Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mokushita Hyuuga ❯ Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Tenten reached her hand out towards the man who stood in her living room at 6 am.

“N…Neji?” She whispered. The man smiled and held out his arms.

“Tadaima, Tenten.” Tenten couldn’t hold it anymore. Dropping to her knees she started to cry. Neji rushed to her side, hitting his shin on the table in the middle of the room. Letting loose a small swear, Neji ignored the pain and grabbed Tenten’s shoulders.

Tenten’s cries escalated to the point where she was screaming, more than crying.

“Shh! Shhh!” Neji said soothingly, stroking Tenten’s hair. After a while, Tenten’s cries became sobs, and the sobs became loud breathing. Tenten looked up at Neji and reached up to touch his face, but recoiled about an inch away.

“W...what happened?” She whispered hoarsely. Neji touched the bandage that was wrapped over his left eye softly. Neji looked away from Tenten’s gaze.

“Does it repulse you? It scarred horribly. It’s still not even fully healed. I came back to Konoha as soon as I could; I need Tsunade-sama’s help to fix me.” Tenten reached up again and gently placed her fingers on the gauze.

“You didn’t answer my question…what kept you from returning? After I got that horrible letter….Losing my husband and son in one day…” Tenten shuddered and Neji froze.

“…S-son? Kouden?” Tenten started to tear up again.

“Around the same time as you. Shiro-san and Jiraiya-sama as well.” Neji sat back, his robe opened to expose his chest which was entirely covered in bandages. Tenten sucked her breath in.

“What happened?” She said, reaching for her husband.

“Please…don’t touch it. My chest hurts more than my eye does. Something is not letting them heal properly.”

“Neji! What happened?” Neji sighed and said,

“It was about 7 months ago…If that girl was correct…”
Neji woke up, a throbbing sharp pain made him cry out. He brought his hands up to his face and cried out again when he touched the bandage on his face. The motion shifted his chest which burned like fire. Looking around wildly, he saw a girl with a head of dark pink hair mashing something in a mortar bowl.

“S-Sakura…H-help…” He called weakly before crying out again when another wave of the sharp pain engulfed his senses. The girl turned around and glanced at Neji.

“Oh! You’re awake! You’ve been in the most unusual coma! I can’t figure out why you aren’t healing. Can you tell me your name, and why I found you near the desert edge, beaten to a pulp?” Neji figured out that the pain was much less severe if he ceased moving.

“W-water…” he said dryly. The girl nodded and poured lukewarm, stale water down his throat. To Neji, it tasted as fresh and cold as the purest spring water.

“N-Neji…Hyuuga Neji… Coma?” Neji said shakily. The girl tilted her head and reached over to Neji’s face.

“Hyuuga Neji, eh? Well, I’m Joi. And you, my friend, have been moaning and groaning in your sleep for a good two months. I’ve patched you up, but you won’t heal properly. Your wounds are full of dust, sand and small rock fragments. Something isn’t letting your wounds close ether.” Joi paused, and carefully and gently removed the gauze off of his face. Neji opened his eye, but only pain came to him. He shot his hands up to his face, but Joi held them back.

“Stop. There was nothing I could do. You’ve lost that eye.” Neji’s remaining eye widened.

“G-gone..? As in, out of my head?” Joi shook her head.

“No. It’s pretty mutilated. Speaking of, what’s with your eyes? Are you blind? You don’t look blind, though…” Neji, relieved that he hadn’t lost his eye altogether said,

“Kekkei Genkai.” Joi nodded and after inspecting the wound on Neji’s face said,

“I’m going to put salve on your wound. It numbs it and encourages scabbing. It’s been helping a little bit, but you need help from a medic nin, really bad. There’s only so much herbs can do. This is going to hurt, but this stuff works fast. You won’t feel it after 5 minutes.” Neji tried to nod, his chest started to burn again.

The next five minutes were the longest five minutes of his life. He didn’t think the pain was ever going to end. When it finally did, Joi told him that she was going to have to apply to his chest, and Neji moaned loudly.

The next 3 months were a process of slow and painful recovery. Joi managed to pick more irritants out of Neji’s wounds, and Neji was delighted to find that when he activated his Byakugan, there were a few spots on the back of his eye that still responded, but he was dismayed to find that he couldn’t activate it without extreme pain.

