A True Love Never Dies

Writer’s Block: my greatest enemy…grr. Oh, my new character doesn’t really do anything; she doesn’t really have a purpose, for those of you who look into new characters a little too deep.

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Naruto woke up in a cold sweat. That dream was all too real. He never wanted to have a dream like that again. He vowed to become Hokage and if he did, the village would look to him for wisdom during harsh times, for comfort during painful times and for protection when they needed it. If he was to become Hokage, he wasn’t to hurt anybody in the Land of Fire, unless they were enemy shinobi.

Sitting up in bed, Naruto felt something odd…he had made a mess of himself! He soiled himself with his own sticky fluid, something he hasn’t done in quite awhile, even if the Kyuubi had stimulated it.

God…was that dream like a premonition? Was he “destined” to hurt Hinata? And why Hinata, of all people? Why not Sakura? True, he hadn’t dreamt of her in awhile, but any dreams of Sakura never involved her getting hurt…so what made Hinata special? To make it even worse, he liked the dream up to a point…after all, he had the proof right inside his come-soaked boxers.

Glancing at his clock, he realized that he woke up just minutes before his alarm clock went off. Shutting it off before it could ring, Naruto stared at the opposite wall for a few seconds before stretching and yawning. Scratching the back of his head, he lazily began his morning routine: get up, get dressed, eat ramen, brush teeth and out the door.

That troubling dream wracked his senses though. Maybe it was a premonition. Maybe that’s what was supposed to happen on this mission: let Hinata love him and show him that she loved him and he’d reciprocate by hurting her and raping her. It was already too late to forfeit his participation in the mission, so there was nothing he could do but stay physically and emotionally distant from her. He couldn’t trust himself around her anymore; even the Kyuubi was prodding him to get with the Hyuuga girl for a little “tryst of fun” as the demon called it.

‘Somebody around here has to make you a man, it might as well be me.’

As he finished his daily routine, he grabbed his pack and slung it on his back while grabbing his headband and tying it around his head. Just as he was heading out the door, he turned back around to the kitchen to splash some cold water on his face. He needed his A game today, to protect both his charge and Hinata.

Naruto decided to walk to the front gates instead of wasting his chakra to jump from rooftop to rooftop. He drank in the sights of the Konoha sunset and the seemingly ghost town sprout some life. The deserted streets of Konoha began to fill with people, bustling around to complete today’s chores and tasks. Naruto nodded at the people who greeted him and continued walking.

It was such a difference from all those years ago, back when he was still a child. Everyone ignored his existence, hoping that if he vanished in their eyes, so would the demon. As he grew, the badmouthing died down, although a few of the elders still feared him. He proved to everyone that he was a good guy. He was loyal to his friends, protective of them, as well as his village. What more could they ask for? And with the Kyuubi inside of him, he had an immeasurable amount of chakra coursing through his system, something that other ninjas were “secretly” jealous of (even high stamina would’ve been good, something else he also had).

He’d finally reached the front gates, but it was empty. Looking at the shadows cast by the rising sun, it was 5 AM, more or less. How the civilians woke up this early for their work of trading and menial labour, he’ll never know. He dumped his bag onto the floor and his butt soon followed after. It was nice to see this kind of peace while it lasted: it sure was rewarding to see children in their tedious fights, rather than see them dead, mutilated beyond recognition or turn their backs on their home village under the influence of their captor.

Not five minutes after Naruto arrived, Hinata’s silhouette was in the distance.

“Hey! Hinata! Over here!” he called.

Hinata waved her hand in recognition and joined him at her own pace. She had gotten most of the blushing under control, but there were times where she just couldn’t help it. After learning that Jiraiya planned to take the boy away, she nearly died right there. There wasn’t a day where her heart didn’t yearn to see him again, wondering if he’s thinking of her.

“H-hi, Naruto. You’re here quite early.”

“Nah, I was only here for a few minutes,” the boisterous blonde replied.

