Destiny of the Demon
By: naruhinafan2010
Wow, forty-six reviews. That is more reviews than I could have ever hoped for, and it is definitely more than I thought I'd get. Thank you all for your aid in making my fanfic the best that it can be. To JGOG132, Silver Warrior, and Axion: Thank you for the help with Yondaime's name, I greatly appreciate it. To iloooveinuyasha1: Sakura and Lee's part is coming up, don't you worry. This chap is much longer, so I hope this lives up to your expectations. ENJOY!! PS PS: If you haven't checked out the reviews yet, do so. I left a request there for my fans, and I really hope I get some answers.
I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliates. I did not create Naruto or any other characters: that was the work of my personal idol, Masashi Kishimoto (without him, I would be lost! ) I only own the plot of this story and any original characters you may discover. Copyright infringement was not intended on my part. Enjoy, fans!!
CHAPTER 7
Naruto was enjoying a dream of sakura blossoms, ramen, and a beautiful blue haired girl when he was awakened by pecking. He opened his eyes, and the almost nonexistent tick tick tick went away. Disgruntled that he'd been disturbed from his dream, he turned to lay on his back on the couch and almost drifted back to sleep when the sound came again, and this time he realized it wasn't pecking that he was hearing: someone was knocking on his door.
Grumbling something about people trying to sleep and disturbing the peace, Naruto stood and walked over to the door. Glancing blearily through the peep hole, he was surprised to see Hotaru standing on the doorstep. She looked very nervous, her silver eyes creased in worry, her arms crossed, foot tappiing out a nervous beat on the concrete.
Naruto opened the door slowly and peered out, blinking tiredly. "Hotaru-sensei, do youknow what time it is? I appreciate you coming over and all, but I'm not going to train at two in the morning."
"This isn't about training, Naruto," She replied, tone grim. "May I come in?"
"Uh, sure," He said, opening the door for her. Realizing that all he was wearing was a pair of boxers, he reddened and hurriedly threw on a whit t-shirt with a leaf on the back, one Hinata had gotten him while they'd been walking around the village yesterday afternoon. Gesturing at the living room, he said, "Have a seat."
"Arigato," Hotaru murmured, sitting in the recliner beside the couch. Naruto plopped back down on the couch, sighing wearily. "Ano, Naruto, why are you sleeping on the couch?"
"Huh?" Naruto asked, looking up at her. Then he chuckled and said, "Oh, I haven't cleaned up the bedrooms yet, 'cause I was, um, busy today." He reddened as Hotaru giggled slightly, knowing he had spent the entire day with Hinata. Wanting to change the subject, Naruto asked, "Mmm, so, Hotaru-sensei, what is this about?"
Sighing, she laced her fingers together and scooted to the edge of the chair. "Naruto-kun, there's something I've got to tell you..."
Naruto blinked in surprise. Never had Hotaru-sensei called him kun. Ever. His eyes narrowed in concern as he looked up at the ceiling, waiting for her to speak.
C'mon, Hotaru, tell him already. You can't chicken out now, he knows something's up.
She just couldn't bring herself to listen to her inner voice, and they sat in silence for at least five minutes. Naruto, still sleepy, was about to drift off into a peaceful repose when he realized she was about to speak. He sat up and looked at her, waiting.
She looked up, inhaling. Strange silver met cerulean as she asked, "Naruto... What were you told about your parents?"
Naruto flinched. This was the last thing he'd expected coming from his sensei, and he wondered bleakly just how much she knew about him. "I was told that my mother died in childbirth, and I've never heard anything about my father."
"Childbirth..." Hotaru closed her eyes against the flood of tears trying to escape. She continued, voice slightly shaky. "Did you know that that was a lie? Is a lie..."
Now, this was unexpected. Here was his newfound sensei, coming to him at two in the frickin morning, and telling him that everything he'd been forced to believe as a child was a lie. Growing concerned, Naruto leaned towards the woman and asked, "Have you been drinking, sensei?"
"N-no, that's not it, I..." He suddenly realized that she was trying her best not to burst into tears. His eyes widened in shock as he wondered what had happened to her to put her in this state. "I've got to tell you the truth... since n-nobody around here seems c-capable of d-doing so..."
