Demonic Nemesis
By: DarkFayt
Beta'ed by: "You know who you are!"
Ch.14 First Blood
"Talking"
"Demon talking"
"Thinking"
"Demon thinking"
Jutsu being used
(…) if you see this in-between a break that means there is a lemon there. It will be numbered so you can find it listed with my other fics under the name 'A Midnight Dream'. The lemons will really have nothing to do with the main story line other than being a way to express the strength of the relationship between characters. It's up to you if you want to read them or not.
Yes, I do in fact own Naruto and to prove it I shall have the next issue feature a bikini contest and rename it "Sasuke" with a subplot of Naruto.
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The next morning, as the group was finishing with breaking down the camp, Naruto and Kira finished marking their route to Raikou no Kuni as Kakashi walks over to them.
"You two ready to go?" asked Kakashi as he was reading his book.
As Naruto and Kira stand up, they give themselves a once-over and nod. As everyone gathers around to hear Kakashi's last remarks before splitting up, Haku lands just outside the clearing in a white mask and hunter's garb, "These are the skilled ninja? They look like new genin for the most part…the man there is the target, and the other is unknown, but the man with the grey hair seems familiar…I will have to be careful."
Haku was broken out of these musings as Kakashi spoke, "Alright everyone, as you all know, we will be splitting into two groups now. One will be heading to Raikou with Howaito-san, and one going with Tazuna to wait in the fishing village. We should meet up again in four to five days to leave for Nami no Kuni. Naruto, you will be in charge of your group. Kira, I cannot give you orders, so just do your best. Now, who will you take with you?"
"If it's alright with you, Kaka-sensei, we would like to take Hinata with us," Naruto could see the shock on the others' faces, especially Hinata's.
"Naruto-kun…are you su-re you want to take me with you? Espe-cially to…the-re?" asked Hinata in an even quieter voice than normal and with a slight stutter.
"Hinata," said Kira in a stern voice that caught everyone. "I don't know what's been up with you lately, but get over it already! Ever since we left the village, you have been spacing out, and worse yet, you froze up against those Kiri-ninja! You have been up against stronger killing intent from Naruto-kun and me, so why did you freeze up? It's like we are working backwards since we left! You even just stuttered again!"
Hinata was looking down, almost ready to cry, until Naruto placed his bandaged hands on her shoulders in a comforting way. Hinata snapped her head up to meet his gaze, but as soon as she saw his hand, she had to look down again in shame. Then she heard Naruto say, "Hinata…its Kumo, isn't it?"
As Hinata snaps her head up again, a sparkle from her tears fills the air as it all comes together for everyone. The kidnapping attempt was no secret, and it was even taught in the academy's history class. "As soon as you heard that Howaito-san was heading for Raikou, you have been acting weird. I never thought about it until now. When those Kiri-nin were heading towards you, all you saw was that Kumo-nin…"
"So that's it! It's not that Hinata is weak…she's trying to face down her greatest fear for Naruto-kun…have I become this blind to others' feeling? I guess being able to feel what Naruto-kun feels has made me a little dull at watching others," thought Kira as she walked over and wrapped her arms around Hinata and said, "I'm sorry, Hinata-chan…I should have known, but I was too focused on the mission and Naruto-kun to even consider your feelings." Hinata was shocked at first, but then comforted and just let herself be held by Kira.
Kakashi had to tell their two clients of Hinata's past and explain what the three were talking about. Sasuke was fine with it. He could understand the sting of the past. Sakura felt for Hinata, but she was confused since she had never experienced anything like that. It was hard for her to relate. Tazuna could imagine the feeling, and Howaito couldn't help but comment, "If the child is afraid, maybe it would be better to leave her here with the sensei."
"No…no, I want to go…I need to go," said Hinata with confidence at the end as she broke away from Kira and wiped her eyes.
"Well, that settles it," said Naruto, "We will see you in 4 or 5 days, Kakashi-sensei. Be sure to wait for us!" After saying that, Naruto and his group of four starts off down the road into and through Rice Country as Kakashi headed to the seashore of Fire Country.
Haku was at a dilemma. The group splitting up was not expected, so as the observations of the group continued, a decision had to be made about which to follow and observe, "Hmm, that one is not the target and seems to be heading for Kumo territory. He is also taking three of the genin with him. The target, on the other hand, is leaving with the Jounin and the other two…the target is the priority. They said they were going to be meeting back up in 4-5 days, so I can observe the others then. I will have to send a message to Zabuza-sama about this turn of events…"
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The trip through Rice and Iron Country was eventless to say the least. Rice Country was exactly how it sounded. It was completely made up of farming villages and rice fields. It only took the group a little over a day to cross into Iron Country.
Howaito was actually rather nice to listen to. The man was very intelligent, and the way he spoke and explained things made it very apparent. He had told the Genin that the entirety of Iron Country was basically a valley surrounded by rather large mountains, with a decent sized plain at the center where the city was. The mountains were more than plentiful in iron and other metals. Because of this, Iron Country was independent from all other nations, since almost 70 percent of the elemental countries' iron ore came from these mountains.
During the last two shinobi wars, this country was torn apart in attempts to control it and the flow of ore. To prevent it from happening again after the end of the second war, all five great shinobi nations signed a treaty that said from that day forward, Iron Country would be a separate but equal nation. Allied with all to sell ore, but also neutral as in they could not deny to supply and or sell to any nation.
The treaty also stated that if any nation was to break this agreement, all other nations would declare a ceasefire to deal with the betrayer. The Genin were very interested in the history of this small country that was provided by Howaito. Never did they imagine that such a small and plain-looking country could be so important. Even more surprising was the city. Even though they weren't able to go into the city because it was out of their way, just seeing it from the mountain cliffs was staggering. One would expect a country that made its living off of mining would be small, dingy, and be full of smiths, but this city looked more like a trade city! Naruto couldn't help but ask.
