~In Another Life~
Disclaimer: I own nothing Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi the great and sometimes depressing god. If only Itachi was still alive, also Asuma. He was cool too. *insert sad face here*
On with the story!
x
Naruto grew up with hate. That emotion was always associated with him while he was growing up. People hated him. It was as simple as that. But that didn't stop him. For him, it got easier and easier to brush off those hateful stares as he grew older. Naruto knew what hate was, but he never had that emotion in him. Uzumaki Naruto didn't hate. It just wasn't part of him. As he grew older, Naruto found it easier to keep moving forward. Once he found out who his true parents were, and that they loved him, the subconscious weight of those hateful stares disappeared. In an instant, Naruto was shown the one emotion that had never been given to him before.
Love.
But right now, this instant. Looking at the boy who looked so much like himself and his beloved father, he couldn't just shake off that hateful stare. He couldn't just keep moving forward. He couldn't feel his father's love. Because right now, it felt like his father hated him.
And it hurt.
More than any senbon, kunai or katana could ever do to him.
So he did the only thing he could do.
"I'm sorry." He apologised.
Whatever he did to this boy, whatever pain he caused him, he will apologise. Because if Naruto himself caused the pain that was swimming through the boy's familiar face, Naruto knew it was something that was hurting the boy more than him.
He will stop the pain.
Apologising was a start.
x
Sasuke looked at Naruto quietly, he knew why the fool apologised. He knew the fool too well. He saw the pain flash through his blue eyes, and he understood. He turned his gaze towards the other blond boy, his face holding so many similarities to his friend.
The Tasuku boy's expression changed Naruto's apology seemed to have fazed him. Tasuku didn't expect an apology from his friend.
Silence.
No reply.
Sasuke looked at the boy's expression, he looked like he wasn't ready for the apology, his mouth was agape, silver eyes wide and staring at Naruto.
Then the silence was broken by an ear pinching scream.
Sasuke turned towards the noise, and there on the bed was the Hyuga writhing and clamping her ears with her hands, she kept kicking the bed, her eyes were clenched shut.
She was having a nightmare.
He went closer to the bed, he noticed other went closer to. The other three were panicking.
"SHINO!" Hinata was shouting loudly.
"SHINO!" It wouldn't stop.
"What's going on?" Naruto shouted to his right. Sasuke looked towards Ino for guidance, she was panicked as well, he noticed that Tasuku went around the bed next to Ino, his face was filled with worry.
"SHINO!"
"Okaa-san! Aunt Ino, do something!" Tasuku tried to shout over the Hyuga's screaming he was restraining her legs. Ino was trying to pinning her shoulder's down to prevent the Hyuga from hurting anyone and herself. A louder scream escaped Hinata's lips.
"I can't do anything. We have to wait until the nightmare stops!" Ino was shouting, her voice was muffled by Hinata's scream. Hinata was fighting to get free, her hands were still clutching her ears. Her face was scrunched up in pain. Tears were at the corner of her eyes.
Sasuke knew what to do, he had many nightmares before in his childhood, and his mother always helped him through it. He remembered exactly how. So he placed his right arm under her knees, his left arm under her shoulder and lifted her, she was still writhing and kicking. She was light but holding her was difficult.
He quickly walked backwards towards his bed and sat down.
He placed her head on his shoulder brought his arms around her tiny waist and slowly rocked side to side. She stopped fighting.
He whispered to her.
"Shh, you're safe. No one's gonna hurt you. Everything will be alright. I'll stay here by your side." He whispered to her ears slowly in an even tone, he kept repeating the words like a mantra. She stopped fighting him now, and her breathing was slowing down. She was clutching his bandages, crying softly.
She fit perfectly in his arms.
"Don't leave…" Hinata kept mumbling those words in his shoulder quietly.
She finally went back to sleep after two minutes. During the whole time he repeated calming words to her ear. He stopped whispering and looked up. He saw three pairs of wide eyes staring back at him. There was so much blond. It was hurting his sensitive eyes.
