A Demon in my House (chapter two)
*Last time both Naruto and Sasuke left the home of Hinata and Sasuke to return to their home to not only give their report but to gather some much needed information about a hunter that was mentioned earlier. Also both Sasuke and Naruto need to find out where that plant that helped them earlier came from. However both boys are unaware of the danger that had just entered the city or of the hidden angels that are watching over both girls that have caught their interest.
*Somewhere near the city limits*
A lone dark shadow is currently sitting on a rock awaiting the return of one of the two scouts that he sent out. Said figure was rewarded with both his scouts returning but not too happy with the look of dread on their faces.
"Judging by your faces I take it that damn imp failed?" Said figure growled when both his scouts nodded their heads.
"And if I had to take a guess that damn Uchiha was the one responsible along with that fucking fox demon brat. *sigh* It not a problem to concern ourselves with anyway. It was only a matter of time before that clumsy imp was caught anyway. What ticks me off is that he failed to retrieve the ring or find me that blasted book."
"Um…sir about the imp being caught by the Uchiha and the fox, it would seem that something else was responsible for his capture. Upon reaching where the imp was caught, I discovered an immense amount of magic coming from the home of two mortal women. It would seem that these women are in possession of a rare plant that aided in the capture of that foolish imp."
"Just how rare are we talking about?" Said figure wasn't liking how this conversation was going nor was he going to be happy about what he was about to hear.
"Well the thing is this plant can only be found in a realm that many creatures and seasoned hunters have yet to find. It would seem that the women in this household are under the care and protection of a powerful guardian. And it would appear to be one of nature sir."
"Great now not only do I have to take out the fox demon king and the genius Uchiha brat, but now I have to deal with one of the elite guardians of Magic. Could this day get any better?" Said figure groaned about the trouble that was going to be in his way but decided to focus on something else.
"You said that you sensed great magic in the home of two mortal women right? You didn't happen to remember what they looked like did you?" Said man saw his scouts grin sinisterly as they faced their master.
"As a matter of fact yes; do you recall the Haruno clan and the Hyuga Clan?" Said figure began to laugh at the sheer irony of it all. Finally things were going to go as planned.
"It would seem that imp did something right. Now vengeance shall be mine and the barrier that divides our worlds will finally be broken and it will be open season on the ones who wronged us once and for all." Said figure than stood up and began to walk into the city for his next targets with his two scouts heading back to the house to watch their next target.
Meanwhile both Hinata and Sakura got to work and while Hinata was dropped off for her shift at the diner Sakura had the misfortune of getting an earful from one of their longtime friend, Ino. Before both girls left for work Sakura had called Ino and told her what had happened and to say that she was upset that both her friends let a strange man into their home was the understatement of the year. Upon arriving at the hospital Ino began to really give Sakura an earful about what both she and Hinata did. Of course this had been going on for the past twenty minutes and to be honest Sakura was getting a headache.
"Ino for goodness sake will you chill for a minute and stop yelling at me?! I know what we did was stupid and dangerous. We're well aware of the dangers that could have befallen us and for the last time just let it go. Like I said we couldn't have just let him lay there hurt the way he was. And besides using the phone or our phones was out of the question since the house phone has been on the fritz and our cell phones have been off for the past two months so who could we call? And in any case his friend was kind enough to pick him up this morning and take him home to rest. Now can we please talk about something else Ino besides my foolish kind heart then by all means," Sakura heard Ino sigh and knew she had won this battle. While Sakura couldn't stand her friends weird overprotective nature towards her and Hinata there were times it was a bit over bearing and this was one of those times.
"Sakura you know the reasons why I'm so worried about both you and Hinata. After that accident that happened to both of you when we were in high school and then in college, I can't help but worry about the both of you. You, Hinata, and TenTen are the closet things to sisters I have. And since TenTen's still in China with Hinata's cousin Neji for another week you two are the only ones I can fuss at about stupid things so please don't hate me." Ino then wrapped her arms around Sakura as the two of them made their way to their Sensei's office to receive their duties for the day laughing all the way.
