I feel like I just pulled a Kishimoto Troll and gave you all a crap-ton of flashbacks...which I did. But hey! It's character developement! Also, I apologize for my less frequent updates this past week (school. BLEGH! and I had writer's block and instead published a fluffy valentine's day oneshot starring Hana on Friday so if you want to see Itachi making a complete idiot out of himself, you should totally read that because I was sleep deprived and laughing my head off during most of it XD) Anyway, hope you like my flashbacks!
ENJOI
Hana
Daddy just came home from a mission and was playing hide-and-seek with her. Hana wandered around the backyard searching behind every tree and under every rock. She even went into the house a few times, but Daddy was nowhere to be found.
He didn't leave her, did he?
She hadn't been living with Mommy or Daddy very long, and she was still so scared that one day, she'd wake up and find one or both of them gone forever.
"Daddy…?" Hana whimpered, her nerves getting the best of her, "Where are you?"
"I'm right here, sweetie!" she heard his comforting voice call out to her. Jumping, she looked all around, be he was nowhere. "Look up," he said.
Doing as she was told, Hana was surprised to find Daddy hanging from the tree branch above her. Suddenly, she felt silly, Daddy would never leave her! He was right there the whole time!
"I found you!" she called out, relieved to know where her Daddy was, "But how are you doing that?"
"Doing what?" Daddy asked. Hana pointed to his feet, which were sticking to the bottom of the branch like glue. "Oh, you mean this? Well, I'm using my chakra to hold me up."
"That's so cool! Can you show me how, Daddy?" Hana asked, jumping up and down. Daddy chuckled as he leapt off the tree and flipped over so he landed on the ground feet first. He showed Hana how to release her chakra in just her hands. She got the hang of that fairly quickly for a child her age. Then he showed her how to do the same thing with her feet. That was a little harder. It was almost dinner time, and Daddy still wasn't comfortable with her dangling from the tree just yet.
"How about we go inside, we can try again some other time, okay?" Dad offered, poking Hana's forehead lightly.
Determined to master the skill, Hana crossed her arms and pouted, "No, Daddy! I want to at least try it today! Just hold me up!"
Sighing, Daddy agreed, "alright. I keep my hand on your back. Now, focus your chakra to your feet and walk up the tree like you are walking on ground."
Hana began to do as she was told and found it fairly easy to walk up the tree. However, as her body began to tilt upside-down, a terrifying but vague memory swallowed her thoughts. It was raining and someone was holding her upside down by the ankle, shaking her. She didn't know when that memory was or where it came from, but it caused the little girl to scream and let go of the tree. Daddy yelped as she fell and caught her in his arms as Hana buried her face into his chest and started crying.
"Hana!" Daddy cried, "What's wrong?"
Hearing the commotion, Mommy ran out into the backyard in a panic, "Ita! What's wrong? What happened?"
"I don't know," Daddy admitted, "she wanted to learn how to walk up the tree and she was doing just fine but she got scared and let go suddenly."
"Is she hurt?" Mom asked, sounding a little angry with Daddy. Daddy loosened his grip around Hana slightly so Mommy could examine her, but Hana was too scared and too embarrassed to show her face, "Sweetie, let me look at you. Are you hurt?"
"No," Hana whimpered, looking up at Mommy as her lip quivered.
Mommy sighed in relief and said, "Ita, maybe you guys shouldn't try that again."
"No!" Hana protested, forgetting all about her scare, "I was doing good! I can do it!"
Both Mommy and Daddy jumped at the little girl's sudden determination and exchanged nervous glances. Mommy held her breath and took a step back as Daddy set Hana down, positioning his hands on her back as she tried again. But sure enough, as soon as she started to go upside down, that same memory flashed in her mind.
"LET ME GO!" Hana shrieked as she released her chakra, crying. Daddy held her tightly, trying to calm her down.
"I think we're done," Daddy said, stroking her hair, his voice shaky.
Mommy, however, had an idea, "Hold on, Hana, what's scaring you? Are you afraid of heights."
Hana shook her head, "I don't wanna be upside down…" she whimpered, "they'll hurt me…"
"Who will hurt you?" Mommy asked.
Hana shrugged. Even she didn't know. Fear struck Daddy's soft dark eyes as he said to Mommy, "does this have to do with her time in the Rain Village?"
Mommy nodded and said, "I think so," but then she redirected the subject and said, "Hana, do you know that I used to be a gymnast?"
"A what?" Hana asked, wiping her eyes, "what's a gymnast?"
"Well, you know those little girls in leotards that danced and did flips like acrobats that we saw on TV the other night?" Mommy asked.
Hana nodded her head, a smile growing on her face, "Yeah! That was so cool! I wanna do that too!"
Mommy smiled and said, "well those are gymnasts. Their sport is called gymnastics. I used to do that when I was younger, and I could teach you if you wanted."
"Please!" Hana cheered, bouncing in Daddy's arms.
"But," Mommy said, "you have to be able to go upside down, first."
At that, Hana's smile fell and she snuggled into Daddy's chest. "But…they'll hurt me…" she said softly.
"No they won't," Mommy said gently, "Daddy and I won't let anyone hurt you. And we're going to prove it to you right now."
"Ari," Daddy warned in a stern voice, "I think she's had enough for one day. This isn't a good idea."
Mommy sighed and patted Daddy on the shoulder, "Ita, I think you've had enough for one day, but this isn't about you. My old gymnastics coach used to tell me that the longer you prolong conquering your fears, the more your fears will conquer you. Just go up into that tree and hold her while you hang upside down. Show her that there is nothing to be scared of."
"But Ari—"
"It'll be fine! Just try it," Mommy said. Hana didn't know what they were talking about, but she rested her head on Daddy's chest, listening to his heartbeat. Daddy was so soft and warm…she felt safe in his arms.
