Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ A Gift ❯ Chap 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Summary: Naruto has left the leaf and others have found their way and began to follow him.

 

Chap 5

 

Temari gently splashed the cool water on her face, relishing the soothing waters of the stream. They had walked for several days, living off of what they found and sleeping under the starry sky. Although autumn nights were cold they managed to stay warm somehow. They. Her lips moved into a smile. She was not alone anymore, traveling around by herself and always fending for herself. She was constantly reminded of that fact when his hand was always there, ready to help her up a rocky path or guide her though a dense forest. He didn't need to help her, she was a ninja after all, but she welcomed it.

 

They looked to be going nowhere in particular, or if they were then Temari didn't know where they were going. Naruto had not really returned to his usual self, but with each passing day he got better. Every night she would lay there, huddled close to him as though to remind him that she would be there for him, and she would protect him from the sorrows of the world.

 

Temari stretched her arms into the air; getting up from her crouched position. Temari reached for the outstretched hand, glad to take hold and continue on their way towards wherever it was they were going.

 

Temari remained silent, listening to the chirping of the birds and admiring the colors of the trees when the calm was broken. “Temari-chan!” Naruto yelled, exaggerating her name. Temari smiled up at him as he pointed to the beginnings of a small town. The wood buildings were painted in differing shades of browns and the small sounds of the village began to make themselves present.

 

Temari gently squeezed Naruto's hand as if to reassure herself that this village would not be like the Leaf. The two walked into the town, passing through the small wooden barrier that seemed to be a checkpoint. The dirt roads were strewn with people making their final rounds until darkness fell.

 

The first place Naruto went to was a worn looking restaurant in the bustling center of the small town. Naruto's stomach rumbled loudly and he laughed, dragging Temari inside where they were greeted by a short stubby man. The man led them to a table, unconsciously rubbing his oily mustache as he went along.

 

XXXXXXX

 

Naruto got up, stretching his aching muscles that were so used to travel and not to sitting in one place in a chair. Naruto walked out the building getting away from the stuffy atmosphere with the sour aftertaste of poorly cooked ramen plaguing his tongue.

 

Orange of the setting sun painted the wooden buildings and Naruto heard a stifled yawn from besides him. “We should find a place to stay Temari-chan.” Eagerly, Naruto started walking off when the abrupt yells came from alley next to the restaurant.

 

On instinct Naruto ran to the source, Temari trailing close behind him. A lump formed in his throat as he saw what was going on. He froze for a moment, looking at the passing villagers not doing anything about it. Another yelp of pain brought him back to the little child.

 

The stubby owner of the restaurant lifted his arm, ready to strike once more at his target. His target? A small child huddled before him in a fetal position. Her rags were so worn that they hardly seemed to be holding there. Her skin looked to be covered in dirt and she had seemed to have lost the meaning of a bath. Her frail body looked as though it had never seen a decent meal and the tangle of black hair was slick with dirt and grime. In her hands she held onto a piece of molding bread and a few chewed bones.

 

Naruto held the man's arm, not letting it move as owner stared wide-eyed at him, startled. “What.Are.You.Doing?” Naruto asked through gritted teach. The man looked at him smugly, as though he had somehow had the upper hand.

 

“This little rat was digging though my trash. I was just teaching it a lesson.” Naruto looked at the passing crowd in wonder. Why did they let this go on? Was this how they treat little children?

 

Before Naruto could ask the manager he was already bring his other fist towards the cowering girl. Naruto's reflexes took hold the instant the man had moved. Naruto put himself in front of the man and he grabbed a hold of the owner's left wrist. Moving on instinct, Naruto let go of his right hand and slipped beneath his left arm. With a thud Naruto threw the stout man over his shoulder into the alley wall.

 

Naruto straightened, looking at the man in disgust. A sharp breath brought him back to the small girl holding onto the rotted piece of bread protectively. “Are you ok?” Naruto asked kindly but the girl brought her hands into her chest more forcibly, seemingly frightened. Quickly Naruto smiled and plunged into his bag, pulling out a piece of dried meat and holding it out in his hand. As if the world was being presented to her the girl's eyes lit up with unrestrained delight.

