20Chapter 1: Hinata the Rabbit
It was one of the times Naruto was exploring the words, looking for something to satiate his starving stomach. He was only 5, having been kicked out of the orphanage on his 5th birthday months ago. As he searched through a bush that had some blackberries in it, his arms and face being cut by thorns, he found a small gray, almost bluish rabbit caught in the brambles, whimpering in pain. Naruto was happy to have found such a meal. He was about to take it to cook when he looked in its wide blue eyes, filled with fear and panic. He felt for the poor thing as it reminded him of when he was first kicked out and chased by some of the villagers that were especially cruel to him.
"I'm sorry little one," he stated tearfully, "but I'm sooo hungry." His stomach growls in encouragement like a devil on his shoulder telling him to hurry with the meat. The rabbit stares back, the pain and fear receding until there is a sad acceptance of its fate left in its eyes. This breaks Naruto's will as he decides to simply free it. His hands grip the hard brambles, thorns digging into his flesh as he tears it apart, freeing the poor thing. Injured, the rabbit runs swiftly off, back into its burrow.
Naruto disentangled himself from the blackberry bush sighing as his stomach growled louder at his stupidity, as if berating him for it. He fought back tears, sniffling until the rabbit popped back out of its burrow, dragging half eaten turnip with it as she approached cautiously towards Naruto. Naruto stops his sniffling as the bluish gray rabbit gives him a share of her dinner. Naruto graciously accepts, as graciously as a starving orphan with no manners can anyways, and eats the wild turnip down to even its leaves, which tasted nasty like wax. It was the best meal Naruto had in days.
After eating the morsel, his stomach, insatiable as it is due to lack of sustenance, growled again. The rabbit hopped nuzzled against Naruto's hand. He petted her until she hopped a bit in one direction and stopped before looking back at him. Almost as if she wanted him to follow her. Naruto stood and followed her as she hopped off into a different direction.
Eventually, the rabbit entered a clearing with Naruto not too far behind. In the clearing was patches of wild strawberries, sweet potatoes, turnips, and onions. Perhaps this was old farmland someone started, or a site of a garden, but with no buildings nearby it was hard to tell. Naruto's eyes watered with joy at the veritable feast before him. He knew no matter what happened to him so long as he can come back here anytime he won't starve.
He scooped the little rabbit up and petted it as he ate the food he picked, being careful not to eat everything despite being hungry enough for it. If he did, then he couldn't come back to eat more tomorrow. He looked down at the rabbit that was sleeping in his arms. He made the decision then and there to live together. So Naruto laid down with the rabbit in his arms cuddling it as he started to fall asleep. Before drifting into a dreamland filled with bunnies, turnips, and blackberries, Naruto muttered to the rabbit. "You're my first friend, dattebayo. I think I'll name you… Hinata," the now named Hinata seemed to like her name despite being asleep as she snuggled deeper into Naruto's chest, "yeah, Hinata is a great… name…" Naruto snored as his words petered off. The two were now asleep deep in the woods of Konohagakure.
0000oO0
(Seven months ago. Hyuga compound.)
Hinata was sleeping after being tucked in by her mom and kissed goodnight. It was her birthday a few days ago and the Kumogakure ambassador brought a present for the clan heiress as another show of good faith. It was a Kumo chakra steel short sword. Hinata was enamored by the steel which glinted with a rainbow sheen. Even tonight she held the sheathed sword close to her. She wanted to learn kenjutsu. Of course her father was against it only because he thought it beneath a Hyuga.
That night, a shadow crept through the Hyuga compound. It swept, covered in seals designed to protect against the all seeing Byakugan by dispersing one's shape and breaking it up so the environment and the person are both similar, across the courtyard, somehow knowing, intimately, the schedule for the guards. It broke into the main house, creeping into the room of one Hinata Hyuga. Slowly the figure reached Hinata's bed and grabbed her, trying to gag and stuff her in a bag. In the scuffle, the sheath of the sword came off and the blade cut the perpetrator in the arm. Letting go of Hinata for a second, allowing Hinata to scream out in fear. This alerted everyone in the house who immediately went to her room.
Realizing he was caught when the door to the room burst open, the man grabbed Hinata and held a kunai to her throat. She was effectively a hostage. "Don't move or she dies." The man shuffled towards the window to try and take off, leaving Hinata as a distraction since his mission failed. He failed to see the sheath on the floor as it tripped him. His stumble made his kunai plunge into Hinata's aorta artery. The entire room burst into movement as Hiashi and Hitomi raced towards their child as she bled to death, while the two branch guards disabled and captured the man, who turned out to be the Kumogakure ambassador.
Hinata died that night, and Sarutobi Hiruzen awoke when the Hyuga clan dragged the man before him, distraught and angry. The Hokage himself was angry at this betrayal. Hinata was buried in the clan cemetery with her sword laid at her grave and her pressed flower collection her and her mother had started a month ago.
00oo00
(Forest in Konoha, Day After)
Deep in a burrow, somewhere hidden in the many forests of Konoha, tucked away safely, a female rabbit was giving birth to her litter. Amongst the litter, a single bluish-grey rabbit with blue eyes, that shined with an intelligence that no rabbit should have. That rabbit, for the next seven months would hop, play, eat, explore, and live in the forest until one fateful day where she met a boy whom she would come to love.
