Gentle Fist, Will of Fire

This is my continuation of the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclamer: I don't own Naruto or any of the other characters featured in this story (Actually, I don't even own the first chappie!!) No copyright infringement was intended when I wrote this fiction.

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The four of us sat on the floor later that night, each holding a cup of ramen Naruto had prepared for us. We talked little, simply enjoying each other's company and the peace of the sleeping village around us. We all knew that this would probably be the last time we would ever be able to simply relax and unwind, at least for a little while. Subconsciously, I knew that we were swimming in the calm waters before the storm that was my family.

At first I was tense, fearfully expecting my father and numerous members of the clan to barrel into Naruto's apartment after us. The three boys tried to calm me, reminding me that a composed and regal clan such as the Hyuga claim to be would not march into another's home uninvited. They told me that my father and the other clan members would remain at the Hyuga compound, attempting to save whatever dignity they had left after being defeated by a single shinobi. Still, I worried.

Finally, after emptying the steaming contents of his twelfth and final cup, Naruto sat back, a wholly satisfied smile playing across his lips. "Mmm, now that's what I call a meal!"

Kiba, who was surrounded by eight empty styrofoam cups himself, shook his head. "Keep scarfing food down like that and you're going to be bigger than Choji used to be," he teased, easing the tension in the room with the light hearted smile he flashed. Since Naruto had returned from training for two and a half years, Kiba had been strangely kind to Naruto, hostile feelings seemingly forgotten. He now treated Naruto as a brother of sorts, a relief to everyone around him, including myself. I loved Kiba like a brother, but his jealousy of Naruto wore on my nerves as much as everyone else's. When Naruto set foot in the village once again, I was surprised and relieved when instead of glaring at Naruto like he normally would Kiba went up to him and greeted him like everyone else had. Well, not me-- I had fainted. Not exactly what one would call a proper welcoming, but that's beside the point.

Shino sipped on his tea, having traded his ramen for the drink, and sighed deeply. "Naruto, would you mind allowing the three of us to stay over here tonight? It's a bit late to be walking the streets, and, well-"

Naruto waved the hooded boy's excuses away, standing. Regarding the three of us with the warm smile that never ceased to make my heart melt, he said, "No problem! You can all crash here on the floor. Lemme go get some blankets and stuff first..."

He left, only to return a moment later with his arms full of blankets and pillows galore. Scooting the empty styrofoam cups off to the side with his foot, he laid four blankets down side by side on the floor. When Kiba questioned him about the fourth blanket, Naruto flashed him a mischevious grin. "I'll sleep in here with you three, since Mikki-chan told me you're afraid of the dark."

Mikki Togashi was a teenage girl who had recently been employed at Ino's family's flower shop. One day when Shikamaru had gone to visit his girlfriend, Kiba had tagged along, having nothing better to do. That's how they'd met, and they'd been dating for around four months now. I was really happy for him, and Mikki was just the sweetest thing. They made a good couple, I thought, and Sakura and Ino practically swooned whenever they saw them together.

Throwing his pillow at the blonde, Kiba made a face. "Mikki-chan wouldn't tell you that. You're lying."

"Believe what you wanna believe, man," Naruto replied, shrugging. His eyes twinkled with good-natured humor, and my heart fluttered slightly as I gazed up at him. "You do realize that since you threw your pillow at me I get to keep it now, ne?"

"Baka..."

Half an hour later we were all sprawled on the living room floor, peaceful silence only disturbed by Kiba's soft snoring. Shino was also asleep beside me, and as I stared up at the ceiling, wide awake, my mind trailed off to the thought of the punishment I would get for allowing Naruto and the others to spare me from my fate. Regardless of my earlier thoughts, I worried. Not only would I be punished and possibly banished from the clan, but Naruto would get in deep trouble, too! Tears began to well in my eyes at the thought, and before I could halt the flow a single drop escaped, trailing down my cheek and into the pillow underneath my head.

"Hinata-chan?"

I froze. The voice that had whispered my name had come from my left, and the only person lying on that side of me was Naruto. I turned my head in that direction and searched the space for him, but the darkness in the room only allowed me to see a faint outline of the boy. With my throat closed off by sadness and surprise, all I could choke out was a strained "Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

I mentally kicked myself. I should have known that Naruto would still be awake. He'd even told us how ever since Sasuke had defected he'd had trouble sleeping some nights. I should have realized that tonight might be one of those nights. "Nothing, N-Naruto-kun."

"Oh. I thought you were crying."

