Here is the latest chapter of My Own Peace. I know most readers were expecting a new chapter on Kitsune Clan, but there is a lot that is running through my mind on this story currently. There are some good momement in here, and a lot of it is filler that would normally be asked if I just skipped them. I figured i would fill this capter to avoid the questions. There are also a lot of other questions that will arise that will be answered in the next infamous fifth chapter (ch. 20). Speaking of the next fifth chapter i want to remind everyone that it is coming soon. Please if you have any request make it before i start it. I would really like to get your ideas on what you would like to see or know in this fiction. I hope that the length makes up for it.
Shout Outs:
ex-ellent: A lot of your questions will be answered in the next chapter. I have some great ideas concerning the Hyuga's and the old farts. Some I think are origional, at least I haven't read one with my ideas in them yet.
Kingkakashi: I thought of the rings on a whim actually. The back story about the whole chakra control came later when I needed reasoning for it all. As far as the instant forgiveness, I must admit, that I don't like it at all either. The Naruto in this story though has a bit of my philosophy in him. If Sakura was to return any kindness to Naruto, his relationship with Hinata would be different. He is actually happy about the way that things has turned out and doesn't resent the past because it has given him his current life with Hinata and Kushina. I account this to his maturity being increased with the duties and responabilities he has to face now.
anon: The story behind the seal removal can often find ground in the real world as well. If you were to travel to another country to visit or live, you would have to do so by thier laws. In Uzushiogakure, when Neji accepted his mission, he had to abide by Uzu laws. One law in Uzu is that no man may live as a servent to another. The seal its self if a sign of servitude.
Hektols: This was a response I was waiting to get to and looked forward to. The teleportation jutsu does not have a problem with chakra usage as I see it. When Minato used it to transport the Kyubi it was only to a location just outside the village, not a great distance. In this fiction I have put a distance of two weeks travel time from Uzu to Konoha, that is a long distance. On top of the distance there is also the matter of travelling across the large expanse of water with the jutsu also, something that is continuously changing at all times. Weight played no determining factor in it. The concept of the apartment being a dump is not far off in the anime. It is a studio apartment that does have the appearance of a low end district where low income housing is found. Couple that with the resentment of the villagers and you have a good imaginative senerio. The manga and anime wasted the great abilities of Itachi just to free Sasuke of Orochimaru. Itachi should have been able to do that easily without wasting his own life in the process.
Hinata-Win: Some parts will seemed a little rushed, it is sometimes intentional, sometimes not. If at anytime that something seemes rushed and you would like me to expand on it let me know. I include everything like that in the infamous fifth chapters. This is where I develope other relationships, explain other lands and people, and expand on topics others leave in reviews and PM's. I may even put in an Omake or other concepts. The remainder of the Akatski will be coming up and it will get hairy, but there will be some other obsticals first. I don't want to end this book to soon. I look forward to starting the second book in the Peace series, but I want this one to be well written.
Naruto and Hinata had been back at the apartment for nearly an hour and started to get things settled in. Hinata had unpacked their clothes while Naruto fed Kushina before she was to go down for her nap. After eating a light lunch themselves they sat at the small table and were about to go through the things they wanted to do during their time in Konoha. Naruto of course wanted to make as many stops at Ichiraku's as he possibly could. His next destination would of course be where his parents were buried. Since his departure he had not been able to visit and pay proper respect after discovering who they really were to him. The only priority on Hinata's list was of course being able to see her sister, if she could get past the Hyuga clan members that would likely stand in the way.
Attempting to get into more detailed plans would have to wait as they were planning to visit the new academy that was built after the attack from Pain, a knock was heard on the door. "That took a little longer than I expected," Naruto said as he went to answer the door. "They must have forgotten where I lived".
Hinata looked at her husband a little puzzled, "Why are we staying here? This place isn't ours, and won't the landlord be upset at us just moving in for the time we are here?"
Before he reached the door the blonde looked back with a cheeky grin, "Sakura was partially right. No one actually lives here, but not out of reverence because it is the old home of the fallen hero. We own the place actually. I bought it after the rebuild, while we were still setting up Uzu. I knew we would have to come back sometime, and it just didn't feel right to stay at the inn or at the Hokage estate. Despite everything that happened here, it still feels like home in this place".
Unsealing the door, Naruto turned the knob, wondering who had decided to show first. Letting it swing open the person, he hoped would be the last to show was standing there in the doorway. The twin blonde ponytails hanging down her back and her teal over shirt looked as though she had been through a struggle. If there was any indication of her mood it was the deep scowl on her face and the timid image of her assistant behind her. "Baa-chan, I thought I asked for a little more time before we had any visitors?"
The anger burning in her eyes could have melted steel. "Na-ru-to," she loudly got out as she grabbed the young man by the front of his shirt.
Unexpectedly Naruto moved closer to her quickly and placed his hand on her mouth in an attempt to keep her silent, "Shh, Kushi-chan is sleeping". He paused a moment to listen for the inevitable cry, but when none came he breathed a sigh of relief and released the older woman, who was in shock at the comment. "Now if you can keep it down you can come in. Kushi-chan doesn't do too well when her naps are interrupted". He walked back into the apartment much to the surprise of Tsunade as she didn't even realize she had released his shirt.
