Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mokushita Hyuuga ❯ Chapter 37

Chapter 37


“Itatatataaa!” Hinata said, drawing in a sharp breath. The man holding her ankle snorted and smiled at her.
“Yep, snapped. You won’t be able to walk on it for a while. Take these for your cold, 1 every 6 hours as needed, and don’t even think about healing your ankle. Healing with chakra can cause premature births, as it speeds up the regeneration of cells.” Hinata nodded and fiddled with the capsules filled with small blue pills. Shaking them she said,
“And these won’t harm my baby?” The man shook his head.
“I suggest making an appointment for your baby as well. I’m a medic nin. I don’t deal with babies very often.” Giving a short laugh, Hinata nodded.
Flexing her fingers on the rubber handles of her crutches, Hinata awkwardly swung herself out of the hospital. Her stomach growled and she made her way to a small yakitori stand. The man looked at her funny as she dug change out of the pocket of her loose pants.
Brushing crumbs off of the large T-shirt she was wearing, she was dismayed to see a small stain.
“Gaah…” She muttered. A crack of thunder and a flash of lightning signalled the oncoming of another storm. Hinata let loose a mild curse and started to swing on the crutches back to her apartment.
Small droplets of rain started to pelt her when she was about halfway, and goose bumps made their way up her arms and across her stomach.
“Can I help you, Uzumaki-san?” A deep voice said from behind Hinata. Jumping, and painfully moving her ankle, she twisted around and looked up. The large neighbour that had helped her the one time when she pushed Katoki down the stairs was standing in the rain, looking slightly comical in holding his small pink umbrella.
“A-ah…Gomen…I’m not used to that name.” The man blinked, but his hand remained held out.
“You told me that was your name, the last time I saw you. Uzumaki Hinata-san, right?” Hinata nodded and blushed slightly.
“Do you still want some help? I’m on my way back to the building, and I happened to see you struggling.” Hinata smiled and said,
“Ahh, thank you! I would love help; I’m still not used to these.” Waving the crutches around for effect, the large man smiled and Hinata stopped.
“Can I give you a back ride? Much more efficient.” Hinata bit her finger.
“A...ah...Ok… I can’t see the harm in it.” The man nodded and bent down, holding his arms out behind him. Hinata hobbled over to him and he pulled her onto his back. Taking Hinata’s crutches away, the man stood up straight, and Hinata nearly whooped with the sensation of rising up.

