The Bequest.
Summary: "Hinata, who was that?"; "Oh, she's my trustee."; "What for?"; "For when I die, Naruto. So that you don't have to worry about a thing. She will take care of everything." His chopsticks dropped. Appetite now lost. He stood abruptly from his seat and stared at her long and hard. His eyes were piercing at her and begging her to laugh anytime now to tell him that it was just a cruel joke. But no, she was still washing the dishes.
Disclaimer: Naruto characters not mine.
I randomly got the idea when my family and I were talking about our plans, investments, and preferences when our time has come. Yes, as morbid as it may seem it is to others, we were talking about our own death care. And since I am a huge fan of the Uzumaki family, I figured to write something about them unexpectedly discussing about things like death, especially since they are basically living in an occupational hazard.
Also, for those who were wondering about the fate of my two other fanfictions (i.e. My Ninja Way and Stolen), I'm not abandoning it. Piles of things are just holding me back such as work and preparing to officialize our business. Y'know, boring stuffs. So, whenever I need a creative rest, I will always turn to Naruto fanfiction. As for the timeline of when I can publish the next chapters, I really can't say yet. But know that I'm keeping it in my pocket.
CHAPTER 1
"I'm home…"
8:08pm. He came home early tonight but not after many nights. He didn't exactly remember the last time he had been home and had dinner with his family. He should have been happier now that he's home. He should have been looking forward to having dinner with them, but he was just so tired. His drooping eyes, slouching stance, weary voice, and overall self gave away that there was nothing else that he wanted to do but to get over his bed and sleep. It doesn't matter whether he was still fully clothed and hungry. All he knew was that his snores will be louder and rougher tonight.
"Papa!" He heard his daughter rushed to greet him, but he just got no power to greet back. His body worked robotically as he removed his shoelaces and slipped his feet off. Clumsily, he placed his shoes to the side. The least he could do was to respect the cleanliness of their home.
"You got to come home early today." He heard his wife say, or was it still his daughter who said that? He sighed. He was just so tired to process that. So, the least he could do was to reply.
"Yeah… Finally finished an all-nighter." He stood from the genkan and turned around to drag his body inside. They were smiling. Both his girls were smiling tenderly at him, and he knew how much they missed him. But his face felt too heavy to smile back, and his stares were drawn to nowhere else but the flight of stairs. His mind and body were screaming just how tired he was. Paperwork and meetings had him really bad. Give him a list of missions to accomplish and extraneous activities, and he will be fired up checklist by checklist. But he's the Hokage now, and an adult, and so comply he must.
He went past the both of them. He would not be surprised if their smiles dropped because of his inattention.
"Dinner's ready. What do you want to do?" Ah, he was now certain that it was Hinata who said that. Surely, he was hungry, and he missed his wife's great cooking.
"Thanks…But I'm going straight to bed." Nothing else but getting some sleep was what matters most to him at the moment. He just hoped that he didn't offend her.
"I understand. Goodnight." Her gentle voice brushed his ear. At times like this, he was forever grateful that he married the most understanding person he knew. He could have replied back, or at least looked at her down the stairs, but he saw the door to this room and now his body gravitated more towards it.
The sound of the door upstairs gently clicking shut was the only sound she heard. She turned to her daughter beside her and saw the look of disappointment behind her fringe. Her daughter drew a picture of their family using the new painting set that she had gifted Himawari yesterday for doing a job well done at school. Himawari then spent the whole afternoon perfecting her craft, and she knew that her daughter was doing it to impress her father and to excitedly tell him why she got a painting set in the first place. Seeing how her daughter hid it on her chest saddened her but she needs to make sure that her daughter understands as best as she could.
She tapped Himawari's little shoulder and smiled down at her. "I am sure that papa will be amazed when he sees that. Don't worry, he just needs some rest. That's all. And then, you can tell him all about school." No questions asked or concerns raised, Himawari just pouted her lips, and after a few seconds, she smiled back to her mother and nodded her head.