 

After seeing that she threw away the decaying bread Naruto turned to see the people still walking by. His blood began to boil and his eyes began to haze with rage. How could they let this little girl go on like this, getting beat because she took scraps of food. Before he could open his mouth yells rang though the air and a small body clung to his pants.

 

“What the hells wrong with you! You damned bastards! How could you do this to a girl! Yes I'm talking to you! Haven't you ever heard of protecting the weak! What the hell is wrong with you people!” Temari turned to look at Naruto, obviously not done yelling but too angry to go on. Temari looked at the little body clinging to his legs and she smiled. “Hello there. Who are you?” she said kindly. The girl hid behind Naruto's pant legs and Naruto laughed.

 

“Looks like you scared her off.” Naruto paid for that little comment with a large lump on his head, although he was masking his growing fury with this village. “First things first. We need to get you clean and then you can eat all you want, ok?” Again her eyes brightened with fanatic excitement at the mention of more food.

 

XXXXXXXX

 

Naruto looked over the table with an amused smile on his face. A small girl no older than seven sat across from him, devouring everything in her path. Her raven black hair hung loosely and wet around her. She had refused to let Temari dry her hair and now all she was sitting in was her bathrobes. Temari had gone off to do some last minute shopping to find her some suitable clothes because she discarded those rags as soon as they were off.

 

“Don't eat too fast or you'll get a tummy ache.” Naruto said knowingly, having experienced one too many himself. Temari came barging into the room with a look of triumph on her face. In her had she held a few sets of clothing that would have been long discarded back in the Leaf because they seemed to be out of fashion as many women called it.

 

Quickly Temari dressed the girl in some teddy bear pajamas and the three sat around the table on the ground. Temari smiled despite having to go through all those troubles, a happy family, no, but definitely a start.

 

“So Bebi-chan (Baby) what is your name?” Naruto asked, smiling at her.

 

She stared at him defiantly, crossing her arms and compressing her lips. “I am not a baby!”

 

“So the Bebi-chan does talk.” Naruto said playfully. He was suddenly thrown off balance by the impact of the little girl. Fruitlessly she tried to wrestle him to the ground but Naruto simply held her to the ground and started to tickle her.

 

“Tell me you name Bebbi-chan! Or else you get more tickle torture!”

 

“No!”

 

Giggling filled the air and a breathless child answered. “Okay-Okay! Stop it!”

 

“What's your name Bebi-chan?” Naruto asked, taking his hand away.

 

“Hatsu.”

 

Naruto looked at her puzzled until she said it again. “My name is Hatsu.”

 

“Ooooo. Hatsu-chan.” Naruto said teasingly.

 

“What's your name Kusu-oniisan?”

 

“Me? I'm the one and only Uzumaki Naruto!” Naruto stated, doing the dance that he had inherited from Jiraiya. “Bebi-chan! This is Temari-chan.” Temari smiled at the little girl but when Hatsu saw her she immediately cowered behind Naruto, knowing Temari only as the girl who forced her into clothes and a person who yelled a people.

 

The girl's indignant response sent Temari into a shaking fury. Enraged she went into the bedroom of the rented motel and slammed the door. Looking down at Hatsu Naruto whispered to her. “Looks like it's bedtime Bebi-chan.”

 

“Where am I sleeping Naruto-oniisan?”

 

“Ummm. You could probably sleep with me. That's if you-” Naruto was stopped in mid-sentence by the clinging child strapped to his chest.

 

“Yey! I get to sleep with Onii-san! Onii-san. Is that girl going to be there too?”

 

“That is Temari-chan. Temari-oneechan to you.”

 

“Is Temari-chan going to be there?”

 

“Yes she is Bebi-chan.”

“Why does she have to be? She's scary!”

 

“Hatsu-chan! You better get along with Temari-chan. She's not scary and she's going to be there no matter what you say.”

 

“Awww but how come?”

 

“Because she is.”

 

“How come she is?”

 

“Because Hatsu-chan. I-I Love Her.”

 

The small girl put her hands to her mouth as though Naruto had just said a horrible curse word. The quiet clicking of the sliding door brought Naruto from his argument with the girl and he picked her up, bringing her into the room where he tucked her in beside Temari, who was sleeping on the right, her back to the door and them. Naruto slipped himself in, sandwiching the girl in between them. Naruto closed his eyes, his lips forming into what seemed to be a never-ending smile. Life was what he wanted it to be and it was getting better each day.

