A High Voltage Lightning Storm
Pulse
Naruto sighed as he stumbled onto a bench. After leaving Konoha and finding himself on Cocoon through strange means. Naruto decided to settle on the world as a new chance at life. It wasn't all that glamorous and it was filled with a lot of difficulty. There was no sense of danger, but there was no excitement. There was no purpose, but it wasn't all that great. Naruto found himself earning a job in engineering and it wasn't at the level of a respectable salary.
If anything, he just had more skill than some a car mechanic or someone working in ventilation.
"I'm okay with this aren't I?" Naruto asked himself as he looked at the ground.
Looking down, Naruto sighed as he could see a reflection of himself in a puddle on the ground. Did it rain? Maybe someone spilled water. It didn't matter, but now Naruto saw that he traded the headband and track suit for an engineer's one piece uniform. Still, it was nicer than that old two piece orange suit from when he was a kid.
"At least here my work doesn't mean I'm treated like trash." Naruto said.
A few seconds later, Naruto found himself awkwardly sitting next to someone else. Some girl with pink hair that looked like she was crying at taken a seat on the bench and didn't notice him. Naruto really felt awkward as he is notoriously terrible at these sorts of social cues or situations or whatever people consider them to be. A minute of silence passed as Naruto was unsure if he should ask the girl what's wrong or get up and leave.
Naruto was scared of doing the latter because there were people around and he didn't want to give the crowd the wrong idea. So he looked around and wondered if this girl was with someone. Maybe someone the girl knew could appear and handle her situation. So being socially clumsy, Naruto grabbed a clean handkerchief that he had for whatever reason and passed it to the crying girl.
In the end, his blind compassion was still here. So he gently tapped the girl on the shoulder and offered a fresh clean rag. It was the least kindest thing he did in his mind.
"Hmm? Oh s-sorry? D-did I disturb you?" She asked.
Naruto shook his head, "I was a bit surprised, but I thought might want something to clean up with before I gave you some space." He said.
The girl accepted the rag and wiped her tears, "Thank you and sorry again if I bothered you." She said.
"It's fine." Naruto said knowing everyone is human.
"I just got into a fight with my sister." the girl said.
Naruto nodded, "I see, I never had siblings so I can't really say I understand. But if you two love each other, you're going to make up in the end." He said before noticing her pink eyes from all the crying. "I mean as in sibling bonds. You can't replace family is what I'm saying." He said.
"I know, but what my sister said really hurt." the girl said.
"Maybe she had a reason or maybe she just didn't know how to express her feelings." Naruto replied.
The girl nodded, "I guess, you see. My boyfriend proposed to me last night and my sister didn't take it too well." She said.
"I guess she's just being overprotective. How long have you been planning this?" Naruto asked.
"Well it's not like I thought of it. Snow, my boyfriend, just asked me suddenly and I was so happy. But Lightning, my sister, today was her birthday and after celebrating. She just went all out about how mad she is and literally said it was the worst birthday." Serah said as she was close to sobbing again.
Naruto gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "Like I said, maybe there was some bad communication." He suggested.
"How?" The girl asked.
Naruto shrugged, "Maybe your sister was stressed or maybe this was too sudden for her. I can't really say since I never even had a girlfriend before so… I guess maybe some poor word choices were said." He answered to the best of her ability.
The girl clutched the rag tightly, "Maybe, I don't know. My big sister raised me since I was a kid. So seeing that anger and hurt, as if I betrayed her but… I feel like I'm the victim. Is that wrong?" She asked.
"I mean there's nothing wrong with being happy but sometimes it depends on how others are effected. I mean the reaction is one thing but why is she against it?" Naruto asked.
"Lightning said, that Snow would just ruin my life if I married him." the girl answered.
"And will he?"
"Huh?"
"Will he ruin your life?"
"I don't understand."
"Listen miss…"
"Serah, no titles please." Serah told him.
"Ok Serah, I get sometimes love is blind. Trust me, the girl I thought I liked. She hit me for every little thing, even when I wasn't complimenting her or asking her out. Heck, she even said I'm lucky to not have parents because I'm an orphan. You see where I'm going with this?" Naruto asked hoping he wasn't getting personal.
"I think so." Serah said sounding confused.
"What I'm saying is, is Snow really bad for you? Does he have a negative personality? Does he not work? Anything that defines Snow as a bad man?" Naruto asked.
Serah shook her head, "No, Snow's isn't rich or famous, but he's a capable guy. Sure he dresses funny, but it's not like he's homeless or anything." She answered.
"Than there it is. Look I don't want to pit you and your sister against each other. But is Lightning stopping you from getting married because she's protecting your or because she just doesn't want you to get married in general?" Naruto asked.
"I… I don't really know." Serah answered honestly.
"Well, I hope you girls can figure things out. I wish you luck with your wedding." Naruto said as he stood up. "I gotta go back to work. I really hope things work out for you." He said before leaving.
Serah gave Naruto a weak smile before noticing the rag, "Wait! Don't you…" it was too late as Naruto was out of hearing range. "I didn't even learn his name." She said as she watched him leave.
Serah knew very little from the man she just met and didn't know that despite how simplistic their talk was. That young man was a sage and can fully understand a situation. He might be slightly biased and not have the same feelings towards the topic, but Naruto can see what the issue is.
Naruto may not be a genius, but he can pick up on a few things. Although, neither he or Serah would realize how close they would become.
Two years later
Naruto hugged Serah on her wedding day, "Congrats Serah, you're finally married." He said.
Serah returned the hug as she felt a tear fall down her cheek, "Thank you Naruto, I'm so happy." She said.
"Aw come on, let it out. I know you want to say more." Naruto said as he broke the embrace.
"I do but I'm too emotional to think of anything." Serah said as she wiped her tear away.
"Well you're doing a better job at speaking and being emotional compared her." Naruto said, gesturing to an older girl with pink hair.
Serah giggled as she saw the frown on her sister's face. Her sister wasn't very good at expressing herself or reading social situations too well, but Naruto's sudden joke just felt too funny.
"Laugh it up and you can call the couch your new bed." Lightning Farron said.
"Light, I know you want to be mad at me, but that's no excuse to hide your feelings." Naruto said, earning a glare from Lightning. "Come on Light, hug your sister. It's her special day." he said.
Lightning sighed as she relented and embraced her sister. A part of her wanted to find an excuse to get angry at someone or something and just ignore the event, but she had to accept reality.
"Congratulations Serah." Lightning said as she held her sister.
"Thank you Eclair, I'm happy that you finally approved." Serah said as she held her sister tightly. "Sis, I'm sorry about earlier. Snow and I, we should have talked it out more instead of just shoving this information in front of you." she said.
Lightning broke the embrace and looked at her sister, "Serah, don't apologize. I was a bit of an idiot, you could have had a whole presentation and lecture ready to explain your engagement while also becoming a L'cie and I would have still treated you like crap." she explained.
Lightning can still remember the terrible way she treated Serah on the day of her birthday. Lightning was never fond of parties or celebrations, but did not hesitate to call it the worst birthday while telling Serah that she might have to kill her. With recent time, Lightning had to grow up and accept that her sister had to make her own decisions.
"Serah, a part of me wants things to be the same. You with your studies and finding a good carrier in the future while I take care of you." Lightning said. "I did nothing with my life because it revolved around you, but I don't regret it. I just didn't want anything bad to happen to you, but even then… I was just thinking of myself. I know, I'm a bad sister." she said tears welled up in her eyes.
Serah wiped away her sister's tears, "Light, you're not a bad sister. You have an issue with controlling others, but you're not a bad person." she said. "Without you, I wouldn't be here today. You just need to be like me." she said.
"Like you?" Lightning asked.
Serah smiled, "Yeah, just make new choices. Try something new. Be spontaneous!" she exclaimed.
"What?" Lightning asked, now looking confused.
"Maybe you and Naruto should get married next!" Serah said.
Lightning took a step back, "No." she said sternly.
"Light." Serah said.
"No, I am not marrying him. Do you know how much of a headache he gives me?" Lightning asked. "He's always criticizing my cooking. He always eats ramen. He mixes up the cleaning supplies. Did you know he still doesn't separate the whites from his clothes when he does his laundry?" she asked.
Serah gave her sister a blank stare, "Light, you haven't cooked a proper meal since you joined the army. Second, I know you've taught Naruto how to clean properly, he's cleaned the house before. Also, I think eating ramen is healthier than eating eggshells." she said.
