A/N: Hey guys, decided to bust out this new chapter for you just before the holidays so Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays! Now you'll probably notice that this chapter is long. Longer than usual. To be honest the longest chapter to date. Why, you ask? Multiple reasons but here are a few. 1) I was so incredibly done with this whole hospital scene. Honestly I was starting to feel trapped there just like Naruto does. 2) This chapter has everything: drama, comedy, suspense, a dash of citrus (yes, I'm serious), and lot's of NaruHina fluff. 3) After this chapter things will begin to pick up so I wanted to get just a little more down time with the character's relationships before the action starts rolling again.
Now this chapter might seem a little all over the place. If it does, I'm sorry. I debated on breaking this into two chapters but I just couldn't bear the thought of having another chapter in the hospital. Honestly, I was feeling claustrophobic. Personally I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out though and I feel like I especially nailed the interactions between Naruto and Kyuubi as well as with Naruto and Hinata.
Thank you for the reviews from last chapter everyone. They made me extremely happy to see that you were all excited by the sudden twist in the story. I can assure you that in this chapter the twist will only get more twisted so hang on! As usual, please review, especially for this chapter since I'm excited to see what your reactions will be. As roamer79 said it best, reviews are the life blood of an author. Anyways, here's the chapter, enjoy!
Last Time: Sakura began her surgery on Sasuke to replace his eyes with Itachi's. After asking her how long it would take, Sakura replied about two weeks to which Madara seemed pleased to hear. However, refusing to go into details he told Sakura that when the time came he would tell her his plan. In Konoha, Naruto was having difficulty focusing on his report so he took some time to speak with Kyuubi. After getting into an extremely aggressive fight with Kyuubi, the demon forced Naruto to finally experience the unfinished dream he kept having in full. Walking into the room, Naruto finally found the identity of the person that was on the hospital bed to be Hinata. At the same time at the Interrogation Department, Neji was questioning Karin on her background. After managing to get her to open up about her past, the two shared a rather unique experience together. Leaving for the day, Neji said he would return the next day to question her further which Karin found herself looking forward to. Now, one to this chapter!
Chapter 18: Fuck Fate!
"Hina…ta…?"
Naruto found himself rooted to the spot where he stood as he took in the broken and frail form of the girl that had come to mean so much to him. He felt many things, but in the pit of his stomach he felt a nauseous feeling beginning to build up in him. A sickening feeling that made Naruto want to throw up, not out of disgust but because in his mind he was being overwhelmed by an uncontrollable fear from what he was seeing. Although his eyes saw it, his mind refused, rejected, even fought the very idea that Hinata was dying in front of him. He couldn't breathe, his body went numb, his hands began to shake, and his knees suddenly became weak. His eyes grew wider and wider as the realization set in that what he saw was real, and no matter how much he refused to believe it, the scene before him would not go away.
Hinata's head turned slightly to the side when she heard Naruto say her name. As her eyes fell upon him they brighten slightly at seeing her love standing there before they saddened. Not because she was dying but because she felt as if she had failed him in some way. It was so strong that it was almost palatable in the room. With what little strength Hinata had remaining, Naruto watched as she lifted her frail arm and held it out to him.
"Naruto-kun..." She whispered.
Naruto didn't remember moving but suddenly he found himself at her bedside clasping the hand she held out to him in his.
"Naruto-kun…I'm sorry." She said weakly as her pale lavender eyes stared into his misting blue ones. They held a great sadness in them that only he could relate to, but he couldn't understand why he saw it there.
"Shhh, it's okay Hime." Naruto said quietly as he attempted to smile. "Save your strength so Sakura and Baa-chan can fix you up, okay?"
Hinata closed her eyes and shook her head slightly before looking at him again. Although her eyes held great pain she managed a weak smile to grace her lips. "Thank you…Naruto-kun."
"For what?" Naruto barely choked out as a lump rose in his throat and he struggled to breathe. The way she looked at him made his heart flutter and tore it apart at the same time.
Moving his hand to press up against her cheek, she looked up at him as tears filled her saddened eyes. "For making me…the happiest woman…alive."
It was at that point Naruto saw the most beautiful gold ring he had ever seen on Hinata's hand. Carved into the ring, in great detail, was a fox with its mouth open and sporting nine tails. It was wrapped around the entire ring so it look as if it were chasing its' own tails and carved so meticulously it was the ring itself. The amount of detail was truly stunning but his eyes widened as they traveled from her hand down to his very own and saw a matching ring around his finger as well. Suddenly, Naruto felt as if he had a mountain crushing down on top of him. Falling to his knees, he gripped Hinata's hand and held it against his face as tears began to fall from his eyes.
"Please," Naruto begged quietly from the bottom of his heart as he tightly closed his eyes. "Please don't leave me."
He felt Hinata's hand caress his cheek softly and he leaned into it before looking up into her own tear stricken eyes. "I'm sorry koishii…I'm sorry that I…wasn't…strong enough…for the…both…of us."
"You are strong!" Naruto said softly through tears as he held her hand against his cheek. "I'm fine, so please get better."
"No…" Hinata said sadly as more tears fell down her face. "I failed us…"
Naruto didn't understand what she meant until he noticed she had shifted her other hand to rest it gently over her stomach. At first he was confused by her action but then it suddenly all made sense as it finally hit home.
They were married and Hinata was pregnant. Naruto finally had everything he ever wanted: someone to love and that loved him in return. Someone he could build his own family with, that he could love, protect, and watch grow. But now it was being torn away from him. As soon as he learned that he finally had what he wanted most it was being ripped away from him in an instant.
Unable to see any longer because of his tears, Naruto stood up and pulled Hinata to him. Slipping one arm under her neck to carefully cradle her he brought the other one up to place it on her cheek. Putting their foreheads together he spoke.
"Please don't leave me." he begged again as he began to sob uncontrollably. He could feel his very soul being torn apart. "Please for the love of God Hinata, don't leave me. I can't…I can't do this without you."
"Naruto…" Hinata said somewhat strained even as quiet as it was.
Pulling back his head slightly, Naruto looked into the teary pale lavender eyes of his wife.
