Mysterious Familiars

Disclaimer:If I owned Naruto, NaruHina would be in the first episode.

Chapter one: The Beginning

The blonde youth glared at the pale snake sannin with crimson slitted eyes. His whisker marks, boldened by the Youki flooding through his system, quivered as he struggled to control his most primal instincts that were telling him to rip apart the pale man in front of him. The boy snarled, showing his long, sharp teeth.

"Sasuke's going back to Konoha with me, even if I have to drag him back by force!" Naruto growled, still trying to control himself. "I made a promise that I intend to keep!"

"And what was that promise, Dobe? To lose to me again?"a cold voice came out of the shadows.

"Sasuke-teme," Naruto growled.

"Glad to see that you remember me, Dobe,"Sasuke said, stepping out of the shadows and into the light, smirking at Naruto as he watched a pink-haired girl and a lavender-eyed, indigo-haired girl struggled to restrain him. The raven-haired boy had red eyes, each with three black comma-shaped marks around the edges. He looked lustfully over the indigo-haired girl's body.

"Keep your eyes off Hinata-chan, Ero-Teme." Naruto snarled viciously.

"Come on, dobe. You know every girl in Konoha lusted after me. I'm an Uchiha; I can have whatever I want!"

"Not every girl," Naruto muttered, looking at Hinata. Sasuke's eyes hardened.

He drew his katana and started channeling a Chidori through it. Naruto narrowed his eyes as Sasuke stepped forward, placing the tip of his sword an inch from Naruto's throat.

"Tell me who didn't lust after me. Now!" Sasuke growled. Naruto chuckled.

"Let's see, there's Ino, Tenten, Hinata-chan..."Naruto spoke ten names when Sasuke decided he'd heard enough.

"Enough lies, Naruto! You're just trying to piss me off!" Sasuke shouted.

"And by the looks of things, the truth is the way to do it," Naruto smirked. "Let's face it, Sasuke-teme, the only one who really loved you was the pink-haired bitch on my left arm." Everyone but Sasuke and Sakura gasped. Sasuke merely quirked an eyebrow, while Sakura tried to crush and pulverize the bones in Naruto's arm. When Naruto didn't even twitch, she released her grip on Naruto's arm with one hand and went to beat him senseless. This turned out to be a mistake, as she was hurled headfirst into a nearby wall. Naruto's voice turned icy and venomous."Sakura, if you want to live through any more missions or encounters with me, I suggest you stop trying to harm me or tempt me to kill you." Sakura stared in shock.

"But...b-but...but..." she sputtered. Naruto grew annoyed.

"But what?" he snapped.

"But... why...? Why would you... try to kill me? Y-y-you... love me." Hinata looked heartbroken. That is, until Naruto started laughing.

Naruto laughed a dark laugh, one that made everyone think of demons and caused their hair to stand on end.

"Was my act really that convincing?" he asked.

"Naruto once confided something in me...Can I tell them, Naruto?" a boy with a pineapple-shaped haircut asked.

"Go ahead, Shikamaru. They wouldn't believe me if I told them." Naruto replied.

"Naruto once told me that he was only pretending to be dense about Hinata's feelings for him. He also told me that it killed him that he couldn't return her affection because he had...has a secret that I'm not authorized to tell you, and if he did, then not only would she become a "Demon-Whore," but the villagers would attack her just for loving him, and her family would cast her out on the streets." Shikamaru told them.

"Go ahead and tell them, Shikamaru."

"What part should I tell them?"

"Everything."

Flashback

Shikamaru was at his favorite cloud-watching spot when he heard footsteps approaching. He turned his head to see Naruto standing there, having some sort of internal battle with himself.

"Well, you look like you've got something on your mind. It must be something big, for you to show it," Shikamaru said. Naruto sighed and sat next to Shikamaru, putting his head in his hands.

"I just don't know what to do, Shikamaru. I love her, and I know she loves me, but I can't do a damn thing about it..." Naruto said, tears pouring down his face. Shikamaru perked up and sat up. Knowing Naruto, these tears meant something End-Of-My-World-And-I-Don't-Know-What-To-Do big was going on with him. Putting a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, he spoke in a reassuring manner.

"Naruto, slow down and start from the beginning. Who's this girl, how do you know she loves you, and why can't you tell her or do anything about it? I swear on my life that I'll offer the best advice I can, and I won't tell a soul unless you allow me to." Shika said.

"Well," Naruto started, "The girl...well, she's Hinata. I know she loves me with all her heart, and I love her just as much, if not more, but the problem is me. You know of the-"

"The Kyuubi is sealed inside you, I know."

"Wha? But, how?"

