Disclaimer : I don't own anything from the Naruto manga.
Sorry for the delay folks, but I was busy with work etc. I also updated a sentence from ch4 that contradicted some stuff in this chapter, to be honest, it didn't make sense, even with my original storyboard.
Anyway, here's another piece of the past, which is connecting with the present.
"Hinata, there is so much that I should have told you a long time ago." The elder Hyuuga said as he sat his nervous daughter on the stump on which he was seated earlier. She complied hesitantly as her father squatted down in front of her, looking into her eyes. In a conditioned reaction, she averted her gaze, subconsciously trying to avoid the pain she had become so used to. Hiashi sighed, and took her head in his hands and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "I've injured you deeply, haven't I?" he asked. She slowly looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. Her lip quivered slightly, and she bit it to prevent the obvious sign of weakness from being shown to her father. His mouth curved slightly downward in sadness, and he released her and seated himself opposite her on the ground. Hinata put her hands on her knees and stared at her feet, doing her best to fight off the emotion that threatened to engulf her. "Hinata… your mother made a promise to me, while you were still being nurtured in her womb." He said, looking up at the sky thoughtfully, "I forgot why she made the promise long ago, though. Your mother, on the other hand did not forget so lightly, even in death…" Hinata looked up at him with a look of confusion on her face, her jaw clenched tightly. "She wanted me to tell you our story… It was a love story, mind you, but it was a tragedy at the same time." He shook his head and added "But I suppose I should start at the beginning, shouldn't I." A slight smile played across Hiashi's face as he recounted the tale.
"I fell in love with your mother the very first time I saw her. She had a… soft glow about her that could calm the most tumultuous soul, even mine. I'll never forget the first time I approached her, drawn in by her magnetic aura. It was at a banquet for the Hokage at the time. I saw her sitting in a chair by herself, alone in a sea of faces. You could tell by the look on her face that she didn't mind being alone though. To her, the small pocket of peace that her world afforded was solace from the din and chatter in the room. It was a scene from a storybook; I almost was afraid to disturb her shell of solitude. I allayed my fears, put aside my pride, and approached the young woman, steeled with resolve. She looked up at me with a soft smile and said, 'A smile would make that face a masterpiece'. I was in awe of her depth of emotion. Even a simple sentence to her was important enough to develop with the utmost care and craftsmanship. Without a word I offered her my hand to dance. She stood up silently, and placed her fragile body in my hands, and we danced the night away. Never in my entire life had I known such peace. I knew from that night on what I wanted from life. I was willing to give this woman the rest of my days, willing to give my life for her need be." Hiashi folded his hands together and began wringing them uncomfortably. "I brought her in front of the council of elders, but they did not approve. No one that did not have the pure Hyuuga blood was a suitable wife for the heir, in their cold and calculating eyes. I defied their judgment and married her, despite their admonitions. We were married in the spring, after a beautiful romance." He stopped and looked at his daughter. "How much of the conversation with Naruto did you overhear?" he asked, looking at her sternly.
She opened her eyes wide in fear and stuttered, "Ano, I…ah… heard about Naruto's mother and Father… and about the… Kyuubi…" She looked down quickly and began toying with her thumbs, uncomfortable under her father's gaze. He sighed heavily at his daughter's actions and thought, "She's afraid of me… Shizuka, I'm so sorry…"
He looked at his daughter pleadingly and said sadly, "Hinata… I… know I have been a terrible father for you, but I want to change that fact. It is too much for me to presume to ask you for forgiveness, but I beg of you to hear the rest of my story." She looked at him questioningly and nodded a little. He closed his eyes and rested his head in his palms pensively, then continued, "I lived most of my married life in fear. I was afraid that something, someone would come along and take away the greatest thing that had ever happened to me. I trained night and day to become strong enough to be her protector, but my I only trained my body, and not my heart. One day word came of the fox woman, Iansha's arrival to the village. People were afraid of the idea of a demon amongst them, and they shunned her at first. My wife saw her sitting alone in the park one day and befriended her. They became close friends, and had a relationship that I envied. You… heard when I talked to Naruto about what happened, correct?" he asked apprehensively. The Hyuuga girl merely looked down at the ground, the information too fresh on her mind for her to react appropriately. Hiashi took her lack of reply as an affirmative and continued his story. "I know that my crime is monstrous. I do not ask that boy to forget what I have done. Fate, it seems took my heinous actions into its consideration, and I reaped the due rewards, in a way I could have never dreamed. Your mother was broken beyond words at the death of her best friend. This was the first time she had failed to quell angry intent, and to the one she loved like a sister. The loss weighed heavily on her, but in my smugness, I only offered a false comfort to her pain. I thought that I had won, that my wife would recover from her grief and I would have my love back… but it was not to be. Shizuka fell into a deep depression, and grew more ill with each passing day. By the time you were to be born, she was barely able to stand. She… died giving you life."
