Summary: A series of violent rapes and murders targeting long, dark haired, young women have caught the attention of the Hokage. Her plan? Use a qualified, long, dark haired kunoichi as bait. The only one that fits the criteria? Hinata. NaruHina.
Warning: Rated M. Contains violence, rape, cursing, sex and murder.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (However I believe I have a claim to the idea I wrote about).
Authors Note
I normally do this at the bottom but this chapter is going to be a little bit different. It continues to follow the story line (though a few years in the future) and has some flashbacks to show brief moments of Naruto and Hinata's life together.
(Also, throughout the story I may have sort of downplayed Naruto's abilities because, come on, he's way too badass and powerful for me to even fathom creating ninja that could rival his strength if Naruto's depicted skills completely paralleled the manga.)
I don't want to spoil the ending but maybe there will be a sequel, a part two, a continuation, etc. etc. Whatever you want to call it. But this depends on the demand and me actually getting to the writing. If I did continue, this chapter would be more of an intermission than an epilogue. If I did there would be a large gap before I did post a sequel or update. I would love to expand on their lives and give a sort of backstory of what happened during those five years but…
UPDATE: I have come to the conclusion that I WILL be continuing this story but as of now, I am on hiatus. So this is no longer the epilogue: it has been changed to the Intermission. (Also, when I do continue the story it may be focused more on Naruto and Hinata's life rather than the action that ensued in the first half. I don't know one hundred percent, but that may be the most likely path I will be heading down. But do not fret, because there is sure to be some drama!)
I hope you enjoy the rest of this story. This chapter is longer than many of the others, I think. If you want to see more in the future send me a review! Thanks for all the support!
It's been fun.
White Kunai
Intermission
Five Years Later
The woman walked through the doors and headed to the desk where a young man sat, flipping through sheets of paper.
"Yes?" he said, without looking up.
"I'm here to see the Hokage," the woman said.
"Do you have an appointment?" he asked dully, scribbling something down. "It's quite late."
"I didn't realize I needed one," she said with a small laugh. "He asked for me personally."
The brown haired man sighed and looked up, adjusting his glasses. His eyes met the woman's eyes, whose corners were crinkled up in a smile. He froze and his mouth fell open.
"My-my apologies!" he exclaimed, standing up and waved his hands. "Head right in. I'm sorry-"
"Don't be," she said sweetly. "It's understandable. You're doing a good job," she said as she continued in the direction of the Hokage's office.
She stopped in front of the door and knocked a few times. She was sure he knew who it was. She wasn't exactly hiding her chakra.
"Come in," a voice said from inside.
She slowly turned the knob and entered the darkening room, shutting the door behind her.
"Hinata," Naruto said, pushing away from his desk and drawing the blinds closed, hiding the soft, wintery scene outside.
"I brought dinner, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, placing a small basket on his desk.
"Ah, great," he said, turning around and facing her, his Hokage robes, whipping around him. "I was getting hungry," he said, a glint in his eyes.
Hinata blushed.
Naruto grinned and approached her, snaking his arms around her waist. "I missed you," he said softly, kissing her on the lips.
Hinata laughed, her fingers against his chest. "You saw me when you left this morning. It's only been a few hours."
"A few hours too long," he said, picking her up easily and seating her gently on his desk. He kissed her again, softly and sensuously. Hinata let out a pleased purr as he trailed his kisses down her throat.
"Naruto-kun…not in the office!" she said with a small giggle as he unzipped her coat.
He pulled away and looked at her with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. To think at one point this women before him used to blush and faint at the mere sight of him. Gone were the days when he hardly knew she existed or she stuttered each time they spoke. Now they knew each other better than themselves. "You act like we haven't done this before."
She pouted but his grin was infectious…and seductive. "Keep this up and we might end up having twins," she said jokingly.
His smile widened and he bent down, his hand lying gently on her still flat stomach. "Even I know that's not how it works, Hinata," he said. "Or we'd be having…like…triplets or quintuplets or-"
Hinata turned red and slapped her hands over his mouth as they came face to face again. "Naruto-kun!" she said, sounding flustered.
He gently removed her hands, laughing. "Over five years and you still get shy."
She gave him a slanted smile. "Well…I wasn't the one all worried if…if sleeping together would hurt the baby after we found out."
This time it was Naruto's turn to blush. "Hey, that was the first time I was in that situation."
Hinata laughed. "First for me too, Naruto-kun."
Naruto pouted and pressed himself against her. "Mm, forget all that now," he mumbled, his mouth against hers. He bit her bottom lip lightly as he pulled his head back. His eyes were already glazed over in yearning. "I love you."
Hinata gave him an unintended sultry smile with her eyes half lidded. "I love you too."
His lips were on hers again as he quickly shed his Hokage cloak. Papers fluttered off his workspace as more clothing littered the ground. This wasn't like their first time together, slow and sensual. This was a desperate seek of release. Animalistic instinct. Her naked back was pressed against the wooden desk and she was careful not to scratch him with the ring around her finger as she clung to his back.
He trailed his kisses down her throat and stopped at her pulse point, earning a satisfying whimper from the woman beneath him. Various marks and bites were peppered across her smooth, pale, skin: marks of his love from their previous encounters. His hands where on her breasts and on the curve of her back and entwined in her hair and running down the length of her legs and she was in bliss. He muffled her high-pitched moan by giving her a passionate kiss as he entered her, his groan silenced by her lips.