Hinata could faintly feel her heart beat slightly faster. ‘Okay, this is good. I’m not fainting or anything,’ she silently thought. She has been making progress over the few years Naruto was home. After he came back when they were all around 15, she grew up. She had grown to be a chuunin, surpassing Naruto in a sense. She had kept her vow and se no longer failed her missions. She had grown up.

A figure in the distance captured Naruto’s attention. He quickly got to his feet and squinted. It looked like two ladies. Upon closer inspection, it was Tsunade and their charge, the girl they were to escort to Sunagakure.

“Good morning, Naruto and Hinata. I trust that you’re ready for this mission?” asked Tsunade, all business-like. The two ninjas in question nodded.

“Good. This girl is your responsibility. Take care of her, and protect her. Now, go. I have lots of important papers to sign.” Tsunade gave a small pat to the girl’s back and she stepped forward.

As soon as Naruto saw the girl, his eyes widened a fraction. This girl was beautiful. She wasn’t any younger than they were. Her shiny, mahogany coloured hair cascaded down her shoulders and her back and it look like it would be softer than silk. Her deep, amethyst eyes were almost like amethysts themselves; anybody could get lost in them or become mesmerized by them. She looked like a civilian girl, judging by her body size. She was fit, but not fat; dainty, but not weak. She hasn’t had the intensive regime of a ninja’s workout that would make her muscles firm. No, she was definitely a civilian.

Hinata looked at the girl and scrunched her face up, just a bit. This girl was very pretty, no doubt; Naruto would have a hard time getting away from her. Sneaking a glance at Naruto, her suggestions were confirmed. His eyes were a bit wider than usual, and he had a dazed look on his face, like she was an absolute goddess. Hinata couldn’t help but feel the pang of jealousy poke at her heart. She had loved Naruto since she was a child, and this girl, a foreigner to Konoha, had captured his interest with one look.

“H-hello,” the girl started awkwardly, “my name is Kimiko. P-pleased to meet you,” she finished, bowing her head in respect.

Tsunade nodded at the two ninjas and left. Hinata smiled warmly at the girl, despite her slight jealousy towards her.

“Hello, I’m Hinata. He,” gesturing towards Naruto, “is Naruto.”

Naruto shook his head to get rid of his little daze. He extended his hand towards Kimiko. “Hey, that’s me! Naruto Uzumaki! Nice to meet’cha!”

Kimiko shyly took the boy’s hand and giggled when Naruto began to shake it up and down fiercely. Hinata smiled, but she hurt inside. This girl unintentionally stole him away while Hinata had been trying since…forever!

Naruto, on the other hand, was ecstatic over making a new friend. He could sympathize with her, seeing as how she’s orphaned and all. He wanted to let her know that she’s not alone in the world of orphans, and he wanted her to have something he didn’t have when he was a child: a friend to depend on.

As his usual smile-slash-goofy grin started to appear on his face, an ugly thought from within erupted inside his mind.

‘Watch yourself. Think before you act.’

The Kyuubi’s cryptic words confused Naruto for a moment. Trying to figure out what the demon meant, he looked around for a clue to miraculously reveal himself. His eyes landed on Hinata, with her pearly white eyes. Although they had no irises and she was doing her best, he could see through her act. He’d donned that look too many times not to recognize it. She was hurt. He abruptly dropped Kimiko’s hand and chuckled weakly.

Kimiko was instantly charmed by the man before her. Naruto had this certain charm that was childish for someone his age, and yet it perfectly fit like Cinderella’s slipper. He made her feel so welcome, and he made her feel better in her situation. Perhaps he was orphaned himself? No matter, she was thankful for somebody who actually cared for her. Ever since her brother died, she held no trust in anybody, and she was reluctant to trust even the Hokage.

“Well, I guess it’s time to head out,” Naruto declared. Hinata nodded in agreement. Naruto led the way and Hinata walked next to Kimiko, engaging in light chatter. Kimiko began her sad story.

“When I was young, my parents died,” Kimiko began sadly. “I hid in a closet and my brother, Sato, tried to protect them. He failed in his personal mission and he’s been overprotective of me ever since. One day, he was given an offer to become more powerful if he joined an organization of other missing-nins from various shinobi villages to practice forbidden techniques.”

