Hello All! I've decided to write a story to help ease my mind about the messy ending of Naruto. There are a lot of unanswered questions and gaping plot holes. So to make myself come to terms with the NH canon ending and to work out the fanon ending I've always wanted with NS, I've decided to write.
This story will include both pairings (And no there will be no cheating, if you want to know how that is possible, well you'll just have to keep reading). So, if you are an avid hater of NS or NH this most likely isn't the story for you as it will include moments and children of both couples.
Moving on from that disclaimer. I have been a fan of Naruto for many years. My favorite character is Sakura. I did not like the ending but believe I have been respectful with my opinions.
If you take the time to read my story, I thank you. Really I am writing this for myself to help explain away some of my grievances and to fulfill some NS fantasies. So if any one cares to read my dribble, well, that is just awesome.
While I have read/watched Naruto for years, I don't know all the functions of the ninja system and the chakra system, so if you know better than I, I'd love to hear from you. Reviews in general would be highly appreciated!
Well, enough of my blabbering. On to the story!
((TO MY NS FRIENDS: This first chapter has a lot of NH in it. They are the canon couple and so I started with them. If you can make it through, know that I will give the same attention and caring to my NS scenes))
The morning light filtered through the sheer curtains and into the Hokage's bedroom. The light crept across the floor, inching it's way closer to the slumbering couple. The Hokage's wife awoke when the heat of the sun warmed her back. "Naruto-kun, it is time to wake up." She was answered by muffled moaning. She smiled, "No, no arguing, you have to get up, Bolt has been looking forward to this for some time now." Hinata pushed her husband's back gently until he sat up.
Naruto reached into the air stretching his stiff, sleeping muscles. He turned with half lidded eyes and gave a lazy grin to his wife. "He'll get it today, he is so close."
"Then there is no time to waste. Get going." She urged him sweetly.
"Hai, hai." He answered and began his trudge to the shower.
Down the hall and in his own room Bolt was doing his daily warm up. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, etc, and then he doubled it. The Rasengan was at his fingertips. And really at 17 years old he should have already conquered it. After all, his father had been so much younger when he had first mastered it. Bolt wasn't happy with the fact it was taking so long to match his father. Arguments about the 9-tails chakra being a significant reason why Naruto learned it so quickly went in one ear and out the other. Bolt had to keep up if he was going to surpass his father someday and the Rasengan was a key part to that.
The young man almost jumped when he heard the knock at the door. "Bolt, you awake?"
"Yes, dad." He answered and picked up the bag that he had packed hours before. He opened his bedroom door and there stood his father, dressed in his trademark orange. The Hokage stood with his hands on his hips and a lopsided grin on his face. Bolt looked at his father with a hint of annoyance furrowing his brow. His father's enthusiasm was grating on his nerves already. There was no need to be this excited until he actually completed the difficult technique.
"Today's the day, I can tell!" Naruto sung to his son.
"Yeah, maybe." Bolt said and shouldered past his father.
Naruto skipped to his son's side, closing the distance with his long legs in one stride. "Come now, a couple more days at the most and you'll have it fully formed." Naruto said as he draped an arm over Bolt's shoulder. Naruto could sense the immense pressure that Bolt was putting on himself. His only son was desperate to prove himself as an equal to Naruto, his father, and Minato, his grandfather. The Uzumaki family was full of heroes and Bolt wanted to be one of them.
The two Uzumaki men walked out of their house and through the village. Bolt tried to curb his impatience as person after person called out to the Hokage. Doing his duty to the people of Konoha the village leader stopped and said his good-mornings to nearly everyone. Bolt sighed away his frustrations though. Things were so much better than they use to be when his father had first become Hokage. It brought a tinge of pink to his cheeks when he thought about his outcries for attention. All the stupid pranks he had pulled over the years were a stain to his reputation. And although he believed his frustrations with his father had been legitimate, he wished he had dealt with it better.
Naruto and Bolt had been able to mend their fragile relationship, with a bit of help from Naruto's best friend and village pariah, Sasuke. But Bolt was grateful to Sasuke, and a bit more understanding of his father. So when Naruto waved goodbye to the guards at the village gates, Bolt was happy to be free of anyone else that might draw his father's attention. Training outside of the village as father and son had been his mother's idea.
"First one there?" Naruto asked simply.
"Really, dad? Again?"
"Come on! You use to love this game."
"You better not use those teleporting kunai that Lady Tenten made you!" Bolt said accusingly.
"That was one time!" Naruto defended.
"Fine. On my mark though."
"Hai, hai."