She buried her head at the crook of his neck, small droplets of sweat slipping down her skin. She felt his touches everywhere but near her stomach, and couldn't help but let out a small laugh amongst her sighs of pleasure.
Naruto sunk his teeth into the side of her neck, earning a squeak of pleasure. He rhythmically pumped faster, holding on tightly to her hips. He heard her giggle and couldn't help but break his pace. His breathing was ragged but he stared at her incredulously, his cheeks red.
After years together she noticed something was off and her eyes fluttered open. She was breathing hard but being with him like this felt so natural now.
"What?" he said, stilling. He was trembling, as was she, but he was confused.
"Naruto-kun, you don't have to be…so gentle," she said, now her face was red.
Naruto looked surprised and he let out a shaky laugh. "Hinata, are you feeling kink-"
"Naruto-kun!" she said, looking embarrassed. "N-no. I think you're worried about hurting the baby."
"I am."
She smiled. "Sakura-chan said there's nothing to worry about."
Naruto grinned and kissed Hinata gently, his hands gently caressing her stomach. "Ah, well, she would know, ey? She's getting huge!"
"Naru-" Naruto cut off her shock with a firm kiss, hooking his hands underneath her and lifting her off the desk. He didn't want to hear any more talk of this. Right now he wanted to prove his love to the wife of the Orange Hokage.
"Not so gently, huh?" Naruto asked, his eyes glazed over. Hinata blushed as he pushed her against the wall and pressed his hips against hers, only to be pull away and thrust forwards again. Her response changed to a long, drawn out moan.
She hooked her legs around him and clung to his back as he gripped her bottom, trying to push them to the point of no return. She felt the muscles of his back tense and flex as he gripped her body. Their rapid breathing mingled with one another as they shared a desperate kiss, their bodies melding as one. Their muffled moans got louder as they whispered each other's names. Normally he would take his time to pleasure his lover, as would she, but this was carnal, erotic, and trying-not-to-get-caught sex.
Naruto felt Hinata clench around him tightly, as she arched herself against him, her mouth open in a silent cry, and felt himself release soon after. Trembling, he placed her back on the desk, dropping himself beside her, stray papers he was working on sticking to their sweaty backs.
"I love this room," he said with a satisfied sigh.
Hinata giggled. "The food-"
"Can wait," he said, giving her a brief kiss on the bridge of her nose. "I want to spend more time with my wife."
"We do spend time together," she said, trailing a finger down his bare chest.
"Well, right now, I want to spend it naked."
He grinned at her expression and attacked her with frantic kisses. She dissolved into laughter and eventually they lay in each other's arms, breathing heavily.
Then Naruto's stomach growled.
"Still hungry?" Hinata asked with a small laugh.
Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Oh yea," he said, before kissing her again.
About Three Months Later
"As your advisor, I insist you-"
"I'm going, Shikamaru," Naruto said, closing the books on his desk.
"You can send any other ninja," Shikamaru said, his hands tucked in his pocket.
"This is…personal," Naruto said, making his way towards the door.
Shikamaru followed him with a sigh. "The Anbu will follow you."
"Tell them not to."
Shikamaru rolled their eyes. "It's part of their job, Naruto. Protecting the Hokage."
"Fine, but I only want one."
Shikamaru nodded. He immediately knew which Anbu the Orange Hokage had in mind. "Sakura won't like you taking him away from the village…especially in her condition."
Naruto hesitated. He wouldn't…didn't- want to leave Hinata either. "No Anbu then," Naruto stopped, his hand on the door handle and continued speaking before Shikamaru could object again. "Sora asked for us in particular. I…I feel as though I owe him."
"It's not your fault his kids turned out the way they did."
Naruto clenched his teeth, memories he wanted to forget, flooding in. "How long ago was this message sent?"
"Not that long," Shikamaru said. "It sounded important, he sent his fastest messenger. Some guy dressed in black."
"Something's wrong."
Shikamaru nodded briefly. "I still don't think you should go personally. Send a few ninja to settle whatever the matter is in the Village of Ash."
Naruto turned and faced the black haired ninja with a frown. "Shika-" Suddenly the door flew open and both Naruto and Shikamaru turned, alert. Both had sensed the chakra coming. "Hinata?" Naruto asked, exasperated. He has a vague idea as to why she was here and his body tensed as he turned to face his panting wife. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard the news," she said, her arms wrapped loosely around the slight bump that was now her stomach. "Something happened in the Village of Ash?"
Naruto furrowed his brows and Shikamaru retreated to the back of the room, giving them some privacy. Naruto thought that's why she came. He sighed. "How-?"
Hinata smiled. "You're not the only one with friends in high places," she said.
Naruto chuckled. "Hinata, I am the 'high place.'"
"Well, I met Ino before coming here and she said she wanted to come with me if she wasn't so busy at the hospital," Hinata continued. "So what-"
"Woah, woah, Hinata. Wait," Naruto said, gripping her shoulders. "What do you mean go with you? Where are you planning on going?"
Hinata straightened her back and looked her husband straight in the eye. "To the Village of Ash, of course."
Naruto frowned. "Oh no, you aren't."
"I am."
