TH: Updated in recognition of the fact that Germany and the USA advance in the World Cup! Woot! Go Deutschland! Yes, I cheer for Germany. But as an American soccer fan, I'm also glad the US went through; maybe this will cultivate more interest in the sport in the States.

Anyway, a note on this chapter. NARAKA is a Buddhist term. It's often translated as Hell. People who die with bad karma are reborn there, and live there in intense suffering until they pay back their karma. So if you're a really bad person, you stay there for quite a long time. Wikipedia it if you're curious beyond this general description.

Stay tuned for a note at the end of the chapter.

In A Life

30. Will of Fire

His body was cremated; it was safer that way. Cremated, there was no chance of a reanimated corpse, no possibility of a puppet made from his body, no theft of his abilities. If he were ash, the world would be safer.

At least, that was the official reason. For some, though, the pyre was a gesture… their last gesture. They couldn't put his name on the Memorial Stone. They couldn't hold any sort of funeral other than this public burning, held to allow the other nations the chance to make sure Konoha wasn't doing anything underhanded. But under this guise, they could give him a service of honor. Cremation was the traditional treatment of the dead in Fire Country, it was symbolic of the nation taking the dead back into the land. It was fitting, too, for one such as he.

The Uchiha were, after all, a clan of fire-jutsu masters. It was their basis, the reason for their emblem: the fan that stoked the flames.

They wouldn't be allowed to mourn Uchiha Sasuke, at least not publicly. But they could do this.

Kakashi slid his attention from the pyre, brightly aflame, to Naruto. The younger shinobi was standing beside him, at his right hand. Sakura stood at his left. They were so close to the pyre they could feel the heat tighten the skin of their faces. Naruto faced the heat unblinking, unflinching, his expression set.

The battle had been fierce; Naruto hadn't escaped unscathed—his right arm was still wrapped in thick bandages, the damage of a colliding Ransengan and Chidori having shredded the limb. But despite everything, Naruto had prevailed. He hadn't be able to save his friend, no. But he had prevailed in stopping Sasuke when at last it had become clear that the Uchiha would not rest until he had torn Konoha and its people apart. Naruto had saved Konoha, at the cost of his friend, and the last of his innocence.

Kakashi wondered if Konoha could appreciate how much Naruto had sacrificed—was sacrificing, would sacrifice—for them. Many of the ninja, at least, understood. And they honored Naruto for it. If he wasn't nominated for Hokage when Tsunade stepped down, Kakashi would be very surprised.

The grey-haired shinobi glanced to his left. Sakura's eyes were dry, her face carefully blanked of any expression. She hadn't loved Sasuke to the end, Kakashi knew; she was smarter than that. She may have loved the idea of what Sasuke had been when he was younger, what he could have been, but she didn't love him. Kakashi believed that Sakura was so dry-eyed now because she had already mourned Sasuke's death long ago. That was for the best; it made it easier for her to now stand by his killer, her almost-brother, Naruto. And Naruto needed her.

Kakashi turned back to the pyre. Like his Teammates, he couldn't cry for Sasuke. But a lifetime of pain and grief had better prepared him for this; it took little effort to keep his tears at bay.

They watched the fire burn down, until there was nothing but embers and ashes left, at which point Yamato used a Doton jutsu to encapsulate the remains in rock and then subsumed it into the earth at their feet. Nothing was left but a smooth patch of bare dirt. Everyone watching turned around and began leaving the area, the foreign Kage to return to their Villages, the Konoha forces to continue cleaning up the mess the battle had made of their country.

Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi stared at the spot for a heartbeat longer, then they too turned and left. Kakashi peeled off from his former students, and went to a quiet corner of the forest.

It wasn't difficult to find a quiet corner these days. The nations had allied together to face the threat of Uchiha Madara and Sasuke, and the alliance seemed to be lasting. In addition, Madara was also dead. Or at least, they believed he was.

The old Uchiha had spurred Sasuke and Naruto on to fight, as he had said he would. It had been his influence that had made Sasuke unbending in his determination, that had made it necessary for Naruto to kill his friend. But just because it had been necessary didn't mean Naruto was okay with it. After Sasuke had breathed his last, the blond jinchuuriki seemed to have snapped; he'd released eight tails of the Kyuubi, and had proceeded to completely tear Madara, the one responsible for everything, apart. The Uchiha hadn't stood a chance against Naruto's new control of the demon fox and Naruto's fury at the death of Sasuke.

They hadn't had much left over to identify Madara; the other nations had to be content with eye-witness accounts. Fortunately, they mostly trusted Naruto now.

:Madara is dead.:

Kakashi turned to see Obito's transparent form nearby. "Is that a fact?"

