-x-For better or worse, my love-x-
They shuffled beneath silken sheets, the orange dye dominant with the sun beaming down on it. A shock of lavender hair tossed and turned until a pale skinned girl peeked out of the sheets.
"Naruto-kun." She whispers, " It's time to get up".
Heavy groaning could be heard from under the sheets right next to her. A hand crawled out and found her face causing her to blush heavily.
"Do I have to Hinata-chan?" Naruto drawled out.
Hinata-chan. She hoped she never got tired of this new affection he had when he said her name.
"Well, you'll never become hokage by sleeping in, d-darling".
Damn it. She could manage normal conversation, but acting lovey-dovey simply made her heart race too fast to speak steady. He smiled at her brightly, his sun kissed hair highlighted by the morning sun, solidifying her belief that his smile was light personified.
"Haha, that's a cheap shot and you know it! But alright." Naruto hopped up from the ground in which they made their bed, only to turn beat red as he noticed his early morning "buddy", though he looked blue compares to Hinata's shade of red.
"I-I suppose I'll go get breakfast."
He bent over and pecked her on the cheek. "Be right back!"
And like that, he went about his trek in the surrounding forest. Hinata sighed dreamily.
"Oh Naruto-kun. Well, I'd best freshen up" she said as she got up and headed to a nearby river.
Her tan shirt and black hole-ridden pants were rolled up military style at the river bed. She walked with her simple white bra and panties in hand to wash them as she nude form half submerged in water, she began to work on them, her budding breasts swaying slightly with a serene yet concentrated look on her face. She started gaining an appreciation for the work her maids did when they washed her clothes not two days ago.
' That life is long gone now..' She thought bitterly.
It amazed her that she wasn't a broken mess, despite trying to kill herself twice. There, with the water flowing between her legs and against her bruised recently forced open flower, she did what Naruto warned her not to do. She allowed the events of the past few days flow into her mind, suppressed as they were it was now as if experiencing them for the first time.
-Flashback-
Three days ago
Hinata was walking through her mother's garden, which she had single-handedly catered to since her death. She felt her mother with her in this place, so whenever she had free time or a lot on her mind she would take a stroll though. There were flowers of every kind, vivid vibrant and full of life. No one ever came here, this was her sanctuary.
"Hinata." Her father's stern voice resounded through the bushes and into her ears. She knew this specific tone as the 'Come at Once' tone. She would find out what he wanted when she was in front of him on her knees forehead touching the floor. So she complied without delay. Now in the house, on her knees forehead touching the floor, she spoke.
"Yes father?" She said.
"Hinata." Instantly she was on edge. She did not recognize this tone. So she waited. "A man from the Henzo has offered his son for an arranged marriage. The Henzo clan is wealthy. As well as generous. They offered a dowry I could not refuse. This here is Jiroh Henzo. I suggest you get well acquainted, as he will be your husband in a year's time." He finished while never removing the stoic look he wore so well.
Hinata couldn't believe it. She was..to marry? She looked up, trembling, so much so that her next words were barely distinguishable. "F-f-fathe-ther, I-I" her mumbling was stopped when she finally caught a look at Jiroh. He was tall, slender with rugged facial hair and slicked back hair. He wore golden robes as opposed to the traditional yukatas. His face was stern and worn. He was...he was…'He is so old!' She screamed in her mind. Desperately she slightly activated her byakugan just enough to see his chakra levels. He was..barely a genin! He was a civilian! Her father was giving her to a civilian! Just then an idea popped into her head. Normally she'd be beaten and starved for speaking out, but that was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment."I-if I may father-"
"You may not" her father interrupted in the tone that promised pain.
"W-why would you give t-the bloodline to a c-civilian?". She was desperate, but that didn't mean she wasn't scared.
"I do not explain myself to you, girl" he said, in the tone that promised she will regret this embarrassment.
-End Flashback-
"Hinata-chan!". She was ripped out her mind by Naruto's calling. "Hey I found...break.."
Before he could finish, he became a blood-nosed powered missile that slammed into the nearest tree and promptly passed out. Only now fully coming out of her daze, she tilted her head curiosity, only to turn a shade of red so dark artists would have to make up a new word for it.
'N-no! H-h-h-e saw my-' she thought before steam shot out of her ears and her eyes became swirls.
After coming down from her embarrassment, she finished her bathing and used some of Naruto's wire to hang her undergarments up. Putting on her shirt and pants she picked up a stick, walked over and proceeded to poke Naruto with it.
