A True Love Never Dies

*hums fanfare* A NEW CHAPPIE! HOORAY!! *dances*

Yes, my friends, ‘tis the third chapter of this story. Once again, turn away now if you cannot stand the super-sweetness and the fluffiness for it will MELT YOUR TEETH (and your heart)!!!

Jeez, I’m so sorry for taking so long with this. Enjoy!

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Ever since that little incident on the street with Hinata, Naruto had been avoiding her like the plague. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, it’s just that he’s avoiding her until this whole mess got sorted out.

After he ran away from her and slammed the door shut, he laid down on his bed and thought things out.

‘What does it all mean? Does this mean that I love Hinata?’ Questions were stirred up in Naruto’s head. When he was still a child, he would disregard the dreams. He never really connected anything, he just thought that his mind conjured up an imaginary friend to ward away the feeling of loneliness. As a child, he was always excluded for reasons that even he didn’t know.

He shifted his position until he could find a more comfortable one but he couldn’t. Sighing, he sat up.

‘Maybe I can just avoid her until I figure it all out…’

‘Why would you avoid her? She’s quite a fine specimen for us,’ boomed a voice.

‘K-Kyuubi?’

‘About time you listened to me, boy. You keep taking my power and use it without my opinion on things.’

‘You owed me rent!’

‘Will you shut up and listen to me!?’

Naruto stayed silent.

‘Good. Now, that woman…Hinata? You can’t hide from her for very long. She is a Hyuuga after all.’

‘I know, but what am I supposed to do? I’m bombarded by memories I didn’t even know I had with this woman. What am I supposed to do?’

‘Hmm…she looks strangely familiar to me…’

‘What!? You met her before and you didn’t tell me!?’

‘I believe I said she was strangely familiar to me boy.’

“Spit it out!” Naruto shouted.

‘She looked like a woman I had killed; one of the last people I’ve killed before being sealed in you.’

Naruto shot up in bed. “I knew it! I knew you killed her!”

‘Shut up boy, you’re no different from me. What of the people you’ve killed? Whether it was an assassination mission or self defence or any other reason, you’ve killed people, as have I.’

“I am not the same as you,” Naruto growled. “I didn’t want to kill those people.”

‘And yet, you do kill. You are forced to kill. If you didn’t want to kill, you would never become a ninja. Ninja kill and assassinate, caring for who their loyalty lies with, not your victim.’

Naruto slumped over in bed, hanging his head. “You’re right; I’m no better than you are.”

Naruto laid back down onto his bed and fell asleep, hoping to sleep off his problem.

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Hinata came home with the groceries, dropping them onto the counter for another branch house member to take care of and walked downstairs, down, down until she reached the basement where the Hyuuga family documents are. She loved to read the documents, learning more of her clan each time she read something.

These documents were closely guarded by a jutsu only her father and the elders knew, and said jutsu was active 24/7. The jutsu delves into the body, analyzing the smallest thing of the person, making sure it was a Hyuuga and not an enemy spy who somehow infiltrated the grounds. Also, the jutsu had a little flaw. If anyone was unwanted on Hyuuga grounds, the jutsu would activate. Hinata didn’t know what it did, but it would activate, therefore, the Hyuuga had to be careful of who to trust. If they said the words “You’re welcome here anytime”, then they would ultimately be allowed into the archives to find the secret scrolls of the Byagukan and other important documents.

Leafing through the papers, Hinata found the very large scroll containing the family tree. Every generation of Hyuugas were documented on this scroll, and it also labelled them “main house member” or “branch house member”. She felt sorry for those who were the branch house members, especially Neji, because they don’t deserve to be labelled like that. Neji could possibly be the strongest Hyuuga in history and he will never rise to power simply because his father was born second. No matter your strength, timing was everything and Neji’s father fucked up on it.

Going through more documents and books, Hinata noticed a certain book. The colour of its cover was faded, and it seemed to be well-read. Hinata gingerly picked it up and read the cover. She nearly dropped the book when she did.

‘What is this doing here!?’ Sure enough, the cover had the words “Icha Icha” on them; the last word was faded out and it became illegible. She opened the covers and read what was written inside the cover.

“To my most talented student, Jiraiya.” Was a Hyuuga one of Jiraiya’s students? Hinata fumbled with the book and dropped it but she caught it before the book hit the ground. She noticed something fall out. It was a letter. Actually, it was several letters!

Hinata set the book down and picked up the papers. They all seemed to be love letters To someone named Hikari.

