Yo! Sorry but I've been so busy with so many things that I haven't been able to find time for regular updates between days. Sorry but I promise the most I'll EVER skip is a week! Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for the reviews!

"Speech"

'Thought'

(Standard Disclaimer)

Chapter 45: Aftermath

Tsunade sat at her desk, a feeling of peace falling over her for the first time in several years. She turned in her chair, looking out the small open flap of her tent, and she couldn't help but smile. The skies were clearing, the sun was cutting through the clouds that had spilled a chilling rain over the land, and a smiling Golden Kitsune covered in blood slowly approaching her office.

Hanging from his right hand was a small twisted cloth and inside was a large somewhat round object. The cloth was soaked with dried blood and whatever was still wet dripped silently to the ground leaving a trail of black splotches in the dirt.

The smiling Kitsune made good time to Tsunade's office and with one swift movement of his arm he was holding a very familiar head by the hair. "It's over Obaa-chan," Naruto said with a sorrowful smile as Tsunade stared at the head, eyes and mouth agape.

It was over, thefive year war with the sound was over. Tsunade, in her old age and infinite wisdom, thought it was a quick war but said nothing about it, better not jinx it. Tsunade suddenlylaughed, this certainly was a sight! Tsunadein the midst of her somewhat insande laughter said,"I want a full report right now." Narutosat down in a chair, not caring he was staining it with blood, and recanted his tale to the Hokage...

When they found out all of the Rookie nine, Team Gai, and Team Taishou were ecstatic over three things. One Naruto had killed the greatest of Konoha's criminals and missing ninja. Two he had gotten his ninth tail which added so much to his power he easily fended off all of them. Finally Three, he was home for good.

But we're getting ahead of everything. Let's start on the day he got home...

Hinata's reaction was very...VERY mixed. Hinata had heard about Naruto's potential suicide mission to assassinate Orochimaru through the grape vine...and she hit the roof. Naruto entered the home Hinata and himself shared. He expected some cooking or just the home to be empty. He was soon face to face with a very angry Hinata, trails of dried tears running down her face as some fresh tears joined the salty roads.

"Naruto..." Hinata practically growled. Naruto noticed there was no 'kun' at the end of his name and he knew he was in some DEEP shit. Naruto laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head as he said, "yes Hinata-chan?" Hinata crossed her arms which in Hinata body language meant sit on the couch and explain or you WILL die.

Naruto quickly skirted around Hinata, his nine tails oddly tucked between his legs, and took his place on the 'couch of scorn' which he dubbed it in his mind whenever Hinata was mad.Sometimes itwas the 'couch of love' whenHinata was in the mood...he liked those days."Naruto, what did you think you were doing out there?" Hinata asked as she sat next to him, her arms still crossed and a glare as she stared him down.

Naruto sighed and said, "Hinata-chan I'm sorry. I lost my mind for a second and by the time...sensei brought me to my senses I was already to far into it." Naruto looked down when he mentioned Kyuubi, the feelings of hurt still in his heart. Hinata, not knowing this, said, "bring him out here. I want a talk with him WHY he didn't STOP you!"

Naruto turned on a dime without missing a beat and said, "he's DEAD Hinata. He gave his life for my stupid mistake." Hinata blinked as she stared into the pain filled cerulean and golden orbs that were Naruto's eyes. "What happened?" Hinata asked softly, her anger fading quickly.

Naruto sadly spoke his tale from the demolishing of Orochimaru's army after Jiraiya's death to Kyuubi's self sacrifice for his over the top calling of the death god. Naruto spoke softly through the entire explanation, Hinata finding this level of voice from her love to be surprising in the least. Hinata was mad that he nearly died for no reason but...Naruto had lost the two greatest male influences in his life.

Hinata gathered her beloved in her arms and softly stroked his hair as he gently lay his head on her shoulder. He didn't shed a tear, he knew his sensei's wouldn't want him to act like this on their deaths. He had to keep going on, he had to protect the village and everyone in it...if he wasn't the hero who would be?