"Howaito-san, why is that city so big and lit up? It almost looks like the night sky from here…" asked Naruto from their camp on the cliffs.
"Suta-Raito is a very busy trade village. It is true that this country is focused on iron ore, but it also is rich in gold, silver, and gems of all kinds. There are dozens of jewelers, smiths, smelters, artisans and just about every shop you could imagine down there. That is what you see now. All of the forges, jewelry shops, bars and other things reflect off of each other to create the illusion of stars on the earth. That is the reason it is named the Star-Light City," was Howaito's reply.
As the three Genin look longingly at the sparkling of the shopping heaven, they all say in the cutest union, "Do you think we will have time to stop on our way back?" In sequence, they all lock eyes and just have a good laugh as Howaito joins in.
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The first day was spent traveling through Rice Country and halfway into the mountains of Iron Country, and the next day took them straight into Raikou no Kuni. As the group passed the border, they were surprised to notice that, unlike the borders of Fire Country, there are no watchtowers, guard posts or even a patrol that they could notice. For anyone to be able to remain undetected by a group of two fox demons and a Hyuuga would be just ridiculous, unless they were downwind, scentless, and could become invisible to a Byakugan. It was barely past noon as they approached the village to leave Howaito.
As Howaito stopped in front of the gate, he turned and gave a small bow as he said, "I would like to thank the three of you for guarding me all this way. You did a fine job, and I would say that the mission was a complete success. Also, I wanted to say that I have never had better food while traveling than what you two prepared."
"Thank you very much, sir, and it was no problem. I believe that we all had fun traveling with you, or at least more so than with the drunken bridge builder," said Naruto as he bowed lightly for Hinata and Kira to mimic.
"Well, I must say I'm flattered by the compliment, and would like to insist that you all let me treat you to dinner tonight since you have fed me so well."
"Actually, Howaito-san, we really need to get going or else we might be late," said Hinata in a kind and quiet tone as Naruto and Kira nodded in agreement.
As Howaito got a thoughtful look on his face, he said, "So that's why you had Naruto-kun carry me through the mountains. You wanted to get some extra time to stop at Suta-Raito on the way back…"
All three Genin look sheepish as they avert their eyes, "Well, that's fine with me. I have business here anyway. I hope you enjoy your time in Suta-Raito, Kira-san, Hinata-san, Naruto-kun," said Howaito with a small smirk.
"Thank you again, Howaito-san, I'm glad we didn't offend you with our wish to go to the city," said Kira as she bowed again.
"No, of course not, but if you want to make amends just in case, I will be needing guards again in about a month or so. I was originally going to hire Kumo-nin to escort me, but if you are willing, I would like to request your team again since Tazuna will most likely be home by then. Would you be willing?" asked Howaito with a soft voice.
When all three genin look at each other, they just nod in unison to Howaito, "Well then, I will be seeing you three in about a month. Be safe until then. I would hate to have to find more guards of your caliber." finished Howaito as he turned away from the three Genin and allowed a cruel smirk to play across his face.
Just as Howaito disappeared beyond the sight of Naruto, Kira, and Hinata, the three only needed to share one look before disappearing in a cloud of dust heading back to the Iron Country border with thoughts of the starlight village. Unknown to the young Genin, Howaito may have been out of their sight, but they were certainly not out of his. As Howaito was standing atop a nearby building just inside of Kumogakure, shadowed by the clouds, he began to lightly chuckle as he spoke to a shadowed figure behind him…
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(Hours later on the cliffs of Iron Country)
Naruto, Kira, and Hinata had just arrived on the cliffs overlooking the city of Star-Light, but to their disappointment, it was already after dark when they arrived, and even for a ninja, traveling these cliffs at night was just foolish; even if Naruto and Kira could see perfectly fine at night, Doujutsu or not.
"Well, I guess we will have to wait until morning to see the city, right Naruto-kun?" asked Kira.
As Naruto took an old lecture pose of Iruka's, "That would be the responsible, adult thing to do Kira-chan…not that we are adults or anything…"
"No, we're not Naruto-kun, but we are on a mission. We would be in enough trouble if Kakashi-sensei found out we were stopping at the city in the first place, so we need to be cautious," said Hinata in a soft but firm tone.
With a deep sigh, "You're right, Hinata…we do need to be careful, and we will only get the morning hours to explore the town before leaving to rendezvous with sensei. Soooo we will need as much rest as possible to have fun!"
The three genin settle down for the night to dream of the fun they would have in the morning exploring the glittering city, but for some reason Naruto, even with his Kira-chan beside him, couldn't help but feel like there was something off…it wasn't a warning or even danger; it was just an unsettling in the back of his mind, as if he had overlooked something…
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(The next day…)
Naruto, Kira and Hinata were having the most fun they had ever had. It was just so refreshing for Naruto to be in a place where no one glared at him. No one here knew him, yet they all greeted him with a smile. He could go into any store, eat at any restaurant, and he could even talk to people without them looking disgusted.
For Hinata, it was a place with no expectations of her. She could speak freely, not be looked at as some kind of porcelain figure like how the people of Konoha treated her. It was as if she was on display as the pride of the Hyuuga.
