Naruto sighed as he gazed out of his window. All over Konoha he could see the glow of Christmas trees through windows. He'd always spent Christmas, a time of cheer for family and friends, all alone. Only now he knew why. He was the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful of the bijū (Tailed Beasts). He had been looking forward to spending Christmas with his team mates this year, but with Sasuke defecting to Sound and Kakashi being busy with an A rank mission, that left only Sakura and him in Konoha. And Sakura was spending Christmas with her parents, who viewed Naruto as the human form of Kyuubi like most of the villagers did, so he couldn't go visit her. The Godaime Hokage Tsunade had invited him over for a Christmas day lunch/dinner on Christmas day, but she was working overtime tonight to free up her time for tomorrow so he couldn't spend Christmas Eve with her and her assistant Shizune. All of his friends in the Rookie Nine and Team Gai were spending Christmas Eve with their families, so he couldn't spend it with them for the same reason as Sakura. Naruto had no idea where his sensei Jiraiya could be, but he wasn't around Konoha or Tsunade would have told Naruto to train with him. This left Naruto all alone in his apartment, which was not the warmest place in Konoha.
"Another Christmas all alone," muttered Naruto as he prepared to eat a cup of ramen. "Some Christmas dinner, a lousy cup of ramen," muttered Naruto. Sure, he loved ramen, but even he could be disappointed with only a cup of ramen all alone on a night meant for a feast with family and friends. "What I wouldn't give to have someone to spend tonight with." Indeed, Naruto had written a letter to Santa asking for one thing only this year instead of his usual requests for ninja supplies and ramen, the one thing he wanted most: someone to love him. The blond took his ramen and proceeded to huddle by the small fireplace built into his apartment. The rest of the building had heating, but his apartment was older than the rest and had not been remodeled years ago with the rest to include it. Naruto knew a minor Katon jutsu to help him light fires and that was it. He formed the tiger hand seal and spat a small ball of blue flame onto the logs he had piled in the fireplace. He had always wondered why he could only produce blue or green flames until he read the stories of fox fire, the mystical flame foxes like Kyuubi used in battle. After that he never used it except in his apartment to avoid spooking the villagers, even though he didn't know about Kyuubi being sealed inside him he had enough sense to figure out that the villagers would torment him more if he appeared to be a kitsune. The crackle of the flames brought Naruto out of his memories and he grabbed the thick blanket that had been the Sandaime's last Christmas present to him and wrapped it around his body to help keep himself warm.
(0o0o0)
On the roof across the street from Naruto's apartment, a black clad figure observed the blond as he huddled in front of his fireplace. Anyone catching a glimpse of the figure would have thought they were a member of Konoha's ANBU force braving the unusually severe winter weather to protect the village. But this person had a more sinister purpose in mind.
(0o0o0)
Naruto sighed and put out his fire with a small Suiton jutsu. He'd get to bed early tonight so he could wake up and go and get a nice Christmas morning meal of ramen from Ichiraku. It wasn't like he would have any presents to open. No matter how many times he hung up a stocking on Christmas Eve, he never got anything, even coal. Only the Sandaime Hokage and Iruka-sensei had ever given him a Christmas present. Naruto put the empty ramen cup in the trash and brushed his teeth before climbing into bed. Gazing out the window of his room he stared at the stars and said, "I wish I could have a merry Christmas," before he drifted off to sleep where visions of ramen and his friends filled his mind.
(0o0o0)
The dark figure grinned as the boy climbed into his bed. Now all he had to do was wait for the boy to fall asleep so he could make his move.
(0o0o0)
Naruto's eyes snapped open as he heard the very faint creak of his window being opened. Now, any other child on this night would think it was Santa Claus coming in through the window since ninja chimneys were always booby trapped, but Naruto knew better. Santa was more skilled than a Kage level shinobi, how else could he slip through a whole ninja village without being caught? Naruto could also feel Kyuubi stirring within him, meaning the fox sensed danger. Before Naruto could think of moving, a hand with a cloth grabbed his face and he reflexively inhaled a dose of chlorine. Naruto's last action before he passed out was to flip off his kidnapper while attempting to kick them in the nards. The black clad figure easily avoided the sluggish kick and rolled his eyes at the blond's antics before exiting out the window and dashing over the treetops, but not before placing a hasty Gogyō Fūin (Five Elements Seal) over the seal on the boy's chest.
