A/N: Sorry for the wait. Been busy lately. P.S. Don't hate me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Text examples:
"Hello." Biju or jinchuriki using biju's powers speaking
'Hi.' Person thinking
'Hi there.' Person speaking through mental link
'Howdy.' Biju speaking through mental link
Chapter 6: Through the Years
-Age 5-
It had already been a year since Naruko and Jiraiya had left the village and the red head was glad that they were finally heading back. Not that her year was bad, though. It was great really. Jiraiya had started her ninja training and she was actually learning some cool stuff between all the history lessons about the village and other boring subjects. He said that she would be ready for the genin test in no time. But in all their travelling she never really had a chance to make many friends, not like she did at Konoha. She had friends there, Rika, Aunt Himeko, and especially Hinata. Naruko missed the Hyuga girl most of all. She had sent letters to Hinata throughout the year, but she could never get any letters in return. Jiraiya never told her where they were going next so Naruko could not tell Hinata where to send letters to, but that did not matter to the fox girl at the moment because she was in sight of the gates outside the village. She took off running.
-Hyuga Compound-
Hinata was in her room rereading the last letter she had gotten from Naruko. It had arrived a week ago and said that Hinata could expect a surprise coming for her within the week. Hinata was excited, she had gotten small gifts from Naruko before, like a card on her birthday and some money at Christmas, but the red head had never informed the girl of the presents beforehand so the Hyuga girl could not help but feel that this one was special. She had a sad smile on her face as she thought about the fox girl. Hinata missed her best friend, sure she knew a few other clan heirs, but she never connected with them as much as she had with Naruko. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door. She got up off her bed and opened the door. All she saw was a flash of red before she was tackled to the ground.
"Hey Princess!" Hinata was shocked. Her best friend had just appeared at her door and was now sprawled out on top of her hugging her tightly. Hinata had a blush on her face as she found her voice.
"Naruko?! What? How are you here?" The red head got off the Hyuga girl so she was sitting on the floor next to her. Hinata sat up and faced Naruko. The blue haired girl was a bit sad when she realized that her friend had transformed to hide her fox features. She wished the fox girl did not have to hide her true self. Naruko was laughing a little and had a huge smile on her face.
"Didn't you get my letter? I said you would be getting a surprise the next time you heard from me. So, surprise!" The fox girl took Hinata into a hug again that the Hyuga girl readily returned. Naruko coming for a visit was her surprise? Hinata smiled broadly as she realized that that was what Naruko meant by surprise. It was the best surprise Hinata had ever gotten. She was very happy until she realized something.
"I'm so glad you're here Naru, but I have lessons this afternoon." The blue haired girl pulled away a little to look at her friend and was surprised to see Naruko's grin still in place and the girl shaking her head.
"No you don't princess. I already talked to your mom and she cleared your schedule. You're free the rest of the day. So let's not waste any more of it." The fox girl got up pulling Hinata with her and ran out of the room.
-Ichiraku Ramen-
The two friends had made their way to the ramen shop hand in hand while Hinata told Naruko about the things she had missed in the last year. She told the fox girl of the festivals in the village, the parties at the Hyuga Compound, and spending time with her mother. Naruko smiled throughout the account. When they got to the shop Naruko noticed a man already seated at the counter. He had tanned skin and a scar across his nose and face. The last thing Naruko noticed sent her eyes wide.
"Is that a Konoha headband?" The man turned as he heard the shout. He had never seen the two girls before, but the blue haired one looked like a Hyuga. He could not help but smile at them.
"Yes it is. My name is Iruka and I'm a genin, though I'm going to be taking the chunin exams in a few months." Naruko was impressed, she had never met a real ninja before, well except for the Hokage and Jiraiya, but they did not count because they did not have headbands. That is how it worked in her five year old mind.
"That is so awesome! My name is Naruko Uzumaki and this is my friend, Hinata Hyuga. We're both clan heirs and we're going to be great ninjas someday!" Iruka had to laugh at the girl's enthusiasm. She seemed very bright and cheerful. He patted the seat next to him.
