Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Chapter 13
The pair shift uneasily as they stiffly walk into the open air hall hand in hand, a soft breeze cooling the skin on Hinata's neck where her freshly washed hair still damply clings. The residence of the ancient Toad is unlike any other in Mt. Myoboku. Tall columns support a broad roof that shields the warty amphibian from the pelting jungle rain but still allows the cool misty fog float through in the early mornings. The late afternoon light casts long, golden shadows across their path, causing their tense profiles to flicker in and out of the semidarkness with each step. Their trepidation mounts as they progress further into the dwelling, not completely sure if they are going to be given a prophecy, a blessing, or a warning of ill omens yet to come.
Hinata chewed on her thumb, white eyes wide and scanning all of her surroundings. This toad is the oldest living creature on the face of the earth, to the best of Fukasaku's knowledge. Perhaps the slugs or snakes are also just as old, but the brief descriptions he and Shima had given them has led Hinata to believe that no one else remembers as far back as this formidable sounding creature.
But it is not the threat of danger that worries her, rather, what the toad will think of his species' newest Summoner. In her mind, he is equivalent to the Clan Head of this sanctuary, and the one who could ultimately cast her out or bless her with his acceptance.
She accidentally bit a little deeper than intended in her anxiousness, and hissed as she yanked her thumb away from her restless lips. Naruto snatched at her hand before she could hide it in the fold of her jacket, admonition filling his harmless glare as he assessed the small bit of blood from her torn hangnail.
"Stop hurting yourself," he scolded, sticking her thumb in his own mouth without so much as a blink of hesitation. She yelped and yanked her hand back, the warm wet slide of his tongue over the sensitive pad of her finger sending heat radiating all the way to her face. If he felt any regret at causing her to blush so hard, he did not reveal it in his easy smile as he continued to talk while they kept up their brisk pace.
"Great Gramps Toad is harmless, most of the time he just mumbles random stuff before he falls asleep. Nothing you need to be drawing blood over."
Hinata fought her blush as she fisted her fingers around her thumb, plastering what she hoped was a calm expression onto her face. But she couldn't deny the weakness in her knees, or how she barely had enough spit to lick her dry lips. This was so much like being summoned before the Hyuga Elders that it had her fighting back more anxiety than she wanted to admit. But Naruto was right, this was not The Compound. The Great Sage was not Hiashi. They were not here for judgment. They were just two soulmates looking for answers.
No big deal. Right?
The wide corridor opened up to an even grander chamber, the generous platform where the large amphibian sat perched on a soft looking pillow coming into view. Hinata's stomach flipped at the massiveness of the sight. It all seemed created to such an elaborate scale so as to intentionally make her feel especially plain and small.
Sweat prickled under the fringe of her bangs and her steps lagged. Of course this was a huge deal! What was she thinking? Her nostrils flared as each breath became an effort, panic tightening her throat.
Without thinking she gripped the back of Naruto's shirt, starting to hide behind his broader shoulders as she fought back a wave of memories of being led before the Elder Council. The cold glares. The disdain. She didn't deserve to be here. She wasn't worthy. She'd never be worthy.
Blood started to roar in her ears and her knees trembled, threatening to give out. She was gonna lose it. She was gonna faint. She was gonna—
"Oi! Great Gramps! Will you wake up already? We came all the way down here to see you, ya know!" Naruto's booming shout shattered the press of panic that was slowly choking her. The reminiscent nightmare of the heavy silence of the Hyuga council chamber was instantly blown away by his half irritated, half laughing tone.
The husky snores which had been so gusty that they had caused the tapestries to blow in their breeze suddenly ceased with a cacophony of snorts. Hinata gaped upwards, partly at Naruto's lack of respect and partly at the impressive sound of the creature's sleeping, which she had barely registered through her downward spiral.
"What? What? Who's there? Fuka? Is that—oh…it's you." Hinata slowly relaxed her death grip on Naruto's shirt and took a hesitant step out from behind him as the massive creature groaned and stretched. His sleepy voice reminded her of the raspy reeds around the many ponds and, despite his size, his words were soft.
Naruto sighed, rolling his eyes as he planted his hands on his hips. "Yeah it's me," he answered impatiently. "You summoned us, remember?"
"Who?" One bulbous eye blinked at a time.
"US!"
The massive eyes squinted. "Who's us?"
"Me and her?!" Naruto's anger was growing as he pointed sharply at Hinata, who stood frozen in puzzlement by his side, jaw dropped and eyes wide.
