Ishikengo no Kami
Author Notes:
Hello again! Thank you for continuing on to this chapter. I hope you enjoy it as well. Few things first again:
IMPORTANT NOTE:
It came to my attention while writing this chapter the some people misread the last line of Chapter 2. I have since updated that chapter to make it clearer. If you read the original version, note that
'H-Hinata-chan?ׂ!'
was intended to be thought (hence the single quotes and italics). Basically, Hinata realizing what Naruto had just called her. (The sitechanging the ?ׂ! to just ! didn't help I think…) It now reads
'W-What did he just call me?'
in an attempt to be clearer. Unfortunately, I liked the old line better…
Disclaimer: I have no rights to the character, setting, story and otherwise that have been taken from the original manga and anime Naruto. I will make no money from this, nor do I intend to cost the holders of the original work's rights any money. I do this not to cause trouble, but to express a great appreciation for a wonderful series. I request that the original creator and those who have the rights to it to not look upon this not as a mean spirited infringement, but as a great compliment and free advertising.
Thanks: I would like to thank Tensai-san for beta and proof reading. I would also like to give a big thanks to my friend Joe, whose characters and ideas I am, in part, using. Finally, thanks to Masashi Kishimoto-sensei for creating Naruto in the first place.
Denotation:
"Speech"
'Thought'
-Sound-
Japanese:
Otou-san – Father
Nindo – "Way of the Ninja"
--------
The sun rose, heralding the beginning of another day in the woods. All around, birds awoke and began to sing in opposing melodies. Deep in an abandoned temple, a figure stirred.
Slowly, Alucard rose from the ground and began to stagger across the floor. He wobbled uncertainly, clutching his hand over his left eye and making slow progress towards the exit. Halfway there he paused, slumping forward. Drawing in breath, he slowly stood up straight, lowered his hand and walked towards the exit.
He arrived outside to find the brats finishing their breakfast. Their sleeping bags were packed back up and it looked like they were about ready to go.
"Come on, let's get moving."
The blond boy looked up from his bowl. "Sheesh, he's so bossy." He muttered as he began to pack up his things. Before long, he and Hinata were ready to leave and set off down the road together. Alucard stood and watched them a moment before starting after them, a single drop of blood rolling down his cheek.
--------
In the woods, a figure watched on. "This little complication could prove extremely frustrating." The morning wind rustled his clothing as another figure arrived.
"Sir, I've delivered your message." The other figure was breathing heavily, as if exhausted. He'd been running a lot.
"Good, but now I've another for you to deliver. Things have become more difficult…"
--------
"Oi, Hinata? What do you think about that Alucard bastard?" Naruto asked looking sideways at his quiet companion.
'So, I'm just "Hinata" after all…' She sighed; it had been too good to be true. She had probably just imagined it last night anyways. "I-I think… he isn't very good at getting along with people. Th-Though, he doesn't seem to try either."
-Humph- "Yeah, you're right. He's just a big jerk, like I said." Hinata watched Naruto from the side as he walked with his hands behind his head. It was time. It wouldn't be easy, but she'd already promised herself. She couldn't take back her words. That was her Nindo, after all. "N-Naruto-kun?"
"Huh? What's up, Hinata?"
"I was w-wondering…about…"
"Huh? Speak up. If you keep mumbling I won't be able to understand you." Hinata blushed, but steeled herself to make a braver attempt. "I w-was just w-wondering…"
"What?"
"I-It's just…I d-don't know much about you, s-so…"
"Like, what?"
"W-Well, lots of things. L-Like… about your parents and things."
Hinata didn't notice immediately as Naruto's mood darkened; she was a bit preoccupied with forcing herself to keep speaking. "I-It's just that...you've never mentioned them. So…so…" She fell into silence. She couldn't see his eyes, but it was rare to see him so down cast. "N-Naruto-kun?"
"That's because…I don't know anything about them. I never knew them and no one's ever told me about them…" Hinata didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected things to get so serious.
"I-I'm sorry…Naruto-kun…I…"
"No, it's ok. I'm fine." Naruto lifted his head, a smile on it. "I'm used to it, so it's no big deal." He took a moment, but eventually noticed Hinata's look of concern. "Really, it's ok. It's just…some times I get a little jealous. Having parents must be nice."
"…."
They walked in silence for some time. Every once in a while, Naruto had to suppress a shiver. Looking back, he could see Alucard still trailing behind them staring intently at him. 'Man that guy's creepy!' Something was off, though. He couldn't quite…
"It's…" Oh, Hinata! He had forgotten about her again. "It's…not always that great."
"Huh?"
"Having parents…it's not always…" She fell silent again. It was a hard subject for her as well.
"Tell me." She looked up at the boy. He smiled back. "Tell me what you want to say; I want to hear it."
--------
They picked a nice spot to camp for the night. There was no temple this time. Naruto and Hinata continued to talk as they set up their sleeping bags and put away their dishes. They didn't say a whole lot, but they exchanged a lot of words.
"And so then, Iruka-sensei bought me a whole 'nother bowl of ramen!"
Well, Naruto exchanged a whole lot of words. Hinata was content to listen though. She had been watching Naruto for a long time, but there was a lot she still didn't know.
"Say, Hinata?"
"H-hai? Naruto-kun?" she replied, startled from her thoughts.
"Does your dad really say those mean things about you?"
