Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and its characters. M rated scenes and proofreading credits goes to Shirahane Aikawa, thanks a lot to her help and kindly read her stories here in this site as well.
Chapter XXXVII
The Past & the Future
"This is serious, do something Naruto!"
Naruto growls and changes into sage mode ready to go in between Sasuke and Shin, however Sakura beat him to it with strength of a hundred seal active she punches Sasuke and Shin to unconsciousness who are both caught off guard with her sudden attack.
Sakura catching her breath, "We should return them back to Konoha and keep them away from each other."
"Yeah…" Naruto said almost in shock at what just happened.
"What happened here?" Shibuki asked who just arrived with two of his shinobi's after hearing the noise coming from their room.
Hinata explained everything that just happened, while Naruto summoned two of his frogs to bring the unconscious Sasuke and Shin back to Konoha.
As they returned to the Leaf Village Hinata decided not to tell the Hokage about what happened. Thinking it'll be the best to solve this matter on their own for now.
Hinata sighed taking her husband's hand to hers, "I'll try my hardest to understand Shin so please I hope you do too Sasuke-kun…" she thought to herself as a sudden idea pop inside her head.
"I might as well visit Shin-kun…"
"Why did you do it?" the little boy asked him while tugging his sleeves.
He knotted his eye brow having no idea what the boy was asking him, "You shouldn't have done it God will punish you…" the little boy said once again giving more question than answer on his head.
"What do you mean?" Shin asked not really understanding what the boy was saying. He then look around the ground was covered in snow Shin knows this place an endless snow…the heavy wind blowing his raven hair, the sky was pitch grey…there were no other people but him and the boy…
What's going on? Where is everyone? Oh I remember, I've been alone from the very beginning ever since then..." He thought.
"Hey look at me!" The little boy demanded tugging on his arm making him gasp in surprise as realization hit him.
"That boy is!"
Shin woke up from his nightmare sitting up while wiping the cold sweat running down his pale skin. That boy was himself…being haunted by yourself is daunting…
Shin stand up but slid himself down the wall his knees up to his chest.
"What am I?" that's a lingering question he kept on seeking for an answer but no matter what he do nothing really came up to him. Things are still fuzzy for him but all he remember that he was so angry since the day his parents were killed by those men.
His train of thought was broken when the bathroom door opened revealing Hinata.
"Oh you're awake…"
"Hn…" he looks away.
"I was here to visit you but you were sleeping…" Hinata said kindly she then went towards the table picking up the brown bag over showing the aloof raven some of the fruits she bought.
"I don't know what fruit you like so I bought many just in case…" She said turning to Shin noticing that his dress shirt wasn't buttoned showing the boy's toned abdomen.
Hinata smiled as she bent down and buttoned his shirt from up to bottom the young Uchiha wife notice Shin looking up to her curiously but didn't mind it. Once she was finished she stood up and walk back towards the table where the fruits are (deciding to peel some apple for the young male)
"Why?" Shin asked making her stop in her tracks.
"Because I care…" Hinata said gently but she then notice Shin's hand trembled until it close into a fist. His lips quivering.
"Shin?" Hinata called out his name.
"I hate you…" Unlike the first time they met his voice now doesn't sound loathing as before.
"I know…"
"The people who murdered my parents are Hyuga's…"
Hinata's eyes widen at the revelation
Unlike Hinata who decided not to tell anyone about what happened, Naruto had told Shikamaru and Kakashi about their last mission. (It's better to be safe than sorry later.)
"Shin has rinnegan and that his tattoo is the same the attackers have?" Shikamaru asked in deep thought while scratching his chin.
"Yes however Sasuke's observation is not yet clear for they weren't able to capture one of the attackers."
"But this is Sasuke a shinobi possessing sharingan who saw the mark on the attacker, there is no mistake on what he just saw."
Kakashi sighs and leans back on his chair, "What are you proposing Shikamaru?"
"We should eliminate Shin as early as possible, for if he is one of the attackers he is nothing but a threat to our village."
"Excellent we are both thinking the same thing."
With Karin's help, Sasuke woke up from his unconsciousness.
"What happened where is the bastard?" Sasuke asked remembering the events that happened before he lost consciousness.
"Well… all I know is he's on your friend's place." Karin shrugs her shoulders.
