After that first day, the two weeks until the chuunin exams seemed to fly by. Kurenai's training never got any easier, but didn't seem quite as bad with Konohamaru suffering through it as well. And while Kurenai never confirmed or denied it, Hinata got the distinct impression that Hanabi had instructed Konohamaru to assist her in any way he could. Her suspicions were pretty much confirmed when Hanabi's other teammate, Nara Kouji, suddenly and with no explanation at all, began shadowing Hinata as she moved about the village. Oddly enough, he was more concerned with concealing his presence from anyone else who might be following Hinata, as he'd gone to the trouble of introducing himself the first time she'd sniffed him out. At first it was a little disturbing to constantly smell traces of bandages and medicine everywhere she went, but Naruto assured her that Kouji was "a little weird, but an okay guy."
Shikamaru was almost never present when Hinata showed up to train with Tomoko and Tatsuo, and even when he was, all he did was take naps and stare at the clouds. Temari went from watching the sessions to overseeing them out of sheer frustration, and Hinata thought that had been Shikamaru's plan all along. Naruto would always come by to take Hinata to lunch, but often got roped into taking over the lessons whenever Temari grew weary of teaching. Tatsuo especially enjoyed Naruto's lessons, since most of them included breaking, burning, or blowing something up, and Tatsuo's dragons excelled at all three. Tomoko began joining Hinata and Naruto for their lunch outings, and fell into the habit of affectionately addressing Hinata as "Hinata nee-chan." Tatsuo just grunted and said she was being girly, so everyone pretended not to notice when he "accidentally" dropped food around Akamaru.
Strangely, the nightly sessions with Sakura never seemed to increase in difficulty all that much, and Hinata finally figured out that either she was a naturally gifted medic-nin, or Sakura was somehow simplifying the lessons. But Hinata chose to believe that Sakura had good reason for teaching that way, and never brought it up. At any rate, between the book Sakura had given her and the lessons, Hinata was learning quite a bit, so she saw no reason to complain.
Unfortunately, Hinata stayed so busy that she had almost no time to spend with Neji, who she occasionally ran into around lunchtime, or Hanabi, who she hadn't seen at all since they returned to the village. Still, it seemed everywhere Hinata went, she overheard people discussing Hanabi's activities as if she were some sort of celebrity. Certainly she'd expected that Hanabi had gained some fame in the village over the years, but it was still very unsettling to hear about Hanabi's sudden retirement from ANBU out of the mouths of total strangers. Hinata couldn't help but feel that she'd impacted Hanabi's decision somehow, but Neji always abruptly changed the subject if she tried to find out more from him.
The chuunin exam turned out to be just as easy as Ibiki had predicted... for Hinata, anyway.
Over half of the word problems on the written exam Hinata had actually done during her time in the field, so she didn't even need to cheat. Nor did she need to help Tatsuo and Tomoko, as they set up a system that involved reflecting sunlight off of Tomoko's glasses.
Strangely, there were ten actual written questions this time around, with no overriding final all or nothing catch at the end. The test was even scored differently, with half the points coming from total correct answers, and the other half being awarded to anyone who lasted the whole test without being caught cheating three times. Hinata's team ended up with one of the highest total scores, which pleased Tomoko to no end. Tatsuo was afraid he was turning into "a total nerd" like his sister, which earned him a good swat to the head.
Hinata had been very worried about the second stage of the exam, because once again, it was held in the Forest of Death. Even worse, the forest had been mostly overtaken by a particularly vicious breed of what most of the genin came to call "rabbit wolverines." Despite being the size of small bears, they moved like lightning, and a single swipe of their powerful claws put many teams out of commission. Tatsuo was finally openly glad to have Akamaru around, because he turned out to be the only thing in the forest that the wolverines were afraid of.
In the end, a mere three teams emerged from the forest intact, and of that number, one genin immediately bowed out due to a wolverine bite.
By that time, Hinata had promised herself that she would not use Akamaru in the final stage. She'd had a huge advantage over everyone else in the exam, and she firmly believed that Kurenai's training, along with everything else that she'd learned, was more than enough to get her through the final stage.
There was nothing in the rules that said she had to inform anyone of that decision, however, and the mere fact that Akamaru was watching from the sidelines intimidated her first two opponents so much that they ultimately failed to focus on her during the matches. They kept expecting him to join in, and wasted most of their talents trying to keep an eye on him. And even though Tatsuo knew of her decision, when they faced off in the finals, he told her up front that he wouldn't rely on his summons. Hinata almost wished he had, though: Tatsuo's best area was taijutsu, which resulted in plenty of chances for her to seal off his chakra channels. She ended up having to knock him out, because he wouldn't stay down or give up.
Hinata was shocked to find out that the judges awarded her the rank of chuunin, not because she defeated all three of her opponents, but because of how much she'd obviously held back while doing so. They apparently saw it as a wise conservation of her strength, although Hinata had just been concerned that she might seriously hurt someone needlessly.
She'd been so focused on her opponents that she didn't take the time to observe the audience until after the matches ended. So it came as a big surprise when she noticed that Shino, instead of sitting with Kurenai or his family, was seated right next to Hanabi. That they would allow themselves to be seen together in such a highly public place was shocking to say the least, considering the many different assumptions one could make from the sight. Hinata herself wasn't quite sure what to make of it, since Konohamaru had given no sign that he and Hanabi weren't still seeing each other, and Shino would have at least told her if he'd started spending time with Hanabi in anything other than a work-related setting (besides, Neji was on Hanabi's left, and not even being in broad daylight and surrounded by witnesses could've saved Shino if Neji thought that Hanabi's virtue was in danger).
But that, as it turned out, would be the least of Hinata's worries by the end of the day.
Naruto had said he was taking Hinata someplace that was close to his heart. In the end, she could only imagine a new ramen stand. So she had been rather confused when he led her into the clan district, and even more stumped when he stopped in front of the one compound Hinata had never even thought about entering.
"Is this the place you had in mind, Naruto-kun?" she asked quietly, staring at the deserted Uchiha compound.
He nodded, his voice strangely distant as he spoke. "I used to come here all the time, right after Sasuke left. I thought being here might help me figure out something about him that I didn't already know. But it never did, so I stopped coming, for a while."
"Then why come here now?"
"I know what this place meant for Sasuke. For me, it's a place where your deepest, darkest secrets come to die." Naruto paused, reaching out to squeeze her hand tightly. "I don't want there to be secrets between us, Hinata. At least, not this one. Not anymore."
"Does... it have to be here?" Hinata murmured, trembling a bit. "I don't like the way this place feels, Naruto-kun..." There was a certain staleness to the air that Hinata's nose couldn't quite identify, and she had no desire to discover what the source might be.
Naruto didn't answer her at first, and Hinata started to repeat her question when he finally opened his mouth.
"This is the place where the Sasuke I used to know was born, on the day that he lost his entire clan. The only reason I was ever brave enough to come here was because... I also knew how it felt to be alone in the world." Naruto slowly turned to face her. "If there are any bad spirits here, Hinata, they wouldn't hurt us. They never bothered me, and I don't think they'd harm you, either." He said it with such certainty in his voice, and Hinata could not convince herself that he might be wrong. So when Naruto began to lead her into the deserted compound, she offered no resistance.
Just as he'd stated, Naruto had no trouble navigating his way through the Uchiha compound. Most of the homes and roads looked exactly alike to Hinata, and she realized this was probably done purposely to confuse intruders. They'd only been walking for about ten minutes when the path opened up into a wide area that was covered in what looked like grayish soil.
"What is this place, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.
"I'm not really sure. I only know it's where Sasuke came to burn all of the things his brother left behind. But I'd bet anything the rest of the clan used this area for similar purposes, because the ground always looks like this." Taking a deep breath, Naruto cupped a hand to his mouth and blew out a small spout of fire. Although the soil immediately caught fire, it did not actually burn at all, nor did the flames spread noticeably. "I still can't figure out what this stuff is, but it's great for practicing fire jutsu, or if you just need to keep warm. I'm just going to use it for... illustrations."
Hinata wanted to ask what he meant, but before she could, Naruto bent down and passed his hand directly through the fire. Not only did it not seem to harm him in the least, but when Naruto brought his hand up, he was actually holding some of the fire in his palm.