"Go!" Bolt yelled as he released the chakra that he had pooled in his feet. He bound across the open road, leaped into the tree tops and soared over the forest. His father was on his trail, giving him just enough security in holding the lead position. The open field loomed ahead of them. It would only take them a minute to reach their destination, and Bolt would not lose this time! He focused his chakra in his feet and pushed against the trunk of a great oak with all his might.
"You got another lesson from Sakura-chan, huh?" Naruto called from behind. Bolt could hardly hear his father over the roar of the wind in his ears. But the race was still close and Bolt's father was still on his tail. So he ignored him and started to focus his chakra again.
Naruto laughed out as his son pushed ahead again. Though their relationship had healed tremendously these last couple years Naruto realized that Bolt considered his father his biggest competition. It had taken a long time for Naruto to realize that his son's hate was really his rampant jealousy. It had eaten at Naruto that he had caused the same loneliness in his children that he had felt in his own youth.
However, Naruto did not believe in handing his son anything. So as the open training field flew into his line of sight he took off. In a flash he surpassed his son in the treetops and skidded to a dusty halt on the dirt ground.
"Maybe next time?" Naruto called as his son caught up. The yellow haired teen shot him a glare.
"Hmph." Was the only answer he was going to get. Bolt lugged his bag off his shoulders and settled it on the floor. He began to trifle through the bag when his father coughed to get his attention. Bolt looked up at his father's expectant face. "What? Really!? But we ran here!"
"Don't care. Don't cut corners, Bolt."
"Says the ninja infamous for rushing into things." Bolt answered sarcastically.
"And look how much trouble I got in! Really! I should have learned my lesson long ago." Naruto smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Besides, you should take after your mother. Caution is good."
"What about that time with Pai-" Bolt was cut off.
"Okay, then don't be like either of us! Just start running!" Naruto pointed to the edge of the forest.
"Ugh!" But Bolt listened to his father and started to run towards the edge of the field.
"Dad! Look! I'm doing it!"
"Dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed while he looked at his son with pride. "A Rasengan." It was unrefined and Bolt was trying to keep it in its spherical shape with all his power. But it was a rasengan, Bolt's first complete one. "Your mother will be so proud. I'm so proud."
The Rasengan flickered out of life as Bolt's chakra gave out, but there was a victorious smile plastered on his face.
"Ramen is on me tonight!" Naruto promised.
"Dad…" Bolt said dejected and exhausted.
"What? No? We always have Ichiraku to celebrate. It's tradition." Naruto defended.
Bolt watched his father's hopeful look. The hokage could be extremely childish at times like this. He sighed in defeat, "K, Ichiraku." And he was rewarded with his father's trademark goofy grin. The two Uzumaki men packed their belongings and headed towards their village and the promised meal.
Blue eyes as clear as a cloudless sky watched as the two men walked away. They furrowed in confusion and intrigue. The kunichi jumped down from the highest branch of an evergreen to the lowest. With perfect chakra control she stuck to the thin branch. With a slender hand she moved the pines out of her way to get a better look at the retreating backs of the hokage and his companion. When the duo was far enough she jumped to the ground and made her way out to the middle of the field. Her eyes took in the debris of their training. The young woman focused chakra into the palm of her hand. With careful concentration she spun the chakra until it sparked to life in her hand.
There in the center of the field stood a blue eyed kunichi with a perfect rasengan floating in her hand. She let it spin for just a few seconds before she shook out her hand and the orb evaporated from view.
Without warning the mysterious woman shot towards Konohagakure and the hokage.
"Kanpai!" Cheers rang out from all around Bolt. He just looked sourly at his glass of water. Naruto happened to catch the look from the corner of his eye.
"Couple more years, son." Naruto said as he took a sip of his sake.
Bolt just shot a look at his father and all the other overbearing adults drinking around him. If only they knew that Bolt and the other's in his ninja class had already tried most of the alcohol you can get in Konohagakure. But Bolt couldn't say that while half the village was crowding into the small ramen stand to congratulate him. Most were his father's old friends and a couple of his classmates. Uchiha sensei had given him a knowing wink. Really it was her teachings with chakra control that had given him the tools to master his father's technique.
Kakashi sensei and Iruka sensei had also stopped by briefly before the place had become too crowded. The praise of his peers and his teachers tinged Bolt's cheeks with a dark shade of pink, but he couldn't help but smile. And a thought hit him just for a second. This was most likely what it was like to be his father. To feel like the village was your family. To feel them excited and share your achievements. Not for the first time he felt a pang of guilt for the hard time he had given his parents.
Speaking of his parents, Bolt heard his mother's voice over the din of the small gathering, "Bolt! Naruto-kun!" Hinata squeezed her way through the crowd with Himawari in tow. When others saw Hinata they made way so she could get closer to her son and husband.
