Across the Ages; Everlasting Love
Chapter Three
Rekindling the Bond, and Becoming One
Author's Note: We (Lance Kumazuki and Chewie Cookies) do not own Pokémon or Naruto, nor do we own any of their characters. Takeshi Hikaru and Suki belong to Chewie Cookies, and Lance Kumazuki belongs to Lance Kumazuki.
2nd Author's Note: Pokémon speech is underlined and italicized text
3rd Author's Note: We realized we made a mistake concerning Hanabi's birthday in the last chapter, and therefore, we changed Hinata's age to four years old in the last chapter. At the start of this chapter, she is nearing her fifth birthday. Also, there will be a lemon later in this chapter after a ten year time skip. I (Chewie Cookies) will do what I can to make sure that those who don't want to read the lemon won't miss anything important by skipping it. Although I (again, Chewie Cookies) am told I'm really good at writing such things, I'm aware that not all of the readers really want to read that.
Now, on with the show!
It has been a rather eventful time with our heroes. Izumi and Hinata were enjoying life anew living with Naruto in his cottage on Oak's Ranch. Naruto had been able to teach Hinata how to work with her pokémon to get stronger. Lance and Takeshi have also been helping her sharpen her battling skills.
Izumi was also getting bigger. She had been to her doctor's appointment just last week. She was going to have a healthy baby girl. She was due in March of next year. Hinata was looking forward to being a big sister.
Currently, Hinata was sitting down with Suki in the cottage, as it snowed outside, watching the egg for Hana, who had gone out to get some exercise. She decided to hold it in her lap, since it needed to be kept warm. Suki eyed it curiously.
"A baby Vulpix will come out of there in a while, Suki-chan! Do you want to snuggle with it, and show it that you'll be its friend?" Hinata cooed at Suki. The little fox pokémon rubbed her face against the egg, and purred happily. Tiny Vulpix noises came from inside of the egg, and Hinata giggled.
"You're gonna be a real sweetheart, I can tell already!" Hinata said happily, then grabbed a bottle with warm milk in it and gestured for Suki to come over. Hinata cradled Suki in her arms while the egg rested in her lap, and began feeding the little kit. The other Vulpix crowded around Hinata, knowing it would soon be their turn to drink from the bottle. Hinata smiled at all of the Vulpix, thankful that their coat of fur generated heat, which meant that nobody in the cottage, human or pokémon, would be cold this winter. Her birthday was coming up, and she wondered what Naruto and her mother had planned for it.
Shaking her head of those thoughts, she used her free hand to pet the many Vulpix that were waiting their turn, enjoying the sounds they made to express their happiness...
Meanwhile, with Naruto, Hogosha, and Hana...
Naruto grinned as he watched Hinata through the scrying orb the Sandaime Hokage once used, with Hogosha and Hana sitting next to him.
"At least we know she won't have a problem being the clan mother, if Hinata-chan decides to become my mate. She's already a natural with the kits, it seems," he said happily.
Hana smiled. "She's already bonded with several of them. She's definitely going to be a natural when it comes to the Clan Mother's duties!" she said happily.
Hogosha sighed. "It's highly unlikely that this will happen, since she's already fond of you, but what will you do if she decides not to become your mate, Naruto-sama?" he asked.
Naruto frowned, a deep sadness showing in his eyes. "I will do my best to keep her happy as life goes on, and make sure I am at her side when she passes on..." he said, drooping his ears and tails and walking away.
Hana sighed. "You shouldn't have brought that up, Hogo-kun," she scolded.
Hogosha whined slightly, and replied, "I just don't want him to be unprepared for the worst case scenario, in the event that it comes to that. He is very strong, but if he isn't prepared, such a thing would end him..."
And with that, Hana and Hogosha headed back to the cottage...
About half an hour later, with Hinata...
Hinata giggled as the Vulpix kits played with her. She was still getting used to having more than one small, furry, six-tailed creature calling her 'Mama', but she had to admit, if they were her children, she'd be very happy with them.
That led her to remember, though, that Naruto, 'Papa' to the Vulpix, had seemed a bit down when he came in earlier. She turned to the little group of Vulpix, and asked, "Why don't we go see Papa? I think we should cheer him up!"
The little fox pokémon began yipping happily, and followed Hinata over to Naruto's room...
A few minutes later, in Naruto's room...
Naruto sighed as he shifted into his hanyou form. He really didn't want to watch Hinata grow old and die, leaving him behind. Even worse, would be if she were to die in battle, without being able to live her life fully, like last time...
He ran a hand through his golden locks. He couldn't force her to become his mate; that would make her hate him, and they'd never be happy together then!
He was interrupted from his thoughts when a tiny knock sounded from the door to his room. He could sense not only Hinata and Suki, but all of the other Vulpix as well, outside of his room, waiting patiently, or in some of their cases, impatiently, for him to reply. He laughed a bit to himself when he heard one of them paw at the door.
Walking over to the door, he tried to forget his worries, and opened it to greet them. He was startled when they all piled onto him and began showering him with affection.
"Naruto-kun, we were worried about you! You looked so sad when you came back home, so we decided we'd all come and say hi!" Hinata said happily, then pouted slightly when she saw the fake smile on his face.
"Don't do that! If you're sad, let us know so we can help you!" she said, slightly disappointed in him, then gave him a hug and asked, "What's wrong? Let us in, so we can help you feel better!"
Naruto sighed, and decided to ask in an indirect way. "Hinata-chan, what do you think of me?" he asked, a look of hope in his eyes.
Hinata giggled. "I think you're smart, handsome, and funny... You have cute ears that I like to rub, and your tails are very warm and keep me feeling safe at night... All in all, I think I'm going to wind up taking you up on that offer to be your wife! The other Hinata showed me so many memories of you, and they make me want to be your wife even more!" she said happily, then gave him a small smile with a blush, and added, "Also... you're the sweetest boy I've ever met, in this life and the one before... I want to make you happy, since you do so much to make me happy!"