“I think its poison, you know.” Joi said one day as Neji sat on his pallet in her cabin.

“I need to go home. Tsunade-sama is the best medical shinobi there is, she could fix me up for good.” Joi looked over at him and pouted.

“Leaving me so soon?” Neji rolled his eye and Joi laughed. Neji caught the sober look on her face as she turned back to her mortar bowl, mashing and mixing more medicine for Neji.

“Everyone probably thinks I’m dead. I left my wife and daughter back home…I need to go…Joi-chan…” Joi nodded and turned to face him. Her eyes were shut as she grinned, but Neji could see tears starting to form.

“Joi-chan…You know you could come with me. Stay with me and my family until I am well enough to bring you back…” Joi smiled kindly at the one eye Hyuuga.

“Very sweet, but I enjoy life out here. It’s nice. Ever since the old Tsuchikage bought Bird Country, our economy has boosted. All of the new settlers from Iwagakure don’t look at me like I’m the village freak…a few of those shinobi are cute too…” Joi trailed off and Neji smiled softly.

Joi lived in a small wooden cabin a kilometre or so off the dirt road. Although that was changing, as more and more people from Rock Country were moving to the now prosperous country. Most had though Joi a weirdo for living so far away, but Neji, spending every day for the better part of 5 months, albeit 2 of those were spent unconscious, he knew otherwise. Joi was a lonely and shy girl with an unusual knowledge of medicinal herbs.

“If you say so. And that won’t make me jealous, girl. My old students are your age. I’m a bit old for you, I think.” Joi pouted, but ended up laughing.

“You’ve been restless for the last week. I’ve been making extra medicine. When do you want to leave? I can accompany you to the border.” Neji sighed and smiled. He stood up carefully and walked over to Joi. Ruffling her dark pink hair he said,

“Tomorrow is good. I don’t know how I can ever repay you for this kindness?” Joi blushed and said,

“You could run away with me, and we could get married.” Neji laughed and ruffled her hair again.

“Already married. Sorry kid. Anything but that.” Joi smiled again and handed him a large rucksack.”

“The robes that I found you in are washed, of course, and mended. I’m not a very good seamstress, so maybe when you get back home; you could find a real seamstress to do it. We can pack the medicine tonight, after I finish making them. Food too. It takes about 3 days to walk to the border, and, if my calculations are correct, about two months to walk to Konoha. I want you to promise me that you will not strain yourself and make those wounds worse. You know how often to apply the numbing paste, and-” Neji cut her off with his finger over her mouth.

“Joi-chan, I know. When I get better, I’ll come back and repay you.” Joi blushed slightly.

“Your friendship was more than enough. I’ve never had a real friend before…” Neji smiled and took the rucksack from her hands.


3 days later found Neji and Joi staring at the intersection on the empty dirt road.

“That one will take you towards the fire country. I wish you luck Neji.” Joi said, her voice audibly wavering. Neji smiled and turned to face Joi. He put his hand on the back of her head and kissed her. It was a long and deep kiss, and Joi was out of breath by the time Neji finally let go.

“N-Neji… What was that?” She said, a mixed look sat on her face.

“Part of my payback. You’re still young. I hope you find a good man and have many healthy children. I wish you luck for your many years ahead of you.” It wasn’t until Neji stopped talking did Joi start to cry.

“I’ll miss you, but I’ll never forgive you, you bastard! You stole my first kiss!” Neji gave a loud laugh as he walked on. Joi didn’t turn around to head back until Neji’s dot disappeared on the horizon.


Tenten was silent. The only thing that made noise was the steady hum of the old fridge, and occasionally a morning bird cheep outside.

“So…You kissed her?” Neji nearly face vaulted.

“Is that all you’re concerned about? Two months of straight walking took a toll on me. I need to see Tsunade right away. I ran out of Joi-chan’s medicine.”

“Yes, yes. I understand that. But you…kissed her? A 20 year old girl?” Neji rolled his eye and stood up, hunched over slightly in pain.

“Let’s get you to the hospital.” Tenten said, quickly rising with him. She felt strangely calm, but she knew that once it set in, she was ready for the emotional train wreck that she was sure to become.

