Chapter Thirty
Hanako
April 20, 2010
"Hmmmm," Naruto hummed, glancing over the clothes in his closet.
What did one wear when meeting his fiancée's mother for the first time? Blue orbs lighted on the orange hoodie, and tee shirts.
'Too casual.'
He looked at the slacks hanging at the opposite end.
'Too formal and uncomfortable.'
Giving a befuddled scratch to his head, Naruto sighed. It was like that time he'd had to pick an outfit for his first date with Hinata. He didn't know what the hell to wear. He didn't wanna present himself as something he wasn't by wearing the clean cut clothes Ino had bought him for Christmas, but he also didn't want her to think he wasn't taking this meeting serious by wearing the hoodie. What combination of clothes would give a good impression but still remain true to himself?
"Naruto-kun?"
He turned and beheld elegant beauty.
Jet black, long sleeve, form fitting turtle neck tucked into a ankle length flowing deep green skirt. A black, cotton like belt cinched the skirt high at her waist, leaving the metal square that kept the belt together to gleam among the nightfall her outfit imitated. That heavy hair he loved was pulled back at her temples and twisted in some complex, looping style while the rest flowed down her back. It was a slightly formal, slightly sensual, completely feminine ensemble.
"What's wrong?" she questioned, stopping before him.
"You look beautiful," he complimented before complaining, "and I ain't got nothing to wear."
Hinata blushed at the compliment then giggled at the follow up sentence.
"Naruto-kun, what-"
"It's like our date all over again," he told her, lips pursed in consternation, "When I was tryna pick out a outfit, nothing seemed right for the occasion. The stuff Ino bought is too formal to meet your mom. I'm not a clean cut sorta guy, it's not really me, but these sweats and hoodie...she's probably gonna think I'm not taking this meeting serious and hate me the moment she sees me. Everything's either too much or not enough, 'ttebayo."
He huffed, shoulders drooping. Turning silly mournful eyes to her, he gave a quick assessing look before speaking.
"Hinataaa, Ino said you were supposed to take over this "orange fortress" as my girlfriend," he informed her, "make with the girlfriend magic."
He gave her a pouty look, then smiled at the laughter that followed.
"But Naruto-kun, I'm not a girlfriend anymore."
He snapped his fingers like he'd forgotten.
"Ahhh, that's right. Damn. Its too late for me then, huh?"
She chortled.
"Yes, far too late, but...since it's you, Naruto-kun, I'll make an exception."
He reached out, looped an arm around her waist then pulled her flush to him.
"Just for me?" he asked, rubbing noses with her.
"Yes, just for you." she confirmed, radiant joy on her face.
Though they were joking about it, he couldn't help feeling a bit relieved. The last thing he wanted to do was look a fool in front of his future mother-in law. With a hand at her waist and curiosity in his eyes, Naruto watched pupiless orbs move over his side of their closet. She pulled a few shirts out to look at them, did the same with a few pants, then placed a finger to her chin.
"Although I haven't seen her in so long...I'm sure mother wouldn't care about something like that," she told him, "but I know this is important to you, so why don't we visit the clothing shop before we visit my mother."
She laughed at the comedic disdain on his face.
"Now what's the matter?" she giggled.
"Ino, that's the matter. She had me try on almost everything I had in my closet then had me do it again in weird combinations. Trying on clothes...tryna get a "feel" for em," he shook his head then sighed, "it's torture, 'ttebayo. If that's what it means to shop then I'll just find something here and hope your mom doesn't find me too disappointing."
More mirth from his fiancée.
"Well you don't have to worry about that where we're going. There's a shop near the compound that specializes in arranging outfits for various occasions. I've used them several times when I don't know what to wear for a business meeting on behalf of the clan. I've never been dissatisfied with what they choose, and they're so good at measurements that there's almost no need to try anything on."
"Really?" he gushed, sparkles in his eyes.
Why the hell didn't he know this place existed?
She nodded.
"I've never had to wait longer than thirty minutes, for a man, the wait is probably a lot shorter. Even if it takes an half hour, we'll still reach the compound on time."
"Let's go then," he enthused before grabbing the hoodie he'd disregarded earlier to go along with the gray sweats he had on.
They headed for the door. Naruto grabbed her coat hanging on the coat rack near the door, held it out for then waited as she slipped her arms through. They put on their shoes, Naruto throwing sandals over his long white socks, Hinata zipping up ankle high leather boots. He grabbed his set of keys from a hook opposite the coat rack and reached for the door.
"Sensei! Is it true?! Are you and Hinata-san getting married?!" Tani burst the moment he'd opened his door.
He blinked, surprised to see his genin team in the doorway.
"Yeah," he replied after a beat.
Tani squealed, Sanzo pouted, while Seinosuke gave a happy congratulations.
"Told ya it wasn't just rumors!" Tani taunted the pouting teen, "Two of my sisters are apart of the fangirl club, and one of their members heard it straight from sensei's mouth."
Naruto sighed. Well that confirmed who had heard and when.
"It's true, but listen guys, we gotta be somewhere really important and we don't have a lot of time."
"Sorry, sensei. We probably should've called before we came over." Seinosuke apologized.
Sanzo snorted.
"Tani doesn't believe in calling before butting in to somebody's house."
"Like you ever answer the times I called you!"
"Oiii, you two," Naruto cut in as he'd done numerous times, "now's not the time, 'ttebayo. Nobody has to call. You know our doors always open if you need us, or even if you guys just wanna hang out. But right now, we really gotta go."
"Sorry sensei," The lone female in his team said, sounding contrite, "we'll come back when you're not busy."
Stars erupted from her eyes.
"I'd love to see your plans for the wedding," she gushed at the pale skinned woman next to him, "and look at wedding dresses! If that's okay with you, Hinata-san."
Hinata smiled at the young girl.
"Of course Tani, though I haven't even started looking myself. I could use your help."
"Really?" she squealed, the sound excited and high pitched enough to make all the guys in attendance wince, "that'd be amazing!"