A few days later…
Sasuke was allowed to leave the hospital and now he's spending time with his beloved wife the two of them decided that they will have a picnic at the park. He was supposed to be blissfully happy however somehow a permanent scowl plastered on his face.
"Mou…Sasuke-kun can you stop scowling like that…" Hinata said quietly to her husband, "Come on Sasuke-kun smile…"
"How can I smile if this bastard is here?!" Sasuke said begrudgingly, how can he suppose to be happy and smile like what his wife wants him to be if Shin is here! She shouldn't expect any emotion from him other than animosity.
"Don't be like that Sasuke-teme we're all here to celebrate!" Naruto said while stuffing his mouth with another daifuku. "Wow these are tasty Hinata!" he complimented.
"Thanks Naruto-kun!"
"Hey! Don't eat while your mouth is full Naruto…" Kiba said while (also) stuffing himself with lamb cutlets.
"Like your any better…" Shinno said as he eats his meat quietly.
"Shut it bug boy!"
"Say ahh Shika-kun!" Ino turned to her fiancé making Shikamaru eat the meat from her chopsticks.
"This is troublesome sheesh…"
Ino twitched, "Come on just say ahhh!"
"Fine…" Shikamaru sighed.
"Do you want me to feed you dear?" Karui asked her husband boringly.
"Nope I'm fine!" Choji said while eating meat after the other.
"Hey leave some meat for us Choji that is not fair!" Lee chimed in.
"Oh come on first come first serve!" Choji quipped.
"Hey Choji! Leave some for the others you hear!" Tenten said turning into her dragon mode (monster mode) scaring Choji and Lee.
"YES!"
"This is hopeless…" The new Hyuga leader sighed.
"Hey Suigetsu don't eat too much! That lot is for Sasuke I cooked those for him you dumbass!" Karin yelled to Suigetsu making the silver head wince at the intensity of his voice.
"Shut up Karin I will eat whatever I want!" Suigetsu growled, annoyed by his team mate's loud voice.
"You ass!"
"Can you guys keep quiet…" Jugo said sternly to the two while drinking his green tea.
"Shin-kun here I cooked some meat for you…" Sakura said giving a plate of meat to Shin who quietly accepted it.
"Thanks…" Shin said quietly, truthfully he still feel the outsider out of them. But Naruto, Sakura and Hinata insist that he join them for dinner. So he did…the group was happy they all have smile to their faces so why can't he smile too?
He tried to smile but he cannot…there's something holding him out but what is it?
Was it really okay to trust them?
Should I trust them?
"I know my clansmen might have something to do with your parents murder, I'm not defending their actions however I hope you find it in your heart to forgive us…Shin I really wanted us to be okay…so I will ask you to trust me…trust us your friends…"
"Hey Shin don't think much come on or else I'll eat your share!" Naruto grinned.
"Leave some for Shin you moron!"
"Ouch Sakura that hurts!"
Watching Naruto and Sakura interact he couldn't help but to smile.
"I can trust them…"
"Don't get lost…"
"I'm not…" Hinata said but Shin already grabbed her hand intertwining their hands together. The hold has no malice and Hinata doesn't mind his touch so she didn't say anything.
That night the market has become even livelier as Hinata and Shin walk around. Hinata felt Shin's grip tighten around her hand as they proceeded through the growing numbers of people he hadn't let go of it since they started to blend in through the people on the way to the market.
Hinata sighed remembering what happened earlier;
"Hey let's go play some game!" Ino exclaimed while doing the unexpected sitting at her fiancé's lap earning them a whistle and a cheer from the others.
"Geez get off Ino!" Shikamaru wanted to complain but truthfully he's happy.
"We're all going to find missing items in our list completing the shopping list will reveal a secret place!"Ino said happily she has discovered a new romantic place for her and her fiancé but decided to share it to anyone who wins the game.
"How do we look for it Ino?" Tenten asked visibly eager to find this place.
"Well first of all we'll pair up!" Ino said picking up her bag to take out a small bottle with papers on it. "Look! Inside this bottle are papers with our names in it…whoever we pick is our partner!"
"Good luck…" Shikamaru said to no one in particular, he already knows the place so he and Ino is out of the game. (And he's thankful for that)
"Oh Great Bug boy and I are partners…" Kiba said distastefully.
