OK! So this is kinda like a filler chapter so don't get mad at me. After that last chapter I just needed all the characters to bond and have some fun. Next chapter really important things are going to happen so get ready because next chapter things are going to take a spin.
For my awesome reviewers with questions (or things I want to comment on):
Ghostfur: You got the range right! I am somewhere in between those two ages! And yes, that is most definitely going to happen. Trust me when I say that if it didn't I would probably be killed by almost everyone reading this story. I'm glad you agree! .
SakuraKissy: While I would love to do that, there is one problem with it. Gaara lives in Oni with Naruto and in my story he isn't the Kazekage(Sp?) So….yea….but I will make them be together, no worries. And just for you I shall add a scene where Gaara scared the crap out of him. It may be short but it'll be in there! .
Estel: Whilst I would love to kill Airi….I'm not going to. She's just not worth it. But she will get dissed many times and basically she is the little annoying character that ends up with nothing in the end. Yay! But she will be beaten up! Houtaru vs. Airi in an actual battle will happen but it's not going to happen when you think it is. Just a warning as to not get mad at me! .
Deep in a never-ending mist an old man and a small puppy walked together in silence. They had been walking in this fog for almost an hour and still hadn't reached their destination.
All of a sudden the man saw the looming form of a great wall with a giant gate and what appeared to be a flaming spiral symbol on the beautifully carved stone doors. The gate opened slowly to reveal a whole group of people. Dozen and dozens of them and for a minute the old man was scared, he was used to groups of people being a sign of danger to him.
But this crowd was different. In stead of radiating hate and anger, they held a feeling of welcoming and understanding.
At the head of the crowd was a tall figure. The old man couldn't see he face because of the fog but could make out a head of spiky hair.
The fog cleared to reveal and older looking, male version of Houtaru, who was smiling the same foxy grin as his daughter. The tall man sported a long black jacket with orange flames on the bottom and he stood with an air of respectable authority around him but it wasn't so that he appeared pompous.
The man gestured with a tan hand to the city that appeared behind him beyond the gate. "Welcome to Onigakure, my friend." He said in a deep voice that sounded as if it could lead any county and Kazuku couldn't help but smile.
A smaller figure came to stand in front of Kazuku and he marveled at the woman's beauty. She had a milky complexion with hair so black it appeared blue and kind lavender eyes. She appeared soft and fragile and it also reminded Kazuku of Houtaru, so he knew that this woman was probably not as fragile as she appeared. The woman was wearing a feminine version of the jacket the man, who he guessed was Houtaru's father, was wearing but this jacket was white with light lavender swirls on the bottom.
In a light, friendly voice she said "Come, we'll show you to your new home. You must be tired after your long trek here. I hope you wouldn't mind sharing a house with your brother for a time, he has been looking forward to seeing you." Again he smiled and turned to the little brown puppy.
"Thank you so much."
"The pleasure is all mine, Kazuku-san." and with that the small puppy poofed away.
10 ½ months later
Toshiro sat on the head if the Sandaime Hokage. He was thinking, just thinking. However he thought that reminiscing would be the proper word. He was reminiscing about what happened at Tsuta Shrine, an event that seemed like ages ago. Maybe because it was ages ago. So much had happened from that point until now. Team Seven had gone on dozens and dozens of missions together and, after some of the missions they had been on, the two had gained a reputation. The duo was said to be 'unstoppable.'
Over the past few months the blond had gained her own reputation that matched her father's. They didn't call her the 'Number one hyperactive knuckle head ninja' as they had her father but it was pretty close and everyone knew that. She had a reputation for being a mastermind at surprise - more like spontaneous and unplanned - attacks but somehow her plans always managed to work out. Everyone always smiled at the blond. Though none of them would admit it they all thought that by being kind to the hyper-active blond girl they would somehow be making up for the mistreatment of her look-alike that got exiled so many years ago. She had bought life back to the village and she even had broken through the stoic Uchiha heir.
Toshiro smiled as he remembered the past months of pure agony as he trained under Houtaru. As a child he had thought no one's training could be more brutal than his fathers, but after he had healed from the incident as Tsuta Shrine Houtaru had been merciless in her training. She had him walking on water, running laps on water, doing one armed push-ups on water- all with at least 150 pounds of extra weight! (I don't know what the translates to as kilograms but it's a good sized adult) And it had worked! His chakra control and stamina and improved greatly.
She had also taken to teaching him a few advanced fire techniques and even taught him how to use a sword so that if he ever tried in battle he wouldn't look like an idiot. All through the training it left him to ponder exactly who had been Houtaru's teacher as a child. Little did he know it was nine giant demons and the leader of Demon Country.
Toshiro himself had also grown up a bit in the past almost year since Houtaru had come to Konoha. He didn't know if it was Houtaru's training or cooking but many people said how the young Uchiha was 'finally growing up.' He had grown taller in the past year, his twelfth birthday come and gone, and more muscular for a boy his age, he was still pale but not in a sickly way and his raven hair had grown out some. Many people said both he and Houtar would make a good chunin but he knew Houtaru had the skills of an advanced jounin though she didn't have the field experience.
