Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
CHAPTER 33
"He's dead." Hinata's tone was as flat and emotionless as the November sky as she stood stiffly in front of her father and brother. Neji flinched, despite his strangling self control, the idea of dying from traumatic brain injury via seal activation was enough to make any lifelong Branch member nauseous.
Hizashi sighed from the depth of his soul, his stoic façade of Clan Head slipping here in the privacy of his home with only his two children present to see the stress that creased the Caged Bird Seal upon his forehead. The random attacks had slowed for a bit, and now had returned with a vengeance, striking not only guards and Hyuga shinobi, but now the rest of the clan as well. Conspiracy theories were whispered over tubs of laundry, murmured between shifts at the compound gate, and heatedly discussed behind closed doors. The Hyuga were fracturing into smaller and smaller cliques, distrust was thick amongst them. Many were suspected, and all were living in fear. The fact that not a single member of the Elder Council or their families had been touched only fueled the hatred for the elite that had been born under Hiashi. So far Hinata had been able to treat and recover most of the victims, though some would never be shinobi again, and her presence had served to soothe many ruffled feathers amongst the former Branch members. But now the first official death had occurred, and the Elder Council was no closer to allowing the internal situation to leak outside the compound walls.
Hizashi was not in complete disagreement, however instead of being driven by pride, he felt that keeping the fear of a random assassin contained and not spreading fear and distrust throughout the village was important. When the Uchiha had fallen to their own, it had rocked the entire community, and now the Hyuga were also in a role of esteem that functioned to stabilize the sense of security within the village. Additionally, after spending weeks carefully scanning the walls with his own Byakugan and collecting intel from the extra patrols that he had set to rounding the compound, he felt certain in his own mind that the perpetrator was not within the Hyuga. The suggestion was ludicrous, he knew, but he was a logical man and the facts simply could not be denied.
"I was afraid this would happen before I had completed my investigation, but I see that time has run out." Hizashi stood and walked with heavy steps over to the doorway of his office, shutting it firmly and nodding to Hinata to activate one of Naruto's seals for privacy. The fact that the boy had fabricated an array that could even block the Byakugan was something that gave his fatherly mind mixed feelings, but that conversation would have to wait for another day.
As her hands flew through the seals Hinata noted the way her father frowned, the laugh lines that creased his eyes beginning to web with the newer furrows of worry between his brows. None of them had walked into this clan revolution blindly, they all knew that change was a stressful and slow process, but watching it take its toll upon him was not easy. She wished there was more she could do. It had been her unpredictable assassination that had thrown all of them into defending her dream. She was the one who had forced her wishes upon the clan, perhaps before they were ready.
Even as a thread of remorse tugged on her heart she fiercely slashed it, mentally reminding herself that no matter how difficult the transition was, no amount of time under slavery was tolerable. She would simply have to do better in her role to support them all as they struggled to endure.
Neji joined their father at the desk where Hizashi had pulled out and upturned a drawer full of scrolls. He reached out and picked up the closest one unrolling it in his hands, "The Clan's Vital Statistics?"
Hizashi sat heavily in his chair, closing his eyes as he carefully chose his words. "I believe that the source of the attacks is coming from outside of the clan."
Both of his children opened their mouths to refute him but he raised his hand to cut them off. "Think about it. All of the people have been near the walls or on guard duty at the time of their attack. The first few were brief, mild by any comparison, but increasing in severity and duration as time has passed despite the increased security measures."
"They are getting better, and they don't fear any repercussions," Neji was carefully listening, his mind stringing together his own observations and comparing them with his father's hypothesis. "What about the timing of the attacks?"
Hizashi nodded at the astute question. "Random. But never in the middle of the night, which leads me to believe that whoever is behind this has yet to figure out a way to sneak inside."
His hand solemnly came to rest atop the row of scrolls before him as he carefully looked his children in the eye, the two people he trusted most in this world. "During the Kyuubi Massacre and the Sound Invasion many Hyuga were amongst the dead, but not every body was accounted for, a fact that was not unexpected considering the circumstances. I have combed through all these death records and of the missing corpses only one fits the description of an unsealed Hyuga who would possibly have the ability to activate the Caged Bird Seal."
Hinata felt her stomach drop as she watched him unroll the death records from the most recent years, dreading the name to which his finger pointed, her heart seizing as she realized who the only possibility could be.
Hyuga Hanabi.
Potent guilt immediately hit her like a ton of bricks. She had known Hanabi was a wild card, had seen first hand the way Ane was molding the girl into her mirror image. Aside from a few small attempts at befriending the child, which had ended in The Honorable Bitch activating her seal and banishing her from ever setting foot in the main house quarters again, Hinata had ultimately chosen to focus on her shinobi career instead of continually trying to counter the blatant brainwashing. She had mistakenly believed that there would be time for forging a relationship later on, when Hanabi was older and more capable of rational debate. Perhaps if I had only tried harder…
"I plan to present my findings to the Elders tomorrow," Hizashi continued as he carefully rolled the scroll back up and placed it in the locked drawer. "I will ask for a search party to be sent out into the Land of Fire to try and track down any new information on her and her grandfather as well."
Neji, who had been present at every council meeting thus far, ran a finger down his nose in thought. "Otousan, do you believe they will agree to this? They have been most reluctant to take what they see as 'drastic measures' for fear of aggravating whoever is doing this. A search party would practically be an announcement to the village of what has occurred. We already are under scrutiny from Tsunade-sama for the loss of so many shinobi from her ranks, she will certainly want an explanation."
One of the changes that Hizashi had instigated was handing over more power to the Elder Council. He believed that a larger group of voting members which still included the Clan Head would be a wiser path for the Hyuga's future, rather than a Dictator lead group of yes-men. However now that the first major point of conflict had arisen, the indecisiveness that characterized the meetings was hampering their ability to come to a comprehensive solution. The Clan kneaded his temples as he contemplated the very real possibility of his proposed resolution being delayed perpetually as more and more of his clan were victimized. "If I cannot get them to agree, then I will have to go over their heads to the Hokage. This cannot wait any longer."
"They will never forgive such a breach of their authority," Neji said solemnly. He agreed with his father's intentions, but the long term repercussions of insulting the council and potentially having the Elders spitefully undermine every motion Hizashi put forward for the rest of his time as Head was not to be ignored.
"I will do it."
Both men turned to Hinata, who had fallen silent ever since Hanabi's name had been uttered. She stood with hands clenched at her sides as she fought to hold back her emotions. "It's my fault. The revolution. Hanabi. The man's death today. If I had only done better—"
Hizashi was up and out of his chair, reaching for his hurting daughter before she could even finish her self deprecating thought. "You are not responsible for the choices that others have made, Hinata. Predicting the many outcomes of fate is a fool's game." He placed his hands on her shoulders squeezing her tightly as he locked onto her pale eyes with his own steely silver gaze. "Hiashi was never meant to be a leader. The revolution was unavoidable. Ane was going to raise Hanabi in her own way despite anything a child like you would have said. And her disappearance was outside all of our control. The burden of guilt for the Hyuga who was murdered falls on the shoulders of the one who struck him down, not the healer who tried her best to save him." His embrace was strong and unhesitating, meant to drive home his own conviction of her worth. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, daughter. Never regret making the right choice, simply because it is a difficult one."
Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back, offering a trembling smile as her heart swelled with his encouraging words. "Thank you, Otousan. Yet even so, I feel like I would be the best person to go to Tsunade-sama. I know how to explain the effects of the seal to her so that she may be able to offer some advice on healing the after effects. Also, this way you don't have to ask the council's permission, I can simply say I was there to see my mentor."
Neji crossed his arms. "Avoiding the Elders all together and seeking assistance from the Hokage is risky, but it may be better to have outside help in the search for Hanabi and Satoshi. There is still no way to confirm if there are accomplices within the Clan, or even the council itself."
"I'm not using my daughter as a shield." Hizashi turned and sank back into his chair with an air of finality. "If I cannot convince the Elders then we can—"
"They won't find out." Hinata stressed her words, taking a step forward and planting her hands on his desk. "We cannot afford for the Elders to lose faith in you. They already see me as rebellious and we can spin it that I simply broke the rules by over-confiding in my Shishō. I will face much less repercussions than you would. Besides," she let a small smirk light her features, "I have picked up a bit of stealth from Naruto-kun, they won't find out."
Naruto pulled his hood further over his head as he wove through the windy streets of the large city, dodging the random bits of trash that blew across the road. He ignored the signs along the way that attempted to lure any and all passersby into their stores and restaurants, his mind clouded with deep thoughts despite the afternoon he'd spent meditating out in the furthest reaches of the nearest forest. Yet no matter how long he spent channeling the calmest of images of nature, the numerous issues that plagued his mind continued to suck his energy like a siphon. On the plus side, Kurama's scenery had benefited greatly from the hours he'd spent imagining numerous meticulous details of a rolling countryside, which had now replaced the dank sewers of his mindscape.
He sighed again for the hundredth time, feeling like he couldn't get a deep enough breath to satisfy his lungs in the stifling city. Sometimes it seemed as though the world was going to hell all around him, and Naruto was simply some sort of cursed mortal who was doomed to push the same backbreaking burden up an endless mountain until his sanity broke under its crushing injustice. He was acutely aware of each and every sin that offended his sense of honor. The list of impossible tasks he must accomplish to achieve equity haunted his thoughts. Thwart the Akatsuki, find Sasuke, free the Hyuga, protect the other jinchuriki, save Itachi, pass the Jonin Exams, master the Rinnegan, and then there's my parents...
Naruto pressed his hand over his racing heart, trying to gulp in deep breaths of the cool air, but a vice of apprehension was tightening around his chest. The fears and crippling anxiety he had been struggling to control for the last few weeks flared and it felt like he was collapsing inwards. He darted into a side alley, pressing his forehead into the freezing bricks as he leaned into the wall. He couldn't breathe. His heart was surely going to be crushed by his caving body, and he hugged his chest as he slid down the wall and the corners of his vision started to darken.
Naruto! Get a grip before you pass out!
I'm trying... all I do is try... nothing is changing... what have I been doing...
One step at a time Kit! Power does not equal perfection. You are not the only one working to change the tides of evil in this world.
The Fox flushed his chakra through Naruto's network, briefly stealing his mind to flash images of all the precious people who were working every day to push against the darkness. Hime, Neji, Hizashi, Dog, Ero-sennin, Baa-chan, Itachi, faster and faster the blur of familiar smiles melted his seizing heart. The last visage was that of Kurama's own snarling grin.
Baka, of all the people in this world, a jinchuriki is never alone.
Naruto sniffled, running a finger under his nose, which was definitely dripping from the cold weather and not the surge of encouraging emotions his personal demon had triggered in order to fight down his panic of negativity. His face still felt numb, but his heart was at least back to its normal active pace. Naruto brushed himself off as he slowly stood once more and took a few shaky breaths through his nose before slipping out of the alley. The irony of the biju feared across the world being the one who had calmed his crippling worry and insecurity was not lost on Naruto, and he chuckled softly to himself as he dodged a crowd of rowdy young men out looking for some dinner before they hit the bars. Thanks Kurama, what would I do without you?
Don't get too used to it. This is supposed to be your mate's job.
Naruto huffed a sigh that fogged upwards in the chill of the evening air, he wished he could sit with Hime and pour out his soul to her ever-understanding mind. She was always able to ease the burdens of his heart with her keen insights and soothing touches. He mentally focused on the Hiraishin seal, hoping for a boost of her reassuring chakra, but it seemed that even Hime was dealing with stress of her own. Feelings of frustration and anxiety were all he could pick up through their connection, and he pushed back against the tide of despair with his best attempt at warm encouragement. But even then, the physical closeness of her embrace was what he really craved.
Absorbed in his troubles he nearly missed the inn where Ero-Sennin's chakra blazed as boisterously as a campfire. Ducking through the elaborately painted doors he passed by several overly perfumed and underdressed females in the lobby without so much as a nod in their direction. Naruto avoided the front desk where the sweaty looking receptionist sat leering at the women while scratching himself in a suspiciously southern direction, and decided to trust his senses to lead him to the right room. Jogging up the stairs to the top floor he flung open the door just as Jiraiya was preparing to head out for the night.
"Gaki you're baaack!" he cheered at the sight of the tall blond, who looked his mentor up and down, noting the man's red face before snorting and tossing his jacket over onto the second futon. Obviously there would be no Sage wisdom coming from him tonight. "Hey Ero-sennin," Naruto deadpanned, "I see you were super worried about me."
Jiraiya chuckled and went to smack the teenager on the back of the head, but the much more sober shinobi easily dodged the lazy swipe, laughing at the way the Sanin staggered after his missed hit.
"Aww lighten up Naruto!" Jiraiya crowed happily. "By this time tomorrow we'll be back in the Leaf and wowing them all with our devilishly handsome faces. How about you come celebrate your successful return with me, eh? I'll buy you a driiiiiink."
Naruto rolled his eyes as Jiraiya pantomimed shooting back cups of sake."Pass. And stop offering alcohol to minors. You're supposed to set an example, remember?" He jumped onto the futon, stretching out his tense muscles before twisting to grab a take out menu from the drawer of the nightstand. His stomach was still in knots but he supposed skipping dinner wouldn't help anything.
Jiraiya shrugged dismissively but hesitated as he reached for his red haori. Squinting already bleary eyes at the teenager who was sprawled out and studying the names of nearby delivery joints, he blurted, "Hey brat, you got that constipated look on your face again. That one where you're planning something and you can't decide if it's a good idea or a bad idea. Like that time you boobie trapped the Daimyo's kid's carriage with a lightning seal to fry his gameboy just because the sound of it annoyed you. That shit cost me a chance with his nanny. She was so busy catering to his whiny ass she didn't pay one lick of attention to my manly charms. So for the sake of both our evenings, why don't you just come out with me and relax? I'll find someone real sweet to give you a backrub!"
