AN: This scene is from the latest Naruto Manga chapter. I'd like the premise so I'm using it as a springboard for my story. My ego needs stoking so please review. Oh, and no, I don't do humorous stories.

Chapter 11: Confessions and Decisions

"I love you." Those were her last words to him. He didn't know. For all those years, Hinata Hyuuga had just been a figure in the background to him—the strange girl who would always faint when he was near. But she was dead now, killed in front of him—another precious life he could not protect.

More than anything, he wanted her to be alive, wanting so desperately to be with her and ask her a world of questions.

Why do you love me? When did it happen? Why didn't you ever say anything?

But she was gone—taken from him like so many others: Jiraiya, Kakashi, Asuma, Haku…

He was weary of the fighting and the death, weary of the heartache. So many loved ones lost, so many more enemies to fight—a never ending cycle. And all Naruto Uzumaki wanted was an end to the game. He wanted to stop feeling so useless, so when the demon spoke of an end to the pain, Naruto felt his resolve slip.

"I can take your pain away," said the Demon fox, "just remove the seal, and I can bring you peace."

With all his soul, Naruto wanted to let go and give in to the demon's words.

But then a hand reached out and stopped him. Naruto was startled at first from the intrusion, but it was seeing the white cloak that shocked him. He had seen it many times before as a child—the famed white cloak of the Fourth Hokage—it proudly hung in the great hall of the Hokages—a testament to the strength of the will of fire.

How many times had he dreamed of donning that sacred cloth? He wasn't sure, but it was the inspiration for his own garb. And now. There it was. Along with the man.

"Naruto, it's good seeing you my son," spoke the Hokage. The last word struck him hard, harder than any punch.

What?" the shaken boy uttered, still dazed from the revelation. "Yes, my boy," the Fourth replied, "You are my son and I see you have grown to be a fine young man." For a moment, the boy is stunned, but years of repressed rage and anguish begin to stir, the source of his pain

"How can you be my father?" Naruto screamed, reclaiming his senses.

"There isn't time to explain, but please, understand, I did what I did to save you," his father tried to explain.

"Save me!? Do you know what it was like to grow up alone and hated for all of those years? To be hunted for having this thing inside me," Naruto bellowed, his finger pointing towards the caged demon.

"I am sorry my Son for the things you had to endure, but there is no time to explain. I can feel my city in ruin, I can feel your friends' life draining away, and I can feel the enemy still near. If we are to save them, we must act now."

The demon interjected, "Yes, we can save them all boy! I will give you my powers and you can tear down your enemies. Just release me and my power is yours!"

Naruto could feel the allure in the demon's promise. Turning to the dark cage, Naruto repeated the demon's words: "Power to tear down my enemies."

"Yes, so you can save them," the demon assured. The Fourth, feeling his son's heart aching, reached out to Naruto. With a low, but warm voice, he spoke: "Jiraiya wanted so very much to teach people that there was a better way of dealing with the hate than to fight, but he didn't know how. He didn't know he could help change the world, but he believed that you would find the way. We both believe that you can save this world using your own strength."

"If you had such power," snarled the demon, "why then is your village smoldering and your loved ones dead?"

The Fourth roared back, "Quiet demon! You know nothing of my son's heart! You know nothing of his pain and burden!"

"Do not dare speak to me the hard and cold of this world you insignificant creature! I have seen all the horrors and terrors of this mortal plane, for there is no dark place or realm of light that is too far removed for these eyes. With these eyes, I have seen the future and the past and all that is between. I have seen this earth burn and all screaming in agony until all that remained were ash and smoke," replied the demon, his voice dripping with malice and malcontent. But then with a softer tone, the demon continued, "So I know what it is needed to stop the carnage. Come Naruto of the Uzumaki, take my power and bend the world to your will."

Naruto looked to his father, hoping for guidance. With a warm smile, his father obliged. "I remember, watching through your eyes, a mission that you went on with that Shikamaru guy. Before you left the village, he took you and the rest of the team to the side and briefed you on his strategy. 'Kiba,' Shikamaru said, 'you'll take point and serve as our tracker.' Then he looked to that Neji fellow and told him that he'll take rear to guard against a sneak attack by the enemy. Then he turned to you and said, 'Naruto, you take the center.' Do you remember why?"

