A NaruHina Fanfic – Chapter 3 – Forever Part One
Hinata woke with a start, Naruto's name half escaping her lips before realizing her surroundings, she lay in bed her warm covers wrapped around her, she was wearing only her still damp bra and panties; her hoody and pants were hung on the wall to dry. She looked to the door noticing it was locked, exactly as she had left it, no one had been in she knew. It wouldn't be a difficult thing for any of the Hyugaa shinobi to pick the lock and enter, but it would prove very challenging to leave and lock it again from the inside, that left only…Naruto. Hinata lay back against her pillow, her cheeks adopting the pink red shade they always did when she thought of Naruto. She knew that the only reason Naruto had removed her cloths was out of worry for her, Naruto wouldn't invade her privacy, he'd proven that already; he truly genuinely cared for her. She looked out her window and knew she hadn't been asleep more then a few hours; and let herself drift gently back into sleep.
The air was musty and dank and smelled foul, every breath reminding him of his revulsion for the place. Naruto lay in the center of the unholy chamber before a huge barred gate; seemingly held shut by only a seal.
Naruto shuddered involuntarily as he met the blood red gaze of the huge orbs that stared at him with malice from the other side of the bars. Naruto rarely felt afraid except when his friends' safety was concerned, but no matter how many times he was sent to this hell he still felt more then a little fear.
So good of you to join me…I was beginning to get lonely. The ensuing laughter rocked the chamber and Naruto knew with all certainty the fox was mocking him, mocking him for his feelings for Hinata.
Shut the fuck up! Just because I have your sorry ass inside me doesn't mean I have to alone forever! Naruto did his best to think his answers as loud as he could. The fox's words angered him as much as hurt him; and he frantically began trying to get a cap on his emotions as they bubbled to the surface. Suddenly images of his childhood flashed through his mind, the cold hate filled glares of the villagers, the fear he saw in their eyes, the loneliness he'd felt every time he'd stood alone in the playground…and the whirlpool of images continued to rampage through his mind.
"NO! Get out of my head damn you!" Naruto screamed, shaking his head trying in vain to stop the painful memories.
The fox chuckled evilly as he watched the teen breakdown before under the stress of his emotions, and not without a little help he thought, priding himself on hurting his host yet again.
This is your punishment for pushing me out during our last fight. I must admit you've become stronger, you're still nowhere near as strong as me however and I don't take lightly to being pushed aside. That demon was as much your enemy as it is mine, you must learn to give up on those pitiful beings you call friends, they merely impede your progress.
I told you to SHUT UP! Naruto replied finally getting a grip on himself. I don't care what you want you damn fox, they are my friends and I will never leave them, whether you like getting pushed aside is not my problem, and if you power is so great then why didn't' you beat me! Naruto was seething as he finished his rant, the only thing stopping him from crossing in between the bars and throttling the Kyubii was the fact that it would then likely try to take over his body, and while sleeping he wasn't sure he would win.
You would do well to watch your tongue brat… I can make life more difficult for you then you know. Pray Uzumaki Naruto that I never escape from here for I'd show you my power and you will not find it pleasant. The words seem to drip with acid and Naruto did indeed pray that the Kyubii never escaped, he knew it well enough to know that it would waste no time in destroying anything and everything Naruto held dear including his friends.
And besides…if you don't ever leave our friends then where or where is the Uchiha I wonder?
Naruto's anger dissipated leaving him feeling useless and depressed; he hadn't been able to save Sasuke, the result when he'd fought him with Sakura had been no different then their battle at the Valley of the End, he'd returned to the village without him…he'd been unable to save him.
Feeling quite pleased Kyubii retreated allowing Naruto to drown in the sorrow of his own nightmares; oh he did so enjoy tormenting his host.
Naruto sprang up, tears still running down his face and sweating profusely. What? Where am I? What's going on? Glancing around him he took in his surroundings his feeling of dread leaving as he recognized his kitchen floor. His shoulders sunk as he sighed in relief, It was only a nightmare Hinata's fine. He brought his hands to his face and was startled to feel the moistness on his cheeks. He'd been crying? But I was asleep how could I be crying in my sleep? Naruto shook himself awake and laughed when he saw the bowel of ramen before him; he'd heated it last night but had fallen asleep while thinking of Hinata before he'd even finished. Shoving the bowel into the microwave he couldn't help but think of how much the young Hyugaa heiress had already had an impact on him, HE had fallen asleep with a full bowel of ramen in front of him, something he knew had NEVER happened before.
As soon as the mission is done I'm going to tell her, and then I'm going to ask her dad to let me marry her. Naruto found himself feeling all warm and fuzzy inside when he thought of Hinata in her wedding dress. With a smile he placed the empty ramen bowel down and sprinted off to the training grounds for another gruelling day of training with Kakashi sensei.