"…you're supposed to be on my side." Lightning said.
In another dimension, Serah would have slapped Lightning whenever she said something stupid like this.
"Eclair Farron, I have always been on your side. I'm trying to help you." Serah said.
"I don't want Naruto." Lightning said.
"Then how come you're still with him?" Serah asked, making Lightning go silent. "Light, Naruto cares about you. You two had a bad meeting in the beginning, but you know how much he cares and you do too." she said.
Lightning looked away from Serah and looked over to see Naruto who was speaking with Sazh and Snow. The men seemed to be laughing and enjoying a couple of drinks. Lightning could also see Snow giving Naruto a brief hug followed by a pat on the back.
"He's quick to befriend everybody. He's understanding and sensitive. He's also good with kids." Serah said.
Now the girls were watching as Naruto lifted Sazh's son, Dajh, onto his shoulder. Letting the little boy have a good view of the wedding reception before handing him back to Sazh. Just as Serah was about to say more, Lightning started walking.
"I need a drink." Lightning said.
A couple of minutes later
Lightning's cheeks were turning red after having finished her second drink. That's when Naruto arrived with his own drink on hand.
"Do you like the party?" He asked.
"It's noisy and there's too many bright lights. I feel like I'm at a club." Lightning said.
"Well Snow wanted this party to be memorable." Naruto said.
Lightning sighed, "Again, this is Snow's fault." he said.
"Light, how many drinks have you had?" Naruto asked.
"Two." Lightning answered.
Naruto's ability to sense negative feelings was very active. He could tell that Lightning was tense and annoyed, but she wasn't lying. He assumed the soldier girl to be a lightweight.
"Maybe you should trade the alcohol for some plain water." Naruto suggested.
Lightning scoffed, "I'm fine." she said.
Naruto sighed, "You know, I can't say much since I never had a family, but try to lighten up." he said.
'I'm not mad because Serah is married! I'm mad at you!' Lightning thought.
"Light, I can literally sense negative emotions. I can't tell what's causing it, but it feels like I'm standing next to a reactor." Naruto told her.
Before Lightning could respond, one of the servers arrived with a couple of glasses.
"A gift from the bride." the server said.
Lightning and Naruto looked over to see Serah waving at them. Lightning groaned at her sister's antics and attempt to set her up with Naruto. This wasn't the first time and it's likely not the last in the foreseeable future.
"These things smell strong." Naruto said as the scent of the alcohol felt strong.
"It makes me feel sick." Lightning said.
"You had two drinks. Did you reach your limit?" Naruto asked.
"I wasn't drinking alcohol." Lightning said.
"Then why are your cheeks red?" Naruto asked, sounding very confused. Lightning looked away from him, "Are you feeling sick? If you want, I can take you home." he said.
"I'm fine." Lightning said.
"Light, remember my radar." Naruto said, referring to his sensory.
Lightning ignored him and created a silent, yet tense atmosphere.
"You wanna dance?" Naruto asked.
"You don't know how to dance."
"Do you know how to dance?"
"I never needed to."
"Then let's try."
"I'm not embarrassing myself."
"You won't."
"Yes I will."
"Because you're at a party or because you're with me?"
Lightning proceeded to drag Naruto onto the dance floor. Lightning suddenly smiled as she positioned herself like some of the dancers. Naruto could still sense some amount of negative emotions but it was being pushed away. Naruto could still reading Lightning as he can recognize a mischievous side to her.
"Now follow me." Lightning said.
"I'm pretty sure that I'm supposed to lead." Naruto responded.
Snow watched the dance from afar and looked wide eyed, "Oh no, I see trouble." he said
"I see good things." Serah said.
"Serah, I really don't see a good result from this." Snow said.
"Honey, please be quiet. With any luck, Naruto might become my brother-in-law." Serah said.
"That poor soul." Snow said.
Snow and Serah just watched as Naruto and Lightning were fighting over who would lead the dance. Ironically enough, the two moved at quick and smooth speeds without bumping into other dancers or stepping on each other's toes.
"I think it's working out." Serah said.
All the while Naruto and Lightning glared at each other.
The next morning
Naruto and Lightning still glared at each other.
"How do half of these fights end up with us naked in bed?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know." Lightning answered.
The two were covered up by their shared blanket so it didn't reveal that that two were both naked and latched onto each other. Regardless, it felt like both had run out of reasons to keep arguing with each other. However, this was met by long awkward silence as the two stared at each other. Until Naruto started moving around the bed.
"I'm going to make us some breakfast." the former shinobi said.
"I'll help." Lightning said.
Naruto paused for a moment, "I'm not really hoping for you to cook egg shells again." he said.
Lightning gave him a light slap, "I'm a great cook, I cannot accommodate a picky eater." she said.
"Then accommodate for something new to taste." Naruto said before quickly kissing Lightning on the lips then running.
The soldier girl was stunned as she reached for her lips, "He got me again." she whispered before running after him.
The kitchen
Naruto started going through the cupboards and drawers for cooking utensils. Whereas as Lightning grabbed whatever interested her in the refrigerator. However, as she tried picking some ingredients out, Lightning started to shake her head and felt a bit faint.
"Hey Naruto, did you restock the fridge? I think something expired." Lightning asked.
"I was planning to go today or tomorrow. I didn't know something went bad." Naruto answered.
"Yeah, it really stinks." Lightning said as she felt a bit nauseous by the smell.
"Let me deal with it. Maybe something didn't close right." Naruto said as Lightning moved over. "You think you can set up the pans and stuff?" he asked.
"Yes." Lightning answered as she went to the stove.
As Lightning awaited for the ingredients, Naruto shook his head as he brought some stuff out, "I didn't see anything. Maybe there's a leak or something." he said.
Lightning sighed, "My sister is married to a fool and now my fridge is broken. Can my life be any more hectic?" she asked.
"The warranty could expire." Naruto suggested.
"The warranty for what?" Lightning asked.
"I don't know, something really important that needs to be fixed." Naruto answered as they got to work.
As they finished cooking up breakfast with typical food composed of eggs, hash brown and a lot of bacon. Naruto started to notice that Lightning started to look hesitant. Almost as if it were hard for her to breath or something.
"Hey, you feeling well?" Naruto asked.
"Just a bit dizzy." Lightning said.
Naruto snorted, "Maybe I shouldn't have goaded you last night. Sorry about that." he said sheepishly.
"Forget it, sometimes I get emotional over the wrong things." Lightning said as she sat down and started eating.
The two ate in silence, but Naruto couldn't help but notice that Lightning was sort of forcing herself. He knows Lightning is a bit stubborn and he knows about that rumor that soldiers just shove food into their mouth. Supposedly they just mash it all together and eat it regardless of how it tastes, so long as it's not poisoned. However, Naruto just thought that was a joke because army food is believed to be terrible.
"Light, if you don't feel well. You don't have to eat it." Naruto said.
"I can't waste food, besides it's not spoiled." Lightning said. "it's not spoiled right?" she asked suspiciously.
"I double checked and opened everything up and yes, I did wash my hands." Naruto answered.
"Maybe I'm stressed or something." Lightning said as if that was her issue.
"Maybe." Naruto replied as they continued eating.
A while later
After breakfast, Naruto noticed Lightning started to look a bit worse. He kept thinking that maybe there was something in the food or maybe she got sick last night. It was a long shot, but when he was by himself outside. Naruto decided to bother Serah despite knowing she had planned out a trip with Snow. Which would be a struggle because this land had advanced technology he still has trouble with.
"I swear, I'm like an old man with these things." Naruto said as he fiddled with a cell phone.
That's where he had to play the waiting game. After a series of Serah not picking up her phone. Naruto finally got connected, only to hear someone else.
"Hello? Naruto?" asked a masculine voice.
"Snow? Where's Serah? I wanted to ask about the catering from the wedding." Naruto said.
"Serah told me to pick up the phone for her and funny thing. I kind of let Serah and her friends handle that stuff. I just paid for most of that and I worked on the set up for the equipment." Snow replied sheepishly. "Anyways, can I ask why you want to know?" he asked.
"It's about Light." Naruto answered.
Snow paused for a moment, "Are you and Light getting hitched?" he asked.
"Actually…" Naruto tried to say before hearing some loud noises.
"Serah! No!" Snow yelled as some crashing was heard over the phone.