(0o0o0)
Kyuubi frowned as Naruto appeared in front of her cage. Ever since the battle with Sasuke the fox had come out of her Genjutsu induced rage and had been replaying all of Naruto's memories to see what had happened after she had been sealed in the boy by the Godaime Hokage. She now wanted to help him become Hokage to make up for all the grief she had caused. And thanks to Sasuke ramming a Habataku Chidori (Flapping One Thousand Birds) into the seal on Naruto's stomach, the seal had been weakened and Kyuubi figured that if she could talk to Naruto they could figure out a way to let her out of his body while trapping most of her power inside the seal so Naruto wouldn't die. Of course, she would have to get him to trust her. She already liked the boy; he had the spunk of a kitsune and the skill to back it up if he was trained properly. She had come to regard the boy as a little sibling since his battle in the Valley of the End, acting out the role of a big sister in a few dreams Naruto had since the battle. The first one was where a disappointed Naruto had been huddling in his bed sobbing about how he had failed his friends and Sasuke. Kyuubi had come to him, letting him cry on her shoulder, though making sure he had no clue about her true identity. Then later after the Bikochu mission she had listened to Naruto recount his adventure and consoled him on the mission's failure. One of the more interesting things was that she had heard his admiration for Hinata throughout the story as well as the girl dancing by the waterfall. Only she knew the true identity of the dancing girl as Hinata. She couldn't wait to tease him about this, but to have Naruto appear in front of her cage like this was definitely a bad thing. Instantly summoning her chakra to help the boy, Kyuubi took in the status of Naruto's body and was alarmed to see he was unconscious and being carried by a chakra signature she recognized. 'This is not good,' she thought. "Naruto, you have to wake up!" she yelled.
"Huh… what?" demanded the boy as he climbed to his feet. He could feel Kyuubi's chakra rushing through him, but it felt different than during the fight with Sasuke in the Valley of the End. Ever since then, Kyuubi's chakra had felt warm, kind, and almost loving, which Naruto really didn't recognize since he had not known real love his entire life, only friendship. "What's going on fox?" he demanded as he turned to face the cage, only to freeze as he saw the girl who comforted him in his dreams after his missions ended in failure. "You're the ones from my dreams, what the hell is going on?" yelled Naruto.
"After your fight with the traitor… his last attack damaged the seal," said Kyuubi as she slowly stepped through the bars of the cage, leaving behind a giant red ruby inside it that shone with her power. "I watched the memories of your life and felt terrible that I caused you such hardships… I wanted to repay you somehow. Watching you grow up and becoming so strong in spite of all the things the villagers did to you, it made me so proud, like a big sister watching her little brother grow up. I promise that from now on I will be there for you whenever you need me and be the big sister you never had. I swear this on my true name, Kouen (Red Flame) and my title of Kyuubi no Kitsune!" Naruto stared at the kitsune in awe, no one had ever said they cared about him so much.
"Nee-chan?" he asked, only to be swept into a hug by Kouen. Naruto felt a rush of love and affection flowing in to him and he started to cry tears of happiness as a gaping hole in his heart was filled. Kouen was also crying, having made the first steps on her path to redemption.
(0o0o0)
Naruto's captor darted through the streets of Konoha, expertly avoiding the few patrols of ANBU as he approached the area that housed the members of Konoha's council as well as the Hyuuga clan. Naruto's limp body lay over his shoulder, his face resting against his captor's back so if he woke up he wouldn't be able to see anything quickly.
(0o0o0)
Hyuuga Hinata was well known as the sweetest girl in Konoha. She also had a huge crush on the village's number one ninja, Uzumaki Naruto. Thus it was no surprise to anyone who knew Hinata that she had gotten Naruto a Christmas present. The blue haired girl had slipped out of her family's Christmas celebrations early to take the present to Naruto's apartment and wish him a merry Christmas. But her plans were put on hold as she saw a black clad figure dart past the Hyuuga compound gate and head towards the sector of Konoha where the council members lived. Hinata's eyes were used to picking out flashes of orange clothing and sun kissed golden hair from a distance, so she easily spotted the unconscious Naruto in his captor's arms. Hinata immediately gave chase, not wanting to lose track of the kidnapper.