Not bothering to look up or even pause in his lazy perusal of local eateries, Naruto internally groaned at his oblivious mentor. The guy never had a chance with that lady in the first place, and that little punk deserved to have his game fried. But even through his hazy sobriety, Jiraiya had picked up on one of Naruto's current concerns. He was morally torn and slightly terrified of what he had been planning for the last few weeks. As far as he knew he was attempting the impossible, and if it didn't work he was utterly clueless as to what kind of metaphysical fallout might result. The fact that he had yet to think of a reason to let this stop him was why he wanted to talk to someone. But the giggling Sage in front of him was not even able to offer decent fashion advice right now, as he almost put his haori on backwards. Naruto wrinkled his nose, "Do you even know the three shinobi prohibitions Ero-Sennin?"
"Don't gimme that pious shit, you can't even spell prohibition!" Jiraiya smirked as he adjusted his coat and positioned himself to prepare for the difficult task of putting on his shoes.
"Why the hell is it so important that I go cavorting through the city with you?" Naruto grumbled in a dismissive tone.
"Because it was my job to make a man outta you, but every night you just sit here in the hotel and sulk. When I was your age I had known a woman," Jiraiya staggered slightly as he braced himself on the wall and tried a second time to slide into his geta.
"Ugh, spare me the gory details. I've told you before I'm not interested in your pay-by-the-hour ladyfriends." Naruto finally spared a glance at the struggling man and did a quick double take. "That's the wrong foot."
"What? Oh yeah..." Slamming the last sandal on correctly, Jiraiya suddenly paused and tilted his head in thought. "If the ladies aren't your thing you just gotta say so, I won't judge. You are kinda obsessed with bringing that emo Uchiha back. Bit suspicious to be so absorbed with your MALE teammate."
The paper menu in Naruto's hands ripped as he smashed it over his red face, but his quick comeback was well aimed. "One word. OROCHIMARU."
Jiraiya's mouth worked like a fish but no words could be found in his dizzy brain to prove he was not at all a fair comparison, and he finally threw his hands in the air in utter frustration. "You know what? Forget you. Just stay here and rot in your...your...party pooperness." Naruto furrowed his brow and incredulously mouthed "pooperness?" at the heavens as the man ranted on while indignantly gathering up his last few things before heading out the door. "Here I was trying to have a nice godfatherly discussion, so you could know that I love your sorry ass no matter what you are, and you ruined it. Have fun in here all alone with yourself, if you know what I mean. I'm hitting the bars!"
Naruto chuckled at the drunken words of unconditional love and deprecating self affection while he flipped through a new menu, mentally willing a decent bowl of ramen to magically appear on its pages. "Whatever Ero-sennin. Don't forget your rubbers. One of you on this earth is enough." Reaching blindly into the nightstand between the two futons he tossed a pack of plastic wrappers across the room.
"You're not my mother," Jiraiya mumbled, but grabbed the row of condoms out of the air all the same.
"You'd be my greatest disappointment."
Haughtily tossing his long white ponytail over his shoulder, Jiraiya harrumphed and prepared to storm out, but before he shut the door he turned back one more time. "Seriously though, those ladies are mind blowing..."
Naruto flipped a page, a small smile curving his mouth. "I've seen better."
An hour later Naruto realized he'd been staring at the same three menus without being able to really remember a single dish, and flopped back onto the futon as he tossed them aside in frustration.
It was useless. Stupid hotel. Stupid Sannin. Stupid loneliness. Stupid...me.
That was it. He wasn't The Number One Undpredictable Ninja for nothing. Naruto sat up with a vulpine grin spread across his features.
He was going to Konoha.
Neji and Hinata walked out of their father's study well after dinner and they both wordlessly headed for the kitchen where Hiro-san had left food for them to eat. Neji fretted internally over his sister's mindset, her determination was unshakable but the tense set of her shoulders revealed her trepidation. He couldn't blame her, the situation was delicate and much was at risk, and she had volunteered to go against the will of The Clan yet again, for the sake of them all.
They were halfway through their meal when he a shift in the air, and Neji quickly activated his Byakugan. His eyes narrowed, then relaxed as a small smirk crossed his face. He glanced at Hinata, who was completely lost in her thoughts as she chewed.
"Imoto, you have a message."
She blinked at him, her mind reeling back from the miles away that it had wandered. "A message?"
"There's a frog on your bed."
"Eh!? I told them to stay off the blankets!" But despite her grumbling she was already blushing happily at the prospect of a letter from Naruto, and Neji nearly chuckled as she squeezed his shoulder and rushed out a quick goodnight before darting towards her room.
Hinata slid the door open with a sharp bang that made her grimace. Perhaps she was a bit too excited, but a letter from Naruto-kun was always cause for celebration, and she sorely needed the distraction tonight. Conscious of the noise she was making she quickly activated her privacy seal before turning to the amphibian, who was innocently blinking up at her with yellow bulbous eyes.
"Toad-san, I realize this may be your first time, but I have been very clear that you all are welcome to wait on any surface other than my bed," she planted her hands on her hips as she approached the small green creature, leaning over to look him more sternly in the eye. "Please get off."
A sudden puff of smoke obstructed her view, and the next thing Hinata knew, instead of two glassy pupils she was looking into the clear blue eyes of a certain blond. "Aw, c'mon now Hime. Do you really want me off your bed?"
She froze, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at the grinning whiskered face that tilted up to meet her own from where he sat comfortably on her soft mattress. Naruto brushed his lips against her gaping mouth as he whispered, "did you miss me?"
Hinata jumped him so fast his head hit the wall beside her bed, but he only laughed harder as she stuttered and blushed and apologized and tried to feel his scalp for a lump to heal. He wrapped her up in a bone crushing hug as they collapsed onto the blankets, peppering her burning face with kisses as he pressed her into himself, fitting her body against his own until every curve and swell of her was in contact with his person.
"Gods Hime, he breathed into her hair, inhaling her scent like it was the breath of life. "I've been missing you so much it hurts, I couldn't wait any longer, I was going to go mad if I didn't see you."
Her mouth was finally starting to catch up to her racing thoughts as she choked back tears at the overwhelming rush of physical and spiritual relief that washed through her soul with his arms wrapped around her and his chakra flooding her hungry network. She buried her face into his chest, relishing the throb of his heart against her cheek. "Na-Naruto-kun, here, with me…"
"Nowhere else I'd rather be," he said in a husky voice, and she finally lifted her face to capture his lips in a searing kiss that burned with the fuel of her surprise and adrenaline. The instant gratification of his eager response drove her mind and body into an immediate frenzy. Their hands groped one another, euphoria spurring them to seek a solid foundation to hold onto, to prove that this was real, they were together, finally able to latch onto that missing part that ached within their subconscious over the miles of distance.
Naruto pressed his tongue along her lips, and she immediately opened up to him, their teeth and tongues clashing as they each devoured the other hungrily. Hinata couldn't repress the moan that floated up from deep inside her, and the sound triggered Naruto's carnal instincts as he grasped her butt in an aggressive grip. Hinata gasped, arching off of his lips and pressing her hips into his pelvis and against his hardening length that had instantly awakened. Naruto grunted as the feeling of his cock grinding into her ignited the burning fire in his gut into an all out blaze of passion, and he dragged his teeth down her neck, fighting the urge to bite her, to mark her for all to see. "Fuck Hime," he breathed against her heated skin, "do you even know what you do to me? What I want to do to you?"