"It's great to meet both of you. Now pull up a seat, lunch is on me today." Naruko let out a little shout of happiness as she did her ramen dance. This got laughs from everyone present including the blue haired girl. The red head stopped and she and Hinata took their seats. The two friends chatted with Iruka about what it was like to be a ninja. Naruko was already on her sixth bowl of ramen when Iruka finally noticed the stack of bowls she had next to her. He paled a little realizing how much the meal was going to cost him. The two girls said their goodbyes after they finished and left a crying Iruka to tend to the bill.
-Somewhere in Konoha-
Naruko and Hinata were making light conversation as they made their way back to the Hyuga Compound. They had taken a longer route so they could enjoy the view of some of the parks and were just coming out of an alley when someone collided with Naruko and sent the red head to the ground. Hinata was surprised at what happened and looked over at the boy who had run into Naruko. He looked to be about their age with black hair and onyx eyes. He seemed as shocked as Hinata was. The boy approached Naruko with his hand reaching out.
"I'm sorry. I didn't…" The boy was cut off as Naruko got to her feet and punched him square on the jaw. The black haired boy fell on his ass.
"That's what you get for not watching where you were going." Naruko was mad. The kid had just made her look like a fool in front of Hinata. The boy stood up and marched towards the red head with an angry look on his face.
"I was just about to apologize. There was no need to hit me." Hinata was inclined to agree with the boy, but Naruko had a different line of thinking.
"Well you knocked me onto my ass so I knocked you onto your ass. Even though you apologized I still had to get even." The boy just looked at her as if she was stupid. What kind of person only cared about getting even?
"Are you an idiot?" Naruko's face turned grim and Hinata knew the boy had struck a nerve. Naruko hated being called in idiot.
"Who are you calling an idiom you duck ass?" Hinata tried not to laugh at the image that just entered her head, but she had to admit the boy's hair did look kind of like the rear end of a duck. The boy twitched for a second and his hands clenched.
"I called you an idiot!" The boy threw the first punch and they started to fight. Well it was more like a brawl then a fight. There was no technique or order to it, just simple fist meets face kind of fighting. Hinata was about to step in when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw what looked like an older version of the boy with two lines on either side of his mouth. He just shook his head. So Hinata stood and watched as the fight played out. They both seemed to be evenly matched as the fight dragged out to ten minutes. Both were breathing heavily and barely standing when Naruko faked a punch and turned it into a spinning round house kick that sent the boy into the wall. The fox girl smiled a little at her win and walked up to the boy. She held her hand out to him to help him up and got a right hook to the face for her effort. She hit the ground hard and then looked at the boy who had a smirk on his face.
"Now we're even." The two stared at each other for a moment before the both broke out laughing as the got up off the ground. They walked towards each other and shook hands. Naruko was grinning ear to ear.
"You're good. What's your name?" The black haired boy had a grin to match the girl's own.
"Sasuke Uchiha. And you weren't so bad yourself." They separated a little and Naruko put a hand on her hip.
"I'm Naruko Uzumaki. And thanks." The two started laughing again as they walked over to Hinata and the older boy. The Hyuga girl turned to the boy next to her with a confused look on her face.
"What just happened?" The boy smiled as he faced the girl.
"They became friends." Hinata turned back to the two that were walking towards them and had a small frown on her face. She was jealous of Naruko's new friend. The red head reached the other two and immediately noticed that something was wrong with Hinata. She turned to Sasuke and hit him lightly on the shoulder.
"Sasuke it was great to meet you, but I have to get going. Hinata and I have plans." The Uchiha boy nodded as Naruko grabbed Hinata's hand and ran off. They were a few blocks away when Naruko stopped and turned to the girl.
"What's wrong Princess?" Hinata looked down. She was not sure what to say. It took her a while to work up the courage to voice her concerns.