Naruto let out a frustrated breath. Not a hint of a stutter or the slightest pink on her cheeks. She was determined. "Hinata, you are a ninja but you've been temporarily relieved of your duty because of your condition," he said, gesturing towards her baby bump not very visible because of the green vest she adorned.
"Naruto-kun, I'm pregnant, not impaired," she said with a laugh.
"You might get hurt."
"I won't."
"You can't promise me that."
"You're going to the Village too I assume?"
"Yes."
"Then I can promise that I'll be safe."
Naruto gave her a wary smile. He sighed. "Mistakes can happen."
"I know," she said, poking her fingers together. "But…but I feel responsible for some of the things that happened to Sora's family."
Naruto faltered and swallowed slowly. "I'm going to regret this," he said, rubbing his temple. "Fine, you can come."Hinata brightened. She wasn't looking for permission from her husband, but she did need to follow her Hokage's instructions. "But you have to be very, very, careful, okay?" Naruto chastised.
"I'm sorry you two, but I have to interrupt," Shikamaru drawled. "I really have to advise that it's not wise to send the Hokage's pregnant wife to a…rowdy village like the Village of Ash. It's just not safe."
"I don't like it either, Shikamaru," Naruto said with a chuckle. "But I'm sure you know how hard it is to win an argument with your wife."
Shikamaru gave a grim smile. They were not going to convince the Hyuga to change her mind, even he could tell from the look in her pale eyes. "Well then, try not to stay longer than you have to," he said, shifting the conversation back to serious once more.
"Shika-"
"If not for yourself, for Hinata," Shikamaru said convincingly.
Naruto looked at his wife, his eyes doing a quick once over, lingering on her stomach.
"Definitely," he said, slipping his hand into hers. "We should head out soon. That messenger really wanted us to get going."
"I'm ready," Hinata said. She was already dressed in an outfit similar to the one she wore in the war several years back.
Naruto quickly removed his Hokage cloak, hanging it up on a hook on the wall and pulled something out of a closet, quickly putting it on. "There. Now we're matching," Naruto said, indicating to his dark green vest. Hinata just smiled. "Well, let's head out. Think you can keep up?"
"Pregnant, Naruto-kun. Not-"
Naruto laughed. "I know, I know."
"Be careful," Shikamaru said. "Especially you, Hinata. Your chakra will be more concentrated down below to protect the child. I wouldn't advise using moves that require a lot of chakra. I wouldn't advise you getting in any sort of fight, actually."
"Thanks, Shikamaru!" Naruto said as they turned to leave.
"Say hi to you wife for me!" Hinata said with a giggle as the recently married ninja blushed.
"Yea, yea," Shikamaru said, stuffing his hands in his pocket. "Stay safe," he muttered, as the door slammed shut.
The couple jumped from tree to tree, following the same path they did five years ago on their way to the Village of Ash. They were moving quickly and Naruto was conflicted. It seemed as though Sora really wanted them to get to the village as fast as they could but Naruto was also worried about Hinata. He knew he didn't really have much to worry about but he's always had a sort of protective instinct when it came to Hinata even before they were a couple. And now she was carrying his child and that instinct grew stronger than ever.
He glanced at her again and this time Hinata let out a small laugh.
"Naruto-kun, that's about the millionth time you looked at me," she said.
"Do you need us to slow down?"
She smiled at his concern. "I'm fine."
"I mean, it's okay if we don't get there that quick-"
"Naruto-kun, I'm hardly pregnant yet," she said with a tinkling laugh.
Naruto gave her a small smile; making sure branches were out of her way as they continued towards the village. "Well, your chakra's still concentrated on the baby," he said. "I don't want you to overexert yourself."
"It's okay, I have you."
He grinned.
Suddenly they both stiffened, but continued as though nothing was bothering them. They shot quick glances at one another and understood perfectly. Both felt a stranger's chakra. It was fleeting, as though the person accidently got too close or made a mistake while trying to hide but quickly tried to go on undetected.
Naruto grimaced as he saw his wife activate her Byakugan. She was warned to try not to expend too much of her chakra and he hoped the Byakugan wouldn't drain her too much. The veins around her eyes bulged as her eyes darted back and forth.
"So, Hinata," Naruto said, acting casual. "I'll buy you cinnamon rolls when we get back. How many do you want?"
After spending so many years together, they'd learned to communicate and understand each other, vague as it could be. Hinata understood. "Not sure, Naruto-kun. Perhaps, ten?"
Naruto raised his eyebrows and let out a forced chuckle. "Ten? That could be a lot of cinnamon buns, Hinata. Well, when we get them, I'm going to eat most of them." He didn't want her fighting, not if he could help it. If they, whoever they was, left them alone, he'd be glad.
Hinata looked in his direction and gave him a faltering smile. "Well, okay, but only if you give me a hug," she said.
"Sure, anytime, Hinata-chan ," he said, grinning at the faint pink gracing her cheeks. Things were serious at the moment but he'd take every opportunity he had to make her blush.
"Pull me into a hug," she said, her smile vanishing. "Now."
Naruto didn't question it. He took hold of her right arm and pulled her to his chest. Hinata used the force of the pull to throw a kunai with the flick of her wrist somewhere behind Naruto as he gathered her in his arms and came to a halt on the forest floor.
