Never Again: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 25: Goodbye

Naruto sat on the grass in front of a beautiful blooming tree with pink roses coming up from the leaves and branches. He ignored the looks of concern and worry from Sayuri's and Sakura's eyes as they arrived at the training ground together. 

It had been a day since Obito and Inoichi had discovered the truth about him, the truth about everything. A day since he had lost control and tried to kill himself. He had allowed himself to cut. Cutting was a feeling he craved. It meant he was living. 

He wanted to live and die at the same time. It was sad, he thought, two halves of his being pulling at each other. He heard Sakura and Sayuri arrive in front of him. He opened his sky blue colored eyes, a small dullness in them, like a still pool in the dark with no light, just glazed over and unmoving. 

"Naruto. . ." Sakura began almost timidly as if she were embarrassed to be talking to him about the day before. It would be amusing. 

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" He said sweetly, but his tone was nothing like his face. His voice was uplifting and curious, but his face was twisted and fake as if someone had made his facial expression out of clay. 

"About yesterday," She began again, trying to instill some confidence in her voice. "If you ever try to do something so selfish like that again I'm going to beat the shit out of you!" She suddenly screamed as if it were pent-up rage. "Killing yourself? That's not your only option Naruto! You could've talked to us, we would've helped you! Are you stupid or did you forget that we're your friends huh? Answer me Mr. Selfish!" 

Naruto's eyes widened slightly at her speech. Killing himself, was selfish? His eyes opened fully as he came to the realization. These people around him had forged bonds with him that he hadn't even considered. He knew that now. He hadn't realized it before but he knew that the people around him had gotten attached. 

Why should he get attached though? He got why he was selfish for wanting death, knowing the pain he'd put his friends through. It was funny, he was their friend. Why? Why did they want to be his friend? It didn't make sense, but then again, why should it? 

"Sorry, Sakura-chan. I didn't realize I was being selfish." He felt guilty. He hadn't considered her feelings at all. Sakura was the only one truly the same. This was the same Sakura that died, reborn without her memories. 

She was his friend. 

He felt a genuine smile coming across his face. "Alright, I won't try anything like that ever again! I promise!" He flashed her a grin, closing his eyes in the process as he tried to imitate his old self. He must have looked weird because Sakura only blushed slightly and gave out a meep okay. 

"Naruto," Sayuri began as she looked at the grinning blond. She swallowed the saliva in her mouth before bowing suddenly. "Please forgive my actions yesterday on the roof. I wasn't myself and I shouldn't have forced you to fight me. I'm sorry!" She spat out quickly, her pride flaring up in the middle as it sounded like she was using the bathroom while talking. 

Naruto opened his eyes and turned to Sayuri's almost ninety-degree angle bow and his smile softened. This was his friend too. It wasn't Sasuke, but it was his female equivalent. She was Sasuke in all but body and name. She was his friend. 

He pat her on the head twice. "Don't worry about it, Sayuri-chan, I pushed you too. Let's just keep running like we always do." Sayuri's eyes widened as she felt her crush pat her head. A blush crept upon her face as she straightened up. 

"Yep! Let's keep running, let's go!" She pushed out quickly before jumping into the tree and landing on a branch. "Let's prank Obito!" She was nervous now. Naruto chuckled. A prank? He had forgotten who he once was.