Gathering her senses she walked inside the home, with awe on her face. She had not visited the place since it was destroyed and refused to come to the remodeled building as it reminded her of her blonde knucklehead. "N-naruto, you have a baby? But, how?"
As she rounded the corner and the young couple came into view she looked at the boys' face, which incidentally was looking at her as if she was the child without the knowledge of the 'birds and bees'. Then Tsunade saw Hinata who had a blush on her face that brought back a slew of memories of when the girl was younger. "I know 'how'. Just how did all this happen?" She could feel her anger well up in her at the deception that she had been through. She did her best to stamp it down but there was a slight edge in her voice that didn't go unnoticed. "Why did this happen?"
Naruto hung his head while Hinata stayed quiet; it was not her story to tell. "War," Naruto said in a somber tone. "There was a threat of war after Pain had failed to capture me and extract the Kyubi. After what had happened in the aftermath I couldn't let that happen again. Most of the village had died due to the onslaught, and it is only by the faith that Nagato had in our dream, that they were brought back. The next time something like that happens, there is no coming back," he said with a sigh.
"Did you really have to go through all this though? You could have come to me, I could have done something," Tsunade responded with a raised voice.
Naruto picked up his Uzukage hat that was sitting on the table, catching Tsunade's attention, "This was actually not in my plans at all. Before Hinata caught up to me I had just planned on disappearing". Hinata smiled at the turn of events that their lives had taken, Naruto returned her grin, not regretting anything. "When you sent the other teams after us I had to come up with something that would stop you from pursuing us. Ero-sannin and I had to disappear a few times while being chased, during the time we went away for training. Faking our death was one of them, and we were near an area that gave me that option".
Tsunade nodded, just imagining Jiraiya faking his death while women chased him after he was caught doing 'research'.
"Going to my clan's homeland was always on my list, to look for information that would allow me to avert the war and defeat the one who called himself Tobi. It was there…" Naruto was cut off.
Tsunade's mind was whirling at the realization that he found his families homeland, more so that he knew that there was once an Uzumaki clan. "So you know don't you?"
Naruto looked up to the Hokage with a questioning expression. There was so much he had discovered that he couldn't imagine what she was implying.
"Your parents?" she clarified.
He smiled, and then nodded, "Yeah, I found out during the fight with Pain. My father sealed some of his chakra within me when he sealed the fox. He was the one that fixed the seal after I tried to pull it from the cage when Hinata was injured. I briefly met my mother when I started to acquire the full force of the Kyubi's chakra".
"And you still stayed aw… You have full use of the demon's chakra?" Tsunade stammered out once she processed what he had said.
He chuckled remembering when Kurama started to become civil, even if only by a small amount. "Yeah, it took some convincing but we came to an agreement of sorts. Now he has been helping me, pushing me to my limits".
Tsunade decided she needed a seat and took one without prompting, "Why didn't you come back when you found out who your parents were?"
"Aside from not wanting to put Konoha through a war after the destruction of the village, I found that I was able to gather better information by not being alive. I reactivated ero-sannin's spy network and backed it up with the toads," he said while pushing out his chest in a manner that showed how proud he was.
"We could have done that here, with you," Tsunade said, not wanting to concede defeat and wanting more of a reason for him to have stayed in the first place.
Hoping that his desire to protect his precious people and averting war would have been a good enough reason, he had to admit to how hurt the older blonde felt at his suggested betrayal. Naruto stood up from his chair and crossed the distance to the woman. He looked down at her face before he knelt in front of her. The next thing he did shook her to the core; he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug, followed by whispered words, "I'm sorry".
That was the undoing of the woman as she broke down into unrestrained sobs. She cried uncontrollably, for the first time in years. The last time she had succumbed to her emotions to such an extent was when Dan had died. Here she was now, crying into the arms of a young blonde who was only old enough to be her grandson.
Hinata looked at the two with mixed emotions. Joy was more than evident as the smile played across her lips, but if one was to look into her eyes they would see the sadness that she felt for the two. Hinata more than anyone else understood Naruto, even though he was often unpredictable, knew what he felt in his heart. Most would have seen the way he addressed the woman as a form of disrespect, but she knew that the reason he called her 'baa-chan' was because he truly looked at her as if she was his grandmother.
Naruto held her for several minutes, letting her pour emotions onto his jacket. The bonding would not last though as they were interrupted by the startling sounds of a child's cry. Naruto knew the cry as he had heard it many nights when Hinata was too tired to get out of bed with their child, so Naruto would graciously step forward to do so to allow his wife some well-deserved rest. He pulled away from Tsunade and looked back at his wife in a pleading manner, which she nodded and went to retrieve Kushina. This allowed Tsunade to make an attempt to regain her composure before they could get to more light-hearted conversation as Naruto would be sure to make an attempt at.
Hinata returned shortly with Kushina in hand and placed her into Naruto's waiting arms even though he was still kneeling in front of Tsunade. "Would you like to see our daughter, Kushina-chan?" Naruto inquired.
Tsunade looked down at the blonde baby with the pale eyes, noting that the name of the child was after his mother. The reason why she would have to inquire about later, right now she needed a distraction and what would be better than holding a child, especially one that was as cute as Kushina. As Tsunade took the baby the young couple smiled at her and the way they interacted, Naruto wondering if this would have been the way his mother would have been with little Kushina as well. Hinata on the other hand had a set of different thoughts run through her mind; one was of sadness, that her mother was not here to witness her budding family. The second was that her relationship with her father would not likely turn out results that would see him playing with her daughter.