"There's not a big difference between chakra and fire, you know," Naruto said quietly. "They're both useful, if you know what to do with them. And, if you have enough..." The flames in his hand suddenly doubled in size and intensity, before vanishing as Naruto snapped his hand shut. "You can do just about anything. But I'm sure I don't have to tell that to someone of your background, Hinata."
Hinata made do with a small nod, eager to see where this was going.
"There's a limit to how much chakra a normal human can produce and control on their own. But even when you reach that limit, there are still shinobi that are stronger. There ways for us to gain more power, internally and externally. You must have seen some by now."
"You mean... summoning?" Hinata asked.
"That's one way," Naruto replied. "A very good example, in fact. Animals are closer to nature and its secrets. It's not really surprising that we call on them to aid us in battle. But just as there are humans who become insanely powerful, there are animals who do the same. And then... there are creatures who merely start off with such great power, and only get stronger and smarter as time passes."
Some of the color drained from Hinata's face. She had a pretty good idea of which creature Naruto was referring to, and somehow she knew that the discussion would only get worse before it got any better.
Naruto kept talking as if he hadn't heard her. "Humans fear what they don't understand. And how could humans possibly hope to understand a power that they couldn't control for themselves? Though, it doesn't help matters when that power wants nothing more than the complete and utter destruction of anything it sees as useless. No shinobi could ever hope to defeat something so powerful. Not for good. Not even if he sacrificed everything he had. At best, the only thing you could do... was contain it."
Hinata didn't like the emotionless quality Naruto's voice now possessed, or the way he was no longer meeting her eyes. Without thinking, she reached out and touched his arm, only to have Naruto immediately jerk away from her. Her eyes widened in confusion and hurt as Naruto sat down on the ground, taking deep, cleansing breaths.
"Imagine it for a moment, Hinata. You grow up hearing nothing but how a hero gave his life to stop a demon from destroying your village. Then you find out that to do so, he had to seal the demon inside a newborn baby, who had no choice in the matter. How are you supposed to react to a child that has a demon inside of him? Do you know?"
"The same way you would any other child," Hinata answered slowly. "You treat them with love. I don't believe that anyone who has experienced real love could ever become a true monster. Any child that's treated like a monster can become one, whether they have a demon inside them or not."
"You really believe that?" he asked.
She nodded. "You remember how Neji was right before I left Konoha. He was so full of rage and frustration. But I've actually seen him smile, without malice, in the past few days."
Naruto lowered his head. "So... if you'd known the child with the demon inside of him, you wouldn't have treated him any differently than you did anyone else?"
"Naruto-kun, when you're as painfully shy as I was at that age, approaching anyone was frightening. I only had a few friends because of that. So anyone that didn't ask for my name first, I probably never had the courage to speak to. I suppose that might have prevented me from ever meeting that child."
"What do you think he's like now?"
Hinata almost didn't hear the question, since Naruto asked it so quietly and was still looking away from her.
"I think he must be lonely sometimes," Hinata answered, wondering briefly why they were assuming the child was male. "There are bound to be people who wouldn't understand, and people who would be afraid of him, whether they had good reason or not. And I think... he must be angry and sad, too. He probably gets treated in a way that has nothing to do with who he as a person is. I think people would react more to the demon inside him before they even allowed themselves a chance to know the boy. He might even hate people more than he does the demon. People can be so very cruel when they believe they're doing the right thing..."
Hinata stopped talking, realizing she was thinking more about the late Hiashi than she was the unfortunate child.
"You don't think he's happy?" Naruto asked after a long moment.
"Happy?" Hinata frowned slightly. "I would wish him happiness, but I doubt that would be enough. He must have a very hard life, and it can be hard to find happiness if you rarely ever experience it. And, well... could he ever really be happy for long, knowing how quickly it could be taken away by some thoughtless person? I think..." She paused, and smiled slightly. "I think he might be a little like Kiba-kun."
There was a brief pause, and then Naruto turned to stare at her uncertainly. "Kiba? What makes you think that?"
"Did you know that Kiba never told me when something was bothering him, or when he was upset about something? I think now he was trying to protect me, or maybe he thought my own troubles were worse than his. If he was in a bad mood, he would either complain to Shino-kun, or he wouldn't say anything at all. When he did speak to me, I could tell that I always had his full attention, even if he wasn't looking at me. He was always very serious about protecting people who were important to him. I sometimes think that if I had known that about him, before... he might still be here. But if he were, then I wouldn't have Akamaru..." She bit her lip worriedly. "That's really selfish of me, isn't it?"
Naruto sighed. "No, I'm Kyuubi's vessel, Akamaru's a good dog," he replied in a rush.
Hinata blinked slowly. "What?"
He groaned and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I didn't think that would work." Naruto dragged his fingers through the gray soil, doing his best to avoid looking at Hinata. "I'm the child that Kyuubi was sealed inside of, Hinata. That's why over half the people in the village wouldn't mind if I turned up dead, because it would mean that Kyuubi was dead, too. Although, it's pretty hard for me to die, because even though he's stuck inside my body, he's in no hurry to stop existing."
Hinata couldn't help it, she stared at Naruto as if he'd grown a second head. And after what she'd just heard, she honestly thought that particular sight would've been easier to handle.
"But... how is that possible?" she whispered. "You're not... you've never..."
"Acted like a demon around you?" Naruto offered with a slight smile.
She blushed. "I just meant you were always nice to me, so I never... would've thought that you might be..."
"Believe me, me and him didn't always get along so well. In fact, we pretty much hated each other for years. Even now, he won't admit to liking me at all, but we get along enough to co-exist."
"You... talk to each other?"
"Yeah, it's kind of like having an imaginary friend, except he's real, in my body, and not really my friend. And, um, he knows a million different ways to kill things, but I'd rather not get into that."
Hinata smiled hesitantly. "You don't seem... afraid of him at all."
"I used to be terrified," Naruto admitted. "People only talked about how evil he was, and the first time he actually spoke to me, all I could see was eyes and teeth and claws, so that was pretty freaky. But once I realized that he couldn't really do anything that my mind and body didn't invite him to do, I started looking at the situation more realistically. I figured since we were stuck with each other, we might as well try to make it work so it's easier on both of us. I do some things for him, he helps me out when I need him. It's like a partnership."
"What... sort of things do you do for him?" Hinata asked hesitantly.
"Mostly it's small things that help me indirectly, anyway," Naruto answered. "Food preference, extra hours training, going for runs at night. Things he misses doing in his own body. Sometimes I feel guilty, because he didn't have a choice in this, either. Granted, he was an unstoppable killing machine, but I know how it feels to have someone butt into your life without asking and mess it up. And my life is much easier when we're not yelling at each other over the little things. You wouldn't believe it, but sometimes he makes more sense than anyone I've ever met. Maybe it's because we're trapped in the same situation, or because he's been alive so much longer than I have, but he's really not as bad as he used to be, if only because he can't do anything I don't agree to on some level."
"You cooperate... in order to survive," Hinata said slowly.
"I guess you could look at it that way," he replied with a shrug. "He never would've let me die, but this way he doesn't let me suffer needlessly, either. I found out really quick that if I piss him off, he can take his time healing me up or get stingy with his chakra."
"Then, he's not..." Hinata trailed off and tried to form her question in a way that wasn't offensive. "He's not... a monster?"
Naruto blinked. "Uh... well, he is a demon, but... he can't hurt anyone unless I let him, and he hasn't leaked any really bad dreams to me in years."
"Is he cruel to you?" Hinata rephrased.
"Not anymore," Naruto answered at once. "Why?"
Hinata wasn't sure about this next part, but she felt it was important. "Could I... speak to him? Directly?"
Naruto's face went blank, and for a terrifying moment, she thought he was bringing Kyuubi to the surface before she was really ready for it. Then he blinked several times.
"Hinata, I... don't know if that's such a good idea," he said at last. "He's not really easy to talk to. And he's not what you'd call polite."
"Would he hurt me?" she asked.
"No. Well, not for the purpose of causing you pain for no good reason, anyway."
"There's a good reason to cause me pain?" Hinata asked sharply.
