Greetings! Hope everyone's been looking forward to this (and that it meets/exceeds expectations)! But review answers and disclaimer first.
Chewie Cookies: Thanks! I will always do my best! But ya know, the troll in me is tempted to say, "No new chapter for you until you update one of your stories!" Hahaha. But I won't do that. :P I would like to read more of your stuff, though. ^^
nightwalker4eva: Thank you! Glad you find it interesting. ^_^ I will do my best to continue that trend, and I started on this chapter before I even posted the last one, so hopefully I got this one out to you fast enough. :)
Ayrmed: Yeah, more things were saying that they did than those that said they didn't, but the internet is more unreliable than reliable, ya know? And I hate research (I tend to be Shikamaru-level lazy), so I just went with making foxes purr. I always thought they seemed like some odd combination between canine and feline anyway. :P And thanks! Glad you like it. ^^
thor94: Ah, you will have to wait and see! :) I'll say you're close, but not quite. :P And yeah, I'm glad I got to bring Kurama back in—I love writing him and Naruto interacting with each other. Their incessant trolling of each other makes me laugh. XD
Shinobi of life: Something like that may occur in the future.
Fadelucky: I am a bit wordy, aren't I? Sorry if the chapters are too long for anyone, but I like to aim for as close to 10,000 words as I can. It's just the right length for me.
StormSurfer: Ya know something? I freakin' love your reviews. ^_^ To be honest, I tend to have about as much self-confidence as Hinata most of the time, so seeing your lovely reviews makes me really happy. It really helps me to hear that I'm doing a good job with the characters, setting, and pacing because I hope to write my own original story someday. Hope I don't disappoint with the fight scene. Honestly, I've never been in a fight in real life, but I've watched/read enough fight scenes to at least hope I wrote a good one myself. Let me know what you think, and I'm sorry this chapter took longer to get out than the others.
Guest: Thanks!
Still liking it: Ah, I see. Well, all I will say is maaaaybe. :P
Mikey: Wow. That's actually a nice confidence boost to hear that my story interested you enough that you read it despite not liking the modern-day setting Naruto stories. ^_^ Thank you very much! And if I run out of ideas and need some help, I will keep you in mind. :)
creationschimera: Thank you as well! Your review made me very happy. I will always try to update as soon as I can, and I'm glad people such as yourself are having as much fun reading this as I am writing it. :D And feel free to review whenever. Believe me, you are helping the author in this case just by telling me what you thought of the chapter.
Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! A thousand cookies to all those who faved/followed the story, and 10,000 cookies to all of you who reviewed! I may be writing this for my own amusement, but that doesn't mean your reviews and such don't go a long way toward fixing my Hinata-low self-confidence. :) Your reviews have made me happy, and a happy kitsunescythe writes fast! ^^
Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own Naruto. I do, however, own the characters Arashi, Naruto's jerk friend from Chapter 1, and George the butler in this story. To clarify (in case anyone's wondering or even cares) George is a Hyuuga. You know, servant Branch Family member and all that, which will come up later in the story in detail. Don't ask about the name—it's quite simple really. I needed a name, and that one came to mind. Didn't expect to mention him more than once, but well, things happen. So now he's the only character here with an English name in a sea of characters with Japanese names. Haha. Ah, well. Can't (*cough*won't*cough*) change it now.
So anyway, on to the chapter. Enjoy!
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Naruto as the Kitsune Ninja raced full-speed through the mall toward the sounds of destruction to the place all the people seemed to be running from. Finally, he reached the source of all the chaos, and as luck would have it, it was in the food court where he and his friends had been only moments before.
A large, 10-foot tall, bipedal lizard with sickly-green, scaly skin and a jaw full of jagged teeth stood in the center of countless smashed tables and chairs, roaring and trying to get its razor-sharp claws on the people who were trying to escape from it. The Ninja's blood ran cold as he saw one person trip and the lizard notice and stalk toward her. She had blue hair and lavender eyes full of fright as the monster approached her. It raised a clawed hand, preparing to skewer her.
"MOVE NOW!" Naruto screamed in his head as forced himself out of his frozen state. He rushed forward at an all-new level of speed and dove for the girl on the floor, grabbing her and rolling out of the way with the momentum of his dive just in time. The monster-lizard's claws scraped the ground leaving deep gashes where the girl had been only moments before.
Naruto stood up, holding the girl bridal-style in his arms, and looking down at her, he confirmed that it was indeed who he thought it was—Hinata. She threw her arms around his neck and held him tight as she sobbed into his shoulder. The young hero wanted to console her, but right now, he had bigger problems.
Jumping to evade another swipe from the monster's claws, the Ninja tried to find a good place to set Hinata down where she would be out of danger. "But I need something to distract this thing, or he'll just attack her the minute I put her down!" he thought in frustration.
The answer to his plight came rushing in suddenly in the form of a large, nine-tailed, black fox with blood red eyes much like his own currently were. "Kyuubi!" the Ninja shouted in his altered voice, which was deeper and rougher, to gain the attention of the fox. "Keep him busy while I get her out of here!"
"You got it, Kit!" the fox roared in response as he launched himself toward the lizard.
The two monstrous animals exchanged slashes and bites while Kitsune Ninja ran to a safe distance from the fighting. He set the bluenette in his arms down on a bench, but she refused to let him go, clinging to his shirt with an iron grip as she continued to sob.
The Ninja knelt down in front of her and dried her tears with a gloved hand. "Hey, hey. It's alright," he said soothingly, and her sobs subsided a bit. She looked into his blood-red, slitted-pupil eyes, and rather than feeling fear at their inhuman appearance, she instead felt safe, especially when he smiled at her. Though she couldn't see the lower-half of his face, she could see the smile in his eyes and couldn't help but think there was something familiar about them.
