Author: G.A.M.M.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 3:

'Snow'

Naruto and Hinata awoke the next day to the cry of a distant rooster announcing rising sun.

They rubbed their eyes groggily and got up from their sleeping pallets, stretching to get the kinks that had formed in their backs from sleeping on thin cushions on top of hard ground. The last month had been a long journey for them. They had become used to sleeping beneath the glittering stars, and the luxury of a roof over their heads was most welcome. Indeed it was a blessing, for had they not spent the night in the little shed they would have been covered in something cold.

They peered curiously out of the door at the white blanket that covered the earth.

"What's that, Ero-Sennin?" Naruto asked.

"It's snow, boy." Their reluctant guardian answered, letting the nickname pass unchallenged for once.

The surly Sage served them a breakfast of rice porridge and fried eggs. Hinata ate slowly, gazing out at the winter wonderland that had appeared overnight as if by magic.

Her Mother had once told her of snow. Hinata barely remembered her Mother's face, but she remembered how kind she had been. Her Mother had always treated her like she was special. She vaguely recalled her Mother telling her stories of wonderous things and places as she practiced calligraphy. Hinata had been brought up as a lady, so she could one day make her clan proud of her as their leader. Since the time she was three she had been taught how to walk gracefully and write beautifully, how to light incense to honor her ancestors and how to perform tea ceremony to honor her family, and most importantly, how to be dutiful and meek, loyal and humble as a proper lady was.

She was finding it hard to act like a lady, caught up in the wonder of seeing one of the beautiful things that her Mother had told her about.

"A-ano... I've n-never seen s-snow before." She said with honest awe only a child could express.

"Me either." Naruto admitted.

"I-it's beautiful."

"It is."

Jiraiya packed his things and laid out some snacks for them. There were pocky treats, rice balls and some boiled eggs. He also set out a large canteen of mild green tea and their lunch, which was comprised of plain rice and pickled vegetables. He put aside a modest dinner as well, just in case; dry salted jerky, two potatoes and handful of little red apples.

"Alright, kids." The old man said seriously. "Stay inside and behave yourselves. Don't go outside unless you have to 'go.' Understood?"

"H-hai."

"Okay."

The Toad Sage bit his finger and summoned Gamakichi, who greeted them with his usual "yo."

That done, Jiraiya gave them one more stern look and said: "I'll be back before nightfall at the latest. Stay out of trouble."

He departed quickly, walking off eastwards towards the village proper, into the light of the rising sun.

"Hey." Naruto said, turning to Hinata. "Want to go out and play?"

"A-ano..." The heiress shifted her eyes nervously. "Hoshigen-san t-told us to s-stay inside."

She had taken to calling the aging hermit by that name. The nickname fit him well, but it also held another meaning for Hinata. When her Mother had taught her calligraphy, Hinata had learned how words that resembled one another could have a special meaning for the person who spoke or wrote them. Her Mother had once asked her to give her Father a present, a word written in her best calligraphy that she thought would best describe what a father should be.

Hinata had written the word "Hogasha," which meant "guardian," "protector," "patron," and "patriarch" or "father" given the proper context. The words "hoto nashini ginen" could also be translated as "he who was without purpose." Jiraiya had wandered without a specific purpose (other than to serve Konoha and indulge in his vices) for some time, but now he had a purpose. He was Hinata's and Naruto's protector. "Hoshigen" closely resembled "hogosha," and that held special meaning for Hinata. The old sage was her guardian, and more of a father to her than Hiashi had ever been.

Her Father had always been cold and reserved. He had been more concerned with his expectations than he was with her feelings. Jiraiya was ill-spoken and inconsistent, but he did care for her. He made sure she was sheltered and fed. He was gruff and could be harsh, but he was fair and respected her limitations. He did not try to force her to live up to his expectations. Instead, he made her want to live up to her own. The concept was foreign to Hinata. A mother nurtured her child, a father shaped his child to become what she needed to be. For the first time in her life, Hinata was told she should be the one who decided what she would be. It filled her with more wonder than the snow outside the shed.

