Naruto: Mind over matter

-One week later-

Pov: Ace

Is it weird to organize your own funeral...?

Yeah, but it means that I get to have a balloon arch and style my funeral like a party instead of a gloomy and horrible day... Eiko has a new found hate for me, Ace.

I mean technically I am just fulfilling the wishes of the dead via his will, but everyone grieves in there own way and seeing the not-Riku walking around and buying Balloon arches with his money is certainly not easy for people... I am almost certain Riku never thought this through or he was drinking when making these plans.

Haaa- I best get these balloons to the funeral, its happening in an hour after all.

I walk through the streets of Konoha and arrive at the small venue, only the teams and there sensei plus tsunade, Jiraiya, shizune, Emiko, Hiroki and Eiko were invited- it seems Eiko and her parents are helping clean the area...

"Eiko, Emiko, Hiroki I am thankful for your help... my condolences for dying" I preform a small bow and they nod their heads, Eiko clicks her tongue and stubbornly looks away- she is still unhappy...

I walk up to my grave that is surrounded by flowers and decorations... I place the balloons behind them.

I spend the next hour sitting still and training my sage mode as that is priority one, me being dead? That's somewhere down the list...

People start entering wearing funeral formal clothes and start standing by my grave, a few people place things by it.

Hinata places a her ring she gave me...

Naruto his necklace...

Shikamaru places toilet paper a candle and five ryo... plus the earing he got me...

Eiko places a small wooden rabbit being chased by another wooden wolf... I love that...

Yamato places a wooden toy Almighty.

Lady Tsunade places a deck of cards.

Team Gai place... dumbbell's and flowers...?

Anko places a bottle of alcohol.

And the rest place various flowers and funeral appropriate items..

After everyone has a moment of silence I walk to the front and [Imbue Costume] into Riku, I stand facing everyone and speak the letter to everyone that I had memorized.

"First of all, thanks for coming to my funeral, before I begin I just want everyone to know that Riku wrote what I am saying right now... that wasn't a shift in blame but for clarity why Ace or Anchor who should be speaking in my form is cracking jokes"

"..." everyone is silent and paying attention, Naruto is looking to his feet and not moving, Eiko is sobbing.

I continue.

"Riku was a dumbass, he did a lot of things that should have killed him and I'm sure he somehow got himself killed, if anyone is feeling blame or guilt- tell your brains to shut up. I am the only person responsible for myself"

*cough* an awkward cough from Jiraiya and I continue once more.

"As of this time, Tsunade, Kakashi, Anko, Yamato, Eiko and Inoichi know of {Luke}, for those of you unaware I had a past life that I remembered, not lived, remembered. That means that I read a very detailed biography on someone else... nothing else, Luke died of alcohol poisoning in a park sleeping by himself and reminiscing about the past... I will not, I hope I will die old with those around me but if I die in battle then that was a hell of a way to go, the reason I am telling you all about Luke is... is that due to certain circumstances I will not have an afterlife... six feet under I am decaying flesh, my soul, spirit and mind are gone. I am sorry but you all deserved to know... then again, I may be a wandering ghost..."

The sniffling and crying worsens and a few people look shocked and downcast.

"Now Ace cutting in here, my next line is shouting for Sasuke to stop crying so loudly and for him to come up and give a speech... improv of course... but considering his current conditions I will skip over this part"

There is a few sighs in the crowd... I know I am disappointed about not seeing Sasuke fumble over his words too...

"I will now give my last statements to certain people in this funeral... if we were close and I havent made statements... then blame me for not updating these and being lazy..."

I continue as everyone looks up at me, waiting for there name.

"Naruto! To be Hokage you need to strengthen your will and expand your horizons... you were my greatest friend and my brother at heart, when you become Hokage build a statue for me- even dead I have an ego to uphold" Naruto gives a weak smile and I see a few people doing the same.

"Hinata! My best friend who I could trust to give me all the latest gossip and news in Konoha! Please do not let Naruto out of your reach, I did not wingman you for years so he can fall in love with someone else! Stay strong and breathe, I know you and you are one of the strongest people I know" she smiles as tears go down her eyes.

"Someone give Sasuke this note later when he wakes but- Sasuke! Turn that frown upside down! You have a dream to complete and places to go! Let people hug you! or whatever counts as an Uchiha intimate moment! Hn! As of writing this letter I know you to be reliable and trustworthy,  never compromise and be true to yourself!" I pass a letter to Sakura so she can hand it to Sasuke later.

"Yamato-sensei! You were a great teacher, a personal hero who saved me from a horrible situation and an alright neighbour for a while! Please keep the arguing between you and Anko to a minimum near my grave, I am trying to be dead over here!"
Yamato nods resolutely and gives a weak smile.