"Don't ever…forget." Hinata said softly as her breathing became shallow. "That I…will always…love…you."
As the words left Hinata's lips so did the light from her eyes leaving them dull and distant.
"Don't go." He whispered back in agonizing pain as he put his head back against hers.
Tightening his hold on his wife's body he couldn't help it as his own shook uncontrollably and he repeated it over and over again, convinced that if he said it enough he could bring her back, bring his family back. Finally, after several minutes he tilted his head back and let loose an agonizing soul wrenching scream that was filled with pain, loneliness, and frustration.
As Naruto screamed, the world around him dissolved away into darkness leaving him suspended in a black void again. It took him several minutes to calm down and get his breathing back under control, but he finally managed to regain his composure even if he still felt shaken to the core. Then, as quickly as the world around him had disappeared a new one reappeared, except this time Naruto saw himself. For the next few minutes he watched as his life flashed before his eyes in fast forward.
He saw himself standing in front of two graves, one normal headstone and a tiny one next to it. He watched as he locked himself away in isolation and refused to see his friends. He watched himself as bags grew under his eyes and he slept less and less while the presence around him lost all of its life, becoming cold and dark. He watched as he defeated the Akatsuki and Madara at the cost of thousands of others' lives and didn't even feel one bit of sadness for them. He watched as he finally snapped and deserted the village, only to have Sasuke and the others go after him. And then he watched as he killed his best friend when he finally caught up and confronted him.
However, the worst vision came last as Naruto watched himself return to the very village he had sworn to protect and release the Kyuubi, allowing it to run rampant and raze the village to the ground killing everyone that lived there.
Through all the visions Naruto tried to stop them, to say something, to call out to someone but all that left his throat was silence. He tried to scold himself angrily when he slammed the door in Sakura's face and sent her away crying. He called out to Tsunade in loneliness to stop as she left him standing in front of the graves of his wife and child. He cried out helplessly as he watched countless shinobi fall but didn't even bat an eye. He screamed in despair as he killed Sasuke, and he shouted in agony as he watched his beloved village burn to the ground around Kyuubi. Yet no matter how loud he tried to be, no matter how much he struggled, no matter how hard he fought no sound escaped his lips. Struggling to be heard but not being acknowledged by anyone Naruto felt himself begin to slip into despair.
As the world of his mindscape returned around him, Naruto slumped to his knees as his eyes glazed over and his mind tried to process everything.
After a moment of silence Kyuubi finally spoke. "You have now seen what will come to pass if you continue to pursue this relationship with the Hyuuga. Tell me; is that brief moment of happiness truly worth the endless suffering and pain? Is it worth the destruction of the world?"
Looking out into the rain Kyuubi said softly, "You and I both know it isn't. Our lives are ones meant to be filled with loneliness. We can never permit others to get close to us in such ways as you desire."
Turning his head back to look at Naruto, Kyuubi's face held one of remorse. "I'm sorry you had to see that Naruto. I never wanted to show you but you left me no choice. Your subconscious fought me every step of the way but in the end it admitted defeat because it knew I was right."
Naruto remained silent, giving no indication that he heard the fox. However, he did hear him and it only sent Naruto spiraling down further into despair.
"This isn't fair." Naruto thought bitterly. "Am I truly meant to be alone in this world? Is there no other companion for me other than Kyuubi?"
At this thought Naruto finally shifted his gaze up to look at the fox before him.
"Will wanting a relationship with Hinata, prove to be her downfall as well as the worlds?" A sudden wave of guilt and sadness washed over Naruto. "It isn't fair…why do I have to have this burden?" He asked himself angrily as he looked down and felt the sting of tears in his eyes.
"Why do I have to have this fate?!" he asked himself desperately.
Suddenly memories of the chunin exams flashed in Naruto's mind and he remembered the conversation he had with Neji. He remembered how bitter Neji was over fate, and believed that no one could change it. Most importantly though, Naruto remembered showing Neji that they were in control of their own fates. They were in charge of their own destinies. It didn't matter what others said, the only thing that mattered was what you decided.
"Guess I better take my own damn advice then." Naruto thought with a smirk.
The smirk did not go unnoticed as Kyuubi asked. "What's so funny?"
"That was a neat little trick you just did there." Naruto said standing slowly and then looking Kyuubi in the eyes. "Tell me, now that it's over will you stop invading my dreams with it so I can get a decent nights rest?"
Kyuubi saw the old glint of determination return to his keeper's eyes and growled. "She will die and so will everyone else that you love."
"Maybe." Naruto said with a shrug. "But then again, maybe not."
"Baka! Are you saying that what I just showed you means nothing to you? That your very fate means nothing?!" Kyuubi asked in outrage.
"Oh sure it means something." Naruto said waving him off. "It means I have to get stronger if I want to protect Hinata-chan and the rest of the world."
Kyuubi sat there stunned for a moment at what Naruto said but eventually found his voice. "She will be the end of us kit." he said almost fearfully.
Naruto cocked his head and smirked. "Careful Kyuubi, there for a moment you sounded like you had more than one emotion."
Kyuubi responded by narrowing his eyes and growling at the blonde.
Naruto shook his head and sighed before turning his back to the fox and looking out at the rain. "One day. One day I'll cure you of all that hate you hold inside of you."
Looking over his shoulder at the fox he gave him a small smile before looking back out at the rain. "I hope that one day I'll finally get to know you. That one day you'll finally let me in and allow me to cure you of your loneliness."
Upon hearing what Naruto said Kyuubi snarled viciously.
"As if!" He shouted drawing his claws back and slashing through Naruto, ejecting him from his mindscape.
Turning his gaze out to the rain Kyuubi's scowl softened slowly until it was replaced by a sorrowful look. Looking out at the endless rain as it fell from the sky Kyuubi felt his own despair begin to grow.
"Naruto," he said quietly, "if there's one thing that you should know about me it's this. In all of the ages, in this entire world there is only one thing I truly hate..."