The couple heard someone curse, the voice unfamiliar to them. A woman stumbled out of the trees with a deep scratch at the side of her left arm. She had dark red hair, matching the blood running through her fingers as she gripped her wound. She was wearing all black suffice the crescent moon shaped insignia on her chest. She froze at the sight of them as Naruto quickly whipped around and shielded Hinata from view.
"The others are revealing themselves," Hinata whispered, pressing her back against his and lifting her hands in a defensive stance.
Several masked men surrounded them, donning similar outfits to the woman.
"We don't want any trouble," Naruto said, his voice steady. "If you're bandits-"
"You guys," she interrupted, completely ignoring the Hokage and indicating to more than half of her partners. "Keep him occupied," the woman barked, her almost black eyes watching her targets sharply. "The rest, help me get close enough to examine the girl."
"Like hell you will," Naruto snarled, summoning a dozen shadow clones.
The woman smirked as everyone jumped into action. She was quick, she weaved around the shadow clones easily, not attacking nor defending, just dodging, jumping, and making her way closer and closer to Hinata.
Most of Naruto's clones lingered near Hinata but the redhead weaved her way through. It seemed as though she could just sense where they were going to attack from and she easily moved out of the way.
Hinata saw her approach and narrowed her eyes, her Byakugan activated. Naruto was busy fighting the other men with the help of his clones and tried to force his way through in a failed attempt to intercept the quick woman.
The fiery haired woman landed in front of Hinata, far too close for comfort, and Hinata was forced to send a few chakra filled jabs in her direction. Unfortunately, the woman dodged those as well.
"I don't want to attack you," the woman said, blocking with her arms. She quickly realized that would not work well in a fight against the Hyuga as she noticed her chakra stopped flowing properly at the points where she was hit.
"That's not what it looks like," Hinata said, still trying to attack her. She wouldn't take any chances. Her life wasn't the only one she was trying to protect anymore. But she could feel her chakra draining much faster than was normal. Her increased adrenaline made her body rightfully think she was in trouble and, in turn, her growing child was in danger, and so the majority of her chakra shifted to surround her baby.
Hinata was beginning to tire and the woman noticed. She sensed the clones around her vanishing in poofs of smoke as her men took some of them out. Other clones tried to throw punches at her but the redhead realized they were holding back so not to accidently hurt Hinata. She took the opportunity and attempted to grab hold of the black haired woman, but seeing this, Hinata, in a panic, quickly did her protection jutsu.
The chakra Hinata was able to access was quickly drained and she felt her Byakugan deactivate. She heard Naruto grunt in pain somewhere as if he were punched. "Naruto-kun-" she uttered, quickly glancing around in search of him. But then someone with sharp nails grabbed hold of her face and forced her to look in that direction. She was practically nose-to-nose with the red haired woman. Hinata was breathing heavily and stiffened, her arms instinctively lifting up towards her stomach. The woman's eyes trailed down Hinata's body, stopping near her lower abdomen.
Then the woman pushed back and jumped back towards the trees. "Alright, that's enough! There's nothing more to do here, let's go!" she shouted to her men. They immediately turned and followed, disappearing into the trees.
Hinata felt her knees buckled but Naruto made his way towards her, completely fine with the enemies' retreat, and quickly grabbed hold of her before she hit the ground. "Hinata-"
"The ninjas-" Hinata started.
"I sent some clones after them but I don't really care if we catch them or not," he said hastily, doing a quick once over of his wife. "Are you hurt?"
Hinata shook her head. "She didn't even try to attack me. This is just chakra exhaustion." Hinata looked at his worried face and cupped her hand around his face gently, answering his unasked question. "The baby's fine, Naruto-kun."
He smiled warily. "And you?"
She laughed weakly. "It takes more than this to take me down."
He grinned, lifting her up, one arm hooked under the back of her knees and the other secured around her upper half. Naruto stared off into the distance, not really seeing, as memories flooded into him. "Most of the clones dispersed," he informed her. "I don't know what this was about, but frankly I don't care. I'll carry you to the village-"
"You don't have to-"
"Oh please, I'd love to have any excuse to hold on to you," he said, as another blush covered her face. He took towards the trees and glanced down at her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling into his chest. "Well, we have some time to kill," he said.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Hm…" he said, his face scrunching up cutely in confusion. Hinata giggled. She loved when he did that. "How about you retell some fun or interesting things that happened between us these past few years."
Hinata thought back. "Our wedding?"
He looked down at her, with a large grin on his face. "Our wedding was fantastic but I think our wedding night was even better."
"Naruto-kun!" she said, hiding her face in his jacket.
He laughed and she could feel the rumble with the contact she had with his chest. "Talk about anything!" he said. "It'll help pass the time."
"How about when Sai found out we were together?" Hinata finally said when she revealed her face again.
Naruto pouted. "Sai can be mean," he said.
Hinata laughed. "He's just very…"
"Blunt."
"Truthful."
"You always see the best in people, huh?" Naruto said. "Well, you saw the best in me before anyone else did."
Hinata smiled and looked up at her husband as she recalled that day.
About Five Years Ago
They were at an isolated training ground for a while now for a quick spar. Soon they were practicing hand-to-hand combat and Naruto was smiling widely while Hinata's face was unreadable. He didn't want to undermine Hinata's fighting ability by holding back but he also didn't want to hurt her. He could tell she was doing the same, simply by the fact that he still had feeling in his arms.