"Anko-sensei! You were a better teacher than you gave yourself credit for, a talent you dont see even now... please take the chance of having another genin team- a real one... I am almost certain you would love it! Make sure to get me some cheap alcohol every year alright? Being dead and all I am definitely in need of a drink!" Anko smiles with tears in her eyes.

"Eiko! My wolf! If I died before I was sixteen- my bad, I will have Ace spend all my money on chocolates and desserts for you as an apology! You can have my house... while Ace fades away, and then after all my selves are gone you may do with it as you wish! I really did love you... you made me feel more whole than I thought I ever could be... I am sorry but the hunter got me before you did wolf... please be happy... never forget I love you, always" Eiko wipes her tears and sniffles... she smiles weakly while muttering "I love you too..."

"Gaara! No notes, you have been a damn good Kazekage and an almighty sibling! You probably cant attend this funeral due to work but someone will send you a better letter than what's being said right now! Live on and never let anyone drag you down!" A letter was sent this morning to gaara... there was also letters to Kankuro and Temari.

"Gai! Lee! Neji! Tenten! We hung out many times and you guys were pivotal to all my taijutsu and kenjutsu experience, an amazing team of people who are capable of so much! You all have my respect and you will soar to be the pinnacle of strength in Konoha! I am certain of it!" The four smile.

"Kiba! Akamaru! Shino! We always hung out when I met with Hinata or Shikamaru, Naruto or Choji... while we never connected that much you guys were still an amazing part of my life... Akamaru is still the best dog as always... it was great having fun and chatting with you guys, even the missions we have done together were always a blast! Keep being you, because you guys are the best!" They all give weak smiles... Shino does too which I never saw before... Akamaru barks!

"Arf!"

"Tsunade! Stop gambling, like what the fuck Lady you have been gambling since you were a child and never beat me once! Once In all the times we played! you were a great Hokage, maybe my favourite until Naruto comes along... but even then you have done so much for everyone and I am eternally grateful for the help you have given me" Tsunade scoffs and smiles.

"Shikamaru! A great friend, no a perfect friend who knew what to do at every moment, a genius like no other who is capable of doing anything! Just has to get up to do it! I aspire to be like you! To be able to rest like you! Never 3ver let anyone tell you that you are lazy! You are my dream shinobi! The pinnacle of my dream to relax! Thank you for being you!" Shikamaru sits there with a depressed expression, fiddling with the wooden deer that I gave him so long ago.

"Ino! Sakura! Didn't know either of you too well but either way you guys where great friends, always willing to lend a hand and help those around you, two kunoichi who will undoubtedly go down in the history books!" They nod and smile.

"Sai! Wakana! Or rather Canvas and Boring! How many titles did I get in the end? Sai live well and befriend all possible, you are on the right track and I know you can befriend many people some day! Wakana, you are not boring! Everyday you say something out of pocket and crazy! One of the most interesting people I know who will undoubtedly find what your looking for!" They both give their best practiced smile and a nod.

"Choji! You were fantastic when it came to making my random cravings into reality! Truly a master of food and I bow to you! A great friend who I can always count on to help me or others, never change and always be your best you!" Choji gives a warm smile.

"And if I missed anyone blame laziness or the fact that this will may be out of date... this life was lived to its max and I loved every second of it! This is Riku, saying my final words. Mind over matter, I may be dead but my will can never falter, I live on in memory" everyone gives a small clap and the funeral ends after Tsunade takes over the usual happenings and customs that take place in funerals within the elemental nations.

After the funeral everyone goes there separate ways and I walk away to my basement, I can maintain and rebuild Almighty and my other not-puppets and even burn some nature chakra by piecing together the bits- my priority is to train after all.

---

Pov: Eiko

I miss him, I miss him so much it hurts and all I can do is sleep, cry and eat... I accepted the chocolates and sweats that Ace brought me because Riku is right! I never got to marry him... never got to be with him... never capable of having children with him... living with him...

Ruto would have been a good name for our child.

He could of taught our child all his tricks and abilities that my Rabbit has...

He would have been a great father...

All I can do is sleep in his bed and weep, hugging his giant teddy bear and the pillow I bought him, my parents have given me a month off of work and I decided to stay here... Ace keeps going into the basement and upkeeping all the puppets... it annoys me that its him and yet not, a split self prioritising something that will never be back.

...

Gone forever...

*sniff*

I hate this. I love him.

---

Pov: Naruto.

...

I have just been staring at the floor for so long now... my apartment feels stuffy but I have already gone on so many walks... Riku...

...

Why do I feel so empty?

