Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

New Beginnings	By : tragic.violinist Category: Naruto AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 2491 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: NARUTO and its respective characters were created and are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. No copyright infringement intended. I make no money from this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
Chapter 10. I knew I loved you
It took nearly two weeks for the Jounin to come to an agreement on who would become the sixth Hokage, in the end they chose Kakashi, though he was reluctant to take the position himself, Itachi hadn't been overly enthusiastic about the idea either. Kakashi was thankful he would only be holding the title temporarily until Tsunade was out of her coma. After a bit of shuffling around, those affected by the change were settling into their new roles.
Itachi had been reinstated as a Jounin and had taken over as team leader for Sasuke, Naruto and Hikari. Sakura and Shizune had taken over Tsunade's hospital responsibilities, and Jiraiya was spending more time in the Konoha, to help watch over the twins when both Hikari and Neji had missions to complete, or just while he was busy training his team.
Jiraiya had just lay the twins down for a nap when he received a summons to report to the Hokage's office. With Neji currently out with his team of Genin and Hikari on a mission with Naruto, Sasuke and Itachi he had no choice but to ask for Kira’s help. Luckily for him while the village was still being rebuilt, many of the citizens were sharing temporary homes and they were no different.
Hikari had designed the three story house herself, as with their previous accommodations the basement was made into a dojo, much larger than the previous ones. The first floor contained the common areas of the house such as the den, study, kitchen, dining room and three guest bedrooms. The second floor was occupied by Hikari, Neji, and the twins, while the third was split between Naruto, Sasuke, Kira and Itachi. Each couple had their own bathroom in addition to the one on the first floor. The current arrangement seemed to work for them in an odd way. Thus Jiraiya found himself descending the stairs to the main floor where Kira was currently at work painting one of the guest rooms.
"Jiraiya-sama, is there something I can help you with?" Kira asked as she answered the door.
"Yes I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sitting with the kids for a little while? They just fell asleep so they shouldn't be too much trouble, I need to go see the Hokage."
Kira beamed up at him, "of course Jiraiya-sama, it's no problem at all."
~*~
"You wanted to see me?" He took a seat across from Kakashi, who was looking thoroughly harassed. "What's wrong?"
Kakashi sighed, "the council thinks the village needs a morale boost."
"What kind of morale boost?" Jiraiya felt a feeling of foreboding wash over him.
"They want to have a citywide celebration to commemorate the joining of the Hyuuga clan and the descendant of the first and second Hokages."
Jiraiya sighed in exasperation, "neither of them will be happy about that," Hikari hated being the center of attention, and he knew Neji wasn't overly fond of it either.
"That's why I wanted to give you a heads up before she gets back from her mission. I also told the council it was a bad idea, but they are old and stubborn. The only compromise they were willing to offer was that Hikari and Neji could plan their own ceremony."
"And if they don't want a celebration afterwards? Kakashi, you know how the two of them are."
"I know, but as it stands the celebration will take place in their honor whether they attend or not, it's probably just best if they grin and bare it."
"I'll do my best to talk them into it, does this mean they won't even get to pick their own date?"
"They will, within reason of course, they have a month to decide on a date, that will give the council enough time to make the arrangements they want to make. Like I said I don't agree with it either, which is why I told them if they wanted to see it done they would have to take care of all the planning themselves, I had hoped that would dissuade them but it didn't," Jiraiya could make out a smirk beneath the younger man's mask, "if nothing else it should prove entertaining."
Jiraiya couldn't help but shake his head in amusement as he pictured the two elderly council members attempting to decorate the streets alone.
"There is one other thing I wanted to warn you about." Jiraiya was silent as he waited for Kakashi to continue, he didn't see how this could get any worse. "They insisted that at least one family member from each side be present for the ceremony, a biological family member."
"You're joking, they can't possibly be serious about bringing her into this village, she and Hikari have been like oil and water for years now."
Kakashi nodded, "I was somewhat aware of that, Hikari was never really open about her family life with me, but I did gather they weren't on the best of terms when I didn't see her the day of Hikari's big announcement."
"To tell you the truth I'm not sure they have been in contact at all since Hikari arrived in Konoha."
"That bad huh?"
"It's not really my place to elaborate, but yes. Hikari was never really close with Aika, she much preferred the company of Tsunade, Orochimaru and myself after her father passed."
Kakashi nodded solemnly, "there's not much we can do about that either, Koharu sent out the missive to Aika this morning."