The ragged figure say alone in the cave, basking in the darkness, shadows seeming to cling to his disease festered hide. His skin was covered in boils and blisters, his skin hung on the bones giving him an emaciated look. It was cold at this time in the night, with the wind from the ocean chilling the shore; but if the figure who sat in the center of the cave felt even the slight discomfort he didn't show it. He was too busy plotting his revenge; you will pay Kyubii…for what you did to me so many years ago…and for what you did to me during our last encounter. Karashiro sat seething his burning red eyes filled with hate; soon, he merely needed more patience.
The next few days passed relatively uneventfully for Hinata; Naruto had been training with Kakashi again and even though she had wanted to see him her father had insisted that she stay within the family compound until her mission commenced. And now as she headed out to the Hokage building she found herself jogging even though she would be early…she wanted to see Naruto again. She couldn't get him out of her head; she was all she could think about night and day, by day hoping she would see him again soon, and by night enjoying her dreams which she had to admit had become somewhat more graphic of late.
She had been so caught up in her daydreams that she hardly realized she'd arrived in Tsunade-samma's office until she felt strong arms wrap themselves around her.
"Hinata-Chan!" Naruto exclaimed, his usual exuberant self in full bloom. She felt her cheeks heat up with Naruto in such close proximity.
"H-hello N-Naruto-kun" she said with a squeak as one of Naruto's hands brushed her backside as he put her down. That felt nice… What am I saying? Stop thinking such dirty thoughts Hinata! Banishing the thoughts from her mind she turned to face the Hokage trying to keep herself from feinting.
Tsunade sat smiling behind her desk at the two amused and quite happy with how things had turned out. Naruto was blushing slightly, and poor Hinata was so red Tsunade thought she might explode. But even she was surprised by how much Hinata's simple presence seemed to change Naruto; he would often be less rash and acted if only a little…more appropriately. Today Naruto had been the first one to arrive something Tsunade had never expected to see in her life unless it dealt with Sasuke. Those two are definitely a match for each other she thought with a sigh, but right now she didn't have time to consider the pair…they had a mission.
Suddenly the door burst open causing Naruto to whirl in alarm and Hinata to jump. But both visibly relaxed when they caught sight of a large white paw in the smoke.
"Kiba should you break my door I will hold you personally responsible!" Tsunade's voice rang out loud and ferocious and when the smoke completely cleared they saw Kiba practically hiding behind a large whimpering Akamaru. Tsunade is really scary when she's mad, thought Hinata who was slightly shaken form the event.
"Kiba!" Naruto shouted his voice full of enthusiasm as he jumped his comrade and began giving him a terrible nuggy.
Hinata merely watched silently giggling at how cute they looked, especially Naruto, at this angle she also got a good look at his chest his muscles straining against the fabric as he wrestled with Kiba, How good it would feel to snuggle up to that when you sleep… Hinata could hardly believe that the thought had crossed her mind and she felt her face fast returning to its magenta glow, as she tried in vain to dismiss the images that the thought had brought to mind.
The two ceased their playful game however when Shino walked into the room, his eyes hidden under his black shades and the rest of his body obscured by the long black trench coat that hung on his shoulders.
"It seems that for once I was the last one here. You have my apologies Tsunade-samma.
"You're all on schedule for once" she said looking directly at Naruto finding it amusing to no end how he squirmed under her gaze. "Now that everyone is present let me explain the details of your mission. Your objective is to head to the country of waves to a point on the coast known as Kartha's Point, once there you will eliminate the man know as Karashiro." With that she pointed up at the computer screen which dropped down beside them, "He's an S-Rank missing-nin and has a total of 263 civilian deaths to his name, needless to say he is dangerous and since he has infiltrated the village he may have information that could jeopardize our defence; for this reason you will seek him out and kill him. Beware however for he knows you will pursue him and may be waiting to ambush you." Tsunade sighed and lay back in her chair thinking of whether or not sending Naruto was a good idea, he had a terrible temper which could kick in at times and not always for the best. "You are dismissed", she said finally, waving them away.
"Hai" echoed the unanimous reply as the four shinobi disappeared from the room, leaving Tsunade wondering whether or not she should have sent Kakashi along.
The four shinobi made gradual progress as the walked down the path leading to the coast and the country of waves. "Naruto-kun…?" Hinata whispered hesitantly.
"What is it Hinata-chan?" he asked and he found his next words stuck in his throat as he turned to look at his love; only to see tears on her face her eyes seeming to apologize for some misdeed.
"I-I…N-next time I-I w-won't" but before she could continue Naruto wrapped his arms around her feeling oddly protective; he hated it when she cried, he hated it when she was sad, all he wanted to do was make her feel better, for her to be happy.
"Shh…it's ok, don't worry next time I'll be there by your side. I'll never let that demon hurt you again."
"B-b-but I wasn't any h-help last time" she sobbed her face buried against his chest as they walked along, Kiba and Shino walking far enough ahead to give them privacy.
She can't possibly blame herself for what happened. I mean if not for the damn fox I probably would have lost too.
