A/N: Okay, NaruHachi shippers here you go, Happy Valentine's Day and Enjoy!
Holiday Special: Valentine's Day - A Year before Honey & Kunai II
Uzumaki Naruto intensely stared at the cooled chocolates on his kitchen table, the only space in the kitchen that was clean. The kitchen walls, the stove even the small cabinet and some of his plants were randomly splattered in black brown chocolate gunk. He was no better himself as he had dry chocolate on his face, some of his clothes and even his hair, luckily he had worn his green goggles over his blue eyes.
He stared at the small naruto (fishcake) shaped chocolates he had finished making. he picked up a piece and hesitantly popped it in his mouth, he scrunched his face expecting the worst. It was only his 7th try and he didn't expect any progress. He popped one eye as the chocolaty goodness spread through his body.
"Hey! These are good! Yatta! Success!" Naruto cheered and danced around his messy kitchen. After getting cleaned up and cleaning up his disastrous looking kitchen, Naruto carefully packaged the chocolates in orange and yellow soft paper and put them in a small light orange box he decorated himself with chibi crayon drawn pictures of himself and his best friend, his one main lady, Hachimitsu Hachiko.
It had been over 5 years since he last saw her but he assumed she still had long wavy golden brown hair and wore yellow. He still remembered the day she left, he had stood at the gates crying. Now that he thought about it, when she left he had felt a little empty and a bit lonelier but not once did she forget about him. She always sent him a gift once a year and had gotten updates about her from her dad, Duelo-oyaji. she had even gotten him silk formal wear, SILK. Fancy stuff. The least he could do, was give her chocolates for Valentine's Day.
Naruto lovingly touched the small box of chocolates and really hoped that she'd love them. He got the box and stuffed it in his holster, where the box wouldn't get damaged or touched then after the academy he'd get it to Duelo-oyaji to send it out to Hachiko-chan.
-Interlude Hyūga Hinata-
Hyuga Hinata sat in the far corner within a proper distance to casually glance over at her crush. It was the 10 minute break and while some of her clasmates lesuirly chatted, she took this time to think about Valentine's Day, that would be in 2 weeks, and her Crush.
'Naruto-kun, w-would you accept my ch-chocolates I-if I made you s-some?'
Hinata glanced over to where Naruto-kun was sitting. Her heart fluttered every time she saw him and she quickly looked away before her face got red. She was going to avoid staring at him again when some talk got her attention.
"Why do you smell like chocolate?" That was Kiba. Hinata looked over and saw Naruto, he was slightly blushing as he scratched his whiskered cheek.
"Ah, you know, I tried to make some chocolate." Naruto replied and Hinata absorbed the new information.
'Naruto-kun can make chocolates?'
"Hmm, any reason you making them 2 weeks before Valentines?" That was Shikamaru's lazy voice and Hinata knew he had a point. Naruto seemed to fidgit a bit in his seat.
"Uh, you know, just making sure I got it down, heh." It was evident Naruto-kun was nervous.
"Too troublesome, you do know that Valentine's Day is usually when the Girl gives the Boy she likes chocolates right?" Naruto froze in his seat and a small tint of red dusted his cheeks. As adorable as he looked, Hinata couldn't help but wonder who he was blushing for and who he was putting an effort to make chocolates for. A tiny part of her simmered at the thought that there was another girl.
"Eh, you didn't know that?" Choji chimed in and Naruto seemed to cough and shake off his small blush.
"I-I did know, I just, well this is different. Who says I have'ta follow the normal way of stuff. I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I do things in my own way." He proudly announced, reassuring himself in the process.
"So who is the lucky girl? Is she in our class? Is it Sakura? I remember you use to like her. Is it?" That was Ino as Hinata wondered how Ino got involved in the conversation but she froze when Sakura's name was mentioned.
'Naruto-kun likes S-Sakura?' Hinata's heart froze but then she saw Naruto's glare.
"No, it's not Haruno... It's, you guys don't know her." Naruto quietly said at the end.
"Don't know her? What is she imaginary?" Ino jabbed and Hinata grew a little disturbed at the idea that some unknown girl had Naruto-kun's attention.
"She's not imaginary. Hachiko-chan is real." Naruto snapped. Hinata noticed how Ino froze at the mention of the name 'Hachiko' By the looks of it, Ino knew the girl somehow.
"Oh. Her." Was all Ino said and dropped the subject. It seemed Ino didn't like the girl.
