The Childhood Promise

This chapter took a bit longer to get out than I initially envisioned. But then again it turned out quite a bit longer than the previous ones. So I hope that makes it worth the wait. I was really glad to see everyone's enthusiasm in wanting to see the meeting between the Hyuga and the Uzumaki, which will begin in this chapter.


Flashback beginning - 10 years ago

A nine year old Naruto stood in front of a girl of the same age. They both looked at each other with great intent, their gazes unflinching.

"So Hime, will you go get married with me?" Naruto asked with utmost seriousness, his eyes glimmering with hope. "You're the one…the only one I want to share that experience with."

The girl to whom he directed that question blushed uncontrollably unlike ever before. Naruto's seriousness only made it even more difficult for her to keep facing him. But she strengthened her resolve to overcome her shyness. She knew that this was not a moment for hesitation.

"You're the only one for me too." She replied, trying her absolute best to keep herself from stuttering. This had to be perfect. "Yes…I'll marry you."

A huge smile spread across Naruto's face as he danced around the forest floor.

"She said yes. YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He screamed in joy.

"A-Ano…Naruto-kun." Hime broke him out of cloud nine and brought his attention to herself once again. "I said yes, so you must promise me that you won't get married with any other girl but me. Until the time is right, you'll wait for me. And then when we're both ready, we'll find each other once again and fulfil our promise."

Naruto nodded forcefully at her in response. "Of course Hime. I promise that I'll get married with you and only you. No matter where we may be or how long it may take, I'll find you one day and fulfil this promise. I never go back on my word, because that is my ninja way."

Hime also nodded back this time, her anxiety fading away due to Naruto's reassuring words. He had a way of making her feel comfortable unlike anyone else.

"I promise too, and I never go back on my word either, because that is also my ninja way." She replied with a smile that was as bright as the sun itself.

That smile would remain etched in Naruto's mind as one of his most cherished memories. It would serve to remind him of his promise even now, ten years since that fateful day.

Flashback end – Present day

"Hime…" The older Naruto whispered her name as he laid down on his bed while remembering the now vague memories of the certain girl he fell in love with such a long time ago, and her smile that stole his heart. Although at the time Naruto's understanding of the concept of marriage was lacking and he couldn't even remember exactly how she looked like anymore given the long time that had passed, his feelings for her were real, carrying through even to this day. Unfortunately there was no way for him to act upon those feelings as he didn't know where she was.

Naruto understood that finding this girl from his childhood would be a near impossible task. She may not remember their promise. She might not even remember him. But he had to meet her at least once more. Naruto just couldn't give up, for he was one who kept his promises, and this was the most important one to him. Yet now suddenly he was in a predicament where he had to attend a marriage meeting with someone else. Just the thought of it felt like he was betraying his own words and thus it caused him great distress.

Nonetheless, the time for the Hyuga's arrival was drawing near and he needed to get prepared. Naruto got up from his bed and looked at the formal set of clothing neatly lying on top of the table with disdain. He disliked having to wear formal clothing, but in all clan related events it was a necessity for every member, especially him, the clan leader's son, to wear them.

He picked up the up the Yukata and let it hang from his hands in front of him. It was bright orange in colour, the type which made you stick out within the crowd. Not to mention, the Yukata was expensive as well since it was custom made just for him from the very best fabrics that could be found in the nation. Certainly his parents did not slouch when it came to getting him the very best attire.

But it looked just so…impractical. He was a ninja after all, those who fought to defend their nation's people from evil and bring about justice. A Yukata was arguably one of the worse pieces of clothing to move about in. Naruto just didn't understand the purpose of this. He guessed it looked nice, but practicality should always come before visual flair. Why then did everyone insist on wearing these things?

At this point Naruto realised that he was just wasting time because of his own reluctance to attend this event. The clothing was just a medium to take out the frustration. It wasn't like he was heading to a battle. Being a ninja meant more than that, involving a large dose of diplomacy and express socialisation, in particular for clans as influential as the Uzumaki.

Thus Naruto started to get changed for the occasion. But his mind drifted back to that girl. He just couldn't stop thinking about her and the events that transpired between them. Those were experiences that he could never forget, because after all she was a notable partner unlike anyone he ever had. There was something about her that made her stand out among the rest. Unfortunately their time together had been short and now Naruto's only wished to be able to meet her once more so that he could reaffirm what exactly made her so special.

"Hime…I wonder where you are right now." One final stray thought crossed Naruto's mind as he finished dressing himself up.

