And The Pain Ends

Thanks to my only two reveiwers so far and sorry but i'm getting extra hours at work and have a limited time to do this in.
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That night Taku had a wonderful dream. Not because of her father or mother. It was just a normal dream for once. She sat in the middle of the meadow with a Kimono on twisting flowers into a crown. Suddenly, a small girl runs to her and hugs her. "Mommy is that crown for me?" This little girl had Chouji’s brown hair and Taku’s violet eyes. She was just adorable. Taku had finished the crown and placed it on her head smiling. "Oh thank you mommy! Mommy, when can I start training like my big brother?

"I'll start training you next year. After your sixth birthday, that is when your brother began and it is soon enough for you." The little girl sighed and got a depressed look on her face. "Your always trying to be better than your brother but honestly sweetheart your too young. Your little body couldn’t take the pressure and straining from training. The truth is though that you'll be able to get into the more advanced stuff before your brother though. Girls bodies are a lot different and it makes it easier for us in the areas that call for gracefulness, silence, and gymnastics."

"Okay mommy, I guess I just have to wait. Will you please tell me about uncle Naruto again? Please!" The little girl looked up at her with pleading eyes. Taku smiled down and told the girl who called her mommy the story.

"Long ago Uncle Naruto was a child. When he was young he had no friends, or family and the entire village treated him as if he had a contagious disease. Nobody would even look at him before he joined the ninja academy and when he was there the looks he got were only from scorn. Starting then Naruto found two people actually cared about him. Those two people were the third hokage and his teacher Iruka. Everyone hated him because he held a demon inside him, except these two men. They saw Naruto as the hero he truly was, keeping the demon inside his body so it could not destroy the life they held so dear. Naruto had gotten sick of not being seen so he went off to make trouble, which at the time was the only way people would even look at him. All children crave attention either good or bad attention, they do not care which. Naruto became a pest in the villages eyes because of his pranks, but Naruto was only happy because people were finally noticing him. What he really wanted more than anything in the world was to become respected though and the only way he could think of to do that was to become hokage of the village. So after making it to the level of genin he began working extremely hard pushing himself past his limits and getting stronger everyday. Slowly, throughout the years he began to earn the respect of his peers as he beat the one by one. At the young age of twenty one he honored his brother's life and got the respect he deserved by becoming the village's sixth Hokage. Since that day the village has had a peace treaty with all other ninja villages and we are the strongest out of them all. You see Naruto took it upon himself to change the way things work around here and he himself goes to the village academy to inspire the children. He tells them how difficult it was for him starting out and how hard he worked to get to where he is. The day before he was pronounced as Hokage he married the girl who had believed in him even in the beginning even though she was too shy to show her feelings, your aunt Hinata. Since the day Naruto became Hokage the village has had no missing nins because nobody wants to leave such a wonderful place ruled by such a wonderful man. This is one of the reasons everyone believes that Naruto is the best hokage this village has ever been ruled by. You know though Aunt Hinata has her own story too. You see she was really weak when she was younger and was shunned by her father who said her younger sister was better than her and she was worthless. Seeing Uncle Naruto inspired her and she became stronger. She fell in love with him when she was really young and was always on his side even though she didn't have the courage to speak up. Eventually though she worked up the courage it took to get Naruto to notice her. I was never happier than I was that day." Taku turned your head up to look at the clouds.

"Mommy let's go visit Uncle Naruto! That office seems really lonely when Aunt Hinata is on a mission." Taku smiled and took the little girls hand and the scene faded into the darkness of her sleep. Taku woke to the sounds of birds chirping outside her window. You got out of bed and walked to the dresser. You realized at that point you needed something a little cooler and easier to move around in to train. So before she even thought of making breakfast she ran out to the store. There she bought something completely unlike her.

Taku grabbed all the first aid stuff she would need for her training then she grabbed a few leather shirts that only went just below her chest and a few pair of black shorts to match. As she walked by the belt area she picked up a new belt to attach her weapons pouch to. Taku also bought a gold arm band (they go on your upper arm) Looking through the shelves Taku found a few scrolls of starter techniques that she hadn't seen yet so she bought a few more scrolls for teaching herself and catching up with the others. After she had that all packed up in her new pack she ran over to a store to grab something for breakfast. Taku picked out a dozen donuts and hurried home hoping that Chouji hadn't awoken yet.

Taku got home just as a sleepy Chouji was walking down the stairs. "Hey sweetie, let's get you fed and get you off to training before Ino and Shikamaru come and steal you from me. I didn't have time to make breakfast this morning because I had to pick something up but I hope you like the donuts." They both finished breakfast and then ran to start her days. Before she left though she had fixed Chouji a nice lunch as well as one for herself.

After Chouji had left she went up to her room and changed into her new training outfit. Taku stood there in front of the mirror tracing her more apparent scars. "My scars do not make me ugly. My scars are not who I am, but they did make me who I am. Because of the pain I felt I became stronger. Each scar my step father caused made me cry, it made me feel pain. It's not these scars that make me hurt the most though." Taku said tracing a scar on her shoulder. "The scars that hurt the worst. The scars that hurt even today are the ones he left on my heart. He was supposed to love me, he was supposed to help me when I lost the one person who cared about me in that world. Why is it these scars on the outside are healed while the ones on my heart are still bleeding?" Taku stared in the mirror searching for the answer but she couldn't find it. So instead of standing there and acting like a pathetic child, she let a single tear slip down her cheek as she grabbed her pack and headed out after Naruto.