“Wait, he’s not part of the Akatsuki, is he?” interrupted Naruto.

“No, but I heard of them. I don’t think they considered him strong enough to join them,” answered Kimiko.

“He took the offer and promised to come back to get me the next day,” she continued. “Early the next morning, he rapped on my window and told me to hurry and pack. We’ve been on the run ever since.”

“That’s so heartbreaking,” Hinata murmured, trying to hold back her tears. This girl had been through a lot.

“Aww, come on! Cheer up! She’ll be in good hands once we get her into Gaara’s hands,” assured Naruto. Hinata smiled in agreement, backing up their promise to return her to her homeland and to protect her from the bandits until then.

Their party took a slow pace for the civilian girl and they enjoyed it. Naruto and Hinata teamed up; Naruto made the girl feel more comfortable while Hinata kept her eyes out for signs of trouble.

By the time Naruto’s stomach began to growl, It was a few hours past midday, around 3 judging by the sun’s position. Naruto and Hinata scouted for a suitable place to eat. A nearby river was a preferred destination, and they found a small lake instead.

Naruto offered to fetch some water for them to drink while Hinata gave Kimiko some dried rations to eat.

Hinata and Kimiko held a light conversation on the differences of living in the Land of Fire than the Land of Wind.

“Well, for one thing, you can wear more provocative clothing here,” Kimiko giggled, “and it’s hard to find a hot guy when he’s wearing that huge cloak. But I supposed it has its advantages; the mysteriousness and all…”

“Well, I personally love the rain we get here. The rain during spring season makes everything bloom and come to life, whereas the summer rain cools us down on a hot day. It’s also really fun to dance in, but only when I’m alone,” Hinata quietly laughed out.

“The food here in Fire is much more tastier too,” Kimiko pointed out. “In Wind, we live in a desert and we can’t have much foods that are juicy and delicious. Pretty much everything is dry.”

Naruto came back shortly with the water. He used a summoning jutsu to seal the bucket in a scroll for lighter travelling. He ran to them with the water sloshing around in its little bin. After he made an abrupt stop, a bit of water splashed the girls.

“Hehe, sorry,” he apologized sheepishly. He scratched the back of his head, but the girls forgave him quickly. Taking a sip of water and resting for a few more minutes, they began to get back on their journey.

However, before everyone cleaned up after themselves, Naruto’s and Hinata’s spines straightened just the slightest bit. Glancing at each other, they both knew to prepare for battle. There were 5, no 10, bandits who located them. They’re just bandits, right? They should be easy to take out. An unspoken signal passed between the two of them: Naruto would take out the threat while Hinata guarded their charge.

“Kimiko, could you help me with my pack for a second?” asked Hinata sweetly. Kimiko sauntered over to Hinata, unaware of their enemy surrounding them. Before Kimiko knew it, Hinata yanked her arm and she was sent eating dirt as Hinata launched an array of weapons into the direction of several attackers.

Naruto threw a few shuriken at the attackers too, and soon, a large sputtering sound was heard all around them and the stench of blood made its appearance. Turning on her bloodline trait, Hinata scouted the area for any other presences.

“Naruto, there’s still one more person,” she whispered. Naruto nodded and looked around. If this one guy was still alive, then he must have some skill as a ninja. There was just no way that mediocre bandits can survive the wrath of a ninja. They couldn’t manipulate chakra like ninjas could.

“So, you killed my henchmen,” uttered an ominous voice.

“W-who is that?” trembled Kimiko. She was still on her hands and knees after being thrown there by Hinata in a means to protect her, but she cared less about dirt stains than she did that voice.

“It was such a pleasure killing you brother, little Kimiko. Shall I kill your friends for dessert?” cackled the voice. As if on cue, a myriad of projectiles ranging from a tiny senbon to a demonic-sized shuriken to a scythe were aimed at all three of them. Hinata stayed close to Kimiko to protect her while Naruto summon his shadow clones to deflect them all.

