Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mokushita Hyuuga ❯ Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Kouden stared wide eyed at his mother.

“Ka-san! You’re awake! I haven’t seen you in a while!” Hinata raised a hand to her quivering lip. Her pale eyes were filled with tears. Kouden felt slightly embarrassed at the intensity of her stare. She flicked her eyes over to Naruto who grinned.

“W-where have you b-been?” She said quietly. Kouden scooted over to her and said,

“I was hurt really bad…I’ve been recovering…why? Did something happen?” Hinata reached out and ran her thumb across Kouden’s scar.

“You were listed as d-dead…Shiro too… You caused a lot of people a lot of pain… why didn’t you get treated in Konoha, or Suna?” Kouden turned his head and glared at Jiraiya.

“You didn’t tell any one we were alive? What’s wrong with you! Everyone must have been worried!” Jiraiya shrugged.

“I figured that when I bring home 4 dead Konoha nin, Tsunade would marry me.” Naruto took the last part as a joke, and the twinkle in his eye confirmed his suspicions. Kouden paused.

“You mean three? Katoki-san is from Kumo, right?” The blonde boy said, looking at Naruto. Naruto just frowned and Kouden turned back to Jiraiya.

“What do you mean? Why is Katoki-san frowning?” Jiraiya looked at Naruto, and Naruto looked over at Hinata. Kouden looked up at his mother who was glaring at Naruto.

“No. You tell him. Then maybe you can tell him why you weren’t there for him.” Kouden was very confused. He tried to wrap his mind around what his mother had said when Naruto broke in.

“Uhh…Kouden…Do you like me?” Kouden, still trying to think just nodded.

“Umm…Like, how…? As a brother? Friend? …Father?” Kouden looked up at Naruto.

“…What?” Kouden blushed and looked away. “I guess…kinda like a father… you know, I never had one. I kinda…imagine what it’s like with you, since, you know…you’re with Ka-san anyway.” Kouden was startled when he felt arms wrap around him. Looking up at his mother, he vaguely noticed a hard lump that kept them from being closer.

Hinata was crying, which was a strange sight for Kouden. As far as his memory served him, Hinata only cried when she thought she was alone.

“Ka-san…” He said quietly. Hinata hugged him harder and said in a tight voice.

“You were right…always right…” Kouden blinked and Naruto grimaced. Natsumi, Shiro, and Jiraiya looked slightly uncomfortable.

“W-what? Right about what?” Hinata started to sob, and Kouden resisted the urge to hug her.

“Y-your f-father…Th-this whole t-time… He’s c-come home a-at last!” Kouden’s eyes widened and he shot a look at Naruto, and back to Hinata. Hinata sobbed harder into Kouden’s shoulder and nodded.

“Nice to meet you Kouden. I’m sorry I…missed out. If I had known… I’m Uzumaki Naruto; by the way…I’m sure you’ve heard about me…” The room was silent save for Hinata’s sobs. Kouden could barely breathe, as it felt like he was being squeezed through a tube.

“N-Naruto…?” Kouden squeezed out. Naruto grimaced. This wasn’t how he had planned on telling either of them.


Gaara laughed aloud when he read the letter. Matsuri started and Kaisa laughed as she stroked a wiggling fox.

“Aki, Aki! Come here!” Kaisa said, and the fox bounded over to her. Matsuri looked over at her husband, confused at the look of mirth on his face.

“Gaara? What’s so funny…I haven’t seen you laugh like that in a few years…” Gaara looked up from the letter and smiled again.

“That guy just can’t help but piss off Tsunade. Like it’s his life mission.” Gaara said, and held the letter out to his wife.

Matsuri took the letter and scanned over it.

“Gaara, it seems that Hinata and Katoki have escaped my eyes yet again. They went back to Kumo, where I had intended to keep the girl until she gave birth. It’s too dangerous for her to be travelling in her condition. If either of them show up in Suna, detain them, for Kami-sama’s sake, I’m going to kill them both…Signed Tsunade.” Matsuri finished and Gaara laughed again.

“I don’t get it…what’s so funny?” Gaara took the letter back and said,

“Matsuri…When I was 12, a few months before I met you, and before I started caring for Suna, I was used as a weapon. I was the Jinchuuriki for the Ichibi, and as you know, Shukaku was taken from me when I was 15. Well, when I first met a boy named Uzumaki Naruto, Shukaku became restless. There was something about him that Shukaku despised. Later, in the fight that helped me realize what true strength was, Naruto henged his summon into a gigantic nine tailed fox. It was then that Shukaku remembered why he didn’t like the boy so much. He made sure that I knew Naruto was a Jinchuuriki as well. But the point is that, his chakra…Kyuubi’s chakra, is not something one forgets.” Gaara spun his chair around.