The sharp nick of his teeth across her flesh made her shudder, and Hinata reached for his hand on her ass, gripping it in her own and guiding his fingers upwards over the swell of her hips, across the firm plane of her stomach, and up the curve of her chest until his palm was filled with her sensitive breast. Naruto gave up and bit down on her shoulder, his hips rocking of their own accord against her pelvis as he squeezed her fervently, hardly believing that this was happening.
"Don't stop," she rasped, her shaking hands fumbling at the ties of her belt, frantically working to loosen the folds of her yukata. Her struggles had her rolling onto her back and he followed her movement with his mouth, tracing the outline of her collarbone as she emerged from her fabric prison, and trailing his tongue down the cleft of her breasts as she arched off the bed to free her arms from the sleeves.
Naruto's own scorching hands were helping unwrap this glorious gift, dancing across her pale skin and spreading a delicious warmth that left her tingling as it found contact with more and more of her body. She nearly whimpered at the loss when he leaned back onto his knees, sitting up to pull his own shirt over his head just as she finally tossed her garments away. His eyes flashed red and he growled as he gripped her hips in his large hands, sliding calloused fingers up the sides of her waist and ribs until was he was firmly palming her full breasts.
"You're so goddamned beautiful," he hissed through clenched teeth, just before diving down to envelop her nipple into his hot mouth. Hinata screamed, the sensation so much more intense than she could ever conjure in her fantasies, and she dug her fingers into his muscled back. His mouth moved to her other peaking nipple as his knees knocked against her thighs, spreading her legs open for his aching groin.
"Oh god, oh god," she chanted through the rolling motion of his hard dick against her throbbing center, even the layers of the clothing not diminishing the wild climax that was boiling up within her core. Her nails scored red streaks down his back and he ground himself into her, never ceasing to devour her rocking chest with savage kisses.
"You like that? You want more, Hime?" Naruto looked up at her, twirling her nipple with his tongue as he pierced her with a deep blue carnal stare. She responded with a sharp jerk of her hips, making his gasp in pleasure. "Yes, gods yes, Naruto-kun."
The searing heat of his touch spread down to her waist, hooking into the band of her pants and yanking them down until her legs were free and he tossed the clothing carelessly over his shoulder. He gripped her ankles, sliding his hands up her legs, closer and closer to that place that throbbed for him, until he was cupping her moist heat against his palm. Hinata cried out, the delicious pressure of his massaging hand much more satisfying than the caress of her own fingers. Hinata forced herself to open her eyes, to see that this wasn't just another lonely fantasy, that he was here, he was touching her, he was…
A finger slid into her tight depths and all the air in her lungs left in a whoosh, her legs reflexively snapping together over the intensity of the stimulating intrusion, but yet seeking to deepen the penetration at the same time.
"Shit, woman, you're so wet," Naruto pumped her slowly, grinding his teeth at the feel of her clenching around his finger before eagerly adding a second. This time Hinata groaned, stretching open her legs and giving over to her instinctual desire and riding his flexing digits in avid pursuit of the building tension that promised blessed release. Naruto's eyes devoured the lewd picture before him of his Hime's writhing form, all curves and softness, contrasting with the strength of her convulsing muscles around him. Her face was flushed with her erotic efforts, her glorious breasts heaved with every thrust of his hand. "Na-Naruto-kun, I'm, so-so close, ahh!"
Unable to hold back he dove down, drawn to her musky smelling arousal like a moth to flame, and pressed his tongue firmly against her, turning his head side to side as he ground his face into her clit. She screamed his name, her hands instantly digging into his hair, pulling in a way that made his pride throb harder than his cock. He licked her up and down, searching for the spot that would send her into oblivion, and when his tongue ran across a firm nub she lurched beneath him in a guttural groan of ecstasy. He focused on that spot, working her up and down in sync with his pumping fingers as her legs shook and her breaths became ragged. His name became a chant upon her lips as she kneaded his scalp and rocked into every thrust. He marveled at the strength of her clenching depths, pushing deeper and curling his fingers in a blind reach for more.
Hinata felt like her hole body was racing towards a collision that would shatter her soul, every muscle in her abdomen was taught with the struggle to reach that peak. The fulfilling friction inside and outside of her was maddening, and as the waves of euphoria started to build she gave herself over to their thrashing. The world shifted, and suddenly the tide was carrying her away whether she wanted to go or not. Her torso curled up under the intensity of the spasming climax, and instantly she was drowning in bliss, her mind flooded with nothing but electric fire as she keened and clenched his face against her soaked center.
The aftermath was a dizzying haze of gasping and tingling, as she felt his tongue lick her tenderly, making her legs twitch at the outrageous overstimulation. She pried her bleary eyes open to see his face looking down at her, as he licked his wet lips in a way that made her face somehow burn even brighter.
"Thank you for the meal," he crooned into her neck, planting delicate kisses down her skin and across her heaving chest. Yet even through the cloud of her afterglow a fire still burned, and he yelped in surprise as she grasped his hard erection through his pants. "I'm not done with you yet, Naruto-kun."
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief as his boneless girlfriend suddenly flipped him over in one move, until she was the one hovering over him with a lascivious gleam in her eyes as she popped the button of his pants.
"Hime—"
"Shh, I want to. J-just tell me what you like, ok?"
Fuck, he'd like anything. She could just stare at his raging boner and it would probably be enough to set him off at this point. So when she finally pulled his length free of his boxers and began to stroke her hand down his throbbing cock he nearly choked. Slender fingers wrapped firmly around his thickness as he sunk his fingernails deep into the blankets, grabbing for purchase as the goddess of his fantasies squeezed him with one hand while slowly tracing the curves of her own body with her other. He stared at her like a hypnotized fool as her fingers pinched and rolled her own nipple and her other hand caressed his shaft, the palm of her hand massaging his head in a way that made him flinch with each pass.
"Naruto-kun likes my hands?" she purred, and he raised incredulous eyes to her smirking lips. He worshipped those divine hands. This succubus that straddled his legs while she tossed her hair out of her eyes was so much more than anything his paltry imagination could create. He nodded belatedly, her patient expression barely sinking in as he sunk his throbbing dick into her twisting grasp with a thrust of his hips. She blushed but nodded happily at his wordless approval as her other hand joined in her lascivious ministrations and she bit her lip in slight hesitation.
"Maybe, Naruto-kun would like m-more?"
His brain shut down, his heart stopped, his body went rigid and he leaned up on his elbows to watch her slowly bend over and place a delicate kiss right on his head, then he died a little when her tongue flicked out to lick the drops of fluid that had beaded up from within his rigid arousal. When her mouth opened and she took him, inch by blessed inch, into her wet glory, his arms completely gave out, and by the time he felt his cock hit the back of her throat he was certain he would never top this moment for as long as he lived.
