How can I tell you? - Chapter 12 The truth revealed
naruto and the others arrived at The Kazekage's house...er.. lets say Mansion. There were rooms everywhere... If they didnt keep their eye on Tenma then They'd really get lost... Hinata looked at the blonde ninja beside her.
"umm... Na-naruto?"
Naruto looked at Hinata in confusion,
"What is it Hinata-chan?"
For some reason Hinata felt like following her instincts and she just held naruto's hand. She flushed red hot at the moment, realizing that what she did was practically a 'self-destruct' trigger. Naruto, however... was trying to comprehend what hinata did.
"H-hinata?"
"...naruto... dont let me go o-okay?"
Naruto turned scarlet.
"uh... yea... sure..."
kana giggled at the sight. Naruto and Hinata haling hands like they were and item.
"hey... Ino-san... Look at Naruto-sensei and Hinata-san... holding hands..."
Ino (and temari who was eavesdropping) raised an eyebrow.
"sensei?" Ino asked the brown haired girl,"
Everyone stopped and looked at kana with confusion, Temari was thinking...'Sensei? now this girl's gettin suspicious...'. Kana slapped herself to her senses.
"Gah! I mean... Na-Naruto-san! That's right! Naruto-san!"
Kana hugs Naruto on the back. Hinata sweatdrops at her.
"well... I guess we heard ya wrong... sorry kana..." Ino said to Kana after she let go of naruto.
Temari gives a bad glare at Kana.
'this girl... she just met Naruto and She calls him by 'san'... she's good at lying, and I better find out what she's hiding...'
"soon..."
Shikamaru looked at Temari with a confused look.
"hnnn? what 'soon'?"
"Nani mo nai! (its nothing!)"
Shikamaru hangs his arms on the back of his head and walks
"yeah...okay..."
'Mendokusee onna...' Shikamaru thought to himself in his usual 'annoyed tone'.
temari sighed, and grabbed Kana by the hand.
"hey, what are you doing to kana-chan?" Naruto asked when he saw temari practically dragging the poor girl. Temari had already put her hand over at Kana's mouth, preventing any sound fom coming through...
"uh... er... Kana and I have something to talk about... Riiiiiight?" Temari said to kana, She looked so scary... Kana had no choice but to nod.
"okay... we'll just see you later at the cottage...see ya... okay, hinata lets go?"
Hinata blushed when Naruto Looked at her.
"uh... O-okay...umm...na-naruto-kun..."
Temari dragged kana Into a room and closed the door shut, she wanted to 'interview' this 'liar'.
"okay... speak Kana..." She said crossing her arms.
kana became quite nervous,
"Wh-what are you talking about Temari?"
"Youre lying... I see how many people lie to me and my siblings at The Sand village... and what youre acting makes no difference... speak the truth..."
Kana looked defeated and sat on the floor.
"but-"
Temari sat beside her and patted her on the back.
"Dont worry... I can keep a secret If i have to... just speak the truth..."
"...but... are you sure? that you wont say anything to Shikamaru, Ino, and the rest?"
"sure I can..."
"well... dont laugh... or call me crazy... okay?"
"if its something serious, why should I laugh?"
"well... It goes like this..."
"...it goes like this... Its true.. I lied to all of you... I had to..."
Temari crossed her arms again.
"why the lying?"
"I might disturb the time-space curriculum..."
"so... that means you came from the future...?"
kana nodded.
"Yes... I came from a time exactly 10 years from now..."
"uh huh... okay... details?"
"umm... My father, Is really Nara Shikamaru..."
temari stood up in surprise,
"oooooh! so... who's the lucky girl?"
Kana looked sad.
"she was lucky... my father wasnt... It was kin... I dunno about her last name but..."
"so Ino isnt your mother?"
"no... she died... Otousan told me he loved her very much... but..."
"how?
"my father seemed so depressed about the subject so as much as I can I try not to talk to him about it..."
Temari Sat down again.
"explain why you look like Ino if you are Kin's daughter..."
"uh... Otousan wanted me to look like this... he said it'd make his really happy if i could be like the original Ino..."
'geez... Is shikamaru that much of a lover? heh...' temari thought to herself.
"oh... what about the eyes...?"
temari Pointed at Kana's 'supposeably' Blue eyes...
"oh this... Contact lenses!" kana said as she carefully took one off her eye, revealing a raven black colored eye, " see?"
"ooooh... Tell me... if you came from the future... how in kami's name did you get here?"
- (kana's story [her POV]) - It was 10 years... and 3 nights after this day... father said, Ino died while helping Naruto sensei try to get rid of Orochimaru. Neji and Chouji had Died... Ino also died for an unknown reason... Hinata-san was said to be kidnapped by Orochimaru's heir... and Naruto-sensei, You, Sasuke, and My father was the only one's who were able to survive... Konohagure was completely destroyed 4 years later... no one, except me, Kin, you, My father, and naruto escaped from that living hell...
[you said that that Uchiha survived his first battle with Orochimaru's heir... what happened to him?]
He gave himself up... It was either him, or Orochimaru will Kill Sakura's 'living soul'...
[Living soul?]
yes... according to Tsunade before she had died on the war of konohagure... (after she did some reaserch on some legends regarding life...) that in a person's body... there are two souls... the living and the Unconcious...
[I dont get it...]
Gah... mendokusee... so, I was saying.. The living soul is a soul That resides in us when we are still alive... The other one is a special soul, Its the soul that would be 'sent' to heaven when we die... Otherwise, the Eternal thing that resides in all of us...
[oh... so... what does it have to do with the maidens?]
oh lots! The maidens have two souls like any other human... however, they are capable of activating the Unconcious even when they are still alive...
[so then why did orochimaru's heir want the maiden's souls anyway?]
To take their Unconcious souls... Without two souls, a person/oracle or anyone for the matter, would be what we call... brain dead... living and dead at the same time... The maidens's special unconcious soul represents the four 'ingerdients of eternal life...' Fire, water, wind,' and lastly,' earth...'
[now tell me... what exacty happened that you just came back 10 years in time?]
one... Naruto Sensei had killed himself... due to the fact that he cant accept that Orochimaru had forced Hinata into marring him and conceive a child...
[that's sad... how about me and kin?]
Its simple... Kin killed you... Dad killed Kin because of that... since sasuke was already gone... I, myself, and Otousan were the only ones left...
[but get to the point! how the hell did you get here?]
-scene (its a script-type thingy...)-
"take this scroll kana...
Future Shikamaru gives Kana a scroll.
"what is this...?"
"Its a secret...just take it with you... open it when you arrive at your desination.."
"but where am I going!"
"youre going away for a while..."
"bu-but where father!"
"be silent... things will change kana..."
They both enter a dark room... it was lit with candles and there was a man standing in the room... It was orochimaru's heir in sasuke's body...
"oh... So the two survivors of konoha have come to their surrender...?"
Shikamaru smiled annoyingly at orochimaru
"no.. But in fact... Ive come to make a trade..."
Orochimaru (on sasuke's body) raised a eyebrow...
"ahh... and what would that be?"
"the scroll of eternity and my life... for the price of taking my daughter back in time..."
Orochimaru smiled and licked his lips
"ah... that is a good deal... give it to me..."
"no... take my daughter back to the past 11 years from now... only then I'll give you the scroll..."
Orochimaru threw a red marble at Kana and when It reaches her, It had enveloped her whole body in a red glow.
"fa-father! you couldnt!"
Orochimaru turned to Shikamaru.
"now... the scroll?"
Shikamaru passes the scroll to Orochimaru while the glow on Kana's body started to erase her from her existance at that time.
"father! no! please!"
It had seemed Shikamaru couldnt hear anything that Kana had said, The glow had already reached kana's neck when Orochimaru had opened the scroll and realized that he was tricked. He turned angryly at Shikamaru who was laughing.
"hahaha... like my joke stupid baka?"
"you... will die..." Orochimaru shouted at him as he held Shikamaru's neck and choked Him dead.
"Nooo! father...!" kana managed to shout out before she totally dissapeared.
-end of Kana's story..-
Tears had fallen in kana's lap, every single memory throdded back into her head... It was painful... First the only person she looked up to (naruto) had died, and then the last of her family had died as well...
"I... Cant... take... it..." Kana shouted as she cried on temari's shoulders. Temari couldnt help but to express a deep sympathy for the poor orphan.
"Its okay... your father had a reason... he wants you to live..."
"...and also... he wants me as much as possible... to not meet any of you..."
"why not?"
"it'd destroy the track of time... but I swore to myself... I'll change history completely!"
Temari widened her eyes in shock.
"wait a sec... completely? but youre part of the time That you wanted to change..! you'll dissapear with the time you changed!"
"...I'm going to prove I can be a ninja... I'll bring back Konoha's honor... by doing so..."
Temari couldnt say anything... It was a really nice sight to see a child with such courage... she was even willing to be erased from history just to make the world right. She patted on the back the Brown-haired girl and stood up.
"heh... I promise I wont tell anyone... in fact... I'll be your guardian while youre still alive.."
Temari gave her hand to Kana, helping her stand up.
"thanks..."
"okay... so we better check on the others... I dont wanna wait for hours in that darned cottage..."