0o0o0o0
(Back to the present, Konoha Forests)
Naruto awoke with little Hinata in his arms, her bunny nose twitching in her sleep. The little malnourished five year old sat up without awakening the rabbit. His stomach growled at the rising sun shining through the canopy. After gently setting down the rabbit he went to the field of wild foods and took his pick of strawberries and onions. It wasn't very filling but it was better than most mornings he spent.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen, having missed Naruto's birthday due to being on a diplomatic mission to Kumogakure in order to demand compensation for the death of Hinata Hyuga, just came back into the village, and immediately made his way towards the orphanage. He missed his village. It was filled with memories and people he held dear, as precious as jewels inlaid jewelry made by master artisans.
He hummed a jaunty tune, feeling his stress melt away after the harrowing negotiations with the Raikage, who attempted to bully Hiruzen to give the Hyuga eyes. Hiruzen threatened war and destruction on A, with enough killing intent to kill a hippopotamus. Even A had trouble breathing. Eventually a deal was worked out where 25 million ryo would be paid to the Hyuga clan, several lightning jutsus were to be given to Konohagakure, and the secrets behind black lightning was put into the Sacred Scroll of Sealing.
Eventually the orphanage came into view, the white picket fence and well maintained garden the first he saw. The children in the yard on a rope swing, playing. Hiruzen smiled at seeing the next generation, remembering what everything was all for. His smile only faded when he remembers young Hinata, life extinguished far too soon. He opens the small gate as he goes in to find the matron of the orphanage in the kitchen with another helper making lunch for the kids.
"Hello Marron, I'm here to see young Naruto."
The Matron stiffens at that voice and name. "I'm sorry Lord Hokage, but he seems to be out today. Probably wandering the village. I'm sure he'll be back tonight." Her voice is monotone as she keeps staring at the bowl she was mixing in, avoiding eye contact. The Sandaime Hokage narrowed his eyes at that. She was lying. Blatantly so.
"Marron." He said sharply with a touch of killing intent laced in his voice. "Naruto. Now."
She was sweating profusely now. She tried repeating what she initially said but was cut off by Hiruzen. "Cut the bullshit. Where is Naruto?"
Marron pursed her lips together. "I don't know."
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean, you don't know?" She remained quiet as the helper managed to finally scramble out of the kitchen as Hiruzen moved forward towards the Matron of the orphanage and out of the doorway.
She closed her eyes, taking a calming breath, finding some modicum of courage to turn around and face Hiruzen in his eyes. "I mean I do not know where that monster is because I kicked him out. He is not welcome here, he is not to be near here, and he can die for all I care!" She was red faced and shouting her plump features jiggled slightly with rage.
Hiruzen smiled a horrifically terrifying smile, sickly sweet as he simple made a hand motion. Two ANBUs, Cat and Dog, jumped down, taking the woman who paled, and swiftly knocked her out before dog carried her to the Torture and Interrogation department. "Cat, gather ANBU and search the city for Naruto. Do not leave any stone unturned." She nodded once, her cat mask bobbing up and down, before she too disappeared in a blur.
Hiruzen had an angry scowl on his face before he screwed it back into a neutral mask. He reigned in his anger and hate before looking at the door to the rest of the orphanage. "You there, you're now in charge until a new matron can apply," he stated firmly before teleporting away in a swirl of leaves.
0o0oo0
(Naruto's Super Awesome Hideaway Forest Grove, week later)
Naruto decided to live here. Catching fish in the stream nearby and cultivating the wild plants for sustenance. More than a week after he met Hinata, he and the rabbit grew close enough that she would ride around on his head. Naruto enjoyed living out here and felt he had found acceptance. For the first time in his life, Naruto felt not just wanted but needed. He burrowed into the ground like Hinata did, making himself a makeshift sleeping area and covered the entrance with a plank of bark that was ripped off a fallen tree.
Today was just another day at the beginning. Hinata and Naruto woke up together, Naruto picked Hinata up and placed her on his head, he gathered fruits and roots for breakfast, and checked to see if he could spear a fish for lunch. Today was a no go, as very little fish showed up in the stream today and those that did managed to out maneuver the blonde jinchuriki. Frustrated, but not overly so, Naruto went back to his burrow to see if he could get a fire started. He learned after seeing an older orphan at the orphanage start one in the trash of a store. Of course Naruto was blamed and beaten for it.
As he walked back into Naruto's Super Awesome Hideaway Forest Grove, he spotted a man with gravity defying silver hair and a mask that looked like a dog. Naruto froze, hiding where he was and observed the ANBU. The ANBU member looked around for clues as to where Naruto was. Naruto knew he couldn't escape him, and didn't know if it was one of the few that had tossed him to proverbial wolves. So he watched. Waited.
The ANBU slowly turned towards Naruto's position. He stiffened at the ANBU's gaze. Still as a statue. Unfortunately Naruto was a kid, and Dog was an ANBU. With a flash of leaves, Dog flashed behind Naruto and Hinata with a hand upon his shoulder. The boy and his rabbit eeped, jumping out of their skin. Dog put a hand to his right ear and spoke to seemingly no one, "Target found. He's alright. Bringing him to the Hokage's office." Then the world blurred for them all. Naruto held Hinata tightly in his arms to ensure she wouldn't disappear. After they came to a stop mere seconds later, Naruto found himself in the Hokage's office.
"Oh thank Kami you're safe Naruto!"