"Snow? Are you there?" Naruto asked as he received only silence and fumbling. "Serah you better not have murdered snow. I'm not helping Lightning get the shovel." he said.
"Hello, Naruto? Are you and Eclair engaged now!?" Serah asked in a frantic voice.
Naruto could only silently pray that Snow is fine. Because it sounds like Serah ran him over with a bulldozer.
"No, I was asking about the catering because Lightning's been looking a bit sick." Naruto answered.
"Oh." Serah said sounding deflated. "Wait, how bad is it?" she asked.
"She's complaining about bad smells and looks uncomfortable eating. I thought maybe there was something in the food last night." Naruto explained.
"I don't think so, Eclair doesn't have any allergies and the catering company usually strict about cleanliness. Do you want me to come over?" Serah asked.
"No, that's okay. I just wanted to check." Naruto said. "Maybe I'll just take her to a doctor in case things get worse." He said.
"Okay, just keep me updated. Snow and I are about to pack up for our flight. So we'll be gone for about a week." Serah said.
"Yeah, I'll send you a quick message." Naruto said.
"They're called texts." Serah said with a snicker. "Bye old man." she said before hanging up.
"Snow is older than me by a year. Who is she calling an old man?" Naruto asked somewhat angrily.
The next day, clinic
Naruto sighed as he was in the waiting room with Lightning. Despite how stubborn she acted, Lightning tried to act as if she was fine and in perfect health. When in reality, she was getting more sick by the minute. The blond man even found Lightning vomiting in the toilet earlier in the morning which motivated him to bring her to a doctor.
"Ms. Farron?" A nurse called out.
"That's me." Lightning said as she stood up.
"The doctor will see you now." The nurse said.
"Wait here." Lightning said.
Naruto sighed as he stayed in his seat. It was already a pain trying to convince his girlfriend to seek medical advice. Now he needed to wait and see what's wrong with her. All he could do was patiently wait for Lightning to be tested. At least there was a television in the waiting room. Hopefully whatever was on is interesting.
"Welcome back to Gil's Right, ladies and gentlemen. I am your host, Lazlo, now you know the rules of the show." the host on the television said.
"No I don't know the rules Lazlo, please tell me the rules." Naruto responded.
"Now let's get started." Lazlo said.
"Sure Lazlo, please ignore me." Naruto said sarcastically.
"Now if everyone, when I say your name. It's time to come down!" Lazlo said.
"At least someone here knows how to play." Naruto murmured.
A half hour later
Naruto's eye twitched as he saw the contestant make their choice, "It's 135,000 Gil unless it's off brand. Then you can get a refurbished one for 90,000 at most." he said.
"So Trevor, what's the price of this lovely car in Gil?" Lazlo said.
"80 grand, I'm not going any more over that." Trevor answered.
"Are you sure? It's a brand new state of the art model." Lazlo asked.
"80!" Trevor argued.
The crowd in the show started to murmur about Trevor's choice. When Lazlo sighed as he opened the envelope without looking.
"I have no idea what kind of hillbilly math you're doing Trevor. Because that price is outrageous." Lazlo said as the crowd laughed. "Outrageously accurate, it's off brand so the price is reduced." He finished making the crowd shut up.
Naruto snorted, "I told you." he said.
As the game show was ending and the contestant was winning his price. Naruto heard the door opening and expected Lightning to come out. Instead, he saw a fellow blond man carrying a dark haired little girl in his arms.
"See? You were scared over nothing." the man said.
"My arms till hurts daddy." the child said.
The father kissed her forehead, "Yeah, but now the needle is going to take away all the sicknesses." he said calming the girl down. "And you didn't cry, so that makes you a big girl." he said.
The little girl smiled at her father, "Okay, can we have ice cream?" She asked.
"Sure thing, we'll pick some up before we go home." the father said as he left with his daughter in his arms.
Naruto smiled at the little scene. A minute later, he saw Lightning coming out with a small pile of papers in her hand. Lightning looked very solemn as the doctor gave her some last minute instructions and other details. Once Lightning was done, she looked at Naruto with a blank stare before walking out.
"Uh oh." Naruto said.
At home
Naruto looked at Lightning who's been silent the whole time, "Light, are you mad?" he asked.
"No." Lightning answered.
Naruto couldn't sense a lie, "So, how are you feeling then?" he asked.
"Fine, for now." Lightning answered sounding monotone.
"You want me to pick you something up from the store?" the former shinobi asked.
"I think I'm going to bed a bit early." Lightning said as she went up to their room with her papers.
Naruto sighed, "I feel like I'm at fault somehow and I'm being an idiot about it." he said. Then his mind started to process what might have happened, "Oh crap, I gave her chakra radiation didn't I? It's like regular radiation from those comics isn't?" he asked.
Naruto's mind suddenly went ot the worst possible scenarios. Where it wandered off into the days when he tried reading comic books. Since there was no manga on Pulse, he ended up having to settle down with comics instead. Where he ended up finding the tragic yet disturbing trope where the superhero accidentally kills his lover because of the radiation in them that gave them super powers.
Naruto didn't want to think that was possible since shinobi could naturally have children with others regardless of whether or not they have chakra. Then again, from what Naruto learned, his mother used to hold his bijuu and the worst thing that happened was it escaping during his birth. however, that's when Naruto realized that nobody in this world outside of a L'cie has superpowers. So now he actually was concerned that he actually gave Lightning some sort of radiation sickness.
"I killed my girlfriend by having sex didn't I?" Naruto asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
Then again, Naruto could be overthinking things. Comics weren't exactly accurate. Sure they would sometimes explain a concept perfectly, but then take things out of proportion into obscurity.
A week later
Naruto sighed as he reached the door to his home. Lightning's been oddly quiet, only speaking when spoken to or if a minor concerned needed to be addressed. Naruto couldn't shake off the feeling that he really did do something to screw up. Then there was Serah, Naruto initially said that Lightning just needed another test done. Nothing life threatening to say the least since she looked healthy.
It was a lie and he just didn't want to worry the girl. He really hopes that the case since he Lightning has been a bit distant. it's not like she scolds Naruto or says anything negative towards him. Lightning just looks like she wants to ignore him. If only Naruto knew someone who's been in a relationship before that could offer him some advice.
"Maybe I should call Sazh. Maybe he has advice." Naruto said as he went inside the house. He then took a seat on the couch and sighed, "I think I'd rather face Orochimaru again. Somehow putting up with him was less stressful." he muttered as he lied on the couch.
As of last night, Naruto started sleeping on the couch. Once again, Lightning didn't show any anger or ire towards Naruto. Naruto decided that he needed to avoid making Lightning feel uncomfortable and decided to sleep on the couch. He still didn't know what that doctor said to her and he was imagining the worst possible scenarios.
"Well, maybe I don't have to sleep alone tonight." Naruto said as he scrambled to a secret compartment in the house.
Being a ninja and kage level prankster, Naruto could take the time to scout out a building and found small compartments Lightning doesn't know about. Though most of them were useless, either their purpose wasn't needed or the architect didn't things through when this house was built. Regardless, Naruto dug into a hidden compartment and pulled out a special treasure Serah gave him to give him comfort during his saddest days.
"There you Clair." Naruto said as he pulled out a pink stuffed bear. He smiled as he grabbed his blanket and lied on the couch, "Might as well get some rest. I got the day off tomorrow from work anyways." he said.
Lightning never bothered to ask about him sleeping on the couch last night. It's not like she'll care to bother him right now unless it's really important.
"Good night Clair." Naruto told the stuffed bear as he drifted off to sleep.
About an hour later, Naruto woke up as he felt a hand on his head. Looking up, he found Lightning staring down at him. He didn't know what time it was but he felt tired and it didn't help that he couldn't read Lightning's face with so little light in the room. Naruto instinctively held tightly onto his stuffed bear.
"Light? Is that you?" Naruto asked only to receive silence. He then thought it was a dream and held onto his bear, "Clair, hold on tight. My sleep paralysis monster is here." he said before hearing a groan.
"Naruto get up." Lightning said.
Naruto covered his head with the blanket, "Don't worry Clair, the sleep paralysis monster can't hurt you." he whispered.
Lightning rolled her eyes as she ripped off the blanket, "I'm not a hallucination!" she yelled as Naruto turned his back to her. The man was very protective of the bear, "Naruto, look at me. Then put away the stupid bear." she said.
