Ashes to Ashes

Third Person P. O. V.

"Menma you will be staying here" Sarutobi said to Menma, Minato and his team trailing behind them.

The team demanded that they assisted Minato in case anything were to happen, and felt they should be there as they had found Menma.

The boy nodded his head as he looked at the black complex. It seemed to be more of a jail then an apartment. There were many rooms that belonged to the ANBU members, meaning he would be under surveillance at every second of the day. They would sense his chakra, what he was doing with it, and would know if he ever let the fox out.

A small pain filled his heart, the same pain he felt when Sasuke said he wanted to break their bonds. This was the pain of distrust for him. His own father and Jiji didn't trust him.

Menma looked around the apartment he would be staying in, and to say the least, It was very bland.

The apartment itself was probably as big as the Hokage's office, with very little furniture. There was a couch by a window that faced the village, a small kitchen near the door, a hallway the had a bathroom and most likely his bed.

Menma thought about Sasuke's room and how it looked similar to his, the part about it being bland, that is.

He missed his pal, and every now and then he would see the bastard in his peripheral vision.

"Stop being such a loser Naruto. You need to make a difference or else I will surpass you" The raven boy's voice echoed in his mind.

"Sasuke?" Naruto questioned when he saw a dark figure in the corner of his apartment. The dark figure came closer, so close that Naruto could see the duckbutt hair and the dark eyes.

Sasuke stood in front of him Naruto gasped and stepped back from the man he knew as Sasuke. Sarutobi and Minato watched in confusion as the boy backed away from nothing. Fear filled the his eyes as his best friend's mouth spilled blood. He had let Sasuke die and now it was haunting him.

"Naruto please...for me...become hokage" Sasuke repeated those words and each time more blood spilled from his mouth. Naruto growled in anger that he was seeing this. His eyes turned to slits as he stared at his friend.

He grabbed Sasuke by the neck, causing the raven to gasp. Slowly Menma tightened his grip, squeezing the life out of Sasuke.

"Menma stop it!" A voice called out. Minato was grabbing Naruto's wrist.

Naruto had not choked the shadow Sasuke but his own jiji. The old man had tears in his eyes, his cheeks were turning purple from lack of oxygen. Naruto couldn't believe what he had done. He had almost killed his own jiji all because of the shadow Sasuke. He didn't know how to react.

"I-I'm so sorry" he whispered. Another figure came in behind him, making him let go of his jiji.

The pink hair and the seafoam green eyes were without a doubt the features of Sakura. She still looked beautiful as if she was alive and well. Naruto looked at her, hoping the allusions would soon stop. The pinkette got closer to him, smiling her grin that made his world brighter.

"Naruto-Kun when will you be Hokage?" she asked, blood staining her pink hair and delicate face.

Naruto wrapped his arms around himself, making sure he could hurt no one.

"Menma!" A scream from his father broke through his allusion.

The pinkette disappeared into thin air, revealing a frightened Rin Nohara. Along with her were her 2 male teammates. Minato took a protective stance in front of his team, seeing the slit eyes of Menma. Sarutobi stood beside Minato as well, both of them very close to the door.

Naruto looked at them, hoping an allusion would not appear before him. He looked over Minato's shoulder looking for his Kakashi.

The chunin stood there glaring at Menma. He saw him as a threat and nothing more. Menma was very confused as to why he was seeing his friends.

PTSD.

He has PTSD. It made sense as to why he was seeing his dead friends. What surprised him even more was that Kakashi stepped forward to him. No one stopped him.

"Demon. You are a demon. I can see it in your eyes...." Kakashi's voice was low and dangerous, dripping with venom.

Menma flinched at the words as his eyes went back to their normal pupils and not slits. He hated that word. This was not the kind Kakashi he knew.

This Kakashi was broken and he would only break more with what would happen to Obito. Menma blinked at the boy as he stepped closer. Minato and everyone else watched as the boy moved forward.

Naruto could faintly see the shadow of Kakashi walk behind the younger version of him. Naruto couldn't hold it back anymore as he walked towards shadow Kakashi trying to hug him. Obito froze up when he saw Menma hug Kakashi. It was such a foreign sight to see Kakashi in that embrace.

"Please, don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't fall into darkness." Menma cried out to the younger version of his lover. Kakashi froze at the contact. He hadn't been hugged since his mother, and that was something he barely recalled.