“What…What happened to Kouden? Do you know? Have you heard anything from Hinata-sama?” Tenten shook her head.

“I haven’t seen Hinata since my mission to Kumogakure…that was also the last time I saw…Kouden.” Tenten looked down, but Neji wrapped his arm around her.

“Stop moping, dear. I need to see Tsunade.” Tenten nodded and slipped her feet into her sandals.


“Tsunade-sama…someone is here to see you…” A guard, newly promoted whispered into the room tentatively. He had already woken the falsely young Hokage and paid for it. But when he saw that she was sitting behind her desk, calmly doing paperwork, he nearly had a heart attack.

“Well, send them in then.” She said, not taking her eyes off the report she was scanning. The guard nodded at Tenten and Neji and the two walked into the office. Tenten and Neji both were startled to see Tsunade working, and were too shocked to say anything.

Tsunade finished reading the report and signed it before she looked up. The pen in her mouth fell to the desk with a small clatter as she stared at who Tenten was supporting.

“N-Neji?” She said.

“In the flesh. Sorry for the delay, I was trying to not die on the walk here.” Tenten felt that if this situation were different, she would have laughed.

“I…uh, I don’t know what to say! Here, here! Lie down, Let me get a look at you!” Neji obediently laid on the long bench that was against the wall.

“I’m hurt. That’s why I came back. The girl that tried to heal me said that something was preventing her herbs from working. It’s very painful.” Tsunade’s hands lit up in green fire. Placing them over Neji’s eye and chest, he winced loudly. Tsunade grimaced.

“Kami-sama…I’m surprised you’re not dead! You’ve got bits of sand and dirt deep in your wounds…you have a rather large piece of rock floating around in your eye…I’m surprised nothing is infected! But…this is weird…your cells aren’t able to reproduce to fix themselves…almost as if they’ve been frozen…kami-sama! I’ve dealt with this before! Years ago! It’s a type of poison that doesn’t spread easily, but it prevents wounds from healing. Why aren’t you dead?”

“Joi-chan was a good medicine woman.” Tenten clicked her tongue and Neji almost laughed.

“You’re able to walk, I presume. That woman did a good job of cleaning and fixing you. She cut some of the tissue away and it’s starting to heal in places.” The fire around Tsunade’s hands died away and Neji said, before painfully sitting up,

“Can you fix it?” Tsunade nodded.

“It will have to be multiple surgeries…one to get all the debris out, especially the ones in your eye… can you still use your Byakugan?” Neji nodded.

“I can, and my damaged eye has a few spots at the back that I can barely see out of, but it hurts too much to use it for more than a few seconds.” Tsunade nodded.

“Good. It wasn’t severed from the optical nerve then. I might be able to get more sight for the back of your head, but the front is mutilated. How did you get these injuries?” Neji frowned.

“I think…I remember being thrown off in a kaiten…boulders exploding, and intense pain. I probably got struck by shards.”

“You’re lucky. On your chest, you scratched your lung, and missed your heart by less than an inch. You had better thank your ribcage. It saved your life.” Neji smiled.

“We can put you in the ICU for today. This afternoon Sakura can start your cleaning. I want you to get some rest before this, so I’m going to knock you out for the rest of today.” Neji nodded and the blonde turned to Tenten.

“Tenten, normally, I’d tell you to go home and get some real rest, as you look like crap. But I’m nice and sympathetic. I’ll get you a cot so you can sleep beside Neji. I’ll get some nice and strong sleeping pills for you. I think you need the rest more than Neji.” Tsunade shot a look at Tsunade, but she just laughed.


“Sakura, I’m glad you arrived on time.” Sakura looked peeved.
“It’s not my fault. Last night was the first time I’ve been able to sleep properly in a while, with all the paperwork you’ve been giving me.” Tsunade swivelled her chair around and said,

“Do you not want to be Hokage then?” Sakura looked to the side.

“No. Not really. I’m doing it for Naruto’s sake. You know that.” Tsunade was silent for a moment.

“I’ve scheduled you for a surgery today. It’s fairly simple, but razor precise control is needed for it. You’ll need to remove bits of sand and debris from two rather large and nasty wounds. One of the wounds involves an eye, and you must be extra careful with that, because the eye is still salvageable.” Sakura clicked her tongue but nodded.

