alright well here we are -the epilogue- I hope your prepared to a) spoil things for yourself or b) re-live the NaruHina moment(s) in chapter 558/559. I hope you enjoy my story!
(don't own Naruto- blah blah blah)
'No… no please! Stop!' he cried out desperately within his head as his hands balled into tighter fists against his loyal dog's mane. "This is bad! Hinata is…!" he clenched his teeth as he willed his dog to sprint faster, never once taking his eyes off his target. He cursed inside his head as he was still too far to make it in time, was this how it was going to end? Was there really nothing he could do?
His dark slitted eyes widened as he looked further in the distance to see a young Hyuga knock three of his attackers down for the count. "Neji!" Kiba cried out immediately catching the Byakugan user's attention.
Neji spun on the ball of his foot as his Byakugan blazed eyes scanned over the battle field. His heart rate increased as he quickly leapt into action sprinting as fast as he could down the hill. 'Shit. I won't make it!' he cursed to himself as his eyes scanned over his cousin raising her arms up above her face to shield herself from an almost certainly deadly attack.
'NO!' Neji eyes widened in utmost fear as he watched the knuckle blade pierce across his cousin's chest with such force that she was sent sailing through the air until her body smashed against the nearest earth wall, causing an ear splitting crash to echo throughout the war-stricken field.
Neji froze in place as his wide Byakugan activated eyes searched the rumble and dust desperately for a sign that his cousin was ok. His hands shook by his side as he watched her body slide down the wall and fall to her knees with a glassy look washed over her eyes.
Seeing her like that…seeing his cousin's presumably dead body, caused the young Hyuga's heart to clench tightly within his chest as it practically stopped beating. His eyes lowered slightly as his hands balled into tight fists by his side. "Damn!" he cursed aloud, voicing his regret for everyone to hear…until…
His eyes snapped back up to the figure as it made a painfully loud cracking sound as his cousin's body morphed and twisted back into one of the Zetsu clones. He gave a sceptical look over the mangled body 'that's…that shape shifting guy…'
His presumably cousin's attacker turned back around as he stared up at the clouds above "Who's next?" he screamed above the cries of battle. Neji stood taken aback as he followed the man's line of sight.
A bright yellow blur raced past his line of vision; at first he could have sworn the mysterious stranger looked familiar…almost like… "The two guys in front on the left!" The yellow blur cried back as Neji watched him dash away towards the middle of the battle field. 'Could it be…?-'
"Neji where are you going? This way!" Kiba cried down at the still awe struck Hyuga as he leapt over the battle field clinging tightly to Akamaru whilst following after the yellow blur.
When was it that she realised she was about to die? In the spilt of a second she had finished dealing the final blow to one of the white Zetsu clones when she heard a loud battle cry sound from behind her.
Her long blue locks danced against the wind as she spun around with her arms still slightly raised in a fighting position. Her eyes widened as she watched not one, but three of her so called 'comrades' charge forward with swords raised above their heads, ready to deliver the final blow to the young Hyuga heiress.
Hinata quickly tried to raise her arms in an attacking stance but knew that it was no good. She silently sent an apology out to the one who had engraved his name on her heart as their swords slowly lowered towards the startled kunoichi with the midnight coloured hair. 'I'm sorry Naruto-kun…looks like I broke my promise after all-'
A bright yellow flashed appeared before her eyes pressing a powerful force on her chest as it pushed her back against the ground. She clenched her teeth at the slight pain of being thrown to the ground as roughly as she had been but was slightly confused by the lack of iron piercing her body.
"Sorry for taking so long…" Her eyes widened to the size of sources as she darted her eyes up at the bright light standing protectively over her. Her eyes skimmed up and over his back taking in every identifiable feature she could. Could it be? She questioned herself as the man before her slightly resembled the boy of her dreams. She was in a state of disbelief as she looked over him, his arms held high in the air blocking all three swords from attacking her.
He looked different, his chakra signature was different…but that voice, the way he automatically flung himself in front of an attack to protect her. Her soft pale pink lips parted slightly as she slowly whispered the one word that asked every question she had racing though her head at that time
"Naruto-kun…?"
The man before her smiled at hearing her utter his name again. She was safe; he had made it just in time. He thanked god silently that he hadn't been too late to save her and have to watch her die a second time in his life.