"heh... okay temari..."
Meanwhile, with naruto and the rest... theyve been waiting for the Kazekage for about an hour and he still didnt come.
"damn! we came here early? jeez... is this any way to treat us? making us wait so long?"
Sasuke Raised an eyebrow.
"hah... its only an hour naruto..." Sasuke teased.
"but its STILL an HOUR for the love of god...!"
Hinata poked naruto at the back.
"umm... naruto... maybe you should sit down..."
Naruto gave a small sigh and sat down on the floor.
"gah... okay... but if that guy gives another hour... im gonna charge in on him...bleah."
Gaara looked at the two... 'hmph... love isnt true... its only a word invented to make a mockery out of life... you live and then you die... that's what life is...'
Then someone opened the door, It was a teenage girl wearing a green loose kimono that exposed her shoulders, (think ayumi from rurouni kenshin) and wore two pigtails that made her long light blue hair seem thicker, was carring some cups and a teapot on a golden tray.
"Hiiiiiiii! are you ninjas?"
Neji looked at the girl, "so what if we were...?"
"Im Izumi! Mizuno Izumi! Nice to meet you all!"
Shikamaru looked lazily at the girl.
"hnn...? this girl looks like she's even more hyper than naruto before he became a jonin..."
"naruto? who's he?"
Naruto stood up.
"I am..."
Izumi circled naruto, looking at every inch of him.
"hmm... you dont look like a jonin..."
Ino burst into laughter.
"hahaha! hear that naruto? next time you'd better wear your jonin vest... everyone's thinking youre still a genin...!"
"that's not funny ino..."
"well... to me it is..."
Izumi looked around, and met everyone, she saw sasuke, neji, and Shikamaru... then ino, Hinata, and kankuro... The last one she saw gave her starry eyes. She walked up to gaara.
"oh! oh! you! tell me your name!"
"gaara... gaara of the sand..."
"you... youre...cute..."
Everyone was shocked, especially sasuke and naruto who had practically choked themselves thinking everything they heard from this girl was soooo unreal...
"dont look at me like that girl..."
"and why not? youre cute enough..."
Ino sweatdropped.
"heh... seems like everybody has firsts... even gaara..."
Shikamaru laughed.
"yeah... like you had one..."
Ino punched the lazy chuunin on the head as usual.
"well... I do! and I wont tell you who!" Ino said blushing a pale pink.
gaara was having a hard time getting the girl to back off of him.
"leave me alone..."
"oh no I wont... I like you a lot!"
"I'll kill you if you dont..."
"and so? i can kill you faster than you can..."
Gaara stood up.
"Hmph... shutup... kill me if you can..."
Then before Izumi could reply... The door had opened, revealing Tenma with the kazekage...
"Izumi!" the Kazekage thundered on the blue-haired girl, "dont be rude... get off of our guest..."
"oh hell... yeah... yeah... sure..." Izumi shrugged as she sat next to Gaara.
The kazekage looked around.
"so... you are the promised Konoha ninjas? am I correct?"
Naruto looked at the old man.
"hah... yeah... and we also have some friends from suna to help..."
The kazekage raised an eyebrow.
"...hnn...? would that cost something additional?"
everyone fell flat on the floor.
"jeez... no...!" naruto shouted at the Kazekage.
"ehem... so lets talk..."
then someone opened the door... it was Temari and Kana.
"hey guys what's u- oh... sorry kazekage..." Temari said to everyone as she and Kana entered the room.
'how imprudent... typical of the ninja's from suna...' the kazekage thought.
The kazekage cleared his throat.
"okay... shall we continue?"
-
The meeting had gone on... the Kazekage was explaining why this mission was regarded as a class A. It had something to do with orochimaru's heir... and the medicine that Hinata will give to hana...
"so... um... you mean... I have to revive... her...?" hinata asked, twiddling her fingers.
The kazekage nodded.
"yes... in anyway possible... sorcery, anything, just bring her back..."
"well... I can revive her... but... It's only temporary... and..."
Naruto slammed his fist on the floor.
"wait a sec... how come this IS a class A mission while the only thing we gotta do was take hinata-chan to wind country?"
Shikamaru decieded to butt in...
"Naruto... dont you get it? if orochimaru gets hold of hinata's special reviving medicine... we'll all be toast... since the medicine relieves the soul that the person drinks..."
"otherwise... if orochimaru gets it... he'll be able to find a way to live forever?" Neji asked
"looks like that neji..."
"its good you all understand what's at stake... we cant let Orochimaru's heir live forever if what were after is getting rid of him... all clear?" the kazekage said to the confused nin.
Naruto looked at hinata... he saw that she was extremely worried.
"hey hinata... everything will be okay... I bet my life on it..."
hinata looked at Naruto, blushed for a while and smiled.
"...thanks... naruto-kun..."
"okay... I'll be up for my nap now..." the kazekage said to everyone aloud.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.
'geez... first late... then takes a nap...'
"hey shikamaru! the kazekage sounds more like ya..." naruto noted.
"hnn...? no way... people like me are never kage material..."
"that's because I'm kage material!"
Sasuke looked at Naruto with a unconvinced look.
"and when this dobe became hokage... I bet the cows would learn to fly..."
"dont underestimate me Sasuke... I'm a better Jonin, hokage, or anything that you could ever be...!"
"oh? when we get back...lets ask haruko about that... (haruko is the star pupil of Naruto's Genin group)"
"oh... and I bet Hinata believes me... right hinata?"
naruto looked at hinata with a smile, hinata blushed a while before reponding,
"uh... I believe in you naruto..."
naruto turned to Sasuke,
"see?"
'the girl's infatuated with you... it doesnt count..jeez' Shikamaru thought as he observed the dispute.
- Due to the quarrel of Sasuke and naruto, they didnt notice that tenma had left the room moments ago... not knowing what's happening to him... behind the door.
"well... that was Fun..."
Tenma touched his face.
"the MEdiCInE wILL bE MINE!"
He took his hand off his face, and the skin melted when he touched his own skin... and the gentle blue eyed tenma was only a disguise... unveiling a Green eyed man, filled with hate.
"HEH...I'LL GET ALL YOU HAVE NARUTO...AND HINATA'S ONE OF THEM..."
How can I tell you? - Chapter 13
Gaara meets his match...
-
Hinata opened her eyes and looked at the alarm clock next to her... It was only 2 in the morning... she didnt expect to wake up this early, she was supposed to wake up at 7 in the morning. She went out of bed and headed outside to get fresh air and look at the stars. When she arrived there... she streched out a little and laid herself on the grassy ground.
"they are so many..."
Unknowingly, she had someone there with her.
"well... you cant count em... so I guess its really that many hinata..."
It was naruto, who was almost next to hinata where she lay.
"na-naruto? what are you doing h-here at this hour?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow at hinata and went closer to her.
"I should be asking you the same question..."
Hinata rolled her read to face naruto.
"well... I woke up, and I couldnt sleep... how about you naruto?"
Naruto looked up in the sky.
"well...pretty much the same...and I was thinking of many things..."
"about what things naruto-kun?"
"I was thinking when I'll ever be Hokage... what do you think Hinata?"
Hinata looked at the stars.
"You'll be Hokage naruto... I believe in you..."
Naruto blushed a little and looked at hinata.
"heh... Im lucky I have a friend like you hinata... and you know..."
"know what naruto?"
Naruto sat up and looked at hinata with a smile.
"If Im the best Hokage that there ever was, You'll be the best Medic in all of Fire country!"
Hinata flushed red.
"o-oh... you think so?"
Naruto smiled at the navy-haired girl,
"Im not the only one who agrees about that... even your cousin neji believes in you..."
"huh?"
Naruto scratched his head.
"uh... He doesnt call you 'weak' anymore... that means something right?"
hinata sat up, still looking at the stars.
"well... I guess so..."
Naruto looked at the sky as well. There was silence for a while, somehow, when hinata slopped at the ground, Naruto wanted to stop the silence. It was getting to his nerves.
"hinata...?"
Hinata looked at naruto.
"hnn? what is it Naruto-kun?"
Naruto smiled coyly,
"has anyone called you 'cute' yet?"
Hinata shook her head.
"I dont believe anyone other than Kurenai-sensei call me that...why?"
Naruto shook himself back into his 'original' senses.
"heh... I-Its nothing Hinata-chan! Its nothing! just curious... however..."
"...?"
Naruto blushed a little and looked back at hinata,
"... I think youre cute... not that its anything mutual...but-"
Naruto's words were stopped when Hinata acted by instinct and Kissed naruto on the cheek.
"...Th-thank you...Naruto-kun..."
'wait a minute... did I do what I thought I did? did I just kissed naruto on his cheek?' Hinata thought to herself.
"uh... Hinata... I..."
"what is it Naruto?"
"...I...I..."
Hinata blushed a little, hoping that he was going to say what she always wanted him to say since the day she loved him.
"y-yes na-naruto?"
Someone moved the nearby bushes...
"I...I- Huh? what's that sound? did you hear that hinata-chan?"
'oh no... Ive been spotted... guuuuruuruuuu...jeez, Naruto-sensei is really a great ninja...' someone thought as it tried to get away... fast.