Pausing for a moment he looked up at the sky and felt grief wash over him before saying, "The rain…"
Lowering his head, Kyuubi began to shrink in size as his anger faded. "I hate the way it falls from the sky as if heaven itself is crying to me…"
Reaching human size Kyuubi continued to shrink as his sadness grew. "I hate the way the rain drenches everything, covering it with its' cold wet despair…"
Reaching the size of a dog he still continued to shrink as pain filled him. "I hate the way it reminds me of my loneliness with its icy heartless taunts…"
Finally coming to the size of a fox, Kyuubi stopped and made his way over to the trunk of the tree and lay down before covering himself protectively with his tails. "But most importantly, I hate the way it reminds me of what I've lost."
Closing his eyes, images of a redheaded woman smiling and laughing filled his thoughts and a single tear fell from his eye.
"Kushina…" he mumbled painfully.
The only response was the sound of cold despairing rain as it fell from the heavens.
OOO
Sasuke was lying in his bed in a state of blissful darkness. He had awakened while he was being carted to his room but had remained quiet still wanting to enjoy his pain free consciousness in peace. After being put into his bed he heard Sakura order Zetsu out of the room so he could rest properly. As he lay there, he listened to Sakura go about the room moving and putting things away. His concentration started to become somewhat strained as a dull pain began to return to his eyes but it didn't last long as he heard Sakura move closer to him. Lying there he listened to her as she started to hum a slow tune before breaking out into a soft lullaby. His mind began to drift as he listened to her voice float along the air in a sweet melody. He was so lost in her lullaby that he didn't even realize she was standing next to him until he felt her hand softly touch his temple and waves of relief began to wash through him.
It was a soft touch, but it spoke volumes to him. The care and love he felt from her touch was something he hadn't experienced since his mother had died. A soft moan escaped him as Sasuke ever so slightly leaned into her hand. Sakura for her part didn't seem to notice as she continued to sing her sweet lullaby. Moving her hand up to his hair, she began to run her hand through it gently while continuing to sing. Sasuke had effectively become putty in her hands and as he drifted off to sleep the last thought that ran his head was, "She would make a great mother."
OOO
In another part of the cave hideout that Sasuke and Sakura were currently in, Madara sat at a desk with only a single candle lit as his light. He was looking over some reports that Kisame had just recently sent and was amused to find that he had entered the Hidden Cloud Village so easily.
Sensing a presence behind him, Madara didn't even bother to turn around as he spoke. "What news do you have, Zetsu?"
"It would appear that our contact in the Hidden Leaf has come across an item that he says would greatly interest you." The black human plant hybrid said in a low gravely tone.
"Unless it has something to do with the Kyuubi container then I highly doubt it." Madara said dismissively.
"Well as a matter of fact it does." The white half said with mirth. "Something along the lines of part of the Kyuubi's chakra source sealed away."
Madara froze in his reading but showed no outward signs of surprise. He slowly turned in his seat and looked at the contrasting man before him.
"Is it possible to gain access to this item?" Madara asked evenly.
"It's heavily guarded, but possible nonetheless.It will take careful planning but nothing is beyond our capabilities. Shall we make personal contact with our agent?" Zetsu asked.
"Yes," Madara said. Then after a pause he added, "But only you Black Zetsu."
"As you wish." The black half of Zetsu said as he pulled away from his white half and sunk into the ground.
"Aw, why does he get to have all the fun?" White Zetsu complained childishly.
"Because I have a more important task for you." Madara answered bluntly.
"Oh? Something more important than getting our hands on the Kyuubi's chakra? What could it possibly be?" Zetsu asked interested.
"I want you to keep an eye on our new medic. Regardless of her display at the bridge I doubt her intentions for joining our cause." Madara answered as his single eye narrowed.
"Thinking she may be here to sway the young Uchiha?"The plant man asked with a grin.
"I could care less if she did." Madara said bluntly. "Sasuke is a tool waiting to be used. If he should somehow prove to be useless then I'll deal with him personally. No, I'm more concerned with Sakura potentially revealing our hand before we are ready."
"Then why not kill her?" Zetsu asked confused.
"Because despite what Sasuke says and thinks, he is not the cold hearted killer he believes himself to be. Deep down he is still just a sniveling little brat that is crying for some kind of attention. If we kill the girl then the only person that has gone out of their way to give him attention will be gone and we could lose him." Madara said as he turned back to his reports.
"You almost sound scared of him Tobi."Zetsu said with a chuckle.
Scoffing at the idea Madara replied, "There is no way I would fear a weakling such as he. With all that destructive potential pent up in him I just think it would be more valuable to direct it back at his home village rather than having to waist our precious time dealing with him."
"You're too cruel." Zetsu said with a grin as he shook his head.
"If that's what it takes to end this accursed world, then so be it." Madara said catching a glint in his eye. "Now be off, I need to finish looking over these reports."
Without another word White Zetsu sunk into the ground leaving Madara to contemplate his upcoming tasks.
OOO
Hinata moaned softly to herself as she attempted to force herself back to the dream she was awaking from. Burying her head deeper into the pillow, she tried to let her mind drift back to the images of Naruto shirtless and holding her close against his well formed body. Unfortunately, she only succeeded in making herself blush. Finally resigning herself to consciousness, Hinata slowly opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling of the hospital listening to the sounds of the village. The gently blowing of the breeze, the laughter of children playing, the sounds of construction off in the distance, and the soft scribbling on paper.
"Scribbling?" Hinata asked confused before sitting up and looking in front of her where the noise was coming from.
Sitting in front of her was Naruto, who was surrounded in paper and scribbling away madly with a crayon. Seeing Naruto engulfed in his work, Hinata had to fight back the urge to pass out again after remembering what had happened earlier.
Finding her voice, Hinata asked quietly. "A-Ano, I d-don't think the H-Hokage will want her r-report in c-crayon, Naruto-kun."
Naruto's head snapped up as soon as he heard the soft voice and he couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face.
"Glad to see you're finally awake Hinata." He said excitedly. "You don't think that Obaa-chan will like this kind of report?"
As he asked this, Naruto held up an extremely crude drawing of stick people fighting in a barren looking area. From what Hinata could gather, the orange stick figure with yellow hair was supposed to be him while the black stick figure with orange hair was meant to be Pain. The circle that was drawn around the black stick figure like some type of barrier seemed to further clarify her assumption.
