A/N: Chapter 3 time! Extra long (10 pages!)…just don't expect all the chapters to be this lengthy. (sighs) I admit, I always think the longer the chapter is the better but it's just too much to write all the time. So just enjoy it for now and don't complain when I only turn up 5 pages or so.
With that out of the way, may the action begin!
Now questions will be DESTROYED…by answers!
1.) Is this yaoi? (glare)
Ok, ok, I can't keep it to myself any longer. No, this story is not yaoi (soon to be proven by Naruto himself), but you will have to wait to learn the reality of Naruto and Neji's pasts. It's not that I'm homophobic or anything (to any of the people out there who were hoping for yaoi), I mean, power to the homosexuals out there, but this story will not feature any male on male action. Cuz c'mon people, be realistic, NONE of them are gay. That's just the way it is. Oh, and I might as well mention I don't write lemons either. I dislike smut like that.
2.) Who's (insert Naruto character here)? Can they be (insert Inuyasha character here)?
I'm not telling. (wink) So there.
3.) Why didn't Hinata recognize Kakashi, Iruka, or Naruto!
Uh…in case you didn't notice, do you remember that little "AU" in summary of this fic? Well, AU stands for Alternate Universe, meaning this world is different from the original Naruto world. In this case, it means that Hinata exists in a time without Naruto or Kakashi or Iruka. Without many people, actually. But fear not, most of them will take their rightful places in the past.
NOW ON WITH THE STORY!
Disclaimer: Ummm…no.
Chapter 3: And the Boy…
Kiba continued pacing the length of the well house as he had been for the last five hours. There was still no sign of Hinata or the monster that had dragged her down the well, and even Akamaru couldn't catch even the slightest scent of her in the near area.
"Kiba, you're making me dizzy." Kiba spun around to glare at Shino, who in turn, only stared back through his tinted glasses in his normal indifferent demeanor.
"How can you be so calm!" Kiba snapped angrily. "HINATA JUST GOT FREAKIN' EATEN!"
A brief look of concern flashed in Shino's eyes, but he remained calm for both his sake and Kiba's. "Look Kiba, we don't know where the hell she disappeared off to, so there's nothing we can do. Your ceaseless pacing isn't helping the matter either." Shino sighed when Kiba refused to look him in the face. "For all we know, she might just come back out again."
Kiba seemed to perk up a bit. "…You're sure?"
Shino shrugged.
Kiba seemed to take this as a positive answer though, as a cocky grin soon replaced his uncharacteristically depressed mood. "Of course! You're right, Hinata'll come out for sure! We just need to wait for her a little longer that's all!" he exclaimed confidently.
Shino sweat-dropped. It seemed as if dogs like him were easily comforted…
Kiba stopped grinning for a moment as a thought occurred to him, and soon his bad mood seemed to be coming over him once more.
"Hey, Shino…?"
"Hm?"
"Um…what are we gonna tell her dad?"
Shino felt his blood chill. The boys remained silent for a good minute before Akamaru interrupted their thoughts with a small bark.
"Hey, yeah… Shino, Akamaru thinks we should just make up a story. You know, just to cover for her till she gets back, so her dad doesn't get mad at her…" Kiba forced a cough that sounded distinctly like "or us."
Shino pondered this possibility to himself. Option one, they tell the big man what happened and get beaten to a bloody pulp. Option two, they lie for all their worth and at least get a few days head start before her father inevitably beat them to a bloody pulp.
"Sounds good."
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The hours passed, and the sun began to set on the horizon by the time Hinata put down her empty bowl. It turned out Iruka was quite the chef---which probably explained why Kakashi was more or less tolerant of his constant nagging---and he had cooked them up a storm of delicious dishes for supper in honor of Kakashi's entrance into fatherhood…of sorts.
Hinata yawned widely, the face-paced events of the day beginning to take their toll on her body. All she really wanted right now was to go to sleep, but at the same time she didn't. What if she were to wake up and find it had all been a wonderful dream? She didn't think she could bear it if Kakashi, Iruka, and even the Naruto-boy pinned to the tree were just figments of her imagination.