“Name of patient?” Tsunade grinned.
“Ohhh, you know him.” A horrified look decorated Sakura’s face.

“Lee-san? Did he do something to his wounds again!? I’m going to kill that man…”

“No! Not Lee. You’ll see. The surgery is scheduled to happen in about an hour. Go and prepare.” Sakura started to leave when Tsunade called out.

“Sakura! His wife is sleeping in the cot next to him, she’s pretty doped up on sleeping pills, so you don’t have to be extra quiet, but I’d like it if she stayed asleep please.” Sakura nodded and Tsunade could her talking to herself down the hall.

“…Wife? Kiba doesn’t have a wife…Nor does Lee-san…or Kakashi-sensei…Iruka-sensei divorced…Shi-Shino-san? Oh no!” Tsunade shook her head and started to doodle all over the report that she really didn’t want to do.



The hour passed too quickly for Sakura, but as she assembled the team of nurses that would be assisting her during the operation, she decided to go check on her patient.

Opening the door, she saw a man hooked up to an IV. He looked relatively healthy, other than the gauze that was covering his bare chest and half of his face. When she saw his face, she dropped her tablet.

“N-Neji-san!” Covering her mouth, she heard Tenten rustle, but thankfully the woman didn’t wake. Walking closer to Neji, she was still in disbelief as she peeked under the gauze.

“Shishou! You said some! This wound is filthy, kami-sama!” She whispered loudly. Replacing the bandage she didn’t even bother check his chest.

“I see what she meant about the eye though. I guess he can still use it.” Sakura, who was a bit more accepting about Neji’s existence than Tenten was, called in two assistants to help her move the gurney to the surgery room.



“Ka-san! I can see the gates!” Hinata nodded and smiled. They had been travelling for almost 4 days straight and Hinata felt very worn out. She had insisted on trying to run as much as she could, but Naruto usually ended up carrying her.

Jiraiya looked down at his daughter who had insisted on tagging along. Her mother wasn’t too happy about it, but when Natsumi told her that it was to improve her medical skills, she finally dropped it.

Kouden and Shiro started to run ahead, but Jiraiya called them back.

“Stop you two. You’re listed as dead, remember? You’ll be questioned if you go ahead.” Shiro and Kouden stopped dead in their tracks, and waited until their small menagerie caught up.

“Gomenasai, Ero-sennin.” Jiraiya gritted his teeth, but said nothing.

The old man led the group as they walked through the gates.

“H-hey…Hey! Jiraiya-sama! I thought you were dead!” Kotetsu called out. Izumo shifted his attention to his companions.

“Hey, check it out! It’s that Hyuuga kid who was adopted. Weird, I remember his eyes being green the last time I saw them though…” Izumo said, more to himself.

“Aw man, you guys better get up to the Hokage’s office ASAP. I heard that she’s either in, or just finishing up surgery right now. Oh! Boys! I saw that pink haired girl you two always hang out with. She was being escorted back here. She just got back…a week ago? She seemed very depressed… Probably because everyone thinks your dead. Good going, kids.” Kouden blushed brightly, reminded Naruto of Hinata, and Shiro’s ears turned a dark red.”

“To Tsunade-hime’s office then.” Jiraiya said.

“Can we stop at Ichiraku’s first? I’ve had that stuff once in like, 16 years.” Jiraiya looked back at Naruto.

“No.” Naruto made a great show of pouting.


Tsunade walked into her office and nearly had a heart attack. She was exhausted from the final surgery on Neji. Using his hair…a lot of his hair, she had managed to stitch together his wounds. Sakura had successfully cleaned out all pieces of debris, and had later cut out the irreparable flesh. Neji had a nasty set of scars, but Tsunade suspected he was proud of them.

She was walking into her office to down a jug of sake and pass out on her desk. She was not expecting 3 people she thought dead, and two that she wanted to kill, to be sitting in her office.

“So, Tsunade-hime. I brought you back some long thought dead Leaf nin. Will you marry me?” Saying that Tsunade was stunned was a severe understatement. Emotions flooded and churned inside the blonde woman. She eyed each of the persons in front of her, and she eyed the large swell of Hinata’s stomach that showed through her tattered blue coat.