Kira was just so happy. She had Naruto with her. Hinata was happy and smiling. It was just perfect for her. Naruto was feeling…light was the word she would use to describe it, and she felt the same. She was with the two people she could call precious to her, and they were just having fun enjoying being together. No training, no watching the Hyuuga around them, and best of all, they were together…
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Most of the day was spent going from one shop to the next looking to see what was there. Glittering stones and jewelry littered the streets, from small stands to large galleries. For the most part, Naruto found the jewelry shops to be a little boring, but Kira and Hinata dragged him to nearly every single one to browse the beautiful pieces. After about 3 hours of browsing the shops, the three decided to stop for some lunch at an outside café.
"Are you two girls having fun?" asked Naruto as he sat with a glass of tea in hand.
Both girls just look at him with big smiles. "I guess that's a yes?" said Naruto with a soft look to him, "Once we're done here, we can stop at one more shop before we have to leave. It's going to take us a little over a day to get back to Kaka-sensei if we don't stop tonight."
"Hmm, if we have time to stop at one more shop, I say we do. Who knows when we will get a chance to come here again," said Kira as she ate some of her lunch.
"I agree…so Hinata, where do you think we should go? Kira picked the last gallery, and I got to go to the weapon smiths, so it's your turn," said Naruto as he slurped some of his ramen.
Hinata was caught a little off-guard by the question, so she took a small thinking pose, "Well…I did hear about a really famous shop at the center of town. The man I talked to said it was called Kingin-Rei (Gold/Silver Spirit). It's supposed to be the best store for jewelry and decretive weapons. It's even supposed to carry a very good selection of practical weapons."
Naruto reaches up to the hilt of his sword and says, "Is little Hinata jealous of our weapons? I bet you just want to get one for yourself."
Kira couldn't help but giggle at Hinata's slight blush, "Its ok, Hinata-chan, it would be a very good idea for you to take up a weapon-style. Only having Taijutsu is a big weakness of the Hyuuga. That's why Naruto-kun has been teaching you medical-Ninjutsu, and I have been teaching you Suiton jutsu."
"Speaking of that, Kira-chan, how far has Hinata come with her Suiton jutsu?" asked Naruto as he finished his 3rd bowl of ramen.
Both Kira and Hinata look at Naruto, and then Kira motions for Hinata to explain, "I have learned the Mizu Bunshin, Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Wall) and a basic Mizudan (Water Bullet)."
"That's quite the little library you have going. Pretty soon you'll know more jutsu than me, Hinata!" said Naruto, which made Hinata blush deeper.
"Hinata, why not show Naruto-kun those two jutsu that you've been working on?" asked Kira as she finished up her lunch.
Naruto couldn't help but look interested, "I would love to see them, Hinata. Maybe I could even help you finish them?"
"Actually, Naruto-kun, I would prefer to wait until they're done to show you, but the first was just something I was doing to improve my control over the Mizudan. I was just forming the bullet, and instead of shooting it in one direction with built-up chakra, I tried to move them around and increase the speed as I controlled its movements. It was Kira-neechan that suggested that I make it into a new jutsu. I still have a long way until it's done, but it should be useful. The other one is…well, it's just an idea right now, but I think it could be something," Hinata finished with a slight blush at all the attention.
Just as the server brought the check, Naruto stood up and said, "Just let me know when they're done! I would really like to see them." After setting a few bills on the table, "We better get going to this…Kingin-Rei, was it?" With a nod from Hinata, "We need to leave within the next four hours or so to be on time."
With a quick nod from the two girls, Naruto lets Hinata lead the way to yet another jewelry store.
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(Outside the Kingin-Rei)
When Hinata had told them that the man had said it was in the center of the village, she wasn't joking. It literally was the center of the village, right next to the town judicial and management building. The Kingin-Rei was three stories tall, with what looked like some type of rooftop seating area.
As the three entered, they were just amazed at the elegance of the store. It seemed like a pristine museum to them. White walls and dark wood floors polished to a perfect gloss met their eyes. When they entered, the first thing they saw was a shined marble staircase in front of them, and all around the room were different display cases for the different jewelry.
Not even a moment after entering Hinata and Kira, had already taken to browsing the display cases with stars in their eyes. Naruto could only smile and think, "It's nice to see my girls happy… 'My girls?' Where did that come from? It doesn't matter anyway. It's just nice to see the both of them having fun." Naruto for his part was not a jewelry type of guy, even if some of the pieces looked interesting to him. After some time for browsing, he found a map of the store that easily showed where everything was:
Basement level: Storage – off-limits to non-employees
1st floor: Jewelry and Accessories
2nd floor: Display Pieces and Clothing
3rd floor: Practical Weapons and Armor-Forging
Roof: Dining Café
"So this place really does have everything," wondered Naruto out loud. Just as he was about to walk away, he was pulled to the side by Kira. For the next half hour or so, he was dragged around from display to display, hearing Kira comment on one thing or another, and for the first time, he was actually uninterested in what Kira was saying until she stopped at a particular case and just squealed, "Naruto-kun, come look at this!"
When Naruto looked into the case, even he was thrown for a loop. It was a ring of a golden fox with its tail curled around to it mouth to make up the ring. It has silver tipped ears, and the tail was also bright silver at the tip, but the thing that really set it apart was the two ruby eyes, "Damn, it's as if they had you in mind, Kira-chan…"
"I see the lady is interested in this piece. Would you like to see it?" asked the clerk. Kira just looked at Naruto with eyes so big that he could have sworn he was under a genjutsu. He was even tempted to activate his newly named 'Shinkirougan' (Mirage eye) just to be sure. The clerk removed the ring from the case and let Kira try it on as he said, "We can have it fitted to any finger in just a few moments if you're interested. It seems it needs to go down a size…"
"It's beautiful, but how much is it?" asked Kira with stars in her eyes as Naruto was already pulling out some money to buy the ring for his Kira-chan, but to his surprise, when she was told the price she simply said, "It's way too expensive…" and moved on down the case after setting the ring down.