Seeing her obvious exhaustion, Iruka elbowed Kakashi and gestured to her. Kakashi got the point, and went to grab a futon from the corner of the room. "Hinata-chan," he called, snapping her out of her sleep-filled thoughts, "would you like to sleep here in my hut tonight? We can figure out a way to get you back home in the morning after you've gotten some rest."
Hinata was about to agree whole-heartedly before she noticed he was only laying out one futon. "B-but, if you only have one futon, where will you sleep?" she asked shyly. He had already treated her so kindly and given her a wonderful meal, she couldn't just go and steal his bed now too! Kakashi laughed at her concern.
"No need to worry. I have another in my chest over there; I just didn't get it out because I'm not ready to retire just yet," he assured her.
"Oh…ok then," she accepted the futon shyly, placing her neatly folded jacket and open-toed boots to the side, and quickly fell asleep without a second thought---curled up tightly in a little ball under Kakashi's sheets.
Kakashi exited the hut and took a seat under the cherry tree next to Iruka. "Funny that she should arrive today, of all days," started Iruka. "Exactly on the day of the twenty-fifth anniversary."
Kakashi only grunted in response, already seemingly in deep thought.
Iruka decided it was safe to continue. "It makes you wonder why she came here of all people. I don't think just anyone could have fallen down that well and ended up in this time. And why this time? Do you think…?"
"Fate doesn't exist, Iruka," Kakashi cut in.
Iruka smiled to himself. "I suppose not. We control our own futures… and maybe that's why she's here. Such an insecure girl like that---she needs to learn she can control her future as well…"
"Iruka, did you notice something…off about her earlier?" Iruka looked up, surprised at the sudden change of topic, before a look of realization fluttered across his face.
"I'm guessing you're referring to when she got overly embarrassed or worked-up about something?"
Kakashi nodded.
"In that case, of course I noticed. How couldn't I…it was exactly like his…"
"But how…?" Kakashi frowned in obvious confusion. "It made sense with Naruto, but for her chakra to be that way? It's not possible unless she's not telling us something."
Iruka shook his head in disagreement. "I don't think she knows. Hinata-san doesn't seem like the kind of person that can keep a secret very well. Besides, did you notice how separated it felt from her normal chakra? She hasn't been able to tap into that other power yet---probably because she hasn't been trained to. The people of her time must not realize the other power is there as well, and so they haven't taught her to use it." Iruka paused to think. "It must make chakra manipulation difficult for her. Her low self-esteem, her lack of any confidence, it all adds up to that."
Kakashi remained silent.
"It must have been hard for her, in her own world that is," Iruka continued. "Did you notice how well-mannered she was? The Hyuuga's have probably become a powerful clan in her time. Imagine, growing up in such a high-ranking clan, but having trouble doing something everyone else around you has an easy time with."
Kakashi continued staring at the dirt at his feet. "She acts like a beaten dog," he said sadly. Iruka silently agreed. People could be so cruel sometimes…and the partially-living testament to that was pinned to a certain tree in the forest…
"Such a sweet girl forced to live though that…it makes you kinda wish you could keep her…"
Kakashi looked up, determination in his visible eye. "No, she has to go eventually," Iruka looked disappointed at this, "but that doesn't mean she can't come back." Iruka looked up again, hope returning to his face.
"Really?"
Kakashi smiled. "If she could make it here in the first place, she can probably do it again. Maybe not permanently, we won't force her to abandon her family, but something tells me that we could do a much better job harnessing Hinata's potential than the people of her time can. You can never have enough family, even if one is in a different time period. Besides, I was starting to get used to the idea of having a great-great-great-great-you get the point-daughter. Like I said earlier, if it ends with daughter, it's good enough for me."
Iruka chuckled a bit to himself, clearly amused at the situation. They had only met this girl a couple hours ago, but she had already managed to work her way into both of their hearts. Letting her go was just out of the question…
The peaceful silence around them was suddenly shattered by a ear-piercing scream. Kakashi and Iruka immediately leapt to their feet, looking in the direction of the many shouts and crashes which followed the first. A huge centipede demon was attacking the village, and the two men jumped back as a headless horse was thrown in their direction by the demon.