"Her?" The toad rubbed his eyes for a long moment and then smacked his lips in contemplation. "She's kinda pale for a frog. Who is she again?" Before Naruto could jump the ancient amphibian and scream in his face Fukasaku and Shima thankfully appeared, landing on his strained shoulders.
"It is Naruto-boy and his girlfriend, Hinata-chan," Fukasaku shouted in the loud, overly enunciated way one speaks to a deaf and senile person. He jumped down and hopped forward, hoping that by getting closer he might actually get through to the old creature for once. "You wanted to tell them about the Soulmate Bond? The one for humans?"
"Hmmmm…"
Everyone paused, collective breaths held and leaning forward on tip toes in anticipation. The fire from a nearby lantern sputtered. The silence stretched on. Only the impatient tapping of Fukasaku's cane filled the chamber. No more words. No more snores. No more breathing. No nothing was happening atop the Great Sage's pedestal.
"Do you think he's dead?" Naruto finally whispered, not quietly at all. Shima jabbed him sharply in the cheek before she also jumped down.
Hinata pushed chakra up into her eyes, grimacing in mild dread at what she might see. A few seconds later she exhaled her held breath with a whoosh of relief. "His heart is still beating. Very, very slowly… Perhaps he's just asleep?"
"But he was in the middle of a freaking sentence!" Naruto exclaimed, waving his hands at the comatose toad. Beside him Fukasaku was no less irritated, his knuckles blanching as he gripped his cane tightly in frustration. After days of waiting for him to answer their request for an audience, The Great Toad Sage seemed to have passed into oblivion before managing to convey one single coherent thought.
Typical.
Sighing deeply Fukasaku rubbed his head, "You two can go, once he's gone there is no rousing him. Whatever he meant to say will have to wait. My apologies for—"
Wheezy mumbling slipped out of the Sage's large mouth. "Soulmatessss…"
The foursome froze, their heads snapping up to the amphibian perched on his dais, still lost in sweet slumber.
"Did he just say something?" Naruto asked, but Shima stepped on his toes to shut him up.
"…fated to be…bonded…"
They waited with bated breath, not daring to move in case they missed a single syllable from the ancient fount of incoherent wisdom.
But nothing happened.
"I think we should go," Hinata finally whispered in a small voice, tugging on Naruto's hand. "It's rude to stare at someone while they sleep." Personally she was relieved to have an excuse to leave.
"No it's not," Naruto retorted, slipping out of her grasp and tiptoeing closer. "I do it to you all the time."
Her squeak of embarrassment slowed her reflexes, letting Naruto jump up onto the edge of the Toad's pillow. He planted his hands on his hips and glared down at the blissfully unaware creature.
"Naruto-boy! What are you doing?" Fukasaku hissed. "You can't just leap up onto the—"
"Oi!" Naruto bellowed into the side of the Toad's head. He thought its ear might be there somewhere. Toads had ears right? He had never seen a toad's ear before, but they heard just fine, so there had to be one here somewhere…
A large pink tongue snapped out of the toad's mouth, nearly kicking Naruto off the pillow and onto his ass. Instead he dodged and landed on the toad's head, dancing to keep his balance as the amphibian shifted and grumbled.
"…Soulmate…Bond…must complete…"
Naruto jumped up and down on the rubbery, warty skin of the Sage's head like an angry child ready to throw a royal tantrum, grabbing the edge of an eyelid and yanking it open. "The Soulmate Bond! What about it?!"
Hinata stared in horror, her hands pressed over her mouth at the atrocious display of disrespect. Glancing down at Fukasaku she whispered, "should we do something?"
Fukasaku sniffed indignantly, a smirk pulling at his mouth. "I've been wishing I could do that for eons. If any one can get away with it, it's Naruto. Let him work." Shima batted his shoulder in half hearted scolding, but was barely smothering a smile of her own.
The three became an audience to a comedic display of unacknowledged anger, for no matter how loud Naruto yelled, or how much he shoved, there was no re-awakening the old toad. Irritation was rapidly giving way to anger as Naruto gave him one final kick to the gut, making a single name wheeze out between snores.
"Gerotora…"
Fukasaku and Shima gasped and looked at each other. "Of course, why didn't I think of that?" Fukasaku grinned.
Naruto jumped down and landed next to them. "Who's Gerotora? I hope he's more talkative than this guy."
