Tangled Souls…
Destiny, Will and Love INTERTWINED
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers APPLIED. Especially I don't Own Naruto, Kishimoto-sensei does.
Genre: Romance, Try hard Humor, could lead to angst or drama, few adventures, less fight scenes. I, myself, still has no Idea where this story would lead.
Full Summary: Naruto, Hinata and Neji. If the three were tangled by Destiny, how will they change it? What do they do if others still comes in amidst their already tangled lives?
In the present Naruto has what he wanted, STRONGER and ACKNOWLEDGED. Hinata's not the shy girl that she was before. Neji discovers what he wanted to do, to protect Hinata. But in a sudden twist of fate, their lives becomes connected to each other. They thought it was a good change and won't get any better anymore. But Destiny doesn't think so, can Will and Love be enough to change it? What do they do if others still comes in amidst their already tangled lives?
Notes: The characters are between the ages of 16 (Naruto-tachi) to 17(Neji,Tenten,Lee). Orochimaru's dead. Akatsuki's disbanded. Itachi's still out for the kill. Tsunade & Jiraiya are in their 50's. What else? Hmmn… Oh well, you know the drill right?
CHAPTER II
Story in the Leaf: Responsibilities and Missions
The Hyuuga Clan is well known as an Elite Clan in the present time, and with the Sharingan branching from their long history, their clan was further strengthened. They became known as the clan with the ultimate defense. Nothing could come across the impenetrable barrier that their clan was known for. However, there was a time when the clan was more than ultimate. This was not because of their sheer strength but because of the fact that their skills was complemented by another clan, the Legendary Aoiki Clan.
The Aoiki Clan, on the other hand, was the ultimate offense. Their clan was well known to cause the greatest damage in the battlefield. The only clan that could cause both internal and external damage in one blow. It shatters every thing in its path, living or non-living, it was the ultimate death blow. Their ninjutsu was the best of the best and their trademark was their chakra. It was one of the chosen few clan in the entire Shinobi World to have a chakra color that diverted from the usual blue ones. Their chakra were violet, a beautiful violet that no other people could ever have.
There was also the eternal bond or promise to protect each other. Together, the two clan formed an invincible force. The Hyuuga clan with their ultimate Defense and the Aoiki with their Ultimate Offense. A power to be reckoned with in the entire Hidden Shinobi World.
During this time, there was already a Fire Country but there was no Hidden Leaf Village or what we all came to know as the current Konoha. There were only two well-known Country with dominating hidden villages within them, the Lightning Country with its Hidden Cloud Village, and the Wind Country with its Hidden Sand Village.
The Hyuuga and the Aoiki clan became the pillar to the slow but sure creation of the Hidden Leaf Village. They supported the CLAN of the First and Second Leader for many generations. Although it was not known to many, the two Leaders were cousins from only one clan.
The Aoiki Clan were lovers of learning, may it be history, ninja techniques or science. Unknown to the people of Konoha in the present, except for the elected Hokages, they founded the Ninja Academy and were the first teachers. They developed excellent shinobis which was not surprising being excellent teachers themselves.
During this time, they were still under the process of developing great ninjas to create the Hidden Village. This was long before the time Ichidaime and Nidaime was born, who was destined to tag Konoha as the Hidden Leaf Village.
However, the Aoiki were no different from the other clan, there came a time when a boy was born with a different outlook from the entire clan. Shin Aoiki. He excelled in both knowledge and ninja techniques but he never liked the clan itself. He despise his parents who were nothing but kind and loving to him.
"Being a genius, he was both feared and admired greatly by his classmates and clansmen. Even the Hyuugas admires him. He always kept things hidden, even the fact about his extreme knowledge which was already scary since he even exceeds the wisest in all the village. He kept everybody in the dark and during his teen… maybe when he was about 15 to 17 years old… he had already created a prototype forbidden jutsu… whose purpose was to separate his own chakra to be another entity. So that its power can be utilized to its fullest outside the confines of the weak and limited human body."
"However, like all forbidden techniques, it had great risks and although he was a genius his mistake caused him his life. His own chakra engulfed him and killed him, burning his entire body without leaving any signs. That chakra began to have a life of its own and had no form, it was burning chakra that was easily subdued and sealed by the Head of the Aoiki Clan. After that incident, things went back to normal as it did before for another few generations."
"Where are they now? What happened?" Neji asked politely.
"Listen, after that few generations of peace, they were all murdered."
"But that was not in the record…."
