Disclaimer: One morning, I woke up and realized that I never owned and never will own Naruto in any possible way. I started crying afterwards... (Read A/N please, they contain the latest information)
A/N: Trying to make the disclaimer sound funny... oh and the name Kakari and Akake are names that just popped in my mind. I don't know if they mean anything and if they are connected somewhere. I'm not really good with Japanese so please don't flame or something if I translate something wrong. Oh, and I'm trying not to make OOC characters, though I fail at some point... Anyway, it's 7-27-08 right now and I have 4 reviews so far... I know people read the story, but I would be thankful for reviews. They keep me going, they show me that people admire, or hate my work. I want to know people's opinion about my work, so reviews are much appreciated and believe me, I take a reviewers opinion in mind. That is, if the review is understandable of course :)
Chapter8: Not a Chance In Hell
Naruto had found no one on his way home last night. Even inside the building, no one was up, but it was only natural this late at night. He headed straight to his room to sleep. It was a long day…
Tomorrow came like in seconds. He couldn't tell if he had slept for days or for minutes. Rubbing his still sleepy eyes, he felt quite energetic, but his depression grew when he saw that he was on his bed… alone.
She woke up suddenly with a gasp, her eyes wide open. She sat up on her bed, trying to remember what happened last night. Was it… a dream? But it seemed so real…
She stretched her arms and with a small yawn, she was up and prepared for her daily routines. After taking a bath and dressing into her ninja outfit, blue pants leaving the lower knees exposed and a white jacket with pink chest and shoulders. The kunai holster on the left thigh, and she is ready for some training today…
As she walked down the stairs to the dining room for breakfast, she found her father sitting across the table, taking sips of a green tea. "Ohayo(good morning) Otou-san" she said, greeting him for morning and giving him a small bow. He turned his gaze from the scroll he was reading to look at her "Ohayomanasai(good morning to you too), Hinata" he said solemnly, his face serious as always.
Hinata turned to head to the kitchen in order to prepare herself something for breakfast. A slight 'ahem' from her father made her freeze at spot and turn to look at him. He wasn't looking at her though, he was staring at the scroll in front of him. "So… Hinata, what really happened last night?" he asked. Hinata's eyes went wide. So it wasn't a dream? Naruto saved her? He didn't think she was weak? She would fight them back if she could yesterday, but the sleepiness and numbness of her muscles were another bad factor against her.
But she also remembered the fake Sasuke whispering in her ear before knocking her aside. He had told her not to interfere, or they would kill her. So they thought she was weak? The only reason she didn't interfere at all was that she was stunned at Naruto's sudden power. A shiver of awe went down her spine as she smiled.
Her father was still looking at the scroll. "I have a report here from one of the guards that looked around Konoha for you last night. It is rather, intriguing…" her father said, and Hinata looked at him wide eyed. How could the guard know about what happened last night? There was no one around the whole time Naruto battled. She knew it for she used the little chakra that was free to activate her Byakuugan in order to watch the fight and scout the surrounding. There was no one else except Naruto and the fake ones until the battle finished and people started coming out of their houses.
What happened next is unknown to her, as Naruto had already taken her in his arms and jumped out of the scene. She remembered someone yelling something about 'demon'. She gasped. Did they think that Naruto was the bad guy? That he took her away for evil reasons? She had to ask "Please Otou-san, let me know the version of the story that you know." She asked gently and seriously, her face showing determination, determination to speak the truth. Hiashi finally turned to look at her "Version? There are two versions of this story?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She sighed "Otou-san, there is no way any one would know what happened. During the battle, I can assure you that I saw no one around even with the Byakuugan." She said calmly, looking her father in the eye. It was his turn to sigh. Hinata had noticed that lately, he expressed more emotions than usually. Was it because he wasn't happy for what lied in the near future? Was it because he was far too frustrated? Only time would tell…
Hiashi explained the 'fake' version of the story to Hinata. She had to ask him though "But, Otou-san… who was the one that… 'saved' me?" She asked. Hiashi shook his head. "The guard said he was dressed in full red, glittering expensive cloths and red hair. All he did though in front of them was boasting and bragging… sounds familiar?" Hiashi didn't need an answer. The last part was rather rhetorical.