Naruto smiled, then wrapped his arms around Hinata and let out a loud sob. "Thank you so much for saying that, Hina-chan! I'd mark you as my mate right now if I could, but it wouldn't be appropriate to marry you at such a young age... I'm glad, though, that you want to be with me so much... Thank you..." he cried happily as he held her.
Hinata smiled warmly as she patted his back. She then blushed bright red, and asked, "Do you mind giving me my first kiss on my birthday? I-I'd really l-like if my first kiss was from you..."
Naruto pouted a bit. "Do I have to wait that long? Why not on Christmas? I can get some mistletoe from the store, and we can use that as an excuse!" he asked/suggested, then laughed happily when Hinata passed out on top of him with a tomato-red blush and a little smile on her face. He picked her up after he was done laughing, and took her to her mother's room to nap...
A week later, on the night of Christmas Eve...
"Hinata... Suki... Wake up, sweeties," Izumi said gently to her daughter and granddaughter. "Naruto has something special he wants us to see, but we have to get ready really quickly if we want to see it."
The two sleepyheads groaned a bit, then stretched and yawned as they got up. "Is Naruto-kun gonna show us Santa Claus?" Hinata asked sleepily.
Izumi giggled. "I doubt it, but he says it's something so heart-warming that you'll never want to forget it," the soon-to-be mother of two explained, then added, "Now hurry up and get dressed! We don't want to miss whatever it is he's going to show us. He seems to be very excited about it, too!"
Hinata quickly got out of bed, helping Suki down as she did, and quickly got dressed. The three of them headed to Naruto's room, where the ageless being in question was bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement.
"Oh, man, I feel like a little kid again!" he exclaimed happily, then gestured for all of them to hold onto him so he could teleport them all at once. As soon as Izumi and Hinata were holding each of Naruto's hands, and Suki had perched herself on his shoulder, they disappeared in a flash of light...
Outside of Mt. Pyre, in Hoenn...
A pair of Ninetales, one of which was snuggling an egg, were startled when a flash of light appeared near them. When the light dimmed, Naruto, Hinata, Suki, and Izumi were all there.
Naruto grinned at the pair of Ninetales. "I'm glad you allowed me to bring these three to such a wondrous event. It's not often a human is worthy of seeing the hatching of a wild Pokémon, is it?" he said happily.
The two Ninetales smiled. "The fact that you're going to bless our kit early is more than enough payment to allow such gentle-hearted humans to watch how a Vulpix hatches from its egg and bonds with its parents. We are happy to welcome you and your guests to our den, Naruto-sama," the male Ninetales said happily.
The female blushed, and asked, "Is it true that the small human girl there is considering becoming your mate when she comes of age? She looks like she would make a wonderful Clan Mother. I'm very happy for the two of you!"
Hinata giggled. "Yes. Naruto-kun has been very sweet to me, both in this life and my past life. I can confidently say that if I were old enough right now, I would happily become Naruto-kun's mate," she said proudly.
Suki mewled happily upon hearing this. She really wants her mama and papa to get married someday soon. It would make her really happy.
The female Ninetales gestured for Hinata to come over, motioned to the egg, and asked, "Would you like to hold it for a moment? If you decide to become Naruto-sama's mate when the time comes, this will give you a bit of experience when it comes to being a Clan Mother."
Hinata nodded, and gently wrapped her arms around the egg, holding it carefully with the soon-to-be mother's help. Hinata giggled, and exclaimed, "I can feel it moving around inside! It's gonna hatch soon!"
The female Ninetales smiled. "I'm glad you have such a warm heart. I already know your name is Hinata. You may call me Haruka. I bet you will be a wonderful mother to your own kits when you grow up," Haruka said happily.
Hinata giggled a bit. "I already have a kit of my own! Suki-chan, while she wasn't born from my body like most humans' children, was partly created with a bit of my life force. She is my first child with Naruto-kun, and I doubt she will be my last with him," she said, smiling cutely.
Suddenly, the egg started to crack, and a hole was quickly formed. Haruka wrapped her tails around Hinata and the egg, as it started to hatch. Izumi and Naruto came over to watch as well, and Koru, the father of the soon-to-be-hatched Vulpix, came over as well.
The egg fragments began collapsing, and sitting there, staring curiously at the beings surrounding her, was a baby vixen Vulpix. Her eyes were blue, like the sky, and she had a single, pure white tail, that wagged back and forth slowly.
Once the newborn spotted her mother, she rushed over to Haruka and began nuzzling her affectionately. "Your eyes are pure blue, like the sky, so I think I'll call you Sora. Does that sound nice?" Haruka asked.
Sora yipped happily at the name, then whined a bit when her stomach grumbled. "Come here, little one. Mama's got your milk," Haruka said gently, pushing Sora towards her underbelly with her tails. Sora soon found a tiny nub that was dripping milk, and the little kit began suckling, creating a powerful bond with her mother.
Hinata turned to Naruto, and asked, "Will I be able to feed Suki like that ever?"
Naruto blushed bright red, and replied, "Maybe when you're a decade older. Right now, your body's not meant to do those kinds of things."
Hinata giggled at how caught off guard Naruto was by that question, then yawned tiredly. "I wanna go to bed..." she said sleepily, then picked up Suki, only to find that she had already fallen asleep.
Naruto sighed. "I guess our trip is over. Let's all go back home. We've got a busy day tomorrow, after all," he said. They all teleported back home, anxious for Christmas Day tomorrow...
The next morning, on Christmas Day...
Hinata sighed as she woke up. She was snuggled against something very fluffy, and she really didn't want to get up, seeing as she was so comfy.
"Ummm, Hinata-chan? Don't you think we should be getting up right about now?" Naruto asked from nearby.
Hinata sighed. "But this blanket is so comfy..." she groaned in protest.