"Hana, do you trust me?" Daddy asked suddenly. Hana looked up at Daddy and nodded her head.
"Of course I trust you," Hana answered.
"So if I tell you to hold on to me and to not let go, you will listen?" Daddy asked. Again, Hana nodded her head. Daddy gave Mommy a nervous glance and sighed before he said, "alright, this might scare you a bit, but remember that I am holding on to you and I will not let you get hurt, alright?"
"O-okay," Hana stammered, a little confused. Daddy leapt back up to the tree branch and stood up. Hana looked at Daddy, still not sure what he was doing, but then he slid off the branch, catching the bottom of it with his feet as he dangled upside down with Hana screaming and crying.
"You're okay, Hana!" Mommy assured. She was tall enough that her head met Daddy's as he hung from the tree, she reached up and gently placed her hand on Hana's back, but that surprised the girl and only scared her more.
"Ari, this is a bad idea!" Daddy scolded, beginning to panic himself. Hana cried as she held his Akatsuki robe tightly.
"Don't yell at me yet," Mommy said, "talk to her."
"Hana," Daddy said gently, "Hana calm down."
Hana stifled her cries to small whimpers, but she shook in Daddy's arms. Mommy patted Hana's back, trying to comfort her. Slowly, Hana opened her eyes and looked up to see Mommy and Daddy both looking up at her, both smiling warmly.
Daddy kissed the top of Hana's head as he held her tightly and said, "I won't let anything bad happen to you. See? This isn't so bad, now is it?"
Hana shook her head and said, "No." As they swung gently, a small smile crept up on Hana's face. Actually, this was kind of fun! Hana nuzzled her face back into Daddy's chest as she let out a soft giggle. Mommy chuckled in response and she too leapt up on the tree until all three were hanging upside down.
"You're doing great, Hana!" Mommy cheered, kissing Hana's cheek.
Hana in response giggled and then looked back at Daddy who was still staring at her with a soft smile. "Hana," he said, "I won't let you get hurt. And I'm always going to be here for you. I'm not leaving your side, do you understand?"
Hana nodded, a smile on her face.
The little girl woke up from her dream as the sun danced on her eyelids. Sitting up in the strange room, getting used to her surroundings, Hana remembered that she and Mommy were on an island vacation with Uncle Naruto, Captain Yamato, and some Cloud Ninja while Uncle Naruto took notes on the island's habitat…whatever that meant.
Hana leapt out of bed, it was still early for her to be getting up, but she was too excited about the revelation her dream gave her and she had to tell Mommy what she just learned. Mommy would be so happy to hear the news!
She found Mommy sitting in the lobby on the main floor of the small hotel with Naruto and Yamato. She ran up to Mommy and leapt into her lap, causing the elder half-bijuu to yelp in surprise.
"Hana! You're up early!" Mommy noted, slightly confused.
"Daddy's coming back!" Hana announced as loudly and as happily as she could.
Ari
I stared at the little girl in disbelief. Oh no…this wasn't some kind of coping mechanism for children that caused them to regress after a loss, was it?
"I'm sorry sweetie, but what did you say?" I asked, still a little confused.
Hana sat up straighter in my lap and adjusted her nightgown as she announced with a completely straight face, "Daddy is coming back."
My chest feeling hollow, I glanced nervously over at a pale-faced Naruto who avoided my gaze. This news seemed to be just as disturbing to him as it was to me, and I wasn't sure if that were a good or bad thing.
"Hana, sweetheart," I tried to explain as I sat Hana on the ground, kneeling down in front of her, "Daddy died."
"So?" Hana shrugged, "he said he would never leave us. That he'd always stay by our side."
"That's right," I said, "we may not be able to see him but—"
"But we will be able to see him!" Hana protested, "Not right now, of course, because he's dead. But he's coming back!"
I could feel the color drain out of my face. Oh no, this couldn't be good. I thought Hana was healing, not trapped in denial! Trying to find the words that simply were not there, Yamato spoke up suddenly, diverting my attention, "Actually, Ari. There is something I would like to talk to you about."
"O-okay," I croaked. I then managed a smile and stroked Hana's hair, "can you go play with Uncle Naruto for a bit? I'll be back in a few minutes to help you get dressed."
"Okay!" Hana said with a big smile on her face. I sighed heavily, hoping she would eventually forget about our conversation as I kissed her forehead. I stepped out of the room with Yamato. As we did, we passed Killer Bee who was dancing his way to food.
"Hi Bee," I said, "Naruto will be ready in a few minutes. He just has to watch Hana for a bit."
"Swag!" Bee responded to a beat, "I'ma get some good grub before I kick him to da mud so he can be the new jinchuuriki stud!"
Within him, the Eight-Tales, Uncle Gyuuki groaned, "that made absolutely no sense…but Ariala, is everything alright?"
"Yeah," I breathed within the connection between Gyuuki, Bee, and I, "just a lot on my mind is all."
"I can see that," Uncle G noted, "does this have to do with your father by chance?"
"No," I answered, "surprisingly, it's not about Dad. To be honest, I've been trying not to think about him at all."
"And I can understand that," Uncle G sighed, "You know, he really isn't happy with you right now…at all…"
I rolled my eyes, "Well, I kind of figured that much! I mean, he hasn't talked to me in years and I'm around Naruto all the time!" I held my head, trying to suppress and incoming migraine. It wasn't until I met Killer Bee that I realized I could still communicate with the Tailed Beasts even though they were sealed inside jinchuuriki. Uncle G wasted no time trying to reach out to me, surprised to find that I was still alive. And shocked to discover Hana. But the recent discussions with Uncle G only aroused my own suspicions as to just how pissed off my dad was with me for not freeing him. I tried reaching out to him, but all I got was a massive surge of vengeful chakra shot back at me, and as a result Naruto came down with serious stomach pains and several hours of diarrhea. Thanks Dad, I love you too!