"You're my only friend Naru. I don't want to lose you." Naruko was a bit stunned. She had not realized that Hinata did not have any other friends. She thought the girl would have plenty since she did not move around a lot, but it turned out that the fox girl was wrong. She smiled a little and took Hinata into her arms.
"You'll never lose me Princess. Never." Naruko leaned back a bit and kissed the girl on the cheek. Hinata nodded as a small smile appeared on her face. Naruko was here and that was all that mattered.
-Age 6-
Seven months had passed since Naruko was last in Konoha and she had a horrible feeling that she had to go back. Something told her that Hinata needed her. Some voice in the back of her head, that was not her Dad, told her that she needed to get to her blue haired friend. The feeling had been getting worse for the last few days and she decided to talk to Jiraiya.
"Gramps. Can we go back to Konoha?" Jiraiya nodded his head not really paying attention to the girl. He was seated at a table in their hotel room reading over his latest novel.
"Of course kid. We'll be going back in a few months." Naruko shook her head and grit her teeth. That was not good enough.
"No. We need to go now! Hinata needs me. I can feel it." Jiraiya looked at the girl and saw that she was very tense. Something was obviously wrong with her.
"Naruko calm down. Hinata's fine. You're just getting scared for no reason. It's just a feeling. You have no idea that there is anything wrong." Naruko clenched her fists. She was getting mad. He was not listening to her and the feeling was getting worse by the second.
"You don't know what you're talking about. I can feel her. She's sad and scared and alone and she needs me!" Jiraiya almost feel out of his chair. Naruko's demonic chakra flared violently in her silent rage. Her eyes were closed tight as tears began to run down her cheek. She was furious. She needed to be with Hinata now and this man was in her way. She opened her eyes and they were red with slit pupils. Her chakra flared again and a pulse went through her spine. Jiraiya's eyes went wide when he saw the girl grow another tail.
"Naruko! Calm down! We'll go okay. We'll go right now." The man's words got through to the girl and she calmed down. Her eyes went back to normal and she unclenched her hands. She nodded and walked up to her Gramps and hugged him.
-Konoha-
It had taken Naruko and her Gramps two weeks to make it to Konoha and all the red head could do was wish she had been faster. She had gotten to the Hyuga Compound and ran into Hinata's uncle, Hizashi, and he told Naruko what happened. Hinata's mother had passed away three weeks ago. Himeko had given birth over a month ago and her body was weakened from the stress. She became ill and her body could not fight off the sickness. Naruko could not believe that her Aunt Himeko was gone. The fox girl was crying her eyes out and breaking down.
'Kit! Get a hold of yourself! I know you're hurting, but think about Hinata. Her mother died Naruko. If you feel this bad imagine how bad Hinata fells. Her mother dies and she is suddenly all alone in the world. You need to go to her!' The red head nodded as she wiped her tears away and looked up at Hizashi.
"Where's Hinata?" The Hyuga man was impressed with how quickly Naruko seemed to reign in her emotions and focus on her friend.
"She went to Himeko's grave." Naruko did not even say goodbye as she ran out of the compound and into the streets.
-Konoha Cemetery-
Hinata had visited her mother's grave every day since she died. Each day she arrived hoping that the grave would not be there and that it had all been a dream. She missed her mother. The girl was crying silently over her mother's grave as she felt arms wrap around her. She was not surprised. Somehow Hinata knew that she would come when she needed her. Hinata turned in the arms that held her and hugged Naruko tightly. The red head was devastated to see Hinata like this. The blue haired girl did not deserve to be this unhappy. Naruko rubbed her cheek against Hinata's to show her support. The Hyuga girl fought back her sobs so she could speak.
"I miss her." Naruko nodded, unable to find her voice. The two stood there for what felt like hours as they cried in each other's arms. At some point Hinata pulled away a little so she could look at the fox girl. "Naru, I want you to promise me something." Again the red head could only nod. "I know that you have to go at some point. And I know that you can never stay long, but I want you to promise me that you will always come back. I want you to promise me that you will always come home to me." Hinata's tears never stopped flowing and neither did Naruko's.
