Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Bloodthirsty - Friendship ❯ Beyond the shell ( Chapter 14 )

*Gasp* I couldn't believe my eyes when I checked the reviews. You are so good to me! Thank you all!

I'm going to give personal thanks, or by the end of the chapter, or on a separate "thank you" chapter. And once again: Arigatou Gozaimasu!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Bloodthirsty - Friendship

Chapter 13: "Beyond the shell."

[This chapter is still a little angst. Can't avoid it! And by the way, it will probably not have humor, but it will surely have romance.]

"Don't do it Naruto ..." - Gaara said calmly.

"It's better if they know it through me, rather then from someone else." - Naruto said between sobs.

"You're not ready! They're not ready! It's not the time yet!" - Gaara almost yelled at him.

"I'd rather have them hate me for something they know and understand, then for something they don't ..." - Naruto closed his eyes. - ".. sooner or later they'll find out anyway." - he sighed and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"You'll regret your choice ..." - Gaara whispered, seating down on the floor.

"I know ..." - Naruto breathed in and out once, before speaking. - "I'd like to think that you, having known me for who I am, would not judge me like the others. Not ... hate me like everyone else in that village ... look at me wishing I was dead ... asking your children to stay away from me, praying for me to give a wrong step so that you would have a good enough reason to just put an end to my misery." - he closed his eyes once more. - "I'd like to believe that would be true ..." - he smiled before continuing. - "But I'm not stupid. After what I have to tell you, all of you ... no exceptions made, will hate me. Needless of what I may say, despite of all the years you've interacted with me, knowing what I truly am is going to change your mind."

Naruto dared not look at them. He dared not see the surprise in their faces, which would soon turn to hate and despise.

"Gaara is right! I am going to regret this ... a lot ..." - but the need to see their innocent faces once again, gained control and he opened his eyes slowly. - "Have you never even wondered why your parents always told you to keep away from me? Not once did you question anyone to why they treated me the way they did. Despise me, hate me, even threaten me if I got any way close to any of their children? Did you even notice any of this?" - he could see in their eyes that they did. But of course the adults could never mention it, mention his secret. It was a rule after all. - "There is not a single person in that village that does not look at me in that way. Only the Hokage and the highest shinobis saw me differently. The others always hated me, always treated me badly." - to their surprise, Naruto took his jacket off and threw it somewhere across the room. - "Hate always comes from somewhere ... always has a reason to exist ..." - he lifted his black shirt a little, leaving his belly exposed. - "... always has a purpose ..." - with those words, Naruto pushed his chakra out, making the seal appear before all those eyes.

"What's that?" - Sakura surprised, asked the question all the others wanted to make.

"This is the reason ... the reason why they hate me ... the same reason why you will all hate me from now on ..." - Naruto said calmly.

"That's just bullshit Naruto!" - Kiba growled.

"There is nothing that can make us hate you ..." - Sakura said quickly.

"Friends don't just quickly change to enemies. Despite of what you have to say, we will never be able to hate you for it." - Temari assured with a smile. But that smile soon disappeared when she saw Naruto frown.

"Tell me that, after I'm done talking!" - Naruto dared. - "I hated the villagers!" - Naruto said, startling them all. - "Hated them beyond comprehension because they despised me, and I never knew why. I never understood their behavior. The way they looked at me, the way they cursed at me, openly wishing for my death. I hated them far beyond the way they hated me." - Naruto yelled. - "Making me cry, making me crawl in the night, feeling guilty for myself, pitying myself for things I never did and never would do." - he paused for a little. - "Making me guilty for things he did. Seeing only him and his mistakes, never trying to see me. Never trying to see beyond the shell, beyond the borders. They always saw only him. And never letting me know." - another pause. - "The day I found out, all I wanted to do was die. Why was I alive anyway? They had a reason to hate me, a reason to kill me, so why didn't they just do it? Finish the job they had once started?" - he sighed heavily. - "I stopped hating them so much from then on. I understood their reasons in some odd way. I wanted to be dead. But then, I found someone who saw beyond the walls, beyond the shell. Iruka-sensei was the only person in that city who understood ME and saw ME. He made it worth living. I wanted to prove everyone wrong. I wanted them to know that I was more that a simple vessel, a shell without live, emotions or dreams."

Gaara closed his eyes and sighed. «Why did it have to come to this?»