"Just be careful," Uncle G warned, "I have no idea what will happen once Naruto tries to take control of the Kyuubi. It could end terribly."
"Right," I nodded, "I'll keep my guard up."
The conversation occurred within Killer Bee, and it only took a split second in the real world. I continued walking alongside Yamato as I finished talking with my uncle. I then walked up to the floor of the hotel where us Leaf Ninja were staying and into Yamato's room when the ANBU finally stopped and said, "I received intel from Anko's team this morning."
"Oh?" I asked, "has the war begun?"
"No, the Akatsuki are still making preparations," Yamato said, "but Kabuto has joined forces with Madara. And several Akatsuki members were spotted moving around the hideout.
"What?" I asked in disbelief. Afraid of where this was going, I gripped the nightstand next to me, bracing myself for what Yamato could say, "but…all that's left of the Akatsuki are Zetsu and Madara…"
"Well, according to Anko's report, Kabuto has stolen Orochimaru's cells and fused them with his body. He's building an army with the Edo Tensei," Yamato explained.
My knees began to buckle. Please tell me Hana wasn't right, please tell me Hana wasn't right!
"Ari, the Akatsuki members that Anko saw were all ones who have already deceased…including Itachi Uchiha."
And there went my sense of balance! The room began to spin so violently, I thought I would hurl. Slowly kneeling down, I sat on the floor, hugging my knees to my chest.
"Yamato, you can't be serious," I heaved. Yamato knelt down beside me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Ari," he said, "I know this is hard to hear, but this was also a preliminary report. We don't know what's really out there. And our job is to keep Naruto on this island no matter what, do you understand?"
I breathed heavily, trying to maintain my composure as I took his hand and stood up shakily, "Alright, fine. Just…don't tell Hana that she was right. It might make things worse."
Itachi
He awoke to the sound of a door being kicked down. When he opened his eyes he was surprised to find that 1) he could see clearly, 2) he was alive, and 3) that he was standing next to the beholder of Pein's bodies, Nagato.
"Where am I?" Itachi asked, looking around. Something didn't feel right, though. He was sure he had died. He had collapsed in front of Sasuke when his heart gave out…and he was in Ari's arms—
Ari…
"If I were to guess," Nagato stated, interrupting Itachi's thoughts, "I'd say Madara has teamed up with someone who can use the Edo Tensei and that they've brought us back to life to start a war…that was Madara's goal after all: to destroy the shinobi world in order to cast the ultimate genjutsu using the Juubi and creating a new world full of peace."
Itachi grimaced. How did war bring peace? And did this mean that Naruto had been captured after all? And if he was captured…what about…what about Ari and Hana?
Trying to fight the panic rising within him, Itachi slung Nagato's arm around his shoulders to help the man walk. His feet felt numbed and they moved on their own as if someone were controlling him. His skin felt like paper, as if his body had been sculpted around something else. He didn't feel alive, but he knew he wasn't dead. He also knew that he had died, but he couldn't recall anything more than flashes of light from his time in the afterlife.
What disturbed him, however, were that the only flashes he could recall were of Hana's puffy-red face and screams and Ari's unconscious and bloodied body. They…couldn't have died too…could they?
"Itachi," Nagato said suddenly, "there is something I have to tell you…about Ari and the little girl…"
"Yes?" Itachi asked, feeling numb, and not just because his body was being controlled.
"I admit that I tried to take Naruto…and I destroyed the Hidden Leaf with the Almighty Push. I did so because I wanted to use the Tailed Beasts to bring about peace, but I know now that I was wrong. And I also tried to take the girls' lives," Nagato explained. Itachi closed his eyes, prepared for the worse when Nagato then said, "but Ariala…she's something. She protected the child with her life and awakened a new power. She looked as if she had armor and the Nine-Tails' cloak on. She barely even looked human."
"But she's alive?" Itachi asked.
"Very much so," Nagato answered. Itachi sighed in relief, trying to control his emotions. He nearly broke down when Nagato added, "and when I fought her, she looked as if she had already been defeated, but something else kept her going. Something that only she could see. Itachi, I think that was you. It was you who protected her from me and gave her that new power, I'm sure."
"Just a minute…" Itachi managed. He let go of Nagato and took a step back, bracing himself on his knees. Ari…how he longed to see her again, how he hoped she was alright. And he couldn't help but wonder how much pain he had put Ari through? How long has she been suffering? Had she forgotten about him yet? Had she healed at all?
"She really, truly loves you, Itachi," Nagato said in a solemn voice.
"That's what I was afraid of," Itachi mustered, "because she deserves so much better."
Ari
It had been only a week and already Naruto had mastered the Waterfall of Truth. Exhausted from his training, Bee decided to give Naruto the day off, which meant I had nothing to do. I got up early that morning while everyone else was asleep. As I went downstairs to start breakfast, I heard Hana's little voice in the living area letting out frustrated grunts. Following the sounds, I saw the little girl, frustrated, trying to get herself into a headstand. The moment her legs started to swing above her head, however, she freaked out and fell out of it.
"Sweetie, what are you doing?" I asked, curious.
"You said—" Hana grunted as she tried, and failed, to do a headstand again, "you said that if I could go upside down, I could learn gymnastics. And Daddy hasn't come back yet and I feel like you went away since he died and I want someone to play with again…and if you teach me gymnastics, we can have fun together again, right?"
I frowned, my heart breaking as she said that. She was right, since Ita died, I had been checked out. I just couldn't muster up the strength or energy to give anyone the time of day, not even me. "Oh Hana, I am so sorry," I said, pulling the girl into a tight hug, "I didn't mean to go away…"
"I know," Hana said in a sweet little voice. She hugged my neck tightly before she pulled away and smiled, "but that's why I want to do gymnastics. Well, I always wanted to do gymnastics, but I want to do it now so you can be happy again and we can play just like Daddy taught me."