Naruto did remember. After all, it had to be one of his proudest moments because he was being recognized by his peers as a crucial member of the team. Naruto replied, "Yeah, he said that I was the heavy hitter, the knock out blow."

The Fourth smiled. "Yes, but do you recall what he said to you exactly?" he asked.

Naruto nodded his head affirmative. "I was the boom."

It seemed like the Fourth Hokage was glowing with pride, his smile wide and deep. "That was what Jiraiya said about your mother during one of our missions when we were just chunnins. She was so much like you. Not much on subtlety or detail, but man could she bring the boom. You're so much like her. She would be proud of the man you have become."

At first, Naruto felt at peace, the thought of his mother giving him great comfort. But his peace would not last long.

The demon, sensing the turning of the tide, spoke out.

"And where are your comrades now boy?"

Like shattering glass Naruto's courage crumbled. Images of the carnage left behind in the waking world flooded his mind, the smell of blood and burning wreckage caused him to gag, the horrible sound of Pein's blade piercing into Hinata's flesh filled his ears.

Before he knew it, Naruto was on the ground; his legs no longer had the strength to bear him. He could feel his heart being torn apart by the maelstrom of emotions he was experiencing. He wanted so desperately to honor the memory of his father and mother by saving them all, not just his friends or village, but everyone who had to suffer from war and conflict. He wanted to bring peace, but was Pein right? Could peace only be achieved through more bloodshed? If that was the case, then the demon could give him that power. He could be the one to end all the wars.

All he needed was more power. The sudden insight imbued him with strength.

With renewed vigor, Naruto began to reach out his hand, towards the seal, the demon ever watchful, his grin widening. "Yes boy, the power is yours to have…"

"I need more power."

Naruto recognized that voice; it gave him pause. No longer in the great pit where the demon lay, Naruto saw instead the waterfall that marked the end of Fire Country where the giant statutes of the great founders of the Leaf Village stood.

And there at the top of the falls stood the boy that had haunted his dreams for the past three years, but his visage was not of the youth that he remembered. In its stead was a face marred with black scars, red eyes—cold red eyes—staring at him with bloodlust.

"Sasuke—

A thunderous roar shook Naruto from his waking dream. "Boy! Power is almost yours. Don't stop."

Naruto remembered that it was the promise of power that had taken away his friend. Hadn't he sworn never to become like the Uchiha? But still, the allure of the demon's promise could not be denied.

He looked to his father again, hoping for an answer, but would find none. "I cannot make this choice for you Naruto. It is you and you alone that can make the decision."

Naruto felt his chest tightened, his ears filling with the roar of a thousand crashing waves. His head was dizzy, his slight blurring. "What am I supposed to do? Please, someone, tell me what to do?" he cried out, tears flowing freely from his eyes.

At the moment, when all seemed lost, he caught the scent of something distant—almost indiscernible, but not quite so—lavender.

"Your smile saved me…"

In a single burst of light, he saw her, standing before Pein.

"Hinata?" responded Naruto, the shock evident on his face.

Her hair was wild, swirling in the wind.

"I'm not afraid of dying to protect you…"

"Hinata," the name nearly choking him.

"because, I love you."

Words have power, especially hers. The moment the last syllable had been uttered, Naruto could feel his strength returned—the surge in power he felt was more energizing than the natural energy of his sage arts and more revitalizing than any technique that Tsunade could possess.

With her words, all could be accomplished—even the world could be made anew. Naruto opened his eyes, a fire burning brightly in them, and knew the course. The Fourth and the Demon could feel change in the air, as if a great and heavy fog had been lifted, pierced by the ethereal glow pulsating from the young shinobi.

The demon roared, feeling his hope vanishing with the light, while the Fourth smiled. "Way to go kid," he whispered. His son was standing before them a man, his posture displaying both confidence and power. The Fourth was pleased.

"I don't need your power," declared Naruto as he stared down the great beast, "I can protect them with my own strength."

