Life Goes On
Chapter 1
DAC

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If i did everything you're about to read would probably be true.

Authors Note: This is the direct sequel to Angst of a Ninja. If you like this first Chapter I may be more inclined to post another until this is completed. If not well then I'll take my sweet time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hinata slept peacefully in a reclining chair in Kiba's living room. She was hanging out with Kiba and Naruto today but was just too tired to stay awake. It had been just so tiring this past week with all the courtroom bullshit. Sakura's family had gotten a very classy lawyer to help defend her just as Hinata's family had gotten one for Naruto. Both discussed a lot of legal matters and eventually the whole incident between Naruto and Sasuke as well as Kiba being stabbed in the stomach was settled out of court with both parties feeling very little justice served but agreeing to this stalemate to protect themselves. After all, one battle doesn't decide war.

"What are we gonna do Naru?" Kiba was shaking his head as he watched the news. They whole story had been playing across the local news for weeks. He listened intently as the broadcaster took calls from concerned citizens.

"What do you mean?" Naruto was sitting on the other end of the couch from Kiba and not paying one bit of attention to him. Naruto was tired of all of the courtroom bullshit and just wanted some peace and quiet with his friends. They had been suspended from school while all of the legal matters had taken place and would have to be going back Monday morning. Today was Saturday.

"You know exactly what I mean. Come Monday morning everybody's gonna think we're psychopaths who attacked the rich girl Sakura. Look at this they're calling us hoodlums and vandals and I'm the one who got stabbed!" Kiba was outraged as an elderly sounding lady protested that today's youth was a bunch of miscreants bent on ruining the community.

"Oh cool it Kiba-san. Nobody believes that crooked story but the mass enduced public. The people who really matter have already shown us support. Almost all of our teachers, Shikamaru and Temari's familys. Hell even Sasuke's older brother Itachi and their friends Shino and Gaara aren't taking that bitches side. There's no need to worry about school!" Naruto was tired of all this. All he had heard all week was how terrible the whole thing was and how everybody was their for support. Well he knew it was terrible he was there and not only that but what type of support where they offering him if he had only seen them all once since that day.

"Naru… What about Hinata… She's taking this pretty hard too. The media's making her look to be an even worse guy than you. I mean her family's finally done something interesting rather than just be old money now. The media's spreading large amounts of scum that she's ring leader of some group of vandals…" Kiba didn't get to finish what he was saying. Naruto's eyes where too piercing. They silenced Kiba immediately.

"… I'm going to the park…" Naruto stood from his place and left slamming the door in his wake.

"Huh?!" Hinata stirred at the slam of the door and nearly fell out of the recliner. "What the hell is going on!" Hinata looked at Kiba tired and confused. Kiba just returned a silent and saddened smile getting up to help her to her feet then follow after they're foolish friend.

"Just your boyfriend being brash and abrasive again…" Kiba chuckled.

"Oh…. I told him to stop that. He's not some kind of scrubbing pad that can just scrub my troubles clean and gone by being all moody and upset." Hinata laughed and moved with Kiba to follow Naruto.

Naruto was sitting at the lake looking out across to the horizon. The sun was almost gone and the sky had darkened significantly since he arrived. Hinata and Kiba sat up the hill and away from Naruto and the edge of the lake watching him making sure he wasn't doing anything stupid.

"You think he's gonna be okay? He hasn't moved in hours…" Hinata rocked on her bum clutching her knees to her chest.

"Don't know… Maybe he's dead and already gone stiff on us?" Kiba tilted his head in a playful manner just to have Hinata smack him really hard straitening it out.

"Not funny…." Hinata sighed and placed her chin between her knees.

"Oh…..sorry Hina-chan…."Kiba felt bad he didn't realize how quickly he had made that joke not considering what had happened this prior week.

"It's okay…." Hinata sighed again.

"Hey….you two gonna come down here or shall we call this a night?" Naruto leaned back and looked up at the two of them. A sudden change in persona had taken over him and he felt all the grief he had been contemplating build up just too much and now it was released and gone as he breathed a deep breath and then exhaled towards the stars.

"Huh" Both Hinata and Kiba looked very surprised to see Naruto move. The street lamps blinked on now just as it seemed almost too dark to see.

"Looks like we'd better get home. The street lights are on!" Naruto hopped up and walked up the hill reaching for Hinata and Kiba's hands to help them too their feet.

"Naruto!!" Hinata sounded shocked as she rose.

"Yes love?" He kissed her softly and pulled her in close. "What is it we need to get home? You're staying with me this weekend right?" Naruto smiled and wrapped another arm around Kiba's shoulders. "You too buddy?"

"uhh…..suuurree…" Kiba seemed slightly taken back he didn't realize Naruto had planned to spend the night with either of them,

"Huh??" Hinata seemed confused. She didn't get what Naruto was playing at.

"GREAT! Then let's get going back to my house!" Naruto smiled wide and ran forward. Hinata and Kiba chasing him as he ran.

"Wait Naruto! What is up with you?" Hinata grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Naruto starred back blankly.

"I just want to get on with our lives. So what people think differently of us. The important thing is that we got each other and we'll survive anything that comes our way. I mean it can't get worse right?" Naruto shook his head and looked almost pleading with them to agree with him. "Right…."

The three friends stood for a moment before all smiling.

"Right!" Kiba jumped on naruto warping his arms around his friends neck and messing up his hair.

"Okay." Hinata smiled and hugged them both as she used her wait to spin them around.

"Woah!!" Naruto started to feel the three of them fall. Kiba and Hinata didn't care and dragged him down into the dirt. "God damn guys" Naurto laughed aloud smiling at his two friends as they had him pinned.

"Just promise us one thing!" Hinata looked at Kiba and they knew they where thinking the same things.

"Huh what's that?" Naruto look up at them confused.

"Don't leave us hanging like that again? We're friends. We'll stick together no matter what." Kiba finished Hinata's thought.

"…. Is that what you guys where worried about? Me… leaving you guys out of my thoughts and what I planned to do?" Naruto laughed and looked at them as they nodded. "… Oh guys…. I'll never do that again…. I promise" He smiled and then they headed off.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors Note: Alright. There we are. New story with a new start? Hope you guys like this. I have a good idea of where I can take this. And I'll be sure to work out some of the kinks of the old one. Such as almost irrational character behavior.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------