“You…all look tired…Kouden…Shiro, I’m glad you aren’t hurt. Very glad. Please…Shiro; go home to your mother. She’s grief stricken. Kouden, please go to Sakura’s house and tell Sasuke that you are not to leave until I send for you.” Kouden frowned.

“What? Why not Tenten-ne-chan and Neji-ni-san’s house?” Tsunade, still talking in a dazed voice said,

“Because Aiko is staying with the Inuzuka’s and Tenten is staying here in the hospital until Neji recovers from surgery.” Naruto frowned and said,

“W-what? He’s not…dead? I saw his file in Suna!” Tsunade shook her head.

“He showed up severely injured 4 days ago.” Naruto sat back down and Tsunade mindlessly ushered Shiro and Kouden out the door.

“I’ll see you later, Ka-san…Oyaji…” Naruto smiled and Tsunade completely missed it. Turning to the rest of the group, she said,

“Who is this girl?” Pointing at Natsumi, the girl started and said,

“M-me? I’m Natsumi…Jiraiya is my Tou-san.” Tsunade nodded and looked at Hinata.

“Well, then could step…wait. What? Tou-san?” She yelled. Jiraiya flinched.

“Since when do you have kids, you perv!?” Tsunade yelled again. Jiraiya shrugged and said,

“Since 6 months ago, apparently. She is the one who saved Shiro and Kouden’s lives. As well as Hinata’s baby.” Tsunade looked at Natsumi. A slight look of uneasy swam around in her eyes and said,

“Natsumi-san was it? Can you please step outside? Tell the shorter guard to take you to the lounge room. I just need a word with you…father…and then I can offer you two accommodations.” Natsumi nodded quickly and scurried out of her office. Tsunade turned back to the three remaining people and stared at them.

She continued to stare until Hinata started to squirm.

“How is the baby?” Hinata jumped and let loose a squeak.

“A-ano…He’s fine. I had a scare about a week ago…but I guess it was stress… Natsumi-san saved him.” Tsunade paused and calmly said,

“Him? How do you know it’s a boy?” Hinata rubbed her belly and said,

“Just a feeling.” Tsunade was still looking at her, expecting more, so Hinata continued, her cheeks an almost painful red.

“A-ano…Well, you see…I can’t see Naruto-kun producing daughters…he’s too…” Hinata trailed off as she realized what she said. Jiraiya sniggered and Naruto slapped his hand to his forehead.

“W-what?” Tsunade said, her gaze ripped up to Naruto.

“Ehhhh…This wasn’t how I wanted to tell you either, Baa-chan.” Tsunade gaped.

“D-don’t call me that…” She absentmindedly said. Shaking her head she said,

“But you’re Katoki! Katoki from Kumogakure! P-prove it!” Naruto looked around before digging under his shirt. He pulled out a small green stone that had two small steal balls hanging beside it.

“M…my necklace…” She whispered. “H-how..?”
“I don’t remember much of it. I haven’t remembered all of what I forgot. I don’t know how I was hurt that day…Although I suspect that Hinata does and she just doesn’t want to tell me. But I woke up in Kumo without knowledge of anything but a strange attraction to dark hair and pale coloured eyes.” Hinata blushed. “I didn’t even know my name. I just remembered who I really was when Hinata was stabbed in Suna. I didn’t tell you at the time, because I didn’t believe it myself. I was still in shock. Apparently Raikage-sama knew who I was, but he and Kakashi-sensei, who had informed him originally, agreed that telling me was bad for my health. So I spent 15 years not knowing who I was, living off bits and pieces of memories that I gathered painfully over the years.”

“Oh…Kami-sama…” Tsunade said, before her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed on the carpet.

“Kuso!” Swore Jiraiya as he barely managed to catch her. Turning towards Naruto he said,

“I knew who you were when we first met in the street in Waterfall. That’s why I was in Kumo. I recall you asking me that once.” Naruto glared angrily over at the old man, but Hinata calmed him with her hand.

“Your eyes are red. Stop it.” Naruto looked down at Hinata and released the chakra that he didn’t even know he gathered. Everything became less vivid, but when Hinata wasn’t looking, he shot another glare over at the old man. Jiraiya sneered, and Hinata let out a giggle.


