Don't tell Sasuke

The final exam disaster

It was the day of the exams, and I was heading to my appointment a little late. I don't know if I had woken up late, or maybe I took too long to get ready. In any case, I was hurrying to head to the hospital building. Still I arrived almost twenty minutes late. When I arrived the front desk clerks quickly had me ushered into a room where the doctor immediately entered.

"Morning there Hotaru, running a little late are we today?" I gasp slightly and nod. The appoitment was only standard, and we listened to the developing heart and lungs. He looked to make sure everything was the size it was supposed to be. "Your baby boy looks in incredible shape! You've been taking real good care of yourself I see... been thinking of any names for him?"

I think a bit before I shake my head. I did have a couple names in mind, but none that I was so dead set on that I'd say them allowed to anyone. Naruto had given me a couple Ramen themed names.

"You know to be named after his godfather!" He said happily. Of course I never took his names seriously and we laughed about them.

"Godfather? Who made you godfather?" I asked through giggles.

"I did of course!"

Though we hadn't not spent much time together over the past month he was always there to give me a smile when I felt I needed one. It was like he had a sixth sense or something. Given what a villager told me one day it might actually be that.

"You know that brat is dangerous, I wonldnt want him around my baby let alone my unborn child." I was caught off guard by the old woman beside me at the bbq.

"I'm sorry what?" I asked, confused and a little concerned about what she was actually talking about. Did she know about Sasuke?

"That blond demon, he is the nine tailed fox. The one who destroyed the village all those years ago. Killing the 4th Hokage and his wife, and many others. He's a danger and I don't know why the third kept him. Should have drowned him!" I was taken aback, and then became suddenly furious. I slammed my hands on the table and stood up.

"Naruto is like a little brother to me." I said coldly to her my eyes never leaving hers. "He is more a member of this community than you'll ever know. And just the thought of drowning a baby makes me want to vomit. You should be ashamed. Absolutely disgraceful." I stormed out after paying for my uneatten food. I wasn't hungry.

I went straight to the library and looked up what she was talking about. And there I found it, the event described clearly by dozens of different people. And only one about how the demon was sealed away into a newborn. I scoffed and thought it ridiculous how the village could condemn Naruto when he wasn't even at fault for what happened. It was this 4th Hokage who had set his path so very young.

I wanted to do something special for Naruto, just because I knew it was rare for him to have things done for him. I snuck into his place one night he was out cold next to his bed, and cleaned the place. Fixed the cracks in the walls, put in New light bulbs, took out the trash, folded clothes, bought food and ramen, and even fixed a leaky pipe. The poor child didn't wake up even when I dropped the heavy bucket of spackle on the floor. But when he did wake up, to say he was appreciative would be an understatement. He went out and bought me a small night cap for the baby. I cried. It was the first gift anyone had given the baby. The first thing I did was took a needle and thread and stitched in the words 'from your godfather Naruto.' When I showed the stitching to Naruto he was so happy and filled with energy he went on a three day training spree. He only slept when I brought herbal tea out to him at the hot springs. Passed out right there next to me on the ground.

When I finished talking to the doctor I figured I still had enough time to stop by the ramen shop to have lunch. I was so very hungry, and that seemed to be my constant state. Choji and I seemed to hang out a lot because of this. We never said we'd meet up or anything, it just so happened that we were at the same bbq or restaurant. He didn't make me self-conscious and I enjoyed that. In the beginning we would sit together and eat in silence. Then eventually he gave me recipes, once he invited me over for dinner where his father made the best roasted pork I have ever eaten in my life. My mouth waters now just thinking about it. Through Choji I became good friends with Shikamaru as the two were often together and then I became friends with Ino. I invited them over to restaurants when they werent busy. Shikamaru taught me how to play shoji, but I never seemed to remember all the rules to allow me the best advantage. I even had lunch once with their parents, and they gave me tips on raising children. I cried a lot that day.