Naruto winced. "That came out wrong. Try to understand, Hinata. He's a demon fox. He's not a stranger to feeling and causing pain, but it's not always about torture and killing. In some cases, pain and pleasure are intertwined for him. What I'm saying is that he doesn't consider you an enemy, and he's not going to attack you with intent to harm. At worst he might bite or scratch you, and even then it's just... um... well, it wouldn't be for the most obvious reasons. I know it sounds weird, and that's why I'd rather you just told me anything you wanted him to know."
Hinata shook her head. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but I think I have to talk to him. I believe it's for the best. And even if he isn't polite, there are things I would rather say to him, not you."
He stared at her for so long that Hinata began to think he wouldn't agree to her request. Finally, with obvious reluctance, his fingers flew through some hand seals so fast that Hinata couldn't make out a single one, and the next thing she knew, there were two of him.
That was wrong, however, she realized almost immediately. The second Naruto, despite looking nearly identical to the original, just... felt wrong. At least, Hinata could not bring herself to relax in his presence, as she would have around Naruto. Nor did he move in a way that Hinata had ever seen any human move; she could practically feel the air itself tensing when he made even the slightest motion, as if he could somehow destroy even that with a mere gesture.
But it was the glowing red eyes that Hinata knew she would never mistake for Naruto's deep blue ones. Strangely, there was no malice in the eyes that Hinata could see, and she couldn't even begin to imagine why the demon would go to any lengths to hide such feelings. She had long thought he would enjoy the idea of people fearing him. True, Hinata was afraid, even with Naruto right there, but she trusted that he wouldn't have agreed to this if there was any real danger to her.
For the first minute or so, Kyuubi gave no sign that he even knew Hinata was there. Instead, he stretched his body in ways Hinata doubted would've been comfortable for Naruto, and gave the impression that this was not something he was able to enjoy frequently, so he was going to savor every moment of it. Only when he was done stretching did Kyuubi look Hinata's way, and even then he seemed more bored than anything else.
Hinata suspected he was waiting on her to say something, but she wasn't quite sure how to address him. While she didn't expect Kyuubi to be polite, she knew it was best if she herself remained courteous, even if he did something horribly rude.
Without warning, Kyuubi suddenly made a sound that was half laugh and half snort as he sat down beside Naruto, his eyes shining with amusement. "I'll give her this much, runt. She's got to be the smartest woman I've seen since I got stuck with you."
Naruto looked at him blankly. "But she hasn't even said anything to you yet."
Kyuubi grinned, displaying a mouthful of exceptionally long teeth. "Exactly. I like her already."
Naruto opened his mouth, paused, and tried to figure out if he should be angry or pleased about that.
Hinata wasn't sure how to feel about the comment herself, and it didn't help matters when Kyuubi gave her his full attention. He no longer looked bored. In fact, he looked very much amused, as if he'd just found a new toy to play with.
"So you're supposed to be the mate," he said abruptly, grinning in a way that implied he had been saving that line for quite some time.
"Hey! Shut up, you old as dirt fox!" Naruto snapped.
Hinata's eyes widened in alarm, but Kyuubi barely even glanced at Naruto before turning back to her.
"Don't be stupid, runt. You can both pretend to be in denial, but everyone knows why we're really here, so let's get it out of the way. You want her, she wants you, and nothing you do is going to change that. Honestly, it doesn't look like either of you are going to do any better. And you know I'm right, because you wouldn't have bothered to introduce me if you weren't completely serious about her."
He was right, of course, and that worried Hinata somewhat. She'd half expected Naruto had brought her here to ask for her hand in marriage, and even if he hadn't, the thought of pursuing anyone else simply had not occurred to her. There was likely no one who could ever compare to Naruto in her mind, and while he didn't yet realize that, Kyuubi seemed to know not only Naruto's heart, but hers as well. It made her wonder what else Kyuubi was capable of just by looking at her, and the potential answers were not at all comforting.
As if he enjoyed seeing them off balance, Kyuubi went right on keeping them uncomfortable. "Go on home, runt. I need to have a little chat with the mate."
"First, STOP CALLING HER THAT!" Naruto yelled, his face red. "Second, there's NO way I'm going to leave you alone with her!"
"And you claim we get along fine," Kyuubi snorted. "I sense a serious lack of trust here."
"Damn right you do, and if you think I'm just going to walk off so you can start pawing at Hinata, then-"
Any amusement Kyuubi had been feeling dried up in an instant, and though all he did was turn his head to glare at Naruto, the blonde instantly froze, sensing he'd crossed a line.
"I've got three words for you, runt: Blue. FUCKING. Balls."
Naruto's face turned a spectacular shade of violet, as if he wanted to laugh, vomit, and wet his pants all at once.
"Let's get one thing straight. I'm not used to going without. Hell, I've never HAD to. And just because YOU'VE never gotten any, it doesn't mean I'm indifferent to the subject. Far from it, in fact. Now, do you REALLY think I'd do anything to scare off the one woman who might be interested in putting out on a regular basis?"
Normally, Hinata would've interrupted at that point, but since she didn't want Kyuubi looking at her the way he was currently glaring at Naruto, she wisely kept her mouth shut.
"Now," Kyuubi said calmly, "you are going to go home, and about half an hour after you get there, I'll bring OUR woman home, in roughly the same condition as when you left her. If she feels like telling you what went on, then feel free to ask her. And if you ever imply that I would mistreat her just for kicks, then I'll fill your head with so many nightmares that you'll make Shukaku's redhead look like a deep sleeper."
Hinata had no idea who Shukaku was, but apparently the threat was a serious one, because Naruto offered no further protest. He didn't leave in a hurry, however, throwing several concerned glances over his shoulder before Hinata finally lost sight of him.
"You'll have to forgive him," Kyuubi sighed, sounding very much like a parent who'd sent a naughty child to his room. "He's only used to protecting females, not actually taking care of their needs. He likes to think that because I'm not human, I don't know how to deal with them, but the truth is that I know how people think better than he does."
"Then you already know why I wanted to speak with you?" Hinata guessed.
He nodded slowly, gazing steadily at her. "You want to know if I'd go out of my way to protect your children. It's a good question, but a stupid one, and only further proves that most people are deeply misinformed about us."
Hinata was too curious to be offended, so she said nothing.
"He's my physical body now; his blood is my blood. You keep trying to separate us in your head, but it doesn't really work that way, no matter how much we wish it did. Any children you bear with him will still be my pups. It's the same with you. You're his woman and my mate. I'm part of him, and you can't have one without the other."
"Do you have to keep calling me a mate?" Hinata asked uneasily. "Naruto-kun and I haven't even... done anything official yet."
Kyuubi rolled his eyes. "I don't usually stress over little details, and especially not over eventualities. You may not be my mate today, or tomorrow, but you will be soon. As I said before, we wouldn't be talking if he weren't serious about you."
"And what makes you so sure that I still want to be Naruto-kun's... woman?" she demanded. Hinata hadn't meant for it to come out that way, but Kyuubi was really starting to make her feel like she had no say in the matter.
Kyuubi didn't look at all offended, just annoyed that he was being questioned over something he thought was obvious. "All of your life, someone has been protecting you. It doesn't mean that you can't protect yourself. It just means that you've gotten used to having help. Naruto is the kind of person that thrives on protecting others. He wants to take care of you, and you want to let him. You know as well as I do that there's no one else you'd be willing to devote yourself to completely. Either you become his woman, or you spend the rest of your life alone, refusing to be with anyone else, and wondering what could've been."
"What about you?" Hinata asked. "Does it matter to you that I'm the one Naruto-kun chose?"
"You'll do," Kyuubi replied swiftly. Noticing the way she bristled, he grinned. "I'll admit that your being partnered with the Inuzuka made things much easier. But it also brings up an interesting problem..."
"What problem?"
"You smell like dog."
Hinata had heard such criticism before, and usually it didn't bother her, but somehow having Kyuubi point it out put her on the defensive. "And what's wrong with that?"
"Nothing, now. But you plan to be Naruto's woman. And when dogs chase foxes, it's not usually so they can mate. Aside from that, it would complicate my efforts to protect the children."
"How?"
"There are currently plenty of people that smell like dog in this village, but only one that smells like a fox. That will be the mark of everyone under my protection... starting with you."
"What exactly is involved in changing my scent?" Hinata murmured hesitantly.
"Since you were not born an Inuzuka, you would've been marked at some point in your life. It's why you could use their jutsu and understand the dog."