"Give it to me," it snarled, as it grabbed a random man from the panicking group of villagers running away from it. It bit the man's arm off with gusto, throwing the man aside, it's bloodlust evidently not yet satisfied. "The jewel…it's here! I can smell it!" It let out a roar of frustration, snatching out at the villagers once again. "Give it to me! The shikon will be mine! The shikon no tama!"
Kakashi's visible eye widened, and he met Iruka's gaze with an identical look of shock and confusion. Kakashi spun around to look at his hut, his mind racing. That second source of power within her…it couldn't be!
Hinata awoke with a start at the sound of the screams outside the hut. Jumping to her feet, she hurried outside without her coat and boots, too worried to care. Kakashi and Iruka were standing directly in front of her by the cherry blossom tree, staring at the hut in what looked like bewilderment. She looked left and right, confused as to what was wrong.
"K-Kakashi-sama? Iruka-san? What's wrong---?" Hinata took a few steps towards them but Kakashi threw up his arms in a stopping motion.
"No! Wait, don't! Stay inside!" he yelled to her, but it was too late. Hinata turned at the sound of another shout, and she involuntarily screamed when she caught sight of the centipede demon from earlier. The centipede in turn, circled around towards her, immediately recognizing her from the well.
"You have it! The shikon no tama!" It charged at her, and she froze, her body refusing to obey her panicked thoughts. "Give it to me!"
The centipede was sent sprawling to the side as it received a powerful blow to the head from Kakashi, and Hinata suddenly found herself on the roof of a nearby building, Iruka holding her close.
"Iruka!" Kakashi shouted as he assaulted the demon with another devastating kick. It hit a close by building with a huge crash, the building's foundation collapsing on impact. The demon itself looked unharmed though---it seemed it would take more than a little effort to defeat this monster.
"Get her out of here---quickly!" Kakashi yelled them over the din. Hinata's eyes widened. So the monster really was just after her…why, she didn't know. But she did know one thing---it was her fault the centipede demon was in the village and destroying everything in it's path. She knew she couldn't let this continue, she had to lead the demon out of the village somehow…
Iruka gasped in surprise and let go of Hinata as she began to power up her Byakugan. "Hinata-san! Wait!" he called after her as she jumped off the roof and landed a few yards away from the demon.
"Hinata! Run! What're you doing!" Kakashi shouted before he was hit by one of the centipede woman's many hands. Hinata winced. It was her fault he'd been distracted…but there was still time…she could help---she needed to help!
"Uh, umm!" Hinata stuttered pathetically, despite trying to sound brave. "L-leave them alone!" The demon took one glance at her and immediately attacked.
Hinata dodged the strike and began to do what she guessed every hero should do in that situation---she ran. Squealing as she evaded the centipede's attacks using her Byakugan, she ran down the dirt road in the middle of the village as fast as her tiny legs could take her.
"Hinata-san!" Hinata could see Iruka running alongside her on the rooftops with her Byakugan, and it was clear by the many weapons he was holding that he was going to try to stop the demon here.
"Iruka-san, wait!" she shouted to him, avoiding another of the centipede-woman's attempts to grab her. "Not here! I'm leading her out of the village into the forest so she won't destroy anything else! Tell Kakashi-kun! Set up a trap!" she called anxiously. He nodded, and she sighed in relief when she saw him leap off ahead of her, hopefully to set up a trap as she had specified.
She was getting tired, but she kept up the Byakugan and running/dodging, knowing other people's lives were on the line, never mind her. She finally reached the tree line and promptly took to the branches, years of ninja training coming to good use for her as she leapt from limb to limb quickly and stealthily. Growing up in forests had its advantages, she decided, as she realized she had gained a little distance from the demon. She only had five minutes before it would catch up to her again. Hopefully, she could find Kakashi and Iruka in time so she wouldn't have to keep running like this…
Hinata powered down her Byakugan, deciding to give her eyes a break, and promptly tripped and fell face first into the ground. She whimpered into the dirt. Her day just kept on getting better and better didn't it?
"Heh, heh! You sure look stupid with your face in the dirt, kid!" Hinata looked up at the sound of the new voice, and found herself gaping at a certain boy who was supposed to be quite dead. Especially since he still had a huge kunai stabbed through his heart.