"I should probably go let Kakashi-sensei in. He probably thinks we are trying to ignore him," Naruto said as he stood up.
"I was," Tsunade giggled, not sure if the sound was due to the admission or of a coo that Kushina made while being played with.
Rolling his eyes Naruto made his way to his window and opened it up. Kakashi was kneeling there, appearing to be reading a book, one of his recent releases, when he looked up at the occupants of the room beyond the pane of glass. "Yo".
"Hey Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said as he allowed the one eyed man into the room.
"I thought he said to give him a few hours Kakashi?" Tsunade said looking over Kushina's head.
Kakashi looked to the blonde woman and smiled at the sight, "The same could be said to you".
"Ha, I'm the Hokage. I have special privileges," came a haughty tone from the woman.
Kakashi leaned down, eye level with her and gave her his patented eye-smile while pointing at himself, "Hokage in training, I'm just taking a lead from your exemplary example".
Tsunade turned her head away from him, muttering to herself about silver haired Cyclops.
Naruto watched the exchange and it steeled his resolve and determination that he had made the right choice in leaving. Moods were relaxed and people would likely remain jovial, unlike the mood that would have gripped the village if they were entrenched in a war.
"How have you been Naruto?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto smiled, figuring he could at least tease his old sensei a little, maybe enough to brighten Tsunade's spirits. "Ok, Kakashi-sensei. The question I want to know is how has your writing been coming along?"
Looking a little sheepish at first but with a smile that could be seen from under his mask, "Really good. In fact the publisher wants me to finish another book, and soon. He has even paid fifty percent projected earnings, in advance".
"Did you really have to use Kurenai-sensei so much in it though?" Hinata asked. He face was a little red at the memory when she had seen those drawings of her former teacher in such provocative ways, with and without clothing. Of course they were just drawings, and not photos, but Kakashi had used his Sharingan and was able to transcribe the image in great detail. "I could have gone my entire life without seeing so much of her".
Tsunade chuckled, "Are you kidding me? I had a hard time looking at her for months every time she would come in asking for mission assignments for her team. She cornered me outside my office one day asking me why I was upset with her that I couldn't even look her in the eyes". Tsunade then winced in pain as Kushina had finally attained her target, one of the twin ponytails that the woman was teasing the baby with.
Naruto looked back at Kakashi who seemed to be in a day dream. Quickly shaking his head to clear the images of his soon to be wife he answered, "It was really her idea. I was innocent in all of it," making a mock expression of someone who had just been taken advantage of.
"I think ero-sannin would have been pleased with it at least. Although, I did find something interesting when I went to recover some of his belongings from some of the tunnel networks," Naruto said. He stood up fully and started to walk down the short hall. "I got it in my bag, I'll be right back".
"See even Naruto thinks that Jiraiya-sama would have appreciated it," Kakashi said.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes in defiance, "That old pervert would appreciate anything naked from the opposite sex".
"Not true really. You should have seen him when he snuck into the women's bath but didn't notice the sign outside that said 'Senior's Night'. It took me three days to get him out of that state of shock," Naruto said as he came back into the room. Naruto walked up to Kakashi and placed a small package in his sensei's hands and then turned to Tsunade to get Kushina and place an identical object in Tsunade's hands. Returning the child to Hinata's arms he stood by her, waiting for the show to commence.
Hinata looked at the packages and her eyes widened, "You didn't?" she questioned her husband. The only response was a wide grin that would have threatened to split his head in half, and a glint of mischief in his eyes that she has come to know like second nature. "That is an image I can live without also".
Kakashi's hands began to shake as the muscle memory told his mind of what was in the package. It is the same length, width, depth, and even the same weight. It has to be, but there wasn't any more. Could he have written another? No, his last one released just before he died. There wasn't enough time to really start another. He tore the front of the package and was greeted by the yellow cover. There was a small drawing on the cover that looked as if there was an angry woman standing in a defiant manner while a man walked away from behind her, as if she had just denied his feelings. The title of the book gave the explanation, 'Icha Icha: Broken Hearted'. Kakashi carefully opened the book and shuffled through the first few pages before he came to a stop. Immediately his face turned red. Slowly he raised his head to peer over the book and looked at his soon to be predecessor. Then he looked at the page again, then back at the woman. Then he noticed the she too was opening the package, just in a more civilized manner.
Tsunade was looking at the cover of the same book that Kakashi was staring at. It was definitely her former teammate's style, with the exception of the title. His normal works were about a damsel in distress of some sort and a brave and handsome man would come to her rescue, where she would reward him with her body. The title just didn't match.
"This was the first one he ever wrote, before the official Icha Icha was ever released. This book is what started it all, but he would never publish this one. Kakashi-sensei has a copy of the original, which you have Baa-chan," Naruto said.
She stared in wonder at why he would never publish this one but she nodded to the young man none the less. She then opened the book to some page in the middle and froze, as if time had just decided to stop at that point.
"Oh my," Shizune gasped as she looked over her mentor's shoulder at the image on display. The dark haired woman now had a face that matched the one eyed man's in the room. Mouth hung open in a shocked state; she tried to comprehend what she was seeing.
