Sniff...minna...this is the last chapter...for this fic...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! BUT NOT TO WORRY! AEs coming soon!
Blue-eyes n' blonde hair: Welcome...there will be a lemon in the AEs as well, so...something else to look forward to...
Chapter 30: My Fox That I've Tamed
Neji dashed silently through the streets, weaving in and out of the throng, disturbing but a hair in his flight. He turned sharply at a corner, taking off from the ground, only the tips of his toes touching the pavement as he ran in a fluid, almost airborne movement. Halfway among a crowd of milling people, he stopped abruptly, eyes roving back and forth for any sign of suspicious movement. He paused, concentrating intensely, then snapped his eyes open in a sudden movement. The veins around his orbs throbbed slightly and a foreign energy flowed towards his silvery-gray eyes, suddenly turning them into replicas of cracked glass. Neji smiled grimly. His bloodline, the Byakugan, the result of a genetic mutation that happened eons ago, enabled him to see through the thickest of walls, and for once he was more thankful for his bloodline than ever before.
He searched to and fro, eyes roaming about the crowd, meticulously searching for a faint tuft of blond. His eyes flitted across a booth, an alley, an energetic mob, then stopped and zeroed in on a patch of golden about five meters from his standing, located in a nearby restaurant. Turning on his heel, he pivoted and leapt into motion, surging forward with an almost superhuman speed. Whoever they were, if they dared hurt what was his, the consequences would be dire indeed.
He tore into the restaurant and sped past the eyes of the startled customers, ignoring the vicious glances and muttered oaths. Whirling in through a door at the back, he expelled himself into a large, spacious room, only to witness Naruto hanging by his wrists on the far end, heavily flanked by two cloaked figures. A lone figure stood to the side, his face hidden in the shadows, yet Neji found something so drastically familiar about the figure, it positively frightened him.
"So you have arrived." The voice of the figure portrayed nothing of his identity; it was a low monotone, deep and seemingly imposing. Neji snarled, a menacing scowl making its way across his countenance.
"Why have you taken Naruto?" The figure chuckled.
"Patience, dear boy. I shall give him back to you as soon as you answer a few….questions." The Hyuuga growled, but complied.
"Now, question one: What is this boy to you? A servant, a friend, merely a toy to relieve you of past sexual frustrations….tell me."
Naruto shifted in the chains that bound him to the wall and raised his head, looking Neji straight in the eyes. In that very moment, the Hyuuga felt his heart shatter and fall to a million pieces at his feet; Naruto's eyes were filled with pleading and unmitigated hope, begging him to answer. Never in the past had Neji ever seen Naruto so broken. He drew himself up to his full height and faced the figure, defiance crossing his eyes.
"He is my light, my world, my soulmate. He saved me from myself when I was enshrouded in darkness, wrapped up in my own icy walls that barred my emotions. I love him more than I've ever loved him before, and if you think I'd live rather than let him suffer, then you know nothing of my being." Neji lifted his head and captured Naruto's gaze with his own, and in the gaze that was reflected back at him, he witnessed gratitude so intense, so profound, that the image of Naruto's beautiful features uplifted in such hope seared itself onto his brain, sizzling like a brand into his mind. The figure shifted in the background, speaking the next question with a mildly amused tone.
"Question two: does this boy feel the same way about you?" Naruto struggled in his chains, his reply bursting from his mouth.
"Neji is the only one that's been there for me when I was down, aside from my father. He's endured the hardships I have and he empathizes with me, so he feels my pain and knows it fully. Neji's also been my comfort and my light, and it is with a whole heart that I say he's my soulmate." The figure nodded, seemingly satisfied by his reply.
Neji stood quite still for a long period of time, shocked at the words that emitted from the blond. Naruto…he truly meant a lot to Naruto….he, Hyuuga Neji, was the one Naruto had chosen after Sasuke and Gaara had tried to claim him. Neji felt a solitary drop of saline solution slip from his lashes to fall on the cold stone floor. Naruto…Naruto truly loved him. He suddenly knew he could perish right then and there without a care in the world, as long as he perished knowing Naruto fully loved him.
The figure snapped his fingers and the cloaked guard on the right stepped up to the blond, calmly unfastening the chains on his wrists. Naruto fell to the ground and ran towards Neji, only to be detained by the second guard. He struggled like a caged bird, thrashing this way and that, lashing out with a flurry of kicks and punches, but still the guards held him captive. The Hyuuga sprang forward to help, but two more shadows materalized from the blackness and detained him as well, turning him towards the main figure.