"How do you know that?"
"I have ears, and I keep them open," Kyuubi replied flatly. "Also I've had more than a few... spirited discussions with dog shinobi in the past. I know their ways."
"You mean you fought them," Hinata correctly assumed.
"They started it," he countered at once. "I told you, dogs don't usually chase foxes so they can mate, and I certainly wasn't about to let them try if they were interested. So long as your dog keeps his nose to himself, we won't have a problem."
"And you know how to... change my mark?"
"Yes," Kyuubi answered. "But I will, of course, have to see it. I assume it's somewhere on your back."
Hinata's eyes narrowed. "And how would you know that?"
He grinned lecherously at her. "You were marked by a dog, weren't you? Where else would it be?"
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Immensely. And I still have to see the mark. That is, unless you want me to go poking and prodding blindly. And even if you wouldn't mind that, Naruto might. Not that I care what he thinks, but he might try to drown himself in ramen as retaliation, and that's something neither of us needs to see."
Hinata tried not to think too much about what she was doing as she turned away, slipped off her coat, and slowly pulled up her shirt until her lower back was exposed. Because of the awkward location, she'd only been able to see the mark once or twice in her life, but she knew it was still there, even if it no longer looked the same. Every time she used one of Kiba's jutsu, there was always a peculiar warmth spiraling out from that area, strangely similar to the way her face felt after using the Byakugan for extended periods. Even now, she couldn't recall exactly when she'd first noticed the odd sensation in her back. She was fairly certain that Akamaru had put the mark there, since he would've been small enough to squirm his way into her coat at the time, though she must have been sleeping quite deeply to have missed it.
She was brought back to reality when she heard Kyuubi snort and mutter something under his breath. "Is there a problem?" Hinata asked.
"No. I was just reminded of how unoriginal dogs are. I mean, here you have a lovely, living canvas to work with, and all he can think to do is use a boring red paw print. Simple savages, every last one of them."
Hinata drew her lips into a thin line. "I'm only interested in changing my scent for the sake of my future family. I'd prefer it if you didn't try to make a masterpiece on my back."
"Where's your sense of adventure?" he asked lightly.
"The same place as my rapidly dwindling dignity."
"One, you have nothing to be ashamed of from where I'm standing. Two, we'll have to work that shyness out of you one day. I have a few ideas I could... bounce off of you."
"Akamaru managed to do this without saying a word. I think I like his way better."
Kyuubi muttered something she didn't dare repeat, but finally stopped talking. For a moment, at least.
"I'll have to draw blood in order to do this."
"How much?" Hinata whispered.
"Hardly any, by my standards. Don't squirm and you should be fine."
He was probably only saying that because she'd insulted him, but Hinata was still very worried when she suddenly felt five sharp pinpricks in her back that steadily began to grow worse. A pained whimper slipped through her lips, and she squeezed her eyes shut, determined not to cry in front of him. That was when Kyuubi's lips brushed her ear, and he made a sound that was not quite purring, and not quite growling. Hinata was reminded of the many times she had fallen asleep curled up against Akamaru's side. Often he made sounds that were somewhat similar, and ultimately the effect on her was the same. She began to relax on an instinctive level, and soon she was sagging against him, enjoying the way the sound seemed to echo throughout her body.
"And we're done," Kyuubi said quietly a few moments later. "Not a masterpiece, but it'll serve the purpose." He inhaled deeply and chuckled. "You're starting to smell more like me already."
"What did you do, exactly?" Hinata breathed, slowly moving away from him.
"Basically it's mixing my blood with yours. And before you ask, it would be no different if Naruto had done it. Well, except I can be more precise. If he notices any change in your scent, it'll only be that you don't smell like dog anymore. But I'll know your scent, and that will be enough."
"Will Akamaru still be able to talk to me?" she asked, deciding not to pull her shirt down over the still tender area just yet. She was curious as to what the new mark looked like, but knew Kyuubi would laugh at her if she asked him for a mirror, or tried to twist around and see it on her own.
"Probably not, and I doubt you would've been able to for much longer, anyway. Your old mark was faded, and the bond was dissolving. Your dog will no doubt find other ways to communicate if he needs to. He can't be completely useless if you've had him for this long."
The comment was completely unnecessary, and Hinata was about to say so, but she looked up just in time to see a long cut in Kyuubi's clawed hand rapidly sealing itself and then fading entirely. He flexed his fingers a few times before lowering his hand. Noticing her staring, he shrugged slightly. "One of the many perks. You won't heal as fast or as frequently, but you should only be going to the hospital to visit or heal someone else."
"This is all going to take some getting used to, isn't it?" Hinata asked quietly.
"If it makes you feel any better, you handled it a lot better than the pinkhead did," Kyuubi replied. "She blubbered for a whole day, and that was without having talked to me. Probably telling her here didn't help, either. Naruto and I weren't as used to each other then as we are now, and it was pretty bad for a while. That's how I know what it feels like to drown in ramen."
"But Sakura came around eventually?"
"More or less. She stopped shaking like a leaf, anyway. Probably she just doesn't think about it unless she has to. You should do the same, for that matter. You know how people would react if they knew Naruto could willingly give me a temporary body to roam around in. But they stopped watching this area a long time ago, and it's the only place ANBU won't bother to follow him. Now's a good time to see if you can call your dog, so you don't have to walk home alone."
Hinata looked at him in surprise. "You're not coming?"
Kyuubi shook his head. "Anyone spying on you has already seen one Naruto leave here. I could easily disguise myself, but it would have to be someone from the village. While a stranger would raise suspicion, there's also the danger of crossing paths with the person I'm disguised as. It's easier just to have someone else escort you."
For a moment, Hinata thought about suggesting that Kyuubi disguise himself as something else, such as a plant or even her Gaara plushie. Then she realized that Kyuubi had a valid point: being caught with him in any form other than the original Naruto would probably have fatal consequences. That Naruto had even given him a temporary body inside the village was an indicator of his trust in Kyuubi, and Hinata thought that one day, perhaps she could come to trust him just as much.
Kyuubi was strangely silent as he led Hinata back through the many twists and turns of the Uchiha compound. She wasn't sure, but she thought he might have known some of the Uchiha in a non-enemy capacity at some point, probably a very long time ago. It was too early to start asking questions like that of Kyuubi, so Hinata made a point to remember to ask Naruto later on.
"Looks like you don't have to worry about calling your dog."
Hinata looked up to see Akamaru sitting patiently just outside of the compound. She found that odd only because she'd left him with Temari, who had said something about making dinner plans as they parted ways after the chuunin exams. It occurred to her that maybe he'd sensed her seal being changed, but when Hinata turned to ask Kyuubi about this, he was gone.
Feeling somewhat disappointed, Hinata walked over to Akamaru and sat down beside him, laying her head against his leg. "Akamaru, can you... can you still talk to me?" she asked softly. "I wouldn't ask, but I really need to know…"
For several seconds, Akamaru did not respond. Finally, he poked his nose into her hair, sniffed, and said, "This is probably a bad time, but I should tell you why I don't mind being around Naruto anymore."
Hinata was so happy that they could still talk that she almost missed what he'd said. "What is it?"
"Well, I always wanted to chase him a little. Something about the way he smelled. Only I didn't, because I thought you'd get mad, and he might take it the wrong way. Now, I figure you wouldn't mind as much, and he wouldn't care either way. But... now you sort of smell like him, and..."
Blinking slowly, Hinata raised her head to stare at Akamaru, who was staring right back at her in the oddest way. Almost like he wanted to... well, EAT her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You don't... want to go for a run, do you?" Akamaru asked, in a way that suggested he really, really hoped she'd say yes.
"Akamaru... you're not going to chase me... are you?" she asked slowly.
He had the decency to look guilty and hang his head. "Maybe just a little?"
"Akamaru!" she cried.
"Don't blame ME. You're the one who smells different!" He nudged her shoulder with his head. "I'd give you a head start and everything!"
"I am not going to run from you!"
He whined, just for effect. "It's nothing we haven't done before! Just... a little more spirited this time, is all."
"No," Hinata said firmly. "Besides, that was when we were still getting used to each other. You haven't asked to chase me in years."
Akamaru's ears drooped. "Fine. But I'm going to tell Hana that you wouldn't let me exercise."