Tears fell onto his mask from Menma. Minato watched in confusion as to why Menma would say such things. Maybe it was something to do with his past.

Sarutobi closely watched the hands of Kakashi, making sure he didn't use a weapon on the broken boy.

Rin silently hoped that Kakashi would show some emotion and hug back. To try and at least be human. What happened shocked them all. Kakashi's hand moved towards his weapon pouch as if he was trying to get a weapon. Menma leaned closer to him, whispering something in his ear that no one could hear.

"My mother and father died too." Kakashi's hand stopped from going into his pouch. His eyes opened wide in such anger and sadness.

This man had not even been here for more than 4 hours and he somehow knew what happened to Kakashi's parents. Menma unwrapped his arms from Kakashi as he watched his reaction. Sadness filled his eyes to the point where he almost cried.

Obito's mouth opened in surprise at what Menma had done. Menma had lived to hug Kakashi and tell the tale.

The older boy wiped away his tears as he looked one last time over his apartment, completely ignoring those behind him. He would become a Jounin so he could help out with Team Minato. That way he could fix the future. He only had until he was born to fix as much as possible.

"Go. I need to be alone..." Menma said in a monotone voice.

The team of genin/chunin headed out of the room, all of them were confused at the Menma's actions. Kakashi left in a blur before anyone could see his tears. Obito followed after his teammate, Rin going with him.

Minato looked at the boy as he tried to search for any answer as to who this Menma was. Sarutobi urged Minato to leave with him, both of them shunshin(Sp?) away. This left Menma to be alone in his small apartment, thinking about his shadow friends. Sasuke appeared again, along with Sakura. This time they were covered in even more blood, just like how they died in the war.

"Naruto, become Hokage" they said at the same time. Naruto stared at them when he heard the word Hokage.

Hokage to what? A village that was burned to the ground. A village that no longer existed in the actual time. A village that even if it still stood, there were no people but himself alive there. How could he be a Hokage to that village?

Sasuke walked to him along with Sakura, both team members coughing up blood as they got closer. Sasuke raised up two fingers as he got near Naruto, poking his forehead. Tears threatened once again to spill out of the azure blue eyes. Sakura leaned in to hug Naruto, covering the his clothes in blood.

Blood.

Blood. The blood his friends sat in. Blood that was spilled by Madara Uchiha. Blood he will never forget the sight or smell of. The shadow Sasuke and Sakura disappeared along with the blood. This time another shadow figure took their place. It was none other than the stupid scarecrow. The man he vowed to protect no matter what. Even if it costed his life.

"Ne Naruto, are you crying? " the man asked as he eyed Naruto. Naruto's heart broke at the sight of his lover.

He still remembered the soft touch of the man's fingers, and how he would run them through his blond hair. He could still remember how the body of his lover in bed, how he had such a perfect physique. He also remembered how Kakashi was not alive.

Naruto swung at the shadow Kakashi in anger that his mind would play such tricks on him. Stupid brain. The Kakashi disappeared into thin air, but now another shadow took its place.

This time it was Shikamaru. Lazy bastard. The young lazy Nara stared at the ceiling of the apartment, not looking at the Naruto. Naruto silently thought of how the Nara would always call him troublesome. Look who's troublesome now Shikamaru...

"Now Naruto, do the logical thing. Be like a Nara" The shadow Shikamaru said in a lazy tone. Naruto balled up his fist and ran past his friend. The memories of the war flooded his mind, each one taking the time to burn into his eyes.

Sasuke. Sakura. Hinata. Kakashi. Tsunade. Kiba. Shino. Gaara. Shikamaru. Each friend dead because of him.

No. The war was started because of Obito, who started it for Rin, all because Kakashi killed her. Anger took over Naruto as he sat on his bed. It was all of Team Minato's fault for the war. Just to think that such small kids created a war that killed everybody but him. The Kyuubi stirred inside of him from all the hatred and anger.

"Naruto, calm down. This isn't the right thoughts you should be thinking..." Naruto cut off the Kyuubi, ignoring his warnings. He needed to vent his anger out.

The kyuubi was trying to soothe him, or restrain his host from breaking anything in the apartment. Naruto fought the Kyuubi for control of his body, but soon gave up. There was no point in fighting the Fox as it was superior, in some ways that is.

"Naruto, you are a dead last dobe" Sasuke's voice echoed in his apartment.