"Mhm," his lover agreed with a giggle.
"Tani..." he probed.
"Oh! Right! Sorry! Later sensei! Hinata-san!"
Naruto sighed as the group left. He locked the door, took hold of his woman's hand, stuck both his and hers in the pocket of his hoodie, then began the walk towards the stairwell.
"I'm glad they stopped by," Hinata commented, "I really should start looking for a dress. And we should probably start thinking about date for our wedding.."
"Hmmm," he murmured, glancing up at the sky in thought, "how about next week?"
"Be serious, Naruto-kun," she chortled.
His brows furrowed.
"I was being serious."
She blinked.
"A week is too soon," she said after a moment.
"Eh? Too soon? Why's that? Don't you wanna get married as soon as possible?"
He certainly did. Why wait?
"Of course I do, but...Naruto-kun, you do realize that quite a few people will want to attend. All of our friends, the Hyuuga clan."
"Ah! Gaara too! I invited him when I went to Sunagakure."
He sighed gloomily.
"Just having all of our friends there is probably gonna be a pain in the neck if they have missions that day."
She nodded.
"I'm sure Hokage-sama can help with that, but we have to give him a date so he can arrange it ahead of time. As long as there aren't any emergencies that day, he may be able to clear it for everyone," she explained, "even though there are still some regions that need help, things have started to calm. The number of jubokko attack have declined sharply and if that trend continues, it'll be easier to arrange."
"Hmm, maybe I can volunteer for the clean up," Naruto pondered, "I've only been going on missions Kakashi-sensei assigns me, but I know there's a list for volunteers to take the next round of missions ahead of schedule. I could take on some of those in my down time. Most of them are C and D rank, it'd be a good way to get the team some experience, dattebayo. I've been so busy with my own missions so we haven't gone out as a team in a while."
"I'm sure that'll help, Naruto-kun. When I'm not on rotation for the Intel Department, I can sign up too."
"Ehhh, you too huh? Maybe we'll be on a team together then," he grinned, "it's been a while since we partnered up. Maybe we should start sparing again though, you caught a really bad cold when you came back from your last mission, but I guess that's to be expected since you hadn't been in the field in a while since they put you on rotation. You've gotten rusty, Princess."
"I have not," she laughed, "but I wouldn't mind sparing with you again. Your clones help keep my taijutsu sharp and your unpredictability keeps me guessing. It's fun."
"Yeah," he agreed, the tenor of his voice deepening, "it's fun."
The heat in her face widened his grin.
She knew very well what he meant.
He couldn't help himself, getting hot and sweaty with her one way always put him in the mood to get hot and sweaty with her in a different way. Once he'd exhausted her on the training grounds, he'd scoop her up and make a mad dash to their apartment where he deepened that exhaustion. She always slept so good after their sessions. It was yet another situation where he was thankful for his massive chakra reserves and Uzumaki stamina. It was very hard to exhaust him and again, where it concerned her, he used that to his advantage. She was so much like a sleepy kitten beneath him, too tired to move but not to purr. He'd love her slow and gentle, kissing and cuddling her tired body before bringing them both to a shattering climax.
"N-Naruto-kun," she sputtered, flustered, "t-that's..."
He laughed.
"W-We're out in public," she blushed, "you shouldn't talk about that out here."
True enough, though they'd just begun their walk, quite a few people were already up and about. When either of them were out among the public, many ears turned tuned in to them, even those they couldn't see, his engagement was a prime example.
"Alright," he conceded, lips curled in amusement, "but we're gonna start training soon as we can, 'ttebayo."
Her face was streaming but she didn't verbalize any opposition. In fact, those dark lashes lowered a fraction. It was something a person unfamiliar with her would miss, and if they didn't miss it, they wouldn't know the significance of it.
But he knew.
It was quiet desire.
He sighed internally.
If they didn't have things to do today, he'd insist they head to the training grounds now. He loved trading blows with her, just as much as he loved the after battle.
They reached the shop not long after, chatting happily, turning down those that came to speak to them, excusing themselves with the same explanation they'd given his genin team. The women at the shop knew him the moment he walked through the shop doors. They giggled and sighed over his presence before the head seamstress and owner shooed them away. After a brief explanation from the Hyuuga heir, Naruto shucked his hoodie and stood uncomfortably still as he was measured quickly and efficiently. Less than fifteen minutes, he was dressed in what he thought were appropriate clothing to meet one's fiancée's mother. It wasn't an outfit he would have picked out since he was a grab and go shopper, but he could honestly say he liked it.
A lot.
Swathed in a form fitting black, long sleeved top made of some super soft yet warm material, the fabric emphasized the physic he'd honed over the years, and his pants gave the appearance of formal with its man made creases, but the bright orange color not only aligned with his trademark style, it also took quite a bit of the formality from them. And better still, it was just as comfortable as his shirt. He could move and breathe in these clothes. The shiny black belt held securely by the belt loops only made the neon orange pop even more. They were him. A more cleaner version, but still him. Even the shoes felt like butter. They looked like dark leather but certainly didn't feel like it.
He liked it all.
The cost was heavy, but he regretted not single coin he spent. They even held his clothes he'd worn in for him and he could come and pick them up when he had time. He was more than happy by the time they left.
"You know, that wasn't bad at all and these clothes are great, dattebayo," he grinned as they cleared the door, "I don't like shopping, but since you had such a good idea and you're awfully pretty, let's go shopping together sometime. I won't ever go with Ino, but I'll make an exception just for you."
She laughed.
"Okay, Naruto-kun. We'll go shopping together."
"You gotta let me pick out some stuff for you too." He said oh so innocently.
She saw right through him. Embarrassment painted her face.
"N-Naruto-kun!" she stammered.
"It's only fair, Hinataaa," he teased, "besides, I was gonna pick out things you can be seen wearing out in public too."
"Naruto!"
Looking up from the blushing woman, he half turned. A familiar pinkette and blonde were headed his way.