Hiashi was again a little scared. Hinata had now frowned and you could see hate all over her face. Her aura had become murderous… he was intrigued to see if this specific man would ever survive long enough for the wedding. He knew his daughter though. She wouldn't just go and kill him… right? "Thank you Otou-san." She said and took a deep breath while closing her eyes to calm down. After sighing, she opened her eyes and looked at her fathers "Otou-san, this story you tell me is far more of a lie than the last one. Yesterday, the kidnapper was passing through the park outside Tsunade-sama's house. After a little, I saw Naruto-kun coming fast from behind. Soon, they started fighting at the middle of Konoha's plaza. The strange thing is… all the hostile ninjas were disguised as our friends…" Hinata said and looked at the floor, wanting to avoid letting her father see the sadness in her eyes.
"Disguised? What do you mean?" he asked, completely surprised as to why someone would transform into Naruto's friends in order to confront him. "I'm not sure. Naruto-kun used a new type of Rasengan I have never seen before… he threw the Rasengan at them and a white light covered the area. I couldn't see well because of the light, so the next thing I remember was seeing Naruto-kun coming closer to me…" she said, trailing off. She looked away. She feared her father might had the wrong idea for what Naruto might have done. "I see. I will have to thank him later then." He said and Hinata looked at him wide eyed. Hiashi grinned "Naruto then was the one who brought you here. I was worried and went into your room, only to find you sleeping." Hiashi said, having pointed the word 'then' to show that he hadn't actually seen Naruto bring her back, though he did. Hinata smiled, thankful that her father didn't know anything about her and Naruto as it seemed. She knew her father was no fool, sooner or later he might find out, but she wanted to delay it and focus on the matter at hand…
'Find Kakari, kill Kakari, hide Kakari's corpse' were the thoughts that flied in her mind like a mantra, after of course she had bid her father farewell and left to take breakfast…
Naruto walked down the streets of morning Konoha to take breakfast at Ichiraku's ramen stand. He could take breakfast at home, but he missed the smell of ramen in the morning. Call him crazy, but the second thing he loved most in the world was ramen. The first one was a certain pearl eyed kunoichi …
As he sat on a stool, he saw Ayame coming in. "Ohayo, Ayame-chan!" He said cheerfully. Ayame greeted him with a smile. "Oh, Naruto, last night a man gave a speech at the centre of the main plaza. He claimed he had defeated a group of ninjas that tried to kidnap the Hyuuga heiress, and he also said he defeated… you. Is that true?" Ayame asked, worried and sad at the same time. Naruto frowned at the memory of a boasting Kakari. "You were there?" he asked seriously. She nodded. Then his serious face turned into a smiling one "Then you must have seen a certain blond lady kick his ass with one punch ne?" he said cheerfully, and Ayame stared wide eyed. "The girl… it was… you?" She asked, pointing a finger at him. He rubbed the back of his head and laughed "Yep! This fool was fully rested I ensure you, and he was taken down with one punch!" he said and kept laughing. Soon the girl joined him. "Oh, Naruto, I'm sure Otou-san would be really glad to have been at your position at the time!" she said teasingly. Naruto got the message "So, you believe me?" he asked and she nodded. "Of course we believe you Naruto. Now, mind to tell me what really happened?" she asked. "I also would be interested in knowing" came a male voice from the kitchen. Both of them looked at the kitchen door to see a smiling Ichiraku stepping closer and closer. Both of them then smiled. "Sit down old man! It's a big story!" Naruto said cheerfully as the named man sat down and prepared to listen…
Naruto described the whole battle, from the moment he spotted Hinata being kidnapped to the moment he defeated them, adding a few more details of his own of course. "You are really strong Naruto. You at least don't brag about yourself all the time, and more than half of what you say is always true. This is why we couldn't believe what that red dressed man claimed." Ichiraku said, smiling along with Ayame at him. "So, what happened to Hinata-san?" Ayame asked. She was in rather friendly terms with the heiress, as she herself came to this shop at times "Well, I picked her up and delivered her back to her room. I couldn't leave her on the ground of course. I mean, she suddenly fell asleep in my arms while I carried her across town! Can someone really do that?" he asked curiously. Not all the time girls fell asleep in his arms while he jumped around. Ayame giggled "You must be really comfortable ne?" she asked teasingly, making him blush lightly. Ichiraku smiled. So, it looked like things had worked out between the two teens. If it wasn't for the god damn marriage...
