Rock Bottom - A Team 7 Story [Completed]

Chapter 23 - Weasels!

Sakura couldn't hold back her sobs as she watched Naruto and Minato. Naruto didn't deserve this pain. Why was fate so cruel?

    Sakura's body moved on its own to kneel beside Naruto. The pinkette said nothing as she wrapped her arms around the blonde in a sisterly embrace.

    Naruto's grief ridden expression soon morphed into a blank one. The only clue to his true feelings were the tear stains on his cheeks. The blonde took a shaky breath and stood up, making Sakura's arms drop to her sides.

    "Arigatou, Sakura. I needed that." The pinkette smiled and nodded, lifting herself to stand beside Naruto.

    "Anytime."

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The three of them exited the Root HQ soon after that. And despite his shaky legs and tear-stained face, Naruto insisted that he carry Minato's body, and neither Sakura nor Kurama had the heart to refuse him.

    "Jiraiya-senpai! Teach me your ways!" This was the first thing they heard once they exited the HQ. Neither of the two Sannin present or Kakashi had noticed them yet, seeing as Jiraiya was trying to shake Kakashi off his leg, and Tsunade was laughing at the Toad Sage's expense.

    "Are we interrupting something?" Kurama said after clearing his throat, making the three of them freeze.

    "Huh? Naruto, Sakura, when did you get here?" Kakashi asked. Sakura was about to reply but was cut off by Naruto.

    "The Yondaime's dead. Danzo's life wasn't linked to the Root Headquarters, it was linked to Minato." Kakashi let go of Jiraiya's leg, still processing what his student had just said.

    Minato was dead.

    His sensei was dead. 

And when that reality set in, Kakashi noticed the limp body that was in Naruto's arms. The masked jounin collapsed to his knees as a few tears dripped down his face, "Nobody blames you Kakashi. It was that bastard Danzo's fault." Tsunade said, patting the jounin's back comfortingly.

    Jiraiya, who had been quiet this whole time, spoke up. "We should get going now since we have no other business here."

    Hearing this, Naruto turned to the Toad Sage, "How can you be so calm about this 'ttebayo! Did Minato mean anything to you?"

    Jiraiya's face remained stoic, "Of course he did, he was my student. But I refuse to mourn this close to Danzo's soil." He turned to Kurama. "Why aren't Orochimaru and Sasuke here?"

    The Kyuubi pursed his lips. "I was meaning to tell you this before, but seeing as..." The fox demon trailed off, his eyes quickly darting to Minato. "Anyway, both of them aren't here yet," Sakura looked at Kurama with a raised eyebrow.

    "Did you try materializing near them?" Kurama quickly shot down her proposal.

"Well, I can only materialize a certain distance away from Naruto...."

     Kurama trailed off before his face took on an alarmed expression. "Sakura, can you lift Minato? We need to find Sasuke and Orochimaru." The pinkette willed the late Hokage's body to levitate next to her.

    "What's going on Kurama?" The fox demon didn't reply as he quickly dropped down into the Root HQ once again.

    "I can usually sense any chakra, and I should be able to since Sasuke isn't that far away. Not many things can block my senses. Only one thing actually, genjutsu. Most of the time I can dispel it beforehand, but the person who cast this one is no amateur."