Not only was the salesmen stumped, but so was he, "The ring wasn't that much…so why did she say no? I spent more on her clothes than what the ring costs…" After a few moments of thinking it over, he decided it was just Kira's sensible side turning its head. Not only was Naruto thankful that he was able to keep his thoughts to himself after a lot of practice, because…he had decided to buy the ring anyway. He tapped the glass case a few times to get the man's attention and slid a roll of bills to him. After smiling, the man said in a quiet voice, being sure to turn away from Kira's direction, "Very well; I will have it sized, and it will be waiting at the front door when you leave."
Naruto only nodded and walked over to Kira thinking, "Finally, I get to surprise her with something!" Just as he reached her side, she spun around and said, "I'm going upstairs, Naruto-kun! When Hinata-chan is done meet me up top ok?"
Naruto only could smile and nod his head as she ran off. He just couldn't help but be happy, "I wonder if I should buy something for Hinata too? But why would I buy Hinata something? Kira-chan is my…girlfriend would be the right name, I guess, but what is Hinata exactly? I know I don't see her as a sister, but I can't think of her the same way as Kira-chan…can I?" Before Naruto could finished his thought, he heard a commotion from the other side of the store, and when he reached the crowd of people, he saw a man on the other side of the counter holding Hinata's wrist as she was trying to pull away.
Just as the guard rushed over and grabbed Hinata's other arm, Naruto appeared in-between them with one set of his claws around the guard's throat, and the other around the clerk's wrist in a vice grip. He then asked in a deadly calm voice, "Now…what is the reason for you to try picking a fight with a shinobi?"
The entire crowd seemed to move a few steps back, because as soon as Naruto made that light threat, everyone noticed the hitai-ate hung around Naruto's and Hinata's necks. The clerk began to sweat horribly behind the counter as he released Hinata, as did the guard, and within a second, Hinata was behind Naruto, slightly shaking. "Sir…I mean ninja-san, I meant no disrespect, but this young woman tried to steal this necklace just now," said the man behind the counter as he pointed to a rather exquisite silver chain that had what looked like thin strands of gold woven through it. All in all, it was rather beautiful, even to Naruto.
Naruto for his part only looked on bored, but to the people gathered, his slit blue eyes almost seemed to be eating away at them as he asked; "Really now? And what makes you think a kunoichi of Konoha would steal in the first place? Or would even be caught doing it?"
"Sir, I witnessed the miss pick up the necklace off the counter, which is strictly against store policy. No one is allowed to touch the merchandise without a clerk present. She also moved it out of sight toward the bag on her hip when I caught her," said the clerk behind the counter in a slightly more confident tone.
Hinata was whimpering slightly as Naruto snorted in disgust, to the confusion of the group of people, "First off, we just arrived today, so we had no way of knowing your store policy. If it's such an important rule, you should have a sign. Secondly, from how you just described the situation, you had plenty of time to inform Hinata of your rule, and lastly…" in a blur of movement and a slight shimmer, not only did the entire contents of the display case in front of the man disappear, but so did every other! "If any ninja wanted to rob you, it would be too simple. If Hinata had wanted to steal that necklace, you would never have seen her do it."
The entire crowd was literally shocked speechless, the clerk was crying, and the guard was flat on his ass. With a snap of his fingers and another shimmer, it was as if nothing had been touched, "Now that I have my point across, I just want to say that before you accuse someone of stealing, let alone try to grab them, you should be sure you fully comprehend the situation."
As the clerk nods his approval, Naruto leads Hinata to a corner of the store as everyone else was gossiping. Naruto couldn't help but ask, "Hinata, what is going on? I know you have more sense than to try to steal anything like that, not that you would try anyway."
It took Hinata a moment to calm down, "I'm sor-ry, Naruto-kun, but when I saw the necklace, I was reminded of my mother. I was reaching for a picture when he grabbed me," said Hinata as she got control of herself.
"A picture?" was the only thing to leave Naruto's lips.
Hinata, seeing the curious face Naruto was making, just reached into her pouch and removed a small lavender colored book that she held up for Naruto to see. As her back was against the wall, she looked into Naruto's eyes and said, "This was my mother's diary from when she was young…when I was ten, father gave it to me, along with her necklace."
Hinata then opened the small book, removed a photo, and slowly handed it to Naruto. He could instantly tell that from how odd Hinata was moving that this was something special. He had to admit, after so many weeks of training, studying, and even taking the occasional nap with her, he knew Hinata's moods from just the way she moved. When she was bouncy, she was happy; when she jerked, she was troubled; and when she moved slow and precise, it was either a serious spar or something important to her, like when she pressed her flowers or was studying medial Ninjutsu with him. "Something is up…but what? I have watched Hinata a lot during our time training, and this is a new mood for her…"
As Naruto stared at the photo, he realized it was of Hinata's mother and father on their wedding day. It was a close-up shot that only showed their midsection up, but Naruto was still rather impressed. Hiashi, the ever-ridged man that he knew…never smiled or showed any emotion no matter what his voice sounded like but here was a picture of said man standing next to a woman with light violet hair and deep purple eyes, smiling like he had won a jackpot. But what really caught Naruto's attention was the necklace around the woman's neck. He could have sworn it was the necklace Hinata had just been caught with. "That's why she did it. I could swear from this photo that it was the same one. I can't blame her for losing herself in the past…"
It only took Hinata a moment to see Naruto had figured it out, so without him saying anything, she said, "In the Hyuuga clan, it is tradition for a marriage to be performed with specially crafted necklaces instead of rings." She then looked down at her hand, "It was declared generations ago that to cover our hands with anything was a crime against the clan." She then clenched them tightly, "When the elders look at a member of our clan, they only see the instruments of our art…all they care about is the strength of the clan. When I was ten and the year of the academy ended, I placed fourth in the class, which was a disappointment to the elders; so for motivation, they took away my mother's necklace and told me that if I did better next year, I would be given it back."