"Y-you---!" Hinata stuttered weakly, still shocked that he had actually spoken. She wasn't hallucinating was she? How could he be awake! That kunai in him was no toothpick!
The boy cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "NEJI!" he yelled in obvious shock as well. He looked confused. "When did you cut your hair!" He glanced at her full body as she stood and began to approach him cautiously. His blue eyes widened in horror. "Better question---when the hell did you grow tits!"
Hinata face-vaulted into the ground. He could clearly see her more…feminine attributes and he still thought she was this man named Neji! Could he really be that dense!
Apparently, he was. "Ugh!" he grimaced in disgust. "I knew it! I knew you were always weird but this is pushing it, man!" He blanched. "Oh god! And I used to take baths with you! What if you were checking me out! And little Kakashi! That's just wrong!" He let out another anguished howl. "I had respect for you! If you think you can stab me and then walk off and grow some boobs to avoid our fight, you're sadly mistaken! As soon as I get down from here…!" His face squinted in concentration, as if he was struggling to get free, but the rest of his body didn't move.
He blinked, still confused. "Hey, why does my face hurt?" he pushed his tongue around his mouth to massage his cheeks. He looked at her suspiciously. "You don't have anything to do with that, do you?" he growled at her through grinding teeth.
Hinata blanched, remembering how she had pulled on his cheeks to see if he was real or not. "N-n-no!" she lied hastily, realizing he wouldn't be too happy if he found out she had.
He snorted to himself. "You better not have, pervert!"
Hinata was about ready to drop dead in embarrassment. First he thought she was a guy, now he thought she was a pervert? She could not allow this disillusionment to continue. "Um, excuse me?" she started shyly, moving closer. "You are mistaken. I am not Neji. My name's Hinata."
Naruto squinted at her. "Huh?"
"I said my name's Hinata. Hi-na-ta!" she repeated.
"What are you talking about? Of course you're Neji! Stop trying to pull cheap tricks to get out of our fight!" Hinata sweat-dropped. This guy was just too much…
"No, I'm not! For one, Neji was a man! I am female!" She gestured at her chest. "I don't think Neji-sama had any of these." Naruto proceeded to scrutinize her chest as if to check if they were real, much to her further embarrassment.
"Umm…are you done…?" she asked shyly, her face as red as a fire-hydrant.
He looked up at her face, his sharp blue eyes piercing her blank ones as if searching for one final piece of evidence. At long last, he looked away, seemingly a little bit disappointed. "The boobs are pretty convincing…" Hinata thought her head would explode from all the blood rushing to it. "So I guess you really aren't Neji…for now…"
Hinata sweat-dropped again. So did he think she would just suddenly turn into Neji at any given moment?
These thoughts left her though, as a large roar interrupted both of their trains of thought. They both looked up to see the centipede demon crashing into small clearing surrounding the Goshinboku tree Naruto was pinned to.
Hinata yelped in surprise when suddenly hundreds of kunai and shuriken flew out of the trees in the surrounding area towards the demon. Most of them hit home, and the demon shrieked in pain. "No! The jewel! I must have the shikon first!"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he turned to glare at Hinata. "You have the jewel!" Hinata only blinked in confusion. What jewel were these guys talking about? Apparently, Naruto seemed convinced she had it now. "Give it to me!" he ordered her harshly. "Give me that goddamn jewel or I swear, girl or not, I'll kick your ass to hell and back!"
"What---!" Hinata was cut off as the wounded demon charged at her despite its numerous injuries.
"Hinata!" she thought she heard Kakashi shout as the demon tossed her into the air easily and sunk its teeth into her left hip. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out; instead she stared as the blood began to pour out of the gash on her side. For a moment, all the sound around her seemed muffled, and her fall to the ground appeared to her to grow slower. She watched in slow motion as a round, glowing jewel emerged from her wound and fell with her onto the grass in a puddle of her own blood.
She gasped with pain on impact; the wound on her hip was shallow but enough to cause her a whole lot of discomfort… Seeing the demon heading in her direction again, she instinctively grabbed the jewel before she was slammed forwards into the Goshinboku tree. She was surprised to feel the blow cushioned by a body, and she looked up at Naruto who looked none-too-happy about her smashing directly into him.
