You know that guy who told you that I don't own Naruto? Well he was telling the truth. I really don't own it.
Naruto was standing at the end of the aisle waiting for her to come through the double doors there. He was standing next to a line of men dressed in matching formal kimonos at the front of what appeared to be a chapel.
"Are you nervous little brother?" Neji asked from his position immediately to his right.
"Of course I am Neji, why wouldn't I be? I'm about to marry the woman of my dreams who just happens to be my best friend." Naruto answered him.
"Naruto-san what do you have to be worried about? She loves you just as much as you love her, if not more. I am sure that you two will be very happy together. after all you two make a very Youthful couple." Said an unfamiliar man standing next to Neji.
For some reason he was wearing a hideous green spandex suit underneath his kimono, causing his clothes to clash hideously, not that the man seemed to care.
"It's not that Lee," Naruto said, trying for all the world to remain calm even in his nervous state, and failing miserably I might add, "I know that we love each other and all, but what if I'm making a mistake? What if she gets hurt because of me? You know how many enemies I have, I could never forgive myself if she were to get hurt because of me." Naruto replied.
From his other side came an answer to his statement. "Naruto we've been over this already, she doesn't care about any of that. She is willing to be in danger so long as she is allowed to stay by your side. That's why she has pushed herself so hard over the years, she wants to be the one who watches your back and helps you through all of the struggles and the pain in your future. So shut up and get married already, she's been dreaming about this for years and if you mess it up because you're scared she'll get hurt...let's just say that no amount of unnatural healing ability will save you from my wrath." The woman said, she looked an awful lot like that Sakura girl that always seemed to be hanging around Hinata at the academy.
Over to his right the man in the clashing kimono / spandex combo, Lee, shuddered a little bit as if to prove her point. Just then the double doors at the other end of the chapel opened to reveal the woman he was supposedly marrying, it was...Hinata? Naruto's jaw dropped and he began to stare unashamedly as soon as he saw her. She looked resplendent in her formal wedding kimono. It was pure white with a lavender floral pattern above her waist that matched her eyes perfectly. He watched her as she walked down the aisle, entranced by her amazing beauty, and wondering at the fact that she had chosen him above all others. He still had a hard time believing it, but he knew that it was true. As she neared him they stared at each other as if wondering when they would wake up from this dream that seemed too good to be true. When she reached the top of the aisle she looked at him in concern and asked, "Naruto? Are you okay? Naruto what's wrong?" he could feel himself being torn away from this beautiful scene as she looked at him in concern. Apparently this really was too good to be true.
"Naruto!!!!!"
Naruto woke with a start to find himself lying on a bed in Konoha hospital. He felt a slight pressure on his chest and raised his head to look at the person using him as a pillow, it was Hinata, she was sitting in a chair leaning over him with her head on his chest. She looked as if she had been crying when she fell asleep. Naruto found himself marveling at how beautiful she was even now. She looked nothing like she had in the dreamworld, but she had been several years older in the dream than she was in real life. He suddenly realized just who it was he was looking at, this was Hinata, his best friend and the sister that he never had. He couldn't feel that way about her, could he? Sure he loved her, but wasn't it in a brother and sister kind of way? There was no way that he could see her in the way he did in that dream, no matter how real it seemed to be. Hinata stirred as she unconsciously noticed his change in breathing pattern. He then remembered why he was here, as soon as they had brought aunt Hinali to the hospital he had collapsed himself. Apparently his injuries were worse than he had originally thought, no matter how fast he usually healed a stomach wound was still a serious problem for him.
Hinata looked up to see him staring at her, she squeaked and sat up straight when she realized where she happened to be and exactly what her unusually comfortable pillow really was. She had been having a wonderful dream where she and Naruto were getting married when his sudden movement had woken her up. She didn't know what it meant but she liked the feeling she got whenever she thought about it. As far as she knew Hinata actually did love Naruto, but only as a brother, maybe it could be more though. After all no matter how much a sister loved a brother they wouldn't do what she had done when the bad man had attacked them, right? She was very confused about all of this and needed someone to explain it all to her. Maybe once her mother woke up she could ask her about it. Yes, that was what she would do, ask her mother, after all she knew just about everything.
