July
It was usually hot in July, but these had been record breaking temperatures.
The sweltering heat continued to beat down upon Konoha relentlessly. Earlier, a soft breeze
had begun to blow throughout the village marketplace where damp bodies were packed tightly
together despite the egregious temperatures. The air itself clung to you, its thickness was
suffocating to an almost nauseating degree. Kakashi Hatake found it quite unpleasant to be out
in the village today. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets as he continued on his trek
heading in the direction of the marketplace. The hot air clawed mercilessly inside his throat,
begging to be released, only to be sucked back inside again and again. He sighed, feeling
weighed down by his flak jacket and his standard summer uniform. Which was just the basic
Jonin's uniform except the sleeves had been shortened. He continued to trudge through the
thickened air, through the crowds of people, clustered tightly together in sticky, tangled clumps.
He needed to pull his thoughts together. To sort out his head and reorganize what had just happened. He made his way through the inner marketplace, diligently avoiding the clusters of people, who were sweatily entangled together, shinobi and civilian alike.
At an almost robotic pace, he let his mind drift off and his body carry him away, over to the
Memorial stone. Once there, Kakashi finally found it within himself to release the breath he had
been holding. Looking around he realized that the heavy summer sun had scorched the already
patchy grass of the training field into a faded quilt of yellowing, dead grass. The cracking,
bleached dirt crumbed underneath his sandals, with each step he took toward the stone.
He sank into a relaxed posture beside the great stone obelisk. His clothes were now damp with
sweat and they clung to him uncomfortably, his usually spiky hair was damp and drooped
downwards at the ends. A few strands of hair were soaked completely through and rubbed
against him awkwardly, pinned underneath his thick headband. This summer heat was now
starting to bother him.
The great stone had little to offer for shade at this time of day, so Kakashi
stood out in the open field underneath the sweltering mid afternoon sun. Sweat dripping from his
feverish head, trickling down, only to get caught in the fabric of his mask.
Kakashi sighed, turning to lay a hand on the cool stone. “At least I'll be joining you guys soon,
right?” A soft smile played on his face but grief quickly came to fill his expression.
He didn't want to leave the kids. “They are really starting to blossom on their own now,
It would be a shame if I messed all that up.” he thought bitterly.
Kakashi took a step back from the stone and turned his face upward, closing his eye.
Basking for a moment in the scorching heat. “Perhaps it would be easier to just melt here.”
Ah jeez. How was he supposed to tell them? Turning his face back to the obelisk, he opened his
eye and grief overtook him for a moment. “Sensei, please forgive me.”
________________________________________________
4 Hours Later
The smell of sweat and blood had practically baked itself into the ground beneath
Naruto. He had briefly considered skipping training today, maybe because of the record
breaking temperatures or maybe for this weird gnawing feeling that had been eating at him
since breakfast. In the end he decided that training was definitely worth it, if only for the fact that
he had been antsy all morning and he needed something to do.
Naruto knew today was an important day. Sakura had just talked to him a few days ago but he
just couldn't remember WHY it was important and that was bothering the crap out of him.
So he trained until he practically rubbed the skin from his hands and sparred with his shadow
clones until he was black and blue. “So much for speed healing huh?” Naruto said jokingly, as
he looked down at his hands, which were full of cuts, dripping with blood and peeling.”Oh well”
he said smiling and getting up from where he had been planted on the ground, wiping his hands
off on his shorts. He decided it was time to head back, as the sun was beginning to set.
Some blood had dried and caked itself to the side of his face and his knees, patching himself in
band aids, his sweat also drenched every piece of clothing. A thick layer of dirt was plastered
onto his T-shirt and sandals too. “I can't wait to take a cold bath hehe!” he chuckled as he ran off
back towards the village. The heat had quietly started to die down, as the sun was now getting
ready to set. Although, as Naruto gradually got closer and closer to his street, he could still see
the faint heat waves glistening overhead. The light shimmering on tops of the roofs and
concrete walls that towered so high above him, it felt almost like water he could just brush away.
It had been two years since the war and the infrastructure of the village had really taken
off. They had started building bigger and taller houses, sturdier houses. perhaps hoping that
these ones might withstand the test of time. Or another war. Even though the sun had begun to
set, many people were still dotted around the colorful streets. Shinobi nestled inside restaurants,
eating dinner after returning from their missions. Civilians roamed peacefully, happily watched
their children scramble around through the busy streets, playing games with each other.
As Naruto walked through the bustling streets he suddenly felt very grateful that he was here at
this time and for all that everyone had accomplished together.
Getting closer to his apartment, Naruto slowed his pace and shook out his achy joints.
Stretching out his shoulders with a satisfying POP. Continuing forward, that weird feeling from
earlier began to creep up from the pit of his stomach again. Pushing it down, he began to climb
the stairs to his apartment. Once at the top, he noticed Sakura leaning against the wall, outside
his door. Her eyes were closed and head turned downward. “That's weird.”
She was still in her hospital clothes, a neatly lined, pink and gray stitched t-shirt that cut off just
after her shoulders, a tan apron that was double tied around her waist, but folded, so that only
the bottom half showed. She wore black capris with her ninja tools neatly wrapped around her
right thigh, puffy oversized jeans with lots of pockets that cutoff mid thigh and black shinobi
sandals that went up past her ankles. Her hair was tied up, neatly pulled back into a small
ponytail. Still out of her face, as if she had just gotten out of a surgery. A few strands of hair fell
loose down around her face, shading her eyes, which held deep bags under them. When they
had talked a few days ago Sakura had said that it was just from a lack of sleep although Naruto
could tell that something deeper was troubling her.
Sakura opened her eyes and turned her gaze up to meet Naruto.”Jeez he's beat up.”
She thought to herself tiredly. As he made his way across the small landing area to stand in
front of her, Naruto noticed suddenly that the air had gained a funny smell, almost as if it had
gone sour. Snapping his head up to meet Sakura’s tired eyes he quickly realized what exactly
that smell meant.
Death.
Now the memories of their conversation and why exactly this day had been so important came slowly trickling back to Naruto, almost too quietly he asked Sakura.“The result…of the tests?” Suddenly his mind began racing, scrambling to fill with questions that had no answers. His heart stumbling into a turmoil he wasn’t sure he was ready to face. Sakura turned to him, drawing in a deep breath. Her eyes silently shimmering in the fading light of summer. “Mmh” She nodded her head. A tear slipping down from where they had been so perfectly kept a second earlier. “Wh…where is he?” Naruto asked, having to swallow the massive lump in his throat in order to continue talking. Keeping her gaze low, Sakura shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
“We found out about the results at the hospital early this afternoon, he said he needed some
time. That he was going to head home afterwards. “He seemed kinda upset but…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Naruto had already leapt over the railing and off the tiny
landing and headed towards the place he knew without a doubt, his Sensei would be right now.
He could almost hear Sakura calling out his name but the hot summer wind clogged his ears
and stuck thickly in his throat. Naruto raced toward the memorial stone, as fast as his tired, aching feet could take him. Not this time. No, this time he would make it. This time he could think of the right words to say, right? But at last July was here again.
And the smell of death lingered in the air once more.