Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Everything Remains in Memory ❯ Consequence ( Chapter 3 )

 

Despite what she had earlier told her assistant a week prior, she was seated at her desk in the Hokage Tower, sorting through missions and grading their difficulty. However, she halted her work as a woman walked into the room, standing at attention in front of her desk.

 

“You requested to see me Hokage-sama?” the woman asked.

 

“Yes, yes, sit down,” Tsunade ordered as she took a small sip of sake. “Do you recall the incident sixteen years ago?” The woman grimaced in response.

 

“If you mean the death of my husband, then yes, I do. I remember all too well. But is there a reason why you brought up such a painful event?” she asked as she sat down in a chair facing the Hokage's desk.

 

“Yes, and I believe that you will be satisfied with what I've got to say,” said Tsunade. The woman sat stiffly in the chair, waiting for the Hokage to announce to her the news.

 

“Your son, Kazama Hikaru, is alive,” Tsunade revealed. She had expected the woman to at least show some reaction to the knowledge that her son was alive.

 

“I have already reached that conclusion Hokage-sama,” the woman announced. “And Hikaru died the moment that the demon was sealed within him.”

 

“So you knew,” deadpanned Tsunade.

 

“Correct, from the first time that I escorted Hinata-sama to school I knew who he was; he looks exactly like his father,” announced the woman.

 

“Then why?” Tsunade asked.

 

“It's quite obvious; I would lose the prestigious status in my clan if they ever found out that my eldest son was the KyÅ«bi container,” explained the woman, her face emotionless throughout her entire speech.

 

Tsunade slammed her fist onto the table in her frustration, breaking it as she became angrier than she had ever thought possible.

 

“After all these years of him suffering from the hands of this village, after all of the shit that he had to deal with, you're telling me that you could have revealed yourself to him! What kind of person are you; to allow your own son, YOUR OWN SON, to suffer like that just so that you could retain your own social status?” yelled Tsunade.

 

“I am a smart person, Hokage-sama,” the woman retorted indignantly.

 

“Get out of my office,” Tsunade snarled. “Leave here and don't come back; send one of your emissaries for your missions from this point on.”

 

“It was an enlightening talk Hokage-sama,” she stated. “And do not tamper in the life of Hiraku, he has enough on his plate as it is already.” And then she left the room, leaving a fuming Tsunade to completely destroy her room in her sober rage.

 

`Sakura was right after all,' thought Tsunade as she threw a chair against the wall. `I'm sorry Naruto. I had no clue how horrible your mother was; I only hope that you won't have to put up with her.'

 

---

 

“Been a long road to follow

been there and gone tomorrow

without saying goodbye to yesterday

are the memories I hold still valid?”

 

Her lamenting voice echoed throughout all of Konoha as she sang the song trapped deep within her own heart.

 

“Or have the tears deluded them?

maybe this time tomorrow

the rain will cease to follow

and the mist will fade into one more today”

 

She sat on top of the Hokage Monument in the freezing rain on the day of March 24th, the day of the funeral of Hyūga Neji. He had die a week before in the hospital after the second coming of the Kyūbi.

 

“Something somewhere out there keeps calling

am I going home?”

 

She couldn't go to the funeral. She wouldn't be able to stand the looks she'd get from the rest of her family. Those stoic looks that all of them except for herself had mastered and wore perpetually, like a permanent impenetrable mask.

 

She didn't want to dishonor the spirit of her cousin by showing such weakness in public. But most of all, she didn't want her sister to see her cry again.

 

After the day of the second coming, Hanabi refused to even meet her gaze and responded in very short answers. It deeply upset her, even more so than when her father began to treat her more like a burden than as a daughter because she had always believed that Hanabi and herself shared a special bond.

 

A bond of understanding that only sisters could have.

 

Could she have been wrong?

 

“Will I hear someone singing solace to the silent moon?

zero gravity what's it like?

am I alone?”

 

In her remembrance she didn't notice the person walking up behind her.

 

“Hinata? Why aren't you at Neji's funeral?” the person behind her asked.

 

“Na-naruto-kun?” stammered Hinata, surprised at his sudden appearance. “I thought that you were in the ho-hospital.”

 

“I just got out the night before. But why are you here all by yourself?” Naruto asked as he walked next to Hinata and stood next to her. “Shouldn't you be at the service with your family?” Instead of answering Hinata broke out into tears and fell onto her knees.

 

“What's wrong Hinata? Did I say something?” questioned Naruto sympathetically as he crouched down to the sobbing kunoichi. In an attempt to comfort her he tentatively wrapped his arms around her.

 

Naruto had never hugged a girl before, in fact, he's hardly even touched anyone on somewhat affectionate terms, and as such he blushed intensely when Hinata squeezed him, hard and buried her head into his chest.

 

“Hinata…please, what can I do to help you? It…it…it hurts to see you so sad,” pleaded Naruto quietly as he brought the girl closer into him.

 

`Stroke her hair.'

 

`Why should I do that?'

 

`I used to do that to her mother whenever she was upset and it always worked.'

 

`To Hinata's mother? What was she cheating on Hiashi or something?'

 

`Don't talk of Haruna like that!She would never do such a horrible thing; especially to someone that she loved.'

 

`Sheesh, alright, alright. You didn't have to bite my head off, jeez.'

 

And so, on recommendation by Arashi, Naruto began running his hand through Hinata's blueberry hair.

 

`It's so…soft…and…so…clean,' Naruto thought in amazement. Meanwhile Hinata was suffering from a flashback, one of the very few memories she had of her mother.

 

“Hinata, Neji, come here for a second,” a woman called to the young four year old. The woman was sitting on a couch in the HyÅ«ga's expansive library as she watched her daughter attempt to read a rather large picture book and her nephew casting resentful glares towards her as he read through a smaller book with significantly less pictures.

 

“Hai, okaa-san?” answered Hinata as she ran over and gave her mother a large hug.

 

“Hai, Haruna-sama?” answered Neji stoically as he walked over to the HyÅ«ga matriarch and stood at attention.

 

“I'm going to teach you both a song,” announced the kind eyed matriarch. Neji gave no response as Hinata started jumping up and down excitedly.

 

“Okaa-san what's it called? What's it called?” excitedly asked Hinata.

 

“It's called