Naruto stared at her, trying to get her to agree with him. Hinata just poked her fingers together. It wasn't proper for a lady to defy her guardian. Jiraiya would not approve of them going outside, but it was difficult to disagree with Naruto, and not just because he was so overbearing.

She had mixed feelings about the little blonde boy. He was crass and uncouth, and often poked fun at her. She didn't really mind how he treated her. It was her fault he had been captured and had to live the life of a vagabond. She rarely protested his jibes because she knew she deserved them. If not for her, he would be happy and at home in Konoha. She could never repay the debt she owed him. True, she was only six, and had a lifetime to make it up to him, but she had changed his life forever. The sense of honor instilled in her by her clan dictated that she was bound to his wishes.

"He'll never know. Right, Gamakichi?"

The young toad regarded the two with his predictable lay-about attitude.

"Stay where I can see you." He croaked.

"See, it's fine." Naruto assured her. "We'll just go out and play for a little while. Don't you want to play in the snow?"

Still, being honor-bound to his wishes didn't mean she couldn't be reluctant to fulfill them.

The little Hyuuga poked her fingers together anxiously. "Ano... I g-guess it would b-be okay."

Naruto took her hand and whisked her out the door with him. In minutes they were playing and laughing in the snow. They explored the white wonder with whole-hearted childlike enthusiasm. For that is what they were: simple happy children. They didn't think about what had happened to them a year earlier very often, though Hinata occasionally still pined for home. In truth, she was happier traveling with Naruto and Jiraiya than she had ever been at home. She was much happier to enjoy the cold of the freshly fallen snow than she was to endure the cold of her Father's disapproving stare.

Together they frolicked in the field near the shed, diving and rolling in the snow, making snow angels and haphazard snowmen, throwing snowballs and eating snow. They laughed in the way only children could laugh, free of worry and the cares of the world. There was nothing more pure than the laughter of a contented child. Naruto had been scorned in Konoha, and was more gay and free than he had ever been in the place he had called home.

Now both of them had come to think of home as wherever they were when they were together. Jiraiya was far from perfect, but he was usually kind and fair, and he never let them go hungry or failed to provide shelter when it was needed. He had followed through with his promise to train them as ninjas, pushing them hard enough to improve but not so hard as to discourage them. They both saw a bright future ahead of them. With Jiraiya's help they could achieve their dreams. Naruto thoroughly believed he would become Hokage, and Hinata had begun to feel like she might just live up to her clan's expectations.

That was her dream: to make her Father proud and earn his love and respect.

After several hours of playing in the snow they went back inside to shake the frost off their coats and enjoy a little snack. Gamakichi was sleeping in Hinata's bed roll, snoring loudly. Naruto snickered and put his fingers to his lips. He snuck over to the tiny toad and let out a loud hiss.

The lazy amphibian leaped into the air, reacting on instinct to the sound of its natural predator, the snake. Gamakichi jumped clear across the room and landed on Hinata's shoulder, and she let out an "eep" of surprise. She pranced around the room, thoroughly grossed out. Naruto fell to the ground laughing.

Much to the blonde's surprise, she erupted in tears.

Why did Naruto always have to be so mean? She deserved it, but that didn't mean it didn't upset her.

He hates me. She thought sadly. How can I repay my debt if he hates me? Well... maybe he doesn't hate me, but he definitely doesn't like me.

"Come on, it was just a little joke. It was an accident." The little Uzumaki said guilelessly.

She couldn't let him be so mean to her, even if he disliked her and she was bound to him. It was her duty to help him. She had to help him be a better person. Being unkind was a sign of weakness. A lord didn't treat his subjects poorly just because he didn't like them. To do so would only harm his honor. She couldn't let Naruto hurt his honor. She had to stand up to him and help him become a better person, no matter how hard it was for her.

"A-a-a-ano... y-y-you d-did it on p-p-p-purpose!" She stuttered sorrowfully through her sobs.

