Chapter-108

""I told you not to get into fights," Iruka sighed tiredly as he wiped Konohamaru's swollen face with a damp cloth. Konohamaru had a black eye and several scratches.

"..." The boy didn't say anything; he just looked away.

"It's not fair, Iruka-sensei!" But his two friends, Moegi and Udon, were also in bad shape; they were just as dirty and hurt as the little leader of their gang.

"Wow, they are noisy brats." Anko used a dango toothpick to clean any remains of her favorite food that were left between her teeth. She was the one who found the children fighting in the street along with a large number of other children.

He was surprised that three children could have fought against thirteen.

"I don't care, no fighting outside the academy training ground," scolded Iruka, who was still cleaning the wounds of the Sandiame's grandson but stopped when his hand was knocked away from Konohamaru's face. Konohamaru looked him in the eyes.

"They... said they were glad that Naruto-nii died."

The weight of the atmosphere in the room became unbearable with just that sentence.

With the three children holding back their tears and the rage burning in their chests.

"..." Iruka slowly lowered the damp cloth and with a grim look, watched as the children ran away; he didn't bother to stop them.

"What a mess, right?" Anko clicked her tongue in annoyance as she watched the children run out of the room. "The death of that boy only served to show the worst of our village. The majority of the civilians and even shinobi who experienced the Kyubi attack firsthand celebrate the death of a brat that was not his fault, ending as a vessel for that thing."

"That's how the masses and people are... they're idiots," the academy teacher muttered with contained fury, remembering how quickly the rumor spread that the fox boy had been lost in combat and his smiles of satisfaction when confirming that the boy was declared dead.

"Now that Konoha doesn't have its Jinchuriki, it will be a matter of time before the other villages see this as a weakness. I can't wait to see if a war breaks out, to see how these people will regret not having that boy to save their lives."

The military status of the village was faltering now that they knew they would not have a strong jinchuriki as a reserve for the future, but more than the loss of a weapon, it was the loss of a good person.

Anko could feel respect for the Uzumaki boy. How could she not? If you could be so positive after the shitty life she had and never complain, that was worthy of having the respect of the snake lady.

It was a shame, and now we just had to wait for the consequences.

The only thing left to do was enjoy life.

And raise the morale of others.

Anko saw the pain in the academy teacher's eyes. He and the small Ramen family were perhaps the most sorry for the loss of the boy who was close to them, but they suffered in silence, as if they knew that lamenting would only make Naruto feel disappointed in them.

"Hey Iruka-chan, do you want to buy me dinner? I'm hungry," complained the Jounin who rested her breasts against the back of the Chunnin's head, who came out of his gloomy thoughts with an awkward smile.

"Hmmm… the truth is I have some exams that-"

"No excuses, I'm hungry and penniless, so take me out to a nice dinner, or don't you want to go out with a lady as attractive as me?"

"Okay, I-"

"I knew you would accept; come on!"

….

"Thanks for your purchase."

In the commercial area of the village, specifically the Yamanaka district, a tired Ino returned home after a B-rank mission. With the guidance of her squad leader Shikamaru, it was not as difficult as they had anticipated.

Ino found it hard to believe that more than eight months had passed since the mission to recover Sasuke. She could never forget the day when the recovery team arrived in pieces, with several members in serious condition and at the verge of death.

And unfortunately, one never came back.

It was a dark day for the Konoha Twelve. Losing two members of their group in one day was unimaginable.

Uchiha Sasuke had turned his back on the village, becoming a renegade ninja.

And Uzumaki Naruto.

Ino never considered him a close friend, more of an acquaintance with whom she exchanged words from time to time. It embarrassed her that it took the death of a boy her age to realize this. A boy who saved the village and risked it all to bring home the person he considered a friend.

Ino acknowledged her shortcomings. She didn't know how many times she stayed awake at night, remembering every hit and insult against Naruto, against someone who just wanted to have friends.

If that's how bad she felt, it goes without saying how Sakura felt.

When Kakashi-sensei arrived empty-handed at the village, and the medical team brought Chouji, Kiba, and Neji in grave condition, with a gloomy Shikamaru who never looked up from the ground all day.

Ino would never forget the day when they said the phrase she never thought she would hear.

'Uzumaki Naruto has died in the service of duty.'

It was a chaotic day.

With a Gaara who didn't even bother to look at the village when he turned around and left. It was no surprise that the sand would now break the peace pact between both villages.

The youngest Kazekage in history blamed Konoha for the death of the only person who gave him a hand when no one else did.

"Good morning, Ino."

At the door of her store, passing by a customer, Ino directed her gaze to Sakura behind the cash register.

"Hello... Sakura."

Sakura looked cute in a pink apron with white flowers, and her now long hair fell over her shoulders. But her smile seemed forced, and her eyes looked empty.

For losing two colleagues in one day?

That Sasuke would show his worst face when she begged him to stay?

Ask the boy who had a platonic love for her to bring the one who broke her heart and have it all end in one's death?

All these questions created a feeling of guilt that destroyed Sakura's emotional fragility. Giving up was the easy way out for her, trying to escape the guilt, leaving everything behind, and pretending that nothing happened.

Ino, like a sister, wanted to take care of Sakura. She loved her, and now she just wanted to be there for her friend who was still hiding and containing all her emotions. Ino hoped that something would happen to alleviate all the guilt Sakura felt.

The loss of Naruto left marks on the people closest to him that one could never imagine.