~*~
They had been tracking a team of shinobi for over two weeks now, it seemed they were very adept with evasive tactics. This particular group had been spotted in the area surrounding Konoha several times over the last couple months. So far no one had gotten close enough to determine their country of origin, and they had made no move to attack. They were operating under the assumption that these shinobi had been sent by a rival village as scouts, attempting to find a weak spot in Konoha's defences while they were rebuilding.
Stopping to make camp, Sasuke and Naruto went to gather firewood while Hikari and Itachi set up a perimeter and kept watch. All of this was done with the efficiency of a well oiled machine.
"Perhaps it's time we tried a new tactic," Hikari suggested as they all came together to eat. "Tracking them is getting us nowhere, not this way at least."
"What do you have in mind?" Itachi asked her, that was one of the reasons they worked so well together, he respected his teammates' abilities and willingly listened to their input, even if, as team captain, he always had the final say.
"As I see it we have three options; we can continue on as we have been and wait for them to slip up but they may find what they are looking for and make a run for it before that happens. We could request a backup team and try to box them in, or we could try to lure them out and ambush them. Personally I would go with the last option."
Itachi carefully considered what she said, she made a valid point, at the rate they were going now there stood a very high risk of losing their targets, while her second option stood a good chance of success, the village was currently short handed with the rebuilding effort. The third plan may be the best choice, but for one problem, "we are under the assumption they are looking for a weakness in the villages' defence, but that may not be the case. Without knowing exactly what it is they are looking for, we cannot guarantee that they would take any bait we set for them."
"Yes I considered that, but if one of us stands in as the bait I think it would just be too tempting for them to pass it up. A potential hostage is the ultimate bait, something they could use no matter what their mission objective is. A hostage could provide them with intel on Konoha's defences, as well as a bargaining chip if there is something specific they are looking for."
Another good point, even if he was loath to use any of them as bait, "we have to assume the worst, that they may have been watching us as well." They spoke barely above a whisper, a force of habit really. A precaution against anyone who may be watching, someone would have to be very close to hear their conversation.
They fell into silence as they continued their small meal, each trying to come up with a solution, a means to an end for this mission, "who will serve as bait?" Itachi questioned.
"I would be the best choice," Hikari stated plainly, "as the only woman on the team, and no extraordinary abilities like the rest of you, they would be more likely to take a chance coming after me when I'm alone than any of you."
"Don't sell yourself short," Naruto told her, "you may not be a Jinchuriki, or possess the sharingan but you are far above average in your abilities."
Hikari couldn't help but smile at his attempt to placate her, "oh I know that," she added confidently, "but that doesn't mean they do. Not to mention it's practically hardwired into the male brain to consider women the weaker sex, no offense of course," she added flippantly.
"Okay here's what we will do then..." Itachi laid out the plan he had formulated to capture the enemy shinobi. "We'll set out at first light in our usual formation and put the plan into motion around midday, understand?" They nodded their acceptance before breaking out their bed rolls and preparing for sleep, Itachi sat with his back against the trunk of a tree, settling in for the first watch of the night.
~*~
   They knew they were being tailed, the team sent after them was unusually persistent, after two weeks they still showed no sign of relenting. Having to constantly evade the enemy was a hindrance to their objective. They were unable to get close enough to the village to set up surveillance and gather intel. Unless they could detain or defeat their tail the mission would be a complete and utter failure. As such they had devised a plan to divide and conquer. Two would continue to lead the leaf shinobi through the forest while two others would circle back in an attempt to ambush them.
   “Jiko look ahead, it seems one is beginning to tire.”
   “It was only a matter of time Hozon, we’ve been keeping them on their toes for weeks now, no one can last forever at the pace Suniku and Supai have set.”
   “Should we take her now?”
   “No let the space between her and her comrades grow, then we’ll make our move. The last thing we need is for them to interfere, this may be our last chance to get the information we need.”
   For another hour they maintained their surveillance, the gap between the kunoichi and her male companions grew steadily larger, had they been more cautious they may have found it odd that her comrades failed to notice her absence. Had they not been keeping with the exhausting pace their team leader had set, for such a long period of time, they may have suspected a trap. Unfortunately for them they noticed none of this in their hurry to complete their mission.
They watched as the kunoichi slowed her pace, panting heavily, in need of catching her breath. She dropped to her knees in a coughing fit, holding her chest as she struggled to fill her lungs with oxygen. She settled into a prone position, face up, eyes closed, one arm slung over her eyes to further block the offending rays of sun that filtered through the leafy canopy above.
They watched as she appeared to let her guard down, her body looked relaxed as her breathing evened out. They communicated with each other silently, taking up positions in preparation of an attack. Jiko made the first move, landing next to her without a sound, she didn't react, as if she couldn't detect his presence, she had let herself become too relaxed, thinking her enemies far ahead of her. Her lack of disregard for her own safety was suspect, yet the two men eager to complete their task took no notice themselves.
