A/N: Wow this chapter is quite small for my standars, but it's as much as an author can do when he's writing in a rush... This chapter is an addition to the main story that will help with the eventual sub plot I'm planning. This chappy is what people could call a filler, but I believe it to be more since there are a little few things revealed here that only peope with enough brain will figure out eventually, plus some more NaruHina. It is, a Romance story, after all...
Soulmate: By Your Side
Chapter3: On In The Wide Blue Yonder
Life was cruel… so what? Humans live to face their problems, for if they don't, the problems will easily consume them. So what can an average human do, really?
Yet the question here is rather of the style, what a Shinobi can do when he faces his problems? Simple answers like 'killing them' and 'disposing of evidence' was one shinobi way of dealing with problems, especially when said annoyances where mortal.
Yet, roughly speaking, there are people among this amazingly increasing population of fighting individuals, that, can even desperately search for a solution that lies beyond blood spilling and hopefully, beyond unnecessary violence.
Such a ninja was Hyuuga Hinata, a girl who's heart was just too kind to give in to displays of gore like that. No, she was beyond the irrational thought of simply killing problems away, for using such a solution over a problem could easily introduce you to a dozen more…
So the heiress of the Hyuuga clan was restless, lost for countless hours in the library of her family, searching for a solution that, by all means, wouldn't have her killing somebody… hopefully.
Days passed like this, the heiress lost in her thoughts and research, unaware of one certain Hyuuga's eyes on her. Said man couldn't help but smile, if only for a split second. His Byakugan deactivated as he took another sip from his tea…
'Only time will tell…'
XxxxX
"Oi, Baa-chan, care to teach me anything about arranged marriages?" the blond asked the Hokage as he sat beside her on his own chair next to the Godaime's, a pile of paperwork next to him as he mimicked the medic in her stamping of papers with the Hokage seal.
"Hm? Why would you care for something like that, Naruto?" she asked, alleviating her gaze from the paperwork to glance at the blond teen, who only rubbed the back of his head.
"Uhh, nothing, it just popped in my mind and… well, I'm just interested in it okay?" he said, a nervous smile on his face as the Hokage eyed him warily. Said blond woman took a sip from her tea that rested beside the paperwork, sitting back in her chair, the liquid perfect to calm her nerves. Tea was second only to sake for her…
"How so?" she asked with a playful smile. The teen in question only let his face falter at her words. Would she keep beating around the bush or what…?
"Anyway, truth be told Naruto, neither do I know much about it. It's something that occasionally happens between clans mostly, to tell the truth" her gazed drifted over to the brown door across the room as she let her mind drift off…
"Usually, it's a contract made between the parents of the respective children. Usually the individuals have no say in it if I'm correct, as long as the parents agree of course and, don't mind their child's own opinion." She sighed as she let another sip of the steaming tea slid down her throat, the taste it left behind tingling her sense of taste slightly before it resided.
"So… let's say that one for example is forced in it… is there no way out?" Naruto asked warily, his attention focused on the Godaime as she glanced at him. Truth be told, she didn't expect the blond to push so much into this matter…
"You can kill one of the individuals if you like" she smiled as he winced and grinned sheepishly at her, a sign that he thought of this particular solution as ridiculous. Indeed, Naruto wasn't one to put human life before his own needs and wants…
"Or… have the male of the contract decline it" she smirked a little. Usually the male counterpart agreed wholeheartedly to the choice of his parents… especially when it was for a Hyuuga.
So Tsunade let herself slowly finish what was left in the cup of tea and let it rest in between the stacks of seemingly endless paperwork as she picked the Hokage seal stamp up once more.
"We can talk some more about this later, Naruto. For now, we have work here, don't we?" she smiled at him and he only nodded with a sigh, mumbling things about 'betrothals' and how he was going to ruin this tradition the moment he got the chance.
The Hokage's smile didn't falter even for a second as she returned to her paperwork, already knowing that her plans where working out smoothly… for now.
XxxxX
It was late in the afternoon that the Hokage-to-be had finally escaped the masses of paperwork that loomed inside the desk room of a certain blond Godaime. If he had three wishes, one of them would be for this bane of leaders to disappear. The other two, he had a little trouble thinking on which he would spent on… even though his mind already had the answers, he just denied them.