Doing her best to stifle a giggle she said quietly, "I'm p-pretty sure Lady Tsunade will w-want a written r-report, Naruto-kun."
"Meh, I got bored of writing." Naruto said with a shrug. "But then I got the great idea to draw the report instead. I'll leave the writing to the boss, this is more fun anyways."
Naruto noticed the look of confusion on Hinata's face so he pointed out the window and said, "The 'real' me is outside right now."
"Oh." was all Hinata said as she looked out the window.
She felt slightly embarrassed at not knowing that the Naruto in front of her was a shadow clone but she ignored it and asked another question. "W-What are you…w-what is he d-doing?"
"Talking to the furball." the clone said as he continued to color.
"Furball?" Hinata asked confused even more now.
"Kyuubi." The clone said absent mindedly but then its' head quickly snapped up in horror. "Oops."
Hinata tried to hide her shock but it proved to be too much. She was surprised to hear that Naruto communicated with the demon and judging from the clones reaction on a regular basis as well. However, she also noticed that the clone looked almost scared of what she thought of Naruto now and couldn't help but feel her heart break a little.
"It's o-okay N-Naruto-kun. Your secret is s-safe with me." Hinata said trying to reassure the clone. She was a little concerned that Naruto was talking to the demon, but she trusted the blonde to know what he was doing.
The clone nodded but seemed to lose the light around it as it stared at the drawing in its lap. An awkward silence fell upon them and it soon became too unbearable for the Hyuuga princess. Looking for a way out to help clear the tension, Hinata jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.
"I-I'm g-going to g-get a sh-shower." Hinata said quickly, glad that she was turned away from the clone so it couldn't see her blushing.
It may have been a clone, but it was a clone of the man she loved and had very mature dreams about; dreams that had only gotten worse since they started sharing a room together. The very thought of being naked with only a single door separating them was dizzying and was enough to get her worked up.
Stepping into the bathroom, Hinata quickly locked the door behind her and stripped down. She then turned the shower on and jumped in to wash away the dirt and grime that had been on her since her 'meltdown' as she called it. However, it wasn't long before her thoughts drifted back to Naruto and the dream she had of him early that day. Without even realizing it, her left hand started to gently massage her breasts while her right hand started to slowly slide down her wet body to her hips. When her thoughts suddenly turned to Naruto standing in the room with only a towel on and holding her against his lean cut chest she suddenly became incredibly weak-kneed. A familiar warmth suddenly returned between her legs that she felt so many times before when thinking those kinds of thoughts. However, when the memory of Naruto naked and holding her surfaced there was a sudden explosion of pleasure that rocked through Hinata's body causing her to close her eyes tightly as her breath hitched in her throat. It was then she realized that her fingers had finally managed to slip down between her legs and begin to stroke her sensitive spot.
"Oh my god what is wrong with me!?" Hinata thought as she froze for a moment. "Naruto-kun is just on the other side of that door!"
However, in her attempt to stop, she inadvertently squeezed one of her nipples sending another wave of pleasure through her body and kick started her fingers again.
"No, no I can't! This isn't like me…" Hinata thought desperately as her fingers slid painstakingly slow over her pleasure bump.
It was the truth though; Hinata had never actually touched herself before and would have never dreamed of doing it in such a public place. However, with everything that had happened between her and Naruto lately, combined with the dreams she constantly had, Hinata was the very definition of horny.
Biting her lower lip, she glanced towards the bathroom door. "Well…it is just a clone after all…"
Her fingers seemed to accept that as enough of an excuse and suddenly began moving on their own accord. Hinata's breathing started to become quick as her fingers began moving in quick circles around her nub and her other hand became more aggressive with kneading her breasts. After a few minutes Hinata suddenly found her legs unable to support herself as tingling sensations started to creep up them and a knot started to form in her stomach. Leaning up against the wall, the knot in her stomach began to tighten even more as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her body. Having never actually done this before, Hinata was new to these feelings of pleasure and found she wanted more and more of it. Giving her nipple another squeeze, Hinata closed her eyes as another wave of pleasure coursed through her body. Panting in ecstasy, she could feel herself rapidly approaching an edge as the knot in her stomach tightened even more. Her hand moved faster and faster between her legs as her fantasies played out in her mind. Giving her nipple one more squeeze, Hinata's body jerked as a much bigger jolt of pleasure racked her body and she couldn't help it as moan escaped her lips.
Hinata froze as soon as the noise left her lips. Her eyes snapped open and a blush quickly spread across her face as she realized at what had just happened.
"Oh kami, please tell me he didn't hear that!"
OOO
The clone of Naruto was sitting in his bed doing his very best to focus on the drawing in front of him. However, the poor excuse of a master piece warranted little attention and occasionally his eyes would begin to drift towards the door of the bathroom. He quickly avert them back to his paper again when he realized that they drifted to the door once again. His mind was not so forgiving however, and suddenly images of Hinata's wet form began to appear in his head with the steam from the shower providing the only form of protection against his eyes.
"Stop it! Stop being a perv!" The clone demanded as he closed his eyes tight.
It was at that point he heard a soft drawn out moan come from the bathroom. The clone's eyes shot open in surprise and he craned his neck towards the bathroom as his imagination came back in full force and his mind began to wander once again. He felt something trickling out of his nose and touched and hand to it and pulled it back to find out it was blood.
Furrowing his eyebrows he said, "Ah quit it! It's not like she's in there thinking about m- ACHOO!"
The clone's eyes grew even wider as it stared at the bathroom door before clamping a hand down on his nose to keep himself from bleeding out and dispelling.
OOO
Hinata quickly finished her shower in an icy, cold, embarrassing silence. Grabbing a towel to dry off, she stepped out of the shower and reach for her clothes only to suddenly find herself in the same predicament Naruto was in earlier that day. Cursing herself mentally a thousand times over for her mistake a blush began to appear on her face as she realized what she had to do.
Wrapping the towel back around her, she cracked the door open just a hair and called out quietly. "N-N-Naruto-kun? A-Are y-y-you th-there?"