But as he looked at the poor sobbing form before him, he knew without a doubt that she did blame herself, she was dumping all the blame on herself just like she had when she was younger. No! Naruto thought, he wouldn't let her do that, he loved her and he wouldn't let her blame herself for everything; after all it was his fault it happened in the first place because he had the Kyubii inside him.
Gently he pulled her chin up and the sadness he saw in her eyes and in her expression tore him up inside. She looked about to say something but before she could begin he pressed his lips gently up against hers and left them there. She didn't respond at first still clearly stunned by his actions; but it wasn't long before she was kissing him back. Gradually they broke away from each other and Naruto brought his hand up and brushed her still moist, blushing cheek. "You can't blame yourself Hinata, he's a demon after all, not only could he mask himself form your Byakugan, but he has no visible chakra points; if not for the you-know-what I wouldn't have done much better.
Hinata began to protest but he wouldn't hear it, he wasn't going to let the love of his life feel guilty because of an incident that was entirely his fault. He pushed a finger gently against her lips and pulled her up against him. "Besides, if it wasn't for the fact that the fox is inside me you wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place, I won't let you blame yourself for what happened. I care about you way too much to let you do that" Naruto felt heat in his cheeks at that last remark but he didn't regret it.
Hinata ceased sobbing and froze her face fast going a familiar shade of crimson. "I Care about you way to much to let you do that…" the words and their meaning replayed over and over in her head as she basked in the warmth of his body. He really cares for me. Could he possibly love me? I have to know…
"N-Naruto do y-you really mean t-that?" she whispered staring into his brilliant cerulean orbs; already feeling happier and better about herself.
Naruto blushed as he looked into her beautiful face trying to think of what to say to avoid giving it away. "Hinata…I will never leave your side, I'll never let that demon let that demon hurt you again, I promise I will always protect you." Naruto's voice had faded to a whisper by the end of his little speech and he was nearly as red as Hinata. He was rewarded for his efforts by Hinata's heart warming smile. Every time she smiled it made him feel warm and fuzzy and it made him almost carefree, so long as she was happy he didn't care what happened to him.
Hinata smiled up at her Naruto, his blue eyes providing all the reassurance she needed. He hadn't actually spoken his feelings for her but she could tell from the way he spoke and his choice or words how he felt, his feelings warming her heart. "Thank you Naruto-kun…I don't know if I'd have made it this far without you." She said embracing him. And I promise that I won't ever leave you either, and that I will protect you." Hinata knew that once again she was blushing uncontrollably, but she felt much better after letting the feelings out.
Breaking the embrace they walked hand-in-hand behind the rest of the group silent but content with simply being with the other.
"We'll camp here for the night" Shino said once he had them all gathered in a clearing several minutes off the path.
"WAH! But Shino it's hardly even dark yet and we haven't been walking that long why are we going to stop!" Shino smiled hidden to the world under the veil of the neck of his trench coat; he'd been expecting exactly those words from Naruto and had already thought of how to explain it to the boisterous shinobi using the least words possible.
"He is waiting for us, we should not tire ourselves by rushing to fight him but rather should be at full strength for the encounter" came Shino's emotionless reply as he began setting up the tent motioning for Naruto and Kiba to help him.
Shino looked up confused when Naruto made no move to follow Kiba and begin helping with the tent. He simply stood there beside a nervous Hinata both blushing plentifully. Shino smiled again, it seemed that Hinata had finally gotten what she had always dreamed of Naruto's affection. "Naruto you will stay in Hinata's tent to guard her from possible danger, this demon had hurt her once and might attempt to do so again."
Naruto blushed a little more, before smiling and offering Shino a wink, but Kiba was not nearly as accepting as Shino. "Naruto if you so much as touch her without her approval I will…" Naruto was on his heels as he listened to the numerous terrible and horrendous things Kiba would do to him if he did anything to displease Hinata. Hinata was so red after this that Naruto put his arms on her shoulder expecting her to feint at any second. He was glad he was wrong however when she remained conscious and slowly lead him into the tent.
Karashiro regarded the two tents pitched side-by-side and knew full well who currently lay awake inside. So that brat did come…I didn't expect him to bring friends but then again I never told him not to. Either way it makes no difference. But not here…no my vengeance must take place at a more appropriate place. And with that last thought lingering he made full speed back toward his resting place. It was a good three days away but not for him, he was not limited by his bodies physical limits, it was already dead, no all he needed was his chakra, besides it allowed him to travel at this inhuman speed with no burden on his muscles…no he needed no living host. He reached his cavern before the nights end and began preparing himself for the children and the Kyubii who he would have to deal with in two days time.
Back again for more are we? My you are the stubborn one.
Damn you, you bastard! You're the one who brought me here; it's not as if I'm here by choice you stupid fox! Naruto was angry at being here again; angry at being dragged away from him dream of Hinata who he knew currently lay beside his unconscious body.