"Fool," the demon bellowed.

"I will save them all!" roared Naruto, his chakra manifesting in a brilliant array of colors.

"Watch me Father, and see what your son can do," said Naruto, a Cheshire grin adorning his face, as he rocketed into the air.

"I have never stopped my son, and never will," replied his father as his gaze followed the brilliant yellow streak blazing towards the heaven.

"Dammit, I think we're losing her."

Sakura grimaced at hearing the medic-nin's words. Without reply, Sakura placed her hand over Hinata's heart and began flooding her system with healing chakra, but the damage was extensive.

She was bleeding internally from multiple fractures, ruptured organs and tears along her musculature—the cells in her body were dying, flooding her system with toxins that were killing off the healthy tissue.

Sakura tried to work methodically, repairing one ruptured vessel after another. The apprentice to the Fifth Hokage was truly a marvel, her hands moving at dazzling speed, but the necrotic tissue was spreading faster than it could be mended. Soon, as Sakura surmised, Hinata's internal organs would shut down, killing the heiress to the Hyuuga clan.

"Sakura," Hinata struggled to say, trying to cough out the blood filling her lungs.

"Hinata, don't try to speak, conserve your strength," Sakura replied, her furrowed brow telling Hinata that her wounds were mortal.

"Tell him," said Hinata, struggling to spit the words out, "thank you—

"HINATA!" yelled Sakura as she felt Hinata slipping away.

Hinata felt light, impossibly light on her feet, as if she was floating away, which she didn't mind at all. She could feel all the tension drain from her, all her worries being lifted from her weary shoulders.

No more clan business to deal with, no more battles to fight, no more goodbyes. She was content on leaving it all behind—except for him.

She turned and called out his name, hoping for a last gesture of recall.

Hinata squeels in surprise as strong arms embraced her from behind, her blush evident even in the ethereal. Hey there," a voice said, a voice she recognized immediately. "Naruto," she cried out.

Before she could form another thought, she was spun around, her head feeling light from the spin, but the feel of his lips pressing against hers pierced through the sudden vertigo. An eternity seemed to pass before they part. Her eyes opened to the sight of his smile; her heart swelling with happiness.

"Hinata, you have to get up. You have to live. You have to stay with me," he whispered to her, his eyes never wavering from hers.

His words strike her with the force of a thousand crashing waves, but at the same time, they feel like a gentle caress across her skin.

"During my travels with Jiraiya, he told me that home is the place where there's someone thinking of you…that you should always return to those who keep you in their thoughts. Now that I know that I'm in your thoughts, I'll return to you. And you're in my thoughts now, so you'll have to return to me. Do you understand Hinata? It means you have to get up."

With teary eyes, Hinata replied, "I will Naruto. Believe it."

For the first time in a long time, Pein felt the stirring of fear in his heart when he saw the skinless demon fox erupt from the rocky tomb that his technique had created.

But before the Akatsuki leader could react, the demon fox began to howl in pain. Beams of light began to explode from its body.

"What is happening," thought Pein as he watched the terrible spectacle before him.

It would be his final thought for in that moment, the demon fox burst into flames, a single ray of light bursting through his still gaping mouth.

An instant later, Pein was face to face with Naruto, who held in both hands swirling masses of blue chakra, each the size of a large man.

"This is for Hinata," said Naruto before bringing his hands together, crashing the two Rasengans onto Pein's head.

Konan watched in horror as Pain's body became enveloped in a cascade of swirling energy, his screams echoing through the caves, the blood flowing down his eyes, ears, nose and mouth in rivulets.

"How can the boy's technique hurt Nagato from such a distance," thought Konan as she tried to save her love and childhood friend, but before she could act, she was stopped by an explosion of pain from her chest.

Looking down, Konan saw to her horror a blade jutting from where her heart once was. "This is for my village you bitch," Shikaku whispered in Konan's ear, before withdrawing the blade, which caused a fountain of blood to erupt from the wound.

Falling onto her knees, Konan barely registered the slight stinging sensation coming from her neck; she felt only the vertigo of seeing the world drifting haphazardly around her as she watched with mild curiosity the approaching floor.