Something about the mischievous gleam in the toads' eyes had Hinata shifting uneasily. She hoped that this new toad was less intimidating and more helpful.
"I never want to see another toad for as long as I live," Naruto whined, leaning heavily on Hinata's shoulder as they stumbled out from between the tall columns of the Great Toad Sage's home. She patted his hair soothingly, trying to distract him from the ache in his gut. A thin stream of drool ran down from Naruto's wobbling lips, and she didn't hesitate to use her sleeve to dab it away. Honestly, she couldn't even begin to imagine how it would feel to be forced into swallowing a whole, live, frog. It looked barbaric. And that final donkey kick Fukasaku had hit him with to shove the thing the rest of the way down…
Hinata pursed her mouth, gallantly trying to ignore her own revulsion as she continued to comfort her suffering companion.
Shima hopped ahead of them, heading for her own hut with a sense of purpose. "I'll make you my special soup! Nothing soothes an upset stomach better than–"
"NOOO!" Naruto jerked away and clapped both hands over his mouth, tears starting to fill his blood shot eyes. "No-no-no-no-no!"
"Let's talk about something else," Hinata suggested meekly, pressing a hand to her throat as she swallowed thickly. "I don't think either of us will have much of an appetite for a while."
Fukasaku hummed in agreement, plodding along beside his wife and stroking his goatee in thought. He chuckled at the way Naruto crowded closely behind Hinata, leaning onto her back as she navigated the trail away from the Great Sage's home and further into the valley. Even in the dimming twilight her cheeks flushed as he rested his chin on her shoulder in misery.
"Yes, there was a lot of information on that scroll which Naruto-boy...um...ingested. With its contents inside of him, he now has the key to unlocking the Kyūbi's seal as well as the fūnjutsu for the human version of the Soulmate Bond. Minato-kun truly was a genius to create two such amazing arrays."
"Shoulda punched the bastard twice," Naruto grumbled, shifting to press his forehead into Hinata's shoulder as he took deep breaths in through his nose and out his mouth.
Unable to control the shiver that went down her spine, Hinata took a breath of her own before asking, "About the Kyūbi's seal, will it not interfere with the Soulmate Bond? His chakra was somehow able to halt the completion of the Caged Bird Seal Hiashi tried to brand me with. Can it prevent this one as well?"
Fukasaku nodded as he reached for the pipe he always used when handing out the complexities of knowledge he had gleaned. "Very astute Hinata-Chan! The Hyuga seal is quite strong. It is reinforced by a shared bloodline that anchors it upon one's existence and allows the involuntary enslavement via neurological affliction. Once complete, it never loses its hold, only limited by the lifespan of the bearer. And the Kyūbi's chakra is stronger yet, the most powerful of all the bijū."
As he spoke Naruto leaned harder into her neck, his arm snaking around her waist from behind. The added contact did not fluster her near as much as earlier, but grounded her by wordlessly conveying his unchanged emotions about the inhumanity of that seal. She pressed her hand over his, where it was fisted into her jacket.
"But," Fukasaku paused to inhale deeply on his pipe, "nothing is more powerful than the fūinjutsu of The Red Thread of Fate. It is a construct based directly on Kami's will, not mankind's. Even the Shinigami cannot sever its ties. The bond is eternal. Unbreakable through life or death. The Kyūbi's seal was made with the aid of the Shinigami, but not the blessing of Fate. That is why," he turned to smile slyly at Naruto's blond head of hair, "when the boy says he will not let his status as a jinchuriki determine his fate, he is more correct than he realizes."
Naruto huffed a weak laugh, lifting his head to offer his mentor a half smile. "Bet your green ass I won't. I think everything that's happened recently has more than proven that I could care less about what's expected of me. I want to protect my precious people, not be some sort of secret village weapon."
"But, doesn't that mean Neji-niisan was somewhat correct?" Hinata mused, shifting to slip Naruto's arm from around her middle to over her shoulders, feeling like she could support him better this way as they neared the fork in the trail where the two couples would part ways. "We actually are fated to a certain destiny."
"Not entirely, sweetheart," Shima spoke up. "The Soulmate Bond is a choice. The match itself is destined, but the justification of that is left up to you. Some people have found love outside of that bond, choosing not to fulfill it at all. Tsunade is an example of just such a case."
"The Godaime?" Hinata blinked, trying to picture the strong kunoichi's stern face softened by the blush of girlish love instead of sake.