"Wh-Wh-Who a-ar-are y-y-you?" she managed to hiccup between sobs.
"Call me 'Kitsune Ninja'," the young hero told her as he gazed into her tear-filled lavender eyes, which widened in response to his answer.
"Th-The one f-f-from th-the n-news?" she asked in awe.
"Yup!" he answered cheerfully despite the situation before continuing in a softer tone. "And that's why you gotta let me go now. I gotta take care of that thing, but you'll be safe here." He gently removed her hands from his shirt and stood up.
"Wait!" Hinata cried and the hero paused, waiting for her to continue. A blush crossed her face as she asked, "W-Will you c-c-come back h-here a-afterward?"
He leaned over and brushed some of her hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Don't worry. You'll see me again in one form or another." He winked at her then stood up and took off back toward the fight.
"What does that mean?" Hinata wondered as she put her hand up to her cheek.
"I wonder if saying that was a smart move?" Naruto wondered as he ran back to the fight.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Meanwhile, Kurama—or rather Kyuubi—was having fun. "Been so long since I had a good fight!" he thought gleefully as he dodged another swipe of the monster-lizard's claws. He countered by slamming three of his nine tails across the lizard's face. Then he followed up with a slash of his claws across the creatures flank. The monster roared in pain and twisted to smash his whip-like tail into the fox's face. The lizard's tail—being much more solid than all nine of Kyuubi's fluffy tails—had more force to it than those of the fox, causing Kyuubi to go flying to the side. Slowly rising to his feet, Kyuubi shook himself and glared at the lizard. "Nice shot. Perhaps I underestimated you."
The lizard responded with a roar as it launched itself toward the fox, who tried to halt the creature's charge by grabbing it with his nine tails. An evil smirk crossed the monster's face, showing its eerily long teeth, and it seized Kyuubi's tails in its clawed hands and with strength that surprised even Kyuubi, the lizard threw the fox up and over its head, slamming him back down to the floor. The air rushed out of Kyuubi's lungs on impact, and immediately, the lizard was upon him with one clawed hand on the fox's throat as it held down his other limbs with its scaly tail and legs. As it raised its free hand to slash Kyuubi's face, three kunai suddenly struck the lizard. It jumped back in surprise, freeing the black fox from its grip, but only one of the knives managed to make it through the creature's tough scales and imbed itself in the monster's flesh.
Naruto ran to Kyuubi's side as the large fox got to his feet. "You alright, Kyuubi?"
"Yeah," the fox coughed. "Never better."
They both eyed the lizard as it swiped the knife out of its skin and snarled at them. Crouching in a defensive position, the monster watched both of its opponents carefully.
"What is this thing, Kyuubi?" the young hero asked as he pulled out two more kunai and held them in each hand.
"The white-coats' attempt at creating Godzilla? How should I know?" Kurama asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he waved his tails angrily.
Shrugging, Naruto replied, "Well, you came from the same lab. I figured you'd know." The fox just grunted at him, so the boy decided it didn't matter and instead asked, "So how should we take it down?"
"By attacking it with everything we have!" Kyuubi declared with a feral grin. "I'll come at it from the front while you take its back. You ready, Kit?"
"Heck yeah!"
"Then let's go!"
The nine-tailed fox launched himself toward the lizard monster, who swung its tail to knock him away. Kurama dodged it by leaping up into the air, intending to come down on the creature from above. Meanwhile, Kitsune Ninja came at the lizard from behind and slashed its large back with the kunai. Unfortunately for the hero, the knives literally barely left a scratch on the monster's scaly hide.
"Guess I should start using a sword after all," Naruto mused as he landed on his feet and just barely managed to dodge the bone-crushing tail by bending backwards.
The monster had grabbed Kyuubi as the fox descended and shoved him aside just as it swung its tail at the slight sting it felt on its back. Whipping around, the lizard saw Naruto, and before the boy could react, it slammed a clawed hand down on the Ninja, pinning him helplessly on his back.
"Kit!" Kurama yelled as he jumped on the monster's back and sunk his teeth into its neck. Roaring in pain, the reptilian creature tried to get the fox off with its free hand while continuing to hold Naruto down. Kyuubi managed to maintain his hold, tearing at the lizard's back with his own claws, and the trapped hero managed to free his right hand enough to use the kunai still in his grip to stab the tender skin between the monster's fingers. The response was instantaneous. Ripping its injured hand away from the source of pain, Kitsune Ninja was now free, but the slight victory was short-lived. Before he had time to react, the lizard swiped Naruto with its good hand, sending the boy flying into the far wall with enough force to crack the stone it was made out of. The boy was unconscious as he fell to the floor with a small thud.
Despite his concern for the boy, Kyuubi refrained from calling out to him this time, but even still he was distracted enough that his grip relaxed ever so slightly. Sensing this, the lizard grabbed the fox's arms and flipped him over its head, bringing him down to the floor hard and then slamming a foot into the fox's chest, completely winding him.
From around the corner, a tiny gasp could just barely be heard coming from a certain blue-haired, lavender-eyed beauty. And rather than finish off the two opponents it just defeated, the lizard decided to check out this intriguing new prey.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
When the Ninja left her on that bench, Hinata at first stayed put like he told her to. But as she sat there, she thought more and more about the hero known as the Kitsune Ninja. "There's something familiar about him, but I just can't place what it is! And what did he mean by 'You'll see me again in one form or another'? Do I already know him...?"
Then a mental debate started over whether or not she should sneak back and secretly watch the fight. The side of Hinata's mind that was for the idea reasoned that she might be able to learn who the hero is if she watched him without him knowing. The side against the idea—the logical, self-preservation side—reasoned that it wasn't safe and that she should stay put like the hero told her to.