Ku ku ku ku ku… you have my apologies but I enjoy tormenting you far too much to let you off the hook because of your sensual dreams. It seems I may have to do something about that girl if you refuse to leave her… Kyubii left the threat hang in the air knowing he didn't have to go into detail.
However even the demon was very surprised by the reply this roused from a very angry Naruto.
If you so much as harm a hair on her head I swear to you right now that I will kill myself and take you with me to the pits of hell! Naruto's rage was boiling over and something the fox had never expected began to happen…although the maturing teen stood in his domain a blue aura of chakra formed around the figure.
Hmm…the fact that you can even gather chakra whilst in my domain is certainly surprising…it seems you have more chakra hidden away then I thought… Naruto watched taken aback as the Fox closed its huge eyes and rumbled as if thinking deeply. He was quite startled when they suddenly flew open again but this time he saw something in them he hadn't seen before…respect.
I must say even I did not expect that…but I suppose it would make sense, after all he had an enormous amount of chakra as well.
What the hell are you talking about!?
Ku ku ku…it seems no one has yet to tell you, a wise decision I suppose.
What was a wise decision? Who is this guy you're comparing me to? What the HELL are you talking about!?! Naruto was infuriated, the fox was talking about him as if he wasn't standing right there and nothing bothered him more then people ignoring him.
Did you know of your family? The sudden question threw him off guard, he couldn't figure out why the fox was acting so strangely.
No all I was ever told was that they died fighting against, o wait you guessed it YOU!
Yes I mean were you ever told about who they were…about you're elder brother, about you're…clan?
Naruto did a double take…what could he possibly be talking about his clan; he as an orphan he had no clan.
What are you talking about my elder brother, my clan? I'm an orphan and I don't have a clan. Naruto tried not to show it but he was getting scared now…it wasn't like the fox to act like this, and he definitely was dreading what might have happened to 'his' clan.
Well then it seems that I am the one forced to enlighten you. On the same day that I was sealed your entire clan was annihilated. The Kyubii paused and watched as the information hit home. Naruto didn't know what to do…to be told that he belonged to a clan…one that he was the last remaining member of was difficult to take.
Clan Uzumaki was once one of the three honoured houses that resided within what is now called Konoha; Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Hyugaa. Naruto nearly feinted as he heard this information; this put him on equal footing with even Hinata who was essentially a princess.
You are the remaining of two sons born to the head of the Uzumaki clan you're older brother died fighting me.
Naruto had felt dizzy before but now he felt completely overwhelmed, how could what the fox was saying possibly be true, but then again he had never seen the fox act like this and the demon really had no reason to lie.
W-who was my older brother? Naruto managed still reeling form the shock of this new revelation.
O you have heard him mentioned many times, you know him; you simply don't realize it. Naruto was now extremely confused he couldn't think of anyone that could possibly be his elder sibling.
Seeing that Naruto was going to get nowhere on his own Kyubii spoke up, what other ninja in history had blue eyes and golden blond hair and resided in the land of fire, to the best of my knowledge there is only one possibility. Kyubii watched Naruto, amused when his blue eyes went as wide as saucers and his jaw dropped.
You can't possibly mean…
I most certainly do…your elder brother was Yondaime the fourth Hokage. When he commenced sealing me inside of you I made one last ditch effort to kill you and stop the binding, I managed to kill every single member of your clan…excluding you and your brother, and now I think I know why, but before you ask, no I will not tell you why yet. Now go be with your mate, I must contemplate this new development.
Naruto screamed at the fox as his surroundings blurred before everything eventually went black. He woke with a gasp as he sat up covered in cold sweat and breathing heavily. He tried to rein them in but he couldn't and after a few moments tears began streaming down his face. I had a clan…I had a brother…a mother…a father, why am I the one who had to face all this…why me. His mind was a muddled whirlpool of thoughts; no matter what he did he couldn't seem to concentrate on anything and get to sleep with thoughts of his brother and his clan filling his mind.
Hinata could no longer pretend to be asleep, clearly Naruto was in distress and she couldn't stand by and let him suffer. She opened her eyes and pulled herself over to his side half laying on him so she could look into his eyes. "Naruto I know something is bothering you…please I don't want to see you suffer like this. You don't have to keep everything bottled up anymore; I'm always here for you." Hinata whispered gently, embracing her love feeling very protective.
As Naruto looked into her eyes seeing the genuine concern in her pale lavender orbs he found it even harder to hold in his emotions. When she had mentioned him suffering alone it brought the information the fox had told him to bear and he couldn't help it as he began to sob uncontrollably.
Hinata didn't know what was going on, suddenly Naruto had broken down in front of her, him… the one who stood firm against whatever life threw against him, had finally broken down before her. She felt scared and happy at the same time, happy that he trusted her enough to let her seem him like this, and scared about whatever could have possibly made him like this. Trying to calm him and ease his pain she brought his face to her shoulder and held him in his time of need.