"Ne, Naruto-kun, I'm hungry." He bounced up like nothing happened, a testament to his boundless energy.
"Oh! Course."
He picked up some sticks from the ground and plucked some leaves from the very tree he crashed into.
"Fire release-Kindling flames!" Naruto spewed out a puff of embers on the grouped up items and managed to start a fire.
"I could instantly cook them with a jutsu, but I feel like I'd burn them more than anything." Naruto reasoned.
Hinata huffed cutely, puckered up lips and all. Naruto couldn't resist. He reached out after setting the skewered rabbit over the fire, leaned in and placed his lips on hers. She was so amazed at how it looked so smooth that it seemed like one motion, yet she knew each muscle of his moved slow and deliberately. She moaned in his mouth and felt the high that kissing the one you love should bring. It was a stark contrast to the spit that was forced in her mouth just days prior to this.
-Flashback-
Two days ago
"Rise." Hinata got up, grains of rice and salt dropping off her knees and shins.
"Kneel." She forced herself to crash down and let the rice and salt dig greedily into her flesh. There was not one grain that wasn't colored red. After three hours of this, her sore muscles yelled louder than her broken skin.
"Enough. Go and clean yourself. If you ever embarrass me again, I will do much worse than this."
"Yes..f-father" Hinata squeaked out to the retreating form of her father.
She fell to the ground, only to be cruelly reminded of the red dots on the floor. Her body, released of the tension her father's stare caused it, finally gave out and she had to drag herself to the door, down the hallway, and into the shower. She had to refill the bath water four times before it stopped turning red. She allowed the herb filled water to work its magic, helping to ease the pain her open wounds caused. She stayed in only ten minutes. She longed for more but knew if she waterlogged herself the cuts would be worse off when she got dry. Experience was informative like that. She bathed in warm water, so when she pulled back the heavy white screen to step out, there was no steam she could blame for what she was seeing. There, staring lecherously at her in all her glory, stood Jiroh.
"My my, what a lovely gift my father has prepared for me. Though I am far too impatient." He said, a snake like grin slithering its way across his face as he stepped closer and closer to her.
"I do very much hate waiting." He said this while gripping her budding breasts harshly, making her snap out of her surprise with a painful gasp.
"So shall I unwrap this gift a little, early?" He smiled at the tears forming in her eyes, pressing his manhood against her stomach, showing a lump that spanned from her navel to her breadbasket.
'H-he's gonna k-kill m-me!' she frantically thought.
When she took a deep breath, he correctly guessed she was going to scream. He thrust his body down, crashing his lips into hers, effectively busting her upper lip. She forced her left hand into a claw and scratched him across his eyes, gaining a firm yell of pain from him and the split second she needed to kick off the wall he had her pinned against, grabbed her towel and rushed out of the bathroom door.
"So little kitten...the hunt is on." Jiroh said aloud with a sinister grin.
Hinata rushed into her father's room, screaming at the top of her lungs. Instantly she was drilled in the gut with a chakra covered hand.
"Hinata…? What is the meaning of this! Explain yourself." Her father spoke, unphased by the fact her daughter was just slammed full force by the strongest hand alive.
"R-rape.." Hinata could barely breath.
All her abdominal chakra points had been closed off in one go. If she wasn't used to her father's multiple abuses, she's sure she would have died. It felt worse than anything in the world. Though she had to speak. He hated weakness. She was sure, despite all his bitterness and words to the contrary, that he would care about this. He had to.
"Ji-Jiroh tried to r-rape me. Shower..he was the-there...he pinned me t-to the w-wall.." each breath felt like fire in her sternum that became lava as it came out as words.
"Rape...why would Jiroh try to rape you..I barely managed to get him to agree to marry you.." He looked at her as if he truly did not grasp the concept.
She was dumbstruck. He had to try to give her away? What.. What does that even mean?
'Just what am I to him?!' She thought. All self control and poise lost, she began to weep horrendously.
"You must have threw yourself at him. I applaud your effort! Though rumor is Jiroh is rather...well endowed. I'm sure you merely grew intimidated and freaked out. That is alright my girl. Return to your room and if Jiroh shows any kind of interest, well you are to be his wife anyway. Now leave." Her father fixed his robe and laid in bed, promptly falling asleep.
She didn't want to believe it. The man who gave her half of who she is, simply brushed off her attempted rape as her simply not being able to take the dick? She couldn't handle this. Not anymore. Not after this. Before she was in pain. Her heart broken. Now there was nothing. She was numb. And nothing can help her, for she simply couldn't care. At least, that is what she earnestly believed…
-End Flashback-
"I-im so sorry". Naruto's sorrow filled voice reeled her mind from the dark place she was about to take it. Why was he apologizing?