Tsunade started to shake, while Naruto just grinned. If he had a chance he would have gotten a bag of popcorn for the show. To the woman though, this was a snapshot. This was an excerpt from her life, many years ago. A memory that she had pushed aside for more years than she cared to remember, was displayed on paper. The woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to her was in the throes of passion with her white haired teammate.
Two ponytails whipped through the air as she narrowed her eyes on her successor, knowing now what he had in his hands. "Give me that book," she growled out.
Kakashi stood ramrod straight and the book disappeared in less time than one could blink their eye. Chuckling lightly while backing up to the window, "I just remembered I have to go right now. You see, um, Kurenai-chan wanted to come for a visit later, and I need to make sure she can find the place and all. That's right, she might get lost; don't want any thugs harassing her now would we". Tsunade made a leap for the man to capture the book, but just as she started to move Kakashi made a flying leap out the window, head first in a dive motion.
"Get back here you cycloptic perverted freak. I swear I will pop out your eyes and you won't have to worry about reading that book," Tsunade yelled out the window when she reached it.
The shouting woman was interrupted by the sound of knocking on the apartment door. Hoping that Kakashi had made an attempt at doubling back, thinking that she would have chased after him, she started for the door, stomping along the way.
"Naruto, why are you staying here? Not that I wouldn't allow it, but you don't own this place anymore," the Hokage said while she was making her way to the door.
Naruto scratched the back of his head and gave her a smile. "We actually do own it. I bought it under a pseudonym after the place was completed and I found out they were selling it. It just holds a lot of memories and I couldn't let it go," he said with a cheeky grin.
Tsunade reached the door and yanked it open. Before she even took notice of the knocker she grabbed the person by the front of their shirt and yanked them inside. There was a slight thud as if someone was slammed against the wall and a groan of pain, "Give me that book you pervert!" she yelled at the person.
"Hokage-sama, can you let go please, I think you cracked a rib?" a gruff voice groaned out. Not a moment later there was another thud, Naruto hoping that the person was now out of the clutches of his former Kage.
"Sorry Kiba," Tsunade said with irritation still in her voice. "Have you seen Kakashi?"
There were some shuffling sounds from around the corner and the person tried to right themselves. "No."
"Then what are you doing here, Kiba?" Tsunade questioned.
Here was a light pause as if a slow computation device was searching for the answers, and then there was another thud. "Is it true? Is she alive? Kurenai-sensei told me she was here".
There was another slight shuffle of sounds and movements before another young man with bushy hair and a fanged grin rounded the corner of the hall, only to stop dead in his tracks. There sitting before him was his former long lost teammate. The one thought to be dead. His eye sight narrowed on her. Slowly he approached her, "H-h-hinata-chan, is that really you?"
Hinata looked at her former teammate with a sincere smile, but before she could respond he quickly closed the gap and gripped her by the shoulder. Much to her surprise she sat there wide-eyed, in shock.
Kiba looked deep into her eyes, sniffed the air around her to make sure she was not just an illusion. "Hinata! It is you. You are real; I thought you were dead, what happened? This is a miracle. I can't believe your back. I'm so relieved. I thought I would never see you again. If you're here, who did we bury?"
The statements and questions came in a flurry, with no pause for air. Kiba then started to lean in close to her to grip the young woman in a hug, until he heard a giggle of an infant. Kiba stopped mid action and looked down at the little blonde haired girl in Hinata's lap. He took particular notice of the girls eyes, they were Hyuga eyes just like Hinata's, except they had a slight blue tint to them rather than the lavender of his teammates. The girl was giggling while gripping the drawstring from his jacket.
"Heya Kiba," interrupted Naruto.
Kiba didn't even take notice of the voice that called out his name. This kid, she smells like Hinata. It couldn't be, could it? How despicable. And look at her with such a brave smile on her face, not a care in the world, he thought. "Hinata-chan, we are going to fix this. Who did this to you, I will tear them apart?"
"What?" Hinata said.
Naruto looked at the sight with a little irritation, "Kiba".
Anything outside of his mind was not registering at this point. "Don't worry Hinata-chan, I will treat you right," he said as he scooped up Hinata and Kushina bridal style. "I will love you like you should be, instead of being cast out by that filthy bastard. I will treat your daughter just like my very own. She can even have her own puppy. There was a new litter just a month ago".
Fright was seen in the eyes of Hinata, if only Kiba could have seen it as well. "Kiba," she tried to say as he whirled her around and started to make his way to the door.
"We don't have to worry about that now. We will go to the records office and get the marriage contract started right away. You will have your honor once again Hinata-chan". Kiba started for the door when he was blocked by the hand of the Hokage against his chest. "Hokage-sama, I'm glad you're here. You can expedite the process and get us married that much faster. Of course I will need two weeks off from missions for our honeymoon".
If anyone was to look at Hinata they would have seen her turn a sickly green at the thought. "Kiba," Tsunade interrupted his tirade.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," he said questioningly.
Tsunade spun him around to face a glaring image of Naruto. His eyes widened at the image of his long lost friend, "Naruto, you're alive too? I'm so glad you're here buddy. Look at what some bastard did to Hinata-chan. He used her and forced her to have a child against her will. Then he tossed her out into the streets. She was only just able to escape and return to us. I need you to help me track him down, and beat him until he begs for death".