Naruto by this point was about to lose it. His eyes were blazing red, with a circle of blue flame in them, as he thought, "How could those temes do that! I knew Hinata was mistreated, but this is just…maybe…just maybe, no family is better than having a family like that?"
After a moment of silence, Hinata never looked at Naruto as she continued, "The next year, I had only climbed to the third spot…it wasn't good enough." Naruto could feel his stomach drop. "A few days after the council found out, a few of them came to my room and threw some money on the floor in front of me. They…they said they had sold my mother's necklace to a traveling merchant, and that I should use the money to buy some training equipment!"
As Hinata started to lightly sob, Naruto only wrapped his arms around her to do his best at comforting her. He probably would never know how much his actions that day would affect her, "The more I hear about that damn council, the more I'm disgusted by them…Hinata, do you want to find out if that necklace is yours?"
It took Hinata a few minutes to calm down once again. She then said, "I already know it's not. My mother's necklace had a small inscription on the clasp that said 永遠の花 (Eternal Blossom). This one didn't have one…I just thought that maybe…"
Naruto only held her again for a few moments before he said, "It's ok, Hinata-chan…there's nothing wrong. Kira-chan is upstairs looking around; why don't you join her? I will be up in a few minutes. I just want to make sure there are no problems down here. Ok?"
"Hinata-chan? Maybe I am getting closer to Naruto-kun…" thought Hinata as she quickly nodded with a small smile. Naruto gently let go and watched as she walked up the stairs.
Just after she was out of sight, Naruto walked back up to the display case with the same clerk. After waiting a few moments, he asked, "Excuse me, sir?"
The poor clerk nearly jumped over the counter when he turned to see Naruto again, "Yes, ninja-san; how may I be of help?"
"How much for the necklace, and could you have the clasp engraved with something within the next hour?" asked Naruto as he pulled out a rather large roll of bills and activated his Shinkirougan, just to add menace to incentive. The clerk was instantly interested. He was either going to make one hell of a commission, or was about to experience something very unpleasant.
"Maybe since I'm buying presents, I should think about something for Sakura and Sasuke? They have been training really hard lately, even if I have to heal them every hour or so. I swear Sasuke won't be happy until he dies from burns or chakra exhaustion..."
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A few hours later, as Naruto, Kira, and Hinata were leaving the village of Suta-Raito, they couldn't help but be in a happy mood. The three had lost track of time, and it was late afternoon as they left. They were moving a little faster than they usually would inside a village because they needed to recover the time they had lost.
All three of them had bought one thing or another while in the Kingin-Rei. Kira had bought a set of metal plates to go over her leg guards, as well as a set of forearm guards to add extra protection, just to be on the safe side. After she had started supporting her blade with her forearms, she noticed it really hurt.
Naruto for his part had gone a little overboard with his…shopping. He had literally bought an arms warehouse of weapons. Kira had actually asked if he was trying to compete with Tenten or not. He had bought swords, spears, crossbows, sickles, maces, kunai, tonfa, sai, daggers, and even kursari-gama, chained and unchained versions. Naruto had just said, 'Something to pass the time with' with a shrug of his shoulders. He also bought a book on basic forging and weapons repair, for something to read other than porn and medical scrolls.
Hinata had bought, much to Naruto's surprise, a metal battle fan as a weapon of choice. Apparently, Kira had talked her into it, saying it was versatile for offence and defense. It supposedly would go well with her flexibility and grace. The fan was a little over 15 inches in length when closed, with a black finish on the outside with white flowers. When open, it could apparently either be used as a slicing weapon, or it could open into a full circle to be thrown, and of course it would be a useful shield. The inside of the fan was a dark blue, with white flowers and a full moon over a lakeshore. Naruto couldn't help but think it was ironic, considering what he had inscribed on her necklace…
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Once outside the city, the three took to walking at a slower pace, considering they would have to stop for the night in a few hours since it was already so late; but at least they were out of the city and making good time. They had originally planned to travel through the night, but for some reason, Kira had a strange feeling, and that was enough for Naruto and Hinata to act with caution.
"So boss, those are the kids we heard threw all that money around at the Kingin-Rei today?" asked a grungy man with a hammer on his side, standing with 3 others just inside the village gates as they watched Naruto and the others steadily move down the road.
"It's got to be them. Not very many girls with orange hair around," said another one with a dark beard and what looked like a poorly kept straight sword.
"Not to mention the one with the white eyes. She seems fun. Do you think we can have some fun with the girls after we're done robbing them blind, Boss?" asked another man that was missing quite a few teeth.
"Hmm, why not…we can rob them blind, and then use the girls until we get bored…" said the man known as Boss. He was a large man of about 6'4 with obvious muscles. He skin was tanned, and if you looked closely, it's obvious the man had worked at a forge for quite a few years by all the burn scars. "We will wait until they settle down for the night…then we kill the boy and have our fun…"
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(Just inside Rice Country)
As the three stop for the night, Naruto starts to unseal the tent the three had been using been using. Normally, a tent is too large and cumbersome for a ninja to carry, but thanks to Naruto's scroll, he could travel in style and comfort.
"Hinata-chan, do you think you could go gather some firewood? We seem to have used up all of the wood I brought," asked Naruto as he finished setting up camp.