"Sakura-chan, Ino, good morning," he greeted when they reached him, "What are you gu-"
"How lucky to run across you, Naruto." Ino butted in.
"Uh, lucky? What do you me-"
"In the kitchen Naruto!" the Yamanaka stated.
Baffled, Naruto gave his head a tilt and a befuddled look to his friend.
"The engagement," she supplied, hand on hip.
His confusion cleared.
Sakura sighed, her face exasperated.
"Ino's a stickler for romance and romantic settings," Sakura said by way of explanation, "don't mind her."
"But he, he, he," she gave him a dirty look, "in the kitchen Naruto?"
"Uhhh, well," He gave a bashful scratch to his head, "It kinda...just happened, 'ttebayo."
"How does a marriage proposal just happen?"
"That's what Kakashi-sensei asked," he murmured, "uh, can you chew me about it later, me and Hinata have an appointment to keep."
As if seeming to realize just at the moment, the two women took in his ensemble.
"Naruto! Those clothes!" Ino exclaimed, sounding very happy with him now, "you look great!"
"Yeah," Sakura agreed, "you clean up pretty well."
"Thanks guys, but we really gotta go."
"Sure," his former teammate conceded, "oh and good morning to you, Hinata. Sorry I didn't get a chance to say that before somebody launched into their tirade."
"Can it, billboard brow, it was important. But yeah, sorry Hinata, good morning."
"Good morning, Sakura-san, Ino-san." The amused woman replied.
"Guys-"
"Alright already, we're going, but the next time I see you, we're gonna have a little chat about appropriate place for important occasions!" Ino promised, death in her eyes.
He sighed as the two women wandered off. He took Hinata's hand, stuffed it in his pocket and continued on their way. As they walked, he glanced over at his happily walking significant other. He couldn't help but wonder...did she harbor the same feelings as Ino? Was she disappointed in his proposal. Now that he thought about it...she'd been in the middle of cooking...and he'd been butt ass naked...with no ring in sight. She hadn't complained at the time or after. She'd cried tears of joy when he asked for her hand in marriage, and seemed happy whenever he saw her look at the diamonds on her finger...
But...
Hinata wasn't one to openly complain, especially if it would hurt someone's feelings. She could be given a rock and she'd still try and find a way to make the giver feel like they'd given her exactly what she wanted.
Was she...disappointed deep down?
Even he had thought a romantic, elaborate setting and rehearsed words were appropriate for a proposal, and he'd thrown all that out that morning. When people asked her how he'd proposed, did it shame her to say "in the kitchen"?
Because...it kinda shamed him.
He didn't really care too much what people thought of him, but he cared what Hinata thought of him. He cared what others thought of her. She was everything to him...and yet the story behind their engagement...to normal people, it said otherwise. The last thing he wanted to do was bring shame to her. Anxiety churned in his gut.
"Hinata?"
"Hm?" she hummed.
"Are you...embarrassed about...how I proposed to you?"
"Embarrassed?" she questioned.
"Yeah...I had an idea about how I wanted to...propose to you. I even rehearsed it with the clones to make sure I got it just right and then...that morning...I threw it all away asking you that butt ass naked..."
She snorted.
"What are you saying, Naruto-kun?"
The twisting in his gut ceased with that snort. Lips pursed, he leaned down and gripped her cheeks with a single hand, pinching them both between thumb and forefinger until her lips pursed like a fish.
"Oiiii, Hinata," he grumbled, "What's funny?"
"Ooo, ore, Oaruo-kun." Came the muffled, amused rely.
He couldn't help but chuckle.
"How am I funny?" he asked, releasing her cheeks.
"Because you're asking such a silly question. What would I have to be embarrassed about?"
Uncomfortable to replay the memory through words, he made a face before saying, "It was in the kitchen...and I didn't have the ring," his cheeks heated, "and I was naked."
"Which part should I be embarrassed by?"
"All of it, 'ttebayo!"
"But I loved your proposal, Naruto-kun."
He turned surprised eyes to her. Her face was soft, her eyes even softer. He knew that look. The quiet intensity she was expressing. She truly, from the bottom of her heart wasn't ashamed or disappointed. She looked like he'd taken her to a romantic spot among the start, professed his undying love for her before popping the question on bended knee, twinkling ring in attendance.
Liked he'd given her the moon
"It was from your heart," she continued, doing what she did best, destroying him with her words, "it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. You gave me such a precious memory, one I can't help but replay in my head over and over, every time I look at this ring."
She lifted her hand, gazing at the brilliant cluster of diamonds.
"And every time I look at your face, Naruto-kun," she told him, gazing at a face more brilliant than the diamonds, "I can only feel happiness when I think about that day. At times, it feels like the most wonderful of dreams. That someone like you would want someone like me at your side."
Emotion clogged his throat. Someone like him. She made it sound like he was the most amazing guy in the world, and she something less than amazing. She had no idea how incredible she truly was.
"And I'll remain happy for as long as you'll have me," she giggled.
"Forever then..."
"Hm?" she hummed, glancing up at him.
Even though, they really didn't have the time for it, he stopped them. She turned questioning lavender orbs to his blazing blue.
"I'll have you forever then," he repeated.
He traced the softness of her check with the back of his finger, all the way down to the sapphire half heart proudly displayed among the darkness of her shirt. He lifted the dazzling jewel that held so much of his love.
"Forever, Hinata," he murmured, leaning down to press his lips to hers.
Forever.
And with every fiber of his being, he meant that word. His kiss was soft and tender, gentle and loving. And as he said with his mouth what he could barely describe with words, he was only distantly aware of the cameras snapping around them, the gasps, the comments, the "Naruto-san" and the "Hinata-hime". It was muted within that moment between them.
That vow he'd made.
Forever.
xxxxxx
"Well, well, well if it isn't Onee-san and soon to be official, Naruto-onii-san. You two sure took your time getting here. How unlike you, onee-san. You're usually boringly punctual," Hanabi teased the moment the couple strode hand and hand through the inner receiving area of the Hyuuga compound, "I've never seen you make that face before, Onee-san, you've gotta Uzumaki glow about you."
