Run Away and Pursue

Ch. 4 "Parental Instincts."

I don't own Naruto, but I wish I did.

Naruto hovered in the doorway of the hotel suite's only bedroom. He watched as Keiji climbed into the bed.

He wanted to go and tuck his son in as he had so many times when Keiji was little, but the look Keiji shot his way froze him in his place.

Give him time.

It was what Naruto's adopted mother and father had said. What his adopted sister had said. What the experts said.

It wasn't what Naruto's heart said.

Instead, he felt that he needed to fix everything now.

Swoop in and take control, like he did when he used to work as an attorney. But reconnecting with Keiji was going to be a lot more difficult than bringing a case to trial.

At least he finally got the kid to take a shower and get ready for bed. That was a battle Naruto hadn't expected to fight with his son, much less a nine-year-old boy.

Only seeing the panic in Keiji's eyes when he had mentioned sleep kept Naruto from insisting for Keiji to go and sleep at a reasonable time.

Now, at one in the morning, Keiji's excitement finally worn off, and his pale face and dark circles under his eyes hinted and exhaustion that went far beyond a simple lack of sleep.

"Do you want water?" Naruto asked; the question was as lame and useless as his feelings at the moment.

Keiji merely shook his head, turning to his side so that his back faced Naruto. His red hair showed over the blanket he had pulled up to his shoulders.

That was the cue for Naruto to walk away. He knew it, but his legs wouldn't budge.

"What time does mom and dad's plane arrive tomorrow?" Senna, his sister, had asked. Though they weren't blood related, they acted more like siblings than those who actually are. She was the actual daughter of his adopted parents.

Naruto forced himself to turn away from his son and faced her.

The look of sympathy on her face let him know just how pitiful he looked; a father who couldn't even offer his son a kiss goodnight.

"At ten."

"Do they want me to pick them up?"

"They rented a car." Naruto moved across the room, grabbing the coffee he had left on the corner table.

It was cold and bitter, but he drank it, his throat parched from too many emotions and strain of holding them in.

"Keep drinking coffee and you'll never be able to fall asleep." Senna rose from the couch, stretched her five-foot height. Her short brown hair was spiked around a pale, pretty face.

"You look more exhausted than I do." Naruto grunted. "Plus, I'm too hyped up to sleep."

"But we've been up since yesterday morning. It's time to crash." Senna smiled and ran a hand over her hair. "Tomorrow is another day, after all. I'm sure we have a lot to do then."

Of the two, Senna was the only one who was single and childless.

She had been the one who was quick to volunteer to go on a plane and fly to Sendai with him. It had been Senna who had booked the hotel room. It was Senna who thought it would be a good idea to rent an SUV.

Senna, who was the calm in the storm in Naruto's emotions.

But two years fighting leukemia had taken a lot out of her. It showed in her hollow cheeks and her dark rimmed eyes.

He went over to her and pulled her into a gentle hug.

She had always been athletic and strong, a gymnast who pushed her body to the limit and had attended college on a full athletic scholarship.

She was close to competing in the summer Olympics, but leukemia happened. Now, she was frail; her body too thin and delicate.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" She returned the hug and stepped back, looking up to his eyes.

"For not thinking about how difficult this trip would be on you."

"On me? What about you?" She frowned. Naruto knew she would never admit that the cancer had robbed her of her strength. She was not willing to admit that it was the reason she was tired.

"You're the one who just found his son again." She was strong, tough and independent. The last thing she would ever accept was pity. Like Naruto himself.

"True, but I still got adrenaline on my side to not let me sleep." He grinned. "You take the other double bed in the bedroom. I'll take the pull-out in here."

"I'm sure you want to room with Keiji." She went over to the small refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water.

That was true; but his son didn't want him in there.

He didn't say that, though. Instead, he poured himself more coffee and shook his head. "I'll only be a few feet away from him. You can get some sleep while I do some work. I have a dozen of clients I left hanging when I flew out of Tokyo. I need to let them know that their cases are still being handled."

"Whatever you say." She smiled wanly. "If you want to boot me out of bed later, just wake me up, okay?"

"Yeah." Naruto looked at his sister.

Her skin wasn't just pale, it was white like paper.

Her clothes hung off of her narrow frame.

"Are you okay, Sen?"

"Besides being sleepy? Yeah."

"I mean really okay."

"You mean is the cancer back." There was no getting anything past Senna. "I went to the doctor two weeks ago for the monthly check-up. My numbers looked great, so don't worry."

"Did they say something beside your numbers looking good?"