When she chuckled darkly, Naruto got even more worried. "Did you get hit over the head, Hotaru-sensei? Maybe we oughta go to the hospital... Are you bleeding?"
She shook her head, still trying to keep from crying. "Mom..."
"What?" He asked, leaning in closer to her. She'd murmured something so softly he hadn't been able to hear it.
Hotaru opened her eyes and looked up at him then, finally letting the tears free. "I... I'm your mo-mother, Naruto."
(Hehehe, cliffhangers... I like...)
Hinata was lying on her back in the small dark room, smiling slightly. Yesterday had been a day to die for. She had spent the entire afternoon with Naruto-kun. She giggled softly to herself, still unable to believe it.
Glancing at her bedside table, the neon numbers 2:56 burned themselves into her eyes. She hadn't been able to get to sleep last night, so she'd just laid there in her bed all night and thought about that afternoon. She kept going back to the horrible story Naruto had told her about his childhood. No parents... and no family... Hinata had always wished for a smaller family, or one that wasn't so bent on following the rules. After hearing Naruto's story, however, she began to think that maybe having such a large family wasn't so bad after all. She wasn't alone, however lonely she may feel, and Naruto had really been alone his entire life.
Wiping a tear away from her eye, she turned over and tried to go to sleep when something hit her window with a dull thunk.
Hinata sat bolt upright, heart hammering. What had just hit her window? A shuriken, maybe? Was somebody trying to kidnap her again? Quickly she activated her Byakugan and looked around. She saw only one person outside her bedroom window, and she recognized the odd swirls in his chakra at once.
Letting the veins beside her eyes fade, she saw another object flying towards her window. A rock. Was he throwing rocks at her window? Did he want to talk to her? Blinking in confusion, she pushed the window up and looked out. Sure enough, two stories down, Naruto stood with a handful of rocks. It seemed like he really wanted to talk to her: the next rock he'd been preparing to throw was about the size of a golf ball.
"Naruto-k-kun? What... How d-did you... Wh-why-"
"-I needed to talk to you," He interrupted her in mid sentence. He dropped all of the rocks and began shuffling his feet.
"Naruto-kun?" She asked, immediately knowing something was wrong. Naruto looked deflated-- he stood with his shoulders slumped, head bowed, and never, not once had Hinata ever seen Naruto shuffle his feet.
He looked up at her then, and her heart dropped out of her chest. His eyes were red and puffy, and he murmured one word to her: "..Please..."
She pulled her head back inside and activated her Byakugan again. Nobody was in the main building, and even her father, who would sometimes remain awake throughout the night, was fast asleep in his chambers. Satisfied, she quickly locked her door and crossed the room to her window, pulling herself up onto the sill and launching herself out. She landed almost catlike on the ground, and was surprised at the fluidity with which she had acted. She was even more surprised, however, when Naruto grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face into her shoulder.
Dear Gods, please don't let me faint, She thought, unable to move. He began to sob into her shoulder, wracking heaves that nearly left him breathless. Suddenly she found she had the strength to wrap her arms around his trembling frame, wanting to protect him from whatever had put him in this state. Easing down onto her knees, she brought him down into a more comfortable position and activated her Byakugan for the third time that night, scanning their surroundings once to make sure they were alone. Upon finding they were, she dropped her bloodlimit and began to rub the boy's back, whispering soothing words of comfort into his ear.
As he cried himself out into her shoulder, she suddenly realized that she was angry. Angrier than she'd ever been. She wanted to hunt down whoever was responsible for making Naruto-kun this miserable and give them the most savage beating of their lives. She had never thought about such things, but she'd never been in love with this weeping blonde in her arms more than she was now, and she figured that you can never tell what you're capable of doing when you're acting on love.
After what seemed like ages, Naruto found he had the strength to lift his head from her shoulder. As she gazed into those watery blue pools, she smiled sadly at him. "Hi, there."
