I don't own Naruto or the cover image.
Enjoy.
An hour earlier to a certain blue haired genin's departure, someone was thinking about her.
As she spilled everything that she was... a blue eyed girl wondered if she had been cruel, playing possum like that.
Then she thought of that smile...
'Nope... it's okay... for once... things are actually okay...'
Hinata Hyuga meekly scuttled through the hallways of Konoha's hospital, her lavender eyes trained on the floor, an assortment of white, yellow, and orange lilies wrapped in white, orange naruto printed paper in her arms.
She had long ago mastered the art of blending in a crowd and moving about silently, but at the same time, effectively. This technique made sure she was never in anyone's way.
It was one less thing her father could scold her about.
Hinata was never in anyone's way.
But somehow... She still managed to be a burden.
When the Hyuga reached room 109, she knocked on the door out of pure polight habit, and let herself in.
Like all the times before, Naruto Uzumaki lied in her hospital bed, pale and as still as death. She wore a breathing mask, a plain hospital gown, and her arms, legs, and chest were swarmed with white wires. She didn't even have a cover. The machine to the blonde's right beeped steadily with her relaxed pulse. And her bright blonde hair spilled over both sides of the bed, brushing the floor.
The room was dark, but Hinata had been visiting since Naruto had been put in the room, so she ignored the annoyance she felt at the hospital staff for neglecting Naruto, and went over to the large window to throw the drab curtains open.
She walked over to Naruto's bedside, setting the flowers next to the blonde's head on the nightstand. The floor by the Nightstand was covered in small potted plants, and flowers from the Hyuga's previous visits. Hinata made a mental note to bring some soil and another pot for Naruto's new lilies.
The Hyuga pulled a white scuffed plastic chair from the side of the nightstand, and quietly set it beside Naruto's bed. She took a seat, and just looked at the blonde.
Naruto had always been Hinata's ray of sunlight. Something bright and strong that contradicted all that Hinata was. Dull and weak. A person to be ignored. A person to be brushed aside without a second thought, even though she was from the prestigious Hyuga clan. Even though she was a main branch member. Hell, the heir to the clan, and yet... yet she was nothing.
Naruto came from nothing. She was an orphan. Everyone knew that. And Hinata watched her all the time. Even it if it was creepy... she watched Naruto. She was just so fascinated. How could Naruto, who should have been even more miserable than Hinata, manage to be so bright? Naruto didn't have a clan's backing. She didn't have anyone. And yet, she commanded attention. She commanded respect without actually looking for it. She was... she was everything Hinata wished she could be. Naruto was sunshine itself. Bright, yet potentially dangerous.
As long as the Hyuga could remember, the blonde had been alone. But...
But someone...
Someone had loved Naruto. Hinata knew. She remembered, the taste of blood, and that pleading voice rasping from behind her, "please stay by Naruto's side in my stead". Pitifully, it had taken until now, for Hinata to find the courage to try.
The small, blue haired girl took hold of Naruto's right hand, she laced their fingers together, marveling silently at Naruto's smooth, soft, and blemishless skin. How could her arm have been burned beyond recognition, only for it to heal a week later with not a flaw in sight?
Hinata wondered.
How could one person be so amazing?
"Naruto-chan..." Hinata whispered. "I never was quite brave enough to speak to all the other times I visited..."
The gentle Hyuga took a breath, her cheeks flooding with red shame.
"You must think I'm pathetic... that I could talk to you, knowing you can't hear me without stuttering even once..."
Hinata untangled their fingers, only to take hold of Naruto's hand again, with both of her pale ones gently wrapping around Naruto's tan one.
"It's just that... We're really different Naruto-chan... you're so strong, and I'm weak. But for some reason, I still chase behind you trying to catch up." Hinata's eyes, began stinging, and she sniffled, but didn't pull her hands away from Naruto. "I just want to walk with you... I wanted to be your friend ever since the academy, but I never had the courage to talk to you. And when circumstances made it so you talked to me all I could do was stutter like an idiot!"
Hinata sobbed, a dam breaking as her eyes looked at Naruto's colorless sleeping face. Tears poured out of her eyes, and her lips trembled as she tried to quiet down.