Shima sighed wistfully and mumbled softly to herself. "He would probably hate me for saying it, but then the old fool shoulda not gone and got himself killed so suddenly." Her round eyes fixed upon the tips of the canopy leaves overhead where the first stars of the evening were starting to flicker on the skyline. Naruto and Hinata glanced at one another and fell into an attentive silence, sensing another story was coming and not wanting to interrupt.
Shima cleared her throat and began her tale. "Somehow, Jiraiya-boy discovered during his Sage training that Tsunade was his soulmate. I don't know when or how exactly, although I think he had always known in some way or another. But at that point she was already head over heels in love with Dan, and Jiraiya wasn't so cruel as to try and separate them. Then the wars started, and Dan died. Violently. And soon after Orochimaru betrayed them and the village. The grief and trauma was just too much for either Jiraiya or Tsunade to overcome."
She sniffled softly, running a knobbled knuckle under one eye as she cleared her throat again. "I have always thought that's why Tsunade drank so much and ran away. She must have felt the pull of their bond whenever Jiraiya was near. And his outrageous affairs and abhorrent peeping…they were probably nothing more than a bandage to keep his wounded heart from bleeding out. They both were so broken and battered by their circumstances that they could not bring themselves to accept the real cure. Mourning can be as addictive as any drug. Convincing you that you don't deserve happiness and making you seek out misery. Making you find other ways to shield yourself from the pain."
Naruto was staring at the ground, staring blankly at his own feet as he processed yet another painful story of love lost for the sake of duty. "I don't get it," he murmured. "How could they be so heartless? How could they ever ignore–"
"Because love is not a cage," Fukasaku cut him off sternly. "It was their choice to ignore it, and even Jiraiya respected that. But I tell you Boy, I saw the look on her face when she heard about his death. I guarantee, you were not alone in your suffering over Jiraiya. Not even close."
Fukasaku shifted the pipe between his lips, reaching over to rest a hand on Shima's shoulder as she sighed deeply. "Life was hard on them, and their reaction was to become even harder."
Naruto let those words sink in as he pulled Hinata closer into his side. He didn't want to let the shitty things that they had been through ruin his perspective on love. Perhaps such a thing as "the perfect happily ever after" didn't exist. But the mere taste he had already experienced of the potential of this connection was enough to keep him craving more. The world might be broken, his soul might have scars, but everything was better–fuller, more beautiful, more precious–with Hinata in it.
He looked down at her, his heart twisting at the sight of her soft features pulled into a frown. He hated to see her even a little bit sad. The idea of having to watch her shattered with suffering would drive him insane. But it would never be enough to make him turn away for fear of what power the reverberations of her pain would create within himself. He was determined to be by her side forever, for better or worse. To be the antidote to her loneliness like she was the medicine for his grief.
"I never want to be so tough that I cannot feel vulnerable with you," Naruto said softly. Hinata's gaze lifted to meet his, her observant eyes darting around his face as she saw the depth of his feelings underneath the simple words. Lifting her hand she laid it over his heart, a gentle warmth flowing between them despite the cooling evening air.
"I feel the same, Naruto-kun. My feelings for you are my most precious possession."
The two had already forgotten their companions, so quickly they had become lost in their own little bubble. Until Fukasaku grunted happily as he nodded in agreement. "Precisely! And it is those emotions that you must focus on when channeling your chakras into the Soulmate Seal. The sharing of chakra will be key. Not in the clinical, detached way of a collaborative jutsu, or a healing jutsu. Instead of the physicality of the chakra, focus on the emotions that flow within it. The bonding power of chakra as it was intended to be. There are no scripted words to shout, no string of hand signs to execute. It is about simply being present, and open."
A chorus of crickets was replacing the random croaks and ribbets of Mt. Myoboku's daily symphony. All the amphibians were settling into their homes for the night, allowing the insects to emerge and sing their own love songs. Naruto and Hinata said their goodbyes to their mentors, threading their fingers together as they turned up the winding trail to their secluded corner of this odd world. They let the silence between them breathe easily and slowly, patiently allowing the pacing of their steps to slow the whirlwind of their thoughts.
Hinata internally processed everything she had learned the same way she would examine each ingredient of a recipe before carefully adding it together. Mixing and stirring the multitude of parts into a whole that was unrecognizable, but infinitely better than before. She had always regarded the Red Thread of Fate as a sweet legend. A story told around romantic holidays and mentioned in messages between lovers to add weight to their fluffy promises. But it was so much more than that. It was a literal bond. A connection that tied two souls together in a way that transcended all earthly jutsu. Stronger than the most potent chakra, even a bijū's. Enduring any distance. Further than the reach of her Clan, of their Village, of their manmade destinies.