"H-hai…" Her father was right though. She wasn't any good. She'd never live up to the family's expectations of her. She'd come to understand that a long time ago. She tried her best, but…
"That jerk! When we get back to Konoha, I'm going to have a talk with him! He shouldn't say those kind of things."
"N-no! Naruto-kun, you shouldn't!"
"And why not? When I'm Hokage I'll be able to stop stuff like that no problem, but until then I'll have to take care of that sort of thing myself." Naruto nodded and smiled smugly. It was decided. That is how things will be.
"D-demo…Otou-san…"
"Don't worry about it! I'll take care of it. That's a promise!" He struck the 'nice guy pose' for her. "and I don't take back my promises. That's my nindo. Now, let's finish getting ready for bed. It's getting late already."
--------
Naruto and Hinata lay in their sleeping bags, the sound of nature's nightlife washing over them. Naruto lay awake. He was still going over the incident from the day before…
'Hinata said I had to go with my instincts and follow my heart…but…that doesn't answer everything. What if I had to kill someone some day? There might not be a choice.' He sighed. He was feeling better than he had the night before. Talking to Hinata then had calmed him down a lot, but even so…
"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata's hushed voice came to him over the crackle of fire and chirping of insects.
"Can't sleep either, huh?"
"H-hai."
"I know. I can't quite get over it either." He continued to stare up at the stars. It was a nice night. "What you said was true but…I don't know…"
"N-Naruto-kun?"
"Huh?"
"T-That's n-not why I can't s-sleep…"
"Huh? Then what is?" He turned and followed her nervous gaze. "Ah! He's so creepy!"
"Wh-what do we do?"
"Just ignore him. He can't keep that up all night."
Naruto and Hinata fell silent, lying back and staring straight up into the sky. A faint chill that had nothing to do with the weather made them both shiver in synchronization. Behind them Alucard sat propped up against a tree, on the other side of the campfire, staring straight at them unblinkingly. The looks on their faces said it all.
'He's soo creepy!'
--------
The trio continued down the road in the morning. Alucard had resumed his spot at the front and Naruto and Hinata were following him a ways behind.
"Is it just me, or is he getting worse?" Naruto asked his companion. The two of them had taken up Alucard as the main point of conversation since last night. "It's like, when he looked at you before it was creepy because he was always staring so intensely. Now when looks at you, it's like unnatural how creepy it is."
Hinata nodded. She was slowly becoming a little scared of their silent escort. She hoped he couldn't hear them. She had noticed that even Naruto, who was afraid of nothing, seemed to be avoiding him. It's like he projected an air about him that put everyone on edge.
She looked down. There was another drop of blood on the ground. They were rather infrequent, but they seemed to be coming from Alucard. She wasn't sure what to make of it, and wasn't about to ask.
"Ara? What's that?" Hinata looked up at Naruto and then off in the direction he was looking. "Smoke?"
The billowing clouds were coming from behind the trees. "Let's go take a look. Someone could be in trouble!"
Hinata followed Naruto through the trees. They soon came upon an old farmhouse in a small clearing. It was on fire. "Shit! This is bad; there could be people in there!"
"Byakugan!" The veins around Hinata's eyes grew with the strain of seeing in all directions at once. She focused in on the house and began searching through the walls.
"Naruto-kun! There are some people trapped on the second floor! The stairs are burning and the floor is about to give way. We have to help them!"
"Right, time to…" Naruto was cut off as a figure ran past him. Alucard reached the front door and dove straight in. Naruto hesitated a moment in surprise before taking off towards the house after him.
Just as Naruto and Hinata reached the front door they heard a voice from above. "Make yourselves useful and catch!" They looked up in time to see Alucard toss a screaming woman from the window.
"Shit!" Naruto cried before crossing his fingers. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
--------
A pile of black debris sent billowing clouds of smoke into the air as a young girl tended to the wounds of the survivors. The rescue hadn't taken long. Soon, all four family members had been retrieved and Alucard had leapt to the ground just as the building collapsed. It had been a close one.
The old farmer rose and spoke for his family. "Oh, thank you all so much! We owe you a great debt of gratitude."
"Ah, don't worry about it! Helping people is what we do. Right, Hinata?" The girl in question nodded quietly. She didn't feel she deserved much praise; all she had done was locate the family and tend to their wounds.
"And you sir! We thank you most of all!" Naruto's smile turned to a frown of disappointment as the farmer approached Alucard. He had his back turned to everyone and was clutching his left eye. "Is there any way…"
He was cut off as Alucard knocked his hand away before he could touch him. "Stay back!" His eyes were wide and angry; the farmer stumbled back in fear. Alucard bent over slightly and groaned as if in pain. Hinata noticed a thin trickle of blood escaping his left eye like a tear.
"Huh? He was trying to thank you, you bastard! Sheesh, what's with you anyways?" Alucard bent down further, his face now hidden by the angle. 'N-Naruto-kun!'
Alucards right hand, still gripping his sheathed sword, began to shake. The area around him seemed to darken as a wave of fear washed over the onlookers, causing the children to cower with their mother. For a long time, no one moved. Finally, Alucard stood slowly and unsteadily, as if by force of will alone. His breathing was ragged and heavy, but his hand had stopped shaking. Slowly he turned and walked away. By then, even Naruto was sweating bullets.