Tsunade gritted her teeth as the pen she was using snapped. Throwing the pieces aside, she cupped her forehead in her hands and choked back a frustrated sob.
“Here.” Looking up, Tsunade nearly jumped to see a red headed toddler holding out a pen. Holding the toddler was another redhead, one with worry wrinkling the corners of his eyes.
“Obaa Obaa! Take, take! Tou says it make you feel nice. Obaa wants nice, right?” Kaisa said, wiggling her arm and holding the pen out farther. Tsunade smiled and took the pen from the toddler’s grip. Kaisa twisted around to her father and said,
“Tou said I could see Aki if I gave Obaa a pen. Can I see Aki now? Tou? Tou?” Gaara sighed and Tsunade smiled.
“Aki?” The blonde said. Gaara looked at her and closed his eyes.
“A fox kit that the boy left here a few months ago. Not a kit anymore though. Kaisa-chan spoils her too much, and she had to be moved to a safer place than my home.” Tsunade felt the burning of tears and Gaara sighed again.
“Try not to break this pen, Tsunade.” Tsunade waved the redhead off and started to write on the scroll in front of her. The sound of Kaisa’s squealing as Gaara put her down made her smile, and reminded her of her various babysitting jobs she did for Nawaki when he was that age.
“Alright,” the blonde said to herself, “Let’s see, erm… Raikage-san. Although a certain Hyuuga Hinata…or Uzumaki Hinata as she might go by has been found alive, she is still technically a Leaf Shinobi, and thus, I, the Hokage, have more authority over her actions than you do. But since I am not here to start a war, I formally ask you, as a favour to me, that Hinata be restrained from any strenuous travel. If you are not already aware, she is with child, and should not be straining herself. I also request that she is restrained from any missions, and that, except in the case of an emergency, she is to be restrained from using too much chakra. To enforce that, if possible, I request, as a favour for me, and Konoha itself, that she be watched at all times. May I suggest Katoki-san? Considering he is the father of this child, he might be more willing to comply.
I am hoping sincerely that this war ends soon, but I am glad that in this time of strife, we have joined together in an alliance. I hope the peace lasts more than a short while. Have my best regards for you, Hinata, Katoki-san, my apprentice’s apprentice, also known as you granddaughter, Ditama Sasami, and all of Kumogakure. May you stay safe and live a long life. Signed, Tsunade, Godaime Hokage.”
“Do you always read your letters aloud as you write them?” Tsunade jumped and held back a small shout.
“Sakura! Do you always listen in on classified manners?” The pink haired medic shrugged and sat on the only not broken chair left in the room.
“I figure that since you haven’t been training or even considering any one that I know of, I am the most likely to be Hokage after you retire. I see no reason in wanting to know some things.” Tsunade raised a brow.
“Next? Hmm? I didn’t know that you wanted the position. You’ve had to deal with being my right hand man since you were 12; you know everything that is required of you. And you still want it?” Sakura shook her head and looked out the window behind Tsunade.
“I don’t want it, but if it was offered, I think I might just take it. You know, to keep his dream alive. I think he would be proud of me. But bah, I’m talking nonsense. I came here to tell you about Lee-san.” Tsunade gazed at Sakura and waved her hand, signalling her to continue.
“As you know, Gai-sensei died after opening all 8 gateways, but successfully taking out a large number, into the three digits, of enemy nin. Fai-kun escaped with minimal injuries, the worst being his pinkie finger.” Tsunade nodded.
“What about Lee? How has his body set?” Sakura shifted her feet and sighed.
“Badly. He kept thrashing in his sleep, reopening most of his wounds and re-shifting the bone fragments before they could bind properly. Luckily, the spinal fracture was easily fixed, and, in fact was helped along by tiny fragments of your chakra from the operation he had all those years ago. His arm…well, because he had to shift around so much, I’m going to half to operate and screw them together. Same with his leg. I need your help, Shishou. I don’t want to screw this up.” Tsunade shook her head.
“Alright. I can watch, but I will not step in physically until I’m absolutely needed. You need to learn this, Sakura, if you are to fully live up to your title of Densetsu Sannin.” Sakura made a small noise of frustration but nodded and stood. Bowing, she turned to leave and said,
“Thank you, Shishou. Now, get back to writing that letter, and be sure not to let sake and money drive you away from your work.” Winking, the pink haired woman left quickly before the Hokage could throw something at her.

Chop chop chop chop… the mindless sound of the large knife slicing through a carrot and hitting the wooden board underneath it was slowly putting a certain brown haired individual to sleep. Her hair, normally twirled up in two perfectly set buns, was instead hanging about her face. It was drab and lacked the lustre that it normally possessed.
Sighing, Tenten stopped cutting the carrot and pushed the chopped vegetable into a pot containing various other chopped greens. Behind her, the front door opened with a creek and Tenten tightened the grip on her handle. Twirling around, she prepared to throw the blade, but stopped when she saw who was at the door.
“Oka-chan! You looked like you haven’t slept in days! I leave for a week long mission, and come home to this? Go, go to bed!” Aiko said, her brown hair was tied up into buns similar to what Tenten usually wore, but had sticks and leaves sticking randomly out of them. A split lip added to the large and dark bruise around her eye.
“Aiko! What on earth happened?” Aiko laughed and said,
“Well, on the way to the village where the escortee lived, I tripped on a branch and split my lip, and on the way back, I tried to save a little boy from drowning, only to have the kid flail and punch me right in the eye.” Tenten gasped and scuttled to the fridge. Opening the freezer, she pulled out a bag of frozen peas and held it to her daughter’s eye.
“How is Shizune-san holding up?” Tenten asked. Aiko shrugged and took the peas from her mother’s battle hardened hands.
“When I saw her, she looked a tad stressed, but fine overall. Besides, Izumo-san and Kotetsu-san are helping her a lot.” Tenten nodded and Aiko moved towards the stairs.
“I’m taking a nap, and then a shower. When will dinner be ready? That’s what you are cooking, right?” Tenten nodded and said,
“In about two hours. I have to stew the meat as well.” Aiko smiled and walked up the rail-less stairs. Tenten opened the small fridge and pulled out another vegetable to slice.