 

Temari stared out the window on her side, gazing at the moon while her heart raced and her mind tried to decipher out a million things. There really was nothing to think about, after all he did truly say it. It was the first time she heard it from him and that it was for her made her happy enough to die on the spot. The words that she wanted to hear so much from him, however indirect it was he did say it. “I Love you.”

 

XXXXXXXX

 

Naruto yawned, picking up another package of dried fruit and putting it into his basket. He could feel the eyes on him once again as he walked around the little grocery store, closely followed by a wide-eyed girl. She had never been inside of a store before and didn't try to hide her amazement as they made their way through. Every item that looked remotely odd or tasty she inquired about and Naruto felt good to be so knowledgeable.

 

“Naruto-oniisan! What's this?” she asked once more and Naruto smiled, rubbing her head.

 

“That, Bebi-chan, is chocolate. It's sweet. Here, I'll buy it for you.” Naruto held out his hand for the bar of chocolate.

 

“Really?” her eyes lit up with unsuppressed delight.

 

“Yes Bebi-chan. I'll buy it for you.”

 

Suddenly she crossed her arms and pouted. “I'm not Bebi-chan!”

 

“Really? I guess I can't buy it for you then because you're not Bebi-chan.”

 

“Wait! I'll… I'll be Bebi-chan.”

 

“Ok Hatsu-chan. Let's go see if Temari-chan is done yet.”

 

“Ok!”

 

Temari gingerly put some dried meat into her basket, making sure she had enough for their travels. Suddenly she began to wonder if she even had enough for this. Mentally she began to add up all the things in her basket when Naruto and Hatsu came storming towards her.

 

“Ready to go Temari-chan!?” Temari looked over to him and grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him into a display away from Hatsu.

 

In a hushed voice Temari spoke to him. “Naruto! How are we going to pay for all of this? I don't have very much. Gaara usually gives money to me when I need it.”

 

Naruto looked down at his basket full of sweets, ramen, and other items and smiled at her. “Don't worry Temari-chan. I wasn't going to be the next Hokage and not have any money.” Temari didn't looked all to convinced at his words so Naruto pulled out his bank book and her eyes dropped from their sockets.

 

Naruto had never really been one to spend money too carelessly, except when it came to ramen, and all of his daily missions began to add up in his bank which came out to quite a sum of money.

 

“Naruto! You could buy a whole village with this!”

 

Naruto's eyes lit up and he smiled at her broadly. “That's a good idea Temari-chan!”

 

“What?” she asked puzzled.

 

“Building a new village. That's a good idea.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yup! I could make a new village where we can live.”

 

“But-“

 

A distinct whistling sound caught Naruto's ear and he turned, leaping forward and slipping out a kunai from the pouch at his side. The sharp knife met steel as it was deflected into the ground. Naruto stood over Hatsu and scanned the running people, looking for their attacker. Quickly Naruto looked down to Hatsu. She was shivering and holding onto herself in her new clothes that Temari had gotten.

 

Naruto tried to take her hand but he was beaten to the punch. Temari took hold of the small girl and clutched her close to her chest, positioning her arms protectively. “Naruto. You need to be able to move if we're attacked and with Hatsu-chan in your arms you won't be able to.”

 

Nodding in agreement Naruto went back to scanning the store as they made their way out. Where there was someone there to protect Naruto could not afford to make even one mistake because he knew it would be a very painful one. It seemed like ages but they were able to get out the of store without being attacked again but waiting for them were five armed thugs and what seemed to be two mercenary ninjas. Behind them all stood the fat little man that Naruto had thrown yesterday with a smug smirk on his face.

 

Before Naruto could do anything Temari beat him again. “You fat little bastard! What the hell are you doing here! You'll pay for threatening us!” Temari stared fire at the thugs and the little man but they simply smiled even more. Temari put Hatsu down and rolled up her white sleeves as she prepared to beat them down.

 

“Temari.” Naruto touched her arm, slowing her. “These men don't know any better. They were bought by the money of this man and unless they are stupid and want to try to harm you I don't want to hurt them. Please let me handle this.” Naruto turned to face the group of thugs and held up his right hand.

