The Moon and its sparkling light fell upon the grove. the outskirts of Konoha was now filled with a massive crater, dozens of Anbu would appear with the 3rd Hokage, investigating the situation.
"Huh?" Hiruzen mumbled.
Kunai surrounded the ground, a hard-fought battle was fought here. Eventually, Hiruzen's vision stumbled upon an unconscious Naruto who was covered by a...lifeless Iruka...
Taking notice of the dislodged rock and the destroyed trees that scattered around the area, the Forbidden Scroll was put upon the ground. Covered in the now dried drops of Iruka's blood, this sacred scroll rested within Naruto's grasp
"Clear this area of evidence! Now!" After yelling out, the Anbu all nodded in approval.
"Take care of...Iruka's body..." With a saddened voice, Hiruzen crouched down.
Cradling Naruto between his arms, the 3rd Hokage carried him softly with continued sadness. Treating this poor shinobi as his own son, Hiruzen could only stare on in sadness.
"Call upon Kakashi Hatake!" Hiruzen would immediately erupt into a whirlwind of leaves.
Five days later.
A loud rumble emerged.
this sensation was trailed by a sharp pain.
Slowly emerging from what felt like a painful sleep, Naruto jumped up from his bed, landing on the cold floor.
"Oh? You're up?" A cheerful voice emerged
Naruto couldn't get to really consider the voice he had just heard as his stomach was rumbling urgently, thinking of food. Naruto eventually wiped his eyes once more and took notice of what appeared to be...Iruka?
"Let's go!" The cheerful voice of Iruka rang out
The smile was then replaced with a bloodied face.
-Flashback-
Seated on the couch, Naruto and Iruka played rock, paper, scissors. It was the day where Naruto failed every single part of his test, but all of that didn't matter now.
"Rock!" Naruto yelled out
"Paper!" Iruka yelled out!
"Scissors!" Both Naruto and Iruka yelled out at the same time!
"Of course when I pick paper you pick scissors..." Naruto said while grabbing his head.
"This gives me the chance to ask you again Naruto!" Iruka said sternly.
"Why did you fail your tests? I know you have so much potential within you." Iruka remarked.
"What do I need to even prove..." Naruto sighed.
Iruka took a moment to respond before following it up with
"Well...You can protect me! The food stops that we frequent as well!" Iruka smiled.
"I do want to protect those things but...I don't know if I'll ever feel that I have to protect everyone...I mean...what's the point..?"
Iruka stared on as Naruto suddenly gained a spark.
"That's why my dream is...Being able to understand how it feels to protect and love...I want to make sure I understand that feeling more than anything." Naruto stood up from the couch and pounded his fists together.
"I want to learn how to protect and save." Naruto turned his face and looked at Iruka for affirmation.
Iruka merely smiled before also getting up from the couch with a big smile.
"Every hero needs a full belly first and foremost, Let's talk about this with a nice bowl of ramen." Iruka and Naruto laughed.
-Flashback ends-
Naruto was suddenly brought back to reality. A curtain nearby was opened which temporarily caught Naruto off guard.
Straining to open back up his eyes, Naruto noticed a huge throbbing network of chakra. Blinking his eyes once more in utter surprise, the world returned back to normal rather quickly.
Ignoring the shinobi that greeted him, Naruto charged at the window before throwing it open. Jumping outside, he fell two-stories, landing on his feet before running down the street.
Lost in his own mind, Naruto faceplanted the ninja that woke him up, falling to his backside. Exposing a faint glimmer of violet light in his eyes, Naruto's vision was obscured by thick bangs.
"Where are you going?" Basked by rays of sun, this shinobi yawned.
Gripping the collar of Naruto's hospital gown, this blond shinobi was lifted off his feet. Dangled like nothing, he struggled to break free, but he simply couldn't do it.
Naruto glanced at spiral clouds overhead. Grey, dark and booming, the horizon was occasionally dispersed by thunder and lightning.
"Been like that for days... Really odd." The shinobi now identified as Kakashi Hatake muttered.
Kakashi wore a full-bodied blue jumpsuit covered by a green flak jacket. The attire for all shinobi of Konoha, this would bring attention to his dark blue mask and Konoha headband, lined against fair skin.
The mask would also lean into covering Kakashi's left eye, The bright-haired Kakashi would briefly look back at Naruto before speaking out once more.
"Let's get ramen and then go somewhere quiet." Speaking with a visible wink, Kakashi grabbed Naruto, erupting into a whirlwind of leaves.
One hour later
Standing on top of the stone faces of the many leaders of Konoha, Kakashi and Naruto loomed over the Hokage Monument. The darkened lights of the clouds above remained as they both ate the ramen within their hands quietly.
"Do you....Do you hate me like they do...??" Naruto spoke with emptiness.
Kakashi merely stayed quiet and instead pat Naruto on the head, before returning to his bowl of ramen.
They both remained quiet until they finished their bowls of Ramen as they then both merely stared out to nothing in particular.
"I feel pain...here..." Pressing both of his hands against his heart, Naruto groaned in sadness.
"But there's no blood..." A gust of wind flowed by.
Kakashi continued to stare out to nowhere in particular before speaking up once more.
"Wounds aren't always physical" Kakashi said with a hint of sadness.
"Wounds don't always have to be physical...They can come in other ways..." The faces of Rin and Obito flashed in Kakashi's vision as he sighed.
"There's always more to just this pain though...You can always remember the brightest moments...The best times...They're all still there and they will never leave you..." Kakashi remarked with a trace of happiness within his voice.
"Never lose that joy. Never lose that sense of happiness. Never lose that feeling."
"It's what we call love." Kakashi pat Naruto on his head once more as a trace of a smile formed on Naruto's face.