AN: I got a few reviews saying how gruesome that fight was, especially the ending. But, as I replied to some of you, Naruto has some anger issues. You would too, if you happened to have every person you knew and loved slaughtered for no reason. Or was there a reason? And is it the reason I'm going to lead you to believe it is?

Hm…


Chapter 3: To Find and not be Found


Naruto had returned to camp to find Hinata leaning against the cliff wall behind the waterfall. The bodies had mostly been moved away from the camp, but neither Hinata nor the fox in her lap, which had suddenly appeared when the fight had been done, looked like they were going to do anything more. As much as Naruto wanted to let them rest, he needed some answers.

Now.

"Hinata-san."

She glanced up from the fox she was stroking into his eyes. The veins around them had receded, and their intensity had gone back to the normal level. Her wings were also gone, but that was to be expected.

"I've told you a lot about myself, now I think you need to tell me something as well."

The indigo haired girl looked down again and nodded. She was still covered in blood, probably from Naruto's own fighting. Her style had been cleaner, at least on the outside. Naruto had a feeling that if he opened up one of those men's heads he wouldn't find a normal brain anymore.

"You fight better than almost anyone I have seen."

"I had training…"

"I gathered that. You also seemed to, at multiple times in that fight, to have eyes in the back of your head. I assume it has something to do with their color and the veins around them."

"…"

She didn't look up, but he could tell by the way she moved he hand to stroke the fox that she was struggling with something.

"Is it a Kekkei Genkai?"

She looked up then, startled. Shocked that he even knew the name. He had to frown for a moment. Everyone knew that Kekkei Genkai were both rare and desired. At one time in history people had feared them so much that they went on massive hunts to slaughter everyone with 'tainted blood'. In modern times it was incredibly rare to find someone with a Kekkei Genkai outside of the military and not being used as lab rats.

"N… no…"

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Hinata-san. I have insane healing powers, remember? I always figured it was a latent blood limit. I'm not going to sell you to the highest bidder, who would feed me then?"

He tried to lighten the mood a little, but it failed horribly. She looked like someone had tried it before…

"It's the Byakugan."

Naruto stared at her. He'd never heard of it in all of his studies, and he came from a ninja village.

"It allows me to see chakra networks and nearly completely around myself. I can even see through normal walls."

"Sounds… useful."

"Because I can see it, it allows me to have precise control over my chakra, where it goes, I mean. When I fight I use chakra to destroy the chakra networks of others."

Ah, so that was why they died.

"Well, as I said, I'm impartial to Kekkei Genkai, so don't worry about it. I was impressed by your fighting…"

"I hate fighting…"

"I gathered that as well. But you don't seem to have battle shock…"

"I've killed before."

"For someone who doesn't like to fight, you do it beautifully."

She just looked at the fox she was petting. He thought he caught a light blush on her cheeks, but couldn't be sure. Naruto turned and sat down next to her.

"So… you want to tell me why you need a bodyguard. I think you could have easily handled that fight. Maybe even that saber dragon in the forest if you weren't shocked from the deaths of your guards."

"I do."

"From what?"

"From… people who might stand between me and the truth."

"And what is the truth?"

"I don't know yet."

Naruto sighed.

"Listen, we aren't going to be an effective team if I don't know what we're supposed to be doing. I can't help if you don't let me."

"I don't want you in on this…"

"In on what?"

"Listen, if you know anything then it will just be harder if we get caught…"

"Caught by whom? The military?"

No reply. Naruto slumped back against the wall.

"Kami… your going against the military, that's why you need my help…"

"The less you know, the less chance that… well…"

"Hinata-san, in case you've forgotten exactly who I am and what I've told of your past, let me rephrase it. I hate those bastards with all my being. If you get caught, it will be because they killed me, there is no other way to get to you. Not anymore. Now tell me what you want. Why are you going up against the strongest group in the world?"

"I… you'll think I'm crazy…"

"I'm crazy, Hinata-san. You are a mystery, but not crazy."

"I… I had a vision."

Ok, maybe she is crazy…

"O…K?"

"See? You think I'm crazy!"

She was standing now, the kit jumping out of her lap. She looked furious.