(0o0o0)
"Alright, that's enough happiness for now," said Kouen as she reluctantly stopped hugging Naruto. "You've been kidnapped and every moment you stay here gives your captor more time to escape."
"Well, can't you just give me some of your chakra so I can kick ass and go home?" asked Naruto.
"I'm afraid not, your captor put a five element seal on you just like the that bastard Orochimaru did in the Forest of Death. It's shoddy, which is why we can still talk, but it's good enough to keep my power sealed up," said Kouen with a sigh.
"So I have to kick ass all by myself?" asked Naruto before he shrugged. "Hey, I survived for twelve years without using your chakra, I think I can handle one night."
"Good, now go do your thing Oto," said Kouen. Naruto grinned and gave her a thumbs up before fading away, signaling he was starting to wake up. Kouen turned her mind to burning the remainder of the drug from Naruto's body, since the seal didn't keep her from healing him.
(0o0o0)
Naruto's captor only had a small movement to warn him his prisoner was starting to awaken before Naruto slammed his hard head into the man's back. The man staggered, allowing Naruto to kick him in the chest before using the man as a spring board to leap away. Naruto landed and instantly cursed as his bare feet slipped on the snow covering the ground. 'Shit, I'm in my pajamas and barefoot, if I don't finish up soon I'll get frostbite! Plus, I've got no weapons,' Naruto thought while gathering chakra at his feet.
"I'm impressed you recovered so quickly Naruto-kun, but you won't be getting away any time soon!" said his captor. Naruto took his first good look at his captor as well as their surroundings and cursed as he saw a familiar pair of Sharingan eyes below a slashed Konoha Hitai-ate and that they had made their way to a private training ground in the abandoned Uchiha sector, where there was no chance of help.
"Itachi, how unpleasant of you to come now! Where's your sharky friend?" growled Naruto.
"Kisame is useless in this weather, he is waiting for us outside of Konoha. Come quietly Naruto-kun, Jiraiya-sama is not here to save you this time!" replied the Sharingan master as he stared at his target.
"Hmmmm, I think not, I bet Sasuke would come back if I delivered you to him wrapped up all nice and pretty for Christmas," countered Naruto as he summoned up some shadow clones.
"The hard way it is," muttered Itachi before Naruto and his clones charged the Uchiha murderer. Itachi easily evaded the attacks of the clones before grabbing one that overextended its arm and using that clone as a club to eliminate all the others. However the real Naruto had used the clones as cover to allow him to make his next move. He hurled the only thing he could get his hands on at Itachi. The Uchiha murderer found his face covered in snow and Naruto running away like crazy. "Little brat," muttered Itachi before he blurred from sight to clothesline Naruto. However, the blond turned into a section of log, causing Itachi to wince slightly as his arm slammed into the thick wood. A barrage of snowballs forced the Uchiha killer to dodge to the side and realize he'd been backed against a tree.
A familiar whistling split the air and Itachi was forced to leap away as several shuriken slammed into the tree he had been against a moment before. Naruto and Itachi both stared as Hinata landed in the snow, her Byakugan active and slightly out of breath from chasing Itachi. "Hinata-chan, what are you doing here?" demanded Naruto.
"I saw you being carried away and came to help," said Hinata, her Byakugan never leaving Itachi.
"You should leave now little girl, you don't stand a chance against me!" said Itachi.
"No, I won't abandon Naruto-kun!"
"Hinata-chan… thank you. Now let's do this!" yelled Naruto. The blond created another horde of shadow clones and charged Itachi. The missing nin easily countered all the attacks but was forced to leap back as Hinata charged in with a barrage of gentle fist attacks. Naruto took this chance to have one of his clones help him form a Rasengan. Hinata leapt back as Naruto charged forward with a cry of "Rasengan!" causing Itachi's eyes to widen as he barely dodged the destructive attack. The resulting explosion as the Rasengan hit the snowy ground tossed Itachi into a tree and blasted Naruto backwards behind Hinata.