"That's not fair!" she protested.
"You're sitting here, smelling all... chasey, and you won't let me chase you. How is that fair to me?"
Hinata shook her head. "For one thing, I could only imagine how the villagers would react if they thought I'd lost control of my dog. But if you really can't help yourself, then... I guess we could play later on. But it'll have to be somewhere where no one can see us."
"Great! But could you at least skip a bit on the way home?"
"No. And don't you give me that 'poor lost puppy' look, either. You're supposed to grow out of chasing girls around."
"I'll have you know that I did grow out of it! I chase women, and then only those that wouldn't be afraid of me. Besides, who ever heard of a dog that didn't like to chase foxes? That's like a dog who doesn't eat meat!"
Before Hinata could debate the matter further, they were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Konohamaru.
"Congratulations, Hinata-san!" he said with a strangely bright smile.
She could see right away that something was wrong. The one thing she liked most about Konohamaru was how easy and natural his smiles were. This last one had seemed alien on his face, and she privately hoped that he would never have cause to use it again. "Thank you, Konohamaru. Now what's on your mind?"
His face seemed to collapse into a depressed pout in the space of a heartbeat. "I'm so sorry, Hinata-san. I've been ordered to inform you that... starting tomorrow, you're no longer allowed to live with us. Kakashi-sama told us that in person, and, well... after Asuma oji-san managed to pull Kurenai oba-san off of him-"
Hinata's hands flew to her mouth. "She attacked him? But he's..."
"She was REALLY angry," Konohamaru reminded her with a sad smile. "Anyway, I'm supposed to take you directly to Kakashi-sama." He paused and looked away. "I'm really going to miss you, Hinata-san. I never had any sisters, so... it's been great having you around even this long, and... um..."
She saved him the trouble by standing up and hugging him. "I'll miss you, too. Don't worry, I'll be sure to visit often. But... is Kurenai-sensei going to be in trouble?"
Konohamaru shook his head. "Kakashi-sama said he'd overlook the incident, since he understood it was hard for her to let you go. I hope he still feels that way once the bleeding stops..."
"Maybe it won't be so bad," Akamaru reasoned. "Kakashi wouldn't stick you with someone who hated you, right?"
Hinata shook her head slightly as they followed Konohamaru down the street. "That's not what bothers me. I'm worried about Kurenai-sensei. She must be taking this really hard."
"You both knew this day would come after the chuunin exam. Maybe not immediately after, but still. Besides, she's a strong woman."
"But she doesn't have any children of her own, Akamaru."
He shot her a doubtful glance. "And that somehow makes her unable to handle stressful situations? If that were true, then she's really in the wrong line of work."
"She still has a heart, and it can break just as easily as anyone else's. It's not right to just-"
"Separate a mother from her young?" Akamaru responded. "No, it isn't. Yet sometimes it's also completely necessary. It's unfortunate that you two didn't have more time together, but even if you were her child, you are a woman yourself now. You both have to accept that. In good time you'll have your own children to care for."
"I feel like I'm abandoning her," Hinata murmured.
"You don't really have a choice in the matter, and she knows there's no one else you'd rather live with. She won't blame you. From the sound of it, she'd be in no mood to see anyone else today. Give her time to cool down, instead of rushing over and complicating things. Trust me, she'll be much happier to see you once she hears you've found another home just as good as the one she provided you with."
"Are you sure?"
"No, but she'll definitely take it better than if you ended up in a horrible one. I would, anyway."
Hinata briefly stroked his neck. "You're probably right, Akamaru."
"Of course I am," he agreed at once, leaning into her hand. "So I know that you'll agree when I say that this neighborhood is starting to look a little too familiar."
Up to that point, Hinata had been so concerned about her sensei that she hadn't paid any attention to where Konohamaru was leading them. But now that she looked, there were more than a few familiar sites around. It didn't take her long to realize that Naruto's home was just a few minutes away. Surely Konohamaru knew this as well, but that probably wouldn't have cheered him up at all. He most likely felt that he was not only losing a sister, but failing to help someone that mattered to Hanabi. Hinata didn't feel that way at all, however, and hoped Hanabi wouldn't think badly of Konohamaru because of this. If nothing else, he'd made her feel even more welcome in the Sarutobi compound.
As Naruto's apartment came into view, there was a very noticeable crowd of people gathered near the front door, and even over the noise of the crowd, it was still terribly easy to hear what could only be Naruto's enraged voice ringing out.
"YOU NO-GOOD, LYING, PERVERTED, ONE-EYED... SNAKE!"
Hinata had learned very quickly that Naruto never associated anyone with a snake unless they'd done something absolutely unforgivable in his opinion, so she assumed that Kakashi had somehow managed to deeply offend Naruto, although she couldn't even begin to imagine how. At the same time, she also knew that Naruto could get quite colorful in his insults, so apparently some part of him was still clinging to what little respect he had left for Kakashi.
Instead of trying to fight his way through the crowd, Konohamaru came up with a better solution. And though it was hardly the time for it, Hinata couldn't help but be impressed at the way in which people quickly moved aside when they saw Anko (or anyone that looked exactly like her) heading their way.
Naruto was still yelling at Kakashi as they approached, and seemingly the only reason he hadn't actually thrown a punch was because Sakura had a firm grip on his arms. If Naruto was aware of how many eyes were on him, he didn't show it, although his head quickly snapped in Hinata's direction when she was still a good distance away. The rage simply faded out of him as their gazes met, as if Naruto's brain would not allow him to look at her with anger in his eyes.
By then, Kakashi had noticed them as well, and he wasn't about to let the break in Naruto's tirade pass without getting his say in.
"As I was saying, Naruto, you can't be concerned with only yourself anymore. You need to start thinking about the well-being of those you'll one day be responsible for. You have to plan for your future, as well as theirs. A good place to start would be rethinking your position on Hinata's relocation. It's normal to have mixed feelings about such things, but all you're doing now is pointlessly making a scene. Do you really want to give any other people in this village the impression that you have an explosive temper and can't be trusted to behave with some common decency? You'll never be a proper clan head if you blow up over every situation that comes along."
"But this is an emergency!" Konohamaru suddenly blurted out. "You've taken Hinata-san out of her home! Naruto has every right to be upset! You're endangering a member of his clan! You-"
Naruto's hand came down on Konohamaru's shoulder and squeezed tightly. "That's enough. This isn't about Hinata being in any further danger. It's about her having a right to choose where she belongs. She's earned that right, and as of today, that's official. So no one has any right to tell her that she has to live in a certain place."
Kakashi sighed and shook his head. "Why you young people insist on being difficult, I'll never know. Believe it or not, I do have other matters to attend to today, so this is the end of the conversation, as far as I'm concerned. You two can work out the details, I'm sure." With that, he turned to Hinata and held out a brand new identification card. "I really only wanted to hand you this in person, Hinata, and welcome you to the rest of your life. As Naruto said, it is your life now, and ultimately your choice. I merely thought you could use a little push, and it was not my intention to upset anyone. Far from it, in fact. I'm certain you'll find that in the long run, this solution is best for everyone."
It only took Hinata a moment to scan the card. She was not quite surprised to find that she recognized the new address; it matched Naruto's current one perfectly. All in all, she found it a bit presumptuous, but considering that she had both accepted and bonded with Kyuubi in under an hour, it was more a formality than anything else. Still, as Naruto had said, it was nice to have a choice in these things. Although it was difficult to decide just how much of a fuss she should make about this. Obviously, part of her had been looking forward to living with Naruto, but she didn't want to seem too eager. Even if she was no longer Hyuuga, it could still reflect badly on her former clan.
Strangely, Kakashi didn't move until she raised her eyes to meet his. Then he blinked, nodded, and assured Hinata he would be working late today, just in case she found any 'mistakes' on her new card. With that, he actually walked away (a rare thing for him), taking most of the crowd with him.
Naruto looked as if he wanted to apologize, even though they both knew he had in no way influenced Kakashi's decision. Hinata wasn't quite sure what to say to him, so she simply took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. That calmed him somewhat, but he was still looking very troubled.
"So... you're going to live here, Hinata-san?" Konohamaru asked slowly, looking back and forth between them. He had a cautiously hopeful look on his face that made Hinata blush.