‘Why does that name sound so familiar?’ Hinata referred back to the family tree and looked for a Hikari in the family. Sure enough, she was a branch house member who died during the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox’s attack. In each letter, the words “It’s me” popped up, and there wasn’t a signature on the bottom, or anything to help Hinata identify who the writer was.

The papers were all love letters and in one of them, they revealed the past of the Icha Icha book. The writer was a student of Jiraiya and he received a book from his sensei. Apparently, the book was given to Hikari as a gift, and Hinata supposed it was a symbolic representative. It represented that the writer must be a smut lover like Kakashi and if Hikari accepted the book, then she must have accepted all and every of his flaws, as he had done to her.

When Hinata read the last letter, there was a photograph in the end. It was a woman with the Fourth Hokage. On the back of said photograph was a small note.

“To Hikari, with all my love.”

The Fourth Hokage and Hikari looked happy, obviously in love. She blushed when her mind began to imagine her and Naruto in that picture. But a deeper part of her mind told her that she was in that picture, in a weird sense, because Hinata resembled her so much! The Fourth Hokage looked like a more mature version of Naruto.

‘Is this what my dreams were telling me?’ Hinata asked herself. ‘Am I a reincarnation of this woman? What kind of life did I live? I know what kind of connection I had with this man, but what did they truly mean? Why do I have these memories?’

Confused, Hinata quickly hid the book and the letters in a safe place and ran from the room. It was just too much for her to bear.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-Many Years Ago-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

It was uncanny. The resemblance was uncanny. A young Naruto Uzumaki was being secluded from a group of kids during recess at the academy, but even through his sad face, it was uncanny.

Naruto looked more and more like the Fourth Hokage everyday. Sarutobi asked himself the question more times than he liked to think about it.

‘What have you done?’

What did the Fourth Hokage do to himself? Surely, he did not create this boy so he would be tormented by these ankle biters.

Currently, a young Naruto sat on the swings by himself while the other children played a game of sorts. They played a game that Naruto would love to play, but when he tried to include himself within the game, the children either moved away or ignored him completely.

Sarutobi casually made his way towards the young boy. “Is something the matter?” Sarutobi asked that question once a week, even though he knew the answer. Naruto knew that he knew the reason, but the boy always put on a brave smile.

“Nothing’s wrong. Ninjas don’t need friends anyway, that’s how they become great. No personal relationships to get in the way. And then I’ll become the greatest Hokage the world’s ever known!” Naruto plastered on his grin, and he convinced the Third to leave him alone.

Sarutobi never hated the poor boy like the rest of the village does. The boy needed a friend; someone to talk to and play with and make the curse of having a demon inhabit your body more bearable. Sarutobi pitied the boy. He noticed that there was one person who would make a fine friend for Naruto, but she was shy. She was quiet. And most of all, she was a Hyuuga.

The future heir of the Hyuuga clan would disown her, if not kill her, if she became associated with the boy. No one of a lower nobility would approach him, so why the Hyuuga heiress? If she did, however, it would be social suicide for her and her clan.

They prided themselves for having a great bloodline limit, and there was no doubt that Hiashi thought of pairing her up with the demon boy. After all, the fox inside of him practically had an unlimited source of chakra. That amount of chakra and the Byakugan would definitely create the most powerful beings in all of the ninja history, but the fact that the fox had destroyed Konoha was what made him hesitant. Had Hiashi gone through with the plan of creating children with both the Byagukan and the immeasurable amount of chakra, the children would be looked down upon. They would be descendants of the most powerful demon known to the world, and linking that to the Hyuuga clan would also demolish any respect the Hyuuga clan had. The children of both the fox and the Hyuuga would be incredibly strong, possibly strong enough to wipe out the Akatsuki, and these children would become quite an asset to the village, but they would be more likely a liability than an asset. If they could wipe out the Akatsuki, they could wipe out the village. The plan was impossible to achieve.

Sarutobi let out a sigh. It was all too much to think about. He wanted to be ignorant of all these issues, but he couldn’t. As the Hokage, he needed to be updated on all the issues. He knew there was a stack of paperwork in his office and he should get back to them. He took one last look at the children playing, then at Naruto. That brave grin Naruto had put on for him had faded away into sadness and loneliness.

With another sigh, the Third turned to leave.

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Naruto woke up. He took a glance at the sun. Judging by the shadows of the trees and people, it was sometime in the late afternoon/early evening, maybe 5 or 6. Naruto sat up to stretch his muscles and scratch his head when something made came to his attention: he doesn’t feel any better now than he did before he took his nap. Naruto had another dream, but they were vague and blurry. Nonetheless, it was him and Hinata in place of the Fourth and Hikari.