I hugged Hana tighter as I laughed. Like me, Hana didn't know how to play when she first came home, and of course, Ita was the one who taught her how. I sighed heavily, drifting off into a memory that seemed so long ago…
When we first brought her home, Hana was quiet and a little shy. She slept that entire first week, waking only to eat or bathe, the poor thing was starved and near death. But as the weeks wore on and Hana put on a little more weight, her cheeks pinked out and she began to look like a toddler should. She seemed to need something to hold onto, though, either hugging my leg or herself, so I went out and bought her a stuffed rabbit.
"Here," I said, handing her the bunny, "this is for you."
Hana smiled wide as she took the rabbit into her arms, "What's his name?"
"Whatever you want to name it," I answered.
Hana looked down at the rabbit, which, because she was still really small as her growth had been stunted from lack of nutrition, was almost as big as she was. Her eyes sparkled when she looked back up at me and said, "Tim-Tim!"
Hana had also taken an instant liking to me, she followed me around the house like a duckling, wanting to hold my hand and sit at the table to watch me cook. But I couldn't help but notice that she was still a little weary of Itachi. He would come home and try to give her a hug, but she'd cower away in fear. He'd try to tuck her in bed and give her a kiss goodnight, but she'd only stare up at him stoically, not sure what to make of him.
I knew that Hana adored Ita. Whenever he left for missions she would ask when he'd be home, and she'd cry if he left. And I knew Itachi wanted nothing more than to be close to his little flower, to take her up into his arms and hold her close. The affection was there, but neither one knew how to show it nor what to make of each other's feeble attempts of doing so.
As the days wore on, Ita got more and more frustrated with himself, and more and more distraught over how to be the father he always wanted to be.
"She hates me," he groaned, plopping into bed next to me. I was reading a book as he did so. I closed it and looked down to see Ita glaring up at the ceiling feeling utterly defeated.
"What makes you say that?" I asked.
"She won't talk to me…and she runs away whenever I try to reach out to her. She loves you, but I can't seem to break the ice with her…" he groaned, closing his eyes.
I sighed, chuckling as I gently stroked his hair saying, "She doesn't hate you, Ita. She's shy, and she's been through a lot. She probably clings to me more because I'm like her. And men can be intimidating some times, but that's not your fault. What you two need is an opportune moment to open up to each other. Once that happens, she'll be glued to you for life. Just wait and see."
"But when is that going to happen?" Ita aksed.
I shrugged, "I'll let you know when it does, okay?"
And sure enough, two days later I was chopping vegetables to make soup. Itachi was in the living room cleaning and Hana sat at the kitchen table. I had noticed her getting more active recently as she got stronger, and had spent the day following me with Tim-Tim in her arms as usual, but she was struggling to sit still. She would sit at the table, her chin resting on its surface as if she were about to fall asleep in the middle of a school class. Occasionally she would get up and walk around or mess with Tim-Tim, but she would grow anxious and sit back down. After the third time she did this, she hopped back into her seat and let out a heavy sigh.
"Hana, you know you can do something else if you want to," I said gently with a smile, "you don't have to follow me around all day if its boring."
"What else can I do?" Hana asked curiously, her purple eyes wide.
"Well," I began. I turned to face her and leaned against the counter, crossing my arms and said, "you could go outside and play."
"Play?" Hana raised an eyebrow, "what's a play?"
I cocked my head to the side. I went over and sat down next to Hana and said, "oh you know, playing, like what kids your age do to have fun?"
Hana stared at me blankly and shook her head, "I don't know that that is."
"You mean you've never played before?" I asked in partial disbelief. How could a kid her age not know how to play? She was a kid! That's what kids are supposed to do!
But as Hana stared down at Tim-Tim, tugging gently on his ears and said, "I've always been alone…I was never really around other kids before," I couldn't help but think back to another little girl trapped in the lonely world of shinobi, with a childhood so isolated, she didn't even know how to play either.
"Ah, I see," I said nodding my head. I tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled as I explained, "well, playing is when you get to run around and do things like climb trees or play games or pretend to be different things. And you do it for fun and usually with other people."
Hana stared at me with wide eyes as a smile grew on her face, "That sounds fun!"
I nodded my head and said, "all of the kids your age get together to play. When I take you to Konoha, you'll get to meet lots of kids to play with."
At that, Hana's smile fell and she looked away, embarrassed, "But…I don't know how to play…"
"Oh, I think we can fix that," I said unable to contain my smile, "you know, when I was little, I didn't know how to play either. But I learned how to from one of the best teachers you could ever meet. He was the master of playing."
At that, Hana looked back up at me and began to bounce in her chair, "do you think he could teach me how to play sometime?"
"Oh, he can teach you how to play right now!" I said, standing up. Hana gave me a confused look as I turned and called out, "Itachi! Can you come in here?"
Moments later, Ita walked into the kitchen, rubbing the sweat from his forehead. I felt bad, the poor guy had just come home from a mission and I had made him move furniture as soon as he got home and I wasn't about to give him a break. But, I had promised him there would be an opportune moment to open up to Hana, and you can't control when those come.
"What is it?" he asked, "Ari, if there is something else I have to do, can it wait until after dinner? I need to rest."
"Well, I'm afraid that this is an emergency!" I said placing my hands on my hips. Hana looked up at Ita timidly, realizing what was about to happen, but as she watched me acting like a total idiot, she let out a few quiet giggles. "Our little flower is in a crisis! She doesn't know how to play!"
"Oh," Ita responded, "well that's not too good."
I narrowed my eyes at Itachi. He obviously wasn't getting the hint. Man, for some genius, the guy could be really dense some times. Sighing heavily I continued to explain, "well, I was just telling Hana how I didn't know how to play when I was little either, but I learned the art of playing from a master! We were hoping that master could show this little girl what fun is really all about."