Naruto ignored the shadow friends, and proceeded to walk towards his door. He wanted to see someone. He needed to see a little boy. A boy he wanted to say thanks to. The shadow Sasuke smirked at Naruto, knowing exactly who he was going to. Naruto opened his door giving his apartment one last look.

All of his friends were there, bloody and beat up. Just like how he found them when he was in the war. He slammed the door shut as the man he loved moved his head to look him in the eyes, eyes that were slowly closing.

Naruto wanted the shadows to go away. He wanted to be in the right state of mind when he would meet his mom and dad again. Or maybe see his future lover without breaking into tears.

"Naruto, they will not disappear until you can let them go" Kurama said, his voice low and very unlike how it usually was. Naruto internally growled at the thought of letting them go, getting angry at how Kurama could suggest such a thing.

The fox could only watch as Naruto suffered the allusions of those he loved, and those he protected with his life.

Naruto walked through the streets of past konoha, looking at the buildings. Certain ones stood out like food places, while others were destroyed before he was born. He even passed by a small ramen shop that had 2 men running it. Everything seemed new and different then future konoha, but at least it was all there.

He would savor the sights he was seeing. Right when he was about to arrive at the Uchiha compound 2 figures came into his view. A redhead and a blond.

"Well hello Menma. Where are you going?" Minato asked him. Naruto thought about telling the truth, but he couldn't do that.

He looked at the red hair, admiring the way it shined in the sun. He looked into the eyes of his mother, making sure he kept back from hugging her.

The Kyuubi and Kushina stirred at the presence of the future nine tails. Menma instantly became aware of the fact that Kurama was still inside his mother at this point, making his job harder. He silently hoped that Kurama would do something to keep his presence hidden. The fox hid his presence from his past self, and the past container of him as well.

"I am seeing how it feels to walk around a village again." was the best answer Naruto came up with. Kushina frowned at the sad answer as she was fully aware of the boys situation. It hurt her to know he lost his home, just like she had.

Minato nodded his head at the answer in an understanding way. Menma stepped away from his parents trying to hold back his tears. Minato left him alone taking it as a sign that the boy needed time alone after what had happened earlier with Kakashi. Kushina, however, felt the need to comfort him. As if he was her son. It was an odd sensation she had that he was related to her or the kyuubi somehow.

The beast inside her stirred from his sleep as he too felt the strange energy coming from Naruto.

"He is hiding something Minato-Kun" Kushina said in a sad tone. Her husband nodded in agreement at that.

Menma was hiding a dark past from them, and he would get to the bottom of it.

Naruto looked at the path he was taking. He thought back to how Madara truly died and what he had said.

"Ashes to Ashes" The words echoed through his head with the sinister voice saying them. The same voice that had told him to join him in the perfect world. The same voice that laughed as Naruto watched the people he wanted to protect die.

|過去に私の愛|

"Madara, you killed them. Him." Naruto whispered into Madara's ear.

He was the last one to go against Madara. His friends long ago sacrificed themselves for his sake, and he would make sure he avenged them. A part of himself hoped that one of them was still alive, but he knew those chances were very slim.

Madara leaned in closer to Naruto, making a dramatic pause for the response. Madara clasped his hand around Naruto's head so he wouldn't escape from him.

"Ashes to Ashes" Madara had whispered into the boy's ear.

The blond yanked his head away from the grip of the Uchiha. A madman he was for thinking Naruto would give up so easily and join him.

Madara had made the blond an offer. The offer was that the perfect world would include his parents. His lover. A world where his dad would say "Welcome home" to him. A world where Kakashi would give him a kiss on the cheek.

Tempting as it was, Naruto declined. He would rather live with the truth and get through it then live in fake happiness knowing it was never truly real. The Uchiha lunged at the blond with his rinnegan shining in the light of the moon. The world around them seem to be covered in red.

"You destroyed the world Madara. You killed those I love, and for that you will pay!" The blond shouted as he charged at the mad man.

The nine tails cloak appeared on the blond once again, shining a red-orange color. The Uchiha reached his hand out, a small black sphere forming in his palm.

Suddenly, the black sphere vanished, and Madara collapsed onto the ground. He was tired out, his power leaving him. Naruto smirked at the man for thinking such foolish things like a perfect world.