"I promise Princess. I promise." The two held each other tightly again and stood there till nightfall. Hizashi found the two girls still standing in each other's arms as he arrived at the cemetery. He took them back to the compound.
-Hinata's room-
Hinata woke up in her bed not really sure how she had gotten there. She remembered that Naruko had found her and that the fox girl promised her to always come back, but after that it was a blur. She looked at the red head that was wrapped around her and smiled. Naruko always made her smile. Hinata snuggled closer to the girl as Naruko began to stir. The red head woke up and looked in Hinata's eyes.
"Are you okay Hinata?" The Hyuga girl let out a sigh before she nodded her head. She was okay, not great, but okay. Naruko was here for her and that made everything better. Hinata knew she could make it through this with Naruko there with her.
"I'm getting better." Naruko smiled and kissed Hinata on the cheek.
"Good." The two stayed there for a while before something crept into Hinata's mind.
"How long can you stay?" Naruko hummed and rubbed Hinata's back.
"I already talked to Gramps on the way here. We're staying for the next two months." Hinata smiled. She had her best friend for the next two months and that made things a bit better. The girls got comfortable again and fell asleep in each other's arms.
-Age 7-
Naruko was back in Konoha again. The last time she was in the village was for two months helping Hinata coup with the loss of her mother. It had taken time, but the blue haired girl came to terms with her mother's death. Naruko was already seven when she came back to the village again. The first thing she did was go straight to find Hinata. She found the heir in her room like always and took her hand like so many times before. Hinata laughed as she was pulled through the halls and out into the streets.
"So where are we going?" Hinata knew the way to Ichiraku's almost as well as Naruko did, so she knew that that was not where they were headed.
"Dad told me about a place that my parents used to go on dates. It's a BBQ and it sounded really good when he told me about it." Hinata blushed when she heard the word date. It made her mind go to interesting places. Naruko dragged her friend to a place called Pork Tail BBQ. The two friends walked in and Hinata glanced around. She saw a few people that she knew and stepped closer to Naruko. The red head noticed the action and looked over to one of the booths and saw three kids their age sitting there.
"Do you know those people Hinata?" The Hyuga girl nodded before she answered.
"Each one is the heir to a different clan." Naruko grinned a little.
"So they're like us? We should go talk to them." Before Hinata could answer Naruko took her hand and dragged the girl to the table. There was a chubby boy with spiky brown hair, a pretty blond girl, and a tired looking boy with dark brown hair. Naruko was the first to speak. "Hey, what's up?"
All three sitting at the table turned to look at her. They had no idea who this red haired girl was, but they did recognize the timid girl behind her. The three looked back at each other as if they were silently deciding what to do. The two boys stared at the blond and she let out a sigh.
"We were just about to order lunch. Who are you?" Naruko smiled broadly.
"I'm Naruko Uzumaki, heir to the Uzumaki clan. And this is Hin…" The red head was cut off when the blond raised her hand. She had a small smile on her face.
"We know who Hinata is. How have you been Hinata?" The Hyuga blushed and came slightly farther out from behind Naruko.
"Hello Ino. I've b-been doing w-well t-thank you. Hello S-shikamaru, Choji." The blond smiled while the boys waved.
"Why don't you two join us? We haven't ordered yet." The two friends nodded and got into the booth with Ino. The blond was next to the window with Hinata next to her and Naruko on the end. The skinny boy was across from Hinata and the chubby one was across from Naruko. It did not take long before Naruko had to ask a question that had been bugging her.
"So which one of you is Shikamaru and which one is Choji?" The tired looking one let out a sigh and muttered something that sounded like troublesome.
"I'm Shikamaru and this big guy is Choji." The big guy bowed his head in greeting. Things quieted down as they all looked over the menus. The waitress walked up and asked for their orders. Choji and Naruko both turned to the woman.
