Mizu: Another one of my really old stories that I've just recently found in my bottomless pit of rambling stories. I actually kinda like this one. Disclaimer time. I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sakura wouldn't have such a freakin' hold on Naruto's heart.
Why him?
A pink hair woman of about 26 years of age stood in a waiting room surrounded by all of her friends. Well, I shouldn't say all. There was one missing. And, that may be the way he would forever be. A man with onyx color eyes and dark blue hair of approximately the same age approached her to comfort her.
"Sasuke…" she murmered.
"You did all you could, Sakura," the man whispered to her, pulling her into a hug.
She cried into him. Everyone in the room followed in suit. It was too much. Here they were, unharmed and safe while their closest friend laid dieing in the other room. A girl with dark hair and pale eyes in the same age group collapsed to the floor in sorrow.
"Hinata!" her two companions cried out.
"Why? Why Naruto! What did he ever do to anyone!" the girl cried out.
Sakura knew that out of all of them, this was most likely hardest on Hinata. She and Naruto had just gotten married 6 months prior and now, if what she had heard from the Hokage, the leader of their village, was correct, Hinata was pregnant with their first child. Sakura went over to the hysterical woman and pulled her into a hug. The two women cried onto each other for different reasons. One for the loss of her love and the other for watching another comrade fall without her being able to do anything. But both cried for the loss of a dear friend.
Sasuke punched the wall. He couldn't take this. He had to do something.
"Kiba! Lee! Neji! Shino! Shikamaru! Choji! You're coming with me! We're going after this monster that did this to Naruto! The rest of you stay behind and send a signal up into the sky if something happens!" Sasuke ordered.
With that, all the men ran out to find the demon who did this to their one friend.
The girls had fallen asleep in the waiting room when the men returned, culprit in tow. The second Hinata laid eyes on him, she charged at him to kill him.
"YOU MONSTER!" she screamed.
It took all the girls to hold her back.
"LET ME GO! HE DID THIS TO NARUTO!" her sorrow shrieked from her soul.
"And I'd gladly do it again," the man snickered.
All of the sudden, a woman who looked like she was thirty with light blonde hair and a purple diamond on her forehead walked into the room.
"Lady Hokage!" everyone shouted.
"How's Naruto?" Hinata questioned.
"…As of this moment, he's alive. But…" she paused, "I don't think he'll make it through the night."
"No…" Hinata whimpered, collapsing to the floor.
"Hinata!" Sakura cried.
"Lady Hokage! This is the man who attacked Naruto!" Sasuke cried.
The woman walked up to the man and punched him in the jaw.
"Tell me why you did what you did or else I'll put you to death right here and now," she growled, pulling the man closer to her face.
"Because," the man started, spitting blood on the once hemoglobin phobic woman, "He's the true demon. 26 years ago he killed hundreds of innocent people of this village and then came to live in our mist! I have tried for years to kill that monster but he never died! But now…I finally found his weakness and he shall be no more!"
The woman punched the man down into the tile floorings.
"Take him to interrogation and then take him to the execution grounds. I'll deal with him personally when I'm done here," she said.
She walked over to Hinata and helped her up.
"Let's go see him, K? I'm sure that he wants to know that you're safe," she cooed to the fragile woman.
"I'LL BE KNOWN AS A HERO!" the man shouted.
"No. If Naruto dies, you'll be known as the assassin of the 6th Hokage," the Hokage snapped.
Hinata saw her beloved on the hospital bed, barely breathing, the glimmer of life leaving him more every second. And to make it worse, he was conscious and in severe pain, unable to cry out for help.
"Go to him. This may be your last night together," Lady Hokage said, tears in her eyes.
Hinata ran to his side.
"Naruto!" she cried.
"H-Hinata," he managed to say.
"I'm here. Don't worry, I'm here, Naruto," Hinata comforted, stroking his blood stained blonde hair.
He took several gasping breaths before he spoke, "I'm so glad that you're safe. I was so…worried."
"I'm only safe because you saved me, sweetie," Hinata managed a laugh.
Naruto let out a single laugh before grimacing in pain. He coughed up a few specks of blood. Hinata wiped them away, trying to hold back her tears.
"You're not…crying, are you?" Naruto joked, looking into her eyes.
That was the first time Hinata had ever seen fear in his eyes. Not for his life, but for how she'll be after he died. He knew that it was the end for him.
