Naruto is owned by and copyrighted by Masashi Kishimoto. No copyright infringement intended.
The scant rays of sunlight peeking from the trees lit the living room. Everything was still and quiet. Hinata stood beside a knee-high, light brown, wooden center table. Her sublime white eyes stared at a bunch of purple hibiscuses she bought yesterday from Yamanaka Flowers. Ino told her that these flowers embody love and life, the things she always wanted for her family. She smiled, mesmerized by the enchanting beauty of the flowers.
Naruto, his blonde hair still wet after having a quick morning shower, walked towards her. He had noticed the flowers but didn't bother to give any compliment.
"Good morning!" he greeted.
"Good morning, honey!" she smiled.
Hinata's lovely eyes and innocent smile brought an unexpected sense of gratitude that warmed Naruto's heart. He blushed while he looked straight into her eyes and got lost in it for a while.
"You are the light of my life," he whispered, holding her in a tight, prolonged embrace. Naruto was feeling mushy, so he gave her a tender kiss on the forehead.
"Well, that's something," beamed Hinata. She returned her husband's gaze by locking her eyes on his cerulean blue eyes.
"It's too much love, I guess?" Naruto sheepishly answered while trying to hide a smile from his wife. He hurriedly walked towards the door and waved his hand. "Tell the kids I love them."
Hinata could not help but smile at her husband's boyish antics. She looked back at her flowers and humorously thought its effects manifested too fast.
Preparing breakfast for her family was one task she particularly enjoyed; her kids missing it makes her feel unappreciated.
Soon after she finished preparing, Himawari appeared behind her and gave her a warm hug.
"Good morning, mom!" Himawari greeted, shaking her mom while she kept her arms around her waist.
"Good morning!" laughed Hinata. "Go get your brother. It's time for breakfast."
Naruto squinted as the sun shone in his eyes, temporarily blinding him. He was on the road leading towards the Hokage's office when villagers happened to pass by. They were civilians ready to get the day started. People who recognize him bowed their heads in respect. He smiled and raised his right hand to acknowledge them. The people's warm reception made him feel happy, causing him to wander around the place for a while. It sparked a small fire of curiosity in his mind that made him deviate from his usual route and walk further to the village to check on its progress.
"Nanadaime-sama! Please remember to visit us once in a while!" someone shouted from a distance.
Naruto turned and recognized the woman standing in front of Ichiraku Ramen.
"Oh, it's you, Ayame. I'll visit Ichiraku soon. Tell old-man Teuchi I said hello." He can't believe it's been months since he last visited his favorite ramen shop.
Ayame smiled and waved. She went back inside in a hurry after a pair of customers called her attention, ready to order their meal.
Naruto observed the people who respect him now as Konohagakure's Hokage. It wasn't the same twenty-five years ago. He froze and fell deep into his thoughts, remembering how badly the people had treated him in the past. They feared, despised, hurt, and shunned him because he was the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. It was depressing, and a small part of his heart still carries that pain to this day. Despite the harsh memories in his mind, he worked out a smile, having understood that everything that has happened made him into the man he is today.
Naruto stood by the door of his office as he took a deep breath before entering the room. As he opened the door, the handle made a sharp, irritating sound akin to a blade scraping against a glass bottle. It bothered him every time someone entered his office, and at some point, he almost even tried using a Rasengan on it.
A towering pile of paperwork on his desk greeted him as he walked towards his table.
"Oh man, this needs serious work!" he sighed.
He sat on his chair and rested his head on its soft, high backrest. His mind was yearning for a dose of positivity when he gazed at the portraits of the earlier Hokage that hung on the wall. After looking at each one, his eyes went back to the Yondaime Hokage's image.
"Dad, I hope I made you proud," Naruto whispered. "Your time as Hokage of our village was short, but you still created a meaningful impact on everyone in Konohagakure. You were amazing. I will honor your life by working hard to keep the peace that we've achieved. You know I won't falter, because this is my ninja way." He put his fist on his chest and bowed his head.
Naruto was busy doing paperwork when someone opened the door and made that dreadful noise again.