A scowl returned to his face. Something was up that was far bigger than he had imagined. He had overheard his father talking about a tension between the countries. How if Onigakure didn't open its doors soon the country would be destroyed. No one knew exactly what Oni was but the fear they possessed had caused tension between the nations. Alliances had been formed and every nation save the Mist, Sand and Leaf had signed an alliance to go and take down Oni if the Onikage didn't show himself in the next half-year. This alliance held the nations of Lightning, Iwa, Grass and suspiciously Sound. (Remember, Orochimaru isn't dead yet)
This had caused the chunin exams to not take place due to lack of participants. People just refused to travel too far out of their own country.
However Toshiro knew Oni wasn't a bad place. Houtaru had shared with him some interesting stories about the people there. How they came from all over the world to Onigakure for different reasons. Toshiro didn't ask Houtaru how she knew all these people. She said it was because she had met them but that's all she would say.
Houtaru. Toshiro smiled as he remembered his friend, his best friend. After they got back to Konoha they had been closer than ever. Both afraid to lose the other. They hardly went anywhere with out the other- only leaving each others side for an hour or two at the most or in some cases a night when she would go spend the night with Shika and Airi but they were both restless and hardly got any sleep during those nights. They had even been sleeping in the same room together. They didn't care how weird it was; to them it was normal and made them feel safe. Even on overnight missions they would sleep in the same tent while Konohamaru and Airi shared one. Again this was normal…to them.
Over the past year Houtaru had answered so many questions, but none of the really big ones that Toshiro asked. He remembered back to one of his more ridiculous questions he had ever asked her…
:Flash Back:
It was twilight and Toshiro and Houtaru were sitting on the bridge where their team usually met in the morning. It was sakura season and they marveled at the light pink color against the darkening sky.
The peace was interrupted by a loud gurgle noise caused by one of the two's stomachs. Houtaru laughed as Toshiro clutched his empty stomach.
"We were at the ramen stand for almost an hour. Did you not eat anything?" Houtaru laughed.
"No, I'm afraid all my ramen was stolen by a blond idiot who's obsessed with ramen." Toshiro said with a glare but he could never be angry at his friend. Highly frustrated, yes, but never angry.
Houtaru laughed again "I'm sorry I wanted you to save room for dessert." Houtaru let out a small giggle as Toshiro face blanched; he absolutely hated sweets. "Lighten up will ya? Or will I have to let all these tomatoes go to waste? I'm sure we could go find some sugary-sweet item in town if you don't like them." Houtaru teased as she pulled out three tomatoes and laid them next to Toshiro, who smiled with gratitude.
If anything was proof of how well Houtaru knew him compared to others is how on his birthday all of Toshiro's fan club had given him tons and tons of…chocolate. The vile substance had made Toshiro scowl all day until he got home and Houtaru surprised both him and his father with a tomato based dinner. They had eaten that as Houtaru proceeded to eat all the chocolate and won a bet against Toshiro who didn't believe she could eat it all and not puke.
"So…" Houtaru started as Toshiro munched away on the fruit, yes it is a fruit. "you haven't asked me a question in the past twenty-four hours. What's wrong? Run out?"
He scowled at his friend. She knew perfectly well all the questions he wanted to ask she wouldn't answer. He thought for a minute and thought back to Tsuta shrine and blurted out the first thing that came to his mind:
"Do you ever take your hair down?"
Houtaru just stared at him for a minute, biting her lower lip in attempts to hold down a laugh that she knew was coming. After a few seconds it became unbearable and she let out one of her sunny laughs and clutched her side and fell back onto the bridge she was laughing so hard.
"Is that it? Do I ever take my hair down?" When Toshiro nodded Houtaru worked to suppress her giggles enough to sit up answer "Only when I wash my hair."
Now this confused Toshiro. Why had he never seen her wash her hair? "Well, when do you wash you hair?"
Houtaru just looked at him for a minute. "Toshiro-kun….when do you wash your hair?" Toshiro blanched and then blushed. Why hadn't he thought of that before "And you tell me I'm to dobe, Baka-teme."
:End:
Toshiro sighed. He didn't think he would ever live that one down.
"Toshiro-san," a quite voice said from beside him causing him to jump. He turned to see Yoshio sitting next to him and Kenta standing not to far back. Even though the two older boys had become some of his close friends (not as close as Houtaru), they both still kind of scared him.
"Yo." Kenta said as he munched on chips as a greeting.
"Toshiro-san, we need to go get ready for the festival. If we're late Michi-chan's going to kill me." Yoshio said in his usual monotone. Toshiro couldn't see it because of the giant collared coat and sunglasses he wore but he was pretty sure Yoshio was probably blushing. It wasn't hard to tell, to an Uchiha anyways, that the bug user had a little crush on the young Hyuuga.
"Yea, Shika-chan scares me so if we're late I'm going to die as well." Kenta said with a shudder.