"Of course, Naruto-kun, I'll be right back," said Hinata as she stood up.
"Oh Hinata-chan, while you're out, could you please fill the canteens?" asked Kira with a small smile, but as soon as Hinata was close enough to her, Kira pulled her in close and whispered, "It seems whatever you're doing is working. Naruto-kun seems to be seeing you as more than a friend. I'll have a talk with him in a little bit, so try to stay out for a little while. OK?"
Hinata couldn't help but have a large smile as she said out loud for Naruto to hear, "Sure, Kira-neechan, I should be back soon, but I think the only river is a little far away, so I could be a little bit."
Naruto, for his part, only raised an eyebrow at the actions of the girls. He had tried to listen in on what Kira was saying, but for some reason, it sounded jumbled and slightly scratchy. If it weren't for the fact that he had tried to eavesdrop on her, he would have asked if something was wrong with him. "This is Kira-chan, after all…she probably has some way of blocking my senses when she needs or wants to," thought Naruto as he finished setting up the tent and fire pit.
He pulled out some rice and a small cooker and filled it with some water from the cooking supplies. He added some light seasoning before setting up a small grill over the fire pit and cut a few braches from a nearby tree to start cooking with until Hinata got back. After a quick burst of Foxfire, he was well on his way with dinner.
"Naruto-kun has really come a long way from when we first met…he is still the hyperactive kid he used to be, but now he's more focused, calculating, and seems to always be looking to learn something new. I wonder what he will be like in a few years? Anyway, it's time to play matchmaker for Hinata-chan!" thought Kira as she walked up behind Naruto, after he had sat down on a nearby rock to watch the fire as the grill heated.
"Naruto-kun, I wanted to ask you about something," stated Kira as she sat next to Naruto.
"Sure, you know you can talk to me about anything, Kira-chan," said Naruto with a smile.
"Naruto-kun, what do you think about Hinata-chan?"
"Hinata-chan? Well, what do you mean exactly? Her training or the whole thing with Kumo?" asked Naruto, honestly confused.
"I mean, what do you think of her as a girl?"
Naruto was actually starting to get what Kira was talking about, "Kira-chan thinks that I like Hinata-chan…" Naruto gently took Kira's hand in his. At first, she just took it as a show of affection. At least, until she felt something slipped onto her finger.
Kira snapped her head up the instant Naruto released her hand. As she looked down, she saw the very ring she had seen in the gallery resting on her finger. Her mind whirled with thoughts until she looked into Naruto's eyes. All she could do was look into his eyes as he said, "I love you, Kira-chan. Hinata is beautiful; I won't lie and say that she isn't attractive, but I have you and that's all I need or want."
Kira just couldn't help but let a few tears slip as she wrapped her arms around Naruto. "I should have known Naruto-kun would be like this. I can't believe he bought this ring for me…Naruto-kun, what does this mean?" asked Kira.
Naruto only slightly pulled away so he could look into her eyes and say, "You can see it as you like, Kira-chan, but to me it's a promise that I will always feel the same and be right here for you," finished Naruto with a soft smile.
"What if I said I didn't mind if you pursue Hinata-chan too?"
Naruto had gotten a lot smarter over the past few months, but this was still way over his head. Others' feelings, and especially girls, were a new thing for him, so the only intelligent response was to look at Kira with saucer-like eyes and say the ever eloquent, "Huh?"
Kira only slightly giggled as she said, "Naruto-kun, do you know why Hinata-chan has been working so hard?" Naruto only looked on with a calculating look. "If she wasn't able to get your attention like she has, I wouldn't even tell you this." Naruto was about to say something, but was cut off by Kira again, "She loves you…she has loved you since before you ever met me. As far as I can tell, she has loved you since your first years in the academy."
Naruto only blinked owlishly as he remembered all the times he had seen Hinata over the years, and it all just seemed to click for him. All the times she was following him, blushing at the mere sight of him, and complimenting him on just about everything. It all just added up.
"She does love me? But I have you, Kira-chan! I can't just have both of you! Isn't there a rule or something?"
Kira turns slightly and looks Naruto straight in the eyes and says, "Yes, yes you do have me, Naruto-kun, and you always will. Our souls are intertwined. We feel each other, hear each other's thoughts, and know each other better than anyone could hope to know us, but that doesn't mean that you only can have me."
Naruto moved to say something, but was stopped by Kira placing a finger across his lips, "You need to understand that I am trapped inside of the seal now. I'm…I'm not real, Naruto-kun, and I can't be there for you like Hinata-chan can. At least not in the same sense as Hinata-chan…I have no body of my own, and the only reason I can even touch you now is because of this fake Kage Bunshin body. I get hit right or run out of youki and I poof just like any other clone." After a moment of looking down, Kira brings her head back up, "I'm not real, Naruto-kun, and I never will be. Hinata-chan loves you, and we both agreed to share you a long time ago as long as she became someone I could trust to be there for you when I couldn't. She has worked hard to be that person for you."
Naruto was trying to find something to disagree with Kira on; anything to counter her with, but everything she said was true, no matter how much he wanted to disagree. "Are you saying that you don't want to be with me because I can't give you a real body?" asked Naruto with a slight tear in his eye.
Kira only cupped his cheek lightly and said, "I already told you that I will always be here. I will always LOVE YOU, but that doesn't mean that you need to only love me. As long as the girl loves you and you love her, I wouldn't care if there were 15 of them! If you are happy and all the girls agreed to share you, I would be happy. But if I ever found you sneaking around on any of the girls, you would wish we were separate!"
It took Naruto some time to process all this. He was allowed to have multiple girls love him? He could love multiple girls…it just didn't seem to add up for him. He finally decided that if Kira was the one telling him, then it must be true. He had put his life and trust in her since they had met, so why would this be any different?