I was mystified by how he knew I was about to cry since he wouldn't be able to see me through the darkness and how I hadn't made a sound, but I decided that now wasn't the time to muse over that. Sighing, I turned my attention back to the ceiling. "What is going to happen now that I allowed you three to get involved? My family will have your h-head for this, you know."

I heard the fabric shift, and somehow I knew that he'd turned to lay on his side, facing me. "Eh, Hinata-chan, don't worry about it. If your old man comes along and trys to start something, I'll just knock him around a bit until he gives up and goes home. I'm not worried about them, and you shouldn't be either. Believe me, I'm not going to let them mark you like Neji." His voice betrayed him when he began talking about the Manji seal, revealing the repulse and anger he felt towards the Hyuga for what they did to their own family members. I couldn't say I didn't agree with him.

I turned onto my side then, gazing at him through the darkness. Trying to keep the tears of guilt and fear I felt for putting him in harm's way from overwhelming me, I laid my clenched right hand on the carpet beside my pillow, my nails digging deep into my palm. "You d-didn't... You didn't h-have to do that f-for me, Naruto-kun. You have n-no one to p-protect you from the wrath that is the H-Hyuga clan. I p-put you in unessessary danger..." I mentally cursed at myself for stuttering. I'd worked so hard not to stutter around him anymore, but if I got a little overemotional, then the stutter was back in place. I bit my tongue and squeezed my eyes shut, screaming Baka! Baka! at myself in my mind, angry at myself for looking like a fool in front of him once again.

My self degrations were halted mid-curse when a hand closed over my own, squeezing slightly. My eyes snapped open as I instantly recognized the texture of that hand-- rough and worn in one way and soft and warm in another. My heart lept into my throat again, and I could feel it beating rapidly on my adam's apple. I could feel my face instantly burning, and I was reminded of before, when I couldn't even be in the same village with Naruto and keep from blushing.

"Hinata-chan." That voice... His voice calmed me like nothing else could. It was serious and at the same time comfortingly gentle, and I could feel my fingernails ease away from my bruised palm at his touch. My will to keep from crying instantly crumbled, and I felt the salty droplets rolling off of my nose as he began to speak. "Stop it. I wanted to help you. How would I be able to live with myself when I knew that I had let one of my best friends, one of my special people be marked with a seal that could end their life at any time? When Kiba and Shino told me what your old man was going to do to you this afternoon, you couldn't even imagine how worried and angry I was." He smiled, and I could almost physically feel the glow that radiated off of him. "I'm gonna be Hokage some day. How could I protect a village if I couldn't even protect my own friends?" He squeezed my fist again, and I felt my heart return to its place in my chest, beating as slowly as it would had I been asleep. "As for the 'wrath that is the Hyuga clan'... As long as you're okay, Hinata-chan, I could face anything that nasty old Hiashi could toss at me."

I slept better that night than I ever would have if I had been in my own bed. Naruto's hand curled around my own was like a drug for me, and it put me into a wonderful and refreshing repose. I think he slept well that night too, because the last thing I remember before drifting off to my dreams was his snore.

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I laid my head against Naruto's chest, tightening my two-armed grip on his waist. He in turn pulled me closer to him and put his lips to the top of my head, whispering something intellegible. I raised my head and gave him a questioning look. He opened his mouth, and when I saw the expression in his eyes, the unadulterated tenderness that radiated from those twin cerulean pools, I just knew he was going to say it. Hearing Naruto-kun say those three little words to me was something I had dreamt about for my entire existence, and now the moment was upon me. My heart tightened in my chest, and as he inhaled, preparing to speak, I began to cry.

Knock knock knock.

I blinked in confusion, watching him close his mouth and smile down at me as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. What did he say? I asked him to repeat his words, and he opened his mouth again.

Knock knock knock.

I opened my eyes, the light pouring in on me from the windows almost painfully bright. The sight that welcomed me into the waking world warmed my heart. Naruto was sprawled out on the floor, head lying on the floor beside the pillow. A glistening trail of drool could be seen trailing down his chin from his slightly parted lips, and his hand had slipped off of mine in the night and instead laid beside mine, forefinger twitching slightly.

Knock knock knock. "Naruto, are you dead in there? Answer the door!"

"Yosh! Naruto-kun, awaken! We have an important message for you!"

A sigh. Then: "Lee, dear, would you mind not being so peppy this early? It makes me feel sorta sick..."