She didn’t even flinch as the cold metal of Jiko’s kunai met the smooth flesh of her neck, Hozon watched from his perch high above the ground, not registering the approaching danger closing in on them. The forest was quiet, too quiet, where there should have been the sounds of the dozens of different species that inhabited the area, the only sound that could be heard was the call of a single crow. Even the gentle breeze that had been rustling the leaves intermittently throughout the morning had ceased. Jiko prodded the girl with the tip of his weapon. She lowered her arm and calmly turned her face towards the would-be attacker. Her eyes locked with his, they showed no fear, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was daft.
A feral grin spread across her features, “I wouldn’t move if I were you,” her voice was calm and steady.
“I could say the same for you, after all you are the one at my….” his retort was cut short as he felt something smooth curling around his calf, his eyes filled with fear at the sight of the massive snake.
“It seems we’ve reached a stalemate, my friend here is venomous and you won’t find an antidote before it’s too late. Of course if she were to sink her teeth into you,” Hikari paused her speech as Amaya bared her fangs, poised to attack the man’s inner thigh, “you would still have time to kill me, but if you try to strike first she will still attack. What to do, what to do?”
Beads of perspiration began to form on Jiko’s brow, his eyes darted from tree to tree as he silently waited for Hozon to come to his assistance.
Help that would never come, as he had fled, choosing instead to meet back up with his other team mates. He hoped that Jiko would understand and keep calm until he could return with reinforcements.
Hikari made no attempt to move as she observed the man hovering over as he came to the realization that the help he hoped for wasn’t coming. She listened as he cursed under his breath and watched as shadows began to emerge from the trees, pulling his attention away from her and to her comrades.
“Don’t move,” his voice shook as he addressed the two young men flanking him, he didn’t dare look behind him to the man that was surely there as well. “I can still kill her.”
“If you truly believe that then you are a fool.” He heard her say, not from below him but from behind.
He looked down in shock, and that was all it took, where she had once been there was now the third man, the one they had observed to be to leader of the group. His sharingan had flared to life and before Jiko could fully process what was happening he was pulled into an illusion.
With the man now helpless Amaya returned to Hikari, slithering her way up the girls body and draping herself around her master’s neck, Hikari stroked her lovingly as she watched Naruto and Sasuke secure their newly procured hostage.
“Now what?” Naruto asked Itachi after he released the illusion, Sasuke was there to catch the captive as he crumpled to the ground.
Hikari stepped up to Itachi’s side as he began to speak, “As anticipated this man’s partner fled, there is a high probability that he will regroup with his squad and they will double back this way, we’ll be ready for them when they do.”
“What will we do with him in the mean time?” Hikari inquired.
   “Tie him to a tree, keep your snake close to him, we don’t want one of his comrades catching us unawares and setting him free.” Itachi studied the symbol of the man’s village, the unfinished downward arrow, and was filled with a deep sense of foreboding.
~*~
To an untrained shinobi it would appear that Jiko's comrades had abandoned him, choosing instead to cut their losses and retreat or to use the situation to their advantage by moving in on the village while Itachi and his team were otherwise occupied. Indeed after coming to in the late hours of evening Jiko's own thoughts began to travel down that road. Hozon should have made contact with Suniku and Supai hours ago. Then he remembered how the three leaf-nin had cornered him so silently, he hadn't even known they were there, could they have killed Hozon before he got away? It was certainly possible.
He watched as three of his captors worked, not speaking a word to one another, the fourth member of their team sat a few feet away from the tree he had been tied to. The blonde stuck out like a sore thumb from the quiet trio, he prattled on incessantly, not at all discouraged by the lack of response from his comrades, even his clothes stood out in contrast compared to the rest of his team. With their dark tones, causing them to blend into the shadows of the forest, his atrocious orange getup threw any chance of stealth out the window.
"So what are you and your team looking for anyway?” Naruto asked but the man remained silent. “We’ll just find out in the end, it would be easier on you in the long run if you told us now.”