Tsunade was not sure where Kiba had concocted this fantasy from, but she was going to have him sent to the mental ward in the hospital for an evaluation once he recovered from Naruto's thrashing.
"Kiba, put my wife and daughter down gently," Naruto growled out.
Finally everyone could see the cogs in Kiba start to click. He looked down at the woman in his arms; she had a little green look to her face, but was smiling at him none the less. "You and him?" he motioned toward Naruto. There was a nod in response. "And she is yours and his?" he motioned to Kushina. Another nod followed the question. A look of dread crossed Kiba's face, one that would only be recognized by those that had seen the Shinigami coming for their soul. Slowly and meticulously he set his former teammate down ensuring that she stood up right and had a firm footing before he released her to her own strength.
"N-n-naruto, I-I-I am s-sorry. I-I-I didn't-t know," Kiba stuttered out before he quickly turned after noticing Naruto getting closer to him. He started to make a hasty retreat for the door until he felt himself plowed over by a blur of purple and blonde. There were foot prints all across his body as the object came to a stop just a few feet past him.
The appearance of the new guest, who had taken the opportunity of the door being open, just ran in without another thought. The image was followed by the squeal of, "Hinata, Naruto".
Naruto stopped dead in his tracks when the blur of colors passed him. He looked for his intended target and noticed him implanted into the floor boards of his apartment; heavy set footprints crossed his body. That should be enough punishment, for now at least.
"I told you they were alive, Ino-pig," someone called from
the hallway.
Crowding his wife, stood Ino, who was holding her in the most awkward hug he thought imaginable. "Ino, it is good to see you," Naruto said.
Ino turned her head toward the young man and squealed. "Naruto, I-I-I…" she stammered out when she saw him standing there with a smile on his face. Oh Kami he is hot. I wish I knew he would have turned out like that back in the academy. I would have had him wrapped around my fingers by now, she thought. "Hinata you lucky girl, you finally bagged him didn't you. I have to say I'm a little jealous that you get to curl up next to that piece of meat every night".
Naruto looked at Hinata, he couldn't pass up the chance, and to his delight he was rewarded. There in Ino's arms was a bright red Hinata. Since they had been together her shyness had faded quite a lot. He always thought she was extraordinarily cute when she blushed. Now he just hoped she didn't faint while holding Kushina.
"And you have a baby too, can I hold her?" the girl squealed.
"Ino-pig, let her go. And quit teasing her," Sakura said as she entered the room. She walked forward to cross the room. Suddenly it felt like she kicked something. Looking down she noticed a very Kiba like form passed out with what looked like shoeprints across his body. That looks like Ino's size, she thought. "Sorry Kiba," she said as she stepped over him to get to Ino and Hinata. "Didn't I tell you she was adorable?"
Naruto started to zone out the coming shrills of praise for Kushina and Hinata, as he heard it time and time again. "Baa-chan," he yelled hoping to get Tsunade's attention. When she finally addressed him he continued. "Is there anyone else from the rookie team in the village?"
She thought for a moment, "Sai and Shino are out on a mission currently. At this time of day Lee should be teaching over at the academy".
"What about Choji, where is he at?" Naruto questioned.
A sad expression crossed her face and it puzzled him greatly. "Well, he isn't exac…"
"He is over at the restaurant right now," Ino chimed in after overhearing them.
"I should have expected as much," Naruto said with a cheerful face. "He is probably eating as much as he can get ahold of".
Ino shook her head, He probably doesn't know, she assumed. Putting on her best face she tried to sound normal, "He is actually running it. After the incident his family loaned him enough funds to start up his own restaurant. It is actually right across from my families flower shop".
"Like a part time job?" Naruto surmised.
Tsunade shook her head lightly causing her ponytails to sway a little. "No Naruto. Choji was injured a while ago on a mission. His squad was attacked by some Iwa-nin that was attempting to test out strength during the rebuild. They ended up crushing his leg with an extremely powerful earth jutsu. I was able to repair most of the damage, but his knee was shattered. Although I could repair a lot of it, the attachment of muscle tissue to the bone is not that easy. As a result he last a lot of mobility and can no longer be a shinobi".
There was sullen look on Naruto and Hinata. Naruto was thinking back to the time when Lee had extensive damage during the chunin exams. There was only a little chance that Lee would survive the surgery, but he came through with flying colors, and was able to continue with his dream. "So that was him?" Naruto muttered.
"What was that?" Tsunade asked.
Recovering quickly Naruto answered, "Nothing. Is he at least happy?" Naruto chuckled and smiled hoping Tsunade would not press the issue of what he whispered out.
This time Ino started to blush. "Y-yeah, I think he has been pretty happy". A light went off in Ino's head, "I know, why don't we head over there now for some dinner. It would be a great way to celebrate. Just like old times".
"That's not a bad idea Ino-pig," Sakura said smiling.
"Thank you Billboard Brow," was the quip answer.
Naruto had a sad look on his face, which everyone never thought they would see.
Ino crossed the space and leaned down to look Naruto in the eyes. "He has a special ramen dish there".
