Impatiently Naruto tugged at the sleeves of his clothing. It would probably take him a lot longer to get used to the many layers he had to wear now. It weighted heavier on his 8 year old shoulders and made him feel cramped.

His mother's arm trusted him lightly in the side, making him look up at the entrance of the residence again. The heavy wooden gates had been opened widely, granting admission to the guests that had made the family of three standing in a straight line. Naruto and his parents welcomed the newcomers with chest outstretched and fixed poises.

Five people entered, one after another, their shoes making sounds on the dry ground and blowing up some dust. The surrounding servants, each on their determined position, bowed to them as they passed.

A man with a stern expression and a face overrun with wrinkles lead the family. The distinctive traces of age emphasized the hardness of his gaze instead of making him look old. His hair was long and dark, tidily combed back, not even a single hair out of place.
His stature was veiled in deep black garments with ornaments of silvery dragons, which wriggled their long bodies from the hem up to his chest.

The man's sole presence made Naruto frown and tighten his back a little more, as if the stranger would scold him if he didn't do so.

He was followed by a beautiful, flower like woman. Hair silky and glossy, framing a face of white porcelain dotted with one pair of red lips and big eyes. Her kimono of soft red fabric, the golden embroidery in decoration glimmered in the rays of the sun, emphasizing her figure in her elegant, dance like movements.

Holding her hand was a little girl. Younger than he was, that Naruto could tell. Her hair was as brown and full as her fathers and her cheeks as plump and red as her mother's clothing. She tottered a little, trying to copy her mother's graceful way of moving. It was unnecessary to say that a girl of that young age would fail at a task like that as her sunshine colored kimono already hindered her in walking without stumbling.

Behind them walked another girl. About his same height. Her eyes inspected the ground they walked on or maybe her mother's heels. The paleness of her ivory skin contrasted with the darkness of her hair. Her shiny strands were made into a plaint, one side decorated with a flower hair clip, its petals resembled the ones on the blossoming trees outside.

Her garments were of rose color, making her skin look even more fair. Lilac flower and butterfly motives adorned the material around the seam, their pattern slowly fading the higher they got.

When she looked up for just a moment Naruto realized that she was pretty. Her beauty still couldn't reach her mother's but the resemblance was unmissable. She had the same hair and a softness in her eyes that made his ears feel warm and the insides of his stomach tickle.

He was so occupied with watching her, that he nearly oversaw the fifth kid behind her. He was much taller than her and his hair far longer. His expression was calm but with eyes so piercing that it seemed odd on a child of that frugal age.

The boy walked exactly like a noble person should while Naruto screwed up his nose like someone from the upper class shouldn't.

When the family, who Naruto knew were named Hyuuga, lined up in front of his, both sides exchanged their greeting with bowing their bodies as was right and proper. Naruto captured the image of the strange family when standing side by side.
They looked like those dolls he had once seen in a shop, where people with a lot of money went. White and elegant, inhumanly gallant with colorful and clothing manufactured right down to the last detail, which seemed like a waste on those things made out of wood. Now he and his family could visit those shops too and he could look at those dolls from up close.

The girl he had studied so elaborately earlier stood exactly in front of him and brought him back from those memories of the shop filled with shelves displaying luxuriates that didn't really have a purpose.

She seemed to avoid his eyes, what made him pout. A side glance to his mother assured him that she hadn't seen his grimace because she was listening to the stranger.

"I welcome you to our home," Naruto's father spoke, the blond hair he had inherited his son a little more subdued than on other days. His wife with the red hair impossible to overlook smiled widely by his side.

"Thank you for inviting me and my family." The Hyuuga moved his head in a way, that made Naruto questions if it was a bow or just a nod. "I congratulate you for your new position in our midst."

The position he meant was a seat in the council of the king, Naruto's father Minato had now taken. He was still young compared to his fellow council members but not lesser sophisticated or capable to advice the king rightfully.

The man began to introduce his family. His wife had let go of the smaller girl's hand and bowed her head when he gestured towards her. The children did the same, one after another. Hanabi, Hinata and Neji.

Hinata.

"Please come inside." Minato gestured towards the house they had started to live in some weeks ago.

The guests followed his lead as Naruto waited for them to pass him, acting like a host would. He gave the other boy a lingering look when he saw Hinata, who had avoided him so successfully earlier, watching at him as she climbed the stairs of stone to the house.

She observed him curiously but when Naruto locked his eyes with her, averted quickly.

Naruto watched the back of her head as he followed the group inside the house. The end of her plaint bounced up and down in her walk and from the side he could see how she played with her fingers.

The hallway was long and the wooden floor felt smooth under his feet. Beautiful vases and elaborate paintings decorated the interior. Naruto's eyes sticked to one piece of art he enjoyed very much. It was of a fox with nine tails towering over his head, the thick black lines containing the dangerously red of his fur. It fletched it's teeth and swung his tails in the air missing the trees around it.

People said that it looked scary, as it was an image of a supposedly misfortunate nine-tailed fox but Naruto didn't think so.

When he zoomed in at the characters written with thick brushstrokes, which were yet too hard for him to read, the children were ordered to play outside. That was the cue for one of the servants, who guided the children to the yard.

The backyard was crested with flowers of many colors, which had just started to bloom as the spring began. Bushes were planted systematically, every leaf seemingly following a plan. Now and then an imposant tree grew out of the ground spreading its branches over the stone walls, which separated the many gardens that were to be explored.