Jiko glared at the blonde man and said nothing, he wasn’t stupid, he may not have been the best shinobi but he knew to keep his mouth shut. As soon as he had seen the dreaded sharingan he knew who he was dealing with, the second raven haired man looked so similar to their leader they couldn’t not be brothers, Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha, their names were well known throughout all the nations. The elder a former missing-nin from Konoha, was recognized as the man who had reduced his entire clan to near extinction after just entering his teens. The younger of the two was noted as the former apprentice of the renowned Sannin Orochimaru. He was even familiar with the hyperactive blonde, having garnered his own reputation after studying under another of the Sannin, Jiraiya, most recently having been recognized as the savior of his village after the Akatsuki had attacked. The girl was a mystery to him, the men called her Hikari, and the name was unfamiliar to him, however the simple fact that she teamed with such esteemed comrades was an attestment to what she could be capable of. He was beginning to think if just might be best if his unit had fled the area in favor of returning to their home village, even together they wouldn’t stand a chance against these foes.
Hikari was currently sitting by the fire boiling water for their dinner, she would occasionally spare a glance at their captive, watching for any signs of weakness they could use to get him to talk. Naruto was right in saying that they would find out in the end, and also that it would be easier in the long run if he talked now, not just for himself but for them as well. A lot could happen in the time it would take for them to reach the village gates. They were taking a gamble on his team trying to retrieve him, if they hadn’t showed themselves by morning they would begin the trek back to hand over the prisoner, in that time his team might have something more sinister planned, they couldn’t dismiss the possibility of them taking out their own ally, it wouldn’t be the first time it had happened. Particularly if they thought the chances of recovering him was slim.
Sasuke threw some more logs on the pile, the fire ate at the new wood, burning higher and giving off more smoke than was necessary, it was like a beacon in the fading light of day, but that was what they wanted. To draw the enemy to them, force them into the open on their terms, rather than risk a surprise attack while they were on the move. Here they were prepared to take them on, not having to worry about the current captive, as Hikari’s snake still curled around the trunk of the tree the man was bound to. She was in the perfect position to strike out at an enemy, after all they really only needed one of the men. Still they couldn’t just leave the other three to continue their surveillance it was best to capture the remaining three, or take them out, to prevent any leaks from occurring.
Itachi heard a rustle in the trees off to his left, but remained impassive, he locked eyes with his brother across the fire and they exchanged a look, proof that he had heard it as well. Sasuke picked up a twig from the ground, snapping it in half before tossing it into the fire.
“Sasuke could you grab the ramen for me please?” Hikari asked without taking her gaze away from the fire, as she prodded at the embers with a stick. She had heard the sounds as well, and her muscles tensed imperceptibly in anticipation of attack.
Sasuke crossed the campsite over to the supplies, well within Naruto’s line of sight, he kicked a rock across the ground, sending it careening in the blonde’s direction, coming to rest next to the captive. A glare and a smirk later confirmed they were all on the same page, ready to strike. Sasuke dropped to one knee to rummage in his pack, under the guise of looking for the rations he threaded several shuriken between his fingers.
As if on cue three men emerged from the trees poised to attack, Jiko’s head snapped up to see his comrades, “Uchiha’s!” was the only word of warning he was able to get out before Naruto delivered a blow to the back of his neck rendering him unconscious once more.
The three enemies dropped their gaze, thankful for the warning, even if it only solidified their deaths. They would not allow themselves to be taken alive, they dodged the first attacks from the brothers, scattering in an attempt to separate their opponents. The small campsite quickly became a warzone as the trio became more desparate.
Despite their attempt to take them alive they were left with no choice in the matter, and soon two of them lay dead on the ground while the last one leapt into the trees above. Sasuke made to pursue but Itachi grabbed the back of his shirt to haul him back, a split second before an explosion tore through the canopy; raining foliage mixed with blood and chunks of flesh down upon them.
They looked around at each other and the camp surveying the damage and making sure no one was hurt. Hikari began picking debris out of her hair as she approached the fire, taking note of the chunks of flesh floating in the still boiling water.
“This is no good anymore, and there’s no where to wash up and replenish our water supplies, looks like we will have to settle with dry rations until we get back to Konoha.” Naruto groaned in disappointment but accepted the canteen of water Itachi was passing around for each of them to wash their hands.
“We’ll head out first thing in the morning, it’ll take us at three days to get back dragging him along,” Itachi said nodding towards their captive. “I can’t imagine he’ll be anymore accommodating after these events, and we’ll have to take precautions to insure he doesn’t try anything similar.” They all nodded their assent before settling down for their meager meal.
~*~
   Neji dismissed his team and watched as they went their separate ways before making his way home, he reached up to massage the back of his neck, it had been sore all day, a side effect of falling asleep in a rocking chair trying to get the twins to stay asleep for more than five minutes. All he wanted to do when he got home was collapse in bed and sleep but there wouldn’t be time for that for a few hours at the very least. Hiroshi was doing well and sleeping through the night most of the time, but even after two and a half months Megumi still had her days and nights mixed up, leaving little time for Neji to sleep while Hikari had been gone for the last couple of weeks.