"Hi-Hinata-chan, I..." Naruto suddenly found he was incapable of words as he realized what she was wearing. She was dressed in a simple pale pink nightgown, and it revealed her maturing frame like the bulky tan coat had never done. Hinata noticed what he was doing, and she blushed a deep shade of crimson. "H-hai, N-Na-Naruto-kun?"
C'MON, YOU RETARD, STOP STARING AT HER AND TELL HER WHAT YOU CAME HERE FOR!! An inside voice screamed inside his head, and with more difficulty than there should've been he tore his eyes away from her body and forced himself to focus on her eyes instead. "Uh, see, I-I... My mom isn't dead, Hinata."
"What?" Hinata asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "B-but I thought you said sh-she died in-"
"Childbirth, yeah, I know," Naruto finished, having a hard time keeping himself from getting lost in those twin lavender pools. "That's what I thought happened. But, she's alive and she's... Hotaru-s-sensei."
And with that, he began to tell the story the woman had told him, beginning from where she had began, almost two years before he was born...
Hotaru grimaced up at the sunlit sky, wishing it would rain but knowing the act was futile. It was never this hot back home, she thought, wiping sweat from her brow. But I guess that shouldn't be surprising, considering we were always buried in snow. Though she was wearing a white tank top and a pair of light blue capris, she was still burning up as she trudged up the road towards the village. She hoped she could get her water canteens filled soon so she could get the hell out of here as quickly as possible.
As she approached the gates, two guards walked towards her. "State your name and your business here in Konohagakure!" One of them barked, voice deep and gruff.
Blinking in surprise, she thought, Wow, Konoha, huh? Didn't think I was that far from home. Ah well. With a smal bow, she said, "My name is Hotaru Nanashi, and I only desire to refill my water canteens for the journey ahead of me. I mean no harm to this village or to its inhabitants." This was why she hated hidden villages: they were always so paranoid, always thinking everyone was out to get them. She could barely stand it.
The two gruards looked at each other, and the other one said, "Reveal your weapons." His voice was higher than the other's, and he seemed a little less commanding.
Sighing, Hotaru pulled out the few kunai and shuriken she had left. The two men inspected the objects in her hands, and she guessed that these guys were two of the village's ANBU officers. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the gruff one said, "You may pass."
Hotaru waited to breathe a sigh of relief until the gates closed behind her. The ANBU ninjas here were just as paranoid as the ones back home, she thought, always ready to attack you without asking questions if they dub you a threat. Shaking her head, she began walking into the village, looking around wonderingly. She soon found herself being led along dreamily by the smell of fresh food wafting from somewhere in the village. Her stomach rumbled loudly, causing a few villagers who were walking past her to look up in surprise. Food.. I need food... She hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, when she had stopped in a village not too far from here. She followed the scent until she found herself outside of a shop called Ichiraku Ramen Bar.
Scrunching up her nose, she remembered the ramen she'd had as a child. It was always cold and tasteless... but it never smelt like this.. Her stomach grumbled, telling her it needed some kind of nourishment, and it needed it now. Grimacing, she ducked under the cloth covering the doorway, thinking Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least try some of this village's ramen...
The shop was deserted except for a young woman sitting alone at the bar. Hotaru sat at the bar, a few stools away from the woman, and called out, "Ano, excuse me, sir?"
A young man wearing an apron approached her, grinning as he wiped his hands with a cloth. "Good morning, ma'am. I'm Teuchi, the owner of this ramen stand. I've never seen you around here before, you new?"
"Hai, just passing through," She replied, smiling. This man was kind of cute, and he didn't look very much older than she was. "I'm Hotaru."
"Hajimemashite, Hotaru," He said, smiling even wider. "Do you want something?"
"Ano, yes. Can I try the... miso ramen?"
"Comin' right up!"
As the man dissapeared to go make the ramen, the woman sitting at the bar looked over at Hotaru and smiled. "Konnichiwa."
Hotaru smiled over at the woman. "Hi, there. What's your name?"
"Hyuga Aiko," The woman replied, bowing a little. Hotaru returned the bow, and then noticed that the woman didn't have food before her, she had a drawing tablet. On it, Hotaru could just see the beginnings of a beautiful scene in a sakura field. The detail put into the sketch was amazing.