Naruto sheepishly chuckled, "That's not a blanket, Hina-chan... Do you mind letting go of my tails?"
Hinata suddenly turned bright red, and let out an 'eep!' as she released Naruto's tails, and began apologizing over and over again.
Naruto just grinned. "It's okay, Hinata-chan! I just have to get some work done, since it's Christmas Day," he explained, then leapt off the bed, revealing himself to have been in his Ninetales form the entire time.
Hinata looked at him curiously, and asked, "Ummm, what kind of work, exactly?"
Naruto grinned even wider. "Getting presents for you, your mother, Takeshi, Lance, Pikachu, and all the kits, of course! I'll be back in a while, okay?" he explained.
Just before he got out of the living room, where they had fallen asleep on the couch the night before after coming back from watching the birth of that one Vulpix, Hinata stopped him. "What do you want me to get you for Christmas, Naruto-kun?" she asked.
Naruto smiled warmly at her, nuzzling against the side of her face gently. "Don't worry about it, Hime. Just spending so much time bonding with you is more than enough of a gift for me!" he said happily, then headed out, leaving Hinata with a newly found determination to make Naruto a nice gift before he got back. Checking her Pokédex, she looked for things he might like, and was surprised to find that his favorite food was ramen...
Later, with Lance and Takeshi...
"So, what did you get our little protege for Christmas?" Takeshi asked.
"I placed an order for some sweets that Naruto guaranteed she'd love," Lance replied, then asked, "What did you get her?"
Takeshi pulled out a small pebble. "It looks like an ordinary pebble... because it is an ordinary pebble! However, this ordinary pebble is special!" he said, grinning. Upon seeing Lance twitching on the ground, muttering about how stupid some kids are, Takeshi added, "Stretch out your senses a bit, moron..."
Lance did so, and his eyes widened. "You're right. That is a special ordinary pebble," he said, then asked, "Why didn't you get me one?"
"Do you honestly think you'd need it?" Takeshi asked, getting a sweat-drop on the back of his head when Lance finally took the time to remember all the reasons he wouldn't need it.
Suddenly, Takeshi got an evil grin on his face. "It's been a while since we've had a senjutsu battle... I've never won once, but I think today I might be lucky... LANCE KUMAZUKI! I challenge you to a senjutsu battle!" he shouted, then turned to point at Lance, only to find that he wasn't there.
"Damn, there he goes, making me look like an idiot again..." he said, then sighed and stretched out his senses, searching for him. He soon found a large concentration of senjutsu energy in the forest.
"Found him..." Takeshi whispered evilly, then took off in the direction he sensed the senjutsu energy in, phasing through trees and rocks that got in his way. Pulling an earthen spear out of the ground, he closed in on his target.
"YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD HIDE FROM ME, LANCE?" he shouted as he leapt into the air, only to be swatted down by a powerful tail belonging to...
"Naruto?"
The nine-tailed being sighed. "You make a lot of noise. And, no, I'm not Naruto. I'm one of his Shadow Clones. I stay here on standby, gathering senjutsu chakra, just in case the original ever winds up needing it," the chakra construct explained, then added, "There are twenty-three more Shadow Clones doing the same thing in different places for when he winds up running out. Right now, the real me is gathering berries for the kits, and after that, he's going to his original den to get presents for Hinata-chan, Suki, and Pikachu."
"Hmmmm... If he knows about Senjutsu energy, then how good is he at Kawazu Kumite?" Takeshi asked. The shadow clone studied him curiously, and asked, "How the heck do you know those terms? You aren't a normal human, are you?"
Takeshi grinned. "With how old you are, I'm surprised you've never heard of me!" he exclaimed, when suddenly, he took an oddly familiar pose, and announced, "From the legendary peak of Mt. Coronet, to the deep oceans of Hoenn, raised by his mother's team from birth to today, and one of the few humans able to use Pokémon attacks! I am the legendary Pokémon Sage, Takeshi Hikaru!"
Naruto sighed. "Please tell me you don't consider yourself to be a 'super pervert'..." he groaned.
Takeshi sweat-dropped. "Moron. I'm too young to be interested in girls in that kind of way," he deadpanned, wondering what kind of berries this Ninetales has been eating.
Naruto let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God. I don't think the world is ready for another ero-sennin, no matter how much I miss the old pervert," he said, though with a hint of sadness at the end.
Takeshi sat down. "You must have lost a lot of friends, being how old you are. I bet it's tough," he said, reaching to and patting the shadow clone's back.
"My Azumarill, who was with my mom at the time, told me she died with a smile on her face, because she had been able to give birth to me and hold me in her arms. You're really lucky, though. Even though the girl you loved died, she found a way to come back to you. If I could bring back my mom, even for a few minutes, I'd be very grateful, and I'd hug her and thank her for fighting long enough to hold me before she passed," Takeshi said, then added, "It isn't of perverted nature or anything, but that kid, Hinata, always seems to have a little glint in her eye that's only there when you're around. Even though she's still just a kid, it looks like she's fallen for you already!"
Naruto smiled sadly. "I know, but it's very possible she'll find somebody else. However, I'm allowed to interfere in other relationships she might have, aren't I?" he asked, gaining a smirk at the end.
Takeshi grinned happily. "I like the way you think! If you start to lose her, fight for her!" he exclaimed, making a fist. He then pulled out the pebble he was giving to Hinata, and said, "Put some of your senjutsu energy in this. I'm going to give it to Hinata for Christmas, and if your energy's in it too, you'll be able to help her out the same way I would through this!"
"It's like a tracking device, isn't it?" Naruto asked.
Takeshi nodded. "There's another feature to it, but I'm not going to tell anybody until I give it to Hinata," he explained.
"As long as this other feature isn't dangerous, I don't have a problem with you giving her that. Now get back to the cabin. Lance and my original are already back with their gifts for everybody, and it's almost time to open gifts," the shadow clone said.