When no response came she opened the door a little wider and called out once more, but silence was once again the only response.
Deciding to risk it, Hinata took a deep breath and opened the door wide enough for her to poke her head out. Looking at the beds, she realized that the clone was no longer in the room. Thinking that it had most likely dispelled itself, Hinata opened the door the rest of the way and walked into the room much more comfortably. Reaching her bed, she quickly reached into her bag of clothes and found a deep lavender thong. It was at that point Hinata realized that Hanabi was apparently going for looks and not comfort. Cursing her sister's subtle way of 'sluting her up' as Ino would put it, Hinata slipped the thong on and began digging through the bag dreading to find what bra Hanabi had picked out for her. It was at that exact moment when Hinata's world came to a screeching halt.
"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto said as he entered the room and seeing that the bathroom was open assumed she was in bed. "Now that you're out how about you help m…m…m…Oh. My. God."
As Naruto's eyes turned from the bathroom to the beds his mind suddenly refused to work properly. Maybe it was the stress from having to write the report for Tsunade. Maybe it was from all the thoughts of the recent events that took place. Or maybe, perhaps, the current reason for the coup d'état of Naruto's brain was the pair of alabaster butt cheeks in a dark lavender thong just peeking out from beneath a towel that was wrapped tightly around an extremely curvaceous midnight haired bluenette.
As his eyes slowly traveled up they drank in her form until they settled on her sizable chest for just a split second due to the fact that it seemed to be just barely contained by the towel. Her hair fell in a wet tangled mess down her sides and back and the sheen of water that dripped down her and slowly rolled across her skin made her look like a goddess. The blush that was across her face was both innocent and seductive at the same time and Naruto quickly felt a tightness in his pants beginning to grow.
Hinata wanted to scream but the combination of surprise and embarrassment caused her throat to constrict to the point where she could barely breathe.
Naruto wanted to say something but the only legible word that was otherwise lost in babbling nonsense was "heaven." Shortly after that a jet stream of blood rocketed out of his nose and sent him crashing backwards causing him to disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Hinata blinked once, then twice, then three times before she let out a huge breath that she didn't even realize she was holding.
"It was just a clone, thank kami!" Hinata silently thanked. "I don't know what I would have done if it was actually him." Her blush suddenly deepened at what would have happened if it was actually Naruto and a small piece of her secretly wished it had been.
However, another voice from the door to her room gained her attention and she froze again in fear but she quickly relaxed when she saw it was her friend.
"Hey Naruto, I told you to wait up damn it!" Tenten shouted as she entered the room with her arm in a sling. When she saw Hinata standing there looking slightly embarrassed and indecent she got a smirk on her face before saying, "Can't you two keep your clothes on when you're together?"
Hinata's face suddenly heated up even more as the memories of what had happened earlier resurfaced earning a snicker from Tenten.
Trying to save face Hinata stuttered a response. "I-It w-was just a c-clone Tenten. I-It's n-n-not like h-he actually s-saw m-me!"
"Wait that was a shadow clone?" Tenten asked confused. Hinata responded with a nod causing Tenten to grin evilly. "You do realize that the original gains all the memories of their clones right?"
"Kill Me!" Hinata screamed as she buried her face in her hands and Tenten laughed hysterically.
OOO
Naruto had just stood up from sitting against the tree and stretched. As he did this he was suddenly hit with the memories of his clone. As he shifted through the memories the emotions played across his face. First he scowled at the clone's laziness for giving up on writing some of the report. Then it quickly changed to wide-eyed at the clone's slip of the tongue and now Hinata knew his secret of talking to Kyuubi. He was taken by surprise when he suddenly felt a fear seize his heart at what Hinata might think of him now. However, the thought didn't last long as the final memory surfaced.
Naruto's eyes suddenly glazed over a goofy smile started to spread across his face. Blood suddenly threatened to spill from his nose as the images of the nearly naked Hyuuga princess appeared in his mind. He committed every image to memory, burning it into his mind never wanting to forget a single curve that made up Hinata's body.
"Man I'm such a perv." Naruto thought, but quickly dismissed it due to the fact of having been influenced by the people that trained him.
Suddenly Naruto felt a desire to go see her. He wasn't sure why but he definitely knew that he wanted to talk to Hinata. About what Naruto hadn't the slightest clue but after the conversation with Kyuubi he was curious to see where things could lead.
Leaping back up to the second floor, Naruto was about to enter the window when he heard Tenten's voice and quickly moved to the side to listen. He could tell just from listening that Hinata was uncomfortable with the conversation they were having. It was apparent that Tenten was interrogating her and as much as he would have liked to come to Hinata's rescue, he felt it was unnecessary to get dragged into the interrogation as well.
Silently wishing Hinata the best, Naruto was about to jump away and go get some late afternoon ramen when he heard a crash come from the hospital a little ways down. Deciding to investigate, Naruto ran outside the building until he came to a stop outside of a window a few rooms down from his. Peeking inside the window Naruto saw someone thrashing around on a hospital bed yelling as he was being held down by a doctor and another man dressed in all green. After processing what he saw for a second, Naruto realized that it was Lee in the bed and that Guy was attempting to subdue his student. Naruto rolled his eyes at the master and student's antics but was relieved nonetheless that Lee was awake and apparently okay. Deciding that Guy could use a hand as he seemed to be struggling, Naruto popped open the window to the room and slipped in.
Walking up behind Guy, he clapped him on the shoulder scaring the preoccupied jonin sensei saying, "Heya Bushier Brow-sensei, need some help?"
"Ah, Naruto-kun!" Guy said boisterously but somewhat struggled as he ignored his students shouting. "I'm so glad to see that your fires of youth could not be extinguished! But to answer your question, yes, some assistance would be appreciated!"
Naruto snickered at the man struggling to contain his student and was about to assist until Lee suddenly grabbed Naruto by the shirt and pulled him inches away from his face.
"Naruto!" Lee said haggard. "Please tell me Tenten is okay!"
Naruto blinked once and only got as far as saying, "Uhhh."