Unmovable. Unbreakable. Overruled by all other brands of ownership.
Yet mutual, equally submissive and dominating.
Her hand lifted and traced the smooth skin on the center of her forehead where the Caged Bird Seal had started to burn all those days ago, wondering at the vast difference between the two seals and their purposes.
Naruto noticed her movement, brows drawing downwards as it raised the same memory of that moment in his own mind. He never wanted to ever feel that kind of fear again. Of helplessly watching as he loses her. Over his dead body would anyone place a mark of ownership upon her ever again. A protective surge grips him so strongly it physically rises up and constricts his ribs. The pressure nearly blurs his vision and he almost misses the moment when they pass out from under the canopy covered trail and emerge upon the open meadow of their home. The sudden freedom helps him clear his head, the open sky unlocking the vice around him.
He doesn't want to wait any longer.
Without needing to speak they turn in unison toward their outlook on the edge of the meadow, the long blades of grass tickling their calves with each swishing step. They come to stand beneath the tree where the unfinished swing, abandoned by his clones in frustration, still sits as a pile of nothing more than wood and potential. Purple hues, rich as a royal's robe, cloak the sky, studded with diamonds of starlight and fringed with fluffy clouds. The moon was just beginning to breach the distant horizon, gracing Mt. Myoboku with its benediction of yet another day.
Naruto could feel the importance of this moment weighing upon his awareness. The air felt thicker. The sensations were so stifling his ears rang. His heart rate kicked up as reality set in amidst the dreamlike aura of the scene.
This was it.
He would not hesitate. He would not run away. He would not repeat the mistakes of his mentor. He would not put off for tomorrow what he could have today. Death was a thief that had stolen precious bonds from him over and over again. Each one more painful than the last. This Soulmate Bond was the greatest yet. The risk was huge, but the reward was unimaginable.
Turning to face her, Naruto reached over and took Hinata's hand, turning it over on his own. It was so much softer than his, even with her calloused fingertips. The slender digits trembled as he traced the creases across her palm, searching for the right words to fit the atmosphere that blanketed them with a nearly supernatural feel. But he was only able to do what he always had done, and simply blurt out the truth of his heart. Bluntly bared for her to see.
"I want to know what a lifetime of love really is like. I want you to show me, Hinata. Will you do this with me?"
She stared at her hand, studying his blunt fingers as they wrapped around it, squeezing with all the emphasis he couldn't convey with language alone. Naruto watched intensely as she stood still, forcing himself to fight every urge to simply shake her. He had learned that her emotions could not be rushed. She was the steadiness that balanced his rashness. But in this moment he was nearly bursting with the growing impatience of a desperate heart, aching for satisfaction.
His heart needed Hinata. There was not an iota of doubt in his body.
For a brief instant he wished he didn't have to give her a choice. The selfish urge to grab her and encase her in his chakra until the seal encompassed her within his claim was making his heart pound so forcefully that he could barely breathe around its thumping.
Her words, her personality, every aspect of her…It all resolved the longing of his wildest dreams. The dreams of a family, a home, a life where he was never alone. A future. The emptiness that he wished to fill to the brim. The gentle voice that would soothe his wounded heart. The love that would never break, even when tested by his failures.
Hinata fit. She was that missing piece. Her existence slipped into that open place in his soul with the deep seated assurance that this was right. This was meant to be. She was the "forever" he wanted as much as he wished to be the "eternity" that never let her down. A partner. A friend. A love blossoming each day with the wonder of new possibilities.
All these emotions swirled in Naruto's head as he ground his teeth to keep silent, his feet practically dancing upon the damp grass. The tension was excruciating. The effort to hold back the temptation to scream his desires was so intense it strangled his throat.
But Naruto knew better. Love was not a cage. It was not the small apartment that he had been stuffed away in as a child without explanation. It was not the web of half truths and omissions that had been fed to him 'for his own good'. It was not sabotaging his dreams so that he didn't lose control. Those things were not love, they were not even healthy. He could testify firsthand to the heartache and fury that could be fostered by simply being forced into helplessness by those who claimed to do so out of love.