'I've got to end this quick, that explosion in a deserted area of Konoha will definitely bring the ANBU here in seconds,' thought Itachi as he climbed to his feet. "Mangekyō Sharingan: Tsukuyomi (Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye: Moon Reader)!" said Itachi as the tomoe of his Sharingan merged together to form a three bladed Shuriken. However, as Itachi focused on Naruto to trap him in the Genjutsu, Hinata suddenly appeared in front of her crush, taking the attack meant for Naruto. Since Itachi had wanted to make sure Naruto would be subdued for several days, he had used three times as much chakra for the technique that he normally did and he was unable to stop the technique as he made contact with Hinata's eyes. 'Kuso, that little bitch…' he thought as the Genjutsu took hold.
(0o0o0)
Hinata looked around herself in surprise. She was no longer in the abandoned Uchiha sector, she was instead in the courtyard of the Hyuuga compound. A blood red moon shone down on her and painted the familiar landscape an eerie red as well. Hinata gasped as Itachi suddenly appeared before her, glaring at her. "Normally, I don't torture people needlessly, but you've proven to be quite an annoyance for me," said the Uchiha.
(0o0o0)
"Hinata-chan!" yelled Naruto as he saw both Itachi and Hinata freeze. He had seen what that technique did to Sasuke when Itachi and Kisame first came after him and figured it had to be a Genjutsu since Itachi hadn't moved at all before Sasuke collapsed. 'Crap, what did Iruka-sensei say about defeating Genjutsu?' the blond thought as he searched his brain for an answer.
"You need to alter the chakra of the victim," said Kouen inside his head.
"How do I do that?" demanded Naruto.
"Place your hands on Hinata's shoulders and I'll take care of it, I can send enough chakra through the seal to do that much," replied Kouen. Naruto did as instructed, trusting his new big sister to help his friend.
(0o0o0)
Hinata fell to the ground after Itachi finished his latest torture for her. This one had involved Hinata being forced to watch as Naruto was beaten by a group of villagers. Itachi actually recorded the beating with his Sharingan while he was still a Konoha ANBU, so he just changed the younger Naruto to the one Hinata knew today to make the torture more realistic. "Hmmm, what to do to you next?" asked Itachi.
"How about I use you as a chew toy???" asked a deep voice behind him. Itachi spun around to see a giant nine tailed fox towering over him.
"How?" demanded Itachi before he had to leap back to avoid the fox's jaws as they snapped closed over the space he just occupied.
"Worry more about your life your bastard!" growled Kouen as her flailing tails forced Itachi to dodge rapidly. Finally, the Uchiha reached his limit and faded out of existence along with the bloody moon, leaving Kouen alone with Hinata in a vast white plain. Kouen shifted to a much smaller form before walking up and nuzzling Hinata gently, only to get no response. "Oh you poor dear," she said as she looked at Hinata sadly.
(0o0o0)
Itachi staggered as he felt the Genjutsu fade away. As he regained his bearings, he saw a fist heading towards his face. Still disoriented, Itachi was sent flying as Naruto pored his chakra into a powerful punch that sent the traitorous Uchiha flying. Itachi didn't come back, wisely choosing to flee. Naruto quickly ran back to Hinata, his fear growing worse as he saw her eyes staring ahead blankly. "Hinata-chan, come on, wake up!" he said as he gently shook her.
"It's no good, Itachi broke her mind with his mental torture," said Kouen.
"Is there anything we can do to help her?" demanded Naruto.
"I still have a link with her mind… if you come with me and call out to her it might awaken her," said the kitsune.
"Alright, let's do it!" said Naruto. He felt a light tugging sensation and then found himself in the blank landscape of Hinata's mind with his sister in her true form crouched by Hinata. "Hinata-chan!" yelled Naruto as he ran to the girl.
(0o0o0)
Hinata blinked as she felt a hand gently combing her hair. Looking up, her eyes widened as she saw her mother's face smiling down at her. "Oka-san? Am I dead?" asked Hinata as tears filled her eyes.
"No daughter, you are on the border of life and death. Your mind had endured much more than one young as you should be forced to face and thus you have passed into a near death state," said Hyuuga Hikari as she brushed the tears away before helping her daughter sit up and embraced her.