Then that someone was grabbed on the collar by naruto...
"kana? what are you doing up so late?" Naruto asked the brown haired girl who was in her pajamas.
Naruto let Kana go.
"uh... nothing... just woke up... its already 4 in the morning... uh... better get back to bed...im still sleepy... okay... see ya!" Kana said as she tiptoed away, escaping...
"geez... that kana's weird... absolutely weird..."
Hinata stood up, and yawned in a way that naruto thought was cute...
"well... Im getting sleepy now... um... see you later naruto-kun?"
"yeah... i'll go to sleep later... im not yet that sleepy yet..."
"umm... okay... goodnight naruto..."
Naruto raised a hand to wave a goodnight to hinata.
"uh... okay... sweet dreams hinata-chan..."
Hinata finally got into her room after leaving Naruto to himself at the nearby meadow. She wanted to stay and talk with naruto more, but since Kana had already disturbed them... she'd rather sleep.
flashback
"... I think youre cute... "
end of flashback
those were the 4 words that kept echoing in her head at that certain moment. Were those only words, or they had a specific meaning? She was often as clueless as Naruto sometimes. She couldnt help but daydream like some 'normal' girls do, She and Naruto would get married happily and have kids... But sometimes reality hits her too much and she just stands there looking at him train. It was Ironic how shy she was... If she could only have a way to say her feelings. Then she remembered again... Sakura's Doll. It was the Naruto doll that Sakura gave her a few days ago, before she had died... She opened her knapsack and took the Doll from the box it was in. It did look like naruto alright. Sakura would make a great wife for anyone she would marry, hinata? oh well... she was good at most everything, but unlike sakura, she still lacks in needed ninja abilities.
"Naruto... how can I tell you?" she thought aloud to herself.
She looked at the Doll more carefully, There was a note at the back.
Dearest hinata-chan...
well... you became a medic... I heard many great stories about how you saved many ninja's lives. Hopefully You'd become one of the greatest medics in all of konoha...!
Then she remembered Naruto's words earlier...
"If Im the best Hokage that there ever was, You'll be the best Medic in all of Fire country!"
It made her feel happy, that many of her friends believed in her like naruto, sakura, neji and the others. she contiued to read...
Ive been noticing for a long time that you may 'like' that naruto... He's cocky, but I had to admit... if you do like him youre lucky... if he loves you he'll do everything for you... that's naruto!
She thought about it for a while... It was naruto alright... The same Genin, and now jonin that she fell in love with... It was his contageous courage and determination that let her get this far...
soo... after a time of talking about this with ino... I made this Doll for you! I hope this would be okay for you...
Take care always,
Haruno Sakura...
Hinata smiled, refolded the paper and looked at the doll that she had set down beside her. She now feels like the seeds of confidence that had been dormant for so many days had already grown... It was only a matter of time before a flower would grow and completely blossom. She unfolded the paper again to read it again, this time noticing the date...December 26th... guess sakura forgot to give it to her on her birthday and gave it to her 5 months later... It was May 11 today. It was only moments of reading and thinking that made her eyes very sleepy... Her eyes were already closing in on her. She laid on the queen-sized bed, pulled the blanket to cover her, and cuddled the Naruto doll as she fell asleep.
It was only seconds after hinata fell asleep when someone opened the door to her room.
"sweet dreams hinata-chan..." Naruto said to the sleeping girl, he closed the door and headed for his room... ready to take a well deserved nap.
It was 9 o' clock in the morning, Ino, Hinata, Temari, gaara, and Kankuro were already awake... They finished their breakfast when someone burst in the door.
"Hello everyone!" the blue haired girl shouted out, "hello my beloved gaara!"
Kakuro coughed.
'geez... is this kid has gotta have problems...'
Gaara looked at Izumi, angryer than usual.
"...Shut up girl... or I'll kill you..."
"Not if I kill you first Sand-boy..."
"I'll kill you..."
"bring it on..." the girl laughed, how good was she to challange gaara like that?
"oh no..." everyone whispered to themselves as they sipped their tea.
Izumi and Gaara decieded to battle at the pond on the meadow, Shikamaru looked annoyed with the idea because it's going to delay his daily cloudgazing...
"you'll die..." gaara said in a scary tone, Izumi thought it wasnt scary at all.
"heh... lets see...when you win, Kill me as you please... but when I win... I'll kiss you..."
"feh... get on with it girl..."
Izumi opened a jug filled with water and emptied its contents, Softening the ground with mud. Then she took out a pickaxe-like weapon, It really looked sharp enough to kill a person with one swipe.
"that wouldnt help you a bit..."
Gaara summoned the sand to assult her first, It was only a split second when the sand had already covered the girl in it.
"foolish girl..." gaara said as he was readying for his deathblow move, however... "th-this cant be...!"
Shikamaru opened his eyes at what he saw.
"He-hey...! Th-the sand's turning to mud!"
Ino and the others were also surprised,
"i cant beleive it..." Ino thought aloud with her mouth open wide.
"what's wrong gaara? Cant kill a 'stupid' girl like me?" izumi said as the mud dripped away from her... Her eyes had changed from its usual playful self to a scary look that surpassed the scaryness factor of gaara's eyes.
gaara opened his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Yo-youre the..."
"yes..."
"what is Izumi saying?" Shikamaru asked his fellow nins.
Temari looked at him.
"It seems izumi's the preistess of water..."
"preistess? what does it have to do with gaara?"
"when Gaara was little he had a 'demonic' preist sealed into him like the kyuubi with naruto... that preist had powers over the sand... and that preist had a rival... The preistess of water... and since sand and Water makes mud, and mud is the still under the element of water (because it's wet i guess...) ... that means... Izumi would use his own sand against him... "
Ino looked at the two .
"oh... so who do you think would win?"
"...Izumi..."
"Damn you..." Gaara shouted at the blue haired girl.
Izumi held a evil smile on her lips.
"heh... Like I told you before... You'll never win against me..."
Izumi ordered the mud to swallow up Gaara until his neckline and harden a bit, making him unable to move...
"now you lose... give me the part of our deal..." Izumi smiled at the red- haired boy.
Everyone gasped in shock and in misbelief then Izumi leaned over at gaara and kissed him (passionately... XD). Ino and the rest (except hinata who was sweatdropping) had their jaws opened wide. after a few moments naruto came in.
"hey... what's the matter with you guys?" Naruto asked,
Shikamaru pointed at the two, it was only a matter of time before...
"WHAAAAAAT?"
Ino covered naruto's mouth, hoping to keep him quiet for the time being.
"shut up... You'll disturb the two! they dont know that were watching... its a miracle they dont notice..."
after a bunch of sweatdrops, tons of jaw opening scenes, Izumi had stopped kissing gaara... and that kiss had lasted for about 3 minutes!
"I...dont belive it... someone actually kissed gaara?" temari thought aloud.
Kankuro sighed.
"well... at least that izumi's more powerful than gaara... geez..."
Shikamaru shook his head to get himself out of the jawopening thingy and looked at Ino.
"heh.. ino..."
Ino looked at Shikamaru, smiling.
"yeah?"
As soon as shikamaru saw ino face to face, there was no stopping him from daydreaming...
-(shikamaru's daydream)-
It was at konoha... Ino would shrug him into going to the park with him, The cherry blossoms were falling, He was holding hands with ino down the park... then... he'd kiss her.
-(end of daydream)-
Shikamaru's daydreams were stopped by ino's voice...
"heeeeey! what is it?"
"uh... nothing..."
Ino gave him a usual playful whack on the head.
"geez... if that's the reason... THEN DONT STARE AT ME LIKE THAT! its creepy you know...!"
Shikamaru heard a small 'hmph' from ino as she walked away from him.
"ow... that's what i get for acting without thinking..."
Temari looked at the future couple.
"heh... look at them hinata... dont you think Ino and Shikamaru are meant to be?" she whispered to the navy haired girl beside her.
Hinata twiddled her fingers as usual.
"yes... Ino needs someone who's going to control her temper... Shikamaru needs someone to liven him up... well.. I guess opposites attract... I guess"
"oh...? how about you and Naruto?" Temari said pointing at the unsuspecting naruto.
Hinata turned beet red and quickly shook her head.
"u-u-uh... I gu-guess... I-I-I...I"
Temari laughed.
"hah... dont worry Hinata... I get the picture..."
"you do?"
"sure I do! in fact... Hey Narutooooo!"
Naruto looked at Temari...
"huh? what's up temari?"
"hey... since hinata's going to the Kazekage's house to cure his daughter... maybe you'd like to escort her there?"
"eh?" he said, blushing a beet red, " Wh-why me only?"
Temari crossed her arms.
"hey... Youre the leader!... maybe you'ld like to... umm... listen.."
"huh?"
Temari whispered something to Naruto.
"uh... maybe I should g-go now...coming with me na-naruto?" Hinata asked naruto in her usual shy tone.
Temari looked at Naruto seriously, Naruto got her message all right...
"uh... o-okay hinata-cha-chan! Im c-coming with you..."
"o-okay..."
Hinata and Naruto were about a few paces from the Cottage. and the words temari told him in her short whisper kept echoing in his head.