Obito gave Kakashi a very uncharacteristically bloodthirsty smile. :I led him to Naraka myself. He's going to be there for a very, very long time.:

Kakashi was silent a moment, then he gathered his courage, and asked: "Sasuke?"

Obito's toothy grin fell from his face. Gently, he said :What do you think, Kakashi?:

"I think I didn't know him anymore, in the end. If I ever knew him. Sasuke had been devoured by his hatred and his pain. He wasn't my student, he wasn't Naruto and Sakura's friend. Not anymore."

:I suppose you're right,: Obito said. He was silent a moment longer, and then he said, :Death has a way of washing away everything, of revealing a person's true form. The truth of their character, their spirit.:

"And what was Sasuke's true character?" Kakashi asked after a brief hesitation, fearing the answer. Obito gave him a gentle smile.

:Maybe you should ask them,: he said, lifting an arm and pointing. Kakashi turned to look, but saw no one. He did, however, sense Naruto and Sakura's chakra signatures in that direction. He glanced at Obito, then started off toward them.

His two former students were standing side-by-side, not talking. Naruto was staring at the sky, his face blank. It was an eerie expression on his usually-smiling face. Sakura was next to him, resting her head against his shoulder in silent support. They both turned to face Kakashi as he approached.

The grey-haired shinobi nodded to them, stepped to Naruto's other side. He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, comfortingly. Sakura laid her head back down on Naruto's other shoulder.

"I… think I'm okay," the blond said quietly. Kakashi squeezed his shoulder.

"You'll be alright," Kakashi agreed. "We'll all be alright."

They stood like that for a long moment, each Sakura and Kakashi lending their strength to Naruto. Then, hesitantly, Sakura spoke.

"Did…" she trailed off and started again. "When we were watching the pyre, did either of you… see anything?"

Kakashi recognized that tone. He knew that tone. He had to exert effort to not snap his head around to stare at her. Under his hand, Naruto's shoulder tensed.

"Like what?" Kakashi managed to ask calmly. He couldn't help but hold his breath for the answer.

Sakura hesitated, looking clearly uncertain. She opened her mouth, then closed it, and then said: "Nevermind. It must've—"

"It was Sasuke," Naruto interrupted her. He took a breath, as if saying the name had wounded him. "I saw him, too."

Sakura's head lifted and she stared at her Teammate. She whispered: "You did?"

Kakashi's head was buzzing with thoughts. Sasuke's shade… Had he come back, like Obito? Was this what Obito meant, ask them? Why did Sasuke come back? Obito had come back to watch over his remaining Teammates, to make sure Kakashi didn't lose himself in guilt. What had motivated Sasuke to come back? Hate, or regret, or something else?

:Why didn't I see him?: the thought fought to the surface of his mind. Despite its triviality compared to the other questions, Kakashi found himself truly wondering.

:Because you have me,: Obito's voice came in reply. :And they needed him.:

Kakashi inhaled, finding Obito's transparent form in the treeline nearby. He looked at his dead Teammate, but couldn't read the Uchiha's expression. He switched his gaze back to Naruto and Sakura.

"Did he… say anything?" Kakashi asked, earning him stares from his two former students.

"You believe us?"

"You didn't see him?"

"Did he say anything?" Kakashi asked again. Naruto and Sakura shook their heads.

"I could barely see him," Naruto said. "He was standing in front of the pyre; I could see the flames through him. He didn't try to speak."

"He just… raised his hand, like this," Sakura put in. She mimicked the movement—a hand, open palm facing out. "And then he faded away…"

The gesture was small. But Kakashi felt the impact of it deeply. How could such a simple gesture hold so much meaning? It was a goodbye, an apology, a reassurance…

:Sasuke's true character,: Kakashi thought. :Once Death washed life away, what was left was the Sasuke we knew. The lonely boy who felt more than he admitted to.:

Kakashi closed his eye, and finally, finally, breathed easily.

"Kakashi?" Sakura's hand touched his lightly. He opened his right eye and looked at her. "You believe we actually did see him?"

Kakashi's eye lifted and he look over her head toward where he'd last seen Obito. The one-eyed Uchiha was gone, for now.

"Remind me," he said quietly, "to tell you about my ghost."

Sakura's green eyes searched his face for a moment, and then she slid her hand into his, and leaned against Naruto. She said: "Yeah."

Kakashi curled his fingers around hers, for once in his life welcoming the human contact, and let Naruto lean against his shoulder.

"We really are going to be alright, aren't we?" Sakura said softly. It wasn't really a question.

TH: The end! Yes, this the last chapter for In a Life. I've had a blast you guys, and I really appreciate everyone's reviews and everything. I hope you enjoyed the ride. :)