"Go away sleep paralysis monster. The real Lightning doesn't speak this much even on a good day." Naruto said as Lightning sighed.
She then decided to take a seat on the recliner, "Look Naruto, I know I haven't been as talkative. It's just, the doctor just… overwhelmed me." she said.
"Did I give you radiation?" Naruto asked.
"What?" Lightning asked.
"Spider-man and the Hulk accidentally killed the women they loved with their radiation." Naruto answered.
Lightning looked really annoyed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "I'm burning your comics." she said.
'Can't burn, what you can't find. You don't know about all the secret compartments.' Naruto thought victoriously.
"Look, I've been having a tough time with this. It's not "radiation" or anything like that. It's just a lot to process." Lightning began to say. "It's kind of hard to explain." she said.
Naruto sighed as he sat up, "Light, if you don't want to talk about it. That's fine." he said.
"No look, it involves you too." Lightning said.
"Okay, then what's going on? Light, I'm always here for you and I want to help you. You just gotta stop being stubborn and talk to me. I won't judge you." Naruto explained.
"What about last week in Serah's room?" Lightning asked.
"That was different, you were kind of freaking me out." Naruto answered.
Lightning sighed yet again, "Fine, I'll be straightforward with you!" she exclaimed as she stood up and pulled Naruto up to his feet.
After a long anxious pause, Lightning told him the truth. By this point, Naruto can finally understand why Lightning was so anxious. Now he kind of felt about that whole open communication speech. Especially with how sensitive this topic was. He mentally berated himself by what Lightning said and felt bad for grilling her by this point.
He should have really kept his frustration in check.
Because…
"I'm pregnant." Lightning said. "You are a father now." she added.
Naruto was the silent one now. Though instead of a stone cold face. Naruto looked like his brain malfunctioned.
"When… oh." Naruto said.
Wait, oh? How many times have… it's best not to ask.
"Y-you're having a baby?" Naruto asked.
"That's what I said." Lightning replied.
Naruto was silent for another moment, "My baby." he said.
"Yes!" Lightning said, releasing her bottled emotions.
Naruto quickly pulled Lightning into a hug, "Sorry Light, I shouldn't have called you stubborn." he said.
That statement was so short, Naruto's attitude changed so quickly. Lightning wasn't sure how to react and a part of her was anxious when telling him this news. Lightning knows very well how a baby come to form and acknowledges her sexual activity with Naruto. At the same time, she wasn't sure how to feel. She wasn't sure if she was meant to be angry at Naruto, anxious about the pain of childbirth, fearful of the lifeform she has to care for or what.
Being a soldier, Lightning assumed she was prepared for anything, but she's at a loss. She could even tell Naruto was between am mix of frustrated and anxious as well. Though now he's calmed down and seemingly feeling protective.
Lightning hugged him back, "No, I'm sorry. I have a personality of a wall remember?" she asked, stifling a laugh.
"I can't get the wall pregnant Light." Naruto said as a joke.
Lightning shook her head, "This whole thing has been a stressful ride. Can we go back to bed, together?" she asked.
"No." Naruto said as he crawled back into the couch. "You didn't care last night and yet Clair always had my back on the coldest nights." he said.
"You have to be kidding me. You're replacing me with that stupid bear Serah gave you?" Lightning asked as her fury started to come out again.
"Clair doesn't get angry over every little thing" Naruto answered.
"Naruto, throw away the bear." Lightning demanded.
"No." Naruto replied.
"Naruto!" Lightning yelled.
"Go away sleep paralysis monster! General Clair orders you!" Naruto said as he raised up the stuffed bear.
Lightning balled her fists as she started to take deep breaths, "Fine, if you're not coming with me. I'm staying with you." She said as she grabbed the bear and threw it across the living room.
Naruto got teary eyed, "General Clair! Light, don't you know she is the hero of the Croquet Civil War and found the Lost Prince who was heir to the throne?" he asked.
Lightning ignored Naruto's ramblings as she made space for herself on the couch, "Good night Naruto." she said.
Naruto saluted the downed bear, "Rest soldier, you've done enough for your countrymen." he said.
"Get in here!" Lightning said as she pulled the blanket over them.
Naruto chuckled by how quick Lightning became jealous. Meanwhile, Lightning just held tightly onto her boyfriend. All the while smiling as she lied with him.
"So, fatherhood… I never expected it but it's not something I wanted to avoid." Naruto said coming to terms with that fact.
"I know, I didn't understand it at first." Lightning said as she reached for her stomach.
"But we can handle it right? You raised Serah and I managed to keep myself alive." Naruto said.
"This baby doomed." Lightning said.
"Uh Light, that reminds me. Since I thought your sickness was food poisoning, I called Serah to ask if the catering was the problem." Naruto said.
"And?" Lightning asked suspiciously.
"Serah wanted an update on your health and I've been telling white lies." Naruto finished. "So, how do we explain this?" he asked.
Lightning looked nervous, it's not that Serah would hate having a niece or nephew. Rather, Lightning new how her sister would get overly excited and want to plan things out.
"We could… not tell her." Lightning said.
"She'll notice the giant swollen belly." Naruto responded.
Lightning knew Serah would catch on considering that Lightning herself isn't the kind of person to let herself go. Lightning isn't picky, but her military career only reinforced the idea of healthy eating and exercising.
"You can't hide it or yourself." Naruto said.
Lightning sighed, "I know, I don't know why I suggested that." she said as she snuggled into his chest.
Naruto smiled as he held Lightning very closely, "Because you don't wanna acknowledge Serah's attempts at setting us up together." He replied as he kissed her forehead. "Good night, Eclair." she said.
"Good night… Eddy." Lightning replied with a smirk.
"Hey, I don't like that name." Naruto said.
Lightning kissed Naruto on the cheek before holding him closer.
Three days later
With their brief separation over, Naruto and Lightning started setting up a dinner table. Only unlike other days, they decided to make it look a lot more nice. Even getting dressed up as they invited Serah and Snow to the dinner to give the big news.
"How do you think Serah will react to the gift?" Naruto asked.
"I think it's still premature. It's still too early to know the gender." Lightning answered before smelling smoke. "Damn it! The dinner is overheating!" she said.
"I'll get it!" Naruto said as he ran towards the kitchen.
"Make sure it doesn't catch fire!" Lightning shouted.
By then, they heard a knock at the door. Lightning sighed as she adjusted her light purple dress and hair. She wasn't the type to get overly dressed, but thought today really mattered. The last thing Lightning wanted to do was make a bigger mess than her birthday when she learned that Serah became a L'cie and getting married. Only now, Lightning feels a lot more patient and capable of not rudely exploding on someone.
Putting up with Naruto's antics was enough to give Lightning patience over the smallest things.
"Light, the turkey is fine, but the oven might need some maintenance." Naruto said from the kitchen.
Lightning took a deep breath, "Forget it, the oven will be fine." she said as she went to open the door.
From there, Lightning was greeted by her sister and brother-in-law. Yes, Lightning felt sick knowing that Snow is her brother-in-law and she had to deal with it.
"Hey Light! No hug?" Snow asked after Lightning broke her hug away from Serah.
"Social distancing." Lightning said as she backed away.
Snow looked offended, "Really? But we're family." he said.
Serah sighed, "Hug my husband." she said. "Your brother-in-law." she added.
"Serah." Lightning said as if to warn her.
"Eclair." Serah replied in a serious tone. "Hug your brother-in-law." she said.
Lightning looked sick but complied, "Hello, brother." she said, her voice sounding strained.
"See Eclair? Was it that bad?" Snow asked.
"Don't call me that." Lightning said before hearing a crash.
"Sergeant Oven, you will continue to function! You are not to question my orders!" Naruto shouted. "When I say cook, you cook! When I say heat, you heat! When I say you will die for your country, then you will most certainly die! Do I make myself clear!?" he asked the oven.
Snow burst out laughing, "Naruto would have made an amazing drill sergeant." he said.
"Hi Naruto!" Serah called out.
"Hi Serah!" Naruto replied. "See what you did Sergeant? Now I'm late, expect a court martial on another date!" He said before running into the living room with the turkey.
"So, who's hungry?" Lightning asked.
"Don't worry about the turkey, it's not dry." Naruto said.
"Naruto, what happened to your tie?" Serah asked as she saw that the tie was a curled up mess.
"Uh…" Naruto looked down awkwardly.
Lightning groaned as she started fixing the tie, "Every time, I always have to fix this for you." she said.
