lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! Honestly, I think it's mostly Hisoka's unwillingness to see anybody (monsters included) locked up but the plot bunnies are still playing games with my head at this point. Anyway, I'm tired so I'm just gonna post the chapter then off to bed for me.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto so don't sue.
Chapter Twenty Two
Word had spread that one of those hateful children had been discovered and he couldn't have been more furious. Madara was silent as he remembered those cool gray eyes that had once stared at him and the others of his clan before unleashing upon them all the fury of the demonic chakra that had built within their bodies. Back then he had only been aware that there could only be nine but over time had come to realize that when a tenth was born, the nine before died leaving only the tenth and most powerful to survive.
All those that surrounded them, he remembered, had labeled those hateful children Dark Temptations, and until he had seen their strength for himself hadn't known why. Now he understood that their power alone made the darkness within all fight to come forward. They tempted others into starting wars only to turn on those that had hired them and destroy all that surrounded them.
Now the tenth child had been discovered and was being kept by the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. How fitting was it, he mused lightly, that the keeper of the Bijuu was being kept safe by the very creature that was supposed to be protected? If he were to take away the child and use her abilities for himself then the last two Bijuu would come running. Of course he had seven Bijuu locked away but there was nothing to assure him that being locked up would prevent the hateful child from being able to access their power.
After all, they had all proven to be adept at surprising those around them.
A smile spread across his face as he thought about how well things would work with the child in his keep. It wouldn't matter if she wanted to help them or not, the Hachibi and Kyuubi would come running to defend her. In the end he knew the girl would ultimately be killed and he'd be free to do as he pleased with all nine demons.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
The mission had taken an entire month longer than what they had been told mainly because their client had taken a liking to playing with every relatively good looking guy that caught her eye. They had tried to get her to leave them alone only to have their words fall upon deaf ears and all Naruto could really say was that he didn't envy the poor bastards. After he watched the first five limp away the next morning it was pretty clear that the woman was plain violent in bed.
To quote Jiraiya and Kyuubi: "Stay away from the psychos… even if they are more fun."
The crickets sang in the night as the group rushed towards Konoha, knowing that almost everybody would already be asleep. "Finally." Sakura sighed in relief. "Home sweet home."
"I don't know about you guys but I don't ever want to escort another person like that crazy woman ever again." Naruto said with a forced laugh. "I'm gonna grab Hi-Hi, go home, and crash until noon if she lets me."
"You really think your daughter's going to let you sleep until noon?"
"No, but it's a good dream." They parted ways with Sakura announcing that she was going to be staying the night at Sai's and that she didn't want to be bothered unless somebody was dead or dying. If he wasn't so tired at that moment, Naruto would have made a joke that one of them was hoping for a quickie before the other fell asleep.
The blonde darted towards the silent streets, feeling the pull growing stronger as he got closer to the Inuzuka compound. "It's about time you got here." Kiba growled after Naruto knocked on the door. "What in the hell took so long?"
"Let's just say that the client was more interested in satisfying her libido than getting home quickly." Naruto answered with a shudder. "I don't think I've felt sorry for so many unlucky bastards in two months than I did for the ones that crossed her path in two days."
Kiba wrinkled his nose in disgust before leading the blonde to where Hisoka was sleeping. "She's been doing her homework and generally behaving. Started singing some weird song last week saying that a lady in her dream taught it to her." Kiba said softly. "Something about a demon looking for his guardian."
"Kairi family." Kyuubi said simply.
But who in the hell-
"Ingenious mother. Transplanting memories to ensure the survival of the Kairi clan wouldn't have been surprising."
Naruto silently entered Hisoka's room and smiled tenderly at her as he watched her shift slightly in her sleep. "Hi-Hi, I'm back." Naruto said softly.
Hisoka moaned softly as she slowly opened her eyes, staring unfocusedly at him for a moment or two. "Daddy?" Hisoka asked sleepily.
"Hey, princess. You wanna stay one more night here or do you wanna go home?"
"Home."
A soft smile spread across Naruto's face as he picked her up, feeling the girl's nose against the crook of his neck. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her, Kiba." Naruto dug into his pocket and handed the Inuzuka a wad of crumbled bills.
"Yeah, just try not to come back a month late again. Shikamaru got back earlier today and I was actually tempted to let him take care of her."
"What stopped you?"
"He's got his girlfriend over and I didn't think you'd appreciate Hi-chan hearing them in the act and deciding to investigate." Kiba handed Naruto the little girl's bag. "You'll have to fill me in tomorrow when you get up."
"Sure. Just not when there are a child's ears around."
"That juicy?"
"That scary."
Kiba laughed as he bid the two a goodnight and watched as they started home. He personally couldn't understand how anybody could be such an idiot and not have been killed. Take away the obvious influences that came from Mishima and all that would be left were the features that so plainly screamed the girl's father's identity.