"H-H-Hinata can I t-tell you something. I know you probably don't want to here it but I really need someone to talk to right now." Hinata had only seen sadness and fear in his eyes twice in her life, first when old man Hokage had been killed by Orochimaru and then when he had been unable to bring back his "brother" Sasuke who abandoned the village to go to Orochimaru in search of power. She found herself nodding for him to continue wondering what could hurt her love so. "Well y-you know about the Kyubii and s-stuff…well h-he talks to me w-when I sleep and today he told me some stuff." He grimaced as he spoke and Hinata wanted nothing more then to put a smile back on his face. She reached out and drew him into her arms until his face was only inches from hers, gently she kissed him and embraced him before motioning for him to continue. Seemingly now more at ease he began telling her all the fox had told him, slowly at first but gaining speed as he continued until he finished tears flowing down his whiskered cheeks. Hinata was stunned as she absorbed all he told her. She could hardly believe what she was hearing, but as it had when he'd told her of the Kyubii this also made perfect sense.
"Oh Naruto…my poor Naruto" she whispered in his ear tears flowing form her own eyes now as she shared his pain, comforting him. He'd had to endure more then anyone she had ever met, and now this, to be told of what he could have had, to give him just a little hope only to shatter it before his eyes; life was so cruel to him, he already had to carry the burden of the lord of demons but now this, it was too much for even him to take.
Naruto laid there cradled by a crying Hinata, the woman he loved. She shared his pain, and willingly; she was there when he needed someone, he got the feeling that she would always be there for him. He wanted her to stay like this forever, in her arms healing form the warmth emanating form her body. "T-thank you so much Hinata, even if you're father may think you're worthless, to me you'll always be priceless."
Hinata felt herself get a little warmer as she heard those words, even as he was suffering he tried to comfort her, he had such a big heart and he was so sweet. "N-Naruto you're such a caring person, you're the one suffering and you try to comfort me, but all I want right now is for you to feel better. Before he could protest she began again, focused on getting him to discuss what the Kyubii had told him.
"Well there are some good parts to this, first off is that Naruto you are the younger brother of Yondaime, you are the younger brother to the person who was the greatest ninja to ever live. Secondly since you are essentially the head of your clan you have station equal to that of me or even my father. Plus your clan isn't completely gone…you are still left, you could rebuild. And lastly what the Kyubii didn't mention was that you um…probably have a kekkai genkai bloodline limit since all major clans had one." This took Naruto off guard, and Hinata could see the surprise this caused, clearly the Kyubii had never mentioned this.
"But Hinata how could I have a bloodline limit? Wouldn't it have kicked in by now what with all the fighting and what not I've been doing?" He couldn't keep the fear out of his voice entirely, he knew that kekkai genkai abilities were rare and extremely powerful, but without knowing what it was they were also very dangerous to the user as well as anyone else around.
"I really can't tell you Naruto, Hyugaa are born with theirs while Uchiha gain the sharingan when they enter puberty. I have no idea how yours might be activated or what it might be. I-I'm sorry I couldn't be more useful", her voice a whisper at the end. She began to feel useless again until Naruto moved forward and kissed her again taking away her doubts.
"Hinata thank you" he whispered after breaking their kiss. "I would want to do nothing more then to sit and talk with you… but we have to get some sleep and stay strong for the upcoming battle."
Hinata nodded and then suddenly shivered as the cool wind outside swept through the tent. Naruto reacted before she could, pulling her up against him and then drawing her into his sleeping bag. She knew she was blushing, likely her whole face red, but it didn't seem so embarrassing when she saw that Naruto was blushing too. "This way I can keep you safe from danger, even from the elements", he whispered in her ear. Hinata curled lying back against the muscled chest from her dreams enjoying simply being with him and quickly drifted off to sleep, as did a content blond haired ninja.
Hinata woke the next morning feeling very warm nestled against something that felt quite nice. What is it I wonder? Her cheeks turned pink even as her eyes flew open when she remembered exactly who the other person in the sleeping bag was. She gasped as she felt his hot breath on her neck, and then let out a surprised moan as he brushed his lips over the back of her neck and shoulders. Thinking that he'd done something wrong to get this reaction he backed off. "I'm sorry…really I didn't mean it like…like that…I just thought it would make you feel nice."
"Why d-did you stop" she whispered blushing silently begging him to touch her like that again, which to her delight he wasted no time in doing. Hinata felt like it had lasted an eternity, and yet it hadn't lasted long enough, she thought when they had been forced to cease their experimental playing when it became clear their comrades were waking and beginning preparations for breakfast.