Katoki paced outside the Yondaime’s office, and clenched his fists for the hundredth time that afternoon. The old man was still talking to Keii, and Katoki was starting to get restless.
The doors to the Raikage’s office swung open and the pale blonde boy sauntered out. Sparing his teacher a glance, he grimaced and turned down the hall. A moment later, an ANBU sporting a cat mask swiftly glided after him.
Storming in, Katoki had every motion to give the old man a piece of his mind, but when he saw the look of stress and tiredness decorating the wrinkles on his face, all his ambition died away.
“Katoki…I thank you for bringing back Keii. Now, please, do tell me, how is the war going?” Katoki sighed and sat on the red velvet chair in front of his desk.
“Bad. The Tsuchikage is a maniac! He wants to take over Suna, and has enlisted grass and rain nin to help. Suna is outnumbered, even with Kumo and Konoha’s help. Waterfall refused to be anything but neutral, and I dare not tread on sound territory. Their grudge against the leaf is bad enough. But I don’t want to discuss that.”
“Then you mind telling me what I am hearing about a…baby?” Katoki sucked his breath in.
“Hinata is expecting my child, but that can wait!” Yondaime’s eyebrows rose and the corners of his mouth turned down in consideration.
“A war baby? Not the best time for a shinobi to be expecting…”
“Jiji!” Katoki said loudly through clenched teeth.
“Boy, I advise you not to address me so informally. You are not a youngster that I can forgive.” Katoki looked the old man straight in his eyes and said,
“Why? Why did you not tell me?” Yondaime narrowed his eyes.
“Tell you what, Boy?”
“I remember. Not everything, but a lot of important things.” The Raikage’s blood ran cold.
“…How?” The Raikage asked carefully. Katoki looked away and said,
“It happened when Hinata took a blade for me…”

