Hello again, my fair rea… HOLY…! *Dodges a barrage of Vectors and Rasengans* WHAT THE HELL!?
Lucy: Just shut up and write my date.
Naruto: I agree with her!
You guys are rather excited about this… *Drops to the floor under a Rasenshuriken* YIKES! Uh… ok, seeing as my life is in potential danger right now, I'm just gonna skip my normal greeting, 'k?
DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING HERE! (Except Hikari and Mizore, my OCs)
Ichiraku Ramen stand, 7:10 P.M.
Ayame Ichiraku was in a good mood. Today, no customers had spilled their drinks, no children complained about the food, and no one had tried to hit on her that day. But, most importantly, she had learned that her little 'brother', Naruto, was bringing his first date to the stand. Her father and she had everything prepared for the event. There was only one thing, however, that was putting a damper in her mood. She noticed a crowd of people outside the stand that had walked past over and over again. She may be an ordinary civilian, but you didn't have to be an ANBU to know someone is purposely going in circles. The people that were walking around always looked into the restaurant as they passed, and would always whisper after they did. She had two bets on who they were: One was that they were spies, and the other was that it was simply Naruto's friends who decided to spy on the date. And Ayame seriously doubted that a Ramen stand would be of particular interest to a spy of Kumo or Iwa. She stopped thinking about it when she heard the approaching voice of the hyperactive blond…
One of the figures raised her hand to her ear, activating the device within.
"Ok, here they come! Commence Operation: Ramen Celebration!" She whispered.
"'Ramen Celebration'? Seriously Ino?" an amazingly lazy voice answered.
"I agree with Shikamaru…" Another voice answered, although this one had a distinct buzzing sound in the background. The rest of the Konoha 12 agreed with the Lazy Chunin's comment, much to Ino's chagrin. A few meters away, sitting in a small coffee shop, some more figures sat, but these showed the difference between Chunin and Veteran Jounin. Azuma, Kurenai, Kakashi (who was miraculously on time), Might Guy (His mouth had been closed with a seal tag) and Anko were sitting there, henged, as they waited for the pair to arrive.
"Hehe, who knew that the little brat would be getting a date…" Anko told the others, her hand holding a Dango stick. The others chuckled slightly, as they too had never figured Naruto would be one to go on a date.
"HMPH HMPH MHMM HMPHPH!" Guy began to yell into his restraints, and years of knowing him made the others capable of translating it to: 'The flaming fires of youth burn deeply in them!'
"Everyone be quiet!" Tsunade chided them from the neighboring table, which she was sharing with Jiraiya. "They're coming!"
With the young couple *Dodges a vector* STOP THAT ALREADY!
Naruto, Lucy and Mariko were all walking towards the Ramen Stand, Naruto telling his daughter and friend about his different adventures.
"Wow, you actually escorted a princess to her kingdom and got rid of the Warlord that was in control?" Mariko's voice was full of amazement and wonder.
"Yup! I blasted him into a mirror with a Rainbow-powered Rasengan to the gut. When it shattered, spring returned to the land. It was awesome!" He yelled. "Of course, Sasuke and Sakura were there too, but they didn't really do much." Said Pinkette had a vein threatening to pop on her forehead. Hadn't done much?
'Oh, he is going DOWN, SHANARO!' the others edged away as an ominous fire flared out around her. It took Lee's strength to full to keep her from murdering the blonde right there.
"Alright! Here we are! The place where the food of the goods is brewed and served! Ichiraku Ramen!" Everyone shook their heads at the blonde's opinion of the stand. "Hey! Ji-chan! Ayame nee-chan!" He called out as he entered. The two Ichirakus smiled warmly at their best costumer before handing them the menus.
"Hello, Naruto-kun. Who's your friend?" Ayame asked the blond Shinobi. Of course, Ayame had already met Mariko, so no introductions were needed.
"Oh? I though you two had already met, sorry!" He apologized to his sister figure. "Ayame nee-chan, this is Kaede-chan. Kaede-chan, this is Ayame nee-chan, and that's her father, Teuchi Ichiraku. They've been there for me for as long as I can remember!" Ayame giggled at his words before deciding to annoy him a little.