As they were about to go back to the table to start dinner, Boruto bolted from his seat with enough force to almost make his chair stumble down behind him. His eyes glaring down, and his fists clenched.
"What's the matter, Boruto?" The concern in his mom's eyes and the surprised look on Himawari told him that what he was about to do would just make the matter worst. But he can't stop it. His patience was wearing thin and he just needed to let them know that this is not alright.
"Mom! He's not even gonna eat the meal that you prepared?! That stupid old man… he just came home after a while and yet he wants nothing to do with us but to sleep! I can't believe him, Mom!"
"Boruto, it's not like that. Your dad is working really hard, and this is straining him too. I know that this is quite hard to understand –"
"Quite hard to understand? Mom, I don't get it at all, and I don't wanna! Since he got that stupid Hokage hat, he's never home. How can you be fine with this?!" Without even waiting for a reply, he stormed out of the room, and a few seconds passed, the sound of the door upstairs violently clicking shut was the only sound she heard.
She knocked gently on the door before opening it.
"Boruto, dear, please eat. I'm sure you must be hungry."
His son was sitting by the edge of his bed and seems to be pondering about what had occurred tonight. He looked at his mom with a sad expression in his eyes.
"Mom, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you. I'm just really pissed off. That stupid old man -"
"Your dad, Boruto. Please call him dad. And here, I've brought you dinner."
"I can eat downstairs. You didn't have to do that."
"Oh please, help yourself. Besides, your sister is already asleep and so it's no trouble bringing this here."
"Thanks, mom." And he was truly hungry. He could have hugged her mother and tell her that she's the best, but he didn't…because the dish was nothing more but vegetables. Warily, he looked over at his mom.
"That's your punishment for not joining us for dinner." Her wry smile made him swallow his first bite unquestioningly. A few seconds of peace went by and then Hinata broke the silence.
"…I'm sorry, Boruto."
His chewing stopped, surprised by her words. Why in the world was she apologizing? He looked at his mother and saw a glint of guilt in her eyes.
"I'm sorry for asking you to understand. Maybe it's too early for you to understand. I know that you just want to spend more time with your dad. You miss him-"
"Mom" He interrupted her off, afraid to reveal the honest emotions behind his tantrum. But she waived her hands so she can continue.
"I miss him too. And sometimes, I too, get frustrated."
"You do?!" He never ever pictured her mom getting frustrated over that stupid old man. This is a revelation, and yet it was calming for him to think that he wasn't alone.
"That's true. I'm still not used to him not coming home for several nights, and I certainly don't love it when he's not around during birthdays and important family events. When I think it's too much, your dad and I talk in a civil and calm manner." She said it with an emphasis on the last few words.
"Is that the reason why he suddenly went home with a cake for me and Himawari after our birthdays?" He was trying to put two and two together.
She nodded her head. "He may not be in the most ideal state for our family right now, but other people need him too. He's special and so powerful that he was given a greater role and responsibility than the rest of us. Isn't that cool? But you know what, at the end of the day, he comes home to us and visits you and your sister in your rooms to say goodnight even if you're asleep already."
Indeed, that was another news to him. But this time, his widened eyes and blushed cheeks revealed his flattered emotions. Her mom got up, picked up his cleaned plate, and walked over to the door. "Goodnight, Boruto."
He smiled and tucked under his blanket, suddenly anticipating when will his dad wake up to say goodnight. "Thank you, mom."
She was watering the pots of flowers along the porch when she heard their front door open. The sky was clear, and the breezy sunny weather lured her back into gardening. She saw Himawari by the door holding her pot of sunflowers, and she instantly knew why her daughter was feeling down and sullen.
"Oh sweetie, what happened to your sunflower?"