Naruto had just opened his mouth when his door slammed open, revealing a grinning Temari.
"Welcome home, roomie!" Temari greeted excitedly, wrapping her arms around Hinata in a huge hug.
"Uh, Temari," Sakura murmured nervously. "Didn't you hear Naruto yelling?"
Temari blinked and released Hinata, shooting a curious look at Naruto. "You were yelling? Guess I'm just used to it, so I tuned you out. I was cooking, and I wanted everything to be perfect for Hinata's first meal in her new... what?" she asked as Naruto waved his hands wildly to get her to stop talking. "You DID tell her, didn't you?"
"Well, I didn't, but someone did, so-"
"And she said yes, right?" Temari interrupted.
"Um, see, that's what we're still-"
"Of course I did," Hinata added quickly, squeezing Naruto's hand again. At his questioning, slightly worried glance, she smiled and nodded. "What else would I have said?"
"Great!" Temari pulled them both into an enthusiastic hug. "You'll see, Hinata, it'll be just like it was in Suna! Except Gaara won't be around to leer at you, and now we have to clean up after Naruto, but once you get past the smell-"
"HEY!" Naruto shouted indignantly.
"We even managed to make some space for Akamaru," Temari went on, scratching behind the dog's ears. "It'll be a little cramped for a while, but we're working on an expansion project that will solve that problem."
Hinata barely stifled a giggle as Akamaru's tongue lolled out of his mouth. "Careful, Temari. If you do that too often, he'll never let you stop."
"That's it, I've decided," Akamaru remarked with a dreamy sigh. "If you don't marry into this family, Hinata, I will."
Temari turned out to be a surprisingly good cook, although she claimed she'd learned only out of self-preservation. "You spend enough time traveling with two idiots who would rather glare at each other than gather food, and you learn to depend on yourself," she explained while clearing off the dinner table. "By the time I started living with Naruto, I was just an okay cook, but I never knew until we had company. Naruto just inhaled any mistakes I made as quickly as he did the good stuff, and he never complained once. He was probably afraid I'd stop feeding him."
"More like I didn't want to get whacked with your fan," Naruto corrected. "I'm still here, so you couldn't have made anything too bad."
"Gee, thanks," Temari muttered.
"It's a compliment!" he insisted. "Women are supposed to like those!"
"Except your compliments make us want to hit you," Sakura pointed out with a grin.
"You'd probably do that either way," Naruto grumbled, ducking as Sakura took a swipe at his ear. "See! I knew it!"
"That wasn't a compliment and you know it!"
"Okay, statement of fact, but still!"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "You could take a lesson from Konohamaru, Naruto. I never see any girls beating him up."
Konohamaru laughed nervously. "Oh, I just got my share of beatings out of the way early, that's all. Now I know when to say what."
"You mean she's got you trained," Naruto concluded.
"Exactly," Konohamaru replied instantly with a straight face. "But I had to take orders from her either way. At least now I know things about her I never would've if I'd just remained a teammate."
"Like?" Naruto prodded.
"She's only ticklish in one spot."
"Really? Where?"
"I like my face the way it is, so you'll never know."
Hinata simply sat and watched the conversation flow back and forth. It was odd, how the simple act of just listening to them made her feel at peace. The Hyuuga simply didn't do things like this. Talking was always so serious, and there was never really a time to just relax and be with each other.
Akamaru seemed to notice the direction of her thoughts, because he raised his head from the floor and poked her hand with his nose. "This is what it's like to have a family, you know."
"No... I don't, really," Hinata said softly.
"You will," Akamaru replied confidently, dropping his head onto his paws. "Wake me up when you're ready to be chased. And no claiming you forgot, either."
0
Though Hinata hadn't been looking forward to being chased, it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as she'd thought it would be. Akamaru seemed to enjoy chasing her more than he actually did catching her, and even then all he did was lick her face until she managed to escape him again. Hinata found that she was enjoying herself far too much, because it was nearly dark when it occurred to her that they should stop for the day. It was lucky that Naruto had known about the small abandoned lot within walking distance of his apartment, and from the way the few small trees present were leaning to one side, Temari had come her to train with her fan as well.
Hinata let her mind wander as she leaned against Akamaru's side, waiting for her breathing to return to normal. In the same day, she'd become a chuunin, a live-in girlfriend, a roommate, and the mate of a sealed demon. At the very least, she would never be bored again.
She almost didn't hear Akamaru when he lifted his head and announced, "Your sister's coming, but don't go to her. Let her come to us."
"What? Why?" Hinata asked, clearly confused.
"Because I don't feel like having to chase her in order to lick her fingers, that's why. She'd probably take it wrong and try to kill me or something."
Sure enough, Hanabi stepped into the lot a moment later. She looked more exhausted than Hinata had ever seen her, but otherwise fine.
"Has it been a long day for you, too, Hanabi-chan?" Hinata asked, shifting slightly so that there was room for her sister to sit near Akamaru's head.
Hanabi paused, silently debating whether she actually wanted to come in contact with the dog again. Apparently deciding that Hinata looked far too comfortable for her liking, she gave in and sank down beside her, closing her eyes as she rested her head against Akamaru's side. She frowned when he jostled her arm with his head, but finally sighed and surrendered her right hand, which he promptly began to lick.
"I thought I had experienced unimaginable pain, Hinata. And then I was forced to sit in a room and listen to a bunch of old, close-minded people drone on about your recent activities. Activities which, I might add, had already been shared with me by Kouji-kun, and that I had no need or desire to hear again. And at least his reports were mildly entertaining."
"I'm sorry?" Hinata offered slowly.
Hanabi smiled faintly. "I was not seeking an apology, merely sharing the events of my day."
"Then... I'm not causing any problems for you?"
"No more than I expected your returning alive would, but that was my choice, not yours. And no, you haven't done anything wrong. The elders are just obsessing over what they consider a rather large oversight on my part, as if I had no idea that you were in the same village as us."
"Are you sure my being here won't-"
Hanabi opened her eyes. "Hinata. You are my sister. Whatever problems your being here might cause, I will gladly deal with each of them. Did I not make it clear in Suna that I have no intention of letting you go again?"
Hinata stared at her for a few seconds, before finally smiling and gently laying her head on Hanabi's shoulder. "I love you, too, Hanabi-chan." Her smile only widened when she felt the added pressure of Hanabi's head resting against her own.
"I was not expecting you to move in with Naruto-san so quickly, but that may have been a very good idea."
"Why do people keep saying that?" Hinata asked curiously.
"Naruto-san has expressed serious interest in founding his own clan. While there are some people who will never trust him completely, it is for the best that he maintains some normalcy in his life. His taking a willing wife will ease some of the prejudice against him."
Hinata felt her cheeks growing hot. "You really think so?"
"There is also the added benefit that it will, at least officially, distance you from the Hyuuga Clan. I expect the elders will calm down somewhat after that. That is, until your children are born with the Byakugan. But by then, I'll be in a much better position to inform them that it is none of their business."
The protective edge in her sister's voice eased Hinata's fears considerably, but it also made her wonder. "Do you think our children will be able to play together, Hanabi-chan?"
In the next moment, it was as if every inch of Hanabi's skin had turned to ice. Hinata pulled away quickly, uncertain as to whether Hanabi was pushing her away, or merely guarding herself. Either way, Hinata no longer felt she was welcome to touch her sister.
"I swear on my blood... no, our blood," Hanabi said softly, "that I will play with your children, Hinata. But that is all I can promise you."
Hanabi's answer both pleased and worried Hinata. "You... you're not going to marry Konohamaru, are you?" she asked.
"No. And before you ask, I have told him that several times. I do not think he has completely accepted it as fact. I hate having to repeat myself, and yet..."
"You love that he keeps asking?" Hinata guessed with a small smile.
Sighing, Hanabi shook her head slightly. "He will never stop asking. He wouldn't be Konohamaru if he did. And there is no need for you to try and push us together. We are as close as we ever will be."
Hinata cleared her throat. "So, um... why where you with Shino-kun today?"
"I suppose there is no harm in telling you that he has agreed to assist me in becoming Hyuuga clan head."
"How can he do that?"
Hanabi smirked. "Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that he never mentioned to you that he was the heir of his clan. He was probably trying to be sensitive to your plight. Of course, his situation is made simpler because he has no competition."