"Let's get going then." Toshiro said as the trio made their way down the mountain. Tonight was the Firefly Festival and they were all going to go get ready at the Uchiha manor and then meet the girls at the Hyuuga manor. The Firefly festival was an annual celebration that celebrated when all the fireflies came out on a certain day of the year. No one knew why, they just did and it wasn't always on the same day of the year but having Aburame's in the village it was easy to plan a festival to celebrate. Everyone wore their most intricate kimono that represented something in nature, as the festival had become an overall celebration of nature, and it was custom to bring a date. That was why the six kids were all going together, three girls and three boys so no one would have to go as a couple and look all weird.
As they entered the Uchiha manor and said hello to his father, the young raven remembered something else his blond friend had told him. The night she was born was the day of the Firefly festival. She had said that her brother and she were a couple hours apart, he was born during the day and she was born while all the fireflies had lit up- earning her name.
Said blond was currently sitting on the roof of the Hyuuga manor, enjoying the view.
She smiled as she thought about the festivities tonight. The Firefly Festival was always her favorite day of the year. It had never fallen on her birthday after the day she was born but it was always close and the village always celebrated it as it marked her and her brother's birth. A slight frown graced her face as she remembered something else; her time was almost up. Her birthday was in two weeks and she had only been given a year before her father said he was going to call her back home.
The truth was she was getting very homesick. She missed her family and her village but knew when she left she would miss all her friends here, especially Toshiro.
She smiled as she remembered the past year. She had trained Toshiro and had spent long hours meditating and trying to learn to control her new endless supply of power. She knew she could now easily turn back into what she had been in the shrine but she had to work on controlling it for now. Once she got back home she could easily practice more restraint and control and she could change her look permanently. That was another reason she needed to go home and she knew she had to but still….that didn't make leaving any easier. 'Toshiro-kun…'
"What's on you mind, kit?" Kyuubi questioned as he came to sit next to her.
"It's almost time to head home." Houtaru said in a quiet voice and Kyuubi sighed.
"You're really going to miss it here, aren't you?"
"Not the town, just my new friends." And it was true. She had met some very kind and loving people and they had become her friends.
"Houtaru! Get your blond ass down here and start getting ready! The festival starts in an hour and the guys are gonna be here in a little while so hurry up!"
Speaking of her oh so loving friends. "I'll be down in a minute Shika! Don't get your fans in a wad! You planning on coming Kyu-chan?"
"No, I'm going to stay up here and nap. This is also where I will stay during the duration of the festival." Kyuubi said in a bored voice.
"Well, fine then. Be that way." Houtaru huffed.
After about thirty minutes two of the girls had managed to get their complicated kimonos on but the third was having a bit of trouble. The two that were done had no trouble. Being of high status they had had to wear complex kimonos hundreds of times but Shika had not.
"Here, let me help." Houtaru suggested as she finished re-fastening her pigtails seeing as Michi was having issues putting her hair up in its usual high-bun with the ribbon she was using.
"Thanks, Pigtails." Shika said and Houtaru frowned at the nickname. Shika gave everyone a nickname so what were you going to do about it? As Houtaru helped Shika fasten her sash behind her back Shika got curious "Where did you learn to put on a kimono like this? Your family was nomadic right? I thought only shnazy people knew how to put these things on, who else would subject to this kind of torture."
The blond laughed "You know you like wearing these things. I always felt pretty when I wore something like this. I was one of the grownups and I felt like a princess. And yes, they were. You tend to pick up a few things when you're traveling all the time." Houtaru said. "There….almost….got it….done!"
"Wow, thanks a lot. Your right, I look so fine!" Shika said and struck a silly pose before walking around and swaying her hips dramatically "Hey you two, who am I? OHH! Toshiro-kun! I looooooooooove you! We're going to fall in love and have children and omg! I'm soooo beautiful I think I'm going to puke!" She said in a face high-pitched voice causing the other two to laugh at her imitation of Airi.
"Now, now, be nice, Shika. She's not that bad." Houtaru said, trying to hide her disgust for the girl.
"How can you say that!? I'm not even on her team and I hate her. She's a spoiled brat with weird hair, a giant forehead to match her over-inflated ego and all she tries to do is upstage everyone." Michi shot out, a bit frustrated because she still couldn't get her hair to cooperate.
"Seriously, pigtails! How can you not slap the hell out of her for being all over Toshiro like that!?" Shika asked.
"What are you talking about? Toshiro and I are just friends; he's free to do what ever he wants to. If, by some seriously screwed up nature, he wants to date Airi he can." She said with a light blush that was hardly noticeable.
The two older girls looked at each other with a smirk "Really?" the asked together.
"Yes really." Houtaru said a bit defensively.
"Yes, because Toshiro obviously never smiles when you're around." Shika persisted.
"And he's always been the one to talk to other people how he talks to you." Michi said with sarcasm.
"And how he never hung out with any other girls beside us."
"And how we all know he's such a people person he would talk to someone every night before he went to bed."
Houtaru muttered something causing the girls to stop. "What was that?" Michi asked.
"I said, 'we talk during the night to because we sleep in the same room.'" Causing the two older girls to squeal "No! Not like that! We're just friends!" Houtaru insisted.
"Yea, ok, whatever. Come on. Lets get you all dolled up for your 'friend.'" Shika said, she even added the air quotes with her hands.
"Damn it!" Michi shouted and threw the offending ribbon down to the floor.
"Michi! What foul language!" Shika said with fake shock.