"I think I killed it, mama. I am so sorry. I was having a busy week that I forgot to take care of it. I didn't water it enough, and I didn't let it out for a sun. Why can't I be as good as you mom?" She was on the brink of crying. Her frustrations were piling up and now her sunflower, a gift entrusted to her by her mother, was dead which clouded her judgment more and made her question her capabilities. At school, she can feel whispers among her classmates that she was only able to pass because her father is the Hokage. She was not adept and keen on fighting like her brother, and she was not as good with her eyes as her mother. To make it worst, she didn't know how to activate her Byakugan again. And now, her sunflower was dead.
Hinata can see it. The emotional turmoil that Hima was feeling, she can all feel it. She instantly removed her gloves and have forgotten about her pail of soil and naked plant. She tapped her daughter's little shoulder. And as she looked up, her mother was tenderly smiling at her.
"Come follow me."
They silently strode their way to the backyard. Hinata was opening up a black bag and then invited Himawari to take a look inside it. When she saw what's in it, her eyes lit up, and a mixture of surprise and confusion painted her face.
"These are all the plants that died in my hands yesterday. It is a lot, I know, and that saddens me too. I tried my best to keep watch on them, but there are things that we may not have full control like the weather or how busy we get. But what matters is that we manage it."
Himawari was looking back and forth to her mother and to the pile of dead plants. Somehow, even beyond her age, she was getting where her mother is at.
"Their worth doesn't just end there. Once we deposit them at our local farmer's market, they'll be able to recycle those into fresh compost that will give healthy plants more nutrients. They will not die in vain, instead, their deaths can spring a new life. This is the great cycle of life. So how about we donate your sunflowers too, and later, we can buy you a fresh couple of ones to brighten up your room?"
Himawari was stunned by her mother's wisdom and her angelic smile. She hid her tears as she hugged her mama tightly by the waist and nodded in response. The great cycle of life. She won't forget this.
"Hey, your brother is on the way, and he'll be starving once he gets here. Can you help me prepare our lunch because I need help, and you're really good at it."
A blush spread across her face as she grinned at her mother and poked her thumbs up - a familiar and beloved sight that makes Hinata wondered what she did right to make the Gods above gift her with such a wonderful family.
Himawari's worries and self-doubt were gone. Indeed, it was such a fine day, she mustn't have noticed earlier. "Thank you, mama."
A well-lit living room welcomed him as soon as he reached home. Confused, he glanced at the clock. 11:42 pm. Everyone at home should be asleep by now. As he was removing his shoes, he was also focusing his senses to detect if his family is safe. And they were. He knew, at a glance of his sensor, that Himawari and Boruto were asleep, and that his wife was the one in the living room, except she wasn't alone. He got up from the genkan, stepped inside, and made himself known. "Hey", he waved his hand toward his wife.
"Oh welcome home, dear. I hope you don't mind but we have company. Please, settle down now, I'll reheat your dinner. You must be tired, for sure." Hinata got up and slightly bowed to her visitor to excuse herself.
Naruto took the chance to observe the unfamiliar face. Her eyes, hair, complexion, and grace were dead giveaways that she is a Hyuga. But surely, she mustn't have come from the main branch since he didn't seem to remember her. She's probably around their age, maybe, a tad bit older. Strands of white hair are visible to his keen eyes, and the serious expression on her made him think that maybe what they were discussing is something that shouldn't be taken lightly. Or maybe she's just as serious as his father-in-law. He stopped himself from staring any longer.
"Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting… But, what's this about? It's a bit too late for a meeting, you know?"
The lady stood up, poised with such etiquette to bow, and took the liberty to respond. "Lord Seventh. It's an honor to meet you in person. I'm Hyuga Yui. I understand that it's late but it's alright. I believe that Lady Hinata took care of everything important first."