Naruto looked at her with bewilderment. "You're not mad?"

"N-n-no... b-but why d-d-do you have to b-b-be s-so mean?"

The blonde boy lost his temper.

"I said it was an accident! I wasn't trying to be mean!" He shouted.

"Cool it kid." Gamakichi interjected. "I want to take nap."

I... I have to be strong. I have to help him. Why does it hurt so much when I deserve it?

"Why are you always t-t-t-trying t-to d-demean m-me?" The heiress asked, hugging herself and rolling into a ball on the floor.

Naruto didn't know what "demean" meant, but it sounded like Hinata thought he was making fun of her.

A mixture of shame and protectiveness stole over the young boy. He walked over to her and kneeled, wrapping his arms around her compassionately.

"I would never make fun of you." He said softly. "Well, maybe sometimes I do, but I never do it because I want to hurt you. I hate it when you cry. It hurts when I see you cry. You're me best friend, Hinata-chan."

The simple heart-felt truth of his words and the comfort of his embrace soothed the upset heiress.

"R-r-really?" She asked in a fragile voice. "I th-thought you d-didn't l-like me. It's m-my f-fault you're here and n-not at home in K-Konoha."

Naruto used his sleeve wipe away the tears from her eyes.

"It's okay, Hinata-chan. I'm happier here anyway."

No, that couldn't be. He was just trying to make her feel better. Life as a vagabond couldn't be better than life in Konoha. Why would he say such a thing? Yet, despite being tricksy and sneaky, Naruto was honest. He was a prankster, but he always admitted to pulling the prank when he was caught. Hinata had never seen him lie, not even once. Why was he lying to her now? Was it possible he wasn't? Did he really think he was better off than he was in Konoha? She needed to know.

"R-really?"

"Yeah, I think so. Besides, if I didn't get taken too, I would never have met you, Hinata-chan."

The small Hyuuga girl slowly began to relax in his sheltering hug. Perhaps she had been wrong about him. Maybe he didn't really dislike her. Maybe he really meant what he said.

"D-do you m-mean it?"

"Honto, Hinata-chan, honto. It's the truth." The blonde boy swore.

It had to be true. Naruto would never go back on his word. If he said it was the truth, it was the truth. Somehow, he truly was happier as a vagabond. Truly, he was happier being with her. The thought filled Hinata with a warm-fuzzy feeling. His declaration made her feel light-headed and giddy. He was happy being with her. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. She had been wrong about him being mean. Naruto had to be the nicest person in the whole world.

Hinata gave him the biggest smile she had ever smiled. "T-thank you. You're my b-best friend t-too, Naruto-kun."

He was her best friend, she realized. No, he was the best friend ever. She was his best friend too. It made her happier than she had ever remembered feeling since her Mother died.

The boy blushed slightly and released the now joyous girl.

"Hey." He said cheerily. "You shouldn't get so upset about things. You shouldn't take things so seriously."

Now he was giving her advice; good advice. Hinata knew she got upset easily. Such a thing wasn't becoming of a lady. Yet, her Father had always said she was weak-willed and quick to cry.

"A-ano... but my F-Father." Hinata trailed off dejectedly.

"Forget about it." Naruto said dismissively. "You told me he was mean to you, right? Why should you listen to someone whose mean to you?"

She had listened to Naruto when he was mean to her. Why shouldn't she respect the words of her Father, the one who sired her? She liked Naruto more than her Father. Maybe she should listen to him. Naruto was a strong person. He didn't cry or get upset when things didn't go his way, at least not very often. Her Father said she was weak, but he also wanted to be stronger. Perhaps Naruto could help her live up to his expectations.

"Y-you r-really think so?"

"Of course!" The Uzumaki exclaimed brightly. "Back in Konoha everyone was mean to me. Trust me, just don't listen to those mean people. You can't let what they say get to you. If you do, they'll never take you seriously. That's why I going to be Hokage someday-dattebayo! Then everyone will have to take me seriously-dattebayo!"