"I am Uzamaki Naruto! Despite all the assumptions you'll make from this day on, I am myself. I cannot part from him, and in ways I do not want to. He is my responsibility whether I enjoy it or not." - Naruto stepped backwards. - "He is part of me and I've learned to take full guilty over his deeds. He killed, he was a ruthless murderer. But although he is now part of me, it was not this body, this shell that made his mistakes." - he paused once more. - "Although I'd like to say that we're not the same, that we're not one, I would just be lying myself. We are one, and we both take responsibilities." - ... - "I did not ask for this. I never begged for him to be here. But I would never give this burden to anyone else because I know how much it hurts." - Naruto slowly caressed the seal. - "This think you all see is a seal ... the seal that binds his spirit and will to me."

"You're starting to scare me Naruto ..." - Sakura muttered, eyes puffy.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan." - and Naruto actually smiled a bit. - "I'm sorry for having kept this secret from you all. Maybe someday you'll forgive me ..." - he let out a little smirk . - "... but probably that will never happen." - his face showed a frown once again. - "Do you remember the Nine-tails fox demon that attacked our village sixteen years ago? (remember they are 16 now)" - most of them nodded. - "He murdered many people, he brought chaos to Konoha, he ..." - with his left hand he once again patted his belly. - " ... is inside of me!"

The genins gaped.

"W-what ...?" - Sakura stammered.

"What are you trying to say dobe?" - Sasuke asked, being as surprised and as confused as all the others.

"You heard me quite well! To save the village, the 4th Hokage-sama sealed the Demon inside a new-born child. It so happened that the lucky child had the name Uzamaki Naruto." - he said coldly.

"Uso! That's not possible!" - Shikamaru yelled, getting up. - "You are not the nine-tails demon fox!" - Shikamaru assured, more to himself than to the blonde boy in front of him.

"You're right! I'm not the demon fox." - some of them sighed relieved. - "But that doesn't change the fact that he is inside of me!" - they gaped again.

"You're lying dobe!" - Sasuke yelled, getting up also.

"SHUT UP!" - Naruto yelled back, startling them all. - "You wanted the truth and I gave you the TRUTH!" - Sasuke and Shikamaru stepped back when an enormous amount of chakra flowed out of Naruto and almost materialized in a fox-like form. - "Deal with it now!" - Naruto's tears traveled along his cheeks, and before they could even blink, Naruto was gone.

"No, no, NO!" - Sakura went hysterical and started crying. - "He's lying, it can only be a lie. It's all a freaking LIE!" - she yelled from the top of her lungs.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" - they all looked over to Gaara, who had gotten up on his feet and had a very angered expression on. - "You brought this upon yourselves." - they all lowered their heads. - "Why did you have to force it out? You have no right to be called his friends because you don't even respect his feelings. He warned you before hand. He did not want to say this, to let you know ... he didn't want you to hate him." - Gaara trailed off, suppressing his own tears that threatened to fall. - "You will never know how much it hurts to have everyone hate you and look down on you." - Gaara turned around, ready to leave, but his last words touched them all. - "Just remember one thing he said. He IS Uzamaki Naruto." - Those simple words, made them all think about their actions. And with that, Gaara was gone.

"I already knew it" - they all stared at Neiji. - "That time, during the previous chuunin selection exam he used up that chakra. I didn't know it was the nine-tails but I knew there was something inside of him." - Neiji said slowly.

"There were so many clues ..." - Shikamaru started. - "We've been blind all along ... or maybe we wanted to stay blinded ..." - Shikamaru sighed and sat down with a *thud*

"Naruto-kun ..." - Hinata muttered, while crying along with Sakura.

They all just sat there, staring at nothing in particular, trying to figure out what to do from then on.

---------------------------------Somewhere else-------------------------------

Gaara approached the blonde shinobi from behind, and without a word, he sat down next to him.

"They hate me now." - Naruto started, while tears fell freely from his open eyes, that stared at the moon.

"They do not. You just surprised them and it will take a while for them to register everything you told them, but eventually they will ..." - he was cut short by Naruto.

"Don't try to comfort me! No one befriends the demon fox!"

"I did!" - Naruto looked up at him and couldn't help but smile a little.

"That's because you and I are the same."

"So all that bullshit you told me the other day was a lie?" - Gaara asked kindly. - "You told me even I could make friends in this village. If you believe that, than you have to believe you can too." - Gaara patted his back gently. - "They've known you for so long ... I sure they'll be able to separate you from the demon Naruto. Have faith in them."

