Lazyfox: To everyone who loves this story and have waited for this very long update I want to start by saying how sorry I am for leaving you all hanging. I've had a tough couple of months and I just haven't had the heart to continue this story, but after having a good kick in the butt from Random and seeing all your views I have found the heart to continue, but I might not be frequent updater like before cuz of school, but I'll defiantly try for you guys!
Random: Hey guys I'll be the first to say she really has had it ruff, but I'm keeping her straight, so were going to have fun with this story so no worries.
Kyo:Yeah were back in action people and you know what that means were going to the Kyuubi festival and I can't wait to see what happens cuz I have been dying to see it.
GILLIGFAN: Yeah all us fans have waited long enough, so were going to cut are usually long talking segment short and going straight to the Random button, so go Random.
Random: Will do crazy crazy-fangirl. (slams fist on the random button)
Itachi: I wish not to be here if you hate my foolish little brother
Lazyfox: I don't hate him just don't like him and please can you say the disclaimer for us cuz we all love you.
Itachi: Fine I will say it. LazyFoxLover doesn't own Naruto. I'll take my leave now. (Leaves in a cloud of dust)
Lazyfox: Yeah this wasn't one of my better intros. Sorry, I'm still a little sad, but I get better soon. Now time for you guys to enjoy your long awaited chapter.
In Naruko's and Kaede's log cabin we find the two residents getting ready for the festival tonight. Naruko has a pout set on her face as her grandmother fixes her hair into a formal bun.
"Naruko dear, I know you hate wearing this, but honestly do you have to pout about it," Kaede stated finishing Naruko's hair.
"Oh grandma I'm not pouting about that I'm pouting about the fact Nee-chan told everyone I have a crush on someone and you know the guys will figure it out soon," Naruko said while pouting with her arms crossed.
"Naruko you don't have to worry I'm sure he'll return your feelings if you told him," Kaede said wearing a knowing smile.
"Grandma I'm too young for that and besides he can't love someone like me I just danger waiting to happen," she said sadly as her happy eyes dulled.
"Naruko that's nonsense why would you say that," Kaede demanded looking into her eyes.
"Just this bad feeling I've had this week about something terrible is going to happen is all," Naruko said looking at her grandmother.
"Naruko you don't have to go to the festival if you don't want to," Kaede tells her knowing she might be scared of the villagers since they always try to kill her on this day.
"No i'm not scared of the villagers grandma. I'm used to them trying to kill, but I don't since the start of this week I've had this really bad feeling that something terrible was going to happen," Naruko said looking at her grandmother with sad eyes. "I'm not scared for I'm scared for everyone around me. Like I said I'm use to the hatred, but everyone else isn't and I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me."
Kaede looked sadly at her granddaughter knowing the life she's had so far has been terrible and she's suffered a lot of heartache in her short life and she should know since she always the one to see the pain on her face and sadness behind her mask. Well, she should't say only one because she knows for a fact every one who knows and cares about Naruko see the girl is suffering, but tries to stay strong for everyone, so no one worries about her even though we all know she wants to take that mask and show everyone what she truly feel.
"Oh my little Naruko I wish I could break your mask, so you can show your sadness. It not good for you to keep it inside and lay dormant like you do it feeds the fox and gives him strength," she thinks as she watches her granddaughter look at herself in the mirror before replacing her frown with a smile."Naruko dear I'll be right back I have t get something really quickly out my room okay."
"Okay grandma," Naruko said watching her grandmother leave the room as some one knocked on the door. "I'll get it."
Naruko got up and went over to the door and opened it to see Shikamaru and Choji standing there with their moms. Yoshino bomb-rushed her into a hug. "So cute! Oh your going to kill me one day with your cuteness."
"Oh I don't want to do that Ms. Yoshino I would miss your hugs to much," Naruko said hugging her back.
"I doubt that blue-eyes," Shikamaru said walking into the house with choji.
"Pay him no attention Naruko he's been cranky since him came home today. Something about troublesome girls and troublesome feelings," Yoshino said putting Naruko down making Shikamaru twitch in irritation before pulping down on the couch.
"Sorry I think I know what that's about," Naruko mumbled sitting next to Shikamaru who refused to look at her as Choji joined them on the couch too.
"So Naruko are you going to avoid Ino and Sakura the whole festival?" Choji asked trying to keep the peace, but only made Shikamaru twitch more.
"Oh you know it. Those two will interrogate me and I'm not reveling anything to anyone," she said determinately.
Shikamaru was growling under his breathe making sure no one heard him as Naruko and Choji chatted happily with each other. "Could the guy she likes be Choji. They talk a lot and pull pranks together, so could it be him," he thinks sadly.
Naruko looked over her shoulder at Shikamaru seeing him thinking mood with a deep frown on his face. "I wonder what got him in such a bad mood. He never has that face on unless he trying to solve a complicated problem and sometimes thats too much work for him so what could be the cause of a confused Shikamaru," she thinks as she goes back to talking to Choji.