A couple of minutes later
Once dinner was set up and everyone started eating. Serah couldn't help but bring up the topic of discussion.
"So Light, what's the special occasion?" Serah asked.
Lightning sighed, "I was hoping to save this after dinner. Or at least when someone got too drunk to remember anything." she said.
Naruto started to pick up the speed as he stuffed his mouth with food. All the while Snow could tell that there's a lot of tension building up. Lightning's disaster of a 21st birthday is still fresh in their minds. However, Naruto knew that Lightning was very anxious and still a bit unsure about the news she wanted to give to her sister. As Lightning was working on trying to find the right words as she didn't expect Serah to ask about it so soon.
Serah turned her attention to Naruto who tried to look away.
"Naruto, what's going on?" Serah asked.
Naruto tried to ignore her, "So Snow, how's the family business?" he asked.
"Uh... there is no family business. What are you talking about?" Snow asked.
"Just passing along the conversation. You can't support a wife trying to make your own neighborhood watch. Trust me, I tried something similar." Naruto said whispering the last part.
"Naruto, if your "Sparkman" costume is not gone. I'm burning it!" Lightning said.
"Light, I rebranded it to just "Sparks", it sounds simple yet elegant that way." Naruto replied.
Lightning stood up from your table, "I'm getting rid of your comics." she said.
"Light no! Sit down!" Naruto said.
Lightning glared at Naruto, "Do not give me that attitude!" she yelled.
"You're the one that wants to throw away my treasures Light. How would you like it if I threw away all of your guns?" Naruto asked as Lightning became silent. "Exactly, there's so many guns in this house. I feel like I am at a conservatist convention but without the corn on the cob eating contest and some crazy lady screaming about how hard math is for her." he added.
Serah sighed, "I thought we were having a nice dinner." she said.
Lightning sighed as well, "Yes we are, I'm sorry for raising my voice and getting angry." she said as she sat back down. "This is all Snow's fault." she said.
"What? Now you're just blaming me for everything!" Snow shouted.
"You reminded Naruto of his stupid superhero costume!" Lightning shouted back.
"Light, you never support my ambitions!" Naruto exclaimed.
"I only support your smart choices!" Lightning argued.
"Here we go again. What is smart for you, Eclair?" Naruto asked.
"Light! Naruto! You're both fighting again!" Serah yelled on top of them.
They both went silent.
"I admit, maybe I say stupid things, but sometimes I feel that Lightning is a bit of a control freak. That makes me uncomfortable." Naruto said.
"And I admit, that maybe I try to control things that I can't understand, but sometimes I feel like Naruto needs to learn self control. This makes me feel worried." Lightning said.
Snow looked wide eyed as he felt like Lightning had successfully completed a therapy that made her less hostile. As well as slightly more open to speaking her thoughts.
"And happy ending! Let's eat!" Snow said hoping to move on from this craziness.
"So what's the occasion again?" Serah asked.
Lightning rubbed her face as if she were tired already, "Might as well get over with it." she said as she grabbed a box. "Here Serah, think of it as an extra wedding present." she said.
"You brought us here for another wedding gift?" Snow asked.
"I can tell you, it's a lot more valuable compared to a blender." Naruto said as a blender is a typical wedding gift.
"It better not be another stupid juicer." Snow said almost pleading.
Serah slowly opened the box hoping it wasn't something weird like dog tags or divorce papers. She carefully peaked under the box as she slowly lifted the cover off. All the while Lightning gave Serah a tired look as she saw the slow progress.
"It's not a bomb Serah! Just open it!" Lightning said.
"I will! Hold on!" Serah said.
"It's totally not a juicer!" Naruto added.
As Serah opened the gift, she took off the sheets covering the inside. Where she immediately pulled out some soft clothing material. Serah wondered if this was some really small t-shirt or wool hat. However, she was oddly confused to see a tiny orange onesie inside. Before Serah could question her sister, she read the writing on the onsie.
"My Auntie Loves Me"
Serah covered her mouth as she was shocked by the revelation. Snow had to adjust his head in order to see what his wife was given. So he took much longer to realize what was going on as Serah looked shocked. The girl then looked at her sister as if she had just witnessed a biblical miracle. Snow hasn't seen Serah give stare at Lightning like this since the time Lightning went on a date with Naruto.
"I'm an aunt?" Serah asked.
Lightning gave a weak smile as she grabbed Naruto's hand and rubbed her bell with her other hand. Serah squealed as she quickly stood up and hugged Lightning.
"Oh my gosh Light! I'm so happy for you!" Serah exclaimed as she held onto Lightning very tightly. "Wait, was that why Naruto called me? Were you sick because of the pregnancy?" she asked.
Lightning sighed, "Yes." she admitted.
"Light was quiet for an entire week about it. I thought it was something really bad." Naruto said.
"He thought it was radiation or something. I think Naruto's comics are finally rotting his brain." Lightning said.
"That sounds like your baby's father." Serah said, teasing her older sister.
Now Snow felt awkward as he listened to the excitement coming from his wife.. As he overheard his wife rapidly asking his sister-in-law about the pregnancy. Though Snow was shocked, he knew Lightning was a grouch and thought Naruto was wasting his time getting through to someone with a thick mindset. He felt bad for Naruto as he could only imagine the child being a smaller version of Lightning with the same attitude.
"So how many months!?" Serah asked excitedly.
"The doctor said two by this point, but I felt like I should have noticed sooner." Lightning said with a sigh.
Had this this been as far back as a whole day before Serah became a L'Cie. Then the younger Farron girl would no doubt be more concerned and slightly panicked rather than overly excited. It was likely the day of Lightning's birthday where Serah knew that her sister needed help. She even joked that Lightning needed a boyfriend or something to get rid of her stress. Though it appears that a baby will do just that.
Or possibly increase her stress because children are high maintenance.
"So Light, when are you two getting married?" she asked.
Lightning had a response for this question all the time, but all she could do was remain silent and sigh at her sister. It's not like Eclair Farron is a transcendentalist or some hippy that thinks being a housewife is demeaning. Still, she never really planned out her life and never thought about having a child of her own. For the moment, Lightning could only look down at her belly and place a hand on it.
Six months later
Lightning stared down at her swollen belly as she placed a hand on it. On her hand is a golden ring with a small diamond, nothing too extravagant other than a little special engraving and the gemstone itself looked quite beautiful in Lightning's opinion. However, the retired soldier didn't dwell on her recent marriage as she entered Serah's old room.
"A family member leaves, but another one joins." Lightning said as she entered her sister's room.
She was hesitant at first, but Lightning knew that her sister wasn't going to move back in any time soon. Half a year already passed, Lightning needed to move on with her life as Serah did with herself. While becoming a parent isn't necessarily an end goal everyone should have and sometimes it may not fit everyone. Lightning decided that this new life growing in her was her new goal and she wasn't alone.
While the pink haired woman wouldn't have the chance to try and run around until she found something that she enjoyed in life. She at least had something to keep her distracted. Although Lightning can see the struggles of not planning for these things ahead of time.
Looking around, Lightning can see that she did a good job at renovating Serah's old room. The walls were repainted, furniture was changed and now it was almost ready for the baby to arrive. The only thing was missing Naruto and her baby's bed. Which she can clearly hear in the distance by the sounds of Naruto making a mess in the distance.
"Naruto what did you do?" Lightning asked.
"Light, do you remember when you asked me to get started on making the crib right away?" Naruto asked.
Lightning was about to question him before realizing something, "I meant that you should have started building it on the second floor. This is where the baby's room is!" she said.
"I know! You made me rush and now I realized the mess I'm in!" Naruto shouted. "Well, the mess I made. Carrying baby's crib up the stairs is impossible." he said.
Lightning sighed, "You can in-tune yourself with nature, but you can't figure out how to build a crib properly?" she asked.
"Light, I wouldn't be making comparisons when you can barely cook an egg without adding the egg shells." Naruto retorted. "Speaking of which, what did you do with the soap you told me to get you?" he asked.
"I left it on bedside." Lightning answered.
"Should I add bars of soap to the grocery list?" Naruto asked.
"I didn't eat it!" Lightning shouted. "I just wanted to smell it. The scent soothes me." She said as Naruto entered with parts of the baby crib.
"Hopefully you enjoy the sounds of me working with wood." Naruto said as he made several Shadow Clones. "Because I'm gonna have to build the bed again because someone wanted to rush me." He said.