He looked at himself in the mirror to see the mess his clothes were in. The Yukata was crooked and the sash around his midsection was sloppily tightened, causing the rest of the attire to come loose as well. It looked bad and Naruto's lack of enthusiasm wasn't helping in fixing the issue either.

At the very moment there was a knock on the door.

"Naruto, are you in there?" He heard his mother ask from the other side. "I'm coming in."

Before he could give a reply, Kushina was already in his room. It was always like this given her impatient nature.

"I take it you're re-" Kushina stopped mid-sentence after looking at Naruto's abysmal getup. "What have you done? This is an absolute mess. Come on Naruto, you're a young man now. You should at least be able to clothe yourself properly."

"Sorry mom…you know I'm not good with these things. I'll sort it out though."

"You haven't said anything yet." Kushina decided to do a quick spin to show off her attire to her son. "So, what do you think? How do I look?"

At a slightly closer inspection Naruto could see that his mother was wearing her signature red Kimono. It looked gorgeous due to the various black cloud patterns spread across it that accentuated her naturally red hair, which was a trait shared by all Namikaze. However Naruto did not inherit that particular trait from his mother, instead having blonde hair similar to his father, a hair colour all Uzumaki shared respectively.

"Isn't that your favourite one?" Naruto asked with an indifferent expression. "It looks great as always."

"You didn't even look properly!" Kushina pouted at his response. "You have to be more nuanced than that, or you'll have troubles with your future wife."

"Hai…hai…" Naruto responded just as indifferently as before, going back to fixing his own Yukata rather unsuccessfully.

"You worry me sometimes Naruto." Kushina sighed, dropping the small bag she was carrying on the bed. "Here, let me help you with that."

"I can do it myself." Naruto replied, but his mother was already working on fixing his getup. It never failed to amaze him how efficient she was at nearly everything she did. As always it was easier to let her handle it. And that is exactly what Naruto did as he stood in place with his arms outstretched to the sides following his mother's orders as she keenly adjusted everything to centimetre precision.

"Naruto, I'd like to tell you that I'm…sorry." Kushina said to her son in the sincerest manner.

The sudden apology caught him off guard given that it wasn't often that his mother made such a direct confession, especially out of the blue. "Sorry? Why?"

"I thought I should apologise for putting you through this ordeal despite your reluctance. As your parents we feel terrible, but there really are not very many choices from the perspective of a clan leader. This meeting is an opportunity of a lifetime to overhaul the future."

"I really gotta ask, how did this all happen? I mean it's all so sudden." Naruto questioned his mother out of curiosity.

"It wasn't too long ago that your father received a message directly from the Hyuga clan leader himself. It took us all by surprise when we found out that he was proposing a potential marriage between his elder daughter and the son of the Uzumaki clan leader. Although for a long time your father has been thinking of ways in which to mediate matters with the Hyuga, this sudden move took us by complete surprise."

"Wait, if it really is the daughter of the Hyuga clan leader we are talking about here, that's a big deal. Wouldn't she be one of the most important members of the Hyuga clan similar to my status within the Uzumaki? I mean given their position in Kirigakure, she would in essence be like the princess of that village."

"You really are hung up on the whole concept of this princess thing aren't you?" Kushina took a moment to look at her son's face with a smirk before getting back to fixing his clothing. "Anyway, all joking aside, you are correct. She is an integral part of the future of the Hyuga clan, just like you are to the Uzumaki clan."

"Then why would the Hyuga do this?" Naruto was genuinely perplexed. "Doesn't the clan leader care about his daughter? How is he okay with proposing a marriage for her with their worst enemies? What if I turned out to be a major douche?"

"Maybe that's the point of this meeting, to figure out if you are a douche or not." Kushina replied jokingly. "Anyway, from what we were told, it would appear that the Hyuga already know about you. At least that's what the clan leader mentioned. Did you ever meet him or something?"

Naruto was completely taken aback by the assertion. "Of course not. I've never met a Hyuga before. How would they know me?"

"Perhaps they heard about you? You've made quite a name for yourself as the hyperactive knucklehead in Uzushiogakure."

"For some reason I don't think that is a very flattering accolade to be known by." Naruto answered cynically. "So, what next? What did you guys do?"

