• Chapter Two:

    Funeral and Afterlife

    Sakura Haruno was waiting at the gates. She was a young girl of twelve years old just like her friends. She had pink and jade green eyes. She wore a red kunoichi dress with her family symbol on the bottom and the back with black biker shorts underneath. She was worried about her friend and her crush and that they were both okay; that two of they hadn't ended up fighting like they did on the roof the hospital. "What was I thinking, asking Narumi to bring him back for me? She could get severely hurt if Sasuke decided to fight her." She sighed for the hundrenth time that day as she continued to worry, when she spotted Kakashi and his shadow clone walking up to the gates carrying Narumi and Sasuke. She smiled a little knowing that her two friends were alright and ran up to meet him.

    "Kakashi Sensei!" She yelled attempting to get his attention. Noticing her Kakashi looked from his staring match with the ground and his lone eye widened since he knew that he'd have to tell her the news about Narumi. It was no secret to him that the two girls on his team were closer to each other than they had when Team 7 first formed and they were now close friends. He resumed staring at the ground solemly as she got closer.

    Once she got close enough to him she smiled up at him and noticed Narumi in his arms, figuring that she was asleep from exhausting herself she looked to Kakashi again whispering so she wouldn't wake her. "Is Narumi alright, she didn't exhaust herself to badly did she?"

    "…."

    "Kakashi sensei…?" she asked dreading the silence that Kakashi was using, his lone eye closed. She then looked at Narumi again with an even more worried look than before. "N-No i-it can't be." She thought as tears began to well up in her eyes.

    "Sakura, I have to tell you something… Narumi…Narumi died fighting Sasuke. She took a chidori to her chest, there was nothing I could do except be there for her as she died." Kakashi told her his voice cracking as he did.

    "N-No it can't be." Sakura responded tears streaming down her face. "S-She said that she'd never die till she became hokage, that she'd make everything okay!" Right then and there Sakura broke down falling to her knees as she cried. At this point Sasuke had woken up on Kakashis shoulder when he heard the familiar crying of his teammate. He couldn't help but, blame himself for it, knowing that it was his fault the girl she was crying for, was dead.

    "I'm sorry." Sasuke had said in almost a whisper, but Sakura had heard him, she got up and marched up to him with hate in her eyes as she slapped him across the face. "Y-YOU b*****d! HOW CAN YOU SAY YOU'RE 'SORRY' WHEN SHE'S DEAD?" She sobbed out, slapping Sasuke again. The whole time Sasuke just looked at the ground guilt weighed itself in his eyes, as he listened to Sakura.

    "Do you know what she told me, when we went shopping together a couple weeks ago?" Sakura asked glaring at him. "She told me that the reason she didn't have a crush on you like the rest of us did was because she saw you as an older brother. That she looked UP to you and wanted to be like you!"

    Sasuke visibly flinched as the words stabbed him and guilt he felt grew heavier. Each word Sakura had said had dug into him like a rusty knife, stabbing him slowly as it cut out his heart. "I'm sorry." Was all he could manage to say to the rosette in front him as she cried. Sakura just shook her head at him glaring. "You could apologize for the rest of your life, and I would never forgive." Kakashi then put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down, still carrying Narumi.

    "Come on, we need to tell Lady Tsunade." He told her as she cried for her friend. Sakura could only nod and dried her tears as she walked back into the gates, the tow chunin guarding the gate bowed their heads in recognition to fallen blonde girl they had taken a liking to since the exams. Throughout their walk to the hospital people would gasped, grinned, or bowed their heads when they saw Narumi in her senseis arms. The people at the ramen stand, the minute they saw their favorite blonde customer closed down their shop in mourning for the young girl. When they finally got to the hospital and found Tsunade, they told her the news. The woman cried out in pain as she held the lifeless body of the girl she came to think of as her own daughter and sobbed. The other people who were in the hallway were also shocked that the girl had died. Shikamaru was glaring at the Uchiha for his crime and was also blaming himself for letting her go alone to face him. While Shizune had covered her mouth with one of her hands and cried at the loss of the little blond.

    When the others of the Konoha Twelve learned that Narumi had died and that Sasuke had caused it, they shunned him. Kiba even went so far as to beat the crap out of him when he saw blaming the entire on him. Many of the twelve mourned for her loss, Hinata had locked herself into her room at her clan compound and refused to come out till the day of the funeral. Ino and the rest of team ten went to Ichirackus Ramen Bar everyday for a week buying one extra bowl to put in front of a memorial tablet for Narumi. Team 9 took to working harder than ever before so that they'd be stronger and be able help their comrades when they needed it. Sakura decided to go to Tsunade and asked if she could train her to be a medic nin, her reason for this was so that she would be able to save her friends from death and never lose someone again as long as she was able. However thanks to the ninja half of the council, who had come to respect her by the end of the exams, they were able to get Narumi's name on the Memorial Stone. Even the heavens seemed to mourn for her loss as it rained continuously never letting up.