Ino was almost knocked back as Naruto jumped and screamed in excitement. "What are we waiting for!" he started to make his exit when Tsunade grabbed him.
"What about everyone else?" she asked.
Naruto looked at her like she had a second head. "Of course everyone can come. In fact it's on me". He then thought for another moment. Using his famous justu he called out a couple clones to run some errands. The moment they were made they left through the door, each to their own destination. "I thought it would be nice to invite everyone. Besides, I'm sure Neji could use a break".
Hinata looked a little depressed, concern was easily visible. She nodded in understanding and she prepared to leave for the restaurant while the other women helped. Naruto then turned to the man who had still failed to regain consciousness. "Come on Kiba," he picked up the dog boy. "We got a lot to talk about," he said evilly.
Meanwhile
In a Kitchen
A young woman was sitting at a large table, drinking a glass of fruit juice while she stared nervously at the man across the way. Normally this would not have been such a tense meeting, especially with the amount of praise that she had been receiving from both her parents. If one was to look at the four people in the room they would see that they were divided into two groups, one nervous, and one not. The house had changed quite a bit since she had left for her long term mission to Uzu no Kuni, but that was expected with the amount of business that was generated from her mission. Their family account had grown to near the amount of some of the clans that held esteem within the village.
Across the way was her mother who had been keeping silent since she closed the shop to celebrate the return of her daughter and the completion of such a prosperous endeavor. There was something that was bothering her though. Standing just behind her was a tall young man with a noble look on his face that kept scanning the area as if something was about to jump out and strike him down at any second. Never before in her life had she seen someone so on edge and it was truly bothering her. Strangely enough the boy looked like he was her daughter's teammate and the one she was assigned to the mission with, but her teammate was a branch member of the Hyuga clan, this person was obviously from the Main House.
The woman's husband was raving to his daughter about everything their family had been experiencing since she left. The amount of business was staggering, and it took a lot of time to adjust to the demand. The smelting area had to be doubled in size and he had to take on two apprentices just to keep up with the demand. There had also been demands from people who had heard about the weapons that the family created, from all across the elemental lands. There were even orders placed where the person would want a weapon made from some of the rarest materials he had ever seen. The Kazekage of Suna had even requested a dagger to be made from a special kind of gold dust and sand mixture which he provided, saying that he was the only one that he would trust to do such a thing.
Neji on the other hand showed no amount of happiness at the moment. It was only a miracle that he was still standing at the moment. His nerves were fried and he could feel the tension in every muscle of his body. If it was not for his strict Hyuga training, he would have wet himself, screamed like a little girl and fainted like his cousin had done so many times in the past. In all honesty, he would have rather been facing the Uzukage right now in his new chakra mode after he had stolen a bowl of his ramen. A no holding back match right now would have been preferable, where death was likely. It is not that he thought he couldn't defend himself against the father of his wife. It was the thought that he would not be accepted and it would break his wife's heart to see her family divided. It was tearing him apart inside.
The elder woman started to look around as she took note of an occasional 'clink' sound coming from inside the kitchen. She didn't notice it at first but as she focused more she could make it out as clear as day. It was clearly troubling her as she scanned for its origins. Her daughter reached down for her glass of juice once again and there it was again, an obvious 'clink'. Then she looked at her daughters hand that was holding the glass. On her left ring finger was a pale pink ring. It was not something easily noticed as most rings were made of metal that would shine; this was obviously made of stone. Not just any stone, but of a single piece of gem, intricately carved into a ring.
She gently placed her hand on her husband's arm to get his attention so that he would stop telling his current story so she would be able to question her daughter with her full attention. When he took notice she jumped on the opportunity with a soft smile, "Tenten, is there something you would like to say?"
Tenten's nerves jumped to new heights, and she couldn't stop herself from looking back at Neji. Much to her shock he looked green, as if he was going to be sick at any moment. Swallowing hard she looked back at her mother and opened her mouth to recite what she had been practicing for the last month for just this occasion. What came out was something entirely different and in almost a scream. "Neji-kun and I are married!" Her eyes popped wide open and she sat stiff as a board, waiting for the onslaught of hate filled words that were sure to follow.
Her father had a glazed over look on his face, as if someone had just put a hose to his ear and washed away his senses. Her mother on the other hand maintained a smile but remained still, just as if someone had replaced her with a statue. There was a pause in the air, and no one seemed to breathe. Neji couldn't take it anymore and leaned down speaking to his wife in a whisper, "I think I can outrun them. Do you think Naruto could teleport us back to Uzu as soon as we see him?"
Tenten was not to be outdone. Damn it, she was happy with her husband and their coming baby. Her parents were going to be happy about it too whether she had to force them to be or not. Everyone was going to be happy even if she had to pin them down with kunai and torture smiles into them. Shaking her head in response, "No, they will be happy for us and the baby, you'll see". An 'eep' escaped her lips when she realized she said that a little louder than she intended.
Both of their heads turned to the older couple waiting for slaughter to begin. Finally her father broke from his daydream at the realization that someone had deflowered his daughter. Much to his shock, the young man that had was nowhere in the house to face up to it, instead he sent a member of the Main branch to stand in his stead. "Where is Neji now Tenten?"
She looked at her father with a questioning expression, "What do you mean Tousan?" trying to be as respectful as possible.