Scratching his head, Kiba flopped back onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Sooner or later he knew that Naruto would eventually be forced to hear the truth and after that, there would be no turning back.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Shikamaru couldn't say that he understood the fascination that was found with Hisoka's existence but he supposed that Temari's curiosity was to be expected. He knew how upset she had been upon discovering that her youngest brother would be taking part in deciding a child's fate and then how shocked she had been when Gaara came back saying he was now the girl's godfather.
He assumed it was simply a sibling thing.
Shikamaru sighed as Temari asked questions about the girl, barely giving him a chance to answer. "The one thing that I want to know is how anybody could agree to Naruto taking care of a kid when he's being hunted." Temari stated.
"It was simple when we all thought she just needed the Kyuubi's chakra. Now it's turned into this bizarre case. If Naruto wasn't such an idiot, we'd start thinking he knows something we don't."
Shikamaru knocked on the door and stuck his hands in his pocket as they listened to the sound of somebody scrambling around inside. "Who is it?" A child's voice called through the door.
"It's me. I've got a friend from Suna here too." Shikamaru answered with a sigh.
Temari raised an eyebrow as she listened to the sound of something scraping against the door before the door opened up. "Daddy's still sleeping." Hisoka said as she let them into the apartment. "Can I get you two anything?"
This girl was seriously related to Naruto? Temari stared at the girl for a moment before shaking her head slightly and answering, "No thanks. I'm Temari."
"Hisoka." The girl immediately looked at Shikamaru. "Do you want me to get Daddy for you?"
"No, that's okay. Did you take a look at the calendar today?"
Hisoka's eyes lit up as she darted over to a calendar, her messy hair falling into her eyes as she studied it carefully. "It's your turn!" Hisoka laughed as she jumped down and jumped into Shikamaru's arms. "What're we gonna do? Are we gonna take care of the deer again?"
"We can."
"Sugoi!"
She hadn't been around the girl for long and it was already hard not to love her. Temari watched as the girl spun around as fast as she could before laughing when she fell down. "You and spinning. Once you earn a reputation as a kunoichi you'll probably be known as Konoha's Spinning Demon." Shikamaru said with a sigh. "Go get dressed."
"Spinning demon! Spinning demon!" Hisoka sang as she ran to her room.
"Konoha's Spinning Demon?"
Shikamaru sighed slightly before answering, "She's beginning to use demonic chakra to defend herself. Naruto's weaning her, I suppose you could say, to use her natural chakra so each time she takes some of the Kyuubi's chakra, he lets her take less and less. Of course she'll always need it but she's at least storing more of it now for when he's gone."
The blonde watched as the girl ran from her room to Naruto's room before running out, flinching when the girl crashed into a wall. "And that's normal?" Temari questioned.
"For Hi-chan, yes." Shikamaru sighed. "I'd be worried if she didn't crash into something while running."
She might not be a quiet kunoichi but she could already see that the girl had some potential. "Are you going to hang out with us, Miss Temari?" Hisoka asked as Shikamaru turned her around to tie up her hair.
"Yes. Is that okay?"
"Uh huh. Miss Temari, are you Shika's girlfriend?"
The blonde and brunette both sputtered in surprise at the question before Shikamaru managed to regain control over himself. "Has Naruto been telling you stories again?" Shikamaru questioned.
Immediately Hisoka shook her head. "Sai and Sakura have been kinda standing like you two are now and I heard Ino telling Choji that Sakura said that she and Sai were giving a relationship a try. Then Kiba and Hinata give each other funny looks and when I see Neji with TenTen, he acts kinda funny then TenTen blushes. Is it a grownup thing?"
Shikamaru sighed softly to himself before lightly mussing up the girl's bangs. "Just don't tell Naruto, okay? Temari's kind of like a sister to him and it'll be troublesome to me if he decided to get protective."
Hisoka nodded slightly in understanding before looking at Temari with a calculating look. "What?" Temari asked nervously.
"You're pretty."
"Thank you. You're adorable."
The girl stuck out her tongue and wrinkled her nose at the comment before smiling brightly. "Well, Hi-chan, should we all go see if those deer have had their babies yet?" Shikamaru questioned.
"Babies! Babies! Hurry up, let's go!"
Temari smiled softly as the girl began pulling them towards the Nara compound, impatience showing on her entire face. There was the familiar Uzumaki trait she had seen so many times with Naruto and if the blonde's traits were truly genetic then this strange child would indeed go far in the world.
lostmoonchild: I almost grin at the hell that's gonna be raised eventually and am proud to say that Naruto's potential love interest has just now been created. They just won't meet for another few updates cause she was created three days ago. Read and review!