"I'm not stupid, Naruto. I've seen the way you're treated by the villagers. And I've heard some of the things they've said about you. Also, your birthday is on the same day as the Kyuubi festival, and nobody ever sees you there. I did a little research, and I found that the kyuubi is too strong to be killed by a mortal. So, the only alternative was to seal it into a human child."

"Oh... well as I was saying, if I were to reciprocate Hinata's affection, she would be branded as a "Demon-Whore" and attacked by the villagers just for loving me, and her bastard of a father would kick her out. On the other hand, if I don't tell her, I'll lose her forever." Naruto was sobbing softly now. "I love her...so much...that...it hurts...but...she'll only get hurt if I tell her and let my feelings known." Shikamaru pondered this for a moment, forcing his mind to work overtime to help his friend.

"Well... you could tell her and keep your relationship a secret." Shikamaru offered.

Naruto looked at him sadly. "They'll find out. I tried to keep the fact that I was pursuing Sakura a secret at first, but they came and told me that the only reason they didn't do anything to her was because her mother was on the village council and she actually cares about her daughter."

"Well, You could mark her as yours and tell her to wait for you until you have the villagers' respect. You know, like foxes do with their mates, except you put the mark where nobody would notice it."

"Shikamaru, foxes mark their mates by-"

"I know.Sigh"Shikamaru and Naruto sat there trying to figure out a way to let Naruto tell Hinata that he loved her and keep her safe at the same time, but with each possible solution came impossible difficulties. After awhile, Chouji came and Naruto quietly and sadly said, "Thanks for trying to help, Shikamaru. Remember your promise."

"I will. I promise."

"Thanks..."

Flashback end

After this lengthy explanation, Hinata and the others were beyond shocked. Naruto had known about her feelings since before they were genin. Since the academy, for Kami's sake! And Shikamaru had known for the whole time and never told a soul, not even Chouji or his parents.

"S-s-so...he knew? H-h-he knew th-th-that I-"

"Yes, Hina-hime, but now is not the time to talk about this. Now, I made a promise, and I'm not about to make it my first broken one. Sasuke, you can come back with us peacefully, or you can make it a fight again like at the Valley of the End, but know this: if you decide to make it a fight again, I won't hold back," Naruto said. "Not this time." Sasuke just chuckled.

"You won't hold back? You gave it all you had last time." Sasuke chuckled again. "Face it, Naruto-dobe, you can't beat me."

"If I hadn't held back, you'd be dead right now, Sasuke. The Kyuubi wanted you dead. If I hadn't regained control at the last second, he would've ripped your head off. I saved your life, you ungrateful prick!"

"Stop threatening Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled. "Sasuke-kun is superior to you in every single way!"

"Not every way," Hinata said to herself, and blushed. When she noticed everyone staring at her oddly, she 'Eeped' and ran into a corner of the room. Naruto was the first to figure out what Hinata meant and chuckled.

"Hime, I didn't know you were like that. We'll have to... talk... when we get back to the village. Heh, I guess things aren't always as they seem." Naruto said.

"You can go back to Konoha, but Hinata's staying with me."

"She's going home with us."

"How about a match?" Orochimaru suggested. "If Sasuke-kun wins, Hinata shall be his wife."

"And if I win?" Naruto asked.

"You won't."

"If Naruto-kun wins, he gets to have me." Hinata said.

"For the love of Kami, people! 'And for Sasuke-teme and Orochimaru I use that term loosely.' Hinata-chan isn't an object or a prize to be won! She's a human being! I refuse to-"

"You refuse to fight for her? Then she's mine."

"She's not yours. She belongs to herself, and whoever she gives herself to. And I don't refuse to fight for her. I'd destroy Konoha before I let you get your filthy hands on her. I refuse to bring you back to Konoha conscious and in one piece...You MONSTER!" Naruto growled. "Just tell me when and where this stupid contest of strength will take place." Sasuke started making some familiar hand signs.

"Right Here, Right Now! Chidori!" Sasuke said as the sound of chirping birds filled the air. Naruto sighed as Sasuke activated his Curse Mark Level Two. Sasuke chuckled. "After I kill you, I'll have my way with Hinata. She'll bear my children, not yours!"

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "Big mistake, Sasuke. EVERYONE FALL BACK NOW!" Shikamaru screamed. Everyone stared as Naruto started radiating murderous intent.

"Naruto, if you-AUGH!" Sakura screamed as Naruto appeared in front of her, staring her down with crimson slitted eyes.

"I warned you, Sakura. Strike two. Don't get a third." Naruto said this with such silent fury that his voice trembled. Sakura, being the wuss she is, wet herself and ran towards the exit. Naruto turned around and faced Sasuke. "Alright, asshole, let's do this." Naruto said, holding out his hand and forming a Rasengan. The two shinobi charged, the clash of their jutsu creating a large purple sphere around them and concealing them from everyone.