His smile grew wider into a large grin as his determine cobalt eyes locked on the men in front of him. "Everything's alright now!" he spoke loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear instead of just addressing the purple princess behind him.
Hinata sat dumbfounded as his grin slowly faded, his lips tightening into a frown as his burning yellow chakra that surround his entire body spurted out forming four hands that grasped the sword tightly before sending a wave of his chakra through the swords and attacking their wielders on the other end.
The three men cried out in pain as they were sent sailing backwards, before crashing against the ground with a loud thud, their bodies slowly morphing into the white Zetsu clones before turning to trees that scattered along the ground.
His blonde locks swayed against the wind as he turned his head to face the young kunoichi still staring up at him with disbelief written over her face. "Are you alright Hinata?" he asked truly concerned about her well-being as he lowered his hands slowly down by his sides.
Was this real? Was he truly standing before her just now? Her eyes darted across his face seeing his trade mark whiskers and his burning red eyes. "Na-Naruto-kun…" she stuttered out slowly completely oblivious to Akamaru as he raced to her side.
Naruto smiled softly as he gave her a slight nod causing her heart and brain to begin functioning normally again as she rose to her feet never once taking her eyes off the Kyuubi chakra coated blonde before her.
In moments the pair were surrounded by their friends; Neji, Kiba and Shino, causing Naruto to turn his attention away from her to watch a slightly confused and sceptical Neji race towards him.
Despite how grateful Neji was to see his precious cousin still alive and standing, he couldn't help the strong sense of insecurity he felt for this 'Naruto' before him. He had every reason to be sceptical after seeing his cousin die only to find out it was just a clone; who knows who else could be an imposter. Naruto wasn't even supposed to be here, let alone on the front lines and his chakra signature...
Neji narrowed his eyes on the blonde staring him up and down with a glare screaming he'd be killed within a heartbeat if he wasn't the real Naruto.
Kiba raised an eyebrow as he too was having a hard time believing that this guy in front of them was truly the Naruto they all knew. He sniffed the air cautiously growing sceptical of 'Naruto' as Akamaru also whined by his side. "Your smell is different than it was before, Naruto" he stressed his name as he laced it in suspicion. "I didn't notice you at all" Kiba finished gaining a slightly confused look from the blonde as he wondered what he was getting at.
Kiba pouted slightly at Naruto's face as it reminded him of the old days when he'd pull that looked. He huffed out his chest as he turned his attention to Neji frowning slightly towards the stern Hyuga. "But what about you, shouldn't you have noticed him first?" he inquired causing the Hyuga to step forward in defence.
"he looks different then he normally does and his chakra signal is different as well" he retailed back causing the Inuzuka to fume slightly at being shot back as he flicked his head to one side growling under his breath
"Well you could have said you notice someone new" he grumbled under his breath whilst glaring daggers at the Hyuga.
"Are you really Naruto?" Neji questioned with a sudden death glare, completely ignoring Kiba's statement causing Naruto to back track at what was happening.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had just appeared to save these guys and now they were doubting if it was really him or not!
"I'm Naruto Dattebyo!" he yelled slightly at the annoying scepticism that was being thrown his way. Neji arched his eyebrow his Byakugan flaring as the veins around his eyes intensified.
"How do you plan on proving that?" he had the so called 'Naruto' right where he wanted him. If he truly was a fake there was no way he'd be able to escape her sneering gaze.
"It's Naruto-kun!" Hinata yelled as loud as she could to catch everyone's attention. She was having a hard time with all the scepticism as well. Why couldn't they just see that he was the real Naruto? "Just look at his eyes you can tell!" she continued gaining a surprised look from her two comrades Kiba and Shino.
Hinata's hand clutched in front of her chest as she took a step forward her eyes determined to look at everyone to show just how serious she was. "Besides that…" Hinata continued as Naruto's eyes landed on her as he was slightly taken back by her power outburst, but grateful no the less that someone finally believed him.
"…He came to our rescue" she continued knowing that they'd have to believe that to be true. Her eyes locked with Naruto's as she stepped closer to him showing that she trusted the blonde completely. "…sorry Naruto-kun... everyone's so suspicious of you" she apologised on behalf of the group causing Naruto to smile back at her.
'thank you Hinata' his smile widened as he felt the hostile tension slowly diminish as her words soaked in. "Now that I'm here we don't have to sit on the defence any longer" he spoke sternly, his eyes never leaving her pearl like orbs.