Kaede soon walks back into the room with her hands behind her back as she looks at her living room full of people. "Good evening everyone," she said with her hands still behind her back.
Naruko leans over the back of the couch to face her grandmother. "Hey grandma. What's that behind your back?"
Kaede smiled before handing Naruko the nicely wrapped box. She saw the look on her granddaughters face as well as the faces of the other occupants in the house. "Happy birthday Naruko."
Naruko stared wide eyed at the box totally forgetting her birthday was today even though she had just talked about it with Dog earlier that day. "Thank you grandma," she said hopping over the couch to give her a hug.
"Blue-eyes why didn't you tell us it was your birthday?" Shikamaru asked feeling guilty about not knowing his best friend birthday and about not having a present for her when she gave him one.
"To be honest it slipped my mind," she said laughing sheepishly as she scratched her head.
"Naruko open your present I want to see what Kaede-sama got you," Yoshino cried standing near her with a camera.
"Okay," Naruko said putting the boxdown, so she could open it as everyone gathered around her to watch.
Naruko peeled the paper off and open the lid to the box showing off a new ninja academy outfit, new shinobi sandals, a book on medicine and medical jutsu and a new fox plushie to go with her collection. "Aww a new fox plushie thanks grandma I love you so much and this will go great with my collection," she squealed in a girly voice.
Shikamaru and Choji both jaw dropped at Naruko behavior before Shikamaru took his mother camera from her taking a picture of Naruko hugging the plushie close to her while chuckling as she jumped up and down in excitement.
"Naruko dear I'm glad you like your present, but you have one more in there dear," Kaede said enjoying her granddaughter's reaction to the plushie the one thing that can make her act like a total girl.
Naruko looked back into the box to find a blue box at the bottom. She pulled the box out and opened it gasping at what she saw. "Grandma this is your most precious locket, I can't take this."
"Actually Naruko that was your mothers locket. I kept it safe for you until you started going to the academy," Kaede said taking the locket out of the box and placing it on Naruko. "It's yours now take good care of it like your mother did."
Naruko stared at the heart-shaped locket with unreadable eyes as a smile graced her face as she examined the locket. "My mother's locket" she thought happily glad to have something of hers. "Thank you grandma I love it and I promise to take good care of it," she tells her while giving her a hug.
"I know you will and I love you too," Kaede said hugging her back. "Now run along and have fun at the festival."
"Okay Grandma. Don't be too board while were gone and don't forget to turn the night light on over the garden," Naruko said walking out the house with Shikamaru and Choji in tow.
"I won't dear. Have a nice time," Kaede called to them walking back inside the small cabin.
Kaede walked back inside heading to her room passing her family picture of her, Naruko, Dog, Cat, Iruka, and Sarutobi failing to see the picture cracking over one of the people in the picture before disappearing inside her bedroom.
The small group made their way to the festival having a small conversation going on between Choji and Naruko as Shikamaru continued to ponder on his earlier thoughts and on a gift he could get Naruko. The group made it to the festival to find their other members of the group there already.
"There you guys are we've been waiting for you like forever," Ino said in annoyance before seeing Naruko's locket. "Oh Naruko that's cute were you get it?"
"My grandma gave it to me for my birthday," she tells her looking at the locket with sparkling eyes. "She said it belonged to my mother.
At the mention of her mother Mikoto perked her ears up and looked at the locket only to smile sadly at it remembering who Kushina had gotten it from.
"That's a beautiful locket Naruko it looks good on you," Mikoto tells her.
"Thank you Mikoto-sensei. Hey teme you actually came what a surprise," she said smirking at the Uchiha boy who wore and uncomfortable frown on his face.
"Shut it dobe," he said scowling at her.
Naruko laughed at him before turning to the others. "So what do you guys want to do first?"
"Eat/Look around/Nothin," were the answer she got making her sweat-drop at the replies.
"Hey since it Naruko's birthday lets let her decide," Ino said to the others getting nods of approval before looking back at Naruko. "So what do you want to do first Naruko?"
"Hm lets see now," she said biting her thumb as she was thinking making Shikamaru chuckle at her. "How about we play some games they seem like fun."
"Great idea. Okay you heard her to the games," Ino cheered running off to the game booth with the others following behind her.
The kids looked at all the games and the prizes they had to choose from if they won until one prize caught Naruko's eye. Shikamaru saw her staring at the prize and had a smirk on his face as he approached the booth.
"One game please?" he asked the man as the booth man gave him three baseballs.
Shikamaru took one and aimed it at the stack of pins before throwing it and knocking them all down surprising Naruko and the others. The restocked them and Shikamaru picked up the next baseball and throwing it and again knocking the pins down. The man again put the pins up as Shikamaru took his last turn and again knocked them down making Naruko cheer for him.
"Okay little man pick any prize you want," the man said pointing behind him.
Shikamaru scanned the prizes again before looking back at Naruko to see which one she wanted again and saw her looking at the same prize from before. "I'll take the giant tiger."