"Well, considering how many times you've been hit on the head, that may not be much." Everyone, even Lucy and Mariko, laughed while Naruto simply whined a 'Hey!'. "But enough of that. What will you guys be having?" Naruto grinned.
"I'll take a Pork Ramen with extra pork." Naruto said without even looking at the menu. Lucy and Mariko, on the other hand, looked at the menu for a while, unsure of what to eat.
"I think I'll have a Beef ramen bowl" Lucy said after examining the menu. Mariko then opted for a bowl of Miso Ramen, at her father's recommendation.
"Alright! Three bowls, coming right up!" Ayame declared cheerfully as she helped her father prepare the bowls. The three ate happily, chatting cheerfully with one another. Suddenly, Mariko frowned slightly as she began to think about something. Noticing this, the two young adults turned to her.
"Hey, Mariko, is something wrong?" Naruto asked his daughter, worried. Lucy too looked at the girl, with a worry that, for once, wasn't fear. In fact she didn't know what it was. The girl turned to look at her father before voicing her thoughts.
"Daddy, is Lucy-san going to be my new mommy?" All noise seemed to drain out of the air. The blond and pinkette young Shinobi simply stared at the girl for a few seconds, and a little farther away, the entire unit of stalkers (minus Hinata) was fighting to keep their laughter from bursting out loudly. Meanwhile, Tsunade was already wondering if she'd have to prepare marriage papers soon.
'I'll keep some ready, just in case…'
"Ehhhhhh… I, uhh… *Gulp*" Naruto started sweating profusely. This was NOT how he had planned to spend his evening. He then opted for the safest choice. "That… uh… will be decided later, 'k?" Mariko nodded happily at her father, who, lost in the awkwardness he felt, did not notice the warm smile that appeared in Mariko's lips.
'Hihihi… Daddy's in love, alright!' She thought happily.
A short while later, the trio left the stand, with Naruto having paid for their meal. He then led his companions down the road, his 'stalkers' following from the rooftops.
"Where do you think they're going now?" sakura asked through her earpiece.
"The karaoke hall!" Answered Ino almost immediately. Everyone stopped in their tracks to regard the platinum blonde haired Yamanaka. "What?"
"How do you know that?" Shikamaru asked, all laziness gone from his voice. She giggled before tapping the side of her head.
"I read Naruto's mind as soon as we learned he was going on a date. I rigged up his plans to be a perfect success. Jiraiya-sama helped me make some seals to make the song selection choose one that will perfectly describe their feelings for one another!" She revealed before rushing over to the karaoke stand, followed by the others. They sat in a nearby table to watch as Lucy and Naruto took the stage. (A/N This is in an omake at the bottom)
After they finished singing, Mariko reported that she was getting sleepy.
"Want me to take you home?" Naruto asked his daughter. She simply shook her head.
"It's alright. I'll just ask one of the guys following us to take me." Their followers all tensed up, wondering if the girl meant them. "I think it's your friends from the other teams, their Jounin senseis, and Lady Hokage." All the Shinobi following them turned around in disbelief at the girl.
"Oh, you noticed them too, eh?" Naruto voiced out. The jaws of the Shinobi all fell to the floor. How the hell had Naruto known they were there? As if reading their minds, Naruto spoke out loud. "You'd think experienced Shinobi would know to suppress their Chakra… Anyway, OI! YOU GUYS THINK YOU CAN TAKE HER HOME!?"
"Busted…" Ino muttered under her breath. She then turned to Naruto, along with the others, with a sweet smile plastered on her face. "Sure, Naruto. We'll take your little girl home." In truth, all of them were rattled that the dead last of the group had located them so easily. "Just out of curiosity, how long have you known we've been following you?" She asked, hoping he figured them out only a little while ago.
"From the second you read my mind, Ino." Naruto deadpanned, and Ino chuckled nervously. They waved good-bye as the Konoha 12, the Jounin, and the Sannin left with Mariko, leaving the Diclonius Queen and the Kyubi Jinchuriki alone.