"Wow, that's really good," Hotaru breathed, hopping off of her stool and moving over to the seat next to Aiko. "Did you draw that?"
"H-hai, arigato," Aiko replied, blushing slightly. This new woman seemed very nice, and she was really pretty with her bright red hair. It was a shame that she was just passing through. "Where do you hail from, Miss?"
"Oh, please, don't call me Miss," Hotaru said, rolling her eyes. "Miss was my mother's name. Call me Hotaru, Nanashi Hotaru."
"No name firefly," Aiko breathed, translating her name. "Wow, your name is really pretty, Hotaru."
Scratching the back of her head, Hotaru smiled. "Well, yours isn't too bad, either. Hey, isn't the Hyuga supposed to be some really noble clan with a really powerful bloodlimit?"
Aiko nodded. "The Byakugan. My husband, Hiashi, has taught me all about it. If you wanted, I could tell you about it, sometime..." Her voice trailed off and she looked back down at her tablet as she realized that this woman would probably not be here after today. She would go on to meet other people, visit other villages, and she would never see her newfound friend again.
To both women's surprise, Hotaru said, "I don't know, I was thining about sticking around for a little while, you know, rest a little. It's been such a long time since I've had a stable place to live, and its really been a long time since I made a new friend." The shy woman blushed a little, and Hotaru smiled. She didn't know what had come over her.
What happened to getting the hell out of this place? Her inner voice cried.
Hey, I could really use someone to talk to, She thought, mentally pushing the voice away. Plus, would it really be such a bad thing if I decided to settle down for a while? Really, I think it's a pretty good idea.
"Here's your miso ramen, Hotaru," Teuchi said, suddenly appearing before them and setting a bowl of steaming noodles before her.
She smiled seductively up at him. "Arigato, Teuchi-chan." He grinned coyly back at her and walked away.
Suddenly she realized that Aiko was giggling. "What?" She asked, blinking in confusion.
Aiko looked up, smiling widely. "Teuchi's kind of taken... his girlfriend's pregnant."
Hotaru felt sick as she began to eat.
"Aiko-san, where are we going?" Hotaru grumbled, climbing up the rocky hill after her new friend. After her embarassing breakfast, she had asked Aiko if there was anything exciting to do in this village of hers. Aiko had nodded, and now they were climbing up the side of a big brown rock.
"We're going to sit on top of the Hokage monuments," Aiko called back, about two feet above Hotaru. "It really has a wonderful view, even if the climb up is a little difficult."
"You know, when I asked for something exciting to do, I didn't think we were going to do something so exciting as sitting on some old guy's head," Hotaru replied, making the blue haired woman giggle.
"Just a little farther-- ah!" Aiko suddenly climbed up over the top of the wall, and Hotaru followed, slightly out of breath. Aiko stood up, brushing off her kimono. "Hotaru-san, this is-- oh!" Aiko stopped as she noticed that they weren't alone.
Not knowing what Aiko had stopped for, Hotaru grumbled, "I could barely scale that wall with what I've got on! How in the hell can you do it in a kimono?!"
"Ano, Hotaru-san, we have company," Aiko murmured nervously, bowing slightly at someone Hotaru couldn't see.
"Huh?" Hotaru stood up and brushed herself off, and then walked over beside Aiko. Her eyes widened as she saw who was lounging on top of the second Hokage's skull.
There were three men sitting on the rock head. The first was older than the others, and his white hair and wise eyes attested to that. He was instantly recognizable as one of the three legendary senin, Jiraiya. The boy sitting beside him was probably about 11, and he had spiky silver hair and a cloth pulled up over his face so that only one eye was visible. The final man... Hotaru's heart skipped a beat as she laid eyes opon him. He was blonde, wild hair sticking up everywhere above his forehead protector, swaying ever so slightly in the breeze. He wore a simple white t-shirt and black pants with knee pads sewn into them, and over the shirt he wore a Chuunin vest. Through the fabric of his shirt she could see he was very toned, and she repressed a shiver as she thought about tracing a finger over those well defined lines.