"Let me go! We've answered your questions, now let us go!"
The shadow slowly shook his head, snapping his fingers yet again. Another figure detached itself from the darkness, a gleaming knife in his hand. At a nod from the main shadow, the figure turned and propelled itself towards Neji's form, the knife gyrating straight for his heart.
Naruto watched in a trancelike state as the figure slowly closed the distance between itself and Neji's heart. Time suddenly slowed down, and Naruto was somehow watching the whole scene unfold before him in what seemed like slow motion. With a last and final wrench, he twisted sideways and broke free from the clutches of the guards, sprinting as fast as he could towards his lover, praying fervently that he could make it in time, that he could somehow manage to take the knife for Neji…
He saw Neji's eyes slowly widen as he threw himself across the Hyuuga, standing bravely to face the incoming figure. The knife twisted slowly for his chest, coming closer….and closer…three feet…two feet…one foot….Naruto closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact of the blade, murmuring a silent apology to his lover, his father, and his friends, clamping his eyes shut. As the knife slowly closed the gap between the blade and Naruto, the blond pressed himself against the Hyuuga knowing the last moments of his life wouldn't be spent in vain. He'd be doing a good deed for once in his life. He'd be doing something he would be proud of.
The knife slowly inched forward at a maddening pace….
And then stopped, scant millimeters from piercing Naruto's skin.
After a period of three minutes passed by without any bursts of sudden pain from his body, Naruto dared to crack open one eye, only to observe the knife point just inches away from his chest. He cocked his head in confusion as the figure before him lowered the knife, chuckling as if it was the funniest thing in the world. With a snarl, Naruto leapt forward and pounced on the figure, slamming him to the ground. He tore off the hood, and it fell away to reveal….an unruly mess of spiky brown hair? The blond started in surprise.
"K-Kiba?" The dog-boy grinned and winked mischievously.
"The one and only. Now get off of me…my ribs…" Naruto obstinately sat, frowning heavily.
"Not until you provide a reasonably believable explanation." The Inuzuka jerked his thumb back towards the figure in the shadows.
"Not me, ask him." Naruto stood and faced the shadow, gracing it with a frosty gaze that rivaled temperatures of an arctic blizzard.
"Why did you do this? Who are you?" The figure stepped forward, revealing startlingly familiar features. Long black hair tumbled down his back, slicked back neatly, and stern eyes surveyed his audience. Neji's eyes widened in shock.
"Hiashi!" His uncle nodded, slipping his cloak off of his shoulders.
"Yes, me." Neji wrenched free of his guards, eyes flashing in surprise.
"W-why?" Hiashi nodded and the two figures that restrained Neji lowered their hoods, revealing the smiling faces of Shizune and Tsunade. The cloaked figure detaining Naruto also lowered his hood, and Lee grinned toothily at the stunned blond.
"Why did you do this?" For once, Hiashi actually smiled.
"I wanted see how far you'd go to protect this boy of yours. After all, don't actions speak more than words? At first, I refused to believe your little rants about love, but then I started to realize that love wasn't such a bad idea after all. You, Hyuuga Neji, have quite proven me wrong, and as a result, have shown me the errors in my actions. Therefore, you may remain my heir and keep your precious servant. Your father was right in choosing you as an heir, Neji. I can see the potential in you, potential to eventually accomplish great things in your life." Neji met Hiashi's stare with confidence.
"Thank you, Uncle. But I must ask, how did you accomplish all of this?" Hiashi shrugged slightly, eyes glittering in amusement.
"It wasn't that difficult, really. I just rented this room from the owner of the restaurant, persuaded Lee, Kiba, Shizune, and Tsunade to come with me, borrowed a few cloaks from friends, and made sure you'd go to the Tanabata festival. I didn't want to spoil it for you of course, so I made sure the kidnapping took place towards the end of the celebrations. I had Tsunade cook up a special potion to slip in Naruto's noodles, and Kiba to distract you while Lee drugged Naruto." Neji nodded slowly, drinking in the information. It was all so perfect, their plan, and it made absolute sense.
"I asked you the questions to test your morals, then made Kiba try to kill you afterwards. The plan was to get Naruto to jump in front of you, showing true protection for his master. Had he not, Kiba wouldn't have killed you." Neji nodded again. Hiashi smiled kindly at his nephew.