This was the scene that the head doctor Tsunade Senju saw as she was walking down the hall, clip board in hand. While Tsunade was a stern doctor it filled her heart with joy to hear laughter especially when it came from two of her prized pupils. It brought a smile to her face since this was the time of year meant for joy and laughter. Unknown too many Tsunade enjoyed the holiday season and tried to spread the joy to her staff in so many ways, like the annual holiday party. Tsunade had hoped that this year she could finally get Sakura to come and talk to her about her financial problems before things got out of hand and confide in her before something terrible happens. Tsunade had a sick feeling in her stomach that this year would be the year that both her and Hinata would be pushed to the breaking point.
"Now here's a wonderful sight, two of my pupils in joyous laughter heading my way. To what to I owe this wonderful sight?" Both girls turned to their Sensei and just smiled before answering her.
"Oh just talking ma'am that's all," Ino smiled as she and Sakura followed Tsunade down to the hallway while awaiting their assignments.
"Well since both of you are in such high spirits, then neither one of you will mind handling the pediatric ward today? It would seem that we have a lot of kids today who have doctor's appointments along with many who are here because of that strange cold bug that's going around. Do you two think you can handle a lot of pouty and unhappy kids since I know for a fact that Temari is still out of commission thanks to her broken arm and she's not scheduled back for work for another week or so, and this is the time of year when we're short staffed, so do you two think you can handle this for the day?" Tsunade was overjoyed to see smiles instead of misery for once this week. It was no secret that both Ino and Sakura were the only ones in the entire hospital that loved to work with children and could handle even the brattiest child.
"It's no trouble at all for us ma'am. In fact Ino and I would be more than happy to take that shift for the day."
"That's what I like to hear, now before the two of you head off to deal with the kids today I wanted to let both of you know about the annual holiday party that will be held this year. And Sakura this year you can't disappear like last year. Attendance is mandatory this year since we're going to need extra hands to help with the annual gift giving party for the kids in the hospital this year. It took a lot to convince that old toad to come and play Santa Claus again this year and I need someone there to make sure he behaves himself this year. I don't want another incident like last year when he was slapped by one of the girls dressed up as one of Santa's reindeer." Both Sakura and Ino had to stifle a laugh at the memory of good old St. Nick getting slapped by Prancer.
"And while seeing the old goat receives what he so justly deserved, I don't want another repeat of what happened. Also we need someone else to tell the Christmas story this year and Sakura the children have voted for you to tell the story this time. No offense Ino but they want to hear the Christmas story told by Sakura this year." Tsunade knew she had Sakura since Sakura couldn't say no to the children of this hospital and the kids just adored her so much. And Tsunade knew that Sakura was going to come up with some excuse to not come or to disappear like last year but this time she wasn't getting out of this one.
"Ma'am I know that you want me there but you know how hard it is for me to come, remember what happened last year when my sister had that so called 'emergency' that required my help? Not only did I have to leave, but I was made the laughing stock at my parents Christmas party thanks to that shrew and her ways. I love the kids but I don't think I can come this year and," Before Sakura could continue in her excuse Tsunade motioned for Ino to leave so the two of them could talk while Tsunade motioned for Sakura to follow her into her office. Once inside Tsunade motioned for Sakura to take a seat before she took her seat behind her desk that was riddled with paper work and knick-knacks.
"Sakura you can stop with the lame excuses I know about the financial bind that you're in at the moment. You might find this hard to believe but the person who is trying to fix your bank account just happens to be the grandson of one of my patients. While I was performing an exam on his grandmother he wanted to know about you and how you were holding up. He mentioned about your account getting hacked and wondered how you were holding up. So tell me Sakura how are you and Hinata holding up?" Tsunade received her answer when she saw Sakura hang her head down and gaze at the floor almost as if she was afraid to tell her the truth.
"Judging by your body language it would seem that I have my answer. Sakura you know you can come to me to talk about anything so the question I'm asking you is why didn't you come to me sooner and tell me about all of this before hand?"
"Well to be honest it's kinda hard to ask for help when you keep telling yourself that you can get out of this mess on your own. Hinata and I don't want our problems to become the burden of others. And with the biggest holiday of the season coming in just a few weeks, Hinata and I don't want other people to worry. And to be honest we both have our own family problems to deal with right now. With me it's my spoiled sister and my parents who dote on her like she's an angel or something and with Hinata, well let's just say the rift between her and her father has grown over the past year. The both of us just want to get through the rest of the year with smiles on our faces and hopefully in the coming year things will get better financially for the both of us." Sakura knew she was hoping for a lot and hope was all she and Hinata had at the moment. As long both girls held onto that than they could get through this hectic holiday season with their heads held high and smiles on their faces. However convincing someone like Tsunade was going to be a bit more challenging and to be honest Sakura didn't think that Tsunade believed a single word that was coming out of her mouth at the moment.