His dream consisted of the more happier moments of whoever he was and the woman (no, he hasn’t figured out who they are yet). Naruto saw the village through this man’s eyes. They were eating a bowl of ramen together, they trained together, they even saw the sunset over the river together. But when Naruto looked down, he saw a reflection in the river. He looked like an older version of himself. Then his eyes widened in realization. He was the Fourth Hokage! But who was this woman? He clearly had a relationship with her but who was she? All he knew of her was that she was a Hyuuga.

Naruto felt so confused. He didn’t know what do to or what these dreams meant.

‘Go to the girl, boy.’

‘What?’

‘That girl, Hinata. I have a feeling that she’s the key to unlocking these past memories of yours.’

Naruto sighed. He didn’t want to see Hinata again, especially after their little “reunion” on the street, but the Kyuubi was right. If she resembled the woman in his dreams, she must know something.

Naruto felt an inner turmoil take over him. His heart and his body steered towards Hinata, as well as his mind which was influenced by the demon inside of him, but his conscience couldn’t go to her. Anything he did around her could trigger his primal needs and he couldn’t betray her trust, especially when she was one of the first people ever to not call him the Kyuubi Brat. Even through all this, he knew that he needed the answer and she was the key.

‘If you’re uneasy about being around her, I’ll make sure your body doesn’t do anything rash.’

“It’s not that easy!” Naruto yelled out into the silence. “I can’t just use her. It’s…wrong.”

‘Then get closer to her, boy. After all, she is an ideal mate for us both.’

Making up his mind, Naruto set out to find Hinata, but not before he let out a frustrated scream.

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Hinata decided to go to a park to clear her mind. The fresh scent of blooming flowers along with the colourful sight of them always made her feel better. She’d love to have a garden of her own to care for, but the Hyuuga heiress cannot dirty her hands with the produce of labour, no matter how weak or useless she was.

Hinata sat down n a bench and sighed. Never had she felt so…there wasn’t even a word to describe how she felt!

“Is something the matter?” chimed a voice. Hinata whipped her head around to see her old sensei.

“Nothing important, Kurenai-sensei,” Hinata replied quietly. The crimson-eyed woman sat down next to her former student.

“Hinata, I’m almost like your big sister, you can tell me anything. I won’t tell anybody, not even your father,” assured Kurenai. She could tell Hinata was hesitant about sharing whatever was on her mind.

“Well,” Hinata started shyly, “I’ve been having these…dreams. They seem more like memories though…”

“Oh?” Kurenai questioned. She never thought Hinata would have these “dreams” as she called them. She expected Kiba to think things like this, never the Hyuuga girl. “Are these dreams of a man?”

“Yes, but I don’t exactly know him. He’s…”

“Hinata, you don’t have to share anything with me if you don’t want to,” Kurenai interrupted. “You don’t have to tell me the name of this man.”

“But that’s the thing! I don’t know his name. All I know is that he looked like an older version of…Naruto,” said Hinata, whispering the name quietly. “I thought it was Naruto and then I realized that it was the Fourth Hokage.”

A silence was shared between the two ladies but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It gave Hinata a chance to string her next sentences together and it gave Kurenai a chance to reflect on the times when the Fourth was in reign.

Back then, Kurenai could distinctly remember a certain silver-haired boy being under his tutelage, and said boy became a man who taught Hinata’s lifelong crush. Back then, the Fourth had made great, if not revolutionary, changes in the Land of Fire.

She could also remember the man being as happy as can be, no matter what the weather was like. He would have a big smile plastered over his face on the most desolate day, just like how Naruto plastered on his grin to assure everyone that everything would be okay.

The Fourth had a lover, as Kurenai recalled. All she could remember was a woman being a Hyuuga, just a branch house member, but she couldn’t remember the name. Her name reflected on the Fourth though, as if she was the cause of his smiles and grins.

Once, she caught the two together, sharing a kiss under the starry night at the Spring Festival. The string lights ahead the streets glowed a sensual pink, perfect for the spring because of the blooming cherry trees.

Looking back at Hinata, Kurenai noticed something. The Fourth’s lover and Hinata looked alike! She considered the fact that the face of the woman was just a memory and her mind may have created a similar face to Hinata’s on her body, but as a ninja, it required one to have almost photographic memory.

“You said they were like memories. Care to elaborate on that?” inquired Kurenai.