A few minutes passed by, and he was sitting at the dining table, eating his dinner ever so slowly as he tuned in on the conversation that his wife was having at the living room. They weren't filtering it from him. Hinata was comfortable him hearing it, but he still felt like he shouldn't. At least not yet since Hinata hadn't opened it up to him privately. But he can't help it, he was nosy since he was a child. And when it comes to his Hinata and his children, he can misstep some privacy and boundaries. He kept glancing surreptitiously from his plate to Hinata to a bunch of papers that they were sharing back and forth.
11:58 pm. Her visitor was now gone, and it was just the two of them. Hinata was washing the dishes that she offered earlier to the lady while Naruto was finishing up the dinner that he parked just so he could eavesdrop. He was hungry after all.
"Hinata, who was that?" He asked as he was scrunching up the kappa maki that he had learned to love.
"Oh, I'm sorry. That was Hyuga Yui. She's my trustee." He didn't understand. Trustee for what, and why would she trust something to someone who is not close to her or to him. He was waiting for her to continue, to tell him more, but he got none. And so he probed more.
"What do you mean? What for?" He was looking at her and talking while his mouth was full. Old habits truly never die.
"Just preparing for when I die, dear. So that you don't have to worry about a thing. She will take care of everything." His chopsticks dropped. Appetite now lost. He stood abruptly from his seat and stared at her long and hard. His eyes were piercing at her and begging her to laugh anytime now to tell him that it was just a cruel joke. But no, she was still washing the dishes. In a split second, he was standing from the dining table to inches away from his wife. He held her by the shoulders, forcing her to stop what she was doing and to look at him in the eyes. He was undeniably completely alarmed, but she was relaxed and utterly confused. They stayed like that staring into each other's eyes for a tick of time until he tried to ask what he dreaded the most.
"Are you…" No, he didn't have that kind of courage to ask what he was fearing. He shook his head.
"Please tell me you're not sick… Please tell me you're not going anywhere." He would blast mountains and release millions of clones just to be with her, but he was begging down to his soul that she wouldn't go anywhere where he can't follow. Please.
"Oh, silly me. I didn't mean it like that."
"Then why did you say that? What were you two talking about? What were those papers for? Why was she here in the first place?" He suddenly felt like he was missing a big part of what was happening with Hinata. Realization hit him hard. He was starting to become a failed husband and father. He knew everything about the village, but for the past couple of years, he barely knew any news about his own family outside the academy. Trivial things such as what do they normally do during their free days, who are their friends, what are their hobbies, what do they hate the most, and who are they talking to, which brought him back to his concern - who was Hyuga Yui to Hinata exactly, and why was his precious wife planning for her death.
"Hinata, can we go to bed? Please." He wanted no distraction and so he'll grip on the intimacy of their bedroom to keep her attention to him and only to him.
"You can go ahead, dear. I'll be done in a few minutes."
"No. Leave those. I'll wash them as soon as I wake up." He gripped her hand as if he was holding for her dear life.
The lights were off and Hinata was cuddling next to him, drifted off to bliss, and without even care how she just took away the sleep off of him. He adjusted the sheet up to fully cover his wife's naked chest. Yet again, they made love as if they were young. The fire never stopped burning between them after all, especially when it comes to sex. He should have been asleep by now with his bare chest scooched to hers, instead, he laid flat on his back, blue eyes staring up the ceiling, bandaged arm covered his forehead while the other served as his wife's pillow. He looked at her.
"I'm not dying, Naruto" She started, already knowing what's bothering him, that something's even bothering him.
He locked the door and looked at her.
"Then why were you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Rushing things." He wasn't shouting at her, but his voice wasn't soft either considering that it was past midnight and that their children were sleeping nearby.
"I am not rushing things. I'm just preparing. We, Hyugas, have been taught to prepare for those kinds of things."
"Yeah? Well, you're an Uzumaki now remember?"
He pulled his body closer next to her as he played their exchange of words. Uzumaki Hinata. Dear god, he loved her so much. He wouldn't know what he would do without her. No amount of advice from Shikamaru or any other smartass out there would be able to guide him on dealing with it; hence, his refusal to accept a tiny thought of his wife dying before him. To some, he was being immature with his behavior uncanny to that of a Hokage, but he was just being… Naruto.