I was reminded that I would have to raise this baby alone without Itachi. It was too dangerous for him, and us I suppose. I remember what Itachi told me when he found out I was pregnant. 'I wish I could be there.' At first I was confused, but eventually it set in. He was not someone who was supposed to have children. He told me what happened to his clan. And how he was looked up to so much by everyone. I wish I had that I told him. I didn't have siblings growing up, and my parents were always busy cooking at their restaurant to pay me any mind. They didn't have a child to enjoy the gift of parenting, no, they had a child to be able to pass on their wealth and the restaurant to. I loved them, love them, I do.

It was actually my parents who introduced me to Itachi. In their own way that was. Neither of them were free to wait on Itachi and Kisame's table and gave the job to me. They were especially busy that day. I walked up to their table and gave them my apologies for the wait. As soon as he looked up into my eyes I felt the world shift around me. I needed to know about him, and that's what I did. 

I followed him around a bit and of course he knew I was there. Then on the third day he told me that if I were ever to become a ninja I would be a very bad one. I was some how able to keep him around enough to have a conversation, and then soon we had lunch together. I let them stay in my apartment and after much persistance had him show me some ninja things. He taught me how to use a kuni and how to bandage wounds. One day I over heard them talking about going to the village over and I happily told them about how my family had a side restaurant there. I could give them a place to stay, and free food as long as Itachi kept teaching me.

And that's how it was for two years. It was only when I discovered I was pregnant that he told me we needed to separate. I needed to be somewhere safe and away from him. It took a while for me to agree, but eventually I was here in konoha. My family doesn't know anything, but I told them I went to another country and opened my own resturant up away from them to gain my own name. They were very pleased with that. 'Just come back before we die' they requested.

I was on my way to the arena after I finished my food when a sudden explosion occurred not too far infront of me. Without even a first thought I ran towards it and saw smoke was coming from the arena, but no one was trying to run away. Still I felt uneasy.

A sudden burst of adrenaline and before I knew it I was inside the building. People running past me, fighting what looked like anbu. I was attacked once, but I easily defeated them. Must have been a really bad opponent, I had gotten lucky there. I ran through the line of fire of kuni and sheriken, but again I was lucky. I never was cut by anything flying past me. I picked up one and used it to deflect any that were heading towards the other civilians around me. They all looked to be asleep, it must be have been a genjutsu. I quickly ran towards a group of civilians and was able to help dispel the genjustu and instructed them to quickly leave. I went to move to another group but before I moved too far I heard my name being shouted.

"Hotaru!" I looked up to see a row of kuni heading my way, and I just knew if I jumped out the way they would hit the sleeping civilians behind me. I thought 'when's a better time than now.' I performed my only jutsu to counteract.

Waiting to see if I was too late or not with my jutsu seemed to pass very slowly. I thought how the genjutsu that was being used was very weak. 

It was the only thing beyond the basics that Itachi had me study meticulously. He didn't want anyone tricking me. He taught me how to dispel them on myself and on others. He taught me how to recognize them, and he taught me that anything could set a genjustu off. We trained for over a year on just genjustus. Even harder when we discovered I was pregnant. 

It was my first line of defense against anyone who might want to hurt us. Itachi told me there were others besides Sasuke who were more dangerous and would do anything to capture Uchiha eyes. 'I wonder who he meant,' I thought finally.

And just in time the barrier protected us. I let out a sigh of relief and continued on to dispelling more genjustus around the arena.

I had seen Naruto and the rest of them, but I was afraid to get in their way. So I stayed behind and helped the injured, as I watched the kids leave the arena chasing after someone.

Not long after medic nins started appearing. My doctor being one of them, he scolded me for being reckless, but told me that I was incredibly lucky. He continued by telling me how I was stupid to have run into the flames like that, but I wasn't thinking.

Once everything calmed down and I was seen and cleared by a medic I was told to quickly make my way to the Hokage monument where I would be safe. I was told we were under attack. I quickly followed a group of others and soon we were safe inside.