"I-I always thought you were so strong..." The Hyuga cried. "A-and you are, but, I think it only hit me when you snapped in the first exam. It hit me that you're only human, Naruto. You're n-not invincible... Things hurt you. You get angry... You feel sadness. And you're not an angel... You're a person."
Hinata's small frame shook with the force of her tears, and her voice had warped, and she was barely coherent she was crying so hard.
"B-but it nearly destroyed me w-when you collapsed at the preliminaries." Hinata continued. "I thought you were dead. For a moment, you looked dead... Naruto. I was so worried. You will never know how much... but I... I'm... B-but I'm weak. I wanted to rush after Kakashi-sensei. I wanted to be by your side every step of the way... but I was scared. I hesitated and now you're in this bed, and you've been here for nearly a month, and three more days and it will be a month."
Naruto's hand remained slack in Hinata's hold.
Something in the Hyuga's chest splintered.
"Please wake up Naruto..." Hinata whispered brokenly. "Please please wake up."
Naruto didn't open her eyes.
Thirty minutes of silence.
Hinata took that time to calm down, wipe her face, and compose herself. When the gentle Hyuga found she could speak without bursting into tears, she took hold of Naruto's warm hand again, the only sound in the room being the blonde's heart monitor, and her slow, easy breathing.
"Guess what Naruto-chan?" Hinata called softly, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. But she liked to pretend Naruto would rudely call back 'nani?' in that bizarrely charming way of hers and smile at the Hyuga. And Hinata would smile back because they were friends, and they would laugh together for a while before Hinata answered.
"After you and Sasuke-san... left, Sakura had to fight Ino and she won. Sakura won her match, isn't that great?"
Hinata pulled one of her hands away to play with a soft lock of gold that lied near their joined hands.
"Temari beat Tenten-san, and Shikamaru-san beat that female Sound ninja. I had to fight Neji-nii-san, and of course, I lost... but I did do my best, because I knew you wouldn't give up if you were in a bind too." Hinata shook her head, absently twirling the gold strands around her finger.
"Poor Lee-san, that Gaara boy... he really hurt him. He has this weird sand technique he uses, and calls it his ultimate defense... even though Lee-san was really strong and fast, Gaara crushed his arm and leg with his sand... Shino-kun beat another Sound nin that had broken arms, and Kiba and Choji knocked each other out, so neither one of them will be proceeding."
Hinata perked up.
"But guess what else?" The Hyuga smiled. "The Third allowed Sasuke to go to the next round, and he said you can too if you wake up in time... but... you only have three more days, and it doesn't look like you're going to wake up..."
Hinata stopped playing with Naruto's hair.
"Kakashi-sensei is off training Sasuke-san to fight Gaara, and Sakura-san is learning medical jutsu here at the hospital to fight the Sound nin Dosu. If you wake up Naruto, you'll have to fight Neji-nii-san... And Shikamaru-san has to fight Temari of Sand."
The Hyuga took a deep breath, not used to talking so much. Her jaw kind of hurt.
"Shino-kun has to fight Kankuro of Sand, and that's all who passed the preliminaries."
Hinata glanced at the clock over the door, lavender eyes bugging out at the time.
She was only supposed to stay about fifteen minutes. She'd been visiting for a whole hour.
"O-oh no!" She stuttered, thinking of her father's disapproving glare. "I-I was sup-p-posed t-to be home a-ages ago!"
The gentle Hyuga gracelessly shot out of her chair, pulling her hand from Naruto's. Hinata took one step towards the door and-
She froze.
Her skin drained sheet white.
There was a hand.
A warm, soft hand strongly, yet gently clasping her own.
The next thing the Hyuga knew, she was being pulled back.
She fell backwards with a squeak of fright, and right into a strong embrace.
"D..." The person behind her rapsed, voice faint from disuse.
They tried again.
"D-did you mean... did you mean... wh-what... what you said...?"
Hinata's face flooded with color.
She was awake...
Naruto was awake.
'She heard me!' Hinata's mind screamed. 'Kami Naruto heard me talking to her! She must think I'm a complete weirdo! She must never want to see me again because I'm creepy and she thinks I'm obsessed with her and-'
The arms around her tightened. A nose burying into her blue hair.