"Roger!" the eight-year-old Sinnoh/Hoenn champion exclaimed happily, as he headed off to the cabin...
Inside Naruto's cabin...
A fire was roaring in the hearth in the living room, which Naruto had added recently. Food for both Pokémon and humans was set out on tables, made by Izumi and small troop of Naruto's shadow clones. The original sat with Hinata, bottle-feeding each Vulpix a cool bottle of juice, made from berries that Naruto picked out himself in accordance to each of his little friends' tastes.
As Naruto had taught Hinata, Vulpix and Ninetales all have one thing in common; none of them really feel a need for material items. They, like Naruto, enjoy spending time with friends and family much more than any gift. It's not that they don't enjoy getting gifts; they simply value the fact that their bond with the gift-giver/receiver has grown stronger more than the gift itself.
Hinata found herself enjoying her first real Christmas. In Hiashi's manor, there were no festivities on Christmas, because Hiashi did not celebrate holidays. "It's a day that would be better spent training," is what he'd always say. The young trainer was elated to find that Naruto had made a bottle of sweet berry juice for her to feed Suki. The little Vulpix certainly loved her sweets, just like Hinata.
And for Naruto, Hinata had used some of her memories from her past life to make a big bowl of ramen. She, of course, asked her mom to help her, since cooking isn't supposed to be done by a lone (almost) five year old. Naruto had enjoyed it thoroughly, making sure to savor the flavor this time around.
For Hinata, Naruto had gotten several things from her past life, including the bulky jackets, which Naruto assured Hinata she would need at some point, and a few of her kimonos. When asked how he kept them in such good condition, Naruto replied, "Time means nothing inside of a sealing scroll."
For Izumi, Naruto made a sweater that said "World's Best Mom", and had a picture of her with her pregnant belly, holding Hinata's hand, as they walked through a park. Naruto assured her that he would make another one as soon as Hanabi was born, so her younger daughter could be more 'visible' in it.
For Suki, Naruto got a book on Kitsune Shape-Shifting, and explained to her that it will be easier on Hinata, as her mother, if they at least appeared to be entirely the same specie. Suki immediately began going through it, with Izumi's help, in the hopes that she could turn into a little baby that would resemble her mother.
Pikachu had gotten a Light Ball from Naruto to hold onto, so he could eventually learn Volt Tackle, and Hinata had gotten some coupons for massages for both Pikachu and Suki. The two of them were very happy about this.
Takeshi and Lance had gifts for Hinata and Izumi as well, along with a gift for Suki. Lance had gotten Hinata a HUGE cinnamon bun that he had to teleport all the way to Snowpoint City Sweets Inc. and back to get fresh. Hinata almost tried to eat the whole thing in one sitting, but after seeing that she wasn't going to stop, Naruto had pulled her away, warning her that she'd get a stomach ache if she ate it too quickly, and that he could keep it sealed for later so that it stays fresh for anytime she wants to eat it.
Takeshi had gotten Hinata the 'special ordinary pebble', and told her that, if she was ever in trouble, and either he, Lance, or Naruto were within fifty miles of her, she could push some of her chakra into it, and they would sense that she needs them. It also worked as a way to keep track of her, in case she gets lost. However, because that gift probably wouldn't be used for a while, and Takeshi knew a gift wasn't as fun if you don't need it for a long time, he got her a practice pokéball set, along with moving and unmoving targets, explaining, "Pokéballs don't home in on their targets. You have to learn to aim and throw them properly if you want any chance of catching a wild pokémon."
Deciding that it would be better for everybody if they helped with the baby, Lance and Takeshi got a bunch of baby supplies, and had hired a crew of workers to make a room for Hanabi for when she's finally born.
And for Suki, Takeshi and Lance got a pair of Soothe Bells, with Naruto's name engraved on one, and Hinata's on the other. Suki wore them proudly, and gave the two champs little Vulpix kisses in thanks.
And Naruto, since he didn't know enough about Takeshi and Lance to get them actual gifts, gave them more Nuggets than they could count. After finally figuring out their worth through weight, Takeshi suddenly shouted, despite the fact that he's off by at least a million Pokécredits, "It's over 9,000!"
Lance sighed. "Just make sure you don't spend it all on a bicycle. We can get vouchers for those," he said. (Anybody who's played Red, Blue, and Yellow, and remembers enough about them, will remember that it was physically impossible to buy a bicycle with cash. No voucher, no bike.)
After all the gifts were exchanged, everybody enjoyed a wonderful feast and watched the snow fall outside, wondering what the next few years will bring. And, when nobody was looking, Hinata gave her first kiss to Naruto, blushing bright red afterwards, but still very happy with herself...
Several months later, on March 27th...
Izumi was humming a happy tune. She was due any time now. Lance had offered to stay with her that day, since Naruto and Hinata had to help with the hatching of Hana and Hogosha's egg, and, naturally, Takeshi decided to be there as well, seeing as Hana and Hogosha were his Pokémon, and this would be their first kit.
"Lance, thanks again for staying with me while everyone is out," Izumi said.
"Sure thing, Izumi, it's no trouble at all. Besides, I like helping out. No one should be alone when they're almost due," Lance replied.
Izumi just smiled, "You'll make a great husband some day. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, but right now, Misty and I are just friends. I would like something to happen between the two of us, though," Lance said.
"Trust me, Lance; she will see that you are a great catch. Plus, your being a Pokémon League Champion doesn't hurt your chances either."
Izumi poured each of them a cup of tea and sat down.
"How did you two meet, anyway?" Izumi asked.
"Well, it was at a League function. She caught my eye because of her temper and her hair; a shade of red, like fire."
"That's sweet, Lance. You care about her looks, but what are her other qualities?" Izumi asked, sipping her tea.
"Well, she's not like other girls, that's for sure. She acts like such a tomboy, but when it's just us, I see a side of her that makes me really like her. She's a water Pokémon Trainer. I've never seen someone with such passion like Misty."