"Indeed Hinata-chan, I am currently preparing to go beat the stuffing out of Fugaku for causing his sons to turn out like this," said a strong voice that Hinata had not herd since just after her third birthday.
"Hizashi-oji-san (Uncle Hizashi)!" squealed Hinata as she blurred from sight to hug her uncle.
"Be sure to tell Neji that I'm proud of him for escaping his cage and letting go of his anger," said Hizashi.
"I will," said Hinata with a smile.
"Hinata-chan!" yelled a loud voice before Naruto burst into the group. "Huh? One moment you were lying on the ground and now you're up and about?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side while squinting at Hinata, causing Hikari and her daughter to giggle.
"That's because this is Hinata's soul. The one you just saw was her consciousness," said Kouen as she walked up behind her brother. Since she was in her true form, it was not surprising that Hinata let out a gasp before stepping back. "Oh come on, do you really think your uncle and mother would just stand there if I was going to try to hurt you? And don't forget my Oto, he wouldn't let any of his precious people be hurt if he could do anything to save them," said Kouen.
"Oto… Naruto-kun is your Oto?" asked Hinata.
"Well, adopted brother, but who cares?" replied the kitsune as she shifted to her human form. Now appearing about 18 years old, she had her red hair done up in a thick ponytail that hung down to her mid back (Think of Kikyo's hair style). She was dressed in a red qípáo that hugged her body and left little to the imagination with a design of orange and yellow flames that appeared to dance as she walked. A pair of red thigh high ninja boots protected her feet but left her lower claws free to inflict more damage to her kicks while a similar pair of red Kurokote (Japanese gauntlets bound by iron plates) protected her arms, both of which also had the flame motif on them. A pair of Nodachi were sheathed on her back while a Hitai-ate bearing the Uzumaki crest covered her forehead while the headband covered where human ears would be. A pair of fox ears poked out of her hair while red nine fox tails with white tips swayed along behind her. All in all, Hinata didn't think she had ever seen a more perfect example of a kunoichi aside from Kurenai-sensei, Shizune-sama, Anko, or Tsunade-sama. All four of those women radiated confidence and were able to dress the way they did because they were proud of their skills and would fight for themselves. (Anyone who wants to draw this for me is welcome to, I'm going to try to use some art programs to draw the outfit myself as well, but fan art will be appreciated.
"Wow Kouen-nee-chan, you look awesome like that!" exclaimed Naruto.
"Thank you Naruto, but right now we need to get Hinata back to her body," said Kouen with a smile.
"So what do we need to do?" asked Naruto.
"I'm going to need to give Hinata some of my chakra and help her body adjust to using it to heal all the damage, however this will change you Hinata. My chakra is calmer than the times Naruto used it in the past, but it will leave a mark on you. If you don't accept my help, Tsunade can still bring you back, but their will be some deep scars not even she can heal," said the kitsune as she gazed at Hinata.
"Hinata-chan, whatever you choose, know that we'll always love you and support you," said Hikari as she placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder with Hizashi.
"Oka-san… Hizashi-ji-san… Arigato!" exclaimed Hinata as she turned and hugged her mother and uncle. She then walked up to Kouen. "I'm ready."
"Good. Naruto, you can go back now, I can handle things here now. It appears the first person to find you was Anko and she immediately brought you to Tsunade who removed the seal blocking my chakra," said the kitsune as she waved her hand, causing a door to appear in front of Naruto.
"Okay, see you soon Hinata-chan!" said Naruto with a grin before he opened the door and stepped through, after which the door disappeared.
Kouen then turned to Hinata and said, "Now Hinata, I have some things to tell you. The first is that Naruto now views Sakura as a sister. The second is that he's never thought of you as weak since the Chunnin Exam. Third, he has no idea you're the girl who was dancing at the water fall and he's constantly having dreams about her. Tell him and you'll find yourself glad you did."
"Arigato Kouen-san," said Hinata with a bow.
"You're welcome. Now let's get you back to my little brother," said Kouen as she held out her hand with a smile. Hinata returned the smile and took the kitsune's hand. Kouen's chakra flared around them and Hinata felt it seeping into the very heart of her being. "Good, now we must journey back to your body and I'll explain my relationship with Naruto better," said Kouen as she made another door appear before them. With a sad smile and wave to her mother and aunt, Hinata followed the kitsune through the door and into the realm of her mind.