"So Naruto, what ramen you want? On the house today! We must celebrate your victory at saving the heiress, though I don't think it will be acknowledged by the rest of the village." Ichiraku said and Naruto just smiled widely "Thank you old man! I know they won't believe me but I don't really care. They never really liked me anyway, so I don't lose anything eh?" he said, laughing at his own comment. Ichiraku laughed and Ayame giggled. "Well let's get to work!" The old man said and went back to the kitchen after taking Naruto's order…
After having eaten, she had left the compound, wondering aimlessly the streets. She wanted to go train, but she was restricted from it since she would marry in a month, thus getting injured wouldn't be nice. She didn't change into a kimono though. After what had happened last night, she would always go around in her ninja outfit. Her mind seemed to trail off in thoughts. Thoughts about a specific blond shinobi.
She had watched him for years. At their academy years, she knew she admired him for his determination, the one thing she nearly completely lacked. She watched him train, struggling to become stronger and be acknowledged. She had been doing the same thing, working hard in her own timid way to become stronger. They had both succeeded in some ways. Naruto was now strong, even powerful. She was also strong and determined. He had helped her with the last, he always did even without knowing, for the bare sight of him gave her courage to move on. But now, all these would be in vain. All of these would be nothing but a sweet memory of the past for she was forced to take by her side a man she clearly despised. How could she do it? How could she say the 'I do' when her whole mind and soul screamed the opposite. She wanted her father's recognition, and she had it. But her clan… they would think her as weak and pathetic if she backed down. But right now, little did she care. She had finally reached him and she wouldn't just let him go like that. No...
Meanwhile, somewhere in Konoha, in a dark meeting room, stood a good count of ten figures, two sitting across each other at a table. The light of the room was bare, they could barely she the figure of each other in the darkness. Not that they minded anyway…
"So…. How did it go?" the figure at the left side of the table asked, it's female tone betraying the gender. "Quite well. Now their esteem for that blond fool is lower than bottom." Said the other figure, sounding male. "Hmph, fool? I thought you could judge better than this…" the female voice said, a bit of mockery in her voice. The male seemed to shrug as if it was nothing "His act against me will not go unpunished I ensure you for that." He said, his voice calm but betraying a tone of anger. The female chuckled "Did what? Crush the honor you don't have? Or maybe is the fact that he is far stronger than you irritating?" she asked, mockery in every word. The male seemed to frown under the weak light "You are in no position to judge…" he said. The woman chuckled again "Oh, don't you worry. We will change the weakness part, I ensure you. Now… are you ready?" she asked and the male nodded. "Good. The preparations are done. In a few minutes you will be ready. It will be a little, annoying at first…" she said again and the male nodded in response. They both sat up and along with the other 8 figures, they stepped into a dark room with blood red circles, one bigger than the other. There were strange seals and marking on each circle. The male sat in the middle and it began…
Hinata kept walking aimlessly on the streets. It had been a few hours since she had left the compound. She sat at a bench near a complex of trees, enjoying the soothing breeze that made her hair fly slightly behind her. She closed her eyes. The shadows of the trees protected her from the heat of the sun behind her. She sighed dreamily while being devoured in the tranquility of the park. Everything was perfect at the moment… almost. She then felt a presence next to her, and before she could even flinch…
Naruto had been aimlessly wondering around Konoha too. After taking breakfast at Ichiraku, he went out to train for an hour or two. After that, he had really nothing to do today. Konoha was low on missions these days, leaving it with only D and C ranked ones. Maybe it was the war between the Lighting and the Sound villages? The Sound was pathetically weak, so the Lighting must have taken it to advantage in order to expand. As these thoughts raced through his mind, he didn't really realize he had reached a park. Being lost in his daydreams, he hadn't noticed the glares the villagers gave him, not that he cared anyway. As he walked around a corner, he noticed a very familiar figure sitting on a bench, her eyes closed. He smiled as he leapt into a bush, wanting to surprise her. He took a glance at her while lurking silently through the bushes. His eyes then caught a very familiar and VERY irritating figure approaching her and sitting next to her…
Hinata opened her eyes in shock. At first she hoped that the man sitting next to her was a certain blond one… but disappointment covered her figures before she could smile at the previous thought, seeing that the blond man she was expecting had red hair and hugged her with one of his arms over her shoulder…
"So my beloved, want to come with me at a magnificent restaurant I noticed? It seems rather appealing for a man of my power" Kakari said, sending her his unique smile that made her want to punch him to the face. He could be so annoying…
Kakari expected his work from yesterday night to have reached her ear. He didn't know were she was until informed that someone had escorted her back to the Hyuuga compound. He was so happy that she was okay to admire his work. Two times in a row he had humiliated the blond showing off his power and strength (the ones that don't exist, remember?) and now he was sure that she would look at him with awe…