"Maybe if it was any other Uzumaki, they would have been disgusted at the thought of even sitting in the same room as a Hyuga, let alone have any kind of negotiations. But your father is a very level headed man and as such he understood instantly how important such a meeting could be in finally settling some of the fundamental issues between the two clans, and potentially two nations. More importantly, I believe that Minato always respected the current Hyuga clan leader Hiashi Hyuga ever since they clashed in battle a long time ago when they were about your age. He always told me how Hiashi Hyuga was not only a strong shinobi, but also a rational one at that. Perhaps it was because of that mutual respect that the two of them were able to set aside their differences and call for a truce in hopes of changing the future. Therefore your father consulted with his advisors and after much critical discussion everyone came to an agreement that going forward with this meeting would be in the best interest for both our clan and the village. I guess the hard part then would be getting you to agree."

"By advisor you mean dad consulted you right? You are after all his greatest advisor." Naruto stated in a matter of fact kind of way.

Kushina giggled in response. "Well I suppose you are kind of right about that. Although I don't officially hold such a position, your father does hold my opinion with the highest of regards, probably more than anyone else. Therefore he asked me to help him with this situation as well because he believed that I was the only person who had the ability to get you to oblige."

"So, what was your response?" Naruto asked curiously.

"I agreed to help, but only under the condition that you are required to just attend the meeting and not be forced in any way to actually accept the proposal itself. Although traditionally marriages between important clan members have been very common in bringing about great alliances, I didn't want you to have to accept such a proposition if you were opposed to it. And as your mother I kind of knew you would be against it anyway, just by your nature. Ultimately I wanted you to be able to make your own choice in who you wanted to love, and not be told it by the rest of us. That sounds reasonable, right?"

"I guess I can't argue with that." Naruto answered while smiling inwardly. There was a reason why he was so close with his mother, for she understood him better than anybody else ever did.

"Follow your heart Naruto, but just don't do anything crazy though, because you have a tendency of doing crazy things just like me." Kushina finished fixing Naruto's attire, being happy with the final outcome.

"Follow my heart…" That statement resonated within Naruto's mind as the vague image of "Hime" resurfaced within. He felt he understood now what he needed to do.

"Wow…you look absolutely stunning." Kushina complimented her son with the utmost enthusiasm while she finished brushing his spiky blonde hair. "You have to see for yourself."

As his mother pushed him in front of the large mirror next to the table, Naruto could not deny that his current outfit made him look much more like a potential clan leader than his usual one. Maybe it wasn't so bad to try and look nice sometimes.

"I have something even better that you'll like." Kushina told him excitedly and made her way over to the bed to grab the bag she had brought in with her. From within it she brought out a piece of garment and unfolded it to its full glory. "Your father wanted me to give this to you Naruto. He wants you to wear this today, the clan leader's haori."

Naruto's eyes glimmered in awe looking at the overcoat like jacket with a large spiral design on its back. This was a very special piece of garment, one that was the trademark of the Uzumaki clan leader, worn only during the most important of events. Naruto always loved how epic and important the thing made you look.

"But this is only reserved for the clan leader right? Shouldn't dad be wearing it to the meeting tonight as the representative of the Uzumaki clan?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"While that is indeed true, your father said that you're the main representative of the Uzumaki today and as such you should be the one wearing the symbol of the Uzumaki clan on your back. As his son and as the future of this clan, Minato is proud of you." Kushina helped her son slip on the jacket.

Naruto looked at his own self in the mirror and had no words to describe how amazing it felt to wear it. For the first time he felt as though he had truly grown into an adult. It was surreal.

While he was revelling in the moment's glory, Naruto suddenly found his neck being wrapped gently by a blue scarf, the ends of which now hung freely behind his back. Similar to how his jacket had the Uzumaki clan's spiral symbol on the back, the two ends of this scarf had a design of three wave patterns in parallel to one another, the symbol of the Namikaze clan.

Naruto felt a comfortable warmth emanate from the scarf which couldn't be described by words, but one that undoubtedly reminded him of his mother. "Did you make this mom?"

"It didn't take long for you to realise. Indeed, I've been working on it for a while. I wanted to give it to you as a coming of age gift and now was as good a time as ever. I poured my heart into it, so I hope you like it."

Naruto smiled from his mother's genuine feelings that he could feel through the scarf.

"Like it? No mom…I love it, just like you." Naruto wrapped his mom in a gentle hug one that reminded him of the ones they shared during his childhood. He may have grown up, but his relationship with his mother would always remain the same.

Kushina hugged him back in response as well, the two sharing a moment of silent appreciation of one another before separating.