'Oh.' She thought.
She raised her hand to her cheeks and confirmed her suspicion. She was crying. Heavy too, though her face remained neutral.
"I..you were just so cute I..I'm such an idiot. Please don't hate me." He said, on the verge of tears himself.
'Does he like i'm crying because of him?' she thought.
She could not allow that! " N-no, your lips...these are tears of joy. I love you..Naruto-kun."
He froze. Love…? He..had heard those words before..but never towards him. All he knows..is hate..fear..blood..so much blood...his stomach suddenly started to burn. Almost as if, something was roaring at him violently.
"Do..you mean it? Do you seriously mean it?" At this tears really did fall down.
"I'm not sure what happened to make you ask for me to take care of you yesterday..but if you say those words and don't really mean them, I'll never forgive you, Hinata-chan…" His eyes were pleading, the clearest of oceans begging for her to dive in.
"I…"
The truth was, as she started to speak she realized, that she did not know if she truly meant it or not. She always liked him. Liked, not loved. And never really learning what love was, added to her recent trauma..she just didn't know.
"Just this once.." Naruto mumbled.
"Huh?" Was Hinata's intelligent reply.
"Ill forgive you just this once..because i know you don't mean it." he looked at her with a masked face.
He smiled at her, with that bitter sweet same smile she saw when he was beaten. The same smile she saw when he was scorned. The same smile she saw when he was overcharged and kicked out of stores. The same smile she saw when he was..tortured and..raped.. She caused him to wear that smile. She couldn't stand it. Even if he said he would forgive her this one time she needed a punishment.
"But in exchange, I want you to tell me what happened that made you come to me." He added, his face an impossible mixture of serious and curious.
There. That could be her punishment.
"Alright.. But not now. Tonight..okay?" She offered.
"Alright.." Naruto conceded.
There was a tense air for a moment until Naruto spoke again.
" Alright! Foods done, let's eat so we can train! The academy don't teach squat and graduation day is in two weeks!"He exclaimed.
Hinata smiled. "Yes!"
They fell into a comfortable silence with Naruto humming happily. When they finished, they dove right into training. When Naruto accepted to take care of Hinata, he did so on the condition that she be his training partner. What Naruto had in raw power and chakra capacity, Hinata had in finesse and utter control. Thus, she was currently drilling him on tree walking. He just fell off for the 100th time.
"Naruto-kun, while you have kage level chakra reserves, you are very wasteful. Let's say walking up the tree take 10 chakra points. Control is needed to maintain a constant chakra point of 10. Too little and you fall right off. Too much and you blow yourself sky high. Plus, what if you are ever put in a situation where you run out of chakra? You need to conserve and control, that is how you will maximize your chakra capacity." Hinata finished explaining as Naruto ran up again.
"A point system huh? I'm not very good at math, but that actually sounds like it could help. Hmm. I'll need a reference though. Should I use you?" Naruto asked, clearly excited at gaining better control.
"No, every one is different. Say...did y-you learn that wind jutsu I gave you?" Hinata asked.
" I sure did! But how is that going to help me?" Naruto responded.
"Well, it will help establish your base line. First, let's figure out your current limit. Do the jutsu aimed at this tree, and pump as much chakra as you possibly can." Hinata instructed.
"Alright!" Naruto said gleefully."prepared to be blown away!"
He readied himself and performed the seals. Horse, ram, monkey, hare…
"Wind Release-Catastrophic Northern Wind!"
At first it was simply a strong gust of wind that tore branches off of the tree he aimed at. But as he began to pump more chakra, the tree began to have its roots torn from the ground. As he reached his limit, he let out a wail and by the end of the jutsu every tree 200 meters in front of him and 50 meters to either side of him were completely uprooted. Hinata stood there, slack jawed and slightly shaking.
"Na-naruto-kun, you are amazing!" She gushed, causing Naruto to rub his head in embarrassment.
"W-well I just listened to you Hinata-chan, hehehe" Naruto said.
'He is so cute when he snickers like a fox' Hinata thought, blushing.
"W-well don't let it g-go to your head! You wasted so much chakra! You could have done the same amount of damage, with a fraction of the cost. It's like a gas line with a bunch of holes. It leaks, so you have to push more through the pipe to reach the end. If you covered those holes, you could push the gas through with far less effort, and conserve all that gas that leaked out. Or, if you did use the same amount, the effect could be multiple times stronger!" Hinata spoke excitedly.