-(flashback)-
' I Know you like Hinata... You should tell her how you feel... because if you dont... you might lose her... tell her while you still have the chance... you'll never know when she's going to meet someone else...'
-(end of flashback)-
"...i might lose her...?" Naruto thought aloud
Hinata looked at Naruto.
"..what is it naruto-kun? anything wrong?"
"no-nothing! Its nothing! I was just... ah... thinking of something! yeah that's right! something!"
Hinata was worried for the jonin.
"a-are you sure?"
"yes! I'm sure! dont worry Hinata! Im okay!"
Hinata gave a sigh of relief. not realizing that she's going to bump into someone... even naruto didnt notice because he was too busy looking at hinata.
"ow... are you okay Hinata-san?" Tenma asked the Navy haired girl he bumped into.
Hinata stood up with the help of Naruto.
"I'm okay Akazeno-kun..."
tenma stood up as well...
"...heh... please! call me tenma!"
"oh.. so Tenma-kun?"
"heh... please dont be so formal to me Hinata-san...!"
Naruto looked jealous.
"feh... Tenma... what are you doing here? we're about to go to your place..."
"heh... I was about to pick you people up..."
Naruto rolled his eyes.
"oh... okaaaaay... so lets go ne?"
Tenma looked around,
"there's no one else with you Hinata?"
"no... I-It's just me and Naruto-kun..."
Tenma gave a grin and started walking with Naruto and Hinata leading them to The kazekage's house to do what they had to... heal the daughter of the Kazekage... Hana Akazeno.
How can I tell you? - Chapter 14
My Nightmares ; SasuSaku Special
Sasuke was still in bed despite of all the gibberish that was happening outside... It seems he, neji and Chouji were exausted from thier travel too much. But unfortunately, even in his sleep, he cant stop thinking of sakura... Everything that had happened the past few nights, the past few years, had been replaying continuously like a recording...
It was the scene as almost the same when Sakura fell to the ground unconcious, and all sasuke could do was watch her die.
"SAKURAAA!" Sasuke cried out, " Who did this! WHOO!"
Sasuke kneeled down and held sakura's body in his hands.
"It was I...!"
Sasuke looked where the sound came from the lights were not working so the only thing he could see was the man's green glowing eyes.
"Y-you! How dare you! take her life!"
the man seemed to smirk.
"hah... foolish uchiha boy... the only thing I did was to borrow her life jewel..."
The man showed sakura's life jewel. It was shaped like a sphere, it had wind flowing from it and it was surely glowing with power. Sasuke was enraged.
"I dunno what that stupid jewel is but ...DAMN YOUUUU!"
He lunged at the man, throwing shurikens, casting ninpo techniques. but the man used the power of Sakura's life jewel to dodge the shurikens and his ninpo techniques with ease. The man held a long laugh before he dissapeared. Leaving Sasuke crying, holding Sakura's cold body.
"no... sa...kura..."
Sakura and the rest of the scene had disappeared in a void.
"why sakura? why did you have to die...? why did you leave me alone?" Sasuke cried out to the void of his dream.
Then a small light radiated from his hands where sakura was, It was her tears. The tears she shed for him years ago that started to thaw out the ice that had been on his heart.
"Why?"
He looked up and back down on his arms again, It was sakura long ago... her hair was short like before... She was crying on him, thankful that he came back alive thanks to the efforts of Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji, and Chouji... It was the same scene that thawed out his dormant heart 4 years ago... He was sitting on his bed in the hospital... with sakura alone that night.
"Sakura? what's wrong?"
Sakura looked at Sasuke, Still in tears.
"you... you... Idiot! dont you know how worried I was for you?"
"no... worries are for the weak..." he said, obviously lying to himself when he said it...
"You dont? let me tell you mister! I dont want to lose you! I... I... was... worried...sob... that I might...sniff... never...see...sob... you... again...sob...I dont want that to happen! so what if im weak? I just wanted you back!" Sakura made her message clear even in her tears.
'she was worried for me?'
"I'm worried for you! I d-dont want to lose you!"
"why Sakura? even if I treat you like garbage you still worry for me?"
Sakura managed to dry some tears.
"sheesh... if we didnt worry for you, we would have left you to die! All of us worry for you! dont act as if Youre the only one on this planet who has experienced pain!"
Sasuke let her go and stood up.
"feh... you dont know how I feel! Itachi killed my-"
"Itachi Killed your parents, your clan... I know! I can Imagine your pain... but... Do you imagine the pain we, your friends, are in? and the pain...sob... i had...?" sakura said as she started to cry once again.
Sasuke opened his eyes... for once in many years, he was able to see someone who cared for him like his parents before... but he was too much on getting back on itachi that he didnt notice the good things of life... it was the moment his heart returned...
"i..i'm... sorry... sa-sakura..."
Sasuke got her a hankerchief and wiped her tears...
"I'll never do it again... I swear..." Sasuke promised the pink-haired shinobi...
"promise?"
Sasuke gave a rare smile to sakura, held her hand, and nodded slowly...
"I promise... I'll never let anybody worry for me any longer... even you sakura..."
Sakura blushed at what Sasuke did... even if his hands were cold, She loved him more than anyone else, and unlike Sasuke's fans... she had 'true' intentions... she loved him dearly.
"Sasu...ke... I.."
unfortunately... their convo was interupted by Naruto, who had slammed the door open.
"Whatsupsasuke!" Naruto said in one word...
Sasuke and Sakura jumped away from each other, hoping that Naruto wont notice a thing...
"what's up? oh sakura-chan's here! what's up?" naruto blurted out.
"nothing dobe... maybe you'd like me to show you the way out?" Sasuke said as he crossed his arms.
naruto looked at sasuke more carefully, there was a new aura around him... but unfortunately... Naruto was not that smart of a ninja to figure it out...
"hmmm... why do you even bother to give me such an offer? I thought you were a cold, heartless avenger?" Naruto said laughing, hoping to find an answer.
Sakura whacked Naruto on the head.
"You stupid naruto! why dont you pick your timing more carefully?" She said as she stomped out of the room.
"and you... dobe.. I'm already discharged... i'm leaving..."
Naruto looked at both of them...
"what's with them? I just came for a visit then... ow..." he said touching the bump on his poor head.
Sasuke looked back at the room he came from, but the door was gone... he walked on the hallway of the hospital and outside. Finding himself outside on the park... It was the first time he came with Sakura on their 'get together' picnic with the other nins... For no particular reason, he sat next to sakura...
Sakura passed some sandwiches over to Sasuke who was next to him.
"You want some? I made them myself!"
Sasuke was about to decline, but he felt his stomach rumble... and he got the message...
"uh... sure..."
He got one sandwich and got a bite... well... It was good... delicious even... it wasnt as bad as the one's that she brought along on his birthday...
"was it good?"
Sasuke took another bite.
"well... It is... you couldnt expect me to eat anything not worthwhile do you sakura?"
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the two.
"ehem... I was wondering sasuke... what happened to the ol' cold you?"
Naruto gulped more Miso pork ramen (that he bought from ichiraku ramen earlier...) down.
"yeah! Why the fast change?"
Sasuke swollowed the sandwich... (after small bites of course... )
"its none of youre business... Im eating..."
Shikamaru laughed.
"hah what a change...and I bet sakura's cooking is a ton better than ino's" he whispered to Chouji.
Ino seemed to have supersonic hearing to have heard Shikamaru, she stood up and stomped her way towards him...
"hey shikamaru!"
"hnn? what? dont tell me youre going to make me eat that?" shikamaru asked, pointing to the plate filled with Sushi...
Ino nodded,
"why not take a bite? I made it too! from scratch I mean..."
"and why the hell do you want me to eat it before sasuke?"
"because I want you to taste test for him... now eat!" she said shoving the plate closer to him.
"mou... so troublesome...damn... cant get away from this one..." he murmured as he slowly ate a piece...
It took him some chews to realize... well... it was good... for once, he believed miracles were possible... well... at least at this chance she did the recipie right for a change...
"so? how did it go?" Sakura nobly asked the chuunin.
"not bad actually, at least miracles happen..."
Ino gave him a whack on the head.
"what are you talking about...?"
"nothin... just me and my stupid mouth..." he grumbled to himself.
"its good you know! okay sasuke? want a bite?"
Sasuke was wise enough to stand up at the right time...
"uh... Kakashi-san and I are having training today.. so... er... uh... Sakura... I'd better be on my way now... see you guys later..."
Sasuke Started to walk away, when Sakura ran after him.
"oh Sasuke! Wait up! Im coming with you...!"
"okay just dont cause me any trouble..."
They walked for a while, when suddenly the whole place became void again... the only thing left was Sakura and Sasuke.
"Sakura... stay with me.."
Sakura smiled... but when Sasuke looked at her to smile back, she was slowly fading away... Upon seeing this Sasuke fell to his knees, he lost sakura again...
"why do the people I love keep on dissapearing...?"
Then a voice answered, It was seemingly familiar to Sasuke...
"S-Sa-Sakura?"
A ghostly image appeared before sasuke, it was Sakura... but her green emerald eyes had changed, it was true that her spirit was all gone... she was holding the sphere (her concious soul that the green-eyed man stole from her that caused her death...
"yes sasuke..."