While Tsunade had high hopes for all of her staff she also knew when one was lying through their teeth. And at the moment Tsunade could not only hear the false truth coming from Sakura. Tsunade knew that Sakura was having problems but Sakura wouldn't let her problems become the talk of the hospital if she had anything to do about it. Sakura had kept many of her problems a secret and for the life of her she just wished that this stubborn girl would just swallow her pride and ask others for help. But knew that it was going to take something big for both Sakura and Hinata to finally break down and ask for help. And for the sake of Tsunade's sanity she hoped it would be sooner and not later when it was too late.
Meanwhile at the diner were Hinata was working we find Hinata taking orders while trying to avoid her overzealous co-worker Rock Lee who was in the process of clearing tables. While Hinata had no problem with her co-worker there were times she wished he would take it easy before he hurt himself. Of course Lee was just one of her co-workers, there was Ling who was a waitress like her, Andy the cook and his wife Marie who was a real treasure to work with. Of course where there are good workers there are always one that makes you want to stay home for the day. That person is Marigold, a bratty loud and whinny waitress that complains more than she works and when she does she's as rude as they come. While Hinata wished she didn't have to work with Marigold she couldn't just quit her job, especially with the holiday season just around the corner. And while Hinata might not make the tips she used too, she was just happy to get what she could. As long as Hinata kept smiling she could get through the holiday season with a smile. Of course Hinata was smiling more since she was thinking of her meeting with Naruto this weekend. For some odd reason thinking about him was making her day go by quickly that she didn't even notice Ling slip into the back to talk to Marie about something. Usually Hinata would notice everything but for some reason Hinata was enchanted by the mysterious Naruto. Of course this weird behavior didn't go unnoticed by a certain brat and she was not too happy to see Hinata so happy.
'What could she be so happy about? Her tips have been next to nothing so what does she have to be happy about. It's like she hasn't a care in the world right now. Well whatever it is I'll be right there to shatter her happiness' While Marigold was plotting devilish trickery the man that Hinata was thinking about was home at this very moment talking to both Sasuke and his father about what had happened.
Deep in the realm of magical beings resides the home of the King of all magical creatures and it is here that Naruto and Sasuke have had the pleasure of calling home for so many years.
"So the imp was working with a hunter after all. But the question that I'm wondering at the moment is why, why would an imp willing agree to work with someone that has sworn to kill him along with other magical creatures out there?" Sasuke saw his father pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to figure this mystery out only to have his head ache at the thought of what was to come.
"Father I know this is hard to understand but that's what the imp said. But at the moment the thing I would like to know is did you find out anything about the girls I told you about and that weird power that was coming from them. Was there anything about them that you found out and please tell me you didn't go to the extreme this time; by request of Naruto he didn't want to frighten these girls and while I don't like agreeing with the dobe I'm afraid I have to this time. If these girls do have dormant magic and have no knowledge of it then this needs to be approached with caution father. If something were to happen to them and either girl went into a panic attack it's possible that there power could unleash itself and do more harm then we could." Sasuke saw his father give him a strange look, one he had never seen before and wondered what his father was thinking.
"And this has nothing to do with one of these girls catching your eye my son? As smart as you are you aren't as transparent. I can tell this girl has charmed you and you have charmed her. To say that I'm not surprised that this girl has become smitten with you since it's the curse we Uchiha men have with women just don't break her heart son." Fugaku saw the infamous smirk appear on his son's face before he left the study to track down his friend but not before turning back to face his father one more time.
"Trust me father the last thing I wish to do is hurt her. There's something about this girl that makes her different from any other girl I've met. She's has this strange air about her and those eyes of her are like nothing I've seen before. And magic or not I wish to know more about her. I hope that soon I can bring her here to meet both you and mother." Sasuke heard his father laugh before he left to find his idiotic friend. And speaking of Naruto he was at the moment in his private study placing the jewelry box where the ring of his grandmother resides along with several other pieces that belonged to his family.