“When I first met Katoki, I felt the familiar chakra again, but I couldn’t be sure. I couldn’t say anything because it was different…different, yet the same, it’s hard to explain. I didn’t have Shukaku to rant on about it anymore, so I let it be. It wasn’t until I saw his face that I was sure. But the lack of recognition in his eyes told me that something had happened to him. He probably didn’t recognize anyone. The wild look on his face when you confronted him about your kidnapping most likely confused him more.” Matsuri interrupted.

“Wait wait…Are you saying that Katoki-san is Naruto-san?” Gaara turned his chair again and said,

“Yes. I am. I suppose I ranted a bit there. Before he…died… he used to tease Tsunade like no other. I noticed that it resulted in a bond between the two…almost mother and son like. Naruto was an orphan, so he probably treasured it almost as much as he did Hinata’s bond. But unless Naruto remember who he is, he’s been pissing off Tsunade out of reflex. I just happen to find it amusing.” Matsuri looked down at Kaisa, who was still playing with Aki.

“I feel bad for them…they lost a son…it must be hard, especially for Hinata-san…” Gaara’s face turned stoic again, and he said,

“I can’t imagine what it must have been like…those wounds never heal…” Gaara trailed off, thinking about his long dead uncle, who spoke similar words to him. A tug on his robe pulled him from his thoughts. Looking down he saw his red haired daughter. Her teal eyes staring up at him.

“Tou… ‘m hungry… I wanna apple!” Gaara smiled and hoisted the girl up to his hip.

“All right Kaisa-chan. Let’s get you an apple.” He said and Kaisa hugged around his neck. Matsuri stooped and picked the vixen up.

“Gaara! Wait up!” She called, Gaara smiled and shifted daughter so that he could run faster.


A black haired boy brushed a pine needle off his shoulder and tucked his long bangs behind his ears. He quietly walked through the thinly treed forest. Stepping out into the small clearing beside a pond, Shiro’s blue eyes scanned the area until he found what he was looking for.

Kouden turned his head slightly, but after a moment turned it back to the pond and continued to toss pebbles into it. Shiro walked up to the rock that the blonde was seated upon and sat down beside him.

“What do you want, teme?” Kouden asked in a dull voice. Shiro clicked his tongue.

“Why are you so bummed out? It can’t just be Naruto-sama.” Kouden flung a few pebbles into the water before answering.

“I’m happy. I really am, after Ka...Tou-sama… explained why he missed the first fifteen years of my life I forgave him. I’m really happy, really. It’s a cool story that I can tell my friends and my kids if I ever have any. It’s Ka-san. She’s still in shock, I can tell. She won’t respond to me…She looks at me like I’m a ghost…” Shiro snorted.

“Dobe, she thought you were dead…she probably felt guilty about her baby too.” Kouden rubbed the back of his head and sighed.

“About that…I’m excited to be a big brother…but I’m kinda jealous too. He or she will get the attentions of both parents for all their life…I didn’t have that luxury.” Shiro grinned.

“Yea, but now you have all the time in the world to reconnect with Naruto-sama…Plus you can tell your little brother or sister about all the adventures that you had. I can guarantee that this baby will be way more over protected that you ever will or have been. At least you have a say in what happens to you. I kinda pity this kid.” Shiro grinned widely, and Kouden couldn’t help but grin as well.

Lying back, Kouden watched the clouds go by slowly.

“I haven’t been in Konoha in almost 3 years. Did you know that I’m gonna be 15 in like, 2 months? I’m getting old.” Shiro laughed and laid back beside Kouden.

“Did you know that I’m turning 16 two weeks after you turn 15? Did you know that Sasami-chan is already 15?” Kouden frowned and hit Shiro’s arm.

“How do you think her stay in cloud is going?” Shiro shrugged. Kouden turned back to the sky and watched a bunny shaped cloud morph into a turtle.

“Can I join you two?” A voice called from the trees. Kouden jumped and quickly tilted his head back. He sighed when he saw Naruto.

“You don’t have to ask, Tou-sama.” Naruto grimaced and jumped down from the branch he was sitting on.

“Don’t call me that…It sounds too weird.” Kouden furrowed his brow.

“What, Tou-sama? Ahh, what do you want to be called? I’ve been calling you that my entire life…” Naruto stared at his son and said after a moment,

“Oyaji. Yea.” Kouden stared at his father incredulously.

“O-Oyaji? Are you serious? Isn’t that a little disrespectful?” Naruto laughed, and Shiro noted that he looked even more like Kouden when he laughed.

“You are your mother’s son alright. Of course it’s disrespectful! Do I deserve respect for what I did?” Kouden wrinkled his nose.

“You’re Konoha’s Hero, a Densetsu Sannin, my father…” Kouden shook his head and continued, “Besides, I completely forgive you! Shiro-teme told me that your story will make an excellent entertainment device. You’ve helped my social life greatly.” This time both Naruto and Kouden laughed. Shiro grinned.