"Even more than this? Wow...alright! I am gonna get perfect control by night fall! Let's go Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled, a determined look settled on his face.
'Naruto-kun, you are so strong and determined...Right! I must also do my best!'
Naruto and Hinata trained all day, skipping class, and continued this routine till the day of graduation.
-Two weeks later-
"Alright everyone, this is it! What all your years of hard work amounts to. At last...the graduation exam! Remember what you learned, and do your very best!" Bellowed a young adult man.
"Yes, Iruka-sensei!" Chorused all the academy students in the class room.
"Now, without further ado, Sakura Haruno, please step forward."
"Pass! Congratulations! Hinata Hyuuga, you are now officially a kunoichi of Konoha!" Iruka beamed down on his student.
Hinata smiled, feeling accomplished for once in her life. However she turned beat red when Naruto started voicing his approval.
"Fuck yeah that's my girl! Like a fucking G-6 babe you took this exam and made it your bitch you sexy pimp you!"
The rest of the class sweat dropped, while Hinata looked as if she would die of embarrassment.
"Uh, okay." Iruka sweat dropped himself. "Naruto Uzumaki!"
The class erupted into mummers of 'dead last' and. 'failure' and 'orphan freak'. There was a distinctly Uchiha sounding 'dobe' thrown in the mix he was almost sure, but like the other whispers of discouragement he ignored them.
"Heh, I don't need to to go behind any walls, I'll show you all what I got right here and now!" Naruto yelled.
"Ha! So the dead last wants to make an ass of himself with a crowd!" Said a certain girl named Natsu Henzo.
This particular girl was heiress to the Henzo clan, daughter to none other than the now deceased ex-clan leader, Jiroh Henzo Sr. And a girl Naruto would soon learn to hate.
"Natsu!" Chided Iruka. "Show more respect to your classmates!".
"Its fine Iruka-sensei" Naruto interjected. "The best way to shut up pampered asses is to shove a foot up them!"
The whole class erupted into laughter, and Hinata flushed at Naruto's coarse language, though managed to hide some chuckles of her own. Naruto jumped over all his classmates, slightly shocking Iruka on his chakra control.
'The demon should have his chakra control shot to hell. How did he use such precise control to boost like that…'.
Shaking off his mild surprise, Iruka felt the need to get a move on.
"Well, I don't particularly see a reason not to if you don't mind...fine. Alright! First up, Henge!".
Naruto nodded. He simply stood there, gaining a confused look on Iruka's face. Suddenly, an almost imperceptible blue wisp wrapped around Naruto and a split second later a very generous female version of Iruka appeared where Naruto once stood. Generous in the sense that her rather sizable bust was all but leaping out of her chuunin vest. With a shocked gasp Iruka shot up in the air via nosebleed. All the males in the classroom blushed while all the females blanched and gained very noticeable tick marks. Most notable of these marks belonged to a young pink haired girl named Sakura Haruno.
"Naruto you idiot! How could you expose Sasuke-kun to something so impure!" She yelled at the still transformed Naruto.
She must have missed the faint blush and slight widening of eyes the aforementioned Sasuke Uchiha gained on his face. Naruto proceeded to showboat and all around troll the class, all the while Iruka was across the room on the floor thinking to himself.
'He didn't make any hand seals. Only one with high Chuunin chakra control should be able to mold their chakra like that. And above all, he did not have any whisker marks.'
Iruka could believe Naruto didn't need the hand seals. He could even force himself to believe that he had such refinement on the technique that the transformation was seamless. But the one thing he would never believe, is that he was able repress the whisker marks. They showed on all his prior transformations no matter what. It was his stigma as the container for the demon that attacked the village so long ago.
"Well Naruto if you are quite done..replacement technique is up next" Iruka pressed, now sporting a tissue up his nose.
"Hey Uchiha-CHAN!" Naruto called out. "I saw the way your gaze locked onto these" he pushed his pseudo cleavage up in Sasuke's' direction. Said Uchiha gained a noticeable blush. Just then an oppressive aura crashed into Naruto.
"Na-ru-toooooo!" Sakura was glaring down heatedly at him. "Leave Sasuke-kun alone!".
With that bellowed out she ran up to Naruto and promptly knocked him over the head. The class laughed at their antics all the while unbeknownst to them a certain Hyuuga was seething with anger.
'How dare that tramp hit my Naruto-kun!'