The next few days were much the same with her and Naruto spending the nights together in his or her sleeping bag talking and enjoying the others company. They talked of each others past and problems as they walked confiding in the other as the first person either of them had really had to talk to. Hinata felt her love for the whisker faced ninja only grow as they continued on the mission as he told her things about himself, some of which he hadn't even told to Sakura his "sister". But now on the final day they found themselves discussing the mission more then each other, the day gradually got worse until black thunder heads hovered overhead so black that it looked like it was moving into night even thought it was only mid-afternoon. The ominous cloud cover was giving Hinata a bad feeling but she ignored it; soon the mission would be over and she would confess to Naruto and him to her and that thought was enough to brighten her day no matter how gloomy it would seem.
Red chakra swirled around the robed figure who sat in the center of the vast cavern only the drops of water from the stalactites to keep him company. Suddenly however the red chakra around him flared extending from his body for a few seconds before reverting to its previous state. The glowing eyes which had until now been closed flew open sending a flare of chakra across the surface of the floor obliterating several small rocks before dissipating.
They are finally here "Well well…finally it begins", and with that he rose and settled himself in the chair of stone on the far side of the cavern to await his adversaries.
As they approached the entrance to the network of tunnels the group began to feel more and more anxious; their could be no mistake this was the place, Kiba and Akamaru had smelt the scent of death and blood for a long time and it emanated entirely from this place.
Shino didn't like the feeling he was getting, but this was a mission and they outnumbered the enemy four to one, if Naruto was able to handle him one on one then the four of them should have no trouble. If only he knew.
"Hinata you take point guard so you can spot any traps he might have set as well as to give us a warning if he decides to attack. Shino said.
"No"
"Naruto what did you just say? Shino could hardly believe what he had just heard, Naruto was difficult at times but never once had he challenged a command like he just had.
"Sorry Shino but none of you are going to go down their other then me" he said staring hard at the bug user. Shino had never seen Naruto like this, he seemed more like Sasuke had before he'd left, determined and calculating. Shino clearly wasn't the only one surprised as Kiba looked dumbfounded by Naruto's outburst and Hinata was shaking her head her expression one of concern for her friend.
"Naruto need I remind you that I"
"No Shino I know you are the squad leader and whatnot but I meant what I said…no one other then me is going to go down there. I know you don't understand only Hinata-chan does and she is most certainly going to stay here."
"If I'm not back in 15 min run from this place and return to the village", and with that he sprinted off down into the tunnels.
Shino looked to Hinata "What is the meaning of this Hinata" his tone was calm but he was fast loosing his patience.
"Y-You see Naruto wants to go alone because he doesn't want any of us to get hurt, the demon doesn't care about any of us he just wanted Naruto all along; he's afraid that if we went with him the demon would hurt us to get at him, like he tried to do to me when he first tried to kill Naruto"
"Why would it want to kill Naruto for if he never met him before?" asked a clearly irritated Kiba.
"B-b-because Naruto', she took a deep breath, she would not reveal that secret just yet not without him there, 'Naruto is the younger brother of Yondaime Hokage"
The two simply sat their unable to say anything even Shino, this was one thing that they never would have expected. But the more they thought about it the more it seemed to make sense; they shared the same stubbornness, the same looks, and the same fighting genius. Shino found himself believing what he heard the more he thought about it and that scared him, to think that Naruto the orphan would be the heir to the most powerful house in Konoha.
"Even if this is true we are still going down there" Hinata said back in control of her emotions mind and body. "He may be stronger then any of us but this guy is a demon he might still need help, not only that but he is our friend, our comrade; and I'll be damned if I lose him to that bastard." Shino and Kiba simply stared in shock, very rarely did Hinata act like this, and never, never did she yell; it just wasn't like her. "I'm going in after him you guys can come if you want but I'm not going to leave him", and with that she disappeared down the tunnel after her love.
It didn't take Naruto long to make his way to the large cavern where the demon awaited, the demon wasn't even trying to mask his chakra and with the Kyubii's power flowing through his veins the fiend might as well have been dancing around in Christmas lights, so obvious was his position. As soon as Naruto stepped through the door he knew the stage had been set, for there before him stood the demon, not trying to hide; it wanted this fight as much as Naruto did.
"Well well, what have we here? The Kyubii brat again… what a pleasant surprise."
"Let's cut the chit-chat shall we don't want to talk to you anymore then is necessary." Naruto interrupted before the demon could continue his rave.
"So be it" came the familiar cold rasp of before.
Naruto charged kunai in hand yelling "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu (Shadow Clone jutsu) and five other clones charged with him.
Karashiro looked on hardly amused, surely the kid didn't expect to beat him like that…
As the first clone leapt forward its kunai aimed at his throat; he grabbed the bunshin's arm and flung him into two of the other clones, the sheer force of the throw sending the three back to collide with the wall and puff out of existence. He felt a presence behind him and spun to side as a bunshin came charging forward right through where he'd been only moments ago. Taking advantage of the bunshins precarious balance she shot a lance of chakra from his finger into the clones back destroying it. Aware that there had been only five clones the demon knew that one of the Naruto's charging him from the side was the real one, and so he took a chance; as the two approached he threw his arms out wide sending a concussive blast of red chakra into each of his opponents. His grin became a grimace as he saw both of the Naruto's disappear knowing he had left himself open for a direct attack.