Finding it an unacceptable answer, Lee suddenly gained some supernatural powers and flung Naruto into Guy sending them both crashing into a wall. He then proceeded to flop out of bed and pull himself to his feet before quickly hobbling out of the room yelling Tenten's name.
Naruto slowly regained his bearings and was surprised at how little it hurt being thrown into a wall with such force. Looking behind him he saw that the reason for such a soft landing came in the form a green clad man who was currently chasing little Lee's around his head.
"Oh Lee, your fires burn so brightly." Gai mumbled happily.
"Uh, right. Thanks Bushier Brow-sensei!" Naruto said as he stood up dusting himself off and quickly following after Lee.
It wasn't hard to guess where Lee had gone. Apart from his voice which was ringing through the hallways he also left a path of destruction in his wake in the form of nurses, doctors, and carts knocked over. Running past them all, Naruto was surprised that for someone who was weak and limping around Lee was still incredibly fast. Finally catching up to Lee, Naruto leapt at him in an attempt to tackle him to the floor when laughter suddenly erupted from the room Lee was next to.
"Tenten!" Lee shouted desperately.
"Lee?" Tenten's voice called out questioningly.
That was all Lee needed to hear as he barged into the room. With Lee no longer occupying the space that Naruto was aiming for, Naruto suddenly found himself left with nothing but air as he sailed past the room and face planted. Standing up slowly muttering about how he'd make sure the green beast of Konoha would never walk again, he followed him into the room. When he entered he found both Lee and Tenten fussing over each other's wounds with Hinata sitting on the side of her bed, thankfully fully dressed in pants and a t-shirt.
Naruto couldn't help but smile and caught Hinata out of the corner of his eye smiling as well as Lee seemed to ignore Tenten's protesting and blushes as he embraced her in a huge bear hug. Saying he had been so worried about her Tenten could only blush more as she sputtered out a thank you and looked away from him when he finally released her. However, she was saved from further embarrassment as Guy appeared and cleared his throat.
"As much as I enjoy seeing my students so joyfully reunite with each other, I'm going to have to ask you that you return to your room Lee." Guy said sternly.
"But Guy-sensei-" Lee started but was cut off.
"-It's not up for discussion Lee, now move it!" Guy said as he pointed out the room.
"Yes, Guy-sensei." Lee said depressed as he got up and began to limp to the door.
"Here Lee, let me help." Tenten said quietly as she moved to support Lee against her.
Lee suddenly brightened up as he happily accepted Tenten's support and the three quickly left the room leaving Naruto and Hinata by themselves.
Turning away from the door Naruto blew out a breath as he looked at the mess of papers his clone left behind.
"Well, I guess I better get back to it." He said somewhat depressed.
"D-Do you w-want some help, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked shyly.
"That would be great, Hime." Naruto said with an appreciative smile.
Hinata blushed and gave a small smile in return before making her way over to him. When she reached him, she stood behind him as he sat looking over his work. Bending over to read what was written so far she felt Naruto suddenly go rigid causing Hinata to think something was wrong
"U-Um, H-H-Hinata?" Naruto stuttered out glad she couldn't see his face which was burning red.
"Y-Yes, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked hesitantly.
"C-Could you p-please put your j-j-jacket on?" Naruto asked almost pleadingly.
It was at that point that Hinata realized that she was indeed not wearing her jacket. To further cause her embarrassment she hadn't realized that her chest was pushing up against Naruto's back as she read over his report. Standing up suddenly, Hinata could only simply walk back over to her bed before throwing her jacket on and zipping it up quickly. Climbing into her bed she quickly pulled her knees up too her and grabbed her favorite book that Hanabi had left before opening it and burying her face inside.
Naruto was confused by Hinata's sudden change in mood and voiced his concerns. "Um, Hinata? What about the report?"
Peeking over her book Hinata answered quickly. "It l-looks fine, Naruto-kun. Y-You're a n-natural."
"Oh. Okay." Was all Naruto could get out as he looked back down at his report wondering what in the world had gotten into Hinata.
Across the room Hinata continued to hide her feverishly burning blush behind her book as she thought about what had just happened.
"He reacted so weird when I was pushed up against him. Does that mean he doesn't feel attracted to me?" Hinata asked worried. However, that thought was quickly shot down. "No, Naruto-kun actually started to stutter, it was so cute! Which means…he actually liked what just happened! Which also means…he liked what he saw!"
Hinata felt her heart begin to race as her breathing became slightly erratic. Forcing herself to focus so she wouldn't pass out, Hinata had to resist the urge to do her happy dance which was usually only seen when she ate her cinnamon rolls.
OOO
Hanabi was walking through the compound after just finishing up a sparring match with her father and allowed her mind to drift to her sister. Not surprisingly she found herself once again wishing that Hinata was back so she could have someone to talk to. She may have been Hanabi's sister, but Hinata truly was much more like a mother to her and she missed being able to confide in her.
Hanabi was brought out of her thoughts though when she caught Akesuke standing near her father's office. Finding the way he kept shifting in his stance unusual, Hanabi decided to investigate.
"Good afternoon Akesuke-san." Hanabi said politely as she came up behind him.
Akesuke jumped at having Hanabi sneak up on him but he managed a smile and gave a short bow. "Ah, good afternoon Hanabi-san. How are you today?"
"I'm fine," Hanabi said. Then after a short pause she added, "I just wish my sister was back home."
Akesuke nodded and smiled. "Yes, I think we all miss your sister. She has a way of bringing a light to this place."
Hanabi smiled and nodded at that but then decided to cut to the chase. "Akesuke-san, is something wrong? You seem…uncomfortable."
Akesuke's eyes betray his surprise but he waved her off. "No, no, I'm fine. I was just hoping to speak to your father about something that has come up."
Hanabi seemed to accept what he said as she gave him a nod. "Well, father should be along shortly so you shouldn't have to wait long." Giving a short bow she said, "Good bye, Akesuke-san."
"Good bye, Hanabi-san." Akesuke said with another smile and bow.