The curious side eventually won out, though, especially when the sounds of the fight were reaching her ears, and she stood up from the bench and limped back toward the scene of the battle. She made it just in time to see the Ninja get pinned underneath the lizard's hand. She continued to watch as the hero managed to free himself only to get smacked into a wall. Then she saw Kyuubi get the wind knocked out of him, and Kitsune Ninja still wasn't moving. She gasped in concern and fear—an unfortunate mistake.
The lizard heard her and began stalking toward her.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Naruto's mind was a sea of blackness, but even through the unconscious haze he could feel the pain that racked his entire body. "I think I broke a rib...or all of them. ...Maybe my skull too. Ugh..." He continued on through the blackness, wishing it would take him completely so he wouldn't feel the pain anymore. "Kurama can take care of that guy. I'll just go quietly into my coma now..." He had an ironic mental laugh as he imagined the faces of his grandparents and friends when they found his body and took off his mask. "Hope it's only a coma... If I die before I ever get to take Nata out...that'll just suck."
The hero was suddenly interrupted from his musings as that cold chill he had felt before the lizard monster attacked descended on him again. His red eyes snapped open in response, and all his pain was forgotten as he saw the lizard moving slowly toward Hinata, who seemed frozen in fear where she stood.
"What is she doing here?! I told her to stay away!" Naruto screamed in his head as he struggled to stand. Shakily, he got to his feet just in time to see the monster raise its claws to shred the bluenette to ribbons. "No...!" He started to run. "HINATA!"
The Hyuuga heiress snapped out of her daze just in time to bend backwards out of the way of the swiping claws. She followed through the movement by landing on her hands and kicking the monster in the jaw with her good foot as she back-flipped. Weak as her normal-human attack was, the lizard was momentarily stunned, which gave Hinata time to run toward her hero for safety.
Kitsune Ninja caught her in his arms and ran with her over to Kyuubi's prone body. "Stay here with him," the hero instructed the bluenette as he set her down next to the fox, who was just now coming out of his daze. "He'll protect you."
Before she could respond, the Ninja ran away from her and Kyuubi while throwing some shuriken at the giant angry reptile to gain its attention. He succeeded and was rewarded by the monster rushing him at a surprising speed. Naruto managed to dodge out of the way despite the extreme protesting of his battered body, and he took a second to assess the situation.
"Okay, so the kunai before were probably kinda stupid. My claws can cut through metal, so they're obviously stronger. ...Man, I'm such an IDIOT!" he mentally berated himself while dodging another tail-swipe. "Alright! If it's claw to claw combat Minizilla wants, then that's what it's gonna get!"
The hero charged forth, twisting and bending to avoid reptilian claws, tail, and teeth. He lashed out with his own claws, tearing through the scales easily and creating several wounds on the lizard's face and limbs. The hero continued this deadly dance with the monster until he managed to finally cone up underneath the monster's guard to its less-armored belly. He thrust his claws dead-center into its stomach and slashed his hands outward in opposite directions, creating a large opening in the creature's gut. Blood and some entrails spilled from the wound—Naruto got out of there just in time to avoid being covered in the gore.
Kyuubi, who had gotten back on his feet already, was standing by, ready to back up the Ninja if he should need it and protecting the girl next to him in the meantime, and said girl buried her face in the fox's fur to shut out the disgusting sight of a disemboweled lizard-monster.
Minizilla—as Naruto had called it—clutched its wound and fell to its reptilian knees before the boy. Its breathing was ragged, and it looked at the Ninja with eyes that seemed to plead for him to kill it and stop the pain.
"End it, Kit," Kyuubi told him. "It's in pain, and it knows it's done for. Finish it."
With a solemn nod, the young hero stepped toward the monster, who turned its head to the side, exposing its neck. Naruto looked it straight in the eye as he raised his claws and said, "I'm sorry," before slashing downward and tearing through the beast's jugular. He jumped back to avoid the gore again—besides what was already on his hands and arms—but he was still close enough to watch the light leave the creature's eyes as it bled out.
Minizilla was dead.
Naruto finally succumbed to his injuries and collapsed to the floor on his knees. Without a second thought—or a glance at the dead monster—Hinata rushed to her hero's side and knelt next to him. She touched his arm gingerly, and when he turned to face her, she asked, "A-Are you alright?"
"No, but he will be," Kyuubi answered for the Ninja. Hinata turned to the giant fox, who told her, "Go back to where he took you before, and we'll inform your friends to find you there." She nodded, but hesitated as she looked at the injured Kitsune Ninja. "Don't worry about him. I will make sure he's okay," Kyuubi said to alleviate her concern with a small smile on his foxy face.
Hinata nodded again, but before she stood up to leave, she gently wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck, giving him a brief hug as she whispered, "Th-Thank you for s-saving me." Then she was gone, heading back to the bench to wait for her friends to find her.
Without a word, Kyuubi picked up his partner with one of his tails, set him on his back, and then headed for where he stashed Naruto's bag.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Dressed in his normal clothes again and clean of any gore from the fight, Naruto slowly, painfully made his way to where he left Hinata with Kurama back to normal size and fur color in the bag slung over his shoulder. The boy had consulted with his fox partner about the seriousness of his injuries, and Kurama had concluded that they didn't need to seek medical aid necessarily. He thought it'd be wise for Naruto to have his grandmother check him over once they got back to his house—and explain that he had been injured when the lizard-monster attacked, which wasn't entirely a lie—just to be safe, but he didn't think a hospital visit was necessary. Kurama explained to Naruto that one of the boy's superpowers should be advanced healing as well as durability, so the wall shouldn't have done as much damage as it would've to a normal person and he should be healing a lot faster than normal too.