Lightning rolled her eyes as she just relaxed in her chair and let it rock back and forth. She can remember the harsh training the military forced her to go through on her first year. Only now it feels like basic actions of everyday life are challenging. From cleaning to walking around for more than 20 minutes. Lightning was going to figuratively kill Serah as she remembered the girl did tease and suggest starting a family with Naruto way before she was pregnant.
Back then, Lightning was still stubborn and didn't really have any goals other than taking care of Serah. Back then, Serah was thrilled about her older sister finding a boyfriend. Not that Lightning referred to Naruto as such until a few months into their relationship.
"Hey Light, how big do you think the little guy will be?" Naruto asked.
"He's probably going to be a watermelon." Lightning said as she felt like her belly was too big.
"He'll probably be smaller. After all, with all of your weird cravings. You never once asked for ramen." Naruto said. "My poor son is going to have a depressing life." he said, feigning sadness.
Lightning just stared at Naruto, "He can be nice and energetic like you, but he's going to inherit everything else from me." she said, hoping that her unborn child won't be too childish like her husband.
Naruto chuckled at Lightning, "I think you're giving me too little credit." he said before kneeling beside Lightning. "He's going to be the best of both of us. Little Naruto the Second will be hectic, but he'll be strong, caring and no one is gonna hold him back." he said as he stroked Lightning's belly.
"We're not calling him that." Lightning said, crossing her arms.
Naruto gently laid his head against his wife's belly, "Then did you have any suggestions?" he asked.
Lightning silently thought it over, "How about Clark?" She asked.
"Sounds too nerdy." Naruto responded.
"John?"
"Too generic."
"Harold?"
"Do you want our baby to be bullied?"
The couple went back and forth with names with Naruto adding a few of his own. Some of which were just stupid, showing that sometimes Lightning can be the smart one in the relationship. The clones just ignored their creator and his wife as they managed to create the baby crib without another incident. Eventually, Lightning started feeling exhausted and noticed how late it was tonight.
"Naruto, we can talk about this in the morning." Lightning said with a yawn.
"Okay, I guess my little lightning bolt will have to wait for his name." Naruto said as he rubbed Lightning's belly.
Lightning snorted, "Bolt? It doesn't sound bad." she said. "No wait, Volt! Volt is a better name!" she said, sounding excited.
"Volt?" Naruto asked.
"It's short for voltage, it's the amount of pressure used for electricity. I guess you can say that the little guy is just another spark within me." Lightning explained.
"Maybe it can be his army nickname." Naruto suggested.
Naruto already saw the hot mess that Lightning was when he met her. He didn't want his own child to end up being stubborn and alone like Lightning was. When he met the woman, he was surprised by how long Serah put up with her for so long. Then again, Naruto didn't have a family so didn't understand the strong bonds of a family compared to friends and allies.
A part of Naruto was worried that his child would be less like him and more like Lightning. It didn't help that he can see that Lightning actually liked the suggestion he made. Because it was a joke!
"That's perfect, I'm impressed you started helping outline the baby's life." Lightning said, sounding genuinely happy.
Naruto started freaking out, 'Heck no! I'm not doing that!' he thought. 'Wait, outlining it? Why does it sound like something she would do!?' he thought.
Either Lightning is still a control freak or her mood swings are kicking in. Because she was too happy to pull her husband in for a hug.
"You're a wonderful husband and father." Lightning said before kissing him on the cheek.
'By some chance that the kid is more like me: I'm sorry my son.' Naruto thought with tears in his eyes.
"Now let's get to bed." Lightning said as she struggled to stand.
Naruto quickly stood up and grabbed her hands, "Hang on Light, let me help you up." he said.
Lightning groaned as her body felt heavy, "Okay, the excitement is gone. I want him out." she said.
Naruto snorted as he helped walk his wife to bed. Along the way, he walked past his large wedding photo. The former shinobi smiled as he recalled the wedding ceremony and how anxious he felt that day. Sure, he tried convincing Lightning to marry him on several occasions, but despite the small size in comparison to Serah's wedding. Naruto was worried that something would go wrong and it would ruin things between him and the mother of his unborn child.
"I swear, we don't need a photo that big." Lightning commented.
"I like it." Naruto said simply. "It's special, I can't relieve it but I'm just happy that it happened." he said as he embraced Lightning from behind.
Lightning snorted, "I swear, you are starting to sound like Serah with that sappy speech." She said.
"I can make it worse by singing and writing poems." Naruto said making Lightning's eyes widen.
"No, don't you dare!" Lightning exclaimed.
Naruto snickered before he adjusted his hold on Lightning. He placed one arm behind her knees and the other behind her back. He quickly scooped up Lightning in a bridal carry much to Lightning's embarrassment.
"Hey! Don't you dare drop me!" Lightning yelled.
Naruto adjusted his hold, "I won't, I just thought this would be more comfortable. Your feet probably hurt with all the steps you took today." he said.
Lightning glared at her husband but relented. There was no use in arguing with someone as thick headed as him. Deep down, no matter how often she argued with Naruto. The pink haired woman loved him, it just made her remember how much more variety there is to life. Their fights aren't always about right or wrong, but just looking at two possibilities.
"Okay fine, but if you drop me. I'm hurting you." Lightning said.
"Your lack of faith hurts me." Naruto said before kissing her on the cheek.
And with that, Naruto took his wife into their bedroom and gently lied her down under the covers. Naruto gave his wife another kiss on the cheek before moving to his side of the bed. Naruto yawned as he started feeling sleepy too. He wasn't the one carrying a baby and yet he couldn't help but feel more exhausted.
'I hate being grown up.' Naruto thought.
"Naruto." Lightning called out.
"You need something Light?" Naruto asked.
Lightning shook her head, "I just wanted to tell you something." she said.
"Go for it." Naruto told her.
"Listen, I know that I probably wasn't the most pleasant person at first. To be fair, you were a handful too." Lightning said, but he continued to listen. "Maybe I was afraid or angry, but I think the problem with me is… I really don't like change." She admitted.
'She's finally admitting it.' Naruto thought.
"I mean, I got what I wanted from life and just settled with my stagnant life. Everything from Serah telling me she's engaged and becoming she's a L'cie to today, it was too much." Lightning said as she turned to face the ceiling. "It's calmer now, but after Serah got married. I feel more confident and sure of what's to come." she said.
"Lightning, if you want me to be honest. I always have a good idea of what I want or at least what I think I wanted." Naruto spoke up. "Still, my problem was not considering the obstacles and just saying "I'll get over it" no matter how tough it looked. Repeating a belief is worse than stagnation because it means things will either get worse or won't change because the result won't ned with what I want." He explained.
Lightning sighed, "You make your ignorance sound so complicated." she said.
Naruto reached for his wife's hand, "I'm just saying, that the both of us are a mess and even with a baby on the way. We have each other to lookout for." he said.
"I was going to say something like that." Lightning said.
Naruto snickered, "I think your thing was going to end with, "you're a good soldier" and then you salute me." he said.
Lightning groaned, "Can I just say something with deep meaning without you… augh!" she said as she turned away from him.
Naruto moved closer to Lightning and embraced her, "Light, I just wanted to add my two cents. Just tell me what's on your mind." He said.
"…no matter how crazy you drive me. No matter what stresses me out. I'm more scared of being alone and facing the unknown." Lightning told him as she closed her eyes. "Maybe now, I'm happy. I'm happy that I married you, Naruto Uzumaki." She said.
And now Lightning could help but pray that her husband wouldn't say something stupid to ruin this moment. Then again, she realized she would only hurt Naruto by having no faith in him. As she found herself being held more closely in his embrace.
"You have always been the smarter one, the one who thought things through in the end. I'm happy that I married you too, Eclair Uzumaki-Farron." Naruto said as exhaustion consumed the both of them.
Even if Naruto taught Eclair to look at the world and those within it in a different way. Lightning has always been the one to bring him back to reality. Naruto is the optimist who saw possibilities and Lightning is the realist who saw within reason.
'Reason…' Naruto repeated in his mind.
Naruto's Dream
Naruto grunted as he felt pain in his chest. He looked up and saw Sasuke shoving his hand into into his own chest. Naruto saw Sasuke slowly trying to siphon some of Naruto's chakra into his own reserves.
"This is a power from the Rinnegan." Sasuke said as Naruto started to falter.