"Shut it! I can't get my hair to work today!" the Hyuuga shrieked.
"Why don't you just wear it down?" Houtaru suggested causing the two older girls to look at her.
"I never wear my hair down." Michi said.
"Seriously, pigtails. I don't think either me or white-eyes over here has ever worn our hair down." Shika said with a skeptical look.
"Well why don't you both wear your hair down? I'm sure you look fine with it down." Houtaru insisted. Shika looked as if a light bulb just went off in her hair and she hurried to the mirror and pulled her four pigtails out of her brown hair and let it fall around her face.
"Hmmm. I don't look half-bad. Come one white-eyes! Just leave your hair down." Shika agreed. Michi looked at herself in the large vanity mirror again and took a brush and smoothed out her coffee colored hair that fell to shoulder blades.
"It needs something." Michi commented and Houtaru got an idea. She reached into her little box of precious possessions and pulled out two hair combs out of her collection. (You guys know what I'm talking about right? They look like combs but you put them in your hair and they stay there. It's a traditional Japanese thing that women wear during parties.) They were both extremely valuable and she had gotten them as gifts from different people over the years.
She handed one to each of the girl and they each gasped.
"Do you not like them? You don't have to wear them if you don't like them…." Houtaru said, becoming a bit shy.
Michi was the first one to regain her voice. "No, that's not it at all! They're beautiful Houtaru-chan! Are you sure you want to let us wear them?"
"Of course I'm sure. You guys have been so nice to me this past year. It's the least I can do." Houtaru said as she took the comb from Michi's hand and slid it in the girl's hair before doing the same the Shika. "There! You two are all ready to go!" Houtaru smiled.
The two looked over their appearances and smiled.
Michi's kimono's theme was birds. The color of the kimono was a crimson red and it was littered with little golden birds all over it in thread but then it also had and actual picture of brown sparrows all across the back and the upper part of the kimono. She had a brown sash tied around her waist and every part of the kimono was made of silk, just like the other girls'. Her coffee colored hair was pulled to the side by the beautiful comb made of gold. On the end of the comb was a chocolate colored bird, outlined in gold and had rubies as the eyes. Her white eyes were accented by the light golden brown color Shika had put on her eye-lids but that was the only make up she had on. She was a bit of a tomboy as well as the other two girls, so all they really had on was eyes shadow and that was it.
Shika's kimono was a light purple color at the top but as it went down the purple turned into a rich green. Along the bottom part of the kimono was a picture of a heard of deer among a forest of delicately done brown trees. Along the top were pictures of white clouds and light blue swirls that represented wind. She had a royal purple sash tied around her waist and, to complete the outfit, her comb dangled down her light brown, shoulder length hair. The end of her comb was dangly and reached down from the top of her head to her chin in the form of emerald and amethyst shaped leaves on a black-steel chane. Her brown green eyes were also accented by a warm brown color, darker than what was on Michi but it was still a warm color that didn't look to overbearing.
Both girls eyed Houtaru who was smiling at them before going straight to her hair, still pulled up in its usual high pigtails on either side of her head of few inches away from her ears.
"Take them down." Shika said causing Houtaru to look at her, confused "Your pigtails, take them down. If we have to wear our hair down so do you."
"Yea, Houtaru-chan, I don't think I've ever seen your hair down. When ever you come to sleep over you always wear it that way to bed. Come on! Wear it down and put one of your combs in it." Michi persisted. The Hyuuga was starting to get suspicious. Like her father she was very observant. From what she could tell, it was as if Houtaru was raised in a high-class family. Her manners were perfect and even better than Michi's. These combs were something else only someone raised in high-class would have. They were so expensive! There were also other little things that clued her on. The way Houtaru spoke to elders, and some of the things she knew how to do like serving tea and putting on a complex kimono. The fact that the girl was over a year younger than her pointed to the fact she would have had to be taught all of this from a young age. And yet she couldn't say anything. Houtaru's story was perfect and it all added up in the end but Michi was still suspicious never the less. Even if the only way to prove that Houtaru was high-class was if her friend said it herself.
"I don't know you guys. I never wear my hair down. I only take it down when I wash it." Houtaru said unsure. It's not that she didn't like her hair - it was that it was so much easier to pull the mass of golden spike up and just leave it. She blushed when she remembered Toshiro's question to her not to long ago and couldn't help but feel smug at her friend's moment of stupidity. It made her feel smart.
"Come on! I will pull those ribbons out of your hair by force if I have to. Don't think I won't." Michi threatened.
Houtaru sighed "Fine." But before she took her hair down she opened her box again and pulled something out. When her friends looked at her questioningly she held out her hand to reveal her favorite comb. Again the friend's gaps at the beauty of it and Michi added it to the list of things the blond owned that were more valuable than a house.
The comb itself was gold and the end of it was a large obsidian dragon-fly with topaz eyes, set in gold with onyx studs. It was simple but it was also elegant in its simplicity.