Love was a choice. A freedom. A doorway to a better place, not a gate to trap and manipulate. Naruto wasn't stupid. Dense, sure. But was he not a 'genius at love'? Did he not have a sense of rightness? An internal compass of good and evil? Absolutely.
And Hinata was good. Very, very good.
So he waited, barely breathing as she studied their entwined hands the way one would study the tea leaves at the bottom of a cup. He waited with all his strength as thoughts played across her features, and emotions shifted like quicksilver in her eyes. He saw them all. To him, they were plain as the words on a scroll. And he studied each nuance with the care of a scribe drinking in the words of their lord.
An eternity passed in the space of a few heartbeats. When her eyes finally lifted to his face, his breath released and his shoulders sagged. A grin of victory twisting the whiskermarks on his cheeks. His own blue eyes danced at seeing the hope which burned in her pearly gaze as she licked her lips and breathed her answer.
"Yes."
Simple as that.
Barely holding back from devouring her with his arms in a bone crushing hug, his twitching fingers instantly burst with five small blue flames of chakra. Hinata's hand trembled in his as chakra blossomed across her fingertips as well, and she bit her lip as she locked imploring eyes onto his. "I-I give myself into your care, Naruto-kun. I'm ready to c-complete the jutsu."
Her trust struck him like an arrow in the heart, and he could feel tears pressing against the back of his eyes as he squeezed them shut and gently kissed the pad of her thumb, then each fingertip one by one. Gratitude pouring out of him with every caress of his lips. His words were long gone, the building urgency roiling in his gut was a more sophisticated language than any syllable his mouth could utter at this point.
Her hands were warm despite the chill of the oncoming night. A flush climbed up out of her jacket and graced her features like a blooming flower. He could feel the thrumming beat of her pulse against his skin as he gently steadied her wrist, matching each chakra point in their palms and fingers one at a time. Each connection they fused felt like a vow. Melding them with an unspoken promise as the characters of the fūinjutsu travel down his arm, across their physical bond, and directly into each other's souls.
Without conscious effort, they could feel the alignment of their existences syncing together. A concoction of emotions so basic and yet so complex, it was nothing and everything all at once.
I see you.
I know you.
I want you.
I need you.
Destiny heard the cry of their hearts and turned her focus, hands already reaching for them, teasing out their lifelines and threading them through her wheel and spindle. Their chakra spiked, fuelling the whir of her wheel as it spun faster. She smiled at the vigor of their offering, twisting the wisps together into a sturdy cord unbreakable by any entity. They can feel it winding around them, up and down. Tighter. Stronger. Tying them together across a rapidly shrinking void.
The weight of her work is thick and heavy as Destiny twists her blessing into the growing bond. The burden of her work is the burden of a lifetime. Awesome and dreadful, while at the same time precious and full of potential. Like the weight of an infant laid upon your arms, joyfully light and yet terrifyingly heavy.
The earth has seemingly fallen away. All Hinata can feel or sense is the power of her connection with Naruto. As she lifts her eyes to his beaming face, the certainty fixed upon his features is as unshakable as time. She glowed back at him, the shining hues of their mixing chakras illuminating the night.
Her heart settled. Her soul soared.
The deity's joyous laughter echoed through the nebulas of the universe as she freed their glistening new thread from her spindle. Pressing a final kiss to the end of the cord, staining it red as her lips. The stars shine brighter in anticipation, the moon jealously dipped lower to see, the wind held its breath.
The lovers whisper the only words they can form, just loud enough for one another and Destiny to hear.
"I love you."
And two souls become one.
In that instant Naruto knew that he would never top this moment for the rest of his life. He would never create a jutsu to outdo this. Never see a more beautiful sight. Never feel a greater joy.
In a cataclysmic burst of glory, everything that he was simply fell away, leaving only the best of himself. The parts his soulmate had made perfect.
The loneliness was gone. The empty places that were missing from his soul are not just filled, but overflowing.
The lid that he had kept tightly screwed down on top of his inner half, is pried loose and its contents are poured out before Hinata's venerable eyes. She can see through him as though he were nothing more than crystal clear water. He flows toward and around her like river rapids seeking the ocean. His turmoil is tamed by her steadfastness. He encompasses her in his arms, melting into her welcoming embrace and filling her up to the brim.
Hinata is the embodiment of serenity and understanding. Absorbing his chaotic reaction while tempering his passion into a fine purity that he could never have imagined. She pressed her forehead into his own and breathed deeply. Her smile was easy. Open. Entirely unrestrained for the first time in his memory.