"Why did you go?"
"you saw that man kill me... you shouldnt blame anyone, even yourself sasuke..."
Sasuke shed a tear, it was his first in years.
"Sakura... dont tell me youre just a dream..." he said shaking his head,
Sakura smiled at sasuke...
"Everything will be alright... be strong... be strong for me sasuke..."
"i will sakura... the man who did this to you will pay..."
Sasuke was still dreaming in his sleep, not knowing there was some people watching him slumber.
"I have changed time... and of course... there's no need for this..." a Brown haired girl said as she dropped the ashes of a scroll...
"kana... you've done your part... with Sasuke's future... you burned the Scroll of eternity... It changed his destiny, has it?" Temari asked crossing her arms
"I guess so... and now to complete the change... of course... I have to go to konoha and wake Sakura-san up... you have to stay here and guard Shikamaru, Ino, Naruto-senpai and Hinata-san..." she said as she walked out of the room.
Temari smiled.
"well.. sure thing kana... just do your job... so I'll be seeing you on may 13th?"
"so what did happen to sasuke in his sleep?"
Kana laughed a while.
"hah.. with the scroll burned down... sasuke wont be into power any longer... and that changed history... and he, himself changed history..."
"how?"
"he loves sakura-san, temari... so he gets dreams of her death. so now, all I have to do is wake the other person up and take her here before the night of may 13th and the history of the world would change just like that... take care of them for me.." Kana said
"yeah sure.. just take care of yourself kana... dont strain yourself... WE have other things to do with the other people as well..."
Kana began running towards the door.
"heh... sure... see ya Temari-chan"
"see ya" she said, as she watched her new 'partner in crime' leave.
"now what to do with Ino and Shikamaru? ...And Naruto and Hinata?" she thought as she turned her back on the door and headed for the living room.
How can I tell you? - Chapter 14
Food for all...
Hinata, Naruto, and Tenma were already Kazekage's house... they had been there before, but the side they went to wasnt passed by on their last visit...
"geez... how big is this house?" Naruto asked, half-tired-half annoyed...
"hmm... this house actually takes me about half a day to just walk around it..."
Hinata blinked her eyes in awe... there were antiques everywhere...
"oh my... are these real ming vases?"
"oh yes! they cost me 130000 yen each... just to find one would cost me 40000 yen..."
Naruto rolled his eyes. 'hmph... what a show off...'
"is there anything wrong naruto? you seem...angry... are you?" Hinata asked... worried for 'her beloved naruto...'
Naruto shook his head, trying to take the remaining jealousy away...
"uh... n-nothing! its nothing! im o-okay hinata...!"
Tenma looked at them... he thought it was cute... but the other side of him thought it was annoying. 'Jealousy... feel it uzumaki naruto...! savor your feedom with hinata now... it wont be long before I take hinata from you..."
Tenma noticed a glare from Naruto, and gave a smile... making sure his 'dark' side not be seen by stong jonins like Naruto and the recently added threat Sasuke...
They walked again, for what seemed to last an hour... It came to an end when tenma had stopped in front of a door and opened it in a slow manner. They came in and saw a supposeably a girl's room. And in front of them there was a bed... and a pink haired girl was lying on the bed, sleeping like an innocent child.
"so... this is Hana? your sister?" Hinata asked,
Tenma nodded,
"yes... she died for some unknown reason..."
"...like sakura." Naruto added.
"i guess so... so can I do it now?"
Tenma nodded, "go ahead Hinata-san..."
Hinata went up to the right side of the girl. She closed her eyes and signaled the boys to back off, she took something from her pockets... it was a bottle... a bottle filled with purple liquid... and threw it above her... making seals and then catching it when it came down. She poured it into the girl's mouth and started making seals again.
"what is she doing?" Tenma asked.
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"its jinjutsu... her specialty... she's reviving the soul of Hana..."
"oh... okay..."
Hinata stopped her seals and opened her eyes. She waited a while before a sigh of relief...
"its done..." Hinata said to them, relieved.
"okay... and now what?" Tenma asked impaitiently,
Naruto gave him a glare.
"hmph... wait... jinjutsu does not have immediate reaction..."
"okay... youre the boss..."
'so this is the potion that might make me immortal... if I have this... the scroll of eternity would be no longer needed...' the dark side of tenma thought.
Naruto looked at Hinata,
"you okay?"
"naruto... Im okay..."
"are you tired?"
"a little... but like I said, Im still okay naruto... dont worry..."
"okay..."
Naruto felt something move from the bed.
"naruto... is there anything wrong?" Hinata asked the blonde jonin
"no... im just gonna check if the girl's awake..." Naruto said as he went beside the girl.
Minutes had past again, and this time... something amazing was going to happen, the girl had started to flutter her eyes open...she was awake...
"hey! she's awake...!" Naruto shouted out, waking the sleeping hinata next to him.
Hinata and Tenma looked at the girl, who was looking at everywhere, eyeing Naruto first...
"wh-where am I?"
"your room... dont you remember hana?" Tenma asked the girl.
"I guess I remember..." she said as she stood up, "I remember you tenma- niisan but who are these two?"
"Theyre ninja's from konoha... they came here to gale village (a village that was formed just 2 years ago... it was made for the kazekage because he thought it sand village was too dangerous now) just to cure you! This is Hyuuga Hinata... your healer, and Uzumaki Naruto... her escort and...uh..."
Naruto gave Tenma an eye,
"friend... yeah...that's it.." tenma added.
Hana tried to stand up, she was looking at hinata...
"I can I walk?" she asked the pearl-eyed girl near her.
"umm... yes... you should walk right about now..." she said helping the girl up.
Tenma bowed to Hinata in respect.
"oh thank you for curing my sister...! you'll be rewarded greatly for your efforts Hinata-san"
"it was nothing...really..." Hinata insisted.
"umm... here take this as a token of my gratitiude..."
Tenma handed a small box over to hinata... there was a spiralish choker inside...
"it's the...uh... family heirloom! yeah! that's it! you can have it as payment!"
Hinata tried to decline, but Tenma had insisted she wore it right now... so she did.
"well.. it looks good on you..." Naruto commented.
hana raised an eyebrow, but came back to normal after some happy skips to the door.
"okay lets go!"
"to where?"
For some reason, the girl had looked like Sakura... it was her pink hair that gave back memories of the past shinobi...however, the only thing weird was that the girl had lost her pupils, it looked more like the byakugan eye but it still has its original red color. (Proof that she had lost her second soul but reminder : Hinata's byakugan makes a confusion that the hyuuga family doesnt have a second soul like everyone else...). They were walking home, Hana had come with Naruto and Hinata because she wanted to strech her legs... It was silence on the way, but Naruto broke it...
"so how old are you hana?"
"14... my birthday is on July 25th..."
"oh... "
Hinata looked at the girl.
"do you remember what happened to you to die like that?"
Hana tried to look back...but nothing...
"no... sorry...
They stopped in front of the gate.
"well... were here..." Naruto said opening the gates to the cottage.
While that was going on, many things were going on at the cottage as well... Ino, Shikamaru, and Temari were already having a hard time filling Chouji's newly awakened tummy...
"Choooooujiiiiiiii... " Ino stated in a childish way, "youre not near full yet are you?"
Chouji seemed to have shook his head.
"but I am Hungry... I want to eat more... Isnt there anything else to eat?"
Temari Shook her head,
"no... youve eaten everything on the storage..."
"mendokusee...now what...?" Shikamaru complained...
Ino shrugged, it was past lunchtime, half their money was with naruto, and then the cottage's food storage was depleted to zero... well all for a kilo of pork (that would never fill chouji 9 people), some garlic, onions, a dozen eggs, and some soy sauce, and a half a sack of uncooked rice... and with Hinata gone... none of them knew what to do...
"geez... there must be someone here who's good in cooking... Ino, can you cook?"
"yes Temari-chan, but-"
Shikamaru looked at Ino,
"erm... even if your cooking still stinks, we can handle a more daring approch to life..."
"dont insult me like that Shikamaru..."
"who said it was an insult...?"
"i...hey... youre tricking me are you?"
"no... why would I?"
Temari had stopped sweatdropping at Ino and Shikamaru's quarrel in time to see Naruto's group come in.
"oh! Hi! Who's the girl?"
"this is hana... the one I used jinjutsu on..." Hinata said to Temari as she sat down on a chair.
Naruto noticed Ino having another quarrel with Shikamaru as usual.
"what's their problem?"
"well... chouji ate everything... the reminants of the storage isnt enough for anyone..."
Hana jumped up and rolled her shirt's sleeves up to her shoulders.
"no prob...I Can fix something up that'd taste good..."
Temari eyed the pink haired girl.
"oh? and how are you going to do that?"
"simple!" Hana said as she dashed off to the storage, grabbing all the remnants of everything... the onions, garlic, rice, eggs, and the pork... well can she cook much with that amount of ingredients?
Neji came into the room.
"what's happening here? what's with all the noise?" he asked everyone
Hinata looked at her cousin,
"umm.. Ino-san and Shikamaru-kun are having one small fight..."
"I cant call it one small fight... Ino's practically shouting at the poor guy's ears..."
Naruto grinned.