At that, Ita's eyes widened as he pointed at himself like a complete idiot, "you're talking about me…right?"
"Of course, genius, who else would I be talking about?" I snapped at him lightly. Ita gave a nervous smile as he knelt down beside Hana and held out his hand. Hana, in turn, held Tim-Tim tightly as she shrunk into me a little.
"Hana, would you do me the honors of playing with me today?" Itachi asked in a sweet little voice. Hana looked up at me anxiously and I nodded for her to take his hand.
"Okay," she said in a little voice, placing her tiny hand in his. Her touch caused Ita to inhale sharply as he looked up at me. I motioned for him to go and he stood up. I followed the two outside to the deck and down the stairs. The ground the house was built on was rocky and imbedded in a forest, making the perfect natural playground. I sat down on the bottom step and Hana stayed close to me.
Ita knelt down and placed his hands gently on Hana's shoulders. He smiled and said, "Sometimes it's easier to play with both hands. Do you want to give Tim-Tim to Mom?"
Hana shook her head and took a step back. Ita in turn let out a nervous groan as he glanced at me. I waved my hands at him and said, "You're doing fine. Keep going. The both of you."
"R-right," Ita said. He then managed a smile and said, "well, the more the merrier! We'll have lots of fun today. So, have you played any games before?"
"No," Hana said, "I don't know how to play at all."
"Well," Itachi began. He stood up and placed his hands on his hips, "the first thing to playing is being absolutely silly!" Ita demonstrated by lifting a fist in the air and hopping from foot to foot like an idiot. Hana let out a slight giggle in response, covering part of her face with Tim-Tim. Itachi led her away from the deck a little bit and began to trot, "and then sometimes you have to run around."
Ita and Hana got going, with Ita running slowly through the trees as Hana followed closely behind. Ita had her try different things, plastering a goofy smile on his face. Eventually his smile turned into one of the biggest and brightest ones I had ever seen on his face and Hana's look of uncertainty turned into that of pure joy as she began to run around faster and faster.
But alas, the large bunny grew heavy on the tiring girl and she tripped over Tim-Tim's feet. She face-planted, but sat back up, whimpering a little. Ita ran over to her in a panic, trying to comfort her but not sure how. Hana looked up at Itachi and then down at Tim-Tim. I watched as she patted Tim-Tim's head and then ran over to me. My smile fell as I watched the girl return, wondering if she was done playing. And they were so close…
But then as Hana came over she held up the bunny and said, "could you take care of Tim-Tim while I play? I don't want him to get hurt."
"Sure thing!" I said, pleasantly surprised. I looked back up at Ita who didn't quite know what was going on. He looked a little hurt at the exchange, wondering if he had scared Hana away. I took Tim-Tim and held him in my lap and whispered to her, "are you still going to play? Daddy's waiting for you."
And then Hana did something I really wasn't expecting. She turned back towards Ita and with the biggest smile on her face she ran to him as fast as she could and attempted to leap into his arms. Because he wasn't expecting it, Itachi stood, utterly confused as Hana rammed herself into his lower abdomen and then slid down to hug his knees, laughing wildly the whole time. Ita looked up at me in shock and I laughed back at him and motioned for him to continue. Itachi's face lit up as he picked Hana up and held her above his head as he spun her around, the whole time Hana was laughing hysterically. Ita showed Hana a few more games after that, but it wasn't long before Hana took the reins, holding tightly onto his hand as she led him around the backyard, the two laughing all the way. Hana never let go of Ita's hand after that, just like I haven't.
"Mom? Moooom!" Hana waved her hand in front of my face as I snapped out of my trance.
"Oh! Sorry, I was daydreaming," I admitted slightly embarrassed.
"What about?" Hana asked. We walked through the forest that composed of this island hand-in-hand. I had been looking for a clearing with a few small trees where I could show Hana a few tricks. Unfortunately, I had spaced out long enough that I didn't think I knew where the hotel was anymore. Oops…
"Oh, I was just thinking about the first time you played with Dad is all," I explained.
Hana looked up at the sky, thinking back. She sighed heavily and said, "I feel bad…"
"How come?"
"Because I used to be afraid of Daddy before then," she admitted, "I thought he was like the other scary people in the black and red coats. But he and Uncle Dory aren't scary at all. They're the nicest people of all…"
"Yeah," I sighed. I hadn't told her about Kisame yet. Although…with the fantastic stench that had been coming out of Sharkskin ever since Killer Bee came home from his little Rapping Adventure, I had a feeling that Jaws really wasn't dead. Which is also why I hadn't collected my winnings from our bet yet. "Daddy and Uncle Dory are some pretty sweet guys, aren't they?"
"They're the best!" Hana giggled, "and so are you!"
"Well, I wouldn't say that," I said sadly. After all, I had checked out mentally on Hana, wallowing in my own self-pity…
"Of course you are, Mommy! You're the kindest, prettiest, and funnest mom I could ever have!" Hana explained, "and you're so strong too!"
"Aw, well thanks, sweetheart," I said. We spent the morning trying to get Hana to do a handstand. Unfortunately, she still had a fear of being upside down. She was fine when she would hang from the trees with Itachi, but trying to do so on her own was proving to be another challenge.
"Maaan!" Hana whined, fighting the tears, "I don't even know what I'm scared of anyway!"
"Well," I said, sitting on the ground. Feeling defeated, Hana sat in my lap, "what comes to mind when you go upside down?"
"It's raining," Hana explained, "and someone his holding my feet shaking me…like they're trying to hurt me…"
I cocked my head to the side. He she been abused as an infant? "Well, what if you swung upside down with me like you would do with Daddy?"
Hana looked up at me with fearful eyes, "you won't let go?"
"Never," I said, "I'll always protect you. Daddy and I both will."