"You seem happy with that new eye." Naruto said as he latched onto Sasuke's arm.
Just as Sasuke was about to make a remark, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his eye. Not a random temporary pain like being punched or feeling his eye go dry. No, it felt like meat exploded in his own head.
"For an arrogant bastard like yourself. You treat that new eye like you just bought some new shoes." Naruto said as he ripped his own hand away from Sasuke's face.
Sasuke cried out in pain as he clutched his left eye. Sasuke tried to push through the pain and formed a chidori in one hand. However, Sasuke found himself stumbling as Naruto avoided the arm and flipped Sasuke onto his back. Naruto then quickly elbowed Sasuke in the chest before dropping a bloody kunai next to his head.
"W-What d-did you do… dobe!?" Sasuke angrily asked as he felt hollow.
"Teme." Naruto said before pausing. "Shut up!" He yelled as he kicked Sasuke across the ground.
Sasuke gritted his teeth as he came to a stop but could hardly find the energy to stand up. He was already exhausted and was hoping that Naruto's chakra would give him enough strength to win. Now it looked like Naruto was fighting back.
"Dropping the defensive now?" Sasuke asked before Naruto appeared in front of him.
Naruto quickly kicked Sasuke in the face, sending him crashing into the wall. Sasuke then watched as Naruto rushed at him with a Rasengan. Sasuke narrowed his eye and unleashed a wave of black flames.
"Amaterasu!" he shouted.
Sasuke witnessed Naruto being surrounded by black flames and assumed that would be the end of it, even if only for a minute. However, Sasuke wouldn't be given any amount of rest. Instead, he found a black Rasengan being shoved into his chest that sent him deeper into the rocky wall he was on.
"Impossible…!" Sasuke croaked before being dragged out of the wall. "How…?" he asked.
"Teme, I've been fighting for over a day, donated my chakra like this is a blood drive and I've been putting up with you until now." Naruto said before punching Sasuke three times in the face before throwing him into the air. Sasuke tried to recover but then found two Naruto's punching him below the chin, "You think I'm gonna let you win a fight just because I haven't rested?" he asked.
Sasuke crashed back down onto the ground but was once again denied even a single second of rest. Because he found himself being dragged from the ground and punched in the face again. This time with enough force to make Sasuke fly out of the hole where they were. Naruto followed after Sasuke once the Uchiha hit a large pile of rocks.
"…you still don't understand anything." Sasuke said before having his face kicked in.
"YOU ARE FIGHTING A WAR BECAUSE YOU'RE SAD! YOU WANT TO DESTROY A SYSTEM BECAUSE YOU'RE SAD AND WANT ATTENTION!" Naruto screamed with all his rage. "You would hurt every single living thing on this planet to do the opposite of what your brother wanted for you! Can you think about anyone but yourself? Think Sasuke! THINK!" he yelled.
Sasuke coughed up blood and found it hard to breathe all of a sudden.
"What will you have after everything is gone!?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke took a deep breath and answered, "Peace in my clan. They would rest in peace and the suffering would end." he answered.
"So you would be a second Obito or a second Madara." Naruto said.
"No, it's different…"
"It is not different!" Naruto yelled as he suddenly found enough energy to enter Kurama chakra mode again. "Sasuke Uchiha, you and your predecessors have devastated the balance of this world and now you will pay the ultimate price!" He yelled before stabbing Sasuke's other eye.
Unlike Hashirama with Madara, Sasuke will not be given a do over.
"AHHH!" Sasuke cried out.
If Sasuke wasn't crying in pain and still had his sight. He would have noticed Naruto slowly molding enough chakra to create a Rasenshuriken but it wasn't its typical white color or one of the unique designed gained from the other bijuu. Instead, it felt like the world itself had deemed Indra's last successor to be the threat.
As even the Bijuu started to leak their own chakra towards Naruto. Accepting that a great evil must be presented to ensure the peace. The only downside is they would supply Naruto with enough fuel to create a brand new jutsu, another technique that deviated from ninshu and its intended purpose.
"Maximum: Uzumaki!" Naruto shouted before delivering the final blow.
Seemingly unaware that a familiar pink haired girl had just arrived and tried to intervene. Most likely for selfish reasons.
"Naruto, she's hurt." Kurama said.
End of Dream
Naruto gasped as he woke up, feeling dazed and confused. Naruto looked around and realized that he was alone. He was feeling anxious, unsure as to why though.
"Your mate, she's hurt and crying." Kurama said.
"Eclair!?" Naruto called out.
Naruto used his sensory and in a second, he found Lightning kneeling on the floor of the bathroom. Lightning was gritting her teeth and holding her stomach. Naruto bent down and held his wife, checking for wounds.
"Light, what happened?" Naruto asked.
"The baby! Our baby!" Lightning cried out as she grunted in pain.
"What happened to the baby?" Naruto asked.
"Naruto, he's coming! I woke up, almost slipped on the wet floor and now our baby wants out!" Lightning yelled.
Naruto looked down at the floor he was on and realized it wasn't ordinary water or some kind of spilled liquid. Naruto lifted Lightning up and carried her to the bed.
"I'm calling an ambulance!" Naruto exclaimed.
"HURRY!" Lightning screamed.
"…and Serah too!" Naruto added.
"NO!" Lightning yelled.
Hospital, Hours Later
Lightning was screaming as she gripped Naruto's arm with enough force to crush a steel pipe. Luckily Naruto has been through worse and Kurama was willing to heal his wounds before things got too bad.
"Lightning, keep pushing. You're doing great!" Naruto said before feeling his arm being squeezed.
"This is your fault! I shouldn't have listened to Serah!" Lightning yelled.
"To be fair, we were getting close before Serah was… okay! I see you're not in the mood!" Naruto said as he saw his arm bending the wrong way.
"Just shut up! Be quiet! I don't want to hear you!" Lightning yelled as tears fell down her cheeks. "Just stay put and… hold me!" she said before roaring in pain.
Then it stopped, not the pain but the massive throbbing she felt. Lightning felt that the worst was over but the pain won't leave yet. At least she was comfortable enough to breathe properly. Then she heard a shrilled scream.
"Naruto, what is…"
"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Uzumaki, it's a healthy baby boy." A nurse said before presenting a crying blond child.
"Ahhhh! Bwaaahhhh!" the baby cried.
Lightning immediately felt more tears fall down her cheeks as she let go of Naruto and reached for her child.
"My baby." Lightning murmured as she stroked the infant's cheeks.
The baby started to calm down as he was placed in his mother's arms. Naruto also started to feel a tear go down his cheek. Naruto smiled as he saw Lightning's cold exterior melt as she held her newborn.
"Naruto, look at him. He's like a tiny version of you." Lightning said.
"Hm, I don't know. I think his arms look too straight." Naruto said as he raised his bent arm.
"Sir, I think you may need reconstructive surgery!" a doctor said.
"Nah, I'm good." Naruto replied.
Later that night
Naruto sighed as he sat in his wife's hospital room. Lightning was in a deep sleep and so was the baby. To his luck, the child was healthy and didn't experience any concerning issues. Although he was born with whisker marks on his cheeks. It only made Naruto snicker as he looked at his sleeping son.
"Hi baby, I'm your daddy. You're adorable and innocent now, but you're probably going to be like your mom." Naruto whispered as the infant stirred in his sleep. "Not that it's bad, but now I'm going to try to talk you out of signing up for the army. I don't want you being anti-social like your mama." he said.
"Naruto…"
Naruto snapped his head to find Lightning stirring awake.
"Naruto…"
"Light? How are you feeling?" Naruto asked.
"Everything under my waist hurts." Lightning answered.
"Ouch." Naruto said.
"Also… you will let our son sign up for the army if he wants to." Lightning said.
Naruto shook his head before gently hugging Lightning, "You're impossible and so am I." He said.
Lightning smiled, "How is he? Little… damn, we didn't give him a name." she said.
(FFXIII OST - The Promise)
"Nayuta." Naruto said.
"What?" Lightning asked.
"Nayuta should be his name." Naruto said before pulling out a piece of paper. He then started to write on it, "In certain kanji, Nayuta can be written as reason." he said.
"Reason?" Lightning asked.
"I have no doubt that he will be more like you, Light. Even if you're a bit of a downer, you're always the more reasonable one. The one who thinks through." Naruto explained.
Lightning smiled, "Okay, Nayuta Uzumaki-Farron it is." she said. "Serah is going to have a heart attack from excitement." she said.