"That was because it can't be considered a murder. It was more like a curse was thrown at them. In just one night, the entire clan was turned to ashes, that not even the bones were left. It was like they were cremated or combusted in an instant. No one was left alive. Up until now, only a small entry as reference can be found in the Konoha library with a title Curse of the Flame."
"Where is the clan's household located now?"
"Behind the Hokage tower facing the Hokage monument, all the land you see including the monument and the undeveloped lands behind it. That was their previous location but since nobody was left from the clan, its title was given back to the village. It was later developed and renovated for residential and commercial use. Do you know… if ever there were survivors, the entire land will be transferred to their name and they can be considered as the richest in the entire village."
"How contradictory… an unknown man owning almost half of the village but with no place to go home to…" Hinata then remembered about the thing "Then, Outo-sama, what happened to the entity?"
"Only their clan knows where it was hidden. After a long search from our clan, nothing was found. One of the hypothesis suspects it as the cause of their death. However, it cannot be proven since that entity was still weak and it doesn't even have a property."
"Why was everything about the clan hidden from everybody?"
"That is to protect their names. The clan was loved by everybody, and they never did anything that would cause great damage to the people. Their clan protects everybody and were sunny people. If it were to leak out that they were instantly killed by that entity… people will misunderstand and it might even create lies on their clan. You know how people are… because of this, our clan requested that the truth about the incident be left as a secret."
Their conversation ended here. Everybody was silent afterwards pondering on their discovery. Hiashi kept on observing the two, trying to see their reactions and how they will accept this.
"Until now, selected people from our clan is still looking for a survivor if in case there was one…"
This left them pondering more about this. That was when Hiashi remembered his previous engagement. "I have to leave the two of you now. The Hokage called me. Take care of the household Hinata."
"Hai, Otou-sama. Thank you for your time." Hinata answered finally. Neji stood up and bowed as respect.
"Its also time for our training Hinata-sama." Neji said as he faced her.
"Hai, Neji-niisan…"Hinata answered while gracefully standing up.
"Oi… perverted-sennin! We've been here for a week but you're still not giving me the details of the mission." Naruto was already at the brink of frustration and resignation. Jiraiya only told him to look for a crystal but never the details of what kind of crystal it was.
"Hmmm? Just look at those tight assss…" Jiraiya only answered without moving from his current position. Grinning from time to time with the perverted look on his face.
"Hmph! Stupid perverted old man!" Naruto shouted.
"Hah! Thanks kid! Now, go back to your work and do not disturb my research."
"What's so fun about searching a crystal anyway?"
"Ok ok! I'll tell you already! It ain't just an ordinary crystal. It's princess Koyuki's Hexagon Crystal and she especially asked the Slug-queen for you to especially attend to it. Tell me kid…" Jiraiya's facial expression turned to mischief "Was there any special link between the two of you? Like a love-love relationship?"
"Hehe! I'll tell you a secret…" Naruto's eyes countered the mischievousness from Jiraiya's face "She kissed me once!"
"Nannnniiii?" His eyes bulged out of its socket. "Ohhh, my super sexy actress Koyuki kissed a stupid brat like you? When? And How?"
"On an A-rank mission before in Snow country. I even have a photograph of her kissing me!" Naruto grinned. "Are you dead jealous Ero-sennin? Here's more… I was also in that movie!"
But instead of being jealous the excitement in Jiraiya's face disappeared and turned from excited to flat to forcing himself not to laugh. "Oh…"
"I'm great ain't I?"
"So… You mean you were that kid in the movie wearing the orange jumpsuit with the face deliberately hidden from every angle?"
"Ehhh? Of course not! I saw it in the private viewing room! My handsome face was all over the camera!"
"Oi gaki! You're a real ninja, of course they can't show your face to the public! But with you knowing that, only god knows what you will do!" Jiraiya pondered for a while then laughed out loud again. "Hahahaha! That's what you get for being too attention-seeking! Now, back to work Gaki!"
Naruto's head dropped then after a while, it went back to it's normal happy outlook. "You just wait and see Fuun-hime!" relating Koyuki-hime to her character "I'll get that crystal and get to that director too, very soon! Hehe! See yah Ero-sennin!"
"Naruto special! TAIJUU KAGEBUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" thousands and thousands of kagebunshins came out in different kinds of pose. Then, the original Naruto spoke "Alright! Everybody knows what to do right? Find that Hexagon Crystal before Night falls! Dismissed!"
All the kagebunshin scattered around the said Mt. Maiyon in search for the crystals as Jiraiya was grinning while peeping on the girls in the bathhouse on top of the mountain.