"Well! Good morning, ladies!" The blonde one said, grinning from ear to ear as he saw them. Gesturing to the rock beside him, he continued, "Would you like to sit on the Second's head, because I'm getting a bit tired of him, myself... I think I would rather sit on good 'ole Shodai." With that, he stood and launched himself over the gap in between the rocks and landed on the first's head, plopping down on it. "Ah, now that's better."
"Does he have a pregnant girlfriend?" Hotaru whispered to Aiko. Smiling, the Hyuga shook her head and giggled. Hotaru grinned and stepped forward, arms crossed. "Hmm, well, I'm not sure who I want to sit on."
Patting the rock beside him, the blonde said, "This spot's free, if you like."
"Oh, come on, Arashi, let the lady breathe," Jiraiya teased, chuckling. Dark eyes seemingly gazing through Hotaru, he continued, "I think you are the perfect model for my new book, young lady! What's your name?" Instantly he held a notepad and a pen in each hand, eyes sparkling.
The blonde, Arashi, shook his head. "Once a pervert, always a pervert."
"Hey, I'm not perverted, I'm inspired!"
"Call it what you want, Ero Senin. I still say you're perverted."
Aiko began giggling incessantly into the sleeve of her kimono while Hotaru laughed out loud. Even the kid, who's eyes seemed haunted by a previous loss, smirked underneath his face mask. Ahh, Obito... They're still the same.
Finally Hotaru managed to get out her name. "I'm Nanashi Hotaru. I'm delighted to finally meet one of the legedary Senin, something I didn't think I'd ever accomplish." She bowed slightly, and Jiraiya nodded, eyes stil alight.
"Hmm..." Jiraiya's eyes seemed to burn with excitement as he glanced from between Arashi and Hotaru. Arashi was already smiling like a jackass, and it seemed as if the woman liked him too. Then an idea popped up inside his mind, and he grinned from ear to ear. "Hey, Mrs. Hyuga, you wouldn't mind taking me to visit Hiashi, would you? I really need to ask him a few questions about the plot of my newest story. Would you-?" He put emphasis on the words 'the plot', trying to imply that they needed to leave the two alone to get aquainted. He didn't worry that the woman had been sent to asassinate any of them-- she wasn't wearing a headband, and he was confident that Arashi could handle himself if he were attacked.
Aiko blushed slightly at being adressed by the Legendary Senin, and then she caught his glance. She looked between Arashi and Hotaru once before smiling lightly herself. "I would be honored to escort you to visit with my husband. I'm sure he will enjoy an unexpected visit. Hotaru-san, I will be back soon, don't worry."
"What? But, Aiko-san-" Hotaru's reply was drowned out by Jiraiya's louder voice.
"Kakashi, would you like to accompany us?" The Toad Senin asked, raising his voice.
The boy shook his head, standing. "Nah, I'm gonna go visit Rin. See ya, sensei." He winked at Arashi, and then dissapeared in a puff of smoke.
Jiraiya stood and leapt over to where Aiko stood, ignoring the gazes from both Arashi and Hotaru. "Well, what are we waiting for, then? Let's go!" With that, the two began to make their way down the side of the monument, walking down the slightly steep hill together.
After watching them go, Hotaru turned back to Arashi, smirking. "Wow, they clear out fast, don't they?"
Arashi laughed, nodding. Patting the rock beside him again, he said, "Well, seeing as how we are supposed to get to know each other now, why don't we get right to it?"
"Ok." She jumped over to the first's head and plopped down beside him, smiling. "I guess we should start with our names, huh?"
"I guess." They both chuckled, and then he said, "I'm Uzumaki Arashi, and I'm twenty six years old. I've lived in this village for my entire life, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. I am of Jonin rank, I was tutored by the old pervert who just left, and the slightly sour kid with the spiky silver hair is my apprentice. His name is Hatake Kakashi. Don't take his attitude to heart, we're getting over a major loss... His teammate, Obito Uchiha was killed a little over a month ago. Kakashi and his other teammate Rin both took it really hard."
"Gomenasai," Hotaru breathed, staring down at the village with a darkened expression clouding her countenance. She knew how hard it was to lose someone from experience.