"I hope you're right!" - Naruto muttered to the night-sky and sighed heavily.

They heard footsteps behind them, but Naruto didn't turn around. But when Gaara did, his eyes widened. - "Ah ... I think I'll leave now!" - Gaara got up quickly, patting Naruto's shoulder once again before leaving. When he passed next to the person he smiled kindly, receiving another in return.

"N-Naruto-kun ..." - Hinata stammered, not moving from her spot.

"Yeah?" - Naruto asked, trying not to cry even more.

"I-I ..." - Hinata blushed. Being the shy person she was, the nervousness of the moment wasn't helping one bit. - "I j-just wanted ..." - She almost hit her head against a tree. The words simply wouldn't come out, and it was frustrating her a lot. She was 16 and still she couldn't surpass he shyness around him. It was starting to get on her nerves.

"I don't need your pity Hinata-chan!" - Naruto started with a very cold voice, although deep down he felt happy because she had come looking for him.

"N-No! That's not it!" - Hinata almost yelled and then covered her mouth with her hands. Surely Naruto didn't need someone yelling at him.

"I'm sorry for letting a mark. A demon's mark isn't a good thing ..." - Naruto's tears started falling again and he closed his eyes.

Hinata's eyes widened with his words. And when she heard him sob, her heart seemed as though it had been squashed very tightly between two strong hands. She wanted to say something. Something that would make his tears stop, but her mouth seemed dry and no words would come out when her lips parted. Frustrated with her own weakness she cursed mentally. And then she did what her heart told her too.

She hugged him.

Naruto's eyes widened when he felt her hug him by the neck. She then fell to her knees and buried her head on his shoulder, crying. Crying for him.

"Hinata ..." - Naruto blushed a little and smiled. Turning around he hugged her back and they both cried together.

-----------------------------Back in Gaara's house----------------------------

"We should've gone after her." - Kiba whined.

"She went after him, so leave them alone for a while will 'ya?" - Kankuro almost yelled. He was very nervous and the little things got him very pissed.

"Hinata is the only one ..." - Sakura muttered, calling their attention.

"She's what?" - Kiba asked.

"She's the only one ... his only real friend." - Sakura said, whipping the tears from her eyes. - "While we just stayed here, thinking on how to act and how not to act from now on, she just flew off, determined to find him. It doesn't even bother her, anything he said. She really loves him and not even his confession made that change." - Sakura leaned her back against the wall and sighed. - "Gaara was right! We don't deserve to be called his friends."

"Doubting him. Having second thoughts. Trying to find ways to hate him ... that was exactly what we've been doing since he left ..." - Ino said sadly.

"And what's most curious is that ..." - Lee started.

"We can't find one single reason to hate him, right?" - Shikamaru finished for him. - "Naruto is a pain in the ass, but he is our friend. And I know he would give up his life for us."

Neiji snickered. - "Having second thoughts ..."

"Naruto is simply Naruto ..." - TenTen started.

"And that will never change!" - they all said at the same time.

Soon the house was invaded by laughter. After all, nothing had changed since the kitsune-boy confessed. Naruto would forever and ever be simply ... Naruto!

------------------------Back to Naruto and Hinata------------------------

Naruto and Hinata had both stopped crying a while ago, but they still remained in each others embrace.

Hinata's hands were around his neck, and his' were around her waist. Their heads rested on the other's shoulder.

"Hinata ..." - Naruto said finally.

"Mmhh ..." - was the kunoichi's answer.

"Thank you!" - Naruto could feel her smile and he smiled too.

They both lifted their heads at the same time, and stared into each others eyes.

"N-Naruto-kun ..." - Hinata stammered.

"Nani?" - he bent his head down and let it fall on her upper chest, making the girl blush even more.

"I can see ... far beyond the shell ..." - she said with a smile.

"I know." - Naruto answered, while hugging her closer. - "Hinata?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you ..." - Naruto was unable to finish it.

"Why don't I hate you?" - She asked for him.

"Yeah. Something like that ..."

"Because, Naruto-kun ..." - she was happy, because for the first time she didn't trip on her own words while speaking to him. - ".. I know how it feels to be judged. And I don't like it one bit."

"What do you mean?" - Naruto asked calmly.

"I know I have not been through the same pain as you, but being born in a clan where they expect great things from you, and then not being able to live up to their expectations is quite a painful thing. Being rejected and put aside by your own family hurts. So, I can only imagine how it must fell to have everyone act that way towards you."