Hiashi paused outside of Naruto's hospital room, he knew that the boy's wounds would be healed already, but he was still skeptical about subjecting the boy to what he was about to tell him. He knew that Naruto would be wondering exactly why Fugaku had attacked him and why the villagers were always glaring at him. There was no more time to waste by keeping him in the dark, each day that they waited to tell him was a day in which the risk of him finding out on his own increased ten fold. He took a deep breath and opened the door slowly, as if by doing so he could delay the inevitable confrontation that would ensue. When he entered he saw Naruto and Hinata in the most adorable situation he had ever seen, with her leaning against the bed with her head on his chest, asleep. It looked like a scene right out of one of the romantic comedies that are so popular with the female population of any town. He saw the entire scene play out right in front of him, but before Hinata could either faint or run away blindly, he cleared his throat to get their attention. Hinata's presence was crucial to containing Naruto's inevitable over reaction to his jinchūriki status.
Hiashi stepped forward hesitantly, "Naruto, I have something to tell you. It's very important so you must pay close attention. You too Hinata." both children nodded silently. "It concerns the reason why Fugaku Uchiha attacked you." If he didn't have Naruto's attention before, he certainly did now.
"You see Naruto there is something very special about you, and many in the village are scared of it and have overreacted in a negative way." Hiashi could tell that he was actually confusing Naruto even more with his attempt at explaining so he tried to put it in simpler terms.
"How about I make this simple... You two remember learning about the Kyuubi attack of nine years ago, right?" They both nodded, "well your teachers weren't entirely truthful about how the attack ended. You see, there is no known way to kill a demon aside from completely draining it's chakra. Since they are completely made up out of chakra and they just happen to be hundreds of meters tall...well you can see how close to impossible it would be to kill them in such a way. In fact the chances of killing a demon are so remote as to be nigh unto impossible to actually complete such an action." Naruto interrupted him, "Wait a minute, if it's so impossible to kill a demon then how did the fourth Hokage stop it if he didn't kill it?" Hiashi smiled sadly, the boy was beginning to understand.
"In order to halt the attack the fourth Hokage had to to the unthinkable, he was forced to sacrifice himself to seal the kyuubi into a newborn child."
Naruto interrupted again. "But what does that have to do with me and that weirdo's attack on us?"
Hiashi gave him a sad look. "I was just coming to that Naruto. You see, the fourth Hokage had hoped that the child in question would be seen as a hero by the people of Konoha and treated with dignity and honor befitting his sacrifice. But he knew that this wouldn't happen, he knew that people would let their fear override their better judgment when it came to this boy. Because of this the Hokage decided that he couldn't ask another family to give up their child to such a life of horror, pain, and suffering. He felt that as Hokage it was his duty and that of his son to bear this burden for Konoha. Because of his belief, he didn't use just any child to seal the kyuubi, he used his own son. And as much as it pains me to say this. He used you. Because you are the son of the fourth Hokage."
Naruto got a pained look in his eye. "So that means..."
Hiashi nodded gravely. "Yes, you are the secret child of the fourth Hokage, and the child whose body into which he sealed the chakra of the Kyuubi no kitsune, better known as the Kyuubi no yoko. Because of this you are a special kind of ninja known as a jinchūriki, that name literally means 'the power of human sacrifice' . Your kind has that name because that is exactly what you are: a living sacrifice created so that we could survive the attack of the most powerful creature on the planet. Everyday that you live is another day that we can survive in peace and prosperity. The villagers and that idiot Fugaku seem to have forgotten that fact. The biggest thing that you must realize about this entire situation is that your condition is a secret, both your status as a jinchūriki and your true identity as the heir of the fourth Hokage are classified as S-ranked information, that classification means that anyone caught telling others about it will be immediately arrested and charged with treason. Because of that, none of your peers will know about this unless you chose to tell them, which you do have the right to do since it is your secret. Do you have any questions now that you know?"
Naruto looked up at him, almost in tears. "So the attack was all my fault? I'm the reason that Hinata almost lost her mom? I'm the one responsible for Hinata almost getting killed?"
"NO!" Both Hiashi and Naruto looked at Hinata in surprise. She was standing up now, with her fists clenched in fury at Naruto's stupidity.
"None of this is your fault Naruto! If those idiots can't see you for what you are then it's their fault, not yours. If they're so blind that they can't see you the way that I see you then they need to get their brains checked."
Hiashi smiled at his eldest daughter, pride evident in his voice as he asked, "And how do you see him Hinata?"