"Eh, wasn't your fault, so don't be sorry," Arashi shrugged, trying to hide the pain that was all too evident in his cerulean eyes. "Ano, it's your turn." He smiled at her, throwing his arms behind his head.
She took a deep breath and began. "My name is Nanashi Hotaru. I'm twenty four years old and I come from the Yukigakure. I am also of Jonin rank."
"Really? A Jonin from the Village Hidden in the Snow," Arashi breathed, and then frowned. "If you're a ninja, then where's your-"
"Headband? Chuunin vest? In my pack," She answered, pulling the bag from her shoulders and setting in in her lap. "I don't like to wear them because then people might recognize me."
To his confused expression, she dug in her pack and pulled out her forehead protector. She put it on her head and tied it in the back, and suddenly he gasped. "You look like-"
"A Tori, yes," She finished, voice quiet. "My real name is Tori Hotaru, and I am the last of a noble clan from the Yukigakure. I don't like to associate myself with my past because... of probably pretty obvious reasons."
Arashi didn't know what to say. He'd heard the stories as a child of the great Tori clan, of their entire clan's blood contract with the legendary heron, Aosaginohi. He'd also heard about how the entire clan besides the clan leader's wife and any children had to swear loyalty to their leader, signing their names on a scroll. The contract states that whenever the leader dies, the members who signed their names on the contract will also die via a powerful jutsu on the scroll. To avoid that, the other members of the clan protect the clan leader with their lives.
"I was the Tori clan heiress, and I was only eight when my father contracted a disease," Hotaru said, voice still hushed. "The deadly sickness gripped his heart before any of us had any time to react, and he was killed quickly. The members that had signed away their lives... they all dropped dead, like birds getting shot out of the air. They hadn't thought of my father catching any kind of deadly sickness when they signed the scroll. Only my mother and I were left, because at the time I was the only child in the house.
"It crushed my mother. I kept telling her that we could rebuild the clan again, if we really worked at it, but she would have none of it. 'So ends the great Tori, a powerful yet inhumane clan', she would say." Hotaru bowed her head, shaking slightly. "... Three years later, the same year that I became a Chuunin, my mom... she committed jisatsu, right before my eyes." She began to shiver uncontrollably, the coldness of that day gripping her heart once again. "...I stayed in the Yuki for two more years, until I became a Jonin. Afterwards, I left. I had become more or less of a recluese anyway, and the villagers didn't know how to keep me from sinking into my own depression. So, one day, I summoned Aosaginohi and told her to get me the hell away from the village, away from the memories, away from everything..." She barely noticed when he put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, trying to steady her. "That was the last time I ever used the summoning."
Arashi's eyes widened. "Nani? You haven't summoned Aosaginohi for ten years?"
"Too many memories," Hotaru whispered, looking at him. He couldn't repress his own shudder as he looked into her silvery eyes: cold, haunted by the tragedy that had been her past. He understood now why she never wore her headband or why she had changed her surname: it hurt too much to own up to her past.
Not really thinking about anything except comforting the haunted woman, Arashi twisted himself sideways so that he was facing Hotaru. He pulled her into a tight embrace, laying the side of her head against his chest and resting his chin on top of her silken red hair. It was his nature to protect all who was hurt or in turmoil, and this was no different. He wondered why the feeling was so intense, though, for this woman whom he'd just met.
Finally, after about ten minutes of absolute silence, Hotaru giggled against his chest. "Ano, Arashi...?"
"Hmm?" Suddenly he realized how tightly he was holding her to his chest. He quickly let go of her, both of them chuckling uneasily. "Ano, gomenasai, Hotaru... So, hmm, what now?"
"Well, seeing as how Aiko-san isn't back yet, we could continue getting to know each other," Hotaru replied. She reddened as Arashi looked at her with a wide-eyed expression. "No no no, not like that! I mean talking, Arashi!"
"Oh. Hehehe..."