"I'll have the all you can eat pork special!" The two were shocked that they had ordered the same thing and it seemed like lightning shot from their eyes at each other in a silent challenge. Shikamaru got a pork sandwich, Ino ordered a garden salad, and Hinata wanted spicy ribs. The blue haired girl's order got everyone staring at her except Naruko, who knew of the girl's tastes. Hinata blushed under the stares.
"W-what? I l-like spicy f-food." The group silently accepted the answer and soon struck up conversation. Naruko and Choji were talking about the different kinds of food they liked, discussing their thoughts on various restaurants, and swapping stories of legendary foods they had eaten. Ino and Hinata had gotten on the topic of beauty products because Ino wanted to know how Hinata kept her hair so nice. Shikamaru was sitting in his seat looking out the window enjoying that no one was talking to him. Their food soon arrived and the conversation slowed in favor of watching Naruko and Choji try to eat each other under the table. It had gotten really intense when they hit their thirty fourth plate and the two passed out with their heads falling into their food. Hinata helped Naruko up while Shikamaru and Ino helped Choji. The two groups parted promising to meet up again sometime soon. Naruko and Choji gurgled in agreement.
-Age 8-
It was Hinata's birthday and she was very excited. It was the first birthday that she got to celebrate with her best friend, Naruko. The red head had arrived that morning and promptly gathered up Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji to take with her to the party. Hinata had grown closer to the three since she started talking to them a year ago. She was quite glad that they could come. Her family was also at the party. Naruko properly greeted Hiashi and her uncle which made the blue haired girl happy. Hinata introduced Naruko to her cousin Neji. He used to be very kind, but he took on a much grimmer outlook on life after the kidnapping attempt on Hinata, somehow he felt responsible. After the introduction Hinata took the fox girl over to a crib and showed her the newest addition to the Hyuga clan. Naruko gushed over how cute little baby Hanabi was. In all her excitement she let her transformation slip. There were quite a few gasps in the room as everyone saw the three tails and fox ears that Naruko was sporting. The red head had no idea what was going on until Hinata pointed towards the tails. Naruko grinned sheepishly as she scratched the back of her head.
"I can explain." Neji walked up to the girl and glared at her.
"You're a half-demon." Naruko could only nod under the glare. "Get out." The red head was stunned for a moment and then she got angry.
"What did you say?" Neji stepped into her personal space in a challenging manner.
"I said get out. Hinata, or any Hyuga for that matter, shouldn't associate with a filthy half-demon." Naruko was ready to punch him when she felt Hinata's hand press against her back. The fox girl calmed instantly. Hizashi walked to his son and put a hand on his shoulder.
"She doesn't have to go anywhere Neji. Your uncle and I already know what she is. So does Hinata. We accepted Naruko for who she is a long time ago. It doesn't matter if she's a half-demon. What matters is that she is Hinata's friend and she looks out for her." Neji was a bit surprised at the news. He never would have thought that his uncle of all people would tolerate, let alone accept, his daughter being friends with a half-demon. He guessed if they could accept it than so could he, but one thing still bothered him.
"If you all knew, why did she hide it?" Naruko was about to speak but Hinata beat her to it.
"That's because you, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji didn't know and she didn't want to lose any of her friends over something as stupid as the nature of her birth." The four children were stunned. It was the first time that they had heard Hinata ever defend someone before and she did not even stutter. Naruko beamed at the girl. She was proud of her friend.
"Yeah. That's it exactly. I'm sorry for not telling you guys. I just didn't want you all to hate me." The three old friends looked at each other and shrugged. Ino walked up to the fox girl first followed by Choji and Shikamaru. The blond wrapped Naruko in a hug.