 

“Do you fools have any idea who I am?” They all shook their heads and Naruto smiled. “No? then you have no idea what exactly you are getting yourselves into do you?” Again they shook their heads.

 

In Naruto's hand thick lines of blue charka began to swirl about forming a small ball. Like a vortex it began to bring in the dust and leaves around it and the air around his hand seemed to be completely distorted by the ball. No matter how many times she saw it she was always amazed by it. The sheer brilliance of the ball brought about a certain sense of death to it and Temari knew that it was not just its presence because that ball could rip though just about anyone.

 

“Think about it real carefully. Is this money really worth your death?” The thugs began to shiver and shake. “Get him you fools! Go now!” They weren't listening, instead they were busy trying to make sense of the blonde man in front of them.

 

“It-It's him! The Demon of Konoha! The Golden Hurricane!” A thug stuttered, trying his best to get it out, almost crying.

 

“It-It can't be him! It can't be the Golden Hurricane!”

 

“Heh. So you heard of me eh? Do you still want to try and pick on me?”

 

The thugs all dropped their weapons and Naruto hadn't seen men run in such fear after they had been so arrogant.

 

The fact still remained, however, that there were still two ninja to deal with although they did look a bit shaken by the fact of who Naruto was. They seemed to be of the chuunin rank from the looks of the way they held themselves and Naruto knew exactly what to do to scare them off.

 

“Not scared by the Rasengan eh? I wouldn't be either at such a long distance. But have you thought to look behind you?” the ninjas turned, wide-eyed to see a line of Narutos, all holding a Rasengan and laughing. With great speeds the cowards ran, leaving only the owner of the restaurant.

 

He stood his ground on shaky feet but his eyes were still determined to make them pay. “You don't scare me you little brat!”

 

It was Naruto's turn to smirk because he had not been called a brat in a long time. “Do you really want to cross me? Do you know what I could do to you?” Naruto's presence was getting the better of the man and now he was shaking all over and his face looked pale.

 

“I could tear you piece by piece with my bare hands for trying to threaten us. I could have you imprisoned with the worse criminals and castrated at that too. Anything I say can be done and will be done so do you still wish to come after me?”

 

The man turned and ran, trying not to stumble on his way. Naruto realized that they had not been alone. A ring of villagers surround the little square in front of the store and they all looked at him with wide eyes. Naruto laughed nervously, putting his hand behind his head. “Hehe… sorry you had to see that. You can go back to shopping now.” Naruto encouraged, picking up his own basket.

 

Naruto was surprised at their reactions. Half of the people jumped up and cheered while the other half looked at him with worried glances. If the half that were joyous talked of the downfall of that owner then the other half was talking about how he would come back with more vengeance, or so Naruto figured.

 

After paying for their things they walked towards the exit of the town, their things packed and ready to leave. Naruto sighed, turning to Temari. “See Temari-chan. If I can create my own village then the weak wouldn't be picked on and everyone would have a place they can go no matter what their situation. Of course they need to try to be the best they can become but I'm sure that people will try and the world will be a better place for it.”

 

“Naruto. Do you really think that it can be done? This utopia? I'm just saying that there are many people who would mess it up and find the easy way out unlike you. I-I just don't want you to get your hopes up, but it doesn't really matter anyways, I will always be there for you.”

 

Naruto smiled at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and hugging her tightly. “Thank you Temari-chan!” A little body nudged between the two of them and Naruto looked down to see Hatsu staring up at him with a beaming face.

 

“Don't forget about me Naruto-oniisan!”

 

“What? Who said that?” Naruto asked jokingly.

 

“Me! Bebi-chan!”

 

“Ohhhhh. Bebi-chan. How's that?” Naruto asked, referring to the bar of half eaten chocolate in her hand.

 

“This choklat is good!”

 

“I told you didn't I? Always listen to me and everything will be fine.”

 

Temari snorted, hugging Naruto closer to her. “If everyone listened to you then we would all be way different.”

 

“What's that supposed to mean?”

 

It went on like this for a while, feigned anger and lots of laughter. Naruto was able to feel happy and whole, something rare in his life. It wouldn't take long before Naruto was once again the idol of the village but Temari didn't care if he never was because she had him, and she would die before this feeling inside of her stopped; this intense longing for him because she loved him.