Izumi just smiled at Lance's antics. She got up to clear the table, when suddenly, she felt a rush of water come from her. She gasped loudly.
"Izumi, what's wrong?" Lance asked worriedly.
"My water broke. I'm going to have the baby," Izumi winced as the first contraction started.
"Crap, Naruto and Hinata are still off with Takeshi waiting for Hana and Hogosha's egg to hatch! Izumi, go get comfortable, and I'll make a call. Good thing I had this put in." Lance rushed to the videophone/pokéball transporter and dialed a number. It rang a couple of time before the other line picked up.
"Prof. Oak speaking."
"Prof, it's Lance. Listen, I need you to send over Tsunade right away. Izumi has gone into labor and it's just the two of us. She's the only one I can trust with this kind of task."
"You got it Lance, but if you don't mind me asking, why are you asking for Tsunade?" Oak asked.
"Simple; she's trained in both human and Pokémon health practices. Like I said, she is the only one I can really trust."
"Alright, I will send her over in a second."
Oak left the view of the screen and the teleporter came to life as the pokéball was transferred over.
Once the pokéball was sent over, Lance picked up the pokéball and smiled.
"Nice to see you, old friend. Now we need your help, TSUNADE!"
Lance threw the ball and out came a rather large and strong Blissey. She had a look of true knowledge.
"Lance, what is it you needed?"Blissey asked.
"Izumi has gone into labor, and there's no one else here. You're the only one I trust with something this precious," Lance explained.
Tsunade nodded and went to the bedroom where Izumi was screaming in pain. Tsunade was able to ascertain that Izumi was nearing giving birth.
"Izumi, you're doing well. You're 9 centimeters dilated. Lance, try to find the others. Izumi is going to want them here for this special event," Tsunade said.
Lance nodded and left the cabin to find the others...
Meanwhile, with the others...
Naruto watched in amazement as Hinata took to her job. The newest Vulpix kit was just so adorable. "She's beautiful, isn't she, Hinata?" asked Naruto.
"Yeah, she sure is," Hinata whispered softly, rubbing the little one's ears. Suki trotted over cautiously, not wanting to frighten the newborn vixen, and licked her nose a couple of times, causing the tiny Vulpix to let out happy little cries.
Hana and Hogosha (The Vulpix's parents, both Ninetales, Hogosha being one of Takeshi's more powerful team members, and Hana being Hogosha's mate, not used in battles, but in contests) called over Takeshi and the rest of his team, who had been staying a bit further away so they wouldn't wind up intruding on anything personal.
(Quick Author's Note: Takeshi's team consists of, aside from the two Ninetales, a male Torterra named ForTerra, a female Staraptor named Sora-chan, a female Glaceon named YukiHime, a female Azumarill named MizuBubbly, and a female Luxray named RaiNamida. All are viewed as family by Takeshi, as they all had a part in raising him. Sorry I hadn't mentioned all this earlier. Lance Kumazuki's team will be revealed eventually, too.)
"What are you gonna name her, you two?" Takeshi asked as he came closer, squatting down next to the Vulpix and sniffing her for a second. Naruto raised an eyebrow as he turned to Takeshi's team, and whispered, "You weren't kidding when you said no humans helped raise him, were you?"
When MizuBubbly shook her head, Takeshi decided to put his own two cents in, asking, "Is that really such a bad thing? Humans, out of all the creatures in the world, are the only ones capable of cruelty. Sure, a lot of them are nice, but that's usually only when it's in their best interests. Hiashi Hyuuga and my father are two prime examples of how evil humans can become."
Naruto held Hinata close with his tails, and sighed. "As much as I hate to say it, Takeshi is right about this. But most humans do try to help one another nowadays, and there are fewer acts of cruelty today than there were back when I was human. But now's not the time for such an argument. This little one needs a name," he said, looking at the newborn, then to Hana and Hogosha.
Hana smiled at her daughter. "What do you think of Miyuki as a name, my beautiful little kit?" she asked. The newly named Miyuki smiled, mewling happily as she went to her mother and father. Hogosha sighed, and said, "We'll need to find a trustworthy trainer for her, since Takeshi doesn't have the money to pay to keep another extra team member with him outside of battle. Preferably Lance or Hinata-sama, since we will be with them enough to see her often. But Hinata-sama already has Suki, and having two Pokémon of the same specie on a team isn't usually good strategy for a battle. Takeshi-kun, would you mind asking Lance to take care of little Miyuki for us while we're all together?
Takeshi nodded. "I'll ask him as soon as he gets over here, which, judging from the Senjutsu energy I sense heading this way, shouldn't be more than fifteen seconds!" he said, then disappeared into the ground, and two seconds later, came back holding Lance up by his ankle, and laughed, "I lied. He was actually five minutes away. I just decided to make it take fifteen seconds for him to get here myself!"
Lance sighed. "Would you put me down, you goof? Izumi's gone into labor, and she wants Naruto, Hinata, and Suki there to give her moral support!" he growled, obviously annoyed at his awkward friend's antics. Said friend simply grinned and, after picking Miyuki up in his other arm (and not putting Lance down), ran off in the cabin's direction, shouting back, "Last one there's a rotten Exeggcute!"
And so, everybody headed over to Naruto's cabin, and Lance got his wish to be put down... on his head... Needless to say, Takeshi was gonna get an earful later...
In the cabin, a few minutes later...
Hinata stood next to Naruto, who, in his human form, was holding Izumi's hand as she worked to give birth. As Tsunade instructed what needed to be done, Naruto translated for her.
"Is Mama gonna be okay, Naruto-kun? I remember in my last life that she died giving birth to Hanabi-imouto," Hinata whispered nervously. Naruto smiled warmly to her, and replied, "I'm doing more than just holding her hand, Hinata-chan. I'm also filling her with bits of my life force, which are healing her constantly. She'll be fine this time around, and you'll have both your mama and your baby sister around to love."