Her hair whipped around her as she moved quickly and fluidly. The setting sun shone down on their backs and they were both breathing heavily. As he weaved around her attacks, his eye followed a drop of sweat that ran from her forehead to her nose and finally to her lips. He grinned mischievously and this time went on the offensive, a goal in mind.
He pulled out a kunai and Hinata's eyes sharpened as she glanced at it warily. He smirked and threw a few of them, not really trying to hit her, but she moved out of the way. Perfect, he thought. He continued to push her back and before long Hinata's back hit something hard.
She gasped as she saw him tightly grip the kunai and swing it down towards her. With a thump he stuck it firmly into the wooden post, with the palms of his hand near her head. She glanced up at his smiling face and relaxed her shoulders.
"I win," he said. "You're trapped." She laughed. She wasn't really trapped but she said nothing. He moved his hands down to her waist and stared at her lips. She smiled and let herself wrap her arms around him as he pressed himself against her. Soon his lips were on hers and she deactivated her Byakugan as she allowed herself to melt into him.
She felt Naruto unwind as he tilted his face for better access.
Then he felt something sharp against his back.
He froze and slowly pulled away from his girlfriend and looked at her, his mouth still slightly open, but a small frown on his face.
"Hinata?" he asked, confused as he realized she had a weapon poised near the small of his back.
She smiled, eyes closed. "I win," she said happily.
"That's cheating!" Naruto sputtered.
She laughed. "It's not. Kunoichi do it all the time."
Naruto pouted. "They seduce their enemies?"
"I didn't try and seduce you-"
"You didn't have to," Naruto said slyly.
She smiled. "I still win, Naruto-kun," she said, kissing him on the nose.
He seemed to be thinking hard about something. "I didn't know you did this on missions."
"I mean, some kunoichi do it much more than others," Hinata said gently. "It depends on their style. Ino-san does it occasionally…Anko does it a lot…"
"And you?" Naruto said, not liking where this conversation was going.
She laughed and then froze. "Naruto-kun, I think we have an audience."
Naruto had previously been just concentrating on Hinata, but allowed his senses to widen. He groaned and turned around, looking towards the edge of the forest with playful but narrowed eyes. "What the hell are you doing, Sai?" Naruto bellowed.
A pale figure slinked out of the forest and walked towards the couple slowly, a strange smile on his face and a sketchbook in his hand. "Hello."
Hinata waved politely before she straightened her wrinkled clothes. Naruto stared at his teammate with a frown on his face. He had his arms crossed and was impatiently tapping one foot against the ground. "Sai, were you spying on us?"
"Oh no, I was observing," the man replied. "I had no idea you were in a relationship, Naruto."
Naruto uncrossed his arms and stared at his friend warily. "You mean you didn't hear my…declaration a few weeks back?"
"I was most likely out on a mission," he said. "Well, I don't think we've associated much, Hinata." Naruto was getting fidgety. "It would be nice to change that," he continued. "Would you mind if I gave you a nickname?" Naruto froze, his eyes wide.
"A nickname?" Hinata asked innocently.
"Oh no," Naruto mumbled.
"Of course!" Hinata said.
"No!" Naruto exclaimed.
Sai seemed to be thinking hard.
"Naruto-kun, what's the matter?" Hinata asked, confused.
Naruto didn't say anything to her but glared at Sai. "Don't you dare-"
"Lifeless Eyes," Sai said with a smile.
Hinata's face fell. "Oh. Oh, um. Th-thank you?"
"SAI, YOU ASSHOLE," Naruto yelled, slamming his fist into the other mans stomach, sending him flying onto his back.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, grabbing hold of his arm. Naruto wanted to pull away but her expression was firm. He stuttered more insults towards Sai but didn't make any more attempts to attack him with a frustrated sigh.
The artist got back up to his feet; wiping dirt off his clothes and looked at the couple with a straight face. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Did you say something wrong?" Naruto took a threatening step towards his friend before Hinata tugged him back.
"Nicknames don't seem to work very well for me," Sai said. "I told the truth with Sakura and I got beat. I lied when I gave Ino a nickname and Sakura beat me up then too. But Ino didn't…so I thought by lying, I wouldn't get hurt again," Sai explained with a straight face.
"Oh, you were lying?" Hinata asked slowly. She had a small smile on her face and she was pressing her fingers together.
Sai nodded. "I apologize if I hurt your feelings. It comes as a pleasant surprise that your eyes can portray so much emotion through the almost pure white color. In truth, I believe your eyes are beautiful."
Hinata blushed and thanked him as Naruto watched the two with narrowed eyes. He didn't know whether he hated the fact that Sai, at first, insulted his girlfriend and made her sad, or the fact that he was now making her blush and laugh.
"Okay, I think we're going to go," Naruto stated, taking Hinata's hand in his.
"W-wait," Hinata said. "What's Sai's nickname for you, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked curiously.
Naruto lit up red. "Doesn't matter!" he exclaimed, now walking faster as he pulled Hinata along. Sai followed close behind.
"Oh that's easy," Sai said.
"Shut up, Sai! Don't you dare-"
"Dick-less."
Naruto froze and Hinata stared at the pale man with her mouth slightly open and her cheeks pink. "D-D-di-"
Sai nodded, smiling.
"We are leaving!" Naruto said, his face red. This time he made his way behind Hinata and pushed her in front of him. "Now!"