"Hey, Shikamaru, can you please have someone repair that broken handle? It's killing me!" he implored as he saw his friend and right-hand man enter the room.
"I'm surprised that little things bother you. I'll have that handle fixed," said Shikamaru, amused by Naruto's pitiful state.
"The little things... The little things we enjoy today are the fruits of our hard work and determination," said Naruto, standing up from his chair. He walked towards the window and opened it, allowing in a cool, gentle breeze inside the room. "We worked very hard to achieve this peace that we have now."
Shikamaru knew that the Hokage was in a sentimental mood. He liked it when Naruto speaks his thoughts out loud. "The Nanadaime Hokage is more than capable of protecting Konohagakure's future. Asuma, my efforts are worth it," he thought, reminded of his late sensei. For him, Naruto has the strongest will to protect the King.
"Naruto, Family Day is in three weeks. We better finish the paperwork soon," said Shikamaru, attempting to set the proper work mood. "Today, we need to discuss the event's security details."
"And that handle!" Naruto added.
"Yes, and that damn handle."
"Very well. What is your plan for the event?"
His friend walked towards the gray wooden bookshelf on his left and searched the stack of documents, folders, and envelopes lying on top of it. He picked a few and examined the contents of each one with diligence.
"Here." Shikamaru pulled a worn green envelope marked as Family Day Security and handed it over to Naruto. The Hokage pulled out a document and scanned its contents.
"So, you want every shinobi, including the Anbu, to shorten their shifts so everyone can enjoy Family Day?" he asked while pointing at the middle section of the document.
Shikamaru nodded. "We will shorten the shifts to six hours so every Konohagakure shinobi can enjoy the celebration. It will also need sacrifice from other shinobi. We will shorten day-offs and require them to report back a tad earlier. They can offset their schedules the day after the event to resolve issues."
"And the missions?"
"We will only allow emergency or urgent missions. The other missions can wait." Shikamaru went back to the bookshelf and leaned against it. "I have a slight concern, though," he said.
"Okay, what's eating you?"
"The last Family Day was a resounding success, and it sure has strengthened family bonds in the village."
"Isn't that great or what?"
"It sure was great. But people from other lands are coming. They also wish to experience the Family Day festivities, so we are expecting at least two thousand tourists for the event. The shortened shifts will prevent our shinobi from being too tired or pre-occupied if a sudden attack should happen. We need to be alert during the celebration."
Naruto nodded and agreed with Shikamaru's assessment. "We must be ready to guard and protect the village."
A secret meeting is being held inside a cave somewhere. The place was dark and mysterious enough to avoid unwanted eavesdropping on confidential discussions.
"This peace that we have will lead us to our doom." The man in a dark-gray, hooded robe spoke as he placed his torch on a nearby sconce.
The crowd of around eighty people wearing black robes maintained a deafening silence while waiting for the man's next words.
"Our goal is to lead our land to power and prosperity, not to its destruction and demise. What Shinobi Kakumei-gun needs is to raise power and a force strong enough to instill fear among other nations. Without this kind of power, others won't respect us, for nothing will keep them honest. This shallow peace that we have shall cause our downfall."
The crowd nodded in agreement.
"Our decisions and actions today decide the fate of our families and loved ones," asserted the man, launching his fist upward.
"The Sukuinushi is right. We need to act now," someone shouted from the crowd.
"I need your patience, my brothers and sisters. The appointed time is drawing nigh. We must destroy so we can rebuild." With these words, the Sukuinushi disappeared into the darkness.
The scattered papers and envelopes were everywhere when an Anbu shinobi appeared in the Hokage's office.
"Hokage-sama," addressed the Anbu, kneeling on one knee. "We have received a report on a potential infiltration during the Family Day festivities."
"Go on," said Naruto, gazing at the shinobi's worn mask. It reminded him of Yamato, and he finds it similar to what his old captain wore. He noticed this one has a tiny chip on the chin and a strange, brown spiral stain under the right eye-hole.