"Hinata…can I ask a favor?" Naruto questioned.
"Of course! Anything sweetie!" Hinata gasped.
Naruto struggled to lift his limp, battered hand and place it over where he and Hinata's child grew inside of her.
"If this child is a boy, can we name him after my father? And if it's a girl, can we name it after…my mother?…I know I'm being selfish but…" Naruto paused to cough up several more specks of blood, "But it's the only way I know to finally honor my parents like the…hero's they were."
Hinata couldn't control her tears anymore. She watched several fall onto Naruto's face.
"Of course we can, Naruto. I think that those names are great names anyways. Minato for a boy and Kushina for a girl." Hinata said, wiping her tears off of his face.
Naruto smiled and tears came to his eyes.
"I'm sorry I couldn't…protect you better, Hinata," Naruto cried, "I…tried."
"Don't be silly. You did great…" Hinata paused trying to stop crying, "You never went back on your word."
"Grandma Tsunade…I know that you're there," Naruto stated.
The Hokage stepped up to the boy she always thought as her grandson's side.
"Promise me that you'll take good care of the village and my family," Naruto whimpered, "And tell Sasuke that I'm sorry…that we never got to see who was…strongest."
"What are you saying, Naruto?" Tsunade said, wiping away her tears, "You'll be fine. Your Naruto Uzumaki."
"Just stop. I know who I am," Naruto sighed, "but I also know when I can't continue. So…just promise me."
Tsunade knew the flood of tears was coming, "I promise."
"Thank you." Naruto said, closing his eyes, "Hinata. Could you stay with me till…"
Hinata nodded and kissed him gently on his bruised lips.
"I'll stay with you," she whispered, kissing him again, "Forever and always."
Naruto smiled and finally passed out into the world of oblivion.
Tsunade looked out the window. That had been nearly a six months prior to this date. Today was the day she was to step to and for Naruto to take her place. She could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Lady Tsunade?" her assistant questioned from the doorway, "It's time."
Tsunade stood up and took a look around her. So many memories of that cocky little loud mouth, hyperactive, colorblind, knuckleheaded brat of a ninja surrounded her.
"Then let's get this over with," Tsunade sighed.
Tsunade walked to the top of the Hokage's building and onto the platform.
"Today," she paused, taking time to look at all the villagers that came to the ceremony, "Today is the day that we honor the next in a long line of Hokages. As of today, Naruto Uzumaki is officially our sixth Hokage!"
Out of the shadow came a man with blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and fox whiskers on his cheeks.
"I, Naruto Uzumaki, pledge to protect this village with my life and see to it that no harm comes our way just as the past Hokages did." Naruto called out to the village.
Tsunade could hear the roar of the village as they cheered in joy. Everyone had forgotten about the stupid fox that lived within Naruto. Hinata walked up to her husband. Tsunade smiled. And soon, she'd be helping Naruto and Hinata bring their kids into the world. That's right. Twins. A boy and a girl. Tsunade laughed to herself. She walked down the spiral stairs to go to her house to finally relax. She looked up at the fourth Hokage's face molded into the mountain in front of her.
"Why him?" Tsunade asked to herself.
"Grandma Tsunade! Hurry! Hinata needs you!" Naruto shouted, running down to her.
"What?" Tsunade asked.
"Something's wrong! Hinata doesn't feel good at all!" Naruto begged.
Tsunade ran back up to the top and saw Hinata on the ground, the babies deciding that they were wanting to come out on this day of all days.
Tsunade was amazed how good a delivering it had been. But she didn't think that Naruto agreed. Hinata practically broke his hand. She walked over to the window and stared out at Naruto running around to his friends houses telling them the good news.
"Mi lady?" Sakura's voice sounded, "Jiariya wishes to see you."
"Come in." Tsunade sighed.
"So I heard Naruto is not only Hokage today but a father as well," Jiariya chuckled.
"Yep." Tsunade agreed.
Jiariya laughed, "Kid can't get a break, can he?"
Sakura walked up beside her teacher and asked, "but why Naruto?"
"Because he's the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki," Jiariya stated.
"No. That's not why," Tsunade said, watching Naruto start dancing with Sasuke and Neji with joy, "It's just because, well, he's Naruto."
Mizu: *smiles* kind of a fluffy ending, huh? Oh well. I hope you guys liked it! Ciao for now!