I blinked as everything that had happened last night came rushing back at me. The tears, Kiba, Shino, and Naruto rescuing me, the Manji seal... I moaned as I realized that it was morning.

"... Hey, Naruto! I hear you in there! C'mon, open the damn door! Lazy baka..."

I struggled to my feet, the relaxing sleep strangely keeping a tight hold on my muscles. I almost tripped over Shino, who was still sound asleep, and Kiba, who had turned over and mumbled something intellegible at the sound of the voices outside the door. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I tried to straighten my rumpled purple jacket, and upon realizing that my long hair probably looked worse I dropped it and opened the door. A very happy-looking Lee and an annoyed Sakura met my eyes.

Sakura's expression changed from agitated to curious as she laid eyes on me in my rumpled state. "Hinata-chan? What are you doing here?" A mischevious smile played across her lips as she noticed that I was still half asleep. "What happened last night, Hinata? Hmm?"

"Wha-?" Suddenly I realized what she was talking about, and my face turned beet red as Sakura began to giggle. "N-no, Sakura-s-san, i-it's not what you t-think, K-Kiba-kun and Shino-k-kun are h-here t-t-too--"

"Kiba and Shino?" Sakura's eyes narrowed as she began to get confused. "I can understand sleeping with Naruto, but with those two too? Shino's a bit creepy, I think. What happened to Mikki-chan?"

"Wh-What? N-no, S-Sakura-san, I-I didn't-"

"Hinata-chan? Who you talkin' to?" Someone said behind me, and I almost passed out when I felt someone press against my back, a hand over mine that I had laid on the door. I looked up and behind me and turned even redder when I saw that it was Naruto leaning up against me. His hair was tousled and his eyes were half closed, and he looked absolutely gorgeous. He smiled when he saw who was at the door, and that only increased his appeal. "Oh, hi, Sakura-chan, Lee. What are you two doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Sakura replied, casting a mischevious eye down at me. I looked down at my feet, almost reverting to my old habit of poking my index fingers together whenever I was nervous or happy or ashamed, or all three combined.

"Hmm?" He looked down at me, and smiled wider. "Yeah, Hinata-chan stayed the night over here because Shino, Kiba and I kidnapped her."

"Say what??" Sakura cried, eyes as big as dinner plates. Lee stood behind her, eyes just as round.

Naruto just smiled at their stunned faces, closing his eyes in that trademark fox grin. "Hai, come on in and I'll explain everything... I'm surprised you haven't heard yet..."

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Sakura and Lee sat side by side on Naruto's couch, gazing down at us with the same look of amazement that they'd had earlier. I began to feel like a fish, trapped inside a bowl while people gawked at me.

Shino, Kiba, Naruto, and I sat on the floor of Naruto's apartment, lined up before the couch. Shino had just finished telling our story, and still the two on the couch hadn't replied. Kiba looked disinterested, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Shino sat still, staring down at the floor and looking pretty uninterested himself. I was struggling not to poke my index fingers together, and Naruto was staring up at the two newcomers with a blank expression, simply waiting for them to reply.

Lee was the first to speak. He stood and whopped Naruto on the back, crying, "Exellent work, my friend! You are going to make a great Hokage!" Naruto waved him away, clutching his chest and trying to draw breath.

Sakura shook her head as if she wasn't particularly enjoying this display. I, however, knew otherwise.

Lee and Sakura had spent increasing amounts of time together in the last year. Sakura didn't like to admit it to herself, but it was obvious to us-- specifically, to Tenten and Ino and I-- that she was beginning to like Lee as more than just a friend. She blushed every time we brought it up in a conversation, and soon after she ended the conversation by threatening to beat us up if we kept asking her about it. Needless to say, we stopped questioning her for a while.

Sakura frowned and looked down at me. "I just can't believe that they were trying to mark you with that seal..."

I cast a curious glance at Naruto and saw that a shadow of sorts had sunk across his features. "Mmhmm... Hey, Sakura-chan, what did you two come here to tell us again?"

"Oh! That's right!" Sakura replied, snapping her fingers. She knew as well as I did that the seal was a touchy subject for Naruto, and she was willing to change the subject if it meant keeping Naruto from getting angry. "The Hokage wants to see you. It sounded important." She turned to Kiba and Shino, who had looked up whenever the Hokage had been mentioned. "She wanted to see you two, too, so I guess it might have something to do with what happened yesterday..." She gazed thoughtfully up at the ceiling. "I couldn't tell for sure, but I think she might've been angry..."