The man nods and takes it down before he hands it to Shikamaru who then hands it to Naruko who looked at him with surprise.
"For me?" she asked in surprise.
"Yep. I saw you looking at it and thought you like it," he tells her.
Naruko looked at the tiger before looking back up at Shikamaru giving a huge ear to ear smile. "Thank you Shika I love it," she says happily giving him a peck on the cheek walking to another booth cuddling her new stuff animal.
Shikamaru was staring blankly ahead after Naruko kissed him as the others snickered at him as his mother giggled and squealed in joy holding her camera close to her singing to herself 'Grandchildren, Grandchildren' making him confused before following after the happy Naruko.
The group continued to enjoy the festival when it was close to an end everyone was now trying to find a great place to watch the firework show.
"Oh all the good places are gone," Ino and Sakura whined seeing everyone sitting in the clearing where the fireworks would be.
"Hey I know a spot where we can see everything," Naruko tells them still holding her tiger.
"Really where cuz I don't see one dobe," Sasuke said smugly at her.
"Well, teme if you follow me I'll show you," she said leading the group up the Hokage monument and into a clear side of the mountain over the fourth's hokage's head seeing the entire village.
"Ta-da!" she cheers at the beautiful clear sky in front of them. "Will have the best view of the fireworks here."
"How you know about this place Whiskers?" Sakura asked.
Naruko looked down at her feet sadly. "This is where I always came when I was alone and sad from the way the village treated me and also where I came to watch the fireworks every year since I'm not allowed to go to the festival in the first place. To be honest this was actually the first festival I ever went to without getting the living tar beat out of me."
Everyone looked at her sadly not liking the sad look on her face before she looked up with a real bright smile.
"But I happy the way things are because I have great friends like all of you and that makes everything okay. If it wasn't for the way the village treated me I never would have met you guys and because I met all of you it makes all the pain I went worth it," she tells them with her smile whipping away the depressed atmosphere as the firework show started.
Everyone smiled too at the girls since of life and couldn't help wish she never lost her sense of happiness, but most importantly her smile. The group of friends and adults watched the amazing show together in a sense of piece and tranquility washed over them.
When the show ended everyone was getting ready to leave, when Mikoto stopped Naruko from leaving.
"Naruko would you like to come stay the night at the estate. Father wants to see you again and I want to teach you a new song," she tells her.
"Um sure, but I need to ask grandma first," she tells her.
"Um can we all come Mikoto-sensei?" Ino asked.
"Sure I don't have a problem with that. Is okay with you guys?" she asked looking at their mothers who gave their approval. "Okay how the kids go with Naruko to get her stuff and the rest of us can go pack your bags for the night and then you guys come back to my house."
"Okay," they all say breaking off into two different groups.
The kids walk into the woods leading to Naruko's house with her still carrying the stuff animal Shikamaru gave her. As they come into the clearing of her house Naruko feels accord wind go through her filling her with dread, but shrugs it off and goes inside with her friends following in behind her.
"Grandma I'm back," she calls as she walks into her grandma's only to find it empty. "That's strange I wonder where she is?"
Naruko went back into the living where her friends were.
"Is she home?" Sakura asked.
"I don't see her. She might have been called to the hospital. I guess I'll leave her a note to tell her where I am," she said writing her grandmother a note and leaving it on the table.
"Here I got your stuff together," Ino said giving her fox bag.
"Thanks. We can go right after I turn the night light on the garden since grandma might be too tried when she comes in," Naruko said heading to the back yard with her friends behind her.
"What's the night light for?" Choji asked.
"It's especial night light that helps grandma's herbs grow even at night in case there's every an emergency," she tells them as she walks into the garden looking for the light switch.
"Hey what's the tree for?" Sasuke asked.
"Grandma makes strength enhancing apples from that tree that gives shinobi's a bust in power," she says finding the light switch and turning it on.
When she turned the light her friends gasped in horror before both Ino and Sakura screamed in terror causing Naruko to look at them in surprise.
"What's wrong?" she asked seeing the horrified looks on their faces as Ino, Sakura and Choji all started sobbing while looking at the tree. She turned to Shikamaru seeing him mouth the words 'Don't look' with a pained expression.
Naruko felt the chilling sensation from earlier grow more within her as she turned to see what her friends where looking at before her whole body went rigid at what she saw before her.
"Gr...gr..GRANDMA!"
Lazyfox: I'm sorry for the cliff hanger I know that's not fair after the long wait I put you through, but I had to. I promise the next chapter will be up a lot sooner then this one I swear.
Random: It better because that is so wrong and the worst kind of torture to make people go through.
Kyo: Yeah damn it!
GILLIGFAN: I wanted to see more!
Kushina: You better have the next chapter up soon or I'm going to pound your face in.
Minato: I agree with my wife it not nice to torture people like this.
Lazyfox:Gosh make en feel worst why don't cha. Geez. Anyway here the second part and what happened to Kaede stay tune in find out. Well until next time...
Everybody: Jii-Nee!