracized by many. He eventually found his way back to his section of the jungle with the band of misfits he acquired and attack his own people. After that, he went to greet an old friend… well, still not really a friend, but you know…

He returned to the lion with that one question in mind. After all these years, the lion remained alive. The tiger demanded the answer to the question that had plagued his mind for so many years as it ate him apart. The lion said he had no issue divulging that information if the tiger was able to defeat him in a fight to the death. After a hard fought battle of two hated individuals, the lion finally divulged the information.

The panther's innocence was a fraud. He had only chosen the tiger as a friend for the sake of drawing him in. The panther's family had a plan. They had been silently recruiting other families to enact a… take over… if you will. You see, they felt that the jungle was not being ruled the right way. The tiger's actual family had been the ones to lead the jungle for the past few years, and their leadership was lax. For they spent too much time on trivial matters rather than taking an actual interest in the needs of the jungle.

Unintentionally on the tiger's part, he and the lion prevented a war all those years ago… The lion was responsible for taking the panthers heart, knowing that he would come after her. He was the strongest member of the panther's family, and the key to tilting the balance of power to their favor… That was the reason the tiger was ostracized so profusely upon his return and his tale. Not because he killed their family member, but because he destroyed their weapon, and it'd be years before the next one would be ready.

Even the people unaware of the apparent take over disregarded him as nothing more than a common beast. They hated him, because he prevented a war… granted they had no idea, it's just sort of ironic. But… there was still one thing bothering the tiger. The lion had been hated by all, so why go through that trouble to save people that would have much rather seen him dead?

The lion's reasoning was because he was going to be the one that brought the jungle to its knees, not that sneaky pack of panthers. No, it would be him. The villain of the jungle saved the animals within it… for a selfish reason, but he did save them nonetheless.

"And that's what you don't yet understand little brother. All of your knowledge is derived from the likes of these, heroically seen individuals. You embody these beliefs of courage, power, and self-sacrifice because you crave endearment." Naruto said. "But, you have to understand, there's a lot to learn from the words of a man who lurks in the shadows of righteousness."

Menma shook his head vehemently. "No… no-no-no, you're lying." He said, trying to convince himself more than anyone. Minato and Kushina were silent, thinking about what Naruto had said. The characters were obvious, but how could they possibly know if the story were true or not?

Minato, having finally recovered some amount of strength finally spoke up. "You believe that?" he asked him looking directly into the holes of his mask.

Naruto stared right back at him. "Perhaps I shouldn't, given his track record. But, I do because of something I remember from back then. My uh… 'best friend's' last words were what solidified it." He said looking out towards the water.

With a sword through his chest, Itachi's bloodied and beaten face rested on Naruto's shoulder. His onyx eyes looking at the tips of his blonde hair. Coughing out more blood, he grimaced, feeling the sword shaking within his body. With a shaky voice, barely even audible, he leaned into Naruto's ear. "… Before I go… remember my name… it was the only thing real in this friendship…"

Naruto's eyes expanded in realization of what that meant. His grip on the sword loosened, until his hands dropped to his sides. Who was this? Who was this man on his shoulder?

"I'm… sorry."

The wait slipped off of his shoulder and with a thud, his best friend was gone. He stared at the wall in front of him, like a projector within his mind, he played out the scenes of their best moments. The training, the talks they've had, the book he was given on his twelfth birthday…

He dropped to his knees and hunched over with his hands supporting his weight. A slow trail of blood slipped into his line of sight and he stared back at his reflection. A tear slipped from his eye and splashed down into the red liquid, causing it to ripple ever so slightly.

A slow chuckle caught his attention, being accented by a slow rhythmic clapping. "And then there was one." Orochimaru said with a slithery tone as he stood up. Naruto then just realized why he did what he did. He looked up and flinched when the snake Sanin slit the throat of the bound and gagged Izumi.

The crying of his sister caught his attention and he crawled in that direction. "mi-… Mito." He called out desperately. When he finally looked her way, the crying stopped and her face began to distort into the image of that man. The well-known shinobi of Kusagakure, One hundred transformation Kazan.

"You did well Naruto." Orochimaru praised. "It was a noble thing you've done today… You'll realize one day." He said before disappearing into the back room being followed by the rogue shinobi.

Naruto was left there in the barrier, next to the dead bodies of his only two friends.

"What does that prove?" Menma asked, not understanding how that explained anything.

Naruto sighed and looked back over to him. "On my twelfth birthday, Itachi gave me a book… It was called 'On the Nature of Betrayal'… a drama that depicted the falsified friendship between a spy and his target… 'Before I go, remember my name. It was the only thing real in this friendship.'" He said quoting the book just as Itachi had all those years ago. "I feel a little foolish now. He gave me that almost like a joke between him and his family. Played me for a fool the whole time. All to produce another shinobi of Itachi's caliber and have him join their cause…"

Menma shook his head again. "No… no even so. That would've died along with Itachi." He said trying to poke holes in the story. "You said he was the key to tilting the power struggle so with him gone, there would be no more plan." He argued.

Naruto just shrugged his shoulders. "You're being played for a fool Menma." He said shaking his head. "Tou-san… you know it as well… Remember that day on the balcony? When you wanted to talk to me after the three year training and all that?" he asked.

Minato stared at the water before him, recalling the conversation. Of course he remembered.

"When I told you 'Those two will become something amazing one day'… 'That's a lot how Itachi and I were…'."

Oh yes, Minato was getting the hint. He couldn't voice it, but he knew what Naruto was saying. "… How do you know all of this?" he asked, not understanding where Naruto was pulling all of this information from.

Naruto shrugged again. "I overthrew a very disappointing leader for his army of Shinobi village haters and he had a very extensive spy network. Dedicated nuke ninja who were woven deeply within the undergrounds of their respective villages." He said casually. "I got this information from piecing together the bits and pieces I had. What solidified it was the confirmation of a traitor among the group of traitors… a Hyuga if you'd believe it…"

"So… the Hyuga are against us as well?" Menma asked, clearly not enjoying the upsetting news. Naruto shrugged as if telling him he would believe what he wished. "God! Tou-san! You're not believing this right!?" he screamed at him.

Minato had no words for the moment. It was too much to comprehend. I mean, being gone for three years, half the village could have turned on them. What would give Naruto a reason to lie? He made it clear before they even started this that he was possibly going to die today. So, why would he lie?

"I… I don't know Menma…" he said sadly. Menma stared at him, completely appalled that he would even dare consider it after everything that's happened.

Naruto placed his palms on the surface of the violently shifting water and pushed up until his feet resurfaced. He stood back up onto the surface of the water, clearly ready to get back to the feet. "Well, believe what you will Menma. Heed my warning though. The life of a shinobi is shrouded in secrecy. For the sake of your wife, and your daughter… do what you must, even if for a slight chance you think what I'm saying could be true… don't risk it." He said

The three of them rose to the top of the water too and faced off against him, Menma's features completely distraught by the troubling news. Minato and Kushina stood a little further back behind him, staring at his back. Now, there was even more to worry about. Whether Naruto was telling the truth or not was not yet decided, but they would remain vigilant upon their return. Well, if they returned that is.