Red joined the tranquil look on the older woman's face.
"H-Hanabi!" Onee-san bumbled.
Naruto grinned. He liked watching the interactions between the two. It gave him a window into how real siblings behaved.
"Did something good happen on the way here?" Hanabi wondered aloud.
"N-no!" Hinata denied, waving her hands nervously.
Hanabi snickered, not believing a word of it.
"Naruto-onii-san, you're looking sharp today."
"Thanks Hanabi." He chuckled, a bit embarrassed.
"So what's the deal?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
The young Hyuuga gave him a curious looked marked by mischievousness.
"You've been dragging your feet with this proposal, the whole village has been waiting forever," Hanabi declared, "then all of a sudden, we hear about it second hand all over the Konoha. It's usually customary to inform family and friends in a gathering before you let the whole world know. It was so abrupt I had to wonder, did you get onee-san pregnant?"
"Hanabi!" Hinata exclaimed, face beet red.
Her teasing little sister merely raised two fingers.
"Shall I check and see with my Byakugan if there's a little Naruto in your belly?"
"Hanabi!!!" Hinata exclaimed again.
Naruto glanced down at her flat tummy. As far as he knew, there was no baby...yet. They didn't use condoms anymore but Hinata stayed current on her birth control. They'd talked about their future before, Hinata was fine with two children, he wanted three or more. With the talk of a child, he couldn't help but wonder...how soon was too soon for them to start a family?
After they were married of course, but...could they start right after?
A child with his wife...
Deep yearning unfurled in his chest. He wanted that with her.
"Hanabi, that's enough." Hiashi said as he entered through the archway.
They watched as the teasing left the younger woman, both in expression and in aura. A sort of...coldness replaced both. It took the couple completely by surprise. Hinata moved towards her sister, concern in her gaze.
"Hanabi-"
"Go talk to mom, onee-san," with that, she turned and walked passed their father, sparing him not a glance.
Hiashi, however, watched her go, his gaze sad.
Naruto didn't know exactly what was going on between those two, though he could guess it had something to do with the two women's mother, he couldn't really conjure much sympathy for the older male. Not after the tale he'd heard from the lips of the woman he loved. Even though he hadn't thought himself capable the night before, in light of the distress said woman was exhibiting, he wasn't going to make the situation any worse by telling Hiashi what he thought of his past self and actions.
Now was not the time.
"Father?" his fiancée questioned.
There was a brief pause before the patriarch spoke.
"I've...made many mistakes over my lifetime, Hinata...many mistakes," he confessed softly.
He turned upon the admission, then said, "she's in the eastern tatami room. Go and visit your mother, Hinata."
With that, he was gone. She watched the door he walked through long after he was gone, worry etched into her face. He took her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"Let's go meet you mother, Hinata. We don't wanna keep her waiting, 'ttebayo."
She looked so upset, he wanted to wrap his arms around her. But after a beat, she collected herself, gave him a grateful squeeze back and nodded.
She led the way to the eastern room Hiashi mentioned, her steps slightly faster than before. He could almost see her heart beating wildly in her chest. Her face...it was a mixture between twisting anxiety and the most painful hope he'd ever seen on her visage. He could only hope the meeting would go well, that the torment she telegraphed would be extinguished after she laid eyes on the woman that birthed her.
Garbed in a pristine, plumb colored kimono, Hanako Hyuuga sat poised and graceful at a tan chabudai directly opposite the shoji they slid open. Naruto paused, taken aback by the older woman that looked so much like the younger female next him. It was as if he were gazing into his future. Midnight tresses flowed from her cranium down to the floor at her side, some framing a face so eerily familiar to his lover. Her skin was paler than her eldest daughter's, but her eyes. Those eyes, they were just as soft, just gentle as hers and they locked, unerringly upon her child.
"Mother." His companion breathed.
And then she was moving, her steps carrying her quickly across the mats beneath their feet.
"Hinata. My daughter."
There were tears in her eyes now, this woman that had given life to his fiancée. Within seconds of her arrival, Hinata was engulfed within her embrace. There were tears, soft sobs and soothing caresses over the identical hair of the Hyuuga heir.
His own throat tight, Naruto lowered himself to one of the dark patterned cushions directly across from the pair and watched the quietly emotional reunion, remembering his own, very brief meeting with his fiery mother. He could very well imagine what Hinata felt at this moment. The painful joy in her heart, the agony over the years lost. He was happy...more than happy that this initial meeting would not be their last as it had been for him and his mom. There was still time for them to live as mother and daughter.
"I've missed you...so much." Hinata wept.
"I've missed you too. Not a day went by that I didn't think of you two."
Hanako pulled back, hands at her daughters upper arms, pressing her at a distance.
"Look have you've grown," she observed with gentle pride, "so beautiful, so strong. Even in the isolated place I've called home for many years, news of you reached me. All of your struggles, all of your accomplishments."
She enfolded her child back in her arms then turned wet eyes to him.
"All of the wonderful changes in your life."
Naruto swallowed the sentiment that arose at the look he gave her. That she thought him one of those wonderful changes humbled him.
"Uzumaki-san, its an honor to finally meet you."
"I'm the one honored, dattebayo." He told her sheepishly.
The wife of Hiashi shook her head.
"Truly, I am honored," she told him with the tenderness only a mother could convey, "My husband spoke of the inspiration you've been to her from the time she was a young girl, the love you've given her as the woman she is today. Thank you, for taking care of my daughter."
His own smile was full of emotion.
"She's taken care of me more than I have her," he admitted, the words honest and grave, "Thank you, for giving life to someone that means the world to me, 'ttebayo. Thank you."
"You are everything I've heard, Uzumaki-san."
"Naruto," he offered with a grin.
She returned his grin with her own smile.