Naruto chuckled, "Nayuta is going to be spoiled by that girl." he said.
"Do you think you can give me Nayuta? Hopefully without waking him up?" she asked.
"Okay, mama wants to hold her son." Naruto said as he quietly approached Nayuta. "Oh shoot, please don't cry." he whispered as he felt Nayuta stirring in his blanket.
Naruto quickly scanned the floor as if it were covered in bear traps before gently approaching Lightning. Lightning could not help but try and stifle a laugh as she saw how cautious Naruto is being. She tried to contain it in fear that she would wake up her son. Which scared Naruto.
'What the heck? When has Lightning ever laughed?' Naruto wondered. 'This is the apocalypse. I'm a dad and Lightning is laughing. The end times have come.' he thought as he handed Nayuta over to Lightning.
Lightning managed to calm herself down as she held Nayuta. All of a sudden, she felt calmer but more focused as she embraced her child. Lightning gently caressed her son's face as she watched him rest in her arms. Lightning then saw Naruto gently reaching for Nayuta and rubbed his little head.
"Naruto." Lightning said, getting his attention. "I love you." she said.
"I love you too." Naruto told her.
The couple shared a small yet passionate kiss. Lightning kept a tight hold on her baby and Naruto kept an extra hand to support her as they kissed. However, the tender moment was broken when they heard their child cry.
"Bwaaahhhh… bwaaahhh! Bwaaahh!" Nayuta cried.
"No! No! No! Please don't cry!" Naruto pleased but his son ignored him.
Lightning sighed as she lowered her hospital gown, "Naruto look away, the baby is probably just hungry." she said.
Naruto groaned as he turned, "It's not like I haven't seen it." he said.
"Look away." Lightning repeated.
"Fine." Naruto said, not realizing the tender moment his wife is having.
Moments later, Nayuta calmed down as Lightning breast fed him. The woman couldn't help but feel some discomfort at first, but had to remind herself that this was a natural process. A few minutes later, she heard a knock at the door and saw a nurse poke her head inside.
"Excuse me Mrs. Farron, you have visitors." the nurse said.
"Okay, let them in." Lightning said.
The nurse nodded and opened the door, Lightning then saw her sister slowly enter the room with a teddy bear to shield her face with. Lightning frowned at the sight of her own sister being anxious. Serah was the one wanting her to get a boyfriend and get married, why is Serah the scared one. At least Snow wasn't being pathetic and had the courtesy to bring balloons.
"Congratulations Lightning!" Snow said.
Lightning narrowed her eyes, "How come my brother-in-law, who I didn't like at first, is the one feeling excited?" she asked.
"Because Snow is the cool guy!" Naruto quipped as the two blond men high five each other.
Lightning turned her head to Serah, "Serah, I think you should meet someone." she said, receiving only silence. "Serah, put down the bear." She said.
Serah lowered the teddy bear and looked at Lightning, noticing how exhausted her older sister looked. Serah then looked at Lightning's hands and saw a little bundle with blond hair sticking out. Serah then nervously approached her sister who smiled and shook her head.
"Serah, he's your nephew. He's not covered in radiation." Lightning said as she raised her baby. "Nayuta, this is your aunt Serah. She was the most excited to meet you." she said.
After a long moment of hesitance, Serah gently picked up Nayuta. Although not without feeling anxious as she felt the small child wiggling around in her grasp. Making her as scared as Naruto when it came to keeping him from falling.
"Oh, you're a big boy. I bet you got a big appetite for ramen like your daddy." Serah said, slowly relaxing. "I think I see a bit of your mommy in you." she said.
"Hey Serah, the moment he came out. He wasn't crying, he was demanding enlistment papers." Naruto said jokingly.
Serah giggled, "He's definitely like his mother then." he said.
"He's the best of both of us." Lightning commented.
"Okay, okay, before we go on a debate. How about we commemorate this moment?" Snow asked as he pulled out his camera.
"Hey Snow, let me take that." Naruto said.
"I'm pretty sure the dad has to be in most of the photos." Snow said.
Naruto used his signature technique and spawned a clone of himself. Snow slapped his forehead, remembering Naruto can use abilities like that without being a L'cie. The clone took the camera and prepared to take photos.
"This way, Nayuta can remember Uncle Snow." Naruto said.
After a half hour of taking photos with the newborn baby. The last photo taken was just of Naruto holding Nayuta who reached out for his father. Naruto smiled as he raised a finger which Nayuta tried to grab. The clone snapped a photo a the best moment before handing the camera back to Snow.
"That one is definitely one of the best." Serah said.
Lightning smiled at how close her husband and son already appeared to be. It faltered as she saw Naruto's face wasn't one of happiness.
"Naruto, are you okay?" Lightning asked.
Flashback
Naruto was panting as he crawled out of the massive pile of rubble he created with his new technique. He looked back and saw barely saw Sasuke's body except for a loose limb under a rock. He could also see that his pink haired teammate, Sakura, had her lower torso buried by the rubble.
Naruto paid close attention to his teammate and saw that she was barely breathing but her hand was stretched out towards Sasuke's exposed limb. Almost as if she were trying to reaching for him. While it could have just been that Sakura was trying to reach either of the boy or was trying to crawl out of the destruction. Naruto already understood the kind of people his teammates were.
'They deserved each other in the end.' Naruto thought.
His focus was then turned to the small fire of black flames. Naruto remembered witnessing Itachi use Amaterasu when he met the man three years ago. Jiraiya had to seal away the fire as it apparently could not be put out by water or any technique to counter fire. Naruto looked at the fire and saw it as corruption, hypocrisy.
It was named after the Sun Goddess who embodied light. Yet this was pure darkness, the opposite of light. It was a false hope, the peace that Itachi wanted would never come and the justice Sasuke wanted was a contradiction. The Will of Fire itself is a contradiction in the form of hypocrisy. It was only a fire that consumed good people and kept the greedy and fearful warm at night.
Perhaps Naruto is also a hypocrite, because he decided to feed the fire. He reached for his headband and gripped the metal tightly before tossing it into the fire. Not knowing if the metal instantly melted.
"I serve no one and I'll embrace the cold storms that wait for me." Naruto said before leaving the Valley of the End.
End of Flashback
(Sayuri - Moon & Bouqet)
Naruto looked at his son, seeing him as an innocent child that is gifted with the life he never had. Naruto could start to see why Lightning was protective of Serah, but he wouldn't copy her. Nayuta is his son and family, but he would not isolate the boy or lavish him with the gifts he was denied as a child.
No, Naruto would give the boy the wisdom and skills he never had.
Naruto's thoughts were interrupted when he saw Serah walk up to him. Naruto looked at his sister-in-law and saw that she had a handkerchief n her hands.
"I think you might want this back." Serah said.
Naruto was going to question Serah but instantly remembered their first meeting. That day nearly three years ago on the bench when Serah was crying and he gave her a shoulder to cry on. Gave her advice, a sense of hope and… now a nephew.
Naruto happily took the handkerchief to wipe his tears away, "Thanks Serah." he said.
Serah then hugged Naruto, "Thank you for being there for my sister and for being a good brother to me." she said.
Naruto hugged her back, "Thank you for letting me be a part your family." he said.
Lightning then looked at Snow, "Come here." she said as she sat up and extended her arms.
"Aw, Eclair you want to hug me to?" Snow asked.
"Don't ruin it." Lightning said.
"Okay… you're not going to snap my neck, are you?" Snow asked.
"You ruined it." Lightning said, crossing her arms.
Naruto chuckled as he raised his baby, "Welcome to your crazy family, Nayuta." he said.
Nayuta just stared aimlessly at his parents, aunt and uncle. He wouldn't remember this day, but he would recognize everyone important to him.
THE END
A/N: Thank you all for bearing with me on the slow year of slow uploads. Especially for this long awaited story, but I'll skip the excuses and apologies right now. I want to thank you all for over four years of stories from the good, the bad and the really weird.
I also want to thank a certain reader who is a fan of this pairing for his support over the years. Here's to hoping for 2024 to be even better. Although this story was meant to appear by 2023, consider this a good way to start New Years. As well as announcing the obvious, congratulations to Eclair "Lightning" Farron for winning the poll with six votes. With Himiko and Euphemia following behind with five and four votes.
I hope you all enjoyed this short story and hopefully you will all follow me for the upcoming FGO and Code Geass short stories.