"And perhaps someday, I too will be able to fully grasp the meaning of love." Neji shook his head gently.
"No, Uncle. No one will ever know the true extent of love, but one can try, and you can start by paying more attention to your daughters."
"Very well said," a voice called out from the darkness, and a wizened old man stepped into the room. There was really nothing special about the man in terms of physical looks, but his aura seemed to engulf the room and fill it with a tranquil, almost ethereal quality. Sarutobi smiled amusedly at the shocked looks on the faces of his audience.
"Dear dear, Hiashi, you should've noticed who the shopkeeper was before you asked to rent that room." The older Hyuuga stepped back, momentarily stunned.
"S-Sarutobi-san!" The man nodded and stepped forward, winking merrily.
"How did you know about our plan?"
"I have my sources. One can be old, but wisdom and a thorough knowledge of things can be a valuable asset that comes with age." Sarutobi turned to Naruto and walked forward, staring fondly at the boy.
"It's been a while, Naruto-kun." The blond stood stock-still, shock written all over his face before he let out a squeal and shot forward like a bullet straight into the arms of the venerable old man.
"SARUTOBI-SAN!" Sarutobi smiled serenely and enfolded his arms around Naruto, squeezing him heartily.
"It's good to see you again, young one. I trust you've been faring well with your new…master, hmmm?" Naruto bobbed his head up and down, grinning toothily.
"It's been such a long time, old man!" Sarutobi wrinkled his nose.
"I've still got a good ten years on me, child. Anyhow, I trust you've finally found someone you can fully protect, ne? Young Neji seems like a good choice." The blond smiled.
"Will you be staying?" Sarutobi sighed thoughtfully.
"I might. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for your little pranks, young rascal. And I'll continue to watch over you." Naruto smirked.
"I'll have to avoid windows and other see-through objects then." Sarutobi tweaked his nose, and Naruto recoiled, giggling.
"You never know, Naruto. You never know." He gently extracted himself from Naruto's grasp and graced the others of the room with a smile.
"I'll be seeing you, Hiashi." The older Hyuuga nodded, watching as Sarutobi shuffled his way out of the room.
"Let's go back home." Naruto yelped in agreement and lead the way out of the room, thankful everything was done and accounted for.
The Next Morning
Neji cracked open an eye and graced the ceilings of his room with a content stare. He gazed lazily at the fine plaster for a period of two minutes before turning over, smiling softly at the sleeping blond beside him. Naruto had curled himself up into his chest and was snoring lightly, a pleasant buzzing much like a purr emitting from his chest. Neji shifted among the scarlet sheets with some difficulty; Naruto had conveniently slung a leg over his hip sometime in the middle of the night. The Hyuuga shifted again, pressing himself against the blond, trailing his lips down the side of Naruto's neck. Naruto stirred and yawned into his neck, leaving a rather sloppy kiss on Neji's alabaster skin before snuggling closer, unconsciously winding his arms around the Hyuuga's broad torso.
Neji smiled slightly and affectionately nuzzled Naruto's perpetually smooth skin, his smile widening as Naruto let out a low purr. A faint frown briefly marred the blond's countenance before he slid open an eye and smiled serenely at Neji, still drifting in and out of the scope between dreams and present. Neji leaned down and nipped gently at the bridge of his nose, inhaling the arousal rolling off of his lover, a somewhat musky, sweetish smell. He rolled over on top of Naruto and licked the line of his jaw, depositing a half-kiss where his jawline ended and his ear began. Naruto squirmed and nipped at the Hyuuga's neck in return before pulling back, gently pushing Neji off of his body.
"No sex for three days, remember?"
Neji frowned. He'd hoped for a moment that Naruto had quite forgotten his promise (after all, they did sleep in mutual nudeness the past night, and had almost gotten to the lovemaking had Naruto not fallen asleep halfway through, leaving a very unsatisfied lover, but Neji assumed it was due to the recent events and wisely decided not to press the subject matter), but it seemed the blond was only teasing him, wanting a ruse. Neji drooped slightly and nipped his way down Naruto's collarbone in a last-ditch attempt to get the blond to change his mind, but Naruto would have none of it and pushed him off, laughing playfully.
"Nice try." Neji wilted some more. He shifted again and buried his nose in the soft threads of Naruto's hair, stroking his hipbone passionately.