"I think I need to talk to Hinata-chan before I say anything else, Kira-chan," Naruto then stands and begins to head out of camp in the same direction as Hinata. Then, without turning around, he said, "Don't think this 'not having a real body' thing will work forever. I will find a way to release this seal eventually…"
As Kira watched Naruto's retreating back, she couldn't help but think "He got out of his turn at cooking again…"
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It didn't take Naruto long to find Hinata. Her scent of vanilla seemed just to permeate the area. He stored away the thought to find out what made her smell of vanilla. He slowly snuck up behind her and sat down next to her on a rock as she was filling the canteens. "We really need to work on your detection skills, Hinata-chan."
"OH!" cried Hinata as she dropped the canteen into the water, "Naruto-kun…you scared me!"
Naruto slightly snickered, as he looked straight into her eyes. For the first time, he really looked into those eyes, looking for any trick or misconception; but for all his study, all he could see was caring, worry, kindness and the same look of love he saw in Kira's eyes. "I really was blind not to see her feelings before. When I look into her eyes, it's obvious…but do I love her?"
As Naruto sat there staring into Hinata's eyes, she was actually rather comforted by it. Naruto always seemed to be looking past her before. He was always seeing what she could be, how strong she could be, or how he could help her next; but now she could tell he was looking at her, the person that was there in front of him, and she truly felt comforted by this, "Naruto-kun, is there something wrong?"
"Kira-chan had a talk with me, Hinata-chan…she said that you were in love with me. She said that you had been for a long time, and now that I really think about it…you are, aren't you?"
At first, Hinata could only think about an escape, that this wasn't how she wanted to confess to Naruto, but then she came to a conclusion. "No, I have worked too hard for this! Kira-neechan kept her word and is trying to help me. It's up to me to make Naruto-kun mine! I do, Naruto-kun. I have since our first year in the academy…at first, I only looked up to you because you are everything I wanted to be. You are strong, confident, you never quit, and no matter what anyone thinks or says, you keep moving. I don't know when I went from wanting to be like you to wanting to love you and…be loved by you, but I know it's been years."
To Hinata's disappointment, Naruto's face remained as blank as it was when he arrived. Hinata was hurt, thinking he wasn't interested in her at all and tried to run, but before she could get two steps, Naruto appeared behind her as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. In the smoothest, most honest voice he could make, he said, "Hinata-chan…I don't know if I love you. I know that you are important to me; someone I would protect with my life, but I don't know what my feelings for you are. I know it isn't sisterly or just in a friendly way…" Naruto then put the necklace he bought for her around her neck and says, "I want you to consider this as a promise that as soon as I know, you will know, and I know it's horrible of me to ask, but would you wait for me until I do know? I hope that maybe one day, this necklace will mean for us what it means in your clan, but as of now, I'm not quite sure."
Hinata was ecstatic on the inside as she thought, "YES. I have a chance! I'm important to Naruto-kun! He even bought me something before Kira-neechan told him! He doesn't love me now, but that will change! I'll make it change!" Before Hinata turned to face Naruto, she held the necklace and slowly felt around until she felt the clasp. To her surprise, it was engraved with something. As she looked at the inscription, she read 薄い月の花 (Pale Moon Flower).
Hinata could only turn with glistening tears flowing in the moonlight as she embraced Naruto tightly. She softly muttered into his flak jacket, "I will always wait for you, Naruto-kun, and I know you will feel the same someday, but until then, Kira-neechan and I will always be there…"
Naruto only sat there quietly as he held Hinata and softly rocked back and forth, just enjoying that he had someone else that loved him, and even if he couldn't love her back, he swore to always protect the people precious to him.
Kira smiled softly as she watched Naruto and Hinata. "Naruto-kun, you really have a way with the hearts of people…I wonder if you will ever know how many people you have changed for the better by just being alive…or how many you will change…and when the hell did you become tricky enough to sneak something past me?" finished Kira as she looked at the ring on her left hand with starry eyes.
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The next day started just perfect. The three of them woke with the sun, and were well on the road into Fire Country. Naruto was really enjoying this mission, because even though he only needed to sleep 4 or 5 hours every night, ever since he learned to sleep the full 8 he just couldn't resist. Going to sleep with a girl on each side and waking up with them lying on top of you was just a great way to start the day.
Naruto had figured that at the rate that they were moving, it would be late afternoon by the time they arrived in the fishing village to meet up with Kakashi. Running on the ground through Rice Country seemed foolish because of all the rice patty fields, so they were just taking their time and enjoying the scenery. They knew that as soon as they hit the tree line, it would take no time to get there. Moving through the trees would cut their time in half, if not better.
All three had a aura of peace, safety, and contentment around them. At least, that's what it was until four rather unsavory men stepped out in front of them. It was obvious that they were no more than thugs, but the stench coming off of them nearly made Naruto turn green. He just couldn't place the smell, but Kira instantly knew what these men had been doing and she was growling so loud that even the men could hear it.
The man with the hammer in his hand said, "We have been following you little runts for days now, waiting for you lot to go to sleep, but you little bastards never seem to sleep at the same time!" Kira's growling just heightened after hearing these men had been following them. "Well, it seems that the orange and red one has a bit of a temper. Maybe we should have our way with her first, Boss?"
After those words left the man's mouth, Naruto instantly broke out of his disgust of the men's smell into a whole new disgust. He took his normal ready stance for unknown opponents, crouching down with his right hand on his sword handle and his left raised in front, in case he decided to go with Taijutsu.