    A week after Narumi died, they had finally held her funeral. Tsunade had decided that she'd be buried in a secret chamber in the Hokage Monument and that only those who were allowed to attend the funeral would know where it was. This had been done to keep any Kyuubi haters that were in the village from desecrating her grave. The coffin that held her body was made of white marble, to show how pure the girl was and that her soul was untainted. Narumi was to be buried in a kimono the same color as her eyes with orange whirlpool designs. Her hair had been taken out of its ponytail and combed.

    The only people allowed to attend the funeral were the Konoha Twelve, Umino Iruka, the Hokage, Shizune, Jiraiya, Konohomaru, the jounin senseis, Teuichi and his daughter, and Sasuke; much to the ire of the others. They were not only angry that he had killed Narumi, but to make it worse he had gotten off with only house arrest for six months and then he was restricted to D rank missions for two year, courtesy of the civilian counsel who worshipped the ground the Uchiha walked on, when he should have been executed for attacking a fellow leaf nin. After everyone had paid their respects to the blond girl they sealed the chamber and left the monument. Outside the rain had finally stopped and the sun had come out from behind the clouds and with it eleven young ninja with a new resolve to change their home for the better. They had risen with a new motto for themselves, one that they would teach their children, and was written on the very grave of their friend. This motto would ensure that there would always be a piece of Narumi in each of them.

    "Rise and rise again, till the lambs become lions." (AN: I do not own this quote it's from the movie Robin Hood. Which is a must see.)

    Unknown Location

    Narumi awoke blinking in a field of grass and sat up, looking around. "Where, Where am I?" She asked herself out loud thinking no one was around to answer her. "You died sweetie, this is the Spirit Realm." A voice responded behind her causing Narumi to jump nearly ten feet up in the air as she turned to face the voice. Narumi looked in awe at the woman that stood behind her, she had long red hair that reached her mid back, eyes that were sea green and filled with kindness as she smiled down at Narumi. She wore a red kimono with a red obi tied around her waist. The thing that shocked Narumi the most though were the three whisker marks she had on each cheek like her, the two fox ear that were atop her head, and the nine fox tails that flowed behind her. However her shock was quickly erased and replace with one of anger.

    "DON'T DO THAT YOU SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME!" Narumi yelled as she began pouting at the woman before she heard chuckling behind her. "You were right Kushi-Chan, She may have some of my looks but she has your personality." Narumi turned around again noticing a man that spiky blonde hair that was the same shade as hers and blue eyes that were exact replicas of her own only more narrow. He wore a white sleeveless cloak with red flames at the bottom, with a standard Jounin uniform underneath it, and flak Jacket. Just by looking at him Narumi knew instantly who he was and looked at him wide eyed in shock.

    "Y-Yondaime-Sama…" The man just grinned at her shock and began ruffling her hair. "You've grown since I last saw you Narumi, and from the looks of things I'd say you're going to be as beautiful as your mother when you get older." He said smiling down at her as she blushed from the compliment he gave her. Then the woman came over to him and punched him in the arm. "Flattery will get you nowhere Minato and besides I think it's time we told her who we are." The former hokage just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he looked at her. "Oh yeah, your right I guess we should."

    Narumi just looked at the two of them confused as she tilted her head cutely. The two adults in front of her then knelt down, getting down to her height and smiled at her. "Narumi, I suspect you already know who I am by just looking at me so allow me to introduce the woman next me." He said gesturing to the woman beside him. "This is my wife Kushina Uzumaki." After he said this Narumi's eyes grew to be the size of dinner plates as she put the pieces of the puzzle together.

    "U-Uzumaki, but that means, but you have fox ears a-and tail?" She responded confused and little shocked that this woman was her mother and that her father was the Yondaime, the very person that sealed the Kyuubi in her. Kushina herself was about to respond to her when a voice cut her off. "They tell the truth child they are indeed your parents." Everyone's heads turned toward the sound of the voice seeing an old man with white hair and beard that reached his mid chest, wear a red robe a lot like the ones that Sandaime had worn whenever Narumi saw him. (AN: I didn't know how to describe the robes Roku wore so I just decided to use an example.)

    Everyone just looked at him as he continued, "Your mother is a kitsune and while they are demons they more good natured hardly ever do anything truly evil." Narumi just nodded her head at this as she took this information in, then a thought came to her mind that caused tears to fall from her eyes. "S-So the villagers were right I-I am demon." She said crying but then her parents both yelled startling her.

    "NO! YOU'RE NOT!" Narumi just stared at the two of them blinking, shocked that they had yelled at her. Then her mother rounded on her turning the young girl toward her.