The demon screamed as the Rasengan tore into his back grinding bone and sinew before its destructive wrath, unable to hold back any longer for fear of being defeated Karashiro began releasing all of the demons power well aware of the consequences.
Naruto pushed throwing his entire wait behind his Rasengan hearing the satisfying crack of bone as he ground it into his opponent; however he was caught off guard when seemingly his Rasengan just stopped, he couldn't push it any farther. "What the h", the rest of words were cut off as he was sent flying backward from a sudden huge pulse of chakra. Flying end over Naruto slammed into the stone wall shattering stone, startled by the change that had come over his foe, the aura of red chakra which had outlined his form before now seemed to leak from his body in burst and there was A LOT more of it. If he hadn't entered the one tail stage that last attack would have crushed his bones.
"I never thought I would have to go this far, but it seems I was wrong, not that it matters; so long as I kill you my fate matters not", rasped the fiend.
This new chakra gave Naruto a bad feeling; few people had ever blocked his Rasengan, but he couldn't turn back now, "What did you do you bastard!?"
"Quite simply I let loose all of my power; unlike you however I am not one of the nine, doing this will essentially destroy me…but not however, before I kill you!" The sudden charge was blinding and Naruto barely managed to throw himself out of the way as the demon descended upon him. Faster then humanly possible the demon turned and attacked using blades of condensed chakra rather then his kunai. Naruto knew he was in trouble, he couldn't dodge the blows like this and every time he managed a parry his arm went a little number.
Dammit Fox! Give me your power already!
Foolish brat you think I haven't been trying, he is suppressing my power and seeing as I'm in here there is very little I can do about it.
Naruto weaved and dodged with all the skill he'd picked up from Jiraya's harsh training, but he could still hardly keep up, the demon leaving nicks and scratches regardless of Naruto's nimble avoidance ability.
Shit I can't keep this up forever! And sure enough moments after the thought passed through his mind his burning muscles couldn't move him quite fast enough as the demon plunged his blade of chakra across his shoulder blade blood following it as the demon pulled it free.
"Seems that you aren't as strong as you'd like to think Kyubii brat", the cold figure remarked as he approached to finish off his prey.
Naruto saw him coming but without being able to go farther then the first tail stage he couldn't win. His body was healing from the Kyubii's chakra but nowhere near fast enough; he felt dizzy and he doubted he could run let alone walk. He stood his legs trembling, his orange and black uniform soaked with blood from his shoulder wound.
So this is how it ends…and I didn't even get to tell Hinata that I loved her… He began to close his eyes as the fiend released lances of chakra at him, he wasn't going to try to dodge; he didn't have the strength left. His eyes flew open again however when a figure jumped in front of him sending out smaller white lances or chakra that intercepted those of the demon.
No…Please no…why did you have to come…I told you not to, didn't I?
His thoughts were scattered but filled with sorrow; he knew who it was who had begun to defend him, only one person he knew of had enough chakra control to loose those little chakra lasers with such accuracy…Hinata.
Naruto watched as he fell to his knees, as she fought the demon, praying to every god he could think of, to spare her, to save her. And so he watched in horror as four of the demons blood red lances drove through Hinata's defence to impact, leaving holes in her chest and legs which began bleeding profusely, quickly forming a pool of blood around her limp form.
The sight of her delicate body lying in her own blood, of his lover dying trying to save him, proved to be the breaking point.
"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Y-you….I'm going to KILL YOU!", the words came out as more of a growl as rage consumed him. Naruto's eyes began to glow a dark red and the very air around him began to burn. He felt nothing but rage, rage like he had never felt in his life, all he wanted was to kill the one who stood in front of him; to tear his innards from his stomach and suffocate him with them.
Karashiro watched nervously as a dramatic change welled over the blond ninja. First one tail, then two, four, five, and then finally a sixth one appeared on the red mantle of chakra surrounding his body. This was different from before, the boy may have been in control but the blood lust alone sent a shudder though his body; the chakra the teen was emitting was impossibly high, the sheer intensity of it made it hard to stand. But nothing, nothing could have scared the demon more then those eyes; they showed nothing but rage and hatred, the kid didn't just want to kill him, he wanted to torture him, to hang him by his own entrails. When the kid charged Karashiro barely even caught sight of the motion.
Naruto's vision was red, the image of Hinata's prone form lying helpless on the ground flashing constantly through his mind driving his fury to new heights. Unable to control himself any longer he charged, the movement far too fast for the demon who was nearly paralyzed by the amount of chakra washing over him. He grabbed the demons arms crushing the bone as he did so; knowing the demon could escape he forced his chakra around his enemy, effectively containing him and burning away at his body.