(0o0o0)
Naruto opened his eyes to find himself in a bed in the Konoha hospital. Turning his head, he saw he was strapped down to the bed.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ABOUT?????? GET IN HERE AND UNTIE ME BAA—CHAN!!!" he yelled.
(0o0o0)
"What has that demon done to my daughter?" were the first words Hinata heard as she became aware of her surroundings. The words were yelled by her father, who sounded very angry.
"NARUTO DIDN'T DO THIS YOU IDIOT, HE COULDN'T! ANKO REPORTED SEEING ITACHI FLEEING THE SCENE AS SHE ARRIVED AND NARUTO OUT COLD BESIDE HINATA!!!" yelled Tsunade. The Hokage was quick to anger over people who treated Naruto like he was Kyuubi, viewing the boy as the son she never had.
"THAT DEMON MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING, HOW ELSE DO YOU EXPLAIN MY DAUGHTER'S CONDITION??" roared Hiashi.
'Condition?' thought Hinata before she realized what her father had called Naruto twice.
Tsunade and Hiashi were surprised when the curtain shielding Hinata from view was blown aside and Hiashi knocked flat on his back. Looking at what had knocked him over, Hiashi found himself staring into the pearl eyes of his eldest daughter. But Hinata had changed from when she left the Hyuuga Christmas party and shortly after she was brought into the hospital. Five dark blue fox tails with pale blue tips angrily lashed the air behind her as the similarly colored fox ears on top of her head were lying flat. She had gained a few inches in height and some muscle mass, but still looked graceful and beautiful. Three whisker marks now adorned each cheek, much thicker now than they had previously been. Though only visible now that she was enraged, her Byakugan eyes now bore a pure white slit pupil that contrasted the lavender orbs. Her finger and toe nails had grown slightly longer and hardened into claws and were cutting into Hiashi's robe. And Hinata's canines were now larger and sharp. Crouched on her father's chest, it was clear this was not the typical timid Hinata, but an angry force of nature.
"Don't call Naruto-kun a demon! He's the farthest thing from a demon. He's the unsung Hero of Konoha and yet you treat him like trash!" growled Hinata.
"Hinata, what happened to you?" asked Tsunade.
"Kouen-nee-chan had to share her chakra with me to help me recover from the Tsukuyomi Itachi used on me. My body had gone to the brink of death from the power of the illusion and only her chakra could save me while she helped me heal my mind. I now have some of the chakra of Kyuubi no Kitsune inside me, which is why I believe my appearance has changed. I also feel much stronger now and more sure of myself thanks to her!" said Hinata, her eyes not leaving Hiashi's face.
At that moment, Naruto's yell of, "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ABOUT?????? GET IN HERE AND UNTIE ME BAA—CHAN!!!" echoed through the halls.
"Naruto-kun!" exclaimed Hinata before she disappeared in a blur to follow the scent of ramen, sweat, and kitsune that was Naruto.
(0o0o0)
Naruto had barely regained his breath from his yell before his door burst open and he saw the new Hinata standing in the doorway. In her anger upon waking up, Hinata had failed to realize she was clad in only the simple black tee shirt she wore under her jacket and her pants. Her transformation had caused her to fill out her clothes and Naruto was stunned by how beautiful she looked standing in the doorway with her tails waving behind her. The next thing he knew Hinata was on top of him and hugging him while she nuzzled his cheek. "Hinata-chan?" he managed to gasp.
"Hai, it seems your sister's chakra had a stronger effect on me that we thought it would," said the neo fox girl as she raised her head to gaze into Naruto's eyes.
"That's not all it did," said another, though slightly muffled, voice both Genin were startled to hear. Naruto suddenly felt a wiggling beside his body and a red fox head peeked out from under the blankets. "Somehow giving Hinata my chakra while keeping most of it in Naruto let my body escape the seal," said Kouen as she crawled out from under the blankets and shook herself.
"Okay, who wants to tell me the whole story?" asked Tsunade as she entered the room, only to freeze upon seeing Kouen as well as Hinata on top of Naruto.
"Hey Baa-chan, can you release me now?" demanded Naruto as he leaned around Hinata to glare at the Godaime.
