Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the characters introduced in this chapter are mine. I don't believe that the manga ever mentions Hiashi's wife by name, so I made a name up. If there is one, I'll edit it if someone brings it to my attention.
On with the story!
Shizuka means peace and Iansha means "one who comforts"
As the elder Hyuuga queried his mind on how best to convey his story, he closed his eyes, and sought to remember the previous evening's events. He would need all the motivation he could muster, so his reason for actually going through with this was the first thing that came to mind.
The previous night:
Hiashi stomped up the stairs to his quarters, his jaw set, as he gritted his teeth angrily. Despite his cordiality, Jiraiya's threat did not sit well on the clan leader's mind. He, one of the most powerful men in Konoha, was being bullied by a hermit? This was absurd. No, absolutely not. He would NOT be forced into doing something he didn't want to, he didn't even care that the Hokage asked it of him. He knitted his eyebrows, and unconsciously slammed his room's door open. He slid the door shut and sat down on the edge of his bed. Angrily he grabbed the bottle of sleeping pills on his nightstand and downed a couple of them, then placed a sweaty palm on his forehead. It would be another long night for him, he could feel it already. As his drugged mind began to shut down, and drift into the state of artificial slumber that he had become accustomed to, his thoughts focused to one name, "Shizuka."
"What is this? A field of tiger lilies… Shizuka loved tiger lilies." He thought. He reached down and plucked one of the flowers and twirled it in between his fingers in front of his eyes. They were so beautiful, so calm. It's no wonder she thought so highly of the plant. They were very much like his deceased bride, wielding a quiet beauty that was naturally soothing. The endless depths of her eyes could calm even the most disturbed soul. She was quiet and collected; the kind of person that could quiet a crying baby with simply a look. He tossed the lily aside and walked slowly toward a large cherry tree in the middle of the field. Butterflies lazily danced around the branches, and petals from the blossoms quietly drifted to their resting places on the ground. The sun seemed to smile upon the spot, like a remnant of Eden. As he approached the tree he could hear a soft voice from the other side of the tree humming a simple lullaby. Instantly all of his worries and fears melted away as the sound of the voice came to rest upon his ears. He was totally caught within its spell, completely at the will of the quiet little tune. He felt as if his body was tranquilized by its calm power. He ignored the cherry blossoms coming to rest on his shoulders and head, and cautiously stepped alongside the tree, not wanting to disturb the private Heaven. He looked down at the young woman sitting with her back to the tree, clad in a pure white kimono, which seemed to radiate with peace. Totally entranced by her beauty, he started to sit next to her, his mouth open in wonder. She looked up at him, and gave him a smile that could melt the ice off of the heart of the toughest man.
"Hiashi-kun, you look silly with those cherry blossoms on your head." She giggled sweetly as she carefully dusted the silky petals from the man's shoulders and hair. A tear began to form in the elder Hyuuga's eyes, and he reached up and touched her cheek, praying with all of his heart that touching her would not break the spell. His fingers lightly came in contact with her skin, and for a moment, he flinched, expecting the illusion to dispel. "I'm right here, my love. I won't disappear." She said, laying her small hand on the back of his.
"Shi… Shizuka?" he uttered, barely more than a whisper. His normally cold features were now very soft, a look of one with a broken heart in his pale eyes. His beloved bride, she had come to visit him? This had to be a dream, but he wished it weren't so. She looked at him quizzically and tossed a handful of grass at him.
"Don't look so serious, my husband. It makes you look like a statue." She said, mirthfully. He put his other hand up to her face, and pulled her head to his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he nuzzled his face into her hair. A slight wind picked up, causing a swirl of leaves and cherry blossoms to stir up around them. "I cannot stay for long" she said into his arms, "I came to make good on our promise, do you remember it?" The dark haired man sat down next to the woman, and she placed her head gently on his shoulder. He nodded his head in assent and stared off into the distance. "How long has it been? Time seems to run together… where I am." She looked up at him and noticed the tears forming in his eyes. "Don't cry, Hiashi. One day we will return to each others arms. You need to be there for our daughter until then." He hung his head in shame.
"Shizuka… I… have not made good on my promise to you. I have let anger and hate grow in my heart. I have no right to be the father to your beloved child." He said, through a veil of tears and pain. "I have spent all these years resenting her and that boy. How could I ever make up for lost time? You promised me that you would be there for our daughter's 16th birthday, but I had long forgotten the reason why." He said with a pleading look in his eyes.
She leaned in close and touched noses with her husband.
"It was to tell her… about love. Although we didn't know that I was not to stay in the world of the living to see it, I have come back on the eve of her birthday to give you the message. Only you have a strong enough bond with me for me to speak with directly, so only you can relay it. Please… love her as you loved me Hiashi." She said, cradling his broken self in her arms. "I'm sorry that we could not spend longer together, but it will only be for the blink of an eye." she said, smiling warmly at him.
"What of the boy" he asked ", what can I say to him?" He dried his eyes and stood with his back to the wind, letting his hair flow freely in it. She slowly stood with him and took his hands in her own. Her image started to fade, and she stepped back after giving him a final hug.
"Tell him of Iansha, Hiashi. Tell him of her hopes and dreams, of her loves and pains. You are the closest link he has left to his past. Only you can do this for him." She said, closing her eyes. "Goodbye my love, until we meet again." The wind quietly swirled around her, concealing her with leaves. In an instant, she was gone.
"SHIZZUUUKKAAAA!" he shouted out loud, waking up crying. He then knew what he had to do.