"M-move your elbow…!" he gasped, as she quickly lifted her arm, finding herself quite embarrassed again for elbowing him straight in the family jewels. She suddenly found herself gasping for breath as well, as she realized the centipede demon had wrapped itself around the tree and was trying to slowly squeeze her to death. She let out a cry of pain as it squeezed harder, and her trapped hand dropped the jewel.
The demon quickly snatched it up in its jaws and swallowed it, and Hinata looked on in horror as the woman-like torso of the demon began to regenerate the arms Hinata torn off in the well and shed its pale skin, becoming bigger and more hideous by the moment.
"See what happens when you don't give the shikon to me first?" Naruto scolded stubbornly. Hinata was surprised. He sounded very casual for someone who was being squeezed to death… "Hey, what's-your-face," he called to her impatiently.
Hinata struggled to look up at him. "I-it's Hinata, remember?" she corrected yet again.
"Yeah, Hinata, whatever. Do you think you can pull this out?" He gestured at the kunai running through his heart and her free hand which was currently clutching his orange and black kimono.
"If you pull it out, I'll be free from the spell that's sealing me here," he explained. Hinata considered this for a moment…did this mean he had never really died all the time he'd been here?
"Hinata, don't!" Hinata activated her Byakugan and used it to see Kakashi and Iruka and his men still throwing spears and daggers at the transforming torso of the centipede. "You must not release him!" Kakashi jumped back and cursed as he dodged an attack from the demon. At this rate it might be too late…maybe she should release him, but just in case… Kakashi slid up the eye-patch over his left eye and reached into his kimono for his rosary beads, feeling prepared for the worst.
Naruto snorted. "At the rate these guys are going, you'll die before they kill it. They can't go full power at it since you're so close to it and you'll just get destroyed too. But," he looked down at her, "if you free me, I can get rid of it for you." Hinata looked hesitant, and broke her gaze as she winced in pain from the pressure on her wound. This didn't look good for her…
"How do you know I can pull it out? I thought this was supposed to be a powerful seal," Hinata questioned, looking very much torn.
"You've got the same eyes as Neji. You can be just as good as him if you tried." Hinata looked away; someone should tell that to her father…
If she freed him, then what? He'd destroy the demon and for all she knew, would try to destroy her too. If she didn't free him, she'd die and the Kakashi and Iruka would have no reason to hold back anymore---they could destroy the demon and everyone would be safe. Of course, the second option held more promise for everyone else and was definitely more logical in her opinion, but something inside her couldn't bear the thought of this boy having to remain here any longer.
What if he never got a chance like this ever again? Would he just fall asleep like before, for forever? But he was so young, even he deserved to live his life to the fullest---to cut his life short like this was just cruel and she knew she wouldn't be able to bear that responsibility. And I have that right to live as well…something whispered to her in her mind.
Determination flashed in her eyes, and she met Naruto's gaze unflinchingly. "I-I…I don't want to die," she told him simply. "And it would be unfair to force that same fate upon you." He nodded in understanding. Reaching up, she grabbed the handle of the kunai with her free right hand as Kakashi, Iruka, and the villagers could only watch. Hinata clenched her teeth, focusing all the chakra she had into that hand and into the kunai, to try to break the seal from the inside out. And slowly, she began to pull.
Naruto felt his body seize up as the kunai was drawn from the tree, and he gasped in pain. Hinata continued though, which he was glad for, since he wanted this done as quickly as possible. She gave one last powerful heave, and in a bright flash, the kunai crumbled into dust in her fist.
Everything in the surrounding area was covered in a smothering veil of silence as all heads turned to the small pulsing figure being squeezed into the tree. Hinata stared at the boy in awe. Such chakra…
The quiet was broken by the loud laugh of Naruto as he flexed one his arms, reveling in the ability to move again. "All right!" He flexed all of his muscles this time, and Hinata yelped as she found herself thrown away from him, landing next to large clumps of the centipede's body. Even without her Byakugan activated, Hinata could see the boy was literally glowing with a surplus of chakra, whirling around him in the air as if he was on fire.