As Hinata begun to rise to go explode thus mentioned tramps heart, 'Naruto' burst into smoke. Sakura could only look on in horror as where Naruto once stood now laid an unconscious Sasuke Uchiha. Up at the Uchiha's seat sat a grinning, back to normal Naruto. Sakura passed out on top of Sasuke and Iruka could only sweat drop at it all.
"Okay Naruto I don't need to see anymore. I'm sorry to say that you have failed. Better luck next year."
There was a terrible silence that descended on everyone present. Naruto gazed at his sensei with a look of hurt shock and anger, all of which melted into a glare of frozen indifference.
"Iruka-sensei you…" and with that said Naruto vanish with a gust of wind.
'Oh Naruto…' Hinata thought to herself before sending a scathing glare towards her now ex- sensei.
"That's all for today class! Meet here tomorrow bright and early to be appointed with your Jonin senseis. It's been a great honor and I expect great things from each and every one of you. Dismissed."
As the students trickled out the classroom Iruka was thinking about Naruto. 'I have to inform Hokage-sama about this. I must make sure the Fox isn't influencing Naruto in anyway..for his own good'.
Naruto was beside himself. He had wondered the streets in a contained rage, ignoring all the hate he garnered from the villagers. He found himself meeting a dead end down an alley he didn't even realize he walked into. Cursing briefly he spun around only to bump into something hard. Looking up he found a man of medium build and tall stature before him. Behind him were many other people. The man however caught most of his attention.
'A headband?' Naruto thought.
In hindsight he should have known what was about to happen. He had been subject to enough beatings to know when to run. But the presence of a ninja threw him off. This was the army he wished to command? The first punch was swung, splitting him on the side of the eye. These are the people he wants to risk his life to protect? Then started the stomping, and apparently spiked boots were the new fashion statement. This was the village. He wanted to be Hokage of? The last thing he remembered before blacking out was a loud chirping sound, a flash of blue, and then silver hair shrinking into the distance amongst the cheering of the crowd.
Naruto awoke to the feeling of drowning. He looked around and noticed that he was floating in water surrounded by leaking pipes.
'Well that explains that' he thought dryly.
It was then that he became aware of a rumbling noise that was shaking the pipes and rippling the water at his feet. Hoping to find some answers to where he was, he followed the rippling of the water and heavy humming sound. Rounding a corner he stopped dead in his tracks when he came face to face with a giant cage. Shocked, it took him a few seconds to register the large imposing red eyes that were staring down on him. Then he heard a voice.
"So. At the brink of death yet again child of dust?" It said, almost mockingly.
"Huh?" Was Naruto's intelligent response.
Whatever was behind the cage let out a bark of laughter, which sounded more like a thousand children begging to be killed, Naruto decided.
"You were just beaten senseless again." The voice clarified.
"So what, every time I pass out from a beating i come here?" Naruto asked.
The voice made a deep grumbling sound in the affirmative.
"That cant be right. I've gotten my ass handed to me a bunch of times but I'd wake up no problem." He argued.
"Well, those times you didn't have a giant hole in your chest" the voice sounded.
Naruto had to agree with it. Having been well acquainted with death he developed a fascination with it. The blue light that would have killed him was so...beautiful.
'It would have killed me' Naruto thought.
"Hey, giant disembodied voice. Who are you?" Naruto questioned.
It just occurred to Naruto that he has been talking to a voice in his head for all intents and purposes. 'I guess i was just so lonely that…'
His thoughts were interrupted by a hearty yet condescending laugh which sounded more like a roar having sex with agony.
"How rude! It was about time you asked my name. You know it'll do no good to not mind your manners around ladies."
Naruto blushed in embarrassment. "W-well that doesn't answer my question at all! Cone in ya old hag!"
There was an indignant yelp followed by a loud soul shaking crash. After a few minutes of viewing his own death in a million ways Naruto struggled off the floor to see a cage he didn't notice was there before, dented by a large red fur covered claw with two large red orbs in the background wishing bloody murder to him.
"I AM THE GREAT XANNA-SAMA! THE EARTH TREMBLES BEFORE MY WILL AND REALITY TWISTS TO MY DESIRE! DESTRUCTION IS MY CHILD AND DESOLATION MY LOVER! I TOLERATE NO INSULT AND WILL KILL YOU FOR YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS AGAINST GOD HERSELF!"
Naruto could only do what anybody else would in such a situation. He promptly emptied his bowels and fainted.
"Hehe. Still got it."