"Eh, you know her, is she cute?" Kiba prodded Ino who didn't say anything because Iruka-sensei had arrived and got the lesson started. Hinata grew a bit interested in the girl, Hachiko, the name sounded familiar.
During the lesson, Hinata's interest piqued when she saw a small orange box Naruto's slipped out of his holster. She slightly grew irritated as she stared at the small customized package. From what she could tell, there were crayon drawn Naruto's and some other vague but colored person on the box. That's when Hinata realized who the girl was. This was the girl that had helped clean her after Naruto defended her from the bullies. The pretty mute girl from the park. Hinata clenched her fists as she saw how careful Naruto held the box in his lap and the detail he had put into it.
-Sakura Interlude-
"What?" Sakura asked and blinked to make sure she was hearing correctly. Despite that the two girls weren't friends anymore and were rivals in Love, the two still talked about of their shared interest, Gossip and Sasuke
"I said that Naruto made chocolates for the Hachimitsu girl you're always talking about." Ino repeated and Sakura still couldn't believe it.
"Doesn't he know that it's the Girls who give the Boys chocolates on Valentines and that the Boys give the Girl they love chocolates on White Day?" Sakura mused loudly and INo nodded.
"Shikamaru told him but he insisted he'd do things his own way... I guess in a way, you should be relieved he doesn't like you... Ah, but maybe he has the right idea." Sakura raised and eyebrown as Ino smirked.
"Maybe I should get started on making my Sasuke-kun his chocolates and before anyone else can... First come First serve right?" Ino teased and Sakura glared at Ino but instead of just raging Sakura quipped back.
"You can be first, even the last to give him his chocolates but none of it will matter because Love will always triumph and in the end, we all know it's going to be me that gets chocolates from him." Sakura felt damn proud that her small speech had some sort of impact on Ino.
"In your dreams forehead! He's going to love my chocolates better than your!"
"Oh yeah, well Hachiko-chan will share with me the perfect recipe to capture his heart, her family specializes in sweets!" Sakura missed how Ino's eye twitched at the mention of Hachiko and both missed the hidden Hyūga heiress who overheard them talk.
-2 Weeks Later in the Land of Honey-
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Swoosh.
"You missed one again Hachiko. What seems to ail your thoughts?" Lady Suisei stood up from her meditative pose and walked to over to her young apprentice. Hachimitsu Hachiko glared at the target she missed, it was the one out of her peripheral vision. Setting he bow down and Hachiko wiped the sweat on her forehead with her white jeogori sleeve.
'It's not my fault I can't see it.' She signed as her mentor walked over and bonked the top of the girl's head making the top of the golden brown hair messy in the process.
"Complaints will get you no where. We'll try again tomorrow. Let's head back to the compound. I think a messenger bird flew overhead not too long ago. Perhaps your father has written." Hachiko nodded and the two walked to the Hachimitsu Compound.
"HAAACHIKO!" Hachiko cringed as she heard her Great-Grandmother's voice from behind the compound gates. This was Kisaki-mama's over amused voice, which meant Hachiko would be more or less prodded and teased about something.
As Lady Suisei and Hachiko entered the compound, Hachi froze as she saw a pile of boxes to one side.
'W-What's today?' Hachiko hesitantly asked Lady Suisei who smiled a little, Hachiko felt her amusement and then she the service staff's excited and amused aura.
"Happy Valentine's Day Hachiko-hime. Many admirers have sent their gifts." One of the Head Maids announced and the service staff bowed and more boxes were brought in and set in the ever growing pile. Hachiko rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. The Land of Honey worked in strange ways. Unlike in Konoha, where the Girls gave Chocolates to the Boys on Valentines Daya and the Boys gave their special one Girl chocolates on White Day, the Land of Honey had Valentine's Day as a confession kind of day. Anyone could confessed their feelings for another in the form of chocolates or gifts and a month later on White Day, a reply would be given back.
"HAACHIKO!" Kisaki-mama bounded over in he flamboyant manner and smiled widely.
"You have beaten my own record with a total of 297 chocolates and gifts. Oh I'm so proud of-"
"Mother that is not something to be proud of. All these, admirers-" Jun-jiji arrived and the service staff froze as the regal black and gold dressed male arrived with Lady Mimori at his side dressed in a dark blue chima skirt and black top with a white belt at the middle. Lady Mimori being the kind and gentle woman she always is, had the staff retreat silently before her husband could scold them. Every year at the compound during Valentine's Day Jun and Kisaki-mama clashed over whether or not accepting chocolates was good for Hachiko's public image... The staff incidentally was always caught between the two's orders to remove or leave the chocolates and gifts.