All his thoughts were ruined to dust when she raised her lavender pearls to look at him. She had a sad expression on her face and hate seemed to gleam furiously in her eyes. All of that changed in a second as she looked into his brown ones. "I'd love to Kakari-san…" she said, using all her being to fake a smile and look at him at the same time. Fighting the urge to punch him in the face when she saw the immediate happy expression he took, she continued "But…" she said, faking sadness now "I have already, e-eaten and I'm full. T-thank you anyway Kakari-san" she said, also faking a stutter to show nervousness. A certain blond hiding in the bushes behind them grinned widely. She could be such a good actor when needed…
"Oh I understand beloved. Maybe then I should propose a challenge" he said, grinning widely. She looked at him with curiosity, trying to understand what kind of 'challenge' he meant "I can't go around Konoha when that scumbag calling itself a ninja lurks around. This monster might disapprove, so I would like to challenge him in combat IN public. I will show everyone how more powerful I am from that demon!" Kakari said, punching a fist in the air. Now Hinata had to use her whole willpower and the Hyuuga trait of staying calm in order to not strangle Kakari. He had insulted her Naruto-kun in so many ways she wished the named one could come out and kick his ass right here.
She faked a smile though. Something strange hit her then. Behind the bushes was radiating a dark murdering aura, the intent to kill all over it. The aura disappeared faster than it appeared, split seconds I may say. She smiled truly now, knowing only one person would have such a feeling against Kakari besides her. "But Kakari-san… y-you have to c-challenge him… n-not me." She said, faking the stutter again. She had grown out of it, but it was useful in faking nervousness. Much useful and effective "I know beloved." He said and at that moment, a blur of orange and black appeared in front of them. Both blinking several times, recognized the figure as…
"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata said, her voice full of joy, but Kakari didn't notice it as he was stunned at the sight before him "Challenge accepted! Meet me at the centre of Konoha in ten minutes! See you!" Naruto said. Before he left though, he threw Hinata a sincere smile, something that he kept only for her, and left in a blur. Kakari's jaw had dropped. Hinata giggled. It was so funny seeing Kakari like that…
Kakari was now a little afraid. He didn't remember the blond been that fast before, but he thought that now he would defeat him no problem. He knew his powers were seriously grown, so he grinned and stood up proudly. "Very well then! Off I go beloved! Cheer for me in this epic battle!" he said and left quickly. Hinata frowned. Cheering for him was like running around Konoha naked for her. She sighed and rushed herself to the centre of the village. She would have fun watching Kakari have his ass kicked…
A very good portion of Konoha's populace had come to watch the battle. It looked like Kakari had already informed the people, and was planning to schedule the fight to begin soon after challenging Naruto. The blond stood at the far end of the plaza, waiting for his opponent to appear. A red haired, red dressed man then jumped out of the crowd and landed at the other end of the plaza. The murmurs from the crowd had completely stopped, a silence engulfing the land. After a minute or so, Naruto noticed Hinata sitting on a bench among the crowd. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Meanwhile, Kakari was checking his cloths, wanting to look perfect in front of audience. Deciding that he is presentable, he turned to look back at Naruto. "Well, well. We've come to this. Today I will rid the world of a monster! Today, I will rid the world of a coward! Today, I shall show my beloved future wife how much I love her, and I know that she loves me with all her heart" Kakari shouted, and the crowd burst into applauses and cheers. After a few seconds, everyone stopped and turned to look at the blond shinobi who was rolling on the floor… laughing…
When Naruto managed to compose himself, he turned to look at Kakari, a grin on his face. "Oh, that was really good! Have you ever considered being a comedian?" he said and chuckled. "If you want to defeat me, you're welcome to try. And I ensure you that Hinata-chan loves you as much as I love dry noodles." Naruto said, chuckling again. Kakari only smiled, thinking that Hinata's love for him was unbreakable since he himself liked dry noodles…
Hinata on the other hand giggled to herself, knowing that Naruto would live without food for a week rather than eat dry noodles… (a/n dry noodles... a little lame but that's all that came in mind:)
"Enough talking Kakari. Let's get over with it." Naruto said and his expression turned deadly serious. Kakari just kept smiling though. "Indeed" he said. He then stood in a rather strange for combat stance. His legs apart, his hands stretched out as if he wanted to grasp something. After a few seconds and several hand seals, Kakari was suddenly engulfed in a tornado of fire…
"Fire Storm no Jutsu!" he exclaimed and the tornado rushed towards Naruto. The boy frowned. That fool was using strong techniques, but this one was more of a massive destruction Jutsu. "Fool! If you lose control over this thing everyone around here will die!" Naruto said and his eyes went wide, realizing a certain person was among the crowd. He immediately frowned again. "And I can't let that happen…" he said, and now his fists were clenched as the menacing tornado approached. "Hah! You really think I can't control it? I am the heir of…" Naruto couldn't hear the rest of Kakari's brag, the tornado made massive erupting sounds as it approached, letting him hear nothing more. He surrounded himself with a strong water shield, hoping it would hold the fire back as he pumped more and more chakra in it. He knew Kakari was already losing control for the tornado had already started to move left and right. That fool was concentrating on bragging other than controlling the fire! Soon the whole plaza would be set ablaze! He had to stop this… now!