When the young hero finally made it to where he had left Hinata, she leapt up from the bench and ran as fast as her injured ankle would allow. "Naruto!" she cried as she nearly crashed into him and hugged him tightly. Naruto hissed in pain, and Hinata released him immediately. "W-What's wrong?! A-Are you h-hurt?" she asked fearfully. "I'm so s-sorry!"
"I-It's okay, Nata," Naruto told her in a strained voice as he consciously un-tensed his muscles. Giving her a small smile, he said, "I just got a little banged up is all. But never mind that. Are you okay? You're not hurt at all, are you?"
Hinata shook her head, much to Naruto's relief. He didn't think she'd been injured, but he wasn't sure and had hoped she was completely fine. "I j-just think my ankle w-was aggravated. B-But that's it."
"Good," he breathed in relief as he pulled her to him in a hug, which she returned gingerly, not wanting to hurt him again.
"His arms...Kitsune Ninja's arms felt just like Naruto's do. And he's injured as well... Could he be...? No, there's no way. Right?" Hinata wondered until Naruto released her.
"We should get out of here. The cops'll be here soon. Where's Kiba and Shino?" Naruto said as he took Hinata's hand and started leading her out of the building.
"They t-texted me and said they're waiting f-for us outside. They s-said the p-police wouldn't let them b-back in, and apparently the police are m-making up excuses not to come in and take care of the s-situation themselves," Hinata informed him.
In the bag, Kurama scoffed. –Cowards.–
"Tell me about it," Naruto muttered. "Stupid, dirty, no-good, donut-sucking, bacon-smelling, bastards."
–At least they didn't get in our way,– Kurama pointed out.
"Mm," was Naruto's only reply.
Hinata raised an eyebrow at her blonde friend's muttering, but didn't question it. Instead, she asked, "H-How were you injured anyway, N-Naruto? I d-didn't see you a-around where that m-monster was."
She felt Naruto stiffen through the hand she was holding and saw his blue eyes widen momentarily. Kurama's eyes were doing the same in the bag.
–Oh sh— –
"Oh, hehe, I got shoved around and trampled on a bit when everyone was running away," Naruto replied with a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his head and wincing slightly when his fingers touched the small wound there.
From her years of studying how to read people, Hinata could tell he was lying. She may not have been as skilled as her father or her cousin Neji, but she could tell with Naruto. "So w-why were you st-still in the building then? Why didn't y-you l-leave with everyone else?"
"W-Well, I was kinda injured, ya know? And besides, I still hadn't found Kurama. Couldn't just leave the little guy, and I also didn't know if you, Kiba, or Shino made it out alright," he nervously answered.
"It has to be him. I know he's lying, and what other reason could there be for him to lie?" Hinata thought before she asked one more question. "So how d-did you know where I was to c-come get me?"
Naruto swallowed. He had a feeling she knew he was lying, and while he hated doing it, he couldn't tell her the truth just yet. "I-I was told by some guy wearing ninja gear that you were waiting for me and where. I had just found Kurama when the guy came up to me."
"I s-see," the bluenette simply replied. "I'm sure it's him. But I can't say anything—he'd just deny it and calling him out could destroy our friendship. No, I'll let him tell me when he's ready." Hinata intertwined her fingers with Naruto's and stepped closer to lean her head against his shoulder. "I'm g-glad you're safe."
He squeezed her hand. "Thanks, Nata. I'm glad you're safe too."
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Once the two of them left the building, they were immediately swarmed by police and reporters, and injured or not, Naruto did his best to shield Hinata from the onslaught. He informed them that there was some kind of monster that was killed by the Kitsune Ninja. When they looked at him in disbelief, he simply said, "Go look for yourself," before pushing his way through the crowd while keeping Hinata close.
The two ran into Kiba and Shino next. The dog-lover and bug boy saw their tall, blonde friend as he made his way through the crowd and immediately ran to him, hoping he had Hinata with him.
"How'd you guys end up separated?" Naruto asked his three friends after they finished expressing their relief at seeing each other safe. He managed to keep his tone from sounding accusatory, but he couldn't help but wonder just how Hinata's two friends ended up leaving her behind.
"Well, when that thing attacked, we all sort of just panicked," Kiba answered. He felt bad for leaving Hinata behind, but in his panic, he hadn't really been aware of his actions. "I barely remember what happened."
"We ran immediately of course, but I recall trying to help Hinata along with us, Kiba," Shino said matter-of-factly.
"Y-Yes, I remember the two of you p-pulling me up from my seat, b-but then the crowd of people sh-shoving past us got us separated. I f-fell d-down because of my ankle, and by the time I got up, m-most of the crowd was already past. I-I-I tripped again, a-and that's when the...m-monster almost got me," Hinata explained to her friends.
She then proceeded to tell them about the rest of the fight as they made their way to Kiba's car, including how the Kitsune Ninja saved her not once, but twice, and Naruto couldn't help but feel pride and jealousy all at the same time. He heard the admiration in her voice when she talked about his alter ego as well as the concern for his welfare since she knew he'd been injured in the fight.
"Great. I'm jealous of my other self. How's that for a recipe for schizophrenia?" Naruto thought sarcastically as he carefully sat down in Kiba's car. His injured back was screaming at him from just the contact with the seat.
The ride back was silent—no one knew what to really say about such an event and needed time to let everything sink in. Meanwhile, Naruto was doing his best not to cry out with every bump the car went over on the road, and Kurama was too tired and sore to even care about coming out of the bag. Hinata noticed Naruto's winces of pain, though, and quietly asked him to come with her when they reached her house. She then told Kiba to go ahead and go home, and she would have Naruto driven back home later. Dog boy agreed—he just wanted to go to his own home.
As soon as they were up in her room, Hinata had Naruto wait while she went into her bathroom to search for something. While he was waiting, the boy decided to be nice to his new, furry companion and took Kurama carefully out of the bag and set him on his side on the ottoman.