"I should be the one to say that Kiba…"
"Sasuke-teme we're partners!" Naruto exclaimed grinning happily.
Sasuke in return face palm himself.
"Sakura we're partners!" Tenten said as the two of them high five.
"Let's do our best Tenten!"
"You bet!"
"I'm with Neji…" Choji said showing them the paper with Neji's name on it causing the new Hyuga leader to nurse his aching forehead.
"What about you Shin who's your partner?" Naruto said while inching closer to the raven.
Instead of answering Shin showed them the paper leaving Sasuke seeing red.
Hinata
Soon both of them are busy trying to find various things on Ino's shopping list.
Lanterns
Fireflies
Water
Moon
"This is an unusual shopping list where are we supposed to buy a moon?" Choji said out loud while reading the list on his hand.
Neji sighed, "Don't you get it? It wasn't something you can buy…"
"What do you mean Neji…"
"These things in the list wasn't a shopping list you have to buy it's a clue where we could find these things in one place…"
Choji gasped in realization.
"So meaning we have to find the place where we could see all these things on the list in one place." Hinata said to Shin.
Shin nodded curtly. He then took a deep breath a familiar scent filled his nose; its slightly sulfury with a pinch of green and briny finish.
"Let's go…"
"Eh…" Hinata surprise as Shin dragged her somewhere.
Finally after a few minutes of walking Hinata is in awe from where she was standing. She could see the ocean shore, the young Uchiha wife is captivated by the lanterns lighting the dim place and fireflies floating around them and then she turn to look up the sky. The clear view of the majestic moon is captivating that Hinata couldn't help but to admire it from where she stand.
"Wow it's really beautiful!"
"It'll be even better if Uchiha is here with you…" Shin shrugs his shoulders.
"Well I'm still happy Sasuke-kun and I can visit this place later but now let's enjoy the place," Hinata said happily.
Shin looks up the sky somehow the moon is giving him headache.
"Let's visit this place together with everyone next time Shin-kun…"
"Yeah…" Shin said solemnly looking away as a quick smile graces his face..
The Next Day
A group of anbu forces came to Naruto's apartment looking for Shin.
"Hey wait what are you guys doing here?" Hinata asked as she saw the anbu member's storm into the room.
"Don't hide him!" A fox masked anbu said
"Wait." Naruto said (squeezing himself inside his home) but the anbu are not giving him any attention as they looked for Shin inside Naruto's apartment.
"Shin…" Hinata thought as she remembers what happen a few minutes ago.
Upon realizing that there are a group of Shinobi approaching the apartment she decided it's best to tell Shin about it but the raven haired boy is quick and was already escaping. Just about time the anbu forces arrived.
"He's gone, where did you hide him Naruto?" A tiger masked anbu said.
"What? But he's just here."
"Never mind, find him!" The fox masked anbu ordered and all the anbu leaped from Naruto's window to find Shin.
"Why are they looking for Shin, I should talk to Kakashi sensei about this." Naruto said to himself and pops out of his apartment to go to the Hokage tower.
!
Reaching the hokage tower, Naruto rushed to Kakashi's office.
"Yes Naruto to what do I owe this visit of yours?" Kakashi asked boringly.
"You know why I am here, why are the anbu forces looking for Shin?"
"Naruto, it will do you well if you will not be involved with this. This is more than friendship at stake."
"What are you talking about?"
"Shin must be eliminated for the good of our village."
Unknown to Kakashi and Naruto, Shin heard everything they are talking about while hiding at the roof of the hokage tower.
"All of them are all the same I can't trust them all…" Shin said bitterly.
"There he is get him!" The fox masked anbu said when he saw Shin.
"I can't let them catch me." Shin said to himself and again run as fast as he could.
"No, Shin just heard our conversation. I won't allow this Kakashi sensei no matter what your reasons are." Naruto said with determination in his voice and leaped off Kakashi's window to go to Sasuke and Hinata's home to ask help from them.
"This is getting more complicated." Kakashi said as he leans his back on his chair.
A disheveled Naruto who was rushing towards Sasuke and Hinata's home surprised the two when they saw him.
"Naruto what's wrong?" Hinata asked worriedly.
"Shin…the anbu forces are looking for him with orders from Kakashi sensei to eliminate him."
"Serves him right for being a traitor." Sasuke said coldly.
"Don't be like that Sasuke-kun he's still our friend. Come Naruto let's go help Shin."