“Well, Still, Oyaji fits me better. It seems more familiar to me. If it feels really weird for you to say that, then don’t, but yea…” Naruto trailed off, and Kouden grinned.

“So…Shiro is it?” Shiro stiffly nodded, surprised to be Naruto’s focus of attention.
“What’s your last name? You look an awful lot like a friend of mine.”

“Oketsu…” Naruto grinned.

“I like your name. Your parent’s had style. Are you familiar with Uchiha Sasuke?” Shiro nodded.

“He is a distant cousin. He also tutored me until I left to travel with Kouden and Jiraiya-sama.” Naruto nodded.

“Ahaa…you know, your hairstyle, the back of it is kinda how Sasuke wore his…but your bangs…” Naruto pointed at the long pieces of hair that fell to his collar bone that were clasped into two parts with metal bands.

“The front looks an awful lot like a boy I fought once. His name was Haku, and he was a missing nin from Kirigakure.” Naruto looked out towards the lake.

“I thought he was a girl the first time I met him…He died saving his companion’s life. He took a chidori from Kakashi-sensei through the heart. I was 12, and he was not much older.” Kouden sucked his breath in through his teeth and Shiro looked down.

“If they bother you…I can cut them…” Naruto snapped out of his reverie and said frantically,

“Nono! It’s fine! I was just musing on how brace he was. He taught me that a strong fighter is one that has a precious person to protect. Who are your guy’s precious people, if you don’t mind me asking?” Shiro’s ears reddened and he said,

“Hyuuga Aiko…Kouden’s step sister… Well, not anymore I guess.” Naruto nodded at Kouden.

“What about you?” Kouden looked up and proudly said,

“Ditama Sasami! She’s training in Konoha with Sakura-ne-chan and Tsunade-baa-sama.” Naruto frowned at Kouden.

“Sasami? As in, pink hair, brown eye, has an older brother?” Kouden frowned along with Shiro.

“Y-yes? Do you know her?” Naruto spared Kouden a glance before saying,

“Of course I do! I met her when she first arrived in Kumogakure. I was her brother’s Jounin-sensei…and I sparred with her. She’s not bad.” Kouden grinned.

“She kicked my ass the first time we fought.” Naruto sniggered.

“I hope you don’t talk like that around your mother.” Kouden looked offended.

“Of course I don’t! I’m not like Shiro-teme.” Shiro started and yelled,

“Hey! It’s her fault! If she wants to swear around me like she does, then she can live with me swearing, Dobe!” Naruto laughed.

“What’s so funny!?” Kouden said angrily.

“Me and Sasuke used to fight like you two…he even called me Dobe, and I called him Teme…It’s weird.” Kouden looked up at his father and said,

“Really? A-ano…do you think, you can tell us about you? Like, some good stories? Ka-san only told me a few stories about you, and only your really big missions made it into our textbooks at academy.”

“I’m in your text books?” Kouden nodded.

“Sasuke-san and Sakura-san too, but more on you, Naruto-sama.” Naruto frowned at the honourific, but ignored it.

“Crazy…Is Iruka-sensei still teaching?”

“Yea! He was my teacher, Shiro-teme’s too! Iruka-sensei mentioned you a few times, actually.” Naruto smiled and said,

“That man, other than Old man Hokage, was the first to acknowledge me. He’s the closest thing I have to a father…I hope he still thinks of me fondly.” Kouden’s eye’s widened in surprise.

“Oh? He was like that to me too. Tenten-ne-chan was a really good mother for the three years I was in Konoha… Neji acted like an older cousin.” Kouden laughed and Naruto chuckled.


“Hinata-san? Do you want soy sauce on your onigiri?” Hinata looked at Natsumi and then down at the rice ball she was holding.

“U-uh…n-no…It’s ok-kay.” She reached for the white ball of rice and Natsumi handed it to her. Bringing it to her mouth, she bit in, but didn’t taste anything. Chewing slowly, her mind was a blank as her eyes.

“Are you ok? You’ve been kinda spaced for the last two days.” Natsumi said. Hinata looked up at Natsumi again and quietly said,

“I…I’m a-alright-t. I-I j-just n-need t-to go h-home.” Natsumi stared at Hinata for a moment longer before sighing and turning to clean up the breakfast area.

Kouden was alive, Naruto was alive, her baby was alright…everything was too much to handle. Hinata sighed and looked out the window. She spotted three figures walking back making a lot of ruckus with their laughing. Jiraiya was sleeping in the corner, and snoring softly.