–Thanks, Kit,– the fox said as he nuzzled Naruto's hand slightly in gratitude.
–Anytime,– Naruto quietly yipped back with an amused smirk.
Hinata then came out of the bathroom with a small ceramic jar in hand and a large blush on her face. Naruto cocked an eyebrow at her nervous expression, but it all made sense when she said, "T-T-Take off y-your sh-shirt, N-Naruto."
A blush to match her own crossed the boy's face. "H-Huh?!"
"Th-This o-ointment w-w-will h-help your wounds h-heal f-faster," she explained as she held up the jar in her hand.
"O-Oh! Okay..." Naruto replied as understanding dawned on him.
He removed his coat and shirt, and Hinata—while doing her best not to ogle his rather defined muscles on his athletic body—instructed him to lie on his stomach on her couch. He complied wordlessly, although his face was still red, and Hinata sucked in air sharply through her teeth when she saw the extensive amount of bruising all over her hero's back. The entire region was mostly black and purple now—hardly any trace of his normal tanned skin was left untouched. She also noticed a small amount of blood in his hair, indicating the presence of a small head wound.
"That bad, huh?" asked Naruto upon hearing her make a small hissing noise and seeing her shocked expression.
Unable to find her voice, Hinata merely nodded as she knelt on the floor next to him and opened the jar of special ointment. She dipped her fingers into the jar and brought out a large amount, which she proceeded to gently rub onto Naruto's back. Her concern for his well-being was the only thing overriding her hormones that were reacting to the rather attractive, half-naked male on her couch.
At the same time, Naruto was blissfully unaware of everything as the ointment took effect—even the fact that a beautiful girl was running a smooth hand all over his back wasn't getting through his brain at the moment. Everywhere Hinata applied it, the pain was suddenly gone, relieving the tension in his bruised and aching muscles and giving him a warm, comforting feeling. He was starting to drift off to a much-needed sleep when Hinata's voice brought him back to consciousness.
"N-Naruto, I'm going t-to remove your headband, okay?"
"Mm...sure. But why?" he asked tiredly.
As she started untying the knot, she replied, "Y-You have a s-small wound on the b-back of your head, so I n-need the headband out of the w-way to ap-ply the ointment."
"Mm," he lightly grunted in understanding. After Hinata had removed his headband and began putting the medicine on the back of his head, Naruto thought to ask, "Hey, Nata? Why didn't you use this stuff on your ankle?"
She smiled softly. "I d-did, Naruto. I just t-told you the p-pain p-pills did most of the healing."
"But why?" He opened one blue eye and looked at her curiously.
Pink dusted the bluenette's cheeks as she averted her gaze from his shyly and with a trace of sadness as she poked her index fingers together. "W-Well, th-this ointment isn't s-something I usually t-talk about. My m-mother taught me how t-to make it shortly bef-before she d-died."
Naruto nodded in sympathy and reached out to take one of her hands. "I understand, Nata. Sorry I made you talk about it."
"N-No, it's alright. I-I'm just glad it's helping you. It is h-helping you, r-right?" she asked as she wiped off the excess ointment on her fingers and replaced the lid on the jar.
"Oh yeah... This stuff feels great...Nata..." Naruto trailed off as his eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep with a small smile on his face.
Hinata giggled and then looked at the sleeping boy with a soft smile. "He looks so cute when he sleeps," she thought as she hesitantly reached over to touch his whiskered cheek. The bluenette was oblivious to everything as she stroked his cheek lightly. "He saved me not only from bullies in the park, but a giant monster in the mall as well. It seems so surreal. I feel like I should be waking up any moment now and find that this was all a dream... I really hope not, though. Even without playing the hero, Naruto's been so nice to me...and I can't help but feel close to him—like we're just meant to be together." Hinata blushed at her own thoughts and sweat-dropped. "Moh...I sound like such a weirdo! We just met a few days ago! But...I've never felt this way about anyone before... I can't wait to get to know him better."
Hinata was suddenly broken from her wistful musings by the sound of a cell phone ringing. Quickly determining it was Naruto's phone inside his discarded coat's pocket, she took it out and saw 'Baa-chan' on the screen, which she assumed meant it was Tsunade calling. Swiping the screen, she held it up to her ear and said, "Hello?"
Tsunade's frantic voice came shouting through the phone. "Hinata?! Is that you?! Oh, thank goodness! Please tell me Naruto is with you! Is he okay?! Are you okay?! Answer me!"
Hinata blinked, stunned by the assault of questions. "W-We're both f-fine, Tsunade. W-We're over at m-my house now."
There was an audible sigh of relief, and then Tsunade said, "I'm so glad to hear that. When Jiraiya and I heard what happened at that mall Naruto said you and he were going to, we feared the worst. But where is Naruto? Why didn't he answer his own phone?"
"W-Well," Hinata began hesitantly, fearing she'd send the older woman into a panic again, "h-he's asleep right now. H-He was a little injured f-from what h-happened, s-so I took him here to treat his injuries. A-And then he f-fell asleep."
There was a pause. "How bad was he injured?"
"I-It looks pretty bad, b-but it seems to look w-worse than it really is," Hinata told her. "Y-You might want to check h-him yourself, though, Tsunade."
"Okay. Jiraiya and I will be there shortly to get him. Thank you, Hinata," Tsunade replied and then hung up.
Hinata hung up Naruto's phone as well and put it back in his coat pocket. It was then that she glanced at Kurama, who was now sleeping peacefully curled up on the ottoman. She didn't know how, but she had a feeling the little fox was wounded as well from the way he was sound asleep just like his new owner. And this only served to further prove her theory that Naruto was in fact the Kitsune Ninja.