"No." Sasuke said but Hinata still walked towards Naruto however her dizziness got to her again as she fainted in Sasuke arms.
"Hinata!" Sasuke called waking Hinata. "Jugo, call for Karin again, Hinata's sick."
"Hai." Jugo said and rushes out to get Karin.
"What's wrong with Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked worriedly.
"I don't know, maybe she's just stressed with the news."
"What are you planning teme, I know you hate Shin but Hinata obviously cares for him."
Sasuke lays Hinata on their bed gently and sighs deeply.
The five anbu members finally cornered Shin trapping him in a dead end wall.
"Give it up Shin, there is no escape for you now."
"No…I will not die easily." Shin said and activates his rinnegan and releases the Deva path and unleashes Basho Tenin attracting the walls near him crushing it down on all the anbu members sending them to their quick deaths.
"What's that?" Naruto said as he saw the destruction from where he was running.
"Must be from the Konoha market district, we should hurry the fools don't know who they are dealing with." Sasuke said and increases his pace.
"The invasion has begun, we must go now to Konoha and welcome our master." The leader of the intruders who attacked Hyuga compound a few days ago said when he saw what just happened in Konoha.
His team raised their arms and rushed towards Konoha.
The emergency siren of Konoha rang after what Shin did and ordinary citizens are rushed to the underground exit path of the village while all available shinobi are alerted to pursue Shin.
Shin was catching his breath after the destruction he caused, it's been a long time since he last used Basho Tennin and his body are again adjusting to the powerful jutsu he used. As he recuperates his lost strength his memory returned to him.
Flashback
"What do you mean that I will bring you to her?" Shin asked curiously to his master.
"I will hide inside your eye while you will serve as my window towards their world and to her. When the right time comes, you will release me from your eye and I will take her with me and destroy her pathetic village and world."
"And if I don't agree?"
"You know what will happen Shin but in case you forgot, your sister will get what she deserves if you will not do as I say." Shin's master a handsome man who is smaller than him with shaggy white hair and eyes with blue pupils surrounded with flower like irises, wearing a white, high collared ceremonial kimono with a yellow sash tied over his right shoulder and a black sash around his waist said.
Shin reluctantly agrees with his master's plan.
"There he is!" Lee said when he saw Shin.
Sai opens up his scroll and immediately draws two large tigers, "Super Beast Imitating Drawing!"
The two large tigers Sai draw came to life and attacked Shin.
"Shinra Tensei!" Shin extends his hand and a strong force released from his hand destroys Sai's tigers.
When Sai's tigers are destroyed, the ex anbu muttered, "What?"
"Open gate of joy." Lee said and was about to do Morning Peacock on Shin.
"Blocking Technique Absorption Seal." Shin said and absorbed all of Lee's chakra when he got close to him, weakening Lee in the process.
"Leave me alone if you want to live." Shin warned coldly and leaped away from Lee and Sai.
Sai rushed towards Lee, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, you should follow him." Lee said weakly before losing consciousness.
Sai draw a large dove and rode it to follow Shin.
Shin reached the middle of Konoha where he was surrounded by Konoha shinobis.
"Shin, listen if you will just say the truth they won't harm you." Naruto said pleading with Shin.
Shin laughed, "Pathetic losers, it's your fault for being too trusting Naruto. Now you will live the rest of your life knowing that you befriended the destroyer of your village."
Shin does complicated hand seals, "Release!"
A blinding light surrounded Shin as he was screaming in pain until his master materialized outside of his eye.
"Who are you?" Naruto asked upon seeing a handsome white haired man floating in front of Shin.
"Otsutsuki Toneri, and I will destroy this world!"
Author's Note:Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites and to those reading SH. The Shin and Hinata's scene, picnic scene and Ino's game are courtesy of my good friend and beta Shirahane Aikawa. Ok so finally Shin's purpose is revealed and with Toneri showing in the end things are just getting exciting for SH. I hope all of you enjoy this plot twist and again I am grateful to all of your support especially to those who have been there reading this since the first time I posted the first chapter when it was still unbeta'd. Anyway I'll see all of you again next week and enjoy reading. Kindly leave your thoughts for this chapter on the review box that I am always reading, getting my inspiration from in writing new chapters. I updated this today and I'm sorry for the confusion.