Hinata took a slightly new stance. It was still the normal Jyuuken starter stance, but now instead of having her right hand pulled back, it was behind her back resting on her fan. Kira took her stance of resting her right hand on her Wakizashi as she raised her left in front of her as she extended her claws.
"I don't know what you four think you are doing, but I would suggest you leave now," said Naruto as he began to draw his sword, hoping to scare them off.
The man that was referred to as 'Boss' only laughed as he said, "What do you think you are, Shinobi or something? Trying to bluff my men out with stances and fake strength won't help you any. I will tell you what; if you hand over everything you have, and if your girlfriends here agree to service me and my men without trouble, we won't kill you."
To say Kira and Hinata were disgusted would be an understatement. Naruto, on the other hand, was furious that anyone would even think of such a thing. "Unless you are as retarded as you are ugly, you would realize that we ARE ninja of Konoha, and I'll personally ensure that if you make a move, you won't have time to regret it."
"Boss, they are wearing Leaf symbols…maybe we should leave this one..." called out one of the three lackeys as they begin to back up.
The boss says, "Don't fall for their tricks. No village allows ninja this young out without a Jounin-sensei. These kids probably just found the headbands or had them made somewhere. These brats are as good as ours! Take 'um for all they got!"
"Tell me this…" asked Naruto as he sheathed his sword and released his illusion over his appearance, showing his crimson slit eyes and fangs to the men, stopping them in their tracks. "The smell of you four…I recognize it now. You all smell of blood and sex…you have been robbing and raping on this road as you were following us, haven't you!"
"Well, I guess you have something against that?" asked the leader as his men snickered after getting over Naruto's appearance, "We do as we like! Robbing, rape, killing…it doesn't matter to us! If people are on this road, then they are ours to do with as we please!"
Naruto and Hinata were absolutely livid. Kira was growling as she said, "Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan…I am normally against killing, but when I'm faced with people like this…I stop considering them people!" Kira then began to draw her blade.
Hinata set her resolve and drew her fan from behind her, flipping it open with a flick of her wrist. Naruto just set his eyes on the leader and the sword user in front of him. Naruto's crimson eyes flickered with rage and killing intent that froze the men in place for a moment before he said, "People like you that have made the choice to treat others like playthings…your life means nothing to me…" Naruto finished in a voice so demonic, the men's fear and instinct to run alone broke them out of the killing intent.
Just as Naruto finished speaking, all four men rushed forward, only to be confronted by the three! Hinata, to her displeasure, had to deal with the one with the bad teeth and the dagger. All it took was a sweep with her fan to disarm the man of his weapon, and a hard Jyuuken strike to the chest to launch him into the woods to collide harshly with a tree. After a moment to see how the others were fairing, Hinata launched after the man to be sure he was out cold.
Kira was against the one carrying the hammer. This man, for his part, was rather skilled with that mallet of his. Kira was actually forced to dodge to find an opening in the man's guard. "Hmm, let's see…he has a definite pattern to his swings. Down, up cross, left, down cross, up, right…he doesn't leave any openings because he always has his left arm free with that armlet. Oh well, I hate to use a jutsu against someone like him, but with this small body I can't get around him…"
Kira then draws her wakizashi and strikes the face of the hammer to force the man's arm up into the air. Before the man could bring his guard back up, he hears to his horror, "Doton: Seizing Earth No Jutsu" before the man could move four large hands made of rock and earth rose from the ground to ensnare him. With one final scream, he was pulled below the earth only for it to seal up as if nothing had happened. "Well, that was quick…"
Finally, Naruto had to deal with the boss. The large man carried no weapon, and only tried to smash Naruto's head in with downward strikes. Naruto for his part just dodged a few times until he finally had enough, "Tell me something. What makes you think that other people's lives are yours to toy with?" asked Naruto after jumping a good distance away.
The tall man stopped swinging as sweat poured off of him and panted out, "The strong decide the fate of this world. If you are stronger than others, then you are right and can do as you like. It's that simple!" When the man finished speaking, he started to sprint towards Naruto.
"How sad that you would waste your life like this…Ninpo: Dokugiri (Poison Mist)"cried Naruto as a cloud of dark purple smoke spewed from his mouth! The man was instantly engulfed by the poison, but Naruto wasn't done, "Even someone as disgusting as you deserves a quick death…" Naruto then raises his clawed hand and, with a snap of his fingers, a spark of Foxfire ignites the gas.
With one flash of fire and light, the poison mist was set aflame and died just as quickly, leaving a smoldering hill of black as the only sign of the man's existence. Naruto at first was stuck in his spot. This man was his first kill, and yet it was so simple. Not even 5 minutes was spent to end a life. The smell of the burnt flesh, the sick feeling in his stomach, even looking at his own hands seemed unreal…finally Naruto was able to turn and avert his eyes, but in that instance, Naruto begins to feel another incredible burning in his hands. Once he looks down, he sees the same red glow from the last time, except now it was mixed with green and yellow as well. Naruto tried to control himself, but the burning was too much. He screamed as he tried to bite down to control the pain.
Kira and Hinata turn towards the screaming to see Naruto kneeling on the ground as his hands had a greenish yellow glow to them and the veins in his arms looked black as night. But to the girls' horror, the last of the bandits was right behind Naruto with his straight sword raised to deal a blow!
Kira was moving as fast as she could to get there in time, but just as she was about to reach Naruto's side to block the man with her body, a spinning blue disk passed right through the man's neck, spraying blood into the air! After the disk struck a nearby tree and the man fell over with his head barely attached, it was obvious that it was Hinata's fan that had struck…
Before Naruto passed out, he could see the horror on Hinata's face…as she dropped to her knees…
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End…poor Hinata.