"His injuries are consistent with what Kitsune Ninja's should be after being slammed into the wall, I could tell he was lying about where he was during the attack and how he knew where I would be, he finds a fox the same day the Kitsune Ninja has one fighting alongside him—which he didn't have with him during all the other burglaries and other crimes he stopped. And there was something familiar about his eyes... And wait! Now that I think about it, didn't the Kitsune Ninja shout my name at one point? I was a bit dazed at the time, but I'm almost positive he did. How else could he know my name?" Hinata nodded to herself with conviction. "I know it's him. I'll wait for him to tell me himself, but I know it's him. And I'm going to find a way to help him in his fights."
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Jiraiya and Tsunade arrived at the Hyuuga mansion in less than 15 minutes from the second Tsunade hung up from talking to Hinata, and the busty blonde who was Naruto's grandmother practically busted the front door in with her frantic knocking. Then poor, unfortunate George was seized by the shoulders the minute he saved the door from its beating by opening it.
"Where is my grandson?! Is he okay?!" Tsunade shouted as she shook the butler senseless.
Lucky for him, Jiraiya grabbed Tsunade's arms and pulled her away from George, who fell to the floor in a heap with swirls in his eyes. "Tsunade! Calm down, will ya?! The gaki's not dead, and if he was in real bad shape, Hinata would've taken him to the hospital."
Tsunade took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. "I-I know, Jiraiya. But there was so much destruction at that mall, and so many people came into the hospital injured. I just—"
"Lord Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade, if you will follow me, I will take you to Master Naruto. He is with Lady Hinata in her room," George interrupted, having recovered from the volatile woman's assault.
Jiraiya put an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Yes, please lead the way," the white-haired man requested. George nodded and began walking toward the stairs. As Naruto's grandparents followed him, Jiraiya said, "And please forgive my wife's behavior. She's just very protective of our grandson."
George just looked over his shoulder at them and smiled. "I understand, Lord Jiraiya. Lady Tsunade, I assure you Master Naruto seemed fine when he came in. A bit stiff in his walk, but otherwise fine."
Tsunade just thanked him with a smile and a nod.
Needless to say, the three adults were a bit shocked when they came to Hinata's doorway and looked in.
Hinata was still sitting on the floor by her couch while Naruto—with his shirt still off—was sleeping face down on the couch, and there was a small fox sleeping on the ottoman. But what was most shocking was Naruto's back, which even the two men who didn't have Tsunade's medical expertise could see was a bad injury.
Hinata stood up to greet Naruto's grandparents, but quickly moved out of the way as Tsunade rushed to Naruto's side. "Hinata! I thought you said he was okay!" the blonde woman yelled as she took out from her pocket a small device—a recent invention by Hyuuga Technologies for medicinal purposes. It was capable of scanning a person's body and determining the extent of injuries as well as any other anomalies.
As Tsunade began checking Naruto, Hinata defended herself against the blonde woman's accusation. "Y-Yes, I-I did say h-he was ok-kay. H-He was walking fine, a-and he s-said he didn't n-need a hospital."
Tsunade finished her scan and looked at the results on the device's screen. Sighing in relief, she stood and faced the Hyuuga heiress. "My apologies, Hinata. It seems he really is fine, and the bruising just looks worse than it is. It's only skin deep—no damage to his bones or any of his organs, so he should be all healed in a few weeks. Even his head wound isn't bad. But what is this stuff you used on him?"
"O-Oh, it's j-just a healing ointment m-my m-mother c-created and taught me h-how to make," Hinata explained with a slight pink tinge to her cheeks as she held up the jar containing said ointment. "Y-You may t-take this jar with you if you want. I-I'm sure N-Naruto could use it in the f-future."
"Thank you, Hinata," Tsunade said as she accepted the jar and put it in her jacket pocket along with her medical scanner. "It looks like it's already helping him." She smiled at the bluenette before turning to her husband. "Jiraiya, we should get him home now."
The white-haired man nodded and walked over to his grandson. "Naruto," he said while nudging the blonde boy's arm. "Gaki, wake up." He started poking Naruto's whiskered cheek, causing the boy to groan and make a weak swat at the offending hand. Jiraiya sighed. Then suddenly with a voice full of panic, he shouted, "Naruto! Get up! Your grandma's throwing out all the ramen!"
Naruto's eyes shot open and he gasped and sat up quickly. However, the abrupt action caused his back to seize with pain, and the poor boy fell back down on his stomach with an anguished cry. "Oooww! Ero-jii-san! Why did you do that?!"
Jiraiya couldn't help laughing a little, but he carefully helped his grandson up from the couch. "Sorry, Naruto, but I had to wake you up. It's time to go home, so put your shirt and coat back on." He handed the aforementioned items to the boy.
As Naruto pulled his shirt back on, Jiraiya was about to make a perverted comment about his grandson being half-naked in a pretty girl's room, but Tsunade—almost as if she could sense her husband's intention—asked a question that completely changed the current subject.
"Hey, gaki? What's with the little fox here?"
Naruto looked over at Kurama, who was still lying on the ottoman with his head on his paws. He was awake now, though, and watching the humans with his red, slitted eyes.
"Oh, that's Kurama, Granny. I found him on the way here today, and he wouldn't leave me alone so I decided to bring him with me. I'll take good care of him, so can I keep him?" Naruto looked at his grandmother with big, pleading, blue eyes.
Tsunade, however, was immune to her grandson's begging look, and she was also reluctant to let him keep a wild animal as a pet. But before she could say no, Jiraiya voiced both their concerns.
"Naruto, he's a wild animal. How do you know he's safe to keep? Or that he won't destroy the house?" the white-haired man asked.
The blonde hero faced his grandfather and answered seriously, "Jiji, I will take full responsibility for him. I'll get him checked out, and he's been riding around in my bag all day without once trying to bite me or any of my friends. Please. Let me keep him."