Hinata looked at him, a look of pure shock etched onto her pale features. No one had ever told her of her mother's death. Perhaps they didn't want her to blame herself, as her father obviously did. The weight of the knowledge flooded down on her and she fell off the stump she was seated on, onto her knees sobbing into her hands. Hiashi rushed to her side, putting his arms around his eldest daughter, awkwardly running his hand on her hair. He was a stranger to giving comfort to anyone, but his broken heart bled another drop at the sight of his child's pain. She instinctively leaned into his embrace, weeping onto his chest. Hiashi softly shushed her, trying his best to remember the warm embraces of his deceased wife. He remembered how she would speak so softly, barely a whisper, when someone was sad. He remembered her comforting touch, and the warmth her voice could radiate. The echoes of her calm memory reverberated through his mind, and he softly whispered, "I'm so sorry, Hinata. I'm so sorry for neglecting you for so many years. I… I don't blame you for your mother's death. I only blame myself, and my selfish actions. I tried to put the blame on someone else for so long, and you were the one to pick up the broken pieces of hurt that I threw at you. I'm proud of the woman you are, Hinata." He said, picking up her chin so that their eyes met. "You are a wonderful reflection of your mother, tempered in your own quiet way. Although I love her too, Hanabi was conceived simply at the will of the council to create a strong heir. I'm sure you remember her mother, my brother's widowed wife. I personally didn't want to replace you as heir, but it was forced upon me. Being strong doesn't matter any more to me, only… love." He said, as he rested his chin on his weeping daughter's head. "Your mother came to me in a dream last night. She reminded me of the promise she made to me so many years ago. She promised me… that she would tell you of life and of happiness on your 16th birthday. She said she would tell you of love, and its power. She wanted to tell you of our sweet romance… But her time was cut short. Her strength of will held out though, and I believe she came to show us how powerful love truly is. I hope… that her love can bring us back together, my daughter." With that, Hinata looked up at him, this time with tears of joy in her eyes. She said nothing, but her eyes stated everything. She had a family back, and nothing could make her happier. Well, maybe something, but the blonde haired boy was still totally in the dark.
The next morning, Naruto rolled about in his sleep, mumbling incessantly about Hokage, and Kyuubi, and such. He awoke with a start at the sound of a knock at his door and groggily turned over to look at his alarm clock, which read an ominous 7am. Naruto groaned at the idea of 6 hours of sleep, but nonetheless pulled himself wearily out of his bed. Impatiently, the knock sounded on his door again, as he shuffled toward it, shouting "I'm coming, I'm coming already!!" He unlatched the locks and flung open the door, expecting to berate his pervy-sensei for waking him up at such an absurd hour. "Hia-Hiashi-san!" he stammered, as he recognized the kimono-clad figure in his doorway. In a panic, Naruto sought to button up his nightshirt and yank off the penguin hat that he wore when he slept.