Izumi smiled over to Hinata and Naruto despite her pain. "It hurts a lot, baby Hinata, but it's definitely gonna be worth it. I'll let you hold her too, if you want," she panted happily, then cried out again as Hanabi crowned. Hinata let a nervous whimper out, and Naruto held onto her tighter, turning to kiss the top of her head lightly, saying softly, "It's gonna be all right. They'll both get through this."
A little while later, the baby girl was out, wailing loudly, obviously wanting her mama. Naruto had the honor of cutting the umbilical cord, and sealed it in a charm for safekeeping, giving said charm to Izumi. He mentally made a note to himself to find the charm with Hinata's in it soon, and give it to her as well.
Izumi smiled as she held Hanabi. Naruto desperately hoped that this was the reincarnation of the original, as that Hanabi had made a vow to never find love after the original Hinata died, feeling that if Hinata couldn't have a happy ending, that she didn't deserve one for herself. "This time around, I'll make sure you ALL get to have happy endings," Naruto vowed to himself silently, a look of determination appearing on his face.
"So this is what I missed in my last life, huh?" Izumi asked nobody in particular, smiling as Hanabi snuggled against her warmth. Naruto gently lifted Hinata up onto the bed, and Izumi and her two daughters bonded happily as Naruto and the others watched happily.
Noticing a slightly pained look in Naruto's eyes, Izumi gestured for him to come over as well. Naruto hesitated, but after getting puppy-dog eyes from Izumi, Hinata, and, surprisingly, Hanabi, he relented, and climbed onto the bed in his child form, joining the happy family as they rested, and thinking, maybe, just maybe, he might be able to share a happily-ever-after with them someday...
Eleven years later...
Things had changed over the last eleven years. Hinata, Hanabi, Lance, and Takeshi had all grown a decent amount, the latter two having finished growing during this time, and Naruto and Hinata's bond had remained strong. Suki had decided to remain a Vulpix for now, since she enjoyed being held in her mother's arms, and all of the Vulpix Naruto used to watch over had grown into Ninetales eventually, due to exposure to his chakra over time, and had all left to start families of their own. Because of the fact that Team Rocket had been disbanded (we're going with the Heart Gold/Soul Silver time line for this, so they'll be back), no more Vulpix had been orphaned, and Naruto was now freed up to go with Hinata on her journey, which they had decided to postpone until she was sixteen.
Unfortunately, a few months after Hinata turned fourteen, Naruto had begun getting nervous about something. Hinata would ask what was wrong, but Naruto would avoid the subject, and would just plain vanish via Hiraishin when Hinata pressed for information. Eventually, he began avoiding her altogether, but left notes in places where she'd find them, telling her that he missed being around her. The handwriting over the few months before Hinata's sixteenth birthday had started becoming more and more erratic, until three days before the special day, when the letters stopped coming entirely. This led Hinata and the others to believe that Naruto was either ill or in physical pain; perhaps both. Finally, the night before Hinata's birthday came, and it was time for them to get ready to head to a Pokémon League Function, so that Lance and Takeshi could officially take her on as their shared apprentice. However, when Hinata went to Naruto's room to get him, she found the place to be a horrible mess, indicating something had happened. The window had been left open, and Hinata didn't see any footprints in the snow, meaning he'd been gone for a while. She had to tell the others...
In the foyer, a few minutes after Hinata's discovery...
"He's gone?" was the simultaneous response when Hinata announced why Naruto hadn't come with her when she went to get him.
Hinata nodded. "The room was a complete mess, and the window was open, but there weren't any footprints in the snow, meaning he's been gone for a while! I knew I should have checked on him earlier..." she whimpered, then began to cry, collapsing to her knees. "Please, help me find him..."
Hanabi gritted her teeth. "We'll find him, Neechan. Naruto-niichan has a lot of explaining to do for making you cry!" she exclaimed. Takeshi and Lance nodded, and began gathering Senjutsu energy, hoping Naruto was near enough for them to sense.
After only a few seconds, Takeshi and Lance both opened their eyes wide, with shocked expressions on their faces. "Crud! His energy is going crazy! Takeshi, use your Underground Fish technique to take Hinata and Suki to him, then both of you take him to the Viridian City Pokémon Center the same way. I'll call Gary and let him know to tell the others we'll have to hold the function there, and then I'll take Izumi, Hanabi, and Pikachu there on Ryukage's (Lance's Salamence) back. We've gotta move quick!" Lance ordered the group.
Hinata's eyes widened. "What's wrong with Naruto-kun?" she asked worriedly. Takeshi shook his head, and answered, "I don't know exactly what it is, but he's hurt, and not doing too well. Come on, let's get going!"
And so, everybody got moving, hoping to get to their destinations in time...
A few minutes later, deep in the forest surrounding the cabin...
Naruto panted heavily, horrible pain coursing through his entire body. He was seriously feeling like shit, and the snowy weather wasn't exactly helping.
"Dammit... Gotta stay awake..." he groaned, then tried to get up again. He hadn't moved for over three hours after falling down, and the snow was starting to cover his immobile body. Unfortunately, due to his powers being used entirely to keep him conscious and alive, he had gotten a horrible fever, something that had never happened even once in his entire life, and it sucked. Not only that, but it just added on to the things that were wrong with his body at the moment.
"Maybe I should just give up... After all, happy endings only happen in fairy tales..." he thought to himself, just as he blacked out.
However, instead of finding peace, he was woken up by a conk to the head. "Baka! Don't you remember? Tales of a Gutsy Ninja had a happy ending, and that was no fairy tale! And this sure as Hell isn't going to be the end of The Tale of Uzumaki Naruto!" Jiraiya's voice shouted, obviously annoyed. "Get up, Gaki! I didn't train a quitter! We all entrusted out Will of Fire to you! Besides, what do you think would happen to Hinata if you died?"