    "Don't you ever call yourself that again! You are not a monster, or a demon, you are my daughter and I love you! The same goes for your father." She said looking to her husband for support and he nodded smiling at Narumi. This action did more to the young blonde than the two adults could possibly imagine, she began to cry again except this time they were tears of joy instead of pain and sadness. Narumi then jumped into her mother's arms crying into her shoulder. While she cried her mother embraced her with a warm smile.

    "Momma, Momma!"

    "Shh, Shh, it's alright Mommy's here now. Everything's going to be ok, shh." Kushina wrapped her tails around her daughter comforting her as much as she could. Minato and Roku looked on at the two of them with smiling, happy that mother and daughter had finally been reunited after twelve years. After Narumi had finally calmed down, she rubbed her eyes and looked over at her father before giving him a hug, before telling him that she forgave him for sealing the fox in her.

    It was then that Roku made his appearance re-known by clearing his throat, catching the attention of the happy family. "I hate to ruin the moment," He said smiling truthfully. "but there are things Narumi needs to know, as it concerns her fate." Narumi just looked at him a bit confused by his words.

    "What do you mean, I'm dead right, and doesn't that mean I stay here with my family?" She asked not wanting to leave.

    "Usually yes, that would be true, but in your case Kami-Sama has decided to give you a second chance at life in another world, my world to be exact." He told her smiling.

    Narumi's eyes grew sad after she heard that. She had just been re-united with her family and now she had to leave. "So… I have to leave?" She asked with tears in her eyes. However Roku just shook his head at her and smiled. "Not yet child, you will stay here in the spirit realm for a year to spend time with your family and to train in the art of bending." Narumi just tilted her head cutely at his words as she asked what bending was. "Bending is one of the styles of fighting in my world. You use an energy within yourself known as chi to bend one the four elements of the world; fire, water, earth or air."

    Narumi just nodded her head as took in the information Roku told her. "So I can only use one element?"

    "Yes, only the avatar has the ability to use all four elements." Roku responded nodding.

    "So, what's my element then?"

    "We will figure that out tomorrow, but for now you should spend this time with your parents and rest." He told her glad that she was enthusiastic about this, but then he remembered something he should mention. "Before I forget, you should know that now that you are aware of your kitsune heritage some of your features will become more fox like, such as fox ears and tails." He grinned as he looked at her shocked face. "In fact from the looks things I'd say the transformation has already begun if your ears are anything to go by."

    Narumi, still shocked by the info, put a hand up to her ears and felt them. She found that he was right since her ears were more pointed at the tips. She also noticed that her fangs were a bit longer and sharper as she moved her tongue in her mouth.

    Roku then decided to break her out her stupor by telling her something else. "One more thing, because you are a kitsune and your new body in my world will be a testament to this. It will have all the changes you will receive by the end of the year." Narumi just nodded at this, she was actually kind of happy that she would look more like her mother. "You will also be trained in the kitsune arts by your mother during the year that you're here and will be able to use these abilities as well." Roku then got up from his place and stood. "Well then, with that said I take my leave, ready young one for your training begins tomorrow." Narumi just looked at him with determination and nodded her head as he turned and left.

    Kushina went up behind her daughter and wrapped her arms around her neck. "Only a year…"She said sadly. "It's not nearly enough time." Kushina felt that she had so much to make up for to her daughter and wanted to be there for her this time. There were so many things she wanted to do with her daughter and felt she wouldn't have enough time to do it all. Her husband came over and put a hand on her shoulder, he felt the very same way. There were so many things he wanted to teach her and protect her from, including boys, as he glared at the thought of his daughter dating some boy.

    Narumi, sensing her parent's discomfort, turned around and smiled at them. "Then we'll just have to make the most of it right!"

    The two adults just looked at her slightly shocked before they smiled warmly. The family all linked hands with Narumi in the middle enjoying the feeling of her parents love as they walked toward a house. They went inside sat down with Narumi sitting her mother's lap as they talked. The family that had finally been re-united after twelve long years became closer than most in just one day. Around midnight Narumi had fallen asleep in her mother's embrace, Kushina's tails wrapped around her lovingly. The mother and father just looked at her with happiness and love as she slept, the moon shining through the window casting its warm light on her.

    Minato ran a hand through her hair as she slept happy to have her back. "Welcome home, my hime."

    Whoo, wow longest chapter I have ever written, but I think it turned out pretty good. Narumi will be in the spirit realm for the next one or two chapters I think, but the next chapter will take place three months later from this moment. So I am now opening the poll for what element Narumi should have. I am also opening the poll on who she should be paired up with in this fic. The choices at the moment are Sokka and Zuko. If anyone has any suggestions on any others that should be added to the poll send me an email. Thanks and see you next time.



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