Back to the present:
"Naruto" he began, "I have come to tell you of my deceased wife. She was a great friend of your mother's. She was the first to accept her, and the one who made her existence in the leaf possible. At first the people of the village were skeptical of a demon living in their midst, but through the gentle nudging my wife applied, the town began to accept her. Her name was Iansha. They had a friendship that forms only once in a millennia. Few people have ever experienced such a bond. They did everything together; they shopped, they cooked, they even cleaned together. They sometimes spent the night together at the Hokage manor, but rarely at the Hyuuga mansion. The love they shared was as pure as the driven snow, like two sisters, but I envied it. I longed for this closeness with my wife, and the seed of bitterness was planted deep in my heart. It grew and festered until I couldn't stand the sight of your mother anymore. I never openly opposed the friendship, but my feelings were made very clear in my actions. The days went on, and so nature goes, they both became pregnant within a few months of each other, Iansha with you, and my Shizuka with Hinata." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.
Naruto stared at him intently, taking in every word, but he felt a stirring deep in his spirit. For a moment he saw a vision of the Fuuin gate inside him, and a pair of burning red eyes. "It's HIM" Kyuubi growled.
The clan leader continued his tale. "As the third trimester of your mother's pregnancy came to a close, the villagers became restless. Since the beginning of her stay in the village, they had feared her somewhat, but they did their best to hide it and treat her with the respect afforded the Hokage's wife. The thoughts plagued them all. They would hold private meetings about the monster that would be born; everyone had the word on the tip of their tongues. In dark corners people would fret over the things they did not understand, and over time, the people began to hate the idea of… you being born. Your mother loved you though, Naruto. She did her very best to convince the townsfolk that you would be born just as one of them, that no harm would come of your introduction to life. Your father used his power to keep the people in check, and they seemingly obeyed. All until the day you were to be born." Hiashi gritted his teeth at the shameful memory.
Naruto looked at him questioningly, fearing what he was to say. "But… I hated your mother for taking my Shizuka. I… stirred the people to anger, and started the revolt that was to take your mother's life." The elder Hyuuga could feel the intense emotions boiling in Naruto as the boy stood up sharply, but he had no answers for the poor boy. There was only one thing that he could do. He threw himself at Naruto's feet, face to the ground. "Forgive me, Naruto! I am a weak man, full of anger and doubt. Indirectly, I also caused the death of your father, leaving you totally alone. In fear and in doubt, I hid in my manor, under the guise of 'clan leader', shielding myself from pain. The only thing I can offer in exchange for your parent's lives is their memory. Please…" he pleaded.
He could feel the anger of Kyuubi roiling within him, seeking to drive him into frenzy. Naruto fought back the angry emotion he had within himself. Jiraiya looked at him and nodded. He knew that the boy had a kind heart. He knew that there was no malice in his deep blue eyes. Naruto kneeled down and touched Hiashi's shoulder. The Hyuuga looked up into the boy's warm eyes and saw that this simple boy was not capable of the evil emotions that he himself held. Naruto closed his eyes with a smile and scratched the back of his head and said "Perhaps you can tell me more about my parents, ne?" Hiashi wiped his eyes on his sleeve and stood up. He thought, "I hope that someday I may make up for my failure, Yondaime. Shizuka, I pray that this honors your memory."
He and Naruto stayed there long into the night, Hiashi telling him everything that he knew about his mother and father, and their beautiful romance. He told him of his mother's 'hopes and dreams, loves and pains'. He told him of his father's vanity, and of his enormous courage, with Jiraiya interjecting funny stories about Dan's antics during training. He told him of Kyuubi, and how he was Iansha's older brother.
"You mean Kyuubi is actually my Uncle?" Naruto asked in amazement. The Hyuuga simply nodded, and began to stand up, signifying the end of the discourse.
"Please forgive me Naruto, there is something I need to talk to my daughter about." He said.
[CRASH]
Hiashi and Naruto whirled around, to see Hinata rubbing her head where she fell from the tree she was in when she fell asleep.
"Ah, ah, I… came to see where my f-father… ah…" she stammered, knowing she was caught eavesdropping, if only briefly.
Naruto started running around in a panic. Had she heard about the demon fox? If so, how would she react? He stopped with his hands behind his head, scuffing the ground with his foot. "Ah Hinata, haha, your father was just going to talk to you!" he said, looking for a quick retreat. He bowed quickly, and then took off running after Jiraiya, who had already started on his way back to the village. He caught up to Jiraiya, who was looking extremely tired at this point in time. "Jiraiya-sensei!" he shouted. Jiraiya startled awake. Had he heard correctly? Did the boy just call him SENSEI?? What a shock!
"Jiraiya-sensei, do I act like my dad at all?" He asked excitedly. Jiraiya looked at him and sweat dropped.
"Um… your father was a natural talent" he said, trying to soften the blow. "It's hard to be compared to him." Naruto looked at him with disappointment etched in his features, but quickly recovered when the hermit continued. "Anyway, tomorrow I'll take you to Ichiraku's since I interrupted your dinner today."
"Yahooo!!!!!" Naruto yelled, running ahead. "Ero-sennin! Hurry!"
"What a big pain in the butt this kid is" he inwardly laughed, "I hope that he follows in your footsteps, Yondaime, he certainly has your will."
Back at the training grounds:
Hiashi put his hand on his daughter's head. "Tomorrow is your 16th birthday, correct?" He asked. She nodded, looking down at her feet in embarrassment. "Well Hinata, there is something that your mother wanted to tell you on your 16th birthday. I have so much to talk with you about."
The rest of Hiashi's story comes next chapter, what weird plot developments is my evil mind coming up with!?
See you next time! I'm taking a few days off first tho ;)