"Naruto," she agreed, "the rumors I've heard, the stories of your life told second, third and fourth hand, I'd like to hear them from you. Even with the overwhelmingly enduring things I've heard about you, I couldn't help but wonder about the man my daughter loved. The man she's to marry."
Her smile was sweet now, nearly as sweet as his lover.
"In your own words, Naruto, tell me about yourself."
xxxxxx
They held hands as they walked, Hinata silently joyful, Naruto grinning like a fool. They'd spent the better part of the afternoon talking with Hanako, recounting stories of the events that had led to his current fame, the trials and trivializations her eldest daughter had overcome to become the kunoichi she was today. She was demure and mild-natured, as kind as she was beautiful and yet, as they told her of their life, the life she'd missed being apart of, Hinata's mother had given him such sad eyes he felt heat behind his own eyes.
She had missed so much of her children's lives.
Of her own.
As happy and cheerful as that meeting had been, it had also been unbearably tragic.
"Naruto-kun? Where are we going?" she asked, looking this way and that at the towering trees around them.
"I wanted to visit Ero-Sennin," he explained, "I haven't gotten a chance to visit him in a while and he'd be really mad if I didn't tell him I was getting married, 'ttebayo."
He led her to the memorial he'd made for his mentor. His blue orbs alight on the large stone with the etching teacher carved in its gray canvas as they rounded a corner. There were leaves on it, a few weeds but the book his mentor had crafted remained, though it was weathered, and the bouquet from Konan was nearly gone. He squat down in front of it, careful of his clothes and brushed the leaves from the stone.
"I haven't been able to visit you in a while, Ero-Sennin," he murmured, "I'm sorry about that. Things have been really busy over the last few years. I came by to share some really good news, I'm getting married, dattebayo."
He pulled a weed, then another.
"I know you're probably really shocked that'd I'd ever get married, let alone find a girlfriend, but, its true. She's an amazing person and she's loved me for a really long time. You know how stupid I am, I didn't see it even thought it was right in front of me the whole time. Her name's Hinata Hyuuga."
He pulled another, and then a much smaller hand pulled one as well.
"She's kind, smart, strong and more beautiful than any woman you've ever seen," he continued, grinning as he imagined his sensei's smiling face, "I wish you here, that I could see your face among all the people I care about at our wedding, but even though...I won't be able to see you, you'll still come to our wedding won't you, Ero-Sennin?"
Much like that first night so long ago, that night that he believed had set him on the path they were on now, Hinata placed a warm hand to his back, the heat holding comfort, understanding and, as he now knew, a bottomless ocean of love.
"He would have loved you," he told her, "though I might've had to keep an eye on his pervy hands and sneaky eyes."
She giggled softly.
He'd told her numerous stories of that old pervert he loved.
"Even if we'd both had to keep an eye on him, I would have enjoyed meeting him too, Naruto-kun."
He reached for that hand on his back, then stood along with her.
"It's ironic," he began, gazing down at her, "when he died, you were there for me and the first time I bring you here to meet him, we're engaged. I never though one of the most painful times of my life would lead to the best, ya know?"
He threw an arm around her shoulders and drew her close.
"We'd better get to Iruka-sensei before it gets too late."
She slid arm around his waist and let him guide them back to the bright lights of the village. The sun was edging closer to setting when they reached the door of his former teacher's apartment. He knocked once, waited, then knocked again. The doorknob rattled before the wood it was attached to swung open.
"Naruto. And Hinata-san." The older man blinked.
"Iruka-sensei, sorry to drop in like this, could we talk to you for a bit?"
Surprised, he nodded then widened the door.
"Sure. Is there something wrong?"
"No, I just...wanted to ask you something."
Even more mystified, Iruka waited as they divested their shoes then lead them over to a dark wood table near the small kitchen.
"Oh! I almost forgot," he burst the moment they sat down, "congratulations on your engagement, Naruto, Hinata-san."
"Thanks you, dattebayo."
"Hinata's just fine," she invited, "and thank you."
Iruka smiled.
"Hinata, then," he turned to his former pupil, "so Naruto, what did you want to ask me?"
Suddenly embarrassed, the blonde jonin tapped his whiskered cheek.
"Well you see....the thing is..."
He didn't know where to begin...how to ask. He'd thought it was a good idea seeing as Iruka had always felt more like a father figure rather than a mere teacher to him...but those were his feelings. His perspective of their interactions. Maybe...in his loneliness, he'd misinterpreted that concern and warped it into something it wasn't.
"Naruto?" the older man probed, his voice slightly concerned.
"Uh..." he sighed then looked down at the hardwood, trying to organize his thoughts, "I guess I wanted to ask if...you'd stand in as my father...at our wedding. Maybe I was making more of it than it was but...ever since I was little, you've...been there for me. Giving me advice when I asked and even when I didn't, scolding me when I got into trouble...sharing ramen with me even really late at night. You taught me a lot. You were the first person to really acknowledge me fully."
He looked up.
"So I..."
He blinked.
His father figure was in tears.
"You really...think that...Naruto?"
A smiled tinged with heartache curved the younger man's lips. Memories replayed within the confines of his mind.
"Of course," he confirmed softly, "when you were around, when you bowed your head and apologize to the villagers for the pranks I pulled, when you'd yell at me and make me clean up my pranks, in my head I'd say, 'if I had a father, I think this is what it'd be like, 'ttebayo."
He grinned.
"For me, you were like my dad trying to guide his hard headed kid into a responsible adult, and that's why-"
"Thank you, Naruto!" the other male blubbered, "I...I would be honored to...to stand in the place of your father."
The couple smiled.
"Thanks, Iruka-sensei."
xxxxxx
"It says here the first thing we should do is set a budget and stick to it."
"A budget?" Naruto questioned from his place among the pillows lining their headboard.
On their way back, they stopped by a shop and picked up a wedding planner book, a boutique magazine and other sources of information.
"Mhm." Hinata confirmed from the crux of his right oblique, "how much we're willing to spend for the wedding."