The guests turned towards Naruto when they stood in the middle of the big yard. He was the host now but he didn't really know what to do. He had no siblings and was mostly alone at home with no one to play with.

Sometimes important people came with their kids but those never really desired to be with him, as their personalities didn't seem to match very well.

"You guys want to play?" he asked hopefully but was soon dismissed by the only other boy between them. His head soared over all of theirs and his hair swung forcefully when he looked away.

"How childish," he had said in a cold and distant voice.
Naruto didn't really understand what he meant by that. Weren't they children anyway? The blond frowned. Somehow the kids he had met recently were too stuck up for his taste.

Neji's eyes drifted away for a moment as he gazed at the door to the nearby garden. He walked towards it, leaving the girls and his host behind.

"Nii-san," both girls resounded as they looked after him. Hanabi soon raised her skirt a little bit and run after him, getting a hold of his hand. He didn't free himself from her hand instead pulled her closer to him, what made Naruto wonder if he was just being mean to the blond but nit generally like that.

Naruto looked at Hinata, who seemed to be completing to go with them. He wasn't sure why she wavered and he gave her a few moments to make a decision before he asked her if she wanted to go somewhere else with him.


Naruto's eyes popped open and his head jolted up. A noise had woken him from his dozing and he perked up his ears, listening to the night. Several seconds he stood still, holding his breath as it would interfere with his hearing but it was quiet and nothing else than the calling of an owl could be heard.

His body relaxed again and roamed his eyes around the room.

Only now did he realize that at some point this night he had laid down next to Hinata. He must have been very tired as his sword was not even in his immediate reach.
But the thoughts about his weapon were soon dismissed as he registered how close he was to the girl. She still tightly held his hand at her lips, breathing softly against his skin and making his hairs ruffle up.
Carefully he rested his head on the blanket beneath them, not letting his eyes losing their sight on her figure for even a second.

He hadn't seen her for weeks before their encounter in the woods and it felt even longer for him.
Watching her carefully like this he saw that she had gotten thinner. She had dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks were somewhat sunken, that he had already detected earlier.

No wonder, after her father had sent her to this lonely place to ensure her safety she wouldn't be able to eat and sleep carelessly. She had always been a person who worried much more for others than herself.

Her thoughts were by her mother and sister, who had been shipped safely out of the country. She should have been on that ship too but too much did she worry about her her father, her cousin and everyone else who was threatened. Undoubtedly about Naruto too.

But Neji was killed and she could have died that night also, so her father, in fear of losing her too, had sent her here.
Naruto sighed in relieve that after a far too long time of asking himself if she was doing well being alone at this place, he had set off to follow her.

Luckily he did, or it could have been her dead body this time, they found in the cold woods.

The question of how these people had managed to find her in this godforsaken place still whirred in his head but he laid his troubles down.

Too exhausted was he to bother himself with that any further. At least for tonight he could let it be.

He let his body sink into the sheets and rose a hand to brush away a strand of Hinata's hair that prevented him from seeing every inch of her beautiful face.

With a thumb he rubbed her cheek softly, not wanting to wake her up from the sleep she needed so much.

He had known her for a very long time, grew to love her more and more every day. But the world had changed with them and they were living in dangerous times right now. He wasn't politically active like his father was and neither had specific plans for his future. Only did he know that he wanted to protect her with all his might and not leave her site if that made sure she was save.

When a dark shadow suddenly darted over the walls, Naruto's hand swiftly moved to get a grip on his sword, shaking up Hinata rashly. He had to thank god that the moon shined so brightly tonight, making it possible to detect that there was a person roaming around the house.

Naruto held a finger to Hinata's lips, ensuring that she would be quiet even after being so abruptly awakened from her sleep. She understood quickly but still needed help to stand up.
Naruto pushed her towards one of the walls and for a moment an expression of fluster flushed her face. He rapidly opened a slide door to wardrobe like room with several blankets and pillows.

It was big enough for them to stand inside comfortably and Naruto closed the door again, leaving just a small gap open to peep into the room.

Nothing happened in a while, where he pressed Hinata closer to his body while the hand around his sword cramped.

Hinata tried to breath as quietly as possible but feared that the loudness of her heartbeat would give away their hiding place. She pushed herself a little more against Naruto's chest, crumpling his clothes with her hands. Her ear being so close to him, she could feel the pounding of his heart too.

When she looked up at him she could barely see his features in the darkness but the way the light of the moon reflected in his eyes, she knew what expression he was carrying. That glint, that only appeared in difficult situations, she had seen it too often in the past time.

They heard someone entering the room. Immediately the arm Naruto had around her, embraced her more firmly until her back started to hurt. She wanted to peak outside the gap too but too scared was she to move.

Naruto watched the figure roaming around the room soft-footed. His steps were heavy, not advantageous for someone who tried to seek around. His clothes were black, his head and mouth covered with a cloth of the same color. As Naruto made up a plan of attack he recognized that the weapon in the strangers hands wasn't a sword. His breath hitched.

The figure with the broad shoulders messed up the blankets on the ground with one of his feet. He dwelled at his place for a moment, in which Naruto hoped that he would give up and just leave.
It was not like he wouldn't be able to defeat him on his own but Naruto wasn't sure if there were others around and he had to admit that the weapon in the man's hands made him waver in taking action.

But unfortunately the figure turned towards their hiding place and stared at the wardrobe so intensely that Naruto started to believe that he could clearly see that they were inside.

He came nearer. Closing in like predator cornering its prey, the metallic rifle in his hands pointing right at them.