"Jun, I will not have you ruin this tradition. All the past Hachimitsu Matriarchs and their heiresses have accept all chocolates sent and what we do with them is none of your concern." At that moment Hachimitsu Mori arrived. He was dressed in his usual dark black battle hanbok [if you can't imagine it think of Lee Min Ho in the K-Drama Faith]. The handsome rugged man smiled at Hachiko who looked like she wanted to just take a bath, he knew exactly how much she trained since he designed her training exercises with old Lady Suisei.
"Mori, how many times have I told you to shave? Women like ikimen, and you have such a pretty face, how will I get grandchildren if you keep insisting to sticking to olden fads?" Kiskai-mama reprimanded her still single son. Meanwhile Hachiko attempted to sneak off only for Mori to grab her by the scruff of her jeogori.
"Nice try but If I'm going to be chewed out today, so will you." Hachiko glared at her great-uncle and he chuckled as now everyone else had their attention on her.
"Hachiko-hime what should we do with the chocolates?" Mori asked. Hachiko glanced at the chocolates and sighed before giving her answer.
'While it's rude to send the chocolates back and it's also a problem for me to have so much chocolate that, I alone cannot finish, despite that I really just want to eat honey drops, ahem, I believe it's best to distribute the chocolates to the children at the orphanages. We'll turn this into a charity drive of sorts. We'll collect all the notes attachted and send out a thank you card and let them know of the fate of their chocolate and the new purpose It's been given. After all, all children need love too.' Hachiko thought of Naruto who once had lived at the Orphanage. As of late she had thought about him a lot wondering how he was doing without her. She thought of Pinkie too, but she worried more about Naruto who lived alone, Naruto who day in and day out at the end of the day had no one to go home to.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Mim cut in and hugged Hachiko. Kisaki-mama nodded and smiled. Hachiko didn't miss how Kisaki-mama had this small playful aura about her.
"Indeed. So you'll keep none of these chocolates? Not even this one?" Kisaki-mama pulled out an orange little box that got Hachiko's full attention.
'Naruto? H-He didn't, Oh yes he did.'
Hachiko perked up and took the box and smiled lovingly at the chibified drawings of herself and traced the little blonde blue eyed chibi figure in a good guy outlined to look like he was wearing an orange jumpuit with blue around the neck line and she grinned as she saw the whiskered marks on the chibi figure's face.
Unbeknownst to Hachiko, the adults saw how her usually stoic mask melted away at the sight of the box. Jun-jiji was the most disturbed by it but everyone else, saw that who ever gave her the chocolates, meant a lot more to Hachiko than she knew.
"Ahem, would you like some time alone with the box?" Mori teasingly asked. Hachiko blushed and hugged the box with one hand and signed with the other.
'I'm keeping this one.' she signed and saw how Jun-jiji's face became stern and saw the playfullness in Kisaki-mama's face.
"I think you should get washed up and rest. You look very tired." Mim broke the small silence and Hachiko nodded. Lady Suisei retired to her room.
Hachiko once in her room, she sat down at he bed and curiously opened the orange box and smiled warmly as she saw the assortment of naruto (fishcake) shaped chocolates. She noted how these were not store bought since they were in different sizes. there was a small scribbling on the inside of the box lid.
ooo
Happy Valentine's Day Hachiko-chan!
You gave me expensive clothes and thought of me even where you were so far away.
So now I made you something. It took me a while to get it right but I think you'll really like them, since I remembered you love sweets and honey. I could've just bought them but nah, I wanted it to means something by making them myself. I miss you lots and I can't wait to see you again!
Future Hokage,
-Naruto
ooo
'H-He made these himself. Oh Naruto.'
Hachiko popped one small piece in her mouth and closed her eyes. It was sweet and it melted on her tongue. She opened her eyes as she felt her tummy get warm and her heart slowly flutter. Hachiko decided to keep these chocolates hidden and so she put them in a chest box filled with her treasures. She smiled as she closed the lid, tracing the chibi drawn Naruto and smiling adoringly.
'I can't wait to see you too.'
A/N: CUT! That's it. This is the last Honey and Kunai Special. No more will follow (at least not here). Head's up, the next chapter after this one is just a quick spoiler of events in HK as my way of closing HK I for good. I hope you all enjoyed this special chapter and see you all in HK II.