"No worries. You're still the same guff ball to us." Naruko returned the hug and laughed a bit. She was glad to have such good friends. The party continued with no more really big surprises. They had cake and sang happy birthday while Hinata blew out the candles. She got gifts from all her friends except Naruko, who told her she would get it later. The party went on until the adults announced it was time for bed. Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru left after saying their goodbyes, as did Hizashi and Neji before they headed to the branch member portion of the compound. Hiashi took Hanabi to bed as Naruko and Hinata cleaned up a bit. They gathered up the presents before they left the party room.
-Hinata's Room-
They stacked the gifts in a corner and flopped out onto Hinata's bed. The two lay there for a moment enjoying the quiet. It had been a good day and only one thing was going to make it better. Naruko sat up and pulled a little package out of her pocket and handed it to Hinata. The red head had a smile on her face.
"Happy Birthday Princess." Hinata smiled back at the red head and took the present.
"Thank you Naruko." Hinata leaned in and kissed the fox girl on the cheek. Naruko actually blushed. It was the first time Hinata had ever kissed her on the cheek. The Hyuga girl unwrapped her present and was speechless at the sight. In the box was a beautiful blue crystal attached to a silver necklace with what looked like fangs on either side of it. Naruko reached over and took the necklace out of the box. She got behind her friend and placed the necklace around the Hyuga girl's neck.
"The crystal belonged to my mother. It's an old Uzumaki relic. The fangs are fox teeth that I got from Momma Aika. She said they were Dad's baby teeth. I took them and put them on this pretty necklace that I found in a market one day. I hope you like it." Hinata was crying a little. Naruko had just given her such a sentimental gift. The fox girl had given Hinata one of the only things she had left of her mother. The blue haired girl did not think she deserved it.
"Naruko, are you sure you want to give me this? It belonged to your mother." Naruko smiled before she leaned in and placed a quick peck on Hinata's nose.
"I'm sure Princess. There isn't anyone in the world I would rather have that crystal than you." Hinata cried some more. The words and the gesture that her friend had given her were extraordinarily special. Hinata hugged her friend tightly.
"I love it Naruko. I'll wear it always. Thank you." Naruko held her friend close, glad that she liked her gift. They stayed like that for a while before they started to yawn and decided it was time for bed. They got washed up and changed before they curled up next to each other on Hinata's bed. As they got comfortable Naruko wrapped her tails around Hinata. It had been the best birthday every in Hinata's opinion and soon the two girls were fast asleep.
-Konoha Gate-
The past three days had gone by quickly for the fox girl. She spent most of her time with Hinata like she usually did, but she also got a chance to visit Rika for a bit and hang out with Choji when Hinata had lessons. It had been a fun few days, but it was time to leave again. Naruko sighed and was about to turn to leave when she saw a familiar black haired boy walk across the street. She smiled when she saw her rival. They had fought a few more times since their first encounter and a loose friendship was formed around their desire to outdo each other. When Himeko died Naruko had fought the boy regularly to help work through her sadness. It had helped greatly.
"Hey Sasuke!" The boy stopped and turned to look at where the noise came from. When he saw the red head he just raised his hand in a sign of greeting before he walked away again. Naruko was puzzled by the action. Usually the boy greeted her with a smile and a friendly hello, but this time she had barely been acknowledged. "What's up with him?" Jiraiya turned and saw the boy walking away.
"He is an Uchiha, right?" Naruko nodded and Jiraiya let out a sigh. "Most of the Uchiha were wiped out a few weeks back by Itachi Uchiha. I'm guessing that that is his kid brother Sasuke. The only ones that survived were his mother, a few brats, and a jonin who was out on a mission. He is probably still grieving." Naruko was shocked. She had met Itachi a few times and he always seemed like a nice guy. He even pointed out where she and Sasuke could improve after they fought. It was hard to believe that he could kill almost all of his clan.
"Why didn't he say anything? He was there for me when I needed to vent, so why didn't he say anything?" Jiraiya shrugged.