"Ah, Naruto-kun, it is good to see you up with the sun" Hiashi smirked. "Naruto-kun?" Naruto thought, with eyebrows raised. This was a surprise; he rarely experienced adults talking to him at all, let alone in a friendly manner. He was all too used to the cold stares that he would receive on the streets, despite his hero lineage. While he pondered such things, Hiashi peered over his shoulder at his cramped living quarters. Despite a few articles of clothing, the child was surprisingly tidy for a teenage boy, but the house itself was in poor condition. There were cracks in the wall, and the paper covering them was peeling away with age. The light fixture hung by loose wires and flickered ominously. In the tiny kitchen, he could see a jug of outdated milk on the table, along with an empty bowl that previously held ramen. It was obvious that Naruto struggled at life, despite his cheery façade. What he needed was a person to care for him, as all kids his age do. No one should be on his own at this stage of life. Deep in Hiashi's newly softening heart, he felt a pang of remorse for causing this boy to be so totally alone. Fighting off his sensibilities, he stated bluntly, "Pack up your belongings, you will be given a room at my manor, in a guest apartment." Naruto's jaw hit the floor at the thought. He had visited the Hyuuga manor before, and was absolutely astounded at its sheer magnificence. Surely this was some kind of weird dream. He grabbed his arm and roughly pinched himself, almost breaking the skin with such intensity. He opened one of his eyes, half expecting his gaze to meet the ceiling above his bed in his apartment, but instead he was greeted by the image of the tall Hyuuga man, arms crossed, with one eyebrow raised. Naruto ran around in his room trying to gather his things in one arm, continuously dropping what he was gathering. Hiashi cleared his throat with his eyes closed, wondering if he was going to regret this decision. He rolled his eyes at the mental image of the blond boy rampaging through his ancestral home. He reopened his eyes, and turned around sharply on one heel, stating as he walked away, "My attendants will be here in exactly one hour to help you move your things. Please be ready for them." He stopped suddenly as if remembering something, and said over his shoulder, "Oh, you will also attend Hinata's birthday party. Be prepared in a suitable fashion." Naruto knew he was hinting at getting the girl a gift, but what?? He was a guy, and as all girls know, guys are clueless with these kinds of things. He slapped his forehead in annoyance and thought of the only girl that would help him in his quest.
After he finished packing his things, and pensively locked the door behind him, leaving the key where the aides could find it, he went down to Sakura's house to ask her for help.
"Sakura-chaaaannnnnn!!! Pleaseplease, I need your help!" Naruto shouted, as the pink haired kunoichi walked away, with arms crossed.
"No! No matter how many times you ask, the answer will be the same!" she shouted, annoyed at the sudden request. Sheesh, he used to practically drool on her, and how he expected her to help him choose a gift for another girl!? How absurd!
As the blonde boy grabbed her ankles and groveled pathetically at her feet, inner Sakura began to scratch her chin thoughtfully. Maybe this was the only way she could get this obnoxious boy off her heels. She whirled around and kicked him under the chin, sending him reeling back up to a standing position. "Ok, I'll help but on ONE condition!!" Naruto looked at her expectantly. "You have to promise to STOP ASKING ME OUT AFTERWARD!"
Naruto weighed the choices mentally, and then the image flashed into his mind of Hiashi standing in front of a crying Hinata, with a deathly glare in his eyes. "NO GIFT FOR MY DAUGHTER??" the avatar shouted. Naruto snapped back to reality with a startled shout and nodded his head rapidly in assertion to the deal. Deep down inside, Naruto's thoughts toward Sakura had dulled dramatically over the last few years. Ever since the incident with Sasuke, he realized that he had outgrown his crush. He really didn't WANT to ask her out anymore. Most of the time when he did, it was purely to enjoy the angry reaction he always garnered.
"Ok good", Sakura said, "Do you have your wallet?" Naruto nodded, patting the pocket that held gama-chan. "All right then, let's go SHOPPING!" she said, with an evil, maliciously toothy smile. Naruto knew it was going to be a loooooooong day.
All righty, thanks for the reviews that I've gotten so far people. They really make my day. Anyhow, I hope y'all are enjoying the story! I'm sure enjoying writing it! Feel free to suggest stuff that you would like to see in the story too! I'm a master of squeezing in stuff that I find interesting ;)
Next time! The shopping trip! The birthday party! Maybe some fighting! Hehe, see you next time.