"Did you mean that?" Naruto asked quietly. "Hinata..."
Hinata nearly fainted. Naruto said her name.
Naruto said her name without a formal tone or casual dismissal.
Naruto said Hinata's name kindly. She said her name like they were friends...
"Do you... do you want to be my friend...?"
Hinata was confused.
Why did Naruto sound so skeptical?
Didn't she realize how wonderful she was?
What the blonde said next made Hinata dizzy with happiness.
"I... I want you to be my friend too..."
The blue haired girl felt Naruto's face shift out of her hair.
"Are those... did you bring me all of those?"
Hinata's clouded mind shambled around what Naruto could possibly mean by that.
Then it hit her.
'The plants genius!' Hinata nearly smacked her forehead.
Instead, she nodded dumbly, lavender eyes still bugged out as they stared at the tan arms wrapped around her middle.
"Oh... wow..." Naruto murmured. "You're the second person to ever flat out tell me that you want to be close to me... I almost don't know what to do... or say..."
Naruto sounded happy, Hinata noted.
Wait.
What?
She sounded happy...!
Kami... Kami must've finally heard her prayers.
'Naruto is happy that I'm around?' Hinata tried to comprehend this. 'She doesn't think me being around would be a burden... she wants to be my friend too... Th-that... that's amazing... I'm so happy...!'
"Hey..." Naruto called softly, shifting the Hyuga around so they could face each other. "Why are you crying, Hinata-chan?"
Hinata sat on her knees, lips trembling and cheeks flushed red. She poked her fingers together uncertainly, and embarrassed.
"I-I'm just..." Hinata whimpered. "I'm just so... so happy."
The blonde blinked. And for one horrible moment, Hinata thought that she had said something wrong. She thought that as usual, she had ruined everything. That she had creeped Naruto out and now the blonde never wanted to see her again because she thought she was a sicko. And Hinata's fragile little heart was on the brink of breaking. But then... Then...
Naruto grinned.
"Then don't cry." The blonde laughed.
She was so bright when she laughed. So beautiful. So close to perfect it was staggering.
"Smile." Naruto said kindly. "Just smile, Hinata-chan."
Something remarkable happened.
Hinata's whole face lit up as she smiled, tears spilling out of her lavender eyes.
'How... how could one person be so wonderful?'
The gentle Hyuga knew she'd probably never know.
'Naruto... I'll be the best friend you've ever had...'
The next day, Naruto was going to be released from the hospital. She had been stretching, and getting familiar with her muscles ever since Hinata left the previous day. After a quick shower in the bathroom that came with the room, silently thanking Jiji for looking out for her, Naruto sat on her bed.
Her eyes were closed, and her breathing relaxed. Her consciousness drifted between sleep and wakefulness.
She hadn't talked to Murmur since the second Exam, and the blonde had a lot to talk to her humanity about.
When she opened her eyes again, she was in a shabby sewer. The water was up to her knees, and the walls were cracked looking as if she breathed next to them, they would fall to pieces. The Kyuubi's cage stood tall before her, thick with shadows, looking empty, but Naruto knew the fox was in there. Watching her.
"What took you so long?"
Naruto flinched, and turned around to face the owner of that exhausted voice.
Murmur looked even more deathly than the first time they met.
Her big baby blues were half mast, looking so tired it was sad. Murmur's stitches were gone. But her lips were scarred. Proof of the suffering she had endured in silence for years. The six year old's chains were gone too, but this only emphasized the fact that she was a stick bug. Her legs looked one second away from giving way beneath her.
"Sorry..." Naruto said. "I just woke up. Apparently, I've been out of it for nearly a month. Two more days and it will be."
"Naruto. This is extremely important." Murmur stated. Shocking Naruto stiff. All the older blonde could do was gape.
"I don't have much time to tell you. My consciousness is fading away..."
"What?" Naruto croaked. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"
'No... not you too... don't you do this to me...' The blonde thought frantically. 'Don't you fucking do this to me!'
"I'm sorry Naruto," Murmur sighed, sounding as if it was her last breath. "I'm sorry that this is hurting you... But I'm not really going anywhere. We'll just be one person again. I won't have a voice because I won't be separate from you anymore... but that's a good thing. It's all I've ever wanted actually... ever since I was created... I wanted to go home..."