Hana nodded and jumped into my arms and I leapt up to the nearest tree branch. She screamed as I slid upside down, holding onto me for dear life.
"Open your eyes," I said, "you aren't in the Rain Village anymore. I won't let anyone hurt you."
Shaking, Hana did as she was told and looked down. She blinked a couple of times and regained her composure, "this is just like with Dad…"
"See? You're alright," I nodded.
"Yeah!" Hana giggled, a smile on her face. After trying that a couple of times, I finally coaxed Hana into lifting her legs all the way above her head as she went into a handstand. Her feet wobbled a little out of control, threatening to sway on way or the other as she didn't have the balance yet to walk on her hands. I held her feet up, trying to keep them balanced as I followed her.
"Pull your core in," I instructed, "this is the key to all strong gymnasts."
"This is…really hard!" Hana croaked as she took hasty steps forward on her hands.
"You're doing great," I cheered her on, "if you're done just let me know and I'll help you down."
"No!" she protested.
"No you're not done or no you don't want my help?" I asked, chuckling.
"I'm not done yet!" she grunted. I laughed in response. Slowly I let go of her legs, allowing her to walk on her own. She managed to take three steps before her feet went past her head and she started to fall. She screamed as I ran forward and caught her on her back. "Ow!" Hana whimpered, her left wrist twisting slightly.
"Are you okay?" I asked. Hana nodded, holding her wrist as she glared at me through teary eyes.
"You said you wouldn't let go," she snapped.
I frowned and said, "when we were up in the tree…"
"Well you weren't supposed to let go!" Hana explained.
"I'm sorry," I said, "but you were doing so well. And some time I will have to let go. You can't fly around on the Uneven Bars or do a good vault with someone holding onto you."
"And you said I wouldn't get hurt," Hana fought back the tears. I kissed her forehead and grasped her wrist gently, healing it with my medical ninjutsu.
"Does that feel better?" I asked her. She twisted it, but her wrist wasn't even sprained. Hana nodded her head and I said, "See? You aren't hurt. And Hana, I'm sorry. I know Dad and I have made promises to not let you get hurt in the past, but if you want to be a gymnast—if you want to be a shinobi, really—injuries are going to happen. We can't learn unless we make mistakes. As much as I want to protect you and keep you safe, you won't ever grow up if I hold your hand the entire time."
Hana pursed her lips as she thought about it. She then looked up at me with scared eyes and asked, "but you'll still always be there for me, right? You'll protect me from the really scary stuff like Pein?"
"Of course I will!" I said, holding Hana tightly, "Okay, let me explain a little better. When you're training to become a gymnast or a ninja, you're going to get hurt sometimes in silly little accidents, and that's okay. I can't protect you from those accidents because those are what make you stronger. But if your life is ever on the line, I want you to know that Dad and I will be your shield. We'll always protect you, both of us."
Hana smiled and nodded as she hugged me tightly, "I love you, Mommy!"
I laughed and kissed her cheek, "I love you too, sweetie!" And with that, we wandered our way back to the hotel smiling. That morning had been the most fun either of us had ever had in a long long time.
Kurama
"If I died, would you still be there for Ariala?" she asked. Kurama jumped, staring at Chinatsu Uzumaki in confusion.
"Yes," Kurama crossed his arms, eyeing the woman suspiciously, "why wouldn't I?"
Chinatsu chuckled, smiling to herself, "I don't know, I just had a thought."
Affection was something the Kyuubi had always struggled with. Chinatsu was a woman who evoked emotion within Kurama he had never known possible. He loved her dearly, but even after all this time with her, he still didn't know how to show his love to her. A little awkwardly, Kurama placed his hand on the red-haired woman's shoulder and asked, "just what kind of thought?"
Chinatsu shrugged, "I don't know…I just have a feeling that Ariala is a little too much like her mother. I have a feeling that one day she will defy her social norms and disappoint both of us, only we shouldn't be disappointed. Her actions should be those that we are proud of. We'll only be disappointed because Ari has come to understand things that the rest of the world cannot fathom. She will have an open mind and heart, and she will follow it. She'll show love to someone the rest of the world does not think is worthy of even an act of kindness."
Kurama chuckled and shook his head, "just like you did? Chinatsu, I don't know how Ariala can surpass you. Conceiving a child with a Bijuu, that is…"
"I don't know," Chinatsu shrugged, "she has her mother's blood running through her veins. And she has her father's stubbornness too. I can only hope that we won't discourage her from opening her heart up to the lonely one as my family did to me. Well, she'll do it anyway, but I hope we do not disapprove of her for doing so, because who knows? Maybe she'll end up saving the both of us…"
At the time of that conversation, Ariala was only an infant. Kurama couldn't even dream of what Chinatsu had spoken of. He had promised himself on the night his daughter was born that he would stand by Ariala's side no matter what. That he'd support her. That he would not disapprove of whatever it was Chinatsu had spoken of.
But…but…sometimes Chinatsu had a way of being too right. Choosing this blonde-haired brat over her own father? Marrying an Uchiha? And then helping Naruto take control of his own chakra? Had Ari gone insane? He couldn't forgive her for this…
Kurama felt all of his strength leave his body as Naruto yanked the chakra out of his massive body. The fox tried to muster up a Bijuu Bomb, but even that was rendered useless. And just like that, the blasted cage came crashing down on him. Dammit…if only he had been stronger…
…if only his daughter hadn't betrayed him…
Closing his eyes, Kurama tried to enter a rage-filled slumber, but his attempts were useless as he heard Ari and Naruto speaking from the outside world.
"How is he doing?" Ari asked.
"Well, he's kind of pissed off," Naruto noted. Kurama let out a low growl. Oh, how he wanted nothing more than to rip that boy to shreds. Kurama felt so drained, however, that he could barely manage to curl his paw into a fist.