Everyone had been mean to him? She remembered the time she had seen him sitting alone on that swing. Maybe that was why he had looked so sad. Well, if Naruto could be happy when all those people had been mean to him, she could be strong too. No one was mean to her now, not anymore. Why should she stay sad when no one was being mean to her? Her Father was far away. He couldn't be mean to her anymore. She was with Naruto now. She had to do her best to help him. She couldn't do that if she was always getting upset.

Hinata got to her feet and brushed the dirt off her pants.

"A-ano... I'll d-do my b-best."

Naruto smiled. "Hey, why do you talk like that?"

The Hyuuga Heiress blushed. "A-ano... I d-don't m-mean to. I just d-do."

"You should try to talk normal. You have a really pretty voice."

Her blush deepened considerably. "I d-do?"

"Sure you do. I like listening to you talk, Hinata-chan."

"Thank you, N-Naruto-kun. I'll..." Hinata slowed her speech and focused on her words. "I'll try."

With Naruto at her side, she could do it. With Naruto at her side, she could do anything. She would learn to be a stronger person. Then she would help him be a better person, if he wasn't perfect already. Well, maybe he wasn't perfect, but he was perfect for her. She would help him be perfect for everyone else.

"If you kids are done, can I take a nap again?" Gamakichi groaned.

"Ano... aren't you... s-supposed to watch us?"

The toad humphed indignantly. "Just yell if you need anything."

With that the little amphibian hopped back onto Hinata's sleeping pallet, closing his eyes once more.

"G-Gamakichi?"

"Eh?" The toad questioned, cracking one eye.

"Would you... mind n-not napping... on my bed?"

Yes, she would become stronger. From this moment on, she would do her best.

"Eh? Alright."

He hopped over onto Naruto's bed roll instead.

That's not proper manners. She thought. Naruto-kun shouldn't have a slimy toad in his bed.

Hinata opened her mouth to protest again, but Naruto shook his head, wearing a big grin.

"It's okay. I don't mind. I'll just wake him up again later."

The Hyuuga poked her fingers together self-consciously. "Um, Naruto-k-kun?"

"What?"

"Ano... about wh-what you said. If you want p-people... to take you s-seriously. Maybe you... shouldn't p-pull so... so many p-pranks?" She suggested shyly.

That was his dream, for everyone to respect him. She had to help him achieve that dream. Even if it meant telling him to stop doing something he enjoyed.

Naruto scratched his head, pushing his modest intellect to its limit.

"Maybe you're right, but pranks are so much fun!"

Hinata smiled softly. "But how are... you going to b-be... Hokage if you're... busy p-pulling pranks?"

The young Uzumaki looked thunderstruck. "Now that you put it that way..." He trailed off reluctantly. "What about Ero-Sennin?"

The little heiress giggled. "I th-think that's okay. Hoshigen-san d-deserves it sometimes." She looked away shyly, poking her fingers together. "M-maybe I'll h-help you... sometime." She offered, blushing furiously.

Maybe pulling some pranks would help her become stronger... maybe.

"Hey, that'd be awesome, Hinata-chan."

The girl walked towards the door. "Let's go... play again."

Naruto pumped his fist. "Alright! Let's go play! Then we'll train, okay? We're going to be the best ninjas ever-dattebayo!"

They would be the best ninjas ever. If Naruto said it, it was true. She would stand by his side and be the best ninja ever. Well, maybe not the best. Naruto was going to be Hokage someday. She would be the next best and stand at his side. With her at his side, he could do it. With him at her side, she could do it. Side by side, they could do anything.

Together they walked back out in the snow and lost themselves in the simple joy of being children.

"That so?"

Jiraiya was in the seediest bar in the village. He sat in the corner of the broken-down establishment, sipping at sake and smoking a short-stemmed pipe. He had been there all day, trying to catch wind of Momochi's whereabouts. So far he hadn't gotten so much as whiff. Spying was often a boring business that consisted of sitting on your ass and waiting for someone to say something, or something to happen.