“K-katoki-kun…” Katoki’s entire body twitched as his eyes snapped open.
The sight in front of him nearly made him wretch, and the buzz at the back of his head picked up to a high pitched whine, and the dull throb of his headache became pangs of ripping pain, but Katoki ignored it.
Hinata was standing in front of him, facing him with her delicately calloused hands on his shoulders. Her pearly eyes were wide and filled with tears, but she was smiling. The small trail of blood that ran from her lip seemed to contrast her pale skin, despite the random dirt smudges she had gotten from days of fighting. Katoki’s eyes widened further as he trailed the line of blood and glanced at her chest.
Sticking a full inch and a half out of her chest was the tip of the wakizashi that had been meant for Katoki. Blood covered the entire front of her flak vest. Hinata coughed and a fine spray of blood stained Katoki’s own vest, but he didn’t pay notice.
The Nin standing behind Hinata had a look of surprise on his face, but it quickly changed to satisfaction as he pulled his wakizashi out of her chest. The noise made Katoki nauseous.
Hinata fell forward as soon as the blade was free from her chest and Katoki caught her with gentle ease. The Nin had stepped back to wipe his blade on the nearest corpse’s clothes, and Katoki used this brief moment to frantically try and stop the blood.
“Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan, you need to stay awake! Keep your eyes open!” He said to her. He tried to yell, but his vocal chords seemed to have contracted and his pleas came out as a harsh whisper.
“K-ka-t-toki…k-kun…” She said, half choking on her own blood. Tears were leaking out of her eyes as she looked up at Katoki.
“Shh, don’t talk, don’t move.” Grabbing her hand, Katoki gasped as a flash of silver passed his left eye. He head shot up and Katoki felt a warm trickle of blood run down his cheek.
“Silly Kumo-nin. Don’t they teach you to never take your attention off of the enemy? I could have killed you right then. Don’t you even care about your life? Tch tch.” Katoki grit his teeth. His headache doubled in size and the high peeled whine tripled in volume. Laying Hinata gently on the ground, Katoki stood up and drew his short katana.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz…SNAP! Katoki’s eyes widened and vision became blurry. He felt himself collapsing as black bled into the edges of his vision. Katoki felt a pang of despair as he felt his head hit the ground and his world became submersed in a sea of inky darkness.
When Katoki opened his eyes, he was slightly surprised to find that he was not dead, and that he was lying in water. Sitting up, he listened to the water drops echo throughout the halls of cement.
“Hello?” He yelled, but only heard his echo. He stood, and as soon as he took his first step, he felt compelled to turn right. Katoki’s face screwed up in confusion as he let his feet take him to wherever.
A low rumbling filled the air, and Katoki paused for a moment. The rumbling was coming from the room ahead, where light was leaking into the hall.
Entering the room, Katoki couldn’t help but gawk. The room was huge! A cage with bars set wide enough apart that Katoki could easily walk through them, spanned the ceiled to the floor.
Another rumble filled the room, and Katoki felt the floor vibrate. The various pipes that lined the ceilings rattled, and Katoki glanced at the cage. The lock was a square the size of his head, and plastered over top of it were two seals. The one on the back looked old, slightly torn, and had the kanji for what Katoki thought was ‘seal’. The seal on top, looked new, save for the tear that decorated the top of it. This seal had no words, only a splatter of blood.
A sharper rumble, almost a growl shook the room, and to Katoki’s horror the seal on top was slowly being torn in two. Rushing over to hold it together, he caught a glimpse of what was inside and yelled.
A large red beast with nine even larger tails swinging behind it and swirling with red chakra was staring at him intently. The beast was staring him directly in the eye, and slowly reached a paw out to him. Opening its mouth, the beast threw his head back and roared, but all Katoki heard was a loud buzz.
“You…You’re that voice! I…I think you’re the monster from my dreams!” The monster rolled his eyes and Katoki almost smirked.
The paw that the monster had held out tapped the back of the lock, and Katoki jumped. Looking at the beast, Katoki looked at the seal and said,
“You want me to tear it off? Doesn’t this keep you in?” The monster shifted and shook his head.
“Both of them?” The monster shook his head again and retracted his paw.
“Just the top one then?” Nodding quickly, the monster lowered his head so that his nose was eye level with Katoki. Katoki took a breath and looked at the blank seal. Carefully, as to not damage the seal underneath it, he peeled the top one off.
For a second nothing happened, but then something hit Katoki with the force of a thousand hammers. Screaming in pain, Katoki fell to his knees, splashing the dirty looking water. A thing red tendril of chakra slowly made its way from the monster onto a glowing red seal that appeared on Katoki’s stomach. As the monster started mixing it’s chakra with Katoki’s, the blonde’s screams abated, and he stopped thrashing, giving only a twitch every now and then.
Looking up slowly, his eyes a blazing red, and the scars on his cheeks thick and bleeding freely, Katoki opened his mouth and said in a raspy voice,
“Kyuubi…”
“Glad to be back, kit.” Katoki almost jumped at the sound of the monster’s voice, but every muscle in his body was aching.
“How am I still alive? I don’t...can’t…what happened with Hiashi?” Kyuubi sighed (more a loud rumble) and said,
“You died. I didn’t want to die, so I saved your sorry ass. When you heart stopped, I shoved as much chakra into your body as I could, I managed to almost completely merge our chakra systems, and restart your heart.” Katoki rubbed his arms and shivered.
“Hinata-chan said…Oh Kami-sama…Hinata! She took a blade for me…its eerie…Almost the exact same way as…before…Kyuubi! I need to save her! Please, lend me some chakra!” Kyuubi shook his head.
“No need to ask, as I said, we are almost completely merged. You’ve been using my chakra since your heart stopped. But go and save the vixen already…” Kyuubi said, his voice fading as Katoki’s vision blinked.
He was lying on the ground, Hinata beside him, blood still trickling out of her mouth. The enemy nin was advancing on his body, but Katoki shot up as fast as his body would allow him.
“You’re going to pay!” Katoki yelled, his voice dropping in tone with each word. The nin started to shake as red chakra poured out of Katoki’s stomach and surrounded him.
“What…what are you, some kind of monster?!” The nin shakily yelled. Childhood memories started to plague Katoki’s vision, but he shook them off with a growl. Holding his hand out, he instinctively started to swirl chakra in it until a tightly packed ball formed.
Katoki stared at it for a few seconds before jumping at the nin. Landing on the man’s chest, he rammed the ball into the nin’s face and yelled,
“Rasengan!” Katoki, even with bloodlust clouding his mind, felt like throwing up when the ball of chakra drilled through the face, grinding away until it broke through the skull, where it promptly blended the man’s brains, until the Rasengan broke through the back of his head and into the ground behind it.
Katoki released the chakra without thinking and the entire thing exploded. Katoki felt a harsh pain in his right arm before blacking out.

“I woke up and took Hinata to Tsunade. I’m amazed both she and the baby survived.” The Raikage’s eyes were wide and his mouth agape.
“You…talked…to Kyuubi no Youko?” Katoki sat back and said,
“…Yea…I remember, sort of, that I’ve done it more than once… I can hear him in my head right now, grumbling away…” The old man pursed his lips and said,
“Well…Katoki, what do you want to do now? Are you going to stay in Kumo, or go back to Konoha? I will not interfere with whatever decision you make…”
“Please…I think, first we need to deal with the war and Hinata. And please, call me by my name…Katoki sounds so false now…” Yondaime looked at the man and nodded his head in a small bow.
“Hajimemashita, Uzumaki Naruto. Welcome back from the dead.” Naruto grinned, flashing his large canines.



End Chapter 37

Alright! It’s up! Both at once, as an apology.I found a way to put up chapters, so they will be up more regularily now. 8D Sorry you guys, I’m really frustrated.

Mog