   That was another thing he wasn’t looking forward to, she wasn’t due back for another week and a half and while he was eager to have her home, even if only so he could get a few extra hours of sleep at night, he wasn’t looking forward to the impending explosion when she got the news Jiraiya had bestowed upon him three days ago.
   Jiraiya was pacing the hallway with Hiroshi in his arms when Neji walked in the door, the infant was wailing at the top of his lungs as the older man tried his best to comfort him. He heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of Neji before thrusting the tiny bundle into the arms of his father.
   “He just woke up from his nap, and I was hoping to let Megumi sleep a little longer but he seems determined to wake her.” Jiraiya explained as he stripped off his puke stained shirt leaving himself in just his mesh undershirt. “Good luck, I need a drink,” he said in parting, leaving Neji standing there with his son, who was just now beginning to settle.
   With a clean shirt Jiraiya made his way to his favorite bar, he took a seat outside where he could watch the main street into town. Yes he had needed a little break from the twins but his real reason for coming here was to keep an eye out for Aika, she was likely to arrive any day now and he hoped to intercept her before she could find the house. He wasn’t sure what the letter had said or how much information it had contained about the current situation, but he anticipated having to do some damage control. He imagined the woman would be furious, Hikari had left home just over two years ago and there had been no contact that he was aware of, he had asked Neji about it as well and the young man wasn’t aware of any correspondence between them either. He himself hadn’t spoken to her in over a year and the only reason Orochimaru had ever kept in touch was because of Hikari. That only left Tsunade, who was still in a coma, and he couldn’t remember if she had ever mentioned talking to her sister, at this point he couldn’t even be sure if she was aware of the twins’ existence. This whole thing was a disaster waiting to happen, and there was no way to avoid it. He was several drinks in when he noticed the familiar blonde hair, cut into a bob making its way down the main street.
The woman, younger than Tsunade by several years, but looked much older given Tsunade's use of her seal, walked down the street with purpose, she did not look pleased in the slightest. Jiraiya downed his drink before slapping some money down on the counter and walking out to meet her.
"Aika, how wonderful to see you again!" he exclaimed with a huge fake grin plastered on his face.
It only took a moment for her eyes to pick him out in the crowd, they narrowed on him as she approached, waving a piece of parchment angrily. "Don't you Aika me, two years and not a word from any of you, and then I get this," she swatted him with the parchment.
Jiraiya took it from her quickly scanning the letter to see how much information it contained, it was very vague not mentioning the twins or even Neji's name. Just a congratulations and an invitation to the impending celebration, they had probably assumed she had been kept abreast of the events in Hikari's life. He sighed, he had a lot of explaining to do, he opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off before he say a word.
"She's getting married? Don't you think I should have been told about this? Where is she and where is Tsunade? I want answers Jiraiya and you had better have them," she screeched.
"Come on now Aika, I'm sure it was just a miscommunication, come have dinner with me and I will answer all of your questions," he attempted to placate her.
"Two years of her life is a hell of a miscommunication Jiraiya, something of this caliber doesn't just happen overnight, unless," Aika's jaw dropped and she covered her mouth in horror, "don't tell me she got herself knocked up and this is a shotgun wedding?"
Jiraiya took her by the arm and attempted to steer her away from the hustle and bustle of the street, she was causing a scene and he was eager to stop her before it got further out of hand. Unfortunately time was not on his side.
~*~
At last the village gates came into view, the road weary team of Itachi, Sasuke, Naruto and Hikari had to hold back a collective sigh of relief at the sight, well three held it back while Naruto expressed enough of an energetic response for all of them.
"First stop Ichiraku Ramen!" he cheered.
"You might want to shower first, you reek," Sasuke said with disdain.
"Like you smell like a bed of roses teme."
"We all stink," Hikari put a stop to their argument before it could even get started. She was tired, they all smelled like death, quite literally, the late summer heat amplified the smell of rotting meat from the gore they hadn't been able to cleanse from their battle, mingled with their own sweat it was very unpleasant, to put it lightly. She wasn't even sure how Naruto could think about food at such a time. All she wanted was to get home, shower, and maybe have a cuddle session with Neji and the twins.
"Naruto, Sasuke the two of you take the prisoner to the Intel division, Hikari and I will report to the Hokage," Itachi ordered, he too wanted nothing more than to get home and shower, but the mission wasn't complete yet, the sooner they were done the better. Going their separate ways, Hikari followed her team captain to the Hokage tower.