As Naruto gazed at each piece he began to remember all of the good times he had with the former owners of each piece. At the top left of the case lay his grandfather's ruby medallion. Naruto remembered how he used to reach for the thing as his grandfather held him as a baby and tried to put the whole thing in his mouth. Next to his grandfather's medallion was his uncle's studded cuff links. Naruto remembered the formal function he attended when he was older when his uncle had to help him fix his tie and noticed the cuffs. He had asked why he had to wear those and remembered his uncle telling him that he wanted to look his best for the family and for a certain special someone. And next to those cuff links was the locket for that special someone his uncle was talking about. The silver locket with the emerald imbedded in the center once adorned the neck of the one person who could do no wrong in his eyes. A woman with hair as pure as snow with silver highlights with green eyes always full of laughter came to Naruto's mind as he looked further into the box. Next to the locket was his grandmother's ring that was as red as the bloody mane that once adorned her head only to be lightened by strikes of beautiful white. And within the very center of the box were a set of rings that belong to the two people who loved him like no other, the ones that were there to comfort him when he was sad or when he needed someone to talk to. Before Naruto were his parent's wedding rings in beautiful gold with a single ruby in the middle. No matter how many times Naruto looked into this box he couldn't help but remember that fateful night years ago that took them away from him and changed his life forever. At the tender age of nine he became the youngest King to be crowned within the magical realm and it was all thanks to a hunter who wanted revenge. No one knew what became of that hunter or whether or not he's still alive but if he was then he would have no place to hide once Naruto found him and made him pay. As Naruto sat on the floor of his study for what seemed like hours thinking about his lost loved ones Naruto failed to hear the door open or the sound of someone entering his study until a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. To Naruto's surprise and joy it was his god mother Mikoto Uchiha who had come to check on him and bring him what he believed to be either his lunch or a light snack.
"Oh, hi auntie I didn't hear you come in. Forgive me for not standing I've been in deep thought." Naruto heard his aunt sigh before she placed the tray on his desk and began to speak to him.
"It would seem that you're always deep in thought my lovable yet foolish nephew. But for some unknown reason it's been more so than ever you've been deep in thought the past few days. Tell me Naruto what is truly on your mind that has caused you to focus sourly on this 'red herring' if you'll pardon the expression." Mikoto heard Naruto give a deep sigh before she saw the look of pain etched on his face. It was then that Mikoto noticed the box filled with the treasures that belonged to his lost loved ones and knew one of the problems plaguing her nephew.
"Naruto I know you miss them and wish for them to still be here, we all do. I for one wish that for just a moment, your late family including your mother and father to be here right now to see with their own eyes just the type of man you're fast becoming. I'm quite sure your mother would be happy to know her baby boy grew into a handsome man and your father would be in tears to know that the magical realm was in the capable hands of his own son. You make not only your late parents proud but your ancestors as well. You're a wonderful person Naruto you know that right?" Mikoto was thrilled to see a small smile appear on Naruto's face and knew she was making him feel slightly better.
"I know but I just can't help but miss them. I mean I know I was only nine when they died but I still can't shake the feeling that I failed each one of them somehow. The feeling of failure is something that seldom goes away but I know you're right auntie. Even if my parents and majority of my family is gone, I'm never truly alone. I have you and uncle Fugaku and you guys have been the best parents a guy could ask for." Naruto then put the box in a draw within his desk that only he could open and went to hug his aunt.
"Thank you Naruto and you know you can talk to either your uncle or I about anything that troubles you." Mikoto then leaned over to gently kiss Naruto on the forehead before turning back to the tray of food she had brought him.
"Another thing you can do is try to eat, I know for a fact that whenever you or my youngest son are busy with whatever it is the two of you do now a days it becomes a habit that both of you skip meals. Now you both know how I feel about you two skipping meals." While Mikoto scolded her nephew her youngest decided to join his friend that very moment.
"Fancy running into you here mother," Sasuke saw his mother stop her scolding and turn to greet her son with a smile and was greeted with a kiss on the cheek.