"No, even if they did, now wouldn't be the time to discuss it. You have your son back, Naruto. That's all you should be thinking about." Senna scoffed, teasingly ruffling her brother's blonde hair.

"That doesn't mean I can't worry about you. So what exactly did the doctors say?"

"Nothing, except come back next month. Just like every other checkup. Now, stop worrying. And don't stay up late."

A sharp knock at the door interrupted Naruto before he could ask any more questions.

He frowned, crossing the room to the door quickly and peered out the peephole.

Up until now, the press had been respectful, waiting outside the hotel and asking questions when he emerged or calling to see if was willing to have an interview.

He wasn't expecting that to last forever, though.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Uzumaki, it's Deputy Kankuro from Sendai Sherriff's department."

"Do you have an ID?" Naruto nodded as he opened the door when he showed him his badge. "It's a little late for a visit, isn't it?"

"We've had an incident, and the sheriff wanted to tell me to come ask you a few questions."

The deputy was young, maybe mid-twenties, but he was surely older than the Sheriff, who was Naruto's age. The deputy looked nervous, his gaze jumping from Naruto to Senna and back again.

"Incident?" Naruto stepped aside and let the man in.

"Hinata Hyuuga said that you were out at her place a little after nine tonight."

"That's right."

"She was attacked a couple of hours later."

"Attacked? By who?" Naruto's mind raced back to the moment he met Hinata. She had been nervous, edgy and scared, but he thought that was only because she had been approached by a stranger on a dark and deserted road.

What he hadn't been able to conclude on was why she wanted to stay anonymous and why she was concerned if anyone found out about Naruto and Keiji"s visit.

He wondered what she was hiding, but he didn't push for answers.

He should have.

"We don't know. We were hoping that you might be able to shed some light on the situation."

"Now hold on a minute! You don't think my brother had anything to do with it, don't you?" Senna exclaimed, her eyes flashing with irritation.

"Mr. Uzumaki isn't a suspect, but we were hoping that he might've seen something—."

"What's going on? Is Ms. Hyuuga okay?" Keiji peered out of the bedroom, his hair was tangled behind him.

Barely four feet tall and probably less than fifty pounds, Keiji looked younger than nine; but his eyes were old and filled with anxiety.

"She should be fine." The deputy smiled kindly at Keiji. "We just wanted to ask your father a few questions."

"But you said she was attacked!" That means someone hurt her!

Keiji stepped out of the room, his pajamas hanging loosely on him.

"Maybe you and the deputy should talk about this someplace else." Senna suggested, shooting a look at Keiji's direction.

She was right. Discussing what had happened to Keiji's favorite teacher while he was listening wasn't a good idea, but leaving Keiji seemed like an even worse one to Naruto.

He knew it was irrational and Keiji would be fine with Senna, but knowing in his head and believing it with his heart were two different things. "Why don't you go the bedroom? I'll come in after the deputy and I are done talking and let you know what's going on."

"She's not okay. If she was okay, you wouldn't make me go away while you talk!"

"Of course she's okay. Deputy Kankuro wouldn't lie, would you?" Senna moved closer to Keiji and put an arm around his shoulder.

"No I wouldn't. She's fine. The doctors are keeping her in the hospital overnight for observation, but she'll probably be going home tomorrow."

"She's in the hospital? But you said she was all right!" Keiji shrugged away from Senna's touch.

"She is, but—."

"I really think you should discuss this somewhere else." Senna said gain, and this time, Naruto knew he had to listen.

Keiji had been through enough. He didn't need to hear details about what happened to Hinata.

"How about we step out in the hall?"

"I'd rather not stand in a public area. We can discuss this in my patrol car."

Naruto hesitated at first, but then nodded. He couldn't be near Keiji 24/7 no matter what. If he hovered, he might do more damage to his already-damaged son.

"Will you go see Ms. Hyuuga?" Keiji asked.

"I don't think—!"

"Please, daddy! I just want to know for sure that she's all right!"

Daddy?

That word brought Naruto back five years to the morning of Keiji's disappearance.

He had kissed his son goodbye before heading to his office, smiling when he had shouted, "I love you, daddy!" as Naruto closed the apartment door and had left him with the nanny.

He hadn't heard the word again, until now.

Hearing it made him feel a bittersweet mixture of joy and sorrow.

"I can't leave you here alone, Keiji."

"He won't be alone, Naruto. I'm here, and I promise we will stay here. No one's going anywhere, except to sleep. Right Keiji?" Senna offered and Keiji nodded in agreement.

Naruto hesitated. He began thinking about the old farmhouse and the woman who owned it.