Sai watched them go as he looked at his sketchpad. It showed a smiling Naruto and Hinata in a graceful fight and for some reason he thought he had captured love in this somewhat violent scene. He would have to consult his books later. Right as they disappeared from earshot he heard Hinata say while laughing, "When he first said that to you…did he mean it as a lie…? Or…?"
"Hinata!"
Present Time
"Hinata!" Naruto said, blushing as he hopped from branch to branch. "Let's not go over that story, okay?"
Hinata giggled. "He gave us that drawing as a wedding gift," she recalled.
Naruto mumbled something she couldn't quite catch. After some time of travel Naruto urged Hinata to recall a different story.
Hinata thought for a short time before saying, "How about the time Kiba-kun-"
"No!" Naruto exclaimed. "Nothing with Kiba."
Hinata laughed. "Why?"
"Because the story will end pretty much the same way each time," Naruto said with a chuckle. "We get some random fight, I get jealous or something, we end up competing about something, I accidently ignore Shino, etcetera, etcetera."
"Fair enough," Hinata said with a smile. "Um, well, what about the time I went to see the Kazekage."
Naruto ducked his head to avoid some leaves before looking at the woman in his arms with confusion. "Gaara? When was this?"
"This is going to be a short story," Hinata continued. "This was sometime after you proposed," she said with a slight blush.
"Yea?"
Hinata nodded. "I think I went for some official Hyuga work," she said. "But after we got through the main problems during the meeting and such, the Kazekage-"
"Gaara," Naruto interceded.
"G-Gaara," Hinata said with a small smile. "He asked me about you."
"What did he ask?"
"Simple things," she said vaguely. "He really considers you one of his close friends. It's sweet." Naruto grinned. "Well then he asked me if you accomplished your dream."
Naruto looked surprised and there was a slight tinge of red on his face. "Yeah?" he said warily. "And what did you say?"
"I said yes, of course," Hinata said. "You were Hokage by that time."
Naruto looked less flustered. "I was."
"But then…Gaara said that's not what he meant. That's not the dream he was asking about."
Naruto's blush returned. "Oh?"
"Yea," Hinata said, watching his face carefully. "I noticed him glancing at the ring on my finger when he said you were working towards a different dream as well." Naruto was silent. "Naruto-kun!" she said, giving him a gentle nudge.
Naruto was looking away, a pout present on his face and a blush evident on his cheeks. "Fine, fine. We had some guys night out one time when Gaara was in town and I guess I said too much."
"What's this dream he was talking about?"
Naruto sighed and dropped down to the forest floor, slowing down to a steady walk. He gazed down at his wife with a smile. "To have my own family."
This time it was Hinata's turn to blush. "And how is that coming so far."
Naruto's eyes lingered on Hinata's before moving down to her stomach. "Very well, I think." He gave her a kiss before heading off into the trees once again. "How about another story?"
Hinata tried thinking of another one as her hair fluttered in the wind. "There are so many little things that happened that I can't even choose," she said. "What about when you became Hokage?"
Naruto seemed to contemplate that. "Tempting, but I want to hear something that involves you too," he said.
"You mentioned me in your speech, along with a lot of our other friends," she said.
"True, but got anything else?"
"Hm…"
"How about the time Sakura-chan angrily burst into my apartment and we-"
"N-no!" Hinata stuttered, a blush forming on her face.
Naruto laughed loudly. "I thought so, but I wanted a laugh."
Hinata pouted as Naruto continued to chortle. "What about when my father gave you that long lecture-"
"Oh, no, no, no." Naruto said, suppressing a shudder. "You're father can be an intimidating man."
"I remember the time you tried to make me breakfast but some hot oil splashed on your chest," Hinata said with a smile.
"Oh man, I remember that," he said. "I was trying to impress you with my well toned physique and cooking skills," he said jokingly, winking.
Hinata laughed. "Oh yes, the eggs were only a little bit burnt."
Naruto gave her a sly smile. "Well, if I remember correctly, we went straight to the bedroom after the little incident.
"To let me put some cream on your small burn," Hinata laughed.
Naruto grinned. "Okay, you win."
Hinata smiled. "How about that time we were on a mission and you ate berries that made you sick?"
Naruto grimaced. "You rubbed my back while I was vomiting out the food I ate."
Hinata giggled. "I tried to warn you." Unexpectedly, Naruto's face darkened. "What's wrong?" Hinata asked.
"This talk about missions gone wrong made me think of some horrible moments we went through."
"Oh?"
"Like the time that mine collapsed while you were still inside…" Naruto said. "Or that time you and your team got ambushed or when you were ready to sacrifice yourself for me again. Or when you didn't return from a mission the day you were supposed to. Or the day after. Or after."
"Naruto-kun…" she said his name softly, running her fingers gently against his whisker marked cheeks. "We shouldn't think of those days."
"Yea…" he agreed. "It just goes to show that not everything is perfect."
"It's good enough," Hinata said.
"Definitely good enough," Naruto said, looking down at her with a loving expression.
They continued to pass some time as they listed off short moments of things that happened in their life together thus far as the got closer and closer to the Village of Ash.