Once he was sure she was gone Akesuke quickly turned around and entered Hiashi's office. Crossing the room, he quickly activated the seals on Hiashi's desk and then took his seat to await the clan head's return. He wasn't sitting there for more than a minute when he heard the door open behind him.
"Hiashi, something has come up and we need to talk." Akesuke said without even turning around.
"Oh? Please, do tell." A voice answered that made Akesuke's blood run cold.
"Gourzi." Akesuke said with a scowl before turning around to face the man. "What are you doing here?"
"I think I could ask you the same question." Gourzi said with a smirk before it suddenly faded and gained a steelier look. "What news do you have to discuss with Hiashi that requires privacy seals?"
"The type of news that you don't need to hear."
Both Gourzi and Akesuke turned to see Hiashi standing in the doorway looking rather displeased.
"I wasn't aware my office had been made into a lounge for the councilmen." Hiashi said rather icily.
Gourzi simply harrumphed as walked past Hiashi without as much as a sideways glance. Finding they were alone, Hiashi closed and locked the door before taking his seat in front of Akesuke.
"That was close, Akesuke. Mind telling me what needs to be discussed in broad daylight?" Hiashi asked.
"I know, I know. I just wanted to tell you that the elders are meeting tonight and I think that they may be talking about that scroll of yours." Akesuke said as sat back in his chair with a sigh.
Hiashi leaned forward onto his desk and laced his fingers together. "You think they might try and take it?" he asked.
"It's hard to say." the young councilman answered. "But I'm beginning to suspect that keeping that scroll here would be a bad idea. Perhaps we can have the Hokage look after it?"
"No," Hiashi said shaking his head. "I'd hate to go and dump this kind of a burden on Lady Tsunade so soon after waking up from her coma. I admit we will need her help but that will come later and in the form of shinobi. I would rather keep this scroll somewhere where I can see it at all times. If it's being looked after by someone else then it means the elders have a chance of stealing it."
Akesuke could see the logic in that so changed subject. "When will you tell the Hokage of our dilemma?"
"Soon." Hiashi answered before asking, "Why, do you think the elders are planning to make a move?"
Akesuke shook his head at this. "No, I don't think they are planning to make a move, but I do think that they are beginning to prepare for whatever it is they have planned."
Hiashi's eyes narrowed at hearing this but nodded his head. "Is that all?" he asked.
"For now, yes." Akesuke said as he stood. "I'm still not as trusted as some of the elders. I won't be able to attend the meeting tonight but I will be able to hear through the grape vine what the inner ring of elders has discussed."
"Do your best to gain their trust and work your way in more." Hiashi ordered as he stood as well.
"As you wish, Hiashi." Akesuke said with a bow.
Returning it, Hiashi then released the privacy seals and watched his friend leave. Sitting down again, he opened his desk to reveal a family photo of him, Keimei who was pregnant with Hanabi at the time, and Hinata.
Stroking the edge of the frame he spoke softly as he stared at his wife. "There's a storm coming Keimei, one that I'm not sure our clan will be able to weather. Pleas, watch over our family."
OOO
Hinata was surprised when she walked out of the bathroom later that evening to find Naruto drinking straight from one of the sake bottles. Walking back to her bed, she sat down and watched Naruto curiously as he continued to write and sip on the bottle like it was water. Feeling her gaze, Naruto looked up at her and smiled.
"Would you like some Hinata?" he asked as he held out the bottle.
Hinata found that she was somewhat hesitant as memories of the last time surfaced when she drank. However, she suddenly found herself wondering what Naruto would talk about if he got drunk. Would he talk about battles he had fought in? People he had met on his three year trip with Jiraiya? Confess his secret and undying love for her? Hinata's eyes widened at the last thought and decided then and there to go on a little Intel mission. Nodding, Hinata grabbed the glass that was on the table by her bed and crossed the room. Holding it out, Naruto poured her a glass and was surprised when she downed it in one gulp and held it out for another round.
Seeing his surprised look she blushed and said, "Th-This isn't th-the first t-time I've drank Naruto-kun."
"I think that's a little obvious." Naruto said cheekily as he poured her another round and then handed her the bottle saying, "take this one and I'll take the other."
Hinata made her way over to her bed and sat down after placing the bottle on the table. Several minutes passed by and Hinata noticed while sipping her glass that Naruto once again continued drinking from the bottle like it was water. Something she couldn't quite understand since every time she took a sip it felt like someone was blowing a fire jutsu down her throat. Not wanting Naruto to suspect anything, Hinata down the rest of her liquid courage and began her mission.
"A-Ano, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked shyly. When she saw that she had his attention she continued. "D-Do y-you have f-feelings for S-Sakura?"
She knew it was a stupid question but she was just trying to get him warmed up. She tried to play aloof as she filled her glass again.
"Of course I do, I love her!" Naruto said with a smile which nearly caused Hinata to drop the sake bottle.
"Oh." was all she could say as Hinata's world came crashing down on her.
Naruto seemed to pick up on this and gauged her reactions when he continued. "But of course I mean I love her like a sister."
"R-Really?" Hinata asked as her head snapped up in surprise causing her to blush.
Naruto did his best not to laugh but a grin did manage to weasel its way onto his face as he saw the hope return to her eyes.
"Really." Naruto said as he took another swig of sake and Hinata mirrored his movement.
Feeling a burn to her cheeks that was not entirely due to the conversation, Hinata waited a few more minutes before pressing on. "I-Is there a-anyone th-that you do l-like?"
Naruto feigned thinking as he brought a hand to his chin earning a giggle from Hinata. "Hmm, well is there anyone that you like Hinata?"
Hinata blushed furiously as she looked down at her drink.
"Y-Y-You kn-know wh-who I l-l-like N-Naruto-kun." She sputtered out taking another sip of her drink.
"Actually I don't think I do." Naruto said seriously as he crossed his arms.
Hinata went wide-eyed as she looked up at the blonde in front of her. "Y-Y-You kn-know I l-like…" she trailed off as she ducked her head down but glanced up at the man sitting across from her.
Naruto was taking another drink when he realized she was looking at him. "Who, me?" Naruto asked confused.