Houtaru sighed again as she walked over to the vanity mirror and gently sat the comb down before reaching up and pulling the two orange bands that usually held her hair up out of the golden mass of spikes. Her hair tumbled down and landed just past her waist to rest at her butt in a perfect array of layered, golden spikes. Her hair was soft and delicate but the spikes gave it a certain kick. Most would be surprised her hair was actually this long. The high way she wore it made it look at least three inches shorter than it was. She carefully placed the comb on the right side of her head and turned to face her friends, who mouths were agape and she blushed.
"What?"
"It's your hair! From the back we can barely recognize you!" Shika said, it was true. They had gotten so used to the blonde's hair that seeing it any differently was like watching the sun rise from the west.
"So…I look ok?" Houtaru asked shyly.
"You look great, Houtaru-chan! Toshiro's going to die from loss of blood when he sees you!" Michi said causing the pink tint to rise in Houtaru's cheeks.
Houtaru's kimono was supposed to represent the sunset. At the bottom there was a half circle of golden light setting over a mountain and the scene was surrounded by pinks and oranges. As you got closer to the top of the kimono it got darker and darker until the entire area above Houtaru's golden sash was a black obsidian color with little golden fireflies that appeared as if they were dancing around in the black silk. Her entire back was littered with fireflies but you could no longer see it due to her long hair. She considered it a good thing for a second, because now people couldn't see the golden, flaming spiral on the collar. Her strange sapphire and pearl eyes seemed to pop out due to the fact Shika had put a smoky black color on her eyes.
"Well, I must say we will probably be the sexiest girls there!" Shika said proudly.
"Oh yes, Shika-chan. Kenta-kun will absolutely love your outfit!" Houtaru teased.
Shika was about to retort when a knock was herd at the door. Michi told the person to come in and the door opened to reveal a maid.
"Excuse me, Mistress, but your parents have requested your presence downstairs. They would like to see you off before you go to the festival." Michi thanked her and excused her for the night.
"Shall we ladies?" Shika asked and held out her arms. The other two girls linked arms with her and nodded "We shall." And they walked down the hall, pretending to act all high and mighty which led to more Airi impersonations which led to more giggling.
They walking into the front room where Neji and TenTen were talking quietly with Hiashi, all wearing their festival kimonos and talking cheerfully.
As the three girls walked into the room the conversation stopped as they appraised the girls. They only knew that Houtaru was there was because of the color of her hair.
"Darling, you look beautiful!" Tenten said to Michi with a smile and her father and grandfather nodded their agreement. Something shiny caught Tenten's eyes and she delicately traced the sparrow on the comb "Where did you get this?"
"Houtaru-chan lent both me and Shika some of her combs to wear because we all agreed to wear our hair down." Michi said and the adult's eyes widened. The two men where both Hyuuga's and knew that the combs were worth a fortune by just looking at them. Hiashi smiled. He already had a gut feeling about this girl. There were just some things a grandfather could tell.
Neji, however, was still confused but suspicious. However, just like his daughter, he had noticed little hints that the blond had been raised in a high-class home over the past months.
"Lord Hyuuga, Young Masters Aburame, Akamichi and Uchiha are all here. Should I let them in?" the guard questioned.
"Thank you, but we'll just go out and meet them. See you at the festival, tou-san and oka-san! Ja ne!" Michi shouted over her shoulder as they made a way for the front courtyard.
"Ja ne!" the other two yelled also and bowed a bit before fallowing Michi. They all slipped their traditional sandals on and walked out the door.
The guys quickly composed their faces after seeing the girls before the very ones they were ogling at wouldn't see them with their mouths wide open. The boys were now all thirteen except for Toshiro who was a year younger but they all were beginning to experience those awkward hormonal years and for the life of them they thought the girls look hot!
The girls smiled. The boys didn't look so shabby either. They were all dressed in men's kimonos that were much simpler than the girls but just as fitting.
Yoshio's kimono was a simple gray color with a silver spider-wed design printed all over it in silver thread with what appeared to be drops of water over the silver web design.
Kenta's was a cheery color of light yellow with a orange lining and green butterflies along the back and tied with a emerald green sash.
Houtaru smiled as she walked over to Toshiro "You look very nice, Toshiro-kun." Toshiro blushed but he couldn't return the complement because he didn't trust his voice yet. (He started the whole voice change thing and didn't trust his voice not to squeak to the pitch of Airi's when he was embarrassed)
Toshiro's kimono was a dark navy blue with silvers stars and the full moon on the upper half wile the bottom was a picture of tree with frozen ice crystallized on the bare branches.
"I uhh like you hair." Toshiro said with a blush "I guess that's what it looks like down."
Houtaru laughed, immediately calming all of Toshiro's nerves and he smiled as well "Yup! I guess it is!"
"Ahem." Some one coughed behind them and the two turned to see Shika's and Kenta's arms linked together as well as Michi's and Yoshio's (the latter was now a tint of pink that you could see now that he didn't have his overcoat on. However he was still wearing his sunglasses even though is was getting dark out. He was just cool like that). Apparently Shika was the one who had coughed, "Well, we decided to pair up to make sure everyone has someone to be with the entire night if we wanted to spilt up. So…."
The two kids blushed a bit and stood in awkward silence for a minute as their friends started heading down the street. They didn't know what was so weird!. For Kami's sake they slept in the same bed! They should be able to pretend that they're on a date. Why was this so awkward?