"You called for me Hokage-sama." Sasuke bowed down as a sign of respect. He was now in front of the Hokage in her office with Sakura standing at her side.
"Ara, ara, Sasuke… You're still better at that respecting thing than that brat that I sent out with Jiraiya." Tsunade commented at him. "No matter how I beat the hell out of that brat he just won't stop calling me THAT and he's becoming more and more perverted as time pass."
Sakura and Sasuke both sweat dropped at the comment, remembering how they came to respect the OLD but physically young looking Hokage.
"Anyway, besides that, I'm giving you an interesting mission, seeing how you've improved for the past years and your fast climbing in rank. I think you are fit enough to go after 'him' alone. And with Orochimaru dead, I have no more worries. Would you like it?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama. Thank you for trusting me. What will the arrangement be?" Sasuke inquired.
"Sakura, tell him."
"Hai, Shishou." Sakura said before facing Sasuke, holding a scroll in one hands. "You will be given a special class A international passport, that you can use to any country and pose as a traveling news reporter. We will give you two years to track and kill Uchiha Itachi, S-class criminal, who was lately seen roaming around the Country of Mist. You will have to send a report using bird mail every month or if there is an immediate change. You will have to return every after two to three months in Konoha to act out your part as a reporter and still do some missions. Failure to comply for the last part, will be the cause for us to send you some back-up. Finally, please don't die ok?"
Sakura finally finished, smiling at her last sentence. She walked towards Sasuke and grinned. "If some things are still not clear, you can refer to this scroll."
"Sure. Thanks" Sasuke smirked at Sakura and her reminder. 'Of course I have no plan to die, I still have many debts and a clan to build.'
"Oh, by the way, your mission will start one month from now. I just told it you earlier so you can think and prepare well." Tsunade grinned at him widely before continuing. " You can spend the rest of the days with Jiraiya after his mission, learning how to write good stories or news or whatever, as long as its connected to writing… I just hope you don't become perverted like him and his subordinate. Hehehe!"
"Shishou!" Sakura stopped her from further teasing Sasuke. She knew very well how the Hokage loves making fun of Sasuke and Naruto that it became a hobby for the past years.
'This is definitely going to be trouble.' Sasuke, sweat-dropped again because of what Tsunade said. Imagining his days with Jiraiya for the next few days. He could remember Naruto always having head bumps and scratches all over his face and exclaiming foul things to Jiraiya. In addition, he only have a vague idea of what it was about. "If there is nothing else, May I go now?"
"Oh Sakura, buy me some sake. You can go with Sasuke."
"But Shishou! You know you can't drink sake while working." Sakura tried changing her mind.
"Aw come on Sakura, you know that I can still do my work even when I drunk! You worry too much!"
"Huhhh…" Sakura resigned with defeat. 'Hell No! Now, I have no choice but to deal with a heap loads of paper works afterwards.'
She left with Sasuke quietly, both thinking about their troublesome future ahead.
"Hmmm… tell me again the why I have to come with you herein the market again Chouji?" Shikamaru sighed, they were walking along the road where numerous numbers of roaming merchants from different countries and villages were selling every thing, from the most common goods to the rarest foods. "This is too troublesome you know…"
"You know why already Shikamaru. Look at all the tasty foods all over the place! This is heaven for me!" Chouji answered with his mouth watering with anticipation.
"Oh well, what can I do… too troublesome to argue… but… Cloud-gazing and Shougi are still the best" He concluded.
"You really are an old soul Shika…"
"Can't help it if I am…"
"Oh look there Shika, someone's selling puzzles over there." Chouji pointed towards a stall beside a restaurant. "You might want to check it out. I'll be just on the other side, I saw someone there selling barbeque from the mist country and it's the best in the world!"
"Hai, hai. I might just as well take a look. We'll just meet in the usual restaurant., alright?"
"Ok."
"Can I help you young man?" the stall owner asked. "Interesting, only a few people drops by my shop you know."
Shikamaru looked around for quite a while before he went to the stall shop that Chouji pointed out. Here he saw hundreds of interesting and challenging mind games that he liked. The stall was also offering jewelries that are similarly interesting because of its odd designs.
"Hey Uncle, how do you play with this?" Shikamaru asked holding a board game with eight holes in a row and twenty columns and another eight holes at the opposite side hidden and separate from the rest. There were also some tiny sticks of ten different colors each as with similar size as the holes.