“Well,” Hinata began, “they were dreams but they were like memories. I’d dream about us holding hands, kissing and cuddling, and each time I have a dream, he looks a little more like Naruto.”

“Hinata, have you ever thought about talking to Naruto about these dreams?” asked Kurenai. “He could help you sort things out and clarify the whole thing.”

Hinata internally winced at her sensei’s answer. She knew she would say that, but after their little reunion in the street, she didn’t know if she had the courage to see him again. Hinata needed to think of a reason to avoid him. She couldn’t say that she couldn’t find Naruto because all anyone had to do to find him was to keep their ears open and they’d hear him, not to mention that she has the Byakugan. Also, if anyone really needed to find him, they’d just head to the Ichiraku Ramen Stand.

“Well, Hinata,” said Kurenai, standing as she spoke, “I really have to go, but I hope you sort this mess out.” With a wave, Kurenai disappeared with a small puff of smoke, leaving Hinata to ponder over her words of “sisterly advice”.

Hinata contemplated her options: she could go to Naruto and sort it out. She could not go to Naruto to sort it out, but say she did. Or she could avoid him for the rest of her life and watch him from a distance.

The last thought was chased out of her head. She knew she couldn’t avoid him forever. She liked being around him. No matter what he was doing, he was always enthusiastic and optimistic, which was what attracted her to him. Other factors were included, like how they were always overlooked and that they shared the loneliness of nobody wanting them around when they were younger. She knew his pain, as he knew hers, but they just didn’t know it yet.

Hinata got up from her seat and began to walk home. Kurenai had given her a lot to think about and she wasn’t sure what was right. She was deep in thought when something knocked into her shoulder. On reflex, she shut her eyes as tight as she could and waited for the impact…only it never came.

“Boy, this is becoming a really bad habit!” exclaimed a familiar voice. “I’m sorry.”

Hinata opened her eyes to see who it was but when she did, she found herself lost deep within cerulean orbs. “Oh, N-Naruto,” she stammered. “I-it’s okay.”

Naruto propped her back up on her feet and she righted herself. “So Hinata,” began Naruto. He looked around quickly to see if there were any witnesses. “Will you walk with me?” Hinata gave him a shy nod before they were walking through the park Hinata had been in earlier.

“I need to talk to you,” said Naruto. He had a serious tone in his voice and this whatever he was going to say, it wasn’t to be taken lightly.

“This is going to sound really weird, but you need to know. I’ve…” Naruto wasn’t sure how to word his thoughts without sounding like both of his senseis. Kakashi would say some sort of sexual innuendo, but Jiraiya would be a lot less subtle about his thought.

“I’ve been having these dreams, and they disturb me somewhat,” he stated slowly.

Hinata’s breath hitched in her throat the slightest bit. She was sure Naruto hadn’t noticed, but this was something of interest to her, no matter what Naruto thought. ‘Could he be having the same dreams I’ve been having?’

“They’re of a woman and I…”

‘As I’ve had dreams of a man and I, Naruto,’ she said silently.

“This woman…she looks like you.”

‘As the man in my dreams look like you, Naruto.’

“There are differences, of course. She had brownish-red hair and her voice was a little louder and rougher than yours, but she looks like you. She has the same features.”

‘Just like the Fourth. You have whisker-like marks on your face and he didn’t. He was more serious than you, Naruto. You’re too rambunctious.’

“Don’t think that I’ve been having dirty dreams about you!” Naruto added hastily. ‘Oh man, I think I screwed it up already. She might think I’m a pervert, and she’ll never talk to me again. She was the first one to talk to me without a look of disgust or anything. Oh man, I ruined all of it.’

“I-I don’t think that,” Hinata told him. She looked up into his eyes and saw the relief wash over. She looked down towards the colourful flowers and allowed herself a small smile. He wanted to protect their friendship. Underneath that smile, though, was inner turmoil.

‘Should I tell him about my dreams? What would he think? Would he understand? Should I follow Kurenai-sensei’s advice?’ Gathering up what courage there was in her, she forced the next few words from her lips.

“I’ve also been having dreams.”

Naruto snapped his head up to look at her. Maybe she really was the key to unlocking the secrets of these memories.

‘I told you so, boy.’

“My dreams are like yours,” Hinata continued. “But mine are of a man and I. We seemed to be in love. But when I try to remember him, he looked just like you…just like the Fourth.”

Naruto recalled his first comparison to the Fourth Hokage. It was when Jiraiya pushed him down a cliff to summon the Kyuubi’s chakra for a summoning. He had summoned the boss of them all, Gamabunta. It had been the proudest day of his life. But what puzzled him was Jiraiya’s words before he was pushed into the bottomless abyss.