"But… Kyuubi… seal… break?" gasped Tsunade.
"We don't know how it happened, but I swear this on my true name, Kouen and my title of Kyuubi no Kitsune that I will harm nobody in this village unless they attack my Oto, Hinata-chan, or myself first," said Kouen as she shifted to her human form and bowed to Tsunade.
"I really need some sake," muttered Tsunade as she could feel a headache coming on. The feeling only intensified when Hinata frowned and reached up to press a hand covered in the green chakra of the Shōsen (Mystical Palm) Jutsu to a bruise on Naruto's head. Her fears were confirmed as the wound healed, but Naruto himself suddenly changed. Red chakra surged around him and threw everyone back, even Kouen. The chakra became a scarlet flame that caused Hinata to start to lunge forward in an attempt to save Naruto, only to have Kouen's tails grab and restrain her. All three females were forced to cover their eyes as the flame grew to bright to bear. When the light faded, they slowly looked towards what they thought was the site of Naruto's funeral pyre.
The first thing they saw as the smoke cleared was the destroyed bed. Then a cough was heard and a figure staggered out of the smoke. "God damn it, what the hell happened to me?" demanded Naruto. Kouen and Tsunade could only stare in shock, but Hinata was staring with something like lust in her eyes. Naruto had undergone a transformation similar to Hinata's, only he had seven fox tails while his tails and ears matched the color of his hair. His body had apparently also decided to spontaneously have a growth spurt since he was now eight inches taller. The transformation had also gotten rid of the years of malnutrition from eating very little or mostly ramen and Naruto's muscles looked much stronger. These combined changes had caused his shirt to stick to his upper body and while Naruto was not ripped, it was clear by his broad shoulders that he would have a body that, with a little conditioning, many girls would fall for.
Naruto only had time to take in Tsunade and Kouen's surprised looks before Hinata glomped onto him and nuzzled him again. 'That feels nice,' thought Naruto before he realized a certain part was starting to show his appreciation for feeling Hinata's body against his. 'Ack, nononononononono, they'll kill me if I act like Ero-Sennin!' he thought.
Hinata, however, had other things on her mind. Her new body came with new instincts and she was very happy to feel and smell Naruto's growing attraction for her. Naruto in turn started to sense the same things and he looked into Hinata's eyes. Fighting through her desire to jump Naruto right there, Hinata said, "Naruto-kun, it's time for me to give you your Christmas present!"
"Huh, you got a present for me Hinata-chan?" asked Naruto. Before he could ask where it was, he felt Hinata lean up and kiss him on the lips while pulling his head down to deepen it. All of Naruto's tails became large and bushy from shock before he melted into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Hinata.
When the two finally broke apart for air, Hinata said, "I've always admired you, hearing you cheer for me when I thought Neji-ni-san and when we talked before your fight with him made it clear to me it wasn't just admiration I felt for you Naruto-kun. I draw my strength and courage from you because you are the most precious person in my life and the one my heart yearns for."
Naruto blushed slightly since Tsunade and Kouen, plus Shizune and a few nurses who had come running as they felt the chakra surge of his transformation, were listening to this and said, "It all makes sense now, the hiding behind the post, the blushing and the finger fiddling… I was so blind I couldn't see the love waiting for me right in front of me and only saw the cherry blossoms dancing out of my reach. Can you ever forgive me Hinata-chan?"
"I forgive you Uzumaki Naruto, and I pledge my heart to yours," said Hinata.
"And I give you my heat Hyuuga Hinata," said Naruto before he pulled her in for a more gentle kiss that had all the nurses cooing.
"Well it's about time!" declared Tsunade. "Now let's hear the story behind all this!" she said!
(0o0o0)
"I see," said Tsunade an hour later as Naruto, Hinata, and Kouen finished telling their respective tales. "Well, the council will soil themselves when they hear you're free Kouen, and Hiashi has already been mauled by his daughter tonight, but I don't see anything wrong with the three of you going home and resting. Report to the Hokage mansion for Christmas dinner tomorrow, we'll figure out what to do then," she said before leaving with Shizune, who whished all three a merry Christmas before leaving.