Ari was silent for a long moment before Kurama heard her say, "could you let me talk to him for a minute? Alone?"
Oh great…first he gets his chakra ripped out of him, trapping him inside this jinchuuriki for all eternity and now he had to face his traitor of a daughter? Perfect! This day was perfect!
From within the jinchuuriki known as Killer Bee, Kurama heard the Eight Tails warn, "Ariala, that's a bad idea. You don't know what he will do—"
"I don't care," Ariala snapped back, "I've kept distant from my father long enough. I know I hurt him when I chose to protect Naruto. I know I hurt him to keep silent this long, but I never knew I could even communicate with him until now! He at least needs to hear my side of the story, I don't care if he forgives me or not. I owe him that much."
"Ugh…you're just like your mother, I hope you realize that…"
Ari said nothing, but suddenly, Kurama felt a presence appear before him that was not Naruto's. The kyuubi tried to ignore that presence, hoping she would go away if he pretended to sleep.
But unfortunately, the brat really was just like her mother.
"Dad, come on, I know you're awake," Ari said, "We need to talk."
Groaning, Kurama opened an eye to see Ari looking up at him with her hands on her hips. She sighed heavily and said, "you look like crap."
"No thanks to you, you little shit," Kurama spat back. Ari took a step away from him, her determined expression falling to that of a heartbroken one. Deep down, Kurama didn't mean to hurt Ari, but in that moment, he didn't care.
"Look, Dad, I'm sorry," Ari said, "I'm sorry if I've hurt you. You know that that is the last thing I ever wanted to do."
"Hmph," Kurama growled, "look, Kushina, I understand you not doing anything about. You were a child then and you didn't know any better. But on that night…I looked you in the eye. I saw how terrified you were. I know that you saw what happened to me. You knew that I was trapped inside Naruto and you had every single chance to free me, your father! But you deliberately ignored me! And you protected this brat! You protected the village even! That village which has scorned you and is responsible for the death of your mother!"
"I was a child then, Dad!" Ari fought back, "how was I supposed to know better? When I saw Naruto on that night—the night I decided to protect him, all I saw was a scared little boy living a lonely life like I was. I can't tell you how sorry I am, and you don't know how hard that was for me—"
"How hard it was for you? Don't make me laugh!" Kurama scoffed, "You just couldn't wait to get rid of me! You let the Leaf brainwash you into thinking I was a monster! And then, and then just to mock me, you run off with that Uchiha boy and—"
"Don't you dare mock Itachi's name," Ari let out a low growl as her eyes turned red and fangs protruded from her mouth, "He had nothing to do with you, Father."
"And there lies the problem," Kurama said sadly, "nothing has to do with me anymore. You would just rather cast me away as some unhappy memory. That's why you've helped Naruto this whole time! You just want me gone! You just want to forget your roots and live life as some blind human, is that it?"
Ari's lip quivered at that. She looked to the ground, silent for a long moment. But finally, Ari allowed tears to escape her eyes as she looked up at him sadly, "have you ever stopped to think that maybe, just maybe I did this because of how much I love you and Mom? Have you ever wondered how many nights I spent crying myself to sleep because of the hell I've had to put myself through for you? For Mom? For Auntie Tabi? Hana? Itachi? Naruto? Everyone else in my life? Have you ever wondered, 'hey, does my daughter miss me? Is it possible that she needs her father to comfort her and understand why she's done all the things she has? Could she need some reassurance that she isn't a complete failure in life?' I've been alone my whole life, Dad, and you've been here, watching me every step of the way and letting me live my life in hell! You could have easily reached out to me and I could have talked to you and told you what was going through my head! You could have been there for me, but no! You just let me suffer!"
"I let you suffer?" Kurama growled back, "You only hurt yourself, Ariala. You deserve to suffer! Never in my life did I think I would be more disappointed in my child than I am now!"
"Disappointed," Ari mocked, forcing a sad laugh, "See that's funny, because I have this distant memory of you promising Mother that you would never be disappointed in me. I remember her warning you, even, that I was her child and that I would come to see things that you wouldn't be able to understand. Her entire family, everyone she knew and loved turned their backs to her when she did so much as to show you kindness. She was disowned when she shared her love for you. You promised her that you would not treat me the way her father did, and yet here you are breaking that promise. Uncle Gyuuki was right…I shouldn't have even bothered to talk to you. You're just some bitter defeated asshole who can't see past his own personal needs! And what sucks is even after everything, I still love you more than anything! So thanks for that!" Ari was screaming and sobbing by the time she had finished yelling at him. As she threw Kurama's promise back at his face, the giant fox slowly began to realize his mistake, his heart falling at the sight of seeing his daughter so alone in the world.
"Ari, wait-!" he called out, but he was too late. Ari's chakra vanished from inside the seal. Outside, he could hear Ari stomp off with her friends trying to call after her. But just as Ari began to leave the room, the blue Akatsuki, Kisame, broke free of his hiding place within his sword. Kurama lied down in his cage and closed his eyes as a mixture of guilt and rage built up within him. As the chaos ensued, he could only think of one thing:
What the hell had he just done?
Ari
It took everything I had to keep Hana restrained and crying out. She covered her mouth as tears streamed down her face. I held my own breath as Yamato bound an unconscious Kisame in his wood ninjutsu. This was a little too much to see, even for me.
Aoba, one of the Leaf Shinobi from the intel unit who came with us to this island, began to probe through Kisame's mind to gain information on him and the Akatsuki. I bit my lip. If he found out about my relationship with him and Itachi…
I sighed heavily, what did it matter? Kisame was my friend, and if I had been as good of a friend to him as he had been to me, I would have busted him loose, regardless of the consequences.