“Ka-san? Are you feeling better? We want to start moving home…” Hinata looked head of her, and saw her son. Looking out the window, she saw that the three figures were no longer there. Where was time going?
“H-hai…” Naruto stepped forward and sat down beside her. He put his hand on her stomach and said,

“Stop. I know you’re still in shock, but please…” Naruto lowered his voice to a whisper, “you’re scaring Kouden…” Hinata’s eyes widened and she looked up at her son, who was being offered an onigiri. He was sparing glances at her, worry lined his lavender eyes. Even Shiro, who she didn’t know all that well, was throwing worried glances at her. Hinata looked down and blushed. Naruto rubbed her stomach and said,

“There…That’s the Hinata I fell in love with.” Hinata couldn’t help but smile, she also couldn’t hold back tears as they started to collect in her eyes.

“I-I, I g-guess that w-we have t-to g-get back to K-Konoha s-soon.” Naruto grinned widely and said,

“Yea! Baa-chan wants to retire and Sakura-chan is going to be successor! I can’t let that happen!” Hinata smiled and Naruto threw his arm around her shoulder.

“Boy’s get packed, we’re leaving in an hour!” Kouden gave a small whoop and Jiraiya rolled over moaning.


Tenten lay in her bed, unable to sleep. Her coffee coloured hair was splayed out over her pillow. The weapon’s mistress of Konoha turned her head to the empty spot in her bed. Sighing, she looked back up at the ceiling.

Aiko was staying the night at Inuzuka Machiko’s house, and Tenten felt extremely lonely. Aiko had taken to sleeping in Neji’s spot to help Tenten herself sleep at night. Running her hands over the soft sheets, she nearly started to cry. Neji bought the sheets as a wedding anniversary present nearly 8 years prior.

Sitting up, Tenten decided that if she couldn’t sleep, maybe some warm food would help. Making her way down the hall, she stopped at the door that was across from Aiko’s room. It was a door that hadn’t been used in almost 3 years. Peering in, she almost sneezed at the dust she stirred up. Pulling her night slip up over her nose, she walked in, stirring dust with every step.

The room was mostly empty. A folded up pallet sat in the corner, and beside it was messily folded blankets. A large green calendar hung on the wall beside the window, and at a closer look, she saw that it was dated three years prior.

“Kouden-kun…” She whispered, running her fingers over the scribbles that Kouden had added to it over the time he owned it. The last time she saw the blonde boy was in Kumogakure almost a year ago, along with his mother. Tenten looked down. She now knew how Hinata had felt when she had lost Naruto. She couldn’t imagine how Hinata must have felt…or would feel if she ever found out about the fate of her son.

Tears formed in her brown eyes, and she quickly exited the room. Tenten stepped down the stairs lightly. Years of being an active Shinobi aided in her silence. The steady and soothing hum of the old refrigerator greeted her.

“3:08…” Tenten sighed. Opening the fridge, the small lower level of her house was filled with a weak light. She noticed several letters sitting on her table. Aiko must have brought them I as she left, Tenten thought.

The purple envelope caught Tenten’s eyes, and she smiled weakly. Ino had taken to setting up various days to go shopping, and to help distract her from grieving Neji. Tenten knew that Ino was not only helping Tenten, but helping herself, as the stress of taking care of five children was something that Tenten couldn’t imagine.

Turning back to the fridge, she stared at the half stocked shelves. Mostly vegetables, juice, milk…nothing that caught her interest. She reached for the milk bottle when she felt a hand stroke her hair.

Spinning around, she hardly registered the milk bottle shattering. Looking wildly around the room, she saw and heard nothing. She felt no chakra other than her own, and a trace of Aiko’s that was coming from her room. Tears sprang to her eyes again, and she wiped them away angrily.

Moving her foot, a sharp pain made her gasp. Looking down, she saw that she had stepped on a piece of glass.

“Ah…the milk…” She said, and bent down to pull the shard out of her foot. Hobbling over to the cupboard on the far end of the counter, she reached up and ruffled around until she found a box of bandages. Wiping more tears off her face, she found a cloth by the sink and wiped the milk and blood off her foot. Peeling the backing off the bandage, she stuck it to her foot and wiggled her toes.

Dropping the cloth on the milk spill she let it sit for a few seconds before wringing it out in the sink. Picking the shards up carefully, she placed them on the counter. Sighing as she finished, she sat propped up against the cupboard under the sink. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she adjusted herself and sighed again.

A creaked echoed throughout the house. Tenten started and her heart picked up pace. She was still sitting in front of the sink, and realized that she must have fallen asleep. She turned her neck, which was a bit sore towards the window and saw the first fingers of sunlight were touching the clouds, turning them pink and purple.

Standing up shakily, another creak, quieter this time made her turn around. The emergency kunai that she had taped under the lip of the counter was now held in her hand.

Looking at the door, she realized it had been opened. The shoes that had been left in front of the door had been pushed to the side. She took a single step towards the door and something caught the corner of her eye. Turning her head towards the area where the TV usually was, Tenten dropped her kunai.

“N-Neji…?”

End Chapter 41