Toshiro held out his arm and Houtaru took it silently. Houtaru laughed for a moment and Toshiro looked at her questioningly, she just shook her head "Well, someone has to protect you from Airi and her band of sluts from hell."
As they entered the festival Houtaru immediately ran to the booth where they were selling sparklers and bought ten, lit them all and her and Toshiro chased their friends around the streets laughing. (and only managed to almost set one booth fire)
They ran around and enjoyed the booths. Toshiro had been to this festival every year since he was born but this was the first time he had this much fun. Houtaru dragged him around everywhere and he found himself smiling. Everyone who walked by the two hardly recognized them- Houtaru because of her hair and Toshiro because he rarely smiled and laughed out in public.
The six friends waved as they saw Konohamaru and Hanabi sharing a drink along with the older fours sensei, Lee who was talking animatedly with Kiba; who had been on a year long ambassador mission to the Mist. He had returned home three times and all those times the blond was on a mission out of the village so he still hadn't seen her.
"Oi! Houtaru-san, Toshiro-san and my youthful team! Come over here and welcome home my dear friend Kiba-san and Akamaru-san!" the spandex clod man said motioning to Kiba and a giant white dog next to him.
Kiba stared as Akamaru barked and yelped with joy and ran over to the young blond who laughed and scratched his ears, causing the dog's tail to wag. Kiba, like everyone else who knew the hyperactive blond boy, just stared at the Naruto look-alike but was brought out of his gawking by Lee.
"Ah! You have noticed it as well, Kiba-san. Young Houtaru-san does look a lot like Naruto-san. She is even quite powerful and the flames of youth burn brightly in her eyes!" Lee said with tears in his eyes.
"Lee…" but Kiba trailed off. How was he supposed to voice what he was thinking? That the girl not only looked like Naruto, but smelled like Naruto as well? But there was something else as well; it was Naruto's warm, spicy smell mixed in with a more calm sweeter smell that was just as familiar.
"Have you also noticed, my youthful friend, about another part of her features? Neji-san says it reminds him of Hinata-chan!" Lee went on to say. Kiba eyes widened. The smell was familiar! It was Hinata's! He had to get this information to the Hogake right away but he figured now wasn't the right time considering the Hokage was sitting with Jeraiya having a drinking contest.
"It's nice to meet you Houtaru-chan." Kiba smiled, showing his sharpened canines.
"And you, Kiba-san." Houtaru said returning the smile with one of her warm ones.
Houtaru asked Kiba a few questions about Akamaru and the peaceful moment was interrupter by a high nasally voice.
"Oh, Toshiro-kun! How do you like my kimono?!" The six friends turned to see Airi. Toshiro couldn't help but look at Airi's kimono to see exactly what she was wearing. He regretted it thought it was rather….surprising. Surprising because it was the length of an actual formal kimono, and the regret part was because…it hurt his eyes. It would have been beautiful. It was a picture of a field of lavender and grass and the sky was orange, however Airi had had it done in bright, obnoxious neon colors. (Like the post-it notes!)
Her face was covered in way to much make-up and her eyes were painted a bright orange color. Houtaru wanted to laugh, her father would have been ashamed at how his favorite color had been put to shame, but didn't because she could feel anger and something else forming in the pit of her stomach.
"Don't call me that." Toshiro said, ignoring her question. In all the months of teamwork they had gone through, Airi still annoyed Toshiro to no end. She just couldn't take a hint! He. Did. Not. Like. Her! How hard was that to understand?!
Airi giggled, it was meant to be cute but it sounded really creepy "I know your lost for words, but that's ok! Why don't you take me over to that stand over there and you can buy us some sweets to share?"
A vain twitched in Toshiro's head. "Airi, one- I don't like sweets, and two- I don't like you." He said through clenched teeth.
"But I don't have a date and me and you would be perfect together." Airi squealed.
"Actually, Houtaru-chan's my date tonight." Toshiro said smugly putting extra emphasis on the 'chan'. Airi blanched. She had always been a bit scared of the younger girl.
Airi 'hmphed' and turned to appraise Houtaru who she had been ignoring until now. She didn't notice the fact that Houtaru was shaking a bit and her eyes were shut tight. Houtaru couldn't help but feel a bit angry at Airi for asking Toshiro to be her date when it was obvious he didn't want anything to do with the other girl. Houtaru told herself that it was because Airi was bugging Toshiro but that didn't explain why she was getting so angry.
Airi smirked "You do realize the only reason Toshiro-kun here is here with you is because he feels sorry for you? Poor, little Houtaru, all alone with no one in this world because her stupid family died. It was probably your fault in the first place; if you had been there they probably wouldn't have died." She was trying to push Houtaru's buttons.
Airi shuddered in fear as something was propelled at her- killer intent. She turned to see Toshiro with he sharingan blazing. The insult hadn't hurt Houtaru for little did everyone know the event hadn't actually happened, but the insult had made Toshiro want to rip her mouth off of her face.
Then another killer intent joined the first one- this one made Airi move away from the pair. This one was demonic and Airi looked up to see a pair of obsidian eyes with golden slits and she turned and ran.