Hinata suddenly realized that she'd only ever met Shino's father, and that she'd never heard about any Aburame being more promising than her teammate. Either there were no more possible heirs, or Shino had simply overshadowed them all.
"Shino-san and I will propose a partnership between our two clans. Nothing that will necessitate a marriage between us, simply a pact that is mutually beneficial. I am the only Hyuuga he will deal with, and his father will only agree to the proposal once I have been formally recognized as the Hyuuga clan head. The elders will give in soon enough, and with the backing of the Aburame Clan, I will be able to bring great change to our village. In time, I may even find a way to end onii-san's pain."
It was a little strange for Hinata to hear Hanabi speaking that way. She could remember a time when she had been the only one wanting to end Neji's pain. Of course, she'd also been the only who knew about it, because even Neji himself had denied its existence and treated any offers for assistance like threats. But Neji was no longer quite the person she remembered, nor was Hanabi, for that matter. Had it really been her leaving that had made them change, or had they changed each other?
"I am glad to know that you have been, and will continue to be safe while my attention has been elsewhere," Hanabi stated quietly. "If there is one thing I have learned about Naruto-san, he is very passionate about protecting those he loves."
"The more I hear the things like that," Hinata sighed, "the more I wish Naruto-kun would the say the words himself."
"That is not his way. Naruto-san shows his love through actions. I do not believe he has ever said the words to anyone. He has never had to, because anyone who was ever that close to him simply knew how he felt. You know this, Hinata. He would not invite you into his home if he felt any other way."
Hinata pulled out her ID card and turned it over and over with her fingers. "He never really got the chance to invite me. He swears the only problem he had with it was that I wasn't given a choice, and even if that's true... I would've liked being asked by him."
Hanabi's hand shot out and snatched the card, bringing it up to her face. She blinked, and then handed it back to Hinata. "Did you actually read this card, Hinata?"
"Yes... why?"
"Did you read all of it?" Hanabi stressed.
Hinata frowned. "I thought I did. What's wrong with it?"
Hanabi simply looked at her in a way that made Hinata feel quite foolish. "If you still have doubts as to whether Naruto-san loves you, I think you need to check it again."
Feeling more confused by the moment, Hinata scanned the card again, but could find nothing wrong. She lifted her head to say so, but Hanabi's hand gripped her arm, pushing the card closer to her face. "The NAME, Hinata. Read the name."
"What? I don't see any mistakes. And Kakashi-sensei said that... what... AH!" Hinata's voice trailed off in a startled but happy little squeak as she finally noticed what Hanabi had been referring to. Indeed there was no mistake, at least not in Hinata's mind. But that was exactly why she hadn't been able to see it. Having pictured the name "Uzumaki Hinata" in her mind so many times, it hadn't even struck her as odd to see it anywhere else, so it hadn't stuck out at all.
But it was there. It wasn't surrounded by tiny hearts and miniature flowers, but it was definitely there.
Hanabi sighed and shook her head. "I don't know what worries me more: that I finally find one of Kakashi-sama's jokes humorous, or that you, with Byakugan and all, missed that. But at least you have a name now."
Without warning, Hinata lurched forward and grabbed Hanabi, planting a loud kiss on her cheek before running out of the lot.
Hanabi blinked, sighed again, and glanced at Akamaru, who had finally stopped licking her fingers. "Well? Aren't you going to go after her?"
Although he knew Hanabi couldn't hear him, Akamaru still responded. "No need. There isn't a ninja alive who could stop her now. She's getting married."
"You don't think she got lost, do you?"
Temari rolled her eyes. "Naruto, even if Hinata couldn't sniff us out, Akamaru could. And it's not like we live in a maze. She knows where we are, and if she didn't, it'd be pretty hard to miss us standing on the side of the road like this."
"But it's getting dark, and she's been gone for hours. What if something happened?"
"It's easy to lose track of time when you're playing with Akamaru, believe me. She'll come back when she realizes how late it is. Just relax."
"I can't," Naruto muttered. "Nee-chan, you stay here in case she comes back. I'm going to go find her."
Groaning, Temari turned away to go back inside. "Fine. But look both ways before crossing the-"
There was a rather loud thump behind her, and when she turned back, Temari found Naruto flat on his back with Hinata sprawled on top of him. "Huh. What are the chances of that?"
Naruto blinked a few times, and like Temari, assumed that Hinata had accidentally run into him. Had he been paying more attention at the time, he would've realized that she'd hit him at full speed in more of a wild tackle. At any rate, he definitely noticed when Hinata suddenly started kissing his face everywhere she could reach from her current position. And while he knew it wasn't a good idea to lay in the road at night, Naruto couldn't really do more than grin foolishly and let her continue.
Temari, feeling generous, let this go on for several minutes, until she finally walked over and pulled Hinata off of Naruto. "Knock it off, he's got to breathe at some point."
"No I don't!" Naruto gasped as he jumped up. "Let her go!"
"Quiet, you. Hinata, not that I'm complaining, but maybe you two want to take this inside and-"
"Yes, yes, YES!" Hinata squealed, squirming out of Temari's grasp and latching onto Naruto again.
"Oh, now you're just being disgusting on purpose!" Temari protested, pushing them both towards the apartment.
"YES!" Hinata cried in between frantic kisses.
"You admit it? That's not-" Temari blinked, and it finally dawned on her that Hinata wasn't answering so much as she was accepting. "Uh oh." She quickly pulled them apart again. "Naruto, I think you need to ask her why she keeps saying that!"
Naruto threw her a slightly desperate look. "Who CARES?"
"YOU do!" Temari hissed. "Naruto, ASK HER."
"What are you... oh... OH!" He quickly pulled out a kunai, and was about to cut off a lock of his hair when Hinata knocked it out of his hand.
"Don't you DARE! You can't have hair missing now!" Hinata practically shrieked.
Naruto blinked, obviously confused. "But it grows back pretty much overnight, so-"
"IF you needed your hair cut, I would do it," Hinata interrupted firmly. "But you don't, because I don't need that kunai anymore."
"You don't? But I thought-"
"You really should listen to your wife, Naruto."
"I... my... huh?" He stared at her as if he'd heard wrong, and then that silly grin spread across his face again. "Really? You mean you'll... YES! Yes, yes, YES!"
Temari shook her head as Naruto grabbed Hinata and began swinging her around in circles. "I hope I don't look that stupid when I get engaged." But after a moment's thought, she smiled. "On the other hand, if I play this right, maybe I won't have to give up my room!"
Hanabi did not like being put in awkward situations, or at least not those she couldn't fight her way out of. But in her mind, they had been occurring with increasing frequency since Hinata had come (or was forced) back into her life. And while this did not make her resent Hinata, it did remind Hanabi to be thankful that Hinata would be living with Naruto and Temari.
Perhaps then, Hanabi would no longer feel compelled to walk Akamaru home.
She knew perfectly well that he knew the way, and that he was more than capable of looking after himself. But he was still Hinata's dog, and in her excitement, Hinata had forgotten all about him. Hanabi still did not like him very much at all, but because he had not bitten her, she was willing to file him in the same category as an unusually large and hairy baby: they drooled comparable amounts, at least, and she got the distinct impression that if Akamaru was intelligent, he enjoyed making people think otherwise. Certainly he never seemed to understand anything Hanabi said, especially when she was telling him not to do something, and yet if her hand was extended for more than a few seconds, it would soon be damp with his drool.
Because of that, it was terribly easy to have him follow her to Naruto's apartment. Hanabi noticed with some disdain that there were very few traps set to discourage intruders. She could only assume this was due to Naruto's ignorance, Temari's arrogance, or both.
There was a brief moment in which Hanabi debated how best to get Akamaru inside, but the answer came to her almost immediately, and a simple henge later, Akamaru was reduced to the size Hanabi first encountered him in: that of a small, white dog. Far from being upset about the change, Akamaru ran happily around her feet for a few seconds, before bounding off through the apartment. Hanabi later found him curled up on the floor of Temari's bedroom.
This did not please Hanabi in the least, because she was fairly certain that Naruto's apartment had only ever had two bedrooms, and Temari was alone in one.