"The report says a group of shinobi attempts to infiltrate Konohagakure on Family Day. It also warned us of spies within our ranks, enemies who intend to learn our weakness and exploit it at a particular time. A comrade sent in the message but died while sending a hawk to us."
"I see. Summon Shikamaru and Sai. I suppose there's more to this threat than what we've learned."
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" The Anbu disappeared in smoke, leaving Naruto pondering in his chair.
A loud noise downstairs awakened a sleeping Ino. She got up and rushed to the living room and saw her expensive, pearl-white porcelain vase broken into pieces.
"What in the world?" fumed Ino, her messy hair still covering a part of her face. It was last night when she placed her new vase on the brown, cedar end table so she could imagine what it would look like if it had flowers in it. "This turned out to be a very unpleasant morning," she thought, containing her anger over the broken vase.
She went inside the kitchen to get a broom, determined to clean up the mess. While she was walking back towards the broken vase, she figured that Sai wasn't around. She tried checking the entire house and the shop, but she couldn't find him. "Where is he?" she whispered as she went back inside the house, the broom still in her hand.
"Good morning, beautiful," smiled Sai, happy to see his wife.
"Good morning," Ino replied, walking to her husband. "Where have you been?"
"I can't sleep, so I went outside for a morning walk. What happened here?" Sai leaned towards Ino and snatched the broom from her hand. "I'll clean this up, you take a shower," he said with his usual smile. He turned around and started sweeping the pieces of the broken vase.
Ino gave her husband a tight embrace, prompting Sai to smile and drop the broom in his hand. He turned around and brushed his fingers through her platinum blonde hair, his onyx eyes meeting her charming, blue eyes.
"You'd always be beautiful in my heart, love," Sai said as he gave Ino a gentle kiss on her lips. He remembered how she saved him from the darkness when Gengo captured him in Shijima no Kuni. "Thank you for being there to care for me," he said as Ino stayed still.
Ino felt tears in her eyes.
"I love you, Sai. I'll always be by your side," she whispered, resting her head on her husband's chest. She was enjoying her husband's warmth until she turned her head towards the window and noticed an Anbu standing outside the house.
"The Nanadaime Hokage summons you to his office, Sai-sama," said the Anbu, looking at Sai. "It's very urgent."
Ino sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'll shower later," she said while she picked the broom from the floor and started cleaning.
"Okay, I better get going. I'll see you and Inojin tonight for dinner."
After giving his wife a quick kiss on the cheek, Sai and the Anbu went ahead to the Hokage's office.
"I hope there's nothing I need to worry about," she sighed, dropping the broom on the floor.
The repairman left the door open to deter any undesired noise as he worked on the handle.
"I did it!" the man shouted as he pulled out a thin metal rod from the handle.
"Good job, you're done!" Naruto exclaimed in celebration.
"Oh no, not yet, Hokage-sama! I just removed a defective part from the handle. I was struggling to remove it for the past hour!"
"The past hour? Great," he said, annoyed by the repairman's slow progress.
Boredom hit Naruto hard, so he drew sheep on a paper he picked up at random. He was on his twelfth sheep when he almost fell from his chair as the repairman shouted out loud.
"It's repaired, Hokage-sama!"
"Oh, thank Kami." Naruto sighed in relief. As the repairman left, Sai arrived, followed by Shikamaru.
"We might have a problem on Family Day," he said. He shared the report to the two, eager to learn what their strategy was.
"This is nothing new to us. I think we can handle this like we always do." As the Anbu Director, Sai has encountered similar threats, making him adept at preventing serious matters from getting out of hand.
Naruto nodded and turned his head to Shikamaru.
"We shouldn't relax too much," the Hokage's advisor warned. "It's obvious that the perfect moment for causing trouble is on Family Day because we will be busy for sure. The worst part is if there was someone who leaked the security details to them, though I can't tell if that's the case."
"Leaked, you say?" asked a bothered Naruto. "Sai, how is the Anbu doing? I see no meaningful missions for them in these times of peace, but they aren't getting rusty or slow, right?"