Naruto looked fearfully at Shino and Kiba, who stared back at him with the same expression. They all three scrambled up to their feet, each personally knowing how Tsunade could get when she was angry. Kind of like Sakura.

"Hinata-chan, you stay here!" Naruto yelled over his shoulder at me as the three boys made their way to the exit. "Sakura and Lee will stay with you, won't they?" Without waiting for an answer, Naruto flew out the door after the other two, leaving it wide open in his wake.

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We soared down the street, unaware of the strange looks we got from the passing villagers. Shino was probably the one who got the most attention, bulky coat and all. He struggled desperately to keep the hood of his coat over his head while also trying to run full out, a comic sight indeed. I would've laughed if my stomach hadn't been clenching in worry. What did Obaa-chan want to see us about? Yesterday? Oh, crap, I'm gonna get it now...

At least we saved Hinata. You have that much to be happy about. We can take a few beatings for a friend.

I smiled. Yeah. Yeah, we can.

I was able to smile the rest of the way to the Hokage tower, entirely content with what I did. Though knowing I was probably going to be beaten to a bloody pulp by Obaa-chan, I didn't worry about it, because I had the knowledge that I had saved Hinata. I wasn't able to smile long, however-- when I greeted the Hokage I nearly got a fist in my face.

"NARUTOOOO!!" Tsunade cried, nearly shattering the windows in her office and scaring the already jittery nin attendant outside her door to fall out of his chair.

"Ack!" I cried, clapping my hands over my ears. Behind me, Kiba and Shino had done the same, the former emitting a low moan as his oversensitive eardrums were rattled in their sockets.

Yanking her fist out of the wall where a new hole was formed, Tsunade continued, not bothering to lower her voice. "You just can't live and let live, can you? You're not back home for half a year and you decide hmm, well, things are finally calm around here, lets go and kidnap the Hyuga heir! And while we're at it, lets land half of the clan in the hospital! That might spice things up a bit!"

Hokage-sama, it's not what you think," Kiba interjected, waving his hands before him in a sign of resignation. "We had to kidnap Hinata, that was the only way to-"

"To what?" Tsunade growled, rounding on the dark haired shinobi. "From what Hiashi told me, you three went and knocked down the wall of the compound and whisked Hinata away while they were training in the garden! Do you really have a reasonable explaination for that?"

Kiba and Shino exchanged confused looks behind my back, and I lowered my hands and cocked my head, frowning. "Nani? Hiashi told you they were training?"

"Hai," The Godaime replied, raising an eyebrow. "Weren't they?"

"Hiashi-sama was about to inscribe the Manji seal on Hinata's forehead," Shino piped up, unflinching even when the fiery woman turned her gaze onto him. "He has recently deemed Hinata too weak to carry on the Hyuga legacy and has instead named his second daughter, Hanabi, the heir. He was about to make Hinata a member of the branch family when we busted into the compound."

For a moment, Tsunade was silent. She sat down on the edge of her desk and stared at her hands, clasped in her lap. Finally, she sighed deeply. "I should've known Hiashi would try and lie to me about this... Naruto, Kiba, Shino... sit down."

We sat down in the three chairs lined up before Obaa-chan's desk, fidgeting. Suddenly, the fifth Hokage seemed older to me, I realized. I was able to see the dark circles under her eyes and the gauntness in her usually rosy cheeks, and I wondered if being Hokage was going to have that effect on me too.

Tsunade began to speak slowly, choosing her words carefully. "... In light of the current situation, I feel it would be best if you three took a mission together."

While Kiba and I puzzled over her words, Shino replied quickly. "You're going to send us out of the village?"

"Huh? Send us out of the village?" I cried, startled by what my peer had said. "But why? I just came back, why should I leave now?"

"Because the Aka-- because Hiashi is a bit worked up right now, and I don't want any conflict inside the village at a time like this," Tsunade replied, catching herself before she said something she might regret. I knew what she was about to say, but Shino and Kiba once again exchanged curious looks.

Tsunade sighed and pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes. "Shino, Kiba, will you be so kind as to fetch Hinata for me? I have to talk to her too."

Casting one more curious glance at me, the others left the office, and the room felt quiet and empty with just the two of us. I was the first to speak. "The Akatsuki, Obaa-chan?"

"My Jonin have been coming back with more and more reports of Akatsuki violence, and it's getting a little too close to home," She replied, pressing her palms deeper into her eyesockets. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but with those damn Jinchuriki hunters gaining on us and with what happened yesterday..."