Profanities spilled from his delirious lips as she worked him up and down, twisting her tongue up the back of his shaft and twirling it over his head before descending over and over in a rapid staccato rhythm that had his balls aching with his impending release. The fire in his belly was taking over, blazing his whole perception in a blinding white climax the likes of which he hadn't thought physically possible. Her hand came up to cup his balls and with her gentle squeeze and deep moan that reverberated over his whole cock he felt his hips snap uncontrollably, and his searing release pour from his thrumming groin. He hissed through his teeth and barely cracked his eyes open to see her gulping him down through every pulse, and he nearly seized at the sight of her, ass in the air as she stubbornly refused to release him.
When he finally collapsed back on the bed, the blanket soaked in their love and sweat, Naruto reached up with weak arms to yank her up beside him. Hinata fell into his embrace, breathing hotly as she wiped her mouth and panted against his shoulder.
"Holy. Fuck." He breathed, his heart still bounding wildly against his ribs.
"Y-yeah." Hinata didn't even flinch at his language, merely squirmed around a bit until she was nestled flush against him, face to face on the pillow.
Naruto pressed his forehead against her own, sighing deeply as the weight of his exhaustion and satisfaction swept over him. "You're amazing Hime. I'll never get over how sexy you are. Despite that universal truth, I swear I didn't come here with perverted intentions or anything, I just needed to see you, and talk to you, and maybe even hold you. But goddamned woman, you blew my mind."
Hinata hummed contentedly, shifting the blankets around so that the cool air of the night didn't chill their damp bodies. "I was missing you too Naruto-kun. Things have been awful lately and as much as just seeing you would have been wonderful, I don't regret a thing. I love you."
"I love you so much," he murmured into her lips as he kissed her again for good measure. "I'm sorry I haven't been here to help you."
Hinata sighed, her head falling back against the pillow as she gazed at his maturing features, drinking in his square jaw and straight nose as she shrugged within his arms. "I don't know what you could do, it's Clan problems."
Naruto's eyes narrowed and he studied her face, now noticing the shadows that had appeared under eyes from lack of sleep. Propping his head up onto his hand he asked, "is someone still activating The Caged Bird Seal?"
She nodded, her hand coming up to trace the mark on her forehead. "One died today..."
He brushed her fingers aside, planting his lips over the seal. "I'm sorry Hime. I promise I'm working on a counter seal, but I've hit a snag and neither Ero-sennin nor I can figure it out. I think I know who could help, but getting to them is... complicated."
"Everything is complicated," Hinata whispered with a rueful smile, shifting again to settle further into his radiating warmth. "Don't put so much pressure on yourself for my sake."
Naruto snorted, flicking her nose with his finger in gentle chastisement. "That's rich coming from you. My guess is you have already hatched some sort of self sacrificial plan to help your Clan?" Her eyes guiltily flicked to the side and he hummed in derisive satisfaction at his correct assumption.
"When?"
"I'm going to Tsunade-sama tomorrow. It's the right thing to do." She found his hand and threaded his fingers with her own. "I'll not regret making the right choice, simply because it is a difficult one."
The clouds rolled away and the moonlight lit her face, making her features glow like a lunar goddess in his arms. Certainty beamed from her iridescent eyes, its foundation solidly grounded in the bedrock of her beliefs. He never ceased to be awed by her strength. Even when things got tough, her ability to endure for the sake of others no matter what the personal cost, was always revitalizing. Inspiration flooded his soul, if she could be brave in the face of such steep odds, then he could as well.
"I'll go with you. There's just something I have to do first."
It was useless.
Stupid hospital. Stupid night shift. Stupid lonely bed. As if he needed a reason to loathe that place even more.
Kakashi grunted in annoyance as he tossed Shizune's pillow to the other side of the bed and sat up in the darkness of their room. Even burying his sensitive nose into its cottony softness couldn't come close to replacing the actual feeling of her warmth next to him, her bodily comfort effortlessly settling his restless soul with her mere presence. On endless nights like this when she worked at the Konoha Medical Center, Kakashi thrashed in their empty bed suffering withdrawals from the loss of his lover. Of course, he was immensely proud of her; she was the head of the whole hospital administration, trained Sakura and oversaw all her newest research, and even lobbied with the council and her mentor Tsunade for funds to support the new programs which continuously worked as hard as she did to keep Konoha healthy. And on top of it all she was a kick ass kunoichi. She was amazing. But at this moment he selfishly, wished she was here tending to his broken brain rather than strangers' broken bodies.
He slipped a shirt over his head, adjusting the mask and reaching for his hitae-ate. The night was quiet but not still. Memories walked across his mind like ghosts haunting the halls of a vacant mansion, restlessly seeking a comfort left unsatisfied even in the afterlife. At times like these, the only way he could put the always looming regrets of his past to rest was by losing himself in her, driving back the shadows of the dead with her tangible vitality.
He meandered through town, the hour not being terribly late, but only the bars remained open, and the burning warmth of whiskey was not the kind he was craving. His hand automatically reached for his book, his calloused fingers brushing against the ever present tri-pronged kunai that Sensei had given him a lifetime ago. The cold metal triggered his already growing melancholy and he couldn't fight the arms of his lifelong mistress called Misery as she pulled him towards the cemetery, wrapping him in the familiar grip of her unwanted emotions, whispering her words of remorse and fate into his innermost thoughts. It seemed that no matter how many years went by he could never completely shake off her metaphorical clutches.
Leaves tumbled across the path before him, the trees shedding their summer plumage in exchange for the bareness of winter, the chill autumn wind stripping them further every day. Despite the lack of light Kakashi's steps were sure and shuffling, the route a well worn rut in his subconscious that he could practically follow in his sleep.
Ha, sleep. As if he ever slept. He didn't dare.
Even when her soft body laid slumbering and twisted up in his blanket by his side he would rather drink her in than rest, never able to quite believe she was actually there. Continually fighting the fear that it would end in a heartbeat, that she would leave again. His nocturnal adorations would hold off the sandman and his inner demons until the wee hours of the morning, and on nights when she was needed elsewhere, his soul languished in her absence.
Nights like tonight, when the ghosts of his yesterdays kept him company instead.
He stopped in front of the memorial stone, his stooped shoulders mimicking the slope of the rounded monument. So many names. So many lost years. So much pain. He traced the characters with his eye, like a knife reopening an old scar upon his heart. He told himself that it hardly hurt anymore, it was all just emptiness inside.
Lies. It fucking destroyed him. Every. Single. Time.
But shinobi endured. Emotionlessly, endlessly, heartlessly. So here he stood, bleeding out of age old wounds, hoping they would flush the grief out of his soul and leave him spent and tired, so he could finally sleep in peace.
Kami, he hated hospitals that stole his girlfriend. And Sannin who stole his Pup. Jiraiya was lucky he was such an amazing writer, or else Kakashi wasn't sure he'd ever forgive the man for stealing that obnoxious ray of sunshine away for two goddamned years.