The sky had darkened by the time the gates of the village came into view. Both Naruto and Hinata fell silent as they approached the entrance. There was no security to stop them and Naruto ran past the crumbling wall, towards the main building where Sora lived. At Hinata's insistence, Naruto placed her upright, gently onto her feet. They walked up to the large doors, only a few years old now, considering a certain ninja had demolished the old entrance about five years back.
Naruto brought his closed fist to the wooden doors and knocked loudly. Almost immediately the doors were pulled open by two guardsmen who ushered them inside. The ninja pair entered warily, flashbacks of the last time they were here running through their minds, but they were immediately greeted by Sora, who lead them through the winding halls.
"What's with the urgency?" Naruto asked, getting straight to the point.
Hinata noticed the man had a sad look on his face as the three walked together.
"There is something you have to see," he said vaguely, giving Hinata a respectful nod. "As I'm sure you know, Mizuki was released from…prison a few days back."
"Any reason to that?" Naruto asked, trying to remain respectful and dignified. He was now the Hokage and though he would have his silly moments, in this place and situation, he would act like the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf and not as a friend of the leader of the Village of Ash.
"Well, for the past five years Yoru has been insisting that Mizuki had nothing to do with anything that happened. And fortunately…or unfortunately… she has behaved herself and so they let her out," Sora cleared her throat. "She's not a threat to anyone."
Hinata was silent. A strange feeling hung in the air. It was dark and foreboding and as they began to climb a set of stairs she started to feel nervous. She wrapped her arms around herself, suppressing a shiver as they walked down another hallway. She was not looking forward to seeing whatever Sora wanted to show them. Naruto glanced at her with a questioning look but she just gave him a wary smile.
They were once again heading down a decorated hallway, their footsteps muffled by the thick, carpeted floor.
"Mizuki's room is just down the hall, the third door to the left," Sora said, gesturing with his arms. He had stopped walking.
"You're not coming with us?" Naruto asked, slightly suspicious.
The muscles around Sora's jaw seemed to tense a fraction. "I would like to talk to you…Hokage-sama," he said, looking at Naruto in the eyes.
Naruto crossed his arms, leaning more on one leg than the other. "Okay, go ahead."
"Alone," Sora finished, glancing apologetically at Hinata.
"Anything you want to say to me, you can say to my wife," Naruto said, a frown evident on his face.
"I-"
"No, it's fine," Hinata said, gently laying her hand on Naruto's shoulder.
Sora gave her a small smile. "Thank you."
Hinata nodded and indicated towards the direction they were previously heading. "Is Mizuki in the room?"
Sora opened his mouth and closed it again. He cleared his throat. "Yes. Yes she is."
"Perhaps it would be okay if I go on ahead while you speak with the Hokage?" she asked politely, her Hyuga manners coming into play.
Sora seemed a bit hesitant before he replied. "That would be fine, I…Yes."
Hinata forced herself to maintain her calm composure. Obviously something was off with the man. He still had this aura of sadness around him and she couldn't tell if it was because of the events that occurred five years prior.
"Hinata, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you going on your own," Naruto said, his arms now uncrossed as he stared down at his wife.
Hinata gave him a gentle smile. "I'll only be like ten steps away," she said with a light laugh.
"No harm will come to her," Sora reassured the couple. "You can go ahead and just let yourself in."
Naruto didn't seem completely convinced but it wasn't up to him to dictate what Hinata wanted to do. He just gave her a short nod as she faced away from the two men and went on her way down the hallway.
Naruto faced the man but made sure he still had a clear view of Hinata. "What did you want to say?"
Sora was watching Hinata walk down the hall as well. "Your wife…" he started. "I didn't want to ask in front of her, in case what I ask sounds offensive…" he trailed off. Naruto scrunched his eyebrows together, not sure where this was going. He cleared his throat in a polite attempt to get Sora to continue. Sora tore his gaze away from Hinata as she knocked on Mizuki's door. He looked up at the Hokage. "Actually maybe she shouldn't go on her own," he said vaguely.
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Naruto asked, not caring that he was being rude at the moment. Now he suddenly felt as though he was not here as the Hokage or a representative of the Leaf. He was here because Sora asked him to come and his protective instinct over Hinata was stronger than ever.
"Oh, she won't get hurt or anything," Sora said.
"That doesn't comfort me," Naruto stated.
"I just don't her to be too shocked," Sora said. "Your wife, is she pregnant?"
Naruto stiffened. "I don't see the relevance of that question," Naruto said, watching as Hinata gently pushed open the door some distance away.
"Well, you see-" Sora began before Hinata's gasp cut him short.
"Oh no!" Hinata exclaimed.
Naruto immediately assumed something was wrong. "Hinata?" He took a step towards her, expecting her to run in the opposite direction of what upset her, but was surprised to see Hinata run into the room, her form vanishing from his field of vision. He did not like that at all but he closed the distance between where he was with Sora prior, to the entrance of Mizuki's room in a blink of an eye.
He ran inside the room, already armed with a weapon, fearing the worst, but saw Hinata standing, unharmed, at the side of a lushly decorated bed. The Orange Hokage immediately took in his surroundings. The walls were painted a deep red, different dark wooden furniture were scattered around the room with royal purple sheets and cushions. The lone window on the opposite side of the bed that they stood on was open, the wind gently billowing the curtain, creating ominous shadows all across the room.
Then his eyes fell on what Hinata was staring at, with her hands covering her mouth in shock.