"Well I was on my way to bring all of my boys to have lunch in the main hall but found that three out of four were missing. I know where your father is at this moment so that just leave you, Naruto and your brother Itachi to find. But I know for a fact that after your last mission Naruto was feeling low so I brought his lunch to him. Now here's the question that has been running through my head since you boys got home, what in heaven's name happened on this mission that has both of my boys so deep in thought that it worries me so," Mikoto felt Sasuke wrap his arms around his mother in hopes to alleviate some of her worries. Sasuke knew his mother was worried about the both of them and lying to her now wouldn't do either one of them any good.
"Well mother aside from the imp allying himself with a hunter, Naruto and I found two mortal women with dormant magic. It would seem that they don't know about this power they hold and Naruto and I want to find out more about them before something happens to both of them. Also they seem like nice girls whose company you would enjoy greatly mother," Sasuke saw his mother stare at him with a look he had never seen before and it made him uneasy.
"Meaning that the two of you are smitten with these girls and wish to court them right?" Mikoto saw her baby boy stumble a little at his mother's words and Mikoto knew she was right.
"Sasuke I'm not dumb and I know when my boys have taken an interest in something or in this case someone. I went through this with your older brother so I know the signs. All I ask is that you bring this girl you're interested in here to meet us. I myself wish to meet this girl who's charmed you so. But you must be careful with this young lady Sasuke. If this girl does have dormant magic you must approach with caution. The same goes for you as well Naruto. You both must be careful how you treat these girls. While the worry of their magic will be on your minds please remember to put their feelings before anything else." Mikoto saw both Naruto and Sasuke nod their heads and watched as Mikoto walked out of the room to possibly find her eldest son and give him an earful about him missing meals. Once Mikoto was well out of the room and hearing distance both Sasuke and Naruto decided to talk about their meeting with both Hinata and Sakura with weekend.
"So Dobe care to explain how you and I are going to tip toe around this issue of their powers when we meet both girls this weekend. I doubt either one of them are even aware of the dangers their powers pose to themselves." Sasuke saw Naruto slump further into his chair and heard him groan as he too began to wonder the same thing but came up with nothing.
"Sasuke I honestly don't know how to answer that. Both Hinata and Sakura seem like normal girls to me. I find it hard to believe that power like that could be within those two. And they're both so kind and giving something you rarely see nowadays." Naruto saw Sasuke walk over to sit in one of the cushioned chairs in the room and he too began to ponder the same thing.
"You're right but power like that hasn't been seen in years. And father is looking into this matter while following your orders and my request to remain as discrete as possible. While finding out more about these girls is important, the thought of hurting them is something I do not wish. Besides I'm looking forward to meeting Sakura this weekend as I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing Hinata as well." Sasuke had the famous Uchiha smirk on his face as he saw his friend put on one of his brightest smiles at the mention of Hinata.
"Yeah I really want to get to know her better. Also I want to help both of them. It would seem that hard times have hit both girls and there's another force behind that. I want to give them something as not just to say thank you for helping me but something to help them. I could sense that their auras were tired and close to the breaking point. With the festive holiday season rolling around their auras should be bright and full of life, not reeking of exhaustion and sadness. And I'm sure when you looked into Sakura's eyes that you saw how tired they looked." Naruto saw Sasuke nod his head in conformation of his friend's observation. Sasuke did notice the look of fatigue within Sakura's eyes and wanted to find a solution to whatever problem she's having.
"So Sasuke what do you say we brighten their lives by being part of their world and slowly introduce them to our world?" Naruto was graced with not only a smile from Sasuke but his eyes turning their signature blood red and knew that this was going to be a very interesting.
However unknown to both boys said hunter from earlier had made his way into the city and was meeting with someone that could be their undoing.
"Ah…this is a pleasant surprise, it has been many years since the last time we met, my oh so dangerous hunter. Of course I'm a little surprise you would seek out the dishonored and dethroned leader of the Hebi clan. So here is the question that I must ask, why have you sought me out?" Said snake turned to see the hunter walk closer to the window and noticed the dark smirk that adorned his face.
"It would seem that I'll be able to keep my promise of to find the last of the clans you wanted dead this time. It would seem that those two bitches tried to hide them from the world but failed terribly. So I'll be able to bring those girls to you at last, Lord Orochimaru."
Now it seems that trouble has found another form of trouble and Sakura and Hinata are in greater danger than they realize and just who is this hunter and why does he want them gone along with Naruto and Sasuke? Those are question that will be answered another time.
*To Be Continued*