"The Anbu continues to help patrol the borders and watch the village from the shadows. In case the village needs us, we will heed the call," smiled Sai. "There's no need to worry."
"Can we ask Sasuke to come back?" asked Naruto.
"We can ask him to spend time and celebrate Family Day with Sakura and Sarada," said Shikamaru. "We might worry less if he is here."
"Right, you know I trust you both." Naruto smiled and stood up from his chair. "If something comes up, don't forget to give me an update. Now, it's time for my ramen fix."
Naruto gazed at his Miso Chashu Pork ramen in its glory. His face was sweating, caused by the warm steam coming from the rich broth. It has been months since he last had ramen from Ichiraku, and he made sure his visit satisfied him. He finished six bowls in a short time and was ready to return to his office.
As he went outside the shop, he stopped and watched while the clouds gathered in the sky, blocking the sun's golden rays. Instead of going straight to the office, he had a quick trip to Hokage-iwa. In a few minutes, he was standing on top of the Yondaime Hokage's large rock monument. He took a deep breath as he enjoyed the view of the village, a place of his bittersweet memories. Shikamaru's arrival cut his nostalgic trip down memory lane short.
"I think something's up," said Naruto.
"I figured," answered Shikamaru, playing with his lighter. "Sometimes, you can't help but think who's foolish enough to dare challenge the greatest shinobi nation on earth."
"Yeah," he chuckled. "But we know battles alone can't eliminate every threat. As much as I want to stay true to my values, politics has its way of creeping in."
"Well, that's my job. I'd make sure you see every facet so you can decide on what's best for our village." Shikamaru lit a cigarette and sat. "When do you plan to talk to Sai on your plans for the Anbu?"
"Let's make the most out of our upcoming Family day," replied Naruto, sitting beside Shikamaru as they both gazed at the clouds. "We'll talk of the Anbu's fate later."
Hinata and Himawari met with Ino at Konohagakure Shopping Mall. The two wives agreed to get their husbands a gift when Hinata stopped by and bought the hibiscus flowers from Ino's shop weeks ago. It's the day before the Family Day celebration, and both are excited to honor their husbands for their hard work and dedication.
"I hope he likes this," whispered Hinata.
"Don't worry. Naruto is a man of gratitude. He's always thankful for everything. And besides, you're not giving him a cheap gift," said Ino, winking at her.
Himawari smiled at her mom's friend and gave Hinata a nudge.
"Thank you, Ino. Himawari and I will go ahead. We still need to go somewhere. I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow!"
The two mothers said their goodbyes and parted ways.
"The sky is dark, it might rain later," thought Hinata. She placed a flower on Neji's grave, and the two paid their respects. "Brother Neji, please guide us always," she whispered.
Memories of her late cousin flooded her mind. Other aspects of her relationship complicated her thoughts and feelings for him. If he were alive, the elders would have required him to marry her. The Hyuga clan keeps marriages within the families to preserve their pure bloodline. A younger Neji had viewed destiny as a fixed path, but it wasn't the same for her. She loved him as a brother, and she knows in her heart that she will still choose Naruto even if she goes against her father's wishes. After spending time on her cousin's grave, she decided it's time to leave.
She held Himawari's hand tight as they started their way home. The afternoon skies grew darker, and the rain was about to fall. As they passed the cemetery gates, four masked shinobi encircled them. The group wore black, hooded robes, and Kohime Noh masks covered their faces. She tried using Byakugan to see their chakra points but saw nothing. Never in her life did she imagine that some shinobi can hide their chakra to confuse and avoid being detected by their enemies. The threat was in front of her, but she was unafraid and intent on protecting her daughter.
Before she could react, Hinata felt a chill that made her dizzy and weak. It was a jutsu that weakened her muscles and suspended her movement. She tried hard but wasn't able to turn her head to check on Himawari, who sat in fear crying while pulling her mother's arm. She felt helpless as another enemy moved to attack her with chakra needles from a short distance. In a few moments, she felt an intense sting on her neck, spine, and both thighs.
"Hima..." Hinata called as she fell on the ground, fighting the urge to close her eyes.
It started to rain...