"heh... that guy's whipped..."
"women and their whipping... we men are made to suffer arnt we?" someone asked from behind naruto and neji, it was sasuke who just woke up.
Naruto was surprised of course, only a jonin could ever surprize a jonin...
"wha? oh its you sasuke..."
"what's happening here? the noise is unbearable..."
"the usual..."
Hana on the meanwhile was already on the kitchen, cooking the rice and preparing the ingredients. She had minced the garlic and chopped the onions, sliced the pork into so small pieces and marinated it in soy sauce, the eggs were beaten and were already cooked. Hinata and Temari was observing how she cooked and I must say that they were absolutely impressed. Hana had said to them earlier that she was going to make some special Gohanozatta (Mixed rice ; invented it...not real recipie, just experimental for the story...). Hana had stirred in the onions and garlic into the oil, and when the garlic turns brown, she put the pork bits (including the soy sauce fyi). When that was cooked she stirred all the rice in and mixed it until the sauce had covered every grain of rice. The smell of the food had reached the living room and stopped Ino and Shikamaru's fight...
"what's that smell...? who's cookin?" Shikamaru asked ino,
Ino looked at shikamaru,
"i dunno, lets see... coming with us Chouji?"
Chouji held a weak expression on his face.
"cant... go... on... go... with...out... me... just bring me some food when there is already.."
'what a drama king... oh well...' Ino thought.
"okay... come on shika! Im hungry already..."
As soon as Ino had skipped her way to the kitchen, Shikamaru rolled his eyes.
"oh well... Im whipped once more...jeez"
-(later at the table)
Everyone was eating happily, Naruto and Chouji were gobbling up thrice as much as everybody. Hinata, Ino and Temari were at one side of the table, chatting with Hana how she made such a dish... Kankuro was looking at how Izumi offered Gaara into feeding him. suprizingly, gaara had no choice but to accept...
"oh... comeon gaara-kuuuun... here... say aaaah..." Izumi said playfully, giving a spoonful of food to gaara.
Gaara was scared... first she beat him, then she kissed him. He didnt know what to feel at that moment... it was his first time...
"uh... no thanks..."
"but I insist! here! its good! Hana-itoko made it for us..."
Kankuro gave a small frown.
"cousin? she's your cousin?" Kankuro asked the blue-haired girl.
"yeah... her mother was originally from the village of rain where I came from... and her mother's twin sister was my mother..." she said in a matter- of-a-fact voice.
"oh... I get it..."
Shikamaru was busy eating 'normally' with Sasuke and Neji... the three of them dont have much of anything to talk about with anyone. Almost everyone was actually having a good time eating together, but Sasuke still was troubled... That Hana reminded Him of Sakura more than anything...
'Why do I always have to be tormented by her? even if she's dead she still haunts me..." he said to himself.
-
Later on the night of may 11th came... It was time for Izumi and hana to take their leave...
"Mouuuuu.. I want to be with gaara more!" Izumi said to her bodyguard who was fetching her. Her arms were wrapped around Gaara's left arm, oh boy was gaara in a fit...
Gaara rolled his eyes.
"get off..."
"say please first..."
Gaara became angry, he was about to summon the sand, but he remembered how he was, in shikamaru's terms, 'whipped' by a woman... typical... it took him almost 2 hours to get his sand back after the insident... he didnt like the feeling of being so helpless to anyone but...
"..P..Please...let go of me.." he said, Izumi let go after a while and gave gaara a small forced peck on the cheek.
"see you gaara-kunnn!" she stated as she skipped away.
Gaara gave a sigh.
"well... what now...?"
Shikamaru, who was behind him, gave him a pat on the back..
"join the club Gaara... we're all going to be whipped by women... youre not exempted..."
Then Shikamaru left Gaara, leaving gaara with thoughts to think about.
"Seems gaara had his first huh?" Ino said when she met Shikamaru as she joined him on a walk around the cottage.
Shikamaru was in his usual walking poses... his hands were dug into his pockets, and of course, the usual bored face wasnt excluded from the set.
"he was whipped, that's for sure..."
Ino looked at shikamaru, She always thought that the way he always acted was interesting... this time she thought it was actually cute to look at.
"uh... Shika... I have to tell you something..."
Shikamaru held a blush, he was already close enough to savor her sweet scent of flowers.
"hnnn?"
"uh... I... I..."
Unfortunately, Temari had stopped Ino from saying anything... what happened to her matchmaking...?
"Ino!"
Ino looked at Temari.
'oh crap... how the hell am I going to tell shika now?' she thought
"lets go to sleep now Ino... umm... unless you and Shikamaru have something to talk about..."
Ino raised her hands defensively...
"hey hey... okay I'll come with you... " she said as she walked with temari, waving a goodnight to Shikamaru as they walked.
Temari gave out a sigh... Kana had given her orders to prevent Ino from saying her feelings to shikamaru before may the 13th... May 13 was a festival day... It was when every girl wears a kimono and is tied to a boy for the whole night... She and Kana had plans of givng them a stonger push when the said 'legendary' fireflies appear near the gale river.
Shikamaru sighed and headed for the meadow, his cloudgazing was disrupted by Izumi's fight with Gaara so of couse he had to take it now or never... well... at least the stars at night were as interesting as the clouds of day...
But unknowingly to them... there was absolutely something wrong. One of them was in Orochimaru's power... She had been tranced. She was In front of a mirror... gazing at it...
"I..." A girl said as she touched the cold glass.
"i..m ... yours..."
There was surely something wrong with Hinata that night... Surely, The Choker Tenma gave her was some sort of brainwashing device...
"Tenma..." she whispered as she laid her head on the mirror...
How can I tell you? - Chapter 16
Why I loved someone like you...
there was absolutely something wrong. One of group was in Orochimaru's power... She had been tranced. She was In front of a mirror... gazing at it...
"I..." A girl said as she touched the cold glass.
"i..m ... yours..."
There was surely something wrong with Hinata that night... Surely, The Choker Tenma gave her was some sort of brainwashing device...
"Tenma..." she whispered as she laid her head on the mirror...
Naruto felt something bad was going to happen that night... something bad, and usually, his intuitions were right... It just had to be something about Hinata. So he rushed to her room, and saw Ino and Temari along the way.
"Hey! you two, have you seen Hinata?" Naruto asked his two female comrades.
Ino thought for a while...
"try her room... She hasnt left there since lunch... I wonder what's wrong with her?"
Temari had her suspicions, but she shrugged it away, thinking it was one of the side-effects of Kana's plan to change time.
"I dunno... you should go see her Naruto..." Temari said to the worried jonin.
Naruto said something like a 'later' and ran towards Hinata's room, it wasnt far. But the locked door gave him quite a problem... how the hell can he go in?
"Damn... cant come in..." He said, knocking on the door, "hey... Hinata... are you in there?"
There was no answer.
"Hinata?"
"Hinata?"
He knocked on the door like crazy, he felt like he was going to worry to death...
"Hinata... open this door! please!"
There was still no answer... Naruto was getting irritated...So he tried slamming the door open... It did open after a while of body slams. (and no... it wasnt damaged...cool huh?)
"Hinata! are you okay in there?"
Hinata turned away from the mirror and looked coldly at Naruto, This wasnt the Hinata Naruto knew...
"Hinata? what's wrong? if its about the door then-"
Hinata glared at naruto.
"leave..."
"but hinata! I-"
"LEAVE!"
Sasuke could overhear them from his room, which was next to Hinata's. So he went to take a short look.
"What's wrong dobe?"
Naruto turned to Sasuke, looking dead worried.
"Hinata's not herself...! what am I going to do?"
"I dunno... what did YOU do?"
Naruto shrugged.
"All I did was slam the door open, I was worried! I keep having this scary feeling!"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow... and looked at Hinata. Naruto was right, she did have a scary aura around her now... it wasnt hinata that was infront of them... it felt like someone else taking the form of hinata...
"hnn... Hinata? this isnt the Hinata I know..."
"Shut up...! Just leave!" Hinata shouted at the two jonins, throwing a chair at them... luckily, both of them dodged it.
"Why! Tell me!" Naruto said, grasping hinata by her arms.
"Just leave me alone... " but the last word pirced Naruto's heart more than anything, "...dobe..."
Naruto just froze in surprise... He couldnt believe Hinata, of all people, could say that word to him. Sure he heard it thousands of times from sasuke, neji, and some other people, but the point that It was Hinata that said it... it felt like a kunai stabbed him on the back so many times... It hurt him a lot more than any pain-measuring word he knew could describe.
Sasuke looked at Hinata and back at Naruto again... he was still mentally frozen stiff. He couldnt even bother to blink!
"Naruto... This isnt Hinata..."
Tears started to fall from Naruto's eyes...
"Hinata...! Listen to me!" He said shaking Hinata, who was still in the trance.
Hinata didnt answer, she was stiff as a board and silent as the wind.
"I...I... I love you! Please... come back! This isnt you!"
"Please... Hinata... Listen to me..."
Hinata seemed like she really was into a deep trance. It was clear to sasuke who did this, Orochimaru's heir... obviously, There was supposed to be something she wears that lets Hinata get this deep in a trance... Then he saw the spiral choker she was wearing, It was flashing black to red and back again... that was it!