Naruto turned towards the demon, cracking his knuckles with a cocky grin on his face. "I think it's about time you spit out that jewel, ugly," he taunted arrogantly, moving his hands to form a seal. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" There were cries of surprise from the on-looking villagers as at least twenty clones of him appeared in the trees and surrounding area, and Hinata realized in alarm that these were no ordinary shadow clones---these were made of real flesh and bones.
The demon's eyes darted around, obviously confused by this newcomer's arrival. "No mere half-breed could defeat me! I have the shikon no tama!" it roared in vain.
The group of Naruto's snorted. "Tch. Like I care." The original Naruto raised his hand and smirked. "I'm still gonna kick your ass!"
Kakashi sweat-dropped. That arrogance, and that big mouth of his…he truly hadn't aged a day…
Naruto and the shadow clones surged forward, and before Hinata could even comprehend what was happening, the centipede woman fell under a flurry of fists and kicks. Hinata brought her arms up to her face, instinctively guarding against the rough winds generated by the sheer power radiating off the boy. The amount of raw energy being produced by him was insane, it was incomprehensible, it was uncontrollable…even for him it seemed.
Even while whaling away at the demon, Naruto seemed to be struggling with himself---as if the power he possessed was not entirely under his control. The moment was cut short though, and as the original Naruto flinched when his hand was burned by his own chakra (something Hinata hadn't thought to be possible till then), the demon took advantage of his hesitation and landed a solid blow to his head with it's tail. Naruto flew across the clearing---his clones disappearing with a pop---landing roughly in the branches of a nearby tree.
"I guess that's my cue," said Kakashi as he leapt forward to take over. "Iruka!"
"On it!" Iruka dove towards the demon brandishing a huge shuriken, which he immediately launched at the demon's head.
It dodged, losing one of its arms in the process, spitting a fireball out of its mouth at Iruka's feet in retaliation. It seemed as if the jewel had already begun giving it new, stronger powers.
It charged at him, straight into Kakashi's trap.
"Thanks for the trick, kid!" he called to the dazed Naruto while his hands formed a familiar seal. "Kage Bushin no Justu!"
Now twenty flesh and bone copies of Kakashi sprang into action, and a couple downward slashes later, the centipede demon laid in literal pulsing pieces.
"Hinata-chan!" Kakashi yelled to her, snapping her out of her initial shock. He landed in front of her, winking with his now uncovered left-eye. "Would you mind locating that jewel the demon ate with your Byakugan? We need to get it out of the demon before it begins to regenerate."
"O-Ok!" She clumsily stumbled to her feet, sweeping her now chakra-filled eyes across the numerous lumps of flesh and bone. She easily caught sight of the jewel---the thing was practically glowing---and she rushed over to remove it from the centipede corpse. As soon as it had been separated from the demon's flesh, the tissue began to dissolve, leaving only the skeleton of the monster behind.
Hinata gulped. Well, that had certainly been gross…
She involuntarily shuddered as Iruka and Kakashi approached her, but winced as she remembered the wound in her side. That's right…that's where the jewel came from… She stared at the jewel in awe as she realized she had had this…this thing inside her the whole time---her entire life come to think of it! She had thought she'd been dizzy from the blood loss, but this new realization made her swoon a bit into Kakashi's ready arms.
"Take it easy there, Hinata-chan. You've been through a lot today; let's just get you back to the village so we can take a look at those wounds…" And that jewel… Kakashi thought privately to himself.
"The girl ain't goin' nowhere," interrupted Naruto, as he strutted forward, having clearly recovered from his various injuries. He smirked. "Or at least, the jewel isn't."
Hinata had the vague feeling that someone, somewhere, really, really, hated her…
A/N: And we're done with Chapter 3! Sorry, to cut you guys off there, but suspense is a wonderful thing isn't it? But anyway, if you want more, just don't forget to review please! C'mon guys, I got nearly twice as much in my first chapter than in the last one…! (pouts) Reviews are food for the writer's soul…not that I'm much of a writer…
So I'll see you next week hopefully, eh? Check my author's page for updates!