She really believes she had a vision. I might as well hear this out…

"Yeah, you might be crazy…" She turned around, about to leave for who knows where. "… but, let's say you weren't. What was this vision?"

She didn't turn around.

"I saw… I saw the world… the lands floating like tiny specks in the sky… the sky was blue and there was peace…" She clenched her fists. "Then a man came from the land of fire. His hands engulfed the world, sheltering it for a moment, but then it became obvious it wasn't protectiveness, but possessiveness that drove him. He used something… evil… to bring fire to the other lands, each soon falling into his shadow…"

She turned around with tears in her eyes.

"I know what I saw was true! That man… he exists! I had never seen him before that vision, but when I left my home to see if it was true… I saw him. In Kirigakure. I was working as a maid in the lord's mansion to see if I could find any information, true or false, about my vision. He was meeting with the lord of this land. The man from my vision is the lord of the fire nation, and the general of the imperial military."

"What?"

"I know it was him! He even gave off the same evil aura as the man from my vision, even if it was being contained by the man! So… I stole something from him. I stole a small amulet that was important to him. He said it was used to look for something… I didn't know what but it was important! I hid it in the lord's mansion in a place no one would ever find… but I was forced to leave soon after when they started a search and fired all the hired help. It's still there, and I need to get it before that man!"

"And if you are spotted in the lord's mansion again…"

"I'll be suspected."

"And killed."

"Hai."

The two stood feet apart staring into each other's eyes. Naruto, for the first time in his life, couldn't believe his eyes. Hyuga Hinata was telling the absolute truth. Now, whether she was insane or not… she was an incredible person to go to such lengths just for the odd chance that someone might be trying to control the five elemental nations.

"You really want to risk going against the imperial military, the very organization that had only one special ops force destroy my entire village, a village filled with ninja more powerful than me? You're insane. You're insane and the weirdest person I have ever met."

The girl looked like she was about cry. Naruto couldn't keep a straight face anymore.

"Just the kind of person I like."

"Wha… what?"

"You heard me. I'm in."

She just stared at him with those lilac eyes. She couldn't comprehend it.

"You're… not going to quit?"

"I already said I couldn't quit. Who would feed me?"

The girl seemed about to mention that it had been him that fed her that night, but stopped. She smiled, tears of happiness in her eyes.

"You believe me?"

"… No."

Instant depression.

"But I'm an open minded man, or I like to think I am. Who knows, maybe your vision is real. I'll just stay around until I find out, one way or the other."

She smiled again. This girl was an emotional hurricane, up and down and up and down and up…

But that could have been that she had just killed a half dozen men.

"Now, get some sleep. I'll take watch."

"You need to sleep also…"

"Foxy will take second watch. He can be quite loud when he wants to be."

Hinata walked to the small tent and stepped half way in before turning around again.

"You know, you're the first one I've told about my vision besides my family. I'm… I'm glad that you're with me."

And with a blush that Naruto could see even in the early night darkness, she disappeared into the tent.

Naruto just stood where he was, listening to the waterfall through his own stunned silence.

It had been the first time someone had appreciated his presence since the fall of Konoha.


The next morning came and while it was still mostly dark in the canyon they were packed and ready to go when it the first rays of light shone on the west wall of the ravine. The second day of the trip was much like the first if you viewed it from a far. Two humans and one fox enjoying a nice day in early spring on their way to the capital of the land. But things had changed between the pair. They talked a lot more, for one. This time they let some things be said that actually mattered. Hinata had a large family including a sister. He mother had passed away in her childhood. She enjoyed sweet things.

Naruto filed all the information on her he could into his mind.

Who knows how important it could be later to know that her favorite color is lilac?

There was at least one very small and unused portion of his brain that realized exactly how this could be useful, and why he was so attentive to the lithe purple haired girl.

But he chose not to hear it.

Hinata also learned many things about her new bodyguard, one of the few people in the world who knew her secret.

Naruto liked ramen. She had lost count of the times he had reiterated it. He didn't know why a fox followed him everywhere, but figured it had something to do with the fact he was always cooking something a fox might like to eat. His marks on his cheeks were natural, or so he was told as a child. He was trained to be an elite ninja from birth, one of the previous Fire Lord's elite troops. When the new Fire Lord had taken over by force, Konoha had sent a simple letter saying they disagreed with the hostile takeover and would not recognize the new lord.