So they talked. Arashi told her about how he was sort of interested in becoming Hokage, and Hotaru told him a lot about what she had seen in her many years of traveling. She also teased him about being 'a chip off the old pervert', which made him blush and become somewhat defensive. The sun set, and they were still conversing, and finally Aiko came back, apolegizing for leaving them up on the monument for all this time and saying "I didn't really think you two would still be talking!" Afterwards, Aiko, her husband Hiashi and his brother Hzashi invited the two over to their house for dinner, which was sort of akward. That night Arashi pulled some strings and managed to get Hotaru a decent apartment, and she decided that she really wouldn't mind staying for a while.
A year later...
Arashi trembled slightly, both nervous and excited at the same time. Jiraiya, standing beside him, whispered something into his ear, but all he could think about was how funny his old sensei looked in a suit. Kakashi and Rin were there, too, Kakashi being the ring bearer and Rin the flower girl. As always, Kakashi looked bored, but Arashi thought he could see a slight twinkle in the boy's visible eye as the organ began to play. Oh, Gods, the organ! It was starting. Okay, Arashi, remember the labor breathing...
In, out.
In, out.
In, o... Oh, wow...
Momentarily forgetting to breathe, Arashi was stunned when Rin began to lead the main attraction up the aisle, grinning from ear to ear at his reaction.
Here she came, walking up the aisle in a pristine white diamond-encrusted gown. Hands clasped before her, fingers entwined, she looked serene, the exact opposite of his own demeanor. Gazing at her, he felt himself calm down immediately as if the air around her seeped tranquility. The entire chapel seemed to be affected by this one woman: the organ player seemed to play the melody with more feeling, more passion than he had before, and everyone in the pews smiled as she passed. Even the ramen shop owner's three month old daughter, Ayume, seemed relaxed by her presence. The squirming child had suddenly smiled, and a few minutes later was asleep in her father's arms.
She reached the altar, and the preacher came and began reading off the oaths. Arashi couldn't keep his eyes off of her face, which was hidden by a veil. He concentrated all of his soul on her, thinking the word aishiteru at her, wondering if she heard him. He was so enraptured by her presence that Kakashi had to nudge him to get him to take her ring, causing him to blush and a few of the audience members to chuckle. He slid the gold band onto her finger, murmuring the words "I do." She did the same, and when he finally lifted the veil his chest grew heavy with the love he felt for this woman. Not only was he estatic over his marriage, he had been chosen to be Hokage that very same day.
This was the happiest day of Arashi's life.
A year later...
This was the worst day of Hotaru's life.
At around two in the morning, she had gone into labor, waking her peacefully sleeping husband. It was too late to get to the hospital now, so they called Jiraiya and had him come over to help them deliver it. After about an hour of screaming, Hotaru finally was able to get the baby out, and the pain was instantly forgotten as she laid eyes on her newborn son. His face was scrunched up in a wail, and his already spiky blonde hair was wet with blood. Jiraiya danced around the room while Arashi washed the boy off, wrapping him up in a pale blue towel. Suddenly she began to have contractions again, and before Arashi could investigate what the problem was, a scream came from outside. Handing the boy to Jiraiya, he ran out of his two story house and was met with a frightening sight: the nine tailed demon Kyubi was staring at him from the top of the six foot wall that went around his house, just staring. The creature wetted its lips with its serpentine tongue before turning and bounding away into the village. Another scream resounded from the other side of the wall, and Arashi thought of only one thing to do: get Hotaru out of here, and seal the demon inside someone. But who in the village would be young enough not to be affected by the immense power the demon contained?
The answer was obvious.
Inside the house, Jiraiya was preparing to deliver a second child with the boy still in his hands when Arashi stormed in, taking the firstborn away from his sensei. Not waiting for a reply from Jiraiya, he took a pair of scissors and snip! The umbilical cord fell from the child's stomach, severed. Surprised by her husband's rash actions, Hotaru looked up at him as he bent over her, quickly pecking her forehead. "I want you to escape the village. I don't want you to stay here. Get away, run away, we'll say you didn't make it through the delivery. Jiraiya, as soon as you get her cleaned up, get her away from here, you understand?" The Toad Senin just stared at him, and the Yondaime ran out of the room with the baby, never to be seen by either of them again.