"Naruto! She's under Orochimaru's control! she cant hear you with that trance she's in!"
Naruto looked at sasuke.
"Huh?"
"Gah! Just destroy that Choker!" he shouted out to naruto.
Naruto did what he was told to...however, Hinata had activated her byakugan and pushed Naruto onto the wall using her gentle fist. It didnt damage naruto badly though. Sasuke had to intervene... He activated his Sharingan and Used the Chidori against her, unfortunately, he forgot that any form of mind-control that came from Orochimaru gave the person in a trance a burst of power, so he came flying across the room to the hallway.
Naruto looked at the seemingly 'cold' Hinata.
"Hi...na...ta..." he whispered as he stood up, " Im... not going... to give... up... until you... come back..."
Hinata gave a cold smirk.
"go ahead and try!"
Naruto lunged for the choker, but the moment he was almost near her, Hinata used some basic taijutsu to slam Him on the nearby cabinet... and also, making the box (where the naruto doll was kept) fall open to the ground. When Hinata saw it... Everything came back to her like a flash...
-(flashbacks)-
"yea... were here to make sure you and naruto dont make out again..."
"We were not making out!" Hinata and Naruto said together, then they looked at each other and looked at the ground blushing a deep red.
"er... Wanna share my ramen?"
"I... I..."
"No need for your "I"'s... here, have some!"
"wh-where are you going?" Hinata asked in her shy tone as usual while she looked away.
"...out... A special woman like you needs privacy..."
"you really, obviously youre thinking of naruto again are you?"
Hinata shook her head.
"no! I-I wasnt thinking of him!"
"DAAAAMN YOUUU! How dare you touch Hinata? You want a fight? I'll give it to ya!..."
"Naruto... are you ok?"
Hinata was getting worried.
"are you sure?"
Naruto gulped.
"I-I'm sure hinata... dont worry! just continue eating... so if you'll excuse me... i'll go away for a while to watch you- i mean I'll go away to keep a lookout... yea! that's it! so... er... see ya..."
"Dammit... but NO WAY! Shikamaru... pack our bags... I don't care if I never become Hokage mister... but I swear... I'LL NEVER LET HINATA DIE LIKE THAT!"
Naruto kissed her cheek and said... "were friends again... right?"
[You were always there...]
"YOU CAN DO IT HINATA! KICK NEJI'S ASS!" (during her 1st chuunin exam)
"No matter what happens... Im still here for ya! now, go pass that exam!"
"GOOOO HINATA!"
(during her 2nd chuunin exam)
[you were always there... supporting me...]
[I always loved you because you were my inspiration... your courage... your determination... It made me think I could do anything...]
"I always keep my word! that's my ninja way!" (is this right? if not... live with it... sweatdrop...)
[even if I lost the second time on the chuunin exams two years ago, you were the one who returned the hope I had lost...]
"Hinata!"
Hinata looks at naruto, her eyes still red after crying on her loss.
"Y-yes n-naruto?"
"come with me!" Naruto said as he took hinata's hand and led the way to tsunade's house.
Hinata blushed furiously, feeling the warmth of His palms.
"Huh?"
"Im goin to reffer you to Tsunade! if you cant become a chuunin, then you can become something better!"
"w-what do you mean?"
Naruto shrugged...Hinata had no Idea he was going to refer her as a medic. He saw Her treat his wounds like a professional when he came back from dragging Sasuke home (the doctors were too busy taking care of the plentiful shinobi injured during the time...). In thanks, he thought he would refer her to Tsunade in return...
"gah... just come! hurry! Obasan cant wait forever can she?"
[that's why I loved you...]
-(end of flashbacks)-
Hinata seemed to lunge at Naruto, he thought it would be the end of him... to die on the hand of the one he loved... HOWEVER... that wasnt it... She hugged him for a moment, and lost conciousness. The choker had already crumbled for no good reason... Hinata didnt know what the hell she did... that's for sure... Naruto smiled at Hinata, and caressed her hair. He was too afraid to do so when she was awake... he'd never know how the rich hyuuga heir WOULD react to A poor jackass like him touching her precious navy blue hair. He stood up and carried Hinata to her bed.
Sasuke was already behind him, tapping his foot on the floor. Obviously, he did take a bad blow from hinata's taijutsu, but he recovered quickly.
"so... I was right all along... you did LOVE her..."
Naruto laid hinata on her bed and looked at sasuke with a raised eyebrow,
"and so?"
"nothin wrong with that dobe... anyway, Im goin to bed...again." Sasuke joked as he patted Naruto hard on the back and headded for his room, thankful that Naruto and Hinata's 'short' quarrel was over...
Ino and Temari ran from their room, finding sasuke walking towards his room from Hinata's room.
"hey! Sasuke-kun... is there anything wrong? what's the noise? did I miss anything?"
Sasuke eyed the blonde girls and walked away,
"nothing... and if I might say so... youre getting more annoying everytime I see you..."
Temari raised an eyebrow.
"heh... and like I think youre gettin softer everytime you think of that Haruno girl..."
"shutup..." sasuke blurted out before he slammed the door to his room.
Both of the girls laughed and went back to their rooms. They think i'd be best to just ignore it... maybe Hinata got clumsy and dropped something from above right? itd be no problem...
"goodnight hinata..." Naruto said as he tucked Hinata properly on her bed and kissed her forehead.
How can I tell you? - Chapter 17
My first love - part I
Morning had come... It was already may the 12th... one day before the destined date of change. Hinata woke up as soon as the sun had carresed her eyelids with its warmth...
"h-huh?" she said as she opened her eyes slowly, still in her bed, "Why am I here?"
Someone came from the curtains, it seems it was he who let the light in.
"Hey hinata... youre awake!" Naruto said happily,
Hinata sat up.
"oh.. i-its you... na-naruto... um... what am I doing here..? I remember I was in the Dining room... ant then..."
"you passed out..."
Hinata looked at naruto.
"I-I did?"
"yeah... Sasuke and I brought you in your room..."
"oh okay..."
Hinata was going to stand up when Naruto went in front of her.
"uh... H-hinata?"
"eh?"
"maybe you..."
Naruto gulped, he was nervous!
"yes naruto?"
"?" he nervouly said in a fast tone, but Hinata knew what he was talking about... there was supposed to be a festival the day after... the Yoru no hotaru (night of the fireflies) festival. There was supposed to be a group singing contest too, but no one was interested in joining despite the cash prize of 5 million yen... (that's a huge amount of money... x.x)
Hinata smiled and nodded, she wanted Naruto to ask her that for quite some time. Izumi and Hana had told her, Ino and temari of the festival and they were all looking forward to it.
"really? You'll be... er..." Naruto said, as he flushed beet red and began scratching his head, "..m-my...date?"
'date? he meant he was asking me to a date?' Hinata screamed in her head. She was surprized, all the while she thought naruto just wanted her to come with him.
"okay..." she said twiddling her thumbs together.
Naruto jumped up and down, he was glad hinata accepted his offer. Fortunately, hinata didnt remember what he said on while she was in a trance, OR does she know his feelings for her... Hinata and Naruto are too clueless to notice each other's feelings for the matter.
"Okay! uh... so... I'm gonna go now... hehehe" Naruto said as he walked towards the door.
"okay... see you..."
- (meanwhile, lets see how kana is...)
Kana was almost halfway to Konoha... she had been delayed by a few anbus and she also had gotten a few wounds.
"gah... how many are the ANBUs from the sound country? Its like it doesnt end!" she screamed as she bandaged a wound at her left leg...
The wound was really deep, she gotten it on her last battle with sound ANBU. It was the one making her so slow at going to konoha... so much for urgency. But she felt a presence... ANBU again?
"Crap! Anbu! I cant take it any- ouch!" she said trying to stand up despite the pain of her leg. She had already balanced herself when the anbu finally arrived in front of her...
"Girl... give the scroll to orochimaru..."
"I told your comrades already! I... Dont... Have... the... Damned... scroll! I burned it down!"
The anbu grabbed Kana by the collar of her loose shirt, obviously eyeing her badly despite his mask.
"youre lying... you have the scroll with you..."
"Im not! Cant you understand plain english? I have a dictionary you can borrow but you have to put me down asshole!"
The anbu got angry... oh no...
"seems like youre not lying... so... Im going to kill you!" the anbu laughed as he slowly took a kunai from his holder.
'This is it... Im sorry dad... I cant do it...' Kana sadly thought as she closed her eyes, ready to die.
Konohamaru was going to konoha as well, he was 10... and he came from the village of the mist after doing some spying (which was his specialty). He was a Chuunin now... thanks to naruto's support, and he had naruto to thank for everything (it means being him a chuunin at such a early age)...well... almost...
"gah... I hate spying... they're too boring..." He said to himself, "I should be training with my teammates instead of tsunade's solo mission...crap... stupid chuunin level..huh?"
Konohamaru looked afar... It was a sound anbu... picking on a wounded girl? he hated those kind of types. he didnt know if the girl was a shinobi from konoha, so he cant help her right now as a ninja... but as a man, he had to.
"hey... why dont you pick on someone youre own size?"
The anbu looked at Konohamaru.