Images of Hinata crying, growing up lonely, and eventually giving up on life and killing herself flashed through his head. "In contrast to that, what do you think would happen if you live through this? She won't be angry with you for what's happening to you! You know very well she'd understand your situation, help you with it, and live happily with you by her side from then on! Why are you being so stubborn?" Jiraiya scolded, as images of Naruto and Hinata being happy together, raising their family together, and, eventually, when the apocalypse came, finding peace at last, with their spirits in heaven, and their bodies preserved in a loving embrace forevermore.
Naruto sighed. "Don't blame me, Ero-sennin. I got my stubbornness from my mom," he muttered, then chuckled a bit, and said, "Okay, you win. I'll keep going..."
As Naruto opened his eyes, before he came back to reality, he saw all of his departed friends smiling at him. "I'll see you all again when time ends. I promise, dattebayo!" he quietly exclaimed, then opened his eyes for real this time...
Later, at the Pokémon Center...
Naruto awoke slowly, feeling only a small amount of pain. A light shone above him, and he could smell medications in the room. Soon, he heard voices speaking, and recognized them to be Hinata's and Nurse Joy's.
"H-he's in heat?" Hinata asked, sounding alarmed.
"That's the only conclusion I could come to, given the information you gave me. He seems to have been this way for at least a year now. Since he's obviously male, that means it was caused by the menstrual cycle of something that's capable of bearing his children. I think... I think it's your cycle that has him like this. That's the reason why he's been avoiding you, I think. He was afraid of hurting you. However, as of a few months ago, you are healthy enough for such activity, as well as childbirth. While you aren't of legal age, this is an emergency, and you have confided that you've wanted that kind of relationship with him... The painkillers won't last more than a few hours longer, so you should do it as soon as he wakes up. Try to make it enjoyable, for both of your sakes," Nurse Joy said, then walked away. Naruto heard the door to the room close, and he could now sense only Hinata and himself in that room.
Hinata sighed, and sat down next to Naruto on the hospital bed. "Are you feeling okay now, Naruto-kun?" she asked gently, moving so she was looking him in the eyes. Naruto was almost heartbroken when he saw her face. It appeared that she had been crying for at least an hour, and even now, her tears still hadn't dried.
"I'm a lot better than I was before, but I can sense that the painkillers are what are doing that. I'll be fine for at least a few hours, so we can find some other solution to this-" Naruto said, then was interrupted when Hinata wrapped her arms around him.
"Why do you do this? Why do you push everybody away from you like this?" she asked, sobbing against Naruto's shoulder. "You sacrifice your well-being too easily. Let me do this for you. It's not like I wasn't wanting such a thing myself..."
Naruto sighed. "You realize that if you go through with this, you'll become immortal like I am, and you'll outlive pretty much everybody you meet, besides our children and me, right? Are you sure you want to live like that?" he asked, hoping Hinata would seriously weigh her options.
Hinata smiled. "I've been aware of that for a long time now. But you're suffering the same thing already, all alone... If I join you in being immortal, you won't have to be alone anymore, and I'll always have you with me, and our babies, too..." she explained, then pleaded, "Please, Naruto-kun, just make me yours to keep. I'll do my best to make it wonderful for you..."
Naruto smiled warmly. "If you're that sure, who am I to tell you no?" he said, then shifted into his hanyou form and pressed his lips against hers passionately.
Begin Lemon
Hinata blushed cutely, feeling her body heating up as Naruto kissed her. She moaned softly when Naruto's hands began rubbing her back, despite the fact that she was still fully clothed. Soon, Naruto's hands moved under her shirt, rubbing her bare back softly. Hinata could feel the power in his arms, despite how gentle he was being, and would have smiled at the feeling had her mouth not been occupied at the moment.
After a little bit, Naruto decided to deepen the kiss, and licked his tongue against Hinata's lips. Hinata complied, and opened her mouth, allowing Naruto's tongue to explore the inside of her mouth, as her own tongue massaged it. From what Hinata could tell, Naruto was inexperienced at this, despite his age, and it both saddened and warmed her heart, knowing that even after her death, he had been faithful to her, and did not interact this way with any other woman. Soon, Naruto allowed Hinata's tongue the same reign in his mouth, and after they realized they were in need of breath, they slowly separated, gazing into each other's eyes as they pulled apart.
It was then that Hinata realized that Naruto was already naked, and she smacked herself mentally for forgetting that his clothes were a part of his shape-shifting, and therefore he would just make them go away if they were going to do something like this. Then Hinata looked down, and gulped a bit at the size of Naruto's "package". It was bulging to its full size, and it looked like it would be very painful to Naruto if it weren't for the painkillers. Hinata moved her head towards it, intending to do something she'd read about once, called a blowjob, but Naruto's hands quickly stopped her.
"You don't want to do that, at least not this time around. It's all gonna come out at once when I climax, and it's not meant to go in your mouth. You might actually drown if too much comes out," Naruto explained, then added, "What comes out won't be semen, rather, it'll be a liquified form of my power. When it enters your womb, your body will absorb it, and you'll become like me. That's what Lady Arceus said, anyway."
Hinata nodded, and moved back a bit, undressing herself until she was in nothing but her undergarments. Naruto gasped at the sight. While they were white, which isn't exactly a 'sexy' color, the lace patterns on her bra and panties mesmerized him, and covering skin that was the pale, yet healthy shade it was, made him think he was looking at an angel. Noticing his stare, Hinata looked away shyly, and wrapped her arms around herself, a blush covering her face and part of her neck.
"I knew it... You're an angel, Hinata," Naruto whispered as he moved closer and turned her head to face him.
"I'm... a-an angel?" Hinata stammered, finding it hard to believe that Naruto found her to be that beautiful. Naruto nodded. "And soon, you'll be my angel. And I'll be the unworthy sap who's your husband!" Naruto said, chuckling at the last part. Hinata blushed, then gathered up her courage and pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're wrong, Naruto-kun... You are worthy of an angel. So I'll be yours," she whispered softly, pulling him into a deep kiss.