"How long?" Hinata asked, knowing Sora had entered the room.
"Most likely a few hours before your village received my message," the leader responded, his voice cracking slightly before he regained his almost detached composure. "I sent a message out immediately…I wasn't thinking. My emotions overcame me and…" he cleared his throat again. "I understand if you would like to have nothing to do with the…problems of this village."
"What happened?" Hinata asked, allowing her arms to drop to her sides. She couldn't bring herself to tear her gaze from the bed.
"We found her like this," he said briefly.
Naruto sheathed his weapon and went to stand beside his wife as he gazed down at the bed. "Who did it?" Naruto asked.
"We don't know," Sora said. "But there was no sign of a struggle…she…she was always…her emotions always fluxed constantly. Sometimes she was really happy and eager to do everything and other times it would be as though she were absorbed in her own head. She wouldn't talk to anyone or eat anything. She'd just…I don't know. But when she came back from prison this didn't change. Things got worse," he continued, his voice wavering. "I've come to believe that she allowed whoever did this to her… willingly…without a fight.
"Why aren't you crying?" Naruto asked coarsely, facing the man, almost accusingly.
Sora stood up a bit straighter. "I am not ashamed to admit I cried enough when I found out about the terrible things my children…m-my flesh and blood, committed. I have no more tears left to shed."
"Mizuki…" Hinata said softly, looking sadly at the pale corpse of the young woman lying on the deep, purple sheets. Naruto wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Neither Hinata nor Naruto forgot that Mizuki had essentially helped save their lives those years back.
But now she lay on her perfectly made bed with a kunai stuck through her heart.
The kunai resembled the traditional weapon except for a streak of white that curved down the side, resembling a sickle or moon. Hanging from the end was a note.
"What's written on that piece of paper is what really made me send a message specifically to you ninjas of the Hidden Leaf that came here on that mission five years back," Sora explained. "I left everything as we found it because…I didn't…I didn't want to face this. Or compromise the crime scene," he said, his voice hoarse. "And now at least you can see for yourself. I wanted you to get the full effect."
"This is wrong," Naruto said, staring sadly at Mizuki's pale face. She would look as though she were sleeping peacefully on her back if it weren't for the piece of metal sticking out of her chest. Dry blood crusted the off white dress she wore and the sheets she lay on.
"She didn't deserve to die," Hinata said unhappily.
"A lot of people didn't deserve to die," Sora said. "Once my kids were put into jail, there was peace in the Village of Ash for a brief amount of time. Actually, I wouldn't say it was peace. It's never peaceful here," he said, almost bitterly. "But then…some murders started happening again. Only a few. Perhaps two a year. They would seem like random killings if all the victims didn't have something in common."
Naruto was reluctant to ask but Sora stopped talking. "What was the same?"
"They were all women, for one." Sora paused. "Unlike years ago, the killer…or killers, now don't only target dark-haired women. But we may have a copycat killer on our hand. Each woman was found with a kunai in her heart, similar to this one. Sadly, most were happily married women...such as yourself, Hinata-sama. Many of the victims had children."
Naruto whipped around to face Sora with a snarl on his face as Hinata instinctively wrapped her arms around her stomach. He did not like the insinuations, as little as they were. "What the hell-"
"It's just a coincidence," Sora said, taking a step back from the angry ninja. "I'm sorry, I just made an observation. A lot of horrible things happen in this village and this could just be another thing to add to the list."
"Hinata, we're getting out of here," Naruto said, his emotions getting the better of him as he took her hand into his.
"I understand if you leave," Sora said, staring past the ninjas and looking at his dead daughter. "But I must insist you read the note before leaving. I realize you don't owe a thing to me but I'd appreciate if you decided whether you would like to get involved or not after reading the message. It may rekindle memories of certain events that occurred here five years past."
Naruto sighed angrily and faced the bed again, his fury dissipating at the sight of Mizuki's body. He swallowed before reaching out to grab the note.
"Naruto-kun," Hinata said, stopping him before he reached the piece of paper. He looked at her with questioning eyes. "May I?" she asked. She felt as though she owed it to Mizuki to do this. Naruto said nothing but stepped a bit to the side as he watched his wife lean over and take the fluttering note into her hand.
He watched her unfold the small, crinkled piece of paper and her eyes move left to right.
Hinata's heartbeat quickened and her grip tensed.
"Hinata?" Naruto asked nervously, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Naruto-kun…" she said sadly, turning to face him. "I…" She took a deep breath and handed him the small note.
Naruto took the crumpled message in his hand before tearing his gaze away from his wife. His eyes moved rapidly across the few words on the note before coming to a decision as to whether or not he would get involved. He clenched his teeth together, the muscles tensing around his jaw as he, again, looked over the note that read:
The White Kunai Killer? He's killed a lot of people. Many tried to stop him and failed.
I'm angry with him but also angry with many of the others that have gotten themselves ensnared in the bloody mess left behind by the murderer. It would be slightly hypocritical of me to call him a murder because…well…I am one too now. I may not have been directly involved in some of the killings…or maybe I was?
That's for you to find out. If you can, that is.
The atrocious people of the Village of Ash.
The ninja who got themselves involved.
I'll get them all.
He killed whom I loved most and so I simply returned the favor.
Revenge is a bitch.
-The Soon-to-be White Kunai Killer KILLER.
End.