“Forgive me, Fourth.”

Why did he say that? Now, obviously, Naruto had finally made the connection that he looked like the Fourth, but who was he really? Was the Fourth his father? No one knew the answers to the questions, so no one spoke of anything.

“There are differences between you and him, but they’re minor. All that’s different was that he was more serious than you are. I suppose it’s a requirement for a Hokage,” Hinata joked. “He also had longer hair, but he still had the same loving heart you have,” she added quietly.

“But I don’t know anything about him,” said Naruto. “I thought…you might know something about my dreams.”

“I…do,” whispered Hinata. “I found an old, worn-out copy of Icha Icha in my family archives. They were lovers. There were letters and a photo. They both died on the day the Kyuubi attacked the village.”

Naruto winced. He was always linked to the Kyuubi, so he felt partly responsible for everything that happened. Did Hinata know the demon inhabited him? Surely not. If she’s always been so nice to him, how could she know?

“I-I’ll show you,” she offered, “the letters the Fourth sent to the woman.”

Naruto was taken aback. “W-what?” he stuttered. “I-I mean, that’s really nice of you, but I don’t want to be any trouble!” He slapped on his grin. “Besides, I only wanted to know if you knew anything, that’s all. Plus, won’t your dad be upset if I was on Hyuuga grounds?”

Hinata looked down and stared at the ground. She needed to help him in order for him to help her. “I don’t care,” she proclaimed boldly. “Besides, I want to help you. Let’s go.” She turned to walk back home. She looked behind her shoulder to see Naruto catch up to her and allowed herself a smile.

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At the Hyuuga compound, it looked like there wasn’t a soul in sight. Hinata activated her Byagukan to see that a few branch house members were around. They wouldn’t dare rat her out to her father, for she was higher up on the ladder than they were.

“Come here, Naruto. The archives are down here.” They had stopped in the heart of the compound, and with a few hand signs, the ground opened up beneath them, revealing a staircase.

The staircase itself had a jutsu of its own, one that only the main house members know of. The jutsu made the ground below look solid, even if the Byagukan was activated. It could only be opened by a main house member and with the correct hand signs. Several other members of the clan knew of the secret archives because Hiashi had sent them down there for some reason unknown to Hinata at the time, but they were all sworn to secrecy against other members.

Naruto was led downstairs, unaware of the jutsu to keep out intruders. The jutsu did not take effect for Hinata had invited him.

Naruto looked around at the large library of scrolls and books, all covered with fine or thick layers of dust. The scent of the secret room was musky, yet sweet.

“Ah! Here it is!” Hinata held up the smutty, worn-out book. Inside the cover, there were letters and a photo, just as Hinata said. Naruto studied the photo intently. This was the woman he’d been dreaming of! Does that mean he was looking through the man’s eyes and living his memories?

“The woman’s name was Hikari. As you know, the man is the Fourth Hokage.” Hinata stepped behind him and peeked over his shoulder to see the picture. “They look like lovers, don’t they?”

‘Not as much as how we look like them,’ Naruto thought. He gave her back the picture.

“Thanks for helping me, Hinata. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

‘Or me,’ Hinata said silently.

“I’m glad to help,” Hinata told him. “I’d always love to help out a friend.” A tint of pink appeared on her cheeks and Naruto couldn’t help but notice. He began to follow Hinata as she walked up the steps and close the secret passage with a few more hand signs.

After a long, comfortable silence, Naruto spoke. “Well, I guess I’ll be going now.”

“Wait! I-I’ll escort you out,” offered Hinata. They walked side by side towards the gates and a little bit further. Soon, they were back in the park they were in before.

“Well, thanks for helping me again, Hinata. I really needed a few things to be cleared up, even if it’s just a name.”

“It’s alright, Naruto.” Another pregnant pause hung in the air when a voice called out to both of them. “Naruto! Hinata!”

Both of them looked up to see a mop of pink hair coming towards them. “Hey Sakura!” called Naruto, “What brings you here?”

“The Hokage wants to talk to you both. It’s for a mission, I think.”

“Okay, thank you Sakura!” called Hinata as the rose-haired woman sped away, muttering something about Kakashi being a lazy, stubborn-ass sissy for not going to hospitals.

“Well, I guess we’re off to the tower,” grinned Naruto. Hinata smiled back and they both race to the tower, unaware of what was to come.

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YES!! The crappy chappie is complete! Reviews are always nice, and I’ll try to update sooner, but I can’t promise anything!