"Well, let's go home," said Naruto as he gently helped Hinata slide off her seat on his lap and onto her feet before he took her hand. Kouen rose from her seat on the room's window sill and the three walked out of the room and hospital together. The three kitsune soon made it to Naruto's apartment, only to find a surprise when they entered. A giant Christmas tree sat in the corner of the room with numerous ornaments on it as well as a pile of scrolls underneath it. The whole apartment was cleaner and in better condition than it had ever been, making Naruto exclaim he didn't realize the carpet wasn't brown. A scroll sat on the table, addressed to THE UZUMAKI FAMILY. A quick examination of the scroll revealed no traps, so Naruto opened the scroll. It read:
Dear Naruto,
By now you will have found your life has gone through some major changes. If anyone deserved to have their Christmas wish come true it's you! I've also brought you your family's scrolls so you could learn about their past and their jutsu. May your new life make up for not being able to give you any gifts due to your sister's situation preventing me from coming close to you.
Sincerely,
Kringle Chris.
PS: Kouen, take care of these two, they're bound to do great things in the future.
PSS: Hinata, your wishes mostly needed you to find the strength deep inside you to make them come true.
"So he really does exist," said Naruto as he stared at the signature while Kouen and Hinata read over his shoulder. The fox boy quickly got over his shock and ran to the tree to open the first scroll addressed to him and read out loud:
Dear Naruto,
I'm writing this as the Kyuubi approaches Konoha. I don't know what has caused her to become so furious and attack us, but not even I with the boss toad can stop her. Your mother just passed away after giving birth to you and her last act in this world was to name you and kiss you on the forehead. In a few moments after I finish writing this letter, I am going to give you the most important task of your life. I will sacrifice my soul to the Shinigami to seal the Kyuubi inside you. I know this is a heavy burden my son and I pray that the villagers honor my request to see you as a hero. I have asked Sarutobi to give this scroll and the other family scrolls to you when you are either a Chunnin or 16, so hopefully he didn't leave this somewhere you could find and steal it. I know you will make me proud son. Remember that true strength comes from the heart and protecting that which is precious to you. This whole village and all its inhabitants are precious to me, even that jerk Fugaku who always made fun of me being the dead last of the class. Ha, look at us now, I'm Hokage and he has to answer to ME!!! Anyway, that is why I'm making this sacrifice, to protect the village and the people I love. I know your mother and I will be looking down on you and smiling at you as you read this, so know that our love for you is never ending and will endure forever.
Your loving father,
Kazama Uzumaki Arashi
PS: The Uzumaki is from my mother's clan, she was the last and a refuge from Kumo where her clan died due clan was with another clan that eliminated both sides. She's where we get our golden hair. I had Sarutobi assign that name to you so no one would know you were my son lest my enemies that I've made in my life time come to kill you or the council raise you as a weapon.
As Naruto finished reading the letter, tears were poring down his face and causing the words to blur to his eyes. As he set down the scroll, he felt Kouen and Hinata embrace him. 'I get attacked by Itachi, Hinata-chan almost died saving me, we both became Kitsune hanyou, I got a new big sister, and I finally found out about my parents. This has been the best Christmas ever!'
Shortly afterwards Kouen was curled up in her true form beside Naruto's bed while Naruto and Hinata cuddled together under the covers in their pajamas. The sound of sleigh bells could be faintly heard as well as a faint, "Hohohohohoho, Merry Christmas and to all a good night!"
Omake:
Uchiha Sasuke's eyes were the size of dinner plates as he got out of his bed in Otogakure no Sato (Village Hidden in Sound) and found a pile of coal bigger than he was in his room. Exiting out the room he gaped at the sight of a coal dust covered Kabuto walking past him and peeked into the silver haired medic nin's room to find a mountain of coal that had apparently fallen over on Kabuto as he tripped on a stray piece while exiting the room and smashed into it. A light step behind Sasuke had him turn to see Kabuto wearing a surgeon's mask and protective goggles while holding the same items out to him in one hand while the other hand held two large shovels and a Sound Genin was leading a line of ninja pushing wheelbarrows behind the medic nin. "What's this for?" asked the Uchiha.
"We have to dig out Orochimaru-sama, his room is always filled with coal each year," said Kabuto calmly.
Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays everyone!