Hinata tried to use rotation to deflect the weapons, but only the smaller weapons ricocheted off the little bubble of chakra. The larger weapons were harder to deal with, and Hinata could only grab Kimiko by the wrist and lead her to a safer location.

Where the girls went, so did Naruto. He needed Hinata to figure out what these damned feelings for her were. He wasn’t sure if he liked her; he just felt attracted to her for some odd reason. That, and he couldn’t be separated from the girls anyway. Granny-Tsunade would have his ass if he let an orphaned girl die in his care.

Hinata and Kimiko had to run in a zigzag pattern to dodge all of the projectiles aimed straight at them. As soon as they thought they were safe, a man appeared before them. He had a large scar, almost in the shape of a lightening bolt, that covered his right face. He had a dark, charcoal eyes that held no mercy and he had an intimidating atmosphere around him. His dark clothing and menacing sneer told everyone one thing: he was the true enemy. The other bandits were just lowlife lackeys. This guy’s the one to fear.

“Did you think you could run from me that easily, Kimiko?” he spat out, smirking the entire time. It was like this guy knew he was already going to win!

“My, you’ve become quite lovely since the last time I saw you,” he ogled. He looked over to Hinata and inspected her. “Ah, your little friend isn’t that bad herself. Perhaps we could talk this over at my headquarters---”

“Shut up!” Kimiko screamed. Naruto launched a few weapons at the man before going all out on a full frontal attack. Using a combination of Rasengan and Jiraiya’s transparency jutsu, he tried to hit him in the chest. He dodged it, but just barely. This guy must be at least a chuunin level ninja.

“Who are you?” Naruto demanded. After dodging Naruto’s attack, their mysterious enemy seemed to have…vanished.

Naruto and Hinata heard it long before they saw it, but they were too slow. An array of kunais were headed towards Hinata and Kimiko. Hinata didn’t have time to do rotation; instead, she hugged Kimiko close to her in an effort to shield Kimiko using her body.

Hinata waited for the bite of metal to hit her, but it never came. She cracked open an eye to see…that Naruto had taken the hits for her, and he slumped to the ground. She activated the Byakugan to find the enemy’s location, and she found it: he was hiding in the trees.

“Kimiko, stay close to Naruto,” Hinata whispered. Kimiko hesitated, but nodded and went to Naruto’s injured body.

Hinata used her body flicker technique to sneak up on him, but he knew she was there. Clashing metal was heard throughout the little forest before Hinata realized that she wasn’t much of a challenge. As her last resort, she used her Sixty-Four Strikes to close off his chakra pathways. As swift and experienced as this ninja was, he wasn’t a match for a Hyuuga.

“1, 2, 4, 8, 16...” Hinata muttered as she hit each chakra point with precision and accuracy. He attacked their party. He attacked Kimiko, the very girl he orphaned. He hurt Naruto. All of this was unforgivable.

Once his chakra points were blocked, Hinata dealt the finishing blow. He could barely breathe, let alone stand, after Hinata’s strikes. One kunai to the heart would end it all.

Time felt like it stood still as the kunai plunged into the man’s heart. A small splatter of blood painted the floor and Hinata’s clothing while Kimiko gasped with her mouth open. Once the kunai was plunged into the man’s chest, Hinata backed away towards Naruto and Kimiko and turn on her Byakugan once again. She waited until his chakra signature disappeared, signifying his death. Then, Hinata’s ninja intelligence kicked in.

“Kimiko, help me! We have to get away from the area!” Hinata urged. This man could have backup and they could be on their way. Kimiko held one arm while Hinata held the other and they dragged Naruto away from the premises while he was on his back.

Unknown to them, a black crow cawed in the distance. “Oblivious” to the scene before it, the bird flew away…to land on the finger of its master some 50 miles away.

“Caw! Caw caw caw!!” it crowed. Its master smiled.

“Interesting.”

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Okay, well, I hope that this chapter makes up for my super-delayed update (although I’m not quite happy with it). Dammit, I made Hinata really out of character. Well, if it isn't too much to ask, please R&R and check out my other stories too! ^^