When she got to his house she knocked on the door and he immediately opened it ready to train. The second he saw her though his jaw dropped to the floor. "What in the heck are you wearing no go inside and change now missy. This is not good. How dare you wear that in front of your uncle!" Taku just smiled and pulled him to the training grounds. Once there they both began to work hard. Separate parts of the field were being pounded by lightning and basic Justus. Taku grabbed out her new scrolls and began to study them practicing the techniques over and over until she had perfected them. After learning about 6 Justus she laid by a tree for a rest. Taku closed her eyes then felt something on her lap. Taku peeked one eye open and saw a little ferret cuddling into her. Taku lifted her hand and stroked his soft fur.

"You know little one. I think it's about time for me to have a pet. I mean I always wanted one." Taku lifted him up and held him in front of her face. For a wild creature he seemed pretty tame to her. "How would you like some food little one?" She pulled a bag of pretzels out of her pack and shared them with the little ferret. It seemed he was a boy and he had taken a liking to Taku. "Okay then, If you want to stay with me I will have to name you. Let's see how about bandit?" The little ferret squeaked at the name and she took this as a yes. Before laying back down she wrapped some bandages around her leg that she cut during training and wrists for support. Taku laid back down stroking bandits hair when she noticed a new addition to the other side of the field. Taku closed her eyes leaving just a little space to see under her lashes as a shy girl watched Naruto's every move.

Under her breath she was urging her on hoping she would approach him. Finally when he took a break to breath she did. She walked up to him blushing and asked him to have lunch with her. He looked over at Taku to see what he thought was her napping under the tree and agreed. Taku smiled as she watched him slowly start to flirt with her even though Hinata didn’t quite catch it. As Taku stood up and stretched she used a Justus she had learned to extend her hearing. Taku then heard Naruto finally ask Hinata out. Taku smiled and began to start working with her new ferret teaching him and trying some animal Justus like the ones Kiba uses. She learned it was much easier to train when she had a little helper to cheer herself up. This tiny ferret didn't care who Taku was or what her past was he just knew she was the right person for him to be with. He kind of reminded her of Chouji in that way.

As soon as it started getting dark she waved to Naruto and went home. Taku went in and sat Bandit down and began cooking. She decided to make some cheeseburgers and potato wedges so she could give bandit a few wedges and some plain hamburger meat until she could get him some food of his own. (In my story the stores open and close with the sun.) You was so immersed in her work she never heard Chouji enter the house. Taku had forgotten to change back into her regular clothing so when Chouji came in he was in the perfect vantage point to see the biggest scar she had. It slashed sideways across her back and had been a result of you falling on the corner of the glass coffee table when her step father had connected a punch to her stomach. Chouji walked up to her and traced the scar. His voice sounded deadly when he spoke up, "Who did this to you Taku? How could they?"

"Chouji, that's an old scar that happened a long time ago in a different life than the one I am living now. It's really nothing to worry about I promise." He looked in Taku’s eyes then turned her around and kissed every inch of the scar sending shivers up her body. The only thing she could think of right then was how could he put his lips on something so ugly.

"Taku, I wish my kisses could make this scar disappear for you. I have a felling this and the others little scars on you are what cause your insecurities. I wish that I could simply make it to where none of that ever happened to you but I know I can't so I guess I just have to try to help the healing process a bit." Taku smiled with tears in her eyes as the wounds on her heart finally started to clot and scab over. She knew that healing would take time but thanks to Chouji it had finally started. They both sat down to eat and she put out a bowl for Bandit. "Well look here I believe my beautiful Taku has another admirer. Where did this little darling come from?" Chouji asked this as he bent down to scratch under bandits chin.

"He decided to climb on my lap when I took a break from training in the forest. Isn't he the sweetest little thing?" After eating they all sat down on the couch to watch a movie. Taku leaned into Chouji’s chest and Bandit curled up in her lap. When the movie was over she was yawning. They both got up and took turns taking their showers. When she let the water cascade down her body she imagined it was taking away all of the bad memories with the dirt that was getting stuck in the whirlpool that was the drain. Taku knew it would never truly happen but even so she felt refreshed when she stepped out of the shower and got dressed in a pair of pajamas.

They were blue and had clouds and blue butterflies on them. She had bought them in honor of the person in her life that was as gentle as a butterfly. Chouji was the only man for her and she wondered how she had ever had a crush on anyone else as she put her wet hair in a lose braid. Today seemed to go by so fast and so many things had happened but as they say tomorrow is another day. Taku went into the bedroom and laid down with the love of her life who had held off sleep until she had come out of the shower to be with him. Taku cuddled up facing him and Chouji pulled her closer as if he never wanted to let go.

To be perfectly honest she wished he never would. "Chouji you have been there for me from the beginning and I have never loved anyone like I love you. You are the most gentle and kind person I have ever met. To be perfectly honest I am surprised you stayed single long enough to be with me but then again most of the girls around here are very stupid. Please Chouji just hold me forever." Bandit climbed up on the foot of the bed and curled up on their feet. They both looked down and smiled. Chouji wrapped his arms around her hips and pulled her tighter to him giving her a long passionate goodnight kiss that if he didn't have to get up in the morning would have turned into a full blown make out session or maybe even something more.

He fell asleep soon and she just laid there looking at the man she loved. The soft lines of his face made him look younger in the pale moonlight. It was so strange how she had such a strong connection with him. Taku even dreamed about a child that looked like she could have been the result of their pairing and she couldn't be happier.

Taku knew that other girls in the village didn't like Chouji because of his weight but she couldn't understand that. To her he was perfect in every way her big soft teddy bear. How could they like Sasuke, a bad boy, over the sweetest man ever to be born. Bad boys reminded her too much of her step father, she would much rather have Chouji any day than someone like her step father. Taku kissed him one last time on the forehead before the darkness found only in sleep could consume her.