Chapter 37

"About time you woke up!" he laughed. She smiled back.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," she replied.

"It's alright, you needed your sleep," Naruto told her.

"Still, I shouldn't have slept in so late!" Hinata apologized.

"I told you it's alright. You needed some rest after that battle," he one again forgave. He felt bad that he hadn't protected her as well as he should have, but at least she was safe.

"Either way, I really hope we can get out of here. I've spent enough time here this year already!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," Naruto smiled. "I bet you're through here, but I suppose there's at least one last time you and I'll be here this year." He rubbed the light bulge of his daughter lightly. He was sitting in the hospital chair next to Hinata's bed. She was leaning against the propped up end so that she could relax without having to lie down fully. He couldn't blame her; all there was to do here was sleep and think.

"I know. And Naruto, I'm kinda scared. About a lot of things," she admitted.

"I'm scared too. I'm sorry you have to go through all this," he said.

"It's okay. I just wish the Hyuuga Clan wouldn't be this way. Or at least my grandfather," Hinata told him.

"I wish that he would too. It's not right to hate the little one because I'm not to their standards. I wish all of this would be over," Naruto explained. If only her family would forgive this accident, just this once. He knew everything would work out, and now with him Hokage, everything should be better. What was causing them to hold their grudge?

Whilst Naruto was deep in his thought, a sudden quake in the earth shook him and the entire building. He heard Hinata scream in surprise. Everything in the room crashed and broke, scattering the ground in glass and debris. Though as soon as it had begun, it quickly stopped.

"N-Naruto, what was that?" Hinata's voice trembled beside him.

"An earthquake I think," he said. "I hate to leave you, but I have to check on everyone else."

"I understand. I'll probably be here waiting if they don't decide to move me again," Hinata replied, the fear far from her voice now.

"Right," he agreed, and left.

The titans were all sitting around their favorite pizza table – including Mist, Jamie, and Gaara.

"I say we should order ham, sausage, and pepperoni!" Cyborg announced proudly.

"Dude! You know I'm vegetarian! You do this all the time!" Beast Boy shouted back.

"Then just get a salad this time," Cyborg smiled cockily at him.

"I don't want a salad!" he screamed.

"How about we all just get a mini one," Raven cut in. It made sense.

"But how much more expensive would that be?" Robin deadpanned.

"About twelve dollars worth," Cyborg said glumly.

"Why don't we just get the usual, cheese," Robin improvised.

"I suppose, it's always been your guy's solution," Jamie replied, glaring at Gaara who had just put his arm around Mist's shoulders.

"Anything you want Gaara?" Starfire had finally stopped calling him stranger.

"I have no clue as to what it is you're going to eat. Don't ask me," he replied. He wasn't trying to be mean; he just didn't get to sleep as early as he should have.

Suddenly the ground started shaking. Never experiencing this before, Gaara panicked and hugged Mist. In surprise, she didn't object and held onto him tightly. Beast Boy and Jamie – since Beast boy was his father – both transformed into hawks, soaring high into the sky. Raven used her magic to melt into the darkness and away from possible danger to collect her thoughts during the panic. And Robin and Cyborg hid under the table. Starfire didn't react – oblivious to the earthquake.

As soon as it stopped, Gaara asked, "What was that?"

"Earthquake I guess," Beast Boy said, transforming back and sitting back in his seat warily. Jamie did the same.

Still embraced in his hug, Mist countered, "But we aren't in an earthquake area."

"That wasn't an earthquake," Raven growled. She knew what was happening, and it wasn't good.

"Raven, do you know what's happening?" Robin asked.

"Yes, and it isn't good."

"Naruto is everything secure?"

"Yes I think so," he told the anbu taking note of everything. "No buildings fallen, no one hurt, everything's fine."

"Good. We'll allow everyone to resume their activities," they replied, bowing and leaving in a cloud of smoke.

"Sakura, can you fetch me Hinata? I'm just going to take one last look in the back, I think I heard some loose boards as I was walking around," he asked his kunoichi assistant.

