Chapter 3 - Pain

About six months later in the village of Konoha is having a celebration and there are foreign shinobi, walking down the street accepting the accolades of the crowd, who have heard that the land of lighting and fire are now at peace. The head of the lightning village is greeted with much fanfare.

Elsewhere in town two small boys one with blond hair the other with black are being chased by several villagers. "Why is that you are always chased Naruto? It's like you have a sign pasted on your back saying 'I am here beat me.'" The Nara child complained.

"I don't know. Why you asking me? I am getting tired. Only a little farther then we will reach a safe place." Suddenly Naruto stopped and Shikamaru ran into him. "We are in trouble now. Run Shika, I will stop them from hurting you." Naruto said as he raised his arms in a defensive manner. The way was blocked by more angry villagers with sticks. They started to beat him calling him 'demon'. Shikamaru attempted to interfere only to be hit by a couple villagers knocking him unconscious. After about ten minutes of beating they are rescued.

"Hurry up and disable all of them. Take these two the hospital and notify the Hokage. Where are his guards? We are going to catch hell for this." A fox masked man comments. "Bring the villagers to Ibiki so we can figure out why they attacked him. Oh great, not only are the Hyuga going to be mad the Nara will be too. This is not going to be a good day." The ANBU man just shook his head.

"They are both barely breathing and bleeding I am taking them now." An owl masked ANBU agent said as he picked up both boys.

"Go, go! We can clean up here." The fox masked ordered. The owl masked agent jumped to the roof tops and headed to the hospital. "This is a mess. We have to deal with security around the kid and also deal with having lightning ninja in town. I hope the day doesn't get any worse."

Elsewhere the Hyugas are having a meeting. "Father she looks pretty." A young Neji says to his father Hizashi as he looks at Hinata. He smiles at his son patting his head.

"It is Hinata's third birthday. I think it is time to take Neji under my wing." Hiashi comments to his brother.

"Yes it time I guess. And congratulations on your third birthday Lady Hinata." Hizashi replies as Hinata moves behind her father's leg shyly.

Later that day Hinata is at Naruto's bedside crying as he is lying covered in bandages. Hiashi is looking very mad "What happened? He was supposed to have ANBU protection coming home from the Nara house today. How could this happen?"

A man in an owl mask replies, "an Uchiha was assigned to guard him, he has been brought up on charges and speaking to Ibiki right now as are the villagers that did this too him. They also beat the Nara child but not as badly, as he appeared to be protecting him. The Uchihas want their man back but the Nara are forcing the issue. Am I to assume that you are also going to force the issue?" Hiashi nods.

"With the head of the land of Lightning here how could they want to hurt him? Him, of all people? It isn't even the anniversary of the attack." Hiashi trails off.

"I am sorry Lord Hiashi, I know your clan had personal business today and thus were relying on ANBU to deal with this. I am sorry we let you down. It will not happen again as the man in charge of the rotations was also an Uchiha, he is also talking to Ibiki." A smirk crossed Hiashi's face then a frown. "I know the Uchihas have it in for him but I did not know the lengths they would go to hurt or kill him. Again I am sorry but I must report to the Hokage. But the good news is that he is well enough to go home with you later this afternoon." The last statement was louder than the rest and was heard by a crying young girl, who stopped crying and cheered up some.

Later that evening a couple of figures were sneaking onto the Hyuga estate. They snuck into Hinata's bedchamber, pulled out a small statue of a fox and the pulling up her shirt to reveal her stomach. They then cast a genjutsu on her to sleep more deeply. They painted a seal on her stomach and one started to chant. The statue started to glow, and a light moved from the statue to the young girl. "It is done" said one of the men to the other. As the other picked Hinata up, a shuffling was heard outside the door, and a shadow of a child came through the wall. The first threw a kunai through the wall and heard a thud of a hit on the small figure,

"OW! That hurt! What is going on in Hinata's room?" a young boy's voice called out as he opened the door. Two more kunai hit the bandaged boy who was now bleeding from the first hit. He threw the kunai that had hit him at one of the intruders, hitting him squarely in the throat. The dying ninja just fell to the floor as the other hit Naruto as he passed him and started to run off. A few moments later Hiashi caught the intruder who was stealing his daughter and activated his Byakugan, then in one move slammed his hand over the heart of the intruder destroying his heart, killing the man instantly. He recovered his daughter as the man fell to the ground. He then hurried in as he had heard Naruto's screams. He found him in a pool of blood. He immediately called for assistance, where several guard showed up quickly. They rushed both Naruto and Hinata to the hospital.