They were killed soon after.

Hinata had trouble believing a village of people the strength of Naruto could be slaughtered so easily, but he assured her it was true.

And she believed him.

She seemed to have an easy time believing everything she said.

Whether that was because of her uncanny ability to read others or just the fact that she just really wanted to believe the blonde man beside her, she couldn't tell herself.

Neither saw that they were getting too involved in their traveling companion.

They were just 'information gathering'.

They were just opening themselves up, both equally afraid of being hurt, but thinking that this time it might be worth that risk.


They arrived at the city of Kirigakure near the end of the day, having had taken their time. Both had been to the capital before, so it really wasn't anything new to either of them. But to someone who had never been there before the view could only have been called incredible.

The city was built on the far eastern edge of the Land of Water. And the word 'edge' is taken quite literally. The slope of the ground curved up, creating a rather odd phenomenon where the highest point in the city was actually on the edge of the sky. A half hill with only the uphill side.

The downhill side was a quick trip to the poison mists.

The city was built with a few main roads leading from the cities gates all the way to the large building at the top of the hill, the lord of Water's house. The roads were lined with small shops, houses, and a large amount of people.

A normal town if it weren't for one specific thing.

The village hidden in the mist is nearly perpetually hidden in the mist.

Literally.

All over the city clouds float, some blocking entire portions of the roads. Every so often an enormous cloud will cover the entire city. To someone far away it would look like there was no city, only a sheet of cloud. But the people inside the cloud were in a perpetual fog. A street might seem perfectly clear one moment and if it is a windy day a person could walk five feet from their door an find themselves lost in a cloud an instant later.

It made things very interesting.

And beautiful.

Especially now, at sunset.

The rays of the setting sun shone through the clouds creating the illusion of hundreds of small orange clouds decorating the city like it was a festival. The clouds dispersed the light and caused the entire city to glow like a candle in the evening.

"Wow…"

"Yeah…"

Needless to say, neither Naruto nor Hinata had ever seen the city like that.


"Naruto…"

"Shh…"

"Naruto, we don't need to sneak through the front gates."

"Quiet."

Naruto and Hinata were outside one of the many gates leading into the city. Hinata had insisted that they wouldn't be looking for her and no one knew her personally so there was no recognition. There was no reason to sneak in.

Naruto wasn't so sure.

He ducked away from the wall to speak with Hinata. They backed away to nearly a half mile away from the walls before he started talking.

"Hinata, what is that in the sky at the dock of the lord's mansion?"
Hinata looked up to the highest point in the city. The enormous building that put all the others to shame in both size and extravagance was easy to pick out. A cloud passed over the top of the mansion, blocking her view momentarily. It blew away quickly, though, and the thing at the docking area on the opposite side of the tower came into clear view.

And Hinata realized why Naruto was cautious.

"The Hokage…"

A massive bloated vessel marred the sky with its presence. It was easily the size of the entire lord's mansion in length. The prow was coated in a heavy metal shield that was built to be able to completely absorb ramming through smaller vessels. The sides, top, and bottom all bristled with cannons. The front had the two largest cannons in the world while the back was reserved for loading and offloading troops. All over the hull were numerous propellers and turbines, each aiding in keeping the ship aloft. This was the pride of the Imperial Army, the largest battleship and the flagship of its armada, the Hokage. The top scientists in the world had built the monstrosity. It had enough cannons on it to level the city of Kirigakure to dust. It was capable of carrying over fifty Beetle class IV tanks and over two thousand troops.

And it was the official transport of the Fire Lord.

"Right, the Hokage."

Hinata shivered involuntarily.

"What… what do we do?"

"We go in, but quietly."

"But…"

"Don't worry, I got this. The guards won't even notice us."

It was common knowledge that if someone tried to go over the walls of any of the major cities in the world that alarms would start blaring immediately, warning everyone of an intruder. Gone were the times of freedom to travel where one pleased. Each person had papers by law that allowed them to travel. And allowed the nation's lords to keep close eye on who was in their cities.

When they arrived back at the gate Naruto motioned for her to stop, the fox followed his command as well. He crept closer, just close enough to hear what the guards were saying…

"Well, I can't say this is the worst time to be guarding the gates, eh Pike?"