Kakashi wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell that perforated the air, his mask did little to block it, Hikari and Itachi stood before him covered in blood, grime and who knew what else. He nodded at the appropriate points in an attempt to hurry the meeting along, all the while wanting nothing more than to crack a window open, or all of them for that matter.
"You did a good job of tracking and taking care of the culprits, but what was the cause of all of this?" he asked curiously, gesturing to the gruesome sight before him.
"One of the guys blew himself up," Hikari supplied.
"It seems they would rather die than be taken alive, though I'm sure it was also an attempt to take at least one of us down with them," Itachi elaborated.
"Alright you're dismissed, and may I suggest seeking out the closest shower," he watched as they nodded in agreement and exited his office. Kakashi quickly ran to the nearest window and opened it wide, sticking his head out to glup in a monstrous amount of fresh air, he would count himself lucky only two of them had come for the report.
Sasuke and Naruto were waiting for them outside when they exited the building, "let's go home," Itachi said tiredly and they began the trek back, the younger trio followed a few steps behind, Naruto talking animatedly as they entered the main street.
"It's good to be home," he said happily as he put an arm around Hikari's shoulders and began singing in an attempt to get her to join him,
I spent 20 years trying to get out of this place

I was looking for something I couldn't replace

I was running away from the only thing I've ever known

Like a blind dog without a bone

I was a gypsy lost in the twilight zone

I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold

I been there, done that and I ain't lookin' back on the seeds I've sown,

Saving dimes, spending too much time on the telephone

Who says you can't go home
Hikari couldn't help but laugh before joining in with him, she slung one arm around Naruto and the other around a reluctant Sasuke,
Who says you can't go home

There's only one place they call me one of their own

Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home

Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact

There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home
"Hikari!" an angry voice screamed, interrupting their impromptu sing-a-long, "would you care to explain what the hell is going on here?"
Hikari froze in her tracks stopping Naruto and Sasuke with her, Itachi too stopped to look at the woman blocking their path, Jiraiya stood behind her, giving Hikari an apologetic look.
"Mother? What are you doing in Konoha?"
"That's all you have to say after more than two years of not writing? I let you come here because it was your dream to be a shinobi, and now look at what you've become," she fixed her eyes on the two men flanking the sides of her daughter and the other who stood a few feet away, it didn't take a genius to know who they were.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Not to mention it’s not like you wrote to me at all during the last two years, or did you forget that part. Let’s be honest here you didn’t let me come to Konoha because it was my dream, you were glad to get rid of me,” Hikari yelled back at her. “I don’t even know why you bothered coming here in the first place.” Aika thrust the letter angrily at Hikari and she snatched it away to read, all the while Aika glared at the three men with Hikari, though none seemed affected by it, they were either used to it or capable of much worse themselves. The color drained from Hikari’s face as she read over the letter, she looked to Jiraiya, hoping for some sort of explanation but Aika wasn’t done yet.
“To think these are the sort of people you're associating yourself with, I thought I raised you better.”
“What are you getting at Mother? These sort of people? They’re worth ten of you.”
“I see how it is, you prefer the company of a turncoat, a mass murderer and that beast over well-reared good people. Which one is it you’re marrying then? Or are you sleeping with all of them? Aki always said you were the promiscuous type.” she rounded on Jiraiya, “and you how could you and Tsunade let this happen?”
Hikari saw red as she lunged at her mother, Naruto held her back, “How dare you, you good for nothing bitch!” she screamed, “after what he did to me, after what you let him do to me, how dare you even mention that evil bastard. You have no right to speak about my friends like that, you are the worst kind of person there is, I am ashamed to call myself your daughter.”
“Hikari,” Naruto’s voice was quiet, deadly calm, it snapped Hikari’s attention to him, “Forget it, it’s not worth it.”
Hikari nodded reluctantly, she still wasn’t done but a crowd was gathering, if she continued on like this it would only make matters worse. “Come on let’s go home,” she said, pushing her way past her mother and Jiraiya, followed closely by the rest of her team.
~*~
   Neji was dozing on the couch and Kira was playing on floor with the twins when Hikari stormed into the house slamming the door so that the other three had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. The sound shocked Neji out of his sleep and he looked towards the archway of the room taking in the sight of four filthy shinobi and one very pissed off Hikari.
   “I’m really sorry guys, what she said it was unforgivable,” she fumed.
   Naruto wrapped Hikari in his arms, “You don’t have to apologize Hikari, it’s not your fault.”
   “We all know you don’t share the same views,” Itachi assured her.