Hinata was shocked that Naruto seemed so surprised at learning this, especially after what she had told him during the invasion. Regardless, she still nodded her head meekly as she continued to hide her burning face that was now half due to embarrassment and half due to sake.
"Man Hinata I didn't know that." Naruto said scratching his head sheepishly. "I thought you…" he trailed off for a moment as he blushed and looked away. "…Well I thought you said that…that you loved me during the invasion." Seeing Hinata's shocked look he quickly laughed it off saying, "I know, right? Man, am I an idiot! I must have been hearing stuff when Nagato had me pinned down with those chakra disrupters."
It took all of Hinata's courage to shake her head when Naruto looked at her instead of simply avoiding his look.
After a few more minutes of silence between them Hinata finished off her glass and said quietly, "I-I m-meant every word I-I said, Naruto-kun."
"Hinata…" was all Naruto could say as he stared at the Hyuuga princess in shock.
Suddenly feeling confident from the way Naruto was staring at her, Hinata continued.
"I-I meant it when I said y-you changed my l-life." She said as she stood up and swayed for a moment before walking over to Naruto.
"I-I meant it when I s-said your smile s-saved me." She said quieter as she crawled onto his bed and stared longingly into his eyes.
"I m-meant it when I s-said th-that…that…" Hinata looked down unable to look him in the eyes.
"…That you loved me." Naruto finished quietly as he raised her chin with his hand to look back into her soft lavender eyes.
Hinata's face became slightly more flushed as she nodded but she didn't break eye contact. She wanted him to know that she meant every word she said and that she truly did love him. As they became lost in each other's eyes Hinata suddenly felt the slight tug on her chin as if Naruto was nudging her towards him. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw him start to lean forward ever so slowly and his hand slid up to her cheek caressing it softly. The room began to spin as electricity seemed to charge the air and her heart began to flutter uncontrollably. Hinata leaned forward as her eyes began to close. Mere inches away, Hinata saw through half lidded eyes that their lips were about to touch, that what she had dreamed of for so long was about to finally happen.
"Hinata…" Naruto whispered breathlessly as he closed his eyes and pulled the woman in his arms last few inches towards him.
It was at that moment that Kami intervened, deciding that the moment wasn't quiet pure enough. Just as their lips were about to touch Hinata hit 'the wall' and the combination of alcohol and her erratically beating heart sent her into a blissful unconsciousness. However, as she fell forward Naruto's lips managed to press against her forehead before she fell onto his chest fast asleep. As she fell dreamed away, a smile graced her lips that showed she was truly at peace.
Naruto opened his eyes in surprise when he felt something other than Hinata's lips. Looking down he realized that he had just kissed her forehead and she was now fast asleep on his chest. He couldn't help it as a chuckle escaped his lips and he turned his attention back to the report that was almost finished, content with how things were at that exact moment in time.
OOO
Hinata woke up a few hours later when a cold breeze blew through the room. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes she noticed that room was still spinning signaling that she was still a little drunk.
"How strong was that shit?" Hinata wondered before pausing and then shaking her head realizing she had just answered her own question.
Feeling another cold breeze caused Hinata shiver slightly and wonder where the walking furnace that was Naruto had went. Getting up and going to the window, she was about to close it when she saw Naruto sitting just outside the window staring up at the night sky. Curiosity getting the best of her, Hinata slipped out the window and sat down next to him.
"Couldn't sleep Hime?" Naruto asked with a smile not looking away from the stars.
Hinata blushed at the private nickname but answered. "I got cold."
Once again Hinata was amazed that she was able to speak without a stutter. Deciding that it had to do a little bit with the dark and the alcohol, she simply dismissed it for the moment. Noticing that both of the sake bottles were empty and lying next to blonde she became concerned.
"Is everything okay Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked worried.
"Nani?" Naruto asked absent mindedly as he finally looked at Hinata and saw she was looking at the bottles.
"Oh don't worry about that." Naruto said with a smile as he waved her off. "I have a super high tolerance apparently. Nearly killed Ero-sennin on more than one occasion when he would challenge me to a drinking match."
Hinata giggled at the thought of thirteen year old beating a man in his fifties in a drinking match, and then having to drag the drunken man out of the bar.
Joining Naruto, she stared up at the stars as the sparkled like diamonds hanging on a black velvet backdrop. After a moment of comfortable silence she spoke.
"They're beautiful aren't they," Hinata said softly with a smile, "the way they just sparkle and shine up there."
"Yeah…" Naruto murmured as he shifted his gaze from the sky to Hinata, her own pale eyes dancing in the faint light. "They are."
Hinata noticed that he wasn't looking at the sky when he replied causing her to blush. Moving her gaze to meet his, they both allowed themselves to become lost in the others' eyes. The moment ended though when another cold breeze blew across the village and caused Hinata to shift her gaze and shiver.
"Maybe you should go back inside?" Naruto suggested not wanting her to get sick.
Hinata shook her head though, refusing to let the moment they were sharing end. Hearing an unzipping noise, Hinata looked over to see him taking off his own jacket.
Wrapping it around her he whispered softly into her ear, "I wouldn't want my Hime to get sick."
Hinata's blush deepened at what Naruto said but happily accepted the jacket, pulling it closely around her and reveling in the warmth it provided and the faint scent of him that still lingered on it. Scooting closer to him, Naruto wrapped his arm around her and she snuggled down into his chest as they both enjoyed the star lit sky. An hour later Hinata was smiling peacefully, fast asleep on Naruto's chest. Finally deciding to call it a night, Naruto scooped up Hinata bridal style and stood up. As he stood up the sudden movement caused the sleeping heiress to talk in her sleep.
"I love you." she mumbled while snuggling into his chest more.
Smiling as he entered back into their room, he placed Hinata in her bed and tucked her in before saying, "I know, Hime. I know."
Closing the window and climbing into his own bed, Naruto quickly drifted off to sleep. For the first time since the invasion, Naruto found himself sleeping the night away peacefully and without nightmares, a small smile never fading from his lips.
So what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Love it? Let me know! Spread the holiday cheer and tell a friend about this story! I know I put you all on Santafiction's good list for being such great readers! Till next time!