At the hospital several of the doctors were in need of help from an infuriated Hiashi Hyuga who would attack any doctor who would not aid Naruto. Helping Hinata was not a problem as she was an heir to the Hyuga family, but Naruto was the demon. Hiashi would not have it, he wanted the boy treated.

Finally a few nurses got together along with a single doctor and treated the Naruto. They said that he should be dead but was not, and that they would treat him. It took several days before either of them would wake up, so as a safety precaution Hiashi had them put into the same room together, as he had business to deal with. The intruder was the head of the lightning village. And there was still the burned scroll and the broken fox statue to deal with. Adding to that his wife was not in the best of health.

Hinata woke up first but did not feel well. She spent the first day awake watching Naruto just breathe, this seemed to relax her as she was not used to being in the hospital as a patient. He woke up the next morning as she watched him. He woke up with a start, startling Hinata. "Hey leave Hinata alone, ouch! Wait I was hit by kunai. Where am I?" Hinata blushed and laughed at Naruto's confusion but was worried about his saying someone had attacked him and her both. But felt very pleased that he tried to defend her. He seemed to realize where he was. "Hey am I back in this place again. Dang I wish I wouldn't have to keep coming here." Then he noticed Hinata giggling "you're here too?" He looked very sad and troubled, especially for a three year old. "Sorry…" Hinata just giggled. She felt safe when he was near.

The nurse soon arrived and saw that Naruto was sitting up. "Well young man. How does it feel to be a hero?" He brightened at that comment. She then looked at Hinata. "He saved you from being kidnapped. And it almost cost him his life." Hinata gasped than passed out. The nurse laughed.

Naruto looked at her questioningly. "Huh? You mean I saved Hinata?" A huge grin crossed his face. "But what do you mean almost cost my life?" His mood seemed to change to worry.

She smiled, "Well, son, you nearly died." Color drained from Naruto's face. "After the beating you took yesterday, you got yourself stuck by three kunai. All were well placed to bleed you to death. Good thing you heal very quickly and you were brought here by Lord Hiashi quickly after the incident."

The door opens again this time it is Lord Hiashi, Shikaku Nara, and Choza Akimichi. They entered the room smiling, "well Naruto, how are you feeling? Are you ready to marry Hinata? Because of you saving her, you are now in charge of protecting her. And I cannot think of a better way to protect her than as her husband." Again the color left Naruto's face as Hiashi spoke those words with a huge smile on his face. He was partially joking and partially because of a certain agreement. Hiashi laughed at Naruto was trying to mouth the word marry.

"Stop teasing the boy, it is tiresome." Shikaku commented with a smile as color returned to Naruto's face. Naruto did not like many adults as most were mean to him. Hiashi was like a father, but Hinata was his best friend and he wanted it to stay that way always.

They were visited by Shikamaru Nara the next day as he was finally recovering from his injuries from helping defend Naruto from the villager "Man you are nothing but trouble Naruto." Laughing at his comment, "If they were after you why they hurt me too?" Naruto could only just shake his head. "But, you hero now. I like being friends with hero."

On the other side of town in the Uchiha complex, "Hiashi is going to die and we can be happy when the Hyuga's push the boy out and we can finally rid the village of that demon menace. We will then deal with the stragglers that are attempting to leave the clan so that the Uchiha line will remain pure. We can also push for an arranged marriage with the Hyuga to increase the potency of both bloodlines."

"But Hiashi will not have this he will fight it and not let her go so easily." An Uchiha elder commented. "With Hiashi out of the way I am sure we can arrange it. Which would be better in your opinion, Itachi or Sasuke?"

"Sasuke would be the better age match and he is more malleable as he will do what he is told and but he is not as skilled as Itachi." Fugaku commented. "But that is tertiary to destroying the danger to the village, the demon child must die."

Hinata and Naruto were let out of the hospital a few days later. A Hyuga escort was there to take them to the compound as Hiashi was busy dealing with his brother choosing to die for his brother over the kidnapping incident. Neji started to grow cold to both Naruto and Hinata.

Over the next couple year's incident and accidents dealing with Naruto continue to increase. Naruto takes Hiashi's comments to heart and on several occasions defends Hinata from other children bulling her. He also defends others as they are picked on by bullies earning him a reputation as a troublemaker. But the guards come to like Naruto as he is making their jobs somewhat easier. He is also attacked on more occasions. The ANBU squad is kept busy, but they make sure that no Uchiha is put in any place where they can come close to Naruto.

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