"I understand," I said, staring blankly at the floor before my feet. Tsunade looked up from her palms, eyes wide in surprise.

"You do?" She asked, apparently expecting me to be more affronted at the idea of leaving home so soon. Sure, I wasn't enjoying the fact that I'd have to go on the run again, but at least the village would be safer if I left. I was going to be Hokage someday, after all. Can't be Hokage to a village that's been destroyed. Sacrifices had to be made.

"Hai," I replied, nodding. I threw on a broad smile and looked up at her. "So, what's this 'mission' going to be?"

Seemingly relieved by the fact that I wasn't making a big deal out of this, Tsunade smiled back at me. "You three are going to accompany Kakashi to the Land of the Waterfall to visit a friend of his. There you will stay in the Takigakure for a while, hiding out. When I have recieved information that the Akatsuki have moved away from Konoha-- and once Hiashi has calmed down, obviously-- I will send a letter to Kakashi's friend, and you will be able to come back home. Does that sound okay?"

"Hmm... How long do you think we'll be up there?" I asked, cocking my head to the side as I looked up at her.

She sighed deeply again, and I was once again reminded of how old she looked at the moment. "I don't know, Naruto. As long as it takes for that damn organization to turn their gaze away from the village. I have the feeling war is nearing every day, and while it would be nice to have you here--" I smiled widely at this-- "I just can't risk letting the Akatsuki get their greasy paws on you or Kyuubi."

"Is there a chance we might get attacked on this mission?" I asked slowly, not wanting to hear the answer.

"Ano, it's hard to say..." Tsunade's voice trailed away, and we both heard voices outside her door. Suddenly, it opened, and in came Kiba, followed by Hinata, Shino, Sakura and Lee. The last two had concern written all over their countenances, and the Godaime frowned when she saw them. She hadn't asked Shino and Kiba to bring them in.

"Hokage-sama," Hinata murmured, bowing to Tsunade. The older woman nodded in reply and scooted off of her desk, walking around and sitting in her chair.

"What are Sakura and Lee doing here, Kiba?" Tsunade asked, leaning her elbows on her desk and putting her head in her hands. You don't need the sake, Tsunade, you don't need it... Okay, yes you do...

"They stayed with Hinata when we came here," Kiba replied, folding his arms. "We weren't going to leave her on her own in case her father came to see about her, and we were right to. He was knocking on Naruto's door not long after we left."

"Hiashi went to Naruto's house to see Hinata?" Tsunade asked, looking up from her hands. Now this was unexpected.

"Only to say that he disowned her," Shino replied, a hint of anger in his usually apathetic voice. "Tries to make her a Branch member, that fails, so the next option is to throw her out of the clan. What a father."

Hinata remained silent, staring down at the floor of the Hokage's office, face working slightly. Tsunade could just imagine what was going on in her mind-- What am I going to do now? Where am I going to live now that I can't go home? She felt sorry for her.

Hinata raised her attention to Tsunade, meeting the elder woman's gaze. "You are sending Naruto-kun, Shino-kun and Kiba-kun on a mission, aren't you, Hokage-sama?"

"Hai," Tsunade replied wearily, wishing the two boys hadn't told the shy shinobi about their upcoming leave. It would just make things harder for the girl, knowing that she was going to have to face this new situation without her teammates and love interest by her side.

"I-I want to go too," Hinata declared, the determined look in her eyes surprising the Godaime. This surprised everyone in the room, including me. I looked up at the dark haired shinobi, surprised that she wanted to go on this mission with us. I guess it shouldn'tve been so surprising, since she didn't have anywhere else to go now that she'd been banished from her clan. Anger flared inside of me at the thought of Hiashi. What kind of parent would try to curse their own daughter with a seal that could kill her, then dump her on the sidewalk because she was saved from her fate?

Tsunade finally decided that Hinata could go with us, along with Lee and Sakura, since they knew about the mission too. She told us all to stay at my house tonight, and that we'd leave with Kakashi before dawn tomorrow. She also warned us not to tell anyone else. We agreed and made our way back to my apartment, talking about the upcoming 'mission.' I remained quiet, the only one who truly knew what this mission was about. My peers could all die on this mission if the Akatsuki attacked. I swore to myself that I wouldn't let that happen. Over my cold, dead body.

That night I slept beside Hinata again, and though the floor was as hard and uncomfortable as ever, I think I slept better that night than I would have had I slept on a mattress of feathers.

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That was chapter 2! Hope you like it and please review!! Ikari-kun, I'd love to have your input on it too!