Tsunade came to a few minutes after fainting and proceeded to slap Jiraiya for touching her inappropriately. She called the entire rookie nine, Sai and Lee, as Tenten was still too drugged up to do anything, and Neji was still out for the count, and explained to them about Hinata and Naruto’s disappearance. The reactions were mixed.

Ino and Sai, knowing about Hinata, were more ecstatic about Naruto and their baby, then anything. Sasuke was mad at Naruto for not telling him the truth that day in Kumo. Shikamaru was quite surprised, but left early because he had to return to Suna the next day. Chouji and Lee were very loud, Lee shouting about youth, and Chouji about food. Sakura started to cry in relief. She was the last one to leave the mini party when Tsunade kicked them all out. She gave Naruto a pile of papers that she had finished filling out and studying and told Naruto to have fun. She left after hugging Hinata and rubbing her stomach.

“Tomorrow, I suppose that everyone will want to introduce you to their children. You’ve missed a lot. According to Ino, you have been in Konoha for nearly three years, Hinata. Why wasn’t I informed?” Hinata blushed again. She was sitting down, utterly exhausted. She hadn’t expected Tsunade to pull something like that.

“I…was ashamed…I don’t really want to go on it. It’s behind me. But speaking off? How is my sister? My…Otou-sama?” Naruto noticed that she said his name with a little less hate than usual.

“Your father is dead. He died fighting Iwa nin. Your sister…she’s alive, but she was injured in the war.” Hinata furrowed her brow.

“How? Is she ok?” Tsunade nodded.

“Oh yes, she’s up and about, but her mid section was ripped up pretty badly. I’m afraid that Konohamaru and Hanabi won’t be having children unless she pulls off of a miraculous recovery.” Hinata gasped.

“Aah… That’s horrible! I almost feel like giving this one to her…”

“Oh no. I missed the first one’s life; I’m not missing this one’s.” Hinata blushed a bit and nodded.

“I wasn’t going to really…” Naruto smoothed her hair back, and Hinata relaxed muscles that she hadn’t realized were tense.

“You two can stay here…We have guest quarters for the various VIP’s that visit.” Naruto’s eye lit up and he said,

“Oh, yea! You aren’t still going to give Hokage up to Sakura-chan are you? That’s why I came back. I was sorely tempted to stay in Kumo, you know.” Tsunade pursed her lips.

“Mmmm, I dunno~…” Tsunade said, drawing out the ‘o’. Naruto frowned and put on his best puppy eyes that he could come up with.

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

“Sakura doesn’t even want it. She was taking it in memory of you, and because I was too lazy to train anyone else. If you study fast and hard; if you eat, sleep, and dream the reports and books I’m going to give you, you can get the position in 3 months.” Naruto drooped slightly, but said,

“Well, now that I remember that I hated studying, it’s going to be harder. You’re lucky I picked up a very good work ethic in Kumogakure. I was the Jounin-sensei to their next Raikage, you know…” Tsunade shifted her eye brows and said,

“Well…In that case, I don’t need to assign you a team then. That could cut a lot of paper work and studying for you.” Naruto uttered a small, “Yes!” and Hinata giggled.

“By tomorrow morning, you’ll both be reinstated. Naruto as jounin, and Hinata as chuunin.” Hinata opened her mouth and blushed.

“A-ano…Can I not? I m-mean, not forever…maybe when the baby is a few years old?” Tsunade smiled and nodded.

“I suppose. I’m glad now; I get to look forward to another grandchild.” Hinata blushed and grinned shyly. Naruto grinned widely and unashamedly.

“It’s almost 9, you two better go to bed. The taller guard will show you to the rooms. Naruto, I want you to report here at 8 am sharp…no, make that 10. I wanna sleep in.” Naruto laughed and escorted the pregnant Hyuuga out of the office.

Tsunade sat down in her leather chair and swivelled around to face the mountain. Gazing at the mountain side that held the monuments to the Hokage, she smiled and said,

“Well, I’d better get Kakashi to fix that monument. He’s there every morning anyway.” The blonde picked her pen up and crossed Sakura’s name out several times on the report she had been writing. Scribbling ‘Uzumaki Naruto’ in their stead.

“Took you long enough, Naruto.”


End Chapter 42