The demon screamed, only once before had it felt such pain as the boys chakra burned at what was essentially his soul; the cloud of chakra that was his essence. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even think as slowly but surly he was burned alive, inside and out.
Naruto saw his foes pain and revelled in it, pushing more and more of his chakra into his adversary; he continued to pour his chakra into the despicable creature, the tails of his shroud gradually dissipating as he discharged the energy into his attack. He didn't stop until nothing, not even ashes remained of his opponent, he didn't care if the demon could tell him where Sasuke was, all that mattered was Hinata.
As soon as he felt the demons chakra completely vanished he ran towards Hinata, Shino and Kiba already clustered around her trying to help her. "I'm so sorry we couldn't help you", Kiba sobbed as he watched the woman who was like a sister to him fade away. Naruto approached slowly, tears in his eyes it was clear that nothing they could do would save her, she was going to die.
Hinata watched through quickly blurring vision as her two comrades moved back and headed a little ways, they were giving her and Naruto a little privacy.
"O god I'm so sorry…I-it's all my fault", Naruto wept as he cradled her head in his arms, she could still make out his face and the pained expression plastered upon it, as well as the terrible sadness she saw in his eyes.
"W-why did you have to die…I-I love you", the words were choked but Hinata didn't miss a word, the statement causing her heart to skip a beat. It was what she had always wanted to hear, what he'd said to her so many times in her dreams; it made her feel happier then anytime in her life, as well as regretful for being unable to be with him.
"I-I-I…l-love you too N-Naruto", Hinata found speaking difficult and painful but she had to force out these words, she had to tell him how she felt before the drowsiness she felt took over.
"I-I know…I always wondered, but I never thought you could life a buffoon like me, m-my water maiden", he whispered. Hinata couldn't believe it; he had known it was her, which meant when he referred to the anonymous woman as an "Ultra pretty girl", he had been referring to her, the thought made her feel warmer inside as heat left her body. With that last pleasant thought she began to fall asleep, a burning sensation entering through her wounds.
Naruto watched dumbstruck as the Kyubii's red chakra leaked from his body entered Hinata's wounds and began healing them.
What are you doing!?
Relax fool I'm helping you by saving her.
What? But why would you do that?
Simply because we are not so different you and I.
What the hell are you talking about!?
We both have things we want to protect, and when something happens to those things…well we both get very, very angry. That terrible killing intent you had for that demon had nothing to do with me, every bit of that bloodlust was yours and yours alone. Let me ask you a question, if Orochimaru and his army of sound destroyed Konoha and you had the power to destroy them, would you do it?
What the hell do you think? You know damn well I would.
Like I said we are not so different you and I. People refer to me as being evil because I tried to destroy their village. But in reality they deserved their punishment for destroying my forest…my home. I cared for it like you care for your village, and then they came along and destroyed it, cutting it down to make their town building dams in the rivers so they could have water. I merely tried to do exactly the same thing you said you would if your home was destroyed. I lost what I wanted to protect and now I am stuck in here because of your brother. You already know what it is like to lose something precious to you, so you know my pain all to well; it is for that reason that I'm saving your friend.
I-I never knew…thank you.
Don't bother; she is my mate now as much as yours.
Naruto silently thanked the fox yet again as he felt its presence vanish from his mind. Gently he picked up the sleeping Hinata and began slowly to make his way out of the tunnel network.
One day later
Hinata slowly opened her eyes, wondering where on earth she was. Shouldn't I be dead, what is this place? After he eyes adjusted she looked around and recognized the Konoha hospital, a place she had been often over the years. Sho looked herself over and found no trace of her wounds, what was going on? She never would have survived the trip back to Konoha to receive healing; she thought she was dead in the cave.
"Hinata you're awake!" the familiar voice filled her with hope. Please say this isn't some kind of dream. Dying to see him she craned her head to the side bright blond hair filling her sight. Naruto stood over her his bright blew eyes filled with joy, Joy for seeing me?
"B-but how d-d I-I get h-here?" she said her speech garbled as she tried to comprehend what had happened. She listened in awe as Naruto filled her in including his talk with the fox, it all seemed so surreal, but it seemed to be the only possible explanation. She was even more shocked to here that Naruto's kekkai Genkai had kicked him allowing him to perform the body flicker which was the reason he'd managed to get her to the hospital so fast.
Tenderly Naruto helped her out of bed, she was still wearing the hoody from the battle and she blushed slightly realizing the demons attack had left holes in places that were fairly revealing.
"H-Hinata I know this is a l-little sudden but…" Hinata's heart began pumping furiously as she watched Naruto get down on one knee. Oh my god! Could he possibly? Is he really?! Hinata began silently praying to any god that would listen that he was. "W-Will you m-marry me?" he stammered his face flushed.
Hinata felt all the blood rush to her head as her heart skipped not one beat but three, she felt like doing back flips. He did! He did! She felt her balance go, as she feinted but before slipping into unconsciousness she manage to blurt out one joy filled word, "YES".