   As her anger dissolved, mental and physical exhaustion took over and she burst into tears. “Why would he bring her here? Why not tell her what was going on? I feel so betrayed right now.”
   “Hikari?” Neji asked quietly as he got up off the couch, “What happened? What’s wrong?”
   She turned to face him, just now taking note of their audience, she pulled away from Naruto only to cling to Neji instead, tears still pouring down her face, she couldn’t even speak right now. He just held her, not even caring about the condition of her clothes or the dried blood and dirt that covered her. She was distressed and he just wanted to comfort her.
   “My mother is in town,” she said as she began to get herself under control, “we saw her with Jiraiya, she said some really horrible things. Why would he bring her here?” she questioned again.
   Now Neji understood what she had been talking about, “It wasn’t him,” she gave him a questioning look, “Let’s go upstairs, I’ll tell you what happened.” He looked over his shoulder at Kira, “could you keep an eye on the kids for a bit?”
   “Of course take your time, I’ll make some tea as well while everyone cleans up.”
   “They did what!?!?” Hikari’s voice rang out heard by everyone in the house, even over the sound of running water.
   Kira carried the babies into the kitchen and placed them in the playpen that was set up in the room. She started the tea, as well as began to prepare dinner, she had a feeling it was going to be a long night tonight. Itachi was the first to return from his shower and he took a seat in the adjoining dining room, he sipped at his tea quietly, not saying a word. Sasuke was in a similar mood when he and Naruto came down, Naruto himself didn’t seem to be his normal cheerful self either but he didn’t look as bad as the other two.
   “So what happened?” Kira asked Naruto, figuring that she would have the best chance getting an answer out of the blonde, instead of the two brooding brothers.
   “We’ll where to start, we met Hikari’s mom.”
   “Real piece of work she is,” Sasuke added.
   “Anyway,” Naruto continued, “they argued, there was some letter, but I don’t know what it said,” he spared a glance at the brothers before continuing, “She called Sasuke a turncoat, Itachi a mass murderer, and me a beast, then she mentioned someone named Aki and Hikari just snapped.”
   Silence fell over the room Kira had never heard the name Aki before either, but judging by what she knew of Hikari she could make a pretty good guess. She knew now that Naruto’s morose mood had more to do with Sasuke than what had been said about himself. He had grown up having insults thrown at him, she had experienced the same, it made one develop a thick skin. She knew a lot about Sasuke, from Itachi as well as their friends, he had grown up doted upon, even those who were suspicious of him after his return were not foolish enough to insult him to his face, he wasn’t used to this sort of treatment. She looked to Itachi, he sat at the table staring blankly into his cup of tea, she knew how much he was hurting right now, though he tried to hide it, he was still guilt ridden over what he had done, Hikari’s mother had hit a nerve in him.
   “You shouldn’t have held her back, you should have let her hit the bitch,” Sasuke said bitterly.
   “It wouldn’t have done any good, trust me on that. I do wonder however, what was pervy-sage was doing with her.”
   “I don’t know for sure, but I imagine he was attempting damage control,” Kira answered. They looked to her to elaborate, “A few days ago, Jiraiya-sama was called to meet with the Hokage, when Neji got home that night he told him that the village elders had decided to throw a huge celebration when Neji and Hikari get married, and that they had taken the liberty to invite Hikari’s mother.”
   Naruto’s eyes widened in shock, “but why would they do that?”
   Kira shrugged, “Something about a morale boost for the village, as for why they invited that woman I don’t know. Suffice it to say neither Neji nor Hikari are thrilled with the idea, but there’s not much that can be done about it. Jiraiya-sama said that the celebration will occur whether they attend or not. Anyway, so I’m guessing he met her mother at the gates to try and explain the situation to her rather than having….well what just happened happen.”
   “The whole thing is ridiculous,” Neji said from the doorway, startling Kira.
   “How’s Hikari doing?” Naruto asked.
   “She’ll manage, she always does. She will be down in a few minutes.” Neji took a seat at the table and poured himself a cup of tea, he glanced over at the playpen, where the twins were now sleeping. They had both slept far too much today and would probably be up half the night again, he was sure of it, though he could always hope he was wrong.
   By the time Kira had finished making dinner Hikari had joined them at the table, she too was quiet and brooding like the Uchiha brothers, Kira and Naruto tried to fill the awkward silence with friendly conversation, but were lucky if they could get monosyllable answers out of trio, while Neji politely responded he didn’t try to get them to talk either, he could read Hikari’s moods better than anyone and now was not the time to disturb her. He would let Kira and Naruto handle their partners in their own way.