"The boy has the audacity to marry our only daughter behind our back, gets her pregnant, but cannot come here in person to face us!" he yelled. His anger was getting the better of him, something he only ever let out when it came to matters of his family's safety. "He even sent a member of the Main house to watch over you so he wouldn't have to. Probably to try to pay us off as well…"
That was the last straw in Neji, a switch had been flipped. There was another man yelling at his wife and he would not allow that to stand, her father be damned or not. "You will watch your tone with my wife old man before you lose it all together. Yell at me all you wish, hate me for all I care but you will not raise your voice to Ten-chan one more time". He slammed his hand on the table causing the wood floor to groan under the added pressure, but it was enough to get the attention back in the room.
Tenten's mother snapped back to reality once again and she looked at the young man with a quizzical eye. She then placed a hand onto his, the one that had been slammed into the table, "Neji-kun?"
Neji looked back at the woman. He knew there was rage in his eyes after his outburst in the defense of Tenten, and he tried to soften it when he addressed her, "Yes ma'am".
"B-but, but I thought you were a member of the Branch Family?" she asked.
Neji couldn't figure out what the woman was talking about, and then he remembered her father had acted like he wasn't even there. Then he felt Tenten's hand on his arms and noticed her pointing to her forehead. He had forgotten that the seal was no longer placed upon him. Now he could understand the confusion. "I am a member of the Branch family still. Our good friend removed the seal the day we arrived in Uzushiogakure".
There was a sound of boisterous laughter that broke the three from the realization of the lack of a seal. All heads turned to the large man who had tears in his eyes. "I-I am sorry. I didn't recognize you Neji-san," the man said. "So it seems that my daughter was finally able to get you to see that she is a girl?"
"Kaa-san?" Tenten questioned her mother. "I told you that privately, and that was years ago".
"I keep no secret from your father, you know that Tenten," she said in a haughty tone.
There was a resounding slap and Neji lurched forward as her father rounded on him. He almost thought he was under attack under the large man's hands if it was not for the beaming smile. "She was always such a tomboy when she was little, but when she was on your team, she thought you would only like her if she became stronger so she kept it up. Eventually she thought she would have to eliminate every girl in the village for you to notice her," he said with a haughty laugh.
"Tousan, how could you?" said Tenten with a furious blush.
"Yes, well we are sorry we could not inform you of what was happening between us, but we were sworn to secrecy for the safety of the ninja world," Neji said.
"That is ok my boy. Sorry about yelling earlier, I honestly didn't realize it was you. I thought you were too scared to confront me on the matter," the thick man said with a smile.
"It was never our intention to deceive you, about our marriage or the baby," Neji said trying to regain his stoic demeanor.
A high pitch squeal pierced the air causing both men to cower at the noise. "My baby is having a baby!" her mother said.
Then something Neji never expected happened, Tenten cried. Her mother wrapped her in a hug while Tenten cried for the happiness she was hoping would come from the union of the two families. Both men looked at the women who were embracing for several minutes, content in the image that was sure to be burned into their memory for the entirety of their lives.
It was not to last though as a knock was heard at the door. With a curious expression Tenten's father walked to the door that led into the kitchen and opened it to their unexpected guest. Little did the man expect the blonde-headed boy that was indirectly responsible for his daughter's happiness. "Naruto-sama? What do we owe for such a visit?"
The Uzukage looked at the man while smiling and scratching the back of his head, "Please, just Naruto will be fine. I'm not into the whole 'sama' thing".
"As you wish Naruto-san," he said with a smile.
"I said just Naruto," Naruto grumbled. "I just wanted to invite your family to dinner at Choji's restaurant. The old…" then Naruto looked to Tenten. He received a curt nod and smile, "And the new additions as well. If you wouldn't mind, of course?"
"It would be a great honor to be invited to dine with the Uzukage. Of course we will be there, so will Neji-chan," the man chuckled while looking back at Neji, who had an irritated expression.
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at the 'chan' added to Neji's name. "Ok, we will see you there. Bye old man, and you to 'Neji-chan'." In a puff of smoke the clone dissipated.
The women got up from the table and chatted to themselves while getting ready to leave, leaving the two to stand there in an awkward silence. "So, how has your life been in Uzushiogakure?" the new father in-law said.
"It has been a wonderful experience for the both of us. It was a slight adjustment from doing normal missions, but a welcome change after the devastation done to Konoha". Neji then got an evil glint to his eyes as he looked at the man from the side of his vision, "We brought pictures of our life there, and the wedding, jiji. If you would like to see them, that is."
The large man laughed once more, "Of course we would, but tread lightly boy. You may be married to my daughter, and she may be happy, but that doesn't mean you get out of the 'talk'."
A slight whimper could be heard coming from the kitchen as the women entered the kitchen ready to leave the home for the dinner with Naruto and everyone he was gathering. As the door was being shut the last thing that could be heard was Tenten's mother, "Ten-chan? Did your father just call Naruto the 'Uzukage'?"
Later That Night
Naruto and Hinata collapsed on the couch, exhausted from the day. They had spent the entire day at the restaurant catching up with old friends. They were bombarded with question after question and Kushina was passed around so much. So much so that they thought the poor girl would eventually throw-up on everyone. Much to their delight the girl would just giggle at every new person she would meet. Also to their delight, this wore out the girl and she was currently sound-asleep in the other room. As Hinata lay on Naruto's chest, just enjoying the quiet, there was a resounding knock on their door.