"I'll find all the fakes and then we'll take them out together!" he secretly hoped Hinata would smile at him with that gorgeous smile of hers. He slightly chuckled to himself as his mind was brought back to the young Hyuga heiress standing before him and certain death, with nothing but determination in her voice as she said "I just wanted to walk with you…I wanted to be with you…"
He hoped that even though it wasn't exactly what she had always wanted, it was something that he could offer her. To be with him… fighting side by side.
Hinata nodded in response as his eyes continued to linger on her. She detached herself from his intense gaze as her eyes lowered to the ground whilst she bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. 'The one person I've always wanted to protect no matter the cost…always ends up protecting me instead'.
Her mind subconsciously went back to her intense training session with Neji as she remembered her vow to get stronger so she could protect Naruto. 'I guess I really am…no good'
Naruto's crimson orbs softened on the young Hyuga as he felt a wave of depression wash over her. He sighed silently to himself. Why couldn't she see? Why with those eyes of hers, could she not see how truly amazingly strong she was?
His smile fell from his face as he shook his head "…don't worry about it, Hinata…" the mentioned Hyuga snapped her head up to meet his intense stare, which mentally locked her in place. What he needed to say…no what he wanted to say had to reach the young girl. He wouldn't allow her to detach her eyes from him not until she had heard what he had to say.
A small chuckle escaped his lips as he thought back to his time at the academy "I'm pretty lame anyway" he spoke truthfully remembering all the times he failed at things other people seemed to be naturally talented at. "Considering you've already had to save me at least twice now!"
His eyes closed in an upward turn as he smiled with his whole face, remembering the two of them barely even genin standing in the middle of the training field. She gave him such confidence that day. He would have most surely lost himself in his depressive state if it hadn't been for her words. "In my eyes…you're a proud failure!" "I-I think you're an incredibly strong person Naruto-kun"
Hinata's eyes remained wide at his words. How could he tell what she was thinking? She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully before shaking her head. He wasn't supposed to be worrying about her now; she couldn't be a burden on him…not again. "I…I wasn't worrying about that…" she lied not really buying it herself but hoped he would see it as truthful.
Naruto smiled his intense gaze piercing straight into her lavender tinted orbs. Sending her heart into a racing frenzy as it pounded harshly against her chest. His eyes lingered on hers as if he was reading every emotion, every thought and feeling of hers like an open book. He released a breathless chuckle as his lips parted slowly "It's all in your eyes"
Hinata felt her heart skip a beat as her hand instinctively tightened above her heart. "Don't get so down on yourself. You're strong!" he finished hoping that his words finally made it clear to the young heiress.
He wasn't lying; he would never lie to the young kunoichi. He truly did view her as strong. No-one else, no-one but her would have the courage to risk life and limb for someone like him, even though the odds were stacked highly against her, she never fathomed in her decision to intervene. An image of the young girl soaring high in the air ready to attack with full force appeared in his mind's eye.
Hinata couldn't supress the smile that beamed across her lips at hearing his words and somehow looking in his eyes, watching him smile. She knew he was thinking about the time she risked her life to protect him from Pain.
He truly cared deeply about what she was willing to risk for him and yet…she closed her eyes briefly shaking her head slightly from side to side; 'and yet he managed to save me once again, even if he is unaware of it. H-he truly is…my hero'
Naruto's smile remained frozen to his lips as he spun around flinging his arms backwards as he charged off towards the battlefield "Let's go!" he cried out loudly as he lead the way. Hinata nodded her head firmly, her fists pumping slightly towards herself.
"Okay!" she responded confidently, absent of a stutter or a blush. She was determined to not let Naruto down and prove to him that the strength he sees in her truly does exist. As she watched his retreating form she couldn't help but feel as if the sun had finally parted through the dark clouds, warming everything and lighting her way. 'Thank you' she spoke softly inside her head as she raced off…towards the sun.
A/N: Ta Da! I can't believe I haven't read any sort of 'spin off' fic or whatever about those chapters yet. when Hinata confessed there were millions of 'em. well I hope you enjoyed and aren't to disappointed.
Naruto's new look is what inspired me to call this fic "Towards the sun" and also for the fact that Hinata's name means "facing the sun" or "towards the sun" ^^
please rate and reveiw! (I'm working on another story that'll hopefully be finished and published soon) so until next time!