Hinata's eyes were wide, not in excitement but in fear. She too noticed the slip of control in the tornado. Kakari had impressively more chakra now, but his control over it was more than limited…
The tornado was ready to slip out of the plaza and onto the crowd when Naruto jumped on it, shielded with water, prepared to face fate in order to save the fools down there he didn't care about, and the person he cared most in the whole world…
The clash made everyone wince. You could see a blue figure in the middle of the tornado, in the eye of the storm. After a minute, the tornado died down, leaving a cloud of dust around it. Kakari smiled after he noticed that the tornado disappeared and finally stopped bragging. Everyone's eyes went wide when the cloud settled…
At the centre of the small crater stood Naruto, his cloths slightly burned, his eyes hidden under the bangs of his hair as he had titled his head down. Without his forehead protector, Naruto's bangs were far more many, and Hinata really liked it. He looked more handsome by her opinion. Kakari then felt something he hadn't in his entire life. It wasn't like the ominous power he saw when Naruto faced Kabuto… it was much more…
A cloak of red chakra engulfed Naruto, having itself the form of the fox. The chakra started vibrating as if it was going to explode, and out of nowhere, a tail made of pure red chakra appeared behind the boy…
"What is that?" Someone in the crowd shouted. People started yelling. Naruto caught a few words "…kill the demon!...the demon has taken over!...slay the wretch!..." and much more was yelled around the crowd. Then Naruto decided to use a little trick Kyuubi taught him before it disappeared. "SILENCE!!" he yelled, his voice though was a mixture of the demons with his, sounding demonic and rather evil. All the shouts and yells stopped immediately, everyone looking wide eyed at the fox-shaped boy. "The Kyuubi… isn't here" Naruto said, keeping the demonic tone. "What do you mean you pathetic demon!?" someone from the crowd asked. Naruto turned his head and revealed to the people around his blood red eyes with slit pupils. "Hmph, like you deserve to know" he said in his normal voice, mock and poison in every word.
"Kakari" he said and turned his attention to the now trembling man. "You did the mistake of mocking me, you did the mistake of trying to avenge me for speaking the truth against you. You did the mistake of threatening the lives of the people around here. You fool dare to consider yourself a ninja? If I hesitated for one second, the whole plaza would be engulfed in fire while you would just keep bragging" many gasps were heard from the crowd.
"Hmph, what do you know demon?! I had perfect control!" Kakari said "You are the true danger here! How do we know you are not possessed by Kyuubi? How do we know you won't start killing people the moment we finish this battle?" Kakari said and many cheers would be heard, supporting his words. Naruto frowned and moved his tail around menacingly. "I don't even need this chakra to defeat you. You are more than pathetic…" Naruto said, and the red chakra started to drain back in his body. "I will not fight you now, for how can I know you won't lose control? I am forfeiting in order to protect the people of Konoha." He said and raised his hand. Everyone in the crowd cheered and clapped in applause.
Naruto frowned "Then I should help you not get out of control either?" he asked, and in a blink of an eye, he stood right in front of Kakari. The red dressed man's eyes went wide for a second before Naruto's fingers pressed in his belly, giving him the chakra-bind seal. "I can't allow you to walk around with so much chakra that you can't control" he whispered and Kakari pulled back. "He tried to assassinate me! I escaped the lethal strike in the last moment! He is possessed I tell you!" he yelled and many from the crowd yelled many, disturbing words against Naruto.