"Hmmm, how much do weddings cost?" he questioned.
He had quite a bit saved, he didn't really think it'd cost more than what he had in his savings alone.
"I'll have to speak to father about it, the Hyuuga clan plans on paying for our wedding. Its tradition."
He didn't know how he felt about that. Hiashi wasn't exactly his favorite person right now, and though he shouldered a lot of the blame, the entire clan had also played a huge role in the horrible treatment dealt to Hanako Hyuuga. How could he separate the actions they'd taken against one lone woman and happily allow them to have any part in their ceremony? And there was also the biggest heartache in Neji's life. That curse mark, the forced fate of the branch family.
Even thought the war had brought everyone together at the time, the divisions remained, waiting to be picked up once more upon their return from that bloody field.
The Hyuuga had not changed.
"Step two; Create a guest list."
"That'll be the easy part," he declared, rubbing his thumb along the smooth skin at her nape, "Our friends, our family."
They'd both agreed, they wanted a private ceremony. No press. No fan girls or guys. Just those that knew them best.
"Step three; Decide formality and overall theme."
She lowered the book a moment, raven brows crinkling in thought.
"A theme," she pondered.
The pages of the book flipped several times as she read.
"Romantic...alternative...vintage...whimsical...rustic...modern..."
She stopped there, her eyes gleaming. Even though she hadn't said it, she was extremely happy. Excited even.
"What do you think, Naruto-kun?"
He didn't really care, whatever made her happy, made him happy. All he wanted was to call her wife.
"Whatever you want, dattebayo," he told her honestly, tracing the underside of her plump lower lip, "anything I can give you."
Her eyes widened, then soften. She held his wrist between her small hands then smiled.
"It's your wedding too, Naruto-kun."
"Yeah, and I want to make you happy. That's what I want. I want to give you the world, but you'll have to settled for the wedding of your dreams for now."
A thin sheen of moisture glinted in those lavender depths. He grinned at her, shifting the conversation in a bid to stop the coming tears. She was so sensitive, and he loved that about her. Even if she thought herself a crybaby.
"Besides, what kinda hero would I be if my princess didn't get everything her heart desired? I'd get shunned for being a cheap, selfish groom, and Ino would elbow me in the throat."
"Naruto-kun," she chided, nose scrunched at the nickname.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," he chuckled, "but maybe for that day, you wouldn't mind being my princess?"
She blushed, but refrained from commenting...however, he thought the idea wasn't as unappealing as she made it seem. Flipping the book again, she went back to pointing things out, asking his opinion, smiling over this design and that. He couldn't help but smile as she spoke about their wedding. Her face was aglow, eyes bright. While he had said he wanted to get married as soon as possible, he hadn't thought about what that would mean for her. If she wanted an elaborate venue for their ceremony, if she wanted to plan every step down to the last detail, if she wanted to enjoy and savor the lead up to their union.
And even though she hadn't said a word about it, he could tell, from the way she looked, from the way she spoke, his lover wanted a fairy tale wedding. As much as he wanted to call her Mrs. Uzumaki as fast as humanly possible, he wanted her to plan to her heart's content, to give her anything she wanted for their special day.
Anything and everything.
For that, he could wait.
xxxxxx
April 21, 2010
Hinata hummed softly as she quickly and efficiently put together his lunch. He sat pouting at the kitchen table, his orbs glued to the plump cheeks encased in navy shorts. Already dressed in mission gear and prepared for her impromptu mission, she had only a few minutes before she had to meet the team she was leading. She'd missed her slot on the last rotation, the next in line had already begun transcribing the information from the alien technology Sasuke had sent and rather than interrupt that process, his fiancée had thus been assigned a B ranked mission to assist an area that had been ravaged by the jubokko a few weeks back. There were no sign of the cannibalistic creatures, but they were sending a highly skilled shinobi with the ability to incapacitate one if need be.
Not only was he concerned about the threat level, he was more than a little disappointed that they'd have to put off their sparing for now. Not to mention, they hadn't had the time to go through even one pile of the gifts currently taking over their living room.
He wasn't touching a single one until she got back.
"Here you are," his lover said, holding an open container open for him to see, "Naruto-kun onigiri."
Small, edible replicas of his face stared back at him. He grinned.
"Hinataaa, what is this?"
She sat it down on the table, smiling.
"You've been pouting since I got the summons, Naruto-kun. I wanted to cheer you up before I leave."
Head resting in hand, elbow on the table, his eyes gleamed with mischief.
"If you really wanted to cheer me up, how come you didn't make Hinata onigiri. Those are the ones I wanna...eat, 'ttebayo."
Like the Cheshire cat, he grinned from ear to ear as the first bursts of color found her porcelain cheeks.
"N-Naruto-kun!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, not enough time for me to have a quick snack," he huffed, then muttered, "If I'd have known they were sending you out so soon I would've had a feast last night."
He stood before she could give another scandalized stutter of his name. He wrapped strong arms about her waist, his face serious.
"You'll be careful right?"
She nodded, her eyes soft.
"Alway." She promised.
He hummed his worry, a low vibration deep in his throat but said no more. Leaning down, he melded their lips, savoring their shape, plushness and familiarity.
"Thanks for lunch."
"I packed extra for your team," she told him, "tell them I said hello. And tell Tani, we'll go over the wedding decorations when I get back."
"Got it."
"I'll be back soon as I can," she murmured, "try not to worry, I'll be fine."
She kissed his cheek, giggling at his pouting face.
"Fine, but if you come back with another cold-"
"You'll take care of me until I feel better, ne?"
He smiled.
"That's right, dattebayo."
She was gone soon after and so was he, homemade bento in hand.
xxxxxx
April 22, 2010
They traveled a half day from Konoha to a village in the north. While the surrounding environment was vibrant and lush, there were signs of destruction as they ran along the main dirt road. Trees completely snapped in half and lying whichever way they'd fallen, kicked up dirt, holes that looked like they'd been blasted into the soil. Charred and browning grass and some places dried blood and even decaying bits of flesh.