She was taken aback at the question but her fury at the idiocy of the villagers overrode her inherent shyness when it came to her feelings for Naruto.
"I see an amazing boy who refuses to give up and never lets the idiots in the village get him down. I see a boy who is the kindest person I have ever met and can ever hope to meet. I see a boy who would do anything, even get hurt himself, to keep one of his precious people from harm. I see a boy who would brave any challenge overcome any obstacle and move any mountain if it would make one of his friends happy. I see someone who is the greatest person in the world, bar none. I see someone who I would do anything for. I see my best friend Naruto. That's what you always will be to me... you are my Naru-chan . Nothing will ever be able to change that, Not Ever! Don't you ever even think about it, cuz it's never gonna happen! I'm never gonna leave you. You hear me Naru-chan? Never!."
The boy in question looked amazed, not only at Hinata's outburst and ensuing tirade, but at exactly how she felt about him.
Hiashi was beaming in pride by now. "You see Naruto? It isn't your fault. None of this is. The blame rests solely on Fugaku Uchiha's shoulders, a fact which I will be sure to impress upon the council this afternoon as I ask for compensation for our clan, and for Itachi, since he did help us in our time of need. Now, I need you two to get some rest, Naruto is going to be released later on today, so I'll have Hizashi come by to pick him up later. Hinata, you can stay to keep him company, I don't think missing one day of the academy will hurt you at all. Have fun you two."
Having said all that he needed to say, Hiashi got up and left. He began to make his way to his wife's room, but just before he turned the corner he heard Naruto say, "Is that how you really feel Hina-hime?"
Hiashi smiled again as heard the beginning of her answer, "Yes Naru-chan, I really feel that way, I always have...." He passed out of hearing range before he heard any more of their conversation, but he didn't need to, he knew that Hinata would make sure that Naruto was alright. Now that she knew his biggest secret Hiashi was sure that Hinata would never let him out of her sight again,not if she could help it.
Hiashi smiled as he entered his wife's hospital room. She smiled back at him. "I take it the children reacted well to Naruto's condition?" She asked.
He continued smiling, "As well as can be expected," he answered, "Hinata even came out of her shell long enough to tell Naruto most of how she feels about him. I have a feeling that both of them will be coming to us soon with certain questions about relationships."
He sat down in the chair near her bed and picked up her hand in both of his. "But enough about them, I want to know how you're doing. Are they treating you well?"
Hinali smiled at his concerned tone. "As well as can be expected, considering my condition. You might want to be careful though Hiashi, someone might mistake your concerned tone and begin to suspect that you actually Love me. It wouldn't do to have people believing that the almighty Hyuga clan head actually has feelings now, would it?"
Hiashi chuckled, Hinali always liked to tease him about the facade that he was forced to keep up around all but his closest friends and family.
"No I wouldn't want that, then they might begin to suspect that I was actually human at some point!" He said in a sarcastic tone.
"I'm sorry that I can't stay very long today my love, but I have to meet with the village council to get compensation from the Uchiha for the attack, and then there's the matter of rewarding Itachi for helping us and saving you."
Hinali smiled sadly. "I know you do Hiashi, and I understand. A clan head's duties are never finished, just think, some day you will be able to pass on the mantle to someone else and we can spend the rest of our lives relaxing. But until that day you have a job to do Hiashi-kun, so get to it."
Hiashi smiled as he prepared to leave, "I'll come back after the meeting to tell you how it went Hinali." He stood up and planted a kiss on her cheek. "I love you, my Hina-hime." He whispered in her ear.
As soon as he left her room his emotionless mask was back in place, nobody would ever suspect just how much he cared for his family. For now, he had some Uchiha to fry and compensation to obtain for their attack on his clan.
A/N: i wasn't going to do it until later, but one of my constant reviewers made a good point about how pointless it was to keep the kyuubi secret from naruto any longer. If anyone else has any suggestions or ideas about how you would like this story to go feel free to tell me about them in a review. If i like the idea and depending on whether or not i can see a way to work it into the story then i will try to use it. But i will take your telling me about the idea as your permission to use it in the story. I will acknowledge you in an authors note if i use it. So thanks to Hektols for convincing me about revealing the kyuubi to naruto. I've already got one suggestion about a pairing for Itachi that i am seriously considering using as well, just as soon as i find a way to work it in.