"What?" He whispered, hoping not to wake the sleeping girl in his arms and glared at the three.
"You made it stop." Ino sound surprised, she went around Hinata's bed and approached him. She brought her arms up to heal the wound on Hinata's head. Ino looked up at him and gave him a look, she looked thankful.
"Why was she screaming like that?" Naruto asked from behind Ino.
"I told you, nightmares." Ino answered, who was nearly finished healing Hinata, Sasuke could barely see the wound now.
"Sounded like a pretty bad nightmare." Naruto whispered, Sasuke felt the bed shift to his right, it was the Tasuku boy he was sat down next to him, he looked at Hinata, worry was written all over his face.
"Thank you." Sasuke heard him whisper, Tasuku reached a hand out to touch Hinata's face. Sasuke frowned, his hand was shaking. Tasuku was shaken up because of Hinata's screams.
Why? Why did this boy care so much for Hinata?
"She cut her hair." Sasuke heard him whisper to himself.
"Oh? Yeah, she said it got in the way for her missions and training. She's training to become an ANBU you know, she said she wants to become a captain. Something about proving herself." Ino explained to Tasuku.
Sasuke saw how Tasuku's head whipped up so fast he thought it would fly off from his neck.
"What? She never tried to become an ANBU, she's supposed to be training to be a medic-nin right now." Tasuku replied.
Sasuke frowned. 'Supposed to become'? What does that mean? Sasuke looked towards Naruto who was giving Tasuku the same confused look. Sasuke turned to Ino, she didn't look fazed at all, she looked like she understood.
"Tasuku-san, I don't think you're supposed to be telling me all of this." Ino said quietly, her whispers failed. Sasuke heard everything. What were they talking about? Are they talking about her future?
Then Sasuke remembered, when Hinata was screaming, he called her Okaa-san. Sasuke looked down at Hinata still sleeping across his lap, he looked at her face; she had a slim face, button nose and he couldn't forget those eyes. They were different from other Hyuga's, they had a lavender hue to them instead of pure silver.
Sasuke looked at Tasuku's he was looking towards Ino so he had side view of it, he had the same slim face, the same lips, and the same lavender hue eyes. But everything else was different not like Hinata but similar, he recognised those features. His cheekbones was more defined and sharper, his nose was sharper too. And that hair, not much people had that hair, but the colour and texture of it was something he was very familiar with.
It didn't take long Sasuke to work it out.
"You're their son." Sasuke stated calmly, Tasuku who had been looking at Ino turned to him slowly, and he gave Sasuke a smile.
Sasuke didn't miss Naruto's reaction.
Naruto was passed out on the floor.
x
Hinata was dreaming of that day. The day that changed her world, the day that opened her eyes to everything.
She was fighting off at least three shinobi's at one time, ducking, kicking and punching the nearest flesh she could reach. Her Byakugan was activated, she was nearly at the end of her limit.
Keep fighting!
He chakra reserves running so low.
Three more White Zetsus, appear after she defeated the last three.
Keep fighting!
Kaiten.
Movement to her left.
"Hinata!" Shino was shouting for her, last minute she ducked. A large sword went past her head.
She looked at the attacker. Their entire face was covered, except their eyes.
Blue eyes.
The attacker took another swing for her, Hinata jumped back. She felt herself stagger, she was losing her energy.
She was so weak.
She kneeled to the floor, the Kaiten she used took out the last of her chakra, her palms lay flat on the muddy floor, her breaths were getting shorter. She looked back at the attacker, they were standing in front of her, sword raised above her head. Hinata knew what was coming.
She waited for the blow to come.
It never came.
Slowly she looked up and it took all of her strength not to collapse.
The sword -meant for her- had struck Shino's shoulder. It was imbedded so deep into his shoulder she was sure it was beside his heart.
She screamed.
Shino fell.
She saw red, her energy came back, and she attacked. Like a raging bull, pulling out a kunai she went for the attacker's face. The attacker was too fast but Hinata got their cheek it cut through the black fabric surrounding their face and their cheek bled. Hinata was about to go for another slice. But the attacker was gone, there was no trace of them.