Kakashi let himself be lost to his thoughts and time itself. Slouched, unmoving as the block of carved rock before him, struggling to remember the good times out here in the black of night. At least amongst the dead, he wasn't completely alone. Shit, sometimes he swore he could still hear their voices...
"Kakashi."
He was startled, an abhorrent thing for a ninja to be, but her hands were on his face and suddenly he only cared about the glorious smell of her body that was still mixed with the whiff of disinfectant from the hospital.
"Things were slow, so they let me go early. When you weren't in bed, I knew I would find you here."
His arms pulled her into his chest, and he buried his face into her neck, fingers pressing every curve of her soft body. She responded with equal ferocity, knowing that he was fighting against friends and enemies unseen who all endeavored to steal his sanity, and she poured her love into his soul to reel him back.
"Come home, Kakashi."
His arms tightened even more, and he hummed into her hair. "Only if you promise to bathe with me. You smell like that damn hospital."
She giggled softly, leaning back just enough to press a chaste kiss to his masked lips. "A hot bath. Your fingers are like ice."
The green leaves of their simultaneous shunshin swirled with their departure, mixing with the dry remnants of summer's memory.
Hours passed, the moonless night breathed with a dense autumn mist, its swirling clouds of transparent moisture engulfing the nearly invisible shadow that stole across the empty streets and over the locked wrought iron gate of the cemetery. Creatures darted into the knotholes of the massive trees that surrounded the sanctuary of the dead, providing a semblance of protection that was blatantly ignored by the stealthy intruder.
The flowers left by the gravestones of those remembered blew sideways, dropping petals in the wake of the soundless steps of the ghost that crept across the neatly manicured grass. The fog shrouded its unknown accomplice, hiding all traces of the shadow's path as it leaped over the civilian graves, passed the memorial stone, and darted onwards to the buried heroes of Konoha.
The only sign of the entity's material existence was the fog of hot breath that exhaled from its anxious lips, dotting a path up towards the sacred grounds of the Hokages of ages past. It stood, stoic as the forest that surrounded the secluded section dedicated to those who fell defending their country and comrades during the Kyuubi's genjutsu fueled rampage, and the trees seemed to creak as they leaned in for a closer look. The mystic chakra was building around this one, something was going to happen, something cataclysmic, something that had all of creation on edge.
The shadow tip toed amongst the names, reading each one carefully, pausing from time to time to brush away a bit of dirt or dead autumn leaves. Winter was chomping at the bit to break away and release its building ice upon the landscape, but the chill that ran up every shinobi's spine that night, had nothing to do with the cold. Tonight was a night that specters rose to walk amongst the living, some more permanently than others.
It paused over two gleaming names, their stones freshly scrubbed, and blooming flowers jubilantly adorning their places of rest despite the grim season. The shadow trembled at the sight, recognizing the generosity of someone's care for those who were long dead but never forgotten. A hand reached out to trace the kanji, its bare fingers nearly numb in the frigid night. It whispered their names, an ache of longing straining the hoarse syllables.
Those same hands trembled as they began to slowly form the seals of a jutsu known only to the gods, and the whole of creation gaped in awe at the building aura of vitality that swelled around the cloaked persona even within this bloodless plain. The Energy of Nature was pulled into the gloomy scene, as invigorating as a pure breath of fresh air from Kami's lips. The shadow's hands never pause, flawlessly pushing on through an epic sequence. A weight of unearthly chakra bleeds into the hallowed ground, as the Shinigami relinquished his own potion to add to the mixture of thick enchantment, stirring them together like a celestial witch's brew. The seals flash faster, the chakra of Heaven and Hell combining under the spell of Natural Energy that pulsed with the vibrance of life amongst the deathly stillness. The hand signs were nothing more than a ceaseless blur, unseen by mortals, but pristine under the glow of two swirling blue eyes. The thrumming pace of the calloused hands pulsed the ghostly air with the light of holy vindication, silhouetting the abyss of the night around the figure as the jutsu assembled into perfection, gathering all of Nature together to resurrect that which was stolen much too soon. A reckoning of divine justice descended upon this human conductor of an immortal intent, and with a silent cry to the Goddess of Life for a divine blessing upon his unprecedented undertaking, he slammed a hand over each of the two graves, calling out his jutsu in prayer of celestial appeal.
Glowing characters, readable only to the stars and their creator raced across the earth, pulsating with the immortal chakra of it summoner, as he willed his heartbeat, his bloodline, his gifted consecration into the broken bodies below the ground. From the depths of his seal which had long harbored the souls of those two cherished people, Yin and Yang united under Kami's sanction, descending into the soil as the arrays upon the grass flashed with heaven's light.
The figure collapsed abruptly, falling backwards with exhaustion and dizziness as it panted in the insanely taxing aftermath of the astronomical jutsu, but its swirling blue eyes remained fixated upon the last resting place of his precious people, and the entirety of the cosmos waited with bated breath to see the fruits of The Chosen One's labor.
A single heartbeat, then a second in perfect synchrony, echoed into the still air, permeating the dreams the ninja throughout the village with its ethereal throb in dead of night.
The earth shivered, writhing as that which had been given over to her was abruptly ripped away, and two explosions split the concealing mist of the cemetery. Dual bursts of magnificent chakra split the fog as golden chains and a swirling cerulean sphere erupted out of the graves. The summoner shrank back from the gust of wind that swept over his trembling body, curling up into a ball as chunks of earth showered upon his blond head, shaking hands coming up to protect his anxious face.
The flash was over in the span of a lightning strike, the peace that instantly descended upon the world a nauseating pendulum swing from the power of the epic instant that had just passed. The mortal lifted his tearful azure eyes to gaze upon the faces of the two people who now stood before him, parental love and pride pouring from their expressions as they reached to embrace his quivering body. As the three shinobi wrapped solid, warm arms around each other, his choked voice whispered, "Otousan, Kaasan, you're alive!"
"In summary, Tsunade-sama, the sensory team cannot confirm the source of the odd chakra spike that occurred last night. But we can assure you that nothing within the village was damaged, all barriers remain intact, and no foreign chakras are registering. We feel confident that no enemy has perforated our defenses."
"Thank you, dismissed." Tsunade's brown eyes closed in thought as the shinobi from Konoha's home defense sector bowed and left the report from the sensory unit on her desk before taking his leave. It wasn't terribly unusual for them to pick up on chakra interference from other vicinities, and perhaps that's all that had occurred last night. But her intuition told her something bigger had taken place, and she reached for her sake as her mind worked.
A knock sounded and she quickly gulped the burning mouthful of alcohol and slipped the bottle into her drawer with practiced ease, not missing a beat as she called for them to come in. Her posture relaxed as Hinata entered, but she frowned as she saw the way her student's face was set into a serious countenance instead of her usual gentle smile.
"Tsunade-sama," she bowed with the perfection of her Hyuga upbringing, making the Godaime scoff and wave at her to hurry up.
"Hinata, I can tell by your face that you have something important to say, so forget the formalities and spill it."