"Yeah, I heard his wife is one o' them freaks."

Two men sat at the bar, taking shots of cheap sake and smoking cigarettes. They were a dirty unsavory sort, the kind who didn't call it a night until they had gotten drunk and started a fight. They were talking about some sort of shady business. It was obvious that they were discussing a fopaux of some kind. The other men in the bar turned away from them and tried not to look like they were listening. That was enough to tell Jiraiya the topic was something of a taboo.

"I saw him yesterdee mornin'. He looked a mite shaken-up, but I'm sure he'll do the right thing."

The first man gulped down another shot. "Think he might need a little 'couragement?"

"Naw." Said the second man. "I saw him this mornin' too, sharpenin' a knife. He'll do the right thing."

Jiraiya frowned.

The conversation was ambiguous, but it sounded like someone was plotting a murder. It was none of his concern, but it was disturbing to hear the two men talk about it so casually. Something very wrong was happening in the village. Jiraiya's gut told him to leave, that he should go check on the kids. Something was tickling the back of his mind, trying to make itself known. The Toad Sage couldn't help but think he was forgetting something. A protective urge was slowly creeping over him, warning him. It was telling him to act.

Jiraiya didn't dismiss the feeling. Many a shinobi had lived or died by their gut.

He walked up to the bar and ordered himself a sake.

"Forgive me for being rude, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I'm a stranger to these parts."

The two men eyed him suspiciously.

"Strangers aren't welcome 'round these parts." The first man said.

"I'm leaving tonight. Let me buy you men a drink. I'm curious about this friend of yours."

"Ain't no friend o' ours." The second man muttered darkly. "He went and married one o' them tainted folk. We don't 'ssociate with the like."

Jiraiya hailed the bartender and bought each of the men a shot of sake.

"Sorry, tainted?" He prompted.

"You know, them clan folk. The ones with them... whaddya call 'em, Nouko?"

"I think it's kee-kee gen-ko or some odd thing."

Jiraiya almost sighed in relief.

These men were just some backwards yocals who feared kekkei-genkai. He had heard reports that parts of the Land of Water still practiced the despicable tradition that had arisen in the wake of the civil war that had happened almost twenty years ago. The men were likely referring to some poor woman who had been discovered. It was very sad, but none of his affair.

"Well I've never heard of anything like that." The Sage said. "Sorry for troubling you."

He returned to his corner and resumed sipping at his sake and smoking his pipe.

If it's none of my concern, why am I still on edge? What is my gut trying to tell me?

The two men left a few minutes later, muttering about making sure the man did the right thing.

Jiraiya spent the next three hours trying to puzzle out why he couldn't shake the feeling that something else was wrong.

Maybe I'm not thinking about this right... I need to see underneath the underneath. Come on Jiraiya- think.

He watched as the last vestige of the sun's light began to dip beneath the horizon. He had to get back to the kids. Maybe that man would let them stay another night.

That man!

The Toad Sage flew to his feet with a start.

Oh no...

"What are all those villagers doing with torches, Gamakichi?" Naruto asked excitedly.

He and Hinata had just finished their dinner. Jiraiya was supposed to be back any time now, so they had decided to stay inside for the last couple hours.

"How should I know?" The toad replied irritably.

"Ano... could it b-be... some s-sort of festival?" Hinata asked.

"That makes sense." Naruto agreed.

They opened the door to the shed a little to look outside.

"N-Naruto-k-kun. They're c-c-coming this way!" Hinata whispered urgently.

Naruto squinted in the fading twilight. "No, it looks like they're going to the farmhouse."

"You kids should stay here." Gamakichi warned. "It could be dangerous out there."

As if his words were the very harbinger of trouble, the sound of splintering wood echoed across the field.

Naruto and Hinata pushed the door open a little further, trying to see what was happening.

"Stay back!"

A lone woman with long dark brown hair stood before a mob of angry villagers. An eight-year-old child hid behind her, clutching at her robes.