They disappeared.
She turned back to Shino, he was bleeding so much.
The ground was a pool of blood.
The sword sliced through his lung.
She finally realised she'd been screaming his name. Her throat hurt. She cradled his head and placed it on her lap.
"Hinata." She heard him whisper.
"Shino." She took off his glasses and looked him in the eyes for the first time.
Golden eyes.
They were beautiful.
She heard Kiba and Akamaru land behind them.
"Kiba." He called for him, Kiba crawled over and sat next to Hinata.
They only had a few minutes left, she could feel his heartbeat become slower, the pool of blood became bigger.
She was covered in his blood.
"Shino. Who did this? I'll get them! I'll-"
"They're gone." Hinata cut through Kiba's ramblings and promise for revenge. She kept stroking Shino's cheek, his eyelids were slowly closing, they were barely open now.
"Thank you, Shino." Hinata thanked him. Her eyes were filled with tears. Some were dropping onto his face.
He smiled.
Then his heart stopped beating.
And it started raining.
x
Hinata woke up after her nightmare, it wasn't the first time those memories came back to her it always happened when she's tired and she sleeps without her knowledge. It was like a reminder for her to become stronger, so she wouldn't be covered in blood.
She slowly came to her senses and she was engulfed with warmth. She had never woken up so comfortable before. She felt the warmth move. This warm thing had arms!
Her eyes snapped open, she was met with blackest black she had ever seen. Then pain crashed through her skull. She instantly closed her eyes and brought her hands to her head. The warmth was moving her and lifting her up she felt herself be placed down onto a bed.
Her head was hurting so much.
"Hinata." She felt someone nudge her.
"Hinata, you need to take these for the headache." Someone grabbed her right hand from her head and placed two small pills on them. Hinata opened her eyes slowly the pain was stronger when her eyes were open, it was Ino who was handing her pills. She was also holding a glass of water. Hinata popped the pills into her mouth grabbed the glass of water and swallowed. She felt instant relief and mumbled a thank you.
Finally feeling no tinge of pain when she opens her eyes she glanced around, she saw Ino was giving her a worried stare directly above her.
Looking at Ino gave her a nagging feeling that she's forgetting a very important piece of information. She saw Sasuke was behind her there were bandages around his torso, and he was leaning onto the bed beside her own. Hinata sat up, and she was yellow at the corner of her eyes. Turning her head to the end of her bed, her eyes widened. She remembered everything.
The whole conversation before she fainted.
"Hyuga Tasuku." The name escaped her lips before she could stop herself. She stared at Tasuku with wide eyes he was looking at her, before she knew it she had crawled over to the end of the bed where he sat. She touched his faced lightly and ran a hand lightly beside his face, on his cheeks, beside his eyes.
Her eyes.
And he took it all even giving her a small smile.
"I'm your mother." She said more to herself than to anyone. She didn't know how he got here. Or why.
But she didn't care; she was so happy.
He was beautiful.
Perfect.
She cried.
She felt him wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace, she buried her head in his shoulder and sobbed.
He smelt just like refreshing rain.
x
A/N: I can honestly say, I really didn't know how to write this chapter. I was completely stuck! Which makes me hate this chapter more than the previous one. I didn't want to make Shino's death to cliché, or too sad. I just wanted it to be simple. Thank you for reading! I'm sorry there's not as much fluff! I originally wanted Naruto to stop Hinata's nightmares but I didn't feel like he would know how to, and since Sasuke has been given a lot of love during childhood I thought it was appropriate to give him the role…
Anyways! Special thanks to:
KiyumiArashi (who has been more than amazing helping me, reviewing and encouraging me! You have been awesome!)
FrozenSnowDrop
hikari to seimei
Hime-Love-97
thelastshanghai
1rosiestar1
Who all reviewed on the last chapter! Thank you for your encouragement and kind words! You make me so happy!
Less than threeee~
WHERE'S MY CAKE?