A small smile lit Hinata's somber expression, but she shook her head. "You're right as usual, Shishō. But I'm actually still waiting for—"
"Yo!" A sudden shushin sent a few leaves swirling through the office to announce the newest arrival, and Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets as he lazily prepared to drone out one of his absurd excuses, "Sorry I'm late, there was—"
"Hatake I did not summon you, why the hell are you tracking this mess into my office!"
His single eye blinked, "This morning I received a summons to meet here three hours ago…" His voice trailed off as he noticed his smirking student.
"Dammit."
Tsunade snickered as well, but again turned to Hinata with a quizzical eye. "My time is precious Hinata, what's this about?"
Hinata bit back a comment that the only thing precious to her mentor at this time of day was her afternoon sake break, but nodded politely all the same. "Just a few more people are coming, if I may?"
The two watched with immense curiosity as Hinata closed her eyes, and they felt her chakra pulse gently. But instead of the familiar sight of her bloodline activating, a different type of energy charged around them, something very familiar, and long thought to be lost forever.
"W-wait, is this—" Kakashi's stuttering whisper was cut off by a blinding flash of yellow, and in the space of a heartbeat two men now stood on either side of Hinata.
"Sen-Sensei?"
Naruto turned with an annoyed squint, rubbing his bright yellow head self consciously, "Oi, I don't need a haircut that badly do I?"
"Ugh, you sure as hell are not Minato!" Jiraiya groaned as he staggered over to a chair by Tsunade's desk. "He never used to make me feel like I just overdosed on one of Shima's beetle soups." He collapsed into the seat and plunked his head onto the Hokage's desk, whining, "have mercy on your old teammate, take this Gaki off my hands before he kills me."
Tsunade rolled her eyes but deemed to place a glowing hand on his white hair, if only to make sure he didn't barf all over her papers, she couldn't suppress a grin at the tall young man in the deep red sage cloak who was now thumping his pseudo-big brother on the back while teasing him that he needed to have his girlfriend check his eyes. "You're are getting pretty old Dog!" He laughed loudly as Kakashi trapped him in a headlock, the joy in his single eye making the threats streaming from his mouth sound more endearing than intimidating.
The contented sigh from under her hand drew Tsunade's attention and she flicked Jiraiya's forehead, harder than was probably absolutely necessary, and asked, "Well, how was Namikaze Training Part Two? Am I going to be able to retire anytime soon?"
His deep chuckle warmed her heart more than she would admit, and the smile on his face was the picture of pride. "Tsunade, you have no idea. He's gonna blow them away at the Jonin Exams, and probably without using his whole repertoire."
Tsunade raised her eyebrows but before she was able to demand an explanation Hinata was clearing her throat with intent. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but now that everyone is here, I need to inform you all about what is happening." She squared her shoulders facing her mentor with look that could cower a lesser shinobi, and Tsunade waved her on as she also signaled her hidden ANBU to leave. When the five of them were completely alone, Hinata took a deep breath through her nose. "The Hyuga are under attack."
Several bottles of sake later Tsunade was glowering like an active volcano about to burst, with her mouth pressed into her interlaced fingers. Jiraiya was nearly as far gone as she was, and the red of his face could be from the booze or his own anger at the situation.
"I see," the Godaime said tersely, "Then we will need a team of shinobi to go out and track down the whereabouts of Hyuga Hanabi and Hyuga Satoshi to either confirm their deaths or their current location and actions."
"Hai, Tsunade-sama. That is why I asked Team Seven to be here, perhaps it was presumptuous, but I thought that with our combined tracking skills we would be the best option."
"But what about the Jonin Exams?" Jiraiya spoke up, "They are in a few days, you and the Gaki are the only applicants this round."
Naruto stepped up to Hinata's side, placing his hand on her shoulder, "The Exams can wait, I have no problem with making the Hyuga issue a top priority."
"It's not that simple," Kakashi cut in, his own brow drawn down in thought. "We are a very conspicuous group. The Hyuga will notice Hinata missing, and while we can make up a cover mission, eventually they will start to question her role, as it seems they already have." He raised his eye to meet Tsunade's, "Plus, I have a feeling that this whole mission needs to be kept off the shinobi books. There is something about this that makes me feel like there might be an inside connection."
"Danzo," Tsunade growled, nodding in agreement. "I'll send ANBU."
"No offense, but the ANBU are terrible gossips," Kakashi chuckled almost apologetically for his former comrades. "And I'm sure Danzo has spies planted everywhere in the village. Perhaps we could contract someone from Suna?" As he said this he cast a wary glance at Naruto who was fidgeting like ants were in his pants.
Tsunade pondered this but shook her head. "They are struggling with their own internal issues, the last Kazekage left a shitstorm of drama for Gaara and his siblings. Their hands are full." The restless squirming had drawn her attention as well, and she snapped in annoyance. "Naruto! Do you need to piss or something? What is your problem?"
The teenager was practically dancing from foot to foot, his face beaming with some kind of pent up excitement. "I know who you can send," he grinned broadly.
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, who only shrugged in confusion, before narrowing her eyes back onto the young man who was now staring hard at a clearly uncomfortable Kakashi. "Alright Brat, I'll bite. Who could be better than my ANBU?"
Naruto inhaled sharply, his jitteriness suddenly condensing into a tense posture of excitement, and he pointed to Kakashi's weapon pouch, "Dog, you still have that kunai?"
Kakashi's single eye narrowed, but he reached for his pouch anyways knowing exactly which one Pup was referring to. The tri-pronged weapon in question had been a frequent point of dispute when Pup was a boy. It was the only solid memento of his Sensei that Kakashi had left. Minato had given it to him upon being named captain of his first mission as a Jonin, the mission that had imploded to become yet another traumatic reminder that no amount of inherited genius would make the son of The White Fang wise, and that he was truly worse than scum. It was one of the few things that Kakashi had refused to hand over to Pup, and once when the little prankster had tried to steal the treasured kunai, Dog had actually gotten angry, drilling the child with a stern eye that had given the youngster great pause. Pup had never tried to take it again, and Jiraiya had eventually given him one to study and keep.
Kakashi produced the Hiraishin tagged kunai, the kanji slightly blurred from the years but still clearly legible. "Pup, if this is some kind of joke, it's not funny," he murmured. Despite looking like a grown man, this was still The Number One Prankster in Konohagakure.
Naruto's eyes danced, but it wasn't mischief that sparkled behind his blue gaze and curled the whiskers on his cheeks. "Do you trust me?" he asked gently.
Kakashi's black eye widened, trust was not natural to a shinobi, practically a fairy tale, and Hatakes were never blessed with happy endings. He looked down at the weapon laying in his upturned hand, brushing a thumb over the loop as he mentally killed the butterflies that threatened to take over his stomach. His brows furrowed together as his sharp mind tried to anticipate what Pup could possibly be aiming for, but his head nodded imperceptibly despite his misgivings. More than anyone on this earth, he trusted Pup.
"Summon him."
Kakashi's head snapped up, frank irritation bordering on anger making his hand shake as his fingers wrapped defensively around the handle of the kunai. "Pup what is this—"
"Dog," Naruto whispered, his voice steeped in understanding at the massive expectation he was asking of this man who had lost his childhood to war and death. He placed a fist over his heart, leveling a steady gaze upon his brother, his Sensei, his friend. "Trust me."