"B-b-b-but... who will I argue with? Or joke with? Who'll tell me the truth when I'm lying to myself? How will I even know if I'm lying to myself?" Naruto asked helplessly.
Murmur smiled softly.
"That's what you have friends for, Naruto. Talk to them... get to know them... laugh with them... argue with them." The six year old shook her head, giggling quietly. "And you don't need me to tell you when you're lying to yourself. You'll just know. Just be honest with yourself... Ask for help from people who care about you... and you will be just fine."
"This can't be happening." Naruto mumbled. "It just... can't... It won't."
"It can. And it is." Murmur chided. "Pull yourself together. You're stronger than this. We're stronger than this."
Murmur was right.
But honestly, when wasn't she?
Naruto shook her head.
"It'll be so quiet in here... without you constantly nagging at me..." Naruto chuckled, blue eyes looking far away.
"I'll be with you. I don't belong in here, Naruto."
The blonde blinked, and shook her head, clearing her thoughts.
'That's right... we'll be one person... We're supposed to be one person...'
It was going to be okay.
Naruto wasn't a lonely little kid anymore.
She had people who she cared about.
It wasn't perfect. But it was something.
"Okay," Naruto gave in, shoulders slumping. "Okay... you win. What... what do you have to tell me?"
"It's about the other presence."
"What about it?" The blonde asked tiredly.
'Remember when you asked me if it was dangerous? And I said I didn't know?"
"Yeah..." The blonde pursed her lips. "So?"
"Well, it wasn't. I figured out what it was by sorting through your memories. Your original seal, the Kyuubi's, has eight prongs. Something you did caused it to evolve, and increase to twelve. And more recently, Orochimaru's seal caused it to go up to seventeen. That's what threw your chakra system all out of wack. Odd numbered seals are unnatural and dangerous."
'A four pronged seal...' Naruto thought.
Oh shit.
That's what it was?
Why hadn't that been the first thing she thought of?
Naruto's eyes bulged.
"Yes." Murmur confirmed. "That's exactly what happened. That presence, was by no means dangerous to you."
Wait...
"Why are you speaking in past tense?" Naruto questioned nervously.
"Because it's gone."
"What." It didn't even sound like a question.
Murmur sighed.
"Naruto, the presence is gone. Someone's been tampering with the seal from outside. I thought it was you at first, because they got rid of Orochimaru's seal first. But then, the chakra was used to deconstruct the extra four prongs too. And you would never do that. You put them there for a reason."
'Oh Kami...'
"Naruto, I'm running out of time." Murmur said seriously. "I'll use my last moments as a separate being to warn you, the chakra presence that messed with your seal, is in the same room."
Naruto focused on Murmur's face, noticing how radiant she looked as she smiled. For the first time she looked healthy and happy. No scars or bruises, or tired eyes to be seen. She looked like a normal, innocent, six year old girl.
And that's the way it should be.
Naruto didn't even want to stop herself from smiling back.
"Tadaima." Murmur giggled.
"Okaeri." Naruto chuckled back.
Murmur grinned at Naruto, one of her front teeth missing, creating an endearing sight.
Murmur threw her arms open wide, as if she was embracing her home itself, her little body burst into a bright, beautiful show of lights, forcing Naruto to shield her eyes.
When Murmur's light faded, the Kyuubi's presence was even more prominent in Naruto's psych.
She was the voice that murmured in the dark.
But now...
She was home, where she was supposed to be.
She was Naruto.
Naruto's blue eyes slid open.
She, apparently, had been sorely mistaken.
She had expected a fight.
She hadn't expected to see her Jiji, Kakashi-sensei, and some giant with white hair and red tattoos down his face to be staring her down.
"What the hell kind of freak show did you bring into my room, Old Man?" The blonde joked, unfolding her legs to slip off of her hospital bed.
Her eyes hardened when The Third looked at her, usually kind brown eyes as serious as murder.
"Naruto," Sarutobi Hiruzen said gravely, because her Jiji would never look at her like that.