After delivering a second child, a surprise to them both, Jiraiya did as instructed and carried the weakened Hotaru out of the house, who carried the second born in her arms. For some reason, Jiraiya thought it was best if they weren't seen by any villagers, so he snuck her through dark alleyways and the deserted morning streets. When he got to the outer wall, he jumped it and he began leaping through the trees, trying to follow his student's request. When they got to a small hill that allowed them to see over the treetops back towards the village, Hotaru demanded that they stop there. As they watched, a red orange mist fell over the village. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the mist dissapated, as did the cries of injured people. Jiraiya left Hotaru, deciding he should go see what had happened. Hotaru stayed there on the small hill, cuddling her second born to her chest and praying to anyone who could hear her that her husband and son were alive. She didn't realize that tears were spilling out of her eyes until the baby made a small surprised sound when a tear splashed onto its little cheek.
It was late afternoon when the Toad Senin returned to her, grim look on his countenance. He told her that the Yondaime was no more, but her son had lived. Apparently, Arashi had sealed the demon attacking the village into her son's navel, trapping himself in Death's belly for eternity in the process. Hotaru wanted to return to the village to get her son, but Jiraiya shook his head. He'd told the Third Hokage everything that Arashi had said to tell him, even the part about Hotaru dying in childbirth, and the Hokage had already made a speech to the villagers explaining everything. Jiraiya promised her that he would watch over her son, and she disagreed. He promised her that he wouldn't let anything hurt her son. Again, she disagreed. She didn't want to leave her son there, with no parents. She felt hollow inside, and the shock of losing her husband had not sunk in entirely yet. Finally he got her to promise that she'd leave ON ONE CONDITION. "Tell him about me," She whispered, willing the tears to fall even as nothing leaked out of her eyes. "Name him Naruto, and tell him about his father and I. Tell him everything, and tell him that I will come back for him." Tears stung at Jiraiya's eyes as he agreed, knowing that that was a promise he couldn't keep. All of the adults in the village had been forbidden to say a word to the blonde boy, even the legendary toad senin himself. He helped her and her newborn baby get to a village close by, and put the two of them in a hospital there. After hearing her promise one more time that she wouldn't come back, he left her there. Alone.
As Naruto finished his story, Hinata realized that her cheeks were wet. Touching a hand to her face, she looked over at him and saw that he was crying again, too. She didn't know what to say in reply to his incredible story, and he was the first one to speak after he finished.
"It's okay... you know, if you don't want to be my teammate anymore," He whispered, voice barely audible.
Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Naruto-kun, why w-would I n-n-not want t-to be your t-teammate anymore?" I love you, she wanted to say, but nothing came out as she mouthed the words to him. Unluckily for her, his eyes were shut.
"...Because of what I am..."
It clicked. He thought she was going to shreik and run away from him because of the demon inside of him, the demon that his father had sacrificed himself to stop. She reached over and pulled him towards her, embracing him again. "Oh, Naruto-kun, I would never even think of not being your teammate because of that."
Both he and she were surprised at the lack of stutters in her sentence, but Naruto was even more surprised at what she had said. "Nani?" He said into her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist, daring to hope.
Smiling, she stroked his hair and said, "You are Uzumaki Naruto. Not Kyubi. You saved this village alongside your father, and knowing what you did... how you suffered to protect this village only makes me even happier to be your friend." I couldn't not love you because of that, she willed herself to say. Yet again, she couldn't form the words.
He raised his head from her shoulder and looked at her, into her eyes. After a moment, his disbelieving face split into that wild fox like grin, and she now realized how much he looked like a fox himself. "Hinata-chan, I... Arigato."
Without saying anything, Hinata did the probably bravest thing that she had ever done. Leaning in, she pecked him on the cheek before letting him go and standing up. "You'd better get home. I'll see you later, Naruto-kun." Without waiting for a reply, she immediately jumped back up two stories into her bedroom window.
He bounded home on the rooftops, happier than he thought he could ever be. Hotaru-- no, his mother's story had saddened him to no extent, but talking to Hinata had, as he expected, helped him feel better. And the kiss at the end-- it had made him forget about his mother's entire visit. It was the perfect ending to a not so perfect morning.
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Chapter 8 Preview: Hotaru's got a new skill to teach. What will it be?? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!!