Toshiro was still fuming, however he felt smug at the thought he had protected Houtaru.
"Arigato, Toshiro-kun." He turned to see Houtaru smiling at him warmly.
Houtaru held out her hand which Toshiro took and she pulled him along through the crowd do catch up with their friends. She hoped no one had seen her eyes change color. The Bijuu had told her whenever her emotions got too strong they would change colors and that this happened to her father as well. However this didn't help her case of keeping a low profile, which she wasn't doing a very good job of to begin with.
"Hey you guys. Sorry we didn't stick around to help you deal with the slut but her outfit was making our eyes hurt." Shika said as she waved a stick of dango in the air. Toshiro blanched as he saw the sweet food.
"Come on Toshiro-kun, lighten up. If you smile I'll buy you some tomatoes." Houtaru said in a mocking voice but she was totally serious. Toshiro huffed "Fine."
After another hour of games, snacks, laughing and Houtaru deciding to be a smart ass and demanding tomato flavored dango - which she failed to get because Toshiro dragged her away because she was making a scene - the sun set and it time for the firefly show.
"Come on guys! I know where we need to go!" Houtaru said like while jumping around like a kid on too much sugar.
"What are you talking about Houtaru-san? Everyone else is going over there." Yoshio said motioning to the wide field where the crown was gathering to watch the fireflies.
"Yoshio-san, what's my name mean?" Houtaru said crossing her arms.
"Well…it means firefly…" Yoshiro said hesitantly.
"Exactly. So you just need to trust me on this one." Houtaru claimed and walked off into the woods. The others all looked at Toshiro, as if he would hold all the answers, and he just shrugged before following the blond. He didn't quite understand her logic but he wasn't about to question it, if she told him to fallow her as she jumped off a cliff he would probably do it…actually he had once before.
The five friends followed the form of the blond through a group of trees into a perfectly round field of green grass with a few big boulders in the middle, on which Houtaru stood silently with her eyes closed and she looked like the statue of an angle- or so Toshiro thought.
"Houtaru-chan, what are you…"
"SHHH!!" Houtaru shhed, cutting of Kenta. She kept her eyes closed and motioned for them to come over to the boulder she was standing on. Her friends didn't question her and they just went over and stood next to Houtaru.
"What are you doing, Houtaru-chan?" Toshiro said in a kind, quite voice. Houtaru still didn't open her eyes but responded in the same voice. "Just watch."
The other four were stunned. They knew the two were close, but hearing the Uchiha talk to anyone like that was surprising. They had grown up with him and had never heard him talk to anyone like that. Both Shika and Michi smirked at hearing Toshiro call someone 'chan' in such an endearing manner.
'Just friends. Yea just like Airi is "not that bad"' Shika thought.
Houtaru put her hands out in front of her and made a cup with her hands. She breathed out and as she breathed back in a sphere of golden light appeared in her hands. It was mesmerizing and a small smile appeared on Houtaru's face as she felt the strange warmth the sphere emitted along with a sound. The sound was light and smooth and it seemed to draw the friends to it.
Toshiro blushed as he looked at he friend. The light illuminated her face in a way that made her look as if she was glowing. Her golden hair framed her soft face and she looked totally angelic to the raven. He didn't know why he was blushing. He had always thought she was beautiful, so why was it starting to feel awkward?
All of a sudden the field around them started glowing with hundreds of little lights and Houtaru threw up her hands and the sphere burst into a mini-burst of sparkles and she laughed and twirled in an imaginary dance with the lights.
She grabbed Toshiro hands and started to spin with him and after a minute he joined her in her laughter and threw his head back and laughed. The other friends were all doing the same and dancing to some imaginary music.
Houtaru spun away from Toshiro, and he watched her hair swing around her like a veil, and the three girls linked their arms together and whipped around together before falling over laughing. A little firefly landed on Houtaru's nose and she laughed as it tickled her. She hopped up and started randomly jumping in the air and catching the little lights and releasing them into the air.
The friends chased each other and laughed and caught fireflies and releasing them and falling and just having fun.
Toshiro's eyes stayed glued on Houtaru the entire time. She blushed once when she caught him staring before she twirled around again. This time Toshiro noticed something on the neck of her kimono as her hair swirled out of the way. He stiffened as he saw it: among the golden lights in the black silk there was a flaming, golden sphere. It was the same symbol….
:Flash:Back:
"Oi! Teme!" Houtaru yelled into the living room where Toshiro was reading a training scroll Houtaru had given him to study on a new fire jutsu.
"What?! I'm trying to read!" He shot back.
"Go up into my room and look in my green backpack for a small bag of orangey purple leaves. I need them for dinner tonight and I can't leave this sauce without it sticking." Houtaru said and headed back into the kitchen.
"Why don't you just send one of you Kage Bunshin to go get it!" Toshiro yelled but headed for the stairs anyways.
"Just shut up and stop whining. Consider it training!" Houtaru yelled through the walls and Toshiro grumbled and went to Houtaru's room. They still both called the room next to Toshiro's room 'Houtaru's room' even though she slept in Toshiro's room because she kept all her things in there.