"So… what now?" Lucy asked her blond companion. Said spiky haired blond smile at her before looking to the distance.
"I was thinking of a peaceful walk through the village. Unless you want to do something else?" The horned girl shook her head, agreeing silently to a nice walk around the village. The Jinchuriki offered his arm to her. "Then, let us be on our way, shall we?" Lucy smiled and took his arm in her, and the two began to walk. Inside their minds, a triumphant sound erupted, startling both of them, although they hid it well.
"Hehe, nice catch, Kit!" Kurama yelled from inside his seal.
"NYUNYU!" The overly cheerful second personality of Lucy shouted, which could be translated to 'YAY! YOU'RE HAPPY!'. Nyu could feel herself slowly becoming a part of Lucy again. It would take months for the process to complete itself, but she knew Lucy was ready to accept happiness once more.
The two walked silently around the village, enjoying the nice warmth that was characteristic of the nights of the Land of Fire. Naruto showed Lucy every spot of interest around the village. It took them hours, and by the time they were done, at exactly 5 am, Naruto took her to the top of the Hokage Monument.
"This is one of my favorite places in the whole village…" he told her. Lucy was currently wearing Naruto's jacket over her attire, since the night got rather chilly, and watched in awe as the whole village was sprawled out in front of them. "You know, you're the first person I have ever brought up here. This had always been my special place, and quite honestly, not even my own team comes up here." Lucy rested her head against his shoulder as he spoke. She was still hugging his arm, even after the long walk. "I told myself that I would only bring someone who I considered above being a precious person. Quite honestly, Kaede-chan, you're the only one who was ever met that qualification." Lucy felt happy tears coming to her eyes. No one had ever said such a thing to her. They both looked to each other, and their gazes became locked on each other's eyes. Ever so slowly, just as the sun was beginning to rise, they started to inch closer. Their lips touched, and they both felt an immeasurable amount of emotions explode within them. Their lips remained locked as the sun rose over the mountains. When they separated, their eyes remained locked on one another.
At this moment, there was no Kyubi Jinchuriki. There was no Diclonius Queen. There were only Naruto and Lucy, staring lovingly into each other's eyes as the sun rose, signifying the beginning of a new day…
… and new love.
CUT! Hoped you liked it. I tried to add some extra fluff for my beloved readers. Also…
IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE
Right now, there's a poll in my profile: What pairing would you prefer for this fic? Strictly Naruto x Lucy, or for Hinata to be added to the relationship? Please vote! BladeOfThePoet, logging out.
OMAKE (Bold Italics show Lucy is singing and Bold Underlined show Naruto is singing.)
Naruto, Lucy, and Mariko entered the Karaoke building, but didn't notice the seals placed around. Jiraiya had developed the seals to select a song that would perfectly match the feeling the couple felt for one another… Mariko stated that she didn't want to sing, leaving the two 'friends' to take the stage for themselves. They climbed onto the stage, and the seals kicked in. Before they could select a song, a soft piano intro began to echo around the room. The first set of Lyrics appeared on Lucy's side, indicating she had to sing first. When she began, Naruto was mesmerized by her voice…
(Bring me to life, Evanescence)
How can you see into my eyes like open doors?
Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb
Without a soul my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become
Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become
Bring me to life
(I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside)
Bring me to life
Frozen inside without your touch
Without your love, darling
Only you are the life among the dead
All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul
Don't let me die here
There must be something more
Bring me to life
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become
(Bring me to life)
I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside
(Bring me to life)
The song then came to an end, and the two smiled at one another, while Mariko clapped happily in the background.
Done again. Quite honestly, I think this song matches well with their feelings. Naruto saved Lucy from the dark, and gave her a new life. And Naruto had been living the lie that his friend had died, and thus, there was nothing inside what would've been her grave… How did I think of it this way? Hehe… well… I'll tell you when I know… BladeOfThePoet, logging out!
DISCLAIMER: THE SONG BELONGS TO EVANESCENCE, NOT ME!