Near the end of the meal Jiraiya arrived to find the tense atmosphere stifling, “Hikari, kiddo, it wasn’t meant to go like this, I’m sorry.” he opened his arms to her.
She didn’t hesitate before going to him, “if it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all,” she mumbled bitterly. “I don’t blame you Uncle Jiraiya, Neji told me everything.”
Jiraiya heaved a sigh of relief, “That’s good, I was worried you thought I brought her here, I would never do that to you Hikari.” She said nothing and no one else in the room had the heart to correct him either.
“What happens now? I won’t have her in this house, I can’t do it.” She looked up at him, a lost look in her eyes, “What do I do?”
“You want my advice?” She nodded, and he glanced over at Neji, they had already discussed it before Hikari had gotten back. The young Hyuuga wasn’t exactly thrilled with the solution but even he had to admit it was the best one they had. “Rush forward with the wedding, the sooner it’s over the sooner she will leave. She doesn’t want to be in Konoha anymore than you want her here, as soon as she can leave she will. As for where she will stay, let me worry about that, it’s the least I can do after I wasn’t able to get to her in time.”
Hikari nodded sadly, Neji had already told her that they had a month to decide on a date, that meant the earliest they could have it was early October, she only hoped her aunt would wake up before then, it was the main reason they hadn’t yet picked a date, they were waiting for her. Hikari returned to her seat and resumed picking at her food.
“Do you have any dates in mind?” she asked Neji quietly.
He reached across the table to cover her hand with his own, “any day you pick is fine by me,” he assured her.
She fell quiet for a few minutes, pondering the situation, when an idea finally struck her she looked over at Naruto, “I want to do it on October tenth,” she announced. All eyes, but Kira’s, turned to her, Naruto himself was so startled by her declaration that he dropped his chopsticks. “If the elders want to take over my wedding, I’m taking over that day, give the villagers something good to celebrate on that day. That is if it’s okay with you Naruto?”
He gave her a face-splitting grin, “Sounds like a plan to me.”
Hikari couldn’t help but smile back at him, she would make this a day to remember, not just for her and Neji, but for the whole village and as far as both the elders and her mother went, she would step on as many toes as she could. They would regret the day they tried to fuck with her life, she would beat them at their own game. She only hoped Neji wouldn’t fight her plans too much, while neither of them wanted a large wedding she would push through it and enjoy it when she had the last laugh.
Sasuke and Jiraiya could practically see her gears turning, the smirk she now wore was familiar to both of them, having seen the same look on Orochimaru’s face in the past, the elders wouldn’t know what hit them. Neji too noticed the shift in her mood and knew the date would not be the only bombshell she would drop on the elders, he reminded himself once again to never get on her bad side. She had the viciousness of Orochimaru, the stubbornness of Tsunade, and the charisma of Jiraiya on her side as well as the drive to see it through. The three legendary Sannin had raised her well.
Hiroshi began to fuss and Hikari got up from her place at the table, she began to move about the kitchen preparing bottles for the two of them, knowing it wouldn’t be long before Megumi woke as well.
Neji got up to help her, “I’ll take him upstairs and change him,” he told her as he scooped up the child.
No sooner were the bottles ready that Megumi began to wail, less patient than her brother she wanted to eat immediately. Hikari mumbled a quick goodnight before sweeping her daughter into her arms and making her way upstairs.
They sat side by side in identical rocking chairs as the infants quietly drank their fill, the steady creak of the chairs occasionally joined by the sound of fussing as couple intermittently interrupted their meal to burp them. Hikari smiled at the little girl in her arms, sometimes glancing at Neji and Hiroshi and the heartwarming sight they made. This was her life now, the people in this house, in this village, Orochimaru and Kabuto, they were her family. She’d be damned if she would let her mother come in and taint that. She was happy in a way she hadn’t been since her father had passed away, she had worked hard for this and she wouldn’t let it go.
Maybe it's intuition
Somethings you just don't question
Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant
And there it goes, I think I've found my best friend
I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy
But I believe
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
There's just no rhyme or reason
Only a sense of completion
And in your eyes, I see the missing pieces
I'm searching for, I think I've found my way home
I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy
But I believe
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
A thousand angels dance around you
I am complete now that I have found you
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
I knew I loved you before I met you, I knew I loved you
   As the twins dropped off to sleep at the sound of their mother’s voice she knew that as long as she had these three in her life she could survive anything the world threw at her. They placed the sleeping children in their cribs and Neji took her gently by the hand to lead her to bed. He held her as she slept, and for the first time in months they were both allowed to sleep the whole night through.
Lyrics Featured: I knew I Loved You by Savage Garden
- 9
- 10
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