"We all grieve in different ways kid. Maybe he just needs to sort out what's in his head before he can talk to anybody about it." The fox girl accepted the answer with a nod. She looked at the spot where her rival had just been before she turned and left the village. She hoped that he would be feeling better by the time she came back to the village.
-Age 9-
It was hard to believe that it had already been three years since Naruko had seen her last. It was hard to believe that three years ago she was alive and healthy. It was hard to believe that is still hurt so much to visit Himeko's gave. It was the anniversary of her death and the red head had accompanied Hinata to the grave to clean it and plant some fresh flowers. Hiashi was with them earlier, but Hanabi started to cry so he took her home. The girls did not mind, they enjoyed the quiet, it was almost like they could still feel Himeko with them. Naruko had a small sad smile on her face as she remembered days gone by. She turned to her friend and saw the same smile on the blue haired girl's face.
"Do you remember when we first met? I took you home and met your mom for the first time." Naruko paused for a moment before she put a smile back on her face and continued. "You went inside to get me that map and I followed in after you. I found you standing by a little pond in one of the gardens, just staring up at the moon. Do you remember that?" Hinata nodded and let out a chuckle. She reached over and took Naruko's hand in her own.
"Yes, I remember. I also remember what happened next. You took the map right out of my hands and threw it to the ground as you tackled me into the pond. I was so shocked that I just sat there in the water. Then you started splashing me and laughing. I got caught up in it and started splashing you back. We ended up having a big water fight. We were soaked and Mother never had any idea what happened. We never actually told her." Hinata got a little sad at the end of the tale. The fox girl took notice and squeezed her hand a little. They met eyes and smiled at each other.
"I think we just did." The red head turned to look at the grave and she reached out to put her hand on it. "I'm sorry we never told you Aunt Himeko. I just wanted to do something fun with my new friend before I had to leave." The two girls sat for a while as a gentle breeze blow past them. Hinata felt warmed by the wind and smiled at her friend.
"I think she forgives you." The red head nodded in agreement. They stayed like this a little longer before they decided it was time to head back. They both took a moment to send silent prayers to the Hyuga woman before they linked hands again and left the cemetery.
-Outside a Training Field-
Naruko and Hinata had taken a route that circled around the main part of the village. It was getting late and that meant the main streets would be much more crowded. They did not wish to be around so many people just yet. They had just past the old Uchiha section of the village. The whole place was abandoned after the massacre. No one wanted to live in the homes where innocent people were killed. Naruko got a little sad as she thought of her friend Sasuke. The last time she had seen him he was distant and did not even talk to her. The fox girl quickly came out of her thoughts as a kunai landed in the ground just in front of them. She looked up and a smile spread across her face. Sasuke was standing near the entrance of the Uchiha training ground. He was smirking. Naruko turned towards Hinata with a pleading look in her eyes. The Hyuga girl just shook her head in an amused way.
"Go ahead. I know how much you like to fight your rival." The fox girl beamed at Hinata before she placed a quick peck on her cheek and ran off to fight her rival. Hinata was actually glad that the two were fighting again. It meant that Sasuke was getting better after the loss of his clan. The blue haired girl smiled as she watched the two rivals fight. They were going full force like always. Punches were thrown, kicks were dodged, and a few insults flew through the air. It was no surprise that they attracted some attention.
"Heh, they're not bad." Hinata almost jumped out of her skin. She did not hear anyone approach. She turned and saw a boy about her age with black eyes and red triangles on his face. She could not tell what color his hair was because he had his hood up. Hinata heard a bark and looked down to see a little dog looking up at her while it wagged its tail. She smiled as she bent down to pet the dog. She looked back up at the boy with a bright smile that caused him to blush. He thought she was cute.
"Y-yeah they a-are. They've b-been r-rivals for a f-few years now." The boy got so red anyone who saw him would swear he was about to get a nosebleed. He found her stuttering very adorable.