"Of course!" she said bitterly. She disliked being his runner, but she understood it was only for things he needed but didn't have time to fetch himself. Tsunade had done this too, anyway. She thought about stopping by to see her after helping him.

Naruto walked to the secret entryway old man third used to have. He'd discovered it a few weeks ago and only he, Sakura and Hinata knew about it. Walking down the long isles, he noted the name of a particular book that had caught his eye the first time he came in here. A History of Seemingly Magical Items..

Glancing around he looked carefully at each board. Everything was intact. Maybe just a simple squeaky floorboard here or there but nothing dangerous. Naruto went back to the bookshelf. Finally he decided to take a look at that book. Maybe it had something about that statue with that strange prophecy seeming to come true.

Heading back to his desk, he cracked it open and began trying to read. But alas, to his dismay it was in another language. The cover was in regular kanji, but on the inside, most was some strange lettering. He knew that some continents wrote this way and that some ninja's in town could read it, but something inside him was reluctant to show this to anyone but Hinata.

As if answering his thoughts, Hinata entered. She greeted him softly, kissed him gently on the cheek. He gave her a muffled reply, his thought still reeling on the illegible book.

"What's wrong Naruto? You're so distant," Hinata asked. She had sat down in the chair opposite his desk.

"Huh? Oh sorry Hinata. I was just thinking bout this book I found in the back room. I can't read the inside of it, but it looks like it might have something to do with that statue," Naruto said.

"You don't really think it could be magical?" Hinata wondered, reading the cover.

"No, I just think it may've had something on it that made you sick. That can't be explained, but our – er, night probably could be," Naruto explained.

"Er, w-well, I-I know that," she blushed.

"Say, didn't your family study this kind of stuff?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, all of us know it, even Neji. But that lettering has thousands of languages. I don't know this one," she apologized.

"That's okay," he forgave, "Do you know of any other clans that practice this?"

"No. Sorry," she murmured.

"I guess this is another lead down the drain. Just like with Ichime," Naruto muttered blankly. Suddenly Hinata remembered her chat with Dubby.

"Naruto I just remembered what Dubby had to say! Apparently Ichime lived in their village for a while! She has a son named Toruchi, and he's part of a clan from here. Dubby doesn't know which one, but it's a strong one! I'm sorry I didn't remember sooner, it's just that I was glad to hear you were okay," Hinata added. The weight on her shoulders was easily lifted.

"That's okay, but that's great information. I'll talk to Dubby later. If she does have a son, maybe Shamus (Still think that's a strange name) knows him," Naruto said, immediately getting to work putting this new tidbit into a bio of his most hated enemy since Madara Uchiha.

"Right. Should I leave you be now?" she asked him.

"You don't have to, all I have left to do is this last little bit of paperwork. It shouldn't take me too long," Naruto spoke softy. H motioned for her to sit down next to him. She moved her chair over to his side of the desk. He placed his free hand around her as he quickly scribbled down signatures or notes. She placed her head on his shoulders, closed her eyes.

"You know, your mom's been visiting me every day at the hospital lately," Hinata tried to strike up another conversation with him.

"Really? Well, you are part of the family now," Naruto mused.

"Yeah. She and I have been counting down the months now," she said, growing tired.

"How much longer then?" he asked her. He could hear the exhaustion in her voice. He couldn't blame her, it was late.

"Three months, at the least," she sighed. It wasn't long before Naruto heard her breathing and he knew she'd fallen asleep. He moved his arm to around her waist so it'd be a little more comfortable for her.

He couldn't believe another half year since their mission. One year since they started dating. Yet he wasn't allowed to marry her, her father didn't want him to. He knew her father disliked him, and he couldn't blame him after this…

He wondered what his father would have said. He knew he knew him in the back of his mind, but he just couldn't remember. That was the only thing left to uncover from his loss of memory. He wanted to ask his mom, but he'd rather find the answer on his own.

At some point while Naruto was deep in his thoughts, Hinata yawned in her sleep, soft and sweet like a newborn puppy. He chuckled, and suddenly he felt a soft flutter under his fingertips. He smiled as his thoughts drifted off to his daughter who in little over three months time would too be a newborn.