He sighed and let his nine tails wrap around himself and Hinata, just sitting there feeling the warmth of his most precious person. Neither seemed to noticed the blood that had covered Naruto had slowly been ebbed away in the warm golden glow of Naruto like the rays of the sun turning dark shadows into nothingness. The trails of tears that had once lay on Hinata's face cleared and became nothing more than a bad memory as the two held each other close in the warm golden light.

The next day Naruto spent a good portion of it lying in bed drifting between sleep and light consciousness pulling his Hinata-chan as close to him as possible. He was truly comfortable, resting his body from the workout it had received, holding his loved person close to him, it was perfect...until there was a knock on the door.

Naruto groaned and shut off his ears to the sound, it was NOT going to mess up his day. (Knock, Knock.) Naruto growled lightly in his semi-alertness and slowly got himself up from the bed and away from Hinata-chan. "Hm...Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as she woke up from her light sleep. "Knock...door..." Naruto grumbled to which Hinata sighed and sat up on the bed.

To say the person knocking was surprised when a certain Kitsune answered the door in only a pair of boxer shorts was an understatement. Naruto yawned wide and scratched the back of his head as he asked, "yeah what is it?" The person who had knocked was familiar...Naruto knew it...he just had to place the name...

"Uh...I-I...came to d-deliver a m-message." The person, obviously a girl of Hyuga lineage, said nervously. Naruto was racking his early morning brain to figure out who the hell this person was! Then suddenly a name popped into his head and he grinned deviously. "Hitokoe...been a while. What's the message?" Naruto said calmly but with an edge that felt like a icy flames.

Hitokoe shivered, under the gaze of this completely overpowering Kitsune she was TOTALLY screwed. "H-Hiashi-sama ordered m-me to t-tell you t-that he n-needs to s-speak with you," Hitokoe flinching every time one of Naruto's tails waved into view. Naruto smirked and said, "tell him I'll be there, that is if he can sit up this time. Oh yeah I almost forgot..." Naruto looked down and blew out a short and small blue flame that caught the very edged of Hitokoe's sandals.

She began to jump around frantically but Naruto laughed and said, "don't worry it wont burn let alone hurt you...but it might just burn each and every piece of clothing you have on to ashes." Hitokoe looked up at him in disbelief but she just received a smirk and the words, "better hurry home cause water's not gonna help. Later!"

Naruto slammed the door in Hitokoe's face and walked back into his room finding Hinata was still sitting on the bed. That was odd...Hinata was normally a morning person. He shrugged and sat on the bed only to quickly feel a pair of hands on his shoulder gently squeezing and then releasing in a slow and relaxing massage. "Mmm...that feels good," Naruto said to which Hinata laughingly responded, "the tails don't lie Naruto-kun." Just as she said Naruto's tails were twitching in joy.

Naruto laughed but then sighed as Hinata's massage turned into a greater pressure and began moving all around his back. "So who was at the door Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked absent mindedly while she continued her work. Naruto smirked and said, "Remember Hitokoe?" Naruto winced as Hinata's hands pressed viciously into his back. "Yes," she said curly and almost venomously.

"She delivered a message but had to run because she had a wardrobe malfunction," Naruto said with a light chuckle as Hinata's massage went back to gentle and relaxing. "You burnt her clothes did you?" Hinata asked to which Naruto coyly responded, "maybe..." Hinata sighed and said, "what was the message?" Naruto shrugged and replied, "she said Hiashi-sama wanted to see me."

Hinata slowly drew her hands from her loves back and said, "Naruto-kun you know how he hates it when you're late." Naruto laughed and leaned back so his head was lying on the nape of Hinata's neck, "I'll just blame Kakashi-sensei's teachings." Hinata smiled and shook her head as she softly pushed Naruto off herself. "You have to go Naruto-kun," Hinata said as Naruto got up from the bed and stretched.

"Yeah, I know," Naruto turned with a smile, "I'll make it up to you when I get back ok?" Hinata smiled as Naruto quickly grabbed a clean pair of pants and a clean shirt and he vanished in a blur.

Cold...white...barren...

These were a few of the words that went through Hiashi's mind as he stared at the wall resting in front of him. It was so long ago that he had fought...and to this day he wished he held a calmer head. When he was brought to the Konoha hospital he had stressed his Tenketsu to the point that he had nearly ruptured his very chakra coils.