"That so? Well I'm way stronger than those two. My name's Kiba Inuzuka and I'm going to be Hokage someday!" Kiba was proud of himself. He got his introduction out without any kind of interruption that was until he received a double flying kick to the head. Naruko and Sasuke heard the boy's boast so they decide to test him out. He did not meet their standards. The red head walked over to Hinata who had stood up after Kiba had been kicked.
"You okay Princess?" Naruko was worried that this guy might have said something weird to her friend. Hinata nodded before she looked over at Kiba.
"Is he going to be okay?" Before anyone could reply the dog started to bark at Naruko and Sasuke. Naruko got really mad.
"Who the hell are you calling a dirty fox you mangy mutt?" The dog quieted as it realized it had been understood. It soon started to bark again, but not as load this time. "Yeah I can understand you. You really should be better about not insulting people who are right in front of you." Kiba had gotten up by this point and looked between the dog and the red head.
"You can really understand him, can't you?" Hinata and Sasuke looked at Naruko. They were curious as well. Naruko nodded.
"Yeah I can understand him. It may not look it but I'm half fox demon. I can understand what most canines say." The two boys looked at Naruko with wide eyes. They had never met a half-demon before. Sasuke seemed to recover first.
"You use the transformation technique?" The red head nodded. "Next time we fight drop the technique. Even if the drain on your chakra is small it is still a disadvantage to you. I will not accept winning with a handicap." Naruko locked eyes with the boy and smiled. Leave it to Sasuke to only care how her being a half-demon would affect their fighting.
"You got it." Sasuke smirked. He was looking forward to their next bought. Kiba finally found his voice as he stepped towards the two rivals.
"Why the hell did you two kick me?!" All he got for his courage were two very dangerous looks. Naruko stepped towards the boy and poked him in the chest.
"We were testing you and you failed. If you were really…" Naruko cut off her sentence as she ducked under a right hook that Sasuke threw at her. She dropped to the ground and tried to sweep out the Uchiha's legs, but he jumped backwards. He smirked at Kiba.
"If you were really better than us you would have been able to dodge the kicks." Kiba was stunned silent. The two were very impressive and it made him want to increase his training. Naruko stood up and it seemed something had occurred to her as her eyes widened.
"I nearly forgot. I'm Naruko Uzumaki. The guy back there is Sasuke Uchiha and my lovely friend here is Hinata Hyuga. So what's your name?" Kiba got a little angry. She had heard the part where he said that he was better than them, but she ignored his name. He did not like to be ignored.
"I'm Kiba Inuzuka! And I'm going to be the next Hokage!" There was a bark next to him and he looked at his dog. "And this is Akamaru, my best friend!" He smirked a little thinking that the statement would get the red head to apologize. No way would anyone want to insult the next Hokage. Naruko's respect for the boy grew a bit. It was good to have dreams.
"Guess we're rivals too then, right Sasuke?" The Uchiha nodded as he smiled. Kiba seemed a bit confused.
"Why are we rivals?" Naruko got a little annoyed at how slow the boy was being.
"We're rivals because both Sasuke and I aiming to be Hokage. That and restore our clans." Naruko had never thought about being Hokage before Sasuke brought it up one day. She realized that it would be great to be Hokage. The entire village would be kind of like her family. Even Lord Sarutobi thought that way. Kiba got a grin on his face.
"I guess we are rivals then." The three rivals all had smirks on their faces as the sized each other up. Hinata was watching the whole thing with a small smile on her face. She was glad that they all became friends. The moment was ruined when a loud growl that came from Naruko stomach. Kiba, Hinata, and Sasuke all laughed a little as the fox girl scratched the back of her head.
"Okay, let's all go get some ramen!" Naruko turned and took hold of Hinata's hand as she began to walk towards Ichiraku's. Sasuke was used to the routine by now so he followed close behind. Kiba and Akamaru looked at each other and smiled before they ran after their new friends.
A/N: And that is Chapter 6. I hope you all enjoyed it and that you don't hate me for killing off Himeko. The next chapter should be out in a week or two. Adios.