Naruto accepted the kiss, continuing it for a bit and rubbing Hinata's shoulders, arms, and back, until he decided to do a little more exploring of Hinata's body, and his mouth moved to her neck and his hands began fumbling with her bra. Hinata squirmed under his touch, and moaned softly, enjoying the feeling of Naruto's tongue and lips sucking on her neck. Hinata eventually gained enough coherent thought to realize that Naruto was trying to remove her bra, and she brought her hands back to aid him in removing said article of clothing. As soon as it was out of the way, Naruto's mouth and hands began making their way from their previous positions to her breasts, his hands gently cupping and fondling them, and his tongue rubbing against the sensitive mounds. Hinata let out a cry of delight when she felt her breasts being touched by her lover, and laid down on the bed, feeling overwhelmed by the new sensations running through her body.
Naruto moved back, gazing at his lover's nearly bare body. Her breasts were a pale color, like the rest of her body, and were an attractive size, being somewhat large, but still small enough to fit in his hand when he held them. They were obviously very sensitive, considering the fact that her pinkish-colored nipples had already hardened, and they heaved up and down as Hinata struggled to catch her breath. Naruto's nose alerted him to the scent of Hinata's love juices, which had been released recently. Looking down at his lover's panties, Naruto found that his nose was correct, seeing as the crotch area had become damp, and had darkened because of it. Naruto decided then that he would uncover Hinata's secret spot, and pulled her panties off of her.
Realizing the she and her lover were now both naked before each other, and that her body was exposed before him, Hinata began blushing all the way from her face to her shoulders. Then, when she realized where Naruto's face was, she closed her legs tightly, feeling nervous. Figuring out that Hinata was feeling self-conscious, Naruto moved up to her face and began to whisper sweet nothings into her ear as his hands and tails began to roam her body. "You're very beautiful, Hinata-chan. You don't have to hide it; I'm not gonna think it's ugly after seeing how beautiful it looked before you closed your legs," Naruto reassured her as one hand rubbed her breasts and the other rubbed a spot near her crotch that seemed to be pleasing her. Soon, Hinata's legs stopped resisting, and Naruto's tails spread them apart, rubbing them affectionately as he gripped them.
Naruto then moved his face up to Hinata's glistening folds. Hinata whimpered slightly in anticipation when he spread her nether lips with his thumbs.. Suddenly, Hinata cried out, feeling Naruto's wet tongue rubbing against her labia and probing inside of her. "N-Naruto-kun, that's... AAAAAHH!" she stammered, then screamed when Naruto began fingering her clit. Immediately stopping, Naruto asked, "Are you alright?"
"Don't stop! Oh, Kami, keep going, Naruto!" Hinata cried out. Naruto did as he was told, and Hinata squirmed with pleasure under his ministrations. Soon, she cried out again, arched her back, and let her love juices come flowing out. Naruto cleaned her with his tongue, then got a serious look on his face and looked Hinata in the eyes. "Next is the main part. If you want to stop now, just tell me," he said.
Hinata caught her breath, and smiled. "I've loved you for a long time, Naruto-kun, and I've been waiting for this for almost as long. Please try to be gentle with me," she said happily. Naruto nodded, and positioned himself at her entrance. He pushed in slowly, letting Hinata get used to the feeling of his member inside of her. Hinata whimpered slightly while this was happening, then let out a tiny cry when Naruto got to her hymen. He looked her in the eyes and she nodded. She was ready. Naruto pulled out to the tip, then thrust in all the way. Hinata bit her lip to keep from crying out. It hadn't hurt as much as she thought it would, but the pain was still enough to at least startle her.
Hinata smiled and looked up at Naruto. "Looks like I'm one of the lucky girls who loses her hymen without it hurting too much," she said happily, then reached up to rub Naruto's whisker-marks with her fingers and whispered, "Now we're one, Naruto-kun..." Naruto nodded, smiling back at her, then began moving in and out slowly, causing Hinata and himself to let out moans of pleasure.
"Damn, Hinata-chan, you're so tight! Are you sure this doesn't hurt?" he asked, then gasped when Hinata's inner walls clenched his girth. "I'm sure, Naruto-kun. I feel so warm inside right now! I feel... complete!" Hinata reassured him. They continued thrusting their hips against each other, all the while letting their hands roam each others bodies. Finally, Hinata cried out again, hitting her climax, and Naruto kissed her, letting his power flow into her. Whatever it was that went inside Hinata, despite not being semen, was warm and thick, and filled her to the brim, until it seemed to be absorbed into her. A pleasant pulsing sensation filled her body, and just as she felt the changes starting, she passed out...
End Lemon
About an hour later...
Hinata awoke to hear two sets of snoring, one was deeper, and obviously from Naruto, and one was obviously from her baby girl Suki, who she guessed Naruto had brought in after she passed out. She lifted her hands to the top of her head, and found a pair of fox ears. Uncertain as to what color they were, she lifted the blanket that covered her, and looked at her tails, which she found to be a deep blue-black color. A few were wrapped around Suki, keeping her warm, and the rest had intertwined with Naruto's tails, causing her to feel a feeling of being complete, like she had earlier. She looked in a mirror across the room to see that her human ears were gone, and her fox ears were, like her tails, a bluish-black color. She smiled and moved them around a little, then tested out her tails a bit, finding that moving them came as naturally to her as moving any other part of her body.
A strong arm wrapped around her and pulled her back into the bed with its owner. "Happy birthday, Hinata-chan," Naruto whispered happily, and the three of them snuggled, intending to stay that way for a while longer...
End Chapter Three
A/N: Hello again everyone. Lance Kumazuki here with the final words for this chapter. Chewie was the one who wrote the lemon. We had a great time writing this chapter and we hope you will all enjoy it as well.