Their shackles from before have been broken. Their cords; cut and remade. Stronger. Safer. Softer.
They can breathe.
Silence roared as time blurred. Their senses were buzzing with overwhelming electricity but their minds were nearly blank.
His arms could not hold enough of her to satisfy his need, she felt divine. He can feel himself charging up with every contact, buzzing with every stroke of his hand down her back. He is more alive than ever.
The reassurance of eternity empowered her emotions, and Hinata lifted her face to his without hesitation, intently threading her fingers into his hair and climbing up on her tiptoes as she eagerly pulled him down. He bowed to her easily, reverently. The press of his lips tantamount to the humble fervor of divine worship. She can taste the genuine gratitude upon his breath, feel his awe in the soft hum of his throat.
Fate is kind. Its perfect fulfillment heady and intoxicating. Their mouths shift and seek. Each angle is a wonder. Each sensation is a new addiction. The dance is familiar but new. The tune sings with the echo of Hinata's dreams from night after night. She led him through the steps as he eagerly followed, adoring her curves, exalting in her dips and swells.
She was his. He was hers.
In his mind, she felt like coming home and waking up. As she whispered sweet nothings into his ear, her voice was soothing, yet sent goosebumps rippling across his skin. He was scared to break her but at the same time wanted to crush her into himself.
The ephemeral red strands danced and faded away as a modicum of sanity returned. Their newly woven souls reawakened to their surroundings. They truly see one another for the first time. Free from the shells that each had carefully built up around themselves year by year.
He was radiant.
She was wonderful.
The crickets began to sing again. They stood still as statues upon the thick moss, their bare toes digging deeply into the green softness. Naruto's lips were tingling. Hinata's cheeks were blazing. They stared at each other's faces as the moonlight shone on and the enormous leaves swayed sleepily.
Was it real?
They look down at their joined hands. Lifting wide eyes to one another's faces, they smiled shakily as the glow between their palms slowly ebbed away with the synchronized beating of their eternally united hearts.
Naruto interlaced their fingers together and Hinata caught her breath at the sight of the fading red string that was tangled around their hands. Her staring was interrupted by his husky voice.
"Can I…kiss you again, Hinata?"
She licked her lips, heat spreading down her neck and smoldering within her belly. But she nodded, offering no resistance when his rough fingers brushed against the underside of her chin.
A lightheadedness washed over her, making her chest ache as he dipped his head and carefully fitted his mouth over her own. Each increasing increment of pressure was a measured and deliberate action. The heat of his exhalation fanned across her cheek, and her lips parted fractionally in overwhelming joy.
Naruto pulled back, just barely, his blue eyes heavy lidded and soft. She watched in fascination as his brows drew together. His forehead furrowed like when he would take a first bite of ramen and the euphoria was too much, before he squeezed his eyes shut and hungrily dove into her lips for more.
Hinata clung to his neck and he gathered her up in his arms. She met him touch for touch, giving over to her addiction for his affection as he showered her with it like a waterfall burst from a dam.
An insect buzzed past their heads, the sound of its journey penetrating the bubble of their awareness. Naruto straightened, a feeling of smugness crossing his mind as he saw the washed out pink of her cheeks in the moonlight, and the swollen shape of her thoroughly kissed lips. Hinata steadied herself, the effort taking more focus than normal, as her arms slowly loosened.
"It really worked, didn't it?" she murmured dazedly, looking down at her hand where it now rested upon his chest. A thin little band of red was stained forever around the skin of her pinkie.
"Yeah," Naruto smiled, "I'm so…glad," he said firmly, unable to find any fancier or truer words. Hinata peeked up at him shyly. He brushed her bangs out of her eyes, reveling in their new reality. "I wanted to protect you–and I would have even if it didn't work. No matter what! But this," he flexed his thumb, which proudly displayed a similar red band. "This is so much more than I had ever dared to hope for."
Cradling her face in his hands, he shook his head slowly, as though he still couldn't quite believe his eyes.
"I'm not alone anymore. And I'm so happy it is because I have you, Hinata."
Tears swam in her eyes, and it took two tries for her to get her voice to obey her will, but finally she was able to whisper, "I'm happy too, Naruto-kun. I will be by your side forever."
A/N: Happy Valentine's Day from me to you. Don't say I never gave you anything. Although honestly, a new chapter is the least I could do.
There is more to come! Thank you so much for your continued patience!