"Soon Nagato, we'll be together."

Danzo had lived a long time and fought in many battles. He understood and accepted death and did not fear its coming, but he did fear the boy standing before him.

In the caverns below the village, they had waited for the right time to move on the Hokage and claim the village for themselves—and for that sin, Naruto would deliver onto them swift justice.

They were called "Root." They were supposed to be the elite of the elite, the embodiment of everything shinobi should be: strong, ruthless, and cunning. To Naruto, however, they were self-absorbed, egotistical bastards. It was almost laughable. Did they honestly say that they were the roots of the great tree that is the Hidden Leaf village? Well, it wouldn't matter for long thought Naruto.

But the men and women loitering in the caverns did not know that. All they knew was that they were about to retake the village from the weak and insufferable whore that had led their people to the devastation happening above.

Their dreams would crash down upon them, along with the debris that had preceded Naruto as he burst through the stone ceiling, landing mere meters from Danzo.

Instantly, four of Danzo's most skilled assassins leapt into action, their blades drawn—their training and skills applied with deadly accuracy.

Their deaths were quick and painless. With unseen forces, the four bodies of Danzo's men had erupted into a shower of blood, splattering walls and shinobi alike with crimson red indiscriminately—only Naruto remained unsullied.

The murderous intent emanating from the enraged young man flooded the cavern with such potency that the Root shinobi could feel it in their lungs.

With a grim expression, Naruto spoke: "You stood here while your village was under attacked. You did nothing while your friends and family were suffering above. You planned treason against your Hokage and your fellow shinobi."

Naruto paused, and let his gaze stray from Danzo's remaining eye to the audience of masked shinobi. He continued his judgement: "for your betrayal..."

Within the span of an eye blink, nearly half of the Root shinobi suddenly found themselves standing next to a falling comrade, blood sprouting from wounds that no one saw being inflicted. Only a few lived long enough to scream in pain.

"The rest of you have been spared. Go now and help those above, but make no mistake, betray us again and I will come for you," growled Naruto as he threw the blood from his kunai with a clean flick of his wrist.

Hardened men, trained to be ruthless, to show no fear, scattered like children, their anxiety filling the room with their stink.

A single breath later, Naruto and Danzo were the only ones left in the room—the only living beings alive to be more precise. They're gaze was focused on the other.

"I have inherited my father's will of fire, Danzo; so I will protect this village from all its enemies, even from those within," spoke Naruto.

"How can—

Danzo paused when Naruto raised his hand towards him. "I don't have time to hear your pathetic words Danzo. I just wanted you to know that you are a traitor and will always be remembered as a traitor. Die knowing your place in history."

If Danzo had the eyes of an Uchiha or a Hyuuga, perhaps he would have seen the thousands of translucent blades of chakra-infused wind emanating from Naruto's hand, but then he would also have to endure watching his body being mutilated by those same blades at speeds only a sharigan eye could appreciate.

The sound of dripping flesh impacting cold stone reverberated throughout the caverns, but Naruto showed no sign of disgust.

As he surveyed the carnage, Naruto felt eerily calm and was slightly perturbed by it. He had just brutally slain a dozen of his fellow shinobi, but he felt no remorse.

"destined child…"

The words struck hard; his chest tightened.

Naruto quickly scanned the room, his mind pouring every bit of sensation that his body could register to find the source of the familiar voice, but he found none, only the sight and smell of the dead was known to him.

Then in his periphery, he saw a face, but just for a moment: white hair and sad eyes.

It took only a moment for Naruto to realize the depth of his sin. With a heavy heart, he sighed, "I'm sorry sensei, but I'm going to protect her, even if it means the world."

Naruto, making his peace with the dead, walked away, deciding that a decision made should not be dwelled up for too long. Life was too short for that.

Days later, what was left of Danzo was unceremoniously cremated on the spot by a genin proficient in fire jutsus.

"You should sweep that up," squawked Hina, his teammate.

"Eh, I'll do it tomorrow," replied Zabu as he walked away, content with his day's labor. He added, "I can't stand these D-rank missions. When is the Hokage going to send us on a real mission?"