He hadn't done something of that caliber since...he couldn't remember. He wasn't that young anymore, he had to remind himself or else he'd try and get off this damn bed again. It was disgraceful for the Head of the Hyuga clan to be incapacitated in the first place...it was a whole other thing for him to have fallen out of a hospital bed and need help up.

Hiashi sighed, he knew it was getting to be the end of the road for him. The doctors were grim enough to say that his chakra coils would never function properly again. Oh it irked him beyond imagination but he came to terms with the fact. He had watched his two daughters and his nephew grow into strong Shinobi that the entire village could be proud of.

To think he would be thanking Orochimaru for clearing out the Hyuga Elders table. He smirked ruefully at this, it was the perfect opportunity...all he needed was a certain guardian to show up.

"Yo Hiashi-sama," came the oh so familiar call of a certain nine tailed Kitsune. Hiashi turned his head to find that leaning in the doorway of his room was Naruto with a grin on his face. "Naruto, you look well...especially considering what you have been through lately," Hiashi said with a ghost of a smile.

Naruto grinned wider and said, "it got me to where I want to be...a man, or should I say Kitsune, perfect for the title of Hokage." Hiashi gave one brief chuckle and said, "indeed. I've heard a lot of your little exploits with Orochimaru." Naruto couldn't help but say, "so you heard how I totally kicked his ass?"

Hiashi nodded his head with a serious face and said, "Naruto, I believe in accordance with our gentlemen's agreement you have to prove that you are worthy of the Hokage title before you can wed my daughter." Naruto was wide eyed, this was what this meeting was about. "Seeing as the War is over and you were the one who single handedly stopped it...I find you at par with the level of a Kage. You have my permission to wed my daughter Hinata."

Naruto stood there for a while, for him it was like time froze. This was what he was worrying his head off for so long...poof it's all gone in 9 words. Naruto grew a grin that threatened to split his head in half, his tails whipped behind him in ecstacy and he said oh so calmly, "well, I humbly agree with your decision and if you don't mind..."

Naruto began to leave but Hiashi stopped him with a swift hand gesture. "Naruto, that is not all I called you here for," Hiashi said with dead seriousness. Naruto turned his attention back to the Hyuga leader who in the sterile dim light of the hospital looked his age so much more. His heaving chest with the simple action of talking and waving his hand, his sunken and blood shot eyes...he was a mess compared to what he had been.

Naruto nodded and Hiashi said, "this also concerns the separation of Houses of the Hyuga household and the succession of an heir." Naruto's full attention was on Hiashi as he said, "before the attack on the mansion I was working a clan law through the elders but it was constantly shot down. Without elders or even a council I find that it's my duty to pass this law which I think will benefit the entire clan..."

Naruto was on the edge of his feet waiting for what Hiashi was going to finish with. Taking his time Hiashi reached over the side of his bed and brought a scroll from the dusty space under his bed. Pulling the scroll into view and with a few short wipes of his sleeve Naruto could read the label on the edge, The Curse Seal.

Hiashi handed Naruto the scroll who read it with awe in his eyes, "this is going to..." "Forbid the Curse Seal and end clan separation for the rest of Hyuga clan history," Hiashi finished with a slightly smug smirk, take that elders. "Wow...but why do you need me?" Naruto asked as he rolled up the scroll and held it out to Hiashi. Hiashi put his hand on the scroll and pushed it away into Naruto's body, "give it to the new clan head, my nephew Neji."

End Chapter

Oh! Twisty! Q and A time!

Q: Kyuubi's Hoshi no Tama?

A: When I get more time I'm going to tweak that chapter...it wasn't my best...

Q: Shinigami over the top?

A: Tweaking of the chapter will answer...hopefully...

Q: Naruto Experence?

A: ...Tweaking I will show what I hoped everyone else saw...

Q: Sasuke's Sharingan?

A: Sorry I think I forgot to answer this. I once heard that the Mangekyou Sharingan took on a different appearence in each of the users, I just thought of something that would fit. Sorry if I offended.

Well that's it, I don't have a preview...thank you SCHOOL! Sorry and Later all!