The small pockets of violence and gore wasn't recent. The gruesome clusters of body parts looked several weeks into decomposition, some even months.
From the details of the mission, two jubokko had wrecked havoc among the norther village along with the surround area. Where the creatures had gone after was a mystery, but weeks had passed and not a single person had spotted any sign of the ravenous, horrific abominations. Their mission, assist with the clean up and reconstruction, fortify the village just in case they returned, neutralize any lingering threats and if possible, if safe to do so, bring the creatures back alive. That last order was only to be followed if they could avoid injury or loss of life in the process.
Ultimately, that duty would most likely fall to her.
Minutes away from the village, she motioned them to stop. Her three subordinates that formed a four man cell, include three chunin. She had worked along side two of them but had met the third for the first time yesterday afternoon. She didn't know much about him nor could she recall ever seeing him before. She wondered if he was a freshly promoted chunin.
"Is something wrong, Hinata-san?"
Hinata looked over at the speaker. Forest green hair cropped short, honey brown eyes so like her younger sister Tani, Yuma Nakamoto walked unhurried towards her. Next to her, dark haired, tawny eyed Asahi Yoshida joined their group, his eyes scanning the area. A step behind him, the new comer she didn't know, Botan Ishida was an older, brown haired, wenge colored eyes, the man seemed to carry a slightly carefree air about him.
She shook her head.
"We're headed into a village that's been attacked by the jubokko, even though there haven't been any recent reports of a sighting, that doesn't mean there aren't any still lurking around." Botan explained.
"Right." Hinata confirmed, veins forming at the corners of her eyes.
The moment she began to mold chakra...she felt it. A whisper as tangible as a caress. The veins retreated immediately. She stilled, milky orbs widening.
What...what was that?
"Captain? Is something wrong?" Asahi questioned.
Snapped from her abrupt pause, she shook her head at the man next to her.
"Ah, no...nothing's wrong," she denied softly, "I'm sorry."
A brief, troubled hesitation ensued before once more, those veins began to appear. Dark brows furrowed. Everything looked so...clear...and the distance with which she could see was...farther. Another whisper of sensation brushed her mind. Goosebumps pebbled her bare arms as though chilled.
What was this feeling?
It twined her insides, it's touch butterfly light and yet...weighty. It held mass. And it was touching her...probing within her body...
Unease skated up her spine.
Sweat beaded her forehead...
The once calm beat of her heart launched into a wild pounding.
There was something...off...
"See anything?" Tani's older sister asked.
The question startled the jonin kunoichi. She jumped, the quick beating in her chest skyrocketing before reducing to its anxiety fueled staccato. She took in a shaky breath, plastered what she hoped was a neutral, unbothered look then shook her head, quickly deactivating her kekkei genkai.
Immediately, the sensation was gone.
"Well that's good news at least," Baton declared, "when we get to the village we can..."
Her world narrowed, the words lost among the racing of her thoughts.
What was that?
She knew she wasn't imagining things. She'd felt...something inside her, something moving, shifting, accessing her mind...her body...her tenketsu... What that 'something' was, she couldn't even begin to describe. It felt neither malicious nor benevolent, just unmistakably...foreign.
Not of her.
Was it...because of Hamura's chakra?
She...didn't think so. When she battled Toneri, she hadn't felt anything but power coursing through her veins from her ancestor's chakra. It hadn't felt...alive. But she hadn't been in a battle, nor molded chakra since her fight with Toneri...maybe there was a lingering affect that hadn't matured in the small amount of time she'd been given his power.
Maybe-
"Are you sure you're okay, Hinata-san?" Yuma asked, "You look a little pale and you seem kinda...spacey."
The others were looking at her too, their gazes questioning.
"Uhh, no, I-I'm fine..." she assured them nervously, "I'm...fine."
Wasn't she?
xxxxxx
Hinata sighed, sitting gracefully, gratefully on a nearby tree stub. They'd been working for the better part of the morning and late into the afternoon. The fortifications were nearly complete, made easier by the fact that the villagers had worked tirelessly since sending for the aid of Konoha. By the time they arrived the majority of the clean up and reconstruction had already been completed.
She was definitely going to take her lover up on his offer to return to their sparing. She was clearly out of shape.
A canteen dropped into her field of view.
She looked up into familiar eyes.
"Here, you look like you could use it." Yuma said with a sympathetic smile.
Hinata returned the smile and accepted the water.
"Thank you, Yuma-san."
The water was cold and oh so refreshing sliding down her throat.
"This is exhausting," Yuma huffed, plopping none too gracefully onto the grass next to her.
While she looked so much like Tani, the older woman was different in personality. Somewhat blunt and a bit of a tomboy, Yuma Nakamoto didn't seem the least bit interested in the femininity her little sister exuded. Deep emerald her cut boyishly short, loose fitted, navy shirt and baggy short just below her knees, the spunky kunoichi was the polar opposite of Naruto's youngest genin.
"Yes," Hinata agreed, "but it'll help keep the villagers safer if they jubokkos attack again."
Worry turned her lips downward.
"We can only hope it'll last long enough for them to send for aid."
"Yeah, but they're not as far as some of the other villages. I think it'll hold until help arrives," Yuma replied, "that's about all we can do these days. There's just not enough shinobi to go around. Or at least there wasn't when this all started."
The whiplash speed of these attacks had slowed to a crawl. Almost like someone had abruptly called them back from their path of destruction.
"It's kinda eerie though, ya know?" Nakamoto continued, "they came out of nowhere, ravaging the country side, then vanished back into nowhere. I'm glad the attacks are slowing down but...I don't feel like it's a good sign. Where did they go? And why?"
She'd questioned the same.
It was almost as if they'd set out with a goal in mind, and whatever this mystery purpose was, they'd accomplished it and returned to wherever they'd come from...though, she and the others aware of the details following Naruto mission believed that's where they had come from was that ravaged underground city and the lab that held that horrible residue.