"Ahh.., that game is called Mastermind." The man answered. "Your opponent lets you guess the colors that he chose and you only have twenty rounds to guess it right. He'll tell you how many sticks you've placed in the right hole but he must not point it out, that's the fun part. That's only 1000 yen for you."
"Hmm… Interesting, I think I'll buy it and try it out with Asuma." Shikamaru was handing him the money when he took a glace at a weird looking jewelry on the box beside the old man which was not for display.
"What? You seem to be interested in this one…" The old man noticed and held the jewelry in front of Shikamaru who took it to have a better look.
The chain of the said item stretched from 20 to 25 inches with one end continued to another tiny chain, it surely had something in it but it was taken off. The other end has a cool looking swirl design and at the center of the chain was an oval-shaped platinum or silver.
For some reason, Shikamaru got interested in it because it was like another puzzle. The designs were somehow connected to each other in some ways that Shikamaru cannot understand because a part of it was missing.
"Do you want it? Actually nobody wants it coz it can't even be identified as a necklace or anything… My grandfather just got that from an old friend as payment for their debt even before I was born. He says that it's an antique and its very important but nobody seems to think of it in the same way as them. What do you say if I sell it to you for a hundred yen only? At least I can get something back…"
"You got a deal there old man."
Afterwards, Shikamaru went to the restaurant where they usually rest and eat. In there, he saw Chouji chomping and chowing down all the food on the table from the window. He went in and sat in front of him sighing at the sight. "You never stop eating don't you?"
"Of course, eating is the best after all. Want some Shika?" Chouji offered him a barbeque before noticing the weird jewelry. "Uhh, Shikamaru, what is that you're holding?"
"Ahh, its nothing. Just some item I bought at the stall." Shikamaru told him showing it to Chouji.
At that same moment, Hinata, Neji and a red-cheeked Hanabi walked into the restaurant. The three walked towards them with Hinata smiling at them. Which, for Shikamaru's case, was still a weird thing coming from Hinata whose previous image was a shy and stuttering girl who was always looking at Naruto from a far. Shikamaru was quite observant although he is very lazy, so this kinds of stuff never escaped his eyes.
"Hello Chouji-san and Shikamaru-san…" Hinata greeted them. "How are you today?"
'How troublesome…' Shikamaru thought as he blushed a little seeing Hinata smile confidently at them. Although, he always say that she now looks similar to everybody from her clan with her long flowing black hair. "Uhhh.. just fine I guess…Yo, Neji"
"Hinata-chan, Would you like some barbeque?" Chouji offered her, smiling clearly at the threesome. "How about you two?"
"Uh, no thanks Chouji-san, we were here to take out some food anyway."
"we will go ahead now." Neji finally spoke. 'What's with Shikamaru…'
"Shika, uhmm you're blushing you know."
"Just finish your food so we can leave." Shikamaru answered before resting his back on the chair and returning the jewelry on his pocket.
Sasuke went with Sakura as she bought two gallons of Sake from the market place, discounts were all over the place, and she received a real deal buying the sake. Sasuke offered to bring the other gallon of sake which made him think otherwise after quiet a while. It wasn't heavy for him, being a man, but in comparison to Sakura, who was carrying it with greater ease, he got Goosebumps at the back of his nape remembering how strong both Tsunade and Sakura was. He was quite surprised when he saw Sakura before with her domineering strength. He never thought that that limp girl who always hangs around him would turn out that way. He was quite overwhelmed that he even acknowledged her strength and fought her.
Sakura on the other hand, was quite happy walking with Sasuke, over the years, her infatuation with him still remained. Basically, it's already love not some mere infatuation. But through the years and being with Tsunade taught her how to control her emotions in the same way that she controls chakra. She no longer hover over him and treats him as a special friend like Naruto… basically, she knew it was already hopeless… her love, that is.
"Uhhm Sasuke… Would you… Maybe, just maybe, if you need help, maybe you could call for me or Naruto. We'll take care of the small fries for you…" Sakura prayed that Sasuke would agree. Although he wasn't the same as before and talks a bit more it wasn't an assurance that he wasn't the same as before.
"I guess.." Sasuke only answered that.
'Hell yeah!' Inner Sakura was very happy jumping and punching things inside her head with the real Sakura just simply smiling happily.
Things are definitely getting better in Konoha … Well, that is… for now…
Hi! went to Baguio w/ my family and still haven't finished chapter 3 so I was having second thoughts if I'm going to upload this chapter or not... but i just decided to give it a go... hope I don't get stucked in the future.