But my father had been right after all, I really was a traitor…
"I'm sorry, Kisame…" I said in a low voice. Unfortunately, I was loud enough to distract Aoba as he turned to face me in confusion. Then suddenly, Kisame let out a yelp and blood came streaming out of his mouth as he chomped down hard on his tongue. "Kisame!" I called out in alarm. Crying out in determination, Kisame broke through all of his restraints and summoned his sharks, only they turned around to eat him.
"He's killing himself?" Aoba cried out in shock.
I pulled Hana's face to my chest as she whimpered, terrified, "Look away, Hana!" I ordered, "everything is okay!"
I locked eyes onto Kisame, half-expecting him to be angry with me for not helping him when he needed me. But Kisame gave me a happy grin. As his sharks began to eat him, he held up two fingers and then made a hand motion as if he wanted me to give him something.
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, but then I remembered our bet. "Oh shit, Jaws!" I chuckled, shaking my head. I hadn't just said his real name, but I said it twice. Kisame smiled wider as he started laughing. I looked around, everyone else was in such a panic that they hadn't noticed our exchange.
Hana looked up at me, still looking away from the morbid sight behind her as she asked, "Where's Uncle Dory going?"
"To meet up with Dad," I answered, "Jaws…Kisame, thank you."
Kisame in response shook his head and held up three fingers. I rolled my eyes but nodded my head in acknowledgement. The Akatsuki then closed his eyes, dying in peace with a smile on his face. I sighed heavily, grateful for the friend I had in him. He never saw me as a traitor, just as I never saw him as a criminal. We were only good friends who had each other's backs. I may not have been able to save his life in the end, but I at least allowed him to win our bet…three times in his final moments.
"He sacrificed his own life to protect his comrads," Gai noted as the sharks dissipated. I let Hana go and she looked around in confusion as the only remains were puddles of water and a bit of blood. "He died a fine shinobi," Gai continued, "I will never forget you, Kisame Hoshigaki."
I smiled sadly to myself. Not only did Kisame get to win our bet, but he finally got Gai to remember his name. I felt heavy, fighting the overwhelming sorrow that accompanied a lost friend, but I managed to stand and return to where we had left Naruto. In the uproar, Naruto had gotten his foot stuck in the wall, unable to control his own strength. After Kisame's attacks, we received a series of earthquakes caused by what we figured was the enemy knocking on our front door. Yamato left to dispel the issue, and eventually the earthquakes quieted down. But Yamato didn't come back. I sat with Hana and watched as Bee trained Naruto, but after a couple of days confined in tight quarters, Naruto began to sense disturbances outside.
It wasn't long before Naruto realized there was a full-scale war on his hands. Once he tried to break out, Bee wasn't going to stop him. In fact, I think Bee only motivated Naruto to make an even grander escape than planned. I chased after them but only found Iruka and the guards to the exit of the island standing alone, defeated.
"Did he get out?" I asked Iruka, holding Hana in my arms.
"Yeah," Iruka said sadly, "I can't protect him anymore…"
I smiled sadly and admitted, "no one can. He's grown up now."
Iruka looked up at me with a serious expression on his face, "Ari, with Naruto gone, the enemy knows where you all are. You and Hana are in grave danger, and we cannot protect you any longer. If you're going to live, you're going to have to fight alongside Naruto."
Hana gasped and looked up at me in a panic, "but Mommy! You can't leave me!"
"It's okay, Hana," I whispered gently. I held her tightly in my arms. Going to the battlefield was no problem for me, but Hana… "Iruka," I began, "how close are we to Konoha?"
"Um, about a day's journey," Iruka said, "we're in the southern portion of the Cloud. The fighting is more to the east and the north. If you kept to the mountains, you could hopefully reach Konoha without a problem, but we don't know how many sensory ninja are on the enemy's side."
"Alright," I said, "that's all I need to know, thank you."
With that, I took off for the Leaf.
"Wait!" Iruka called after me, "what are you going to do?"
"What I was meant to do!" I called back. I thought back to a distant memory of my mother standing over me, protecting me while my father fought against Madara Uchiha.
"I feel that peace will befall this land in the future. But not after great adversity. You are the bridge between shinobi and bijuu...you are the only one who understands both sides, and for that reason I have a feeling you will help pilot the road to peace...so please...live on...live on in another time...a safer...world..."
As her words rang in my ear, I elaborated, "I'm going to bring peace to this world once and for all!"
I ran as fast as I could towards Konoha. Power surged through me as I took on my unique Bijuu Mode, my armor and nine tails covering me in a light red light. It was late at night when I found Kurenai in her house, rocking her newborn son to sleep.
"Ari! What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.
"Naruto got out," I explained, "and the situation has gotten worse. Kurenai, I hate to do this to you but…could you watch Hana while I'm gone?"
"You know I can," Kurenai smiled, "but what about you? Where are you going?"
"I'm going to do what I can to help Naruto," I explained, "I'll come back and check in on Hana as much as I can since I don't know how long I'll be gone." I then set Hana down and helped her get ready for bed. On our way to Konoha, I had explained to her what was going to happen. It was hard for her to say goodbye, but she knew I would be back. I wouldn't die so easily, not as long as I had a reason to live in this world.
"You'll play with me when you come home, right?" Hana asked.
I nodded, smiling as I gave her Tim-Tim, tucking her into bed that night, "you know I will."
"Be safe," Hana said, hugging me gently.
"I will, I love you sweetie," I whispered.
"I love you too," Hana said as she closed her eyes and went to sleep. I turned the lights out to the room and thanks Kurenai once again, giving her as much money as I had to help her pay for groceries or anything else Hana would need while I was gone. I quickly made my way out of the village and raced to join Naruto and Bee, with no idea what future would lay ahead of me.
But little did I know that it was only my past which would come forward, bombarding me with bitch-slap after bitch-slap, taking form in a dead fiancé, my worst nightmares, and one really pissed off best friend who I never got to apologize to after our last fight.
And really pissed off didn't even begin to describe how Saya was when I encountered her again.