This man, standing in front of her, was The Third Hokage. The infamous God of Shinobi.
"Hai?" The blonde asked, cocking her head to the side.
"This is Jiraiya. He is-"
"One of the Sannin. The Toad Sage, and seal master." Naruto finished flatly. She folded her arms, frowning. "What the hell are you guys doing in here, looking like you've come to execute me for treason?"
"It's nothing so severe, Naruto." Kakashi promised. "Jiraiya-sama just has some questions about your..."
"Seal." The old toad supplied, his voice deep and somewhat gravelly. "I want to know why it had seventeen prongs when it should only have eight. Sensei told me you're interested in seals, but if you've been playing around with that fox, I'm telling you now, you need to stop."
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" Naruto snapped. "You think I'm a fucking moron? Who knows better than me that the fox is dangerous? It's inside me. But you guys know all about that, don't you? Fucking Fourth lovers."
"Naruto!" The Third snapped.
The blonde huffed.
"Fucking shit Old Man, okay." Naruto ran a frustrated hand through her bangs. "I know Kyuubi's seal should have eight prongs. I studied it like crazy as soon as I could after I found out the fox was inside me. It's the reason I created the Evil Eater seal. Because I was afraid one day I might lose control. I don't know if you've noticed, but I've got something of a temper."
Naruto ignored the fact that Kakashi and the Third snorted in agreement.
"Evil Eater is designed to feed off of malicious chakra, and destroy it. It doesn't contain it because that will only allow it to build up. The more bad chakra, the faster the seal consumes."
Naruto sighed explosively.
"Listen, I did seal something into my stomach. But I didn't think the Kyuubi's seal would evolve. It was just a simple containment seal(1). Orochimaru's five pronged seal is what actually put me in the hospital."
"But," Naruto glared at Jiraiya. "You've been screwing around you old toad! Where is it?"
"Oh, if what you mean by that is the crow you sealed inside yourself, its gone." The Toad Sage said flippantly.
"What?" Naruto croaked.
"The window was open when I fixed your seal. The bird flew out before anyone thought to catch it. And that was weeks ago. The thing's long gone kid."
"YOU COLOSSAL IDIOT!" Naruto roared, vermillion eyes flaring to life, ghastly orange chakra swallowing her form.
All three adults flinched when her whisker marks darkened, becoming more prominent, and her hair raised up, resembling nine furiously thrashing tails.
"Do you have any idea of what you've done?" The blonde growled, voice monstrous, and eyes boiling with loathing. "I'm gonna KILL you!"
"Naruto!" Kakashi barked, appalled. "You are way out of line!"
"Naruto stop using that chakra this instant!" Sarutobi yelled.
"What?" Naruto hissed, though, Kyuubi's cloak receded, her whiskers faded, and her hair fell back down around her sides. The only thing that didn't change was her enraged red eyes. "Are you guys serious? That crow... that crow had Shisui's...!"
"Yes... the Uchiha..." Jiraiya drawled, turning to the Third. "Sensei... Didn't you say he and Naruto..."
The Toad Sage trailed off as his Sensei shook his head frantically in the negative. Kakashi watched them, baffled.
"Feel like I'm missing something vital here..." The silver haired enigma mumbled.
The men turned back to Naruto, alarmed to see her eyes were clouded over, and she was muttering to herself.
"-he has it... what if... what if that old cripple has Shisui's other... Oh Kami... Itachi... what have I allowed to happen...?"
"Naruto...?" Sarutobi called. "Naruto what's-"
"Damnit!" Naruto cursed, coming back to herself suddenly, eyes filling with liquid.
She turned to Jiraiya, vermillion eyes defeated.
"You stupid old toad. You ruined everything. Now I'll never be able to face Itachi again. He trusted me and I... it's... it's your fault!"
"Itachi?" Jiraiya asked, confused. "The traitor? What does he have to do with anything?"
"Not only am I failing to pull Sasuke from his downward spiral into hatred, but I also managed to lose something I sealed inside myself!" Naruto threw up her hands.
And she laughed.
She laughed. And she laughed. And she laughed.
But... she was really crying.