The mob closed in around the pair, the hatred in their eyes burning brighter than their torches.

"Kill the freak and her spawn!" One of the men in the mob shouted.

"Please, I'm begging you," the woman pleaded, "we'll leave and never return. Just let us go, please."

"'Fraid we can't do that. Your kind can't be trusted. Can't let you go somewhere else, only to spread your taint 'mongst other folk." Another man said.

"Kill the demons!" "Slay the freaks!" "Send them back to hell where they belong!"

The crowd pressed in around them. The woman and her child held each other. The men came at them with hoes and pitchforks, ready to skewer them. The woman threw herself over her child a desperate attempt to use herself as a human shield.

"They're going to kill them!" Naruto whispered in horror. "We've gotta do something."

"Don't move." Gamakichi said, suddenly serious. "I'll go get Jiraiya-sama."

He disappeared in a poof of smoke and a loud pop.

The little Uzumaki turned to the little Hyuuga Heiress.

"We can't just let them die." He said, trying to fight down his terror.

"A-ano... wh-what c-can w-we d-d-d-do?" Hinata asked, wanting to do nothing more than curl up into a little ball again.

"I don't know, but I can't just do nothing." Naruto said, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"B-but they're g-grownups. They have w-w-weapons."

"All I know is that those mean people are about to kill that mom and her kid." The little blonde said, walking towards the door.

"A-ano... Naruto-kun, wh-what are you d-d-doing?"

Naruto opened the door and strode out into the frigid night, snow swirling around him in a dizzying flurry.

"Remember what Jiraiya-sensei told us the first day we met him?"

"A-ano... t-to f-follow the rules?"

"Yeah, he said that." Naruto replied, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "But he told us something else too. Something we were never supposed to forget."

"O-oh. H-hai!" Hinata exclaimed.

The Uzumaki turned around to face her. "Uh... do you remember what it was?"

A large bead of sweat appeared on the back of the little heiress' head.

"Y-you f-forgot?!"

Naruto had a sudden moment of clarity. "I just remembered! Stay here, Hinata-chan! I'm going to go help those people-dattebayo!"

"B-b-b-b-ut-"

"The most important thing is heart! That's what Jiraiya-sensei said! I think I know what that means now! I'm going to save those people-dattebayo!"

Before she could stop him, Naruto rushed across the field, running pel-mel towards the mob.

Hinata froze.

They were just kids. There were a bunch of grownups with weapons. What could they do? Naruto-kun was doing something dangerous. If he went out there alone, he could get hurt really bad. Hinata thought of her new self-proclaimed best friend. She imagined him screaming and being hurt, like the bad men who had captured them had done. She was terrified of going out of the shed, but she was more terrified of being left there alone. Even more terrifying was what might happen to her new best friend.

When Hinata looked back on her life, many years later, she decided that that moment had been the single greatest turning point in her life.

In retrospect, that was the moment when she realized that she had a new dream.

Jiraiya said she needed to live up to her own expectations.

Her Father wasn't as important as the boy who made her feel strong. He made her feel weak, and he wasn't with her anymore. There was only one person who was always with her. There was only one person who always made her feel wanted. There was only one boy who made her want to be strong. She wanted to stay with him always. That was her new dream.

The only thing she wanted was to stand by Naruto's side.

He had been closer to her than anyone had ever been. He supported and cared for her like family.

And he was, more than anyone had ever been.

He was like a brother.

Hinata ran out of the shed and towards the mob.

It was time she started living up to her own expectations.

She would not let her brother fight alone.

A/N: A few quick notes.

"Honto" means "truth," "honestly," or "it is true." Its a heart-felt word/phrase that I'll be using in this fic.

This chapter was mostly Hinata-centric. I wanted to demonstrate her growth as a person. The next chapter will be somewhat Naruto-centric for the same reason.

The next chapter will complete this mini-arc. I'm sure most of you have figured out what's going on by now.

Next chapter title:

'Heart'

-G.A.M.M.