Bolt wondered what embarrassment his tender mother had in store for him.
But all the woman did was give him a neatly wrapped package and a kindly smile.
"What is it?"
"Just open it, nii-chan." Himawari said at her mother's side.
Bolt grunted at his little sister but did as she said. He pulled the wrapping away from the box and pried off the lid. With one hand he pulled out a knitted…something. "What is it?"
"Geeze!" His little sister exclaimed.
"It's a sweater. I've been trying new things. It even has the Uzumaki and Hyuga clan symbols." Hinata said taking the black lump out of her son's hands to show him the stitching she had done.
"I helped." Himawari interjected.
"Oh, uh, thanks guys."
"Whoa, what's this? It's awesome!" Naruto finally taking notice.
"Thanks, Daddy!" Himawari said jumping to her dad's side.
Bolt put the sweater back in the box before any of his classmates could see it.
"Aren't you going to try it on?" Came a condescending voice from the shadows. Sarada stepped into the crowd and looked at Bolt with a cocked eyebrow.
"Sarada…" Bolt said with a tinge of warning.
"No, no, it's up to you. I just thought you would look lovely with that sweater on." She swished her hand from side to side. "Don't mind me."
"Ugh, you're annoying."
"At least I'm not an idiot." Sarada shot back.
"I'll get you!" And in a flash the two were off and running amongst the roof tops.
"Those two." Hinata said with a tinge of worry in her voice.
"Let them be Hinata. Rivalry is a good thing." Naruto said and ordered a glass of sake for his wife.
"You better stop right there!" Bolt yelled at Sarada's back. When she was younger her hair had been kept short but now it hung loose and long and it taunted him as she stayed just out of his reach.
"Like hell!" She answered looking back at him over her shoulder. Bolt continued to chase after her until they reached the village edge. "We should be fine now." She said as she pulled to the stop on the edge of a rooftop. She turned on her heel and faced her pursuer. Bolt stumbled to a halt before her. The two stared at each other in the dead of night. Without warning Sarada jumped into Bolt's arms.
"Congratulations! I can't believe you did it." Sarada exclaimed as she buried her face into his shoulder.
Bolt recovered quickly and wrapped his arms around his childhood friend and kinda-girlfriend. "Thank you." he said sweetly. Sarada pulled back slightly but stayed in his arms. A smile, something rare for her, was stretched across her face and it warmed Bolt's heart. Not for the first time he wished they didn't have to do this weird tango. "You know what would make this night even better."
Sarada leaned even further away from his mischievous grin. "What?" She asked warily.
"Let's tell everyone we're dating! It's been long enough now and our parent's won't mind. You'll se-"
"No, Bolt." Sarada said curtly, finally distancing herself from him completely. "I told you, not yet. You don't get it. Just be patient with me."
"And I have been!" Bolt defended.
"Well, not enough apparently! I'll let you know when but you're going to have to wait."
"This is ridiculous!" Bolt was frustrated. After all it was Sarada who had originally approached him. Apparently he was as thick-headed as his father. But she didn't want anyone to know. "You're paranoid for no reason. Your father likes me!"
"I don't know why I always have to explain this to you Bolt. But if you can't wrap your head around it then let's just forget about this." Sarada yelled.
"Wait. What? Forget what? What are you talking about?" Bolt said taking a step in her direction. He needed to do damage control and quickly. "Stop. Just stop." Sarada crossed her arms and looked at him with a cold glare. "I spoke rashly. I just, I was just so happy. I thought if we became official it would make this day perfect. But I shouldn't push you. You're right. I'm sorry. Please, just calm down."
"I really don't want to hear talk like that again." Sarada warned.
"I know, I know. I said I was sorry."
"You really will wait, right?"
"On my honor. Not a word until you are ready." Bolt promised.
"Alright then. Crisis averted."
"You're so stubborn, four eyes."
"At least I'm not an idiot, baka." The two teased each other with their childhood taunts.
"Come here, billboard." Bolt whispered as he took her hand and pulled her back in front of him.
"What every you say, cat-boy." Sarada cooed as she leaned in. The young couple drifted closer and closer to one another, getting dangerously close to their first kiss when an explosion on the other side of the village lit up the night sky and stole their attention.
"What was that?" Sarada asked.
"Who cares?" Bolt said trying to get back her attention by caressing her cheek.
Sarada just looked back at him with an annoyed look. "That's the stance the future Hokage is going to take?"
"Ugh, FINE!" He said. He quickly pecked her cheek with his lips, smiled and said, "Let's go."
Thank you for getting through all that! And please review. This is just another friendly reminder, future chapters will have NS and NH in them. If you don't want to see anything from one of those ships then please move on, this story is not for you. You have been warned.