"What?" She giggled helplessly at the three gawking men. "Is the demon not allowed to break? Is she supposed to be some heartless wretch? Well guess what? I'm human! I'm a fucking person, and not only that, just a kid."
Helplessly, Naruto's slumped, and her eyes mister over.
"I'm just a fucking kid with a huge burden on her shoulders. And I've got a little brother I can't help because the lesson he needs to learn is something that I can't teach him. People have such huge expectations for me and expect me to be invincible. But you know what? Maybe I don't want to be strong all the time. Maybe all I want is a fucking hug. But does anyone give one fuck? Nope! 'Let's all just shove her under a rug somewhere! Maybe then we won't have to watch as she rots away!'"
Naruto watched their slack faces, tears streaming endlessly down her grinning face as she gasped for breath from her rant.
"You should all see the looks on your faces." She giggled behind her hand.
Red eyes took over an almost manic gleam.
"You know, I love Shisui. Love him so much it crushes me everyday to know part of the reason he's dead, is because he feared he'd eventually betray the village to protect me."
They watched as Naruto laughed. Laughed so hard her face turned red and her frame shook violently.
"Hehehehe~ You know what else?" She snickered brokenly. "Itachi didn't destroy his body. I sealed it! Isn't that great? Hehehe...Every time I close my eyes... I see the faces of the men I killed to seal Shisui away. Hehehe~ Have you ever watched someone decay at an accelerated rate? Hehehe~ Did you watch them scream for help like I. did, but they couldn't, because you'd ripped out their tongue? Did you watch them choke on their own blood...? Hehehehe~ You don't want too...hehehe... it's horrible... it'll haunt you so bad... so bad you'll wish you were dead..."
"Naruto." Kakashi said gravely. "Naruto, you're on a thin line right now. You need help..."
'What am I doing? I need to pull myself together! This won't break me... I won't let it.'
"Nope, I'm not that crazy." Naruto sobered slightly, her red eyes fading away to blue. "I'm mourning... I'll be okay... maybe it'll take years... but I'm not alone."
She turned towards the window, gazing out towards the highest point in the village.
The Hokage's Monument.
The place of Shisui's resting. The place where his spirit watched the sunrise everyday.
"I get sad a lot. And angry. And maybe I'm really not entirely sane... but locking me away in a padded room won't help me. Plus, I've got too many things to do before my story's over."
Naruto glanced back at them, and smiled, almost sheepishly.
"Sorry I kind of lost it there... and to be honest, I really want to cut your head off, Jiraiya, but being that kind of felon isn't really my style..."
The blonde walked over to her bedside, picking up her love's tanto from the nightstand and marveling at the perfect, razor blade.
"This was Shisui's..." She told them, smiling fondly at the blade. "My story won't end until I've lived up to the person Hinata sees when she looks at me. And I know Sasuke is safe. I'll protect this village because I promised Itachi I would. And I never go back on my word."
Her form dissolved after she was engulfed by a typhoon of chaotic winds, leaving behind a whisper that all three men heard perfectly.
"Because that's my nindo. My ninja way."
When Naruto arrived home, she immediately realized something was off.
'Who the hell's in here?' She thought dangerously.
She closed her door behind her, slipped off her sandals like she usually would, but held her tanto in such a way it would only take a well aimed swing to behead the intruder.
The blonde slunk past her four mitch match chairs, and towards the back of her tiny apartment, to the place of her bathroom and bedroom.
'They're behind this door, I can feel them... but how skilled are they if they got past my seals?'
Naruto channeled chakra into her tanto, the blade singing with blazing wind chakra.
She deactivated her bedroom seals with one flick of her chakra, clasped her door knob, and threw it open with a resounding bang.
"Alright asshole, who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my-"
Her chakra sputtered and died out.
Her tanto slipped from her fingers, and clattered to the hardwood floors.
The person who sat on her bed, waiting for her, smiled.
Her heart ached.
This... this was too much.
It was sick.
'Who would do this?'
Naruto wasn't strong enough to take this.
"Welcome home, Sunshine."
(1) Think of a containment seal as a little pocket dimension. I say it has four prongs because when I think of containment, I think boxes. And when I think boxes, I think squares. And squares have four sides. Yaaaay I'm creative!
Lol. Tootles.