Jiraiya was about to argue again, but as he looked into his grandson's eyes, he relented with a sigh. "You promise to take care of him and pay for any damages he might cause?"
"Yes! Absolutely! And I never go back on my word!" Naruto exclaimed, feeling hopeful.
"Alright then. I have no problem with it. What about you, Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked his wife, who sighed as well.
"I guess it's fine," she said. Then she leaned over and looked Kurama straight in the eyes. "But if he so much as urinates on the carpet, I'm going to have a new fur stole."
The blonde woman's honey-brown eyes widened slightly as it seemed like the fox was smirking at her. –Hehe. As if you could catch me,– he yipped.
Naruto chuckled. "Don't worry, Baa-chan. He'll be good." He gave the fox a meaningful look, and Kurama just nodded once in understanding.
"Okay, gaki. Get your coat and your stuff. We need to get you home," Jiraiya told him, and then he and Tsunade walked back to the front door with George to wait for him.
Naruto pulled his coat on while Kurama crawled back into the bag. Before Naruto picked it up, however, he turned to his blue-haired friend, who had been standing off to the side watching him and his grandparents' antics in silence. He walked over to her and said, "Well, I guess I gotta go home. Kinda sucks, though—your couch is really comfy." He chuckled.
Hinata giggled as well and replied, "Y-You'd probably be able to s-sleep better in your own bed, though, and you need your r-rest to recover."
"Yeah," he agreed in a quiet voice. For a moment, he just stood there, looking into her eyes as he remembered how that lizard-monster nearly killed her twice, and how he just barely managed to save her both times. A sharp pain struck his heart when he thought of how things could've turned out, and without a second thought, he pulled Hinata into a hug, holding her tight to his chest as he put his cheek on top of her head.
Hinata returned the embrace by gently holding onto his waist, being mindful not to touch his injured back, but she couldn't help ask, "N-Naruto? Are you okay?"
"Yeah... I was just thinking how today could've been a lot worse. How I almost lost my first friend here, and so far the best friend I've ever had," he explained and unconsciously held her a little tighter.
The bluenette's heart soared at hearing his words, and she snuggled into his chest more. "But it didn't t-turn out that way. We're okay, s-so we should just be happy about that," she said in an attempt to comfort him.
"Mm, you're right," he replied while stroking her hair. A few seconds of silence passed as they just held each other before Naruto pulled back with a sigh. "I gotta go now, or else Baa-chan will lose her temper."
"I understand," Hinata said with a sweet smile even though she was disappointed he had to let go. "B-But you'll be here tomorrow, right? Your f-family is supposed to have dinner with m-mine."
"Yeah, I remember. Of course we'll be here!" he grinned at her. "Just hope Neji doesn't push me into kicking his ass," he added mentally. He turned and picked up his bag and then held out his free hand to Hinata. "Walk me to the door?"
"I'd b-be glad to," she answered smiling while taking his hand and squeezing it lightly.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
When Naruto got home, he barely managed to stay awake through dinner, which Kurama ate about half of, and as soon as he was done, he went up to his room and collapsed on his bed. His new fox-friend jumped up and curled into a ball next to him.
Before he let sleep claim him, however, Naruto had to ask, "Hey, Kurama? Why am I so tired? I mean, it was a hard fight, sure, but this seems a bit extreme."
"It's because your body's trying to heal," Kurama explained with a yawn. "Being slammed into the wall like you were would've put any normal human would be in the hospital if not instantly killed them. And while the gift I gave you increases your durability as well as your healing capability, it does come with a cost, which is a drain on your energy. Just go to sleep. I guarantee the both of us will be absolutely fine in the morning."
Naruto nodded as sleep started to overtake him. "Sounds good... And, Kurama? Thanks...for your help...today... Zzzz..." he trailed off with a light snore.
Kurama chuckled softly. "You're welcome, Kit."
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Meanwhile, Jiraiya and Tsunade were sitting in the living room trying to figure out what had actually happened to Naruto. He had told them the same thing he told Hinata about his injuries—that he received his bruising by being trampled by the crowd as they tried to escape the monster. But Tsunade's medical expertise instantly sent up a red flag at that, even more so than it had for Hinata.
"If he was trampled, there's no way his back would be as bruised as it is unless someone stopped to tap dance on him," she had explained to her husband. "Also, his arms and legs should be injured as well. Something's not right here, Jiraiya."
"I agree, Tsunade, but what can we do? Accuse him of lying?" Jiraiya asked rhetorically.
But his wife answered anyway. "No, I guess not. I'm just worried about him, though."
Jiraiya sighed as he leaned back into the couch with his arms folded. "Me too. But it's not like he's the only person in this family who's keeping secrets and telling half-truths." He chuckled dryly. "Maybe it runs in the family after all."
"I sincerely hope not," Tsunade replied while rubbing her temples. "I worry enough about you, Minato, and Kushina."
Jiraiya just nodded and was silent for a moment. "Well, there's always the chance that we're wrong, and he's telling the truth. Some strange chance that his injuries occurred the way he said, and we're just blowing things out of proportion. Either way," he continued on, ignoring her skeptical look, "there's nothing we can do about it, so no point in worrying about it." Standing up from the couch, Jiraiya held out a hand to his wife. "Come on, Tsu-hime. Let's go to bed. It's getting late."
With a nod, Tsunade took her husband's hand, and they retired to their bedroom for the evening.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Back at the Hyuuga mansion, a certain blue-haired heiress was making her way stealthily through the large house. Ever since Naruto left, she'd been pondering how she could help her blonde hero in his fight against crime and...whatever that incident with the lizard-monster was. In the end, she determined that he would need a shield of some sort to protect him, and if she could manage it, she would try to create some kind of offensive weapon for him to use as well.
But first things first: she wanted to protect him as he protected her and everyone else.