A short walk led her to Naruto's bedroom, and sure enough, Hinata was fast asleep in his bed. But she was also still wearing the same clothes Hanabi had seen her in earlier, which pointed to her being too exhausted to even change for bed. And Naruto was not actually in the bed, so much as he was seated on the floor beside the bed, not unlike Akamaru had been.
"You know, Hanabi-chan," he said quietly, "you're always welcome here, but if you're only here right now to prove that my security system needs work, could it wait until tomorrow? You can update it yourself if you really want to, so long as it's non-lethals only. But I wouldn't do anything too permanent if I were you. I don't plan to live here for too much longer."
"And why is that, Naruto-san?" Hanabi asked.
"I'll admit I don't know much about families, but I'm pretty sure I need more room to raise a proper one. Anyway, Hinata deserves her own home, not an apartment I've lived in all my life. And Akamaru needs plenty of space to run around. So do I, for that matter."
"I see." Hanabi glanced at Hinata's sleeping form. "May I offer you some advice, Naruto-san?"
He shrugged. "Sure."
"Do not be in too much of a hurry to start your family. You and Hinata have been apart for quite some time. Take time to remind yourself of why you chose her, and then share it with her. You will always be together, but once you have children, it may not be so easy to be alone together."
Naruto stared at her with a curious glint in his eyes. Finally, he gave her a knowing smile. "Okay, we'll wait. Just tell Neji and Tenten not to take too long. They only need one kid."
Hanabi frowned at him, but didn't put any real feeling behind it. "Konohamaru will come by tomorrow to collect onii-san's headband, and deliver Hinata's new one." At Naruto's questioning look, she added, "He will be needing it back, and Hinata earned more than her freedom today. She is a new person, and she should start out under a new banner. Onii-san and I are no longer the ones protecting her. Hinata's life is her own now."
"You don't need to worry," Naruto said as he stood up. "I'll keep her safe."
"Had I believed anything else, I never would've let you anywhere near her," Hanabi informed him without missing a beat.
He stared at her again, and then suddenly laughed for no reason that Hanabi could decipher. She was even more confused when he walked over and gave her a tight hug that might have left a weaker person gasping for air.
"I think I'm going to enjoy being related to you, Hanabi-chan. You're really funny!"
She gazed up into his smiling face, trying to decide if he was being serious or not. But the only thing she could detect from his features was sheer joy, and not for the first time, she wondered if Naruto realized that there were jounin who lacked his ability to hide their true emotions beneath their own faces. Yet this was the first time that Hanabi truly believed that what she saw on the surface might also be below it. Despite all the warnings and rumors surrounding Uzumaki Naruto, something told her that he would take his own life before he even thought of laying a hand on Hinata in anger.
It was only after refusing several offers to escort her home that Hanabi was allowed to leave, and even then she'd had to pointedly tell Naruto that he should only be with Hinata at such a late hour. Just the thought of her needing to be escorted anywhere was insulting to Hanabi, especially since Naruto knew what she was capable of. But she also knew he hadn't really offered out of concern, or even to be polite.
He had done it solely because Hinata would've done the same, and no doubt expected it of him as well. Naruto might never be a fine husband, but at the very least, he had the makings of a decent one, and even that was more than Hanabi had ever expected Hinata to find.
End of Part 7B.
Endnotes: (for both parts of Part 7, since I was too lazy to separate them)
Tatsuo - "dragon man"
Tomoko - "friendly/wise child"
Keiji - "respectful second son"
Tatsuo's jutsu:
Katon: Karyu Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet): Shoots an enormous ball of flame in the shape of a dragon from the user's mouth.
Tomoko's jutsu:
Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique): The user quickly replaces themselves with another nearby object, normally a wooden log, an animal, or even another person within reach. A fairly common Jutsu, it is one of the basic Jutsu a Ninja must learn before graduating to the Genin level.
Naruto's jutsu:
Kyuubi Kunai: Naruto's version of the Yondaime Hokage's Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique). Naruto ties a lock of his own hair around a kunai (to distinguish it from other kunai) and gives it to anyone who has his permission to "summon" him. The person would send their chakra into the kunai before imbedding it in the ground. Kyuubi would sense the chakra, and instantly transport Naruto to the location, using the kunai as a reference point. It's largely the same principle as summoning, but with a much smaller amount of chakra required from the summoner (since Kyuubi does all the work).
Kyuubi Bunshin: A Shadow Clone created exclusively by Kyuubi's signature red chakra. Such a clone retains a portion of Kyuubi's personality, responding only to his will. Naruto can limit how powerful the clones are, but they are essentially independent once given life, and can only be destroyed through significant damage, chakra depletion, or Kyuubi's consent.
When Hinata says that Akamaru can stimulate chakra production, she means only in himself. This would be when he turns red, which he no longer needs Hinata to initiate by drawing his excess chakra out.
I actually could see Asuma and Kurenai not getting married, ever. But my own sinister porpoises demanded that they do it for the sake of the story. And you don't mess with evil aquatic life, my friends. And damn, I just found out what they did to Asuma in the manga. Also, I prefer to think of Asuma and Konohamaru as uncle and nephew, since I'd hope Asuma wouldn't let his kid turn out spoiled.
Nope, I wasn't done with Tsunade just yet. Since she's already shown some capacity to get over her personal failings, I see no reason for her not to bounce back from yet another tragedy. Although, now having been a Hokage, she probably has a better idea of why Jiraiya didn't accept the job, and how three people can manage the pressure better than one ever could. You can probably tell I made up that word problem myself.
Kudos if you know the anime characters who inspired Hinata's junior teammates (hint: I also borrowed their summons). If you don't, you're not missing out on an actual prize or anything. Just very minor bragging rights. (hint: they're from Digimon… as if that narrows it down!)
Kudos (again) if you caught the pun on "rabbit wolverines," and if you didn't (again), no big deal. I'm just an Avatar junkie, and it shows. It's not that I don't think the chuunin exams wouldn't change a little or a lot over the years. It's just... how do you top the Forest of Death? I'm sure I don't know. All I could come up with was throwing in a new species to torment the genin.
Yes, I realize that Kyuubi is an evil demon fox, that he hates Naruto for a whole list of reasons, and that Naruto doesn't much care for him, either. But I'm a firm believer in the idea that if you spend too much time with someone (especially unwillingly), at some point, you have to agree on some things in order to keep from ripping each other's heads off. And while Kyuubi has to save Naruto's life in order to stay alive, he's not likely to help Naruto in other situations unless he benefits as well. So I came up with a system of compromises that helps them more or less get along. There's still going to be name-calling, pettiness, and general one-upmanship, but that's hardly any different from how Naruto treated Sasuke, and they managed not to kill each other (for a while, at least).
Each clan has it's own rituals about passing on power, whether it's offering up babies to bugs, or scarring people for life literally and figuratively. I like to think the Inuzuka way isn't quite that harsh (how can you be evil if you grew up with puppies?), so I imagine it's only a mixing of blood that binds a dog to its master. That, and I felt I needed a better explanation as to how Hinata was doing Kiba-like things.
Apparently kitsune in general have a great fear or hatred of dogs. But since Kyuubi is the most powerful of the tailed beasts (if one is a dog, it it's nowhere near as powerful), I figure it's just hatred in this case.
I should point out again that I'm not reading the manga. I don't have that much money or patience, and most of what I do know about it comes from Wikipedia (sure, they make mistakes, but there's still a TON of info, and it's updated/corrected fairly often). And I say all of that to say Kyuubi and Naruto's abilities in the story aren't canon to my knowledge.
Naruto seems pretty insistent on people being able to make their own choices, and I think part of that stems from his not having a say in the whole Kyuubi being sealed inside his body thing. I know it sounds ridiculous to ASK somebody that sort of thing, but it's even more ridiculous to mistreat them over something they had no choice in and can't do anything about, if you ask me. So I could see him getting really pissed at Kakashi for stepping on Hinata's freedom, even if it was for the best.
If you still haven't figured out why Hanabi refuses to have children, or how she intends to honor her promise to Neji, (actually, the answers to both are the same) keep an eye out for the upcoming chapter of Hyuuga Secret Arts, tentatively titled "Remembrance." Nope, it has nothing to do with dead people.
And for everyone who's been asking about it, look for the next chapters of "Building Clan Uzumaki," mostly because they will FINALLY start getting to the point where there actually IS a clan to speak of, or at least a very tiny family.