Naruto groaned as he reluctantly got up and headed for the door, wondering who would disturb them this late at night. Much to their surprise, and what caused Hinata to stand up stiff as a board at Naruto's greeting of the person, "Hiashi-sama?"
The man looked at the blonde with his normally measured expressions, "Uzukage-sama," he said through gritted teeth. "May I please come in?"
Naruto stepped out of his way to allow him entrance and closed the door. Quickly making his way to stand by Hinata's side they waited for whatever insults the man was sure to throw their way. Standing in front of them was the most intimidating figure that ever existed in Hinata's life. He was looking down at them like a towering giant. Naruto could almost see the image of the Shinigami behind the man, waiting to consume their souls.
Looking at the two that stood defiantly before him he could not help but feel some pride in his daughter at how much she had grown. "Hinata," he said in a calculating tone.
Hinata raised her head in determination; she was not going to back down, not ever again to this man. The life she had created with the man she loved steeled her resolve and gave her strength. She wanted to close her eyes like she had so many years ago when her father would scold her, reminding her how weak she was. Not today. She would stare down Kami herself if that is what it meant to stay with the happy family she created.
Hiashi suddenly flopped down on the ground bowing as low as he could, his arms stretched out in front of himself, with his forehead pressed into the floor. Through sobs they could hear what seemed to be apologies. It took a moment for Hinata to realize where her father had disappeared to, one moment standing in front of her, and the next cries were heard below her.
"Oto-san?" Hinata whispered. She collapsed onto her knees with tears streaming down her face. Emotions of years gone by came to the surface for anyone to witness. Never in her life had she been in a situation such as this. She had never expected to console the man that had always seemed to be too strong to show emotions. Slowly by instinct, the best she could, she placed a shaking hand on her father's hair covered shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.
Quickly he scrambled up to her to lay his head onto her lap while he cried and made the best possible attempts he could at apologizing to his daughter. "Hinata, I am sorry. More than I can express with words, I am sorry. For everything that I have done to you, even though I thought I was doing it out of love, to make you stronger, I am sorry. I drove you away, something I can never forgive myself for. I have only come here tonight to let you know that no matter what has come between us in the past, I have always loved you, and I could not be prouder of the woman you have become".
"Do not do this to yourself father," she said through tears. Although these are the words she had longed to hear from the man, she could not handle the state he was in, it was breaking her heart. She forced him to sit up on his knees in front of her so she may look at his face. When she did she lost her composure as well. She threw her arms around her father's neck and hugged the man for the first time since her mother passed away.
Naruto stared in disbelief at the two holding each other on the floor. This was not the time for him to interrupt them and decided to busy himself with some of the household arrangements to give them some time.
"When I saw you earlier holding your daughter, I truly thought I was seeing your mother. You remind me so much of her, that it has pained me since she passed. It is a sorry excuse now, but that is why I pushed you so hard, I was afraid to lose you as well". Hiashi was recalling the times he had been hard on Hinata's training while he held her there in his arms. "You truly are beautiful like her you know? In my ignorance all I was doing was pushing you further and further away from me".
"There is nothing to apologize for father. I have a good life; things have turned out better than I have ever dreamed. You do not need to punish yourself for past mistakes," Hinata said while weeping. "My only wish is that you could have been there after we left".
Hiashi cried some more as the realization hit him. He had lost the experience of seeing his daughter on her wedding day, the birth of his first grandchild, and would likely miss more family events in the future for his treatment of the new family. He may never be able to forgive himself for the destruction he had brought upon his home, but he hoped that at least he would get this chance to let her know that he was truly sorry.
"I-I will try in the future H-hinata," the sobs continued. She allowed him to continue until he could regain his composure. Eventually there was a 'thump' on a nearby table as Naruto placed two saucers and a bottle of sake near them. Hiashi looked up at the cause of the noise, "Uzukage-sama?"
Naruto stood there shaking his head, "Please Hiashi-sama, just 'Naruto' will be fine. I thought you could use a drink after the day that you have had".
Hiashi nodded, it was the strangest thing for Hinata to witness. Her father had dropped a lot of his propriety in front of them, and was acting more like a normal man, rather than the head of the most powerful clan in the village. "Then please do me the honors of calling me Hiashi as well".
"Awe, can't I call you Otosan too?" Naruto said with a mischievous grin.
A serious look came over his face once more, "No," then Naruto started to pout. "But I will think about it in the future".
The blonde started to beam in happiness. He reached down and poured some sake out for the two and handed each their saucer. As the night passed on, more tears were shed as stories were shared. Hiashi spoke of his late wife to Hinata, filling in gaps to the stories her mother would share with her when she was young. With the way that he talked of her it became apparent that he loved her on a near obsessive level. This was likely the cause of his withdrawn nature after she died, gaining him the heartless visage most people knew him for. Naruto and Hinata told Hiashi about their adventures together, only leaving a few details out. Their trip to Uzu no Kuni, Naruto becoming the Uzukage, and the birth of Kushina were all things that Hiashi wished he could have assisted them on, but was happy to know that his daughter, through the emotions she wore on her sleeve, was truly happy with the life she created.