Hinata Hyuuga had done what no one else had dared to. She had listened to Keiji, dug for answers and found them.

Now she was in the hospital, and Naruto knew he couldn't ignore the fact anymore than he could ignore his son's request.

"I'll go, but you have to listen to your aunt while I'm gone, okay? No going outside."

Keiji nodded again. His desire to communicate with Naruto died, now that he got what he wanted.

Had spent the last five years silent, like he did the past few days? Or had he formed a connection with his kidnapper and is distraught that he was taken away from her?

Thinking about it made Naruto felt like he was being tortured.

He went over to hug Keiji and felt his heart ache as Keiji stiffened in his arms.

"Good night, buddy. I love you."

Keiji didn't answer and just turned and walked back into the bedroom.

"I won't be long." Naruto met Senna's eyes with his sad ones.

"Take your time." She nodded, understanding. "We'll be fine while you're gone."

"Get some sleep, okay?" He kissed Senna's cheek and followed Kankuro out in the hall.

"Sorry to drag you from your son, Mr. Uzumaki."

"Call me, Naruto. And don't worry about it. I'm happy to help with the investigation any way I can. But there's not much I can tell you." He smiled, apologetically.

"Whatever you remember from when you were out at the house will be fine."

They walked outside, the wind nearly knocking Naruto over. They crossed the parking lot and into the deputy's car and climbed in.

He waited impatiently for the deputy to pull out a notebook and tried two different pens before finally finding one that worked. "Okay, did you see anything or anyone while you were at Hinata's place?"

"Just the tow truck driver."

"Tow truck driver?"

"He was dropping of Hinata's car. It had slid into a ditch." Naruto looked out the window, only to be met by his reflection.

"Did you get a name?"

"Hinata mentioned the name Gaara, but I'm not sure it was him."

"Was he still there when you left?"

"Now, and he never spoke to Hinata. He just left the car and took off."

"Sounds like Gaara. He's not the type to talk." Kankuro muttered as he scribbled. "And you saw no one else?"

"No. There wasn't a car on the road on my way back. It's not a good night to be out."

"It is, but that didn't stop you and somebody else from going to Hinata's place."

"You said she was attacked. What happened?" Naruto pretended that he didn't hear his comment.

"She was shot."

"Shot?"

It wasn't an attack then. It was an attempted murder. Imagining Hinata lying in her house wounded and scared, made him want to find the shooter and teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

"Yeah. She was lucky. The bullet just went through the fleshy part of her shoulder, not the bone or any main artery. The doctor she would make a full recovery." Kankuro seemed happy by this.

"Did she see the guy who did it?"

"Nope."

"Does she have any idea who it can be?"

"I'm not allowed to say." This meant that Hinata had an idea, but the deputy didn't plan to share it.

That was fine. Naruto was more than willing to ask Hinata the same question.

"Which hospital?"

"Sendai Valley. It's a thirty minute drive, so you may want to wait until tomorrow to visit."

"I told Keiji I would check on her, and that's what I want to do." Naruto was ready to open the door.

"Why don't I escort you? I'm going that way anyway."

"Thanks." Naruto opened the door, the air was cold. "I'm sorry I was not much of a help."

"If you think of anything else, give the sheriff's office a call."

"I will." Naruto got out of the cruiser and headed to his rental.

His mind was spinning of possibilities.

Hinata had seemed nervous and scared when they had met. That, and the deputy's refusal to answer his question about whether or not she had any idea who shot her indicated that there was something more going on than a random attack.

Was Hinata attacked because of what she had done for him and his son?

She made it very clear that she didn't want her picture taken and put on the news; but it aired anyway.

Naruto saw her in a photo that was flashed on the television screen while Keiji was getting ready for bed.

Was that the thing that led to the attack?

Naruto didn't know, but he planned to find out.

Hinata might not want his help, but he owed it to her, and he'd do whatever it took to make sure she stayed safe.

I just realized that I made Naruto the successful one and Hinata the one who hasn't really gone anywhere in life.

But, considering her past, it's understandable.

xD

Yes, this is a slice of life.

But, no, this is not all accurate.

I don't know if they have an airport in Sendai, or if it's as small as I portray it out to be. I don't even know if the farmhouse is there, or if the trees over there are even pine trees.

I assume it snows there because it so up north Japan, near Korea.

I have no idea if they have their own form of Thanksgiving.

Haha, so this information is not a good place to start if you want to get to know Sendai better.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! I truly look forward to your reviews.

I ask for more constructive criticism, so that it can help me make the story better.

;]