Which is what led the bluenette to her father's office in the middle of the night, hacking into his computer to find any mention of a project, schematic, or device for shielding technology. She didn't have to look very long for under 'Military R&D' she found just what she was looking for.
Project: Kinetic Barriers
Sensors built-in to armor detect incoming threats and stop them by creating a barrier made of energy from high-powered batteries, which are also built-in to the armor.
Current issues with development: Battery packs are currently too heavy and bulky for soldiers to effectively use this technology in combat.
Hinata frowned at that—she'd been hoping that whatever she found would be fully developed and ready for her to recreate and use. "Should've known better. Nothing's ever THAT easy for me," she thought with a small sigh. Even still, she was determined not to take her usual route and just give up, so she copied the information as well as the schematics onto her flash drive before making sure everything was how she found it in her father's office and heading to her workshop. "He's saved me twice now and has been a good friend to me so far. I have to make this work!"
She never noticed the pair of white eyes watching her sneak in and out of the office in the dark.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
A young man with long silver hair tied up in a ponytail and bangs framing either side of his face walked down a hall in OrochiCorp Laboratories. He had dark eyes and wore large round glasses and a white lab coat with black pants. Reaching the door at the end of the hall, the man pressed a button on the intercom to the right of the door.
"Yes?" came an eerie, yet smooth voice from the speaker.
"Lord Orochimaru," the young man answered, "I'm here to make my report."
"Ah, Kabuto. Come in please."
The door slid open, and the young man—apparently known as Kabuto—walked in. The room was dimly lit and the walls and floor were gray metal that gave off a cold, sterile feeling. There were a few bookshelves filled to the brim with tomes and a small number of scrolls, and in front of the shelves was a single desk, which was large and made of dark expensive wood. Behind the desk sat a man with long black hair, which he wore loose, and his skin was unnaturally pale. Equally inhuman were his eyes, which were gold and slitted like a snake's, and there were purple markings around his eyes as well. Although whether the purple was natural or the man was wearing eye-shadow was anyone's guess. He wore an expensive business suit—white button-down shirt with black jacket and pants and a dark purple tie—and he leaned back in his chair, supporting his head on one hand as he looked at the silver-haired man with his cold, calculating eyes.
"Well?" the pale man known as Orochimaru—the owner, CEO, and top scientist of OrochiCorp Laboratories—asked after a moment's silence.
Kabuto coughed nervously into his hand before answering, "My apologies, Lord Orochimaru. I wasn't sure you were ready for me to begin." His boss just motioned for him to continue, and Kabuto adjusted his glasses as he gave his report. "Well, Experiment L0351 performed to expectations...until it was killed."
Orochimaru quirked a black eyebrow at that. "Killed? By what? Surely the police couldn't take it down so easily."
"Indeed not, Lord Orochimaru. Experiment L0351 was killed by that strange young man who dresses as a ninja and calls himself 'Kitsune Ninja'," Kabuto told him.
"So you're telling me," Orochimaru began as he leaned forward to rest his arms on his desk, "that one of my experiments was taken down by one man?"
"No, not at all, my lord," the silver-haired man said hastily. "At least, not by one normal man. Reports of this 'Kitsune Ninja' indicate he has superhuman strength and speed, but not only that, we have reason to believe that he had help with taking down Experiment L0351. Apparently, a rather large, nine-tailed, black fox assisted him in the fight."
"Ah..." the pale man whispered as recognition dawned on him. "So that's what became of Experiment F0009."
"So it would seem, my lord. What do you want to do about it?" Kabuto asked.
Orochimaru thought for a moment, and slowly, a sinister grin crossed his face. "Run more experiments. Let's see just how much this hero," he spat the word, "and his new pet can stand."
Kabuto's lips curved into a smirk, and he bowed to his master. "Right away, Lord Orochimaru. I will prepare the next one immediately."
"What's the time estimate on preparations?"
"Shouldn't take more than a few days."
"Good. We'll start out the next week with a bang. Kukuku," Orochimaru laughed. "Go get things started, Kabuto."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" the silver-haired man bowed again before leaving the office.
The snake-like man just folded his hands in front of his face as his grin faded into a frown. "Che. Superhero indeed," he scoffed. "You always were a clever little fox, Experiment F0009. We'll see just how long that lasts."
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Chapter's over!
Next chapter will include Naruto's family having dinner with the Hyuuga and/or our hero's first day at school. It depends on what I manage to come up with.
Also, updates may be a little bit slower than before as I intend to get back to writing my other stories. So sorry about that, but at least know that I will never abandon any story. And at least I don't take up to a year (or much more than a month or two, really) to update. :) Just be patient please!
Just a note: As someone who has graduated college with a Psychology degree, I feel the need to point out something. When Naruto speaks of schizophrenia, he is using it in an incorrect context. Most people tend to think that schizophrenia is the same as the condition known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (a.k.a. Multiple Personality Disorder), and the two conditions are not the same. Schizophrenia does not involve multiple personalities—most people just think it does. I won't go into detail here about how they're different as I doubt anyone wants some school time while reading a fanfic, but I felt the need to point out that I intentionally made Naruto say something incorrect for two reasons: 1) because I've studied psychology and so I know he's wrong there, and 2) because I didn't want any reviews from anyone who happened to know I made him say the wrong thing, telling me that what he said was wrong. And the reason I made him say it was just for realism I guess—he's an average, never-really-studied-psychology person ,and thus would be incorrect like most people. Alrighty then? Good. But I do recommend looking the disorders up. They are quite fascinating.
One more thing, I am aware I ripped off Mass Effect with the kinetic barriers thing. And I don't own Mass Effect either (quick disclaimer). I like the technology in that game, though, so there might be more instances of borrowing. :P
Okay, so please review if I've entertained you! :D