Suddenly an ANBU (elite ninjas) appeared next to the boy. "Come with me now. Hokage-sama seeks an audience with you and Hinata-sama" the ninja said, showing respect to the heiress using the –sama suffix. Naruto nodded and flew away with the ANBU, heading towards the Hokage tower…
Hinata had heard and saw everything that happened before an ANBU came and they both headed to the Hokage tower. When they entered, she noticed Naruto sitting at a chair, and without second thought, she flung herself at him and hugged him tightly "I'm so glad your ok…" she whispered so only he could hear. "Me too…" he whispered back.
An 'ahem' drove their attention though. Tsunade was grinning though her eyes looked serious. "Please let this for another time. I'm sure you'll have plenty in the future…" she said, grinning evilly now. Both teens looked at her confused.
Tsunade sighed "Naruto… what is this thing with Kyuubi? I've never seen you in control like that" she said, having watched the fight from her office since it had a panoramic view of Konoha and the main plaza. Now it was Naruto's turn to grin widely "It's my new bloodline" he said cheerfully.
Both women looked at him wide eyed. Tsunade raised an eyebrow "Bloodline? How come?" she asked seriously. Naruto then started explaining the whole thing with Kyuubi and what they talked about. Hinata gulped "So… you are immortal?" she asked, a speck of sadness in her voice. Naruto kept grinning "No, I can't be immortal" he said, and smiled widely at her relieved expression "How's that?" Tsunade asked again "Well, I've got the powers from Kyuubi's body, not the soul. The body was just a cell for Kyuubi. The demon had his powers stored in there, and his soul was celled inside it. The body though, being raw power, doesn't have an age, it's the soul that gave the age. So all I have is the power, not the age" he said and his smile was wide like always.
"Wouldn't you like to be immortal?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow in anticipation for the answer. Naruto frowned "Tsunade, being immortal isn't that good" he said, and Tsunade now was scared. For the first time ever, he said her name without the Obaa-chan or –sama in it. She knew Naruto was plain serious
"Immortality would be nice…" he said, looking down "If you didn't have anything or anyone to care about" he said, and looked up at Hinata, smiling. "I have my friends, I have a person I care more than anything in the world, I have you, I have the world. If I lived forever, this things would fade away really fast. You would all weather and die far sooner before my time would come. It's just… I don't think I could handle the pain. I know, eventually one day all of you…us… will go, but I don't want to live forever with the burden of loss hunting me for eternity…" he said and looked down sadly.
Hinata then raised his head and kissed him tenderly "Thank you…" she whispered and he smiled at this. Tsunade just watched and smiled herself. "I see… very well Naruto. Now, I would like to focus on the matter at hand…" she said and looked at both of them seriously "Naruto, you remember that Hinata was kidnapped right?" she said and a nod was the response "Well, another disturbing thing is that the photos you brought me before are fake, but they are perfect. There is nearly no flaw. It took me a day of close examining to find one. And I know only one clan in the entire world that can make such photos" she said and glanced at them both, noticing their attention was on her completely
"Only… the Akake's can make such a thing" she said and noticed both of them frowning and clenching their fists "Looks like this Kakari either wants to impress you" she said, pointing Hinata with her eyes "or wants Naruto out of the way for god knows what" she added.
"Now, about the kidnap, we think that this one will happen again." Now the teens eyes were wide "Because…" she added, avoiding the 'why' question "Hanabi has been also attacked. But it looks like the kidnappers looked for you specifically. Don't ask details" she said, waving a hand, motioning them to keep silent.
They nodded "Well, Hiashi fears about your well being Hinata…" she said and now her expression had become more soft, "So… after discussing it in detail with your father…" now the teens were anxious of what was to come "We decided that it is best for you to…" she said, trying to make the waiting longer on purpose. Their expressions were worth millions. She grinned "live with Naruto at his old apartment" she said. Both teens had their jaws dropped, old-fashion Hinata blushing a shade of pink while Naruto just stared. "W-W-What?" Naruto mumbled. Tsunade then chuckled. A confused Naruto was a funny Naruto
"Look kid, it's simple. As you know, you are the strongest among the ninjas of this village, am I wrong?" she asked. Naruto shook his head "With this new 'bloodline' of yours, which is full access to Kyuubi's power without limits and fears of losing control, you are more than qualified to protect Hinata from any kidnapper. The second reason we chose you is the new fame you have around Konoha. No one will suspect her living with you." Tsunade said.