Once again he found himself at Ichiraku's stand, a steaming ramen bowl the perfect way to relinquish all this stress that was building up inside him day after day. So many things to do… train, help a friend, do paperwork along with Tsunade… few as these tasks seemed, they were quite more tiring than what the average man is used to…
So he sat down on one of the stools, Teuchi busy somewhere in the back of the store and Ayame probably having called it a day. It was kind of late anyway…
He reached in his pocket, surprised to find two food coupons instead of one. Right… he had forgotten to use one of them yesterday afternoon before he went to the training grounds…
His mind drifted off as he kept gazing upon the coupons, not actually thinking on how to use them. Hell, he had even forgotten where he was…
Teuchi emerged from the back of the store, a wide grin finding its way on his face when he spotted a certain mane of blond hair behind the counter. He prepared himself for a heartfelt welcome, when he noticed his favorite customer looking at the two pieces of paper in his hands like it was the first time he saw such a thing. He sighed, finding fitter to leave the blond to his thoughts until he decided on whatever he was thinking about…
'Better prepare some ramen…' he smiled to himself as he went over the kitchen…
Said blond teen was suddenly shot out of his thoughts as he heard a soft yelp from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he couldn't help but smile at the newcomer.
"Oi, Hinata, care to join in?" he asked as he waved the two pieces of paper, said girl entering the store, a slight blush on her face, a blush that always seemed to adore her features. "Um… ano… ok, arigato, Naruto-kun" she said with a small smile of her own, eyes closed in slight embarrassment as she sat down next to him, long blue hair wavering with the movement, sending him a slight wave of their smell…
'Lavender and roses…' he thought to himself, his facial expression not faltering one bit in contradiction to his thoughts. It was then that Teuchi finally emerged from the kitchen once more, holding at least four bowls of miso ramen.
"Oh, Naruto. Got company I see" the old man said with a smile as the teen grinned back at him, the girl next to him blushing and practically trying to hide in her jacket, though more likely because she tried to stifle her own giggle…
"Here you go old man, two coupons! It's on me today, Hinata" he said, referring to the Hyuuga who only responded with a smile and a faint 'arigato' once more. Teuchi just set one bowl before each of them, taking the coupons from the teen's hand and stuffing them in one of his pockets. He smiled widely at them
"Ok, so I'm sorry to bother you two but you'll have to eat up a little fast. I'm closing up for tonight in a few" and with that, the old man went to the back of the store, probably to prepare for closing the structure down for the night…
"Well, Itadakimasu!" he exclaimed happily as he immediately slurped down most of his bowl in one gulp. The girl next to him just smiled at his antics before whispering a thanking of her own and starting to eat up. She was so tired from all that searching…
Yet the bare thought of the subject was enough to sore her mood. It was all fun and happiness when she forgot about her problems and just was with him… and then it would be ruined by her damn mind and its pessimistic nature. Why couldn't she just see the bright side for a while? Just enjoy the moment, enjoy his presence…
A sad smile graced her lips… as long as it lasted… a phrase suiting all fairy tales. The teen beside her seemed happy at the moment, content at slurping down the remains of his food. Strangely enough, when he was done, neither did he push her to eat faster nor did he 'volunteer' to finish it up for her. He just waited there, patience in his posture and maybe even eagerness. He seemed anxious about something…
When she too was done, she thanked him for waiting her, her kind nature in contradiction with her shy side. No, she didn't want to be shy, she would not be shy… not now that she was losing everything. Not now that her dreams where coming down and crushed on the ground like water falling from a waterfall. She would stand against her very nature, if only to be there and enjoy every moment…
As he walked her back home, for it was quite late already, he finally popped the question she had been expecting him to say
"So… found anything?" Simple as this phrase was, she understood perfectly what he meant…
"No… there's no window for females to escape this…" she just sighed, a small side of herself irritated at such sexism. Females having no say whatsoever…
"Just who the hell thought up this freaking tradition?" Naruto nearly yelled in his own frustration. But he calmed himself down as they continued their casual stroll along the empty road, the street lights illuminating their figures as they walked by.
Why did he care that much anyway? It was probably because she was a friend, and he hated seeing friends suffer. And he knew all too well that this marriage was the last thing she wanted. And then they talk to you about 'Free-will'…
He shouldn't care that much… it was too much for his own good… what if unexpected things happened? What if it just didn't roll out well? Would there be deaths, would there be blood? He didn't want to think of the consequences of his actions, not yet. For now, he had only one purpose. And that was, to save her.