"I've embedded the symbol of the Namikaze within it. I know I don't say this too often because I don't want to overwhelm you with responsibilities, but everyone in my clan always tells me how proud they are of you, especially your grandfather, who loves you the most amongst all his grandchildren. Given that you are one of the grandchildren of the previous Namikaze clan's leader, your grandfather along with everyone within the clan unanimously would love for you to take the reins of the Namikaze if you ever chose to do so. Of course that is perhaps an unrealistic expectation given all the responsibilities you already have, but I think you should know that we are all happy with the splendid shinobi you have become." Kushina said happily. "But above all, as your mother I am proud to have you as my son. I love you Naruto."

"Me too mom." Naruto replied, feeling both of his parents' and their lineage's legacies weighing upon him. But this was a weight that he would carry with pride.

"The time for the meeting is upon us; shall we go?" Kushina asked while extending her hand to Naruto.

He reached out and held it back, just like he would do when the two of them walked around the village together when he was just a little kid.

Thus they exited Naruto's room and started walking to the main meeting room right near the entrance of the clan. As the two walked along, Naruto was amazed at how the entire courtyard had been changed in a matter of hours for the meeting. The number of people in attendance was also staggering; the leaders of every clan and the village's important personnel were present, so much so that there was no single room within the clan that could accommodate them all. This was not taking into account the visitors, which would not only include a large number of Hyuga, but also many other important members of Kirigakure's shinobi force and prominent clans. Thus the Uzumaki clan's gigantic courtyard was the only place that could hold all these people in one place and as such it had been decorated and set up to accommodate everyone.

Before long Naruto and Kushina reached the main meeting room, which had almost nothing but one rather large kotatsu in the middle and a Uzumaki clan symbol at the back. This room had been set up to hold the marriage meeting between the leaders of the two clans and their families.

Minato who was currently sitting at the kotatsu in his formal attire got up as he saw his family enter.

"You're looking great Naruto." He complimented after seeing that his son was ready for the meeting. "That clan leader's haori looks great on you just as I thought it would. Nonetheless, it's not a matter of how it looks. It symbolises your important role in determining the future of our clan today. So, let's do this."

"Yup, I'm ready." Naruto nodded confidently to his father.

Almost on cue a ninja appeared at the door. "Minato-sama, Kushina-sama, Naruto-sama. The Hyuga and the rest of the party from Kirigakure have arrived."

"Lead the Hyuga in." Minato ordered and the Uzumaki who was at the door nodded before disappearing.

This was it. The moment had come. Naruto could feel his heart pounding from anticipation. This was going to be a meeting of utmost important and he knew exactly what he needed to do.

"Follow your heart…" Naruto remembered his mother's words and instantly he knew what, or perhaps "who" his heart led him to.

Thus Naruto closed his eyes in preparation of what he was about to do.

"The Hyuga are here." Both Minato and Kushina said in unison.

As soon as Naruto heard the door slide open and several people step in, he took in a deep breath to tell them exactly what came from his heart, still keeping his eyes closed to keep his focus.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, the heir of this clan. I know you have come here today to discuss a marriage proposal and an alliance between the two clans, but I do not want such an allegiance to be established on falsehood. To put it simply, I cannot go through with this marriage because I have already made a promise a long time ago to marry one particular girl. My heart belongs to her alone and I simply cannot lie to my own heart. Therefore, I'M SORRY!"

There was a moment of silence in the room as everyone apart from one person present there could not believe what Naruto just said…until someone decided to reply.

"And after all these years you can finally fulfil your promise to that certain girl, Naruto-kun."

That voice - the way it addressed him as "Naruto-kun". It could only belong to one person if she knew about the promise.

Thus Naruto opened his eyes and for the very first time his gaze met that of the Hyuga clan leader's daughter, Hinata. Or at least it was supposed to be for the first time…but it wasn't!

Those gentle eyes and the serene smile that was as bright as the sun itself instantly brought back a clear image of his very first love, filling in the broken memories.

"HIME!" Naruto exclaimed in both shock and excitement.

Thus, a reunion after an entire decade…


It is about to begin. I hope you're ready.

Most of you were indeed correct in your assumption that "Hime" was Hinata which was great to see. There is a backstory to this of course. For now I would love to know what your thoughts were on this chapter and next time...well you'll find out in due time what happens next time. It should be interesting.

So until next time, take care...and don't hate me for the cliffhangers lol. I'm an innocent man.