"I know you want it as much as I do, Naruto." Naruto nodded in agreement, slightly surprising his lover.
"Yes, I must admit that I do, but a promise is a promise and I can't go back on my words." The Hyuuga sighed and rolled over in defeat.
"Very well, I shan't force you….but after the three days are up, you shall become mine once more." Naruto nodded.
"Yeah, I suppose I will. Besides, after not experiencing something for a long period of time, it will feel a thousand times better." Neji smiled fully.
"I do expect it will, though you know I am not a patient being when comes to carnal matters." Naruto nodded and nestled further into the pillows.
"I know. That's the point of this whole abstinence thing." Neji flicked him softly on the nose.
"You taunt me." He stated. Naruto smiled.
"Yup. And I'm enjoying every single moment of it." He lowered his head and smiled seductively up at the Hyuuga through his eyelashes, gracing Neji's eyes with a sultry stare.
"But that doesn't mean we can't do anything else." Neji's eyes smouldered with amusement.
"You and your loopholes."
Naruto pulled him down on his mouth as a reply and Neji rolled over on top of the blond, moaning in satisfaction as the blond sucked at his neck. They lay together for the remainder of the morning, content that it was all over. Neji smiled thoughtfully, his mind beginning to wander. The ordeals were done, the battles won, and for once, everything turned out just like an overly sappy fairy-tale ending.
It was sort of ironic really; after all, he'd have never suspected all this good fortune to happen to him with all of his stressful situations involving both familial and financial matters, but here he was, nestled among the covers with what he thought was the most beautiful, the most ethereal, the most…..most….the most perfect little fox he'd ever laid eyes on. His fox. His fox that he'd tamed.
He mildly suspected he'd gone through more obstacles than any human could bear to tame his fox. And yet…in a way….his fox had tamed him, shown him life, love, and happiness. Maybe they'd tamed each other in some sort of maladjusted mutuality. He didn't care. Gaara's father could've burst into the room, fully reincarnated, and run him through with a poker for all he cared. He could die a happy being…entity…thing…object….so long as he had his fox with him. My fox, he thought as he buried his face yet again in the silky-smooth cream-like skin of the blond next to him.
My fox. My magnificent, exquisite, elegant, wonderful, wild, beautiful fox that I've tamed.
Owari? Nope, not yet. Epilogue coming up.
Okay, since this is the end of the story besides the epilogue (I almost always write epilogues to add humor to the fics), it's time for...(announcer voice)...THE INCREDIBLY CORNY AND SAPPY SPEECHES! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Okay...a few things...
These past four months have been almost like a dream...and now is the time where I wake up. (sighs)...This story is my greatest work, my finest masterpiece, and the first of many (I hope) to come (If I have time...there's a little time-consuming parasite called school). I've shed blood, sweat, tears, and pus to make this fic work, to structure each and every sentence, to display each and every emotion to you guys. And I have to thank you guys for reading and reviewing.
To all my readers and reviewers: I love you. I truly, truly love you guys for taking the time to write encouraging comments about my fics...you may not know it, but I'm a person who developed extremely low self-esteem due to certain circumstances in my life. You guys helped boost my self-esteem by writing all these tear-jerking encouraging reviews, and because of that, you made me a better person in a weird, maladjusted sort of way. I thank you for that. I thank you for being the motivation and inspiration for me, and I do hope (despite my incessant nagging...I know, I know, it gets a little annoying sometimes, but it's in words, so you do have the option of tuning me out) that you will continue to read and review. So I say my adieus to you now, because I won't be appearing too often until I write another good portion of my next fic.
To my special reviewers:
Fei-sama: You've been there for me all the time...uplifting me...encouraging me...never giving me a negative comment...I love you. You're like my sister...my closest sister...and I'll always be completely indebted to you. Thank you, and much love.
Surarrin: I thank you as well, and also I offer my apologies for asking you to read and review...even though you had absolutely nothing to say, it was uplifting that you still did it grudgingly...and listen to my e-mails...while half-naked like the freak you are...
Bombay-Elk: I love you as well...that ginormous essay you wrote me really made my day...I must've read it at least twenty times...thank you.
Thanks again...for putting up with updates and nagging and all sorts of crud my pathetic mind can muster...I love you all. I truly do. Keep reading, and stay in touch. I shall be posting a new fic as soon as I can...
Love, Hugs, Kisses, Candies, Rat poison (nah, kidding),
Silver-eyed Hyuuga.