And he would do anything. No friend of his would succumb to a fate bestowed on him because of others. He simply wouldn't.
He informed her on his own search which… wasn't much more fruitful, to say the least. The option of killing one of the individuals was of course discarded and not even mentioned… they both knew each other well enough to know what the other's opinion would be on the matter anyway…
So there they where, the Hyuuga manor before them as their footsteps came to a halt, both being silent for nearly a minute. Naruto just looked at her form as she opened the door, polished wood and white walls visible inside. She turned to look at him, a smile on her face.
Naruto's mind was too preoccupied with the circumstances that where taking place in their lives right now to really register what happened next…
The girl just stepped forth to him once more, leaning in as she gave him a kiss on the cheek "Arigato, Naruto-kun… arigato for everything" she whispered in her always so soft tone as she stepped back in the compound once more, ink-blue hair and lavender moons accompanied by a smile the last thing he saw of her…
He just raised a hand at the offended area… it was still warm… he traced his finger over it and then turned around, his mind in a haze as he walked towards the Godaime's home… he was sure he was going to have weird dreams tonight, to say the least.
The offender of the particular action though was having a hand over her heart, glad that it hadn't broken free from her chest yet. She felt it skip a beat when she leaned in and kissed him… her whole body was moving on its own accord, leaving the mind to face the consequences of its actions after the door closed. She let out a shaky sigh as she put her heart under control, moving on towards her room to sleep… she suddenly just felt so tired…
What was she doing really? What with all these happy thoughts and rising hopes? She was just prolonging something that in the end would pain her even more… for the tighter a bond is, the tougher to endure the pain is when its severed.
No, she didn't want this bond severed, she didn't want it to fade away. She wanted with all her heart to keep it alive, to keep it tight and strong. But… how was she supposed to do that? How was she supposed to do it when she was going to get married… to someone else?
She sighed once more as she changed into her nightgown and then plopped under her covers, letting the smooth material offer the warmth his body wasn't there to give now… wasn't now and probably wouldn't ever be…
A crystal tear found its way down her pale cheek as sleep overtook her… a tear, for a dream that was shattering under the iron grip of traditions…
XxxxX
It didn't mean anything, did it? She was just a friend showing her gratitude for his actions, yeah, that was most likely it.
He miraculously found himself in his bed, not even realizing when or how it happened…
His mind contemplated a little more on that warmness, on the feeling that roamed inside… before itself fell back in the world of dreams…
XxxxX
"You do know that what we do is dangerous at some scale, don't you?" the Hokage asked the shadowy figure before her, the slight light of the candle on her desk only able to reveal his outline. The Godaime wanted it that way… what they where doing wasn't for the ears of a commoner or anyone else for that matter.
"It may be so, but it is the only test I found fit for both of them to prove themselves ready. Plus, the side-effect this operation is ought to have is anything but negative for both of us and the individuals altogether, is it not?" the figure smiled slightly for a second under the shadows before the emotion vanished.
The Hokage sighed as she let her gaze fall to the ground for a second, contemplating if what they where doing really could come out right. There where so many things that could go wrong, so many loose ends that where impossible to check, outside threats that loomed beyond their sight.
But the other occupant of the room was right… if there was any way to test if they where ready, this was the best. Yet again, if they failed… the outcome might as well be disastrous. Things would get really complicated and the poor kids' would never be the same…
Win-win situations didn't always come out as one would expect them. All she could do right now, was hope for the best.
And plan for the worst.
She turned around along with her chair, gazing upon the dawn that was impeding in the horizon, the first light of the morning sun piercing through the darkness of the night. And she had yet to get some sleep… some strong sake was recommended on such situations.
She let one more glance befall upon the dawning sky before she turned around and along with the figure started heading towards their respective homes…
She let her hopes rest upon the sky, for there was where the future of Konoha lied, for better or for worst.
Into the wide blue yonder
XxxxX
WARNING: I'm still rewritting this thing, so the chapter Truth in Dreams is still on the works. I have to figure some things out... and I hope the slight difference in writing style within the story ain't that much confusing :/ It's not easy to rewrite a story when you have a serious deadline, plus the fact that the rest of the chapters just won't serve the sub-plot for they simply don't focus on it for it simply doesn't exist :P I have so much work... damn me xD
Till we meet again,
HoNdeR All Mighty