"Stupid kid... she's no bigger than you... Im no way near youre size..."
Konohamaru remembered and smacked himself mentally on the head. crap! he forgot he was still 10...
"gah.. whatever... now I want you to put the girl down before I kill you..." Konoha warned the anbu...
Kana looked at Konohamaru, she had doubts that this kid'll win against an anbu
"this is none of youre business!" she said angryly at the boy.
"Hey... Its either I help ya, or ya die... if you die I'll have nightmares... so I have no choice but to do so... got it?"
"enough with the gibberish kid... back off before I change my mind and kill you first.."
Konohamaru gave the anbu a smirk and did some seals. Seeing this, the anbu threw Kana aside and began to analize what Konohamaru was doing...
"youre only a chuunin.. one measly chuunin like you cant beat me..."
"who said that Im the only one?" Konohamaru said as he finished the jutsu seals, It was kage bunshin no jutsu... Naruto had taught him that when he became genin a few years ago. "KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"
'He knows kage bunshin?' Kana shouted in her thoughts as she gazed at how Konohamaru did the kage bunshin jutsu... she had NO idea that aside from her and Naruto, someone else knew that technique.
"heh...kage no bunshin? impressive..." Kana said to konohamaru.
Konohamaru laughed.
"hah... if you find that impressive, watch this!" he said as he and his clones lunged at the anbu, and like what mizuki ended up when naruto did this, the anbu was already punched and kicked to a pulp. Kana didnt find it impressive at all... but... it did the job of getting rid of the poor anbu.
"crap... anbus arnt hard at all..." Konohamaru boasted
Kana stood up, she was trembling in pain but still, she was able to walk some steps on a slow pace.
"hah... that was only one... and in MY history... I have fought and beaten 15 anbu..."
Konohamaru became angry... this girl didnt even mind a thank you...
"whatever! I just got into chuunin level!"
"and so? I just got promoted as well! jerk!"
Konohamaru turned his back.
"feh, i dunno about you but im goin' home... and... im bringing ya with me!" he said as he carried Kana and gave her a piggyback.
Kana blushed a little, and tried to jump out of konohamaru's back, but she was too weak to even lift her arm.
"I dont need your help! Im-"
"shutup... youve lost a lot of blood... and I got to do this as a man... crap... youre heavy..."
Kana gave a short giggle and laid her head on Konohamaru's back.
"youre the one who wanted to carry me..."
Konohamaru blushed and continued walking towards the gates of konohagure...
"Wake up!" he said as he shook Kana up with one arm, "hey, sleepy head! youre in the hospital!"
Kana saw she was in a bed, her wounds were already patched up, and her previous wound (the one that she got when we first met her) was sewn up tighter (because her battles with the 10 anbu on the way had reopened it). She was still sleepy from the anesthesia, the doctors had seemed to given her a minor reoperation.
"huh? Im in konoha right now?" she asked konohamaru who was next to her.
"eep... and I havent told you that yet! anyway, where are you from?"
Kana paused to think for a while... she cant trust him with valuable information yet...
"Im from... er... "
Konohamaru smiled and walked towards the door.
"hehe... Its okay if you cant remember... Im Konohamaru...grandson of the 3rd Hokage..."
Kana sat up and returned the smile.
"Im Kana..."
"Nice to meet ya Kana... and now... I have to go home... okay... Ja..."
Kana blushed a little seeing Konohamaru walk away, her father didnt tell her about this lad. So she didnt expect for them to meet. It was also the first time she met someone her age, the time she came from, there was no other kid there except her.
"Ja..."
Konohamaru was already outside the hospital when he heard a familiar voice...
"Hey... I see that you have come back on schedule Konohamaru..."
Konohamaru looked at where the voice came from... Ebisu..
"crud... do you really have to follow me around?"
"Im your tutor... I have to... youre the-"
Konohamaru rolled his eyes, here he goes again.
"I know... 'Im the 3rd hokage's grandson and I have to report on you everytime I come back from a solo misson...' am I riiiight?"
Ebisu cleared his throat,
"well... anyway... what were you doing on the hospital? a-are you hurt!" Ebisu said as she searched Konohamaru for wounds or bruises and such injuries.
"NO."
Ebisu calmed down and crossed his arms,
"oh... and why the hell are you in the hospital then?"
Konohamaru grinned.
"I helped someone out..."
"hmm... a girl?"
Konohamaru was shocked, how the hell did Ebisu know he was with a girl?
"h-how d-did... you.."
"hah... if you listen to my lessons more properly you'll remember that if you concentrate your chakra on the nose... youre sense of smell will be greatly improve! and the scent on your shirt came from a girl..."
Ebisu looked in front of him... Crap... Konohamaru ran from him again...Ebisu's gonna get it now...
"not again..."
Konohamaru had lived alone ever since his grandfather had died, his father was too busy on missions, so was his mother... Tsunade gave him monthly allowances, but it was pretty small for his appetite... the poor kid.
"gah... Im so tired..."
He slumped on his bed.
'why are those anbu after Kana? I suppose its none of my bussiness...'
he turned his head to the left.
'crud... what if she's a sound nin? I let her in? Tsunade'll kill me for sure...'
He turned his head again (will it ever stop?)
'no... its impossible... A sound nin wont kill his comrades... well unless that girl's a missing nin... but she has no mask... hmmm...'
"and... WHY THE HELL AM I THINKING OF A GIRL!" he shouted out.
Konohamaru calmed himself down. Thinking was NOT one of the things that relaxes him... now he has a headache...
'arghh... women give me headaches... especially moegi... why the hell do I have to be the only guy on the team...? There's that Moegi... always bugging me, and that Kikyou...always making me do stuff... sheesh... and that Kana... she's not any diffrent from them...that's what Im sure of...'
-(3 hours later, it was lunchtime now.)-
Konohamaru had woken up from his 'arrival nap' and decided to check up again on Kana... he seems to have an interest in her. But only time will tell...
"Heyyy! Konohamaru!"
"Kono-kuuuun!"
'oh no... it's... Moegi and Kikyou...damn'
(note worthy fact: Konohamaru is the 'sasuke' of their generation in my fic... which means... fangirls...!)
"what's it now you two?" Konohamaru said while walking towards the hospital.
Kikyou laughed.
"nothing! we just wanna hang out with ya!"
"yeah... youve been on solo missions more than Hanabi, Hanako, or even Sasuke-sensei! "(sasuke is their jonin teacher...hehehe)
konohamaru just looked at them and continued walking.
"like its something bad I suppose?" Konohamaru replied, "Anyway, Sasuke- sensei is on a mission with Naruto-san... and If you excuse me... I have to visit a friend!"
"a F-R-I-E-N-D?" said a voice... it was...
"Udon?"
Udon just laughed and jumped out of the tree he was hiding in.
"Hehehe... you can still recognize my voice when we havent seen each other for a week..."
Konohamaru kept on walking, but the group kept following them around...
"...you people are annoying... crap... why do you people keep on following me?" he shouted to them.
Udon got some photos from his pockets... gasp! Konohamaru stopped to look at them when Udon passed them over.
"What's this?"
In the picture it was him carring the wounded Kana on his back. Kana had her head on his back and her arms around his neck.
"uh... she was wounded..."
"youre acting out of character right now... hehehe... usually you wont stop walking until you reach your destination no matter what the subject was!"
Moegi and Kikyou glared at Konohamaru.
"Don't... tell... us..."
"... you... have... a...girlfriend?"
"wha? NO! I told you people... She's only a friend!"
But someone else was with them...
"Yeah folks... He's just a friend..."
Konohamaru looked behind him. It was kana, she was wearing a dark blue ninja uniform now,(think misao from Rurouni kenshin! XD, btw her usual clothes has a chuunin jest, a grey shirt and olive green shorts...) leaning her back against a wall.
"Youre supposed to be at the hospital..." Konohamaru said to Kana on a confused tone of speaking.
Kana just laughed and went nearer the group.
"It was boring... I had to escape..." She joked.
'What a flirt...' Kikyou thought.
'I dont like this girl...' Moegi also thought to herself.
"hahaha... now tell me... why are the sound anbu after you?" Konohamaru asked the girl.
Kana laughed.
"its confidencial... and of course a chuunin like you knows what Confidencial means... right?"
"Yeah I know what It means...damnit.." Konohamaru said in an annoyed tone...
Kana raised an eyebrow.
"Hehehe... you dont seem like you know..."
Moegi jumped in front of Konohamaru.
"comeon kono-kun! Lets get away from this girl!"
Kikyou did so too.
"no! come with me! me! me! me!"
Konohamaru paused for a few seconds and just walked towards Kana and took her arm. He liked Kana from other girls for some reason. She wasnt like the other people he knew who'd just do anything he wanted them to do and unlike the other girls, she treated him like a rival...
"nah... Im goin with Kana... besides... there are many things I wanna know..."
Konohamaru smiled at Kana and she blushed of course... They walked away towards Tsunade's house for a visit.
"That Girl!" Kikyou complained
Moegi agreed with her.
"Yeah! She stole Konohamaru-kun from us!"
Udon just laughed at them and followed Konohamaru and Kana hoping to be able to spy on them.
'this'll get interesting...'