"Stupid family you have." - Naruto said plainly, making Hinata giggle.

"But I don't hate them Naruto-kun, because after all, they are my relatives." - Hinata looked up at the moon and sighed. - "My biggest dream is to be able to become strong and prove them all wrong!" - she then looked back down at him once again. - "Do you think I'll ever be able to do that?"

Naruto did not answer right away, but after some painful moments. - "Strength doesn't always reside on muscles and technique. The greatest strength comes from inside Hinata-chan." - Naruto lifted his head and they smiled to each other. - "And I think you're one of the strongest persons I know!" - Hinata blushed and nodded.

"Thank you Naruto-kun!" - his finger touched her lips, in an attempt to quiet her down.

"I'm the one thanking tonight!" - Hinata giggled again and Naruto soon joined.

"Look what we have here?" - a voice came from behind them, surprising the two.

"Here we were, worrying ourselves sick while you were dating Hinata." - another voice came.

"Figures." - a voice accompanied by a bark.

"You're so troublesome."

"Remember me never to get worried over him again. It's never worth it!"

"Stupid dobe!"

Naruto and Hinata turned around, only to meet the other genins.

"What are you all doing here?" - Naruto asked surprised, and a tad bit happy.

"Dunno!" - Kankuro muttered, which earned him a whack across the head, courtesy of his sister.

Shikamaru stepped forward and leaned over so that he was eye to eye with Naruto. - "You are in big trouble mister." - Naruto flinched when he saw the smirk in Shikamaru's face.

"Definitely!" - Sakura said, pulling her sleeve up, an obvious sign that she was pissed, and in for some fight.

"Nani?" - Naruto sweatdropped.

"You're gonna pay ..." - Ino said, very annoyed.

"... for ruining ..." - TenTen continued, joining the other two kunoichis.

"... our sleepover!" - Temari ended and they all jumped on top of Naruto. Startling him and Hinata, the lat one having jumped out of the way.

"N-Naruto-kun?" - Hinata panicked when she was already up on her two feet and watching as the ball of smoke seemed to gain life. - "What are they doing to you?"

Muah! I'm so evil that I'm going to stop here. Wait and on next chapter the humor will be back. Do not worry, I shall not kill our kitsune-boy. Please leave a review!

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Ups! Forgot about the thanks, so here they are:

Dark Nemesis 7 - Thank you for always supporting me! I'm glade you like it. Arigatou.

Rezi - Arigatou to you too

Silver Neo - You're always so supportive. Thanks a bunch!

DocDragon - The chunnin selection exam is coming ... just you wait ... ^-^ Thank you for pointing out that thing about the "Meat Tank", I always get my ideas mixed up.

Wolfen Man - You're very nice ... :p

Crimson Girl - *lol* ^-^ You're so sweet ...

... - That's a cool nickname ^-^ Anyway, thank you a lot for your support.

Loserfreakperson - I'm sorry for the grammar mistake -_- but I can't help it.

Grand Admiral Gin - Arigatou!

Arbil - I wonder why you all seemed to like chapter 11 so much ... but thanks anyway!

KonohaNinja - Glade I make people laugh. Actually I laugh a lot while I'm writing it ^-^ And romance is on the way ...

DarkFusion - Humor is the best because we all need to laugh a little, otherwise life is boring (does that remind you of a certain shinobi ... ^-^)

Reeki - I really need a proof reader, but I'm too lazy ... :p Sorry!

Alriadne - You name it ... ^-^

12_Green_Peas - Naru+Hina forever. And I take it you like this chapter ^-^

WormKaizer - Here is a special chapter for all you Naru+Hina fans ...

Eahda Ohn - Curious ... You had the same idea as me, so I'm sorry if I didn't use your idea, but I really had this idea from the chapter where he almost tells Sasu and Saku about it. Anyway, thanks!

oOoshotayoOo - Cool nickname! ^-^ Glad you enjoyed.

Narut-kun - Arigatou!

EmeraldBlossom - I'm updating already ^-^

Karasu Sage - I'm so evil ... *lol*

Sequ3stered - Tema/Chou is one of my favorites. I just love Chouji and I had to get him a girl ... ^-^

ABC - Thanks and I know about the mistakes ... Sorry!

Trikster - I am an unexpected person, thus the words. ^-^

Darren - Naru+Hina ... love it!

Nkyo - I need to practice my angst

Omnidragon - Thanks!

Arigatou Gozaimasu. You are the best ever!

Till next chapter

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