She wanted to add the bodyguard part but she was sure that Naruto would protect her at all costs anyway. "It is dangerous for her to live in the compound. Thus, until she gets… married…" Tsunade frowned at the last word, and both teens looked down in sadness "She will stay with you. Not in our house because my mansion is a rather noticeable hideout" she added. Both teens nodded and smiled at each other for a second before turning back to the Hokage "Naruto, will you please give me a moment with Hinata?" she said. Naruto threw a worried glance at his 'secret' girlfriend but she smiled, assuring him it was ok. He nodded and left the room…
Tsunade sighed "Look Hinata, you don't have to marry that fool. Anyone who can care enough to look can see that he might be the worst example of a husband and a ninja." She said calmly, but the girl's expression didn't change. Sadness was covering her, her heart dropping every time she remembered Kakari "But… Otou-san says there is no way out of this…" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She had discussed this with Hiashi "I know, but there is a way Hinata" she said. The girl looked at her, her eyes full of hope "But, there is nothing I can do about it. It is something you have to do on your own. When the time comes, you will know what you have to do. I can't help you though" she said and the girl looked down in disappointment. "Don't worry Hinata… I'm sure you'll do the right thing. Right now, I want you to go out there and pretend to enjoy Kakari's presence. I know, oh yes I do, it's hard to hang around with someone you really don't like, but bare with it will you? Also mind that Kakari doesn't show up much in public, so you should rarely encounter him" the Hokage said and threw Hinata a grin. The girl grinned back, thanked the Hokage and left the room…
Outside the Hokage's office, stood only Hinata. Were was Naruto though? She looked around nervously. Did he abandon her? No, this wasn't possible. She walked down the hallway, hoping to meet him at least at the exit of the building. Before she could turn the corner to the final hallway leading out of the tower, she heard two men talking. She recognized the first as… "I understand that Kakari isn't a fitting husband. But there is little that can be done by me…" she heard her father's solemn serious voice. A sweat formed on her forehead. Who was he talking to? "I understand, Hiashi-sama. Kakari's latest demonstration could have killed her…" she heard Naruto's voice and her eyes went wide. Why did her father talk to him? "I know. I've been informed about the incident from a servant that had gone for groceries. He isn't a ninja, but even a blind one could tell that Kakari was losing control, and fast." Hiashi said. Hinata couldn't see his face, but she knew he had the emotionless mask that he always had. She silently activated her Byakuugan to take a better look. True, Hiashi seemed emotionless, and Naruto to her surprise stood firmly, not bouncing around like he always did… "May I trust you to keep my daughter safe, Uzumaki-san?" the man said, and the boy nodded "I will protect her at all costs." Naruto said, still standing in a stance between attention and ready to bounce around. "Will anything hurt her?" he asked, his voice now dripping a slight motion of concern, something he rarely let to be seen "Not a chance in hell" was Naruto's reply…
Hiashi thanked Naruto and the teen bowed, thanking Hiashi back. Naruto just stood there until Hiashi was out of sight, sighing in relief that it was over. Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. That touch, gentle yet strong, that smell, lavender mixed with lilacs, that warmth… "Hinata…" he whispered and she just let out a tiny moan, barely noticeable to the untrained ear. He caught it though, and smiled. "Thank you, Naruto-kun" she whispered. He turned around and hugged her back, looking down at her pale face, the lavender pearls he loved so much piercing through his own blue orbs "For what?" he asked, slight amusement in his voice. She smiled warmly and buried her face in his chest, feeling his heart bounce under the orange-black jacket "For everything…" she whispered and that was all needed to be said. After enjoying each others warmth for a few minutes, glad that no one was around of course, they separated and he was smiling widely along with her "So… we still have a few hours until noon. Want a walk around Konoha, your highness?" he said, teasing her in the last word. She giggled as she took the hand he had offered while bowing lightly "I'd love to…" she said and they were off the building…
A/N: I hate reviews that don't have a meaning... if you review, at least make it a review, say your opinion, not something without any point. Anyway, I'm not begging for reviews, I'm asking for them. Told ye, they're the fuel of my work. I will finish this fanfic though, because I've already got the plot in mind and can't wait to put it in words! If you feel the need for any NaruHina one-shot by the way, don't mind to ask me. I've got all the summer to write anything!