'Why can't she just go get it herself? I don't care how good the food's probably going to be! She's just being lazy! What kind of color is 'orangey purple' anyways!?'
He opened the door and walked in and found the bag and opened it up. He dug through it before he found the bag and found that indeed the plant was an orangey purple color. It wasn't brown so it seemed the only way to describe it was indeed orangey purple. He stood up and wondered exactly what Houtaru put in their food every night. He was sure if she wanted to poison him and his father she easily could.
He stood up and heard a crash from down stair which made him jump and trip and knock over the bag- spilling the contents out on the floor. He hopped back up, ready to run downstairs and help when he head and "I'm OK!" come from his friend.
"Dobe." He mumbled.
"Shut up, Teme!" Houtaru yelled back making Toshiro jumped. He almost forgot about the fact that she had heightened senses – a fact that she had shared with him a few weeks before.
He sighed before looking at the spilt bags of different colored plants, scrolls and even some expensive looking felt bags that were sealed together at the top with strings. He bent down and began picking up the contents, not really looking at what he was picking up.
Then his fingers brushed over something cold and metal and it surprised him so he dropped it on the floor. He looked down to see a hitate on the ground but he had dropped it so the metal plate had landed face down.
He looked at it and looked and became confused. This wasn't Houtaru's hitate. The cloth on this one was longer and black. It looked more like something Houtaru would wear compared to the short blue one she wore on her forehead now. He bent down and picked it up slowly and turned it to reveal a jagged looking spiral that appeared to be in flames.
He traced his finger over the jagged spiral. It wasn't a symbol he had seen before but he couldn't deny the fact that this was a hitate and not a Konoha hitate.
"Toshiro! Get your butt back down here and give me the bag before I burn dinner. If you make me ruin dinner I will buy ramen and then force feed you dango until you like it!" Houtaru yelled.
Toshiro panicked and quickly stuffed the hitate and all the other items in the back and ran back into the kitchen. He made the decision not to ask Houtaru about it. Even though she hadn't answers all of his questions yet he didn't doubt her. She was going to tell him eventually and he needed her to trust him in her own time.
:End:
"Toshiro-kun?" he was knocked out of his memory by Houtaru's soft voice. He turned to see her looking at him questioningly.
"I'm fine." He said and when she raised a perfect blond eyebrow at him he put his hands on her waist and lifted her up in the air and spun her around earning a squeal of laughter.
He sat her down and she playfully punched her in the arm. "Hey!"
"I'm not a three year old!" Houtaru said playfully and then backed up her statement by sticking her tongue out at him.
A firefly landed on the obsidian firefly comb and Toshiro laughed. Houtaru smiled at him and took his hands and spun them around again as they joined their friends in laughter.
Onigakure:
Naruto smiled as he watched Takeru and Nozomi twirl and laugh in the field of fireflies. He down rite laughed as he watched Gaara glare at his son.
"Don't worry Gaara; I'm sure Takeru won't hurt her. He still faints when she smiles at him so it should take sometime before he actually asks her out at all." Naruto laughed and Gaara turned to glare at his friend.
"Fine, but when he does I have all rights to threaten his life." Gaara seethed.
Naruto laughed again "Please do! And do me a favor? Catch it on tape while you're at it. I can use it as blackmail." earning him a playful slap over the head by Hinata.
"Onigake-sama!" a cute little girl with short brown hair pulled back in two little puffs on the back of her head.
Naruto bent down to the little four(and a three quarters)-year-old and smiled. She was the daughter of one of his top jounin but that's not the reason he was nice to her, even thought he was nice to everyone, He was nice to her because Houtaru had been considering her as a future apprentice. The girl's mother had 3/4ths tiger-demon blood and the girl herself had inherited her mother's tigress DNA.
"Why, hello Tora-chan! How are you tonight?" Naruto said while ruffling the girl's hair and being met with a pair of innocent yellow eyes.
"I'm 'k. Where's Taru-hime? I thought she was upposed to be backs by now?" she said using Houtaru's pet name around the village.
"No, actually she's not supposed to be back for…." Naruto trailed off. That's right. The twin's birthday was in two weeks. "Actaully, she's going to be back real soon. Is that ok?"
Tora nodded and skipped away yelling to all of her friends that were waiting for her "Taru-hime's coming backs soon! Onikage-sama said so! Yay!" she cheered and the little girls cheered as well and then went to buy some more sparklers (Houtaru had taught them how to use the sparklers last year to harass their parents.)
"So, how are you going to do this?" Hinata asked her husband.
Naruto smirked. He was just as aware the other countries stress toward Oni as they were. He was also aware that Konoha hadn't taken a side yet.
"I'm going to allow Lady Tsunade to make the choice to become our allies or not." Naruto said simply, leaving both Gaara and Hinata stunned. After all these years he was still the number one must unpredictable ninja in the world.
Ok…so like I said before that was kind of a filler chapter but it was long!
Tora – Tiger. And yes she was supposed to talk like that.
If you have any questions I'll answer them!
There are going to be two parts to this story. The first part only has two more chapters so YAY! It means I'm being productive!
Review!...Pwease! I'll give you Kyuubi holds up little chibi version of Kyuubi