"You got that right, Allan. Those damned soldiers from fire… taking over the barracks like they owned it. And even the Lord's mansion is housing a few dozen of the bastards! How dare they disrespect the Lord of Water like that?"

"I don't get it. The Lord of Fire comes here from out of nowhere, signs a treaty, and leaves. All in the period of two days. Then a few weeks later these bastards show up, acting like they own the place, interrogating the guards and everyone…"

"Even the maids! My wife quit her new job there after nearly being raped while they questioned her. If it wasn't for the captain, she might have been…"

"Those bastards. Their commander can't even keep them in line. Or chooses not to. That snake bastard…"
Snake bastard?

"I don't care if he is the leader of their 'special forces', this Orochimaru better sleep with his eyes open after the enemies he's made he…"

Naruto suddenly popped out from behind the tree he had been hiding behind. But not as himself at all.

Instead of an average height, blonde, and slightly thin man he appeared to be a very tall, very thin, and very creepy looking man with pale skin.

Instantly both of the guards stiffened.

"What was that I hear about me needing to watch out?"

"Lord Orochimaru!"

Naruto strode up to the men before stopping inches from the first ones face.

"I asked you a question, Sergeant Pike. Are you going to answer or will I have my men find where you live and interrogate your wife again…"

Naruto knew he had accomplished his goal when the man drew his sword and swung as fast and hard as he could at his neck. But Naruto merely ducked before punching the man in the gut hard enough to knock him unconscious, and the other man quickly followed his friend on his way to dream land.

Naruto whispered a small 'kai' before once again appearing as Naruto. He motioned to where he knew Hinata had been watching from and she soon was by his side.

"Naruto?"

"They won't report this, they attacked a high ranking officer in the imperial army."

"Who was that? How did you know…"

"No time, hurry. Let's find a place to sleep.

Stepping over the two bodies the duo plus the fox kit hurried into a near deserted town, as night was quickly falling. After a few minutes of walking the road they had been on they found a sign for a hotel. It seemed to be just a large house, but they would take anything to have a place to sleep away from prying eyes.

They walked out of the place nearly thirty seconds after entering it, both blushing profusely.

"Ano…"

"I… really didn't think he would say something like that…"

"I… uh… yeah."

There had only been one room available, with only one bed. The man had obviously not wanted their business, because he mentioned that the 'honeymoon suite' was occupied, but the kind of hotel they were looking for could be found on the other side of town.

Naruto silently vowed to decapitate that man if he saw him alone in a forest.

Hinata couldn't think straight due to all the blood rushing to her face.

They continued walking for a bit more before finding a heartwarming sight. A small child was sitting on the steps of a house and staring at the clouds. Behind his back the house looked well lit in the night and they could hear the sounds of a family enjoying themselves before it was time to sleep. Before they knew it the child had been called back inside, where he went with a smile, before the door was shut behind him.

"That was…"

"Cute."

Hinata and Naruto both knew that it hadn't been just cute. One of them had just seen a life he had never had, the other was remembering her previous life at her home.

The street lights were being lit by the lamplighters as they continued their search for a place to stay. At least once or twice Naruto had pulled Hinata into a dark alley just as a group of soldiers appeared around a corner. Needless to say, the first time this had happened both had been rather embarrassed by the close quarters. Naruto had been nearly hiding Hinata's body with his own and they were so close together that Naruto's chin was resting on her head. Neither had thought anything about it until the group of soldiers had passed and they turned to face each other only to find themselves only inches apart.

You could tell they were strong by the speed they flew away from each other.

But, eventually they came to a small inn that allowed them to have the rooftop as their camp. It was not the ideal area, being the clouds combined with the possible sighting from people higher in the city, but when they got up to the roof and found it flat and walled in with the walls covered in all kinds of flowers they agreed. They were provided with mattresses and pallets which they placed as close to the wall as possible, getting covered from sight by the plants and the wall.

Almost as soon as they had gotten set up a cloud had passed over them, making visibility next to zero. With very short 'good night's, and a long awkward silence they were once again asleep.

Neither knowing what they were about to get into.

AN: Haha. I put in an oc. Kinda. But seriously, I don't do many ocs.