Kakashi's breaths were more rapid than he wanted to admit, his heart pounded against his ribs like he was some kind of goddamned genin. His mind denied the symptoms that were taking over his body, he never got scared anymore, he was Hatake-Kick-Your-Ass-While-Flipping-Pages-Kakashi. Sweat dampened his headband, and he licked his lips once, twice. The inner lies of self control were drowned in his surge of adrenaline, he was fucking terrified. He reached up with a trembling hand and lifted the hitae-ate off his—Obito's—Sharingan, and with a leap of faith that sank his gut like a fall from a mountain cliff, channeled his chakra into the precious kunai in his outstretched palm.
A yellow flash lit the room once more, but Kakashi refused to blink, refused to flinch, refused to give in to the overwhelming urge to close his eyes and beg like a child for the gods to grant his wish, just this once. The room dimmed again and he stared, gaping, eyes wide open, at the familiar azure orbs that twinkled back at him.
"You've gotten taller, Kakashi-kun."
The kunai thudded onto the floor, the only sound in the stunned silence of the room. His hitae-ate hit a second later, slipping from his loose fingers, the Sharingan burning every detail of the man's face into his reeling mind. He was gasping, ragged breaths tearing out of his throat as he reached out and grabbed a handful of the white cloak, grinding the fabric in his grasp, marveling at it solidity, its distinctly not-dreamlike texture. His incredulous eyes looked sideways and further down than ever before, upon the bright red hair and brighter smile that had always welcomed him into their warm home. She placed a very real hand on his wet cheek, tracing her thumb over the scar that crossed his watering red eye, "Thank you, for taking care of Naruto-kun. We couldn't have asked for a better protector than you, Kakashi-kun."
"S-sensei...Kush-shina—" he choked, sobs cutting off his disbelieving whisper. He can't breathe. He can't stop touching them. He can't believe any of this is actually happening. Good things don't happen to Hatake Kakashi, he says goodbye, always goodbye. But here they were, his precious people, in the flesh.
"I see you," he rasped, "oh gods, I see you!" His face contorted as he shattered, hunching forward into Minato's arms, ripping his mask off his gasping mouth as he inhaled the scent of the man he thought of as a second father. Kushina's arms were fiercely crushing him, grounding him, forcing him to accept that they existed. She pushed his gray hair out of his weeping eyes, clucking over its wild gravity-defying nature. Minato was sniffling, ever the tender hearted one as he smiled shakily. Kakashi surrendered completely to their tender comfort as all the grief that he had so meticulously dammed up, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, at the foot of that cold memorial stone, was destroyed by the power of their vibrant embrace.
Kushina rubbed a motherly hand up and down his back as he cried, like he was once again the pouting genin who couldn't stand being coddled but secretly soaked it up. Her hand bumped into his weapon pouch, and a little orange book innocuously plunked onto the floor. Three pairs of teary eyes flicked to the proudly obnoxious erotica cover that was well worn and dog eared. Three pairs of eyes slowly raised their gaze to meet in a suddenly tense stare. A shit-eating grin full of sheepish shame spread across the naked face of Kakashi as he reached up to scratch the back of his neck.
"Uh, Kushina-Senpai, I-I can explain!"
WHAM. Her eyes flashed dangerously as a tight smile that lacked any joy speared him like a fish on a stake. "What did I tell you about reading that filth?" she hissed through gritted teeth, the knuckles of her hand cracking as she raised a fist in threat of a second blow to his head.
"You said, 'over my dead body'," he answered meekly.
"Hell yes that's what I—oh," Kushina blinked, her anger frozen as her mouth dropped open. From behind the trio Naruto began to snicker. From behind Tsunade where he had taken refuge, Jiraiya began to giggle. Even Minato was biting his lip to hold back his smile. Kakashi hiccuped, then coughed, then started to shake, and finally unable to maintain his sanity any longer, barked out a deep guffaw that released even more tears down his flushed face.
Kushina huffed, crossing her arms in irritated defeat, but the corner of her mouth ticked up. "You always were such a stickler for the rules, Kakashi-kun."
Naruto howled along with the rest of them, as Tsunade and Jiraiya each ran to embrace the Yondaime and his wife, returned from the dead. He stood back, having already enjoyed his moment of reunion and content to let them have their own. As they all talked over one another in exuberant exclamations, Naruto slung an arm around Hime's shoulders, wanting to feel her close to him as his heart overflowed with joy. But when he glanced down at her the grin fell from his face as he took in her dreamy expression, her pink cheeks, and her starry eyes as she gazed at Dog's dazzling crooked smile.
"Oi!" He grunted in annoyance, snapping his fingers in front of her hypnotized stare. "He ain't that pretty. Hime? Snap out of it woman!"
"Eh? Were you saying something Naruto-kun?"
"Hi-meeeee."
Kushina peeked over at her son when she heard his whining voice, and her eyes twinkled at the way he was blatantly pouting for the girl's attention. She studied the laughing pearlescent eyes and long midnight hair, making special note of the way her son leaned into her hands as she patted his cheeks in mocking consolation.
"You must be Hyuga Hinata."
Hinata dropped her hands abruptly and smartly bowed in a show of deep respect. "H-Hai, Namikaze-san. It is an honor to meet you."
Kushina placed a hand under her chin and lifted her pale face, nodding in approval at the kindness that openly shone through her features. "You look just like Hitomi. If you have even an ounce of her heart, I am sure we will get along just fine. So," she clapped a hand on a shoulder of each teenager, "when is the wedding?"
In his shock Naruto nearly missed Hinata as she fainted dead away, barely catching her before she hit the wooden floor. "Shit! Kaasan you can't just hit people with questions like that outta nowhere! Dammit, she hasn't done this in years. Hime! Hime, breathe woman!" He was frantically fanning her glowing face while trying to diminish the telling burn of his own cheeks.
"Go easy on them," Minato laughed as he came to his wife's side. "Naruto just turned seventeen. They got at least a few months."
"WHAT?! Months! I haven't even talked to her father yet!"
"Oh!" Now Kakashi was grinning gleefully as he admired the way his childhood ship had blossomed into an obvious teenage romance. "So you're saying you've already decided to get married?"
Naruto clutched Hinata's limp body to his chest protectively, "What's the matter with you people? Stop staring at us like we're Icha Icha characters!"
Jiraiya burst out into loud laughter, "I see, I see. So that's why you never wanted to join me out on the town." The guffaws died away instantly as he was hit with a massive blast of killer intent.
"YOU TOOK MY BABY TO YOUR DIRTY BARS!?"
"Oh shit." The three remaining men said in unison.
"I'll transport them to the training grounds," Naruto groaned.
"I'll set up a barrier," Minato sighed.
"I'll send Pakkun to inform the hospital to prepare a bed," Kakashi shuddered.
"I'll bring the drinks!" Tsunade cheered. The others turned exasperated expressions toward their Hokage. "What? I haven't seen her in action for years. That bitch is epic!"