His cloak flickered and soon vanished as he no longer needed it. He walked over to Madara to see if he was still alive. He needed one question to be answered from this man.

"Why did you do such a thing? You destroyed the world only to create a perfect one." Naruto's voice was low and anger was clearly in his words.

Of course he was angry. His friends were dead, and Kakashi was dead as well.

Madara raised his head to look at Naruto, his rinnegan shining in the moonlight. A small smile appeared on the man's face, it was more of a smirk.

Enraged by the act Naruto slapped the man, not caring because his loved ones were dead already. Leaving him alone. Madara continued to smile, each time his smile grew bigger naruto punched him.

Repeating over and over again "Why did you do such a thing?" and each time he got no response. He wanted to know how such a man could kill everyone he ever loved, including Kakashi.

"This world........will burn....ashes....to....ashes....." his words spaced out as the man took his last breathe. Naruto screamed at the dead man for giving such a terrible answer. He looked at the dead body one last time before he turned away from the Uchiha.

He needed to see if he was really the last one alive. He searched through the rubbish of the war, looking for his loved ones. The ones he protected no matter what. But all he saw so far was his enemies.

The bodies of the zetsu clones littered the battlefield, covering the bodies of his comrades. A smile appeared on the young blond's as he thought of the victory......

|過去に私の愛|

Naruto watched the little boy from afar. The little boy was from the Uchiha clan and looked very much like his friend Sasuke Uchiha.

This little Uchiha was playing with a ball in a very big grass field, completely oblivious to Menma who was sitting in a tree. He kicked the ball around, chasing after it as it rolled by the tree Naruto was sitting in.

Naruto thought of how this boy would grow up and change the shinobi world. This little boy would change the way the village would think, and would ultimately save the lives of others. But doing so would destroy his own. So Naruto thought very carefully if he would even speak to this boy.

"I can see you" The Uchiha boy spoke.

Naruto smiled a bit as he remembered this boy was a prodigy. Naruto jumped down from the tree as he looked at the Uchiha.

A shadow came from the corner of his eye, forming what seemed to be Kakashi Hatake. His lover.

Naruto tried to focus on the tear troughs the Uchiha boy had. He tried to focus on the way the Uchiha boy's eyes held happiness and were not cold. Anything but the shadow of his lover. The boy smiled at Naruto. A smile that meant he had everything he could ever hope for. Jealousy surged through Naruto as he thought of how his happiness was dead, but he could always bring it back; it would take some time to get it back.

"Why do you smile, Uchiha boy?" Naruto asked him. The small boy tilted his head to the side as he thought of his answer.

He was happy that his dad would teach him a fire jutsu, he made a new friend named Shisui, and he met a girl the other day he liked. The clan was treating him with respect as if he was an adult. He had many things to smile and laugh about but nothing seemed worth being happy about to the point he would share it out loud.

So instead the boy asked Naruto a question, a question that caught him off guard.

"What makes you happy?" The boy asked.

Naruto clenched his teeth as the shadow figures appeared behind the Uchiha boy.

Sasuke. Sakura. Kakashi. Hinata. Kiba. Shikamaru. Tsunade. Everyone he cared about appeared as a shadow. Naruto closed his eyes as if that would make anything better.

The Uchiha boy walked closer to Naruto before grabbing his hand. Naruto opened his eyes as he stared at the raven haired boy.

Raven Hair. Those eyes of the man that had more of heart than any man he met. Those eyes were now that of a boy that was innocent. It almost killed him to see the resemblance between Itachi and Sasuke. He could feel sadness consume him the longer he looked.

"What made me happy was the man I loved, Itachi. He is now gone, and so is my happiness..." and with that Naruto vanished from Itachi's sight. The little boy wanted to gasp in surprise, but he kept a calm composure.

Questions raced through Itachi's mind as he tried to make sense of what had happened. He loved a man? What happened to that man? Was he dead? Itachi looked around for the man he was just talking to, his eyes filled with suspicion. A few moments later he stopped searching as it seemed the man was gone, so he resumed playing with his ball.

Naruto watched on as the boy played without noticing him.

Words echoed in Naruto's mind over and over again. Words that reminded him about his failure to protect the king . His failure to protect those he held dear, and those he loved. All those he failed, but one in particular came back to haunt him.

"Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust" the voice of Kakashi whispered in his ear.

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It won't let me put in another gif which would be of Sasuke, but oh well :P