As Hinata followed him through the dark, she wished they could stop. "Are we there yet?" She felt as if they had been walking for over an hour.
"Don't play that game." He laughed, stopping. "Close your eyes." Hinata did as told. "Okay, open!"
Hinata allowed her eyelids to flutter, adjusting to the light. She didn't know where it came from but it was natural. They stood in the middle of a forest and looking around, she found a castle off in the distance. "What is that?" She asked.
"My castle."
"I'm confused. You already have-"
"Mortals have one. In the immortal world, there is one for our world and for our people. Most of the time, they don't leave here. Aki left because he's like a little brother."
"Were you lying to me to get me to stay with you?" Hinata asked, hoping it wasn't true.
Naruto began walking away, Hinata running after him. "No. It was the truth. Yes, I have my people but they can only offer me so much. I wanted to chase someone and if that someone was human, it didn't matter. I wouldn't be alone anymore. Sasuke doesn't understand because he doesn't want to. He had a brother but he killed him."
Hinata gasped, wondering how anyone could do something like that. "Why?"
"His brother tried to murder Sasuke's people- his family. You can hardly call them people but I guess it's better than nothing. I'd be pretty upset too but I wouldn't… He's lonely like I was. Something must have happened between him and Sakura or else he wouldn't be killing people in Konoha."
"When you told him the village is your territory, what did you mean?" Hinata asked. She paused and stooped down to pick a flower. It shimmered in the light and as she tried to touch it, Naruto stopped her, pulling her away.
"Those are poisonous. They release a toxin when you get near and you'll be in pain for hours if you breathe it in. It's not a good idea." He paused as they continued on their way towards the castle. "The territory thing… Well, there's…" He began counting. "Originally, there were nine of us but The Elder created more, wanting diversity, so now there's ten. I'm the youngest- the tenth. Anyways, he split us apart evenly, giving us the same amount," He frowned. "But we didn't all get the same amount of villages. Sasuke has three and I have one- yours. It's not all that bad but when all of us get together, he rubs it in our faces."
"You have a reunion?"
"Yeah, every decade or whatever. Really more like when The Elder says so. Last time, there was a three year gap. It annoyed the hell out of Utakata because he's-"
"Who is The Elder?" Hinata wondered. His name was constant but Naruto hadn't told her who he was.
"Huh?"
"Who is The Elder? You keep talking about him but I don't know who he is." Hinata explained.
Naruto bit his lip. "You'll meet him. I mean, there's not much to say about him. He's… He can be pretty cool but most of the time, he's just there, telling us what to do and how to do it. All except for Sasuke. He doesn't care what Sasuke does. Like with the territory thing- he created those rules so we wouldn't fight and cause trouble for each other but Sasuke comes over here and kills your friends! The Elder knows it too!" He growled, punching the trunk of a tree. "If I were to do that, I wouldn't be here."
Hinata placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him. "Sasuke will get what's coming to him."
Naruto bowed his head a moment and looked at her. "You think so?"
She smiled, taking his hand. "He's a jerk. Of course he will."
He smiled and said, "You see this path?" She nodded, uncertain of what was going on now. "All you have to do is follow it."
"What about… you?" He had that mischievous grin on his face and Hinata ran, not fearful like before. The castle was getting closer and she could hear the town square not too far off, making her wonder what it was like. Talking animals? She stopped before the gate, scared to continue without Naruto. They might think she was an intruder. She turned around, only to go flying back into the little square. Naruto was holding her down, having tackled her. "Naruto, they're watching."
"Watching what? They're curious because they've never seen you before."
"Can we get up please?" Hinata blushed when Naruto bent lower, almost touching her nose with his.
"Why?" he wondered. Hinata opened her mouth but his eyes looked away, getting caught on a vixen. He stood and helped Hinata to her feet, saying, "Mom," he grinned. "I feel like I haven't seen you in-"
"Mom?" Hinata wondered to herself. 'Why does he keep lying to me?'
"You've been gone for months- and who is this?" Hinata heard angrily. She paled and took Naruto's arm. No one- not even Sasuke- had been so hostile towards her.
"This is Hinata. She's, um, new." He informed as foxes gathered around, interested in the girl.
His mother's ears laid back against her head. "What did you do?"
"Calm down, I saved her life-"
"You're different. You were gone a year and this is what happens… Anything else I should know about or will I have to hear about it from The Elder?"
Naruto stayed quiet, pulling Hinata close. "I'm holding a conference. If anyone has questions, they are welcome to ask me." It was unlike him to sound so authoritative. Normally, he would command but this was something new.
Hinata gasped, watching the vixen in front of her change shape. It took only moments but she stood in the form of a tall, slender woman with red hair. She was dressed in green and beige. "That's a lovely idea. However," She looked at Hinata. "For her safety, she should be put behind bars."
"Mom-" Naruto began objecting.
"Would you rather have the court become enraged and kill her?" Naruto shook his head. "Then we best move her until the time being." She started walking away, pausing. "Oh, and Naruto, your father is home."
Hinata saw how frightened he became, taking her hand. Whispering, he said, "Let's go."