He tried to remember their conversation as best as he could. It wasn't all nice and he may have said things that could have offended her.
"Are we fighting over my death plan?" Her arm snaked its way over her chest, a plain telltale of her discomfort. But hearing the last three words that came out of her mouth made him grunt and pull his hair out.
"You are not dying!... or if you are in any way sick, I beg you, please tell me now Hinata, and I will tear down Sakura's door and wake her up right now to check up on you." His hands were firmly buried around her shoulders.
"Naruto, please calm down. I am not sick. I told you, I am just preparing for our family."
"Well, prepare for other things but that, you know! Is that how you feel right now? You wanna leave us behind so soon?!" Now his voice was getting louder.
"Let's face it, Naruto. At these times, you cannot take care of the kids. You are not always home." Her voice was soft, but it was like a punch in the gut. He was dumbstruck. He knew that it was the truth, but hearing it from his wife hurt like a thousand knives. His mouth was gulping like a fish. He didn't know how to counter that, or if he should even do that.
"I'm sorry to bring that up, but the reality is, we are a family living in an occupational hazard. Boruto is on top of the class, and so he will soon be exposed to more dangerous missions. Every day, I pray to kami that he won't face obsessive enemies, but I was a shinobi too, and so I know that that won't be impossible especially since he is our child, a descendant of Hagoromo and Hamura. Naruto, you are a powerful Hokage, but everyone has their own weaknesses and –"
"You are not a weakness! Hinata, I'm working my ass off to protect this village and to keep the peace. And for how many years now, I was successful. Still am. Are you saying that I can't protect my own family?"
"No!", she easily barked. "And I'm not saying that I won't give a fight either. It's just… there are possibilities.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Remember, when you were newly-born, Madara held you hostage to get what he wanted from your parents."
"That was a long time ago, Hinata! And guys like Madara are long gone! Why are you even bringing that-"
"But the Otsutsukis are still here." His eyes widened. How did she know that? There was a reason why Shikamaru was dropping the bulk of their budget to publicize that Otsutsukis were long gone. That he, Sasuke, Boruto, and the other Kages managed to kill those sons of a bitch. What was going on? Was there someone leaking confidential information in his office?
Then she continued.
"Gods like Momoshiki and Kinshiki are existing… I am aware, Naruto. Don't worry, nobody told me, and I don't plan on telling anyone either. But every night that you came home, it was as if you were carrying a heavy weight on your shoulders despite the peace. And at times, you were talking about it in your dreams."
Oh shit. It was all him.
"There might be creatures more powerful than Kaguya that are lurking out there. And like I said, I will fight to the last drop of my blood to protect you, Boruto, and Himawari."
He remembered her words, and what she said worried him so much. Hinata was selfless and her throwing herself in the pit of death to save those she loved was a nasty truth. Was it hard for her to understand why he deliberately asked her to retire as a shinobi and instead, be a housewife the moment she was carrying their first child? All his life he wanted a family. And now that he got one, a precious one, he won't lose them no matter what it takes.
He didn't remember how their disagreement went from a feisty jabbing of truth to them having passionate sex. All he knew was that they never slept with a raw argument and that he will stop at nothing to protect her and their children. He brushed his wife's fringes and kissed her tenderly on the lips as he too drifted off to sleep.
Author's Note:
This was supposed to be a one-shot, but it was getting longer than I expected. Yet I'm loving how it goes. This isn't an action story. It will not focus on defeating the danger, rather it will be about the Uzumakis with Naruto realizing the vulnerability of his family despite his power. How his wife is his light and the foundation of their family. Just what will be left of him if Hinata is gone. I'm looking into completing this by the next chapter, which will be uploaded in a few days.
REVIEWS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED and will motivate me more. Have a good day!