Had they returned to that city beneath the Land of Wind?
Neither she nor Naruto had been update on the situation there yet. The intel team had been dispatched and the Kazekage informed.
That's all they knew right now.
She hope they learned more in the coming days. She wanted to know what had caused those distressing effects Kurama and Jinchuuriki had suffered down there. The more they uncovered, the easier and more efficiently they'd be in figuring out a way not only to protect the two but a way to combat it.
"We should probably-"
Distant rumbling halted whatever Yuma had been about to say.
"What the hell was that?" she exclaimed instead.
A brief hesitation, a small swirl of anxiety tightened her belly before she called forth her inheritance by birth.
The moment the veins crept beneath her skin, that sensation arose. She forced down the twisting in her chest and focused as much as she could in the direction the noise had originated from. She could see it clear as day, tearing through the brush, howling and salivating. It looked...mostly human, but there was a white glistening, pupiless eyeball in its forehead, and it jaw seemed...unhinged. Far lower than a human jaw...wider too.
"It's coming, the jubokko," she warned.
Yuma was up on her feet immediately.
"Alert the villagers, get them to shelter!"
She took off and so did Hinata. She ran towards the creature, leaping from branch to branch. She was soon joined by Botan and Asahi.
"We need to stop it as far away from the village as possible." She told them.
"Roger that." Botan replied.
"Got it." Asahi confirmed.
Though she'd been tracking it with her Byakugan as they moved, the sudden burst of speed surprised her. One moment it was several meters away, and in the next it was nearly on them.
"It's coming!" she shouted a moment before a burning gust of wind sent the trio tumbling back.
They gained their feet quickly, Hinata hands raised in the stance of Juuken, Botan at the ready with a kunai, Asahi with raised fists that slowly covered itself in a hardened shell of earth.
It hunched it's body, widen its legs before shooting forward.
It was fast!
But so was Asahi.
The two clashed, a single earth encased fist driving into the loosened jaw of the creature. It didn't even flinch. Asahi retreated, flipping back, dodging left and right as the jubokko spat gusts of wind with the speed and force of a bullet at him. Dirt spewed, holes blasted in the dirt, trees halved then creaked as they toppled.
"Damn," the doton user cursed when he reached them, "his jaw's harder than steel."
He'd barely spoken before a whirlwind blasted them. It stung, this air. Small, thin cuts lanced her skin while the force knocked her from her feet. She landed hard into the unforgiving, unyielding trunk of a tree, pain shot up her spine. She saw stars a moment before her vision cleared.
She looked around for it and spotted it almost immediately.
It was charging away from them, towards the village.
Throwing the agony radiating along her back to farthest depths of her mind, she took off after it.
'I've gotta stop it!'
With a burst of speed she ran with every ounce of strength and energy she could muster. It wasn't long before she realized, she didn't have the speed to catch it, and her Hakke Kūshō wouldn't reach it from her current range. She could already see the village in front of them. Yuma standing ready at it's reinforced gates.
She wasn't going to make it!
'Please no!'
She reached for more speed, more chakra to propel her forward and...felt it. The rabid creature in front of her stopped abruptly, digging groves into the dirt path it ran on as its deformed figure resisted the momentum that had been carrying it forward, then...
It shot towards her.
Mouth hanging, saliva dripping, a baying sound croaking from its throat.
She stopped too, dropping into a fighting stance, forcing chakra to her palms.
It was there again.
And it wasn't a whisper this time. She tried to force it from her mind, to bury the distraction like she had the pain in her back.
"Hakke!"
It wasn't working.
Something was off...
Something was surging beneath her skin, slithering along her nerve endings, crashing through her tenketsu...
But...there wasn't time to think, there wasn't time to evaluate and investigate it. She had to fight.
"Kūshō!"
The vacuum shell left her hand with a force she had never in her life felt.
What happened next...even her wildest dreams couldn't conjure. Blood, organs and chunks of flesh splattered, the sound of crashing tree limbs and solid wood exploding echoed a beat before screams rose in the distance.
She froze.
Stunned pearlescent orbs staring in disbelief at the standing half body smoldering before her...
Gone was its torso and everything above it. Pink, squishy chunks of unidentified organs hung from dark ropy veins, some thicker than her wrist. They were beating, those organs, those veins. Pulsating and spewing crimson at her feet...on her clothes...on her hands. The pearly white of what had to be its spine jutted from the left over mangled flesh, and yet its tip was charred, flaking in the wind.
The stench was overwhelming, yet she stood frozen in the stance she'd taken moments before, too stunned to cover her nose against the foul odor. Too dumbfounded to wipe away the warm liquid that trickled down her cheek. She knew what it was, could smell it.
Blood...and the stink of tsuchi.
It collapsed, the bloodied mess she'd created and beyond it...more horror unfolded.
Villagers...littered among wood, trees and broken structures. Some were groaning, holding various parts of their bodies, others moaned on the ground...while others weren't moving at all...Yuma among them.
There was no enemy beyond the one she'd killed...
What lay beyond that...the destruction...the injured and maybe even worse...was at her hand too.
She'd destroyed those buildings...she had hurt those people groaning...
And had possibly...killed those people on the ground...
They weren't moving...
And neither could she...
She couldn't move an inch...
She could barely breathe.
Frozen stiff by the scene before her. And all the while, within her, it moved...Like the beat of a heart it was still inside of her. Tapping against her consciousness, flowing through her body.
What was happening to her?
What had she done?
xxxxxx
It's happening XD here we go! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think. Comment, review, which ever applies. Now I've told you guys before, I am not good at action scenes so they will be limited, no where as complex as the anime and very mediocre. It just doesn't really interest me to write it even though I love watching it in the anime.
So please, going forward, go easy on me, lol, but if you have some constructive criticism for me, some tips for writing really good combat scenes, please feel to share, just make sure it's respectful.
Crafting the next chapter.
Laters
~Sessakag