...

You can come back... you said you were a ghost...

...

Please be Riku one last time...

...

---

Pov: Tsunade

*slam!*

"You can't go now! Naruto needs someone!" I yell.

"But I do! If my information is right the Akatsuki is somewhere in rain and we can stop them before anymore people die! Naruto has so many people around him and I have given him my speech, all he needs is time- time that I need to do things in!" Jiraiya declares back.

He is right, Konoha needs the spymaster to find them... if not something worse can happen... I will give Sakura some time off from the hospital so she can make sure that Naruto is alright...

"Fine. Go and get what you think we need, and don't go peeping on your way out!" Jiraiya waves his hands casually as he walks out of my office and leaves for rain.

Haa- so many things to do...

---

Pov: Hinata

I'm eating snacks on his roof, Eiko knows so she doesn't get jump scared. Shikamaru is with me staring into the clouds...

"Did anyone tell you who did it? Who killed him?" He asks.

"There was no one else at the scene Sakura said..." I answer.

"But someone did that. And we were just..! Haa-" Shikamaru is dealing with his own demons now... loathing his laziness and even tiring himself out with training... he has calmed down considerably due to the funeral yesterday... but even then...

I have been depressed too, Riku was always someone who managed to cheer me up or keep my calm and yet that sturdy rock to lean on is just gone...

Shikamaru is right, someone killed him and we will find out who- the masked Akatsuki member is our greatest lead.

...

---

Pov: Anko

Tch- a good sensei, what a joke.

I never taught him much other than poisons and I practically fucked up his first few missions.

We never even did much other than that first month, I was always busy in T&I... why would he call me a great teacher? Me!?

Haaa- the brat will be missed, my first student who was pretty great... had a kickass title and everything...

Multiple titles actually, if he didn't die Rock sage would be contending with the terror right now... he always did use his telekinesis on rocks...

...

I have to get a drink.

---

Pov: Yamato.

I feel... horrid, never even told Riku my actual name... my first genin and I- haa, not going down that rabbit hole.

People have died around me before and I always managed to pull through, right now I need to be there for Anko and some of the others... maybe check on Naruto.

Apparently me and my team are merging with team 7 and we are going to be taking easy missions for a while...

Naruto and Kakashi came to me about a new jutsu he wanted to make a few weeks ago and I suppose this is the perfect time to start helping.

Riku- I will protect your friends. You have my word.

---

Pov: Riku

...

So I died...

But there was no line of lights to follow... no god like being to usher me into the next life... no obvious tunnel to travel down... I am just stuck in the in-between, the abyss, the road to other places and I have no idea what to do.

I want to cry but I have no eyes.

My... form is that of the soul, Hopeful and warm, Diligent and lazy.

I float in the darkness and drift... though I suppose I have control over where I am drifting, there is definitely no chakra here but my mind and soul are powerful, especially after the life I just lived.

...

I don't know where to go... what direction is the elemental nations and is there even direction in this space? Will my soul float for eternity until it collapses on itself for being stuck in this darkness and going insane? Is this the consequence of luck? Because I luckily woke up and drifted into a new life? Because I am barred from entering that worlds afterlife? Because I have no chakra?

...

Why don't I count?

...

Why is my soul not made of chakra like Minato's and Kushina's?

...

What is my soul made of?

...

Why did this happen to me?

...

Luck.

...

I was probably heading for hell or something worse...

...

Luck.

...

I woke up and drifted.

...

Luck.

...

I got a second chance.

...

Luck.

...

I just wanted to rest.

...

Luck.

...

But I had to fight and win.

...

Luck.

...

Luck.... I wanted to rest? Did I not resist dying on that surgery table?

...

Did I not ask for another chance at life?

...

Luke wanted to rest and I followed. Again.

...

Luck. I am no longer relying on luck. Luck drove me to this realisation. That luck should not be relied upon.

...

Lucky Luke is dead. Riku the terror is dead.

...

But Riku doesn't care.

Warm and hopeful - Diligent and uncaring.

Riku is warm and hopeful, often connecting with those around him and inspiring them with mental clarity, his connections and his warmth help both those around him yes, but also him- he is hopeful about the prospects of others and dreams about his future.

Riku is diligent and uncaring, diligent in his training by doing it nine times over and even creating and organising sentinels, travellers and augmenter's just to make him work harder and harder! Riku cares not for the laws of nature because Riku is a freak! Riku denies death and the laws of physics, my mind shall lift that rock and no one can tell me any different!

Riku is inhuman and only mortal humans die, Riku is a freak of nature and it is natural to die.

I am not natural.

Not anymore.

I am Riku.

---

Thanks for reading :)